RAINFALL FLUCTUATION AND FREQUENCY ANALYSIS OF ERODE TALUK, TAMILNADU, INDIA

Precipitation is the most essential for horticultural reason yet the climatic components, the precipitation is the main list, ever considered by agriculturists. The precipitation information got from meteorological stations situated in Erode Taluk for a long time are gathered from Public Works Department (PWD) Therefore, the present study bargains the precipitation attributes of the Erode Taluk, which incorporates the precipitation vacillation as for spatial circulation utilizing GIS Technique. The precipitation varieties amid summer, winter, southwest storm and upper east rainstorm were dissected. Precipitation investigation was done in detail including the four seasons as arranged by the Meteorological Department. This investigation incorporates the investigations of occasional and spatial precipitation varieties. The study shows that an expanding pattern in precipitation focus is seen amongst January and May at all the stations and power of precipitation then reductions amid June and again increments till October. A pinnacle power of precipitation is seen amid October at all the precipitation stations. The region gets more precipitation amid the north-east rainstorm season and less precipitation amid the post-storm season

Association between maternal undernutrition and low birth weight: A hospital-based study in Chennai

Background: Birth weight is an important predictor of a child’s growth and survival and this is dependent on the maternal health and nutrition during pregnancy. Objective: The objective of this study was to study the association between maternal nutritional status as measured by anthropometry, sociodemographic characteristics, and the birth weight of neonates. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 singleton term newborns and their mothers between September 2017 and December 2018. Demographic and socioeconomic details such as maternal age, education, occupation, religion, and household income were recorded using a pre-structured questionnaire. The weight and height of all the mothers were measured. The babies were examined and the weight was recorded at birth. Results: The prevalence of low birth weight was found to be 21%. The mean birth weight was 2955±418 g. Maternal undernutrition (p=0.03), maternal short stature (p=0.04), maternal illiteracy (p=0.01), and lower socioeconomic status (p=0.05) were significantly associated with increased prevalence of low birth weight. Conclusion: The prevalence of low birth weight was found to be high. Maternal undernutrition was significantly associated with low birth weight. Hence, there is a need for continued focus on maternal nutrition for optimal intrauterine growth, thereby reducing the prevalence of low birth weight in India

Etiological evaluation of convulsions in children from 1 month to 14 years of age

Background: Seizures are a common problem evaluated in the pediatric emergency departments worldwide. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the etiology of convulsions in children aged 1 month–14 years. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 120 children admitted to the pediatric ward of a tertiary care hospital with convulsions during the period of June 2014–May 2015. Complete blood count, blood sugar, serum calcium, magnesium, and electrolytes were done for all the children. Mantoux, chest X-ray, liver biopsy, electroencephalograph, lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, ultrasonography cranium, computed tomography brain, or magnetic resonance imaging brain were done based on the clinical situation. Results: We found that 46.7% of the children had febrile seizures, 19.2% had seizure disorder, 15% had cerebral palsy, 5.8% had viral encephalitis, 3.3% had pyogenic meningitis, 1.7% had neurocysticercosis, 0.8% had metabolic disorders, and 0.8% had traumatic brain injury, and the cause of seizures was unknown in 6.6% of the children. Conclusion: Children with seizures need a thorough evaluation to identify the underlying pathology causing seizures

obstructive sleep apnea

The aim of this article is to provide a detailed description for obstructive sleep apnea regarding its signs and symptoms, the way it is diagnosed, the risk factors, management, the role of dentists and oral appliances in treatment. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, with periodic cessation of breathing for more than ten seconds. Dental professionals have a unique doctor patient relationship that can help them in recognizing the sleep disorder and co-managing the patients along with a physician or a sleep specialist. Oral appliance therapy is an important treatment modality for sleep apnea patient

Progestin-only contraceptives: effects on weight

Progestin-only contraceptives (POCs) are appropriate for many women who cannot or should not take estrogen. POCs include injectables, intrauterine contraception, implants, and oral contraceptives. Many POCs are long-acting, cost-effective methods of preventing pregnancy. However, concern about weight gain can deter the initiation of contraceptives and cause early discontinuation among users

Assessing the burden of Covid-19 in the slums of Bangalore city: Results of Rapid Community Survey

