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SUMMARYGiven the impact of well-known chronic stressors on health and social care students, the concept of resilience has gained importance in the field of health professional education. Many interventions have been tested that are aimed at fostering students’ resilience, but the underlying evidence has not been rigorously assessed. This was the aim of the review in this issue's Cochrane Corner. In this Round the Corner section, we discuss those findings and put them into further context.

Purpose: DTI is frequently used in the diagnostic radiology in all domains including congenital white matter abnormalities, tumours, infections, demyelination, psychiatric illnesses. To interpret pathology involving white matter, one must be aware of normal appearance of the white matter fibres of the brain. For neurosurgery, awareness of normal appearing white matter tracts on DTI is important as DTI based neuronavigation is increasingly being used. We thus aimed to generate colour coded maps of human brain to delineate white matter anatomy using 3T Diffusion Tensor MRI. Method Five healthy volunteers underwent MRI on a 3T MR scanner (Magnetom skyra) using 20 channel head coil. Apart from basic MR sequences (T1W, T2W images to rule out any gross pathology) multidimensional diffusion weighted images were obtained in 20 non collinear directions using two b values (b value = 0 and 1000 s/mm2). The DTI data was autotransferred to a Siemens’ work station and post-processed with syngovia software (VB30A_HF06) to generate colour coded FA maps. The images were also manually processed using the same syngovia software to generate three dimensional tractography images. Results On DTI, major white fibres that were identified were blue coded (cranio-caudal orientation) projection fibres, red coded commissural fibres (medio-laterally oriented) and green coded association fibres (anteroposteriorly oriented). All major fibres were separately identified and demonstarated using tractography. Conclusion DTI is an effective modality to study the anatomy of white matter tracts of human brain and can help radiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons as well as anatomists to understand the three dimensional orientation of white matter tracts in brain.

The objective of the current study is to check the impact of workplace interpersonal conflict’s impact on job performance, job depression and turnover intention. The current study is been set to make cross sectional analysis of employees working in both public and private organizations. A pre-planned and well-structured questioner is been designed and provided to 350 respondents. 215 respondents returned the fill questioners. Simple statistical tools are been used to find the demographic features and average behavior of the respondents. Regression technique is been used for hypothesis testing and inferential statistics. The findings of regression analysis showed the interpersonal conflicts reduces job performance. Increase in interpersonal conflict increase the job depression. The impact of interpersonal conflict on turnover intention is been observed positive and statistically significant at 1%. All three-null hypotheses are been rejected while alternative hypotheses are been accepted. The moderating and mediating factors i.e. organizational maturity and supervisor behavior help reducing the interpersonal conflicts. It is been suggested that the organization need to promote employees frankly strategies and policies.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to measure the current frequency of diabetic retinopathy in Karachi and the stage at which they present first to the outpatient department. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: A private clinic setup in Karachi. Period: 1st July 2015 to 30th June 2016. Material & Methods: In this study, 440 eyes of 220 diabetics were included and frequency of diabetic retinopathy was measured. Individuals ranging from 20 – 80 years age were included. Ophthalmic plus systemic relevant history from every patient was taken in detail. Standard Snellen’s chart was used to check the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Slit lamp examination was done along with fundoscopy with +90D and +70D lens after dilatation with Tropicamide 1%. All patients were examined for diabetic retinopathy. Along with it, stage of diabetic retinopathy, association of diabetic retinopathy with hypertension, age and duration of diabetes was also taken into consideration. Results: The frequency of diabetic retinopathy amongst 220 patients was found to be 15.9% while 6.6 % of them were also having associated maculopathy. The stages of diabetic retinopathy were found to be 10.4% background diabetic retinopathy(BDR), 0.9% preproliferative diabetic retinopathy(PPDR), 3.4% proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR) and 1.1% advance diabetic eye disease(ADED). Overall, 58.5% of the patients also had hypertension along with it. Conclusion: Nationwide studies are needed to be conducted to prevent this complication from progressing while the incidence of diabetic retinopathy is increasing very alarmingly among the society.

During severe earthquakes, liquefaction-induced lateral displacement causes significant damage to designed structures. As a result, geotechnical specialists must accurately estimate lateral displacement in liquefaction-prone areas in order to ensure long-term development. This research proposes a Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) model based on 247 post liquefaction in-situ free face ground conditions case studies for analyzing liquefaction-induced lateral displacement. The performance of the GPR model is assessed using statistical parameters, including the coefficient of determination, coefficient of correlation, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE), and ratio of the RMSE to the standard deviation of measured data. The developed GPR model predictive ability is compared to that of three other known models—evolutionary polynomial regression, artificial neural network, and multi-layer regression available in the literature. The results show that the GPR model can accurately learn complicated nonlinear relationships between lateral displacement and its influencing factors. A sensitivity analysis is also presented in this study to assess the effects of input parameters on lateral displacement.

