Background: The integrative approach in medicine is steadily on the rise in the modern era. Combining knowledge from several fields allows for a deeper comprehension of complicated phenomena and creative answers to critical issues. By bridging the gaps, this holistic approach fosters synergy and advances knowledge in an array of domains.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the scope and potential of Ayurveda-based integrative approaches in contemporary healthcare for developing evidence-based, holistic, and globally relevant models.
Methods: The scope of integrative medicine in the present era has been assimilated and analyzed through the Samhitas, standard Ayurvedic texts, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science–indexed scientific journals, standard textbooks of medicine and allied health sciences, news and updates, online articles, and resources from international healthcare and medical institutions. Intending to develop evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine data and initiate collaborative integrative healthcare models, Ayurveda takes an integrative approach that considers individualized treatment plans, evidence-based practices, cultural and societal considerations, and translational methodology to achieve the P4 Medicine, aptly the Integrative Ayurveda Medicine.
Results: Ayurveda, with its holistic approach to healthcare management, has the longest uninterrupted tradition of healthcare practice. Incorporating emerging knowledge into Ayurveda whilst maintaining fundamentals shall certainly provide comprehensive opportunities to address global healthcare requirements. Western medicine has gained its current acknowledged position as mainstream modern medicine through its openness to learn from the contemporary disciplines of sciences, application of technological advancements, and continued adoption of evidence-based approach.
Conclusion: The concept of an integrative healthcare approach, particularly concerning Ayurveda, has the potential to yield significant benefits in addressing the long-term requirements of creating a more contented, joyful, and peaceful global community.
Background: Music is a universally accessible, non-invasive tool with potential therapeutic effects on stress and autonomic function. College students, frequently exposed to high levels of psychological stress, may benefit from music-based interventions for stress reduction.
Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of slow and fast tempo music on heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and emotional well-being in college students with moderate to high stress levels.
Methods: A within-subject experimental study was conducted among 122 college students aged 17–25 years. Based on Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) scores, 60 individuals with moderate or high stress were selected for intervention. Resting HR and BP were measured prior to exposure. Participants were sequentially exposed to slow-beat music (“Weightless,” 71 bpm) and fast-beat music (“Worldwide Chopper,” 128 bpm) with a washout period to minimize carryover effects. HR was recorded during, and BP was measured after, each music session. A mood state questionnaire was administered post-intervention.
Results: Exposure to slow tempo music produced a significant reduction in HR and BP, suggesting enhanced parasympathetic activity. In contrast, fast tempo music induced a mild elevation in HR and BP within physiological limits, indicating sympathetic arousal. Mood questionnaire responses aligned with physiological findings, with participants reporting feelings of relaxation during slow music and feelings of energy and stimulation during fast music.
Conclusion: Slow tempo music appears to be a promising, non-pharmacological intervention for stress reduction and autonomic regulation in college students. It may aid in balancing cardiovascular responses while improving emotional well-being. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to explore long-term effects on cardiovascular health and psychological outcomes.
Background: Fatigue is an inevitable consequence of sports participation, particularly during high intensity training and competition. Acute exercise induced fatigue has been shown to impair neuromuscular performance, increasing the likelihood of errors and injury.
Purpose: To examine the effect of acute exercise induced fatigue on reaction time and hand–eye coordination in collegiate athletes.
Methods: Forty male collegiate athletes aged 18–23 years were recruited through purposive sampling. Baseline demographic and anthropo metric data were collected, followed by assessment of reaction time using the ruler drop test and hand–eye coordination using the alternate hand wall toss test. Participants then performed the Bruce treadmill inclined exercise protocol to induce fatigue, validated by achieving ≥85% of predicted maximum heart rate and a Borg exertion score ≥7. Post fatigue, reaction time and coordination tests were repeated. Data were analyzed using paired t tests, with significance set at p < 0.05, and effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s d.
