A randomized study comparing rectally administered misoprostol after spinal anesthesia versus intramuscular oxytocin for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in caesarean section

Background: Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH) is the commonest cause of maternal death worldwide. Studies suggest that the use of Misoprostol may be beneficial in clinical settings where oxytocin is unavailable. However studies are limited that show its use in prevention of PPH in high risk pregnancy involving elective caesarean section. Therefore our aim of study is to compare the effectiveness of rectal misoprostol with intramuscular oxytocin in the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in cesarean sections.Methods: In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 200 pregnant women who had cesarean sections were assigned into two groups: to receive either oxytocin intramuscularly or misoprostol rectally after spinal anesthesia.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups about change in postpartum hemoglobin, need for blood transfusion and incidence of PPH. We also did not observe any significant difference in any side effects.  Conclusions: Misoprostol may be considered as an alternative for oxytocin in low resource clinical settings.

Report of dorsal fin abnormality in silver pomfret

During a routine sampling for silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, specimens with dorsal fin abnormality were collected from Ratnagiri and Mumbai, Maharashtra. On 29th April, 2016 a single silver pomfret with deformed dorsal region and a deep pit in the dorsal region was observed in the purse seine landings at Mirkarwada fish landing centre, Ratnagir

Call for spatial management approach to control exploitation of juvenile sharks

Historically in the Indian coastal regions, elasmobranchs have been caught, traded, and consumed for centuries. In some regions (including non-coastal, high-altitude and interior regions), there is a high preference for certain elasmobranch species, products, and cuisines. While India has banned international trade of shark fins since 2015, and extended protection to ten species of sharks under the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972, there is no restriction on the harvest, domestic trade, and consumption of elasmobranchs

Not Available

Not AvailableDuring a routine sampling for silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, specimens with dorsal fin abnormality were collected from Ratnagiri and Mumbai, Maharashtra. On 29th April, 2016 a single silver pomfret with deformed dorsal region and a deep pit in the dorsal region was observed in the purse seine landings at Mirkarwada fish landing centre, RatnagiriNot Availabl

Chlamydia antibody testing helps in identifying females with possible tubal factor infertility

Introduction: Chlamydia is an important cause of sexually transmitted diseases leading to tubal factor infertility. Background: This study aims to define the role of chlamydial antibody detection in predicting presence, nature and type of tubal pathology in laparoscopy. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 200 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopy as a part of infertility work-up. Preoperatively, serological determination of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) specific antibodies against Chlamydia Trachomatis was done by Enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Findings of laparoscopy were evaluated against presence or absence of chlamydial antibodies in serum. Results: Out of 200 patients,10 patients tested positive for chlamydial antibody. Chlamydial antibody was found positive in 20% and 22.7% of patients with tubal pathology and peri-hepatic adhesions of patients, respectively. The sensitivity of chlamydial antibody for diagnosing tubal pathology was found to be 20%, while specificity was 100%. The positive chlamydial antibody test was not statistically associated with involvement of one or both tubes and site of tubal block. Conclusion: Chlamydia antibody test does not appear to be good screening test for tubal pathology especially in Indian subcontinent. In view of its high specificity, this test can be used to identify patients with higher chances of tubal pathology requiring operative interventio

An online study to assess the disposal of personal protective equipment at home amid COVID-19 pandemic in India

Introduction: In the current COVID-19 pandemic, when most of cases are asymptomatic or mild, and being kept on home isolation, personal protective equipment (PPE) used by them is potentially infectious and needs to be treated like biomedical wastes. The objective of the study is to assess the disposal of PPE used by general public in the current COVID-19 pandemic in India. Materials and Methods: This was a 1-week online cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among residents of India, in the age group of >18 years. The sample was convenient. The study tool was online self-designed, semi-structured, pretested, and self-administered questionnaire. Results: A total of 559 study subjects were analyzed. Maximum (77.8%) subjects were of age 18–40 years with almost equal proportion of male and female. Overall satisfactory disposal of PPE was done by 9.7% of subjects. Conclusion: The PPE disposal in the community is not satisfactory despite majority of the study participants claimed to be aware of PPE disposal guidelines

Prioritization of Physio-Biochemical Selection Indices and Yield-Attributing Traits toward the Acquisition of Drought Tolerance in Chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.)

Chickpea is widely grown in rainfed areas of developing countries because of its nutritional abundance and adaptability. To overcome the environmental effect of drought on yield, a characteristic-linked selection strategy is proved as well-thought-out and advantageous for the development of drought-tolerant cultivars. To precisely understand the contribution of various physio-biochemical and yield-attributing traits toward drought tolerance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), forty chickpea genotypes were evaluated in the years 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 under normal irrigated as well as drought-stressed conditions. Among the studied genotypes, genotype ICC4958 retained the highest chl content (0.55 mg g−1 FW), minimal electrolyte leakage, and superoxide dismutase (1.48 U/mg FW) and peroxidase (2.21 µmol/min/g FW) activities while cultivar JG11 maintained the maximum relative water content and proline accumulation. The principal-component-based biplots prioritized the physio-biochemical and yield-accrediting characteristics based on their association significance and contribution to terminal drought tolerance. Under drought stress, grain yield per plant was depicted to have a strongly positive association with canopy temperature depression, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities as well as total soluble sugar, proline, and chlorophyll content, along with the numbers of pods and biological yield per plant. These identified physio-biochemical and yield-attributing traits can be further deployed to select drought-tolerant chickpea genotypes for the breeding of climate-smart chickpea genotypes