Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking of novel 1,3,4-substituted-thiadiazole derivatives as potential anticancer agent.

In an attempt to develop potent anti-cancer agents, a new 1,3,4-substituted-thiadiazole derivatives (8b-g), starting from 4-substituted-thiazol-2-chloroacetamides (4b-g), were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic effects on multiple human cancer cell lines, including the hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG-2), human lung carcinoma (A549), human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) and pseudo-normal human embryonic liver (L02) cancer cell lines by an MTT assay. Among all synthesized compounds, compound 8d showed the potent anti-cancer activities with GI50 values of 2.98, 2.85 and 2.53 µM against MCF-7, A549 and HepG-2 cell lines respectively as compared to standard drug Doxorubicin. Furthermore, molecular modelling studies have spotlighted the anchoring role of 1,3,4-substituted-thiadiazole moiety in bonding and hydrophobic interaction with the key amino acid residues. Therefore, these results can provide promising starting points for further development of best anti-cancer agents.

Synthesis, Biological and Molecular Docking Studies of Thiazole-Thiadiazole derivatives as potential Anti-Tuberculosis Agents.

Tuberculosis remains a global health threat, with increasing infection rates and mortality despite existing anti-TB drugs. The present work focuses on the research findings regarding the development and evaluation of thiadiazole-linked thiazole derivatives as potential anti-tuberculosis agents. We present the synthesis data and confirm the compound structures using spectroscopic techniques. The current study reports twelve thiazole-thiadiazole compounds (5 a-5 l) for their anti-tuberculosis and related bioactivities. This paper emphasizes compounds 5 g, 5 i, and 5 l, which exhibited promising MIC values, leading to further in silico and interaction analysis. Pharmacophore mapping data included in the present analysis identified tubercular ThyX as potential drug targets. The compounds were evaluated for anti-tubercular activity using standard methods, revealing significant MIC values, particularly compound 5 l, with the best MIC value of 7.1285 µg/ml. Compounds 5 g and 5 i also demonstrated moderate to good MIC values against M. tuberculosis (H37Ra). Structural inspection of the docked poses revealed interactions such as hydrogen bonds, halogen bonds, and interactions containing Pi electron cloud, shedding light on conserved interactions with residues like Arg 95, Cys 43, His 69, and Arg 87 from the tubercular ThyX enzyme.

Assessment of Prevalence of Hypertension and its Risk Factors among Adult Tribal Population Residing in Lohandiguda Block of Bastar District of Chhattisgarh.

Background: Hypertension is known as the silent killer. It comprehends the top rank in non-infectious disease amongst adults; accountable for the deaths every year across the world. It is essential to consider the individual impact of risk factors and their impact on hypertension. This study thus elicited the socio-demographic characteristics, the prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors, and its impact on adults with hypertension. To estimate the hypertension prevalence and its associated risk factors among adult tribal populations aged 25-60 years residing in Lohandiguda block of Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. Material and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional analytical study was used and the setting was done at the field practice area under the three primary health centers of Lohandiguda block, Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It was carried out among 330 adult tribes residing for ≥1 year in the present locality. Data was collected by door-to-door visits through pre-designed, pretested, semi-structured questionnaire via face-to-face interview method and anthropometric measurement was done by using standard guidelines. The sampling method was multistage sampling. IBM SPSS STATISTICS-20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) software. Results: The overall prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension among tribal subjects was 34.9% and 47.3%, respectively. Of total hypertensive 27.3% were having stage-1 hypertension, 13.9% were having stage-2 hypertension and 6.0% were already diagnosed cases. Risk factors found in multivariate analysis are occupation (unemployed 0.012), frequency of smokeless tobacco used per day (0.,017) and central obesity (0.000). Conclusions: As hypertension is a multi-factorial disease the study found strong predictors like occupation, frequency of smokeless tobacco per day and having central obesity with significant difference.

High Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia and Dexmedetomidine for Awake Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Feasible Option for Patients with Severe Pulmonary Disease.

High thoracic epidural anesthesia in cardiac surgery as the sole anesthetic technique is used in a select groups of patients having severe pulmonary co morbidities. We describe a case series of three patients at high risk for post operative pulmonary complications where this technique was used along with dexmedetomidine infusion for conscious sedation in off pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Proper selection of patients, proper placement of the epidural catheter at the appropriate level and timing of catheter insertion and removal are of paramount importance.

