Prevalence of mastitis in cow heifers and associated risk factors in Himalayan region, India

Aim: The present study was aimed to understand the prevalence of heifer mastitis and its associated risk factors in Jammu region.Methodology: A total of 250 pregnant heifers (1000 quarters) were screened, and lacteal secretions were collected from 915 quarters individually, in order to estimate the prevalence of heifers mastitis by culturing. The prevalence was estimated based on the results of microorganism culture. Results: The overall prevalence of heifer mastitis was 90.80% by cultural examination whereas only 30% of the animals produced clinical signs. The prevalence was higher in organized management system and prime risk factors associated with mastitis were season of calving, prepartum intra-mammary infections, poor udder hygiene, etc., in both organized and unorganized managements. Interpretation: High pre-valence of heifer mastitis (as evidenced by presence of microorganisms) is alarming situation for dairy farming in India. Season of calving, milk leakage at calving, prepartum IMI, poor udder hygiene, sanitation, beddings, floor type, and contact of heifers with older cows could be the important risk factors.

Retinopathy of prematurity care in peripheral districts in Odisha, India: Pilot for a sustainable model

The outcome of a retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) program initiated in five districts of Odisha over 3 years with partnerships between the government and non-government organizations was prospectively analyzed. The mentoring partners trained the district ophthalmologists and neonatal care providers; the program was handed over when the trainees were considered competent enough to diagnose and treat babies with ROP. During the project period (July 2016–June 2019), 3058 babies were examined; ROP was detected in 33.81% (n = 1034) and 5.06% (n = 159) babies required treatment. At the end of the project, ROP screening was possible in all five districts, and treatment was possible in three districts. ROP care nodal centers were built in one government medical college. To strengthen the initial gain, we recommend creating an Odisha Retinopathy of Prematurity (OD-ROP) steering committee with private–public partnerships to support the program and monitor its progress in other districts of Odisha.

Sequestration and purification of essential enzyme from Pleurotus florida compost waste and its application studies

Spent oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) compost as tremendous source for isolation of industrial significantenzymes such as amylase, protease, and cellulase. This study was conducted to achieve efficient extraction oflignocellulolytic enzymes amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4), and protease (EC 3.4.21.14) from spent oystermushroom (P. florida) compost waste. Optimal enzyme recovery was achieved when spent oyster mushroom compostwastes and concentrated by acetone precipitation. The purification was performed by column chromatography. Theenzymes such as cellulase, amylase, and protease released from oyster mushroom (P. florida) compost waste wereshowed activities of 15.78 U/ml, 3.42 U/ml, and 0.042 U/ml, respectively. These were utilized in various industrialand environmental applications such as starch processing in potato waste from food industry using amylase andbiotreatment of cotton waste using cellulase.

Qualitative analyses of lignocellulolytic enzymes produced by Emericella sp strain HST9 under diverse culture conditions

Aim: Optimization of cultural conditions for improved lignocellulolytic enzyme production by an ascomycete HST9 isolated from leaf and litter waste. Methodology: The fungus HST9 was isolated from leaf and litter waste collected from Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India. Culture experiments were conducted at different temperature, pH, incubation periods and aeration conditions. Effects of addition of different concentrations of various metal ions, different carbon complexes and nitrogen salts on enzyme production were also studied under submerged culture condition. Enzyme activities were measured by standard protocols using spectrophotometer. Results: HST9 grew well and produced optimum enzymes at 30oC on 7th day of incubation at stationary conditions and pH- 6. Overall enzyme activities decreased after addition of metal salts. Carboxymethyl cellulose (300 mg l-1) and alkali lignin (200 mg l-1) were observed to be the best carbon complexes for cellulolytic and ligninolytic activities. Ammonium sulfate was found to be a better nitrogen source compared to others. Under optimum conditions, different enzyme activities observed were 0.011 IU m l-1 FPase, 0.015 IU ml-1 CMCase, 6.5 IU m l-1 Lac, 57.5 IU m l-1 LiP and 4 IU ml-1 MnP. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the strain confirmed that strain HST9 showed closeness with genus Emericella. Interpretation: Lignocellulolytic enzyme activity of Emericella isolate HST9 enhanced at optimum culture conditions, signifying that it can be used as a biological agent to degrade lignocellulosic waste.

