Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Mosquito-Borne Diseases among Migrant Laborers from a Migrant Settlement in Ponekkara, Ernakulam Kerala

Background: Mosquito?borne diseases (MBDs) such as Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, lymphatic filariasis, and Japanese Encephalitis are important public health problems in India. Ernakulam in Kerala being a hub of construction activities has a large influx of migrants from Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, U. P., Jharkhand, T. N., and Karnataka. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice related to MBDs and the associated factors among the migrant laborers from a migrant settlement in Ponekkara, Ernakulam Kerala. Materials and Methods: A cross?sectional study was done among 179 migrant laborers from a migrant settlement in Ponekkara, Kerala, from September 2021 to November 2021 using a pretested semi?structured questionnaire to collect information regarding socio?demographic details and their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding mosquito borne diseases. After taking verbal consent, the questionnaire was administered by the investigator. Descriptive and univariate analysis was done using SPSS Version 20. Results: It was found that 58.4% of the migrant laborers had poor knowledge, 55.9% had poor attitude, and 61.5% of them had poor practice regarding MBDs. On univariate analysis, a statistically significant association was observed between attitude score and the level of education. Conclusion: The findings showed that migrant laborers had an overall poor knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding MBDs. Consequently, there is a need to plan an awareness program among the migrant settlements regarding MBDs.

Knowledge, Attitude And Practice (KAP) Of Pharmacovigilance Among Undergraduate Medical Students In A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital Of Kumaon Region, Uttarakhand

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance program is responsible for conducting activities related to ADR monitoring.But it is encountering problem of underreporting. The medical students are the budding doctors who can play a major role in strengthening this program. Therefore, our study was carried out to assess and compare the KAPof MBBS students according to the year of study. Materials and Methods: It was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Questionnaire contained 21 questions to evaluate KAP of second, prefinal and final year MBBS students regarding pharmacovigilance. Results: KAPscoring was average for knowledge, good for attitude and poor for practice. The mean score for knowledge was highest for final year students (7.01 ± 1.96) whereas attitude and practice score was highest for second year students (5.65 ± 0.64; 2.18 ± 0.95). There was a significant difference in mean score between three groups for practice. Conclusion: Students lack adequate knowledge and practice but they have positive attitude towards pharmacovigilance

Cognitive Coping Styles in Bipolar Mood Disorder: A Comparative Study

Introduction: Coping responses are being targeted in psychological interventions as they have the capacity to distinctly influence the illness course. Identifying the coping strategies in patients of Bipolar Mood Disorder thus becomes essential part for treatment design, due to differential coping preferences having etiological and clinical implications. Most studies till date have focused on bipolar I disorder, the current study examines the cognitive coping profiles in both bipolar I (BD I) and bipolar II mood disorder (BD II) patients, and compared them. Aim: To examine the cognitive coping strategies in Bipolar I and Bipolar II patients and how they differ from each other. Material and methods: A total of 100 participants were segregated using MINI and divided into groups based on DSM-IV TR. Participants (62 BD I patients and 38 BD II patients) were analyzed for preferential cognitive coping strategies using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Results: BD I patients scored significantly higher on most adaptive coping subscales of CERQ as compared to BD II patients. Conclusion: BD I patients used more adaptive coping strategies as compared to BD II patients.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the renal parenchyma.

No case of a primary renal parenchymal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been reported previously in the literature although renal pelvic SCCs are well known. We report an unusual case in a 60-year-old lady who presented with significant weight loss. She was found to have a mid and lower pole left renal tumor with enlarged para-aortic nodes. A left radical nephrectomy and nodal dissection was performed and the pathological stage was T4N1M0. No adjuvant therapy was given. She is alive at 13 months post-surgery.

A case of venous gangrene, treated successfully with thrombolytic therapy and skin grafting.

Venous gangrene is a rare condition. We report a case of venous gangrene, treated successfully with thrombolytic therapy and subsequently by skin grafting.

Chest pain, dynamic ECG changes and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Chest pain is a common emergency. Some patients have dynamic ECG changes with chest pain. Purpose of study was to find out the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients presenting with chest pain and dynamic ECG changes. MATERIAL AND RESULTS: Seventy two patients presenting with chest pain and dynamic ECG changes were subjected to coronary angiography. Thirty nine patients had typical angina/unstable angina (USA). Twenty seven were males and 12 were females. Mean age was 57.28 +/- 8.91 years. 36 (92.3%) of these were found to have CAD. Only three patients of these had normal coronaries. Thirty three patients had atypical chest pain. Twenty two were females and 11 were males. Mean age was 45.15 +/- 10.18 years. Only two (6%) of these patients had CAD. Thirty one (94%) patients had normal coronaries. CONCLUSION: History of typical angina with dynamic ECG changes is highly suggestive of CAD as a cause of chest pain. Patients with atypical chest pain with dynamic ECG changes have low likelihood of CAD. Young patients and females may have dynamic ECG changes without CAD.

Actinomycotic bacteraemia after dental procedures.

PURPOSE: To assess role of oral flora in causing bacteraemia following dental manipulations. METHODS: Fifty patients undergoing dental manipulations were assessed to study the incidence and nature of bacteraemia following dental procedures with special emphasis on Actinomyces. RESULTS: Incidence of bacteraemia was seen to be 80% of which Actinomycotic bacteraemia was found to be 30 %. Common species of Actinomyces isolated were A.viscosus (58.33 %), A.odontolyticus (8.33 %) and A. naeslundi (8.33 %). Aerobic bacteraemia was seen in 48% patients. Common aerobes isolated from bacteraemia following dental procedures were alpha haemolytic streptococci (25.93 %) and diphtheroides (20.38 %). Anaerobic bacteraemia was seen in 6% patients. Common Anaerobes isolated were Peptostreptococcus spp (33.32 %), Prevotella spp. (16.66%) and Bacteroides spp (16.66%). Mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteraemia was present in 26 % of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Actinomycotic bacteraemia was more commonly seen in patients with periodontal infections. Thus, prophylactic measures need to be instituted in such patients to prevent cervicofacial, thoracic or abdominal Actinomycosis developing later on.

Monitoring of presterile disposable syringes and needles marketed in Pune.

Out of hundred syringes and hundred needles (both presterile, disposable) tested, 41 syringes (41%) and 6 needles (6%) showed aerobic growth. Forty of the above syringes were tested simultaneously for fungi and anaerobes. Fungi isolated were 5.7% and no anaerobe was grown. Fifty glass syringes and fifty needles autoclaved in the departmental laboratory served as controls and did not show any growth. As a preventive measure, proper disposal of used disposable material should be made mandatory so that it does not find its way into the market. Or has the time come to switch back to the former conventional practice of using in house autoclaved articles?

Prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients with symptomatic peripheral vascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of coronary artery disease has been reported to be quite high in patients with peripheral vascular disease in western literature. Therefore, it is important to study the coronary anatomy in patients with symptomatic peripheral vascular disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-three patients presenting with symptoms of peripheral vascular disease underwent peripheral angiography in our institute during the last 2 years. The total number of vessels involved in these patients was 117. Fifteen patients had involvement of the upper limb vessels, 46 patients had involvement of the lower limb vessels and 6 patients had involvement of the carotid/vertebral arteries. Coronary arteriography was done in all the patients. Only 8 (15%) patients were found to have coronary artery disease with involvement of 11 arteries. Eighty-four (72%) peripheral vessels out of the 117 vessels involved showed total occlusion, whereas only 2 (18%) coronary arteries out of 11 vessels involved showed total occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the majority of patients with symptomatic peripheral vascular disease have normal coronaries, the extent of their involvement being low despite severe peripheral vascular disease.

Alteration in the acceptor side of photosystem II of chloroplast by high light.

The effect of high light on the acceptor side of photosystem II of chloroplasts and core particles of spinach was studied. Both Vmax and apparent Km for DCIP were altered in photoinhibited photosystem II core particles. The double reciprocal plot analysis as a function of actinic light showed increased slope in chloroplasts photoinhibited in the presence of DCMU. Exposure of chloroplasts to high light in the presence of DCMU did not protect the chloroplast against high light induced decrease in Fm, level. Further the high light stress induced decrease in Fm level was not restored by the addition of DCMU. These results suggest that the high light stress induced damage to chloroplast involves alteration in the binding site for QB on the DI protein on the acceptor side of photosystem II.

Congenital heart disease among school children in Shimla hills.

A stratified random sample of 15,080 school going children out of 40,950 children in the age group of 5 to 16 years were screened for the prevalence of congenital heart disease and rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease. Thirty children were found to be suffering from definite congenital heart disease giving a prevalence of 2.25 per thousand. Atrial septal defect was the commonest lesion (38.2%) with a prevalence of 0.87 per thousand followed by ventricular septal defect (32.2%) with a prevalence of 0.73 per thousand. The prevalence of congenital heart disease was found to be significantly more in female (3.3 per thousand) than in male children (1.4 per thousand) (p < 0.05). Three (8.8%) cases had a family history of congenital heart disease. Rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease was found to have a significant prevalence among cases with congenital heart disease (8.8%) as compared to children without congenital heart disease (0.3%) (p < 0.001). The findings suggest the need for screening of family members of those suffering from congenital heart disease and that special attention be paid to the occurrence of rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease in cases of congenital heart disease.

Cytochrome b6-f complex : The carburettor of exciton distribution in oxygenic photosynthesis.

Efficient oxygenic photosynthesis not only requires synchronous turover and operation of photosystem I (PS I) and photosystem II (PS II) but also the preferential turnover of PS I for cyclic photophosphorylation to maintain required ATP and NADPH ratio during carbon dioxide reduction. Ohe initial higher rate of turnover of PS II in viva is accounted by the fact that (i) PS I contains only about one-third of total chlorophylls, (ii) about 90% of light harvesting a/b protein (LAC) which accounts for about 50% of the total chlorophylls, remains associated with PS II as PS II-LHC II complexes (PS IIa) and (iii) the ratio of PS II/PS I is always greater than unity, in the range of 1-2 : 1 under different environmental regimes. Ohe initial preferential feeding of PS II, due to its larger antenna, is bound to result in faster rate of turn over of PS II than PS I, leading to higher rate of reduction of an intersystem carrier than the rate of its oxidation by PS I. Ohe light dependent phosphorylation of a 'mobile' and small pool (– 20%) of LHC II of PS IIα (possibly located at the edge of appressed regions of the membranes) increases the repulsive forces of LHC II resulting in its migration to non-appressed region associating itself with PS 1. Ohe phosphorylation itself is controlled by the redox state of an intermediate of electron transport. Several experimental approaches have provided evidence which suggest that (i) phosphorylation of LAC II involves interaction of cyt b5-f complex with LAC II kinase and the interaction of QA with cyt b5-f complex and (ii) different kinases may be involved in phosphorylation of LHC II versus PS II polypeptides. Ohe major purpose of light dependent LAC II phosphorylation and its consequent migration close to PS I appears to balance the rate of cyclic versus non-cyclic photophosphorylation. Ohe mechanism by which cyt b5-f complex controls the activation of LAC II is not known. Ohe role of membrane bound ealmodulin, electron transfer through cyt b6-f complex in activation of LAC II kinase should be explored.

Mechanism of reductive photoactivation of enzymes of C4 pathway.

Light, besides initiating primary photochemical processes, alters the redox state of soluble components in chloroplast. The present review attempts to cover the mechanism of reductive photoactivation of enzymes of photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle using key enzymes as examples. The reduced soluble components — ferredoxin, thioredoxin and NADPH, in turn, cause the reduction of disulphides to dithiols of chloroplastic enzymes. NADP-malate dehydrogenase is subject to activation by light through changes in NADPH/NADP. The key enzyme of C4 photosynthesis-PEP carboxylase, though cytosolic, has been shown to be activated by disulphide/sulphhydryl interconversion by reductants generated in light through chloroplast electron transport flow. Pyruvate Pi dikinase activity is controlled by the adenylate energy charge. It remains unclear how light controls the activation of cytosolic enzymes.