Prospective randomized controlled trial of water exchange plus cap versus water exchange colonoscopy in unsedated veterans.

Background And Aims: Water exchange (WE) and cap-assisted colonoscopy separately have been shown to reduce pain during insertion in unsedated patients. We hypothesized that compared with WE, WE cap-assisted colonoscopy (WECAC) could significantly lower real-time maximum insertion pain (RTMIP).

Methods: Veterans without escort were recruited, randomized, blinded, and examined at 3 U.

Surveillance of mosquitoes harnessing their buzzing sound.

Mosquito surveillance for vector-borne disease management relies on traditional morphological and molecular techniques, which are tedious, time-consuming, and costly. The present study describes a simple and efficient recording device that analyzes mosquito sound to estimate species composition, male-female ratio, fed-unfed status, and harmonic convergence interaction using fundamental frequency (F) bandwidth, harmonics, amplitude, and combinations of these parameters. The study examined a total of 19 mosquito species, including 3 species of Aedes, 7 species of Anopheles, 1 species of Armigeres, 5 species of Culex, 1 species of Hulecoetomyia, and 2 species of Mansonia.

The Third Gender in a Third World Country: Major Concerns and the "AIIMS Initiative".

With a population dividend of around 1.3 billion, India is the largest democracy in the world that encompasses "unity in diversity". The kaleidoscope of the socio-cultural fabric comprises the transgender population too, which has a historical context dating back millennia and also plays a vital role as described in Hindu scriptures.

Sofosbuvir-based regimens for HCV in stage 4-stage 5 chronic kidney disease. A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Hepatitis C is an important agent of liver damage in patients with chronic kidney disease and the advent of DAAs has dramatically changed the management of HCV positive patients, including those with advanced CKD. Sofosbuvir is the backbone of many anti-HCV regimens based on DAAs but it remains unclear whether it is appropriate for HCV-infected patients with stage 4-5 CKD.

Study Aims And Design: We performed a systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis of clinical studies in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SOF-based DAA regimens in patients with stage 4-5 CKD.

Lack of secondary hyperparathyroidism in sub-group of vitamin D deficient postmenopausal women: Is VDR gene polymorphism behind this mystery?

Background And Aims: We aimed to determine the cause of non-secondary hyperparathyroidism (Non-SHPT) in Indian postmenopausal women.

Materials & Methods: 334 apparently healthy postmenopausal women were assessed for bone mineral homeostaisis including Vitamin D, PTH and VDR polymorphism.

Results: 83% of the subjects had vitamin D deficiency further associated with VDR gene polymorphism (P 0.

Association of Leptin with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Serum leptin has been considered as an important measurable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), although its evidence for use in clinical practice is limited. We aim to synthesize the available evidence on the clinical use of serum leptin values in PCOS by doing a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis to determine the pooled effect size of the association of leptin levels in patients with PCOS.

Prime factorization using quantum variational imaginary time evolution.

The road to computing on quantum devices has been accelerated by the promises that come from using Shor's algorithm to reduce the complexity of prime factorization. However, this promise hast not yet been realized due to noisy qubits and lack of robust error correction schemes. Here we explore a promising, alternative method for prime factorization that uses well-established techniques from variational imaginary time evolution.

COVID-19 infection, inception and immunity: Observations and recommendations in the light of vitamin D?

Responsive immunity plays an important role fighting against infections. Worldwide, Vitamin D deficiency is a major concern not only for musculoskeletal health but also affecting the immunity status in population. Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative to establish the role of vitamin D in destruction of pathogens.

Hepatitis B virus vaccine and chronic kidney disease. The advances.

Background: Hepatitis B is an important agent of liver disease in patients with chronic kidney disease and chronic HBV infection promotes the development of CKD in the adult general population. Patients with CKD have a suboptimal response to various vaccines, and it remains unclear how we boost the immune response of CKD patients to HB vaccine.

Study Aims And Design: We performed a narrative review to assess the mechanisms of lower immunogenicity of HBV vaccine in CKD population; multiple approaches to improve the response rate of CKD patients to HBV vaccine have been reported.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on lifestyle behaviour: A review of studies published in India.

Background And Aims: The entire globe is undergoing an unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 which has affected the lifestyle behaviour of individuals. The present review is an attempt to summarize the effect of pandemic COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviour among the Indian population.

Methods: A review was carried out to summarize the effect of pandemic COVID-19 on lifestyle behaviour focusing on changes in dietary or eating behaviour, stress, sleep pattern, and level of physical activity among the Indian population.

Hepatitis B virus vaccine and chronic kidney disease. The advances.

Background: Hepatitis B is an important agent of liver disease in patients with chronic kidney disease and chronic HBV infection promotes the development of CKD in the adult general population. Patients with CKD have a suboptimal response to various vaccines, and it remains unclear how we boost the immune response of CKD patients to HB vaccine.

Study Aims And Design: We performed a narrative review to assess the mechanisms of lower immunogenicity of HBV vaccine in CKD population; multiple approaches to improve the response rate of CKD patients to HBV vaccine have been reported.

Reliability and validity of a cross-culturally adapted Hindi version of the SRS-22r questionnaire in Indian patients.

Study Design: Cross-sectional, observational.

Objectives: (i) To develop a cross-culturally adapted Hindi translation of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22r (refined) questionnaire and (ii) validate it in Hindi-speaking Indian patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Background Data: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL)-based questionnaires have superseded objective clinical and radiological measurements as tools to assess the outcome of health-related interventions.

The impact of antiviral therapy for HCV on kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Controversy persists about the role of hepatitis C as a risk factor for developing kidney disease in the general population. Some authors have evaluated the effect of antiviral therapy for HCV on the risk of kidney disease.

Study Aims And Design: A systematic review of the published medical literature was performed to assess whether antiviral therapy for HCV has an independent impact on kidney survival in the adult general population.

Efficacy and safety of direct-acting antiviral agents for HCV in mild-to-moderate chronic kidney disease.

Background And Aims: The advent of direct-acting antiviral agents promises to change the management of hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a patient group in which the treatment of hepatitis C was historically challenging. We investigated the safety and efficacy of all-oral, interferon-free direct-acting antiviral agents for the treatment of hepatitis C in a 'real-world' cohort of patients with CKD.

Methods: We performed an observational single-arm multi-centre study in a large (n=198) cohort of patients with stage 1-3 CKD who underwent antiviral therapy with DAAs for the treatment of HCV.

Hepatitis C virus and mortality among patients on dialysis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Rationale: The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) as an independent risk factor for death in dialysis population is unclear.

Design: A systematic review of the published medical literature was performed to evaluate the impact of positive anti-HCV serologic status on all-cause and disease-specific mortality in patients on regular dialysis. The risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and liver disease-related mortality was regarded as the most reliable outcome end-point.

All 25-hydroxyvitamin D-deficient Indian postmenopausal women do not have secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Unlabelled: This study shows a high 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency among postmenopausal women accompanying secondary hyperparathyroidism. However, a sizable number of subjects did not have secondary hyperparathyroidism despite having low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. This condition arises a research question in clinical practice needed to be addressed in the future.

Race affects SVR12 in a large and ethnically diverse hepatitis C-infected patient population following treatment with direct-acting antivirals: Analysis of a single-center Department of Veterans Affairs cohort.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease. HCV cure has been linked to improved patient outcomes. In the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), HCV cure has become the goal, as defined by sustained virological response 12 weeks (SVR12) after completion of therapy.

India contribution to Spine Surgery: 15 most influential articles.

Objective: To determine the number of articles published by Indian authors related to spine surgery and to enumerate the 15 most influential articles from India published in the field of spine surgery in national & international journals based on the citations they have received both in pubmed and google scholar.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study using Pubmed database was performed for the years between 1960 and 2015, for the articles published from India in the field of spine surgery in various national and international journals. A total of 3181 citations were received for top 15 most influential articles in the field of spine surgery from India.

Non-surgical management of acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture: A review.

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem. Last decade has seen rise in osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Pragmatic management of osteoporotic VCF is challenging to the surgeons.

Hepatitis C virus increases the risk of kidney disease among HIV-positive patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Kidney disease has become an important co-morbidity among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients as they live longer in the era of highly effective antiretroviral therapy. It remains unclear how co-infection with hepatitis C virus impacts on the trajectory of kidney disease among HIV-infected patients. To evaluate the effect of co-infection with HCV on the risk of kidney disease in HIV-infected populations.

Pegylated Interferon Mono-Therapy of Chronic Hepatitis C in the Dialysis Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The medical literature on mono-therapy with pegylated interferon for chronic hepatitis C in dialysis patients is mostly based on small clinical studies and the efficacy and safety of such approach is still unclear. A systematic review of the literature with a meta-analysis of clinical studies was performed in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mono-therapy with pegylated interferon of chronic hepatitis C in patients on regular dialysis. The primary outcome was sustained viral response (as a measure of efficacy); the secondary outcome was drop-out rate (as a measure of tolerability).

Transmission of hepatitis B virus in dialysis units: a systematic review of reports on outbreaks.

Background: Changes in the delivery of healthcare in the developed world have resulted in frequent reporting of outbreaks of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in nonhospital healthcare settings, including hemodialysis units.

Aim: We performed a systematic review of HBV outbreaks in dialysis units of developed and less-developed countries published between 1992 and 2014 to elucidate the most frequent mechanisms of patient-to-patient transmission of HBV in this setting.

Methods: The research was performed using the PubMed Database and the Outbreak Database; studies were selected according to the PRISMA algorithm.