Local Body Research Articles

A method of landfill leachate management using internet of things for sustainable smart city development

An urban local body of our country has planned to establish innovative and affordable method of treating solid waste offsite. Current manual waste segregation method is still a challenge for the environmental sustainability and considering the fact a mechanical waste segregator is designed which can identify the type of waste and separate them using Arduino microcontroller. The separated solid wastes are subjected to landfill and a review on landfill leachate management practice is presented in this paper. Then an enhanced Sequential Leach Bed–HUASB Reactor design is proposed for leachate treatment. The fabricated pilot scale model was functioning in the mesophilic state with pretreated solid waste as feed for ten different organic loading. The routine and real time monitoring of process control is based on plasma that depends on remote and onsite control. The materialization of devices is based on the Internet of Things (IoT) cloud, which is observed to be the emerging trend. By captivating the field data the devices are related to the process of mathematical calculation that plays significant role in transforming to the objects and are used to scrutinize turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen and COD using sensors, thereby managing the leachate for making Sustainable smart city development.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the composition of maslikhats (On the example of the Karaganda region)

Maslikhats occupy a special place as a local self-government body. Currently, an urgent issue is to activate the work of maslikhats and increase their status. The main reason for the research was to find an answer to the question, what is the composition of the regional, city and district maslikhats, elected in 2016, whether it covered all layers of the local population. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the Deputy composition of local representative bodies, including maslikhats of the Karaganda region. To achieve this goal, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the composition of the regional, some city and district maslikhats was conducted. As a result of the study, we observe that the participation of all groups of the local population in the work of local maslikhats is uneven in terms of quantitative and qualitative composition. These conclusions were made when analyzing the composition of maslikhats at various levels of the Karaganda region. The composition of other maslikhats may differ. In the future, the results of this work can be used for developing programs for the development of local self-government, preparing for lectures in the disciplines of political science, public administration, political management, etc.

Effects of long-term in vivo micro-CT imagingon hallmarks of osteopenia and frailty in aging mice.

In vivo micro-CT has already been used to monitor microstructural changes of bone in mice of different ages and in models of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis. However, as aging is accompanied by frailty and subsequent increased sensitivity to external stimuli such as handling and anesthesia, the extent to which longitudinal imaging can be applied in aging studies remains unclear. Consequently, the potential of monitoring individual mice during the entire aging process–from healthy to frail status–has not yet been exploited. In this study, we assessed the effects of long-term in vivo micro-CT imaging—consisting of 11 imaging sessions over 20 weeks—on hallmarks of aging both on a local (i.e., static and dynamic bone morphometry) and systemic (i.e., frailty index (FI) and body weight) level at various stages of the aging process. Furthermore, using a premature aging model (PolgA(D257A/D257A)), we assessed whether these effects differ between genotypes. The 6th caudal vertebrae of 4 groups of mice (PolgA(D257A/D257A) and PolgA(+/+)) were monitored by in vivo micro-CT every 2 weeks. One group was subjected to 11 scans between weeks 20 and 40 of age, whereas the other groups were subjected to 5 scans between weeks 26–34, 32–40 and 40–46, respectively. The long-term monitoring approach showed small but significant changes in the static bone morphometric parameters compared to the other groups. However, no interaction effect between groups and genotype was found, suggesting that PolgA mutation does not render bone more or less susceptible to long-term micro-CT imaging. The differences between groups observed in the static morphometric parameters were less pronounced in the dynamic morphometric parameters. Moreover, the body weight and FI were not affected by more frequent imaging sessions. Finally, we observed that longitudinal designs including baseline measurements at young adult age are more powerful at detecting effects of in vivo micro-CT imaging on hallmarks of aging than cross-sectional comparisons between multiple groups of aged mice subjected to fewer imaging sessions.

