Unani Medicines for Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

Background: Diabetes, especially Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), poses a significant global health challenge. Complementary and alternative medicine, such as Unani Medicine, has gained popularity for managing T2DM. Objective: This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Unani medications in T2DM management. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple electronic databases to identify relevant clinical trials. Inclusion criteria focused on original research articles examining the efficacy and safety of Unani medications in patients with T2DM. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed using established criteria, and meta-analyses were conducted to assess the efficacy of Unani medications on glycemic control. Results: Five randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses revealed that Unani medications significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose levels compared to control groups. However, the impact on HbA1c levels was not statistically significant. No adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: The findings of this review suggest that Unani medications hold promise in the management of T2DM, as evidenced by significant reductions in fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels. However, further investigation, particularly focusing on compounds like Qurs Gulnar, is essential to unravel their mechanisms and ascertain their long-term efficacy. Moreover, enhancing study quality would provide valuable insights into the role of Unani Medicine as a complementary or alternative therapy for T2DM. These efforts are critical for establishing Unani Medicine's place in the comprehensive management of T2DM.

A rapid aptamer-based fluorescence assay for the detection of lipopolysaccharides using SYBR Green I.

Lipopolysaccharides (endotoxins), found on Gram-negative bacteria, can trigger a severe immune response in humans leading to septic shock and in extreme cases, even death. Therefore, the detection and neutralization of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is of utmost importance in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) recommended detection method for LPS, the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay, is expensive, time consuming, complex, and is prone to interference from proteases. As an alternative, this paper proposes a rapid, label-free fluorescence-based assay using LPS-specific aptamers and the SYBR Green DNA stain. The proposed method has a detection limit of 0.1 ng/ml, which is sufficient to detect the permissible levels of LPS in many pharmaceutical drugs and medical products. The fluorescence signal was found to be a linear function of the concentration of LPS in the range from 0.1 ng/ml to 105 ng/ml.

Sex difference in body image, exercise motivation and social comparison among Instagram users: a cross sectional study.

In the 21 st century, impact of social media, particularly Social Networking Sites (SNSs) has been linked to a wide range of human beliefs and expectations. Growing body of research has indicated that body image concerns along with exercise motivation and social comparison are on the rise among young adults. The present study aimed to examine the sex difference in body image, exercise motivation and social comparison among people who use Instagram in the age group 20-30. A total of 212 participants (men=106, women=106) aged 20-30 years, who are users of Instagram completed Body Self Image Questionnaire Short Form as a measure of Body image, Exercise Motivation Inventory - 2 as a measure of Exercise Motivation and Instagram as a Tool for Social Comparison as a measure of Social Comparison. Results showed that a significant difference in body image exist across gender with body image issues higher among females and significant difference in exercise motivation across gender with exercise motivation higher among males. No sex differences were seen in social comparison. It was concluded that body image concerns are higher among females and the drive for exercise is higher among males who used Instagram. It was found that body image concerns were higher among people who exercised regularly as well as among those who followed fitness related pages on Instagram as compared to those who did not. These results provide an insight into the sex differences between the variables and future directions can be aimed at conducting an in-depth analysis using body image, exercise motivation and social comparison.

Validation of the Ayurvedic construct, Rasadhatudushti, in adults at risk of cardiovascular diseases - A mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: Rasadhatudushti (RD), the deranged state of Rasadhatu, is a construct in Ayurveda mentioned as the cause of diseases affecting the circulatory channels and the heart, collectively called cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It is a morbid condition generic to some other disorders, hence is non-specific to CVD. It was observed that RD was present in majority of acute coronary artery disease in a cross-sectional, descriptive study in 250 patients stabilized after an acute episode. OBJECTIVES: To validate the available scale for assessing RD in the context of CVD risk. To study the prevalence of RD in participants at risk of cardiovascular diseases. METHOD: In the first part, validation of the scale for assessing RD, as mentioned in the texts, was done through standard steps for scale validation in the context of CVD risk. Psychometric analysis was done after administering the draft scale of 39 items in 218 participants above the age of 40 years who were not yet diagnosed with overt CVD conditions. Construct validation was done by comparing mean score of Framingham global risk score in high and low RD scores and comparing the reduction in CVD risk score assessed by Qrisk®2-2017 by life style modification and a conventional RD correction as add on. Second part was a cross sectional survey study to estimate the prevalence of RD in a specific population vulnerable to CVD. This was done in a sample of 160 sedentary government employees of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala, aged above 40, using the validated RD assessment scale. RESULT: -The final scale to assess RD, 'RAS-RCVD', with 25 symptoms was found to have concurrent validity using WHO/ISH risk prediction as the reference standard. Framingham global risk score also showed significant but low positive correlation with eight as the cut off for RD score. The reduction in mean (SD) Qrisk score was 2.53 (3.22) in the trial group receiving RD correction drug and 0.30 (3.43) in the control with statistical significance (p < 0.05). The prevalence of RD as assessed by RD score above the cut off in the second part of the study was 49.4%. The prevalence of RD was significantly high in participants with moderate to high risk for CVD (61.3%). CONCLUSION: - The construct RD was observed to be valid in pre-clinical states of CVD. There was a high prevalence of this morbid construct in moderate to high-risk individuals. Ayurvedic CVD prevention strategies need to target on correction of RD along with individual risk factor management.

dsDNA-templated fluorescent copper nanoparticles for the detection of lipopolysaccharides.

The introduction of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or endotoxins that originate from Gram-negative bacteria into the human blood stream induces a severe immune response that can lead to septic shock, and even death. Hence, the accurate detection of LPS is of great importance in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. This paper proposes a novel label-free fluorescence assay for the detection of LPS utilizing aptamers and the interference synthesis of dsDNA-templated copper nanoparticles. The assay can be performed at room temperature and does not require expensive reagents. The proposed assay has a limit of detection of 0.95 ng ml-1 of LPS, and the fluorescence emission from the copper nanoparticles was found to vary linearly with the concentration of LPS over a wide range (1 to 105 ng ml-1) with R2 = 0.9877.

Migraine Disability, Quality of Life, and Its Predictors.

Background: Migraine is the most disabling primary headache and is the second most prevalent primary headache affecting middle-aged females more. However, diagnosis and treatment of migraine persists to be inadequate. Despite being a major cause of disability, works done to understand the burden and impact of migraine on daily living remains sparse. Migraine negatively affects one's sense of well-being in life, and understanding these factors will enable us to better manage the disease. Objective: To estimate the severity of disability and impairment in quality of life (QOL) secondary to migraine. To enumerate and analyze the factors predicting severity of disability and impairment in QOL secondary to migraine. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 108 consecutive migraineurs were studied. Headache impact, migraine disability, migraine-specific quality of life (MSQoL), and psychiatric comorbidities were studied using validated questionnaires. Results: Migraine was seen in 89 females and 19 males with most being in the age group of 20-40 years. Headaches had considerable to relentless impact on the sufferers. Majority of them had a highly significant disability and negatively impacted "MSQoL,", being affected in all the domains. There was also coexisting anxiety and depression with migraine. Conclusion: Migraine was more frequently seen in young- and middle-aged females. The longer duration, more frequent migraine attacks, and headache with substantial to severe impact were predictors of both disability and detrimental effects on QOL in migraineurs. Comorbid psychiatric conditions were found to be a significant contributary factor.

Enhancement of the fluorescence properties of double stranded DNA templated copper nanoparticles.

The weak fluorescence emission from dsDNA templated copper nanoparticles necessitates the use of high-end detectors like photomultiplier tubes for their detection. This sets limitations on their applicability to in-situ analyte detection and point-of-care applications which utilize comparatively low cost and less sensitive detectors. In this article, a technique to improve the fluorescence properties of copper nanoparticles templated on dsDNA is reported. The fluorescence enhancement is achieved by introducing a modification in the conventional synthesis technique by using a combination of sodium ascorbate and Taq buffer. When compared to the existing methods, the proposed method achieves 11 times higher fluorescence signal intensity from the dsDNA templated copper nanoparticles and 4 times faster attainment of maximum fluorescence signal. The effect of the ionic strength of the individual constituent components of Taq buffer on the fluorescence emission from the copper nanoparticles is also studied here. The utility of this enhancement strategy for analyte measurement is demonstrated with the example of melamine detection from milk samples. A linear relationship was observed between the fluorescence intensity from the copper nanoparticles and the concentration of melamine in the range from 0.5 ppm to 100 ppm (R2 = 0.9919), with a limit of detection of 0.1 ppm. The reported fluorescence enhancement technique also results in 2.95 times improved sensitivity of detection when compared to the conventional technique.

Alteration of Interferon Gamma (IFN-γ) in Human Plasma with Graded Physical Activity.

INTRODUCTION: Practice of regular exercise is beneficial for health. Physical exercises have been demonstrated to alter levels of the cytokine interferon Gamma in plasma. IFN-γ is known to be an anti-inflammatory cytokine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed the effect of single bout of moderate exercise and a single bout of strenuous exercise and one month of regular moderate exercise on plasma IFN-γ. The study consisted of 18 healthy volunteers (10 males and 8 females) with the mean age, 20.94 years, range, 18-25 years. The exercise regime adopted is the standardized 10m Shuttle Walk Test regime. IFN-γ was estimated using the Sandwich ELISA technique. The reagent kit was obtained from Duoset ELISA Development System of R & D Systems Europe Ltd. The readings were taken at 450nm using Organon Teknika Reader 230S. STATISTICAL METHODS: Friedman test has been used for analysing IFN-γ values. RESULTS: Mean and SD values of IFN-γ (in picograms per ml) for baseline (no exercise) was: 54.56 ± 28.54 (log transformation: 1.68±0.23), for acute moderate exercise: 28.94 ± 38.46 (log transformation: 1.34 ± 0.24), for acute strenuous exercise: 20.06 ± 16.96 (log transformation: 1.18 ±0.33) and after one month of regular moderate exercise: 106.33 ± 21.51 (log transformation: 2.02 ± 0.09). The change in IFN-γ levels showed significant difference between; a) baseline and moderate exercise, b) baseline and strenuous exercise, c) moderate and strenuous exercise, d) strenuous exercise and end of one month of regular moderate exercise, e) baseline and end of one month of regular moderate exercise, f) moderate exercise and end of one month of regular moderate exercise. IFN-γ showed overall significance between different grades of exercise (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Plasma IFN-γ decreases with one bout of acute moderate exercise, it decreases further with one bout of acute strenuous exercise and increases at end of one month of regular moderate exercise, which is more than baseline value. This shows that regular moderate exercise has beneficial effects on health by way of increasing plasma IFN-γ level.