Studies on features, physical, mechanical, tribological properties and applications of Ti-6Al-4V in aerospace industry

This research article gives an overview of the extensive research of Ti-6Al-4V from past few decades helped in studying about the features, properties, characteristics and application of aerospace industries. The final objective of study is to obtain the inherent advantages of Ti-6Al-4V like low elasticity modulus, high strength, low density and more resistant to fatigue and corrosion that leads to rely on the required knowledge for the employment of application which improves all physical and mechanical properties.

Ferricarboxy maltose to treat iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy: is it a feasible option?

Background: Iron deficiency is a common cause of anaemia in pregnancy which influences the health of mother and developing fetus. Intravenous (IV) iron preparations are considered, when oral iron therapy is ineffective or intolerant. Ferric carboxymaltose is an IV preparation that can be given with ease of administration and better tolerated. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of IV ferric carboxymaltose in pregnant mother with all grades of anemia in the second and third trimester.Methods: This is a prospective observational study where 44 pregnant women with iron deficiency anemia [IDA] received ferric carboxymaltose up to 15mg/kg in second and third trimester. The parameters that were taken into account, to assess the effectiveness of the treatment was repeat haemoglobin [Hb] measurements and the subjective sense of wellbeing in the patient. The safety of the drug was analysed by continuous fetal heart rate [FHR] monitoring during the infusion and observation of any adverse reactions.Results: Ferric carboxymaltose intravenous infusion significantly increased Hb levels above baseline values in all women. The Increase in Hb levels were observed at 3- and 6-weeks post infusion therapy. FHR monitoring did not show any drug related unfavourable effect on the fetus. Of the 44 women interviewed, 33 (75%) women reported sense of well-being, 7 (15.9%) women could not feel any difference after the infusion and 4 (9.1%) patients could not comment. No serious adverse effects were noticed but minor side effects occurred in 3 (6.8%) patients.Conclusions: This prospective study showed safety and efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose in pregnancy with IDA which is consistent with available observational data.

Disability adjusted working life years (DAWLYs) of leprosy affected persons in India.

Background & objectives: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) have been accepted as a useful method to estimate the burden of disease, and can be adapted to determine the number of productive years lost due to the disability. DALY has been reported for many studies but not for leprosy. Hence this study was carried out in three States of India. In view of the fact that in this study, productive working years are used, the term is modified as DAWLY. Methods: A representative random sample of 150 leprosy affected persons, 50 from each States of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, was chosen, and data were collected on detailed work-life history, occupation, time when leprosy was discovered, reported and treatment started, break of job/loss of income due to leprosy. The loss of wages and durations were used to compute the life-years lost due to leprosy, and summarized over the average total duration of 42 years of productive work-life from 18 to 60 years. The percentage losses were determined and differences tested for statistical significance. Results: The overall mean (± SE) disability adjusted working life years was 28.6 (±0.67), a reduction of 13.4 yr from the ideal productive working life period of 42 yr. The youngest patients with disability had a reduction of 41.4 per cent, as compared to the oldest patients. There was a significant increase in loss based on year for those whose disability started earlier (P=0.0024). Interpretation & conclusions: On an average, 30 per cent of the leprosy affected person’s work life is lost due to disability.

Does nerve examination improve diagnostic efficacy of the WHO classification of leprosy?

BACKGROUND: In the year 1998 WHO proposed that the clinical criteria of counting skin lesions alone should decide whether a patient receives Multibacillary (MB) or Paucibacillary (PB) MDT. There is a concern that a significant number of patients may be incorrectly treated under these guidelines. AIMS: This study aims to determine whether the sensitivity and the specificity of the latest WHO criteria, can be enhanced by the addition of nerve examination in the place of slit skin smears. METHODS: 150 patients of untreated leprosy reporting at a TLM Hospital in Delhi from January to December 2006 were registered for the study. After physical examination, the number of skin lesions and nerves involved were counted and slit skin smears performed. Two groups were created, those with > 5 skin lesions, and those with 5 or less skin lesions. The diagnostic efficacy of the current WHO classification was calculated with and without the addition of nerve examination. RESULTS: The sensitivity and the specificity of the current WHO operational classification are 76.6%, and 73.7% respectively, using slit skin smear as a standard. When the number of nerves was added to the diagnosis, the sensitivity increased to 94.4%, for more than 5 lesions and to 90.9%, for five or less than five lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Nerve examination can significantly improve the sensitivity of the WHO criterion in determination of MB versus PB leprosy.

Self-care programme to prevent leprosy-related problems in a leprosy colony in Champa, Chattisgarh.

A self-care programme aimed at preventing leprosy-related physical disabilities in a leprosy colony in Champa, Chattisgarh, India, is described. Once the initial resistance was overcome through persistent and caring attitudes, the residents accepted the challenges for self-care. The outcome at the end of one year showed significant decline (41%) in ulcer rates, significant use of MCR footwear (43%), and significant proportion (over 90%) of patients and their families practising and helping in self-care activities.

Sino-orbital aspergillosis in a diabetic patient.

Sino-orbital aspergillosis in a 61-year-old male with uncontrolled non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus presented with three months history of left ear pain, left side headache with mucopurulent nasal discharge and one week history of progressive swelling and pain with difficulty in opening of the left eye and sudden loss of vision. In spite of surgical debridement and medical management with amphotericin B and itraconazole his visual outcome was poor and the infection was unabated at one month follow up.

Survey of Staphylococcus isolates among hospital personnel, environment and their antibiogram with special emphasis on methicillin resistance.

The objective of this study was to find the prevalence of Staphylococcus spp. carriage among hospital personnel and hospital environment and their antibiogram with special emphasis on methicillin resistance. A total of 205 samples from hospital personnel and environment were collected from casualty, oncology and multidisciplinary cardiac unit ward of Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Manipal. Samples were collected using sterile cotton wool swabs and inoculated into brain heart infusion broth. Subcultures were done onto blood agar and MacConkey's agar. Isolates were identified by standard methods up to species level. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed according to standardized disc diffusion Kirby-Bauer method. Each of the isolates was screened for methicillin resistance using oxacillin disc on Mueller Hinton agar plate followed by MIC for methicillin and cefoxitin susceptibility test by disc diffusion method. Sixty five out of 205 strains (31.7%) were Staphylococcus spp. and all of them were coagulase negative. Most of the strains belonged to S.epidermidis 49.23% (32/65) followed by S. saprophyticus 26.15% (17/65). Maximum isolates of S.epidermidis were from anterior nares 28.12% (9/32 strains of S.epidermidis). Highest number of methicillin resistant coagulase negative strains (3/9, 33.33%) were isolated from stethoscope of multidisciplinary cardiac unit ward followed by carriers in the anterior nares (2/9, 22.22%). Methicillin resistant coagulase negative staphylococci are prevalent in anterior nares of hospital personnel and in the hospital environment thereby providing a definite source for hospital acquired infection. All isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, ciprofloxacin and amikacin.

Leprosy among adolescents in Kolkata, India.

Leprosy, manifesting during adolescence when significant physical and emotional changes are taking place, poses further stress and strain both on the individual and on the family. Based on hospital records, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, data on 258 adolescent leprosy patients seen at a leprosy referral hospital in Kolkata, India, are presented. The male-female sex ratio was 1.93:1, 56.6% were multibacillary patients and 13.2% had grade 2 disability. At the time of final follow up, 10% of PB and 33% of MB patients had already discontinued treatment. The commonest complication was reaction (14.5%). Adolescents were still dependent on their parents for health matters. Data obtained from questionnaires confirmed the role of social stigma in hiding, delay in starting of MDT and defaulting. Frequent hospital admissions resulted in loss of jobs and disruption of studies and caused psychological disturbances. It is critical to identify and treat adolescent leprosy on a priority basis. Health education and counselling programmes must be more focused and acceptable. Further research is necessary.

Inhibition of bacterial adhesion by subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) due to Escherichia coli is one of the most common diseases encountered in clinical practice. Most common recognised pathogenic factor in E.coli is adhesion. There is accumulating evidence that through subinhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of many antibiotics do not kill bacteria, they are able to interfere with some important aspects of bacterial cell function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A study was conducted to investigate the effect of sub MICs (1/2-1/8 MIC) of ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, gentamicin, ampicillin and co-trimoxazole on E. coli adhesiveness to human vaginal epithelial cells using three strains ATCC 25922, MTCC 729 and U 105. RESULTS: The 1/2 MIC of all the antibiotics tested produced the greatest inhibition of bacterial adhesion. Morphological changes were observed with ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime and ampicillin at 1/2 MIC and to a lesser extent at 1/4 and 1/8 MIC. Co-trimoxazole caused the greatest suppression of adhesion at 1/2 MIC of E. coli strain MTCC 729 when compared with the controls, followed by ceftazidime. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that co-trimoxazole is the most effective antibiotic in the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic E. coli.

Short-term physical training alters cardiovascular autonomic response amplitude and latencies.

This study reports the results of 15 days of exercise training in 25 adult males on cardiovascular autonomic response amplitude and latencies. A standard battery of autonomic function tests including both activity (tone) and reactivity was used. Parasympathetic activity as evaluated from Heart rate variability (HRV) showed no statistically significant change in both time and frequency domain measures, similarly Sympathetic activity as measured by QT/QS2 ratio showed no statistically significant change, but there was a trend of a decrease in sympathetic activity and an increase in parasympathetic activity. There were no changes in the parameters measuring parasympathetic reactivity. Sympathetic reactivity as evaluated by diastolic blood pressure responses to hand grip test (HGT) and cold pressor test (CPT) showed significant decreases. Time domain assessment of autonomic responses was done by measuring tachycardia and bradycardia latencies during Valsalva maneuver (VM) and lying to standing test (LST). Physical training resulted in a decrease in tachycardia latency during LST and a decrease in bradycardia latency during VM. We conclude from the present study that 15 days of physical training is not enough to alter autonomic activity and PNS reactivity but can result in changes in SNS reactivity and latency parameters. We hypothesize that a decrease in bradycardia latency during VM signifies a faster recovery of heart rate during VM and a decrease in tachycardia latency during LST denotes a delayed activation of the system both of which are favorable cardiovascular responses.

Diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in a rural setup: Comparison of clinical algorithm, smear scoring and culture by semiquantitative technique.

This study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a rural set up and compare the smear scoring system to that of culture by semiquantitative technique. A total of 505 married women, who were in sexually active age group of 15-44 years, were selected from three different villages. High vaginal swabs, endocervical swabs, vaginal discharge and blood were collected and processed in the laboratory. Overall prevalence of 29% reproductive tract infection was detected. Endogenous infection was commonly observed (27.92%), and very low prevalence of STIs (Trichomonas 1.18%, Syphilis 0%, Gonorrhea 0%) was detected. Diagnosis of BV was possible in 104 (20.5%) women by smear alone and 88 (17.42%) women by semiquantitative culture.