Morphology of thyroid gland- a comparative study between male and female thyroid glands

Introduction: Thyroid gland surgery is one of the most common surgical interventions in the head and neckregion. The gland is located low down in front of the neck. It consists of two symmetrical lobes united by anisthmus. A small portion of the gland substance often projects upwards from the isthmus, generally to the left ofthe midline as the Pyramidal lobe (PL). The Levator glandulae thyroidea(LGT) descends from the hyoid body to theisthmus or apex of Pyramidal lobe, innervated by branch of external laryngeal nerve. Hence this study onmorphological analysis of the gland will hopefully help to minimise the complications during the surgeries.Materials and methods: The study was done in 50 specimens which included glands dissected out of adultcadavers, specimens used for teaching in the department and rest of them were collected from fresh cadavericworkshops.statistical analysis was done between male and female thyroid glands using spss software 20version, dependant variables were compared using chi square test.Result: The shape of the gland was mostly normal, Isthmus was related to 2,3,4 th tracheal rings and in 6% casesit was absent. The pyramidal lobe was seen mostly to the left in 38% cases, LGT was absent in 36% cases,muscular LGT was seen on left side in 18% cases and STA was seen related to the medial border of apex in 52%cases.Conclusion: In the present study we observed variation in the morphology between the male and female thyroidglands

Perceptions of undergraduate medical students about teaching-learning methods adopted by faculty members in community medicine

Background: Effective learning is closely associated with effective teaching. Achieving effective learning requires a student cantered and outcome-focused approach.4 Various interactive techniques like Problem Based Learning (PBL), facilitated group discussion, E-learning, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) etc., are being implemented in TL sessions in medical schools. These methods are found to be effective to foster better learning among medical students. The present study was an attempt to understand the perceptions of undergraduate medical students, posted at Government Medical College and Hospital, Mehabubnagar, Telangana about different teaching methodologies Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 56 MBBS students of 4th semester. A pre-tested, self-administered, structured questionnaire was devised which consisted of ten questions with three to four options each. Study participants were asked to fill up the questionnaire under strict supervision and they were allotted 15 minutes to complete the same. Entire data was entered into Microsoft Office Excel Sheet and analysed. Results: Out of 56, 32 (57.14%) female students and 24 (42.85%) male students voluntarily participated in the study. large number of participants i.e., 66.07% thought that FGD is the best method of teaching. Most of participants i.e. 96.42% had favourable attitudes towards PPT as they felt that it improves their learning. Conclusions: Maximum number of undergraduate medical students knew about E learning. Facilitated Group Discussion (FGD) was the most preferred teaching learning methodology by students. The majority of them had positive perceptions towards the use of Power Point Presentation (PPT) as a powerful teaching tool in medical education.

Susceptibility profile, resistance mechanisms & efficacy ratios of fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin & colistin for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae causing urinary tract infections

Background & objectives: The escalation in carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae has resulted in a lack of effective therapeutic alternatives. Older antimicrobials, fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin for urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) may be effective treatment options. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the utility of fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin in treating UTI caused by CRE and molecular characterization of the plasmid-mediated carbapenem resistance mechanisms. Methods: Consecutive, non-duplicate isolates of CR Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. from urine cultures were included (n=150). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by E-test (fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin) and broth microdilution (colistin). Efficacy ratios were derived by dividing susceptibility breakpoints by observed MIC values of the drugs for the isolates. Isolates were screened for genes coding for carbapenemases using multiplex PCR. Fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin-resistant isolates were screened for plasmid-borne resistance genes fos A3, oqx AB and mcr-1, respectively using PCR. Results: Among E. coli, 98.9, 56 and 95 per cent isolates were susceptible to fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin, respectively, while 94 and 85 per cent of Klebsiella spp. were susceptible to fosfomycin and colistin, respectively. The efficacy ratios indicated fosfomycin as the drug of choice for UTI caused by CR E. coli and Klebsiella spp., followed by colistin. The blaNDM gene was most common, followed by blaOXA48-like. Plasmid-borne genes encoding resistance to fosfomycin, nitrofurantoin and colistin were absent. Interpretation & conclusions: With increasing resistance against the current treatment options, older drugs may emerge as effective options. Molecular screening of resistant isolates is essential to prevent the spread of plasmid-borne resistance against these drugs.

