Wilsons disease is a rare inherited disorder which is characterized by impaired copper excretion which leads to excessive deposition of copper in many tissues and organs like brain, liver, and eye. This is also characterized by Kaiser-Fleischer ring, low serum ceruloplasmin levels and elevated urinary copper excretion [1]. A 26year male patient came to the neurology department with chief complaints of involuntary tremors of both hands and difficulty in walking in the last one month associated with swaying to one side in the last 20 days. On examination the patient is having Kaiser-Fleisher ring positive and upon further investigation Magnetic resonance imaging brain was performed which revealed the features in favor of Wilson’s disease. And for this condition the patient is treated with chelating agents and benzodiazepines. Key words: Wilson’s Disease, Kaiser- Fleisher ring, Chelating agents
Banks need finance to carry out their day to day activities smoothly. There will be times where the borrowers fail to repay the money leading a risk to the lenders. There are various types of risks faced by the banks such as financial and non-financial risk in the unstable environment. These risks may be a threat for the existence and achievements of banks. A Credit risk is the risk which arises when the borrower fails to make required payments. It is a huge loss to the lender where he loses both the principal and interest which leads to the interruption of the cash flows and increase in collection costs. Banks usually follow a certain framework while lending loans so that they can manage the credit risks. The main purpose of credit risk management is to find out how much credit should be provided to the borrowers and the different ways to collect the amount back. The success of banks depends on the formulation of the policies and procedures of lending the loans and collecting the amount back and avoid Non-Performing Assets (NPA) to the banks. When banks collect their debts systematically and avoid the Non- Performing Assets (NPA), they can survive in the competitive market. The study is focused on the comparison of two banks such as Canara Bank and Karnataka Bank with regard to loans, advances, interest received and expended and the variation in the levels of Non- Performing Assets. Methodology used is the secondary source of data where the balance sheet of the banks and the income and expenditure statement of the banks are being used to explore the credibility and the capacity of the banks in managing the credit risk.
The global endeavor to develop and deploy COVID-19 vaccines has underscored both significant scientific progress and enduring disparities in worldwide access. This analysis examines regional vaccine distribution patterns across World Health Organization (WHO) regions—Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, and Western Pacific—revealing substantial variations in vaccine types and manufacturer contributions. Data indicate that the Americas and Europe demonstrate a broad vaccine portfolio, with prominent contributions from major international pharmaceutical companies alongside regionally developed vaccines. Conversely, African, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific regions show considerable reliance on vaccines from Asian (notably China and India) and Russian manufacturers, in addition to Western products. This distribution highlights the influence of geographical proximity to manufacturing centers, regional alliances, and local production capabilities (e.g., CIGB and Finlay in the Americas, COVIran Barakat in the Eastern Mediterranean, and various Chinese products in the Western Pacific) on vaccine availability. Predominant vaccines by country count include Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty, AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria, Janssen's Ad26.COV2-S, Moderna's Spikevax, Beijing CNBG's BBIBP-CorV, and SII's Covishield. The observed regional variations in vaccine types and supply chains carry implications for comparative effectiveness research, the understanding of differential immune responses, and the evaluation of pandemic control strategies. Furthermore, inconsistencies in global data reporting and product nomenclature present challenges for comprehensive analysis. The findings emphasize the importance of diversified supply chains, the growing role of regional manufacturing in enhancing global health security, and the need for standardized global data for a more profound understanding of vaccine equity and efficacy to inform future pandemic responses.
Women are multi taskers in their lives- mother, wife, daughter, sister and a lot more. And hence are exposed to a lot of emotions. A working woman is exposed to many other more roles- boss, subordinates. A working woman has to develop skills of self awareness, self management, be motivated, feelings of optimism, positivity and internality, empathy and social skills (collectively called as emotional intelligence) to perform her multiple roles, both at home and at, work place efficiently so as to meet the expectations of both the family members and their organization. Current study focuses on investigating the influence of demographic factors on the level of emotional intelligence among the respondents in Coimbatore city. These factors tested against being determined by their age, job profile, marital status.
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant global health concern and is characterized by the degeneration of joint structures, leading to pain, stiffness, and functional limitations It is estimated that 654.1 million individuals are affected by osteoarthritis worldwide, with females, especially those older than 60 years of age, being the population most impacted. However, there remains a gap in understanding the awareness of knee osteoarthritis among specific populations, such as the Palestinian community in the West Bank, thus, highlighting the need for targeted research to address this health disparity. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the West Bank from August to September 2024. Participants were recruited from 11 cities and a validated questionnaire adapted from a previous study was used to collect the data. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a value of standard alpha = 0.71, which is an acceptable value. The survey collected demographic data, clinical characteristics, knowledge of osteoarthritis risk factors, symptoms, and attitudes towards treatment options. R Statistical Software was used for data analysis, which included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to explore the relationships between demographic factors and osteoarthritis knowledge, whereby a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was set up as a significance level. Results A total of 725 valid responses were included in our study. Among the participants, 569 were female, predominantly aged 25 or younger (66%, n = 479), and 62% (n = 450) were single. Knowledge assessment revealed that 80% (n = 580) recognized knee osteoarthritis as a chronic disease, while only 51% (n = 369) understood its impact on joint involvement. The majority identified high BMI (87%, n = 632), advancing age (94%, n = 683), and previous knee injury (72%, n = 520) as risk factors, although only 42% (n = 306) acknowledged genetics as one. Most participants were aware of the management strategies, including analgesics (70%, n = 510) and physiotherapy (80%, n = 579). However, 66% (n = 478) scored low for overall knowledge regarding knee osteoarthritis. Conclusion This study emphasizes the critical importance of raising awareness and knowledge about osteoarthritis within the Palestinian community. Despite being widely known as a long-term issue, there are still noticeable gaps in the understanding of the joint impact, potential risks, and effective treatment methods for osteoarthritis. The use of informal sources highlights the importance of specific educational programs by healthcare providers.
Pharmacoeconomics (PE) is a relatively newly developed and fast-changing discipline [1]. PE plays a crucial role in healthcare decision-making by evaluating the costs and outcomes of different treatment options. In Libya, however, the implementation of PE evaluations faces various challenges that hinder its effective integration into healthcare systems. This communication analyses the current needs and prospects of PE by examining the challenges in its implementation, the benefits of integrating it into healthcare decision-making, and strategies to enhance its utilization in the country's healthcare landscape. By exploring these different aspects, it is possible to gain a comprehensive understanding of Libya's status and potential advancements in PE. In Libya, the earliest records related to PE trace back to the late 19th century, specifically around 1835 during the Turkish colonization. During that time, various documents documented details such as drug prices, direct costs associated with specific diseases, expenditures on essential pharmaceuticals, and annual inventories of health and pharmaceutical institutions [2]. Over the past 80 years since modern Libya’s establishment after the colonial era, Libyan authorities have consistently published annual statistical reports. These reports cover expenditures on medicines, pharmaceuticals, and therapeutic materials, as well as the stock levels in healthcare facilities [3]. However, despite this data, there remains a significant lack of literature on PE, with a few exceptions that do not meet the standards expected of PE studies.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
In this paper, investigations are made to analyze the human body temperature during wound healing process due to surgery. Wound is considered after the skin graft. Skin graft is a technique used in plastic surgery. Skin is the first line of defense between the human and environment, it is very susceptible to damage. Internal body or core temperature (Tb) is one of the clinical vital signs along with pulse and respiratory rates. Any disturbance in body temperature will drive complexities in wound healing process. These studies are important in the mechanism of establishing the limits of thermal regulation of human body during the healing process in different situations and conditions. The Finite element method is used to analyze tissues temperature for normal tissues (donor site) and abnormal tissues (tissues after surgery). Appropriate boundary conditions have been framed. Numerical results are obtained using Crank Nicolson Method.
The valuable effects of regular exercise for promotion of health and therapy of diseases were obviously evaluated. The notion that exercise can be considered as a medication has been hypothesized. The growing problems of obesity and non-communicable diseases have placed a great burden on public health experts to promote physical literacy and physical activity among the modern day population. Physical literacy and physical activity have become the cornerstones of women’s health. Women have certain special needs that includes reproductive health. Increased physical activity and maintaining normal body image and body weight will help a woman attain physical, mental and spiritual development. With the growing number of women with obesity and the implication of obesity as one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke and osteoarthritis, a knowledge and awareness about physical activity is essential. Thus, physical activity is a fundamental aspect of the improvement of motor skills and work performance, allowing a better healthy lifestyle. Physical exercise is effective to be measured as a drug, however, more care should be considered to the dosing and individual variations between genders.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
This study aims to determine the functional literacy acquisition of Alternative Learning System learners and make a sound basis for strategic planning and pedagogical intervention that will help promote and develop the said program. The descriptive-evaluative method of research was used in the study. The descriptive method was used to identify the respondents' profile based on (a) age, (b) gender, (c) civil status, and (d) employment status. The evaluative method was used to determine the respondents' functional literacy acquisition in (a) communication skills, (b) scientific and critical thinking skills, (c) mathematical and problem solving skills, (d) life and career skills, (e) understanding the self and society, and (f) digital citizenship (formerly digital literacy). Frequency Count and Percentage Technique was used to describe the functional literacy acquisition of the respondents. Meanwhile, a modified survey questionnaire based on the functional literacy, education and mass media survey ("National Profile of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills," 2004, p. 91) was used as the primary tool to gather the data. The respondents in this study were the students enrolled in ALS-Sipocot (North and South District), the school year 2019-2020. Due to COVID restrictions, other ALS learners from other municipalities were not covered as part of the study. Findings revealed that ALS learners do not yet manifest the complete acquisition of functional literacy needed to face the globalized world's challenges because their attainment of the required functional literacy skills is generally low. Moreover, the study disclosed that sex, age, civil status, and employment status affect the acquisition of functional literacy skills among ALS learners in Sipocot, Camarines Sur. Based on the results, the researcher developed an extension activity to help the ALS learners improve their functional literacy, particularly in the digital citizenship area, where they got the lowest score.
Acenocoumarol is the only oral antivitamin K anticoagulant prescribed and marketed in Algeria for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic diseases. Nevertheless, the difficulty of handling this drug linked to a narrow therapeutic index and to great inter- and intra- individual variabilities of the response to the treatment poses a major public health issue because of its iatrogenic risk. To improve the management of patients on acenocoumarol and optimize its dosage adjustment and reduce iatrogenic secondary to vitamin K antagonists, our main objective work is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of health care professionals regarding this anticoagulant agent. We conducted a multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study from April to May 2021. We interrogated 152 health professionals of all ages, all sexes and all grades from different health departments in Oran City (Algeria) prescribing anticoagulants, through a validated questionnaire made up of 26 questions. Statistical analysis was achieved by SPSS version 20 software. Thus, 59.9% were women with a sex ratio of 0.67, 92.8% knew that acenocoumarol belongs to the antivitamin K class, 45.0% chose INR and PT as follow-up parameters, 36.0% chose INR alone and 78.9% were unaware of acenocoumarol dose adjustment algorithms as well as 82.0% were unaware of the existence of pharmacogenetics testing. 54.0% use the recommendations of the HAS for dosage adjustment of patients on acenocoumarol. 07.9% suggested using pharmacogenetic tests to improve the dosage adjustment of acenocoumarol, 06.6% suggested patient follow-up and 05.9% suggested therapeutic patient education as well as 74.3%, wanted to do training on. Therefore, this study highlighted gaps in the medical practice of physicians in terms of dosage adjustment, pharmacogenetics and its impact on dosage optimization. However, the evaluation of their knowledge was considered unsatisfactory. To overcome this lack of knowledge, it seems necessary to make physicians aware of the contribution of pharmacogenetics of acenocoumarol in Algeria.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
Adverse drug reactions have increased significantly in people as many new drugs have come to the market in the last two decades. This has not only economic consequences but also causes morbidity and mortality. In Bangladesh, some incidents happened related to drug problems and it took several lives. Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reactions can primarily control this situation and healthcare professionals can play an immeasurable role. Therefore, this study was aimed to be conducted at seven different hospitals and diagnostic centers to find out the actual scenario of adverse drug reactions among the healthcare professionals in Bangladesh to make them aware of adverse drug reactions and the reporting system, and to know about their opinion towards adverse drug reactions. However, after evaluation of the questionnaires it was found that a large number of healthcare professionals were not aware of adverse drug reactions and pharmacovigilance, especially the nurses. It was found that 13.3% of nurses did not know about adverse drug reactions and 93.3% of them had not reported any reactions. Furthermore, many healthcare professionals did not show a positive attitude towards pharmacovigilance. If proper pharmacovigilance practice cannot be started, the nation will face serious economic and health-related problems.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
The covid-19 lockdown has made many people of the middle- and lower-income class think and reinvent themselves to sustain in this crisis. It was difficult for lower- and middle-income class people to adjust to the situation of lockdown. Government and private institutions have reduced the salaries to the employees in view of the 40-day lockdown. Lockdown has made people rethink and reinvent to sustain in this tough time. People have modified their work and style of working to acclimatize to lockdown. Work from home in the software industry, telemedicine and video consulting in the healthcare industry, online classes and tutoring in the education system, farm to house vegetable delivery system in the agricultural sector, the surge in online pharmacy business, MSME- handmade mask industry, MedTech zones for demand in medical equipment. Private sector isolation centres in partnership with reputed hospitals. We throw light on some of these innovative ideas that could change the present and future of living in difficult times. innovative ideas for students during lockdown
Abstract should be times new roman with 9 fount single spacing.The main focused of Watermarking is developing and i Image Recognition is the idea of simulating the visual functions of human brain which uses human eyes as the source of input to recognize and make decisions on the objects it sees. This became possible with the advent of cameras and advanced processing technologies. The idea is to copy the features exactly present in the pattern, that the brain uses to recognize images [6]. The image in the real world are captured and pre-processed in the desired format and stored in large chunks of memories. This is to provide the recognition program to compare the new image taken with the ones that has been pre-processed and stored. The comparison is done at the pixel level of the image which is expressed in a matrix form. The image is compared with the data set stored at pixel level and the decisions are made recognizing the image. This picture recognition method becomes a smarter solution with the availability of more number of data sets. With large number of trail and errors the system will get familiar and intelligent providing best solution for computer and robot vision technologies.
The main purpose of the paper is to determine the correlation of consumers' demographic factors on the impulse buying behavior with respect to a number of single impulsivity indicators and one collective indicator. The paper consists of theoretical and research aspects. The first part encompasses theoretical insights into the secondary research regarding impulse buying while the practical part presents the methodology and primary research results. With respect to the subject matter, research goals as well as previous findings and primary research results, corresponding hypotheses were set and mainly confirmed. Inter variable correlation and regression analysis has been performed to test the hypothesis. The results showed that demographic factors, such as the disposable income and age, are related to most impulse buying indicators and to the impulsivity collective indicator. However, educational qualification and gender produced marginal association with impulsive buying behavior. The paper also summarizes research limitations as well as the work contribution and future research guidelines.
Argostemma quarantena, a new rubiaceous species from Vagamon Hills of southern Western Ghats, India is described and illustrated here. The species shows similarities with two south Indian endemics, A. anupama and A. courtallense, but differs in many qualitative attributes. The present status of genus Argostemma in India is briefly discussed. An artificial key for the identification of Argostemma in Western Ghats is also provided.
Background: Preterm birth remains a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Identifying its risk factors is essential for developing targeted interventions to improve maternal and neonatal health. This study investigated the sociodemographic, obstetric, medical, and lifestyle risk factors associated with preterm birth among women who delivered at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, Southeast Nigeria. Methods: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted at ABSUTH. The study population comprised all the women who gave birth at the facility who met the criteria. Data were collected through structured interviewer-administered questionnaires and medical record reviews. Key variables included maternal age, education level, socioeconomic status, obstetric history, medical conditions, lifestyle factors, and antenatal care utilization. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 25, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 9125 deliveries were recorded during the period of this study, including 1,962 cases (preterm births, <37 weeks gestation) and 7,163 controls (term births, ≥37 weeks gestation). Chi-square analysis showed significant associations between preterm birth and maternal age (p < 0.05), low education level (p < 0.001), low socioeconomic status (p = 0.0351), previous preterm birth (p < 0.001), short pregnancy interval (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes (p < 0.001), infections (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), alcohol consumption (p < 0.001), and inadequate antenatal visits (p < 0.001). Logistic regression confirmed that hypertension, diabetes, infections, previous preterm birth, and inadequate antenatal visits were independent predictors of preterm birth. Conclusion: The findings highlight the multifactorial nature of preterm birth, with medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, and inadequate antenatal care playing crucial roles. Early identification and management of these risk factors through improved maternal health services and health education may reduce the burden of preterm birth in the study setting.
The % age elemental composition (ash, crude fat, crude protein, moisture and total carbohydrates) was determined in the Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc., Phaseolus lunatus Linn., and Phaseolus vulgaris Linn., legume flours. M. uniflorum contained moisture (8.9), ash (3.34), crude fat (1.30), crude protein (18.15) and total carbohydrate (68.31). Similarly, moisture (9.14), ash (3.73), crude fat (1.78), crude protein (22.64) and total carbohydrate (62.71) were estimated in P. lunatus. Meanwhile, P. vulgaris contained moisture (9.43), ash (3.61), crude fat (3.49), crude protein (19.46) and total carbohydrate (64.01). The gross, ash free, moisture and ash free calorific values were also determined. P. vulgaris showed the highest(3.91) and P. lunatus lowest (3.84), whereas M. uniflorum (3.86) caloric values (kcal/g), respectively. The elemental composition and caloric values of tested legume flours justify them as good sources of nutrition and energy.
Background The prevalence of diabetes is escalating globally, underscoring the need for comprehensive evidence to inform health systems in effectively addressing this epidemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of countries’ capacity to manage diabetes using latent class analysis (LCA) and to determine whether the patterns are associated with diabetes-related deaths and healthcare costs. Methods Eight indicators of country-level capacity were drawn from the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory dataset: the widespread availability of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) testing, existence of diabetes registry, national diabetes management guidelines, national strategy for diabetes care, blood glucose testing, diabetic retinopathy screening, sulfonylureas, and metformin in the public health sector. We performed LCA of these indicators, testing 1–5 class solutions, and selecting the best model based on Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC), entropy, corrected Akaike Information Criteria (cAIC), as well as theoretical interpretability. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between capacity to manage diabetes (based on the latent class a country belongs) and diabetes-related deaths and healthcare costs. Results We included 194 countries in this secondary analysis. Countries were classified into “high capacity” (88.7%) and “limited capacity” (11.3%) countries based on the two-class solution of the LCA (entropy = 0.91, cAIC = 1895.93, BIC = 1862.93). Limited capacity countries were mostly in Africa. Limited capacity countries had significantly higher percentage of their deaths attributable to diabetes (adjusted beta = 1.34; 95% CI: 0.15, 2.53; p = 0.027) compared to high capacity countries even after adjusting for income status and diabetes prevalence. Conclusions Our findings support the report by the Lancet commission on diabetes, which suggests that differences in diabetes outcomes among countries may be explained by variations in the capacity of and investments made in their health systems. Future studies should evaluate initiatives such as the WHO Global Diabetes Compact that are currently underway to improve the capacity of resource-limited countries.
In an era where technology prevails, entrepreneurs as well as marketers see the need to keep up with the fast pace of change or risk being outdated. Gone are the days when a pure-bricks business model will thrive well in current market scenario. It is practically impossible to design a marketing strategy without considering social networks. Social media had become really important gradient in today’s marketing mix in general and in promotion mix in particular. Adapting some form of marketing online through social media is a key node for all businesses, especially in an industry where trends constantly change such as fashion and handicrafts. The paper carries out empirical research to understand the effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool and an effort has been made to analyze the extent social media helps consumers in buying decision making. In addition strategies have been suggested for maximizing the effectiveness. Various statistical tests have been applied to support the research hypothesis.
Elephantopus scaber L., a medicinal plant from Myanmar, was studied to evaluate its biological activity. The activity of antimicrobial assessment showed that ethyl acetate extract exhibited moderate activity in contrast to all six tested organisms. Using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay with ascorbic acid as standard for antioxidant activity showed that ethyl acetate extract possessed 36.28 μg/mL. The in vivo antidiabetic activity with glipizide, as a standard hypoglycemic agent was employed to determine antidiabetic activity. The data parameter under observation for Elephantopus scaber L. reaches its peak at 135 min, with a 39.0% reduction. No toxic behavior was observed at the limited tested concentrations (2000 mg/kg and 5000 mg/kg) and it suggested a favorable safety profile.
Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences