Characterization of Heavy Metals in Vegetables Using Inductive Coupled Plasma Analyzer (ICPA)

The heavy metals or trace elements play an important role in the metabolic pathways during the growth and development of plants, when available in required concentration. The heavy metal concentration ofCadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn) was analyzed using Inductive Coupled Plasma Analyzer (ICPA) (Perkin-Elmer ICP Optima 3300 RL, USA) in 21 vegetables collected from Vegetable Market of Anand town, Gujarat. The vegetables are Lady’s Finger (Abelmoschus esculentus), Onion(Alium sepa), Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), Beat (Brassica oleracea), Chilli (Capsicum annum), Tindora (Coccinia indica), Pattarveli (Colocasia sp.), Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Vetches/Gavar (Cyamopsis soralioides), Bean Pods (Dolichos lablab), Carrot (Ductus carrotus), Ginger (Gingiber officinalis), Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas), Bottle Gourd (Lagernaria vulgaris), Tomato(Lycopersicum esculentum), Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia), Drumstick (Moringa oleifera), Brinjal (Solanum melongena) and Parwar (Trichosanthes dioicea). The high concentration of Cd was found in Onion, Coriander and Cauliflower, while Co and Cu content was recorded high in Cauliflower and Bottle Gourd. On the other hand, highcontent of Fe was observed in Cauliflower and Cucumber. Vetches and Lady’s Finger had shown high concentration of Ni. Cauliflower and Onion showed high amount of Pb. On the other hand, Cucumber and Cauliflower registered maximum content of Zn. The heavy metal concentration in vegetables was within the prescribed safety limits except Fe owing to iron-rich soil of the area. The distribution and characterization of heavy metals in vegetables was studied indetail and discussed in this paper

Richmond City Health District (RCHD), Bon Secours Richmond City Hospital (RCH), and Virginia Commonwealth Universities (VCU) Department of Health Behavior Policy (HBP): Partnering with Community Health Workers (CHW) to Improve Community Health Outcomes and Reduce Emergency Department (ED) Use

Background: Frequent ED users (5%) are sicker, poorer, not satisfied with the health system and cost 20% of total ED charges. Objective: A pilot study of feasibility of partnering with CHW to improve health knowledge and outcomes and reduce ED use in low income community. Methods: RCH ED utilizers were randomized to intervention and control groups. CHW contacted intervention group within 10 days of ED visit, surveyed about access to care, healthy living, and knowledge about chronic disease, and offered education, referrals to insurance and social and economic support. ED utilization and cost were recorded for all patients for 6 months. Preventable ED visits were classified according to Johnston et al1 and high utilizers have 2+ ED visits. Intervention and control characteristics and ED utilizations and cost were described and compared using t-tests, ANOVA, and Chi-square at alpha=0.1. Adjusted analyses were performed using linear and logistic regressions. Results: 91 and 61 randomized to intervention and control with 29 and 23 high utilizers respectively. Drop-in percent of patients with all and preventable ED visits was higher among intervention (12 and 17 percentage points, respectively). 65% of the total ED cost is preventable in the pre-intervention period. That dropped by 17 and 7% in intervention period among the intervention and control groups. The intervention estimated cost savings were $120K. Intervention group had significant improvement in self-reported general health, regular exercise, understanding of health benefits and chronic disease. Conclusions: hospital, academic, and CHW partnership reduces ED utilization and cost and improves health.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1116/thumbnail.jp

Analysis of ankle alignment abnormalities as a risk factor for pediatric flexible flat foot

Majority of paediatric flat feet are flexible and asymptomatic;less than 0.1% of all flat feet are rigid. If these can be diagnosed and managed early, then various complications can be prevented and they will remain asymptomatic. This study was conducted to analyse the ankle rotational malalignments in the natural course of flexible flat foot in children. Seventy-six patients of flexible flat foot and one hundred controls were included in this study. The height of foot arches was judged clinically by inspecting the height of the medial arch and by measuring the arch index on weight-bearing podograms. Tibial torsion and bimalleolar angle were assessed in all subjects. Tibial torsion was assessed in the first twenty subjects (ten cases and ten controls) both by clinical methods (foot-thigh angle) and CT. As no statistical difference in the two methods was observed, tibial torsion was measured by clinical methods only in the remaining subjects. Bimalleolar angle was measured on weight-bearing podograms in all subjects. For a minimum of two years, cases were followed up regularly with a standard conservative protocol and the height of the arches observed. Majority of cases of flexible flat foot were found to have increased tibial torsion and increased foot-bimalleolar angle (high talar spin). The severity of collapse of the medial arch and the response to conservative treatment was found to correlate with these rotational mal-alignments of the ankle. Ankle rotational mal-alignments were seen to make these flexible flat foot deformities more complex and less responsive to conservative treatment.KEY WORDS: Flat foot; Pediatric flat feet; Flexible flat fee

Biochemical modulation in male specimens of Channa punctatus (Bloch) under different habitats and seasons

Studies were undertaken to identify the changes in biochemical parameters including water content, lipid and protein in tissues of liver, testis and muscle of Channa punctatus under natural and captive conditions along with physico-chemical parameters for the period January to December, 2008. Result shows that values of lipid in captive condition in muscle, liver and testis ranged from 1 to 4, 1.98 to 5.57 and 1.25 to 4.40%, respectively while in natural habitat, values ranged from 1 to 5, 1.94 to 5.16 and 1.21 to 5.13%, respectively. Water content in captive condition was observed to be in the range of 74.72 to 80.73, 73.97 to 76.92 and 75.56 to 77.97%, respectively and in natural habitat it varied from 72.65 to 80.70, 71.61 to 76.89 and 72.41 to 77.94%, respectively. An increase in water content was observed towards maturation in testis. Protein content in muscle under captive and natural habitat was in the range of 15.97 to 19.37 and 16.70 to 19.40%, respectively. All parameters showed a significant variation (p<0.01) and significant correlation (p<0.01) among the muscles, liver and testis in specimens under captive as well as natural habitat. Peak spawning period in nature was observed during May to August in captive condition indicating that gonadal development and its cyclicity is influenced by the physico-chemical parameters, food and feeding conditions, environmental factors and other stresses. This study shows that the variation in biochemical changes are influenced by variation in seasons due to physico-chemical parameters of the habitat and perhaps the niche.Key words: Habitat, Channa punctatus, testis, biochemical change, physico-chemical parameter

PLACENTA ACCRETA IN PRIMIGRAVIDA AT PERIPHERAL SETUP – A RARE CASE REPORT

One of the risk factors for maternal mortality is morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) and accounts for 7–10% of maternal mortality cases worldwide. Placenta accreta is the most common type of MAP, while the other two types are placenta increta and placenta percreta. Placenta accrete accounts for 75–80% of MAP. Here, we present a case of 22 years old, primigravida with no known antenatal risk factors, diagnosed to have placenta accreta intraoperatively after delivering health baby. It is extremely rare for MAP to occur in a patient with no prior risk factors in a primigravida. Peripartum hysterectomy is the only option in a limited care facility with a hemodynamically unstable patient without a proper full-fledged blood bank facility. It is once again reiterated that bleeding from the vagina that does not slow or stop, drop in blood pressure and signs of shock are early signs of blood loss and should be investigated with great concern

