CASE REPORT: Chorangiophagus Parasiticus: A Rare Case Report

Malformations are common in twin pregency compared to singleton pregnancy. One such rare anomaly is Chorangiophagus parasiticus also known as twin to twin transfusion which is an asymmetric abnormality of monozygotic twins, where asymmetric twin survive by parasitisizing normal twin. It’s a rare condition with an incidence of 1 in 35.000 deliveries. We report such a case with complete autopsy findings

Emotional Disorders, Dispositional Mindfulness, and Mediating Role of Acceptance in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

‘For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is, let it rain.’ ( Longfellow, 1906 ) Mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and stress, affect a sizable proportion of university students. Yet, little is known regarding the incidence of mental health issues among Indian university students. These mental health issues are generally caused by a range of factors, including academic demands, interpersonal connections ( Steptoe, 2007 ), future prospects, competitive exams, peer pressure, and professional considerations ( Beiter et al., 2015 ). One of the most important mental health problems impacting a large population across India and the world is depression, leading to physical diseases, suicidal thoughts, and suicide, among other negative outcomes ( Gururaj et al., 2016 ). According to the NCRB Report, 2021, the two age groups most susceptible to suicide were between 18 and 30 and 30 and 44. Suicide rates in both age categories were 34.5% and 31.7%, respectively. Family issues (3,233 victims), romantic relationships (1,495 victims), and illness (1,408 victims) were the three leading factors in suicides below 18 years of age, while the victims that were either students or unemployed made up 8.0% (13,089 victims) and 8.4% (13,714 victims) of all suicides, respectively. The objectives of this study were to understand and add to the body of knowledge on the role of mindfulness concerning depression, anxiety, and stress amongst university students; the role of mindfulness concerning avoidant behaviours amongst university students; and the mediating role of acceptance in the relationship between mindfulness and depression, anxiety, and stress amongst university students. The results of the study revealed that depression, experiential avoidance, and mindfulness are all strongly and negatively connected. The study discovered a strong correlation between experiential avoidance and depression, anxiety, and stress (psychological distress). Mindfulness had a considerable impact on the mediator, experiential avoidance, which was postulated

Parallelizing IDARC on a massively-parallel SIMD computer

The software package IDARC (Inelastic Damage Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures) performs two-dimensional non-linear analysis of 3D building systems subjected to seismic loads. At the heart of this program lies an equation solver for solving a system of differential equations. Since the structure typically responds in the inelastic range under seismic loads, the global stiffness matrix has to be updated regularly, requiring a new system of equations to be solved each time. The system of equations is expressed in the form [A]{x} = {b}, where matrix [A] is symmetric, positive-definite, and banded. The solution of this system of linear equations turns out to be the most computationally-intensive step. In this study, sequential and parallel algorithms and implementations of Cholesky Decomposition and Gaussian Elimination on dense as well as sparse systems are explored. Empirical results and experience presented here are for the MasPar computer which is an 8192-processor, mesh-connected, SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) machine

Evaluation of outcomes of 5cm all-around mesh reinforcement after endoscopic component separation and midline closure during laparoscopic ventral hernia repair

Background: To evaluate the short term recurrence, pain scores, infection rates and cost factors by using 5cm all around composite mesh reinforcement of the closed defect after endoscopic video-assisted component separation for large ventral hernia repair. Methods: All patients who were clinically assessed to have large (≥5cm diameter of defect) midline ventral hernia underwent an abdominal CT as per protocol to calculate the Component Separation Index and were subjected to endoscopic video-assisted component separation. Next laparoscopy is done, hernial contents were reduced with adhesiolysis and midline defect is closed vertically with VLoc sutures, under physiologic tension. The closed suture line is reinforced with a mesh having a 5cm all round overlap irrespective of the original hernia defect. Results: A total of 30 patients were operated. Over a follow up period ranging from 3-18 months there were no recurrences, no surgical site infection, no seroma formation, no mesh infection, fewer tackers were required resulting in more favorable pain scores. Due to smaller mesh and fewer tackers there was significant cost reduction per case. Conclusion: Endoscopic component separation technique is useful in tension less large midline ventral hernia repair. Only 5cm all around mesh reinforcement of midline closure is required thus significantly cutting down the cost of surgery with excellent patient outcome

Treatment of newly diagnosed paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on BFM-based chemotherapy protocol: Feasibility and outcome from a tertiary care center in India

Background: Data on outcomes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who are on Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM)-based chemotherapy protocol is scarce from India. We share experience on the survival of children with ALL treated on the modified IC BFM 2002 protocol. Methods: Children (1–18 years) diagnosed with ALL between January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2021 at BLK-MAX Super Specialty Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were treated with modified IC BFM 2002 protocol. Data on the type of leukaemia, risk status, minimal residual disease (MRD), cytogenetic, and molecular genetics were collected. Disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Results: Hundred (88 B-cell, 12 T-cell) patients with ALL were evaluated. The median age at presentation was 6.5 years. According to the BFM risk stratification, 35 children were standard-risk, 45 were intermediate and 20 were high-risk. Bone marrow aspiration for MRD by flow cytometry on day 33 of induction chemotherapy was performed in 61 patients. One patient died on day 50 of induction. Day 78 MRD was performed in 60 patients. Day 78 MRD positivity was used for treatment escalation. There were 18 deaths. DFS as on 1st July 2023 for standard, intermediate and high-risk patients was 89%, 85% and 55% respectively. Overall survival in all risk groups was 82%. Conclusion: Treating childhood ALL with BFM-based chemotherapy protocol is feasible in developing countries without major modifications and with results comparable to those reported in Western literature

Agricultural Waste and Wastewater as Feedstock for Bioelectricity Generation Using Microbial Fuel Cells: Recent Advances

In recent years, there has been a significant accumulation of waste in the environment, and it is expected that this accumulation may increase in the years to come. Waste disposal has massive effects on the environment and can cause serious environmental problems. Thus, the development of a waste treatment system is of major importance. Agro-industrial wastewater and waste residues are mainly rich in organic substances, lignocellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and they have a relatively high amount of energy. As a result, an effective agro-waste treatment system has several benefits, including energy recovery and waste stabilization. To reduce the impact of the consumption of fossil energy sources on our planet, the exploitation of renewable sources has been relaunched. All over the world, efforts have been made to recover energy from agricultural waste, considering global energy security as the final goal. To attain this objective, several technologies and recovery methods have been developed in recent years. The microbial fuel cell (MFC) is one of them. This review describes the power generation using various types of agro-industrial wastewaters and agricultural residues utilizing MFC. It also highlights the techno-economics and lifecycle assessment of MFC, its commercialization, along with challenges