Chlorpyrifos and Endosulfan degradation studies in an annular slurry photo reactor.

TiO2 is one of those compounds which are highly used in photocatalytic degradation of substrates using UV radiation. The substrates are degraded oxidatively and hence finds an important position in advanced oxidation for water/wastewater treatment processes. The thrust of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of Heterogeneous Photocatalysis (HP) technique, for the removal of pesticides from water/wastewater. The photo-catalytic degradation of two pesticides, widely used in India, viz., Endosulfan (ES) and Chlorpyriphos (CPS) was studied in an annular slurry photo reactor under UVillumination at 254nm. Results revealed that the degradation rate is significantly affected by the initial pesticide concentration, pH of the solution and catalyst concentration. Batch degradation studies on Endosulphan and Chlorpyrifos were conducted in the concentration range from 5 to 25mg/L at a pH ranging from 3.5 to 10.5 and at a catalyst loading of 0.5-2g/L. Endosulphan removal efficiency was about 80-99% and chlorpyrifos removal efficiency was about 84-94%. L-H rate constants were determined using L-H kinetics. High removal efficiencies obtained (80-99%) indicate the effectiveness of this process and its potential for practical application.

Utility of Serum L-lactate in Identifying Ischemia in Acute Intestinal Obstruction: A Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction In cases of intestinal obstruction, increasing luminal dilatation compromises bowel wall perfusion, eventually resulting in intestinal ischemia and bowel necrosis in advanced cases. Elevated L-lactate, as a biomarker of ischemia, may indicate the presence of bowel ischemia in cases of obstruction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the value of serum L-lactate measurement in predicting the presence of intraoperatively observed intestinal ischemia in patients with acute intestinal obstruction. Methods Patients diagnosed with acute intestinal obstruction were prospectively studied over an 18-month period. Serum L-lactate values were assayed twice: at the time of presentation and following appropriate fluid resuscitation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to determine the predictive value of serum L-lactate in detecting intestinal ischemia. Results One hundred forty-four cases of intestinal obstruction were included in this study, of which 91 underwent operative intervention. Intestinal ischemia was identified in 52 cases and categorized intra-operatively as reversible (n = 33) and irreversible (n = 19). ROC analysis showed a good predictive value of serum L-lactate after fluid resuscitation for irreversible intestinal ischemia (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.884, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.812-0.956). An L-lactate cut-off of 19.1 mg/dL following fluid resuscitation was determined to have a sensitivity of 89.5%, a specificity of 72.9%, a positive predictive value of 46.6%, and a negative predictive value of 96.3% for gangrenous bowel. Conclusion Serum L-lactate is a good predictive tool for identifying intestinal ischemia during the management of intestinal obstruction. Serum L-lactate after resuscitation showed better predictive value for ischemic bowel.

Simultaneous genial distraction and interposition arthroplasty for management of sleep apnoea associated with temporomandibular joint ankylosis.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis affects the growth of the mandible and results in gross facial deformities. A critical clinical feature of long-standing TMJ ankylosis is retrogenia, which when combined with an inability to open the mouth leads to severe compromise of the airway. A case is presented of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome secondary to TMJ ankylosis that was corrected by a new technique employing simultaneous genial distraction along with interposition arthroplasty.

Corticotomy-assisted retraction: an outcome assessment.

BACKGROUND: To assess the efficiency and treatment outcome of patients treated with corticotomy-assisted en-masse orthodontic retraction as compared with the en-masse retraction without corticotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty adult patients with bimaxillary protrusion requiring correction of bidental proclination constituted the sample. The study group consisted of 22 patients (male 11, female 11) willing to undergo surgery to reduce the duration of their orthodontic treatment and 18 patients (male 9, female 9) desirous of undergoing conventional orthodontic treatment without surgical intervention constituted the control group. Comparison of rate of retraction and anchor loss between the study and the control group was assessed. RESULTS: Average rate of space closure of 1.8 mm/month in the maxilla and 1.57 mm/month in the mandible was observed in the study group compared to 1.02 mm/month in the maxilla and 0.87 mm/month in the mandible in the control group. The rate of retraction accelerated during the first 2 months of retraction. Molar anchor loss of approximately 0.6 mm occurred in the study group, and 1.8 mm occurred in the control group during the 4 months. CONCLUSION: The rate of retraction with study group was twice as faster when compared to the control group, accelerating during the first 2 months of retraction. There was better anchorage control with the undecorticated molar segment during the retraction period but was found to increase as time advanced.

Evaluation of the efficacy of tranexamic acid on blood loss in orthognathic surgery. A prospective, randomized clinical study.

