Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Non-COVID-19 Maternal Mortalities in a Tertiary Health Care Center of North India.

Introduction: While dealing with the COVID-19-related morbidities and mortalities in general, its adverse impact on non-COVID-19 maternal mortalities was completely forgotten so our aim is to study the adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID-19 hospital births and non-COVID-19 maternal mortalities. Methodology: Retrospective observational study was done in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Swaroop Rani Hospital, Prayagraj, to compare the non-COVID-19 hospital births, referrals, and non-COVID-19 maternal mortalities during 15 months of pre-pandemic period (March 2018 to May 2019) and 15 months of pandemic period (March 2020 to May 2021 period) and to assess their relation to GRSI using chi-square test, paired T test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. Result: The total non-COVID-19 hospital births decreased by 4.32% in pandemic period as compared to pre-pandemic period. Monthly hospital births decreased drastically, to 32.7% during the end of the first pandemic wave and to 60.17% during the second wave. 67% increase in the total referral and a significant decrease in the quality of referral leading to significantly higher non-COVID-19 maternal mortality figures (p value 0.00003) during the pandemic period. Leading causes of mortalities were uterine rupture (p value 0.00001), septic abortion (p value 0.0001), primary postpartum hemorrhage (p value 0.002) and preeclampsia (p value 0.003). Conclusion: While the world is talking only about COVID deaths, increased non-COVID-19 maternal mortalities during the COVID pandemic need equal attention and call for more stringent government guidelines for the care of non-COVID-19 pregnant women as well during the pandemic period.

FGFR/Heartless and Smog interact synergistically to negatively regulate Fog mediated G-protein coupled receptor signaling in the Drosophila nervous system.

Folded gastrulation (Fog) is a secreted ligand that signals through the G-protein-coupled receptors Mist and Smog and the G-protein Concertina to activate downstream effectors to elicit cell-shape change during gastrulation. In the embryonic central nervous system (CNS), Fog has roles in axon guidance and glial morphogenesis. However, the elements of the pathway as well as mechanisms required for transducing the signal in this context have not been determined. We find that while Concertina is essential for Fog signaling, Mist is dispensable and Smog, surprisingly, functions as a negative regulator of the pathway in the CNS. Interestingly Heartless, a fibroblast growth factor receptor, also functions as a negative regulator. Furthermore, both Heartless and Smog interact in a synergistic manner to regulate Fog signaling. Our results thus identify Heartless and Smog as part of a common regulatory pathway that functions to restrict Fog signaling in the embryonic CNS and highlights the context-specific role for Fog receptors during development.

Drosophila Mon1 constitutes a novel node in the brain-gonad axis that is essential for female germline maturation.

Monensin-sensitive 1 (Mon1) is an endocytic regulator that participates in the conversion of Rab5-positive early endosomes to Rab7-positive late endosomes. In Drosophila, loss of mon1 leads to sterility as the mon1 mutant females have extremely small ovaries with complete absence of late stage egg chambers - a phenotype reminiscent of mutations in the insulin pathway genes. Here, we show that expression of many Drosophila insulin-like peptides (ILPs) is reduced in mon1 mutants and feeding mon1 adults an insulin-rich diet can rescue the ovarian defects. Surprisingly, however, mon1 functions in the tyramine/octopaminergic neurons (OPNs) and not in the ovaries or the insulin-producing cells (IPCs). Consistently, knockdown of mon1 in only the OPNs is sufficient to mimic the ovarian phenotype, while expression of the gene in the OPNs alone can 'rescue' the mutant defect. Last, we have identified ilp3 and ilp5 as critical targets of mon1. This study thus identifies mon1 as a novel molecular player in the brain-gonad axis and underscores the significance of inter-organ systemic communication during development.

Novel nanocomposites with selective antibacterial action and low cytotoxic effect on eukaryotic cells.

