Current review on COVID-19 pandemic: a global perspective

COVID-19 is a serious infectious disease caused by the novel corona virus, SARS-CoV2, threatening the public health with high transmission rate of infection causing more deaths across the globe in elderly population, immunocompromised individuals and in patients with comorbid conditions. At this point of uncertainty, understanding the pandemic challenges is most essential. As very few literature are becoming available in detailing the different perspectives of the disease, this paper presents the readers with current clinical spectrum of infection like details on epidemiology, pathogenesis, manifestations, diagnostic criteria, treatments and preventive measures of this new type of coronavirus

Pattern of gynecological morbidity, its factors and Health seeking behavior among reproductive age group women in a rural community of Thiruvananthapuram district, South Kerala

Introduction: Gynecological morbidities constitute an important health problem among women of reproductive age group in India. Many of them did not seek care and bare it silently. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of self-reported gynecological morbidities among women of 15 to 45 years and to find out association with certain selected socio-demographic factors. This study also tried to study the health seeking behavior of women. Methodology: A population based cross sectional survey was conducted across Vakkom Panchayat, it’s area comes under Rural Health Centre of the Department of Community Medicine, Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. A total of 540Women of 15 to 45 years was included in the study by two stage sampling technique. Results: Of the total, 199 {(36.85%) 95% CI -31.14, 42.94} women in the study reported at least one type of gynecological morbidity. Major morbidity reported was menstrual problems (25.0%). Prevalence of overall gynecological morbidities was found to be significantly more among women who married early (<18years) Adjusted OR 1.66 (95%CI- 1.05, 2.64).On subgroup analysis the factors like age group of women (below 30yrs), age at menarche below 13 years & presence of thyroid hormone disorders were found to be significantly (p<0.05) related to menstrual diseases in the regression model. Only 110 (55.3%) women sought treatment for any one of the morbidity. Majority took treatment from private hospitals. Conclusion: Prevalence of gynecological morbidities was high in this community. The data collected are valuable & could serve as preliminary data to pilot innovative delivery of gynecologic healthcare services

Maternal and neonatal outcome in primigravida with mobile head at ≥39 weeks of gestation

Background: Primigravida with mobile head at ≥39 weeks of gestation are prone to the probability of caesarean section. With this study we aimed to identify the maternal and neonatal outcome of primigravida with mobile head at ≥39 weeks of gestation under the watchful expectancy and good conduct of labour.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among primigravida with mobile head at ≥39 weeks admitted for delivery in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, govt. medical college, Kottayam, Kerala, from February 2021 to September 2021. A sample size of 247 was identified considering 28% proportion of presentation with deflexed head, 95% confidence interval and 2% margin of error. A detailed history, physical examination and ultrasonography was performed.Results: Of the 250 participants, the mean age of the study subjects was 24.97±3.93 and mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.72±4.78 kg/m2. The most common cause for mobile head was a deflexed head (35.2%). A lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) was conducted in 28.8% participants while vacuum assistance ad forceps assistance was required for 9.6% and 4.4% participants respectively. The most common indication for LSCSC being moderate to thick meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) 23% followed by 1st degree CPD failed trial in 17% cases. A significant association with maternal morbidity was observed in undiagnosed placenta previa (p=0.039) and vacuum-assisted deliveries (p=0.001). We observed that 3.6% of babies have meconium aspiration syndrome, and 8% of new born were admitted in intensive care for foetal distress.Conclusions: Primigravida with mobile head at term during labour requires intense monitoring. Although the duration of labour appeared to be prolonged in a small proportion of patients with watchful expectancy and good conduct of labour and timely intervention, vaginal delivery is possible with minimal maternal and neonatal morbidity.

