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Objective: to find an association between the serum CA-125 level and the histopathological type of ovarian tumor. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Medical Oncology, Jinnah postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi Pakistan from Jan 2018 to Dec 2019. Methodology: This study included 107 patients presenting with epithelial ovarian cancer. In each case, histological type, pathological stage, degree of differentiation and serum CA-125 was evaluated. The association between preoperative CA-125 and histopathological type of tumor were evaluated. Result: About 107 ovarian cancer patients were included. The mean age in our study was 50.80±10.16 years. Raised CA-125 level was found in most of the patients with serous histology 46(56.1%). Conclusion: Serum level CA-125 elevated in most patients with serous histology. A statistically non-significant association was found between raise CA-125 levels and histological types of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an adaptive feed-forward current fed battery-supported solar water pumping system using a synchronous reluctance motor (SYRM). It incorporates the impact of cross saturation in real time with the position sensorless vector control technique of SYRM. Moreover, a continuous estimation of direct axis inductance (Ld) is incorporated to ensure saturation in SYRM. The burden of the DC link voltage PI controller is relieved by the feed-forward term of an adaptive battery current, which is calculated from the photovoltaic (PV) array power, estimated output power and the estimated motor efficiency. A DC-DC boost converter is used for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of the solar photovoltaic array. A voltage source inverter is employed to control the SYRM-pump drive, and to charge/discharge the battery, a bidirectional DC-DC converter is used. The system provides a cost-effective solution for an uninterruptable and rated discharge of the water supply. The solar PV array behaves as a primary energy source, whereas battery is used as a backup source and is charged by PV array when pump operation is suspended or operating at a lower rating. The satisfactory performance of developed system is verified through experimental results taken on the developed laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with an improved control for synchronous reluctance motor (SyRM)-based photovoltaic (PV) water pumping system, eliminating the speed controller of position sensorless field-oriented control (FOC) of SyRM. The solar water pump drive involves two stages of power conversion. The reference quadrature axis current of FOC is estimated from available PV array power that is being continuously tracked for maximum power point. This eliminates the requirement of an additional speed controller. This improves the transient behavior of overall control under dynamic conditions such as varying solar radiation. A pole is eliminated from overall characteristic equation of open-loop dc link voltage control transfer function. As a result, a single proportional integrator controller satisfactorily controls the whole pumping system. The system is much easier to tune, and by default, immune to aging and variation in pump's constant. This improves fidelity and reduces the overall cost of the system. Performance of this system is validated through a developed laboratory prototype of solar PV array-fed SyRM drive for water pumping. The overall system performance is examined under different environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the control of solar photovoltaic (PV) battery-fed reluctance synchronous motor drive for light electric vehicle. The system performance is evaluated based on the Indian driving cycle (IDC). This system uses a bidirectional dc–dc converter for regulating battery power for different operating conditions as per IDC. For augmenting the performance of the battery, a rooftop solar-PV panel is installed with a dc–dc boost converter for maximum power point tracking. The reluctance synchronous motor drive is operated using three-phase voltage inverter with hysteresis current control and energy regeneration of the stored kinetic energy of the system. The speed and position of the reluctance synchronous motor drive are also estimated using flux linkages, which makes this system cost effective. The reluctance synchronous motor drive is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink for dynamic and steady-state conditions of the vehicle. The system's applicability and performance are validated by test results recorded on a laboratory-developed experimental setup in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood and adolescence require adequate amount of micronutrients for normal growth and development. The primary objective of study was to assess the prevalence of deficiencies of Vitamins (Vitamin A, 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Folate) and minerals (Calcium, Zinc, Selenium and Iron), among urban school going children aged 6–11 and 12–16 years in ten cities of India. Secondary objective was to find the association between micronutrient deficiencies with sociodemographic and anthropometric indicators. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted across India. Participants in the age groups of 6 to 11 years (group 1) and 12 to 16 years (group 2) were selected from randomly chosen schools from each center. Data on socio economic status, anthropometric measures was collected. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of micronutrients. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals was used to assess the prevalence of deficiencies. Associations were observed using chi square, student t test and ANOVA test. Results: From April 2019 to February 2020, 2428 participants (1235 in group 1 and 1193 group 2) were recruited from 60 schools across ten cites. The prevalence of calcium and iron deficiency was 59.9% and 49.4% respectively. 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D deficiency was seen in 39.7% and vitamin B12 in 33.4% of subjects. Folate, Selenium and Zinc were deficient in 22.2%, 10.4% and 6.8% of subjects respectively. Vitamin A deficiency least (1.6%). Anemia was prevalent in 17.6% subjects and was more common among females. Conclusion: One or more micronutrient deficiencies are found in almost one half of school going children in urban area. Hence efforts must be made to combat these on priority. Trial registration number: CTRI/2019/02/017783. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few reports revealing association between iron intake and environmental lead exposure during pregnancy. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of iron supplementation on biochemical modulation of certain lead toxicity markers associated with pregnancy. Iron and folic acid supplementations were given to 250 pregnant anemic women (mild = 100, moderate = 100 and severe = 50) and 100 age matched nonanemic pregnant women as controls for 100 days. Lead (Pb) toxicity markers, enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant were estimated as per standard protocols. The levels of Pb, serum transferrin receptors (sTfR), zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), δ-aminolevulinic acid (δ-ALA, both in blood and urine) were found significantly increased in all pretreated subjects and these were decreased after oral iron supplementation. Iron-deficient pregnant women reflected a significant increase in lipid peroxide levels (LPO) and protein carbonyl levels (PC) which were found to be further increased after iron supplementation. The levels of iron (Fe), haemoglobin (Hb), ferritin, delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione levels (GSH) were significantly decreased in pretreated groups and these parameters were found significantly increased in all supplemented subjects after treatment. Antioxidant vitamins viz. C and E were found significantly decreased in all post treated groups. Our observation suggests that recommended iron dose is not only effective for blood indices parameters, but it also decreases Pb concentrations in the blood during pregnancy. However, further studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]