134 results on '"Madhab, M."'
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2. Global systematical and comprehensive overview of mountainous flood risk under climate change and human activities.
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Rijal M, Luo P, Mishra BK, Zhou M, and Wang X
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Snow-covered mountainous regions are crucial for the hydrologic cycle. Any changes in the cryosphere are critical and directly impact the hydrologic cycle and socio-environment of the downstream. It is likely to occur more extreme events of precipitations, raising the risk of flooding worldwide. Glacier melting is increasing, thus the formation of the moraine-dammed lake called glacial lake, whose outburst may be a catastrophic disaster. Due to steep topography, flash floods with high energy can sweep away infrastructure, electric power stations, property, and livelihood and even change the channel morphology, hence the whole environment. In this article, we present the causes of flooding in mountainous regions and historical trends of mountainous flooding and its management policies. Carbon emission is a driver to increase the temperature of the globe and which is triggering the flash floods in mountainous regions is illustrated using data from different sources. The discussion section includes how technology helps to achieve a climate-resilient environment. Understanding river morphology, mapping and monitoring risks, and simulating essential natural processes are necessary for reducing the cascading hazards in the mountains. There is still a gap in modern data collection techniques in mountainous regions. More advanced technology for regional and global collaborations, climate change adaption, and public awareness can build the climate resilience cryosphere., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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3. Geospatial analysis of contagious infection growth and cross-boundary transmission in non-vaccinated districts of North-East Indian states during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Gupta M, Nirola M, Sharma A, Dhungel P, Singh H, and Gupta A
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Background: During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India implemented a nationwide lockdown, sealing borders across states and districts. The northeastern region of India, surrounded by three international borders and connected to mainland India by a narrow passage, faced particular isolation. This isolation resulted in these states forming a relatively closed population. Consequently, the availability of population-based data from Indian Council of Medical Research, tracked through national identification cards, offered a distinctive opportunity to understand the spread of the virus among non-vaccinated and non-exposed populations. This research leverages this dataset to comprehend the repercussions within isolated populations., Methods: The inter-district variability was visualized using geospatial analysis. The patterns do not follow any established grounded theories on disease spread. Out of 7.1 million total data weekly 0.35 million COVID-19-positive northeast data was taken from April 2020 to February 2021 including "date, test result, population density, area, latitude, longitude, district, and state" to identify the spread pattern using a modified reaction-diffusion model (MRD-Model) and Geographic Information System., Findings: The analysis of the closed population group revealed an initial uneven yet rapidly expanding geographical spread characterized by a high diffusion rate α approximately 0.4503 and a lower reaction rate β approximately 0.0256, which indicated a slower growth trajectory of case numbers rather than exponential escalation. In the latter stages, COVID-19 incidence reached zero in numerous districts, while in others, the reported cases did not exceed 100., Interpretation: The MRD-Model effectively captured the disease transmission dynamics in the abovementioned setting. This enhanced understanding of COVID-19 spread in remote, isolated regions provided by the MRD modelling framework can guide targeted public health strategies for similar isolated areas., Funding: This study is Funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not imply” an endorsement of”/” concurrence with” ICMR., (© 2024 The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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4. A Nationwide Nepalese Study to Establish Reference Intervals for Major Biochemical Analytes with Elucidation of Nepalese Features of Reference Values.
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Mahato RV, Ichihara K, and Lamsal M
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Despite immense importance of reference intervals (RIs) for clinical diagnosis, there have been no reliable RIs available for Nepalese. Hence, this nationwide study was organized to establish RIs for 30 common biochemical parameters. This study was conducted following the harmonized protocol provided by IFCC Committee on Reference Interval and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) with recruitment of 617 apparently healthy volunteers (18 - 65 years) by near-equal gender balance from 5 major cities. Fasting blood were collected, serum was separated and measured collectively using Beckman-Coulter/Olympus AU480 chemistry analyzer. The sources of variations of reference values (RVs) were evaluated by multiple regression analysis and nested ANOVA. Latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method was applied to reduce influence of latent diseases. RIs were standardized based on a value-assigned serum panel provided by C-RIDL. By ANOVA, no between-city differences were observed, while sex-related changes were typically noted for urate, creatinine, iron, γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), immunoglobulin M, and transferrin, but not for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Age-related changes were observed for total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and C-reactive protein (CRP). RIs were successfully derived all parametrically. The LAVE procedure was effective in lowering upper limits for aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and CRP. Compared to other collaborating countries, Nepalese RIs were low for urea, cholesterols, ALT, and high for triglyceride, GGT, CRP, immunoglobulin G, and complements. The RIs for major chemistry analytes were derived and standardized for nationwide use in Nepal. This study distinctly elucidated sources of variation and international features of Nepalese RIs., Supplementary Information: The online version supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-023-01123-6., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestNothing to declare by any author. This prospective observational study was carried out in compliance with the Declaration of Helsinki for recruitment of healthy volunteers, blood sampling, testing, and reporting the results., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Association of Clinical Biochemists of India 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)
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- 2024
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5. Palladium Catalysis Enabled Sequential C(sp 3 )-H/C-C Activation: Access to Vinyl γ-Lactams.
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Barman M, Mishra M, Mandal S, and Punniyamurthy T
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A Pd(II)-catalyzed tandem reaction of aliphatic amides with vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) was accomplished by merging C(sp
3 )-H and C-C activation. The reaction of VCP revealed alkenylation/cyclization, followed by ring opening via C-C cleavage, delivering vinyl γ-lactams with ( E )-selectivity. The role of ligands, site-selectivity, functional group diversity, mechanistic insight, and synthetic utilities are important practical features.- Published
- 2024
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6. Tracing the COVID-19 spread pattern in India through a GIS-based spatio-temporal analysis of interconnected clusters.
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Gupta M, Sharma A, Sharma DK, Nirola M, Dhungel P, Patel A, Singh H, and Gupta A
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- Humans, India epidemiology, Geographic Information Systems, Spatio-Temporal Analysis, Spatial Analysis, COVID-19 epidemiology
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Spatiotemporal analysis is a critical tool for understanding COVID-19 spread. This study examines the pattern of spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases across India, based on data provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The research investigates temporal patterns during the first, second, and third waves in India for an informed policy response in case of any present or future pandemics. Given the colossal size of the dataset encompassing the entire nation's data during the pandemic, a time-bound convenience sampling approach was employed. This approach was carefully designed to ensure a representative sample from advancing timeframes to observe time-based patterns in data. Data were captured from March 2020 to December 2022, with a 5-day interval considered for downloading the data. We employ robust spatial analysis techniques, including the Moran's I index for spatial correlation assessment and the Getis Ord Gi* statistic for cluster identification. It was observed that positive COVID-19 cases in India showed a positive auto-correlation from May 2020 till December 2022. Moran's I index values ranged from 0.11 to 0.39. It signifies a strong trend over the last 3 years with [Formula: see text] of 0.74 on order 3 polynomial regression. It is expected that high-risk zones can have a higher number of cases in future COVID-19 waves. Monthly clusters of positive cases were mapped through ArcGIS software. Through cluster maps, high-risk zones were identified namely Kerala, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. The observation is: high-risk zones mostly fall near coastal areas and hotter climatic zones, contrary to the cold Himalayan region with Montanne climate zone. Our aggregate analysis of 3 years of COVID-19 cases suggests significant patterns of interconnectedness between the Indian Railway network, climatic zones, and geographical location with COVID-19 spread. This study thereby underscores the vital role of spatiotemporal analysis in predicting and managing future COVID-19 waves as well as future pandemics for an informed policy response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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7. Molecular biology of carcinoid heart disease: Seeking therapeutic targets in the era of targeted therapy.
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Khan SA, Devkota D, Chaudhary RK, Luitel A, Parajuli SB, Bista M, and Rayamajhi A
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- Humans, Heart, Molecular Biology, Carcinoid Heart Disease diagnosis, Carcinoid Heart Disease therapy, Neuroendocrine Tumors diagnosis, Carcinoid Tumor complications
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Carcinoid tumors (CT) are among the least studied tumors. It is a relatively rare and slow-growing tumor with good survival in its primary form. However, metastatic carcinoid tumor comes up with many different complications contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. Metastatic form of the disease has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and multisystem involvement including cardiovascular manifestations, neurological manifestations, and psychiatric manifestations and so on. In this review, we are centered towards the cardiovascular manifestations of the disease, which, by far, is one of the commonest causes of death in these patients. Being a neuroendocrine tumor, cardiovascular manifestations are mainly because of biologically active substances, produced by the tumor cells, remodeling the heart. Development of targeted therapies against carcinoid heart diseases is currently limited by lack of understanding of pathophysiology of the disease processes. In this review, we aim to figure out the spectrum of carcinoid heart diseases, along with the molecular biology of the changes going on, which, in turn, will not only pave a way to the development of targeted therapies but will also extend opportunities for molecular screening of the tumor and diagnosis at an early stage, thereby, reducing the morbidity and mortality., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2023
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8. Electronic structure in a transition metal dipnictide TaAs 2 .
