Of 6634 registered industries in Pakistan, 1228 are considered to be highly polluting. The major industries include textile, pharmaceutical, chemicals (organic and inorganic), food industries, ceramics, steel, oil mills and leather tanning which spread all over four provinces, with the larger number located in Sindh and Punjab, with smaller number in North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan. Hattar Industrial Estate extending over 700 acres located in Haripur district of NWFP is a new industrial estate, which has been developed with proper planning for management of industrial effluents. The major industries located in Hattar are ghee industry, chemical (sulfuric acid, synthetic fiber) industry, textile industry and pharmaceuticals industry.These industries, although developed with proper planning are discharging their effluents in the nearby natural drains and ultimately collected in a big drain near Wah. The farmers in the vicinity are using these effluents for growing vegetables and cereal crops due to shortage of water. In view of this discussion, there is a dire need to determine ifthese effluents are hazardous for soil and plant growth. So, effluents from different industries, sewage and normal tap water samples were collected and analysed for pH,electrical conductivity (EC), total soluble salts (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen, cations and anions and heavy metals. The effluents of ghee and textile industries are highly alkaline. EC and TSS loads of ghee and textile industries are also above the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), Pakistan. All the effluents had residual sodium carbonates (RSCs), carbonates and bicarbonates in amounts that cannot be used for irrigation. Total toxic metals load in all the effluents is also above the limit i.e. 2.0 mg/L. Copper in effluents of textile and sewage, manganese in ghee industry effluents and iron contents in all the effluents were higher than NEQS. BOD and COD values of all the industries are also above the NEQS. On the whole, these effluents cannot be used for irrigation without proper treatment otherwise that may cause toxicity to soil, plants and animals as well add to the problems of salinity and sododicity. Similarly, these effluents cannot be used for fish farming.

BACKGROUND: We are presenting our experience in the use of locking compression plate (LCP) after juxta-articular oncological resections in addition to its use in pathologic fracture. METHODS: A retrospective audit of skeletal reconstruction using LCP in 25 cases of long bone tumors was performed from 2008 to 2010. Reconstruction following limb salvage surgery was done in 17 patients and internal fixation of pathological fracture was done in 8 patients. All patients were available for > 12 months of follow-up, and thus assessed for union at the resected ends. RESULTS: There were 8 males and 17 females in the study. The average age at the time of surgery was 30 years (range, 9 to 66 years). The minimum follow-up was 12 months (range, 12 to 32 months). All patients except three went on to heal successfully. Complications occurred in those three patients: wound infection in one, nonunion in another, and periprosthetic fracture in the other patient. In the remaining patients, union was achieved at an average of 6.5 months after reconstruction in curative resection and 4.75 months after fixation of pathological fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Joint sparing limb salvage surgery was made successfully possible after sekeletal reconstruction with LCP. Its use was also quite effective in pathological fractures with poor bone quality. Use of locking plates for musculoskeletal oncological reconstruction resulted in a good and predictable rate of union.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Neoplasms/complications/radiography/*surgery ; Bone Plates ; Child ; Female ; Fractures, Spontaneous/etiology/radiography/*surgery ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEHelicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative organism. Its outer membrane protein Q (HopQ) mediates host-pathogen interactions; HopQ genotypes 1 and 2 are found associating with gastroduodenal pathologies. The authors measured the anti-adhesion effects of the extracts of Abelmoschus esculentus, Zingiber officinale, Trachyspermum ammi, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Curcuma longa and Capsicum annum against HopQ genotypes and H. pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA).

METHODSDNA was extracted by polymerase chain reaction of the HopQ genotypes (i.e., type 1, type 2 and CagA) from 115 H. pylori strains. The effect of the extracts from selected dietary ingredients was determined using a gastric adenocarcinoma cell line and a quantitative DNA fragmentation assay. The anti-adhesive effect of these extracts on H. pylori was tested using an anti-adhesion analysis.

