Culture Positive Brucella Endocarditis in a Case of Baloon Mitral Valvotomy

Brucella endocarditis is a rare condition which occurs as a focal complication in chronic brucellosis cases. We report a rare brucella endocarditis case in a RVHD patient. A 26 years old male was admitted with fever on off for almost one year. The blood culture yielded growth of Brucella melitensis after ten days of incubation. Isolated colonies were reconfirmed as Brucella species by PCR study. Patient’s serum tested positive for brucella slide agglutination test and STAT titer was 640IU. Echocardiography showed vegetation on mitral valve. Patient was treated with both medical and surgical intervention. After chemotherapy, patient’s blood culture was sterile, slide agglutination & STAT (40IU) were negative. Repeat echocardiography showed no fresh vegetation. Considering high mortality rate (80%) in Brucella endocarditis, it is very important for clinicians to suspect it. Prompt antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention is life saving in fatal cases

Alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding - potential and simulation for Alaskan North Slope reservoir

Master's Project (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2014Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is essential to recover bypassed oil and improve recovery factor. Alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding is a chemical EOR method that can be used to recover heavy oil containing organic acids from sandstone formations. It involves injection of alkali to generate in situ surfactants, improve sweep efficiency, and reduce interfacial tension (IFT) between displacing and displaced phase, and injection of a polymer to improve mobility ratio; typically, it is followed by extended waterflooding. The concentration of alkali, surfactant, and polymer used in the process depends on oil type, salinity of solution, pressure, temperature of the reservoir, and injection water quality. This project evaluates the effect of waterflooding on recovery, calculates the recovery factor for ASP flooding, and optimum concentration of alkali, surfactant, and polymer for an Alaskan reservoir. Also, the effects of waterflooding and improvement with ASP flooding are evaluated and compared. Studies of these effects on oil recovery were analyzed with a Computer Modeling Group (CMG)-generated model for the Alaskan North Slope (ANS) reservoir. Based on a literature review and screening criteria, the Western North Slope (WNS) 1 reservoir was selected for the ASP process. A CMG - WinProp simulator was used to create a fluid model and regression was carried out with the help of actual field data. The CMG - WinProp model was prepared with a 5 spot well injection pattern using the CMG STARS simulator. Simulation runs conducted for primary and waterflooding processes showed that the recovery factor increased from 3% due to primary recovery to 45% due to waterflooding at 500 psi drawdown for 60 years with a constant producing gas oil ratio (GOR). ASP flooding was conducted to increase recovery further, and optimum ASP parameters were calculated for maximum recovery. Also, effect of alkali, surfactant and polymer on recovery was observed and compared with ASP flood. If proved effective, the use of ASP chemicals for ANS reservoirs to increase the recovery factor could replace current miscible gas injection with chemical EOR. It will help to develop chemical flooding processes for heavier crude oil produced in harsh environments and create new horizons for chemical industries in Alaska

Status of Ferrosilicon and Pig Iron Production by Electric Smelting under the Liberalized Economy

Without adequate power infrastructure and demand from the steel industry,liberalization for the ferroalloy industry in general and ferrosilicon in particular can spell doom. The entry of many small producers has saddled the country with surplus installed capacity. Unless demand increases rapidly and cheap owner is available from either NTPC or captive power generation, FeSiproduction by electric smelting is not viable. Compulsion to generate cheap captive power and export for survival is great. Whereas the fate of electric pig iron was sealed long ago when tariff increases rendered the product unaffordable by the foundries necessitating imports.With the emergence mini-blast furnaces in the liberalized economy;revival of electric pig iron is no where in sight

Ferrosilicon industry faces demand and cost constraints

The ferrosilicon industry is caught in a vortex of demand recession, power shortage, and escalating cost of both power and charcoal — the two crucial inputs. Against an installed capacity of 91,200 tonnes, the demand is about 52,000 tonnes. Because of power cuts in Karnataka (40%) and Orissa (50%), the demand is just met at an overall capacity utilization of 54%. However, at 80% utilization under fortuitous power situation, a surplus production of 40% could result. India has successfully exported to Japan in the past. Export was banned in 1979. Therefore, power shortage and inflationary costs, not technology, are constraints on export today. Cost-competitiveness can be realised by controlled cost of inputs, liberalised credit and subsidy.As a typical case, the situation in Karnataka is cited. Power tariff in Karnataka has risen from 5.75 p/kWh (1977) to 25.95 p/kWh (1981), an increase of 351% in five years. Power cost per tonne of ferrosilicon is Rs. 2371, representing 28% of the current price; charcoal cost is Rs. 2131, representing 26% of price. The diminishing availability of charcoal owing to ecological compulsions continues to push the cost up. But more seriously, it is compelling a search for alternative reductants. Quality preference is discussed. Import of a suitable reductant seems inevitable. Under crisis ridden circumstances, it is vital that the Government takes an integrated approach to pull the industry out of its present malaise so that it can continue to support the iron and steel industry

Nutritional Values and Economics of Leguminous Blocks as Goat Feed

Rearing of ruminant animals i.e. sheep and goats, especially is hampered by the seasonal availability of good quality and quantity of feeds such that during the dry season months, the little available forage is of low quality. The consequences are weight loss, low birth weight, low resistance to disease and reduced animal performance (Fajemisin et al., 2010). One potential way for increasing the quality and availability of feeds for smallholder ruminant animals in the dry season may be through the use of fodder trees and shrub legumes. Leaf protein sources obtained in leaf vegetables, legume trees, fodder trees and shrubs as feed resources to all classes of livestock offer tremendous potentials (Aye and Adegun, 2013). As foliage of leguminous trees and bushes are a major source of protein for feeding goats, they are components of pasture and grazing lands. The leaf biomass from the trees and bushes is abundant during the wet season, but the quantity and quality of green biomass declines as the dry season progresses. It can be preserved in the form of leaf meals and by pressing into blocks/briquettes with/without incorporating other concentrate feed ingredients. Keeping quality can be increased and a market value can be obtained. These legume blocks could be fed to small ruminants like sheep and goats as protein supplements would improve the nutritive value of the low quality diets and supply main nutrients to goats as possible alternatives for farmers during the dry season. The main justification for using feed blocks to provide deficient nutrients is the convenience for packaging, storage, transport and ease of feeding. Information on simple method of legume blocks production, the benefits of incorporating various ingredients, minerals, additives in the blocks and nutritive values of legume blocks over the years of storage as a feed is not available under local conditions. The present study was carried out with an objective of determining the nutritive values and keeping quality of legume blocks prepared with different ingredients using simple technology as goat feed

A Survey on Spectral Handoff Mechanisms for the Cognitive Radio Network

In a cognitive radio network, the cognitive radio (CR) devices also called as secondary users (SU's) need to change their operating frequency due to the inclusion of primary user (PU) in that frequency band. Thus when a PU arrives in a frequency band and asks for a channel in that band, it gets that band and occupies the channel which may be occupied by a SU. In this situation, the SU needs to find another channel in a different frequency band which leads to the spectral handoff. Thus in addition to the location based handoffs for the SU, spectral handoff also occur. This spectral handoff may be done several times for the SU. Thus this situation leads to the study of handoff mechanism. This paper carries out a survey of the handoff types and their mechanisms which have been already conceptualized. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15012

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS AND NATURAL FREQUENCY OPTIMIZATION OF ENGINE BRACKET

The automotive engine mounting systems are very important due to different aspects of vehicle performance. Early in improvement the building of the engine mounting system should be rapidly checked and precisely analyzed, without sample of a vehicle authorization. Engine bracket has been designed as a framework to support engine. Vibration and fatigue of engine bracket has been continuously a concern which may lead to structural failure if the resulting vibration and stresses are severe and excessive. It is a significant study which requires in-depth investigation to understand the structural characteristics and its dynamic behavior. This paper presents and focuses on some Finite Element (FE) analysis of a typical engine bracket of a car will be carried out and natural frequency will be determined

The road to good spirits: perceived stress, self esteem and coping skills in patients with alcohol dependence

Background: Alcohol is the commonest psychoactive substance used by Indians. Stress and self-esteem issues may cause alcohol use as a coping mechanism. The purpose of this study was to analyze the severity of alcohol dependence, gauge levels of perceived stress and self-esteem and study coping skills in patients. It further examined the relations between sociodemographic variables of patients, their perceived stress, self esteem and coping skills as well as duration and severity of alcohol dependence.Methods: Cross-sectional study of 200 patients with alcohol use disorder recruited by complete enumeration technique was undertaken. They were administered a semi-structured questionnaire along with Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Coping Inventory for Stressful situations (CISS-21) and Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ). Associations and correlations were examined.Results: Almost half the patients had severe alcohol dependence. Less than one-fourth of the patients had low self esteem. There was a significant negative correlation between self esteem and severity of alcohol dependence as well as duration of alcohol use. Nearly half the patients had high perceived stress. There was a significant positive correlation between severity of alcohol dependence and perceived stress. Majority patients used task oriented coping skills. Patients of alcohol dependence having low self-esteem used predominantly avoidant-oriented coping skills.Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of thorough evaluation and screening in patients having alcohol dependence for self-esteem issues and perceived stress levels. Teaching effective coping skills, supportive psychotherapy and counselling can be effective. Multimodal treatment protocols will effectively lighten the stress caused by alcohol dependence

Performance Evaluation of Multiband OFDM and Pulsed OFDM using Matlab Simulation

Abstract In this paper, we describe a approach for reducing the power consumption and complexity of a multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM

Comparison of conventional and sustained-release formulation of metformin in type 2 diabetics

Background: To investigate the effects of metformin sustained-release (MSR) compared with metformin immediate-release (MIR) on glycaemic control, blood pressure, lipid profile and metabolic parameters like weight, waist circumference in type 2 diabetes.Methods: A prospective, randomized, double blind study was conducted at tertiary healthcare and teaching hospital at Pune, Maharashtra. After obtaining institutional ethical committee approval and written informed consent, 40 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patient were randomly assigned to receive metformin immediate release formulation (MIR) 500 mg once 1 week and then twice daily and metformin sustained release formulation (MSR) 500 mg once 1 week and  then 1000mg once daily for 18 weeks. Fasting and post prandial blood glucose level (BGL), HbA1c, blood pressure, lipid profile, weight and waist circumference, were recorded at the start and end of study.Results: Both MIR and MSR significantly decreased fasting; post prandial BGL and HbA1c at 18 weeks. But no significant difference was seen between two groups. Study did not show any effect on blood pressure and on lipid profile. Both formulations decreased obesity as evident by significant reduction in weight and waist circumference. All patients tolerated both formulations of metformin. Though overall incidences of adverse effects are less with sustained release formulation, difference was not significant between two groups.Conclusions: To conclude, both metformin immediate release and sustained release formulations achieved comparable glycaemic control and sustained release formulation would be as effective as immediate release formulation with advantage of being reduce daily intake of tablets