A cross sectional study of tobacco use among the college students of B. G. Nagara, Karnataka

Background: Tobacco is a leafy plant grown around the world with its addictive substance nicotine. It becomes the need of the hour to provide enough evidence on the correlates of tobacco use in the community to assist government policy makers, health professionals and the public in developing realistic models towards effective tobacco control to cater to sections of community in need. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and the pattern of tobacco use among the college students and to find out the reasons for the tobacco use among the college students.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted among various college students of B. G. Nagara with 1003 subjects selected. Data was collected with a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and analysed. Results were expressed in percentages and proportions.Results: The overall prevalence of tobacco use among the study subjects was found to be 5.8% and was exclusively among male students only. Cigarette smoking was the most commonly used form of tobacco, used by 89.7% of the tobacco users and the major reasons for initiation of tobacco use were due to friends (58.6%).Conclusions: Present study showed that the prevalence of tobacco use (5.8%) was lower when compared to state and national average. But since majority of users were in the age group of 19 to 21 years and were away from their homes, strict measures should be enforced in hostel and college premises banning its use and sale.

Invasive meningococcal disease in the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) remains the leading worldwide cause of acute bacterial meningitis and fatal sepsis in healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 12 cases of N. meningitidis from patients with invasive meningococcal infections in University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur during the years 1987-2004 were reviewed together with details of age, sex, disease, risk factors treatment and outcome of these patients. RESULTS: Their ages ranged from 10 months to 64 years (median age 29.75 years). The male to female ratio was 1.42:1. Fever, neck stiffness, headache, vomiting and confusion were predominant symptoms. Upper respiratory tract viral infection and Hajj pilgrimage were directly associated with invasive meningococcal disease. Penicillin or ceftriaxone or both in some cases were administered as empirical therapy. All isolates were sensitive to penicillin, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol and rifampicin. The case fatality ratio was 1:4. One Hajj pilgrim died despite having received polyvalent meningococcal vaccine. Amongst the survivors, two patients had neurological deficit, hearing loss and arthritis. CONCLUSION: Early antimicrobial therapy has been shown to reduce these adverse outcomes. Clinicians need to be alerted to the presence of the disease in the community and the disease should be made notifiable within 24 hours of detection both for early treatment of cases and to facilitate contact tracing, institution of prophylactic treatment and prevention of secondary cases.

Nucleated red blood cells in cord blood of singleton, term neonates and the risk factors affecting their count

This study aims to establish normal values for nucleated red blood cells [NRBCs] in healthy, term, singleton neonates and to evaluate the association between some medical and obstetrical conditions, known to be associated with chronic hypoxia, and NRBC count elevation. We prospectively collected umbilical cord blood from 349 live bom, term, singletons, Delivered at our department. Cord blood was analyzed for nucleated RBC. We reviewed the medical record for maternal data and neonatal outcomes of gestations of>. 37weeks duration. The cases were divided into two main groups on the basis of the presence or absence of complicated pregnancies. The mean value for NRBCs per 100 WBCs in control group [those with uncomplicated pregnancies] was 2.4, the SD was 2.1, and the range was 0 to 10. There was significant elevation of NRBCs in cases of small for gestational age. And in cases complicated by maternal diabetes or pre-eclampsia [p< 0.05]. The value did not vary by maternal smoking. Apgar score showed trend toward inverse proportionality to the number of NRBCs. The NRBCs counts in the healthy, term neonates were in the range of 0-10. Elevated NRBC count was associated with states of relative hypoxia such as intrauterine growth restriction, maternal diabetes andpreeclampsia. Elevated NRBC count were also associated with lower Apgar scores

Assessment of fetal oxygenation in grade III placental calcification

To determine whether advanced placental calcification is associated with impaired placental function by assessment of different grades of placental calcification in relation to cord blood NRBCs count, a marker for chronic hypoxia. Nucleated Red Blood Cells [NRBCs] from cord blood of 200 singleton term non -asphyxiated neonates were compared with cord blood NRBCs of 51 term singletons proved to have 2ed and 3ed Grade placental calcification by ultrasound examination Foetal weight and Apgar score were also assessed in different groups. Grade III placental calcification [n=30] was not associated with a significant difference in NRBC counts compared to group one [n=200]: mean 2.45.S.D.2.4I and mean 2.40, SD 2.12 respectively [P> 0.8]. These result illustrated that advanced grades of placental calcification dose not Jeopardize fetal oxygenation, as evidenced by the non significant finding of NRBC counts in different groups, and the non Significant difference in fetal out come by comparing fetal weigh and Apgar scores for different groups

Focal non-typhoidal Salmonella infections from a single center in Malaysia.

A retrospective review of patients with focal non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection was performed to determine its features and outcome. All patients with focal NTS infection admitted to the University of Malaya Medical Center, Malaysia, from 1993 to 2002 were studied. More than half (58%) of the 35 cases (54% male, median age 39 years, range 1.5 months to 79 years) were immunocompromized or had chronic medical conditions. One-third of the patients (34%) had superficial infections (lymphadenitis or subcutaneous tissue infection) and all recovered with antimicrobial therapy alone. Deep infections (66%) noted were: meningitis (9%), osteomyelitis or arthritis (26%), abscesses of the gastrointestinal tract or adjacent organs (20%), and others (11%). Deep infections were more likely to occur in the extremes of age (<6 months or >60 years, p< 0.04), associated with adverse outcomes with an overall mortality rate of 9%, or required major surgery (15%).

Melioidosis: an emerging infectious disease.

Infectious diseases account for a third of all the deaths in the developing world. Achievements in understanding the basic microbiology, pathogenesis, host defenses and expanded epidemiology of infectious diseases have resulted in better management and reduced mortality. However, an emerging infectious disease, melioidosis, is becoming endemic in the tropical regions of the world and is spreading to non-endemic areas. This article highlights the current understanding of melioidosis including advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Better understanding of melioidosis is essential, as it is life-threatening and if untreated, patients can succumb to it. Our sources include a literature review, information from international consensus meetings on melioidosis and ongoing discussions within the medical and scientific community.

Detection and molecular characterization of the zot gene in Vibrio cholerae and V. alginolyticus isolates.

A total of 11 Vibrio cholerae isolates from 1996-1998 outbreaks in Malaysia and 4 V. alginolyticus were analyzed. Isolates were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern hybridization for the presence of the gene encoding zonula occludens toxin (zot). Screening of zot gene by PCR revealed the presence of this gene in V. cholerae and V. alginolyticus. The zot gene from one V. cholerae Ogawa isolate that was cloned in a pCR 2.1 TOPO vector was sequenced. The sequences obtained were 99% homologous to the zot gene sequence from the Gene Bank.

Changes of haemolymph protein profile in the larva of Pericallia ricini (Fabricius) parasitised by the Braconid Wasp, Apanteles taragamae Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Parasitism by the braconid wasp, A. taragamae caused alterations in the haemolymph polypeptides of woolly bear larvae of P. ricini. Analysis of haemolymph proteins by SDS-PAGE and densitometry showed that the quantities of haemolymph proteins were reduced dramatically in the parasitised larvae. Simultaneously, parasitism induced large amount of 95 kDa polypeptides in the haemolymph of the parasitised larvae. Also, a remarkable induction of 43 and 45 kDa polypeptides which are not detectable in non-parasitised larvae appeared in the parasitised larvae.

Effect of solvent residues of Vitex negundo Linn. and Cassia fistula Linn. on pulse beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus Fab. and its larval parasitoid, Dinarmus vagabundus (Timberlake).

Effect of solvent residues of Vitex negundo L. and Cassia fistula L. leaves (0.5 and 1%) was studied on egg laying and adult emergence of Callosobruchus maculatus Fab. and on percentage of larval parasitism by Dinarmus vagabundus (Timberlake). Cowpea seeds treated with methanol and aqueous extract of Vitex, at these concentrations (0.5 and 1%), significantly reduced the number of eggs and emergence of F1 adults of C. maculatus. Both Vitex and Cassia extracts did not affect the percentage of parasitism by D. vagabundus on C. maculatus grubs.

Induction and accumulation of phytoalexins in cowpea roots infected with a mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatum and their resistance to Fusarium wilt disease.

The interaction of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatum with a wilt-causing soil borne pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum, was studied in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). It was found that pre-establishment by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus reduced the colonization of the pathogen and the severity of the disease, as determined by reduction in vascular discolouration index. In mycorrhizal plants, the production of phytoalexin compounds was always higher than in the nonmycorrhizal plants. There appeared to be a direct correlation between the concentration of the phytoalexins and the degree of mycorrhizal association. Three different compounds with Rf values of 0·23 (I), 0·17 (II) and 0·11 (III) were obtained from mycorrhizal plants. Similar compounds were also found to be induced by an abiotic elicitor CuSO4. The first compound was identified as an isoflavonoid, daidzein and the other two remain to be identified. These compounds were checked for their antifungal activity in vitro. The germination of conidial spores of Fusarium oxysporum was strongly inhibited by the compound III than the other two. It is argued that the production of phytoalexin compounds in mycorrhizal plant could be one of the mechanisms imparting tolerance of the plants to wilt disease.