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Background: India like many other developing countries in the world is witnessing the rapid aging of its population. Urbanization, modernization, and globalization have led to change in the economic structure, the erosion of societal values, weakening of social values, and social institutions such as the joint family. Active aging aims to extend healthy life expectancy and quality of life (QOL) in older persons, and the QOL are largely determined by its ability to maintain autonomy and independence. Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted at a teriary apex institute to study the socio-demographic characteristics, and the functional assessment in the elderly subjects in urban community. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at the area situated near western suburb of metro city and population of around one lakh sixty thousand. It consisted of housing buildings, multiple slum area. The current study was conducted over 1 year 6 months (18 months).The sampling unit being 102 Geriatric individuals of selected area of urban health center. Results: Out of 102 study, subjects 22 (21.56%) were complete independent to perform daily instrumental activities. Maximum study 48 (47.05%) subjects were required moderate assistance for performing the instrumental activities. Numbers of female study subjects were more among moderates assistance 24 (44.44%) and modified assistance 20 (19.60%). Out of 102 study subjects 55 (53.92%) were complete independent followed by 30 (29.41%) modified independence. Numbers of female subjects were more among moderate assistance 10 (58.82%). Conclusion: No study subject was dependent or maximal assistance for their self-care activities. Male and female in the present study can perform their self-care activities of daily living with equal efficiency.

Background: Cut throat injury is an incised wound in the neck that may be superficial or deep and is usually caused by sharp objects. These wounds may be from homicide, suicide, or accidental. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess cut throat injury in terms of age, sex, site of injury, and triggering factors for suicidal cut throat injury. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the Department of ENT, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences. The study included 35 cut throat patients who were admitted and managed in the ENT department. Data were analyzed with detailed history as age, sex, cause, site of injury, sociodemographic pattern, and history of substance abuse, psychiatric problem, and duration of hospital stay. Results: Out of 35 patients, 32 were male and three were female. The majority of the patients 21 (60%) were young adults. Causes of cut throat were suicidal 77.14% followed by homicidal 20%. The majority of patients had Zone II injuries. In general, the patients belonged to the lower middle socioeconomic class. About 77.8% of patients with suicidal cases were found to be addicted to one more substance and 22.2% were having some psychiatric illness. The most common substance abuse was indigenous rice beer Hadia mahua. Conclusion: Young adults of the low socioeconomic class were most vulnerable to cut throat injury with a majority having zone II injury. Suicide was the most common cause with substance abuse proving to be a major provoking factor in addition to unemployment, illiteracy, and poverty.

Background: Majority of urologists prefer the usual prone position for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) but due to various disadvantages of prone PCNL, several alternative positions are being used. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to compare the surgical outcomes of PCNL performed using supine position with those performed in the prone position. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective and observational study. After applying inclusion criteria, 60 renal calculi patients were randomly assigned to two groups, each with 30 patients, all demographic, operative, and post-operative characteristics were recorded. Results: Out of 60 patients, 38 (63%) patients were male and 22 (37%) were female. The mean age (in years) in prone PCNL was 45.03±17 while in supine, it was 51.7±15. Forty patients had mild, 12 had moderate, and eight had gross hydronephrosis. Stone size (mm) ranged from 20 to 55 with a mean stone size of 22.5±8.8 in prone PCNL and 23.9±13.5 in supine PCNL. The mean operative time (minutes) was 65.1±27.2 in prone PCNL and 68.7±16 in supine PCNL (P=0.068). Complete stone clearance was seen in 26 (86%) patients in prone PCNL versus 25 (83%) patients in supine PCNL. Five patients in supine PCNL had Grade 1–2 complications. There were no serious complications in either group. The mean post-operative hospital stay (days) was 3.53 in prone PCNL versus 3.63 in supine PCNL, (P=0.715). Conclusion: Supine PCNL is an effective and safe procedure with similar operative time, stone-free rate, and complications to prone PCNL.

Background: The craniovertebral junction (CVJ) is a crucial region of the spine designed for optimal movements of head and is also a frequent site for various pathological processes. The importance of knowing the CVJ parameters in normal population cannot be overstated when instrumentation and correction of deformities in this region is so frequently being performed. There is paucity of data defining the craniometrics of CVJ osteology in Indian population on the literature search. Accordingly, we present a study in an attempt to quantitate the normal craniometric indices for anatomically normal CVJ in Indian population and compare them with the existing literature from other regions. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were to quantitate the normal craniometric indices for anatomically normal CVJ in Indian population and compare them with the existing literature from other regions. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and forty computed tomography (CTs) belonging to Indians were looked at over a 6-month period retrospectively. These patients had normal CVJs and were ordered imaging for other health reasons. A total of eight parameters were analyzed for each CT. Results: There were 166 (69.2%) males and 74 (30.8%) females in our study. The values (in mm) were as follows: anterior atlantodental interval (AADI), 1.78±0.42; PADI (posterior atlantodental interval), 18.12±1.97; distance of tip of odontoid process to chamberlain’s line, –2.73±2.63; distance of tip of odontoid process to McGregor’s line, –2.29±2.79; distance of tip of odontoid process to McRae’s line, –5.91±1.4; Clivus-canal angle, 160.82°±7.14°; basion dens interval, 5.6±1.45; and powers ratio, 0.71±0.07. No patient had an odontoid process extending beyond the McRae’s line. Males were more likely to have higher AADI and PADI values than females. Our study shared significant differences between the other studies (even the studies where an Indian population was used) except one. The AADI, from our study, did not vary significantly when compared to the AADI from a Chinese study. Conclusion: Due to the significant differences from our study and the available literature, a greater compilation of studies belonging to different races will be required to understand the flexibility of the CVJ metrics.

Malaria is an endemic disease in a true sense. It is an acute febrile disease caused due to the parasite Plasmodium. However, unlike COVID-19, it failed to raise an international concern or gain the scientific limelight. Most of the 200 million globally affected by malaria, half of them are from Africa. Four of the nations, Nigeria (25%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), Mozambique (5%), and Uganda (4%), account for half of the world’s malaria burden and is the leading cause of illness and death. In 2019, an estimated 5–6 million people died of malaria – most of them are young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the countries affected by malaria have the lowest economic status. In the malaria-endemic region, the most vulnerable groups are young children and pregnant women. The costs of malaria are enormous to individuals, families, communities, societies, and nations. After a struggle for three decades, the much-awaited malaria vaccine, RTS, S (brand name Mosquirix), was finally launched; but it came with its controversies and allegations. This review explored the different angles of this disease, the vaccine development, and the emerging debates.

Synthetic biology is an emerging discipline of science, at the intersection of biology, engineering, and chemistry that involves redesigning organisms to have new phenotypes and customized abilities. While synthetic biology seems to have originated from genetic engineering, over the years, it has matured as well as diverged from it. It involves not just the transfer of genes from one or cell to another creating some variants, it also involves the assembly of an altogether novel organism or cell created part by part by the assembly of individual components of the desired function in a logical fashion. In this minireview, we will explore this new discipline and its possible applications and future promises to serve the humanity