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Background: Patients with substance use disorders are common in general medical practice and are a major risk factor for several non-communicable diseases. Appropriate screening is a vital step for providing brief interventions which can provide a good opportunity to tackle this crisis and in achieving target 3.5 of the sustainable development goal which includes strengthening the prevention and treatment of substance abuse., Objectives: To study the magnitude of substance use and factors associated with it among people seeking health care services at primary care settings., Methods: The cross-sectional study recruited people seeking services at primary care settings to screen for substance users (SU) and determine the associated factors. The data was collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, health status and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test tool., Results: The study showed that 43.4% of the participants were SU. The current use of smokeless tobacco was higher compared to tobacco smoking (21.3% and 4.7%). The multivariate logistic regression showed that advancing age (AOR: 2.61 and 95% CI of 1.01-6.79), male gender (AOR: 705 and 95% CI of 4.25-11.70), primary and middle school (AOR: 3.24 and 95% CI of 1.52-6.92) literacy status, unemployed (AOR: 0.49 and 95% CI of 0.25-0.95), religion and other backward caste (AOR: 2.42 and 95% CI of 1.37-4.30) were significant correlates of SU., Conclusion: Substance use was reported by two-fifths of the participants seeking services at primary care centres in our study and stresses the need for incorporating brief interventions to prevent higher degrees of dependence and its complications., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Cells have developed a highly regulated system for the uptake, transport, utilization, storage, and export of metals, ensuring the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) function as a mechanism through which a cell can export its cargo and transfer it to recipient cells. However, in contrast to the other molecular cargo associated with sEVs, the metal content of sEVs is not well characterized. To address this gap in knowledge, we measured the levels of nine essential metals (copper, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chromium, cobalt) and six non-essential metals (nickel, rubidium, titanium, aluminium, lithium, lead) in sEVs originating from multiple in vitro and ex vivo sources. Our findings reveal that, beyond containing redox-active essential metals and those involved in redox reactions, sEVs also exhibit the capability to export and transfer non-physiological, potentially toxic metals., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Extracellular Biology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Extracellular Vesicles.)

Background: Adolescents are susceptible to using tobacco because of early exposure to tobacco through family members, easy access, or peer pressure. School-based educational programs are crucial for raising awareness of the harms of tobacco, thus preventing its uptake among adolescents. Studies conducted recently have recognized the need to bring change and reinforce ongoing school-based anti-tobacco education programs. Our study protocol aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a revised school-based anti-tobacco education on susceptibility to tobacco use among school-going adolescents., Method: Project TEACH (Tobacco Education and Awareness for Creating Healthier Adolescents) is an educational intervention that will comprise an animated video on the effects of tobacco on physical and mental health, along with dispelling myths about tobacco, which will be delivered along with a standard education program. The control group will only receive the standard school-based anti-tobacco education program. It will be conducted among students between 6 th to 10 th grade, with a sample size of 3,310 students., Results: Bivariate relations between the main socio-demographic characteristics and susceptibility to tobacco use will be tested using Pearson or Spearman's correlation coefficients. For multivariable analyses, the binary logistic regression analysis is used to establish a risk model to correlate the socio-demographic factors with susceptibility to tobacco use and awareness of the harms of tobacco., Conclusion: Project TEACH aims to provide a sustainable school-based anti-tobacco education intervention. It will help test the effectiveness of the revised intervention, which could be incorporated into the current school education program being conducted in the district., Competing Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Mixed traffic environments combining human-driven vehicles (HDVs) and those equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) have already become prevalent. This study tackles the critical yet underexplored threat of sensing attacks, such as jamming and spoofing, on ACC systems. By applying stochastically calibrated ACC and HDV car-following models grounded in field data, we constructed an integrated and high-fidelity framework to simulate mixed traffic. This allows us to comprehensively analyze traffic safety risks enabled by surrogate safety measures, under various sensing attack scenarios and considering mechanisms for cyberattack detection and human intervention. Our findings highlight profound vulnerabilities in traffic safety from sensing attacks, with factors including stochastic driving behaviors, ACC penetration rates, and attack effectiveness. Through scenario-based sensitivity analyses, this research underscores the potential risks more realistically by stochastic simulation and also contributes to the design of detection systems to safeguard mixed traffic. Ultimately, this work provides valuable insights into evaluating the robustness of ACC systems against sensing attacks, supporting the ongoing and future development of effective countermeasures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Droplet assay platforms have emerged as a significant methodology, providing distinct advantages such as sample compartmentalization, high throughput, and minimal analyte consumption. However, inherent complexities, especially in multiplexed detection, remain a challenge. We demonstrate a novel strategy to fabricate a plasmonic droplet assay platform (PDAP) for multiplexed analyte detection, enabling surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). PDAP efficiently splits a microliter droplet into submicroliter to nanoliter droplets under gravity-driven flow by wettability contrast between two distinct regions. The desired hydrophobicity and adhesive contrast between the silicone oil-grafted nonadhesive hydrophilic zone with gold nanoparticles is attained through (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) functionalization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using a scotch-tape mask. The wettability contrast surface facilitates the splitting of aqueous droplets with various surface tensions (ranging from 39.08 to 72 mN/m) into ultralow volumes of nanoliters. The developed PDAP was used for the multiplexed detection of Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and Crystal Violet (CV) dyes. The limit of detection for 120 nL droplet using PDAP was found to be 134 pM and 10.1 nM for Rh6G and CV, respectively. These results align with those from previously reported platforms, highlighting the comparable sensitivity of the developed PDAP. We have also demonstrated the competence of PDAP by testing adulterant spiked milk and obtained very good sensitivity. Thus, PDAP has the potential to be used for the multiplexed screening of food adulterants.

Introduction: India has unique tobacco-free film and TV rules designed to prevent tobacco uptake. In this study, we examined the potential influence of exposure to smoking imagery in regionally famous films, on susceptibility to smoke in teenagers enrolled in schools in a district in Southern India., Methods: A longitudinal survey of students, in grades 6 to 8 at baseline in 2017 and grades 7 to 9 one year later in 2018, ascertained prospective incident susceptibility to smoking during the study period in relation to baseline exposure to 27 locally popular films with actual or implied smoking imagery., Results: We analyzed linked data from 33676 participants, and 3973 (11.8%) of the adolescents reported incident susceptibility. There was a significant increase in susceptibility to smoking with increasing exposure at baseline to smoking imagery in films on univariable analysis, highest tertile of exposure relative to no exposure (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.0 -2.1, p trend <0.001), and this trend remained significant (p=0.022) after mutual adjustment for recognized confounders, highest vs no exposure (AOR=1.3; 95% CI: 0.9-1.8). We found no statistically significant association between exposure to tobacco-free film rules and change in susceptibility., Conclusions: Prospectively, watching films featuring smoking imagery increases adolescents' vulnerability to smoking. Further research revealed no difference in susceptibility change between youth who saw partially compliant films and those who watched non-compliant films. Our findings, thus, underscore the need to incorporate comprehensive approaches to prevent the inclusion of smoking imagery in films., Competing Interests: The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported., (© 2024 Kamath V.G. et al.)

