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1118-1177-4796-9849-7562-5062mail GNIPST BULLETIN 2012

4th January 2013 Volume No.: 21 Issue No.: 03

Contents • Message from GNIPST • Letter to the Editor • News Update • Disease Outbreak News • Health Awareness • Forth Coming Events • Drugs Update • Campus News • Student’s Section • Editor’s Note • Archive •

Vision

TO GROW AS A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN THE FIELD OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

EDITOR: Debabrata Ghosh Dastidar GURU NANAK INSTITUTE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY

GNIPST Photo Gallery For your comments/contribution OR

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MESSAGE FROM GNIPST

All the members of GNIPST are proud to publish the 21st Volume

of “GNIPST BULLETIN”. This bulletin has successfully

completed its twenty months journey. We hope it has kept the

readers updated of recent activities in pharmaceutical & biological

sciences and also introduced them with the different activities of

our esteemed institution. We are thankful to all of you for your

great cooperation & support and are looking forward to the same in

future.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

NEWS UPDATE

∆ Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Enhances Hospital Disinfection of Superbugs (31 DECEMBER 2012) Infection control experts have found that a combination of robot-

like devices that disperse a bleaching agent into the air and then

detoxify the disinfecting chemical are highly effective at killing

and preventing the spread of multiple-drug-resistant bacteria, or

so-called hospital superbugs. Read more

∆ Use of Anti-Depressants During Pregnancy Not Linked With Increased Risk of Stillbirth, Infant Death, Study Suggests (01 JANUARY 2013)

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In a study that included nearly 30,000 women from Nordic

countries who had filled a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

prescription during pregnancy, researchers found no significant

association between use of these medications during pregnancy

and risk of stillbirth, neonatal death, or postneonatal death, after

accounting for factors including maternal psychiatric disease. Read

more

∆ Medal-Awarded Isotopes for Production of New Radiopharmaceuticals for Cancer Treatment (02 JANUARY 2013)

Scientists in Poland have developed innovative technological

solutions to produce yttrium-90 and lutetium-177 radionuclides.

The technology is soon going to be implemented on an industrial

scale, giving more hope to ever increasing number of oncological

patients all over the world. Read more

∆ New Method for Uncovering Side Effects Before

a Drug Hits the Market (03 JANUARY 2013)

Side effects are a major reason that drugs are taken off the market

and a major reason why patients stop taking their medications,

but scientists are now reporting the development of a new way to

predict those adverse reactions ahead of time. Read more

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∆ Molecule That Polices TB Lung Infection

Discovered: Could Lead to Vaccine

(03 JANUARY 2013)

The presence of a certain molecule allows the immune system to

effectively police tuberculosis of the lungs and prevent it from

turning into an active and deadly infection, according to a new

study. Read more

∆ Editing Genome With High Precision: New

Method to Insert Multiple Genes in Specific

Locations, Delete Defective Genes

(03 JANUARY 2013)

Researchers have developed a new technique for precisely altering

the genomes of living cells by adding or deleting genes. Read more

∆ Rethinking Bacterial Persistence: Optofluidics

Allow for New Understanding of Resistance to

Antibiotics (03 JANUARY 2013)

Scientists have used microfluidics to observe the behavior of

individual tuberculosis-like bacteria in the presence of antibiotics.

Their observations call into question the prevailing theory of

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bacterial resistance, and they have proposed a new explanation for

why some bacteria become resistant. Read more

∆ Stem Cell Technology Could Help Harness

Patients' Own Immune Cells to Fight Disease

(03 JANUARY 2013)

Researchers reporting in two separate recent articles used stem

cell technology to successfully regenerate patients' immune cells,

creating large numbers that were long-lived and could recognize

their specified targets: HIV-infected cells in one case and cancer

cells in the other. The findings could help in the development of

strategies to rejuvenate patients' exhausted immune responses.

Read more

HEALTH AWARENESS

Diarrhoeal disease

Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children

under five years old, and is responsible for killing 1.5 million

children every year. Diarrhoea can last several days, and can leave

the body without the water and salts that are necessary for

survival. Most people who die from diarrhoea actually die from

severe dehydration and fluid loss. Children who are malnourished

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or have impaired immunity are most at risk of life-threatening

diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid

stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the

individual). Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea, nor

is the passing of loose, "pasty" stools by breastfed babies. Diarrhoea

is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which

can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic

organisms. Infection is spread through contaminated food or

drinking-water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor

hygiene. Diarrhoeal disease is treatable with a solution of clean

water, sugar and salt, and with zinc tablets.

There are three clinical types of diarrhoea:

• acute watery diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days, and includes

cholera;

• acute bloody diarrhoea – also called dysentery; and

• persistent diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer.

Scope of diarrhoeal disease

Every year there are about two billion cases of diarrhoeal disease

worldwide.

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Diarrhoeal disease is a leading cause of child mortality and

morbidity in the world, and mostly results from contaminated

food and water sources. Worldwide, around 1 billion people lack

access to improved water and 2.5 billion have no access to basic

sanitation. Diarrhoea due to infection is widespread throughout

developing countries.

In 2004, diarrhoeal disease was the third leading cause of death in

low-income countries, causing 6.9% of deaths overall. In children

under five years old, diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause

of death – second only to pneumonia. Out of the 1.5 million

children killed by diarrhoeal disease in 2004, 80% were under two

years old.

In developing countries, children under three years old experience

on average three episodes of diarrhoea every year. Each episode

deprives the child of the nutrition necessary for growth. As a

result, diarrhoea is a major cause of malnutrition, and

malnourished children are more likely to fall ill from diarrhoea.

Dehydration

The most severe threat posed by diarrhoea is dehydration. During

a diarrhoeal episode, water and electrolytes (sodium, chloride,

potassium and bicarbonate) are lost through liquid stools, vomit,

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sweat, urine and breathing. Dehydration occurs when these losses

are not replaced.

The degree of dehydration is rated on a scale of three.

• Early dehydration – no signs or symptoms.

• Moderate dehydration:

Thirst, restless or irritable behavior, decreased skin elasticity

sunken eyes

• Severe dehydration:

symptoms become more severe

shock, with diminished consciousness, lack of urine output,

cool, moist extremities, a rapid and feeble pulse, low or

undetectable blood pressure, and pale skin.

Death can follow severe dehydration if body fluids and

electrolytes are not replenished, either through the use of oral

rehydration salts (ORS) solution, or through an intravenous drip.

Causes

• Infection: Diarrhoea is a symptom of infections caused by a host of

bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms, most of which are spread

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by faeces-contaminated water. Infection is more common when

there is a shortage of clean water for drinking, cooking and

cleaning. Rotavirus and Escherichia coli are the two most common

causes of diarrhoea in developing countries.

• Malnutrition: Children who die from diarrhoea often suffer from

underlying malnutrition, which makes them more vulnerable to

diarrhoea. Each diarrhoeal episode, in turn, makes their

malnutrition even worse. Diarrhoea is a leading cause of

malnutrition in children under five years old.

• Source: Water contaminated with human faeces, for example,

from sewage, septic tanks and latrines, is of particular concern.

Animal faeces also contain microorganisms that can cause

diarrhoea.

Other causes: Diarrhoeal disease can also spread from person-to-

person, aggravated by poor personal hygiene. Food is another

major cause of diarrhoea when it is prepared or stored in

unhygienic conditions. Water can contaminate food during

irrigation. Fish and seafood from polluted water may also

contribute to the disease.

Prevention and treatment

Key measures to prevent diarrhoea include:

• access to safe drinking-water

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• improved sanitation

• exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life

• good personal and food hygiene

• health education about how infections spread

• rotavirus vaccination.

Key measures to treat diarrhoea include the following.

• Rehydration: with intravenous fluids in case of severe dehydration

or shock and/or oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution for moderate

or no dehydration. ORS is a mixture of clean water, salt and sugar,

which can be prepared safely at home. It costs a few cents per

treatment. ORS is absorbed in the small intestine and replaces the

water and electrolytes lost in the faeces.

• Zinc supplements: zinc supplements reduce the duration of a

diarrhoea episode by 25% and are associated with a 30% reduction

in stool volume.

• Nutrient-rich foods: the vicious circle of malnutrition and

diarrhoea can be broken by continuing to give nutrient-rich foods

– including breast milk – during an episode, and by giving a

nutritious diet – including exclusive breastfeeding for the first six

months of life – to children when they are well.

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DISEASE OUTBREAK NEWS

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

IPSCON-2012 — 45th Annual Conference of Indian Pharmacological

Society and International Conference on 'Navigating Pharmacology

towards Safe and Effective Therapy'

Dates 04 Jan 2013 → 07 Jan 2013

Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. Details.

