Structural, Electrical, and Magnetic Properties of Zn Substituted Magnesium Ferrite

Zinc substituted magnesium (Mg–Zn) ferrites with the general formula Mg1−xZnxFe2O4 (x=0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00) were prepared using the solution combustion route. The dried powder after calcination (700 °C for 2 h) was compacted and sintered at 1050 °C for 3 h. The structural, morphological, dielectric and magnetic properties of the sintered ferrites were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), impedance spectroscopy, and vibration sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD analysis of sintered samples confirmed that the expected spinel cubic phase was formed for all samples. The crystallite sizes evaluated using Scherre's formula were found to be in the range of 47–80 nm. SEM analysis showed homogeneous grains with a polyhedral structure. The electrical conductivity increased with increasing frequency, which is normal dielectric behavior for such materials. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent, and AC conductivity were found to be lowest for x=0.50. The VSM results showed that the zinc concentration had a significant influence on the saturation magnetization and coercivity

Use-case-based generation of forms from a class diagram

Forms are an easy-to-use interface to access a database, including a remote database on the Internet. An entity-relationship (ER} diagram, which is a picto­rial representation of a database schema, is widely used in designing a database. A class diagram, which shows set of classes, relationships among them, and associa­tions, are equivalent to an ER diagram. We present a methodology for generating forms from a class diagram. An unique aspect of our approach is that we use a use-case to specify the information to be accessed by a form. To investigate the applicability of our approach, we developed a Web interface by using Java Servlets.Key Worda and Phrases: Forms, use case, class diagram, java servlet

Use of thromboprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism among patients admitted in medical ward

Introductions: Studies have shown inadequate use of prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospital admitted medical patients. This study aims to evaluate the use of VTE prophylaxis in admitted medical patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods: This was a cross sectional observational study for three weeks from 19 March to 8 April 2017 in patients admitted in the medical ward of Patan Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur, Nepal. Patient charts were reviewed for appropriate VTE prophylaxis as per modified Padua risk Assessment model. Risks of VTE, presence of bleeding risks, demographics (age, BMI), hospital stay were descriptively analysed. Results: Out of 122 patients, 81 (66.4%) were at risk of VTE. Among 81 at risk, 69 were eligible for VTE pharmacoprophylaxis with no risk of bleeding only 29 (42%) received pharmacoprophylaxis and 12 eligible for prophylaxis but with the risk of bleeding did not receive any prophylaxis. Reduced mobility was the most common indication of thromboprophylaxis in 79 (64%), followed by acute infection 50 (41%). Conclusions: There was suboptimal use of thromboprophylaxis in hospital admitted medical patients at risk of venous thromboembolism, VTE. Keywords: admitted medical patients, bleeding risk, thrmboprophylaxis, venous thromboembolism VT

CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF MARINE ACTINOMYCETES FROM ESTUARIES OF UTTARA KANNADA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA

The oceans cover about 70% of the Earth’s surface and harbor most of the planets biodiversity. The marine environment has become a prime resource in search and discovery for novel natural products and biological diversity and marine actinomycetes turn out to be important contributors. The diversity of marine actinomycetes is enormous and has immense scope for the discovery of novel bioactive metabolites. The present study describes the antimicrobial potential of crude extracts of marine Actinomycetes species isolated from Aghanashini, Sharavathi and Kali estuaries of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India. The sediment and water samples were collected from different sites of estuaries and subjected for serial dilution and plating. A total of 43 actinomycetes isolates were obtained on Starch Casein Nitrate Agar and Kusters Agar supplemented with 10% sea water. The isolates were identified as Actinomycetes by morphological and biochemical studies. The results revealed diversity of Actinomycetes with varying spore, aerial and substrate mycelium colours such as white, grey, pink, yellow and black. The colonies formed were discrete, powdery, raised and velvety colonies with brown, yellow and maroon pigmentations. The spore chain morphology studies showed different arrangements like rectus, flexibilis, retinaculum aperatum – open loops, hooks and spira – simple spirals. Primary screening for antimicrobial activity was determined by cross streak method against 16 bacterial isolates among which 07 isolates were gram positive and 09 isolates were gram negative, 02 yeasts viz., Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans and a dermatophyte Trichosporon. The actinomycetes isolates from marine environments have shown to be potent in inhibiting the test bacteria and fungi. Further studies on cytotoxic potential of the actinomycetes isolates on cell lines are under progress

