Lifestyle-related behaviour modifications during examinations in undergraduate medical students in India

Background: Examinations are formal tests conducted to assess a student's knowledge. Despite their paramount importance, they can impact students physically and mentally by causing stress and anxiety. Hence, identifying the changes that hamper a student's lifestyle, during examinations, in order to prevent the development of unhealthy behavioral patterns is the goal of this study. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among undergraduate medical students of Mysuru over a period of 2 months from February 2023 to April 2023 in 120 participants. Data was collected using an online questionnaire, entered into M.S. Excel and analyzed using SPSS software. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for all the categorical variables. Results: 61.7% of the study participants showed extreme examination stress. Only 39.3% consumed 3 balanced meals daily. A complete lack of physical activity was observed in 38.1%. Regular caffeine consumption was noted in 46.4% and 27.4% showed unusual amounts of junk food daily. Irregular sleeping patterns were found in 23.8%, sleeping at odd times beyond 1 am was noted in 59.5% and deficient sleep duration (<6 hours) was observed in 46.6% of the surveyed population. Conclusions: The findings from this survey highlight the significant impact of examinations on the lifestyle-related behaviors of undergraduate students such as high prevalence of extreme examination stress, irregular eating habits, lack of physical activity, and sleep deprivation.

A survey of nutritional practices for children with cancer in India.

BACKGROUND: Assessing nutritional status and delivering optimal nutritional care is a part of modern day treatment of children with cancer. The nutritional practices in India for these children have not been previously described. AIMS: To describe the existing nutrition assessment and management practices for children with cancer in India. METHODS: Attendees of the First International Society of Pediatric Oncology‑Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries workshop on nutrition in children with cancer organized in September 2014 at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India were invited to complete a self‑administered questionnaire related to three domains: nutritional assessment, intervention, and education. RESULTS: Hundred and eight respondents from 42 health institutions and background in the health sector participated in the survey. There was variability in nutritional assessment, practice and education. Lack of resources and time are contributory. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment of nutritional services in India provided useful information to plan development of national guidelines, policy, and delivery of services.

Intestinal protozoal infestation profile in persistent diarrhea in children below age 5 years in western Nepal.

Unlike acute diarrhea, the role of pathogens in persistent diarrhea in children in Nepal is unclear. Protozoal parasites are suspected to be a major cause. The study was carried out to find the association between protozoal agents and persistent diarrhea in children below age 5 years from western Nepal. Stool samples were collected from 253 children with persistent diarrhea, from 155 children with acute diarrhea (disease controls) and from 100 healthy children from the community (normal controls). Of 253 children with persistent diarrhea, 90 (35.5%) had protozoal infections, 63 (24.9%) helminthic infections, 32 (12.6%) had bacterial infections and 16 had mixed infections. Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent (67.7%), followed by Entamaeba histolytica (27.7%). HIV infection and severe malnutrition were associated with Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cryptosporidium spp causing persistent diarrhea. We conclude that stool microscopy should be routinely performed in children with persistent diarrhea since protozoal infections can be cured with effective treatment and control can be achieved by proper health education.

A prospective study of 413 cases of lens-induced glaucoma in Nepal.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency and types of lens-induced glaucoma (LIG), reasons for late presentation and outcome of current management. METHODS: Prospective case series of 413 patients/eyes with LIG over a 12-month period in 1998; 311 of these patients underwent cataract surgery. Visual acuity and intraocular pressure (IOP) were pre- and postoperatively assessed. RESULTS: Four hundred and thirteen (1.5%) of 27,073 senile cataracts seen in the outpatient department of Sagarmatha Choudhary Eye Hospital, Lahan, Nepal presented with LIG. There were 298 (72%) phacomorphic cases and 115 (28%) phacolytic glaucoma. Pain for more than 10 days was reported by 293 (71%) patients. The majority, 258 (62.4%), travelled a distance of more than 100 kms to the hospital. The major reasons for late presentation were "no escort" in 143 (34.6%) and "lack of money" in 128 (31.0%) cases. At presentation the IOP was more than 30 mm Hg in 327 (79%) eyes. Following cataract surgery, 251 (80.7%) had 21 mm Hg or less at discharge. The visual acuity was hand-movement or less before surgery in all eyes; at discharge 120 of 311 operated eyes (38.6%) achieved 6/60 or better, 97 (31.2%) less than 6/60, and 94 (30.2%) less than 3/60. The main causes for poor outcome in 94 cases were optic atrophy in 32 (34%) eyes, uveitis in 25 (26.6%)eyes and corneal oedema in 24 (25.5%) eyes. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of visually disabling cataract. There is a need to educate both the patient and the cataract surgeon of the dangers of lens-induced glaucoma and of the poor outcome if treatment is delayed.

Postoperative astigmatism after intracapsular cataract surgery: results of a randomised controlled trial in Nepal.

PURPOSE: Postoperative astigmatism following intracapsular cataract extraction with or without anterior chamber intraocular lens implantation is reported as an outcome from a randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Five hundred and two of 1002 eyes randomised to intracapsular cataract extraction with anterior chamber intraocular lens (ICCE/AC IOL) and 417 of 998 eyes to intracapsular cataract extraction with aphakic spectacles (ICCE/AS) were seen for objective refraction one year after surgery. The prevalence and axis of astigmatism were evaluated using univariate analysis. Logistic regression was used to compare the postoperative astigmatism between the groups. RESULTS: Acceptable astigmatism (-0.5 to 0.0 DCyl) in the AC IOL group was found in 60 (12.0%) patients (95% CI 9.1%-14.9%) and in the aphakic spectacles group (AS) in 69 (16.5%) patients (95% CI 12.9%-20.1%), moderate astigmatism (-1.0 to-1.5 DCyl) was found in 153 (30.4%) patients (95% CI 26.4-34.6%) in ACIOL group and in 288 (69.1%) patients (95% CI 64.6%-73.6%) in AS group; and large astigmatism (-2.0 to - 8.0 D Cyl) was found in 289 (57.6%) patients (95% CI 53.1%-61.6%) in ACIOL group and in 60 (14.4%) patients (95% CI 11.0% 17.8%) in AS group. Large astigmatism was approximately four times more common in the ICCE/AC IOL group compared to ICCE/AS group. In both groups, most patients had "against-the-rule" astigmatism, 446 (88.8%) (95%CI 86.0%-91.6%) in AC IOL group and 348 (83.5%) (95%CI 79.9%-87.1%) in AS group. CONCLUSION: Astigmatism is common after intracapsular cataract extraction. Insertion of an anterior chamber IOL increases the risk of astigmatism.

An invertase with unusual properties secreted by sucrose-grown cells of Corynebacterium murisepticum.

The mode of sucrose utilisation by Corynebacterium murisepticum cells growing on M9 minimal medium supplemented with 0.4% sucrose as the carbon source was studied. It was observed that during growth of this organism, sucrose in the medium is hydrolysed to glucose and fructose, suggesting the formation of an extracellular invertase. Unlike in other microorganisms (e.g. Saccharomyces cerevisiae) the invertase formation is not repressed by the presence of glucose in the medium. The invertase was found to be the only predominant extracellular protein in the culture broth and could be purified in a single step by precipitation at 90% ammonium sulphate saturation. The purified protein had a molecular mass of 70,000 daltons. It not only showed invertase activity, but also a fructosyltransferase activity as it could convert sucrose to beta-1,2-difructose, as well as to glucose and fructose.

Chemical radiosensitization by misonidazole: production and repair of DNA single-strand breaks in Yoshida ascites tumor cells.

Formation of strand-breaks in DNA and its repair in Yoshida ascites tumor cells exposed to gamma radiation (100-400 Gy) in presence and absence of misonidazole (10 mM) were studied. The methodology involved pre-labelling of cellular DNA by 3H-thymidine during cell proliferation in rats, irradiation of cells in vitro and analysing sedimentation profile of DNA by ultracentrifugation in alkaline sucrose density gradients. Irradiation under euoxic conditions resulted in formation of about 1.5 times greater number of strand breaks as compared to those formed during irradiation under hypoxic conditions. Misonidazole (10 mM) by its presence along with the cells during irradiation under hypoxic conditions caused a 3-fold increase in the number of single strand breaks, but under euoxic conditions of irradiation the presence of misonidazole did not enhance the strand break formation. Incubation of cells irradiated in absence of misonidazole for 1 hr in tissue culture medium at 37 degrees C resulted in repair of substantial fraction of the strand breaks while there was no repair of the DNA strand breaks in cells irradiated in the presence of the chemical.

Influence of cellular differentiation on ultraviolet induced DNA damage and its repair mechanisms in B. cereus.

Susceptibility to UV irradiation of B. cereus BIS-59 spores undergoing germination at various stages-dormant spores to vegetative cell stage and their ability to recover from radiation damage were studied. For a given dose of radiation, the number of spore photoproducts (SPP) formed in the DNA of dormant spores was about 5-times greater than that of thymine dimers (TT) formed in the DNA of vegetative cells. At intermediate stages of the germination cycle, there was a rapid decline in the UV radiation-induced SPP formed in DNA with a concomitant increase in the UV radiation-induced TT formed in DNA. Bacterial spores undergoing germination (up to 3 hr) in the low nutrient medium (0.3% yeast extract) displayed much higher resistance to UV radiation than those germinating in the rich nutrient medium, even though there was no discernible difference under the two incubation conditions in respect of the extent of germination and the time at which the outgrowth stage appeared (3 hr). This was due to the formation TT in the DNA of spores germinating in the low nutrient as compared to that of spores germinating in the rich-nutrient medium. In UV-irradiated dormant spores, SPP formed in the spore DNA did not disappear even after prolonged incubation in the non-germinating medium. However, when the UV-irradiated dormant spores were germinated in low or rich nutrient medium, a significant proportion of SPP in DNA was eliminated. The dormant spores incubated in either of the germinating media for 15 min and then UV-irradiated were capable of eliminating SPP (presumably by monomerization) even by incubation in a non-germinating medium and in the complete absence of protein synthesis (buffer holding recovery), thereby implying that spore-repair enzymes were activated in response to initial's germination. The acquisition of photo-reactivation ability appeared in spores subjected to germination only in the rich-nutrient medium at the outgrowth stage and required de novo synthesis of the required enzymes.

Anemia and physical fitness of school children of rural Hyderabad.

Physical fitness status of 119 school children was assessed by administering a simple field level 'running test' without any sophisticated equipment. Moderately anemic children had taken significantly longer time (6.25 min) to complete the 'running test' distance of 1.6 Km. Children with normal hemoglobin (Hb) values and those with higher level normal Hb values took shorter times (7.42 and 7.06 min) to complete the test distance. Deficits of weight for age, height for age and weight for height did not exert independent influence on the 'running time'. Anemic children in the sub-groups of each category of nutritional anthropometric indicator, performed poorly. Anemia proved to be a handicap either in the presence or absence of anthropometric deficits. Mild and moderate anemia imposed handicaps on physical endurance and fitness of school children irrespective of other nutritional deficits.

A sensitive assay for Staphylococcus aureus nucleases.

A sensitive assay for staphylococcal nuclease involving incubation of the enzyme sample with heat-denatured [3H]thymidine labelled DNA from E. coli, precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and measurement of the radioactivity of acid-soluble nucleotides released has been developed. The assay is sensitive enough to be used for comparing the levels of nucleases elaborated by different strains of S. aureus as well as for determining the extent of contamination of S. aureus in food and water samples even at levels at which the conventional spectrophotometric and toluidine blue-DNA methods are totally inadequate.

Effect of dimethyl sulphoxide on mitochondrial biogenesis in regenerating rat liver and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Effect of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) on mitochondrial biogenesis in regenerating rat liver and cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during aerobiosis has been studied by monitoring the cytochrome oxidase activity. A single dose of DMSO (275 mg/100-125 g body wt) to normal rats stimulated cytochrome oxidase activity in liver mitochondria while the same dose to partial hepatectomized rats inhibited the enzyme activity. Administration of low dose of DMSO (92 mg/100-125 g body wt) to partial hepatectomized rats did not alter the enzyme activity. Anaerobic cells of S. cerevisiae on aerobiosis for 2 hr attained cytochrome oxidase activity level on par with aerobic cells. Inclusion of DMSO (275 mg/100 ml) in the growth medium of S. cerevisiae during respiratory adaptation exerted partial inhibitory effect on the formation of cytochrome oxidase at 2 hr period, while the 10-fold concentration inhibited the enzyme formation completely. However, the inhibitory effect of DMSO on enzyme formation was abolished on prolonged growth (18 hr and above), while these doses had no influence on cytochrome oxidase in aerobic cells of S. cerevisiae. The results imply that DMSO may be exerting its effect on the assembly of subunits into active enzyme complex during mitochondrial biogenesis.

Dipyrone-induced changes in DNA repair and other cell membrane associated processes in Escherichia coli.

The analgesic, dipyrone (l,phenyl 2,3 dimethyl 5 pyrazolone 4 methyl amino methane sulphonate sodium), at 20 mM concentration, inhibited the rejoining of single strand scissions in DNA of Escherichia coli B/r cells induced by 20 krad gamma radiation. The chemical altered the cell membrane structure as evidenced from the uptake of acriflavin, the efflux of potassium ions from the bacterial cells and the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase a cell membrane associated enzyme.