In the present study we synthesized lignin-tetra ethoxysilane (TEOS) nanocomposite and characterized it using UV-spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). XRD spectra and SEM micrographs confirmed a relatively high degree of crystallinity (peaks located at lower angle, 2θ=12° and 2θ=22.0°) and porous nature of nanocomposite. The lignin-TEOS nanocomposites depicted antibacterial activity against the test microorganisms (Pseudomonas aerugenosa MTCC 741, Escherichia coli MTCC 739, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 441 and Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96) whereas at the same concentration did not show any significant cytotoxicity against various tissue-specific cancer cell lines such as breast cancer: MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, BT-549; lung cancer: A-549; prostate cancer: PC-3, Du-145; as well as primary control cells-Human hepatic stellate cells (HHSteCs). The present study suggests the plausible translational role of these nanocomposites as an antimicrobial agent for wound dressings due to its potent antimicrobial activity with low toxicity to non-target eukaryotic cells. Nevertheless, these nanocomposites may also be used as packaging materials due to their antimicrobial activity.

A Presynaptic Regulatory System Acts Transsynaptically via Mon1 to Regulate Glutamate Receptor Levels in Drosophila.

Mon1 is an evolutionarily conserved protein involved in the conversion of Rab5 positive early endosomes to late endosomes through the recruitment of Rab7. We have identified a role for Drosophila Mon1 in regulating glutamate receptor levels at the larval neuromuscular junction. We generated mutants in Dmon1 through P-element excision. These mutants are short-lived with strong motor defects. At the synapse, the mutants show altered bouton morphology with several small supernumerary or satellite boutons surrounding a mature bouton; a significant increase in expression of GluRIIA and reduced expression of Bruchpilot. Neuronal knockdown of Dmon1 is sufficient to increase GluRIIA levels, suggesting its involvement in a presynaptic mechanism that regulates postsynaptic receptor levels. Ultrastructural analysis of mutant synapses reveals significantly smaller synaptic vesicles. Overexpression of vglut suppresses the defects in synaptic morphology and also downregulates GluRIIA levels in Dmon1 mutants, suggesting that homeostatic mechanisms are not affected in these mutants. We propose that DMon1 is part of a presynaptically regulated transsynaptic mechanism that regulates GluRIIA levels at the larval neuromuscular junction.

Rice husk extracted lignin-TEOS biocomposites: Effects of acetylation and silane surface treatments for application in nickel removal.

A novel lignosilicate (LS) composite was synthesized from pre-extracted (hot water, 80% ethanol, 0.3 N NaOH) lignin of rice husk (RH) using TEOS as matrix. The extracted lignins were subjected to surface modification by acetylation followed by in situ synthesis of lignosilicate (LS) composites by sol-gel method for application in nickel removal. LS were characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), particle size distribution (PSD) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). FT-IR studies showed acetyl group in the range of 1680-1690 cm-1 whereas for adsorbed Si-O-Ni2+ the band appeared at 870 cm-1. Findings suggest that alkali extracted LS with mean PSD of 14.89 nm are thermally more stable (Tm = 337 °C) than ethanol (ELS) and hot water (HLS) extracted LS, and exhibit potential for Ni2+ removal (38.74%). SEM and PSD (D50) analyses confirmed their rough surfaces and dispersive nature, respectively, suitable for metal biosorption.

Economic analysis of costs associated with a Respiratory Intensive Care Unit in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Northern India.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of cost analytical studies from resource constrained developing countries defining intensive care costs and their containment. OBJECTIVE: Economic analysis of costs in a Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in northern India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in 74 patients admitted in the RICU. Costs were segregated into fixed and variable costs. Total and categorized costs averaged per day and costs incurred on the first day of the RICU stay were calculated. Correlation of the costs was performed with the length of stay, length of mechanical ventilation, survival, and therapeutic intervention scoring system-28 (TISS-28). RESULTS: The total cost per day was Indian rupees (INR) 10,364 (US $ 222). 46.4% of the total cost was borne by hospital and rest by patients. The mean cost represented 36.8% of the total cost and 69.8% of the variable cost. Expenditure on personnel salary constituted 37% of the total costs and 86% of the fixed cost. Length of stay in RICU was significantly higher in nonsurvivors (14.73 ± 13.6 days) vs. survivors (8.3 ± 7.8 days) (P < 0.05). The TISS-28 score points in survivors was 30.6 vs. nonsurvivors 69.2 per nurse (P < 0.05) correlating strongly with the total cost (r = 0.91). CONCLUSION: Although considerably less expensive than in economically developed countries, intensive care in India remains expensive relative to the cost of living. The cost block methodology provides a framework for cost estimation, aids resource allocation and allows international comparisons of economic models.