Kannur Medical College

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, including Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K.pneumoniae) represent major clinical concerns due to their potent biofilm-forming ability and associated virulence traits that contribute to persistent infections and antibiotic failure.In response to the growing limitations of conventional antibiotics against biofilm-associated infections, the present study evaluated the antibiofilm potential of the ethanolic leaf extract of Ruellia tuberosa L. (R. tuberosa L.) using in vitro assays and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-guided molecular docking analysis.The extract demonstrated antibacterial activity at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) level and effectively inhibited biofilm formation at sub-MIC concentrations, achieving 55% inhibition in E. coli at 10 mg/ml and 67.81% inhibition in K. pneumoniae at 20 mg/ml, without significantly affecting planktonic growth.Phytochemical profiling revealed a diverse compound composition, with diethyl phthalate identified as the major constituent.Molecular docking demonstrated stable interactions of this compound with key biofilm-and virulence-associated targets in both pathogens, suggesting interference with bacterial adhesion, biofilm development, and persistence.Overall, these findings highlight R. tuberosa L. as a promising natural source of antibiofilm agents capable of attenuating biofilm formation in multidrug-resistan Gram-negative pathogens.These plant-derived compound may serve as adjunct strategies for managing biofilm-associated infections caused by E. coli and K. pneumoniae, warranting further in vivo and molecular validation.

Background: Passive smoking is a major public health concern that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality among non-smokers. Despite increasing awareness campaigns, adults often underestimate the health risks of passive smoke exposure. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness regarding the effects of passive smoking among adults, to examine the association between awareness and selected demographic variables, and to develop and distribute an educational leaflet to enhance awareness. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 adults attending the Outpatient Department of a selected hospital in Thalassery. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique, and informed consent was obtained prior to the data collection. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire consisting of two sections: demographic variables and awareness-related items. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to assess the level of awareness and to determine its association with selected variables. Results: Findings revealed that the level of awareness regarding the health hazards of passive smoking varied among participants. A statistically significant association was observed between the level of awareness and educational status as well as previous exposure to educational programs on smoking-related health risks. Conclusions: The findings of this cross-sectional study highlight the need for sustained public health education to enhance adult awareness of the harmful effects of passive smoking. Despite existing knowledge, gaps remain, necessitating targeted educational interventions. Integrating structured health education strategies into routine public health programs may promote preventive behaviours, reduce exposure to passive smoking, and ultimately improve overall community health outcomes.

Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog (SIRT1), a key protein involved in cellular regulation, exhibits altered expression in breast cancer. The study aimed to assess serum Sirtuin 1 level, investigate SIRT1 gene polymorphisms, and examine their association with breast cancer. One hundred seventy-two breast cancer patients and 78 healthy age-matched females were included in the study. Genetic variants of the SIRT1 gene were identified using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism/Sanger Sequencing and serum SIRT1 levels using Enzyme-Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay. Serum SIRT1 levels were significantly higher in breast cancer patients [0.822 (0.72-0.96)] than controls [0.752 (0.66-0.86)], p = 0.0027. Subgroup analyses revealed notable increases in Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (p = 0.0016), hormone-positive (p = 0.0232), and Triple Negative Breast Cancer groups (p = 0.4426) compared to the control group. The SIRT1 levels were also significantly associated with breast cancer (p = 0.0252). SIRT1 exhibited an Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.618, with 58% sensitivity and specificity at a cutoff of 0.797, showing poor discriminative ability. rs141528984 had a significant difference in allele frequency between patient group and control group (OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.896-6.516), p < 0.0001. There were no significant associations between SIRT1 gene polymorphisms and serum Sirtuin 1 levels in breast cancer patients. The proliferation marker Ki67 showed a significant association (p = 0.0428) with specific SIRT1 variants, rs777323664, rs757804740, and rs184282868. SIRT1 levels are elevated in breast cancer patients indicate its potential as a diagnostic marker. Mutant alleles of rs141528984 were more common in controls compared to case group, indicating its protective function. Ki67 expression was associated with rs777323, rs757804740, and rs1842828683 which may contribute to tumor aggressiveness.

Large language models, virtual reality, smartphone apps, and generative artificial intelligence are all part of the growing field of digital mental health, which is moving beyond traditional telehealth. Emerging solutions based on co-design, rigorous evaluation, and implementation science offer promising paths forward, even while industrial setbacks and methodological criticisms have brought attention to evidence gaps and difficulties in scaling these technologies.1 Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) have emerged as innovative tools to address growing mental health needs across diverse populations. These include mobile applications, telepsychiatry, web-based therapy programs, artificial intelligence–based tools, chatbots, and virtual reality therapy. This review summarizes current evidence on the effectiveness of DMHIs, explores their strengths and challenges, and highlights future directions for research and practice, with a special focus on implications for nursing and community mental health.

Parallel or orthogonal plating is used to treat supracondylar intercondylar (SCIC) fractures of the humerus. The aim of the study is to determine the short-term functional outcomes of orthogonal plating in adult patients with SCIC fractures of the humerus and the factors affecting these outcomes. We conducted a prospective study between 2017 and 2020, following approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Twenty-six patients, aged 20 to 70 years, were included in the study. Patients with open fractures, severe soft tissue injuries, or comminution were excluded. We performed orthogonal plating for fixation. The outcomes were analyzed using the rating of Jupiter et al. Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to analyze the factors affecting the outcomes. Most patients were males aged between 20 and 29 years. Most of the patients underwent surgery between 18 and 24 hours. The low T-type fracture pattern was the most common. Among male patients, 10 were rated as excellent, three as good, and one as fair. However, among females, four received excellent ratings, four received good ratings, three received fair ratings, and one received poor ratings. Males had a significantly better rating than females (p-value of 0.03). Younger patients had better outcomes (p-value of 0.04). The mode of injury and laterality were not significantly associated with the final rating (p-value &gt;0.05). Orthogonal plating ensures stable fixation and good outcomes for SCIC fractures of the humerus. We got better outcomes in younger patients.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to analyse the number of myocardial infarction (MI) admissions during the COVID-19 lockdown periods of 2020 and 2021 (March 15th to June 15th) and compare them with corresponding pre-pandemic period in 2019. The study also evaluated changes in critical treatment intervals: onset to door (O2D), door to balloon (D2B) and door to needle (D2N) and assessed 30-day clinical outcomes. This study examined MI care trends in India during the COVID-19 lockdown period, irrespective of patients’ COVID-19 infection status.DesignMulticentre retrospective cohort studySettingTwenty-three public and private hospitals across multiple Indian states, all with 24/7 interventional cardiology facilities.ParticipantsAll adults (>18 years) admitted with acute myocardial infarction between March 15 and June 15 in 2019 (pre-pandemic), 2020 (first lockdown) and 2021 (second lockdown). A total of 3614 cases were analysed after excluding duplicates and incomplete data.Primary outcomesNumber of MI admissions, median O2D, D2B and D2N times.Secondary outcomes30-day outcomes including death, reinfarction and revascularisation.ResultsMI admissions dropped from 4470 in year 2019 to 2131 (2020) and 1483 (2021). The median O2D increased from 200 min (IQR 115–428) pre-COVID-19 to 390 min (IQR 165–796) in 2020 and 304 min (IQR 135–780) in 2021. The median D2B time reduced from 225 min (IQR 120–420) in 2019 to 100 min (IQR 53–510) in 2020 and 130 min (IQR 60–704) in 2021. Similarly, D2N time decreased from 240 min (IQR 120–840) to 35 min (IQR 25–69) and 45 min (IQR 24–75), respectively. The 30-day outcome of death, reinfarction and revascularisation was 4.25% in 2020 and 5.1% in 2021, comparable to 5.8% reported in the Acute Coronary Syndrome Quality Improvement in Kerala study.ConclusionDespite the expansion of catheterisation facilities across India, the country continues to fall short of achieving international benchmarks for optimal MI care.

Aim This study aims to evaluate and compare the quality of educational content generated by two artificial intelligence tools—ChatGPT and DeepSeekAI—for educating parents about paediatric respiratory illnesses- croup, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, pertuss

This study examines the working of a hybrid solar dryer, which combines a biomass burner with a sun drying system to offer an environmentally friendly drying system to dry agricultural goods. The biomass burner is a supplementary heat source to maintain steady drying in various climates, with solar energy acting as the primary heat source. The hybrid system's performance is assessed by tracking drying speeds, temperature fluctuations, humidity decrease, and moisture content in three operating modes: combined, solar-only, and biomass-only. Results from experiments show that the hybrid system can reduce moisture content from 85% to 1% in two hours while maintaining stable temperatures and shorter drying times. Compared to standalone systems, this configuration proved more efficient, providing a continuous drying process and preserving the best possible output.