Engineering Properties of Bentonite-Lime-Phosphogypsum Composite Reinforced with Treated Sisal Fibers

The present work primarily investigates the unconfined compressive strength, the tensile load-diametral strain, the toughness characteristics and the shear strengths of bentonite-lime-phosphogypsum-treated sisal fibre composite. The unconfined compressive strengths and tensile strengths were obtained using the unconfined compressive test and indirect tensile test respectively. The results revealed that the unconfined compressive stress, the deviator stress and the tensile load at failure of bentonite-lime-phosphogypsum composite with untreated sisal fibres could be improved by the successive chemical treatment with sodium periodate, p-aminophenol and sodium hydroxide. The brittleness index and deformability index indicated a change from the brittle to ductile behavior of the bentonite-lime-phosphogypsum-untreated sisal fiber composite, with the chemical treatment

Engineering Properties of Bentonite Modified with Lime and Gypsum

This paper presents the engineering properties such as compaction, unconfined compressive strength, consistency limits, free swell index, California bearing ratio and consolidation of bentonite stabilized with lime and modified with gypsum. The content of lime and gypsum was varied from 0 to 10% and from 0.5 to 8%, respectively, to check the improvement in the engineering properties. The results of this study revealed that the dry unit weight and optimum moisture content of bentonite + 8% lime increased with the addition of 4% gypsum. The unconfined compressive strength of bentonite did not change with the increase in curing period. The unconfined compressive strength of bentonite + 8% lime increased with the addition of 4% gypsum. Beyond 4%, the unconfined compressive strength decreased. The unconfined compressive strength of bentonite-lime-gypsum mix increased with the increase in curing period. The liquid limit, plastic limit and free swell index of bentonite + 8% lime decreased; whereas the plasticity index increased with the addition of 4% gypsum. The California bearing ratio and modulus of subgrade reaction increased for bentonite stabilized with 8% lime and modified with 4% gypsum leading to reduction in earth work and required thickness of subgrade bentonite. The coefficient of consolidation of bentonite increased with the addition of 8% lime and did not change with the addition of 4% gypsum. The swell potential of bentonite + 8% lime increased with the addition of 4% gypsum. The improved behaviour of the bentonite-lime-gypsum mixture will boost the construction of road pavements on such problematic soils

Netarsudil monotherapy as the initial treatment for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension in Indian patients: A real-world evaluation of efficacy and safety

Purpose: Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting more than 64 million people aged 40-80. The best way to manage primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is by lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP). Netarsudil is a Rho kinase inhibitor, the only class of antiglaucoma medications that reorganizes the extracellular matrix to improve the aqueous outflow through the trabecular pathway. Methods: An open-label, real-world, multicentric, observation-based 3-month study was performed for assessing the safety and ocular hypotensive efficacy of netarsudil ophthalmic solution (0.02% w/v) in patients with elevated IOP. Patients were given netarsudil ophthalmic solution (0.02% w/v) as a first-line therapy. Diurnal IOP measurements, best-corrected visual acuity, and adverse event assessments were recorded at each of the five visits (Day-1: screening day and first dosing day; subsequent observations were taken at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months). Results: Four hundred and sixty-nine patients from 39 centers throughout India completed the study. The mean IOP at baseline of the affected eyes was 24.84 ± 6.39 mmHg (mean ± standard deviation). After the first dose, the IOP was measured after 2, 4, and 6 weeks, with the final measurement taken at 3 months. The percentage reduction in IOP in glaucoma patients after 3 months of once-daily netarsudil 0.02% w/v solution use was 33.34%. The adverse effects experienced by patients were not severe in the majority of cases. Some adverse effects observed were redness, irritation, itching, and others, but only a small number of patients experienced severe reactions, as reported in a decreasing order: redness > irritation > watering > itching > stinging > blurring. Conclusion: We found that netarsudil 0.02% w/v solution monotherapy when used as the first-line treatment in primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension was both safe and effective

Multi-gene testing in neurological disorders showed an improved diagnostic yield: data from over 1000 Indian patients

Background Neurological disorders are clinically heterogeneous group of disorders and are major causes of disability and death. Several of these disorders are caused due to genetic aberration. A precise and confirmatory diagnosis in the patients in a timely manner is essential for appropriate therapeutic and management strategies. Due to the complexity of the clinical presentations across various neurological disorders, arriving at an accurate diagnosis remains a challenge. Methods We sequenced 1012 unrelated patients from India with suspected neurological disorders, using TruSight One panel. Genetic variations were identified using the Strand NGS software and interpreted using the StrandOmics platform. Results We were able to detect mutations in 197 genes in 405 (40%) cases and 178 mutations were novel. The highest diagnostic rate was observed among patients with muscular dystrophy (64%) followed by leukodystrophy and ataxia (43%, each). In our cohort, 26% of the patients who received definitive diagnosis were primarily referred with complex neurological phenotypes with no suggestive diagnosis. In terms of mutations types, 62.8% were truncating and in addition, 13.4% were structural variants, which are also likely to cause loss of function. Conclusion In our study, we observed an improved performance of multi-gene panel testing, with an overall diagnostic yield of 40%. Furthermore, we show that NGS (next-generation sequencing)-based testing is comprehensive and can detect all types of variants including structural variants. It can be considered as a single-platform genetic test for neurological disorders that can provide a swift and definitive diagnosis in a cost-effective manner