Wernicke Encephalopathy in an Elderly Patient Due to Chronic Malnutrition From an Atypical Diet.

Wernicke encephalopathy has traditionally been associated with chronic alcohol abuse leading to thiamine deficiency. Clinical symptoms include mentation change, gait ataxia, and oculomotor abnormalities. However, it is often an underdiagnosed condition in patients suffering from chronic malnutrition, especially in the West. We examine a unique case of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy in an elderly patient. The patient had a long history of chronic malnutrition due to her atypical diet, consuming an unbalanced diet deprived of thiamine, unbeknownst to her. She presented with symptoms of encephalopathy, recurrent falls, and pupillary changes. After exhausting all other therapeutic interventions, she received a thiamine infusion; her mentation and other symptoms improved dramatically.  Thiamine deficiency can lead to severe complications, including Wernicke encephalopathy and cardiomyopathy. Wernicke encephalopathy can progress to Korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by amnesia and confabulation. Case reports, such as ours, may remind clinicians to keep thiamine deficiency as a viable differential while evaluating acute encephalopathy, especially in the malnourished geriatric population.

Interlayer Hybridization of Virgin Carbon, Recycled Carbon and Natural Fiber Laminates.

To meet sustainability objectives in the transport sector, natural fiber (NF) and recycled carbon fiber (RCF) have been developed, although they have been typically limited to low to medium performance components. This work has considered the effect of interlayer hybridization of woven NF and non-woven RCF with woven virgin carbon fibers (VCF) on the mechanical and damping performance of hybrid laminates, produced using double bag vacuum infusion (DBVI). The mean damping ratio of the pure laminates showed a trend of NF>RCF>VCF, which was inversely proportional to their modulus. The tensile, flexural and damping properties of hybrid laminates were dominated by the outermost ply. The VCF-RCF and VCF-NF hybrid laminates showed a comparatively greater mean damping ratio. The results of this work demonstrate a method for the uptake of alternative materials with a minimal impact on the mechanical properties and improved damping performance.