IUPHAR themed review: The gut microbiome in schizophrenia.

Gut microbial dysbiosis or altered gut microbial consortium, in schizophrenia suggests a pathogenic role through the gut-brain axis, influencing neuroinflammatory and neurotransmitter pathways critical to psychotic, affective, and cognitive symptoms. Paradoxically, conventional psychotropic interventions may exacerbate this dysbiosis, with antipsychotics, particularly olanzapine, demonstrating profound effects on microbial architecture through disruption of bacterial phyla ratios, diminished taxonomic diversity, and attenuated short-chain fatty acid synthesis. To address these challenges, novel therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiome, encompassing probiotic supplementation, prebiotic compounds, faecal microbiota transplantation, and rationalised co-pharmacotherapy, show promise in attenuating antipsychotic-induced metabolic disruptions while enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

Preoperative coagulopathy and blood transfusion requirements in children with intraventricular lesions undergoing neurosurgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Pediatric patients undergoing neurosurgery pose risk of perioperative hemorrhage and clotting dysfunction which is increased in tumors with high vascularity, endothelial exposure, and necrosis. Lesions affecting the ventricular system may arise from several etiologies, including rare tumors. The present study aimed to study the preoperative coagulation and transfusion profile of pediatric patients undergoing neurosurgery for intraventricular lesions.

Relation of skinfold thickness with the serum lipids, glucose and blood pressure among Indian sedentary office workers.

Background: Serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are established cardiovascular disease (CVD) markers, however accessibility to these markers is less in individuals from low-middle income countries. The non-invasive CVD risk marker especially skinfold measured fat percentages are less explored for its relevance with established serum biochemistry markers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 70 sedentary office workers (aged 30-40 years) who were healthy.

Comparing the Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine Administered as an Intravenous Infusion and Intravenous Bolus on Hemodynamic Stability of Patients Undergoing Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgeries.

Background And Aims: Dexmedetomidine has been administered as an intravenous infusion for maintenance dose following a loading dose, however, there is no study conducted so far that has compared the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine administered as bolus intravenously. The study aimed to compare the hemodynamic stability between intravenous infusion and intravenous bolus injection dexmedetomidine.

Methodology: A comparative observational study was conducted among 60 participants aged 20-60 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I/II, scheduled to undergo elective ear, nose, and throat surgeries.

(Goji berry) mouthwash for managing periodontitis: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Removal of the microbial deposits (plaque and calculus) by performing effective scaling and root planing (SRP) is the fundamental step for managing periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). Various adjuncts in the form of mouthwash, gels, and toothpaste are also being used as adjuncts to SRP for managing periodontitis. Recently, ( ), commonly known as goji berry or wolfberry, has gained popularity for managing chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases.

A solitary enchondroma in the radial shaft.

Solitary enchondromas are usually seen in the tubular bones of the hands and feet. Their occurrence in the radius is extremely rare. Here, we report a male patient in his 30s with a history of pain in the right forearm for the past 7 months and swelling for the past 4 months.

Clinical characteristics and functional outcomes of pediatric Guillain-Barré syndrome admitted to the Neuro-intensive care unit: a decade-long retrospective observational study.

Background: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) remains a significant contributor to acute flaccid paralysis in pediatric patients worldwide. Despite its impact, studies focusing on pediatric GBS requiring intensive care unit (ICU) management are limited. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the clinical and outcome characteristics of pediatric GBS necessitating ICU care.

"": Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Healthcare and the Preference for Private Healthcare Providers in South India.

Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) directly reflects households' financial burden for healthcare. Despite efforts to enhance accessibility and affordability through government initiatives and insurance schemes, OOPE remains problematic, especially in rural areas with inadequate public healthcare infrastructure. This study examines factors influencing OOPE in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Shimoga districts, investigating socioeconomic characteristics, healthcare infrastructure, and accessibility to inform policies for equitable healthcare access and reduced household financial strain.

Development of a Comprehensive Cough Therapy Program (CCTP) for chronic cough in India: a qualitative study.

Purpose: Chronic Cough (CC) is an emerging area of practice in speech language pathology. Behavioral treatment for managing CC has gained attention in the recent past. This study aimed to devise a comprehensive behavioural therapy program for CC by involving allied health professionals (AHPs), who are typically involved in management of CC.

Telomere-to-telomere assembly by preserving contained reads.

Automated telomere-to-telomere (T2T) de novo assembly of diploid and polyploid genomes remains a formidable task. A string graph is a commonly used assembly graph representation in the assembly algorithms. The string graph formulation employs graph simplification heuristics, which drastically reduce the count of vertices and edges.

Synergistic impact of Fe-Zr in novel hybrid aminoclay catalytic TFC membrane for ultrafast emerging pollutant remediation.

Finding new class of materials to overcome limitation in conventional membranes is a challenging task. Use of naturally stable and sustainable alternative materials stock is an emerging task. In this direction, a novel iron-zirconium hybrid aminoclay (FZ-AC) has emerged as a promising catalyst effectively employed to alleviate fouling concerns within the framework of a biopolymer-based thin film composite (TFC), constructed on a cellulose acetate (CA) support.

Insomnia in teachers at the time of resumption of in-person instruction at schools amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people's economies, lifestyles, and physical, emotional, and sleep health. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of insomnia and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among teachers with the resumption of in-person instruction at schools following a hiatus after COVID-19 lockdowns in India. We also studied the association of teachers' insomnia with psychological symptoms and demographic variables.

Clinico-Genetic Profiles of Seven Patients With PINK1-Related Parkinson's Disease: A Case Series From a Tertiary Care Centre in India and a Review of the Literature.

Objective: Recessive variants in the PINK1 gene are known causes of early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD). To describe the clinical features and genetic profiles of patients with PINK1-related Parkinson's disease (PARK-PINK1) mutations.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of the demographic, clinical and genetic details of patients from our database carrying biallelic PINK1 variants.

Ensemble neural models for ICD code prediction using unstructured and structured healthcare data.

Disease coding is the process of assigning one or more standardized diagnostic codes to clinical notes that are maintained by health practitioners (e.g. clinicians) to track patient condition.

excretory/secretory products: an untapped library of tolerogenic immunotherapeutics against food allergy.

Food allergy (FA) is considered the 'second wave' of the allergy epidemic in developed countries after asthma and allergic rhinitis with a steadily growing burden of 40%. The absence of early childhood pathogen stimulation embodied by the hygiene hypothesis is one explanation, and in particular, the eradication of parasitic helminths could be at play. Infections with parasites spp.

Effect of skill-based educational training for ambulance personnel on neonatal transport for newborn care in coastal South India - a single arm intervention study.

Background: Education of '108' ambulance personnel involved in transporting neonates may improve outcomes. We assessed i) perceptions/practices of '108' ambulance personnel for transporting neonates, ii) clinical parameters of transported neonates at arrival, and iii) outcomes such as survival/mortality and NICU stay (before and after skill-based educational intervention).

Methods: We conducted a single-arm intervention study (pre-and post) over 18 months.

Unmet Needs and Barriers to Assistive Technology in the Coastal Districts of Karnataka, India.

Background: Assistive Technologies (AT), such as hearing aids, walking aids, prostheses, spectacles, can improve the quality of life and enable many to lead dignified lives. The rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) tool developed by World Health Organization (WHO) can measure the needs of AT and the barriers to accessing them.

Objective: This study aimed to measure the unmet needs and the usage of AT via the rATA tool in the coastal state of Karnataka in India.