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Background Menstrual cup is a reusable, cost-effective, user-friendly and environmentally friendly menstrual hygiene management method which can become a sustainable alternative to disposable sanitary pads. But its use is less among women due to lack of awareness and availability. The objective of this study is i) to assess the awareness of menstrual cup among reproductive age women ii) to estimate the proportion of menstrual cup users among the participants and iii) to assess the perception about menstrual cup among users and non-users.

Providing potential donors with information about the behavior of others (i.e., social information) is an increasingly used strategy to nudge prosocial decision-making. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ingroup vs. outgroup information on participants' charity preferences by applying a Drift Diffusion Model (DDM) approach. In a joint evaluation scenario, we manipulated different levels of ingroup/outgroup preference ratios for two charities within subjects. Every subject was presented with three stimulus types (i.e., high, medium, and low ingroup ratio) randomized in 294 trials divided into six blocks. We expected that for stimuli with a high ingroup/outgroup ratio, participants should more often and faster decide for the ingroup's most favored charity. We expected that the speed of evidence accumulation will be higher the larger the ingroup/outgroup ratio. Additionally, we investigated whether variations in model parameters can explain individual differences in participants' behaviors. Our results showed that people generally followed ingroup members' preferences when deciding for a charity. However, on finding an unexpected pattern in our results, we conducted post-hoc analyses which revealed two different behavioral strategies used by participants. Based on participants' decisions, we classified them into “equality driven” individuals who preferred stimuli with the least difference between ingroup and outgroup percentages or “ingroup driven” individuals who favored stimuli with the highest ingroup/outgroup ratio. Results are discussed in line with relevant literature, and implications for practitioners are given.

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Background: Jams are typically created from fruit pulp and juice, a combination of fruits, or a combination of fruits and vegetables. The research was conducted using papaya (Carica papaya), pineapple (Ananas comusus) pulps incorporated with Aloe vera gel to prepare blended jam in order to determine the acceptability of Aloe vera gel in fruit jam and select the best combination for jam preparation in terms of chemical constituents as well as sensory attributes with ten weeks of storage. Methods: The pulps were mixed in proportions according to the treatments and processed into jams with five repetitions in CRD (completely randomized design). The physico-chemical and organoleptic properties of jams have been evaluated. The most favored formulations on the day of preparation were T2, (Papaya: Pineapple: Aloe vera, 150:150:05), T4 (150:150:15) and T5 (150:150:20), based on sensory consistency characteristics, which were studied at 10 weeks of storage time. Result: Total jam results in T5 and T4 ratios were similarly best for higher levels of chemical constituents, i.e., total soluble solids, titratable acidity, moisture, ascorbic acid, pH and a lower percentage of total sugar. All chemical components were found to increase by up to 10 weeks with the exception of pH, moisture and ascorbic acid, which decreased with storage time. T4 was better found to have higher aroma, texture, taste and overall acceptability score with respect to sensory characters. During storage, all sensorial characters were found to decrease. In view of the above chemical constituents and the sensory characteristics of the substance, the 150:150:15 (T4) ratio was found to be better than the remainder of the jam ratio during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research indicates heavy backpacks can cause students to adjust their posture, potentially harming their spine and shoulders. This study focuses on musculoskeletal pain in schoolchildren in Bangalore, attributed to backpack weight, and examines postural impacts in both urban and rural settings. Methodology: With consent, 500 students from various schools underwent physical measurements, including backpack weight, and provided data through questionnaires. Postural angles were assessed without backpacks to determine the impact of weight. Findings: On average, students carried backpacks weighing 6.53 kg, about 13.53% of their body weight. Pain was reported by 50.9% of boys and 63.9% of girls, with a higher incidence among girls from private schools (88.2%) compared to boys from government schools (51.6%). Conclusion: A significant link was found between heavier backpacks and decreased craniovertebral angle, head on neck (HON), and head and neck on trunk (HNOT) angles, aligning with increased pain prevalence. This underscores the health risks of heavy school backpacks and the need for weight management.

