Correlation between ABO blood groups and body mass index among medical students

 Background: ABO blood groups are associated with certain diseases. The present study seeks to find out if there is any association between ABO blood groups and body mass index.Methods: The present study involves 150 medical students, 105 boys and 45 girls in the age group of 18-23 years in the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Burla, Sambalpur. Height in meters and weight in kg were taken by stadiometer and weighing machine. BMI was calculated using formula BMI=weight in kg/height in m2 . Blood groups were determined by slide agglutination method. The data was analyzed through SPSS 20.Results: Overweight and obesity was found more prevalent in boys than girls. In total, 20.7% students were overweight (21% boys and 20% girls). The same trend was found in obesity.  15.3% of total students were obese (16.2% boys and 13.3% girls). Blood group B was reported the most common blood groups (42%) followed by blood group O (28%), while blood groups A and AB were found 18.7% and 11.3% of participants, respectively. The prevalence of overweight (BMI 25-29.9) among participants based on blood group O, A, AB and B was 23.8%, 22.2%, 21.4% and 5.9%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity (BMI >30) among participants based on blood groups AB, B, A and O was 23.5%, 17.5%, 14.3% and 9.5%, respectively.Conclusions: Prevalence of overweight and obesity was more in blood group O and AB respectively and was more in males than females

Prevalence of Hypertension and Obesity among High School Students of Mysore, Karnataka

Background: Hypertension, the silent killer, is one of the major risk factor of cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases which is currently responsible for 2/3rd of global mortality. Obesity is a good predictor of hypertension and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Objective: To find out the prevalence of hypertension and obesity among high school students of Mysore, Karnataka.Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted from June 2014 to July 2014. Multistage sampling method was adopted to select 3000 students. The required sample size was collected from 8th, 9th, and 10th standard students equally after doing gender stratification in each class. Anthropometrics measurements and blood pressure was measured according to WHO guidelines.Results: In our study most of the children belong to the age group of 13-14 years, mostly were boys and were studying in 10th standard, belonged to Hindu religion and nuclear family. In our study, we found that 22.4% of children had a family history of hypertension and 13.7% of children had a family history of obesity. In our study, we found that the prevalence of overweight was 4.97%, obesity was 1.47% and prevalence of hypertension was 0.3%.Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was 0.3% and obesity was 1.47%

Heat shock protein 70/peptide complexes: potent mediators for the generation of antiviral T cells particularly with regard to low precursor frequencies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has gained major attention as an adjuvant capable of inducing antigen-specific CD8⁺and CD4⁺T-cell responses. The ability of HSP70/peptide complexes to elicit cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses by cross-presentation of exogenous antigens via HLA class I molecules is of central interest in immunotherapy. We examined the role of HSP70/CMVpp65_495-503-peptide complex (HSP70/CMV-PC) in HLA class I-restricted cross-presentation for <it>ex vivo </it>expansion of CMV-specific CTLs.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CMV-specific T cells generated from PBMCs of HLA-A*02:01/CMV-seropositive donors were stimulated for 21 days with HSP70/CMV-PC and analyzed in functional assays. As a control PBMCs were cultured in the presence of CMVpp65_495-503peptide or HSP70. Increase of CMV-specific CTLs was visualized by pentameric HLA-A*02:01/CMVpp65_495-503complex.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>About 90% of HSP70/CMV-PC generated T cells were CMV-specific and exhibited significantly higher IFN-γ secretion, cytotoxic activity, and an increased heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene expression as compared to about 69% of those stimulated with CMVpp65_495-503peptide. We decided to classify the HLA-A*02:01/CMV-seropositive donors as weak, medium, and strong responder according to the frequency of generated A2/CMV-pentamer-positive CD8⁺T cells. HSP70/CMV-PC significantly induces strong antiviral T-cell responses especially in those donors with low memory precursor frequencies. Blockage of CD91 with α2-macroglobulin markedly reduced proliferation of antiviral T cells suggesting a major role of this receptor in the uptake of HSP70/CMV-PC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study clearly demonstrates that HSP70/CMV-PC is a potent mediator to induce stronger T-cell responses compared to antiviral peptides. This simple and efficient technique may help to generate significant quantities of antiviral CTLs by cross-presentation. Thus, we propose HSP70 for chaperoning peptides to reach an efficient level of cross-presentation. HSP70/peptide complexes may be particularly useful to generate stronger T-cell responses in cases of low precursor frequencies and may help to improve the efficiency of antigen-specific T-cell therapy for minor antigens.</p

