Prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression among elderly patients attending the medicine outpatient of a tertiary care hospital in South India

Background:Cognitive impairment is an important clinical issue among elderly patients with depression and has a more complex etiology. The aim of the present work was to examine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression in elderly subjects above 60 years.Methods: A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression on elderly people (n=525) attending the General Medicine OPD of Sri Venkateswara Ram Narain Ruia Government General Hospital, Tirupati. Cognitive function and depression were assessed by applying standardized Mini-Mental State Examination of Folstein (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively.Results:Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 31.0% (34.7% women, 23.4% men); there were significant differences observed with reference to age, gender, literacy and economic status. Prevalence of depression was 44.8% (51.0% women, 39.6% men); with relation to age, gender, literacy and economic status, there were significant differences observed.Conclusion:Cognitive impairment and depression were present in elderly people and these disorders are more prevalent in the females than in the males. Hence, psychiatrist should pay special attention for early detection and treatment of depressive symptoms in elderly people with cognitive impairment

Effect of Fermentation Parameters for the Mass Cultivation of Trichoderma viride via Submerged and Solid-State Fermentation Studies On Cellulase Production

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate different fermentation parameters and to optimize the fermentation parameters to cultivate Trichoderma viride (T. viride) via submerged and solid-state fermentations. The different parameters such as, effect of pH, temperature, inoculum size, media volume, incubation period and different nitrogen sources.  The highest growth yield noticed was 14.221g L-1 at 15 g L-1, 0.15 g L-1, 40 oC, 2.0, 7.0 and 200 carbon, nitrogen, temperature, volume of the medium, pH, RPM respectively. Following, 12.187 g L-1 yield of T. viride was achieved with 15 g L-1, 0.15 g L-1, 40 oC, 2.0, 7.0, 200 carbon, nitrogen, temperature, volume of the medium, pH, RPM respectively. the effect of different incubation period on the cellulase activity was ranged from 0.76U/mL/min to 3.02 U/mL/min. The effect of different incubation period on the cellulase activity was ranged from 0.63 U/mL/min to 2.88 U/mL/min. The effect of different pH on the cellulase activity was ranged from 0.436 U/mL/min to 2.481 U/mL/min. the highest cellulase activity was noticed at pH 5.5 with 2.481 Nitrogen sources, five (5) namely, NH4Cl, NH4, CH3COO, (NH4)2SO4, NH4H2PO4, NH4NO3 are identified as significant sources for cultivation of T. viride and subsequent production and activity of cellulase.  In accordance to results obtained, the inoculum size of 4mL found significant with 2.321 U/mL/min Out of Seven (7), three (3) media volumes such as 30mL, 40mL, and 50mL produced highest cellulase production with 2.964 U/mL/min, 2.331 U/mL/min

Determination of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), pH and Electrical Conductivity of Jeevamrutham Samples Collected from Different Places of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

This investigation was carried out to investigate the nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium levels of the jeevamrutham samples collected from different regions of the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In continuation, the collected samples are also evaluated for pH and Electrical Conductivity. Estimation of nitrogen was conducted by the Kjeldahl method. For acid soils, the Bray's method is used to measure the amount of accessible phosphorus, whereas the Olsen's method is used for neutral, alkaline, and calcareous soils. Determination of potassium was carried out using ammonium acetate at pH 7. The nitrogen percentage of the samples collected from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was ranged from 3.0% to 5.8% and 3.5% to 6.5% respectively. The results revealed that the samples collected from Andhra Pradesh was found to exhibit highest nitrogen percentage comparing to the nitrogen percentage of the samples collected from Telangana. The concentration of phosphorus in the samples collected from Telengana is ranged from 77 ppm to 256 ppm. Whereas the concentration of phosphorus in the samples collected from Andhra Pradesh is ranged from 132 ppm to 312 ppm. The potassium levels were ranged from 66 ppm to 84 ppm and 63 ppm to 81 ppm of the samples collected from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively. The pH 5.4 to 6.7 and 5.6 to 6.3 are ranged from the samples collected from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively. The EC 0.19 ds m- to 0.25 ds m- and 0.21 ds m- to 0.28 ds m- are ranged from the samples collected from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh respectively. In conclusion, all collected samples contain the sufficient concentrations of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium levels in the collected jeevamrutham samples from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Moreover, the values of pH and EC of the samples tested found good

A CASE REPORT ON ENTERIC FEVER INDUCED HYPOPHOSPHATEMIA

ABSTRACTHypophosphatemia is critical ill patients are a common entity which causes unnoticed most of the time. This can lead to considerable morbidity and insome cases contribute to mortality. A 20-year-old female patient presented to Emergency Medicine with complaints of diarrhea, breathing difficulty, andtachypnea. Her routine electrolyte investigation showed low phosphate level. Once hypophosphatemia was corrected with intravenous phosphorous,patient became symptomatically better. In this study, we encounter that enteric fever can also be a factor for symptomatic hypophosphatemia andit should be corrected even if it is mild. Therefore, this case emphasis on importance of correcting symptomatic hypophosphatemia in critically illpatients.Keywords: Enteric fever, Hypophosphatemia, Emergency medicine

