Fetishizing Women: Advertising in Indian Television and its Effects on Target Audiences

Advertising today has become the major driving force behind the various definitions of beauty. It is not “size-zero” models who are responsible for one version of female beauty, but models with skimpy clothes, fair skin, and bare midriffs who assume influential paradigmatic roles in society. Such practices become problematic for India as the standard of beauty appropriated by the media is highly westernized. With this background, the purpose of this study is to explore young girls’ perceptions of media pressure through the portrayal of ultra-thin beautiful models in Indian TV advertisements; and to discover the factors responsible for the internalization of media images by the women and girls. The article reports on a survey of 150 college women, sought for their perceptions of media pressure. This is followed by a theoretical discussion and content analysis of some of the prime time Indian TV advertisements. The analysis was based on the frequency of occurrence of those comprising certain ideals of female beauty. A majority of the respondents agreed that advertisements mostly portrayed young and beautiful models, and respondents felt pressurize by such models to look beautiful and maintain a perfect body shape, influencing their eating patterns and sometimes leading to low self-esteem. The authors hope to educate the advertising industry about the impact of their imagery on women’s self-integrity and to encourage women to think critically about how they internalize such images

Perception of the Young Adults towards the Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Indian Television Advertisements

The purpose of this article was to examine the perception of the audience regarding the portrayal of women in Indian TV advertisements and the perception difference among them on the basis of their gender. 125 young adults comprising of 63 males and 62 females were selected randomly as the sample for the study. Primary data was collected through the survey method with the help of structured questionnaire. The study explored that majority of the respondents agreed that women in Indian TV advertisements are mostly depicted as young and beautiful, and rarely shown enjoying equal status with men and as professionals. They were not feeling much uncomfortable towards the sexual portrayal of women in advertisements. The study further revealed that gender has a great influence on the perception of the audience regarding the portrayal of women in Indian TV advertisements. Female in comparison to male were found to be more critical about the portrayal of women in Indian TV advertisements

Prevalence and aetiology of amputation in Kolkata, India: A retrospective analysis

AbstractThis study is an epidemiological report of the medical records of amputees in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. This retrospective study included 155 amputees who had undergone an amputee physiotherapy rehabilitation program and prosthetic training at the National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped in Kolkata, West Bengal, from January 2008 to January 2010. The paper reports on the prevalence, aetiology, and levels of amputation. The causes of amputation classified under vascular diseases, trauma, and carcinoma are discussed. The most common cause of amputation was trauma (70.3%), the second most common cause being peripheral vascular disease. Lower limb amputation, more common than amputation at the upper limb, accounted for 94.8% of all amputations

ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE URBAN FIELD PRACTICE AREA OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF SOUTHERN ODISHA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: Diabetes is a chronic state of hyperglycemia which results in complications involving organs such as eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. Identifying the risk factors at an early stage can help in reducing the complications and co-morbidities of the disease. Hence, the study is carried out to assess the socio-demographic profile and associated risk factors of adult patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried out in the urban field practice area of M.K.C.G Medical College for a period of 2 years. Multistage simple random sampling was used to select 160 known diabetic cases. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were taken. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 17 and appropriate statistical tests were used. Results: The mean age of study participants was 53.94. About 41.88% and 21.25% were current tobacco and alcohol users, respectively. Inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, mixed type diet, obesity in the form of increased body mass index, and waist hip ratio and sedentary life style were found to be the predisposing factors of the disease. Conclusion: Early identification of at risk individuals and appropriate intervention to increase physical activity, bring about changes in dietary habits, maintenance of correct body weight could help to prevent or delay the onset of the disease to a great extent

