Determinants of Tobacco Use among Children of a Rural Village in India: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Background: Tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths. It is both a major social and health problem. According to National Sample Survey Organization of Government of India about 20 million children of ages 10-14 are estimated to be tobacco-addicted. There are grave consequences of tobacco both socially and also on health thus it is of utmost importance to understand the factors leading to its use and to plan strategies to reduce its intake. However, the health implications of this social issue in a rural context have not been explored. Aims and Objective: this study makes an attempt to explore the health and social implications of tobacco usage by the children below the age of 14 years in hamlet. Materials and Methods:  The present study employed a qualitative study design. Data was collected using focus group discussion and in-depth interview of key informants. Thematic analysis for exploring the explicit and implicit meanings within the data was done. The themes which emerged were knowledge about tobacco and the various products available, children and parents’ tobacco use and habits, the health and social implication of tobacco use, reasons for tobacco use by the children. Results: It was found tobacco use by the children was very common in the community. Parent, peer pressure, sibling pressure were found to be playing important role in the initiation of tobacco habit by the child. Further illiteracy and lack of awareness was also lead to tobacco use among children. Conclusion: The study identifies education and awareness of parents about the ill-effects of tobacco play an important role as parents act as role model for their children, thus equal stress should be laid in improving the parental habits. Even raising the prices of tobacco products can help in controlling this habit.     

The ‘space’ of friendship: young children's understandings and expressions of friendship in a reception class

The purpose of this study has been to explore young children's understandings and experiences of friendship as these manifested in children's behaviours, in a reception class setting. Drawing on an evolutionary, ecological framework, friendship is seen as not only the expression and further development of social understandings and cognitive advances; more than that, making and maintaining friends is seen as an evolutionary trait and a ‘drive’ to relate to similarly minded others. Through ‘niche picking’, children select the environments and opportunities that suit them in order to develop their dispositions and individual traits. The research employed a participatory design in order to capture the children's views and experiences. It took place in a reception class setting, where children's everyday experiences were observed and discussed with them. The study identified six themes of analysis and offered some suggestions about creating enabling educational environments that allow the ‘space’ for niche construction.     

Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology

Introduction

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice.

Exploration of D022-Type Al3TM(TM = Sc,Ti, V,Zr, Nb,Hf, Ta): Elastic Anisotropy,Electronic Structures,Work Function and Experimental Design

The structural properties, elastic anisotropy, electronic structures and work function of D0₂₂-type Al₃TM (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Hf, Ta) are studied using the first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the obtained formation enthalpy and cohesive energy of these compounds are in accordance with the other calculated values. It is found that the Al₃Zr is the most thermodynamic stable compound. The mechanical property indexes, such as elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and Vickers hardness are systematically explored. Moreover, the calculated universal anisotropic index, percent anisotropy and shear anisotropic factors of D0₂₂-type Al₃TM are analyzed carefully. It demonstrates that the shear modulus anisotropy of Al₃La is the strongest, while that of Al₃Ta is the weakest. In particular, the density of states at Fermi level is not zero, suggesting that these phases have metal properties and electrical conductivity. More importantly, the mechanisms of correlation between hardness and Young’s modulus are further explained by the work function. Finally, the experimental design proves that D0₂₂-Al₃Ta has an excellent strengthening effect.     

Design and synthesis of novel organometallic complexes using boronated phenylalanine derivatives as potential anticancer agents

Drug design and discovery studies are important because of the prevalence of diseases without available medical cures. New anticancer agents are particularly urgent because of the high mortality rate associated with cancer. A series of mononuclear gold (III) and platinum (II) complexes based on boronated phenylalanine (BPA) were designed and synthesized using 4,4’-dimethyl-2,2’-dipyridyl (L1) or 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dion (L2) ligands to obtain promising anticancer drug candidates. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses were utilized for chemical characterizations. Cell viability, cancer cell colony formation, endothelial tube formation, and cytoskeleton staining assays were performed using A549 lung adenocarcinoma and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to investigate preliminary pharmacological activities. L1-based platinum (II) complex (BPA-L1-Pt) was the most promising complex, and has similar activity with the approved chemotherapy drug cis-platinum. Half maximal inhibitory concentration values for BPA-L1-Pt were 9.15 µM on A549s and 16.61 µM on HUVECs; the values for cis-platinum were 5.24 µM on A549s and 23.14 µM on HUVECs. Consequently, further synthesis studies should be performed to boost the cancer cell selectivity feature of BPA by varying metal and ligand types.     

Manipulation and free will in shared decision making

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on patient involvement in treatment planning in the health care system. To reduce the risk of the clinician moving towards paternalism, various methods have been introduced—shared decision making, among others. The goal of shared decision making is for the clinician and patient to share available evidence on the best treatment and to raise awareness on the needs and preferences of the patient as to make a genuinely informed choice. However, in the present article, we discuss to which degree paternalism can be avoided in light of the clinician's role as an authority with certain knowledge and expertise. Through the philosophical theory of reasons‐responsiveness, we discuss to which extend free will and control applies to the patient. Through theoretical analysis, we come to suggest that the clinician has a role as an ally rather than manipulator.     

"双固一通"艾灸法对糖尿病及糖尿病周围神经病变大鼠海马BDNF和NT-3蛋白的影响

目的观察“双固一通”艾灸法对糖尿病DM 及糖尿病周围神经病变(DPN)大鼠血糖及海马中神经营养因子(BDNF)和神经营养素-3(NT-3)蛋白的影响。方法75只雄性SD大鼠随机分为A组、B组、C组、D组和E组,每组15只。A组为正常对照组,不进行任何干预,B组为DM模型组,造模后不行艾灸干预;C组为DM艾灸治疗组,采用艾条悬灸;D组为DPN模型组,造模后不行艾灸干预;E组为DPN艾灸治疗组,采用艾条悬灸。于造模后72 h、4周治疗结束后和8周治疗结束后空腹尾静脉采血测血糖,于4周治疗结束后和8周治疗结束后,用免疫组化试验方法检测各组大鼠海马中BDNF和NT-3蛋白表达情况。结果B组、D组与A组血糖水平比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),C组与B组比较,大鼠血糖水平降低(P<0.05);E组与D组比较,大鼠血糖水平降低(P<0.05)。B组、D组大鼠海马BDNF及NT-3免疫阳性神经元平均光密度值较A组明显减少(P<0.05);与B组比较,C组大鼠BDNF及NT-3免疫阳性神经元平均光密度值明显增加(P<0.05);与D组比较,E组大鼠BDNF及NT-3免疫阳性神经元平均光密度值明显增加(P<0.05)。结论“双固一通”艾灸法不仅可以起到明显的降糖效果,还可通过影响BDNF和NT-3蛋白的产生,保护糖尿病大鼠的感觉神经元,并对糖尿病及并发症周围神经病变起到治疗作用。