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Introduction: With the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and subsequent change in the HIV/AIDS disease dynamic to a chronic manageable disease, adherence studies have received increasing attention. However, there is a paucity of studies that have considered World Health Organization (WHO) dimensions of adherence to ART. Therefore, this study was conducted with the objectives of determining the prevalence of adherence and the association of various factors across five WHO dimensions to adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the ART Centre, Aligarh. A total of 440 adult patients, taking treatment from the ART Centre, Aligarh were selected. A self-reported instrument of missing pills was used to measure adherence. Various factors across five WHO dimensions were studied. Results: Prevalence of adherence in our study was 81.3%. Among the five dimensions of adherence, distance from home (odds ratio [OR] 0.980; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.964-0.997) among socioeconomic determinants, frequent adherence counseling (OR 8.737; 95% CI 4.076-18.727) among health system-related, drug regimen (OR 2.202; 95% CI 1.023-4.738) and absence of side effects (OR 3.293; 95% CI 1.473-7.365) among therapy related, absence of substance abuse (OR 2.747; 95% CI 1.209-6.243), and perceived change in health status (OR 4.196; 95% CI 1.613-10.915) among patient-related dimension were found to be significantly associated with adherence to ART, while clinical condition dimension did not play a significant role. Conclusion: The ART adherence rate is still below satisfactory levels for long-term viral load suppression. WHO multidimensional approach -- which was found to be quite relevant in our study setting -- could be applied to effectively solve the adherence problem in our country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low birthweight has long been used as an important public health indicator. Low birthweight is not a proxy for any one dimension of either maternal or perinatal health outcomes rather this indicator is a good summary measure of a multifaceted public health problem that includes long-term maternal malnutrition, ill health, hard work and poor pregnancy health care. Methods: The present Community based prospective study was conducted in the field practice areas of the Urban and Rural Health Training Centers, Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Registered pregnant women who were in their first trimester and whose Expected Date of Delivery lie within our study period of one year were considered for study. Three home visits were made (two in antenatal period, one in post-natal period). Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Percentages, and Chi Square Test used. Results: Prevalence of LBW was found to be 40%. Statistically significant association was found between antenatal visits, iron folic acid supplementation and birth weight of baby. Conclusion: More number of antenatal visits equate to better antenatal care of females. It may result in better compliance with irofol supplementation and dietary intake and also early detection of any complications thus resulting in lower rates of LBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pistacia integerrima is one of twenty species among the genus Pistacia. Long horn-shaped galls that develop on this plant are harvested and used in Ayurveda and Indian traditional medicine to make “karkatshringi”, a herbal medicine used for the treatment of asthma and different disorders of respiratory tract. However, until now, the molecular mechanisms of action of “karkatshringi” and its chemical characterization are partially known. This study deals with the isolation and characterization of the active constituents from the methanolic extract of P. integerrima galls and it was also oriented to evaluate in vitro and in silico their potential enzymatic inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase-1 (PDE1), a well-known enzyme involved in airway smooth muscle activity and airway inflammation. Our results showed that the methanolic extract of P. integerrima galls and some of its active constituents [naringenin (1) and 3,5,7,4′-tetrahydroxy-flavanone (2)] are able in vitro to inhibit PDE1 activity (59.20 ± 4.95%, 75.90 ± 5.90%, and 65.25 ± 5.25%, resp.) and demonstrate in silico an interesting interaction with this enzymatic site. Taken together, our results add new knowledge of chemical constituents responsible for the biological activity of P. integerrima and contextually legitimate the use of this plant in folk medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants have an unbelievable history in terms of serving humanity in almost all continents of the world. Traditional healers have transferred that incredible knowledge from generation to generation. Even modernity or cultural revolutions have not altered the in-depth wisdom of this natural medical paradigm. Pharmacological rationale in light of traditional uses followed by phytochemical studies could surely bring a new revolution in the treatment of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The defense and peace literature have focused mainly on the military-growth nexus, with little attention paid to the environmental sustainability agenda, which is impacted by increased global arms transfers. The supply of lead-containing ammunition generates complex gas mixtures (including CO2 emissions) and particulates that harm the healthcare sustainability agenda. Based on the significance of the subject matter, the study uses the Indian economy as a case study, with a significant rate of arms transfers associated with higher carbon emissions. The study analyzed data from more than four decades, from 1975 to 2020. Data on arms imports, military personnel, and military expenditures are used to evaluate the 'ammunition emissions function'. It corresponds to the three research hypotheses, namely, the 'emissions-defense burden hypothesis' (arms transfers increase carbon emissions), the 'emissions-cleaner hypothesis' (arms transfers reduce carbon emissions), and the 'emissions-asymmetric hypothesis' (positive and negative shocks of arms transfers either support the 'defense burden hypothesis' or 'cleaner hypothesis'). The non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) results confirmed the 'emissions-defense burden hypothesis' in the long run, as positive and negative shocks from arms imports increase carbon emissions. However, in the short run, positive arms imports increase carbon emissions while negative arms imports decrease carbon emissions. Furthermore, the findings supported the 'emissions-cleaner hypothesis' in the relationship between armed forces personnel and carbon emissions. The findings imply that the positive and negative shocks experienced by armed forces personnel reduce carbon emissions in the short and long run. Positive shocks to military spending support the 'emissions-defense burden hypothesis' in the short run; however, the results vanished when negative shocks to military spending supported the 'emissions-spillover hypothesis' (lowering military spending reduces carbon emissions and increases economic productivity) in the short and long run. The country's unsustainable economic activities are viewed as a negative factor contributing to long-term carbon emissions increases. The negative shocks of armed forces personnel and positive arms imports would almost certainly have a significant long-term impact on carbon emissions. As a result, the 'treadmill theory of destruction' has been confirmed in a country. The study concludes that lead-free ammunition and managing ammunition safety are beneficial to a country's environmental sustainability agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex related offences are one of the common causes of crime in any society. In many countries, sexual offences are too common, but it remains an underreported crime, since many victims cannot or do not press charges against their attackers. The current study estimates the percentage of sexual offences happened in Punjab from 2003 to 2007. Data have been collected from various districts of Punjab and used to calculate the number and percentage of sexual offences like rape, sodomy and bestiality among the different age groups. The main thrust of this paper is to understand the phenomenon of sex related offences, their magnitude and prevalence. Substantial contributions have been made to advance the state of knowledge for law enforcement agencies, health professionals and criminal justice system. Such information has potential to impact substantially on the effectiveness of the investigative interview, the collection of forensic evidence, and the prosecution of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.