Risks and challenges in multiple pregnancy

Because of breakthroughs in reproductive medicine, multiple pregnancies have become more common in the industrialized world. As a result, obstetric care for women with multiple pregnancies and neonatal care for the same has become more demanding. Multifetal pregnancies are linked to an elevated risk for both the mother and child. There is increased incidence of obstetric complications such as spontaneous abortion, hypertensive disorders, placenta previa, and fetal malformations. Perinatal outcome is also affected which is attributable to increased incidence of fetal complications like prematurity, congenital malformations, growth discordance and cord accidents. We are presenting 2 cases, one of MCMA twin pregnancy with fetal congenital anomaly and another of a triplet pregnancy and their perinatal outcomes

WOUND HEALING POTENTIAL OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF FLOWERS OF BUTEA MONOSPERMA LINN. IN DIABETIC ANIMALS

The main of our study is to evaluate the Wound Healing Potential of Methanolic Extract of Flowers of Butea monosperma Linn. in Diabetic Animals. Methanolic extract was prepared by continuous hot extraction method by soxhlet apparatus. Preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and some glycosides. Diabetes was induced by single injection of Alloxan monohydrate in Wistar albino rats and their blood glucose levels were measured. Excision wound model was used for creation of wound in diabetic animals and methanolic extract was administered in diabetic animals to observe its effect. Methanolic extract significantly lowered the blood glucose level and highly significantly showed wound contraction in diabetic animals. The preliminary phytochemical analysis of the Butea monosperma flower extract showed the presence of tannins, flavonoids and triterpenoids. As per previous literature survey, flavonoids are responsible for anti-diabetic and wound healing activity. So this wound healing effect of Butea monosperma may be due to presence of flavonoids in plant. Hence present research supports traditional claims of the plant in wound healing. Keywords: Butea monosperma, Diabetic animals, Alloxan monohydrate, Methanolic Extract, Wound Are

Isolation and Characterization of Bioremediation Potent Microorganisms from Spectrophotometrically Analysed Heavy Metal (Cr and Cd)-Rich Tannery Effluent

ABSTRACT Microorganisms can become tolerant and highly efficient in degrading toxic heavy metals that cause environmental pollution. This study focuses on the isolation of hexavalent Cr and Cd (II)-resistant bacteria collected from tannery effluents. The isolation was conducted by spread plate method on Agar plates supplemented with their respective heavy metal salts (K 2 Cr 2 O 7 and CdCl 2 ). A total of ten isolates were screened of which, two were subjected to 16sRNA sequencing on the basis of the degree of their resistance to heavy metals. The bacteria, identified from the isolates, were Flavobacterium psychrophilum and Flavobacterium sp. ARSA-103, which can be used for bioremediation of metal-contaminated effluents

Mapping national information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to the requirements of potential digital health interventions in low- and middle-income countries

Background Digital health can support health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by overcoming problems of distance, poor infrastructure and the need to provide community practitioners with specialist support. We used five RESPIRE countries as exemplars (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan) to identify the digital health solutions that are valuable in their local setting, worked together with local clinicians and researchers to explore digital health policy, electricity/ICT infrastructure, and socio-cultural factors influencing users’ ability to access, adopt and utilise digital health. Methods We adopted the Joanna Briggs Institute’s scoping review protocol and followed the Cochrane Rapid Review method to accelerate the review process, using the Implementation and Operation of Mobile Health projects framework and The Extended Technology Acceptance Model of Mobile Telephony to categorise the results. We conducted the review in four stages: (1) establishing value, (2) identifying digital health policy, (3) searching for evidence of infrastructure, design, and end-user adoption, (4) local input to interpret relevance and adoption factors. We used open-source national/international statistics such as the World Health Organization, International Telecommunication Union, Groupe Speciale Mobile, and local news/articles/government statistics to scope the current status, and systematically searched five databases for locally relevant exemplars. Results We found 118 studies (2015-2021) and 114 supplementary online news articles and national statistics. Digital health policy was available in all countries, but scarce skilled labour, lack of legislation/interoperability support, and interrupted electricity and internet services were limitations. Older patients, women and those living in rural areas were least likely to have access to ICT infrastructure. Renewable energy has potential in enabling digital health care. Low usage mobile data and voice service packages are relatively affordable options for mHealth in the five countries. Conclusions Effective implementation of digital health technologies requires a supportive policy, stable electricity infrastructures, affordable mobile internet service, and good understanding of the socio-economic context in order to tailor the intervention such that it functional, accessible, feasible, user-friendly and trusted by the target users. We suggest a checklist of contextual factors that developers of digital health initiatives in LMICs should consider at an early stage in the development process

