Highly-cited estimates of the cumulative incidence and recurrence of vulvovaginal candidiasis are inadequately documented.

BACKGROUND: Available literature concerning the epidemiologic or clinical features of vulvovaginal candidiasis commonly reports that: 75% of women will experience an episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis in their lifetimes, 50% of whom will experience at least a second episode, and 5-10% of all women will experience recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (≥4 episodes/1 year). In this debate we traced the three commonly cited statistics to their presumed origins. DISCUSSION: It is apparent that these figures were inadequately documented and lacked supporting epidemiologic evidence. Population-based studies are needed to make reliable estimates of the lifetime risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis and the proportion of women who experience recurrent candidiasis. SUMMARY: The extent to which vulvovaginal candidiasis is a source of population-level morbidity remains uncertain

Atomic fountain of laser-cooled Yb atoms for precision measurements

We demonstrate launching of laser-cooled Yb atoms in a cold atomic fountain. Atoms in a collimated thermal beam are first cooled and captured in a magneto-optic trap (MOT) operating on the strongly-allowed ${^1S}_0 \rightarrow {^1P}_1$ transition at 399~nm (blue line). They are then transferred to a MOT on the weakly-allowed ${^1S}_0 \rightarrow {^3P}_1$ transition at 556~nm (green line). Cold atoms from the green MOT are launched against gravity at a velocity of around 2.5~m/s using a pair of green beams. We trap more than $10^7$ atoms in the blue MOT and transfer up to 70\% into the green MOT. The temperature for the odd isotope, $^{171}$Yb, is $\sim$1~mK in the blue MOT, and reduces by a factor of 40 in the green MOT.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Role of PAL and PPO Enzyme Activity in Host Pathogen interaction of Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L) Root Tissue Infected with Fusarium Wilt

In this study, changes in the activities of Phenlylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) during development and stages of wilt (Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. f.sp. ciceri (Padwick) Matuo & K. Sato) disease infection in chickpea(Cicer arietinum L) were investigated. During the early stages of disease development, at pre-infectional stage (S1), cultivars did not show any significant change in PAL activity. The activity was significantly increased at infectional stage (S2) as compared with pre infectional stage (S1). Susceptible cultivars had the lower value of PAL at infectional stage (S2). However, at S2 stage cultivars GG-4 and JCP-27 were at par. At post infectional stage (S3), the activity was found to be increased in the all cultivars as compared to infectional or mid growth stage and the resistant and tolerant cultivars were at par. Susceptible cultivars (JG-62 and GG-4) had the lower activity as compared to the resistant and tolerant cultivars. The resistant cultivars WR-315 and JCP-27 revealed higher level of activity, the level of activity significantly increased marginally during infection. In the present experiment significantly higher activity in infected plants grown in sick plot also suggested that polyphenol oxidase might be involved in oxidation of phenolics in susceptible cultivar (JG-62). These observations suggest that the increase in PAL and PPO activities has an important role in disease resistance mechanism

Epidemiological features of alcohol use in rural India: a population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to estimate the proportion of adults in Sehore District, India, who consumed alcohol, and the proportion who had behaviours consistent with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Among men who drank, we identified individual-level, household-level and community-level factors associated with AUDIT scores. Men with AUDs (AUDIT score ≥ 8) reported on whether and where they had sought treatment, and about alcohol-related internal stigma. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: Rural villages and urban wards in Sehore District, Madhya Pradesh, India. PARTICIPANTS: n=3220 adult (≥ 18 years of age) residents of Sehore District. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Score on the AUDIT. RESULTS: Nearly one in four men (23.8%) had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, while few (0.6%) women were consumers. Among drinkers, 33.2% (95% CI 28.6% to 38.1%) had AUDIT scores consistent with hazardous drinking, 3.3% (95% CI 2.1% to 5.1%) with harmful drinking and 5.5% (95% CI 3.8% to 8.0%) with dependent drinking. We observed that AUDIT scores varied widely by village (intraclass correlation=0.052). Among men who had recently consumed alcohol, AUDIT scores were positively associated with depression, having at least one child, high-quality housing, urban residence, tobacco use and disability. AUDIT scores were negatively associated with land ownership, out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure and participation in the national employment programme. While 49.2% of men with AUDs felt embarrassed by their problems with alcohol, only 2.8% had sought treatment in the past 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: A need exists for effectively identifying and treating adults with AUDs. Health promotion services, informed by commonly-expressed stigmatised beliefs held among those affected by AUDs and which are targeted at the most affected communities, may be an effective step in closing the treatment gap

