The Effect of Surface Sizing With Starch on Tensile & Tear

This survey of literature concerning surface sizing has been undertaken in an effort to compile in one paper the importance of surface sizing on strength properties, particularly tensile and tear. The use of starch in the modification of surface characteristics of a writing medium may actually be older than the art of paper manufacture itself. A considerable amount of literature on surface sizing showing the effect on surface improvements of the paper sheet is available, but very little work has been undertaken to study the effect of surface sizing on tensile and tear. Both their strength properties increased on surface sizing with low viscosity oxidized potato starch as compared to high viscosity starch, in which the latter case no significant effect was observed. High viscosity starch did not penetrate the sheet of paper, but rather stayed on the surface. This study showed that calendering after sizing operations should be reduced to a minimum to get improved tensile and tear. Otherwise, both these properties are appreciably reduced

Resistant patterns of bacteria isolated from bloodstream infections at a university hospital in Delhi

Background : The choice of antimicrobial therapy for bloodstream infections is often empirical and based on the knowledge of local antimicrobial activity profiles of the most common bacteria causing such infections. Aims : The present study was aimed to investigate frequency of bacterial pathogens causing septicemia and their antimicrobial resistant pattern in hospital admitted patients. Settings and Design : It was a prospective study, conducted at Majeedia Hospital, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India. Material and Methods : We examined prospectively, 168 bacterial strains isolated from 186 clinically diagnosed septicemia cases admitted at a University Hospital in New Delhi, over a period of six months from July 2009 to December 2009. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, USA) guidelines. Results : The most frequently identified Gram-positive bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci 63.5%, Staphylococcus aureus 23.1%, enterococci 5.8% and alpha-haemolytic streptococci 5.8%. The most frequently Gram-negative bacteria identified were Acinetobacter species 31%, Salmonella typhi 24.1%, Escherichia coli 23.3% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 13.8%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci showed maximum resistance to cefaclor 57.1% and ampicillin 46.9%. Staphylococcus aureus showed maximum resistance to amoxicillin 100% and ampicillin 91.7%. Acinetobacter species showed maximum resistance to amoxicillin 89.7%, amoxiclav 87.1% and ampicillin 85.7%. Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae showed maximum resistance to ampicillin, 46.4%, 92%, 93.8% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions : Gram-negative pathogens predominated in bloodstream infections. Resistance to most of the antimicrobial agents for a number of pathogens implicated in bloodstream infections, especially in Gram-negative bacteria, has reached worrisome levels and continues to increase

Monitoring of Adverse Drug Reactions Associated with Antihypertensive Medicines at a University Teaching Hospital in New Delhi

Aim To monitor the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) caused by antihypertensive medicines prescribed in a university teaching hospital.Methods:he present work was an open, non-comparative, observational study conducted on hypertensive patients attending the Medicine OPD of Majeedia Hospital, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India by conducting patient interviews and recording the data on ADR monitoring form as recommended by Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), Government of India.Results:A total of 21 adverse drug reactions were observed in 192 hypertensive patients. Incidence of adverse drug reactions was found to be higher in patients more than 40 years in age, and females experienced more ADRs (n = 14, 7.29 %) than males, 7 (3.64 %). Combination therapy was associated with more number of adverse drug reactions (66.7 %) as against monotherapy (33.3 %). Calcium channel blockers were found to be the most frequently associated drugs with adverse drug reactions (n = 7), followed by diuretics (n = 5), and beta- blockers (n = 4). Among individual drugs, amlodipine was found to be the commonest drug associated with adverse drug reactions (n = 7), followed by torasemide (n = 3). Adverse drug reactions associated with central nervous system were found to be the most frequent (42.8 %) followed by musculo-skeletal complaints (23.8 %) and gastro-intestinal disorders (14.3 %). Conclusions:The present pharmacovigilance study represents the adverse drug reaction profile of the antihypertensive medicines prescribed in our university teaching hospital. The above findings would be useful for physicians in rational prescribing. Calcium channel blockers were found to be the most frequently associated drugs with adverse drug reactions

The Presynaptic Component of the Serotonergic System is Required for Clozapine's Efficacy

Clozapine, by virtue of its absence of extrapyramidal side effects and greater efficacy, revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia, although the mechanisms underlying this exceptional activity remain controversial. Combining an unbiased cheminformatics and physical screening approach, we evaluated clozapine's activity at >2350 distinct molecular targets. Clozapine, and the closely related atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine, interacted potently with a unique spectrum of molecular targets. This distinct pattern, which was not shared with the typical antipsychotic drug haloperidol, suggested that the serotonergic neuronal system was a key determinant of clozapine's actions. To test this hypothesis, we used pet1−/− mice, which are deficient in serotonergic presynaptic markers. We discovered that the antipsychotic-like properties of the atypical antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine were abolished in a pharmacological model that mimics NMDA-receptor hypofunction in pet1−/− mice, whereas haloperidol's efficacy was unaffected. These results show that clozapine's ability to normalize NMDA-receptor hypofunction, which is characteristic of schizophrenia, depends on an intact presynaptic serotonergic neuronal system