Effect of mHealth, Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) on Maternal and Fetal Outcomes

Introduction: Pregnancy and child birth are universally celebrated events. The factors affecting the fetal outcome mainly lie within the premises of the antenatal period. The emergence of mobile telephone technology and its universal reach has improved service delivery, and information transfer. Thus, this study was planned to attempt improvement in the ante-natal care of pregnant women using an interactive voice response system (IVRS) with the ultimate aim of improving the maternal and fetal outcome, mainly in the form of low birth weight (LBW) rates. Methodology: The study was a community-based randomized intervention study. A total of 796 pregnant females of gestational age ≤16 weeks were recruited and followed up till delivery. The target population was from the urban slums of Jaipur. These areas are covered by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme for the provision of basic child and maternal service. Results: Out of 796 recruited pregnant females, 722 singleton deliveries were analysed. 98.5% of pregnancy outcomes were in the form of live births and the rest were stillbirths. Among live births, 23.9% were low birth weight (21.4% in the intervention v/s 26.7% in the control area). A difference of 5% was observed in low birth occurrence between the two groups. Institutional deliveries were higher and caesarean sections, abortion, still birth, and congenital malformation among delivered were found to be lower in the intervention group as compared to the control group. The intervention group had a higher number of ANC visits and the difference was statistically significant. The maternal health indicators were slightly better in the intervention group. The number of iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets consumed and the number of pregnant females consuming them was also higher in the intervention group and was statistically significant. Conclusion: Intervention group as a result of intervention by mHealth and IVRS had better indicators of maternal and

Biofunctionalized Nanostructured Yttria Modified Non-Invasive Impedometric Biosensor for Efficient Detection of Oral Cancer

We report results of the studies relating to the development of an efficient biosensor for non-invasive detection of CYFRA-21-1 cancer biomarker. We used a low dielectric constant material (nanostructured yttrium oxide, nY2O3) for the fabrication of the biosensing platform. The nY2O3 was synthesized via solvothermal process and functionalized using 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES). Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of the functionalized nanomaterial (APTES/nY2O3) onto an indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass electrode was conducted at a DC potential of 50 V for 60 s. The EDC-NHS chemistry was used for covalent immobilization of −COOH bearing monoclonal anti-CYFRA-21-1 onto −NH2 groups of APTES/nY2O3/ITO electrode. To avoid the non-specific interaction on the anti-CYFRA-21-1/APTES/nY2O3/ITO immunoelectrode, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were utilized for structural and morphological studies, whereas Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for the bonding analysis. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were used for electrochemical characterization and response studies of fabricated electrodes. The fabricated immunosensor (BSA/anti-CYFRA-21-1/APTES/nY2O3/ITO) exhibited linearity in the range of 0.01–50 ng·mL−1, sensitivity of 226.0 Ω·mL·ng−1, and lower detection limit of 0.01·ng·mL−1. A reasonable correlation was observed between the results obtained using this biosensor and concentration of CYFRA-21-1 measured through ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique in salivary samples of oral cancer patients

Mapping the stability of febrile illness hotspots in Punjab from 2012 to 2019- a spatial clustering and regression analysis

Abstract Introduction Febrile illnesses (FI) represent a typical spectrum of diseases in low-resource settings, either in isolation or with other common symptoms. They contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality in India. The primary objective was to study the burden of FI based on Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) data in Punjab, analyze geospatial and temporal trends and patterns, and identify the potential hotspots for effective intervention. Methods A retrospective ecological study used the district-level IDSP reports between 2012 and 2019. Diseases responsible for FI on a large scale, like Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria (Plasmodium Falciparum, P. Vivax), Enteric fever, and Pyrexia of Unknown Origin (PUO), were included in the analysis. The digital map of Punjab was obtained from GitHub. Spatial autocorrelation and cluster analysis were done using Moran’s I and Getis-Ord G* to determine hotspots of FI using the incidence and crude disease numbers reported under IDSP. Further, negative binomial regression was used to determine the association between Spatio-temporal and population variables per the census 2011. Stable hotspots were depicted using heat maps generated from district-wise yearly data. Results PUO was the highest reported FI. We observed a rising trend in the incidence of Dengue, Chikungunya, and Enteric fever, which depicted occasional spikes during the study period. FI expressed significant inter-district variations and clustering during the start of the study period, with more dispersion in the latter part of the study period. P.Vivax malaria depicted stable hotspots in southern districts of Punjab. In contrast, P. Falciparum malaria, Chikungunya, and PUO expressed no spatial patterns. Enteric Fever incidence was high in central and northeastern districts but depicted no stable spatial patterns. Certain districts were common incidence hotspots for multiple diseases. The number of cases in each district has shown over-dispersion for each disease and has little dependence on population, gender, or residence as per regression analysis. Conclusions The study demonstrates that information obtained through IDSP can describe the spatial epidemiology of FI at crude spatial scales and drive concerted efforts against FI by identifying actionable points