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Regmi S, Huang CY, Khan MA, Wang B, Pradhan Sakhya A, Hosen MM, Thompson J, Singh B, Denlinger JD, Ishigami M, Mitchell JF, Kaczorowski D, Bansil A, and Neupane M
- Abstract
The family of transition-metal dipnictides has been of theoretical and experimental interest because this family hosts topological states and extremely large magnetoresistance (MR). Recently,TaAs2, a member of this family, has been predicted to support a topological crystalline insulating state. Here, by using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we reveal both closed and open pockets in the metallic Fermi surface (FS) and linearly dispersive bands on the (2‾01) surface, along with the presence of extreme MR observed from magneto-transport measurements. A comparison of the ARPES results with first-principles computations shows that the linearly dispersive bands on the measured surface ofTaAs2are trivial bulk bands. The absence of symmetry-protected surface state on the (2‾01) surface indicates its topologically dark nature. The presence of open FS features suggests that the open-orbit fermiology could contribute to the extremely large MR ofTaAs2., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)
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- 2023
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9. Site-Selective C8-Alkylation of Quinolines with Cyclopropanols: Merging C-H/C-C Bond Activation.
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Mandal S, Paul T, Karjee P, Barman M, and Punniyamurthy T
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The site-selective C8-alkylation of quinolines has been accomplished using cyclopropyl alcohols as the alkylating agents and N -oxide as a weak chelating group in the presence of Co(III) catalysis via merging C-H/C-C bond activation. The use of cyclopropanol as the alkyl source, Co catalysis, substrate scope, HRMS analysis of the reaction intermediate, and late-stage mutation of drug molecules/natural products are the important practical features.
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- 2023
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10. Observation of momentum-dependent charge density wave gap in a layered antiferromagnet [Formula: see text].
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Regmi S, Bin Elius I, Sakhya AP, Jeff D, Sprague M, Mondal MI, Jarrett D, Valadez N, Agosto A, Romanova T, Chu JH, Khondaker SI, Ptok A, Kaczorowski D, and Neupane M
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Charge density wave (CDW) ordering has been an important topic of study for a long time owing to its connection with other exotic phases such as superconductivity and magnetism. The [Formula: see text] (R = rare-earth elements) family of materials provides a fertile ground to study the dynamics of CDW in van der Waals layered materials, and the presence of magnetism in these materials allows to explore the interplay among CDW and long range magnetic ordering. Here, we have carried out a high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of a CDW material [Formula: see text], which is antiferromagnetic below [Formula: see text], along with thermodynamic, electrical transport, magnetic, and Raman measurements. Our ARPES data show a two-fold symmetric Fermi surface with both gapped and ungapped regions indicative of the partial nesting. The gap is momentum dependent, maximum along [Formula: see text] and gradually decreases going towards [Formula: see text]. Our study provides a platform to study the dynamics of CDW and its interaction with other physical orders in two- and three-dimensions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)
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- 2023
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11. Development and validation of a predictive model for the diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease in low-income countries based on two cross-sectional studies.
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Ray M, Guha S, Dhungana RR, Karak A, Choudhury B, Ray B, Zubair H, Ray M, Sengupta S, Bhatt DL, Goldberg RJ, and Selker HP
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Objectives: We developed a questionnaire-based risk-scoring system to identify children at risk for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in rural India. The resulting predictive model was validated in Nepal, in a population with a similar demographic profile to rural India., Methods: The study involved 8646 students (mean age 13.0 years, 46% boys) from 20 middle and high schools in the West Midnapore district of India. The survey asked questions about the presence of different signs and symptoms of RHD. Students with possible RHD who experienced sore throat and joint pain were offered an echocardiogram to screen for RHD. Their findings were compared with randomly selected students without these symptoms. The data were analyzed to develop a predictive model for identifying RHD., Results: Based on our univariate analyses, seven variables were used for building a predictive model. A four-variable model (joint pain plus sore throat, female sex, shortness of breath, and palpitations) best predicted the risk of RHD with a C-statistic of 0.854. A six-point scoring system developed from the model was validated among similarly aged children in Nepal., Conclusions: A simple questionnaire-based predictive instrument could identify children at higher risk for this disease in low-income countries where RHD remains prevalent. Echocardiography could then be used in these high-risk children to detect RHD in its early stages. This may support a strategy for more effective secondary prophylaxis of RHD., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
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- 2023
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12. Cystinuria, an Atypical Presentation and Challenges of Establishing its Diagnosis in a Poor Resource Set Up.
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Mishra B, Bhatta NK, Pokhrel A, and Lamsal M
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- Male, Humans, Child, Preschool, Adolescent, Nepal, Amino Acids metabolism, Kidney, Lysine metabolism, Cystinuria diagnosis, Cystinuria urine
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Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive defect in re-absorptive transport of amino acids: cysteine, ornithine, arginine and lysine from renal proximal convoluted tubules leading to urinary excretion of these amino acids. The phenotypic manifestations are recurrent urolithiasis, hematuria, flank pain and frequent urinary tract infection. An eighteen years old boy, diagnosed case of cystinuria at the age of two years is presented in this case report highlighting the atypical presentation of recurrent infections with multiple organ involvement. The challenges in establishing the diagnosis and the role of simple biochemical tests in confirming the diagnosis in a poor resource setup is highlighted. Performance of simple biochemical tests in the urine sample of this patient was done for the utility of these tests for future diagnostic purpose in any suspected cases of cystinuria in our set up. Keywords: Case report; cystinuria; Nepal.
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- 2023
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13. Knowledge of Internal Quality Control for Laboratory Tests among Laboratory Personnel Working in Department of Biochemistry in a Tertiary Care Center: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.
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Mishra B, Das BKL, Khan SA, Gelal B, Niraula A, Chaudhari RK, and Lamsal M
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- Humans, Tertiary Care Centers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Quality Control, Research Design, Laboratory Personnel
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Introduction: Clinical laboratory holds a central position in patient care, thus, ensuring accurate laboratory test results is a necessity. Internal quality control ensures day-to-day laboratory consistency. However, unless practised, laboratory quality systems cannot be achieved. This depends on the efforts and commitment of laboratory personnel for its implementation. Hence, the aim of this study was to find out the knowledge of internal quality control for laboratory tests among laboratory personnel working in the Department of Biochemistry in a tertiary care centre., Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from 1 July 2022 to 30 August 2022 after receiving ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 2341/022). Semi-structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge on internal quality control. Three non-respondents were excluded. The operational definition of the knowledge domain was set before finalizing the questionnaire. The convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated., Results: Among 20 laboratory personnel, 5 (25%) (6.02-43.98, 95% Confidence Interval) had adequate knowledge of internal quality control. The mean knowledge score was 12±2.44., Conclusions: The prevalence of adequate knowledge of internal quality control for laboratory tests among laboratory personnel working in the Department of Biochemistry was similar to the other study done in a similar setting., Keywords: biochemistry; knowledge; laboratory personnel; quality control.
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- 2023
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14. Dataset for electronic and optical properties of Y 2 O 2 S and Er dopped Y 2 O 2 S calculated using density functional theory and simulated x-ray near edge spectra.
