Pregnancy in uterus didelphys delivered by caesarean delivery: case report

Uterus didelphys represents a uterine malformation where the uterus is present as paired organ. There is presence of double uterine bodies with two separate cervices and often a double or septate vagina. Women with congenital malformations of uterus usually have higher incidence of complications during pregnancy and delivery. We report the case in our institute of a pregnancy in the left sided body of a didelphys uterus delivered by caesarean section

Outcomes of transvaginal multifetal pregnancy reduction without injecting potassium chloride

Background: Assisted reproductive technologies and the use of fertility drugs have significantly increased the prevalence of multiple pregnancy in last three decades. Various techniques and routes have been studied so far regarding fetal reduction to achieve healthy viable pregnancy. The current study aims to study different outcomes of multifetal pregnancy reduction without injecting potassium chloride.Methods: Total 57 patients were studied from October 2011 to November 2012 at our centre. 28 were higher order pregnancies who consented for fetal reduction and 29 were nonreduced twins as control group. It was a prospective comparative study. Fetal reduction was done transvaginally between 8-12 weeks by intracardiac puncture followed by manual aspiration of embryonic parts till asystole. Use of KCl was avoided. The most easily accessible sac was chosen for reduction. All were reduced to twins. Reduction to singleton and selective reduction of anomalous fetus were removed from the study as it could have created a bias in the comparison. The primary outcomes like miscarriage, post procedure complications, mean gestational age at delivery, preterm delivery, mean birth weight were studied. The outcomes of reduced twins were compared with that of nonreduced twins. The various secondary outcomes like IUGR, take home baby rate, neonatal morbidity, mortality, maternal morbidity and mortality, associated obstetric complications were studied.Results: Both groups were comparable with respect to age and parity. The average gestation of fetal reduction was 9.46 weeks. Abortion rate was 17.9% (n=5) in reduced group which was statistically significant. 4 patients were lost to follow up. There were no statistically significant differences with regard to cesarean section rate, preterm delivery, mean birth weight, mean gestational delivery between two groups. No incidence of IUGR in the series. One baby died in the control group, none in reduced group. Take home baby rate 79.1%. Overall the antenatal and post-operative complications were higher in control group than in reduced but it was not statistically significant.Conclusions: Fetal reduction is a feasible option for triplets and higher orders multiple pregnancies. Use of KCl is not mandatory for multifetal pregnancy reduction. It is best avoided as there are increased rates of preterm labour and PPROM. There is increase in abortion rate after multifetal pregnancy reduction in comparison to nonreduced twins. So couple should be counseled about the probability of losing the entire pregnancy. The obstetric and neonatal outcomes of reduced and nonreduced twins are comparable, thus fetal reduction as a procedure is not adding any extra risk on pregnancy outcome

Role of atmospheric stability over the Arabian Sea and the unprecedented failure of monsoon 2002

The anomalous behaviour of the monsoon 2002 has been studied. We have made an attempt to combine satellite and other data sources to characterize the thermal stratification over the Arabian Sea during different phases of monsoon 2002. Using NOAA-ATOVSderived atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, we have calculated a daily stability index (SI) over the entire Indian region and surrounding oceans. The time series of SI clearly brings out the three major significant epochs of monsoon 2002. The relatively dry atmosphere west of 65° E, signifying lack of convection and an unstable atmosphere over the southeast Arabian Sea with west-to-east gradients in water vapour, SI and cloud liquid water content are noted. The unfavourable stratification during July over the entire Arabian Sea has been investigated in detail. The dominant modes of instability oscillations have been seen to be ~ 30 days both over the western and eastern Arabian Sea, while for the high-frequency modes preference was seen over the eastern part. Using the analysed fields of the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, the relative contributions of advective and subsidence components in the maintenance of stratification have been investigated. The latter has been found to have played a more dominant role in the deficit monsoon 200

A Thermodynamic Analysis of Tubular SOFC Based Hybrid Systems

The goals of a research program recently completed at the University of California, Irvine were to develop analysis strategy for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) based systems, to apply the analysis strategy to tubular SOFC hybrid systems and to identify promising hybrid configurations. A pressurized tubular SOFC combined with an intercooled-reheat gas turbine (SureCell ™ cycle) is chosen as the Base Cycle over which improvements are sought. The humid air turbine (HAT) cycle features are incorporated to the Base Cycle resulting in the SOFC-HAT hybrid cycle which shows an efficiency of 69.05% while the Base Cycle has an efficiency of 66.23%. Exergy analysis identified the superior efficiency performance of the SOFC component. Therefore, an additional cycle variation added a second SOFC component followed by a low pressure combustor in place of the reheat combustor of the gas turbine of the SOFC-HAT hybrid. The resulting Dual SOFC-HAT hybrid has a thermal efficiency of 75.98%. The Single SOFC-HAT hybrid gives the lowest cost of electricity (3.54¢/kW-hr) while the Dual SOFC-HAT hybrid has the highest cost of electricity (4.02¢/kW-hr) among the three cycles with natural gas priced at $3/GJ. The Dual SOFC-HAT hybrid plant cost is calculated to be significantly higher because the fraction of power produced by the SOFC(s) is significantly higher than that in the other cases on the basis of$1100/kw initial cost for the SOFC. The Dual SOFC-HAT hybrid can only be justified in favor of the Single SOFC-HAT hybrid when price of natural gas is greater than $14/GJ or ffa severe carbon tax on the order of$180/ton of CO2 is imposed while natural gas price remains at $3/GJ. Copyright © 2001 by ASME