Background: Tobacco use is associated with early, intermediate and long-term complications throughout the life course. With an influx of newer products containing nicotine, poly-tobacco use is slowly emerging as a public health concern, that is defined as existing tobacco users currently using two or more tobacco or nicotine products. While many studies have investigated single use tobacco, there is a paucity of research on regional patterns and socio-demographic factors associated with poly-tobacco use in India., Objectives: To assess prevalence of poly-tobacco use and determine the socio-demographic factors associated with poly-tobacco use in India., Methods: Data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS, 2016-17) was analysed, which included information on tobacco use among people aged >15 years. The pattern of current tobacco status was described using descriptive statistics. Multiple logistic regression models were estimated to determine factors associated with poly-tobacco use., Results: The prevalence of poly-tobacco use in India was found to be 9.8%. Among the current tobacco users, the prevalence was 33%. Significant socio-demographic factors associated with poly-tobacco use included younger age, male gender, religion and backward caste. North-eastern region reported highest prevalence of poly-tobacco use in the country, followed by the central region., Conclusion: The number of poly-tobacco users in India is considerably high and a matter of concern, more so in north east and central regions of the country. There is a need to create awareness about dangerous effects of all types of tobacco products and strengthen implementation of tobacco control policies with special focus on regions with high burden., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Bantwal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Developing successful nanomedicine hinges on regulating nanoparticle surface interactions within biological systems, particularly in intravenous nanotherapeutics. We harnessed the surface interactions of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with serum proteins, incorporating a γ-globulin (γG) hard surface corona and chemically conjugating Doxorubicin to create an innovative hybrid anticancer nanobioconjugate, Dox-γG-AuNPs. γG (with an isoelectric point of ~7.2) enhances cellular uptake and exhibits pH-sensitive behaviour, favouring targeted cancer cell drug delivery. In cell line studies, Dox-γG-AuNPs demonstrated a 10-fold higher cytotoxic potency compared to equivalent doxorubicin concentrations, with drug release favoured at pH 5.5 due to the γ-globulin corona's inherent pH sensitivity. This bioinspired approach presents a novel strategy for designing hybrid anticancer therapeutics. Our study also explored the intricacies of the p53-mediated ROS pathway's role in regulating cell fate, including apoptosis and necrosis, in response to these treatments. The pathway's delicate balance of ROS emerged as a critical determinant, warranting further investigation to elucidate its mechanisms and implications. Overall, leveraging the robust γ-globulin protein corona on AuNPs enhances biostability in harsh serum conditions, augments anticancer potential within pH-sensitive environments, and opens promising avenues for bioinspired drug delivery and the design of novel anticancer hybrids with precise targeting capabilities.

The National Mental Health Survey 2016 (NMHS 2016) was a large epidemiological study, one of its kind, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru to overcome the shortcomings of the previous surveys. The detailed report of the study is available in two parts- 'mental health systems' and 'prevalence, pattern and outcomes'. Though done comprehensively, there are some inevitable limitations. The private sector, a substantial health care provider in the country was not a participant in the survey. Though MINI version 6.0 is a standard and structured instrument, it does not cover many commonly encountered mental illnesses like somatoform disorders. Further, the methodology of the survey makes it difficult for an accurate calculation of the prevalence of individual major psychiatric disorders. The survey has been appraised using a standard checklist for prevalence studies. The detailed qualitative data has not been shared in the report. The contribution of the traditional indigenous systems of healthcare and accessibility of services in rural areas have not been elaborated. Thus, the need for a comprehensive and culturally sensitive assessment tool, involvement of the private sector, and enhancing funding provision to improve the infrastructure are emphasized as future directions for the subsequent phases of the survey., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

To maintain a stable and clear image of the world, our eyes reflexively follow the direction in which a visual scene is moving. Such gaze-stabilization mechanisms reduce image blur as we move in the environment. In non-primate mammals, this behaviour is initiated by retinal output neurons called ON-type direction-selective ganglion cells (ON-DSGCs), which detect the direction of image motion and transmit signals to brainstem nuclei that drive compensatory eye movements 1 . However, ON-DSGCs have not yet been identified in the retina of primates, raising the possibility that this reflex is mediated by cortical visual areas. Here we mined single-cell RNA transcriptomic data from primate retina to identify a candidate ON-DSGC. We then combined two-photon calcium imaging, molecular identification and morphological analysis to reveal a population of ON-DSGCs in the macaque retina. The morphology, molecular signature and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-dependent mechanisms that underlie direction selectivity in primate ON-DSGCs are highly conserved with those in other mammals. We further identify a candidate ON-DSGC in human retina. The presence of ON-DSGCs in primates highlights the need to examine the contribution of subcortical retinal mechanisms to normal and aberrant gaze stabilization in the developing and mature visual system., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A pathologic feature of late-onset retinal degeneration caused by the S163R mutation in C1q-tumor necrosis factor-5 (C1QTNF5) is the presence of unusually thick deposits between the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and the vascular choroid, considered a hallmark of this disease. Following its specific expression in mouse RPE, the S163R mutant exhibits a reversed polarized distribution relative to the apically secreted wild-type C1QTNF5, and forms widespread, prominent deposits that gradually increase in size with aging. The current study shows that S163R deposits expand to a considerable thickness through a progressive increase in the basolateral RPE membrane, substantially raising the total RPE height, and enabling their clear imaging as a distinct hyporeflective layer by noninvasive optical coherence tomography in advanced age animals. This phenotype bears a striking resemblance to ocular pathology previously documented in patients harboring the S163R mutation. Therefore, a similar viral vector-based gene delivery approach was used to also investigate the behavior of P188T and G216C, two novel pathogenic C1QTNF5 mutants recently reported in patients for which histopathologic data are lacking. Both mutants primarily impacted the RPE/photoreceptor interface and did not generate basal laminar deposits. Distinct distribution patterns and phenotypic consequences of C1QTNF5 mutants were observed in vivo, which suggested that multiple pathobiological mechanisms contribute to RPE dysfunction and vision loss in this disorder., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anti-microbial peptides provide a powerful toolkit for combating multidrug resistance. Combating eukaryotic pathogens is complicated because the intracellular drug targets in the eukaryotic pathogen are frequently homologs of cellular structures of vital importance in the host organism. The entomopathogenic bacteria (EPB), symbionts of entomopathogenic-nematode species, release a series of non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides. Some may be potential drug candidates. The ability of an entomopathogenic-nematode/entomopathogenic bacterium symbiotic complex to survive in a given polyxenic milieu is a coevolutionary product. This explains that those gene complexes that are responsible for the biosynthesis of different non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial protective peptides (including those that are potently capable of inactivating the protist mammalian pathogen Leishmania donovanii and the gallinaceous bird pathogen Histomonas meleagridis ) are co-regulated. Our approach is based on comparative anti-microbial bioassays of the culture media of the wild-type and regulatory mutant strains. We concluded that Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii are excellent sources of non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides that are efficient antagonists of the mentioned pathogens. Data on selective cytotoxicity of different cell-free culture media encourage us to forecast that the recently discovered "easy-PACId" research strategy is suitable for constructing entomopathogenic-bacterium (EPB) strains producing and releasing single, harmless, non-ribosomal templated anti-microbial peptides with considerable drug, (probiotic)-candidate potential.

Background: COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic in March 2020. Government of India declared a countrywide lockdown on 24 March 2020. All elective surgeries including Hip and Knee arthroplasty were postponed in view of pandemic. Gradually cases were resumed after stepwise unlock measures. The aim of this study is to assess how hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries were affected during first wave of pandemic, and how situation was tackled by an arthroplasty unit of a tertiary-care hospital in India., Methods: This study was a single-centre retrospective observational study. Data pertaining to patient demographic details, surgery, preoperative screening for COVID-19, duration of hospital stay, and post-op 30-day complications were collected from hospital records and analyzed. These data were compared with 2019 data., Results: There was significant decrease (88.45%) in total number of hip and knee arthroplasty cases between March 2020 and November 2020 as compared to the same duration in 2019. 30-day mortality was only 2 deaths both who died due to COVID-19-related complications. Duration of stay in hospital and post-operative complications were not statistically and significantly affected. There was a statistically significant increase in tourniquet time compared to the previous year. If deaths due to COVID-19 are excluded, there was statistically no significance difference in 30-day mortality rate., Conclusion: Following strict local policy for patient selection and reducing the number of post-operative patient visits to the hospital allowed us to perform hip and knee arthroplasty safely with minimum COVID-19-related mortality and morbidity., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-023-00930-6., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestChandrashekhar S. Sonawane, Mahesh M. Kulkarni, Hemant M .Wakankar, and Srisanat S. Rao declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Indian Orthopaedics Association 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Objective: This study explored multistakeholder perspectives on existing adolescent-specific tobacco control policies and programmes, to advance India's transition towards a tobacco-free generation., Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews., Setting: Interviews were conducted with officials involved in tobacco control at the national (India), state (Karnataka), district (Udupi) and village level. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically., Participants: Thirty-eight individuals representing national (n=9), state (n=9), district (n=14) and village (n=6) levels, participated., Results: The study findings highlighted the need to strengthen and amend the existing Tobacco Control Law (2003) provisions, particularly in the vicinity of schools (Sections 6a and 6b). Increasing the minimum legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21 years, developing an 'application' for 'compliance and monitoring indicators' in Tobacco-Free Educational Institution guidelines were proposed. Policies to address smokeless tobacco use, stricter enforcement including regular monitoring of existing programmes, and robust evaluation of policies was underscored. Engaging adolescents to co-create interventions was advocated, along with integrating national tobacco control programmes into existing school and adolescent health programmes, using both an intersectoral and whole-societal approach to prevent tobacco use, were recommended. Finally, stakeholders mentioned that when drafting and implementing a comprehensive national tobacco control policy, there is a need to adopt a vision striving toward a tobacco-free generation., Conclusion: Strengthening and developing tobacco control programmes and policies are warranted which are monitored and evaluated rigorously, and where adolescents should be involved, accordingly., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Reasons for the failed endodontic teeth which had an extensive restoration can be attributed to the multiple materials that were used in it. Various post-core materials that are commonly used are compared for fracture resistance in the current study. Fourty maxillary incisors that needed root canal therapy were allocated into four groups of 10 each. Using adhesive resin cement, teeth were repaired in three experimental groups with ceramic fiber post, glass post, and stainless steel post. All these posts with composite post and core. Samples that still had their coronal structure were considered as controls that were without any post-cores. Every sample was ready for the best abutment preparation. Using the universal testing machine, all the specimens were examined for the compressive strength at 130° until fracture was experienced. The data for the force levels at which the fracture occurred were noted and compared for significance using analysis of variance (ANOVA), keeping P < 0.05 as significant. The fracture resistance values were significantly variable among all the groups, with P < 0.05. The stainless steel post exhibited the highest strength before it succumbed to the fracture. The glass posts showed better restorability and were esthetically acceptable. The least fracture resistance was demonstrated by teeth that had no post-core, highlighting the necessity of strengthening the tooth. Among all the experimental groups, the one that demonstrated the highest fracture resistance was composite core and steel posts., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Introduction: Large chunks of the tissue are sacrificed during the surgical procedures for the treatment if oral cancers. Our goal was to assess the viability of " Buccal reconstruction using the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps, platysma myocutaneous (PM), and radial forearm free (RFF) "., Material and Methods: Sixty subjects were included in this investigation, and they were divided into 3 groups. The follow-up as accompanied for six months. Comparisons were made for the time for the operations, reduction in the width of the mouth opening and the survival rates of the flaps. The data that was collected for the above two parameters and compared for the significance using the ANOVA , keeping P < 0.05 as significant., Results: In the subjects with the PM, the width of the mouth opening reduced comparatively greater than that of the subjects who received other two flaps. The reduction in the mouth opening in the PM was significantly greater compared to that of the ALT and RFF. Survival was greater for the groups ALT and RFF compared to PM. Time of the surgery was the greatest for the ALT and least for the PF., Conclusion: The observations point to the fact that the PF requires more time than that of the other two flaps. The survival was however better for the ALT and RFF. Further research is suggested for suggesting an appropriative flap design., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

In forensic, odontologic, genetic, and anthropological aspects, odontometric and osteologic features have long been a valuable source. The goal of this research was to correlate both the osteologic and odontometric characteristics to determine the most accurate approach for determining gender. A retrospective study involving 1000 adults, with equal gender distribution, was carried out utilizing digital panoramic radiography. The archives were searched for radiographic images of the subjects that were procured for the various procedures that ranged from implantations to rehabilitations. The measurement process was carried out with Image-Pro. There was a noticeable gender difference in the mesodistal breadth, which ranged from 17 to 47. Asymmetry of the lower jaw was considerable in both genders, as was gender variance in osseologic characteristics including ramus diameter and gonial angle. The two groups of attributes exhibited a substantial positive predictive value and thus can be used indetermining gender., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Objective: The purpose of the study was to design, develop, and validate a newer tool on radiation emergency preparedness responses (RadEM-PREM IPE tool) to measure communication, knowledge, performance skills in multidisciplinary health science learners., Methods: The study design is a prospective, single centric, pilot study. Five subject experts designed, analyzed, and selected items of the instrument for relevant content and domain. Psychometrics that the tool assessed were content validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and intraclass correlation coefficient. Twenty-eight participants completed test-retest reliability for validation of 21 sorted out items calculated percentage of agreement >70% I-CVI/UA (item content validity index with universal acceptability) and S-CVI/UA (scale content validity index with universal agreement method)., Results: Items with percentage agreement >70% and I-CVI over 0.80 were kept, ranged from 0.70 to 0.78 were revised, and below 0.70 were rejected. Items with kappa values ranging from 0.04 to 0.59 were revised and ≥0.74 were retained. Internal consistency assessed using Cronbach's alpha was 0.449. Positive correlation between attitude and communication (r = 0.448), between performance and communication (r = 0.443) were statistically significant at 0.01 level. Overall, intraclass correlation coefficient for all the measures is 0.646, which is statistically significant at 0.05 level ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Study concludes that the RadEM-PREM IPE tool would be a new measuring tool to assess knowledge, performance, and communication skills of interprofessional radiation emergency response team learner's evaluation.

Background and Objectives: The tobacco industry (TI) has undermined tobacco control policy for decades. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3 implementation guidelines provide guidance for preventing TI interference. Government officials responsible for policy implementation must understand these guidelines to manage TI tactics. This study assessed awareness, attitudes and practices of Article 5.3 guidelines among members of District Level Coordination Committees (DLCC) in Karnataka mandated with overseeing tobacco control activity., Method: A semistructured questionnaire survey of awareness, attitudes and adherence to Article 5.3 guidelines among 102 DLCC members carried out between January and July 2019., Result: Responses were received from 82 members, comprising 51 (62%) from health and 31 (38%) from non-health departments. Our study demonstrates a lack of understanding of Article 5.3 and its guidelines, even among those actively involved in tobacco control at the district level. Nearly 80% of respondents were aware that corporate social responsibility (CSR) by tobacco companies is an indirect form of promoting tobacco. However, 44% of members felt that CSR funding from the TI should be used to combat tobacco-related harm. A higher proportion (12%) of health respondents agreed that subsidies should be provided to tobacco agriculture compared with non-health (3%)., Conclusion: Awareness of international guidance designed to prevent the TI influence on health policy among policymakers in this Indian state is low. Respondents from non-health departments were less aware of TI CSR. Those in health departments were more receptive towards taking a TI role in the future ., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: In India there is insufficient knowledge of the risks associated with tobacco use. Increasing awareness of these risks is critical, with pictorial warnings on tobacco packs a cost-effective way to communicate this information. We explored perceptions of the current warning, 'Tobacco causes cancer', displayed on packs in India and four novel warnings about other potential impacts of tobacco use including social, financial, and environmental, but also complications with diabetes. As loose cigarette sales are common in India, we also explored perceptions of warnings on cigarette sticks., Methods: A cross-sectional survey of college students aged ≥18 years in Karnataka, India, was conducted between January 2019 and February 2020. Participants were asked about salience, believability, and cognitive processing of warnings currently on packs. They were then shown an image of one current and four novel warnings and asked about their perceived effectiveness in preventing uptake and reducing and stopping tobacco use. They were then asked about warnings on cigarette sticks., Results: Most participants (70.2%) recalled warnings on packs and considered them believable (55.7%), but only 12.0% read and 12.4% thought about them often. Warnings about the health impacts of tobacco use were viewed as most effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Nevertheless, at least a third of participants rated warnings pertaining to financial, social, and environmental impacts effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Approximately one-fifth (22.0%) thought that warnings on cigarette sticks would deter initiation., Conclusions: Our results suggest that health warnings are perceived as most effective in discouraging tobacco use among college students in Karnataka. While viewed as less effective than health warnings, novel non-health related messages were viewed as effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use by at least one in three participants. Warnings on cigarette sticks may help complement warnings on cigarette packs., Competing Interests: The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. C. Moodie reports that since the initial planning of the work and in the past 36 months funding was received from the University of Edinburgh to help with the project and drafting this article., (© 2023 Mullapudi S. et al.)

Background and Aims: Eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) (2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine) cream is the commonly used topical anesthetic for painful intradermal procedures. Topical 10% lidocaine spray has successfully been used to anesthetize mucosal surfaces. Owing to its skin penetrative properties, this study was conducted to compare dermal analgesia between 10% lidocaine spray and EMLA cream for intravenous (IV) cannulation in children., Methods: In this prospective single-blind randomized study, ninety-nine Paediatric patients were assigned into Group A (number(n) =51) with Lignocaine 10% spray applied 10 minutes and Group B (n = 48) EMLA cream applied 1 hour prior to cannulation. Vital signs were recorded before, during, and after the procedure. The primary objective of the study was assessment of severity of pain during IV cannulation using 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary objectives such as ease of cannulation and adverse effects were also noted., Results: All cannulations were performed in the first attempt with no adverse effects in both lidocaine group and EMLA group. The median (interquartile range) VAS score was 2 cm (1 to 3) in both the groups with a P value of 0.58., Conclusion: Topical 10% lidocaine spray applied ten minutes before venous cannulation is as effective as EMLA cream applied an hour before cannulation in children in providing dermal analgesia for intravenous cannulation with an added advantage of rapid onset of action in the former group., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Anaesthesia.)

Summary: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant global health and economic burden, necessitating universal health coverage (UHC). Out-of-pocket (OOPs) payments for healthcare, particularly in low- and middle-income countries lacking social protection and health insurance, contribute to impoverishment and catastrophic expenditure. This scoping review aimed to assess the state of UHC for NCDs in India, including the progress made, coverage of government health insurance schemes, challenges faced, and their potential solutions. A literature search was performed in major databases such as PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar using appropriate keywords. Findings indicated that UHC remains a distant dream in India with a disproportionately high NCD burden and a substantial portion of health-care expenses (80% outpatient, 40% inpatient) relying on OOP expenditures, causing financial hardship. Limited universal social security exacerbates health-care access challenges. The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has further hindered NCD services and UHC progress. The Ayushman Bharat program, featuring health and wellness centers and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, aims to address primary health-care needs and provide NCD coverage in India. Despite this, challenges persist, including inadequate availability of essential medicines and technologies in health-care facilities, as well as gaps in rural health-care access. Telemedicine services like "eSanjeevani" have been implemented to improve access in remote areas. To achieve UHC for NCDs in India, it is crucial to strengthen primary health-care, ensure medicine availability, enhance human resources, establish a referral system, address social determinants, and implement social protection., (Copyright © 2023 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Public Health.)

Background: Obesity has been identified as a serious global health concern whose prevalence doubles almost every 10 years. Health education regarding physical activity and healthy diet imparted to adolescents could prove to be fruitful in reducing obesity-risk. Objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of health education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding obesity-risk reduction and to estimate the postinterventional change in body mass index (BMI) and total body fat (%) among adolescent school children in South India., Materials and Methods: Stratified cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out among 398 students recruited at baseline including 206 and 192 participants in intervention and control group respectively selected through simple random sampling from eligible government aided and private schools to assess KAP regarding physical activity and diet using pretested and validated questionnaire by making three school visits 6 months apart. Anthropometric measurements were recorded in first and third visit only, while health education intervention was given in first visit to intervention and third visit to control group after taking their responses on the questionnaire. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 15., Results: Overall dropout rate was 13.5% with dropout in intervention and control group being 12.6% and 14.5% respectively, making 180 participants in intervention and 164 in control group available for analysis. Mean physical activity KAP score improved significantly from 16.19 ± 4.61 to 19.46 ± 10.07 in intervention group. Mean dietary KAP score also improved significantly from 21.38 ± 4.07 to 23.43 ± 4.53 in intervention group ( p < 0.001). Mean BMI decreased significantly within intervention group ( p < 0.001) as compared to control group ( p = 0.908). Based on cut-off level for total body fat (%) to categorize obesity-risk among participants, statistically significant decline in proportions from 26.1% to 13.3% was observed in intervention group ( p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Results depicted better KAP in intervention group than control group in all the three visits while it improved significantly within both groups. Hence, the health education was found to be effective in improving the overall KAP regarding modifiable risk factors of obesity among the study participants. Further studies to screen the adolescents for obesity-risk and successive health education sessions must be carried within schools in order to bring about change in knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding obesity-risk., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) maintains cellular proteostasis during stress and has been under investigation as a therapeutic target in cancer for over two decades. We and others have identified a membrane expressed form of Hsp90 (mHsp90) that previously appeared to be restricted to rapidly proliferating cells exhibiting a metastatic phenotype. Here, we used HS-131, a fluor-tethered mHsp90 inhibitor, to quantify the effect of T cell activation on the expression of mHsp90 in human and mouse T cells. In cell-based assays, stimulation of human T cells induced a 20-fold increase in mHsp90 expression at the plasma membrane, suggesting trafficking of mHsp90 is regulated by TCR and inflammatory mediated signaling. Following injection of HS-131 in mouse models of human rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, we detected localization of the probe at sites of active disease, consistent with immune cell invasion. Moreover, despite rapid hepatobiliary clearance, HS-131 demonstrated efficacy in reducing the mean clinical score in the CIA arthritis model. Our results suggest mHsp90 expression on T cells is a molecular marker of T cell activation and potentially a therapeutic target for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Article 5.3 of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control necessitates the governments to take measures to protect health policy from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry (TI). Considering the vast geographical area and diversity between states within India, it is necessary to evaluate the level of implementation of Article 5.3 at the sub-national level. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the implementation of Article 5.3 in the Karnataka state of southern India., Materials and Method: Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance Tobacco Industry Interference index was adopted and used for the study. A desk review was conducted for 2018. Publicly available evidence of tobacco industry interference was scored based on its frequency, severity, and the government's response to it. Lower the score, effective the level of governance against the TI interference, which predicts well for the state., Results: The study demonstrates a score of 46 out of 95 in the implementation of Article 5.3 in Karnataka, which is lower when compared to the national score of 69 out of 100 for 2018. Corporate social responsibility, conflict of interest, and unnecessary interactions with TI are the major areas that need focus to comply with the provisions of Article 5.3., Conclusion: Overall, Karnataka needs to strengthen the implementation of Article 5.3 and develop a strategy in line with the global best practices. This assessment can help in identifying areas requiring enhanced vigilance to avoid industry interference., Competing Interests: During the 2018 state elections, affidavits filed by the candidates revealed their shareholding in tobacco companies. One of the ER had approached the central minister of commerce twice a year along with the delegation of tobacco growers to regularize the unauthorized tobacco growers of Karnataka.[21]There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Indian Journal of Community Medicine.)

Background: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II and CIN III have a high progression rate to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Histopathological assessment is known to have intra and inter-observer diagnostic discrepancies even among two panels of pathologist. Subsequently, to improve on the accuracy of histopathological examination, various IHC biomarkers have been evaluated in the biopsy of cervix., Aim: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the immunoexpression and interrelationship of p16INK4A, MIB-1 and CK17 in histopathologically diagnosed cases of CIN and invasive cervical carcinoma (ICC) which could aid in differentiating CIN and ICC from benign cervical lesions., Materials and Methods: This study included 120 cases of cervical lesions; out of which 20 cases were each of negative for malignancy/dysplasia (NED), CIN I and CIN III, 10 cases of CIN II and 50 cases of ICC. A technique of manual tissue microarray was employed for the study of immunohistochemical markers such as p16INK4A, CK17 and MIB-1 in all cases. Results were subjected to statistical analysis., Results: The difference in p16 immunoexpression between NED (0/20, 0%) and CIN+ICC (97/100, 97%) cases was statistically highly significant. (p<0.01) The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of p16 immunoexpression in comparison to histopathological diagnosis was 97%, 100%, 100%, 86.96% and 97.5% respectively. The overall agreement of p16 staining with histopathological diagnosis was 97.5% (?=0.9151 i.e. very good) The difference in MIB-1 immunoexpression between CIN-I (6/20, 30%) and CIN II+III (30/30, 100%), CIN (36/50,72%) and ICC (50/50, 100%) cases was statistically highly significant. (p<0.01) The difference in MIB-1 immunoexpression between NED (0/20, 0%) and CIN+IC (86/100, 86%) cases was statistically highly significant. (p<0.01) The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of MIB-1 immunoexpression in comparison to histopathological diagnosis was 86%, 100%, 100%, 58.82% and 88.33% respectively. The overall agreement of MIB-1 staining with H&E diagnosis was 88.33%. (?=0.6719 i.e. good) The difference in CK17 immunoexpression between CIN-I (11/20, 55%) and CIN-II+III (26/30, 86.67%) cases was statistically significant. (p=0.030) The difference in CK17 immunoexpression between CIN (37/50, 74%) and ICC (46/50, 92%) cases was statistically significant. (p=0.033) The difference in CK17 immunoexpression between NED (0/20, 0%) and CIN+ICC (83/100, 83%) cases was statistically highly significant. (p<0.01) The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of CK 17 immunoexpression in comparison to histopathological diagnosis was 82%, 100%, 100%, 52.63% and 85% respectively. The overall agreement of CK 17 staining with histopathological diagnosis was 85% (?=0.6029 i.e. moderate) The agreement between p16 and MIB-1 immunostaining was 89.16%. (?= 0.7 i.e., good) The agreement between CK17 and MIB-1 immunostaining was 86.6%. (?= 0.683 i.e., good) The agreement between p16 and CK17 immunostaining was 84.16%. (?= 0.5908 i.e., moderate) Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that the IHC report of p16, MIB-1 and CK-17 in CIN and ICC cases if included in each histopathology report could aid in accurate diagnosis which could facilitate in better patient management.

