Potential health concerns due to elevated nitrate concentrations in groundwater of villages of Vadodara and Chhota Udaipur districts of Gujarat, India.

In an attempt to assess the groundwater quality of Vadodara and Chhota Udaipur districts and check its suitability for drinking purposes, a total of 162 samples (50 samples during pre-monsoon season and 54 samples during post-monsoon season from Vadodara district and 29 samples during both pre- and post-monsoon seasons from Chhota Udaipur district) were collected from 63 villages of both the districts for pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons during 2016-17. The analysis was carried out for physicochemical characteristics and the analytical results have been interpreted by graphical representation, correlation and regression analysis and water quality index so that the quality of groundwater can be easily understood. The analytical results were then compared with the Indian Standards Drinking Water-Specification (Second Revision). From this study, it is concluded that the overall groundwater quality of the region is comparatively good; however, elevated nitrate levels resulted in many of the samples having raised concern and the necessity to make all possible efforts to improve the quality of groundwater wherever deteriorated.

Health impact assessment from exposure to trace metals present in atmospheric PM10 at Ahmedabad, a big city in western India.

Many toxicological studies revealed the deleterious effects on human health induced by trace metals in ambient particulate matter (PM). This study reports the season-dependent water-soluble and total metal mass in PM10 collected simultaneously over five microenvironments in a semi-arid urban region, Ahmedabad, located in western India. The mineral dust fraction in PM10 over Bapunagar, Narol, Paldi, Income Tax, and Science City was estimated to be around 39, 45, 47, 44, and 31% during summer (May-June 2017) and 24, 55, 28, 27, and 28% during winter (December 2017-January 2018), respectively, corroborating mineral dust is perennial in the air over Ahmedabad. The PM2.5/PM10 mass ratios over all the sites were higher during winter (40-60%) as compared to those during summer (30-40%), indicating the contribution from the anthropogenic sources to PM mass. Among the metals monitored, the estimated considerable amount of high masses of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Sb during winter can be ascribed to the anthropogenic inputs based on the estimated enrichment factors (EF). In contrast to the crustal source, these metals might have been possibly emitted from several other man-made sources, which were found to be more water-soluble during both seasons. As per the standards of incremental excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR), it is estimated that the atmospheric mass concentration of carcinogenic metals such as Cr, Co, and As was higher in all these sites, whereas the metals such as Pb, Ni, and Cd are also found over the industrial site (Narol) in addition to the above-said metals. Notably, people are highly susceptible to these metals, leading to the potential risk of cancer during both seasons.

Suction cannula design for safe microneurosurgery.

INTRODUCTION: Suction cannula (SC) is an important instrument for a neurosurgeon. Currently used suction control valves, kept in the sterile field, are controlled by the surgeon, for which he needs to leave the surgical dissection or by assistant or by operation room personnel to adjust the pressure of the equipment (suction machine or central suction), which lies in the unsterile field. Authors studied relationships of the different diameters of SC and the thumb hole (TH) of the SC and present their findings. METHODS: Seven SC with various diameters of their lumen and TH were used for the study. Suction pressures were measured with suction tip open, immersed in saline and TH open and closed. TH of 2 SC were made smaller using adhesive tape over the TH and making smaller hole over the tape and two additional measurements were taken using changed SC with modified TH. SPSS Statistics 23.0 (IBM India Pvt Ltd, Bangaluru, India) was used for statistical analysis of the pressure recordings and SC features. RESULTS: Pressure and diameter of ST or TH were related in opposite direction. As the diameter increases the pressure decreases. A strong negative association was observed between the diameter of TH and the pressure. CONCLUSION: TH diameter of SC is important to control suction pressure with any size of SC. One should use tear-drop type TH or appropriate diameter of the circular type of TH to contemplate safe microneurosurgery.

Gender Determination from Maxillary Sinus using Computed Tomography Scans - A Radiographic Study.

Aims and Objective: Purpose of this research was to check the precision of gender identification using computed tomography (CT) head and neck scans and volumetric analysis of the maxillary sinus. Materials and Methods: For 50 patients (25 females and 25 males), left and right maxillary sinus scans were acquired, and linear measurements (width, length, height, and volume) were assessed. Both maxillary sinus measurements' means and standard deviations were computed and contrasted. Results: Males have been found to have considerably larger maxillary sinuses than females. Conclusion: Accurate gender determination is possible with the use of maxillary sinus.

The Role of Cross-Sectional Imaging in the Diagnosis of Agenesis of the Dorsal Pancreas: A Case Series.

Background Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas is a rare entity and is caused due to the defective embryological development of the pancreas. The clinical manifestations may range from diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, and abdominal pain to no symptoms at all. We here present a case series of 10 cases with complete or partial agenesis of the dorsal pancreas. Objectives To correlate the clinical symptoms in the patients with the dorsal agenesis of the pancreas, to study any biochemical abnormality present with the dorsal agenesis of the pancreas, and to look for other coexistent finding in the patients. Results We observed that out of 10 patients, six were males and four were females. Four had symptoms related to the pancreas and six were discovered incidentally. Diabetes mellitus was present in five patients, seven patients had pain in the abdomen, and jaundice was seen in three patients. Out of 10 patients, four had complete agenesis and six had partial agenesis of the dorsal pancreas. Conclusions We conclude that the diagnosis of this rare entity and establishing its association with clinical conditions like diabetes mellitus and non-specific abdomen pain with the aid of cross-sectional imaging helps in the better evaluation and management of the patients.

Fracture morphology of AO/OTA 31-A trochanteric fractures: A 3D CT study with an emphasis on coronal fragments.

AIMS: This study was designed to assess the incidence and morphology of coronal plane fragments in AO/OTA 31-A trochanteric fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 156 cases of AO/OTA 31-A trochanteric fractures were retrospectively evaluated. Lateral radiographs were analyzed for the presence of coronal plane fragments followed by analysis of 3D CT reconstructions in these fractures. The incidence of coronal fragments identified on the lateral radiograph and 3D CT reconstructions were both calculated. Coronal fragment morphology was described based upon the origin and exit points of fracture lines and the number of fragments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: On plain radiographs, a coronal plane fracture was identified in 59 cases, an incidence of 37.8% (59/156). In comparison, 3D CT reconstructions identified coronal plane fractures in 138 cases for an incidence of 88.4% (138/156). 3D CT reconstructions identified coronal fracture fragments in 81.9% (50/61) of AO/OTA 31-A1 cases, 94.5% (69/73) of 31-A2 cases, and 86.3% (19/22) of 31-A3 cases. Incidence of coronal fractures identified on plain radiographs of 3 AO/OTA 31-A1,A2,A3 groups was lower when compared to the incidence of coronal fractures identified on 3D CT. Of the 138 cases that had coronal plane fracture, 82 cases (59.4%) had a single coronal fragment (GT fragment 35 cases, GLT fragment 19 cases, GLPC fragment 28 cases). The remaining 56 cases (40.5%) had two coronal fragments. There is a high incidence of coronal fragments in intertrochanteric femur fractures when analyzed with 3D CT reconstructions. Our study suggests that these coronal fragments are difficult to identify on plain radiographs. Knowledge of the incidence and morphology of coronal fragments helps to avoid potential intraoperative pitfalls.

Acute Compressive Ulnar Neuropathy In A Patient Of Dengue Fever: An Unusual Presentation.

INTRODUCTION: Dengue haemorrhagic fever is known for its haemorrhagic and neurologic complications. Neurologic complications are caused by three mechanism namely neurotropism, systemic complications causing encephalopathy and postinfectious immune-mediated mechanisms. However acute compressive neuropathy due to haemorrhage is not frequent and we could find no literature describing this. CASE REPORT: We report a case of acute compressive ulnar neuropathy due to peri neural hematoma, following an attempt at intravenous cannulation in the cubital fossa in a patient of dengue haemorrhagic fever with thrombocytopenia. Immediate fasciotomy and removal of haematoma was performed to relieve the symptoms. CONCLUSION: Compression neuropathies can be seen in dengue hemorrhagic fever and removal of compressing hematoma relieves symptoms.

Tuberculosis of upper dorsal spine causing respiratory distress due to tracheo-oesophageal compression: an unusual presentation.

A cold abscess causing tracheo-oesophageal compression is quite unusual. A case of a 5-year-old boy with caries spine of D3-D4 vertebrea with respiratory distress due to mediastinal cold abscess pressing over trachea is being reported. Urgent costotransversectomy was done to decompress the cold abscess. There was immediate relief of airway compression which was evident from fall in airway pressure from 39 cm H2O to 29 cm H2O. The child was extubated on the 5th postoperative day and discharged on the 15th postoperative day in good condition.