Evaluation of pulmonary function in patients of non-specific low back pain / Avaliação da função pulmonar em pacientes com dor lombar inespecífica

INTRODUCTION: Diaphragm is the primary inspiratory muscle and it plays an essential role in controlling the spine during postural control. In nonspecific low back pain, the diaphragm muscle becomes weak, due to which the pulmonary functions may decrease. To the best of our knowledge there is a scarcity of literature in regard to the effect of low back pain on pulmonary parameters. Thus, the study is aimed to evaluate the pulmonary function in patients with non-specific low back pain. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen patients with non-specific low back pain and 113 BMI matched normal individuals as a comparison group aged 18-40 years of male and female genders were recruited by purposive sampling method for this prospective cross-sectional study. The non-specific back pain group included participants diagnosed with non-specific low back pain with pain intensity > 3 on VAS scale and duration > 3 months. After initial screening and assessment, anthropometric characteristics were recorded. Then, the pulmonary function test (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/ FVC, PEFR, SVC, MVV) were recorded in both groups. RESULT: Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for normality assessment and data was found to be not normally distributed. Non parametric data was represented as median and IQR (Inter Quartile Range). Between groups data analysis was performed by using MannWhitney U test and the effect size was computed for the study variables. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. There was a significant difference in pulmonary function values of FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, SVC, MVV. There was no significant difference in age and BMI of the participants of both groups. CONCLUSION: There exist significant differences in pulmonary function in patients with non-specific low back pain.

INTRODUÇÃO: O diafragma é o principal músculo inspiratório e desempenha um papel essencial no controle da coluna durante o controle postural. Na dor lombar inespecífica, o músculo diafragma torna-se fraco, podendo as funções pulmonares diminuir. Até onde sabemos, há escassez de literatura a respeito do efeito da dor lombar nos parâmetros pulmonares. Assim, o estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a função pulmonar em pacientes com dor lombar inespecífica. MÉTODOS: Cento e treze pacientes com dor lombar inespecífica e 113 indivíduos normais pareados com IMC como grupo de comparação com idades entre 18 e 40 anos, dos gêneros masculino e feminino, foram recrutados por método de amostragem proposital para este estudo transversal prospectivo. O grupo de dor nas costas inespecífica incluiu participantes com diagnóstico de dor lombar inespecífica com intensidade de dor > 3 na escala VAS e duração > 3 meses. Após triagem e avaliação inicial, as características antropométricas foram registradas. Em seguida, foram registrados os testes de função pulmonar (VEF1, CVF, VEF1/CVF, PFE, CVL, VVM) em ambos os grupos. RESULTADO: O teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov foi utilizado para avaliação da normalidade e os dados não apresentaram distribuição normal. Os dados não paramétricos foram representados como mediana e IQR (intervalo interquartil). A análise dos dados entre grupos foi realizada pelo teste U de Mann-Whitney e o tamanho do efeito foi calculado para as variáveis do estudo. < 0,05 foi considerado estatisticamente significativo. Houve diferença significativa nos valores de função pulmonar de VEF1, VEF1/CVF, PFE, CVL, VVM. Não houve diferença significativa na idade e no IMC dos participantes de ambos os grupos. CONCLUSÃO: Existem diferenças significativas na função pulmonar em pacientes com dor lombar inespecífica.

Mitochondrial oxidative damage by co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen in rat testes and its amelioration by melatonin / 대한생식의학회지

Objective@#Human exposure to multiple xenobiotics, over various developmental windows, results in adverse health effects arising from these concomitant exposures. Humans are widely exposed to bisphenol A, and acetaminophen is the most commonly used over-the-counter drug worldwide. Bisphenol A is a well-recognized male reproductive toxicant, and increasing evidence suggests that acetaminophen is also detrimental to the male reproductive system. The recent recognition of male reproductive system dysfunction in conditions of suboptimal reproductive outcomes makes it crucial to investigate the contributions of toxicant exposures to infertility and sub-fertility. We aimed to identify toxicity in the male reproductive system at the mitochondrial level in response to co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and we investigated whether melatonin ameliorated this toxicity. @*Methods@#Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n=10 each): a control group and groups that received melatonin, bisphenol A, acetaminophen, bisphenol A and acetaminophen, and bisphenol A and acetaminophen with melatonin treatment. @*Results@#Significantly higher lipid peroxidation was observed in the testicular mitochondria and sperm in the treatment groups than in the control group. Levels of glutathione and the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and manganese superoxide dismutase decreased significantly in response to the toxicant treatments. Likewise, the toxicant treatments significantly decreased the sperm count and motility, while significantly increasing sperm mortality. Melatonin mitigated the adverse effects of bisphenol A and acetaminophen. @*Conclusion@#Co-exposure to bisphenol A and acetaminophen elevated oxidative stress in the testicular mitochondria, and this effect was alleviated by melatonin.

Overcoming taxonomic challenges in DNA barcoding for improvement of identification and preservation of clariid catfish species

DNA barcoding without assessing reliability and validity causes taxonomic errors of species identification, which is responsible for disruptions of their conservation and aquaculture industry. Although DNA barcoding facilitates molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of species, its availability in clariid catfish lineage remains uncertain. In this study, DNA barcoding was developed and validated for clariid catfish. 2,970 barcode sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes and D-loop sequences were analyzed for 37 clariid catfish species. The highest intraspecific nearest neighbor distances were 85.47%, 98.03%, and 89.10% for COI, Cytb, and D-loop sequences, respectively. This suggests that the Cytb gene is the most appropriate for identifying clariid catfish and can serve as a standard region for DNA barcoding. A positive barcoding gap between interspecific and intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in the Cytb dataset but not in the COI and D-loop datasets. Intraspecific variation was typically less than 4.4%, whereas interspecific variation was generally more than 66.9%. However, a species complex was detected in walking catfish and significant intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in North African catfish. These findings suggest the need to focus on developing a DNA barcoding system for classifying clariid catfish properly and to validate its efficacy for a wider range of clariid catfish. With an enriched database of multiple sequences from a target species and its genus, species identification can be more accurate and biodiversity assessment of the species can be facilitated.

NAD+ supplementation reverses the oxidative stress induced PARP1 signalling in D. Discoideum

Increased oxidative stress leads to cell death by inducing DNA damage, PARP activation and energy depletion in age related disorders which are a growing concern due to increased life expectancy. Indeed, cellular NAD+ levels, depletion of which is one of the consequences of overactive PARP, also decline with age. We previously showed rescue in oxidative stress induced paraptotic and necrotic cell death by PARP1 inhibition in D. discoideum. Inhibition of PARP1 activity prevented cellular depletion of its substrate NAD+. To understand the significance of NAD+ depletion in PARP1 mediated oxidative stress induced cell death, exogenous addition of NAD+ was done. Addition of NAD+ prevented PARP1 mediated oxidative stress induced cell death at low doses upto 10 mM NAD+, nevertheless led to an anticipated increase in PARP1 activity. NAD+ significantly prevented oxidative stress induced cell death in D. discoideum. Exogenous NAD+ averted depletion of cellular NAD+ and mitochondrial membrane potential changes that were triggered by oxidative stress, without getting affected by the elevated ROS levels. Altogether, this study ascertains that NAD+ replenishment overcomes cadmium or H2O2 induced cell death by preventing cellular energy collapse incited by PARP1 activation. Thus, our results explicitly demonstrate that PARP1 overactivation led NAD+ depletion but not PARP1 activity per se is of consequential significance in causing oxidative stress induced D. discoideum cell death. Moreover, NAD+ supplementation could be a beneficial approach in aging and age-related disorders mediated by PARP1

EMPLOYEES EXPERIENCE WITH DOWNSIZING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF PRIVATE BANKS OF UDAIPUR CITY

Downsizing is always treated as negative as it makes the employees future uncertain, still by adopting the right way, an organization can make the downsizing process positive for the employees who have survived after downsizing. This paper focuses on the experience of the employees with downsizing. The objective of this paper is to study the Private Bank Employees' experience with Downsizing. The data has been collected from 407 private bank employees with the help of structured questionnaire and it has been concluded that majority of private bank employees of Udaipur City had positive experience with downsizing. The downsizing experience of bank employees was significantly different with respect to their designation and job experience.

A Cross Sectional Study on Assessment of Depression among Patients of Diabetes Mellitus

Objective:An assessment of Depression among patients of diabetes mellituspresenting at THQ Hospital Samanabad, FaisalabadMaterials & Methods: A total of 196 patientswith diabetes mellitus of age 18-65 years of either genderwere included. Patients with history of mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders prior to onset of DM, other chronic disease and any drug addiction were excluded. The demographic information like name, age, sex, socioeconomic status and duration of disease was noted in each patient. All patients were assessed by single psychiatrist, using DSM-IV criteria for Depression (yes / no) Results: Mean age was 53.35 ± 6.71 years in our studywith majority of the patients 97 (49.49%) were between 51 to 65 years of age.Out of the 196 patients, 89 (45.41%) were male and 107 (54.59%) were females with male to female ratio of 1:1.2. Majority of patients 54.41% belonged to upper socioeconomic status. Depression was found in 47 (23.98%) patients, whereas there were 149 (76.02%) patients having no depression. Conclusion:Our study concluded that prevalence of depression in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was much higher and hasshown positive association with extremes of ages and duration of disease.

Prevalência de distúrbios musculoesqueléticos relacionados ao trabalho em mulheres agricultoras / Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in women cultivators

INTRODUÇÃO: O distúrbio musculoesquelético é um dos principais agravos à saúde dos trabalhadores agrícolas. As mulheres rurais fazem contribuições essenciais para o desenvolvimento agrícola, atividades domésticas e buscam múltiplas estratégias de subsistência. Os estudos sobre distúrbios musculoesqueléticos relacionados ao trabalho (DORT) em cultivadoras são limitados. OBJETIVOS: Verificar a prevalência de distúrbios musculoesqueléticos relacionados ao trabalho em cultivadoras de Ambala, Haryana, Índia. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: 200 cultivadoras com idades entre 20-50 anos, com capacidade de ler e entender Hindi e com experiência de cultivo de mais de dois anos, foram recrutadas por amostragem não probabilística para este estudo transversal. A versão em hindi Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire foi usada para estudar a prevalência de DORT em cultivadoras. As características demográficas foram apresentadas como média ± desvio padrão. A prevalência de distúrbios osteomusculares relacionados ao trabalho foi apresentada como frequência e porcentagem. Intervalo de confiança também foi relatado. RESULTADOS: A prevalência anual de distúrbios musculoesqueléticos em cultivadoras foi maior na região lombar (57,0%) seguida pela articulação do joelho (30,5%), ombro (16,5%), punho / mão (9,5%), pescoço (9,0%), cotovelo (6,5%), tornozelo / pé (2,5%), coxas / pelve (2,5%) e parte superior das costas (2,0%). CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de WRMSDs em cultivadoras de Ambala, Haryana, Índia é alta. Lombar, joelho e ombro foram as regiões mais afetadas nessa população.

INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal disorder is one of the major health hazards among agricultural workers. Rural women contribute to agricultural development and household activities and pursue multiple livelihood strategies. Female cultivators' studies on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are limited. OBJECTIVES: To verify the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in female cultivators from Ambala, Haryana, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 200 female cultivators aged 20-50 years with the ability to read and understand Hindi and having cultivation experience of more than two-year were recruited by non-probabilistic sampling for this cross-sectional study. Hindi version of the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was used to study the prevalence of WRMSDs in female cultivators. Demographic characteristics were presented as mean ± standard deviation. Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was presented as frequency and percentage. A confidence interval was also reported. RESULTS: The yearly prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder in the female cultivators was highest in low back region (57.0%) followed by knee joint (30.5%), shoulder joint (16.5%), wrist/hand (9.5%), neck (9.0%), elbow (6.5%), ankle/foot (2.5%), thighs/pelvis (2.5%) and upper back (2.0%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of WRMSDs in female cultivators of Ambala, Haryana, India, is high. Low back, knee and shoulder were the most affected regions among this population.

Desempenho do teste de sentar e levantar de trinta segundos na população geriátrica da comunidade: um estudo transversal / Thirty second sit to stand test performance in community dwelling geriatric population: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUÇÃO: Encontrar os valores de referência para o teste de sentar e levantar de 30 segundos e estudar a correlação das medidas antropométricas com o teste na população indiana geriátrica residente na comunidade. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: 136 indivíduos com idade >60 anos foram recrutados neste estudo transversal e observacional. O estudo foi realizado na Índia. Após a triagem inicial, as medidas antropométricas foram registradas. Em seguida, foi realizado o teste de sentar e levantar de 30 segundos. RESULTADOS: Os valores normais da década para o teste foram relatados como (média±DP): 60-70 anos (10,2±3,6), 71- 80 anos (9,5±3,4) e 81-90 anos (8,5±5,2). Idade, altura, circunferência da cintura e circunferência do quadril foram significativamente associadas aos valores do teste. CONCLUSÃO: Os valores normais para o teste de sentar e levantar de 30 segundos para a população geriátrica da comunidade foram relatados como média ± DP 10,0 ± 3,7. Os fatores antropométricos devem ser levados em consideração ao realizar o teste de sentar e levantar de 30 segundos em ambientes clínicos.

INTRODUCTION: To find the reference values for the 30-second sit-to-stand test and study the correlation of anthropometric measures with the test in the communitydwelling geriatric Indian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 136 individuals aged >60 years were recruited in this cross-sectional observational study. The study was conducted in India. After the initial screening, anthropometric measurements were recorded. Then, the 30-second sit-tostand test was conducted. RESULTS: Normal decade-wise values for the test were reported to be (mean ± SD): 60-70 years (10.2±3.6), 71-80 years (9.5±3.4), and 81-90 years (8.5±5.2). Age, height, waist circumference, and hip circumference were significantly associated with the 30-second sit-to-stand test values. CONCLUSION: Normal values for the test in the community-dwelling geriatric population were reported to be mean ± SD 10.0±3.7. Anthropometric factors should be taken into consideration when performing the 30-second sitto-stand test in clinical settings.

Effect of Different Preparations of Fluoride Gel on Salivary pH of Albino Rats

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the effect of different preparations of fluoride gels on the salivary pH of albino rats. Material and Methods: This experimental study consisted of 40 Albino rats randomly divided into four equal groups. Group A was the control group and received no intervention. Experimental group B received a topical application of 0.2% sodium fluoride gel. Experimental group C received topical application of stannous fluoride gel 0.4%. Experimental group D received topical application of APF gel (1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel). The different preparations of the gels were applied once daily for 4 minutes on the occlusal surface of the right maxillary molars for 14 days. Salivary pH values were recorded immediately after the application of gels with the help of pH paper on day 1 and day 14. Results: There was a significant difference in the pH level of groups B, C and D after 14 days of fluoride application (p < 0.05). The non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied for the comparison between the groups. Conclusion: This study concluded that all the fluoride gels after administration caused the acidic pH of saliva with the most acidic effect produced by APF gel (AU).

Evaluation of dyslipidemia in normal and underweight diabetics patient and its association with BMI and gender

Objectives: To assess the frequency of dyslipidemia in type II diabetes mellitus in normal and underweight patients. Material and methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at Basic Health Unit, Manzabta District Okara. Total 218 type II diabetics having age 30-70 years either male or female, having BMI 15 to 24.99 were selected for this study. Five ml fasting blood sample was taken and sent to laboratory for lipid profile. Results: In present study total 218 type 2 diabetics were selected. Mean age of the patients was 48.33 ± 13.85 years, mean weight was 52.66 ± 8.63 Kg, mean height was 61.54 ± 2.46 inches and mean BMI was 22.73 ± 2.45. Out of 218 diabetics, dyslipidemia was noted in 152 (70%) patients.Total 163 (74.77%) patients were normal weight and 55 (25.23%) patients were under weight. Dyslipidemia was noted in 140 (85.9%) normal weight patients and 12 (21.8%) underweight patients. Significantly (P = 0.000) higher rate of dyslipidemia was noted in normal weight patients as compared to underweight patients. Conclusion: In present study, higher rate of dyslipidemia was noted in type II diabetics. There were not association of dyslipidemia with age and gender. But highly significant association of dyslipidemia with normal and underweight was noted.

Occurrence of unusual haemoglobinopathies in balochistan: hb sd and hb se - presentation with osteomyelitis / Ocorrência de hemoglobinopatias incomuns no baluchistão: hb sd e hb se - apresentação com osteomielite

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe two cases of unusual variants of sickle cell disease. Case description: We present two cases of sickle cell disease variants (haemoglobinopathies), from unrelated families, in the state of Balochistan (Pakistan). One was diagnosed with sickle cell disease in the haemoglobin electrophoresis, whereas the other was diagnosed with sickle cell SE disease. Both were diagnosed based on the presentation of osteomyelitis. Comments: Haemoglobin SD disease (Hb SD) and haemoglobin SE disease (Hb SE) are rare haemoglobinopathies in the world. The lack of available literature suggests that both are variants of sickle cell disease (SCD), with heterogeneous nature. The prevalence of sickle cell disease with compound heterozygotes was found at a variable frequency in the population of the Asian Southeast. The frequency of osteomyelitis in SCD is 12 to 18%, but its occurrence among variant haemoglobinopathies is little reported. Both reported cases presented with osteomyelitis as a characteristic of the disease presentation.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever dois casos de variantes raras da hemoglobinopatia falciforme. Descrição do caso: Apresentamos aqui dois casos de hemoglobinopatias variantes das células falciformes, de famílias não relacionadas, no estado do Baluchistão (Paquistão), sendo um diagnosticado como doença da hemoglobina SD na eletroforese de hemoglobina, enquanto o outro com doença da hemoglobina SE. Ambos foram diagnosticados a partir da apresentação de osteomielite. Comentários: Hemoglobina SD (Hb SD) e hemoglobina SE (Hb SE) são hemoglobinopatias raras no mundo. A escassez de literatura disponível sugere que ambas são variantes da doença falciforme (DF) com natureza heterogênea. A prevalência de hemoglobinopatia falciforme com heterozigosidade composta foi encontrada com frequência variável na população do sudeste asiático. A frequência de osteomielite na DF é de 12 a 18%, mas sua ocorrência entre as hemoglobinopatias falciformes variantes é pouco relatada. Os dois casos reportados apresentaram osteomielite como característica de apresentação da doença.

Attitude and perception towards vaccination against poliomyelitis in Peshawar, Pakistan

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to quantitatively assess the general public's awareness, attitude and perception of polio and its vaccination in Peshawar KPK, Pakistan. METHODS: We conducted a survey-based study to understand the surge in polio cases from 2015 to 2019 in the Peshawar city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A pre-tested questionnaire-based study was conducted in 2019 to assess the attitude and general perception of residents of Peshawar KPK towards polio vaccination. RESULTS: Out of 241 country-wide polio cases, 63 (26.1%) polio cases were reported in Peshawar city from 2015-2019. The questionnaire revealed that individuals between 18-30 years of age had sufficient knowledge (65.1%) about polio. Male and female participants had equal awareness (~ 43%). Participants with higher education (45.9%), those with better financial status (49.5%), individuals with children < 5 years of age (46.4%), and those who had experience of a polio patient (63.1%) had better knowledge. Participants inhabiting the central city were better aware (50.5%) of polio than individuals living in the outskirts. CONCLUSION: The data indicated that poor knowledge and negative attitudes of people towards polio vaccination are the main causes of the polio eradication program's failure. Moreover, religious beliefs, unchecked migration between the Pak-Afghan border, and lack of knowledge about polio vaccination are identified as critical barriers to polio eradication.

A case of successful conception after Jone's metroplasty in woman with recurrent pregnancy loss with septate uterus

Anomalies of the reproductive tract are common and are seen in approximately 3-5% of the general population. These are usually asymptomatic, but are sometimes associated with recurrent pregnancy loss or infertility. Among these anomalies, septate uterus is the most common anomaly to be associated with obstetric complications and infertility. A 27 years old female patient P0A2L0 with first spontaneous abortion at 3 months and second spontaneous abortion at 4 months came to OPD with complaint of recurrent pregnancy loss. She was advised USG of pelvic region which shows septate uterus with normal cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Patient prepared for DHL complete septum present normal B/L ostium and Jone's metroplasty done in which wedge shaped incision kept on uterine fundus, common cavity created by un roofing septum myometrium closed and AT the end Copper T 375 placed in intrauterine cavity for 6 months. 1 year after surgery patient came with UPT positive for antenatal visit at sola civil. Patient is now with 30 weeks of pregnancy with normal single intrauterine live cephalic fetus, metroplasty is an accepted method of treatment in women with recurrent abortions and septate uterus and it significantly improves the subsequent reproductive outcome. combined data from several published series and reported that the incidence of spontaneous abortion and preterm delivery rate decreases significantly after metroplasty, whereas, the incidence of term delivery rate increases.

Seafood Allergy: Causes, Prevention Modalities, and Treatment Guidelines in the Indian Scenario

Seafood allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder with growing prevalence. Allergy to shellfish is among the leading cause of food allergyin adults, and the most common cause of food allergic emergency department visits. Seafood allergy is immunologic response toproteins in these foods and include IgE antibody-mediated allergy. Allergies can occur at any age but are common in adults andadolescents than in children. While figures vary from country to country, approximately 1–2% of the adult population and <1% ofchildren are affected. In most patients tolerance develops to food antigens, however, when tolerance fails to develop, hypersensitivityreaction occurs. Food allergy affects up to 8% of the children below 5 years of age and approximately 3.5% in the general population.Adults with shellfish allergies should be aware of how to use this on themselves or their child if child is suspected shellfish allergy.It is also recommended for such individuals to wear medical alert bracelet necklace or carry USB drive so that health care workercan be aware of their condition in emergency. Effective and accurate diagnostic workup is essential for clinicians and patients. Thisarticle summarizes about seafood allergy cause, diagnostic approaches, and management in case of life-threatening emergencies.

Central Line Induced Pneumothorax: A Case Report

Central venous catheter insertion is a commonly performed procedure. We report a case of central venous catheterization induced pneumothorax in a 45 years old male patient who underwent a surgery for sub-arachnoid hemorrhage and post-surgery, developed tension pneumothorax during internal jugular vein catheterization.

Study of under nutrition among under six years children in Kasturwadi village of disrtict Jalna, Maharashtra

Background: Malnutrition is a silent emergency. Malnutrition prevents children from reaching their full physical and mental potential. The health of children and youth is of fundamental importance. Without ensuring optimal child growth and development efforts to accelerate economic development significantly will be unsuccessful. Aim of the study was to study the prevalence of undernutrtion among the children under 6 years of age and to determine association of sociodemogrphic factors with undernutrition. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in children of under 6 years age living in the rural field practice area of Department of Community Medicine IIMSR, Warudi, Jalna, from January 2018 to December 2018. One ninety eight children were studied for nutritional status, socio-demographic measures were obtained from structured questionnaire and followed by anthropometric assessment using standards methods. Statistical analysis was done by using appropriate statistical test.Results: Study found that 44.79% children were underweight, 47.92% were stunted and 39.58% were wasted. Among sociodemographic factors age, maternal educational, working status and SES class had an impact on nutritional status of child.Conclusions: Prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was high in this study, this calls for educating mothers and other caretakers in the family regarding increased nutritional requirements with increasing age for attainment of best possible nutrition and growth in children, targeted short-term strategies addressing underlying risk factors and more long-term poverty alleviation strategies may be needed.

Knowledge about epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management amongst medical professionals of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

Background: Obesity has become a challenge in medical care worldwide. Medical professionals have a significant role to play in preventing and diagnosing weight problems and in providing initial counseling. Health professionals are poorly prepared in weight management, which has an effect on their knowledge and management skills with regard to overweight and obese patients. Hence the present study was carried out to assess the knowledge about epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management amongst medical professionals of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during the period of March to April 2019 amongst 110 medical professionals at Department of Community Medicine of IIMSR Medical College, Badnapur, Jalna, Maharashtra, who were actively participated in continued medical education (CME) on obesity and its management where the knowledge of medical professionals were assessed. Data was analysed by using appropriate statistical test whenever necessary.Results: In this study, the pre-test good knowledge score was 14 (12.7%), which increased to 61 (55.5%) post CME. The pre-test mean score of level of knowledge was 7.41±4.12 and after CME, it was 12.90±5.21 and the mean difference was 5.49, which was statistically highly significant.Conclusions: As obesity is a public health problem globally, there was marked improvement in the knowledge amongst medical professionals after CME on epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management.

In vitro antioxidant and anti-cancer activities and phytochemical analysis of Commelina benghalensis L. root extracts

Objective: To explore antioxidant potential, anti-cancer activity, and phytochemicals of Commelina benghalensis L. Methods: The roots of Commelina benghalensis were extracted in different solvents (methanol, ethanol, benzene, chloroform, n-hexane) with a range of polarity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by reducing power assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum method, cytotoxicity by MTT assay, apoptotic and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, migratory and invasive potential by wound scratch assay and invasion assay, respectively, functional groups analysis by FT-IR spectroscopy and phytochemicals by aluminum chloride colorimetric and Folin-Ciocalteu methods. Results: The extracts showed worthy antioxidant potential. The chloroform extract demonstrated the most significant cytotoxic effect on MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) cell line, induced apoptosis and reduced migratory and invasive potential of MDA-MB-231 cells. Methanol and ethanol extracts presented good yield of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The FTIR spectroscopic studies revealed different characteristic peak values with various functional compounds such as alkenes, alkanes, aliphatic amines, aromatics, alkyl halides, carboxylic acid, alcohols, ester, aldehydes and ketones. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the potential use of Commelina benghalensis as a good antioxidant with significant anti-cancer effect.

In vitro antioxidant and anti-cancer activities and phytochemical analysis of Commelina benghalensis L. root extracts

Objective: To explore antioxidant potential, anti-cancer activity, and phytochemicals of Commelina benghalensis L. Methods: The roots of Commelina benghalensis were extracted in different solvents (methanol, ethanol, benzene, chloroform, n-hexane) with a range of polarity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by reducing power assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum method, cytotoxicity by MTT assay, apoptotic and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry, migratory and invasive potential by wound scratch assay and invasion assay, respectively, functional groups analysis by FT-IR spectroscopy and phytochemicals by aluminum chloride colorimetric and Folin-Ciocalteu methods. Results: The extracts showed worthy antioxidant potential. The chloroform extract demonstrated the most significant cytotoxic effect on MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) cell line, induced apoptosis and reduced migratory and invasive potential of MDA-MB-231 cells. Methanol and ethanol extracts presented good yield of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. The FTIR spectroscopic studies revealed different characteristic peak values with various functional compounds such as alkenes, alkanes, aliphatic amines, aromatics, alkyl halides, carboxylic acid, alcohols, ester, aldehydes and ketones. Conclusions: The results demonstrate the potential use of Commelina benghalensis as a good antioxidant with significant anti-cancer effect.

Effect of solvent polarity on extraction yield and antioxidant properties of phytochemicals from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds

The effect of solvent polarity on extraction yield and antioxidant properties of phytochemical compounds in bean seeds was studied. Seed flour of three varieties of bean was extracted in a series of organic solvents with increasing polarity (n-hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, ethanol, acetone and water). Preliminary screening of phytochemicals showed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins, terpenoids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid and reducing compounds in all extracts. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of results showed that extraction yield, phytochemical content and antioxidant properties were significantly influenced (p<0.05) by the polarity of extracting solvents. The regression analysis of data showed polarity-dependent second order polynomial variations in the extraction yield, phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity, reducing properties and free radical scavenging activity of each variety. Extraction in highly polar solvents resulted in high extract yield but low phenolic and flavonoid content as compared to non-polar ones. The polarity-dependent increase in total antioxidant activity and reducing properties indicates the extraction of strong antioxidant compounds in polar solvents. The study suggests the use of a combination of polar and nonpolar solvents to increase the extraction efficiency of phytochemicals with good antioxidant quality from the bean and other legume seeds.