Sonal Gupta

Discover the hidden microlettering on Indian rupee notes, how it works, why RBI uses it, and how it helps prevent counterfeiting.

A BC judge rejected a major landowner’s bid to reopen the Cowichan title case, a decision a First Nation chief says shows Aboriginal title cannot be treated as an afterthought once landowners dislike the outcome.

Discover the hidden microlettering on Indian rupee notes. Learn where to find it, how it works, why RBI uses it, and how it helps prevent counterfeiting.

Digital creators have built successful businesses beyond content, here's how creator-led brands are shaping India's entrepreneurial future.

Discover how India's biggest digital creators have built successful businesses beyond content. From Monk Entertainment and Bada Business to The 1% Club and BeastLife, here's how creator-led brands are

Share this article Container ships unload cargo at the Port of Prince Rupert, a key Pacific trade gateway to Asian markets. Photo by Flickr/James Wheeler (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Background and objectivePregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a major contributor to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Platelet count has been proposed as a simple hematological marker of disease severity. This study aimed to evaluate platelet count as a marker of PIH severity and examine its correlation with mean arterial pressure (MAP).MethodsThis hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study included 220 pregnant women at more than 20 weeks of gestation: 110 normotensive controls and 110 PIH cases, comprising 48 with gestational hypertension (GHTN), 39 with preeclampsia (PE), and 23 with severe preeclampsia (SPE). Continuous variables were summarized as the median (interquartile range (IQR)) because of their non-normal distribution. Platelet counts were measured using an automated hematology analyzer. Blood pressure and MAP were recorded using standard methods. Group comparisons were performed using appropriate non-parametric tests. The association between platelet count and MAP was also assessed. Exploratory receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the discriminatory performance of the platelet count.ResultsMedian age of the participants was similar across groups (p = 0.956). Median gestational age was significantly lower in women with PE and SPE than in normotensive women (p = 0.002). Platelet count showed a stepwise decline across groups, from 3.3 (2.9-3.6) ×10⁵/µL in normotensive women to 2.2 (2.1-2.4) ×10⁵/µL in GHTN (1.7 (1.4-1.9) ×10⁵/µL in PE, and 1.2 (1.1-1.3) ×10⁵/µL in SPE; p < 0.0001; η² ≈ 0.70). MAP increased progressively with disease severity and showed a strong inverse correlation with platelet count (Spearman's ρ = −0.774, p < 0.001). Exploratory ROC analysis showed good discriminatory performance of platelet count for PIH versus normotensive pregnancy (area under the curve (AUC): 0.95; optimal cut-off: 2.5×10⁵/µL; sensitivity: 90.0%; specificity: 90.9%) and for SPE versus non-severe disease (AUC: 0.96; optimal cut-off: 1.7×10⁵/µL; sensitivity: 95.7%; specificity: 86.8%).ConclusionsPlatelet count decreased progressively with increasing severity of PIH and was strongly inversely associated with MAP. Exploratory ROC findings suggest that platelet count has potential diagnostic utility, but the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the cross-sectional, single-center design. Prospective multicenter validation is needed before platelet count can be recommended as a standalone clinical marker.

Share this article Ships dock at Rio Tinto Alcan's Kitimat port on Douglas Channel in April 2014. File photo by: Mychaylo Prystupa / Vancouver Observer

Leonard Catling, a CMHC spokesperson, said more than 90 per cent of large and urban agreements included a change to allow some housing without extra approvals and all included at least one change to local housing rules. Of the communities that promised to allow more homes across the city through rezoning, roughly 85 per cent have already done so.

Share this article Lana Putnam rides a bus operated by TransLink, Metro Vancouver's transit agency, in downtown Vancouver on July 9, 2026.