Background: Students were confined to their homes due to the national closure of educational institutions during the COVID 19 pandemic, thus presenting an unprecedented risk to children's education, protection, and wellbeing., Aim: This study aimed to understand the determinants of subjective wellbeing of adolescents and youth (aged 11-21 years) during the COVID-19 pandemic in India., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was adapted, pre-tested, and finalized to obtain the participant's responses from schools and colleges. Participants aged 11-17 years were engaged through schools. Consent procedures were followed. The survey link was disseminated through social media for the participants aged 18-21 years. The survey was made available in English and Hindi. The data was collected from March-June, 2021., Results: Overall, 1,596 students completed the survey. Out of 1,596 students, 1252 (78%) were below 18 years and 344 (21.5%) participants were 18 years and above. Results suggest a statistically significant ( p < 0.01) difference in the level of student's life satisfaction before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the students who were dissatisfied with their general life during the pandemic, nearly 63.4% felt sadness followed by other feelings, i.e., boredom (around 60.5%), loneliness (63.7%), and anxiety (62.2%)., Conclusion: This study highlights the need for innovative strategies for adolescents and parents to adopt and promote overall subjective wellbeing, especially during public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: RM and KS are staff members of the World Health Organization. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Rawal, Mishra, Sharda, Sharma, Mehta, Kulkarni, Goel and Arora.)

Introduction: Tobacco has been a complex global problem that has adversely affected almost all the sectors of society. However, the ill-effects are often most reflected in humanitarian settings, which inadvertently are surmounted by fragile systems. We aim to map tobacco prevention and control intervention in humanitarian settings., Methods and Analysis: This scoping review will follow the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute. A comprehensive search strategy was designed using Medical Subject Heading terms, subject experts and pertinent reviews. The search was conducted on Medline (through PubMed and Ovid), EMBASE (through OVID), ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, EBSCO (through CINAHL Complete), Scopus and Web of Science databases. Two reviewers will independently screen the identified studies on removing duplicates, which shall be followed by data extraction using a pretested data extraction form. A narrative synthesis approach will be employed to collate the findings from the studies and tabular formats would be used to aid the representation., Ethics and Dissemination: This review will identify, map and synthesise the interventions for tobacco prevention and control in the humanitarian settings. An ethics committee approval was not sought for this body of work as it does not include human subjects. Results from the study will be disseminated through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: The world has been transformed after invention of robotics, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. Their application in the medical field is well recorded; however, their application in dentistry is still being recognized. Hence, in our study, we aimed to analyze the advances in research trends in the digital and the robotics specifically to the dental fields., Material and Methods: We conducted a search for articles that recorded the use of robots, digitalization, and artificial intelligence in dentistry, specifically in endodontics. We piloted a questionnaire study to evaluate the awareness and application of these technologies by the clinicians. The results are presented as various applications of these technologies and the number of the articles for various terminologies. The application of these technologies was compared between the clinicians using ANOVA, with P < 0.05 being significant., Results: We observed a significant difference between the clinicians regarding the application of these technologies and lower awareness was noted. None of the participants used these technologies in practice. Of the total 20 articles that we had finalized, we observed that these technologies helped in studying the various pathologies and structures that were unviewed previously, as well as treatments, prognosis, and outcomes., Conclusions: There is a low awareness of these advanced technologies and application in routine practice. These technologies show greater precision and accuracy. However, the application of these in daily clinical practice and the economy are to be evaluated., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Introduction: Although most of the disease burden internationally is due to tobacco smoking, smokeless tobacco (SLT) use contributed to an estimated 76 000 deaths in 2017. We have studied the potential risk factors for SLT use among adolescents in South India., Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of all students in grades 6-8 in schools in the Udupi district of Karnataka State ascertained SLT use status and potential determinants of SLT uptake. Ever SLT use was defined as any reported consumption of any SLT products, currently or at any time in the past. Independent effects on ever SLT use status were estimated using multiple logistic regression., Results: Of 46 706 students from 914 participating schools, 39 282 (84.1%) provided questionnaire responses sufficiently complete for analysis. Ever SLT use was reported by 775 (2.0%) participants and in a mutually adjusted model was significantly related to age, male sex, family use, or friend's use of SLT, low socioeconomic status, high rebelliousness, and low self-esteem. After controlling for these effects, the odds of ever-SLT use were significantly higher among students who had least awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use (odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval [2.9, 4.7]) and significantly lower among those not exposed to tobacco advertising (odds ratio 0.7, 95% confidence interval [0.5, 0.8])., Conclusions: The prevalence of SLT use among children in Karnataka is relatively low when compared with other studies in India. The significant potential risk factors of SLT use include low awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco and tobacco control policies and exposure to tobacco advertising., Implications: The prevalence of SLT use among school going adolescents in South India is relatively low. The potential risk factors for SLT use among adolescents in southern India are similar to those for smoked tobacco. It includes age, male gender, family or friend's use of SLT, low socioeconomic status, high rebelliousness, low self-esteem, exposure to tobacco advertisement and least awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco and of tobacco control policies. The present study lays emphasis regarding creating awareness about tobacco harms and control policies for further reducing tobacco use among adolescents., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.)

Introduction: Accelerating progress on tobacco control will require Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to be systematically integrated into policies and practices of sectors beyond health at diverse government levels. However, no study has explored implementation challenges of Article 5.3 within multilevel systems such as India, where political decisions on tobacco control occur at diverse government levels, which may constrain action at local level., Methods: Based on 33 semi-structured interviews with diverse government and civil society stakeholders across four districts in Karnataka, India (Mysore, Mangalore, Bengaluru (rural) and Udupi), this study examines challenges to implement Article 5.3 arising from competing agendas and policies of different actors at multiple levels., Results: Our analysis reveals generally low levels of awareness of Article 5.3 and its guideline recommendations, even among those directly involved in tobacco control at district level. Efforts to implement Article 5.3 were also challenged by competing views on the appropriate terms of engagement with industry actors. Scope to reconcile tensions across competing health, agriculture and commercial agendas was further constrained by the policies and practices of the national Tobacco Board, thereby undermining local implementation of Article 5.3. The most challenging aspect of Article 5.3 implementation was the difficulties in restricting engagement by government officials and departments with tobacco industry corporate social responsibility initiatives given national requirements for such activities among major corporations., Conclusions: Promoting effective implementation of Article 5.3 in Karnataka will require policymakers to work across policy silos and reconcile tensions across India's national health and economic priorities., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To assess modulation of neutralizing antibody titers in COVID-19 patients and understand association of variables such as age, presence of comorbidity, BMI and gender with antibody titers., Methods: Patients (n = 100) diagnosed from 20th March 2020 to 17th August 2020 and treated at two large hospitals from Pune, India were included and followed up (clinical and serologic) for varied periods. IgG-anti-SARS-CoV-2 (Spike protein-based ELISA) and neutralizing antibody titers (NAb, PRNT) were determined in all the samples., Results: Of the 100 patients enrolled initially (median 60 days of diagnosis), follow up samples were collected from 70 patients (median 106 days of diagnosis). Overall, NAb titers reduced significantly (p < 0.001) and as early as 3-4 months. During two visits, 20% and 7.1% patients reported some symptoms. At the first visit, NAb titers were higher in patients with severe disease (p < 0.001), comorbidities (p < 0.005), age <50 years (p < 0.05) and male gender (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified older age (p < 0.001), duration post-diagnosis and female gender as independent variables influencing NAb titers (negative correlation, p < 0.05). During the follow-up, reduction in NAb titers was recorded in patients with comorbidity (p < 0.05), mild disease (p < 0.05), age <50 years (p < 0.05), higher BMI (p < 0.05) and male gender (p < 0.001). Serology identified six cases of asymptomatic reinfections., Conclusions: Decline of NAb titers was associated with age <50 years, mild disease, comorbidities, higher BMI and male gender. At the time of follow up, 8/70 (11.4%) patients lacked neutralizing antibodies. Evidence of 6 probable asymptomatic reinfections suggests waning of immunity, but, probable protection from clinical disease needing hospitalization., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors do not have commercial or other associations that might pose a conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In India, the retail prices of bidis and cigarettes varied between the two Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS) conducted in 2009-2010 and 2016-2017. The relationship between the retail price of smoked tobacco products and their use is unclear for India. Our study thus aimed to use available datasets to investigate the association between the retail price and current smoking status of bidis and cigarettes in India., Methods: Current smoking status data for bidis and cigarettes were obtained from the two GATS rounds. The average state-level retail prices of bidis and cigarettes were obtained from India's Consumer Price Index- Industrial Workers database. Descriptive statistics were used to describe current smoking status patterns. Generalized Linear Mixed Models were used to investigate the association between the retail prices and current smoking status of bidis and cigarettes., Results: For cigarettes, an increase in the average retail price by one Indian Rupee was associated with a reduction in the odds of being a current smoker of 7% (OR=0.925; 95% CI: 0.918-0.932, p<0.001). For bidis, the association between the retail price and current smoking status was not statistically significant (OR=1.01; 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, p=0.082)., Conclusions: Current increases in the retail prices of tobacco products in India seem to have an impact on the use of cigarettes but not bidis. This highlights the need for tobacco product tax increases that result in sufficient retail prices increase to make all tobacco products less affordable and reduce their use., Competing Interests: The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. A. Kamath, R. Nayak, M.M. Kulkarni, V.G. Kamath, P. Kumar and A.K. Naik report that since the initial planning of the work, their time on the project was supported by the Medical Research Council (Grant number MR/P027946/2) with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund through Manipal Academy of Higher Education and that article processing charges will be paid through the University of York. Furthermore A. Kamath, M.M. Kulkarni, V.G. Kamath and P. Kumar report that in the past 36 months grants or contracts were received from Global Challenges Research Fund – Tobacco Control Capacity Programme and support for attending meetings and/or travel were received from Global Challenges Research Fund – Tobacco Control Capacity Programme. R. Nayak reports that in the past 36 months project period, salary and other supporting benefits received from Medical Research Council and all travel, subsistence, accommodation and venue, were covered by TCCP budget from Global Challenges Research Fund – Tobacco Control Capacity Programme. J. Li reports that since the initial planning of the work, funding through University of York from GCRF: Tobacco Control Capacity Programme (TCCP) (MR/P027946/2) via University of Stirling was received. Moreover, J. Li reports that in the past 36 months all travel, subsistence, accommodation and venue, were covered by TCCP budget for the 4-6 March 2019 programme meeting in London and for the 25-28 February 2020 Workshop in Ethiopia. A.K. Naik reports that in the past 36 months grants or contracts were received from Global Challenges Research Fund – Tobacco Control Capacity Programme. S. Parrott reports that in the past 36 months, support was received from NIHR (UK). N.D. Mdege reports that since the initial planning of the work her time on the project was supported by the Medical Research Council (Grant number MR/P027946/2) with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund., (© 2022 Nayak R. et al.)

Problem Considered: The aim of this paper was to support policy makers to make informed decisions regarding public health response in general, and tobacco control interventions particularly, in the context of COVID-19., Methods: An online cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted in the year 2020 with stakeholders in tobacco control and public health experts from private and government organizations. Information pertaining to background characteristics of study participants and impact of pandemic on tobacco use and means to leverage tobacco control policy was collected. Data was analysed using Microsoft excel 2010 and results are presented as frequencies and percentages along with key responses from open ended questions., Results: A total of 72 stakeholders were approached out of which, 46 (56.1%) responded and were included. About 32 (74.4%) of the participants thought that public health authorities had given advice on stopping tobacco use during COVID-19 pandemic. About 19 (43.2%) participants did not notice any change in level of interest in tobacco cessation during the pandemic while a majority 34(73.8%) agreed that COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on health seeking behaviour of patients with non-communicable diseases. Nearly half of participants, 21(48.8%) opined that tobacco industry was engaged in corporate social responsibilities during COVID-19., Conclusion: The stakeholders expressed that there is a good opportunity to further strengthen tobacco control activities during COVID-19 pandemic and also emphasized need to closely monitor tobacco industry interference during this time., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of INDIACLEN.)

