A randomized prospective study to compare the efficacy and safety of budesonide plus formoterol and tiotropium plus formoterol in patients having mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading respiratory illness affecting the quality of lives around the world. The present study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of combination of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long acting β2 agonist (LABA) with long acting β2 agonist and long acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) in treatment of mild to moderate COPD in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: Total 132 patients with COPD were recruited on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria for 8 weeks study from outpatient clinic. A complete pulmonary examination including spirometry examination was done to rule out severe and very severe forms of COPD. Spirometry was performed at the time of recruitment for evaluation of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and measurement of SpO2 at the time of recruitment at 2 weeks and 8 weeks. Appropriate statistical methods were used to compare the qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary efficacy end points, p value <0.05 was considered significant.Results: On analysis, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in FEV1 and SpO2 from baseline in ICS plus LABA group (n=66). A similarly significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in LABA and LAMA group (n=66). On comparison between ICS plus LABA and LABA plus LAMA no significant difference in FEV1 and SpO2 was observed between the two groups.  More adverse drug reactions were observed in ICS plus LABA group than LAMA plus LABA group.Conclusions: Combination of ICS and LABA combination is as effective as combination of LABA and LAMA in patients having mild to moderate COPD. However, LABA and LAMA combination is preferable because it is associated with fewer side effects

Search for gravitational-lensing signatures in the full third observing run of the LIGO-Virgo network

Gravitational lensing by massive objects along the line of sight to the source causes distortions of gravitational wave-signals; such distortions may reveal information about fundamental physics, cosmology and astrophysics. In this work, we have extended the search for lensing signatures to all binary black hole events from the third observing run of the LIGO--Virgo network. We search for repeated signals from strong lensing by 1) performing targeted searches for subthreshold signals, 2) calculating the degree of overlap amongst the intrinsic parameters and sky location of pairs of signals, 3) comparing the similarities of the spectrograms amongst pairs of signals, and 4) performing dual-signal Bayesian analysis that takes into account selection effects and astrophysical knowledge. We also search for distortions to the gravitational waveform caused by 1) frequency-independent phase shifts in strongly lensed images, and 2) frequency-dependent modulation of the amplitude and phase due to point masses. None of these searches yields significant evidence for lensing. Finally, we use the non-detection of gravitational-wave lensing to constrain the lensing rate based on the latest merger-rate estimates and the fraction of dark matter composed of compact objects

Spray Forming Technique for Aluminium Matrix Materials: A Review

The spray forming technique is one of the emerging technologies that exhibit the near net shape forming capability of materials with improved mechanical and tribological properties, which enhance the performance of the material. This technique has the relatively high rate of deposition and solidification, which provides the fine size particles and their minimum segregation. Economically benefited, single step spray forming technique is a flexible and wide range of materials can be produced that are not feasible by any other techniques. This review paper provides the overview of spray forming technique to produce aluminium matrix materials. The major focus has been given to (a) microstructural features, (b) influence of process parameters, (c) porosity formation and its control and (d) evolution of mechanical and tribological properties. This review will be conclude the further recommendation for new research and direction to produce aluminium matrix materials for different applications

Design for low thermal conductivity and low vibrational impact without efflorescence of the composite bricks developed by waste plastic resin/fly ash/glass powder/gypsum

The growth of different sectors in developing countries requires a tremendous amount of energy, making energy an important factor leading to environmental and economic concerns toward energy saving. A total of 33% of the energy consumed comes from buildings, and 50% of this energy is lost via the walls. As a result, the intended thermal comfort criteria and the properties of the building envelope determine the total energy consumption of a material. A lower thermal conductivity rating can help to reduce this temperature loss even more. Therefore, it was intended in the research initiatives to create walling material, such as bricks, with low thermal conductivity without efflorescence. The ability of bricks to absorb the vibration helps them to better sustain under the seismic load. The composite brick of a dimensional size of 190 × 90 × 90 mm is developed with fly ash, polymer, glass powder, and gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O). The designed brick contains fly ash as the matrix material, plastic waste such as HDPE and PP resin as the binder, glass powder as reinforced, and gypsum as the nanofiller. Thermal conductivity decreases from 0.23 − 0.15 W/mk as the polymeric concentration increases in the designed sample by 30%, 35%, and 40% polymer. On analyzing the DSC curve the degradation temperature is found to be 123.64 and 139.58 °C, 125.92 and 144.64 °C, 127.50 and 153.07 °C respectively, for 30%, 35%, and 40% of the polymer corresponding to endothermic and exothermic reactions with enthalpy 4.4808 J/g and 2.2012 J/g, 4.5976 J/g, and 2.31487 J/g, 4.6859 and 2.4337 J/g respectively. Introducing the plastic content in the designed sample caused a significant decrease in thermal conductivity and improved the resilience properties against earthquakes to bear more impact load and developed stress to the structure.Web of Scienc

Assessment of Prevalence of Osteoporosis Among Female Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients at A Rural Tertiary Care Centre of North India

