Adult language learning : some personal musings

In this paper, I have tried to recount my experience of learning three different languages, all of which I learnt after I grew out of my teens, in very distinct contexts. I have attempted to show how needs and circumstances come together to provide the necessary motivation to learn a language. Besides the need, other essential factors include proper exposure and the right type of encouragement from speakers of the language concerned. However, there can be exceptions to this and language learning may remain a distant dream for many an aspirant

Clinical presentation, risk factors, complications and outcome of acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients

Background: Myocardial Infarction is one of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity among the elderly patients. Also, it is known for wide range of clinical presentations other than chest pain. This article enlightens the clinical features, risk factors, complications, prognosis and outcome of Acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients. The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors, various symptoms, complications, prognosis and outcome of elderly patients with Acute myocardial Infarction (AMI).  Methods: This is a prospective study done over a period of two years in a tertiary care hospital in South India. 80 elderly patients who were diagnosed as AMI were included in the study.Results: Among the eighty patients the majority of the patients belonged to the age group 60-69 years. Twenty percent of the patients presented without chest pain. The atypical presentations included dyspnoea, giddiness, vomiting, sweating and epigastric pain. Mortality rate was 20%.Conclusions: This study showed that even though chest pain was the most common presentation in elderly AMI patients, they were also found to have atypical presentations like shortness of breath, giddiness, vomiting, sweating and epigastric pain. This signifies the need of examining physicians to meticulously identify acute myocardial infarction in elderly though they may not present typically. 

Study on association of serum lipoprotein(a) with coronary artery disease

Background: Most studies of lipid-lowering therapy for the prevention of coronary heart disease (CAD), focused on lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol. Other dyslipidemias, such as an elevated level of lipoprotein(a), also may promote atherosclerosis, establishment of relationship between lipoprotein(a) excess and risk for CAD, interventions directed toward altering these have only infrequently been evaluated in clinical trials. Objectives was to study the association of raised serum lipoprotein(a) in coronary heart disease.Methods: This study was conducted in 50 patients of CAD and 50 people as control group. All patients underwent a standard clinical examination and a blood draw for a lipid profile and lipoprotein(a) assay. Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the statistical significance.Results: Lipoprotein(a) value of more than 30 mg/dl is considered as elevated. In case group 19 patients (38%) were showed elevated lipoprotein(a) and in control group these were 9 patients (18%). p value is 0.026. It shows elevated lipoprotein(a) is statistically significant with the relative risk of 2.79.Conclusions: The association of elevated lipoprotein(a) with CAD was statistically significant. Higher lipoprotein(a) levels were observed in patient with family history of premature CAD

Power Efficient MAC Unit Based Digital PID Controllers

Proper closed loop has been an ever hot issue in the automotive industry. The industrial equipments governed by PID controllers have very simple control architecture and efficiency but still they find a trouble dueto large power consumption and slow mathematical computation. Many researchers have worked out and are trying to design a low power, less delay PID. This paper reviews three MAC architectures with array, booth and wallace tree multipliers incorporated in PID architecture. The simulations are done and the area, power, delay results are synthesized using Xilinx ISE. Comparisons are made between these three architectures in terms of power delay product and area delay product

Artificial reef and its impact on artisanal fisheries

Artificial Fish Habitat (AFH) is helpful in increasing fish production.Deployment of artifical reefsAn AFH is an object or a construction, which promotes an ecosystem, provides habitat for fishes by attracting and aggregating them and improve the fisherman welfare

Service provided by artificial reef off Chennai: a case study

The fisheries service provided by an artificial reef (AR) with a pile size of 450 m3 deployed at 20 m depth off Chinnandikuppam, 20 km south of Chennai was assessed. In 16 months, the fishermen expended 3843.7 hours of hooks & line fishing in the AR ground and landed 6404 kg. The catch index was 14.2 kg/m3 and the total income was Rs. 2,74,000. Compared with the income per hour of operation of gillnet fishing in the non-AR grounds (Rs. 52.5 kg/h), the income was 36% higher from hooks & line fishing in the AR ground (Rs. 71.3 kg/h). This was possible due to aggregation of high quality fish such as the snappers, emperor and carangids in the AR. Biological investigations on three resident species in the AR show that juvenile fish colonise in the initial months after deployment, grow to a larger size and spawn in the AR, indicating the service provided by the AR for enhancement of resident fish stocks

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Bound to PM 2.5 in Urban Coimbatore, India with Emphasis on Source Apportionment

Coimbatore is one of the fast growing industrial cities of Southern India with an urban population of 1.9 million. This study attempts to evaluate the trends of airborne fine particulates (PM 2.5) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on them. The PM 2.5 mass was collected in polytetra fluoroethylene filters using fine particulate sampler at monthly intervals during March 2009 to February 2010. PAHs were extracted from PM 2.5 and estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography. It is alarming to note that PM 2.5 values ranged between 27.85 and 165.75 μg/m3 and exceeded the air quality standards in many sampling events. The sum of 9 PAHs bound to PM 2.5 in a single sampling event ranged from 4.1 to 1632.3 ng/m3. PAH diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis results revealed vehicular emissions and diesel-powered generators as predominant sources of PAH in Coimbatore

Studies on Herbal Constituents Active against Snakes Venom by In Vivo and In Vitro Methods

