11 research outputs found
Influence of process parameters on nimesulide-loaded Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microcapsules
Nimesulide was formulated as sustained release microcapsules using biodegradable polymer
Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) as the release material by non-solvent addition coacervation
method. The prepared microcapsules were evaluated for physico-chemical properties i.e. size analysis,
morphology, micromeritics, drug content, encapsulation efficiency and drug release characteristics. All
microcapsules obtained were discrete, large, free flowing and spherical in shape. The maximum encapsulation
efficiency of nimesulide was up to 81.02 ± 2.10 %. Nimesulide release from microcapsules followed
Higuchi model. Slow release of nimesulide from PLGA microcapsules over 12 h was observed.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire
EVEN-VE: Eyes Visibility Based Egocentric Navigation for Virtual Environments
Navigation is one of the 3D interactions often needed to interact with a synthetic world. The latest advancements
in image processing have made possible gesture based interaction with a virtual world. However, the speed with
which a 3D virtual world responds to a user’s gesture is far greater than posing of the gesture itself. To incorporate
faster and natural postures in the realm of Virtual Environment (VE), this paper presents a novel eyes-based
interaction technique for navigation and panning. Dynamic wavering and positioning of eyes are deemed as
interaction instructions by the system. The opening of eyes preceded by closing for a distinct time-threshold,
activates forward or backward navigation. Supporting 2-Degree of Freedom head’s gestures (Rolling and Pitching)
panning is performed over the xy-plane. The proposed technique was implemented in a case-study project; EWI
(Eyes Wavering based Interaction). With EWI, real time detection and tracking of eyes are performed by the libraries
of OpenCV at the backend. To interactively follow trajectory of both the eyes, dynamic mapping is performed in
OpenGL. The technique was evaluated in two separate sessions by a total of 28 users to assess accuracy, speed
and suitability of the system in Virtual Reality (VR). Using an ordinary camera, an average accuracy of 91% was
achieved. However, assessment made by using a high quality camera testified that accuracy of the system could
be raised to a higher level besides increase in navigation speed. Results of the unbiased statistical evaluations
suggest/demonstrate applicability of the system in the emerging domains of virtual and augmented realities
GIFT: Gesture-Based Interaction by Fingers Tracking, an Interaction Technique for Virtual Environment
Three Dimensional (3D) interaction is the plausible human interaction inside a Virtual Environment (VE). The
rise of the Virtual Reality (VR) applications in various domains demands for a feasible 3D interface. Ensuring
immersivity in a virtual space, this paper presents an interaction technique where manipulation is performed by
the perceptive gestures of the two dominant fingers; thumb and index. The two fingertip-thimbles made of paper
are used to trace states and positions of the fingers by an ordinary camera. Based on the positions of the fingers,
the basic interaction tasks; selection, scaling, rotation, translation and navigation are performed by intuitive
gestures of the fingers. Without keeping a gestural database, the features-free detection of the fingers guarantees
speedier interactions. Moreover, the system is user-independent and depends neither on the size nor on the color
of the users’ hand. With a case-study project; Interactions by the Gestures of Fingers (IGF) the technique is
implemented for evaluation. The IGF application traces gestures of the fingers using the libraries of OpenCV at
the back-end. At the front-end, the objects of the VE are rendered accordingly using the Open Graphics Library;
OpenGL. The system is assessed in a moderate lighting condition by a group of 15 users. Furthermore, usability
of the technique is investigated in games. Outcomes of the evaluations revealed that the approach is suitable for
VR applications both in terms of cost and accuracy
HIV among women and children in Pakistan
The HIV epidemic in Pakistan has now transmitted to female spouses of HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) and bisexual men, and to preadolescent children through vertical transmission. Owing to sociocultural barriers, HIV-infected pregnant women and children do not have optimum access to treatment, hindering the prevention of HIV transmission
Microbiological risk assessment and resistome analysis from shotgun metagenomics of bovine colostrum microbiome
Colostrum is known for its nutraceutical qualities, probiotic attributes, and health benefits. The aim of this study was to profile colostrum microbiome from bovine in rural sites of a developing country. The focus was on microbiological safety assessments and antimicrobial resistance, taking into account the risks linked with the consumption of raw colostrum. Shotgun sequencing was employed to analyze microbiome in raw buffalo and cow colostrum. Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed increased inter and intra-variability within colostrum samples' microbiome from both livestock species. The colostrum microbiome was mainly comprised of bacteria, with over 90% abundance, whereas fungi and viruses were found in minor abundance. Known probiotic species, such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus paracasei, were found in the colostrum samples. A relatively higher number of pathogenic and opportunistic pathogenic bacteria were identified in colostrum from both animals, including clinically significant bacteria like Clostridium botulinum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. Binning retrieved 11 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), with three MAGs potentially representing novel species from the genera Psychrobacter and Pantoea. Notably, 175 antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and variants were detected, with 55 of them common to both buffalo and cow colostrum metagenomes. These ARGs confer resistance against aminoglycoside, fluoroquinolone, tetracycline, sulfonamide, and peptide antibiotics. In conclusion, this study describes a thorough overview of microbial communities in buffalo and cow colostrum samples. It emphasizes the importance of hygienic processing and pasteurization in minimizing the potential transmission of harmful microorganisms linked to the consumption of colostrum
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Pakistan:A Multicentric, Prospective, Survey-Based Study
This study aimed to assess the vaccination status and factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in the largest province of Pakistan. A multicentric, prospective, survey-based study using an interviewer-administered tool was conducted among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics between 1 December 2021 through 30 January 2022 across seven hospitals in Pakistan. The healthcare professionals providing care at the participating hospitals administered the survey. Four hundred and five pregnant women fully consented and completed the study. The majority of the study participants (70.6%, n = 286) were aged between 25 and 34 and had a previous successful pregnancy history. More than half of the study participants (56.0%, n = 227) did not receive COVID-19 vaccination at the time of data collection despite their family members (93.9%, n = 372) had already received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Among those who received COVID-19 vaccination (n = 173), vaccine efficacy, protection for the foetus, and risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalisation were the main driving factors for vaccine hesitancy. The majority of the unvaccinated women (77.8%, n = 182) had no intention of receiving the vaccine. However, more than two-thirds (85.7%, n = 342) consulted the doctor about COVID-19 vaccines, and most were recommended to receive COVID-19 vaccines by the doctors (80.7%, n = 280). Women were significantly more likely to be vaccinated if they had employment (odds ratio [OR] 4.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.31–8.64) compared with their counterparts who were homemakers, consulted their doctors (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.04–0.35), and if they did not have pregnancy-related issues (OR 6.02, 95% CI: 2.36–15.33). In this study, vaccine hesitancy was prevalent, and vaccine uptake was low among pregnant women. Education and employment did impact COVID vaccination uptake, emphasising the need for more targeted efforts to enhance the trust in vaccines
An evaluation of the outcomes associated with peritoneal catheter use in neonates undergoing cardiac surgery: A multicenter studyCentral MessagePerspective
Objective: The study objective was to determine if intraoperative peritoneal catheter placement is associated with improved outcomes in neonates undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: This propensity score–matched retrospective study used data from 22 academic pediatric cardiac intensive care units. Consecutive neonates undergoing Society of Thoracic Surgeons–European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery category 3 to 5 cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at centers participating in the NEonatal and Pediatric Heart Renal Outcomes Network collaborative were studied to determine the association of the use of an intraoperative placed peritoneal catheter for dialysis or passive drainage with clinical outcomes, including the duration of mechanical ventilation. Results: Among 1490 eligible neonates in the NEonatal and Pediatric Heart Renal Outcomes Network dataset, a propensity-matched analysis was used to compare 395 patients with peritoneal catheter placement with 628 patients without peritoneal catheter placement. Time to extubation and most clinical outcomes were similar. Postoperative length of stay was 5 days longer in the peritoneal catheter placement cohort (17 vs 22 days, P = .001). There was a 50% higher incidence of moderate to severe acute kidney injury in the no-peritoneal catheter cohort (12% vs 18%, P = .02). Subgroup analyses between specific treatments and in highest risk patients yielded similar associations. Conclusions: This study does not demonstrate improved outcomes among neonates with placement of a peritoneal catheter during cardiac surgery. Outcomes were similar apart from longer hospital stay in the peritoneal catheter cohort. The no-peritoneal catheter cohort had a 50% higher incidence of moderate to severe acute kidney injury (12% vs 18%). This analysis does not support indiscriminate peritoneal catheter use, although it may support the utility for postoperative fluid removal among neonates at risk for acute kidney injury. A multicenter controlled trial may better elucidate peritoneal catheter effects
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Impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)’s multidimensional approach on rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units in 22 hospitals of 14 cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
To analyze the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Multidimensional Approach (IMA) and use of INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS) on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in Saudi Arabia from September 2013 to February 2017.
A multicenter, prospective, before–after surveillance study on 14,961 patients in 37 intensive care units (ICUs) of 22 hospitals. During baseline, we performed outcome surveillance of VAP applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN. During intervention, we implemented the IMA and the ISOS, which included: (1) a bundle of infection prevention practice interventions, (2) education, (3) outcome surveillance, (4) process surveillance, (5) feedback on VAP rates and consequences and (6) performance feedback of process surveillance. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models to estimate the effect of intervention.
The baseline rate of 7.84 VAPs per 1000 mechanical-ventilator (MV)-days―with 20,927 MV-days and 164 VAPs―, was reduced to 4.74 VAPs per 1000 MV-days―with 118,929 MV-days and 771 VAPs―, accounting for a 39% rate reduction (IDR 0.61; 95% CI 0.5–0.7; P 0.001).
Implementing the IMA was associated with significant reductions in VAP rates in ICUs of Saudi Arabia