Search

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the development of various opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. An abundant number of applications have surfaced responding to the pandemic, while some other applications were futile. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the perception and opportunities of AI used during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the perception of medical data analysts about the inclusion of AI in medical education. Material and Methods: This study adopted a mixed-method research design conducted among medical doctors for the quantitative part while including medical data analysts for the qualitative interview. Results: The study reveals that nearly 64.8% of professionals were working in high COVID-19 patient-load settings and had significantly more acceptance of AI tools compared to others (P < 0.05). The learning barrier like engaging in new skills and working under a non-medical hierarchy led to dissatisfaction among medical data analysts. There was widespread recognition of their work after the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Notwithstanding that the majority of professionals are aware that public health emergency creates a significant strain on doctors, the majority still have to work in extremely high case load setting to demand solutions. AI applications are still not being integrated into medicine as fast as technology has been advancing. Sensitization workshops can be conducted among specialists to develop interest which will encourage them to identify problem statements in their fields, and along with AI experts, they can create AI-enabled algorithms to address the problems. A lack of educational opportunities about AI in formal medical curriculum was identified.

Abstract This research paper explores the performance of electrorheological fluids, widely known as smart fluids, which are popular because they experience immediate changes in their characteristics when applied to exterior magnetic or electric field. On application of high voltage, the ER fluid alters its form to semisolid from viscous liquid within a few milliseconds, which is reversible. The reversible nature of ER fluid was employed to absorb vibrations during hard machining. In this research, the consequence of the application of electric field to the ER characteristics of numerous non‐Newtonian fluids with an accumulation of TiO2 and Al2O3 nano elements are investigated. The purpose of this research is to discover the ER sample, which has the highest viscosity, highest breakdown voltage, but less sedimentation. So the selected sample can be used in ER dampers for the purpose of shock absorption. The ER fluid behaves as a mainspring with nonlinear vibration features that are managed by an arrangement of ER fluid, the structure of plunger, and the constraints of applied electric field. In this research, we have employed steel metallic specimens made from EN24T of 302BHN and the machining experiments are conducted to attain the shape parameters that can reduce the tool vibration and help improve the process of cutting at the time of machining with minimum application of fluid utilizing hard metal inserts. In this work, cutting tool parameters were analyzed like cutting force, tool wear, tool vibration amplitude, and surface roughness. It was observed that ER damper has shown its better performance at 5KV. At 5KV, cutting force was the least, tool wear was the least, tool vibration amplitude was the least, and surface roughness was the least. The use of an ER fluid damper decreases tool vibrations and successfully enhances machining performance. The machining industry will be benefited with commercialization of this technique.

Background: Medical practitioners are a very credible source of information related to nutrition that decides an individual’s health status. Hence, this study was conducted with an objective to assess the knowledge and competency of the future medical practitioners regarding nutrition in health and disease. Methods: This study was conducted among the interns of two batches. Interns answered a pre tested structured questionnaire containing multiple choice questions regarding knowledge related to nutrition. Based on the points scored in this, study participants were classified as high and low scorers. Among the high and low scoring interns, 10% were randomly selected. Their competency was assessed by Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as they counselled simulated patients regarding nutrition in health and disease. Means and proportions were used to represent the descriptive data. Mann Whitney U test and Wilcoxon sign rank test were used to test the associations. Results: Mean knowledge score was 16.63 ± 2.43. As many as 176 (90.3%) were high scorers and 19 (9.7%) were low scorers. Mean competency score was 21.1 ± 4.7. Association between knowledge score (high and low scoring categories) and competency score (mean) was found statistically significant (Z = -2.67, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Though most of the interns were high scorers the mean knowledge as well as competency scores were still unsatisfactory. However, it was noted that knowledge and competency scores were associated showing that with better knowledge, competency also becomes better.