Effects of bird feeder density on the foraging behaviors of a backyard songbird (the House Finch, Haemorhous mexicanus) subject to seasonal disease outbreaks

Provisioning of wildlife, such as backyard bird feeding, can alter animal behavior and ecology in diverse ways. For species that are highly dependent on supplemental resources, it is critical to understand how variation in the degree of provisioning, as occurs naturally across backyards, alters wildlife behavior and ecology in ways potentially relevant to disease spread. We experimentally manipulated feeder density at suburban sites and tracked local abundance, foraging behaviors, body mass, and movement in House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L. Statius Müller, 1776)), the primary host of a pathogen commonly spread at feeders. Sites with high feeder density harbored higher local House Finch abundance, and birds at these sites had longer feeding bouts and total time on feeders relative to sites with low feeder density. House Finches at high-density feeder sites had lower residual body mass despite greater apparent feeder access. Finally, birds first recorded at low-density feeder sites were more likely to move to neighboring high-density feeder sites than vice versa. Because local abundance and time spent on feeders have both been linked with disease risk in this species, the effects of heterogeneity in bird feeder density on these traits may have important consequences for disease dynamics in this system and more broadly.

Why Denominations Can Climb Hills: RLDS Conversions in Highland Tribal India and Midwestern America, 1964–2000

Based on oral history interviews and archival sources, this essay analyzes the religious affiliation between Sora villagers in the highlands of eastern India with Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) members in the American Midwest. The relationship between these distinct groups transposed a pattern of interactions between highlands and lowlands in upland Asia to a new globalized space in the late twentieth century. Conceiving of “conversion” as a broad analytic trope to discuss various individual, group, and organizational transformations, this essay argues that “converts” in the Sora highlands and American plains instrumentalized their relationships with the other for their own ends. In the Americans, the Sora found a new patron for long-standing client-patron relationships between highlands people and valley people. In the Sora, the Americans found an “indigenous other” who could be used to justify reforms within their local church body along more cosmopolitan lines. As an upshot of these interactions, Sora and Americans effectively reterritorialized older patterns of “hills” and “valleys” that had been deterritorialized by state-sponsored modernization. Thus, the hills and valleys of upland Asia found a surprising afterlife within the space of a global Christian denomination.

The Quilombola Movement: Sensing Futures in Afroindigenous Amazonia

AbstractThe “quilombola movement” is a political current that supports the legal emancipation and territorial autonomy of the descendants of runaway African slaves, called quilombolas in Brazil. As an alternative ethnographic approach, this essay accompanies Amazonian quilombolas through their “movement” in a literal‐kinematic sense of the word, and as their characteristic ways of moving are “sensed” and imagined to exist in the future. Local body techniques and their related kinesthetic sensations have an important role in scaffolding present practices and in orienting subjects in unfolding ecological and economic events. Drawing on an ethnography of daily practices—hunting, horticulture, fishing, and leisure—this essay shifts the focus from ethnohistoric representations towards an embodied account of quilombola collective identification, political struggles, and projects. In dialogue with cultural phenomenology and the broadening field of the anthropology of time, this analytical avenue seeks to show how corporeal ethnographies may be reframed as future‐oriented forms of inquiry.

Making equal rights to health an election issue in NZ local body elections

Abstract In New Zealand there are 20 district health boards (DHBs) with local elections every 3 years. There is low voter turnout for these, we suspect because the public has low cognizance of the role DHBs have in governing their health and disability system. Good governance ensures everyone whatever ethnicity, gender or sexual proclivity, from birth to old age, able or disabled, mentally well or unwell, drugfree or addicted, has equal rights of dignified access to healthcare. Without public engagement in DHB elections, the community risks having candidates elected that also don't understand their role through a preventative public health framework or human rights lens. The United Community Action Network (UCAN) developed a human rights framework and Health Charter for people driven into poverty by the costs of staying well in NZ. The framework outlines 6 social determinants of health needing protection through policy, to ensure all enjoy their rights to health. UCAN and the Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHA) partnered to raise public and the candidates' awareness during 2019 elections, of these social determinants causing inequity in health outcomes. A series of short explainer-videos were created for sharing through social media during the election build-up period, helping to promote PHA Branches' public Meet the Candidates events. Post-election, a longer film was produced to send to the elected DHB members. Our theory of change centred on spotlighting health inequity for voters, so that they would elect DHB members who had the greatest understanding and commitment to addressing this issue. With shareable videos we aimed to attract audience, raise awareness and debate the policy solutions to health inequity with candidates, enabling more informed choice amongst the voting public. Post-election, we maintain supportive relationships with the elected DHB members that promised their commitment to our Health Charter during their campaigns. Key messages Using videos and social media, local body elections provide an opportunity to promote everyone’s right to affordable healthcare, supporting and informing voter decision-making. UCAN's Health Charter is an advocacy resource for raising awareness of the social determinants of health inequity and poverty for people with mental illness, addiction and disability.