DRUGS UPDATES

∆ FDA approves first drug to treat multi-drug

resistant tuberculosis (31 DECEMBER 2012)

The U.S. FDA approved Sirturo (bedaquiline) as part of combination

therapy to treat adults with multi-drug resistant pulmonary

tuberculosis (TB) when other alternatives are not available. Read

more

∆ FDA approves first anti-diarrheal drug for

HIV/AIDS patients. (31 DECEMBER 2012)

The U.S. FDA approved Fulyzaq (crofelemer) to relieve symptoms of

diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients taking antiretroviral therapy, a

combination of medicines used to treat HIV infection. Read more

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CAMPUS NEWS

Two of our faculties Dr. Prerona Saha and Dr. Sriporna Kundu Sen

were awarded Ph.D (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) in the Department

of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kol-32 in the

annual convocation organized on 24th December, 2012.

STUDENTS’ SECTION

WHO CAN ANSWER FIRST???

(Α) Which cricketer was the first overseas player

to play for Yorkshire Country Cricket Club?

(Β) Invented by Dr. James Naismith, which sport

was played for the first time at Springfield

YMCA, Massachusetts, in 1891?

Answer of Previous Issue Question:

A) Wuchereria bancrofti B) 20th August

Send your thoughts/ Quiz/Puzzles/games/write-

ups or any other contributions for Students’ Section

& answers of this Section at gnipstbulletin@gmail.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Wish you all a very happy new year 2013. I am very happy to

publish the first issue of this new year 2013, the 3rd issue of 21st

Volume of GNIPST BULLETIN. It is my great pleasure to introduce

you to the newly launched facebook account ‘GNIPST bulletin’. You

are cordially invited to add this account to your friend list. The

current issues will also be directly available on facebook.

I would like to convey my thanks to all the GNIPST members and

the readers for their valuable comments, encouragement& supports.

Special thanks to Dr. Prerona Saha for her advice; Mr. Soumya

Bhattacharya, for his contribution in students section.

It would be my great pleasure to receive the contributions,

suggestions & feedback from your desk for further upliftment of this

deliberation “GNIPST BULLETIN”.

ARCHIVE

The general body meeting of APTI, Bengal Branch has been

conducted at GNIPST on 15th June, 2012. The programme started

with a nice presentation by Dr. Pulok Kr. Mukherjee, School of

Natural Products, JU on the skill to write a good manuscript for

publication in impact journals. It was followed by nearly two hour

long discussion among more than thirty participants on different

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aspects of pharmacy education. Five nonmember participants

applied for membership on that very day.

GNIPST is now approved by AICTE and affiliated to WBUT for

conducting the two years post graduate course (M.Pharm) in

PHARMACOLOGY. The approved number of seat is 18.

The number of seats in B.Pharm. has been increased from 60 to

120.

2nd World Congress on Ga-68 (Generators and Novel Radiopharmaceuticals),

Molecular Imaging (PET/CT), Targeted Radionuclide Therapy, and

Dosimetry (SWC-2013) : On the Way to Personalized Medicine

Dates 28 Feb 2013 → 02 Mar 2013

Location: Chandigarh, India. Details.

5-Days Hands-on Workshop on Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics.

7thto 11th January 2013, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Details.

IAMLE- 2013 — 4th International Conference on Medical Negligence and

litigation in Medical Practice, and 4th International Conference on Recent

Advances in Forensic Sciences, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology.

Date: 25 Jan 2013 → 27 Jan 2013, Location: Kovalam, Thiruvanthapuram,

India. Details.

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64thIndian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) will be held from

December 6th to 9th, 2012, at Chennai. The four-day event will be

organized by the Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India (APTI).

AICTE has sanctioned a release of grant under Research

Promotion Scheme (RPS) during the financial year 2012-

13 to GNIPST as per the details below:

a. Beneficiary Institution: Guru Nanak Institution of

Pharmaceutical Science & Technology.

b. Principal Investigator: Dr. Lopamudra Dutta.

c. Grant-in-aid sanctioned: Rs. 16,25000/- only

d. Approved duration: 3 years

e. Title of the project: Screening and identification of

potential medicinal plant of Purulia & Bankura districts of West

Bengal with respect to diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism,

Jaundice, hypertension and developing biotechnological tools for

enhancing bioactive molecules in these plant.

Special classes on Communication Skills, G.D. and

Interview will commence from 3rd week of January 2013

for the students of this Institute. Interested students are

required to contact the undersigned for enrolment either

personally or by e-mail.

Dr. Lopamudra Datta E-mail: info.gnipst@jisgroup.org

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