Browsing by Author "Pradhan, P."

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Assessing alcohol industry penetration and government safeguards: the International Alcohol Control Study
(BMJ publishing group Ltd, 2024-11) Leung, J.; Casswell, S.; Randerson, S.; Athauda, L.; Banavaram, A.; Callinan, S.; Campbell, O.; Chaiyasong, S.; Dearak, S.; Dumbili, E.; Garcia, L.; Gururaj, G.; Kalapat, R.; Karki, K.; Karlsson, T.; Kong, M.; Liu, S.; Vargas, N.D.M.; Mejia, J.; Nthomang, T.N.; Oladunni, O.; Owino, K.; Palacio, J.; Phatchana, P.; Pradhan, P.; Rossow, I.; Shorter, G.; Sibounheuang, V.; Stelemėkas, M.; Son, D.T.; Vallance, K.; Dalen, W.V.; Wettlaufer, A.; Zamora, A.; Jankhotkaew, J.
Background The alcohol industry uses many of the tobacco industry’s strategies to influence policy- making, yet unlike the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, there is no intergovernmental guidance on protecting policies from alcohol industry influence. Systematic assessment of alcohol industry penetration and government safeguards is also lacking. Here, we aimed to identify the nature and extent of industry penetration in a cross- section of jurisdictions. Using these data, we suggested ways to protect alcohol policies and policy- makers from undue industry influence. Methods As part of the International Alcohol Control Study, researchers from 24 jurisdictions documented whether 22 indicators of alcohol industry penetration and government safeguards were present or absent in their location. Several sources of publicly available information were used, such as government or alcohol industry reports, websites, media releases, news articles and research articles. We summarised the responses quantitatively by indicator and jurisdiction. We also extracted examples provided of industry penetration and government safeguards. Results There were high levels of alcohol industry penetration overall. Notably, all jurisdictions reported the presence of transnational alcohol corporations, and most (63%) reported government officials or politicians having held industry roles. There were multiple examples of government partnerships or agreements with the alcohol industry as corporate social responsibility activities, and government incentives for the industry in the early COVID- 19 pandemic. In contrast, government safeguards against alcohol industry influence were limited, with only the Philippines reporting a policy to restrict government interactions with the alcohol industry. It was challenging to obtain publicly available information on multiple indicators of alcohol industry penetration. Conclusion Governments need to put in place stronger measures to protect policies from alcohol industry influence, including restricting interactions and partnerships with the alcohol industry, limiting political contributions and enhancing transparency. Data collection can be improved by measuring these government safeguards in future studies.
Exploration of Potent Cytotoxic Molecules from Fungi in Recent Past to Discover Plausible Anticancer Scaffolds
(Chemistry & Biodiversity, 2022) Shevkar, C.; Pradhan, P.; Armarkar, A.; Pandey, K.; Kalia, K.; Paranagama, P.; Kate, A. S.
Fungi are known to produce diverse scaffolds possessing unique biological activities, however, to date, no molecule discovered from a fungal source has reached the market as an anti-cancer drug. Every year number of cytotoxic molecules of fungal origin are getting published and critical analysis of those compounds is necessary to identify the potent ones. A review mentioning the best cytotoxic fungal metabolites and their status in the drug development was published in 2014. In this report, we have included 176 cytotoxic molecules isolated from fungi after 2014 and categorized them according to their potencies such as IC50 values below 1 μM, 1–5 μM, and 5–10 μM. The emphasis was given to those 42 molecules which have shown IC50 less than 1 μM and discussed to a great extent. This review shall provide potent scaffolds of fungal origin which can be given priority in the development as a drug candidate for cancer therapeutics.
Memory First Aid: remote memory service and webinar-based dementia training for non-medical graduates in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
(Cambridge University Press, 2021) Jha, A.; Williams, S.; Singh, B.; Pradhan, P.; Bhatt, K.R.; Afridi, M.I.; Tomar, R.; Mukhopadhaya, K.
ABSTRACT: The prevalence of dementia is rising in low-resource countries, where specialist memory services are almost non-existent. The COVID-19 pandemic has created opportunities for innovative remote healthcare. Research shows a lack of dementia literacy and help-seeking behaviour for memory-related problems among older adults in South Asian countries. This paper proposes a remote memory service model and virtual dementia training in South Asian countries, called Memory First Aid (MFA). MFA offers help to a person experiencing memory difficulties until appropriate professional help is received. The MFA course is a 12-h webinar-based package consisting of four weekly modules. It covers dementia awareness and clinical features. The aim is to develop a non-medical workforce able to screen and assess older people with suspected dementia.