Is Ba3In2O6a high-Tcsuperconductor?

It has been suggested that Ba3In2O6might be a high-Tcsuperconductor. Experimental investigation of the properties of Ba3In2O6was long inhibited by its instability in air. Recently epitaxial Ba3In2O6with a protective capping layer was demonstrated, which finally allows its electronic characterization. The optical bandgap of Ba3In2O6is determined to be 2.99 eV in-the (001) plane and 2.83 eV along thec-axis direction by spectroscopic ellipsometry. First-principles calculations were carried out, yielding a result in good agreement with the experimental value. Various dopants were explored to induce (super-)conductivity in this otherwise insulating material. NeitherA- norB-site doping proved successful. The underlying reason is predominately the formation of oxygen interstitials as revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and first-principles calculations. Additional efforts to induce superconductivity were investigated, including surface alkali doping, optical pumping, and hydrogen reduction. To probe liquid-ion gating, Ba3In2O6was successfully grown epitaxially on an epitaxial SrRuO3bottom electrode. So far none of these efforts induced superconductivity in Ba3In2O6,leaving the answer to the initial question of whether Ba3In2O6is a high-Tcsuperconductor to be 'no' thus far.

An investigation into the potential for upward range expansion in high-montane species on the roof of the world.

Climate warming is occurring in high-mountain areas at a faster rate than the global average. To escape the increasing temperatures, alpine species may shift in distribution upwards, threatening cold-adapted nival plant specialists. However, little is known about the success of seedling emergence and establishment at high altitudes outside the current range, particularly in the highest mountain areas of the Himalayas. We selected four native alpine species occurring around 4000 m a.s.l. and sowed seeds at the natural growing site (GS), at a high elevation site (HS; 5000 m a.s.l.) and at high elevation with soil from the growing site (HS-S) in the Khumbu Valley, north-eastern Nepal. We monitored seedling emergence and establishment for two consecutive years. Seedling emergence and establishment varied between species. Emergence was similar between GS and HS and improved at HS-S. Establishment was low at high elevations with all but one species having high mortality after winter. Seedling emergence of low elevation plants is possible at high elevations in the Everest region, indicating species may be able to shift their distribution range upwards. However, successful establishment may be limited by the soil and high winter mortality at high elevations, although not in all species. Climate warming will potentially lead to upward migration of some Himalayan plant species, leading to altered community composition in high-mountain areas.

Alarm Fatigue among Nurses Working in Critical Care Setting in a Tertiary Hospital, Nepal.

Background Alarm fatigue is a well-recognized patient safety concern in critical care settings. It occurs when nurses become overwhelmed by the total number of alarm signals which can result in alarm desensitization and eventually contributes to missing of serious and important changes in a patient's condition, thus failing to respond properly. Objective To find out alarm fatigue and its associated factors among nurses working in critical care setting. Method A cross-sectional study design with convenient sampling technique was used to select 56 nurses working at different critical care settings in Dhulikhel Hospital. A selfconstructed semi structured questionnaire and nurses alarm fatigue questionnaire was used for the survey. Frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used for descriptive statistics whereas Independent t-test and One-way ANOVA were used for inferential statistics. Result The result shows that more than half of the nurses were less than 25 years, single and more than two-third of the participants worked in Adult Intensive Care Unit. Out of total obtainable score 44, the overall mean score of the Alarm Fatigue was 28.03±12.813. The result showed that there was no significant difference between alarm fatigue and selected socio-demographic and work related characteristics. Conclusion The alarm fatigue among nurses working in critical care settings was found to be higher in this study. Since alarm fatigue is directly related to patients' safety, the effective management of medical device alarms can reduce alarm fatigue and prevent potentially dangerous outcomes.

Huge Lipoma of Left Parotid Region with Intra-Parotid Extension.

Lipoma is a benign mesenchymal tumor originating from adipose tissue. The occurrence of this tumor in head and neck is less frequent and it rarely involves parotid gland. These are asymptomatic and occur both in the deep and the superficial lobe of the parotid. The most favored age group is from the fifth to sixth decade of life and is 10 times more common in the males. A 66-year-old male patient, with left parotid region lipoma is reported in this article. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy and ultrasonography were performed to establish the preoperative diagnosis and to plan the correct surgical approach. It was managed by surgical excision of lipoma with removal of cuff of superficial parotid tissue on superior aspect with preserving facial nerve. Follow-up examinations were planned to assess any facial nerve injury complications.

Phenotypic and functional characterisation of synovial fluid-derived neutrophils in knee osteoarthritis and knee infection.