A scorecard for local body election candidates in New Zealand

Abstract Local elections are held every 3 years in NZ for District Health Boards (DHB). The public has low capability to scrutinise candidates for their knowledge/experience in public health governance. As a result, there is low voting turn-out for elections. So, 3 PHA branches developed scorecards for 2019 candidates. Our aims addressed 3 problems: 1. How to raise public awareness about local DHB elections 2. How to engage voters and provide them with information about candidates from a public health perspective 3.Can we encourage candidates to discuss public health issues/ preventative measures publicly. We hoped to promote democracy by increasing informed voter turnout. Scorecards were based on candidates' responses to a survey with 3 dimensions: alignment with public health values; health sector governance experience; views on a specific public health issue (water fluoridation). Survey responses were scored by panels of branch members. Southern branch sent the survey to 28 DHB candidates across 2 DHBs, and 24 replied in time. Wellington branch sent it to 23 CCDHB candidates and 16 replied in time. Canterbury's response rate was just over 50%, 11 of 21 surveys were returned. We produced scorecards for results in formats for printing and sharing online. We shared them on PHA's website, social media and featured them in the e-newsletter. Each branch launched them at local Meet the DHB Candidate events where hundreds of paper copies were distributed. There was good online interest in the scorecards: 3453 previews, 287 downloads for further printing/distribution. Many candidates committed, if elected, to policy solutions presented them at our events. There was significant increase (684 in Southern, 698 in Wellington, 2006 in Canterbury) in DHB voter turnout in 2019, compared to last election with no scorecards. Not all top-scoring candidates were subsequently elected onto respective DHBs, but for Wellington and Southland all elected had high scores. Key messages PHANZ plays a role in supporting NZ democracy by filling a gap in public information about election candidates, whether they are fit for purpose when scrutinised through the public health lens. Election Scorecard are effective for raising public awareness, providing scrutiny of the candidates from a public health perspective, encouraging candidates to consider public health issues.

Local Air Quality Issues and Research Priorities Through the Lenses of Chilean Experts: An Ontological Analysis.

Air pollution problems can be large, complex, and ill-structured. They can vary from location to location and combine many complex components: urban expansion, increasing vehicles and industrial emissions, biomass burning, geographic and meteorological conditions, cultural aspects, and economic effects. However, the existing research, accumulated knowledge, and local research priorities are spread over many disciplines and lack a systematic mapping to help manage and develop new strategies for researchers and policy makers. Ontological analysis can be used as a tool to capture this complexity through simple natural-language descriptions and a structured terminology. We describe the development of an ontological framework for "Air Quality Management in Chile" and its application to evaluate the current state of the research. The process was based on focus groups and validated by a panel of multidisciplinary experts. We used the developed framework to highlight the topics that have been heavily emphasized, lightly emphasized, or overlooked in the Chilean research. The framework developed can help researchers, practitioners, and policy makers systematically navigate the domain and provide the opportunity to correct blind spots by enabling more informed hypotheses that deal with air quality issues at a national level. We believe that applying this same process to different countries will yield different results (due to differences in local knowledge and experience). The framework presented could be used to evaluate other important stakeholders (government, media, NGOs, etc.), which will provide a complete picture of how local societies deal with air quality issues at different levels. Additionally, local government institutions will benefit from this analysis by improving funding allocation and opening new research opportunities to improve the distribution of the local body of knowledge. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:273-281. © 2020 SETAC.

Pengaruh Coaching dan Mentoring terhadap Perkembangan Umkm Fashion Serta Orientasi yang Dimediasi Kewirausahaan

Changes in the environment and market mechanisms that are so open, competitive, and market control are challenges that must be answered with a market orientation approach. The purpose of this study is: to examine the effect of coaching and mentoring on the development of Fashion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the capital's supporting areas. This research was conducted at MSME Fashion conducted by young men and women of the millennial generation. While the study population was reviewed at MSME Fashion in the Greater Tangerang area. The sample of this study consisted of 74 MSME Fashion Distros in Tangerang Regency, Tangerang City and South Tangerang City. The sampling technique is multistage sampling consisting of the first simple random sampling in order to determine the Greater Tangerang area that has MSME Fashion, the second is purposive sampling in order to determine the sample in each mapping area that has been determined as a member of the coaching and mentoring of the local entrepreneurship body, and the third is convenience sampling. The method used in determining the sample is based on respondents selected in stage two who are willing to attend. The statistical methods used by researchers are the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) Method for testing validity, the Cronbach Alpha Method for reliability testing, and the Baron and Kenny methods for hypothesis testing, statistical calculations are performed using the MINITAB application. In this study, researchers found a research result that showed that coaching and mentoring had a positive effect on the development of Fashion MSMEs and the Regional Entrepreneurship Agency played a positive role in mediating the development of MSMEs.
 Keywords: Coaching, Mentoring, Development of SMEs

