Improvement of Soft Marine Clay with Laterally Reinforced Silica-Manganese Slag Stone Column

Among all the techniques available for ground improvement, stone columns are the most preferred elements used for supporting a wide variety of flexible structures such as road, railway embankments, and oil storage tanks. In this study, several laboratory tests have been conducted to improve the soft marine clay with end bearing stone columns by using Silica-Manganese slag as stone column material. Further, these stone columns were reinforced with circular geotextile discs by placing them laterally within the column. The improvement in load carrying capacity was studied and compared to the clay bed and unreinforced i.e. plain stone column. Circular geotextile discs of two different spacings (D and D/2, where “D” is the diameter of the stone column) with varied reinforcement depths, such as D, 2D, 3D and 4D, were tried. It was found that the soil reinforced with a spacing of D/2 to the embedment length of 3D shows better performance than a spacing of D. It was also observed that the bulging diameter was reduced by incorporation of the geotextile reinforcement and found below the reinforcement

Theories of Ultrasonic Velocities and their Application in Binary Liquid Mixtures of N-Ethylaniline with Some Toluenes (Toluene, o-Nitrotoluene and m-Nitrotoluene)

Abstract: Ultrasonic velocities and densities of the binary liquid mixtures of N-ethyl aniline with different toluenes like toluene, o-nitrotoluene and m-nitrotoluene have been measured at temperatures 303.15 and 308.15 K over the entire composition range. Various theories of ultrasonic velocity were applied to experimental values in evaluating the velocities using Nomoto's relation (U NR ), Impedence relation (U IR ), Ideal mixing relation (U IMR ), Jungie's relation (U JR )and Rao's specific velocity relation (U R ). The molecular interaction parameter (χ) has been evaluated from the values of experimental and theoretical velocities. The variation of this interaction parameter with the composition mixture has been discussed in terms of molecular interactions

Development and implementation of “handshake rounds”: An antibiotic stewardship intervention for hospitalized adult patients with hematologic malignancies

Abstract Objective: To design and implement “handshake rounds” as an antibiotic stewardship intervention to reduce inpatient intravenous (IV) antibiotic use in patients with hematologic malignancies. Design: Quasi-experimental analysis of antibiotic use (AU) and secondary outcomes before and and after handshake rounds were implemented. Setting: Quaternary-care, academic medical center. Patients: Hospitalized adults with hematologic malignancies receiving IV antibiotics. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of a preintervention cohort prior to the intervention. A multidisciplinary team developed criteria for de-escalation of antibiotics, logistics of handshake rounds, and outcome metrics. Eligible patients were discussed during scheduled handshake rounds between a hematology–oncology pharmacist and transplant–infectious diseases (TID) physician. Prospective data were collected over 30 days in the postintervention cohort. Due to small sample size, 2:1 matching was used to compare pre- to and postintervention AU. Total AU in days of therapy per 1,000 patient days (DOT/1,000 PD) was reported. Mean AU per patient was analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. A descriptive analysis of secondary outcomes of pre- and postintervention cohorts was performed. Results: Total AU was substantially lower after the intervention, with 517 DOT/1,000 PD compared to 865 DOT/1,000 PD before the intervention. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean AU per patient between the 2 cohorts. There was a lower rate of 30-day mortality in the postintervention cohort and rates of ICU admissions were similar. Conclusions: Conducting handshake rounds is a safe and effective way to implement an antibiotic stewardship intervention among high-risk patient population such as those with hematologic malignancies

