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Objectives: This retrospective observational study conducted in the district of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Western India, over the past 9 years aimed to comprehensively investigate the epidemiology of chickenpox. The objectives were to analyze demographic and clinical characteristics, examine temporal trends, identify outbreak locations, assess outbreak intensity and duration, determine laboratory-confirmed cases, and provide insights for public health interventions. Materials and Methods: The study employed a retrospective approach, gathering data on chickenpox cases in the region. Demographic information, clinical profiles, and outbreak details were analyzed. Temporal variations and seasonal trends were assessed. Laboratory confirmation was achieved through serology and molecular methods. Locations of outbreaks were identified, and their characteristics were evaluated. Results: The study revealed that the 6-10 age groups were most vulnerable, with mild-to-moderate symptoms predominantly observed. Significant variations in cases occurred year round, with peaks between November and February. Out of 25 recorded outbreaks and three early warning signals, Aganwadis, play schools, and schools were common outbreak locations. Most outbreaks were low intensity, and laboratory confirmation identified Clade-1 Varicella-Zoster virus as the causative agent. Conclusion: These findings provide essential insights for public health officials. Identifying the vulnerable age group and high-risk locations allows for targeted vaccination campaigns. Moreover, the study underscores the need for continuous monitoring and surveillance to detect outbreaks early and mitigate their spread effectively, emphasizing the importance of proactive prevention and control measures for chickenpox in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Članek se osredotoča na pojave, razvoje in potenciale male umetnosti (kleinkunsta) v slovenskem prostoru. Mala umetnost kot forma umetniškega odziva, ki prek raznolikih uprizoritvenih žanrov – kot so kabaret, nova burleska, improvizacijsko gledališče, stand up, intervencije v javni prostor, sodobni cirkus ter dragovski, kvirovski in LGBTQI+ scenski dogodki – podaja družbeni komentar obstoječe tradicionalistične, heteronormativne, patriarhalne in kapitalistične družbe. Članek okvirno razdela termin male umetnosti, njene umetniške in družbene prvine ter jo poskuša tudi konkretno prepoznati v lokalnem prostoru. Ta široki krovni pojem namreč zaznamuje heterogenost tematik in estetik, v Sloveniji pa ima še toliko bolj specifičen podton in položaj, saj maloštevilna populacija ovira razvoj in vpliv male umetnosti. Pri izboru ustvarjalk in ustvarjalcev male umetnosti sem se osredotočila predvsem na tiste, ki delujejo v sferi nevladnega sektorja, ustvarjajo kontinuirano, so umetniško kredibilni in niso tržno naravnani.

Članek se osredotoča na pojave, razvoje in potenciale male umetnosti (kleinkunsta) v slovenskem prostoru. Mala umetnost kot forma umetniškega odziva, ki prek raznolikih uprizoritvenih žanrov – kot so kabaret, nova burleska, improvizacijsko gledališče, stand up, intervencije v javni prostor, sodobni cirkus ter dragovski, kvirovski in LGBTQI+ scenski dogodki – podaja družbeni komentar obstoječe tradicionalistične, heteronormativne, patriarhalne in kapitalistične družbe. Članek okvirno razdela termin male umetnosti, njene umetniške in družbene prvine ter jo poskuša tudi konkretno prepoznati v lokalnem prostoru. Ta široki krovni pojem namreč zaznamuje heterogenost tematik in estetik, v Sloveniji pa ima še toliko bolj specifičen podton in položaj, saj maloštevilna populacija ovira razvoj in vpliv male umetnosti. Pri izboru ustvarjalk in ustvarjalcev male umetnosti sem se osredotočila predvsem na tiste, ki delujejo v sferi nevladnega sektorja, ustvarjajo kontinuirano, so umetniško kredibilni in niso tržno naravnani.

