Clinical profile and factors associated with microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of clinical presentation and factor associated with microalbuminuria.Methods: Urinary albumin excretion of children and adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus attending diabetic clinic of Katihar medical college hospital over a period of one year. Collected blood and urine samples were analysed for glycated haemoglobin, cholesterol, triglycerides, and for 12 hour urinary albumin concentration. Blood pressures were recorded and clinical data collected.Results: During the study period 215 patients were diagnosed with type1 DM. Out of 215, fourty-three patients (20%) had persistent microalbuminuria. Factor associated with microalbuminuria in diabetic patients include duration of diabetes mellitus, higher blood pressure, higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels.Conclusion: Type 1 DM is treatable and testing is acceptable and accessible to the patients. As microalbuminuria is an early microvascular complications, it is highly recommended to screen all diabetic patients for the incidence of microalbuminuria and modifiable risk factors like dyslipidemia at the onset and then yearly assessment. Efforts need to be intensified in education of health workers and population at large for quick presentation and prompt diagnosis in order to predict overt diabetic nephropathy and also to prevent its progression.

Studies on blending of coals for coking using solvent refined coal

Acute shortage of prime coking coal in India has resulted in increased use of imported low ash coking coal in the steel plants. In this context, to maximize use of indigenous coking coal and to enhance the coking properties of the blend, a suitable coking agent was developed by solvent refining of coal. Studies on the influence of solvent refined coal (SRC) addition on the coking properties of various ranks of Gondwana coals of Indian origin are presented. SRC from non-coking coal, when used as an additive in the coal blends, enhanced the coking and plastic properties of the parent coals/blends. In laboratory scale studies, the beneficial effects of the additives were assessed by the change in coking, swelling and plastic properties. For bench scale studies, 2 kg coal blend was carbonized and the strength of the resultant coke was determined by micro-tumbler test. The test revealed that in corporation of 10% SRC in the blend can replace 20% of imported coking coal. Further, pilot scale coking test were also conducted in 250-300 kg capacity electrically heated ovens. The structural characteristics of the coke produced were investigated by X-ray and polarized light microscopy. It is observed that the co-carbonisation of SRC with coking blends increases the size of the optical texture as well as the degree of structural ordering of coke