Latest news with #CIP
Medscape
3 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
How a Painless Patient Fooled Every Monitor
A man in his 30s with congenital indifference to pain with anosmia (CIP) presented to a tertiary centre for elective biopsy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Post-operatively, the patient developed intermittent tachycardia, hypertension, and pyrexia. A case report by Thomas French, MD, research fellow in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, England, documented a rare case of congenital pain insensitivity. The Patient and His History The patient presented for an elective endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy (EBUS) of a lesion in his right middle bronchus and video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection for two nodules in his right lung. He had undergone excision and adjuvant radical radiotherapy of a pT3 N0 M0 sarcoma on the right side of his neck 4 years earlier. Forty-six months later, a chest x-ray revealed a 9 mm nodule in the apical segment of his right lung. His past medical history was notable for CIP with anosmia and a host of related hospital presentations, including poorly healing ulcers, scoliosis, Staphylococcus discitis , and infected soft tissue injuries. On one occasion, he presented to the emergency department after feeling a painless 'popping' sensation in his left arm and was diagnosed with a biceps tendon rupture. Imaging revealed widespread skeletal degeneration. His condition had first come to his attention after scalding himself while working as a plumber. He had not noticed the injury until later. Subsequent genetic sequencing led to the diagnosis of CIP. He had not required analgesia following his previous surgeries but had experienced autonomic responses to pain, characterised by tachycardia, hypertension, and pyrexia. Findings and Diagnosis During EBUS, a lesion was observed at the bifurcation of the right middle and lower lobes. A VATS wedge resection of the right upper and lower lobes was performed, and three tissue samples — from the lesion, the upper lobe, and the lower lobe — were sent for histopathology. Intraoperatively, the patient's blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate remained stable, with no autonomic responses to surgical stimuli. He underwent EBUS of the lesion located at the bifurcation of his right middle and right lower lobes and VATS wedge resections of the right upper lobe and right lower lobe. Three samples were sent for histopathologic analysis: biopsied lesion, upper lobe wedge, and lower lobe wedge. The patient displayed no autonomic response to the primary incision while under general anaesthesia: his blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate remained constant throughout the entire operation, from the induction of anaesthesia onward. Post-operatively, the patient was started on an oxycodone patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) regime. He exhibited intermittent tachycardia, hypertension, and low-grade pyrexia in the immediate post-operative period, which resolved following administration of an opioid bolus. The PCA was stopped at 8 hours post-operatively, as he was feeling nauseous after each bolus without any analgesic benefit. As with the intravenous opioid, oral opioids and oral paracetamol in the immediate post-operative period successfully resolved the patient's tachycardia, blood pressure elevation, and pyrexia. His chest drain was removed one day after surgery, and he was discharged on the second post-operative day. Four days after the surgery, the patient was readmitted because of fever, cough, and some small-volume purulent discharge from his drain site. A repeat chest x-ray was unremarkable, and a wound swab was negative. He was empirically treated with 24 hours of intravenous antibiotics and given a short, 4-day oral course to complete at home. The team felt that a lower threshold for treating infection would be appropriate, given his diagnosis of CIP. He was discharged one day after readmission and made a good recovery. Histopathology of the lesion biopsy at the bifurcation of the right middle and lower lobe bronchus was consistent with metastatic synovial carcinoma. The same finding was reported for a nodule contained within the right upper lobe wedge. The histopathology of the lower lobe wedge was unremarkable. He was referred back to the sarcoma multidisciplinary team and underwent radiotherapy for the lower lobe nodule. Discussion 'CIP encompasses a wide range of overlapping and poorly understood phenotypes. Patient analgesic requirements are likely to vary significantly from patient to patient, but opioids can be useful in controlling the autonomic response to painful stimuli,' the authors wrote.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
$15b Murchison Green Hydrogen project to begin construction in early 2027, ammonia production in 2030
