Laboratory analytical turnaround time is a reliable indicator of laboratory effectiveness. Our study aimed to evaluate laboratory analytical turnaround time in our laboratory and appraise the contribution of the different phases of analysis towards the same. The turn around time (TAT) for all the samples (both routine and emergency) for the outpatient and hospitalized patients were evaluated for one year. TAT was calculated from sample reception to report dispatch. The average TAT for the clinical biochemistry samples was 5.5 h for routine inpatient samples while the TAT for the outpatient samples was 24 h. The turnaround time for stat samples was 1 h. Pre-and Postanalytical phases were found to contribute approximately 75% to the total TAT. The TAT demonstrates the need for improvement in the pre-and post-analytical periods. We need to tread the middle path to perform optimally according to clinician expectations.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 90 % of malignant lesions of oral cavity. The study assessed the potential of Cyfra 21-1 as a tumor marker in OSCC. The study included 50 patients of OSCC to evaluate levels of Cyfra 21-1 in serum and saliva by electrochemiluminescent immunoassay (ECLIA) and CK19 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in tissue by florescent quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) along with healthy individuals as control. The salivary and serum Cyfra 21-1 levels in patients of OSCC were significantly higher compared to controls (p value < 0.01). There was a 2.75-fold increase in CK19 mRNA expression in OSCC cases compared to controls. A significant positive correlation was found between serum and salivary Cyfra 21-1, serum Cyfra 21-1, and CK19 mRNA expression and between salivary Cyfra 21-1 and CK19 mRNA expression. Among these, correlation between serum and salivary Cyfra 21-1 was highly significant. Salivary and serum Cyfra 21-1 showed significantly elevated levels in grade II OSCC compared to grade I histopathologically. Elevated levels of salivary Cyfra 21-1 were associated with recurrence in OSCC patients. Reverse operating curve constructed using 3 ng/ml as a cutoff for serum Cyfra 21-1 revealed the sensitivity and specificity to be 88 and 78.2 %, respectively. Using a cutoff value of 8.5 ng/ml for salivary Cyfra 21-1, the sensitivity was found to be 93.8 % and specificity 84.3 %. We advocate salivary Cyfra 21-1 as a better diagnostic marker over serum Cyfra 21-1 as well as a potential marker in the prognosis of OSCC.
The creep behavior of a rotating disc made of isotropic composite containing varying amounts of silicon carbide in the radial direction has been investigated in the presence of a thermal gradient, also in the radial direction. The variation of silicon carbide content has been so tailored as to contain larger amounts of particles in a highly stressed region. This type of inhomogeneous material is known as Functionally Graded Material (FGM). The thermal gradient experienced by the disc is the result of braking action as estimated by FEM analysis. The creep behavior of the disc under stresses developing due to rotation has been determined following Sherby’s law and compared with that of a similar disc following Norton’s law. The difference in the distribution of stresses and strain rates in the discs does not follow any definite trend but the values are somewhat different. The presence of thermal gradient and a linear particle gradient separately or their simultaneous presence result in a significant decrease in steady state creep rates as compared to that in a composite disc with the same average particle content (20 vol %) distributed uniformly and operating under isothermal condition. Further, the study revealed that the creep behavior of a FGM disc could be significantly improved by increasing the gradient of particle distribution while keeping the same average particle content of 20 vol % silicon carbide in the disc.
Hemp fibre reinforced polyethylene (fresh and recycled) composite is manufactured by injection moulding technique for varying fiber contents from 10% to 30%. Tensile and flexural tests are conducted on composite specimens in accordance to ASTM D638 and ASTM D790 standards respectively. The results obtained are compared with specimens made of 100% fresh HDPE and mixture of virgin and recycled HDPE (50% each). The tensile strength of hemp fiber composite decreases respectively by 0.53 MPa to 2.20 MPa with the increase in hemp content from 10% to 30% when compared with specimen made of 50% fresh and 50% recycled HDPE. The flexural strength of composite containing 10% and 30% hemp fiber are reduced respectively by 3.82 MPa and 4.99 MPa when compared with specimen made of 50% fresh and 50% recycled HDPE. Investigation of tensile fractured surface reveals that the fiber delamination, fiber tensile fracture and poor interfacial adhesion between hemp fiber and HDPE matrix are mainly responsible for poor tensile strength of the composite.
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