The goal of this study was to assess the overtreatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) in hospitalized patients, calculate the total costs of inappropriate treatment, and determine if a multi-faceted educational intervention was effective in reducing the overtreatment of ASB in a resource-limited community hospital. The study encompassed three phases: a retrospective pre-intervention assessment of the baseline cost and treatment of ASB, the implementation of a multi-faceted educational intervention, and a prospective post-intervention assessment of the efficacy of the intervention. A positive urine culture was defined by bacterial counts ≥105 cfu/mL. In the pre-intervention group, 64 (83%) of 109 patients were asymptomatic: 30 (47%) were treated. In the post-intervention group, 13 (17%) of 55 patients were asymptomatic: 2 (15%) were treated, (p=0.04). Fewer urine cultures were collected during the post-intervention period than the pre-intervention period (3,127 and 3,419, respectively) (p<0.001). The total cost of inappropriately treating ASB in the pre-intervention group was $1200 compared to $600 in the post-intervention group. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the inappropriate treatment of ASB and the associated costs.

In VL, monocyte functions were severely impaired facilitating parasite persistence; anti-leishmanial chemotherapy mediated parasite elimination through modulation of the macrophage microenvironment by restoring its redox status and antigen presenting capacity.

To improve delivery efficiency of anastrozole, we applied dendrimer-based stealth nanoparticles to encapsulate anastrozole to formulate stealth anastrozole nanoparticles. This work demonstrated that stealth nanoparticles composed of a PAMAM dendrimers core and a PEG layer could encapsulate anastrozole, hence causing improved water solubility of anastrozole. Anastrozole encapsulation depended on concentration of stealth nanoparticles and generation of dendrimer. The extended release of anastrozole was achieved. We envisioned that this highly structurally adaptable stealth nanoparticle could be further biofunctionalized to construct a targeted therapeutic delivery system for breast cancer treatment.Anastrozole (2,2'-[5-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)-1.3-phenylene] bis(2-methylpropionitrile)), commercially known as Arimidex, is used to treat postmenopausal women who are estrogen-receptor positive and need hormone-sensitive breast cancer treatment (Mareck et al. 2006). Anastrozole is commonly administered in the oral pill form. Arimidex pills contain 1 mg of anastrozole and the recommended dosage is 1 mg tablet per day for a treatment period lasting for about 31 months (Zidan et al. 2006). The problems associated with oral pill delivery of anti cancer drugs such as anastrozole are that they have low solubility in water, a short half-life, and uncontrolled delivery and release. In particular, anastrozole has an aqueous solubility of 0.5 mg/mL at 25 • C and a half-life of ∼50 hr. To improve the treatment effectiveness of anastrozole, higher solubility and prolonged circulation of anastrozole are highly desired. Polymer-based drug

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on the basis of clinical findings, laboratory investigations, ultrasonographic and upper GI endoscopic study. Results: Fatigue was the commonest symptom (85.71%). Majority of patients (70%) presented with hepato-splenomegaly with or without jaundice (42.86%). About half of the patients presented with ascites. About 1/3 rd of the patients had history of alcoholism or blood transfusion. Raised SGPT was the commonest (83.09%) and most reliable marker of chronic hepatitis. Ultrasonography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy both helped in the diagnosis of portal hypertension (42.85%). Needle liver biopsy could be done in 11 cases only. Chronic active and chronic persistant hepatitis were found in 3 cases each and 2 idiopathic portal hypertension/ NCPF (non cirrhotic portal fibrosis) diagnosed in 1 case. Liver biopsy was helpful in diagnosing rare causes of hepatomegaly like amyloidosis (1 case) and chronic granulomatous hepatitis (2 cases) in our study. Conclusion: From our study it can be concluded that clinic-aetiological spectrum of CLD can be devided into five major groups-chronic hepatitis, non cirrhotic portal fibrosis, space occupying lesions, metabolic liver disease and chronic granulomatous hepatitis.