Understanding motivators and barriers for yoga practice in obese and non-obese individuals

Background: Yoga is a comprehensive lifestyle intervention which has been used for weight management by overweight and obese. Yoga is also used as therapy for various other ailments by both obese and non-obese individuals. However, the motivators and barriers of yoga in obese persons compared to non-obese has not been reported. Methods: The present cross-sectional comparative control trial included 200 participants of both sexes aged between 13 and 80 years. Of these, 102 were obese and 98 were non-obese. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test. Results: The most common motivators for yoga were: reducing symptoms of illness (35% for obese versus 21.73% for non-obese), pain relief, (21% for obese versus 10.86% for non-obese) and lifestyle changes (9% for obese versus 10.86% for non-obese). The most common barriers for yoga were: no time (29.54% for obese versus 42.25% for non-obese), physical incapability of practicing yoga (18.18% for obese versus 16.9% for non-obese) and tiredness (15.9%) for obese and no interest/motivation (15.49%) for non-obese. Conclusions: The motivators to yoga for obese are comparable to non-obese with obese use yoga more frequently for 搑educing symptoms of illness�. Also, the barriers to yoga are comparable to obese with normal weight for 搉o time�.

Knowledge and perception of magnetic resonance imaging safety among patients

Background: MRI knowledge and safety are very important not for only MRI technicians, doctors, professionals but also for patients who are undergoing MRI examination. The key purpose of this research to evaluate the knowledge and perception of MRI Safety among patients, as accidents can happen due to patient’s insufficient knowledge regarding MRI. Method: The retrospective study was performed around 50 patients at Maharishi Markandeshwar institute of medical sciences and research, Ambala, Haryana. Questionnaire design was used to assess their knowledge and perception. The questionnaire form was filled by an investigator directly discussion with patients and the data was collected and analyzed using Microsoft excel sheet. Result: It was assessed that how much knowledge and what is the perception of MRI study among patients. There were 23 (46%) female and f 27 (54%) male in different age group. In response to question regarding how patients felt before MRI scan, 16% patients felt panic, 10% sensed fear and panic, fear and anxiety were experienced by 6% patients, fear was the emotion that 15 patients (30%) suffered, anxiety as the sole was felt by 7 (14%), for 2 (4%) regret was the sensation and 10 patients (20%) didn’t have any issue. Conclusions: The conclusion of this research depicted that majority of the patients were in dark with relation to the knowledge and perception of MRI. It is crucial to explain to the patients about the contraindications and rules regarding the MRI scan.

Effect of Tillage Management and Soil Slope on Annual Soil Loss under Cereal Crops in Central India

The negative impacts of soil erosion on productivity are mainly attributed to the decline in soil fertility and water availability. Continuous tillage practices combined with removal of crop residue from the soil surface greatly increase the risk of soil erosion and nutrient depletion. Soil erosion creates many adverse impacts on the environment and soil health which influence the food security and the quality of life. In present study the effect of three tillage management (conventional tillage, ridge and furrow system and no tillage system) and soil slopes (1%, >1% to < 3%, >3 to <5% and >5%) on soil loss in twelve different soil series under cereal cropping in central India has been studied. The results of the study indicated that the tillage management plays an important role to reduce soil loss. No tillage system found showed minimum annual soil loss whereas the conventional tillage practice recorded the most. The soil loss found decreased with decrease in slope and vice-versa. The Bararia soil series found most vulnerable to the soil loss whereas the Dhodar soil series found resistant to soil loss across the slopes and tillage management practices studied under cereal cropping in central India.

Prevalence and spectrum of rheumatological diseases in a newly formed Peripheral Medical College in Northern India

Background: Rheumatic disorders are chronic inflammatory and non-inflammatory disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue causing a significant socioeconomic burden resulting in immense morbidity owing to poor quality of life, loss of function and productivity. Methods: In this prospective study, consecutive patients attending Medicine Outpatient Department at GMC Doda, between august 2019 and July 2022, were studied for various rheumatological diseases. Rheumatological diagnoses of 3560 consecutive newly detected and returning patients were recorded for three year. Results: During the study period, a total of 27546 patients visited the Medicine OPD, 3560 of which were diagnosed with various rheumatic diseases, yielding a prevalence of 12.9%. The mean age of the patients in the study was 42.33±13.18 years ranging from a minimum age of 18 to a maximum age of 96 years. Females were notably predominant in all diseases at 64%. Non inflammatory rheumatological disorders osteoarthritis and soft tissue rheumatism were most predominant in this study. Conclusions: Osteoarthritis and soft tissue rheumatism were the most predominant rheumatic disorders in our study. Rheumatic diseases constitute a major disease burden in almost all of the age groups, especially in young patients (30-50 years) within our setup.

Prevalence and spectrum of rheumatological diseases in a newly formed Peripheral Medical College in Northern India

Background: Rheumatic disorders are chronic inflammatory and non-inflammatory disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue causing a significant socioeconomic burden resulting in immense morbidity owing to poor quality of life, loss of function and productivity. Methods: In this prospective study, consecutive patients attending Medicine Outpatient Department at GMC Doda, between august 2019 and July 2022, were studied for various rheumatological diseases. Rheumatological diagnoses of 3560 consecutive newly detected and returning patients were recorded for three year. Results: During the study period, a total of 27546 patients visited the Medicine OPD, 3560 of which were diagnosed with various rheumatic diseases, yielding a prevalence of 12.9%. The mean age of the patients in the study was 42.33±13.18 years ranging from a minimum age of 18 to a maximum age of 96 years. Females were notably predominant in all diseases at 64%. Non inflammatory rheumatological disorders osteoarthritis and soft tissue rheumatism were most predominant in this study. Conclusions: Osteoarthritis and soft tissue rheumatism were the most predominant rheumatic disorders in our study. Rheumatic diseases constitute a major disease burden in almost all of the age groups, especially in young patients (30-50 years) within our setup.

Knowledge and attitude regarding coronavirus disease-2019: an online survey of nursing staff from a tertiary care centre

Background: Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment and preventive vaccine against COVID-19. Stringent practice of preventive measures is recommended as the only way out for protecting oneself. However, uncertainties galore and the prevention cannot be guaranteed due to paucity of knowledge about the epidemiology of COVID-19. Nurses are in an ideal position to participate or play a key role in taking initiatives to enhance patient safety during COVID-19 pandemic. Their knowledge will help to break the transmission chain. Methods: In the present cross-sectional study an online questionnaire was used for data collection from nursing staff employed in a tertiary care centre/dedicated COVID hospital in central India. Universal sampling was done and the final sample size attained was 932. Data was cleaned, coded and analysis was done with statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Percentages, means and standard deviations (SD) were calculated and statistical tests in the form of t test and Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test were applied. Results: Social-media and television (TV) were the main sources of knowledge about COVID-19 for the study participants as reported by 76.82% and 74.25% respectively. Study participants were aware about the common symptom of COVID-19 like cough, 127 (13.63%), fever 30 (3.22%), and diarrhoea 80 (8.58%). Conclusions: Irrespective of their age and gender study participants had a fairly good knowledge about symptoms and prevention of COVID-19. Most of them were optimistic and had a positive attitude towards COVID-19 pandemic and resultant situation.

Evaluation of phytoaccumulation potential of toxic metals from sewage sludge by high- value aromatic plant geranium

Aim: The present study aimed to assess the phytoextraction potential of plant geranium (CIM BIO-171) to remove metals from sewage sludge and to investigate the growth, yield and quality of essential oil of this aromatic plant grown in contaminated sludge.Methodology: The experiment was conducted at research farm of CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow during 2017-18 in vertical cemented column pots dug into soil. Six treatment groups of sewage sludge and soil were taken with four replication, i.e., T1-100% sewage sludge, T2-80% sewage sludge + 20% soil, T3-60% sewage sludge + 40% soil, T4-40% sewage sludge + 60% soil, T5-20% sewage sludge + 80% soil and T6-soil (only soil). Experimental soil was analysed at pre-harvest and post-harvest stage for soil characters. All plant attributes were recorded at the time of harvesting. Results: Result of the present study showed reduction in the heavy metals in the soil at harvest in comparison to the contents observed in soil at initial stage. All the parameters of growth, yield, biomass and essential oil were found to increase with the application rate of sewage sludge in geranium (CIM BIO-171). Interpretation: The results of the present study clearly indicate the phytoextraction capability of geranium plant (CIM BIO-171). Furthermore, the plants grown in contaminated sludge has all the beneficial impact on growth, yield and quality of essential oil.

Prevalence of tuberculosis in Faridabad district, Haryana State, India.

Background & objectives: Epidemiological information on tuberculosis (TB) has always been vital for planning control strategies. It has now gained further importance for monitoring the impact of interventions to control the disease. The present study was done to estimate the prevalence of bacillary tuberculosis in the district of Faridabad in Haryana State of India among persons aged older than 15 years. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, residents of Faridabad district were assessed for the prevalence of tuberculosis. Twelve rural and 24 urban clusters with estimated populations of 41,106 and 64,827 individuals were selected for the study. Two sputum samples were collected from individuals found eligible for inclusion. The samples were also cultured by modified Petroff’s method and were examined for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis once a week for eight weeks. A person found positive by smear and/or culture was identified as sputum-positive pulmonary TB positive. Results: A total of 105,202 subjects were enumerated in various clusters of the Faridabad district. There were 50,057 (47.58%) females and 55,145 (52.42%) males. Of these 98,599 (93.7%) were examined by the study group (47,976 females; 50,623 males). The overall prevalence of sputum smear or culture positive pulmonary tuberculosis in our study was found to be 101.4 per 100,000 population. Interpretation & conclusions: The present results showed that the prevalence of sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis was higher in Faridabad district than the notification rates recorded by the World Health Organization for the contemporary period, a disparity that could be explained by a difference in case detection strategy employed for the study.

Larvicidal activity of few select indigenous plants of North East India against disease vector mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Mosquitoes are the vectors of several life threatening diseases like dengue, malaria, Japanese encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis, which are widely present in the north-eastern states of India. Investigations on five local plants of north-east India, selected on the basis of their use by indigenous communities as fish poison, were carried out to study their mosquito larvicidal potential against Anopheles stephensi (malaria vector), Stegomyia aegypti (dengue vector) and Culex quinquefasciatus (lymphatic filariasis vector) mosquitoes. Crude Petroleum ether extracts of the roots of three plants viz. Derris elliptica, Linostoma decandrum and Croton tiglium were found to have remarkable larvicidal activity; D. elliptica extract was the most effective and with LC50 value of 0.307 μg/ml its activity was superior to propoxur, the standard synthetic larvicide. Half-life of larvicidal activity of D. elliptica and L. decandrum extracts ranged from 2-4 days.

Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in HIV/AIDS: Observational study from a tertiary care centre in northern India.

Background & objectives: Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML) is seen mostly in advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Little is known about the epidemiology and disease course of these patients from India. This study was aimed to determine the frequency of PML in patients with HIV/AIDS, and the clinical features and survival of these patients. Methods: The charts of HIV/AIDS patients with PML seen over a period of five years (2006-2011) at the Antiretroviral treatment (ART) centre at a tertiary care centre in New Delhi, India, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Of 1465 patients with HIV/AIDS, 18 (1.2%) were diagnosed with PML; four were laboratory confirmed and 14 had consistent clinical and radiological features. PML was the initial presentation of HIV infection in 10 (56%) patients, and 16 (89%) patients had CD4 count less than 200/μl. Insidious onset focal limb weakness (78%) and visual disturbance (28%) were common symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed characteristic white matter lesions in all the patients. The estimated median survival was 7.6 months (95% CI, 0-20 months). Interpretation & conclusions: Our results show that the patients present late to access treatment with advanced immunosuppression at presentation. PML is associated with high morbidity and mortality despite institution of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). There is a need to address the lacuna in diagnostic and management services for these patients in India.

HIV associated renal disease: A pilot study from north India.

Background & objectives: HIV/AIDS patients may have renal involvement also, however, Indian data are sparse. The present study was done to find the spectrum of renal diseases in HIV/AIDS patients in north India. Methods: In this prospective pilot study, HIV positive patients aged >18 yr were screened for renal involvement [serum creatinine >1.5 mg% and/or significant proteinuria (>500 mg /day)]. Patients who were positive on screening were followed up prospectively and underwent kidney biopsy if indicated. Results: A total of 526 patients were screened, of these, 91 (17.3%) were found to have renal involvement. Group A (Treatment naïve) comprised 392 patients who were not on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and group B (patients on ART) comprised 134 patients. More patients (74/392, 18.9%) in group A had renal involvement as compared to patients in group B (17/134, 12.7%). Of the 91 patients with renal involvement, 26 were followed up and underwent kidney biopsy. Thirteen patients had only proteinuria and another 13 had renal dysfunction with or without proteinuria. Most common histological diagnosis was mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (mes PGN) (10/26). Two patients had collapsing FSGS (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) and three patients had immune complex glomerulonephritis. Seven patients had acute kidney injury, whom six totally recovered from their renal function. All patients with mesPGN tolerated angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors well. There was mixed response of collapsing FSGS to steroids. Both patients with MPGN (membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis) did well on low dose of steroid and ART. Interpretation & conclusions: Renal involvement was found to be common in HIV positive patients (17.3%). A low occurrence of renal involvement found in patients already on ART suggests some renoprotective effect of ART. Our preliminary results showed that collapsing FSGS was not rare in Indian HIV positive population, but classical HIV associated nephropathy was not seen. Longitudinal studies with robust study design and large sample size need to be done to confirm the findings.

Idiopathic Horner’s Syndrome: An Enigma.

