Assessment of well-being and coping abilities among medical and paramedical trainees, in a Government Medical College, West Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: High levels of stress and psychological morbidity occur in health-care professional students. Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate psychological well-being, perceived stress level, and coping abilities among medical and paramedical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study carried out in a tertiary care hospital, West Uttar Pradesh, India. The total study period was from September 2019 to November 2019 with a sample of 145 medical students aged 17–25 years and 81 paramedical students aged 19–33 years. Ethical clearance was obtained from the College Ethical Committee. We used self-administered, three different types of validated tools for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Results: The median age of paramedical and medical trainees was 22 and 21 years, respectively. Family history of mental illness was 21% and 5.5%, respectively. On general health questionnaire-12 scale, 9% of paramedical trainees reported evidence of distress and 91% of severe problem and psychological distress while 19% of medical trainees having evidence of distress and 81% of severe problem and psychological distress. On perceived stress scale-10 (PSS-10) scale, 15% of paramedical trainees reported average level, 27% moderate level, and 55% high level of perceived stress while 2% of medical trainees having average, 19% moderate level, and 79% high level of perceived stress, respectively. The difference in mean score on PSS-10 and Brief COPE scale between paramedics and medical trainees group was found statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: We concluded the higher level of severe problem and psychological distress in the paramedical and high level of perceived stress in medical trainees. Paramedical trainees practice a better coping mechanism than medical trainees.

Serological, Isolation and Molecular Studies on Brucellosis in an Organized Farm, Jammu and Kashmir, India

The present study was conducted in an organized farm of Jammu region, Jammu and Kashmir state having history of late-term abortions in cattle and buffaloes to elucidate the role of brucellosis in causing abortions on the farm. The farm had 46 animals (23 adults, 15 heifers and 9 calves). The farm was positive in herd test (milk ring test). Serological tests viz., Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and serum agglutination test (SAT) were conducted on 30 serum samples and 11 samples were found positive in both tests. Five vaginal swabs from abortion cases were processed for isolation and 3 isolates of Brucella were obtained which on further characterization by biochemical tests, genus-specific PCR and species-specific PCR were identified as B. abortus biovar 1. As brucellosis is an anthropozoonoses, the high prevalence of brucellosis in livestock of farm demands the surveillance of disease in humans working on the farm and necessitates the control of disease on the farm.

Medical examination of food handlers: A missing link in food safety

Background: Unhealthy food handlers have been implicated in occurrence of various foodborne illnesses (FBIs). The benefits acquired by routine medical examination of food handlers are as a strong preventive tool in hands of public health experts in reducing the episodes of FBI. Medical examination of handlers is complementary toward the World Health Day theme of the WHO 2015 “food safety” and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Objective: The objective of this study was as follows: (i) To study the sociodemographic profile of the food handlers working in food establishment of tertiary care hospital and (ii) to estimate the parasite load among food handlers working in food establishments of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried over a period of 3 months. Sampling method employed was Simple Random Sampling. The total number of subjects was 86. The Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained. They were interviewed face to face using a semi-structured questionnaire and were assessed clinically for personal hygiene and head-to-toe examination. Stool examination was done for all using simple floatation technique. Results: Mean age of food handlers was 29 ± 2 years. Two-thirds (75%) of food handlers were educated <12th standard. Majority (61%) of them had up to 5 years of experience. The overall personal hygiene of subjects was good except for long hair. At the time of study, 59% had symptoms of infectious disease and had not reported. They had not received typhoid vaccination. The prevalence of Ascariasis, Giardia, and Taenia was 22.5%, 2.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. Conclusion: The overall health and personal hygiene of food handlers was good. However, the prevalence of enteropathogenic infections was high. Hence, periodic medical examination of food handlers should be taken seriously.

