Analysis of the variations in price of anti-glaucoma eye preparations available in Indian pharmaceutical market

Background: The aim of the study was to analyze the percentage cost variations among different brands of the commonly prescribed anti–glaucoma drugs.Methods: The maximum and minimum price of each brand of the drug in INR was noted by using CIMS January to April 2018 edition Drug Today April to June 2018 Vol-1. The cost ratio and the percentage cost variation for individual drug brands was calculated. The cost of each eye drop was calculated. At last the cost ratio and percentage cost variation of various brands was compared.Results: Percentage variation in cost for anti-glaucoma eye preparations marketed in india was found to be eye drop timolol maleate (0.5%) of 5 ml:263.63, eye drop dorzolamide (2%) of 5 ml:9.77, eye drop pilocarpine (2%) of 5 ml:160.40, eye drop Betaxolol (0.5%) of 5 ml:56.54, eye drop Latanoprost (50 mcg/ml) of 2.5ml:135.88, eye drop Brimonidine tartarate (0.15%) of 5 ml:183.9, eye drop Levobunolol (5 mg/ml) of 5 ml:32.38.Conclusions: Glaucoma is the most common ocular disease and eye drops are to be prescribed for prolonged period. If a costly brand is prescribed, the patients have to pay more money unnecessarily for their treatment. The clinicians prescribing these drugs should be aware of these variations in cost to reduce the cost of drug therapy

The Pragmatist’s Guide to Comparative Effectiveness Research

All developed countries have been struggling with a trend toward health care absorbing an ever-larger fraction of government and private budgets. Adopting any treatment that improves health outcomes, no matter what the cost, can worsen allocative inefficiency by paying dearly for small health gains. One potential solution is to rely more heavily on studies of the costs and effectiveness of new technologies in an effort to ensure that new spending is justified by a commensurate gain in consumer benefits. But not everyone is a fan of such studies and we discuss the merits of comparative effectiveness studies and its cousin, cost-effectiveness analysis. We argue that effectiveness research can generate some moderating effects on cost growth in healthcare if such research can be used to nudge patients away from less-effective therapies, whether through improved decision making or by encouraging beefed-up copayments for cost-ineffective procedures. More promising still for reducing growth is the use of a cost-effectiveness framework to better understand where the real savings lie—and the real savings may well lie in figuring out the complex interaction and fragmentation of healthcare systems.

Study of the price variation analysis of proton pump inhibitors available in Indian pharmaceutical market

Background: In now day’s proton pump inhibitors are prescribing more and more by Indian physicians not only in peptic ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis but also along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to overcome the side effects as gastric irritation and discomfort by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. There are many brands of PPI drugs available in Indian market. Costly drugs can lead to economic burden which results in decreased compliance or even non-compliance. Non–compliance leads to incomplete treatment which tends to increase morbidity. Increase in the patient medication cost was found to associated with decreased adherence to prescription medication. Hence this study was done to assess the cost variation of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) drugs.Methods: The maximum and minimum price of each brand of the drug in INR was noted by using Drug Today January to April 2020 edition, Vol-1. The cost ratio and the percentage cost variation for individual drug brands was calculated. The cost of 10 tablets/capsules was calculated in case of oral drug. At last the cost ratio and percentage cost variation of various brands was compared.Results: Percentage variation in cost for proton pump inhibitors marketed in india was found to be tablet/capsule Esomeprazole [20mg]: 297.65, tablet/capsule Esomeprazole [40mg]: 344.41, capsule/tablet Omeprazole [10mg]: 74.51, capsule/tablet Omeprazole [20mg]: 542, Tablet/capsule Pantoprazole [40mg]: 3297.33, tablet/capsule Rabeprazole [10mg]: 1160, tablet/capsule Rabeprazole [20mg]: 1101.05, capsule/tablet Lansoprazole [15mg]: 306.69, capsule/tablet Lansoprazole [30mg]: 336.33,   capsule/tablet Dexlansoprazole [60mg]: 7.69.Conclusions: Capsule Pantoprazole [40mg] shows highest cost ratio and percentage cost variation as 33.97 and 3297.33. While capsule Dexlansoprazole [60mg] shows lowest cost ratio and percentage cost variation as 1.07 and 7.69

