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Background: Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease is a very common chronic inflammation of the natal cleft that presents frequently as an abscess. Management requires the eradication of the sinus tract and postoperative wound care. Manuka honey (Medihoney) was used in acute and chronic wounds. In our study, we sought to investigate the clinical effectiveness of Manuka honey in decreasing wound healing time post excision. Material and Methods: We describe patients’ characteristics using traditional descriptive statistics. We compared the study endpoint (wound closure time) in patients who received Medihoney versus those who did not by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: A total of 119 patients underwent pilonidal cyst surgery between the years 2017 and 2018. The median time for healing in the Medihoney group was 40 days compared with 39 days in the control group. After adjusting for age, BMI, wound length, wound volume, smoking and operative time, the time to healing in the Medihoney group was significantly less compared to the group not receiving the treatment (Hazard Ratio 1.56, 95% Confidence interval 1.02- 2.49, p= 0.041). Conclusion: Postoperative use of Manuka honey showed a significant decrease in wound healing time when compared to gauze fabric dressings. Further research would be beneficial to explore optimal treatment protocols for this dressing technique.

Observed responses of the AC and DC parts of the Global Electric Circuit (GEC) to the large eruption of the Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai (HT-HH) volcano on 15 January, 2022 are presented. The AC-related investigation is based on Schumann resonance (SR) measurements from the Nagycenk Geophysical Observatory (NCK), Hungary as well as from distant stations on the globe belonging to the HeartMath Institute (https://www.heartmath.org/gci/). The DC-related investigation is based on atmospheric electric potential gradient measurements (PG) from six recording stations in Europe and in the USA. The GLD360 and the WWLLN lightning detection networks were used to characterize lightning activity in the vicinity of the HT-HH island on the investigated day. The peak lightning stroke rate reached 80/s (5000/minute), whereas the average global rate is ~44/s. Lightning discharges occurred in rings around the vent of the volcano. Peak currents and the diameter of the ring of positive and negative polarity lightning strokes varied differently in the main phase of the eruption. At its peak, negative lightning dominated the electric activity in the volcanic cloud.A global intensification of SR is apparent in connection with the enhanced lightning activity caused by the eruption. The SR data together with the global network observations indicate that the lightning activity in the eruption dominates the naturally occurring global activity for a period of at least one hour. The highly localized increase in lightning activity over HT-HH provides a unique point source of excitation for the SR.In contrast with the dramatic response of the AC global circuit, the response of the DC GEC to this exceptional eruption is not readily unambiguous in the PG measurements. The observations suggest that impulse-like charging of the GEC by ~15% via -CG lightning strokes took place two times during the eruption. A time constant of 7 or 8 minutes has been inferred for near-surface electric field changes from these enhancements. This could be the first direct measurement of the time constant of the GEC near the Earth’s surface, as well as the first observation of the direct charging of the DC GEC by a single atmospheric electrified source.

Advances in global lightning detection have provided novel ways to characterize explosive volcanism. However, researchers are still at the early stages of understanding how volcanic plumes become electrified on different spatial and temporal scales. We deconstructed the phreatomagmatic eruption of Taal volcano (Philippines) on 12 January 2020 to investigate the origin of its powerful volcanic thunderstorm. Satellite analysis indicated that the water-rich plume rose >10 km high before creating lightning detected by Vaisala's global lightning data set (GLD360). Flash rates increased with plume heights and cloud expansion over time, producing >70 flashes min–1. Photographs revealed a highly electrified region at the base of the umbrella cloud, where we infer strong convective updrafts and icy collisions enhanced the electrical activity. These findings inform a conceptual model with overlapping regimes of charge generation in wet eruptions—initially due to ash particle collisions near the vent, followed by thunderstorm-like electrification in icy regions of the upper plume. Despite the wide reach of Taal's ash cloud, most of the lightning occurred within 20–30 km of the volcano, producing thousands of hazardous cloud-to-ground flashes over a densely populated area. The eruption demonstrates that volcanic lightning can pose a hazard in its own right, embedded within the broader hazards of explosive volcanism in an urban setting.

Nepal has a very large topographical variation; this elevation change has a major influence on lightning occurrence and human casualties. The Himalayan peaks cover the northern part of Nepal with low population density, the middle is covered by hills with intermediate density, and the southern plain with the greatest density. This study will leverage lightning detection by Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset GLD360 network with a recent detailed compilation of lightning casualties from 2011 through 2020. Over one million lightning strokes per year were detected from 2016 through 2020. Stroke density is least over high elevations to the north, moderate in hilly regions, and very frequent over the south. The thunderstorm season begins in March and ceases by August after the annual monsoon cycle. Of all the natural disasters, lightning has been recorded to be the second highest killer after earthquakes. The Ministry of Home Affairs reports an average of 103 lightning deaths per year. The fatality rate of 3.8 deaths million−1 year−1 is highest among the South Asian countries. Fatalities over high mountains are rare, with most casualties over the center of Nepal. Lightning Fatality Risk is not a good indicator of the fatalities that occur in a district.

Rapid growth in the population and development of cities led to the increase in the quantity of waste water which in turn causes critical environmental issues. Management of wastewater and sludge will affect economic growth of any nation and challenges associated led to the research in this field. Innovative methods for sewage treatment were developed in many countries to solve the problems arising as a result of enormous production in waste water and sludge. Different approaches and techniques were evolved as a result of the studies conducted in order to attain a unique solution for maintaining a safe environment. The main aim of this paper is to provide details regarding the various researches in planning and design of sewerage systems in Oman. Various regulations in the treatment of waste water and sludge as well as policies adopted for the management are discussed in detail. Based on the discussions and related review, it is clear that over decades the sewage treatment is considered to be a major issue in Oman. Further, applications related to the better utilization of the wastewater and the sludge in agriculture and other related fields are in progress in various parts of Oman. Research projects were ongoing in different universities of Oman on the sustainable utilization of the waste products and innovative methods to be adopted in the sewage treatment process.