Clinico - Radiological Results of Tibial Bicondylar Fractures Managed with Ilizarov Technique with or without Minimal Internal Fixation.

Introduction: Tibial bicondylar fractures are difficult fractures to treat and are usually associated with complications. Materials and methods: Thirty-five patients with Schatzker type V and VI fractures were managed from June 2016 to July 2018 with Ilizarov technique. The mean age of the patients was 46.5 ± 8.9 years, with 28 male and seven female patients. Sixteen patients had Schatzker type V fracture and the remaining had type VI. The functional outcome was assessed by using Modified functional evaluation system by Karlstrom - Olerud and the radiological outcome by Rasmussen's Radiological Score (RRS). Results: All patients achieved radiological union at a mean duration of 16 weeks for type 5 and 17 weeks for type 6 however, full weight-bearing was allowed at a mean of 18 weeks (14 - 22 weeks). Functional results were excellent in 24 cases, good in 10 and poor in one. Most patients achieved functional range of motion at the knee joint (average flexion 1280) except one, who had a flexion of less than 1100. One patient with a delayed union united after bone marrow injection. Other complications included pin tract infections in 9 cases, axial malalignment of less than 100 in 4 cases and a prominent screw in one. Conclusion: Percutaneous restoration of articular anatomy and a ring external fixation with or without minimal internal fixation is an excellent method of treatment in this group of fractures caused by high energy trauma and with a usual association of severe comminution and a poor soft tissue envelope.

Decreased amplitude of surface electromyo- graphic recordings of muscle activation along the posterior myofascial kinematic chain in subjects with chronic nonspecific low back pain compared to healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND: The concept of myofascial continuity suggests that muscles activate along kinematic chains with common fascial coverings. Yet, the literature lacks evidence in regards to the function of anatomical chains in populations suffering from low back pain (LBP). OBJECTIVE: To examine muscle activations along the superficial back line in LBP patients compared to healthy controls. METHODS: The sample study included 20 males with chronic LBP (mean age 28.7 (± 3.05) years, mean BMI 24.91 (± 2.76)) and 17 healthy controls (mean age 31.06 (± 7.76) years, mean BMI 23.46 (± 3.43)). Muscle activation (gastrocnemius, hamstrings, erector spine, and upper trapezius) along the superficial back line was measured using surface EMG. All subjects underwent five test conditions: Conditions 1-3 involved passive movement, active movement and active movement against maximum isometric resistance of the right gastrocnemius muscle. Conditions 4 and 5 involved neck extension without and with isometric resistance from the prone position. The main outcome was relative muscle activation amplitude between research and control subjects. RESULTS: Muscle activation along the posterior anatomical chain was observed during distal movement (plantar flexion or neck extension). LBP patients showed significant lower muscle activation in the erector spine of lower back region compared with the control group during active plantar flexion and active neck extension (p< 0.05). Lower muscle activation in other regions (gastrocnemius, hamstrings, erector spine level T6) was observed in the research group (although not significant). CONCLUSION: LBP may cause or result in a lower muscle activation of the posterior kinematic myofascial chain muscles.

Soil quality index as affected by different cropping systems in northwestern Himalayas.

Soil quality assessment provides a tool for evaluating the sustainability of soils under different crop cafeterias. Our objective was to develop the soil quality index for evaluating the soil quality indicators under different cropping systems in northwest Himalaya-India. Composite soil samples were taken from the study area from different cropping systems which include T1 (forest soil control), T2 (rice-oilseed, lower belts), T3 (rice-oilseed, higher belts), T4 (rice-oats), T5 (rice-fallow), T6 (maize-oats), T7 (maize-peas), T8 (apple), T9 (apple-beans), and T10 (apple-maize). Physical, chemical, and biological soil indicators were determined, and it was found that soil enzyme activities involved in nutrient cycling were significantly higher in forest soils, which were reflected in higher levels of available pool of nutrients. Carbon stocks were found significantly higher in forest soil which was translated in improved soil physical condition. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to reduce multidimensionality of data followed by scoring by homothetic transformation of the selected indicators. Pearson's interclass correlation was performed to avoid redundancy, and highly correlated variables were not retained. Inclusion of legumes in the apple orchard floor recorded highest soil quality rating across the treatments. Cereal-based cropping systems were found in lower soil quality rating; however, the incorporation of peas in the system improved soil health.

The immediate effect of dry needling on multifidus muscles' function in healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND: Dry needling of muscles is mainly used for the management of pain in musculoskeletal disorders. Yet, the association between dry needling and motor performance of muscles is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immediate effect of dry needling on lumbar multifidus muscles' function in healthy subjects. METHODS: Twenty-eight volunteers were divided randomly into: study group (13 subjects) and control group (15 subjects) who underwent no intervention. Study group received dry needling to the lumbar multifidus muscles using a deep insertion technique with 4 needles (2 on each side of the spine). The needles were left in situ for 10 minutes. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure multifidus muscles' thickness, pre and post-procedure during rest in a prone position and during contralateral active straight leg extension. RESULTS: Significant difference was found in the percentage of change of muscle activation post needling between groups on the right side at level L4-5. A slight increase in the percentage of muscle activity, post procedure was observed in the dry needling group compared with the control group, although not significant in other segments examined. CONCLUSION: An improvement of back muscle function following dry needling procedure in healthy individuals was found. This implies that dry needling might stimulate motor nerve fibers and as such increase muscle activity.

Fabrication and Characterization of Field Effect Transistor Based on High-Aspect Ratio Sulfur-Doped ZnO Nanowires.

Well-crystalline sulfur (S) doped ZnO nanowires have been grown via a simple thermal evaporation process on Si substrate using high purity zinc and sulfur powders in presence of oxygen. The as-grown S:ZnO nanowires were characterized in terms of their morphological structural, compositional and optical properties using several techniques such as FESEM, TEM, XRD, EDS and PL. The morphological characterizations revealed that the as-grown nanowires had diameters in the range of 60-100 nm with lengths 5-15 µm. The details structural properties confirmed the well-crystallinity and wurtzite hexagonal phase for the prepared nanowires. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed a strong green band with a suppressed UV emission. The electrical properties of single S:ZnO nanowire was examined by fabricating single nanowire based field effect transistors (FETs). The detailed electrical transport results showed that S:ZnO nanowires possess n-type semiconducting behavior and exhibited an electron mobility of -67.7 cm2 V(-1) s(-1) and a carrier concentration of 2 x 10(17) cm(-3), respectively.

The association between hallux valgus and proximal joint alignment in young female dancers.

Very little is known about the relationship between proximal joint alignment and hallux valgus among young dancers. This study sought to determine the extent to which spinal and lower extremity alignments are involved in hallux valgus, and to identify predicting variables for its development in young dancers. A group of 1336 young female dancers aged 8-16 years, and 226 control participants of the same age cohort were screened for the presence of hallux valgus, body physique characteristics, joint range of motion, and anatomical anomalies. Hallux valgus was common in the 2 young female populations studied. Among the dancers, 40.0% had bilateral hallux valgus and 7.3% unilateral. Among the controls, 32.3% had bilateral and 1.8% unilateral hallux valgus (χ2=8.27, df=1, p=0.004). Following logistic regression analysis, age (OR=1.028, 95% CI=0.968-1.091), genu varum (OR=1.514; CI=1.139-2.013) and scoliosis (OR=2.089; CI=1.113-3.921) were found to be significant predicting factors for hallux valgus in the dancer group, whereas in the control group, the predicting factors were age (OR=0.911, 95% CI=0.801-1.036) and ankle plantar flexion range of motion (OR=0.972; CI=0.951-0.992). In conclusion, it was found that spinal deformity, lower extremity alignment, and joint range of motion are strongly related to hallux valgus.

Synthesis and characterizations of ferrite nanomaterials for phenyl hydrazine chemical sensor applications.

This paper presents the synthesis, characterization and phenyl hydrazine chemical sensing applications of Cd0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized by facile and simple co-precipitation method and characterized in detail in terms of their morphological, structural, compositional and electrical properties. The detailed characterization studies revealed that the prepared nanoparticles are grown in high density, possessing Cd0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 composition and exhibiting spinel cubic structure. Moreover, the prepared Cd0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles were used as efficient electron mediators for the fabrication of high-sensitive, robust, reliable and reproducible phenyl hydrazine chemical sensor by simple I-V technique. The fabricated chemical sensor exhibits a highsensitivity of 7.01 microA mM(-1) cm(-2) with an experimental detection limit of 3.125 mM in a short response time of -10.0 s. This work demonstrates that Cd0.5Mg0.5Fe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles can efficiently be utilized for the fabrication of highly sensitive and reliable chemical sensors.

Low-temperature synthesis of α-Fe2O3 hexagonal nanoparticles for environmental remediation and smart sensor applications.

This work demonstrates the successful synthesis and characterizations of α-Fe2O3 hexagonal nanoparticles and their effective utilization for the degradation of hazardous Rhodamine B (RhB) dye and smart chemical sensor applications. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by various analytical techniques which revealed that the prepared nanoparticles are well-crystalline, possessing hexagonal shape, grown in high-density and well matched with the rhombohedral α-Fe2O3 structures. The as-synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were used as efficient photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of RhB-dye under light illumination which showed substantial degradation (~79%) of RhB-dye in 140 min. The considerable photo-degradation of RhB-dye attributed to the unique morphology of the synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles which might import the effective electron/hole separation and generate the large number of oxy-radicals. Moreover, the synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were utilized as efficient electron mediators for the fabrication of 4-nitrophenol chemical sensor in aqueous media. The fabricated chemical sensor exhibited a high-sensitivity of ~367.6 µA (mol L(-1))(-1) cm(-2) and an experimental detection limit of ~1.56×10(-3) mol L(-1) in a short response time of ~10.0 s with linearity in the range of 1.56×10(-3)-12.5×10(-3) mol L(-1) and correlation coefficient (R) of ~0.99963. These investigations demonstrated that the simply synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles can effectively be used as efficient photocatalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and effective electron mediators for the fabrication of highly sensitive chemical sensors in aqueous medium.

Growth of in-doped ZnO hollow spheres composed of nanosheets networks and nanocones: structural and optical properties.

This work reports the facile growth and characterizations of In-doped ZnO hollow spheres composed of nanosheets networks and nanocones. The In-doped ZnO hollow spheres composed of nanosheets networks and nanocones were grown on Si (100) substrate by simple and non-catalytic thermal evaporation process using metallic zinc and indium powders in the presence of oxygen. The prepared materials were examined in terms of their morphological, compositional, structural and optical properties. The detailed morphological studies revealed that the synthesized products are hollow spheres composed of nanosheet networks and nanocones and grown in high-density. The observed structural properties exhibited well-crystallinity and wurtzite hexagonal phase for the grown materials. The room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed a broad band in the visible region with a suppressed UV emission and hence due the enhancement in the green emission, the prepared materials exhibits a great interest in the area of ZnO phosphors, such as field emissive display technology, etc.

Visible-light-driven photocatalytic and chemical sensing properties of SnS2 nanoflakes.

This work demonstrated the successful and facile large-scale synthesis and characterizations of SnS2 nanoflakes. The detailed morphological studies revealed that the synthesized products were nanoflakes and were grown in large quantity. The XRD pattern and detailed compositional studies confirmed that the synthesized SnS2 nanoflakes were well-crystalline and possessing hexagonal SnS2 phase. The synthesized SnS2 nanoflakes were used as efficient photocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation and effective electron mediators for the fabrication of chemical sensor. The photocatalytic properties of SnS2 nanoflakes towards the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye under visible light irradiation showed reasonably good degradation of ~61%. Moreover, the as-synthesized SnS2 nanoflakes were used as efficient electron mediators for the fabrication of nitroaniline chemical sensor by simple I-V technique. Very high-sensitivity of ~ 505.82±0.02 mAcm(-2).(mole/L)(-1) and experimental detection limit of ~15×10(-6) (mole/L) in a short response time of ~10.0 s with LDR in the range of 15.6×10(-6)-0.5×10(-3) mole L(-1) were observed for the fabricated nitroaniline chemical sensor. The observed results indicated that the SnS2 nanoflakes can efficiently be used as visible-light-driven photocatalysts and the fabrication of ultra-high sensitive chemical sensors.

La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3 nanoparticles based ultra-high sensitive ammonia chemical sensor.

A facile, reliable, reproducible and ultra-high sensitive aqueous ammonia chemical sensor has been fabricated based on the utilization of La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3 nanoparticles (LSMO NPs), as efficient electron mediators, and reported in this paper. The LSMO NPs were prepared by hydrothermal protocol followed by the annealing process and characterized in detail in terms of their mophological, structural and compositional properties. The I-V technique based aqueous ammonia sensor exhibits an ultra-high sensitivity of 494.68 +/- 0.01 microA cm(-2)mM(-1) and very low-detection limit of 0.2 microM with a response time less than 10 s. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which LSMO is used as an efficient electron mediator for the fabrication of aqueous ammonia chemical sensor. Moreover, by comparing the literature, it is confirmed that the fabricated sensor exhibits highest sensitivity towards the detection of aqueous ammonia. This LSMO nanomaterial based research broadens the range of efficient electron mediators utilized for the fabrication of ultra-high sensitive chemical sensors.

Effectiveness of thermal and athermal short-wave diathermy for the management of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of short-wave diathermy (SWD) treatment in the management of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and to assess whether the effects are related to the induction of a thermal effect. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, EMBASE, SPORTdiscus and Scholar Google. Included were trials that compared the use of SWD treatment in patients diagnosed with KOA with a control group (placebo SWD treatment or no intervention) and studies that used high-frequency electromagnetic energy (i.e., 27.12 MHz) with sufficient information regarding treatment dosage. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed in accordance with the PEDro classification scale. A minimum of a 6/10 score was required for inclusion. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the final analysis. Treatment protocols (dosage, duration, number of treatments) varied extensively between studies. The meta-analysis of the studies with low mean power did not favour SWD treatment for pain reduction, while the results of studies employing some thermal effect were significant. No treatment effect on functional performance measures was determined. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis found small, significant effects on pain and muscle performance only when SWD evoked a local thermal sensation. However, the variability in the treatment protocols makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the factors determining the effectiveness of SWD treatment. More research (using comparable protocols and outcome measurements) is needed to evaluate possible long-term effects of thermal SWD treatment and its cost effectiveness in patients with KOA.

Joint range of motion and patellofemoral pain in dancers.

The aim of the present study was to determine the association between joint range of motion (ROM) and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) in young female dancers. The study population included 1 359 female dancers, aged 8-20 years. All dancers were clinically examined for current PFPS, and their joint ROM was measured at the lumbar spine and the lower extremities. 321 of the 1 359 dancers (23.6%) experienced PFPS. Prevalence of the syndrome increased with the dancer's age (p<0.001). Dancers with hypo ROM in hip external rotation, ankle plantar-flexion, ankle/foot pointe, hip abduction, hip extension, and limited hamstrings and lumbar spine were significantly less prone to developing PFPS compared to dancers with average ROM: 19.2% vs. 26.2% (p=0.014); 13.7% vs. 26.1% (p<0.001); 12.2% vs. 26.2% (p<0.001); 10.0% vs. 25.3% (p<0.001); 12.6% vs. 24.2% (p<0.001); and 9.3% vs. 28.2% (p<0.001), respectively. The group with the smallest prevalence of PFPS (10.2%) manifested restricted ROM at both the hip and ankle/foot joints. Dancers with decreased hip and ankle/foot joints ROM are less prone to develop PFPS. When making an association between joint ROM and injuries, not only the ROM at the targeted joint should be considered, but also the ROM at neighboring joints.

Growth and properties of Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers for highly sensitive phenyl hydrazine chemical sensor application.

We report here the fabrication of a robust, highly sensitive, reliable and reproducible phenyl hydrazine chemical sensor using Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers as efficient electron mediators. The Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers were synthesized by facile hydrothermal process at low-temperature and characterized in detail in terms of their morphological, structural, compositional and optical properties. The detailed morphological and structural characterizations revealed that the synthesized nanostructures were flower-shaped, grown in very high-density, and possessed well-crystalline structure. The chemical composition confirmed the presence of Ag into the lattices of Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers. High sensitivity of ≈ 557.108 ± 0.012 mAcm(-2)(mol L(-1))(-1) and detection limit of ≈ 5 × 10(-9) mol L(-1) with correlation coefficient (R) of 0.97712 and short response time (10.0 s) were observed for the fabricated chemical sensor towards the detection of phenyl hydrazine by using a simple current-voltage (I-V) technique. Due to high sensitivity and low-detection limit, it can be concluded that Ag-doped ZnO nanoflowers could be an effective candidate for the fabrication of phenyl hydrazine chemical sensors.

Ultra-high sensitive ammonia chemical sensor based on ZnO nanopencils.

This paper reports a very simple, reliable and facile methodology to fabricate ultra-high sensitive liquid ammonia chemical sensor using well-crystalline hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanopencils as an efficient electron mediator. A low-temperature facile hydrothermal technique was used to synthesize ZnO nanopencils. The synthesized nanopencils were characterized in detail in terms of their morphological, structural and optical properties which confirmed that the synthesized nanomaterial is well-crystalline, possessing wurtzite hexagonal phase and possess very good optical properties. A very high sensitivity of ≈ 26.58µAcm(-2)mM(-1) and detection limit of ≈ 5nM with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.9965 and a response time of less than 10s were observed for the fabricated liquid ammonia by I-V technique. To the best of our knowledge, by comparing the literature, it is confirmed that the fabricated sensor based on ZnO nanopencils exhibits highest sensitivity and lowest detection limit for liquid ammonia. This research opens a way that simply synthesized nanomaterials could be used as efficient electron mediators for the fabrication of efficient liquid ammonia chemical sensors.

Altitudinal distribution patterns of the native and alien woody flora in Kashmir Himalaya, India.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that alien species richness pattern follows that of native species richness patterns along environmental gradients, without taking the specific composition of the two groups into account. OBJECTIVES: To compare species richness patterns of native and alien woody plants along an altitudinal gradient in Kashmir Himalaya, India, and to analyse the specific composition, e.g. proportion of life forms. METHODS: Analysis of secondary data from published floristic inventories. The gradient (500-4800m asl) was split into 100m bands and presence/absence data for each species were obtained, for each band. RESULTS: Species richness of both native and alien species followed a hump-shaped distribution. Alien species richness dropped faster above 2000masl than the native did. The ratio of trees to shrubs decreased monotonically along the gradient in native species, but showed a peak at c. 2500masl in alien species. Alien species flowered in average earlier than native species. CONCLUSIONS: The change of species richness of native and alien species along altitude is similar, but the proportion of life forms is not. Most likely both climatic and socio-economic factors affect alien species richness and its specific composition in the Kashmir Himalaya.

Towards an integrated research framework and policy agenda on biological invasions in the developing world: a case-study of India.

BACKGROUND: Scientific literature on biological invasions in the developing world is currently scarce. India, a fast-globalizing country, faces a high risk of biological invasions. However, research and policy efforts on biological invasions in India are presently inadequate. OBJECTIVES: To propose an integrated research framework and policy agenda on biological invasions for India. METHODS: The framework and agenda, drawn from research insights gained from plant invasion studies in the Kashmir Himalaya (India), adopts a stage-based model for characterization of invasive alien biota in India. RESULTS: The research framework explicates crucial information on the origin, purpose and pathway of introduction, residence time, species invasiveness, invasiveness elsewhere, habitat invasibility, latitudinal and altitudinal ranges and ecological and economic impacts of invasive species. The policy agenda highlights an urgent need for regulation of introduction pathways, prioritization of the worst invasive species, shifting from species- to biota-centric approaches, looking beyond political borders, forging interdisciplinary collaboration, launching a national network, and generating public awareness. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of such an integrated framework and agenda in India, and in other developing countries, can significantly fill the geographical knowledge gaps in invasion biology research-which is crucial in winning the global battle against harmful biological invasions.

Fracture patterns resulting from falls from walnut trees in Kashmir.

OBJECTIVES: To review injury patterns caused by falling from tall trees in Kashmir, and to suggest preventive measures. METHOD: A prospective study involving rural workers presenting after falling from a walnut tree. Participants were followed for a mean 11.8 (4-20) months. RESULTS: From March 2006 to October 2007, 120 people were studied. All were male, with a mean age of 31.6 (11-63) years, and presented during the walnut harvest season. Typical combinations of injuries affected multiple parts of the body, including spinal damage in 45 (37.5%) cases. Neurodeficit was seen in 20 (17%), with complete paraplegia in 7 (9%) cases. CONCLUSIONS: The patterns of injury that emerged from this study have important implications in the evaluation of such cases. Delayed referral worsens damage. Aggressive safety education is required to help prevent these casualties.

Increasing incidence of injuries and fatalities inflicted by wild animals in Kashmir.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the causes of the increased incidence of injuries inflicted by wild animals in Kashmir, and to suggest preventive measures. METHODS: A retrospective study reviewed records of these injuries. Data were collected from the hospital in Srinagar and from the Wildlife Protection Department of Kashmir. RESULTS: A total of 203 attacks (26 deaths and 177 near-fatal injuries) were recorded from January 2005 to October 2007, involving 145 (71.5%) male and 58 (28.5%) female victims. The attacking animal was a black bear in 104 (51.2%), a leopard in 18 (8.8%), a wolf in 7 (3.4%) and unidentified in 74 (36.4%) cases; 130 (64%) of these attacks occurred in southern Kashmir. CONCLUSION: The steady increase in human population in areas close to jungle results in deforestation and destruction of wildlife habitat. The reduction in monkeys and deer (the staple food of leopards) causes these dangerous predators to search for food in the areas occupied by humans, who may then be attacked. Treatment of these cases requires a multidisciplinary approach, including an orthopaedic surgeon, plastic surgeon, microbiologist and psychiatrist, to achieve best cosmetic and functional results.