Risk Factors of Diabetes Mellitus in Rural Puducherry

Purpose: Prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in India. Rural area constitutes 80% of India. Hence it is essential to understand the epidemiology for appropriate interventions. Objectives: to identify risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural Puducherry. Methodology: Cross sectional study in two villages of Puducherry, India. 1403 subjects above 25 years from 2 villages. Study measured demographic variables, Body Mass Index (BMI), physical activity, family history of Diabetes Mellitus, smoking and alcohol consumption. Fasting blood glucose was measured for study subjects. Further, those with >126 mg/dl were subjected for Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. Univariate and multivariate analysis was done. Receiver Operating characteristic Curve was plotted to find out cut off for Diabetic Risk Score. Findings: The prevalence of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) was 5.8%. The response rate was (88%). In univariate analysis age, occupation, Socio Economic Status, BMI, physical activity, family history were significant for DM. In multivariate analysis age, BMI, family history of diabetes and occupation were significant for type 2 DM. The ‘diabetes risk score’ generated by the study using age, BMI and family history of DM, had specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of 54%, 77% and 76.2% respectively. The area under curve for scoring system was 0.784 (<0.05). Conclusions: Identified risk factors are useful for early diagnosis by using ‘diabetes risk score’ – thus uncovering the iceberg of disease

Local Stellar Kinematics from RAVE data - VII. Metallicity Gradients from Red Clump Stars

We investigate the Milky Way Galaxy's radial and vertical metallicity gradients using a sample of 47,406 red clump stars from the RAVE DR4. This sample is more than twice the size of the largest sample in the literature investigating radial and vertical metallicity gradients. The absolute magnitude of Groenewegen (2008) is used to determine distances to our sample stars. The resulting distances agree with the RAVE DR4 distances Binney et al. (2014) of the same stars. Our photometric method also provides distances to 6185 stars that are not assigned a distance in RAVE DR4. The metallicity gradients are calculated with their current orbital positions ($R_{gc}$ and $Z$) and with their orbital properties (mean Galactocentric distance, $R_{m}$ and $z_{max}$), as a function of the distance to the Galactic plane: d[Fe/H]/d$R_{gc}=$-$0.047\pm0.003$ dex/kpc for $0\leq |Z|\leq0.5$ kpc and d[Fe/H]/d$R_m=$-$0.025\pm0.002$ dex/kpc for $0\leq z_{max}\leq0.5$ kpc. This reaffirms the radial metallicity gradient in the thin disc but highlights that gradients are sensitive to the selection effects caused by the difference between $R_{gc}$ and $R_{m}$. The radial gradient is flat in the distance interval 0.5-1 kpc from the plane and then becomes positive greater than 1 kpc from the plane. The radial metallicity gradients are also eccentricity dependent. We showed that d[Fe/H]/d$R_m=$-$0.089\pm0.010$, -$0.073\pm0.007$, -$0.053\pm0.004$ and -$0.044\pm0.002$ dex/kpc for $e_p\leq0.05$, $e_p\leq0.07$, $e_p\leq0.10$ and $e_p\leq0.20$ sub-samples, respectively, in the distance interval $0\leq z_{max}\leq0.5$ kpc. Similar trend is found for vertical metallicity gradients. Both the radial and vertical metallicity gradients are found to become shallower as the eccentricity of the sample increases. These findings can be used to constrain different formation scenarios of the thick and thin discs.Comment: 18 pages, including 16 figures and 6 tables, accepted for publication in PAS

Retardation of atherosclerosis in immunocompetent apolipoprotein (apo) E-deficient mice followingliver-directed administration of a [E1-, E3-,polymerase-] adenovirus vector containing the elongation factor-1a promoter driving expression of human apoE cDNA

Although gene transfer of human apolipoprotein E (apoE), a 34-kDa circulating glycoprotein, to the liver of apoEdeficient(apoE-/-) mice using recombinant adenoviral vectors (rAd) is antiatherogenic, its full therapeutic potentialhas yet to be realized. First generation vectors led to immune clearance of transduced hepatocytes, while animproved vector with adenovirus regions E1, E3 and DNA polymerase deleted also had transient effects due tocellular shutdown of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Here, we have studied an alternative promoter from thecellular elongation factor 1a (EF-1a) gene, injecting 6-8 week old apoE-/- mice intravenously with 2x1010 virusparticles (vp) of the [E1-, E3-, polymerase-] rAd vector Ad-EF1·-apoE. Plasma apoE levels were low (18-55 ng/ml)and failed to reduce plasma cholesterol or normalize the adverse lipoprotein profile. By contrast, thehyperlipidaemic phenotype of apoE-/- mice treated with Ad-CMV-apoE (2x1010 vp) was transiently normalized.Nevertheless, at termination (265 days) the aortic lesion areas in animals given Ad-EF1·-apoE were significantlyreduced by 15% (P<0.05) compared to untreated animals, a decrease approaching that in Ad-CMV-apoE-treatedmice (23%; P<0.02). Importantly, the attenuation of apoE transgene expression noted with the CMV promoter wasabsent with the EF-1a promoter, which gave relatively sustained, albeit low, levels of plasma apoE throughout thestudy period

The Royal Free Hospital score: a calibrated prognostic model for patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit. Comparison with current models and CLIF-SOFA score

Prognosis for patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) is poor. ICU prognostic models are more accurate than liver-specific models. We identified predictors of mortality, developed a novel prognostic score (Royal Free Hospital (RFH) score), and tested it against established prognostic models and the yet unvalidated Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) model

Quantum biology on the edge of quantum chaos

We give a new explanation for why some biological systems can stay quantum coherent for long times at room temperatures, one of the fundamental puzzles of quantum biology. We show that systems with the right level of complexity between chaos and regularity can increase their coherence time by orders of magnitude. Systems near Critical Quantum Chaos or Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) can have long coherence times and coherent transport at the same time. The new theory tested in a realistic light harvesting system model can reproduce the scaling of critical fluctuations reported in recent experiments. Scaling of return probability in the FMO light harvesting complex shows the signs of universal return probability decay observed at critical MIT. The results may open up new possibilities to design low loss energy and information transport systems in this Poised Realm hovering reversibly between quantum coherence and classicality

Impact of Educational Intervention Measures on Knowledge regarding HIV/ Occupational Exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis among Final Year Nursing Students of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Amongst the different Health Care Personnel nurses are at a greater risk of being accidentally exposed to HIV and other Blood Borne Pathogens. The present study was conducted among 50 final year nursing students of a Medical College Hospital to assess the knowledge regarding HIV, occupational exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) among the students and analyses the impact of educational intervention measures on the issues amongst the study subjects. A Pre-designed and Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of knowledge before and after educational intervention sessions. Knowledge regarding risk of transmission of HIV by needle-stick injury and body fluids against which universal precautions were mandatory increased by 72% following the intervention sessions (χ2 = 53.202, p <0.001). 72% and 36% respondents correctly knew the duration within which to start PEP and the drugs available for PEP, post educational sessions 98% and 96% students were aware of it: the difference being statistically significant (χ2 = 11.294, p <0.001) and (χ2 = 37.748, p <0.001) respectively. The mean pre-intervention score was 8.32; mean post-intervention score was 14.40: statistical analysis showed the results to be significant (t= 13.857, p< 0.001). The study reflects that there is a dearth of knowledge among the study group. Incorporating the concerned issues in the academic curriculum to provide the students with adequate knowledge and information during their formative years is needed

Detecting time-fragmented cache attacks against AES using Performance Monitoring Counters

Cache timing attacks use shared caches in multi-core processors as side channels to extract information from victim processes. These attacks are particularly dangerous in cloud infrastructures, in which the deployed countermeasures cause collateral effects in terms of performance loss and increase in energy consumption. We propose to monitor the victim process using an independent monitoring (detector) process, that continuously measures selected Performance Monitoring Counters (PMC) to detect the presence of an attack. Ad-hoc countermeasures can be applied only when such a risky situation arises. In our case, the victim process is the AES encryption algorithm and the attack is performed by means of random encryption requests. We demonstrate that PMCs are a feasible tool to detect the attack and that sampling PMCs at high frequencies is worse than sampling at lower frequencies in terms of detection capabilities, particularly when the attack is fragmented in time to try to be hidden from detection

Natural Notation for the Domestic Internet of Things

This study explores the use of natural language to give instructions that might be interpreted by Internet of Things (IoT) devices in a domestic `smart home' environment. We start from the proposition that reminders can be considered as a type of end-user programming, in which the executed actions might be performed either by an automated agent or by the author of the reminder. We conducted an experiment in which people wrote sticky notes specifying future actions in their home. In different conditions, these notes were addressed to themselves, to others, or to a computer agent.We analyse the linguistic features and strategies that are used to achieve these tasks, including the use of graphical resources as an informal visual language. The findings provide a basis for design guidance related to end-user development for the Internet of Things.Comment: Proceedings of the 5th International symposium on End-User Development (IS-EUD), Madrid, Spain, May, 201

Formulation and Evaluation of Chitosan-Based Ampicillin Trihydrate Nanoparticles

Purpose: To develop ampicillin trihydrate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles by modified ionic gelation method and evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Methods: Ampicillin trihydrate-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method with the aid of sonication. Parameters such as the zeta potential, polydispersity, particle size, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release of the nanoparticles were assessed for optimization. The antibacterial properties of the nanoparticle formulation were evaluated and compared with that of a commercial formulation (reference). Results: Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the nanoparticles were in the nanosize range but irregular in shape. Concentrations of 0.35 %w/v of chitosan and 0.40 %w/v sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and a sonication time of 20 min constituted the optimum conditions for the preparation of the nanoparticles. In vitro release data showed an initial burst followed by slow sustained drug release. The nanoparticles demonstrated superior antimicrobial activity to plain nanoparticles and the reference, due probably to the synergistic effect of chitosan and ampicillin trihydrate. Conclusion: Modified ionic gelation method can be utilized for the development of chitosan nanoparticles of ampicillin trihydrate. Polymer and crosslinking agent concentrations and sonication time are rate-limiting factors for the development of the optimized formulation. The chitosan nanoparticles developed would be capable of sustained delivery of ampicillin trihydrate.Keywords: Ampicillin trihydrate; Chitosan; Nanoparticles; Ionic gelation method; Antibacterial activit

Potential strategies for supporting mental health and mitigating the risk of burnout among healthcare professionals: insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) experienced prolonged stressful conditions during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and the global situation (particularly in the United Kingdom) meant that they continue to sustain mental stress related to the subsequent cost-of-living and healthcare budgeting crises. The psychological toll on HCPs may lead to increased staff attrition, adversely impacting the quality of patient care and work security. To help mitigate this psychological impact, the current evidence is strongly supportive of healthcare providers consistently adopting programmes fostering improvement in coping and resilience, facilitating healthy lifestyle, and allocating some resources for therapeutic strategies (e.g. cognitive behavioural therapy-based strategies and other strategies specified to trauma-related issues) which can be delivered by trained professionals. We stress that some approaches are not a one-size-fits-all strategy, and we also highlight the need to encourage treatment-seeking among those who need it. These strategies are highly relevant to healthcare employers and policymakers to support all HCPs in settings marked by prolonged periods of stress. The investment in these strategies are expected not only to reduce staff attrition in the long-term, but are likely to add to the cost-effectiveness of overall healthcare budgetary allocation