HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF N-MIRACLE (POLYHERBAL FORMULATION) AGAINST ETHANOL INDUCED TOXICITY IN MALE ALBINO RATS

Objective: The aim of this current study is to investigate the hepatoprotective efficacy of N-Miracle (a polyherbal formulation) against ethanol-induced toxicity in male albino rats. Methods: Male Wistar albino rats weighing 150-200 g were used for the study. A total of 30 male albino rats were selected, divided into five groups. Ethanol-induced liver damage was done on Group III, IV, and V. Group I and Group II served as a normal and drug (N-Miracle) control. After the treatment period, the rats were anaesthetized by light ether anesthesia in a lethal chamber. Hepatic biomarkers, antioxidant enzymes, histopathological examination are carried out to document the hepatoprotective effect of N-Miracle (Polyherbal formulation). Results: The results of the present study demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) increase in the levels of Aspartate Aminotransaminase (AST), Alanine Aminotransaminase (ALT) and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) in ethanol-induced rats as compared to normal and drug control Groups. The level of total protein and albumin were significantly (p<0.05) decreased in ethanol-treated rats. The toxic impact of ethanol was found to be restored in rats treated with N-Miracle (Polyherbal formulation). The present study also exhibited the enzymatic antioxidant efficacy of N-Miracle (Polyherbal formulation) against ethanol-induced toxicity in rats by increasing the antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and decreasing the activity of Glutathione-S-transferase in the liver. The findings are also correlated with histopathological examination of N-Miracle treated group, which shows hepatic regeneration and decrease in degradation of hepatocytes. Conclusion: This study could provide a possible explanation to hepatotoxicity resulting from exposure to ethanol. The findings of the present study revealed the ameliorative effect of N-Miracle (Polyherbal formulation) against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by improving the liver function, increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes and restoring the morphological features of the liver

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OF IC ENGINE BY CHANGING PISTON CONFIGURATION & REDUCING EMISSION BY USING CFD

Internal combustion engines in now a days is the best available reliable source of power for all domestic, large scale industrial and transportation applications. The major issue arises at the efficiency of these engines. Every attempt made to improve these engines tends to attain the maximum efficiency. The performances of the diesel engines are enhanced by proper design of inlet manifold, exhaust manifold, combustion chamber, piston etc. The study is about the effect of piston configurations on in- cylinder flow. Here a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine is used for study. For obtaining swirl intensity helical-spiral combination inlet manifold is used. Increase in swirl intensity results in better mixing of fuel and air. Swirl Velocities in the charge can be substantially increased during compression by suitable design of the piston. In the present work, a study on the effect of different piston configuration on air motion and turbulence inside the cylinder of a Direct Injection (DI) diesel is carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code Fluent 16.0. Three dimensional models of the manifolds, pistons and the cylinder is created in CATIA V5 and meshed using the pre-processor ANSA v15.1.1

Role of Imaging Studies in Evaluating Patients Post Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

A 77-year-old male presented to the ED with a new onset of acute abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He had a previous surgical history of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for an appendiceal tumor. Despite the repeated reassuring abdominal examinations, CT abdomen showed high-grade bowel obstruction and perforation. He was urgently taken to the operating room and underwent resection of 70 cm segment of small ischemic bowel with primary anastomosis. His postoperative course was complicated with atrial fibrillation (AF) requiring cardioversion and medical therapy. Later, he was discharged home under stable conditions. Relying on abdominal signs, an abdominal exam in a patient with a previous history of extensive peritonectomy and post-HIPEC surgery is challenging due to the altered peritoneal anatomy. As a result, the abdominal examination findings can be benign and misleading. This can lead to delayed surgical intervention, thereby increasing morbidity and mortality significantly. Therefore, a detailed evaluation with a low threshold for abdominal imaging studies like abdominal X-rays and CT abdomen series is warranted in this subset of patients

Dissipation kinetics, decontamination and dietary risk assessment of imidacloprid residue in bitter gourd and soil

Imidacloprid is a broad-spectrum neonicotinoid class insecticide with systemic action, widely used on vegetables in India for the management of sucking insect pests. The overall pesticide usage profile in gourds growing districts of Tamil Nadu showed that imidacloprid as the most commonly used insecticide. The present study aimed to develop and validate an analytical approach for detecting imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residues in bitter gourd fruit, juice and soil using LC-EI-MS (liquid chromatography coupled with electron ionization mass spectrometry) was undertaken. The persistence pattern, effect of household processing and risk assessment of imidacloprid on bitter gourd was studied by conducting field trials at single and double doses of 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1. Calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r2>0.99) with the concentrations (0.0025–0.5 µg mL-1) of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid. The limit of detection and quantification of the method were 0.008 and 0.025 mg kg-1, respectively. Accuracy of imidacloprid and 6-chloronicotinic acid residue recovery was in the range of 88–101 per cent with RSD of less than six per cent in all the matrices of bitter gourd. Initial deposits of imidacloprid at 20 and 40 g a.i ha-1 were 0.68 and 1.25 mg kg-1 and the residues persisted up to 10 and 15 days with their respective half-lives of 2.51 and 3.13 days. Simple decontamination techniques showed 33 to 80 per cent reduction of residues in samples collected up to 10 days after treatment. The estimated RQ was less than one indicating the level of risk to the consumer is negligible

Risks and foreign direct investment inflows: evidence from Yemen

This study aims to find the relationship between the political, exchange rate and inflation risk factors with the yearly foreign direct investment (YFDI) in Yemen, over the period between 1990 to 2010. Secondary data results showed that political risk and exchange rate risk have an inverse relationship with YFDI, while inflation risk has a significant positive relationship. Further analysis on a survey collected from 62 multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Yemen showed an insignificant relationship between the perceived political, exchange rate and inflation risk factors and corporate foreign direct investment (CFDI). The conflicting results possibly imply that the MNEs’ subsequent capital investments may not be affected by the perceived political, exchange rate and inflation risks that would nonetheless have been considered during the initial business plan. It is likely that MNEs that were already operating in Yemen may have developed capabilities in terms of knowledge, bargaining and lobbying skills. Therefore, perceived risks are no longer seem to influence their investment decisions

Stated motivation for share buybacks in Malaysia

Share buyback is a recent phenomenon in the Malaysia capital market.It has only been allowed since 1997 as a response to the currency crisis to shore up market share prices.This study explores companies states motivations for undertaking share buyback.It examines' 40 companies' circulars to shareholders between October 1999 and May 2002, to identify the companies' stated motivations for undertaking share buybacks.Apart from identifying the stated motivations, the study also detects motivations that are the most stated, and those that appear to be accorded greater emphasis.The findings, with the use of non-parametric statistics, indicate that out of the nine motivations for share buybacks, four motivations are hardly stated by the companies.These include (1)distribute cash, (2) issue stocks under the Employee Stock Option Schemes, (3) change capital structure, and (4)anti-takeover measure.The other five motivations are widely stated, and these are (1) pay stock dividend, (2)investment opportunity, (3) stabilise share price, (4)use surplus cash, and (5) increase shareholder return/EPS.The first of these widely stated motivations appears to be given less relative emphasis because it is stated consistently later in the circulars to shareholders, compared to the other widely stated motivations

ECMO RESCUE IN A PATIENT WITH THYMOGLOBULIN-INDUCED ARDS AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative care after liver transplantation can be associated with significant cardiopulmonary complications. Thymoglobulin is used for prevention and treatment of acute rejection in organ transplantations. Although there are few case reports describing thymoglobulin induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in immunocompromised patients, there are limited reports to date on the mortality and outcomes for patients who receive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy after liver transplant. DESCRIPTION: We present a case of a 43 year old male with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis with ascites and hepato-renal syndrome who underwent a liver transplant. Intra-operative course was complicated by vasoplegia and coagulopathy. Post-operatively, patient was on intermittent hemodialysis, on minimal ventilator settings. However, on post-operative day 2 the patient had worsening hypoxia within few hours from receiving a dose of thymoglobulin for immunosuppression. The patient had severe ARDS, with requirement of 100% Fio2 and PEEP of 20. Later in the ICU, patient developed bi-ventricular failure with ejection fraction of 30% with need for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. His course was complicated by acute kidney injury requiring slow efficiency dialysis, critical illness induced myopathy and prolonged ICU stay. He required a tracheostomy, prolonged ventilator wean and was eventually discharged home. DISCUSSION: Our patient was diagnosed with thymoglobulin induced ARDS due to acute development of respiratory failure after thymoglobulin administration. Thymoglobulin contains cytotoxic antibodies directed against T-cell markers which can trigger immune mediated acute lung injury. The etiology of thymoglubulin-induced ARDS is not fully understood however it is regarded as a special type of transfusion-related acute lung injury characterized by acute respiratory distress during or within 6 hours after the completion of transfusion. ARDS from thymoglobulin is a rare complication however can be life-threatening. Hence it\u27s prudent that the treating physician is aware of this potential complication which facilitates appropriate management. In our case, management included continuing steroids, utilizing ECMO, renal replacement therapy and ongoing respiratory support