STUDY OF CO-MORBIDITIES AND OUTCOME IN HOSPITALISED CHILDREN WITH PRIMARY SEVERE ACUTE MALNUTRITION

Introduction:  Aim & Objectives: To determine the different co-morbidities associated in children aged 6 - 59 months with primary severe acute malnutrition and the outcome of primary severe acute malnutrition in children. Material & Method:  This study was conducted over 2 years (From November 2019 to October 2021) at the Department of Pediatrics, S.C.B. Medical College & Hospital, S.V.P. Postgraduate Institute of Pediatrics, and Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), Cuttack. This is a hospital-based descriptive survey study. The children aged 6 – 59 months, meeting the WHO definition of Severe Acute Malnutrition were included in the study. Results  The most common presenting complaint seen in our study population was fever, present in 60 of cases. The 2nd most common presenting complaint was cough and cold in 51 (%) of subjects, followed by loose stool, seen in 34 cases; and not gaining weight in 31 (%) cases. Acute respiratory tract infections were found to be the most common infectious co-morbidity, present in 43 children. Diarrhea was the second most common infectious co-morbidity which was seen in 34 children. Conclusion: SAM is more seen in low socio-economic groups; and in families with lower rates of access to and utilization of safe water and sanitation facilities. Lower rate of complete immunization, as compared to national and state level statistics; and inadequate exclusive breastfeeding and delayed weaning are common findings in SAM children.  Recommendation  Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, followed by the introduction of complementary feeds at 6 months; continued breastfeeding till 2 years. Immunization as per schedule, as several cases were partially immunized. Socioeconomic status has to be improved including parental education regarding following hygienic practices, usage of safe water, and sanitatio

ANTIOXIDANT AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITIES OF ARECA CATECHU SEED EXTRACT IN SWISS ALBINO MICE USING EAC CELL LINE IN DIFFERENT CULTURE MEDIUM

Objective: Areca nut is the dried ripe seeds of Areca catechu, belonging to family Palmae. Areca nut contains a number of alkaloids, belonging to pyridine and piperidine groups, derived from amino acid lysine. Arecoline a nicotinic acid-based alkaloid present which exerts sialagogue property. But the habit of chewing marketed gutka may cause oral leukoplakia, sometimes lead to squamous cell carcinoma. However, Based on the phytochemical compounds present, it is predicted that it must show antioxidant and may show cytotoxic activities. Methods: The antioxidant activity (nitrite scavenging and hydrogen peroxide scavenging) and cytotoxic activity in two different medium were checked in EAC cell line using the swiss albino mice model. Results: The study was also postulated an idea about the qualitative and quantitive analysis of Areca catechu. The plant extract showed good Nitrite and Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. The cytotoxicity study conducted in swiss albino mice, cell viability and IC50 value was checked. The cytotoxic activity of different concentrations of different fractions of plant extract was checked in two different medium, i.e., PBS and RPMI 1640. IC50 values for following fractions which were studied in PBS; as, 91.73±73 (µg/ml), 183±36.24 (µg/ml), 53.74±1.562 (µg/ml) for crude ethanolic extract, alkaloid fraction and flavonoid fraction respectively. IC50 value in RPMI 1640 medium obtained as; 44.18±1.09µg/ml, 54.27±0.2279µg/ml and 51.24±2.461µg/ml for crude ethanolic extract, Alkaloid and Flavonoid fraction, respectively. Conclusion: Areca nut extract showed good scavenging activity depending on concentration. Relatively RPMI 1640 medium showed better cytotoxic activity than other mediums

Hepatorenal protective action of Spirulina platensis against beryllium induced hepatorenal dysfunction and histopathological alterations in rats

23-32Beryllium (Be) is highly toxic to human, induces oxidative stress and leads to Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBD) or berylliosis, apoptosis and cancer. In this study, we have investigated the antioxidative and hepatorenal protective potential of Spirulina platensis (SP) against beryllium (Be) induced alterations in hepatorenal biochemical parameters, oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in rats. Different doses of SP (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered (once a day daily for 7 days) against Be(NO3)2 (1 mg/kg, i.p. once a day daily, for 28 days) induced toxic menifestations in female Wistar rats. Be decreased GSH, SOD, CAT, G-6-Pase, ALP and ATPase activities and increased TBARS and ACP activity in liver and kidney. Be enhanced ALT, AST, bilirubin, uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol and decreased haemoglobin, total protein, sugar in blood. Be deposited in vital organs of rats and altered the histoarchitecture of liver and kidney. Different doses of SP showed dose dependent recovery. SP @400 mg/kg showed significant recovery against Be induced oxidative stress, maintained hepatorenal function towards normal and reduced beryllium body burden. Results of the study. well supported by histopathological observations, conclude that SP possesses hepatorenal protective potential against Be induced toxicity in rats