Genomic analysis of wolves from Pakistan clarifies boundaries among three divergent wolf lineages.

Among the three main divergent lineages of gray wolf (Canis lupus), the Holarctic lineage is the most widespread and best-studied, particularly in North America and Europe. Less is known about Tibetan (also called Himalayan) and Indian wolf lineages in southern Asia, especially in areas surrounding Pakistan where all three lineages are thought to meet. Given the endangered status of the Indian wolf in neighboring India and unclear southwestern boundary of the Tibetan wolf range, we conducted mitochondrial and genome-wide sequencing of wolves from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. Sequences of the mitochondrial D-loop region of 81 wolves from Pakistan indicated contact zones between Holarctic and Indian lineages across the northern and western mountains of Pakistan. Reduced-representation genome sequencing of 8 wolves indicated an east-to-west cline of Indian to Holarctic ancestry, consistent with a contact zone between these two lineages in Pakistan. The western boundary of the Tibetan lineage corresponded to the Ladakh region of India's Himalayas with a narrow zone of admixture spanning this boundary from the Karakoram Mountains of northern Pakistan into Ladakh, India. Our results highlight the conservation significance of Pakistan's wolf populations, especially the remaining populations in Sindh and Southern Punjab that represent the highly endangered Indian lineage.

Celebrating breakthrough in dental diagnostics: FDA approval of an AI model for diagnosis of periodontal diseases: A correspondence.

Periodontal diseases are prevalent and have significant implications for oral health and overall well-being. Current diagnostic methods have limitations in accuracy and standardization. The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of Videa Perio Assist (VPA), an AI model for diagnosing periodontal diseases, presents a breakthrough in dental diagnostics. VPA is a cloud-based, AI-powered software that automatically measures and visualizes bone levels associated with each tooth from radiographic images. Clinical testing has demonstrated VPA's efficacy in accurately diagnosing periodontal diseases with high sensitivity and specificity. The integration of AI in dentistry has the potential to revolutionize periodontal disease diagnosis, improve patient care, and enhance decision-making. However, further research, education, cost-effectiveness, and collaboration are essential for maximizing the benefits of AI in dental settings. The approval and implementation of VPA mark a significant advancement in dental diagnostics, paving the way for more effective solutions and a healthier global population.

Suture-Button Versus Syndesmotic Screw Fixation of Ankle Fractures: A Comparative Retrospective Review Over One Year.

Background Syndesmotic fixation is essential in the management of unstable ankle fractures with syndesmotic disruption. It can be achieved either by rigid fixation with screws or dynamic fixation with suture-button devices. Syndesmosis screws are considered the gold standard for the stabilisation and fixation of distal tibiofibular syndesmotic injuries. We use both types of devices in our unit for the stabilisation of syndesmotic injuries. In our department, Arthrex TightRope® (Arthrex, Naples, FL) is the preferred suture-button device for the dynamic fixation of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. Some studies have reported better outcomes with the use of suture-button devices. In this study, we aim to compare the outcomes with the use of both these devices. Methodology This retrospective cohort study was conducted from 1 June 2019 until 31 May 2020 which included all patients who underwent syndesmotic fixation. Data were collected from the Northern Ireland Electronic Care Record and the Northern Ireland Picture Archiving and Communication System. Primary outcomes included reoperation rates due to failure of syndesmotic hardware. Secondary outcomes included the comparison of complications (e.g. infection, wound problems, or loss of reduction) radiographic fixation/stability, duration of follow-up, and significant ongoing symptoms at the time of discharge from the clinic. Results A total of 53 patients underwent syndesmotic stabilisation during this period. In total, 34 patients underwent fixation with TightRope and 19 underwent syndesmotic screw fixation. Three patients (9%) had reoperation due to any cause in the TightRope group compared to four patients (21%) in the syndesmotic screw group. All four patients in the syndesmotic screws group underwent implant removal due to failure or symptoms due to implant. Only one patient (3%) in the TightRope group underwent implant removal due to ongoing pain [the other two (6%) patients included one with lateral ankle abscess and one with long distal fibula screws, both unrelated to the use of TightRope and TightRope left in situ at reoperation]. Rediastasis was reported in one (5.2%) patient with syndesmotic screws. The median duration of follow-up was 82 days in the syndesmotic screw group compared to 77.5 days in the TightRope group. Conclusions Based on our data, we report a lower incidence of implant-related problems and the need for implant removal with the use of TightRope. Quicker return to weight-bearing and slightly better radiographic stabilisation were noted as well. Our study has its limitations in terms of a small number of patients and the absence of functional outcomes as these were not routinely recorded at the time of discharge from the clinic.

Therapeutic approaches in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis: A literature review of available therapies and case series.

Hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HGAP) is the third most common etiology of acute pancreatitis. HGAP can be attributed to genetic disturbances in triglyceride metabolism or multiple secondary causes. Here, we presented three cases for HGAP and explored different therapeutic approaches for treating HGAP. A case series of three patients who presented with HGAP and underwent different therapeutic approaches was conducted. The first patient was a 37-year-old male who presented with nonsevere HGAP; he was treated with conservative therapy with insulin and heparin infusion, which resulted in clinical and laboratory improvement. The second patient was a 64-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus on multiple highly active antiretroviral therapy. He presented with severe HGAP and multiorgan failure. After initiation of therapeutic plasma exchange, his HGAP resolved. The third patient was a 28-year-old male who presented with recurrent episodes of HGAP; his conservative therapy failed and was eventually escalated to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). HGAP can be attributed to genetic disturbances of lipid or secondary etiologies. A nonsevere form of HGAP can be managed with conventional therapy including insulin and heparin; however, severe HGAP may require TPE.

Unplanned Clinic Attendance, Readmission, and Reoperation in the First 12 Months Postoperatively Following Hip Hemiarthroplasty for Acute Hip Fractures: Who Is At Risk?

Introduction Up to 19% of patients who undergo surgery for an acute hip fracture are readmitted to the hospital within three months of the index operation. We aimed to identify risk factors for unplanned clinic attendance, readmission, and mortality within the first 12 months postoperatively and subsequently determine if there is a role for routine follow-up. Method Patients greater than 65 years old who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty using an uncemented Thompson implant for treatment of a traumatic non-pathological hip fracture were identified from a prospectively maintained database at a single institution between August 2007 and February 2011. Patient demographics, comorbidities, place of residence, mobility status, unplanned attendance to an orthopaedic clinic with symptoms relating to the respective limb, readmission, and mortality were recorded. Regression analysis was performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 24 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY) with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results Five hundred and fifty-four consecutive patients were identified. Unplanned clinic attendance was correlated to age (p = 0.000, B = -0.0159, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.200 to -0.65), with patients between the ages of 65 - 70 years most likely to require unplanned clinic review postoperatively. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade (p = 0.019, 95% CI: 0.014 to 0.163) and frequency of unplanned outpatient attendance (p = 0.000, 95% CI: 0.120 to 0.284) were significantly associated with increased readmission within 12 months of the index procedure with patients who were regarded as ASA > 2 most likely to require readmission within the first postoperative year. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first piece of research that identifies causative factors for unplanned clinic attendance and acute readmission during the first postoperative year in acute hip fracture patients treated by hemiarthroplasty. Routine scheduled follow-up of patients based on risk stratification may be effective in reducing the financial burden of unplanned clinic attendance.

Scrub Typhus Leading to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, Assam, India.

To determine the contribution of Orientia tsutsugamushi, the agent of scrub typhus, as a cause of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in Assam, India, we conducted a retrospective study of hospital patients with symptoms of AES during 2013-2015. Our findings suggest that O. tsutsugamushi infection leads to AES and the resulting illness and death.

A comparative study of job satisfaction among regular and staff on contract in the primary health care system in Delhi, India.

BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction is a pleasant emotional state associated with the appreciation of one's work and contributes immensely to performance in an organization. The purpose of this study was to assess the comparative job satisfaction among regular and staff on contract in Government Primary Urban Health Centers in Delhi, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in 2013, on a sample of 333 health care providers who were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. The sample included medical officers (MOs), auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs), pharmacists and laboratory technicians (LTs)/laboratory assistants (LAs) among regular and staff on contract. Analysis was done using SPSS version 18, and appropriate statistical tests were applied. RESULTS: The job satisfaction for all the regular staff that is, MOs, ANMs, pharmacists, LAs, and LTs were relatively higher (3.3 ± 0.44) than the contract staff (2.7 ± 0.45) with 't'value 10.54 (P < 0.01). The mean score for regular and contract MOs was 3.2 ± 0.46 and 2.7 ± 0.56, respectively, and the same trends were found between regular and ANMs on the contract which was 3.4 ± 0.30 and 2.7 ± 0.38, regular and pharmacists on the contract was 3.3 ± 0.50 and 2.8 ± 0.41, respectively. The differences between groups were significant with a P < 0.01. CONCLUSION: Overall job satisfaction level was relatively low in both regular and contract staff. The factors contributing to satisfaction level were privileges, interpersonal relations, working-environment, patient relationship, the organization's facilities, career development, and the scarcity of human resources (HRs). Therefore, specific recommendations are suggested to policy makers to take cognizance of the scarcity of HRs and the on-going experimentation with different models under primary health care system.

Biopower generation from kitchen wastewater using a bioreactor.

This research provides a comparative study of the power output from mediator-less and mediator microbial fuel cells (MFCs) under aerobic and partially anaerobic conditions using kitchen wastewater (KWW) as a renewable energy source. The wastewater sample was subjected to different physical, chemical, biochemical, and microbial analysis. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and power output values were greater for the fermented samples than the non-fermented samples. The power output of samples was compared through the development of MFCs by using sand-salt bridge and agar-salt bridge. The H2 that was produced was converted to atomic hydrogen by using the nickel-coated zinc electrode. In addition, the power output was further enhanced by introducing air into the cathodic chamber, where oxygen reacts with the protons to form pure H2O. The study showed that the power output was increased with the increase in COD and BOD values.

The effect of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITMNs) on Japanese encephalitis virus seroconversion in pigs and humans.

The effect of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITMNs) on Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus seroconversion in pigs and humans was studied in Assam, Northeast India. A sharp reduction of seroconversion rate in human and pig was found in treated localities after intervention. A marked reduction was achieved in humans (risk ratio [RR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.16-0.49) and pigs (RR = 0.21, CI = 0.11-0.40) in the Kollolua locality where ITMNs were used on both humans and pigs compared with the other two area, Athabari and Rajmai, where ITMNs were covering only either humans or pigs. Monitoring of the mosquito population in and around cattle sheds during dusk revealed no significant decline (P > 0.05) of vector density during the post-intervention period in study localities. In spite of the high preponderance of potential JE vector outdoors during the post-intervention period, an encouraging line of defense against circulation of JE virus through the use of ITMNs can be achieved in endemic areas.