Immunogenic and antigenic heterogeneity of Blastocystis sp. subtype 3 from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

@#Blastocystis sp. subtype 3 (ST3) has been implicated previously to be phenotypically heterogeneous between isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic persons in previous studies. The aim of this study is to identify the immunogenic and antigenic heterogeneity among three different isolates of Blastocystis sp. ST3 isolated from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Immunogenic and antigenic profile of ST3 isolates was assessed through splenocyte proliferation, cytokine assessment and antibody measurements. The total IgG antibody responses in mice immunised with symptomatic (0.736±0.033) and asymptomatic (0.426±0.025) of ST3 Blastocystis sp. were significantly higher compared to the controls respectively. High secretions of IgG antibody mixture of IgG1/IgG2a antibodies were detected in sera of mice immunised with symptomatic and asymptomatic solubilised Blastocystis sp. Antigen (Blastocystis-Ag). Predominant IgG1 production was detected higher in mice injected with Blastocystis sp. ST 3 from asymptomatic individuals (0.148±0.016) (P<0.05) whereas predominant IgG2a production was detected higher in mice injected with the same subtype but from the symptomatic individuals (0.355±0.021). This data was supported by the production of significantly higher Th1 (IFNγ and IL-2) response (393.56±49.21) and (628.89±31.06) respectively in symptomatic isolates compared to Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10) response (93±7.85) and (103.22±11.33) in asymptomatic isolates after in-vitro stimulations. Splenocyte stimulation index (SI) was detected higher in symptomatic Blastocystis-Ag group. This study is the first to demonstrate antigenic and immunogenic heterogeneity among ST3 symptomatic and asymptomatic Blastocystis-Ag with symptomatic isolates being highly immunogenic and antigenic. No significant variations among the three isolates of asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. The study supports the suggestion from previous study that surface variations between symptomatic and asymptomatic isolates as well their distinct phenotypic variation despite being the same subtype may have caused the differences in the distinct immune responses.

Diagnostic utility of heart type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) versus cardiac troponin I in myocardial infarction

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) management is one of the therapeutic challenges faced by the emergency physician. In the field of investigational cardiology advancements, the search of superior cardiac biomarkers has led to the discovery of sensitive biomarkers which help in the early confirmation of MI as timely intervention is the primary goal in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Present study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the novel biomarker H- FABP in patients with AMI especially in ST elevation MI (STEMI) and comparison of its diagnostic accuracy with the other biomarkers.Methods: We studied 66 patients with persistent STEMI presenting within 12 hours of symptom to the department of General Medicine, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital (SMVMCH), Puducherry. Quantitative and qualitative estimation and analysis of serum biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction such as CK-MB, cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) and H-FABP were done.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of H-FABP were 80.7 and 88.9% respectively. The positive percentage of the serum biomarkers among these patients were 64%, 65%, 86% for CK-MB, cardiac troponin I, and H-FABP respectively. The area under the curve was observed to be 0.695, with 95% confidence interval (0.514-0.876) at the optimum cut-off value of 7.0ng/ml for H-FABP.Conclusions: H-FABP the novel biomarker, because of its early appearance in the blood stream and due to its superior sensitivity and specificity compared to Troponin I and CK-MB can be used in the early diagnosis of acute ST elevation Myocardial Infarction

Study on perception of food items as hot or cold in the rural area of Pondicherry.