Selective detection and quantification of biomarkers related to human diseases are essential for preventive healthcare. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool offering high sensitivity. However, the success of this promising analytical tool relies on the ability to effectively fabricate SERS substrate. Herein we have demonstrated a plasmonic paper-based flexible substrate (PPFS) for SERS sensing. In situ growth of silver nanostructures (AgNS) on the paper-based substrate was achieved by using a simple one-step silver mirror reaction (SMR). FESEM and TEM results depicts that the increasing silver ion content influences the morphology (growth of multifacets), as well as size of AgNS. Further, the PPFS substrate was tested with Rhodamine-6G (Rh-6G) dye and an attomole sensitivity with a LOD of 4.54 × 10 -18 M was achieved. Further, two biomarkers, lactic acid (LA) and uric acid (UA) were detected on the PPFS substrate, with [Formula: see text] and pM sensitivity, having LOD values of 0.6 × 10 -6 and 0.3 × 10 -12 M respectively. Above detection levels for UA on PPFS is two orders better than reported values, whereas for LA it is comparable with reported substrates. Finally, UA, LA and their mixtures were tested on PPFS and results compared with commercial substrate. The performance of PPFS were found better in all cases, thus, multifaceted AgNS paper based PPFS offers the potential to be used as a biosensor for detection of various biomarkers from body fluids, responsible for the detection of the critical disease for preventive health care.

Background: The prime concern of an implant-supported prosthesis (ISP) is to maintain an optimal proximal contact tightness, which further maintains arch integrity, improves masticatory effectiveness, and minimizes peri-implantitis., Objective: To investigate the loss of proximal contact tightness between single tooth implant-supported prosthesis and the adjacent natural teeth., Methods: Forty patients treated by a single mandibular first molar ISP, aged between 18-50 years were selected. All were randomly allocated in Group I and Group II. Group I, 20 subjects who have received ISP without an insertion of Essix retainer, and Group II patients received an insertion with Essix retainer. The groups were subdivided into Subgroup A, B, and Subgroup C, D, in which A and C are control groups. To measure the tightness at proximal contact points, a digital force analyzer was used. Proximal contact tightness (PCT) was measured immediately after the placement of the prosthesis, 3 months, 6 months, and 1-year follow-up respectively, and the PCT values at end of 1 year were statistically evaluated. Statistical analysis was done, mean and standard deviation was calculated by independent sample t-test wit p< 0.05 as a statistically significant value., Results: In Group I, towards the end of 1 year, 2.09 N (65.5%) and 1.50 N (53.1%) loss of PCT were found on mesial and distal contact areas respectively. In Group II, loss of PCT at mesial contact area was 0.87 N (28.9%) and at distal contact area was 1.77 N (53.3%), which is significantly less compared with the non-usage of Essix retainer (p< 0.05)., Conclusion: The usage of Essix retainer, PCT increases especially on the mesial contact area. The frequency of contact loss was decreased. Thus, to minimize the loss of proximal contact the usage of Essix retainer is recommended.

We have fabricated polymer micro-lens array by self-organized dewetting inside the microchannel, which shows remarkable enhancement in the resolution, contrast and more than 10 times add-on magnification to a microscope. These lenses are demonstrated to resolve sub-micrometer features and detect moving micro-particles when suspension is flown in a microchannel. Polystyrene (PS) micro-lenses are fabricated on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate using the controlled dewetting of PS thin film then this PDMS substrate is used to close the microchannel with inverted micro-lenses on it. An aqueous suspension of polystyrene particles is flown through the microchannel and we have observed the particles through an optical microscope. Focusing and magnification through PS micro-lenses is analyzed to get a quantitative estimate of the particle number density in the solution. This method offers a promising low-cost high throughput solution for determining the approximate number density of flowing particles or suitably stained biological cells. Particularly in a pathology lab it can tremendously increase detection limit by enabling visibility of sub-micrometer pathogens using a standard laboratory microscope., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: With increase in exposure to titanium in daily life and its use in medical procedures, there is a greater chance for developing titanium hypersensitivity. Our aim and objective is to examine whether patient patients with titanium implants had a greater incidence of titanium hypersensitivity or not. Titanium is widely considered to have good biocompatibility. A passivating surface layer of TiO 2 is formed when exposed to air which gives it good corrosion resistance. These properties along with its high strength, lightweight, and improvements in smelting technologies have led to its widespread use as an intraosseous and periosteal implant in dentistry and orthopedics., Materials and Methods: Only case-control studies were used for the meta-analysis. Studies with a sample size of <5 were excluded. Cutaneous and epicutaneous tests were used in the study., Results: Three studies met the inclusion criteria. Titanium hypersensitivity is more prevalent in patients with titanium implants., Conclusions: It is also used in a variety of medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. Moreover, our external exposure to titanium is increasing. It is used in aerospace, chemical, and automobile industries. It is also used in jewelry, home furnishings, and in making sports and marine equipment. Titanium implants increase the possibility of developing titanium hypersensitivity, and thus, it should be considered as a major factor in unexplained implant failure where other causes have been excluded., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Background: Exposure to smoking in films is a recognised cause of smoking uptake among children. In India, in an attempt to protect children, films containing smoking are required to include tobacco control messaging including audiovisual disclaimers, on-screen health warnings when tobacco imagery is displayed and antitobacco 'health spots' before and during the film. We report a study of the association between ever smoking and exposure to tobacco imagery in locally popular films among children in Udupi district of Karnataka state in southern India., Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of all students in grades 6-8 in schools in the Udupi district ascertained smoking status and potential confounders of smoking uptake, and whether children had seen any of 27 locally popular films we had coded and found to contain imagery of actual or implied tobacco use. Ever-smoking status was defined as any reported smoking of cigarettes, beedis or other tobacco products currently or at any time in the past. Independent effects on ever-smoking status were estimated using multiple logistic regression., Results: Of 46 706 students enrolled in grades 6-8 in 914 participating schools, 39 282 (84.1%) provided questionnaire responses sufficiently complete for analysis. Ever smoking was reported by 914 (2.3%) participants and in a mutually adjusted model was significantly related to age, male sex, living in a home where smoking is allowed, having parents or siblings who smoke, low paternal education, low levels of family wealth, low self-esteem, rebelliousness and poor school performance. After allowing for these effects, the odds of ever smoking were not increased among students who had seen any of the listed films containing tobacco imagery when included in the analysis as a binary exposure (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.4 to 2.0), and decreased in relation to level of exposure graded into tertiles of tobacco intervals seen., Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, children in southern India who had seen films containing tobacco imagery are no more likely to smoke than those who had not, indicating that the tobacco control messaging mandated by Indian law may be attenuating the effect of tobacco imagery in films on smoking uptake., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)