In the obtainable investigation selected medicinal plant was found to have neutralization of snake venom activities. The aerial parts of M.quadrifolia had been extracted successively by using soxhlet extraction with petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, ethyl acetate, methanol. In preliminary phytochemical appraisal alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, steroids, saponins were found in the methanol extract of M.Quadrifolia. Total phenol content and flavanoids content were estimated. Presence of phenol and flavanoid might be answerable for their potential neutralization of snake venom. Thus, methanol extract were focused for further investigation.2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one was isolated from methanol extract of M.Quadrifolia. Acute toxicity study established that the plants M.Quadrifolia dose not shown any sign of abnormalities and mortality even at maximum dose in experimental animals for a period of 48hrs initially and then during a week observation. Invitro antivenom studies promosing neutralization action of the plant extract, several invitro studies done in methanol extract of M.Quadrifolia have shown venom PLA2 inhibition activity, fibrinolysis induced protease inhibition and inhibition of venom induced procoagulant activity as major antivenom. The in vivo studies on M.Quadrifolia methanol extract and isolated compounds shown promising venom neutralizing activities against N. kaouthia and R. viper venom. The PLA2 was highly present in the Elapidae and Viperidae family snakes, protease and zinc metalloprotease is highly present in the Viperidae family snakes. The plant compound 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one isolated from methanol extract of M.Quadrifolia shown potentially neutralize the enzymes caused by snake envenomation in experimental animals. Snakebite cases are very frequent in the rural areas and the fatalities die to lack of suitable treatment and high cost. Herbal antidotes if administered in proper dose levels and occurrence might prove effective in saving a valuable life. The present investigation was an exploit to identify the M.Quadrifolia, having antivenom activity. The whole study was carried out in animal models and then requires further investigation. The study also suggests the use of the herbal in kind ship with snake venom antiserum, to give greater protection against venom induced lethal action in animal models. Therefore it can be suggested that, the plant extract may be precious in those tropical areas where antiserum is not available, potentially the antiserum action to afford a higher grade of protection. The present study continual to explore aerial parts of M.Quadrifolia as it was whispered that there are more compounds present in the extract having greater snake venom neutralizing capacity. Therefore an endeavor to validate once again, the claim of traditional literature of the usefulness of this plant in snakebite cases

Status of Elasmobranchs Fishery in Chennai, India

Catches of elasmobranchs in India showed an increasing trend from 27.4 thousand t in 1961 to 49 thousand t in 2006. During 2006, among the total elasmobranch catches throughout India, Tamil Nadu contributed substantially with 10.8 thousand tonnes. Observations on elasmobranchs fishery in Chennai for a period of 5 years from 2002–2006 was carried out. In Chennai fisheries harbor, annual elasmobranch catches varied from 489 t to 1735 t for the trawlnets and 194 t to 519 t for mechanized gillnets. In the same harbor, maximum catch of 2074 t of elasmobranchs was recorded in 2002. The contribution of elasmobranch i.e. 4.0 %, 16.0 % & 2.0 % to the trawl, gillnet, and hooks and line (H&L), respectively, with the CPUE of 24.4, 136.7, and 1.3 kg in the respective gears were observed. Trawlers landed heavy catch of more than 100 t of elasmobranchs during June and July with the catch per hour (cph) of 1.4–1.6 kg. Gillnet catches were better during June-September, where monthly catch was above 35 t with CPUE of 203-287 kg. H&L landed good catch during February and March, where the catch was above 1 t with the CPUE of 3.3-4.0 kg

Compare and clinically evaluate bilaminar technique using connective tissue graft and platelet rich fibrin in the management of multiple miller’s class I gingival recession: A Six Months Comparative study

BACKGROUND: Many surgical techniques have been proposed for the correction of root exposure. Among these the Connective Tissue Graft (CTG) techniques has been reported as offering the best results in terms of Root coverage (RC). However CTG require a second surgical site to harvest the graft, resulting in discomfort for the patient. The use of platelet concentrate (PRF) avoids need for second surgical site, and is enriched with growth factors. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the present study to compare and clinically evaluate Bilaminar technique using Connective Tissue Graft (CTG) and Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) in the management of multiple Miller’s class I gingival recession situations. MATERIALS & METHODS: Twenty patients (age group 18-40 years) were selected from the outpatient department of Periodontics , Ragas Dental college & Hospital, Chennai-119, with probing depth <3mm and seeking treatment for Miller’s class I multiple gingival recessions were enrolled into this study. The selected patients were randomly assigned to one of either group. Group-A (TEST group) using Platelet Rich Fibrin and Group-B (CONTROL group) using connective tissue graft. All the patients were treated with Bilaminar technique. Baseline to 3 months and 6 months post-surgery following parameters were recorded, Probing depth, Relative clinical attachment level, Recession depth, Width of keratinised gingiva, and Gingival phenotype. The data were statistically analysed and the significance were co-related. RESULTS: Mean Recession depth, Relative clinical attachment loss and Probing depth were reduced in both the groups, but between groups it was statistically significant towards control group, from baseline to 6 months’ time period. There is no any significant relation between and within groups in regarding Width of keratinised gingiva. But the gingival phenotype showed statistically significant difference between and within groups. CONCLUSION: From the above study, it was elicited that PRF was not able to achieve predictable root coverage; only increasing in gingival biotype is seen. Thus in spite of limitations CTG remains the GOLD STANDARD, in recession coverage