Dengue infection in pregnancy and outcome in a tertiary care centre

Background: Dengue is a mosquito borne viral infection with significant disease burden across the country. With the recent resurgence of the disease, increasing number of people are affected including pregnant women. Risk of exposure is 1% in a given pregnancy in highly endemic areas. The objective is to study the morbidity and mortality profile of dengue in pregnancy on mother and neonate.Methods: It is a time bound retrospective study conducted on 25 pregnant women with positive dengue serology in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology BMCRI Bangalore India between May to October 2016.Results: 25 seropositive dengue infected pregnant women were diagnosed in the period. Multiorgan failure leading to intrauterine fetal and maternal death occurred in one case of dengue shock syndrome at 28 weeks. Perinatal outcomes of the other cases were satisfactory. No cases of perinatal transmission to the neonate occurred.Conclusions: Pregnancies complicated by dengue infection needs close monitoring in a tertiary care for potential fetal and maternal complications. Early detection of the critical phase, with judicious fluid management can decrease the mortality and morbidity associated with dengue infection.

Wear and corrosion resistant properties of electrodeposited Ni composite coating containing Al2O3-TiO2 composite powder

Electrodeposited Ni composite coatings containing ceramic particles have been widely investigated due to their improved mechanical, wear and corrosion resistant properties over plain nickel coatings. The application of one of the most widely studied plasma spray powder, Al2O3–13 wt-%TiO2, has not been explored in electrodeposited nickel composites. In the present study, Ni/Al2O3–13 wt-%TiO2 coatings have been electrodeposited using physically mixed commercial Al2O3 and TiO2 powders. The microhardness, wear and corrosion resistant properties of the coatings have been investigated. It was found that the area fraction of particles incorporated in the nickel matrix was very high at lower current density, and the corresponding composite coating exhibited a maximum microhardness (∼580 HK). Interestingly, corrosion resistance of Ni/Al2O3–13 wt-%TiO2 composite coating was similar to that reported for Ni/TiO2. The wear behaviour of Ni/Al2O3–13 wt-%TiO2 coating was in between Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/TiO2 coatings and thus exhibited a synergistic effect of the properties of Al2O3 and TiO2 powders

Oxidative stress in HIV positive children

Background: The objective is to assess oxidative stress by measuring the concentration of malondialdehyde in HIV positive children and compare it with normal children (not suffering from any disease) of the same age group.Methods: In this prospective comparative study, we analysed malondialdehyde in 80 HIV positive children in the age group of 6-12 yrs from lower socio-economic strata and compared the values with 85 normal children not infected by any disease, of the same age group and similar socio-economic strata at L.T.M.M. College. Estimation of Malondialdehyde was carried out by using the method of SADASIVUDU by thiobarbituric acid reaction.Results: The level of Malondialdehyde was significantly higher in HIV positive children than in controls.Conclusions: The increased levels of Malondialdehyde confirm the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of this infection in childre

Diversity of Blue Green Algae from Paddy Fields

Abstract: Blue green algae are found in all types of aquatic bodies. Paddy fields represent one such habitat. An attempt has been made to isolate cyanobacteria from paddy fields of Siddipet region in Telangana State. Blue Green Algae are the most important nitrogen fixing organisms because of their autotrophic nutrition and flourish in paddy fields and known to sustain the fertility of this ecosystem. This paddy ecosystem allows BGA to function properly, selectively and effectively.To initiate the study, soil samples were collected in clean polythene bags. At the time of collection, the surface of the sampling station was cleaned by removing small stones, pebbles and grasses. The collected samples were brought to the laboratory, cultures were maintained and periodical observations were made on alga appearing in the cultures. As many as 34 species of cyanobacteria were identified.Both heterocystous and non-heterocystous forms were observed. The Nostocaceae has been reported by maximum number of genera and species. The genera Scytonema, Oscillatoria, Nostoc and Lyngbya were represented by maximum number of species

A New Multilevel Inverter Topology For High Step Up DC-DC Converter

High step up proportion dc–dc converters with megawatt evaluations are of enthusiasm for wind turbine interfaces and high-voltage direct current frameworks. This paper introduces a secluded multilevel dc–dc converter in view of the standard boost converter topology yet with the typical single switches supplanted by various capacitor-cinched sub modules. The converter is worked in resounding mode with reverberation between sub module capacitors and the arm inductor. A phase-shifted switching  course of action is connected with the end goal that there is a consistent number, i.e., N, of sub modules supporting the high voltage at once. In this operation mode, the progression up proportion is reliant on the quantity of sub modules and the inductor charging proportion. The converter shows versatility without utilizing a transformer and is equipped for bidirectional power stream. This venture is reached out to next sub module for expanding working scope of the converter. The outcomes checked through MATLAB/SIMULINK condition

Qualitative ultrastructural changes and morphometry of deccani sheep spermatozoa preserved with egg yolk citrate extender