Razprava obravnava študijo primera uprizoritve Hlapec Jernej in njegova pravica v režiji Žige Divjaka, ki je nastala leta 2018. V prvem delu se osredotoča na specifičen format »dramskega besedila« v tej dokumentarni uprizoritvi, od koder izhajajo tudi nadaljnje analize dokumentarnih prvin in njihovih učinkov na ravni besedila, tekstovne strukture, likov, dramaturgije in navsezadnje zaznave zunanjega pogleda (občinstva, javnosti). Bistvena značilnost projekta je uporaba (remodulacija) prvoosebnih pričevanj, ki vpeljejo princip dobesednega (verbatim) gledališča, v tokratnem primeru gre za posredovanje neposrednih izkušenj s polja aktualnih prekarnih delovnih odnosov. Pripovedovana izkustva iz prve roke razgrnejo uvid v nevid(e)ne delavske populacije, ki so v razmerju do sodobnih »gospodarjev« (tajkunov) presenetljivo usklajene z razumevanjem odvzemanja pravic delavstvu, kot ga je dojemal Ivan Cankar. V drugem delu članek uprizoritev umešča v analitični diskurz, ki preči sociološke, politične in psihološke poglede na obstoj revščine, razredizma in razrednega sramu. V luči sodobnih kulturoloških teorij in umestitve Divjakovega Hlapca Jerneja v širši družbeni aspekt se pokaže, da prepletanje dokumentarnega gledališča in tematiziranje sodobnega delavskega razreda (problematičnih prekarnih razmerij) vzpostavljata izjemno pomembno umetniško pa tudi družbeno gesto; ta sočasno raziskuje učinke specifičnega režijskega koncepta, vnosa realnega v umetniški dogodek, in uveljavi kritično refleksijo izbrane tematike ter njenega umeščanja v javni prostor.

The paper analyses the introduction of the themes of poverty, social exclusion, classism and class shame into the field of contemporary Slovenian drama in the form of a case study. The documentary theatre production The Bailiff Jernej and His Rights (Hlapec Jernej in njegova pravica), directed by Žiga Divjak, was created in 2018 as one of the many events marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Ivan Cankar, the author of the work of the same title upon which Divjak based the performance. Divjak’s documentary reinterpretation of Cankar’s short story The Bailiff Yerney and His Rights performs an engaged gesture of empowerment of the invisible and underpaid working forces, who are thus given a voice in the public sphere. Divjak draws central thematic motifs such as precarious work, workers’ rights, subordination and poverty from Cankar’s “social tale” and, through the gesture of documentary research, transposes them to the present time, thus affirming the idea of the deep-rooted existence of the proletariat, even if, with a time lag, it appears today in a different form and with altered effects. The attribute is precisely the “play”, which could also be described as a “dramatic text” since the dramatic is inscribed into it not in terms of form and dramaturgical elements but as the essence and effect of documentary narratives.

The article focuses on the phenomena, developments and potentials of small arts (Kleinkunst) in the Slovenian space. Small arts are a form of artistic response that, through diverse performance genres – such as cabaret, new burlesque, improvisational theatre, stand-up, interventions in public space, contemporary circus, drag, queer and LGBTQI+ stage events – provides a social commentary on the existing traditionalist, heteronormative, patriarchal and capitalist society. The article elaborates the term small arts and its artistic and social elements and tries to identify it concretely in the local space. This broad umbrella term is characterised by the heterogeneity of its themes and aesthetics. In Slovenia, it has an even more specific undertone and position, as its development and influence are hampered by a small population. When selecting the creators of small arts, the author focused mainly on those working in the sphere of the non-governmental sector, who create continuously, have artistic credibility and are not market-oriented.

