Publications by authors named "Bassi S"

Introduction: Each Indian state can select one of the two implementation models under India's National Adolescent Health Strategy, i.e., Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, either direct implementation through the existing State Health Department and systems, or the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) implementation model, which involves partnering with one or more field-level NGOs to provide the services and personnel.

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  • India has implemented a comprehensive ban on e-cigarettes, but they are still being marketed online, particularly through social media platforms, posing a challenge to the ban.
  • A 2022 survey involving 370 youth revealed that 66.6% learned about e-cigarettes from social media, primarily Instagram, which hosts numerous influencers promoting their use as trendy and beneficial.
  • To protect young people and work towards a tobacco-free generation, strong enforcement of existing regulations and educational programs on the risks of e-cigarettes and current laws are essential.
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  • This review article highlights global advancements in neuro-ophthalmology, specifically focusing on innovative diagnostic and therapeutic techniques shaping the field's future.
  • Key developments include the vital role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for understanding optic nerve and central nervous system issues, as well as the promise of gene therapy for conditions like Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.
  • The article also explores the impact of telemedicine and artificial intelligence in patient care, along with emerging biomarkers and new treatments such as Tocilizumab and Teprotumumab, enhancing the approach to managing conditions like immune-mediated optic neuritis.
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  • - Adolescence is a critical developmental phase where inadequate health knowledge can lead to poor health outcomes in adulthood; thus, education on health topics is vital.
  • - The RKSK program in India uses peer educators to improve adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to various health issues, with a study focusing on KAP disparities by gender.
  • - Results showed that adolescents had the most knowledge about substance misuse, but less about sexual health and violence; peer educators generally had better knowledge, and engagement with RKSK improved nutritional practices among participants.
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  • The tobacco industry is actively working to influence tobacco control policies in India, prompting an assessment of the trends in tobacco industry interference (TII) and government responses to protect tobacco control efforts as outlined in Article 5.3 guidelines.
  • A detailed analysis covering the years 2018 to 2021 revealed a decline in India's TII score from 72 to 57, indicating some improvements in limiting interactions with the industry and avoiding conflicts, but persistent issues in regulating industry participation and transparency remain.
  • The study highlights the need for a comprehensive implementation of Article 5.3 across India, emphasizing the importance of establishing a monitoring system to continuously assess and respond to tobacco industry activities.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic strained India's healthcare system and health workers unprecedentedly.

Purpose: The extent of the contribution by peer educators (PEs) from India's National Adolescent Health Programme-Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) to COVID-19 response activities remains uncertain necessitating an imperative investigation. Within the overarching objective of the 'i-Saathiya' study ('i' signifies implementation science and Saathiya represents PEs in Madhya Pradesh), a key focus was to understand the role of PEs recruited under RKSK during COVID-19 in two Indian states, namely Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

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Mean dP/dt is a quantitative measurement of ventricular function that can be obtained noninvasively by echocardiography. In adults with mitral regurgitation (MR), it has been shown to be a more sensitive predictor of postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). The utility of dP/dt in pediatric congenital heart diseases with MR has been underexplored.

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Aims: The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled HOPE-HF trial assessed the benefit of atrio-ventricular (AV) delay optimization delivered using His bundle pacing. It recruited patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%, PR interval ≥200 ms, and baseline QRS ≤140 ms or right bundle branch block. Overall, there was no significant increase in peak oxygen uptake (VOmax) but there was significant improvement in heart failure specific quality of life.

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  • This study aimed to evaluate if unsupervised machine learning can differentiate patients with Fontan circulation from healthy individuals based on heart function metrics derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.
  • By analyzing 503 CMR studies from Fontan patients and 42 from controls, researchers identified four distinct patient clusters with different risks for adverse outcomes like heart failure or transplantation.
  • The highest-risk group, characterized by specific heart shapes and poor functioning, showed significantly greater health risks compared to the lowest-risk group, suggesting that machine learning can help target distinct patient subgroups for better clinical management.
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Background: There are several leadership training programs for health researchers in India. However, there is a need to develop context-tailored leadership and mentoring approaches.

Objective: The objective of the study is to critically analyze the available leadership training programs in India for health researchers and service providers, for the leadership domains incorporated and overall training approaches.

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Background: Abnormal left ventricular (LV) rotational mechanics in biventricular hearts are associated with adverse outcomes; however, these are less well characterized for hearts with functionally single ventricles.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize ventricular rotational mechanics in the Fontan circulation and their relationship to outcomes.

Methods: Single-center, retrospective analysis of magnetic resonance examinations for 329 Fontan patients (15 [IQR: 10-21] years) and 42 controls.

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  • The study aimed to assess the effects of phacoemulsification combined with an intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection on patients with cataracts and diabetic macular edema across varying levels of diabetic retinopathy.
  • It involved 70 patients, with results showing significant improvements in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and reductions in central macular thickness (CMT) at both 3 weeks and 3 months post-surgery.
  • Overall, two-thirds of the patients experienced improved vision, and nearly half showed reduced macular thickness shortly after the surgery.
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The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) is a diagnostic estimator of systemic inflammation as a reflection of acute phase proteins circulating in the blood. The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate the blood stability at room temperature (RT) and at 4 °C to avoid ESR diagnostic errors, as well as the accuracy of the VES-MATIC 5 analyzer. The ESR stability evaluation at RT for 24 h (4 h "T1", 6 h "T2", 8 h "T3", 10 h "T4", 24 h "T5") and at 4 °C (24 h, 36 h, 48 h) was carried out using 635 total samples, starting with T0 (2 h of venipuncture).

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The regulatory Indian environment for advertising high fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS) foods and non-alcoholic beverages, on various media was reviewed. Identified national-level policies were categorised as mandatory or self-regulatory based on legal content. For each mandatory regulation, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was undertaken to determine how existing policies could be strengthened to safeguard children from unhealthy food advertisements.

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The purpose of this case report is to describe the optical coherence tomography (OCT) features of a peripapillary choroidal neovascular membrane (PPCNVM) in an eye with morning glory disc anomaly (MGDA). A PPCNVM appears as a hyper-reflective mass in the peripapillary area. It should be distinguished from peripapillary hyper-reflective ovoid mass-like structures, which are markers of axoplasmic flow stasis.

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Objective: Indian adolescents experience several health challenges requiring acceptable, equitable, appropriate and effective healthcare services. Our objective was to assess the compliance of Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) in two of India's largest states, using both national benchmarks (under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram-RKSK) and global standards (by WHO).

Design: Cross-sectional study comprising structured observations and interactions (November 2021 to June 2022).

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  • Childhood obesity in India is projected to contribute to 11% of the global burden by 2030, making it a significant public health concern.
  • A study using data from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey revealed that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 5-9 years is lower compared to adolescents, with higher rates observed in wealthier urban areas.
  • Key factors associated with overweight and obesity include wealth, maternal education, non-communicable disease risk factors, and increased screen-time, prompting the need for effective policies to meet the World Health Assembly's global nutrition targets.
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Purpose: To study the optic nerve head characteristics on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with papilledema and correlate them with intracranial pressure (ICP).

Methods: A retrospective hospital-based study of 46 eyes of 23 patients with bilateral optic disc edema secondary to increased ICP. The clinical profile and the OCT features in terms of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL), ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, and enhanced depth imaging (EDI) B scan images of the optic nerve head were studied and correlated with the ICP.

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  • The study investigates how ventricular dyssynchrony affects clinical outcomes in patients who have undergone Fontan palliation compared to healthy individuals.
  • Using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, the research analyzes various metrics of cardiac function, finding increased dyssynchrony, longer QRS durations, and worse systolic function in Fontan patients.
  • Key findings also show that certain factors like right ventricular morphology and ventricular dilation are linked to higher risks of death or heart transplantation, suggesting these metrics could help in assessing patient risk.
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  • - The study explores the occurrence of optic nerve head drusen (ONHD), peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS), and horizontal hyperreflective lines (HHL) in patients diagnosed with pseudopapilledema using enhanced depth imaging spectral domain optical coherence tomography (EDI SD OCT).
  • - A total of 48 eyes from 27 patients with pseudopapilledema were compared to 20 control eyes, revealing that ONHD appeared in 39.48% of eyes, PHOMS in 64.6%, and HHL in 39.48%, with significant statistical results.
  • - The findings indicate that PHOMS are more prevalent than ONHD and HHL in patients
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Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs) are one of the critical pillars of India's Adolescent Health Programme-Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram that seeks to enable all adolescents to realize their full potential by making informed decisions concerning their health and by accessing the services. Thus, a review was conceptualised to assess the compliance of AFHCs with the benchmark proposed by the Government under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched for articles published between 2014 and December 2022.

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Purpose: An overview of reviews was conducted to summarize the evidence and synthesize the results from systematic reviews.

Methods: The Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews reporting guidelines were followed and the protocol was registered. Electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify systematic reviews, published between January 1990 and July 2022.

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Objective: This study explored multistakeholder perspectives on existing adolescent-specific tobacco control policies and programmes, to advance India's transition towards a tobacco-free generation.

Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews.

Setting: Interviews were conducted with officials involved in tobacco control at the national (India), state (Karnataka), district (Udupi) and village level.

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