Search

Background: Sparse recent data are available regarding the aetiological causes of the right iliac fossa (RIF) mass from Andhra Pradesh. Methods: We prospectively studied the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of consecutive cases (n = 100) presenting to our tertiary care teaching hospital with a RIF mass over 2 years. Results: Majority of RIF masses were seen in the third and fourth decades of life, and the male-to-female ratio was 2.8:1; 64% of the cases were due to appendicular pathology (appendicular mass [48%] and appendicular abscess [16%]), followed by ileocaecal tuberculosis (TB) (12%) and carcinoma caecum (10%) among others. Carcinoma caecum was more common in males (70%) as compared to females (30%). The majority (78%) were managed surgically; 4% died. Post-operative complications included wound infection and respiratory tract infection. Conclusions: Our observations suggest that appendicular pathology, ileocaecal TB and carcinoma caecum are common aetiological causes for RIF mass. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography will facilitate early localisation.

Abstract Background Epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation (DNAm) in cord blood, are an important biological marker of how external exposures during gestation can influence the in-utero environment and subsequent offspring development. Despite the recognized importance of DNAm during gestation, comparative studies to determine the consistency of these epigenetic signals across different ethnic groups are largely absent. To address this gap, we first performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of gestational age (GA) using newborn cord blood DNAm comparatively in a white European (n = 342) and a South Asian (n = 490) birth cohort living in Canada. Then, we capitalized on established cord blood epigenetic GA clocks to examine the associations between maternal exposures, offspring characteristics and epigenetic GA, as well as GA acceleration, defined as the residual difference between epigenetic and chronological GA at birth. Results Individual EWASs confirmed 1,211 and 1,543 differentially methylated CpGs previously reported to be associated with GA, in white European and South Asian cohorts, respectively, with a similar distribution of effects. We confirmed that Bohlin’s cord blood GA clock was robustly correlated with GA in white Europeans (r = 0.71; p = 6.0 × 10–54) and South Asians (r = 0.66; p = 6.9 × 10–64). In both cohorts, Bohlin’s clock was positively associated with newborn weight and length and negatively associated with parity, newborn female sex, and gestational diabetes. Exclusive to South Asians, the GA clock was positively associated with the newborn ponderal index, while pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain were strongly predictive of increased epigenetic GA in white Europeans. Important predictors of GA acceleration included gestational diabetes mellitus, newborn sex, and parity in both cohorts. Conclusions These results demonstrate the consistent DNAm signatures of GA and the utility of Bohlin’s GA clock across the two populations. Although the overall pattern of DNAm is similar, its connections with the mother's environment and the baby's anthropometrics can differ between the two groups. Further research is needed to understand these unique relationships.

Introduction: Variety and adequacy of intake of food are required to meet the nutritional needs of the children. Due to poverty/illiteracy, poor families depend on a single food group that is, cereals. Due to the pandemic also, the nutrition of the growing children is affected. Objective: To know the effect of quantity and quality of diet on the nutritional status of under-five children. Methodology: This study had 270 children aged between 1 and 4 years registered at Anganwadi as study participants. Information on sociodemographic variables, quantity of calories and proteins consumed, quality of diet, and anthropometry of children was collected. Percentages and paired t-tests were used to find the difference between nutritional status and diet at different intervals, which was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Results: In our study, we found that as the quantity and quality of diet improved nutritional status, especially weight for age, body mass index (BMI) for age Z score also improved. There was a significant difference between calories consumed at the baseline, 6 months and 1 year with P < 0.05. Protein intake was significant between baseline and six months with P < 0.005. Conclusion: Our study found a high percentage of undernutrition and wasting in the under-five population when diet was not sufficient in quality and quantity. As the quality and quantity of diet improved nutritional status also improved.

Background: Maternal smoking has been linked to adverse health outcomes in newborns but the extent to which it impacts newborn health has not been quantified through an aggregated cord blood DNA methylation (DNAm) score. Here, we examine the feasibility of using cord blood DNAm scores leveraging large external studies as discovery samples to capture the epigenetic signature of maternal smoking and its influence on newborns in White European and South Asian populations. Methods: We first examined the association between individual CpGs and cigarette smoking during pregnancy, and smoking exposure in two White European birth cohorts (n=744). Leveraging established CpGs for maternal smoking, we constructed a cord blood epigenetic score of maternal smoking that was validated in one of the European-origin cohorts (n=347). This score was then tested for association with smoking status, secondary smoking exposure during pregnancy, and health outcomes in offspring measured after birth in an independent White European (n=397) and a South Asian birth cohort (n=504). Results: Several previously reported genes for maternal smoking were supported, with the strongest and most consistent association signal from the GFI1 gene (6 CpGs with p0.05) among South Asians, likely due to a lack of smoking in this group. The same score was consistently associated with a smaller birth size (–0.37±0.12 cm, p=0.0023) in the South Asian cohort and a lower birth weight (–0.043±0.013 kg, p=0.0011) in the combined cohorts. Conclusions: This cord blood epigenetic score can help identify babies exposed to maternal smoking and assess its long-term impact on growth. Notably, these results indicate a consistent association between the DNAm signature of maternal smoking and a small body size and low birth weight in newborns, in both White European mothers who exhibited some amount of smoking and in South Asian mothers who themselves were not active smokers. Funding: This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Metabolomics Team Grant: MWG-146332.

Introduction: Training young doctors is essential for carrying out need-based research. The field of Traditional Medicine (TM) has made significant contributions to modern medicine, and there is unlimited scope for exploring it further in search of improved treatment options. However, there is a lack of systematic research studies on traditional medicines. It was, therefore, considered necessary to assess the interest and awareness among modern medicine practitioners regarding Traditional Medicine Research (TMR). Aim: To assess the need for training in TMR among modern medicine practitioners. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, from March 2020 to September 2020 among modern medicine practitioners from the Western region of India. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data regarding the level of training in research methodology, research experience including TMR, areas for training, attitude towards training in TMR, challenges in TMR, and therapeutic areas to focus TMR efforts. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Out of 109 participants, 96 (88.1%) were trained in research methodology. At least one research project was undertaken by 91 (83.5%) participants. Ninety-seven percent of participants felt that TMR was necessary. TMR was conducted by 19 (17.4%) participants. Approximately 65 (59.6%) participants felt that conducting TMR poses challenges such as lack of funds, infrastructure, lack of belief in TM, unavailability of literature pertaining to TM, lack of expertise, and lack of corporate attention and marketing. Therapeutic areas identified to focus research efforts included lifestyle-related disorders, diabetes mellitus, cancer, ageing, allergic disorders, osteoarthritis, and obesity. Conclusion: All the participants expressed the need to undergo training in TMR. However, the experience of conducting TMR was limited. Lack of funds, infrastructure, and expertise were mentioned as the main hurdles in undertaking TMR. It is essential to conduct systematic and need-based training programs for modern medicine practitioners in basic research methodology and TMR.

Abstract We hypothesize that children characterized by deprived factors have poorer health outcomes. We aim to identify clustering of determinants and estimate risk of early childhood diseases. This 1993–2019 longitudinal cohort study combines three Canadian pediatric cohorts and their families. Mothers and children are clustered using latent class analysis (LCA) by 16 indicators in three domains (maternal and newborn; socioeconomic status [SES] and neighbourhood; environmental exposures). Hazard ratios (HR) of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema are quantified with Cox proportional hazard (PH) regression. Rate ratios (RR) of children’s health services use (HSU) are estimated with Poisson regression. Here we report the inclusion of 15,724 mother–child pairs; our LCA identifies four mother-clusters. Classes 1 and 2 mothers are older (30–40 s), non-immigrants with university education, living in high SES neighbourhoods; Class 2 mothers have poorer air quality and less greenspace. Classes 3 and 4 mothers are younger (20–30 s), likely an immigrant/refugee, with high school-to-college education, living in lower SES neighborhoods with poorer air quality and less greenspace. Children’s outcomes differ by Class, in comparison to Class 1. Classes 3 and 4 children have higher risks of asthma (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11–1.37 and HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22–1.59, respectively), and similar higher risks of AR and eczema. Children with AR in Class 3 have 20% higher all-cause physician visits (RR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.10–1.30) and those with eczema have 18% higher all-cause emergency department visits (RR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.09–1.28) and 14% higher all-cause physician visits (RR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.09–1.19). Multifactorial-LCA mother-clusters may characterize associations of children’s health outcomes and care, adjusting for interrelationships.

Abstract Links between human milk (HM) and infant development are poorly understood and often focus on individual HM components. Here we apply multi-modal predictive machine learning to study HM and head circumference (a proxy for brain development) among 1022 mother-infant dyads of the CHILD Cohort. We integrated HM data (19 oligosaccharides, 28 fatty acids, 3 hormones, 28 chemokines) with maternal and infant demographic, health, dietary and home environment data. Head circumference was significantly predictable at 3 and 12 months. Two of the most associated features were HM n3-polyunsaturated fatty acid C22:6n3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA; p = 9.6e−05) and maternal intake of fish (p = 4.1e−03), a key dietary source of DHA with established relationships to brain function. Thus, using a systems biology approach, we identified meaningful relationships between HM and brain development, which validates our statistical approach, gives credence to the novel associations we observed, and sets the foundation for further research with additional cohorts and HM analytes.

Background: COVID-19 infection has been implicated in millions of deaths worldwide. The respiratory distress occurs with cytokine storm around 2ndweek of symptom onset. Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin 6(IL-6) receptor has been used at varying extents in suppressing it, however, limited literature exists about the timing of its administration. We contemplated this study with the primary objective to establish whether tocilizumab favourably affected the outcome when given in the early stages of complication. The secondary objectives were to assess the importance of ROX score and the effect of age on outcome. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary care hospital. Patients who received tocilizumab were divided into two groups depending on whether they received the drug in ≤ 10 days (Group 1) or≥ 11 days (Group 2) of onset of symptoms. The patient’s demographic data and co-morbidities, on- admission vitals, ROX score, and laboratory parameters, outcome etc. were collected from the electronic health records. Results: Both groups were comparable with regard to demographic and baseline parameters on admission. The outcome was significantly better in patients of Group-1(P=0.01) with better survival. The outcome was also significantly higher in ages ≤ 50yrs age(P=0.02) who received tocilizumab. Failure to improve ROX score after 24hrs. of administration of tocilizumab was associated with poor outcomes (p=0.001). Conclusion: Tocilizumab when given in the early stages of COVID-19-related complications may be associated with decreasing mortality. Age may be an indicator of favourable effect, and failure to improve ROX score after tocilizumab is associated with poor outcomes

Introduction A high percentage about 55–75 % of women with PCOS have an elevated LH/FSH ratio presumably due to high levels of Luteinizing harmone (LH) rather than reduced production of Follicular stimulating hormone (FSH).

Training healthcare professionals in research methodology is essential to promote research and innovation. This is particularly relevant in India, where there is a wealth of potential drug candidates from Indian Traditional Medicine (TM) systems that await exploration and scientific validation using modern medicine principles. Surprisingly, there is a lack of reported activities to train modern medicine practitioners in TM research in the literature. Recognising this need, a structured training program was planned and conducted under the auspices of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to train modern medicine practitioners in TM research. A survey was conducted among modern medicine practitioners to assess training gaps and identify key areas to be covered in the workshop modules. The workshop received a positive response, as evidenced by the numerous registration applications and positive feedback from participants. The present article shares the experiences of conducting the pilot workshop, which may serve as a valuable resource for planning similar workshops.

Introduction: The empiric use of antibiotics in Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection is not routinely recommended unless a secondary bacterial infection is suspected or confirmed. However, there have been reports of widespread antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients, despite a low rate of secondary bacterial co-infection. Therefore, this study aims to understand the factors influencing the empirical prescription of antibacterial drugs in Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 patients in Indian settings, as the available data is sparse and conflicting. Aim: To determine the factors associated with antibacterial prescription in patients with proven COVID-19 infection at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: An antibacterial surveillance study was conducted at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The study duration was two months, from September 2020 to October 2020. The study included COVID-19 patients admitted to critical and non-critical COVID-19 Care Units. Patient data, including demographics, general and systemic examination details, biochemistry, pathological and microbiological reports, and treatment details, were collected using a specially designed form. Patients who were prescribed antibacterial drugs (other than repurposed antibacterial drugs for COVID-19 treatment) were considered as cases, while the rest were classified as controls. The Hazard Ratio (HR) for factors associated with antibacterial prescription was estimated using Cox regression analysis with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: The study included 200 patients, of whom 45 (22.5%) received antibacterial drugs and were classified as cases, while the remaining 155 (77.5%) received antibacterial drugs and were classified as controls. The median age of cases and controls was 59 and 46 years, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that procalcitonin >1 ng/mL (HR: 1.074, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.009-1.142, p-value=0.02) and admission to the critical care unit were independent predictors of antibacterial prescription. Additionally, high-dose steroid use (>120 mg/day of Methylprednisolone [MPS]) was associated with a 20% higher risk of antibacterial prescription, although the values were statistically non-significant (HR: 1.203, 95% CI: 0.503-2.879, p=0.678). Conclusion: Admission to critical care units and procalcitonin levels >1 ng/mL were identified as independent predictors of antibacterial prescription in COVID-19 patients. Compliance with hospital-based standard treatment guidelines promotes the rational use of antibacterial drugs.

Background: There is interplay of genetic and environmental factors in determining the weight, height and body structure of children. Hence it is important to know the role of genetic factor in determining height, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) of children. Aim and Objectives: To know the prevalence of malnutrition among under five children; to assess correlation between anthropometry of parents and anthropometry of under five children; and to assess the quality and quantity of diet consumed by under five children. Material and Methods: Present study was a cross sectional study, done among 270 children aged between 1-4 years registered at Anganawadi. Information on sociodemographic variables and anthropometry of under five children and their parents was collected after taking parents' consent. Percentages and correlation coefficient were used to find correlation between anthropometry of parents and children (height, weight and BMI), level of significance was taken at p < 0.05. Results: Our study showed that 22.96% of children were under nourished, 1.48% stunted and 84.7% wasted. As per the mid arm circumference, mean was 12.02 ± 1.27, 8.1% were severely malnourished and 29.3% moderately. Parents' height was positively correlated with height of children and it was statistically significant with p < 0.05. Parents' weight and fathers' BMI also showed positive correlation but it was not statistically significant. Mothers' BMI was not correlated with BMI of children. Conclusion: Our study found that about 23% of children were under nourished. Parent's height was positively correlated with children's height.

