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Background: Neonatal septicemia remains a significant healthcare challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings, with both early-onset neonatal septicemia (EONS) and late-onset neonatal septicemia (LONS) presentations contributing to morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to characterize the clinico-etiological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of neonatal septicemia in a tertiary care setting in north India., Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022, encompassing neonates admitted to the Department of Pediatrics with suspected neonatal septicemia, confirmed by positive blood cultures., Results: A total of 96 neonates were included, predominantly male (71.9%). Gram-negative bacteria constituted 61.6% of isolates, and the most common organism isolated was non-lactose fermenter group (38.4%) followed by coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (33.4%). Non-lactose fermenter group bacteria were prominent in EONS cases (44.6%), while CoNS predominated in LONS cases (51.6%). Birthplace, birth weight, and perinatal score were significantly associated with both EONS and LONS. Linezolid exhibited high efficacy against gram-positive bacteria, while ciprofloxacin and meropenem demonstrated effectiveness against various gram-negative pathogens. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains exhibited resistance to all the antibiotics used in the study except for linezolid., Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of tailored empirical therapy guided by local epidemiological data to optimize clinical outcomes and mitigate antimicrobial resistance., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Committee, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla issued approval HFW(MC-2)B(12)ETHICS/2021/14453 dated January 2021. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Sharma et al.)

The incidence of Neonatal Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) is a critical concern in neonatal care. This study aimed to identify maternal laboratory parameters predictive of SIRS in newborns, focusing on the establishment of diagnostic cutoffs and evaluating the predictive power of these biomarkers. This prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2023 to January 2024 across several regional hospitals specializing in neonatal care. It included 207 mother-newborn pairs, divided into groups based on the neonatal development of SIRS (66 cases) or its absence (141 controls). Key maternal parameters measured included inflammatory markers and liver enzymes, analyzed using standard biochemical methods. The study applied receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to establish optimal cutoff values and conducted multivariate logistic regression to determine hazard ratios (HRs) for SIRS prediction, with adjustments for potential confounders. The study identified significant ROC/AUC values for several biomarkers. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) demonstrated an AUC of 0.926, with a cutoff value of 3.64, achieving 81.8% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity ( p < 0.001). The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) showed an AUC of 0.819 and a cutoff of 769.12, with 75.8% sensitivity and 81.8% specificity ( p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis highlighted that neonates with maternal SII values above this cutoff were three times more likely to develop SIRS (HR 3.09, 95% CI 2.21-4.17, p < 0.0001). Other notable biomarkers included dNLR and ALRI, with respective HRs of 1.88 ( p = 0.018) and 1.75 ( p = 0.032). These findings confirm the significant predictive value of specific maternal inflammatory markers for neonatal SIRS. These findings support the utility of these biomarkers in prenatal screening to identify neonates at increased risk of SIRS, potentially guiding preemptive clinical interventions.

