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Prevalence of Low Birth Weight and the Associated Factors, Among Neonates Delivered in Lira Regional Referral Hospital
Get PDFBackground: Low birth weight is a major determinant of neonatal mortality, poor perinatal outcomes and developmental disabilities. Identifying risk factors associated with low birthweight is essential for targeted interventions.
Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of low birth weight in Lira Regional Referral Hospital.
Methods: A retrospective unmatched case control study was conducted, reviewing records of all deliveries at Lira Regional Referral Hospital from January to June 2023. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 23 with multivariate logistic regression used to identify predictors of low birth weight.
Results: A total of 173 records of babies with low birth weight (cases) and 173 records of babies with normal birth weight (controls) were reviewed. The prevalence of low birth weight was 11.8%. The birth weight of babies ranged from 700 grams to 2490 grams among cases with a median of 2100 grams, whereas among controls it ranged from 2500 grams to 4600 grams with a median of 3000 grams. The mean birth weight for cases group was 1999.77 grams ± s.d. 378.91 grams while the mean birth weight for control group was 3143.06 grams ± s.d. 391.49 grams.
Factors that were found to be significantly associated with low birth weight in the adjusted analysis were preterm delivery (AOR=5.30, 95% CI: 2.606-10.760), post-term delivery (AOR=8.75, 95% CI: 2.296-33.333). On the other hand, parity 2-4 (AOR=0.28, 95 % CI 0.112–0.705, P=0.007), ≥ 4 ANC visits (AOR=0.48, 95 % CI 0.248–0.918, P=0.027), Having No History of LBW baby (AOR=0.21,95% CI 0.087-0.493, P<0.001), and No Antepartum morbidity (AOR=0.38, 95% CI 0.185–0.768, P=0.007) had preventive effect from low birth weight
The Role of Vertebral Artery Blood Flow Alteration as a Cause of Vertigo in Cervical Spondylosis: An Observational Study
Get PDFBackground: Vertigo is a symptom, not a disease in itself, and can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions with diverse origins, including inner ear, brainstem, cerebellum, and even internal, vestibular, or psychosomatic factors. Vertigo related to cervical spondylosis often presents with a distinct set of characteristics: it tends to be recurrent, brief in duration, triggered by changes in head position, and not typically accompanied by nystagmus (involuntary eye movements). These features can help differentiate it from vertigo caused by other conditions. Our study is first prospective study from Himalayan belt of North India, where we set out to examine whether vertebral artery compression, specifically during neck rotation, plays a role in the development of vertigo in patients diagnosed with cervical spondylosis.Result: Based on our study, we found that following variables were significantly (p<0.05) associated with variable “Vertigo in Spondylosis cases” : right VA diameter (mm) (right rotation position), change in right VA diameter (%)(right rotation position), right VA EDV (right and left rotation position), left VA diameter (mm) (right rotation position), left VA diameter (mm) (left rotation position), change in left VA diameter (%)(left rotationM position), left VA PSV (left rotation position), left VA EDV (right and left rotation position).Conclusion: Our observations suggest a vascular component to dizziness, experienced by patients with CS. In patients with CS and significant osteophyte formation, compression of VA becomes pronounced. Head rotation exacerbates this compression, resulting in vertigo due to Vertebro-Basilar Insufficiency (VBI)
Clinical Aspects of Melatonin-Review
Get PDFThe pineal gland primarily secretes melatonin, also referred to as the sleep hormone, in dark environments. Melatonin controls the body's circadian cycle. It has advantageous applications as an adjuvant in the biomedical sector due to its inherent qualities, which include high cell permeability, ease of passage through the placenta and blood–brain barriers, and its function as an endogenous reservoir of free radical scavengers (with indirect additional actions). Like other hormones, melatonin can operate through particular cellular receptors on the plasma membrane or through receptorindependent pathways that include intricate molecular cross-talk with other substances. More and more research is showing that melatonin has remarkable health benefits, even when taken exogenously. We provide an overview of the molecular pathways in which melatonin is regarded as a master regulator, paying particular attention to the processes of inflammation and cell death from fundamental, translational, and clinical perspectives
Hypochlorous Acid in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review of Applications, Production and Safety
Get PDFBackground: Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) is a potent oxidizing agent with broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, mycobacterium, fungi and viruses. It is naturally produced by neutrophils, macrophages and other cells of the innate immune system during the respiratory burst.
Objective: This review examines current evidence on the efficacy, manufacture, safety and clinical applications of HOCl in healthcare, with a focus on dentistry, skin care and wound management, podiatry and infection control.
Key findings: The current evidence supports HOCl as a rapid, safe, effective and highly adaptable tool in modern healthcare. Effective healthcare formulations typically contain a high percentage of HOCl and a low percentage of OCl- to limit toxicity. Further large-scale, standardized clinical studies are needed to optimize dosing strategies, assess long-term outcomes and establish regulatory consistency across commercial formulations.
Clinical implication: HOCl represents a valuable adjunct in antimicrobial stewardship efforts and will be a great addition to tackle problems associated with prevention and treatment of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria seen globally. HOCl is an emerging asset in patient care and infection prevention
A Massive Growth Hormone-Secreting Macro-Adenoma of the Pituitary Gland with a Suprasellar Extension: Case Report
Get PDFGrowth hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas also known as somatotropic adenomas are benign tumors arising from somatotroph cells responsible for Growth Hormone (GH) production. Their main clinical manifestation is acromegaly. We report the case of a male patient with a giant pituitary macroadenoma revealed by clinical features of acromegaly and confirmed by biological evidence of GH hypersecretion. The distinctive feature of this case is the exceptional tumor size and its unusual suprasellar extension in contrast to the more common infrasellar growth pattern. This rare presentation highlights the importance of recognizing atypical growth patterns of somatotropic adenomas as they may complicate surgical access and influence the choice of operative strategy. Preoperative MRI plays a pivotal role in accurately characterizing tumor extension and guiding neurosurgical planning
Engineering Zeolitic and Nanostructured Molecular Sieves for Selective Catalysis: Structural Insights and Synthetic Strategies
Get PDFMolecular sieves, particularly zeolites, are crystalline aluminosilicates with precisely defined pore structures that enable size- and shape-selective catalysis. Their unique three-dimensional frameworks, composed of interconnected channels and cavities, offer high thermal stability, ion-exchange capacity, and tunable hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties, making them essential materials in petrochemical, fine chemical, and environmental processes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of zeolitic and nanostructured molecular sieves, emphasizing structure–property relationships, framework topology, and acidity as key determinants of catalytic activity. Advances in synthesis strategies, including hydrothermal crystallization, nanocasting, surfactant-assisted assembly, and hierarchical structuring, are highlighted, with a focus on tailoring morphology, porosity, and chemical composition to enhance performance. Catalytic applications discussed range from fluid catalytic cracking and light olefin production to selective alkylation, isomerization, and aromatic substitution, where materials such as ZSM-5, MCM-22, MCM-56, and ZSM-22 exhibit outstanding activity, selectivity, and durability. By integrating nanoscale engineering approaches with traditional zeolite chemistry, molecular sieves continue to evolve as versatile and high-performance catalysts, reinforcing their industrial significance and opening avenues for next-generation catalytic systems
A Hybrid Cloud-Based AI Framework for Real-Time Insurance Fraud Detection Using Snowflake and Cortex AI
Get PDFInsurance fraud remains one of the most pervasive challenges in the financial sector, demanding scalable and explainable AI-driven solutions. This study presents an integrated framework that combines snowflake’s cloud-native data warehouse and ML Ops architecture with cortex AI’s machine-learning environment to enable real-time detection of fraudulent insurance claims. The proposed system unifies supervised algorithms (XGBoost, logistic regression) and unsupervised techniques (isolation forest, LOF) to balance high-accuracy classification with anomaly discovery. Experimental evaluation on a dataset exceeding one million claims achieved 88% accuracy and an F1-score of 0.87, confirming the framework’s robustness and scalability. A theoretical analysis explains the superior performance of supervised models due to the bias–variance balance and label-driven optimization, while exploratory deep-learning benchmarks (CNNs, LSTMs) illustrate potential gains in sequential fraud pattern detection. The inclusion of Snowflake’s model registry, lineage tracking, and multi-cloud integration ensures compliance and operational transparency. Future extensions involving autoencoders, GANs, and federated learning are proposed to advance adaptive, cross-institutional fraud analytics. Overall, the hybrid snowflake–cortex AI architecture represents a reproducible, enterprise-ready solution for modernizing fraud detection with transparency, efficiency, and regulatory alignment