RESULTSC. annum, C. longa and A. esculentus showed prominent anti-adhesion effects with resultant values of 17.3% ± 2.9%, 14.6% ± 3.7%, 13.8% ± 3.6%, respectively, against HopQ type 1 and 13.1% ± 1.7%, 12.1% ± 2%, 11.1% ± 1.6%, respectively, against HopQ type 2. C. longa (93%), C. annum (89%) and A. esculentus (75%) had better anti-adhesive activity against H. pylori with HopQ type 1 compared to HopQ type 2 with respective values of 70%, 64% and 51%. Extracts of C. annum (14.7% ± 4.1%), A. esculentus (12.3% ± 4.1%) and Z. officinale (8.4% ± 2.8%) had an anti-adhesion effect against CagA-positive H. pylori strains compared to CagA-negative strains.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-adhesion properties of the tested phytotherapeutic dietary ingredients were varied with HopQ genotypes. HopQ type 1 was found to be more sensitive to extracts of C. annum, C. longa and A. esculentus compared to the HopQ type 2 genotype.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Genes associated with the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) plasticity region may play a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori. We compared the genes jhp0940, jhp0947, and jhp0986 in H. pylori isolates from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases and in different age groups. METHODS: The H. pylori hyperplasticity region genes jhp0940, jhp0947, and jhp0986 were studied by PCR. We also evaluated whether these genes were related to the cytotoxin-associated gene (cagA) and histology findings. RESULTS: Of the patient cohort, 71 (62%) were positive for jhp0940, 67 (59%) for jhp0947, 12 (10%) for jhp0986, and 69 (60%) for cagA. jhp0940 (n=18, 67%) and jhp0947 (n=23, 85%) were found more frequently in duodenal ulcer (DU) patients than in gastritis patients (n=14, 39%; p=0.029 and p<0.001, respectively). Gastric ulcer (GU) was more frequently associated with jhp0940 (17 patients, 77%; p=0.003) than with gastritis (14 patients, 39%). Gastric carcinoma (GC) was more strongly associated with both jhp0940 (22 patients, 76%; p=0.003) and jhp0947 (22 patients, 76%; p=0.003) than was gastritis (14 patients, 39%). jhp0947 was more frequently associated with chronic active inflammation (58 patients, 87%; p=0.009) than with chronic inflammation (9 patients, 13%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that jhp0947 was associated with DU (odds ratio, 6.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.87-20). CONCLUSIONS: The genes jhp0947 and jhp0940 were identified in H. pylori isolates from patients with GC and DU, while jhp0940 was also isolated from patients with GU. jhp0947 was independently associated with DU.
Cohort Studies ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plastics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Ulcer

Purpose: Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is rare and infrequently reported. We evaluated the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and potential risk factors associated with this condition. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study in Västmanland County, Sweden. This investigation included all patients who underwent sigmoidectomy with colorectal anastomosis between 2008 and 2020. We excluded patients without an anastomosis and those with inflammatory bowel disease. Results: Of the 546 patients identified, 233 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of whom 26 (11.2%) developed proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis. The most frequent symptoms included urgency (n=16, 61.5%), increased stool frequency (n=12, 46.2%), and anorectal pain (n=12, 46.2%). Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 20 cases (76.9%), with 10 requiring only a single therapeutic procedure. The median number of dilations was 3 (range, 1–8). Multivariable analysis revealed that surgery due to malignancy and emergency surgery were associated with elevated risk of proctitis. A subgroup analysis of patients who underwent surgery due to malignancy indicated that smoking (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–14.0) and emergency surgery (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–37.1) were also associated with increased proctitis risk. Conclusion Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is not uncommon following sigmoidectomy. Patients undergoing emergency surgery or surgery due to malignancy and who had a history of smoking displayed an increased risk of developing proctitis. Due to the paucity of symptoms observed, particularly in patients with a diverting stoma, routine endoscopic rectal examination should be performed during follow-up after sigmoidectomy.

Purpose: Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is rare and infrequently reported. We evaluated the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and potential risk factors associated with this condition. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study in Västmanland County, Sweden. This investigation included all patients who underwent sigmoidectomy with colorectal anastomosis between 2008 and 2020. We excluded patients without an anastomosis and those with inflammatory bowel disease. Results: Of the 546 patients identified, 233 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of whom 26 (11.2%) developed proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis. The most frequent symptoms included urgency (n=16, 61.5%), increased stool frequency (n=12, 46.2%), and anorectal pain (n=12, 46.2%). Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 20 cases (76.9%), with 10 requiring only a single therapeutic procedure. The median number of dilations was 3 (range, 1–8). Multivariable analysis revealed that surgery due to malignancy and emergency surgery were associated with elevated risk of proctitis. A subgroup analysis of patients who underwent surgery due to malignancy indicated that smoking (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–14.0) and emergency surgery (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–37.1) were also associated with increased proctitis risk. Conclusion Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is not uncommon following sigmoidectomy. Patients undergoing emergency surgery or surgery due to malignancy and who had a history of smoking displayed an increased risk of developing proctitis. Due to the paucity of symptoms observed, particularly in patients with a diverting stoma, routine endoscopic rectal examination should be performed during follow-up after sigmoidectomy.