Background: Karnataka, more so Bangalore, reported an increase in number of COVID-19 cases in early April 2021. Objective: To assess the burden of COVID-19 in the slums of Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional multi centre community-based study was done in the 2nd and 3rd week of April 2021 in 24 different slums in Bangalore city. WHO cluster random sampling technique was followed. Swabs for RTPCR test and 4 ml of venous blood was collected from 728 subjects more than 18 years of age. Results: A total of 51 (7%) subjects were positive for COVID-19 through RT-PCR. Majority 33 (56.9%) were in the age group of 18-44 years. 148 (20.3%) subjects were sero-positive on blood examination and 18-44 years was the (59.4%) preponderant age group. Overall seropositivity was 20.3% (95%CI; 17.4-23.2) and RT-PCR positivity is 7% (95%CI; 5.2-8.8%) among the subjects surveyed. In the inner core area of Bangalore, seropositivity was 24.2% (95%CI; 21.0 – 27.3) and RT-PCR positivity was 8% (95%CI; 6.1-9.9). Two doses of COVID-19 vaccine were taken only by 1.55% subjects during the study period. Conclusion: The study showed that one in 5 subjects were sero-positive to SARS-CoV-2 and one in 15 individuals had active COVID-19 infection

Assessment of trace metal contamination in a historical freshwater canal (Buckingham Canal), Chennai, India

The present study was done to assess the sources and the major processes controlling the trace metal distribution in sediments of Buckingham Canal. Based on the observed geochemical variations, the sediments are grouped as South Buckingham Canal and North Buckingham Canal sediments (SBC and NBC, respectively). SBC sediments show enrichment in Fe, Ti, Mn, Cr, V, Mo, and As concentrations, while NBC sediments show enrichment in Sn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and Hg. The calculated Chemical Index of Alteration and Chemical Index of Weathering values for all the sediments are relatively higher than the North American Shale Composite and Upper Continental Crust but similar to Post-Archaean Average Shale, and suggest a source area with moderate weathering. Overall, SBC sediments are highly enriched in Mo, Zn, Cu, and Hg (geoaccumulation index (Igeo) class 4– 6), whereas NBC sediments are enriched in Sn, Cu,Zn, and Hg (Igeo class 4–6). Cu, Ni, and Cr show higher than Effects-Range Median values and hence the biological adverse effect of these metals is 20%; Zn, which accounts for 50%, in the NBC sediments, has a more biological adverse effect than other metalsfound in these sediments. The calculated Igeo, Enrichment Factor, and Contamination Factor values indicate that Mo, Hg, Sn, Cu, and Zn are highly enriched in the Buckingham Canal sediments, suggesting the rapid urban and industrial development of Chennai MetropolitanCity have negatively influenced on the surrounding aquatic ecosystem

Designing Novel Compounds for the Treatment and Management of RET-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer—Fragment Based Drug Design Strategy

Rearranged during transfection (RET) is an oncogenic driver receptor that is overexpressed in several cancer types, including non-small cell lung cancer. To date, only multiple kinase inhibitors are widely used to treat RET-positive cancer patients. These inhibitors exhibit high toxicity, less efficacy, and specificity against RET. The development of drug-resistant mutations in RET protein further deteriorates this situation. Hence, in the present study, we aimed to design novel drug-like compounds using a fragment-based drug designing strategy to overcome these issues. About 18 known inhibitors from diverse chemical classes were fragmented and bred to form novel compounds against RET proteins. The inhibitory activity of the resultant 115 hybrid molecules was evaluated using molecular docking and RF-Score analysis. The binding free energy and chemical reactivity of the compounds were computed using MM-GBSA and density functional theory analysis, respectively. The results from our study revealed that the developed hybrid molecules except for LF21 and LF27 showed higher reactivity and stability than Pralsetinib. Ultimately, the process resulted in three hybrid molecules namely LF1, LF2, and LF88 having potent inhibitory activity against RET proteins. The scrutinized molecules were then subjected to molecular dynamics simulation for 200 ns and MM-PBSA analysis to eliminate a false positive design. The results from our analysis hypothesized that the designed compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activity against multiple RET variants. Thus, these could be considered as potential leads for further experimental studies

Hypothyroidism with scholastic excellence

A 9-year-old boy had presented with not gaining adequate height with complaints of constipation from 5 years, lethargy and loss of appetite from past 6 months. He was diagnosed to have hypothyroidism with high thyroid antibody levels. Though he was stunted his neurocognition and scholastic performance was excellent as evidenced by his school rank cards. His physical symptoms had improved after thyroxin supplemen