Red lesion in fundus image with hexagonal pattern feature and two-level segmentation.

Red lesion identification at its early stage is very essential for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy to prevent loss of vision. This work proposes a red lesion detection algorithm that uses Hexagonal pattern-based features with two-level segmentation that can detect hemorrhage and microaneurysms in the fundus image. The proposed scheme initially pre-processes the fundus image followed by a two-level segmentation.

Current Perspectives and Future Prospects of mRNA Vaccines against Viral Diseases: A Brief Review.

The mRNA vaccines replace our conventional vaccines (live-attenuated and inactivated vaccines) due to their high safety, efficacy, potency and low cost for their manufacturing. Since these many years, the use of these mRNA vaccines has been restricted as they are unstable and their low efficiency in delivery. But now, these problems have been solved by recent technological advances.

Autoimmune Hemolytic Anaemias in Pregnancy: Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India.

Background: Autoimmune hemolytic anaemia is very rare and there is limited data regarding their pregnancy outcomes. Hence we aimed to study the maternal and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies with autoimmune hemolytic anaemias (AIHA).

Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of pregnant women with AIHA, who delivered at SJMCH between January 2011 and January 2016 was carried out.

Bio-inspired nickel nanoparticles of pyrimidine-Schiff base: anticancer, BSA and DNA interactions, molecular docking and antioxidant studies.

In this work, interactions of pyrimidine derivative Schiff base ligand (DMPMM) were studied and its stabilized powder nickel nanoparticles (DMPMM-NiNPs) were synthesized and various biological studies were evaluated. DNA binding studies of CT-DNA with prepared compounds in Tris-HCl/NaCl buffer were carried out by traditional UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, viscosity measurements and cyclic voltammetry. Results showed that the small scale of DMPMM had less activity to interact with biological systems and when it assembled on nickel nanoparticles surface the activity increased.

Placental expression of leptin: fetal sex-independent relation with human placental growth.

Objectives: Leptin (LEP) is a vital placental hormone that is known to affect different aspects of placental function and fetal development. The present study aimed to determine the association of placental LEP transcript abundance with maternal, placental, and newborn parameters.

Subjects/methods: In this retrospective case-control study, placental samples (n = 105) were collected from small (SGA) and appropriate (AGA) for gestational age full-term singleton pregnancies (n = 44 SGA and n = 61 AGA).

Validation of the Risk Score for Maternal Cardiac Complications in Women with Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study.

Aim Of The Study: To validate the new cardiac risk scoring system, Sheela's Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy (SHE-CDIP), in predicting the cardiac complications in women with cardiac disease in pregnancy.

Materials And Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in South India, over a period of 5 years from January 2010 to January 2015. Pregnant women with heart disease included in this study were 102, and data was collected from medical records.

Relationship of Early Vitamin D Concentrations and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Indian Pregnant Women.

A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency exists in pregnant Indian women (~90%). Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D could play a pivotal role in maintaining normal glucose homeostasis. We aimed to determine the association between maternal vitamin D concentrations in early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Placental expression of ENG, VEGF, and FLT: Gender-specific associations with maternal vitamin B status.

Objectives: Adequate vitamin B is a requisite during pregnancy and its deficiency is linked with increased risk for adverse outcomes, likely mediated by impaired placental angiogenesis. Thus, we aimed to test associations of maternal vitamin B status with the placental expression of angiogenesis-associated genes ENG, VEGF, and FLT.

Subjects/methods: In this retrospective case-control study, placental and maternal trimester 1 blood samples (n = 104) were collected from small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) full-term singleton pregnancies.

Obstetric Outcome in Women with Chronic Liver Disease.

Aim: This study determines the prevalence, causes and outcome of pregnancy in women with chronic liver diseases in a tertiary level teaching institute in Southern India.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of case records was carried out between December 2010 and May 2015 in the departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gastroenterology including pregnant women diagnosed to have chronic liver diseases prenatally or during pregnancy.

Results: The frequency of chronic liver disease in pregnancy was 50 among 10,823 deliveries (0.

Combined Vitamin B-12 and Balanced Protein-Energy Supplementation Affect Homocysteine Remethylation in the Methionine Cycle in Pregnant South Indian Women of Low Vitamin B-12 Status.

Low-quality dietary protein intake and vitamin B-12 deficiency could interact to decrease methionine transmethylation and remethylation rates during pregnancy and may affect epigenetic modifications of the fetal genome. The objective of this randomized, partially open-labeled intervention trial was to examine the effect of supplemental high-quality protein and vitamin B-12 on third-trimester methionine kinetics in pregnant Indian women with a low vitamin B-12 status. Pregnant women with low serum vitamin B-12 concentrations (<200 pmol/L) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the first group received balanced protein-energy supplementation of 500 mL milk/d plus a 10-μg vitamin B-12 tablet/d (M+B-12 group; = 30), the second group received milk (500 mL/d) plus a placebo tablet (M+P group; = 30), and the third group received a placebo tablet alone (P group; = 33).

Screening for Postnatal Depression in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Aim: To determine the need to screen postpartum women for postpartum depression.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of an Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) score of ≥13 in postpartum mothers and to evaluate the association of different sociodemographic and obstetric factors with postpartum depression.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Implementation of WHO Near-Miss Approach for Maternal Health at a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Audit.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate severe maternal outcomes (including maternal deaths and maternal near-miss cases).

Materials & Methods: A prospective study of severe maternal outcomes (including maternal deaths and maternal near-miss cases) from May 2012 to April 2013 was performed. For each woman, data were collected on the occurrence of selected severe pregnancy-related complications, the use of critical interventions, and admissions to intensive care unit.

Energy and Protein Supplementation Does Not Affect Protein and Amino Acid Kinetics or Pregnancy Outcomes in Underweight Indian Women.

Background: In India, the prevalence of low birth weight is high in women with a low body mass index (BMI), suggesting that underweight women are not capable of providing adequate energy and protein for fetal growth. Furthermore, as pregnancy progresses, there is increased need to provide methyl groups for methylation reactions associated with the synthesis of new proteins and, unlike normal-BMI American women, low-BMI Indian women are unable to increase methionine transmethylation and remethylation rates as pregnancy progresses from trimester 1 to 3. This also negatively influences birth weight.

Height measurement in the critically ill patient: A tall order in the critical care unit.

Height measurement in the critical care unit is necessary for estimating ideal body weight and providing titrated patient care. In this study, we compare three methods of height assessment and evaluate their level of correlation and inter-observer reproducibility. Heights of 100 consecutive patients were assessed independently by two nurses by supine, four point, and arm span methods.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of sublingual misoprostol with that of vaginal misoprostol for labour induction at term.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of 50 mcg of sublingual misoprostol with 25 mcg of vaginal misoprostol for induction of labour at term.

Method: Non blinded randomized prospective control study. 200 women with singleton term pregnancy, admitted for induction of labour, were randomized to receive either 25 mcg of vaginal misoprostol or 50 mcg of sublingual misoprostol.

Synthesis, structural, thermal and photo-physical properties of triazine based NLO material.

Three novel triazine based organic chromophores with D-π-A (Donor-π system- Acceptor) push-pull type have been synthesized from 2, 4-diamino-6-phenyl-1,3,5-triazine as a starting material. Structures of all the three compounds have been confirmed by UV-Visible absorption, FT-IR, NMR and Mass spectral techniques. Their photo physical and thermal properties have been investigated.

Synthesis and characterization of VO(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of chromone based azo-linked Schiff base ligand.

Azo-Schiff-base complexes of VO(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, (1)H NMR, mass spectra, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility measurement, electron spin resonance (EPR), CV, fluorescence, NLO and SEM. The conductance data indicate the nonelectrolytic nature of the complexes, except VO(II) complex which is electrolytic in nature. On the basis of electronic spectra and magnetic susceptibility octahedral geometry has been proposed for the complexes.

Synthesis and studies on Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) complexes of Knoevenagel β-diketone ligands.

Transition metal complexes of various acetylacetone based ligands of the type ML [where M=Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II); L=3-(aryl)-pentane-2,4-dione] have been synthesized. The structural features have been derived from their elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductance, IR, UV-Vis, (1)H NMR, Mass and ESR spectral studies. Conductivity measurements reveal that all the complexes are non-electrolytic in nature.

Spectroscopic studies and biological evaluation of some transition metal complexes of azo Schiff-base ligand derived from (1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-4-aminopyrazol-5-one) and 5-((4-chlorophenyl)diazenyl)-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde.

A series of metal(II) complexes of VO(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) have been synthesized from the azo Schiff base ligand 4-((E)-4-((E)-(4-chlorophenyl)diazenyl)-2-hydroxybenzylideneamino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one (CDHBAP) and characterized by elemental analysis, spectral (IR, UV-Vis, (1)H NMR, ESR and EI-mass), magnetic moment measurements, molar conductance, DNA, SEM, X-ray crystallography and fluorescence studies. The electronic absorption spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements of the complexes indicate square pyramidal geometry for VO(II) and octahedral geometry for all the other complexes. The important infrared (IR) spectral bands corresponding to the active groups in the ligand and the solid complexes under investigation were studied and implies that CDHBAP is coordinated to the metal ions in a neutral tridentate manner.

Spectral, biological screening of metal chelates of chalcone based Schiff bases of N-(3-aminopropyl) imidazole.

Tridentate chelate complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) have been synthesized from the chalcone based ligands 2-[1-(3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propylimino)-3-(phenylallyl)]phenol(HL(1)), 2-[1-(3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propylimino)-3-p-tolylallyl]phenol(HL(2)), 2-[1-(3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)propylimino)-3-4-nitrophenylallyl]phenol(HL(3)). Microanalytical data, UV-vis spectrophotometric method, magnetic susceptibility measurements, IR, 1H NMR, Mass, and EPR techniques were used to characterize the structure of chelates. The electronic absorption spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest a distorted square planar geometry for the copper(II) ion.

Antiperoxide effect of S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide, an insulin secretagogue, in diabetic rats.

Treatment of alloxan diabetic rats with the antioxidant S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide (SACS) isolated from garlic (Allium sativum Linn), ameliorated the diabetic condition almost to the same extent as did glibenclamide and insulin. In addition, SACS controlled lipid peroxidation better than the other two drugs. Furthermore, SACS significantly stimulated in vitro insulin secretion from B cells isolated from normal rats.

Effects of S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide isolated from Allium sativum Linn and gugulipid on some enzymes and fecal excretions of bile acids and sterols in cholesterol fed rats.

S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide, isolated from garlic, A. sativum, is more or less as active as gugulipid in controlling hypercholestermia, obesity and derangement of enzyme activities in cholesterol diet fed rats. The beneficial effects of the drugs are partly due to their inhibitory effects on transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, lipogenic enzymes and HMG CoA reductase and partly due to their stimulatory effects on plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyl transferase lipolytic enzymes and fecal excretion of sterols and bile acids.

Anti-diabetic effects of onion and garlic sulfoxide amino acids in rats.

On oral administration of onion (Allium cepa L.) and garlic (A. sativum L.