Participatory asset mapping and photovoice interviews to scope cultural and community resources to reduce alcohol harm in Chitwan, Nepal.

AIMS: To scope the breadth of existing cultural and community assets and how alcohol drinkers and community health workers perceived them in relation to reducing alcohol-related harm. METHODS: The study was conducted in Chitwan, south-central Nepal, which has considerable alcohol problems. Participatory asset mapping was conducted using field notes, photography, and through engaging with communities to explore how community assets affect alcohol consumption. Semi-structured photovoice interviews were conducted with harmful/hazardous drinkers (AUDIT score 8 to 19) and community health workers. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit participants. During interviews, participants used their photographs to reflect on how community assets influenced alcohol use. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: We recruited 12 harmful/hazardous drinkers (3 females) and 6 health workers (2 females). The mean AUDIT score of the former was 12.17 (SD ±2.86). Thematic analysis of the photovoice interviews produced three themes: 'influences and impact of families and communities'; 'culture and spirituality'; and 'nature and the environment'. The community mapping produced five assets that promoted alcohol consumption: (1) availability; (2) advertising; (3) negative attitudes towards users; (4) festivals/gatherings; and (5) illiteracy/poverty. Six assets that discouraged consumption were: (1) legislation restricting use; (2) community organisations; (3) cultural/spiritual sites; (4) healthcare facilities; (5) family and communities; and (6) women's community groups. Those from certain ethnic groups consumed more alcohol, experienced more family discord, or felt stigmatised due to their drinking. Assets 'festivals/gatherings' and 'negative attitudes toward users' and the theme 'family and communities' concerned with relationships and community activities were perceived to both promote and reduce alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new insight into a variety of cultural and community assets that promote and reduce alcohol use. The study identifies new possibilities to build on visual participatory and arts-based methods that have potential to be effectively implemented at scale.

Microplastics in environment: global concern, challenges, and controlling measures.

Plastic pollution in various forms has emerged as the most severe environmental threat. Small plastic chunks, such as microplastics and nanoplastics derived from primary and secondary sources, are a major concern worldwide due to their adverse effects on the environment and public health. Several years have been spent developing robust spectroscopic techniques that should be considered top-notch; however, researchers are still trying to find efficient and straightforward methods for the analysis of microplastics but have yet to develop a viable solution. Because of the small size of these degraded plastics, they have been found in various species, from human brains to blood and digestive systems. Several pollution-controlling methods have been tested in recent years, and these methods are prominent and need to be developed. Bacterial degradation, sunlight-driven photocatalyst, fuels, and biodegradable plastics could be game-changers in future research on plastic pollution control. However, recent fledgling steps in controlling methods appear insufficient due to widespread contamination. As a result, proper regulation of environmental microplastics is a significant challenge, and the most equitable way to manage plastic pollution. Therefore, this paper discusses the current state of microplastics, some novel and well-known identification techniques, strategies for overcoming microplastic effects, and needed solutions to mitigate this planetary pollution. This review article, we believe, will fill a void in the field of plastic identification and pollution mitigation research.

Decreased mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis with aspirin use: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis is a rapidly progressive disease with high mortality rates of about 60 per cent. The increasing incidence of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in coronavirus disease 2019 patients in India and worldwide has become a matter of concern owing to the case fatality rate. This study explored the use of low dose aspirin in decreasing the mortality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis. METHOD: This was a retrospective observational study. Patients suffering from post-coronavirus disease 2019 mucormycosis were included in the study. Each patient was treated with surgical debridement and systemic amphotericin B. Low dose aspirin was added, and mortality rates were compared with the patients who did not receive aspirin. RESULTS: The demographic data and rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis staging between the two groups were not significantly different. There was a statistically significant difference in mortality outcomes between the two groups (p = 0.029) and a 1.77 times higher risk of dying for patients not receiving aspirin. Kaplan-Meier survival indicated that patients receiving aspirin had better survival rates (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Low dose aspirin improves survival rates in coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis.

Surface acoustic wave assisted depinning of magnetic domain walls.

We investigate the effects of high frequency strain on the depinning of magnetic domain walls in perpendicular anisotropy materials. Micron wide stripes of [Co(0.3 nm)/Pt(0.6 nm)]5are patterned between a pair of identical inter-digital transducers that generate high frequency (114.8 MHz) standing surface acoustic waves. We use magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy to characterize the thermally-assisted depinning of domain walls at defect sites within the strips. Our results show that the excitation of the domain walls with surface acoustic waves results in an increase in their depinning probabilities by approximately a factor of 10. Our data are consistent with a model in which the magnetoelastic anisotropies induced by the acoustic waves modulate the energy barriers that pin the domain walls. These results suggest an alternative route to domain wall depinning in thin films and nanostructures and are relevant to the development of racetrack memories, where domain wall pinning can result in reduced velocities and non-deterministic motion.

The Band-Gap Studies of Short-Period CdO/MgO Superlattices.

Trends in the behavior of band gaps in short-period superlattices (SLs) composed of CdO and MgO layers were analyzed experimentally and theoretically for several thicknesses of CdO sublayers. The optical properties of the SLs were investigated by means of transmittance measurements at room temperature in the wavelength range 200-700 nm. The direct band gap of {CdO/MgO} SLs were tuned from 2.6 to 6 eV by varying the thickness of CdO from 1 to 12 monolayers while maintaining the same MgO layer thickness of 4 monolayers. Obtained values of direct and indirect band gaps are higher than those theoretically calculated by an ab initio method, but follow the same trend. X-ray measurements confirmed the presence of a rock salt structure in the SLs. Two oriented structures (111 and 100) grown on c- and r-oriented sapphire substrates were obtained. The measured lattice parameters increase with CdO layer thickness, and the experimental data are in agreement with the calculated results. This new kind of SL structure may be suitable for use in visible, UV and deep UV optoelectronics, especially because the energy gap can be precisely controlled over a wide range by modulating the sublayer thickness in the superlattices.

Neuroanatomy and behavior in mice with a haploinsufficiency of AT-rich interactive domain 1B (ARID1B) throughout development.

BACKGROUND: One of the causal mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is chromatin modification and the genes that regulate chromatin. AT-rich interactive domain 1B (ARID1B), a chromatin modifier, has been linked to autism spectrum disorder and to affect rare and inherited genetic variation in a broad set of NDDs. METHODS: A novel preclinical mouse model of Arid1b deficiency was created and validated to characterize and define neuroanatomical, behavioral and transcriptional phenotypes. Neuroanatomy was assessed ex vivo in adult animals and in vivo longitudinally from birth to adulthood. Behavioral testing was also performed throughout development and tested all aspects of motor, learning, sociability, repetitive behaviors, seizure susceptibility, and general milestones delays. RESULTS: We validated decreased Arid1b mRNA and protein in Arid1b+/- mice, with signatures of increased axonal and synaptic gene expression, decreased transcriptional regulator and RNA processing expression in adult Arid1b+/- cerebellum. During neonatal development, Arid1b+/- mice exhibited robust impairments in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and metrics of developmental growth. In addition, a striking sex effect was observed neuroanatomically throughout development. Behaviorally, as adults, Arid1b+/- mice showed low motor skills in open field exploration and normal three-chambered approach. Arid1b+/- mice had learning and memory deficits in novel object recognition but not in visual discrimination and reversal touchscreen tasks. Social interactions in the male-female social dyad with USVs revealed social deficits on some but not all parameters. No repetitive behaviors were observed. Brains of adult Arid1b+/- mice had a smaller cerebellum and a larger hippocampus and corpus callosum. The corpus callosum increase seen here contrasts previous reports which highlight losses in corpus callosum volume in mice and humans. LIMITATIONS: The behavior and neuroimaging analyses were done on separate cohorts of mice, which did not allow a direct correlation between the imaging and behavioral findings, and the transcriptomic analysis was exploratory, with no validation of altered expression beyond Arid1b. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents a full validation and investigation of a novel model of Arid1b+/- haploinsufficiency throughout development and highlights the importance of examining both sexes throughout development in NDDs.

Effect of Yarcha Gumba (O sinensis) on Male Reproductive System in Rat.

The present study was undertaken to assess the aphrodisiac effect of O sinensis. It was a pre-clinical experimental case-control study performed in the Department of Pharmacology, RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata, India; from February 2019 to March 2019 using Wister rat model. One group of rats was given the test drug suspension (10mg/kg body weight) and the control group animals received the same volume of vehicle devoid of drug orally for 10 days. Sexual behaviour of individual rats was studied on 9th day of treatment with oestrogenized female Wister rats. On 10th day of treatment the animals were sacrificed by decapitation. After collection of blood sera from each animal; serum LH, FSH, testosterone and nitric oxide were assessed. Histological assessment of testes was done. Improved sexual behaviour, hypertrophy of Leydig cells, significant increase in serum LH (1.248 vs. 1.448mIU/ml), FSH (0.324 vs. 0.413mIU/ml) testosterone (3.120 vs. 4.498ng/ml) and nitric oxide (0.01757 vs. 0.02690nM/ml) were noted. Elevated NO titre in animals treated with O sinensis extract might be the cause of good erection capacity and increased libido in them. Nevertheless, result of the present study points that the active principle of O sinensis also acts on LHRH receptors present in pituitary gonadotrophs evidenced by significant increase in serum LH and FSH and indicating great aphrodisiac property.

Plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria augment growth and salinity tolerance in rice plants.

Salt stress negatively affects growth and development of plants. However, it is hypothesized that plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria can greatly alleviate the adverse effects of salinity and can promote growth and development of plants. In the present research, we aimed to isolate endophytic bacteria from halotolerant plants and evaluate their capacity for promoting crop plant growth. The bacterial endophytes were isolated from selected plants inhabiting sand dunes at Pohang beach, screened for plant growth-promoting traits and applied to rice seedlings under salt stress (NaCl; 150 mm). Out of 59 endophytic bacterial isolates, only six isolates, i.e. Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum SAK1, Curtobacterium luteum SAK2, Enterobacter ludwigii SAK5, Bacillus cereus SA1, Micrococcus yunnanensis SA2, Enterobacter tabaci SA3, resulted in a significant increase in the growth of Waito-C rice. The cultural filtrates of bacterial endophytes were tested for phytohormones, including indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellins and organic acids. Inoculation of the selected strains considerably reduced the amount of endogenous ABA in rice plants under NaCl stress, however, they increased GSH and sugar content. Similarly, these strains augmented the expression of flavin monooxygenase (OsYUCCA1) and auxin efflux carrier (OsPIN1) genes under salt stress. In conclusion, the pragmatic application of the above selected bacterial strains alleviated the adverse effects of NaCl stress and enhanced rice growth attributes by producing various phytohormones.

Translational outcomes in a full gene deletion of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A rat model of Angelman syndrome.

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by developmental delay, impaired communication, motor deficits and ataxia, intellectual disabilities, microcephaly, and seizures. The genetic cause of AS is the loss of expression of UBE3A (ubiquitin protein ligase E6-AP) in the brain, typically due to a deletion of the maternal 15q11-q13 region. Previous studies have been performed using a mouse model with a deletion of a single exon of Ube3a. Since three splice variants of Ube3a exist, this has led to a lack of consistent reports and the theory that perhaps not all mouse studies were assessing the effects of an absence of all functional UBE3A. Herein, we report the generation and functional characterization of a novel model of Angelman syndrome by deleting the entire Ube3a gene in the rat. We validated that this resulted in the first comprehensive gene deletion rodent model. Ultrasonic vocalizations from newborn Ube3am-/p+ were reduced in the maternal inherited deletion group with no observable change in the Ube3am+/p- paternal transmission cohort. We also discovered Ube3am-/p+ exhibited delayed reflex development, motor deficits in rearing and fine motor skills, aberrant social communication, and impaired touchscreen learning and memory in young adults. These behavioral deficits were large in effect size and easily apparent in the larger rodent species. Low social communication was detected using a playback task that is unique to rats. Structural imaging illustrated decreased brain volume in Ube3am-/p+ and a variety of intriguing neuroanatomical phenotypes while Ube3am+/p- did not exhibit altered neuroanatomy. Our report identifies, for the first time, unique AS relevant functional phenotypes and anatomical markers as preclinical outcomes to test various strategies for gene and molecular therapies in AS.

Antibacterial activities of the extracts, fractions and isolated compounds from Canarium patentinervium Miq. against bacterial clinical isolates.

BACKGROUND: Canarium patentinervium leaves are used by the local indigenous people of Malaysia for wound healing. The current study is undertaken to screen the comprehensive antibacterial activity of the leaves and barks extracts, fractions and isolated compounds from this plant. Bioassay guided fractionation was also undertaken to deeply evaluate the antibacterial activity of the water fraction of the leaves extract. This is to provide preliminary scientific evidence to the ethnopharmacology usage of this plant by investigating antibacterial properties of the plant and its isolated constituents. METHODS: Bio-assay guided fractionation and subsequent isolation of compounds using open column chromatography. The antibacterial activity against gram positive and gram negative ATCC strain and resistant clinical strains were evaluated using microtiter broth dilution method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and time-kill assay. The chemical structure of the isolated compounds from the water fraction of the ethanol extract of leaves was elucidated using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). RESULTS: The ethanol extract of the leaves and barks showed antimicrobial activity against all four ATCC and eight clinical isolates. The ethanol extract of the leaves and the corresponding water fraction had good activity against MRSA S. aureus. (MIC: 250 µg/ml) and had bactericidal effect on eight of the clinical strains (MSSA,MRSA, oxacillin-resistant CONS, oxacillin-sensitive CONS, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiela species, Kleb pneumoniae ESBL and Candida parapsilosis). Further phytochemical investigation of the water fraction of the crude ethanol extract of leaves afforded compound 7 (hyperin) and compound 8 (cynaroside) that had bactericidal activity against tested bacterial species (MIC 50 µg/ml and 100 µg/ml). The two compounds were isolated from this genus for the first time. CONCLUSIONS: These results may provide a rational support for the traditional use of Canarium patentinervium Miq. in infections and wound healing, since the antimicrobial compounds isolated were also present in the leaves extract.

Effectiveness of daily rinsing of alfalfa sprouts with aqueous chlorine dioxide and ozonated water on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during sprouting.

Alfalfa sprouts have been implicated in multiple foodborne disease outbreaks. This study evaluated the growth of Listeria monocytogenes during sprouting of alfalfa seeds and the effectiveness of daily chlorine dioxide & ozone rinsing in controlling the growth. Alfalfa seeds inoculated with L. monocytogenes were sprouted for 5 days (25°C) with a daily aqueous ClO2 (3 ppm, 10 min) or ozone water (2 ppm, 5 min) rinse. Neither treatment significantly reduced the growth of L. monocytogenes on sprouting alfalfa seeds. The initial level of L. monocytogenes was 3·44 ± 0·27, which increased to c. 7·0 log CFU per g following 3 days of sprouting. There was no significant difference in the bacterial population between the treatment schemes. Bacterial distribution in roots (7·63 ± 0·511 log CFU per g), stems (7·51 ± 0·511 log CFU per g) and leaves (7·41 ± 0·511 log CFU per g) were similar after 5 days. Spent sanitizers had significantly lower levels of bacterial populations compared to the spent distilled water control. The results indicated that sprouting process provides a favourable condition for the growth of L. monocytogenes and the sanitizer treatment alone may not be able to reduce food safety risks. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Sprouts are high-risk foods. Consumption of raw sprouts is frequently associated with foodborne disease outbreaks. Optimum sprouting procedure involves soaking seeds in water followed by daily water rinsing to maintain a moist environment that is also favourable for the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms. The present study emphasized the potential food safety risks during sprouting and the effect of applying daily sanitizer rinsing in the place of water rinsing to reduce those risks. The finding of this study may be useful in the development of pre-harvest and post-harvest risk management strategies.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte Ratio and C-reactive Protein Level in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Before and After Pharmacotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) level are useful biomarkers of inflammation. This study aimed to assess NLR and CRP level in patients with major depressive disorder before and after pharmacotherapy to determine whether NLR or CRP could be used as biomarkers of severity of major depression and whether there was any sex difference. METHODOLOGY: Patients with major depression who received no pharmacotherapy 1 month prior to the study were included. Their haemoglobin, total white blood cell count, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, NLR, and CRP levels were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks post pharmacotherapy, as were the Montgomery Asberg Rating Scale for Depression, the Scale for Impact of Suicidality Management and Assessment and Planning of Care (SIS-MAP), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale - Severity. RESULTS: 24 male and 26 female patients were included. At 12 weeks after pharmacotherapy, males had a higher haemoglobin level (p = 0.025), higher total white blood cell count (p = 0.018), and lower percentage of neutrophils (p = 0.019) than females. There was no sex difference in NLR or CRP. From baseline to 12 weeks, males had no significant change in any blood parameter, but females had a significantly greater increase in the percentage of neutrophils (p = 0.0001) and decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes (p = 0.012), resulting in a significantly increased NLR (p = 0.001). Both males and females had significant improvement on all 3 scales (p < 0.001). At 12 weeks, in males, the increase in NLR positively correlated with CRP as well as the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the SIS-MAP, but not the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale. In females, the increase in NLR did not correlate with CRP or any of the scales. CONCLUSION: In female patients, the NLR increased in response to antidepressant therapy while CRP remained unchanged. This indicated that inflammation has a role in the pathogenesis of major depression.

Lower Genital Tract Trauma in A Tertiary Care Centre in Mid-Western Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: The study of lower genital tract trauma has become important in gynaecological practice. There is paucity of reports on this clinical entity from our settings. The main aim of this study is to document injuries in female lower genital tract in Mid-Western Nepal. METHODS: Sixty female patients admitted to the hospital with genital tract injuries caused by coitus or accidents were included in the study. Details of the causes of trauma clinical presentations and management were recorded. RESULTS: These injuries were grouped according to etiological factors. This study included 33 (55%) coital injuries and 27 (45%) non- coital injuries. Out of coital injury, 12 cases were criminal assault (rape) in age group of 4 to 18 years. Four unmarried girls had consensual sex. Non-coital injuries were due to fall from height, cattle horn injuries, straddle type of trauma, vulvar haematoma and anorectal injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate surgical intervention can avert morbidity and mortality.

Oleanolic acid from antifilarial triterpene saponins of Dipterocarpus zeylanicus induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in filarial parasite Setaria digitata in vitro.

Absence of a drug that kills adult filarial parasites remains the major challenge in eliminating human lymphatic filariasis (LF); the second leading cause of long-term and permanent disability. Thus, the discovery of novel antifilarial natural products with potent adulticidal activity is an urgent need. In the present study, methanol extracts of leaves, bark and winged seeds of Dipterocarpus zeylanicus (Dipterocarpaceae) were investigated for macro and microfilaricidal activity. Two antifilarial triterpene saponins were isolated from winged seed extracts by bioactivity guided chromatographic separation and identified using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and mass spectroscopic analysis as oleanolic acid 3-O-ß-D- glucopyranoside (1) (IC50 = 20.54 µM for adult worms, 19.71 µM for microfilariae ) and oleanolic acid 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside (2) (IC50 = 29.02 µM for adult worms, 25.99 µM for microfilariae). Acid hydrolysis of both compounds yielded oleanolic acid (3) which was non or least toxic to human peripheral blood mono nuclear cells (Selectivity index = >10) while retaining similar macrofilaricidal (IC50 = 38.4 µM) and microfilaricidal (IC50 = 35.6 µM) activities. In adult female worms treated with 50 and 100 µM doses of oleanolic acid, condensation of nuclear DNA, apoptotic body formation and tissue damage was observed by using Hoechst 33342 staining, TUNEL assay and Hematoxylin and Eosin staining respectively. A dose dependent increase in caspase 3/CED3 activity and decrease in total protein content were also observed in these parasites. A dose dependant DNA fragmentation was observed in adult parasites and microfilariae. Decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and elevated levels of glutathione S transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were also observed in parasites treated with oleanolic acid indicating an oxidative stress mediated apoptotic event. Compound 3/oleanolic acid was thus identified as a potent and safe antifilarial compound in vitro.

Mechanical coordination in motor ensembles revealed using engineered artificial myosin filaments.

The sarcomere of muscle is composed of tens of thousands of myosin motors that self-assemble into thick filaments and interact with surrounding actin-based thin filaments in a dense, near-crystalline hexagonal lattice. Together, these actin-myosin interactions enable large-scale movement and force generation, two primary attributes of muscle. Research on isolated fibres has provided considerable insight into the collective properties of muscle, but how actin-myosin interactions are coordinated in an ensemble remains poorly understood. Here, we show that artificial myosin filaments, engineered using a DNA nanotube scaffold, provide precise control over motor number, type and spacing. Using both dimeric myosin V- and myosin VI-labelled nanotubes, we find that neither myosin density nor spacing has a significant effect on the gliding speed of actin filaments. This observation supports a simple model of myosin ensembles as energy reservoirs that buffer individual stochastic events to bring about smooth, continuous motion. Furthermore, gliding speed increases with cross-bridge compliance, but is limited by Brownian effects. As a first step to reconstituting muscle motility, we demonstrate human ß-cardiac myosin-driven gliding of actin filaments on DNA nanotubes.

Acute Pulmonary Embolism after Cesarean Section.

Pregnancy is a well-known state of hypercoagubality, increasing the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). It is more common with cesarean delivery than vaginal delivery. Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is under diagnosed during pregnancy and postpartum period as majority of signs and symptoms of PE are non-specific. We describe a case of 35-yearold obese female who suffered a syncopal attack following caesarean delivery and was diagnosed to have pulmonary embolism. A high index of suspicion is required for the timely diagnosis and treatment of PE as most of the signs and symptoms of PE are nonspecific. It is important to consider VTE prophylaxis especially in patients with risk factors.

Evaluation of Phytochemical Screening and Anti Inflammatory Activity of Leaves and Stem of Mikania scandens (L.) Wild.

BACKGROUND: The greatest disadvantage in the presently available potent synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs lies in their toxicity and reappearance of symptoms after discontinuation. Hence, people are returning to the natural products with the hope of safety and security. Several species of Mikania have been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. AIM: The present study aims to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves and stem of Mikania scandens in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vitro bioassay consisted of assaying the effect of the extracts against denaturation of protein (egg albumin) and measuring the absorbance. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity was checked by measuring the percentage inhibition of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema after oral administration of the extracts to male Wistar rats. RESULTS: The plant extracts revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids and flavonoids in both the leaf and stem extracts. The in vitro study of leaf extracts of M. scandens demonstrated that at 16000 µg/ml concentration a better anti-inflammatory activity was exhibited which is more than the stem extracts. Similarly in the in vivo study, carrageenan induced inflammation was significantly antagonized by M. scandens leaf extract, with inhibition of 50% at 1000 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The ethanolic extract of both leaf and stem of M. scandens showed potent anti-inflammatory activity. In comparison the leaf extract found to be more potent in both the conditions in vivo and in vitro, comparing with the standard drug diclofenac sodium and traditional control rumalaya perhaps due to the presence of phytochemicals like alkaloids and flavonoids in the plant.

The antiacetylcholinesterase and antileishmanial activities of Canarium patentinervium Miq.

In continuation of our natural and medicinal research programme on tropical rainforest plants, a bioassay guided fractionation of ethanolic extract of leaves of Canarium patentinervium Miq. (Burseraceae Kunth.) led to the isolation of scopoletin (1), scoparone (2), (+)-catechin (3), vomifoliol (4), lioxin (5), and syringic acid (6). All the compounds exhibited antiacetylcholinesterase activity with syringic acid, a phenolic acid exhibiting good AChE inhibition (IC50 29.53 ± 0.19 µ g/mL). All compounds displayed moderate antileishmanial activity with scopoletin having the highest antileishmanial activity (IC50 163.30 ± 0.32 µ g/mL). Given the aforementioned evidence, it is tempting to speculate that Canarium patentinervium Miq. represents an exciting scaffold from which to develop leads for treatment of neurodegenerative and parasitic diseases.

Pregnancy attitudes, contraceptive service utilization, and other factors associated with Los Angeles homeless youths' use of effective contraception and withdrawal.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand the associations of contraceptive service utilization (ie, accessing condoms or birth control), pregnancy attitudes, and lifetime pregnancy history among male and female homeless youth in relation to use of effective contraception and withdrawal. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Between October 2011 and February 2012, homeless youth (14-27 years old) from 2 drop-in centers in Los Angeles (N = 380) were recruited and completed a questionnaire. The data in this paper are restricted to those who reported vaginal sex at last sex (N = 283). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analyses examined history of foster care, sexual abuse, exchange sex, pregnancy, lifetime homelessness duration, current living situation, contraceptive service utilization, and pregnancy attitudes in predicting use of effective contraception and withdrawal at last sex. RESULTS: Over 62% of females and 43% of males report having ever been pregnant or impregnating someone. There are no gender-based differences in pregnancy attitudes; 21% agree they would like to become pregnant within the year. Additionally, there are no gender-based differences in reported contraceptive use at last vaginal sex. In the multivariable model, high school education, contraceptive service utilization (Relative Risk Ratio [RRR]: 4.0), and anti-pregnancy attitudes (RRR: 1.3) are significant positive predictors of using effective contraception; anti-pregnancy attitudes (RRR: 1.2) and gender (RRR: 0.3) are significantly associated with using withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals should acknowledge that some homeless youth desire pregnancy; for those that do not, access to effective contraception is important. Programs must continue to promote pregnancy prevention, and include discussions of healthy pregnancy habits for pregnancy-desiring youth.