Clinical correlates of tobacco smoking in OCD: A UK, case-controlled, exploratory analysis

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a biologically heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder. It is associated with impulsive as well as compulsive neurocognitive mechanisms. Cigarette smoking is common among most psychiatric patients; however, OCD patients are thought to show reduced rates. OCD smokers may thus represent a relatively uncommon OCD subtype, characterised by increased impulsivity. In this study, we aim to establish the prevalence of smoking in a large, well-defined OCD cohort. We investigate whether smokers with OCD differ from non-smokers with OCD on clinical measures of behavioural impulsivity and domains of personality and temperament, including reward-dependence and novelty-seeking. Method: 183 of 200 outpatients with DSM-IV OCD were interviewed to determine smoking status. A sub-sample of 10 smokers was compared with 10 non-smokers, pair wise matched for age and gender. Patients were assessed for DSM co-morbidity, symptom profile, OCD severity, behavioural impulsivity and personality dimensions. Results: Only 10 individuals (5.46%; five males) were smokers. Compared to OCD non-smokers, OCD smokers scored significantly higher on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (p < 0.001). They also scored significantly higher on TCI measures of novelty seeking (p < 0.001) and reward dependence (p < 0.001) and significantly lower on measures of harm avoidance (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tobacco smoking is rare in OCD. Significantly higher levels of behavioural impulsivity and temperamental factors associated with reward driven impulsivity are seen in OCD smokers compared to non-smokers. Tobacco smoking may indicate a possible source of neurocognitive heterogeneity in OCD

Is first trimester body mass index of antenatal mothers associated with selected feto-maternal outcomes?

Background: Mothers are the creators and sustainers of progeny. The health and wellbeing of children is intimately linked with the health, nutrition, education and well-being of their mothers because she is both the seed as well as the soil where in the baby is nurtured for 9 months. Hence the present study was conducted to determine the association between first trimester body mass index (BMI) of antenatal mothers with the mode of delivery, birth weight and APGAR scores of new born babies at birth in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 115 antenatal mothers who reported to the Labor room in a tertiary care hospital of Pune during the period of Nov. 2017 to Feb. 2018, to determine the association between first trimester body mass index (BMI) of antenatal mothers with the mode of delivery, birth weight and APGAR scores of new born babies.Results: The findings were suggestive of increased odds of APGAR of 3.5 kg and gestational weight gain of >14 kg and greater odds of complications among new born babies born to the study participants of high BMI group than the new born babies born to the low BMI group.Conclusions: The study concluded that birth weight of the new born babies shows a clinically significant increasing trend in association with the increasing first trimester BMI of their mothers

Variations in branching pattern of renal artery and arrangement of hilar structures in the left kidney: clinical correlations, a case report

Traditionally, anatomy textbooks describe each kidney to receive irrigation from a single renal artery. However, current literature reports great variability in renal blood supply, the number of renal arteries and the arrangement of hilar structures on the left side. Here a case is described where, on the right side, the renal artery had its origin from the abdominal aorta, as normally occurs, and followed a normal course and relations in the hilum. There were three renal arteries on the left side. The left main renal artery took origin from the anterior aspect of the abdominal aorta. The other two arteries took their origin from a common trunk coming out of the lateral aspect of abdominal aorta inferior to the main left renal artery. The renal vein at the hilum was found between the main renal artery and the ventral branch of the common trunk, anteriorly, and the dorsal branch of the common trunk, posteriorly. Such variation has great implications when surgery is indicated, as in renal transplants, urological and radiological procedures, reno-vascular hypertension, renal trauma and hydronephrosis. As the number of renal surgical and radiological interventions increase, a better understanding of the anatomy of renal arteries and their branches gain importance. To plan the adequate surgical procedure and to avoid any vascular complication, Multi Detector Computer Tomography (MDCT), angiography and arteriography should be performed prior to surgery (nephrectomy)

Molecular Dynamics of Mosquito-<em>Plasmodium vivax</em> Interaction: A Smart Strategy of Parasitism

Parallel to Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax is a fast emerging challenge to control malaria in South-East Asia regions. Owing to unique biological differences such as the preference for invading reticulocytes, early maturation of sexual stages during the infection, the formation of hypnozoites, unavailability of in-vitro culture, the molecular relation of P. vivax development inside the mosquito host is poorly known. In this chapter, we briefly provide a basic overview of Mosquito-Plasmodium interaction and update current knowledge of tissue-specific viz. midgut, hemocyte, and salivary glands- molecular dynamics of Plasmodium vivax interaction during its developmental transformation inside the mosquito host, in specific

Podophyllum hexandrum-Mediated Survival Protection and Restoration of Other Cellular Injuries in Lethally Irradiated Mice

This study aims at the development of a safe and effective formulation to counter the effects of lethal irradiation. The sub-fraction (G-001M), prepared from Podophyllum hexandrum has rendered high degree of survival (>90%) at a dose of 6 mg kg−1 body weight (intramuscular) in lethally irradiated mice. Therapeutic dose of G-001M, at about 20 times lower concentration than its LD100, has revealed a DRF of 1.62. Comet assay studies in peripheral blood leukocytes have reflected that, treatment of G-001M before irradiation has significantly reduced DNA tail length (P < .001) and DNA damage score (P < .001), as compared to radiation-only group. Spleen cell counts in irradiated animals had declined drastically at the very first day of exposure, and the fall continued till the 5th day (P < .001). In the treated irradiated groups, there was a steep reduction in the counts initially, but this phase did not prolong. More than 60% decline in thymocytes of irradiated group animals was registered at 5 h of irradiation when compared with controls, and the fall progressed further downwards with the similar pace till 5th day of exposure (P < .001). At later intervals, thymus was found fully regressed. In G-001M pre-treated irradiated groups also, thymocytes decreased till the 5th day but thereafter rejuvenated and within 30 days of treatment the values were close to normal. Current studies have explicitly indicated that, G-001M in very small doses has not only rendered high survivability in lethally irradiated mice, but also protected their cellular DNA, besides supporting fast replenishment of the immune system

Does Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Belong Within the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum? Focus Points

• In this article, we consider the advantages and disadvantages of current categorical models for diagnosing obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). • We review the similarities and differences between OCPD and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. • We present a novel, neurocognitive approach to investigating OCPD. Abstract It has been proposed that certai