Logic regression-derived algorithms for syndromic management of vaginal infections.

BACKGROUND: Syndromic management of vaginal infections is known to have poor diagnostic accuracy. Logic regression is a machine-learning procedure which allows for the identification of combinations of variables to predict an outcome, such as the presence of a vaginal infection. METHODS: We used logic regression to develop predictive models for syndromic management of vaginal infection among symptomatic, reproductive-age women in south India. We assessed the positive predictive values, negative predictive values, sensitivities and specificities of the logic regression procedure and a standard WHO algorithm against laboratory-confirmed diagnoses of two conditions: metronidazole-sensitive vaginitis [bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis (BV/TV)], and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). RESULTS: The logic regression procedure created algorithms which had a mean positive predictive value of 61 % and negative predictive value of 80 % for management of BV/TV, and a mean positive predictive value of 26 % and negative predictive value of 98 % for management of VVC. The results using the WHO algorithm were similarly mixed. CONCLUSIONS: The logic regression procedure identified the most predictive measures for management of vaginal infections from the candidate clinical and laboratory measures. However, the procedure provided further evidence as to the limits of syndromic management for vaginal infections using currently available clinical measures

The Feasibility of Health Trainer Improved Patient Self-Management in Patients with Low Health Literacy and Poorly Controlled Diabetes: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is most prevalent in deprived communities and patients with low health literacy have worse glycaemic control and higher rates of diabetic complications. However, recruitment from this patient population into intervention trials is highly challenging. We conducted a study to explore the feasibility of recruitment and to assess the effect of a lay health trainer intervention, in patients with low health literacy and poorly controlled diabetes from a socioeconomically disadvantaged population, compared with usual care. Methods. A pilot RCT comparing the LHT intervention with usual care. Patients with HbA1c > 7.5 (58 mmol/mol) were recruited. Baseline and 7-month outcome data were entered directly onto a laptop to reduce patient burden. Results. 76 patients were recruited; 60.5% had low health literacy and 75% were from the most deprived areas of England. Participants in the LHT arm had significantly improved mental health (p = 0.049) and illness perception (p = 0.040). The intervention was associated with lower resource use, better patient self-care management, and better QALY profile at 7-month follow-up. Conclusion. This study describes successful recruitment strategies for hard-to-reach populations. Further research is warranted for this cost-effective, relatively low-cost intervention for a population currently suffering a disproportionate burden of diabetes, to demonstrate its sustained impact on treatment effects, health, and health inequalities

Study on the Fecundity and Gonado somatic index of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1817) of southern coast of Maharashtra, India

Investigation of fecundity and gonado somatic index (GSI) of Rastrelliger kanagurta were carried out from March 2011 to February 2012. Fecundity was determined at different length, weight and ovary ranges of different individual fishes. Study revealed that at 5% significant level significant average absolute fecundity was found to be 1,08,266 and relative fecundity ranged from 407 to 1499. The number of ova generally increased with increase in length and weight. However, variations in fecundity with respect to length and weight were also noticed. The gonado-somatic index (GSI) was calculated for each individual fish (592 numbers) and was averaged for each month. The average GSI values were plotted against each month to analysed monthly variations. GSI showed wide variations between sex and it was highest for both males and females during the month of April and September, showing occurrence of more ripe individuals. Analysis of regression showed that there were significant relationship between the fecundity with the fish length, body weight and ovary weight