Evaluating the effects of vicrylrapide (polyglactin 910) and chromic catgut for episiotomy repair

Background: Objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of vicrylrapide (VR) (polyglactin 910) and chromic catgut (CC) for episiotomy repair.Methods: A prospective, randomized, comparative study carried over a period of one year. 200 women were included in the study after taking informed consent and randomly allocated to repair with VR group and CC group (100 each). The outcome measures were assessed in terms of postpartum perineal pain, nature of wound healing, need for resuturing and resumption of sexual activity and dyspareunia at 24-hour, 7th day, 6th week and 12th week postpartum.Results: The mean age was 24.39±2.95 (range: 19-31 years) for VR and 24.38±3.80 (range: 18-37 years) for CC group. The VR group was associated with less severe pain (31%) compared with CC group (74%) indicating higher pain intensity in CC group. There was also a significant difference in the uncomfortable stitches, urinary retention, defecation difficulty, wound indurations, and wound dehiscence (0% versus 7%) and a better wound healing (p=0.004) in the VR group. Insignificant statistical difference was noted at 6 weeks and 12 weeks (p=0.786 and 0.627) between two groups in terms of dyspareunia.Conclusions: VR is an ideal suture material for episiotomy repair compared to CC as it is associated with less perineal pain, less uncomfortable sutures and a better wound healing

ADVANCES IN MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are integratedmicrodevices or systems combining electrical and mechanical components. The mechanical microcomponents either move inresponse to certain stimuli (sensors) or are initiated to performcertain tasks (actuators). The microelectronic components areused to control that motion or to obtain information from that motion. These systems can sense, control, actuate, and function individually or in arrays to generate effects on the microscale.These are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) batch processing techniques making it possible to realise the complete systemon a chip. The miniaturisation of mechanical components bringsthe same benefit to mechanical systems that microfabrication brings to electronics. In a broader sense, technologies associatedwith MEMS include smart materials (e.g. shape memory alloys,ferroelectrics) and processes required to make MEMS components, integration of components to make MEMS devices (sensors,actuators, etc.) and applications that use MEMS devices. The MEMS are considered as building blocks for complex microrobots performing a variety of tasks and are used to make system swhich function very close to biological systems existing in nature.Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(6), pp.555-556, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.157

INTERFERENCE REJECTION OF SIGNALS BY ADAPTIVE MINIMUM MEAN SQUARE ERROR CRITERION OVER RAYLEIGH FADING CHANNELS

Channel time-variation (or fading) is the major source of impairment in digital wireless communications. This occurs due to mobility of the user or of the objects in the propagation environment. The limited spectral bandwidth necessitates the use of resource sharing schemes between multiple users. As the transmission medium is shared between the users, this leads to interference between the users. Sharing of resource results in interference such as multiple access interference. This paper deals with methods to study and mitigate such interference considering Rayleigh fading channels. There are various classes of fading conditions. The use of CDMA is under active research as a viable alternative to TDMA and FDMA. Performance in this system is limited by narrowband and multiple access interference. Various methods are used to mitigate them. But here, linear MMSE detector is considered. MMSE technique results in interference rejection. Its adaptive form is applied to Rayleigh fading channels, which are reflective and nondispersive. It results into better results than before

Microcantilever-based Sensors

Micromachined cantilever platform offers an opportunity for the development and mass production of extremely sensitive low-cost sensors for real time in situ sensing of many chemical, explosives and biological species. These sensors have been used for measuring and detecting various hazardous chemicals, explosives, and biological agents, leading to the development of hand-held labs. In this paper, different geometries of microcantilevers have been analysed, and their performances in terms of deflection and shift in resonance frequency due to additional mass of analyte have been simulated. The results of these studies can be used to increase the sensitivity of these devices.Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(6), pp.634-641, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.156

Bifunctional recombinant fusion proteins for rapid detection of antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in whole blood

BACKGROUND: Availability of accurate diagnostic tests has been helpful in curtailing the spread of HIV infection. Among these, simple, point of care, inexpensive tests which require only a drop of blood from finger-prick and give reliable results within minutes are a must for expansion of testing services and for reaching mobile and marginalised populations. Such tests will not only be a boon for the infrastructure-starved developing and underdeveloped countries but will also be extremely useful in developed countries where post-testing compliance is a major problem. Our laboratory has been involved in developing reagents for heamagglutination-based rapid detection of antibodies to HIV in whole blood using recombinant molecules specific for either HIV-1 or HIV-2. Since it is not required of a screening test to differentially detect HIV and HIV-2, it would useful to create a single molecule capable of simultaneous detection of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in a drop of blood. RESULTS: The present paper describes designing, high-level expression and large-scale purification of new molecules comprising recombinant anti-RBC Fab fused to immunodominant regions of envelope sequences from both gp41 of HIV-1 and gp36 of HIV-2. These immunodominant regions of HIV envelope contain cysteine residues, which make disulfide bond and can interfere with the assembly of light chain and heavy chain fragment to make Fab molecule in vitro. To circumvent this problem, a series of fusion proteins having different combinations of native and mutant envelope sequences were constructed, purified and evaluated for their efficacy in detecting antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2. A chimeric molecule comprising native envelope sequence of gp41 of HIV-1 and modified envelope sequence of gp36 of HIV-2 gave good production yield and also detected both HIV-1 and HIV-2 samples with high sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSION: The new bifunctional antibody fusion protein identified in this study detects both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected samples efficiently and can be used in place of molecules that detect only HIV-1 or HIV-2. This will make reagent production more economical as only one molecule has to be produced in place of two molecules. Also, it will simplify the testing procedure allowing detection of both HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections in a single drop of blood

Platelet count estimation: a prognostic index in pregnancy induced hypertension

Background: Hypertension in pregnancy is one of the serious complications of pregnancy with an incidence of 5% to 7% of all pregnancies, particularly in cases with preeclampsia and eclampsia. Though platelet count during pregnancy is within the normal non pregnant reference values, there is a tendency for the platelet count to fall in late pregnancy. The frequency and intensity of maternal thrombocytopenia varies and is dependent on the intensity of the disease process and duration of PIH syndrome.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 200 pregnant women attending OPD Or Inpatients in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, SMGS Hospital, GMC Jammu from November 2015 to October 2016. Pregnant women beyond 28 weeks gestation of pregnancy are included and divided into two groups i.e. the study and control group. Platelet counts will be done every 4 weeks in controls and weekly in subjects from 28 weeks till delivery.Results: The mean platelet count observed among cases of mild preecclampsia, severe preeclampsia and ecclampsia was 2.26, 1.63 and 0.99 lakh/mm3 respectively. The difference in mean platelet count among cases and controls was statistically significant. The association of platelet count with severity of different categories of PIH was analysed statistically and was highly significant.Conclusions: Platelet count is a very important investigation for the antenatal mother having PIH, as it is directly related to maternal and perinatal outcome. Routine and regular monitoring of platelet count can be included in the routine antenatal checkup among the pregnant women with PIH

Comparative evaluation of laparoscopic hysterectomy and non-descent vaginal hysterectomy in women with benign gynaecological disease

Background: Hysterectomy is one of the most frequently performed gynaecological operative procedure all over world, second most to caesarean section in United States. The aim of study was to compare the intraoperative and postoperative complications in patients undergoing non-descent vaginal hysterectomy (NDVH) and Laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) for benign gynaecological disease.Methods: The prospective one-year study was conducted on 156 patients who required hysterectomy for benign gynaecological conditions. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 75 patients assigned to Group A (NDVH) and 75 to Group B (LH) and both groups were compared.Results: On comparing the two groups there was statistically significant decrease in the duration of surgery (p<0.01, t = 11.65), pain score (p<0.01, t = 2.75) and blood transfusion requirement (p = 0.03, χ2 = 4.80) in group A, while blood loss (p = 0.73, t = 0.33), uterine volume (p = 0.15, t = 1.43), time taken to ambulate (p = 0.06 , t = 0.21), duration of hospital stay (p = 0.07, t = 1.80), conversion to laparotomy (p = 0.13, χ2 = 2.56), febrile morbidity (p = 0.27, χ2 = 1.34), infection (p = 0.42, χ2 = 1.11) and visceral injury was found statistically insignificant.Conclusions: Vaginal hysterectomy is an easier technique with shorter duration of surgery and with minimal infrastructure required and for fixed uterus or huge adnexal mass laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) should be preferred