OBJECTIVE: An increase in the number of neutrophils (NEUs) has long been associated with infections in the knee joints; however, their impact on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pathophysiology remains largely unexplored. DESIGN: This study compared the phenotypic and functional characteristics of synovial fluid (SF)-derived NEUs in KOA and knee infection (INF). RESULTS: KOA NEUs were characterised by a lower expression of CD11b, CD54, and CD64 and higher expression of CD62L, TLR2, and TLR4 compared with INF NEUs. Except for CCL2, lower levels of inflammatory mediators and proteases were detected in KOA SF than in INF SF. Functionally, KOA NEUs displayed increased reactive oxygen species production and phagocytic activity compared with INF NEUs. Moreover, KOA and INF NEUs differed in cell sizes, histological characteristics of the surrounding synovial tissues, and their effects on the endothelial cells assessed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells. When KOA patients were subdivided based on the SF NEU abundance, patients with high NEUs (10%-60%) were characterised by i) elevated SF protein levels of TNF-α, IL-1RA, MMP-9, sTREM-1, VILIP-1 and ii) lower CD54, CD64, TLR2 and TLR4 expression compared to patients with low NEUs (<10%). Analysis of paired SF samples suggests that low or high NEU percentages, respectively, persist throughout the course of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that NEU may play a significant role in KOA pathophysiology. Further studies should explore the mechanisms that contribute to the increased number of NEUs in SF and the clinical consequences of neutrophilic phenotype in KOA.

Comparison of Surgical Outcome of Bipolar Scissors with Conventional Cold Dissection Tonsillectomy.

Background The tonsillectomy is the most common Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) surgical procedure. Different methods have been used to improve the outcome of the surgery. One such method is tonsillectomy performed with bipolar scissors. In our scenario, the comparison of bipolar scissors tonsillectomy with conventional cold dissection has not been done. Objective To compare the surgical outcomes of bipolar scissors tonsillectomy and conventional cold dissection tonsillectomy. Method A prospective randomized study was conducted in 40 patients who underwent tonsillectomy on one side using bipolar scissors and on the other side using conventional cold dissection. Intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative pain, and postoperative hemorrhage were all analyzed in both surgical techniques. Result The median operative time was 10 minutes for bipolar scissors compared with 12 minutes for conventional cold dissection, with a p-value of 0.390 which was not statistically significant. The median blood loss was 48 mL on the bipolar scissors side and 60 mL on the conventional cold dissection side, with a p-value of 0.232 which was also not statistically significant. The overall postoperative hemorrhage rate was 12.5%. Of these, 4 (10%) occurred on the bipolar scissors side (left side mainly) and 1 (2.5%) on the conventional cold dissection side (also left side), with a p-value of 0.002 which was statistically significant. There was no statistically significant difference in the pain scores between the two methods in both rest and swallowing (p > 0.05). Conclusion The bipolar scissors did not show any benefit over conventional cold dissection in terms of surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, or postoperative pain. However, postoperative hemorrhage was more common with bipolar scissors. Therefore, conventional cold dissection remains a safe technique for tonsillectomy in adult patients.

Intraglandular Foreign Body - Unusual Aetiology of Submandibular Gland Sialadenitis.

Obstructive sialadenitis of submandibular gland is commonly due to sialoliths and strictures in the Wharton's duct. Other endogenous pathologies include mucous plugs and polyps. Foreign bodies of Wharton's duct and submandibular gland are rare. Retrograde migration of foreign bodies via ductal orifice, traversing the ductal system to its final intraglandular location is an even rare entity. These often present with painful swelling of the gland and at times with a purulent sialitis. Diagnostic modalities include plain radiography, ultrasonography, sialography, as well as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment includes antibiotics, incision and drainage of abscess, and removal of foreign body either surgically (intra-oral approach or sialadenectomy) or more recently via sialoendoscopy. This is a case report of 30 years male with accidental cannulation of Wharton's duct with grass that eventually got lodged in the deep lobe of the gland, and was managed with sialadenectomy.

In search of lost ergots: phylogenetic re-evaluation of Claviceps species in Japan and their biogeographic patterns revealed.

Claviceps (Clavicipitaceae, Hypocreales) was erected in 1853, although ergotism had been well-known for a much longer time. By 2000, about 70 taxa had been described in Claviceps, of which eight species and six varieties were based on Japanese type or authentic specimens. Most of these Japanese Claviceps taxa are based on lost specimens or have invalid names, which means many species practically exist only in the scientific literature. The ambiguous identities of these species have hindered taxonomic resolution of the genus Claviceps. Consequently, we sought and collected more than 300 fresh specimens in search of the lost Japanese ergots. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences from LSU, TEF-1α, TUB2, Mcm7, and RPB2 revealed the phylogenetic relationships between the Japanese specimens and known Claviceps spp., as well as the presence of biogeographic patterns. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, host range and morphology, we re-evaluated Japanese Claviceps and recognised at least 21 species in Japan. Here we characterised 14 previously described taxa and designated neo-, lecto- and epi-types for C. bothriochloae, C. imperatae, C. litoralis, C. microspora, C. panicoidearum and C. yanagawaensis. Two varieties were elevated to species rank with designated neotypes, i.e. C. agropyri and C. kawatanii. Six new species, C. miscanthicola, C. oplismeni, C. palustris, C. phragmitis, C. sasae and C. tandae were proposed and described. Taxonomic novelties: New species: Claviceps miscanthicola E. Tanaka, Claviceps oplismeni E. Tanaka, Claviceps palustris E. Tanaka, Claviceps phragmitis E. Tanaka, Claviceps sasae E. Tanaka, Claviceps tandae E. Tanaka; New status and combination: Claviceps agropyri (Tanda) E. Tanaka, Claviceps kawatanii (Tanda) E. Tanaka; Typifications (basionyms): Lecto- and epitypification: Claviceps yanagawaensis Togashi; Neotypifications: Claviceps purpurea var. agropyri Tanda, Claviceps bothriochloae Tanda & Y. Muray, Claviceps imperatae Tanda & Kawat., Claviceps microspora var. kawatanii Tanda, Claviceps litoralis Kawat., Claviceps microspora Tanda, Claviceps panicoidearum Tanda & Y. Harada; Resurrection: Claviceps queenslandica Langdon. Citation: Tanaka E, Tanada K, Hosoe T, Shrestha B, Kolarík M, Liu M (2023). In search of lost ergots: phylogenetic re-evaluation of Claviceps species in Japan and their biogeographic patterns revealed. Studies in Mycology 106: 1-39. doi: 10.3114/sim.2022.106.01.

Comparative Study between the Use of Pigtail Catheters and Traditional Chest Tube Drain in Cases with Pneumothorax.

Background Pneumothorax is a condition in which air or other gas is present in the pleural cavity. Mainstay of management of pneumothorax is to remove the air from the pleural space usually done by chest tube insertion. There is still uncertainty whether minimal invasive management with pigtail catheter is sufficient for the management of pneumothorax. Objective To find the effectiveness, safety, tolerability, efficacy of pigtail catheters and large bore chest tubes. Method Prospective comparative study was done in Dhulikhel Hospital between August 2019 till August 2021. Chest tube insertion used to be the only available treatment modality till December 2020 (15 months). Following January 2021 after obtaining ethical clearance for use of pigtail insertion for pneumothorax, this treatment modality was done (8 months). Result Among 76 patients, 52(68.4%) underwent a large bore chest tube and 24 (34.6%) pigtail catheter patients. Mean age of the patients was 48 years (SD 18.01). Duration of hospital stay and length of hospital stay was more in large bore catheters and less in pigtail catheters. Eight hours post tube placement of the expansion of the lungs was present in pigtail and was statistically significant. Pain killer used in pigtail catheters was limited to Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for large bore catheter opioids were added and were statistically significant. Conclusion Pigtail catheter is nearly effective as compared to traditional wide bore catheters.

Oral Solid Dosage form Modification in Community Pharmacies of Kavrepalanchok and Bhaktapur Districts of Nepal.

Background People may modify their oral solid dosage form of medicine to deal with problem faced during medicine administration. The modification of dosage form may adversely affect the quality, safety and efficacy of the medicine. Objective To investigate the causes and practices of oral solid dosage form modification among the consumers going to community pharmacies. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in five community pharmacies of Kavrepalanchok and Bhaktapur districts of Nepal. The consumers visiting these pharmacies for their oral solid dosage form of medicine were invited to participate in interview using structured questionnaire. Result Among 419 participants,13.6% of participants reported having problem of taking intact medicine. Most of them (12.4% of total participants) experienced difficulty swallowing the medicine. The swallowing difficulty is significantly associated with age and sex (p < 0.05). Around one third (36.8%) of participant with medicine administration problem modified the dosage form of medicines. One quarter of medicine dosage form modifications (25.0%) were inappropriate. Medicine dosage form modification is associated with age and number of daily medicine intake (p < 0.05). Among participants modifying dosage form of medicines, 66.7% were advised to do so mainly by family and friends; 33.3% were modifying on their own and 76.2% were unaware of possible effects of medicine dosage form modification. About 62.3% of total participants were never asked about any problems on taking medicines by doctor/pharmacists. Conclusion Difficulty swallowing medicines and medicine dosage form modification were prevalent in the Nepalese population. Medicine dosage form modifications also involved inappropriate modifications due to specialized design of such dosage forms. So, it seems important to provide proper counseling while dispensing such dosage forms.

