A study to assess the effect of maternal positions on physical and physiological parameters of antenatal mothers and fetus during non stress test in a selected hospital at Kollam (dist), Kerala

The aim of the study is to assess whether there is a significant difference in the physical and physiological Parameters of the antenatal mothers and fetus while carrying out the Non stress test during antenatal period in three different positions. The conceptual framework used in the study was Ernestine Widenbach “The helping art of clinical nursing theory”. A quasi experimental cross over design with one group design was used for this study. The data were collected from 30 antenatal mothers, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were admitted in the antenatal ward and labour room, in a selected hospital at Kollam. The data was collected by interview method and observation checklist. The interview schedule consisted of a visual analogue discomfort scale with a recording form, one observational checklist and one questionnaire. Demographic data were categorized into (age, gestational age, abdominal girth, body mass index). Discomfort was assessed in 4 levels- no discomfort, mild, moderate and severe discomfort in three positions (supine, left lateral, semi sitting). In all the three positions mothers experienced all the 4 levels of discomfort. In the three positions the mean score of discomfort were high in supine position 2.8. So the mother experiences more discomfort in supine position when compared to the other two position (left lateral and semi sitting). The F values for overall discomfort of mothers were 19.314 and the table value was 19.16, so the calculated value is greater than the table value, the researcher accepts the alternate hypothesis. There is a significance difference in the level of discomfort of mothers in three different positions during non stress test. Statistically it shows that there is no significant difference in the physiological parameters of the mothers in the three positions before and during the non stress test. All the calculated ‘F’ values for the physiological parameters (pulse, respiration, systolic & diastolic pressure) before and during the test were less than table value, so the researcher accepted the null hypothesis. All the calculated ‘F’ values for the physiological parameters of fetus (fetal heart rate, movements, acceleration) during the test were less than table value, so the researcher accepted the null hypothesis. There is no significant difference in the mean fetal heart rate, movement, and acceleration of the fetus during Non Stress Test in the three different positions. There was a significant association of selected demographic variables with level of discomfort in supine position; the body mass index has χ2 value of 3.35 at 0.05 levels at 3 degree of freedom which is greater than the table value 2.37. The mothers above 25 body mass index had severe discomfort. So supine position seems to be discomfort during non stress test compared to the other two positions (left lateral and semi sitting). In left lateral and semi sitting positions there is no association with demographic variables. Here the researcher concludes that by providing different positions like left lateral, semi sitting during non stress test will enhance comfort to the mothers without changing the physiological parameters of both mother and fetus

Intelligent evacuation management systems: A review

Crowd and evacuation management have been active areas of research and study in the recent past. Various developments continue to take place in the process of efficient evacuation of crowds in mass gatherings. This article is intended to provide a review of intelligent evacuation management systems covering the aspects of crowd monitoring, crowd disaster prediction, evacuation modelling, and evacuation path guidelines. Soft computing approaches play a vital role in the design and deployment of intelligent evacuation applications pertaining to crowd control management. While the review deals with video and nonvideo based aspects of crowd monitoring and crowd disaster prediction, evacuation techniques are reviewed via the theme of soft computing, along with a brief review on the evacuation navigation path. We believe that this review will assist researchers in developing reliable automated evacuation systems that will help in ensuring the safety of the evacuees especially during emergency evacuation scenarios

Physico-morphological and biochemical characteristics of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) genotypes

Thirty-eight jackfruit genotypes including check varieties ‘Muttom Varikka’ and ‘Sindhoor’ selected from homesteads of farmers across Kerala, were characterized for their dessert quality. Results revealed that the TSS and total sugar contents of AH-32, AH-18, AH-33 and AH-36 were 32, 25.5, 25.9 and 29.7 °Brix, whereas, the total sugars were 34.75, 25.92, 21.9 and 25%, respectively. Among the accessions, AH-2 recorded the highest total carotenoids (3131.88 μg 100g-1), which, was higher than check varieties ‘Muttom Varikka’ and ‘Sindhoor’. The genotypes viz., AH-18, AH-32, AH-33 and AH-36 can be considered ideal for dessert purpose and can also be used for development of value added products. However, the promising ones can be utilized in breeding programmes to improve quality and yield

Risk factors and perinatal outcome associated with low birth weight in a prospective cohort: is there a shift towards sustainable developmental goal 3

Background: Low birth weight is a socio, economic, cultural and community based health issue which reflects responsibility and commitment of local and national administrative authorities. It continues to be a cause of short and long term adverse perinatal outcome with a bearing on adult non communicable health risks.Methods: This is a prospective observational and analytic study to know the prevalence, risk factors and perinatal outcome of LBW, from July 2017 to December 2018 in department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MIMS Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India. Maternal risk factors and outcomes associated with LBW were defined through risk ratios.Results: 721 infants including 116 LBW and 605 NBW born during study period were included in the study. Prevalence of LBW was 16%. Preterm birth accounted for 35%, FGR for 13.8% and SGA for 51.2% of them. Maternal factors like age 35years, social status II to IV, below higher secondary education, house maker, primi gravida, grand multi para, BMI 24.9kg/M2, Hb<11 gm% were having higher RR for LBW. LBW infants showed frequent association with oligo or polyhydramnious and hemorrhagic or turbid amniotic fluid. They had higher risks for non reassuring fetal heart rate changes, for induced delivery or an elective caesarean section. More often they needed NICU care for longer duration and showed a higher risk for malformations and neonatal mortality. Overall perinatal mortality was 5.54 per 1000 live birth.Conclusions: LBW is a risk factor for neonatal morbidity and mortality; which can be minimised by institutional delivery. High prevalence PTB (35%) warrants obstetricians to be more vigilant about indentifying the risk factors and adequate management planning. Constitutionally small baby at birth probably needs redefining normal birth weight for different ethnicity

Asrij Maintains the Stem Cell Niche and Controls Differentiation during Drosophila Lymph Gland Hematopoiesis

Several signaling pathways control blood cell (hemocyte) development in the Drosophila lymph gland. Mechanisms that modulate and integrate these signals are poorly understood. Here we report that mutation in a conserved endocytic protein Asrij affects signal transmission and causes aberrant lymph gland hematopoiesis. Mammalian Asrij (Ociad1) is expressed in stem cells of the blood vascular system and is implicated in several cancers. We found that Drosophila Asrij is a pan-hemocyte marker and localizes to a subset of endocytic vesicles. Loss of asrij causes hyperproliferation of lymph gland lobes coupled with increased hemocyte differentiation, thereby depleting the pool of quiescent hemocyte precursors. This co-relates with fewer Col+ cells in the hematopoietic stem cell niche of asrij mutants. Asrij null mutants also show excess specification of crystal cells that express the RUNX factor Lozenge (Lz), a target of Notch signaling. Asrij mutant lymph glands show increased N in sorting endosomes suggesting aberrant trafficking. In vitro assays also show impaired traffic of fluorescent probes in asrij null hemocytes. Taken together our data suggest a role for Asrij in causing increased Notch signaling thereby affecting hemocyte differentiation. Thus, conserved endocytic functions may control blood cell progenitor quiescence and differentiation

SYNTHESIS, IN SILICO STUDIES AND EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF 4-SUBSTITUTED BENZYLIDENE-2-(PHENOXYMETHYL) OXAZOL-5(4H)-ONES

Objective: Arylidene-1, 3-oxazol-5-ones represent potential antibacterial agents. In the present work, a series of 4-substituted benzylidene-2- (phenoxymethyl) oxazol-5(4H)-ones were synthesized and screened for antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. To explore plausible mechanisms, synthesized compounds were docked with DNA-Gyrase enzyme. Methods: All the reactants, phenoxy acetyl chloride, acetic anhydride, sodium acetate, substituted aromatic aldehydes, and glycine were triturated in a mortar by mechanical stirring. The antibacterial potentiality of the compounds was screened against E. coli using the disk diffusion method and the activity was recorded as a zone of inhibition. Results: Compound 2d, possessing 3, 4, 5-trimethoxy functionality on benzylidene ring exhibited the highest activity with 19 mm of the zone of inhibition which might be due to its higher interactions with DNA-Gyrase enzyme (ΔG-8.41 kcal/mol). Compounds 2a, 2b, and 2c exhibited moderate activity in the antimicrobial assay as well as in docking study indicating the positive contribution of substitution on benzylidene ring. Conclusion: A series of 4-substituted benzylidene-2-(phenoxymethyl) oxazol-5(4H)-ones were synthesized and evaluated for antibacterial activity. Compounds 2a, 2b, and 2c displayed moderate activity whereas 2d showed maximum zone of inhibition (19 mm). The good activity of these derivatives presumed to be due to the conformational flexibility of phenoxy methylene moiety which can be well accommodated in the target binding site

Patterns of Drug Use and Serum Sodium Concentrations in Older Hospitalized Patients : A Latent Class Analysis Approach

Peer reviewedPublisher PD