Rapid Separation & Simultaneous Spectrophotometric Determination of U(VI) Using N-m- Tolyl-o-methoxybenzohydroxamic Acid

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Study factors associated with poor glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in tertiary care center

Background: Poor glycemic control is a major public health issue among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and a significant risk factor for the progression of diabetic complications. This study aimed to assess the magnitude and contributing factors of poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 type 2 diabetes patients a sample of 150 type 2 diabetics of both sexes was obtained diabetes in medicine OPD, any type 2 diabetes patient at the healthcare facilities over the age of 18 was eligible to participate in the study. Results: Of the 150 type 2 diabetes patients included in the study, 118   had poor glycemic control. Mean age was 59.67 (SD = 9.617) years; 115 (76.9%) of them were men. Most patients [n = 62 (41%)] used insulin or oral anti-diabetics as monotherapy [n = 32 (21%)] to regulate their blood sugar levels. The glycemic control got worse the longer the patient had diabetes, from 5 to 10 years (OR = 1.74) to more than 10 years (OR = 2.55), compared to patients with less than 5 years of illness. In comparison to patients with co-morbidity, patients without co-morbidity had significantly better glycemic control (OR=1.56). Conclusions: Gender, age, BMI, occupation, medical history, medication history, triglycerides, HDL, duration of diabetes, type and number of diabetes medications, and HbA1c were significantly associated. These factors can identify patients at risk of poor glycemic control, allowing targeted interventions for optimal outcomes. Adherence, physical activity, diabetes education, and training affect glycemic control, but this study did not.

Research options for controlling Zoonotic disease in India, 2010-2015

BACKGROUND: Zoonotic infections pose a significant public health challenge for low- and middle-income countries and have traditionally been a neglected area of research. The Roadmap to Combat Zoonoses in India (RCZI) initiative conducted an exercise to systematically identify and prioritize research options needed to control zoonoses in India. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Priority setting methods developed by the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative were adapted for the diversity of sectors, disciplines, diseases and populations relevant for zoonoses in India. A multidisciplinary group of experts identified priority zoonotic diseases and knowledge gaps and proposed research options to address key knowledge gaps within the next five years. Each option was scored using predefined criteria by another group of experts. The scores were weighted using relative ranks among the criteria based upon the feedback of a larger reference group. We categorized each research option by type of research, disease targeted, factorials, and level of collaboration required. We analysed the research options by tabulating them along these categories. Seventeen experts generated four universal research themes and 103 specific research options, the majority of which required a high to medium level of collaboration across sectors. Research options designated as pertaining to 'social, political and economic' factorials predominated and scored higher than options focussing on ecological, genetic and biological, or environmental factors. Research options related to 'health policy and systems' scored highest while those related to 'research for development of new interventions' scored the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: We methodically identified research themes and specific research options incorporating perspectives of a diverse group of stakeholders. These outputs reflect the diverse nature of challenges posed by zoonoses and should be acceptable across diseases, disciplines, and sectors. The identified research options capture the need for 'actionable research' for advancing the prevention and control of zoonoses in India

Cost-effectiveness of traffic enforcement: case study from Uganda

BACKGROUND: In October 2004, the Ugandan Police department deployed enhanced traffic safety patrols on the four major roads to the capital Kampala. OBJECTIVE: To assess the costs and potential effectiveness of increasing traffic enforcement in Uganda. METHODS: Record review and key informant interviews were conducted at 10 police stations along the highways that were patrolled. Monthly data on traffic citations and casualties were reviewed for January 2001 to December 2005; time series (ARIMA) regression was used to assess for a statistically significant change in traffic deaths. Costs were computed from the perspective of the police department in $US 2005. Cost offsets from savings to the health sector were not included. RESULTS: The annual cost of deploying the four squads of traffic patrols (20 officers, four vehicles, equipment, administration) is estimated at$72,000. Since deployment, the number of citations has increased substantially with a value of $327 311 annually. Monthly crash data pre- and post-intervention show a statistically significant 17$603 per death averted or $27 per life year saved discounted at 3$300 GDP per capita). CONCLUSION: The costs of traffic safety enforcement are low in comparison to the potential number of lives saved and revenue generated. Increasing enforcement of existing traffic safety norms can prove to be an extremely cost-effective public health intervention in low-income countries, even from a government perspective

Anti Chlamydial Antibodies in Women with Ectopic Pregnancy

Background: To compare the frequency of chlamydia trachomatis infection in women with ectopic and with normal pregnancies.Methods: In this case-control study diagnosed patients of ectopic pregnancy(EP)were included . The control group comprised of early normal intra uterine pregnancies (1st trimester). A total number of 88, comprising 44 cases and 44 controls were included in this study. Sera from patients was drawn at the time of operation or within the subsequent 24 hours. Anti-chlamydial IgG was performed by ELISA.Results: Sampled cases population (n=44) had mean age distribution 26.48 years while among controls, mean age was 25.32 years. Presenting symptoms of cases showed pelvic pain (54.5%), bleeding (27.3%), vomiting (11.4%) and burning micturition (6.8%). During contraceptive practices , out of 88 patients, 5 cases and 20 controls gave history of safe sex practices. Out of 63 patients, who did not give history of any contraceptive practice, Anti-Chlamydia IgG was detected in 11 cases and 5 controls. Regarding Anti-Chlamydia IgG distribution among cases and controls, IgG was detected in 11(25%) cases and in 5(11.3%) controls.Conclusion: Frequency of anti-chlamydial IgG antibodies was much higher in women with ectopic pregnancy (25%) as compared to healthy controls(11.3%)

Zoning of groundwater level using innovative trend analysis: Case study at Rechna Doab, Pakistan

Groundwater plays a pivotal role in the economy from several country due to the scarcity of surface freshwater. In Pakistan it is the second largest water source which is used for irrigation, drinking and domestic uses. To monitor the groundwater availability and variation in country, the trend needs to be observed over time period; therefore, a study was conducted at Rechna Doab (Punjab province, Pakistan) to analyze the groundwater level trends over (period 2006-2019) using innovative trend analysis (ITA). 134 tube wells data was collected from Punjab Irrigation Department in pre-monsoon (June) and post-monsoon seasons (October), which were subsequently segregated at tehsils. In ITA, the data was divided in two equal parts and arranged in ascending order, first half (2006-2012) placed on the horizontal axis (X-axis) and second half (2013-2019) placed on the vertical axis (Y-axis) in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. After distribution of data, the points which are above the triage line show positive trend (increasing trend), similarly the data points which are scattered below the trend line represent negative trend (decreasing trend), while the data points which are scattered at the 1:1 line indicates  no trend. For both seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon), the results of the groundwater level trends for tehsil (representing point in each tehsil) were spatially interpolated using interpolation method of the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW). A division with three classes was adopted, namely: low, moderate, and high-water levels. For pre-monsoon season it was observed that 32% groundwater wells were showing no trend, 62% with decreasing trend, and 7% with increasing trend. For post-monsoon season, 43% groundwater wells were showing no trend, 50% with decreasing trend, and 7% with increasing trend.Groundwater plays a pivotal role in the economy from several country due to the scarcity of surface freshwater. In Pakistan it is the second largest water source which is used for irrigation, drinking and domestic uses. To monitor the groundwater availability and variation in country, the trend needs to be observed over time period; therefore, a study was conducted at Rechna Doab (Punjab province, Pakistan) to analyze the groundwater level trends over (period 2006-2019) using innovative trend analysis (ITA). 134 tube wells data was collected from Punjab Irrigation Department in pre-monsoon (June) and post-monsoon seasons (October), which were subsequently segregated at tehsils. In ITA, the data was divided in two equal parts and arranged in ascending order, first half (2006-2012) placed on the horizontal axis (X-axis) and second half (2013-2019) placed on the vertical axis (Y-axis) in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. After distribution of data, the points which are above the triage line show positive trend (increasing trend), similarly the data points which are scattered below the trend line represent negative trend (decreasing trend), while the data points which are scattered at the 1:1 line indicates  no trend. For both seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon), the results of the groundwater level trends for tehsil (representing point in each tehsil) were spatially interpolated using interpolation method of the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW). A division with three classes was adopted, namely: low, moderate, and high-water levels. For pre-monsoon season it was observed that 32% groundwater wells were showing no trend, 62% with decreasing trend, and 7% with increasing trend. For post-monsoon season, 43% groundwater wells were showing no trend, 50% with decreasing trend, and 7% with increasing trend

Working together for prevention and control of zoonoses in India

Despite calls for collaborations across animal and human health sectors to control zoonoses, a ‘black-box’ approach to collaborations means there is limited understanding of their drivers, characteristics and dynamics. In this thesis, I develop insights into multisector ‘One Health’ collaborations by examining the case of three zoonotic diseases in two states in India. Over nine months of fieldwork, I interviewed policy actors spread across different sectors, functions and administrative levels, and observed the practices of professionals in the field and in their offices. I used the examples of anthrax, brucellosis and leptospirosis to examine One Health collaborations in the states of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat in India.The identification, measurement and response to zoonoses are complex undertakings requiring specialist expertise. Consequently, discourses and practices around zoonotic diseases are dominated by technical experts. The process of synthesizing and reinterpreting scientific knowledge, in turn, is influenced by politics and power dynamics underlying the experts’ disciplines, sectors and institutions.Across all three zoonoses, I found that it is narratives about diseases, rather than actual disease burdens orrisks, which drive public perception and policy response. The way collaborations ultimately emerge is conditioned by the disease characteristics and is influenced by an interplay of the disease discourses, the political cultures of the state and the practices employed by decision-makers at all levels. In all cases, collaborations do occur, sometimes facilitated by formal guidelines, but very often through everyday practices, in spite of bureaucratic strictures. All cases of collaboration are underpinned by informal networks. Such initiatives, frequently led by middle-level bureaucrats, while responsive to local concerns, are much messier than the processes envisioned in the dominant programmatic literature on ‘One Health’. In order for One Health partnerships to be sustainable, I argue that it is important to develop a nuanced approach to understanding the politics and dynamics underlying multisector collaborations

Asymptotic features of Hessian Matrix in Receding Horizon Model Predictive Control with Medium Sized Prediction Frames

In this paper, Receding Horizon Model Predictive Control (RH-MPC) having a quadratic objective function is studied through the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Singular Vectors of its Hessian Matrix. Contrary to the previous work, non-equal and medium sized control and prediction horizons are considered and it is shown that the Singular Values converge to the open loop magnitude response of the system and singular vectors contain the phase information. Earlier results focused on classical formulation of Generalized Predictive Control (GPC), whereas, current work proves the applicability to modern formulation. Although, method can easily be extended to MIMO systems, only SISO system examples are presented