Search

This study was design to develop a scale of perceived causality of academic performance for three social categories in India. An open-ended Interview, thematic analysis, content validity and finally scale was administered on 300 university students. Obtained data was evaluated as exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency and convergent, and discriminant validity. Factor analysis extracted five factors with 63.85% variance and excellent internal consistency and reliability, (Cronbach's α 0.92). Scale domains has potential capacity to screen causality of academic performance which is appropriate steps to remedy situation for university teachers, staffs and students for whose are victim of low self-esteem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Information on the genetic variability of drug resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is of paramount importance to understand transmission dynamics of disease and to improve TB control strategies. Despite of largest number of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis cases (1, 30,000; 27% of the global burden), strains responsible for the expansion or development of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections have been poorly characterized in India. Present study was aimed to investigate the genetic diversity in MDR isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in North India. Results: Spacer oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) was performed on 293 clinical MDR isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis recovered from cases of pulmonary tuberculosis from North India. Spoligotyping identified 74 distinct spoligotype patterns. Comparison with an international spoligotype database (spoldb4 database) showed that 240 (81.91%) and 32 (10.92%) strains displayed known and shared type patterns, while 21 (7.16%) strains displayed unique spoligotype patterns. Among the phylogeographic lineages, lineage 3 (East African-Indian) was found most predominant lineage (n = 159, 66.25%), followed by lineage 2 (East Asian; n = 34, 14.16%), lineage 1 (Indo-Oceanic; n = 30, 12.50%) and lineage 4 (Euro American; n = 17, 7.08%). Overall, CAS1_DEL (60.41%; SITs 2585, 26, 2694, 309, 381, 428, 1401, 141, 25, 1327) was found most pre-dominant spoligotype pattern followed by Beijing (14.16%; SITs255, 260, 1941, 269) and EAI3_IND (5.00%; SITs 298, 338, 11). The demographic and clinical characteristics were not found significantly associated with genotypic lineages of MDR-M.tuberculosis isolates recovered from pulmonary TB patients of North India. Conclusions: Present study reveals high genetic diversity among the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and highlights that SIT141/CAS1_Del followed by SIT26/ Beijing lineage is the most common spoligotype responsible for the development and transmission of MDR-TB in North India. The high presence of shared type and unique spoligotype patterns of MDR strains indicates epidemiological significance of locally evolved strains in ongoing transmission of MDR-TB within this community which needs to be further monitored using robust molecular tools with high discriminatory power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are major cause of community as well as healthcare associated infections and have limited treatment options. Measuring the magnitude of the problem of CRE, it is important for making strategies to lower its spread. Aim: To assess the incidence and prevalence rate of CRE in a tertiary care hospital of Gujarat, India. Materials and Methods: Retrospective data was collected for a period from 2014 to 2018 using Laboratory Information System (LIS). Prevalence of CRE was determined as number of CRE isolated per 100 Enterobacteriaceae isolated during the study period whereas incidence rate was determined as number of CRE cases per 1000 patient-days. Consumption of Carbapenems was calculated as Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 1000 patient-days. Demographic data including age, gender, location in the hospital and sample type from which CRE was isolated was also analysed using Microsoft Excel. Results: The incidence of CRE cases per 1000 patient-days in 2014 to 2018 was 1.66, 2.11, 1.90, 2.26 and 1.91, respectively with an overall incidence of 1.99 per 1000 patient-days. The overall prevalence of CRE over a period of five years was found to be 29.07%. Klebsiella sp. was the most common CRE and had the highest percentage of Carbapenem resistance among all Enterobacteriaceae. Conclusion: The rate of CRE in present study was high and worrisome. Screening of the patient for CRE, source isolation and stringent implementation of infection control practices is required to confine the spread of CRE in this institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphocytic thyroiditis has not been studied in the population of this sub-Himalayan region in North India. Aims: The aim is to study the clinical, biochemical, and cytomorphological profile of lymphocytic thyroiditis. Methodology: Patients diagnosed with lymphocytic thyroiditis on cytology between August 2017 and July 2018 were included for further evaluation. The demographic characters, clinical features, biochemical and radiology findings of the patients were analysed in this hospital based cross-sectional study. Results: The clinical, biochemical, and cytomorphological profile of 52 patients were analyzed. The mean age was 37.2 ± 14.2 years. Female patients were 46 (88.4%). Grade II thyroiditis was seen in 42 (80.8%) cases followed by Grade I in 8 (15.4%) and Grade III in 2 (3.8%) cases. Thyroid-stimulating hormone level was normal in 18 (34.6%), increased in 16 (30.8%), and decreased in 18 (34.6%) cases. Antithyroid peroxidase was done in 37 patients and was raised in 35 (94.5%) cases. Conclusion: In this study, cytological grades of thyroiditis correlate poorly with clinical, biochemical, and ultrasonography findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-esteem reflects an individual's perception and evaluation of himself or herself, whereas, life satisfaction involves the individual's evaluation of one's life as a whole including different areas of life such as school, family and friends as well as oneself (Civitci & Civitci, 2009). The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between self esteem and satisfaction with life in current college students. A total of 200 college students ( 100 Male & 100 Female) from Veer Bahadur Singh University Jaunpur (U.P.) participated. Rosenberg self-esteem scale (1965) and satisfactions with life scale (Diener et al., 1985) were administered. Self-esteem and satisfaction with life was found significantly correlated in male, female, urban and general category participants. The effect of self esteem on satisfaction with life was found significant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereotype threat refers to being at risk of confirming, as a self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's social group (Steele & Aronson, 1995). It isa psychological phenomena that has negatively impact the performance of variety of groups (01 Brien & Crandall, 2003). Present study was aimed to investigate the stereotype threat and academic achievement in various social group students. Two measures, stereotype scale and educational achievements from High school to P.G. Entrance exam were applied on 300 students (100 from General, 100 OBC & 100 SC/ST) of various social groups. Results suggest that group membership of various social group affect the stereotype threat and academic achievements. Level of stereotype threat was found significant affect on academic achievement and also, it was found negative correlation between stereotype threat and academic achievements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifting and carrying of loads in agriculture on small landholdings are unavoidable. Rural communities often lack access to appropriate technologies which may result in various health hazards. The objective was to study gender participation in agricultural activities involving manual material handling tasks, to assess MSDs experienced in various MMH tasks and to evaluate traditional method and designed technology. The study was conducted on 100 agricultural workers. Data on gender participation in MMH tasks in household, animal husbandry and agriculture and resulting MSDs was gathered. Pre and post assessment of technology intervention was done for NIOSH Lifting Index, QEC, and RPE. The results revealed greater susceptibility of females to musculoskeletal problems in most of the household and animal husbandry tasks. The hand trucks designed were pushing type with power grasp handle. The respondents were advised to carry 5 kg of weight per lift instead of lifting more weight in one lift/minute while filling the hand truck. By decreasing the weight and increasing the number of lifts per minute the respondents were seen falling in green zone indicating significant reduction in NIOSH lifting index. QEC scores concluded that for filling the hand truck 5 kg of weight should be carried to keep the exposure level low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, the farm women are not only involved in household activities but also contribute in various farm operations, animal husbandry. The objective was to assess nutritional profile of the farmwomen and their occupational health problems, to compare the physiological workload in lean and peak seasons and to find out relationship between physiological workload and nutritional intake. The study was conducted on a sample of 90 farmwomen. Energy Intake was calculated using physiological fuel values of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Energy Expenditure Rate (EER), Total Energy Expenditure (TEE) and Energy Balance were calculated. The physiological workload was assessed using sub-maximal workload technique. The results revealed that all the respondents of all categories were, more or less, performing all the agriculture, allied and household activities. In all the agriculture activities physiological hazards such as body pain and fatigue were dominant. Dietary, nutritional and energy intake was lower for heavy workers, from all landholding and BMI categories. HR and OCR were in linear relationship in all BMI categories. Physical work capacity increased with good nutritional status and decreased with age. Regression equations were suggested for calculating oxygen consumption (y) at their known heart rate (x) during various agriculture operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Our medical college is running a mentoring programme for undergraduate medical students since 2009. The academic leadership of the college identified the need to change the focus of the programme from mere problemsolving to professional and personal development of mentees. Methods. A core group of mentors designed and implemented a workshop on mentoring for 28 students. The workshop included reflections on the participants' previous experiences about mentoring, discussion on perceptions of mentees about the existing mentoring programme, self-analysis of mentoring skills, overview of the Surrendering, Accepting, Gifting and Extending (SAGE) model and demonstration of effective mentoring skills using role plays and a film. We collected written anonymous feedback from participants at the end of the workshop to elicit their responses regarding various aspects of the programme, change in their views about mentoring and suggestions for future workshops. Results. A majority of the participants (17, 60.7%) said that role plays and reflection on role plays were the most valuable part of workshop as they provided clarity on the concepts about mentoring. The most frequently identified take-home messages were: building trust with the mentee (7, 25%), balance in life and approach towards the mentee (6, 21.4%), and understanding that mentoring is a process geared towards personal and professional development of the mentee (6, 21.4%). Conclusion. The participants' reaction to the workshop was positive. The responses of participants suggested that the workshop was successful in changing their views regarding the purpose of the mentoring programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the implementation of a programme for the development of professionalism in medical students in India. Topics include attitudes of students regarding medicine as a profession, training on the relation of medicine to society, and the facilitation of the training as part of the Medicine Bachelor and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) curriculum.

The Medical Council of India intends to implement an attitude, ethics, and communication training module for medical students. This study investigates undergraduate students' attitudes towards communication skills training (CST). Forms were distributed to 81 recently admitted undergraduates, of whom 76 responded, in an anonymous cross-sectional survey. Single questions assessed knowledge of communication skills (CS), need for formal curriculum, and importance of CST. Attitudes toward CS were measured using a modified Communication Skills Attitude Scale. While 72% participants considered CST to be important and 68.4% reported a need for formal training, 43% felt CST would have a better image if it sounded more like a science subject. Forty percent of the students were ambiguous about willingness to trust information on communication skills given by non-clinical lecturers, whereas 15.8% were not receptive. Fifty-five percent felt nobody would fail because of poor communication skills, and 46% felt that the ability to pass exams would get them through medical school. We found a high prevalence of unfavourable attitudes about CS (as a subject). Course implementers should be mindful of and address attitudes towards CST while delivering the content of the course.

Background: . Publication misconduct is a commonly reported finding among researchers from various backgrounds including those from the medical sciences. The reasons for such events are diverse and people address them differently., Methods: . The opinions and experiences of 72 medical educators enrolled in an online discussion forum for faculty development were analysed to ascertain possible reasons and ways to address publication misconduct., Results: . Of the 50 educators who participated in the discussion, 46 had one or more experiences of publication misconduct to share. Twelve participants felt that almost all kinds of publication misconduct, i.e. fabrication and falsification of data, plagiarism and authorship issues were a universal phenomenon. In the experience of majority of the participants, publication misconduct was common and often no action was taken. Lack of knowledge and awareness among teachers and students, personal gains, pressure for professional advancement and lack of monitoring and control were identified as the reasons for such misconduct. Several solutions were offered by the participants to address the problem, the most common was to have a formal training programme along with stringent monitoring and control mechanisms at the institutional level., Conclusion: . Publication misconduct occurs and people indulge in it for a variety of reasons. Institutional-level policies may be able to address some of these., Competing Interests: None

We describe four cases of histoplasmosis indigenous to Himachal Pradesh (India) that will be of considerable public health interest. A 48-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative man with cervical and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, adrenal mass, and bone marrow involvement was treated as disseminated tuberculosis without benefit. Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis was diagnosed from the fungus in smears from adrenal mass. Another 37-year-old HIV-positive man was on treatment of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. He developed numerous erythema nodosum leprosum-like mucocutanous lesions accompanied by fever, generalized lymphadenopathy, and weight loss. Pulmonary histoplasmosis with cutaneous dissemination was diagnosed when skin lesions showed the fungus in smears, histopathology, and mycologic culture. Both were successfully treated with amphotericin B/itraconazole. Third patient, a 46-year-old HIV-negative man, had oropharyngeal lesions, cervical lymphadenopathy, intermittent fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and deteriorating general health. Progressive disseminated oropharyngeal histoplasmosis was diagnosed from the fungus in smears and mycologic cultures from oropharyngeal lesions and cervical lymph node aspirates. He died despite initiating treatment with oral itraconazole. Another 32-year-old man 3 months after roadside trauma developed a large ulcer with exuberant granulation tissue over left thigh without evidence of immunosuppression/systemic involvement. He was treated successfully with surgical excision of ulcer under amphotericin B/itraconazole coverage as primary cutaneous histoplasmosis confirmed pathologically and mycologically. A clinical suspicion remains paramount for early diagnosis of histoplasmosis particularly in a nonendemic area. Most importantly, with such diverse clinical presentation and therapeutic outcome selection of an appropriate and customized treatment schedule is a discretion the treating clinicians need to make.

Background & Objectives: Spinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) is a rare form of neurodegenerative disorder with the clinical manifestation of cerebellar ataxia and retinal degeneration. In this study we describe the clinico-genetic characteristics of nine SCA7 families of Indian origin and cross compare these with other available worldwide studies., Methods: Thirty five individuals from nine SCA7 families were clinico-genetically characterized and CAG repeat distribution analysis was carried out in 382 control DNA samples from healthy controls (derived from 21 diverse Indian populations based on ethnic and linguistic and geographical location)., Results: Of the nine families studied, 22 affected individuals and one asymptomatic carrier were identified. The average age at disease onset was 23.4±12.6 yr. The length of expanded CAG ranged from 40-94 with mean value of 53.2±13.9. The main clinical findings in affecteds individuals included cerebellar ataxia, and retinal degeneration along with hyper-reflexia (95%), slow saccades (85%) and spasticity (45%). Analysis of the association of number of CAG repeats with disease onset revealed that <49 repeats were associated with earlier age at onset in South East Asians compared to European populations. Further analysis of CAG repeats from 21 diverse Indian populations showed pre-mutable repeats (28-34) alleles in the IE-N-LP2 population. Six of the nine families identified in this study belonged to the same ethnic population., Interpretations & Conclusion: Our results show that presenece of SCA7 is relatively rare and confined to one ethnic group from Haryana region of India. We observed a homogeneous phenotypic expression of SCA7 mutation as described earlier and an earlier age of onset in our patients with CAG <49. The identification of pre-mutable allele in IE-N-LP2 suggests this population to be at the risk of SCA7.

Dirofilariasis is a worldwide zoonotic filariasis with over 782 cases reported so far from different parts of the world. Human dirofilariasis, caused by Dirofilaria repens, have been reported to occur widely throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa. It has not been widely recognized in India, however; several cases have been reported in last few years. There is probably a focus of human infection with D. repens in Kerala. Herein, we present a review of human infections by D. repens, along with a case report of subconjunctival dirofilariasis from rural part of Gujarat.

Purpose: To determine the burden of trachoma and its related risk factors amongst the native population of Car-Nicobar Island in India., Methods: Rapid assessment for trachoma was conducted in ten villages of Car-Nicobar Island according to standard WHO guidelines. An average of 50 children aged 1-9 years were assessed clinically for signs of active trachoma and facial cleanliness in each village. Additionally, all adults above 15 years of age in these households were examined for evidence of trachomatous trichiasis and corneal opacity. Environmental risk factors contributing to trachoma like limited access to potable water & functional latrine, presence of animal pen and garbage within the Nicobari hut were also noted in all villages., Results: Out of a total of fifteen villages in Car-Nicobar Island, ten villages were selected for trachoma survey depending on evidence of socio-developmental indicators like poverty and decreased access to water, sanitation and healthcare facilities. The total population of the selected clusters was 7277 in the ten villages. Overall, 251 of 516 children (48.6%;CI: 46.5-55.1) had evidence of follicular stage of trachoma and 11 children (2.1%;CI:1.0-3.4) had evidence of inflammatory stage of trachoma. Nearly 15%(CI:12.1-18.3) children were noted to have unclean faces in the ten villages. Trachomatous trichiasis was noted in 73 adults (1.0%;CI:0.8-1.2). The environmental sanitation was not found to be satisfactory in the surveyed villages mainly due to the co-habitance of Nicobari people with domestic animals like pigs, hens, goats, dogs, cats etc in most (96.4%) of the households., Conclusion: Active trachoma and trachomatous trichiasis was observed in all the ten villages surveyed, wherein trachoma control measures are needed.