Objective: To compare OCT changes on macular thickness after uneventful phacoemulsification in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Methodology: A prospective comparative study was conducted at Shaheed Mohtarma Benzair Bhutto Medical College Lyari and Sindh Government, Lyari General Hospital Lyari Karachi consisting of 30 patients that were to undergo phacoemulsification surgery and subsequent intraocular lens implantation (IOL) procedure. They were divided into three equal groups, first groups was the control groups without diabetes, second group consisted of patients with confirmed diabetes mellitus with no diabetic retinopathy and the third group was with diabetes mellitus as well as diabetic retinopathy (DR). Preoperative macular thickness and visual acuity was assessed of all the patients. After the successful completion of the surgery macular thickness using OCT and BCVA was assessed once again after 1st week, 1st month, and 6th month. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0 and comparison among groups was done using independent t-test, with P-value set at ���0.05 to be considered as significantly different. Results: In total 30 patients participated in the study. 18(60%) were male and 12(40%) were female patients in the study. The mean age of the participants in the study was 58.43��8.74.Increase in macular thickness was seen in all groups but it was less in the control group and diabetic group without DR, however macular thickness remained high in the group with DR. BCVA improved in all groups but least improvement was seen in the group with DR. No significant difference was observed in the macular thickness when comparing groups pre-operatively (P=0.082) and during the 1st week (P=0.122). Significant difference was observed in the macular thickness when comparing groups one month (P=0.018) and six month (P=0.002) post-operatively. No significant difference was observed in the BCVA when comparing groups pre-operatively (P=0.021) and during the 1st week (P=0.016). Significant difference was observed in the BCVA when comparing groups one month (P=0.007) and six month (P

Background Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculomas often mimic tumors on conventional imaging, differentiation of which may not be possible without invasive tissue sampling. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), owing to its unrivalled property of characterizing molecular diffusion, may help in better lesion characterization and tractography may help understand the pattern of white matter involvement by tuberculomas. Purpose To estimate qualitative and quantitative diffusion tensor changes in brain tuberculomas and to evaluate patterns of white matter involvement using 3D tractography. Material and Methods Thirty patients with brain tuberculomas were evaluated on a 3-T magnetic resonance scanner. Diffusion tensor images were acquired along 20 non-colinear encoding directions with two b-values (b = 0, b = 1000). Regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on quantitative fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in the center of the tuberculoma and perilesional area. Similar ROIs were placed in contralateral hemispheres for comparison. Tractography maps were also generated. Results Mean FA in the center and perilesional area of tuberculomas were 0.098 ± 0.041 and 0.311 ± 0.135, respectively. ADC values in corresponding regions were 0.920 ± 0.272 ×10−3 mm2/s and 1.157 ± 0.277 ×10−3 mm2/s. These values were significantly different compared to contralateral similar brain parenchyma. Tractography revealed interruption of white fibers in the center with deviation of fibers at the periphery in the majority of tuberculomas with none showing infiltration of white matter described in tumors. Conclusion Significant qualitative as well as quantitative DTI changes were seen in tuberculoma and perilesional areas compared to contralateral hemisphere with tractography showing a pattern different from that described in tumors. These findings may help to differentiate tuberculomas from infiltrating tumors.

Objective Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd: YAG) laser is a non-invasive and effective means to deal with posterior capsule opacification. Although it is safe, it may have some complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy in terms of visual outcomes. Methodology This retrospective study was carried out at the eye department of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College, Lyari and Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Karachi, by using a convenient sampling technique. The duration of the study was six months from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2020. 50 eyes of patients older than 20 years of age of either gender with posterior capsule opacification after cataract surgery for more than 6 months of duration, capsular fibrosis, and visual distortion due to wrinkling were included in the study. Results Our results show that in a total of 50 patients, the mean age was 59.08±5.84 years, of which, 20 (40%) were males. Out of 50 patients, 22 right while 28 left eyes were selected for Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy. None of the patients showed elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) after the 1st week. Mean IOP was 16.84±3.63 mm of Hg on the 1st day and mean IOP after 1st week was 12.48±2.01 mm of Hg. Iritis was observed in 5 (10.0%) patients on the 1st day and 4 (8.0%) patients on the 1st week. Raised IOP was observed in 10 (20.0%) cases whereas cystoid macular edema was observed in only 1 (2%) patients on the 1st day and 1st week after laser therapy. Conclusion The study predicted that Nd: Yag laser posterior capsulotomy gives excellent results in terms of visual acuity. Complications that were associated with the Nd: Yag laser capsulotomy was a rise in intraocular pressure, cystoid macular edema, iritis, and IOL pitting.

