SIGNIFICANCE OF CONSUMER CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE FOR CONSUMPTION OF READY MEALS

Ready meals are fully cooked and ready to eat with a shelf life that ranges from few months to 3 years. They are one of the fastest growing areas of the food market in both developed and developing countries. A demand of ready meals is growing continuously everywhere including U.K. Especially the popularity of Indian dishes, chicken tikka masala etc. provides most of the inspiration for the ready meals that form the bulk of the retail market, as well as for cooking sauces. Though the demand for the ready meals is increasing in the global market, the supply is still not satisfactory. For example, there are more than 500 units in London, which are into ready meals. This shows that exports as well as the domestic market offer a vast scope for the Indian producers to excel in this sector. The Indian meal sector in U.K. is being challenged by other cuisines, which will probably show faster growth. Therefore, Indian suppliers will have to meet the needs and demands of various types of consumer, by providing some with new dishes and to others with the familiar preferred ready meals. The ethnic food market also continues to grow in U.K. as consumers demand more diverse flavors as a result of travel and the abundance of ethnic restaurants. To quote an example: Waitrose collaborated with renowned London Indian restaurant Quilon to launch a new range of ready meals to compete with Sainsbury's Bombay Brasserie range. Thus, as there is a great potential for the packaged ready meals, the main relevance of conducting this research is to study the changing U.K. consumers' attitude and behavior towards ready meals and measure the growth opportunities by evaluating the various factors leading to their growth. The research will be helpful in understanding the consumers' preferences and perceptions with regard to ready meals as home meal replacement. The result of the study will also provide the companies dealing in Ready meals as to what consumers actually want and what changes suggested by consumers, if adopted seriously, can help in gaining a competitive edge on its competitors. Through this research it is possible to know whether ready meals is actually a convenient substitute to home fresh cooked meals or the manufactures are producing it for the profit motive and ignoring the health of their consumers. The study indicates that the strategy of the marketer in ready meals is to inform and educate consumers regarding the absence of preservatives in their food, price reduction keeping quality intact and increasing variety of ready meals along with increasing the quantity for different cuisines

Comparative Assessment of Some Target Detection Algorithms for Hyperspectral Images

Target detection is of particular interest in hyperspectral image analysis as many unknown and subtle signals (spectral response) unresolved by multispectral sensors can be discovered in hyperspectral images. The detection of signals in the form of small objects and targets from hyperspectral sensors has a wide range of applications both civilian and military. It has been observed that a number of target detection algorithms are in vogue; each has its own advantages and disadvantages and assumptions. The selection of a particular algorithm may depend on the amount of information available as per the requirement of the algorithm, application area, the computational complexity etc. In the present study, three algorithms, namely, orthogonal subspace projection (OSP), constrained energy minimization (CEM) and a nonlinear version of OSP called kernel orthogonal subspace projection (KOSP), have been investigated for target detection from hyperspectral remote sensing data. The efficacy of algorithms has been examined over two different hyperspectral datasets which include a synthetic image and an AVIRIS image. The quality of target detection from these algorithms has been evaluated through visual interpretation as well as through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The performance of OSP algorithm has been found to be better than or comparable to CEM algorithm. However, KOSP out performs both the algorithms.Defence Science Journal, 2013, 63(1), pp.53-62, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.63.376

Breastfeeding counselling and support: is it adequate? a descriptive study from Rohtak, India

Background: Antenatal breastfeeding education and motivation along with postnatal encouragement and lactation support are likely to improve rates of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding. This study was done to know whether antenatal and postnatal visits were utilized for promotion of optimum breastfeeding in addition to the routine obstetric services.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional type of community based epidemiological study was conducted in rural and urban field practice area attached to Department of Community Medicine, Pt. B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak. A total of 500 mothers were studied. A pre-tested semi-structured interview schedule was used for interviewing the study subjects and house to house visits were carried out to collect the information.Results: Health functionaries were the source of information in 49.6% mothers in urban area as compared to only 29.2% in rural areas. Breastfeeding related information was better in the mothers counseled by health functionaries than not counseled group.Conclusions: Health functionaries should be instructed to inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding during antenatal as well as postnatal visits. Existing breastfeeding education and postnatal support is not adequate in the population studied and needs to be strengthened

A comparative study on effects of intrathecal ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine versus ropivacaine plus clonidine

