A Critical Review on multifold potentiality of Prakshepa Dravyas in Ayurvedic dosage forms

The dosage forms in Ayurveda are given utmost importance. Our Acharyas offer a treasure of practical knowledge on the preparation of medicines and emphasized that the Samyoga (combination) of many drugs in a formulation greatly influence the healing power. One such category of drugs which are added in small quantities other than the main drugs so as to expand the field of activity of the main drugs are labelled as Prakshepa Dravyas. These Dravyas are distinctive to each Kalpana (dosage form). Although there are few drugs which are used as Prakshepa Dravyas irrespective of the dosage forms such as Madhu, Sita, Guda, Trikatu, Chaturjata, Taila, Ghrita, Lavana, Hingu, Kshara, Jeeraka, Shilajatu and Bhasmas of few metals. Prakshepa Dravyas can be considered as additives of modern pharmaceutical science which are limited only to pharmaceutical processing. Prakshepa Dravya acts as a synergizer and also attributes to the pharmacological action. They boost the patient acceptability by providing good taste, fragrance and appearance. The antioxidant and preservative properties are inherent in them. They also promote and augment the absorption of the drug by their bioenhancing activity. The present review aims to provide the comprehensive summary of Prakshepa Dravyas and also illustrates their multi dimensional activity

Engaging adolescents in using online patient portals

IMPORTANCE: Many health care systems offer adolescents access to health information through online patient portals, but few studies have explored how to engage adolescents in using and benefiting from online portals. OBJECTIVE: To determine how US children\u27s hospitals have attempted to encourage adolescent portal use, barriers to engaging adolescents, and ideal future goals for engagement. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This qualitative study performed structured qualitative interviews with informatics administrators from children\u27s hospitals across the US between February and July 2022. Informatics administrators were employed by US health care systems that managed a children\u27s hospital with at least 50 dedicated pediatrics beds. Data analysis was performed from November 2022 to January 2023. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: This study used thematic analysis of (1) current steps that health care systems had taken to engage adolescents in using their online patient portals and (2) barriers to engaging adolescents and ideal future goals and outcomes of engagement. RESULTS: Among 58 total interviews with 65 informatics administrators who represented 63 hospitals across 58 health care systems, 6 themes of approaches to engaging adolescents in portal use were identified: (1) promoting and educating adolescents about portal enrollment, (2) establishing workflows to support enrollment, (3) seeking and incorporating feedback, (4) creating a culture or environment supporting engagement, (5) increasing portal utility, and (6) limited efforts. Barriers to engaging adolescents in portal use related to either (1) stakeholder investment, interest, and capabilities or (2) intersecting technical, ethical, and legal factors. Participants identified 4 ideal future efforts to engage adolescents: (1) develop adaptable private means of communication with adolescents, (2) use adolescent-centric user design, (3) enhance promotion and education about portal use, and (4) simplify and adapt workflows to encourage enrollment. Participants described 3 ideal outcomes of this future engagement: (1) provide education about current health, (2) prepare for transition to adulthood, and (3) improve digital health education of adolescents. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this qualitative study of informatics administrators, children\u27s hospitals across the US were found to have varying degrees of efforts to engage adolescents in using their portals. Most of these efforts focused on supporting adolescent enrollment, but fewer efforts focused on making the portal useful and interesting to adolescents

Advice to clinicians on communication from adolescents and young adults with cancer and parents of children with cancer

Effective communication is integral to patient and family-centered care in pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology and improving healthcare delivery and outcomes. There is limited knowledge about whether AYAs and parents have similar communication preferences and needs. By eliciting and comparing communication advice from AYAs and parents, we can identify salient guidance for how clinicians can better communicate. We performed secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews from 2 qualitative communication studies. In one study, 80 parents of children with cancer during treatment, survivorship, or bereavement were interviewed. In the second study, AYAs with cancer during treatment or survivorship were interviewed. We asked AYAs and parents to provide communication advice for oncology clinicians. Using thematic analysis, we identified categories of advice related to three overarching themes: interpersonal relationships, informational preferences, and delivery of treatment, resources, and medical care. AYAs and parents provided similar advice about the need for compassion, strong connections, hopefulness, commitment, and transparent honesty However, AYAs placed additional emphasis on clinicians maintaining a calm demeanor

Isolation and Identification of Chlorate-Reducing Hafnia sp. From Milk

Chlorate has become a concern in the food and beverage sector, related to chlorine sanitizers in industrial food production and water treatment. It is of particular concern to regulatory bodies due to the negative health effects of chlorate exposure. This study investigated the fate of chlorate in raw milk and isolated bacterial strains of interest responsible for chlorate breakdown. Unpasteurized milk was demonstrated to have a chlorate-reducing capacity, breaking down enriched chlorate to undetectable levels in 11 days. Further enrichment and isolation using conditions specific to chlorate-reducing bacteria successfully isolated three distinct strains of Hafnia paralvei . Chlorate-reducing bacteria were observed to grow in a chlorate-enriched medium with lactate as an electron donor. All isolated strains were demonstrated to reduce chlorate in liquid medium; however, the exact mechanism of chlorate degradation was not definitively identified in this study

Very late (>5 years) thrombus formation on an atrial septal defect device: a case report

Though percutaneous transcatheter atrial septal defect closure with newer generation occluder devices is a standard treatment at present, these devices have significant long-term risks (>1 year) associated with such as thrombus formation. Here, we present a case of 28 year-old patient presented with few symptoms and had a history of ASD device closure using amplatzer septal occluder device five years back. The patient was found to have a large thrombus (30×33 mm) attached to the device which was managed using anticoagulants and patients was advised for regular echocardiographic follow-up

Groupon India: The great onion digital sale

SMU Faculty/Staff can download the case and teaching note with your SMU login ID and Password via the following links: The Case (SMU-14-0001) Teaching Note (SMU-14-0001TN) For purchase of the case and supplementary materials via The Case Center, please access the following links: The Case (SMU-14-0001) Teaching Note (SMU-14-0001TN) </ul

Advice to Clinicians on Communication from Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer and Parents of Children with Cancer

Effective communication is integral to patient and family-centered care in pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology and improving healthcare delivery and outcomes. There is limited knowledge about whether AYAs and parents have similar communication preferences and needs. By eliciting and comparing communication advice from AYAs and parents, we can identify salient guidance for how clinicians can better communicate. We performed secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews from 2 qualitative communication studies. In one study, 80 parents of children with cancer during treatment, survivorship, or bereavement were interviewed. In the second study, AYAs with cancer during treatment or survivorship were interviewed. We asked AYAs and parents to provide communication advice for oncology clinicians. Using thematic analysis, we identified categories of advice related to three overarching themes: interpersonal relationships, informational preferences, and delivery of treatment, resources, and medical care. AYAs and parents provided similar advice about the need for compassion, strong connections, hopefulness, commitment, and transparent honesty However, AYAs placed additional emphasis on clinicians maintaining a calm demeanor