Evaluation of Awareness of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Nursing Students on Monitoring and Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of nursing students on monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions in a tertiary care hospital. This questionnaire based study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital on 85 Prefinal and final year nursing students. The study instrument was a pre designed questionnaire which included the Knowledge of the ADRs reporting, the attitudes towards the reporting, and the factors which could hinder the reporting. The students were given an educative and interactive session for clearance of their understanding about Pharmacovigilance. The post-session questionnaire was also completed to assess their understanding. A total of 85 students participated. The median knowledge, attitude scores before the intervention were 42.5%, 46.6% respectively. After the intervention the scores increased significantly to 89.4%, 98.8% respectively

A novel mutualism between an ant-plant and its resident pollinator

Pollination systems in which the host plant provides breeding sites for pollinators, invariably within flowers, are usually highly specialized mutualisms. We found that the pollinating bee Braunsapis puangensis breeds within the caulinary domatia of the semi-myrmecophyte Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae), an unusual ant-plant that is polymorphic for the presence of domatia and harbours a diverse invertebrate fauna including protective and non-protective ants in its domatia. B. puangensis is the most common flower visitor that carries the highest proportion of H. brunonis pollen. This myrmecophyte is pollen limited and cross-pollinated by bees in the daytime. Hence, the symbiotic pollinator could provide a benefit to trees bearing domatia by alleviating this limitation. We therefore report for the first time an unspecialised mutualism in which a pollinator is housed in a plant structure other than flowers. Here, the cost to the plant is lower than for conventional brood-site pollination mutualisms where the pollinator develops at the expense of plant reproductive structures. Myrmecophytes housing resident pollinators are unusual, as ants are known to be enemies of pollinators, and housing them together may decrease the benefits that these residents could individually provide to the host plant

Prostaglandin E2 promotes features of replicative senescence in chronically activated human CD8+ T cells.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a pleiotropic immunomodulatory molecule, and its free radical catalyzed isoform, iso-PGE2, are frequently elevated in the context of cancer and chronic infection. Previous studies have documented the effects of PGE2 on the various CD4+ T cell functions, but little is known about its impact on cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes, the immune cells responsible for eliminating virally infected and tumor cells. Here we provide the first demonstration of the dramatic effects of PGE2 on the progression of human CD8+ T cells toward replicative senescence, a terminal dysfunctional state associated multiple pathologies during aging and chronic HIV-1 infection. Our data show that exposure of chronically activated CD8+ T cells to physiological levels of PGE2 and iso-PGE2 promotes accelerated acquisition of markers of senescence, including loss of CD28 expression, increased expression of p16 cell cycle inhibitor, reduced telomerase activity, telomere shortening and diminished production of key cytotoxic and survival cytokines. Moreover, the CD8+ T cells also produced higher levels of reactive oxygen species, suggesting that the resultant oxidative stress may have further enhanced telomere loss. Interestingly, we observed that even chronic activation per se resulted in increased CD8+ T cell production of PGE2, mediated by higher COX-2 activity, thus inducing a negative feedback loop that further inhibits effector function. Collectively, our data suggest that the elevated levels of PGE2 and iso-PGE2, seen in various cancers and HIV-1 infection, may accelerate progression of CD8+ T cells towards replicative senescence in vivo. Inhibition of COX-2 activity may, therefore, provide a strategy to counteract this effect

Electronic Checklist Implementation: Transition Training and GA Usage

In this conceptual study, the authors explore the development of checklists for fixed-wing aviation operations, including their utility in accomplishing identified goals and adherence to human factors design principles. Furthermore, the authors review the current status of the aviation industry transition to electronic checklists, comparing them to their paper counterparts, and assess adherence to human factors principles in electronic checklist design and implementation. The role of electronic checklists in general aviation operations and safety implications of the electronic transition are discussed. Brief Summary of Research: Anecdotal evidence suggests that more and more pilots at both the general aviation (GA) and commercial pilot levels are utilizing electronic checklists for operations, rather than paper-based checklists. Empirical research has focused on isolated components of the implementation process and raised the specter of safety and situational considerations in the transition from paper-based to electronic checklist; however, there have been few attempts to synthesize the available findings on electronic checklist transition and relate the “state of the industry” in this regard to human factors design principles. In the present conceptual study, the authors review available literature on the paper-to-electronic checklist transition, identify the status of electronic checklists in general aviation operations, and evaluate both paper-based and electronic checklists in relation to identified human factors design principles. Based on these results, the authors propose revisions to the electronic checklist transition and usage processes and identify safety-critical next steps

Depression Secondary to Isotretinoin – a Case Report

Depression is one of the leading causes of morbidity in the world and significantly affects the lives of people suffering from it. The exact cause of depression has not been established and it is believed to be a complex play between various social, biological, environmental, personal factors. A relatively rare but distinct cause includes pharmacological agents. In this case report, we describe the case of a 17-year-old girl who developed depression with psychotic symptoms on two occasions, both preceded by a history of Isotretinoin use. She was admitted and treated with anti-psychotics and psychotherapy with significant improvement in her mental state. There is no global consensus and direct scientific evidence establishing causality but many case reports are present in medical literature showing association between depression and Isotretinoin use. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to exercise caution when prescribing Isotretinoin to vulnerable groups

Weighted sharing of meromorphic functions concerning certain type of linear difference polynomials

In this research article, with the help of Nevanlinna theory we study the uniqueness problems of transcendental meromorphic functions having finite order in the complex plane $\mathbb{C}$, of the form is given by $\phi^{n}(z)\sum_{j=1}^{d}a_{j}\phi(z+c_{j})$ and $\psi^{n}(z)\sum_{j=1}^{d}a_{j}\psi(z+c_{j})$ where $L(z,\phi)=\sum_{j=1}^{d}a_{j}\phi(z+c_{j})$ which share a non-zero polynomial $p(z)$ with finite weight. By considering the concept of weighted sharing introduced by I. Lahiri (Complex Variables and Elliptic equations,2001,241-253), we investigate difference polynomials for the cases $(0,2),(0,1),(0,0)$. Our new findings extends and generalizes some classical results of Sujoy Majumder\cite{m11}. Some examples have been exhibited which are relevant to the content of the paper

Sky and Foliage Detection using Perceptual object TaggingÂ

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