The influence of millennial women's lifestyle, perceptions, and consumer preferences on skincare purchasing decisions: A case study on millennial women in East Aceh Regency

This study examined the influence of millennial women's lifestyle, perceptions, and consumer preferences on skincare purchasing decisions (a case study on millennial women in East Aceh Regency). This study used primary data obtained by distributing questionnaires to 100 respondents selected using the Purposive sampling method. The data analysis method used was the multiple linear regression method with the help of SPSS. The results partially showed that lifestyle did not influence skincare purchasing decisions for millennial women in East Aceh Regency, perceptions positively and significantly influenced skincare purchasing decisions for millennial women in East Aceh Regency, and consumer preferences positively and significantly influenced skincare purchasing decisions for millennial women in East Aceh Regency. Simultaneously, lifestyle, consumer perceptions, and preferences positively and significantly influenced skincare purchasing decisions for millennial women in East Aceh Regency

Need of the hour: pharmacovigilance study of SGLT-2 inhibitors

Background: Diabetes mellitus represents a global pandemic. Various pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacotherapy measures are advocated for its control. The latest in the pharmacotherapy are Sodium Glucose Transporter -2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, widely used. Many studies suggest adverse effects related to SGLT-2 inhibitors, evidence still not conclusive and few data from India. Hence this study was planned.Methods: Cross-sectional study over a period of 02 months, recorded demographic details and history of various adverse drug reactions reported with the use of SGLT-2 inhibitors.Results: Majority of the study participants were females (58%) and belonged to the age group of 40-70 yrs. Urinary tract infections (UTI) and genital infections was more seen in the users of dapagliflozin, followed by empagliflozin and canagliflozin.Conclusions: SGLT-2 Inhibitors offer a unique therapeutic approach to the management of Diabetes Mellitus. Further evaluation of the safety profile and the risk-benefit analysis is the need of the hour

An analysis of adherence to the World Health Organisation guidelines pertaining to drug promotional literature by pharmaceutical firms

Background: Pharmaceutical companies used Drug Promotion Literatures (DPLs) as a major tool to advertise their new products. World Health Organization (WHO) has set some guidelines for promotion of drug literature. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate various DPLs for their accuracy and credibility as per WHO ethical criteria.Methods: This was an observational and cross-sectional study. Total 100 drugs advertisements published in various medical journals were collected from the library of the college. Advertisements were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected advertisements were evaluated based on the WHO ethical criteria for drug promotion.Results: From 100 advertisements, 73 were single drug whereas 27 were fixed drug combinations. Antimicrobials (16%) were the most promoted advertisements. Only 28% of the advertisements carried references to support their claim. Out of which majority (91.78%) were from journal articles. The generic name, brand name, names of active ingredients, manufacturer, distributor and dosage regimen were mentioned in majority of advertisements. Drug interactions (12%), contraindications (22%), precautions (24%) and side effects (22%) were least mentioned in the advertisements.Conclusions: It was observed that none of the advertisement followed all the guidelines laid down by WHO. Pharmaceutical companies should follow ethical regulatory measures to promote their product in various journals. The regulatory authority must ensure the pharmaceutical companies to follow ethical guidelines for publishing various drug promotional literatures

Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogel Microdomes Integrated with Genetically Engineered Proteins for High-Throughput Screening of Pharmaceuticals

A hydrogel microdome that can swell in response to a stimuli or target molecule is formed by polymerizing a mixture comprising a monomer capable of forming a hydrogel with a biopolymer. An array of hydrogel microdomes can be formed on a substrate by microspotting the mixture and polymerizing. The array can be used for high-throughput screening of analytes as well as for use as an actuator and biosensor using the swelling property of the hydrogel

ADVANCES IN ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS DRUGS

Despite the introduction 40 years ago of the inexpensive and effective four-drug (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol) treatment regimen, tuberculosis (TB) continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. For the first time since the 1960s, new and novel drugs and regimens for all forms of TB are emerging. Such regimens are likely to utilize both repurposed drugs and new chemical entities, and several of these regimens are now progressing through clinical trials. This article covers current concepts and recent advances in TB drug discovery and development.Key Words: MDR-TB, XDR-TB, TDR-TB, Bedaquiline, DelamanidÂ

Dental Prosthetic Status and Prosthetic Needs of Patients Visiting Gandaki Medical College, Western Nepal