To determine the population ecology and distribution pattern of H. anatolicum anatolicum the present study were conducted in the UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli during 2016 and 2017. During the study, 1477 cattle were randomly examined for the infestation of H. a. anatolicum, age, sex, breed of host and preference site of H. a. anatolicum were noted. 3.99 % cattels were found infested with H. a. anatolicum, sample means abundance, mean intensity, median intensity and variance to mean ratio were reckoned as 0.20, 8.44, 6.77 and 2.57 respectively. The most preferred site H. a. anatolicum on the host body were hind flank followed by thigh, hind leg, belly, back, tail, fore flank, ribs, neck, head, foreleg and shoulder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsulation should enable uniform proportioning and mixing of dental restoratives so that functional properties of the cementitious mass will not be susceptible to clinically induced variability. Mechanical mixing induces a definite pore distribution determined by the viscosity of the system. This study evaluated the mixing process on the performance of a range of glass ionomer dental restoratives. Mean compressive fracture strengths and standard deviations and the associated Weibull Moduli (m) were determined for six glass ionomer restoratives that were either encapsulated or mixed by hand. Working characteristics were assessed using an oscillating rheometer. Scanning electron microscopy and image analysis was used to investigate the influence of the mixing method on pore distribution. The fracture strength data for some encapsulated restoratives resulted in significant differences compared with hand-mixing. Rotomix (compared with the Capmix mechanical agitator) resulted in increased Weibull moduli and 10% failure stress for the two restoratives that were investigated. Encapsulated restoratives that were prepared utilizing Rotomix or Capmux resulted in no significant differences for working characteristics; however, the setting time for the ChemFlex in Caps was extended compared with the hand-mixed ChemFlex. Not all restoratives had reduced porosity and improved performance following mixing with a Rotomix. This suggested that optimization of the initial viscosity of the system by manipulating the individual proportions of the constituents may not have been appropriate for all the restoratives investigated. The increased viscosity for hand-mixed ChemFlex prepared to a consistency of 3.8 g/ml compared with encapsulated ChemFlex in Caps prepared to a consistency of 3.5 g/ml was responsible for the reduced setting time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurogenerative disease caused by an abnormal expansion of glutamine repeats in the huntingtin protein. There is currently no treatment to prevent the neurodegeneration caused by this devastating disorder. Huntingtin has been shown to be a positive regulator of vesicular transport, particularly for neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This function is lost in patients with HD, resulting in a decrease in neurotrophic support and subsequent neuronal death. One promising line of treatment is therefore the restoration of huntingtin function in BDNF transport. Results The phosphorylation of huntingtin at serine 421 (S421) restores its function in axonal transport. We therefore investigated whether inhibition of calcineurin, the bona fide huntingtin S421 phosphatase, restored the transport defects observed in HD. We found that pharmacological inhibition of calcineurin by FK506 led to sustained phosphorylation of mutant huntingtin at S421. FK506 restored BDNF transport in two complementary models: rat primary neuronal cultures expressing mutant huntingtin and mouse cortical neurons from HdhQ111/Q111 HD knock-in mice. This effect was the result of specific calcineurin inhibition, as calcineurin silencing restored both anterograde and retrograde transport in neurons from HdhQ111/Q111 mice. We also observed a specific increase in calcineurin activity in the brain of HdhQ111/Q111 mice potentially accounting for the selective loss of huntingtin phosphorylation and contributing to neuronal cell death in HD. Conclusion Our results validate calcineurin as a target for the treatment of HD and provide the first demonstration of the restoration of huntingtin function by an FDA-approved compound.

Long-term synaptic plasticity is critical for adaptive function of the brain, but presynaptic mechanisms of functional plasticity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that changes in synaptic efficacy induced by activation of the cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB 1 R), one of the most widespread G-protein coupled receptors in the brain, requires contractility of the neuronal actomyosin cytoskeleton. Specifically, using a synaptophysin-pHluorin probe (sypH2), we show that inhibitors of non-muscle myosin II (NMII) ATPase as well as one of its upstream effectors Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) prevent the reduction of synaptic vesicle release induced by CB 1 R activation. Using 3D STORM super-resolution microscopy, we find that activation of CB 1 R induces a redistribution of synaptic vesicles within presynaptic boutons in an actomyosin dependent manner, leading to vesicle clustering within the bouton and depletion of synaptic vesicles from the active zone. We further show, using sypH2, that inhibitors of NMII and ROCK specifically restore the release of the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles from the inhibition induced by CB 1 R activation. Finally, using slice electrophysiology, we find that activation of both NMII and ROCK is necessary for the long-term, but not the short-term, form of CB 1 R induced synaptic plasticity at excitatory cortico-striatal synapses. We thus propose a novel mechanism underlying CB 1 R-induced plasticity, whereby CB 1 R activation leads to a contraction of the actomyosin cytoskeleton inducing a reorganization of the functional presynaptic vesicle pool, preventing vesicle release and inducing long-term depression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

