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This review highlights the challenges in CAMH epidemiological studies in Asia. Suggestions are made and implications are discussed regarding improving the methodology and bringing in uniformity in such future studies.

Nanoparticle drug carriers consist of solid biodegradable particles in size ranging from 10 to 1000 nm (50-300 nm generally). The use of minute particles as drug carriers for targeted treatment has been studied over a long period of time. A selective accumulation of active substances in target tissues has been demonstrated for certain so-called nanocarrier systems that are administered bound to pharmaceutical drugs. Great expectations are placed on nanocarrier systems that can overcome natural barriers such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and transport the medication directly to the desired tissue and thus heal neurological diseases that were formerly incurable. Polymeric Nanoparticle have been shown to be promising carriers for CNS drug delivery due to their potential both in encapsulating drugs, hence protecting them from excretion and metabolism, and in delivering active agents across the blood -brain barrier without inflicting any damage to the barrier. Different polymers have been used and different strategies like surface modification have been done to increase the retention time of nanoparticles.

Background:Gut microflora influences neural development through complex mechanisms. Feeding practices, especially breastfeeding influence gut microbiome and thereby play a pivotal role in immune and neural development. Current understandings of the role of healthy distal gut microflora in the development of immune and neural systems provide insights into immunological mechanisms as one of the possible etiologies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies have shown that optimal breastfeeding is associated with lower odds of being at-risk for ASD and children with ASD are suboptimally breastfed.Methods:The feeding practices of children with ASD (n = 30) was compared to their typically developing siblings as matched controls (n = 30). Information regarding feeding practices was collected from mothers through a semi-structured questionnaire.Results:About 43.3% of children with ASD received exclusive breastfeeding, whereas 76.7% of their typically developing siblings were exclusively breastfed. Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds for ASD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.166; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.025–0.65), while early introduction of top feeds was associated with higher odds (OR = 6; 95% CI = 1.33–55.19). Difficulties in breastfeeding were attributed to child-related factors in 13.2% of the children.Conclusion:Children with ASD are suboptimally breastfed compared to their typically developing siblings. Exclusive breastfeeding may confer protection in vulnerable children. Further studies on larger prospective sample are required to establish the association.

Skin aging is one of the prominent problems associated with skin as each part of body ages with the time, skin is the external organ where the sign and symptoms of aging are readily evident. However cosmetics as well as pharmaceutical approaches delayed skin aging. Gel are best fitted in all these essential criteria because of their excellent appearance, smoothness, desired consistency, fast drug release, ease of manufacturing and quality assessment and admirable stability. Recently gel formulation have been modified to yield an advance drug delivery system known as ―organogels‖. Gel define as a semi-solid preparation having an external solvent phase, apolar [organogel] or polar [hydrogel] immobilized within the space available of a three dimensional network structure. Lecithin is a natural surfactant isolated from eggs or soya bean, when it combined with water and non-polar solvent, it form gels. PLO gels have gained importance in recent years as transdermal drug delivery system. It is a thermodynamically stable, visco-elastic system, which is non-irritating, odorless and biodegradable. Pluronic F127 or poloxamer is a copolymer of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene which forms a thermoreversible gel in concentrations between 15-30%w/v. Water plays the role of a structure-forming agent and stabilizes the process of gel formation as it solubilizes the pluronic and other hydrophilic drugs. PLO gel system facilitates the delivery of hydrophilic as well as lipophilic drugs owing to the presence of both oil and aqueous phases within the gel system.