Knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among medical students

Background: Spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction (ADR) is main part of pharmacovigilance. This study was done to assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pharmacovigilance among 2nd year medical students.Methods: This was a questionnaire based cross sectional study. The study participants were 2nd year MBBS students at pacific institute of medical sciences. Total number of questions given was 20. The data was analyzed by MS excel.Results: Total 100 students were given 20 questions. Among 20 questions, 10 were based on knowledge, 4 were based on attitude and 5 were based on practice. One question was asked to determine the reasons for underreporting. 95% students gave correct definition of pharmacovigilance. 96% students were having knowledge about existing National pharmacovigilance programme of India. 97% gave correct answer of side effect occurring during pregnancy as teratogenicity. 99 % said that reporting ADR is necessary.Conclusions: In our study most of the students gave correct answers of knowledge based questions. So knowledge of pharmacovigilance is gradually improving among medical students

Diagnosing faults in autonomous robot plan execution

A major requirement for an autonomous robot is the capability to diagnose faults during plan execution in an uncertain environment. Many diagnostic researches concentrate only on hardware failures within an autonomous robot. Taking a different approach, the implementation of a Telerobot Diagnostic System that addresses, in addition to the hardware failures, failures caused by unexpected event changes in the environment or failures due to plan errors, is described. One feature of the system is the utilization of task-plan knowledge and context information to deduce fault symptoms. This forward deduction provides valuable information on past activities and the current expectations of a robotic event, both of which can guide the plan-execution inference process. The inference process adopts a model-based technique to recreate the plan-execution process and to confirm fault-source hypotheses. This technique allows the system to diagnose multiple faults due to either unexpected plan failures or hardware errors. This research initiates a major effort to investigate relationships between hardware faults and plan errors, relationships which were not addressed in the past. The results of this research will provide a clear understanding of how to generate a better task planner for an autonomous robot and how to recover the robot from faults in a critical environment

Sex determination from adult human humerus by discriminant function analysis

Background: Sex determination of unidentified skeletal remains from crime scenes or excavation sites is an important component in the development of the biological profile in forensics, anthropology and bioarchaeology. The purpose of this research is to determine whether sexing of unknown adult human humerus bones can be done by applying values of morphometric parameters and formulae generated by present study on adult human humerus bones of known sex and to find out the best parameters for sex determination.Methods: Various metric measurements were recorded using osteo metric board, measuring tape, non-elastic thread, sliding calipers and Vernier calipers on adult human humerus bones.Results: Sex was correctly estimated by using stepwise discriminant function analysis, for the clavicle 100% of males and 95% of females, with a total accuracy of 98.1%. Direct discriminant function analysis, correct estimated sex for the clavicle was 100% in males and 95% in females with a total accuracy of 98.1%.Conclusions: Present study exhibited better classification accuracy for multiple variables than those of single variables, the most discriminating variables in stepwise analysis are the weight, total length, transverse diameter of head, circumference of midshaft, trochlear width, capitulum width. In direct analysis, the single most useful variable was the transverse diameter of head

Determination of sex of adult human clavicle by discriminant function analysis in Marathwada region of Maharashtra

Background: Determination of biological sex is one of the most important determinations to be made from human remains and is an essential first step in the development of the biological profile in forensics, anthropology and bioarchaeology. The aim of this study was to determine whether sexing of unknown adult human clavicles can be done by applying values of morphometric parameters and formulae generated by present study on adult human clavicles of known sex and to find out the best parameters for sex determination.Methods: Various metric measurements were recorded using osteo metric board, measuring tape, non-elastic thread, sliding calipers and vernier calipers on adult human clavicles.Results: Sex was correctly estimated by using stepwise discriminant function analysis, for the clavicle 93.3 % of males and 94.4% of females, with a total accuracy of 93.7 %. Direct discriminant function analysis, correct estimated sex for the clavicle was 93.9 % in males and 93.3% in females with a total accuracy of 93.7 %.Conclusions: Present study exhibited better classification accuracy for multiple variables than those of single variables. In the clavicle, the most discriminating variables in stepwise analysis are the mid clavicular circumference, posterior curved length, medial 2/3 and lateral 1/3 junction circumference and Weight. In direct analysis, the single most useful variable was the mid clavicular circumference

Functional characterization and discovery of modulators of SbMATE, the agronomically important aluminium tolerance transporter from Sorghum bicolor.