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 VACCINATION DRIVE: THE PERCEPTIONS AND ACCEPTANCE OF VACCINATION AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection evolved as a worst nightmare across entire humanity especially for health care workers along with all stakeholders of the society ever since the beginning of year 2020. Vaccination campaign is one of the most successful public health interventions and a cornerstone for the prevention of communicable infectious diseases. To have a baseline data and to form the basis for further vaccination drive, we carried out this study with an objective to understand the perception and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs). Methods: A correctional study was carried out at one of the multispecialty hospital in North India where COVID-19 vaccination for HCWs was planned and 675 HCWs were taken into the study. Data were collected by means of personal interview using pretested semi-structured questionnaire and Epi Info version 6 was used for analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.78 years. Majority were male (89.48%), working in government sector (87.7%) and paramedic (88.15%). While 94.67% were accepting vaccine voluntarily while remaining were not confident enough on their own, only 26.96% were ready to take vaccine even on payment. The overall awareness scores of study participants were calculated and found that 79.56% of them had poor awareness level while only 20.44% had satisfactory awareness level. The association of awareness score was statistically significant with job profile (designation), gender, and prior COVID-19 positivity of study participants. Conclusion: The decision of vaccine prioritization to HCWs and frontline workers will boost the morale and spirit of warriors high in future. This study was a preliminary attempt to check any vaccine hesitancy factors among HCWs and act accordingly. Although almost all had volunteered for vaccine, the knowledge about vaccine was poor in majority of HCWs as the time period was recent to vaccine rollout and detailed research findings were not yet out about vaccine. All measures to be taken including intensive information education and communications activities targeting HCWs and general population on regular basis to upgrade the knowledge on vaccine issues. A strong communicating policy in an era of misinformation is highly recommended as social media plays an important role in spreading true as well as false messages jeopardizing the entire gains of successful vaccination and attainment of herd immunity. HCWs to act as role model for general public and patients which would in turn increase the vaccine acceptance among them

Probing top charged-Higgs production using top polarization at the Large Hadron Collider

We study single top production in association with a charged Higgs in the type II two Higgs doublet model at the Large Hadron Collider. The polarization of the top, reflected in the angular distributions of its decay products, can be a sensitive probe of new physics in its production. We present theoretically expected polarizations of the top for top charged-Higgs production, which is significantly different from that in the closely related process of t-W production in the Standard Model. We then show that an azimuthal symmetry, constructed from the decay lepton angular distribution in the laboratory frame, is a sensitive probe of top polarization and can be used to constrain parameters involved in top charged-Higgs production.Comment: 22 pages, 18 Figures, Discussions about backgrounds and NLO corrections added, figures modified, references added, Version published in JHE

6D supergravity without tensor multiplets

We systematically investigate the finite set of possible gauge groups and matter content for N = 1 supergravity theories in six dimensions with no tensor multiplets, focusing on nonabelian gauge groups which are a product of SU(N) factors. We identify a number of models which obey all known low-energy consistency conditions, but which have no known string theory realization. Many of these models contain novel matter representations, suggesting possible new string theory constructions. Many of the most exotic matter structures arise in models which precisely saturate the gravitational anomaly bound on the number of hypermultiplets. Such models have a rigid symmetry structure, in the sense that there are no moduli which leave the full gauge group unbroken.Comment: 31 pages, latex; v2, v3: minor corrections, references adde

Dynamical R-parity Breaking at the LHC

In a class of extensions of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with (B-L)/left-right symmetry that explains the neutrino masses, breaking R-parity symmetry is an essential and dynamical requirement for successful gauge symmetry breaking. Two consequences of these models are: (i) a new kind of R-parity breaking interaction that protects proton stability but adds new contributions to neutrinoless double beta decay and (ii) an upper bound on the extra gauge and parity symmetry breaking scale which is within the large hadron collider (LHC) energy range. We point out that an important prediction of such theories is a potentially large mixing between the right-handed charged lepton ($e^c$) and the superpartner of the right-handed gauge boson ($\widetilde W_R^+$), which leads to a brand new class of R-parity violating interactions of type $\widetilde{\mu^c}^\dagger\nu_\mu^c e^c$ and \widetilde{d^c}^\dagger\u^c e^c. We analyze the relevant constraints on the sparticle mass spectrum and the LHC signatures for the case with smuon/stau NLSP and gravitino LSP. We note the "smoking gun" signals for such models to be lepton flavor/number violating processes: $pp\to \mu^\pm\mu^\pm e^+e^-jj$ (or $\tau^\pm\tau^\pm e^+e^-jj$) and $pp\to\mu^\pm e^\pm b \bar{b} jj$ (or $\tau^\pm e^\pm b \bar{b} jj$) without significant missing energy. The predicted multi-lepton final states and the flavor structure make the model be distinguishable even in the early running of the LHC.Comment: 30 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables, reference adde