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Introduction: Conservative and surgical approach timeline in post-operative spondylodiscitis (POS) following lumbar disc herniation (LDH) surgery is ill defined, and patients have a protracted recovery phase with social, psychological, and financial implications. Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of patients operated by transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in POS was done. Confirmed clinico-radiological diagnosed POS cases, not responding within three to four weeks were included. Normalisation of CRP and radiological stable reconstruction was assessed for objective clearance of POS and bony union. Results: Ninety-five patients were included in the study with minimum follow-up period of two years. The mean age was 51.63±13.63 years. There were organisms cultured in 55 patients (57.89%). The ODI improvement of the patients was noted to improve from 88.71±5.3 to 20.80±9.7 (8 weeks) and was incremental at 2 years follow-up (10.12±6.41) and maintained further at final follow-up at 9±4.3. Bony union achieved in all with stable reconstruction. The resumption of activities of daily living (ADL) was quick (15.90±8.20 days) and job (3.67±1.31 months) was achieved in all the patients. In poor outcomes, two patients didn’t respond, and one patient died due to uncontrolled infection. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and intervention is the key to effective management of POS. Utilisation of aggressive TLIF yields faster ADL resumption.

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Introduction: The nerve to mylohyoid is a branch of inferior alveolar nerve which arises just above the mandibular foramen. There is occasionally communicating branch between nerve to mylohyoid and lingual nerve. Knowledge of such variations has significance during oral and submandibular surgery. Aim: To detect and describe the existence and occurrence of anatomical variations in the innervation pattern of the nerve to mylohyoid by using the dissection technique. Materials and Methods: An observational study was carried out from January 2022 to April 2022 in a total of 15 embalmed and formalin-fixed cadavers in the Laboratory of Anatomy of SMBT Medical College, Nashik, Maharashtra. The nerve to the mylohyoid and lingual nerve were cleared and observed for any unusual communication between the two, if any. Results: In 13 (86.67%) cadavers, classical (normal) anatomical presentation of the nerve to mylohyoid was observed, whereas, in two male (13.33%) cadavers, the presence of communicating branch between the nerve to mylohyoid and lingual nerve was observed. In both the cadavers, the communicating branch was unilateral, in one cadaver on the right-side, and in the second cadaver same variation was noted on the left-side. Conclusion: The existence of communication between the nerve to mylohyoid and the lingual nerve is thought to be responsible for inadequate mandibular anesthesia. Through this study, surgeons will be aware of this variance, to explain unexpected findings in nerve injury following oral procedures.

Marburg virus (MARV) causes severe disease and high mortality in humans. The objective of this study was to characterize disease manifestations and pathogenesis in cynomolgus macaques exposed to MARV. The results of this natural history study may be used to identify features of MARV disease useful in defining the ideal treatment initiation time for subsequent evaluations of investigational therapeutics using this model. Twelve cynomolgus macaques were exposed to a target dose of 1000 plaque-forming units MARV by the intramuscular route, and six control animals were mock-exposed. The primary endpoint of this study was survival to Day 28 post-inoculation (PI). Anesthesia events were minimized with the use of central venous catheters for periodic blood collection, and temperature and activity were continuously monitored by telemetry. All mock-exposed animals remained healthy for the duration of the study. All 12 MARV-exposed animals (100%) became infected, developed illness, and succumbed on Days 8–10 PI. On Day 4 PI, 11 of the 12 MARV-exposed animals had statistically significant temperature elevations over baseline. Clinically observable signs of MARV disease first appeared on Day 5 PI, when 6 of the 12 animals exhibited reduced responsiveness. Ultimately, systemic inflammation, coagulopathy, and direct cytopathic effects of MARV all contributed to multiorgan dysfunction, organ failure, and death or euthanasia of all MARV-exposed animals. Manifestations of MARV disease, including fever, systemic viremia, lymphocytolysis, coagulopathy, and hepatocellular damage, could be used as triggers for initiation of treatment in future therapeutic efficacy studies.

Periodontitis is a microbial disease of tooth-supporting tissues that results in progressive destruction of surrounding soft and hard tissues with eventual loss of tooth or tooth mobility. A comprehensive literature search was performed by using the keywords: periodontitis, periodontal disease, combined with the word genes, mutation, or polymorphism. Gene polymorphism studies with a reported genotype frequency in chronic periodontitis (CP) and aggressive periodontitis (AgP) patients were searched and reviewed. There has been a growing evidence of polymorphisms in the interleukin (IL)-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha with CP and AgP in certain populations. However, carriage rates of the rare (R) allele of any polymorphism varied considerably among studies, and most of the studies appeared underpowered and did not correlate for other risk factors, hence furthermore researches are required including large sample size, different races, genotypes, and other risk factors which were found to be influential in expression and severity of CP and AgP to get a more comprehensive insight into the contribution of IL gene polymorphisms in CP and AgP.

Background: Thrombocytopenia (TCP) is the second most common haematological finding in pregnancy next to anaemia. It carries a risk for both the mother and the fetus, associated with substantial maternal or neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, a specific therapy, if instituted promptly, improves the outcome for affected patients and their offspring. In patients in India, TCP during pregnancy is an underexplored condition. Objectives: To assess the aetiology of TCP in pregnancy and to assess the maternal outcomes of TCP in pregnancy. Methodology: The authors included a total of 133 patients in their third trimester (>32 weeks), with a platelet count less than 149,000 /mm3, admitted to the authors’ institution from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021. Patient-related data such as menstrual and obstetric history, presenting complaints, obstetric examination, and basic investigations were collected in a pre-designed, pre-tested proforma. All cases were followed until delivery to record any maternal complications, or any other morbidities. The data were analysed using SPSS (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, New York, USA) software. χ2 test was used to compare the proportions between the groups. p less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Overall, 64.7 percent of patients were in the 18–25 years age group and 49.6 percent of patients were primigravida. Furthermore, 60.9 percent of patients were diagnosed to have mild TCP, 32.3 percent had moderate TCP, and only 6.8 percent patients had severe TCP. The majority (75.2%) of cases were of gestational TCP. In total, 15.8% of cases had pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH); 3.0 percent had dengue; 2.3 percent were COVID-19 positive; 1.5 percent were diagnosed with haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome; 1.5 percent had immune TCP; and only one patient had leptospirosis. Four percent of cases had gestational TCP, 9.5% had PIH, one patient (25.0%) had dengue, and both cases of immune TCP had severe TCP. Twenty-eight percent of gestational TCP cases; 47.6 percent of PIH cases, both cases of haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome; 50.0 percent of dengue cases; and one COVID-19 positive case (33.0%) had moderate TCP. Finally, 6.25% of patients who underwent lower segment caesarean section had severe TCP, 6.00% of patients who underwent vaginal delivery had severe TCP, and out of two patients who had a spontaneous abortion, one (50.00%) had severe TCP at the time of admission. The association was significant (p less than 0.05). Conclusion: TCP is a crucial condition among pregnant patients. Mild TCP is a common type. Correct aetiological diagnosis, and promptly administered adequate and specific therapy are, therefore, essential to significantly improve the outcomes of pregnant patients and their offspring.

