Diabetes mellitus is a major public health issue that considerably impacts mortality, morbidity, and healthcare costs worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc in diabetes management, too, like other spectrums of life. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was adopted to determine the effect of Social Support, Self-Care Behaviour and Self-Efficacy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) during this COVID-19 pandemic. Two hundred T2D patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were chosen using a convenient sampling procedure. The tool consists of four sections, including socio-demographic characteristics, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), revised Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) Scale and modified Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale (DMS). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the obtained data. The mean and SD of diabetic management self-efficacy is 5.74 (1.95) and 4.37 (1.4), respectively, for patients with HbA1c < 6.5% and HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. The self-care activities of the patients who had good glycemic control were 4.31 (2.06) compared to 3.50 (1.73) who did not. The social support received by the patients was 6.13 (2.13) vs. 5.31 (1.67) among patients with glycemic control vs. no control. The results show that social support (p = 0.04), self-efficacy (p =0.01) and self-care activities (p = 0.001) were significantly related to the level of glycemic control of the T2D patients. A significant relationship was also identified between gender (p = 0.036), age (p = 0.001) and education status (p = 0.000) with HbA1c control of the participants. This study demonstrates a significant relationship between social support, self-care behaviours, self-efficacy and glycemic management in T2D patients. During this COVID-19 pandemic, interventions to enhance the self-care activities like exercise and social support to boost their self-efficacy; for better diabetes management, reducing diabetes complications or prolonging their onset are the need of the hour.

The study sought to identify parental trends in children's self-medication, health-seeking behavior, knowledge of self-medication, antibiotic use, and antimicrobial resistance in Asir, Saudi Arabia. A web-based cross-sectional study was carried out by a survey questionnaire. Snow Ball sampling technique was used to select the Eight hundred and sixteen parents with children in the Asir region by WhatsApp and email, and 650 participants who met the inclusion criteria consented to participate in the study. There were 1809 episodes of childhood illnesses reported during the study period. The mean scores are on knowledge at 8.11 ± 2.43, favorable attitude at 17.60 ± 1.17, and practice was 7.72 ± 1.72, and a significant correlation was found between knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) at p = 0.01. Out of 624, the majority of parents showed strong knowledge and proficiency in antibiotics. However, the attitude scores of over 50% towards the usage of antibiotics were subpar. Around 54% of parents were self-medicating their children and 43% were unaware that skipping doses contributes to anti-microbial resistance (AMR). The facilitators for self-medication were male gender (aOR: 2.13; 95% CI: 1.26-3.98, p < 0.05), having more children (aOR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.27-4.12 p < 0.01), professional qualification (aOR:3.07; 95% CI 1.57- 4.68; p < 0.01), residing in urban area (aOR: 3.17; 95% CI: 2.13-5.61, p < 0.05), working in health care (aOR: 5.99; 95% CI: 1.78-18.2, p < 0.01) and high income (aOR: 3.57; 95% CI: 2.08-6.34, p < 0.05). The findings indicated that the majority of parents had unfavorable views and improper practices of antibiotic usage. Strategic education programs to the targeted population, especially to the parents about side effects of antibiotics, dangerous consequences of self-medication, and crucial AMR concerns must be addressed immediately.

Ferroptosis, characterized by iron dependency and lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a key mechanism underlying neurodegeneration in rare neurological disorders. These conditions, often marked by significant therapeutic gaps and high unmet medical needs, present unique challenges for intervention development. This review examines the involvement of ferroptosis in rare neurological disease pathogenesis, focusing on its role in oxidative damage and neuronal dysfunction. We explore recent pharmacological advancements, including iron chelators, lipid peroxidation blockers, and antioxidant-based strategies, designed to target ferroptosis. While these approaches show promise, challenges such as disease heterogeneity, limited diagnostic tools, and small patient cohorts hinder progress. Furthermore, we discuss the translational and regulatory barriers to implementing ferroptosis-based therapies in clinical practice. By addressing these obstacles and fostering innovative solutions, this review underscores the potential of ferroptosis-targeting strategies to revolutionize treatment paradigms for rare neurological disorders.

Curcumin is the main active constituent in turmeric, and it is one of the biopolyphenolic compounds. A cumulative body of research supports the use of curcumin in the treatment of wounds, yet poor water solubility and lack of therapeutic dose determination hamper its use for this therapeutic purpose. This work aimed at preparing novel curcumin wafer dressings to provide a favorable environment for wound healing. Hybrid synthetic (PVA, PVP, HPMC, and CMC) and biodegradable (sodium alginate and dextran) polymers were employed to prepare wafer dressings loaded with incremental three doses (2, 10, and 20 mg) of curcumin per a wafer dressing. The solvent casting method was used to prepare the dressings. Dimension, surface pH, mechanical properties, DSC, FTIR, XRD, erosion time, and in vitro release were studied. Skin wound healing assay was studied in Wistar albino rats. Six curcumin-loaded wafers were successfully prepared with good mechanical properties. Curcumin was dispersed in an amorphous/molecular form, as evidenced by thermal (DSC) and spectral (FTIR and XRD) analyses. Prolonged curcumin release (>24 h) was recorded for F6 (10 mg curcumin) and F7 (20 mg curcumin). Wound healing rate constants and time for 50% wound closure (T1/2) were estimated from a semi-log wound diameter versus time curve. A superior healing rate (up to 3-fold faster) was recorded for curcumin-loaded wafer dressings containing 10 mg (F6) with T1/2 of 7 days compared to 20 days for the placebo-treated group. These results warrant using the selected curcumin-loaded wafer dressing for safer and faster wound closure.

Maternal and child nutrition has been a critical component of health, sustainable development, and progress in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). While a decrement in maternal mortality is an important indicator, simply surviving pregnancy and childbirth does not imply better maternal health. One of the fundamental obligations of nations under international human rights law is to enable women to endure pregnancy and delivery as an aspect of their enjoyment of reproductive and sexual health and rights and to live a dignified life. The aim of this study was to discover the correlation between the Maternal Observation and Motivation (MOM) program and m-Health support for maternal and newborn health. A comparative study was done among 196 pregnant mothers (study group—94; control group—102 mothers) with not less than 20 weeks of gestation. Maternal outcomes such as Hb and weight gain and newborn results such as birth weight and crown–heel length were obtained at baseline and at 28 and 36 weeks of gestation. Other secondary data collected were abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight, major congenital malformations, twin or triplet pregnancies, physical activity, and maternal well-being. The MOM intervention included initial face-to-face education, three in-person visits, and eight virtual health coaching sessions via WhatsApp. The baseline data on Hb of the mothers show that 31 (32.98%) vs. 27 (28.72%) mothers in the study and control group, respectively, had anemia, which improved to 27.66% and 14.98% among study group mothers at 28 and 36 weeks of gestation (p < 0.001). The weight gain (p < 0.001), level of physical activity (p < 0.001), and maternal well-being (p < 0.01) also had significant differences after the intervention. Even after controlling for potentially confounding variables, the maternal food practices regression model revealed that birth weight was directly correlated with the consumption of milk (p < 0.001), fruits (p < 0.01), and green vegetables (p < 0.05). As per the physical activity and maternal well-being regression model, the birth weight and crown–heel length were strongly related with the physical activity and maternal well-being of mothers at 36 weeks of gestation (p < 0.05). Combining the MOM intervention with standard antenatal care is a safe and effective way to improve maternal welfare while upholding pregnant mothers’ human rights.

There are shreds of evidence of shared biological mechanisms between obesity and hypertension during childhood intoadulthood, and loads of research literature has proven that it will profoundly cost nations’ economies and health if neglected. The prevention and early diagnosis of cardiovascular risk factors such as overweight and hypertension is an essential strategy for control, effective treatment and prevention of its’ complications. The study aims to assess the effect of school-based Exercise and Lifestyle Motivation Intervention (SEAL-MI) on adolescents’ cardiovascular risk factors and academic performance. An experimental study was conducted among 1005 adolescents—520 and 485 were randomly selected for the control and study groups, respectively.A structured interview questionnaire was used to collect demographic details and data related to dietary habits, physical activity, sleep qualityand academic performance. The study group adolescents were given the SEAL-MI for six months, including a school-based rope exercise for 45 min per day for 5 days a week and a motivation intervention related to dietary habits, physical activity, and sleep. Post tests-1 and 2 were done after 3 and 6 months of intervention.The prevalence of overweight among adolescents was 28.73%, and prehypertension was 9.26%. Among overweight adolescents, the prevalence of prehypertension was found to be very high (32.25%). There was a significant weight reduction in post-intervention B.P. (p = 0.000) and improvement in dietary habits, physical activity, sleep (p = 0.000), and academic performance. A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and SBP (p = 0.000) and BMI and academic performance (p = 0.003). The linear regression analyses revealed that the gender (ß: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.81), age (ß: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.46), family income (ß: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.5), residence (ß: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.27), and type of family (ß: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.02) had the strongest correlation with the BMI of the adolescents. Additionally, Mother’s education (ß: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.59) had the strongest correlation with the SBP of the adolescents. In contrast, the DBP was negatively persuaded by age (ß: −0.36, 95% CI: 1.54, 0.29) and gender (ß: −0.26, 95% CI: 1.34, 0.12) of the adolescents. Regular practice of rope exercise and lifestyle modification such as diet, physical activity, and quality sleep among adolescents prevent and control childhood CVD risk factors such asoverweight and hypertension. The SEAL-MI may lead to age-appropriate development of adolescents as well as improve their academic performance and quality of life. Giving importance to adolescents from urban habitats, affluent, nuclear families, and catching them young will change the disease burden significantly.