Air quality assessment in the central Indian State of Chhattisgarh.

Background: Era's one of the utmost scourges is air pollution, owing to not only its impact on climate change but also its impact on public and individual's health due to combined morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The current study was intended to monitor the air quality data from two districts of Chhattisgarh, namely Raipur and Korba, so that policymakers will be able to take corrective measures to control individual's health-related issues associated with polluted air. Methods: All air samples were collected from around Raipur and Korba city of Chhattisgarh and submitted to the Chester LabNet, a laboratory based in 3 Oregon, USA, for analysis. Particulate matter (PM2.5) was determined by using the gravimetry technique and used the X-ray fluorescence 4 technique to detect the presence of heavy metals. Results: PM2.5 levels in all samples in Raipur and Korba ranged from 131.4-653.8 µg/m3 to 150.3-1699.2 µg/m3 which is 2.18-10.88 and 2.5-28.3 times higher than standards prescribed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of 60 µg/m3. Heavy metals such as silica (Si), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn) levels were recorded higher than the standard level reported by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in locations of Raipur and Korba, Chhattisgarh. Conclusion: Although Chhattisgarh, a state in Central India covered with 45% forest, but it is suffering from low air quality due to developing township and industrial area, which is causing a lot of commotion in the local community. At this time, the government should approach to take immediate action and measures to control air pollution and to reduce the terrible impact on the health of local citizens.

Lipoma Arborescens: A rare cause of knee swelling.

Introduction: Lipoma Arborescens is a chronic, slow growing intra articular lesion of benign nature which is commonly seen in the supra patellar region of the knee joint. It is characterised by villous proliferation of the synovium, with the replacement of the subsynovial connective tissue with fat cells. It is not a neoplasm but non-specific reactive response to chronic synovial irritation, due to mechanical or inflammatory insults. We highlight this condition to raise awareness to be kept as a differential diagnosis in knee joint affected by various slow, progressive chronic inflammatory conditions. Case Report: We present case of 51-year female with severe knee swelling since 3 to 4 years with episodes of remission and regression on and off. She was diagnosed with lipoma arborescens after magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed after post operative histology. Conclusion: We in this case study highlight this rare condition with its imaging characteristics and arthroscopic treatment. Keeping in mind that lipoma arborescens though benign in nature and as one of the rare causes for knee swelling, has to be treated to get an optimal outcome.

The Outcome of Pregnancy Among Tobacco Users in Tertiary Care Hospital of Chhattisgarh Province of India.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use is responsible for numerous adverse pregnancy outcomes for females and their infants. The aim of this study was to explore the adverse outcome of tobacco use among pregnant females. METHOD:  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1250 females in the third trimester of pregnancy from April to June 2022, which were exposed to tobacco use in the form of gudaku, tobacco chewing, gutka, or smoking. Complications and outcomes during and after pregnancy were recorded based on self-administered questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY) software version 20.0 for categorical data, frequencies (n) and percentages (%) were calculated, and the chi-square test was used for determining intergroup differences. RESULTS:  Out of 1250 females, tobacco exposure was present among 429 (34.3%), and 821 (65.7%) had no tobacco exposure. Of 429, 36.10% of females complained about complications such as abortion (1.60%), antepartum hemorrhage (0.90%), congenital anomaly (0.20%), infertility (1.20%), intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) (0.50%), intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (0.90%), oligohydramnios (OLIGO) (3.30%), preterm labor (18.40%), premature rupture of membrane (6.30%), and anemia (2.80%), which were slightly higher than the females with no tobacco exposure. In tobacco users, obstructive complications were found to be significant with a p value of 0.0036. CONCLUSION: Our study concluded that tobacco use could have an adverse effect on their fetus and infants, as well as the pregnant females themselves. Policymakers need to ensure effective strategies that pregnant females, their partners, and close relatives need to have enough knowledge to avoid potential risks.

Role of Fluorescence Imaging Device in Screening of Oral Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chhattisgarh Population.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a major health issue worldwide. Screening and early diagnosis are the key elements for the better prognosis of potentially malignant oral disorders. OBJECTIVES: This study establishes the effectiveness of fluorescence imaging device in the early detection and precise examination of the normal-appearing oral mucosa of tobacco chewer patients in white light and fluorescence light. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consists of a total of 150 patients equally categorized into frequent tobacco chewers with normal mucosa, precancerous lesion, and cancerous lesion. Out of which 10 cases were excluded due to technical errors and consent-related issues. The correlation between examined oral mucosa under white light and fluorescence light was evaluated through a 2 × 3 contingency table Chi-square test. RESULTS: Out of 140 participants with a positive cancer diagnosis, there are 43 and 53 patients were sensitive to white light andfluorescence light, respectively. The estimated values for sensitivity and specificity were 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.736-0.906) for biopsy report diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although autofluorescence device plays a critical role in the diagnosis of precancerous oral mucosal lesions in the early stages, the histopathological evaluation remains the gold standard diagnostic approach for this life-threatening disease. Due to the high sensitivity of autofluorescence examination, it has a vital role in determining high-risk oral lesions (precancerous) and oral cancer in mass screening programs for the cancer-prone population.

Access and availability of essential medicines in Chhattisgarh: Situation in public health facilities.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the Government of Chhattisgarh announced a policy guaranteeing access to free generic medicines in all the public health facilities. This study was conducted with the objectives of evaluating the prescribing patterns of physicians in public health facilities with regard to generic medicines, and whether the prescribed generic medicines were made available to patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducting from December 2013-October 2014, using exit interviews of patients. Out of the total 27 districts of the state, 15 districts were selected, and one district hospital, three community health centers, and three primary health centers were selected from each of these districts, as per logistics feasibility. Descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages were calculated. RESULTS: During the data collection period, a total of 1290 prescriptions were reviewed from 100 public health facilities. Around 68.89% of the medicines prescribed were generic and were from the 2013 generic drugs list. Around 58.28% of the prescribed generic medicines were available to the patients from these public health facilities, and the rest of the medicines were procured from private pharmacies. CONCLUSION: Chhattisgarh has made considerable progress in increasing access of generic medicines to patients in public health facilities. Our study shows that for the year 2013-14, about 58% of the prescribed medicines were available in various public health facilities. There is opportunity to further improve the state financial allocation for generic medicines, to improve supply chain and logistics for better distribution, and to mandate that physicians in these facilities prescribe generic medicines.

Assessment of Under Nutrition Using Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) amongst Toddlers Residing in Urban Slums of Raipur City, Chhattisgarh, India.

INTRODUCTION: Several indicators have been used for measurement of under nutrition in the past. They are overlapping and none individually provide a comprehensive number of under nourished in the community. The effort has been to discuss the use of an alternative indicator of malnutrition - the composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF). AIM: To study the prevalence of under nutrition of Toddlers using CIAF and compare the prevalence of under nutrition obtained by primitive indicators and CIAF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional community based study was carried out in urban slums of Raipur (C.G) during Jan 01,2014 to Sept 30, 2014 using sample size of 602. Slums were selected by multistage random sampling and the subjects were selected by convenient sampling, i.e. starting from a random point house to house survey was carried out until desired number of subjects (According to PPS) were covered assuming that slum population is evenly distributed. Attendant of Toddlers were interviewed with semi structured proforma and Height and Weight were measured by measuring tape and Salter's weighing machine respectively. Informed consent was obtained. MS excel was used for data analysis after compilation. RESULTS: Girls and boys were 50% each. By CIAF the prevalence of under nutrition was found to be 62.1% while, Underweight, Stunting and Wasting showed it to be 45.2%, 46.6% and 17.8% respectively. CONCLUSION: Primitive indices under estimate the burden of under nutrition and CIAF should be used a screening tool for assessing under nutrition.

Which doctor for primary health care? Quality of care and non-physician clinicians in India.

