A model of spirituality for ageing Muslims

Spirituality’s influence on general well-being and its association with healthy ageing has been studied extensively. However, a different perspective has to be brought in when dealing with spirituality issues of ageing Muslims. Central to this perspective is the intertwining of religion and spirituality in Islam. This article will contribute to the understanding of the nature of Islamic spirituality and its immense importance in the life of a practicing ageing Muslim. Consequently, it will help care providers to include appropriate spiritual care in the care repertoire of a Muslim care recipient. It is assumed that the framework for a model of spirituality based on Islamic religious beliefs would help contextualise the relationship between spirituality and ageing Muslims. Not only challenges, but also the opportunities that old age provides for charting the spiritual journey have underpinned this model

Associating Perinatal Mortality With Diet By Adapting Robust Clustering Using Links For Categorical Variables

Perinatal Mortality (perinatal death), is death of a neonate within 6 days (early neonatal mortality) or from 7 – 27 days of birth (late neonatal mortality). Food consumed by an expectant mother is said to have an impact on the pregnancy outcome apart from other factors. For the past few years, perinatal mortality rate has been increasing in developing and under-developed parts of the world. Two-thirds of the world’s perinatal deaths occur in only 10 countries, and Pakistan is ranked third amongst these countries. These deaths have not been studied widely, in fact they have been under-reported and these reports have not even been considered in any attempts made to improve birth outcomes in developing nations [1]. Nutritional, socioeconomic, demographic and health advice seeking behavior factors are responsible for higher mortality rates in countries such as Pakistan. Data mining and machine learning can be used to identify factors that are responsible for such high infant mortality rates as it is an important factor indicating progress on Millennium Development Goals. In this paper, we discuss how using ROCK we can cluster expectant mothers as per the food intake and identify major food items causing perinatal mortality

Phenotypic and genotypic resistance characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates

Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes both contact lens and non-contact lens-related keratitis (corneal infection). This opportunistic bacterium naturally has the ability to resist the mechanism of action of many antibiotics which are used for treatment. P. aeruginosa resistance patterns and the mechanism of resistance in isolates from keratitis are not well understood. This thesis described the phenotypic and genotypic patterns of antimicrobial resistance and compared these between ocular isolates of P. aeruginosa from Australia (contact lens) and India (non-contact lens). Changes in the antimicrobial susceptibility between isolates over time were also analysed. Susceptibility to antibiotics, multipurpose disinfecting solutions and disinfectants was analysed for twenty-seven Australian isolates from contact lens-related keratitis and forty non-contact lens-related isolated from India. The whole genomes of fourteen Australian (historical and recent) and twelve Indian isolates were sequenced using Illumina® MiSeq®. Computational analysis of the genomes was performed to analyse their core and pan genomes and these were examined for the presence of acquired resistance genes, virulence genes, gene mutations, and these compared to their phenotypic resistance to antibiotics. Indian isolates possessed large pan genomes with more acquired resistance (30) genes and larger numbers of genetic variations. The Indian isolates contained clones of three sequence types ST308, ST316 and ST491, whereas Australian isolates contained only one sequence type ST233. Isolates with larger gene variations had mutations in the DNA mismatch repair system. Most multi-drug resistant Indian (non-contact lens) isolates were exoU +. Indian isolates had large accessory genes compared to Australian isolates and this increased the pan genome size of the Indian isolates. The number of core genome mutations were larger in the Indian isolates a median of 50006 (IQR=26967-50600) compared to Australian isolates a median of 26317 (IQR=25681-33780). There were differences between isolates from Australia and India with respect to their antibiotic resistance and associated genes. Indian strains had more genetic diversity and were multi-drug resistant. However, there was no evidence of substantial genetic or phenotypic changes within isolates from their respective countries