Preparation and evaluation of ciprofloxacin loaded chitosan-gelatin composite films for wound healing activity

Natural polymers are used as lead compounds for design of drugs in treatment of different ailments. Chitosan and gelatin have proven wound healing properties individually. As both have wound healing property, the combination of these two polymers and incorporation of drugs into the composite films may show improvement in wound healing activity. Thus, the composite films and drug loaded films were evaluated for various in vitro evaluation tests to ascertain the applicability of prepared combination for wound healing activity. The composite films were prepared with increase in gelatin concentration and the drug loaded films were prepared with increased concentrations of drug in optimized composite film. These films were evaluated for thickness, folding endurance, water absorption capacity, antibacterial activity, tensile strength, drug load, content uniformity, in vitro drug release by diffusion studies and in vivo wound healing studies by excision wound model using albino rats. The drug loaded films shown significant difference in folding endurance, water absorption capacity, antibacterial activity when compared to optimized blank composite film. There was no significant difference in thickness and tensile strength of drug loaded films when compared to blank composite films. Percentage of wound contraction was more for wounds treated with ciprofloxacin loaded composite film than blank composite film. With the above results, it was concluded that ciprofloxacin loaded chitosan-gelatin composite films had shown more wound healing property than chitosan-gelatin blank composite film and blank chitosan film without interfering in strength of film.Keywords: Ciprofloxacin; Chitosan; Gelatin; Drug loaded films; Wound healing; Tensile strength

Correlates of Social, Demographic and Behavioral Factors affecting Adolescent Sexuality in a Traditional Society in India: Perspectives and Challenges

Background: Adolescent risk behavior is a major concern.Objectives: The study assessed the effect of school background, personal, social and other deviant behavior on school going adolescent sexual behavior. Material and Methods: The sample covered 3069 randomly selected adolescents (students) from 9th to 12th standard in various governments, private and missionary run schools from two districts namely; Aizawl being state capital and Champhai being distant under developed district.Summary: School background, leisure and entertainment practices, influence of taking alcohol, tobacco, drug, peer influence were found to be the major risk factor for indulgence in unsafe sex practices among adolescents. About 10% accepted involvement in premarital sex and majority of them (70%) of them had premarital sex between age group 15-19 years. The schools lacked in organizing awareness program and counseling activities on consequences of adolescent sex. The ARSH Program needs to synergize with school health program for desired results. Conclusions: Adolescent sexual risk behavior is a part of overall deviant behavior and can be managed in holistic manner

Local perceptions and adaptation of indigenous communities to climate change: Evidences from High Mountain Pangi valley of Indian Himalayas

58-67The present study was undertaken with aim to understand the perceptions of indigenous communities about climate change pattern and its local impacts on climate variables, seasons, agriculture, biodiversity and adaptive strategies in geographical and technological-isolated Pangi valley situated in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh. Randomly selected 120 respondents were interviewed and their perceptions were recorded on pre-designed questionnaire. The climate change impacts are experienced in the form of decreased snowfall (98.3%), temperature rise (97.5%), late onset of monsoon (90.8%), decreased rainfall (76.7%), reduced snow-melted water availability (86.7%) and increased drought incidences (85.8%) of over the years. Further, these climatic changes affecting agriculture through early shifts in crop season (80.8%), shorter growing season (91.7%), introduction of fruit and vegetable crops (90.8%), increased incidence of insect-pest (81.2%) and diseases (84.2%) and thereby decline in crop yield (70%). However, majority of the respondents undertaken adaptive strategies such as crop diversification, traditional mixed-cropping, mixed farming, crop rotation and agro-forestry/agro-horticulture systems to cope with climate change but they are either little or unaware of modern farming practices such as snow water/glacier runoff harvesting, agro advisory services, mulching and zero tillage as adaptation strategies

Observation of An Evolving Magnetic Flux Rope Prior To and During A Solar Eruption

Explosive energy release is a common phenomenon occurring in magnetized plasma systems ranging from laboratories, Earth's magnetosphere, the solar corona and astrophysical environments. Its physical explanation is usually attributed to magnetic reconnection in a thin current sheet. Here we report the important role of magnetic flux rope structure, a volumetric current channel, in producing explosive events. The flux rope is observed as a hot channel prior to and during a solar eruption from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) telescope on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). It initially appears as a twisted and writhed sigmoidal structure with a temperature as high as 10 MK and then transforms toward a semi-circular shape during a slow rise phase, which is followed by fast acceleration and onset of a flare. The observations suggest that the instability of the magnetic flux rope trigger the eruption, thus making a major addition to the traditional magnetic-reconnection paradigm.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure