Maternal and foetal outcome of eclampsia in a referral hospital

Background: Eclampsia is a life-threatening condition, common in developing countries with high fatality rate. It is a cause of maternal and foetal mortality and morbidity. The aim of the study is to determine the maternal and foetal outcome in Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India.Methods: All cases of eclampsia were analysed from January 2012 to December 2014 from admission to discharge or death of the patient.  Age, parity, antenatal care, interval between attack and admission, blood pressure on admission, gestational age and mode of delivery were  taken into account. There were 135 cases of eclampsia out of 14572 deliveries. Only singleton pregnancies were analysed.Results: The incidence of antepartum eclampsia was 84.4%, intrapartum 3% and postpartum 12.5 %. 83% patients were primigravida, 33% less than 20 yrs,42% had no antenatal checkup and 45% had < 4 visits. Only 15% patients received magnesium sulphate before referral to the hospital. There were four maternal deaths and twenty-one perinatal deaths. Eleven patients needed ventilatory support, four developed pulmonary oedema,  two patients had respiratory depression and three patients had renal failure.Conclusions: Hypertensive disease in pregnancy requires proper antenatal care, early recognition and referral, adequate treatment and timely delivery

Colour based nutraceutical potential of some traditional rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) varieties of India

153-157Consumption of unpolished grain, rather than polished grain has become a modern trend and consumers are mainly putting their thoughts and effort to consume products with more antioxidant capacity. Rice is the main staple food and apart from being considered as the main source of energy, it contains many nutraceutical properties because of its enriched secondary metabolites. This study is an effort to bring back the indigenous traditional rice landraces that almost disappeared from the farm fields after the advent of the Green Revolution in India. This article focuses on colour-based nutritional properties of six coloured and four non-coloured indigenous rice varieties based on antioxidant potential, total phenol and flavonoid content along with secondary metabolites profiling by high performance liquid chromatography. The biochemical uniqueness of these varieties has been explored that opens the gate for the conservation of more indigenous rice varieties for food security, as a cheap source of nutritional food and to construct a better niche for public health in developing country like India

Colour based nutraceutical potential of some traditional rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) varieties of India

Consumption of unpolished grain, rather than polished grain has become a modern trend and consumers are mainly putting their thoughts and effort to consume products with more antioxidant capacity. Rice is the main staple food and apart from being considered as the main source of energy, it contains many nutraceutical properties because of its enriched secondary metabolites. This study is an effort to bring back the indigenous traditional rice landraces that almost disappeared from the farm fields after the advent of the Green Revolution in India. This article focuses on colour-based nutritional properties of six coloured and four non-coloured indigenous rice varieties based on antioxidant potential, total phenol and flavonoid content along with secondary metabolites profiling by high performance liquid chromatography. The biochemical uniqueness of these varieties has been explored that opens the gate for the conservation of more indigenous rice varieties for food security, as a cheap source of nutritional food and to construct a better niche for public health in developing country like India

Screening of health beneficial microbes with potential probiotic characteristics from the traditional rice-based alcoholic beverage, haria

Fermented foods are natural habitats of various food-grade microorganisms which not only fortify the food material with bioactive molecules, but they could directly exert health beneficial effect to the consumers. The present study aimed to screen the microbial consortium of haria (a traditional alcoholic rice beverage), for therapeutic potentiality. Twenty-nine fermented beverage samples were collected from different areas of Bankura District (West Bengal, India).Initially, 45 dominant bacterial isolates were purified from the collected samples. From these, 3 microorganisms were screened out based on growth and acidification kinetics: these proved to be Bifidobacterium sp. (MKK4), Pediococcus lolli (MKK21), and Lactobacillus sp. (MKK37) isolates. Finally, based on a cumulative probiotic score, MKK4 (Bifidobacterium sp.) was selected for further studies. The ubiquitous presence of this strain in the collected samples was confirmed through PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. This strain was considerably stable in simulated acid and bile solutions; it also exhibited strong auto-aggregation and cell surface hydrophobicity of 82% and 53%, respectively. Under conditions of nutrient depletion, the isolate was capable to form biofilm (66.3%). The selected bacterium showed strong antimicrobial activities against Shigella dysenteriae MB14, Salmonella typhi E 1590, Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341, Staphyloccus aureusMB13, Vibrio cholerae K510, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 isolates. These results suggest that the food-borne Bifidobacterium sp. MKK4 can be used as potent probiotic agent

Octanuclear Ni4Ln4 coordination aggregates from Schiff Base anion supports and connecting of two Ni2Ln2 cubes: syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties

A family of 3d-4f aggregates have been reported through guiding the dual coordination modes of ligand anion (HL−) and in situ generated ancillary bridge driven self-assembly coordination responses toward two different types of metal ions. Reactions of lanthanide(III) nitrate (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and Yb), nickel(II) acetate and phenol-based ditopic ligand anion of 2-[{(2- hydroxypropyl)imino}methyl]-6-methoxyphenol (H2L) in MeCN-MeOH (3:1) mixture and LiOH provided five new octanuclear Ni-4f coordination aggregates from two Ni2Ln2 cubanes. Single-crystal Xray diffraction analysis reveals that all the members of the family are isostructural, with the central core formed from the coupling of two distorted [Ni2Ln2O4] heterometallic cubanes [Ni2Ln2(HL)2(μ3- OH)2(OH)(OAc)4]+ (Ln = Gd (1), Tb (2), Dy (3), Ho (4) and Yb (5)). Higher coordination demand of 4f ions induced the coupling of the two cubes by (OH)(OAc)2 bridges. Variable temperature magnetic study reveals weak coupling between the Ni2+ and Ln3+ ions. For the Tb (2) and Dy (3) analogs, the compounds are SMMs, whereas the Gd (1) analogue is not an SMM. The observation revealed thus that the anisotropy of the Ln3+ ions is central to display the SMM behavior within this structurally intriguing family of compounds

Mechanisms Underlying Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Hepatic Fibrosis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection often causes liver diseases, including fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver fibrosis is the outcome of the wound healing response to tissue damage caused by chronic HCV infection. This process is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, such as collagen fibers secreted by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Activation of HSCs from the quiescent stage is mediated by different mechanisms, including pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines released from HCV-infected hepatocytes and liver macrophages. HCV infection modulates the expression of different microRNAs that can be transported and delivered to the HSCs via exosomes released from infected cells, also leading to the development of advanced disease pathogenesis. Although recent advancements in direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment can efficiently control viremia, there are very few treatment strategies available that can be effective at preventing pathogenesis in advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis in patients. Assessment of fibrosis is considered to be the major part of proper patient care and decision making in clinical practice. In this review, we highlighted the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms responsible for the progression of liver fibrosis in chronically HCV-infected patients, and currently available methods for evaluation of fibrosis in patients. A detailed understanding of these aspects at the molecular level may contribute to the development of new therapies targeting HCV-related liver fibrosis

Comparative Evaluation of Propofol-Ketamine and Propofol-Fentanyl for Quality of Surgical Anaesthesia in Short Surgical Procedures

Background: Multiple drug combinations have been tried and tested for Total Intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). When using drugs in combination, the effects or adverse reactions cannot be exactly predicted from the doses of the individual agents used. The aim of study: to compare the efficacy of the drug combinations, propofol-ketamine and propofol-fentanyl in terms of haemodynamics parameters and recovery profiles when used as continuous infusions for maintenance of anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: A double blind randomized prospective study was designedand 120 patients belonging to ASA 1 &amp; II were enrolled to evaluate the two drug combinations of either propofol-ketamine (Group A) or propofol-fentanyl (Group B) for assessing the quality of surgical anaesthesia. Intraoperatively, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters and recovery profile were recorded. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20 and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Group B had statistically significant fall in heart rate and blood pressure in the intraoperative period, whereas it was maintained in Group A. Recovery profile was better for Group B. Both the groups showed no significant adverse effects requiring intervention. Conclusion: Both ketamine and fentanyl provide excellent surgical anaesthesia in combination with propofol for short surgical procedures with minimal adverse effects and can be considered a good alternative for procedural sedation outside the operating room. Keywords: TIVA, Propofol , Ketamine, Fentanyl, surgical anaesthesia

Self-assembly of Schiff base anions and trapping of HO−, O2− and Piv− bridges in a family of Ni3Ln4 complexes: synthesis, structures and magnetic properties

A unique family of heptanuclear 3d-4f complexes, [Ni3Ln4L3(OH)3O(Piv)6(MeOH)2(MeO)]·nH2O (Ln = Dy, 1; Tb, 2; Ho, 3; Piv = Me3CCO2−), has been synthesized using Schiff-base H2L (L = 2-((2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)amino)benzoic acid), NEt3, NiCl2∙6H2O and Ln(NO3)3∙5H2O in refluxing MeOH-CHCl3 solvent mixture. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the coordination aggregates were grown around an unique μ4-O2− unit, which connects four lanthanide ions. Three supporting μ3-HO− ions were used to connect three L2− bound Ni∙∙∙Ln fragments to the central LnIII center, which is not coordinated to any Schiff-base anion. Six μ1,3-pivalate anions extended further supports for three L2− bound Ni∙∙∙Ln fragments and three Ln∙∙∙Ln fragments. Magnetic studies of 1-3 in the solid state are consistent with weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the 3d and 4f ions