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Introduction: Large abdominal wall hernias often require techniques for wall expansion to improve surgical outcomes. The peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PF) is one such technique that utilizes the hernia sac to reconstruct the abdominal wall, however, with limited published data. It is a modification of the Rives-Stoppa mesh repair where a part of the bisected hernia sac is utilized to reconstruct the anterior fascia and the other part for the posterior fascia. We present a collated retrospective analysis of the outcomes from three centers performing PF with or without transverse abdominis release (TAR) in patients with complex ventral hernias.The PF was performed in patients with incisional hernias, both midline and lateral. The primary outcome measured was hernia recurrence. The secondary outcomes were to evaluate pain, surgical site infection, seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, pseudo-recurrence, Clavien–Dindo score for complications, and the patient's reported quality of life. The quality of life was assessed by oral questionnaires in the follow-up period.We analyzed 63 patients (38 female, 25 male) with a mean width of hernia defect of 11 cm SD 4. Based on the European Hernia Society (EHS) classification 42 patients were W3 and 21 were W2 hernias. Fifty patients had a midline hernia, while the rest of the patients included transverse, subcostal, and rooftop incision hernias. The classical peritoneal flap procedure was done in 29 (46%) patients, while the peritoneal flap with TAR was done in 34 (54%) patients. Four patients had symptomatic seroma (6%), seven superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (11%), one deep SSI (1.5%), one skin necrosis (1.5%), and one anterior peritoneal flap necrosis (1.5%). No patient required postoperative ventilatory support. The mean pain score on day one was 3/10. There was no recurrence in the mean follow-up of 17 months (range 5 to 49 months). Overall, 58 of 63 (92%) patients reported being satisfied with their surgery.In our multicentre study, we found the PF technique with or without TAR for midline and non-midline ventral hernia leads to satisfactory outcomes in terms of low recurrence, low rate of complications, and a good quality of life in the medium to long term. It appears to be a useful technique in the surgeon’s armamentarium to repair W2 and W3 hernias needing expansion of abdominal domain.Methods: Large abdominal wall hernias often require techniques for wall expansion to improve surgical outcomes. The peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PF) is one such technique that utilizes the hernia sac to reconstruct the abdominal wall, however, with limited published data. It is a modification of the Rives-Stoppa mesh repair where a part of the bisected hernia sac is utilized to reconstruct the anterior fascia and the other part for the posterior fascia. We present a collated retrospective analysis of the outcomes from three centers performing PF with or without transverse abdominis release (TAR) in patients with complex ventral hernias.The PF was performed in patients with incisional hernias, both midline and lateral. The primary outcome measured was hernia recurrence. The secondary outcomes were to evaluate pain, surgical site infection, seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, pseudo-recurrence, Clavien–Dindo score for complications, and the patient's reported quality of life. The quality of life was assessed by oral questionnaires in the follow-up period.We analyzed 63 patients (38 female, 25 male) with a mean width of hernia defect of 11 cm SD 4. Based on the European Hernia Society (EHS) classification 42 patients were W3 and 21 were W2 hernias. Fifty patients had a midline hernia, while the rest of the patients included transverse, subcostal, and rooftop incision hernias. The classical peritoneal flap procedure was done in 29 (46%) patients, while the peritoneal flap with TAR was done in 34 (54%) patients. Four patients had symptomatic seroma (6%), seven superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (11%), one deep SSI (1.5%), one skin necrosis (1.5%), and one anterior peritoneal flap necrosis (1.5%). No patient required postoperative ventilatory support. The mean pain score on day one was 3/10. There was no recurrence in the mean follow-up of 17 months (range 5 to 49 months). Overall, 58 of 63 (92%) patients reported being satisfied with their surgery.In our multicentre study, we found the PF technique with or without TAR for midline and non-midline ventral hernia leads to satisfactory outcomes in terms of low recurrence, low rate of complications, and a good quality of life in the medium to long term. It appears to be a useful technique in the surgeon’s armamentarium to repair W2 and W3 hernias needing expansion of abdominal domain.Results: Large abdominal wall hernias often require techniques for wall expansion to improve surgical outcomes. The peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PF) is one such technique that utilizes the hernia sac to reconstruct the abdominal wall, however, with limited published data. It is a modification of the Rives-Stoppa mesh repair where a part of the bisected hernia sac is utilized to reconstruct the anterior fascia and the other part for the posterior fascia. We present a collated retrospective analysis of the outcomes from three centers performing PF with or without transverse abdominis release (TAR) in patients with complex ventral hernias.The PF was performed in patients with incisional hernias, both midline and lateral. The primary outcome measured was hernia recurrence. The secondary outcomes were to evaluate pain, surgical site infection, seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, pseudo-recurrence, Clavien–Dindo score for complications, and the patient's reported quality of life. The quality of life was assessed by oral questionnaires in the follow-up period.We analyzed 63 patients (38 female, 25 male) with a mean width of hernia defect of 11 cm SD 4. Based on the European Hernia Society (EHS) classification 42 patients were W3 and 21 were W2 hernias. Fifty patients had a midline hernia, while the rest of the patients included transverse, subcostal, and rooftop incision hernias. The classical peritoneal flap procedure was done in 29 (46%) patients, while the peritoneal flap with TAR was done in 34 (54%) patients. Four patients had symptomatic seroma (6%), seven superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (11%), one deep SSI (1.5%), one skin necrosis (1.5%), and one anterior peritoneal flap necrosis (1.5%). No patient required postoperative ventilatory support. The mean pain score on day one was 3/10. There was no recurrence in the mean follow-up of 17 months (range 5 to 49 months). Overall, 58 of 63 (92%) patients reported being satisfied with their surgery.In our multicentre study, we found the PF technique with or without TAR for midline and non-midline ventral hernia leads to satisfactory outcomes in terms of low recurrence, low rate of complications, and a good quality of life in the medium to long term. It appears to be a useful technique in the surgeon’s armamentarium to repair W2 and W3 hernias needing expansion of abdominal domain.Conclusion: Large abdominal wall hernias often require techniques for wall expansion to improve surgical outcomes. The peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PF) is one such technique that utilizes the hernia sac to reconstruct the abdominal wall, however, with limited published data. It is a modification of the Rives-Stoppa mesh repair where a part of the bisected hernia sac is utilized to reconstruct the anterior fascia and the other part for the posterior fascia. We present a collated retrospective analysis of the outcomes from three centers performing PF with or without transverse abdominis release (TAR) in patients with complex ventral hernias.The PF was performed in patients with incisional hernias, both midline and lateral. The primary outcome measured was hernia recurrence. The secondary outcomes were to evaluate pain, surgical site infection, seroma, hematoma, wound dehiscence, pseudo-recurrence, Clavien–Dindo score for complications, and the patient's reported quality of life. The quality of life was assessed by oral questionnaires in the follow-up period.We analyzed 63 patients (38 female, 25 male) with a mean width of hernia defect of 11 cm SD 4. Based on the European Hernia Society (EHS) classification 42 patients were W3 and 21 were W2 hernias. Fifty patients had a midline hernia, while the rest of the patients included transverse, subcostal, and rooftop incision hernias. The classical peritoneal flap procedure was done in 29 (46%) patients, while the peritoneal flap with TAR was done in 34 (54%) patients. Four patients had symptomatic seroma (6%), seven superficial surgical site infection (SSI) (11%), one deep SSI (1.5%), one skin necrosis (1.5%), and one anterior peritoneal flap necrosis (1.5%). No patient required postoperative ventilatory support. The mean pain score on day one was 3/10. There was no recurrence in the mean follow-up of 17 months (range 5 to 49 months). Overall, 58 of 63 (92%) patients reported being satisfied with their surgery.In our multicentre study, we found the PF technique with or without TAR for midline and non-midline ventral hernia leads to satisfactory outcomes in terms of low recurrence, low rate of complications, and a good quality of life in the medium to long term. It appears to be a useful technique in the surgeon’s armamentarium to repair W2 and W3 hernias needing expansion of abdominal domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Strut-and-tie method (STM) proposed for estimating in-plane strength of CM wall. • Parametric non-linear FE analysis used to establish limiting strut capacity. • Proposed STM closely predicts shear strength of walls with and without openings. Abstract Strut-and-tie analysis is popularly used for the design of shear critical structures and can be applicable for the analysis of confined masonry (CM) walls, which often behave as shear walls. Properties of ties in a strut-and-tie model of CM wall can be simply computed from the yield strength of longitudinal reinforcement whereas that of masonry compression strut may depend on various parameters such as its aspect ratio, the strength of masonry and concrete. A non-linear parametric analysis was performed on more than 200 finite element models to understand the behaviour of masonry strut and a stepwise methodology for the formulation of the strut-and-tie model was proposed for CM walls. The proposed strut-and-tie method was validated by various experimental studies available in the literature. The developed strut-and-tie models consistently provided good predictions for the in-plane capacity of CM walls with and without openings when compared to the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a preliminary seismic assessment technique using structural score. • Scores provide quick quantification of the seismic vulnerability of RC buildings. • Basic score was determined for archetype buildings with no irregularity. • Modifiers to basic score were presented for most common vertical irregularities. Seismic vulnerability assessment of existing RC frame buildings is important for evaluating their performance to future earthquakes and accordingly plan risk mitigation strategies. Preliminary assessment technique is commonly used to quickly assess the vulnerability based on a sidewalk survey of a building. Majority of existing techniques only provide qualitative results which generally lead to difficulty in classifying building as vulnerable or not. A preliminary assessment method based on HAZUS has been developed for RC frame buildings designed as per Indian standards considering seismicity, soil conditions, frame-type and irregularities as main variables. The proposed technique provides both qualitative and quantitative assessment in a more engineered way by assigning a structural score to a building, which essentially defines its probability of collapse. Nonlinear-static pushover analysis has been performed on certain archetype buildings using open source software (OpenSEES) to develop the structural score of a building. Most commonly observed irregularities such as open ground storey, severe vertical irregularity, short-column and plan irregularity are considered for evaluating the structural score. The proposed structural score helps in taking a step forward to quickly quantify the vulnerability of RC framed buildings in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the occurrence of cytomixis in wild populations of Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis aculeata Royle), which is considered to be an important and threatened medicinal plant growing in the high hills of the Himalayas. The impact of cytomixis on meiotic behaviour, reduced pollen viability and heterogeneous-sized pollen grains was also studied. Cytological studies in the seven wild populations from the high hills of Himachal Pradesh revealed that all the Himalayan populations exist uniformly at the tetraploid level (2n=56) on x=14. The phenomenon of chromatin transfer among the proximate pollen mother cells (PMCs) in six populations caused various meiotic abnormalities. Chromatin transfer also resulted in the formation of coenocytes, aneuploid, polyploid and anucleated PMCs. Among individuals that showed chromatin transfer, chromosome stickiness and interbivalent connections were frequently observed in some PMCs. The phenomenon of cytomixis in the species seems to be directly under genetic control; it affects the meiotic course considerably and results in reduced pollen viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on the biogas production from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and channel grass (Vallisneria spiralis) employed separately for phytoremediation of lignin and metal-rich pulp and paper mill and highly acidic distillery effluents. These plants eventually grow well in diluted effluent up to 40% (i.e., 2.5-times dilution with deionized water) and often take up metals and toxic materials from wastewater for their metabolic use. Slurry of the two plants used for phytoremediation produced significantly more biogas than that produced by the plants grown in deionized water; the effect being more marked with plants used for phytoremediation of 20% pulp and paper mill effluent. Biogas production from channel grass was relatively