ABSTRACT

Objectives: Self‑medication is usually defined as an intake of any type of drugs for treatment without professional supervision to relieve an illness or a condition. College students prefer self‑medication for minor illness to save time and money. The study aimed at assessing the knowledge on self‑medication practice among medical and nonmedical university students. Methods: It is a prospective observational study and a total of 579 individuals were included. Study participants were selected by stratified random sampling from various faculties of a private university campus. Study population was divided into two groups as medical and nonmedical based on their faculty they belong to. A prevalidated questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge on self‑medication practices. Questionnaire was distributed, and various data regarding their self‑medication practice were collected and the collected data were analyzed using Chi‑square test. Results: The collected data showed that the knowledge of medical students on self‑medication was better than the nonmedical group, and the study participants staying at hostel use over the counter (OTC) s more than the others. Conclusions: Self‑medication practice was common among the university students which show the need for education regarding the rational use of OTCs. By doing this, the drug‑related problems can be avoided and OTCs can be rationally utilized.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To study the distribution characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis(KOA) of different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and to reveal the differences from the perspectives of expressions of serum inflammatory indicators. Methods: One hundred and thirty‑four patients with KOA treated in our hospital from January 2013 to March 2016 and referring to TCM syndrome types were included in the study and were divided into three types: Yin deficiency in kidney and liver\tendon and vesselstasissyndrome,s pleen and kidney deficiency\ wet injection the osteomere syndrome, kidney Yang deficiency and weak\phlegm stasis syndrome; 24 healthy persons who took physical examination in our hospital were selected as the normal control group. Patients’ blood was collected in the morning as the blood samples, and the levels of inflammatory factors (5‑TH, interleukin‑6 [IL‑6], and tumor necrosis factor‑α [TNF‑α]) were measured in serum. Results: The most common TCM syndrome of KOAin the clinical trialsis Yin deficiency in kidney and liver\tendon and vesselstasissyndrome, the percents of spleen and kidney deficiency\wet injection the osteomere syndrome and kidney Yang deficiency and weak\phlegm stasissyndrome are near, the former is slightly higher than the latter by 3.97%. The levels of IL‑6 and TNF‑α in the three groups were significantly higher than those in the normal control group, whereas the 5‑TH level was significantly lower in the three groups than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The levels of IL‑6 and TNF‑α in the kidney Yang deficiency and weak\phlegm stasis syndrome group were significantly higher than the next two TCM syndrome groups (P < 0.05), whereas the 5‑TH level in the kidney Yang deficiency and weak\phlegm stasis syndrome group was significantly lower than the next two TCM syndrome groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Yin deficiency in kidney and liver\tendon and vessel stasis syndrome is the most common TCM syndrome of KOA in the clinical trials. The levels of inflammatory factors (5 TH, IL 6, and TNF α) in serum had a close relationship with KOA. In terms of the perspectives of expressions of serum inflammatory indicators, the most serious TCM syndrome of KOA is kidney Yang deficiency and weak\phlegm stasis syndrome.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The objective was to analyze the application of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the diagnosis of early type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: Thirty‑eight patients with type 2 DN diagnosed and treated from March 2016 to August 2017 were selected as the study group and another 38 healthy controls were selected as the control group. The two groups were examined by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay. Two groups of VEGF, serum creatinine, and glycosylated hemoglobin were observed and recorded. Results: Compared with the control group, the VEGF was higher in the observation group, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the specificity of serum creatinine and glycosylated hemoglobin was more significant in the observation group, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The application of urinary VEGF in the early diagnosis of type 2 DN has some clinical diagnostic value.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim of this study is to study the effect of single exercise intervention on students with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Methods: In this study, 25 patients with low glucose tolerance in a university in JX were selected as the study participants and randomly divided into control group and observation group. In the control group, 12 cases were treated with routine motion intervention, whereas 13 cases in the observation group were treated with single exercise intervention of moderate‑intensity level running. The training period was 15 weeks, six times a week, and 2 h a time. Moreover, two groups of IGT students’ glycated hemoglobin level, waist circumference, and insulin were observed and recorded. Results: Compared with the control group, the insulin level in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The level of hemoglobin in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group, and there was significant difference between the two groups(P < 0.05). The waist circumference of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Single-phase motion intervention can effectively reverse the decrease of sugar content of college students and has certain application value.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim of the study is to apply the fuzzy clustering algorithm to medical image segmentation technology and analyze the application effect of the algorithm. Methods: Thirty cases were included in the control group and seventy cases were in the winter swimming group. The control group and swimming group were 60–69 years of age in the elderly. The winter swimming group was followed for 1 year and the control group carried out an index test the same year. Four items of blood lipid, electrocardiogram, and cardiac function parameters were selected as index. Results: The high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol of the winter swimming group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride (P > 0.05); the comparison of serum cytokines were weak but in a positive direction. Conclusions: Long‑term insist to winter swimming can make the heart to adapt to the morphological changes, improve cardiac function, improve myocardial blood supply, improve blood lipid metabolism, and reduce the risk of Arsenic (AS).

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim of the study is to apply the fuzzy clustering algorithm to medical image segmentation technology and analyze the application effect of the algorithm. Methods: In this study, the application of bacterial fuzzy clustering algorithm and bacterial foraging optimization algorithm in tooth image segmentation is analyzed. Among them, bacteria fuzzy clustering algorithm is a research group, whereas bacteria foraging optimization algorithm is a conventional group. Relevant researchers need to compare the separation index, partition coefficient, and partition index of the two algorithms. Results: Compared with the conventional group, the separation index and the partition coefficient of the experimental group were relatively high, and the two groups in the separation index and partition coefficients have a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05); compared with the experimental group, the index value was higher in the conventional group, and there was significant difference between the two groups in the zoning index (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the traditional bacterial optimization algorithm, the application of the bacterial fuzzy clustering algorithm in tooth image segmentation is more remarkable.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The aim is to study the application of artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm in medical image threshold segmentation Methods: A new image segmentation method based on the improved ABC and thresholding medical image threshold segmentation method is proposed, which is variable coefficient ABC (VCABC) optimization algorithm, which is used to determine n‑1 optimal n level threshold on a given image. The proposed method is compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization fractional image threshold segmentation method and the ABC fractional medical image threshold segmentation method. Results: When considering a variety of conditions, the performance of this method is better than that of other methods. Conclusions: The improved method of combining ABC and fractional medical image threshold segmentation method is effective.

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The objective is to explore effects of yoga exercise on body shape and cardiovascular function of female college students. Methods: One hundred and twenty female college students were selected as the study participants, and they were randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 60 participants in each group. The control group of female college students has routine life and learning, while the observation group of college students has an 18‑week yoga practice. The exercise frequency is three times a week, 90 min/times, between 50VO2 max and 60VO2 max, mainly including preparation activities, pose exercises, and relaxation exercises after the end. Moreover, the physical form index of two groups of female students was compared. Results: The body mass index, LIVI, WHR, VEK, HR, SV, SI, CI, VPELs, MSP, MDP, AC, ETK, and STR of the observation group female college students were significantly better than those in the control group. The difference between the two groups was significant, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: By means of yoga practice, the physical form of female college students can be obviously improved, and the function of losing weight can be achieved. It can also improve the cardiovascular function of female college students, and the effect of exercise is very remarkable.

This study investigated the effects of different drying methods on the nutrient and phytochemical contents of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) meal as a potential feedstuff for livestock. Fresh leaves of Vernonia amygdalina were subjected to three methods of processing: air drying, sun drying and oven drying. Samples included: fresh bitter leaf (BLF), fresh bitter leaf sundried for a day (BLS1D), fresh bitter leaf air dried for two days and sundried for a day (BLA2D) as well as fresh bitter leaf oven dried at 1050C for 24 hours (BLOV1D). The proximate composition, mineral content and phytochemical composition of the fresh and processed leaves were subsequently determined, using standard methods/procedures. The crude protein of BLF (29.10%) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the mean values of 26.70, 25.30 and 22.80%, obtained for BLS1D, BLA2D and BLOV1D, respectively. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in the calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese and nickel content of the different processed bitter leaf. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in the anti-nutrients content of different processed bitter leaves. Quantitative estimation showed significant lowering (p<0.05) of all the contents of the phytochemicals in the processed leaves compared to fresh bitter leaf. This study concluded that processed V. amygdalina leaf meal can serve as good source of protein, fibre and minerals in animal feeding. Furthermore, the processing of the bitter leaf meal through drying reduced the composition of phytochemicals for better incorporation and utilization and incorporation in livestock feeds.

Ocimum suave aerial parts were acquired in Nigeria’s Nassarawa State. Following that, the essential oil was extracted utilizing solvent extraction and hydro distillation techniques. The volatile constituents were identified by gas chromatography using the direct injection method. Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, streptococcus pneumoniae, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli were used to test certain volatile constituents for minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC). In Ocimum suave, forty-three compounds of terpenoids were identified with geranial (34.44, 36.16%), neral (32.67, 26.14%), β-caryophyllene (8.77, 10.15%), Linalool (6.54, and. 05%), allo-ocimene (4.23, 2.92%), Linalyl acetate (1.90, 4.85%), nerol (1.53, 2.06), geraniol (1.24, 1.35%) and β-bisabolene (1.17, 1.79%) respectively as the major constituents for hydro distillation and solvent extraction methods. The results of the extraction generally showed that hydro-distillation is better extraction method, and is also cheaper economically. The volatile constituents showed more some measure of activity against pathogens used.