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Background: The ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm is the most frequent intra-cranial aneurysm treated at any neurosurgical department. These aneurysms arise from either the A1-A2-Acom artery junction or Acom artery. The surgical outcome depends on the age of the patient, time duration between ictus and surgery, and Hunt and Hess grade at admission. In this article, we intend to analyze the surgical outcome based on our proposed classification with our overall experience of Acom aneurysm. Methods: A retrospective review of our surgical database with 250 patients of ruptured Acom was done, and the location, morphology, and direction of aneurysm, along with other clinical parameters including the demographic profile, radiological findings, and intra-operative details, were studied. We classified the Acom based on both site of origin and morphology (Type I, junctional on the dominant side; Type II, fusiform with an ill-defined neck and branching pattern; Type III, saccular true Acom A) and secondarily as described in the literature on the basis of the direction of fundus (Type A-E). The clinical parameters were compared among the above groups using Fischer-exact and one-way analysis of variance test. Results: A total of 250 patients (M: F =113:137) were included (mean age 52.1 ± 11.5 standard deviation years). 55.2% patients had left A1 dominance. Type I Acom A was commonly found on the left dominant circulation (P = 0.00). The difference in aspect ratio of Type I (2.0 ± 0.8) and Type II (1.8 ± 0.52) aneurysms was insignificant (P = 0.28). However, a significant difference in post-operative vasospasm among different types of aneurysms was found (P < 0.05). The Type I Acom A were anteriorly directed, while Type II and III were posteriorly directed (P = 0.001). The mean follow-up of the study was 44.4 ± 25.7 months, with age (P = 0.007) and Hunt and Hess grade (P = 0.001) at admission correlating with surgical outcome. Conclusion: Classifying the Acom A pre-operatively based on site and morphology, location, and direction of fundus helps in surgical planning and prognosis. The junctional 'Type IA aneurysms' are most common and possess a high intra-operative rupture rate. The anteriorly directed aneurysms have a better prognosis, and visual complaints are usually associated with anterior-inferiorly directed aneurysms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The determinants of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for higher-grade meningiomas have not been clearly established and to summarize the long-term clinical outcome for patients with grade 2 or 3 meningioma and assess the PFS and OS factors. Materials and Methods: The study included all individuals, who had undergone surgical removal of cerebral meningiomas between 2005 and 2020 and whose histological results suggested a World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2 or grade 3 diseases. Kaplan-Meier curves are plotted to examine tumor control and OS after the follow-up. The reverse Wald logistic regression and Mantel-Cox test were used in multivariate analysis for tumor recurrence and mortality. Results: There were 94 individuals enrolled with 82 having WHO grade 2 tumors and 12 having WHO grade 3 lesions. Gross total resection of the tumor was present in 73 patients (78%), and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) was administered to 43 (45.7%) individuals. During the course of the study, 17 patients died. The WHO grade of the tumor, the extent of resection, and the absence of bone involvement were all independent predictors of better survival in a multivariate analysis. Furthermore, whereas adjuvant RT after surgery enhanced survival, it was not statistically significant (hazard ratios [95% confidence interval CI] = 1.91 [0.15-23.52] [P = 0.61]). Conclusion: The degree of tumor excision is the strongest predictor of PFS and OS. In the event of a recurrence, rather than opting for upfront radiation, a second surgery with the goal of maximum safe resection should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coexposure to exogenous neurotoxins, such as fluoride (F−) and dimethoate (DM), is a serious public health concern. In the current study, Wistar rats were exposed to DM (1/10th LD50) and F− (4.5 ppm) in drinking water individually as well as in combination continuously for 28 days and the effectiveness of ginger and quercetin was assessed in combating the oxidative stress-mediated combined toxic effects on blood and brain. Significant (p < 0.05) reductions were observed in the levels of total antioxidant status (TAS), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), blood glutathione (GSH), activities of catalase (CAT), total thiols (TTH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aryl esterase (AE), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) whereas