Cellphone and media usage among adolescent girls of Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh, India

Background: Several researchers have reported that mobile phone uses are increasing among adolescents. Better understanding of cellphone and media usage by adolescents would help health care providers in guiding more responsible use of cellphone by teenagers. Aim of the study was to study the level and pattern of mobile phone usages among adolescent girls of Bhopal city, Madhya Pradesh.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent girls between 14 to 19 years of age studying in schools of Bhopal city. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire contains items related to demographic variables, cellular phone usage and patterns.Results: All the study subjects were using smart phones. Facebook was the most commonly surfed website. Maximum adolescent girls were using smartphones for 2-4 hours in a day. Seventy-eight (69.03%) study subjects preferred text messaging service for awareness about reproductive and sexual health.Conclusions: The cellphone usage can also be exploited to promote awareness about reproductive health among adolescents

A rare case of caudal regression syndrome in a foetus of non-diabetic mother : a case report

Backgound: Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is an uncommon disorder in which there is abnormal development of the caudal end of the foetal spine along with many associated anomalies. Manifestations of this syndrome can vary from the absence of a few terminal coccygeal segments to complete lumbosacral agenesis. Its overall incidence is 1 in 60000 live births. It is more commonly seen in infants of diabetic mothers, with a 200-fold increased risk as compared to the general population. Case Report: We present a case of CRS in a foetus of a non-diabetic mother and discuss the role of radiology in early diagnosis and timely management. We also correlate initial abnormalities of the nervous system found on imaging with postnatal clinical deficits. Conclusions: This case highlights the rarity caudal regression syndrome in a foetus of a non-diabetic mother. Early diagnosis of CRS is important for appropriate management

Partnership for change: A collaborative framework for transformative engagement with the communities

Institutes of knowledge production, namely higher educational institutes, interpret their role in relation to engagement in various forms. This article focuses on one such collaboration between academia and a local rural community intended to address their socioeconomic problems through a technological intervention based on an integrated community engagement and asset-based community development framework. Whilst these collaborative partnerships between academic and community experts can themselves take a range of forms, this article argues that, to be effective, researchers have to deal with not just the practical issues of how the community participates in research, but also the sublime issues of knowledge and power, especially in places where colonial imprints still persist. Thus, drawing on empirical examples from two significant initiatives of Indian academia, namely the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and the Rural Action Technology Group, this article, through a project initiative, highlights the significance of the relational dimensions to these collaborative partnerships and the significance of equitable partnership-based trust, reciprocity and mutual respect using case study analysis. Through ethnographic field experiences of a rural Indian village, it identifies what could produce epistemically just dynamics, critical to achieving transformative engagement. In doing so, the article makes a case for meaningful ways in which the efforts of the higher education institutes could be interlinked with assets of the community to help restore them to thriving and resilient communities, as witnessed in the pre-colonial rule of India. It further offers researchers and community-engagement practitioners a pragmatic way forward, along with caveats for achieving such transformation

Thigh Abscess Caused by Yersinia enterocolitica in an Immunocompetent Host

Yersinia enterocolitica is primarily a gastrointestinal tract pathogen known to cause gastroenteritis, although it may produce extra-intestinal infections like sepsis and its sequelae. However, primary cutaneous infections are extremely rare. We present a case of Y. enterocolitica thigh abscess in an immunocompetent adult. The portal of entry is unclear in this case. He did many outdoor activities that involved skin injuries and exposure to soil and contaminated water. Hence, direct inoculation as a result of exposure to contaminated water is postulated in the absence of evidence for a gastrointestinal route of infection

The Spatial and Temporal Expression Patterns of Integrin α9β1 and One of Its Ligands, the EIIIA Segment of Fibronectin, in Cutaneous Wound Healing

