Macro and micro-morphological characteristics of Plantago seeds and its implication for species identification

Seed morphology of five species of Plantago (P. psyllium, P.ovata, P. lanceolata, P. major and P. arenaria) was examined under scanning electron microscope. Macro- and micro-morphological characters, including seed shape, colour, size, shape of cavity, surface ornamentation and epidermal cell shape are presented.  Marked difference among the species noted with respect of considered traits and a key for the identification of the investigated taxa based on seed characters is provided. Â

Post COVID-19 Symptoms: A Neglected Domain

Background: COVID -19 is the most important public health problem of recent time. Most people who have COVID-19 recovers completely within a few weeks but some people continue to have symptoms after initial recovery. Objective: To assess the prevalence of Post COVID symptoms, to assess requirement of treatment and to make recommendation for Post COVID care. Methods: Present cross sectional study was done among patients who recovered from COVID-19 in Meerut district. Mobile numbers of COVID patients were obtained from records, Total 100 randomly selected patients were contacted using google form and information regarding post covid symptoms in between 6 weeks to 12 weeks after recovery from COVID was obtained. Result: 87%patients developed one or more post covid symptoms. Weakness was reported to be most common problem (55%), followed by body ache (26%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as difficulty in concentration and insomnia (22%). Every fifth patient reported that symptoms persisted for more than 1 month. Though most of the respondents classified their symptoms as mild and moderate (52.5% and 37.9% respectively), 47% of the symptomatic patients have to take some treatment for these symptoms. Conclusion: Post COVID symptoms are common but usually less severe . Some form of treatment was required to deal with problem. Almost one in five patients reported that symptoms persisted for more than one month. The results highlight the need for post Covid care for COVID recovered patients

Community Medicine Outpatient Department: Patient profile and reasons for bypass of lower-level public health facilities

Background: The General OPD under the department of Community Medicine at LLRM Medical College, Meerut was inaugurated with the vision to improve quality of OPD services by reducing the patient burden and waiting time at specialist OPDs. Aim & Objective: To describe the profile of patients attending the Community Medicine OPD in LLRM Medical College, Meerut and to estimate the extent and reasons for bypass of lower-level public health facility by patients attending the general OPD. Settings and Design: A hospital based descriptive study was conducted in the general OPD. Methods and Material: Data of all patients from 1st July,2023 to 31st August,2023 was collected from the registers maintained in the OPD. A sample of 215 patients were selected by systematic random sampling to study the objective to assess bypass of lower-level public health facility. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics. Results: A total of 2570 patients attended the general OPD from 1st July,2023 to 31st August,2023. Around 12.8% patients required referral to specialist OPDs. Most common presenting complaints were respiratory symptoms (29.8%). It was seen that 58.8% patients had bypassed the lower-level public health system and the most common reasons were non-availability of a facility nearby (26.8%), not satisfied with previous experience (23.7%), non-availability of treatment (21.6%) and investigations (17.5%), and lack of awareness of services available at the public health facility (15.4%). Conclusions: The general OPD serves as a model for other medical colleges to emulate and improve the quality of services at tertiary care centres

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some New Rhodanine Analogues as Aldose Reductase Inhibitors (ARIs)

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting long-term secondary complication. Aldose reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the polyol pathway, plays a key role in the treatment of diabetic complications. Appropriately, inhibition of this enzyme is emerging as a major therapeutic strategy for the pathogenesis of secondary complication. In this study, we describe a series of 5 aryl benzylidene -thiazolidine, 4-dione derivatives, F3 synthesized as aldose reductase inhibitors. Besides inhibiting efficiently the target enzyme, F4 and F5 showed additional AR inhibitory as well as hypoglycaemic activity (146.15 and 175.20 mg/dl ) thus emerging as novel dual acting compounds. The bezylidene derivative F3, the most promising of the whole series, showed a well-balanced, consisting of ALR2 inhibitory efficacy (83.00% at 10µg/mL), similarly, F3 have lower blood glucose level in the range of 131.11 mg/dl at 15 mg/kg body weight. This compound show robust in vitro and in vivo efficacy, and could be considered as promising dual target antidiabetic drug candidates. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, Aldose reductase inhibitor

The Seroepidemiology of Haemophilus influenzae Type B Prior to Introduction of an Immunization Programme in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is now recognized as an important pathogen in Asia. To evaluate disease susceptibility, and as a marker of Hib transmission before routine immunization was introduced in Kathmandu, 71 participants aged 7 months-77 years were recruited and 15 cord blood samples were collected for analysis of anti-polyribosylribitol phosphate antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Only 20% of children under 5 years old had levels considered protective (>0.15 µg/ml), rising to 83% of 15-54 year-olds. Prior to introduction of Hib vaccine in Kathmandu, the majority of young children were susceptible to disease

