Investigating Self-Efficacy as a Mediator of Peer Violence and Dating Violence Perpetration Among High-Risk Adolescents

Background: Dating violence is a significant public health problem. This study explored the potential mediation of self-efficacy of nonviolent conflict negotiation in the association between peer violence and dating violence among youth in a high-risk community. Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from the Youth Violence Survey: Linkages among Different Forms of Violence study funded by CDC. Data were collected in in 2004 and analyzed in 2016. The sample comprised 4,131 public school students in the seventh, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth year in an urban school district with high crime and poverty rates who completed a self-report questionnaire following parental consent and student assent. The analytic sample was restricted to participants who dated in the past year (n= 2,888). A mediation analysis was conducted using both the Causal Steps method and the Sobel Test to determine if self-efficacy in nonviolent conflict negotiation partially mediated the association between peer violence perpetration and dating violence perpetration. Results: Results supported the study hypothesis that self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between peer violence perpetration and dating violence perpetration. Even after controlling for dating violence victimization, peer violence victimization, and peer violence perpetration, self-efficacy contributed significantly to the model explaining dating violence perpetration and lowered the dating violence perpetration variation for which peer violence perpetration accounted (total effect: β= .930 and p\u3c.001, direct effect: β= .841 and p\u3c.001) . Self-efficacy decreased the odds by .674 of participants who had perpetrated peer violence from perpetrating dating violence (p\u3c.001). The significance of the mediation effect was confirmed by the Sobel Test (z= 3.917, 95% CI). Conclusion: Self-efficacy in nonviolent conflict negotiation could be an effective intervening factor for dating violence perpetration, contributing to stopping the cycle of violence among youth in high-risk communities

Range extension of foliicolous lichens in India: A case study from Nandhaur Forest Range, Lakhan mandi, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India

Foliicolous lichens, i.e. lichens colonizing on leaves of vascular plants, are always considered as one of the best bioindicators of human disturbance and microclimatic conditions of a forest, and their occurrence in India is mainly confined to tropical regions of Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats. During a field trip to Nandhaur Range Lakhan mandi, Haldwani, Kumaun Himalaya, the authors found leaves of Shorea robusta heavily colonized by foliicolous lichens. The identification of the collected samples revealed the occurrence of 6 species of lichens all of which are new addition to the lichen flora of Uttarakhand. The preliminary data on diversity and distribution of the foliicolous lichen will act as baseline to conduct biomonitoring studies in the area, since foliicolous lichens are considered as the best bioindicator of climate change

Clinicopathological correlation of abnormal uterine bleeding according to PALM-COEIN classification in reproductive age group in a tertiary care center, North India

Background: AUB is a common problem encountered by women of reproductive age group with increased risk during perimenopausal period. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) has designed a new classification system PALM-COEIN in order to standardize the causes of AUB. Aims and Objectives were to stratify causes of AUB in women of reproductive age group in context to PALM-COEIN classification system. To establish a clinico-pathological correlation among causes of AUB taking aid of radiology wherever required. Methods: All women of reproductive age group presenting with complaints of AUB in department of gynecology from January 2018 to December 2021 were included in the study. The cause were classified based on PALM-COEIN classification both clinically and histopathologically. Radiological investigation was carried out wherever required. Results: Total 560 women of reproductive age group were registered. Majority 321 (57.32%) women were between 41-50 years of age and commonest complaint was heavy menstrual bleeding in 401 (71.60%). PALM and COEIN groups accounted for 40% and 60% respectively. Among structural causes, leiomyoma was the commonest cause 153 (27.32%) of AUB whereas among the functional causes most common was endometrial 188 (33.57%). The clinico-histopathological correlation was statistically significant in cases of AUB-P, AUB-A, AUB-O and AUB-E. Conclusions: The PALM-COEIN classification system helps to understand the causes of AUB and gives simpler terminology, diagnosis and investigations of the causes of AUB and offers better patient management. It can provide better means of quality assurance and appropriateness of treatment

Classification and treatment of different stages of alzheimer’s disease using various machine learning methods

There has been a steady rise in the number of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) all over the world. Medical diagnosis is an important but complicated task that should be performed accurately and efficiently and its automation would be very useful. The patient’s records are collected from National Institute on Aging, USA. The Sample consisted of initial visits of 496 subjects seen either as control or as patients. Patients were concerned about their memory at the National Institute on Aging. It also consisted of patients and caregiver interviews. This research work presents different models for the classification of different stages of Alzheimer’s disease using various machine learning methods such as Neural Networks, Multilayer Perceptron, Bagging, Decision tree, CANFIS and Genetic algorithms. The classification accuracy for CANFIS was found to be 99.55% which was found to be better when compared to other classification methods. Based on the outcome of classification accuracies, various management and treatment strategies such as pharmacotherapeutic and non pharmacotherapeutic interventions for mild, moderate and severe AD were elucidated, which can be of enormous use for the medical professionals in diagnosis and treatment of AD

Soft Corals and Seafans of India

Soft Corals and Seafans of Indi

AAPS Workshop Report: Strategies to Address Therapeutic Protein–Drug Interactions during Clinical Development

Therapeutic proteins (TPs) are increasingly combined with small molecules and/or with other TPs. However preclinical tools and in vitro test systems for assessing drug interaction potential of TPs such as monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and cytokine modulators are limited. Published data suggests that clinically relevant TP-drug interactions (TP-DI) are likely from overlap in mechanisms of action, alteration in target and/or drug-disease interaction. Clinical drug interaction studies are not routinely conducted for TPs because of the logistical constraints in study design to address pharmacokinetic (PK)- and pharmacodynamic (PD)-based interactions. Different pharmaceutical companies have developed their respective question- and/or risk-based approaches for TP-DI based on the TP mechanism of action as well as patient population. During the workshop both company strategies and regulatory perspectives were discussed in depth using case studies; knowledge gaps and best practices were subsequently identified and discussed. Understanding the functional role of target, target expression and their downstream consequences were identified as important for assessing the potential for a TP-DI. Therefore, a question-and/or risk-based approach based upon the mechanism of action and patient population was proposed as a reasonable TP-DI strategy. This field continues to evolve as companies generate additional preclinical and clinical data to improve their understanding of possible mechanisms for drug interactions. Regulatory agencies are in the process of updating their recommendations to sponsors regarding the conduct of in vitro and in vivo interaction studies for new drug applications (NDAs) and biologics license applications (BLAs)