On the design of low modulus Ti-Nb-Au alloys for biomedical applications.

Developing new low modulus structures is important for reducing the risk of aseptic loosening during loading of implant materials. However, an alloy that may also confer some advantage at preventing septic loosening could dramatically improve the outcomes for patients. Nevertheless, the predictive power of current models remains limited to common alloying additions. As such, this study considers the mechanical properties of a range of Ti-Nb-Au superelastic alloys to elucidate the composition range for which low modulus structures can be achieved. These modulus values are compared to other critical design parameters such as strain recovery and strength. It was found that Au additions are effective at suppressing the formation of the ω phase and allow alloys with lower moduli to be achieved. It was also shown that low ß phase stability is critical for achieving the lowest modulus, and that this susceptibility to transform to a martensite may enable higher strengths to be achieved. However, this low ß phase stability also limits the strain recovery that may be achieved meaning these two properties are not necessarily independently tuneable. These data provide important context for the design of new systems containing unusual alloying additions such as Au.

Factors that influence the mortality of patients following hip hemiarthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Hip hemiarthroplasty (HHA) is one of the most common types of orthopedic surgery. With the prevalence and utilization of the surgery increasing year after year, this procedure is found to be associated with severe postoperative complications and eventually mortality. Thus, it is crucial to understand the factors that increase the risk of mortality following HHA. METHODS: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, patients undergoing HHA from 2016 to 2019 were identified. This sample was stratified into a mortality group and a control group. The data regarding patients' demographics, co-morbidities, and associated complications were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Of the 84,067 patients who underwent the HHA procedures, 1,327 (1.6%) patients died. Additionally, the mortality group had a higher percentage of patients who were non-electively admitted (P < 0.001) and diabetic patients with complications (P < 0.001), but lower incidences of tobacco-related disorders (P < 0.001). Significant differences were also seen in age (P < 0.001), length of stay (P < 0.001), and total charges (P < 0.001) between the two groups. Preoperatively, those aged > 70 years (OR: 2.11, 95% CI [1.74, 2.56], P < 0.001) had diabetes without complications (OR: 0.32, 95% CI [0.23, 0.44], P < 0.001), tobacco-related disorders (OR: 0.24, 95% CI [0.17, 0.34], P < 0.001) and increased rates of mortality after HHA. Postoperatively, conditions, such as pulmonary embolisms (OR: 6.62, 95% CI [5.07, 8.65], P < 0.001), acute renal failure (OR: 4.58 95% CI [4.09, 5.13], P < 0.001), pneumonia (95% CI [2.72, 3.83], P < 0.001), and myocardial infarctions (OR: 2.65, 95% CI [1.80, 3.92], P < 0.001) increased likelihood of death after undergoing HHA. Patients who were electively admitted (OR: 0.46 95% CI [0.35, 0.61], P < 0.001) had preoperative obesity (OR: 0.67, 95% CI [0.44, 0.84], P = 0.002), and a periprosthetic dislocation (OR: 0.51, 95% CI [0.31, 0.83], P = 0.007) and were found to have a decreased risk of mortality following THA. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of pre- and postoperative complications relating to HHA revealed that several comorbidities and postoperative complications increased the odds of mortality. Old age, pulmonary embolisms, acute renal failure, pneumonia, and myocardial infraction enhanced the odds of post-HHA mortality.

Study of Colistin Resistant Gram Negative Organism in Hospitalized Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Intensive care units have become hotspots for antimicrobial resistance, particularly concerning colistin resistance, posing a threat of untreatable infections. Aim: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological and clinical aspects of patients carrying colistin-resistant organisms. It focuses on identifying risk factors, the microbiological profile, susceptibility patterns, and treatment outcomes. Materials and methods: Isolates with colistin MIC >2 µg/mL, identified via BD PHOENIX, were subjected to colistin broth disc elution testing (as per CLSI guidelines) in our Microbiology Department between January and December 2022. Results: Among the 30 patients, colistin-resistant gram-negative isolates were found predominantly in blood cultures (50%), followed by ET/TT cultures (23.3%), urine cultures (10%), and other sites (16.7%). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common organism (80%), showing the highest sensitivity to Ceftazidime-avibactam + Aztreonam (CAZ-AVI + ATM) (76.7%). Of these patients, 66.7% recovered and were discharged, while 33.3% succumbed during hospitalization despite treatment. Conclusion: The study underscores a notable presence of colistin-resistant gram-negative isolates, predominantly in blood cultures, with K. pneumoniae being predominant. The combination of CAZ-AVI + ATM exhibited the highest sensitivity. However, the mortality rate of 33.3% despite sensitive antibiotic treatment highlights the urgency for ongoing vigilance and research to combat colistin-resistant infections and improve patient outcomes. How to cite this article: Diwane D, Rajhans PA, Jog SA, Dalvi M. Study of Colistin Resistant Gram Negative Organism in Hospitalized Patients: A Retrospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(3):286-289.

Studies on a novel SrZr2 CaLa2 O8 :Eu3+ phosphor for lighting applications emitting direct white light.

Direct white light emitting phosphors play a significant role in the display industry due to their ability to improve the quality, efficiency, and versatility of lighting sources used in most of the displays. The currently investigated phosphor SrZr2 CaLa2 O8 :Eu3+ was prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method. It has been observed that the stoichiometric ratio of all precursors plays an important role in determining the characteristics of the final phosphor. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, the phosphor was observed to have a hexagonal phase and a crystal size of ~28 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations revealed a cluster of rod-like structures with an average diameter of ~0.2 µm. The excitation peak maximum observed at 280 nm is due to charge transfer between Eu3+ -O2- ions. The energy transitions 7 F0 → 5 L6 and 7 F0 → 5 D2 are responsible for the appearance of other excitation peaks at ultraviolet (UV) (395 nm), blue (~467 nm), green (~540 nm), orange (~590 nm), and red (~627 nm) attributed to 5 D0 → 7 FJ (J = 0-4) transitions of europium ion (Eu3+ ). The Commercial International de I'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates were estimated to be (0.37, 0.0.33) and (0.67, 0.33) for the emissions corresponding to 395 and 590 nm, respectively. The characteristic emissions of Eu3+ ions allow this novel phosphor to be used to generate direct white light in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which is otherwise difficult to achieve in single-component systems.

Enhancing Anticipatory and Compensatory Postural Responses to Improve Balance in Individuals with TBI.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of sensorimotor deficits in adults and often results in balance impairments. Two types of postural mechanisms are employed to achieve balance during perturbations: Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APA) and Compensatory Postural Adjustments (CPA). People with TBI have reduced APA/CPA responses due to sensory-motor deficits from the injury. The objective of this feasibility study was to evaluate a Perturbation-based Balance Training program with visual cues (PBTvc) to target both APA/CPA responses to improve balance. The evaluation included biomechanical (reactive balance during random perturbation) and functional (Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go and Falls Efficacy Scale) metrics. Preliminary data is presented for two participants with chronic TBI who received 16 sessions of PBTvc. The results show an improved range of trunk oscillation and time to stability during random perturbation tasks with corresponding improvements in Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go, and Falls Efficacy Scale. The results suggest that PBTvc has the potential to improve APA/CPA mechanisms for functional recovery.Clinical Relevance- Preliminary data provides initial evidence for PBTvc as a therapeutic intervention for balance rehabilitation in adults with TBI.

Material and mix design aspects of hot recycled asphalt mixes: A review.

Sustainability in road construction can be achieved by integrating recycled materials in the production of new pavement. One such approach is using reclaimed asphalt pavement materials (RAPM) in hot mix asphalt (HMA). Successful implementation of RAPM in HMA can only be achieved by having good comprehension of the essential material characterisation and design process. The main objective of this review is to summarise the literature and provide a keen understanding of the characterisation of materials involved (RAPM and rejuvenators) and mix design, by giving due consideration to the interaction of virgin and recycled materials. Widely used techniques for extraction and recovery of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) binder have been reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of different characterisation techniques are identified. The effect of various factors on the volumetrics of the recycled mixes is presented. Insight in to the requirements of a rejuvenator by taking into account the changes in binder after ageing is provided. Aspects that need further exploration to normalise and increase the confidence of RAPM in HMA are also highlighted as the future recommendations.

Rational design of a highly immunogenic prefusion-stabilized F glycoprotein antigen for a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading, global cause of serious respiratory disease in infants and is an important cause of respiratory illness in older adults. No RSV vaccine is currently available. The RSV fusion (F) glycoprotein is a key antigen for vaccine development, and its prefusion conformation is the target of the most potent neutralizing antibodies. Here, we describe a computational and experimental strategy for designing immunogens that enhance the conformational stability and immunogenicity of RSV prefusion F. We obtained an optimized vaccine antigen after screening nearly 400 engineered F constructs. Through in vitro and in vivo characterization studies, we identified F constructs that are more stable in the prefusion conformation and elicit ~10-fold higher serum-neutralizing titers in cotton rats than DS-Cav1. The stabilizing mutations of the lead construct (847) were introduced onto F glycoprotein backbones of strains representing the dominant circulating genotypes of the two major RSV subgroups, A and B. Immunization of cotton rats with a bivalent vaccine formulation of these antigens conferred complete protection against RSV challenge, with no evidence of disease enhancement. The resulting bivalent RSV prefusion F investigational vaccine has recently been shown to be efficacious against RSV disease in two pivotal phase 3 efficacy trials, one for passive protection of infants by immunization of pregnant women and the second for active protection of older adults by direct immunization.

Human papillomavirus related oropharyngeal cancer: identifying and quantifying topics of patient interest.

OBJECTIVE: As the incidence of human papillomavirus related oropharyngeal cancer continues to rise, it is increasingly important for public understanding to keep pace. This study aimed to identify areas of patient interest and concern regarding human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer. METHOD: This study was a retrospective survey of search queries containing the keywords 'HPV cancer' between September 2015 and March 2021. RESULTS: There was 3.5-fold more interest in human papillomavirus related oropharyngeal cancer (15 800 searches per month) compared with human papillomavirus related cervical cancer (4500 searches per month). Among searches referencing cancer appearance, 96.8 per cent pertained to the head and neck region (3050 searches per month). Among vaccination searches, 16 of 47 (34.0 per cent; 600 searches per month) referenced human papillomavirus vaccines as being a cause of cancer rather than preventing cancer. CONCLUSION: The vast majority of online searches into human papillomavirus cancer pertain to the oropharynx. There are relatively few search queries on the topic of vaccination preventing human papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal cancer, which highlights the continued importance of patient education and awareness campaigns.

Improving blast resistance of maintainer line DRR 9B by transferring broad spectrum resistance gene Pi2 by marker assisted selection in rice.

Hybrid rice technology offers great promise to further enhance rice production and productivity for global food security. Improving hybrid rice parental lines is the first step in developing heterotic rice hybrids. To improve resistance against blast disease, a maintainer line DRR 9B was fortified with a major broad-spectrum blast resistance gene Pi2 through marker-assisted selection. The rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is a major disease and can cause severe yield losses upto 100%. The NILs of Samba Mahsuri namely BA-23-11-89-12-168 possessing Pi2 was utilized as a donor parent. The PCR-based molecular marker tightly linked to Pi2 gene was used for the foreground selection at BC1F1 generation. The molecular marker tightly linked to the major fertility restorer gene Rf4 was used for negative selection (i.e., selection of plants possessing non fertility restoring alleles) at BC1F1 generation to identify maintainer lines. The positive plants with Rf4 gene were added to the restorer pool for restorer line development. At each stage, MAS for Pi2 coupled with stringent phenotypic selection for agro-morphological and grain quality traits were exercised. At BC1F3 generation, one hundred families were screened against blast disease at uniform blast nursery (UBN) and selected resistant lines were advanced to next generations. In the BC1F5 generation plants were subjected to agro-morphological evaluation for yield and yield-contributing traits. The selected plants at BC1F5 generation were crossed with DRR 9A to assess the maintainer ability of blast resistance lines and for further CMS line conversion for hybrid rice breeding for developing blast resistance rice hybrids.

Hippocampus Segmentation-Based Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Classification of MRI Images.

Alzheimer's disease represents a neurological condition characterized by steady cognitive decline and eventual memory loss due to the death of brain cells. It is one of the most prominent dementia types observed in patients and which hence underlines the imminent need for potential methods to diagnose the disease early on. This work considers a novel approach by utilizing a reduced version of one of the datasets used in this work to achieve a considerably accurate prediction while also enabling quicker training. It leverages image segmentation to isolate the hippocampus region from brain MRI images and then strikes a comparison between models trained on the segmented portions and models trained on complete images. This research uses two datasets-4 classes of images from Kaggle and a popular OASIS 2 MRI and demographic dataset. A deep learning-based approach was adopted to train the Kaggle dataset to perform severity classification, and the hippocampus region segmented from a reduced version of the OASIS dataset was trained on supervised and ensemble learning algorithms to detect Alzheimer's disease. The metric used for the assessment of model performance is classification accuracy. A comparative analysis between the proposed approach and existing work was also performed, and it was observed that the proposed approach is effective in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Effects and Complications of Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator in the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: A Narrative Review.

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is one of those devices that is a big boom for the prevention of sudden deaths due to heart failure. This particular device has been in use for just a couple of years, but its impact in the domain has brought about a considerable change in the way a specific issue of the cardiovascular system is tackled. Although subcutaneous or hypodermic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) is considered to be a better alternative as far as transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (TV-ICD) is concerned, the former, being a newer introduction in the market, needs to be assessed in depth to clearly understand its effects and complications. Various types of research have been conducted on the efficacy of this device, and in most of the studies, the supremacy of this device is clearly evident when compared with other devices that are used for the same purpose. Better innovations in subcutaneous or hypodermic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators would enable them to be manufactured in a more efficient and cost-effective way so that a huge lot of people are benefited from this device. This review article is a whole peep into the various studies done in this domain, thereby providing adequate scientific insights about subcutaneous or hypodermic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in a very simple and comprehensive manner.

Seroprevalence to common infectious abortifacient and infertility causing agents in the dairy herds of India.

Background: Information on the prevalence of infectious agents in dairy farms forms the basis for formulating a suitable control strategy; especially in endemic situations. Aims: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of six economically important bovine diseases, causing reproductive disorders including bovine abortion in organized dairy herds in India. Methods: A total of 1,075 animals (cattle and buffaloes) from 09 dairy farms were screened by ELISA tests. Results: Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) was the most prevalent (56.5%) disease followed by infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) (45.4%). Prevalence of Q-fever (5.4%) and neosporosis (6.1%) were less on the farms. Although 16.3% of the samples turned positive for brucellosis, the contribution of calf-hood vaccination (B. abortus S19 vaccine) to the prevalence of antibodies cannot be ruled out. The overall prevalence of bovine anaplasmosis, known to cause sporadic abortions in dairy herds, was 34.1% in the 9 farms with a prevalence of less than 20% in 5 farms. Infection of multiple abortifacient (seroprevalence to more than two pathogens) was recorded in 56.8% of animals. A very strong association was observed between BVD and brucellosis (Odds ratio 14.2; P<0.001). Further, a positive association was also seen between seroprevalence of IBR and anaplasmosis, and neosporosis and Q fever (P<0.05). Conclusion: Viral diseases were found to be more common in the dairy herds than bacterial and protozoan diseases. Increased susceptibility of IBR seropositive cows to other bacterial and viral infections was observed.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 15B polysaccharide conjugate elicits a cross-functional immune response against serotype 15C but not 15A.

Protection conferred by pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccines (PCVs) is associated with PCV-induced antibodies against vaccine-covered serotypes that exhibit functional opsonophagocytic activity (OPA). Structural similarity between capsular polysaccharides of closely related serotypes may result in induction of cross-reactive antibodies with or without a cross-functional activity against a serotype not covered by a PCV, with the former providing an additional protective clinical benefit. Serotypes 15B, 15A, and 15C, in the serogroup 15, are among the most prevalent Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes associated with invasive pneumococcal disease following the implementation of a 13-valent PCV; in addition, 15B contributes significantly to acute otitis media. Serological discrimination between closely related serotypes such as 15B and 15C is complicated; here, we implemented an algorithm to quickly differentiate 15B from its closely related serotypes 15C and 15A directly from whole-genome sequencing data. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations of serotypes 15A, 15B, and 15C polysaccharides demonstrated that while 15B and 15C polysaccharides assume rigid branched conformation, 15A polysaccharide assumes a flexible linear conformation. A serotype 15B conjugate, included in a 20-valent PCV (PCV20), induced cross-functional OPA serum antibody responses against the structurally similar serotype 15C but not against serotype 15A, both not included in PCV20. In PCV20-vaccinated adults (18-49 years), robust OPA antibody titers were detected against both serotypes 15B (the geometric mean titer [GMT] of 19,334) and 15C (GMTs of 1692 and 2747 for strains PFE344340 and PFE1160, respectively), but were negligible against serotype 15A (GMTs of 10 and 30 for strains PFE593551 and PFE647449, respectively). Cross-functional 15B/C responses were also confirmed using sera from a larger group of older adults (60-64 years).

The Dominance of Candida auris: A Single-center Experience of 79 Episodes of Candidemia from Western India.

Introduction: Invasive candidiasis is a serious infection seen in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients. Mortality rates for candidemia can be as high as 30-60%. Candida auris is an emerging species of Candida and is increasingly becoming a global public health problem. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study, in which we analyzed 79 episodes of candidemia. Blood cultures were done using the Bactec™ FX blood culturing instrument (Becton, Dickinson and Company Sparks, Maryland, USA). Species identification was done using VITEK® 2 YST panels (bioMérieux Inc., Durham, North Carolina, USA). Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using VITEK® 2 AST-YSO8 panels (bioMérieux Inc., Durham, North Carolina, USA). Results: Among the 79 episodes, the most common species was found to be C. auris (43.03% of all the episodes). Candida tropicalis was found to be the second most common species in patients admitted to our hospital with candidemia. All the isolates of C. auris were resistant to fluconazole, while 32.35 % of the isolates were also resistant to amphotericin B. Crude mortality in patients with C. auris candidemia was higher than the crude mortality for the other species. Conclusion: This is the first study from India where C. auris was seen as the most predominant species among patients admitted with candidemia. This is a serious issue given the high rates of fluconazole resistance, mortality, and cost of therapy associated with C. auris bloodstream infections. Urgent attention needs to be diverted to infection control practices and antimicrobial stewardship programs. How to cite this article: Prayag PS, Patwardhan S, Panchakshari S, Rajhans PA, Prayag A. The Dominance of Candida auris: A Single-center Experience of 79 Episodes of Candidemia from Western India. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(5):560-563.

Preclinical Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Optimized O25b O-Antigen Glycoconjugates To Prevent MDR ST131 E. coli Infections.

Multivalent O-antigen polysaccharide glycoconjugate vaccines are under development to prevent invasive infections caused by pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. Sequence type 131 (ST131) Escherichia coli of serotype O25b has emerged as the predominant lineage causing invasive multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) infections. We observed the prevalence of E. coli O25b ST131 among a contemporary collection of isolates from U.S. bloodstream infections from 2013 to 2016 (n = 444) and global urinary tract infections from 2014 to 2017 (n = 102) to be 25% and 24%, respectively. To maximize immunogenicity of the serotype O25b O antigen, we investigated glycoconjugate properties, including CRM197 carrier protein cross-linking (single-end versus cross-linked "lattice") and conjugation chemistry (reductive amination chemistry in dimethyl sulfoxide [RAC/DMSO] versus ((2-((2-oxoethyl)thio)ethyl)carbamate [eTEC] linker). Using opsonophagocytic assays (OPAs) to measure serum functional antibody responses to vaccination, we observed that higher-molecular-mass O25b long-chain lattice conjugates showed improved immunogenicity in mice compared with long- or short-chain O antigens conjugated via single-end attachment. The lattice conjugates protected mice from lethal challenge with acapsular O25b ST131 strains as well as against hypervirulent O25b isolates expressing K5 or K100 capsular polysaccharides. A single 1-µg dose of long-chain O25b lattice conjugate constructed with both chemistries also elicited robust serum IgG and OPA responses in cynomolgus macaques. Our findings show that key properties of the O-antigen carrier protein conjugate such as saccharide epitope density and degree of intermolecular cross-linking can significantly enhance functional immunogenicity.

Impact of Purkinje Cell Simple Spike Synchrony on Signal Transmission from Flocculus.

Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellar flocculus carry rate-coded information that ultimately drives eye movement. Floccular PCs lying nearby each other exhibit partial synchrony of their simple spikes (SS). Elsewhere in the cerebellum, PC SS synchrony has been demonstrated to influence activity of the PCs' synaptic targets, and some suggest it constitutes another vector for information transfer. We investigated in the cerebellar flocculus the extent to which the rate code and PC synchrony interact. One motivation for the study was to explain the cerebellar deficits in ataxic mice like tottering; we speculated that PC synchrony has a positive effect on rate code transmission that is lost in the mutants. Working in transgenic mice whose PCs express channelrhodopsin, we exploited a property of optogenetics to control PC synchrony: pulsed photostimulation engenders stimulus-locked spiking, whereas continuous photostimulation engenders spiking whose timing is unconstrained. We photoactivated flocculus PCs using pulsed stimuli with sinusoidally varying timing vs. continuous stimuli with sinusoidally varying intensity. Recordings of PC pairs confirmed that pulsed stimuli engendered greater PC synchrony. We quantified the efficiency of transmission of the evoked PC firing rate modulation from the amplitudes of firing rate modulation and eye movement. Rate code transmission was slightly poorer in the conditions that generated greater PC synchrony, arguing against our motivating speculation regarding the origin of ataxia in tottering. Floccular optogenetic stimulation prominently augmented a 250-300 Hz local field potential oscillation, and we demonstrate relationships between the oscillation power and the evoked PC synchrony.

Clinicoepidemiological and laboratory findings of COVID positive patients presenting to a tertiary care centre in South India: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: SARS CoV2 continues to pose a threat to human race even after one year of its outset in China. Observational studies from across the world have shown huge disparity in the clinicoepidemiological and laboratory features of this disease. In this study we attempt to assess the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory parameters of COVID 19 positive patients in this geographic location. METHODS: This is a descriptive retrospective study of patients who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary care centre in central Kerala, India between July 16, 2020 and November 30, 2020. The clinicoepidemiological and laboratory parameters of the confirmed patients were collected from the laboratory and hospital records and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 1051 patients were tested positive during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 45.7 years ± Standard Deviation (SD): 8.68; 51.76% were male. Among them 658 (62.61%) were symptomatic and 393(37.39%) were asymptomatic; males (54.7%) were more symptomatic than females (45.3%). The common presenting symptoms were fever (43.58%), cough (21.50%), myalgia or fatigue (10.28%). Lymphocytopenia was more in males than females. Laboratory parameters such as Serum Ferritin, Alanine Transferase, Aspartate Transferase, Sodium level were elevated in males compared to female. CONCLUSION: The common symptoms in our study could emphasize on identifying potential patients in this geographic area. Asymptomatic patients should be monitored and investigated for effective control of the disease. A knowledge about the disease presentation in each geographic area is important in planning the effective management strategies since the features are varied from place to place.

Mapping novel QTLs for yield related traits from a popular rice hybrid KRH-2 derived doubled haploid (DH) population.

A doubled haploid (DH) population consisting of 125 DHLs derived from the popular rice hybrid, KRH-2 (IR58025A/KMR3R) was utilized for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping to identify novel genomic regions associated with yield related traits. A genetic map was constructed with 126 polymorphic SSR and EST derived markers, which were distributed across rice genome. QTL analysis using inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) method identified a total of 24 major and minor effect QTLs. Among them, twelve major effect QTLs were identified for days to fifty percent flowering (qDFF12-1), total grain yield/plant (qYLD3-1 and qYLD6-1), test (1,000) grain weight (qTGW6-1 and qTGW7-1), panicle weight (qPW9-1), plant height (qPH12-1), flag leaf length (qFLL6-1), flag leaf width (qFLW4-1), panicle length (qPL3-1 and qPL6-1) and biomass (qBM4-1), explaining 29.95-56.75% of the phenotypic variability with LOD scores range of 2.72-16.51. Chromosomal regions with gene clusters were identified on chromosome 3 for total grain yield/plant (qYLD3-1) and panicle length (qPL3-1) and on chromosome 6 for total grain yield/plant (qYLD6-1), flag leaf length (qFLL6-1) and panicle length (qPL6-1). Majority of the QTLs identified were observed to be co-localized with the previously reported QTL regions. Five novel, major effect QTLs associated with panicle weight (qPW9-1), plant height (qPH12-1), flag leaf width (qFLW4-1), panicle length (qPL3-1) and biomass (qBM4-1) and three novel minor effect QTLs for panicle weight (qPW3-1 and qPW8-1) and fertile grains per panicle (qFGP5-1) were identified. These QTLs can be used in breeding programs aimed to yield improvement after their validation in alternative populations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-03045-7.

Intravenous Methylene Blue as a Rescue Therapy in the Management of Refractory Hypoxia in COVID-19 ARDS Patients: A Case Series.

Objectives: To describe the clinical outcomes of hypoxic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients treated with intravenous methylene blue (MB) in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and methods: We conducted a case series of 50 patients with hypoxic COVID-19 treated with intravenous MB admitted to our hospital between June 01 and September 10, 2020. Intravenous MB was administered as rescue therapy in dosage of 1 mg/kg body weight, with a maximum of five doses, to patients with high oxygen requirements (SpO2/FiO2 <200) apart from the standard of care after obtaining G6PD levels. Data were abstracted from multiple electronic data sources or patient charts to provide information on patient characteristics, clinical and laboratory variables and outcomes. Results: The median age of the patients was 53.3 (range 25-74 years) and most patients (74%) were men. About 68% of patients had pre-existing comorbidity. Median SpO2/FiO2 ratio progressively improved from 132.5 (predose) to 284 before the terminal event (death or discharge), ventilator-free days, and decrease in the proinflammatory biochemical parameter was significantly higher after the second dose of MB. A total of six patients out of 50 required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Thirty patients were discharged with a recovery rate of 60%, while 20 patients succumbed to the illness. There was no major side effect or adverse event reported in any of the patients. Conclusion: MB due to its polypharmacological action against SARS-CoV-2, an inexpensive and widely available drug with minimal side effects, has a significant potential in the treatment of COVID-19. How to cite this article: Mahale N, Godavarthy P, Marreddy S, Gokhale SD, Funde P, Rajhans PA, et al. Intravenous Methylene Blue as a Rescue Therapy in the Management of Refractory Hypoxia in COVID-19 ARDS Patients: A Case Series. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(8):934-938.

Evaluation of genotype by environment interaction and adaptability in lowland irrigated rice hybrids for grain yield under high temperature.

Recent predictions on climate change indicate that high temperature episodes are expected to impact rice production and productivity worldwide. The present investigation was undertaken to assess the yield stability of 72 rice hybrids and their parental lines across three temperature regimes over two consecutive dry seasons using the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), genotype and genotype × environment interaction (GGE) stability model analysis. The combined ANOVA revealed that genotype × environment interaction (GEI) were significant due to the linear component for most of the traits studied. The AMMI and GGE biplot explained 57.2% and 69% of the observed genotypic variation for grain yield, respectively. Spikelet fertility was the most affected yield contributing trait and in contrast, plant height and tiller numbers were the least affected traits. In case of spikelet fertility, grain yield and other yield contributing traits, male parent contributed towards heat tolerance of the hybrids compared to the female parent. The parental lines G74 (IR58025B), G83 (IR40750R), G85 (C20R) and hybrids [G21 (IR58025A × KMR3); G3 (APMS6A × KMR3); G57 (IR68897A × KMR3) and G41 (IR79156A × RPHR1005)] were the most stable across the environments for grain yield. They can be considered as potential genotypes for cultivation under high temperature stress after evaluating under multi location trials.