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Dimakis N, Rodriguez EB Jr, Ackaah-Gyasi KN, and Pokhrel M
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The computational data presented in this paper refer to the research article "Optical properties and simulated x-ray near edge spectra for Y
2 O2 S and Er doped Y2 O2 S". We present the data used to calculate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the Y2 O2 S and its Er+3 doped counterparts at various concentrations using density functional theory (DFT) and simulated X-ray near edge (XANES) spectra. We report electronic information from DFT and DFT+U generated from the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) using PAW pseudopotentials. We also report VASP calculated optical properties for the host Y2 O2 S using the independent particle approximation (IPA), the random phase approximation (RPA), the many-body GW0 approximation, and the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) approximation, under the 10-atom unit cell. The IPA calculations are repeated using the 80-atom unit cell for both the host Y2 O2 S and the Y2 O2 S:Er+3 counterparts. The optical properties data include the frequency-dependent real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function, the absorption and extinction coefficients, the refractive index, and the reflectivity. FEFF10 XANES calculations are performed on the Y K-, L1 -, L2 -, and L3 -edges, as well as on the Er M5 -edge., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)- Published
- 2022
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15. Study of diagnostic utility of Xpert MTB/Rif test on pleural fluid in the evaluation of patients presenting with Pleural Tuberculosis in Nepal.
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Mishra DR, Bhatta N, Lamsal M, Bhattarai N, Maskey R, and Shah N
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Introduction: Existing tests for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB) have major limitations in terms of accuracy, time to diagnosis and drug resistance testing. A test which can diagnose pleural TB and detect resistance, like Xpert MTB/Rif, would be optimal for rapid diagnosis and treatment., Methods: A prospective observational study was done in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Nepal. Fifty-one patients with clinic-radiologic suspicion of pleural TB were included. The results of pleural fluid Xpert MTB/Rif were compared with two Composite Reference Standards. Composite Reference Standard-1 consisted of positive pleural fluid smear, positive culture, positive histology of pleural biopsy, and positive sputum results. Composite Reference Standard-2 included those with Composite Reference Standard-1 and those with high ADA values (>40 U/l) with response to anti-tubercular treatment at 8 weeks of follow-up., Results: Thirty-six patients were diagnosed as Pleural TB. Nine fulfilled Composite Reference Standard-1. Pleural fluid Xpert MTB/Rif was positive in five cases with Composite Reference Standard-1 and nine cases with Composite Reference Standard-2. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value with reference to Composite Reference Standard-1 were 55.56%, 88.10%, 50%, and 90.24%, respectively. Using Composite Reference Standard-2 as reference, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 25%, 93.33%, 90%, and 34.15%, respectively. Two cases were diagnosed Xpert Rif resistant on pleural fluid., Conclusion: Due to low sensitivity, the Xpert MTB/Rif test cannot be recommended as initial test of diagnosis in a high prevalence setting. At the same time its clinical utility lies in testing of patients suspected to have drug-resistant pleural tuberculosis., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.)
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- 2022
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16. Vitamin D level in patients with moderate-to-severe acne: A case-control study combined with prospective study following oral isotretinoin treatment.
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Shrestha S, Agrawal S, and Lamsal M
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- Humans, Isotretinoin adverse effects, Prospective Studies, Case-Control Studies, Administration, Oral, Vitamin D, Vitamins, Dermatologic Agents adverse effects, Acne Vulgaris drug therapy
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Background: Vitamin D may have an important role in the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris (AV) as it has an immunomodulatory effect and regulates the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes. Oral isotretinoin used in the management of moderate-to-severe acne binds to the retinoid receptor which can form a heterodimer with vitamin D receptor (VDR) and may decrease the level of vitamin D by increasing catabolism. Two studies published so far investigating the effect of oral isotretinoin on serum vitamin D level are contradictory to one another., Objective: This study aimed to compare the serum vitamin D levels in patients with moderate-to-severe acne and age- and sex-matched healthy controls and to determine the serum level of vitamin D in patients with moderate-to-severe acne following 3 months of oral isotretinoin treatment., Methods: A total of 120 patients with moderate-to-severe acne and 90 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The patients were treated with oral isotretinoin at 0.50-0.75 mg/kg/day and serum vitamin D was measured at baseline and 3 months after the treatment., Result: Serum vitamin D was insufficient and deficient in 90.50% of cases in comparison with 43.33% of controls (p = 0.001). Serum vitamin D had an inverse correlation with the severity of acne. Following 3 months of oral isotretinoin, there was no significant change in serum vitamin D level (p = 0.127)., Conclusion: Vitamin D was low in patients with moderate-to-severe acne in compared with control. Vitamin D level did not change with short-term therapy with oral Isotretinoin., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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- 2022
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17. Unresolved Heart Block in Lyme Carditis: A Case Report.
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Baron S, Nepal S, Lamichhane M, and Roseman H
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A man in his thirties presented to the emergency department with a one-day history of syncopal episodes. He was found to have complete heart block and had multiple long and symptomatic pauses in telemetry while in the hospital. The longest pause was measured at 30 seconds. He had frequent occupational exposure to ticks and was found to have positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies for Lyme disease. He was immediately started on IV (intravenous) ceftriaxone and isoproterenol infusion for inotropy in anticipation of recovery of atrioventricular (AV) conduction with IV antibiotics. Rapid response was called for multiple symptomatic pauses overnight, the longest one lasting 30 seconds. The patient was taken for urgent temporary transvenous pacemaker placement in the morning. AV conduction failed to improve with IV antibiotics. A permanent pacemaker was placed on day four of hospitalization as his complete heart block failed to resolve with IV antibiotics and the patient could not be weaned from temporary pacemaker support. A complete heart block is a rare manifestation of Lyme disease and warrants a high index of suspicion when a patient in an endemic area presents with this condition. A majority of patients recover with IV antibiotics, although some patients may need to be put on temporary pacemaker support in the interim. On rare occasions, a permanent pacemaker is necessary. Atrioventricular conduction may fail to improve with IV antibiotics, and these patients may need early pacemaker support with a transvenous pacemaker in addition to IV ceftriaxone followed by permanent pacemaker placement. Our patient presented with recurrent Lyme disease and had a complete heart block on presentation, which failed to improve with IV antibiotics and required temporary transvenous pacemaker support followed by permanent pacemaker placement., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Baron et al.)
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- 2022
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18. A Left Atrial Myxoma Masquerading As Acute Coronary Syndrome.
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Nepal S, Caicedo Murillo ML, Ojha K, and Lamichhane M
- Abstract
Acute coronary syndrome is caused by a rupture of atherosclerotic plaque with superimposed thrombus formation. Non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) occurs when occlusion of the epicardial coronary artery by a thrombus causes partial thickness myocardial ischemia and an ischemic cascade downstream. Cardiac masses are known to produce symptoms predominantly by local obstruction or systemic embolism. Coronary artery tumor embolism causing acute coronary syndrome is a rare presentation of cardiac mass. We report NSTE-ACS as the initial presentation of the left atrial myxoma in a 62-year-old woman. She presented to the emergency department with acute onset severe anginal chest pain, diaphoresis, and dizziness. Her serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) were normal, and serial troponins were elevated, consistent with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. Cardiac catheterization revealed insignificant coronary artery disease, and transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms showed a left atrial mass attached to the interatrial septum consistent with myxoma. The patient underwent surgical excision, and histopathology was consistent with myxoma. Her symptoms subsided after surgery. Primary cardiac tumors are very uncommon and can present with myriad symptoms, from tumor embolism, local cardiac effects, to constitutional symptoms. Although embolism to other organs has been reported, left atrial myxoma presenting as an acute coronary syndrome is very uncommon., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Nepal et al.)
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- 2022
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19. Assessment of Vitamin D Level in Patients with Psoriasis and Its Correlation with Disease Severity: A Case-Control Study.
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Pokharel R, Agrawal S, Pandey P, and Lamsal M
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Background: Chronic plaque psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder. Vitamin D has been shown to have effects on keratinocyte differentiation as well as immune regulation in the skin., Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess the 25hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] level in patients with psoriasis in comparison with healthy control subjects., Materials and Methods: This case-control study included 180 persons (120 cases and 60 age- and sex-matched control subjects) from outpatient department of BPKIHS, a tertiary care hospital in eastern Nepal. Severity of psoriatic skin lesions was assessed using psoriasis area severity index (PASI) scoring. Serum vitamin D level was assessed by chemiluminescent immunoassay., Results: The mean serum 25(OH) D levels in psoriatic patients and controls were 19.57 ± 6.85 ng/mL and 23.63 ± 6.40 ng/mL, respectively. The difference was statistically significant even after adjusting for confounding factors in a multivariate analysis (aOR 2.929, 95% CI 1.376-6.230). Low serum 25(OH) D levels were negatively associated with the severity of disease (r= -0.628, P= 0.01)., Conclusion: Serum 25(OH) D levels are significantly lower in psoriatic patients than in healthy control subjects. Deficiency of serum 25(OH) D was associated with severity of disease with an inverse relationship with PASI score., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Pokharel et al.)
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- 2022
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20. Frog Spawns on the Tongue.
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Ghosh SK, Das S, Mondal S, and Dutta M
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- 2022
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21. Potential role of biochemical markers in the prognosis of COVID-19 patients.
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Niraula A, Baral N, Lamsal M, Bataju M, and Thapa S
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The global pandemic due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed an overall threat to modern medicine. The course of the disease is uncertain with varying forms of presentation that cannot be managed solely with clinical skills and vigor. Since its inception, laboratory medicine forms a backbone for the proper diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prediction of the severity of the disease. Clinical biochemistry, an integral component of laboratory medicine, has been an unsung hero in the disease prognosis and severity assessment in COVID-19. This review attempts to highlight the biomarkers which have shown a significant role and can be used in the identification, stratification, and prediction of disease severity in COVID-19 patients. It also highlights the basis of the use of these biomarkers in the disease course and their implications., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)
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- 2022
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22. Congenital Hypothyroidism among Infants Undergoing Thyroid Function Test in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.
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Mishra B, Keshary Bhatta N, Chandra Regmi M, Kumar Lal Das B, Ahmed Khan S, Gelal B, Niraula A, and Lamsal M
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- Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Neonatal Screening, Tertiary Care Centers, Thyroid Function Tests, Congenital Hypothyroidism diagnosis, Congenital Hypothyroidism epidemiology
- Abstract
Introduction: Congenital hypothyroidism is the most preventable and treatable cause of mental retardation in newborns and infants. Screening for congenital hypothyroidism in newborns and infants is not a routine practice in our part of the world. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism among infants undergoing thyroid function test in a tertiary care centre., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the Department of Biochemistry, from laboratory records starting 14th April, 2013 to 13th April, 2020 after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 1502/019). Data of infants whose thyroid function tests were performed were obtained using convenience sampling. Thyroid-stimulating hormone was categorised per the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology guidelines. Data were entered and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2011 and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 11.5. Point estimate at a 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentages for binary data., Results: Among 1243 infants, 56 (4.50%) (3.35-5.65 at 95% Confidence Interval) infants were diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism., Conclusions: The prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism was higher than other studies done in similar settings. An unexpected finding of treatment-induced hyperthyroidism was observed, indicating a lack of regular and timely follow-up of infants diagnosed with congenital hypothyroidism., Keywords: congenital hypothyroidism; Nepal; newborn screening; prevalence.
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- 2022
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23. Family planning knowledge, attitude and practice among Rohingya women living in refugee camps in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.
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Abul Kalam Azad M, Zakaria M, Nachrin T, Chandra Das M, Cheng F, and Xu J
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- Bangladesh, Child, Contraceptive Agents, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Pregnancy, Family Planning Services, Refugee Camps
- Abstract
Background: Considering the high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, increased risks of unintended pregnancy, and the unmet need for contraceptives prevalent among the Rohingya refugees, this study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of family planning (FP) and associated factors among Rohingya women living in refugee camps in Bangladesh., Methods: Four hundred Rohingya women were interviewed. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire, which included study participants' socio-demographic characteristics, access to FP services, knowledge, attitude, and practice of FP. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify the influencing factors of FP-KAP., Results: Of the 400 Rohingya refugee women, 60% were unaware that there was no physical harm brought by using a permanent method of birth control. Half of the women lack proper knowledge regarding whether a girl was eligible for marriage before the age of 18. More than two-thirds of the women thought family planning methods should not be used without the husband's permission. Moreover, 40% were ashamed and afraid to discuss family planning matters with their husbands. Of the study participants, 58% had the opinion that a couple should continue bearing children until a son is born. Linear regression analyses found that study participants' who have a profession, have less children, whose primary source of FP knowledge was through a physician/nurse, have had FP interventions in the camp, and talk with a health care provider on FP were found to have better FP-KAP., Conclusion: The study showed that Rohingya refugee women are a marginalized population in terms of family planning and their comprehensive FP-KAP capability was low. Contraceptives among the Rohingyas were unpopular, mainly due to a lack of educational qualifications and family planning awareness. In addition, family planning initiatives among Rohingya refugees were limited by a conservative culture and religious beliefs. Therefore, strengthening FP interventions and increasing the accessibility to essential health services and education are indispensable to improving improve maternal health among Rohingya refugees., (© 2022. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2022
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24. Pruritic papules in a boy.
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Ghosh SK, Datta M, Das S, and Mondal S
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- Humans, Male, Pruritus diagnosis, Pruritus etiology, Collagen Diseases, Skin Abnormalities, Skin Diseases
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- 2022
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25. Poor Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Two Tertiary Care Centers during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.
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Oli J, Pant VP, Niraula A, and Lamsal M
- Subjects
- Communicable Disease Control, Cross-Sectional Studies, Glycemic Control, Humans, Tertiary Care Centers, COVID-19, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 epidemiology
- Abstract
Introduction: Lockdown enforced to control the rapid transmission of novel coronavirus has resulted in the confinement of people in the home and restrictions of movement. This may have altered the lifestyle and glycemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. This study aimed to find the prevalence of poor glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in two tertiary care centres during COVID-19 lockdown., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 259 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in selected hospitals from 1st September to 30th September 2020 after receiving ethical approval from the Departmental Research Unit, Biochemistry under Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: DRU/01/2020). A convenience sampling method was used. Data analysis was done by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data., Results: Among 259 patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, 183 (70.65%) (65.10-76.20 at 95% Confidence Interval) had poor glycemic control during the lockdown period. Mean fasting and post-prandial blood glucose among these patients were 164.16±49.30 mg/dl and 246.76±69.86 mg/dl respectively., Conclusions: Our study depicts that the majority of the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients had poor glycemic control during the lockdown period which was similar when compared to other studies., Keywords: COVID-19; glycemic control; healthy lifestyle; lockdown; type 2 diabetes.
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- 2022
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26. Letter from Nepal.
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Acharya AB, Bhatta N, Mishra DR, Karki P, Gupta MK, Lamsal M, and Khanal B
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- 2022
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27. Identification of an integrated stress and growth response signaling switch that directs vertebrate intestinal regeneration.
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Westfall AK, Perry BW, Kamal AHM, Hales NR, Kay JC, Sapkota M, Schield DR, Pellegrino MW, Secor SM, Chowdhury SM, and Castoe TA
- Subjects
- Animals, Regeneration, Signal Transduction, Transcriptome, Boidae, Proteomics
- Abstract
Background: Snakes exhibit extreme intestinal regeneration following months-long fasts that involves unparalleled increases in metabolism, function, and tissue growth, but the specific molecular control of this process is unknown. Understanding the mechanisms that coordinate these regenerative phenotypes provides valuable opportunities to understand critical pathways that may control vertebrate regeneration and novel perspectives on vertebrate regenerative capacities., Results: Here, we integrate a comprehensive set of phenotypic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data from boa constrictors to identify the mechanisms that orchestrate shifts in metabolism, nutrient uptake, and cellular stress to direct phases of the regenerative response. We identify specific temporal patterns of metabolic, stress response, and growth pathway activation that direct regeneration and provide evidence for multiple key central regulatory molecules kinases that integrate these signals, including major conserved pathways like mTOR signaling and the unfolded protein response., Conclusion: Collectively, our results identify a novel switch-like role of stress responses in intestinal regeneration that forms a primary regulatory hub facilitating organ regeneration and could point to potential pathways to understand regenerative capacity in vertebrates., (© 2021. The Author(s).)
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- 2022
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28. A nematode-derived, mitochondrial stress signaling-regulated peptide exhibits broad antibacterial activity.
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Sapkota M, Adnan Qureshi M, Arif Mahmud S, Balikosa Y, Nguyen C, Boll JM, and Pellegrino MW
- Subjects
- Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Antimicrobial Peptides chemistry, Caenorhabditis elegans genetics, Caenorhabditis elegans immunology, Caenorhabditis elegans metabolism, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins genetics, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins metabolism, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins pharmacology, Cell Line, Cell Membrane Permeability drug effects, Cell Survival drug effects, Immunity, Innate, Unfolded Protein Response, Antimicrobial Peptides metabolism, Antimicrobial Peptides pharmacology, Bacteria drug effects, Mitochondria genetics, Mitochondria metabolism, Signal Transduction, Stress, Physiological
- Abstract
A dramatic rise of infections with antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens continues to challenge the healthcare field due to the lack of effective treatment regimes. As such, there is an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial agents that can combat these multidrug-resistant superbugs. Mitochondria are central regulators of metabolism and other cellular functions, including the regulation of innate immunity pathways involved in the defense against infection. The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is a stress-activated pathway that mitigates mitochondrial dysfunction through the regulation of genes that promote recovery of the organelle. In the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, the UPRmt also mediates an antibacterial defense program that combats pathogen infection, which promotes host survival. We sought to identify and characterize antimicrobial effectors that are regulated during the UPRmt. From our search, we discovered that the antimicrobial peptide CNC-4 is upregulated during this stress response. CNC-4 belongs to the caenacin family of antimicrobial peptides, which are predominantly found in nematodes and are known to have anti-fungal properties. Here, we find that CNC-4 also possesses potent antimicrobial activity against a spectrum of bacterial species and report on its characterization., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing or financial interests., (© 2021. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.)
- Published
- 2021
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29. Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum Cystatin C for Early Recognition of Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
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Sapkota S, Khatiwada S, Shrestha S, Baral N, Maskey R, Majhi S, Chandra L, and Lamsal M
- Abstract
Objectives: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major complications that develop over time in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This prospective study was conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of serum cystatin C in detecting diabetic nephropathy at earlier stages., Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken on 50 cases of T2DM and 50 healthy subjects as controls. Demographic and anthropometric data and blood and urine samples were collected. The concentration of serum cystatin C (index test) and traditional markers of diabetic nephropathy, serum creatinine, and urinary microalbumin (the reference standard) were estimated. Similarly, blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and urinary creatine were measured., Results: The mean ± SD serum cystatin C was significantly higher in T2DM as compared to control (1.07 ± 0.38 and 0.86 ± 0.12 mg/dl, respectively, p < 0.001). The mean ± SD bodyweight, BMI, W : H ratio, pulse, SBP, and DBP were 66.4 ± 12.6 kg, 26.2 ± 5.6 kg/m
2 , 1.03 ± 0.09, 78 ± 7, 125 ± 16 mm of Hg, and 77 ± 9 mm of Hg, respectively, in cases. A significant difference in HDL cholesterol ( p =0.018) and serum cystatin C ( p < 0.001) was observed among different grades of nephropathy. Cystatin C had a significant positive correlation with age ( r = 0.323, p =0.022), duration of T2DM ( r = 0.326, p =0.021), and UACR ( r = 0.528, p < 0.001) and a significant negative correlation with eGFR CKD-EPI cystatin C ( r = -0.925, p < 0.001). The area under ROC curve for serum cystatin C (0.611, 95% CI: 0.450-0.772) was greater than for serum creatinine (0.429, 95% CI: 0.265-0.593) though nonsignificant., Conclusion: Serum cystatin C concentration increases with the progression of nephropathy and duration of diabetes in Nepalese T2DM patients suggesting cystatin C as a potential marker of renal impairment in T2DM patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Suman Sapkota et al.)- Published
- 2021
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30. Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Patients of Acute Coronary Syndrome in a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern Nepal.
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Nepal R, Karki P, Uraw S, and Lamsal M
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- Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Nepal epidemiology, Prevalence, Tertiary Care Centers, Acute Coronary Syndrome epidemiology, Vitamin D Deficiency epidemiology
- Abstract
Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is an emerging risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Very few studies have been done to find out vitamin D deficiency status among cardiovascular patients in Nepalese setup. This research aims to find out the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients of acute coronary syndrome admitted in a tertiary care center of eastern Nepal., Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among patients of acute coronary syndrome admitted in a tertiary care hospital from 1st February 2018 to 31st July 2018. Ethical clearence was taken from Institutional Review Committee of B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Reference number: 259/074/075-IRC). Convenience sampling method was used. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data., Results: A total of 33 (64.7%) at 95% Confidence Interval (51.58-77.82) patients of acute coronary syndrome had vitamin D deficiency in our study with 19 (37.3%) having mild deficiency and 14 (27.4%) having moderate deficiency. None of the patients had severe vitamin D deficiency in our study. The mean vitamin D levels were lower in diabetics (23.57±9.28ng/ml) as compared to non-diabetics (31.91±12.50ng/ml), in hypertensive patients (24.36±7.67ng/ml) as compared to non-hypertensive patients (30.97±13.72ng/ml), and in patients with dyslipidemia (22.86±6.44ng/ml) as compared to those without dyslipidemia (37.68±13.15ng/ml)., Conclusions: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among patients of acute coronary syndrome in our study was comparable to various other homologous international studies.
- Published
- 2021
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31. Faropenem-induced urticarial vasculitis.
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Bhanja DB, Sil A, Panigrahi A, Chakraborty S, and Datta M
- Subjects
- Adult, Humans, Male, Anti-Bacterial Agents adverse effects, Urticaria chemically induced, Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous chemically induced, beta-Lactams adverse effects
- Published
- 2021
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32. Approach to Sample Collection, Transport and Processing of Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Patients for Biochemistry Investigations.
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Niraula A, Gelal B, and Lamsal M
- Subjects
- Health Personnel, Humans, Pandemics, SARS-CoV-2, Specimen Handling, COVID-19
- Abstract
During this global pandemic period of COVID-19, the health care system is the most affected area. Health care workers including clinicians, laboratory professionals, and other allied health workers pose a high threat for acquiring and transmission the disease. Apart from the diagnosis of disease by the RT-PCR, other laboratory investigations are equally essential in disease prognosis and monitoring. This biosafety guidance is intended to provide and insight to the clinicians, nurses, and laboratory professionals in handling the blood and other body fluid samples for biochemical investigations concerning the proper methods of sample collection, transport, processing, and disposal. Every day, the laboratory receives samples of the patient with confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 patients. This poses a high threat of contamination to the health professionals and thus, a proper risk assessment and standard precautions protocol must be followed to ensure safety, minimize the risk of contamination and disease transmission.
- Published
- 2020
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33. A novel gene-diet interaction promotes organismal lifespan and host protection during infection via the mitochondrial UPR.
- Author
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Amin MR, Mahmud SA, Dowgielewicz JL, Sapkota M, and Pellegrino MW
- Subjects
- 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase metabolism, Animals, Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins genetics, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins metabolism, Gene-Environment Interaction, Mitochondrial Proteins genetics, Pseudomonas Infections immunology, Transcription Factors genetics, Transcription Factors metabolism, Vitamin B 12 metabolism, Diet, Disease Resistance, Genotype, Longevity, Mitochondrial Proteins metabolism, Unfolded Protein Response
- Abstract
Cells use a variety of mechanisms to maintain optimal mitochondrial function including the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). The UPRmt mitigates mitochondrial dysfunction by differentially regulating mitoprotective gene expression through the transcription factor ATFS-1. Since UPRmt activation is commensurate with organismal benefits such as extended lifespan and host protection during infection, we sought to identify pathways that promote its stimulation. Using unbiased forward genetics screening, we isolated novel mutant alleles that could activate the UPRmt. Interestingly, we identified one reduction of function mutant allele (osa3) in the mitochondrial ribosomal gene mrpl-2 that activated the UPRmt in a diet-dependent manner. We find that mrpl-2(osa3) mutants lived longer and survived better during pathogen infection depending on the diet they were fed. A diet containing low levels of vitamin B12 could activate the UPRmt in mrpl-2(osa3) animals. Also, we find that the vitamin B12-dependent enzyme methionine synthase intersects with mrpl-2(osa3) to activate the UPRmt and confer animal lifespan extension at the level of ATFS-1. Thus, we present a novel gene-diet pairing that promotes animal longevity that is mediated by the UPRmt., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2020
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34. Transport phenomena of Cu-S-Te chalcogenide nanocomposites: frequency response and AC conductivity.
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Ojha S, Roy M, Chamuah A, Bhattacharya K, and Bhattacharya S
- Abstract
In this work, the development and electrical characterization of several chalcogenide nanocomposites have been reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has been used to reveal their microstructures. Mott's variable range hopping model has been used to interpret the DC conductivity data of the nanocomposites at lower temperatures. The DC conductivity data at higher temperatures has been explained well using Greave's model. To explain the AC conductivity data, the Meyer-Neldel (MN) conduction rule has been employed. The AC conductivity spectra at different temperatures have been analyzed using Almond-West formalism. Different conduction models, namely, correlated barrier hopping (CBH) and modified non-overlapping small polaron tunneling (NSPT), have been used to interpret the conduction mechanism of the nanocomposites. Scaling of the AC conductivity spectra reveals that the electrical relaxation process is independent of temperature, but depends on the nanocomposite composition. The conductivity mechanism is explained using a schematic structural model.
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- 2020
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35. Structural Evolution and Magnetic Properties of Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 Nanocrystals: Computational and Experimental Investigations.
- Author
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Pokhrel M, Dimakis N, Dannangoda C, Gupta SK, Martirosyan KS, and Mao Y
- Subjects
- Crystallography, X-Ray, Magnetic Phenomena, Models, Molecular, Molecular Structure, Density Functional Theory, Gadolinium chemistry, Hafnium chemistry, Nanoparticles chemistry, Oxygen chemistry
- Abstract
Structural evolution in functional materials is a physicochemical phenomenon, which is important from a fundamental study point of view and for its applications in magnetism, catalysis, and nuclear waste immobilization. In this study, we used x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to examine the Gd
2 Hf2 O7 (GHO) pyrochlore, and we showed that it underwent a thermally induced crystalline phase evolution. Superconducting quantum interference device measurements were carried out on both the weakly ordered pyrochlore and the fully ordered phases. These measurements suggest a weak magnetism for both pyrochlore phases. Spin density calculations showed that the Gd3+ ion has a major contribution to the fully ordered pyrochlore magnetic behavior and its cation antisite. The origin of the Gd magnetism is due to the concomitant shift of its spin-up 4f orbital states above the Fermi energy and its spin-down states below the Fermi energy. This picture is in contrast to the familiar Stoner model used in magnetism. The ordered pyrochlore GHO is antiferromagnetic, whereas its antisite is ferromagnetic. The localization of the Gd-4f orbitals is also indicative of weak magnetism. Chemical bonding was analyzed via overlap population calculations: These analyses indicate that Hf-Gd and Gd-O covalent interactions are destabilizing, and thus, the stabilities of these bonds are due to ionic interactions. Our combined experimental and computational analyses on the technologically important pyrochlore materials provide a basic understanding of their structure, bonding properties, and magnetic behaviors.- Published
- 2020
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36. Patterns of Rheumatic Heart Disease and Treatment Practices at Tertiary Care Center in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.
- Author
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Nepal R, Bista M, and Dhungana SP
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Nepal epidemiology, Tertiary Care Centers, Mitral Valve Stenosis epidemiology, Mitral Valve Stenosis etiology, Rheumatic Heart Disease epidemiology, Rheumatic Heart Disease therapy
- Abstract
Introduction: Rheumatic heart disease is a sequel of rheumatic fever which causes heart valve damage. This study was conducted to look at the pattern of valve lesions and treatment practices in patients with rheumatic heart disease., Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted at the tertiary care center with a diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease from July 2018 to January 2020 by convenient sampling. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (ref no. 55/2018). Data were analyzed by using Statistical package for social sciences version 20., Results: Out of 600 patients, 428 (71.3%) were female. The mean age was 44.24±14.24 years. The isolated mitral valve was affected in 280 (46.6%). Dual involvement of mitral and aortic valve was present in 294 (49%). Only 14 (2.3%) had involvement of isolated aortic valve involvement. Overall, mitral stenosis was the most common abnormality 508 (84.6%) followed by mitral regurgitation 418 (69.6%), aortic regurgitation 320 (53.3%), and aortic stenosis 63 (10.5%). Assessment of the severity of lesions showed that 247 (41.2%) patients had severe mitral stenosis, 119 (19.8%) severe mitral regurgitation, 14 (2.3%) severe aortic stenosis, and 11 (1.8%) severe aortic regurgitation. Majority 493 (82.2%) were treated with medical therapies. Surgical procedures were performed in 51 (8.5%). The use of anticoagulation was in 212 (35.3%) of eligible patients., Conclusions: Mitral valve was affected commonly both in isolation and combination. The majority of patients who were eligible for cardiac interventions were treated medically with suboptimal use of anticoagulation and secondary prophylaxis.
- Published
- 2020
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37. Carbon Dot Cross-Linked Gelatin Nanocomposite Hydrogel for pH-Sensing and pH-Responsive Drug Delivery.
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Bhattacharyya SK, Dule M, Paul R, Dash J, Anas M, Mandal TK, Das P, Das NC, and Banerjee S
- Subjects
- Drug Delivery Systems, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Nanogels, Carbon, Gelatin
- Abstract
Delivery of therapeutics to the intestinal region bypassing the harsh acidic environment of the stomach has long been a research focus. On the other hand, monitoring a system's pH during drug delivery is a crucial diagnosis factor as the activity and release rate of many therapeutics depend on it. This study answered both of these issues by fabricating a novel nanocomposite hydrogel for intestinal drug delivery and near-neutral pH sensing at the same time. Gelatin nanocomposites (GNCs) with varying concentrations of carbon dots (CDs) were fabricated through simple solvent casting methods. Here, CDs served a dual role and simultaneously acted as a cross-linker and chromophore, which reduced the usage of toxic cross-linkers. The proposed GNC hydrogel sample acted as an excellent pH sensor in the near-neutral pH range and could be useful for quantitative pH measurement. A model antibacterial drug (cefadroxil) was used for the in vitro drug release study at gastric pH (1.2) and intestinal pH (7.4) conditions. A moderate and sustained drug release profile was noticed at pH 7.4 in comparison to the acidic medium over a 24 h study. The drug release profile revealed that the pH of the release medium and the percentage of CDs cross-linking influenced the drug release rate. Release data were compared with different empirical equations for the evaluation of drug release kinetics and found good agreement with the Higuchi model. The antibacterial activity of cefadroxil was assessed by the broth microdilution method and found to be retained and not hindered by the drug entrapment procedure. The cell viability assay showed that all of the hydrogel samples, including the drug-loaded GNC hydrogel, offered acceptable cytocompatibility and nontoxicity. All of these observations illustrated that GNC hydrogel could act as an ideal pH-monitoring and oral drug delivery system in near-neutral pH at the same time.
- Published
- 2020
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38. Biochemical status of serum iron in histopathological grades of oral submucous fibrosis.
- Author
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Raut T, Keshwar S, Rimal J, Lamsal M, and Shrestha A
- Abstract
Background: Oral submucous fibrosis is a multifactorial, chronic disease of oral mucosa characterized by mucosal atrophy and fibrosis leading to functional morbidity; amongst many iron deficiency is considered as one of the risk factor. Also the iron level is considered to be depleted due to increased utilization during collagen synthesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of iron in patients with fibrosis and correlate with different histopathological grades., Methods: A total of 40 clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed cases of submucous fibrosis were considered. Clinical data were recorded and status of iron was estimated through serum iron and total iron binding capacity by ferrozine method using a digital auto-analyzer. The level of iron was correlated with the histopathological grades and epithelial dysplasia., Result: The mean age of patients was 37.07 ± 14.63 years with the male to female ratio of 6.5:1. Areca nut consumption was associated with all the cases among which 87.5% of cases were exposed to commercial forms. 37.5% of cases were in early grade whereas 60% in moderately advanced histopathological grade. The level of mean serum iron and total iron binding capacity was higher in moderately advanced than in early grade. However no statistically significant difference was observed within the histopathological grades., Conclusion: Iron is influenced by many factors like dietary intake, food habits, metabolic reactions, chronic diseases, etc. Serum iron is reduced in patients with oral submucous fibrosis which should be supplemented to impede the carcinogenic potential and improve the treatment outcome., Competing Interests: None., (© 2020 Craniofacial Research Foundation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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39. Discovery and characterization of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 inhibitor peptides that potentiate meropenem-dependent killing of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae.
