Import substitution of combination wire rope. Part 1. Design, production and evaluation of a prototype combination wire rope

Model combination wire ropes with different covering materials were prepared and worked out specification for the prototype. A table model hand operated wire rope twisting machine was also developed for this. Prototype combination wire rope was twisted in collaboration with M/s South India Wire Ropes Ltd., Alwaye. Specification details, properties and field performance of the prototype studied are reported

Import substitution of combination wire rope. Part 2. Production and standardisation of 17 mm dia combination wire rope.

The prototype combination wire rope (Cift-CWR 1) developed for deep sea trawling was further studied for improvement, optimisation of efficiency and standardization. A series of improved prototype combination wire ropes (Cift-CWR 2 to 6) were twisted and evaluated their mechanical properties and reported in this paper with recommendations for a standard 17mm dia combination wire rope of 6S (7C+8+1 Scr) + 6 Crs(6+1+1 Crc) construction

Torsion of cystic ovary: an unusual cause of acute abdomen in midtrimester pregnancy

Torsion of ovary is an infrequent cause of surgical emergency in pregnancy. Most frequently ovarian torsion occurs in first trimester, occasionally in second and rarely in the third trimester. Diagnosis of ovarian torsion is challenging due to non-specific clinical features. We report here a case of dermoid cyst causing ovarian torsion in second trimester and imaging modalities for its diagnosis and management. A case of 19 year old primi at 24 weeks of gestational age came with complaints of pain in right iliac fossa for 2 days. USG done showed non vascular heterogeneous hyper echoic lesion in right adnexa, suggestive of torsion of right ovary with viable intrauterine fetus. She underwent emergency laparotomy, during which we removed necrotic and gangrenous right ovary and fallopian tube. Ovarian torsion is an infrequent cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy. Though it occurs most frequently in first trimester, it may occur in second trimester also. USG is an accurate tool in diagnosing torsion. Early surgical management is associated with favorable maternal and fetal outcome

The cognitive effect of anticholinergics for patients with overactive bladder

Overactive bladder (OAB) is often treated with medications that block the cholinergic receptors in the bladder (known as anticholinergics). The effect of this medication class on cognition and risk of dementia has been increasingly studied over the past 40 years after initial studies suggested that the anticholinergic medication class could affect memory. Short-term randomized clinical trials demonstrated that the administration of the anticholinergic oxybutynin leads to impaired memory and attention, and large, population-based studies showed associations between several different anticholinergic medications and dementia. However, trials involving anticholinergics other than oxybutynin have not shown such substantial effects on short-term cognitive function. This discordance in results between short-term cognitive safety of OAB anticholinergics and the long-term increased dementia risk could be explained by the high proportion of patients using oxybutynin in the OAB subgroups of the dementia studies, or a study duration that was too short in the prospective clinical trials on cognition with other OAB anticholinergics. Notably, all studies must be interpreted in the context of potential confounding factors, such as when prodromal urinary symptoms associated with the early stages of dementia lead to an increase in OAB medication use, rather than the use of OAB medication causing dementia. In patients with potential risk factors for cognitive impairment, the cautious use of selected OAB anticholinergic agents with favourable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties and clinical trial evidence of cognitive safety might be appropriate

On a sperm whale landed at Kalpeni island with notes on ambergris

In the Indian Ocean The sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus is found concentrated more in the Arabian Sea upto 20° N and between 50° and 80° E especially in the Gulf of Aden and approaches a little east of Minicoy Island and off Sri Lanka. The morphology of the sperm whales landed at various islands in the Lakshadweep are Total length 530; Distance from eye to snout 115 cm; Height of the body 98cm and Girth of the body 62cm. Ambergris is a valuable substance obtained from the sperm whale. In 1974 ambergris weighing 90 kg was found floating in the sea and it was auctioned at the rate of Rs. 1,160 per kg. Of this amount, 55% was paid to the fisherman who recovered it and 45% was credited to the Fisheries Department

Urinary tract infections in multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly reported by people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and significantly impact quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the problem of UTIs in PwMS and offer a practical approach for the diagnosis and management. METHODS: A review of the literature through a Pubmed search up to October 2015 was performed using the following keywords: multiple sclerosis, neurogenic bladder, urinary tract infections, relapse, dipsticks, culture, recurrent and prevention. RESULTS: Noteworthy topics include the definition of a confirmed symptomatic UTI as a positive urine culture defined by >10(5) colony-forming units (CFU)/mL or >10(4) CFU/mL if a urethral catheter urine sample is taken, or any count of bacteria in a suprapubic bladder puncture specimen, both in addition to symptoms including fever, pain, changes in lower urinary tract symptoms or neurological status. Urinalysis is useful to exclude a UTI; however, on its own is insufficient to confirm a UTI, for which urine culture is required. Experts advise asymptomatic UTIs should not be treated except in the context of an acute relapse. From international guidelines, there is no validated strategy to prevent recurrent UTIs in PwMS. CONCLUSION: This review provides an overview of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of UTIs in the setting of multiple sclerosis (MS)

The prevention and management of hospital admissions for urinary tract infection in patients with multiple sclerosis

Introduction Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the commonest reasons for patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) presenting to hospital. Management of recurrent UTIs in PwMS can be challenging and characteristics of such patients are not well described. Aims To describe the neurological and urological features of PwMS presenting to hospital for UTIs and identify areas of management that could be improved to reduce UTI frequency. Methods Health episode statistics data were used to identify PwMS presenting to a tertiary hospital with UTI over a 5-year period. Medical records were reviewed for demographic, MS and urological history. The seven PwMS with the highest numbers of encounters were seen in a multidisciplinary clinic to enable detailed assessments. Results 52 PwMS (25 female, 27 male) with mean age of 60 had 112 emergency department presentations and 102 inpatient admissions for UTI. 24 presented multiple times and were more likely to be older and male with progressive MS. Almost two-thirds were using a urinary catheter. Less than half were under current urological and neurological follow-up. Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp were the commonest organisms cultured. Resistance to antibiotics was more frequent in patients with multiple presentations. Conclusions PwMS presenting to hospital for UTIs are more often male, older, with progressive MS and high levels of disability. A small group of PwMS accounted for a large number of encounters. Preventative and management strategies can be applied in primary and secondary care settings, with an emphasis on bladder, catheter and general physical care

Characterization of polyphenol oxidase in ginger (Zingiber officinale R.)

A polyphenol oxidase (PPO) isoform that showed expression at all developmental stages of rhizomes in 13 ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) accessions and the only one observed at full maturity of rhizome was characterized. The isoform is a non-covalent homo-dimeric protein of 66 kDa subunits. The native molecular mass was estimated at ~127 kDa using non- reducing SDS–PAGE (10%). Its activity after purification was confirmed by substrate staining both in native gel (7%) and non-reducing SDS gel (10%). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the subunit of ginger rhizome polyphenol oxidase is ‘Glu-Gln-Gly-Val-Gly-Gly-Asp-Asp-Gly-Leu-.’ The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 4.5 and 60°C. The PPO is thermo-tolerant and active in a broad pH range (pH 3.5 to 8). Heat inactivation studies showed a decrease in enzyme activity at 75°C and above. Lower concentrations of MgCl2 (1 mM) and CaCl2 (0.5 mM) activated the enzyme whereas higher concentrations (10 mM) reduced the activity. L- Cysteine HCl, L-ascorbic acid, potassium metabisulfite and NaCl inhibited PPO strongly. Western blot analysis of crude leaf extracts with polyclonal antiserum raised against purified PPO confirmed absence of its expression in leaves at different stages of development. Polyclonal anti-PPO antiserum cross reacted with Solanum tuberosum, Raphanus sativus and Dioscorea esculenta tuber extracts and Solanum melongena, Malus sylvestris and Musa paradisiaca fruit extracts but no cross reactivity was observed with Curcuma amada and Ipomoea batatas extracts. &nbsp

Characterization of polyphenol oxidase in ginger (Zingiber officinale R.)

A polyphenol oxidase (PPO) isoform that showed expression at all developmental stages of rhizomes in 13 ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) accessions and the only one observed at full maturity of rhizome was characterized. The isoform is a non-covalent homo-dimeric protein of 66 kDa subunits. The native molecular mass was estimated at ~127 kDa using non- reducing SDS–PAGE (10%). Its activity after purification was confirmed by substrate staining both in native gel (7%) and non-reducing SDS gel (10%). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the subunit of ginger rhizome polyphenol oxidase is ‘Glu-Gln-Gly-Val-Gly-Gly-Asp-Asp-Gly-Leu-.’ The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 4.5 and 60°C. The PPO is thermo-tolerant and active in a broad pH range (pH 3.5 to 8). Heat inactivation studies showed a decrease in enzyme activity at 75°C and above. Lower concentrations of MgCl2 (1 mM) and CaCl2 (0.5 mM) activated the enzyme whereas higher concentrations (10 mM) reduced the activity. L- Cysteine HCl, L-ascorbic acid, potassium metabisulfite and NaCl inhibited PPO strongly. Western blot analysis of crude leaf extracts with polyclonal antiserum raised against purified PPO confirmed absence of its expression in leaves at different stages of development. Polyclonal anti-PPO antiserum cross reacted with Solanum tuberosum, Raphanus sativus and Dioscorea esculenta tuber extracts and Solanum melongena, Malus sylvestris and Musa paradisiaca fruit extracts but no cross reactivity was observed with Curcuma amada and Ipomoea batatas extracts. &nbsp