Knowledge and practice among the pediatric post graduate residents regarding the technique of blood culture sampling

Background: Errors in sampling during blood culture, may lead to contaminants or poor yield which result in faulty reports increasing patient's suffering, endanger patient safety and increasing cost of health care. Optimal knowledge about the sampling method for important microbiological test like blood culture translates into appropriate practices. Authors objectives was to assess the knowledge and practice of the Pediatric resident doctors, regarding sterile technique during blood culture collection. The change in the knowledge of the residents during blood culture sampling with regards to maintaining asepsis after watching educational video was evaluated.Methods: A quasi experimental, questionnaire based study with pre–post intervention,  involved post graduate resident’s knowledge and  practice regarding the sterile technique during blood culture collection. The data   analyzed using paired t test and Chi-square Test.Results: 18(60%) participants accepted that they have collected blood culture not maintaining complete asepsis at some time in past. The reasons for the same were lack of knowledge 14 (46.66%), no assistance from staff for the procedure 14 (46.66%), non-availability of sterile gloves 4 (13.33%), non-availability of antiseptic solution 4(13.33%), time consuming 8 (26.66%).Conclusions: Ultimately, blood culture contamination is a complex, challenging problem that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Regular teaching modules for the health personnel and ensuring environment conducive to correct practises would definitely help in improving the sampling practises for aseptic procedures

USING BLOCKCHAIN TO SIMPLIFY SESSION INITIATION PROTOCOL OVERLOAD CONTROL

Techniques are described herein by which the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server overload problem may be significantly simplified by using a distributed system where transactions can be authorized and stored. For example, a technology like blockchain may enable a centralized, shared, and secure transaction database to be used to communicate SIP server overload information. SIP server overload information may be shared between servers that are part of a trust domain. The trust domain may be confined within a network or span across network boundaries (e.g., between enterprise edges / SIP trunk providers / SIP calling cloud providers)

Study of various gynaecological problems and reproductive health awareness amongst adolescents at a rural setup in central India

Background: Adolescent problems are increasing over the years and need special consideration. We, as health care providers, need to focus on young people as investing in their health today will reap rich rewards tomorrow.Methods: All the adolescents presenting with various gynaecological problems were evaluated by detailed history taking and thorough clinical examination after taking an informed consent and explaining them our objective. After examination, adolescent girls were given education by means of slide show about menstruation, care during menses, nutritional diet and prevention of anaemia.Results: Majority of adolescents had regular menstrual pattern. Oligomenorrhoea was the most prevalent abnormality of menstrual pattern in these adolescents. 15.58% adolescents had presented with breast problems like mastalgia, lump in breast, etc. Majority of adolescents studied were aware of the physical signs of puberty (77.25%) and HIV (74.14%). But very few adolescents were aware of the physiology involved in menstruation. Around half of all the adolescents were seen to follow proper menstrual hygiene.Conclusions: Healthy adolescence, the need of the hour

Association of iron deficiency states and febrile seizures in children-a case control study

Background: Iron deficiency being a potentially modifiable and treatable cause of febrile seizures.  Objectives of Study was to identify Iron Deficient States or Anemia in children with febrile seizures as evidenced by low hemoglobin, altered RBC indices and altered Iron profile, and to determine the association of Iron deficiency states or anemia with febrile seizures.Methods: This was a Case control study done between July 2013 to June 2014, on 50 indoor cases of febrile seizures in the age group of 6-60 months and 50 age and sex matched controls (fever without seizure) in department of Paediatrics, Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackrey Medical College (HBTMC) and Dr R.N. Cooper Hospital, Mumbai. Detailed clinical history and examination findings were noted.  Cases and control were investigated with complete blood count, RBC indices, peripheral smear, S. Ferritin, S. Iron and TIBC. SPSS software package was used for statistical analysis. P<0.05 was considered as significant.Results: 74% of cases and 66% of controls had low hemoglobin. MCV was low in 54% of cases and 34% of controls. RDW was raised in 46% of cases and 26% of controls. Iron deficiency anemia was prevalent among both cases and controls. Latent iron deficiency state suggested by low S. Iron and high TIBC in cases and control group was not significant in our study. However statistically significant lower Median S. Ferritin was noted in the febrile seizure group versus the controls (Cases-153.5, Control-173.0, p=0.0195) suggesting significant prevalence of prelatent iron deficiency state among cases.Conclusions: Prelatent iron deficient state in children are more prone for febrile seizures

Broad-tailed force distributions and velocity ordering in a heterogeneous membrane model for collective cell migration

Correlated velocity patterns and associated large length-scale transmission of traction forces have been observed in collective live cell migration as a response to a "wound". We argue that a simple physical model of a force-driven heterogeneous elastic membrane sliding over a viscous substrate can qualitatively explain a few experimentally observed facts: (i) the growth of velocity ordering which spreads from the wound boundary to the interior, (ii) the exponential tails of the traction force distributions, and (iii) the swirling pattern of velocities in the interior of the tissue.Comment: 7 pages and 5 figure

Role of hysterolaparoscopy in management of infertility a retrospective clinical analysis

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of infertility is an elaborate process. The goal of treating clinician is to decide upon the plan of management best suited to the couple by selecting relevant investigations and procedures from available options. Objective was to determine the role of hysterolaparoscopy in the management of infertility.  Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary canter (Department of reproductive medicine and surgery) over a period of 12 months-January 2019 to December 2019. Women aged 20-40 years with primary or secondary infertility, except male factor infertility, undergoing hysterolaparoscopy were included. Results: Out of 41 cases, 71.84% patients had primary infertility. Common laparoscopic abnormalities were adhesions (36.5%) and endometriosis (17.07%) Hysteroscopy revealed polyps (9.7%) and intrauterine synechia (4.8%) as common pathologies. The diagnosed pathologies were dealt surgically in the same sitting. Plan of infertility treatment could be outlined in all patients based on intraoperative findings. Conclusion: Hysterolaparoscopy serves both diagnostic and therapeutic purpose. Various pelvic, peritoneal, tubal, endometrial and uterine factors can be diagnosed and treated at the same time. The clinician has to be well versed and skilled in selecting and performing the appropriate surgery. Clinical information gained from hysterolaparoscopy helps in decision making and designing individualized, evidence-based treatment plan can for the patients

Water-triggered frontal polymerization

A totally new mode of frontal polymerization (FP) of acrylamide is established which is triggered by the simple addition of a minute, specific volume of water. Experimental conditions under which this mode of polymerization yields linear and water-soluble polyacrylamide were carefully established, paving the way to synthesize commercially pertinent homo- and copolymers. A new redox couple was identified to circumvent the imidization and the ensuing gelation, hitherto associated with FP of acrylamide. Effects of reaction variables such as type and concentration of redox couple and volume of water on measurable parameters of FP such as front velocity, front temperature, shape of front and yield have been studied. Two types of redox couples are reported. Nonplanar frontal regime was observed in few redox couples. We could visually observe helical patterns with naked eyes, while layered patterns were observable under SEM. Additionally, micro-phase separation and heterogeneity in the polymer matrix was observed due to unreacted pockets of monomer which evolve via bulk mode. This nonlinear phenomenon is described