A prospective study on evaluation of maternal and foetal outcomes of hypothyroidism with levothyroxine and prevalence of hypothyroidism in pregnancy in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kerala

Background: Pregnancy influences a profound alteration in thyroid function and hypothyroidism has a massive impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes. An appropriate treatment with appropriate dose of levothyroxine is much essential during pregnancy. The present study evaluates the effect of levothyroxine dose in preventing maternal and foetal outcomes and the prevalence of hypothyroidism among pregnant women.Methods: 1500 antenatal women with singleton gestation attending outpatient of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, were analysed. Apart from routine obstetrical investigations, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) tests were done at the first antenatal visit. Patients were followed up till delivery after levothyroxine treatment. Their obstetrical and perinatal outcomes were noted. TSH estimation was done 3 days after delivery in new-borns to screen for neonatal thyroid disorders.Results: The prevalence of hypothyroidism was 10.54%. The common adverse maternal and foetal complications were preeclampsia (15.19%) and low birth weight babies (17.72%) respectively. The mean age of pregnant women was 26.66 years. As age advances there is an increased risk of developing hypothyroidism in pregnancy. Levothyroxine 25 μg daily was highly prescribed in 63.92% hypothyroid patients.Conclusions: Overall, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was high. Since maternal and foetal complications were higher in patients with hypothyroidism, levothyroxine treatment had decreased the risk of maternal and foetal outcome. Pre-pregnancy screening should be implemented at least in patients with high risk factors for thyroid dysfunction. Universal screening for new-borns is also recommended to detect hypothyroidism. Expert decisions and cost-effectiveness studies will promulgate the impact of universal screening

Screening of yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdcourt) genotypes for resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporoides

Anthracnose is one of the most destructive fungal diseases caused by Colletotrichumgloeosporoides in yard long bean, leading to complete crop loss at all stages and its partslike hypocotyls, stem, peduncle, flowers, leaves and pods were seriously affected. Few bush type cowpea cultivars have been earlier identified as reliable sources of resistance while trailing types are susceptible, but high yielding. Breeding resistant varieties is suggested as the only practical strategy, especially under hot and humid condition. Fifty-yard-long bean genotypes belonging to bush, semi erect and pole types were screened against anthracnose disease through artificial inoculation under pot culture. The present study identified the resistant varieties of vegetable cowpea through artificial inoculation followed by detached leaf assay. Among the 50 varieties of yard long bean observed, Kanakamony, dual purpose yard long bean was found highly resistant with disease severity of 3.67% followed by Arimbra local

Community-level management of bio-resources for augmenting income from coconut-based farming systems in Kerala state, India

On-farm management of farm residues for mass multiplication of beneficial microbes plays an important role in organic farming as well as integrated nutrient management by improving soil health. Community-level production of organic inputs from crop residues can be a potential source of income for farmers’ groups also. A large scale operational research on community-based bio-resource management, along with soil test based nutrient management, was undertaken by ICAR-CPCRI with financial support from NABARD in the major organic tract of Kerala in the coastal belt - Kanjikuzhy block during 2014-2016. The bio-resource management components under technology integration included farm-level production of organics from crop residues, enrichment using bio-agents, utilization of enriched organics for soil and plant health management and production of bio-primed planting materials. For enhancing the efficiency of Trichoderma-enriched organic manure, two ideal media viz., coir pith compost + neem cake (4:1) and coir pith compost + neem cake + poultry manure + cow dung (2:1:1:1) were standardized. Coconut seedlings produced through bio-priming with Trichoderma sp. showed early germination (90%), higher recovery percentage (79.5%), higher collar girth (17 cm), more number of fronds (9) and height (160 cm). Farm-based participatory action management integrating cost-effective bio-resource management interventions in coconut-based farming systems resulted in improvements in income from coconut by 26 per cent and intercrops by 142.9 per cent, contributing to an increase in the average farm income by 149.8 per cent. The average knowledge index of the respondents related to bio-resource management increased by 115.8 per cent and that of integrated nutrient management by 74.5 per cent

Pod set and Pollen Viability Studies in Yard Long Bean (Vigna unguiculata sub sp. sesquipedalis)

A study was conducted in a yard long bean (Vigna unguiculata sup/ssp. sesquipedalis) hybrid VS 50 (Kakkamoola Local) x VS 26 (Vellayani Jyothika) to assess the percentage fruit set at two time intervals and to identify the best time interval for pollination in yard long bean hybrids. Hand pollination was done using VS 50 as female parent and VS 26 as male parent for seven consecutive days at two time intervals, 6.30 – 7.30 am and 7.30 – 8.30 am. Higher percentage of fruit set (36.8 %) was observed between 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. as compared to the time interval 7:30 – 8:30 am. (23.8%). Pollen viability was determined for the parents VS 50 (Kakkamoola Local) and VS 26 (Vellayani Jyothika) at 6.30, 7.30 and 8.30 am. Highest pollen viability for both the parents VS 50 and VS 26 was observed during 7.30 am. The present study shows that the best time interval for crossing in yard long bean is 6.30- 7.30 a.m

STUDY ON ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE PATTERN IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL – AN OBSERVATIONAL RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Objective: The aim of the study was to monitor the magnitude and trends in antimicrobial resistance through surveillance programs and bacteriological diagnostic methods. Methods: The study research has performed a retrospective observational study for period of 6 months (Dec 2019–June 2020) to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern on cultures of various specimens at Vivekanandha Medical Care Hospital. The resultant data were computed in Microsoft Excel. Analyses were expressed as the total number, frequencies, and percentage. Results: A total of 110 culture and sensitivity reports were collected from microbiology departments. Among the culture report, 84% accounted for gram-negative and 16% for Gram-positive organisms. Out of eight specimens, 15 different bacteria were identified and the most common bacteria were Klebsiella pneumonia (25%), E. coli (14%), Staphylococcus aureus (13%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12%). Conclusion: The interferences from the present study can help in bridging the gap in future educations, training, and adequate decision-making

Polylactic acid/nano chitosan composite fibers and their morphological, physical characterization for the removal of cadmium(II) from water

This work discusses the fabrication of polylactic acid (PLA)/nano chitosan (nCHS) composite fibers by electrospinning method for Cd2+ metal ion adsorption from water. Here nCHS was synthesized by ionic gelation method and which is used as a reinforcement for PLA. The scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the addition 0.1 wt% nCHS has decreased the fiber diameter as well as the secondary pore size and hence imparted unique properties to electrospun composite fibers. The positive zeta potential values for the composites indicated their higher stability, though; the inclusion of nCHS reduced the crystallinity of the neat membranes. The contact angle measurements showed that the hydrophilicity of the composite was increased up to 0.1 wt% nCHS, and hence the surface energy was increased. Inverse gas chromatography results suggested that the basic character of the composites has intensified with the increase in nCHS addition. The adsorption capacity of the neat electrospun PLA and PLA–nCHS composites for Cd2+ ions were investigated and studies revealed that adsorption capacity of the composite was two times faster (approximately 70%) in comparison with neat PLA fibers. The increase in surface area as well as presence nCHS improved the adsorption capacity of the electrospun membrane.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Electrospun polylactic acid-chitosan composite: a bio-based alternative for inorganic composites for advanced application

Fabricating novel materials for biomedical applications mostly require the use of biodegradable materials. In this work biodegradable materials like polylactic acid (PLA) and chitosan (CHS) were used for designing electrospun mats. This work reports the physical and chemical characterization of the PLA-CHS composite, prepared by the electrospinning technique using a mixed solvent system. The addition of chitosan into PLA, offered decrease in fiber diameter in the composites with uniformity in the distribution of fibers with an optimum at 0.4wt% CHS. The fiber formation and the reduction in fiber diameter were confirmed by the SEM micrograph. The inverse gas chromatography and contact angle measurements supported the increase of hydrophobicity of the composite membrane with increase of filler concentration. The weak interaction between PLA and chitosan was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The stability of the composite was established by zeta potential measurements. Cytotoxicity studies of the membranes were also carried out and found that up to 0.6% CHS the composite material was noncytotoxic. The current findings are very important for the design and development of new materials based on polylactic acid-chitosan composites for environmental and biomedical applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Evolution of Circumstellar Disks Surrounding Intermediate Mass Stars: IC 1805

We report the results of a study of the intermediate and high mass stars in the young, rich star-forming complex IC 1805, based on a combination of optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared photometry, and classification spectra. These data provide the basis for characterizing the masses and ages for stars more massive than ~2 Msun and enable a study of the frequency and character of circumstellar disks associated with intermediate- and high-mass stars. Optically thick accretion disks among stars with masses 2 < M/Msun <4 are rare (~2% of members) and absent among more massive stars. A larger fraction (~10%) of stars with masses 2 < M/Msun < 4 appear to be surrounded by disks that have evolved from the initial optically thick accretion phase. We identify four classes of such disks. These classes are based on spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of excess emsission above photospheric levels: disks that are (1) optically thin based on the magnitude of the observed excess emission from 2 to 24 um; (2) optically thin in their inner regions (r< 20 AU) and optically thick in their outer regions; (3) exhibit empty inner regions (r < 10 AU) and optically thin emission in their outer regions; and (4) exhibit empty inner regions and optically thick outer regions. We discuss, and assess the merits and liabilities of, proposed explanations for disks exhibiting these SED types and suggest additional observations that would test these proposals.Comment: Accepted to Ap