Nutritionally Enhanced Staple Food Crops

Crop biofortification is a sustainable and cost-effective strategy to address malnutrition in developing countries. This review synthesizes the progress toward developing seed micronutrient-dense cereals and legumes cultivars by exploiting natural genetic variation using conventional breeding and/or transgenic technology, and discusses the associated issues to strengthen crop biofortification research and development. Some major QTL for seed iron and zinc, seed phosphorus, and seed phytate in common bean, rice,J;md wheat have been mapped. An iron reductase QTL associated with seed-iron ~QTL is found in common bean where the genes coding for candidate enzymes involved in phytic acid synthesis have also been mapped. Candidate genes for Ipa co segregate with mutant phenotypes identified in rice and soybean. The Gpe-B1 locus in wild emmer wheat accelerates senescence and increases nutrient remobilization from leaves to developing seeds, and another gene named TtNAM-B1 affecting these traits has been cloned. Seed iron-dense common bean and rice in Latin America; seed iron-dense common bean in eastern and southern Africa;....

Effect of sleep on blood pressure among adults of urban slums: A Cross sectional study

Introduction: Hypertension, the “Silent, Invisible killer” - is a modern day’s universal epidemic. The adult populations in slum area are more vulnerable for hypertension as they are so busy in the fulfilment of even day to day basic needs and care, family commitments and economic stress. Aim and objectives: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension among the adults (25-44 years) and to study the effect of sleep on blood pressure levels. Methodology: The present cross-sectional study was carried among adults aged between 25 to 44 years residing in the slums of Meerut District. 30 Cluster Sampling technique was used. The slum was selected as a cluster unit. During the visit by house-to-house survey, members of the family were listed and eligible person were interviewed and examined. Data collected on a structured and pretested questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of hypertension among those who had sleep duration of >8 hours per day was 44.8% followed by 20.1% and 17.5% among those who had 7-8 hours and less than 7 hours of sleep time respectively. It was found that 24.2% monophasic sleep pattern follower were hypertensives while the prevalence was 19.4% in biphasic pattern. Conclusion: Majority (55.4%) had a sleep duration between 7-8 hours, followed by 33.9% and 10.7% with <7 hours and >8 hours of sleep time respectively. Majority (61.3%) of the study population were having monophasic sleep pattern, while 36.3% were biphasic and 2.4% were multiphasic

Advances in Bioresearch O OR RI IG GI IN NA AL L A AR RT TI IC CL LE E Lipase Activity of some Fungi Isolated from Otitis Media

ABSTRAC

Percolating Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in Rural North India

Background: World has seen a tremendous epidemiological transition in disease patterns from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Currently cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of disability and premature deaths globally. Objective: (1) To know prevalence of various risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in the rural area of Meerut. (2) To find out the association of sociodemographic factors with hypertension. Settings and design: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Machchra village. Methods: The study was conducted among 315 study participants over time period of one year in which all the adults aged >30 years above residing in the ward of study area were included. Sampling technique used was systematic random sampling. Results: The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia was found to be 30.2%, 22.2% and 15.2% respectively. The prevalence of pre-obese and obese were 14.3% and 7.0% respectively. The maximum prevalence of hypertension was seen in the age group of 70 years (66.7%), in females (30.6%), SES as class IV (36.5%), secondary school completed population (42.9%) and among homemakers (40.9%). The prevalence of hypertension was found to be statistically significant in relation to age, educational status and occupation. Conclusion: In our study the prevalence of hypertension was found to be 30.2% (in males 29.6% while in females 30.6%)

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Body Composition in Tibetan Adolescent girls of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh

Malnutrition among adolescents is an important public health issue in India. The aim of the present study was to assess nutritional status and body composition characteristics of adolescent girls and their interrelationships with physical activity and socioeconomic status (SES). Nutritional status and body composition characteristics were assessed in terms of body mass index (BMI), upper arm muscle area by height (UAMAH) and percent body fat (PBF) among 276 Tibetan adolescent girls from Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. Overall, 12.7% of the girls were in the wasting category (using Z-score based classification for UAMAH) and 9.8% were thin. About 16.3% girls were obese. Significant variabilities of PBF have been observed with respect to age and levels of physical activity and wasting. Adolescent girls were observed to have higher lean body mass than body fat