Introduction: The study of prosthetic status and prosthetic need will help us to find out the degree of treatment required in the population which will help to frame the health care services. Objective: The objective of the study was to find out the prosthetic status, prosthetic need in different age groups and their correlation with socio-economic status in patients visiting Department of Prosthodontics, College of Dental Surgery, Gandaki Medical College, Pokhara, Nepal. Materials and Methods: The patients visiting Department of Prosthodontics, College of Dental Surgery, Gandaki Medical College, Pokhara, Nepal were screened. The demographic profile of the patients was obtained and clinical examination for prosthetic status and prosthetic need was done based on WHO method. Results: There were total of 309 patients who visited the department during the study period. There were 133 (43%) male and 176 (57%) female patients. The majority of patients had no prosthesis in upper arch 78.6% and 83.8% in lower arch. The number of patients with replacement of missing teeth in upper arch was 66 (21.4%) and in lower arch were 50 (16.2%). There were 159 (51.5%) of patients requiring one or the other form of prosthesis in upper arch and 161 (52.1%) of patients in lower arch. Conclusion: The majority of patients had no prosthesis 78.6% in upper arch and 83.8% in lower arch. The need of prosthesis was 51.5% in upper arch and 52.1 % in lower arch

Enhanced Bactericidal Activity of Silver Thin Films Deposited via Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition

Silver thin films were deposited on SiO2-barrier-coated float glass, fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass, Activ glass, and TiO2-coated float glass via AACVD using silver nitrate at 350 °C. The films were annealed at 600 °C and analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV/vis/near-IR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. All the films were crystalline, and the silver was present in its elemental form and of nanometer dimension. The antibacterial activity of these samples was tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the dark and under UV light (365 nm). All Ag-deposited films reduced the numbers of E. coli by 99.9% within 6 h and the numbers of S. aureus by 99.9% within only 2 h. FTO/Ag reduced bacterial numbers of E. coli to below the detection limit after 60 min and caused a 99.9% reduction of S. aureus within only 15 min of UV irradiation. Activ/Ag reduced the numbers of S. aureus by 66.6% after 60 min and TiO2/Ag killed 99.9% of S. aureus within 60 min of UV exposure. More remarkably, we observed a 99.9% reduction in the numbers of E. coli within 6 h and the numbers of S. aureus within 4 h in the dark using our novel TiO2/Ag system

A community-based qualitative study on the experience and understandings of intimate partner violence and HIV vulnerability from the perspectives of female sex workers and male intimate partners in North Karnataka state, India.

BACKGROUND: Research has increasingly documented the important role that violence by clients and the police play in exacerbating HIV vulnerability for women in sex work. However few studies have examined violence in the intimate relationships of women in sex work, or drawn on community partnerships to explore the social dynamics involved. A community-based participatory research study was undertaken by community and academic partners leading intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV prevention programs in Bagalkot district, Karnataka state, India. The purpose was to explore the experience and understandings of intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS among women in sex work and their intimate partners in Bagalkot that would inform both theory and practice. METHODS: A community-based, interpretive qualitative methodology was used. Data was collected between July and October 2014 through in-depth interviews with 38 participants, including 10 couples, 13 individual female sex workers, and 5 individual male intimate partners. Purposive sampling was done to maximize variation on socio-demographic characteristics. Thematic content analysis was conducted through coding and categorization for each interview question in NVivo 10.0, followed by collaborative analysis to answer the research questions. RESULTS: The results showed that an array of interrelated, multi-level factors underlay the widespread acceptance and perpetuation of violence and lack of condom use in participants' intimate relationships. These included individual expectations that justified violence and reflected societal gender norms, compounded by stigma, legal and economic constraints relating to sex work. The results demonstrate that structural vulnerability to IPV and HIV must be addressed not only on the individual and relationship levels to resolve relevant triggers of violence and lack of condom use, but also the societal-level to address gender norms and socio-economic constraints among women in sex work and their partners. CONCLUSION: The study contributes to a better understanding on the interplay of individual agency and structural forces at a time when researchers and program planners are increasingly pondering how best to address complex and intersecting social and health issues. Ongoing research should assess the generalizability of the results and the effectiveness of structural interventions aiming to reduce IPV and HIV vulnerability in other contexts