ermectin – A Potent Weapon in the AntiCOVID-19 Armamentarium

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become an earth-shattering menace afflicting the entire globe. With no effective antiviral drugs in sight, the repurposing of many currently available drugs has been considered the mainstay of treatment. One such drug is ivermectin (IVM), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antiparasitic agent that has been shown to exhibit antiviral activity against a broad range of viruses. Ivermectin proposes many potential effects to treat a range of diseases, with its antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer properties as a wonder drug. Several studies have reported antiviral effects of IVM on RNA viruses such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, Hendra, Newcastle, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, chikungunya, Semliki Forest, Sindbis, Avian influenza A, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent studies have suggested that IVM inhibits the replication of (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro, thus suggesting its potential for use against COVID-19. In this review, we describe the mechanism of action, rationale, dosing protocols of IVM in the management and prophylaxis of COVID-19 infection

ON PRESERVING INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY gpr-CLOSED SETS

In this paper we introduced the concepts of intuitionistic fuzzy apr- closedand intuitionistic fuzzy apr - continuous mappings in intuitionistic fuzzy topologicalspaces and obtain several results concerning the preservation of intuitionistic fuzzygpr-closed sets. Further more we characterize intuitionistic fuzzy pre regular T12-spaces due to Thakur and Bajpai[13] in terms of intuitionistic fuzzy apr-continuousand intuitionistic fuzzy apr-closed mappings and obtain some of the basic propertiesand characterization of these mappings

Mediastinal masses - the bad, the ugly and the unusual!

Background: Differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses is wide and management of individual cases can be challenging. In addition to common malignancies e.g. lymphomas and thymomas. Many other benign and malignant conditions can present with mediastinal masses. Patients and Methods: We describe five patients with a diagnosis of mediastinal mass. We wish to showcase the range of diagnosis possible in these situations. This is followed by a brief discussion on the general approach to such cases. Conclusion: A good history, detailed careful clinical examination, judicious use of imaging and investigations e.g. blood counts and tumour makers can give a vital clue to the diagnosis of mediastinal mass

Clinical and etiological spectrum of prolonged fever and special reference to HIV patients at a tertiary care centre

Background: Prolonged fever is a diagnostic challenge and will tend to remain so in times to come because of the changing spectrum of etiologies and influence of technology, environmental changes, and many other ill-understood factors which influence the etiological spectrum. Prolonged fever is also undergoing change in its duration. The aim of the present was study to determine the etiologies of prolonged fever in patients in India and to evaluate the clinical and etiological relationship between the diagnosis and patient’s laboratory data.Methods: Patients aged more 13 years with fever >38.3ºC for more than three weeks without apparent source after preliminary investigations were included prospectively over a period of twenty two months. Fever duration, symptom, signs, laboratory investigations and final diagnosis were recorded. The distribution of etiologies and age, fever duration, laboratory examinations, and associated symptoms and signs were analyzed.Results: Out of total of 86 patients were enrolled, fifty one (59.3%) were men. The median age was 28 years (range, 13-65 yr). Among 86 patients, diagnosis could be made in only 69 (80.2%) patients. Infections, neoplasms, NIIDs, miscellaneous causes were responsible for prolonged fever in 42 (48.8%), 18 (20.9%), 6 (7%), and 3 (3.5%) patients respectively. Seveteen (19.8%) cases remained undiagnosed, even after relevant investigations, six of them recovered spontaneously. Tuberculosis (TB) was the cause of prolonged fever in 21 (24.4%) patients.Conclusions: Infections, amongst which tuberculosis, remain the major cause of prolonged fever and its subset: fever of unknown origin (FUO), in this country. The percent of undiagnosed cases appears to be identical worldwide

Middleware Architecture - History and Adaptation with IEEE 802.11

Communication, which intends to provide a link between any two people, is now moving towards man-to-machine and machine-to-machine connection for transferring different types of data. This transmission scenario, with and ever expanding number of active and passive users, lays the foundation to variety of communication protocols owing to the different types of data which is involved in the process. Within this ever expanding communication arena, Middle-ware can be thought of as a set of hardware and software which is used to connect different platforms with the end-users that are increasing in number day-by-day, with a possible wide spread over any region spanning from few meters to several kilometers. IEEE 802.11 is the set of standards which guides the wireless technology for device implementation and demands seamless integration across the entire protocol stack. This in turn demands an overview of the middleware architecture in broader perspective. This chapter explores the concept of middleware in the existing communication scenario, current trends and future scope

