Congruity in Quality Indicators and Laboratory Performance

Proficiency of laboratory services is the mainstay in clinical medicine in providing error free diagnostic results. The efficiency of the laboratory needs to be evaluated as per standard international criterion. The quality indicators of the different phases of total testing process are considered the fundamental measurable tool for evaluation of laboratory performance. In order to optimize the laboratory’s proficiency and accreditate it as per international standard in our newly established lab, the study was conducted to evaluate the frequency of errors incurred by laboratory and nonlaboratory professionals during the whole testing process. Retrospective analysis was done for data received from April 2016 to Dec 2016 in our lab. Total number of samples received was 61,674, out of which 43200 samples could be analyzed for quality indicators. Total numbers of tests processed in these samples were 172,800. In the study samples, 26.5% errors were due to pre-analytical factors whereas 9.4% of errors were contributed by analytical phase and 18% by post-analytical phase. Inappropriateness of test requisition was observed to be the major attributing determinant for pre-analytical errors. Instrumentation efficiency in form of frequent breakdown (~7%), greatly affected the proficiency of analytical phase in our lab. 12% of post-analytical errors were ascribed by excessive turn-around-time. However, timeliness of critical value call out and reporting for STAT samples revealed high proficiency up to 97%. High error rates were observed in pre–pre- and pre-analytical phases that also accorded for high error frequency in post analytical phase. This emphasizes urgent need to formulate guidelines for processing all steps of total testing process and initiate strategic measures for reducing risk of errors and increasing patient safety.     

Existence and uniqueness theorem for flow and heat transfer of a non-Newtonian fluid over a stretching sheet

Analysis is carried out to study the existence, uniqueness and behavior of exact solutions of the fourth order nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations arising in the flow and heat transfer of a viscoelastic, electrically conducting fluid past a continuously stretching sheet. The ranges of the parametric values are obtained for which the system has a unique pair of solutions, a double pair of solutions and infinitely many solutions.     

Lignin macromolecule

Lignin is an important constituent of plant materials and the second most abundant renewable polymeric component of biomass. Over 95% of lignin is used presently as an energy source or disposed of as waste. On the other hand, it seems to be an attractive material for modification and use for purposes that increase environmental sustainability. It can provide a number of aromatic chemicals for use in paints, food industry and agriculture. This cheaply available resource must be fully exploited to generate extra revenue for sustainable industrial development and eco-friendly industrial products.     

Sequential Serum Cytokine Levels of TNF-Alpha,IL-4 and IL-12 are Associated with Prognosis in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria

We investigated the prognostic role of TNF-alpha, IL-4 and IL-12 in a clinically well defined group of Plasmodium falciparum infected patients (n = 32) sequentially from Day 0 to Day 10 with a 2 day interval along with a control group of 16 healthy volunteers of same range of age and sex. Infection with malaria is often fatal because mitochondria are unable to generate enough ATP to maintain normal cellular function. ATP deficiency arises in malaria due to an inability of mitochondria through the effects of inflammatory cytokines on their function, to utilize available oxygen. In our study TNF-alpha and IL-12 levels were significantly elevated but IL-4 level showed persistent decline in Day 0, but subsequent measurement in Day 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 showed persistent decline in levels of TNF-alpha and IL-12, an elevation in IL-4 levels which were associated with disease prognosis of the infected patients. These results again provide evidence that cytokines are very much a dominant partner in malaria pathogenesis with a specific prognostic role.     

Prevalence of insulin resistance in first degree relatives of type-2 diabetes mellitus patients: A prospective study in north Indian population

A total of 172 first degree relatives (FDRs) and 178 controls were included in this study. All the cases and controls were subjected to various anthropometric measurements, fasting and postprandial glucose estimation, fasting insulin measurement and fasting lipid profile. Results revealed the prevalence of Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) (cases 37% Vs controls 11.6%), Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) (cases 34.3% Vs controls 11.2%) and diabetes (cases 11.05% controls 3.37%) was significantly higher in first degree relatives. Insulin resistance was measured using various methods, which included fasting plasma insulin (FPI), Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA_IR), insulin sensitivity index (ISI) (Mffm/l). Prevalence of insulin resistance (Insulin Resistance) as observed comparing FPI and HOMA_IR in cases and controls was 43.6% and 11.24% (P=0.005) and 37.8% and 12.47% (P=0.000) respectively. Prevalence of IR (Insulin Resistance) observed in cases having Normal Glucose Tolerance (NGT), Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) and diabetes mellitus measuring FPI Vs HOMA_IR was 37.5% vs 30.2%, 45% vs 40%, 38.98% vs 37.28% and 36.84% vs 31.57% as accordingly. However, ISI (Mffm/l) was not found to be a promising index for IR due to its poor specificity. Though HOMA is taken as gold standard for measurement of IR globally, our study observed fasting plasma insulin representing high sensitivity (89.7%) and specificity (93.3%) as compared to HOMA. Thus FPI had emerged in this work as a simple and reliable test for diagnosing insulin resistance across the population susceptible to develop diabetes including FDRs.     

A distribution of impact factors of journals in the area of software: An empirical study

Data from two bibliographic databases i.e. COMPENDEX and INSPEC have been collected on the broad subject software and related topics. The titles of the journals were extracted from the database. The impact factors of the titles were also collected in order to study the distribution of impact factors. An attempt has been made to identify a suitable model to describe a distribution of impact factors. It has been observed that a Gamma distribution fits the observed data very well with one of the parameters as mean of the distribution and other parameter as 1. Further it has been observed that the researchers are now publishing their articles in high impact factor journals.