- Author
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Kazi MI, Perry BW, Card DC, Schargel RD, Ali HB, Obuekwe VC, Sapkota M, Kang KN, Pellegrino MW, Greenberg DE, Castoe TA, and Boll JM
- Subjects
- Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Enterobacteriaceae metabolism, Kinetics, Meropenem pharmacology, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Peptides pharmacology, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae metabolism, beta-Lactamases genetics, beta-Lactamases metabolism
- Abstract
Objectives: Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are an emerging class of antimicrobial resistance enzymes that degrade β-lactam antibiotics, including last-resort carbapenems. Infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are increasingly prevalent, but treatment options are limited. While several serine-dependent β-lactamase inhibitors are formulated with commonly prescribed β-lactams, no MBL inhibitors are currently approved for combinatorial therapies. New compounds that target MBLs to restore carbapenem activity against CPE are therefore urgently needed. Herein we identified and characterized novel synthetic peptide inhibitors that bound to and inhibited NDM-1, which is an emerging β-lactam resistance mechanism in CPE., Methods: We leveraged Surface Localized Antimicrobial displaY (SLAY) to identify and characterize peptides that inhibit NDM-1, which is a primary carbapenem resistance mechanism in CPE. Lead inhibitor sequences were chemically synthesized and MBCs and MICs were calculated in the presence/absence of carbapenems. Kinetic analysis with recombinant NDM-1 and select peptides tested direct binding and supported NDM-1 inhibitor mechanisms of action. Inhibitors were also tested for cytotoxicity., Results: We identified approximately 1700 sequences that potentiated carbapenem-dependent killing against NDM-1 Escherichia coli. Several also enhanced meropenem-dependent killing of other CPE. Biochemical characterization of a subset indicated the peptides penetrated the bacterial periplasm and directly bound NDM-1 to inhibit enzymatic activity. Additionally, each demonstrated minimal haemolysis and cytotoxicity against mammalian cell lines., Conclusions: Our approach advances a molecular platform for antimicrobial discovery, which complements the growing need for alternative antimicrobials. We also discovered lead NDM-1 inhibitors, which serve as a starting point for further chemical optimization., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2020
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40. Hairless verrucous growth over scalp.
- Author
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Datta M, Chakraborty S, and Sil A
- Published
- 2020
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41. A pathogen branched-chain amino acid catabolic pathway subverts host survival by impairing energy metabolism and the mitochondrial UPR.
- Author
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Mahmud SA, Qureshi MA, Sapkota M, and Pellegrino MW
- Subjects
- Amino Acids, Branched-Chain genetics, Animals, Caenorhabditis elegans genetics, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins genetics, Pseudomonas aeruginosa metabolism, Transcription Factors metabolism, Unfolded Protein Response physiology, Amino Acids, Branched-Chain metabolism, Energy Metabolism physiology, Leucine metabolism, Mitochondria metabolism
- Abstract
The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is a stress-activated pathway promoting mitochondrial recovery and defense against infection. In C. elegans, the UPRmt is activated during infection with the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa-but only transiently. As this may reflect a pathogenic strategy to target a pathway required for host survival, we conducted a P. aeruginosa genetic screen to uncover mechanisms associated with this temporary activation. Here, we find that loss of the P. aeruginosa acyl-CoA dehydrogenase FadE2 prolongs UPRmt activity and extends host survival. FadE2 shows substrate preferences for the coenzyme A intermediates produced during the breakdown of the branched-chain amino acids valine and leucine. Our data suggests that during infection, FadE2 restricts the supply of these catabolites to the host hindering host energy metabolism in addition to the UPRmt. Thus, a metabolic pathway in P. aeruginosa contributes to pathogenesis during infection through manipulation of host energy status and mitochondrial stress signaling potential., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
- Published
- 2020
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42. Urinary Calculi: A Microbiological and Biochemical Analysis at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern Nepal.
- Author
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Shah P, Baral R, Agrawal CS, Lamsal M, Baral D, and Khanal B
- Abstract
Background: The occurrence of urinary tract infection in presence of urolithiasis is frequently noted; however, microbial agents of urolithiasis and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns remain underinvestigated. This study aimed to identify the microorganisms isolated from urine and stone matrices to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility, to find the association between the pathogens of urine and stone matrices, and to perform the biochemical analysis of stones., Methods: A total of 88 cases of urolithiasis admitted for elective stone removal at Department of surgery, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), were enrolled. Preoperative urine culture and postoperative stone culture were performed. Isolation, identification, and AST were done by the standard microbiological technique. Further qualitative biochemical analysis of stones was also attempted., Result: Among 88 stone formers recruited, culture of urine, whole stone, and nidus yielded the growth of bacteria 44, 32, and 30, respectively. Bacteria isolated from urine culture correlated with those from stone matrices with a sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 79.69%, PPV of 63.64%, and NPV of 95.45%. Escherichia coli (46.7%) was the most common bacteria followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.7%) and Proteus mirabilis (13.3%) from urine and stone cultures. Almost all the uropathogens isolated were susceptible to commonly used antibiotics. Calcium oxalate (84.1%) was common biochemical constituent found in stone formers followed by calcium oxalate + phosphate (8%)., Conclusions: The association of microorganism isolated from urine and nidus culture was significant that can predict the source of infective stone; however, in some cases, microorganisms and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern from urine and nidus were different. This study emphasizes the use of appropriate antimicrobial agents to prevent the regrowth of residual stones and minimize the risk of infectious complications after surgical removal of stones., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Pratima Shah et al.)
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- 2020
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43. A questionnaire survey for improving awareness of rheumatic heart disease among school-aged children in India.
- Author
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Ray M, Guha S, Ray M, Karak A, Choudhury B, Ray B, Hazra PC, Selker HP, Goldberg RJ, and Bhatt DL
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, India epidemiology, Male, Prevalence, Retrospective Studies, Rheumatic Heart Disease psychology, Awareness, Rheumatic Heart Disease epidemiology, Rural Population, Schools, Students psychology, Surveys and Questionnaires
- Abstract
Objectives: We examined the level of awareness about Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) among school-aged children in a rural district of India and evaluated the effects of a questionnaire-based survey in improving the level of awareness., Methods: The study involved 8,646 students aged 10-16 years from 20 schools in West Midnapore, India which was conducted in August 2017. We examined changes in the level of awareness of RHD using a 29-point scoring system in seven domains. The baseline questionnaire survey assessed students' knowledge and was followed by a multimedia presentation about RHD and a post-intervention survey using the same questionnaire. The questionnaire included 9 questions on different aspects of RHD including prevalence, nature of disease, symptoms, determinants, treatment options, impact of the disease and diagnosis., Results: The mean age of the study population was 13 years and 46% were boys. At baseline, the mean level of knowledge about RHD was 42% (12.2 out of 29 points). After the school-based presentation, the score improved to a mean of 55% (15.9 points on the 29-point scale), a 31% relative improvement. Improvement in students' knowledge was noted across all seven domains, individually and combined (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Awareness among children in rural India about RHD is modest. A school-based intervention could help in improving awareness about this chronic condition and may promote secondary prophylaxis to reduce the morbidity and mortality from RHD., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt discloses the following relationships - Advisory Board: Cardax, CellProthera, Cereno Scientific, Elsevier Practice Update Cardiology, Level Ex, Medscape Cardiology, PhaseBio, PLx Pharma, Regado Biosciences; Board of Directors: Boston VA Research Institute, Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care, TobeSoft; Chair: American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee; Data Monitoring Committees: Baim Institute for Clinical Research (formerly Harvard Clinical Research Institute, for the PORTICO trial, funded by St. Jude Medical, now Abbott), Cleveland Clinic (including for the ExCEED trial, funded by Edwards), Contego Medical (Chair, PERFORMANCE 2), Duke Clinical Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai School of Medicine (for the ENVISAGE trial, funded by Daiichi Sankyo), Population Health Research Institute; Honoraria: American College of Cardiology (Senior Associate Editor, Clinical Trials and News, ACC.org; Vice-Chair, ACC Accreditation Committee), Baim Institute for Clinical Research (formerly Harvard Clinical Research Institute; RE-DUAL PCI clinical trial steering committee funded by Boehringer Ingelheim; AEGIS-II executive committee funded by CSL Behring), Belvoir Publications (Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter), Duke Clinical Research Institute (clinical trial steering committees, including for the PRONOUNCE trial, funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals), HMP Global (Editor in Chief, Journal of Invasive Cardiology), Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Guest Editor; Associate Editor), K2P (Co-Chair, interdisciplinary curriculum), Level Ex, Medtelligence/ReachMD (CME steering committees), MJH Life Sciences, Population Health Research Institute (for the COMPASS operations committee, publications committee, steering committee, and USA national co-leader, funded by Bayer), Slack Publications (Chief Medical Editor, Cardiology Today’s Intervention), Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (Secretary/Treasurer), WebMD (CME steering committees); Other: Clinical Cardiology (Deputy Editor), NCDR-ACTION Registry Steering Committee (Chair), VA CART Research and Publications Committee (Chair); Research Funding: Abbott, Afimmune, Amarin, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cardax, Chiesi, CSL Behring, Eisai, Ethicon, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Forest Laboratories, Fractyl, Idorsia, Ironwood, Ischemix, Lexicon, Lilly, Medtronic, Pfizer, PhaseBio, PLx Pharma, Regeneron, Roche, Sanofi Aventis, Synaptic, The Medicines Company; Royalties: Elsevier (Editor, Cardiovascular Intervention: A Companion to Braunwald’s Heart Disease); Site Co-Investigator: Biotronik, Boston Scientific, CSI, St. Jude Medical (now Abbott), Svelte; Trustee: American College of Cardiology; Unfunded Research: FlowCo, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Takeda. All other authors have none to declare relevant to this study., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
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- 2020
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44. Observation of gapped state in rare-earth monopnictide HoSb.