Pharmacological effects of Sapindus mukorossi / Efeitos farmacológicos do Sapindus mukorossi

Sapindus mukorossi is an extremely valuable medicinal plant, distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Asia. The aim of present review is to form a short compilation of the phytochemical composition and pharmacological properties of this multipurpose tree. The main phytoconstituents isolated and identified from different parts of this plant are triterpenoidal saponins of oleanane, dammarane and tirucullane type. The structure and chemical names of all the types of triterpenoidal saponins reported in Sapindus mukorossi are included in this review. Many research studies have been conducted to prove the plant's potential as being spermicidal, contraceptive, hepatoprotective, emetic, anti-inflammatory and anti-protozoal. The present review highlights some of the salient pharmacological uses of Sapindus mukorossi.

Sapindus mukorossi é planta medicinal extremamente valiosa distribuída nas regiões tropical e subtropical da Ásia. O propósito da presente revisão é uma compilação curta da composição fitoquímica e das propriedades farmacológicas desta árvore que apresenta múltiplos propósitos. O principal fitoconstituinte isolado e identificado das diferentes partes desta planta são as saponinas triterpenoidais do tipo da oleana, damarana e tiruculana. A estrutura e o nome químico de todos os tipos de saponinas triterpenoidais encontrados no Sapindus mukorossi estão incluídos nesta revisão. Muitas pesquisas tem sido conduzidas para provar o potencial desta planta como espermaticida, contraceptivo, hépato-protetor, emético, anti-inflamatório e anti-protozoário. A presente revisão exalta alguns principais usos farmacológicos do Sapindus mukorossi.

Characterization of the molluscicidal activity of Bauhinia variegata and Mimusops elengi plant extracts against the fasciola vector lymnaea acuminata / Caracterização da atividade moluscicida dos extratos das plantas Bauhinia variegata e Mimusops elengi contra o vetor da Fasciola, Lymnaea acuminata

The molluscicidal activity of Bauhinia variegata leaf and Mimusops elengi bark was studied against vector snail Lymnaea acuminata. The toxicity of both plants was time and concentration-dependent. Among organic extracts, ethanol extracts of both plants were more toxic. Toxicity of B. variegata leaf ethanolic extract (96h LC50- 14.4 mg/L) was more pronounced than M. elengi bark ethanolic extract (96h LC50-15.0 mg/L). The 24h LC50 of column purified fraction of B. variegata and M. elengi bark were 20.3 mg/L and 18.3 mg/L, respectively. Saponin and quercetin were characterized and identified as active molluscicidal component. Co-migration of saponin (Rf 0.48) and quercetin (Rf 0.52) with column purified bark of M. elengi and leaf of B. variegata on thin layer chromatography demonstrate same Rf value i.e. 0.48 and 0.52, respectively. The present study clearly indicates the possibility of using M. elengi and/or B. variegata as potent molluscicide.

A atividade moluscicida das folhas da Bauhinia variegata e da casca do Mimusops elengi foi testada contra o vetor caracol, Limnaea acuminata. A toxicidade de ambas as plantas é dependente do tempo e da concentração. Entre os extratos orgânicos, os extratos de etanol de ambas as plantas foi mais tóxico. A toxicidade do extrato etanólico da folha da B. variegata (96 h LC50 - 14,4 mg/L) foi mais pronunciada do que o extrato etanólico da casca do M. elengi (96h - LC50 - 15,0 mg/L). As frações purificadas em coluna durante 24 h LC50 do B. variegata e da casca do M. elengi foram 20,3 mg/L e 18,3 mg/L, respectivamente. A saponina e a quercentina foram caracterizadas e identificadas como os componentes ativos moluscicidas. A co-migração da saponina (Rf 0,48) e da quercentina (Rf 0,52) com a casca purificada por coluna do M. elengi e as folhas da B. variegata na cromatografia demonstraram o mesmo valor Rf isto é, 0,48 e 0,52 respectivamente. O presente estudo indica claramente a possibilidade de usar M. elengi e/ou B. variegata como moluscicidas potentes.