Effect of Landauer's blowtorch on the equilibration rate in a bistable potential

Kinetic aspect of Landauer's blowtorch effect is investigated for a model double-well potential with localized heating. Using the supersymmetric approach, we derive an approximate analytical expression for the equilibration rate as function of the strength, width and the position of the hot zone, and the barrier height. We find that the presence of the hot zone enhances the equilibration rate, which is found to be an increasing function of the strength and width of the hot zone. Our calculations also reveal an intriguing result, namely, that placing the hot zone away from the top of the potential barrier enhances the rate more than when it is placed close to it. A physically plausible explanation for this is attempted. The above analytical results are borne out by detailed numerical solution of the associated Smoluchowski equation for the inhomogeneous medium.Comment: 15 pages in LaTeX format and 6 figures in postscript E-Mail : [email protected] [email protected]

On Demand Web Services with Quality of Service

The increasing usage of smart embedded devices in business blurs the line between the virtual and real worlds. This creates new opportunities to build applications that better integrate real-time state of the physical world, and hence, provides enterprise services that are highly dynamic, more diverse, and efficient. Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) approaches traditionally used to couple functionality of heavyweight corporate IT systems, are becoming applicable to embedded real-world devices, i.e., objects of the physical world that feature embedded processing and communication. Keywords: - Time synchronization, sensor network

Prescribing patterns of antihypertensive drugs in tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Prescribing patterns provides prescribing behaviors of prescriber. Hypertension is most common cardiac complication among middle and old age population. Thus, study about prescribing trends helps to select appropriate drug for treatment of hypertension. The study aim was to analyze the patterns of antihypertensive drug prescribed in patients diagnosed with hypertension.Methods: The study was cross sectional and observational study. A questionnaire was specifically designed factoring patients’ demographical profile, diagnosis of disease, drug regimen.Results: The totals of 100 patients were analyzed for the prescribing patterns of antihypertensive drug maximum patients belonged to the age group of 61-80. The proportion of male (62%) patients was more as compared to female patients (38%). Total drug prescribed was 246 in 100 prescriptions. Average drug per prescription was 2.46. Among 246 drugs, 97% were antihypertensive prescribed and 3% were other concomitant drugs. 65% single drug prescribed, 25% two drug prescribed and 10% three drug prescribed. Most commonly single antihypertensive drug prescribed was telmisartan. Most commonly two antihypertensive drug prescribed was telmisartan + hydrochlorothiazide. Most commonly three antihypertensive drug prescribed was telmisartan + amlodipine + hydrochlorothiazide. Among total 246 drug prescribed, angiotensin receptor blocker was prescribed (ARB) 28%, calcium channel blocker (CCB) 17%, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) 12%, beta blocker 5% followed by ARB + diuretics 13%, ACEI + diuretics 8%, beta blocker + CCB 4%, ARB + CCB + diuretics 7%, ARB + beta blocker + diuretics 3% and 3% other drug prescribed. There was no fixed dose combination prescribed and no injectable prescribed in present study.Conclusions: The most common drug prescribed was ARB as single drug therapy. The most common drug which was used for combination therapy was diuretics

Preliminary Investigation of Antimicrobial Property of Acacia leucophloea Leaves Extract

Leaves of indigenous plant Acacia leucophloea have been successively extracted using different solvents like hexane, methanol and water. Extract was evaluated for its antibacterial activity using two assay method Kirby bauer disc diffusion and tube dilution assay. Results of the given study revealed that the methanolic extract is potential antibacterial agent specifically for E coli & & S aureus

Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy of Collagen Peptide as an Add on Therapy to Standard Treatment in Comparison with the Standard Treatment alone in the Management of Patients with Knee Joint Osteoarthritis

AIM OF THE STUDY: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of collagen peptide as an Add on therapy to Standard treatment compared to standard treatment alone in the management of patients with knee joint osteoarthritis. METHODOLOGY: This was an open label, comparative, randomized, prospective study. This study included 60 patients with osteoarthritis, who were randomized into two groups of 30 each. Control group received standard therapy (T.Diclofenac 100mg/day, T.Ranitidine 150mg twice daily and physiotherapy) and Study group received collagen peptide (10g/day) in addition to standard therapy for a period of 12 weeks. They were followed-up once in 2weeks for 12weeks. Pain, stiffness and functional disability were assessed using visual analogue pain scale (VAS) and WOMAC index at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS: 126 patients were screened out of which 60 patients were included in the study and all patients completed the study and were included in Analysis. On comparing the groups at the end of 12 weeks there was a statistically significant reduction in VAS and WOMAC INDEX score in Study group. No significant difference in the incidence of adverse events noted between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Collagen peptide along with standard therapy is highly effective in reducing Pain, Stiffness and Functional disability in patients with Knee joint Osteoarthritis

A Real-Time PCR Based Study on HIV Viral Load and Its Correlation with the Clinical and Immunological Status of the HIV Positive Patients

INTRODUCTION : H I V infection/AIDS has become a major public health problem in India. Although the median interval between HIV-1 infection and the development of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in adults is 10 to 11 years, some infected persons rapidly progress to AIDS in less than five years. The biological basis of this variability is unknown but differences in viral strains, host immune response and exposure to microbial or environmental factors probably contribute. Identification of laboratory tests that help predict the progression to AIDS in people infected with HIV is desirable because of its implication for both clinical management and prognosis. Quantitative measurement of HIV RNA levels in peripheral blood has contributed significantly to the understanding of the pathogenesis of HIV infection and has been shown to be an essential parameter in the prognosis and optimal management of HIV infected individuals. CD4+ T cell count is the laboratory test generally accepted as the best indicator of the immediate state of immunologic competence of the patient with HIV infection.It has been shown to correlate very well with the level of immunologic competence of the patient. In view of above, this study was taken to determine the clinical profile, immunological and virological status of the HIV seropositive patients. AIM : To determine the clinical,virological and immunological status of HIV positive patients who attend Institute of Venereology and ART Centre at Madras Medical College, Chennai. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Study design: Cross sectional study. Study period: May 2010 - August 2011. Subject Selection: 50 treatment naive HIV positive patients diagnosed at Institute of Venereology and ART Centre at Madras Medical College, Chennai were randomly selected for the study. Inclusion Criteria: • Patients who were positive for HIV infection. • Patients who were at the various stages (WHO staging) of HIV disease. Exclusion criteria HIV positive patients who were on ART. Study: Patients selected for study were subjected to detailed clinical history,examination and necessary routine laboratory investigations. Clinical staging was done according to the WHO clinical staging for AIDS. At recruitment, blood samples were taken from all the patients in a plain vial for serum HIV testing and EDTA vacutainer for whole blood CD4 cell count and plasma viral load determination after obtaining informed consent. Laboratory methods: Serodiagnosis of HIV infection will done by Test 1 –RETROCHECK, Test 2- SD BIOLINE HIV ½ 3.0, Test 3- COMBAIDS. Strategy used: Strategy 3. • Absolute CD4 lymphocyte count determined by Flow cytometry. • Viral load done using Real-Time PCR : Real-Time PCR based HIV Assay was standardized and done by HELINI Biomolecules. CONCLUSION : In this study the most common risk factor elicited was heterosexual high risk behavior. Injection drug abuse and mother to child transmission was also observed. • The most common presentation was various dermatoses followed by upper respiratory tract infections and cachexia. • Oral candidiasis was the most common mucocutaneous manifestation observed. • There was a strong correlation between increased frequency of opportunistic infections and low CD4 count. • Tuberculosis was found to be more common when CD4 count is less than 350 cells /μl. • There was strong correlation between the worsening stage of the disease and decreasing CD4 count. • Stage 1 HIV infection had very high viral load may be because most of the patients were in their earliest part of the Stage 1 disease. A relatively high CD 4 count was observed in these patients. • Stage 4 showed a very high viral load and a very low CD 4 count which is well correlated with the pathogenesis of the disease. • Stage 2 and 3 had significantly low viral load and a declining CD 4 count