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Eco-restoration initiative work in the high altitude Dayara pastureland (3501 m) from the Indian Himalayan Region has been considered to be one of the successful field demonstration against both natural and anthropogenic degradation. The present study therefore attempts to assess the implications of entire eco-restoration model as practiced by Department of Forest, Government of Uttarakhand in 2019. Its assessment was done by calculating restoration success index by way of considering three categories, viz., direct management measure (M), environmental desirability (E) and socio-economic feasibility (SE) considering 22 individual variables. 'M' comprised both biotic and abiotic pressures. Grazing and tourism were biotic, while abiotic pressure was considered mainly soil erosion in alpine area due to topographic fragility. Above ground vegetation profile and below ground soil nutrient profile (N, P, K, pH and water holding capacity) were analyzed in 'E' component. In the last but not least, 'SE' was analyzed to assess the social acceptability of the local communities and stakeholders who are supposed to be ultimate beneficiary of alike interventions. Direct management measure was found with the variable index score of 0.8 indicating the higher score as compared to environmental desirability (0.56). Under direct management measure, grazing and tourists' carrying capacity of the area was analyzed with high management needs to call the region sustainable in terms of availability of bio-resources. The ecosystem index score was evaluated for the reference (81.94), treated (64.5) and untreated zones (52.03), wherein increasing profile of these values were found. The outcomes like improved vegetation profile in terms of total herb density, soil nutrient profile of the restored area along with soil pH (4.96) and water holding capacity (49.85%) were found to be restored significantly along with controlling 169.64 tonne year -1 soil erosion from draining. The assessment of grazing pattern of 118 migratory Cow Unit (CU) (76 horse/mule and 18 sheep/goat, already controlled), 318 local CU (30 horse/mule and 187 sheep/goat) were calculated and recommended to be controlled. Tourists' carrying capacity of 274 tourists per day and manual removal of Rumex nepalensis at the shepherd camping site were found to be worth to apply in the area. Use of biodegradable but locally sourced material and engaging local villagers in this endeavor were also found to be in harmony with SDG Goal 1 (no poverty). Therefore, the restoration and its evaluation model could have its future prospects to prove as a successful restoration practice. This restoration practice could not only be worth in high altitude degraded alpine pastures of the Indian Himalayan Region but also to other mountain alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To compare early outcome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in women with a positive or negative urine culture., Methods: 128 women underwent bilateral (n=89) or unilateral (n=39) primary TKA. Diabetes mellitus was present in 38%, obesity in 53%, and asymptomatic urinary tract infection (positive urine culture) in 36% of women. Women with a positive or negative urine culture were compared., Results: In the 46 women with a positive urine culture, Escherichia coli (n=29) and Klebsiella (n=17) were grown. Women with a positive or negative urine culture were comparable in terms of the incidence of diabetes (28% vs. 43%, p=0.1), obesity (52% vs. 54%, p=0.87), fever (9% vs. 15%, p=0.32), leucocytosis (28% vs. 17%, p=0.13), and delayed wound healing (0% vs. 1%, p=0.45)., Conclusion: Women with or without a positive urine culture had comparable early complication rates following TKA.

Basal ganglia stroke is known following trivial head trauma. Recently a distinct clinic-radiological entity termed 'mineralizing angiopathy' was described. We report an infant who developed basal ganglia stroke following trivial fall. His clinic-radiological features are described.

Analytical functioning of a point-of-care analyzer, i-Smart 30 (i-sens: Seoul, South Korea), for electrolyte quantification was investigated at Sant Parmanand Hospital, a tertiary-care hospital in Delhi, India. Samples that were received for electrolyte assay were assayed, double-blinded for their Na and K level using the arterial blood gas analyzer, the ABL 555 (Radiometer, Copenhagen) and the i-Smart 30 electrolyte analyzer. There was satisfactory correlation between the results obtained with the two analyzers with an encouraging bias, standard deviation and the 95 % limits of agreement between the data generated for Na and K levels. The performance of the i-Smart 30 would be satisfactory during the point-of-care measurements of Na and K levels in emergency rooms and clinical laboratories with inadequate infrastructure only if its day-to-day performance was monitored to ensure reliability of the generated reports.

The authors propose a way to improve the quality of results generated through the fragile clinical laboratory infrastructure in resource poor counties in Africa and elsewhere.