Antibiotic resistance and usage, a survey on the knowledge, attitude and practices among the medical students of a southern Indian teaching hospitals

Background: Examining the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the medical students regarding antibiotic resistance (ABR) and use can help us in devising suitable educational interventions for them, tailored according to their earlier held knowledge, beliefs, capabilities and experience.Methods: A cross sectional, questionnaire based survey was conducted among medical students of a teaching hospital, whereby their KAP regarding antibiotic use and resistance was assessed by using a questionnaire, whose responses ranged from ‘agree’ to ‘disagree,’ ‘always to never’ and true / false. The data was analysed by using simple descriptive statistics. Wherever it was relevant, the Chi-square test was used to determine any significant difference.Results: The number of medical students who agreed that ABR was an important and a serious public health issue in this teaching hospital was 76 percent (n = 325). But, only 54.3% (n = 233) of the students were aware that bacteria were not responsible for causing cold and flu, while the remaining 37.2 percent (n = 22) were not knowledgeable about this fact. More than 80% rated the adverse effect profile of the antibiotic and the risk of a super infection as the important factors which deserved consideration. Cost of the antibiotic was considered to be an important factor deserving consideration by only 65.5% (n=277) of the participants.Conclusions: Our survey revealed that most of the students were aware of the antimicrobial resistance and its consequences. The only concern was their casual attitude regarding the antibiotic use. Further educational interventions are necessary to improve their understanding and perceptions on antibiotic resistance, as well as their attitude towards antibiotic use

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of intravenous iron sucrose therapy for moderate anaemia in antenatal women

Background: Prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia is high in developing countries like India. Treatment of iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy is very important to bring down maternal mortality rate as blood loss during delivery can lead to death of the patient. The aim and objective of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous iron sucrose infusions in antenatal women admitted in hospital suffering from moderate iron deficiency anaemia. Special emphasis was given to observe adverse drug effects.Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, Government General Hospital, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Study period was two months and study population included antenatal women with gestational age less than 37 weeks with moderate iron deficiency anaemia. Peripheral smear was examined for microcytic hypochromic anaemia and they were treated with intravenous infusion of iron sucrose. Haemoglobin levels were checked before and 5 weeks after iron infusions. Monitoring was done for adverse reactions.Results: Out of 322 admissions, 95% were found to be anaemic. 72 patients were suffering from moderate anaemia from which 25 have been included and treated with intravenous iron sucrose infusions. They were observed for efficacy and safety parameters. Two minor adverse events were reported (fever with chills and angioedema of lips) and they were excluded from study. Mean haemoglobin concentration was found to be raised from 7.08±0.73 (SD) to 11.33±0.48 (SD) within 5 weeks for 23 patients.Conclusions: Iron sucrose infusion is safe and effective for anaemia in pregnancy

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF SANKRAMIKA DADRU KUSTA- A CASE STUDY

Skin is a primary external covering of body mostly affected by fungal infections. In Ayurveda skin fungal infection is termed as Dadru (Tinea/Ringworm). It is one of the most common Twak Vikara affecting all the age group of population.. There is no separate mention of Nidana, Poorvarupa, Samprapti of Dadru, but the Samanya Nidana, Poorvarupa mentioned for Kusta can be considered here. Sankramika or Aupasargika Roga Nidanaof Kusta explained by Achaya Susrutha. Incidence rate of Dadru gradually increasing day to day because of improper Vihara like uncleanliness of body, sharing cloths of others etc., so this type of Dadru considered as Sankramika Vyadhi. These Sankramika Vyadhi spreads from person to person by Krimi through Sweda. Dadru can be diagnosed with the help of Varna (Raga), Samsthana (Pidika & Mandala), Adhistana (Twak). The knowledge of Nidana is helpful for the proper diagnosis, prevention of disease and treatment also. The physician who is having proper knowledge of Nidana means to cure the disease and their proper utilization. 'Nidana Parivarjana' is the main method of keeping oneself free from the disease. Krimi Gatha Dadru Vyadhi (Sankramika) has to be treated by Apakarshanam, Prakrithi Vigatha and Nidana Parivarjana. With the help of this principle the case of Sankramika Bahya Malaja Sitha type of Dadru Kusta successfully managed.

Biosand Filter for Removal of Chemical Contaminants From Water

Numerous reports by the United Nations and the World Health Organization have indicated a significant worldwide problem with water pollution and inaccessibility to potable drinking water. Due to technological and economical barriers, the problem with water pollution is particularly more serious for under-developed and developing countries. The present study is aimed at designing, constructing and evaluating a cost-effective biosand filter was undertaken. Results indicated the removal of up to 80% total hardness, 86% chlorides, 96% turbidity and 90% colour. Moreover, the filter's performance was appraised by the absence of E. coli in the filtered sample. The filter describes the proven bioremediation technology and its ability to empower at-risk populations to use naturally occurring biology and readily available materials as a sustainable way to achieve the health benefits of safe drinking water

Biosand Filter for Removal of Chemical Contaminants from Water

Numerous reports by the United Nations and the World Health Organization have indicated a significant worldwide problem with water pollution and inaccessibility to potable drinking water. Due to technological and economical barriers, the problem with water pollution is particularly more serious for under-developed and developing countries. The present study is aimed at designing, constructing and evaluating a cost-effective biosand filter was undertaken. Results indicated the removal of up to 80% total hardness, 86% chlorides, 96% turbidity and 90% colour. Moreover, the filter’s performance was appraised by the absence of E. coli in the filtered sample. The filter describes the proven bioremediation technology and its ability to empower at-risk populations to use naturally occurring biology and readily available materials as a sustainable way to achieve the health benefits of safe drinking water

Butyrate Enhances Disease Resistance of Chickens by Inducing Antimicrobial Host Defense Peptide Gene Expression

Host defense peptides (HDPs) constitute a large group of natural broad-spectrum antimicrobials and an important first line of immunity in virtually all forms of life. Specific augmentation of synthesis of endogenous HDPs may represent a promising antibiotic-alternative approach to disease control. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that exogenous administration of butyrate, a major type of short-chain fatty acids derived from bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary fiber, is capable of inducing HDPs and enhancing disease resistance in chickens. We have found that butyrate is a potent inducer of several, but not all, chicken HDPs in HD11 macrophages as well as in primary monocytes, bone marrow cells, and jejuna and cecal explants. In addition, butyrate treatment enhanced the antibacterial activity of chicken monocytes against Salmonella enteritidis, with a minimum impact on inflammatory cytokine production, phagocytosis, and oxidative burst capacities of the cells. Furthermore, feed supplementation with 0.1% butyrate led to a significant increase in HDP gene expression in the intestinal tract of chickens. More importantly, such a feeding strategy resulted in a nearly 10-fold reduction in the bacterial titer in the cecum following experimental infections with S. enteritidis. Collectively, the results indicated that butyrate-induced synthesis of endogenous HDPs is a phylogenetically conserved mechanism of innate host defense shared by mammals and aves, and that dietary supplementation of butyrate has potential for further development as a convenient antibiotic-alternative strategy to enhance host innate immunity and disease resistance

Antecedents of Facebook Updates, and the Role of Personality of Facebook Users in Sri Lanka

This study is to prove the impact of different motives in updating Facebook status and role of personality in Facebook updates. Therefore, the study is focus to identify the impact of motive namely validation, communication and self-expression on Facebook status updates while it is examining the moderation effect of individual personality on original relationship. As study is based on the Facebook users, population of the study consist of all Facebook users and based on the convenience sampling method researchers have selected 252 Facebook users in Sri Lanka as the sample of the study. Data were collected from the sample using a researcher developed questionnaire. In order to prove hypotheses and make inferences, regression analysis was employed in the study. Moreover, regression analysis proved that there is an impact from validation, communication and self-expression on Facebook status updates. Further, the relationship between validation, communication and self-expression with Facebook status update is moderated by the extraversion and openness to experience. Based on the inferences of the study, it can be concluded that validation, communication and self-expression act as motives to update Facebook status and the intensity of that motives depend on the personality of an individua

A Cysteine Zipper Stabilizes a Pre-Fusion F Glycoprotein Vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Recombinant subunit vaccines should contain minimal non-pathogen motifs to reduce potential off-target reactivity. We recently developed a vaccine antigen against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which comprised the fusion (F) glycoprotein stabilized in its pre-fusion trimeric conformation by “DS-Cav1” mutations and by an appended C-terminal trimerization motif or “foldon” from T4-bacteriophage fibritin. Here we investigate the creation of a cyste- ine zipper to allow for the removal of the phage foldon, while maintaining the immunogenic- ity of the parent DS-Cav1+foldon antigen. Constructs without foldon yielded RSV F monomers, and enzymatic removal of the phage foldon from pre-fusion F trimers resulted in their dissociation into monomers. Because the native C terminus of the pre-fusion RSV F ectodomain encompasses a viral trimeric coiled-coil, we explored whether introduction of cysteine residues capable of forming inter-protomer disulfides might allow for stable trimers. Structural modeling indicated the introduced cysteines to form disulfide “rings”, with each ring comprising a different set of inward facing residues of the coiled-coil. Three sets of rings could be placed within the native RSV F coiled-coil, and additional rings could be added by duplicating portions of the coiled-coil. High levels of neutralizing activity in mice, equivalent to that of the parent DS-Cav1+foldon antigen, were elicited by a 4-ring stabilized RSV F trimer with no foldon. Structure-based alteration of a viral coiled-coil to create a cys- teine zipper thus allows a phage trimerization motif to be removed from a candidate vaccine antigen

Preliminary study of p53 and c-erbB-2 expression in gallbladder cancer in Indian patients manuscript id: 8962091628764582

BACKGROUND: The inactivation of the tumour suppressor gene and activation of the proto-oncogene are the key steps in the development of the human cancer. The p53 and c-erbB-2 are the best examples of it. In the present study, our aim was to determine the role of these genes in the carcinogenesis of gallbladder by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: In all 78 consecutive patients of gall bladder diseases were studied for p53 and c-erbB-2 expression immunohistochemically and their expression was correlated with the age, grades and stages of the disease and presence of stone. An informed consent was obtained in each case. Chi square and z test were applied to see the association of p53 and c-erbB-2 over expression with other clinicopathological factors. RESULTS: Eight (20%) patients of gall bladder cancer were positive for p53 expression and 10 (25%) patients for c-erbB-2. The p53 positivity increased with increasing grade while cerbB-2 positivity decreased with increasing grade of gall bladder cancer. Mean age in cerbB-2 positive cases were lesser as compared to negative cases while p53 did not show such association with age. CONCLUSION: Only one case of gall bladder cancer co-expressed the p53 and c-erbB-2, thereby suggesting that p53 and c-erbB-2 may have independent role in carcinogenesis of gall bladder cancer. c-erbB-2 over expression in adenoma and younger age group indicates its role as an early event in carcinogenesis of gallbladder. However study of larger sample is required to further validate the results