Celiac Plexus Denudation in Triangle Dissection in Pancreatico Duodenectomy: Perioperative Anesthetic Implications.

This is a case report of inadvertent right celiac plexus denudation during triangle dissection during the surgery for carcinoma of pancreas under combined general epidural anaesthesia. Operative removal of the ganglia has its own autonomic effects, which are important to observe for anesthesiologists and perioperative critical care physicians alike.

Clinical Characteristics of Cataract Patients and Outcome of Cataract Surgery in Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Nepal.

Background Cataract remains the leading cause of avoidable blindness in low-income countries such as Nepal. Despite the availability of surgical interventions for cataract in leading institutions, still a large number of patients from remote areas delay or have difficulty in getting treatment, present late or with complications. Objective To determine the clinical characteristics and visual outcome of patients undergoing cataract surgery in Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Nepal. Method We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 138 patients who underwent cataract surgery at a tertiary care hospital from January 2018 to September 2022. R version 4.0.3 was used for the data analysis. Categorical variables are presented as frequency (percentages) and the numerical ones are presented as mean (standard deviation). Result During follow-up visits between one to three weeks, 91.9% out of 135 patients had normal/near normal presenting visual acuity and with best correction it was 96.9% out of 131 patients. About 1.6% out of 124 operated eyes still had moderate visual impairment after best correction when they visited for follow-up at 12 weeks. Conclusion The study findings underline the ongoing gap in increasing access to cataract treatment, given the large proportion of individuals who still presented extremely late.

Endoscopic Ear Surgery in Dhulikhel Hospital: A decade of Experience.

Endoscopic ear surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in Dhulikhel hospital. In the past eleven years, there have been different endoscopic ear surgeries performed with a very good outcome. The main benefit of endoscopic ear surgery is; to let the surgeon see better, proceed with the surgery through the trans-canal, teaching and training of the students. There are some drawbacks of endoscopic ear surgery like the one-handed technique and learning curve. With repeated practice and the help of motion parallax, the trainee can overcome the drawback of the procedure.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta Index with a Cut-off Value of 1.0 as a Predictor for Hypotension after Induction of General Anesthesia; An observational study.

Background Hypotension after induction of general anesthesia (GA) is common due to pre-existing hypovolemia and has adverse effects on organ function. Out of several methods to predict post-induction hypotension, nowadays Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta (IVC: Ao) index has been studied with different cut-off values. However, limited studies have been performed in our part of the world. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of pre-induction Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index with a cutoff value of 1.0 for predicting the occurrence of post-induction hypotension after general anesthesia in the Nepalese population. Method A total of 100 patients of ASA I and II, aged more than 18 years posted for elective surgeries under general anesthesia were enrolled in this cross-sectional, observational study. Ultrasonographic guided Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index was calculated and based on a cut-off value of 1.0, two groups were formed. Seventy patients in group A with Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index less than 1.0 and 30 patients in group B with Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index more than 1.0 were enrolled. Vitals parameters were recorded every minute for five minutes after induction of general anesthesia. Incidence of hypotension was the primary outcome. Statistical analysis was done using student t-test, ANOVA test and Chi-square test. Result Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index with cut-off value of 1.0 predicted post-induction hypotension with excellent efficacy. Total 65 patients developed post-induction hypotension, out of which 63 patients had Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index less than 1.0. Conclusion We concluded that pre-induction Inferior Vena Cava: Aorta index with cut-off value of 1.0 have high diagnostic accuracy with high degree of sensitivity and specificity to predict hypotension after induction of general anesthesia.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Postpartum Depression among Mothers Visiting Immunization Clinic at Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet, Nepal.

Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disabling but treatable mental disorder that represents one of the most common complications of childbearing which can exert a wide range of effect on social, physical and mental health conditions of the mother and baby. Objective To identify the prevalence and factors associated with postpartum depression among mothers visiting immunization clinic at Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet in year 2020. Method This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 347 postpartum mothers were interviewed for data collection. Validated Nepali version of Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to identify postpartum depression. These mothers were permanent resident of Birendranagar who had delivered their babies in municipal hospital. Analysis was done using SPSS version 21.0. Chi square test was applied to identify association of postpartum depression with major interest of variables namely parity of mother, sex of a baby and recent planned or unplanned pregnancy. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Result The prevalence of postpartum depression was found to be 32.9% (27.9%, 37.8%). Several factors which were significantly associated with postpartum depression were; sex of the baby, history of abortion and recent pregnancy planned or unplanned. Conclusion Nearly one-third of postpartum mothers had depression. Hence screening of mothers for depression is of prime importance throughout the continuum of care. Likewise, the factors identified for postpartum depression needs to be taken care of well in advance for healthy mother and a baby.

