Economic development and health status among the poor in squatter settlements of Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic status is an important determinant of health outcome measures. This study examines and presents some of the important health outcomes amongst the higher and lower socioeconomic groups within the urban poor. SETTING: Data analysis is based on a Health and Demographic Survey conducted in urban squatter settlements of Karachi in 1996. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was administered to all households in the catchment area. The indicator used to assess economic status is ownership of assets. RESULTS: Comparison between the two economic levels shows that the lower socio-economic group was more likely to experience child mortality, (CI; 1.02-1.29, p = 0.02) have lower contraceptive usage (CI; 2.11-2.64; p \u3c 0.001) and childhood immunization rates (CI; 2.08-2.40, p \u3c 0.001). No significant association was observed between economic levels and prevalence of diarrhea. The housing, literacy and employment status was consistently better in the higher economic stratum who were more likely to be Pushto-Punjabi speaking as compared to the Sindhi speaking population. CONCLUSION: To have sustainable improvement in the health status of the poor, those who are most vulnerable need to be identified and programs aiming to improve health should also undertake broader development initiatives like raising family income

Stability Testing of Beclomethasone Dipropionate Nanoemulsion

Purpose: To perform stability studies on a nanoemulsion formulation containing beclomethasone dipropionate (BD) and prepared by spontaneous emulsification method.Method: A nanoemulsion (o/w) containing BD was prepared using eucalyptus oil, Tween-40, ethanol and distilled water. The nanoemulsions were characterized by droplet size, pH, viscosity, conductivity and refractive index. Stability studies were performed according to International Council on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines over a period of 3 months. Droplet size, pH, viscosity, conductivity and refractive index were determined monthly for 3 months. The shelf-life of the nanoemulsion formulation was determined by accelerated stability testing.Results: The droplet size, conductivity, viscosity, pH and refractive index of the optimized formulations did not change significantly (p ≥ 0.05) after 3 months of storage at room temperature (25 ºC). The shelf life was 1.83 years at room temperature.Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the physical and chemical stability of BD is enhanced when it is formulated as a nanoemulsion.Keywords: Nanoemulsion, Beclomethasone dipropionate, Shelf-life, Accelerated stability, Viscosity, Conductivity, Refractive inde

Silybum marianum (Milk Thistle): Review on Its chemistry, morphology, ethno medical uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities

The oldest remedies identified to mankind are herbal medicines. India is recognized worldwide for its Ayurvedic treatment. India has rich history of using many plants for medicinal purposes. Remedial plants are cooperating extremely dynamic position in customary drugs for the action of a variety of illness. However a key obstacle, which has hindered the promotion in use of alternative medicines in the developed countries, is no evidence of documentation and absence of stringent quality control measures. There is a demand for the evidence of every investigate effort execute on conventional remedies in the appearance of certification. The purpose of current review is to make accessible up-to-date information on, botany, morphology, ecological biodiversity, therapeutic uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities on diverse parts of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn (S. marianum). This review was assembled using technical literature from electronic search engine such as Springer link, Bio Med Central, Pub Med, Scopus, Science Direct, Scielo, Medline and Science domain. Supplementary texts were obtained from books, book chapters, dissertations, websites and other scientific publications. S. marianum a member of the Asteraceae family, is a tall herb with large prickly white veined green leaves and a reddish-purple flower that ends in sharp spines. It is native of the Mediterranean region and which has also spread in East Asia, Europe, Australia and America. Confident chemical constituents were exposed cognate as silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, isosilybin B, silychristin, silydianin, apigenin 7-O-β-(2″- O-α-rhamnosyl)galacturonide, kaempferol 3-O-α-rhamnoside-7-O-β-galacturonide, apigenin 7-O-β-glucuronide, apigenin 7-O-β-glucoside, apigenin 7-O-β-galactoside, kaempferol-3-O-α-rhamnoside, kaempferol, taxifolin and quercetin. The plant is exclusively used as anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, hypocholesterolaemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and as an anti-oxidant. Seeds of the plant are also used as an anti-spasmodic, neuroprotective, anti-viral, immunomodulant, cardioprotective, demulcent and anti-haemorrhagic. The plant is also serves as a galactagogue, agent that induces milk secretion and used in the treatment of uterine disorders. The plant is employed in dissimilar conventional schemes of remedy in the cure of different illness

Rational cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET proteins yields synergistic antimyeloma activity

Inhibition of bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) protein family members, including BRD4, decreases the expression of c-MYC and other key oncogenic factors and also significantly induces histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) expression. On the basis of the role of HDAC6 in malignant pathogenesis, we hypothesized that rational cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET family proteins may represent a novel approach that yields synergistic antimyeloma activity. We used genetic and pharmacologic approaches to selectively impair HDAC6 and BET function and evaluated the consequential impact on myeloma pathogenesis. These studies identified HDAC6 upregulation as an efficacy reducing mechanism for BET inhibitors because antagonizing HDAC6 activity synergistically enhanced the activity of JQ1 in a panel of multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and primary CD138+ cells obtained from patients with MM. The synergy of this therapeutic combination was linked to significant reductions in c-MYC expression and increases in apoptosis induction. Administration of the clinical HDAC6 inhibitor ricolinostat was very well tolerated and significantly augmented the in vivo antimyeloma activity of JQ1. Ex vivo pharmacodynamic analyses demonstrated that the combination of JQ1 and ricolinostat led to significantly lower MM cell proliferation and increased apoptosis and diminished expression of c-MYC and BCL-2. These data demonstrate that cotargeting of HDAC6 and BET family members is a novel and clinically actionable approach to augment the efficacy of both classes of agents that warrants further investigation.National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute [R01CA190789, R01CA172443]; University of Arizona Cancer Center Support Grant [P30CA023074]This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

A CRITICAL REVIEW ON POTENTIAL PHARMACOLOGICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE R. Br.

This review aims to present the potential information related to pharmacological actions and chemical composition of Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae), which is used in many Asian countries as a traditional medicine especially for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Our main objective was to collect information about pharmacological actions and active constituents of this plant. Review of literature included PubMed, Science Direct searches with ‘Gymnema sylvestre’ and ‘gurmar’ as initial key words. The search was further refined by looking for terms such as ‘Constituents’ (or composition) and ‘Activity’ (or effect) within the results. The major bioactive constituents of G. sylvestre are a group of triterpenoid glycosides known as gymnemic acids with gymnemagenin as common aglycone. G. sylvestre has good prospects in the treatment of diabetes as it shows positive effects on blood sugar homeostasis, controls sugar cravings, and promotes regeneration of pancreas. The herbal extract is used in dietary supplements because it reduces body weight, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. The G. sylvestre is a rich source of chemically novel compounds and needs elaborate screening strategies to dwell into the pharmacological effects of its phyto-constituents at the molecular level

Characterization of Chemical Compounds in Volatile Oil and Ethyl Acetate Extract of Lavandula angustifolia by GC-MS

Lavandula angustifolia is an important aromatic plant and rich source of linalool. L. angustifolia and its bioactive compounds have been reported to possess several bioactivities such as antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and antidiabetic etc. The aim of the present study is to characterize chemical compounds present in volatile oil and ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia aerial parts by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The hydrodistillation of aerial parts of L. angustifolia yielded 1.56±0.27% v/w volatile oil. The GC-MS analysis of volatile oil of L. angustifolia yielded 74 chemical compounds, and lavandulyl isobutyrate (52.61%), and linalool (5.41%) were identified as major compounds. Ultrasonication was utilized for extraction of L. angustifolia using ethyl acetate as solvent and extraction yield was found to be 3.59±0.73% w/w. The GC-MS analysis of ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia yielded 40 chemical compounds and the major compounds were dotriacontane (8.33%), linalool (7.09%), eucalyptol (6.42%), linalyl acetate (4.69%), 1,4-cineole (4.62%), and trans-linalool oxide (4.51%). The present study explores the chemical composition of volatile oil and ethyl acetate extract of L. angustifolia

Left atrial pump strain predicts long-term survival after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND This study aims at investigating left atrial (LA) deformation by left atrial reservoir (LARS) and pump strain (LAPS) and its implications for long-term survival in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). METHODS Speckle tracking echocardiography was performed in 198 patients with severe AS undergoing TAVI. Association of strain parameters with cardiovascular mortality was determined. RESULTS Over a follow-up time of 5 years, 49 patients (24.7%) died. LAPS was more impaired in non-survivors than survivors (P = 0.010), whereas no difference was found for LARS (P = 0.114), LA ejection fraction (P = 0.241), and LA volume index (P = 0.292). Kaplan-Meier analyses yielded a reduced survival probability according to the optimal threshold for LAPS (P = 0.002). A more impaired LAPS was associated with increased mortality risk (HR 1.12 [95% CI 1.02-1.22]; P = 0.014) independent of LVEF, LAVI, age, and sex. Addition of LAPS improved multivariable echocardiographic (LVEF, LAVI) and clinical (age, sex) models with potential incremental value for mortality prediction (P = 0.013 and P = 0.031, respectively). In contrast, LARS and LAVI were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for severe AS, LAPS was impaired in patients dying during long-term follow-up after TAVI, differentiated survivors from non-survivors, was independently associated with long-term mortality, and yielded potential incremental value for survival prediction after TAVI. LAPS seems useful for risk stratification in severe AS and timely valve replacement

Impact of maternal e-cigarette vapor exposure on renal health in the offspring

© 2019 New York Academy of Sciences. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a significant risk factor of renal pathology in the offspring. E-cigarettes are perceived to be a safe option and are increasingly used by pregnant women either continuously during pregnancy or as a replacement for tobacco cigarettes. This study aimed to determine the effects of replacing tobacco cigarettes with e-cigarettes during pregnancy, and continuous e-cigarette use during pregnancy on the offspring's kidneys. Female Balb/c mice were exposed to either air (sham) or tobacco cigarette smoke (SE) for 6 weeks prior to mating, during gestation and lactation. A subset of the “SE group” received e-cigarette vapor (containing nicotine) after mating until pups weaned. Additional female mice were continuously exposed to e-vapor (either with or without nicotine) for 6 weeks prior to mating until pups weaned. Kidneys and urine from the male offspring were assessed at postnatal day 1, day 20 (weaning), and 13 weeks of age (adulthood). E-cigarette replacement was less detrimental to renal development and albuminuria than continuous SE during pregnancy. However, continuous e-vapor exposure during pregnancy increased markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in the adult offspring, independent of nicotine. E-cigarette use during pregnancy confers future risk to the offspring's kidneys