Drug utilization study of co-administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and gastroprotective agents in an orthopaedics outpatients department of a tertiary care hospital in West Bengal

Background: Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the commonly prescribed analgesic in the orthopaedics department. NSAIDs are prescribed for a long period in both acute condition (like fracture of bones, muscle injury, postoperative procedures etc) or chronic conditions (osteoarthritis etc). However, they have many adverse effects, especially gastrointestinal toxicity when use regularly. For this reason NSAIDs are frequently co-prescribed with gastro protective agents. Common gastroprotective agents are proton pump inhibitors (PPI), H2 blockers, sucralfate, antacids and misoprostol (prostaglandin analogue).Methods: A cross-sectional, unicentric drug utilization study was conducted. Prescriptions were collected from patients attending the orthopaedic outpatients department. The prescription pattern of NSAIDs, gastroprotective agents or co-administration of NSAIDS and gastroprotective agents were analyzed.Results: A total of 977 prescriptions were studied; in which 928 prescriptions contained NSAIDs with gastroprotective agents (97.92%). The most common gastroprotective agents combined with NSAIDs was H2 receptor blockers (60.56%), followed by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (21.65%), while antacids are prescribed least (17.78%). Misoprostol or sucralfate were not used at all.Conclusions: NSAIDs are commonly co-prescribed with gastroprotective agents in high percentage

Exceptional hypersurfaces of transfer matrices of finite-range lattice models and their consequences on quantum transport properties

We investigate the emergence and corresponding nature of exceptional points located on exceptional hyper-surfaces of non-hermitian transfer matrices for finite-range one-dimensional lattice models. We unravel the non-trivial role of these exceptional points in determining the system size scaling of electrical conductance in non-equilibrium steady state. We observe that the band edges of the system always correspond to the transfer matrix exceptional points. Interestingly, albeit the lower band edge always occurs at wave-vector $k=0$, the upper band edge may or may not correspond to $k=\pi$. Nonetheless, in all the cases, the system exhibits universal subdiffusive transport for conductance at every band edge with scaling $N^{-b}$ with scaling exponent $b= 2$. However, for cases when the upper band edge is not located at $k=\pi$, the conductance features interesting oscillations with overall $N^{-2}$ scaling. Our work further reveals that this setup is uniquely suited to systematically generate higher order transfer matrix exceptional points at upper band edge when one considers finite range hoppings beyond nearest neighbour. Additional exceptional points other than those at band edges are shown to occur, although interestingly, these do not give rise to anomalous transport

A Prospective study to evaluate the demographic variation of gender independent sequences in cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) concentration and to predict pregnancy outcomes by non-kit based economical method

This gender-independent detection of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma using RASSF1A/β-actin has curtained off a new dimension regarding its utility to predict the adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recent efforts have been directed at developing sequences from cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) as markers for pregnancy outcomes. The utility of cffDNA using the methylation-dependent DSCR3 and RASSF1A markers along with total cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) in maternal serum by HYP2 marker are useful in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. Increased amount (>95th percentile) of cffDNA fraction in the second trimester is associated with preterm birth. Indigenously developed low-cost method of the gender-independent sequence markers from cffDNA was investigated and evaluated with the standardized commercial kits as predictive markers for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our results indicated that indigenously developed method for detection of geneder-independent cffDNA can be applicable for screening test of adverse pregnancy outcome

Coronary angiographic abnormalities in patients of diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome

Background: Diabetes mellitus and Metabolic syndrome, both are established risk factors for CAD. In our study, we tried to compare the effects of these two diseases individually as well as their combined effect.Methods: we performed an Observational, cross-sectional, hospital-based, single center study on 240 patients presenting at our hospital with chest pain. we assessed the severity of CAD with Syntax score and divided the study population into three groups with SS of =33.Results: statistically significant difference was found in each of the first three groups of combined MS plus DM, only MS without DM, only DM without MS when compared with the fourth group of nondiabetics nonmetabolic syndrome patients. Strongest difference was found between patients with combined diabetes and metabolic syndrome with those who had none of these (<0.001). Thus, complexity of CAD is much severe in patients who have diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome.Conclusions: Patients having diabetes mellitus and/or metabolic syndrome are found to have more severe form of coronary artery disease than those who don’t have either of these. However, presence of both diabetes and metabolic syndrome has not been found to impose any significant additional risk than their isolated presence

Study of bounds on non-equilibrium fluctuations for asymmetrically driven quantum Otto engine

For a four-stroke asymmetrically driven quantum Otto engine with working medium modeled by a single qubit, we study the bounds on non-equilibrium fluctuations of work and heat. We find strict relations between the fluctuations of work and individual heat for hot and cold reservoirs in arbitrary operational regimes. Focusing on the engine regime, we show that the ratio of non-equilibrium fluctuations of output work to input heat from the hot reservoir is both upper and lower bounded. As a consequence, we establish hierarchical relation between the relative fluctuations of work and heat for both cold and hot reservoirs and further make a connection with the thermodynamic uncertainty relations. We discuss the fate of these bounds also in the refrigerator regime. The reported bounds, for such asymmetrically driven engines, emerge once both the time-forward and the corresponding reversed cycles of the engine are considered on an equal footing. We also extend our study and report bounds for a parametrically driven harmonic oscillator Otto engine.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

A Prospective study to evaluate the demographic variation of gender independent sequences in cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) concentration and to predict pregnancy outcomes by non-kit based economical method

185-191This gender-independent detection of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma using RASSF1A/β-actin has curtained off a new dimension regarding its utility to predict the adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recent efforts have been directed at developing sequences from cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) as markers for pregnancy outcomes. The utility of cffDNA using the methylation-dependent DSCR3 and RASSF1A markers along with total cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) in maternal serum by HYP2 marker are useful in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. Increased amount (>95th percentile) of cffDNA fraction in the second trimester is associated with preterm birth. Indigenously developed low-cost method of the gender-independent sequence markers from cffDNA was investigated and evaluated with the standardized commercial kits as predictive markers for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our results indicated that indigenously developed method for detection of geneder-independent cffDNA can be applicable for screening test of adverse pregnancy outcome

Fast response and low temperature sensing of acetone and ethanol using Al-doped ZnO microrods

We report low temperature acetone and ethanol sensing properties of Al-doped ZnO microrods synthesized using hydrothermal technique. We observe the acetone detection at room temperature as well as ethanol and acetone detection at low temperature of 150 °C using Al-doped ZnO microrods. 3 wt% Al-doped ZnO microrods sensor exhibits the highest response of 231 toward 8100 parts per million (ppm) of ethanol at 150 °C. The response & recovery time are found to be ultrafast of 60 ms & 870 ms for ethanol and 110 ms & 330 ms for acetone of the Al-doped ZnO microrods at an operating temperature of 150 °C, respectively. In addition, sensing mechanism has explained to illuminate the improved sensing performances of Al-doped ZnO microrods. Thus it is revealed that Al-doped ZnO microrods are promising as an ultrafast gas sensor

Crossover from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic ordering in semi-Heusler alloys Cu1-xNixMnSb with increasing Ni concentration

The magnetic properties and transition from an antiferromagnetic (AFM) to a ferromagnetic (FM) state in semi Heusler alloys Cu1-xNixMnSb, with x < 0.3 have been investigated in details by dc magnetization, neutron diffraction, and neutron depolarization. We observe that for x < 0.05, the system Cu1-xNixMnSb is mainly in the AFM state. In the region 0.05 \leq x \leq 0.2, with decrease in temperature, there is a transition from a paramagnetic to a FM state and below ~50 K both AFM and FM phases coexist. With an increase in Ni substitution, the FM phase grows at the expense of the AFM phase and for x > 0.2, the system fully transforms to the FM phase. Based on the results obtained, we have performed a quantitative analysis of both magnetic phases and propose a magnetic phase diagram for the Cu1-xNixMnSb series in the region x < 0.3. Our study gives a microscopic understanding of the observed crossover from the AFM to FM ordering in the studied semi Heusler alloys Cu1-xNixMnSb.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figure

DRUG UTILIZATION STUDY ON ANTIBIOTICS USE IN AN ORTHOPAEDICS DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN WEST BENGAL

Background: antibiotics are the commonly prescribed in the Orthopaedics Department both as prophylactically (before orthopaedics surgery etc) or to treat ongoing infection (like septic arthritis, osteomyelitis 11 etc). But if antibiotics are not use rationally then there will be increase chances of resistance of bacteria as also as increase the total cost of treatment. This study was conducted to see the antibiotics utilization pattern. Aim: This drug utilization study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of antibiotics use in Orthopaedic Unit of a tertiary care, teaching hospital in west Bengal, India. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional, unicentric drug utilization study Results: A total of 410 prescriptions were studied; in which 136 prescriptions contained mono-antibiotic therapy (35.17%) and 274 prescriptions contained poly-antibiotics therapy (66.83%) and the beta-lactum antibiotics were most commonly prescribed (42.3%). Conclusion: Beta-Lactum antibiotics were most commonly prescribed and poly-antibiotics prescriptions were the common pattern. Key words- Drug Utilization Study, antibiotics, unicentric stud