Maternal serum βhCG level and uterine artery doppler studies as predictors of pregnancy induced hypertension and intra uterine growth restriction: a prospective study

Background: PIH, a pregnancy-specific disorder, is one of the major causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide.PIH and fetal growth restriction are important causes of perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortility.Methods: Hundred Indian pregnant women in their second trimester (13-20 weeks) and in their late second trimester (24-28 weeks) investigated for their serum β-hCG level and uterine artery Doppler studies respectively, attending OPD/IPD in Sir T. hospital, Bhavnagar from June 2014 to June 2015.Results: There is no clinical significance between parity and occurrence of PIH (p=0.2) and FGR (p=0.7). Out of 77 patients with their β hCG level ≤2 MoM, 2 patients (2.59%) developed PIH and FGR. And from 12 patients with their β hCG level ≥2 MoM 10 patients (80%) developed PIH and FGR which is highly significant (p<0.001). The study establishes the validity of beta HCG as a predictor of PIH and FGR with the sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 97.5%.Conclusions: This study can be concluded by there is a strong association between high maternal serum ß-hCG level, abnormal uterine Doppler studies with predicting adverse outcome of pregnancy like PIH and FGR. There is also a good association between high maternal serum ß-hCG level and rising severity of the disease

Effect of age, sex and physiological stages on hematological indices of Banni buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Aim: To determine the physiological baseline values for hematological indices of Banni buffalo Bubalus bubalis) as well as to assess their alteration due to age, sex and physiological stages. Materials and Methods: A total of 42 clinically healthy Banni buffaloes were categorized into seven groups (n=6): Group I (male calves ≤1 year), Group II (bulls >1 year), Group III (female calves ≤1 year), Group IV (pregnant lactating buffaloes), Group V (non-pregnant lactating buffaloes), Group VI (pregnant dry buffaloes), and Group VII (non-pregnant dry buffaloes). Blood samples collected aseptically from all the experimental groups were analyzed employing automated hematology analyzer. The data obtained were statistically analyzed; the mean and standard deviations were calculated and set as the reference values. Results: The erythrocytic indices viz. total erythrocytes count (TEC), hemoglobin, and packed cell volume (PCV) were significantly higher in bulls as compared to that of male calves unlike mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and MCH concentration. The female calves had higher TEC and PCV than the adult buffaloes irrespective of sex. The total leukocyte count (TLC) and neutrophil counts in male calves were significantly lower than the bulls unlike the eosinophil, while monocyte and basophil remained unchanged with age. The TLC, differential leukocyte count and platelet count varied non-significantly among the adult female groups at different physiological stages. However, neutrophils were found to be apparently higher in lactating buffaloes. Conclusion: The present study would be helpful for physiological characterization of this unique buffalo breed of Gujarat. Further, data generated may be a tool for monitoring the health and prognosis as well as diagnosis of diseases

Performance of automated and manual coding systems for occupational data: A case study of historical records

Occupational data are a common source of workplace exposure and socioeconomic information in epidemiologic research. We compared the performance of two occupation coding methods, an automated software and a manual coder, using occupation and industry titles from U.S. historical records

Repeatability of Central and Peripheral Pulse Wave Velocity Measures: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Arterial stiffness measures are emerging tools for risk assessment and stratification for hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is an established measure of central arterial stiffness. Other measures of PWV include femoral-ankle (faPWV), a measure of peripheral stiffness, and brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV), a composite measure of central and peripheral stiffness. Repeatability of central, peripheral, and composite PWV measures has not been adequately examined or compared

Emergency Medical Services Capacity for Prehospital Stroke Care in North Carolina

IntroductionPrior assessments of emergency medical services (EMS) stroke capacity found deficiencies in education and training, use of protocols and screening tools, and planning for the transport of patients. A 2001 survey of North Carolina EMS providers found many EMS systems lacked basic stroke services. Recent statewide efforts have sought to standardize and improve prehospital stroke care. The objective of this study was to assess EMS stroke care capacity in North Carolina and evaluate statewide changes since 2001.MethodsIn June 2012, we conducted a web-based survey on stroke education and training and stroke care practices and policies among all EMS systems in North Carolina. We used the McNemar test to assess changes from 2001 to 2012.ResultsOf 100 EMS systems in North Carolina, 98 responded to our survey. Most systems reported providing stroke education and training (95%) to EMS personnel, using a validated stroke scale or screening tool (96%), and having a hospital prenotification policy (98%). Many were suboptimal in covering basic stroke educational topics (71%), always communicating stroke screen results to the destination hospital (46%), and always using a written destination plan (49%). Among 70 EMS systems for which we had data for 2001 and 2012, we observed significant improvements in education on stroke scales or screening tools (61% to 93%, P < .001) and use of validated stroke scales or screening tools (23% to 96%, P < .001).ConclusionMajor improvements in EMS stroke care, especially in prehospital stroke screening, have occurred in North Carolina in the past decade, whereas other practices and policies, including use of destination plans, remain in need of improvement

A green bio-organic catalyst (taurine) promoted one-pot synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine(TDHPM)-5-carboxanilides: chiral investigations using circular dichroism and validation by computational approaches

Owing to the massive importance of dihydropyrimidine (DHPMs) scaffolds in the pharmaceutical industry and other areas, we developed an effective and sustainable one-pot reaction protocol for the synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-DHPM-5-carboxanilides via the Biginelli-type cyclo-condensation reaction of aryl aldehydes, thiourea and various acetoacetanilide derivatives in ethanol at 100 °C. In this protocol, taurine was used as a green and reusable bio-organic catalyst. Twenty-three novel derivatives of (R/S)-TDHPM-5-carboxanilides and their structures were confirmed by various spectroscopy techniques. The aforementioned compounds were synthesized via the formation of one asymmetric centre, one new C–C bond, and two new C–N bonds in the final product. All the newly synthesized compounds were obtained in their racemic form with up to 99% yield. In addition, the separation of the racemic mixture of all the newly synthesized compounds was carried out by chiral HPLC (Prep LC), which provided up to 99.99% purity. The absolute configuration of all the enantiomerically pure isomers was determined using a circular dichroism study and validated by a computational approach. With up to 99% yield of 4d, this one-pot synthetic approach can also be useful for large-scale industrial production. One of the separated isomers (4R)-(+)-4S developed as a single crystal, and it was found that this crystal structure was orthorhombic

A green bio-organic catalyst (taurine) promoted one-pot synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine(TDHPM)-5-carboxanilides: chiral investigations using circular dichroism and validation by computational approaches

Owing to the massive importance of dihydropyrimidine (DHPMs) scaffolds in the pharmaceutical industry and other areas, we developed an effective and sustainable one-pot reaction protocol for the synthesis of (R/S)-2-thioxo-DHPM-5-carboxanilides via the Biginelli-type cyclo-condensation reaction of aryl aldehydes, thiourea and various acetoacetanilide derivatives in ethanol at 100 °C. In this protocol, taurine was used as a green and reusable bio-organic catalyst. Twenty-three novel derivatives of (R/S)-TDHPM-5-carboxanilides and their structures were confirmed by various spectroscopy techniques. The aforementioned compounds were synthesized via the formation of one asymmetric centre, one new C–C bond, and two new C–N bonds in the final product. All the newly synthesized compounds were obtained in their racemic form with up to 99% yield. In addition, the separation of the racemic mixture of all the newly synthesized compounds was carried out by chiral HPLC (Prep LC), which provided up to 99.99% purity. The absolute configuration of all the enantiomerically pure isomers was determined using a circular dichroism study and validated by a computational approach. With up to 99% yield of 4d, this one-pot synthetic approach can also be useful for large-scale industrial production. One of the separated isomers (4R)-(+)-4S developed as a single crystal, and it was found that this crystal structure was orthorhombic

Click-chemistry mediated synthesis of OTBN-1,2,3-Triazole derivatives exhibiting STK33 inhibition with diverse anti-cancer activities

There is a continuous and pressing need to establish new brain-penetrant bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties. To this end, a new series of 4′-((4-substituted-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-carbonitrile (OTBN-1,2,3-triazole) derivatives were synthesized by click chemistry. The series of bioactive compounds were designed and synthesized from diverse alkynes and N3-OTBN, using copper (II) acetate monohydrate in aqueous dimethylformamide at room temperature. Besides being highly cost-effective and significantly reducing synthesis, the reaction yielded 91–98 % of the target products without the need of any additional steps or chromatographic techniques. Two analogues exhibit promising anti-cancer biological activities. Analogue 4l shows highly specific cytostatic activity against lung cancer cells, while analogue 4k exhibits pan-cancer anti-growth activity. A kinase screen suggests compound 4k has single-digit micromolar activity against kinase STK33. High STK33 RNA expression correlates strongly with poorer patient outcomes in both adult and pediatric glioma. Compound 4k potently inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma cell lines. The observed anti-cancer activity is enhanced in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule inhibitors. Herein we establish a novel biochemical kinase inhibitory function for click-chemistry-derived OTBN-1,2,3-triazole analogues and further report their anti-cancer activity in vitro for the first time

Click-chemistry mediated synthesis of OTBN-1,2,3-Triazole derivatives exhibiting STK33 inhibition with diverse anti-cancer activities

There is a continuous and pressing need to establish new brain-penetrant bioactive compounds with anti-cancer properties. To this end, a new series of 4′-((4-substituted-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-[1,1′-biphenyl]-2-carbonitrile (OTBN-1,2,3-triazole) derivatives were synthesized by click chemistry. The series of bioactive compounds were designed and synthesized from diverse alkynes and N3-OTBN, using copper (II) acetate monohydrate in aqueous dimethylformamide at room temperature. Besides being highly cost-effective and significantly reducing synthesis, the reaction yielded 91–98 % of the target products without the need of any additional steps or chromatographic techniques. Two analogues exhibit promising anti-cancer biological activities. Analogue 4l shows highly specific cytostatic activity against lung cancer cells, while analogue 4k exhibits pan-cancer anti-growth activity. A kinase screen suggests compound 4k has single-digit micromolar activity against kinase STK33. High STK33 RNA expression correlates strongly with poorer patient outcomes in both adult and pediatric glioma. Compound 4k potently inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and 3D neurosphere formation in primary patient-derived glioma cell lines. The observed anti-cancer activity is enhanced in combination with specific clinically relevant small molecule inhibitors. Herein we establish a novel biochemical kinase inhibitory function for click-chemistry-derived OTBN-1,2,3-triazole analogues and further report their anti-cancer activity in vitro for the first time