ANTITUMOR AND GASTROPROTECTIVE SCREENING OF SOME NOVEL ORGANIC DERIVATIVES OF BISMUTH

Objectives: The objectives of present manuscript are to synthesize some new organic derivatives of bismuth having general formula (RBiL2; wherein R = C6F5; L = Substituted aromatic carboxylic acid), and characterized with the help of M.P., elemental, I.R., and NMR spectral analysis to ascertain the structure of novel compounds. These compounds were also characterized for their in vitro antitumor activity against human breast (MCF-7) and mammary cancer (EVSA-7) cell line along with gastroprotective (anti-ulcer) activity in rats using standard methods. Methods: All the newly organobismuth having general formula (RBiL2) were synthesised by earliar reported methods especially using redistribution and complexation reactions. The in-vitro antitumor and gastroprotective studies were performed by using standard protocols and methods. Results: It was found that the compounds were crystalline solids, air stable, and soluble in common organic solvent, have sharp melting points, and possess trigonal/pyramidal structure, exhibit higher activity than the standard ranitidine when the tests were carried out with aspirin induced and moderate activity was seen when the tests were done with ethanol induced along with potential antitumor activity against MCF-7 and EVSA-7 cell lines. Conclusion: The newly synthesized organobismuth complexes were characterized to ascertain their structure by sophisticated instrumental and spectral analysis resulted as trigonal/pyramidal structure. The compounds were also screened 1st time for gastroprotective and antitumor activity in vitro. The observations clearly indicate that organobismuth carboxylates as reported here show potential gastroprotective and antitumor activity in vitro

Colposcopic evaluation of cervix with abnormal papsmear findings: prospective analytical study at our tertiary care centre

Background: Pap test has been successful in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer by 80% and mortality by 70%. Any women with a cytologic specimen suggesting the presence of HSIL on Pap smear should undergo colposcopy and dissected biopsy. Prevention of invasive cancer by early detection and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) currently offers the most cost effective, long term strategy for cervical cancer control. The aim of study was to minimise disagreements and make colposcopy assessment quick, accurate and easy for follow-up.Methods: Prospective analytical study of 300 gynaecological patients with abdominal Pap smear findings between June 2020 to Dec 2020 at R.N.T. Medical College, Udaipur. All of them were subjected to colposcopy and dissected biopsy from the abdominal areas. The incidence of CIN/invasive carcinoma was calculated by proportion/percentage.Results: Incidence of invasive carcinoma was <1% but the incidence of premalignant lesion CIN was high (20.9%), CIN 2/3 and CIS were present in 6.9%.Conclusions: Patients with persistent inflammation pap smear can harbour high proportion of CIN and hence these patients need further evaluation through colposcopy

Understanding Parental Ethnotheories and Practices About Healthy Eating: Exploring the Developmental Niche of Preschoolers

Purpose: To understand parental ethnotheories (i.e., belief systems) and practices about preschoolers’ healthy eating guided by the developmental niche framework. Design: Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology. Setting: Home. Participants: Participants were 20 parents of preschool-age children ages 3 to 5 years, recruited from a quantitative investigation. A majority of the participants were white, female, married, well educated, and working full time. Methods: Participants who completed the quantitative survey were asked to provide their contact information if they were willing to be interviewed. From the pool of participants who expressed their willingness to participate in the interviews, 20 participants were selected using a random number generator. In-person semistructured interviews were conducted until data saturation (n ¼ 20). Thematic analysis was performed. Results: Three themes and 6 subthemes emerged: theme 1—parental ethnotheories about healthy eating included subthemes of knowledge about healthy eating, motivations to promote healthy child development through healthy eating, and sources of knowledge about healthy eating (e.g., doctors, social media, government guidelines, positive family-of-origin experiences); theme 2—parental ethnotheories that supported organization of children’s physical and social settings included structured mealtime routines and food socialization influences (e.g., grandparents, siblings, and childcare programs); and theme 3—parental ethnotheories that supported children’s learning about healthy eating included parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities (e.g., meal preparation, visiting farmer’s market, grocery shopping, gardening, cooking, baking). Conclusion: Findings advance the literature on parental practices about healthy eating. Parental ethnotheories (e.g., beliefs, motivations, knowledge, and skills) matter. Developmental niche of preschoolers (i.e., physical and social settings, childrearing practices, and parental ethnotheories) constitutes an interactive system in which ethnotheories serve as guides to parental practices. Fostering nutrition education and parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities are recommended to promote children’s healthy eating in daily routines

Understanding Parental Ethnotheories and Practices About Healthy Eating: Exploring the Developmental Niche of Preschoolers

Purpose: To understand parental ethnotheories (i.e., belief systems) and practices about preschoolers’ healthy eating guided by the developmental niche framework. Design: Qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology. Setting: Home. Participants: Participants were 20 parents of preschool-age children ages 3 to 5 years, recruited from a quantitative investigation. A majority of the participants were white, female, married, well educated, and working full time. Methods: Participants who completed the quantitative survey were asked to provide their contact information if they were willing to be interviewed. From the pool of participants who expressed their willingness to participate in the interviews, 20 participants were selected using a random number generator. In-person semistructured interviews were conducted until data saturation (n ¼ 20). Thematic analysis was performed. Results: Three themes and 6 subthemes emerged: theme 1—parental ethnotheories about healthy eating included subthemes of knowledge about healthy eating, motivations to promote healthy child development through healthy eating, and sources of knowledge about healthy eating (e.g., doctors, social media, government guidelines, positive family-of-origin experiences); theme 2—parental ethnotheories that supported organization of children’s physical and social settings included structured mealtime routines and food socialization influences (e.g., grandparents, siblings, and childcare programs); and theme 3—parental ethnotheories that supported children’s learning about healthy eating included parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities (e.g., meal preparation, visiting farmer’s market, grocery shopping, gardening, cooking, baking). Conclusion: Findings advance the literature on parental practices about healthy eating. Parental ethnotheories (e.g., beliefs, motivations, knowledge, and skills) matter. Developmental niche of preschoolers (i.e., physical and social settings, childrearing practices, and parental ethnotheories) constitutes an interactive system in which ethnotheories serve as guides to parental practices. Fostering nutrition education and parent–child engagement, communication, and encouragement in food-related activities are recommended to promote children’s healthy eating in daily routines

Provider reported implementation of nutrition-related practices in childcare centers and family childcare homes in rural and urban Nebraska

Approximately 15 million children under age 6 are in childcare settings, offering childcare providers an opportunity to influence children’s dietary intake. Childcare settings vary in organizational structure – childcare centers (CCCs) vs. family childcare homes (FCCHs) – and in geographical location – urban vs. rural. Research on the nutrition-related best practices across these childcare settings is scarce. The objective of this study is to compare nutrition-related best practices of CCCs and FCCHs that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in rural and urban Nebraska. Nebraska providers (urban n = 591; rural n = 579) reported implementation level, implementation difficulty and barriers to implementing evidence-informed food served and mealtime practices. Chi-square tests comparing CCCs and FCCHs in urban Nebraska and CCCs and FCCHs in rural Nebraska showed sub-optimal implementation for some practices across all groups, including limiting fried meats and high sugar/ high fat foods, using healthier foods or non-food treats for celebrations and serving meals family style. Significant differences (p \u3c .05) between CCCs and FCCHs also emerged, especially with regard to perceived barriers to implementing best practices. For example, CCCs reported not having enough money to cover the cost of meals for providers, lack of control over foods served and storage problems, whereas FCCHs reported lack of time to prepare healthier foods and sit with children during mealtimes. Findings suggest that policy and public health interventions may need to be targeted to address the unique challenges of implementing evidence-informed practices within different organizational structures and geographic locations

Engaging Parents to Promote Children’s Nutrition and Health: Providers’ Barriers and Strategies in Head Start and Child Care Centers

Purpose: Using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics benchmarks as a framework, this study examined childcare providers’ (Head Start [HS], Child and Adult Care Food Program [CACFP] funded, and non-CACFP) perspectives regarding communicating with parents about nutrition to promote children’s health. Design: Qualitative. Setting: State-licensed center-based childcare programs. Participants: Full-time childcare providers (n ¼ 18) caring for children 2 to 5 years old from varying childcare contexts (HS, CACFP funded, and non-CACFP), race, education, and years of experience. Methods: In-person interviews using semi-structured interview protocol until saturation were achieved. Thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Two overarching themes were barriers and strategies to communicate with parents about children’s nutrition. Barriers to communication included—(a) parents are too busy to talk with providers, (b) parents offer unhealthy foods, (c) parents prioritize talking about child food issues over nutrition, (d) providers are unsure of how to communicate about nutrition without offending parents, and (e) providers are concerned if parents are receptive to nutrition education materials. Strategies for communication included—(a) recognize the benefits of communicating with parents about nutrition to support child health, (b) build a partnership with parents through education, (c) leverage policy (federal and state) to communicate positively and avoid conflict, (d) implement center-level practices to reinforce policy, and (e) foster a respectful relationship between providers and parents. Conclusion: Policy and environmental changes were recommended for fostering a respectful relationship and building a bridge between providers and parents to improve communication about children’s nutrition and health

Provider reported implementation of nutrition-related practices in childcare centers and family childcare homes in rural and urban Nebraska

