neelam sharma

Hirsutism is characterized by the excessive growth of coarse hair in women, resembling the typical pattern seen in men. It affects between 5 to 10 % of females of reproductive age. Excessive hair growth often leads to significant mental and emotional anguish. Hirsutism is the result of an overabundance of androgens being secreted by the ovaries or adrenal glands. This article offers a comprehensive review of numerous causes that might provoke hirsutism which includes polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushing syndrome, idiopathic hirsutism, insulin resistance, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, ovarian or adrenal tumors, menopause, and the use of certain drugs. Polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian tumors are frequent underlying factors of hyperandrogenism, which subsequently results in the development of Hirsutism. Mechanical and cosmetic hair removal methods are viable options for managing hirsutism. This study examines the pharmacological therapies that have proven essential in enhancing the quality of life for patients. These treatments include oral contraceptives, antiandrogen therapy like spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, and finasteride, specific insulin-lowering medicines, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists, and topical treatment such eflornithine hydrochloride cream (13.9% w/w cream). This review also explored significance of nanotechnology-based methods like nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, cerosomes, and nanogel in enhancing the effectiveness of medications used to treat hirsutism. A comprehensive update has been made to the latest information on clinical studies and patents linked to the treatment of hirsutism.

This paper deals with the synthesis of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles by the plant-mediated method using copper acetate monohydrate and neem extract. The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-Visible spectral studies. P-XRD studies revealed that the average particle size of synthesized nanoparticles was 11.30 nm which was in good agreement with TEM results. Morphology of synthesized nanoparticles was determined by SEM which revealed that CuO nanoparticles were spherical and some were agglomerated in nature. The EDX spectrum of nanoparticles exhibited three signals one signal at 0.9 keV and other signals at ~8 keV which is due to Cu and another signal of oxygen appeared at 0.5 keV this indicated that nanoparticles of copper have been formed as copper oxide. The synthesized nanoparticles were screened for their antibacterial activity in vitro against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by adopting the disk diffusion method. The results of antibacterial studies exhibited that CuO NPs were potential antibacterial agents.

Glyphosate is an effective post emergence herbicide for weed control in tea. However, dose and timing of any new formulation need to be evaluated before being its recommendation to the growers. The weed flora of the experimental field was composed of Ageratum conyzoides (21.9%), Ageratum houstonianum (21.3%), Chromolaena adenophorum (13.0%), Bidens pilosa (9.6%), Lantana camara (6.2%), Cynodon dactylon (6.0%), Fragaria vesca (5.6%), Imperata cylindrica (5.2%), Polygonum alatum (5.1%) and Erigeron canadensis (5.1%). The new formulation glyphosate 71% SG was found to be comparable to the existing formulation glyphosate 41% SL against Ageratum conyzoides, A. houstonianum, Chromolaena adenophora, Bidens pilosa, Fragaria vesca, Polygonum alatum, Erigeron canadensis, Imperata cylindrica and Cynodon dactylon in reducing their population upto 120 days after application (DAA). Glyphosate 71% SG did not show any toxic symptoms on tea crop and tea leaf yield was similar as under standard formulation used in the present study. Glyphosate 71% SG (ammonium salt) sprayed at 6 kg/ha gave highest tea leaf yield (1940 kg/ha) which was statistically similar to the Glyphosate 71% SG (ammonium salt) applied at the rate of 3 kg/ha (1895 kg/ha). It was also comparable to the market sample. Uncontrolled growth of weeds even for a one season reduced tea leaf yield by 48.5%. The bulk density, water holding capacity, moisture content, soil pH, electrical conductivity, available NPK and organic C were not influenced significantly at harvest. The test herbicide glyphosate 71% SG and the market sample glyphosate 41% SL had increased the population of total bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes at harvest over their initial population. However, there was a slight decrease in the population of this microflora immediately after the application of herbicide not due to the herbicide but owing to seasonal variation as the differences between treatments were not significant.

The bio-efficiency of imazethapyr and its ready mix combination products with pendimethalin and imazamox against weeds, their effect on growth, yield and phytotoxic effects on black gram and residual effect on succeeding mustard crop were studied during 2013-14. Significantly lower weed count and dry weight was recorded with application of imazethapyr + pendimethalin (pre-mix) at 800 g/ha, pendimethalin at 1000 g/ha and imazethapyr + pendimethalin (pre-mix) at 900 g/ha. Imazethapyr + pendimethalin (pre-mix) 1000 g/ha and 800 g/ha, pendemethlin 1000 g/ha and imazethapyr 50 and 70 g/ha (pre emergence) behaving statistically similar with pendimethalin 1000 g/ha (pre emergence) and hand weeding at 20 and 40 days after sowing resulted in significantly higher seed yield of black gram. Seed yield of blackgram was negatively associated with total weed count and weed dry weight (P≤0.01). With every one weed increase per square meter, the blackgram seed yield was expected to reduce by 16.8 kg/ha. Net returns, B:C and net returns over weedy check were highest under imazethapyr + pendimethalin 900 g/ha. The economic threshold levels i.e. No m-2 and g m-2 with the weed management practices studied varied between 1.7 – 18.0 m-2 and 1.0-10.0 g m-2. Imezethapyr + pendimethalin 1000 g/ha and imazethapyr + imazamox 50 g/ha had lowest weed persistence index (WPI). Imazethapyr + pendimethalin 900 g/ha resulted in highest crop resistance index. Weed management index (WMI), Agronomic management index (AMI), and Integrated weed management index (IWMI) were highest following imazethapyr 40 g/ha. Overall impact index (Ii) was highest under imazethapyr 50 g/ha followed by imazethapyr + pendimethalin 900 g/ha, imazethapyr + pendimethalin 1000 g/ha and pendimethalin 1000 g/ha. Weed index (WI) indicated 70.8% loss in yield of blackgram. The residual effects of herbicide treatments on succeeding mustard crop were not observed.

