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Practicing "OM" chanting has been reported to reduce stress levels and improve cognitive functions. Objective of the study was to observe beneficial effects of "OM" chanting on perceived stress and auditory and visual reaction time in private school teachers. 8 female school teachers of aged 27-40 years were part of this study after obtaining informed consent. Participants served as self-controls. After adequate training sessions, participants performed Om chanting once in a day at 6:00 am daily at meditation hall in school premises for 12 weeks under the supervision of yoga teacher. Perceived stress was recorded by using perceived stress scale. Auditory and visual reaction time was recorded by auditory and visual reaction time apparatus manufactured by Anand Agencies, Pune. We have observed significant decrease (P<0.05) in stress and significant improvement (P<0.05) in both auditory and visual reaction times in the participants followed by OM chanting. Our study provides further evidence for beneficial effects of OM chanting. We recommend Practicing OM chanting for better stress management and cognitive functions.

Objective: This study was undertaken to observe the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and pupil to limbus diameter (PLD) ratio in hypertensive working women.Methods: A total of 30 hypertensive working women were part of the study after obtaining written, voluntary, informed consent, and ensuring confidentiality. PLD ratio was measured by two-box method as described in the literature. Results:Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio of the right eye (r=0.951) and left eye (r=0.927) and systolic BP. This correlation is statistically significant at 0.01 levels (two tailed). Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio of the right eye (r=0.844) and left eye (r=0.828) and diastolic BP. This correlation is statistically significant at 0.01 levels (two tailed). Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio of the right eye (r=0.416) and left eye (r=0.396) and pulse pressure. This correlation is statistically significant at 0.05 levels (two tailed). Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio of the right eye (r=0.883) and left eye (r=0.844) and mean arterial BP. This correlation is statistically significant at 0.05 levels (two tailed). Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio of the right eye (r=0.841) and left eye (r=0.819) and pulse rate. This correlation is statistically significant at 0.05 levels (two tailed). Conclusion:Positive correlation was observed between PLD ratio and autonomic parameters. We recommend further detailed studies to utilize the measurement of PLD ratio as an autonomic function test.

Background and Objectives: Intramuscular injection is an everyday procedure which is not without its hazards. Although insuring bodies have pointed out that the lateral thigh is the least unsafe site for an IM injection. The commonly used sites in the adult are gluteal and deltoid muscle. The present study was undertaken to assess the level of knowledge related to intramuscular administration of medication among staff nurses.Material and Methods: 30 samples were selected and descriptive research approach was used in the study. The level of study was assessed using self-administered questionnaire.Results: 46.67 % had inadequate knowledge, 40% had moderate knowledge regarding g the administration of IM injection. Efforts were also made to find the association between the level of knowledge and selected demographic variables. There is significant association between knowledge and educational status and years of clinical experience. Conclusion:The present study assessed the knowledge of staff nurses regarding the administration of intramuscular (IM) medication and tries to find association between the level of knowledge and selected demographic variables. At the nd of the study, the investigators found that there is association between the level of knowledge, age, educational status and year of experience.

Epigenetics is one of the exciting and fastest expanding fields of biology; this is above genetics. Methylation is the process involved in the transfer of methyl group to amino acids, proteins, enzymes and DNA of all the cells, and tissues of the body. During cell-division low folate availability may result in decreased production of thymidine wherein uracil may be substituted in the place of thymidine in the DNA sequence. It was reported that folate and Vitamin B12 restricted diet resulted in aberrant methylation patterns. The current review was undertaken to explore the role of folic acid and Vitamin B12 in DNA methylation.

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Nutrition and epigenetic changes is the emerging topic of interest in the present scenario to understand the effects of increased supplementation of micronutrients like Folic Acid (FA). The study is taken up in the public health interest, to evaluate the importance of balancing the different micronutrients in the diet to avoid unbalanced nutritional disorders and other health complications later in life. It has been hypothesized that disease risks after birth or later in life can be determined by paternal or maternal diet. This raised an interest to study in-utero effects of environmental exposures like air pollution, toxins, nutrition, etc. It had been assumed that during embryonic period most of the dividing tissues get exposed to the environmental insults and that change results in predisposition of cancer or other health outcomes. There could be the possibility of maternal exposures like nutrition may alter the intrauterine one-carbon metabolism or the precursor milieu and may be involved in the disruption of one-carbon metabolism in developing offspring. Modification in methyl me of offspring with subsequent changes in phenotypes has been noted in the preliminary studies with increased folic acid (FA) supplementation during pregnancy. Maternal folate deficiency has been implicated as a cause of prematurity and both folate deficiency and cobalamin deficiency have been implicated in recurrent fetal loss and neural tube defects. Folic acid supplementation at the time of conception and in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is expected to reduce by 70% the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) (meningomyelocele, encephalocele and spina bifida) in the fetus. Most of the protective effect can be achieved by taking folic acid, 0.4 mg daily at the time of conception. However there is no clear relationship between maternal folatestatus and the fetal abnormalities. It has been observed that, the lower the maternal folate, the greater the risk to the fetus. On the other hand maternal cobalamin status is a strong predictor of vitamin B12 in breastfed infants up to at least 6 months of age. Because of the transfer from mother to offspring during pregnancy and lactation, maternal requirements during this period are increased and deficiency may occur. The influence of low vitamin B12 during pregnancy may have cognitive ability of children later in life. Hypothyroidism is caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. In females, hypothyroidism is associated mainly with oligomenorrhea.

Background: Hypertension is a common health problem in developed countries. Individuals with systolic blood pressure (BP) between 120 and 139 mmHg or diastolic BP between 80 and 89 mmHg are categorized as prehypertensive. This group is at high risk for developing essential hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Aims and Objectives: To observe lipid profile, thyroid profile, and eating behavior in prehypertensive women. Materials and Methods: Thirty cases of prehypertensive women between the age of 25 and 50 years and 30 age-matched non-prehypertensive women were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. Thyroid profile, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were estimated by standard methods. Eating behavior was assessed using eating attitude test-26 (EAT-26). Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Student's t-test was applied to observe the significance of difference. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Significantly lower levels (P < 0.001) of HDL, significantly higher (P < 0.001) LDL, very LDL, TG, and TC were observed in prehypertensive women when compared with healthy controls. Thyroid profile and were not significantly different between control and prehypertensive women. Conclusion: High lipid profile was observed in prehypertensive women when compared with healthy controls. We recommend further detailed studies in this area to understand the underlying mechanisms.