Ground-based active optical sensors (GBAOS) have been successfully used in agriculture to predict crop yield potential (YP) early in the season and to improvise N rates for optimal crop yield. However, the models were found weak or inconsistent due to environmental variation especially rainfall. The objectives of the study were to evaluate if GBAOS could predict YP across multiple locations, soil types, cultivation systems, and rainfall differences. This study was carried from 2011 to 2013 on corn (Zea mays L.) in North Dakota, and in 2017 in potatoes in Maine. Six N rates were used on 50 sites in North Dakota and 12 N rates on two sites, one dryland and one irrigated, in Maine. Two active GBAOS used for this study were GreenSeeker and Holland Scientific Crop Circle Sensor ACS 470 (HSCCACS-470) and 430 (HSCCACS-430). Rainfall data, with or without including crop height, improved the YP models in term of reliability and consistency. The polynomial model was relatively better compared to the exponential model. A significant difference in the relationship between sensor reading multiplied by rainfall data and crop yield was observed in terms of soil type, clay and medium textured, and cultivation system, conventional and no-till, respectively, in the North Dakota corn study. The two potato sites in Maine, irrigated and dryland, performed differently in terms of total yield and rainfall data helped to improve sensor YP models. In conclusion, this study strongly advocates the use of rainfall data while using sensorbased N calculator algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indole nucleus is a privileged heterocyclic scaffold, which is present in several natural and synthetic compounds. New synthetic strategies to access functionalized indoles have therefore attracted the attention of both synthetic and medicinal chemists over the decades. In this study, the bismuth nitrate-promoted disproportionative condensation of indoles with cyclohexanone in one pot, to yield C3-cyclohexyl substituted indoles and 1,3-di(1H-indol-3-yl)benzene derivatives is reported for the first time. Using 3-methylindole with cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone, and cycloheptanone results in new and different synthetic pathways. The plausible reaction mechanisms are presented and supported with DFT (M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p)) calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that one may quantitatively investigate radiative broadening of atomic transitions in the undergraduate laboratory using a traditional saturated absorption spectroscopy setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measure sub-MHz AC Stark shifts, also known as light shifts, in an undergraduate laboratory setting using Raman pump-probe spectroscopy to observe sub-natural linewidth spectral features in the transmission spectrum of a weak probe beam passing through a sample of cold 85Rb atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap. To make this observation a pair of inexpensive fast photodiodes and acousto-optic modulators is needed, in addition to equipment commonly found in advanced undergraduate optics labs with laser cooling and atom trapping setups. A theoretical description of light shifts accessible to junior and senior-level physics majors is provided. 2011 American Association of Physics Teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel home-built system for imaging cold atom samples is presented using a readily available astronomy camera which has the requisite sensitivity but no timing-control. We integrate the camera with LabVIEW achieving fast, low-jitter imaging with a convenient user-defined interface. We show that our system takes precisely timed millisecond exposures and offers significant improvements in terms of system jitter and readout time over previously reported home-built systems. Our system rivals current commercial "black box" systems in performance and user-friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been considerable investment in efforts to improve postoperative pain management, including the introduction of acute pain teams. There have also been a number of guidelines published on postoperative pain management and there is widespread agreement on how pain should be practically managed. Despite these advances, there is no apparent improvement in the number of patients experiencing moderately severe or extreme pain after surgery. This highlights significant scope for improvement in acute postoperative pain management. In January 2009, a multidisciplinary UK expert panel met to define and agree a practical framework to encourage implementation of the numerous guidelines and fundamentals of pain management at a local level. The panel recognised that to do this, there was a need to organise the information and guidelines into a simplified, accessible and easy-to-implement system based on their practical clinical experience. Given the volume of literature in this area, the Chair recommended that key international guidelines from professional bodies should be distributed and then reviewed during the meeting to form the basis of the framework. Consensus was reached by unanimous agreement of all ten participants. This report provides a framework for the key themes, including consensus recommendations based upon practical experience agreed during the meeting, with the aim of consolidating the key guidelines to provide a fundamental framework which is simple to teach and implement in all areas. Key priorities that emerged were: Responsibility, Anticipation, Discussion, Assessment and Response. This formed the basis of RADAR, a novel framework to help pain specialists educate the wider care team on understanding and prioritising the management of acute pain. Acute postoperative pain can be more effectively managed if it is prioritised and anticipated by a well-informed care team who are educated with regard to appropriate analgesic options and understand what the long-term benefits of pain relief are. The principles of RADAR provide structure to help with training and implementation of good practice, to achieve effective postoperative pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics and mechanism of Hg2+-catalyzed substitution of cyanide ion in an octahedral hexacyanoruthenate(II) complex by nitroso-R-salt have been studied spectrophotometrically at 525 nm (λmax of the purple-red–colored complex). The reaction conditions were: temperature = 45.0 ± 0.1°C, pH = 7.00 ± 0.02, and ionic strength (I) = 0.1 M (KCl). The reaction exhibited a first-order dependence on [nitroso-R-salt] and a variable order dependence on [Ru(CN)64-]. The initial rates were obtained from slopes of absorbance versus time plots. The rate of reaction was found to initially increase linearly with [nitroso-R-salt], and finally decrease at [nitroso-R-salt] = 3.50 × 10-4 M. The effects of variation of pH, ionic strength, concentration of catalyst, and temperature on the reaction rate were also studied and explained in detail. The values of k2 and activation parameters for catalyzed reaction were found to be 7.68 × 10-4 s-1 and Ea = 49.56 ± 0.091 kJ mol-1, ΔH≠ = 46.91 ± 0.036 kJ mol-1, ΔS≠ = -234.13 ± 1.12 J K-1 mol-1, respectively. These activation parameters along with other experimental observations supported the solvent assisted interchange dissociative (Id) mechanism for the reaction. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 215–226, 2009 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreaks in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have highlighted the urgent need for approval of medical countermeasures for treatment and prevention of EBOV disease (EVD). Until recently, when successes were achieved in characterizing the efficacy of multiple experimental EVD therapeutics in humans, the only feasible way to obtain data regarding potential clinical benefits of candidate therapeutics was by conducting well-controlled animal studies. Nonclinical studies are likely to continue to be important tools for screening and development of new candidates with improved pharmacological properties. Here, we describe a natural history study to characterize the time course and order of progression of the disease manifestations of EVD in rhesus monkeys. In 12 rhesus monkeys exposed by the intramuscular route to 1000 plaque-forming units of EBOV, multiple endpoints were monitored for 28 days following exposure. The disease progressed rapidly with mortality events occurring 7−10 days after exposure. Key disease manifestations observed consistently across the infected animals included, but were not limited to, viremia, fever, systemic inflammation, coagulopathy, lymphocytolysis, renal tubular necrosis with mineralization, and hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis.

A widely used method for determining refractive index postulates that the derivative of the angular profile for light reflected from the sample is maximum at the critical angle for total internal reflection (TIR). It is well-known that in turbid media this 'differentiation method' yields errors in refractive index. Unexplained anomalies in previous error-calculations are eliminated if one uses a recent model of TIR which departs from traditional Fresnel theory. However we find that, in practical situations, the refractive index obtained by differentiation even after error-correction is significantly different from the best estimate for the refractive index obtained by curve-fitting the reflectance data. Thus the differentiation method lacks scientific validity in turbid media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article regarding the role of Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) in the anterior segment evaluation in opaque grats with secondary glaucoma following tectonic penetrating keratoplasty in the 2011 issue.