India’s quest for energy security and its West Asia policy

India’s rapid economic growth is highly dependent on stable access to energy supplies. With increasing growth in the consumption of fossil fuels, India’s dependence on imports of oil and hydrocarbons in general would increase substantially in the future which is 37.5 percent of our total imports already, making India search for energy security. Foreign policy therefore has a critical role in ensuring energy security for India. Energy security has, as a result, become a vital factor in Indian foreign policy. However, despite India’s ongoing initiatives to secure its increasing energy requirements from all over globe through its policy of diversification, West Asia remains the main source of India’s imports providing more than 65 percent of our total imports thereby making energy an important factor in India-West Asia relationship. Since the end of the Cold War India’s policy towards West Asia has been governed more by economic and energy considerations and less by the political rhetoric of the past. This paper analyzes India’s interests, challenges, and actual energy security policies towards the region and also attempts to study how far India’s Quest for Energy Security drives India’s West Asia policy

Induction of labour and its feto-maternal outcome

Background: Induction of labour is an iatrogenic deliberate attempt to terminate the pregnancy in order to achieve vaginal delivery in cases of valid indication. It should be carefully supervised as it is a challenge to the clinician, mother and the fetus. Aim of this study was to find out common indications for IOL in a tertiary care teaching centre and its feto-maternal outcome.Methods: An institutional based retrospective observational study was conducted to describe the prevalence of labour induction and factors associated with its outcome, during the time-period of one year from January 2018 to December 2018, at SRMS IMS, Bareilly. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the relative effect of determinants and statistical tests were used to see the associations.Results: Most of the patients were primigravidas of younger age-group. Idiopathic oligohydramnios and postdatism were the commonest indications for induction of labour and Misoprost was the commonest drug used for it. Though majority had vaginal delivery, as the method was changed to combined method it was significantly associated with increased likelihood of LSCS. Similarly there was increased association with maternal cervico-vaginal tear / lacerations as the method was changed to combined type. However there were no association between post-partum hemorrhage, meconium stained liquor or fetal distress.Conclusions: Common indications for induction of labour were oligohydramnios and postdatism. Misoprost can be safely used for induction of labour without any increased risk for LSCS or any fetal / neonatal risks

A comparative study of intracervical foley’s catheter with oxytocin and vaginal misoprostol for induction of labour

Background: Induction of labour implies stimulation of uterine contraction before spontaneous onset of labour with or without ruptured membranes. Aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of intracervical Foley’s catheter with oxytocin and vaginal misoprostol for labour induction at term.Methods: A total 100 term pregnant women were chosen with bishop score 0.05).Conclusions: Misoprostol was found better for successful induction, decreases induction-to-delivery interval and increases vaginal delivery as compared to Foley’s catheter but it needs constant supervision in view of hyperstimulation and tachysystole

One-Step versus Two-Step Diagnostic Test for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Comparison between one-step Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended two-step oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Material and methods: This study has a sample size of 200; 100 participants each were subjected to either of the two tests. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-GDM diagnosed by one-step test versus two-step test, respectively, were compared to one another and results were compared on the basis of various antenatal complications and fetomaternal outcomes. Results: No statistical difference was found between both the groups on the basis of various antenatal and fetomaternal outcomes. Conclusion: In Indian subcontinent with poor resources and lack of follow-up, single-step DIPSI can be preferred to ADA recommended two-step OGTT; however, large database studies are still required

One-Step versus Two-Step Diagnostic Test for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Aim: Comparison between one-step Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended two-step oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Material and methods: This study has a sample size of 200; 100 participants each were subjected to either of the two tests. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-GDM diagnosed by one-step test versus two-step test, respectively, were compared to one another and results were compared on the basis of various antenatal complications and fetomaternal outcomes. Results: No statistical difference was found between both the groups on the basis of various antenatal and fetomaternal outcomes. Conclusion: In Indian subcontinent with poor resources and lack of follow-up, single-step DIPSI can be preferred to ADA recommended two-step OGTT; however, large database studies are still required