A field study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of Prioxofop-Propanyl 15% WP (Markclodina) herbicide for wider weeds range in wheat crop during Rabi 2015-16. Six treatments including four herbicides treatments viz. Pendimethalin at 1.0 kg/ha, Clodinafop at 0.060 kg/ha, Markclodina at 0.060 kg/ha, Isoproturon + 2, 4-D at 1.0+0.5 kg/ha along with hand weeding twice (30 and 60 DAS) and one weedy check were used. Avena ludoviciana (34.30 %) and Phlaris minor (25.26 %) were the most dominatinggrassy weeds. New test herbicide Markclodino had better efficacy in controlling Phalaris minor, Avena fatua and Lolium temulentumas evidencedfrom significantly less number of weeds at all the stages of observations. The highest weed control efficiency (80.5 %) was recorded with post emergence application of Markclodina 0.060 kg/ha at 90 DAS. The application of markclodina at 0.06 kg/ha remaining at par with clodinofop propargyl (market sample) at 0.06 kg/ha, isoproturon + 2,4-D at 1.0 + 0.5 kg/ha produced significantly higher grain yield. The magnitude of increase in yield due to Markclodina over weedy check was 68.9 %. Field demonstrations on the performance of Markclodina under various locations showd that there was maximum 19.7 % increase in grain yield over control at distt. Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh).

Global burden of hospital‑associated infection (HAI) is on the rise and contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality of the patients. Mobile phones are indispensible part of communication among doctors and other health care workers (HCWs) in hospitals. Hands of HCWs play an important role in transmission of HAI and mobile phones which are seldom cleaned and often touched during or after the examination of patients without hand washing can act as a reservoir for transmission of potent pathogens. This study aimed to investigate the rate of bacterial contamination of mobile phones among HCWs in our tertiary care hospital and to compare it with personal mobile phones of non‑HCWs (control group).

The mobile phones and dominant hands of 386 participants were sampled from four different groups, hospital doctors and staff (132), college faculty and staff (54), medical students (100) and control group (100). Informed consent and questionnaire was duly signed by all the participants. Samples were processed according to standard guidelines.

316 mobile phones(81.8%) and 309 hand swab samples(80%) showed growth of bacterial pathogens. The most predominant isolates were Coagulase‑negative Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter species, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas species and Enterococcus species.

Hundred percent contamination was found in mobile phones and hands of HCWs indicating mobile phones can be the potential source of nosocomial pathogens. Our study results suggest that use of mobile phones in health care setup should be restricted only for emergency calls. Strict adherence to infection control policies such as proper hand hygiene practices should be followed.

Physical activity (PA) is protective against non‑communicable diseases and it can reduce premature mortality. However, it is difficult to assess the frequency, duration, type and intensity of PA. The global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) has been developed by World Health Organization with the aim ofhaving valid and reliable estimates of PA. The primary aim of this study is to assess the repeatability of the GPAQ instrument and the secondary aim is to validate it against International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and against an objective measureof PA (i.e., using pedometers) in both rural and peri‑urban areas of North India. A total of 262 subjects were recruited by random selection from Ballabgarh Block of Haryana State in India. For test retest repeatability of GPAQ and IPAQ, the instruments were administered on two occasions separated by at least 3 days. For concurrent validity, both questionnaires were administered in random order and for criterion validity step counters were used. Spearman’s correlation coefficient, intra‑class correlation (ICC) and Cohen’s kappa was used in the analysis. For GPAQ validity, the spearman’s Rho ranged from 0.40 to 0.59 and ICC ranged from 0.43 to 0.81 while for IPAQ validity, spearman correlation coefficient ranged from 0.42 to 0.43 and ICC ranged from 0.56 to 0.68. The observed concurrentvalidity coefficients suggested that both the questionnaires had reasonable agreement (Spearman Rho of >0.90; P < 0.0001; ICC: 0.76‑0.91, P < 0.05). GPAQ is similar to IPAQ in measuring PA and can be used for measurement of PA in community settings.