Groundwater Quality: with Focus on Fluoride Concentration in Rural Parts of Bagalkot District, Karnataka and Defluroidation Studies

Water is an essential natural resource for sustenance’s of life and environment that we have always thought to be available in abundance and free gift of nature. However chemical composition of surface or subsurface water is one of the prime factors on which the suitability of water for domestic, industrial and agriculture purpose depends. In North Karnataka region especially Bijapur, Bagalkot and Gadag districts are dry and drought prone areas. Dependability of ground water for drinking and irrigation is more.  Fluoride is one of the main problems associated with the quality of ground water in the area resulting into dental and skeletal Fluorosis. Generally higher proportions of dissolved constituents are found in ground water than in surface water because of greater interaction of ground water with various materials in geologic strata. Therefore in this study Groundwater quality studies of Bagalkot district with focus on Fluoride is carried out. Defluoridation by fixed bed adsorption using mixed bed containing zeolite, Alumina and Bone ash in equal proportion in a column is performed. The method is simple and economical and removes 50-60% of Fluoride. Therefore the method can be used where the Fluoride content up to 3-3.5 mg/L and fluoride affected area are shown in maps. Keywords: Fluoride Defluoridation Zeolite Adsorptio

Assessment of depression and diabetes distress in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in a tertiary care hospital of South India

Background: Depression is one of the many complications seen among diabetics. Depression leads to lack of self-care by the diabetic and endangers the therapeutic compliance, accounting for a derangement in metabolic control which in turn causes further diabetic complications and may even result in hospitalization. This leads to an increase in depressive symptoms and thus the vicious cycle continues.Methods: It is a Descriptive, cross sectional study conducted in the Medicine outpatient department. Depression was assessed by Hamilton depression rating scale. Diabetic distress was assessed by diabetic distress scale.Results: Out of the 250 study participants, 142 (56.8%) were found to be suffering from depression and 6 (2.4%) were found to have diabetes distress. The magnitude of depression was similar in both male and female. Depression was high among illiterates, unemployed (70%), single, separated individuals and patients with complications of diabetes. There was no significant association between religion and low economic status with depression. Treatment modalities, complications of diabetes, sociodemographic factors like age, sex, occupation, education, marital status, religion and socio-economic status had no significant correlation with diabetic distress. But there was a statistically significant association between diabetic distress and co-morbid conditions. 95.8% with depression had no distress and this association was found to be statistically significant (0.038).Conclusions: The magnitude of depression and distress is much high among diabetics. Early detection, counselling and treatment are required for all diabetics, especially those who have additional risk factors for the development of depression

Spontaneous rupture of vaginal varicose veins mimicking placenta praevia

Vaginal varicosities are often an asymptomatic venous disorder that rarely occur in pregnant women. There is little information in medical literature concerning diagnosis and management.1 We present an isolated incident of spontaneous rupture of vulvar varicosities mimicking the presentation of placenta previa. It was successfully managed with a simple surgical approach done under local anesthesia

Why do mothers die? A retrospective analysis of maternal mortality over 7 years in a tertiary care teaching Hospital in North Karnataka, India

 Background: Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is still high in many developing countries. In Southern India, the maternal mortality is highest in the state of Karnataka. Therefore, a study was conducted at BLDE (DU) Shri BM Patil medical college, hospital and research centre to study the causes of maternal deaths, and to make recommendation to reduce the maternal mortality.Methods: A retrospective analysis of all the maternal deaths between 2012 to 2019 was done.Results: A total of 58 women died due to pregnancy and its complications during the period of 2012-2019. Average age of death was 25.42 years. It was noted that 70.7% of the patients travelled over 30 km to reach Vijayapura city. The predisposing causes of death were post-partum haemorrhage (44.8%) eclampsia (18.9%), anaemia (17.2%), pulmonary or amniotic fluid embolism (12.1%), sepsis (10.3%) antepartum haemorrhage (3.4%) and cardiac disease (6.9%). A death each occurred in patients suffering cholestasis and adult respiratory distress syndrome. A majority of the deaths were post-partum deaths (84%). Most of the deaths of the occurred during the first 12 hours of admission (82.76). A total of 11 patients received blood and blood components. Of the 58 deaths, 56(96%) required ventilatory support., 47 (81%) patients received ionotropic support. 11 (19%) patients underwent peripartum hysterectomy.Conclusions: Timely intervention can save maternal lives. Services of well-equipped hospitals with obstetric intensive care units having a dedicated team of well-trained obstetricians, intensivists and anaesthesiologist are recommended in a facility which is near the residence of the pregnant women. Facilities for quick transfer of the cases who are high risk are required

