Evaluation of serum lipid profile in cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

Background: According to the current knowledge, rise in the serum triglyceride level is a major contributor in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and eclampsia. The present study was designed to compare the changes in lipid profile in normal pregnancy, pre-eclampsia & eclampsia cases.Methods: A case control study was done consisting of total 100 study subjects, 75 already diagnosed pre-eclamptic & eclamptic women and 25 normotensive pregnant women. Age range was 18-35 years, gestational age 28 weeks to term were included. Serum Total Cholesterol (TC), triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol by enzymatic colorimetric method were done.Results: Results showed that level of serum triglycerides in mild pre-eclampsia (156.22 ± 66.5 mg/dl), severe pre-eclampsia (168.30 ± 68.1 mg/dl) & eclampsia (224.89 ± 84.40 mg/dl) as compared to normal pregnant women (130.95 ± 44.64 mg/dl) was increased significantly (P <0.05). Other parameters TC, HDL-C, LDL-C were not changed significantly.Conclusions: The findings of the present study are consistent with previous studies, suggesting increased levels of serum triglyceride as an important factor in the pathological process of preeclampsia & eclampsia. This may help in developing strategies for prevention or early diagnosis of the disorder

Influence of Microstructure on Mechanical Properties of Snow

Snow, being composed of ice grains of varying shapes, sizes, orientations, etc., has been treated as a particulate material. The mechanical properties of snow have been described in terms of microstructural parameters. A set of variables, which characterise the microstructure of snow at the granular level, has been chosen and quantified following the techniques of quantitative stereology for section plane. The data of quasi-static tests, e.g. constant strain-rate creep tests, have been analysed to determine the Young's modulus and compactive viscosity and the same have been correlated with the microstructural parameters. Inspite of scatter, definite trends are discernible. Considering the fact that deformation of snow is associated with translation and rotation of constituent grains in such a way as to attain the most stable configuration, the concept of fabric reconstruction, which is characterised by the concentration of normals (to the tangent plane at the point of grain contact) in the direction of the applied load, has been examined. The results demonstrated the occurrence of fabric reconstruction during the process of deformation. Finally, a dimensionless quantity, called the microstructural index (I), has been proposed to adequately represent the influence of microstructure

Using Available Volume to Predict Fluid Diffusivity in Random Media

We propose a simple equation for predicting self-diffusivity of fluids embedded in random matrices of identical, but dynamically frozen, particles (i.e., quenched-annealed systems). The only nontrivial input is the volume available to mobile particles, which also can be predicted for two common matrix types that reflect equilibrium and non-equilibrium fluid structures. The proposed equation can account for the large differences in mobility exhibited by quenched-annealed systems with indistinguishable static pair correlations, illustrating the key role that available volume plays in transport.Comment: to appear in Physical Review E (12 pages, 4 figures

Accuracy of computerized tomography in determining hepatic tumor size in patients receiving liver transplantation or resection

Computerized tomography (CT) of liver is used in oncologic practice for staging tumors, evaluating response to treatment, and screening patients for hepatic resection. Because of the impact of CT liver scan on major treatment decisions, it is important to assess its accuracy. Patients undergoing liver transplantation or resection provide a unique opportunity to test the accuracy of hepatic-imaging techniques by comparison of finding of preoperative CT scan with those at gross pathologic examination of resected specimens. Forty-one patients who had partial hepatic resection (34 patients) or liver transplantation (eight patients) for malignant (30 patients) or benign (11 patients) tumors were evaluable. Eight (47%) of 17 patients with primary malignant liver tumors, four (31%) of 13 patients with metastatic liver tumors, and two (20%) of 10 patients with benign liver tumors had tumor nodules in resected specimens that were not apparent on preoperative CT studies. These nodules varied in size from 0.1 to 1.6 cm. While 11 of 14 of these nodules were 1.0 cm. These results suggest that conventional CT alone may be insufficient to accurately determine the presence or absence of liver metastases, extent of liver involvement, or response of hepatic metastases to treatment

Thermodynamics predicts how confinement modifies hard-sphere dynamics

We study how confining the equilibrium hard-sphere fluid to restrictive one- and two-dimensional channels with smooth interacting walls modifies its structure, dynamics, and entropy using molecular dynamics and transition-matrix Monte Carlo simulations. Although confinement strongly affects local structuring, the relationships between self-diffusivity, excess entropy, and average fluid density are, to an excellent approximation, independent of channel width or particle-wall interactions. Thus, thermodynamics can be used to predict how confinement impacts dynamics.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Lamotrigine-induced fulminant hepatic failure: an unusual presentation

Lamotrigine (LTG) is indicated for the management of seizures either alone or in combination with other anticonvulsant agents. Adverse effects with it are usually mild. Less than 1% of subjects show deranged liver function tests during long therapy. Fulminant hepatic failure with LTG is an unusual presentation. We report a fatal case of hepatic failure with LTG monotherapy in a 22-year-old male patient suffering from a seizure disorder. Cases of LTG induced hepatotoxicity should be carefully monitored, particularly serious case of fulminant hepatic failure which should be adequately assessed and reported to determine their exact incidence

Diffuse Neutron Scattering Study of Magnetic Correlations in half-doped La0.5Ca0.5-xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.1, 0.3 and 0.4) Manganites

The short range ordered magnetic correlations have been studied in half doped La0.5Ca0.5-xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.1, 0.3 and 0.4) compounds by polarized neutron scattering technique. On doping Sr2+ for Ca2+ ion, these compounds with x = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.4 exhibit CE-type, mixture of CE-type and A-type, and A-type antiferromagnetic ordering, respectively. Magnetic diffuse scattering is observed in all the compounds above and below their respective magnetic ordering temperatures and is attributed to magnetic polarons. The correlations are primarily ferromagnetic in nature above T\_N, although a small antiferromagnetic contribution is also evident. Additionally, in samples x = 0.1 and 0.3 with CE-type antiferromagnetic ordering, superlattice diffuse reflections are observed indicating correlations between magnetic polarons. On lowering temperature below T\_N the diffuse scattering corresponding to ferromagnetic correlations is suppressed and the long range ordered antiferromagnetic state is established. However, the short range ordered correlations indicated by enhanced spin flip scattering at low Q coexist with long range ordered state down to 3K. In x = 0.4 sample with A-type antiferromagnetic ordering, superlattice diffuse reflections are absent. Additionally, in comparison to x = 0.1 and 0.3 sample, the enhanced spin flip scattering at low Q is reduced at 310K, and as temperature is reduced below 200K, it becomes negligibly low. The variation of radial correlation function, g(r) with temperature indicates rapid suppression of ferromagnetic correlations at the first nearest neighbor on approaching TN. Sample x = 0.4 exhibits growth of ferromagnetic phase at intermediate temperatures (~ 200K). This has been further explored using SANS and neutron depolarization techniques.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, To appear in Physical Review