Dayaks in a Ledger: A Bornean Labor History and an Oil Town’s Indigenous Workers

This article delineates a hitherto eclipsed labor history of the Northwest Borneo oilfields. In 2018, Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) in an unprecedented move, released to Brunei’s national archive two labor registers of the British Malayan Petroleum Company (BMPC-renamed BSP in 1958), with entries dating between the 1940s and 1950s. These registers provided a rare glimpse of the workers who were recruited to the Brunei oilfields as labor, a category distinct from staff. As BMPC labor they worked to rehabilitate the company town and the oilfields that were destroyed during the Second World War by the Japanese army and allied bombing in the British protectorate of Brunei. Like colonial records that amassed information for the control and rule of colonized subjects, each entry in BMPC’s ledger meticulously noted the date of engagement, place of employment, wages, work history, as well as some biographical information about its workers. Inadvertently, these entries also revealed modes of worker resistance and assertions of agency, thus providing a glimpse of the hidden transcripts of a labor history shaped by the policies of BMPC in this colonial outpost. My article draws on these two BMPC labor registers to trace a micro-spatial history of “Dayak” labor in the emergent Borneo oilfields. Often obscured in historical records, the registers made visible the ways in which Indigenous workers negotiated and resisted the company’s control of its labor force. I explore Dayak labor recruitment within the context of the 1880s-1941 when state borders irrevocably shifted and regional economies were increasingly drawn into a global market. In doing so, I chart migrant labor routes across varied regional economies in Northwest Borneo, BMPC’s management of a multiethnic labor force, and company workers’ agency

Comparing various dose of PGE2 gel in induction of labour-maternal and fetal outcome

Background: Induction of labour is the artificial initiation of labour before spontaneous onset of labour sets in. The frequency of induction varies by location and institution. The objective of this study was to study the maternal and fetal outcome after induction using different doses of PGE2   intracervical gel.Methods: A retrospective study done at E.S.I .C Medical College and PGIMSR, K. K. Nagar Chennai, Tamilnadu, India using data of deliveries conducted during the period November 2013 to October2014.Results: Total number of deliveries during the study period was 847, and the total numbers of cases induced were 105. Out of these patients who had undergone induction 39 received one dose, 40 received two doses and 26 received three doses in 24 hours at 6 hours interval. There was significant difference in mode of delivery (p=0.000), change in Bishop Score (p= 0.009), NICU admission (p =0.003) between the three groups.Conclusions: Our data proves that the maternal and fetal outcomes were better with one or two doses of PGE2 gel. Third dose of PGE2 gel unnecessarily prolonged the duration of labour leading to increased emergency caesarean section and increased neonatal intensive care unit admissions (NICU).

A rare variant of carcinoma of the cervix: neuroendocrine tumour

Neuroendocrine neoplasm that occurs in the uterine cervix is rare. It accounts for 0.5-1% of all malignant tumours of the uterine cervix. A 55 years old female patient complained of postmenopausal bleeding and history of foul smelling discharge per vagina since 1 month. On examination cervix appeared bulky, both lips indurated, bleeds on touch, both parametrium involved but not up to pelvic wall with bulky uterus. Vagina and per rectal mucosa was free. Clinical diagnosis of carcinoma cervix, stage 2B was made. Cervix biopsy with HPE revealed squamous epithelium of cervix showing neoplastic cells arranged in nests and prominent perivascular pattern, small round cells with minimal cytoplasm and hyperchromatic nucleus, abundant mitosis, cells showed rosette pattern and isolated foci of cell debris and necrosis.  Diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumour of cervix was considered. Immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin, neuron specific enolase, chromogranin and synaptophysin was positive, confirming the final diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma cervix (High grade of small cell type). Recognition of Neuroendocrine carcinoma cervix is important for appropriate therapy & management since these patients have worse clinical outcomes when compared with conventional squamous /adeno carcinoma of cervix. Immunohistochemistry should be supplemented with ultrastructural studies for confirmation and correct categorisation of carcinoma cervix for appropriate management

Vitamin D deficiency and its correlation with pregnancy outcome

Background: There is a growing concern about the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its relationship with variety of diseases worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with pregnancy outcome.Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted among 150 antenatal women from October 2014 to April 2015. Data containing socio-demographic details, vitamin D level, serum calcium, pregnancy complications and growth situation of newborns were collected and analyzed.Results: A total 150 pregnant women participated in the study, 75.3% were vitamin D deficient, 22.1% vitamin D insufficient and 2.6% normal. There was no significant adverse maternal outcome. NICU admission was required in 28.3 and 15.2% in the vitamin D deficient and insufficient groups respectively.Conclusions: Women from different socioeconomic status, irrespective of parity and educational levels had vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. This study fails to show a relation of vitamin D deficiency with other high-risk factors of pregnancy and does not show any adverse fetal outcome

Chronic rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease complicating pregnancy: a study of the cardiac events, the maternal and perinatal outcome during 2011-2013 at tertiary care centre

Background: Objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease and congenital heart disease complicating pregnancy, study the maternal and perinatal outcome, and indications for termination of pregnancy.Methods: Preconception counseling, antenatal care by pregnancy heart team as per protocol. One 2nd gravida (G2A1) with 26 weeks gestation, underwent mitral valve replacement during 26th week gestation i/v/o infective endocarditis associated with severe mitral regurgitation.Results: Authors had CRHD: CHD = 29:21, out of 50 cases, the ratio was 1.3:1 in this study. Atrial septal defect (ASD) was the predominant lesion in this study -29% ASD alone and 9% associated with pulmonary artery hypertension. Eisenmenger's syndrome, was associated with ASD in three and VSD in two. Corrected lesions were 24%. In the rheumatic heart disease, mitral stenosis was the predominant lesion and PBMV was done in four (13.7%) cases. In CRHD cases, surgically corrected by prosthetic heart valve were -11 (37.9%). In CRHD total corrected cases, by prosthetic heart valve and percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy (PBMV) account for 51.7%. One patient had PBMV procedure during 5th month of present pregnancy i/v/o severe mitral stenosis with mitral valve area -0.8 cm2 and another patient had PBMV during her first pregnancy. In this study 42% were in NYHA class I. 14% were in NYHA class IV. CHF was seen in 10%. Termination of pregnancy was necessary in 6 with CHD and 5 with CRHD. There were 39 deliveries with one set of twins. All the babies were alive. Maternal mortality was confirmed in one case with Eisenmenger’s syndrome + HELLP syndrome. Live birth rate was higher in cases with NYHA class I/II than in those with NYHA class III/IV (82.8% versus 66.60%).Conclusions: Management by a pregnancy heart team as per guidelines would reduce mortality

Peripartum cardiomyopathy management-multidisciplinary approach 2011-2013 at Care Institute of Medical Sciences

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is one of the rare causes of heart failure in pregnant women. It occurs in late pregnancy or up to 5 months post-partum. It is associated with high mortality and morbidity but with chances of full recovery. This paper discusses the treatment of peripartum cardiomyopathy, Peripartum cardiomyopathy management -multidisciplinary approach. 2011-2013 at CIMS.Methods: This is an observational study conducted at CARE institute of medical sciences, CIMS, during 2011-2013 years. Women fulfilling the criteria for the diagnosis of PPCM were included in the study. In this study we have analysed the obstetric intervention, the duration of ICU stay, hospital stay, maternal and perinatal outcomes. The cardiac drugs to manage each individual case suited to her condition have been mentioned.Results: Six cases were diagnosed to have PPCM in pregnancy when there was sudden onset of shortness of breath, cough, and palpitations. Four cases had history of PPCM in previous pregnancies and were managed in the current pregnancy. One rare case had features of cardiomyopathy seen in early gestational period, during the first trimester at eight weeks, when she was treated for ectopic gestation. Patients were managed by pregnancy cardiac team. There was no case of maternal mortality.Conclusions: PPCM is a rare condition. It requires a high index of suspicion and awareness among primary care givers for early diagnosis and prompt management. A pregnancy cardiac team approach benefits this subset of patients. Delayed time of presentation, LVEF and dilated ventricle are factors determining recovery

A Multi-Modal AI-Driven Cohort Selection Tool to Predict Suboptimal Non-Responders to Aflibercept Loading-Phase for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: PRECISE Study Report 1

Patients diagnosed with exudative neovascular age-related macular degeneration are commonly treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents. However, response to treatment is heterogeneous, without a clinical explanation. Predicting suboptimal response at baseline will enable more efficient clinical trial designs for novel, future interventions and facilitate individualised therapies. In this multicentre study, we trained a multi-modal artificial intelligence (AI) system to identify suboptimal responders to the loading-phase of the anti-VEGF agent aflibercept from baseline characteristics. We collected clinical features and optical coherence tomography scans from 1720 eyes of 1612 patients between 2019 and 2021. We evaluated our AI system as a patient selection method by emulating hypothetical clinical trials of different sizes based on our test set. Our method detected up to 57.6% more suboptimal responders than random selection, and up to 24.2% more than any alternative selection criteria tested. Applying this method to the entry process of candidates into randomised controlled trials may contribute to the success of such trials and further inform personalised care

Of Mimicry and Happy Lives: The Transnational Stories of Brunei Indians

Flyer for Fall 2006 ICS Faculty Fellow Lecture by Sridevi Menon

Discursive Realms and Colonial Practice: Contrapuntal Studies of Race in Colonial India and the United States

Flyer for Spring 2005 ICS Faculty Fellow Lecture by Sridevi Menon