FAME Analysis is a simple and rapid technique based on Gas Chromatography analysis of bacterial cell membrane. Biochemical lipid profiling of bacterial cell membrane helps to identify bacterial isolates using MIDI Sherlock system. The main objective of present study is rapid and accurate identification of multidrug resistant Enterococcal isolates and to study their clinical profile for complicated nosocomial infection from the clinical samples collected at tertiary care center in Chandrapur region. It is essential to identify the causative organism for proper diagnosis and treatment of diseases as enterococcus is fastly emerging pathogen responsible for life threating nosocomial infection and other health hazards.

Background and objectives: Researchers have recently focused on the biological and synthetic effects of 1, 2, and 4-triazole fused heterocyclic molecules because they have tremendous medicinal value. The objective of the present study was to carry out the 3D QSAR evaluation on the substituted 1,2, and 4 triazole derivatives for anticancer potential using k-Nearest Neighbor-Molecular Field Analysis (kNN-MFA) method. Methods: Using the molecular design suite, a three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analysis was undertaken on a series of 4-amino-5-(pyridin3yl)-4H-1, 2, and 4-triazole-3-thiol anticancer drugs (Vlife MDS). This study used a genetic algorithm and a manual selection approach on 20 substituted 1, 2, and 4-triazole derivatives. Based on the genetic algorithm (GA), the 3D-QSAR model was generated. Statistical significance and predictive capacity were evaluated using internal and external validation. Results: The most significant model has a correlation coefficient of 0.9334 (squared correlation coefficient r2 = 0.8713), showing that biological activity and descriptors have a strong relationship. The model exhibited internal predictivity of 74.45 percent (q2 = 0.2129), external predictivity of 81.09 percent (pred r2 = 0.8417), and the smallest error term for the predictive correlation coefficient (pred r2se = 0.1255). The model revealed steric (S 1047––0.0780––0.0451S 927) and electrostatic (E 1002) data points that contribute remarkably to anticancer activity. A molecular field study demonstrates a link between the structural features of substituted triazole derivatives and their activities. Conclusion: The good-to-moderate anticancer potential of compounds confirms the significant pharmacological role of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives. These results could lead to the identification of potential chemical compounds with optimal anticancer activity and minimal side effects.

BackgroundOur goal was to investigate the role of physical exercise to protect brain health as we age, including the potential to mitigate Alzheimer's-related pathology. We assessed the effect of 52 weeks of a supervised aerobic exercise program on amyloid accumulation, cognitive performance, and brain volume in cognitively normal older adults with elevated and sub-threshold levels of cerebral amyloid as measured by amyloid PET imaging.Methods and findingsThis 52-week randomized controlled trial compared the effects of 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise vs. education control intervention. A total of 117 underactive older adults (mean age 72.9 [7.7]) without evidence of cognitive impairment, with elevated (n = 79) or subthreshold (n = 38) levels of cerebral amyloid were randomized, and 110 participants completed the study. Exercise was conducted with supervision and monitoring by trained exercise specialists. We conducted 18F-AV45 PET imaging of cerebral amyloid and anatomical MRI for whole brain and hippocampal volume at baseline and Week 52 follow-up to index brain health. Neuropsychological tests were conducted at baseline, Week 26, and Week 52 to assess executive function, verbal memory, and visuospatial cognitive domains. Cardiorespiratory fitness testing was performed at baseline and Week 52 to assess response to exercise. The aerobic exercise group significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (11% vs. 1% in the control group) but there were no differences in change measures of amyloid, brain volume, or cognitive performance compared to control.ConclusionsAerobic exercise was not associated with reduced amyloid accumulation in cognitively normal older adults with cerebral amyloid. In spite of strong systemic cardiorespiratory effects of the intervention, the observed lack of cognitive or brain structure benefits suggests brain benefits of exercise reported in other studies are likely to be related to non-amyloid effects.Trial registrationNCT02000583; ClinicalTrials.gov.

