Evaluating the Effectiveness of Early Clinical Exposure Program in Learning Clinical Anatomy amongMedical Undergraduates

Introduction:Early clinical exposure (ECE) is viewed as a way to provide contexts of basic science and highlight its relevance to medical picture 67(39.3%) and the commonest the parietal bone was commonly affected 85(55.6%). In closed TBI, majority had subarachnoid hemorrhage130 (84.9%). All cases of T BI had brain edema, with one coincidental finding of metastatic adenocarcinoma. A total of 42cases of TBI had brain herniation practice. It is one of the measures taken by Medical Council of India to enact its vision 2015. ECE promotes self –directed learning and analytical skills in students when they are exposed to it at an earlier phase. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted among volunteered participants of first year medical undergraduate during their regular ECE sessions in the department of Anatomy at Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry after the approval of Instituition al Ethical Committee. The ECE program was used as a supplement to the traditional lectures. Feedback questionnaire after getting validated by the faculty were filled by the students. Results: Statistical analysis was done by Students Paired - Test. The Pre- Test score was (44.5+_16.1) and the Post - est Score was (53.1+_14.54).The Pre- value obtained was 0.0009 which was extremely significant. The results demonstrated that the ECE program will definetly influence the analytical understanding aspects along wi th getting accustomed to the hospital environment for the students. On a longer run it will have major impact on the academic as well on the attitudinal aspect of students.Conclusion: Medical students found their first experience with clinical setting va luable. Providing clinical exposure in the initial years of medical curricula and teaching the application of basic sciences knowledge in clinical practice can enhance students’ understanding of the role they will play in the future as a physician.

Effect of cigarette smoke on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in albino rat.

Effect of cigarette smoke on lipid peroxidation (LPX) and antioxidant enzymes like catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in various organs like brain, heart, lung, liver and kidney of the albino rats exposed to cigarette smoke for 30 min/day for a period of 30 days were assayed. It was observed that the lipid peroxide levels in liver, lung and kidney were enhanced in case of animals exposed to cigarette smoke, whereas brain and heart did not show any change as compared to control animals. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes was also elevated in liver, lung and kidney of the test animals whereas, brain and heart did not show any change in the activities of all of these antioxidant enzymes except glutathione-s-transferase which was increased in brain also. The level of reduced glutathione (GSH) was lowered in liver, lung and kidney of the tested animals when compared with the control animals but there was no significant change in brain and heart. The results of our study suggest that cigarette smoke induces lipid peroxidation in liver, lung and kidney, and the antioxidant enzymes levels were enhanced in order to protect these tissues against the deleterious effect of the oxygen derived free radicals. The depletion of reduced glutathione in these organs could be due to it's utilization by the tissues to mop off the free radicals.

Triplet repeat polymorphism & fragile X syndrome in the Indian context.

Mental retardation due to fragile X syndrome is one of the genetic disorders caused by triplet repeat expansion. CGG repeat involved in this disease is known to exhibit polymorphism even among normal individuals. Here we describe the development of suitable probes for detection of polymorphism in CGG repeat at FMR1 locus as well as the diagnosis of fragile X syndrome. Using these methods polymorphism at the FMR1 locus has been examined in 161 individuals. Ninety eight patients with unclassified mental retardation were examined, of whom 7 were found to have the expanded (CGG) allele at the FMR1 locus. The hybridization pattern for two patients has been presented as representative data.

Preliminary evaluation on safety aspects in mosquito net impregnation with lambdacyhalothrin.

A preliminary evaluation was undertaken on the safety aspects in mosquito net impregnation with lambdacyhalothrin, on the operators and users of the treated nets. The detection by HPLC of one of the principal metabolites of lambdacyhalothrin, 3-phenoxy benzoic acid (3-PBA) in blood samples of the users and operators in very small quantities (0.01 to 0.02 ng/microliters) showed that absorption of the insecticide was minimum. Clinical examination and analysis of different biochemical parameters in blood and serum samples showed in spite of the minimal absorption of the insecticide, there was no immediate adverse effect.

Behaviour change in HIV infected subjects following health education.

A total of 85 HIV seropositive subjects among consecutive new registrants in the STD Department were given health education measures directed to avoiding high risk behaviours and also the events with a high potential for transmission of infection. The emphasis was on the use of condoms, discontinuing promiscuity, abstaining from homosexual acts and avoidance of pregnancy and advice against marriage for those contemplating it. The Health Education Programme was delivered individually to each subject over two or three sessions, each lasting for 30 to 45 min. At the time of follow up (one to 24 months) 42 per cent of subjects had become non-promiscuous. There was a good compliance on advice against marriage and pregnancy. Seven infants born during the follow up period were seronegative. The use of condom was not found to be acceptable. The prostitutes comprised the most resistant group to education. Among the factors that influenced the behaviour change favourably was the absence of earlier STD or a short duration of the current STD. Literacy, marital status, awareness of AIDS did not influence the outcome of education. The study demonstrated the feasibility of health education at individual level in the clinical setting of an STD Department. A longer follow-up may indicate the sustainability of behaviour change in the subjects.

Effect of methylglyoxal on protein thiol and amino groups in isolated rat enterocytes and colonocytes and activity of various brush border enzymes.

The effect of methylglyoxal on protein -SH and -NH2 groups in cytosolic and membranous fractions of epithelial cells lining the gastrointestinal tract of rat was investigated, using isolated villus and crypt cells (enterocytes) and colonocytes. It was found that 11-12% cytosolic protein -SH and 14-17% membrane protein -SH groups were lost when villus and crypt cells were treated with 2 mM methylglyoxal. In colonocytes, the corresponding loss in protein -SH groups was 46 and 30% under the same treatment. Similarly, 27-37% protein -NH2 group in the cytosolic fraction and 18-19% protein -NH2 group in membranous fractions of the enterocytes were lost by 2 mM methylglyoxal treatment. In colonocytes, the loss of protein -NH2 group was 30 and 15% in cytosolic and membranous fractions, respectively, under the same treatment. Effect of methylglyoxal on activity of various brush border enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, leucine aminopeptidase, Mg2(+)-ATPase, sucrase and lactase was also studied. Alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities were inhibited to the extent of 30 and 15% respectively. There was no significant change in the activities of other enzymes after treating the brush border vesicles with 2 mM methylglyoxal. These findings show that methylglyoxal can cause loss of protein thiol and amino groups and enzyme activity in mucosal cells of rat gastrointestinal tract and the effect is more pronounced in colonocytes, which are in constant contact with bacterial metabolites.