A self-medicating scale and questionnaire based drug use survey and the effect of educational intervention among healthcare professional students

Background: Due to an array of reasons like easy accessibility and awareness about the available drugs, self-medication has steeply increased the already existent drug misuse. As the health professional students are exposed to all the information of drugs, it would be worthwhile to survey if this knowledge is misused to self-medicate. The present study was aimed at determining the impact of educational intervention on the prevalent attitudes and pattern of self-medication among medical, dental and nursing students as they constitute a vulnerable group for such practices.Methods: A total of 360 health professional students participated in the study. A validated questionnaire and self-medication scale (SMS) were used for the survey, before and after the educational workshop.Results: Of the 360 students 70% were females. 93.89% reported practicing self-medication, which reduced to 78.63% after the educational workshops. Average number of self-medication encounters before the workshop was 4.03±0.30. Analgesics were most commonly used. The modified SMS scores were significantly reduced (p<0.0001) after interventional workshops indicating that the enhanced knowledge, increased the reluctance to self-medicate and make students think twice before self-medicating so as to reduce such harmful, casual drug use habits.  Educational workshops statistically (p<0.0001) enhanced the participants knowledge of ADRs, OTC drugs, expiry date, package inserts etc. 77.78% nursing students were habituated to at least one drug which was significantly higher (χ2=20.45, p<0.0001) than that of medical and dental students taken together.Conclusions: Educational intervention reduces the evil of self-medication and enhances safe drug use habits among healthcare professional students

Inheritance and biochemical basis of yellowing of apical leaves: a unique trait in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A unique trait, i.e. yellowing of apical/young leaves in response to low temperature and high relative humidity was identified in a chickpea genotype, ICCX110069. To determine inheritance pattern of this trait, ICCX110069 was crossed to four other genotypes, GL14050, GL14049, GL14059 and SAGL152117, that exhibited normal green apical leaves under similar environmental conditions. The F1, F2, F3, BC1F1 and BC1F2 generations were generated. A ratio of 13 normal green leaf: three yellow leaf was found to be the best fit, indicated digenic gene action with suppressor effect of normal green leaf over the expression of yellowing of apical/young leaf trait. The chlorophyll content was significantly lower, while guaiacol peroxidase activity was significantly higher in yellow leaves of ICCX110069 as compared to green leaves of the same genotype and of GL14049, indicating the competence of antioxidative defence mechanism involved with the expression of this trait

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Microwave and electrical properties of Co-Ti substituted M-type Ba hexagonal ferrite

The microwave characteristics of Co2+ and Ti4+ ions substituted, BaCoxTixFe(12−2x)O19 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) ferrite have been studied as a function of thickness, frequency and substitution. The results depict reflection loss of − 31.94 dB at 10.47 GHz in x = 0.9. The highest static electrical current is observed at lower substitution. The model accompanying microwave absorption is used to evaluate microwave absorption characteristics. The electromagnetic and static electrical characteristics are improved with the substitution of Co2+ and Ti4+ ions. The compositions for possible electromagnetic applications are also explored

AC and DC properties of M-type

Microwave characterization of SrCoxTixFe(12−2x)O19 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1.0) ferrites has been studied as a function of frequency, substitution and thickness, and static electrical current density-electric field characteristics have been investigated as a function of substitution. Microwave characteristics have been measured using power meter in the rectangular slotted waveguide and current density is measured using electrometer. The microwave absorption is evaluated using the standard available model. The results depict −11.57 dB reflection loss at 10.38 GHz in composition x = 0.6. The electrical current density decreases at lower substitution and increases at higher substitution. The substitution of Co2+ and Ti4+ ions causes enhancement of electromagnetic and static electrical properties

Microwave characterization of

The microwave characteristics of Pb1−xCaxFe0.5Nb0.5O3 multiferroics (x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.55, 0.6), have been investigated as a function of frequency and substitution. The results depict −13.99 dB reflection loss at 11.65 GHz in composition x = 0.6. Microwave absorption is enhanced with substitution of Ca2+ ions and undoped composition 0.0 behaves as electromagnetic shield. The model governing microwave absorption is discussed and different compositions for electromagnetic applications have been suggested

Static current models in Co

The static current density (J)-electric field (E) characteristics of CaCoxTixFe(12−2x)O19 ferrite (x = 0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4,0.5,0.6,0.7) have been investigated from 0.06 kV/m to 4.10 kV/m at room temperature. Ohmic behavior is present in compositions x = 0.1,0.2,0.4,0.5,0.6,0.7 at low applied field, whereas non linearity in J-E curves is defined at higher applied region in compositions x = 0.2,0.3,0.4,0.7. The role of various conduction mechanisms Schottky, Poole-Frenkel, Ionic Hopping and Space Charge Limited Current mechanisms has been discussed

Investigation of DC current models in Co

The static current density (J)-electric field (E) characteristics of BaCoxTixFe(12−2x)O19 ferrite compositions (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) have been investigated at an applied field from 0.003 kV/m to 4.98 kV/m at room temperature. Compositions x = 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 exhibit ohmic behavior at low applied field and non-linear conduction is observed in compositions x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.7 and 0.9 at higher applied field. The various non-linear conduction models, associated with Schottky, Poole-Frenkel, Ionic Hopping and Space Charge Limited Current mechanisms, have been discussed. The large current density has been found at higher substitution

Static conduction mechanisms in Co

The static current density (J)-electric field (E) characteristics of SrCoxTixFe(12−2x)O19 ferrite compositions (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 1.0) have been investigated from 0.07 kV/m to 5.29 kV/m at room temperature. All compositions obey Ohms Law at low applied field and non-linearity conduction is observed at high field in compositions x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6 and 1.0. The non-linear conduction mechanisms, Schottky, Poole-Frenkel, Ionic Hopping and Space Charge Limited Current mechanism, have been discussed. The current density is increased at higher substitution