Temperature Dependent Adsorption–Desorption Behaviour of Pendimethalin in Punjab Soils

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - This study shows the effect of soil type and temperature on the adsorption and desorption behaviour of pendimethalin using a batch...     

Adjuvant radiotherapy for atypical and malignant meningiomas: a systematic review

Atypical meningiomas (AMs) and malignant meningiomas (MMs) are tumors with a lower incidence and poorer prognosis than benign meningiomas. The role of radiotherapy as an adjuvant to surgical resection, especially for AMs, is incompletely defined. In this study, the English-language literature was systematically reviewed for studies that reported tumor characteristics, treatment parameters, and clinical outcomes after adjuvant radiotherapy for AM and MM, including overall survival, progression-free survival, and/or time to recurrence or mortality. Clinical outcomes were further assessed in the context of resection status, timing of administration, and radiation dose. Outcomes after stereotactic radiosurgery were also examined. Treatment toxicity and other potential prognostic or confounding factors were appraised. Ten and 11 studies for AM and MM, respectively, met the inclusion criteria. The median 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival after adjuvant radiotherapy were 54.2% and 67.5%, respectively, for AM and 48% and 55.6% for MM. The complication rates were 11.1% for AM and 5.1% for MM. Incomplete resection and radiation dose <50 Gy conferred significantly poorer 5-year progression-free survival. Most studies were unable to demonstrate a statistically significant prognostic benefit for adjuvant radiotherapy in AM. In conclusion, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly improved local control of AMs and MMs, especially after subtotal resection. Study limitations, including inadequate statistical power, may underlie the studies'' inability to demonstrate a statistically significant benefit for adjuvant radiotherapy in AM. Because these tumors preferentially recur within 5 years of surgical resection, future studies should define whether early adjuvant therapy should become part of the standard treatment paradigm for completely excised tumors.     

Study of Optimum Time Span for Distinguishing Rumex spinosus in Wheat Crop Through Spectral Reflectance Characteristics

Using the inherent spatial and temporal variability within a field to manage farm operations is called precision agriculture. This is a site-specific approach which can reduce input costs and results in higher crop productivity, profitability and lesser environmental pollution. Remote sensing provides a means for the development of weed maps by detecting the location of weeds within an agricultural field, so that site-specific/need based herbicide can be applied. Reductions in herbicide use as a result of this practice reduce management costs for farmers and promote environmental friendliness. The results revealed a decreasing trend in the number of tillers, effective tillers, number of grains per ear, 1,000-grain weight and grain yield of wheat with increasing population densities of Rumex spinosus (from 3 to 12 plants m^?2). Highest grain yield of wheat (5.75 tonnes ha^?1) was recorded under solid stand of wheat and lowest grain yield was recorded in treatments having 12 plants of R. spinosus. Higher radiance ratio and NDVI values were recorded in solid stand or pure wheat treatment and minimum under solid weed plots. It was observed that by using radiance ratio and NDVI, pure wheat can be distinguished from pure populations of R. spinosus after 30 DAS. It remains distinguished upto 120 DAS. Different levels of Rumex populations can be discriminated amongst themselves from 60 DAS onwards.     

Quality of life after orbito-facial trauma

In the wake of high incidence of orbito-facial trauma, there has been a growing need to assess not only the visual outcome, but also the psychological impact of the traumatic event. This is a single questionnaire based evaluation of 100 consecutive patients with orbito-facial trauma (blow-out and Le fort type II and III fractures) at six months of trauma. 84% of the patients had a NEI VFQ- 25 score of less than 50, with 49% having a score less than 25, reflecting the grim impact the trauma has on the quality of life. The three parameters of the questionnaire - general health, difficulty with activities and response to vision problems were significantly positively correlated. Quality of life is considerably affected following orbito-facial trauma, disturbing physical, mental and social health. Poor vision is positively correlated with poor general health. Psycho-social impact of trauma needs to be recognized as an important sphere in the management of orbito-facial trauma.     

Systematic Investigation of Parameters Affecting the Performance of an Agitated Filter-Dryer

A systematic experimental investigation of contact drying operation was carried out in an agitated Charles Thompson filter-dryer. In this study, the effect of process parameters (wall temperature, impeller speed, fill level) on the drying performance in the filter-dryer is quantified as a function of bed temperature and solvent concentration. In addition, the impact of drying conditions on the particle size distribution was also examined. It was found that in the range of parameters investigated, drying rate increased with wall temperature and reduced bed depth. The effect of impeller speed was variable where favorable drying conditions were strongly dependent on the particle properties. Moreover, decrease in the particle size was evident with an increase in impeller speed and decrease in the bed depth due to increased collision frequency and reduction in the fill volume both leading to particle attrition respectively. Besides, the average wall to solid heat transfer coefficient is also estimated for variable operating conditions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 102:2198–2213, 2013     

Autologous Therapies in Dermatology

Autologous therapy is a therapeutic intervention that uses an individual’s cells or tissues, which are processed outside the body, and reintroduced into the donor. This emerging field presently represents a mere tip of the iceberg with much knowledge and applications yet to be discovered. It, being free from risks of hypersensitivity reactions and transmission of infectious agents, has been explored in various fields, such as plastic surgery, orthopedics, and dermatology. This review article focuses on various forms of autologous therapies used in dermatology along with their applications and mechanisms of action.Autologous therapy is a novel therapeutic intervention that uses an individual’s cells or tissues, which are processed outside the body and reintroduced into the donor. Currently, this form of therapy has broad applications in modern medicine, orthopedics, and therapeutic and cosmetic dermatology.     

What's new in the treatment of multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections?

Eradicating multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms has been a major challenge in healthcare settings worldwide. Newly approved drugs and those currently in the pipeline may have a promising solution to this issue. The purposes of this review are to describe the various resistance mechanisms of Gram-negative bacteria and to provide a summary of the current literature available on the newer agents, such as ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, meropenem/vaborbactam, and other emerging agents used for the treatment of MDR Gram-negative infections. Given that MDR organisms confer resistance to treatment by various methods, including enzymatic degradation, efflux pumps, and porin mutation, an understanding of mechanisms of bacterial resistance combined with information on newer antimicrobial agents against MDR Gram-negative bacteria will further assist clinicians in determining the best suitable therapy for the treatment of various complicated infections.