White coat hypertension is associated with increased small vessel disease in the brain

Objective: Small vessel disease, as measured by white matter hyperintensity (WMH) in the brain, is known to be associated with increased stroke risk and cognitive impairment. This study explored the relationship between WMH on computerised tomography (CT) and white coat hypertension/effect (WCH/E) in patients with recent transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or lacunar stroke (LS). Design and method: Ninety-six patients recruited for the ASIST trial (Arterial Stiffness in Lacunar Stroke and TIA) underwent measurement of clinic blood pressure (BP) and ambulatory BP monitoring (APBM) within two weeks of TIA or LS. Twenty-three patients had normotension (clinic BP / = 140/90mmHg and day-time ABPM < 135/85mmHg). Arterial stiffness was measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) (Complior®, ALAM Medical) and carotid-ankle vascular index (CAVI) (VaSera VS-1500N®, Fukuda Denshi). CT images were scored for WMH using the four-point Fazekas visual rating scale. Patients were grouped into no-mild WMH (scores 0–1) or moderate-severe (scores 2–3) groups. The relationship between BP, vascular stiffness and WMH was explored with t-tests, chi-square and logistic regression accounting for known cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Forty-four percent of patients with WCH/E had moderate-severe WMH compared to 17% of normotensives (p = 0.047). The regression model with WMH as the dependent factor, and WCH/E and cardiovascular risk factors as independent factors showed WCH/E and either CAVI or PWV to be the only independent significant factor contributing to WMH (CAVI:p = 0.038, PWV:p = 0.043)

P104 White coat hypertension is associated with increased small vessel disease in the brain

Objective: Small vessel disease, measured by brain white matter hyperintensity (WMH), is associated with increased stroke risk and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to explore the relationship between WMH on computerised tomography (CT) and white coat hypertension (WCH) in patients with recent transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or lacunar stroke (LS). Methods: Ninety-six patients recruited for the ASIST trial (Arterial Stiffness in Lacunar Stroke and TIA) underwent measurement of clinic blood pressure (BP) and ambulatory BP monitoring (APBM) within two weeks of TIA or LS. Patients were grouped by BP phenotypes. Twenty-three patients had normotension (clinic BP 140/90 mmHg and day-time ABPM <135/85 mmHg). CT brain images were scored for WMH using the four-point Fazekas visual rating scale. Patients were grouped into no-mild WMH (scores 0–1) or moderate-severe (scores 2–3) groups. The relationship between BP and WMH was explored with chi-square and logistic regression accounting for known cardiovascular risk factors (age, gender, smoking, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia). Results: 44% of WCH patients had moderate-severe WMH compared to 17% of normotensives (p = 0.047). Logistical regression incorporating WCH as the independent factor and cardiovascular risk factors as independent variables showed WCH to be the only independent significant factor contributing to WMH (p = 0.024). Conclusion: Patients with WCH were more likely to have moderate-severe WMH on CT brain than normotensives. WCH was associated with increased WMH, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors. This study suggests that WCH is associated with increased small vessel disease in the brain and may benefit from treatment

Study of tensile deformation behaviour of M250 grade maraging steel using acoustic emission

Tensile testing of solution annealed and thermally aged (755 K for various durations in the range of 0.25-100 h) specimens of M250 grade maraging steel has been carried out along with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. Results have shown that strength increases and ductility decreases upon ageing up to 10 h and this has been attributed primarily to the precipitation of Ni3Ti. Continued increase in strength up to 40 h of ageing has been attributed primarily to the precipitation of Fe2Mo in addition to Ni3Ti. Increase in ductility for 10-40 h of ageing has been attributed to dissolution of needle like Ni3Ti precipitates and formation of fine spherical Fe2Mo. Ageing beyond 40 h decreases strength and increases ductility due to the reversion of martensite to austenite and coarsening of the precipitates. The AE generated during tensile deformation depends on the ageing time. Increased occurrence of shearing of the precipitates by dislocations and increased brittleness of the matrix up to 10 h ageing increases the AE. The decrease in the AE beyond 10 h of ageing is due to the occurrence of deformation by Orowan looping, dissolution of Ni3Ti precipitates and austenite reversion. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the fracture surfaces has shown ductile fracture characterized by dimples and changes in the size and shape of the dimples with ageing time

Development of compressed meat based bar using response surface methodology

Studies were carried out to optimize the percentage of ingredients for the development of ready to eat mutton bar. Central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology (RSM) was used for designing the experimental combinations. Matrix for compression was designed by selecting factors like mutton powder, binders and applied pressure. Protein percentage, hardness and over all acceptability (OAA) were taken as responses. OAA and hardness showed highly significant and fitted with quadratic model whereas other response i.e. protein levels found to be significant and fitted with linear model. From the design of experiments 45g/100g of mutton powder with 5g/100g binders having an applied pressure of 142 kg/cm2 yielded a bar having a protein percentage of 35g/100g with a hardness of 20.9 N with an overall acceptability score of 8.6 ±0.2 on a 9 point hedonic scale. The product gives energy of 393 kcal per 100 g

BlockGov: Blockchain-Based Data Governance in the Internet of Things using Smart Contracts

