Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, together known as KMC, are two private medical colleges in coastal Karnataka, India, established in 1953. The colleges were established as a single unit and later became two colleges with their own teaching hospitals. KMC was the first self-financing medical college in India. The colleges are constituent units of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University.
Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound(s) without external stimulation. It causes distress and is associated with psychological conditions like anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. It affects a significant proportion of the population in India. However, there are no standard established tinnitus treatment programs. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is proven to effectively reduce tinnitus-related distress and improve quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) adapted to Indian English for tinnitus management in the Indian population. The study used a pre-post intervention design and included 24 adults with chronic subjective tinnitus. They completed an 8-week ICBT program adapted from Beukes et al. (Internet Interv 6:6–15, 2016, Am J Audiol 29:97–109, 2020). Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) were used to assess tinnitus severity, anxiety, and depression pre- and post-intervention. TFI scores were significantly reduced post-intervention. HAM-A and HAM-D scores were also significantly reduced. The post-intervention scores had a large overall effect on tinnitus severity as well as anxiety and depression, with 62
Paediatric pelvic radiography is a frequently performed diagnostic procedure that exposes radiosensitive organs to ionising radiation. Optimisation of imaging parameters is essential to minimise radiation dose while preserving diagnostic image quality. This systematic review aimed to evaluate technical strategies for radiation dose optimisation in paediatric pelvic radiography and assess their impact on radiation dose and image quality. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published between 2004 and 2025. Experimental and clinical studies assessing radiation dose and image quality in paediatric pelvic radiography were included. Data on exposure parameters, dose metrics, and image quality assessment methods were extracted and synthesised narratively. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, predominantly comprising phantom-based experimental designs. Increasing tube potential (kVp), extending source-to-image distance (SID), and applying additional aluminium or copper filtration consistently reduced radiation dose. Dose reductions of up to 60–70
To determine whether 40% dextrose gel with oral feeds reduces NICU admission for asymptomatic hypoglycemia compared with standard care with oral feeds in at-risk neonates within 48 h of life. Secondary objectives were to assess rebound and recurrent hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and exclusive breastfeeding at discharge and at 6 weeks. Open-label randomized controlled trial conducted at a tertiary hospital in South India between April 2023 and May 2024. Neonates born at ≥ 35 weeks of gestation with asymptomatic hypoglycemia within the first 48 h of life were randomly assigned to receive either 200 mg/kg of oral 40% dextrose gel with oral feeds or standard care with oral feeds alone. The primary outcome was NICU admission for hypoglycemia. A total of 193 neonates were enrolled, with 98 in the standard care group and 95 in the gel group. Baseline characteristics were comparable. NICU admission for hypoglycemia occurred in 4.2% in gel group and 12.2% in standard care group (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.11-1.03; p = 0.06), with a number needed to treat of 13. Exclusive breastfeeding was higher in gel group at discharge (97% vs 76%; p < 0.001) and at 6 weeks (90% vs 69%; p < 0.001). Rebound hypoglycemia, recurrent hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia were similar between groups. CONCLUSION:Oral dextrose gel was associated with fewer NICU admissions, but the primary outcome did not reach statistical significance. Improved breastfeeding rates were observed as secondary outcomes. These findings should be interpreted cautiously and confirmed in adequately powered studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2023/02/050027). WHAT'S KNOWN:• Oral 40% dextrose gel is an eff ective fi rst-line treatment for neonatal hypoglycemia and has been shown to reduce treatment failure and intravenous glucose use in previous trials. • Existing evidence is predominantly from high-income settings, with limited randomized data from low- and middle-income countries assessing pragmatic outcomes such as NICU admission. WHAT IS NEW:• In this open-label randomized controlled trial, oral dextrose gel was associated with fewer NICU admissions for hypoglycemia (4.2% vs 12.2%) and higher exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge and 6 weeks compared with standard care. • These fi ndings support the potential utility of dextrose gel as a simple, low-cost intervention for managing neonatal hypoglycemia in resource-limited settings.
Abstract Background Correct attribution of the hand of origin from isolated fingerprints is crucial in forensic identification, as it can support scene reconstruction and narrow comparison efforts. However, evidence on directional and morphometric features relevant to hand determination remains scattered across small, methodologically heterogeneous studies. Main text Following the PRISMA guidelines, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for observational studies in adults that reported at least one ridge detail or geometric feature separately for left and right hands. Of the 191 records screened, 9 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised qualitatively. Most studies focused on whorl patterns, in Indian, Spanish, Caucasian, and Egyptian populations, using rolled inked fingerprints from all ten digits. Across studies, the slope of the apex ridges consistently showed a leftward trend in the left hand and a rightward trend in the right hand, while axis slant and rotation of the central ridges also demonstrated strong lateral preferences in whorl patterns. Ridge count, ridge tracing, delta-core distances, and angular measures around the core and deltas contributed additional discriminatory value, particularly when considered in combination rather than in isolation. Conclusions This systematic review indicates that several fingerprint features, particularly the slope of the apex ridges, the axis slant, and the rotation of the central ridges, can aid in distinguishing left- and right-hand impressions, mainly in whorl patterns. However, small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, uneven sex distributions, and a predominant focus on specific populations and pattern types limit the generalizability of the findings and prevent conclusions about diagnostic accuracy. Standardised measurement protocols and inclusion of all fingerprint patterns are needed to validate these parameters and to support evidence-based use of hand-origin inferences in forensic casework.
Leptospirosis is a globally prevalent zoonotic infection caused by Leptospira species. Cardiac involvement is increasingly recognized, yet large-scale studies comprehensively evaluating electrocardiographic and echocardiographic manifestations, including myocarditis, remain limited. This retrospective study included adult patients with clinically suspected leptospirosis and positive IgM ELISA admitted to a tertiary care hospital in South India between January 2016 and September 2020. Clinical features, electrocardiographic (ECG) findings, two-dimensional echocardiographic parameters, and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed. Binomial logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of all-cause mortality and myocarditis. A total of 510 patients were analyzed (mean age 48.4 ± 13.7 years; 66.5
