Analytical study of Atrial Fibrillation in Government Stanley Hospital, Chennai

INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation is a condition of increasing clinical and economic importance. It is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. AF is a supraventricular tachyarrhythmia characterized by uncoordinated atria activation with consequent deterioration of atrial mechanical function. Atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. It is caused by many cardiac and non cardiac conditions. AF coexists with common cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension, heart failure,coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, and with an increasing older general population af will become an increasing health care burden. AF is increasing in incidence and prevalence. The estimated prevalence of AF in general population is 0.4%. The prevalence and incidence increases with advancing age, affecting approximately 5% of individuals older than 65 years and nearly 10% of those aged older than 80 years. In the Framingham study, yearly incidence rates for persons age 50–59 were approximate 1–9 and 0–9 per 1000 person years in men and women respectively. Over 38 years of follow up, the Framingham study found an over all incidence rate of approximately 3 per 1000 years in men and 2 per 1000 years in women aged 55 – 64 years. The incidence of AF doubled, for every decade increment in age in the Framingham heart study cohort. Men are at moderately higher risk of AF than women, however the onset of AF in women occurs later in life. Prognostically the prevalence of AF is associated with five-fold increase in morbidity risk and a two-fold increase in mortality risk. Most complications and Death associated with AF are due to complications associated cerebrovascular embolic events. Pharmacological treatment modalities form the mainstay of treatment. Recent research has highlighted new approaches to both pharmacological and non pharmacological management strategies.Newer antiarrhythmic agents have been developed and others are being evaluated for their potential use in atrial fibrillation. AIM OF STUDY: To analyse the etiological factor, clinical presentation and complications of 50 cases of Atrial fibrillation in Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai-1. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was conducted at Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai during the period of January 2007 to June2007. Fifty cases of patients admitted with atrial fibrillation were recorded. No patient had been counted to if he/she got admitted again after discharge. Paediatric age group (13 Yrs and Less) was not included in this study. CONCLUSION: The Commonest etiology causing atrial fibrillation was Rhenmatic heart disease, which contributed to 60% of the cases. • The majority of the cases of Atrial fibrillation were in the 4th or 5th decade. • There were no significant sex differences in the distribution of Atrial fibrillation but in Dilated cardiomyopathy had a predominant female preponderance. • Rheumatic heart disease patients with atrial fibrillation had a mean of 35.7 years, while patients with ischaemic heart disease had a mean of 58.3 years. • In Rheumatic heart disease the predominant lesion causing AF was mitral valve lesion. • The commonest clinical manifestation causing Atrial fibrillation was palpitations followed by dyspnoea. • A Left atrial size of >4 cm predisposes to Atrial fibrillation in Rheumatic Heart Disease. • The major complication of atrial fibrillation was precipitation of cardiac failure. • Atrial fibrillation perse does not cause cardiac failure in a majority of cases. But it may precipitate overt cardiac failure in a haemodynamically compromised heart as in rheumatic heard disease and pump failure as in DCMP and CHD. Since majority of the cases in the study were rheumatic heard disease precipitation of cardiac failure was the major complication

Service Learning: A Need Of The Hour For Promoting Social Responsibility Among Students In Higher Educational Institutions Through The New Education Policy

A type of experiential learning known as "service-learning" blends academic study with community involvement. The field of service-outcomes research suffers from an absence of critical evaluation. This study used an inductive approach to discover the causes and consequences of the issue and develop strategies for dealing with them. The research strategy  was anchored on qualitative and inductive approaches. Semi-structured, in-depth, one-on-one interviews with six participants. Additionally, two focus groups were convened. The information acquired from diverse sources underwent a sequential and comparative analysis relevant to the study. The research reveals the connection between intellectual growth and personal transformation through service-learning. Although it also identifies potential drawbacks, it is suggested that service-learning is often beneficial and possibly favorable to students transformation. Furthermore, the study suggests incorporating service learning components as one of the mandatory subjects in the corresponding major course through the New Education Policy. &nbsp

A study of prevalence of hypothyroidism in cholelithiasis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: For decades there has been discussion whether thyroid disorders could cause gall stone disease. This study attempts to know the prevalence of hypothyroidism in cholelithiasis. There are many factors which can contribute to formation of gall stones in hypothyroidism like decrease in liver cholesterol metabolism, reduced hepatic bile secretion, reduced flow of bile into duodenum and impaired sphincter of oddi relaxation. METHODS: A cross sectional study was done between april 2014 to September 2014. 50 Patients diagnosed as cholelithiasis in department of general surgery, government royapettah hospital were included in the study.Full history, clinical examination, ultrasound abdomen and laboratory blood test for free T3,free T4 and TSH were done for every patient. RESULTS: Out of 50 patients of cholelithiasis, 29(58%) were females and 21(42%) were males. Thyroid disorder in form of hypothyroidism was found in 19 (38%) patients.In that 11(22%) patients presented with subclinical hypothyroidism and 8(16%) patients with clinical hypothyroidism. CONCLUSION: There is an increase in prevalence of hypothyroidism in cholelithiasis in this study. The prevalence was more among > 40 years age group.This increase in prevalence could have an effect on the diagnostic and therapeutic workup of cholelithiasis patients. Hypothyroidism should be considered as a separate risk factor like age, sex, obesity in cholelithiasis patients. So we should be aware of thyroid status in patients of cholelithiasis and should be screened for thyroid function

Quorum sensing in Aliivibrio wodanis 06/09/139 and its role in controlling various phenotypic traits

Background Quorum Sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system that bacteria utilize to adapt to the external environment by synthesizing and responding to signalling molecules called autoinducers. The psychrotrophic bacterium Aliivibrio wodanis 06/09/139, originally isolated from a winter ulcer of a reared Atlantic salmon, produces the autoinducer N-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone (3OHC10-HSL) and encodes the QS systems AinS/R and LuxS/PQ, and the master regulator LitR. However, the role of QS in this bacterium has not been investigated yet. Results In the present work we show that 3OHC10-HSL production is cell density and temperature-dependent in A. wodanis 06/09/139 with the highest production occurring at a low temperature (6 °C). Gene inactivation demonstrates that AinS is responsible for 3OHC10-HSL production and positively regulated by LitR. Inactivation of ainS and litR further show that QS is involved in the regulation of growth, motility, hemolysis, protease activity and siderophore production. Of these QS regulated activities, only the protease activity was found to be independent of LitR. Lastly, supernatants harvested from the wild type and the ΔainS and ΔlitR mutants at high cell densities show that inactivation of QS leads to a decreased cytopathogenic effect (CPE) in a cell culture assay, and strongest attenuation of the CPE was observed with supernatants harvested from the ΔlitR mutant. Conclusion A. wodanis 06/09/139 use QS to regulate a number of activities that may prove important for host colonization or interactions. The temperature of 6 °C that is in the temperature range at which winter ulcer occurs, plays a role in AHL production and development of CPE on a Chinook Salmon Embryo (CHSE) cell line

Fecundity and viability of eggs in wild breeders of spiny lobsters, Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758), Panulirus versicolor (Latrielle, 1804) and Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798)

Berried lobsters collected from landing centres and lobster holding centres were used for larval rearing of the spiny lobsters, Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758), Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius, 1798) and Panulirus versicolor (Latrielle, 1804). Fecundity of the lobsters used for larval rearing was calculated as the number of eggs deposited on the ovigerous setae on the pleopods. The number of eggs in a single brood ranged from 1,20,544 to 4,49,585 in P. homarus. 5,18,181 to P.ornatus 1,979,522 and that of P. versicolor as 1,70,212 to P.versicolor 7,33,752. The tropical lobsters are reported to and therefore breed two times or more in a year. The absolute (annual) fecundity of these lobsters is expected to be higher. The phyllosoma larvae released, as percentage of fecundity, was maximum in P. homarus 85.7, 49.7 in P. ornatus and 74.0 in P. versicolor. Handling of lobsters at the landing and holding centres and aerial transport resulted in high percentage of eggs in arrested development, complete or partial shedding of eggs and release of weak phyllosoma larvae. Severe bacterial infection leading to complete shedding of eggs was recorded in a few breeders collected from holding centres

Public health interventions for Aedes control in the time of Zikavirus- A metareview on effectiveness of vector control strategies

Background: There is renewed interest in effective control measures to control Zika and dengue vectors. A synthesis of published systematic reviews with a focus on grading of intervention evidence is warranted to determine the reliability of evidence for control strategies. Methodology: We conducted a meta-review (a systematic review of systematic reviews) assessing the effectiveness of any Aedes control measure. We searched Scopus and Medline for relevant reviews through to 11 May 2016. Titles, abstracts and full texts were assessed independently for inclusion by two authors. Data extraction was performed independently in duplicate using a standardised form and validity of the evidence in each review was assessed using GRADE criteria. Findings: 13 eligible systematic reviews that investigated the effect of community interventions on entomological parameters (such as vector density) or disease incidence were included. Quality of evidence was mostly low to very low due to poor reporting of study design, observational methodologies, heterogeneity, and indirect outcomes, hindering an evidence-based recommendation. Biological controls seem to achieve better reduction of entomological indices than chemical controls, while educational campaigns can reduce breeding habitats and interrupt disease transmission cycle. Integrated control strategies may not add efficiency to educational campaigns. Conclusions: Despite decades of Aedes mosquito abatement programmes, mosquito populations are widely established and abundant, and associated with a significant disease burden. The efficiency of any control programme is dependent on local settings and resources. More good quality primary studies for the control of Aedes transmitted diseases are still required

Characteristics and properties of nano-LiCoO2 synthesized by pre-organized single source precursors: Li-ion diffusivity, electrochemistry and biological assessment

Background: LiCoO2 is one of the most used cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. Its conventional synthesis requires high temperature (>800 degrees C) and long heating time (>24 h) to obtain the micronscale rhombohedral layered high-temperature phase of LiCoO2 ( HT-LCO). Nanoscale HT-LCO is of interest to improve the battery performance as the lithium (Li+) ion pathway is expected to be shorter in nanoparticles as compared to micron sized ones. Since batteries typically get recycled, the exposure to nanoparticles during this process needs to be evaluated. Results: Several new single source precursors containing lithium (Li+) and cobalt (Co2+) ions, based on alkoxides and aryloxides have been structurally characterized and were thermally transformed into nanoscale HT-LCO at 450 degrees C within few hours. The size of the nanoparticles depends on the precursor, determining the electrochemical performance. The Li-ion diffusion coefficients of our - LiCoO2 nanoparticles improved at least by a factor of 10 compared to commercial one, while showing good reversibility upon charging and discharging. The hazard of occupational exposure to nanoparticles during battery recycling was investigated with an in vitro multicellular lung model. Conclusions: Our heterobimetallic single source precursors allow to dramatically reduce the production temperature and time for HT-LCO. The obtained nanoparticles of LiCoO2 have faster kinetics for Li+ insertion/extraction compared to microparticles. Overall, nano-sized - LiCoO2 particles indicate a lower cytotoxic and (pro-)inflammogenic potential in vitro compared to their micron-sized counterparts. However, nanoparticles aggregate in air and behave partially like microparticles

The weaver mutant mouse: a model to study the ontogeny of dopamine transmission systems and their role in drug addiction.

Pergamon Press © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd

Nitric oxide, a neuronal messenger. Its role in the hippocampus neuronal plasticity

Nitric oxide (NO), a free radical gas, has recently been recognized as an important messenger molecule having a neurotransmitter-like function. Studies on the localization of the enzyme synthesizing NO (NO synthase-NOS) have indicated its presence in almost all parts of the brain with a prevalence in the cerebellum. From recent experimental investigations it is apparent that NO might meet the essential criteria to function as a retrograde messenger for Long-term potentiation in hippocampal cells, a process known to be involved in mammalian learning and memory. However, within the hippocampus NO is present in a few cell types which probably form the local neuronal circuit. Thus NO might function as a paracrine factor rather than a retrograde messenger in the hippocampal neurons