Isolation and Intensive Care (ICU) Service, Surge Capacity and Pandemic Training in Government Designated COVID-19 Clinics and Hospitals of Nepal.

Background The coronavirus pandemic preparedness and response activities began in Nepal after the detection of the first case on 24 January 2020. Highest daily case record in June 2020 was 671, but it reached above 5,000 in October 2020. Objective This study assessed preparedness and response status of government designated COVID-19 clinics and various level hospitals. Method A web-based survey was conducted among government designated COVID-19 clinics and Level hospitals in June 2020. The Medical Operations Division of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) retained contact list of focal person in each facility for regular updates. Forty-nine out of 125 clinics and all level hospitals (five Level-1, 12 Level-2, three Level-3) provided responses. Result There were 25 or less isolation beds in the majority of COVID-19 clinics (83.7%) and Level-1 hospitals (60%), whereas the majority of Level-2 (92%) and Level-3 hospitals (67%) had arranged >25 beds. Only five clinics, one Level-1 hospital, six Level-2 and two Level-3 hospitals had a surge capacity of additional 20 or more isolation beds. Only one-fourth of the designated health facilities had arranged separate isolation facility for vulnerable population. Majority of the designated clinics and Level-1 hospitals had five or less functional ICU beds and functional ventilators. Very few Level-2 hospitals had > 10 ICU beds and > 10 ventilators. Healthcare workers in the majority of facilities were trained on donning/doffing, hand washing, swab collection, and healthcare waste management, but, a very few received formal training on patient transport, dead body management, epidemic drill, and critical care. Conclusion This study revealed insufficient preparation in COVID-19 facilities during the initial phase of pandemic. The findings were utilized by the government stakeholders at central, provincial and local levels for scaling up surge capacity and improving health services at the time of case surge. As the pandemic itself is a dynamic process, periodic assessments are needed to gauze preparedness and response during different phases of disease outbreak.

Dhulikhel Hospital Checklist Protocol for Temporal Bone Computed Tomography Scan Analysis: How We Do It?

The temporal bone is very complicated anatomical structure. Any disease process within this structure mandates thorough anatomical knowledge of the corresponding structure. The High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) temporal bone is the best way to look inside this complex bone. The importance of knowledge about how to read and look inside the CT scan temporal bone lead us develop the Dhulikhel Hospital Check list protocol. This protocol will help aspiring otologist and otolaryngologist to read and know details about the underlying structures.

Comparison of Hearing Result and Graft Uptake Rate between Temporalis Fascia and Tragal Cartilage in Endoscopic Myringoplasty.

Background There are different methods to repair the perforation of the tympanic membrane. Recently cartilage has been used for the repair and results are comparable to temporalis fascia. For surgical procedure endoscope had added good assistance in middle ear surgery. Though the one hand technique the image quality and results are on par with the use of a microscope. Objective To compare the graft uptake rate and hearing results between temporalis fascia and tragal cartilage in endoscopic myringoplasty. Method This is a prospective, longitudinal study conducted among 50 patients who underwent endoscopic myringoplasty using temporalis fascia and tragal cartilage with 25 patients in each group. The hearing was assessed by comparing pre with post-operative ABG (Air bone gap) and ABG closure in speech frequencies (500Hz, 1 KHz, 2 KHz, 4 KHz). The status of graft and hearing results was evaluated on 6 months of follow up in both the groups. Result Out of total 25 patients enrolled for study in both (temporalis fascia and cartilage) groups, 23 (92%) patients in each group had graft uptaken. The audiological gain in the temporalis fascia group was 11.37±0.32 dB whereas in the tragal cartilage group it was 14.56±1.22dB. The audiological gain between the two groups did not show any statistically significant (p = 0.765). However, the pre and post-operative hearing difference was statistically significant in both temporalis fascia and tragal cartilage group. Conclusion Tragal cartilage has similar graft uptake rate and hearing gain when compared with temporalis fascia in endoscopic myringoplasty. Hence, tragal cartilage can be used for myringoplasty whenever required without any fear of deterioration in hearing.