While our understanding of the nanoscale architecture of anterograde synaptic transmission is rapidly expanding, the qualitative and quantitative molecular principles underlying distinct mechanisms of retrograde synaptic communication remain elusive. We show that a particular form of tonic cannabinoid signaling is essential for setting target cell-dependent synaptic variability. It does not require the activity of the two major endocannabinoid-producing enzymes. Instead, by developing a workflow for physiological, anatomical, and molecular measurements at the same unitary synapse, we demonstrate that the nanoscale stoichiometric ratio of type 1 cannabinoid receptors (CB 1 Rs) to the release machinery is sufficient to predict synapse-specific release probability. Accordingly, selective decrease of extrasynaptic CB 1 Rs does not affect synaptic transmission, whereas in vivo exposure to the phytocannabinoid Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol disrupts the intrasynaptic nanoscale stoichiometry and reduces synaptic variability. These findings imply that synapses leverage the nanoscale stoichiometry of presynaptic receptor coupling to the release machinery to establish synaptic strength in a target cell-dependent manner.

An efficient removal of the photocatalysts used in the decontamination of water is crucial after its application beside its expected visible light sensitive activities. This study presents the synthesis of magnetically separable CuFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (CFNPs) with enhanced photoactivity under AM 1.5 G sunlight. A simple two-step process involving co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatment is employed, with subsequent annealing at temperatures from 200 °C to 1000 °C to synthesize the CFNPs. The characteristic features of the highest photoactive tetragonal phase of CFNP are confirmed by powder XRD studies with Rietveld refinement. This scheme strategically controls the growth of a highly photoactive tetragonal phase with predominant (224) facets over other less active facets in cubic CuFe 2 O 4 . Mott-Schottky analysis confirms the p -type semiconducting nature of CFNPs. A favourable direct optical band gap of 1.73 eV, as well as photoluminescence emission quenching for visible photons, show that the (224) oriented CFNPs are good photocatalysts in the visible spectrum with demonstrated organic dye degradations, including methylene blue and others. A density functional theory-based approach validates that the adsorption of such dye is thermodynamically more favourable on (224) facets of CuFe 2 O 4 to facilitate the redox action by the excitons., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) rates are higher in low-resource countries (LRC) than in high-income counterparts., Methods: Prospective cohort study using the INICC Surveillance Online System, from 116 hospitals in 75 cities across 25 Latin-American, Asian, Eastern-European, and Middle-Eastern countries: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Honduras, India, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam. CDC/NHSN definitions were applied. Surgical procedures (SPs) were categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases criteria., Results: From 2014 to 2023, we collected data on 1,251 SSIs associated with 56,617 SPs. SSI rates were significantly higher in SPs of INICC compared to CDC/NHSN data: hip prosthesis (3.68% vs 0.67%, relative risk [RR]=5.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.71-8.03, P<.001), knee prosthesis (2.02% vs 0.58%, RR=3.49, 95% CI=1.87-6.49, P<.001), coronary artery bypass (4.16% vs 1.37%, RR=3.03, 95% CI=2.35-3.91, P<.001), peripheral vascular bypass (15.69% vs 2.93%, RR=5.35, 95% CI=2.30-12.48, P<.001), abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (8.51% vs 2.12%, RR=4.02, 95% CI=2.11-7.65, P<.001), spinal fusion (6.47% vs 0.70%, RR=9.27, 95% CI=6.21-13.84, P<.001), laminectomy (2.68% vs 0.72%, RR=3.75, 95% CI=2.36-5.95, P<.001), among others., Conclusions: Elevated SSI rates in LRCs emphasize the need for effective interventions., (Copyright © 2024 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background Biomedical waste (BMW) management is an important practice that has to be followed by all healthcare workers (HCW) in health centres. COVID-19 had become a global threat, and the spread of the infection had increased drastically. Healthcare workers were already involved in managing COVID-19 patients. It is essential to have adequate knowledge, attitude and good practices among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 period. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of COVID-19 biomedical waste management among doctors and nurses working in a private tertiary care centre in Puducherry. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of BMW management among doctors and nurses who were working during the COVID-19 period. A total of 384 samples were recruited, and the study was conducted for a period of four months. Data were collected from a pre-validated, pre-tested questionnaire that assessed the knowledge, attitude and practices of biomedical waste management. Further analysis was done using Microsoft (MS) Excel (Microsoft ® Corp., Redmond, WA) and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY). Results Among the 384 participants, 152 (39.6%) had excellent knowledge, 143 (37.2%) had good knowledge and 89 (23.2%) had poor knowledge. Among the 111 doctors, 55 (49.5%) had excellent knowledge, and 36 (32.4%) had good knowledge. Among the 273 nurses, 107 (39.2%) had good knowledge and 97 (35.5%) had excellent knowledge. Of the study participants, 98.2% had a favourable attitude, and 89.6% had favourable practices towards biomedical waste management. Occupation and training received on BMW management were found to be predictors of knowledge regarding biomedical waste management. Conclusion From the present study, it is found that the knowledge of biomedical waste management needs to be improved among doctors and nurses, especially in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, a positive correlation was found between knowledge score and practice score, which states that increasing knowledge regarding biomedical waste management will improve practice towards biomedical waste management. Also, doctors and nurses who had already received training in biomedical waste management were found to have better knowledge than those who had not. Hence, the college administration should do various health education activities and training sessions to enhance biomedical waste management among doctors and nurses working in the hospital., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, S et al.)

In response to repulsive cues, axonal growth cones can quickly retract. This requires the prompt activity of contractile actomyosin, which is formed by the non-muscle myosin II (NMII) bound to actin filaments. NMII is a molecular motor that provides the necessary mechanical force at the expense of ATP. Here, we report that this process is energetically coupled to glycolysis and is independent of cellular ATP levels. Induction of axonal retraction requires simultaneous generation of ATP by glycolysis, as shown by chemical inhibition and genetic knock-down of GAPDH. Co-immunoprecipitation and proximal-ligation assay showed that actomyosin associates with ATP-generating glycolytic enzymes and that this association is strongly enhanced during retraction. Using microfluidics, we confirmed that the energetic coupling between glycolysis and actomyosin necessary for axonal retraction is localized to the growth cone and near axonal shaft. These results indicate a tight coupling between on-demand energy production by glycolysis and energy consumption by actomyosin contraction suggesting a function of glycolysis in axonal guidance., (© 2023 Santos et al.)

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence in clinical isolates is a significant public health concern. The rapid and accurate detection of these traits in clinical isolates is essential for effective infection control and treatment. We demonstrated the integration of multiple detection methodologies, including phenotypic testing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and genome sequencing, to detect AMR and virulence in clinical isolates. One hundred sixty-two gram-negative bacterial clinical isolates were selected for this study from the Shri Vinoba Bhave Civil Hospital, Silvassa, a tertiary government hospital. Antimicrobial susceptibility was detected by determining the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) using Vitek-2, whereas the combined disk (CD) method was used for phenotypic detection of carbapenemase activity. The highest sensitivity rates were obtained for antibiotics colistin 87.93%, amikacin 67.52%, tigecycline 63.39%, nitrofurantoin 60.87%, and gentamycin 56.08%. The most resistant antibiotics were ceftazidime (71.93%), ciprofloxacin (67.95%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (65.56%). Approximately 46.91% (76) of all the isolates were MBL isolates. The qPCR results confirmed the presence of blaNDM-1 in 29.01% of the isolates. The blaNDM-1 harbouring isolates in descending order, were Acinetobacter , Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae . Klebsiella and Acinetobacter isolates were extensively drug-resistant. Whole genome sequencing performed on one of the Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates revealed the presence of many virulence factors, which increased the pathogenicity of the clinical isolates. The results showed that antimicrobial resistance, including carbapenem resistance, blaNDM-1, and virulence factors, was highly prevalent among isolates from tertiary clinical hospitals. The integration of multiple detection methodologies can potentially improve the detection of AMR and virulence in clinical isolates, leading to better patient outcomes and a reduced spread of these essential traits., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 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.)

