Summary Background Although therapeutic hypothermia reduces death or disability after neonatal encephalopathy in high-income countries, its safety and efficacy in low-income and middle-income countries is unclear. We aimed to examine whether therapeutic hypothermia alongside optimal supportive intensive care reduces death or moderate or severe disability after neonatal encephalopathy in south Asia. Methods We did a multicountry open-label, randomised controlled trial in seven tertiary neonatal intensive care units in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. We enrolled infants born at or after 36 weeks of gestation with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy and a need for continued resuscitation at 5 min of age or an Apgar score of less than 6 at 5 min of age (for babies born in a hospital), or both, or an absence of crying by 5 min of age (for babies born at home). Using a web-based randomisation system, we allocated infants into a group receiving whole body hypothermia (33·5°C) for 72 h using a servo-controlled cooling device, or to usual care (control group), within 6 h of birth. All recruiting sites had facilities for invasive ventilation, cardiovascular support, and access to 3 Tesla MRI scanners and spectroscopy. Masking of the intervention was not possible, but those involved in the magnetic resonance biomarker analysis and neurodevelopmental outcome assessments were masked to the allocation. The primary outcome was a combined endpoint of death or moderate or severe disability at 18–22 months, assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition) and a detailed neurological examination. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02387385 . Findings We screened 2296 infants between Aug 15, 2015, and Feb 15, 2019, of whom 576 infants were eligible for inclusion. After exclusions, we recruited 408 eligible infants and we assigned 202 to the hypothermia group and 206 to the control group. Primary outcome data were available for 195 (97%) of the 202 infants in the hypothermia group and 199 (97%) of the 206 control group infants. 98 (50%) infants in the hypothermia group and 94 (47%) infants in the control group died or had a moderate or severe disability (risk ratio 1·06; 95% CI 0·87–1·30; p=0·55). 84 infants (42%) in the hypothermia group and 63 (31%; p=0·022) infants in the control group died, of whom 72 (36%) and 49 (24%; p=0·0087) died during neonatal hospitalisation. Five serious adverse events were reported: three in the hypothermia group (one hospital readmission relating to pneumonia, one septic arthritis, and one suspected venous thrombosis), and two in the control group (one related to desaturations during MRI and other because of endotracheal tube displacement during transport for MRI). No adverse events were considered causally related to the study intervention. Interpretatio...

Background:No drug, used as adjuvant to spinal bupivacaine, has yet been identified that specifically inhibits nociception without its associated side-effects.Aims:This prospective randomized double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the onset and duration of sensory and motor block as well as perioperative analgesia and adverse effects of dexmedetomidine and magnesium sulfate given intrathecally with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine for spinal anesthesia.Materials and Methods:A total of 90 patients classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists status I and II scheduled for lower abdominal and lower limb procedures were prospectively studied. Patients were randomly allocated to receive intrathecally either 15 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 0.1 ml (10 μg) dexmedetomidine (group D, n=30) or 15 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 0.1 ml (50 mg) magnesium sulfate (group M, n=30) or 15 mg hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 0.1 ml saline (group C, n=30) as control. The onset time to reach peak sensory and motor level, the regression time for sensory and motor block, hemodynamic changes and side-effects were recorded.Statistical Analysis Used:All statistical analyses were performed using INSTAT for windows. Continuous variables were tested for normal distribution by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Data was expressed as either mean and standard deviation or numbers and percentages. Continuous covariates (age, body mass index and height) were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). For the times to reach T10 dermatomes, Bromage 3 scale and the regression of the sensory block to S1 dermatome and Bromage scale 0, one-way ANOVA was used to compare the means. The level of significance used was P<0.05.Results:The onset times to reach T10 dermatome and to reach peak sensory level as well as onset time to reach modified Bromage 3 motor block were significantly different in the three groups. The onset time to reach peak sensory and motor level was shorter in group D as compared with the control group C, and it was significantly prolonged in group M. We also found that patients in group D had significant longer sensory and motor block times than patients in group M, which was greater than in the control group C.Conclusion:It was found that onset of anesthesia was rapid and of prolonged duration in the dexmedetomidine group (D). However, in the magnesium sulfate group (M), although onset of block was delayed, the duration was significantly prolonged as compared with the control group (C), but to a lesser degree than in the dexmedetomidine group (D). The groups were similar with respect to hemodynamic variables and there were no significant side-effects in either of the groups.

Oxidative stress (OS) plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and glutathione (GSH) mitigates this effect by maintaining redox‐imbalance and free‐radical neutralization. Quantified brain GSH concentration provides distinct information about OS among age‐matched normal control (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients. We report alterations of in vivo GSH conformers, along with the choline, creatine, and N‐acetylaspartate levels in the cingulate cortex (CC) containing anterior (ACC) and posterior (PCC) regions of 64 (27 NC, 19 MCI, and 18 AD) participants using MEscher–GArwood‐Point‐RESolved spectroscopy sequence. Result indicated, tissue corrected GSH depletion in PCC among MCI (p = .001) and AD (p = .028) and in ACC among MCI (p = .194) and AD (p = .025) as compared to NC. Effects of the group, region, and group × region on GSH with age and gender as covariates were analyzed using a generalized linear model with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. A significant effect of group with GSH depletion in AD and MCI was observed as compared to NC. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis of GSH level in CC differentiated between MCI and NC groups with an accuracy of 82.8% and 73.5% between AD and NC groups. Multivariate ROC analysis for the combined effect of the GSH alteration in both ACC and PCC regions provided improved diagnostic accuracy of 86.6% for NC to MCI conversion and 76.4% for NC to AD conversion. We conclude that only closed GSH conformer depletion in the ACC and PCC regions is critical and constitute a potential biomarker for AD.

Objective: In our routine review of Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) biopsies, we observed decreased adipose tissue even though most are from buccal mucosa. Pathogenesis of OSMF has demonstrated the role of Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF β), in causing fibrosis. This study aims to correlate the role of TGF β with loss of adipose tissue in OSMF. Study Design: From our archives, 84 OSMF cases (24 early and 60 advanced OSMF) were screened for adipose tissue. Immunoexpression of TGF β in these cases were investigated. Results: Adipose tissue was seen in 67% of early OSMF and in 13% of advanced cases. Early cases showed more intense TGF β staining of epithelium, fibroblast, macrophages and inflammatory cells than the advanced cases. Conclusion: These findings suggest that TGF β plays a key role in causing lipodystrophy in OSMF and is secreted more during early course of the disease than in advanced stage. Key words:Adipose tissue, oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), transforming growth factor β (TGF β), lipodystrophy.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the prevalence of certain oral characteristics usually associated with Down syndrome and to determine the oral health status of these patients.MethodsThe cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending a special education program at Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, India. The study design consisted of closed-ended questions on demographic characteristics (age, sex, and education and income of parents), dietary habits, and oral hygiene habits. Clinical examination included assessment of oral hygiene according to Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), dental caries according to decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, periodontal status according to the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), and malocclusion according to Angles classification of malocclusion. Examinations were carried out using a using a CPI probe and a mouth mirror in accordance with World Health Organization criteria and methods. Craniometric measurements, including maximum head length and head breadth were measured for each participant using Martin spreading calipers centered on standard anthropological methods.ResultsThe majority of the patients were males (n = 63; 82%) with age ranging from 6–40 years. The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score of the patients indicated that 31% had moderate mental disability and 52% had mild mental disability. 22% exhibited hearing and speech problems.12% had missing teeth and 15% had retained deciduous teeth in adult population. The overall prevalence of dental caries in the study population was 78%. DMFT, CPITN and OHI scores of the study group were 3.8 ± 2.52, 2.10 ± 1.14 and 1.92 ± 0.63 respectively. The vast majority of patients required treatment (90%), primarily of scaling, root planing, and oral hygiene education. 16% of patients reported CPITN scores of 4 (deep pockets) requiring complex periodontal care. The prevalence of malocclusion was 97% predominantly of Class III malocclusions. Further 14% presented with fractured anterior teeth primarily central incisor. The percentage means of cephalic index was 84.6% in the study population. The brachycephalic and hyperbrachycephalic type of head shape was dominant in the Down syndrome individuals (90%).ConclusionThe most common dentofacial anomaly seen in these individuals was fissured tongue followed by macroglossia.