Mean platelet volume as an indicator of severity of hypertensive retinopathy in hypertensive subjects

Background: Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) represents the ophthalmic findings of end-organ damage secondary to systemic arterial hypertension. Platelets play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic complications, contributing to thrombus formation or apposition after plaque rupture. The aim of our study was to investigate whether Mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with the severity of hypertensive retinopathy in hypertensive patients.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Medicine of SAMC and PGI, Indore. Total 250 adult hypertensive patients (BP >140/90 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive drugs) recruited for the study.Results: Of the 250 subjects, 158 (63.2%) were male and 92 (36.8%) were female. Elevated MPV >11.5 femtoliter was observed in 84 cases (33.6%). There was statistically significant relationship between the grade of retinopathy and elevated MPV in hypertensive subjects. (r = 0.52, P <0.001).Conclusions: We described a relation between MPV and HR (probably first time in Indian patients). Measurement of MPV is easy to establish and therefore might serve as a valuable predictor of a worse outcome in microvascular complications

Carotid intima medial thickness as a marker of atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis

Background: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disorder of unknown cause that primarily affects the axial skeleton; peripheral joints and extraarticular structures are also frequently involved. The present study was planned to generate more data on this subject with the aim of measuring the CIMT in AS, as these patients are more prone to develop early atherosclerosis and develop early macro vascular complications like CAD.Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 60 patients. The study group included 30 patients with a known history or clinical features suggestive of AS. The control group included 30 normal adult subjects without any previous history. All subjects included in the study underwent detailed clinical history, analysis, physical examination and necessary investigations.Results: CIMT in the control group was 0.54±0.19 mm and in the AS group was 0.65±0.21 mm. The difference was found to be statistically significant (P0.05), showing comparable age between the two groups. The age to CIMT showed positive correlation which was statistically significant (r=0.405, p=0.026).Conclusions: Results of this study showed that there is a higher prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis (20%) in AS patients as compared to controls as evidenced by a higher CIMT. Every effort should be made in order to control inflammation and traditional risk factors in this population, to avoid the consequences of accelerated atherogenesis

Study of maternal and prenatal outcome in pregnant women with acute hepatitis E viral infection

Background: Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is a major aspect of hepatitis and death in the developing countries and asymmetrical source of deaths in among of pregnant women. The objective of this study was to determine the maternal and prenatal outcome in pregnant women with acute hepatitis E viral infection in Malwa, India.Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study. The study population was pregnant women with acute hepatitis E infection confirmed by ELISA technique. Pregnant women with other hepatic viral infections were excluded. All medical and obstetric conditions and mortality were noted on the predesigned proforma.Results: Out of the total 105 admitted pregnant women with hepatitis E viral infection, 21.90% women had severe morbidity, 24.17% perinatal death and 14 (13.3%) expired before delivery. The yellowish discoloration of urine or sclera was observed in 91.42% with abdominal pain in 76.19%. Maternal mortality was higher in patients with primi (47.82%) and patients presented in second trimester (56.50%).Conclusions: The acute viral hepatitis E infection in pregnant women is associated with maternal morbidities and high mortality rate

Design of Double Barrier Ceramic Radio Frequency Vacuum Window

Vacuum windows are an essential part of any radio frequency (RF) system which launches/couples RF power from an atmospheric to a vacuum environment. This paper describes the RF design of a double barrier ceramic coaxial vacuum window. Alumina 99.5% pure is considered as ceramic barrier material while inner and outer conductors are oxygen-free copper. As the initial design approach the thickness, slope, depth of ceramic in the conductor is varied and the performance of the window is studied. The design is optimised to achieve the best insertion loss, return loss response for operating frequency range up to 65MHz

Kloniranje, izražajnost i pročišćavanje bjelančevine 28 iz vanjske membrane Salmonelle enterice serovar Typhimurium za razvoj podjediničnog cjepiva - kratko priopćenje