The scarcity of rural physicians in India has resulted in non-physician clinicians (NPC) serving at primary health centers (PHC). This study examines the clinical competence of NPCs and physicians serving at PHCs to treat a range of medical conditions. The study is set in Chhattisgarh state, where physicians (medical officers) and NPCs: Rural Medical Assistants (RMA), and Indian system of medicine physicians (AYUSH Medical Officers) serve at PHCs. Where no clinician is available, Paramedics (pharmacists and nurses) usually provide care. In 2009, PHCs in Chhattisgarh were stratified by type of clinical care provider present. From each stratum a representative sample of PHCs was randomly selected. Clinical vignettes were used to measure provider competency in managing diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, TB, preeclampsia and diabetes. Prescriptions were analyzed. Overall, the quality of medical care was low. Medical Officers and RMAs had similar average competence scores. AYUSH Medical Officers and Paramedicals had significantly lower average scores compared to Medical Officers. Paramedicals had the lowest competence scores. While 61% of Medical Officer and RMA prescriptions were appropriate for treating the health condition, only 51% of the AYUSH Medical Officer and 33% of the prescriptions met this standard. RMAs are as competent as physicians in primary care settings. This supports the use of RMA-type clinicians for primary care in areas where posting Medical Officers is difficult. AYUSH Medical Officers are less competent and need further clinical training. Overall, the quality of medical care at PHCs needs improvement.

Location and vocation: why some government doctors stay on in rural Chhattisgarh, India.

We conducted a qualitative research study in Chhattisgarh State, India, to explore why some qualified medical practitioners decide to stay on in government rural service. The fieldwork consisted of in-depth interviews with 37 practitioners who had an established record of rural service, and data were analyzed using the 'framework' approach for applied policy research. Study participants cited complexes of reasons for staying on, including geographical and ethnic (tribal) affinities, rural upbringing, availability of schools, personal values of service, professional interests, co-location with spouses, and relations with co-workers. Extrinsic (environmental) and intrinsic (personal) factors both play a part in determining the decisions of doctors to stay on, and are interdependent. Some doctors were influenced to remain by the close relationships they had developed with local communities and their acclimatisation over time to rural life. The policy imperative of rural workforce adequacy may be served less by choosing one retention strategy over another than by developing multi-dimensional solutions focused simultaneously on identifying and incentivising rural practitioners with appropriate characteristics, and on creating external conditions for their improved performance and welfare. Further, in a low-income setting such as India, questions of rural workforce adequacy cannot be addressed in isolation, but need to be tackled as part of broad agenda of social development that include strengthening public service systems and empowering communities.

Early Infant Diagnosis: A New Tool of HIV Diagnosis in Children.

BACKGROUND: Standard assay has limited utility in diagnosing HIV reactivity among infants till the age of 18 months by which time, many HIV-infected infants expire. The test for diagnosing infant and children below 18 months is DNA polymerase chain reaction (DNAPCR) either by dried blood spot (DBS) or whole blood sample (WBS). Early infant diagnosis (EID) project is implemented in 18 districts of Gujarat through 33 PPTCT centers from 1st April 2010. Present analysis is done to evaluate factors curbing mother to child HIV transmission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study included all children (< 18 months) who are born to HIV-positive mothers or referred children with signs/ symptoms of HIV with unknown parent status or children already on anti-retroviral therapy whose status could not be confirmed by antibody tests. Data was compiled and analyzed according to the infant's age at testing, type of feeding, history of Anti retero viral (ARV) prophylaxis, and type of delivery. Data compiled between April and August 2010 was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Cohort of 326 infants was followed up, fewer infants (14/270) who received ARV prophylaxis tested positive than those who did not (23/56). Transmission was more in normal delivery (29/252) than cesarean (8/74). Low transmission rate was seen in replacement feeding (13/208) than breast/mixed feeding (24/94). Out of 37 samples found positive by the DBS, 17 were sent for WBS and all were found to be positive. CONCLUSION: DBS test results were found as accurate as WBS. So DBS (less cumbersome and cost effective) can be used in future exclusively. Nevirapine administration at birth as mother baby pair showed 36% decrease in MTCT.

Using a diode laser to uncover dental implants in second-stage surgery.

A soft tissue diode laser offers an alternative technique for uncovering dental implants. This article presents two cases in which four dental implants were uncovered using a soft tissue laser. This technique provides an efficient and patient-friendly method to perform second-stage implant surgery, safely allowing a faster rehabilitative phase.

