Meta-analysis approach on iron fortification and its effect on pregnancy and its outcome through randomized, controlled trials.

Micronutrients' deficiency is a common phenomenon among a majority of the population residing in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) especially among women and children. Given the widespread prevalence of micronutrients' deficiency in LMICs, iron-fortified foods could be of potential benefits for both the mother and the development of fetus. Present study aims to provide the evidence on the impact of iron fortification on hemoglobin (Hb) concentration during pregnancy and evaluates the specific maternal and pregnancy outcomes.

Prevalence, risk factors and health seeking behaviour of pulmonary tuberculosis in four tribal dominated districts of Odisha: Comparison with studies in other regions of India.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis, socio-cultural practices and health seeking behaviour of tribal people in four districts of Odisha.

Methodology: This was an action research study with qualitative and quantitative design following a sequential approach implemented in a 4-phased manner. It was carried out in the 6 selected villages from July,2015 to June,2017.

Recognition of the novel HLA-A*11:01:01:25 allele in the tribal population of Nagaland, North-East India.

One nucleotide change (G>A) at intron 1 of HLA-A*11:01:01:01 results in the novel allele, HLA-A*11:01:01:25.

The HLA-B*13:01:01:03 allele characterized in four individuals from the tribal population of Nagaland, North-East India.

A single nucleotide change (G to T) in HLA-B*13:01:01:01 results in the novel allele, HLA-B*13:01:01:03.

Decreased Artemisinin Sensitivity of across India.

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has been used to treat uncomplicated infections in India since 2004. Since 2008, a decrease in artemisinin effectiveness has been seen throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion. The geographic proximity and ecological similarities of northeastern India to Southeast Asia may differentially affect the long-term management and sustainability of ACT in India.

Possible activation of NRF2 by Vitamin E/Curcumin against altered thyroid hormone induced oxidative stress via NFĸB/AKT/mTOR/KEAP1 signalling in rat heart.

Oxidative stress is implicated in both hypo- and hyper-thyroid conditions. In the present study an attempt has been made to elucidate possible interaction between vitamin E or/and curcumin (two established antioxidants) with active portion (redox signaling intervening region) of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) as a mechanism to alleviate oxidative stress in rat heart under altered thyroid states. Fifty Wistar strain rats were divided into two clusters (Cluster A: hypothyroidism; Cluster B: hyperthyroidism).

Oxidative Stress Parameters, Trace Elements, and Lipid Profile in Iranian Patients with Gaucher Disease.

Gaucher disease (GD) is most frequent disorder of glycolipid storage. The glucosylceramide accumulation might lead to oxidative stress and changes in lipid profile. Regarding the main role of trace elements in hematopoiesis and oxidative stress, this study was aimed to evaluate the zinc and copper levels, three oxidative stress parameters, and lipid profile in GD.

A prospective study on incidence, risk factors, and validation of a risk score for post-infection irritable bowel syndrome in coastal eastern India.

Background And Aim: Post-infection irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) can occur following acute gastroenteritis (AGE). This study was designed to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of PI-IBS following AGE and to validate a PI-IBS risk score.

Methods: This prospective study was performed between September 2014 and October 2016 on AGE patients by documenting their AGE severity and following up after 3 and 6 months to study the development of IBS (ROME III criteria).

Systematic review and meta-analysis approach on vitamin A fortified foods and its effect on retinol concentration in under 10 year children.

Objective: To carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the trials to identify as well as quantify the effect of vitamin A fortified food on serum vitamin A concentration among children under 10 year.

Study Design: All the relevant studies has been retrieved by MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, ProQuest and the Cochrane Library and secondary referencing. A random effects model was applied to compute the pooled effect size of effect of serum retinol.

Molecular Identification and Probiotic Potential Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Human Vaginal Microbiota.

The increased demand for probiotics because of their health purposes provides the context for this study, which involves the molecular identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) obtained from the vaginal microbiota of healthy fertile women. The isolates were subjected for examination to prove their probiotic potential. In particular, the isolates were subjected to various tests, including acid/bile tolerance, antimicrobial activity, antibiotic susceptibility, Gram staining, and catalase enzyme activity assessment.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450,2D6*A), N-Acetyltransferase-2 (NAT2*7, A) and Multidrug Resistance 1 (MDR1 3435 T) Alleles Collectively Increase Risk of Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Discovering the association between genetic variations of metabolizing enzymes with idiopathic diseases such as ulcerative colitis (UC) may not only be an auxiliary agent in diagnosis but also could be an effective pharmacotherapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present case-control study was to determine the association of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6 *4), N-acteyltransferase-2 (NAT2*7) and multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) 3435 C/T genotypes with UC susceptibility and thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) enzyme activity.

Methods: TPMT activity was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and genotypes for the 3 mentioned polymorphisms were determined in 215 unrelated UC patients and 212 unrelated healthy controls by polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in a Kurdish population from Iran.

Independent urban effect on hypertension of older Indians: identification of a knowledge gap from a Study on Global AGEing and Health.

Among older Indians, more cardiovascular diseases and risk factors are observed in the city dwellers than in the rural population. Clustering of socioeconomic privileges and consequent obesity in the Indian cities are known to underlie this phenomenon. But, it is unclear whether an independent urban effect exists on age-related ailments, unexplained by concentration of privileges and excess weight in the Indian cities.

Genetic and phytochemical investigations for understanding population variability of the medicinally important tree Saraca asoca to help develop conservation strategies.

Saraca asoca (Roxb.) De Wilde (Caesalpiniaceae) is a highly traded IUCN red listed tree species used in Ayurvedic medicines for the treatment of various disorders, especially gynaecological problems. However, information about the genetic variations between populations and corresponding variation in specialized metabolites of S.

Antimalarial activity of against .

Malaria is one of the most prevalent vector borne infectious disease and a serious global health problem in the world. Treatment for malaria is commonly inadequate due to the lack of quality assured limited number of effective drugs, underline how important it is to discover new antimalarial plants from number of natural sources. In the present study, the efficacy of antimalarial activity was studied by taking six various (n-hexane, chloroform, petroleum ether, ethanol, methanol and aqueous) organic leaf extracts of (Clarke) Pamp.

Association of processed food, synergistic effect of alcohol and HBV with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a high incidence region of India.

Background: Dietary factors, tobacco, and alcohol use have been identified as important factors of rising various cancer incidence in several northeastern states of India. However, little is known about the factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in this region. The aim of the paper was to identify the factors associated with HCC in the northeast region.

Molecular typing and phylogeny of Wolbachia: A study from Assam, North-Eastern part of India.

Background: Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic alphaproteobacteria, infecting 40-75% of arthropod species. Knowledge on distribution of native strains infecting mosquito vectors from endemic regions is essential for successful implementation of vector control interventions utilizing potential strains of Wolbachia. Study identified various native strains of Wolbachia inhabiting different mosquito species from field and colonised conditions of Assam.

An analysis of respondent-driven sampling with injecting drug users in a high HIV prevalent state of India.

Background: Personal networks are significant social spaces to spread of HIV or other blood-borne infections among hard-to-reach population, viz., injecting drug users, female sex workers, etc. Sharing of infected needles or syringes among drug users is one of the major routes of HIV transmission in Manipur, a high HIV prevalence state in India.

A quasi-experimental intervention to assess the effectiveness of a physician-delivered tobacco cessation intervention in India: A detailed study protocol.

Introduction: Tobacco cessation is the most important, cost-effective preventive maintenance that clinicians can offer study participants who use tobacco. There is lack of preparedness among primary care physicians in delivering cessation interventions. There are also limited studies which record the effectiveness of cessation interventions in the Indian context.

First Line Anti-TB Drug Resistance in an Urban Area of Odisha, India.

Introduction: Drug resistance is a major cause for increasing the global burden of Tuberculosis (TB). However in countries with larger geographical areas and different climatic conditions like India the prevalence of drug resistance varies from place to place. Information on anti-TB drug resistance patterns particularly among newly diagnosed cases is crucial for planning an effective TB control program.

Non-O157:H7 Shiga Toxin Producing Diarrhoeagenic (STEC) in Southern India: A Tinderbox for Starting Epidemic.

Introduction: Outbreaks due to non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin producing (STEC) resulting in Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) have garnered much attention because of associated mortality transcending across continents and also because diarrhoea due to itself is rare in developed countries. The actual incidence of non-O157:H7 STEC in sporadic acute diarrhoea is not fully elucidated, both in developing as well as in developed countries. Due to larger extent of faecal-oral transmission in developing countries it is prudent to look for non-O157: H7 STEC in such epidemiological settings because of very high potential to spread across larger geographical regions and cause life threatening illness.

Evidence of triple mutant dhps ISA haplotype in isolates from North-east India: An analysis of sulfadoxine resistant haplotype selection.

Background: North-east region of India has consistent role in the spread of multi drug resistant to other parts of Southeast Asia. After rapid clinical treatment failure of Artemisinin based combination therapy-Sulphadoxine/Pyrimethamine (ACT-SP) chemoprophylaxis, Artemether-Lumefantrine (ACT-AL) combination therapy was introduced in the year 2012 in this region for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. In a DNA sequencing based polymorphism analysis, seven codons of dihydropteroate synthetase (dhps) gene were screened in a total of 127 isolates collected from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura of North-east India during the year 2014 and 2015 to document current sulfadoxine resistant haplotypes.

Paragonimiasis in tuberculosis patients in Nagaland, India.

Background: One of the infections that mimic tuberculosis (TB) is paragonimiasis (PRG), a foodborne parasitic disease caused by lung flukes of the genus . In the northeastern states of India, TB and PRG are endemic; however, PRG is rarely included in the differential diagnosis of TB.

Objective: To address limited evidence on the dual burden of TB and PRG in northeastern India, we aimed to document the prevalence of PRG among TB patients using sputum smear, stool examination for children <15 years and ELISA.

Drinking Water Disinfection By-products, Genetic Polymorphisms, and Birth Outcomes in a European Mother-Child Cohort Study.

Background: We examined the association between exposure during pregnancy to trihalomethanes, the most common water disinfection by-products, and birth outcomes in a European cohort study (Health Impacts of Long-Term Exposure to Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water). We took into account exposure through different water uses, measures of water toxicity, and genetic susceptibility.

Methods: We enrolled 14,005 mothers (2002-2010) and their children from France, Greece, Lithuania, Spain, and the UK.