Ag and Au Nanoparticles as Color Indicators for Monomer/Micelle-Nanoparticle Interactions.

Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) were used as color indicators to determine the monomer/micelle adsorption on the NP surface. A simple methodology based on the color change of Ag/Au NPs upon interacting with surface-active molecules was developed. A contrasting color change occurred when NPs interact with the monomer/micelle. This was demonstrated by monitoring the adsorption behavior of a series of Gemini surfactants. UV-visible measurements showed a large change in the intensity and wavelength of Ag/Au NP absorbance upon the surface adsorption of the monomer/micelle of Gemini surfactants. The mechanism of surface adsorption and molecular orientation on the solid-liquid interface of NPs was determined by performing the FT-IR and XPS measurements. Results demonstrated that sharp color changes from yellow to red for Ag NPs and red to purple for Au NPs happened when the Gemini surfactant monomer/micelle adsorbs on the NP surface. This colorimeter-based methodology highlighted the applicability of Ag/Au NPs in complex media where such NPs frequently encounter surface-active molecules.

Colloidal Stabilization of Sodium Dilauraminocystine for Selective Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle Interactions: Their Screening and Extraction by Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Nanoparticle-nanoparticle (NP-NP) interactions between Au and Ag NPs were studied by using sodium dilauraminocystine (SDLC)- and Gemini surfactant-stabilized NPs to demonstrate the unique NP surface adsorption behavior of SDLC in controlling and mimicking such interactions in complex mixtures. They were significantly affected by the spacer as well as the polymeric nature of the head group of Gemini surfactants. A longer spacer impeded while a polymeric head group facilitated the interactions. The Au-Ag NPs interactions in an aqueous phase were also controlled by placing surface-active magnetic NPs at an aqueous-air interface, which interacted with either or both kinds of interacting NPs in an aqueous phase and reduced their ability to interact with each other. On the other hand, water-soluble zwitterionic magnetic NPs proved to be excellent extractants of both Au and Ag NPs from the aqueous phase. Extraction efficiency depended on the strength of interactions between the water-soluble magnetic NPs and aqueous-solubilized Au and/or Ag NPs.

Avoiding Hemolytic Anemia by Understanding the Effect of the Molecular Architecture of Gemini Surfactants on Hemolysis.

Hemolytic behavior of a series of different categories of Gemini surfactants was determined in their low concentration range. Cationic Gemini surfactants of different molecular architectures prove to be highly cytotoxic even at 0.1 mM. Anionic and amino acid-based Gemini surfactants were minimally cytotoxic, although their toxicity was concentration-dependent. With respect to monomeric surfactants of comparable hydrocarbon chain lengths, cationic Gemini surfactants were much more toxic than anionic Gemini surfactants. Incubation temperature was another important parameter that significantly drove the hemolysis irrespective of the molecular structure of the surfactant. Results indicated that the surface activity or liquid-blood cell membrane adsorption tendency of a surfactant molecule determined the degree of hemolytic anemia. Greater surface activity induced greater cytotoxicity, especially when the surfactant possessed a stronger ability to interact with the membrane proteins through hydrophilic interactions. That provided cationic Gemini surfactants a higher ability for hemolytic anemia because they were able to interact with an electronegative cell membrane with favorable interactions in comparison to anionic or amino acid-based Gemini surfactants. These findings are expected to help in designing surface-active drugs with a suitable molecular architecture that can avoid hemolytic anemia.

Unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications: cross-sectional analysis of data from rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the potential association between unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications. Secondarily, we test whether antenatal care (ANC) and community health worker (CHW) visits moderate the observed association between unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications. METHODS: Cross sectional data were collected using a multistage sampling design to identify women who had a live birth in the last 12 months across 25 highest risk districts of Uttar Pradesh (N = 3659). Participants were surveyed on demographics, unintendedness of last pregnancy, receipt of ANC clinical visits and community outreach during pregnancy, and maternal complications. Regression models described the relations between unintended pregnancy and maternal complications. To determine if receipt of ANC and CHW visits in pregnancy moderated associations between unintended pregnancy and maternal complications, we used the Mantel-Haenzel risk estimation test and stratified logistic models testing interactions of unintended pregnancy and receipt of health services to predict maternal complications. RESULTS: Around one-fifth of the women (16.9%) reported that their previous pregnancy was unintended. Logistic regression analyses revealed that unintended pregnancy was significantly associated with maternal complications- pre-eclampsia (AOR:2.06; 95% CI:1.57-2.72), postpartum hemorrhage (AOR:1.46; 95% CI: 1.01-2.13) and postpartum pre-eclampsia (AOR:2.34; 95% CI:1.47-3.72). Results from the Mantel Haenszel test indicated that both ANC and CHW home visit in pregnancy significantly affect the association between unintended pregnancy and postpartum hemorrhage (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Unintended pregnancy is associated with increased risk for maternal health complications, but provision of ANC clinical visits and CHW home visits in pregnancy may be able to reduce potential effects of unintended pregnancy on maternal health.

Applications of Molecular Structural Aspects of Gemini Surfactants in Reducing Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle Interactions.

Oppositely charged nanoparticle (NP)-nanoparticle (NP) interactions were studied by titrating sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) stabilized NPs with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) stabilized NPs at constant temperature with the help of UV-visible and dynamic light scattering measurements. CTAB stabilized NPs were systematically replaced with a series of cationic gemini surfactants to demonstrate the effect of head group and hydrocarbon tail modifications on the electrostatic interactions with SDS stabilized NPs. Introduction of the dimeric gemini head group (alkylammonium or imidazolium), spacer length, and double tail hydrocarbon length all significantly reduced the NP-NP interactions and delayed their salting-out process. They lead to the formation of stable colloidal aqueous solubilized NP-NP complexes. The results concluded that NP-NP interactions can be overcome if appropriately stabilized NPs are used to maintain their colloidal stability so as to achieve maximum applicability.

Coverage and equity of maternal and newborn health care in rural Nigeria, Ethiopia and India.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, a large burden of maternal and neonatal mortality persists for the most vulnerable people in rural areas. We assessed coverage, coverage change and inequity for 8 maternal and newborn health care indicators in parts of rural Nigeria, Ethiopia and India. METHODS: We examined coverage changes and inequity in 2012 and 2015 in 3 high-burden populations where multiple actors were attempting to improve outcomes. We conducted cluster-based household surveys using a structured questionnaire to collect 8 priority indicators, disaggregated by relative household socioeconomic status. Where there was evidence of a change in coverage between 2012 and 2015, we used binomial regression models to assess whether the change reduced inequity. RESULTS: In 2015, we interviewed women with a birth in the previous 12 months in Gombe, Nigeria (n = 1100 women), Ethiopia (n = 404) and Uttar Pradesh, India (n = 584). Among the 8 indicators, 2 positive coverage changes were observed in each of Gombe and Uttar Pradesh, and 5 in Ethiopia. Coverage improvements occurred equally for all socioeconomic groups, with little improvement in inequity. For example, in Ethiopia, coverage of facility delivery almost tripled, increasing from 15% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9%-25%) to 43% (95% CI 33%-54%). This change was similar across socioeconomic groups (p = 0.2). By 2015, the poorest women had about the same facility delivery coverage as the least poor women had had in 2012 (32% and 36%, respectively), but coverage for the least poor had increased to 60%. INTERPRETATION: Although coverage increased equitably because of various community-based interventions, underlying inequities persisted. Action is needed to address the needs of the most vulnerable women, particularly those living in the most rural areas.

Effect and cost-effectiveness of educating mothers about childhood DPT vaccination on immunisation uptake, knowledge, and perceptions in Uttar Pradesh, India: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effect of health information on immunisation uptake in rural India, we conducted an individually randomised controlled trial of health information messages targeting the mothers of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children through home visits in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The study tested a brief intervention that provided mothers face-to-face with information on the benefits of the tetanus vaccine. Participants were 722 mothers of children aged 0-36 months who had not received 3 doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine (DPT3). Mothers were randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1:1 to 1 of 3 study arms: mothers in the first treatment group received information framed as a gain (e.g., the child is less likely to get tetanus and more likely to be healthy if vaccinated), mothers in the second treatment group received information framed in terms of a loss (e.g., the child is more likely to get tetanus and suffer ill health if not vaccinated), and the third arm acted as a control group, with no information given to the mother. Surveys were conducted at baseline (September 2015) and after the intervention (April 2016). The primary outcome was the proportion of children who had received DPT3 measured after 7 months of follow-up. The analysis was by intention to treat. A total of 16 (2.2%) participants were lost to follow-up. The coverage of DPT3 was 28% in the control group and 43% in the pooled information groups, giving a risk difference of 15 percentage points (95% CI: 7% to 22%, p < 0.001) and a relative risk of 1.52 (95% CI: 1.2 to 1.9, p < 0.001). The information intervention increased the rate of measles vaccination by 22 percentage points (risk difference: 22%, 95% CI: 14% to 30%, p < 0.001; relative risk: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.80) and the rate of full immunisation by 14 percentage points (risk difference: 14%, 95% CI: 8% to 21%, p < 0.001; relative risk: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.29 to 2.29). It had a large positive effect on knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and prevention of tetanus but no effect on perceptions of vaccine efficacy. There was no difference in the proportion of children with DPT3 between the group that received information framed as a loss and the group that received information framed as a gain (risk difference: 4%, 95% CI: -5% to 13%; p = 0.352; relative risk: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.36). The cost per disability-adjusted life year averted of providing information was US$186, making the intervention highly cost-effective with respect to the WHO-recommended threshold of once the gross domestic product per capita (US$793 in the case of Uttar Pradesh). Key study limitations include the modest sample size for this trial, limiting power to detect small differences in the framing of information, and the potential for contamination among households. CONCLUSIONS: Providing mothers of unvaccinated/incompletely vaccinated children with information on tetanus and the benefits of DPT vaccination substantially increased immunisation coverage and was highly cost-effective. The framing of the health information message did not appear to matter. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN84560580.

Differential effects of community health worker visits across social and economic groups in Uttar Pradesh, India: a link between social inequities and health disparities.

BACKGROUND: Uttar Pradesh (UP) accounts for the largest number of neonatal deaths in India. This study explores potential socio-economic inequities in household-level contacts by community health workers (CHWs) and whether the effects of such household-level contacts on receipt of health services differ across populations in this state. METHODS: A multistage sampling design identified live births in the last 12 months across the 25 highest-risk districts of UP (N = 4912). Regression models described the relations between household demographics (caste, religion, wealth, literacy) and CHW contact, and interactions of demographics and CHW contact in predicting health service utilization (> = 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits, facility delivery, modern contraceptive use). RESULTS: No differences were found in likelihood of CHW contact based on caste, religion, wealth or literacy. Associations of CHW contact with receipt of ANC and facility delivery were significantly affected by religion, wealth and literacy. CHW contact increased the odds of 4 or more ANC visits only among non-Muslim women, increased the odds of both four or more ANC visits and facility delivery only among lower wealth women, increased the odds of facility delivery to a greater degree among illiterate vs. literate women. CONCLUSION: CHW visits play a vital role in promoting utilization of critical maternal health services in UP. However, significant social inequities exist in associations of CHW visits with such service utilization. Research to clarify these inequities, as well as training for CHWs to address potential biases in the qualities or quantity of their visits based on household socio-economic characteristics is recommended.

Associations Between Mistreatment by a Provider during Childbirth and Maternal Health Complications in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Objectives This study assesses associations between mistreatment by a provider during childbirth and maternal complications in Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Cross-sectional survey data were collected from women (N = 2639) who had delivered at 68 public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, participating in a quality of care study. Participants were recruited from April to July 2015 and surveyed on demographics, mistreatment during childbirth (measure developed for this study, Cronbach's alpha = 0.70), and maternal health complications. Regression models assessed associations between mistreatment during childbirth and maternal complications, at delivery and postpartum, adjusting for demographics and pregnancy complications. Results Participants were aged 17-48 years, and 30.3% were scheduled caste/scheduled tribe. One in five (20.9%) reported mistreatment by their provider during childbirth, including discrimination and abuse; complications during delivery (e.g., obstructed labor) and postpartum (e.g., excessive bleeding) were reported by 45.8 and 41.5% of women, respectively. Health providers at delivery included staff nurses (81.8%), midwives (14.0%), and physicians (2.2%); Chi square analyses indicate that women were significantly more likely to report mistreatment when their provider was a nurse rather than a physician or midwife. Women reporting mistreatment by a provider during childbirth had higher odds of complications at delivery (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.67) and postpartum (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.67-2.68). Conclusions for Practice Mistreatment of women by their provider during childbirth is a pervasive health and human rights violation, and is associated with increased risk for maternal health complications in Uttar Pradesh. Efforts to improve quality of maternal care should include greater training and monitoring of providers to ensure respectful treatment of patients.

Maternal methadone treatment and neonatal abstinence syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This article aims to describe neonatal outcomes, clinical correlates, and the rate for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) for women on methadone maintenance therapy. METHODS: This study is a retrospective review, which includes 119 mothers and 120 live newborns. RESULTS: Methadone mothers tends to be white, single, on government insurance, with increased tobacco use (73%) and hepatitis C (11%). Prematurity increased (28%), and the term infant had a higher risk for admission for respiratory symptoms (22, 7%, p < 0.001). Overall, 78% newborns developed NAS, with the onset of symptoms 4.3 ± 2.9 days, and average length of stay of 36.7 ± 26.4 days. There was a decreased overall gestational age for those infants who did not have NAS (36, 38 weeks, p = 0.04). Overall, 56% had possible illicit drug supplementation. Self-reporting had a 59% negative predictive value with a positive drug screen. No difference in maternal methadone dosage and newborns with and without NAS. Increasing gestational age will increase the odds for NAS. CONCLUSIONS: Newborns are at higher risk for prematurity and admission for respiratory symptoms. Utilizing a 7-day observation period, 78% of newborns were diagnosed with NAS with a mean onset of symptoms of 4.3 days. There was no difference in methadone dosage between babies with and without NAS. Increasing gestational age increases the risk for NAS.

Effect of Chiranjeevi Yojana on institutional deliveries and neonatal and maternal outcomes in Gujarat, India: a difference-in-differences analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of the Chiranjeevi Yojana programme, a public-private partnership to improve maternal and neonatal health in Gujarat, India. METHODS: A household survey (n = 5597 households) was conducted in Gujarat to collect retrospective data on births within the preceding 5 years. In an observational study using a difference-in-differences design, the relationship between the Chiranjeevi Yojana programme and the probability of delivery in health-care institutions, the probability of obstetric complications and mean household expenditure for deliveries was subsequently examined. In multivariate regressions, individual and household characteristics as well as district and year fixed effects were controlled for. Data from the most recent District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3) wave conducted in Gujarat (n = 6484 households) were used in parallel analyses. FINDINGS: Between 2005 and 2010, the Chiranjeevi Yojana programme was not associated with a statistically significant change in the probability of institutional delivery (2.42 percentage points; 95% confidence interval, CI: -5.90 to 10.74) or of birth-related complications (6.16 percentage points; 95% CI: -2.63 to 14.95). Estimates using DLHS-3 data were similar. Analyses of household expenditures indicated that mean household expenditure for private-sector deliveries had either not fallen or had fallen very little under the Chiranjeevi Yojana programme. CONCLUSION: The Chiranjeevi Yojana programme appears to have had no significant impact on institutional delivery rates or maternal health outcomes. The absence of estimated reductions in household spending for private-sector deliveries deserves further study.

Persistence and heterogeneity of the effects of educating mothers to improve child immunisation uptake: Experimental evidence from Uttar Pradesh in India.

Childhood vaccinations are among the most cost-effective health interventions. Yet, in India, where immunisation services are widely available free of charge, a substantial proportion of children remain unvaccinated. We revisit households 30 months after a randomised experiment of a health information intervention designed to educate mothers on the benefits of child vaccination in Uttar Pradesh, India. We find that the large short-term effects on the uptake of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus and measles vaccination were sustained at 30 months, suggesting the intervention did not simply bring forward vaccinations. We apply causal forests and find that the intervention increased vaccination uptake, but that there was substantial variation in the magnitude of the estimated effects. We conclude that characterising those who benefited most and conversely those who benefited least provides policy-makers with insights on how the intervention worked, and how the targeting of households could be improved.

From projects to systems: Being explicit about assumptions in systems-level theories of change.

Projects and programs have long been the primary instrument for achieving development goals in low- and middle-income countries. One criticism of the project-focused approach is its failure to focus on broader system-level changes. This paper explores how Mayne's COM-B Theory of Change model can enhance the evaluation of how projects and system-level investments can lead to system-level changes, especially in a development context. Using a real-world example, we offer several evaluation questions to initiate thinking about what might be needed to extend the ideas in the COM-B theory of change to facilitate better interrogation of systems-level change efforts.

Hemolytic Response of Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles at the Interface and in Bulk: Extraction of Blood Cells by Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Surface-active and water-soluble magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in the presence of a series of amphiphilic molecules of different functional groups to determine the hemolytic response and their ability to extract blood cells across the interface and aqueous bulk while maintaining minimum hemolysis. Amphiphilic molecules such as Gemini surfactants of strong hydrophobicity and low hydrophilic-lipophilic balance produced surface-active magnetic NPs, which were highly cytotoxic even when placed at the blood suspension (aqueous)-air interface. A similar behavior was shown by water-soluble magnetic NPs produced using monomeric ionic and nonionic surfactants and different amino acids. The NPs produced using mild biological surfactants and mono- and oligosaccharides of the same functional group proved to be excellent blood cell extractors with minimum hemolysis. α/ß-cyclodextrin and dextrose-stabilized magnetic NPs induced negligible hemolysis and extracted more than 50% of blood cells. The results showed that nontoxic magnetic NPs are excellent blood cell extractors from the blood suspension when tagged with amphiphilic molecules possessing good biocompatibility with cell membranes without inducing hemolysis. The work highlights the biological applicability of nontoxic magnetic NPs at biointerfaces and in blood suspensions.

Measuring quality of family planning counselling and its effects on uptake of contraceptives in public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India: A cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Quality of care in family planning traditionally focuses on promoting awareness of the broad array of contraceptive options rather than on the quality of interpersonal communication offered by family planning (FP) providers. There is a growing emphasis on person-centered contraceptive counselling, care that is respectful and focuses on meeting the reproductive needs of a couple, rather than fertility regulation. Despite the increasing global focus on person-centered care, little is known about the quality of FP care provided in low- and middle- income countries like India. This study involves the development and psychometric testing of a Quality of Family Planning Counselling (QFPC) measure, and assessment of its associations with contraceptives selected by clients subsequently. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from N = 237 women following their FP counselling in 120 public health facilities (District Hospitals and Community Health Centers) sampled across the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The study captured QFPC, contraceptives selected by clients post-counselling, as well as client and provider characteristics. Based on formative research and using Principal Component Analysis, we developed a 13-item measure of quality of FP counselling. We used adjusted regression models to assess the association between QFPC and contraceptive selected post-counselling. RESULTS: The QFPC measure demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.80) as well as criterion validity, as indicated by client reports of high QFPC being significantly more likely for clients with trained versus untrained counsellors. We found that each point increase in QFPC, including increasing quality of counselling, is associated with higher odds of clients selecting an intrauterine device (IUD) (aRR:1.03; 95% CI:1.01-1.05) and sterilization (aRR:1.06; 95% CI:1.03-1.08), compared to no method selected. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality FP counselling is associated with clients subsequently selecting more effective contraceptives, including IUD and sterilization, in India. High-quality counselling is also more likely among FP-trained providers, highlighting the need for focused training and monitoring of quality care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2015/09/006219. Registered 28 September 2015.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence: Findings from Slums of Four Major Metro Cities of India.

There are limited studies on COVID vaccine confidence at the household level in urban slums, which are at high risk of COVID-19 transmission due to overcrowding and poor living conditions. The objective was to understand the reasons influencing COVID-19 vaccine confidence, in terms of barriers and enablers faced by communities in urban slums and informal settlements in four major metro cities in India. A mixed method approach was adopted, where in field studies were conducted during April-May 2021. First, a survey of at least 50 subjects was conducted among residents of informal urban settlements who had not taken any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi; second, a short interview with five subjects who had taken at least one dose of the vaccine in each of the four cities to understand the factors that contributed to positive behaviour and, finally, an in-depth interview of at least 3 key informants in each city to ascertain the vaccination pattern in the communities. The reasons were grouped under contextual, individual/group and vaccine/vaccination specific issues. The most frequent reason (27.7%) was the uncertainty of getting the vaccine. The findings show the need for increasing effectiveness of awareness campaigns, accessibility and the convenience of vaccination, especially among vulnerable groups, to increase the uptake.

Inter-alpha inhibitor protein administration improves survival from neonatal sepsis in mice.

Inter-alpha inhibitor proteins (IaIp) are serine proteases inhibitors that modulate endogenous protease activity and have been shown to improve survival in adult models of sepsis. We evaluated the effect of IaIp on survival and systemic responses to sepsis in neonatal mice. Sepsis was induced in 2-d-old mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Escherichia coli, and group B Streptococci. Sepsis was associated with 75% mortality. IaIp, given by i.p. administration at doses between 15 and 45 mg/kg from 1 to 6 h after the onset of sepsis, improved survival to approximately 90% (p = 0.0159) in both LPS-induced sepsis and with live bacterial infections. The greatest effect was on reversal of hemorrhagic pneumonitis. The effects were dose and time dependent. Systemic cytokine profile and tissue histology were examined. Survival was compared in IL-10 knock out animals. Systemic cytokine levels including TNF-[alpha] and IL-10 were increased after induction of sepsis and modulated significantly after IaIp administration. Because the effect of IaIp was still demonstrable in IL-10 deficient mice, we conclude the beneficial effects of IaIp is because of suppression of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-[alpha] rather than augmentation of IL-10. IaIp may offer significant benefits as a therapeutic

Photophysical behavior of heme group: Unfolding of hemoglobin and myoglobin in the presence of Gemini surfactants of different molecular architectures.

Fluorescence studies were performed to determine the photophysical behavior of heme group in the presence of cationic Gemini surfactants of different architectures. Both hemoglobin and myoglobin were used to understand the heme group interactions with Gemini surfactants under the influence of temperature variation and were compared with homologous monomeric surfactants. The results were also supplemented from the size and zeta potential measurements of both proteins. Gemini surfactants showed marked effect on the unfolding behavior of hemoglobin that mainly contributed by the stronger hydrophobic interactions of double hydrocarbon chains as well as methylene spacer in the head group region with the hydrophobic domains of hemoglobin. Myoglobin with single polypeptide chain did not show similar unfolding behavior in the presence of Gemini surfactants rather it was readily solubilized in the surfactant solution and that too in the presence of monomeric surfactants rather than Gemini surfactants. The results highlighted the mechanistic aspects by which water soluble globular proteins interact with amphiphilic molecules of different functionalities and thus, helped to predict the interactions of both hemoglobin and myoglobin with the complex biological molecules possessing similar functionalities.

Associations between recent intimate partner violence and receipt and quality of perinatal health services in Uttar Pradesh.

BACKGROUND: India suffers some of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the world. Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be a barrier to utilization of perinatal care, and has been associated with poor maternal and neonatal health outcomes. However, studies that assess the relationship between IPV and perinatal health care often focus solely on receipt of services, and not the quality of the services received. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Data were collected in 2016-2017 from a representative sample of women (15-49yrs) in Uttar Pradesh, India who had given birth within the previous 12 months (N = 5020), including use of perinatal health services and past 12 months experiences of physical and sexual IPV. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed whether physical or sexual IPV were associated with perinatal health service utilization and quality. Reports of IPV were not associated with odds of receiving antenatal care or a health worker home visit during the third trimester, but physical IPV was associated with fewer diagnostic tests during antenatal visits (beta = -0.30), and fewer health topics covered during home visits (beta = -0.44). Recent physical and recent sexual IPV were both associated with decreased odds of institutional delivery (physical IPV AOR 0.65; sexual IPV AOR 0.61), and recent sexual IPV was associated with leaving a delivery facility earlier than recommended (AOR = 1.87). Neither form of IPV was associated with receipt of a postnatal home visit, but recent physical IPV was associated with fewer health topics discussed during such visits (beta = -0.26). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, reduced quantity and quality of perinatal health care were associated with recent IPV experiences. In cases where IPV was not related to care receipt, IPV remained associated with diminished care quality. Additional study to understand the mechanisms underlying associations between IPV and care qualities is required to inform health services.

The role of inter-alpha inhibitor proteins in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

We evaluated Inter-alpha inhibitor proteins (IaIp) as a diagnostic marker in neonatal sepsis. Samples were collected from 573 neonates who were examined for suspected sepsis. IaIp level was significantly lower in the septic group (121+/-71 mg/L) than in the non-septic group (322+/-91 mg/L). The optimal cutoff value with the receiver operating characteristic curve was