Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University

Background: Mania, a core feature of bipolar disorder, is characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and mood disturbances. Impulsivity has been linked to lipid metabolism, particularly cholesterol and apolipoproteins. This study investigates the relationship between lipid profile, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and impulsivity in first-episode mania patients.Methods: A case-control study was conducted at Sriram Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College, Cuttack, involving 60 patients with first-episode mania and 60 age-matched healthy controls. Lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), ApoA1, and ApoB, were measured. Impulsivity was assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Independent samples t-tests and Pearson's correlation were used for statistical analysis.Results: Mania patients had significantly lower TC (156.58 ± 14.00 mg/dL vs. 175.93 ± 23.59 mg/dL, p < 0.001), LDL (75.00 ± 9.24 mg/dL vs. 83.58 ± 16.86 mg/dL, p = 0.001), and TG (74.03 ± 11.94 mg/dL vs. 96.43 ± 29.48 mg/dL, p < 0.001) compared to controls. ApoB levels were higher in mania patients (795.95 ± 725.44 mg/dL vs. 549.53 ± 796.67 mg/dL, p = 0.079), though not statistically significant. BIS-11 scores negatively correlated with cholesterol levels, particularly TC and LDL, suggesting an association between hypercholesterolemia and increased impulsivity.Conclusion: Lower cholesterol levels, particularly LDL, are significantly associated with impulsivity in first-episode mania patients. These findings highlight the potential role of lipid metabolism in psychiatric disorders and suggest lipid monitoring in high-risk individuals.

Com o advento da tecnologia blockchain, tornou-se possível a comercialização de ativos digitais como as criptomoedas, formando-se um mercado em rápida expansão, que envolve milhares de usuários e quantias vultosas ao redor do mundo. Surgem, nesse contexto, novas questões jurídicas a serem enfrentadas pelos governos nacionais, como a proteção do consumidor no mercado de criptomoedas. Embora alguns países tenham simplesmente banido as criptomoedas, ante a dificuldade de regulá-las, a maioria tem passado de uma postura mais passiva, de observação, para uma mais focada na proteção dos investidores, impondo uma série de condições para a atividade das corretoras de criptomoedas que atuam nesse mercado. O presente estudo busca analisar alguns desses modelos regulatórios, inclusive no Brasil, a fim de extrair breves constatações sobre o atual estado da defesa do consumidor nesse ambiente criptográfico cada vez mais dinâmico e desafiador.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were: (1) To study the sociodemographic profile of cerebral palsy (CP) cases attending the District Early Intervention Center (DEIC) at Sishu Bhawan. (2) To study the risk factors of CP. (3) To study the associated comorbid conditions of CP. Methods: It is a hospital-based study conducted at DEIC, Sishu Bhawan, Cuttack, from July 2016 to June 2017. All cases (150) of CP children in the age group of 6 months–14 years attending DEIC during the study period were taken as study subjects. The mothers/caregivers of the children were interviewed, and the data thus collected were analyzed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 2.87 years±2.48 standard deviation. The male–female ratio was 2.4. The risk factors associated with CP were PIH, antepartum hemorrhage, low birth weight, hyperbilirubinemia, seizures, birth asphyxia, etc. The common comorbid conditions are malnutrition, mental retardation, seizure, hearing and vision impairment, speech difficulty, and behavioral problems. Conclusion: Prevention of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal risk factors of CP and better management of high-risk cases will reduce the occurrence of CP.

Nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals have gained popularity in recent years due to growing consumer and scientific interest. As a result, these products are now more widely available. The dynamic disciplines of cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals are growing at the intersection of beauty and health, transforming skincare and wellness. Nutraceuticals, which combine nutrition and pharmaceuticals, are often defined as nutritive foods with good functional and therapeutic value. Nutraceuticals include dietary supplements and functional foods, which are becoming more widely acknowledged for their contribution to immune system support, illness prevention, and cognitive health. Meanwhile, antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3-fatty acids are used as active components in cosmeceuticals – a class of intricate skincare and haircare products – to offer antiaging and dermatological advantages. This chapter reviews the definitions, categories, and key components of cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals to clarify the unique health and beauty benefits of each. It also explores the interplay between these two domains and holistic approaches to well-being, both inside and beyond the body. A thorough overview of the evolving landscape of regulatory concerns, upcoming developments, and case studies showcasing effective integration are offered. The chapter emphasizes these enterprises’ significant influence on consumer well-being and the possibility of game-changing advancements in the fields of health and beauty as they grow.

Background Enterococci are Gram-positive bacteria that form part of the human gut flora but have emerged as significant nosocomial pathogens. The increasing prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) poses major therapeutic and infection-control challenges. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vancomycin resistance among clinical Enterococcus isolates and to characterize the associated phenotypic and genotypic resistance profiles. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, Odisha, from October 2017 to September 2019. One hundred non-duplicate Enterococcus isolates recovered from urine, blood, pus/wound swabs, and sterile body fluids were identified based on standard biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method as per CLSI 2019 guidelines. Vancomycin resistance was screened on VRE agar and confirmed by MIC via E-test. Genotypic detection of vanA and vanB resistance genes was performed using multiplex real-time PCR. Basic demographic variables, including age and sex, were recorded. Results Of the 100 isolates, 64% were E. faecalis, 31% were E. faecium, and 5% were E. durans. The mean age of affected patients was 38.6 years, with a female predominance (56%). The prevalence of VRE was 23%, with E. faecium accounting for most resistant isolates (69.6%). VRE isolates demonstrated high resistance to ampicillin (100%), ciprofloxacin (95.7%), high-level gentamicin (82.6%), and teicoplanin (78.3%), while all isolates remained susceptible to linezolid. All VRE isolates carried the vanA gene; vanB was not detected. Heteroresistance was identified in five isolates. Conclusion vanA-mediated VRE is prevalent in hospital settings and associated with multidrug resistance. Recommendation Routine surveillance, molecular detection, and strengthened antimicrobial stewardship are essential to limit VRE dissemination.

Objectives: The pandemic of the recently emerged 2019- novel coronavirus infection was a challenge to public health. The current gold standard for the molecular diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the qualitative and quantitative detection of viral nucleic acids. However, superior combination of gene targets for SARS-CoV-2 detection is underexplored. To find out the possible combination of target genes for maximizing RT-PCR accuracy in SARS-CoV-2 detection. Methods: This study is an observational, cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata. Study population included all SAR-CoV-2-infected patients attended either inpatient or outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital in eastern India. 870 patient’s respiratory tract samples with the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 were collected. E gene, N gene, RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (open reading frame [ORF1ab]) gene, ORF1b gene, and human RNase P (Internal control) gene targets were detected. Results: Among all the genes, E gene was the most frequently detected (n=665; 86.70%) closely followed by N gene (n=429; 83.30%). ORF1b could be detected in 69.73% (n=159). RdRp was least frequently detected in only 44.64% (n=175). The E gene and ORF1b could simultaneously be detected in 85.12% samples when tested together. E gene and N gene could be detected together in 71.16% and E gene and RdRp could be detected in only 53.41%. Conclusion: Our study found that the combination of E gene and ORF1b gene as optimal targets for assay design as these two genes are expressed simultaneously, that will minimize inconclusive results and maximize diagnostic yield.

Background: Pancytopenia is not a disease entity, but a triad of findings, resulting from various disease processes. It is characterized by anaemia, leucopenia and thrombocytopenia in the peripheral blood. It is a relatively common phenomenon in daily medical practice and one of the most common reasons for consultation from hematologists. Bone marrow examination is of utmost importance in the evaluation of pancytopenia and thereby identification of the disease process is helpful for appropriate management. Aims: The aim of the study is to analyse a wide spectrum of haematological diseases giving rise to pancytopenia in bone marrow trephine biopsy. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study conducted in the department of Pathology and Clinical Hematology, S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack for a period of 2 years including 122 pancytopenia patients. Complete blood count including peripheral smear examination, followed by bone marrow aspiration (BMA) and trephine biopsy were carried out in all cases. A detailed study of bone marrow examination was done and diagnoses were established in all the pancytopenia cases. All the relevant data were compiled and analysed for further investigation and planning. Results: Pancytopenia often creates a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Identification of the accurate cause is crucial in the management of these patients. Among 122 patients studied, 63.1% were males and 36.9% females. Aplastic anaemia was the commonest cause of pancytopenia (51%) followed by megaloblastic anaemia (23%). Other causes include acute leukaemia 9%, MDS 6%, primary myelofibrosis 2%, lymphomatous infiltration in the marrow 2%, and multiple myeloma 3%. Metastatic deposit, tuberculosis, haemophagocytic syndrome and hypersplenism constituted 1% each. Conclusion: BMA and biopsy were diagnostic in all the cases of pancytopenia. Though in a few cases, BMA yields a dry tap and inconclusive coupled with bone marrow biopsy (BMB) it helps in defining diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in pancytopenia. The present study concluded that the most common cause of pancytopenia is aplastic anaemia, followed by megaloblastic anaemia and acute leukemia.

Objective: Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in developing and industrialized countries. Most agricultural workers in developing countries have poor housing conditions and an inadequate diet and are exposed to both general and occupational diseases. The study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of occupational morbidity and its associated risk factors among agricultural workers in a rural Block of West Bengal. Methods: The study was conducted among agriculture workers of Habra Block-I of the state of West Bengal. Multistage random sampling method was followed to select a total of 302 individuals who were distributed among the four villages according to the Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) method. Results: The majority of workers (58.6%) were suffering from nutritional pallor/anemia and dental carries/dental stains were 45.4%. Among other morbidities, 42% of workers were suffering from respiratory morbidity, 26.8% of workers were suffering from cardiovascular diseases, and 26.5% were suffering from hypertension. Duration of work (more than 8 h/day) was significantly associated with morbidity also other covariates such as age, sex, type of family, smoking status, and alcohol consumption had significant effects on morbidity among agriculture workers in both bivariate and multivariable linear regression. Conclusion: This research revealed not only the high prevalence of morbidities among the study population but also the occurrence of a large population with modifiable risk factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, high load and long duration of work, poor personal hygiene, and non-use of personal protection equipment; the latter, if taken care, will reduce the morbidities of the agriculture workers.

Introduction: Phenylephrine in small boluses of 50 to 100µgm or infusion is commonly used to treat hypotension following spinal anesthesia in addition to fluids transfusion and compression stockings in lower limbs. Noradrenaline, the preferred drug for the management of hypotension in shock is now being tried to treat hypotension following spinal anesthesia in small increments. The present study was carried out to compare the efficacy of noradrenalin over phenylephrine in treating hypotension following spinal anesthesia. Materials and Methods: A hundred patients undergoing cesarean section were randomly divided into two groups. One group received phenylephrine 50µgm intravenous bolus and the other group received noradrenalin 4µgm intravenous bolus to treat hypotension following spinal anesthesia. The doses of phenylephrine and noradrenaline required to treat spinal hypotension, the incidence of bradycardia, hypotension, nausea, and vomiting in the mother and fetal outcome were recorded. Observation: The number of boluses of vasopressors required to treat hypotension was significantly lower in the noradrenaline group (Group NE=1.36±0.563, Group PE=2.00±0.699, p-value=0.000). The frequency of bradycardia was higher in the phenylephrine group and was statistically significant (Group NE=2 (4%), Group PE=11 (22%) p-value=0.015). Maternal complications such as nausea vomiting and shivering were comparable between the groups. The fetal parameters were also comparable between the two groups. Conclusion: Noradrenaline boluses are equally effective as phenylephrine in treating spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension. The incidence of side effects is comparable between the groups. Recommendation: Norepinephrine should be considered as an alternative to phenylephrine in spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension.