Assessment of the core competencies of veterinarians: implications for policy decisions in India.

he objectives of this study were two-fold - to assess the technical competencies of veterinarians and their application, and to investigate veterinarians' activities and appropriate ways for them to acquire and enhance competencies. The studywas undertaken in three South Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. The survey data, collected in 2015-2016 from nine districts in the three states, came from in-depth questionnaires completed by 270 veterinary assistant surgeons (VASs). The key survey questions were related to: specific technical competencies and their application, appropriate ways to acquirethem, additional competencies needed and recommended activities to enhancethem. Each respondent's rating was obtained on a) how important are thesecompetencies and b) what is their current level of knowledge and/or skills toperform them? The findings revealed that the current level of knowledge and/orskills was inadequate in production, para-clinical and clinical areas in the day-todaywork of VASs. The findings suggested that pre-service, in-service and basic induction training, and attending national and international seminars, workshopsand Webinars, are appropriate ways to acquire competencies. Additional skillsperceived as necessary by respondents include: time and stress managementskills, motivational techniques, digital communication technologies, and writing and presentation skills. Specific policy interventions suggested and discussed include: adequate hands-on pre-service instruction in veterinary colleges and assessment of competencies before certification, introducing a veterinary licensing examination, reinforcing competencies through induction training,in-service or continuing veterinary education programmes, and improving theinstitutional mechanisms to assess competencies at regular intervals.

Les objectifs de cette étude sont doubles : d'une part une évaluation des compétences techniques des vétérinaires et leur mise en oeuvre et d'autre part une enquête sur les activités vétérinaires et les moyens appropriés pour permettre aux vétérinaires d'acquérir des compétences et de les améliorer. Cette étude a été réalisée dans trois états du sud de l'Inde : Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka et Telangana. Des questionnaires détaillés ont été remplis par 270 auxiliaires vétérinaires dans neuf districts de ces trois états en 2015 et 2016. Les questions posées concernaient principalement les compétences techniques spécifiques et leur mise en oeuvre, les moyens appropriés pour apprendre des techniques spécifiques, les compétences complémentaires nécessaires, et les moyens permettant d'améliorer les compétences techniques. Les scores attribués aux participants ont été pondérés en fonction de (a) l'importance de chaque compétence et (b) le niveau actuel de connaissance/capacité technique et exécutoire. Les résultats montrent que le niveau actuel de connaissance/ capacité technique et exécutoire des auxiliaires vétérinaires est insuffisant, ne permettant pas la réalisation des activités vétérinaires quotidiennes dans les domaines clinique, paraclinique et de production. D'après les observations des participants, les moyens appropriés pour acquérir les compétences nécessaires sont la formation initiale, la formation d'initiation, la formation continue et la participation aux séminaires nationaux et internationaux ainsi qu'aux ateliers de formation et webinaires. Selon les participants, les compétences complémentaires à acquérir sont la gestion du temps et du stress, les techniques de motivation, les technologies numériques de communication et les compétences orales et écrites. Parmi les interventions spécifiques à envisager pour une politique de formation, on peut citer : des apprentissages pratiques dès l'école vétérinaire, une évaluation avant l'octroi du certificat, la création d'un examen diplômant de fin d'études, le renforcement des capacités à travers des programmes d'initiation et de formation continue et une amélioration des mécanismes institutionnels d'évaluation régulière des compétences.

Los autores describen un estudio que respondía a un doble objetivo: evaluar las competencias técnicas de los veterinarios y su aplicación práctica; y analizar las actividades de estos profesionales y los cauces adecuados para que adquieran competencias y las perfeccionen. El estudio discurrió en tres estados del sur de la India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka y Telangana. Empleando un detallado cuestionario que cumplimentaron 270 veterinarios, entre 2015 y se reunieron datos de nueve distritos de esos tres estados. Las principales preguntas del cuestionario guardaban relación con lo siguiente: competencias técnicas específicas y su aplicación, cauces adecuados para adquirirlas, otras competencias necesarias, y actividades recomendadas para perfeccionarlas. Después se obtuvo la clasificación establecida por cada persona interrogada respecto de: (a) cuán importantes son esas competencias; y (b) cuál es actualmente su nivel de conocimientos y/o aptitudes para ponerlas en práctica. Los resultados pusieron de relieve que el actual nivel de conocimientos y/o aptitudes era insuficiente en tres ámbitos del trabajo cotidiano de un veterinario: la producción, la labor paraclínica y la clínica. Del estudio se desprende que la formación previa, la formación continua y la formación básica introductoria, así como la asistencia a seminarios, talleres y seminarios interactivos por Internet de ámbito nacional e internacional, son cauces adecuados para adquirir competencias. De las demás competencias que los encuestados consideraron necesarias destacan las siguientes: capacidad de gestión del tiempo y el estrés; técnicas de motivación; tecnologías digitales de comunicación; y aptitudes de escritura y oratoria. Entre las intervenciones normativas específicas que se propusieron y discutieron figuran: en la etapa estudiantil, formación práctica adecuada en las facultades de veterinaria y evaluación de estas competencias como condición para la entrega del título; implantación de un examen para la concesión de licencia para ejercer la veterinaria; refuerzo de las competencias mediante cursos de iniciación y programas de formación continua veterinaria; y mejora de los mecanismos institucionales para evaluar periódicamente las competencias.

Scope for animal welfare education in open and distance learning: findings from a needs assessment study in India.

The objectives of this study were twofold: to assess the demand for animal welfare education by open and distance learning (ODL) and to identify content to be covered in an ODL animal welfare programme. Through email, personal interviews and online surveys, data were collected from 161 respondents. The key survey questions were on: the need and reasons for providing animal welfare education through ODL; entry-level qualifications; job/career prospects; duration of the programme, and suggestions on course content. The majority of respondents felt that there was a need for a one-year ODL academic programme on animal welfare. In the light of the findings of this study and related discussions, the authors recommend that online and ODL programmes in animal welfare be developed to meet the continuing educational needs of veterinary students, working veterinarians, para-veterinarians and other stakeholders closely related to animal welfare.

Improving the delivery of veterinary services in India.

In pursuit of effective veterinary service delivery, the objectives of this study were threefold: (i) reduce the shortage of technical personnel in veterinary universities (VUs) and animal husbandry departments (AHDs), (ii) identify collaborative areas between VUs and AHDs, and (iii) build the capacity of the veterinary and animal husbandry sector. Primary data were collected from all the 16 veterinary colleges and AHDs in five south Indian states on: (i) student intake and the out-turn of veterinary graduates, (ii) technical personnel--existing and required at various levels, (iii) specific areas of collaboration where VUs and AHDs need each other and can extend support to each other, and (iv) areas in which university faculty and field veterinarians would benefit from further training. Two focus group discussions were held with top administrators of VUs and AHDs to collect qualitative data. The results revealed that there are not enough veterinary graduates to meet the needs of the system and that there is a shortage of faculty, field veterinarians and para-veterinarians. Both focus groups identified areas for collaboration and capacity building to improve veterinary service delivery. The results conclusively demonstrated that India's veterinary service delivery is constrained, not due to a lack of organisations or programmes, but due to the inability of the organisations to collaborate with each other. To improve the effectiveness of veterinary service delivery it will be necessary to: admit more graduate students, support the establishment of new colleges; recruit faculty, field veterinarians and para-veterinarians; remandate the Directorates of Extension at VUs to develop linkages with AHDs; allocate funds ('special central grants') for infrastructure development to all AHDs and veterinary colleges; establish one model veterinary college that follows international standards on veterinary education and create four regional academic staff training colleges exclusively for the purpose of developing the capacity of the veterinary and animal husbandry sector. Action plans to implement these recommendations are also suggested.

Modelling of calcium leaching and its influence on radionuclide migration across the concrete engineered barrier in a NSDF.

A multi barrier concept of disposal is adopted for both low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal to prevent the spread of radionuclides into the human environment. Concrete engineered barrier is a part of multi barrier system for radioactive waste disposal. As long as the concrete barrier is intact, the containment of radioactive waste within the disposal facility is assured. However, every concrete structure has a finite lifetime. Concrete barriers degrade with time with lifetime dependent on type of concrete, external and internal environmental factors. This degradation allows the free moment of the radionuclides out of the concrete barrier. Hence an attempt was made to model the Calcium (Ca) leaching from side wall of a concrete engineered barrier in a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) and its influence on radionuclide migration across the concrete barrier, limited to conditions specified in the paper. The conceptual model assumes that rain water seeps into the engineered barrier through the top cover and dissolves radionuclides from the nuclear waste matrix. The modelling was attempted with Finite Difference analysis and validated with the results available in literature. The influence of Ca leaching on radionuclide migration in concrete barrier has been discussed for eight different radionuclides (Cs-137, Sr-90, I-129, H-3, Pu-239, Am-241, Co-60 and Tc-99).

A quantitative analysis of the supply and demand of veterinary manpower in India: implications for policy decisions.

The objective of this study was to estimate and forecastthe supply and demand of veterinary manpower in India. Intake numbers of veterinary students and numbers of graduates and postgraduates were collected for the period 1997 to 2007. Based on the annual growth rate, the demand and supply for the years 2015 and 2020 were predicted. Between 1997 and 2002 the average annual number of veterinary graduates was 1,675. This increased to 1,707 between 2002 and 2007, with a marginal growth rate of 1.87%. With a growth rate of 1.87% in graduates, and 4.5% growth rate in the Indian livestock sector, the number of additional graduates required to fill the gap between supply and demand for the years 2015 and 2020 would be 1,710 and 2,364, respectively. The annual postgraduate requirement for education and research and development is 310. However, between 2002 and 2007 the average annual number of veterinary postgraduates was 995, with a growth rate of 5.3% when compared with the period between 1997 and 2002, indicating a more than three-fold surplus. With a 5.3% growth rate in postgraduates and 4.5% growth rate in the livestock sector, the surplus postgraduates available by 2015 and 2020 will be 1,027 and 1,316, respectively. The study revealed that India is training fewer veterinary graduates and more postgraduates than the system requires. Therefore, it is recommended that attention and resources be directed to the expansion of professional undergraduate veterinary education, while postgraduate veterinary education should be contained and consolidated.

Fatal re-expansion pulmonary oedema in a mechanically ventilated patient.

Fatal course of re-expansion pulmonary oedema (REPO) is infrequent and very rarely documented in mechanically ventilated patients. We report a case of fatal REPO following tube thoracostomy for a right-sided pneumothorax in an elderly patient of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with respiratory failure on mechanical ventilation.

Recombinant human epidermal growth factor inclusion body solubilization and refolding at large scale using expanded-bed adsorption chromatography from Escherichia coli.

Amongst the various endogenous growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays an important role in normal wound healing of tissue such as skin, cornea and gastrointestinal tract. Various studies have proved that supplementing recombinant human EGF (rhEGF) results in significant augmentation of wound healing. In the present work, a high level expression system with poly-arginine sequences was used for the production of recombinant human EGF (rhEGF) as inclusion bodies. The inclusion bodies were solubilized and the protein was refolded by using expanded-bed adsorption chromatography. The renatured protein was digested with appropriate concentration of trypsin and subsequently the digested rhEGF is purified by passing through ion-exchange chromatography (Toyopearl-SP) to obtain a biologically active protein. This process is the shortest process with reduced number of steps of purification, eliminates the usage of preparative reversed phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) for final purification, which is an expensive technique. The purified protein was analyzed by RP-HPLC, showing a purity > 99% and size exclusion chromatography profile shows that there are minimal aggregates, with 99% renatured active protein. The purified rhEGF showed a specific activity of 5 x 10(5) IU/mg protein, in comparison with NIBSC standard (1st International Standard of rDNA-derived EGF, Code 91/530). The process has been successfully adopted at 100 L fermentation scale and the rhEGF based formulation has been commercialized with brand name REGEN D, with excellent clinical results.

Assessment of groundwater corrosiveness for unconfined aquifer system at Kalpakkam.

Groundwater samples from the shallow unconfined aquifer were collected from fifteen borewells in Kalpakkam nuclear plant site and were analysed for various physico-chemical parameters. The pH, temperature, salinity, TDS and EC were measured in the field. The borewell samples were analysed in the laboratory for Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), Cl(-), CO(2-)(3), HC(O-)(3), N(O-)(3) and SO(2-)(4). The Piper Trilinear diagram showed that majority of the borewell samples fall in Na - Cl +SO(4) type and Na - CO(3)+HCO(3) type. The Cl: HCO3 ratio of some borewell samples are categorized under injuriously contaminated to highly injurious type. The higher salinity levels encountered in some borewells emphasized the need for better understanding of groundwater corrosiveness. Accordingly, the Langeliar saturation Index (SI), Aggressivity index (AI) and Larson ratio (LnR) were evaluated for assessing the corrosive nature of the groundwater. The saline water incursion in the southern part of the study area increased the ionic concentration of Cl(-) and [Formula: see text] that made the groundwater corrosive.

Sub-surface investigations on deep saline groundwater of Charnockite rock formation, Kalpakkam, India.

Investigations on geohydrological aspects of coastal aquifer are important in order to understand the mechanism of ground water salinisation. The present study describes the salinity variations of ground water in deep boreholes drilled in Charnockite rock formation of Kalpakkam, on the eastern coast of India. Water samples collected up to 600m depth were analyzed for salinity variation. It is noticed that in one of the boreholes, (borehole K1), the salinity level is found to be 74 parts per thousand (ppt) at 400 m depth. Influence of surface saline water bodies viz., sea (26-28.5 ppt), backwaters (27-30 pt) and Buckingham canal (27-32 ppt) as the possible sources of recharge of fresh waters through joint and fracture system of the rock are discussed in this paper. Studies would assist in understanding the geohydrological characteristics of deep geological formation.