Connecting with the Ghanaian Community through Church-Based Workshops: Healthy Ghanaian Cookbook

Based off our workshop series at Ghanaian churches in Worcester, MA, the Healthy Ghanaian Cookbook is a collection of recipes created by Peggy Akufo from the Apostolic Church at Bethsaida Christian Center. The recipes were altered to increase nutritional value. Calorie and nutrition breakdown for each recipe is included.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/capstones/1000/thumbnail.jp

The Relationship between Organisational Structure and Work Productivity: A Comparative study on the telecom Industry in India

This study aims to find out the relationship between organisational structure and work productivity which are themselves two core concepts which could be responsible for the holistic growth and progress of an organisation. This study was carried out through qualitative research in three major telecom companies in India by conducting direct interviews to gather relevant information. The three different genre of telecom companies were selected intending to obtain a more reliable and holistic result through the research and the interview was set with the aim to attain answers for the basic research objectives and questions. The study revealed that there exists a complementary and positive relationship between organisational structure and productivity in these telecom companies and the right structure can influence the telecom personnel to improve their work productivity for the total development of the organisation. This research intends to possess clear, relevant and accurate information regarding the topic and has been conducted with utmost care and concentratio

Comparison of standard short infusion versus prolonged infusion of Doxorubicin in relation to its cardiotoxicity in South Indian population

Background: Anthracycline is one of the commonly used chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of malignancies and their efficacy is undermined by potential life-threatening cardiotoxicity.  The aim of this study is to compare the cardiotoxicity in patients receiving standard short infusion (15-30 minutes) versus prolonged infusion (6 hours) of doxorubicin in the study group.Methods: In this study 80 patients who were planned for treatment with Doxorubicin >200 mg/m2 were included in this study and they were randomly allotted to either of the treatment group. Each patient was assessed clinically (History, Pulse rate, Blood pressure) along with ECG ,ECHO prior to initiation of chemotherapy, after completion of 200 mg/m2 of Doxorubicin, 3 months and 6 months after chemotherapy.Results: There were 40 patients in each group, and they received a total of 384 cycles of Doxorubicin containing regimens according to respective protocols. The median number of cycles was four (range four to six cycles). The mean cumulative dose of doxorubicin was 271.5 mg/m2 in the group which received standard short infusion and 264 mg/m2 in the group which received the drug by prolonged infusion. However, none of the patients developed any cardiac symptoms during or after the planned chemotherapy nor was there a drop in ejection fraction on serial ECHO.Conclusions: There was no benefit of prolonged infusion of doxorubicin as compared to the standard rapid infusion in terms of doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity. At present, standard rapid infusion is the best option

Retrospective analysis of clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with langerhans cell histiocytosis from a tertiary cancer hospital in South India

Background: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) comprises a diverse group of disorders where pathologic Langerhans cells accumulate in a variety of organs. Aims and objectives of the study is to analyse the clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with LCH in a tertiary cancer hospital in South India.Methods: Retrospective analysis of the case records of patients presenting with histological proven case of LCH over a period of 7 years from 2011 to 2018, being treated at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre.Results: 10 patients with biopsy proven LCH were included. The median age of diagnosis was 8 years (range 1 to 73 years) and 3 patients aged 18 years or older at the time of diagnosis. The male: female ratio was 3:2. Multisystem involvement was found in 4 patients (40%) and Single system Involvement in remaining 6 patients. Isolated bone lesions were found in 4 patients (40%), 1 patient had isolated Lymph node involvement; 1 patient had oral cavity lesion. None of the 4 patients with multisystem diseases had skin/mucosal involvement; 3 had bony involvement, 2 patients had lung involvement. One patients with multisystem disease expired while 5 patients were lost to follow-up. 4 out of the 10 patients are on regular follow-up and are in remission.Conclusions: Despite limitation by the retrospective nature, this descriptive study was done to provide further disease information regarding Indian population. Data from this study clearly confirms the known fact that most of the patients with Single System LCH have a very good response rate. Patients with multisystem disease have the highest risk of disease related mortality and morbidity as one among the 4 patients with multisystem disease died just after initiating treatment

