ABSTRACT
Background: Hospitalization is an important landmark in the history of heart failure. Patients admitted for acute heart failure have a high chance of readmission. We require predictors which can foresee readmission. Functional capacity assessment by the 6-minute walk test is one such predictor. Objectives: To compare the mean 6-minute walk distance among acute heart failure patients readmitted within 30 days, those readmitted within 60 days, those readmitted within 90 days, and those not readmitted at 90 days following discharge after the first admission. Methodology: This is a follow-up study conducted in Madras Medical College from March 2021 to August 2021. The study included patients who were admitted for the first time in their life for acute heart failure. The clinical details were noted, and the patients were managed as per standard protocols. Before discharge, a 6-minute walk test was performed. The patients were followed up at the end of 30, 60, and 90 days. Results: 25% of the patients had one readmission at the end of 90 days. Majority of readmissions occurred at the end of 30 days. A low 6-minute walk distance at discharge was a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. A distance of 200 m was a reasonable cutoff in our population. A lower time walked was also a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. A slower walking speed was also a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. Some other parameters such as a longer duration of stay, a longer duration of intravenous (IV) diuretic requirement, discharge respiratory rate, and lower serum albumin at admission were also significant predictors of readmission at the end of 30 days.
ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis (VCRC B471) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (B426) produce mosquitocidal biosurfactant, surfactin and di-rhamnolipid. The objective of the study was to carry out a small-scale field evaluation of the two biosurfactants to determine the efficacy, application dosage, residual activity and frequency of application against Anopheles stephensi immatures in selected sites in Goa, India. Methods: Surfactin (VCRC B471) and di-rhamnolipid (VCRC B426) were formulated as aqueous suspensions (5% AS), and were applied at the dosages of 34, 51 and 68 mL/m2 and 27, 41 and 54 mL/m2 respectively. Two experiments were carried out with the two formulations. Results: Surfactin (VCRC B471) formulation was effective at all the dosages and there was sustained reduction (>80%) in immature density in the treated sites up to 18 days in experiment 1 and up to 15 days in experiment 2. No pupae were found in the treated sites throughout the study. Di-rhamnolipid (VCRC B426) formulation was also found to reduce the immature density in the treated sites up to 14 days in experiment 1 and up to 15 days in experiment 2. Interpretation & conclusion: For VCRC B471, the optimum application dosage determined was 51 mL/m2 and for VCRC B426, 27mL/m2 . The formulations are to be applied fortnightly for effective control of Anopheles. The application dosage determined in the present study can be used for large scale field evaluation to assess their suitability for use in public health programmes for the control of Anopheles mosquitoes vectoring malaria
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Stature estimation by analyzing skeletalremains or body parts is an essential part of humanidentification. One critical role of stature estimation todaylies in the forensic identification of crime victims andmissing persons. Femur, being the longest and strongest bonein the body, plays a crucial role while estimating stature ofan individual. In this study, we tested a new approach topredict the stature of a person by radiologically measuringthe femur length.Material and methods: Our study was conducted on 100South Indian subjects (50 males and 50 females) with an aimof obtaining regression formulae for estimation of stature ofmales and females, from maximum femur length and anotherindividual sample consisting of 20 male and 20 femaleparticipants belonging to the same criteria as the preliminarysubject group was used for validating the obtained equations.Results: It was observed that femur length showedstatistically significant correlation with stature in both thegroups (p=0.0001). Regression equations specific togeographical (South-Indian) population were statisticallyanalyzed for femur lengths in males (r=0.880) and females(r=0.862) and significantly proved reliable in estimatingthe living stature of an individual.Conclusion: In our study, the mean stature value of maleswas higher than that of females contributing to theinference that males are generally taller than females.
ABSTRACT
Aim: This study was carried out find the feasibility of utilizing raw mango seed coat under various process conditions to produce the best activated carbon by chemical activation and compared with commercial activated carbon. Methodology: Activated carbon was produced by chemical activation under various process conditions such as different activation temperatures, activating agents, impregnation volume percentages and activation times for pyrolysis in a programmable electrical furnace with reactor in the absence of air. Results: The results were compared using phosphoric acid having 50% impregnation volume to other activating agents, the activating temperature was 400oC, activation time 1 hr, iodine number, methylene blue number, % yield and B.E.T surface area being 831 mg g-1, 212 mg g-1, 41.09% and 1114 m2 g-1 respectively. Interpretation: Carbon samples prepared using mango seed coat treated by H3PO4, showed clear open porous structures along with a larger pore size compared to commercially available activated carbon.