OTC

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Oral contraceptive pills are among the most popular contraceptives worldwide, including among adolescents, and are available over the counter in over 100 countries. However, when a prescription is required, oral contraceptives may be difficult to obtain, particularly for adolescents. Recent approvals of over-the-counter progestin-only pills in the United Kingdom and United States have brought widespread attention to this topic. RECENT FINDINGS: Progestin-only pills, including the norgestrel pill recently approved for over-the-counter use in the United States, are highly effective and may be used safely without a prescription or medical monitoring, including by adolescents...

Obesity is a significant global health concern linked to excessive dietary energy intake. This research focuses on the mammalian hairless protein (HR), known for its role in skin and hair function, and its impact on metabolism. Examining male wild-type (Hr+/+ ) and Hr null (Hr-/- ) mice over a 14-week normal chow diet (NCD) or high-fat diet (HFD) intervention. This study reveals that HR deficiency exhibited a protective effect against HFD-induced obesity and insulin resistance. This protective effect is attributed to increased energy expenditure in Hr-/- mice...

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious global threat to human and animal health. In the context of antimicrobial usage (AMU) in livestock production, veterinarians are key stakeholders. However, there is a lack of comprehensive situational analysis regarding the current Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) among veterinarians concerning AMU and AMR in poultry production in Nepal. METHODS: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the situation of AMU and KAP regarding AMU and AMR of among poultry practitioner veterinarians in Nepal...

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use causes over eight million global deaths annually, with seven million directly attributed to tobacco use and 1.2 million to second hand smoke (SHS). Smoke-free environments are crucial to counter SHS. Although India banned smoking in public places in 2008, SHS exposure remains high. Studies have noted that limiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants, etc., helps to reduce overall smoking and reduce SHS exposure. Under this background, the study explores the linkages between smoke-free workplaces and living in smoke-free homes in India...

INTRODUCTION: The threat of chemical, biological, radiologic, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNe) terrorist attacks has increased over time. The need for rapid and effective responses to such attacks is paramount. Effective medical counter-measures to CBRNe events are critical and training for such may effectively occur early in physician training. While some medical specialties are more involved than others, counter-terrorism medicine (CTM) spans all medical specialties. METHODS: All United States allopathic medical schools were examined via online curriculums and queries for academic content related to CBRNe and terrorist medical counter-measures...

The Cannabis sativa plant has been used for centuries as a recreational drug and more recently in the treatment of patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders. In many instances, treatment goals include relief from posttraumatic disorders, anxiety, or to support treatment of chronic pain. Ligands acting on cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) are also potential targets for the treatment of other health conditions. Using an evidence-based approach, pharmacological investigation of CB1R agonists is timely, with the aim to provide chronically ill patients relief using well-defined and characterized compounds from cannabis...

Hearing loss is a prevalent, chronic condition in the United States; it is often gradual and progressive and is underreported by patients and undertreated by physicians. The impaired ability to effectively hear and communicate may result in negative emotional, cognitive, economic, and social consequences for individuals and may pose a safety risk. Questionnaires and smartphone apps are available to help identify and evaluate self-perceived hearing loss. Physicians should assess for objective hearing impairment when the patient or family member raises a concern or if cognitive or mood symptoms are present that could be influenced by hearing loss...

This study focuses on countering Fusarium graminearum , a harmful fungal pathogen impacting cereal crops and human health through mycotoxin production. These mycotoxins, categorized as type B trichothecenes, pose significant health risks. Research explores natural alternatives to synthetic fungicides, particularly investigating phenolics in grapevine byproducts. Thirteen eco-extracts from five French grape varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, Tannat, and Artaban) exhibited substantial antifungal properties, with ten extracts displaying remarkable effects...

Salicylates are often used in clinical practice as antiplatelets as well as analgesics. Its overdose is not uncommon due to its easy availability over the counter. Mortality is high in severe cases when a lethal dose is consumed. Treatment of overdose is difficult due to the non-availability of an antidote. Hemodialysis is an underutilized treatment modality in such cases. We discuss here a case of a young female who presented to us 2.5 h after the consumption of a lethal dose of salicylate with symptoms of only tinnitus...

Patients with heart failure (HF) have a high prevalence of polypharmacy, which can lead to drug interactions, cognitive impairment, and medication non-compliance. However, the definition of polypharmacy in these patients is still inconsistent. The aim of this scoping review was to find the most common definition of polypharmacy in HF patients. We conducted a scoping review searching Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane using terms including polypharmacy, HF and deprescribing, which resulted in 7,949 articles...