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) poses a significant threat to human health, with excessive alcohol intake disrupting the immunotolerant environment of the liver and initiating a cascade of pathological events. This progressive disease unfolds through fat deposition, proinflammatory cytokine upregulation, activation of hepatic stellate cells, and eventual development of end-stage liver disease, known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ALD is intricately intertwined with stress mechanisms such as oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and alcohol-induced gut dysbiosis, culminating in increased inflammation. While the initial stages of ALD can be reversible with diligent care and abstinence, further progression necessitates alternative treatment approaches. Herbal medicines have shown promise, albeit limited by their poor water solubility and subsequent lack of extensive exploration. Consequently, researchers have embarked on a quest to overcome these challenges by delving into the potential of nanoparticle-mediated therapy. Nanoparticle-based treatments are being explored for liver diseases that share similar mechanisms with alcoholic liver disease. It underscores the potential of these innovative approaches to counteract the complex pathogenesis of ALD, providing new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Nevertheless, further investigations are imperative to fully unravel the therapeutic potential and unlock the promise of nanoparticle-mediated therapy specifically tailored for ALD treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Aghara, Chadha, Zala and Mandal.)

Cholera, a disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, threatens public health worldwide. The organism mentioned above has a significant historical record of being identified as a prominent aquatic environmental pollutant capable of adapting its phenotypic and genotypic traits to react to host patients effectively. This study aims to elucidate the heterogeneity of the sporadic clinical strain of V. cholerae VC01 among patients residing in Silvasa. The study involved conducting whole-genome sequencing of the isolate obtained from patients exhibiting symptoms, including those not commonly observed in clinical practice. The strain was initially identified through a combination of biochemical analysis, microscopy, and 16s rRNA-based identification, followed by type strain-based identification. The investigation demonstrated the existence of various genetic alterations and resistance profiles against multiple drugs, particularly chloramphenicol ( catB9 ), florfenicol ( floR ), oxytetracycline ( tet(34) ), sulfonamide ( sul2 ), and Trimethoprim ( dfrA1 ). The pan-genomic analysis indicated that 1099 distinct clusters were detected within the genome sequences of recent isolates worldwide. The present study helps to establish a correlation between the mutation and the coexistence of antimicrobial resistance toward current treatment.

Background: The access of pregnant women to an appropriate health facility plays a crucial role in preventing maternal deaths. In the last decade, many new steps have been taken in the direction of making motherhood safe, one of them being the availability of free Emergency Medical Response Services (EMRS). In the present investigation, various variables were analyzed of the EMRS which provides services to pregnant women of the tribal district of Western India., Methods: This study is a descriptive analysis of EMRS provided to pregnant women from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2020. The number of expected pregnancies was obtained from the state data center and the variables related to the benefitted pregnant women were generated with the EMRS tracking software., Results: The results of this study showed that 93.59% of pregnant women benefitted from these services in the last six years as compared to the estimated number of pregnancies. Whereas in the case of obstetric emergencies, 85.02% of pregnant women benefitted. Most of the beneficiaries were tribal, in the age group of 20-35 years, with lower socio-economic strata. More than 98.0% of pregnant women decided to take the delivery facility in the public hospitals. Across the district, ambulances had to travel less than 10km to cater to 89.0% of pregnant women., Conclusion: The convenient access of EMRS to pregnant women can improve the indicators of maternal and child health and reduce the risk of maternal death and home delivery.

Sensorimotor information processing underlies normal cognitive and behavioral traits and has classically been evaluated through prepulse inhibition (PPI) of a startle reflex. PPI is a behavioral dimension deregulated in several neurological and psychiatric disorders, yet the mechanisms underlying the cross-diagnostic nature of PPI deficits across these conditions remain to be understood. To identify circuitry mechanisms for PPI, we performed circuitry recording over the prefrontal cortex and striatum, two brain regions previously implicated in PPI, using wild-type (WT) mice compared to Disc1-locus-impairment (LI) mice, a model representing neuropsychiatric conditions. We demonstrated that the corticostriatal projection regulates neurophysiological responses during the PPI testing in WT, whereas these circuitry responses were disrupted in Disc1-LI mice. Because our biochemical analyses revealed attenuated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) transport along the corticostriatal circuit in Disc1-LI mice, we investigated the potential role of Bdnf in this circuitry for regulation of PPI. Virus-mediated delivery of Bdnf into the striatum rescued PPI deficits in Disc1-LI mice. Pharmacologically augmenting Bdnf transport by chronic lithium administration, partly via phosphorylation of Huntingtin (Htt) serine-421 and its integration into the motor machinery, restored striatal Bdnf levels and rescued PPI deficits in Disc1-LI mice. Furthermore, reducing the cortical Bdnf expression negated this rescuing effect of lithium, confirming the key role of Bdnf in lithium-mediated PPI rescuing. Collectively, the data suggest that striatal Bdnf supply, collaboratively regulated by Htt and Disc1 along the corticostriatal circuit, is involved in sensorimotor gating, highlighting the utility of dimensional approach in investigating pathophysiological mechanisms across neuropsychiatric disorders., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: We report the results of INICC surveillance study from 2013 to 2018, in 664 intensive care units (ICUs) in 133 cities, of 45 countries, from Latin-America, Europe, Africa, Eastern-Mediterranean, Southeast-Asia, and Western-Pacific., Methods: Prospective data from patients hospitalized in ICUs were collected through INICC Surveillance Online System. CDC-NHSN definitions for device-associated healthcare-associated infection (DA-HAI) were applied., Results: We collected data from 428,847 patients, for an aggregate of 2,815,402 bed-days, 1,468,216 central line (CL)-days, 1,053,330 mechanical ventilator (MV)-days, 1,740,776 urinary catheter (UC)-days. We found 7,785 CL-associated bloodstream infections (CLAB), 12,085 ventilator-associated events (VAE), and 5,509 UC-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). Pooled DA-HAI rates were 5.91% and 9.01 DA-HAIs/1,000 bed-days. Pooled CLAB rate was 5.30/1,000 CL-days; VAE rate was 11.47/1,000 MV-days, and CAUTI rate was 3.16/1,000 UC-days. P aeruginosa was non-susceptible (NS) to imipenem in 52.72% of cases; to colistin in 10.38%; to ceftazidime in 50%; to ciprofloxacin in 40.28%; and to amikacin in 34.05%. Klebsiella spp was NS to imipenem in 49.16%; to ceftazidime in 78.01%; to ciprofloxacin in 66.26%; and to amikacin in 42.45%. coagulase-negative Staphylococci and S aureus were NS to oxacillin in 91.44% and 56.03%, respectively. Enterococcus spp was NS to vancomycin in 42.31% of the cases., Conclusions: DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance are high and continuous efforts are needed to reduce them., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Short-term peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infection rates have not been systematically studied in Asian countries, and data on peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections incidence by number of short-term peripheral venous catheter days are not available., Methods: Prospective, surveillance study on peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections conducted from 1 September 2013 to 31 May 2019 in 262 intensive care units, members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium, from 78 hospitals in 32 cities of 8 countries in the South-East Asia Region: China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. For this research, we applied definition and criteria of the CDC NHSN, methodology of the INICC, and software named INICC Surveillance Online System., Results: We followed 83,295 intensive care unit patients for 369,371 bed-days and 376,492 peripheral venous catheter-days. We identified 999 peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections, amounting to a rate of 2.65/1000 peripheral venous catheter-days. Mortality in patients with peripheral venous catheter but without peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections was 4.53% and 12.21% in patients with peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections. The mean length of stay in patients with peripheral venous catheter but without peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections was 4.40 days and 7.11 days in patients with peripheral venous catheter and peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections. The microorganism profile showed 67.1% were Gram-negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (22.9%), Klebsiella spp (10.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.3%), Enterobacter spp. (4.5%), and others (23.7%). The predominant Gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (11.4%)., Conclusions: Infection prevention programs must be implemented to reduce the incidence of peripheral venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections.