Protective role of <i>Benincasa hispida</i> (Thunb.) Cogn. fruit extract against gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

633-639Drug induced nephrotoxicity is an important cause of renal failure. Gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is a recognized nephrotoxicant in human beings. Use of plant based natural products in the treatment of such renal disorders caused by toxins is not uncommon. In this study, we investigated the nephro-protective potential of hydroalcoholic whole fruit extract of Ash guard, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (HABH) against the toxicity caused by gentamicin in albino Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups consisting of six animals in each treatment like normal control (Gr. I), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. (Gr. II), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. + HABH 200 (Gr. III) and 400 mg/kg, p.o. (Gr. IV). The degree of protection was assessed by estimating body weight, kidney weight, urine volume of the animals, biochemical parameters in urine and blood and histopathological examination of kidneys. The in vivo antioxidant activity was assessed by estimating the levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation in kidney tissues. The treatment with HABH (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o) markedly reduced gentamicin induced elevation of urinary sodium, potassium electrolytes, urinary glucose, blood urea and creatinine levels. It also increased the relative body weight of animals, urinary creatinine along with preservation of antioxidant glutathione. The comparative histopathological study of kidneys showed almost normal architecture as in normal control group. The results demononstrated beneficial nephroprotective effects of hydro-alcoholic whole fruit extract of B. hispida by potentially reversing the conditions of kidney damage induced by gentamicin

Protective role of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. fruit extract against gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Drug induced nephrotoxicity is an important cause of renal failure. Gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, is a recognized nephrotoxicant in human beings. Use of plant based natural products in the treatment of such renal disorders caused by toxins is not uncommon. In this study, we investigated the nephro-protective potential of hydroalcoholic whole fruit extract of Ash guard, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (HABH) against the toxicity caused by gentamicin in albino Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups consisting of six animals in each treatment like normal control (Gr. I), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. (Gr. II), gentamicin 80 mg/kg, i.p. + HABH 200 (Gr. III) and 400 mg/kg, p.o. (Gr. IV). The degree of protection was assessed by estimating body weight, kidney weight, urine volume of the animals, biochemical parameters in urine and blood and histopathological examination of kidneys. The in vivo antioxidant activity was assessed by estimating the levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation in kidney tissues. The treatment with HABH (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o) markedly reduced gentamicin induced elevation of urinary sodium, potassium electrolytes, urinary glucose, blood urea and creatinine levels. It also increased the relative body weight of animals, urinary creatinine along with preservation of antioxidant glutathione. The comparative histopathological study of kidneys showed almost normal architecture as in normal control group. The results demononstrated beneficial nephroprotective effects of hydro-alcoholic whole fruit extract of B. hispida by potentially reversing the conditions of kidney damage induced by gentamici

Toxicity Evaluation and Biocompatibility of Nanostructured Biomaterials

Biomaterials have occupied a prominent place in regenerative procedures to restore human health. Moreover, there is a greater need in understanding, analyzing and establishing their toxicity profile. These, when made into nano-sized constructions called nanostructured biomaterials, their regenerative potential is enhanced, which could influence their toxicity nature. This chapter intends to give comprehensive information on their nanotoxicology pathways at the cellular level, their entry pathways into the human body, and their potential consequences on human health. It clearly explains the cytocompatibility and biocompatibility of various nanostructured biomaterials for potential human health applications like drug delivery and tissue engineering. A detailed overview of various in vitro and in vivo evaluation methods of biocompatibility of nanomaterials are outlined in this chapter that researchers should address as they move forward in developing new systems for the field of regeneration

Truncating Mutation in the Autophagy Gene \u3cem\u3eUVRAG\u3c/em\u3e Confers Oncogenic Properties and Chemosensitivity in Colorectal Cancers

Autophagy-related factors are implicated in metabolic adaptation and cancer metastasis. However, the role of autophagy factors in cancer progression and their effect in treatment response remain largely elusive. Recent studies have shown that UVRAG, a key autophagic tumour suppressor, is mutated in common human cancers. Here we demonstrate that the cancer-related UVRAG frameshift (FS), which does not result in a null mutation, is expressed as a truncated UVRAGFS in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite instability (MSI), and promotes tumorigenesis. UVRAGFS abrogates the normal functions of UVRAG, including autophagy, in a dominant-negative manner. Furthermore, expression of UVRAGFS can trigger CRC metastatic spread through Rac1 activation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, independently of autophagy. Interestingly, UVRAGFS expression renders cells more sensitive to standard chemotherapy regimen due to a DNA repair defect. These results identify UVRAG as a new MSI target gene and provide a mechanism for UVRAG participation in CRC pathogenesis and treatment response