National Rural Health Mission--hopes and fears. Concerns about targeted sterilisation, retreat of the state and privatisation.

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), launched by the present government as part of its honouring the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) commitment, had its content shaped by an active process of dialogue between many stakeholders. This article traces the contours of the discussions on three key concerns of civil society that influenced their contributions to the shaping of the National Rural Health Mission agenda. These three concerns were promotion of targeted sterilisation, a retreat of the state from its commitments to the health sector and that the NRHM agenda would lead to privatisation of public health facilities. Whereas fears on targeted sterilisation and retreat of the state may be unrealistic, there is a thrust to increased involvement of the private sector, which needs to be understood in its entirety. There is need for continued engagement byequity concerned public health professionals and health activists at all levels of implementation and not merely community monitoring to influence and shape the National Rural Health Mission in a pro-poor direction.

A Double-Primary Dead-Weight Tester for Pressures (35-175) kPa in Gage Mode.

Primary pressure standards in the atmospheric pressure range are often established using mercury manometers. Less frequently, controlled-clearance dead-weight testers in which one component (normally the piston) has been dimensionally measured have also been used. Recent advances in technology on two fronts i) the fabrication of large-diameter pistons and cylinders with good geometry; and ii) the ability to measure the dimensions of these components, have allowed some dead-weight testers at NIST to approach total relative uncertainties (k = 2) in dimensionally-derived effective areas near 5 × 10(-6). This paper describes a single piston/cylinder assembly (NIST-PG201WC/WC) that serves as both a primary gage in which both piston and cylinder are measured dimensionally and a controlled-clearance primary gage (employing the Heydemann-Welch method). Thus it allows some previous assumptions about the modeling of dead-weight testers to be checked. For the gage described in this paper the piston/cylinder clearance obtained from the two analyses have relative differences of 4 × 10(-6) to 7 × 10(-6) over the pressure range 35 kPa to 175 kPa. Some implications of these results will be discussed. From the dimensional characterizations and auxiliary measurements we have determined that the effective area for this gauge at 20 °C is: [Formula: see text]where P is the system pressure and P J is a control pressure. The estimated relative uncertainty in effective area is 8.2 × 10(-6) +1.4 × 10(-11) P/Pa (k = 2). The temperature coefficient for the area was measured and found to be (9.06 ± 0.04) × 10(-6)/K. Thus using the gage at a reference temperature of 23 °C yields an effective area: [Formula: see text]with almost no increase in the uncertainty over that at 20 °C.

A Primary Dead-Weight Tester for Pressures (0.05-1.0) MPa.

Recent advances in technology on two fronts, 1) the fabrication of large-diameter pistons and cylinders with good geometry, and 2) the ability to measure the dimensions of these components with high accuracy, have allowed dead-weight testers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to generate pressures that approach total relative uncertainties previously obtained only by manometers. This paper describes a 35 mm diameter piston/cylinder assembly (known within NIST as PG-39) that serves as a pressure standard in which both the piston and the cylinder have been accurately dimensioned by Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). Both artifacts (piston and cylinder) appeared to be round within ±30 nm and straight within ±100 nm over a substantial fraction of their heights. Based on the diameters at 20 °C provided by PTB (±15 nm) and on the good geometry of the artifact, the relative uncertainties for the effective area were estimated to be about 2.2 × 10(-6) (1σ).

An Intercomparison Between NPL (India) and NIST (USA) Pressure Standards in the Hydraulic Pressure Region up to 26 MPa.

Results are presented of an intercomparison of pressure measurements between the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), India, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA, using piston gauge pressure standards over the range 6 MPa to 26 MPa. The intercomparison, using the NPL piston gauge pressure standard, with a nominal effective area of 8.4×10-5 m2 and the NIST piston gauge pressure standard, with a nominal effective area of 2.0× 10-5 m2 was carried out at the NPL. The intercomparison data obtained show a relative difference of 1 × 10-6 in the zero-pressure effective area (A0) of the NPL standard as obtained by the NIST standard. At 6 MPa the relative difference in effective areas is 3.5×10-6; at the full scale pressure of 26 MPa, the relative difference is 12×10-6. These differences are in excellent agreement with the statements of uncertainty of the respective standards as obtained from the primary standards of these two laboratories.