Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2024 in |
Objective: To understand the magnitude of vaccine hesitancy, its proximal determinants, and recommend specific interventions to address it in Mewat district (also known as Nuh), Haryana. Design: A mixed-method study design was adopted which involved: Household survey (479 households) and key informant interviews with healthcare providers (10 service providers). Setting: Four blocks namely, Nuh, Ferozepur-Jhirka, Punahana, and Taoru of Mewat district, Haryana. Results: In Mewat, age-appropriate vaccination was observed in 48.8% of the children, whereas 31.6% were partially vaccinated and 19.6% were unvaccinated. Fear of side effects of vaccination (35.0%) was one of the main reasons for partial and no immunization. About 22.1% of households in Mewat were either hesitant or refused to vaccinate their children. Out of all four blocks, Punahana block had 33.3%, the highest proportion of vaccine hesitant or refusal households. A strong patriarchal society with low women empowerment was observed in the community while interacting with beneficiaries and front-line-workers. Further, there existed a misconception that vaccines cause infertility, which leads to gender disparity in immunization...
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Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2024 in |
Alcohol-related liver diseases and their associated damage pose significant health concerns globally. Among potential remedies, esculetin, a saturated dicarboxylic acid known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes, stands out. This study aims to explore the hepatoprotective effects of esculetin in rat models afflicted by liver damage induced by ethanol+ lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To emulate alcoholic liver damage, adult Wistar rats were subjected to 10 days of ethanol (5 mL/kg b.w) and a single dose of LPS (5 mL/kg b.w) orally on the 11th day. Esculetin was administered orally to rats for the same 11 days duration, at doses of 50 mg/kg b.w, with a one-hour interval before inducer administration. The results revealed a remarkable reduction in the elevated levels of serum enzymes AST, ALT, ALP, and GGT following esculetin treatment, effectively restoring them to normal levels. Moreover, esculetin exhibited a substantial decrease in liver lipid peroxidation levels compared to the ethanol and ethanol+LPS group, indicating its potent management of severe oxidative stress. The addition of esculetin to the ethanol and...
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Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2024 in |
Traditional herbal remedies predate all other medicinal systems for thousands of years. The physicochemical and phytochemical analysis of Impatiens balsamina flowers reveals valuable insights into its composition, emphasizing its potential in herbal medicine and food science. The total ash content was 7.45 g/100 g, with significant portions of acid-insoluble (2.67 g/100 g) and water-soluble ash (3.28 g/100 g), indicating mineral richness. The extract was more soluble in water (18.32 g/100 g) than in alcohol (12.45 g/100 g), suggesting the predominance of water-soluble bioactive compounds. The low moisture content (8.67 g/100 g) ensures good storage stability. Organoleptic analysis highlighted its pale pink color, soft texture, astringent taste, and floral aroma. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of essential bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, and saponins across various solvent extracts. These results underscore the therapeutic and nutritional potential of Impatiens balsamina flowers for diverse applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and...
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Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2024 in |
Medicinal plants are presently viewed as being of great value because of their unique qualities as a significant source of medicinal phytochemicals that might result in the creation of new medications. Oldenlandia pumila (L.f.) DC. belong to Rubiaceae family and found as a weed throughout India. Oldenlandia pumila (L.f.) DC. has antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiplasmodial activities. The effects of three different solvents were investigated in the current study to determine the presence of phytochemicals, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant assay. The preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids whereas finding the absence of proteins and glycosides in the various extracts. Phytochemical analysis showed that Oldenlandia pumila (L.f.) DC. contained TPC ranging from (82.235 ± 0.005 mg to 424 ± 0.005 mg GAE /g) while TFC ranging from (38 ± 0.006 mg to 336 ± 0.006 mg GAE /g). The TAC ranges from (18.285 ± 0.007 to 89 ± 0.006 mg AE/g) and the TAC ranging from (64.8 ±...
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Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2024 in |
Background: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection, and its persistence can lead to cervical cancer. It can be prevented by vaccines. Objectives: The study was conducted with the objective of analyzing knowledge, attitude, and practice towards HPV infection and the acceptability of vaccination among medical students. Methodology: Around 405 students in a tertiary care centre were randomly selected. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire and statistically analyzed using MS Excel and SPSS version 16. Results: Clinical students had significantly (p<0.01) better knowledge than non-clinical students in areas like HPV and cervical cancer (99%, 91%), sexual transmission (98%, 86%), and HPV vaccine (92%, 74%). Non-clinical students significantly (p<0.01) differ from clinical students by agreeing in areas related to vaccination, perceived as “sexually active” (32%, 22%), parent’s decision (40%, 25%) and partner’s opinion (81%, 56%). None of the students were ever screened for HPV infection or cervical cancer. No difference was seen between the phases related to HPV transmission through direct contact and non-curability. Conclusions: Clinical...
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