A Study on Services Quality of Commercial Banks in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Banks

This study compares the perception of customers’ about service quality of the public and private commercial banks in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. This study is a questionnaire survey based on the combined and modified SERVQUAL by Parasuraman et al. (1988) and Banking Service Quality (BSQ) Scale by Bahia and Nantel (2000). It included nine service quality dimensions, with 35 statements, to measure and compare the wide range of services offered by Ethiopian public and private banks. A total of 500 questionnaires were administered and data was collected by stratified random sampling to customers of the two banking sectors and 488 were used for analysis purpose (243 public and 245 private). Comparison was done by using mean of nine dimensions that were used to measure the customers’ perceptions and independent samples t-test was used to explore the differences in the mean values of services quality dimensions between the two groups of customers (public banks’ customers and private banks’ customers). The mean result reveals that private banks outperform public banks in terms of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, effectiveness and price dimensions. Moreover, the result of hypotheses test shows there are significant differences in perception between customers of the Ethiopian public and private banks regarding the responsiveness, assurance, empathy, effectiveness, and price dimensions as indicators of service quality. Keywords: Public Bank, Private Bank, Services quality, Customers’ Perceptions

Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in bovine blood samples

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), predominantly caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases of cattle. The lack of documented information on bTB is one of the most important hurdles in controlling the disease. The present study was carried out to detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) from blood samples of cattle presented for slaughter, using polymerase chain reaction. The study revealed presence of MTBC in seven out of 50 animals (fourteen per cent) with symptoms suggestive of bTB. The detection of the organism emphasises the need of further prevalence studies in Kerala, to implement proper control strategies

THE MANAGEMENT OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHOEA (KASHTARTAVA) - A PROSPECTIVE MULTICENTRIC OPEN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Objective: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of Rajahpravartini vati in the management of primary dysmenorrhoea (Kashtartava) and changes in the quality of life of the subjects. Study design: A multi-centric prospective single arm observational study. Setting and participants: 359 subjects aged between 16 - 35 years suffering from painful menstruation at least for three consecutive regular menstrual cycles were included in the study. Intervention: Rajahpravartini Vati a classical Ayurvedic formulation was administered 250 mg b.d. with lukewarm water for 90 days followed by subsequent 90 days without intervention. Outcome measures: The management of menstrual pain assessing by 10 points Visual Analogue Scale and improvement in the quality of life using SF-36 (RAND) questionnaire. Results: The mean VAS score of pain at baseline was 6.94±1.98, decreasing to 1.7±2.22 at 90th day which further decreased and maintained to 1.24±1.9 up to 180th day. Associated symptoms like nausea, vomiting, constipation, giddiness, breast tenderness, diarrhea, headache and fainting were completely relieved. The improvements of quality of life in 8 domains viz. pain, general health, physical functioning, social functioning, emotional wellbeing, energy/fatigue, limitation due to physical health and emotional problems at the end of 90th day of intervention was also significant (p<0.001) in comparison to baseline. No adverse event occurred during the treatment period. Conclusion: Rajahpravartini Vati has shown a positive role for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and to improve the quality of life of the subjects

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Not AvailablePhyllody is a destructive disease of sesame worldwide. The disease has been causing significant economic losses by stunting, leaf proliferation and altering floral parts into leafy structures with no capsules. The transmission studies were conducted to transmit the phytoplasma from diseased plants to healthy plants. Using different methods like sap abrasion and sap injection methods to sesame and grafting, leafhopper transmission to periwinkle plants. Among host plants tested, sesame, sunhemp and periwinkle were identified as suitable hosts for the rearing of leafhopper (Orosius albicinctus). Among these methods, phytoplasma was successfully transmitted by grafting and leafhopper from infected sesame to periwinkle.ICA

Anesthetic Management in Marinesco-Sjogren Syndrome

Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome (MSS) is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized clinically by muscle weakness, mental retardation, cerebellar ataxia and cataracts. The most prominent neurological feature is the cerebellar ataxia with hypotonicity and mental retardation is apparent from infancy. Patients with MSS may be posted for surgery early in the age for cataract aspiration, which requires unique anesthetic considerations involving myopathy, hypotonicity, growth and mental retardation. Till now only one case report of anesthetic management in MSS has been reported by Kouichiro Minami et al. Here we report a case of MSS and its anesthetic management coming for cataract surgery

A prospective controlled comparative study of haemodynamic responses, intubating conditions to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation by using Macintosh vs. Mc Coy blade laryngoscope

Background: The invention of McCoy blade in the early 1990s is a modification of the Macintosh blade with a hinged tip. The McCoy blade reduces the amount of force applied during laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation, thus the increased reflex haemodynamic changes in response to tracheal intubation becomes less significant. Objective: To determine the advantages of McCoy blade laryngoscope in obtunding the pressor response, better glottic visualization and ease of intubation during laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation as compared to Macintosh blade laryngoscope. Methods: The present study was done on 60 adult patients of ASA I and II, between the age group of 20 to 50 years. We observed the haemodynamic changes, glottic view and ease of intubation by using either Macintosh or McCoy blade laryngoscope during general anesthesia at laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. The changes in HR, SBP, DBP, and MAP were recorded before induction, at laryngoscopy and intubation and at 1 min, 3 min and 5 min after tracheal intubation. Glottic view obtained on laryngoscope was compared as per Cormack and Lehene grading. Tracheal intubation grading was also compared between the groups. Complications during the procedure like arrhythmias, injury, and bleeding were noted. Results: In our study, a significant haemodynamic changes were observed in both the groups following laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. The rise in HR, SBP, DBP and MAP were more significant with Macintosh blade laryngoscope, where as better visualization of the glottis, ease of intubation and less haemodynamic changes were noted with McCoy blade laryngoscope. Conclusion: McCoy blade laryngoscope produces significantly less marked haemodynamic changes, better glottic view and ease of intubation as compared to Macintosh blade laryngoscope during laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation

Clinical Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Samples from COVID-19 Breakthrough Infections during the Second Wave among the Various States of India

From March to June 2021, India experienced a deadly second wave of COVID-19, with an increased number of post-vaccination breakthrough infections reported across the country. To understand the possible reason for these breakthroughs, we collected 677 clinical samples (throat swab/nasal swabs) of individuals from 17 states/Union Territories of the country who had received two doses (n = 592) and one dose (n = 85) of vaccines and tested positive for COVID-19. These cases were telephonically interviewed and clinical data were analyzed. A total of 511 SARS-CoV-2 genomes were recovered with genome coverage of higher than 98% from both groups. Analysis of both groups determined that 86.69% (n = 443) of them belonged to the Delta variant, along with Alpha, Kappa, Delta AY.1, and Delta AY.2. The Delta variant clustered into four distinct sub-lineages. Sub-lineage I had mutations in ORF1ab A1306S, P2046L, P2287S, V2930L, T3255I, T3446A, G5063S, P5401L, and A6319V, and in N G215C; Sub-lineage II had mutations in ORF1ab P309L, A3209V, V3718A, G5063S, P5401L, and ORF7a L116F; Sub-lineage III had mutations in ORF1ab A3209V, V3718A, T3750I, G5063S, and P5401L and in spike A222V; Sub-lineage IV had mutations in ORF1ab P309L, D2980N, and F3138S and spike K77T. This study indicates that majority of the breakthrough COVID-19 clinical cases were infected with the Delta variant, and only 9.8% cases required hospitalization, while fatality was observed in only 0.4% cases. This clearly suggests that the vaccination does provide reduction in hospital admission and mortality