Impact of Continuing Medical Education on Health Care Provider Performance in a Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Introduction: Basic life support (BLS), is the chain of survival and decreases the rate of cardiac arrest; health care professionals should know at least how to perform BLS individually as they may encounter such emergency very often. In the developed world, sudden cardiac death represents the single largest cause of natural death accounting for 12–18% of total mortality and 50% of cardiac mortality. Objectives: To determine the level of awareness regarding Basic Life Support and knowledge of involved skills and its practice among medical and non-medical personnel. Methodology: A retrospective study conducted by using valid questionnaire regarding Basic Life Support by 323 personnel. The results were analyzed with SPSS version 16. Results: Twenty-five questions were used to assess the level of knowledge/awareness and skills after BLS training. The percentage of correct answer varied from 33.1% to 95.7% for knowledge related items; and for skills items, it was varied from 35.3% to 68.4%. Conclusion: We recommend that Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation/Basic Life Support should be a basic skill across all medical and non-medical personnel. Key words: Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, Basic Life Support, KAP

Study Of Knowledge, Beliefs & Attitudes Towards Leprosy Among Patients Of Leprosy

Research Problem: What is the level of Knowledge and attitudes of leprosy patients towards leprosy? Objectives: To assess the knowledge, beliefs and atti­tude towards leprosy in leprosy patients. Study Design: Hospital - based study by questionnaire method. Setting and Participants: Leprosy patients attending Dermatology OPD. J.N. Medical College Hospital, A.M.U., Aligarh. Sample Size: 200 leprosy patients. Study Variables: Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes re­garding leprosy. Outcome Variables: Percentage of patients having cor­rect Knowledge and positive attitude. Statistical Analysis : By proportions. Results: Ignorance about leprosy is still rampant. 81 % of the patients were not aware of the cause of disease. 89.5% did not know whether the disease was preventable. 91 % patients were optimistic that the disease was curable. 60% of the patients became anxious on learning the diagnosis of the disease. Relations were strained with spouse in 6% cases after learning the diagnosis of the disease. Conclusions: Most of the patients had very little knowl­edge about leprosy, but they were optimistic about the cure of the disease. Interestingly, not much social stigma was encountered by the patients. Recommendations : Raising the literacy status of the populatio

Fluoxetine causes decrease in intestinal motility

Background: Major depression is the most frequent disorder occurring in 16% of the population worldwide. In the middle of the 20th century, the discovery of selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors acted as a miracle in the antidepressant therapy. We explored the acute effects of fluoxetine and possible mechanism underlying the contractile effects of fluoxetine on isolated ileal smooth muscles of rabbit in vitro.Methods: Effects of increasing concentrations of acetylcholine (Ach), 5-HT and fluoxetine were studied on isolated ileal tissue of the rabbit in vitro by constructing cumulative concentration response curves. The ileal smooth muscle contractions were recorded on power lab (USA).Results: Ach, 5-HT and fluoxetine, produced a concentration-dependent reversible contraction of isolated ileal muscle of rabbit. The mean ± standard error of the mean of maximum amplitudes of contraction with Ach, 5-HT and fluoxetine, were 24.8±1.22 mm, 44±0.527 mm and 2.6±1.16 mm, respectively. Fluoxetine shifted the concentration-response curve right and downwards.Conclusion: Our study has indicated that fluoxetine on isolated ileal intestinal smooth muscle decrease the motility and this decrease in motility is possibly due to the inability of fluoxetine in vitro to enhance the serotonergic transmission and also because of the interaction of these agents with some of the other receptors, present in the intestinal smooth muscles

Effect of fluoxetine and paroxetine on intestinal motility

Background: Serotonin (5-HT) is a biogenic amine that functions as a neurotransmitter of sensorimotor functions in the digestive tract. Te role of 5-HT agents in the modulation of lower gastrointestinal function. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are of potential benefit in functional gastrointestinal diseases although formal evidence is lacking. Apart from central effects, they may have peripheral. The present study was carried out to find out the possible effects of fluoxetine and paroxetine on gastrointestinal smooth muscles of rabbit as they cause severe nausea and vomiting initially.Methods: Experimental study design. Power lab (USA) for recording the contractions of ileal smooth muscle of rabbit in response to serotonin, fluoxetine and paroxetine.Results: The percent responses with serotonin, fluoxetine and paroxetine were 100, 10.53, and 4.75 percent respectively.Conclusions: SSRIs (fluoxetine and paroxetine) were unable to enhance the serotonergic transmission in vitro inturn decreases the qualitative response

