Search published articles
Showing 4 results for Kumar S
Volume 9, Issue 3 (Summer 2023)
Abstract
Background: The present study aimed to compare the clinical outcome as well as laboratory and clinical profiles of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with and without diabetes.
Materials & Methods: The present study is a retrospective study that included 266 non-diabetic and 259 diabetic patients who were admitted to a tertiary healthcare center in South India between March 2021 to April 2021.The objective of the study was to compare the clinical outcome and laboratory profiles of COVID-19 patients with and without diabetes. Patients aged 18 years or above, diagnosed with COVID-19 by either RT-PCR and/or HRCT chest as well as diagnosed to be diabetic or non-diabetic were included in the study. After observing inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study included patients whose medical records were scrutinized, and data was analyzed using SPSS v 28.0 and the continuous variables were expressed in mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum value. The categorical variables are expressed in frequency and percentage. Comparison was done using binomial test and Mann-Whitney U test while association was tested using Fischer exact test.
Findings: Primary outcomes show that higher number of patients with diabetes (84.94%) presented with abnormal Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and this difference was found to a statistically significant (p<0.001). Hypertension was the most common comorbidity among both diabetic (46.72%) and non-diabetic (33.52%) patients and it was shown to be associated with clinical outcome and oxygen requirement (p<0.001). A significant difference was observed in the mean score of age, total count, IL-6 and number of days admitted between COVID-19 subjects of both groups with the mean being higher in the group of patients with diabetes (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The results of the present study reinforce available evidence that IL-6 levels can be used to ascertain progression, morbidity, and mortality to ensure proper management of COVID-19 patients and that diabetes state results in higher total count, IL-6 and number of days admitted.
Volume 10, Issue 1 (Winter 2024)
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and D-dimer and their association with morbidity and mortality in elderly coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients and to assess their clinical outcomes.
Materials & Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted on elderly COVID-19 patients (≥60 years) diagnosed via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or radiological tests in a South Indian tertiary care hospital. Data encompassed demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, IL-6 and D-dimer levels, oxygen (O2) requirement, duration of hospital stay, and outcomes. Statistical analysis involved Chi-square test. A p-value of < .05 was considered statistically significant.
Findings: Among 1448 screened patients, 1380 patients with a mean age of 68.85±6.985 years were included in this study, of whom 61.67% were male. The mortality rate was 12.1% in males and 11% in females. Fever, cough, hypertension, and diabetes were common in most of the patients. The mean D-dimer and IL-6 levels were 2.687±5.189 mg/L fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU) and 95.72±335.62 pg/mL, respectively. Elevated D-dimer (71%) and IL-6 (87.7%) levels were significantly associated with oxygen requirement, morbidity, and mortality (p= .000). Sub-group analysis revealed a significant association between D-dimer and IL-6 levels and O2 requirement and mortality in diabetic and hypertensive patients (p= .000).
Conclusion: Serum IL-6 and D-dimer levels are significantly associated with morbidity and mortality in elderly COVID-19 patients. Elevated levels of these biomarkers also influence O2 requirement and mortality in patients with comorbidities, suggesting their potential use in risk stratification and management strategies for this vulnerable population.
Volume 17, Issue 5 (9-2015)
Abstract
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.) is a drought tolerant legume widely grown in the arid and semi-arid tropics of the world which possesses a deep and extensive root system that succors a number of important physiological and metabolic functions to cope with drought. Application of available functional genomics approaches to improve productivity under water deficit requires a better understanding of the mechanisms involved during pigeonpea’s response to water deficit stress. In order to identify the genes associated with water deficit in pigeonpea, Suppression Subtractive Hybridization cDNA library was constructed from polyethylene glycol-induced water deficit young root tissues from pigeonpea and 157 high quality ESTs were generated by sequencing of 300 random clones which resulted in 95 unigenes comprising 37 contigs and 58 singlets. The cluster analysis of ESTs revealed that the majority of the genes had significant similarity with known proteins available in the databases along with unique and hypothetical/uncharacterized proteins. These differential ESTs were characterized and genes relevant to the specific physiological processes were identified. Northern blot analysis revealed the up regulation of ornithine aminotransferase, cyclophilin, DREB and peroxidase. The differentially expressed sequences are conceived to serve as a potential source of stress inducible genes of the water deficit transcriptome and hence may provide useful information to understand the molecular mechanism of water deficit management in legumes.
Volume 26, Issue 4 (7-2024)
Abstract
The ultimate aim of education in developing countries is to earn a livelihood. Agricultural Sciences is taught in India in more than 74 agricultural universities. This paper examines entrepreneurial readiness and aims to understand the various factors underlying the entrepreneurial readiness of agricultural students. Data from 422 students from 9 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) in India formed the study sample. A self-reporting questionnaire was used to measure entrepreneurial readiness based on entrepreneurial intention, perceived ability, perceived attractiveness, entrepreneurial learning orientation, and passion for work. The correlation test revealed a positive correlation among all the variables, with correlation values ranging from 0.40 to 0.68. Most students (74.40%) had a medium level of entrepreneurial readiness. They were ambitious, willing to learn, and had the creativity, leadership, courage, and risk-bearing abilities required to be entrepreneurs. Regression analysis revealed that variables like gender, exposure to entrepreneurial training/workshops/seminars, and having an entrepreneur in the family are significant factors in entrepreneurial readiness. The findings help the agricultural universities' faculty and capacity building and training institutes design the contents of the entrepreneurship education programmes for agri-graduates to make them job providers rather than job seekers, thus contributing to an enhanced entrepreneurial ecosystem in agricultural universities.