Efficacy of quality improvement interventions on antibiotic prescription practices for ventilator-associated pneumonia at a tertiary care centre: a prospective pre-post interventional study.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a prevalent nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU), significantly increasing patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Effective management is essential, particularly in the context of antimicrobial resistance and the frequent use of antibiotics in ICUs.

Methods: This prospective pre-post interventional study was conducted in the medical ICU of a tertiary care centre, over 6 months.

Learning Curve for Dynamic Navigation Procedure During Endodontic Management of Permanent Maxillary Anterior Teeth with Pulp Canal Calcification: A Risk-Adjusted Cumulative Summation (RA-CUSUM) Analysis of a Single Operator's Experience.

Introduction: The dynamic navigation system (DNS) in endodontics presents a significant learning curve. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the number of cases required to achieve consistent performance in DNS-assisted treatment of maxillary anterior teeth with pulp canal calcification.

Methods: A series of DNS procedures were performed on 45 calcified maxillary anterior teeth with pulp necrosis by a single endodontist who had no prior clinical DNS experience.

New thiourea derivatives that target the episomal silencing SMC5 protein to inhibit HBx-dependent viral DNA replication and gene transcription.

Unlabelled: Antivirals such as nucleotide analogs (NAs) are potent inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. However, NAs fail to diminish the signaling and mitogenic activities of the transactivator HBx protein. Earlier we have shown that thiourea derivative IR-415 (DSA-00) targeted HBx to down-regulate its target viral and host genes.

Prostate cancer burden in South Asia: A systematic analysis of global burden of disease data (1990-2021).

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to analyze trends in prostate cancer incidence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021 via data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in South Asia. Additionally, the study projects future prostate cancer incidence rates up to 2031 to inform public health interventions in South Asia.

Methods: Data covering South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan were obtained from the GBD 2021 portal.

Child Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire: A Reliability Generalization Meta-analysis of Cronbach's Alpha.

Background And Aim: To evaluate the pooled estimates of Cronbach's alpha for the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) questionnaire using reliability generalization meta-analysis.

Methods: We have conducted a systematic search of literature from PubMed, Scopus, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) from inception till 31 May 2023. Studies in English and those that have reported Cronbach's alpha for the COHIP questionnaire were included.

Ruxolitinib-dependent reduction of seizure load and duration is accompanied by spatial memory improvement in the rat pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Molecules with optimized pharmacokinetic properties selectively aimed at the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation in brain have recently emerged as potential disease modifying therapies for epilepsy. In the current study, pharmacological inhibition of JAK1/2 with the orally available, FDA-approved drug ruxolitinib, produced nearly complete inhibition of hippocampal STAT3 phosphorylation, and reduced the expression of its downstream target Cyclin D1, when administered to rats 30 ​min and 3 ​h after onset of pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). This effect was accompanied by significantly shorter seizure duration and lower overall seizure frequency throughout the 4 weeks of EEG recording, but did not completely prevent the development of epilepsy in ruxolitinib-treated male rats.

Understanding current trends and incidence projections of prostate cancer in India: A comprehensive analysis of national and regional data from the global burden of disease study (1990 -2021).

Background: The study aims to explore the burden and trends of prostate cancer (PC) in India at the state level from 1990 to 2021, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study.

Methods: The health metrics including age-standardised incidence rates (ASIR), prevalence rates (ASPR), disability-adjusted life years (ASDR), and mortality rates (ASMR) per 100,000 for PC were analysed across Indian states and union territories. Join point regression analysis was employed to identify significant changes in these metrics over time.

Multispectroscopic and computational insights into amyloid fibril formation of alpha lactalbumin induced by sodium hexametaphosphate.

The impact of sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) on the aggregation behavior of α-lactalbumin (α-LA) was studied at pH 7.4 and 2.0.

Can high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) be used as a prognostic marker of functional disability after acute ischaemic stroke? A cross-sectional study at a tertiary care centre in Eastern India.

Objectives: This study was conducted with the aim of assessing the correlation between highly sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP) levels and indicators of disability and functional impairment in individuals presenting with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Department of General Medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Eastern India from August 2022 to August 2023.

Serum metabolome profiling in patients with mild cognitive impairment reveals sex differences in lipid metabolism.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more women than men. Although women live longer than men, it is not longevity alone, but other factors, including metabolic changes, that contribute to the higher risk of AD in women. Metabolic pathways have been implicated in AD progression, but studies to date examined targeted pathways, leaving many metabolites unmeasured.

Optimization of pretreatments to enhance quality characteristics and storage period of kinnow (Citrus reticulata Blanco) using response surface methodology.

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the impact of pretreatments viz. wax coating, hot water dipping, and fungicide treatment on quality characteristics of kinnow. In the present study, a trial was conducted to extend the shelf life of kinnow fruits by maintaining the initial quality characteristics with three wax-to-water dilution ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3), hot water dipping at 56 °C with varying time (40, 60, 80 s) along with fungicide treatment at various concentration (150, 200, 250 ppm).

Parkinson's Disease: Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Disease Progression.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disease that causes both motor and nonmotor symptoms. While our understanding of putative mechanisms has advanced significantly, it remains challenging to verify biomarkers with sufficient evidence for regular clinical use. Clinical symptoms are the primary basis for diagnosing the disease, which can be mild in the early stages and overlap with other neurological disorders.

Untapping the potential of algae for β-glucan production: A review of biological properties, strategies for enhanced production and future perspectives.

β-Glucan, a naturally occurring polymer of glucose, is found in bacteria, algae, fungi, and higher plants (barley, oats, cereal seeds). Recently, β-glucan has gained attention due to its multiple biological roles, like anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Globally, bacteria, mushrooms, yeast and cereals are used as conventional sources of β-glucan.

Rapidly enlarging primary cutaneous anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma of the eyelid: A case report.

Non-Hodgkin CD30+ T-cell lymphoproliferative disease encompasses three subgroups, one of which is primary cutaneous anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL). It is distinguished by the presence of giant anaplastic cells with pleomorphism and widespread CD30 positivity. The case of a 58-year-old female is presented who reported to the Eye Department of Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on 18th January, 2023 with a three-month history of rapidly enlarging, non-tender, ulcerated lesion on the lower eyelid of the right eye.

Platelet's plea to Immunologists: Please do not forget me.

Platelets are non-nucleated mammalian cells originating from the cytoplasmic expulsion of the megakaryocytes. Megakaryocytes develop during hematopoiesis through megakaryopoiesis, whereas platelets develop from megakaryocytes through thrombopoiesis. Since their first discovery, platelets have been studied as critical cells controlling hemostasis or blood coagulation.

Autoencoder-based drug synergy framework for malignant diseases.

Drug combination emerges as a viable option for the treatment of malignant diseases. Drug combination outperforms monotherapy by improving therapeutic efficacy, reducing toxicity, and overcoming drug resistance. To find viable drug combinations it is difficult to traverse empirically because of enormous combinational space.

Stimuli-Triggered Diffusion Dynamics in Single-Junction Electrode for Enhanced Supercapacitor Performance: Insights into the Carrier Relaxation and Charge Transfer Kinetics.

Study of external triggers add new chemistry to energy storage research by virtue of controlling diffusion and charge transfer dynamics. Herein, we have chosen a model system, AgS-BiVO (AgS-BVO), for examining the diffusion dynamics upon light illumination using electrochemical and carrier relaxation studies. Favorable band alignments in the single-junction electrode lead to optimized carrier movement across the interfaces, developing a partial positive charge on the electrode, thereby enhancing the mass-transport of electrolyte ions toward the active electrode for efficient charge storage.