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BACKGROUND: Nutrition is an important factor in infant's growth and development especially during the first year of life which includes intrauterine and the postnatal period. Transfer of iron from the mother to the fetus is supported by a substantial increase in maternal iron absorption during pregnancy and is regulated by the placenta. Anaemia is a public health problem that affects populations in both rich and poor countries. Although the primary cause is iron deficiency, it is seldom present in isolation. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to analyse the correlation of hemoglobin levels of infant at birth and at 5th month of life with the maternal factors during pregnancy, assess the hematological profile in early infancy: at birth and at 5th month of life among children born in a tertiary care hospital in south India and to assess the magnitude and severity of the anaemia. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 100 sample of normally delivered babies at BGS GIMS Hospital. Data regarding maternal factors including diet, exercise, anthropometry, education status, haematological profile, placental insufficiency and hypertension disorders during pregnancy were collected according to the structured proforma from the mothers records. Following that babies were evaluated for birth weight, other anthropometric values and haemoglobin estimation at birth and followed up at 5th month of life. RESULTS: Maternal obstetrical complications such as pregnancy induced hypertension was a factor contributing to the prevalence of anaemia during infancy. The prevalence of anaemia in early infancy is high (47%). CONCLUSION: Maternal obstetrical complications such as pregnancy induced hypertension was a factor contributing to the prevalence of anaemia during infancy. Other maternal factors such as education, socio economic status and nutritional status of mother did not show statistically significant impact on infant's anthropometry at birth and at 5th month of life. Pediatricians to consider start of early iron supplements to prevent nutritional causes of anaemia in infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder with gestational hypertension and proteinuria, it affects maternalfoetal vasculature. The risk of preeclampsia increases upon exposure to different genetic mutations, environmental changes, obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus, multifoetal gestations, and hydatidiform mole. Preeclampsia affects the mother and foetus. Its pathogenesis is complex involving inflammation, stress, and molecular factors. Aim: To measure the circulatory levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1), Glutathione (GSH), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit (sandwich) in preeclamptic women and healthy controls. Materials and Methods: The present study was a case-control study carried out at the Department of Biochemistry of the Government Institute of Medical Science (GIMS), Greater Noida, and Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, from November 2018 till November 2020. The demographic data were recorded, and blood samples were studied. Preeclamptic women (cases, n=90) were grouped as group A: 140/90-149/99 mmHg, group B: 150/100-159/109 mmHg, and group C: =160/110 mmHg along with controls (n=70). The normotensive pregnant women without family history of preeclampsia were included as controls. The competitive ELISA principles were used to quantify ET-1, GSH, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. One-way analysis of variance tests (ANOVA) and Tukey Post-Hoc Test was carried out to compare the clinical characteristics, ET-1, GSH, IL-6, and TNF-α between the cases and controls. Results: The demographic data of age, gestational age, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were not significantly different between cases and control. The ET-1 levels were significantly (p=0.042) higher in cases (A: 116±79.4, B: 99.2±72, C: 159±96) than controls (54±49). In contrast, GSH levels were low in preeclampsia. In addition, cases had elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels (IL-6; cases A: 112.3±49.3, B: 127±17.5, C: 324±52.9, and control 40.3±13, TNF-α; cases A: 241±179, B: 200.9±196, C: 391±299 and controls: 167±104). GSH levels decreased with the rise in Blood Pressure (BP), while IL-6 increased significantly with an increase in BP. Conclusion: Every 10-mmHg increase in BP led to increase in IL-6 levels, and ET-1 and TNF-α levels were increased and the GSH levels were decreased in all three groups in comparison to controls. Thus, the present study provided evidence that links oxidative stress, inflammation, and a potent vasoconstrictor ET-1 with altered antioxidants (GSH) that led to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The primary objectives of the study are to determine the effectiveness of the Kaba Sura Kudineer (KSK) & Nilavembu Kudineer (NVK) along with standard Allopathy Treatment to compared with Placebo (Decaffeinated Tea) with standard Allopathy Treatment in the management of Symptomatic COVID 19 patients and also in reduction of Hospital Stay Time & Changes in Immunological (IL6) and Bio Chemical Markers (Ferritin, CRP, D-Dimer and LDH). The secondary objectives are to evaluate the safety of the trial medicines and their effects in the reduce the risks of the disease. In addition, to document the profile of Symptomatic COVID 19 patients as per Siddha Principles.Trial Design: A Double Blinded, Three arm, Single Centre, Placebo Controlled, Exploratory and comparative Randomized Controlled Trial PARTICIPANTS: Patients who were admitted to the COVID Care Centre at Govt. Institute of Medical Sciences. Noida in India will be recruited. These will be patients with Mild and Moderate symptoms with laboratory confirmed COVID 19 (RT - PCR Tested Positive) aged 18-65, willing and consenting to participate.Intervention and Comparator: Arm I: Decaffeinated Tea (Placebo - similar in taste and appearance to the other Two Decoctions), 60 Ml Morning and Night after Food, along with standard Allopathy Treatment for 10 days. Arm II: Nilavembu Kudineer (The Siddha Medicines which is used as a standard Anti-Viral drug for the past Pandemics by Siddha Physicians) 60 Ml Morning and Night after Food, along with standard Allopathy Treatment for 10 days. Arm III: Kaba Sura Kudineer (The Siddha Medicine which is proposed to be used as a Treatment for COVID 19 based on Siddha Literature) 60 Ml Morning and Night after Food, along with standard Allopathy Treatment for 10 days. The investigational drugs are registered products under the Govt.of India and bought from GMP Certified Manufacturing Units.Main Outcomes: Primary outcomes: 1. Reduction in Viral load of SARS-CoV-2 at the end of treatment (10 days). 2. Time taken to convert Patient from symptomatic to Asymptomatic based on Reduction in clinical symptoms (10 days). 3. Effect of drugs inflammatory markers (IL6,) at the end of treatment (10 days). 4. Reduction in hospital stay time (20 days follow up). (Based on RT PCR CT Value 3rd, 6th if needed 10th day). (Based on IL 6 Value needed 10th day or IL6 value on turning negative. (entry level/exit level). Secondary outcomes (10 days): 1. Reduction in use of Intensive Supportive Care. 2. Reduction in incidence of complications (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, other systemic complications). 3. MuLBSTA score for viral pneumonia (multinodular infiltration, hypo-lymphocytosis, bacterial co infection, Total Leucocyte Count (TLC ≤ 0.8 x 109/L), smoking history, hyper-tension and age) score. 4. Laboratory markers (Haematological & Biochemical Markers). 5. Adverse events/effects Siddha-based measurements. 6. Siddha Udaliyal assessment by using Yakkai Ilakkanam (YI) Tool to diagnose body condition for covid-19 patients.Randomisation: The assignment of the participants into 3 Groups will be allocated in 1:1:1 Ratio through randomization Blocks in Microsoft Excel by a Statistician who is not involved in the study. The allocation scheme will be made by another statistician by using a closed envelope after the assessment of eligibility and Informed consent procedures. The groups will be balanced for age and sex with 3:1 Ratio in each group for mild: severe COVID-19 symptoms.Blinding: The Study is Double Blinded. Participants and Investigators were blinded.Numbers To Be Randomized (sample Size): Sample size could not be calculated, Since there are no prior trials on KSK and NVK as a comparative trial. In addition, there are no prior trials on KSK and NVK in this region. A total Number of 120 Patients, 40 each in 3 groups will be recruited in 1:1:1 Ratio.Trial Status: Protocol Number : SCRUND GIMS Noida Study 1,Version: 2.0 Protocol Date : 20.08.2020 The recruitment period is completed for the trial. The Trial started its recruitment on 22.8.2020. We anticipate study including data analysis will finish in January 2021. This is to state that it was a late submission from authors for publication of the protocol to the BMC, after enrolment in the study was over.Trial Registration: The trial protocol was registered with CTRI (Clinical Trial Registry of India) and number is CTRI/2020/08/027286 on 21.08.2020 FULL PROTOCOL: The full Protocol is attached as an additional file, Accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated. This letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. The Study protocol has been reported in accordance with the SPIRIT guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Road traffic noise is a major cause of noise pollution, especially in large cities. Various studies have shown the health compromises in drivers, since the duties of professional drivers is of great responsibility. The professional bus drivers who drive the buses at the busy traffic lanes are always at a risk of exposure to high levels of noise due to traffic congestion along roadside. Hence, this study was done on bus drivers in western Uttar Pradesh as they were more vulnerable to the health hazards of noise pollution. Hearing loss was assessed by audiometry test in bus drivers and was compared with the individuals employed in office jobs. Material and Methods:The present study was carried out in the Department of ENT Head & Neck Surgery, GIMS Greater Noida, after obtaining the IEC approval. Two groups were studied in the present study which included "Test Group" (Bus drivers) and "Control group" (age matched males working as staffs, clerks or office assistants within the hospital and college premises). The minimum sample in each group was 250. The subjects were enrolled in the study using consecutive sampling method. The data was collected in the pre-structured questionnaire. The audiometric analysis using a GLOBAL REAL audiometer by an experienced audiologist, who will be unaware of the subject's hearing status and was done to assess the degree and the type of the hearing loss for both groups. The classification into conductive and sensorineural hearing impairment was done on the basis of audiometry. The hearing impairment was expressed in terms of percentage using method used in India. Independent T Test and Chi square test were done for Intergroup comparison. Results:In present study, 12.5% bus drivers had mean hearing loss > 25 dB in the age group of < 30 years, 27.8% bus drivers in the age group of 31-40 years showed mean hearing loss > 25 dB, about 68.8% drivers in age group > 50 years showed hearing loss > 25 dB, All >25db. Please see a statistically significant difference in the hearing threshold levels in both right and left ears of bus drivers (test group) and office workers (control group) at frequencies of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 6000 Hz, and 8000 Hz. The difference in the hearing loss of test group and control group was statistically significant across all the three age groups and overall, in all age groups. Conclusion:It was seen in the present study that bus drivers (test group) who were exposed to louder noise had more sensorineural hearing loss than the office workers (control group). These results shall be used to implement educational measures and / or preventive in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore risk factors for the development of pneumothorax in patients with COVID-19 during the second COVID-19 wave at a northern Indian level 2 health facility. Methods: Patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India (January-June 2021) at a tertiary care teaching hospital and level 2 COVID care facility were included. Cases who suffered from SARSCoV-2 infection but did not develop pneumothorax were selected as matched controls. All details regarding demographics, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome were recorded in a semistructured proforma. Results: Eleven patients with COVID-19 developed pneumothorax during the study period and 40 controls were included in the study. Five cases were smokers in comparison to only two in the control group. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was the most common comorbidity among both groups. Median change in C-reactive protein overall for cases and controls were around +14.0 and - 41.9 and was statistically significant. Conclusions: Inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein have significant correlations with the development of pneumothorax in COVID-19-infected patients. There is no sex predisposition to develop pneumothorax among patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is one of the common non-communicable diseases in India. Role of vitamin D is described in diabetes mellitus in multiple studies owing to its facilitation/inhibition of transcription factor and immune-modulator property. Aim: To study the association between vitamin D level and HbA1C level. Methods: It was an analytical observational case study. Patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus were included in the study. All routine lab parameters were done and patients were evaluated for diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy. Statistical analysis was done by pearson correlation test, fisher’s exact test and ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was also done. Results: 119 patients were included in the study. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 77 patients (64.71%). Significant association was found between vitamin D deficiency and younger age. (p = 0.012) Negative correlation was present between vitamin D level and HbA1c. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be significantly associated with high HbA1c (p = 0.024). Conclusion: Vitamin d deficiency in type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with poor glycemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Estimating the morbidity and mortality in the emergency department (ED) only allows the pediatricians to assess the prognosis of the patient and plan therapies accordingly. This study was conducted to develop and validate a simple scoring system and establish a correlation between clinical parameters and the outcome of the patient. Subjects and Methods: Nine parameters, i.e., body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure (BP), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), capillary refill time, level of sensorium, presence of seizure, and random blood sugar level, were documented, at the time of admission. Parameters were assigned a score of "0" if it is normal. An abnormality in the above parameters were indicated by a score ranging from 1 to 3. The primary outcome was assessed in terms of death/survival. Results: Out of the total, 57.2% required critical care, and mortality was reported in 14.75% of cases. On univariate analysis, seven clinical parameters were significantly associated with mortality. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, abnormalities in BP, SpO2, and temperature were independent predictors of mortality (P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic was 0.798 (95% confidence interval, 0.755-0.836; P < 0.0001) for the outcome of mortality (the predictive ability of score of 79.8%). The patients with scores 1-5, 6-10, and >10 had 4.923, 23.143, and 112.0 higher odds of mortality, respectively. Conclusions: This scoring system predicts the severity of illness and outcome with a sensitivity of 71.19% and specificity of 72.14%, respectively, in the ED. Higher scores predict unfavorable outcomes in these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poisoning is an important health hazard and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide including in India. The study was conducted to understand the magnitude, pattern, and gender differentials of all poisoning fatalities in relation to the manner of death autopsied at a tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective study of all fatal poisoning cases autopsied at the department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology of a tertiary care institute in Northern India for the period 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2017 was conducted, and a profile of the victims of fatal poisoning was prepared. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study included a total of 1099 cases of fatal poisoning autopsied at the department of Forensic medicine & Toxicology. Suicidal poisoning was reported in 90.2% of cases and accidental poisoning was seen in 8.9% of cases. Males were predominantly affected (63.8%). The majority of the victims were in the 3rd decade (40.0%) of life. The age of the victims ranged from 2 to 82 years with a mean age of 38.4 years. Agrochemical compounds were implicated in 44.4% of the total fatalities. Conclusion: Males in the 2nd to 4th decades of life were more prone to self‑poisoning with Agrochemical compounds in the region of North India. Accidental poisoning deaths were uncommon and poisoning was not a preferred method of homicide in this region. Our approach to the study reveals that quantitative chemical (toxicological) analysis is required to further strengthen and improve the databases of the epidemiology of poisoning in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives Medication-related harm is known to be the cause for about 1/10th of hospitalizations. Some estimates from India show that about 90 per cent of medicines consumed are inessential or irrational and contribute towards high out-of-pocket expenditure on health. In this context, the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2022 constituted a National Task Force (NTF) to explore possible solutions that could improve safe and rational use of medicines (SRUMs). The objective of this study was to identify research ideas in the field of SRUM through a survey of relevant stakeholders, and further to prioritize the research ideas using a pre-identified set of criteria. Methods The responses from the identified stakeholders were assessed using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method, which is an established research priority-setting methodology. First, the NTF asked for two to six research ideas from relevant Indian and global stakeholders on solutions to improve SRUM. The ideas were checked for duplicates, re-phrased where necessary and classified into various sub-themes. Subsequently, the research ideas were scored by Indian experts with relevant technical expertise using a pre-defined set of five criteria: innovativeness, effectiveness, translational value, answerability and applicability. Each research idea received from a stakeholder was assigned a score under each of the five criteria. The overall research priority score was calculated as a mean of all five criteria-specific scores and converted into a percentage. Results The final output of the prioritization process was a list of research ideas or questions, ranked by their scores. Total 209 unique ideas were received from 190 respondents, which were scored by 27 experts. The top three research topics on medication safety focused on cost-effective strategies for improving antimicrobial stewardship, safe use of poly-pharmacy in geriatric patients and drug take-back policy interventions. Regarding the rational use of medicine, the top three topics included testing mobile application-based antimicrobial stewardship interventions, development of diagnostics for antimicrobial resistance, and behavioural interventions. Interpretation & conclusions Several priority ideas found in this study also align with those of global priority, e.g., safe disposal practices and enhanced pharmacovigilance, rational use of medicines. Patient engagement, which underlines many of the top scoring ideas found in this study, is also inclined with the top research priorities reported by the WHO priority exercise on research into the safe use of medicines. However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first such work from a low- and middle- income country on medication safety and rational use of medicines. The findings of this research priority-setting exercise can help to guide research for the development of policy-relevant and novel interventions to improve SRUM in India.

India is an agricultural country; wherein about 70% of the population depends on agriculture. Agriculture has changed more in the past century than it has since farming began many millennia ago. Research in agriculture is aimed towards increase of productivity and food quality at reduced expenditure and with increased profit. Current crop production practices, often called Precision Agriculture (PA), benefited from all earlier revolutions in crop production. Many times expert advice may not be affordable, majority times the availability of expert and their services may consume time. Image processing along with availability of communication network can change the situation of getting the expert advice well within time and at affordable cost since image processing was the effective tool for analysis of parameters. Image processing techniques in agriculture are mainly used for image categorization based on shape, size, color and texture for decision-making. This leads to agricultural input rationalization and environmental damage reduction by adjusting the agricultural practices like fertilizer and pesticide application to the site that demands and profit maximization. This paper intends to focus on the survey of application of image processing in agriculture field such as imaging techniques, weed detection and fruit grading. This paper presents a survey on some of the existing image processing techniques in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While traditional media portrayals of older people are widely documented, social media representations have not been adequately examined. This is an undesirable oversight considering the prominence of social media in contemporary times. Further, such representations remain markedly unexplored in the Indian context. Given India's burgeoning population aging, the changing nature of Indian society, and the increasing use of social media, particularly YouTube which has the second largest user base among Indians, an analysis of the nature of portrayal of older persons on YouTube was deemed important. Through an inductive content analysis of 65 YouTube videos, we identified six primary categories and five sub-categories. These were – 'A vulnerable population' comprising three sub-categories the perils of old age, India is aging but do we care? and victims of crime and abuse; 'A collective responsibility;' 'The Incredibles: stories of resilience and new beginnings;' 'Toward an elder-sensitive society' encompassing two sub-categories namely gerontechnology and social initiatives and elder-friendly physical environment; 'Healthy aging;' and lastly 'Productivity in old age: respect and economic compulsion.' Broadly, our results revealed a far more differentiated, complex, and mixed portrayal of older people than early studies that found a predominantly negative portrayal. However, we also observed the potential for a greater, more balanced and heterogenous representation of the older Indian population on YouTube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) has been consumed in India since times immemorial. It is the need of an hour to emphasise about awareness and harmful effects of SLT in relation to periodontium. Aim: The aim of the study was to access the prevalence of periodontitis and its association with SLT amongst the adult population of Greater Noida, India. Settings and Design: Hospital-based study and cross-sectional design. Methods and Material: This cross-sectional study included 512 SLT subjects between the ages of 18 and 79 years. The study was carried out from December 2019 to January 2022. A self-designed questionnaire was used for recording demographic details, forms of SLT, frequency, duration of use, and sites of retention of SLT products. The clinical periodontal parameters such as periodontal pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded in a given point of time. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of periodontitis among SLT was 81.6% with the highest occurrence of Stage III Periodontitis (35.4%). The use of SLT for ≥10 years [odds ratio (OR) = 3.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.86--6.27] showed threefold the risk for periodontitis compared to others who consumed SLT for 4-5 years. Gutkha consumers [OR = 2.56 (95% CI = 0.75-3.48)] were 2.56 times more prone to have periodontitis as compared to other forms of SLT. Conclusions: Periodontitis is positively associated with SLT use. Awareness, timely intervention, and periodic screening in the SLT users will help to prevent the progression of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Amidst multiple waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous vaccines are being used worldwide to provide immunity against the coronavirus. Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the community toward COVID-19 vaccination could influence vaccine acceptance. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccination and assess its determinants. Material and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted as a structured 27-item questionnaire through Google Forms. Qualitative data were processed by categorizing responses for an item according to intended objectives, and data were coded numerically. The associations between variables were explored by using a modified Poisson regression to determine adjusted prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: The vaccine acceptance rate among the respondents was 72% and was more among those involved in the health care sector. The participants feared vaccine-related side effects and were less willing to accept the vaccination. The participants who believed adults also require vaccination against diseases accepted the COVID-19 vaccine. We found that the subjects with comorbid conditions, urban areas, and those who had contacted COVID-19 infection or family members were more willing to get vaccinated (P < 0.001). Conclusions: We concluded that a considerable majority (72%) of residents exhibit good vaccine acceptability. Health care providers, social media, and community influencers can design awareness campaigns to address perceived safety concerns and achieve a 100% acceptance rate in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although individual citizens perceive the human rights conditions in their country differently, existing research on human rights and public opinion has tended to ignore the possible impact from international sources of information. This article builds upon previous research on human rights, public opinion, and international organizations by arguing that citizens will perceive the human rights conditions in their country more negatively when their country is shamed by the international community for human rights violations. This hypothesis is tested using both observational and experimental methods. I use multilevel modeling and survey responses from both the Gallup International Millennium Survey and the World Values Survey to show that individual human rights perceptions are negatively related to the adoption of resolutions by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights shaming a survey respondent’s government for human rights abuses, as well as the number of human rights-focused international nongovernmental organizations with members or volunteers living within the survey respondent’s country. These results are supplemented by an original, web-based experiment on human rights perceptions in the United States and India in which survey respondents are exposed to an experimental manipulation modeled on press statements from Amnesty International shaming the survey respondent’s country for human rights abuses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Of late, radial artery is commonly used for angiography compared to transfemoral or trans brachial routeas this procedure yields less post operative hospital stay for the patients. So here is an effort to give various data on radial artery to support their various procedures. MATERIAL &METHODS: Radial artery parameters were collected and studied from 56 south-Indian upper limbs of both sexes and both sides by Dissection Method. Statistical analysis used to measure Average, median, mode, standard deviation and unpaired T test were calculated usingMicrosoft Excel. Results: Radial artery takes origin from inter epicondylar line at a mean distance of 2.31 cms. respectively. Mean total length of the radial artery from origin to styloid process is 24.58cm. Its mean luminal diameter at its origin is 0.48 cm. Mean luminal diameter at its termination in the anatomical snuff box is 0.47 cm. Differences in the measurement of both sexes and various other parametersdescribed in detail in the article. Variations like Radioulnar loops seen in one specimen. Distal 1/3 of forearm tortuosity in 7 specimens and full-length tortuosity in 3 specimens Conclusions: From our study, we conclude that the parameters we obtained aresimilar to earlier studies published. The anomalies in the course of Radial artery are very minimal with radioulnar loops in 1.8 %, full length tortuosity in 5.4 % and distal 1/3rd tortuosity in 12.5 % only. This concludes that radial artery can be considered as the safer and useful route for various coronary interventions surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ARIMA method, time series analysis technique, was proposed to perform short-term ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) forecast and to detect TEC anomalies. The success of the method was tested in two major earthquakes that occurred in India (M 7.7 Bhuj EQ, on Jan 26, 2001) and Turkey (M 7.1 Van EQ, on Oct 23, 2011). For ARIMA analysis, we have taken 18 and 29 days of TEC data with a 2-h temporal resolution and train the model with an accuracy of 5.1 and 2.7–2.9 TECU for India and Turkey EQs, respectively. After training the model and optimizing hyper model parameters, we applied on 8 and 9 days' time-window to observe anomalies. In Bhuj EQ, the negative anomalies are recorded on Jan 19 and 22, 2001. Similarly, positive anomalies are recorded on Jan 23, 24, and 25, 2001. In Van EQ, we recorded a strong positive anomaly on Oct 21, 2011, and in the consecutive days before the earthquake, some weak negative anomalies have also observed. The results showed that ARIMA has an adequate short-term performance of the ionospheric TEC prediction and anomaly detection of the TEC time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction- Abdominal trauma is an injury to abdomen and is a common presentation in the emergency room if it is caused by blunt force. According to WHO, in few years trauma will become the first or second leading cause of loss of productive years of life for both developed and developing countries. The most common cause of blunt abdominal trauma are road traffic accidents, fall from height, assaults, industrial accidents, etc. Objective- To study the pattern and prevalence of abdominal injuries in relation to the various epidemiological factors. Materials and Methods- This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 3 years from January 2016 to December 2018. The total number of cases studied were 120 showing abdominal injuries. This study on medicolegal autopsies was carried out at mortuary of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi, Karnataka. Results- A total of 120 cases were included in this study who presented with blunt abdominal trauma. In our study males (83 cases) outnumbered females (37 cases) and majority of the cases were in age group of 21-30 years (38.3%). Most of the cases were from rural background (57.5%). Road traffic accidents (75.8%) were the most common reason behind the abdominal trauma. The most common cause of death was shock and haemorrhage (69.2%). Liver was involved in majority of the victims followed by spleen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MRSA causes nosocomial and community based infections. It is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Resistance in MRSA is encoded by mecA gene. Anterior nares are the ecological niche of Staphylococcus aureus. HCWs who are colonized with MRSA, act as agents of cross contamination of hospital and community acquired MRSA. Treating MRSA infections is a therapeutic challenge as it is resistant to beta lactam group of drugs. Therefore, there is a need for rapid and accurate detection of MRSA carriage in HCWs and to understand its antibiotic susceptibility pattern. The objective of the present study is to estimate the occurrence of MRSA in HCWs, using phenotypic and genotypic methods. A prospective study for six months was conducted after obtaining Institutional Ethical Committee clearance. Anterior nasal swabs of those HCWs who gave informed consent were taken processed for culture and sensitivity as per standard protocol. To detect MIC for oxacillin, E-strip method was used. mecA gene detection was done by PCR. A total of 300 HCWs were sampled.14.66% (44/300) of the isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, of which 10 isolates were detected as MRSA. The overall isolation rate of MRSA is 3.33 %(10/300). MRSA carriage was high amongst nurses (5/59, 8.47%), followed by doctors (4/105, 3.80%). Antibiotic sensitivity pattern showed that highest resistance was to penicillin (75%) followed by amoxiclav (70.45 %). 9 MRSA isolates were detected as mecA gene positive by PCR. MRSA carriers were decontaminated successfully with 2% mupirocin ointment and 2% chlorhexidine shampoo. This study reiterates the need for rapid and accurate identification of HCWs who have nasal colonization with MRSA, for reinforcing hospital infection control measures and decontamination protocol. This will help prevent the spread of MRSA in our community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The consequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 on mother and fetus remain unknown due to a lack of robust evidence from prospective studies. Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on neonatal outcomes and the scope of vertical transmission. Methods: This ambispective observational study enrolled pregnant women with COVID-19 in North India from April 1 to August 31, 2020 to evaluate neonatal outcomes and the risk of vertical transmission. Results: A total of 44 neonates born to 41 COVID-19--positive mothers were evaluated. Among them, 28 patients (68.3%) (2 sets of twins) were delivered within 7 days of testing positive for COVID-19, 23 patients (56%) (2 sets of twins) were delivered by cesarean section; 13 newborns (29.5%) had low birth weight; 7 (15.9%) were preterm; and 6 (13.6%) required neonatal intensive care unit admission, reflecting an increased incidence of cesarean delivery and low birth weight but zero neonatal mortality. Samples of cord blood, placental membrane, vaginal fluid, amniotic fluid, peritoneal fluid (in case of cesarean section), and breast milk for COVID-19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction tested negative in 22 prospective delivery cases. Nasopharyngeal swabs of 2 newborns tested positive for COVID-19: one at 24 hours and the other on day 4 of life. In the former case, biological samples were not collected as the mother was asymptomatic and her COVID-19 report was avail able postdelivery; hence, the source of infection remained inconclusive. In the latter case, all samples tested negative, ruling out the possibility of vertical transmission. All neonates remained asymptomatic on follow-up. Conclusion: COVID-19 does not have direct adverse effects on the fetus per se. The possibility of vertical transmission is almost negligible, although results from larger trials are required to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, autopsy has been instrumental in establishing the cause of death both in clinical and forensic cases. Even though it helps in arriving at a decision regarding the cause of death and many other things, its use is declining recently, which should be a cause of concern. With this background, the present study has been carried out in January 2020 on 150 medical students of 2nd year MBBS by using set of questionnaires, to assess their knowledge and attitude towards autopsy at department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at BVDU & MC, Sangli, Maharashtra. This study shows the students had a reasonable knowledge and good attitude towards medico-legal autopsy. Majority of the students agreed that need of autopsy in all unnatural, sudden, unexpected and suspicious death is mandatory and collection of viscera for histo-pathological and toxicological analysis is useful. Majority of the students think that autopsy helps in solving crimes and gives information to police. Most of the study population shows interest in attending and performing a greater number of autopsies. Majority of the students agreed that post mortem examination is useful in medical education. Majority of the study population says that autopsy is disrespect to human body. Most of the study population is not aware of virtual autopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction- Abdominal trauma is an injury to abdomen and is a common presentation in the emergency room if it is caused by blunt force. According to WHO, in few years trauma will become the first or second leading cause of loss of productive years of life for both developed and developing countries. The most common cause of blunt abdominal trauma are road traffic accidents, fall from height, assaults, industrial accidents, etc. Objective- To study the pattern and prevalence of abdominal injuries in relation to the various epidemiological factors. Materials and Method- This retrospective study was conducted over a period of 3 years from January 2016 to December 2018. The total number of cases studied were 120 showing abdominal injuries. This study on medicolegal autopsies was carried out at mortuary of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belagavi, Karnataka. Results- A total of 120 cases were included in this study who presented with blunt abdominal trauma. In our study males (83 cases) outnumbered females (37 cases) and majority of the cases were in age group of 21-30 years (38.3%). Most of the cases were from rural background (57.5%). Road traffic accidents (75.8%) were the most common reason behind the abdominal trauma. The most common cause of death was shock and haemorrhage (69.2%). Liver was involved in majority of the victims followed by spleen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The literature shows that mental health services are yet not adequate and whatever is available is underutilized in India. The aim of the study was to identify the available mental health services; barriers to utilize and deliver mental health service and explore the strategies for effective delivery of mental health services. Methodology: The Expert Interview and Key Informant Interview were the methods of data collection. A standardized script for conducting the interviews was developed based on literature review and discussion with experienced qualitative researchers as per the objectives of the study. Results: The main themes identified under the study were - mental health services, services & facilities under District Mental Health Programme, mental health services in primary health centres, barriers to utilizing mental health services, policy-level barriers to provide mental health services, recommendations and suggestions from service providers to improve mental health service system. Conclusion: There are multiple barriers, which need to be addressed effectively. There is a need to create a network among all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to develop an empirical model for the turnover intentions of employees post-selection in information technology (IT) industry. Unlike previous studies, the present paper analyzes from the candidates' points of view rather than the employers'. The findings of the study posit that information provided to the candidates during/before the selection process in IT industry impacts post-selection turnover intentions in a big way. The study investigates the impact of quality of information with reference to its amount, importance, accuracy, depth and source credibility on post-selection turnover intentions of employees. Findings of the study indicate that these elements do have an influence on turnover intentions post-selection. Organizations, should, therefore, go for a thorough quality check of the information they provide to the prospective employees to arrest employee turnover, which has been taking a big toll on human resources of an organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines 518 Indian publications on gallstones research, as covered in Scopus database during 2006-15, using various quantitative and qualitative parameters with a focus on its growth, citation quality, share of international collaborative papers, subject-wise distribution, identification of significant keywords, contribution and impact of leading organizations and authors, contribution of most productive journals and characteristics of high cited papers. The global gallstones research is dominated by top 10 most productive countries which account for 67.89% share of the global output during 2006-15. The USA is the world leader with its largest share of output (20.69% and 14.93%) in gallstones research, followed by U.K., China, India, Japan, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and Taiwan during 2006-15. India is ranked 4th top world country with its global publications share of 6.36%. India averaged citation impact of 6.28 citations per paper, international collaborative publications share of 7.14% during 2006-15. Medicine contributed the largest publication share (89%), followed by biochemistry, genetics & molecular biology (19.11%), pharmacology, toxicology & pharmaceutics (6.37%) and agricultural & biological sciences (2.32%) during 2006-15. The top 15 most productive organizations and authors contributed 51.90% and 45.56% share to India's publication output and 62.14% and 82.51% share to India's citation output during 2006-15. The top 15 most productive journals contributed 32.66% share to its total Indian journal output during 2006-15. The top 15 high cited papers received 34 to 102 citations per paper and registered 48.27 average citations per paper. These 15 high cited papers involve 86 authors and 44 organizations and published in 15 journals. Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow contributed the largest number of papers (4), followed by Gem Hospital, Coimbatore (2), etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the current status of In-house digital repository initiated by the engineering college libraries of Odisha. Now the engineering college libraries have initiated a significant effort in the field of digitization that a digital repository helps to manage and capture their intellectual assets of the institutions. In this context, the study aimed to initiate innovation that has been made by engineering college libraries of Odisha. Libraries have been preserving the intellectual assets i.e. study material, question paper, NPTEL web/ video courses, Back volume, thesis & dissertation, and books. For digitization, the libraries are using some open source software and commercial software. This helps the libraries disseminate the information on a finger tip. In addition to this, this study gives its best efforts to explore the area of the in-house digital repository initiation, the types and contents of the archive for in-house digital repository, recognition of the source of preservation and finally finding out the skills of the manpower engaged in the digital repository activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: PE is a pregnancy-related syndrome with Gestational hypertension and proteinuria. It is caused by improper maternal spiral artery remodelling leading to reduced perfusion to the placenta, promoting exaggerated inflammatory markers CRP, IL 6, TNF alpha, and oxidative stress (OS) tags (MDA) into circulation. Therefore, this study was planned to explore any association between telomere length, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress markers with change in BP (increase every ten mmHg). To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study exploring this association in preeclamptic patients. Methods: A case-control study included PE cases (n=90) and controls (n=70). RT-PCR measured relative telomere length (RTL) as a T/S ratio. Serum levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) by using competitive ELISA and uric acid (UA) levels by autoanalyzer. Results: RTL is significantly(p=.000) reduced in PE compared to control. MDA, CRP, and Uric acid levels significantly(p=.000) increased in cases than in control. Telomere length decreased with the rise in BP, and CRP, MDA, and UA levels increased significantly with an increase in BP. Therefore, we planned to explore the association between telomere length, inflammation, and oxidative stress with every ten mmHg increase in BP. Conclusion: Increasing BP by ten mmHg led to shorter Telomere Length and increased MDA, CRP, and UA levels. Therefore, increasing BP is associated with shorter telomere length, oxidative stress, and inflammation in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of information on the clinical and sociodemographic correlates of prescription of psychotropics by psychiatrists. Aim and Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of prescription patterns with various clinical and sociodemographic variables. Methodology: Data of prescription patterns, psychiatric diagnosis, sociodemographic variables, and comorbid physical illnesses were collected for 4480 patients, across 11 centers. Results: Females are more often prescribed escitalopram, sertraline, amitriptyline, amisulpride, nonlithium mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines, whereas males are more often prescribed fluoxetine, olanzapine, two antipsychotics concurrently, typical antipsychotics, valproate, lithium, and more than one benzodiazepine. Elderly (>65 years) participants are more often prescribed sertraline when compared to adolescents. In addition, elderly more often receive quetiapine and less often are prescribed benzodiazepines. Those with comorbid neurological disorders are commonly prescribed antipsychotics, amitriptyline, and more than one antidepressant and are less commonly prescribed lithium, combination of two mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines. Those with cardiac ailments are more commonly prescribed sertraline, quetiapine, and lithium and less frequently prescribed amitriptyline, fluoxetine, olanzapine, risperidone, and typical antipsychotics. Those with diabetes mellitus more often received escitalopram and quetiapine. Presence of more than one psychiatric diagnosis was associated with the use of more number of medications. Further, diagnosis of affective disorders was associated with the use of a higher number of medications. Conclusion: Findings of the present study suggest that sociodemographic variables and physical and psychiatric comorbidity influence the prescription patterns of psychotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way the social media tools are strengthened with the impact of proliferating portable computing, wireless technologies, and other web application, have re-designed how information is generated, communicated and consumed in an academic library. The paper examines the extent to which social media tools impact the most on libraries of engineering colleges of Odisha. An online survey has been conducted by sending online questionnaires librarians affiliated to Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Odisha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This research study has been carried out to study the various morphological changes in the heart in medicolegal autopsies and to compile data for the frequency of heart diseases found in autopsy cases., Methods: The present study comprised 430 medicolegal autopsy cases. Details of the cases were entered in a proforma prepared for the study. The heart was fixed in 10% formalin, and then, opened along the flow of blood. The findings were based on gross and microscopic examinations., Results: Out of 430 adult hearts, 211 (49.0%) cases showed 253 cardiac lesions; 35 (8.1%) cases of coronary atherosclerosis and 196 (45.5%) aortic atherosclerosis were noted; 7 cases of ischemic lesions (1.6%) were identified; 12 (2.7%) cases of hypertrophy; 2 cases of valve calcification; and 1 of cardiomyopathy were noted., Conclusion: In the present study, among medicolegal autopsies, atherosclerotic disease was the most frequently encountered lesion followed by hypertrophy. The incidence of atherosclerosis was found to be 47.6%. This study shows the high prevalence of atherosclerosis in the population., Competing Interests: None