Knowledge about epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management amongst medical professionals of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

Background: Obesity has become a challenge in medical care worldwide. Medical professionals have a significant role to play in preventing and diagnosing weight problems and in providing initial counseling. Health professionals are poorly prepared in weight management, which has an effect on their knowledge and management skills with regard to overweight and obese patients. Hence the present study was carried out to assess the knowledge about epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management amongst medical professionals of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during the period of March to April 2019 amongst 110 medical professionals at Department of Community Medicine of IIMSR Medical College, Badnapur, Jalna, Maharashtra, who were actively participated in continued medical education (CME) on obesity and its management where the knowledge of medical professionals were assessed. Data was analysed by using appropriate statistical test whenever necessary.Results: In this study, the pre-test good knowledge score was 14 (12.7%), which increased to 61 (55.5%) post CME. The pre-test mean score of level of knowledge was 7.41±4.12 and after CME, it was 12.90±5.21 and the mean difference was 5.49, which was statistically highly significant.Conclusions: As obesity is a public health problem globally, there was marked improvement in the knowledge amongst medical professionals after CME on epidemiological determinants of obesity and its management.

Knowledge and attitude towards breast cancer among female school teachers in El Sharkia, Egypt

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among Egyptian women. To determine the knowledge and attitude of female school teachers towards breast cancer in Ibrahemia district, El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Subjects and A descriptive study design was used. The study sample amounted to 200 female teachers from Ibrahemia schools. Two types of tools were used for data collection: a questionnaire sheet which was designed to collect information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the studied female school teachers, and their knowledge about prevention of breast cancer and a three point likert scale was used to assess the attitude of the female school teachers towards breast cancer. More than half [51.5%] of the school teachers had low level of knowledge about breast cancer and only 8.5% had high level of knowledge. The majority of them expressed positive attitude towards breast cancer [86.5%]. Twenty nine percent of female teachers were practicing breast-self-examination [BSE] but only 5.0% of them used the correct procedure of BSE. Findings of this work highlight the need for increasing awareness of female school teachers about breast cancer through heath education programs which to provide them with information about breast cancer and teach them the correct technique for BSE. Booklets about breast cancer, BSE and healthy lifestyles should be available at school libraries in Arabic language

Molecular characterization of mutations causing β -thalassemia in Faisalabad Pakistan using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR).

BACKGROUND : Faisalabad is the third biggest city of Pakistan. Majority of the population is Punjabi while other ethnic groups are in minority. AIMS : The present study was undertaken to find the mutations causing β -thalassemia in Faisalabad Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A total of 285 β -globin alleles from 143 unrelated families having at least one transfusion-dependent child were analyzed by using amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR). RESULTS : FSC-8/9 (+G) and IVS-I-5 (G ®C) were the most common mutations. The allele frequency for FSC-8/9 (+G) was 38.59% while frequency for IVS-I-5 (G ®C) was 37.89%. The high frequency (76.48%) of IVS-I-5 (G ®C) and FSC-8/9 (+G) on various alleles provides a strong evidence of intermarriages. CONCLUSIONS : By using ARMS-PCR, the mutations were successfully characterized in 95.79% of subjects, while 4.21% remain to be characterized. This study will facilitate the implementations of genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis in the population of Faisalabad.

Indicators of early outcome in neonatal sepsis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate different parameters predicting outcome of neonatal sepsis. It was carried out at the neonatal unit of Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore from February 2004 to May 2005. This was an analytical comparative study performed prospectively. A total of 100 culture proven cases of neonatal sepsis were included. Complete data including birth weight and time interval between onset of symptoms and arrival at hospital was recorded. Complete blood counts and arterial blood gas analysis were performed in all cases. Overall mortality was 37%. Among the total of 100 cases 51% [n=51] were low birth weight [LBW] while 49% [n=49] were of normal birth weight, 40.7% [n=24] expired from LBW group, while 26.5% [n=13] from those with normal birth weight. Mortality was higher [P<0.05] in LBW babies. Among them 29.03% [n=18] expired from those who reached within 24 hrs of onset of symptoms [n=62] whereas 50% [n=19] expired from those who reached after 24 hrs [n=38]. This difference was also significant [P<0.05]. Hypothermia affected 39% of the cases. Mortality was significantly higher [P<0.05] in cases who developed hypothermia. Among laboratory parameters, leukopaenia, thrombocytopaenia, and acidosis were individually associated with high mortality [P<0.05], while leukocytosis was not significantly [P>0.05] associated with neonatal mortality. It was concluded that neonatal sepsis has high mortality. Some of the clinical and laboratory parameters are useful to recognize high-risk cases. Early referral can reduce mortality. Long-term follow-up of the survivors is indicated

