Characterization of new cellulose fiber extracted from second generation Bitter Albizia tree.

The present work examines the physical, thermal tensile, and chemical properties of wood skin fibers obtained from second generation Bitter Albizia (BA) tree skin. Chemical characterization of BA fibers showed the presence of various chemical contents such as cellulose of 74.89 wt. %, hemicellulose of 14.50 wt. %, wax of 0.31 wt. %, lignin of 12.8 wt. %, moisture of 11.71 wt. %, and ash of 19.29 wt. %. The density of BA fibers (BAFs) was showed 1285 kg/m3. XRD analysis of BAFs showed a crystallinity index (CI) of 57.20% and size of crystallite of 1.68 nm. Tensile strength and strain to failure of BAFs examined through tensile test were 513-1226 MPa and 0.8-1.37% respectively. TGA portrayed the thermal steadiness of BAFs as 339 °C with 55.295 kJ/mol kinetic activation energy, its residual mass was 23.35% at 548 °C. BAFs with high CI, less wax content, and better tensile strength make more suitable for making polymer matrix composites. SEM images of the BAFs surface depicted that the fiber outer surface has more rough which shows that they can contribute to hige fiber-matrix adhesion during composites preparation.

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of F18-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography, Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion, and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient in Differentiation between Recurrence of a High-grade Glioma and Radiation Necrosis.

Background: Differentiation between recurrence of brain tumor and radiation necrosis remains a challenge in current neuro-oncology practice despite recent advances in both radiological and nuclear medicine techniques. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted imaging, and F18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (F18-FDG-PET) in the differentiation between the recurrence of a high-grade glioma and radiation necrosis. Materials and Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of high-grade glioma (WHO Grades III and IV) who had undergone surgical resection of the tumor followed by radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy were included in the study. DSC perfusion, diffusion-weighted MRI, and PET scan were acquired on a hybrid PET/MRI scanner. For each lesion, early and delayed tumor-to-brain ratio (TBR), early and delayed maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), normalized ADC ratio, and normalized relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) ratio were calculated and the pattern of lesional enhancement was noted. The diagnosis was finalized with either histopathological examination or the characteristics on follow-up imaging. The statistical analysis using the receiver operator characteristic curves was done to determine the diagnostic performance of DSC perfusion, 18-F FDG-PET, and ADC in differentiation between tumor recurrence and radiation necrosis. Results: Fifty patients were included in the final analysis, 32 of them being men (64%). A cutoff value of early TBR >0.8 (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80%), delayed TBR >0.93 (sensitivity of 92.3% and specificity of 80%), early SUVmax >10.2 (sensitivity of 76.9% and specificity of 80%), delayed SUVmax >13.2 (sensitivity of 61.54% and specificity of 100%), normalized rCBV ratio >1.21 (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 60%), normalized ADC ratio >1.66 (sensitivity of 38.5% and specificity of 80%), and Grade 3 enhancement (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 60%) were found to differentiate recurrence from radiation necrosis. Early TBR had the highest accuracy (94.44%), while ADC ratio had the lowest accuracy (50%). A combination of early TBR (cutoff value of 0.8), late TBR (cutoff value of 0.93), and rCBV ratio (cutoff value of 1.21) showed a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 92.3%, positive predictive value of 88.9%, negative predictive value of 93.7%, and an accuracy of 96.6% in discrimination between radiation necrosis and recurrence of tumor. Conclusion: F18-FDG-PET and DSC perfusion can reliably differentiate tumor recurrence from radiation necrosis, with early TBR showing the highest accuracy. ADC demonstrates a low sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in differentiating radiation necrosis from recurrence. A combination of early TBR, delayed TBR, and rCBV may be more useful in discrimination between radiation necrosis and recurrence of glioma, with this combination showing a better diagnostic performance than individual parameters or any other combination of parameters.

Seroprevalence of Various Viral Diseases in Tamil Nadu, India.

Introduction: Virus-borne diseases have recently gained significant public health importance. Viruses infect several hosts, including animal reservoirs, evolve quickly, and recombine emerging and reemerging to pose recurring dangers to humans. The Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) located at Government Theni Medical College, Theni, Tamil Nadu, conducts the diagnosis of common virus infections. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2022, the VRDL received whole blood sera samples from 84,059 patients suspected of having various viral illnesses. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect viral infections in all of the samples. Results: A total of 84,059 individuals suspected for various viral infections have been tested and out of these 4948 (5.88%) cases have been reported to be positive and among them, the dengue virus is predominantly followed by, hepatitis B virus, chikungunya virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis E virus, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and rubella virus. Conclusion: The issue of emerging and re-emerging infectious illnesses, particularly those caused by viruses, has grown in importance in public health. Timely action combined with proper information and the ability to diagnose infections may save many lives.

Audit of operation theater time utilization with perspective to optimize turnaround times and theater output.

Background and Aims: Operation theater (OT) complex is an important area for a hospital as it needs expensive infrastructure, disposable, and reusable resources and a multidisciplinary highly qualified and efficient team, the metrics of which are key in generating revenue, and improved productivity. The efficient utilization of OT ensures maximum output in view of the investment of highly qualified doctors, equipment, and outcomes. Our study aimed to evaluate the utilization of OT functioning stepwise, reasons for delays, case cancellations, and areas of improvement if any. Material and Methods: This prospective observational study was planned in three phases; in phase 1 audit of OT functioning was carried out for 1 month and based on data analysis recommendations were given for improvement. In phase 2, the recommendations would be implemented over 3 months and in phase 3 re-audit will be carried out for 1 month. Data analysis was done on IBM SPSS version 26 software. Descriptive statistics measures were calculated by the mean and standard deviation. Results: The total available resource time was 52920 min and the total time utilized was 37740 min. Overall, raw utilization was 71.31%. OT was started late 63.50% times. Case cancellation occurred on 8.99% occasions. Conclusion: We conclude that utilization of operating room time can be maximized by proper planning and realistic scheduling of elective lists, communication among team members, and resource management. Audit of OT utilization is an important tool to identify problem areas and formulate protocols accordingly.

Microbiological profile of canaliculitis and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns: A 11-year review at a referral eye care centre.

PURPOSE: To analyze the microbiological profile and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates in canaliculitis, an infection of the lacrimal drainage system of the eye. METHODS: The laboratory records of patients presenting with canaliculitis from whom specimens were obtained for microbiological investigations at our tertiary eye care centre in South India from January 2010 to December 2020, were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 130 canalicular pus samples were collected from 112 patients and submitted for microbiological studies during the study period. A total of 183 micro-organisms were isolated from 115 culture-positive specimens. The micro-organisms isolated were predominantly aerobic Gram-positive bacteria (83.44%), with Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS/Other Staphylococcus spp) (31.69%), Corynebacterium spp (15.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.84%) and Viridans Streptococci (9.84%) accounting for a majority of the isolates. Actinomycesspp (6.56%) was the most common anaerobic bacterium isolated. Our study revealed several bacteria not previously associated with canaliculitis namely Ottowia spp, Elizabethkingiameningoseptica, Aeromonassalmonicida, Capnocytophagaochracea and Campylobacter gracilis. Polymicrobial aetiology was observed in 39.13% of culture-positive samples. Analysis of antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates revealed a high proportion of Gram-positive bacteria susceptible to chloramphenicol (90.16%) compared to fluoroquinolones including ciprofloxacin (74.42%), norfloxacin (64.15%) and gatifloxacin (60.49%). CONCLUSION: This study represents the largest series of canaliculitis reporting the microbiological profile and antibiotic susceptibilities of the isolated micro-organisms, till date. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for a majority of isolates, predominated by Staphylococcus spp. The increasing resistance of Gram-positive bacteria to fluoroquinolones warrants antibiotic treatment in canaliculitis is based on in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Experimental study on total coliform violations in the complied NH2CL, O3, and UV treated municipal water supply system.

Water quality has become a severe concern on a global scale, owing mostly to the rapid increase of the nation's development. According to Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, poor water management is the primary cause of the country's water quality problems. Many river systems are polluted by home and industrial pollutants, according to the findings of research in Malaysia and comparable difficulties in a few other nations. Hence, the following are the research's goals: (1) To look into what is causing the infractions. (2) To undertake the inquiry, develop a thorough hypothesis. (3) To detect dangerous germs by sampling the most usually infected regions. (4) To develop a test for Total Coliform violations in chlorine-treated water at the water treatment plant and in water distribution systems. As a result, the most major barrier to ensuring the safe delivery of treated water to consumers and protecting human health from water-related diseases is the drinking water treatment process. As a result, practically all water treatment systems around the world, including those in the USA, use a chlorine-based procedure to disinfect the water system during treatment. According to studies, the ideal way of disinfecting treated water is both safe and beneficial. Any sort of pandemic or biologically caused disease has no societal implications. Many countries began to suffer in 2009 as a result of e-coli and total coliform contamination in their water systems, leading to ambiguity in disinfection methods. Some water from UNMC's coolers was within the guidelines, while some exceed them. Water coolers at Block E (614 m) and Block B (605 m), for example, measured 12 CFU/100 ml and 11 CFU/100 ml, respectively. Water coolers should be cleaned regularly to ensure that they perform correctly. Further, the microbial population was found to be higher at water storage tanks than that is at the water cooler. This demonstrates how a water cooler fulfils its purpose of filtering and trapping germs to provide clean drinking water.

Publication performance of Indian authors in high impact anesthesiology journals: Are we doing enough?

Background and Aims: Over the years, there is a continuing increase in the number of anesthesia journals and good quality articles are being submitted to these journals from all over the world. The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of Indian authors to high impact anesthesia journals. Material and Methods: The study is a literature survey design and thus ethics committee clearance was not required. Based on The Journal citation report (2017), top six anesthesia journals with highest impact factor were selected. Subspecialty journals were excluded. A search was conducted for articles published by Indian authors between September 2008 and August 2018 and subcategorized to review articles, original articles, case reports, correspondence, and miscellaneous. Corresponding author was noted in articles with authors from more than one country. The percentage of articles in each of the above categories by Indian authors were calculated and state and city wise distribution was also assessed. Results: The six highest impact journals were Anesthesiology, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Anaesthesia, Anaesthesia analgesia, European journal of Anaesthesia and Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia with impact factor of 6.52, 6.49, 5.43, 3.46, 3.9, 3.37, respectively. A total of 22,298 articles were published in the six journals in the study period, out of which 242 (1.08%) were authored by Indians. Majority of the articles were published as correspondence (58%). Only 20% of total publication were original articles. Most publications were contributed from Delhi (76), followed by Chandigarh (49). Conclusion: Publication performance of Indian authors in high impact journals is poor. There is an uneven distribution of publication across various regions.

The COVID19 pandemic crisis and the relevance of a farm-system-for-nutrition approach.

The Covid19 pandemic should be seen as a wake-up call for humanity, to reflect, rethink and redesign food systems that are safe, healthy, sustainable, and beneficial to all. This crisis has disrupted food supply chains, affecting lives and livelihoods. Hunger and malnutrition is expected to increase and the poor and vulnerable will suffer the most. There is urgent need to build resilient food systems. A location specific farm-system-for-nutrition approach, based on sustainable use of natural resources and local agri-food value chains can help improve household diet diversity and address nutrition deficiencies. The food-based approach can improve preparedness and resilience of communities to withstand the challenge posed by crises in general, and COVID19 in particular.

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantitative bioanalysis of fingolimod in human blood: Application to pharmacokinetic study.

A simple and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for the determination of fingolimod in human blood. The analyte and internal standard fingolimod-d4 were extracted from 300 µl of human blood using protein precipitation coupled with solid-phase extraction method. The chromatographic separation was achieved with a Kinetex biphenyl column (100 × 4.6 mm, 2.6 µm) under isocratic conditions at the flow rate of 0.8 ml/min and column temperature was maintained at 45°C. The detection of analyte and internal standard was carried out by tandem mass spectrometry, operated in positive ion and multiple reaction monitoring acquisition mode. The method was fully validated for its selectivity, precision, accuracy, linearity, stability, detection and quantification limit. The extraction recovery of fingolimod in human blood ranged from 98.39 to 99.54%. The developed method was linear over the concentration range of 5-2500 pg/ml with a detection limit of 1 pg/ml. The developed method was validated and successfully applied for pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of fingolimod capsules.

Comparison of hemodynamic responses to laryngoscopy and intubation using Macintosh or McCoy or C-MAC laryngoscope during uniform depth of anesthesia monitored by entropy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Laryngoscopy forms an important part of general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation. The aim of the present study was to compare the hemodynamic responses to Laryngoscopy and Intubation using Macintosh or McCoy or C-MAC Laryngoscope with M-Entropy module monitoring to ensure uniform and adequate depth of anesthesia, during and after intubation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective, randomised, comparative study was done and patients included were of 18 to 60 years, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologist) physical status I and II of both sexes undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. They were assigned to three groups using simple randomisation, after securing IV (intravenous) access, standard monitoring and Entropy leads were attached. General anesthesia was administered with glycopyrrolate 0.1 mg, fentanyl 2 ug/kg and intravenous thiopentone, 4 mg/kg. Adequate muscle relaxation was achieved with atracurium 0.6 mg/kg IV. By titrating isoflurane concentration, Entropy maintained between 40 and 60, orotracheal intubation done, with Macintosh or McCoy or C-MAC blades according to simple randomisation. Size of laryngoscope blade, time taken for laryngoscopy and intubation were noted. Heart rate, blood pressure, RE (Response Entropy) and SE (State Entropy) were noted before and during induction and laryngoscopy and post intubation up to 5 minutes. Statistical analysis done using NCSS 9 version 9.0.8 statistical software. RESULTS: Hemodynamic responses during laryngoscopy and intubation using Macintosh or McCoy or C-MAC laryngoscope were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05) between the three groups, provided the depth of anesthesia is maintained constant. CONCLUSIONS: It is the depth of anesthesia that decides the magnitude of hemodynamic responses and not the choice of laryngoscope.

Spectroscopic analysis of Eu3+ doped silica-titania-polydimethylsiloxane hybrid ORMOSILs.

Eu3+ doped silica-titania-polydimethylsiloxane hybrid ORMOSILs were synthesized via a non-hydrolytic sol-gel route. The structural and thermal analyses of the samples confirmed that the matrix structure remains unaffected by doping with different concentrations of Eu3+ ions. Photoluminescence (PL) studies performed at 394 nm on Eu3+ doped ORMOSILs imply that they emit broad blue host emission and the characteristic Eu3+ red emissions simultaneously. Also, the samples were excited at the charge transfer (CT) band and this confirmed the existence of an energy transfer path from the host to the Eu3+ ions via Ti4+-O2--Eu3+ bonds. The phonon energy of the host matrix was estimated by phonon sideband (PSB) analysis and the results were substantiated by Raman analysis. Judd-Ofelt (JO) parameters were also evaluated which give details about the local surroundings of the Eu3+ ions in the system and these parameters were further used for predicting the radiative properties of 5D0 → 7F1,2,4 transitions of Eu3+ ions. Furthermore, the quantum efficiency and CIE co-ordinates were evaluated and it was found that Eu3+ doped silica-titania-polydimethylsiloxane ORMOSIL has an intense pinkish red emission with a quantum efficiency of 30.7%.

Effect of preoperative application of buprenorphine transdermal patch on analgesic requirement in postoperative period in hip and knee replacement surgeries.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although no pain control following hip and knee replacement surgeries has attained gold standard, it is clear that patients should have optimum pain control after total knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty for enhanced satisfaction and function. We conducted this study to evaluate the effect of preoperative application of buprenorphine transdermal patch on analgesic requirement in perioperative period after knee and hip replacement surgeries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Following institutional ethical committee approval and written informed consent, a prospective study was conducted in 50 patients of either gender belonging to ASA1 or ASA2 status, requiring either knee or hip replacement. The patients were assessed in preoperative period, and buprenorphine patch of 10 mg (sustained release of 10 µg/h) was applied either on the chest or on outer side of the arm 12 h before surgery. Total knee arthroplasty/total hip arthroplasty was done under combined spinal epidural blockade. Epidural infusion with 0.125% bupivacaine at a rate of 4-5 mL/h was continued in postoperative period. Intravenous opioid analgesics were avoided in postoperative period, and whenever required only iv paracetamol 1g was given. Outcome in terms of requirement of iv analgesic, visual analog pain score, any associated nausea vomiting, itching, and level of somnolence was noted in postoperative period at 1,2,3,4,8,12,16,20,24,48, and 72 h, respectively. RESULTS: None of the patient required rescue analgesia in the first 2 h. During 72 h postoperative period of observation 32% of patients demanded rescue analgesics at 8th hour, followed by 20% at 4th hour and 16% at 12th hour. CONCLUSION: Preoperative application of transdermal patch significantly reduces the requirement of postoperative intravenous opioid and nonopioid analgesic drugs.

Stabilized red soil-an efficient liner system for landfills containing hazardous materials.

In recent decades, disposal of hazardous material has become a challenging task especially in case of landfills where leaching out of waste is possible. In such cases, an efficient and economical liner system using locally available material is very essential. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the suitability of red soil stabilized using lime and Prosopis juliflora fibers as liner material for landfills. Prosopis is a woody weed available abundantly in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The fibers were used at 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.0% by weight of the soil and the amount of lime used was kept constant as 4%. Tests results revealed decrease in plasticity index, increase in UCC strength, ductile behavior, decrease in consolidation settlement, reduction in permeability and shrinkage, and increase in CBR resistance in soils treated with both lime and Prosopis fibers. SEM images of stabilized soil revealed adherence of hydrated products of lime on the fiber surface, which facilitate efficient stress transfer between the soil and fibers. A single composite liner system was modeled using Visual MODFLOW by replacing the compacted clay layer with the stabilized red soil below the HDPE liner and the model was simulated. The simulation result showed that the performance of liner system with stabilized red soil is good and could prevent the aquifer from contamination. From the study, it can be concluded that stabilized red soil possesses the geotechnical properties required for an efficient liner system.

The effect of different dose regimens of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss during hip surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Antifibrinolytics may help bleeding in orthopaedic surgeries. The present study was undertaken to compare two dose regimens of tranexamic acid (TA) on perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing hip surgeries. METHODS: In a prospective, randomised, controlled study, 59 patients scheduled for hip surgery were divided into Group C: receiving normal saline (n - 20), Group B: receiving single dose of TA (10 mg/kg) (n - 21), and Group I: receiving a bolus (10 mg/kg) plus infusion (1 mg/kg/h) of TA up to 4 h postoperatively (n - 18). Blood loss, haemoglobin and allogeneic blood transfusions were compared between the groups. For parametric data, P was calculated by ANOVA. Intergroup comparison was done by post hoc analysis with Bonferroni test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The intra-operative blood loss was lower in the patients who received TA (525 ± 150, 456 ± 156 and 400 ± 133 ml in Group C, B and I respectively; P = 0.05). The 6th hourly drain collection in Group I was lower than Group B and C (41 ± 18, 46 ± 14 and 31 ± 14 ml in Group C, B, and I respectively; P = 0.018). The blood loss at 24 h was less in groups receiving TA (146 ± 32, 120 ± 76, 107 ± 37 ml for Group C, B and I, respectively; P = 0.02). The requirement of blood transfusions was lower in Group I. CONCLUSIONS: A bolus of tranexamic acid followed by infusion is more useful than a single dose in decreasing perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing hip surgeries. It reduces allogenic blood transfusion without increasing risk of thromboembolic events.