Background: Subarachnoid block is a safe and effective alternative to general anaesthesia when surgical site is located on the lower extremities, perineum or lower body wall. Spinal anaesthesia produces intense sensory and motor blockade as well as sympathetic blockade. Intrathecal α-2-agonists are used as adjuvant drugs to local anaesthetics successfully over the last decade .They potentiate the effect of local anaesthetic and decrease the required doses. Clonidine is a partial α-2-adrenorecptor agonist used intrathecally, with a well- established record of efficacy and safety. Its addition to local anaesthetics prolongs the duration of both motor and sensory spinal blockade. Dexmedetomidine is an α-2-adrenorecptor agonist. It has α-2/α1 selectivity ratio which is eight times higher than that of Clonidine. With this background, this study was conducted to compare the effects of intrathecal Ropivacaine plus Dexmedetomidine versus Ropivacaine plus Clonidine during procedures. Methods: The present prospective study was carried out in the Department of Anaesthesiology, M.G.M. Medical College and M.Y. Hospital, Indore (M.P.), India. Study period was from June 2011 to July 2012. Patient were randomly allocated to one of the following three group in a double blinded fashion based on computer generated code: Ropivacaine (R), Ropivacaine + Dexmedetomidine (D); Ropivacaine + Clonidine (C). Nominal categorical data between study groups were compared using the Chi – squared test or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. p<0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: In all age groups patients were equally distributed in three Groups. Mean time taken for the onset of sensory and motor block was quite low in group D patients. Thereby showing statistically highly significant difference in onset of sensory and motor blocks (P<0.001). Whereas mean duration of sensory and motor block was also quite prolonged in group D patients. (p<0.001) There is significant difference between all the three groups. Conclusion: In conclusion our study shows that intrathecal Dexmedetomidine or Clonidine added with isobaric Ropivacaine produces rapid and prolonged sensory and motor block as compared to plain Ropivacaine.

A retrospective cohort study to find out the association of hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis and COVID 19 infection prevention among health care workers in a tertiary care hospital of New Delhi

Background- With the high morbidity and mortality year 2020 will be remembered as Covid19 pandemic year. Occupational exposure to COVID 19 among health care workers poses a major risk to their lives. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prophylaxis has been indicated for their use without much scientific evidence. Objective- to find if HCQ prophylaxis had association with Covid19 infection prevention among health care workers. Material &amp;Method- A retrospective cohort study was conducted; through online by utilizing social media platform, among Health care workers of a tertiary care hospital from 1st June 2020 to 27 July 2020. Those HCWs who have taken HCQ (exposed) and who have not taken (nonexposed) and PCR tested Covid19 Positive were taken as diseased.  Results Out of 527 who were analyzed, study subjects who took HCQ prophylaxis had 30% less chance of having Covid19 test positive, {RR- 0.709(0.383-1.296)} as compared those who didn’t took it, but the results were not significant. Conclusion- Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis does not prevent Covid 19 infection and more evidence may be required for use of HCQ prophylaxis for Covid19 infection. Keywords- Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis, Covid19 infection, Health care workers, Retrospective cohort stud

Designing and implementing a resilient immutability mechanism for enhanced supply chain management in E-healthcare systems

Counterfeit drugs pose significant health risks due to their variable efficacy and potential harmful ingredients. To combat this issue, a reliable and secure track-and-trace system is essential for pharmaceutical supply chains. This paper proposes an Immutable and Decentralized Pharma (IDP) model, leveraging blockchain technology to ensure the safe and efficient distribution of medications. The IDP model utilizes smart contracts to record transactions between entities onto a blockchain, enabling end-to-end product tracking and provenance. Experimental results on a polygon blockchain test network demonstrate the feasibility and enhanced security of the IDP model in a collaborative environment. Our solution addresses the challenges of data privacy, openness, and authenticity inherent in centralized track-and-trace systems, providing a promising approach to eliminate counterfeits and guarantee product safety in pharmaceutical supply chains

Unravelling the Role of miR-20b-5p, CCNB1, HMGA2 and E2F7 in Development and Progression of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Lung cancer is a prime cause of worldwide cancer deaths, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as a frequent subtype. Surgical resection, chemotherapy are the currently used treatment methods. Delayed detection, poor prognosis, tumor heterogeneity, and chemoresistance make them relatively ineffective. Genomic medicine is a budding aspect of cancer therapeutics, where miRNAs are impressively involved. miRNAs are short ncRNAs that bind to 3&prime;UTR of target mRNA, causing its degradation or translational repression to regulate gene expression. This study aims to identify important miRNA-mRNA-TF interactions in NSCLC using bioinformatics analysis. GEO datasets containing mRNA expression data of NSCLC were used to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and identification of hub genes-BIRC5, CCNB1, KIF11, KIF20A, and KIF4A (all functionally enriched in cell cycle). The FFL network involved, comprised of miR-20b-5p, CCNB1, HMGA2, and E2F7. KM survival analysis determines that these components may be effective prognostic biomarkers and would be a new contemplation in NSCLC therapeutics as they target cell cycle and immunosurveillance mechanisms via HMGA2 and E2F7. They provide survival advantage and evasion of host immune response (via downregulation of cytokines-IL6, IL1R1 and upregulation of chemokines-CXCL13, CXCL14) to NSCLC. The study has provided innovative targets, but further validation is needed to confirm the proposed mechanism

SIGNIFICANCE OF CONSUMER CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE FOR CONSUMPTION OF READY MEALS

Ready meals are fully cooked and ready to eat with a shelf life that ranges from few months to 3 years. They are one of the fastest growing areas of the food market in both developed and developing countries. A demand of ready meals is growing continuously everywhere including U.K. Especially the popularity of Indian dishes, chicken tikka masala etc. provides most of the inspiration for the ready meals that form the bulk of the retail market, as well as for cooking sauces. Though the demand for the ready meals is increasing in the global market, the supply is still not satisfactory. For example, there are more than 500 units in London, which are into ready meals. This shows that exports as well as the domestic market offer a vast scope for the Indian producers to excel in this sector. The Indian meal sector in U.K. is being challenged by other cuisines, which will probably show faster growth. Therefore, Indian suppliers will have to meet the needs and demands of various types of consumer, by providing some with new dishes and to others with the familiar preferred ready meals. The ethnic food market also continues to grow in U.K. as consumers demand more diverse flavors as a result of travel and the abundance of ethnic restaurants. To quote an example: Waitrose collaborated with renowned London Indian restaurant Quilon to launch a new range of ready meals to compete with Sainsbury's Bombay Brasserie range. Thus, as there is a great potential for the packaged ready meals, the main relevance of conducting this research is to study the changing U.K. consumers' attitude and behavior towards ready meals and measure the growth opportunities by evaluating the various factors leading to their growth. The research will be helpful in understanding the consumers' preferences and perceptions with regard to ready meals as home meal replacement. The result of the study will also provide the companies dealing in Ready meals as to what consumers actually want and what changes suggested by consumers, if adopted seriously, can help in gaining a competitive edge on its competitors. Through this research it is possible to know whether ready meals is actually a convenient substitute to home fresh cooked meals or the manufactures are producing it for the profit motive and ignoring the health of their consumers. The study indicates that the strategy of the marketer in ready meals is to inform and educate consumers regarding the absence of preservatives in their food, price reduction keeping quality intact and increasing variety of ready meals along with increasing the quantity for different cuisines

Orlistat in polycystic ovarian syndrome reduces weight with improvement in lipid profile and pregnancy rates

Background: The effects of exercise, metformin, and orlistat on anthropometric parameters, lipid profile, endocrine parameters, and ovulation in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) women were compared. AIM: The aim was to study the efficacy of orlistat compared with metformin and exercise in PCOS. DESIGN: Randomized control trial. Methods: A total of 90 eligible PCOS women were randomly assigned to receive either of the two drugs (orlistat or metformin) in combination with lifestyle interventions or as controls where they received lifestyle interventions alone. Anthropometric parameters were assessed at baseline and 4 weekly intervals for 3 months. Androgen levels, insulin resistance, ovulation and conception rates and lipid profile were also assessed at the end of study. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 17.0. Results: The levels of fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance were comparable in three treatment groups. Mean total testosterone, serum hormone binding globulin, free androgen index, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in all arms were comparable and statistically nonsignificant. However, orlistat and metformin were more effective in reducing weight, body mass index, waist circumference and waist-hip ratio. However, side-effects were less with orlistat. Ovulation rate was 33.3%, 23.35% with orlistat and metformin group respectively, but were not statistically significant. In orlistat group, significant improvement was observed in lipid profile at the end of 3 months. Conception rates were 40% and 16.7% and 3.3% in orlistat, metformin group and control group respectively (P - 0.003). Weight loss was found to be the best predictor of ovulation with sensitivity with good sensitivity. Conclusion: Orlistat is as effective as metformin in reducing weight and achieves similar ovulation rates in obese PCOS patients. However, orlistat has minimal side-effects and is better tolerated compared with metformin