Prevalence of psychiatric co morbidities in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in north Indian population cohort

Background: Psychiatric co morbidities tend to occur quite frequently in patients of chronic respiratory diseases mainly bronchial asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but still it is highly under diagnosed. Aim and objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of psychiatric co morbidities in asthma and COPD and to correlate them with disease severity according to Global Initiative against Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and Global Initiative against Asthma (GINA) guidelines.Methods: Study was conducted in Department of TB and Chest in association with Department of Psychiatry of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, a secondary care medical college in north India. A total 204 patients, 68 of bronchial asthma, 68 0f COPD and 68 were controls included in the study. Diagnosis and severity of respiratory diseases was assessed by spirometry. Evaluation of psychiatric co morbidities was done using the MINI international neuropsychiatric interview questionnaire.Results: The frequency of psychiatric co morbidities in COPD patients was significantly higher (32.4%) compared to patients of bronchial asthma (20.6%). The most common co morbidity in both arms was generalized anxiety disorder (17.6% in COPD patients and 10.3% in patients of bronchial asthma.Conclusions: COPD patients have a higher frequency of psychiatric co morbidities compared to bronchial asthma patients and control population. These should be properly screened and treated.

Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Ivermectin Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for COVID-19 among Health Care Workers

Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are more likely to be at high risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their direct and/or indirect participation in treatment facilities. Here, we aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of ivermectin pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in HCWs. Materials and Methods: In this observational study HCWs who were directly/indirectly involved in the medication of COVID-19 patients were selected. The study questionnaire included demographic data; knowledge, attitudes, practices, and associated adverse drug reactions (ADR) after using ivermectin as pre-exposure prophylaxis in COVID-19. Results: The mean age of the selected 306 participants was 34.41 {±standard deviation 4.08}. 66.66% of the participants were men. 15.69% of individuals had co-morbidities. HCWs were about COVID-19, and 94.12% of people know the role of ivermectin as PEP.  Additionally, 180 participants (58.82%) realized that ivermectin can cause adverse drug reactions (ADRs). 70.59% of the study-participants admitted that ivermectin has a protective effect on COVID-19, while 62.75% of the participants believed that the PEP benefits of using ivermectin outweigh the risks. 57.37% (n = 210) of HCW used ivermectin and completed the recommended medication process. Eighteen participants (8.57%) experienced adverse reactions and reported to the ADR monitoring center. Conclusion: 70.59% of the studied participants agreed that ivermectin has a protective effect on COVID-19, and 57.37% of the participants have taken ivermectin as PEP. However, 8.57% of the individuals reported ADR, but none of the participants were severe enough to discontinue the drug

Microwave-synthesized freestanding iron-carbon nanotubes on polyester composites of woven Kevlar fibre and silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene

We synthesized Ag nanoparticle-decorated multilayered graphene nanosheets (Ag-graphene) from graphite nanoplatelets and silver nitrate through 90-100 s of microwave exposure, without the use of any mineral acids or harsh reducing agents. Fe nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNTs) were grown on polypyrrole (PPy) deposited on woven Kevlar fibre (WKF), using ferrocene as a catalyst, under microwave irradiation. Fe-CNTs grown on WKF and Ag-graphene dispersed in polyester resin (PES) were combined to fabricate Ag-graphene/Fe-CNT/PPy-coated WKF/PES composites by vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding. The combined effect of Fe-CNTs and Ag-graphene in the resulting composites resulted in a remarkable enhancement of tensile properties (a 192.56% increase in strength and 100.64% increase in modulus) as well as impact resistance (a 116.33% increase). The electrical conductivity significantly increased for Ag-graphene/Fe-CNT/PPy-coated WKF/PES composites. The effectiveness of electromagnetic interference shielding, which relies strongly on the Ag-graphene content in the composites, was 25 times higher in Ag-graphene/Fe-CNT/PPy-coated WKF/PES than in neat WKF/PES composites. The current work offers a novel route for fabricating highly promising, cost effective WKF/PES composites through microwave-assisted synthesis of Fe-CNTs and Ag-graphene.ope