Hodge metrics and positivity of direct images

Building on Fujita-Griffiths method of computing metrics on Hodge bundles, we show that the direct image of an adjoint semi-ample line bundle by a projective submersion has a continuous metric with Griffiths semi-positive curvature. This shows that for every holomorphic semi-ample vector bundle $E$ on a complex manifold, and every positive integer $k$, the vector bundle $S^kE\otimes\det E$ has a continuous metric with Griffiths semi-positive curvature. If $E$ is ample on a projective manifold, the metric can be made smooth and Griffiths positive.Comment: revised and expanded version of "A positivity property of ample vector bundles

A retrospective study of efficacy and cost efficiency of medical vs. surgical management of abortions in first trimester

Background: The aim of the study was to assess and comparatively evaluate the efficacy of different methods of first trimester abortions (medical, surgical) in terms of its safety, cost and effectiveness.Methods: We present a retrospective observational research study done at Chettinad hospital and research institute, Kelambakkam Chennai which included a total of 70 patients of first trimester abortions, in the period from June 2019 to June 2020. 55 patients were offered medical treatment (MTOP) and were followed up with a repeat scan after 2 weeks. In cases of failed medical abortion patient underwent curettage. Though, in some cases after an attempt at medical abortion, if the products didn’t expel at all within 48 hours, dilatation and evacuation was offered. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed to confirm the success of the treatment. In 15 cases who presented with incomplete abortion, surgical treatment (STOP) was offered. The outcomes considered were successful complete abortions, failed medical abortions, side effects and complications including blood transfusion.Results: The baseline characteristics of women were similar in both the groups like mean age, parity, history of previous termination of pregnancy (TOP). The success rate in MTOP was 67.2% and in STOP 100%.The amount of bleeding experienced was moderate to heavy in MTOP and minimal to moderate in STOP.37 women who underwent only medical termination who returned for the 2-week follow-up, the rate of complete pregnancy termination was 94% and for the remaining 2 women surgical intervention was required. In the surgical group, at the 2-week follow up, no woman underwent a repeat vacuum aspiration with an efficacy of 100%. No significant difference was found in the mean total cost for the medical and surgical groups after adding the subsequent costs (including additional manual vacuum evacuation).Conclusions: Medical termination of abortion should be preferred over surgical termination as it is safer, cost effective, with fewer complications and high success rate.

A randomized, open-labelled study of the sedative, analgesic and anxiolytic effect of dexmedetomidine and tramadol in postoperative patients

Background: In the post-operative period, it has always been an important consideration for clinicians, to keep the patient comfortable, calm and pain free. So there is a constant need for an ideal sedative for postoperative patients. Alpha 2 adrenoreceptor agonists such as dexmedetomidine could provide an answer to this problem because they have several relevant physiological properties like sedation, anxiolysis, analgesia and arousability. This prospective, randomized trial was conducted to compare the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine and tramadol in the management of postoperative pain.Methods: In the present study 60 patients operated under general anaesthesia with a pain score of 1-3 were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either dexmedetomidine (group D) or tramadol (group T). In both groups, pain score, sedation score, heart rate, blood pressure, SPO2, respiratory rate were monitored for every 5 min for first 30 min, every 10 min for next 1hr, every 15 min for next 1 h, every 30 min for the next 1 h, every 1 h for 3 h and 6th hourly till 24 h. The need for rescue analgesic was also noted. The data were tabulated and analysed using descriptive statistical tool. Mean, standard deviation and comparison between the groups was done by student’s ‘t’ test. A p value less than 0.0001 was considered significant.Results: Mean duration of sedation of dexmedetomidine was 129.6±41.02 and for tramadol was 117.3 ± 47.75 (p=0.14), mean degree of sedation in both group was -1, mean duration of analgesia 139 min in Group D and 280 min in Group T (p<0.0001), rescue analgesia was required at 169th min in Group D and 288th min in Group T (p<0.0001), mean heart rate in Group D was 67.8±5.24 and 69.4±4.79 (p=0.12), mean Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) in Group D was 78.0±8.97 and in Group T was 89.2±10.63 (p<0.00001), mean respiratory rate in Group D was 15.8±2.33 and in Group T was 15.9±2.09 (p=0.41), mean SPO2 in Group D was 99.5±0.56 and in Group T was 99.4±0.62 (p=0.14). There was no significant difference in degree and duration of sedation, duration of analgesia, vital parameters, and adverse effects in both groups but there was a statistical difference in the duration of analgesia and the need for rescue analgesia in Group D.Conclusion: Though there is no statistical difference in both groups, dexmedetomidine significantly reduced anxiety, agitation and produced calmness in postoperative patients which was not seen with tramadol

Solvothermal nanoYAG synthesis: Mechanism and particle growth kinetics

This paper was accepted for publication in the journal Journal of Supercritical Fluids and the definitive published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2015.09.031NanoYAG particles with spherical morphology have been synthesised using a solvothermal method; a structure sensitive reaction, where the chemical reaction and the particle growth kinetics are interdependent. It has been observed that the primary YAG particles agglomerated into ∼30 nm clusters via a self-assembled Ostwald ripening process along (2 1 1) planes, separated by a distance of ∼0.49 nm, at 270 °C and 2.0 MPa for 2 h. These nanoclusters coalesced into single nanoparticles of ∼30 nm in size and exhibited a smaller inter planar distance of ∼0.26 nm, corresponding to the (4 2 0) planes, when synthesized at 300 °C and 8.5 MPa for 2 h. in addition, the solvent 1,4-butanediol transformed into 1,4-diacetoxybutane, this will have undergone esterification by reacting with the terminal acetate groups cleaved from the precursor, yttrium acetate. The proposed mechanism based on the analytical evidence suggests that a complete dissolution of precursors facilitated the structural re-arrangement of atoms within the planes and lead to a significantly higher degree of crystallinity. Moreover, once the particles with (4 2 0) planes had formed, they were no longer involved in facile coalescence along their preferential planes due to their lower interfacial energy compared to the (2 1 1) planes. This led to control of the particle morphology and with little agglomeration occurring in the final nanopowder

Evaluation of sanguineous and crystalloid cardioplegic solutions during total heart-lung bypass in dogs

Twenty-four mongrel dogs were subjected to sanguineous and crystalloid cardioplegia for a period of thirty minutes at 20°C and 25°C systemic hypothermia during cardiopulmonary bypass. Cardioplegic solutions were administered at 4°C to induce cardioplegia. Physiological functions of the myocardium revealed that the cardiac function returned to normal sinus rhythm without any loss when blood cardioplegic solution was used at both hypothermic temperatures. The time taken for cardioplegia and cardiac electrical quiescence was achieved earlier at 20°C. Animals in sanguineous cardioplegic group revealed better functional return and revival of cardiac musculature in terms of lesser applications of defibrillator, lesser requirement of inotropic support and early cardiac contraction. This study revealed that sanguineous cardioplegic solution at a systemic temperature of 20°C was found to afford better myocardial protection during an arrest period of 30 minutes

Simulated holographic three-dimensional intensity shaping of evanescent-wave fields

The size of bright structures in traveling-wave light fields is limited by diffraction. This in turn limits a number of technologies, for example, optical trapping. One way to beat the diffraction limit is to use evanescent waves instead of traveling waves. Here we apply a holographic algorithm, direct search, to the shaping of complex evanescent-wave fields. We simulate three-dimensional intensity shaping of evanescent-wave fields using this approach, and we investigate some of its limitations. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.</p