Fetus papyraceous: a case report of preterm premature rupture of membrane with adherent placenta

Fetus papyraceous is a rare condition and is associated with obstetric complications. Antenatal diagnosis of this condition aids in follow-up care of co twin(s) as well as to predict future obstetric complications. In this report, we describe a case of fetus papyraceous identified after the manual removal of adherent placenta

A rare case of a ruptured ovarian pregnancy

Ovarian pregnancy is a rare type of extrauterine pregnancy accounting for 1 to 3% of all extrauterine pregnancies. We report a rare case of a ruptured ovarian pregnancy. A 22 year old, gravida 2 para 1 living 1 was admitted with amenorrhea of 4 weeks and 6 days with chief complaints of severe acute lower abdomen pain. Urine pregnancy test was positive. Ultrasonogram pelvis revealed left sided ruptured adnexal mass with moderated hemoperitoneum. Laparotomy was performed and a diagnosis of ruptured ovarian pregnancy was made. Biopsy of the mass was taken which confirmed the diagnosis. Although ovarian pregnancy is rare, in any case of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy where the tubes are found to be normal on laparotomy, an ovarian pregnancy must be ruled out. Early detection and prompt diagnosis can preserve the future fertility of the woman

Semi-monthly effect in stock returns: new evidence from Bombay Stock Exchange

Semi-monthly effect is a kind of calendar anomalies which is less explored in the financial literature. The main objective of this paper to investigate the presence of semi-monthly effect in selected sectoral indices of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The study uses the daily stock returns of five sectoral indices viz S&P BSE Auto Index, S&P BSE Bankex, S&P BSE Consumer Durables Index, S&P BSE FMCG Index and S&P BSE Health Care Index for the period of 10 years starting from 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2017. The data were analyzed using two approaches namely calendar days approach and trading days approach. To test the equality of mean returns for the two halves of the month, Mann-Whitney U test is used. The empirical results of the study did not provide any evidence for the presence of semi-monthly effect in the selected sectoral indices. Nevertheless, BSE Auto Index showed significant difference in the mean returns of first half and second half of trading month during the study period

Empirical Testing of Month of the Year Effect on Selected Commercial Banks and Services Sector Companies Listed on Bahrain Bourse

In financial literature we find numerous studies examining the presence of diverse types of calendar anomalies in different stock exchanges of the world. The current paper aims to investigate the month of the year effect in randomly selected ten companies from banking sector and service sector traded on the Bahrain Bourse for a period of five years commencing from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2014. The empirical research was conducted using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis H Test. The findings of the study revealed that none of the companies selected for the study exhibited significant monthly returns for the study period except Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International (BMMI). The paper suggests that the absence of said calendar anomaly may be due to thin trading practiced in the Bahrain Stock Exchange. Keywords: Calendar Anomalies, Month of the Year Effect, Bahrain Stock Exchange, Descriptive Statistics and Kruskal-Wallis H Test, Thin Trading. JEL Classifications:  G10, G14, G1

The Role of N-Acetylcysteine Amide in Defending Primary Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells against Tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide-Induced Oxidative Stress

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in the United States among adults age 60 and older. While oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of AMD, dietary antioxidants have been shown to delay AMD progression in clinical studies. We hypothesized that N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA), a thiol antioxidant, would protect retinal pigment epithelium and impede progression of retinal degeneration. Methods: tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was used to induce oxidative stress in cell cultures. The goal was to evaluate the efficacy of NACA in an in vitro model of AMD in primary human retinal pigment epithelial cells (HRPEpiC). Results: Our data indicates that TBHP generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), which reduced cell viability, depleted glutathione (GSH) levels, and compromised glutathione reductase (GR) activity. Pretreatment with NACA significantly reduced ROS generation, restored GSH levels and GR activity, and recovered transepithelial electrical resistance. Pretreatment with NACA did not decrease the number of dying cells as determined by flow cytometry analysis. However, survival was significantly improved when cells were co-exposed to NACA and TBHP after a shortened pretreatment period. Conclusion: Our data suggest that pretreatment with NACA reduces sublethal but not lethal effects of TBHP in HRPEpiC. NACA significantly improves cell survival when administered prior to and during oxidative damage similar to that observed in the development of dry AMD. These results indicate that continuation of a thiol antioxidant regimen for treatment of AMD is beneficial throughout the course of the disease, and NACA is a potent antioxidant that should be further evaluated for this purpose

Key distinguishing characters (KDCs) of official (Boerhaavia diffusa L.) and commonly mistaken (Trianthema portulacastrum L.) sources of Mukkirattai of Siddha

Boerhaavia diffusa L. has been used extensively in Siddha system of medicine and is often confused with Trianthema portulacastrum L. due to morphological similarities. This particular study compares, analyses and identifies the key distinguishing features of the two whole plant drugs based on pharmacognostical and phytochemical aspects. The samples were studied for macroscopy, microscopy, physicochemical analysis, preliminary phytochemical analysis and HPTLC following standard procedures. Macroscopic studies showed few notable differences in macro-microscopy of root, stem, leaves and flowers of both the plants. Microscopically root, stem, leaf and petiole of both the plants showed differences in layers of cork, presence of crystals and medullary rays (in root), the thickness of cuticle, cortex and arrangement of vascular bundles (stem), presence of characteristic type of trichomes (leaf) and shape of the petiole. Powder microscopy showed differences in epidermis, crystal types and shape of pollen. Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of phenol, saponins and coumarins in B. diffusa and was not detected in T. portulacastrum. There were significant differences in the values of quantitative microscopy, physicochemical parameters and HPTLC of both the whole plant samples. The finding of this study will be helpful for the correct identification of the plant

Energy Audit -A Case Study

Abstract: Energy is the gift of nature to mankind in various forms and has always been a vital resource in the development of any nation. Energy conservation is the key element in the Energy management. In any Industry, the three top operating expenses are often found to be energy (both electrical and thermal), labour and raw material. The energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of Energy flows in a building, process or system with the objective of understanding the energy dynamics of the system under study. In this paper Energy Audit is performed at Earth Movers Division (EMD) of BEML located in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Karnataka state, India. The contract demand from the electricity supply company to the Earth Movers division of BEML is 8000KVA per month. The annual savings are calculated through Energy audit

Estimation of proteinuria as a predictor of complications of pre-eclampsia: a systematic review

Background Proteinuria is one of the essential criteria for the clinical diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Increasing levels of proteinuria is considered to be associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. We aim to determine the accuracy with which the amount of proteinuria predicts maternal and fetal complications in women with pre-eclampsia by systematic quantitative review of test accuracy studies. Methods We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE (1951 to 2007), EMBASE (1980 to 2007), the Cochrane Library (2007) and the MEDION database to identify relevant articles and hand-search of selected specialist journals and reference lists of articles. There were no language restrictions for any of these searches. Two reviewers independently selected those articles in which the accuracy of proteinuria estimate was evaluated to predict maternal and fetal complications of pre-eclampsia. Data were extracted on study characteristics, quality and accuracy to construct 2 × 2 tables with maternal and fetal complications as reference standards. Results Sixteen primary articles with a total of 6749 women met the selection criteria with levels of proteinuria estimated by urine dipstick, 24-hour urine proteinuria or urine protein:creatinine ratio as a predictor of complications of pre-eclampsia. All 10 studies predicting maternal outcomes showed that proteinuria is a poor predictor of maternal complications in women with pre-eclampsia. Seventeen studies used laboratory analysis and eight studies bedside analysis to assess the accuracy of proteinuria in predicting fetal and neonatal complications. Summary likelihood ratios of positive and negative tests for the threshold level of 5 g/24 h were 2.0 (95% CI 1.5, 2.7) and 0.53 (95% CI 0.27, 1) for stillbirths, 1.5 (95% CI 0.94, 2.4) and 0.73 (95% CI 0.39, 1.4) for neonatal deaths and 1.5 (95% 1, 2) and 0.78 (95% 0.64, 0.95) for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission. Conclusion Measure of proteinuria is a poor predictor of either maternal or fetal complications in women with pre-eclampsia