Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in dengue: a rare manifestation

Dengue is an important arthropod born disease with its cases spiking every 2-3 years and spectrum of disease ranging from mild febrile illness to severe illness with multiple systemic complications including rare neurological manifestation. We hereby presented a case report of rare presentation of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in an eight year old child suffering from dengue

Identification and characterization of Pseudomonas fluorescensstrains effective against Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzae causing bacterial blight of rice in Punjab, India

For the control of bacterial blight of rice caused by Xanthomonasoryzaepv. oryzae, sixty four Pseudomonas fluorescens strains were recovered from rice and wheat rhizosphere. These strains were identified on the basis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. It was observed that the strains showing fluorescence in the selective media showed the amplification of the targeted P. fluorescens specific ITS region. The strains were also characterized for the production of the antibiotic 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) using phlDlocus. The characteristic 750bp region was amplified in all the DAPG producing strains. These strains were evaluated against X. oryzae in vitro by dual culture method. The P. fluorescens strains found effective in vitro were further tested in field for their antagonistic potentiality and disease suppression ability. P. fluorescens strain number Pf-4-R showed maximum inhibition i.e. of 5.5 mm against the test pathogen X. oryzaepv. oryzae. Talc based powder formulation of the effective strain Pf-4-R used for field evaluation, showed that pre-inoculation foliar sprays were effective in controlling bacterial blight of rice with disease suppression efficiency ranging from 29.6 to 65.6 percent in different treatments

Antioxidant potentials and quality aspects of Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) supplemented unleavened flat bread (Indian chapatti)

Enriched chapattis prepared by supplementing whole wheat flour with Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) pulp at 5, 10 and 15% were assessed for antioxidant activity and quality. Jamun pulp supplementation enhanced the bioactive composition of chapatti in terms of increased anthocyanins, total phenols and antioxidant activity. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased 99.73% and 44.38%, respectively after incorporation of Jamun pulp (15%) to whole wheat flour Indian chapatti. Anthocyanins were not observed in control chapatti and in Jamunsupplemented chapatti the range was 1.41-2.64 mg/100g content for 5-15% supplementation level. Qualitative evaluation revealed non-sticky behavior of dough supplemented with Jamun at 5 and 10% level and slight stickiness at 15% level. Chapattis exhibited full puffing at all supplementation levels. Sensory scores were highest for 10% Jamun supplemented chapatti. Crude fiber content improved significantly (13.77% increase) in chapattis on supplementation of Jamun pulp. The study concluded that supplementation of wheat flour with Jamun pulp improved nutritional and antioxidant status of chapatti

A prospective randomized study to compare tramadol and morphine for postoperative analgesia in spine surgeries using intravenous patient controlled analgesia

Background: Spine surgeries particulary spine fusion surgeries provide a unique challenge with respect to postoperative analgesia as the choices to provide analgesia are limited. Uses of NSAIDS and neuroaxial anaesthesia for post-operative analgesia in spine surgeries have been controversial. Patient controlled analgesia with opioids is commonly used and morphine remains the gold standard. The aim of this study was to compare tramadol with morphine for postoperative analgesia in spine surgeries using iv patient controlled analgesia.Methods: A total of 80 adult patients of ASA grade I and 2 undergoing spine surgeries and divided into two groups i.e. morphine group M and tramadol group T with 40 patients in each group were included in the study. pain assessment was done by NRS (numeric rating scale) upto 48 hours postoperatively other parameters like nausea/vomiting and sedation were also noted. Both groups received boluses initially to control pain. Group M patients received 1mg i.v demand dose of morphine with lock out time of 10-15 minutes and in Group T patients PCA device was set to deliver 20mg i.v demand dose of tramadol with lock out time of 10-15 minutes. A bolus of 25mcg fentanyl was given as rescue analgesia in both groups by the nurse if required. No background infusion or four-hour maximal limit was set on PCA pumps.Results: Pain scores remained on lower side in both the groups, though slightly better with morphine and the difference was statistically significant at 4 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours. The total NRS mean value (0-48 hours) of morphine and tramadol is 3.270 and 3.629 with p value of 0.015 which is statistically significant. 7 patients in morphine group received rescue analgesia while it was received by 15 patients in tramadol group with p value of 0.78 which is statistically insignificant. Nausea and Vomiting was encountered more frequently in the tramadol group. Mean mobilization time in patients of tramadol group was 21.72 hours and that of morphine group was 17.10 hours with p value of 0.00 which is highly significant.Conclusions: Morphine and tramadol when used in PCA mode provide adequate pain relief post operatively after spine surgeries with morphine showing slightly better analgesia profile and significantly less nausea and vomiting than tramadol. 

Failure-directed reformulation

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and, Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 58).by Pushpinder Singh.B.S.M.Eng

Association of new-born birth weight with maternal parameters

 Background: Birth weight is the single largest determinant of the neonatal survival and wellbeing. Maternal anaemia is the commonest medical disorder in pregnancy and is associated with significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The effect of haemoglobin levels of the mother on the foetus however remains unclear. This study aims at evaluating the effect of maternal anaemia on neonatal birth weight. It also evaluates the effect of parity, gestational age and maternal age on the new-born birth weight.Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on patients who had delivered in Al Falah hospital, a newly setup medical college in rural Haryana. The population was studied for maternal age, gestational period, and parity and haemoglobin levels. These parameters were correlated with neonatal birth weight. The study was carried out on deliveries which occurred over a period of six months from November 2018 to April 2019.Results: The low birth weight new-borns were 10.5%. Maternal anaemia was present in 79.74 % of women in the study group. Amongst all parameters studied, only higher parity and greater period of gestation had a positive correlation with neonatal birth weight. Haemoglobin levels or maternal age didn’t show a significant impact on the neonatal birth weight. Anaemic mothers didn’t have a higher incidence of low birth weight babies.Conclusion: The most significant contributor to improved neonatal weight is the gestational age of the foetus. All efforts to ensure better neonatal outcome must primarily concentrate on prevention of preterm births. Maternal haemoglobin levels do not directly impact the neonatal birth weight. However, as anaemia is a risk factor for preterm delivery, anaemia indirectly impacts on the neonatal birth weight and outcome

Architecture for reflective commonsense thinking

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-152).This thesis describes EM-ONE, an architecture for commonsense thinking capable of reflective reasoning about situations involving physical, social, and mental dimensions. EM-ONE uses as its knowledge base a library of commonsense narratives, each describing the physical, social, and mental activity that occurs during an interaction between several actors. EM-ONE reasons with these narratives by applying "mental critics," procedures that debug problems that exist in the outside world or within EM- ONE itself. Mental critics draw upon commonsense narratives to suggest courses of action, methods for deliberating about the circumstances and consequences of those actions, and--when things go wrong-ways to reflect upon and debug the activity of previously invoked mental critics. Mental critics are arranged into six layers, the reactive, deliberative, reflective, self-reflective, self-conscious, and self-ideals layers. The selection of mental critics within these six layers is itself guided by a separate collection of meta-level critics that recognize what overall problem-type presently confronts the system. EM-ONE was developed and tested within an artificial life domain where simulated robotic actors face concrete physical and social problems.(cont.) A detailed scenario is presented where EM-ONE enables two such actors to work together to build a table by engaging reactive, deliberative, and reflective processes operating across the physical, social, and mental realms.by Push Singh.Ph.D