Passive immunization with candida albicans antiproteinase as a prophylactic tool against the candidiasis

Life threating fungal disease is now a frequent substantial of' the Immunocomprimised host population. Candida infection has risen throughout the era of antibiotics and immunosuppressive chemotherapy. To highlight the need for- alternative immunprophlactic tool .Therefore the need to develop prophylactic or therapeutic immunoglobulin against candidacies 12.5 mg/ml. of Candida albicans proteinase enzyme was injected S/C into a group of five rabbits weighing 3 Kg. with complete Freund's adjuvant. Antisera were collected from the animals after 28 days. 0.2 ml of this antisera given I/V into two group of rabbits; followed by 0.1 ml of the antiserum one of these groups as control. the 2[nd] group challenged with 2.8*I0

Antimicrobial activity of candida albicans aspartyl proteinase

Candida species are present as normal body flora on the skin, buccal cavity, vagina and intestinal tract of many individuals. Low molecular weight protein produced by many intestinal microflora, inhibits the growth of Candida species, while broad-spectrum antibiotics kill most of these microflora, in turn Candida becomes activated and overgrow. to study the effect of Candida proteinase on some Gram-negative and Gram -positive bacteria. Pour plate method used to incorporate the tested bacteria in nutrient agar medium. Wells were punched with sterile cork porer. 40 of different concentrations of the enzyme was placed in each well. Zones of inhibition were measured after 24 hrs of incubation at 37°C. Concentrations of 40:1 and 20:20 were inhibitory for Klebsiella, E. coli and Enterobacter: While dilutions of iess than 50% of the enzyme were not effective against these bacteria, with the exception to lactobacilli

Polymerization of fetal fibrin and alterations in fibrin network characteristics during diabetic pregnancy.

The present study compares plasma fibrin network characteristics of fetal blood and that of normal and diabetic pregnant women. Plasma fibrinogen concentration, clotting curves, mass-length ratio of the fibrin fibers, gross permeability and tensile strength of the networks, have been measured. Plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin are used as glycemic index in diabetic gestational women. The fetal plasma has a lower concentration of fibrin and exhibits delayed clotting, the networks are made up of thinner fibers, are more cross-linked, have lower permeability, and increased tensile strength than in normal adults. The tensile strength of the networks prepared from the plasma of diabetic gestational women are more highly crosslinked than those made from plasma of normal women of corresponding length of pregnancy. The fibrin fiber-thickness is increased during the first and second trimester but is significantly reduced during the third trimester in the diabetic gestational women. The gross permeability of the networks is significantly reduced during the second and third trimester in the diabetic gestational women. The SDS-PAGE shows characteristic pattern of alpha, beta, and gamma-polypeptides in both normal and diabetic gestational women.

Effect of pesticides on total phospholipids of hansenula anomala

Cells of Hansenula anomala were found to contain an altered phospholipid when grown under aerobic or anaerobic conditions in the presence of a fungicide, tilt, insecticide, dimecron and acardicide, Neoron. Experimental results indicate that the level of phospholipids have a significant positive correlation with increasing the concentration of any of the three pesticides under test. Also the level of phospholipids for yeast cells grown aerobically were higher than those grown under anaerobic conditions

Effect of propiconazol on amino acid compositions of some yeasts

Amino acid pool was extracted from Hansenula anomala, Candida guilliermondii and Rhodotorula rubra grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in the presence of different concentrations of Propiconazol [Tilt] used as a fungicide. The levels of free amino acids in these yeasts showed remarkable fluctuations and decreases. Higher changes occurred in both quantitative and qualitative levels of the free amino acid pools when the yeasts under investigation were grown in increasing growth-inhibitory concentrations of Propiconazol. However, it was found that the concentrations of total free amino acids are lower when these yeasts are grown on medium containing a fungicide