Marine microalgal extracts on cultivable crops as a considerable bio-fertilizer: A Review

849-854Around the globe, all countries whether developing or developed depend on agriculture. Nowadays due to advances in science and agricultural technology, the usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified crops is increasing day by day to meet the demand of the rising population. This looks helpful to meet our demand but this is a great threat for the future generation as the water and food will be more toxic due to accumulation of pesticides and chemical fertilizers which in turn reduces the soil fertility and contaminate the ground water. Due to this condition, the food web is getting totally collapsed. Because of realization of these problems, people are shifting to organic farming. Current researchers are focusing on terrestrial organic sources for agro production but there are immense sources in the wide marine environment. The marine sources will play a substantial role on agricultural development in the future. Microalgae are the best, as they are cheap, renewable source, easily available and are cultural organisms. Moreover, microalgae contain all the essential nutrients needed for plant growth. The majorities of microalgae are capable to fix the atmospheric nitrogen and are effectively used as bio-fertilizers. This review focuses on the broad overview of bio-fertilizers with special reference on marine derived microalgal bio-fertilizers and its role in increasing crop production by altering various physiochemical parameters of diversified agricultural crops

Biomechanical comparison of short-segment posterior fixation including the fractured level and circumferential fixation for unstable burst fractures of the lumbar spine in a calf spine model

OBJECTIVE There has been a transition from long- to short-segment instrumentation for unstable burst fractures to preserve motion segments. Circumferential fixation allows a stable short-segment construct, but the associated morbidity and complications are high. Posterior short-segment fixation spanning one level above and below the fractured vertebra has led to clinical failures. Augmentation of this method by including the fractured level in the posterior instrumentation has given promising clinical results. The purpose of this study is to compare the biomechanical stability of short-segment posterior fixation including the fractured level (SSPI) to circumferential fixation in thoracolumbar burst fractures. METHODS An unstable burst fracture was created in 10 fresh-frozen bovine thoracolumbar spine specimens, which were grouped into a Group A and a Group B. Group A specimens were instrumented with SSPI and Group B with circumferential fixation. Biomechanical characteristics including range of motion (ROM) and load-displacement curves were recorded for the intact and instrumented specimens using Universal Testing Device and stereophotogrammetry. RESULTS In Group A, ROM in flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and axial rotation was reduced by 46.9%, 52%, 49.3%, and 45.5%, respectively, compared with 58.1%, 46.5%, 66.6%, and 32.6% in Group B. Stiffness of the construct was increased by 77.8%, 59.8%, 67.8%, and 258.9% in flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and axial rotation, respectively, in Group A compared with 80.6%, 56.1%, 82.6%, and 121.2% in Group B; no statistical difference between the two groups was observed. CONCLUSIONS SSPI has comparable stiffness to that of circumferential fixation

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Enhanced sensitivity of cancer cell using one dimensional nano composite material coated photonic crystal

We theoretically analyze the detection of a cancer cell in the one-dimensional photonic crystal by infiltrating different sample cells in the cavity layer. The defect modes appear in their transmission spectra only if the nanocomposite layers are included on either side of the cavity layer. This analysis is carried out by a dielectric constant and the transmittance peak of the cancer cell is compared with the normal cell. The transmittance peak shifts are analyzed with various filling factors for optimization purposes. Through the shifting spectrum, the sensitivity of cancer cell from the normal cell is obtained from a minimum of 42 nm/RIU to a maximum of 43 nm/RIU

The assessment of insight across cultures

The assessment of insight is a part of the routine clinical examination for people with mental illness. Such assessment, by psychiatrists, is based on the current definitions of insight, which rely on western notions of health and illness. This paper discusses the recent findings of illness perspectives of people with a variety of physical diseases and mental disorders from India. Studies on insight in schizophrenia and bipolar disorders also examined explanatory models of illness among patients, relatives, and the general population. The findings argue for the fact that the assessment of insight should be against the local cultural standards rather than universal yardsticks. The assessment of insight should evaluate awareness, attribution, and action. People with psychosis who are able to re-label their psychotic experience, offer non-delusional explanations for changes in themselves, which correspond to beliefs about illness held by the subculture, admit to the need for restitution, and seek locally available help, can be said to possess insight. The results recommend the use of universal conventions to assess insight in people with psychosis rather than the use of uniform criteria