Refractive Status at Birth: Its Relation to Newborn Physical Parameters at Birth and Gestational Age

Refractive status at birth is related to gestational age. Preterm babies have myopia which decreases as gestational age increases and term babies are known to be hypermetropic. This study looked at the correlation of refractive status with birth weight in term and preterm babies, and with physical indicators of intra-uterine growth such as the head circumference and length of the baby at birth.All babies delivered at St. Stephens Hospital and admitted in the nursery were eligible for the study. Refraction was performed within the first week of life. 0.8% tropicamide with 0.5% phenylephrine was used to achieve cycloplegia and paralysis of accommodation. 599 newborn babies participated in the study. Data pertaining to the right eye is utilized for all the analyses except that for anisometropia where the two eyes were compared. Growth parameters were measured soon after birth. Simple linear regression analysis was performed to see the association of refractive status, (mean spherical equivalent (MSE), astigmatism and anisometropia) with each of the study variables, namely gestation, length, weight and head circumference. Subsequently, multiple linear regression was carried out to identify the independent predictors for each of the outcome parameters.Simple linear regression showed a significant relation between all 4 study variables and refractive error but in multiple regression only gestational age and weight were related to refractive error. The partial correlation of weight with MSE adjusted for gestation was 0.28 and that of gestation with MSE adjusted for weight was 0.10. Birth weight had a higher correlation to MSE than gestational age.This is the first study to look at refractive error against all these growth parameters, in preterm and term babies at birth. It would appear from this study that birth weight rather than gestation should be used as criteria for screening for refractive error, especially in developing countries where the incidence of intrauterine malnutrition is higher

Unveiling the pathogenic mechanisms of NPR2 missense variants: insights into the genotype-associated severity in acromesomelic dysplasia and short stature

Introduction: Natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (NPR2 or NPR-B) plays a central role in growth development and bone morphogenesis and therefore loss-of-function variations in NPR2 gene have been reported to cause Acromesomelic Dysplasia, Maroteaux type 1 and short stature. While several hypotheses have been proposed to underlie the pathogenic mechanisms responsible for these conditions, the exact mechanisms, and functional characteristics of many of those variants and their correlations with the clinical manifestations have not been fully established.Methods: In this study, we examined eight NPR2 genetic missense variants (p.Leu51Pro, p.Gly123Val, p.Leu314Arg, p.Arg318Gly, p.Arg388Gln, p.Arg495Cys, p.Arg557His, and p.Arg932Cys) Acromesomelic Dysplasia, Maroteaux type 1 and short stature located on diverse domains and broadly classified as variants of uncertain significance. The evaluated variants are either reported in patients with acromesomelic dysplasia in the homozygous state or short stature in the heterozygous state. Our investigation included the evaluation of their expression, subcellular trafficking and localization, N-glycosylation profiles, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production activity.Results and Discussion: Our results indicate that variants p.Leu51Pro, p.Gly123Val, p.Leu314Arg, p.Arg388Gln have defective cellular trafficking, being sequestered within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and consequently impaired cGMP production ability. Conversely, variants p.Arg318Gly, p.Arg495Cys, and p.Arg557His seem to display a non-statistically significant behavior that is slightly comparable to WT-NPR2. On the other hand, p.Arg932Cys which is located within the guanylyl cyclase active site displayed normal cellular trafficking profile albeit with defective cGMP. Collectively, our data highlights the genotype-phenotype relationship that might be responsible for the milder symptoms observed in short stature compared to acromesomelic dysplasia. This study enhances our understanding of the functional consequences of several NPR2 variants, shedding light on their mechanisms and roles in related genetic disorders which might also help in their pathogenicity re-classification