Results: Following the fatigue protocol, mean reaction time showed a significant delay (pre fatigue: 0.189 ± 0.0026 s; post fatigue: 0.1937 ± 0.0026 s; mean difference: 0.0047 s; t = 6.08, p < 0.01; Cohen’s d = 0.96). Similarly, hand–eye coordination significantly declined (pre fatigue: 29.65 ± 3.5 catches; post fatigue: 28.35 ± 3.8 catches; mean reduction: 1.3 catches; t = −4.49, p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.71).
Conclusion: Acute exercise induced fatigue adversely affects both reaction time and hand–eye coordination in collegiate athletes, likely due to combined central and peripheral fatigue mechanisms. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating fatigue management, adequate recovery, and reaction time training into athletic conditioning programs to optimize performance and reduce injury risk.
Background:Core muscle dysfunction is a common complication after major abdominal surgeries, often leading to delayed recovery, postural instability, and an increased risk of hernia recurrence. Conventional physiotherapy, though effective, may lack the engagement required for long term adherence. Integrating gamification into rehabilitation introduces an interactive and motivating approach that enhances neuromuscular coordination and patient participation. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a gamified digital balance platform in improving core stability among post abdominal surgery patients compared to traditional physiotherapy.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a gamified digital balance board in improving core stability in patients recovering from abdominal surgery by integrating interactive play based therapy with conventional rehabilitation.
Methods A quasi experimental study was conducted on 30 participants aged 30–40 years who had undergone elective or emergency abdominal laparotomy. Participants were purposively assigned to two groups: Group A (digital rehabilitation using a gamified balance board, n = 15) and Group B (conventional core exercises, n = 15). Both groups trained thrice weekly for six weeks. Core stability was assessed using McGill’s Core Endurance Tests, including trunk flexor, extensor, and side bridge endurance. Statistical analysis was performed using paired and independent t tests at a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: Among the 30 participants (median age 35.5 years, 20 women), both groups showed significant improvement (p < 0.05), but Group A demonstrated greater gains in core stability.
Conclusion: Gamified rehabilitation using the MEND digital balance board significantly enhanced core stability compared to conventional methods. This approach presents a valuable adjunct to traditional physiotherapy, promoting better engagement and improved outcomes in post surgical recovery.
Background: The longitudinal Attitude, Ethics, and Communication AETCOM module was introduced as a part of the competency based medical education curriculum to enhance students’ ethical reasoning, communication, empathy, and professional conduct. While gender differences in communication and professionalism are widely reported, it is unknown how AETCOM training influences these differences over time.
Purpose: To measure attitudes toward communication skills and professionalism among medical students during AETCOM training and to find gender differences, if any, and their change with time.
Methods: A prospective study was conducted among 150 MBBS students from two Kolkata medical colleges, one government and one private. Attitudes were measured at baseline during Phase I MBBS and at endline during Phase III using the Communication Skills Attitude Scale and the Pharmacy Professionalism Instrument. Gender wise differences were tested using non-parametric methods, and correlations among scales were examined using Spearman’s rho.
Results: At baseline, female students reported significantly higher positive attitude scores (p = .016) and professionalism scores (p < .001), and lower negative attitude scores (p = .001). By endline, these gender differences diminished (p > .05). Both genders showed overall declines in professionalism scores, while median positive and negative attitude scores remained stable for male students. A consistent negative correlation existed between positive and negative attitude scales across time (ρ ≈ −.40 to −.50).
Conclusion: Early gender differences were attenuated with time during AETCOM exposure, with a lowering of favourable attitudes among female students as opposed to steady attitudes among male students. The overall non improvement or decline in scores points toward limited retention and potential curricular gaps in sustaining positive attitudes. Integrating reinforcement based, reflective learning and longitudinal mentorship may strengthen the impact of AETCOM.
Background: Recent work has mapped a wide range of biotechnological tools for early cancer detection, ranging from microfluidics and liquid biopsy to biosensors, organoids, breath-based diagnostics, and artificial intelligence (AI), with explicit attention to primary and resource-constrained healthcare settings. However, global experience with multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests and liquid biopsy shows that technology alone does not guarantee earlier diagnosis or reduced mortality.
Purpose: This short communication proposes a pragmatic, pathway-first framework to complement tool-centric narratives and to help clinicians, policymakers, and innovators integrate emerging technologies into real-world primary healthcare systems, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Methods: A focused narrative synthesis of recent literature from 2022 to 2025 was performed on early cancer detection, MCED, liquid biopsy, biosensors, breath-based diagnostics, radiomics, and AI in oncology, prioritizing peer-reviewed sources indexed in major biomedical databases. Insights from implementation science and equity-oriented cancer control in LMICs were integrated to co-develop a framework aligned with healthcare delivery and organization.
Results: Three key blind spots in purely tool-focused narratives were identified, namely limited integration of implementation science and health system readiness, insufficient attention to affordability, reimbursement, and financing, and lack of use-case clarity across screening, triage, diagnosis, and monitoring. To address these gaps, the PATHS framework is introduced: Performance for purpose, Access and affordability, Trust and ethics, Health system fit, and Sustainability. Its application is illustrated for wearable biosensors, breath-based tests, paper-based microfluidics, liquid biopsy, and radiomics or AI at different levels of care.
Conclusions: Biotechnological innovation for early cancer detection is now rich and diverse. The next step is to embed these tools into implementable, equity-sensitive pathways. Adopting a PATHS lens can help readers move from asking “which tool is most exciting?” to “which tool, in which pathway, for which population, delivers the greatest real-world benefit?”, particularly in primary healthcare and LMIC settings where the marginal gains from earlier detection are greatest.
Background: The high and unregulated usage of antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs, and acid suppressant medications has brought several emerging issues related to public health, such as drug interactions, addiction to self-treatment, and antibiotic resistance. There is a need to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the population regarding these widely consumed drugs in order to establish effective education and regulation programs.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to measure the awareness and behavior of the general population in relation to the rational use of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and acid suppressant drugs, as well as to establish the relationship between demographic factors and self-medication practices.
Methodology: The survey was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study in which 400 participants aged 18 years or older were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data in order to determine the level of knowledge, patterns of medication use, and the relationship between education, age, and self-medication behavior.
Findings: A total of 400 respondents participated in the study, with the majority being young adults aged between 18 and 25 years (58.5%) and having higher levels of education. Antibiotic use in the past six months was reported by (83.7%) of participants, with the most commonly used antibiotics being amoxicillin clavulanic acid (16.2%) and amoxicillin (12%). Prescriptions were used by (66%) of participants to obtain antibiotics, while (34%) accessed antibiotics without a prescription, and only half of the users completed the full course of treatment. Self-medication was common (67.2%), most frequently involving paracetamol and acid suppressant drugs, mainly due to previous experience (54.5%) or convenient access (21.5%). The use of acid suppressants was frequent (64.5%) and generally unmonitored. The main sources of information were doctors (43.8%) and pharmacists (29.8%), and (85.2%) of respondents expressed willingness to receive educational content, indicating the need to strengthen awareness regarding rational and safe drug use. Self-medication was prevalent across all education levels, and a statistically significant association was found between level of education and self-medication practices (p < 0.05). Failure to complete the prescribed course of antibiotics showed a strong and statistically significant correlation with the use of acid suppressant medications (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings indicate a significant lack of knowledge and widespread irrational use of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and acid suppressant medications. However, the high willingness of the population to receive education presents an opportunity for implementing community based educational interventions, pharmacist led counseling, and public health campaigns. Improving awareness and promoting the rational use of medications can reduce drug misuse and adverse effects and contribute to combating antibiotic resistance.
Background: Δ8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC) is a psychoactive cannabinoid compound naturally occurring in the Cannabis sativa plant. The commercial Δ8-THC products are typically synthesized from cannabidiol (CBD), which may lead to the formation of various impurities. These impurities may contribute to unintended pharmacological or toxicological effects, highlighting the need for comprehensive safety assessment.
Purpose: This study aims to assess the pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles of Δ8-THC and its structurally related impurities using in silico methods, thereby providing preliminary safety insights before in vitro or in vivo experimentation.
Method: In silico ADMET predictions were performed using the pkCSM web server.
Results: All analyzed compounds possess good membrane permeability and showed favorable values for intestinal absorption. The skin permeability values were within acceptable limits, with the exception of compound 10 (log Kp value -2.443). This suggests that compound 10 may have significantly reduced dermal permeability. All compounds were also predicted to exhibit high Caco-2 cell permeability. Compounds 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 (0.704, 0.542, 0.531, 0.531, 0.648), and 11 (0.227) showed relatively low VDss values. This could influence their duration of action and tissue-specific effects. All the compounds are unlikely to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), based on predicted log BB and CNS permeability indices. Our predictions indicate that impurities 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 have the potential to inhibit the hERG channel, flagging them as possible cardiotoxic agents.
Conclusion: Δ8-THC and its structurally related impurities exhibited favorable absorption and distribution characteristics; variations in volume of distribution and dermal permeability, particularly for compound 10, may influence their pharmacological behavior. The predicted hERG inhibition by impurities 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 raises potential cardiotoxicity concerns. Future work should include in vitro and in vivo validation of these predictions, as well as expansion to include additional impurities formed under various synthetic and storage conditions.
Background: Cancer remains a major global health concern, and survival depends heavily on early diagnosis. Recent advances in biotechnology have led to the development of more efficient and less invasive tools for early detection of cancer, key for improving diagnosis in resource-limited healthcare settings.
Purpose: This paper reviews a wide range of biotechnological tools currently being explored for early cancer detection. The goal is to understand their strengths, limitations, and possible impact on both clinical practice and public health.
Methods: A narrative review was conducted using peer-reviewed, open-access articles published between 2021 and 2025. Sixteen tools were grouped into eight themes, such as microfluidics, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) diagnostics, liquid biopsy, biosensors, organoids, breath-based tests, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-guided tools, and radiomics. Each tool was evaluated for its potential to be scaled for wider use, its ease of access, the strength of its clinical testing, and how well it can be incorporated into existing diagnostic systems.
Results: Several tools, such as wearable biosensors, breath-based tests, and paper-based microfluidics, showed strong potential for use in routine screening due to their low cost and ease of use. Others, like CRISPR and organoid models, are more complex but offer high accuracy and personalization. However, many tools still need wider validation across different populations and clinical settings.
Conclusion: While each tool has its own limitations, biotechnology is helping make cancer tests more accurate, less painful, and easier to access. If these technologies are developed carefully and adapted to local healthcare needs, they could improve early diagnosis and help reduce cancer cases around the world.
Background: For centuries, people have used traditional eye care practices using mineral-only treatments and herbal medicines to optimize their eye health. Many practices are documented in older texts, including the Sushruta Samhita, Ebers Papyrus, and Islamic texts. In a world moving towards integrative medicine, optometry is now reflecting on these traditional practices.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review traditional eye treatments and their potential place in modern optometric treatment by exploring their historical context, current use, pharmacological evidence, and clinical outcomes.
Methods: A literature analysis was carried out using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Key search terms were ‘herbal remedies,’ ‘traditional ophthalmic medicine,’ and ‘ocular health.’ Reports published in English articles from 2016 to 2025 that included information on traditional medicine and the way it is used in modern eye care were included in the study.
Results: Prevalence percentages of traditional medicines were found to be quite variable in rural and underserved areas; in rural India it’s at 25%, and Zimbabwe had 65.7%. Minerals, honey, ghee, and herbal extracts have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant properties. Catastrophic misuse can cause corneal ulcers or blindness; however, data summarize that it offers potential therapeutic benefits for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and dry eye syndrome.
Conclusion: Conventional eye medications may be available for use as an adjunct treatment; however, their safe incorporation into modern ocular care requires further clinical validation, standardization, and large studies.
