Bed blockers: A study on the elderly patients in a teaching hospital in India

A cross-sectional study of in-patients over the age of 60 years was conducted at district McGann Hospital, Shimoga on patients who were classified as bed blockers. Level of dependency and cognitive function of these patients were assessed using Barthel scale and Abbreviated mental test (AMT) respectively. Median age of the study population was 67 years; majority of them were men. Most of them were admitted in the medical ward and the median time to be labeled as bed blocker was 32 days. These bed blockers were a weak group of patients with an average 3.1 pathology per case. Majority of them suffered from neurological disorders and cardiovascular disease. High level of dependence was noted with a mean Barthel score of 29.68 (Range 0 -100). Low levels of cognitive function was also noted among these patients with a mean AMT of 4.76 (Range 0 -10).These findings demonstrate that the bed blockers in McGann hospital suffer not only from genuine health problems but also have a high dependency level in activities of daily living which hamper their discharge to the community. Community based rehabilitation using an intersectoral approach may help at least the less dependent to return home

Antibacterial and antifungal evaluation of some chalcogen bearing ligands, their transition and nontransition metal complexes

Eight chalcogen bearing compounds, 3-(4-fluorophenyl telluro) propylamine (1), 3-(phenyl telluro)propylammonium acetate salt (2), 3-(phenyl telluro)propylacetamide (3) and α-(phenylseleno) acetic acid (4) (1-4 are ligands), [Ph2Sn(Cl).1](NO3 ) (5), [Ph3Sn.1](BPh4 ) (6), [ZnCl2 .2] (7) and [CdCl2.2] (8) (5-8 are complexes of 1 and 2) were synthesised and screened for antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis and the Gramnegative bacteria Escherchia coli. They were also tested for their antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis, Trichophyton rubrum and Asperegillus niger, by using the disk diffusion technique. Inhibition zones demonstrated that compounds 1–3 showed significant activity, due to the presence of N in the form of amine group however Compound 4 bearing an acidic group, shows higher activity against bacterial strains. Compounds 5–8 (having Sn, Zn and Cd in their framework) showed still higher activities, due to increase in the lipophilicity and easier penetration of the compounds into the outer cell wall of the microorganisms, which causes death due to cell membrane rupturing. Compounds 1–8 were most effective against E. coli (bacterial strains), as the cell wall of Gram-negative strains have thin outer lipid membrane, which is made up of lipopolysaccharides. These compounds showed slightly reduced antifungal activity, because the cell wall of fungi is made up of chitin, which is difficult to cross. It could be concluded, from the obtained results that the biological activity of compounds is essentially determined by the number and nature of the organic groups and central metal ion. The presence of NH2, COOH group as well as metal ion like Sn, Zn, Cd in the compounds leads to higher activity

Validation of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories (2006 – 2007)

The Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories are being generated and disseminated by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). The methodology used for generation of these advisories and the scientific basis behind the identification of the PFZ locations was described. With a view to validate these PFZ Advisories and to assess the potential benefits to the fishing community, INCOIS had undertaken PFZ validation experiments at various places under the leadership of fishery experts. Simultaneous fishing operations have been conducted within the PFZ Areas and outside PFZ Areas using identical vessels. The quantitative results of the experiments were described

A STUDY TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE ON BREAST CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT GENERAL HOSPITAL

Objectives: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women worldwide and it accounts for 27% of all cancer cases among women in India. This study aims to assess the awareness of the patients regarding the breast cancer and also to check their knowledge toward the symptoms of breast cancer as well as the breast self-examination process. This study also determines the attitude of patients regarding the breast cancer and breast self-examination. Methods: A prospective educational study was done using a pre-designed questionnaire on 523 patients in a tertiary care teaching hospital for a period of 6 months. All women greater than 20 years admitted in the Department of General Medicine and General Surgery in-patient female ward of SVRRGGH were included in the study. Results: Out of 523 women, a greater proportion respondents 515 (98%) had poor knowledge of breast cancer. Two hundred and eighty-one (53%) show positive attitude while 225 (43%) show neutral attitude and 17 (4%) show negative attitude toward breast cancer. Only 18 (0.3%) know how to perform breast self-examination while the remaining patients have never performed the breast self-examination. Two hundred and one (38%) have agreed to consult a doctor if they found any lumps in the breast whereas the remaining did not respond. After the counseling session with patients, their knowledge regarding the above problems related to breast cancer has significantly increased. Conclusion: Majority of the participants had poor knowledge of breast cancer as well as low level of practice of breast cancer screening procedures. However, patients do have a positive attitude toward the breast cancer which can help to detect the cancer in early stages. Hence, a greater focus on providing breast cancer education programs can create awareness among women in respect to screening programs which, in turn, can decrease the risk of death due to its late discovery

DeepEthnic: Multi-Label Ethnic Classification from Face Images

Ethnic group classification is a well-researched problem, which has been pursued mainly during the past two decades via traditional approaches of image processing and machine learning. In this paper, we propose a method of classifying an image face into an ethnic group by applying transfer learning from a previously trained classification network for large-scale data recognition. Our proposed method yields state-of-the-art success rates of 99.02%, 99.76%, 99.2%, and 96.7%, respectively, for the four ethnic groups: African, Asian, Caucasian, and Indian

Genetic variation in histidine rich proteins among Indian Plasmodium falciparum population: possible cause of variable sensitivity of malaria rapid diagnostic tests

BACKGROUND: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have revolutionized the diagnosis of malaria. Among the various factors affecting RDTs sensitivity is genetic variation of the antigen used. The genetic variation in PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 proteins was studied among the Indian Plasmodium falciparum isolates. METHODS: One hundred and forty isolates of P. falciparum were collected from six geographical regions of India. Target genes encoding PfHRP2 and PfHRP3 antigens were sequenced to study genetic polymorphism. Minimum detection limit giving a positive rapid diagnostic test was also determined. RESULTS: Extensive variations were observed in amino acid repeat types of PfHRP2 and PfHRP3. PfHRP2 exhibited more polymorphism than PfHRP3. Significant relation was observed between type 2 and type 7 repeats and RDT detection rate as higher number of these repeats showed better sensitivity with RDTs. CONCLUSION: The results provide insights into the genetic diversity of Pfhrp2 and Pfhrp3 genes among Indian P. falciparum population and its relation to RDT sensitivity

Mechanisms of barrier layer formation and erosion from in situ observations in the Bay of Bengal

During the Bay of Bengal (BoB) Boundary Layer Experiment (BoBBLE) in the southern BoB, time series of microstructure measurements were obtained at 8N, 89E from 4-14 July, 2016. These observations captured events of barrier layer (BL) erosion and re-formation. Initially, a three-layer structure was observed: a fresh surface mixed layer (ML) of thickness 10-20 m; a BL below of 30-40 m thickness with similar temperature but higher salinity; a high salinity core layer, associated with Summer Monsoon Current. Each of these three layers was in relative motion to the others, leading to regions of high shear at the interfaces. However, haline stratification overcame the destabilising influence of the shear regions, and preserved the three-layer structure. A salinity budget using in situ observations suggested that during the BL erosioni, high salinity surface waters (34.5 PSU) with weak stratification were advected to the time series location and replaced the three-layer structure with a deep ML (~60 m). Weakened stratification at the time series location also allowed atmospheric wind forcing to penetrate deeper. Turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and eddy diffusivity showed elevated values above 10-7 W kg-1 and 10-4 m2 s-1, respectively, in the upper 60 m. Later, the surface salinity decreased again (33.8 PSU) through horizontal advection, stratification became stronger and elevated mixing rates were confined to the upper 20 m, and the BL reformed. A 1-D model analysis suggests that in the study region, advection of temperature-salinity characteristics is essential for the maintenance of the BL and to the extent to which mixing penetrates the water column

Case report: intra-tendinous ganglion of the anterior cruciate ligament in a young footballer

A 20-year-old male medical student and keen rugby player presented with a 12-month history of progressively worsening right knee pain and stiffness with no history of trauma. Clinical examination revealed effusion and posterior knee pain exacerbated by end range movement and an extension lag of 15 degrees. Physiotherapy to improve the range of motion proved unsuccessful. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the ACL was grossly thickened and displaced by material reported as mucoid in nature. There were also areas of focally high signal in relation to its tibial attachment and intra osseous small cysts. Arthroscopic examination revealed a ganglion related to the tibial attachment of the ACL and gross thickening and discoloration of the ACL. Biopsies were taken showing foci of mucoid degeneration in the ACL. A large intra-ACL mass of brownish coloured tissue was excised arthroscopically. Already at 2 weeks follow up the patient had greatly improved range of movement and was pain free. However, upon returning to rugby, joint instability was noticed and a tear of the ACL was confirmed. This rare clinical condition can be diagnosed with MRI and arthroscopic debridement effectively relieves symptoms. This case report illustrates that augmentation or reconstruction may end up being the definitive treatment for athletes. It may also offer some support to the argument that mucoid degeneration and ganglion cyst formation share a similar pathogenesis to intra-osseous cyst formation

The effect of surveillance and appreciative inquiry on puerperal infections : a longitudinal cohort study in India

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