Effectiveness of mindfulness based mental fitness training: an impact evaluation study

Background: Mindfulness-based mental fitness training (MBMFT) based on Vipassana is a secular, non-religious method found to be useful in reducing stress, anxiety and depression in a variety of population. Studies have revealed that an increasing percentage of population experiences high stress. The present study was conducted to evaluate impact of a mindfulness-based mental fitness training (MBMFT) programme on levels of stress and resilience among students of school in an industrial establishment.  Methods: Sixty nine students aged 18-20 years of an industrial establishment who volunteered and met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, group I (n=35) were given 8 weeks of Mindfulness-Based Mental Fitness Training, and group II (n=34) followed the normal curricula of the school. Questionnaires were completed on psychological well-being and mindfulness by the participants initially and after 08 weeks.Results: The students who underwent MBMFT (group-I) had significantly (p<0.05) higher FFMQ scores at 08 weeks (130.10±9.69) as compared to baseline scores (122.55±12.7) and scores of the group II (117.95±10.1). Group I students also had lower perceived stress scores at the end of 08 weeks of MBMFT. Personal resilience was assessed only for Group-I using Personal Resilience Questionnaire (PRQ). The PRQ score increased significantly (p= 0.000) from mean baseline score of 157.76±10.14 to 166.31±13.01 at the end of 8 weeks.Conclusions: Mindfulness based Mental Fitness Training is an effective method which can be used to enhance the ability of personnel to combat stress. Future large scale multi centric research is required to further validate the effectiveness of MBMFT and to assess feasibility of inclusion of MBMFT as regular aspect in training institutions.

Lipid profile in systemic lupus erythematosus: study from a tertiary teaching hospital of Eastern India

Background: Dyslipidemia is an independent modifiable risk factor for coronary artery disease. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have dyslipidemia and accelerated atherosclerosis; however, there is paucity of published data on the lipid profile in patients with SLE in Eastern India. This study was done to assess the prevalence and abnormality of lipid profile in patients with SLE admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India.Methods: This was a hospital based prospective study evaluating SLE patients admitted to a tertiary care institution in Eastern India. 101 patients with SLE admitted consecutively and 100 age and sex matched controls were enrolled for study. Fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured in plasma whereas very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) was calculated. Statistical analysis was done using the standard statistical techniques.Results: Out of 101 patients of SLE, 97 were female and 4 were of male gender. The age of the patients ranged from 15 to 47 years with a mean of 27.17 (±8.4) years. Dyslipidemia was found in 58(57.4%) patients. Hypercholesterolemia was found in 23 (22.7%), hypertriglyceridemia in 55 (54.4%), raised LDL-C in 24 (23.7%) cases. Raised TC, TG, and LDL-C was found in 18 (17.8%), and raised TC, TG, LDL-C and low HDL-C was found in 9 (8.9%) cases. There was significant increase in serum cholesterol, triglyceride and VLDL-C while decrease in HDL-C in SLE patients than controls (p <0.001). Statistically no difference in lipid profile was found in between groups of SLE receiving steroid and without steroid.Conclusions: Abnormal lipid profiles are very common in patients with SLE, though the patients are very young. Control of dyslipidemia can favourably affect cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality. 

Griseofulvin stabilizes microtubule dynamics, activates p53 and inhibits the proliferation of MCF-7 cells synergistically with vinblastine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Griseofulvin, an antifungal drug, has recently been shown to inhibit proliferation of various types of cancer cells and to inhibit tumor growth in athymic mice. Due to its low toxicity, griseofulvin has drawn considerable attention for its potential use in cancer chemotherapy. This work aims to understand how griseofulvin suppresses microtubule dynamics in living cells and sought to elucidate the antimitotic and antiproliferative action of the drug.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The effects of griseofulvin on the dynamics of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells were measured by confocal microscopy. Immunofluorescence microscopy, western blotting and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effects of griseofulvin on spindle microtubule organization, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Further, interactions of purified tubulin with griseofulvin were studied <it>in vitro </it>by spectrophotometry and spectrofluorimetry. Docking analysis was performed using autodock4 and LigandFit module of Discovery Studio 2.1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Griseofulvin strongly suppressed the dynamic instability of individual microtubules in live MCF-7 cells by reducing the rate and extent of the growing and shortening phases. At or near half-maximal proliferation inhibitory concentration, griseofulvin dampened the dynamicity of microtubules in MCF-7 cells without significantly disrupting the microtubule network. Griseofulvin-induced mitotic arrest was associated with several mitotic abnormalities like misaligned chromosomes, multipolar spindles, misegregated chromosomes resulting in cells containing fragmented nuclei. These fragmented nuclei were found to contain increased concentration of p53. Using both computational and experimental approaches, we provided evidence suggesting that griseofulvin binds to tubulin in two different sites; one site overlaps with the paclitaxel binding site while the second site is located at the αβ intra-dimer interface. In combination studies, griseofulvin and vinblastine were found to exert synergistic effects against MCF-7 cell proliferation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study provided evidence suggesting that griseofulvin shares its binding site in tubulin with paclitaxel and kinetically suppresses microtubule dynamics in a similar manner. The results revealed the antimitotic mechanism of action of griseofulvin and provided evidence suggesting that griseofulvin alone and/or in combination with vinblastine may have promising role in breast cancer chemotherapy.</p

Naval Maritime Physician : Roles and Challenges

Background: Naval maritime physician is a trained doctor who is responsible for providing promotive, preventive and curative health care to the ship′s crew. Injuries and sickness of seafarer′s has existed since the time man learned sea travel In earlier day the duties of maritime physician were performed by the captain or barber surgeons who used archaic remedies such as treating sores from the ropes on sailors′ hands with sufferer′s urine, turpentine for rheumatic pains, limb injuries were frequently treated with amputation and most popular cure for all ailments was always gin, rum or whiskey. Then came the diplomed physicians and trained medical officers on war ships who were wardroom warrant officers and it was only in 1808 that the medical officers were given commissioned ranks. Over the centuries the role of naval maritime physicians has evolved to provide high standards of care even in adverse conditions and with minimal support. Roles and challenges: Good maritime medicalpractice involves meeting numerous challenges of clinical, occupational, emergency, trauma and psychiatric medicine, in addition on board physicians must also have, in depth knowledge of pschycosomatic conditions due to stress andfatigue of crew and special conditions such as diving accidents and accidents involving aquatic animals. The situation on board requires extraordinary skills as interventions are difficult, both physically and technically, because the conditions at sea are often acrobatic and at certain times evacuation is also not possible due to weather and operational constraints. Thus the role naval doctor on board ships is truly of an all round physicians, a team mate and a good leader. Conclusion: In conclusion, responsibilities of Naval Maritime Physician is not limited to clinical activities but is multifaceted and objective training about the specifics of warships′ environment and related health problems is the key to achieve professional excellence in every sphere

Projectisation of setting up of a dialysis centre at a zonal service hospital

Dialysis is essential for patients suffering from “End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)” and it is observed from preliminary studies that the prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), the precursor to ESRD is 0.8% in India. The major contributing causes to CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure among many others. These diseases are increasing at an alarming rate across the country 1. With the increasing global trend of chronic non-communicable diseases and India being the world capital for diabetes and possibly hypertension. The cost of supporting the treatment of patients undergoing dialysis and suffering from ESRD is very high in the order of Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Presently dialysis centres only exist at command level hospitals. Considering the anticipated delay in delivering the dialysis service to the patient in the available facility, time and distance; criticality factors involved and the hassles in availing the facility in civil hospitals, there is an inescapable need to establish haemodialysis units in service hospitals at places far away from Command hospitals where the dialysis facility is available at present. With the sparse availability of dialysis facilities for armed forces and their dependents, clientele, it was conceptualized that enhancing the availability of dialysis services at zonal service hospital level shall reduce the patient suffering and produce better health outcomes. This paper brought out the need, feasibility, process, factors involved and outcome of the proposed projectisation of dialysis facility at zonal service hospital. It is found that projectisation of establishing the dialysis setup in Build Own Operate (BOO) model in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode has potential effectiveness and efficiency for providing comprehensive dialysis services to the dependent clientele at zonal service hospitals

Bibliometric Review on Applications of Disease Detection using Digital Image Processing Techniques

Advances around the field of deep learning and cognitive computing have allowed mankind to look and solve the problems of the world in a completely new way. Deep learning has been making huge advancements in the field of healthcare, which most importantly focuses upon disease detection and disease prediction. Techniques such as these have been conceptualized the idea of early detection and economical ways of treating the predicted disease in particular. Still, it has been observed that there seems to be no change in the way diagnosis of a particular disease takes place even in the 21st generation of medical health care. The highlight of the reasons happens to be lack of trust, lack of awareness and lack of infrastructure. In this paper we will discuss three disease prediction models and the impact their adoption will provide to millions of lives. The diseases are brain tumour, pancreatic cancer and covid-19. This paper focuses upon the impact of how the adoption of deep learning and artificial intelligence will have a huge positive impact and conceptualise a new way of medical imaging. here we have talked about the adoption of deep learning in models in today’s healthcare scenario and also the crucial role of delivering such applications to the user