The effect of bone cement distribution on the outcome of percutaneous Vertebroplasty: a case cohort study

BackgroundTo analyze the effect of different types of bone cement distribution after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).MethodsOne hundred thirty seven patients with single level OVCF who underwent PVP were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to bone cement distribution. Group A: bone cement contacted both upper and lower endplates; Group B: bone cement missed at least one endplate. Group B was divided into 3 subgroups. Group B1: bone cement only contacted the upper endplates; Group B2: bone cement only contacted the lower endplates; Group B3: bone cement only located in the middle of vertebral body. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 24 h post operation and last follow-up, anterior vertebral height restoration ratio (AVHRR), anterior vertebral height loss ratio (AVHLR), local kyphotic angle change and vertebral body recompression rate were compared.Results24 h post operation, the pain of all groups were significantly improved. The average follow-up time was 15.3 ± 6.3 (6–24) months. At last follow-up, the VAS score of group A was lower than that of group B. There were 14 cases (10.2%) of adjacent vertebral fracture, 5 cases (8.6%) in group A and 9 cases (11.4%) in group B. There were 9 cases (6.6%) of cement leakage, 4 cases (6.9%) in group A and 5 cases (6.3%) in group B. At last follow-up, there were 16 cases (11.7%) of vertebral body recompression, including 3 cases (5.2%) in group A and 13 cases (16.5%) in group B. There was no significant difference in AVHRR between two groups. Local kyphotic angle change was significant larger in group B. At last follow-up, AVHLR in group B was higher than that in group A. Analysis in subgroup B revealed no significant difference in VAS score, local kyphotic angle change, vertebral recompression rate, AVHRR or AVHLR.ConclusionsIf the bone cement fully contacted both the upper and lower endplates, it can better restore the strength of the vertebral body and maintain the height of the vertebral body, reduce the risk of the vertebral body recompression and long-term pain.

Developing a geospatial measure of change in core temperature for migrating persons in the Mexico-U.S. border region

Although heat exposure is the leading cause of mortality for undocumented immigrants attempting to traverse the Mexico-U.S. border, there has been little work in quantifying risk. Therefore, our study aims to develop a methodology projecting increase in core temperature over time and space for migrants in Southern Arizona using spatial analysis and remote sensing in combination with the heat balance equation—adapting physiological formulae to a multi-step geospatial model using local climate conditions, terrain, and body specifics. We sought to quantitatively compare the results by demographic categories of age and sex and qualitatively compare them to known terrestrial conditions and prior studies of those conditions. We demonstrated a more detailed measure of risk for migrants than those used most recently: energy expenditure and terrain ruggedness. Our study not only gives a better understanding of the ‘funnel effect’ mechanisms, but also provides an opportunity for relief and rescue operations.

Vascularized Muscle Flap to Reduce Wound Breakdown During Flexible Electrode-Mediated Functional Electrical Stimulation After Peripheral Nerve Injury.

The success of devices delivering functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been hindered by complications related to implants including skin breakdown and subsequent wound dehiscence. Our hypothesis was that a vascularized muscle flap along the dorsal surface of an epimysial electrode would prevent skin breakdown during FES therapy to treat atrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle during peripheral nerve injury. Resection of a tibial nerve segment with subsequent electrode implantation on the dorsal surfaces of the gastrocnemius muscle was performed on ten Lewis rats. In five rats, the biceps femoris (BF) muscle was dissected and placed along the dorsal surface of the electrode (Flap group). The other five animals did not undergo flap placement (No Flap group). All animals were treated with daily FES therapy for 2 weeks and degree of immune response and skin breakdown were evaluated. The postoperative course of one animal in the No Flap group was complicated by complete wound dehiscence requiring euthanasia of the animal on postoperative day 4. The remaining 4 No Flap animals showed evidence of ulceration at the implant by postoperative day 7. The 5 animals in the Flap group did not have ulcerative lesions. Excised tissue at postoperative day 14 examined by histology and in vivo Imaging System (IVIS) showed decreased implant-induced inflammation in the Flap group. Expression of specific markers for local foreign body response were also decreased in the Flap group.

Working Experience of an Animal Welfare Body at an Italian Veterinary Public Health Institution

Abstract According to Directive 2010/63/EU, project proposals involving experiments on animals must be favourably evaluated by the local Animal Welfare Body (AWB) before submission for approval to the central competent authority, i.e., the Ministry of Health in the case of Italy. Here the working experience of the AWB established in one Italian veterinary public health institution is considered and discussed to identify limits, difficulties, and provide suggestions for improvement based on practical cases. Given its pivotal role, the AWB should be strengthened to guarantee the safety and welfare of animals used for scientific purposes, and to further the awareness of researchers about animal welfare and ethics.

Local Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Regimes Response and People Perceptions

The passage of the 18th Amendment to Constitution of 1973 of Pakistan is a major constitutional development to strengthen local system of government in Pakistan. The amendment constituted one of the most dramatic devolution of power since drafting of 1973 Constitution. The increased authority accorded to provincial governments has enhanced their ability to retain control of their revenue; however, most taxes will continue to be redistributed by the center. The amendment authorizes the provinces to establish the local government system. This paper focuses on the failure of various provincial governments to conduct periodic local body’s elections and to implement the system. The study also focuses on the political leadership insincerity in their commitment to devolution of power to the local representatives. The study finds out that contrary to non-elected institutions elected institutions are to greater extent reluctant to empower local representatives. The study also finds out that despite lack of political will, unsound financial conditions remained a major obstacle in deepening the roots of these institutions. These elected representatives at federal and provincial level half-heartedly supporting this system as they think of the later will reduce their influence and will decrease their power base.

Knowledge transmission patterns at the border: ethnobotany of Hutsuls living in the Carpathian Mountains of Bukovina (SW Ukraine and NE Romania)

BackgroundCross-border research is a novel and important tool for detecting variability of ecological knowledge. This is especially evident in regions recently divided and annexed to different political regimes. Therefore, we conducted a study among Hutsuls, a cultural and linguistic minority group living in Northern and Southern Bukovina (Ukraine and Romania, respectively). Indeed, in the 1940s, a border was created: Northern Bukovina was annexed by the USSR while Southern Bukovina remained part of the Kingdom of Romania. In this research, we aim to document uses of plants for food and medicinal preparations, discussing the different dynamics of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) transmission among Hutsuls living in Ukraine and Romania.MethodsField research was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling techniques to recruit 31 Hutsuls in Ukraine and 30 in Romania for participation in semi-structured interviews regarding the use of plants for medicinal and food preparation purposes and the sources of such knowledge.ResultsThe interviews revealed that, despite a common cultural and linguistic background, ethnobotanical knowledge transmission occurs in different ways on each side of the border. Family is a primary source of ethnobotanical knowledge transmission on both sides of the border; however, in Romania, knowledge from other sources is very limited, whereas in Ukraine interviewees reported several other sources including books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet and television. This is especially evident when analysing the wild plants used for medicinal purposes as we found 53 taxa that were common to both, 47 used only in Ukraine and 11 used only in Romania. While Romanian Hutsuls used almost exclusively locally available plants, Ukrainian Hutsuls often reported novel plants such as Aloe vera, Aronia melanocarpa and Elaeagnus rhamnoides. Knowledge related to these plants was transferred by sources of knowledge other than oral transmission among members of the same family. Therefore, this may imply hybridization of the local body of knowledge with foreign elements originating in the Soviet context which has enriched the corpus of ethnobotanical knowledge held by Ukrainian Hutsuls.ConclusionsWhile ethnobotanical knowledge among Romanian Hutsuls is mainly traditional and vertically transmitted, among Ukrainian Hutsuls there is a considerable proportion of LEK that is transmitted from other (written and visual) sources of knowledge. This cross-border research reveals that despite a common cultural background, socio-political scenarios have impacted Hutsul ethnobotanical knowledge and its transmission patterns.

Stwierdzenie nieważności uchwały lub zarządzenia organu jednostki samorządu terytorialnego jako jeden ze środków nadzoru nad samorządem terytorialnym

In this article, basing on normative regulations, judicial decisions of administrative courts and of Constitutional Tribunal and literature of the subject, the analysis of one of the means of supervision over local government was made, which is the Voivode having possibility to state the invalidity of a resolution or order of local government body. Although the legislator equipped the local government with a significant degree of autonomy and independence - legal, judicial, financial, organizational - it did subject the lawfulness of legal acts established by local government bodies to control by government administration bodies and provided for the possibility of declaring them null and void. The article analyses the provisions concerning the circumstances and procedures for the application of such a supervision measure and its implementation as well as the issue of appealing the analysed supervision measure to the administrative court.

Role of C/N ratio on microalgae growth in mixotrophy and incorporation of titanium nanoparticles for cell flocculation and lipid enhancement in economical biodiesel application.

Present study aimed to evaluate the influence of carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) on mixotrophic growth of microalgae and role of nanomaterial in cell recovery and lipid improvement. In this study, three microalgae species were isolated, screened from local freshwater body for lipid assimilation. The microalgae were identified as Chlorococcum sp., Scenedesmus sp., and Euglena sp. Mixotrophic cultivation of each microalgae strain using various organic carbon sources was preferred in contrast with photoautotrophic mode. Sucrose represented as the preeminent source for enhancing the microalgae biomass of 3.5g/L and lipid content of 58.35%, which was a significant improvement as compared to control. Later, response surface methodology-central composite design (RSM-CCD), tool was employed to optimize the C/N ratio and demonstrated the maximum biomass production of 5.02g/L along with the increased lipid content of 60.34%. Ti nanoparticles (Ti nps) were added to the culture for lipid enhancement in the stationary phase and biomass removal was performed by nanoparticle (np)-mediated flocculation technique. Optimized concentration of 15ppm Ti nps determined the cell harvesting efficacy of 82.46% during 45min of sedimentation time and 1.23-fold lipid enhancement was reported. Extracted lipid was converted to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) by the process of transesterification and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Characterization of FAME revealed the presence of 56.31% of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and 29.06% unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) that could be processed towards sustainable biodiesel production. Hence, our results suggested that integration of mixotrophic cultivation and Ti nps emerged as a new cost-effective approach for biomass and lipid enhancement in microalgae Chlorococcum sp.

Digitization of local governments: experience of Berdyansk (Berdyansk united territorial community)

This article is devoted to the study of the process of digitalization of local governments of Berdyansk (Berdyansk United Territorial Community) for the period 1994-2020 by analyzing the relevant regulations from the official website of Berdyansk City Council.Based on the results of the analysis, the key tasks and functions of the structural subdivisions of the executive committee of the Berdyansk City Council aimed at digitalization of local self-government bodies were identified. The main historical directions of informatization and digital transformation of local self-government bodies of Berdyansk are revealed. The basic preconditions for digitalization of a local self-government body are outlined.

ANALYSIS OF COST-OF-ILLNESS DUE TO TYPHOID FEVER IN TERTIARY HEALTH CARE HOSPITALS AND PHARMACEUTICAL EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT BRANDS USED IN THE TREATMENT

The objectives of the current study were to estimate the out-of-pocket costs of illness of blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever, as well as to evaluate the different brands of ciprofloxacin HCl used in the treatment of typhoid fever. Therefore, a comparative study was designed for the assessment of costs of treatment at sixteen public (Government sector) and private tertiary health care hospitals located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan. On the basis of prescriptions collected from the hospitals, seven different brands of ciprofloxacin HCl prescribed in the treatment of typhoid fever were purchased from retail pharmacies for quality assessment. The mean costs for fourteen days and seven days treatment were analyzed and the overall costs of treatment were high at private health care sectors than public sectors. Model independent approach like similarity factor (f2) was also applied to assess the similarity between the dissolution profiles of different brands, and result indicated that three brands were found to be similar with reference product, while, three were dissimilar. It can be concluded that this cost-effective analysis of antibiotics used in the typhoid fever, will help to the local regularity body as well as WHO to update typhoid fever immunization recommendations. Ciprofloxacin was found an effective antibacterial agent in the treatment of typhoid fever and all brands met the pharmaceutical quality parameters. Thus, physicians, pharmacists and patients can select most appropriate quality brand for the therapy of typhoid fever.