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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still spreading worldwide and it has resulted in severe economic disruptions and unrivalled challenges to health-care system. Aims and Objectives: This study was planned to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, practice, and acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination among medical professionals. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 276 medical professionals working in Puducherry using convenience sampling method. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were computed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software 28.0 Version. Pearson’s Chi-square analysis and multinomial regression analysis were performed. Results: Among the 276 respondents, 71 (25.7%) were affected with COVID-19 infection, 274 (99.2%) got vaccinated. Two doses were taken by 90.6% and 24 (8.7%) had received one dose of vaccination during the study period. Adequate knowledge was seen (P = 0.029) among the doctors who received two doses of vaccination (P = 0.019). Positive attitude was observed among the professionals who were vaccinated with CoviShield (P ? 0.001) and received two doses of vaccination (P = 0.003). About 79% of participants experienced common side effects due to vaccination. About 83.3% of participants were willing to take Booster dose and their choice of vaccine was CoviShield 76.4%, Covaxin 21.7%, and only 12% endorsed Sputnik V. About 69.2% of them have accepted that after mass vaccination campaigns, COVID-19 infection has been reduced. Conclusion: The present study findings showed adequate knowledge, favorable attitude, good practice, and acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. Public health officials should utilize this opportunity and engage the medical professionals in educational campaigns which could reduce the misconceptions and alleviate the fear about the vaccination among the general population.
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Background: Anemia is one of the most common medical complications encountered during pregnancy. India is among the countries with maximum prevalence of anemia in the world. The commonly used treatment for iron-deficiency anemia is oral iron preparations such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous ascorbate, ferrous fumarate, and parenteral iron sucrose. Aims and Objectives: The aims of this study were to assess the mean change in the hemoglobin levels from baseline up to 60th day of treatment with different iron supplements and to assess its cost effectiveness ratio. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective interventional clinical end point study conducted at Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Center, Puducherry, India, from December 2019 to December 2020, among 84 antenatal women (>14 weeks) with iron-deficiency anemia. After getting ethics committee approval, the participants who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomized to respective treatment groups. Group 1 (n = 21) received ferrous sulfate 200 mg, Group 2 (n = 21) received ferrous ascorbate 200 mg, Group 3 (n = 21) received ferrous fumarate 200 mg twice daily for a period of 60 days, and Group 4 (n = 21) received Iron sucrose 200 mg, based on iron requirement in divided doses and administered once in 2 weeks for a period of 60 days. Hemoglobin (Hb), RBC count, mean corpuscular volume, mea n corpuscular Hb (MCH), MCHC, WBC, platelet count, and cost of the treatment were assessed before and at the end of 60 days. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software version 7.0 using Student “t”-test and one-way ANOVA. Results: We observed a significant (P < 0.001) rise in the mean Hb level from 10.4 ± 0.4, 10.4 ± 0.5, 10.4 ± 0.5 and 8.5 ± 0.3 to 11.2 ± 0.6 (P = 0.0001), 11.1 ± 0.6 (P = 0.0001), 11.3 ± 0.8(P = 0.0001), and 10.9 ± 0.6 (P = 0.0001) in Group 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The average cost effectiveness ratio, with respect to Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 was Rs. 675, Rs. 1782.9, Rs. 1110.7, and Rs. 786.7 per increase in Hb%, respectively. Conclusion: The outcome of this study proved the effective role of various oral ferrous iron preparations and all of them were found to be equally efficacious in improving the Hb concentration. However, the injectable iron sucrose showed a significant improvement in mean hemoglobin percentage compared to the various oral preparations. However, on analyzing the cost-effectiveness ratio, it was found out that the cost incurred per increase in Hb% was less in ferrous sulfate group, followed by iron sucrose, ferrous fumarate, and ferrous ascorbate. The results of this study can be helpful in pharmacoeconomical decision making while selecting a cost effective iron supplement for treating iron-deficiency anemia.
