Neuropsychological deficits in patients with myocardial infarction

Myocardial Infarction (MI), commonly known as a Heart Attack, remains a leading cause of death throughout the world. Studies have shown that patients, who had MI, have cognitive impairment affecting attention, problem solving, memory, visuospatial, executive function and even dementia. Since cognition and emotion are integral part of the disease, there are no focused studies addressing this issue in the Indian context. Hence the present study. The objective of the study was to determine the neuropsychological deficits in patients with MI and with MI after cardiac bypass surgery. The sample consisted of 30 patients, 15 MI and 15 MI after CABG. All patients were assessed on. a battery of Neuropsychological tests and Hamilton Rating Scale for depression, The findings revealed impairment in mental speed, sustained attention, Animal Fluency Test, Phonemic Fluency Test, verbal and visual working memory, planning, response inhibition, verbal and visual learning and memory. On comparison with MI patients CABG patients showed significant deficits in Planning

Wear behaviour studies on Grewia Serrulata bast fibre reinforced polymer composites

Development of new materials in place of existing traditional metals and alloys to meet specific requirements is taking place worldwide. Natural fibre reinforced composites are being considered as one of the alternative materials which can find scope in indoor and low load bearing applications. The biodegradability and low density make them attractive, while inherent hydrophilic nature of the fibre is a challenge for the engineering applications. Surface modification to the fibres by chemical treatments makes them as an alternative reinforcement material in the field of composites. In the present work, Grewia Serrulata bast fibres were subjected to chemical treatments and stitched into unidirectional woven fabrics. Treated and untreated fibre reinforced laminates were fabricated by hand layup process. Sliding wear behaviour of the prepared specimens was studied as per ASTM G-99. Materials with relatively lower wear rate are preferred for the tribological applications. The study shows that acetylated Grewia Serrulata fibre reinforced and permanganate treated fibre reinforced polyester samples showed significant wear resistance compared to neat resin and untreated fibre reinforced specimens

Mechanical Characterization and Water Ageing Behavior Studies of Grewia Serrulata Bast Fiber Reinforced Thermoset Composites

Natural fiber-reinforced polyester composites were prepared using bast fibers as the reinforcement which were extracted from Grewia serrulata trees. Chemical treatments such as alkali pretreatment followed by permanganate treatment, acetylation and silane treatment were exclusively applied to modify the fiber surface. Hand lay-up technique with compression molding was adapted for the fabrication of axially oriented fiber reinforced composites. Tensile, flexural and impact strength properties of the specimens prepared were evaluated following the standard procedures. The SEM images of the fractured surfaces shows improvement in compatibility between the chemically treated fibers and the matrix. It was found that the tensile and flexural strengths of chemically treated fiber-reinforced polyester composites have significantly improved when compared to untreated fiber-reinforced polyester specimens. The properties of 1200 hrs water aged specimens were found deteriorated considerably due to diffusion of water into the composite material system. The chemical treatment of fibers prior to fabrication of composites improves the resistance to water absorption tendencies