The rapid growth and integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) emphasizes the crucial need for effective data governance. This research unveils a novel framework, capitalizing on blockchain and smart contracts, aimed at decentralizing data governance in the IoT sphere. Our approach allows stakeholders to formulate and enforce data governance collaboratively, ensuring a balance between transparency, adaptability, and flexibility. Using the Ethereum platform and Solidity as our smart contract language, we constructed a demonstrative proof-of-concept. Our comparative evaluations highlighted our system's superiority, outpacing previous works with a scalability score of 95%, flexibility at 90%, and an unmatched transparency score of 100%. This framework presents a transformative paradigm for organizations and individuals working with IoT data, offering an efficient, transparent, and robust data governance mechanism

Applicative Bidirectional Programming with Lenses

A bidirectional transformation is a pair of mappings between source and view data objects, one in each direction. When the view is modified, the source is updated accordingly with respect to some laws. One way to reduce the development and maintenance effort of bidirectional transformations is to have specialized languages in which the resulting programs are bidirectional by construction---giving rise to the paradigm of bidirectional programming. In this paper, we develop a framework for applicative-style and higher-order bidirectional programming, in which we can write bidirectional transformations as unidirectional programs in standard functional languages, opening up access to the bundle of language features previously only available to conventional unidirectional languages. Our framework essentially bridges two very different approaches of bidirectional programming, namely the lens framework and Voigtlander’s semantic bidirectionalization, creating a new programming style that is able to bag benefits from both

Biorational strategies for the management of insect pests of spice crops

Pest control strategies based on relatively non-toxic procedures that preserve the health of the ecosystem and minimizes negative effects on beneficial organisms, and utilize microbial pathogens and their products, plant natural products, semiochemicals, biotechnological strategies and reduced-risk pesticides can be termed as ‘biorational strategies’. This review consolidates the information available on the use of biorational strategies for the management of insect pests of spice crops such as Piper nigrum (black pepper), Elettaria cardamomum (cardamom), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Curcuma longa (turmeric), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Cuminum cyminum (cumin) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel). The review also identifies the current gaps in knowledge and the opportunities and challenges in using biorational strategies for the production of clean spices, reflecting the global concern over pesticide misuse

Selective Breeding and Development of Disease Resistant Broodstock of Black Tiger Shrimp Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798

The Indian tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon is the principal species being cultured. Of late hatchery sector is being dependent on wild gravid females due to non response of broodstock to eyestalk ablation. High cost of gravid females compelling the grow-out sector to stock pathogen carrier seeds. Hence domestication of tiger shrimp is essential to produce Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) broodstock / Disease Resistant (DR) broodstock. Merits and demerits of SPF versus DR broodstock are presented. Development of SPF broodstock involves stringent management of environment to arrest the entry of pathogens and more than one economic trait can be selected. Whereas in development of DR broodstockanimals are challenged with the pathogen and a selection of other economic traits are less possible. Resistance in shrimp exists at the species level as well as individual level. Experiment on domestication of P. monodon in which programme was advanced up to F3 generation has revealed the existence of resistance for WSSV at the individual level. Selective breeding programme for development of D R broodstock involves development of disease free base population, forming them into families, production of F1 generation family wise through inbreeding, challenging each family with WSSV at 3-5 g size and rearing survived individuals up to 100 g size, production of F2 generation by random inter crossing between families, advancing the programme up to F5 generation. Development of DR broodstock is imperative to ensure sustainable shrimp productio

Supersonic Jet Interactions in a Plenum Chamber

Understanding thè supersonic jet interactions in a plenum chamber is essential for thè design of hot launch systems. Static tests were conducted in a small-scale rocket motor ioaded with a typical nitramine propellaiit to produce a nozzle exit Mach number of 3. This supersonic jet is made to interact with plenum chambers having both open and closed sides. The distance between thè nozzle exit and thè back piate of plenum chamber are varied from 2. 5 to 7. 0 times thè nozzle exit diameter. The pressure rise in thè plenum chamber was measured using pressure transducers mounted at different locatìons. The pressure-time data were analysed to obtain an insight into thè flow field in thè plenum chamber. The maximum pressure exerted on thè back piate of plenum chamber is about 25-35 per cent. of thè maximum stagnation pressure developed in thè rocket motor. Ten static tests were carried out to obtain thè effect of axial distance between thè nozzle exit and thè plenum chamber back piate, and stagnation pressure in thè rocket motoron thè flow field in thè open-sided and closed-sided plenum chambers configurations

A study on the defluoridation in water by using natural soil

Removal of excess fluoride (F−) from the water has been attempted by several authors by using different materials both natural and artificial. The main aim of this paper was to attempt the fluoride removal by using the locally available red soil adopting column method. The red soil was mixed in different proportion with sand in order to increase the porosity and permeability property of the medium. It was optimized for 4:1 ratio of red soil to sand and it was used for the following experiment. The experiment was conducted in 11 batches for a period of about 9,213 min. Fresh standard solution of F was used in each batch, prepared from Orion 1,000 ppm solution. The samples were collected and analyzed for pH, EC (Electrical Conductivity) and HCO3. Rate of flow of water and efficiency of adsorption were calculated and compared with the fluoride removal capacities of the medium. The medium used for the fluoride removal was subjected to FTIR analysis before and after the experiment. The variation of IR spectrum before and after treatment signifies the changes in the OH bonding between Al and Fe ions present in the soil. The variation in pH decreased during the course of defluoridation. Higher F removal was noted when flow rate was lesser. An attempt on the regeneration of the fluoride adsorbed soil was also made and found to be effective