The need for environmental protection and involvement of ecological aspects in the business operations is forcing the organizations to re-examine their action plans and rebuild their supply chain activities. Many organizations are incorporating environmental rules and regulations in their everyday matters by focusing on green supplier selection. The proposed research paper develops a multi-objective interactive fuzzy programming model for the selection of suppliers. This model works on a business quartet of green appraisal score, cost, quality, and time. The model uses an environmental scale for different green parameters and all the suppliers are scored based on this scale. In this research model, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology is integrated with the multi-objective interactive fuzzy programming. QFD technique is utilized to compute the weights of several green factors used for the selection of suppliers. The model uses a Fuzzy linguistic scale and a triangular membership function to link expert opinions along with their experience to solve the problem. Finally, the model is validated on a numerical case study of the textile industry for green supplier selection which achieves a 100% satisfaction for cost and time, 75% satisfaction for green appraisal score, and 93.95% for the quality. The proposed model assists the decision-makers in selecting green suppliers to improve the overall sustainability of their organizations.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and CIMT (carotid intima-media thickness) in diabetic subjects and to identify the factors contributing to retinopathy. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Setting: Creek General Hospital, United Medical and Dental College. Period: August 2017 to July 2018. Material and Methods: After identification of 62 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus for the study, their complete history, physical examination and relevant laboratory investigations were recorded. The diabetic retinopathy was assessed by ophthalmoscopy. All subjects underwent Doppler ultrasound scanning of the carotid arteries for measurement of CIMT (carotid intima-media thickness). The data was analyzed through SPSS version 20.0. Student’s t-test was used to assess the association between retinopathy and CIMT and other continuous variables. The association of categorical variables was assessed by Chi-square. P-value of

Purpose: To determine visual rehabilitation of Phacoemulsification in comparison to small incision cataract surgery after implantation of rigid intraocular lens. Study Design: Quasi Experimental Study. Place and Duration of Study: Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College Lyari and Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Karachi, from July 2018 to December 2019. Methods: Patients with 35 – 70 years age and diagnosed with senile cataracts and visual acuity of 22 mmHg, high ametropia, any other eye disease were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups of 80 patients each. Group I underwent Phaco-emulsification and group II had Small incision cataract surgery. For data analysis, SPSS version 20.0 was used. Frequency and percentages were calculated for qualitative data and quantitative data was presented as mean and standard deviation. Results: In a total of 160 patients operated of cataract, male to female ratio was 1:1. The range of astigmatism after 6 months in the group I was between 0.5 – 1.00 D while in the group II, it was between 0.75 – 1.75 D. Uncorrected visual acuity and best corrected visual acuity of 6/18 or better was seen in 90 and 97% group 1 while it was 85% and 95% in group II patients respectively at sixth month. Conclusion: No significant difference was seen in uncorrected and best corrected visual acuity between the two groups. Time of surgery was lesser group 2 and Astigmatism was lesser in group 1. Key Words: Phaco-emulsification, Small Incision Cataract Surgery, Visual Rehabilitation.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of the microwave pulse diode laser and argon laser trabeculoplasty in primary open angle glaucoma. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College Lyari and Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Karachi, from October, 2017 to March, 2018. Material and Methods: One hundred and sixty patients, between 42 to 61 years with visual acuity of perception of light to 6/36 were enrolled. Patients diagnosed with POAG were included and patients with intraocular pressure of more than 40 mm Hg, previous glaucoma surgery or laser treatment and narrow angle on gonioscopy were excluded. Ophthalmic examination included visual acuity, slit lamp examination, fundus examination and visual field status using Humphrey perimeter. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A received microwave pulse diode laser (810) and Group B received argon laser trabeculoplasty. Average follow up period was 6 months. Success was assessed objectively by measuring intra ocular pressure and subjectively by visual acuity. Results: The average time-period for each procedure was 15 ± 5 minutes. In Group A, mean IOP at first week, first month, third month and sixth month was 20.79, 16.34, 16.21and 16.09 mm Hg respectively. While in Group B, IOP at first week, first, third and sixth month was 16.52, 15.76, 13.62, and 12.54 mm Hg at (P < 0.001 in both groups). Conclusion: Both microwave pulse diode laser and argon laser trabeculoplasty are effective in lowering intra ocular pressures in patients with primary open angle glaucoma.