One-Step versus Two-Step Diagnostic Test for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Aim: Comparison between one-step Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommended two-step oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Material and methods: This study has a sample size of 200; 100 participants each were subjected to either of the two tests. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-GDM diagnosed by one-step test versus two-step test, respectively, were compared to one another and results were compared on the basis of various antenatal complications and fetomaternal outcomes. Results: No statistical difference was found between both the groups on the basis of various antenatal and fetomaternal outcomes. Conclusion: In Indian subcontinent with poor resources and lack of follow-up, single-step DIPSI can be preferred to ADA recommended two-step OGTT; however, large database studies are still required

Managing Class II Malocclusion Using Twin Block Therapy in a Young Adolescent male: A Case report

Patients with untapped development potential benefit greatly from twin block therapy. However, a variety of patient-related characteristics, including age, gender, patient compliance, and other arbitrary criteria, complicate its effective application. Orthopaedics and growth modification can use the right forces to repair the malocclusion if given the proper care in a timely manner. When a patient has a retruded mandible and is presenting with a positive visual treatment objective, the appliance is quite effective. In this work, a successful skeletal alteration is described in the instance of a male patient, age 11, who had the typical twin block appliance indication

Phytochemical and Anti-Inflammatory Evaluation of Herbal Gel Prepared from Bark Extract of Mesua Ferrea Linn

The present research work involves formulation of herbal gel containing stem bark extracts of Mesua ferrea Linn and its evaluation for in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. The gel formulations were prepared using ethanolic extracts along with different polymer. The physiochemical parameters of formulations like; pH, viscosity and spreadability etc. also evaluated. Phytochemical analysis revealed presence of phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids, etc. The ethanolic extracts showed appreciable anti-inflammatory activity compared to the standard drug. Study confirmed that potential anti-inflammatory formulation can be developed from bark extract of Mesua ferrea Linn.   Keywords: Mesua ferrea Linn., Anti-inflammatory, Herbal Gel, Phytochemical, Albumin denaturation

Role of Host Immune Response and Viral Load in the Differential Outcome of Pandemic H1N1 (2009) Influenza Virus Infection in Indian Patients

BACKGROUND: An unusually high number of severe pneumonia cases with considerable mortality is being observed with the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus infections globally. In India, all mild as well as critically ill cases were admitted and treated in the government hospitals during the initial phase of the pandemic. The present study was undertaken during this early phase of the pandemic. METHODOLOGY: The role of viral load and host factors in the pathogenesis were assessed by examining 26 mild (MP), 15 critically ill patients (CIP) and 20 healthy controls from Pune, India. Sequential blood and lung aspirate samples were collected from CIP. Viral load and cytokines/chemokine levels were determined from the plasma and lung aspirates of the patients. TLR levels were determined by staining and FACS analysis. Gene profiling was done for both cells in the lung aspirates and PBMCs using TaqMan Low Density arrays. Antibody titres and isotyping was done using HA protein based ELISAs. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: 13/15 critically ill patients expired. All plasma samples were negative for the virus irrespective of the patient's category. Sequential lung samples from CIP showed lower viral loads questioning association of viral replication with the severity. Anti-rpH1N1-09-HA-IgG titres were significantly higher in critically ill patients and both categories circulated exclusively IgG1 isotype. Critically ill patients exhibited increase in TLR-3, 4, 7 and decrease in TLR-2 expressions. The disease severity correlated with increased plasma levels of IL1RA, IL2, IL6, CCL3, CCL4 and IL10. Majority of the immune-function genes were down-regulated in the PBMCs and up-regulated in the cells from lung aspirates of critically ill patients. No distinct pattern differentiating fatal and surviving patients was observed when sequential samples were examined for various parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Disease severity was associated with pronounced impairment of host immune response

Challenges and opportunities associated with waste management in India

India faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. Current systems in India cannot cope with the volumes of waste generated by an increasing urban population, and this impacts on the environment and public health. The challenges and barriers are significant, but so are the opportunities. This paper reports on an international seminar on ‘Sustainable solid waste management for cities: opportunities in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries’ organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and the Royal Society. A priority is to move from reliance on waste dumps that offer no environmental protection, to waste management systems that retain useful resources within the economy. Waste segregation at source and use of specialized waste processing facilities to separate recyclable materials has a key role. Disposal of residual waste after extraction of material resources needs engineered landfill sites and/or investment in waste-to-energy facilities. The potential for energy generation from landfill via methane extraction or thermal treatment is a major opportunity, but a key barrier is the shortage of qualified engineers and environmental professionals with the experience to deliver improved waste management systems in India