Objectives Collate and analyse data of maxillofacial/rhino-cerebro-orbital fungal infections reported during the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the aim of investigating the common contributing factors leading to such infections and of highlighting the significance of this surge seen in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Method This retrospective observational multi-centric study analysed patient data collected from clinicians belonging to different specialties in Bangalore, India. The data included the presentation and management of patients presenting with aggressive maxillofacial and rhino-cerebro-orbital fungal infections and explored the relationship between SARS-CoV-2, corticosteroid administration and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. Results All 18 patients were Covid positive. Sixteen of the 18 patients received steroids for Covid treatment and 16 patients were diabetic (of whom 15 patients who were diabetics received steroids for Covid-19 treatment). Loss of vision was noted in 12 of the 18 patients and 7 of them underwent orbital exenteration. The fungi noted was mucormycosis in 16 patients, aspergillosis in 1 patient and a mixed fungal infection in 1 patient. Eleven of the patients survived, 6 died and 1 was lost to follow-up. There was a significantly higher incidence of diabetes ( p = 0.03) amongst these cohort of patients who were Covid-19 positive with mucormycosis. A significantly higher number ( p = 0.0013) of patients were administered steroids at some point during the treatment. Conclusion Despite the limited sample size, it is evident that there is a significant increase in the incidence of angioinvasive maxillofacial fungal infections in diabetic patients treated for SARS-CoV-2 with a strong association with corticosteroid administration.

The origin of very low frequency (VLF) oscillations in the power spectra of heart rate variability (HRV) is controversial with possible mechanisms involving thermoregulation and/or renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Recently, a major contribution from vagal influences has been suggested. The present study investigated the behaviour of VLF (0.004-0.040 Hz) components of HRV power spectra in a group of healthy male volunteers during their exposure to (1) dry, supine, immersion in thermo-neutral water for 6 h (n = 7) and (2) non-hypoxic hypobaria (breathing 40-60% oxygen at 15,000' simulated in a decompression chamber) for 5 h (n = 15). The two manoeuvres are established to increase vagal outflow. During both the manoeuvres, all the frequency domain indices of HRV exhibited a significant increase. Increase in HRV was much more than that in the R-R interval. At 6 h of immersion, the R-R interval increased by ∼ 15% but the total power increased ∼ fourfold. Similarly, at 5 h of exposure to hypobaria, total power increased ∼ twofold with a very modest increase in an R-R of ∼ 9%. Increase in spectral power was appreciable even after normalization with mean R-R(2). Increase in VLF during immersion was more than reported during enalaprilat blockade of angiotensin convertase enzyme. Plasma renin activity did not vary during hypobaria. There was a significant increase in pNN50, an established marker of cardiac vagal activity. Centre frequencies of the spectra and slope (β) of the relation between log(PSD) and log(frequency) did not change. Results were supportive of the notion that the parasympathetic system is pre-potent to influence slower (than respiratory) frequency components in HRV spectrum. Additionally, such an effect was without a change in the time constant of effector responses or pacemaker frequencies of VLF and LF periodicities and HRV was not a simple linear surrogate for cardiac vagal effects. An invariance of spectral exponent (β) ruled out contamination of VLF and LF spectra from fractal power as an alternate explanation.

Increases in R-R interval, E:I ratio, and all the time domain indices of HRV and HF power suggest an increase in parasympathetic influences. Increase in LF power is explained by the ability of the parasympathetic system to modulate the HRV spectrum in regions lower than respiratory frequency. Attenuation of pressor response to isometric handgrip contraction could have resulted from an increase in the transmural pressure gradient across the carotid sinuses due to hypobaria, which can adversely affect the anti-G straining maneuver.

This article is intended to highlight the issue of predatory journals and how they have been used to degrade the open-access journals to be perceived as predatory ones. Since many of the predatory journals are available for readers free of cost over the internet (which is among one of the many features of open-access journals/publications), the international wave of the scientific community against predatory journals stigmatized and victimized the entire open-access model of scientific publication to be perceived as substandard quality. This article critically analyzes the definitions of predatory journals and identified key characteristics of predatory journals. It is observed that lack of peer-review and charging high Article Processing Charges (APC) from authors are the two most common features of predatory journals, whereas open-access journals strictly adhere to peer-review criteria and have a clear guideline and information about the article processing fee. Knowingly or unknowingly, several authors mentioned that predatory journals are mostly open access, an overgeneralization of the author pay model upon which open access lies. Peer-review is an essential component of open access journals but not predatory journals; thus, considering predatory journals under the broad notion of open-access model of publication is unfair, stigmatizing and victimizing the open-access journals and keeping them at risk of degradation. Associating open-access journals with predatory ones is a nuisance as both have different aims, modus-operandi, and quality concerns. Therefore, there is a dire need to make policies to discourage predatory practices without victimizing the noble idea of open-access journals/publications. Keywords: open access, predatory journals, article processing charges, peer-review

tThe present study investigated the effect of stocking density on growth performance, stress reaction, and mortality in broiler chickens. Two hundred and forty (240) day-old straight run commercial broiler chicks (Vencob) were divided into two batches having 120 chicks each and further subdivided into three equal groups (G1, G2, G3) representing different stocking densities (20, 25, and 30-meter square/bird) having 40 chicks in each group. It was evident that, after the 2nd week, body weight gain of G3 group was significantly (p<0.01) higher than G2 and G1. In 4th week, body weight gain of G2 and G3 groups was significantly (p<0.01) higher than G1. After completion of 35 days of the trial, the last week’s body weight gain of G2 (577.15 ± 28.78 g) was found significantly (p <0.01) higher than G1 (554.07 ± 28.78 g) and G3 (517.35 ± 28.78 g). During 1st week, the FCR of broiler chicken of G1 (1.96 ± 0.02) group was found to be significantly (p <0.01) higher than G2 (1.83 ± 0.02) and G3 (1.82 ± 0.02). During 3rd week, FCR of G1 (1.94 ± 0.02) group was significantly (p<0.01) higher, while at 4th week, the FCR of G3 (1.81 ± 0.03) was found significantly (p<0.01) higher than other groups. The least square means of H/L ratio were significantly higher in G1 and G3 groups as compared to the G2 group. During the experimental period, 2.5 % mortality was observed in G1 and G2 groups, whereas 5% in group G3.