A prospective study on evaluation of antibiotics usage in patients with sepsis at a tertiary care hospital

Background: Most developing countries are adopting antibiotic usage in sepsis. This study was conducted to evaluate the antibiotic usage in patients and to study medical adherence in high-risk patients. The study in particular aims to evaluate antibiotic usage in sepsis patients along with their related ADR’s. The study also aims to optimize the usage of antibiotics in high-risk patients at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Study was prospective and observational review of patients record in the hospital. Clinical notes, medication chart and electronic data management system at the hospital were used to analyse usage of antibiotics. Culture and sensitivity reports were obtained from relevant departments. Observations were then compiled and documented. Results: Out of 40 cases collected 22 (55%) patients were male and 18 (45%) were female. Majority of the study population belongs to 71 years and above with 15 (37.5%) followed by age group of 41-60 years with 14 (35%). Most frequently prescribed antibiotics were found to be meropenem 16 (21.33%) and piperacillin tazobactam 14 (18.67%). The most resistant antibiotic was found to be cotrimazole in 35 (87.5%). ADRs were found in 35% of all cases. Conclusions: Prescribing patterns for antibiotics need to be optimized. Adherence to and update of the policy is also recommended. It was found that the adherence to hospital antibiotic policy is low

Characterization of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum-well blue-light-emitting diodes grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

The structural,surface morphology, and the temperature dependence photoluminescence of InGaN(3 nm)/GaN(7 nm) 5 period multi-quantum-well blue-light-emitting diode (LED)structures grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD) have been studied. Quantum dot-likestructures and strain contrast evident by black lumps were observed in the quantum wells using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) analysis. Double-crystal high-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) spectra of blue LED were simulated using kinematical theory method, to obtain composition, and period thickness of well and barrier. The “S” shape character shift as red–blue–redshift of the quantum-well emission line, i.e., blue emission peak 2.667 eV at 10 K, was observed with variation of temperature in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The shift is assigned to the potential fluctuations due to alloy inhomogeneous distribution in the quantum wells. The In composition in the quantum wells obtained by two independent techniques, namely HRXRD and PL, was 8% and 19%, respectively. The reason for this large difference in composition is explained in this letter

Studies of InGaN∕GaN multiquantum-well green-light-emitting diodes grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

InGaN(3nm)∕GaN(5nm) three period multiquantum green-light-emitting diodes(LEDs) grown by the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique have been studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), double crystal high resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and low temperature photoluminescence. HRTEM analysis showed that the defect density gradually decreased in the growth direction with increasing thickness. Self-assembled quantum dot-likestructures in the wells and black lumps between the well and barrier due to In segregation and strain contrast were observed, respectively. The HRXRD spectrum of the green LEDstructure was simulated using the kinematical theory method to obtain the composition and thickness of the well and barrier. The quantum-well (QW) green emission peak 2.557eV at 10K showed “S” shaped shift like a red–blue–red shift with variation of the temperature in the photoluminescence spectra due to potential fluctuations caused by inhomogeneous alloy distribution in the wells. The activation energy of 49meVobtained from the QW green emission line indicated deepening of the localization of the carriers

Ti:sapphire-pumped deep-infrared femtosecond optical parametric oscillator based on CdSiP2

We report on a femtosecond optical parametric oscillator (OPO) for the deep-infrared (deep-IR) based on the Kerr-lens-mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser as the pump source. By deploying a novel cascaded intracavity arrangement, comprising a femtosecond OPO based on the nonlinear crystal, CdSiP2CdSiP2, synchronously pumped internal to a MgO:PPLN femtosecond OPO, we have generated broadly tunable radiation across 5958–8117 nm using rapid static cavity delay tuning, with a maximum power of 64 μW at 6791 nm, limited by the absorption in mirror substrates as well as polarization-dependent intracavity losses. The deep-IR idler power exhibits excellent passive stability of better than 1.1% rms over 2 h, with a spectral bandwidth as large as ∼650  nm∼650  nm at ∼6800  nm∼6800  nm. The demonstrated concept is generic and can be similarly deployed in other operating time scales and wavelength regions, also using different laser pump sources and nonlinear materials.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Infrared optical absorbance of intersubband transitions in GaN/AlGaN multiple quantum well structures