A major onshore wind and solar energy project bound for the Mid West town of Kalbarri is set to begin construction in late 2026 or early 2027, after the completion of early engineering, design work and environmental approvals. Backed by global investment powerhouse Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the $15 billion Murchison Green Hydrogen project is set to become one of Australia's biggest renewable energy developments. Murchison Green Hydrogen CEO Shohan Seneviratne provided an update on the project while in Geraldton this week for the Mid West Economic Forum, promising that the company was listening to and heeding community concerns. Located at Murchison House pastoral station, 13km north-east of Kalbarri, the controversial development will comprise up to 550 wind turbines, 10,000ha of solar panels, a desalination plant and a green hydrogen hub. These will generate and store green ammonia for international export. At full scale, the project will include up to 6GW of renewable energy generation, 3GW of electrolysis, and the production of about 1.9 million tonnes a year of green ammonia. A dedicated marine export terminal — featuring offshore vessel mooring and liquid ammonia transfer infrastructure — will be built about 2.5km off the coast. Development costs were being covered by CIP through its Energy Transition Fund, the world's largest green hydrogen fund. In March, the Federal Government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency also announced $814 million for the project under the Hydrogen Headstart program. The funds will only be paid once production is under way and sales occur. Mr Seneviratne said construction would begin after a final investment decision, expected by the end of 2026 or early 2027. 'Construction for the whole project is approximately five years,' he said. 'Early production will start about the three-year mark, but full production will start at about five years.' The company has promised to inject $3m annually into local training, education and infrastructure under a community benefit sharing program, totalling about $100m over the project's life. At its peak, the project will employ 3600 construction workers, prompting concern from the Shire of Northampton which says the town cannot accommodate a workforce of that size. Mr Seneviratne said a self-contained workers camp would be built onsite. 'Not just accommodation, but dining, medical and recreational facilities — to ensure that we don't impact Kalbarri's services,' he said. For the operational workforce, which could be up to 600 people, Mr Seneviratne said they were doing a comprehensive social impact assessment and planned to work with the shire on its expansion plans for the region. In April, more than 30 protesters gathered outside the Kalbarri Sport and Recreation Centre, holding signs like 'hands off our coast' and 'truck off MGH' amid concerns the development would damage the town's tourism and environment. 'With projects of this scale, you're always going to have differing opinions,' Mr Seneviratne said. 'We've been engaging with the community to understand all those opinions and perspectives and incorporate them into the design.' He said MGH had been conducting environmental studies for more than three years — covering flora, fauna, vegetation and marine habitats — with findings to be publicly released via the WA Environmental Protection Authority later this year With other major green hydrogen projects in Australia scaling back, including billionaire Andrew Forrest's energy company Fortescue, Mr Seneviratne said several factors set the Murchison apart. 'It's not just that it's very windy — it's high-quality wind at night and strong solar during the day, allowing continuous, stable production,' he said. 'Being fully funded to final investment decision also means we can take a long-term view and optimise everything accordingly.'
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Union Cabinet approves global potato research center in Agra: What is the significance?
The Union Cabinet approved a proposal on Wednesday (June 25) to set up a regional wing of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP), a premier research-for-development organisation with a focus on the potato and sweet potato. The proposed CIP-South Asia Regional Center (CSARC) will come up at Singna in Agra district, and cater not only to farmers in India's potato belt states, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, but also to South Asian countries. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 20, urging him to direct ministry officials to facilitate the early establishment of the center. Here is what to know. Headquartered in Lima, Peru, the CIP was founded in 1971 with a focus on the potato, sweet potato and Andean roots and tubers. Notably, the potato crop is native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes in Latin America, and was spread across the globe by the Spaniards and the Portuguese who colonised the continent. Potatoes reached India in the 17th century. The CIP is engaged in South America, Africa and Asia. It commenced its work in India in 1975, signing an initial agreement for cooperation on potatoes and sweet potatoes with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). What functions will it carry out? The Union Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a proposal from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to establish the CSARC. 'The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition,' an official statement said. The CSARC will focus on the development of new varieties which will be climate resilient, disease-free, and suitable for processing. It will bring global science expertise, an extensive global innovation network and global genetic resources, sources said. The entire project costs Rs 171 crore, with India contributing Rs 111.5 crore and the remaining Rs 60 crore funded by the CIP. The UP government has provided 10 hectares of land for it. Why is the move significant? The potato is the third most available food crop in the world, after rice and wheat, while sweet potato is in the 6th position after maize and cassava. Though India is the second largest potato producer in the world, followed by China, its average yield is 25 tonnes per hectare — about half of its potential of over 50 tonnes per hectare. India's sweet potato yield is just 11.5 tonnes per hectare, which is much less than the potential of 30 tonnes per hectare. With the establishment of the CSARC, India will have access to the largest global collection of germplasm (the cells or tissues from which a new organism can be generated) available with the CIP, a source said. 