Mycobacterial infections in a large Virginia hospital, 2001-2009

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In areas where both tuberculosis (TB) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are prevalent, descriptive studies of the clinical features of individual mycobacteria are needed to inform clinical triage.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We queried the University of Virginia Clinical Data Repository for all mycobacterial infections from 2001-2009.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 494 mycobacterial infections in 467 patients there were 22 species. Patients with pulmonary Tb were more likely to be reported as immigrants (p < 0.001) and less likely to have a predisposing risk factor for NTM (pre-existing lung disease or host predisposition; p = 0.002). Review of chest CT scans revealed that TB infection was more likely to exhibit cavities and pleural effusion than NTM infection (p < 0.05). Among NTM infections <it>M. kansasii</it>, <it>M. xenopi</it>, and <it>M. fortuitum </it>were more likely than MAC to have cavities. There were at least 83 patients that met criteria for NTM lung disease and these were caused by 9 species. <it>M. abscessus </it>infection was associated with cystic fibrosis and <it>M. xenopi </it>infection was associated with male gender.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In our center mycobacterial infections were common and of diverse species. Immigrant status, cavities, and effusion were associated with TB vs. NTM.</p

Coinfections in Patients With Cancer and COVID-19: A COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) Study

Background: The frequency of coinfections and their association with outcomes have not been adequately studied among patients with cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a high-risk group for coinfection. Methods: We included adult (≥18 years) patients with active or prior hematologic or invasive solid malignancies and laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection, using data from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19, NCT04354701). We captured coinfections within ±2 weeks from diagnosis of COVID-19, identified factors cross-sectionally associated with risk of coinfection, and quantified the association of coinfections with 30-day mortality. Results: Among 8765 patients (hospitalized or not; median age, 65 years; 47.4% male), 16.6% developed coinfections: 12.1% bacterial, 2.1% viral, 0.9% fungal. An additional 6.4% only had clinical diagnosis of a coinfection. The adjusted risk of any coinfection was positively associated with age \u3e50 years, male sex, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal comorbidities, diabetes, hematologic malignancy, multiple malignancies, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, progressing cancer, recent cytotoxic chemotherapy, and baseline corticosteroids; the adjusted risk of superinfection was positively associated with tocilizumab administration. Among hospitalized patients, high neutrophil count and C-reactive protein were positively associated with bacterial coinfection risk, and high or low neutrophil count with fungal coinfection risk. Adjusted mortality rates were significantly higher among patients with bacterial (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% CI, 1.33-1.95) and fungal (OR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.28-3.76) coinfections. Conclusions: Viral and fungal coinfections are infrequent among patients with cancer and COVID-19, with the latter associated with very high mortality rates. Clinical and laboratory parameters can be used to guide early empiric antimicrobial therapy, which may improve clinical outcomes

Improvement of Soft Marine Clay with Laterally Reinforced Silica-Manganese Slag Stone Column

Among all the techniques available for ground improvement, stone columns are the most preferred elements used for supporting a wide variety of flexible structures such as road, railway embankments, and oil storage tanks. In this study, several laboratory tests have been conducted to improve the soft marine clay with end bearing stone columns by using Silica-Manganese slag as stone column material. Further, these stone columns were reinforced with circular geotextile discs by placing them laterally within the column. The improvement in load carrying capacity was studied and compared to the clay bed and unreinforced i.e. plain stone column. Circular geotextile discs of two different spacings (D and D/2, where “D” is the diameter of the stone column) with varied reinforcement depths, such as D, 2D, 3D and 4D, were tried. It was found that the soil reinforced with a spacing of D/2 to the embedment length of 3D shows better performance than a spacing of D. It was also observed that the bulging diameter was reduced by incorporation of the geotextile reinforcement and found below the reinforcement

A Validated RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Atenolol and Indapamide in Pharmaceutical Formulations

A simple, fast, precise, selective and accurate RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of atenolol and indapamide from bulk and formulations. Chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically on a Waters C18 column (250×4.6 mm, 5 µ particle size) using a mobile phase, methanol and water (adjusted to pH 2.7 with 1% orthophosphoric acid) in the ratio of 80:20. The flow rate was 1 mL/min and effluent was detected at 230 nm. The retention time of atenolol and indapamide were 1.766 min and 3.407 min. respectively. Linearity was observed in the concentration range of 12.5-150 µg/mL for atenolol and 0.625-7.5 µg/mL for indapamide. Percent recoveries obtained for both the drugs were 99.74-100.06% and 98.65-99.98% respectively. The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. The method developed can be used for the routine analysis of atenolol and indapamide from their combined dosage form