Functional and radiological outcomes of intertrochanteric fractures treated with proximal femoral nail

Background: Hip fracture is one of the most invalidating diseases affecting geriatric populations and in fall related fractures, they lead to most severe morbidity and mortality. Their surgical treatment allows stable fracture fixation which allows the early weight bearing. Many devices have been developed, yet mechanical failures still occur. The aim of this study was to assess the functional and radiological outcomes of intertrochanteric fractures treated with proximal femoral nail.Methods: 46 patients with intertrochanteric fractures fixed with proximal femoral nail were assessed. Functional outcome was measured by Harris hip score (HHS) and lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) and radiological outcome was measured by tip apex distance (TAD), any changes in neck shaft angle, neck length and the offset as compared to uninjured hip.Results: The tip apex distance on the postoperative X-ray was found to be 22.02±2.499 mm, change in the neck length as compared to the uninjured hip was found to be 1.507±1.1808 and change in the offset and neck shaft angle was 1.470±1.0126 and -1.602±1.5992 respectively. The LEFS was found to be 70.63±6.584 whereas the HHS was found to be 90.35±7.593Conclusions: With the increase in TAD the functional and radiological outcome worsens. It was also seen that the cutoff of 25 mm stands true in predicting the outcome of the patients with PFN in intertrochanteric fractures. Hence, the TAD should be routinely measured and if found more than 25 mm then proper precautions like delayed weight bearing may be advised

An Overview on the Role of Relative Humidity in Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Indoor Environments

COVID-19 disease is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, China and spread with an astonishing rate across the world. The transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 are still debated, but recent evidence strongly suggests that COVID-19 could be transmitted via air in poorly ventilated places. Some studies also suggest the higher surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared to SARS-CoV-1. It is also possible that small viral particles may enter into indoor environments from the various emission sources aided by environmental factors such as relative humidity, wind speed, temperature, thus representing a type of an aerosol transmission. Here, we explore the role of relative humidity in airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus in indoor environments based on recent studies around the world. Humidity affects both the evaporation kinematics and particle growth. In dry indoor places i.e., less humidity ( 90% RH). Based on earlier studies, a relative humidity of 40–60% was found to be optimal for human health in indoor places. Thus, it is extremely important to set a minimum relative humidity standard for indoor environments such as hospitals, offices and public transports for minimization of airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2. © The Author(s)

Screening and evaluation of phenol utilization and growth in Acinetobacter baumannii W29 of wastewater

Phenols are ubiquitous pollutants, mainly from industrial effluent, causing pollution of natural water resources. The research focused on screening efficient phenol-degrading bacteria and kinetic modelling of phenol biodegradation and growth. Membrane filtration was used for the isolation of bacteria from the wastewater sample. The screening of phenol-degrading bacteria was based on the efficiency of phenol utilization. The strain with efficient phenol degradation capacity was  characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing and designated Acinetobacter baumannii W29. Biomass growth and phenol utilization rate of the strain were evaluated at different initial phenol concentrations (100-800 mgL-1). Specific growth rate data were fitted to five models, i.e. Monod, Haldane, Aiba, Teisser, and Webb model. The yield coefficient at different initial phenol concentrations was calculated from the slope of the specific growth rate (μ) versus the specific phenol utilization rate (q). The strain showed complete phenol degradation potential up to 1000 mgL-1. The maximal growth rate was achieved at 400 mgL-1  , which coincided with the maximum substrate utilization rate at the same concentration. The specific growth rate showed the best fit with the Haldane model. The strain had a yield coefficient of 0.70 (mg cell mg-1 phenol). The value of µ and Ks revealed the affinity of the strain for high-concentration phenol and the its ability to withstand high phenol concentrations. The kinetic growth behaviour of the strain fitted well with the Haldane model. The findings of the study could be applied to wastewater treatment with a high phenol load

EVALUATION OF LONG-TERM OUTCOMES FOR PENILE FRACTURES FOLLOWING IMMEDIATE VS. DELAYED SURGICAL REPAIR- A PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Purpose: A penile fracture may affect erectile dysfunction (ED) and overall sexual satisfaction. This study aimed to compare the long-term effects of immediate versus delayed surgical repair of penile fractures on postoperative ED, fibrous tunica plaques, and chordee formation. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational study conducted over two years, which included patients with penile fracture. Details of injury, symptoms, treatment, and long-term outcomes (up to 12 months) were collected. Data were presented using summary statistics. Results: A total of 21 patients (early surgical repair [Group A], n = 13; delayed surgical repair [Group B], n = 8) were enrolled in this study. The common cause of penile fracture was masturbation (n1 = 5 [early presentation]; n2 = 5 [delayed presentation]) and sexual intercourse (n3 = 7 [early presentation]; n4 = 4 [delayed presentation]) in Groups A and B, respectively. Penile ecchymosis/swelling and pain were present in all the patients of Group A (n = 13), while typical pop-up sound was heard by eight patients (61.54%) of Group A and six patients (75.00%) of Group B. The most common reason for the delay in the presentation was fear/embarrassment (75.00%). Penile paresthesia (n = 2) and penile curvature (n = 3) were observed in Group A, while penile paresthesia (n = 3) was also reported in Group B. None of the patients from both groups reported ED. All three patients with urethral injury repaired had mild degree of ventral chordee with a satisfactory erection and a good penetration. Conclusion: The results showed that delayed repair did not affect the long-term outcome with no major impact on erectile function and overall sexual satisfaction

Physico-Chemical Properties and Deposition Potential of PM2.5 during Severe Smog Event in Delhi, India

The present work studies a severe smog event that occurred in Delhi (India) in 2017, targeting the characterization of PM2.5 and its deposition potential in human respiratory tract of different population groups in which the PM2.5 levels raised from 124.0 µg/m3 (pre-smog period) to 717.2 µg/m3 (during smog period). Higher concentration of elements such as C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Fe, Cl, Ca, Ti, Cr, Pb, Fe, K, Cu, Cl, P, and F were observed during the smog along with dominant organic functional groups (aldehyde, ketones, alkyl halides (R-F; R-Br; R-Cl), ether, etc.), which supported potential contribution from transboundary biomass-burning activities along with local pollution sources and favorable meteorological conditions. The morphology of individual particles were found mostly as non-spherical, including carbon fractals, aggregates, sharp-edged, rod-shaped, and flaky structures. A multiple path particle dosimetry (MPPD) model showed significant deposition potential of PM2.5 in terms of deposition fraction, mass rate, and mass flux during smog conditions in all age groups. The highest PM2.5 deposition fraction and mass rate were found for the head region followed by the alveolar region of the human respiratory tract. The highest mass flux was reported for 21-month-old (4.7 × 102 µg/min/m2), followed by 3-month-old (49.2 µg/min/m2) children, whereas it was lowest for 21-year-old adults (6.8 µg/min/m2), indicating babies and children were more vulnerable to PM2.5 pollution than adults during smog. Deposition doses of toxic elements such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Ni were also found to be higher (up to 1 × 10−7 µg/kg/day) for children than adults

Preventing airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals and nursing homes

[No abstract available

Standardization of zygotic embryo culture from Nerium oleander L. and comparative analysis of biosynthesized cardiac glycosides within in vitro and acclimatized plants

The primary result of our experiment revealed that the germination percentage of N. oleander mature seeds is only 30%. From this observation, the concept of protocol standardization for zygotic embryo culture of this plant was originated. Zygotic embryo culture was proved an efficient in vitro multiplication system of N. oleander. The maximum germination percentage (96%) of zygotic embryos was observed on ¼ MS medium with 15 gm/L sucrose, whereas the best growth medium was optimized as ½ B5 with same sucrose concentration. The second part of this study was aimed to find out the cardiac glycoside accumulation pattern in both in vitro and acclimatized plants. For this purpose, one-month-old in vitro plantlets and acclimatized plants were subjected to LC-MS analysis and 09 cardiac glycosides were detected and quantified in both the systems. Most of the cardiac glycosides including odoroside A (32.71 mg/gm DW), odoroside H (4.69 mg/gm DW) and oleandrin (0.52 mg/gm DW) were found to be accumulated at maximum level within in vitro plantlets. CG 840b (1.89 mg/gm DW) is the only cardiac glycoside, which was maximally accumulated in acclimatized plants. From this study, it can be concluded that, zygotic embryo culture is a better choice for in vitro multiplication of N. oleander when compared to matured seeds and in vitro grown plantlets of this species favor cardiac glycosides biosynthesis in comparison to acclimatized plants. Therefore, all future research on the enrichment of cardiac glycosides from this plant may be conducted on zygotic embryos derived in vitro grown plantlets or cultures

Four-year assessment of ambient particulate matter and trace gases in the Delhi-NCR region of India

A key challenge in controlling Delhi’s air quality is a lack of clear understanding of the impacts of emissions from the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR). Our objectives are to understand the limitations of publicly available data, its utility to determine pollution sources across Delhi-NCR and establish seasonal profiles of chemically active trace gases. We obtained the spatiotemporal characteristics of daily-averaged particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and trace gases (NOX, O3, SO2, and CO) within a network of 12 air quality monitoring stations located over 2000 km2 across Delhi-NCR from January 2014 to December 2017. The highest concentrations of pollutants, except O3, were found at Anand Vihar compared with lowest at Panchkula. A high homogeneity in PM2.5 was observed among Delhi sites as opposed to a high spatial divergence between Delhi and NCR sites. The bivariate polar plots and k-means clustering showed that PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are dominated by local sources for all monitoring sites across Delhi-NCR. A consequence of the dominance of local source contributions to measured concentrations, except to one site remote from Delhi, is that it is not possible to evaluate the influence of regional pollution transport upon PM concentrations measured at sites within Delhi and the NCR from concentration measurements alone

Morphology of Atmospheric Particles over Semi-Arid Region (Jaipur, Rajasthan) of India: Implications for Optical Properties

The regional dust morphology and spectral refractive indices (RIs; governed by hematite, Fe2O3 content at short wavelengths) are key elements for ascertaining direct radiative forcing of mineral dust aerosols. To provide morphological features of background mineral dust from a semi-arid zone in the vicinity of the Thar Desert, we carried out an expedition to the Jaipur city during late winter of 2012. Morphological analysis reveals the predominance of "Layered", "Angular" and "Flattened" particles, while the frequency distribution of a total of 235 dust particles shows the aspect ratio, AR and circularity parameter, CIR (measures of particle's non-sphericity) typically similar to 1.4 and similar to 0.8, respectively. Sensitivity analysis at 550 nm wavelength reveals the equivalent sphere model may underestimate Single Scattering Albedo, SSA for the dust with low (similar to 1.1%) hematite by similar to 3.5%. Both underestimation (by similar to 5.6%) and overestimation (up to 9.1%) are probable in case of dust with high hematite content (similar to 5.68%). In addition, the effect of AR on the dust scattering is significant in case of dust with high hematite content. More such regionally representative dust morphological data are required for better estimation of regional radiative forcing of mineral dust aerosols

The N-glycan processing enzymes α-mannosidase and β-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase are involved in ripening-associated softening in the non-climacteric fruits of capsicum

Excessive softening of fruits during the ripening process leads to deterioration. This is of significant global importance as softening-mediated deterioration leads to huge postharvest losses. N-glycan processing enzymes are reported to play an important role during climacteric fruit softening: however, to date these enzymes have not been characterized in non-climacteric fruit. Two ripening-specific N-glycan processing enzymes, α-mannosidase (α-Man) and β-D-N-acetylhexosaminidase (β-Hex), have been identified and targeted to enhance the shelf life in non-climacteric fruits such as capsicum (Capsicum annuum). The purification, cloning, and functional characterization of α-Man and β-Hex from capsicum, which belong to glycosyl hydrolase (GH) families 38 and 20, respectively, are described here. α-Man and β-Hex are cell wall glycoproteins that are able to cleave terminal α-mannose and β-D-N-acetylglucosamine residues of N-glycans, respectively. α-Man and β-Hex transcripts as well as enzyme activity increase with the ripening and/or softening of capsicum. The function of α-Man and β-Hex in capsicum softening is investigated through RNA interference (RNAi) in fruits. α-Man and β-Hex RNAi fruits were approximately two times firmer compared with the control and fruit deterioration was delayed by approximately 7 d. It is shown that silencing of α-Man and β-Hex enhances fruit shelf life due to the reduced degradation of N-glycoproteins which resulted in delayed softening. Altogether, the results provide evidence for the involvement of N-glycan processing in non-climacteric fruit softening. In conclusion, genetic engineering of N-glycan processing can be a common strategy in both climacteric and non-climacteric species to reduce the post-harvest crop losses