Factors associated with smoking quit attempts among tobacco smokers

Despite more than one-third of tobacco users attempting to quit tobacco each year, only 4–6 % of them succeed to remains abstinent after one year. The aim: This study aims to estimate the proportion of smokers who attempt to quit tobacco smoking and determine factors associated with quitting behaviour. Methods: This community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 720 smokers aged 18 years and above residing in a rural area of Haryana state of India. A chi-square test determined the association between various variables under study and quitting attempts among study subjects. Factors found to be statistically significant using a chi-square test were entered into a binary logistic regression analysis to obtain determinants of smoking quitting attempts among the respondents. Results: 28.5 % of the respondents had attempted to quit smoking during the past 1 year. The majority of them, i.e., 73.7 %, had attempted once, whereas 21.0 % and 5.4 % of respondents had made 2 and 3 attempts, respectively, to quit smoking during the last 1 year. Factors independently associated with quitting behaviour were educational level (AOR=1.851, p=0.028), age of initiation (AOR=0.620, p=0.026), reasons for smoking (AOR=1.681, p=0.016), money spent on smoking (AOR=1.700, p=0.003), family pressure to quit smoking (AOR=1.725, p=0.006) and advice from health professionals to quit smoking (AOR=2.104, p<0.001). Conclusion: Around one-third of smokers have attempted to quit tobacco smoking in the past year. Hence there is a need to formulate policies towards a targeted intervention for smokers who have not attempted to quit smoking in the past 1 year for effective tobacco contro

Time Management and its Application in Academic Life: A Study of Omani Students at Dhofar University, Sultanate of Oman

The basic aim of this study is to identify and discuss the awareness of Time Management (TM) and its application in the academic life of Omani Students in English Unit, Dhofar University, Sultanate of Oman. This paper also inculcates and indoctrinates the importance of TM in students’ practical life. It has been observed by the researchers that students complain about the scarcity of time rather than lack of time. The study upholds that pedagogically, TM and its applications in EFL scenario are crucial. Thus the paper advocates that students’ sufferings can be subsided by enhancing their TM skills. This paper finds out that the most of the Omani students at the University of Dhofar suffer from Mismanagement of Time due to lack of focus on study skills.The researchers also give fruitful suggestions in order to overcome the confronted problems such as procrastination, distractions and so on.Keywords: TM: Time Management, Study Skills, Omani Students, EFL, Procrastination, Dhofar University

Virulence gene profile and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovine mastitis in Kashmir, India

The Staphylococcus aureusis often responsible for a number of diseases in humans and animals, and it is considered as a main etiological agent of bovine mastitis. The pathogenicity of S. aureus is due to both its ability to resist antibiotics, and the production of toxins. This study investigated virulence genes, prevalence and antibiogram profile of S. aureus isolated from dairy cows suffering from mastitis in the Kashmir. A total of 70 S. aureus isolates were obtained from 250 mastitic milk samples collected from both organized (47/150) and unorganized (23/100) dairy farms. Five pathogenic factors including clfA, hld, seo, lukM, and coa and one resistance gene mecAgene were checked through PCR. Clumping factor gene (clfA) was found in most of the isolates with a percentage of 81.42 % whereas,hld, seo, lukM, and coa were present in 61.2, 54.28, 70, and 71 percent of isolates, respectively. However, amplification of coagene yielded DNA bands of two different sizes. A high percentage of antimicrobial resistance rates were observed, wherein, Ampicillin showed highest resistance with 85.7 %, followed by Kanamycin, Cefotaxime, Sulphadizine and Streptomicin showing 71.42 %, 54.28 %, 51.48 % and 42 %, respectively. A high frequency of Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA 28.57 %) was observed in these isolates and all methicillin resistant isolates were found to be positive for mecA gene via PCR amplification. These results revealed that mastitis-associated S. aureus among bovines of Kashmir is able to accumulate different virulence factors and resistance to antimicrobials, making the treatment of infections difficult

Histological development of human foetal shoulder joint

Background: Shoulder joint is a multiaxial, diarthrodial joint of ball and socket variety. The various components of shoulder joint i.e. capsule, various ligaments, joint cavity and synovial tissue start developing in early embryonic and foetal life roughly in between 6th to 12th week of foetal development. The present study aims to analyze the sequences of development of various structures of shoulder joint in human embryo and compare the findings with other observers to gain some insight regarding its development and an attempt is made to correlate these observations clinically to analyze cause and management of recurrent shoulder dislocations. Methods: Shoulder joints of 32 foetuses collected from areas in and around Jammu were dissected properly and decalcified in Gooding and Stewart’s solution. Sections were cut after obtaining blocks by paraffin wax embedding method. Slides were stained using Haematoxylin and Eosin, Masson’s trichrome and orcein staining and important findings were documented.Results: The bony structures - head of humerus and glenoid fossa and joint cavity appear by 10 weeks which prolongs into bicipital sulcus by 12-1/2 weeks. Synovial tissue appears by 10 weeks and synovial villi appear by 14 weeks. Glenoid labrum, capsular ligament, coracohumeral ligament and superior glenohumeral ligament are seen by 10 weeks. Middle glenohumeral ligament is seen at 12-1/2 weeks while inferior glenohumeral ligament is seen at 14 weeks. Tendon of biceps is seen at 10 weeks. Conclusions: By 10 weeks of gestational age various structures of shoulder joint develop in situ, resembling in form and arrangement as those of adults. From these early stages, development proceeds rapidly to achieve adult characteristics. There are no intermediate stages in between where structures similar to those of lower forms i.e. syn/amphi artroses appear temporarily.

Dry Matter Degradation Kinetics of Selected Tropical Forage in Nili-Ravi Buffalo and Cholistani Cows at Heifer and Lactating Stages Using NorFor in Situ Standards

Current methods of ruminant ration formulation in Pakistan use foreign-based nutrient availability values. These values may not be optimal for all geographic areas, as variation in environment, agronomic factors, animal species, and diet characteristics may not be considered. The aim of present study was to establish a database of the chemical composition and dry matter degradation parameters of tropical forage commonly fed to ruminants in Pakistan and South Asian countries using Nili-Ravi buffalo and Cholistani cattle at heifer and lactating stages. Six cereal grain and four legume species were grown in 3 locations under standard agronomic conditions and sampled at booting and at 50% flowering stage for cereal and legumes, respectively. Dried and milled feeds were analyzed for chemical composition and in situ dry matter degradation parameters using 1 g samples in bags placed in the rumen of 2 Nili-Ravi buffalo heifers, 2 lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes, 2 Cholistani heifers, and 2 lactating Cholistani cows. The forage family (cereal vs. legumes), species, and geographic location of growth significantly influenced (P 0.05). Legume-by-heifer interactions significantly increased (P < 0.05), and legume-by-lactating cow interaction tended (P = 0.065), to increase the rate of degradation (Kd). The selected forages were degraded to a similar extent independent of animal species or developmental stage, and legumes are degraded at higher rates and to a greater extent than are cereals. A moderately significant relationship between Kd and effective dry matter degradability (DMD) suggests that Kd could be the single most important predictor of forage degradability in the rumen

Isolation, virulence gene profiling with molecular cloning of ibeA gene and antibiogram of Escherichia coli from respiratory tract infections of broiler chicken in Kashmir, India

he present study has determined prevalence, serological diversity, virulence gene profileand in vitro antibiogram of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates from respiratory tract of broiler chicken in Kashmir valley along with molecular cloning of ibeA gene, an important zoonotic among invasion-associated genes responsible for neonatal meningitis in humans. A total of 224 broilerchickens with a history of respiratory tract infections, in a flock size of 2692 birds from organised and unorganised poultry farms of Kashmir valley, were screened for E. coli isolation. The prevalence of E. coli in birds with respiratory tract infection was found to be 6.38 per cent. Serogrouping revealed that the E. coli isolates were typeable into 10 serogroups with prevalence rate of 8.8% for serogroup O2, along with few isolates rough or untypeable. The screening of E. coli isolates for virulence gene profile revealed the presence of iss in (89.53%), iucDin (85.46 %), tsh in (51.74 %), cva/cvi in (33.14 %), irp2in (55.23 %), papCin (33.72 %), vat in (31.39 %), astAin (38.95 %), fimCin (93.60 %) and ibeAin (1.16 %) isolates. The antibiogram screening of E. coli isolates revealed majority of isolates to be resistant to tetracycline (94.71%), ampicillin (92.67%) and cephalaxin (79.67%).However, most of the isolates were sensitive to amikacin (74.41%) followed by amoxacillin-sulbactam (68.60%) and gentamicin (67.44%). The study thus, suggests that the E. coli isolates from respiratory tract infection of poultry harbour differential virulence genes along with the genes of zoonotic interest and variable antimicrobial resistance, thus, opening the areas for devising dynamic, emergent and effective treatment line