ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT EXTRACTS OF LANTANA CAMARA AGAINST ENTEROPATHOGENS

Medicinal use of plants is the oldest form of healthcare known to mankind. India has a rich profusion of medicinal plants and 75% of its folk population is still using herbal preparations. Present study reports about antimicrobial potentiality of Lantana camara as its leaf extracts exhibit good antimicrobial, fungicidal, insecticidal and nematicidal properties and the plant might be a novel source of antimicrobial drug. Two enteropathogens as (A) - B. subtilis (positive, obligate aerobic) and (B) - E. coli (Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic) were used for the present study. Four solvent phases viz, methanol, ethanol, acetone and aqueous were used for extraction of antimicrobial agent. The screening of antimicrobial property was done by well diffusion method. Leaves of Lantana camara showed excellent antibacterial activity in all the solvent phases used against both E. coli as well as B. subtilis. Lantana is effective against both the bacteria.The aqueous extract showed minimum ineffective antimicrobial activity against E. coli and B. subtilis, where as acetone phase showed maximum activity against B. subtilis and ethanol against E. coli as shown in the terms of maximum zone of inhibition

Epidemiology of pre invasive and invasive lesions of the cervix at tertiary health centre in Punjab

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women globally, next to breast, colorectal and lung cancer and it is also the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women. According to the Indian council of medical research (ICMR), in India one woman dies of cervical cancer every 9 minutes. This study used PAP smear and histopathology to find out about the epidemiology of pre invasive and invasive lesions of the cervix at tertiary health centre in Punjab and their correlation with various social and demographic features.Methods: This prospective clinical study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Amritsar Medical College from May 2018 to April 2020, after taking approval from the Institutional Ethical Committee. The study selected 500 women randomly among the patients attending the Gynaecology OPD who met the inclusion criteria. Detailed history and PAP smear was taken at first visit followed by cervical biopsy amongst women with abnormal cytology report or with frank lesions of cervix.Results: Out of 500 women included in the study, majority of women (82.5%) were Negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM), 4% women had Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 6.1% had low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and 16 (3.2%) had High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). Amongst the histopathology reporting 15.62% patients had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN I), 6.25% patients had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II (CIN II), 3.12% patients had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III), 6.3% patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 3.1% patient had adenocarcinoma of cervix. Age, low level of education, poor socioeconomic status, early marriage and multiparity are the risk factors found to be associated with pre invasive and invasive lesions of the cervix. (p<0.001).Conclusions: Though infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) is essential for the development of the disease, there are other high-risk factors like age, poor education, low socioeconomic status, early age at marriage and high parity which are significantly associated with the occurrence of the disease. Therefore, our primary and secondary preventive measures must include the women who come under these high-risk categories.

Marketing and Operational Issues Faced by First Generation Agripreneurs in Managing Agribusiness: A View Point of Haryana

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the significance of improved marketing of agricultural produce in the context of enhancing farmers' livelihoods and rural development. Specifically, it aims to identify market-related challenges faced by agribusinesses at their inception. The study seeks to understand how marketing practices can impact the success of various agribusiness ventures, such as mushroom farming, dairy farming, aquaculture, beekeeping, and others. &nbsp; Design/Methodology/Approach: This section outlines the research methodology employed in the study. It mentions the use of purposive sampling to select 180 agripreneurs engaged in different agribusinesses. The research approach involves assessing the impact of market knowledge, product quality, market research, pricing strategies, packaging, sales promotion, internet marketing, and test marketing on the launch of agricultural products. It also explores the influence of first-generation agripreneurs on factors like the number of employees and experience. &nbsp; Findings: Here, the study presents its key findings. It reveals that enhancing market knowledge and product quality, conducting prior market research, adopting appropriate pricing strategies, implementing effective packaging, engaging in sales promotion, utilizing internet marketing, and conducting test marketing are essential for the successful launch of agri-products. Furthermore, the study suggests that the perspectives of first-generation agripreneurs have a significant and positive impact on factors such as employee numbers and experience. &nbsp; Research, Practical &amp; Social Implications: This section discusses the broader implications of the research. It highlights how the findings can benefit agribusiness management, particularly for first-generation agripreneurs in Haryana. It addresses the practical implications for improving marketing practices in agribusinesses and how this, in turn, can contribute to rural development and farmers' livelihoods. The study aims to offer practical suggestions and solutions to the challenges faced by agripreneurs. &nbsp; Originality/Value: In this part, the paper underscores its originality and value within the field of agribusiness. It emphasizes that the research not only identifies management challenges but also provides valuable recommendations. The study contributes to the understanding of marketing dynamics in the context of diverse agricultural ventures, ultimately offering insights that can enhance the success and impact of agribusinesses in Haryana and potentially other similar regions

Changing trends in indication of cesarean section in a tertiary care centre of Central India

Background: This study was carried out to find the rate of Cesarean section (CS) in our institute from 2012 to 2016 and also to find any change in the indications of CS over these five years.Methods: A retrospective analysis of data was done from the records of the patients who underwent CS and the rate of Cesarean section and the indications were noticed.Results: The rate of Cesarean section has increased from 43.85% in 2012 to 48.18% in 2016. There is increase in the number of Primary Cesarean cases from 61.8% in 2012 to 68.4% in 2016.The percentage of Elective CS has increased in last five years from 10.2% in 2012 to 23.6% in 2016 which is due to the drastic increase in Elective Repeat CS from 13.3% in 2012 to 43.4% in 2016. The first and second major indication of Primary CS over the years remained the same i.e. fetal distress and CPD. Other major contributing indications were Non-progress of labour, failed induction and Malpresentation. Oligohydraminos and IUGR, Multiple pregnancy and precious pregnancy have emerged as the major indication in last three years. Previous CS and Previous 2 CS contributed as the main indication for Elective CS.Conclusions: The rate of Cesarean section need to be reduced. The overall main indication for CS was Previous CS and thus Primary CS rate should be reduced. Fetal distress being the main indication for Primary CS should be further confirmed by fetal scalp pH findings and Repeat CS cases should be given more trial of labour

Tunable Anti-Guiding Factor and Optical Gain of InGaAlAs/InP Nano-Heterostructure under Internal Strain

This paper reports about the study of tunable anti-guiding factor and gain spectra of type-I GRIN (Graded Refractive Index) compressively strained InGaAlAs/InP nano-heterostructure. Through the modeling and mathematical simulation, the tuning behaviors of optical gain, differential gain and refractive index-change with carrier densities have been studied in the presence of internal strain which occurs due to lattice mismatch. According to the results, both the anti-guiding factor and optical gain are enhanced as increase in the percentage compressively strain. The lasing wavelength has also been found to shift towards lower values with increasing strain. These studies explain the tunability of the studied heterostructure and mostly utilized in optical fiber based communication systems

A Comparative Study on Optical Characteristics of InGaAsP QW Heterostructures of Type-I and Type-II Band Alignments

In this paper, we have configured InGaAsP QW (quantum well) heterostructures of type-I and type-II band alignments and simulated their optical characteristics by solving 6 x 6 Kohn-Luttinger Hamiltonian Matrix. According to the simulation results, the InGaAsP QW heterostructure of type-I band alignment has been found to show peak optical gain (TE mode) of the order of~3600/cm at the transition wavelength~1.40 µm; while of type-II band alignment has achieved the peak gain (TE mode) of the order of~7800/cm at the wavelength of~1.85 µm (eye safe region). Thus, both of the heterostructures can be utilized in designing of opto-or photonic devices for the emission of radiations in NIR (near infrared region) but form the high gain point of view, the InGaAsP of type-II band alignment can be more preferred

Perturbation of Cellular Redox Status: Role of Nrf2, a Master Regulator of Cellular Redox

Regulation of cellular redox homeostasis determines the fate of the cell. Perturbation in redox status is known to elicit multiple cellular pathways. Role of oxidative stress modulation in channelizing the cell towards apoptosis or rescuing the cell by activating pro-survival pathways, depends on the levels of generated oxidative stress. High levels of generated oxidative stress induce cell death pathways whereas mild and low levels are known to elicit the cell survival pathways. Generation of ROS for a short duration of time inducing Redox ticking also triggers the pro-survival pathways inside the cell. Nrf2 is the redox sensitive prosurvival transcription factor which acts as master regulator of redox equilibrium. Nrf2 and its dependent genes including HO-1, GCLC, NQO1 etc. are involved in maintaining the cellular redox homeostasis. Role of Nrf2 as dual edges sword has been highlighted in past decade. The cross talk between the Nrf2 and NF-κB is at the focal point of building the redox response network. The present chapter is aimed at providing the insight on the role of Nrf2 and NF-κB as redox sensitive transcription factors in regulating cellular redox status. Further, the chapter brings in light the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 under multiple clinical settings

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND: Disorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: We estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined. FINDINGS: Globally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer. INTERPRETATION: As the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions