Gastric Ultrasound: POCUSing an Intolerant GUT!

How to cite this article: Kothekar AT, Joshi AV. Gastric Ultrasound: POCUSing an Intolerant GUT! Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(9):981–982.     

Investigation on Carbonation and Permeability of Concrete with Rice Hush Ash and Shop Solution Addition

The goal of this study was to determine the coefficient of permeability as well as the rate of carbonation of concrete constructed with rice husk ash (RHA) as a partial replacement for cement (i.e., 5%, 10%, and 15%) and two different concentrations of soap solutions (i.e., 1 percent and 2 percent). The microstructural studies of RHA, and carbonated samples have been conducted by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. According to this study, the carbonation depth of concrete made with 1% and 2% soap solution concentration and without rice husk ash decreased by 11.89% and 46.55%, respectively. From the results, it may also be observed that the carbonation depth of concrete made with up to 10% replacement of cement by rice husk ash led to maximum carbonation resistance, while more than 10% replacement of cement showed higher carbonation depth. It is also observed that the coefficient of permeability of concrete with 2% soap solution significantly decreased as compared to the 1% soap solution and control mix. It may be observed from the SEM images that 0% soap solution (M1) concrete has a very rough concrete surface which may indicate more voids. However, 2% soap solution concrete has a much smoother surface, which indicates a smaller number of voids. Furthermore, the SEM images showed that the soap solution helps in filling the voids of concrete which ultimately helps in reduction in permeability. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) of concrete with 0% (M1) and 2% (M6) soap solution disclosed that the concrete with 2% soap solution (M6) exhibited more silica element formation than the concrete with no soap solution (M1).     

Corneal endothelial protection during manual small-incision cataract surgery: A narrative review

Cataract causes bilateral blindness in 20 million people globally, the vast majority of whom live in developing countries. Manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) has emerged as an efficient and economical alternative to phacoemulsification, giving comparable results in terms of final visual gain. One of the important determinants of postoperative visual gain is the status of the corneal endothelium. Multiple factors such as corneal distortion, irrigation solution turbulence, mechanical trauma by instruments, nuclear fragments, intraocular lens contact, and free oxygen radicals, all have been implicated in causing corneal damage during cataract surgery. MSICS with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation has been reported to cause an endothelial cell loss of 15.83%, which is comparable with other modes of cataract surgery like extracapsular cataract extraction and phacoemulsification. Thorough preoperative assessment of endothelial status and taking necessary steps for endothelial protection during surgery can decrease the endothelial cell loss and overall burden of pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. In addition to surgical techniques, the type of irrigating solutions, ocular viscoelastic devices, intracameral dyes, and drugs all affect the endothelial cell status. This review presents a summary of available literature on the protection of endothelial cells during different steps of MSICS. This is especially relevant for developing countries where large-scale MSICS cataract surgeries are performed to decrease the cataract blindness burden.     

Performance of Sustainable Insulated Wall Panels with Geopolymer Concrete

The increase in the population creates an increased demand for construction activities with eco-friendly, sustainable, and high-performance materials. Insulated concrete form (ICF) is an emerging technology that satisfies the sustainability demands of the construction sector. ICF is a composite material (a combination of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and geopolymer concrete (GPC)) that enhances the performance of concrete (such as thermal insulation and mechanical properties). To investigate the axial strength performance, five different types of prototypes were created and tested. Type I (without reinforcement): (a) hollow EPS without concrete, (b) alternative cells of EPS filled with concrete, (c) and all the cells of EPS filled with concrete; and Type II (with reinforcement): (d) alternative cells of EPS filled with concrete; (e) and all the cells of EPS filled with concrete. Amongst all the five prototypes, two grades of GPC were employed. M15 and M20 grades are used to examine the effectiveness in terms of cost. For comparing the test results, a reference masonry unit was constructed with conventional clay bricks. The main aim of the investigation is to examine the physical and mechanical performance of sandwich-type ICFs. The presence of polystyrene in ICF changes the failure pattern from brittle to ductile. The result from the study reveals that the Type II prototype, i.e., the specimen with all the cells of EPS filled with concrete and reinforcement, possesses a maximum load-carrying capacity greater than the reference masonry unit. Therefore, the proposed ICF is recommended to replace the conventional load-bearing system and non-load-bearing walls.