Novel thermoplastic elastomeric blends from Polystyrene (PS) and Exudated Resin (ER) of Ailanthus Malabaricum tree are prepared by solution casting technique. The applicability of the resulting materials to design and fabricate barrier rubber materials for the transport and storage of liquids and gases has been studied in terms of solvent resistivity. It is important to carry out the transport studies to eliminate diffusion of chemicals into such material products. The sorption and diffusion of benzene through blends of Polystyrene and Exudated Resin of different compositions are studied at 35°C, 55°C and 65°C. The effects of blend ratio on diffusion, sorption and permeation coefficients are determined. The sorption data is used to estimate the activation energies of diffusion and permeation parameters. An anomalous behavior is observed for most of the blend compositions. The blend with 60/40 PS/ER combination at 35°C and 65°C exhibited Fickian transport mechanism. Minimum solvent uptake is observed for the blend ratio 60/40 PS/ER. This blend ratio shows better compatibility between the phases among the series of the blends studied.

The Thermal stability and solvent transport properties of elastomeric blends of natural rubber and exudated resin of Ailanthus Malabaricum tree were studied in detail. The elastomeric blend samples have been prepared from solution casting technique. Benzene was used as a common solvent for both the constituent polymers to prepare the blends. The resulting material exhibits excellent elastic properties. Thermogravimetry was employed to analyze the thermal stability of natural rubber by the addition of resin. The temperatures at various weight losses for different samples were determined from Thermogravimetric curves. The activation energy of degradation was calculated from Horowitz Metzger equation. The addition of natural rubber improves the thermal stability of resin. The solvent transport properties of the resulting samples were studied in benzene. The combination of natural rubber and the resin exudated from Ailanthus Malabaricum tree can be used to prepare the elastomeric material with suitable properties for specific applications.

Introduction: Geriatric hip fractures are the new global pandemic. It is predicted to reach 7.3-21.3 million cases worldwide by 2050. Even with optimal care, geriatric patients suffer a higher morbidity and mortality rate when compared with the general population and often demand expensive hospital aftercare. This study aims to assess the implications of the successful adoption of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in the management of geriatric hip fractures in an Indian facility. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in India and reported following REporting of studies Conducted using the Observational Routinely collected health Data (RECORD) guidelines. We included all geriatric patients over 60 years of age who were admitted with hip fractures for surgical management between January 2021 and January 2023. The individual perioperative components of the ERAS protocol focus on key areas such as preoperative nutritional support, effective multimodal analgesia with optimal pain control, fluid management, and early postoperative mobilization. Results: Thirty-eight geriatric patients with a mean age of 77.5 (± 9.6) years were included for analysis. Twenty-three patients sustained intertrochanteric fractures and underwent fixation with proximal femur nailing and the remaining had 15 sustained neck or femur fractures of which 11 underwent hemiarthroplasty surgery and the remaining four underwent a total hip replacement. The mean time to surgery was 2 (± 0.2) days. Eighty-two percent (n=31) of the patients were mobilized with a walking frame within a day after surgery and were followed up after discharge with home physiotherapy. The mean time to ambulation was 2 (± 0.62) days. The mean length of stay was 4 (± 1.6) days. We had a 30-day readmission rate of 5.2% (n=2) and a 30-day mortality rate of 5.2% (n=2). The one-year mortality rate was 13% (n=5). Conclusion: Management of geriatric hip fractures requires exceptional interdisciplinary coordination and carefully planned strategies to optimize patient care. With the implementation of the ERAS protocol, we could perceive clinical benefits in terms of early recovery and short length of hospital stay in patients with hip fractures. Further comparative studies are required, which can determine the relative importance of individual measures in the ERAS protocol and understand their longer-term outcomes in hip fracture surgeries.

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