ON-CHIP PLANER WAVEGUIDES FOR SUPERCONTINUUM GENERATION IN THE MID-IR REGION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM: A REVIEW

On-chip planer optical waveguide-based sources for supercontinuum (SC) generation have become highly attractive devices in the twenty-first century. Mid-IR SC sources in the 2-20 ?m wavelength region are advantageously used for gas sensing, high-sensitivity molecular detection, security, and industrial applications. These integrated photonic devices are cost-effective, scalable, and robust, and also offer more flexibility in tailoring the dispersion characteristics relative to other SC generation techniques. This article reviews the evolution of SC sources from fiber-based devices to optical waveguide-based devices and presents a historical as well as recent progress in various types of on-chip optical waveguides with physical mechanisms involved in generating coherent SC sources.

Causes and awareness regarding smoking in patients attending general medicine OPD at tertiary care hospital

Objective: To assess the causes and awareness of smoking in general population

Study Design: Observational / descriptive study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at General Medicine OPD of PUMHS Hospital Nawabshah from 2015 up to January 2016

Materials and Methods: Two hundred patients were integrated in the study following receiving verbal well-versed consent. A self-administered questionnaire was filled and information was collected regarding reasons of smoking, and awareness regarding smoking that weather it is harmful, what is passive smoking etc

Results: When cases were interviewed regarding awareness of smoking than 121[60.5%] answered correctly that smoking is harmful for health while 79[39.5%] answered incorrectly. Passive smoking is risky for health, was answered correctly only by 76[38%] while 124[62%] persons did not knew that passive smoking very risky for health. Only 29[14.5%] cases answered correctly about smoking quitting centers in our country. 89[44.5%] peoples smoke to relieve occupational stress, 79[39.5%] participants smokes to relieve domestic stress, 67[33.5%] smoke for the digestive purpose, 111[55.5%] smokes when sitting with friends, 113[56.6%] smokes due to peer pressure and 78[39%] smokes due to habit from childhood and also their parents were smoker

Conclusion: This study showed that peoples had low level of consciousness regarding injurious consequences of smoking. Common reasons were seen peer pressure, reduce stress and digestive purpose

Primary and acquired drug resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in India: a multicenter study

Tuberculosis is the most prevalent infection worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis [M. tuberculosis] isolates emphasizes that it is necessary to monitor drug resistance of the organism against anti-tubercular drugs. We analyzed 327 M. tuberculosis isolates from patients who were cared for at three different health care centers, herein after known as study areas [SAs], in North India. Of the 327 total M. tuberculosis isolates, 255 were from a tertiary health care center [Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh [SA-1]], 48 were from a District tuberculosis center [Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan [SA-2]], and 24 were from a different District tuberculosis center [Buxar, Bihar [SA-3]]. Drug susceptibility testing against first-line antibiotics [viz. isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin, and ethambutol] was conducted for all the isolates using 1% proportional method. We found that the rates of acquired resistance were consistently higher than the rates of initial drug resistance. In new, untreated cases, a higher degree of MDR-TB was observed at SA-1 [13.3%] and SA-3 [25.0%], whereas it was observed in only 7.1% of the isolates at SA-2. In previously treated patients, MDR cases were found in 35.7% of the isolates from SA-1, 66.6% of the isolates from SA-2, and 43.8% of the isolates from SA-3. Resistance to a single drug was found at a much lower rate, ranging from 0.0 to 6.3% in new cases as well as previously treated cases. In conclusion, the primary resistance of M. tuberculosis is low, but acquired drug resistance is slightly higher in North India

Underdiagnosis and the impact of headache-related disability on the quality of life patients

To determine the extent of under-diagnosis of migraine and the impact of headache-related disability on the quality of life of patients. Prospective, Observational. This study was conducted at the Department of Neurology, Medical Unit II, PUHMS, Nawashah from 1.1.2009 to 31.12.2009. The demographic and clinical data was collected in a proforma. Migraine was diagnosed according to the International Headache Society Classification. Neurological examination and routine laboratory tests were done in all cases. CT Scan of brain was performed whenever deemed necessary. A clinically reliable Migraine Disability Assessment Scale [MIDAS] was administered to the patients with migraine headache. The disability was rated as Grade I [little or no disability] to Grade IV [severe disability] based on the information provided by the patients. Sixty-eight cases were documented. Male=31, Female = 37. Age ranged from 10-59 years. The majority were in the age group of 10-39 years. Fifty-seven [83.8%] had migraine without aura [common migraine] while 11/68 [16.2%] had migraine with aura [classic migraine]. In 36/68 [52.9%] nausea was the most frequent associated symptom. Photophobia [17.6%] was more common than phonophobia [5.8%]. Visual changes [flashing lights] was the most common associated symptom in migraine with aura. Stress was the most frequent triggering factor in majority in 29.4%. Only 8/68 [11.7] were previously diagnosed as they were taking some anti-migraine therapy whereas majority 60/68 [88.3%] were newly diagnosed at the time of our assessment. The usual frequency of headache was once/week in 30/68 [44.2%], once/2 weeks in 22/68 [32.3%] and once/month in 16/68 [23.5%]. Disability was Grade I in 8/68 [11.7%], Grade II in 12/68 [17.6%], Grade III in 30/68 [44.2%] and Grade IV in 18/68 [26.5%]. Most of our cases were unaware of their illness nor they were provided relevant information by their physician regarding migraine and its associated aspects. This study indicates that migraine is under diagnosed in a greater proportion of cases in our region. The headache-related disability caused by migraine adversely affects the quality of life of patients. Unawareness about the disease appears to be the main reason for under diagnosis and increasing disability in our patients