Sporadic occurrence of hemorrhagic colitis associated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Newfoundland

During a 9-month period in 1984, 113 fecal samples obtained from 92 patients with diarrheal illness were cultured for Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 to determine the occurrence of this agent in diarrheal illness in Newfoundland. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated in almost pure culture from 12 stool specimens obtained from 7 (15%) of the 47 patients who had grossly bloody diarrhea; none of the 12 yielded any of the usual enteric pathogens. The agent was not isolated from the stool specimens obtained from the remaining 45 patients, who did not have bloody diarrhea. All seven patients whose specimens were positive for E. coli O157:H7 had clinical manifestations typical of hemorrhagic colitis, but the syndrome was clinically suspected and a specific test requested in only two cases. The seven cases were not clustered geographically or temporally, and no common exposure was identified. To determine whether hamburger meat was the source of E. coli O157:H7, 66 samples obtained from various retail outlets were tested; none were found to be positive. Hemorrhagic colitis may be a common disease, and E. coli O157:H7 should be considered as an agent in bloody diarrheal illness

Traditional Uses of Some Medicinal Plants by tribals of Gangaraju Madugula Mandal of Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh

During the years 2007-2008 several field trips were conducted to document the ethnomedicinal remedies for 47 diseases with 90 plant species of Angiosperms from three major tribes viz: Bagatas, Konda Doras and Valmikis who have been residing in Gangaraju Madugula Mandal of Visakhapatnam district. The plants were deposited as herbarium specimens in Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India

Clinical and demographic study of scrub typhus in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Puducherry during 2015-2018

Background: Scrub typhus is a vector borne rickettsial disease commonly found in many parts of India. Scrub typhus can frequently cause complications like pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and has a mortality rate of 30 to 45% in untreated cases. Diagnosis of scrub typhus is difficult, with serum IgM capture ELISA being the most sensitive test. Present study objectives were to study the clinical and demographic profiles of scrub typhus cases in a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India.Methods: A descriptive study was carried out to analyze clinical and demographic profiles of patients who were positive for IgM antibodies against Orientia tsutsugamushi by scrub typhus IgM ELISA during a three year period (April 2015 to March 2018). Demographic details like age and sex of the patients, clinical signs, symptoms and complication if any were analyzed.Results: A total of 428 patients were found to have been diagnosed with scrub typhus during the study period. Among them, 46% were males and 54% were females. Among all the positive cases, 23.5% were paediatric cases, the second highest group was the 31 to 40 years age group (17.7%). Thirteen percent of positive cases were above 60 years of age. Fever was the most common symptom (92.9%) and eschar was found in 22.9% of patients. The most common complication found in the patients with scrub typhus was acute respiratory distress syndrome (15.9%). Other complications like hepatic dysfunction, pleural effusion and meningoencephalitis were noted.Conclusions: Adequate knowledge about scrub typhus helps in early diagnosis, which facilitates early appropriate antibiotic and supportive therapy, which helps in the recovery of the patient without acquiring complications

PERIODATE OXIDATION OF PEG–600, AN ESSENTIAL PHARMACEUTICAL POLYMER

Objective: To study the kinetics of periodate oxidation of polyethylene glycol-600 (PEG-600), a familiar non-toxic polymer used in pharmaceutical and other fields of industry. Methods: Reactions were carried out in alkaline medium and measured the kinetics by iodometry. One oxygen atom loss or two electrons transfer was observed per each molecule of periodate i.e., the rate of reaction was measured periodate converts to iodate because the formed iodate species is unable to oxidize the substrate molecules. Results: Based on log (a-x) versus t plots, order w. r. t. oxidant (periodate) is unity. Reactions were found to be independent of substrate (PEG-600) concentration. A decrease in rate with an increase in alkali concentration [OH–] was found and order was inverse fractional. Temperature dependence of reaction rate was studied and then calculated the corresponding Arrhenius parameters. Conclusion: An appropriate rate law was proposed by considering the above experimental results

Dysflective cones: Visual function and cone reflectivity in long-term follow-up of acute bilateral foveolitis.

PURPOSE:Confocal adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope (AOSLO) images provide a sensitive measure of cone structure. However, the relationship between structural findings of diminished cone reflectivity and visual function is unclear. We used fundus-referenced testing to evaluate visual function in regions of apparent cone loss identified using confocal AOSLO images. METHODS:A patient diagnosed with acute bilateral foveolitis had spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) (Spectralis HRA + OCT system [Heidelberg Engineering, Vista, CA, USA]) images indicating focal loss of the inner segment-outer segment junction band with an intact, but hyper-reflective, external limiting membrane. Five years after symptom onset, visual acuity had improved from 20/80 to 20/25, but the retinal appearance remained unchanged compared to 3 months after symptoms began. We performed structural assessments using SD-OCT, directional OCT (non-standard use of a prototype on loan from Carl Zeiss Meditec) and AOSLO (custom-built system). We also administered fundus-referenced functional tests in the region of apparent cone loss, including analysis of preferred retinal locus (PRL), AOSLO acuity, and microperimetry with tracking SLO (TSLO) (prototype system). To determine AOSLO-corrected visual acuity, the scanning laser was modulated with a tumbling E consistent with 20/30 visual acuity. Visual sensitivity was assessed in and around the lesion using TSLO microperimetry. Complete eye examination, including standard measures of best-corrected visual acuity, visual field tests, color fundus photos, and fundus auto-fluorescence were also performed. RESULTS:Despite a lack of visible cone profiles in the foveal lesion, fundus-referenced vision testing demonstrated visual function within the lesion consistent with cone function. The PRL was within the lesion of apparent cone loss at the fovea. AOSLO visual acuity tests were abnormal, but measurable: for trials in which the stimulus remained completely within the lesion, the subject got 48% correct, compared to 78% correct when the stimulus was outside the lesion. TSLO microperimetry revealed reduced, but detectible, sensitivity thresholds within the lesion. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE:Fundus-referenced visual testing proved useful to identify functional cones despite apparent photoreceptor loss identified using AOSLO and SD-OCT. While AOSLO and SD-OCT appear to be sensitive for the detection of abnormal or absent photoreceptors, changes in photoreceptors that are identified with these imaging tools do not correlate completely with visual function in every patient. Fundus-referenced vision testing is a useful tool to indicate the presence of cones that may be amenable to recovery or response to experimental therapies despite not being visible on confocal AOSLO or SD-OCT images

Prospective, randomized double blind comparative study of safety and efficacy of carvedilol versus atenolol in patients of mild to moderate hypertension

Background: Carvedilol is a new cardiovascular compound with the combined pharmacologic properties of nonselective ß-blockade and vasodilation. The Aim of the study was to compare the safety and antihypertensive efficacy of 25mg Carvedilol once daily with 50mg atenolol once daily in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.Methods: This was a single center study conducted in Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada. 80 eligible patients with mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to receive 25mg Carvedilol once daily (40 patients) or 50mg atenolol (40 patients) in a double-blind 12-week treatment phase. At each visit 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, sitting Blood Pressure (BP) and heart rate were measured. The effect on BP reduction within the group is compared by paired “t”test and the effect on reduction of BP between two study groups compared by unpaired “t”test.Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean reduction of SBP (Systolic Blood Pressure) with carvedilol is 22.33±8.31mmHg with no Significant difference (p >0.05) compared to atenolol group mean reduction in SBP of 21.37±10mm Hg. The mean reduction in DBP (Diastolic Blood Pressure) after completion of the study in carvedilol group is 6.75±4.82mm Hg with no Significant difference (p >0.05) compared to atenolol group mean reduction in DBP of 8.55±5.25mm Hg. No significant difference seen in the efficacy parameters of both the drugs. The incidence of adverse effects such as bradycardia, headache, nausea, vomiting, hypotension and rash is less with carvedilol.Conclusions: In patients with mild to moderate hypertension, there was no statistically significant difference between efficacy of carvedilol or atenolol with regard to the degree of reduction in BP or the percentage of patients achieving a response to therapy but carvedilol showed a better safety profile when compared to atenolol

Assessment of GPS radiosonde descent data

Radiosondes are widely used to obtain basic meteorological parameters such as pressure (<i>P</i>), temperature (<i>T</i>), relative humidity (RH) and horizontal winds during the balloon ascent up to the altitude of balloon burst, usually ~ 32–35 km. Data from the radiosondes released from Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E), a tropical station in India, have been collected during the ascent and during the descent as well without attaching any parachute or its equivalent since the year 2008. In the present study an attempt has been made to characterize the radiosonde descent data with the main objective of exploring its usefulness and reliability for scientific purposes. We compared the data obtained during ascent and descent phases of the same sounding. The mean differences in <i>T</i>, RH and horizontal winds between ascent and descent data are found to be small and are sometimes even within the uncertainty of the measurements and/or expected diurnal variation itself. The very good consistency observed between the ascent and the descent data shows that one more profile of the meteorological parameters can be constructed within 3 h of time of balloon launch practically at no additional cost. Further checks are done by utilizing the 3-hourly radiosonde observations collected during the Tropical Tropopause Dynamics campaigns conducted at Gadanki. In the process of checking the consistency between the radiosonde ascent and descent data, several new findings are arrived at and are reported in this study. In general, it has taken more than half an hour for the balloon to reach the ground from the burst altitude. It is also observed that the fall velocity is close to 10 m s⁻¹ near the surface. Finally, it is suggested to record the observations also when the balloon is descending as this information is useful for scientific purposes