Mumps is a contagious viral illness that classically presents with fever, parotid gland swelling, headache, and vomiting in unimmunized children. The complications of mumps most commonly include orchitis, pancreatitis, encephalitis, and meningitis. Optic neuritis, which refers to the inflammation of the optic nerve, in rare cases, can present after mumps meningoencephalitis and causes pain in the eye, and a decrease in visual acuity. We report and discuss a case of bilateral optic neuritis following mumps meningoencephalitis in a child. The patient was managed with short-term steroid therapy.

This research work focuses on two major issues in smart grid, i.e., accurate load and price forecasting. While literature has focused on forecasting at national and industrial level, this paper focuses on short-term load and price forecasting in residential area. To achieve aforementioned objective, a model is proposed which consists of two stages; feature engineering and forecasting. Feature engineering includes feature extraction and feature selection to reduce dimensionality. Mutual Information (MI) is used for feature extraction. Random forest and Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) is used for feature selection. For prediction of load and price, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Improved Convolutional Neural Network (ICNN) are used. However, ICNN beats MLP and CNN with 81% accuracy. Prediction performance is evaluated by Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Squared Error (MSE). Further, UMASS data set is used for price and load prediction.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and safety of intralesional steroid injection versus surgical intervention (Incision and Curettage) in Primary Chalazion. Study Design: Prospective, comparative and interventional hospital based study. Place and Duration of Study: Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College Lyari and Sindh Government Lyari General Hospital, Karachi from 15th October, 2016 to 15th April, 2017. Material and Methods: All patients diagnosed with chalazion on clinical basis from the Outpatient department of Ophthalmology were included in the study. All patients were randomly divided into two groups with 25 patients in each group. Group 1 received intralesional 0.2 ml triamcinolone acetonide while Group 2 received surgical intervention (Incision and Curettage). Results: There were 50 eyes of 50 patients between the age group of 15 to 40 years and of either gender. Mean age was 25 � 12.2 with male to female ratio of 2:1. There were 19 (76%) patients who achieved complete resolution of chalazion after intra-lesional triamcinolone acetonide in group I and there were 21 (84%) patients out of 25 who achieved complete resolution of chalazion after incision and curettage in group II. No ocular complication such as bleeding, elevation of intra ocular pressure, eye lid de-pigmentation or any loss of vision in either group was observed. Conclusion: Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection is nearly as effective as surgical treatment (incision and curettage) in primary chalazion. Keywords: Triamcinolone, Chalazion, Eyelid Diseases.

Purpose: To compare the central macular thickness amongst diabetics with that of healthy population by using Optical Coherence Tomography. Study Design: Case control study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology Unit I, Civil Hospital Karachi from 5th March 2012 to 4th September 2012. Material and Methods: We randomly selected patients with diabetes (cases) and healthy patients (control) with clinically normal macula and no diabetic retinopathy. Detailed relevant history was acquired. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured with standard Snellen’s chart. Detailed dilated fundus examination was done using +90D and +78D lens. Central macular thickness within an area of 1000 µm was measured using Optical Coherence Tomography. Results: There were 68 patients in each group. The mean age of patients in the Diabetic group was 47.94 ± 14 (20-80) years and in the healthy group it was found to be 39.53 ± 14.93 (20-80) years. Out of these 26 were male and 42 were female in the diabetic group whereas 27 were male and 41 were female in the healthy group. Mean central macular thickness of Diabetic eyes were 214.48 ± 31.41 µm and that of healthy eyes were 236.79 ± 19.38 µm with mean difference of 22.31 ± 4 µm (p value = 0.000).. A statistically significant difference in the central macular thickness of Diabetics and healthy patients was observed. Conclusion: The central macular thickness is significantly decreased in eyes of patients with Diabetes. Keywords: Central macular thickness, Optical Coherence Tomography, OCT, Diabetic Retinopathy, Diabetic Maculopathy.

