Appropriateness of perioperative antibiotics in thyroid surgery

Background: Most of the guidelines do not recommend routine antibiotics prophylaxis in clean head and neck surgery like thyroidectomy. In contrary to the recommendation, antibiotics are being routinely prescribed in perioperative period for various duration in many centers of Nepal. This study was aimed to find out the need of postoperative antibiotics in surgeries for thyroid related problems. Methods: Records of all patients who had undergone surgery for thyroid related problems from Jan, 2019 to Sept, 2022 were retrospectively reviewed for patterns of antibiotic use, apart from preincision antibiotic, in postoperative period which was classified as group A – no antibiotics, group B – shorter course of antibiotics (≤3 days) and group C – longer course of antibiotics (>3 days). The occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI) was recorded. Results: During the study period, 77 patients underwent surgery for thyroid related problems, out of which five were excluded (records not found in four cases and one patient was ASA III). Two out of 72 (2.77 %) patients developed superficial incisional SSI which was managed conservatively. One patient in each group A (50) and group B (8) developed SSI. Conclusion: Postoperative antibiotics can be avoided safely even in our setup in clean head and neck surgeries like thyroidectomy without increase in the risk of SSI thus reducing the cost to the patients. &nbsp

Status of Perinatal Mortality in Karnali Academy of Health Sciences, Jumla Nepal

Introduction: Perinatal mortality rate is a sensitive indicator of the quality of obstetric and pediatric health services. It also helps us to evaluate the efficiency of health care provided by a particular hospital. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cause of perinatal death in a tertiary care medical centre, which may help to reduce the incidence of perinatal death and improve the quality of care. Methods: The two-year retrospective study of perinatal deaths was done at Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS), Jumla from March 2017 to April 2019. Data was collected from monthly perinatal audit and annual mortality reviews. Registers in the maternity ward, sick Neonate Care Unit, and files of dead newborns kept in the record section of the hospital were studied and reviewed. Results: A total of 1354 deliveries were conducted in the 24 months period at KAHS with a perinatal mortality rate of 36.08 per 1000 total birth and early neonatal death rate of 12.8 per 1000 live birth. The Perinatal mortality was higher in low birth weight and premature baby. The cause of stillbirth and early Neonatal death were identified. Most of the early neonatal death was due to Prematurity (41.17%) followed by Birth Asphyxia and Neonatal Sepsis. Conclusion: Prematurity and its related complication were the most common cause of early neonatal death followed by birth Asphyxia and Neonatal Sepsis. There is a need to improve antenatal, early identification of high-risk pregnancy as well as Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to further reduce deaths due to prematurity and birth asphyxia. Keywords: Perinatal Mortality Rate; Early Neonatal Mortality Rate; Rural Areas; Jumla DOI: http://doi.org/10.3126/jkahs.v2i2.2517

Graphene-Infused Hybrid Biobattery–Supercapacitor Powered by Wastewater for Sustainable Energy Innovation

Human society annually produces nearly 100 billion gallons of wastewater, containing approximately 3600 GWh of energy. This study introduces a proof of concept utilizing graphene materials to extract and instantly store this energy. A hybrid device, mimicking a microbial fuel cell, acts as both a battery and supercapacitor. Wastewater serves as the electrolyte, with indigenous microorganisms on the graphene electrode acting as biocatalysts. The device features a capacitive electrode using a 3D nickel foam modified with a plasma-exfoliated graphene mixture. Compared to controls, the Gr/Ni configuration shows a 150-fold increase in power output (2.58 W/m2) and a 48-fold increase in current density (12 A/m2). The Gr/Ni/biofilm interface demonstrates outstanding charge storage capability (19,400 F/m2) as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Microscopy, spectroscopy, and electrochemical tests were employed to elucidate the superior performance of Gr/Ni electrodes. Ultimately, the capacitive energy extracted from wastewater can power small electrical equipment in water infrastructure, addressing energy needs in remote regions without access to a typical power grid

Electricity from lignocellulosic substrates by thermophilic Geobacillus species

Abstract Given our vast lignocellulosic biomass reserves and the difficulty in bioprocessing them without expensive pretreatment and fuel separation steps, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass directly into electricity would be beneficial. Here we report the previously unexplored capabilities of thermophilic Geobacillus sp. strain WSUCF1 to generate electricity directly from such complex substrates in microbial fuel cells. This process obviates the need for exogenous enzymes and redox mediator supplements. Cyclic voltammetry and chromatography studies revealed the electrochemical signatures of riboflavin molecules that reflect mediated electron transfer capabilities of strain WSUCF1. Proteomics and genomics analysis corroborated that WSUCF1 biofilms uses type-II NADH dehydrogenase and demethylmenaquinone methyltransferase to transfer the electrons to conducting anode via the redox active pheromone lipoproteins localized at the cell membrane

Atomic layers of graphene for microbial corrosion prevention

Graphene is a promising material for many biointerface applications in engineering, medical, and life-science domains. Here, we explore the protection ability of graphene atomic layers to metals exposed to aggressive sulfate-reducing bacteria implicated in corrosion. Although the graphene layers on copper (Cu) surfaces did not prevent the bacterial attachment and biofilm growth, they effectively restricted the biogenic sulfide attack. Interestingly, single-layered graphene (SLG) worsened the biogenic sulfide attack by 5-fold compared to bare Cu. In contrast, multilayered graphene (MLG) on Cu restricted the attack by 10-fold and 1.4-fold compared to SLG-Cu and bare Cu, respectively. We combined experimental and computational studies to discern the anomalous behavior of SLG-Cu compared to MLG-Cu. We also report that MLG on Ni offers superior protection ability compared to SLG. Finally, we demonstrate the effect of defects, including double vacancy defects and grain boundaries on the protection ability of atomic graphene layers

Hexagonal Boron Nitride: The Thinnest Insulating Barrier to Microbial Corrosion

We report the use of a single layer of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (SL-hBN) as the thinnest insulating barrier to microbial corrosion induced by the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20. We used electrochemical methods to assess the corrosion resistance of SL-hBN on copper against the effects of both the planktonic and sessile forms of the sulfate-reducing bacteria. Cyclic voltammetry results show that SL-hBN-Cu is effective in suppressing corrosion effects of the planktonic cells at potentials as high as 0.2 V (<i>vs</i> Ag/AgCl). The peak anodic current for the SL-hBN coatings is ∼36 times lower than that of bare Cu. Linear polarization resistance tests confirm that the SL-hBN coatings serve as a barrier against corrosive effects of the G20 biofilm when compared to bare Cu. The SL-hBN serves as an impermeable barrier to aggressive metabolites and offers ∼91% corrosion inhibition efficiency, which is comparable to much thicker commercial coatings such as polyaniline. In addition to impermeability, the insulating nature of SL-hBN suppresses galvanic effects and improves its ability to combat microbial corrosion