Enhancing women's knowledge and awareness of preconception care: promoting optimal reproductive health outcomes

Background: Preconception care (PCC) is crucial to mother and child health. Many women don't realise how PCC might affect pregnancy and labour. Hence, we aimed to assess women's current knowledge and awareness levels regarding PCC, enhance knowledge, and empower women to prioritize proactive healthcare before conception. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of 200 reproductive-age women. Infertility therapy (n=50), poor obstetrics history (n=50), and term delivery (n=100) were the three groups. Family, gynaecological, and demographic data were obtained. Preconception care and medical issues that affect pregnancy outcomes were taught to all study participants to identify risk factors. Results: Most participants were aged between 18 and 25 (48%). Primary infertility was present in 52% of women. The main causes of infertility were pelvic inflammatory disease (40%) and genital tuberculosis (20%), treated with antibiotics and anti-tubercular medicines, respectively. Only 1 woman had both preconception and antenatal checkups, while 30 had neither. Maternal morbidity occurred in 52% of normal deliveries, with anaemia being the most prevalent. Caesarean sections were mostly due to prior 1 lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) (32%). Conception and healthy births were achieved in 10% and 6% of BOH patients and 18% and 10% of infertile patients, respectively. Conclusions: There is a need to provide women with accurate and detailed information on PCC and to establish functional clinics with evidence-based guidelines to enhance uptake and pregnancy outcomes

Prevalence, Distribution and Functional Significance of the −237C to T Polymorphism in the IL-12Rβ2 Promoter in Indian Tuberculosis Patients

Cytokine/cytokine receptor gene polymorphisms related to structure/expression could impact immune response. Hence, the −237 polymorphic site in the 5′ promoter region of the IL-12Rβ2 (SNP ID: rs11810249) gene associated with the AP-4 transcription motif GAGCTG, was examined. Amplicons encompassing the polymorphism were generated from 46 pulmonary tuberculosis patients, 35 family contacts and 28 miscellaneous volunteers and sequenced. The C allele predominated among patients, (93.4%, 43/46), and in all volunteers and contacts screened, but the T allele was exclusively limited to patients, (6.5%, 3/46). The functional impact of this polymorphism on transcriptional activity was assessed by Luciferase-reporter and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Luciferase-reporter assays showed a significant reduction in transcriptional efficiency with T compared to C allele. The reduction in transcriptional efficiency with the T allele construct (pGIL-12Rb2-T), in U-87MG, THP-1 and Jurkat cell lines, were 53, 37.6, and 49.8% respectively, compared to the C allele construct (pGIL-12Rb2-C). Similarly, densitometric analysis of the EMSA assay showed reduced binding of the AP-4 transcription factor, to T compared to the C nucleotide probe. Reduced mRNA expression in all patients (3/3) harboring the T allele was seen, whereas individuals with the C allele exhibited high mRNA expression (17/25; 68%, p = 0.05). These observations were in agreement with the in vitro assessment of the promoter activity by Luciferase-reporter and EMSA assays. The reduced expression of IL-12Rβ2 transcripts in 8 patients despite having the C allele was attributed to the predominant over expression of the suppressors (IL-4 and GATA-3) and reduced expression of enhancers (IFN-α) of IL-12Rβ2 transcripts. The 17 high IL-12Rβ2 mRNA expressers had significantly elevated IFN-α mRNA levels compared to low expressers and volunteers. Notwithstanding the presence of high levels of IL-12Rβ2 mRNA in these patients elevated IFN-α expression could modulate their immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis

High resolution mapping of QTLs for fruit color and firmness in Amrapali/Sensation mango hybrids

