Effect of hydroxychloroquine in viral clearance in nCOV-19 infected patient admitted in tertiary care centre, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

Background: In view of recent publications of conflicting evidence on the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as prophylaxis and as a treatment for COVID-19 patients, we need to assess the effect of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients of authors own local population.Methods: In this retrospective chart review study, categorization of confirmed COVID-19 cases nasopharyngeal swab of RT-PCR was done into a group of patients who received hydroxychloroquine standard dose and another control group who did not receive hydroxychloroquine. The main comparing parameter was to see virus clearance days across both groups.Results: A total of 112 patients were included for the study, and grouped of 72 patient who received HCQS and remaining 40 patients as control. The virus clearance time in days was found to be 9.01±3.08 for HCQS group and for control group it was 8.64±2.34 days (Man Whitney U test value = 2.13, p=0.756).Conclusions: There is no significant difference found in attaining virus negative status with use of HCQS administration in this study.

Fatal familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with perforin gene (PRF1) mutation and EBV-associated T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of the thyroid

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a rare fatal autosomal recessive disorder of immune dysregulation. The disease presents most commonly in the first year of life; however, symptomatic presentation throughout childhood and adulthood has also been identified. Biallelic mutation in the perforin gene is present in 20%­50% of all cases of FHL. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in association with hematological malignancies is known; however, whether mutations in HLH-associated genes can be associated with FHL and hematolymphoid neoplasms is not well documented. Also, Epstein­Barr-virus- (EBV) positive systemic T-cell lymphoproliferative disease (SE-LPD) in the setting of FHL is not clearly understood. Here, we present the case of a young boy who presented with typical features of childhood FHL harboring the perforin gene (PRF1) mutation, and had SE-LPD diagnosed on autopsy, along with evidence of recent EBV infection. The patient expired due to progressive disease. Five siblings died in the second or third decade of life with undiagnosed disease. Genetic counseling was provided to the two surviving siblings and parents, but they could not afford genetic testing. One surviving sibling has intermittent fever and is on close follow-up for possible bone marrow transplantation.

Assessment of Satisfaction and Quality of Life using Patient-reported Outcome Measures after Perineal Urethrostomy: A Prospective Analysis

Introduction: Conventionally, success after urethroplasty has focused on objective measures such as urinary flow rates, postvoid residual (PVR) volumes, and appearance of the urethra on cystoscopy and/or retrograde urethrogram. The objective ofthis study was to prospectively analyze the pre- and post-operative patient-reported outcome measures describing patients’satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) after perineal urethrostomy and to compare these results with objective data.Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected data from 30 consecutive patients who underwent perineal urethrostomyfor complex anterior urethral stricture from April 2017 to January 2019. Patient demographics, International Prostate SymptomScore (IPSS), QoL score, urethral stricture surgery patient-reported outcome measure (USS-PROM), maximum flow rate, andPVR urine were collected before, and 2 and 8 months after surgery. General estimation equation was used to compare theresults and linear regression analysis to correlate both questionnaires with objective data.Results: Mean age was 63 years. All patients had undergone previous urethral surgery in the form of multiple DVIU, urethraldilatation, substitution, or augmentation urethroplasties. The mean USS-PROM score improved from 13.4 preoperatively to 3.10after surgery (P < 0.001) and 85.6% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with surgical results. Strong negative correlationwas found, respectively, between flow rate and USS-PROM and with IPSS.Conclusion: Significant improvements in urinary symptoms and in QoL are expected after perineal urethrostomy for complexanterior urethral stricture and they are correlated with objective measures.

Urbanization and biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: The case study of Delhi, India / Urbanización y biodiversidad de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares -Caso de estudio de Delhi, India

Abstract Increasing urbanisation is widely associated with decline in biodiversity of all forms. The aim of the present study was to answer two questions: (i) Does rapid urbanization in Delhi (India) affect biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi? (ii) If so, how? We measured the AM fungal diversity at nine sites located in Delhi forests, which had different types of urban usage in terms of heavy vehicular traffic pollution, littering, defecation and recreational activities. The study revealed a significant decrease in AM fungal diversity (alpha diversity) and abundance measured as spore density, biovolume, mean infection percentage (MIP) in roots, soil hyphal length and easily extractable glomalin related soluble proteins (EE-GRSP) at polluted sites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and nested PERMANOVA, revealed significant differences in AM fungal community structure which could be correlated with variations in soil moisture, temperature, pH, carbon, and nitrogen and phosphorus levels. BEST (biota and environmental matching) analysis of biological and environmental samples revealed that soil temperature and moisture accounted for 47.6 % of the total variations in the samples. The study demonstrated how different forms of human activities in urban ecosystems of Delhi are detrimental to the diversity and abundance of AM fungi.(AU)

Resumen El incremento en la urbanización está ampliamente asociado con una disminución de la biodiversidad de todas las formas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue responder dos preguntas: (i) ¿Afecta la urbanización rápida en Delhi (India) la biodiversidad de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (MA)?, y (ii) si es así, ¿Cómo? Medimos la diversidad de hongos MA en nueve sitios ubicados en los bosques de Delhi, los cuales tenían diferentes tipos de uso urbano en términos de contaminación por alto tráfico vehicular, basura, defecación y actividades recreacionales. El estudio reveló una disminución significativa en la diversidad de hongos MA (diversidad alfa) y abundancia medida como densidad de esporas, biovolumen, porcentaje medio de infección (PMI) en raíces, longitud de las hifas del suelo y glomalina fácilmente extraible relacionada con proteínas solubles (EE-GRSP) en sitios contaminados. Análisis de escalamiento multidimensional no métrico (NMDS) y PERMANOVA anidados revelaron diferencias significativas en la estructura de hongos MA, que puede estar relacionada con la variación en humedad, temperatura, pH y niveles de carbono, nitrógeno y fósforo del suelo. El análisis BEST (biota y correspondencia ambiental) de muestras biológicas y ambientales mostró que la temperatura y humedad del suelo explican un 47.6 % del total de la variación en las muestras. Este estudio demostró cómo las diferentes actividades humanas en ecosistemas urbanos de Delhi son perjudiciales para la diversidad y abundancia de hongos MA.(AU)

Assessment of trace elements leaching of coal combustion residues from Bokaro Thermal Power Station.

The leaching behaviour of coal combustion residues (CCRs) viz. fly ash, bottom ash and pond ash from Bokaro Thermal Power Station (BTPS), Jharkhand was investigated by open column percolation experiment. The study aims to determine the long-term leaching of trace/ heavy elements CCRs from BTPS. The results ofpotentiometric analysis ofleachates reflected that CCRs are slightly acidic to alkaline but overall on the long-term basis these are alkaline in nature. From the long-term leaching study of approximately two years, it has been revealed that of the twenty three elements those were analysed by open column percolation experiments, only Ca, Mg, Na and K were found to be leaching throughout the study period though their concentrations reduced considerably with time. Other elements such as Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb found to leach at significant concentration levels for sometime but found to be absent on long-term basis. Elements such as As, Cr, Cd, Ni, Al, Co, B etc. were not found in the leachate. Conclusion of this study is that CCRs from BTPS are environmentally benign with respect to leaching of trace elements.