greater and quicker (maximum in 6–9 days) than that from water hyacinth (in 9–12 days). Such variation in biogas production by the two macrophytes has been correlated with the changes in C, N and C/N ratio of their slurry brought by phytoremediation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Effectiveness of WRCM for strengthening of low-strength masonry assemblages. • Series of tests done to assess flexure and shear response of small-size specimens. • Properties of matrix play a vital role in the performance of strengthened masonry. • Study suggest to use suitable type of wire mesh and anchor for better performance. The wire reinforced cementitious matrix (WRCM) was used to improve the in-plane and out-of-plane performance of weak masonry assemblages. Six different types of WRCMs were used to strengthen small-size masonry assemblages and to understand the role of various parameters such as tensile strength of welded wire mesh, compressive strength of masonry and cementitious matrix in influencing the efficiency of the strengthening scheme. An experimental program consisting of diagonal compression and four-point bending test was conducted to evaluate the in-plane (shear) and out-of-plane (flexural) strength of strengthened masonry assemblages. Two types of low-strength mortar; 1:6 cement-sand, and mud mortar was used to prepare the masonry specimens. A total of 120 specimens with 40 specimens each for the diagonal compression test and flexure test with failure plane-parallel and perpendicular to the bed joint were prepared and tested under quasi-static displacement control loading. Test results showed that the WRCM strengthening scheme is effective and can significantly enhance the shear, and flexural strength and ductility of low-strength masonry assemblages. This study illustrates that the strength of cementitious matrix can also play an important role in contributing to the flexural and shear behavior of the WRCM strengthened masonry. Further, the experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions estimated using the available analytical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meiotic abnormalities lead to morphological and genetic variations which caused not only to evolution but also intraspecific reproductive barriers. During present study of detailed meiotic course in dicotyledonous plants sampled from Indian cold deserts, various meiotic abnormalities have been detected. For this, the plant materials fixed in Carnoy's fixative and studied detailed meiotic course by standard squash method in 1% acetocarmine. Results: Meiotic abnormalities have been presently detected in 71 species which include multiple associations in diploids (Achillea millefolium L.), multivalents and univalents in polyploids (4 species), cytomixis (40 species), chromosome stickiness (20 species), nonsynchronous disjunction of bivalents (32 species), interbivalent connections (15 species), synaptic mutants (2 species), syncyte meiocytes (2 species), abnormal spindles (7 species), and fusion of pollen grains (1 species), laggards and chromatin bridges, hypo-, hyperploid PMCs, monads, dyads, triads, tetrads with micronuclei and polyads. Conclusions: Consequently, variable sized apparently fertile pollen grains and considerable amount of sterile pollen grains are resulted as end products which lead to different genetic constitution (aneuploids and polyploids) and curtailed sexual reproductive success in these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor commenting on head injuries from accidents involving magnetic resonance-compatible equipment.

Ascariasis is a helminthic infection of humans with worldwide distribution. It is estimated that more than 1.4 billion people are found infected with Ascaris lumbricordes, representing 25% of the world population. We report a case of small bowel volvulus in a 15 year old male child who presented with vague symptoms of vomiting, distension of abdomen, mild pain and constipation. It was diagnosed as a case of small bowel obstruction with the presence of a bunch of Ascaris mass lying in one of the bowel loop. Administration of albendazole therapy through nasogastric tube in initial stages helps in evacuation of worms via stool successfully. The condition of this patient did not give us space to try this regime, therefore the patient had to be submitted for emergency laparotomy, resection, anastomosis and eventually his recovery with great satisfaction. This case is unique in highlighting the efforts of surgical team for achieving success through massive surgical procedures, monitoring post operative critical course and the hospitalization period till his discharge from the surgical ward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii , a yeast probiotic, in the management of acute diarrhoeal disorders in the paediatric population in outpatient settings. It was a multicentre retrospective analysis of medical records of children who were treated for acute diarrhoea by routine treatment (oral rehydration solution and zinc) with or without S. boulardii. Overall, 160 children presenting with acute diarrhoea at seven different outpatient paediatric settings were included in the study. Children were divided into two categories based on their treatment with S. boulardii (SB group) or without S. boulardii (Non-SB group). Baseline demographic, anthropometric and clinical variables were compared between the two groups. The median duration of diarrhoea post-treatment was significantly shorter in the S. boulardii group (3 days) than in the non-SB group (4 days). A significant reduction in the frequency of stools was observed post-treatment in the S. boulardii group (1.7 versus 2.5 in the non-SB group). There was a significant weight gain in the S. boulardii group post-treatment (300 g) in comparison with the non-SB group (mean loss of 400 g). This study established the positive role of S. boulardii in the management of acute diarrhoeal diseases in children. Moreover, the S. boulardii probiotic was seen to be effective in diarrhoeal diseases in children with dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous cannulation, although a minor procedure, is often painful. The present study was planned to evaluate the efficacy of a diclofenac transdermal patch placed over the venepuncture site in decreasing the pain of cannulation. Seventy-two adults undergoing elective surgery were included in this randomised, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were divided into three equal groups. The Control group had a placebo adhesive patch placed on the both the dorsum of hand and the buttock; the Diclofenac-Buttock group had a placebo patch placed on the dorsum of the hand and a diclofenac transdermal patch on the buttock; the Diclofenac-Hand group had a diclofenac transdermal patch placed on the dorsum of hand and a placebo patch on the buttock. The patches were applied 1 h before cannulation. An 18G cannula was used for all venous cannulations. Pain during cannulation was assessed on a non-graduated 10-cm visual analogue scale. Median [interquartile range] pain scores were 3.0 [2.0–4.0] in the Diclofenac-Hand group, 5.0 [4.3–7.8] in the Diclofenac-Buttock group and 6.5 [4.5–7.0] in the Control group, p < 0.05. The numbers needed to treat were six and two in the Diclofenac-Buttock and Diclofenac-Hand groups, respectively. The application of a diclofenac transdermal patch at the cannulation site appears to be effective in decreasing cannulation pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty adult patients undergoing minor peripheral surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive either the laryngeal mask airway (laryngeal mask airway; size 4 for females and size 5 for males) or the PAXpress (adult size), inserted by a single operator with experience of > 50 insertions of each device. The laryngeal mask airway was correctly placed on the first attempt in 27 patients (90%) compared with 20 patients (67%) when using the PAXpress (p < 0.01). No patient required more than two attempts at insertion and there were no failures with the laryngeal mask airway, compared with four (13%) who needed three attempts and two failures (7%) with the PAXpress (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Mean (SD) total placement time was shorter with the laryngeal mask airway [24.6 (3.1) s] than with the PAXpress[35.4 (2.5) s; p < 0.01]. The most common complication was sore throat, which occurred less frequently with the laryngeal mask airway (8 patients; 26%) than with the PAXpress (15 patients; 53.5%; p < 0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Sixty adult patients undergoing minor peripheral surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive either the laryngeal mask airway (laryngeal mask airway; size 4 for females and size 5 for males) or the PAXpress TM (adult size), inserted by a single operator with experience of > 50 insertions of each device. The laryngeal mask airway was correctly placed on the first attempt in 27 patients (90%) compared with 20 patients (67%) when using the PA Xpress (p < 0.01). No patient required more than two attempts at insertion and there were no failures with the laryngeal mask airway, compared with four (13%) who needed three attempts and two failures (7%) with the PA Xpress (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Mean (SD) total placement time was shorter with the laryngeal mask airway [24.6 (3.1) s] than with the PA Xpress [35.4 (2.5) s; p < 0.01]. The most common complication was sore throat, which occurred less frequently with the laryngeal mask airway (8 patients; 26%) than with the PA Xpress (15 patients; 53.5%; p < 0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]