Determination of Heart Rate and Arterial Stiffness using LabVIEW and MatLab

The use of optical techniques is becoming increasingly widespread in biomedical monitoring and analysis because of its non-invasive nature. Physiological parameters are usually determined by characterization of temporal and spectral properties of the interaction between light and anatomy. Photoplethysmography is an optical technique which reflects the changes in blood volume and can be used for diagnosis of various disorders related to blood flow as well as monitoring the human pulse wave.Keywords:Photoplethysmography, Augmentation Index, Stiffness Index, Non-invasiv

Design, development and evaluation of immediate release gliclazide tablets

The aim of the current study was the design, development and optimization of oral immediate release solid dosage forms of gliclazide tablets, intended for rapid action within 30 min, formulated and optimized by in vitro drug release method comparing with reference tablet Diamicron (Servier Lab.). For fast breakdown and rapid dissolution of tablets three different disintegrants (sodium starch glycolate, kollidone CL, and dried maize starch) were used with same percentage (2 %) in the formulations; sodium starch glycolate provide very fast release of gliclazide from tablets in pH 7.4. Two different compression methods, direct compression and wet granulation, were employed in the study. The in vitro drug release profile was better for directly compressed gliclazide tablets, but the flow properties of gliclazide were very poor, which causes high weight variation. Wet granulation method provided tablets of good physical parameters: two types of tablets with different hardness (8-10 kg/cm2 and 5-7 kg/cm2 ) were prepared to observe the effect of compressional forces on drug dissolution and the later one exhibits short disintegration time and rapid dissolution of gliclazide. Friability and weight variation were found within the acceptable range. Incorporation of anionic surfactant in combination with sodium starch glycolate or kollidone CL in the formulation the dissolution rate. In comparison with reference tablet, formulation containing 2 % sodium starch glycolate and 1 % sodium lauryl sulphate with other excipients as lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone K-30, Mg stearate and colloidal silicon dioxide provide better dissolution. Shelf life of the formulated tablets were determined by utilizing stress condition (40 °C and 75 % Relative humidity for 3 months) and found more than 2.5 year in room condition.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Fetomaternal outcome of pregnancy with COVID-19: a prospective study in a COVID dedicated hospital

Background: Given physiological changes in immunological, pulmonary, cardiac, and coagulation systems during pregnancy, pregnant women have long been recognized as susceptible demographic during infectious disease pandemics. Learning about pregnancy outcomes, possible issues, and neonatal health issues in babies delivered to COVID-19-infected mothers is crucial. Study aimed to analyze fetomaternal outcome of pregnancy with COVID-19. Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study done on COVID dedicated to Sylhet Shahid Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital, from January 2021 to January 2022. A total of 54 pregnant women admitted with confirmed COVID-19 were included in this study as per inclusion criteria. Results: In this study, most patients were in the 26-33 age group (37.03%), followed by 18-25 age group (33.33%) and 24-40 age group (29.62%). 50% were primigravida. SARS COV-2 infection occurred in 51.85% of pregnant women in the 3rd trimester, 35.18% in the 2nd trimester, and 12.96% in the 1st trimester, 53.7% of patients had a mild case, 9.26% had moderate, and 37.04% had severe symptoms. 12.96% of patients needed ventilation, while 5.56% were in ICU without ventilation but on HFNC. Two patients had 1st-trimester abortion, and three had pre-term delivery. There was one IUFD, ongoing pregnancy in five patients, vaginal delivery in nine patients, and cesarean section in 25 patients. Sepsis occurred in 3.7% of patients, and post-partum hemorrhage in 1.85%. Oxygen was needed for 37.04% of patients with severe pneumonia. Out of 54 patients, 88.88% recovered, and 11.11% died in the hospital. The number of healthy babies was 74.07%, while premature babies were 5.56%, and there were two perinatal deaths. Conclusions: This study concluded that pregnant women with COVID-19 infection are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes however, a low risk of congenital transmission, and the neonatal outcome was good. The availability of ICU in critical conditions is needed for better pregnancy outcomes

Design, development and evaluation of immediate release gliclazide tablets

The aim of the current study was the design, development and optimization of oral immediate release solid dosage forms of gliclazide tablets, intended for rapid action within 30 min, formulated and optimized by in vitro drug release method comparing with reference tablet Diamicron (Servier Lab.). For fast breakdown and rapid dissolution of tablets three different disintegrants (sodium starch glycolate, kollidone CL, and dried maize starch) were used with same percentage (2 %) in the formulations; sodium starch glycolate provide very fast release of gliclazide from tablets in pH 7.4. Two different compression methods, direct compression and wet granulation, were employed in the study. The in vitro drug release profile was better for directly compressed gliclazide tablets, but the flow properties of gliclazide were very poor, which causes high weight variation. Wet granulation method provided tablets of good physical parameters: two types of tablets with different hardness (8-10 kg/cm2 and 5-7 kg/cm2 ) were prepared to observe the effect of compressional forces on drug dissolution and the later one exhibits short disintegration time and rapid dissolution of gliclazide. Friability and weight variation were found within the acceptable range. Incorporation of anionic surfactant in combination with sodium starch glycolate or kollidone CL in the formulation the dissolution rate. In comparison with reference tablet, formulation containing 2 % sodium starch glycolate and 1 % sodium lauryl sulphate with other excipients as lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone K-30, Mg stearate and colloidal silicon dioxide provide better dissolution. Shelf life of the formulated tablets were determined by utilizing stress condition (40 °C and 75 % Relative humidity for 3 months) and found more than 2.5 year in room condition.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Neonatal mortality within 24 hours of birth in six low- and lower-middle-income countries

OBJECTIVE: To assess the rates, timing and causes of neonatal deaths and the burden of stillbirths in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. We discuss the implications of our findings for neonatal interventions. METHODS: We used verbal autopsy interviews to investigate 1048 neonatal deaths and stillbirths. FINDINGS: There were 430 stillbirths reported, comprising 41% of all deaths in the sample. Of the 618 live births, 32% deaths were on the day of birth, 50% occurred during the first 3 days of life and 71% were during the first week. The primary causes of death on the first day of life (i.e. day 0) were birth asphyxia or injury (31%) and preterm birth (26%). During days 1–6, the most frequent causes of death were preterm birth (30%) and sepsis or pneumonia (25%). Half of all deaths caused by sepsis or pneumonia occurred during the first week of life. The proportion of deaths attributed to sepsis or pneumonia increased to 45% and 36% during days 7–13 and 14–27, respectively. CONCLUSION: Stillbirths and deaths on the day of birth represent a large proportion of perinatal and neonatal deaths, highlighting an urgent need to improve coverage with skilled birth attendants and to ensure access to emergency obstetric care. Health interventions to improve essential neonatal care and care-seeking behavior are also needed, particularly for preterm neonates in the early postnatal period

Design, development and evaluation of immediate release gliclazide tablets

The aim of the current study was the design, development and optimization of oral immediate release solid dosage forms of gliclazide tablets, intended for rapid action within 30 min, formulated and optimized by in vitro drug release method comparing with reference tablet Diamicron (Servier Lab.). For fast breakdown and rapid dissolution of tablets three different disintegrants (sodium starch glycolate, kollidone CL, and dried maize starch) were used with same percentage (2 %) in the formulations; sodium starch glycolate provide very fast release of gliclazide from tablets in pH 7.4. Two different compression methods, direct compression and wet granulation, were employed in the study. The in vitro drug release profile was better for directly compressed gliclazide tablets, but the flow properties of gliclazide were very poor, which causes high weight variation. Wet granulation method provided tablets of good physical parameters: two types of tablets with different hardness (8-10 kg/cm2 and 5-7 kg/cm2 ) were prepared to observe the effect of compressional forces on drug dissolution and the later one exhibits short disintegration time and rapid dissolution of gliclazide. Friability and weight variation were found within the acceptable range. Incorporation of anionic surfactant in combination with sodium starch glycolate or kollidone CL in the formulation the dissolution rate. In comparison with reference tablet, formulation containing 2 % sodium starch glycolate and 1 % sodium lauryl sulphate with other excipients as lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone K-30, Mg stearate and colloidal silicon dioxide provide better dissolution. Shelf life of the formulated tablets were determined by utilizing stress condition (40 °C and 75 % Relative humidity for 3 months) and found more than 2.5 year in room condition.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

A Population-based Study of Hospital Admission Incidence Rate and Bacterial Aetiology of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in Children Aged Less Than Five Years in Bangladesh

The research was carried out to study the rate of population-based hospital admissions due to acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) and bacterial aetiology of ALRIs in children aged less than five years in Bangladesh. A cohort of children aged less than five years in a rural surveillance population in Matlab, Bangladesh, was studied for two years. Cases were children admitted to the Matlab Hospital of ICDDR,B with a diagnosis of severe ALRIs. Bacterial aetiology was determined by blood culture. Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) isolates were determined using the disc-diffusion method. In total, 18,983 children aged less than five years contributed to 24,902 child-years of observation (CYO). The incidence of ALRI-related hospital admissions was 50.2 per 1,000 CYO. The incidences of ALRI were 67% higher in males than in females and were higher in children aged less than two years than in older children. About 34% of the cases received antibiotics prior to hospitalization. Of 840 blood samples cultured, 39.4% grew a bacterial isolate; 11.3% were potential respiratory pathogens, and the rest were considered contaminants. The predominant isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (4.5%). Hib (0.4%) and Spn (0.8%) were rarely isolated; however, resistance of both these pathogens to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was common. The rate of ALRI-related hospitalizations was high. The high rate of contamination, coupled with high background antibiotic use, might have contributed to an underestimation of the burden of Hib and Spn. Future studies should use more sensitive methods and more systematically look for resistance patterns of other pathogens in addition to Hib and Spn

Zinc Therapy for Diarrhoea Increased the Use of Oral Rehydration Therapy and Reduced the Use of Antibiotics in Bangladeshi Children

Excessive use of antibiotics for diarrhoea is a major contributing factor towards increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries. Zinc therapy for diarrhoea has been shown to be beneficial in controlled efficacy trials, and it is of interest to determine if availability of zinc syrup for treatment of diarrhoea would satisfy the demand for a 'medicine' for diarrhoea, thus reducing the use of antibiotics, without competing with the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT). This community-based controlled trial was conducted from November 1998 to October 2000, and all children aged 3-59 months in the study area were included. In this trial, the availability of zinc supplements, along with ORT and appropriate education programmes, was associated with significantly higher use of ORT and lower use of antibiotics

Incidence and risk factors of neonatal infections in a rural Bangladeshi population: a community-based prospective study

Background: Infections cause about one fifth of the estimated 2.7 million annual neonatal deaths worldwide. Population-based data on burden and risk factors of neonatal infections are lacking in developing countries, which are required for the appropriate design of effective preventive and therapeutic interventions in resource-poor settings. Methods: We used data from a community-based cluster-randomized trial conducted to evaluate the impact of two umbilical cord cleansing regimens with chlorhexidine solution on neonatal mortality and morbidity in a rural area of Sylhet District in Bangladesh. Newborns were assessed four times in the first 9 days of life by trained community health workers (CHWs) using a WHO IMCI-like clinical algorithm. Cumulative incidence of the first episode of infections in the first 9 days of life was estimated using survival analysis technique accounting for survival bias and competing risk of death before the occurrence of infection. A multivariable generalized estimating equation log-binomial regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with infections. Results: Between 2007 and 2009, 30,267 newborns who received at least one postnatal assessment visit by a CHW within the first 9 days of life were included in this study. Cumulative incidence of infections in the first 9 days of life was 14.5% (95% CI 14.1\u201314.9%). Significant risk factors included previous child death in the family [RR 1.10 (95% CI 1.02\u20131.19)]; overcrowding [RR 1.14 (95% CI 1.04\u20131.25)]; home delivery [RR 1.86 (95% CI 1.58\u20132.19)]; unclean cord care [RR 1.15 (95% CI 1.03\u20131.28)]; multiple births [RR 1.34 (95% CI 1.15\u20131.56)]; low birth weight [reference: 65 2500 g, RR (95% CI) for < 1500, 1500\u20131999, and 2000\u20132499 g were 4.69 (4.01\u20135.48), 2.15 (1.92\u20132.42), and 1.15 (1.07\u20131.25) respectively]; and birth asphyxia [RR 1.65 (1.51\u20131.81)]. Higher pregnancy order lowered the risk of infections in the study population [compared to first pregnancy, RR (95% CI) for second, third, and 65 fourth pregnancy babies were 0.93 (0.85\u20131.02), 0.88 (0.79\u20130.97), and 0.79 (0.71\u20130.87), respectively]. Conclusion: Neonatal infections and associated deaths can be reduced by identifying and following up high-risk mothers and newborns and promoting facility delivery and clean cord care in resource-poor countries like Bangladesh where the burden of clinically ascertained neonatal infections is high. Further research is needed to measure the burden of infections in the entire neonatal period, particularly in the second fortnight and its association with essential newborn care. Trial registration: NCT00434408. Registered February 9, 2007