A sensitive and simultaneous liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for quantification of ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel. The analytes were extracted with methyl-tert-butyl ether: n-hexane (50:50, v/v) solvent mixture, followed by dansyl derivatization. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Kinetex C18 (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.6μm) column with a mobile phase of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient composition. The mass transitions were monitored in electrospray positive ionization mode. The assay exhibited a linear range of 0.100-20.0 ng/mL for levonorgestrel and 4.00-500 pg/mL for ethinyl estradiol in human plasma. A run time of 9.0 min for each sample made it possible to analyze a throughput of more than 100 samples per day. The validated method has been successfully used to analyze human plasma samples for application in pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence studies.

Retrieval of a broken guide wire transfixing the acetabulum or with intrapelvic migration is challenging and frustrating for surgeons. We here present a case report on a method to remove a broken guide wire transfixing the acetabulum through the proximal hole of recon nail using a grasping forceps. This method is little invasive, easy, time-saving and without need for changing the inital fixation.
Adult ; Bone Wires ; adverse effects ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; Hip Fractures ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Prosthesis Failure

An accurate, sensitive and selective method is developed for determination of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) in human plasma using LC–MS/MS.After liquid-liquid extraction with n-hexane,ergocalciferol was derivatized by reacting with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (PTAD), a strong dienophile based on Diels-Alder reaction. Ergocalciferol and its deuterated internal standard, ergocalciferol-d6, were analyzed on X Select CSH C18 (100 mm×4.6 mm, 2.5μm) column using acetonitrile and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in water containing 0.14% methylamine within 6.0 min under gradient elution mode. Tandem mass spectrometry in positive ionization mode was used to quantify ergocalciferol by multiple reaction monitoring(MRM).Entire data processing was done using Watson LIMS? software which provided excellent data integrity and high throughput with improved operational efficiency.The major advantage of this method includes higher sensitivity(0.10 ng/mL), superior extraction efficiency(≥83%)and small sample volume(100μL)for processing.The method was linear in the concentration range of 0.10–100 ng/mL for ergocalciferol.The intra-batch and inter-batch accuracy and precision (% CV) values varied from 97.3% to 109.0% and 1.01% to 5.16%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to support a bioequivalence study of 1.25 mg ergocalciferol capsules in 12 healthy subjects.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed sex-based differences in anti-viral responses, with a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in men than in women. Males and females also show disparate immune responses to COVID-19 infection, which may be important contributors to lower rates of infection, disease severity and deaths in women than in men. Here, the authors review sex differences in SARSCoV- 2 infections, anti-viral immunity and vaccine responses, putting forth the importance of sex, the underappreciated variables in vaccine response and disease infectivity.

Male infertility due to obstructive azoospermia is a well-known entity. It is characterised by obstruction to the outflow of sperms either in the epididymis, vas, seminal vesicles or the ejaculatory ducts. We describe a rare case of obstructive azoospermia due to compression of the ejaculatory duct and seminal vesicle by a large lower ureteric stone in a 30-year-old man who had infertility for the past ten years. The patient's azoospermia resolved after removal of the stone.
Adult ; Azoospermia ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Constriction, Pathologic ; diagnosis ; Ejaculatory Ducts ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Male ; Seminal Vesicles ; physiopathology ; Sperm Count ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ureteral Calculi ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery

Objective: Health professionals struggled with additional stress as compared to the rest of the population during the time of COVID19 Pandemic. Previous reports and current data suggest that tremendous burden led to many stress disorders among the health care workers and their long-term effects on their state of mind need to be studied to take necessary measures. This study has been designed to assess the level of stress and other psychiatric disorders among HCWs and the role of administration to overcome it. Method: This survey based retrospective study was conducted across multiple Centres and data from health care workers who were in direct contact with confirmed or suspected cases were collected and analyzed. Result: Data were compared on the basis of different parameters, i.e., category, gender, age, marital status, years of work experience per se with the degree of stress. Our study shows significant degree of stress among the healthcare workers during and post pandemic. Nursing staffs and doctors were affected significantly with higher degree of stress. Overall higher stress was observed among females as compared to the males; and among youngers and HCWs with lesser years of work experience. Conclusion This study is the first of its kind assessing stress levels in the health care workers on every aspect in great details. Our study also observed that instead of using Headington scale to classify the degree of stress, if we can compare stress scores using different statistical tools, obtained results are more reliable and it can accurately assess the degree of stress.