Image Compression is extremely intriguing as it manages this present reality issues. It assumes critical part in the exchange of information, similar to a picture, from one client to other. This paper exhibits the utilization MATLAB programming to execute a code which will take a picture from the client and returns the compacted structure as a yield. WCOMPRESS capacity is utilized which incorporates wavelet change and entropy coding ideas. This paper displays the work done on different sorts of pictures including JPEG Joint Photographic Expert Group , PNG and so on and broke down their yield. Different pressure procedures like EZW, WDR, ASWDR, and SPIHIT which are exceptionally regular in picture handling are utilized Beenish Khan | Ms. Poonam | Mr. Mohammad Talib "Matlab Based Image Compression Using Various Algorithm" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-2 | Issue-4 , June 2018, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd14394.pdf

Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae) (E. hirta) is a tree locally used as a traditional medicine in Africa and Australia to treat numerous diseases such as hypertension, respiratory ailments, tumors, wounds, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory activities, etc. Therefore, we undertook to investigate their immunomodulatory effect on T lymphocytes (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ receptors) and Th1 cytokines (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ) in a dose-dependent manner. E. hirta ethanol extract at 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg doses was given orally for 7 days from the day of immunization. E. hirta maximum inhibition at 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o. was found to significantly block the production of the cell-mediated immune response, (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ receptors) and (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ) and also prolongs graft rejection. E. hirta also showed a decrease of delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) response and dose-related decrease in the primary antibody response, respectively. Based on the data, it can be suggested that E. hirta is a potent and non-toxic immunosuppressor, which can be further explored for the development of potent immunosuppressor.

The self-concept is one of the main organizing constructs in the behavioral sciences because it influences how people interpret their environment, the choices they make, whether and how they initiate action, and the pursuit of specific goals. Because belonging to social groups and feeling interconnected is critical to human survival, the authors propose that people spontaneously change their working self-concept so that they are more similar to salient social categories. Specifically, 4 studies investigated whether activating a variety of social categories (i.e., jocks, hippies, the overweight, Blacks, and Asians) increased associations between the self and the target category. Whereas Studies 1 and 2 focused on associations between stereotypic traits and the self, Studies 3 and 4 examined self-perceptions and self-categorizations, respectively. The results provide consistent evidence that following social category priming, people synchronized the self to the activated category. Furthermore, the findings indicate that factors that influence category activation, such as social goals, and factors that induce a focus on the interconnectedness of the self, such as an interdependent vs. independent self-construal, can impact this process. The implications of changes to the working self-concept for intergroup relations are discussed.

The immunomodulatory activities of two isoflavones, 5,7-dihydroxy-6,4′-dimethoxyisoflavone (irisolidone) (1) and 5,4′-dihydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxyisoflavone (irilone) (2) isolated from Iris germanica (Iridaceae) is reported. Their influence on production of T-lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+ cells) and T-cell cytokines, namely Th1: IL-2, IFN-γ and Th2: IL-4 and IL-5 in a dose-dependent manner was studied by flow cytometric method in Balb/c mice. Oral administration of drugs at doses of 0.1–0.8 mg/kg per oral dose showed 1 to possess stimulatory activity on T-cells and Th1 cytokine production, while as 2 acted as an immunosuppressant for both cells and cytokines. The methylated products of 1 and 2 showed a similar trend to that of their parent compounds but their activity was drastically decreased revealing the importance of free phenolic groups for their immunomodulating activities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The objective of the study was to investigate the activity of ursolic acid (UA) on proinflammatory (Th1) and anti-inflammatory (Th2) cytokines in the peripheral blood of arthritic balb/c mice. Ursolic acid is ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and is a constituent of numerous plants which are having diversified phylogenetic origin and taxonomic position. We applied Cytometric bead array (CBA) technology for simultaneously measurement of these cytokines in adjuvant inflammatory arthritis induced mice treated with ursolic acid in graded oral doses. Cytometric bead array uses the sensitivity of amplified fluorescence detection by flowcytometer to measure soluble analytes in a particle based immune assay. This assay can accurately quantitate five cytokines in a 50 microl sample volume. The T-helper (Th1) deviated cells produce detectable level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), while the Th2 deviated cells produce significant amount of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-5 (IL-5). Oral administration of UA at doses of 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg kg(-1) per oral dose inhibited the presence of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the peripheral blood.

Wellens’ syndrome refers to specific ECG abnormalities in the precordial T-wave segment, which are associated with critical stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery culminating in an acute anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI) if the patient is not urgently revascularised. We describe the youngest reported presentation of Wellens’ syndrome in a 24-year-old woman with unstable chest pain, characteristic ECG changes and slight troponin biomarker elevation. This was initially unrecognised by the emergency department as unstable coronary syndrome and she subsequently progressed to an anterior non-ST elevation MI (NSTEMI). Her coronary angiogram showed critical narrowing of the proximal LAD which was successfully treated with a drug-eluting stent.