The present investigation was aimed to study the sequential changes in the sperm cell deterioration dur-ing liquid storage of Deccani sheep breed semen from dilution to 48 h of storage along with its seminal characteris-tics and sperm morphometric measurement. Thus the two Deccani adult rams (aged 2 years), were selected (six ejaculates/each ram) and the collected semen was diluted with Egg yolk citrate extender (EYC) (final concentration - 400 million spermatozoa/0.2 ml semen).Seminal characteristics were assessed along with sperm morphologi-cal changes by Electron microscopy immediately after dilution, at 24 and 48 h of storage, respectively. Sperm morphometry was analysed by Image analysis.The percentage of Individual motility, Live spermatozoa, Acrosomal integrity and Hos-test reactive sperm decreased significantly (P<0.05) from 80.41 to 49.16%, 82.75 to 51.25%, 94.16 to 83% and 76 to 48.58%, respectively during liquid storage of semen from initial dilution to 48 h of storage. The sperm head length (?m), Head width, sperm head area (?m2), sperm head perimeter (?m), mid piece length (?m), proximal mid piece width (?m), distal midpiece width (?m), volume of mid piece (?m3) and acrosomal cap length (?m) were 7.80, 4.33, 26.84, 20.63, 14.03, 0.74, 0.51, 4.54 and 5.24, respectively. Electron microscopic qualitative evaluation revealed that the main site of injury is the apical ridge of ram spermatozoa when stored at 5ºC. The electron density of the mitochondria reduced indicating concomittant depletion of ATP and loss of motility resulting in reduction of fertility

Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019 : a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, migration, and population for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations from 1950 to 2019. Methods: 8078 country-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 938 surveys, 349 censuses, and 238 other sources were identified and used to estimate age-specific fertility. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate age-specific fertility rates for 5-year age groups between ages 15 and 49 years. With extensions to age groups 10–14 and 50–54 years, the total fertility rate (TFR) was then aggregated using the estimated age-specific fertility between ages 10 and 54 years. 7417 sources were used for under-5 mortality estimation and 7355 for adult mortality. ST-GPR was used to synthesise data sources after correction for known biases. Adult mortality was measured as the probability of death between ages 15 and 60 years based on vital registration, sample registration, and sibling histories, and was also estimated using ST-GPR. HIV-free life tables were then estimated using estimates of under-5 and adult mortality rates using a relational model life table system created for GBD, which closely tracks observed age-specific mortality rates from complete vital registration when available. Independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated by an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance and other sources were incorporated into the estimates in countries with large epidemics. Annual and single-year age estimates of net migration and population for each country and territory were generated using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model that analysed estimated age-specific fertility and mortality rates along with 1250 censuses and 747 population registry years. We classified location-years into seven categories on the basis of the natural rate of increase in population (calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate) and the net migration rate. We computed healthy life expectancy (HALE) using years lived with disability (YLDs) per capita, life tables, and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty was propagated throughout the demographic estimation process, including fertility, mortality, and population, with 1000 draw-level estimates produced for each metric. Findings: The global TFR decreased from 2·72 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2·66–2·79) in 2000 to 2·31 (2·17–2·46) in 2019. Global annual livebirths increased from 134·5 million (131·5–137·8) in 2000 to a peak of 139·6 million (133·0–146·9) in 2016. Global livebirths then declined to 135·3 million (127·2–144·1) in 2019. Of the 204 countries and territories included in this study, in 2019, 102 had a TFR lower than 2·1, which is considered a good approximation of replacement-level fertility. All countries in sub-Saharan Africa had TFRs above replacement level in 2019 and accounted for 27·1% (95% UI 26·4–27·8) of global livebirths. Global life expectancy at birth increased from 67·2 years (95% UI 66·8–67·6) in 2000 to 73·5 years (72·8–74·3) in 2019. The total number of deaths increased from 50·7 million (49·5–51·9) in 2000 to 56·5 million (53·7–59·2) in 2019. Under-5 deaths declined from 9·6 million (9·1–10·3) in 2000 to 5·0 million (4·3–6·0) in 2019. Global population increased by 25·7%, from 6·2 billion (6·0–6·3) in 2000 to 7·7 billion (7·5–8·0) in 2019. In 2019, 34 countries had negative natural rates of increase; in 17 of these, the population declined because immigration was not sufficient to counteract the negative rate of decline. Globally, HALE increased from 58·6 years (56·1–60·8) in 2000 to 63·5 years (60·8–66·1) in 2019. HALE increased in 202 of 204 countries and territories between 2000 and 2019

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Genomic-Assisted Enhancement in Stress Tolerance for Productivity Improvement in Sorghum

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], the fifth most important cereal crop in the world after wheat, rice, maize, and barley, is a multipurpose crop widely grown for food, feed, fodder, forage, and fuel, vital to the food security of many of the world’s poorest people living in fragile agroecological zones. Globally, sorghum is grown on ~42 million hectares area in ~100 countries of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Sorghum grain is used mostly as food (~55%), in the form of flat breads and porridges in Asia and Africa, and as feed (~33%) in the Americas. Stover of sorghum is an increasingly important source of dry season fodder for livestock, especially in South Asia. In India, area under sorghum cultivation has been drastically come down to less than one third in the last six decades but with a limited reduction in total production suggesting the high-yield potential of this crop. Sorghum productivity is far lower compared to its genetic potential owing to a limited exploitation of genetic and genomic resources developed in the recent past. Sorghum production is challenged by various abiotic and biotic stresses leading to a significant reduction in yield. Advances in modern genetics and genomics resources and tools could potentially help to further strengthen sorghum production by accelerating the rate of genetic gains and expediting the breeding cycle to develop cultivars with enhanced yield stability under stress. This chapter reviews the advances made in generating the genetic and genomics resources in sorghum and their interventions in improving the yield stability under abiotic and biotic stresses to improve the productivity of this climate-smart cereal

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population