Identifying feasible metabolic routes in Mycobacterium smegmatis and possible alterations under diverse nutrient conditions

Background: Many studies on M. tuberculosis have emerged from using M. smegmatis MC2 155 (Msm), since they share significant similarities and yet Msm is non-pathogenic and faster growing. Although several individual molecules have been studied from Msm, many questions remain open about its metabolism as a whole and its capability to be versatile. Adaptability and versatility are emergent properties of a system, warranting a molecular systems perspective to understand them. Results: We identify feasible metabolic pathways in Msm in reference condition with transcriptome, phenotypic microarray, along with functional annotation of the genome. Together with transcriptome data, specific genes from a set of alternatives have been mapped onto different pathways. About 257 metabolic pathways can be considered to be feasible in Msm. Next, we probe cellular metabolism with an array of alternative carbon and nitrogen sources and identify those that are utilized and favour growth as well as those that do not support growth. In all, about 135 points in the entire metabolic map are probed. Analyzing growth patterns under these conditions, lead us to hypothesize different pathways that can become active in various conditions and possible alternate routes that may be induced, thus explaining the observed physiological adaptations. Conclusions: The study provides the first detailed analysis of feasible pathways towards adaptability. We obtain mechanistic insights that explain observed phenotypic behaviour by studying gene-expression profiles and pathways inferred from the genome sequence. Comparison of transcriptome and phenome analysis of Msm and Mtb provides a rationale for understanding commonalities in metabolic adaptability

Oral premedication for pediatric anaesthesia: a comparison between midazolam and clonidine

Background:In children any anticipated surgery is associated with profound psychological stress to the patients. To allay this stress and anxiety, wide variety of pharmacological interventions are used.Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out between July’2005 and June’2006 in a tertiary care hospital in Assam. The study included children undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia in age group 2-10 years. Sixty children were divided into two groups, in one group patients received oral midazolam and other group received oral clonidine as pre-medicant.Results: In the midazolam group 23 (76.67%) children had no apprehension after parental separation and at induction (P˂0.001), sedation score at induction was significant higher in midazolam group versus clonidine group (93.33% versus 66.6%, P<0.01), clonidine resulted in a more stable pulse and blood pressure peri-operatively (P<0.05).Conclusion: Oral midazolam has better efficacy in terms of preoperative sedation and oral clonidine had stable hemodynamic profile and better analgesia in the clonidine group

Application of Semi-Circular Micro-Channel Heat Sink with Phase Change Material for Cooling of Electronic Devices

In today’s era demand of fast processing speed and superior performance of electronic devices creates the problem of huge amount of heat generation. About 100 W/cm2 heat fluxes has been generating from advanced microprocessors of latest electronic devices and heat dissipation limited to 37 W/cm2 for air cooling. Semi-circular micro-channel heat sink with Phase change materials still needs to be investigated for the cooling of latest electronic devices as combination of large heat transfer area within a small volume of heat sink and large latent heat released from PCM provides huge amount of heat transfer coefficient which is required to be achieved in the present work. Analytical study of micro-channel heat sink has been performed in the present work at a constant power supply of 95 W using PCM slurry at φ = 0.25 and φ = 0.50 for flow rate in the range of 75 ml/min to 300 ml/min. Heat transfer coefficient of slurry and Nu increases with increase in flow rate. At φ = 0.25 higher heat transfer coefficient and Nu has been observed than φ = 0.50 due to high viscous flow at higher concentration of PCM slurry in micro-channels

Anatomical Variants of Portal Vein Branching in CECT Scan of Abdomen: A Descriptive Study

Introduction: Various anatomical variants are encountered in portal venous system which are quite important while undergoing hepatobiliary surgeries and percutaneous radiological interventions. Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen is considered a better imaging modality to identify these variations. Methods: A descriptive prospective study was conducted in 1000 individuals undergoing CECT of abdomen. Triple phase CECT scan of the abdomen was done and the portal vein anatomy was reconstructed and analyzed. Results: Normal branching pattern of the portal vein was seen in 786 (78.6%) patients. Variations were seen in rest of the 214 (21.40%) patients. The most common variant was trifurcation of the portal vein seen in 113 (11.3%) patients. Right posterior portal vein as the first branch of main portal portal vein was found in 72 (7.2%) patients. Right anterior portal vein arising from left portal vein was seen in 29 (2.9%). Sixty nine of the 567 males had trifurcation accounting for 12.1% incidence of this variation amongst males. Trifurcation was seen in 44 of the 433 females resulting in an incidence of 10.1%. Forty-four (7.7%) males and 28 (6.4%) females had right posterior portal vein as the first branch of main portal vein. Right anterior portal vein was noted to arise from the left portal vein in 20 (3.5%) males and nine (2.07%) females. Conclusion: The most common variation in portal venous system was trifurcation of portal vein followed by right posterior as first branch and right anterior branch arising from left portal vein respectively

Quantitative and Rapid Antibacterial Assay of Micromeria biflora Benth. Leaf Essential Oil Against Dental Caries Causing Bacteria Using Phylogenetic Approach

AbstractThe phylogenetic relationship of four dental caries causing bacterial pathogens has been studied using ITS1 sequences of the standard strains were aligned by using the ClustalW computer program. The essential oil obtained from the leaves of Micromeria biflora Benth., obtained by hydrodistillaton. The chemical compositions of the essential oil from Micromeria biflora Benth was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC/MS analysis showed eight major active constituents in the leaf essential oil of Micromeria biflora Benth. The antibacterial activity of the oil was evaluated against four dental caries causing bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans (MTCC 890); Lactobacillus acidophilus (MTCC 447); Streptococcus mitis (MTCC 2695) and Streptococcus salivarius (MTCC 1938) using broth microdilution method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) formely (NCCLS). It’s showed excellent activity against Streptococcus mutans with their Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) 0.15 mg/ml and (IC50) 0.10 mg/ml and less effective against Lactobacillus acidophilus. The essential oil of Micromeria biflora Benth from leaf has played a significant role against dental caries causing bacteria. Relationships of the dental caries causing pathogens to the toxicity of the oil vis-à-vis phylogeny using molecular data of pathogens have also been discussed. 1Biological Product Laboratory, Dept. of Botany, University of Allahabad, Allahabad-2110022Dept. of Horticulture, Aromatic & Medicinal Plants, Mizoram University, Aizawl-796009, India 3Dental Surgeon, Saumya Dental Clinic, Taigore Town, Allahabad, India*Corresponding author, Email: [email protected], Tel: +919335108519Please Cite This Article As:  Rohit Kumar Mishra, Awadhesh Kumar, Amritesh Chandra Shukla, Pravin Tiwari and Anupam Dikshit. 2010. Quantitative and Rapid Antibacterial Assay of Micromeria biflora Benth. Leaf Essential Oil Against Dental Caries Causing Bacteria Using Phylogenetic Approach. J. Ecobiotechnol. 2(4):22-26

Budget-Feasible Mechanism Design for Non-Monotone Submodular Objectives: Offline and Online

The framework of budget-feasible mechanism design studies procurement auctions where the auctioneer (buyer) aims to maximize his valuation function subject to a hard budget constraint. We study the problem of designing truthful mechanisms that have good approximation guarantees and never pay the participating agents (sellers) more than the budget. We focus on the case of general (non-monotone) submodular valuation functions and derive the first truthful, budget-feasible and $O(1)$-approximate mechanisms that run in polynomial time in the value query model, for both offline and online auctions. Prior to our work, the only $O(1)$-approximation mechanism known for non-monotone submodular objectives required an exponential number of value queries. At the heart of our approach lies a novel greedy algorithm for non-monotone submodular maximization under a knapsack constraint. Our algorithm builds two candidate solutions simultaneously (to achieve a good approximation), yet ensures that agents cannot jump from one solution to the other (to implicitly enforce truthfulness). Ours is the first mechanism for the problem where---crucially---the agents are not ordered with respect to their marginal value per cost. This allows us to appropriately adapt these ideas to the online setting as well. To further illustrate the applicability of our approach, we also consider the case where additional feasibility constraints are present. We obtain $O(p)$-approximation mechanisms for both monotone and non-monotone submodular objectives, when the feasible solutions are independent sets of a $p$-system. With the exception of additive valuation functions, no mechanisms were known for this setting prior to our work. Finally, we provide lower bounds suggesting that, when one cares about non-trivial approximation guarantees in polynomial time, our results are asymptotically best possible.Comment: Accepted to EC 201