About 50% of the world's arable land is strongly acidic (pH ≤ 5). The low pH solubilizes root-toxic ionic aluminium (Al3+) species from clay minerals, driving the evolution of counteractive adaptations in cultivated crops. The food crop Sorghum bicolor upregulates the membrane-embedded transporter protein SbMATE in its roots. SbMATE mediates efflux of the anionic form of the organic acid, citrate, into the soil rhizosphere, chelating Al3+ ions and thereby imparting Al-resistance based on excluding Al+3 from the growing root tip. Here, we use electrophysiological, radiolabeled, and fluorescence-based transport assays in two heterologous expression systems to establish a broad substrate recognition profile of SbMATE, showing the proton and/or sodium-driven transport of 14C-citrate anion, as well as the organic monovalent cation, ethidium, but not its divalent analog, propidium. We further complement our transport assays by measuring substrate binding to detergent-purified SbMATE protein. Finally, we use the purified membrane protein as an antigen to discover native conformation-binding and transport function-altering nanobodies using an animal-free, mRNA/cDNA display technology. Our results demonstrate the utility of using Pichia pastoris as an efficient eukaryotic host to express large quantities of functional plant transporter proteins. The nanobody discovery approach is applicable to other non-immunogenic plant proteins

An analysis of ear discharge and antimicrobial sensitivity to the bacteria used in its treatment

Background: Children are unique population with distinct development and physiological differences from adults, clinical trials in children are essential to develop age-specific, empirically – verified therapies and interventions to determine and improve the best medical treatment available. The aim of this study was to find out the appropriateness and accuracy of the dose of drugs prescribed and compares it with standard dose.Methods: Total 400 prescriptions were collected from the OPD of the paediatrics of Shree Krishna Hospital, Karamsad. Calculation of standard total daily dose for each drug was done by using Clark’s formula and was compared with that of prescribed dose of that particular drug.Results: Total 1042 drugs were prescribed. Among antibiotics (22%) statistically significant difference in the prescribed and standard total daily dose was observed with cefexime [t-value 28.6>1.96 for 95% confidence interval] and metronidazole [t-value2.03>1.96 for 95% confidence interval], NSAIDs (31%), Paracetamol [t-value11.14>1.96 for 95% confidence interval] and antihistaminics (22%), phenylephrine [t-value7.1>1.96 for 95% confidence interval], cetrizine [t-value2.4>2.00 for 95% confidence interval].Conclusions: Results show that prescribed doses of commonly used drugs were higher than the standard dose. This is directly related to the occurrence and severity of adverse drug reactions.

An analysis of ear discharge and antimicrobial sensitivity used in its treatment

Background: Ear discharge is one of the cardinal symptoms of ear infection along with progressive deafness, pain, tinnitus and vertigo. Main objectives of the study were to study the various causes of ear discharge, isolate and identify the microorganisms associated with different causes of ear discharge and study the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the isolated organisms.Methods: All the patients matching the inclusion criteria were enrolled and sample of ear discharge was collected. This sample was sent to the microbiology laboratory for isolation of microorganism and antimicrobial sensitivity testing.Results: In present study 115 samples of ear discharge were examined for the presence of microorganisms. Out of 115, 93 (80.86%) samples were positive for growth of microorganisms and 22 (19.13%) samples were sterile. Out of 93% positive samples 61 (65.59%) samples were pure-bacterial growth, 8 (*8.60%) samples showed pure fungal growth and 24 (25.80%) showed mixed growth of both bacteria anti fungi.Conclusions: Overall bacterial isolates were higher than fungal and pseudomonas appeared to be most common. It was found sensitive to ceftazidime, amikacin, imipenem, colistin and aztreonam

The Health Effects of Medicare for the Near-Elderly Uninsured

We study how the trajectory of health for the near-elderly uninsured changes upon enrolling into Medicare at the age of 65. We find that Medicare increases the probability of the previously uninsured having excellent or very good health, decreases their probability of being in good health, and has no discernable effects at lower health levels. Surprisingly, we found Medicare had a similar effect on health for the previously insured. This suggests that Medicare helps the relatively healthy 65 year olds, but does little for those who are already in declining health once they reach the age of 65. The improvement in health between the uninsured and insured were not statistically different from each other. The stability of insurance coverage afforded by Medicare may be the source of the health benefit suggesting that universal coverage at other ages may have similar health effects.

Exploring Key Group Counseling Processes: Implications for Group Counselor Training

We studied several processes in a standardized counselor training group. Participants were masters-level counselor trainees (n=100) who took part in eight sessions in an experiential group. Our purpose was to examine the patterns of therapeutic processes and the therapeutic factors that predicted cohesiveness and commitment of the group tasks. Results underscore the interlocking nature of the therapeutic process factors of cohesiveness, altruism, and universality. Analyses reveal the central role of cohesiveness as a process factor in a short-term group. Altruism and engagement consistently predicted cohesiveness. Cohesiveness predicted commitment to the group tasks. The processes in these training groups resemble those of actual counseling groups. Suggestions for structuring training groups, implications for counselor education, and future research recommendations are discussed