Functional Anatomy of the Hamstring Muscle and Its Correlation with the Various Yogic Postures: A Narrative Review

Yoga is believed to be a safe practice; nonetheless, as the number of yoga practitioners has grown, so has the incidence of yoga-related injuries. Overall, lower extremity injuries comprised 64% of total injuries; specifically, the hip, hamstring, knee, ankle, feet and toe. Although a few research studies have quantified the hamstring muscle activities in various yoga asanas, evidence correlating it to functional anatomy is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this narrative review is to examine the literature and analyse hamstrings activity and its relationship to yogic postures, as well as yoga-related injuries, to establish which poses provide the most risk of damage, and to suggest injury-prevention techniques. The following electronic databases were used to conduct the literature search: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Science. hamstring muscle injuries OR yoga and rehabilitation OR intervention AND electromyography was among the search phrases utilized. Such information is important for yoga teachers, yoga therapists to help selecting yoga posture for hamstring muscle imbalance condition and avoiding posture to prevent hamstring muscle injury.

Prenatal diagnosis of harlequin ichthyosis: a case report

Evaluation of Metal Bioleaching Property of Actinomyces sp. in Waste Foundry Sand by In-vitro Methods

Metals can be leached either directly (physical contact between microorganisms and solid material) or indirectly. The removal of metals from these industrial wastes brings out detoxification of the residues and thus improves the quality of the environment. The waste foundry sand was analyzed for the presence of toxic metals, as the plant uptakes these toxic metals through their food chain which in turn may be harmful to the human beings. In this study Hibiscus was grown on sand blends containing 50% of waste foundry sand (WFS) to assess the availability of Sio2, Al, Ca, Mg, Pb, Cu and Zn. The chemical properties of treated and untreated waste foundry sand were observed. The analysis shows the level of untreated WFS Fe (76.36%), Ca (43.65%) and K (37.49%). Actinomyces sp. was isolated and identified from WFS and was used to bioleach the sand (treated) and was observed to reduce the level of metals present in WFS [Fe (26.54%), Ca (27.67%) and K(5.84%)] and untreated foundry sand had metal levels of [Fe(49.82%), Ca (15.98%) and K(31.65%)]. The treated and untreated sand was later used for growing Hibiscus plant sapling under controlled conditions and was analyzed for the traces of metals absorbed by the plant. The presence of metals was calculated by Atomic Emission Spectroscopy technique that can determine the concentration of trace to major elements. Our observations provide a supportive document on bioleaching of WFS by Actinomyces sp. was adequate in the growth of ornamental plant Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

A study on glasgow coma scale score and QTC interval in predicting prognosis and outcome of organophosphate and carbamate poisoning

Background: Poisoning with organophosphorous substances is the commonest cause of inpatient mortality among all poisonings in developing countries like India. This study is undertaken with an aim of assessing simple parameters like GCS and QTc (marker of ventricular arrythmias) in predicting the outcome and complications of organophosphate compound poisoning considering the mortality and sufferings of Organophosphorous poisoning patients. Aim: To assess the utility of GCS score and QTc interval in predicting prognosis in patients who had consumed organophosphate and carbamate poisoning and to assess whether the above parameters helps to identify the high risk groups requiring mechanical ventilation. Materials and methods: This study was conducted among 200 organophosphate and carbamate poisoning patients who were admitted at Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai from February 2014 to September 2014. After taking detailed history and physical examination and investigations the Glasgow coma scale score and QTc interval at the time of admission was calculated. Patients with GCS score < 13 and QTc interval > 0.44s in males and 0.46s in females as poor outcome. Results: There was a linear relation with QTc interval and severity of Organophosphorous poisoning i.e. as the QTc interval increases the severity of poisoning increases. There was an inverse relationship Prabhakaran R, Marannan N, Ponnusamy Kumar, Vijayakumari Vrinda. A study on glasgow coma scale score and QTC interval in predicting prognosis and outcome of organophosphate and carbamate poisoning. IAIM, 2017; 4(6): 1-7. Page 2 between the GCS score and severity of Poisoning, .i.e. as the GCS decreases the severity of poisoning increases. Conclusion: Our study showed that respiratory failure in patients with OP compound poisoning can be predicted at admission by simple parameters like lower GCS and prolonged QTc interval in ECG.

Effect of Polymorphisms of Three Genes Mediating Monoamine Signalling on Brain Morphometry in Schizophrenia and Healthy Subjects

OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect of risk alleles of polymorphisms of three schizophrenia risk genes that mediate monoamine signalling in the brain on regional brain volumes of schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The risk alleles and the gene polymorphisms studied were: Val allele of catechol o-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 polymorphism; short allele of 5-hydroxy tryptamine transporter linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) polymorphism; and T allele of 5-hydroxy tryptamine 2A (5HT2A) rs6314 polymorphism. METHODS: The study was carried out on patients with recent onset schizophrenia (n=41) recruited from the outpatient department of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India and healthy control subjects (n=39), belonging to South Indian Dravidian ethnicity. Individual and additive effects of risk alleles of the above gene polymorphisms on brain morphometry were explored using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS: Irrespective of phenotypes, individuals with the risk allele T of the rs6314 polymorphism of 5HT2A gene showed greater (at cluster-extent equivalent to family wise error-correction [FWEc] p<0.05) regional brain volumes in the left inferior temporal and left inferior occipital gyri. Those with the risk alleles of the other two polymorphisms showed a trend (at p<0.001, uncorrected) towards lower regional brain volumes. A trend (at p<0.001, uncorrected) towards additive effects of the above 3 risk alleles (subjects with 2 or 3 risk alleles vs. those with 1 or no risk alleles) on brain morphology was also noted. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study have implications in understanding the role of individual and additive effects of genetic variants in mediating regional brain morphometry in health and disease.

Erratum: Figure Correction

The Editorial Office of Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci would like to correct the typographic errors.

Profile of poisoning cases in a Tertiary care Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India.

Poisoning is an important public health problem causing significant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Information available with regard to acute poisoning in adults is limited at Salem, Tamil Nadu. Hence this study was done with the above objective. It is a retrospective study conducted during Jan 2009-Jan 2012 in a tertiary care hospital. 150 cases of acute poisoning in adults due to drugs and chemicals were included. Data on age, sex, marital status, occupation, religion, locality, type of poison, time and month of intake, route of exposure, associated co-morbid conditions and outcome of poisoning were recorded and analyzed by descriptive method. Among 150 cases, 148 cases were of intentional poisoning and two cases were of accidental poisoning. In all the cases the route of exposure was oral. Males (92 cases) outnumbered females (58 cases) and 101 cases were married. Peak occurrence was in the age group of 21-30 years (47 cases). Occupation wise poisoning was commonly found among male laborers (18.66%) and farmers (13.33%) followed by house wives (28%) and students (16.66%). 147 cases (98%) were Hindus. More cases were reported during summer season (36%) and day time (80%). Organophosphorus was the commonest agent (58.66%). Associated co-morbid conditions were found in 16 cases. The incidence of poisoning and its morbidity and mortality can be reduced by developing and implementation of effective prevention strategies.

Suicidal hanging: A prospective study.

The objective of this study was to focus on various factors associated with suicide by hanging at Chennai, India; with a view to identify the areas of intervention. A prospective study was carried out on 65 cases of death due to suicide by hanging which was received by the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Madras Medical College, Chennai, India, during the period of August 2008- July 2009. In the present study, 84.7%% of the cases were below the age of 40years, time of hanging in 50.8% of the cases was 3am-12noon, place of hanging in 95.5% of the cases was their residence, 92.3% were living with their family and 69.2% were married. Most frequent precipitating factors were marital unhappiness (33.8%), problems associated with organic disease (18.5%) and dowry harassment (16.8%). To reduce the incidence of suicides by hanging, there is urgent need to focus on these factors.

Detection of HIV drug resistance mutations in pregnant women receiving single dose Nevirapine in south India.

