Assessment of traffic pollution by using mosses Entodon concinnus and Herpetineuron toccoae

Lead pollution resulting from vehicular traffic in Chandigarh,India was assessed by using two pleurocarpic, ectohydric mosses (Entodon concinnus and Herpetineuron toccoae) collected from pollution free area in Kasauli. Of the two mosses tested for lead accumulation, E. concinnus was found to be more efficient than H. toccoae (50.3ppm vs 34.4ppm)

Time spent on home food preparation and indicators of healthy eating.

BACKGROUND: The amount of time spent on food preparation and cooking may have implications for diet quality and health. However, little is known about how food-related time use relates to food consumption and spending, either at restaurants or for food consumed at home. PURPOSE: To quantitatively assess the associations among the amount of time habitually spent on food preparation and patterns of self-reported food consumption, food spending, and frequency of restaurant use. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 1,319 adults in a population-based survey conducted in 2008-2009. The sample was stratified into those who spent 2 hours/day on food preparation and cleanup. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression models examined differences between time-use groups. Analyses were conducted in 2011-2013. RESULTS: Individuals who spent the least amount of time on food preparation tended to be working adults who placed a high priority on convenience. Greater amount of time spent on home food preparation was associated with indicators of higher diet quality, including significantly more frequent intake of vegetables, salads, fruits, and fruit juices. Spending <1 hour/day on food preparation was associated with significantly more money spent on food away from home and more frequent use of fast food restaurants compared to those who spent more time on food preparation. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that time might be an essential ingredient in the production of healthier eating habits among adults. Further research should investigate the determinants of spending time on food preparation.This work was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (grant No. R01 DK076608). Pablo Monsivais also received support from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research, a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence funded by the British Heart Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust.This is the final version. It was first published by Elsevier in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine at http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2814%2900400-0/abstract

Profile of acute childhood poisoning at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the profile and outcome of children under the age of 12 years admitted with acute poisoning at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Delhi. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed case files of all patients &lt;12 years of age admitted with poisoning at pediatric emergency from January 2016 to December 2016. All cases with definite history of poisoning were included in the study. Exclusion criteria included chronic poisonings such as lead poisoning, food poisoning, foreign body ingestion, and homeopathic drug ingestion. Baseline characteristics of patients, type of poison, signs and symptoms of poisoning, investigations, treatment, and outcome were recorded from the case files and analyzed. Results: A total of 91 patients were presented with poisoning during the study period. Almost all cases (n=89, 97.8%) were accidental, only 2.2% (n=2) cases were suicidal, and none was homicidal. The mean age of presentation of these patients was 4.08±3.11 years with males outnumbering females (M: F=1.6:1). Corrosives (n=20, 21.9%), kerosene (n=17, 18.7%), prallethrin (n=11, 12.1%), and drugs (n=7, 7.7%) were the most frequently implicated agents. 11 patients (12.1%) were completely asymptomatic, while 30.7% (n=28) patients developed serious symptoms such as breathing difficulty, altered sensorium, seizures, abnormal speech, hematemesis, nasal bleeding, and hypotonia. Gastric lavage was done in 15 cases, three patients received activated charcoal, and three patients required intubation, and one patient required an emergency tracheostomy. One patient expired and rest all survived. Conclusion: The trends of pediatric poisoning noted in our center were different from those observed in other hospital based studies. Corrosives (particularly acids) being the most common agents. Prallethrin, kerosene, and drugs were other common agents

SUGARCANE BAGASSE: A NOVEL SUBSTRATE FOR MASS MULTIPLICATION OF FUNNELIFORMIS MOSSEAE WITH ONION AS HOST

A pot experiment was conducted to test the influence of sugarcane bagasse (fibrous waste left over by recovery of sugarcane juice) as a substrate for the inoculum production of Funneliformis mosseae which was recorded in terms of root colonization, spore number and colonization pattern. Their effect on growth performance of onion was also recorded in terms of increase in plant height, above ground fresh and dry weight, root length, root fresh and dry weight. The experiment is a 3×4 factorial design employing three forms of bagasse (fresh, dry and compost) and their four different concentrations (without substrate, 25 g/pot, 50 g/pot and 100 g/pot). The results showed that the positive influence of compost bagasse, which promoted higher root colonization and sporulation, followed by dry and fresh bagasse. Maximum spores, vesicles, arbuscules and 100 per cent colonized roots were detected in plants supplemented with 25 g compost bagasse. This treatment also influences significant increase in plant growth. Although, increasing substrate concentration proved stimulatory to AM fungus as well as onion plant growth but highest concentration (100 g) proved inhibitory. Hence, compost bagasse can be exploited for the multiplication of F. mosseae by farmers as it is a cost effective method of production

Neuroimaging in Cerebral Palsy – Report from North India

How to Cite This Article: Aggarwal A, Mittal H, Debnath SKR, Rai A. Neuroimaging in Cerebral Palsy–Report from North India. Iran J Child Neurol. 2013 Autumn; 7(3):41- 46. ObjectiveOnly few Indian reports exist on neuroimaging abnormalities in children with cerebral palsy (CP) from India. Materials &amp; MethodsWe studied the clinico-radiological profile of 98 children diagnosed as CP at a tertiary centre in North India. Relevant investigations were carried out to determine the etiology. ResultsAmong the 98 children studied, 80.5% were males and 22.2% were premature. History of birth asphyxia was present in 41.9%. Quadriplegic CP was seen in 77.5%, hemiplegic in 11.5%, and diplegic in 10.5%. Other abnormalities were microcephaly (60.5%), epilepsy (42%), visual abnormality (37%), and hearing abnormality (20%). Neuroimaging was abnormal in 94/98 (95.91%).Abnormalities were periventricular white matter abnormalities (34%), deep grey matter abnormalities (47.8%), malformations (11.7%), and miscellaneous lesions (6.4%). Neuroimaging findings did not relate to the presence of birth asphyxia, sex, epilepsy, gestation, type of CP, or microcephaly. ConclusionsNeuroimaging is helpful for etiological diagnosis, especially malformations.  ReferencesSinghi PD, Ray M, Suri G. Clinical spectrum of cerebral palsy in north India-an analysis of 1000 cases. J Trop Pediatr 2002 48(3); 162-6.Sharma P, Sharma U, Kabra A. Cerebral Palsy-Clinical Profile and Predisposing Factors. Indian Pediatr 1999;36(10):1038-42.Nelson KB, Ellenberg JH. Antecedents of cerebral palsy. Multivariate analysis of risk. N Engl J Med 1986 315(2):81-6.Krägeloh-Mann I, Horber V. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in elucidating the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol 2007; 49(2):144-51.Rosenbaum P, Paneth N, Leviton A, Goldstein M, Bax M, Damiano D, et al. A report: the definition and classification of cerebral palsy April 2006. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl 2007;109:8-14.http://www.newbornwhocc.org/pdf/database.pdfRikomen R, Raumanvrita S, Sinivuori E, Seppala T. Changing pattern of cerebral palsy in southwest region of Finland. Acta Pediatr Scand 1989; 78(4):581-7.Pharaoh POD, Plat MJ, Cooke T. The changing epidemiology of cerebral palsy. Arch Dis Child 1996;75(3): F169-73.Eischer PS, Batshaw M. Cerebral Palsy. Ped Clin North Am 1993;40(3):537-51.Bax M, Tydeman BA, Flodmark O. Clininical and MRI correlates of cerebral palsy: the European Cerebral PalsyStudy. JAMA 2006; 296(13):1602-08.Korzeniewski SJ, Birbeck G, DeLano MC, Potchen MJ, Paneth N. A systematic review of neuroimaging for cerebral palsy. Journal of Child Neurology 2008;23(2):216-27.Robinson MN, Peake LJ, Ditchfield MR, Reid SM. Magnetic Resonance imaging findings in population based cohort of children with cerebral palsy Dev Med Child Neurol 2009; 51(1):39-45.Shevell M, Ashwal S, Donley D, Flint J, Gingold M, Hirtz D, et al. Practice parameter: Evaluation of the child with global developmental delay: Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and The Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology 2003; 60(3); 367-80.Ashwal S, Russman BS, Blasco PA, Miller G, Sandler A, Shevell M, et al. Practice parameter: diagnostic assessment of the child with cerebralpalsy: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology 2004; 23;62(6): 851-63.

Consumption Frequency of Foods Away from Home Linked with Higher Body Mass Index and Lower Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction. Consumption of foods prepared away from home (FAFH) has grown steadily since the 1970s. We examined the relationship between FAFH and body mass index (BMI) and fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. Methods. Frequency of FAFH, daily FV intake, height and weight, and sociodemographic data were collected using a telephone survey in 2008-2009. Participants included a representative sample of 2,001 adult men and women (mean age 54±15 years) residing in King County, WA, with an analytical sample of 1,570. Frequency of FAFH was categorized as 0-1, 2–4, or 5+ times per week. BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. We examined the relationship between FAFH with FV consumption and BMI using multivariate models. Results. Higher frequency of FAFH was associated with higher BMI, after adjusting for age, income, education, race, smoking, marital status, and physical activity (women: p=0.001; men: p=0.003). There was a negative association between frequency of FAFH and FV consumption. FAFH frequency was significantly (p<0.001) higher among males than females (43.1% versus 54.0% eating out 0-1 meal per week, resp.). Females reported eating significantly (p<0.001) more FV than males. Conclusion. Among adults, higher frequency of FAFH was related to higher BMI and less FV consumption

Visual impairments in children with cerebral palsy

Background: Visual impairments are associated with cerebral palsy (CP). They enhance functional limitations in children with CP. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the types of visual impairments in children with CP, and thus the importance of early evaluation and intervention to improve the quality of life. Materials and Methods: Children with CP (n=775) attending the child development clinic from 2012 to 2017 were included in the study. Thorough antenatal, natal, postnatal, and developmental history were recorded. Complete demographic data, anthropometry and general physical, and neurological examination findings were recorded. All patients were advised neuroimaging (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging) and hearing and ophthalmological assessment. Results: Of the 775 patients, 270 (34.8%) patients had squint (including convergent and divergent). Detailed fundoscopic and visual evoked potentials (VEP) examination was done in 382 patients. Non-apparent abnormalities (VEP and fundus changes) were seen in 121 patients (31.7%) among 382 tested. Of those 121 patients, VEP changes and fundus changes were seen in 62 and 41 patients, respectively. Refractive errors were detected in 25 patients. Of the total patients assessed for ophthalmological ailments, 129 (33.7%) patients were completely normal. Conclusion: Visual impairments are associated in large percentage of CP patients. Early evaluation and intervention are emphasized to improve the quality of life in these patients

Rare association of celiac disease with congenital heart disease

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy caused by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. CD is a multisystem disease involving gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, nervous, hematologic, and cardiovascular systems. Few associations of congenital heart disease have been reported with CD. We report a case of an 8-year-old female, who was presented to the hospital with severe anemia and undernutrition. She had severe pallor, clubbing, hepatomegaly, and a Grade Ш systolic ejection murmur. Echocardiography revealed a large ostium secundum type of atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. The increased levels of serum IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-TTG) antibody have arisen suspicion of CD, which was confirmed after the histopathological study of the duodenal biopsy. We are reporting this case to highlight the rare association of the CD with congenital heart disease

Impact of endomycorrhizal fungi and other bioinoculants on growth enhancement of Glycine max (L.) Merrill

In the present investigation, the contributions of two indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora laevis), along with Trichoderma viride and Bradyrhizobium japonicum on growth parameters of Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill were investigated. The results obtained indicated the dependence of soybean on mycorrhizal symbiosis. The different growth parameters increased significantly after 120 days of inoculation in comparison to control. Among all the growth parameters studied, plant height (162±3.34), fresh shoot weight (31.26±1.45), dry shoot weight (3.52±0.05), fresh root weight (4.07±0.56), dry root weight (1.03±0.03), root length (49.0±4.47) and leaf area (32.58±1.70) were highest in the combination of G. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride + B. japonicum but arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) spore number (95.2±3.19) and percent mycorrhizal root colonization (93.26±3.96) were maximum in single inoculation of G. mosseae. Second most effective results were observed in the plants treated with G. mosseae alone. Thus the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other bioinoculants in rhizosphere of soybean had positive effect on the different growth parameters

Scimitar syndrome - A rare cause of recurrent pneumonia

Scimitar syndrome is a congenital anomaly characterized by anomalous drainage of the right lung into inferior vena cava. This may be associated with other anomalies in the form of pulmonary hypoplasia, systemic arterial supply of right lung, and congenital heart diseases. We report an infant with recurrent pneumonia who turned out to be a case of scimitar syndrome on further workup. The patient was managed surgically by selective embolization of the artery from celiac trunk to sequestered lung. This case report highlights the fact that scimitar syndrome should be suspected in a patient with recurrent pneumonia with typical chest X-ray findings