Rationality of Fixed Dose Combinations of Central Nervous System Drugs in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives: To analyze the rationality of central nervous system fixed dose combinations used in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: The study was an hospital based observational study. The data was collected from an annual drug compendium entitled “Hospital Drug List”. Fixed dose combinations (FDCs) enlisted in central nervous system (CNS) sections were selected for the study purpose. The active pharmacological ingredients (APIs) in FDC was checked for approval by Drug Control General of India (DCGI), World Health Organization (WHO) and essential medicine (EML)/national essential medicine list (NEML),both or none and all the ingredients (molecule, excipients) present in the FDC was checked whether banned or under any controversies in India as well as worldwide.&nbsp; Efficacy and safety of the individual active pharmacological ingredients (APIs) and their combination were searched. Details of each drug were collected [Generic name, Pharmacokinetics, Interaction affected, Pharmacodynamics, and Advantages of FDCs]. The data collected was analyzed by a tool to assess the rationality of fixed dose combinations which is pre-tested and validated by Shah et al., based on WHO guidelines. Result and Discussion: A total of 25 CNS FDCs were taken, on assessment of CNS FDCs 21 (84%) were found to be rational and 4 (16%) were found to be irrational with the mean rationality score of 7.2. By winding up, state of nonbeing, absenteeism of legality and effectiveness of the formulations appeared in to a peculiar combinations and inadequate practice. The approval process of these combinations by various committees should be robust. Keywords:&nbsp; Rationality; Fixed Dose Combinations; CNS Drugs; Safety and Efficacy

Does globalization and energy usage influence carbon emissions in South Asia? An empirical revisit of the debate

The 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 agenda hinges on attaining a sustainable environment with the need to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. Hence, this study empirically revisits the debate on the effect of nonrenewable energy and globalization on carbon emissions within the framework of the Kuznets hypothesis using an unbalanced panel data from seven South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) covering 1980–2019. The variables of interest are carbon emissions measured in metric tons per capita, energy use measured as kg of oil equivalent per capita, and globalization index. To address five main objectives, we deploy four techniques: panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE), feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), quantile regression (QR), and fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS). For the most part, the findings reveal that the (1) inverted U-shaped energy-Kuznets curve holds; (2) U-shaped globalization-Kuznets curve is evident; (3) inverted U-shaped turning points for nonrenewable energy are 496.03 and 640.84, while for globalization are 38.83 and 39.04, respectively; (4) globalization-emission relationship indicates a U-shaped relationship at the median and 75th quantile; and (5) inverted U-shaped energy-Kuznets holds in Pakistan but a U-shaped nexus prevails in Nepal and Sri Lanka; inverted U-shaped globalization-Kuznets holds in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but U-shaped nexus is evident in Bhutan, Maldives, and Nepal. Deductively, our results show that South Asia countries (at early stage of development) are faced with the hazardous substance that deteriorates human health. Moreover, the non-linear square term of the nonrenewable energy-emissions relationship is negative, which validates the inverted U-shaped EKC theory. Overall, the effect of energy and globalization on carbon emissions is opposite while the consistency at the 75th quantile result indicates that countries with intense globalization are prone to environmental degradation

The COMET (Comparison of Operative versus Monitoring and Endocrine Therapy) trial: a phase III randomised controlled clinical trial for low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

Introduction Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive non-obligate precursor of invasive breast cancer. With guideline concordant care (GCC), DCIS outcomes are at least as favourable as some other early stage cancer types such as prostate cancer, for which active surveillance (AS) is a standard of care option. However, AS has not yet been tested in relation to DCIS. The goal of the COMET (Comparison of Operative versus Monitoring and Endocrine Therapy) trial for low-risk DCIS is to gather evidence to help future patients consider the range of treatment choices for low-risk DCIS, from standard therapies to AS. The trial will determine whether there may be some women who do not substantially benefit from current GCC and who could thus be safely managed with AS. This protocol is version 5 (11 July 2018). Any future protocol amendments will be submitted to Quorum Centralised Institutional Review Board/local institutional review boards for approval via the sponsor of the study (Alliance Foundation Trials). Methods and analysis COMET is a phase III, randomised controlled clinical trial for patients with low-risk DCIS. The primary outcome is ipsilateral invasive breast cancer rate in women undergoing GCC compared with AS. Secondary objectives will be to compare surgical, oncological and patient-reported outcomes. Patients randomised to the GCC group will undergo surgery as well as radiotherapy when appropriate; those in the AS group will be monitored closely with surgery only on identification of invasive breast cancer. Patients in both the GCC and AS groups will have the option of endocrine therapy. The total planned accrual goal is 1200 patients. Ethics and dissemination The COMET trial will be subject to biannual formal review at the Alliance Foundation Data Safety Monitoring Board meetings. Interim analyses for futility/safety will be completed annually, with reporting following Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines for noninferiority trials

Packaging waste generation by households: A mixed method study

The paper reports a study to determine the challenges faced by households in managing packaging waste, to compute the theoretical recovery rate, actual recovery rate and the total recovery potential of packaging waste generated, and to forecast the amount of waste generated by the households in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak for the next ten years. This study applies semi-structured interview, mathematical formulation and simulation modelling. The results reveal that the theoretical recovery rate among the majority of respondents is higher and the actual recovery rate among respondents is lower than it should be. There is an upward trend in the production of waste in the future