Gender-specific factors associated with hypertension among women of childbearing age: Findings from a nationwide survey in India.

Background: The association of conventional (modifiable and non-modifiable) risk factors for hypertension has already been established in the literature. However, there are other putative risk factors specific to women (early menarche, age at first childbirth, women empowerment, number of children born, hysterectomy, etc.) in the development of hypertension.

Lunar ejecta origin of near-Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa is compatible with rare orbital pathways.

Near-Earth asteroid, Kamo'oalewa (469219), is one of a small number of known quasi-satellites of Earth; it transitions between quasi-satellite and horseshoe orbital states on centennial timescales, maintaining this dynamics over megayears. The similarity of its reflectance spectrum to lunar silicates and its Earth-like orbit both suggest that it originated from the lunar surface. Here we carry out numerical simulations of the dynamical evolution of particles launched from different locations on the lunar surface with a range of ejection velocities in order to assess the hypothesis that Kamo'oalewa originated as a debris-fragment from a meteoroidal impact with the lunar surface.

Upregulation of leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein: A key regulator of inflammation and joint fibrosis in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the joints mainly affecting older individuals. Since the etiology behind the progression of OA is not well understood, several associated consequences, such as synovial joint stiffness and its progression due to joint fibrosis, are still poorly understood. Although a lot of developments have been achieved in the diagnosis and management of OA, synovial fibrosis remains one of the major challenging consequences.

An Open-Labeled Randomized Prospective Multi-center Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intra-articular Injection of OSSINEXT™, an Autologous Growth Factor Concentrate (AGFC) Compared to Hyaluronic Acid (HA) in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is known as degenerative arthritis and is the second most common rheumatologic problem with a prevalence of 22%-39% in India. Knee OA (KOA) is a major cause of mobility impairment, particularly among females. Non-surgical treatment options for KOA include intra-articular injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA).

Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a widespread mental health problem and one of the prime causes of maternal suffering and ill health. On a global level, the prevalence of the disorder is about 10 to 15%. Symptoms generally appear within the first four to six weeks, which is the high-risk period.

Clinical Features and Prognosis of Facial Palsy and Hearing Loss in Patients With Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a late manifestation of varicella-zoster virus infection, occurs when the virus reactivates, infects, and produces an inflammatory reaction in the seventh cranial nerve geniculate ganglion. The detection is made clinically on the basis of the following three features: facial nerve palsy, the presence of characteristic herpetic vesicles around the mouth, and pain in the ear. However, it is often diagnosed quite late and sometimes even missed, increasing the chances of complications that have long-term effects.

Ethics of participation and social inclusion of older persons in research: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about safe distancing measures that are unprecedented. This article details the impact of the pandemic across research studies involving older persons in Singapore, and assesses the different strategies used to adapt to their needs in the context of evolving public health measures. The pandemic exposed diverse experiences of vulnerability among older persons, pushing for critical reflections on ethics of participation and social inclusion as the new research normal.

Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Health: Insights From Vascular Aging and Calcification.

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death worldwide, especially beyond the age of 65 years, with the vast majority of morbidity and mortality due to myocardial infarction and stroke. Vascular pathology stems from a combination of genetic risk, environmental factors, and the biologic changes associated with aging. The pathogenesis underlying the development of vascular aging, and vascular calcification with aging, in particular, is still not fully understood.

Rate of shed of SARS COV-2 viral RNA from COVID-19 cadavers.

Background: At what rate does the RNA of SARS CoV-2 shed from cadavers? Although, there have been numerous studies which have demonstrated the persistence of the virus on dead bodies, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding the variation of viral RNA content in cadavers. This has led to a knowledge gap regarding the safe handling/management of COVID-19 decedents, posing a barrier in forensic investigations.

Methods: In this study, we report the presence of RNA of SARS CoV-2 by real time RT-PCR, in nasopharyngeal swabs collected after death from two groups of bodies - one who died due to COVID-19 and the other who died due to other diagnoses.

Comparative evaluation of King Vision videolaryngoscope channeled and non-channeled blades with direct laryngoscope for intubation performance and skill retention by medical students: a randomized cross over two period study.

Purpose: A videolaryngoscope(VL) with an intubation conduit like KingVision channeled(KVC) blade may provide an added advantage over a non-channeled VL like a KingVision non-channeled (KVNC) blade and direct laryngoscope (DL) for acquiring and retention of intubation skills, especially in novices.

Methods: In this prospective two-period randomized crossover trial, one hundred medical students used three laryngoscopes KVC, KVNC and DL for intubation following standardized training with the study devices using a Laerdal Airway Management Trainer. After one month, all participants attempted intubation, in the same manner, using all devices.

Patient-reported outcomes following a break in ophthalmic botulinum toxin therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a break in botulinum toxin treatment, necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, on patients' quality of life.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients undergoing incobotulinumtoxinA treatment in our department-for benign essential blepharospasm (BEB), hemifacial spasm (HFS), aberrant facial regeneration (AFR), or crocodile tears-who were affected by the break in service (March 18, 2020-June 17, 2020). All patients who received treatment both before and after the break in service were included.

Machine learning for multidimensional response and survival after cardiac resynchronization therapy using features from cardiac magnetic resonance.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response is complex, and better approaches are required to predict survival and need for advanced therapies.

Objective: The objective was to use machine learning to characterize multidimensional CRT response and its relationship with long-term survival.

Methods: Associations of 39 baseline features (including cardiac magnetic resonance [CMR] findings and clinical parameters such as glomerular filtration rate [GFR]) with a multidimensional CRT response vector (consisting of post-CRT left ventricular end-systolic volume index [LVESVI] fractional change, post-CRT B-type natriuretic peptide, and change in peak VO) were evaluated.

Gestational diabetes mellitus in early pregnancy amongst Asian Indian women: Evidence for poor pregnancy outcomes despite treatment.

Aim: To compare the pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes (GDM) based on the timing of diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2011 and September 2017 amongst 2638 Asian Indian pregnant women. The inclusion criteria included; singleton pregnancies having HbA1c <48 mmols/mol (6.

Investigating the free-roaming dog population and gastrointestinal parasite diversity in Tulúm, México.

Free-roaming domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) pose major conservation and public health risks worldwide. To better understand the threat of domestic dogs to wildlife and people and add to the growing literature on free-roaming dog ecology, a study was conducted to estimate the dog population in Tulúm, México. A modified mark-recapture technique and program MARK were used to obtain dog population estimates along six different transects dividing the city.

Secondary Bacterial Infections in Mucormycosis-COVID-19 Cases: Experience during the Second COVID-19 Wave in India.

In the second wave of COVID-19 in India, there was a new challenge in the form of mucormycosis. Coinfection with mucormycosis was perilous as both conditions required a prolonged hospital stay, thus serving as an ideal platform for secondary infections. Using a retrospective observational study, we studied secondary infections and their impact on the outcome in COVID-19 patients with mucormycosis.

Investigation of optimal planning strategy in gamma knife perfexion for vestibular schwannoma tumor using hybrid plan technique.

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for vestibular schwannoma (VS) is clinically challenging because of surrounding critical structures. We generated and compared the forward plan (FP), inverse plan (IP), and hybrid plan (HP) for the optimal planning strategy in Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (GKSRS) for vestibular schwannoma tumors (VS)..

Trajectories of Health-related quality of life in patients with Advanced Cancer during the Last Year of Life: findings from the COMPASS study.

Background: Patients with advanced cancer prioritise health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in end-of-life care, however an understanding of pre-death HrQoL trajectories is lacking. We aimed to delineate and describe the trajectories of physical, social, emotional and functional HrQoL during last year of life among advanced cancer patients. We assessed associations between these trajectories and patient socio-demographic characteristics, healthcare use and place of death.

Negative and positive experiences of caregiving among family caregivers of older blunt trauma patients.

Objectives: Family caregivers play a fundamental role in the care of the older blunt trauma patient. We aim to identify risk factors for negative and positive experiences of caregiving among family caregivers.

Design: Prospective, nationwide, multi-center cohort study.

Variation in Patient-Reported Decision-Making Roles in the Last Year of Life among Patients with Metastatic Cancer: A Longitudinal Study.

Objective: We investigated the variation in patient-reported decision-making roles in the past year of life among patients with metastatic solid cancer and the associations of these roles with patient quality of life and perceived quality of care.

Methods: We used the last year of life data of 393 deceased patients from a prospective cohort study. Patients reported their decision-making roles, quality of life (emotional well-being, spiritual well-being, and psychological distress) and perceived quality of care (care coordination and physician communication) every 3 months until death.

Electronic cigarette vaping with aged coils causes acute lung injury in mice.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been used widely as an alternative to conventional cigarettes and have become particularly popular among young adults. A growing body of evidence has shown that e-cigarettes are associated with acute lung injury and adverse effects in multiple other organs. Previous studies showed that high emissions of aldehydes (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) in aerosols were associated with increased usage of the same e-cigarette coils.

Temporal refuges of a subordinate carnivore vary across rural-urban gradient.

Animals exhibit variation in their space and time use across an urban-rural gradient. As the top-down influences of apex predators wane due to human-driven declines, landscape-level anthropogenic pressures are rising. Human impacts can be analogous to apex predators in that humans can drive increased mortality in both prey species and carnivores, and impact communities through indirect fear effects and food subsidies.

Cardiac magnetic resonance defines mechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes following cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Mechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes following cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are poorly understood.

Objective: To use cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to define mechanisms of sex-based differences in outcomes after CRT and describe distinct CMR-based phenotypes of CRT candidates based on sex and non-ischemic/ischemic cardiomyopathy type.

Materials And Methods: In a prospective study, sex-based differences in three short-term CRT response measures [fractional change in left ventricular end-systolic volume index 6 months after CRT (LVESVI-FC), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) 6 months after CRT, change in peak VO 6 months after CRT], and long-term survival were evaluated with respect to 39 baseline parameters from CMR, exercise testing, laboratory testing, electrocardiograms, comorbid conditions, and other sources.