Insulin causes airway hyper-reactivity

Background: We explored the acute effects of insulin and one possible mechanism underlying the acute contractile effects of insulin on isolated tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig in vitro.Methods: Effects of increasing concentrations of histamine (10−7-10−3 M), insulin (10−7-10−3 M), insulin pretreated with a fixed concentration of indomethacin (10−6 M) were studied on isolated tracheal tissue of guinea pig in vitro by constructing cumulative concentration response curves. The tracheal smooth muscle contractions were recorded with transducer on four channel oscillograph.Results: Histamine and insulin produced a concentration-dependent reversible contraction of isolated tracheal muscle of guinea pig. The mean±standard error of the mean of maximum amplitudes of contraction with histamine, insulin and insulin pretreated with indomethacin were 92.5±1.20 mm, 35±1.13 mm and 14.55±0.62 mm respectively. Indomethacin shifted the concentration-response curve of insulin to the right and downwards.Conclusions: Insulin has acute contractile effects on guinea pig airways, which were significantly inhibited by prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor indomethacin confirming the involvement of contractile prostaglandins in insulin-induced airway hyper-responsiveness

Early detection of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and its prevention by carvedilol

Background: The objective was to detect doxorubicin (Dox) - induced myocardial injury at early stage by quantitative estimation of cardio specific protein, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and to explore the cardioprotective effects of carvedilol.Methods: The study design was lab-based randomized controlled in-vivo in rabbits conducted from January to August 2012. Cardiotoxicity was produced by single intravenous injection of 12 mg/kg body weight (BW) of Dox in a group of rabbits, control group was treated with normal saline only and the rabbits of third group were pre-treated with carvedilol 30 mg/kg of BW for 10 days before injecting Dox.Results: Dox induced cardiotoxicity was depicted by markedly raised serum levels of cTnI, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, and Grade 3 necrosis of the heart tissue in rabbits. The pre-treatment with carvedilol resulted in improved serum levels of these biomarkers and the histological picture of heart tissue.Conclusions: Quantitative serum estimation of cTnI detects the presence of cardiotoxicity much before cardiac dysfunctions can be revealed by any other diagnostic technique. It can lead to significant economic impact in the management of cancer patients because the troponin-negative subjects can be excluded from long-term cardiac monitoring programs that involve high costs imaging techniques. The outcome of Dox chemotherapy can be made successful with the concurrent use of carvedilol

Inhibitory Effect of Sodium Cromoglycate on Insulin Induced Airway Hyper-Reactivity

Objective: To explore the acute effect of insulin on airway reactivity of guinea pigs and protective effects of sodium cromoglycate against insulin induced airway hyper-reactivity on isolated tracheal tissues of guinea pigs in vitro. Subjects and Methods: Effects of insulin (10-7- 10-3 M) and insulin pretreated with sodium cromoglycate (10-6 M) were observed on isolated tracheal strip of guinea pig (n=12) in vitro by constructing cumulative concentration response curves. The tracheal smooth muscle contractions were recorded with Transducer on Four Channel Oscillograph. Results: Insulin produced a concentration dependent reversible contraction of isolated tracheal muscle of guinea pig. The mean ± SEM of maximum amplitudes of contraction with insulin and insulin pretreated with sodium cromoglycate were 35 ± 1.13 mm and 14.55 ± 0.62 mm respectively. Cromoglycate shifted the concentration response curve of insulin to the right and downwards. Conclusion: Sodium cromoglycate significantly reduced the insulin mediated airway hyper-reactivity in guinea pigs. So we suggest that pretreatment of inhaled insulin with cromoglycate may have clinical implication in amelioration of its potential respiratory adverse effects such as bronchoconstriction