Morphological changes in placenta in cases of oligohydramnios

Background: There are gross and microscopic changes in placenta and umbilical cord in complicated pregnancies. The objective of this study was to study pathological (gross and microscopic) changes in placenta, membrane and umbilical cord in cases with oligohydramnios and to study relationship between changes in placenta, membranes and umbilical cord with severity of oligohydramnios.Methods: A total of 50 patients were selected and their placentas were collected after delivery and sent to pathology department in 10 % formalin for histopathological examination. Patients were divided into three groups and the results were compared. Statistical calculations were performed using the SPSS 16.0. In order to detect differences between subjects students t-test was used for continuous variables, while, for categorical variables, the X2 test was used. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Atotal of 50 patients were studied for a period of one year and following observations were made, discoid shape placenta in 45 (90.0%), oval in 5 (10.0%), central attachment of umbilical cord in 16 cases (32.0%), eccentric in 33 (66.0%), marginal in 1 (2.0%) case following variables were compared and p value detected, placental maximum diameter (p <0.0001),placental minimum diameters (p = 0.041), mean of cord length (p <0.0001) placental weight (p = 0.273), placental thickness (p = 0.253), acute chorioamnionitis (p <0.0001), chronic chorioamnionitis (p<0.0001), focal squamous metaplasia (p <0.0001), bacterial colonies in subamnion (p <0.0001), meconium staining (p <0.0001), amnion nodosum (p < 0.0001), intra amniotic haemorrhage (p = 0.090), membranous deciduitis with chorioamnionitis (p = 0.081), focal haematoma (p = 0.010), acute inflammatory infiltrate in Wharton’s jelly (p = 0.012), single umbilical artery (p =0.010), intervillous fibrin deposition (p <0.0001), calcification (p<0.0001), chorangiosis (p <0.0001), syncytial knots (p <0.0001), avascular villi (p = 0.011), villous edema (p = 0.090) and infarct (p = 0.090).Conclusions: There are alterations in placental morphology associated with oligohydramnios hence placenta should be examined, which may be useful in predicting perinatal morbidity and mortality

The association between social media use and body dysmorphic symptoms in young people

Introduction: Social media use (SMU) is highly prevalent amongst young people and previous research suggests an association with mental health problems, including poor body image. However, the potential relationship between SMU and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has received little attention. Furthermore, little is known about the factors that moderate the potential association between SMU and body dysmorphic symptoms. The current study tested the associations between three facets of SMU and body dysmorphic symptoms and explored perfectionism as a moderator in a non-clinical sample.// Method: Two-hundred and nine 16-18-year-olds (mean age = 16.5 years, 37% male) recruited from schools in London completed an online survey measuring aspects of SMU, including: frequency of image-and text-based SMU; motivations for SMU (appearance, popularity, connection or values and interests); and active and passive SMU. Participants additionally completed validated measures of body dysmorphic symptoms, perfectionism, and anxiety/depressive symptoms. Linear regression models tested the association of body dysmorphic symptoms with different facets of SMU, with and without adjustment for age, sex and anxiety/depressive symptoms.// Results: Frequency of use of image-based, but not text-based, platforms was significantly and positively associated with body dysmorphic symptoms, and this association remained significant in the adjusted models. Appearance-based motivation for SMU was the only motivator uniquely associated with body dysmorphic symptoms across the unadjusted and adjusted models. Passive, not active, SMU was associated with body dysmorphic symptoms in unadjusted models, but this association became non-significant in the adjusted models. Self-oriented perfectionism moderated the association between frequency of image-based SMU and body dysmorphic symptoms.// Discussion: Image-based SMU, and appearance-based motivations for SMU, are positively associated with body dysmorphic symptoms. Self-oriented perfectionism may amplify the relationship between SMU and body dysmorphic symptoms. Our findings highlight the importance of a nuanced approach to examining SMU, and the need for further research to determine whether specific facets of SMU contribute to the development and/or maintenance of body dysmorphic symptoms

Recurrent ectopic pregnancy after ipsilateral salpingectomy: a rare case report

Ectopic pregnancy occurs in 1.3% to 2% of all pregnancies, and there is a potential threat for maternal morbidity and mortality. Ipsilateral ectopic pregnancy after partial or total salpingectomy is a rare occurrence. Current surgical management of tubal pregnancy includes conservative (usually salpingostomy) and radical (total or partial salpingectomy) methods. However, in some cases, these methods may not solve the problem. We are presenting the case of a 26 year old female G3P1+1 who presented with bleeding per vaginum, pain in abdomen, severe pallor, hypotension, and tachycardia following 3 months amenorrhoea. She had a previous right sided ruptured ectopic pregnancy and right salpingectomy done 5 years back. On laparotomy, there was right adnexal mass of 5x7 cm size. Given the possibility of transperitonal migration of human embryos and sperm, which has a greatly increased risk associated with previous ectopic pregnancies, total salpingectomy should be the treatment of choice if conservative methods of treatment are not suitable. This case emphasizes that salpingectomy does not exclude ectopic pregnancy on the ipsilateral side. Total salpingectomy too carries the potential for the recurrence of ectopic pregnancy on the same side hence the need for clinician awareness and vigilance