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The objective of this study was to detect the association of biofilm formation with IS256 among clinical and carrier isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). A total of 71 MRSE isolates were included in this study. Phenotypic detection of biofilm formation was done by Congo red agar method. Detection of genes associated with biofilm formation (icaAD, aap and atlE) and insertion sequence IS256 was done by polymerase chain reaction. Of the 71 MRSE isolates,19/40 (47.5%) clinical isolates from hospital settings and 11/31 (35.5%) carrier isolates from community settings respectively were found to be positive for all the three genes tested, namely, icaAD+, aap+ and atlE+ genes. Nearly 80% of clinical isolates were found to harbour IS256, whereas only 13% of community isolates harboured IS256.
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The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of genes encoding aminoglycoside‑modifying enzymes (AMEs) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements among clinical isolates of methicillin‑resistant staphylococci (MRS). Antibiotic susceptibility test was done using Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. The presence of SCCmec types and AME genes, namely, aac (6’)‑Ie‑aph (2’’), aph (3’)‑IIIa and ant (4’)‑Ia was determined using two different multiplex polymerase chain reaction. The most encountered AME genes were aac (6′)‑Ie‑aph (2’’) (55.4%) followed by aph (3’)‑IIIa (32.3%) and ant (4’)‑Ia gene (9%). SCCmec type I (34%) was predominant in this study. In conclusion, the aac (6’)‑Ie‑aph (2’’) was the most common AME gene and SCCmec type I was most predominant among the MRS isolates.
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Purified field bean protease inhibitor (FBPI) was labeled with 99mTcO4- to ascertain its ability to locate tumors in tumor-bearing rat models. The labeling was done with Sn2+ as a reducing agent and the yield was 95%. It was stable for 2 hr at ambient temperature. The biodistribution study of the intravenously injected radiolabeled FBPI in normal Wistar rats at various time intervals showed a rapid blood clearance from the systemic circulation (approximately 5hr). The complex was predominantly excreted through the renal and the hepatobiliary systems. In vivo distribution and scintiimaging of 99mTc-FBPI were carried out in rats bearing carcinogen-induced mammary tumor or transplanted C6-gliomas. The results obtained were compared with conventional tumor-seeking radiopharmaceuticals such as 99mTc-(V)dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), 201Thallous chloride (TICI) and 99mTc-Citrate. The tumor to muscle (T/M) ratios obtained with 99mTc-FBPI in rat C6 glioma was nearly 2 to 5-fold higher than obtained with all the three conventional tumor-seeking agents. The T/M ratio obtained with 99mTc-FBPI in rat mammary tumor on the other hand appeared to be 2-3-fold higher than noted with 99mTc(V)-DMSA and 201TlCl. The ratio was however comparable with that obtained with 99mTc-Citrate. The study indicated that 99mTc-FBPI has the specific potentials for imaging gliomas and possibly other tumors as well.
Subject(s)
Animals , Fabaceae/chemistry , Female , Male , Organotechnetium Compounds/diagnosis , Protease Inhibitors/diagnosis , Radiopharmaceuticals/diagnosis , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
Radioiodinated meta-iodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) has been widely used for the diagnosis of neuroblastomas, pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas and medullary carcinomas of thyroid. We have developed a procedure for preparation of 131I-MIBG and studied its utility in diagnosis of primary and metastatic neural crest tumours. Studies were carried out in 54 patients. Of them 39 cases were of neuroblastomas, 1 pheochromocytoma; 6 operated medullary carcinomas; 5 paragangliomas; 2 Ewing's sarcoma and 1 Rhabdomyosarcoma; The sensitivity for the detection of primary tumours of neuroblastomas was 94% and for the detection of metastasis was 83%; while in the case of paragangliomas and medullary carcinoma, the sensitivity was 75% and 70% respectively. Our experience in the present study shows that 131I-MIBG scintigraphy is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool to localise primary and metastatic disease of neural crest tumours.
Subject(s)
3-Iodobenzylguanidine , Child , Humans , Iodine Radioisotopes/diagnosis , Iodobenzenes/diagnosis , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Kairomones from moth scales tend to influence the parasitic potential by Trichogramma chilonis Ishii. Hexatriacontane, pentacosane, heptadecane, docosane and 2, 6, l0-dodecatrienal-3, 7, 11-trimethyl were identified from the active moth scale extract of Heliothis armigera Hubner (its natural host) and Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (a laboratory host). The significance of an array of compounds from moth scales with kairomonal activity for manipulating entomophagous insects in biological control programmes is discussed.