- Author
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Hosen MM, Dhakal G, Wang B, Poudel N, Singh B, Dimitri K, Kabir F, Sims C, Regmi S, Neff W, Sarkar AB, Agarwal A, Murray D, Weickert F, Gofryk K, Pavlosiuk O, Wiśniewski P, Kaczorowski D, Bansil A, and Neupane M
- Abstract
The rare-earth monopnictide family is attracting an intense current interest driven by its unusual extreme magnetoresistance (XMR) property and the potential presence of topologically non-trivial surface states. The experimental observation of non-trivial surface states in this family of materials are not ubiquitous. Here, using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, magnetotransport, and parallel first-principles modeling, we examine the nature of electronic states in HoSb. Although we find the presence of bulk band gaps at the [Formula: see text] and X-symmetry points of the Brillouin zone, we do not find these gaps to exhibit band inversion so that HoSb does not host a Dirac semimetal state. Our magnetotransport measurements indicate that HoSb can be characterized as a correlated nearly-complete electron-hole-compensated semimetal. Our analysis reveals that the nearly perfect electron-hole compensation could drive the appearance of non-saturating XMR effect in HoSb.
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- 2020
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45. Observation of Dirac state in half-Heusler material YPtBi.
- Author
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Hosen MM, Dhakal G, Dimitri K, Choi H, Kabir F, Sims C, Pavlosiuk O, Wiśniewski P, Durakiewicz T, Zhu JX, Kaczorowski D, and Neupane M
- Abstract
The prediction of non-trivial topological electronic states in half-Heusler compounds makes these materials good candidates for discovering new physics and devices as half-Heusler phases harbour a variety of electronic ground states, including superconductivity, antiferromagnetism, and heavy-fermion behaviour. Here, we report a systematic studies of electronic properties of a superconducting half-Heusler compound YPtBi, in its normal state, investigated using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data reveal the presence of a Dirac state at the [Formula: see text] point of the Brillouin zone at 500 meV below the Fermi level. We observe the presence of multiple Fermi surface pockets, including two concentric hexagonal and six half-oval shaped pockets at the [Formula: see text] and K points of the Brillouin zone, respectively. Furthermore, our measurements show Rashba-split bands and multiple surface states crossing the Fermi level, this is also supported by the first-principles calculations. Our findings of a Dirac state in YPtBi contribute to the establishing of half-Heusler compounds as a potential platform for novel topological phases.
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- 2020
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46. Air Duster Inhalant Abuse Causing Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
- Author
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Cao SA, Ray M, and Klebanov N
- Abstract
Inhalant abuse, also known as huffing, is common among teenagers and adolescents in the United States and worldwide. Inhaled aerosols are dangerous due to both the presence of volatile hydrocarbons causing direct organ damage and the risk of the compressed air causing physical trauma (e.g. expansion, barotrauma) or skin trauma from chemical or temperature burn. Here, we present the case of a 35-year-old man who was inhaling multiple canisters of Dust-Off (Falcon Safety Products Inc., Branchburg, NJ) keyboard air duster daily for approximately one month. He presented with intermittent burning chest pains, and was found to have elevated troponin (peak 17 ng/mL, normal range 0-0.5 ng/mL) without ST-segment elevations, concerning for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) as well as elevated aminotransferases and elevated serum creatinine. He was treated conservatively with supportive measures, with successful resolution of his laboratory abnormalities as well as his chest pain. Clinicians should be aware of the possible medical complications of inhalant abuse, and the expected clinical course. In this case, we aim to demonstrate the acute onset and self-resolution of significant cardiomyocyte damage in a young male patient abusing duster., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Cao et al.)
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- 2020
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47. Pruritic genital nodules.
- Author
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Sil A, Mondal S, Bhanja DB, Datta M, Mukherjee GS, and Chakraborty S
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None.
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- 2020
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48. Experimental observation of drumhead surface states in SrAs 3 .
- Author
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Hosen MM, Dhakal G, Wang B, Poudel N, Dimitri K, Kabir F, Sims C, Regmi S, Gofryk K, Kaczorowski D, Bansil A, and Neupane M
- Abstract
The topological nodal-line semimetal (TNS) is a unique class of materials with a one dimensional line node accompanied by a nearly dispersionless two-dimensional surface state. However, a direct observation of the so called drumhead surface state within current nodal-line materials is still elusive. Here, using high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) along with first-principles calculations, we report the observation of a topological nodal-loop (TNL) in SrAs
3 , whereas CaAs3 exhibits a topologically trivial state. Our data reveal that surface projections of the bulk nodal-points are connected by clear drumhead surface states in SrAs3 . Furthermore, our magneto-transport and magnetization data clearly suggest the presence (absence) of surface states in SrAs3 (CaAs3 ). Notably, the observed topological states in SrAs3 are well separated from other bands in the vicinity of the Fermi level. RAs3 where R = Ca, Sr, thus, offers a unique opportunity to realize an archetype nodal-loop semimetal and establish a platform for obtaining a deeper understanding of the quantum phase transitions.- Published
- 2020
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49. The early stage peptidoglycan biosynthesis Mur enzymes are antibacterial and antisporulation drug targets for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection.
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Sapkota M, Marreddy RKR, Wu X, Kumar M, and Hurdle JG
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- Clostridium Infections drug therapy, Enzyme Activation drug effects, Enzyme Inhibitors pharmacology, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Humans, Spores, Bacterial drug effects, Spores, Bacterial enzymology, Alkyl and Aryl Transferases antagonists & inhibitors, Alkyl and Aryl Transferases metabolism, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Clostridioides difficile drug effects, Clostridioides difficile enzymology, Clostridium Infections microbiology, Peptidoglycan biosynthesis
- Abstract
Sporulation during Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) contributes to recurrent disease. Cell division and sporulation both require peptidoglycan biosynthesis. We show C. difficile growth and sporulation is attenuated by antisenses to murA and murC or the MurA inhibitor fosfomycin. Thus, targeting the early steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis might reduce the onset of recurrent CDI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None to declare., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2020
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50. Assessment of Zinc Status Among Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Level Hospital of Sunsari District, Nepal.
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Tamang MK, Yadav UN, Acharya A, and Lamsal M
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- Adult, Age Factors, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diet, Female, Humans, Nepal epidemiology, Nutritional Status, Pregnancy, Prevalence, Socioeconomic Factors, Young Adult, Prenatal Care statistics & numerical data, Tertiary Care Centers statistics & numerical data, Zinc deficiency
- Abstract
Background: Zinc deficiency is one of the major public health problems especially in developing countries, with an estimation of over 80% of pregnant women to be zinc deficient worldwide. Maternal zinc deficiency elevates the risk of foetal growth restriction. This study aimed to assess zinc deficiency and to examine the factors associated with zinc status among pregnant women attending a tertiary level hospital in Sunsari district, province no. one, Nepal., Methods: Pregnant women were selected by using time frame consecutive sampling at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan from September to November 2018. Data on nutritional, socio-demographic and reproductive profiles were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Blood was collected from each pregnant woman to estimate serum zinc concentration by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Association between serum zinc concentration and predictor variables were assessed using chi-square test., Results: A total of 156 women participated in the study. The prevalence of zinc deficiency among the pregnant women was 22.6%. Our data did not show association of any of the socio-demographic, nutritional and reproductive variables with serum zinc status (p-value>0.05) in chi-square., Conclusions: Zinc deficiency was found to be prevalent in our targeted population. However, community based studies need to be conducted for exploring more precise relationship between zinc status and other variables.
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- 2020
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