Background: Sickle cells are easily identified on the peripheral smear however quantification of sickle cells is seldom done. This study attempts to understand the importance of the sickling index in the reporting of peripheral smear in patients with SCD. Objectives: This study aims to standardize the methodology of quantification of sickle cells on the peripheral smear in paediatric SCD cases and study its relation to the patient characteristics like age and sex, SCD genotype, and treatment. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of 6 months duration was conducted at a tertiary paediatric referral hospital for 6 months. 30 known cases of SCD were admitted during this period. Routinely studied peripheral smears were used in the study. 30 normal smears of age-matched patients were also used for comparative purpose. The sickling index was calculated in both patient and age matched smears. The sickling index was compared in both the groups and also the index in the known SCD cases was studied in relation to the patient's age, SCD genotype, and treatment with blood transfusions or hydroxyurea. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were used in the study Results & Conclusion: Hb SS was the commonest genotype seen in 69% of the cases. Higher sickling index was noted in older children, SS genotype and those on treatment with blood transfusions or Hydroxyurea. Sickling index is an interesting prospect which may provide helpful information regarding cases with increasing hemolysis and vasocclusive crises and also help in follow up of patients on treatment. Keywords: Paediatric, Disease severity, Sickling index

Background: Inflammatory response within transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) bladder is known to be predictive of tumor prognosis. Lower scores are associated with worser outcome and vice versa. Simpler and cost-effective methods of immunoscoring using immunohistochemistry (IHC) have been described. This study uses two easily available T-cell markers CD3 and CD8 and compares their immunoscore with tumor grade and understands the association. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were as follows: (1) To perform immunoscoring for cytotoxic T lymphocytes -CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in urothelial carcinoma and (2) to correlate the immunoscore with tumor grade and calculate its significance in predicting prognosis. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study of 2 years duration from October 2018 to October 2020 was conducted at a tertiary level super specialty government institution. All the transurethral resection of bladder tissue biopsies reported as urothelial malignancies during the study period were included in the research. The tumors were graded histologically into high grade and low grade on histology based on the World Health Organization 2016 classification of Urothelial Carcinomas/International Society of Urological Pathology grading system. They were then subject to IHC with two T-cell markers CD3 and CD8 and immunoscoring was done using the method described by Galon. Results: A total of 42 cases of urothelial malignancies were diagnosed during the study period. Cases with higher tumor grade were 25 and lower tumor grade were 17. The association between the lower immunoscore and higher tumor grade was statistically significant. Conclusion: Immunoscoring is a useful adjunct to the routine histological evaluation of TCC. Easily available T-cell markers can be used as simple easy and cost-effective method for immunoscoring.

Abstract Background Childhood obesity is a global health concern and can lead to lifetime cardiometabolic disease. New advances in metabolomics can provide biochemical insights into the early development of obesity, so we aimed to characterize serum metabolites associated with overweight and adiposity in early childhood and to stratify associations by sex. Methods Nontargeted metabolite profiling was conducted in the Canadian CHILD birth cohort (discovery cohort) at age 5 years (n = 900) by multisegment injection-capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. Clinical outcome was defined using novel combined measures of overweight (WHO-standardized body mass index ≥ 85th percentile) and/or adiposity (waist circumference ≥ 90th percentile). Associations between circulating metabolites and child overweight/adiposity (binary and continuous outcomes) were determined by multivariable linear and logistic regression, adjusting for covariates and false discovery rate, and by subsequent sex-stratified analysis. Replication was assessed in an independent replication cohort called FAMILY at age 5 years (n = 456). Results In the discovery cohort, each standard deviation (SD) increment of branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, glutamic acid, threonine, and oxoproline was associated with 20–28% increased odds of overweight/adiposity, whereas each SD increment of the glutamine/glutamic acid ratio was associated with 20% decreased odds. All associations were significant in females but not in males in sex-stratified analyses, except for oxoproline that was not significant in either subgroup. Similar outcomes were confirmed in the replication cohort, where associations of aromatic amino acids, leucine, glutamic acid, and the glutamine/glutamic acid ratio with childhood overweight/adiposity were independently replicated. Conclusions Our findings show the utility of combining measures of both overweight and adiposity in young children. Childhood overweight/adiposity at age 5 years has a specific serum metabolic phenotype, with the profile being more prominent in females compared to males.

Maternal diet may modulate human milk microbiota, but the effects of nutritional supplements are unknown. We examined the associations of prenatal diet and supplement use with milk microbiota composition. Mothers reported prenatal diet intake and supplement use using self-administered food frequency and standardised questionnaires, respectively. The milk microbiota was profiled using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Associations of prenatal diet quality, dietary patterns, and supplement use with milk microbiota diversity and taxonomic structure were examined using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and multivariable models adjusting for relevant confounders. A subset of 645 mothers participating in the CHILD Cohort Study (originally known as the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study) provided one milk sample between 2 and 6 months postpartum and used prenatal multivitamin supplements ≥4 times a week. After adjusting for confounders, vitamin C supplement use was positively associated with milk bacterial Shannon diversity (β = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.31) and Veillonella and Granulicatella relative abundance (β = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.05, 1.03 and β = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.04, 0.84, respectively), and negatively associated with Finegoldia relative abundance (β = –0.31; 95% CI = –0.63, –0.01). Fish oil supplement use was positively associated with Streptococcus relative abundance (β = 0.26; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.50). Prenatal diet quality and dietary patterns were not associated with milk microbiota composition. Prenatal vitamin C and fish oil supplement use were associated with differences in the milk microbiota composition. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and elucidate mechanisms linking maternal supplement use to milk microbiota and child health.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected all Canadian families, with some impacted differently than others. Our study aims to: (1) determine the prevalence and transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among Canadian families, (2) identify predictors of infection susceptibility and severity of SARS-CoV-2, and (3) identify health and psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study builds upon the CHILD Cohort Study, an ongoing multi-ethnic general population prospective cohort consisting of 3,454 Canadian families with children born in Vancouver, Edmonton, Manitoba, and Toronto between 2009 and 2012. During the pandemic, CHILD households were invited to participate in the CHILD COVID-19 Add-On Study involving: (1) brief biweekly surveys about COVID-19 symptoms and testing; (2) quarterly questionnaires assessing COVID-19 exposure and testing, vaccination status, physical and mental health, and pandemic-driven life changes; and (3) in-home biological sampling kits to collect blood and stool. In total, 1,462 households (5,378 participants) consented to the CHILD COVID-19 Add-On Study: 2,803 children (mean±standard deviation [SD], 9.0±2.7 years; range, 0-17 years) and 2,576 adults (mean±SD, 43.0±6.5 years; range, 18-85 years). We will leverage the wealth of pre-pandemic CHILD data to identify risk and resilience factors for susceptibility and severity to the direct and indirect pandemic effects. Our short-term findings will inform key stakeholders and knowledge users to shape current and future pandemic responses. Additionally, this study provides a unique resource to study the long-term impacts of the pandemic as the CHILD Cohort Study continues.