Background: Prevalence of metabolic syndrome among adults in India, is reported to be around 20%-25%, with significantly higher proportion among women than men. Yoga interventions has been promoted as an important non- pharmacological tool to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of a pranayama and intervention (yoga) intervention on various components of metabolic syndrome among 30 to 60-year-old women with hypertension. Methodology: A community based repeated measures design was undertaken 156 among hypertensive women (79 intervention, 77 controls) residing in coastal part of southern India. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBS) and lipids were measured. Six-month pranayama and dhyana intervention were administered to the intervention arm, whereas routine treatment was continued for the control arm. Follow-up was done to ensure practice of interventions while investigations were done at baseline and 6th month. Results: Majority of the women in the intervention and control arm were aged 45-60 years. In the intervention arm, using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) criteria, most [57(72.2%)] of the women had elevated blood pressure. Nearly half of them [38(48.1%)] had abdominal obesity, elevated FBS was seen among 39(49.4%) and 50.6% had low HDL. Hypertriglyceridemia was seen in less than a third [23(29.1%)] women. In the control arm, most [52(70.3%)] of the women had elevated blood pressure, 27(36.5%)] had abdominal obesity, half of them had elevated FBS [39(52.7%)] and low HDL [36(48.6%)]. Hypertriglyceridemia was seen in 21(28.4%) women. No significant change was noted at the end of 6th month follow-up in body mass index (BMI) (p=0.533), systolic(p=0.051) and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.485). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the 6th month prevalence of components of metabolic syndrome compared to baseline, in both arms of the study.

The present work is focused on the formulation and evaluation of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) loaded by Fluvastatin sodium (FLS). This drug has many disadvantages, including bioavailability of up to 24 to 44% and a half-life of approximately 30 min to 60 min. Also, it comes under Biopharmaceutical classification system (BCS) class III, but it is sparingly soluble in water. Polymeric NPs were prepared using gum rosin and chitosan as polymers which Solvent Evaporation and Inotropic Gelation method prepared. Prepared polymeric NPs were characterized for respective parameters like drug entrapment efficiency, particle size, zeta potential, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, In vitro and In vivo drug release study. The average Particle size was lay within the range of 271 nm to 313.3 nm for the Solvent Evaporation method (SE) and 123.3 nm to 382 nm for the Inotropic gelation method (IG). Drug entrapment efficiency (DEE) of SE3 was found to be 86.1%, and IG3 had 70.2%. In vitro release study showed sustained action for both methods at the end of 48 h; an increase in the polymer resulted in decreased drug release. From the study, it can be concluded that prepared polymeric NPs from both methods show significant hypolipidemic activity. Stability studies showed that formulations are stable at the end of 3 months.

This research paper explores the performance of electrorheological fluids, widely known as smart fluids, which are popular because they experience immediate changes in their characteristics when applied to exterior magnetic or electric field. On application of high voltage, the ER fluid alters its form to semisolid from viscous liquid within a few milliseconds, which is reversible. The reversible nature of ER fluid was employed to absorb vibrations during hard machining. In this research, the consequence of the application of electric field to the ER characteristics of numerous non‐Newtonian fluids with an accumulation of TiO2 and Al2O3 nano elements are investigated. The purpose of this research is to discover the ER sample, which has the highest viscosity, highest breakdown voltage, but less sedimentation. So the selected sample can be used in ER dampers for the purpose of shock absorption. The ER fluid behaves as a mainspring with nonlinear vibration features that are managed by an arrangement of ER fluid, the structure of plunger, and the constraints of applied electric field. In this research, we have employed steel metallic specimens made from EN24T of 302BHN and the machining experiments are conducted to attain the shape parameters that can reduce the tool vibration and help improve the process of cutting at the time of machining with minimum application of fluid utilizing hard metal inserts. In this work, cutting tool parameters were analyzed like cutting force, tool wear, tool vibration amplitude, and surface roughness. It was observed that ER damper has shown its better performance at 5KV. At 5KV, cutting force was the least, tool wear was the least, tool vibration amplitude was the least, and surface roughness was the least. The use of an ER fluid damper decreases tool vibrations and successfully enhances machining performance. The machining industry will be benefited with commercialization of this technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]