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that is thought to result from chronic inflammation that may affect other organ systems. Evidence suggeststhat the prevalence of osteoporosisin patients with COPD is high and potentially important.The strength of the bone depends on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality. The BMD is measured by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. This disease being severe but its prevalenceamongfemale COPD patients in North India is not well documented. Objectives: To find the prevalence of osteoporosis among female chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients at a rural tertiary care centre of north India. Materials &amp; Method: This is a cross sectional study conducted between January 2019 to June 2020 in Department of Respiratory Medicine, UPUMS, Saifai, Etawah. Female COPD patients those who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study and Classification of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis were done by World Health Organization Criteria.Result: A total of 210 female COPD patients were included. The mean age of the patients in this study was 63.38 +10.54years with a range from 40 to 92 years.In this study 88% patients were exposed to biomass fuel smoke and 44.76% were exposed to smoking. Out of 210 female COPD patients 44.29% were of GOLD Stage2, 30.48% were of GOLD Stage 3, 17.62% were of GOLD Stage 1 and 7.61% were of GOLD Stage 4. Out of 210 patients 3.81% had T-Score in DEXA Scan of ≥(-1.0) i.e. Normal, 25.71 % had T-Score in range of (-1.0) to (-2.5) i.e. Osteopenia and 70.48% had T-Score in DEXA Scan &lt;(-2.5) i.e. Osteoporosis.Conclusion: Out of 210 patients prevalence of Osteoporosisin female Copd patients was 70.48%. There was a significant correlation of severity of COPD (GOLD Stage) with Osteoporosis. There was no positive correlation between route and duration of steroid use with Osteoporosis and number of COPD exacerbations with Osteoporosis. There was no significant correlation between Body mass index (BMI) and Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is common in female patients with COPD and its presence may have significant impact on the quality of life of such patients

Magnetic ground state and crystal structure of the giant dielectric constant material Ba(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3Ba(Fe_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_{3}

The room temperature crystal structure as well as the magnetic ground state of Ba(Fe$_{1/2}$Nb$_{1/2}$)O$_3$ (BFN) are controversial. The results of Rietveld refinements using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction (SXRPD) data are presented to show that BFN belongs to cubic perovskite structure in the Pm$\bar{3}$m space group and not in the cubic Fm$\bar{3}$m or monoclinic symmetries, proposed by some earlier workers based on the analysis of the laboratory source XRD data. The temperature dependent specific heat measurements in the 1.8 to 300 K range on well characterized BFN samples are presented to show the absence of any long-range ordered (LRO) antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition, proposed by some earlier workers based on the observation of a peak in the temperature dependence of zero-field cooled (ZFC) DC magnetization around 25 to 32 K. Results of temperature dependent magnetization measurements during warming cycle on ZFC and field cooled (FC) BFN samples reveal history dependent bifurcation with a peak in the ZFC M (T) curve at T$_f$ ~ 29 K, in agreement with some previous results where it was attributed to a spin-glass transition even though such an irreversibility can result from superparamagnetic (SPM) blocking as well. The appearance of a short plateau in our FC M (T) curve below T$_f$ suggests a cluster spin-glass phase of BFN below T$_f$. This was confirmed by us through the ac susceptibility χ' (T, ω) studies which reveal divergence of spin dynamics at the spin-glass transition temperature T$_{SG}$ ~ (28 ± 1) K with a large characteristic spin relaxation time $τ_0$ ~ 10$^{−6}$ s following Vogel-Fulcher as well as power-law type critical dynamics. The existence of the magnetic glassy state in BFN is further supported by the observation of (1) magnetic field dependent shift of Tf with increasing magnetic field along the de Almeida-Thouless line in the T-H plane with a characteristic exponent of m = 2/3, (2) weak remanent magnetization Mr below T$_f$ with exponentially decreasing M$_r$ on approaching T$_f$, (3) extremely slow decay of the thermoremanent magnetization below Tf with time as per a stretched exponential function, and (4) characteristic aging, rejuvenation and memory effects below T$_f$. These results provide the first unambiguous confirmation of the cluster spin-glass state of BFN and settle the existing controversies related to its magnetic ground state

On the magnetic ground state of lead-free complex perovskite Sr(Fe1/2_{1/2}Nb1/2_{1/2})O3_{3}

We present here the results of dc magnetization (M) measurements as a function of temperature (T), field (H) and time (t) with different histories and ac susceptibility measurements as a function of temperature and frequency to understand the magnetic ground state of Sr(Fe$_{1/2}$Nb$_{1/2}$)O$_{3}$ (SFN). We show that the zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) magnetization curves (M(T)) not only bifurcate but also exhibit a short plateau with a dip in the FC M(T) curve suggesting that the observed history dependent irreversibility may be due to cluster spin-glass (CSG) freezing and not superparamagnetic (SPM) blocking. This is confirmed by ac susceptibility χ(ω, T) studies which reveal critical slowing down of the spin dynamics as per Vogel Fulcher and power laws with spin-glass transition temperature T$_{SG}$ ∼(24 ± 1) K. The attempt time obtained by these laws ($τ_0$ ∼10$^{-6}$ s) is found to be consistent with CSG picture. Further, the field dependent shift of T$_f$ follows de Almeida-Thouless line in the T-H plane with a characteristic critical exponent m = 2/3. Further support for the existence of the spin-glass phase is obtained by the observation of non-exponential decay of the thermoremanent magnetization as well as aging, rejuvenation and memory effects below T$_f$. The non-zero value of remanent magnetization Mr without saturation below T$_f$ is shown to vanish exponentially with increasing temperature as T → T$_{SG}$ in agreement with what is observed in spin-glass systems. We also present a critical comparison of the magnetic ground states of SFN with CaCu$_3$Ti$_4$O$_{12}$ (CCTO) and other complex niobate perovskites in terms of the strength of the nearest neighbour exchange interaction parameter J$_1$, the coordination polyhedral, the disorder/dilution level of the magnetic sublattices, the presence or absence of octahedral tilts and the possibility of alternative superexchange pathways in these compounds