Introduction: It has been observed in our society that the theory of hot and cold is believed in and practiced by almost all section of the society. It is necessaary to know the prevalence of such belief in the community from time to time. Objectives: To know the prevalence of perception of hot or cold food items and their impact on t health status of the community. Material and methods: It was a cross sectional study done between the time period of March and April 2015 among 317 families and their members at t their doorsteps. Pretested questionnaire was filled with the information given by the subjects after their verbal consent. Descriptive questions regarding the family’s perception of hot and cold foods were asked in the categories of cereals, pulses, oils, vegetables, dairy products, non-vegiterian, fruits, beverage, spice and water. Results: Sixty six percent of the families told Brinjal, 84% told chicken and 34.6% told curd are hot foods and produces Gastrointestinal tract (74%) and Genitourinary tract (73%) illnesses. Similarly 15.6% of the families told carrot, 26.33% told grapes, 20% told fish and 58.6% told buttermilk are cold foods leading to development of respiratory tract illnesses. Only one percent of the families did not have any idea about hot or cold food items. Conclusion: The prevalence of misconception of hot or cold foods exist among families and misunderstanding about the nutritive value of food items which are likely to cause deficiency in vitamins, minerals in their family diet.

Unit Cost of Education in Government Higher Secondary Schools of Imphal, Manipur.

This paper is an attempt to discuss the various aspects of Unit Cost of Education in Government Higher Secondary Schools of Imphal, Manipur, India.

Superficial Brachio Ulnar Artery and other Vascular Variants in Left Upper Limb.

Background: Variations in origin, course and distribution of upper limb arteries are well documented and they have a great clinical significance. But the incidence of certain variations like presence of Superficial Brachioulnar Artery (SBUA) is less and its association with other vascular variations in hand are very few. Material: Human male cadaver of about 65 years age, received for student demonstration dissections provided the material for this study. Results & Observations: SBUA originated from brachial artery (BA) in the left upper limb of a human male cadaver. Other vascular variations noted were division of BA into radial artery (RA) and a common trunk (CT) for common interosseous and ulnar recurrent arteries (URA); and variant pattern in completion of Superficial Palmar arch (SPA). Conclusion: Arterial variations of upper limb have been reported to have clinical implications. A variant vessel like SBUA may be encountered during elevation of forearm flaps, or accidental injections of drugs into artery with mistaken identity for a vein, may land in severe complications. Added to these, knowledge of formation of palmar arterial arches and their branching pattern is important in reconstructive surgeries of hand.

Non-fatal oleander poisoning: A case report.

In rural India, traditional methods are often employed for treatment of ailments and also for getting rid of unwanted pregnancy. Nerium oleander (common oleander) is one such plant, the leaves and roots of which are used in Indian traditional medicine and the root is often used by rural folk as abortifacient. In this paper, the case of a 20-year old girl who had developed signs and symptoms of oleander poisoning as a result of consumption of a drink prepared by boiling the root of oleander is presented. Even though oleander poisoning has been reported to be a common occurrence in many parts of India, it is a rare occurrence in the State of Manipur.

Development and evaluation of a one-step SYBR-Green I-based real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection and quantification of Chikungunya virus in human, monkey and mosquito samples

This paper reports the development of a one-step SYBR-Green I-based realtime RT-PCR assay for the detection and quantification of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in human, monkey and mosquito samples by targeting the E1 structural gene. A preliminary evaluation of this assay has been successfully completed using 71 samples, consisting of a panel of negative control sera, sera from healthy individuals, sera from patients with acute disease from which CHIKV had been isolated, as well as monkey sera and adult mosquito samples obtained during the chikungunya fever outbreak in Malaysia in 2008. The assay was found to be 100-fold more sensitive than the conventional RT-PCR with a detection limit of 4.12x10(0) RNA copies/μl. The specificity of the assay was tested against other related viruses such as Dengue (serotypes 1-4), Japanese encephalitis, Herpes Simplex, Parainfluenza, Sindbis, Ross River, Yellow fever and West Nile viruses. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency of this assay were 100%, 100% and 96.8% respectively. This study on early diagnostics is of importance to all endemic countries, especially Malaysia, which has been facing increasingly frequent and bigger outbreaks due to this virus since 1999.

Comparative assessment in enzyme activities and microbial populations during normal and vermicomposting.

Changes in extracellular enzyme activities and microbial populations were studied during the normal composting and vermicomposting of fruitpulp, vegetable waste, groundnut husk and cowdung. The microbial numbers and their extracellular enzyme profiles showed relative variation and were found increasingly more abundant in vermicompost than in normal compost leading to the conversion of agricultural waste into value added product. In vermicompost, the maximum enzyme activities (cellulase, amylase, invertase, protease and urease) were observed during 21-35 days. The cellulase, amylase and protease activities of vermicompost reached the maximum values by 28th day of 1175, 825 µg reducing sugar g-1 hr-1 and 28 µ mol of aminoacid g-1 hr-1 of vermicompost samples respectively. Similarly the invertase and urease activities reached to peak values of 876 µg reducing sugar g-1 hr-1 and 197 µg -N g-1 ha-1 sample on 35th day respectively. Most of the enzymes showed correlation with change in number and types of different microbial groups like bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes during vermicomposting with maximum number of 126 x 106, 28 x 104 and 93 x 105 CFU g-1 sample respectively. In contrast delayed greatest enzyme activities were observed on 42-49th day i.e., last days of normal composting. Earthworms stimulated biochemical activity and nutrient cycling by 40-45% contributing to the reduction of period of degradation of agricultural wastes resulting in maturation of vermicompost by 28th day.

Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activity of Indian bay leaf, Cinnamomum tamala (Buch. -Ham.) T. Nees & Eberm using rat brain synaptosomes as model system.

The study investigated the perturbation of oxidant-antioxidant balance in brain synaptosomes of diabetic rats and determined the antioxidant and free radical-scavenging property of the Indian bay leaf. Brain synaptosomes were isolated from control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic animals and oxidative stress parameters were assayed. A methanolic extract of bay leaf (BLE) was tested for the polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity by in vitro assays. A significant increase in the levels of lipids and lipid peroxidation products and a decline in antioxidant potential were observed in diabetic rat brain synaptosomes. The total polyphenolic content of BLE was found to be 6.7 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100g. BLE displayed scavenging activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, BLE showed inhibition of Fe(2+)-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation in both control and diabetic rat brain synaptosomes. Maximum inhibition of lipid peroxidation, radical scavenging action and reducing power of BLE were observed at a concentration of 220 microg GAE. These effects of BLE in vitro were comparable with that of butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT), a synthetic antioxidant. It can be concluded that synaptosomes from diabetic rats are susceptible to oxidative damage and the positive effects of bay leaf in vitro, could be attributed to the presence of antioxidant phytochemicals.

Birth weight pattern in the only referral teaching hospital in Manipur.

Birth weight is an important determinant for child development and survival. Birth weight has been reported to be increasing with the passing years. There is no such accurate documentation from the state of Manipur. This cross sectional study has been attempted to see the birth weight pattern in the largest referral hospital in Manipur. Birth weights of four reference years in the last 15 years have been extracted from the records and analysed. There were 19478 singleton deliveries in the four reference years. The mean birth weight showed a gradual increase in these years. There was a gain of 88.9 g in 2000 since 1986 in term deliveries. There were significant differences in the mean birth weights among the four years, even after stratifying for gestation. However, there was no significant decrease in the percentage of low birth weight babies in these years. Low birth weight showed significant association with parity, age of the mother, booking status, haemoglobin level, and literacy of the mother. Since there was no significant decrease in low birth weight babies in spite of increasing birth weight, there is a need for continued and committed effort to realize the goals of RCH.

Primary testicular lymphoma--A case report.

Primary lymphoma of the testis is more commonly seen in the elderly age group. A 45-year-old Hindu male with histopathological diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the right testis presented after orchiectomy of the right testis. The patient was put on two cycles of chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin and prednisolone at 3- weekly interval followed by external radiation therapy. During follow-up after 7 years he developed left facial nerve palsy and left sided haemiparesis. On CT scan of the brain multiple space occupying lesions were seen in both the hemispheres of the brain. He was put on cranial radiation therapy with intrathecal methotrexate injections. He responded favourably with the treatment.