Outcome of late preterm infants and the factors associated with neonatal intensive care admission

Background: Infants born between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation are referred to as late-preterm infants (LPI). The study’s objective was to examine the prevalence and course of LPI at our institution. Methods: This single-center prospective observational study was conducted at the level 3 NICU from June 2018 to June 2019 and included LPIs born in the hospital. Both the prevalence of LPI and the reasons for premature births were evaluated. Infants were observed until discharge for complications and outcomes (mortality and NICU admission). The risk factors associated with NICU admission were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: LPI constitutes 2.94% of all live births and 40.45% of total preterm births. Pre-eclampsia (15.1%) and premature membrane rupture (9.4%) were the two main causes of preterm birth, while the majority of mothers (37.7%) experienced spontaneous labor. A total of 55 (51.9%) babies developed complications, with respiratory distress (33.9%) being the most common. Three infants died, and 65 infants needed admission to the NICU. NICU hospitalization was independently associated with the existence of maternal risk factors, gestational age of 35 weeks, the requirement for resuscitation, and children whose weight was out of proportion to their gestational age. Conclusions: LPIs account for a large proportion of premature babies, are prone to complications, and have a high mortality and morbidity rate

DISSOLUTION BEHAVIOR OF BIOACTIVE GLASS CERAMICS WITH DIFFERENT CaO/MgO RATIOS

In this work, powders of three different compositions, each having 34 SiO2-14.5 P2O5-1 CaF2-0.5 MgF (% wt) and ratio of CaO/MgO varying from 11.5:1 to 1:11.5 were thoroughly mixed and melted under oxy-acetylene flame in a fire clay crucible that made the glass formation cheaper in time and cost. The melt of each composition was quenched in water to form three different glasses. Every glass was sintered at 950°C to form three glass ceramics named G1, G2 and G3 respectively. To study the dissolution behavior, each sample was immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25 days at room temperature. Thin film XRD analysis revealed that the samples with larger CaO/MgO ratio exhibited better bioactivity. pH of SBF increased efficiently in case of G1 whereas in case of G2 and G3, this increase was slower due to greater amount of MgO. The concentrations of Ca, P, Mg and Si ions were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. EDS analysis showed the increase in P and Ca ions and presence of C in G1 after 5 days immersion and after 10 days, in case of G2 indicating the higher formation rate of hydroxycarbonate Apatite layer in G1 as compared to G2 due to greater CaO/MgO ratio whereas in G3 Mg-hydroxycarbonate apatite (Ca(Mg)5(CO3)(PO4)3(OH)) (heneuite) layer was recognized after 20 days showing the least bioactivity due to very large amount of Mg and the least CaO/MgO ratio

Clinicopathological Features of Lupus Nephritis Patients in North-East India; A Single Center Retrospective Observational Study

Clinicopathological presentation of lupus nephritis (LN) patients varies with different race and ethinicity of the population. Only few studies describe clinicopathological spectrum of LN patients in the Indian population. The aim of this study was to determine the clinicopathological spectrum of LN in the North-East Indian population. This was a retrospective observational study that included patients with LN at a tertiary care center in North-East India from March 2007 to August 2018. Clinical and histopathological data at the time of presentation were collected from hospital records. Renal biopsies were examined by light microscopy and direct immunofluorescence techniques. A total of 340 patients of LN were included in this study. The mean age of presentation was 22.42 ± 4.3 years. The minimum age at presentation was 8 years and 18.8% belonged to the <18 year age group. The present study showed a male:female ratio of 1:8. The majority of patients were of class IV (71.9%). Arthralgia (47.1%) and anemia (60.3%) were the most common presenting symptom and sign, respectively. Immunoglobulin (Ig) G was the most abundant immunoglobulin (positive in 98.47%) and the least positive was IgA (positive in 41.18%). Complement (C) 3 and C1q were positive in all. Full house deposition was found in 59.3% of the biopsies. The rates of hypertension, microscopic hematuria, renal dysfunction, and nephrotic syndrome were 43.5, 59.12, 45.9, and 35.3%, respectively. Patients of LN in the North-East Indian population present at an earlier age with a more severe form of the disease (class IV) at the time of presentation

Biological characteristics and outcomes of gliosarcoma

Gliosarcoma is a highly aggressive primary brain tumour. It is a relatively rare tumour and comprises of two histological components, glial and sarcomatous. Gliosarcomas carry a poorer prognosis than that of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). The current review highlights important histological and radiological features of gliosarcoma in the light of recent literature, and also touches upon the treatment options and outcomes of various types of gliosarcoma

Nutritional composition and amino acid profile of a sub-tropical red seaweed Gelidium pusillum collected from St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh

Nutritional fact study has prime importance to make the species edible and commercially viable to the food consumers. The proximate chemical composition and amino acid profile of Gelidium pusillum were studied to understand the nutritional status. The red seaweed Gelidium pusillum was rich in dietary fibre (24.74 ± 1.05%), lipid (2.16 ± 0.61%) and ash content (21.15 ± 0.74%). The mean protein content (11.31 ± 1.02% DW) was within the range of 10-47% for green and red seaweeds and this range was higher than Gracilaria cornea (5.47% DW), Gracilaria changgi (6.90% DW) and Eucheuma cottonii (9.76% DW). Gelidium pusillum was found to contained all the essential amino acids, which accounted for 52.08% of the total amino acids. Tyrosine (26.2 mg g-1 protein), methionine (15.8 mg g-1 protein) and Lysine (48.3 mg g-1 protein) were the limiting amino acid of Gelidium pusillum. However, the levels of other essential amino acids were above the FAO/WHO requirement pattern (EAA score ranged from 1.14 to 1.62). Aspartic and glutamic acids constituted a substantial amount of the total amino acids (24.68% of total amino acid). The result from this study suggested that Gelidium pusillum could be utilized as a healthy food item for human consumption

Clinicopathological Spectrum and Outcome of Crescentic Glomerulonephritis: A Retrospective Study from North-East India

Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) is characterized by the presence of crescents in more than 50% of glomeruli. This study aims to identify the etiology and clinicopathological features and outcomes of CrGN. In this observational study, 80 biopsy-proven CrGN were included. Patients’ demographic profile, clinical parameters, treatments, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. The mean age in our study population was 40.86 ± 16.5 years. Type II CrGN was the most common type of CrGN. Female predominance was observed in type I and type II CrGN. The highest percentage of glomeruli with crescents was seen in type I (87 ± 15.2%, P = 0.04), followed by type III and type II. At the last follow-up, mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was 25.8 ± 11.41 mL/min/1.73 m2 and was significantly lower in type I CrGN (11.6 ± 4.8 mL/min/1.73 m2 P = 0.001). The overall 5-year renal survival rate was 55% and was highest in type II (69.4%), followed by type III and type I (27.3%) CrGN (P = 0.0299). In our study, oliguria at the time of presentation, percentage of crescents, glomerular sclerosis, and moderate/severe IFTA were associated with poor renal outcomes. In conclusion, CrGN was seen in 5.7% of kidney biopsies in our study. Type II CrGN was the most common type of CrGN followed by type III CrGN. Renal survival was poor in type I CrGN patients compared to type II and type III CrGN. Also, oliguria, crescents, glomerular sclerosis, and moderate/severe IFTA were associated with poor renal outcomes