'Establishment of this center will boost domestic potato seed production, thereby reducing India's dependence on seed imports from neighbouring countries', the source added. It will also help increase the potential for exporting the potato and sweet potato products from India to international markets, and aid local food processing industries in increasing investments in processing and value addition. Is this the first time that a wing is being established outside Peru? The proposed Agra center comes eight years after China set up a similar CIP wing. Known as the China Center for Asia Pacific (CCCAP), it was established in Yanqing, Beijing, in 2017. The center serves China, East Asia and the Pacific regions. The proposed CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported the establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi. China is the top potato producer and consumer in the world, followed by India. In 2020, China's production was recorded at 78.24 million tonnes, while India produced 51.30 million tonnes. Both countries together accounted for over one-third of the global potato production (359.07 million tonnes). In India, Uttar Pradesh (15 million tonnes), West Bengal (15 million tonnes) and Bihar (9 million tonnes) were the top three potato producers in 2020-21. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab also have significant production. As of now, at least two different ICAR centres work on tuber crops. While the Shimla-based ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute) is working on the potato, the Thiruvananthapuram-based ICAR-CTCRI (Central Tuber Crops Research Institute) is working on the sweet potato. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
Hans India
7 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Cabinet nod for world potato centre in Agra
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the establishment of the International Potato Centre's (CIP) South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) at Singna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The Peru-based premier research-for-development organisation focuses on potato and sweet potato. The UP government has already provided 10 hectares of land for the project as the Centre will invest Rs 111 crore. The Centre is expected to serve farmers, not only in potato-belt states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, but also cater to South Asian countries. "The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition," said a statement.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Rehabilitation plan for coalfield fire victims, Pune Metro get nod
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved three development projects, including the extension of the Pune Metro, a revised rehabilitation plan for displaced families of the Jharia coalfields in Jharkhand, and the establishment of the International Potato Centre's regional centre in Agra. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefs the media on cabinet decisions in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI) Addressing a press conference, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Pune currently has 33.3km of operational metro lines, with another 33km under construction. The ₹ 3,626 crore project for Pune Metro Line Phase 2 will extend the metro route by 12.75km, adding 13 new stations to boost the east-west connectivity across the city. Two elevated corridors, Vanaz to Chandani Chowk and Ramwadi to Wagholi, as extensions of the existing Vanaz-Ramwadi line are aimed at linking key suburbs, IT hubs, and transport nodes across the city. 'Systematic efforts have been made to modernise urban transport in Pune,' Vaishnaw said, adding that metro connectivity, which was limited to just five cities before 2014, has now expanded to 24 cities, with daily ridership rising from 2.8 million to 11 million. The Centre also approved the ₹ 5,940 crore revised master plan to deal with the rehabilitation of the affected families in Jharia coalfield fire in Jharkhand. 'The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the revised Jharia Master Plan (JMP) for addressing issues related to fire, land subsidence and the rehabilitation of affected families in the Jharia coalfield,' a statement issued by the government said. The government also cleared a proposal to set up the South Asia regional research centre of the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Agra entailing financial support of ₹ 111.5 crore. The objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers' income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition, a government statement said. Vaishnaw said that research at the regional centre will focus on seed production, pest management, sustainable production, and training of Uttar Pradesh government has already allocated 10 acres for the research centre. Headquartered in Lima, Peru, the International Potato Center (CIP) focuses on research and development of potato, sweet potato and Andean roots and tubers.