Objective: This study aims to cost and calculate the relative cost-effectiveness of the hypothetical suppression policies found in the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team model., Methods: Key population-level disease projections in deaths, intensive care unit bed days, and non-intensive care unit bed days were taken from the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team report of March 2020, which influenced the decision to introduce suppression policies in the United Kingdom. National income loss estimates were from a study that estimated the impact of a hypothetical pandemic on the UK economy, with sensitivity analyses based on projections that are more recent. Individual quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) loss and costed resource use inputs were taken from published sources., Results: Imperial model projected suppression polices compared to an unmitigated pandemic, even with the most pessimistic national income loss scenarios under suppression (10%), give incremental cost-effectiveness ratios below £50 000 per QALY. Assuming a maximum reduction in national income of 7.75%, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for Imperial model projected suppression versus mitigation are below 60 000 per QALY., Conclusions: Results are uncertain and conditional on the accuracy of the Imperial model projections; they are also sensitive to estimates of national income loss. Nevertheless, it would be difficult to claim that the hypothetical Imperial model-projected suppression policies are obviously cost-ineffective relative to the alternatives available. Despite evolving differences between government policy and Imperial model-projected suppression policy, it is hoped this article will provide some early insight into the trade-offs that are involved., (Copyright © 2020 ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Short-term peripheral venous catheters-related bloodstream infections (PVCR-BSIs) rates have not been systematically studied in developing countries, and data on their incidence by number of device-days are not available., Methods: Prospective, surveillance study on PVCR-BSI conducted from September 1, 2013 to May 31, 2019 in 204 intensive care units (ICUs), members of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC), from 57 hospitals in 19 cities of India. We applied US INICC definition criteria and reported methods using the INICC Surveillance Online System., Results: We followed 7,513 ICU patients for 296,893 bed-days and 295,795 short term peripheral venous catheter (PVC)-days. We identified 863 PVCR-BSIs, amounting to a rate of 2.91/1,000 PVC-days. Mortality in patients with PVC but without PVCR-BSI was 4.14%, and 11.59% in patients with PVCR-BSI. The length of stay in patients with PVC but without PVCR-BSI was 4.13 days, and 5.9 days in patients with PVCR-BSI. The micro-organism profile showed 68% of gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (23%), Klebsiella spp (15%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5%), and others. The predominant gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (10%)., Conclusions: PVCR-BSI rates found in our ICUs were much higher than rates published from industrialized countries. Infection prevention programs must be implemented to reduce the incidence of PVCR-BSIs., (Copyright © 2020 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

By limiting protein exchange between the soma and the axon, the axon initial segment (AIS) enables the segregation of specific proteins and hence the differentiation of the somatodendritic compartment and the axonal compartment. Electron microscopy and super-resolution fluorescence imaging have provided important insights in the ultrastructure of the AIS. Yet, the full extent of its filtering properties is not fully delineated. In particular, it is unclear whether and how the AIS opposes the free exchange of soluble proteins. Here we describe a robust framework to combine whole-cell photobleaching and retrospective high-resolution imaging in developing neurons. With this assay, we found that cytoplasmic soluble proteins that are not excluded from the axon upon expression over tens of hours exhibit a strong mobility reduction at the AIS - i.e., are indeed compartmentalized - when monitored over tens of minutes. This form of compartmentalization is developmentally regulated, requires intact F-actin and may be correlated with the composition and ultrastructure of the submembranous spectrin cytoskeleton. Using computational modeling, we provide evidence that both neuronal morphology and the AIS regulate this compartmentalization but act on distinct time scales, with the AIS having a more pronounced effect on fast exchanges. Our results thus suggest that the rate of protein accumulation in the soma may impact to what extent and over which timescales freely moving molecules can be segregated from the axon. This in turn has important implications for our understanding of compartment-specific signaling in neurons., (Copyright © 2020 Nicholson, Gervasi, Falières, Leroy, Miremont, Zala and Hanus.)