Horner’s syndrome (Bernard-Horner’s syndrome or oculosympathetic palsy) is a clinical syndrome caused by paralysis of the cervical sympathetic trunk. It is characterized by miosis, ptosis, enophthalmos and anhidrosis. Most of the cases are due to vascular causes, trauma or cancer. Occasionally, Horner’s syndrome is encountered in a patient where no cause can be ascertained. Here, we describe one such case.

In vitro assessment of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in five States of India.

Background & objectives: In vitro assays are an important tool to assess baseline sensitivity and monitor the drug response of Plasmodium falciparum over time and place and, therefore, can provide background information for the development and evaluation of drug policies. This study was aimed at determining the in vitro sensitivity of P. falciparum isolates to antimalarials. Methods: The in vitro activity of 108 P. falciparum isolates obtained from five States of India was evaluated using WHO microtest (Mark III) to chloroquine, monodesethylamodiaquine, dihydroartesunate and mefloquine. Samples were collected from the States of Orissa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Goa and Chhattisgarh from September 2007 to August 2009. In addition, representative samples from different States of India cryopreserved and culture adapted in the Malaria Parasite Bank of National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, were also evaluated. Results: The proportion of isolates resistant to chloroquine and monodesethylamodiaquine was 44.4 and 25 per cent, respectively. Of the 27 isolates resistant to monodesethylamodiaquine, 16 (59.3%) were cross-resistant to chloroquine. No isolate showed resistance to dihydroartesunate and mefloquine. Isolates from Orissa showed the highest degree of resistance to chloroquine and amodiaquine followed by Jharkhand. Forty two isolates were genotyped for pfcrt T76K chloroquine resistant mutation; mutations were seen in 38 (90.47%) isolates. Interpretation & conclusions: The Indian P. falciparum isolates showed a high degree of resistance to chloroquine followed by monodesethylamodiaquine. No resistance was recorded to mefloquine and dihydroartesunate.

Retrospective study of chikungunya outbreak in urban areas of India.

Background & objectives: A retrospective study on chikungunya outbreak in India in five States viz. Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Kerala was conducted in 2007-2008 to know the distribution and determinants of chikungunya fever outbreak in India. Methods: On the basis of high and low incidence of chikungunya fever, two districts from each State and two wards from the selected district were taken for random selection of 1000 households from 10 districts and 5 States. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to individuals, patients, qualified health professionals and to stakeholders for collecting information. Results: The educational background and occupation of the respondents showed variations across the study States. Only in high incidence ward of Maharashtra, water storage period for 3-6 days and emptying, drying of water containers on weekly basis was noted. The study through knowledge, attitude, belief, practice (KABP) obtained individual's perception of chikungunya fever, its prevention and control. Patients’ expenditure on treatment was mainly recorded less than Rs 500 across study States. Health facility survey obtained an overview of the capacity of local health facilities. Stakeholders’ perception regarding chikungunya fever was also noted. Interpretation & Conclusions: The study revealed differences in awareness of chikungunya, cause of the disease, vector responsible, mode of transmission, biting time and elimination of breeding of mosquitoes statistically significant among high and low incidence wards of all the States. Expenditure on treatment was independent of economically active status and loss of man-days across all the States. Education and occupation did not have any relation with emptying/drying of water containers in high incidence wards. Strengthening of surveillance, information, education and communication (IEC) activities along with case management facilities may be provided by the State health department for prevention of chikungunya outbreaks in future. Stakeholders should be more involved in outbreak management and future planning.

Reviewing host proteins of Rhabdoviridae: Possible leads for lesser studied viruses.

Rhabdoviridae, characterized by bullet-shaped viruses, is known for its diverse host range, which includes plants, arthropods, fishes and humans. Understanding the viral–host interactions of this family can prove beneficial in developing effective therapeutic strategies. The host proteins interacting with animal rhabdoviruses have been reviewed in this report. Several important host proteins commonly interacting with animal rhabdoviruses are being reported, some of which, interestingly, have molecular features, which can serve as potential antiviral targets. This review not only provides the generalized importance of the functions of animal rhabdovirus-associated host proteins for the first time but also compares them among the two most studied viruses, i.e. Rabies virus (RV) and Vesicular Stomatitis virus (VSV). The comparative data can be used for studying emerging viruses such as Chandipura virus (CHPV) and the lesser studied viruses such as Piry virus (PIRYV) and Isfahan virus (ISFV) of the Rhabdoviridae family.

Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the pleura: Report of a rare case.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare aggressive variant of chondrosarcoma that frequently occurs in extraskeletal location. A 28-year-old female presented with a history of dyspnea and fever and succumbed to her illness before a conclusive diagnosis was established. An autopsy performed revealed the presence of an extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (ESMC) involving the pleura. Only one case of ESMC of the pleura has been reported previously. Herein, we report the second case of ESMC of the pleura.