IntroductionMango (Mangifera indica L.), acclaimed as the ‘king of fruits’ in the tropical world, has historical, religious, and economic values. It is grown commercially in more than 100 countries, and fresh mango world trade accounts for ~3,200 million US dollars for the year 2020. Mango is widely cultivated in sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world, with India, China, and Thailand being the top three producers. Mango fruit is adored for its taste, color, flavor, and aroma. Fruit color and firmness are important fruit quality traits for consumer acceptance, but their genetics is poorly understood.MethodsFor mapping of fruit color and firmness, mango varieties Amrapali and Sensation, having contrasting fruit quality traits, were crossed for the development of a mapping population. Ninety-two bi-parental progenies obtained from this cross were used for the construction of a high-density linkage map and identification of QTLs. Genotyping was carried out using an 80K SNP chip array.Results and discussionInitially, we constructed two high-density linkage maps based on the segregation of female and male parents. A female map with 3,213 SNPs and male map with 1,781 SNPs were distributed on 20 linkages groups covering map lengths of 2,844.39 and 2,684.22cM, respectively. Finally, the integrated map was constructed comprised of 4,361 SNP markers distributed on 20 linkage groups, which consisted of the chromosome haploid number in Mangifera indica (n =20). The integrated genetic map covered the entire genome of Mangifera indica cv. Dashehari, with a total genetic distance of 2,982.75 cM and an average distance between markers of 0.68 cM. The length of LGs varied from 85.78 to 218.28 cM, with a mean size of 149.14 cM. Phenotyping for fruit color and firmness traits was done for two consecutive seasons. We identified important consistent QTLs for 12 out of 20 traits, with integrated genetic linkages having significant LOD scores in at least one season. Important consistent QTLs for fruit peel color are located at Chr 3 and 18, and firmness on Chr 11 and 20. The QTLs mapped in this study would be useful in the marker-assisted breeding of mango for improved efficiency

Correlation of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Monocyte to Lymphocyte Ratio with Acute Phase Reactant in Septicemia: A Prospective Study. NLR and MLR as Alternative in Sepsis

Introduction: Acute phase reactants (Procalcitonin, C-Reactive Protein) are important parameters in diagnosing and prognosticating sepsis. Despite availability of these, all the laboratories and hospitals are not equipped with the high end diagnostic capabilities in developing nations. Using alternative available markers in such conditions is preferable. We correlated the ratios from complete blood count with parameters procalcitonin and CRP.Material and Methods: This was a prospective study conducted in tertiary care hospital. All the patients admitted with diagnosis of sepsis who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in this study. Venous sample were collected from all the patients. Complete blood count, procalcitonin and C reactive protein was done. Ratio of neutrophil to lymphocyte and monocyte to lymphocyte was calculated and correlated.Results: A total of 102 patients were included in this study. 49 were males and 53 females with an average age of 48.72 ± 11.21. The mean NLR was 14.09 ± 3.31 while mean MLR was 0.71 ± 0.15. Average procalcitonin was 25.38 ± 9.34 and the mean CRP was 142.97 ± 32.20. the correlation was checked using pearson’s coefficient. There was a strong correlation between NLR with procalcitonin and CRP which was statistically significant (<0.001). MLR had a strong to moderate correlation with both the parameters and was statistically significant.Conclusion: Calculating the ratio of blood parameters from the complete blood count is the easy and cheap way to diagnose the sepsis in hospitals where high end clinical investigations are not available

Bullet in tracheobronchial tree without lung contusion removed by fibreoptic bronchoscopy in two parts

A person presented with multiple gunshot injury. Chest x-ray & CT whole body trauma protocol was done which showed multiples pellets of bullet in abdomen and one bullet in elbow according to entry wound. There was an entry wound without any bullet in left maxillofacial region however there was no exit wound. A bullet was noticed in tracheobronchial tree. There was no pneumothorax any signs of chest trauma or any pneumomediastinum. It is assumed that the bullet first hit the left cheek (maxilla) and lost its momentum. As the patient lost consciousness and had a fall leading to inhalation (aspiration) of bullet in the airway. As per ballistic experts it was basically a jacketed metallic bullet. As bullet moved in airway, the outer metallic core reached the trachea near carina and the soft metallic core slipped more distally to right main bronchus and bronchus intermedius. While inspection the outer metallic capsule was seen in trachea just above carina which was hollow and was gently removed with the help of foreign body forceps. The core was removed with dormia basket without any mucosal tear. The favorable outcome can be attributed as patient had no lung contusion or chest trauma and bullet was inhaled which was not very old. The evolution of bronchoscopy started with rigid one but the fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) has revolutionized the pulmonary interventions. The FOB can be used with minimal traumas under local anesthesia resulting in markedly reduced morbidity and mortality