significant elevations (p < 0.05) in malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were recorded in blood and brain of coexposed rats. Administration of ginger and quercetin significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated the combined F- and DM-induced hematotoxicity as well as neurotoxicity as indicated by the levels of markers of oxidative injury in brain and blood in coexposed rats, which showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement. Moreover, pathological changes, such as neurodegeneration, perivascular edema, and gliosis, observed after combined F− and DM toxicity in the brain (cerebrum and cerebellum) were markedly reduced after ginger supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, Tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanoparticles are added (up to 5 wt%) to Bi2Sr2.14Ca0.86Cu2Oy (Bi 2212) compound using a sol-casting method that facilitates their uniform distribution in the Bi 2212 matrix. Sintering at 870 oC, close to the melting point, has led to the formation of nearly spherical particles of WSr2CaO6 (W-alloy) phase (20–80 nm) by local reaction of distributed nano WO3 particles with Bi 2212 grains. These particles are well dispersed and located preferentially at the platelet-like grain boundaries in the superconducting Bi 2212 composites. This is of interest in analogy to the widely studied YBa2Cu3Oy (Y123) superconductor with two-phase microstructure with Y2BaCuO5 (Y211) precipitates, which is known to provide flux pinning and considerable enhancement of the critical current densities (Jc). The superconducting properties of the present Bi 2212 composites with varying amounts of second phase content are assessed by recording M-H loops at different temperatures 5 to 77 K. Critical current densities are found to be non-zero at 5 K in all the samples up to 9 T applied field, suggesting irreversibility fields to be above 9T. A considerable enhancement of Jc and flux pinning force are observed at temperatures 15–50 K, compared to pure 2212 phase at low concentrations (0.1 wt%) of nano WO3 addition in the composites. A minor drop in the superconducting transition temperature Tc (onset) from 90 to 80 K observed in the sample with higher WO3 addition (5 wt%) caused a lowering of flux pinning force at temperatures 50 K and above. Scaling laws of flux pinning show that normal surface pinning is the dominant mechanism in all the samples, which can be attributed to the structural defects at the 2212 platelet boundaries. Flux pinning is observed to be sustained in a broader field range and up to 50 K in all the samples with WO3 addition. This provides evidence that the interfacial defects associated with the second phase (W-alloy) particles, created at the platelet boundaries, are effective in providing flux pinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Stereotactic biopsy (STB) is a potential diagnostic tool considering its minimal invasiveness, high diagnostic yield, and minimal associated complications. Over the years, various frame-based instrument systems and frameless stereotactic biopsy systems have emerged to be employed in clinical use. With this study, we intend to get more by doing less in the form of STB for the patients of doubtful intracranial lesions treated over the past 5 years. We also want to highlight the technique of performing the procedure under scalp block, which can be used as a versatile tool in many clinical scenarios. Stereotactic biopsies may be planned even in rural district-level health facilities. One-time investment to procure instruments and avail existing imaging can lead to establishing definitive diagnoses in many doubtful cases. This will result in lesser cost and early establishment of treatment. Independent risk factors determining the outcome, such as deep-seated lesions, associated edema, and intraoperative hypertension, were studied. Establishing the diagnosis helped in prognosticating the disease, explaining the natural progression of symptoms, and starting adjuvant therapy. This tissue biopsy would also help secure samples for research and molecular analysis. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients underwent STBs at our institution between January 2018 and December 2022. We retrospectively analyzed patient characteristics, tumor pathology, surgical procedures, and outcomes, including the diagnostic value and surgery-related complications. These patients were followed up, and their progression-free and overall survival were analyzed. The need for adjuvant treatment was noted and analyzed. All procedures were performed using Cosman Roberts Wells® stereotactic frame. Pre-procedure magnetic resonance scans were performed at the time of admission. Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CT) scan after frame application was performed to identify targets and calculate the coordinates. A post-procedure CT scan was done to confirm the accessibility of the targeted lesion. Results: The most common location of the tumor was a deep-seated thalamic lesion. A definitive diagnosis was established in 19 patients (95%) at the first STB. The diagnoses were glioma in 55% of cases, primary central nervous system lymphoma, tuberculosis, and demyelinating disorders in 10% of each, and a metastatic brain tumor in 1 (5%). The post-operative complications were all transient except in one patient with deterioration of motor weakness. The follow-up was noted, and modes of adjuvant treatment needed in these patients were recorded. Conclusion: Stereotactic biopsy is a useful and effective method for achieving a definitive diagnosis and aiding in treating multifocal or small deep-seated lesions in or around eloquent regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an optimised Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol to minimise the number of channel access collisions and to improve the bandwidth efficiency of IoT-based Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs). The frame structure of the proposed MAC protocol consists of three different phases, namely Contention Phase (CP), Transmission Phase (TP), and Inactive Phase (IP). During CP, the proposed protocol prioritises the life-sensitive data. Based on allocated priority, the communicating sensor nodes (SNs) compete for channel access. During TP, the successful SNs transmit their data. We use TDMA mechanism for data transmission and Spider Monkey Optimisation (SMO) technique to improve the bandwidth efficiency of the system by selecting the best possible TDMA time slot according to the data packet size of the SNs. During IP, the SNs go into sleep mode to save energy. We simulate the scenario on MATLAB simulator. The simulation results show that the proposed SMO-MAC improves the throughput by 22.23%, 14.00%, and 17.62%, residual energy by 60.76%, 81.17%, and 124.34%, communication reliability by 70.32%, 52.60%, and 52.60%, and data packet transmission delay by 80.74%, 70.10%, and 77.40% as compared to DRT-MAC, PSO-MAC, and GA-MAC, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was aimed at determining the ameliorative potential of quercetin and Zingiber officinale (ZO) against sodium arsenate‐induced neurotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Thirty adult animals were randomly allocated to five groups (n = 6). Group I served as control, groups II and IV were treated with ZO [300 mg/kg, PO (per os)/day], and group V animals were administered quercetin (50 mg/kg, PO/day) for 18 days. Groups III, IV, and V were injected with sodium arsenate (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally/day) for 4 days starting from day 15. The administration of sodium arsenate resulted in a significant decrease in total antioxidant status, total thiols, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and aryl esterase in brain tissue of the animals compared with the control group. In addition, a significant increase was observed in malondialdehyde, advanced oxidation protein product and plasma nitric oxide levels, indicating oxidative stress‐mediated neuronal damage. However, these arsenic‐induced alterations were significantly reversed by quercetin or ZO in the treatment groups, indicating their ameliorative potential. These positive effects were further confirmed by histopathological examination of brain tissue revealing the suppression of severe neuronal injury, spongiosis and gliosis in the samples pretreated with quercetin and ZO. Our results suggest that inclusion of ZO and quercetin‐rich foods in the diet can help in preventing the neurotoxic effects in areas with elevated levels of arsenic in food chain and ground water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the potential of quercetin and Zingiber officinale (ZO) Roscoe extract to alleviate the renal damage induced by dimethoate (DM) and fluoride (F-) alone and by their combined exposure in rats. A total of 54 adult Wistar rats were randomly allocated to nine groups (n = 6). A sub-lethal dose of DM (1/10th of the median lethal dose) was administered by oral gavage alone and along with F- (4.5 ppm, three-fold the permissible limit) in their drinking water continuously for 28 days. Chromatographical analysis revealed the presence of quercetin, curcumin, and other phytochemicals with strong antioxidant properties in ZO-rhizome extract. Severe changes were observed in the levels of the renal biomarkers and histoarchitecture after co-administration of the toxicants, indicating greater kidney damage. The administration of ZO extract (300 mg/kg) along with either or both toxicants led to a significant restoration of the biochemical markers and renal antioxidant profile and histology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]