A cross-sectional study of determinants and impact of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices on nutritional status and common illnesses among infants in urban slum

Background: The present research was carried out with an objective to study various breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices its effect on nutritional status of children and association with common illness like diarrhea and ARI.Methods: This cross sectional observational study was conducted on infant registered in under five-clinic at an urban health center in urban slum. A semi structured questionnaire was used to study the current breast feeding and infant feeding practices among mothers of the study subjects. The analysis was done using Microsoft Excel.Results: There was universal breastfeeding with almost all children having ever been breastfed. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months was not practiced as only about 37.72% of infants were exclusively breastfed for six months. Factors associated with sub-optimal infant and young child feeding practices in these settings include mother’s education level, lack of knowledge of proper feeding practices, lower socioeconomic status, and frequent illness. Noncompliance with proper exclusive breast-feeding practices was associated with more chances of having diarrhoea and acute respiratory illness among infants.Conclusions: The study indicates poor adherence to WHO recommendations for breastfeeding and infant feeding practices leading to more chances of falling ill with common illnesses

Cord blood transplantation recapitulates fetal ontogeny with a distinct molecular signature that supports CD4+ T-cell reconstitution

Omission of in vivo T-cell depletion promotes rapid, thymic-independent CD4+-biased T-cell recovery after cord blood transplant. This enhanced T-cell reconstitution differs from that seen after stem cell transplant from other stem cell sources, but the mechanism is not known. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription profile of naive CD4+ T cells from cord blood and that of lymphocytes reconstituting after cord blood transplantation is similar to the transcription profile of fetal CD4+ T cells. This profile is distinct to that of naive CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood and that of lymphocytes reconstituting after T-replete bone marrow transplantation. The transcription profile of reconstituting naive CD4+ T cells from cord blood transplant recipients was upregulated in the T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway and its transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1). Furthermore, a small molecule inhibitor of AP-1 proportionally inhibited cord blood CD4+ T-cell proliferation (P < .05). Together, these findings suggest that reconstituting cord blood CD4+ T cells reflect the properties of fetal ontogenesis, and enhanced TCR signaling is responsible for the rapid restoration of the unique CD4+ T-cell biased adaptive immunity after cord blood transplantation

Acquired pure red cell aplasia in a child

Primary acquired pure red cell aplasia is a rare occurrence in childhood. An eleven-year old boy presented to us with pallor, which required multiple packed red cell transfusions. He did not have hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice or lymphadenopathy. Bone marrow examination revealed the diagnosis of pure red cell aplasia. All possible investigations were done to exclude secondary causes of pure red cell aplasia. No secondary cause was found on investigations. Rheumatoid factor and anti-nuclear antibodies were positive. He was started on oral steroids, to which he did not respond. He was then given cyclosporine A. Response to cyclosporine was dramatic and the child now does not require any transfusions

Co-morbidities associated with Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Tertiary Care Hospital of central India

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as an important cause of liver disease. Over the past decades, it has become increasingly clear that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are now the number one cause of liver disease all over the world. Objectives: To study co-morbidities associated with Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Methods: 108 Persons with Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease diagnosed by USG irrespective of age admitted in hospital from September. 2014 to August 2015 were enrolled in this study after applying inclusion and exclusion criterion. The comparison of qualitative data was done using chi-square test using SPSS 16 Version. Results: 89.13% of female patients had raised SGOT levels when compared to males (58.06%) and this difference was found to be statistically significant. The proportion of elevated levels of SGPT was more among female (89.13%) study subjects when compared to male subjects (59.68%) and this difference was statistically significant. The proportion of female study subjects with metabolic syndrome (82.61%) was more when compared with male study subjects (75.81%) and this difference was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: As noticed by this study, NAFLD were predominantly asymptomatic. Screening to be done in high risk patients so that progression to cirrhosis and Hepatocellular carcinoma can be prevented

Presence and absence of significant twinning: Effects on cold deformed microstructures of single phase Zircaloy 2

Fully recrystallized Zircaloy 2 samples were made in two dominant classes of crystallographic orientations: grains with predominantly (I) basal () and (II) non-basal plane-normal. The present study charted out detailed microstructural developments, of both the samples, during uniaxial cold compression. Sample I showed insignificant twinning and had stronger signatures (in-grain misorientation and estimated values of lattice strain and dislocation densities) for slip; while sample II had both slip and twin and substantial modifications in crystallographic texture. Strong heterogeneity in residual stress was observed between the suspected parent and product grains/orientations of twinning. This effect could be captured, effectively, with a simple geometric model based on anisotropic elastic stiffness. (C) 200

Brincidofovir is highly efficacious in controlling adenoviremia in pediatric recipients of hematopoietic cell transplant

Key Points Brincidofovir has superior antiadenoviral activity and safety profile compared with cidofovir. Brincidofovir is highly efficacious in controlling adenoviremia during the lymphopenic phase of HCT