Spectrum of Congenital Anomalies among Surgical Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre over 4 Years

Introduction. Congenital anomalies are important causes of childhood death, chronic illness, and disability in many countries. Congenital malformations are rapidly emerging as one of the major worldwide problems. Aim. To study the percentage of various congenital anomalies among the patients admitted in Department of Pediatric Surgery at a tertiary care centre over a period of four years from 2011 to 2015 in our centre. Results. Neural tube defects were found to be the most common anomalies in 24.3% of the children admitted. Other common anomalies were anorectal malformation (20.7%), tracheoesophageal fistula (20%), and intestinal obstruction (14.84%). Majority (60.5%) of the patients were males. Conclusion. Congenital malformations are rapidly emerging as one of the major worldwide problems as they can result in long-term disability, which may have significant impacts on individuals, families, health-care systems, and societies. Regular antenatal visits and prenatal diagnosis are recommended for prevention, early intervention, and even planned termination, when needed

Superconducting Properties of Topological Semimetal 1TT-RhSeTe

Platinum-group transition-metal dichalcogenides have emerged as a subject of considerable interest in condensed matter physics due to their remarkable topological properties and unconventional superconducting behavior. In this study, we report the synthesis and superconducting characteristics of a new Dirac-type topological semimetallic compound 1$T$-RhSeTe. It shows type-II superconductivity with a superconducting transition temperature of 4.72 K and a high upper critical field. The coexistence of superconductivity and topological properties makes it a prime candidate for hosting topological superconductivity.Comment: 8 oages, 7 figure

Superconducting ground state study of valence skip compound AgSnSe2_2

The valence-skipped superconductors are natural candidates for unconventional superconductivity, as they can exhibit a negative effective, attractive interaction for electron-pairing. This work reports comprehensive XRD, magnetization, specific heat and muon spin rotation and relaxation measurements ($\mu$SR) on a valence-skipped compound: AgSnSe$_2$. The temperature dependence of the electronic specific heat ($C_{el}(T)$) and of the upper critical field ($H_{c2}(T)$) provide evidence of two-gap superconductivity, which is also confirmed by our transverse-field $\mu$SR measurements. Our zero-field $\mu$SR measurements suggest preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting ground state of AgSnSe$_2$.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Congenital Lumbar Hernia: A 15-Year Experience at a Single Tertiary Centre

Aim. Congenital lumbar hernia is an uncommon anomaly with only few cases reported in the English literature. This study was done to study the incidence, age at presentation, sex, associated anomalies, surgical management, and postoperative morbidity and mortality of congenital lumbar hernia in pediatric patients. Methods. Retrospective analysis of all patients of CLH over a period of 15 years (January 2000 to December 2015) was analyzed. Results. A total of 14 patients were encountered in this series. All presented within first 2 years of age. 12 were males and 2 were females. All of them presented with swelling in lumbar region. 13 were unilateral and 1 was bilateral. Left sided hernia was observed in 2 cases only. Lumbocostovertebral syndrome was found in all the patients in addition to other rare anomalies. All cases were managed with open surgical repair. Wound infection was seen in 2 cases. There was no mortality in our series. Conclusion. CLH is very rare among hernias. Surgery should be carried out within 1 year of age. For a defect of <5 cm, primary repair is done. For a defect of >5 cm, meshplasty should be considered. Prognosis is excellent

Stakeholders Perceptions of Barriers to Precision Medicine Adoption in the United States

Despite evidence that precision medicine (PM) results in improved patient care, the broad adoption and implementation has been challenging across the United States (US). To better understand the perceived barriers associated with PM adoption, a quantitative survey was conducted across five stakeholders including medical oncologists, surgeons, lab directors, payers, and patients. The results of the survey reveal that stakeholders are often not aligned on the perceived challenges with PM awareness, education and reimbursement, with there being stark contrast in viewpoints particularly between clinicians, payers, and patients. The output of this study aims to help raise the awareness that misalignment on the challenges to PM adoption is contributing to broader lack of implementation that ultimately impacts patients. With better understanding of stakeholder viewpoints, we can help alleviate the challenges by focusing on multi-disciplinary education and awareness to ultimately improve patient outcomes