Real Time PCR Usage in the Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA-Clinical Applications in Disease Management

ABSTRACT Simultaneous quantification and detection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA plays significant role in diagnosing and monitoring infection related to HBV as well as assessing therapeutic response. Variability among HBV genotypes and the huge range of clinical HBV DNA levels presents challenges for PCR-based amplification techniques. High sensitivity, wide linear range, good reproducibility, and genotype inclusivity, combined with a small sample volume requirement and low cost, make this novel quantitative HBV Real-Time PCR assay particularly well suited for application to large clinical and epidemiological studies. Serum DNA levels are a prognostic factor, and contribute to define the phase of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, the treatment indication, and allow an assessment of the efficacy of antiviral therapy. High levels of HBV DNA are an independent risk factor for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma HCC in Asia. Recent advances in antiviral therapy, based on the development of new and more powerful nucleotide analogues, have dramatically improved chronic hepatitis B management, including the prevention of allograft reinfection in those patients undergoing liver transplantation for HBV related disease. Advances in the molecular diagnosis of drug resistance using highly sensitive methodologies such as DNA Amplification by PCR can further detect upcoming viral resistance at an early stage when the variant represents only a minor fraction of the total viral population. Such new tools are especially relevant for patients at high risk for disease progression or acute exacerbation

Effect of long-term use of organic, inorganic and integrated management practices on carbon sequestration and soil carbon pools in different cropping systems in Tarai region of Kumayun hills

Not AvailableA study was undertaken during 2004-05 to 2013-14 to study the influence of different management options including cropping systems on carbon sequestration and soil carbon pools under Typic haplaquoll soil condition. Complete organic management (as per National Programme for Organic Production standards) with supply of 100% nutrient through organic sources, integrated crop management (nutrient and pests) with supply of 50% nitrogen through organic and 50% through inorganic and inorganic crop management with 100% nitrogen through inorganic sources while in sub plots four cropping systems namely Basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-Sesbania, Basmati rice-lentil (Lens culinaris Medic.)-Sesbania, Basmati rice-vegetable pea (Pisum sativum L.)- Sesbania and Basmati rice-Brassica napus- Sesbania cropping system were tested in strip plot design at G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. The three main plot treatments consisted of 100% organic, 50% organic + 50% inorganic and 100% inorganic fertilizer. Parameters such as bulk density, soil organic carbon, labile carbon pool, water soluble carbon, dehydrogenase activity were studied in all the treatments besides cropping systems equivalent yield. Bulk density varied from 1.24 to 1.44 Mg/m3 in 0-15 cm soil under different nutrient management practices and the same increased with the increase in depth. Soil organic carbon (SOC) did not vary significantly among different cropping systems in 0-15 cm soil. The soil organic carbon content ranged from 10.70 to 11.13 g/kg under different cropping systems. The labile carbon pools and water soluble carbon content decreased with the increase of soil depth. The labile carbon pool (2450.21 mg/kg), water soluble carbon (21.39 mg/kg) and dehydrogenase activity (319.44 mg TPF/day/g soil) was higher in 0-15 cm soil depth with organic management of basmati rice-wheat-Sesbania systems compared to other systems and management practices. Among the management practice, basmati rice equivalent yield was higher in organic management (7130 kg/ha) in the year 2014. Among the cropping systems, Basmati rice-lentil- Sesbania (green manuring) (7865 kg/ha) system recorded higher equivalent yield compared to other systems. The carbon sequestration (15.36 Mg/ha) was higher in basmati rice-brassica-Sesbania cropping system with organic management practice and the sequestration rate was at par with basmati rice-wheat-Sesbania cropping systems. Therefore, either basmati rice-wheat-sesbania or basmati rice-Brassica napus-Sesbania cropping system with organic or integrated management is better for sequestering higher C in the soil than the present rice-wheat system with inorganic management.Not Availabl