Laboratory investigation on utilization of recycled materials in SMA mix

SMA (stone matrix asphalt or stone mastic asphalt) was originally developed in European and German countries as impervious or highly durable wearing surface for bridge decks. But today, it is pavement surface of choice. Generally it consists of two parts, a coarse aggregate and a binder rich mortar. It is made by a mixture of crushed coarse and fine aggregates, stabilizer such as fibres or polymers, mineral filler, cement. In present research work, an attempt has been made to study the properties of SMA mixes with cellulose fibre and using recycled pavement material as well as slag in partial replacement of stone aggregates as coarse and fine aggregate grades. This research project was done to check the usage of recycled pavement material in SMA mixture by conducting Marshall test in the laboratory in which stability value and flow values was examined along with other properties of mixtures. Here IRC -SP-79 specification, aggregate gradation is taken for stone matrix asphalt. Binder used is 60/70 penetration grade bitumen. Binder content is varied as 4%, 5%, 5.5%, 6%, and 7% by weight of aggregates and fibre used is optimum fibre content at 0.3% by weight of aggregate

Opinion of doctors about unmet needs of rural diabetics

Background: India is home to nearly 62 million diabetics - second only to China which has over 92 million diabetics. The main challenges for screening for diabetes and its complications in rural India are inadequate health care resources, lack of awareness and illiteracy among patients, limited physicians and paramedical staff trained in diabetes, lack of awareness among doctors as to who can legally practice diabetes in India. The present study was undertaken to explore the opinion of various doctors regarding diabetic care in rural India.Methods: The present study was conducted in Navodaya Medical College, Raichur and Mamata Medical College, Khammam. A cross-sectional study design was used to perform a multicentre survey from April 2015 to September 2015. Descriptive analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Content and construct validation of the questionnaire was done by a panel containing subject experts, epidemiologists and a statistician. Following which the questionnaires were sent to different set doctors by print outs, email and via online survey tools.Results: All the doctors who were involved in the study had different opinion. MBBS doctors are more aware than BHMS/BAMS/BUMS doctors about the minimum degree required doing a diabetic practice legally in India. Both the group of doctors believed that the needs of diabetic population in rural India are not properly addressed; the reason behind this was lack of qualified doctors (according to majority of BHMS/BAMS/BUMS doctors) and lack of awareness among the rural patients (according to MBBS doctors). Both the doctors believe that MBBS doctors with some fellowship courses in diabetes can manage diabetes effectively (except serious complications).Conclusions: Both the doctors believe that MBBS doctors with some fellowship courses in diabetes can manage diabetes effectively (except serious complications). In India only MD (general medicine) and endocrinologists are technically qualified to treat diabetes. MCI should come forward and recognize the fellowship courses by regularizing them with proper guidelines and protocol set up for the institution providing such courses and allow those doctors to practice in rural areas, so that diabetics’ needs are addressed properly

Evaluation of antipyretic activity of alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii leaves in rabbits

Background: The present study was carried out to evaluate the antipyretic activity of alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii leaves in rabbits by using PGE1 induced hyperpyrexia method. We found that not much work has been done on the antipyretic effect of this plant.Methods: Laboratory breed New Zealand strains of rabbits of either sex weighing 1000-1500 gm were used in the study. The animals were divided into five groups (n=6). The rabbits of all the groups were made febrile by injecting misoprostol (PGE1) subcutaneously in the dose of 100 mcg/kg.  For group 1 and 2, normal saline 2ml/kg as control and aspirin 28mg/kg as standard were given respectively. Alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii leaves in the doses of 200, 400 and 800mg/kg were administered in remaining three groups respectively. Rectal temperatures were recorded with help of digital thermometer for every 30 min after drug treatment.Results: Alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii produced highly significant (p<0.001) antipyretic effect in 400 and 800 mg/kg doses. But onset of action was fast with 800mg/kg dose.Conclusions: This study concludes that Alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii has fast onset of action and also exhibited sustained anti pyretic action in New Zealand rabbits

Assessing differences in self-reported dietary intake variables by weighed food records compared to weighed food records plus photos in post-menopausal women with healthy weight and with obesity

Background: Accurately assessing dietary intake is challenging. Photographic records may improve accuracy of dietary assessment, but evidence in older populations is limited. This research examined differences between dietary intake assessed using a weighed food record (WFR) versus a WFR plus photo record. Objective/Hypothesis: Determine if there is an added benefit to having participants provide photographic evidence of food intake along with a self-reported written weighed food record. Methods: Two days of WFRs with photos were collected from 15 postmenopausal women with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 and 15 with BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Two different researchers entered data into nutritional analysis software; one used WFRs with photos and one used the same WFRs without photos. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to evaluate differences between dietary assessment methods for nutrients of interest on day 1 and day 2 in all participants and by weight category. Results: Mean (SD) energy and added sugar intake on day 1 was 1822(607) kcal and 53.6(57.9)g respectively when estimated using WFRs without photos, and 1615(489) kcal and 40.5(28.9)g respectively when using WFRs with photos. Dietary assessment using WFRs alone tended to show greater intake for nutrients of interest; however, there were no statistically significant differences between dietary assessment methods for any variables tested (all p>0.05). Similarly, dietary assessment method did not result in significant differences (all p>0.05) in estimated intake of nutrients within weight categories (i.e. in women with healthy weight and women with obesity). Conclusions: Photographic records did not significantly change estimation of nutrient consumption in this sample of postmenopausal women. Therefore, eliminating photo records when assessing dietary intake of older women using WFRs may reduce subject burden without sacrificing accuracy. Additional research is needed to determine the utility of photos when less rigorous methods of dietary assessment, such as self-reported food diaries, are used.A one-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Human Nutritio

UV SPECTROPHOTOMETRY METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF SULFADIAZINE AND TRIMETHOPRIM IN COMBINED DOSAGE FORM

Objective: A new, simple, sensitive and economical UV spectrophotometric method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of Sulfadiazine [SDA] and Trimethoprim [TMP] in pharmaceutical formulations.Methods: This UV method was developed with methanol as solvent. The wavelengths selected for analysis in the present method were 265 nm for TMP and 289 nm for SDA. Teccomp UV-2301 double beam UV/Vis spectrophotometer was used to carry out spectral analysis and the data was recorded by Hitachi software.Results: Linearity was found to be within the concentration range of 2-9 µg/ml TMP and 9.08-41 µg/ml of SDA. Accuracy of the method was determined by recovery studies. Percentage recovery was found to be 98.20-99.25 for TMP with a % RSD of 0.338, 0.506 and 0.510 for three spiked levels. % RSD was found to be 0.229 and 0.380; 0.212 and 0.328 for SDA, TMP in intra and inter-day precision respectively. The % RSD value in ruggedness was found to be 0.440 for SDA and 0.569 for TMP.Conclusion: The advantages of this method for analytical purposes lie in the rapid determination, its cost-effectiveness, easy preparation of the sample, good reproducibility. In addition to this, the present method can be recommended for simultaneous determination of SDA and TMP in routine quality control analysis in combined drug formulations

Long Term Outcomes of Surgical and Clinical Symptoms Following Minimally Invasive Heller Myotomy: A Retrospective Clinical Database Review

I Introduction Minimally invasive Heller myotomy rates have increased, but little evidence is available regarding long term clinical and surgical outcomes. Our aim was to evaluate long term symptom improvement and medication resolution for patients undergoing minimally invasive Heller myotomy. Methods A single-institution database was retrospectively reviewed for patients undergoing laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) or robotic Heller myotomy (RHM) during 2007-2018. Patients with primary HM followed by a Dor fundoplication were included. Demographics and surgical data were analyzed. Esophageal symptoms, testing, and medication use were collected preoperatively (pre-op), at 6-month (6-mo), 12-month (12-mo), and long-term (LT; 12-mo+) follow-up. Analysis was performed using SPSS v.23.0, α=0.05. Results Eighty eight patients (RHM:N=66; LHM:N=22) were included. The majority were male (62.5%) and Caucasian (89.8%), with a mean BMI of 27.3. Two patients had an intraoperative esophageal perforation, each repaired with a non-eventful postoperative course. Mean follow-up time was 71 months overall, 75 months [11-171 months] and 40 months [6-158 months] for LHM and RHM, respectively. All patients showed significant LT improvement of regurgitation, solid or liquid dysphagia, and Eckardt Score. Postoperative proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use was significantly lower at LT (LHM:31.3%, RHM:19.4%) compared to pre-op. Conclusion In this study, minimally invasive HM was a safe and effective treatment for achalasia symptom resolution in the long term. Therefore, in our experience, minimally invasive HM is a safe therapy that helps maintain symptom resolution

TRAJECTOGRAPHY ESTIMATION FOR A SMART POWERED WHEELCHAIR ORB-SLAM2 VS RTAB-MAP A PREPRINT

International audienceThis work is part of the ADAPT project relating to the implementation of a trajectography functionality that aims to measure the path travelled by a patient during the clinical trials. This system (hardware and software) must be reliable, quickly integrable, low-cost and real-time. Therefore, our choices have been naturally made towards visual SLAM-based solutions coupled with an Intel real-sense consumer sensors. This paper is a comparison of two well-known visual SLAM algorithms in the scientific community, ORB-SLAM2 and RTAB-Map, evaluated in different path configurations. The added value of our work lies in the accurate estimation of the trajectories achieved through the use of a VICON motion capture system