Insurance-growth nexus: a comparative analysis with multiple insurance proxies

Previous studies found inconsistent results for insurance-growth nexus. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between life and non-life insurance with economic growth. The study applies pooled mean group method to examine long-term and short-term insurance-growth nexus over the period of 1980 to 2015. The findings of the study show that there exists a positive and significant relationship between life insurance and economic growth in the long-term and short-term for all selected countries, except when insurance penetration is used as a proxy. However, a positive and significant relationship was observed for non-life insurance and economic growth for all four proxies in the longterm and short-term. The relationship between insurance and economic growth is found to be different across countries and across proxies because of diverse factors such as diversity and variety of insurance products, religious and cultural traditions, level of education, and State involvement, not covered in this research

Emergent Surgical Airway Skills: Time to Re-evaluate the Competencies

Introduction: One of the most challenging scenarios an anesthesia provider can face is treating a can\u27t intubate can\u27t ventilate (CICV) patient. The incidence of CICV is estimated to be around one in 10,000 cases. According to the American Society of Anesthesiology Closed Claims Study, adverse respiratory events are the most common type of injury, with difficult intubation and ventilation contributing to the majority of these cases. The objective of this non-interventional quality improvement project was to evaluate the prior training, exposure, and self-reported confidence in handling the CICV scenario among anesthesia providers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed via email to all residents, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and attending anesthesiologists in March 2021. The email contained a link to an online questionnaire via Microsoft Forms (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA). Univariate group comparisons were carried out between the respondents\u27 role (attending, CRNA, or resident), as well as between the number of years that the respondents were in practice (\u3c 5 years, 5-10 years, \u3e 10 years). Results: Out of the total 170 anesthesia providers, 119 participated in the study where 54 (45%) were attendings, 44 (37%) were residents, and 21 (18%) were CRNAs. The majority (75%) did not know the surgical airway kit location, and 87% had not performed the surgical airway procedure before. The vast majority (96.7%) recommended simulation training compared to online training or lecture series, and just over 50% recommended annual training frequency. When looking at the differences in responses based on years of experience as an anesthesia provider, the majority of those with \u3e 10 years in practice knew how to perform the surgical airway technique while respondents with \u3c 5 years did not know how to perform the technique, and 50% of those with five to 10 years experience knew how to perform the surgical airway procedure for a CICV scenario. Conclusion: Although there were many significant differences observed between the various provider roles and years in practice, surprisingly, the responses revealed both a lack of experience and confidence in performing the surgical airway procedure in all provider roles. These findings highlight a need for better emergency airway teaching and training. These findings will be used to guide the design and implementation of improved surgical airway training for residents, CRNAs, and attending anesthesiologists with the goal of better preparedness for handling a CICV scenario

Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score and Mortality Prediction in Patients With Severe Respiratory Distress Secondary to COVID-19

Background: This study looks at the validity of the sequential organ failure assessment score (SOFA) in detecting mortality in patients with Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Also, it is looking to determine the optimal SOFA score that will discriminate between mortality and survival. Methods: It is a retrospective chart review of the patients admitted to Henry Ford Hospital from March 2020 to December 2020 with COVID-19 pneumonia who developed severe respiratory distress. We collected the following information; patient demographics (age, sex, body mass index), co-morbidities (history of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, or cancer), SOFA scores (the ratio of arterial oxygen tension (PaO(2)) to the fraction of inspired oxygen, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, mean arterial pressure, serum creatinine level, bilirubin level, and platelet count) as well as inpatient mortality. Results: There were 320 patients; out of these, 111 were intubated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for SOFA at the moment of inclusion in the study had an area under the curve of 0.883. The optimal point for discrimination between mortality and survival is SOFA of 5. A SOFA score of less than two is associated with 100% survival, while a score of more than 11 is associated with 100% mortality. Conclusions: SOFA score in COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory distress strongly correlates with the initial SOFA score. It is a valuable tool for predicting mortality in COVID-19 patients