Thin Layer-Protected Gold Nanoparticles for Targeted Multimodal Imaging with Photoacoustic and CT

The large size of nanoparticles prevents rapid extravasation from blood vessels and diffusion into tumors. Multimodal imaging uses the physical properties of one modality to validate the results of another. We aim to demonstrate the use of a targeted thin layer-protected ultra-small gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) to detect cancer in vivo using multimodal imaging with photoacoustic and computed tomography (CT). The thin layer was produced using a mixed thiol-containing short ligands, including MUA, CVVVT-ol, and HS-(CH2)11-PEG4-OH. The gold nanoparticle was labeled with a heterobivalent (HB) peptide ligand that targets overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) and ErbB2, hereafter HB-Au-NPs. A human xenograft model of esophageal cancer was used for imaging. HB-Au-NPs show spherical morphology, a core diameter of 4.47 ± 0.8 nm on transmission electron microscopy, and a hydrodynamic diameter of 6.41 ± 0.73 nm on dynamic light scattering. Uptake of HB-Au-NPs was observed only in cancer cells that overexpressed EGFR and ErbB2 using photoacoustic microscopy. Photoacoustic images of tumors in vivo showed peak HB-Au-NPs uptake at 8 h post-injection with systemic clearance by ~48 h. Whole-body images using CT validated specific tumor uptake of HB-Au-NPs in vivo. HB-Au-NPs showed good stability and biocompatibility with fast clearance and contrast-enhancing capability for both photoacoustic and CT imaging. A targeted thin layer-protected gold nanoprobe represents a new platform for molecular imaging and shows promise for early detection and staging of cancer

Indoor potted plant based biofilter: performance evaluation and kinetics study

879-886Plant based biofilters associated with microorganisms have been gaining popularity in controlling odorous compounds like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as they are cost effective and an environment friendly alternative to conventional air pollution control techniques. In this context, here, we tried to evaluate the performance of potted plants based Claire’s biofilter for biodegradation of benzene. A sealed perspex chamber with lid and fan was designed to ensure minimum leakage, proper aeration and distribution of benzene inside the chamber. Five different ornamental indoor plants were placed inside the chamber sequentially and exposed to a concentration of 5 ppm benzene for 30 h each. The leakage of benzene was checked beforehand. Epipremnum aureum (Money plant) showed maximum benzene degradation in the aforementioned time period with a removal efficiency of 98%. The µmax and Ks values for 100 ppm concentration of benzene were calculated to be 0.284 h-1 and 0.427 g/m3, respectively

Next generation 2D materials for anodes in battery applications

Makale (Review)WOS:000891798500002Two-dimensional (2D) materials, for instance, graphene/graphene derivatives, transition metal-dichalcogenides (TMDs), and MXenes (e.g. transition metal carbides (TMCs) as well as nitrides (TMNs)) are under increasing research attention due to their unique physical, mechanical, magnetic, electrical, optical, and chemical prop-erties. They are explored for a variety of applications, including energy generation and storage systems. Notwithstanding the developing interest in these materials, with respect to the later area, there is an absence of comprehensive overview and analysis on the synthesis and application of 2D materials aimed at lithium (Li) ion batteries. In this review, we have gathered and discussed the main issues faced by the different methods involved in the synthesis of 2D inorganic materials and their composites, along with their main properties in addition to applications for lithium, sodium (Na), and potassium (K) ion batteries. In addition, the problems raised during the charging and discharging of batteries for those materials are also discussed and possible proposed solutions are also included here. Overall, this review provides a road-map on current demands and future research di-rections on 2D materials to address the critical limitations of Li, Na and K ion batteries, for the afterward generation of high-performance energy storage systems.Spanish Government and Basque Governmen