This comparative cross-sectional study conducted at the "Pius Brinzeu" healthcare center in Timisoara explored the differential impacts of pregnancy planning status on sexual function, body image, and relationship satisfaction among pregnant women. Employing the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the study analyzed responses from 107 participants divided into groups of planned ( n = 59, mean age 28.5 ± 5.2) and unplanned ( n = 48, mean age 27.3 ± 4.8) pregnancies. In the first trimester, unplanned pregnancies reported higher median scores in desire (4.7 vs. 3.6, p = 0.005), arousal (4.5 vs. 3.8, p = 0.001), and lubrication (4.6 vs. 3.7, p = 0.015) compared to planned pregnancies. Satisfaction scores also favored unplanned pregnancies in the first trimester (4.8 vs. 3.9, p = 0.009). Similar trends were observed in subsequent trimesters, with unplanned pregnancies consistently reporting higher FSFI scores, indicating a robust sexual function. Risk factors significantly associated with sexual dysfunction were a higher BMI in the first trimester (beta coefficient: -0.124, p = 0.019), unmarried civil status (beta coefficient: -0.323, p = 0.045), history of previous abortion (beta coefficient: -0.451, p = 0.012), irregular menstrual cycles (beta coefficient: -0.384, p = 0.026), and rural living area (beta coefficient: -0.278, p = 0.034). Notably, unplanned pregnancy itself was not a significant risk factor for sexual dysfunction (beta coefficient: -0.054, p = 0.095). Regarding relationship dynamics, planned pregnancies exhibited significantly higher satisfaction with partner support (4.1 ± 0.9 vs. 3.7 ± 1.1, p = 0.041) and communication within the couple (4.0 ± 1.0 vs. 3.5 ± 1.2, p = 0.020), whereas unplanned pregnancies reported higher satisfaction with emotional closeness (4.3 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 1.0, p = 0.004). Concerns about managing professional activities and household chores were significantly more prevalent in the unplanned pregnancy group (62.50% vs. 33.90%, p = 0.014). Unplanned pregnancies demonstrated better initial sexual function but faced greater challenges in relationship satisfaction and managing pregnancy demands. Identifying and addressing the risk factors associated with sexual dysfunction can provide targeted interventions to improve the well-being of pregnant women, regardless of pregnancy planning status.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larval stages of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. Worldwide, pulmonary hydatid cyst is a significant problem medically, socially, and economically. Surgery is the definitive therapy of pulmonary hydatidosis. Benzimidazoles may be considered in patients with a surgical contraindication. This review will focus on pathogenesis, lifecycle, clinical features, and management of pulmonary hydatid disease.

Purpose: To study the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards computer vision syndrome prevalent in Indian ophthalmologists and to assess whether 'computer use by practitioners' had any bearing on the knowledge and practices in computer vision syndrome (CVS)., Materials and Methods: A random KAP survey was carried out on 300 Indian ophthalmologists using a 34-point spot-questionnaire in January 2005., Results: All the doctors who responded were aware of CVS. The chief presenting symptoms were eyestrain (97.8%), headache (82.1%), tiredness and burning sensation (79.1%), watering (66.4%) and redness (61.2%). Ophthalmologists using computers reported that focusing from distance to near and vice versa (P =0.006, chi2 test), blurred vision at a distance (P =0.016, chi2 test) and blepharospasm (P =0.026, chi2 test) formed part of the syndrome. The main mode of treatment used was tear substitutes. Half of ophthalmologists (50.7%) were not prescribing any spectacles. They did not have any preference for any special type of glasses (68.7%) or spectral filters. Computer-users were more likely to prescribe sedatives/anxiolytics (P = 0.04, chi2 test), spectacles (P = 0.02, chi2 test) and conscious frequent blinking (P = 0.003, chi2 test) than the non-computer-users., Conclusions: All respondents were aware of CVS. Confusion regarding treatment guidelines was observed in both groups. Computer-using ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities.

Pectin is an important polysaccharide with applications in foods, pharmaceuticals, and a number of other industries. Its importance in the food sector lies in its ability to form gel in the presence of Ca2+ ions or a solute at low pH. Although the exact mechanism of gel formation is not clear, significant progress has been made in this direction. Depending on the pectin, coordinate bonding with Ca2+ ions or hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are involved in gel formation. In low-methoxyl pectin, gelation results from ionic linkage via calcium bridges between two carboxyl groups belonging to two different chains in close contact with each other. In high-methoxyl pectin, the cross-linking of pectin molecules involves a combination of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions between the molecules. A number of factors--pH, presence of other solutes, molecular size, degree of methoxylation, number and arrangement of side chains, and charge density on the molecule--influence the gelation of pectin. In the food industry, pectin is used in jams, jellies, frozen foods, and more recently in low-calorie foods as a fat and/or sugar replacer. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used to reduce blood cholesterol levels and gastrointestinal disorders. Other applications of pectin include use in edible films, paper substitute, foams and plasticizers, etc. In addition to pectolytic degradation, pectins are susceptible to heat degradation during processing, and the degradation is influenced by the nature of the ions and salts present in the system. Although present in the cell walls of most plants apple pomace and orange peel are the two major sources of commercial pectin due to the poor gelling behavior of pectin from other sources. This paper briefly describes the structure, chemistry of gelation, interactions, and industrial applications soft pectin.