A Double Truncated Binomial Model to Assess Psychiatric Health through Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale: When is Intervention Useful?

A double truncated binomial distribution model with ‘u’ classes truncated on left and ‘v’ classes truncated on right is introduced. Its characteristics, namely, generating functions; and the measures of skewness and kurtosis have been obtained. The unknown parameter has been estimated using the method of maximum likelihood and the method of moments. The confidence interval of the estimate has been obtained through Fisher’s information matrix. The model is applied on cross sectional data obtained through Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) administered on a group of school going adolescent students; and the above-mentioned characteristics have been evaluated. An expert, on the basis of the BPRS score values, suggested an intervention program. The BPRS scores of the students who could be administered the intervention program lied in a range (which was above the lowest and below the highest possible values) suggested by the expert. Whereas the complete data suggested the average number of problem areas is four (which was not in consonance with the observations given by the expert), the double truncated model suggested the number of such areas as five which was consistent with the observations made by the expert. This establishes the usefulness of double truncated models in such scenarios

A comparative study between total laparoscopic hysterectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy for benign uterine pathologies at tertiary care institute, Udaipur

Background: Hysterectomy is one of the most commonly performed procedures in gynaecological surgery. The most common indication is benign uterine disease. As the time is passing trend is towards those approaches which are minimally invasive, less painful, have less complications, less blood loss and are more cosmetic. Thus, total laparoscopic hysterectomy has gained popularity. The purpose of this study was to compare the 2 different routes of hysterectomy.Methods: In this prospective randomized observational study patients undergoing both the types of hysterectomy, that is, TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy) and TLH (total laparoscopic hysterectomy) during 2 year period at Rajkiya Pannadhay Mahila Chikitsalaya RNT medical college Udaipur were included in the study. 50 women (25 in each group) aged between 31-72 years were included into the study.Results: We observed that duration of surgery was found to be longer in TLH than TAH (112.56±19.45 min versus 57.9±19.26 min, P<0.001 (HS)). The length of hospital stay was less in TLH than TLH (p=0.0001) and the amount of intra-operative blood loss were also less in TLH than TAH (163.60±44.15 versus 313.20±123.48 ml, p<0.001). TLH group had early ambulation compared to TAH group (2.24±0.44 day versus 3.12 ±0.33 day, p<0.001), difference on the basis of length of hospital stay was highly significant which was shorter in TLH than TAH (4.40±1.15 versus 10.32±8.19 days, respectively; p<0.001). In current study patient satisfaction level was found highly significant between TLH and TAH (100% versus 56%, p<0.001).Conclusions: TLH is a safe and effective method of doing hysterectomy. The present study concluded that TLH is associated with less hospital stay, less blood loss, less use of analgesics, early ambulation, early start of oral feed, and better patient satisfaction.

Optimizacija kitozanskih filmova kao zamjena za životinjsku i humanu epidermu za in vitro permeaciju polarnih i nepolarnih lijekova

The present investigation is aimed at preparing chitosan films capable of simulating the flux of modal drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and indomethacin (INDO), across rat, rabbit and human cadaver epidermal sheets. Application of statistical design revealed that the concentration of chitosan, crosslinking time and concentration of crosslinking agent significantly influenced the in vitro flux of 5-FU and INDO across chitosan films. Multiple linear regression revealed a linear influence of all these active variables on 5-FU and INDO flux. It was deduced from atomic absorption spectroscopic analyses, DSC and IR spectroscopic data that 5% (m/V) sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) produced optimum crosslinking of chitosan films. The in vitro permeation of both 5-FU and INDO across optimized film formulations was found to be comparable to that obtained across rat, rabbit and human epidermal sheets. These results indicate that optimized chitosan films have a potential to be developed as a substitute for animal and human cadaver epidermal sheets for preliminary in vitro permeation studies.U radu je opisana priprava kitosanskih filmova pogodnih za simulaciju prijelaza modelnih lijekova, 5-fluorouracila (5-FU) i indometacina (INDO), kroz epidermalne slojeve štakora, zeca i čovjeka. Koncentracija kitosana, vrijeme umrežavanja i koncentracija reagensa za umrežavanje značajno su utjecale na in vitro prolaz 5-FU i INDO kroz kitosanske filmove. Multiplom linearnom regresijom pokazano je da sve navedene varijable imaju linearni utjecaj na prolaz 5-FU i INDO. Uz pomoć atomske apsorpcijske spektralne analize, DSC i IR spektroskopskih podataka zaključeno je da je 5%-tna (m/V) otopina natrijevog tripolifosfata (NaTPP) najoptimalnija za umrežavanje kitosanskih filmova. Pronađeno je da je in vitro permeacija 5-FU i INDO kroz optimiziranu formulaciju kitozanskog filma usporediva s permeacijom kroz epidermalne slojeve štakora, zeca i čovjeka. Rezultati upućuju da se optimizirani kitozanski filmovi mogu upotrijebiti kao nadomjestak animalne i humane epiderme u preliminarnim in vitro permeacijskim istraživanjima

An application of ordinal regression to extract social dysfunction levels through behavioral problems

Psychological problems are complex in nature and accurate identification of these problems is important. For the identification of psychological problems, one of the preliminary tools is the use of interviews/questionnaires. Questionnaires are preferred over interviews if the group under study is large. A strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) is one of the most widely used and powerful questionnaires to identify behavioral problems and distresses being faced by the respondents, affecting their day-to-day lives (responsible for social dysfunction). This study was held on college/university students in India, with the objective of examining if the extent of social dysfunction as measured by an impact score can be extracted from behavioral problems which are the components of the difficulty score of SDQ. Two surveys were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic period, between the months of May–June 2020 and October 2020–February 2021 for the study. Only those responses were considered who felt distressed (“yes” to item 26 of SDQ). The numbers of such responses were 772/1020 and 584/743, respectively, in the two surveys. Distress levels were treated as ordered variables and three categories of distress level, viz., “Normal”, “Borderline”, and “Abnormal” were estimated through behavioral problems using ordinal regression (OR) methods with a negative log-log link function. The fitting of OR models was tested and accepted using Cox and Snell, Nagelkerke, and McFadden test. Hyperactivity-inattention and emotional symptoms were significant contributors to estimating levels of distress among respondents in survey 1 (p < 0.05). In addition to these components, in survey 2, peer problems were also significant. OR models were good at estimating the extreme categories; however, the “Borderline” category was not estimated well. One of the reasons was the use of qualitative and complex data with the least wide “Borderline” category, both for the “Difficulty” and the “Impact” scores

Interactions between a marine heatwave and tropical cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal in 2020

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Rathore, S., Goyal, R., Jangir, B., Ummenhofer, C., Feng, M., & Mishra, M. Interactions between a marine heatwave and tropical cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal in 2020. Frontiers in Climate, 4, (2022): 861477, https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.861477.Interactions are diagnosed between a marine heatwave (MHW) event and tropical super cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal. In May 2020, an MHW developed in the Bay of Bengal driven by coupled ocean-atmosphere processes which included shoaling of the mixed layer depth due to reduced wind speed, increased net surface shortwave radiation flux into the ocean, increased upper ocean stratification, and increased sub-surface warming. Ocean temperature, rather than salinity, dominated the stratification that contributed to the MHW development and the subsurface ocean warming that also increased tropical cyclone heat potential. The presence of this strong MHW with sea surface temperature anomalies >2.5°C in the western Bay of Bengal coincided with the cyclone track and facilitated the rapid intensification of tropical cyclone Amphan to a super cyclone in just 24 h. This rapid intensification of a short-lived tropical cyclone, with a lifespan of 5 days over the ocean, is unprecedented in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon period (March-May). As the cyclone approached landfall in northern India, the wind-induced mixing deepened the mixed layer, cooled the ocean's surface, and reduced sub-surface warming in the bay, resulting in the demise of the MHW. This study provides new perspectives on the interactions between MHWs and tropical cyclones that could aid in improving the current understanding of compound extreme events that have severe socio-economic consequences in affected countries.CU acknowledges support from the James E. and Barbara V. Moltz Fellowship for Climate-Related Research and the Independent Research & Development Program at WHOI. MF was supported by the Centre for Southern Hemisphere Oceans Research (CSHOR), which is a joint initiative between the Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (QNLM), CSIRO, University of New South Wales, and the University of Tasmania

Optimizacija kitozanskih filmova kao zamjena za životinjsku i humanu epidermu za in vitro permeaciju polarnih i nepolarnih lijekova

The present investigation is aimed at preparing chitosan films capable of simulating the flux of modal drugs, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and indomethacin (INDO), across rat, rabbit and human cadaver epidermal sheets. Application of statistical design revealed that the concentration of chitosan, crosslinking time and concentration of crosslinking agent significantly influenced the in vitro flux of 5-FU and INDO across chitosan films. Multiple linear regression revealed a linear influence of all these active variables on 5-FU and INDO flux. It was deduced from atomic absorption spectroscopic analyses, DSC and IR spectroscopic data that 5% (m/V) sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTPP) produced optimum crosslinking of chitosan films. The in vitro permeation of both 5-FU and INDO across optimized film formulations was found to be comparable to that obtained across rat, rabbit and human epidermal sheets. These results indicate that optimized chitosan films have a potential to be developed as a substitute for animal and human cadaver epidermal sheets for preliminary in vitro permeation studies.U radu je opisana priprava kitosanskih filmova pogodnih za simulaciju prijelaza modelnih lijekova, 5-fluorouracila (5-FU) i indometacina (INDO), kroz epidermalne slojeve štakora, zeca i čovjeka. Koncentracija kitosana, vrijeme umrežavanja i koncentracija reagensa za umrežavanje značajno su utjecale na in vitro prolaz 5-FU i INDO kroz kitosanske filmove. Multiplom linearnom regresijom pokazano je da sve navedene varijable imaju linearni utjecaj na prolaz 5-FU i INDO. Uz pomoć atomske apsorpcijske spektralne analize, DSC i IR spektroskopskih podataka zaključeno je da je 5%-tna (m/V) otopina natrijevog tripolifosfata (NaTPP) najoptimalnija za umrežavanje kitosanskih filmova. Pronađeno je da je in vitro permeacija 5-FU i INDO kroz optimiziranu formulaciju kitozanskog filma usporediva s permeacijom kroz epidermalne slojeve štakora, zeca i čovjeka. Rezultati upućuju da se optimizirani kitozanski filmovi mogu upotrijebiti kao nadomjestak animalne i humane epiderme u preliminarnim in vitro permeacijskim istraživanjima

<b>Phyto-pharmacology of <i>Moringa oleifera</i></b><b> Lam. </b><b>— </b><b>An overview</b>

347-353Moringa oleifera Lam. is a small or medium-sized tree, about 10 m high, cultivated throughout India. It is a multipurpose tree, used as vegetable, spice, a source of cooking and cosmetic oil and as a medicinal plant. It is reported to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and cinnamates. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidaemic, antifertility, anticancer, antihepatotoxic and antiulcer activities. Further, activity guided phytochemical and phytoanalytical studies may lead to development of novel agents to be used in various disorders. An overview of chemical constituents present in the plant and their pharmacological actions are given in the present paper

Studies on Carbon Footprint of an Educational Institution from Transportation

The transportation sector generates the enormous share of greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, it plays a significant role in the carbon footprint analysis of any institution. Extensive studies of carbon footprint analysis of prestigious Ramjas College University of Delhi, India reflect that the total GHG-tCO2e by transportation is 154.69 and petrol is the major contributor in the other indirect emission category. The petrol-based vehicle users are more hence its emission is higher than diesel and CNG-based vehicle users. By implementation of carbon reduction strategy in transportation, we aspire to become a sustainable organization

Association of Genetic Variants of KCNJ11 and KCNQ1 Genes with Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in the Indian Population: A Case-Control Study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a polygenic metabolic disease described by hyperglycemia, which is caused by insulin resistance or reduced insulin secretion. The interaction between various genetic variants and environmental factors triggers T2DM. The aim of this study was to find risk associated with genetic variants rs5210 and rs2237895 of KCNJ11 and KCNQ1 genes, respectively, in the development of T2DM in the Indian population. A total number of 300 cases of T2DM and 100 control samples were studied to find the polymorphism in KCNJ11 and KCNQ1 through PCR-RFLP. The genotype and allele frequencies in T2DM cases were significantly different compared to the control population. KCNJ11 rs5210 and KCNQ1 rs2237895 variants were found to be significantly associated with risk of T2DM in dominant (KCNJ11: OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.30–3.27; p−0.001; KCNQ1: OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.46–3.70; p−0.0003) and codominant models (KCNJ11: OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.09–2.84; p−0.020; KCNQ1: OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.16–2.95; p−0.009). We also compared clinicopathological characteristics between cases and control and observed a significant difference in all the parameters except HDL, gender, and family history. In this study, clinicopathological data with a carrier of a variant allele of both KCNJ11 and KCNQ1 genes were also analysed, and a significant association was found between the carrier of a variant allele with gender and PPG in KCNJ11 and with triglyceride in KCNQ1. We confirm the significant association of KCNJ11 (rs5210) and KCNQ1 (rs2237895) gene polymorphism with T2DM, indicating the role of these variants in developing risk for T2DM in Indian population