INTRODUCTION: To effectively regulate and reduce antibiotic use, in the livestock sector, a thorough understanding of the flow of veterinary antibiotics will help to identify key nodes in the chain for targeted interventions. The aim of this study was to understand the flow of antibiotics from import to end-user, and identify relevant governance mechanisms. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used to collect data in three Kenyan counties (Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado)...

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a threat to animal and human health, as well as food security and nutrition. Development of AMR is accelerated by over- and misuse of antimicrobials as seen in many livestock systems, including poultry production. In Vietnam, high AMR levels have been reported previously within poultry production, a sector which is dominated by small-scale farming, even though it is intensifying. This study focuses on understanding small- and medium-scale chicken farmers' knowledge and practices related to AMR by applying an item response theory (IRT) approach, which has several advantages over simpler statistical methods...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) on detoxification and oxidative defense in the hepatopancreas and intestine of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) under cadmium (Cd) stress. The crab was exposed to 0.6 μM Cd, 0.6 μM OTC, and 0.6 μM Cd plus 0.6 μM OTC for 42 days. Our results showed that in the intestine, OTC alone enhanced protein carboxylation (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, which was associated with the increased OTC accumulation...

The Red Queen Hypothesis (RQH), derived from Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass", postulates that organisms must continually adapt in response to each other to maintain relative fitness. Within the context of host-pathogen interactions, the RQH implies an evolutionary arms race, wherein viruses evolve to exploit hosts and hosts evolve to resist viral invasion. This study delves into the dynamics of the RQH in the context of virus-cell interactions, specifically focusing on virus receptors and cell receptors...

Tannic acid (TA) aided hydrothermal treatment (HT) can decrease effective HT temperatures for sludge deep dewatering by chelator protein, but faces notable and economic challenges including the failure to remove antibiotics and the limited protein binding capacity. Herein, hydrothermally activated TA (in situ TA + HT) was conducted to simultaneously improve sludge dewaterability and antibiotic (tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), norfloxacin (NOR), ofloxacin (OFL)) removal. Compared to traditional HT and HT + TA treatment, the in-situ TA + HT process could further strengthen the TA-aided HT efficacy in enhancing sludge and reducing the protein content in the filtrate simultaneously; in which the optimal HT temperature for the dewatering of the sludge was reduced from 180 °C to 140 °C...

Social pain, a multifaceted emotional response triggered by interpersonal rejection or criticism, profoundly impacts mental well-being and social interactions. While prior research has implicated the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) in mitigating social pain, the precise neural mechanisms and downstream effects on subsequent social attitudes remain elusive. This study employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) integrated with fMRI recordings during a social pain task to elucidate these aspects...

OBJECTIVES: Over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic use can cause antibiotic resistance, threatening global public health gains. To counter OTC use, this study used machine learning (ML) methods to identify predictors of OTC antibiotic use in rural Pune, India. METHODS: The features of OTC antibiotic use were selected using stepwise logistic, lasso, random forest, XGBoost, and Boruta algorithms. Regression and tree-based models with all confirmed and tentatively important features were built to predict the use of OTC antibiotics...

Patients with oral and pharyngeal dysphagia have difficulty forming a cohesive bolus and/or transferring food from the mouth into the pharynx and esophagus to initiate the involuntary swallowing process. This may be accompanied by nasopharyngeal regurgitation, aspiration, and a sensation of residual food remaining in the pharynx. Abnormalities affecting the upper esophageal sphincter, pharynx, larynx, or tongue, in isolation or combination, result in oropharyngeal dysphagia affecting either or both transit and airway protection...

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are the most common inflammatory causes of pediatric dysphagia, but several other less prevalent conditions should be considered. These conditions can affect one or several aspects of the swallowing process. In some inflammatory conditions dysphagia may be an early symptom. Esophagoscopy and instrumental swallow studies are often needed to determine the underlying diagnosis and best treatment plan. In some inflammatory conditions dysphagia can portend a worse outcome and need for more aggressive treatment of the underlying condition...

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had a significant impact on the society, economy, and health of people around the world with consequences that need to be better understood for future pandemic preparedness. This manuscript provides insights into the usage of pharmaceuticals for pain treatment management throughout SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Four towns and cities with a total population of > 1 million people covering an area of 2000 km2 in South West England were monitored for twenty-four months. Results showed different patterns in pain pharma usage, with small towns having higher population normalised daily loads (PNDLs) than big cities for majority of pain killers studied...