Role of intravenous amino acid infusion in cases of oligohydramnios and its effect on amniotic fluid index and fetal weight gain

Background: Oligohydramnios in early pregnancy is attended by serious consequences to the fetus. Various conditions associated with oligohydramnios increase perinatal mortality and morbidity. Different medical and interventional methods have been tried to treat oligohydramnios. The present study was done to study the effect of intravenous amino acid infusion on amniotic fluid index (A.F.I) and fetal weight gain.Methods: A total of 100 patients of oligohydramnios were studied. They were divided equally into study group and control group of 50 patients each by random allocation. The patients in the study group were given intravenous infusion of 200 ml of amino acid on alternate day for one week while those in the control group were not given any intervention. Both the groups were monitored for change in A.F.I and fetal weight gain by ultrasound at the end of the week.Results: The average gain in A.F.I in the study group (2.57 ± 0.68 cm) was more than in the control group (2.13 ± 0.84 cm). The average gain in fetal weight in the study group was 150.0 grams with SD of ± 37.8 grams while in the control group it was 82.14 grams with SD of ± 67.1 grams.Conclusions: Thus intravenous infusion of amino acids increases short term A.F.I and also improves fetal weight and thus has a beneficial effect to both mother and fetus in case of oligohydramnios in developing countries. However, larger studies with controlled trial are needed to be done

Leukocyte Pyruvate Kinase Expression is Reduced in Normal Human Pregnancy but not in Pre-eclampsia

Citation Xu Y, Madsen-Bouterse SA, Romero R, Hassan S, Mittal P, Elfline M, Zhu A, Petty HR. Leukocyte pyruvate kinase expression is reduced in normal human pregnancy but not in pre-eclampsia. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 64: 137–151Emerging evidence suggests that metabolism influences immune cell signaling and immunoregulation. To examine the immunoregulatory role of glycolysis in pregnancy, we evaluated the properties of pyruvate kinase in leukocytes from non-pregnant women and those with normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia.We evaluated pyruvate kinase expression in lymphocytes and neutrophils from non-pregnant, pregnant, and pre-eclampsia patients using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Leukocyte pyruvate kinase activity and pyruvate concentrations were also evaluated. To study pyruvate’s effect on signaling, we labeled Jurkat T cells with Ca 2+ dyes and measured cell responses in the presence of agents influencing intracellular pyruvate.The expression of pyruvate kinase is reduced in lymphocytes and neutrophils from normal pregnant women in comparison with those of non-pregnant women and pre-eclampsia patients. Similarly, the activity of pyruvate kinase and the intracellular pyruvate concentration are reduced in leukocytes of normal pregnant women in comparison with non-pregnant women and women with pre-eclampsia. Using Jurkat cells as a model of leukocyte signaling, we have shown that perturbations of intracellular pyruvate influence Ca 2+ signals.Normal pregnancy is characterized by reduced pyruvate kinase expression within lymphocytes and neutrophils. We speculate that reduced pyruvate kinase expression modifies immune cell responses due to reduced pyruvate concentrations.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79222/1/j.1600-0897.2010.00881.x.pd

The impact of motivation on employees productivity in the retail sector: the mediating effect of compensation benefits

All companies aspire to compete against their rivals, retain a strategic edge in the industry, gain the largest market share and be inspired to bring out their utmost to achieve their desired goals at work. Few businesses think they will gain growth and wealth by important assets for their workers. Unfortunately, most companies appear to exploit the dismissal of their workers and talented applicants. Recognizing the critical position of workers appears to have a major effect on operational performance as most companies aim to maintain staff by empowering and enhancing the working standards of their employees. Therefore, it is necessary to enforce certain techniques to retain high quality and ensure performance and efficiency. The research examined the influence of organizational participation and encouragement in banks' work results. A study of 100 participants was tested, and findings were evaluated using the chi-square analysis. The findings revealed a substantial level below 5% which indicates that the study variables are closely linked. The quantitative approach and qualitative framework have been used to analyze their perception of the effects of job retention on the success of workers. Approach a single case study for various branches by implementing a similar case study and addressing a larger number of samples. This allows the researcher to remove the survey challenge and hold evidence from a larger community with a deeper comprehension of the idea of encouragement and how it influences workers' output

Cloud-based framework to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on seafarers' mental health.

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Chikungunya Disease: Infection-Associated Markers from the Acute to the Chronic Phase of Arbovirus-Induced Arthralgia

At the end of 2005, an outbreak of fever associated with joint pain occurred in La Réunion. The causal agent, chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has been known for 50 years and could thus be readily identified. This arbovirus is present worldwide, particularly in India, but also in Europe, with new variants returning to Africa. In humans, it causes a disease characterized by a typical acute infection, sometimes followed by persistent arthralgia and myalgia lasting months or years. Investigations in the La Réunion cohort and studies in a macaque model of chikungunya implicated monocytes-macrophages in viral persistence. In this Review, we consider the relationship between CHIKV and the immune response and discuss predictive factors for chronic arthralgia and myalgia by providing an overview of current knowledge on chikungunya pathogenesis. Comparisons of data from animal models of the acute and chronic phases of infection, and data from clinical series, provide information about the mechanisms of CHIKV infection–associated inflammation, viral persistence in monocytes-macrophages, and their link to chronic signs

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection