DRUG UTILISATION STUDY OF STROKE AND OTHER PATIENTS ADMITTED TO GENERAL WARD OF NEUROLOGY UNIT AT QUATERNARY CARE PRIVATE HOSPITAL

Objective: To study the profile of the patient, the pattern of their illness and their drug use patterns attending to general ward of quaternary care hospital.Methods: Prospective observational study of 2 mo was performed at neurology unit of the quaternary care private hospital, India. Patients aged above 20 y with at least one neurological drug in prescription were included to observe their demographic profile, illness pattern and drug use. The data was analysed and summarised as frequency and percentage using microsoft excel and presented as tables.Results: Among 60 patient that were enrolled, more were males (N=33, 55%) than females (N=27, 45%) and within the age group of 60-70 y (N=22, 36.67%). The majority of patients were diagnosed with strokes (N= 48, 80%) where the cerebrovascular accident was most common (N=16, 26.66%). Males (N=29, 60.4%) were more prone to get stroke than females (N=19,39.6%). An average number of drugs per prescription was 5.7, the percentage of antibiotics, generic drugs and injections were 36.6%, 0.05% and 44.14% respectively. A total of 28 different drug classes with 61 different drugs was utilised. Fourteen drug classes had been accounted for 90% of drugs utilisation. Clopidegrol+Aspirin have frequently used the drug.Conclusion: Most people attending neurology unit were elderly. Stroke occupies 1st list for the burden. Average drugs for neurology visit remain high. Wide types of drug classes are utilised in neurological ward

First Principles Study of Structural, Electronic, Elastic and Mechanical Properties of GdSn3 and YbSn3 Intermetallic Compounds

First principles study of structural, electronic, elastic and mechanical properties of ferromagnetic GdSn3 and non-magnetic YbSn3 rare-earth intermetallics, which crystallize in AuCu3-type structure, is performed using density functional theory based on full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. The ground state calculations are carried out within PBE-GGA, PBE-sol GGA and LSDA approximations   for the exchange correlation potential. The calculated ground state properties such as lattice constants and bulk moduli agree well with the experiment as well as other theoretical results. We report elastic constants for these compounds for the first time. Both these compounds are found to be ductile in nature. The computed electronic band structures show metallic character. We also report mechanical properties of these compounds for the first time.    Keywords: Rare-earth; Density functional theory; Elastic constants

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, CCN2) gene regulation: a potent clinical bio-marker of fibroproliferative disease?

The CCN (cyr61, ctgf, nov) family of modular proteins regulate diverse biological affects including cell adhesion, matrix production, tissue remodelling, proliferation and differentiation. Recent targeted gene disruption studies have demonstrated the CCN family to be developmentally essential for chondrogenesis, osteogenesis and angiogenesis. CCN2 is induced by agents such as angiotensin II, endothelin-1, glucocorticoids, HGF, TGFβ, and VEGF, and by hypoxia and biomechanical and shear stress. Dysregulated expression of CCN2 has also been widely documented in many fibroproliferative diseases. This mini-review will focus on CCN2, and the recent progress in understanding CCN2 gene regulation in health and disease. That CCN2 should be considered a novel and informative surrogate clinical bio-marker for fibroproliferative disease is discussed

Cyber-terrorism: hackers becoming terrorists or terrorists becoming hackers?

The skill required to perpetrate information warfare has been pointed out as one of the obstacles for terrorist organizations. We discuss the ways terrorists may be addressing this. Rogers’ (2001) hacker taxonomy is used to dissect the hacker community, so as to identify the subset of hackers (or crackers) with the criminal inclination, and who might be hired or recruited. A generalized profile match reveals that, although there exists some similarity between the profiles, violence or physical harm has not yet been on the agenda for criminal hackers. We consider the possibility of terrorists getting trained in computer hacking for carrying out cyber-terrorism, by utilizing the training resources available freely on the World Wide Web, or by obtaining training through certificate programs. In this paper we analyzed the existing definitions of cyber-terrorism, so as to elicit a definition that is consistent with the true nature of cyber-terrorism. We believe that, while cyber-terrorism has to be treated as a variant of conventional terrorism, varying in the mode of attack, and the immediate target (computer networks/information infrastructure), there are important issues that need to be addressed which have not been sufficiently discussed in the literature. This would show that cyberspace might be a tool of terrorism without being a venue

Tetra­kis(μ-4-ethyl­benzoato-κ2 O:O′)­bis­[(4-ethyl­benzoic acid-κO)copper(II)]

The molecule of the title compound, [Cu2(C9H9O2)4(C9H10O2)2], lies on a center of inversion. It consists of four bridging ethyl­benzoate ligands, forming a cage around two Cu atoms in a syn–syn configuration, and two monodentate ethyl­benzoic acid ligands bonded apically to the square-planar Cu atoms. The Cu⋯Cu distance is 2.6047 (5) Å

Barriers to coastal shipping development: an Indian perspective

Coastal shipping has been widely recognised as a sustainable and efficient alternative to road transport. However, the barriers encountered in the industry have not been systematically studied in any region. From an Indian perspective, this study aims to prioritise barriers to coastal shipping development for effective policy interventions. It identifies important barriers through a Delphi study and then quantifies their cause-and-effect relationships by the decision making-trial and evaluation laboratory analysis (DEMATEL) technique. It is interesting that the main barriers, those have most impact on coastal shipping development, are not necessarily the ones most widely recognised. The study also uncovers the hidden cause-and-effect relationships between several barriers. Four main barriers are identified: (1) Indian maritime legislation (especially cabotage rules); (2) issues in the infrastructure and procedures at port and port-centric areas; (3) underdevelopment of small ports; (4) lack of a collaborative culture among the various service providers involved in the logistics supply chain. This study finally recommends relaxing cabotage rules to stimulate the inflow of foreign capital to grow coastal shipping, improving the current port system through joint efforts of the ports, Indian customs and government, and fostering supply chain collaboration

Palbociclib with Letrozole in Postmenopausal Women with ER+/HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer: Hematologic Safety Analysis of the Randomized PALOMA-2 Trial.

BackgroundPALOMA-2 confirmed that first-line palbociclib + letrozole improved progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-0.72) in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC). This analysis evaluated palbociclib-associated hematologic adverse events (AEs) and provides insight on managing these AEs.Materials and methodsPostmenopausal women with ER+/HER2- ABC were randomly assigned 2:1 to letrozole (2.5 mg daily continuously) plus oral palbociclib (125 mg daily; 3 weeks on/1 week off) or placebo. Safety assessments were performed at baseline, days 1 and 15 (first two cycles) and day 1 of subsequent cycles, and included white blood cell, platelet, and absolute neutrophil count (ANC).ResultsPALOMA-2 randomized 666 women to palbociclib + letrozole (n = 444) or placebo + letrozole (n = 222). Neutropenia was the most common AE (95.3%) with palbociclib (grade 3, 55.6%; grade 4, 11.5%) and was managed by dose modifications; progression-free survival was similar between patients who experienced grade ≥ 3 neutropenia versus those who did not. Median (range) time to onset of neutropenia with palbociclib + letrozole was 15 (12-700) days (grade ≥ 3, 28.0 [12-854] days); median duration of each neutropenia episode grade ≥ 3 was 7.0 days. Asian ethnicity and low baseline ANC were associated with increased risk of grade 3/4 neutropenia with palbociclib (p < .001).ConclusionPalbociclib + letrozole was generally well tolerated. Neutropenia, the most frequently reported AE in women with ER+/HER2- ABC, was mostly transient and manageable by dose modifications in patients who experienced grade ≥ 3 neutropenia, without appearing to compromise efficacy. (Pfizer; NCT01740427) IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Palbociclib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile in PALOMA-2 in women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) receiving first-line palbociclib + letrozole. Although hematologic adverse events (AEs) are typically expected with anticancer therapies and are often clinically significant, palbociclib-related hematologic AEs, particularly neutropenia (most frequent AE), were transient/manageable by dose reduction, interruption, or cycle delay, which is in contrast to the more profound neutropenia associated with chemotherapy. Palbociclib dose adjustments decreased hematologic AE severity without appearing to compromise efficacy, supporting palbociclib + letrozole as a first-line treatment for ER+/HER2- ABC

An Exogenous Pre-Storage Melatonin Alleviates Chilling Injury in Some Mango Fruit Cultivars, by Acting on the Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant System

Melatonin (MT) treatment (100 M, 2 h) was applied to four mango fruit cultivars (‘Langra’, ‘Chaunsa’, ‘Dashehari’, and ‘Gulab Jamun’), before being stored at 5 1 C for 28 d, in order to alleviate chilling injury (CI). Maximum CI reduction was observed in ‘Langra’ mangoes, and minimum in ‘Gulab Jamun’ mangoes. This positive effect on quality preservation was associated with an increased concentration of endogenous MT, which prevented the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (H2O2 and O2 ) and stimulated non-enzymatic antioxidants (total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids), possibly due to higher activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase. Increased antioxidant activity was also documented in MT-treated ‘Langra’ mangoes, according to four different assays (DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, and CUPRAC) and higher activity of six antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase). In contrast, ‘Gulab Jamun’ mangoes showed minimal or no positive effects on the aforementioned variables in response to the exogenous MT application. ‘Chaunsa’ and ‘Dashehari’ mangoes had some intermediate effects on their antioxidant system (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) and alleviation of CI, when treated with exogenous MT.We conclude that exogenous MT exerts a cultivar-dependent stimulating effect on the antioxidant system of mangoes, which results in an increase in the fruits’ resistance to low temperature

Silver-Russell Syndrome: A Case Report

A 15-year-old male boy with hemihypertrophy (left side) of the body was admitted in the hospital with the history of repeated attacks of convulsion. The patient was diagnosed as Silver-Russell syndrome on clinical ground. Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a very rare genetic disorder that appears no later than early childhood. This is usually characterized by asymmetry in the size of the two halves or other parts of the body. Silver-Russell Syndrome occurs mostly in isolated cases because of sporadic genetic changes (mutations) for no apparent reason. For lack of facilities we were not able to do genetic study

Peak expiratory flow rate nomogram in relation to anthropometric determinants of South Indian school children

Background: The predictive normal value of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), used in monitoring of healthy andasthmatic children, is correlated with height, but it may vary with other anthropometric measurements and ethnicdifferences. Purpose: To study the correlation of PEFR with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), chest circumference(CC), and MUAC and to formulate PEFR nomograms in relation to these anthropometric variables in a ruralschool going children of age group 6-12 years in southern India. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional studywas conducted in 2000 children consist of 993 boys and 1007 girls who fulfilled the selection criteria from eightrandomly selected government schools from a rural area. PEFR was measured age wise using Mini-Wright peakflow meter and the highest among the three values was taken. PEFR nomograms were formulated, and its correlationwith BMI, height, weight, CC, and MUAC were estimated using linear regression analysis. Results: PEFR hasstrong (p < 0.001) positive correlation with age, height, weight, MUAC, and CC, but it has poor correlation withBMI (p = 0.985) which showed flat regression line with narrow 95% confidence limits. Conclusion: In this study,PEFR has nonsignificant correlation with BMI but has strong positive correlation with other anthropometricmeasurements. This underlines the need of a local reference nomogram as anthropometric measurements affect thePEFR reference values