Clinical Profile and Short-term Outcome of Heart Failure Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Kaski, Nepal: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Heart failure is one of the leading causes of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemio-clinical profile and short-term outcome of hospitalized heart failure patients in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Kaski, Nepal from October 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022. All the hospitalized heart failure patients aged 18 years or above were included. Relevant history, examination, laboratory, and pertinent findings were noted.  Descriptive statistics were used for qualitative and quantitative data. Paired t-test was used for the comparison of pre-and post-hospitalization data. A p-value <0.05 was taken for statistical significance. Results: There were a total of 116 patients (65.5% females) with a mean age of 64.20 ± 16.35 years. Most of them had shortness of breath (97.4%) and orthopnea (72.4%) and presented with pedal/sacral edema (81.9%) and bilateral basal crepitations (69.8%) in the chest. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction was the most prevalent (61.2%) type and dilated cardiomyopathy (27.6%) was the commonest etiology of heart failure. The median duration of hospitalization was five days and the in-hospital mortality was 2.6%. Loop diuretics and vasodilators (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker) were the most commonly used medications. Conclusions: Dilated cardiomyopathy was the most common etiology and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction was the predominant type of heart failure. With a short length of stay and low in-hospital mortality, the short-term outcome was good

Thermal effect on magnetic properties of Mg-Zn ferrite nanoparticles

Magnesium-zinc ferrite (Mg0.5Zn0.5Fe 2O4) powder was prepared by a solution combustion method using a mixture of sugar and urea as fuel. To understand the effect of size and crystallinity on its magnetic properties, combustion derived ferrite powder was subjected to calcination at different temperatures in an ambient atmosphere. The powder X-ray diffraction data of calcined samples was used to determine the effect of calcination on phase formation and crystallite size. The average crystallite size of single phase cubic spinel ferrite nanoparticles was found to increase with an increase in calcination temperature. Transmission electron microscopy images showed a uniform particle size distribution with average particle sizes varying in the range of 30-124 nm. Magnetic properties were found to be affected by particle size; we observed a linear relationship between the saturation magnetization and particle size. Low values of squareness ratio and coercivity implied the superparamagnetic nature of the samples. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Involvement of catalase in bacterial blight disease development of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

We investigated the role of catalase in determining the virulence of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae isolates and the reaction of different rice cultivars to virulent isolates. Catalase, being an antioxidant enzyme, plays a major role in combating the toxic effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells. Among the 11 isolates studied, a variable level of catalase activity and differential expression of isoforms in different isolates was recorded. The maximum level of catalase activity was found in isolate XOO2 followed by XOO4, and the minimum level of activity was recorded in isolate XOO3. A virulence assay conducted on the susceptible rice cultivar Jaya revealed that the bacterial isolate with the highest level of catalase activity caused the maximum lesion length and vice versa. Among 31 cultivars screened, cv. CTH-1 showed the lowest incidence of disease, and lesion length was almost nil. The cultivars Thanu, Rasi and CTH-3 were found to be highly susceptible to X. oryzae pv. oryzae infection. We discuss the possible use of catalase enzyme as a biochemical marker in studying the virulence of X. oryzae pv. oryzae isolates

Structural and magnetic studies of Mg(1-x)ZnxFe 2O4 nanoparticles prepared by a solution combustion method

Nanocrystalline Mg(1-x)ZnxFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) ferrites were prepared by a solution combustion method using a mixture of fuels. The structural and magnetic properties of the as-prepared samples were studied using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis absorption spectra and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The PXRD analysis of all the samples revealed the single phase cubic structure with the space group Fd3Ìm. The average crystallite size determined from the PXRD data was found to increase from 12 nm to 25 nm with an increase in the Zn content from x = 0 to x = 1. The IR absorption spectra exhibited two prominent peaks, which are assigned to tetrahedral and octahedral vibrations. The saturation magnetization, magnetic moment and remenant magnetization increases with an increase in the zinc content up to x = 0.5 and decrease thereafter. The observed behavior is consistent with Yaffet-Kittel magnetic ordering. The ZFC (zero field cooled) and FC (field cooled) measurements of magnetization revealed that the blocking temperature is well below room temperature. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved