Changing trends in intrauterine contraceptive device: from interval intrauterine contraceptive device to postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device: a prospective observational study in a tertiary care hospital in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Background: The current outburst of Indian population (1.21 billion as per census 2011) is because of the lack of awareness and acceptance of contraception in the immediate postpartum period. Postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device (PPIUCD) insertion can do wonders and curb this unmet need of family planning if good counselling and proper insertion techniques are followed.Methods: The present study was carried among 526 women in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of Nehru Hospital in BRD medical college Gorakhpur, India. Intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) was inserted in 424 women in PPIUCD group and in 102 women in interval IUCD group after taking proper consent and following the WHO medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use (MEC). Follow-up was done at 6 weeks and 6 months.Results: The acceptance rate of PPIUCD was 30.34% as compared to 18% in interval IUCD group (p-value <0.05). The chief reason for declining the use of IUCD was fear of excessive pain and bleeding (26.3%). Long term reversible method (32%) was the main reason given for accepting IUCD. There was no perforation or any other major complication at the time of insertion in both the groups. Rate of expulsion was 5.7% in PPIUCD and 2.22% in interval IUCD group p-value (>0.05).Conclusions: PPIUCD is a safe, effective, feasible and reversible method of contraception. It should be made a part of family health care programmes in India

Early warning identity threat and mitigation system

While many organizations share threat intelligence, there is still a lack of actionable data for organizations to proactively and effectively respond to emerging identity threats to mitigate a wide range of crimes. There currently exists no solution for organizations to access current trends and intelligence to understand emerging threats and how to appropriately respond to them. This research project delivers I-WARN, to help bridge that gap. Using a wide range of open-source information, I-WARN gathers, analyzes, and reports on threats related to the theft, fraud, and abuse of Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Then maps those threats to the MITRE ATT&CK framework to offer mitigation and risk reduction tactics. I-WARN aims to deliver actionable intelligence, offering early warning into threat behaviors, and mitigation responses. This thesis discusses the technical details of I-WARN, current solutions for threat intelligence sharing with how they compare to I-WARN, and future work.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Automatic Billing using RFID Module

Our motive is to develop a system that can be used in shopping complex s to resolve the challenge of being standing and waiting in the queue. There has been an emerging demand for quick and easy payment of bills in supermarkets. This project describes how to build an automated and time saving system for the world of retail which will make shopping experience impetuous, customer friendly and secure. In this paper, smart cart is proposed that will be capable of generating a bill from the cart itself. The customer will make the payment in no time through a rechargeable credit card which will help to maintain database and introduce schemes and offers in stores accordingly. The smart cart uses RFID technology for purchasing and fee, AVR microcontroller for peripheral interfacing and inventory control. This revolutionary device will assist the stores to look a rise of their income together with delighting customers

Therapeutic efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the treatment of choice for uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Artemether-lumefantrine (AL), a fixed dose co-formulation, has recently been approved for marketing in India, although it is not included in the National Drug Policy for treatment of malaria. Efficacy of short course regimen (4 × 4 tablets of 20 mg artemether plus 120 mg lumefantrine over 48 h) was demonstrated in India in the year 2000. However, low cure rates in Thailand and better plasma lumefantrine concentration profile with a six-dose regimen over three days, led to the recommendation of higher dose globally. This is the first report on the therapeutic efficacy of the six-dose regimen of AL in Indian uncomplicated falciparum malaria patients. The data generated will help in keeping the alternative ACT ready for use in the National Programme as and when required.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and twenty four subjects between two and fifty-five years of age living in two highly endemic areas of the country (Assam and Orissa) were enrolled for single arm, open label prospective study. The standard six-dose regimen of AL was administered over three days and was followed-up with clinical and parasitological evaluations over 28 days. Molecular markers <it>msp</it>-<it>1 </it>and <it>msp</it>-2 were used to differentiate the recrudescence and reinfection among the study subjects. In addition, polymorphism in <it>pfmdr</it>1 was also carried out in the samples obtained from patients before and after the treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The PCR corrected cure rates were high at both the sites viz. 100% (n = 53) in Assam and 98.6% (n = 71) in Orissa. The only treatment failure case on D7 was a malnourished child. The drug was well tolerated with no adverse events. Patients had pre-treatment carriage of wild type codons at positions 86 (41.7%, n = 91) and 184 (91.3%, n = 91) of <it>pfmdr1 </it>gene.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>AL is safe and effective drug for the treatment of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria in India. The polymorphism in <it>pfmdr</it>1 gene is not co-related with clinical outcome. However, treatment failure can also occur due to incomplete absorption of the drug as is suspected in one case of failure at D7 in the study. AL can be a viable alternative of artesunate plus sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (AS + SP), however, the drug should be used rationally and efficacy needs to be monitored periodically.</p

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transcriptional Adaptation, Growth Arrest and Dormancy Phenotype Development Is Triggered by Vitamin C

BACKGROUND: Tubercle bacilli are thought to persist in a dormant state during latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. Although little is known about the host factors that induce and maintain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) within latent lesions, O(2) depletion, nutrient limitation and acidification are some of the stresses implicated in bacterial dormancy development/growth arrest. Adaptation to hypoxia and exposure to NO/CO is implemented through the DevRS/DosT two-component system which induces the dormancy regulon. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show that vitamin C (ascorbic acid/AA) can serve as an additional signal to induce the DevR regulon. Physiological levels of AA scavenge O(2) and rapidly induce the DevR regulon at an estimated O(2) saturation of <30%. The kinetics and magnitude of the response suggests an initial involvement of DosT and a sustained DevS-mediated response during bacterial adaptation to increasing hypoxia. In addition to inducing DevR regulon mechanisms, vitamin C induces the expression of selected genes previously shown to be responsive to low pH and oxidative stress, triggers bacterial growth arrest and promotes dormancy phenotype development in M. tb grown in axenic culture and intracellularly in THP-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Vitamin C mimics multiple intracellular stresses and has wide-ranging regulatory effects on gene expression and physiology of M. tb which leads to growth arrest and a 'dormant' drug-tolerant phenotype, but in a manner independent of the DevRS/DosT system. The 'AA-dormancy infection model' offers a potential alternative to other models of non-replicating persistence of M. tb and may be useful for investigating host-'dormant' M. tb interactions. Our findings offer a new perspective on the role of nutritional factors in TB and suggest a possible role for vitamin C in TB

Who is the Main Character, Really?

Who is The Main Character, Really? is a text-based game in which you play as a voice whispering in someone's ear, directing them through their daily life. Essentially, the player fights for their own agency against the whims of an NPC