A cross-sectional study to assess medication safety,knowledge,attitude,and practices regarding nutrition and medication among pregnant women

Objective:To assess pregnant women's knowledge,attitude,and practice regarding nutrition and medication usage,analyse the prescribing pattern,and categorize them based on the Food and Drug Administration(FDA)guidelines.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 264 pregnant women in the obstetrics and gynaecology department of a tertiary care hospital from October 2022 to August 2023.A knowledge,attitude,and practice(KAP)questionnaire was prepared in English language by the researchers and validated by an expert panel consisting of 12 members.The validated questionnaire was then translated into regional languages,Kannada and Malayalam.The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed with test-retest method with a representative sample population of 30 subjects(10 subjects for each language).The subjects'knowledge,attitude,and practice were evaluated using the validated KAP questionnaire.The safety of the medication was assessed using the FDA drug safety classification for pregnancy.Results:The mean scores for nutritional and medication usage knowledge,attitude,and practice were 4.14±1.15,4.50±1.09,and 3.00±1.47,respectively.Among 30 prescribed medications,3 belong to category A(no risk in human studies),8 belong to category B(no risk in animal studies),18 belong to category C(risk cannot be ruled out)and 1 drug is not classified.A significant association was observed between medication knowledge and practice(r=0.159,P=0.010).Conclusions:Most of the study population knows the need to maintain good dietary and medication practices during pregnancy.Counselling pregnant women regarding diet and medication usage is crucial in maternal care.

Cryogenic and conventional milling of AZ91 magnesium alloy

Use of magnesium is the need of the hour due to its low density as well as its high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratio etc.This study focuses on the effectiveness of liquid nitrogen(LN_(2))assisted cryogenic machining on the surface integrity(SI)characteristics of AZ91 magnesium alloy.Face milling using uncoated carbide inserts have been performed under liquid nitrogen(LN_(2))assisted cryogenic condition and compared with conventional(dry)milling.Experiments are performed using machining parameters in terms of cutting speeds of 325,475,625 m/min,feed rates of 0.05,0.1,0.15 mm/teeth and depth of cuts of 0.5,1,1.5 mm respectively.Most significant surface integrity characteristics such as surface roughness,microhardness,microstructure,and residual stresses have been investigated.Behaviour of SI characteristics with respect to milling parameters have been identified using statistical technique such as ANOVA and signal-to-noise(S/N)ratio plots.Additionally,the multi criteria decision making(MCDM)techniques such as additive ratio assessment method(ARAS)and complex proportional assessment(COPRAS)have been utilized to identify the optimal conditions for milling AZ91 magnesium alloy under both dry and cryogenic conditions.Use of LN_(2)during machining,resulted in reduction in machining temperature by upto 29%with a temperature drop from 251.2℃under dry condition to 178.5℃in cryogenic condition.Results showed the advantage of performing cryogenic milling in improving the surface integrity to a significant extent.Cryogenic machining considerably minimized the roughness by upto 28%and maximised the microhardness by upto 23%,when compared to dry machining.Cutting speed has caused significant impact on surface roughness(95.33%-dry,92.92%-cryogenic)and surface microhardness(80.33%-dry,82.15%-cryogenic).Due to the reduction in machining temperature,cryogenic condition resulted in compressive residual stresses(maximumσ║=-113 MPa)on the alloy surface.Results indicate no harm to alloy microstructure in both conditions,with no alterations to grain integrity and minimal reduction in the average grain sizes in the near machined area,when compared to before machined(base material)surface.The MCDM approach namely ARAS and COPRAS resulted in identical results,with the optimal condition being cutting speed of 625 m/min,a feed rate of 0.05 mm/teeth,and a depth of cut of 0.5 mm for both dry and cryogenic environments.

Impact of chronological ageing on semen parameters in southern Indian men visiting infertility centre:A retrospective study

Objective:To investigate the association between age and semen parameters among male partners of subfertile couples.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed the semen of 1523 infertile men aged 26 to 50 years.Data were extracted from GarbhaGudi IVF Centre database from January 2019 to September 2020.The basic semen parameters were interpreted according to the WHO manual 2021,6th edition.Semen parameters in different age groups were compared.Results:Total and progressive motile sperms were significantly higher in the age group of 26-30 years compared to other age groups(P<0.05).Normal sperm count was significantly higher in the age group of 26-30 years compared to the age groups of 41-45 years and>46 years(P=0.001).However,sperm head defects,neck and midpiece defects,tail defects,and cytoplasmic droplets showed statistically insignificant difference in all the age groups(P>0.05).Semen viscosity showed no statistical difference in all the age groups compared to the reference age group of 26 to 30 years.Conclusions:Higher age can lead to a significant decrease in normal sperms and motility in subfertile men.Hence,male partner age should be considered as one of the major determining factors for reproductive outcomes.

A retrospective review of 14 cases of malignant otitis externa

Background:Malignant otitis externa is an inflammatory condition of the external ear which has the propensity to spread to the skull base.It can be a difficult entity to treat as clinical presentation varies and response to treatment differs between patients.We reviewed cases of malignant otitis externa in our setup to document the epidemiology and outcome of management.Methods:This is a retrospective case review observational study from January 2013eDecember 2017.Fourteen patients diagnosed with malignant otitis externa in our tertiary referral centre were included in the study.Based on hospital protocol,empiric treatment was started.After discharge,the patients follow up visits to the hospital were also documented.Results:Otalgia was the most common symptom.Edema and congestion of the external auditory canal were observed in most cases.Diabetes was present in all patients.Three cases had associated facial palsy,and one patient had involvement of 7th,9th,10th,11th and 12th cranial nerve.Two patients with facial palsy recovered.Pseudomonas aeuroginosa was the most common organism isolated(50%).Conclusions:In our series,malignant otitis externa invariably presented with severe otalgia.Lower cranial palsies were also seen.Methods to evaluate complete eradication of disease should be centered on clinical symptoms and signs,but the measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate or radiological imaging may be used as a useful adjunct when there is uncertainty.

Exosomes: Emerging implementation of nanotechnology for detecting and managing novel corona virus-SARS-CoV-2

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 as an emerging novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had progressed as a worldwide pandemic since the end of 2019. COVID-19 affects firstly lungs tissues which are known for their very slow regeneration. Afterwards, enormous cytokine stimulation occurs in the infected cells immediately after a lung infection which necessitates good management to save patients. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of nanometric size released by reticulocytes on maturation and are known to mediate intercellular communications. The exosomal cargo serves as biomarkers in diagnosing various diseases;moreover, exosomes could be employed as nanocarriers in drug delivery systems. Exosomes look promising to combat the current pandemic since they contribute to the immune response against several viral pathogens. Many studies have proved the potential of using exosomes either as viral elements or host systems that acquire immune-stimulatory effects and could be used as a vaccine or drug delivery tool. It is essential to stop viral replication, prevent and reverse the massive storm of cytokine that worsens the infected patients’ situations for the management of COVID-19. The main benefits of exosomes could be;no cells will be introduced, no chance of mutation, lack of immunogenicity and the damaged genetic material that could negatively affect the recipient is avoided. Additionally, it was found that exosomes are static with no ability for in vivo reproduction. The current review article discusses the possibilities of using exosomes for detecting novel coronavirus and summarizes state of the art concerning the clinical trials initiated for examining the use of COVID-19 specific T cells derived exosomes and mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes in managing COVID-19.

Genetic regulators of cytokine responses upon BCG vaccination in children from West Africa

Genetic variation is a key factor influencing cytokine production capacity,but which genetic loci regulate cytokine production before and after vaccination,particularly in African population is unknown.Here,we aimed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)controlling cytokine responses after microbial stimulation in infants of West-African ancestry,comprising of low-birth-weight neonates randomized to bacillus Calmette-Gue rin(BCG)vaccine-at-birth or to the usual delayed BCG.Genome-wide cytokine cytokine quantitative trait loci(cQTL)mapping revealed 12 independent loci,of which the LINC01082-LINC00917 locus influenced more than half of the cytokine-stimulation pairs assessed.Furthermore,nine distinct cQTLs were found among infants randomized to BCG.Functional validation confirmed that several complement genes affect cytokine response after BCG vaccination.We observed a limited overlap of common cQTLs between the West-African infants and cohorts of Western European individuals.These data reveal strong population-specific genetic effects on cytokine production and may indicate new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and vaccine development in African populations.

Influence of fatty acids in edible oils on lutein micellization and permeation in a simulated digestion model

Lutein is a nutraceutical compound that promotes human eye health and prevents neurodegenerative diseases.The oral bioavailability of lutein is affected by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors in the host.Although hydrophobicity of the compound is further challenging,its lipophilicity can be utilized to micellize and thereby improve its oral bioavailability.Currently,available data on the effects of dietary fats on lutein micellization and permeation is limited and needs further exploration.In this study,the influence of 17 carrier type edible oils on lutein micellization and permeation,was investigated in a simulated digestion model.The overall effectiveness of these oils to permeate micellized lutein was attributed to its Fatty Acid(FA)profile.While 94%of the edible oils exhibited a positive influence on the permeation of micellized lutein,the micellization and permeation efficiency of these oils were significantly(p≤0.05)modulated by the saturation of FA in the order Saturated(SFA)>Mono-Unsaturated(MUFA)>Poly-Unsaturated(PUFA).The highest apparent permeability coefficient was exhibited by lutein micellized in ghee(3.01×10^(-6) cm/s)and butter(2.93×10^(-6) cm/s),which was 1.28 and 1.24 folds higher than lutein alone(2.35×10^(-6) cm/s)respectively.Exceptionally MUFA rich olive oil and PUFA rich flaxseed oil improved lutein permeation by 1.19(2.80×10^(-6) cm/s)and 1.14 folds(2.69×10^(-6) cm/s)respectively.This study is the first to report the influence of saturated fatty acids on micellization and permeation of lutein.Furthermore,the outcomes of this study offer the field of lutein delivery systems a fresh perspective.