To presents socio-demographic characteristics and health seeking behaviour of elderly and to determine frequency of Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension in elderly population of a poor peri-urban community in Karachi, Pakistan.A cross-sectional study was conducted, targeting population aged 65 or above. A total of 438 respondents were interviewed after taking informed consent, between November 2005 and December 2005. Frequencies and Chi square values were calculated for different variables using SPSS 13.0.Total population surveyed comprised of 438 elderly, 158 (36%) women and 280 (63.9%) men. Mean age for the population was 71.44 +/- 7.74. A total of 238 (54.3%) elderly were found to be economically active. More than half (n = 269, 61.4%) of the elderly were found to be illiterate. Only 72 (16.4%) of the elderly population were Diabetic and 132 (30.1%) were Hypertensive. Common symptoms that prompted elderly of Azam Basti to seek health care were fever (61.2%), generalized body aches (43.4%) and cough (40.4%). Over half of the (n = 269, 61.4%) responders reported factors which deterred them from seeking health care, out of which 62% reported financial constraint as the commonest factor. Deterrence from seeking health care was associated with illiteracy (p = 0.001) and living alone (p = 0.06).The elderly population of this peri-urban community has financial constraints in seeking health care. Hypertension was found to be more prevalent among women as compared to men, ratio being 1:2. Less number of people knew they were diabetics; this might be attributed to ignorance and non-availability of investigations and screening.

Lupeol has been shown to possess antiarthritic activity through possible suppression of the immune system. As seen in the following studies, it was found to suppress various immune factors such as the phagocytic (cell-killing) activity of macrophages, T-lymphocyte activity that included CD4+T cell mediated cytokine generation. Assessment of T cells and their intracellular content of cytokines was carried out by flow cytometric analysis in Balb/c mice. Oral administration of lupeol at doses of 12.5–200 mg/kg p.o. inhibited CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell counts and cytokines IL-2, IFN-γ (Th1) and IL-4 (Th2). Cytometric bead array (CBA) technology was applied to carry out simultaneous measurement of multiple serum cytokines. The oral LD0 in mice was more than 2 g/kg body weight. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stress has been associated with reports of both greater severity and prolongation of diseases in patients with the infectious origin as well as other immune-mediated diseases. Withania somnifera, an Indian medicinal plant used widely in the treatment of many clinical conditions in India, was investigated for its anti-stress properties using BALB/c mice subjected to chronic stress. The study aimed to investigate chronic stress-induced alterations on Th1 lymphocyte subset distribution and corresponding cytokine secretion patterns. Oral administration of chemically standardized and identified aqueous fraction of W. somnifera root (WS) at the graded doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o. caused significant increase in the stress-induced depleted T-cell population and increased the expression of Th1 cytokines in chronically stressed mice.

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is reported to be immunoprotective and immunoadjuvant. We studied its roots aqueous extract on T helper (Th) immunity using flow cytometry. This extract was standardized with six withanolides as marker compounds using HPLC. Once daily dose ranging from 25 to 400 mg/kg/p.o. was used to study effect on Th1: IFN-gamma, IL-2 and Th2: IL-4 cytokine modulation. We also studied effect on CD4 and CD8 in normal and immunesuppressed mice. The results indicate that extract at 100 mg/kg resulted significant selective up-regulation of Th1 response. Treatment with extract showed significant increase in CD4 and CD8 counts as compared to control and cyclopsorin A, with a faster recovery of CD4+ T cells in immunesuppressed animals. Under immunesuppressed conditions, potentiation of cellular and humoral immune responses of extract was comparable to levamisole. This study indicates the selective Th1 up-regulating effect of extract and suggests its use for selective Th1/Th2 modulation.

The objective of the study was to investigate the activity of the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction of Euphorbia royleana latex on cellular and humoral-mediated immune responses and phagocytic function of the cells of the reticuloendothelial system in mice. Oral administration of EA at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o. in mice with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as an antigen-inhibited both the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and the production of circulating antibody titre. Reduction of CD4+ T cell counts in the peripheral whole blood and the neutrophil counts in pleural exudates of the animals treated with EA was observed by flowcytometric analysis. Process of phagocytosis was also inhibited in in vivo and in vitro experimental test models. The oral LD50 in both rats and mice was more than 2.5 g/kg body weight.