The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double blind study was to assess the effect of tranexamic acid on blood loss, quality of surgical field and duration of surgery in adolescent orthognathic surgery patients. 50 consecutive patients, scheduled for orthognathic surgery were included. The study group (n=25) received tranexamic acid 10mg/kg as a bolus preoperatively followed by 1mg/kg as a maintenance dose intra operatively; the control group (n=25) received placebo (normal saline). All patients received moderate hypotensive anaesthesia with nitroglycerin and had surgery according to a standard protocol. Intra operative blood loss, duration of surgery, quality of surgical field, blood transfusion and complications, if any, were recorded. The mean total blood loss was 166.1±65.49ml in the study group and 256.4±77.80ml in the control group. The results showed statistically significant reduction in blood loss (p<0.001) and improved quality of surgical field (p<0.001) in the study group. There was no significant difference in duration of surgery and transfusion requirements between the two groups. In conclusion, preoperative and intra operative administration of the antifibrinolytic agent, tranexamic acid, is effective in controlling blood loss and improving the quality of the surgical field.

Esthetic evaluation of the treated unilateral cleft lip using photographs and image analysis software: a retrospective study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the surgical outcome of unilateral cleft lip patients treated by Dr. Adenwalla's modification of Millards rotation advancement technique using image analysis software. METHOD: Of the unilateral cleft lip cases done by a single surgeon using Dr. Adenwalla's modification of Millard's rotation advancement technique, only 11 cases satisfied the photographic standardization criteria (frontal view with both ears visible to minimize rotation and least nostril show to minimize tilt) and were included in this study. These photographs were acquired into the imageJ Software and Farkas cleft-related landmarks were marked on the lip area. The values of treated cleft side and the normal side were used to work out a Cleft Lip Component Symmetry Index. A value of 100 would indicate perfect symmetry of the lip. A value of either less or more would mean a degree of asymmetry. RESULT: The horizontal lip length, vertical lip length from the top of the Cupid's bow to subnasale and nostril floor width were slightly increased on treated side of the lip and the vertical lip length from the top of the Cupid's bow to the alar base, the Cupid's bow width and vermilion length on the treated side were slightly decreased when compared to the normal side. Even though there were some differences, it was not statistically significant. The horizontal and vertical lip lengths, the Cupid's bow width, vermilion length and nostril floor width were almost symmetrical. CONCLUSION: Computer assisted anthropometric analysis of photographs using imageJ software demonstrates that Dr. Adenwalla's modification of Millard's rotation and advancement technique produces esthetic lip symmetry consistently.

Evaluation of the accuracy of linear measurements on spiral computed tomography-derived three-dimensional images and its comparison with digital cephalometric radiography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of linear measurements obtained from reconstructed spiral CT images of human dry skulls in three planes by comparing them with direct skull measurements, and then to compare these with measurements made on photostimulable phosphor cephalograms. METHODS: Using a Siemens Somatom Sensation spiral CT scanner (Munich, Germany), CT images of six human dry skulls were imported into imaging software (Mimics 11.02 Materialise, Leuven, Belgium) and the measurements made were compared to the direct measurements made using a digital calliper (500-171, CD-6C, Mitutoyo, Kawasaki, Japan). The measurements were also compared to those made on frontal and lateral cephalograms taken using a digital cephalostat (Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland). The mean of the 15 linear measurements obtained were compared using the paired Student's t-test. RESULTS: CT measurements did not show a significant difference from the direct skull measurements (P < 0.05) in all three planes except for two midsagittal measurements in the anteroposterior plane. Cephalometric measurements were comparable to direct skull measurements for midsagittal measurements in the anteroposterior plane, but showed a significant difference when bilateral measurements were considered. Cephalometric measurements also showed a significant difference in the transverse plane from direct measurements and CT measurements; however, they did not display a significant difference between direct skull measurements and CT measurements for most parameters in the vertical plane. CONCLUSION: Linear measurements on the spiral CT were comparable to anatomical measurements and were more reliable than cephalometric measurements. Cephalometric measurements were acceptable for midsagittal measurements in the anteroposterior plane, but showed a significant variation from anatomical and CT measurements in most other parameters.

Three dimensional CT reconstruction: a comparison between 2D, 3D CT and original anatomical structures.

Conventional two dimensional computed tomography has provided significant advancement in clinical diagnosis with information on cross-sectional anatomy of various parts of the body. However, three dimensional representations are not directly available. This is now made possible by recent development of CAD software and CT equipments and technique such as multiplanar reformation capable of providing 3D reconstruction using 2D CT data. This article evaluates the accuracy of measurements and dimensions in 3D CT reconstruction.