Energy Finance in India: Recent Developments and Challenges in Renewable Energy Sector
Get PDFThe purpose of this research paper is to give an account of the financial instruments available for energy finance in India; recent developments that have taken place in the area of energy finance and look after to the challenges faced by the renewable energy industry in acquiring and organising the funds. This paper also attempts to recommend the probable solutions for overcoming those challenges. The major challenge faced by the renewable energy industry in Indian perspective is channelizing the funds with limited financial resources available and the compounded risk associated with it. The findings of the study reveal that the current financial market structure posed as hurdle in acquiring the adequate funds. The Indian renewable energy sector has a long way to go. There is a need to introduce innovative finance mechanisms and improvement in financial market structure in order to remove the barriers on the success path of renewable energy sector of India
BIM 2.0 in Project Development Construction Execution and Supervision
Get PDFBuilding Information Modeling (BIM) 2.0 represents a significant evolution in construction project management, integrating additional dimensions such as time costs and sustainability. Its adoption has transformed collaboration between stakeholders in the AEC (Architecture Engineering and Construction) sector, enabling real-time data-driven decision-making and improving project energy efficiency and sustainability. Recent studies indicate that BIM 2.0 implementation can reduce construction costs by up to 20% and lead times by 15%. Regarding the Methodology, this article is based on a systematic review of Scopus Indexed literature (Q1) and representative case studies between 2019 and 2023. BIM 2.0 applications were analyzed in LEED-certified projects and energy efficiency standards, using energy simulation tools and advanced 3D modeling. Performance metrics such as CO₂ emission reduction, resource optimization and risk management were evaluated. Addressing the results and discussion, we can say that the implementation of BIM 2.0 demonstrated a 30% improvement in energy efficiency in net-zero buildings and a 25% reduction in carbon emissions during the construction phase. Interoperability with AI and IoT enabled real-time monitoring of energy consumption and early detection of design conflicts. However, challenges such as the lack of software standardization and the shortage of skilled labor persist, affecting 40% of the analyzed projects. In the Conclusions section, we determined that BIM 2.0 is consolidated as a key tool for sustainable construction, facilitating the integration of emerging technologies and improving project lifecycle management. Investment in professional training and protocol standardization is recommended to maximize its potential. Future research should address the integration of blockchain and digital twins to optimize data security and traceability
Managing Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Conservation Challenges in Lope National Park: An Integrated Approach
Get PDFLope national park, a UNESCO world heritage site located in central Gabon, is increasingly challenged by the intersecting pressures of climate change, land-use transformation, biodiversity loss and socio-political complexity. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the park’s conservation landscape, examining key dimensions such as sustainable resource use, climate-induced vegetation shifts, biodiversity monitoring, flagship species conservation, trophic cascades, invasive species dynamics and fire regime management.
These ecological pressures are compounded by evolving community dynamics, livelihood dependencies and fluctuations in international funding and policy alignment. Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence and recent case studies, this article proposes an integrated, adaptive management framework that balances ecological integrity with socio-economic resilience. By contextualizing Lope within broader regional and global conservation challenges, the study offers targeted recommendations including participatory fire planning, climate-informed habitat zoning, co-management models and technology-enabled biodiversity surveillance to strengthen the park’s long-term sustainability and institutional stability