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Background: Guided growth through temporary hemiepiphysiodesis has gained acceptance as the preferred primary treatment in treating pediatric lower limb deformities as it is minimally invasive with a lesser morbidity than the traditional osteotomy. The tension band plate is the most recent development in implants used for temporary hemiepiphysiodesis. Our aim was to determine its safety and efficacy in correcting coronal plane deformities around the knee in children younger than 10 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 children under the age of 10 were operated for coronal plane deformities around the knee with a single extra periosteal tension band plate and two nonlocking screws. All the children had a pathological deformity for which a detailed preoperative work-up was carried out to ascertain the cause of the deformity and rule out physiological ones. The average age at hemiepiphysiodesis was 5 years 3 months (range: 2 years to 9 years 1 month). Results: The plates were inserted for an average of 15.625 months (range: 7 months to 29 months). All the patients showed improvement in the mechanical axis. Two patients showed partial correction. Two cases of screw loosening were observed. In the genu valgum group, the tibiofemoral angle improved from a preoperative mean of 19.89° valgus (range: 10° valgus to 40° valgus) to 5.72° valgus (range: 2° varus to 10° valgus). In patients with genu varum the tibiofemoral angle improved from a mean of 28.27° varus (range: 13° varus to 41 ° varus) to 1.59° valgus (range: 0-8° valgus). Conclusion: Temporary hemiepiphysiodesis through the application of the tension band plate is an effective method to correct coronal plane deformities around the knee with minimal complications. Its ease and accuracy of insertion has extended the indication of temporary hemiepiphysiodesis to patients younger than 10 years and across a wide variety of diagnosis including pathological physis, which were traditionally out of the purview of guided growth.

Furthermore, biostimulants are derived from natural resources (Gupta and Van Staden, 2021). [...]there is a minimal risk regarding toxicity and safety to humans and the environment (Kisvarga et al., 2022). USD 4.5 billion with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 7.4% by 2028 (Markets and Markets, 2023) and ca. [...]both small and big companies like, Isagro (Italy), Arysta (Japan), BASF (Germany), Syngenta (Switzerland), Bio AG Alliance (US), FMC Corporation (US), Valagro (Italy), Kelpak (South Africa), Biolchim (Italy), Acadian (Canada), Koppert (Netherlands), Biostadt (India), Italpollina (Italy) and many more are pushing into growth regulators and biostimulants and are significantly investing in research (Corsi et al., 2022,Markets and Markets, 2022;Critchley et al., 2021;Moyo et al., 2021). Plant growth regulators can be used to alleviate the detrimental effects of biotic and abiotic stress and improve crop yield and quality.Singh et al.showed that various hormones (such as ABA, cytokinin, GA, and IAA) differently control flowering in saffron by regulating floral integrator [FT (FLOWERING LOCUS T) and LFY (LEAFY)], repressor [SVP (SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE) and TFL1-2 (TERMINAL FLOWER1)] genes, and homeotic [PISTILLATA, SEPETALLA, and DL (DROPPING LEAF)] gene expression.Otari et al.found that MS medium fortified with 2.0 mg/l BAP + KIN and 0.5 mg/l IAA + IBA + NAA produced the best shoot and root development results, respectively, in Indian Pennywort (Bacopa floribunda). The role of cytokinin in defense or stress priming and the maintenance of photosynthesis was meticulously reviewed byHudeček et al..Debnath and Ghoshreviewed in-depth study on the phenotypic variation in micropropagated berry plants and the role of DNA methylation in these variations.Pandey et al.showed that foliar spray or seed soaking treatment of a novel natural plant growth enhancer, “calliterpenone,” (a phyllocladane diterpenoid) isolated from Callicarpa macrophylla enhanced crop productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum), rice (Oryza sativa) potato (Solanum tuberosum), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and onion (Allium cepa).

We examined racial/ethnic disparities for COVID-19 seroconversion and hospitalization within a prospective cohort (n = 6,740) in the United States enrolled in March 2020 and followed-up through October 2021. Potential SARS-CoV-2 exposure, susceptibility to COVID-19 complications, and access to healthcare varied by race/ethnicity. Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic participants had more exposure risk and difficulty with healthcare access than white participants. Participants with more exposure had greater odds of seroconversion. Participants with more susceptibility and more barriers to healthcare had greater odds of hospitalization. Race/ethnicity positively modified the association between susceptibility and hospitalization. Findings might help to explain the disproportionate burden of SARS-CoV-2 infections and complications among Hispanic/Latino/a and Black non-Hispanic persons. Primary and secondary prevention efforts should address disparities in exposure, vaccination, and treatment for COVID-19.

We consider an spin chain within the framework of the generalized algebraic Bethe ansatz. We study form factors of local operators corresponding to singlet states in the free-fermion limit. We obtain explicit representations for these form factors.

Neoichnological observations help refine paleoichnological records. The present study reports extensive observations on the distribution, morphology, occurrence and association of burrows and fecal pellets of the polychaete Nereis diversicolor in the Kundalika Estuary on the west coast of India. Our holistic study of these modern-day traces suggests it to be a complex trace arising from domichnial, fodinichnial and possibly pascichnial behavior of polychaetes. The study for the first time reports extensive fecal pellet production, distribution and their preservation as thick stacks in modern estuarine environment. These observations testify the fossilization potential of pellets and provide an explanation to their origin in the geological record. Their occurrence as strings associated with mounds not only suggests pascichnial behaviour of polychaetes but also allows the assignment of post-Paleozoic Tomaculum to the activity of polychaete worms. The production of fecal pellets in such large quantities plays a major role in increasing the average grain size of the substrate of these estuarine tidal flats, thereby improving aeration within the substrate.

Purpose. To evaluate outcome of intramedullary nailing supplemented with Poller screws for proximal tibial fractures using small diameter nails. Methods. 50 men and 20 women (75 fractures) aged 18 to 65 (mean, 33) years underwent intramedullary nailing supplemented with Poller screws for acutely displaced fractures (n=60) or for delayed union (n=10) or mal-union (n=5) of the proximal metadiaphyseal tibia. 88% of the fractures were caused by road traffic accidents. 54 cases had closed fractures and 21 had grade I or II compound fractures. Clinical and radiological outcome was evaluated. Results. In 69 cases, healing occurred after a mean of 4.2 (range, 3–9) months. In 5 cases, there was nonunion, which was resolved by bone grafting. One case was mal-united. 63 patients recovered a full range of knee motion (0°–130°), and the remaining 7 attained flexion of 0° to 90°. According to the knee rating scale of the Hospital for Special Surgery, outcome was excellent in 50 patients, good in 14, poor in 3, and failed in 3 at month 12, and remained so after a mean follow-up of 30.8 months. Postoperatively, 74 cases had <5° of varus or valgus malalignment, and only one developed varus of +7°. 65 cases exhibited no deformity, 7 had a deformity of <3°, and 3 had a deformity of 4° to 9°. Conclusion. Poller screws help maintain fixation of intramedullary nailing and alignment of fractures.

Background: An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is associated with poor outcome in various tumours. Its prognostic utility in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) is yet to be fully elucidated. Methods: A cohort of patients undergoing RC for UCB in a tertiary referral centre between 1992 and 2012 was analysed. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was computed using complete blood counts performed pre-RC, or before neo-adjuvant chemotherapy where applicable. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the optimal cutoff point for predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The predictive ability of NLR was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analyses and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. The likelihood-ratio test was used to determine whether multivariable models were improved by including NLR. Results: The cohort included 424 patients followed for a median of 58.4 months. An NLR of 3 was determined as the optimal cutoff value. Patients with an NLR⩾3.0 had significantly worse survival outcomes (5y-RFS: 53% vs 64%, log-rank P =0.013; 5y-CSS: 57% vs 75%, log-rank P <0.001; 5y-OS: 43% vs 64%, log-rank P <0.001). After adjusting for disease-specific predictors, an NLR ⩾3.0 was significantly associated with worse RFS (HR=1.49; 95% CI=1.12–2.0, P =0.007), CSS (HR=1.88; 95% CI=1.39–2.54, P <0.001) and OS (average HR=1.67; 95% CI=1.17–2.39, P =0.005). The likelihood-ratio test confirmed that prognostic models were improved by including NLR. Conclusions: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an inexpensive prognostic biomarker for patients undergoing RC for UCB. It offers pre-treatment prognostic value in addition to established prognosticators and may be helpful in guiding treatment decisions.

We consider an spin chain within the framework of the generalized algebraic Bethe ansatz. We calculate the actions of monodromy matrix elements on Bethe vectors as linear combinations of new Bethe vectors. We also compute the multiple action of the gauge-transformed monodromy matrix elements on the pre-Bethe vector and express the results in terms of the partition function of the -vertex model.

Rapid genotype-based drug susceptibility testing for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) relies on a comprehensive knowledgebase of the genetic determinants of resistance. Here we present a catalogue of resistance-associated mutations using a regression-based approach and benchmark it against the 2nd edition of the World Health Organisation (WHO) mutation catalogue. We train multivariate logistic regression models on over 52,000 MTBC isolates to associate binary resistance phenotypes for 15 antitubercular drugs with variants extracted from candidate resistance genes. Regression detects 450/457 (98%) resistance-associated variants identified using the existing method ( a.k.a , SOLO method) and grades 221 (29%) more total variants than SOLO. The regression-based catalogue achieves higher sensitivity on average (+3.2 percentage points, pp) than SOLO with smaller average decreases in specificity (−1.0 pp) and positive predictive value (−1.6 pp). Sensitivity gains are highest for ethambutol, clofazimine, streptomycin, and ethionamide as regression graded considerably more resistance-associated variants than SOLO for these drugs. There is no difference between SOLO and regression with regards to meeting the target product profiles set by the WHO for genetic drug susceptibility testing, except for rifampicin, for which regression specificity is below the threshold of 98% at 97%. The regression pipeline also detects isoniazid resistance compensatory mutations in ahpC and variants linked to bedaquiline and aminoglycoside hypersusceptibility. These results inform the continued development of targeted next generation sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and other commercial molecular assays for diagnosing resistance in the MTBC. Here the authors train multivariate logistic regression models on over 52,000 MTBC isolates to associate binary resistance phenotypes for 15 antitubercular drugs with variants extracted from candidate resistance genes, and generate a regression-based catalogue of resistance-associated mutations that achieves higher sensitivity on average than the gold standard with smaller average decreases in specificity and positive predictive value.