Purpose: Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is rare and infrequently reported. We evaluated the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and potential risk factors associated with this condition. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study in Västmanland County, Sweden. This investigation included all patients who underwent sigmoidectomy with colorectal anastomosis between 2008 and 2020. We excluded patients without an anastomosis and those with inflammatory bowel disease. Results: Of the 546 patients identified, 233 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of whom 26 (11.2%) developed proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis. The most frequent symptoms included urgency (n=16, 61.5%), increased stool frequency (n=12, 46.2%), and anorectal pain (n=12, 46.2%). Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 20 cases (76.9%), with 10 requiring only a single therapeutic procedure. The median number of dilations was 3 (range, 1–8). Multivariable analysis revealed that surgery due to malignancy and emergency surgery were associated with elevated risk of proctitis. A subgroup analysis of patients who underwent surgery due to malignancy indicated that smoking (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–14.0) and emergency surgery (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–37.1) were also associated with increased proctitis risk. Conclusion Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is not uncommon following sigmoidectomy. Patients undergoing emergency surgery or surgery due to malignancy and who had a history of smoking displayed an increased risk of developing proctitis. Due to the paucity of symptoms observed, particularly in patients with a diverting stoma, routine endoscopic rectal examination should be performed during follow-up after sigmoidectomy.

Purpose: Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is rare and infrequently reported. We evaluated the incidence, symptoms, treatment, and potential risk factors associated with this condition. Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study in Västmanland County, Sweden. This investigation included all patients who underwent sigmoidectomy with colorectal anastomosis between 2008 and 2020. We excluded patients without an anastomosis and those with inflammatory bowel disease. Results: Of the 546 patients identified, 233 fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of whom 26 (11.2%) developed proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis. The most frequent symptoms included urgency (n=16, 61.5%), increased stool frequency (n=12, 46.2%), and anorectal pain (n=12, 46.2%). Endoscopic balloon dilation was performed in 20 cases (76.9%), with 10 requiring only a single therapeutic procedure. The median number of dilations was 3 (range, 1–8). Multivariable analysis revealed that surgery due to malignancy and emergency surgery were associated with elevated risk of proctitis. A subgroup analysis of patients who underwent surgery due to malignancy indicated that smoking (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–14.0) and emergency surgery (odds ratio, 6.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–37.1) were also associated with increased proctitis risk. Conclusion Proctitis distal to colorectal anastomosis is not uncommon following sigmoidectomy. Patients undergoing emergency surgery or surgery due to malignancy and who had a history of smoking displayed an increased risk of developing proctitis. Due to the paucity of symptoms observed, particularly in patients with a diverting stoma, routine endoscopic rectal examination should be performed during follow-up after sigmoidectomy.

Many species have been drastically affected by rapid urbanization. Harris's hawks from their natural habitat of open spaces and a supply of rodents, lizards and other small prey have been forced to change their natural environment adapting to living in open spaces in sub- and peri-urban areas. Specific areas include playgrounds, parks and school courtyards. The migration of this predatory species into these areas poses a risk to individuals, and especially the children are often attacked by claws, talons and beaks intentionally or as collateral damage while attacking rodent prey. In addition, the diverse micro-organisms harbored in the beaks and talons can result in wound infections, presenting a challenge to clinical management. Here we would like to present a case of an 80-year-old man with cellulitis of both hands after sustaining minor injuries from the talons of a Harris's hawk and review the management options. We would also like to draw attention to the matter that, even though previously a rarity, more cases of injuries caused by birds of prey may be seen in hospital settings.
Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Cellulitis ; etiology ; Hand Injuries ; etiology ; Hawks ; physiology ; Humans

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the concentrations of Hg and its aspects methyl mercury (Me-Hg) and inorganic mercury (I-Hg) in the biological samples (BSs) of fluorescent lamp industries workers (FLIWs). Methodology: Different BSs including red blood cells (RBCs), plasma, urine, hair and nails were collected from the workers exposed to Hg and unexposed persons were selected as control group to measure both the T-Hg concentration as well as its species in different biological samples through quantitative analysis. Health data was collected through questionnaire survey. Results: The mean concentrations of T-Hg (31.9 µg/L), Me-Hg (27.7 µg/L), and I-Hg (5.36 µg/L) in RBCs were found significantly ( < 0.001) higher among the workers ( = 40) as compared to the control group ( = 40). Similarly the mean Hg concentrations in plasma, urine, hair and nails were also significantly higher among the workers than the control group. The statistical relation between Hg concentration and demographic characteristics observed that workers experience and fish consumption has increased the Hg concentration while age, weight and smoking found no significant effect on Hg concentration in the BSs. Conclusion The study observed that the workers were highly exposed to high concentration of Hg and they are at a high health risk.