STUDY ON KAP OF OCULAR COMPLICATIONS DUE TO DIABETES AMONG TYPE II DIABETICS VISITING A TERTIARY TEACHING HOSPITAL

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Diabetic patients are at risk of developing blindness from diabetic retinopathy. While occurrence of diabetic retinopathy cannot be prevented, its complications can be minimized. This requires awareness of the sight-threatening potential of diabetes and the need for regular eye examinations. Aim: To study the knowledge of ocular complications of diabetes, among type II diabetics visiting a tertiary level hospital. Settings and Design: This was a prospective study in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods and Material: This was a questionnaire based study on 350 type II diabetics. All patients were interviewed by the same investigator. Statistical analysis used: The data was analysed using chi square test. Results: With increase in the duration of illness, the awareness about diabetic retinopathy is more. Even though the awareness of the disease increased with increasing duration of the disease, 51.4% of the diabetics did not know how diabetes can affect the eye, 49.7% of diabetics did not know if diabetic retinopathy can be treated and 67.4% had not heard of any treatment modality for diabetic retinopathy. This shows that lack of knowledge about the disease was significant. Conclusions: Prevention of non-communicable disease through increased awareness needs to be the thrust of the effort in resource poor contexts, where the treatment can be prohibitively costly. These measures would help to bring about more awareness and understanding about the disease among the patients and therefore prevent sight-threatening complications by timely intervention and management

Epidemiology, baseline characteristics and risk of progression in the first South-Asian prospective longitudinal observational IgA nephropathy cohort

Introduction: Glomerular Research And Clinical Experiments-IgA Nephropathy in Indians (GRACE-IgANI) is the first prospective South Asian IgAN cohort with protocolized follow-up and extensive biosample collection. Here we report the baseline clinical, biochemical, and histopathologic characteristics of GRACE IgANI and calculate baseline risk of progression for the cohort. Methods: 201 incident adults with kidney biopsy-proven primary IgAN were recruited into GRACE-IgANI between March 2015 and September 2017. As of April 30, 2020, the cohort had completed a median followup of 30 months (interquartile range [IQR] 16-39). Results: The commonest clinical presentation in GRACE IgANI was hypertension, with or without proteinuria, and nephrotic-range proteinuria was present in 34%, despite Conclusions: The predicted risk of progression in this cohort was considerable. Over the next 5 years, we will dissect the pathogenic pathways that underlie this severe South Asian IgAN phenotype

Global diversity and antimicrobial resistance of typhoid fever pathogens: Insights from a meta-analysis of 13,000 Salmonella Typhi genomes

Background: The Global Typhoid Genomics Consortium was established to bring together the typhoid research community to aggregate and analyse Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (Typhi) genomic data to inform public health action. This analysis, which marks 22 years since the publication of the first Typhi genome, represents the largest Typhi genome sequence collection to date (n=13,000). Methods: This is a meta-analysis of global genotype and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants extracted from previously sequenced genome data and analysed using consistent methods implemented in open analysis platforms GenoTyphi and Pathogenwatch. Results: Compared with previous global snapshots, the data highlight that genotype 4.3.1 (H58) has not spread beyond Asia and Eastern/Southern Africa; in other regions, distinct genotypes dominate and have independently evolved AMR. Data gaps remain in many parts of the world, and we show the potential of travel-associated sequences to provide informal ‘sentinel’ surveillance for such locations. The data indicate that ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility (>1 resistance determinant) is widespread across geographies and genotypes, with high-level ciprofloxacin resistance (=3 determinants) reaching 20% prevalence in South Asia. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid has becomedominant in Pakistan (70% in 2020) but has not yet become established elsewhere. Ceftriaxone resistance has emerged in eight non-XDR genotypes, including a ciprofloxacin-resistant lineage (4.3.1.2.1) in India. Azithromycin resistance mutations were detected at low prevalence in South Asia, including in two common ciprofloxacin-resistant genotypes. Conclusions: The consortium’s aim is to encourage continued data sharing and collaboration to monitor the emergence and global spread of AMR Typhi, and to inform decision-making around the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) and other prevention and control strategies

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability