A STUDY OF THE HYPOLIPIDEMIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF WHOLE PLANT EXTRACTS OF IPOMOEA AQUATICA FORK IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN RABBITS

Objective: The aim of the study has been to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of the whole plant extract of Ipomoea aquatica in experimentally induced hyperlipidemia in rabbits.Methods: Ethanolic extract of I. aquatica whole plant (EEIAWP) was prepared by percolation method. The extract was evaluated for hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities using 400 mg/kg body weight per day in a high fat diet induced hyperlipidemia in rabbits. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests and compared to the normal control, experimental control and the standard drug (atorvastatin 2.1 mg/kg body weight per day) groups. The results were expressed as mean±standard error of mean (SEM). Values with p<0.05 were considered significant.Results: Oral administration of EEIAWP in the test group showed a significant reduction in the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and a significant increase in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) when compared to the experimental control group. There were also significantly elevated catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the test group compared to the experimental group. Similar results were also found in the standard drug group.Conclusion: The results of our experiment demonstrated that EEIAWP possesses significant antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities and hence could be a potential source of medication as an adjuvant to the existing therapy for treatment of dyslipidemia

A questionnaire based cross sectional study of the knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among the health care professionals in a tertiary care teaching hospital in upper Assam, India

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are one of the major reason of morbidity, mortality and increase in health-care costs. The pharmacovigilance programme of India (PvPI) encourages the active participation of all health care professionals (HCP) in reporting suspected ADR to ensure enhanced patient safety. But present statistics shows under reporting of suspected ADR. So, this study was undertaken with the objectives of assessing knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pharmacovigilance among the HCP and to evaluate various reasons of under reporting of suspected ADR.Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of HCP including faculties, resident doctors and postgraduate trainee (PGT), internship doctors and nurses on pharmacovigilance; conducted at department of Pharmacology, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital(JMCH). The pretested and peer reviewed questionnaire was distributed among 150 HCP and the responses were collected after one day. Data were analyzed using MS-excel software and was expressed in percentage.Results: Out of 150 questionnaires, 118 responses were received (32 faculties, 27 PGT, 38 internship doctors and 21 nurses). Good knowledge (78.4%) and fair attitude was found among the HCP but there was lack of practice of pharmacovigilance due to reasons mainly non availability of suspected ADR reporting form (27.1%), didn’t think reporting was necessary (34%), fear of consequences (16.1%) and lack of awareness (16.1%) among others.Conclusions: Good attitude was observed among HCP. With proper measures like sensitization and educational intervention ADR, reporting may be improved in the future

Analisis Produksi Biodiesel dan Kitosan Berbasis Larva Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) dengan Memanfaatkan Sampah Organik

Konsumsi energi di Indonesia terus meningkat karena kebutuhan energi tidak sebanding dengan ketersediaannya. Selain itu, Indonesia juga dihadapkan pada permasalahan sampah organik yang belum dikelola dengan baik melalui sistem landfilling di TPA. Perlu upaya penanganan komprehensif dalam mengatasi sampah organik dan memenuhi kebutuhan energi. Black Soldier Fly (BSF) berpotensi mengatasi masalah limbah organik dan kebutuhan energi. Penelitian ini bertujuan menelaah peran BSF dalam menguraikan masalah sampah organik dan potensinya dalam pengembangan energi terbarukan berupa biodiesel dan kitosan. Metode penelitian ini dilakukan melalui melalui kajian literatur artikel dan jurnal internasional yang diperoleh melalui penelusuran 3 pangkal data (Science Direct, DOAJ, dan Google Sholar) kemudian dilakukan penapisan artikel dan ekstraksi data potensi BSF sebagai sumber biodiesel dan kitosan.Berdasarkan telaah berbagai referensi,BSF mampu mendegradasi sampah organik hingga 56% selama fase hidupnya. Pupa BSF diketahui mengandung 35% lemak yang prospektif sebagai bahan baku biodiesel dengan kualitas sesuai standar Eropa EN 14214 dan SNI 7182:2015 serta dapat diterapkan pada mesin diesel dengan pelepasan emisi lebih rendah, pembakaran lebih lambat, rata-rata laju pelepasan panas (heat release rate) yang lebih tinggi, dan meningkatkan periode penundaan pengapian (ignition delay) daripada bahan bakar diesel. Selain itu, pupa BSF berpotensi sebagai kitosan dengan derajat deasetilisasi 75,98% sesuai standar Badan Standardisasi Nasional. Pemanfaatan BSF dalam menguraikan sampah dan pemanfaatannya sebagai sumber energi mendorong terealisasinya tujuan Sustainable Develompment Goals (SDGs).Konsumsi energi di Indonesia terus meningkat karena kebutuhan energi tidak sebanding dengan ketersediaannya. Selain itu, Indonesia juga dihadapkan pada permasalahan sampah organik yang belum dikelola dengan baik melalui sistem landfilling di TPA. Perlu upaya penanganan komprehensif dalam mengatasi sampah organik dan memenuhi kebutuhan energi. Black Soldier Fly (BSF) berpotensi mengatasi masalah limbah organik dan kebutuhan energi. Penelitian ini bertujuan menelaah peran BSF dalam menguraikan masalah sampah organik dan potensinya dalam pengembangan energi terbarukan berupa biodiesel dan kitosan. Metode penelitian ini dilakukan melalui melalui kajian literatur artikel dan jurnal internasional yang diperoleh melalui penelusuran 3 pangkal data (Science Direct, DOAJ, dan Google Sholar) kemudian dilakukan penapisan artikel dan ekstraksi data potensi BSF sebagai sumber biodiesel dan kitosan.Berdasarkan telaah berbagai referensi,BSF mampu mendegradasi sampah organik hingga 56% selama fase hidupnya. Pupa BSF diketahui mengandung 35% lemak yang prospektif sebagai bahan baku biodiesel dengan kualitas sesuai standar Eropa EN 14214 dan SNI 7182:2015 serta dapat diterapkan pada mesin diesel dengan pelepasan emisi lebih rendah, pembakaran lebih lambat, rata-rata laju pelepasan panas (heat release rate) yang lebih tinggi, dan meningkatkan periode penundaan pengapian (ignition delay) daripada bahan bakar diesel. Selain itu, pupa BSF berpotensi sebagai kitosan dengan derajat deasetilisasi 75,98% sesuai standar Badan Standardisasi Nasional. Pemanfaatan BSF dalam menguraikan sampah dan pemanfaatannya sebagai sumber energi mendorong terealisasinya tujuan Sustainable Develompment Goals (SDGs)

Morphological variations of weedy rice (Oryza sativa ssp.) in selected rice fields of Peninsular Malaysia

Weedy rice or locally known as ‘padi angin’ has been infesting rice granary areas in Malaysia for the last 20 years. The outbreak of weedy rice in the country started during the late 1980s in Projek Barat Laut Selangor (PBLS) due to the adoption of direct-seeding practices. Weedy rice can be characterized by its early maturing and easy-shattering traits. The objective of this study was to determine the morphological variations of weedy rice in selected granary areas located in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 110 weedy rice accessions were collected from nine locations in three granary areas in Peninsular Malaysia (the Western, Eastern, & Northern regions). The collected weedy rice accessions were planted under greenhouse conditions to study their morphological features. Results of the present study indicated that 73.6% of weedy rice accessions were awnless while the remaining 26.4% produced awn. Selected traits such as plant height, flag leaf length, culm length, number of tillers, number of panicles, and panicle length were included in the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The weedy rice accessions were grouped into three different clusters mainly Cluster 1: cultivated rice and awnless populations, Cluster 2: brown and red pericarp awnless populations, and Cluster 3: awned populations. The findings of this study may be used as guidance for farmers and researchers for designing sustainable weedy rice management in the future

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

IN-VITRO ANTICATARACT ACTIVITY OF HIBISCUS ROSA-SINENSIS LINN ON GOAT LENS

Objectives: To study the effects of ethanolic extract of leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn (EEHRS) on glucose induced cataract in an in vitro model of goat lens.Methods: Ethanolic extracts of leaves of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn (EEHRS) were prepared by Percolation method. Goat lenses, obtained from a local slaughterhouse were made in 6 groups with 5 lenses in each group. They were incubated in artificial aqueous humor for 72 hrs at room temperature with 5.5 mM glucose (negative control group), 55 mm glucose (cataractogenesis group), enalapril (standard drug group) and 3 dosage of EEHRS (1 mg, 1.5 mg, 2 mg) with 55 mm glucose (test drug groups). Opacification of lens was assessed by counting the number of clear squares when placed over a graph paper. Parameters studied were catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, tissue Malondialdehyde (MDA) and total and water soluble protein in the lens homogenate. All the data relating to biochemical parameters were compared using one way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni multiple comparison tests.Results: Glucose induced opacification of lens was started 10-12 hours post incubation & was completely opacified in 72 hrs. Lens treated with the EEHRS at concentrations of 1 mg, 1.5 mg and 2 mg showed significantly (p<0.05) decreased opacity and decreased tissue MDA level, increased catalase and SOD activities and increased total protein and water soluble protein levels respectively compared to the positive control.Conclusion: Hence the study suggested that EEHRS possesses significant anticataract activity which can be attributed to its antioxidant property.Â

A bridgeless PFC converter for on-board battery charger

This paper presents a bridgeless SEPIC topology with Power Factor Correction (PFC) to charge electric vehicle battery. The converter offers a few advantages such as reduce total component count and reduction of conduction loss during the conversion AC to DC, hence higher overall system efficiency. The PFC converter operated under continuous conduction mode (CCM) with average current mode control strategy. The model is built and simulated in MATLAB. From the simulation study, it is found that the proposed topology and the proposed control strategy provide a promising result