Comparison of Blood Pressure in Beta Thalassemia Major Patients with that of Control

Introduction and Objectives : β-thalassemia major patients need to have repeated blood transfusions throughout their life for survival, which leads to so many complications. Heart disease is the most important complication and the main determinant of survival in these patients. Our study shows comparison of blood pressure between these patients and that of normal subjects. Material and Methods : Present study was a cross sectional type of study and consisted of 100 normal subjects (control group) and 100 patients of beta thalassemia major (study group). Blood pressure was recorded in both the groups using mercury sphygmomanometer and statistical analysis of the observations was done using Z test. Results : There was no statistically significant difference in the Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of study group as compared to control group whereas there was a difference in the Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of study group and control group which was statistically significant (p value <0.0001). Conclusion : There was an overall reduction in the blood pressure of study group as compared to control group but the difference in SBP was statistically not significant whereas that of DBP was statistically significant. Key Words: Beta thalassemia major, Diastolic blood pressure, Systolic blood pressur

Comparison of Blood Pressure in Beta Thalassemia Major Patients with that of Control

Introduction and Objectives : β-thalassemia major patients need to have repeated blood transfusions throughout their life for survival, which leads to so many complications. Heart disease is the most important complication and the main determinant of survival in these patients. Our study shows comparison of blood pressure between these patients and that of normal subjects. Material and Methods : Present study was a cross sectional type of study and consisted of 100 normal subjects (control group) and 100 patients of beta thalassemia major (study group). Blood pressure was recorded in both the groups using mercury sphygmomanometer and statistical analysis of the observations was done using Z test. Results : There was no statistically significant difference in the Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of study group as compared to control group whereas there was a difference in the Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of study group and control group which was statistically significant (p value <0.0001). Conclusion : There was an overall reduction in the blood pressure of study group as compared to control group but the difference in SBP was statistically not significant whereas that of DBP was statistically significant. Key Words: Beta thalassemia major, Diastolic blood pressure, Systolic blood pressur

Control of antiferromagnetic spin axis orientation in bilayer Fe/CuMnAs films

Using x-ray magnetic circular and linear dichroism techniques, we demonstrate a collinear exchange coupling between an epitaxial antiferromagnet, tetragonal CuMnAs, and an Fe surface layer. A small uncompensated Mn magnetic moment is observed which is antiparallel to the Fe magnetization. The staggered magnetization of the 5 nm thick CuMnAs layer is rotatable under small magnetic fields, due to the interlayer exchange coupling. This allows us to obtain the x-ray magnetic linear dichroism spectra for different crystalline orientations of CuMnAs in the (001) plane. This is a key parameter for enabling the understanding of domain structures in CuMnAs imaged using x-ray magnetic linear dichroism microscopy techniques

Friends and Foes from an Ant Brain's Point of View – Neuronal Correlates of Colony Odors in a Social Insect

Background: Successful cooperation depends on reliable identification of friends and foes. Social insects discriminate colony members (nestmates/friends) from foreign workers (non-nestmates/foes) by colony-specific, multi-component colony odors. Traditionally, complex processing in the brain has been regarded as crucial for colony recognition. Odor information is represented as spatial patterns of activity and processed in the primary olfactory neuropile, the antennal lobe (AL) of insects, which is analogous to the vertebrate olfactory bulb. Correlative evidence indicates that the spatial activity patterns reflect odor-quality, i.e., how an odor is perceived. For colony odors, alternatively, a sensory filter in the peripheral nervous system was suggested, causing specific anosmia to nestmate colony odors. Here, we investigate neuronal correlates of colony odors in the brain of a social insect to directly test whether they are anosmic to nestmate colony odors and whether spatial activity patterns in the AL can predict how odor qualities like ‘‘friend’’ and ‘‘foe’’ are attributed to colony odors. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using ant dummies that mimic natural conditions, we presented colony odors and investigated their neuronal representation in the ant Camponotus floridanus. Nestmate and non-nestmate colony odors elicited neuronal activity: In the periphery, we recorded sensory responses of olfactory receptor neurons (electroantennography), and in the brain, we measured colony odor specific spatial activity patterns in the AL (calcium imaging). Surprisingly, upon repeated stimulation with the same colony odor, spatial activity patterns were variable, and as variable as activity patterns elicited by different colony odors. Conclusions: Ants are not anosmic to nestmate colony odors. However, spatial activity patterns in the AL alone do not provide sufficient information for colony odor discrimination and this finding challenges the current notion of how odor quality is coded. Our result illustrates the enormous challenge for the nervous system to classify multi-component odors and indicates that other neuronal parameters, e.g., precise timing of neuronal activity, are likely necessary for attribution of odor quality to multi-component odors

Structural changes during the transformation of birnessite to buserite and todorokite

Todorokite synthesized by autoclaving Mg-buserite was examined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (hrtem). ir spectroscopy revealed that the structures of birnessite and buserite were very similar : the only difference may be in c-spacings, 7 À in one case and 10 À in the other, as shown by XRD analysis. Lattice fringes and structural images of todorokite correspond to 3 x n tunnels, where n ranges from 2 -15 octahedra ; these tunnels conform to those of the todorokite family. The repeat distance in the с direction remained almost constant near 10 À which may have been controlled by the hydrated Mg cation in the tunnel.Golden D.C., Sittertz-Bhatkar H., Dixon J.B. Structural changes during the transformation of birnessite to buserite and todorokite. In: Proceedings of the 9th international Clay Conference, Strasbourg, 1989. Vol V : Industrial applications of clays. Analytical techniques and teaching of clay mineralogy. Strasbourg : Institut de Géologie – Université Louis-Pasteur, 1990. pp. 177-183. (Sciences Géologiques. Mémoire, 89

Structural changes during the transformation of birnessite to buserite and todorokite

Todorokite synthesized by autoclaving Mg-buserite was examined by infrared (IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (hrtem). ir spectroscopy revealed that the structures of birnessite and buserite were very similar : the only difference may be in c-spacings, 7 À in one case and 10 À in the other, as shown by XRD analysis. Lattice fringes and structural images of todorokite correspond to 3 x n tunnels, where n ranges from 2 -15 octahedra ; these tunnels conform to those of the todorokite family. The repeat distance in the с direction remained almost constant near 10 À which may have been controlled by the hydrated Mg cation in the tunnel.Golden D.C., Sittertz-Bhatkar H., Dixon J.B. Structural changes during the transformation of birnessite to buserite and todorokite. In: Proceedings of the 9th international Clay Conference, Strasbourg, 1989. Vol V : Industrial applications of clays. Analytical techniques and teaching of clay mineralogy. Strasbourg : Institut de Géologie – Université Louis-Pasteur, 1990. pp. 177-183. (Sciences Géologiques. Mémoire, 89

Erster Nachweis von Regurgitationsf\ufctterungen bei einer cribellaten Spinne (Stegodyphus lineatus Latreille. 1817, Eresidae)

Volume: 22Start Page: 175End Page: 18

Recto-tergal Fusion in the Braconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Structure and Distribution

Volume: 5Start Page: 73End Page: 7

Anterolateral abdominal scent glands of braconine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Volume: 6Start Page: 219End Page: 23