Handwritten Devanagari Character Recognition Using Layer-Wise Training of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Manually written character acknowledgment is as of now getting the consideration of scientists in view of potential applications in helping innovation for dazzle and outwardly hindered clients, human–robot collaboration, programmed information passage for business reports, and so on. This study proposed a strategy to perceive transcribed Devanagari characters utilizing profound convolutional neural organizations (DCNN) which are one of the ongoing procedures embraced from the profound learning network. We tested the ISIDCHAR information base gave by (Information Sharing Index) ISI, Kolkata and V2DMDCHAR information base with six distinct structures of DCNN to assess the exhibition and furthermore research the utilization of six as of late created versatile inclination strategies. A layer-wise method of DCNN has been utilized that assisted with accomplishing the most noteworthy acknowledgment exactness and furthermore get a quicker union rate. The consequences of layer-wise-prepared DCNN are great in correlation with those accomplished by a shallow strategy of high quality highlights and standard DCNN

Preparation of Dhatryarishta by Dhatri Swarasa and Dhatri Kwatha

Dhatryarishta has been described for the first time in Charaka Samhita, in the context of Panduroga. The same reference is available in Chakradatta, Bhaishajya Ratnavali, and Sahastrayogam too. Generally Dhatri Swarasa [Amalaki (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.)] is used in the preparation of Dhatryarishta as per classical reference, but fresh Amalaki is not available in every season, so in the present study, Amalaki Kwatha (decoction) is used instead of Swarasa. A total of 13 batches of Dhatryarishta were prepared, out of which nine batches were prepared with Dhatri Swarasa and four batches with Dhatri Kwatha. For Dhatryarishta prepared by using Dhatri Swarasa, three methods were applied and in Dhatryarishta prepared by using Dhatri Kwatha two methods were applied. The study revealed that Dhatryarishta could only be prepared by using Amalaki Swarasa as quoted in the classics and not by using Amalaki Kwatha

Menstrual Morbidities, Menstrual Hygiene, Cultural Practices during Menstruation, and WASH Practices at Schools in Adolescent Girls of North Karnataka, India: A Cross-Sectional Prospective Study

Background. Issues of menstrual morbidities, menstrual hygiene, and cultural practices are rarely discussed by adolescents. The burden of menstruation and cultural practices which the adolescent girls have to face has been less quantified. This study aims to assess the issues related to menstruation in school girls. Method. A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on 1016 school-going adolescent girls in January 2020. A questionnaire in English and in Kannada was distributed to girls of class 8–12 of ages between 10 and 19 years. Results. 70.5% of the girls attained menarche by 12 to 14.9 years, 37.2% of the girls had their periods every 28–34 days, and 12.2% of the girls said they have heavy periods. 61.95% of the girls had dysmenorrheal, and 9.7% of the girls said that they required medications for the pain. 70.7% of the girls were using commercial sanitary napkins, 12.7% were using cloth, and 15.3% were using both. 55.5% of the girls who were using cloth as an absorbent were not drying the cloth in sunlight. 57.1% of the girls were washing their genitals more than 2 times a day. 93.8% were having bath during menses and 87.2% were using soap along with water. 37.7% of the girls disposed their pads by burning them, 50.8% of then disposed them in the dust bin, and 4.9% of them buried them. 8.6% of the girls said that they remained completely absent from school during periods. 17.85% said that they remained absent for a day. 53.4% of the respondents said that they have difficulty in concentrating at school. 76.1% said that they had adequate water and sanitation facilities at school. 22.3% said that there was adequate facility to change their pads at school. 73.2% said that they could get a spare pad at school. 43.3% of the girls said they avoided cultural functions during their periods, and 38.5% said that they avoided religious ceremonies and practices during their periods. 8.7% of the girls were made to sit outside the house during their periods. The girls from rural areas had poorer hygienic habits, in comparison to the urban girls. Cultural restrictions such as sitting outside the house during menstruation and restricting play were more in the rural girls than the urban girls. Conclusion. Menstrual morbidities, menstrual hygiene management, and cultural beliefs all play a role in school absenteeism in adolescent girls. Improvement of facilities at school and conducting awareness programs can help adolescent girls to attend schools