Intersubband transitions in Si-doped molecular beam epitaxygrown GaN/AlGaN multiple quantum wells on c-plane sapphire were investigated using the Fourier-transform infrared optical absorption technique. Several GaN quantum well samples were grown with either AlGaN bulk or GaN/AlGaN short period superlattice barriers. The measurements were made in a waveguide configuration utilizing a facet polished at 45° to the c plane. The integrated area of the intersubband transitions in several waveguides cut from different location of the wafer was measured, from which we estimated the two-dimensional electron gas density (σ). The measured values of σ are about two orders of magnitude larger than the Si doping level of ∼8×1017 cm−3, which is consistent with the polarization effects, particularly considering the large number of GaN/AlGaN interfaces. The internal quantum efficiency of the intersubband transitions was estimated to be on the order of 40% for samples with superlattice barriers

Studies on sandal spike. Part III. The nitrate reductase activity in the normal and pathochemical states of sandal (Santalum album Linn.)

This article does not have an abstract

Ni 30 Ti 50 Pt 20 High Temperature Shape Memory Alloy (HTSMA) Wires: Processing Related Issues

Abstract There is a growing demand for high temperature shape memory alloys (HTSMAs) for applications in areas such as aeroengines, chemical industries, and nuclear power plants, where the ambient temperature is relatively high (150-350°C). Platinum addition to binary NiTi, with Pt substituting for Ni, has been found to raise the transformation temperatures of the alloy with the advantage of retaining the transformation hysteresis in the range 25-35°C. In the present study, a NiTiPt alloy was selected for processing into the wire form for applications in the range 200-250°C. Addition of Pt of about 20 at.% to binary NiTi was required to raise the transformation temperatures of the alloy above 200°C. It was found that Pt addition significantly changed the processing characteristics of the NiTiPt alloy from those of binary NiTi alloys. For successful processing of the NiTiPt wires, it was necessary to modify the process usually followed for binary NiTi alloys. Also, additional steps were incorporated to overcome the problems inherent to this alloy system. Some of these aspects related to processing of this alloy in wire form are discussed in this paper

Effect of C∕Si ratio on deep levels in epitaxial 4H–SiC

Changing the ratio of carbon to silicon during the epitaxial 4H–SiC growth is expected to alter the dominant deep level trap, which has been attributed to a native defect. The C∕Si ratio was changed from one to six during epitaxialgrowth of SiC. Diodes fabricated on the epitaxial layer were then characterized using current-voltage and deep level transient spectroscopy. The single peak at 340K (Z1/Z2 peak), was deconvolved into two traps, closely spaced in energy. The concentration of one of the Z1/Z2 traps decreased with increasing C∕Si ratio. This result opposes theoretical predictions of carboninterstitial components, and supports assignment to a silicon antisite or carbonvacancy relationship. The concentration of the second component of the peak at 340K did not depend on the C∕Si ratio, which would indicate an impurity in an interstitial site

Growth and characterization of SiC epitaxial layers on Si- and C-face 4H SiC substrates by chemical-vapor deposition

High-quality Schottky junctions have been fabricated on n-type 4H SiC epitaxial layers grown by chemical-vapor deposition on C- and Si-face substrates in order to understand the effect of growth direction on the growth mechanism and formation of defects. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed dramatic differences between the surfaces of SiC epilayers grown on C and Si faces. There was a significant step bunching in the SiC grown on Si-face substrates. Current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements were carried out on the Schottky junctions to analyze the junction characteristics. The Schottky junctions on C-face SiC showed larger barrier heights than those on Si-face SiC, showing that each face has a different surface energy. The barrier heights of Ni Schottky junctions were found to be 1.97 and 1.54 eV for C-face and Si-face materials, respectively. However, the deep-level spectra obtained by DLTS were similar, regardless of the increased surface roughness of the Si-face 4H SiC