Kerala

Kerala, the Indian state with the highest reported level of social development, faces a challenge with persistent early marriage, particularly among Muslims in Malappuram. This study explores the sociocultural factors influencing this situation, in which child marriage rates among Muslims are significantly higher than those of Hindus and Christians. Employing a qualitative research strategy within a specific Malappuram mahallu , a Muslim-majority village cluster encompassing three villages, we identify a multifaceted interplay of micro and macro forces perpetuating early marriage...

The objective of this study is to provide information on the reproductive biology of tomato hind grouper, Cephalopholis sonnerati (Valenciennes, 1828) for conservation and management purposes. Fish caught by artisanal fishermen from September 2019 to August 2021 were analysed. A total of 280 females, 31 males, and 4 transitional and 178 sex-undetermined fish were analysed. The female to male sex proportion was 9:1, and the fish reached a maximum total body length of 38.5 and 54.5 cm for females and males, respectively...

BACKGROUND: Despite cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in India, limited data exist regarding the factors associated with outcomes in patients with diabetes who suffer acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We examined 21,374 patients with AMI enrolled in the ACS QUIK trial. We compared in-hospital and 30-day major adverse cardiac events including death, re-infarction, stroke, or major bleeding in those with and without diabetes. The associations between diabetes and cardiac outcomes were adjusted for presentation and in-hospital management using logistic regression...

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in ischemic cardiomyopathy have a survival advantage over medical therapy at 10 years. The survival advantage of CABG over medical therapy is due to its ability to reduce future myocardial infarction, and by conferring electrical stability. The presence of myocardial viability does not provide a differential survival advantage for CABG over medical therapy. Presence of angina and inducible ischemia are also less predictive of outcome. Moreover, CABG is associated with significant early mortality...

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week yoga therapy intervention on insomnia severity and systolic blood pressure in older women experiencing insomnia. A sample of 30 participants, aged between 60 and 70 years, underwent interventions, starting with an initial full-day workshop followed by 60-minute sessions held six days per week in the mornings. Women screening positive for insomnia using the Insomnia Severity Index Questionnaire were eligible for participation. The majority of participants were aged between 60 and 65 years, with a slight majority residing with a spouse...

The present study focused on the mushroom Ganoderma, which has been used in Eastern countries for centuries as a food and medicinal source. Specifically, the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma applanatum from the Kerala Forest Research Institute in Thirussur, Kerala, India, were analyzed for their nutritional and medicinal properties. The methanolic extracts of G. applanatum were used to examine secondary metabolites and proximate profiles, revealing the presence of various phytochemicals such as terpenoids, phenolics, glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thyroid cancer, though relatively uncommon among all cancer types, stands as the primary form of endocrine tumor. Over the last 20 years, there has been a significant uptick in its occurrence. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which is well-differentiated, emerges as the dominant subtype, in regions where iodine levels are deemed adequate. The study aimed to study the clinicopathological profile of patients diagnosed with thyroid malignancies at the Muslim Educational Society (MES) Medical College Perinthalmanna...

BACKGROUND: In August 2023, the BA.2.86 SARS-CoV-2 variant, with over 30 spike protein mutations, emerged amidst the global dominance of XBB sub-lineages. It evolved into JN.1 by late 2023, spreading across 71 countries. JN.1, distinct for its L455S mutation, significantly dominated global sequences, raising concerns over its transmission and clinical impact. The study investigates JN.1's clinical severity and its effect on hospital admissions in Maharashtra, India. METHODOLOGY: The present study involved 3,150 curated Indian SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequences with collection dates between 1st August 2023 and 15th January 2024...

Monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) has gained importance because identifying the monoclonal deposit and addressing it, rather than treating renal dysfunction as the primary pathology, has salvaged the patients from progressing into end-stage renal disease. Since it affects elderly population, there could be a propensity to misdiagnose them with cardiorenal syndrome. We present four patients of MGRS diagnosed from our center. They presented with proteinuria or unexplained renal dysfunction. Three of the patients were diagnosed to have amyloidosis, of which two had lambda-type and one had kappa amyloidosis...

PURPOSE: Primary dental care facilities and awareness about temporomandibular disorders are lacking among the indigenous population of Kerala. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) disorders among the indigenous populations of Kerala. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study included adults aged 18 years and above, visiting primary health care centre in the tribal hamlet in the town of Kalpetta, Wayanad District, Kerala, India, for reasons other than dental...

OBJECTIVES: To compare whether the clinical features of preeclampsia (PE) or gestational hypertension (GH) were different in pregnancies after a frozen embryo transfer (FET), depending on the FET regimen used. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study including 58 pregnancies with PE and 64 pregnancies with GH, all with singleton live births. Pregnancies were stratified according to the presence or absence of a corpus luteum (CL). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical characteristics of PE and GH, maternal background factors, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), key perinatal outcomes...

Land use and land cover (LULC) analysis gives important information on how the region has evolved over time. Kerala, a land with an extensive and dynamic history of land-use changes, has, until now, lacked comprehensive investigations into this history. So the current study focuses on Kerala, one of the ecologically diverse states in India with complex topography, through Landsat images taken from 1990 to 2020 using two different machine learning classifications, random forest (RF) and classification and regression trees (CART) on Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The persistent threat of drug resistant malaria demands new cures. Low prevalence of malaria in the Indian state of Kerala compared with other proximal states made us explore if there is any traditional practice in Kerala which may confer protection against malaria. In this context, our attention was drawn to 'Pathimugam' i.e., Ceasalpinia sappan whose heartwood is used to prepare a red aqueous extract which is a uniquely popular drink in Kerala. METHODS: Aqueous and methanolic extracts of various organs of C...

OBJECTIVES: Exploring data on primary caregiver experiences of dealing with chronically ill children (CIC) strengthens the ability of paediatricians to improve the quality of care by detecting unmet needs in paediatric palliative care and understanding their original concerns instead of presumed needs. Hence, this study aims to identify and describe the primary concerns and challenges faced by caregivers of children with complex chronic conditions in a tertiary care hospital in Kerala...

OBJECTIVES: Kerala was the first state to implement a community-based, sustainable primary palliative care (PC) home care (HC) model. Beneficiary satisfaction, an important indicator to assess the quality of service provision with the HC program, has not been assessed since the programme was launched 14 years ago. This study tried to assess the satisfaction of beneficiaries receiving primary PC services through the Kerala State PC programme and the factors associated with the same. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional survey was conducted among 450 patients registered under the Kerala State Primary PC Programme...

Two new mealybug species, Paracoccusgillianwatsonae Zhang, sp. nov. and P.wui Zhang, sp. nov. , collected from Jiangxi, South China, are described and illustrated based on the morphology of adult females. Paracoccusgillianwatsonae is similar to P.burnerae (Brain, 1915), but it differs in having fewer pairs of cerarii, and in lacking both ventral oral collar tubular ducts on the margins of the head and translucent pores on the hind femur. Paracoccuswui resembles P.keralae Williams, 2004 and P.neocarens (Lit, 1992), but it differs in lacking ventral oral collar tubular ducts on the margins of the head and in having multilocular disc-pores usually in double rows at the posterior edges of abdominal segments V and VI...

The consumption of nitrate-contaminated groundwater is often associated with potential health risks, particularly in children. This study aimed to assess the hydrochemistry and nitrate contamination in groundwater of Kerala state, India for the years 2010 and 2018 and evaluate the potential human health risks due to nitrate exposure in adults, and children through oral ingestion and dermal contact pathways. Nitrate-contaminated zones were identified by spatial mapping of nitrate concentration based on groundwater quality data of 324 wells...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19, a pandemic since 2019, is still causing significant healthcare burden across the world. Although the disease primarily presents with respiratory symptoms, a multitude of signs and symptoms may be manifested elsewhere in the body. AIM: This study was to estimate the prevalence of oral manifestations in COVID-19 diagnosed patients and thereby understand the effects of corona virus disease on oral health. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 472 patients were evaluated using a questionnaire and further examined visually using a mouth mirror and a light source...

This research aimed to examine the association of job engagement among dental faculties in Kerala with certain sociodemographic and job-related factors. Job engagement levels were assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test. The findings revealed significant differences in job engagement based on the type of college, level of autonomy, and provision for time-bound cadre promotions. It also provided insights into the nonsignificant effects of gender, age, experience, and income on job engagement...

BACKGROUND: India accounts for one fourth of the TB burden globally. One of the objectives of the National Strategic Plan is to achieve 90% notification rate of all TB cases. Screening of high risk groups is one of the important components towards achieving this objective. Inmates of homes for the aged and orphanages are at higher risk of having TB infection and disease. Hence this study was conducted with the objective of identifying the prevalence of TB among inmates of homes for the aged and orphanages...