Fermentatative production of itaconic acid by Aspergillus terreus using Jatropha seed cake

Fermentation process for the production of itaconic acid was carried out using jatropha seed cake. Itaconic acid is commercially produced by the cultivation of Aspergillus terreus with molasses. Jatropha seed cake is one of the best carbon sources among various carbohydrates, because it is pure, inexpensive and available in a mass supply. The reaction was carried out at various temperatures, agitations and pH. The samples were collected at 24 h time intervals. Itaconic acid concentration wasmeasured by the rapid spectroscopic method. Jatropha seed cake shows maximum yield of 24.45g/lafter 120 h

Conjugation of enrofloxacin with amine functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticle enhances antibacterial activity in vitro

233-240Increased resistance to a large number of antibacterial drugs poses a serious challenge in chemotheraphy of infectious diseases. Here, we have made and attempt to redesign the existing chemotherapeutic agent enrofloxacin (EN) to treat resistant bacteria. Precisely, we synthezied EN conjugated zinc oxide nanoparticles (EN-ZNP) and explored enhancing the antibacterial activity of enrofloxacin. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNP) were synthesized by microwave irradiation and amine functionalization by co-condensation with APTES and then by utilizing EPC/NHS chemistry, enrofoxacin was conjugated. Conjugation and their stability were confirmed by FT-IR spectra and Zeta potential. EN fraction in EN-ZNP was determined indirectly using UV-Vis spectroscopy. The MIC values obtained for EN-ZNP against MTCC cultures and clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus were significantly (P <0.05) lower than ZNP and, when compared to native EN it is significantly higher. However, the concentration of conjugated EN in EN-ZNP was significantly lower than the MIC of native EN. The results suggest that enrofloxacin can be successfully conjugated with amine functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles. The antibacterial efficacy was significantly improved when ZNP conjugated with EN against standard MTCC cultures and clinical isolates

K30, H150, and H168 Are Essential Residues for Coordinating Pyridoxal 5′-Phosphate of O-Acetylserine Sulfhydrylase from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) is a key enzyme involved in the pathway of the cysteine biosynthesis. The gene of OASS from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 was cloned and expressed in E. coli, the soluble protein was purified by one-step affinity chromatography to apparent homogeneity. Colors and UV–vis scanning results of the recombinant protein confirmed that it was a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-containing protein. Sequence alignment and site-directed mutation of the enzyme revealed that the cofactor PLP is covalently bound in Schiff base linkage with K30, as well as the two residues H150 and H168 were the crucial residues for PLP binding and stabilization

Chronic digital infection presenting with gross enlargement of the toes: two case reports and review of the literature

There are many conditions ranging from the benign to the malignant, which can present with enlargement of one or more digits. An understanding of the differential diagnosis is important such that the potentially serious aetiologies are not missed and patients can therefore be treated appropriately

The use of biomedicine, complementary and alternative medicine, and ethnomedicine for the treatment of epilepsy among people of South Asian origin in the UK

Studies have shown that a significant proportion of people with epilepsy use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM use is known to vary between different ethnic groups and cultural contexts; however, little attention has been devoted to inter-ethnic differences within the UK population. We studied the use of biomedicine, complementary and alternative medicine, and ethnomedicine in a sample of people with epilepsy of South Asian origin living in the north of England. Interviews were conducted with 30 people of South Asian origin and 16 carers drawn from a sampling frame of patients over 18 years old with epilepsy, compiled from epilepsy registers and hospital databases. All interviews were tape-recorded, translated if required and transcribed. A framework approach was adopted to analyse the data. All those interviewed were taking conventional anti-epileptic drugs. Most had also sought help from traditional South Asian practitioners, but only two people had tried conventional CAM. Decisions to consult a traditional healer were taken by families rather than by individuals with epilepsy. Those who made the decision to consult a traditional healer were usually older family members and their motivations and perceptions of safety and efficacy often differed from those of the recipients of the treatment. No-one had discussed the use of traditional therapies with their doctor. The patterns observed in the UK mirrored those reported among people with epilepsy in India and Pakistan. The health care-seeking behaviour of study participants, although mainly confined within the ethnomedicine sector, shared much in common with that of people who use global CAM. The appeal of traditional therapies lay in their religious and moral legitimacy within the South Asian community, especially to the older generation who were disproportionately influential in the determination of treatment choices. As a second generation made up of people of Pakistani origin born in the UK reach the age when they are the influential decision makers in their families, resort to traditional therapies may decline. People had long experience of navigating plural systems of health care and avoided potential conflict by maintaining strict separation between different sectors. Health care practitioners need to approach these issues with sensitivity and to regard traditional healers as potential allies, rather than competitors or quacks