Water hyacinth, the devastating weed grows in water bodies either naturally or as a result of human interference, is considered as threat to environment due to its negative effects on aquatic ecosystems. To alleviate its negative impact utilization of those become as better mean in recent decades. As such, water hyacinth is known to has potential to be utilized as nutrient source via composting, all most all types of composting techniques are applicable in preparation of compost from water hyacinth. Being an organic source, water hyacinth helps build up soil organic matter, in turn play vital role in the enrichment of the soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Aggregation of soil particles, porosity, density, water holding capacity, nutrient availability, cation exchange capacity, pH, soil microorganism are the soil properties reported to improve with water hyacinth compost application. Moreover, water hyacinth compost seems to be far better than the animal manures in improvement of soil properties. As a result, water hyacinth compost shows magnificent effect of plant agronomic growth parameters such as germination percentage, number of leaves, leaf area index, plant height, length of shoot and root, root: shoot ratio, biomass content as well as yield parameters. However, utilization of water hyacinth has few challenges like difficulties in harvesting, chance for heavy metal accumulation, hardness during decomposition, less awareness. Properly managed water hyacinth compost would serve as an alternative for inorganic nutrient sources in future thus indirectly the threat caused by this aquatic weed on environmental would become minimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing number of patients eligible for immune checkpoint inhibitors, the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) is on the rise. Dermatologic immune-related adverse events (D-irAEs) are the most common and earliest to manifest, often with important downstream consequences for the patient. Current guidelines lack clarity in terms of diagnostic criteria for D-irAEs. The goal of this project is to better define D-irAE for the purposes of identification, diagnosis, and future study of this important group of diseases.The objectives of this project were to develop consensus guidance for an approach to D-irAEs including disease definitions and severity grading. Knowing that consensus among oncologists, dermatologists, and irAE subspecialists would be critical for usability, we formed a Dermatologic irAE Disease Definition Panel. The panel was composed of 34 experts, including oncologists, dermatologists, a rheumatologist, and an allergist/immunologist from 22 institutions across the USA and internationally. A modified Delphi consensus process was used, with two rounds of anonymous ratings by panelists and two virtual meetings to discuss areas of controversy. Panelists rated content for usability, appropriateness, and accuracy on 9-point scales in electronic surveys and provided free text comments. A working group aggregated survey responses and incorporated them into revised definitions. Consensus was based on numeric ratings using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method with prespecified definitions.Following revisions based on panelist feedback, all items received consensus in the second round of ratings. Consensus definitions were achieved for 10 core D-irAE diagnoses: ICI-vitiligo, ICI-lichen planus, ICI-psoriasis, ICI-exanthem, ICI-bullous pemphigoid, ICI-Grover’s, ICI-eczematous, ICI-eruptive atypical squamous proliferation, ICI-pruritus without rash, and ICI-erosive mucocutaneous. A standard evaluation for D-irAE was also found to reach consensus, with disease-specific exceptions detailed when necessary. Each disorder’s description includes further details on disease subtypes, symptoms, supportive exam findings, and three levels of diagnostic certainty (definite, probable, and possible).These consensus-driven disease definitions standardize D-irAE classification in a useable framework for multiple disciplines and will be the foundation for future work. Given consensus on their accuracy and usability from a representative panel group, we anticipate that they can be used broadly across clinical and research settings.

Objective. To create a prediction model for preterm neonatal mortality. Methods. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from a prospective cohort study, the Project to Understand and Research Preterm Pregnancy Outcome South Asia. The Cox proportional hazard model was used and adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were reported. Results. Overall, 3446 preterm neonates were included. The mean age of preterm neonates was 0.65 (1.25) hours and 52% were female. The preterm neonatal mortality rate was 23.3%. The maternal factors predicting preterm neonatal death was any antepartum hemorrhage, AHR 1.99 (1.60-2.47), while neonatal predictors were preterm who received positive pressure ventilation AHR 1.30 (1.08-1.57), temperature

The objective of the study is to compare and evaluate the efficacy of atorvastatin (group – A) versus rosuvastatin (group – B) on baseline parameters like lipid profile tests and to assess the risk of metabolic syndrome using a Mets calculator. A total of 100 patients were enclosed in the present study who met the inclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups based on their treatment plan Group A includes 24 males and 26 females while Group B includes 23 males and 27 females. The mean differences before treatment for group A and group B are as follows, HDL (31.52±0.35 and 28.34±0.480), LDL (161.4±1.09 and 163.16±0.94), Total cholesterol (252.82±1.09 and 255.56±1.26) and Triglycerides (214.2±0.86 and 215.98±0.62), VLDL (35.98±0.56 and 36.12±0.43). The mean differences after treatment for group A and group B are as follows HDL (39.92±0.46 and 42.04±0.30), LDL (144.96±0.68 and 138.34±0.73), Total cholesterol (181.48±1.98 vs 174.32±2.08), Triglycerides (185.94±1.22 vs 181.74±1.77), VLDL (27.14±0.21 and 24.72±0.27). Group B (P=0.001) exhibited a significantly greater reduction in cholesterol levels as compared to Group A (P = 0.002). The reductions in LDL, VLDL, Total Cholesterol, and Triglycerides along with increased HDL levels were found to be significantly more in the Rosuvastatin group. In this study, we observed that patients on Rosuvastatin exhibited better control over lipid profile when compared to patients who are on Atorvastatin. Since, this study was conducted on a smaller number of patients, to make consecutive remarks about the superiority of either of the treatment regimen; further analysis of clinical trials is required for appropriate selection of the best statin therapy.

In today’s investment landscape, the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors with data-driven strategies is pivotal. This study delves into this fusion, employing sophisticated statistical techniques and Python programming to unveil insights often overlooked by traditional approaches. By analyzing extensive datasets, including S&P500 financial indicators from 2012 to 2021 and 2021 ESG metrics, investors can enhance portfolio performance. Emphasizing ESG integration for sustainable investing, the study underscores the potential for alpha generation. Time series analysis further elucidates market dynamics, empowering investors to align with both financial objectives and ethical values. Notably, the research uncovers a positive correlation between ESG risk and total risk, suggesting that companies with lower ESG risk tend to outperform those with higher ESG risk. Moreover, employing a long–short ESG risk strategy yields abnormal returns of approximately 4.37%. This integration of ESG factors not only mitigates risks associated with environmental, social, and governance issues but also capitalizes on opportunities for sustainable growth, fostering responsible investing practices and ensuring long-term financial returns, resilience, and value creation.

Background: Human Papilloma Virus is a DNA virus that causes wart, precancerous lesions, depending on the site affected increase the risk of cancer of the cervix, vagina, penis, anus, mouth, tonsils or throat. In India, cervical Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in women aged 15 to 44 yrs. Recombinant vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix have been approved, Due to lack of knowledge, fear of side-effects & high-cost acceptance was found to be poor. Objective: To determine the Perception and practices of HPV virus and its vaccine among medical students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from JUNE to AUGUST 2023, in a tertiary care centre, among medical students from 1st to final yr. List of all the students were obtained and 75 participants from each year were selected through simple random sampling using random number table method & total 300 participants were included in the study. Data was collected by using google form, using a self-made validated questionnaire. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel & analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: The study found that 61.5% of respondents were aware of HPV, with 76.5% believing it causes over 50% of cervical cancer cases. Awareness about mode of transmission was found as 88% sexually, 70.5% through needle sharing & 66.4% during pregnancy. Awareness about preventive measures found that 91.3% knew about condoms as partial protection & 39.7% said OCPs. 80% of participants being aware of the HPV vaccine, only 18.3% received it. reasons for not getting vaccinated were 56.4% had lack of knowledge &16.8% fear of side-effects. 81.9% of them aware of HPV vaccine, 24.4% said HPV vaccine’s availability for 9-14 yrs, 36.9% knew about recommended doses, 34.6% about the vaccine type. Conclusion: Despite of having awareness about HPV vaccine only few participants had taken the vaccine.

A metal-resistant bacterium Pseudomonas parafulva OS-1 was isolated from waste-contaminated soil in Ranchi City, India. The isolated strain OS-1 showed its growth at 25–45°C, pH 5.0–9.0, and in the presence of ZnSO4 (upto 5 mM). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain OS-1 belonged to the genus Pseudomonas and was most closely related to parafulva species. To unravel the genomic features, we sequenced the complete genome of P. parafulva OS-1 using Illumina HiSeq 4,000 sequencing platform. The results of average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis indicated the closest similarity of OS-1 to P. parafulva PRS09-11288 and P. parafulva DTSP2. The metabolic potential of P. parafulva OS-1 based on Clusters of Othologous Genes (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) indicated a high number of genes related to stress protection, metal resistance, and multiple drug-efflux, etc., which is relatively rare in P. parafulva strains. Compared with other parafulva strains, P. parafulva OS-1 was found to have the unique β-lactam resistance and type VI secretion system (T6SS) gene. Additionally, its genomes encode various CAZymes such as glycoside hydrolases and other genes associated with lignocellulose breakdown, suggesting that strain OS-1 have strong biomass degradation potential. The presence of genomic complexity in the OS-1 genome indicates that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) might happen during evolution. Therefore, genomic and comparative genome analysis of parafulva strains is valuable for further understanding the mechanism of resistance to metal stress and opens a perspective to exploit a newly isolated bacterium for biotechnological applications.

Abstract Background According to global estimates for 2017, nearly 295,000 maternal deaths occurred worldwide. Thus, approximately 810 women die every day due to pregnancy-related complications. This burden of maternal deaths in LMICs is primarily due to poor healthcare service utilization, as indicated by relatively low rates of institutional deliveries and skilled-birth attendance (SBA). We conducted this study with an aim to assess the factors associated with home delivery and its subsequent effect on the pregnancy outcome in rural Sindh, Pakistan. Methods Data for this study were taken from The Global Network’s Maternal Newborn Health Registry (MNHR), which is a prospective, population-based observational cohort study. Registry data for 2018–2019 for District Thatta, Pakistan was retrieved for the analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the effect of each independent variable on the place of delivery by including all predictors and covariates. Results of the regression analyses are presented with crude odds ratios (OR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results A total of 4649 women were included in the study, of these, 1286 (27.7%) women had delivered at home. Of those who delivered at home, a larger proportion was illiterate (90%), had a BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m2 (26.0%), had parity of 3 or more (48.1%), and had a history of pregnancy loss as compared to women who had institutional delivery. In addition, two-thirds of women (63.4%) who had delivered at home had less than 4 ANC visits, whereas 15.6% did not receive any ANC. On multivariable logistic regression we found that home delivery was significantly associated with being illiterate (aOR = 1.60; [95% CI: 1.34, 2.04]), having high parity (aOR = 1.91; [95% CI: 1.58, 2.32]), and no ANC visit (aOR = 14.8; [95% CI: 10.2, 21.5]). Conclusions More than a quarter of our study sample women delivered at home. These women were illiterate, multiparous, and did not receive antenatal care during pregnancy. It is essential to conduct extensive educational interventions for the women and their family members regarding the potential benefits of delivering in a safe and skilled environment. Moreover, the provision of comprehensive and quality antenatal care should be ensured as it improves the mothers' health-seeking behavior and helps them make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Deciphering the virulence factors, regulation, and immune response to Acinetobacter baumannii infectionAcinetobacter baumannii is a gram-negative multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen and a major cause of hospital acquired infetions. Carbapenem resistant A. baumannii has been categorised as a Priority1 critial pathogen by the World Health Organisation. A. baumannii is responsible for infections in hospital settings, clinical sectors, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and bloodstream infections with a mortality rates up to 35%. With the development of advanced genome sequencing, molecular mechanisms of manipulating bacterial genomes, and animal infection studies, it has become more convenient to identify the factors that play a major role in A. baumannii infection and its persistence. In the present review, we have explored the mechanism of infection, virulence factors, and various other factors associated with the pathogenesis of this organism. Additionally, the role of the innate and adaptive immune response, and the current progress in the development of innovative strategies to combat this multidrug-resistant pathogen is also discussed.

Anaphylaxis, a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction, is a feared but uncommon complication of medications administered in the perioperative period. The incidence of perioperative hypersensitivity reactions has been reported to range from 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 1,361. Anesthesiologists are well aware of common causes of hypersensitivity such as paralytics and antibiotics; however, less common triggers of anaphylaxis need to be considered as well. Midazolam, a short acting benzodiazepine metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, is considered very safe with a minimal risk profile. Previous reports have described adverse reactions to occur within seconds to minutes following the administration of midazolam. We describe a patient with no known history of asthma or allergies who underwent elective hydrocelectomy with spinal analgesia without incident until 42 minutes later at the conclusion of the procedure, when they experienced circulatory collapse necessitating immediate emergency treatment. This case emphasizes the necessity to improve knowledge and awareness of delayed hypersensitivity reactions following the administration of perioperative medications such as midazolam.

Drug delivery can be defined as the group of approaches a drug or pharmacologically active agent can be transported to the target cell to treat disease or health issue. Conventional routes for drug delivery are oral, buccal, rectal, subcutaneous, intranasal, intramuscular, intravenous, pulmonary and transdermal. These are the commonly used methods for treatment of various medical problems but have certain limitations such as instability, risk of displacement, uncontrolled release, side effect such as irritation and pain, slow absorption, enzymatic deterioration and many others. Incorporation of drug into nanocarrier is one of the efficient methods for targeted and sustained delivery of drug. Applications of nanocarriers such as solid nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, virus like nanoparticles, carbon nanotube and mesoporous silica nanoparticles are discussed in this review. To overcome drawbacks of drug delivery, innovative delivery systems are designed usually termed as smart drug delivery systems which include nucleic acid-based drug delivery system, cell-based drug delivery system, self-nano emulsifying drug delivery system, self-micro emulsifying drug delivery system, chemical and physical stimuli-based drug delivery system, nanoneedles, patches, ultrasound drug delivery and microchip technology. This article focuses of the basic mechanism of drug delivery, pharmacokinetic study, recent innovations and future trends of the drug delivery system.

Introduction: Most patients with advanced NSCLC will experience disease progression and death within 2 years. Novel approaches are needed to improve outcomes. Methods: We conducted an open-label, nonrandomized, phase 2 trial in patients with treatment-naive, advanced NSCLC to assess the safety and efficacy of nivolumab 360 mg every 3 weeks, ipilimumab 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks, and four to six cycles of paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of every 21-day treatment. The primary end point of the study was median progression-free survival (PFS), with secondary end points of safety, objective response rate, and median overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 46 patients underwent consent and received treatment. The median age was 66 (range: 48–82) years, most had adenocarcinoma (63%), and 50% (23) had programmed death-ligand 1 greater than or equal to 1%. The median follow-up on the study as of October 2021 was 19 months. The primary end point of median PFS was 9.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9–16.6) in all patients regardless of programmed death-ligand 1 expression. The objective response rate for patients in the study was 47.8% (95% CI: 33.4–62.3). The 12-month OS rate was 69.5% (95% CI: 53%–81%), and median OS was not yet reached. Treatment-related grade greater than or equal to 3 adverse events was found in 54.3% of the patients. Conclusions: The toxicity observed was consistent with other reported chemo-immunotherapeutic combinations and was manageable. The primary end point of exceeding median PFS of 9 months was achieved with nivolumab, ipilimumab, and weekly paclitaxel and should be evaluated further in a randomized trial.

The absence of a tooth in the oral cavity may be the result of some obstruction with the process of tooth eruption. Physical obstruction can result from many different causes, such as supernumerary teeth, mucosal barrier, scar tissue, and cysts or tumors. Their removal will usually permit the affected tooth to erupt. This case report describes the delayed eruption of the permanent mandibular first molar in a 9-year-old boy due to the dentigerous cyst associated with it. The management was done through a multidisciplinary approach. Surgical removal of cystic sac through marsupialization along with the removal of the barrier was done. As a consequence of delayed eruption of the permanent first molar, the opposing tooth had supraerupted, which was intruded using mini-implants. Following this, the tooth erupted satisfactorily into the oral cavity to establish class I molar relation.

Decades of intense scientific research investigations clearly suggest that only a subset of a large number of metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and nanomaterials are suitable as biomaterials for a growing number of biomedical devices and biomedical uses. However, biomaterials are prone to microbial infection due to Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), hepatitis, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and many more. Hence, a range of surface engineering strategies are devised in order to achieve desired biocompatibility and antimicrobial performance in situ. Surface engineering strategies are a group of techniques that alter or modify the surface properties of the material in order to obtain a product with desired functionalities. There are two categories of surface engineering methods: conventional surface engineering methods (such as coating, bioactive coating, plasma spray coating, hydrothermal, lithography, shot peening, and electrophoretic deposition) and emerging surface engineering methods (laser treatment, robot laser treatment, electrospinning, electrospray, additive manufacturing, and radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique). Atomic-scale engineering, such as chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer etching, plasma immersion ion deposition, and atomic layer deposition, is a subsection of emerging technology that has demonstrated improved control and flexibility at finer length scales than compared to the conventional methods. With the advancements in technologies and the demand for even better control of biomaterial surfaces, research efforts in recent years are aimed at the atomic scale and molecular scale while incorporating functional agents in order to elicit optimal in situ performance. The functional agents include synthetic materials (monolithic ZnO, quaternary ammonium salts, silver nano-clusters, titanium dioxide, and graphene) and natural materials (chitosan, totarol, botanical extracts, and nisin). This review highlights the various strategies of surface engineering of biomaterial including their functional mechanism, applications, and shortcomings. Additionally, this review article emphasizes atomic scale engineering of biomaterials for fabricating antimicrobial biomaterials and explores their challenges.

In a report by WHO (2014), it was stated that antimicrobial resistance is an arising challenge that needs to be resolved. This resistance is a critical issue in terms of disease or infection treatment and is usually caused due to mutation, gene transfer, long-term usage or inadequate use of antimicrobials, survival of microbes after consumption of antimicrobials, and the presence of antimicrobials in agricultural feeds. One of the solutions to this problem is antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are ubiquitously present in the environment. These peptides are of concern due to their special mode of action against a wide spectrum of infections and health-related problems. The biomedical field has the highest need of AMPs as it possesses prominent desirable activity against HIV-1, skin cancer, breast cancer, in Behcet’s disease treatment, as well as in reducing the release of inflammatory cells such as TNFα, IL-8, and IL-1β, enhancing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 and GM-CSF, and in wound healing properties. This review has highlighted all the major functions and applications of AMPs in the biomedical field and concludes the future potential of AMPs.

Acquisition of managerial soft skills through training is essential and leads to better performing managers. Organizations recruiting managers would be encouraged to look beyond traditional skill-based training. The success and performance of managers depend not only on effective job-based training, but also on soft skills development. This paper offers insights into the ability to accurately assess the effectiveness of training in the soft skills arena. Contrary to the mainstream literature that focuses on hard skill development through training sessions, this paper draws attention to the capacity of training sessions to foster the soft skills required to be a competent manager. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About one-third of the total food produced is wasted, rising the concern to adopt proper management. Simultaneously with the increase in population, demand for food is increasing which may lead to scarcity. Adequate packaging is one of the ways to avoid deterioration of food and prevent wastage. In recent years, active packaging has attained interest due to its commendable results in food preservation. Several studies proved that the embodiment of antimicrobial components into the packaging material has the ability to prevent microbial contamination. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are newly discovered antimicrobial agents for impregnation into packaging material. Among various sources for AMP, insects have shown great resistivity against a wide spectrum of microorganisms. Insects feed on substances consisting of a varying range of contaminations, which often results in infections. Insects synthesise AMPs to fight such infections and survive in that atmosphere. The disease-causing agents in humans are the same as those found in insects. Hence, AMPs extracted from insects have the potential to fight the microorganisms that act as hazards to human health. This review highlights the harvesting and synthesis of AMPs from Hermetia illucens, which is a promising source for AMP and its applications in the food packaging industry.

ABSTRACT: Objective: To describe a rare case of Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) as a result of hyperemesis gravidarum due to primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in pregnancy.Methods: We present the clinical presentation, supportive laboratory values, diagnostic dilemmas, treatment, clinical outcome, and supportive literature review of a patient with WE as a result of hyperemesis gravidarum due to PHPT in pregnancy.Results: A 27-year-old previously healthy G1P0 female presented with initial symptoms of right upper-quadrant pain, nausea, vomiting, and paresthesias at 17.3 weeks of gestation. The patient later developed neurologic symptoms including acute encephalopathy, ataxia, and intranuclear ophthalmoplegia. The suspicion for WE was confirmed with characteristic findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging. WE was attributed to severe malnutrition from hyperemesis gravidarum and poor prenatal care. Hypercalcemia with an elevated parathyroid hormone level was identified following an unfortunate intrauterine fetal demise, raising suspicion for PHPT. PHPT was confirmed, and after undergoing successful parathyroidectomy, the patient regained normal neurologic function, with the exception of mild lower-extremity paresthesias.Conclusion: This case is an example where early recognition and treatment of hyperparathyroidism can be masked by severe malnutrition and present in an unusual way with neurologic symptoms of WE. Early recognition and suspicion are critical in preventing poor fetal outcomes and long-term consequences.Abbreviations: IV = intravenous; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; PTH = parathyroid hormone; PHPT = primary hyperparathyroidism; WE = Wernicke encephalopathy

Efforts to meet human water needs only at local scales may cause negative environmental externality and stress on the water system at regional and global scales. Hence, assessing SDG targets requires a broad and in-depth knowledge of the global to local dynamics of water availability and use. Further, Interconnection and trade-offs between different SDG targets may lead to sub-optimal or even adverse outcome if the set of actions are not properly pre-designed considering such interlinkages. Thus scientific research and evidence have a role to play in facilitating the implementation of SDGs through assessments and policy engagement from global to local scales. The paper addresses some of these challenges related to implementation and monitoring the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals from a water perspective, based on the key findings of a conference organised in 2015 with the focus on three essential aspects of SDGs- indicators, interlinkages and implementation. The paper discusses that indicators should not be too simple but ultimately deliver sustainability measures. The paper finds that remote sensing and earth observation technologies can play a key role in supporting the monitoring of water targets. It also recognises that implementing SDGs is a societal process of development, and there is need to link how SDGs relate to public benefits and communicate this to the broader public.

Several developing countries seek to build knowledge-based economies by attempting to expand scientific research capabilities. Characterizing the state and direction of progress in this arena is challenging but important. Here, we employ three metrics: a classical metric of productivity (publications per person), an adapted metric which we denote as Revealed Scientific Advantage (developed from work used to compare publications in scientific fields among countries) to characterize disciplinary specialty, and a new metric, scientific indigeneity (defined as the ratio of publications with domestic corresponding authors) to characterize the locus of scientific activity that also serves as a partial proxy for local absorptive capacity. These metrics-using population and publications data that are available for most countries-allow the characterization of some key features of national scientific enterprise. The trends in productivity and indigeneity when compared across other countries and regions can serve as indicators of strength or fragility in the national research ecosystems, and the trends in specialty can allow regional policy makers to assess the extent to which the areas of focus of research align (or not align) with regional priorities. We apply the metrics to study the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-a region where science and technology capacity will play a key role in national economic diversification. We analyze 9.8 million publication records between 1981-2013 in 17 countries of MENA from Morocco to Iraq and compare it to selected countries throughout the world. The results show that international collaborators increasingly drove the scientific activity in MENA. The median indigeneity reached 52% in 2013 (indicating that almost half of the corresponding authors were located in foreign countries). Additionally, the regional disciplinary focus in chemical and petroleum engineering is waning with modest growth in the life sciences. We find repeated patterns of stagnation and contraction of scientific activity for several MENA countries contributing to a widening productivity gap on an international comparative yardstick. The results prompt questions about the strength of the developing scientific enterprise and highlight the need for consistent long-term policy for effectively addressing regional challenges with domestic research.

INTRODUCTION:Twitter channels are increasingly popular at medical conferences. Many groups, including healthcare providers and third party entities (e.g., pharmaceutical or medical device companies) use these channels to communicate with one another. These channels are unregulated and can allow third party commercial entities to exert an equal or greater amount of Twitter influence than healthcare providers. Third parties can use this influence to promote their products or services instead of sharing unbiased, evidence-based information. In this investigation we quantified the Twitter influence that third party commercial entities had in 13 major medical conferences. METHODS:We analyzed tweets contained in the official Twitter hashtags of thirteen medical conferences from 2011 to 2013. We placed tweet authors into one of four categories based on their account profile: healthcare provider, third party commercial entity, none of the above and unknown. We measured Twitter activity by the number of tweet authors per category and the tweet-to-author ratio by category. We measured Twitter influence by the PageRank of tweet authors by category. RESULTS:We analyzed 51159 tweets authored by 8778 Twitter account holders in 13 conferences that were sponsored by 5 medical societies. A quarter of all authors identified themselves as healthcare providers, while only 18% could be identified as third party commercial entities. Healthcare providers had a greater tweet-to-author ratio than their third party commercial entity counterparts (8.98 versus 6.93 tweets). Despite having less authors and composing less tweets, third party commercial entities had a statistically similar PageRank as healthcare providers (0.761 versus 0.797). CONCLUSION:The Twitter influence of third party commercial entities (PageRank) is similar to that of healthcare providers. This finding is interesting because the number of tweets and third party commercial entity authors required to achieve this PageRank is far fewer than that needed by healthcare providers. Without safety mechanisms in place, the Twitter channels of medical conferences can devolve into a venue for the spread of biased information rather than evidence-based medical knowledge that is expected at live conferences. Continuing to measure the Twitter influence that third parties exert can help conference organizers develop reasonable guidelines for Twitter channel activity.

This study was conducted to survey the facilities, bed strength, functional characteristics, manpower, operational practices and distribution of intensive care units in Bangladesh. Direct interview of consultants in charge of different Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the city of Dhaka was conducted by a structured questionnaire. All Adult Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Coronary Care Units (CCUs) with ventilator support in the city of Dhaka belonging to government and private sectors were included. Our survey showed that 90% of all Intensive Care Units in Bangladesh were located in the city of Dhaka. There were 40 Intensive Care Units in the city of Dhaka, of which 33 were ICUs and 7 CCUs with ventilator support (also considered as ICU). Only 4 (10%) ICUs were located in government hospitals. Rest of the ICUs was in private hospitals / clinics. Total number of ICU beds was 424 and total numbers of beds in these hospitals were 8824. So 4.8% of total hospital beds were provisioned for critical care. Among these only 240 beds (60%) had ventilator support. 27(68%) of the 40 ICUs were multidisciplinary, 7(18%) CCUs, 5(12%) cardiac surgery and 1(2%) neurology. 64% ICUs were run by anesthesiologists. 85% facilities were open units as opposed to 15% closed units. Nurse: bed ratio of 1:1 was seen in 15(42%) facilities. On duty doctor: patient ratio was variable and highest was 1:4 in 9 ICUs (27 %). ICUs in Bangladesh are mainly situated in the city of Dhaka and mostly in the private sector. The standards and management strategies vary greatly. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(1): 13-16

Biofilm formation in food processing industry may lead to several chronic diseases such as typhoid, shigellosis, listeriosis, cholera etc. The monitoring and control of pathogens in processing lines are crucial in order to avoid contamination of products. Various disinfectants (iodine, methanol, chlorine, dettol) were taken to observe their effect on axenic biofilm and xenic biofilm. The following study evaluated the anti-biofilm effect of disinfectant solutions against single specie and multi species biofilm formation on stainless steel surface. Ten minuteexposure with sanitizing solutions that are iodine, methanol, chlorine and dettol had significantly reduced the cell counts. The resistance against iodine was observed in both types of biofilm and CFU count on single species biofilm was 4.48x10^8 and of the multi species biofilm was5.2x10^8. Methanol showed to be good in killing for single species biofilm while multi species biofilm was resistant to it and it CFU count on macConkey agar was 1.7x10^9. Chlorine and dettol cause total degradation in the cell counts of both types of biofilm. The present study showed that, multi species biofilms are more resistant to disinfection as compared to mono specie biofilm. It ought to be taken into consideration that chemical disinfection technique shall give a fascinating, efficient result and not inflicting any adverse result in human health. Additionally to, the chemical disinfectants like chlorine and dettol, have a progressive role to play in preventing food borne illness.