Salmonella Typhimurium, a major gastrointestinal pathogen, poses a global threat to human health. Public health problems associated with this organism have increased to the extent that it has become a major issue. The bacterium is becoming resistant to the commonly available antibiotics, and vaccines also suffer from limitations such as short lived immunity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of an effective vaccine. The outer membrane proteins (Omps) of Salmonella have proven their capability to be developed as a vaccine candidate for prevention of salmonellosis. With this aim, in the present study the Omp28 gene of Salmonella Typhimurium was amplified, cloned and expressed under an IPTG induction system. The recombinant protein thus produced was purified and tested for its antigenicity. The antigenicity of the purified protein was confirmed by western blotting with antiserum raised in rabbit against Omps of S. Typhimurium. The Omp28 gene was amplified as a 330bp product. The expressed protein was found to be of approximately 28kDa and it produced a strong signal in western blot analysis. This study concluded that Omp28 may be proven to be an effective candidate for the development of r-DNA vaccine against salmonellosis.Salmonella Typhimurium glavni je gastrointestinalni patogen koji je globalna prijetnja ljudskome zdravlju. Javnozdravstveni problemi povezani s ovim organizmom povećali su se do te mjere da je postao glavno pitanje na koje se traže brojni odgovori. Bakterija postaje otporna na najčešće dostupne antibiotike, a ograničavajuća uporaba cjepiva povezana je s kratkotrajnim imunitetom. Zbog toga postoji hitna potreba za razvoj učinkovitog cjepiva. Vanjske bjelančevine membrane (engl. Outer membrane proteins, Omps) salmonele dokazale su svoju sposobnost kandidata za razvoj cjepiva koje bi se koristilo u prevenciji salmoneloze. S tim je ciljem u ovom radu, pod uvjetima IPTG indukcijskog sustava, provedeno umnažanje i kloniranje te provjerena izražajnost gena za Omp28 iz Salmonelle Typhimurium. Tako dobivena rekombinantna bjelančevina pročišćena je i testirana s obzirom na antigenu sposobnost. Antigena sposobnost pročišćene bjelančevine potvrđena je uporabom Western blot metode s antiserumom protiv Omps-a iz S. Typhimurium dobivenim od zeca. Genom Omp28 umnožen je kao 330bp produkt. Bjelančevina je imala približno 28 kDa i Western blot analizom pokazala je izraženost jakog signala. Ovim je istraživanjem zaključeno da Omp28 može poslužiti kao učinkoviti kandidat za razvoj r-DNA cjepiva protiv salmoneloze

Scrap computer keyboards a sustainable resource for silver (Ag) and low density oil (L D Oil)

Most neglected part of the scrap computers are the keyboards, which are generally incinerated by the informal recycling sectors creating environmental pollution and leads to the wastage of precious metallic contents present in it. Present paper is focused on a novel chemical processing technique developed to recover silver (Ag) as value added product and low density oil (L D Oil) from the computer keyboards. Initially, scrap keyboards were manually dismantled to separate Mylar sheets and the same were pyrolysed at 300 ◦C for 2 h to recover L D Oil. The obtained pyrolysed Mylar sheets was further crushed, milled and homogenized to reduce particle size (− 100 mesh). The crushed sample was leached using 2 M HNO3 at 60 ◦C in mixing time of 20 min and pulp density of 100 g/L to achieve maximum dissolution of Ag. The leaching kinetics for Ag dissolution well fitted with chemical reaction control dense constant size cylindrical particles, 1-(1-X)1/2 = kct. The obtained leach liquor was put to cementation process using metallic copper (Cu). Almost 99% of Ag gets cemented as Ag powder in 15 min at a constant solution temperature of 60 ◦C and pH 1.1. The developed bench scale process has application orientation to the industry after piloting the process

Neonatal, 1–59 month, and under-5 mortality in 597 Indian districts, 2001 to 2012: estimates from national demographic and mortality surveys

Background India has the largest number of child deaths of any country in the world, and has wide local variation in under-5 mortality. Worldwide achievement of the UN 2015 Millennium Development Goal for under-5 mortality (MDG 4) will depend on progress in the subregions of India. We aimed to estimate neonatal, 1–59 months, and overall under-5 mortality by sex for 597 Indian districts and to assess whether India is on track to achieve MDG 4. Methods We divided the 2012 UN sex-specifi c birth and mortality totals for India into state totals using relative birth rates and mortality from recent demographic surveys of 24 million people, and divided state totals into totals for the 597 districts using 3 million birth histories. We then split the results into neonatal mortality and 1–59 month mortality using data for 109 000 deaths in children younger than 5 years from six national surveys. We compared results with the 2001 census for each district. Findings Under-5 mortality fell at a mean rate of 3·7% (IQR 3·2–4·9) per year between 2001 and 2012. 222 (37%) of 597 districts are on track to achieve the MDG 4 of 38 deaths in children younger than 5 years per 1000 livebirths by 2015, but an equal number (222 [37%]) will achieve MDG 4 only after 2020. These 222 lagging districts are home to 41% of India’s livebirths and 56% of all deaths in children younger than 5 years. More districts lag behind the relevant goal for neonatal mortality (251 [42%]) than for 1–59 month mortality (197 [33%]). Just 81 (14%) districts account for 37% of deaths in children younger than 5 years nationally. Female mortality at ages 1–59 months exceeded male mortality by 25% in 303 districts in nearly all states of India, totalling about 74 000 excess deaths in girls. Interpretation At current rates of progress, MDG 4 will be met by India around 2020—by the richer states around 2015 and by the poorer states around 2023. Accelerated progress to reduce mortality during the neonatal period and at ages 1–59 months is needed in most Indian districts. Funding Disease Control Priorities 3, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, International Development Research Centre, US National Institutes of Health