The fibronectins (FN) comprise a family of adhesive extracellular matrix proteins thought to mediate important functions in cutaneous wounds. Plasma fibronectin (pFN) extravasates for days from intact hyperpermeable vessels following injury whereas mRNAs encoding the cellular fibronectins (cFN) that include two segments, termed EIIIA (EDA) and EIIIB (EDB), are expressed by wound cells. Wounds in mice null for pFN appear to heal normally whereas those in EIIIA null mice exhibit defects, suggesting that cFN may play a role when pFN is missing. Integrin α9β1, a receptor for several extracellular matrix proteins as well as the EIIIA segment, is expressed normally in the basal layer of squamous epithelia. We report results from immunohistochemistry on healing wounds demonstrating that EIIIA-containing cFN are deposited abundantly but transiently from day 4 to 7 whereas EIIIB-containing cFN persist at least through day 14. Elevated expression of α9β1 is seen in basal and suprabasal epidermal keratinocytes in wounds. The spatial expression patterns of cFN and α9β1 are distinct, but overlap in the dermal–epidermal junction, and both are expressed contemporaneously. These observations suggest a role for α9β1–EIIIA interactions in wound keratinocyte function

Comparison of 2 doses of 1% 2-chloroprocaine as spinal anesthetic for perineal and lower-limb surgeries

Background: Spinal anesthesia is a commonly employed anesthetic technique for infraumbilical surgeries. Some of its properties may limit its use for ambulatory surgery. For outpatient surgery, lignocaine was anesthetic of choice for years, but its use has been associated with significant risk. Short-acting local anesthetic may therefore represent a valid alternative in this setting. Aims and Objectives: We compare the duration of action of sensory and motor block with 40 mg and 50 mg preservative-free 1% 2-chloroprocaine (2-CP), as a subarachnoid block. Materials and Methods: Patients posted for surgery were randomized to two groups A and B with 64 patients in each group to whom, 40 mg and 50 mg preservative-free 1% 2-CP was administered as spinal anesthesia, respectively. After completion of spinal injection onset time, evolution of sensory and motor block and vitals were studied. Results: The median onset time was 4 min for both 40 mg and 50 mg 1% 2-CP. The duration of sensory block with 40 mg 2-CP was 117 (74–168) and with 50 mg 2-CP was 148 (116–176) min. The duration of motor block with 40 mg 2-CP was 104 (60–150) and with 50 mg 2-CP was 134 (106–158) min. In terms of hemodynamic parameters and adverse effects, there was no statistically significant difference found between both groups. Conclusion: Our study revealed that 40 mg of 1% 2-CP produces a satisfactory surgical block for procedures lasting <90 min. When compared with 1% 2-CP 50 mg, it resulted in comparable onset of action, with significantly faster regression of the block, shorter time to ambulation

Genetic Profiling of the Plasmodium falciparum

About 50% of malaria infections in India are attributed to Plasmodium falciparum but relatively little is known about the genetic structure of the parasite populations. The molecular genotyping of the parasite populations by merozoite surface protein (msp1 and msp2) and glutamate-rich protein (glurp) genes identifies the existing parasite population in the regions which help in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the parasite’s drive for survival. This study reveals the genetic profile of the parasite population in selected regions across the country with varying degree of endemicity among them. We also report the prevalence of Pfcrt mutations in this parasite population to evaluate the pattern of drug resistance development in them

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Vision, challenges and opportunities for a Plant Cell Atlas

With growing populations and pressing environmental problems, future economies will be increasingly plant-based. Now is the time to reimagine plant science as a critical component of fundamental science, agriculture, environmental stewardship, energy, technology and healthcare. This effort requires a conceptual and technological framework to identify and map all cell types, and to comprehensively annotate the localization and organization of molecules at cellular and tissue levels. This framework, called the Plant Cell Atlas (PCA), will be critical for understanding and engineering plant development, physiology and environmental responses. A workshop was convened to discuss the purpose and utility of such an initiative, resulting in a roadmap that acknowledges the current knowledge gaps and technical challenges, and underscores how the PCA initiative can help to overcome them.</jats:p