Background: Single dose of Nevirapine to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV is the commonest preventive regimen in resource-limited countries. Objectives: The objective of this study was to detect drug-resistant virus after single dose of Nevirapine (sdNVP) provided to delivering HIV seropositive (HIV+ve) women and to evaluate the time taken for its decay. Results: Of the 36 consenting HIV+ve pregnant women enrolled into the study, the mean hemoglobin and total lymphocyte counts were 10.8 g/dl and 1843 cells/mm 3 , respectively. Mean CD4 counts in 64% of women was 363 cells/mm 3 and mean viral load for 16/36 women was 28,143 copies/ml of plasma. Nevirapine-resistance mutations were detected in 28% of women at delivery; using OLA (Oligonucleotide Ligation Assay). K103N mutations were seen in 19.4% of women while the Y181C mutation was seen in 5%. Both the mutations were detected in 2.7% of women. Sequential blood samples collected at delivery, 7-10 days, 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and one year postpartum showed that 81% of K103N mutations and 66.7% of Y181C mutations were detected at 6 weeks postpartum . Wild-type virus had replaced the mutants by one year postpartum in all women except one. Conclusion : These observations are relevant for future treatment with antiretroviral therapy in these women for their HIV disease.

Identification of a root-specific glycosyltransferase from Arabidopsis and characterization of its promoter.

A set of Ds-element enhancer trap lines of Arabidopsis thaliana was generated and screened for expression patterns leading to the identification of a line that showed root-specific expression of the bacterial uidA reporter gene encoding beta-glucuronidase (GUS). The insertion of the Ds element was found to be immediately downstream to a glycosyltransferase gene At1g73160. Analysis of At1g73160 expression showed that it is highly root-specific. Isolation and characterization of the upstream region of the At1g73160 gene led to the definition of a 218 bp fragment that is sufficient to confer root-specific expression. Sequence analysis revealed that several regulatory elements were implicated in expression in root tissue. The promoter identified and characterized in this study has the potential to be applied in crop biotechnology for directing the root-specific expression of transgenes.

Tuberculosis and vitamin D deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: a) To find out the normal level of 25 hydroxy vitamin D in healthy individuals b) To look for evidence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with active tuberculosis. METHODS: There were 35 cases of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis and 16 controls, whose clinical characteristics, dietary intake of vitamin D and biochemical characteristics including serum vitamin D levels were compared. Exclusion criteria: malabsorption, liver or renal disorders, intake of drugs, which can reduce vitamin D levels, HIV infection, diabetes, immunosuppressive treatment, and severe protein energy malnutrition. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.005) in mean vitamin D levels between controls (19.5 ng/ml) and study subjects (10.7 ng/ml). Sixteen patients out of 35 had values well below the lower limit of normal (9 ng/ml). No one in the control group had vitamin D level less than 9 ng/ml. However the mean vitamin D level in the control group was less than the mean value quoted in the literature from the West. Sunlight exposure was adequate in those with deficiency but there was reduced dietary intake of vitamin D. CONCLUSIONS: Serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels less than 9 ng/ml indicates deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency exists in patients with tuberculosis and it is possibly a cause rather than effect of the disease; deficiency is due to decreased dietary intake. Vitamin D deficiency can occur without any symptoms. If symptoms are present, it indicates severe deficiency. Serum calcium and phosphorus values do not often predict the existence of deficiency.

Intestinal helminthiasis and abdominal symptoms in adults.

In a study to test the association between soil transmitted intestinal helminthiasis and abdominal symptoms in a non-paediatric age group, 242 randomly selected patients (137 males, 105 females, median age 45 years) were asked specific questions pertaining to abdominal symptoms at the time of admission to the adult medical wards. Stool examination on all patients revealed a round worm prevalence rate of 21%. A larger proportion of stool positive female patients were symptomatic than stool negative females (68% vs 30%, p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in symptoms between stool positive and stool negative male patients (34.6% vs 31%, p = 0.91). The results suggested an association between intestinal nematode infection and abdominal symptoms in females but not in males.

Pulmonary vasospasm in rabbits infused with stroma free haemoglobin solution.

Effect of infusion of stroma free haemoglobin solution into mice and rabbits was studied. Though no abnormalities were noted in mice, pulmonary vasospasm and hepatocytic necrosis were seen in all rabbits. In addition to reports that low adenosine deaminase levels in the solution could be a cause of vasoconstriction, it is proposed on the basis of present results that either denaturation of haemoglobin molecule itself or release of super oxide anion during oxygenation of haemoglobin, could cause cellular damage leading to toxicity.