Approximately 15 million children under age 6 are in childcare settings, offering childcare providers an opportunity to influence children’s dietary intake. Childcare settings vary in organizational structure – childcare centers (CCCs) vs. family childcare homes (FCCHs) – and in geographical location – urban vs. rural. Research on the nutrition-related best practices across these childcare settings is scarce. The objective of this study is to compare nutrition-related best practices of CCCs and FCCHs that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in rural and urban Nebraska. Nebraska providers (urban n = 591; rural n = 579) reported implementation level, implementation difficulty and barriers to implementing evidence-informed food served and mealtime practices. Chi-square tests comparing CCCs and FCCHs in urban Nebraska and CCCs and FCCHs in rural Nebraska showed sub-optimal implementation for some practices across all groups, including limiting fried meats and high sugar/ high fat foods, using healthier foods or non-food treats for celebrations and serving meals family style. Significant differences (p \u3c .05) between CCCs and FCCHs also emerged, especially with regard to perceived barriers to implementing best practices. For example, CCCs reported not having enough money to cover the cost of meals for providers, lack of control over foods served and storage problems, whereas FCCHs reported lack of time to prepare healthier foods and sit with children during mealtimes. Findings suggest that policy and public health interventions may need to be targeted to address the unique challenges of implementing evidence-informed practices within different organizational structures and geographic locations

Technology Pipeline for Large Scale Cross-Lingual Dubbing of Lecture Videos into Multiple Indian Languages

Cross-lingual dubbing of lecture videos requires the transcription of the original audio, correction and removal of disfluencies, domain term discovery, text-to-text translation into the target language, chunking of text using target language rhythm, text-to-speech synthesis followed by isochronous lipsyncing to the original video. This task becomes challenging when the source and target languages belong to different language families, resulting in differences in generated audio duration. This is further compounded by the original speaker's rhythm, especially for extempore speech. This paper describes the challenges in regenerating English lecture videos in Indian languages semi-automatically. A prototype is developed for dubbing lectures into 9 Indian languages. A mean-opinion-score (MOS) is obtained for two languages, Hindi and Tamil, on two different courses. The output video is compared with the original video in terms of MOS (1-5) and lip synchronisation with scores of 4.09 and 3.74, respectively. The human effort also reduces by 75%

Examining correlates of feeding practices among parents of preschoolers

Background: Parent feeding practices play a critical role in children’s eating behaviors. Limited research has explored child-level correlates of parent feeding practices. Aim: To identify correlates of feeding practices (responsive and controlling) among parents of preschoolers US. Methods: Participants included parents (n = 273) of preschoolers (3–5 years), recruited from Early Care and Education settings (n = 24) located in a metropolitan city in the US. Analysis included descriptives, correlations, and multiple regression. Results: For responsive feeding practices, positive associations included child’s weight with unintentional modeling (β = .17, 95% CI [0.12, 0.53]), child vegetable consumption with behavioral role modeling (β = 0.22, 95% CI [0.17, 0.44]), and parent monitoring with verbal modeling (β = 0.21, 95% CI [0.12, 0.34]). For controlling feeding practices, parent restriction was positively associated with child weight concern (β = 0.22, 95% CI [0.13, 0.39]) and parent monitoring (β = 0.13, 95% CI [0.01, 0.19]), whereas child vegetable consumption was negatively associated (β = −0.16, 95% CI [−0.27, −0.05]). Pressure to eat was negatively associated with child weight concern (β = −0.18, 95% CI [−0.45, −0.09]), child fruit consumption (β = −0.12, 95% CI [−0.37, −0.01]), household income (β = −0.13, 95% CI [−0.30, −0.02]), and parent weight (β = −0.14, 95% CI [−0.60, −0.05]), Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of child characteristics when examining correlates of parent feeding practices, demonstrating bidirectional interactions between parent feeding practices and children’s eating behaviors. Considering child-level correlates may improve the implementation of responsive feeding practices and reduce controlling feeding practices

Liquisolid Technique for Enhancement of Dissolution Properties of Lornoxicam

and Explotab, polyethylene glycol 400 and propylene glycol were employed as carrier, coating material, disintegrant and non volatile solvent respectively for preparing LS compacts. Evaluation: The in vitro release pattern of LS compacts and directly compressed tablets were studied using USP-II apparatus. The prepared LS compacts were evaluated for their flow properties such as bulk density, tapped density, angle of repose, Carr&apos;s compressibility index and Hausner&apos;s ratio. The interaction between drug and excipients in prepared LS compacts were studied IR spectroscopy. The drug release rates of LS compacts were distinctly higher as compared to directly compressed tablets, which show significant benefit of LS in increasing wetting properties and surface area of drug available for dissolution. The LS-1 of LS powder system showed acceptable flowability, Carr&apos;s compressibility index and Hausner&apos;s ratio. The DSC and XRD studies conforms the no significant interaction between the drug and excipients used in LS compacts. Conclusion: From this study it concludes that the LS technique is a promising alternative for improvement of dissolution property of water-insoluble drugs