Assessment of new method of posterior spinal fusion in the treatment of patients with posttraumatic kyphotic deformity of the thoracic and lumbar spine

Objective. To carry out a comparative analysis of two methods of the posterior bone block formation (with autograft bone chips or with a whole vertebral arch) and to assess the rate of bone block formation, the degree of surgery invasiveness and the patient-reported cosmetic satisfaction with the results.Material and Methods. The study involved 31 patients with kyphotic deformity of the thoracic spine, of which 15 patients underwent spinal fusion using autograft bone chips (control group), and 16 were operated on using a new technique with a whole vertebral arch. The results of treatment were assessed using a modified MacNab scale. During the follow-up period from 1.5 to 2 years, pain syndrome was assessed according to VAS, quality of life according the Oswestry Disability Index, and cosmetic satisfaction was assessed using the SRS-22 scale.Results. In the course of the work, it was revealed that in patients who were operated on using new method, the time of bone block formation according to CT data was shorter, the overall satisfaction with surgery result was higher (mainly due to the absence of a cosmetic defect), and the indicators of the operation duration and blood loss did not differ compared to those in the control group.Conclusion. Based on the results obtained, spinal fusion using a whole vertebral arch can be recommended in clinical practice for surgical interventions in patients with kyphotic deformities of the spine.

Comparative Study of Coronary Artery Proximal to Myocardial Bridge Segment

Introduction: The muscular segments which overlie the epicardial arteries are termed as myocardial bridges and the artery which travels through them are termed as tunnel arteries. These tunnel arteries get compressed during the systolic compression of the heart, thus partially or completely blocking the blood supply to the corresponding areas. Aim & Objectives: To assess the impact of these myocardial bridges on the proximal segment of the myocardial arteries. Methodology: The present study was cadaveric-based cross-sectional study. A total of 22 hearts which showed the presence of myocardial bridges were collected from two sources namely: cadaver dissections, autopsy. The hearts were clean and numbered. This was followed by fixation, dehydration, clearing, embedding, block formation, section cutting and staining. Result: The present study showed that there is a significant thickening in the tunica intima of the proximal to bridge segment of the coronary artery. The present study also noted that there is a marked thinning of the tunica media of the same segment. Conclusion: The present study concludes that there is a marked hyperplasia in the proximal segment of the myocardial bridges under tunica intima.

Blockchain Based Crop Insurance: A Decentralized Insurance System for Modernization of Indian Farmers

Conventional crop insurance systems are complex and often not economically feasible. Farmers are often reluctant to be covered for their crops due to lack of trust in insurance firms and the fear of delayed or non-payment of claims. In this paper, a blockchain based crop insurance solution is suggested. The solution suggested in this paper is an affordable, efficient, low cost crop insurance solution which will ensure many farmers are insured and benefiting from timely crop insurance. Currently the cost of administering insurance is an essential barrier to accessing this facility. With the proper use of blockchain based on ethereum this expense can be reduced dramatically. We have conducted various tests on platforms such as Google Cloud and found that the least throughput is 165 transactions. Upon analysis we have found that the time taken by the block formation is directly proportional to the timing of processing. The end-to-end average latency of the system was achieved as 31.2 s, which was quite effective for the infrastructure what we are using. Upon conducting acceptance testing, we found that the system suggested in the paper is effective and we are planning to release the application on open source platforms for future improvements.

Nodosome inhibition as a novel broad-spectrum antiviral strategy against arboviruses, enteroviruses and SARS-CoV-2

In the present report, we describe two small molecules with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. These drugs block formation of the nodosome. The studies were prompted by the observation that infection of human fetal brain cells with Zika virus (ZIKV) induces expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), a host factor that was found to promote ZIKV replication and spread. A drug that targets NOD2 was shown to have potent broad-spectrum antiviral activity against other flaviviruses, alphaviruses, enteroviruses, and SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Another drug that inhibits the receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) which functions downstream of NOD2, also decreased replication of these pathogenic RNA viruses. The antiviral effect of this drug was particularly potent against enteroviruses. The broad-spectrum action of nodosome targeting drugs is mediated in part by enhancement of the interferon response. Together, these results suggest that further preclinical investigation of nodosome inhibitors as potential broad-spectrum antivirals is warranted.

In vitro characterization of 3-chloro-4-hydroxybenzoic acid building block formation in ambigol biosynthesis

The cyanobacterium Fischerella ambigua is a natural producer of polychlorinated aromatic compounds, the ambigols A–E. Here insights into the biosynthesis of these natural products are revealed.

Nodosome inhibition as a novel broad-spectrum antiviral strategy against arboviruses and SARS-CoV-2

ABSTRACTIn the present report, we describe two small molecules with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. These drugs block formation of the nodosome. The studies were prompted by the observation that infection of human fetal brain cells with Zika virus (ZIKV) induces expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), a host factor that was found to promote ZIKV replication and spread. A drug that targets NOD2 was shown to have potent broad-spectrum antiviral activity against other flaviviruses, alphaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Another drug that inhibits the receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIPK2) which functions downstream of NOD2, also decreased replication of these pathogenic RNA viruses. The broad-spectrum action of nodosome targeting drugs is mediated, at least in part, by enhancement of the interferon response. Together, these results suggest that further preclinical investigation of nodosome inhibitors as potential broad-spectrum antivirals is warranted.

UNILATERAL SPINAL BLOCK FORMATION BY TACHYPHYLAXIS METHOD

The article presents the theoretical justification and comparative experience in the formation of a unilateral spinal block by tachyphylaxis in urgent surgery during operations on the lower extremities. The possibility of influencing the duration and severity of motor blockade on the operated side was established using the tachyphylaxis method for administering the anesthetic without decreasing the quality of anesthesia as a whole and without increasing the amount of anesthetic administered. The possibility of reducing the development time of full anesthesia to a minimum fixation time of anesthetic on nerve tissue (10 minutes) due to preliminary «sensitization» to nerve fiber anesthetics was established. The possibility of reducing the need for postoperative analgesia by increasing the duration of the postoperative painless period has been established. Keywords: unilateral spinal anesthesia, frequency-dependent blockade, motor block.