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Introduction: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a significant public health issue in India, where alcohol consumption is discouraged but often practiced excessively. In our country, with an emphasis on the family system, the spouses of individuals with alcohol dependence are also affected in many ways. The patients and their spouses are bound to affect each other, as spouses are usually the primary caregivers. Aim: To study the impact of AUD on the spouses of affected individuals, focusing on perceived stress, depression and anxiety. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 spouses of patients with AUD who visited the Psychiatry Outpatient Department (OPD) the Department of Psychiatry, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, a tertiary hospital in the Chennai suburban area over a period of two months. Data were collected between November 2021 and December 2021 using a socio-demographic proforma to record age, education, employment and the ages of children, among other factors. Assessment tools used included the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) for assessing depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 software. Independent t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for comparison. Results: The average age of the participants was 42.1±11.7 years, with moderate variability. Most participants were educated (81%), employed (84%) and residing in nuclear families (76%). The study revealed moderate levels of perceived stress (24.2), variable anxiety (19.2) and varying degrees of depression (16.4) among the spouses. Employed individuals had significantly lower anxiety and depression scores compared to non employed individuals. The correlations indicated positive associations between stress, anxiety and depression. Anxiety was positively correlated with the ages of male children (r=0.244, p=0.016) and female children (r=0.363, p=0.002). Similarly, depression was correlated with the ages of male children (r=0.258, p=0.011) and female children (r=0.292, p=0.014). Conclusion: The present study underscores the substantial impact of AUD on spouses, highlighting notable levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Employment status has emerged as a crucial factor influencing mental health outcomes.

Healthcare management, it involves various processes such as managing finance, logistics, inventory, staff, and patients. Nowadays, a healthcare system also faces many challenges regarding trust, privacy, security, traceability, immutability, and so forth. Here, the traditional data collection and processing of Electronic Health Records is a centralized technique that faces several risks that may cause system failure and affect the system's reliability. This article aims to develop secured data management in the healthcare sector using blockchain technology and deep learning. Here, the data is collected in the patient node and encrypting the data by Hybrid Elliptic Curve-Rivest–Shamir–Adleman Cryptography (H-EC-RSAC). The institution nodes handle the data for analysis, in which the concept of an improved deep neural network (DNN) is utilized. In addition, the blockchain sector stores the index and address of health data. The modification is done in both H-EC-RSAC and improved DNN by a hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm called adaptive mixture ratio-based Spider Monkey–Cat Swarm Optimization (AM-SMCSO) for enhancing encryption and authentication performance. Throughout the analysis, the accuracy of the AM-SMCSO-H-EC-RSAC + DNN attains 93.8%. The precision of the designed method achieves 93.2%. The developed approach proves its ability to offer maximum security to healthcare data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have reported an eco-friendly, very simple, in-situ method for the synthesis of silver-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (Ag-rGO) by using ascorbic acid and chitosan as stabilizing and reducing agents. Chitosan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide polymer with excellent adhesion properties which allows the binding of silver ions to the chitosan matrix, thereby reducing it. The addition of chitosan-stabilized silver nanoparticles to rGO increases its mechanical properties, yielding a nanocomposite. The catalytic activity of the synthesized silver-rGO nanocomposite for the reduction of p-nitrophenol is examined. The Ag-rGO exhibits good catalytic activity for the reduction of p-nitrophenol within a very short duration of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the safety and potential anti-lung cancer effects of combinations of phytol and α-bisabolol in Swiss albino mice. Both acute and subacute toxicity assessments showed that the combination of phytol and α-bisabolol is safe, with no adverse effects observed at higher concentrations. Hematological, biochemical, and histopathological tests showed no signs of toxicity in the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. The LD 50 was greater than 2000 mg/kg, indicating a large safety margin. Histopathological analysis confirmed cancer induction in the B(a)P-induced group, which had significantly altered relative lung weights. Lung weight increased slightly pre and post-treatment, but histopathology showed normal alveolar epithelium. GSH and SOD levels increased significantly in B(a)P-exposed groups, indicating an adaptive antioxidant response. CAT levels increased significantly in the post-treatment group, demonstrating the role of combination of phytol and α-bisabolol in protecting against B(a)P-induced oxidative damage. Upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2 caused a pro-apoptotic environment, suggesting a way to inhibit malignant cell survival. Modulation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 showed the complexity of carcinogen-induced apoptotic signaling. In conclusion, phytol and α-bisabolol were found to be safe and organ-protective, and demonstrated no acute or subacute toxicity. They modulate antioxidant defenses and apoptotic pathways, which may help prevent and treat lung cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)