Prospective Analysis of Clinical, Biochemical and Peroperative Factors Predicting Hypocalcemia in Patients Undergoing Total Thyroidectomy

Total Thyroidectomy is most commonly perfomed surgery. There are some common complications like Hemorrhage, Hypocalcemia, and recurrent laryngeal nerve in which the incidence of hypocalcemia after total thyoridectomy will be 2-30%. Aim of this study is to identify predictors of transcient and permanent hypocalcemia which includes clinical parameters like age & sex of the patients size of goiter, biochemical factor like Serum ionized calcim parathyrod hormone level vitamin D, and albumin and preoperative facters like identification of no of parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy. Early serial ionized calcium, PTH level monitoring in post operative period can predict the post thyroidectomy hypocalcemia. Thus the study concludes that normal levels of post operative calcium values based on two early ionized calcium values and parathyroid hormone level with in 24 hrs after total thyroidectomy are strongly predictive of a stable post operative calcium level. These patients thus can have an early and safe discharge from the hospital. Patients with decreased calcium and parathyroid hormone values in the postoperative period are at a higher risk of developing symptomatic hypocalcemia and require careful follow up and monitoring. So these predictors will influence the occurrence of hypocalcemia after total thyriodectomy, and the patients can be discharged early

Effects of annealing and strain on La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} thin films: a new phase diagram in the ferromagnetic region

Oriented, single phase thin films of La_{1-x}Ca_{x}MnO_{3} have been deposited onto (100)-oriented LaAlO_{3} (0.1<x<0.5) substrates using the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique. While for some compositions the physical properties (transport and magnetization) of the as-grown films are higher than the bulk values, for other calcium contents the optimized properties are obtained only after annealing under oxygen. These data can be partly explained by changes in oxygen content, resulting in cationic vacancies and thus self-doping effects - accompanying structural changes, may be the cause of properties beyond the phase diagram. We propose a new phase diagram for (La_{1-x}Ca_{x})_{1-y}\square_{y}MnO_{3} (0.1<x<0.5) thin films.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures submitted to Applied Physics Letter

STUDY OF IN VITRO GLUCOSE UPTAKE ACTIVITY OF ISOLATED COMPOUNDS FROM HYDRO ALCOHOLIC LEAF EXTRACT OF CARDIOSPERMUM HALICACABUM LINN

Objective: Herbal medicines have long been used effectively in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. Cardiospermum halicacabum(C. halicacabum) has been used for several centuries for the treatment of various ailments. The present work was undertaken to study the effect of isolated bioactive compounds from leaf of C. halicacabum on glucose uptake in L-6 cell lines. Methods: The hydro alcoholic leaf extract of C. halicacabum was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and isolated eleven compounds were tested for cytotoxicity by MTT assay. Compound 1 and 8 were selected for further glucose uptake assay based on cytotoxicity concentration CTC50 value. Structure of compound 1 and 8 was identified by NMR technique. Results: Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids. Compound 1 showed moderate cytotoxic activity to L6 cell line when compared to compound 8. Compounds 1 and 8 were identified as Kaempferol-3-o-α-l-rhamnoside and Apigenin-7-o-β-d-glucuronide. In in vitro glucose uptake assay Kaempferol-3-o-α-l-rhamnoside showed increase in glucose uptake by 11.38 ± 2.04% and Apigenin-7-o-β-d-glucuronide by 15.97 ± 2.16% over control. Conclusion: Kaempferol-3-o-α-l-rhamnoside and Apigenin-7-o-β-d-glucuronide isolated from C. halicacabum leaf extract enhance the glucose uptake significantly. They exhibit hypoglycemic activity and stimulate glucose uptake in L-6 skeletal muscle cells. This study can bring a promising role for this plant in the management of Diabetes mellitus

Interference Cancellation in Cooperative CDMA Networks

The wireless communication networks are subjected to multi access interference and multipath fading. To minimize the interference cancellation in CDMA networks, multiple user detection schemes and cooperative communication networks are used. consider the uplink of a cooperative CDMA network, where users cooperate by relaying each other’s messages to the base station. When spreading waveforms are not orthogonal, multiple access interference (MAI) exists at the relays and the destination, causing cooperative diversity gains to diminish. To overcome this problem, we integrate various multiuser detection (MUD) schemes to mitigate MAI in achieving the full advantages of cooperation. Specifically, the relay-assisted decorrelating multiuser detector (RADMUD) is proposed to separate interfering signals at the destination with the help of precoding at the relays along with pre-whitening at the destination. In this paper we examined the BER performance of various MUD schemes are analyzed and compared with cooperative system. The advantages of RAD-MUD with co-operative communication shows better BER performance compared with non co-operative wireless communication system and other existing cooperative MUD schemes are also shown through MATLAB Simulations

The effect of substrate induced strain on the charge-ordering transition in Nd_{0.5}Sr_{0.5}MnO_{3} thin films

We report the synthesis and characterization of Nd_{0.5}Sr_{0.5}MnO_{3} thin films grown by the Pulsed Laser Deposition technique on 100 -oriented LaAlO_{3} substrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies show that the films are 101 -oriented, with a strained and quasi-relaxed component, the latter increasing with film thickness. We observe that transport properties are strongly dependent on the thickness of the films. Variable temperature XRD down to 100 K suggests that this is caused by substrate induced strain on the films.Comment: 3 pages REVTeX, 4 figures included, submitted to AP

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF FAMOTIDINE FAST DISSOLVING TABLETS USING SYNTHETIC SUPERDISINTEGRANTS

Objective: The main aim of the present research work was to formulate fast dissolving tablets of famotidine by direct compression method and to evaluate the effect of synthetic super disintegrating agent on drug release pattern. Methods: The fast dissolving tablets were prepared by using crospovidone, croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate as superdisintegrants (2, 4 and 6 %w/w), mannitol 20 % and microcrystalline cellulose (44, 46 and 48 % w/w) as a directly compressible vehicle. All the prepared tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, drug content uniformity, weight variation, disintegrating time, wetting time and in vitro drug release studies. Results: All the prepared fast dissolving tablets formulations were within the Pharmacopoeial standards limits. Based on in vitro drug release studies (&gt;90 % within 30 min), the optimised formulations were optimised tested for the short term stability (at 40 ˚C/75% RH for 3 mo) and drug excipient interaction (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). Conclusion: Hence, formulation prepared with 6 % w/w of crosspovidine and 44 % w/w of microcrystalline cellulose as emerged as the overall best formulation (&gt;90 % within 30 min) compared to marketed product (&gt;70 % within 30 min). Short-term stability studies on the formulations indicated that there are no significant changes in drug content and in vitro drug release (p&lt;0.05)

Estimating provider cost for treating patients with tuberculosis under Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP)

Background: The Indian tuberculosis control programme is the second largest health programme in the world. Sustaining this programme in India will require continued financial support, particularly for drugs and contractual personnel. In addition, the costs for diagnosis, supervision and salaries for regular programme personnel need to be sustained. Objective: To measure unit provider cost for treating patients with tuberculosis. Methods: All government health facilities situated in one tuberculosis unit (TU) of Tiruvallur district were visited in order to evaluate daily practice of TB diagnosis and treatment. We interviewed administrators in these health facilities to gather data on modalities for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of tuberculosis patients. In addition, relevant financial records from all health facilities were scrutinised for data collection. The cost analysis was done for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of TB patients treated under DOTS programme in the year 2002 For this study only the recurrent cost (not the capital cost) is considered, even though the programme puts in a lot of investment at the preparatory stage of the programme e.g. upgrading of labs and drugs stores, microscopes, motorcycles etc. Cost incurred on smear microscopy, chest X-ray and drugs were classified as direct cost. Indirect cost is calculated based on proportion of staff time for TB care delivery and for supervision of TB services. The exchange rate at the time study was 1$=Rs 46. Results: Unit cost for smear microscopy was estimated to be Rs 10/-; for radiography Rs 25/-; and drug cost for Category I Rs 392/-; Category I with extension Rs 495/-; Category II Rs 729/-; Category II with extension Rs 832/- and Category III Rs 277/-. Including other recurrent expenditures like salary, materials, and maintenance, the overall unit provider cost to treat a TB patient was Rs 1587/- for Category I, Rs 1924/- for Category II and Rs 1417/- Category III. Conclusion: TB inflicts considerable economic burden on the overall health system. This information is vital for policy makers and planners to allocate adequate budget to the programme

Tuberculosis control programme - Is it pro poor?

Background: TB is a complex socio economic problem that impedes human development and traps the poorest and most marginalized in a vicious circle of disease and poverty. India accounts for 30% of all TB cases in the world. Objective: This paper is focusing on whether the TB programme is outreaching the poorer segment ofthe community. We did a prospective study to assess the economic indices (SLI) of TB patients registered under government TB control programme of Tamil Nadu. This data was compared with that of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data of the community Methods: A semi-structured and pretested schedule was used for data collection. Information elicited through the interview included demographic and socio-economic characteristics such as employment, income, assets of the patient and family. Based on the information collected, standard of living index (SLI) was measured using the NFHS definition and classified as High, medium or low SLI. Results: A total of 980 TB patients were registered during the study period of which 896 (91 %) patients were interviewed for this study. The economic status and SLI of the community compared with that of TB patients registered under the programme was as follows: people owning assets in the form of agriculture land 40%, 15%, owning a house 92%, 74% and livestock 36%, 14% no of persons sharing a room more than 5 persons per room 9%, 28%. The distribution of SLI in the community was low in 51 %, medium in 40% and high in 8% as compared to the distribution of SLI of TB patients where low SLI was observed in 64%, medium in 32% and high in 4%. Conclusion: This study clearly shows that two thirds of TB patients who have access to the TB programme were poor and meets the health need of the most vulnerable segment of the population

Magnetic skyrmions and skyrmion clusters in the helical phase of Cu2_2OSeO3_3

Skyrmions are nanometric spin whirls that can be stabilized in magnets lacking inversion symmetry. The properties of isolated skyrmions embedded in a ferromagnetic background have been intensively studied. We show that single skyrmions and clusters of skyrmions can also form in the helical phase and investigate theoretically their energetics and dynamics. The helical background provides natural one-dimensional channels along which a skyrmion can move rapidly. In contrast to skyrmions in ferromagnets, the skymion-skyrmion interaction has a strong attractive component and thus skyrmions tend to form clusters with characteristic shapes. These clusters are directly observed in transmission electron microscopy measurements in thin films of Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$. Topological quantization, high mobility and the confinement of skyrmions in channels provided by the helical background may be useful for future spintronics devices.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 4 pages supplemen