Utilizing video on myocardial infarction as a health educational intervention in patient waiting areas of the developing world: A study at the emergency department of a major tertiary care hospital in India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To study the effect of health educational video instruction on increasing patients' knowledge in a hospital waiting area of a developing country.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An educational video on signs, symptoms, and risk factors of myocardial infarction (MI) was played in an Emergency Department (ED) patient waiting area of an urban tertiary care hospital in India. Participants (n = 217) were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group that viewed the MI video (n = 111) and a control group that did not view the video (n = 106). Each group took a standard survey of thirty-seven questions to assess baseline knowledge pertaining to MI (pretest). The intervention group then viewed the video and the initial survey was re-administered to each group (posttest).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At baseline (pretest) there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control group in the mean number of correct (18.1 vs. 19.0, p = 0.19), incorrect (9.4 vs. 8.6, p = 0.27) and unsure (9.6 vs. 9.3, p = 0.78) responses per participant. After viewing the video on MI, the intervention group had a statistically significant improvement in the mean number of correct responses (27.0 vs. 20.0, p < 0.001), and a significant decline in the mean number of unsure responses (1.8 vs. 9.4, p < 0.001) compared to the posttest responses of the control group. There was no significant change in the number of incorrect responses on the posttest between the intervention and control groups, (8.3 vs. 7.7, p = 0.35), respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A health educational video can serve as an effective tool for increasing patients' short-term knowledge and awareness of health conditions in a hospital waiting area of a developing country.</p> <p>Practice Implications</p> <p>Health educational videos serve as a public health low cost intervention that demonstrates clear short term benefits. Health care workers in developing countries can help educate individuals presenting to hospitals by displaying these videos in hospital waiting areas.</p

Management of B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia: expert opinion from an Indian panel via Delphi consensus method

IntroductionCurrently, there are no guidelines for the management of B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) from an Indian perspective. The diagnostic workup, monitoring, and treatment of B-ALL vary among different physicians and institutes.ObjectiveTo develop evidence-based practical consensus recommendations for the management of B-ALL in Indian settings.MethodsModified Delphi consensus methodology was considered to arrive at a consensus. An expert scientific committee of 15 experts from India constituted the panel. Clinically relevant questions belonging to three major domains were drafted for presentation and discussion: (i) diagnosis and risk assignment; (ii) frontline treatment; and (iii) choice of therapy (optimal vs. real-world practice) in relapsed/refractory (R/R) settings. The questionnaire was shared with the panel members through an online survey platform. The level of consensus was categorized into high (≥ 80%), moderate (60%–79%), and no consensus (&lt; 60%). The process involved 2 rounds of discussion and 3 rounds of Delphi survey. The questions that received near or no consensus were discussed during virtual meetings (Delphi rounds 1 and 2). The final draft of the consensus was emailed to the panel for final review.ResultsExperts recommended morphologic assessment of peripheral blood or bone marrow, flow cytometric immunophenotyping, and conventional cytogenetic analysis in the initial diagnostic workup. Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster (BFM)–based protocol is the preferred frontline therapy in pediatric and adolescent and young adult patients with B-ALL. BFM/German Multicenter Study Group for Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia–based regimen is suggested in adult patients with B-ALL. Immunotherapy (blinatumomab or inotuzumab ozogamicin) followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the optimal choice of therapy that would yield the best outcomes if offered in the first salvage in patients with R/R B-ALL. In patients with financial constraints or prior allo-HCT (real-world practice) at first relapse, standard-intensive chemotherapy followed by allo-HCT may be considered. For subsequent relapses, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy or palliative care was suggested as the optimal choice of therapy.ConclusionThis expert consensus will offer guidance to oncologists/clinicians on the management of B-ALL in Indian settings

Fabrication near U V transparent conductor by bandgap engineering: effect of Mg addition on the undoped and Al-doped Zno thin films

by Rishi DhawanM.Tech

Mg addition in undoped and Al-doped ZnO films: Fabricating near UV transparent conductor by bandgap engineering

Developing transparent conductors that can utilize a portion of the UV range of the sunlight requires bandgap engineering by varying the process parameters as well as type and concentration of dopants in the host materials. To this end, ZnO is a desired material because of its wide direct band gap (Eg) of around 3.2 eV, low cost and less toxicity. In this work, Mg2+ and/or Al3+-doped ZnO films are prepared by varying a range of process parameters in RF magnetron sputtering. A detailed microstructural and optoelectronic characterization of all these films are then carried out by using a combination of experimental techniques, like, GIXRD, FESEM, EDS, UV–Vis–NIR, PL spectroscopy and Hall Effect measurement system. All these films are found to have high optical transparency and showed blue shift as a result of Mg2+ and/or Al3+ doping with Eg ranging from 3.24 to 3.90 eV. Moreover, (Mg2+, Al3+)-doped ZnO films are found to demonstrates better optoelectronic properties than those of the ZnO films doped only using either Mg2+ or Al3+. Whereas Mg2+ is found to increase the optical bandgap of these films, Al3+ addition is found to increase both the carrier concentration and carrier mobility, with the best values of the electrical properties being obtained when only Al3+ is added to ZnO. This study shows a possible method to harness the near UV portion of the sunlight by doing bandgap engineering of ZnO through the addition of Mg2+ and/or Al3+ without compromising much on their overall electrical properties.by Rishi Dhawan and Emila Pand

Fabricating near UV transparent conductor by bandgap engineering

by Rishi Dhawan and Emila Pand

Growth morphologies, phase formation, optical & biological responses of nanostructures of CuO and their application as cooling fluid in high energy density devices

Different nanoscale objects of CuO have been synthesized by a simple chemical route where the Cu(OH)(2) nanostructures were first synthesized by the alkaline hydrolysis of Cu(NO3)(2)center dot 3H(2)O using NaOH as a base and the synthesized precipitate was subsequently annealed at a temperature of 130 degrees C. The alkaline content (pH) of the solutions during the hydrolysis process was varied to tailor the morphologies and dimensions of the nanostructures, consequently a series of fascinatingly shaped nanostructures, e.g. seeds, ellipsoidal, rods and leaves were obtained. Topographical characteristics along with the mechanism behind the structural variation have been rationalized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and HRTEM investigations. Optical performance of these samples provided simultaneous emission in the visible bands of blue, green, yellow and red, which were correlated to the size, shape and structural defects of these nano-scaled objects. The toxicity of these nanostructured materials were also put into perspective and it was found that the leaf shaped particles were the most toxic among the various shapes of nano-CuO. Finally the synthesized particles, when applied as nanofluids (water medium) showed their ability to enhance the thermal conductivity of water to a noticeable degree (above 40%) at high temperatures, even at very small concentrations, bespeaking their applicability in cooling fluids

Mutagenicity.

Print version record.ACKNOWLEDGMENT.Includes bibliographical references and index.Elsevie

Dizajniranje i razvoj albuminskih nanočestica s paklitakselom za ciljanu isporuku u mozgu

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) were prepared using a desolvation technique. A 32 full factorial design (FFD) was employed to formulate nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized for particle size by photon correlation spectroscopy and surface morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Encapsulation efficiency, zeta potential and particle yield were also determined. Response surface linear modelling (RSLM) was used to predict the optimal formulation. Various models were applied to determine the release mechanism from PTX nanoparticles. The effect of drug-polymer ratio on the release profile of formulations was observed and was applied to determine the suitability of the predicted optimal formulation. A preliminary study to determine the feasibility of targeting the prepared nanoparticles to brain was also carried out using mice as in vivo models.Opisana je priprava albuminskih nanočestica s paklitakselom (PTX) metodom desolvatacije. Za pripravu je korišten goveđi serumski albumin (BSA) i 32 potpuni faktorijalni dizajn (FFD). Pomoću fotonske korelacijske spektroskopije određena je veličina čestica, dok je površina čestica proučavana pretražnom elektronskom mikroskopijom (SEM) i transmisijskom elektronskom mikroskopijom (TEM). Nadalje, određena je učinkovitost kapsuliranja, zeta potencijal i iskorištenje. Linearno modeliranje odzivnih površina (RSLM) upotrebljeno je za predviđanje optimalne formulacije. Različiti modeli primijenjeni su za određivanje mehanizma oslobađanja iz PTX nanočestica. Proučavan je utjecaj omjera lijeka i polimera na profil oslobađanja i njegova upotrebljivost za predviđanje optimalne formulacije. Mogućnost ciljane isporuke u mozak preliminarno je ispitana in vivo na miševima

Headaches related to triptans therapy in patients of migrainous vertigo

Dizziness and vertigo are frequently reported by patients with migraine. In migrainous vertigo (MV), vertigo is causally related to migraine. Patients of MV usually have an attenuated or absent headache with their vertigo as compared with their usual headache of migraine. Here we report three female patients of MV in which administration of triptan was associated with induction (two patients) or exacerbation (one patient) of headache with disappearance of vertigo. We suggest that headache and vertigo of migraine may be inversely related to each other and suppression of one may induce or aggravate the other