Background: Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is becoming a disease of public health importance. Despite appropriate treatment, the disease is associated with a high mortality due to the non-availability of diagnostic modalities at primary care and due to delayed presentation to the tertiary care hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of 12 cases of culture-proven melioidosis diagnosed at a tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad in South India over a period of 15 months. This study presents the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical and radiological manifestations and outcomes of patients with culture-proven melioidosis. Results: The study included 12 participants, out of which 11 were male, with a mean age of 39 years. Diabetes mellitus was the most common comorbidity in our series. The most common organs involved were lung (n = 5) and bone (n = 4). The other organs involved were prostate, liver, skin and soft tissue, spleen, aorta, brain, kidney and bone marrow. B. pseudomallei was isolated from pus culture in eight patients, blood cultures in seven patients and bone marrow culture in one patient. Eleven out of 12 patients were treated with meropenem. In our series, 7 out of 12 patients died; thus, a mortality of 58.3% was noted. Conclusions: Melioidosis is an emerging disease in India but remains under-recognised. This study showed that young males with diabetes, working in agricultural fields, are susceptible. Although the clinical manifestations are diverse, melioidosis should be suspected when patients with diabetes present with pneumonia and abscesses.

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) at risk of vision loss (referable DR) needs to be identified by retinal screening and referred to an ophthalmologist. Existing automated algorithms have mostly been developed from images acquired with high cost mydriatic retinal cameras and cannot be applied in the settings used in most low- and middle-income countries. In this prospective multicentre study, we developed a deep learning system (DLS) that detects referable DR from retinal images acquired using handheld non-mydriatic fundus camera by non-technical field workers in 20 sites across India. Macula-centred and optic-disc-centred images from 16,247 eyes (9778 participants) were used to train and cross-validate the DLS and risk factor based logistic regression models. The DLS achieved an AUROC of 0.99 (1000 times bootstrapped 95% CI 0.98–0.99) using two-field retinal images, with 93.86 (91.34–96.08) sensitivity and 96.00 (94.68–98.09) specificity at the Youden’s index operational point. With single field inputs, the DLS reached AUROC of 0.98 (0.98–0.98) for the macula field and 0.96 (0.95–0.98) for the optic-disc field. Intergrader performance was 90.01 (88.95–91.01) sensitivity and 96.09 (95.72–96.42) specificity. The image based DLS outperformed all risk factor-based models. This DLS demonstrated a clinically acceptable performance for the identification of referable DR despite challenging image capture conditions.

Abstract Many fluids used in industries will possess a uniform velocity acting along with it. Although a few researchers have analyzed the fluid flow along with a constant velocity but such modeling in nanofluids is quite new. The novelty of this work is the numerical evaluation of a nanofluid with a constant velocity through a vertical plate in a porous medium under Dufour as well as Soret impacts coupled with a higher order chemical reaction. A rotating MHD nanofluid is investigated for both heat as well as mass transfer. An incompressible, steady-state fluid is subjected to flow through a semi-infinite plate by taking into account viscous dissipation as well as a magnetic field. Flow equations are typically represented by PDEs that are nonlinear and coupled. The PDEs are changed to ODEs by similarity transformation variables. Runge-Kutta method of $$4{\text {th}}$$ 4 th order accuracy along with shooting technique is employed to solve the converted system of ODEs. $$\text {Cu}{-}\text {H}_2\text {O}$$ Cu - H 2 O is used to provide an in-depth analysis of the examined problem. In order to account for practical considerations, the maximum order of the chemical reaction is limited to 3 and a comparative analysis is provided for $$1{\text {st}}$$ 1 st and $$3{\text {rd}}$$ 3 rd order chemical reactions. For different physical quantities, different numerical values that are obtained using MATLAB are used to analyze various properties regarding the flow. Heat transfer, and mass transfer rates are discussed using graphs and tables. Compared to low order chemical reactions, high order chemical reactions allow higher rates at which the reaction takes place, thus allowing greater rates of heat and mass transfer.

Objectives This study provides an estimate of the annual cost of blindness and moderate to severe visual impairment (MSVI) among people with diabetes aged 40 years and above in India in the year 2019.Design A cost of illness study.Setting India.Participants People with diabetes aged 40 years and above in India in the year 2019.Primary and secondary outcome measures Estimates are provided for the total costs of screening for most common vision-threatening eye conditions, treatment of these conditions, economic activity lost by these people and their family carers whose ability to work is affected, and loss of quality of life experienced by people with diabetes and blindness or MSVI.Results It is estimated that for people with diabetes aged 40 years or above, annual screening followed by eye examination where required would cost around 42.3 billion Indian rupees (INR) (4230 crores) per year; treating sight problems around 2.87 billion INR (287 crores) per year if 20% of those needing treatment receive it; and lost economic activity around 472 billion INR (47 200 crores). Moreover, 2.86 million (0.286 crores) quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are lost annually due to blindness and MSVI. The estimate of lost production is highly sensitive to the proportion of people with MSVI able to work and how their output compares with that of a person with no visual impairment.Conclusions This is the first study to estimate the cost of blindness and MSVI for people aged 40 years and over with diabetes in India. The annual cost to the Indian economy is substantial. This cost will be expected to fall if a successful screening and treatment plan is introduced in India. Further work is suggested using more robust data, when available, to estimate the loss of productivity and loss of QALYs, as this would be worthwhile.

Neuromyelitis Optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a relapsing autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) where aquaporin-4 water channels are the antigenic target of the disease. The spectrum of the disease involves regions of the CNS where the water channel is widely expressed including the spinal cord, the optic nerve, dorsal medulla, brainstem, and thalamus/hypothalamus. Management of NMOSD includes acute as well as long term treatment. Acute symptoms are typically treated with intravenous corticosteroids and/or plasma exchange while long-term treatment involves the use of immunosuppression/immune modulation. The year 2019 is thought to be the “year of the NMOSD” as three new medications became available for this devastating disease. In this review, FDA approved NMOSD medications are discussed.

Introduction: The use of Tranexamic Acid (TXA) in primary unilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is well documented. However, considering the potential side effects including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, the ideal route of administration of TXA to patients undergoing THA is still not known. Aim: To compare the efficacy of single dose intravenous (i.v.) TXA administration versus combined intravenous and local infiltration of TXA in reducing the perioperative blood loss in primary unilateral THA patients. Materials and Methods: This prospective, randomised clinical study, was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, between October 2020 to May 2021. 60 patients were randomly allocated into two groups: the combined group C (i.v. administration of 10 mg/kg of TXA combined with local infiltration of 600 mg TXA diluted to 60 mL with normal saline) and the single i.v. group S (i.v. administration of 10 mg/kg of TXA). The perioperative blood loss was calculated in terms of three variables- intraoperative blood loss, drainage blood loss and total blood loss. The number of postoperative blood transfusions noted. Student’s t-test and Fischer’s-exact tests were applied for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 60 patients scheduled to have primary unilateral THA. Both the groups were similar in demographic features, baseline biochemical values and procedural distribution. There was a statistically significant reduction in the (mean±SD) intraoperative blood loss (697.26±221.43 mL), drain blood volume (254.66±81.36 mL) and total blood loss (952.26±263.57 mL) in the combined group C when compared to the single group S. There was no statistically significant difference (p-value=0.671) in the postoperative blood transfusion rate between the two groups. Conclusion: Intravenous combined with local infiltration of TXA significantly reduced the perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing primary unilateral THA when compared to single dose intravenous administration of TXA.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004036.].

IntroductionValid and reliable scores from measurement tools to test competency in basic manual wheelchair-service-provision are needed to promote good practice and support capacity building. The International Society of Wheelchair Professionals' (ISWP) Basic Test Version 1 in English, launched in 2015, is the most frequently used outcome measure tool to test basic manual wheelchair-service-provision knowledge and is part of an international certification process. Despite the wide acceptance and use of the test, its psychometric properties have not yet been established. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the test's psychometric properties, 2) to develop the test's Version 2, and 3) to evaluate the content validity of the new version.MethodsFor Objective 1, methods from the Classical Test Theory were used to obtain items' difficulty, item discrimination index and domains' reliability. For Objective 2, a team of experts in wheelchair service delivery and education conducted a systematic qualitative review of the questions' text and answers and updated them using evidence-based guidelines. For Objective 3, an external team reviewed the clarity, relevance and domain allocation of the developed items using a 4-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe and characterize the results for each objective. Item-content (I-CVI) and Scale-content (S-CVI) validity indexes were calculated to compute content validity.ResultsFor Objective 1, all domains in the test were below the threshold for acceptable internal consistency reliability; 80% of the total test pool (116 items from the total pool of 145) did not meet the thresholds for item difficulty and index of discrimination suggested in the literature. Of the items in the Test, 78% could be responded to intuitively and 66% did not distinguish between test-takers who were knowledgeable in the content area and those who were not. For Objective 2, experts found concerns such as items being grouped in the wrong domain, being repeated, not using person-first language, and using terms inconsistently. Thirty-four (23.4%) items were dropped and 111 (76.5%) were updated. In addition, 61 new items were developed. Members re-categorized the items and proposed a new classification of subdomains. For Objective 3, good agreement between subject-matter experts was found; the S-CVI calculated using the I-CVIs related to item clarity was 84% while using the I-CVIs related to item relevance was 98%. Only 7 items (4.1%) were deemed to be in the wrong domain and 4 items (2.3%) were considered irrelevant and dropped.ConclusionThe psychometric evidence in support of ISWP Basic Test Version 1 in English is suboptimal. A new set of items developed by experts in the field has shown excellent content validity. Ongoing assessments will be needed as ISWP Basic Test Version 2 is implemented and monitored.

BackgroundPreterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality and is associated with adverse developmental and long-term health outcomes, including several cardiometabolic risk factors and outcomes. However, evidence about the association of preterm birth with later body size derives mainly from studies using birth weight as a proxy of prematurity rather than an actual length of gestation. We investigated the association of gestational age (GA) at birth with body size from infancy through adolescence.Methods and findingsWe conducted a two-stage individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis using data from 253,810 mother-child dyads from 16 general population-based cohort studies in Europe (Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom), North America (Canada), and Australasia (Australia) to estimate the association of GA with body mass index (BMI) and overweight (including obesity) adjusted for the following maternal characteristics as potential confounders: education, height, prepregnancy BMI, ethnic background, parity, smoking during pregnancy, age at child's birth, gestational diabetes and hypertension, and preeclampsia. Pregnancy and birth cohort studies from the LifeCycle and the EUCAN-Connect projects were invited and were eligible for inclusion if they had information on GA and minimum one measurement of BMI between infancy and adolescence. Using a federated analytical tool (DataSHIELD), we fitted linear and logistic regression models in each cohort separately with a complete-case approach and combined the regression estimates and standard errors through random-effects study-level meta-analysis providing an overall effect estimate at early infancy (>0.0 to 0.5 years), late infancy (>0.5 to 2.0 years), early childhood (>2.0 to 5.0 years), mid-childhood (>5.0 to 9.0 years), late childhood (>9.0 to 14.0 years), and adolescence (>14.0 to 19.0 years). GA was positively associated with BMI in the first decade of life, with the greatest increase in mean BMI z-score during early infancy (0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.00; 0.05, p < 0.05) per week of increase in GA, while in adolescence, preterm individuals reached similar levels of BMI (0.00, 95% CI: -0.01; 0.01, p 0.9) as term counterparts. The association between GA and overweight revealed a similar pattern of association with an increase in odds ratio (OR) of overweight from late infancy through mid-childhood (OR 1.01 to 1.02) per week increase in GA. By adolescence, however, GA was slightly negatively associated with the risk of overweight (OR 0.98 [95% CI: 0.97; 1.00], p 0.1) per week of increase in GA. Although based on only four cohorts (n = 32,089) that reached the age of adolescence, data suggest that individuals born very preterm may be at increased odds of overweight (OR 1.46 [95% CI: 1.03; 2.08], p < 0.05) compared with term counterparts. Findings were consistent across cohorts and sensitivity analyses despite considerable heterogeneity in cohort characteristics. However, residual confounding may be a limitation in this study, while findings may be less generalisable to settings in low- and middle-income countries.ConclusionsThis study based on data from infancy through adolescence from 16 cohort studies found that GA may be important for body size in infancy, but the strength of association attenuates consistently with age. By adolescence, preterm individuals have on average a similar mean BMI to peers born at term.

Introduction: Perioperative shivering after spinal anaesthesia is a common complication. Ketamine and tramadol are routinely used to prevent perioperative spinal shivering. Ketamine has the side-effect of delirium while tramadol causes nausea and vomiting. Dexmedetomidine an alpha2 agonist is superior to tramadol and ketamine in view of better central vasoconstrictor tone regulation and less sympathetic activity. Aim: To compare the efficacy, effect on haemodynamics, and any adverse effects of tramadol, ketamine and dexmedetomidine when used prophylactically to prevent perioperative shivering after spinal anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: This, randomised, clinical study recruited adult patients aged 18 to 65 years, of American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) I and II, of both genders undergoing surgery under spinal anaesthesia between February 2018 and August 2018. A total of 120 patients were assigned to four groups: T, D, K, and N, to receive Tramadol 0.5 mg/kg or Dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg or Ketamine 0.25 mg/kg or normal saline 5 mL, respectively. Each study drug was diluted to 5 mL using normal saline and administered as a slow intravenous (iv) bolus injection five minutes before spinal anaesthesia. Patients received subarachnoid block in L3-4 or L4-5 space in sitting position with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg. Patients were monitored for shivering, (using a four-point scale), level of consciousness, heart rate, SpO2, respiratory rate, non invasive blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, at intervals of every five minutes for the first 30 minutes and every 15 minutes for the remaining observation period. Results: Dexmedetomidine (n=0) offered lower incidence of shivering prevention after spinal anaesthesia than ketamine (n=2,6.6%), tramadol (n=10,33%) and normal saline groups (n=11,36.6%). Dexmedetomidine also provided the advantages of maintaining haemodynamics, respiratory rate, and consciousness, similar to ketamine or tramadol (p-value>0.05). Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine is superior to ketamine and tramadol for the prevention of shivering after spinal anaesthesia.

To determine the mechanisms that mediate resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infection in household contacts (HHCs) of patients with tuberculosis (TB), we followed 452 latent TB infection–negative (LTBI–) HHCs for 2 years. Those who remained LTBI– throughout the study were identified as nonconverters. At baseline, nonconverters had a higher percentage of CD14+ and CD3–CD56+CD27+CCR7+ memory-like natural killer (NK) cells. Using a whole-transcriptome and metabolomic approach, we identified deoxycorticosterone acetate as a metabolite with elevated concentrations in the plasma of nonconverters, and further studies showed that this metabolite enhanced glycolytic ATP flux in macrophages and restricted M. tuberculosis growth by enhancing antimicrobial peptide production through the expression of the surface receptor sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin–14. Another metabolite, 4-hydroxypyridine, from the plasma of nonconverters significantly enhanced the expansion of memory-like NK cells. Our findings demonstrate that increased levels of specific metabolites can regulate innate resistance against M. tuberculosis infection in HHCs of patients with TB who never develop LTBI or active TB.

Background: Vitellointestinal duct (VID) or Omphalomesenteric duct (OMD) is the embryonic connection between the yolk sac and the primitive midgut. Anomalies result from failure of the involution of the VID. Normally, it obliterates between the fifth and seventh weeks of fetal life. They include Meckel’s diverticulum (MD), fibrous band, fistula, sinus tract, cyst, and umbilical polyp. Symptomatic cases require surgical correction. They are characterised by different clinical presentations and histological appearances. This study gathers a single paediatric institutional experience of VID remnants, their demographic, clinical profile, varied histomorphology including the presence of ectopic tissues. Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to retrospectively review all the symptomatic cases of VID abnormalities at a tertiary pediatric referral hospital. The demographic profile, clinical presentation, and histopathology were reviewed and descriptively analyzed. We classified these anomalies based on embryology and histology. The findings of this study will provide insights to pathologists and treating clinicians less exposed to these rare lesions. Materials and Methods: Data was retrieved retrospectively from the pathology records of a tertiary paediatric referral institute for 3 years. Histological slides of VID anomalies were reviewed and a descriptive analysis of the findings was performed. A thorough review of the literature was also done on these very rare lesions and their findings compared to our results. Results: A total of 60 cases of VID anomalies were encountered during the study period. There was significant male preponderance. The most common age group at surgery was infancy. MD was the commonest VID anomaly. The least common was vitelline fistula and only a single case was encountered in the study period. Ectopic tissues were seen in 25% of the cases and included gastric and colonic mucosae and pancreatic tissue. Conclusion: The histopathology of VID anomalies provides an interesting diagnostic experience for the reporting pathologist. Awareness of the embryology, presentation and histology of these lesions aids in accurate diagnosis.

Introduction: Postoperative Delirium (POD) is one of the most common complications in geriatric surgical patients. The POD has immense implication because it can initiate a cascade of deleterious events leading to functional decline, reduced cognitive function, prolonged hospitalisation, and death. The risk factors for POD include increased age, cognitive, visual or sensory impairment, functional dependence, infection, and electrolyte abnormalities. Published literature on POD in patients aged >60 years undergoing oncosurgeries are few. According to the American Geriatric Society, evidence for recommendation of intraoperative risk factors is lacking. The relation between intraoperative haemodynamics and postoperative pain with POD is controversial, as studies provide differences in evidence. Hence this relation needs to be studied further. Aim: To find the incidence of POD in patients >60 years of age undergoing oncosurgery, and its association with intraoperative hypotension and blood pressure fluctuations. The secondary objective was to assess the relation of POD with postoperative pain. Materials and Methods: The present study was prospective cohort study which was carried on 50 patients aged >60 years undergoing cancer surgery. Intraoperative hypotension and blood pressure fluctuations were measured based on predefined criteria. Postoperative pain and total opioid consumption were also noted. Delirium was assessed with the short Confusion Assessment Method (short CAM), on the first three postoperative days. The association between hypotension and intraoperative blood pressure fluctuations with POD were analysed with Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney U test. Association of pain scores and total dose of opioid with POD was performed using Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The mean age of the study population was 69.5±2.8 years. The mean preoperative Addenbrook’s Cognitive Examination (ACE) score was 83.78. The incidence of POD was 22%. There was a significant association between intraoperative blood pressure fluctuation and POD. The mean BP variance ranged from 126.89 to 111.13 mmHg. Increased age and more co-morbidities ≥3 (present in 58%) showed an association with POD. Conclusion: The incidence of POD was high (22%) among the elderly requiring oncosurgery. Intraoperative blood pressure fluctuation as well as hypotension was associated with increased risk of POD. Hence in elderly patients, tight blood pressure control is advisable during surgery.

Background: Cardiovascular Diseases including Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) account for two-thirds of mortality; progressively increasing in rural population. Individuals experiencing coronary events have one or more behavioral risk factors. Most of these events are preventable if meaningful intervention is initiated. Aim and Objective: To assess the behavioral risk factors for CAD among adults residing in rural area of Belagavi District. Material and Methods: A community based cross sectional study, conducted among rural adults aged between 20-60 years. After obtaining the ethical clearance, pilot study was conducted. Data was collected by home visits using a pretested, structured questionnaire, which included socio-demographic variables and behavioral risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, fruits and vegetable consumption, extra salt intake and physical inactivity. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis and P

Background: Knowledge of factors that affect survival in People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) will help us develop and implement interventions to improve the clinical outcomes and survival in these individuals. The aim of this study was to estimate the survival in PLHAs on ART in the government ART programme in Mumbai, and the factors associated with survival in these individuals. Methods: It is a retrospective survival analysis of 28,345 adult PLHAs from 18 government ART centres in Mumbai (registration period 2004–2019). We estimated the mortality rates and their 95% confidence intervals [CIs], plotted the Kaplan Meier Survival curves, estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) and hazard ratios (HR). There were done for the whole cohort and according to various demographic and clinical characteristics. Results: The mortality in PLHAs on ART was 9.04 per 1000 person years. The HR was significantly for those aged 50 years and more at the time of registration (HR: 3.01, 95% CI: 2.37, 3.83; P < 0.001), in those with baseline CD4 count of less than 200 higher hazard (HR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.27; P < 0.001), those with an adherence of 80–95% (HR; 5.58, 95% CI: 4.61, 6.75; P < 0.001) and adherence of

Introduction: Blood cultures play an important role in the early diagnosis of sepsis and its management. Early detection of pathogens in Blood Stream Infections (BSI) and their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) pattern, plays a vital role in the diagnosis of sepsis and is important for guidance of appropriate therapy. Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of shortly incubated blood cultures in comparison with standard method for an early Identification (ID) and AST. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study undertaken from July 2015 to June 2016 at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The blood cultures were loaded in the BacT/Alert system. A total of 92 patients with two sets of blood cultures that flagged positive within 24 hours of collection were included in the study. Grams stain and subcultures of the broths were done. The culture plates were examined after four hours and then at hourly intervals for the presence of growth. Once the growth was sufficient it was processed immediately for ID and AST by Vitek 2C. Incubation of the plates was continued for the rest of the 24 hours at 37oC and was processed again. The mean time for detection were compared between short and standard cultures. Results: Gram negative pathogens were the predominant organisms isolated in 82/92 (89.1%) followed by gram positive in 10/92 (10.9%). The short and standard cultures had comparable results with respect to ID of the isolates. But, the AST results were comparable only in 88/92 (95.6%) patients. Of the remaining four patients, the AST showed Very Major Error (VME) in 3 (3.3%) patients and Major Error (ME) in 1 (1.08%) patient. Conclusion: Short incubation of cultures enabled earliest ID and AST of the isolates from blood cultures than standard incubation.

Background: Stress is an important mental health problem which significantly affects the medical under graduates. Cortisol is known as stress hormone. Medical education is very stressful out of all higher education and medical undergraduates are more affected when compared to other professional students. In that examination has been described as a naturalistic stressor capable of affecting human health. Objectives : To estimate and correlate serum cortisol and lipid profile before & during the examination in medical students. Materials & Methods: A longitudinal follow up study was done on 50 first MBBS students(aged,18-25 years) of Prathima college after taking informed consent. Subjects were assessed for stress parameters with given questionnaire of 42 items(DASS-42) and serum cortisol ,lipid profile at two times. Exactly 5 ml of venous blood was collected from each subject before & during major examination for cortisol & lipid profile. Cortisol was assessed using ELISA techniques, while lipid parameters were assessed using standard enzymaticspectrophotometric methods. Results: There was statistically significant increase in serum cortisol, Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in students during examination stress compared to the before examination period (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). There was also non significant positive correlation between serum cortisol and other lipid profile parameters before examination stress but not during the examination period. Conclusion: Significant increase in cortisol, TC, HDL and LDL but no significant correlation between cortisol and the other parameters were observed during examination stress. This study could be helpful to the students in planning strategies to be adopted to cope up the examination stress to prevent harzards of stress

Introduction: Turner's syndrome (TS) is the most common sex chromosome disorder in women, with an incidence of 1 in 2,500 female births. TS is characterized by distinctive features of short stature, streak gonads, increased risk of heart and renal defects and specific cognitive and psychosocial phenotype. Materials and Methods: We conducted a study in the department of endocrinology, GGH, Kurnool, for one year. 27 cases presented with short stature and primary amenorrhea, recurrent otitis media, were diagnosed as TS after detailed workup. We started growth hormone therapy for some patients with short stature. Gonadectomy was conducted for TS patients with Y component, and they were asked for regular follow-up. Results: Out of 27 cases, 12 were found to be turner mosaic, 15 were classical cases of TS. Conclusion: TS can be diagnosed with a high degree of clinical suspicion and confirmed by karyotyping. TS if identified earlier, growth can be achieved to the maximum potential. Early identification and proper management can improve the outcome and decrease the complications associated with TS.

Background: The distance between the central incisor to incisive papilla (CI-IP) is constant and regarded as one of the landmarks for the placement of artificial teeth in the prosthesis. Earlier studies were done in relation to anterior border of papilla but after extraction the incisive papilla recedes changing the position of anterior border. Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 dentulous subjects were divided into two groups (males and females) with 50 in each group. Maxillary alginate impressions were made and base poured using levelling instrument to standardize all casts and surveyed on the surveyor for uniformity of the casts. The measured distances were analyzed using Student t-test analysis. Results: The ovoid arch was the commonest arch form found in both males and females with slightly more prevalent in females. Analysis was done using Student t-test analysis and found that the mean distance from CI-IP was found to be at 12.85 mm and 12.39 mm in males and females, respectively. Conclusion: When square arch form (both male and female) mean CI-IP was compared with the total sample mean CI-IP, the mean CI-IP of square arch form was less than that of total sample with greater significance (P < 0.05). When ovoid arch form (both male and female) mean CI-IP was compared with the square arch form (both male and female) mean CI-IP, the mean CI-IP of ovoid arch form was greater than that of square arch form with greatest significance (P = 0).

Introduction Previously developed cesarean section (CS) and emergency CS prediction tools use antenatal and intrapartum risk factors. We aimed to develop a predictive model for the risk of emergency CS before the onset of labour utilizing antenatal obstetric and non-obstetric factors. Methods We completed a secondary analysis of data collected from the CHILD Cohort Study. The analysis was limited to term (≥37 weeks), singleton pregnant women with cephalic presentation. The sample was divided into a training and validation dataset. The emergency CS prediction model was developed in the training dataset and the performance accuracy was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). Our final model was subsequently evaluated in the validation dataset. Results The participant sample consisted of 2,836 pregnant women. Mean age of participants was 32 years, mean BMI of 25.4 kg/m2 and 39% were nulliparous. 14% had emergency CS delivery. Each year of increasing maternal age increased the odds of emergency CS by 6% (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR 1.06,1.02–1.08). Likewise, there was a 4% increase odds of emergency CS for each unit increase in BMI (aOR 1.04,1.02–1.06). In contrast, increase in maternal height has a negative association with emergency CS. The final emergency CS delivery predictive model included six variables (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, antenatal depression, previous vaginal delivery, age, height, BMI). The AUC for our final prediction model was 0.74 (0.72–0.77) in the training set with a similar AUC in the validation dataset (0.77; 0.71–0.82). Conclusion The developed and validated emergency CS delivery prediction model can be used in counselling prospective parents around their CS risk and healthcare resource planning. Further validation of the tool is suggested.

Sustained bioenergy production from organisms that thrive in high salinity, low oxygen, and low nutrition levels is useful in monitoring hypersaline polluted environments. Microbial fuel cell (MFC) studies utilizing single species halophiles under salt concentrations higher than 1 M and as a closed microbial system are limited. The current study aimed to establish baseline voltage, current, and power density from a dual-chambered MFC utilizing the halophile Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1. MFC performance was determined with two different electrode sizes (5 cm2 and 10 cm2), under oscillating and nonoscillating conditions, as well as in a stacked series. A closed dual-chamber MFC system of 100 mL capacity was devised with Halobacterium media (4.3 M salt concentration) as both anolyte and catholyte, with H. salinarum NRC-1 being the anodic organism. The MFC measured electrical output over 7, 14, 28, and 42 days. MFC output increased with 5 cm2 sized electrodes under nonoscillating (p

In the current study, we followed 839 household contacts (HHCs) of tuberculosis (TB) patients for 2 years and identified the factors that enhanced the development of TB. Fourteen of the 17 HHCs who progressed to TB were in the 15- to 30-year-old age group. At baseline (the “0“ time point, when all the individuals were healthy), the concentration of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) was lower, and there were increased numbers of Tregs in PBMCs of TB progressors. At baseline, PBMCs from TB progressors stimulated with early secretory antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and 10 kDa culture filtrate antigen (CFP-10) produced less IL-1α. Thyroid hormones inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) growth in macrophages in an IL-1α–dependent manner. Mtb-infected Thra1PV/+ (mutant thyroid hormone receptor) mice had increased mortality and reduced IL-1α production. Our findings suggest that young HHCs who exhibit decreased production of thyroid hormones are at high risk of developing active TB disease.

Introduction: Yoga and pranayama are the ancient Indian life style practices which has no limits for age or gender. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of pranayama on cognition. Materials and methods: This is a pre-post study which includes 100 healthy medical students of 18-25 years age group with equal male to female ratio. They practised daily pranayama (anulom vilom) for 10 minutes; two hours post lunch for 12 weeks in clinical laboratory, department of physiology, Prathima institute of medical sciences. Their cognitive function is assessed by trail making test and mini mental state examination at the beginning and at the end of 12 weeks period in which they regularly practised pranayama, and the results were compared. Results: There is no significant gender difference in the results obtained. After 12 weeks regular practise of pranayama, there is a significant reduction in the time taken for trail making test (P

Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis remains one of the most dangerous communicable diseases. More than two billion people are estimated to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2017, approximately 10 million individuals became ill with tuberculosis,among them 2.79 million individuals were active cases, 1.6 million died among which 0.3 million died with coexistent HIV infection. Prompt diagnosis of active tuberculosis facilitates timely therapeutic intervention and minimize the community transmission. As tuberculosis is a global problem, for eradication of the disease, early diagnosis, timely identification and improved detection is essential. The diagnosis of tuberculosis is challenging in cases of insufficient sputum and paucity of bacilli. With this background, this study was planned to compare Ziehl-Neelsen's stain, Fluorescent stain and CBNAAT (Cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test) as per RNTCP guidelines. Material and Methods: A prospective interventional study was carried out using 188 sputum samples of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. All 188 samples were subjected to three methods Ziehl-Neelsen's stain, fluorescent stain and CBNAAT. They were compared for sensitivity and specificity in terms of qualitative results. The data recorded was then analyzed statistically. Results: In our study out of 188 cases 124 were males, 64 were females. Out of 188 samples, the smear positivity rate of ZN stain was 33.5%, fluorescent stain was 40.9%, and the positivity rate of CBNAAT was 51.1%. Conclusion: CBNAAT is more sensitive and specific in detection of pulmonary TB. An additional feature of rifampicin resistance can also be detected by CBNAAT.

Bacterial members of the infant gut microbiota and bacterial-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been shown to be protective against childhood asthma, but a role for the fungal microbiota in asthma etiology remains poorly defined. We recently reported an association between overgrowth of the yeast Pichia kudriavzevii in the gut microbiota of Ecuadorian infants and increased asthma risk. In the present study, we replicated these findings in Canadian infants and investigated a causal association between early life gut fungal dysbiosis and later allergic airway disease (AAD). In a mouse model, we demonstrate that overgrowth of P. kudriavzevii within the neonatal gut exacerbates features of type-2 and -17 inflammation during AAD later in life. We further show that P. kudriavzevii growth and adherence to gut epithelial cells are altered by SCFAs. Collectively, our results underscore the potential for leveraging inter-kingdom interactions when designing putative microbiota-based asthma therapeutics.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227316.].

Introduction: Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and is the most common gynaecological operation done in females worldwide. In the early 20th century, hysterectomies were done for many conditions like leiomyoma, Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding (DUB), chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, prolapse, and malignancies. Considering that the procedure has a 20-35% life risk, it calls for a thorough justification before consideration. A hysterectomy has mental, physical, social, economic and psychosexual impact, apart from intraoperative and postoperative complications. Thus, an audit on hysterectomies was done to help students, medical fraternity, and the women of Kodagu in having a better understanding of hysterectomies. Aim: To conduct an audit on hysterectomies performed for gynaecological indications to correlate pre-operative diagnosis with the histopathological diagnosis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which included all elective hysterectomies performed for gynaecological indications conducted at the District Hospital of Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, Madikeri from January 2018-June 2019. All cases of hysterectomies were considered except Caesarean peripartal hysterectomies. The histopathological findings of the endometrium, myometrium, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes were recorded. Findings were tabulated as frequency and percentage. Then, using the data, preoperative indications were compared with postoperative histopathological findings to know if hysterectomy was justified. Results: A total of 238 hysterectomies were performed during 18 months in the District Hospital. Abdominal and vaginal approaches were used. Panhysterectomy via abdominal approach was the most common type of hysterectomy. The most common age group where hysterectomy occurred was 41-60 years. The most common indication for hysterectomy was found to be Fibroid uterus. Analysis of the myometrial findings revealed that the most common finding was leiomyoma. Majority of ovaries and fallopian tubes did not show significant pathology. Conclusion: Panhysterectomy was the most common type of hysterectomy. Fibroid were the most common histopathological findings and medium and small sized fibroids can be given a trial of nonsurgical management. Injudicious use of hysterectomy procedure has multiple loop holes involving medical fraternity, socioeconomic conditions of women and attitude of society towards female reproductive health.

ROS1-rearrangement occurs in 1-2% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This mutation is predominantly seen in relatively young, non-smoker, female with adenocarcinoma. Association of pulmonary embolism with ROS1-rearranged NSCLC has been suggested. We report a case of a 22-year-old woman with ROS1-positive NSCLC and pulmonary embolism. This case possibly represents the youngest patient in the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Automatic detection and recognition of various human physical movements while performing daily life activities such as walking, jogging, running, sitting, standing etc. are usually considered as Activity Recognition (AR). AR is a prominent research area in many applications, such as elderly care, security and surveillance, smart homes, health and fitness. Extremely Randomized Trees Classifier (ET Classifier) is a type of ensemble learning technique used in Activity Recognition, which clusters several different decision trees into a forest from a single learning set and gives the classification result. But it suffers from high variance and over-fitting problem due to high inter-dependency among hyperparameters during model building. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this paper is to propose a novel Random_Split_Point procedure for Extra tree classifier to make the existing approach more robust, less variance, less computational time in obtaining optimal split points and faster in model building. This approach generates K random split points from all the candidate features of the dataset and selects the best split point based on the maximum score obtained by information gain measure. METHODS: In the proposed method to improve the randomization and accuracy of AR system, a novel random split-point procedure for ET classifier is proposed. This approach reduces the bias-variance problem induced due to the three hyperparameters such as K, nmin and M used in split-point procedure of existing ET classifier (K : number of randomly selected attributes at each node, nmin : minimum sample size for splitting a node, M : number of decision trees for ensemble). This approach generates K random split points from all the candidate features of the dataset and selects the best split point based on the maximum score obtained by information gain measure. RESULTS: The proposed approach is experimented with two public AR datasets HAR and HAPT (UCI Machine Learning Repository) containing 6 and 12 activities respectively. In HAR dataset, smartphone sensed sensor signals of 3 static and 3 dynamic human daily activities are there, where as in HAPT dataset apart from these 6 daily activities, 6 postural transitions data is available. Experimental results and comparative analysis show that the proposed method outperforms over other existing techniques with an accuracy of 94.16% for HAR dataset and 92.63% for HAPT dataset. It also takes less computational time in finding optimal split-points and less model building time. CONCLUSION: AR systems can be used as an intelligent system in healthcare to monitor the behaviour of healthy people by recognizing their daily activities. These systems also help in early detection of some chronic diseases and improve the quality of life. In this paper, an attempt is made to improve the accuracy of Activity Recognition over some existing methods.

BACKGROUND:Routine viral-load (VL) measurements along with enhanced adherence counselling (EAC) are recommended to achieve virological suppression among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) on anti-retroviral therapy (ART). The Mumbai Districts AIDS Control Society along with Médecins Sans Frontières has provided routine VL measurements and EAC to PLHA on ART at King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, Mumbai since October-2016. This study aims to describe the initial VL results and impact of EAC on viral suppression and factors associated with initial viral non-suppression among patients with an initial detectable VL, in a cohort of patients tested between October-2016 and September-2018. METHODS:This is a descriptive study of PLHA on ART who received VL testing and EAC during October-2016 to September-2018. Log-binomial regression was used to identify factors associated with a high VL. RESULTS:Among 3849 PLHA who underwent VL testing, 1603(42%) were female and median age was 42 years (IQR:35-48). Majority were referred for routine testing (3432(89%)) and clinical/immunological failure (233(6%)). Overall, 3402(88%) PLHA had suppressed VL at initial testing. Among 3432 tested for routine monitoring, 3141(92%) had VL suppressed. Of 291 with VL>1000c/ml, 253(87%) received EAC and after repeat VL, 70(28%) had VL1000c/ml and 109 have been switched to second-line ART. CD4 count1000c/ml. Factors associated with follow-up VL suppression included EAC (p

Assistive products outcomes are needed globally to inform policy, practice, and drive investment. The International Society of Wheelchair Professionals developed a Minimum Uniform Dataset (MUD) for wheelchair services worldwide with the intent to gather data that is comparable globally. The MUD was developed with the participation of members from around the globe and its feasibility piloted at 3 sites. Three versions of the MUD are now available-a short form with 29 data points (available in English, Spanish, and French) and a standard version with 38 data points in English. Future work is to validate and complete the translation cycles followed by promoting the use of the MUD globally so that the data can be leveraged to inform policy, practice and direct investments.