Dengue is a viral infection which has become a serious problem in recent years. It is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. The present study is a prospective, hospital-based, observational study done from August 2014 to October 2014. The objective of our study was to consider whether dengue infection can be suspected based on haematological and biochemical findings. The study included 100 patients positive for dengue infection. Complete hemogram, transaminases for liver injury, blood urea and serum creatinine levels for renal assessment were performed for these patients. The most common haematological findings were thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, an increase in the mixed cell fraction of the leucocytes and the presence of reactive lymphocytes. Biochemical parameters like the aminotranferases, blood urea and serum creatinine levels were significantly raised. Hence, a platelet count of <100,000 cells/μl, leucopenia of <4000cells/μl and aspartate aminotransferase levels of >82.2 U/L can be considered as predictors of dengue infection.

Objective: To ascertain the antimicrobial activity of methanolic leaf extracts of Justicia adhatoda and vasicine against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Serratia marcescens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus flavus. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of the concentrated leaf extracts of J. adhatoda was evaluated by determination of the diameter of zone of inhibition against bacteria and fungi. 25μg ml-1 concentration was used to check the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts and vasicine. Minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum microbicidal concentrations were determined against all the pathogens. Sensitivity of the pathogens was also checked with four standard antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin for bacteria and nystatin and amphotericin B for fungi. Results: The phytochemical studies revealed the presence of alkaloids in the extracts were active against both bacteria and fungi. Studies on the minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts on the test organisms showed that the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum microbicidal concentrations were demonstrated against Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the highest minimum inhibitory concentration was exhibited against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcuspyogenes, Klebsiella pnuemoniae. Among fungi Aspergillus flavus showed lowest minimum inhibitory concentration whereas Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans showed highest minimum inhibitory concentration. Conclusion: The present study revealed that J. adhatoda has broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and a potential source of antimicrobial agents that could be useful for chemotherapy and control of infectious diseases.

Objective: The present study deals with the in vitro study of antioxidant activity of essential oil from Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini) of family gramineae. Methods:The in vitro study of antioxidant activity of Palmarosa essential oil has been done by using DPPH assay, Nitrogen oxide assay, reducing power assay, β-carotene bleaching assay and FRAP method. Results: IC50 values observed for DPPH and NO assay were 0.125 mg/mL and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively.In beta carotene bleaching method, the oil showed 93.15% bleaching for the first hour and it increased to 51.1% in second hour. There was a constant increase in the reducing activities with the increase in concentrations in both reducing activity and FRAP mehods. In all the methods BHT and Gallic acid were kept as standards. Conclusions: The results clearly indicate that Palmarosa essential oil is effective in scavanging free radical and has the potential to be powerful antioxidant.

Background & Objective: Febrile seizure is the most common seizure disorder in the paediatric age group and often recurs within the fi rst twenty four hours. It has been observed that children with recurrent febrile seizure have lower serum sodium levels. The study was conducted to ascertain the role of serum sodium as a predictor of seizure recurrence within the same febrile illness. Methods: 70 children admitted for febrile seizure between 6 months to 5 years were included in the study; they were divided into two groups, those with a single episode of seizure and the remaining were children with recurrent seizures. An age and sex matched group of 35 children with fever but no convulsion were the controls. Serum sodium levels were evaluated in all the children. Results: There was no signifi cant difference in the mean serum sodium between the study group and controls. The mean serum sodium level of children with recurrent seizures is signifi cantly lower than the mean serum sodium level of children with a single seizure (134.31SD 3.79 versus 138.2 SD 3.66 mmol/l, p<0.01). Conclusion: Measurement of the serum sodium in a child with febrile seizures helps in predicting seizure recurrence within the same febrile illness.

“Fear of law and veneration for the Scomm and of the law constitutes the foundation of a civilized society. Lynching is an affront to the rule of law and to the exalted values of the Constitution itself. We may say without any fear of contradiction that lynching by unruly mobs and barbaric violence arising out of incitement and instigation cannot be allowed to become the order of the day.”-Tehseen S. Poonawalav. Union of India The term ‘Law’ do not just have a mere existence rather is being enacted and enforced for the betterment of the public at large. For benefits of the citizens various basic rights has been conferred upon them and accordingly their social behaviour is being regulated. Citizens in return is required to mandatorily abide by the enforced laws. From the era of divinity, the study of various religion has always laid emphasis on to the laid down norms to regulate the human conduct in the society. Law has been the crucial part of this man-made society. The very basic purpose of law is to keep a check upon the actions of the individual and to protect the society from various criminal activities. But Lynching, an act, comprising of violence which sets aside the laid down laws is gradually becoming a fear for the public at large. It signifies that people are seeking for instant justice for any form of crime thereby creating a threat to the existing laws which are meant to preserve and protect the society. Nothing else can define the act of Lynching in a best possible way then this statement given by Mahatma Gandhi: “an eye for an eye can turn the whole world blind.”.

Aims: Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trichophyton are the genera of dermatophytes causing superficial mycoses. These infections are on rise due to increase in immunocompromised patients and favorable environmental conditions in countries like India. The present study was undertaken to identify dermatophytes causing superficial fungal infection by microscopy and culture techniques which helps in accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of cases. Methodology and results: Samples were collected from affected sites after cleaning the affected surface with 70% alcohol. All samples were microscopically examined for presence of hyphal structures by digesting in 10% to 40% KOH solution. All samples were inoculated into Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol and Sabouraud dextrose agar with cycloheximide and chloramphenicol and incubated at room temperature for four weeks. Tease mount technique and slide culture technique were used for identification of dermatophytes. One hundred and ten samples from clinically suspected dermatophytoses which includes 77(70%) from male and 33(30%) from female patients were processed for identification of dermatophytes. Samples were subjected to microscopy and culture. In 61 samples (54.54%) fungal hyphae were seen by direct microscopic examination (KOH). Fifty six samples (50%) yielded dermatophyte growth in culture. Trichophyton rubrum was the predominant species isolated followed by T. violaceum and T. mentagrophytes. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Accurate and rapid diagnosis of superficial fungal infection is essential for proper management of cases. Direct microscopy is very good method for routine diagnosis, however culture remains gold standard.
Arthrodermataceae

AIM: To discuss the options for treatment (conservative versus surgical) in cases of Valsalva Retinopathy, reported during pregnancy.METHODS:We report the case of a healthy pregnant woman, who developed a dense premacular subhyaloid haemorrhage, in the right eye following a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery. She was managed conservatively.RESULTS: At 3 weeks the haemorrhage had contracted and the vision was HM but by the 6th month, the haemorrhage had resolved and vision returned to 6/5 in the right eye.CONCLUSION: Most cases of Valsalva retinopathy resolve spontaneously. Authors have shown the beneficial effect of Nd:YAG membranotomy of the internal limiting membrane.Early vitrectorny has also been advocated, as it delaminates the membrane which can act a scaffold for neovascularization.

Owing to differentiation and self-renewal capacity, hematopoietic stem cells clasp potentiality to engender all blood cell types, leading to their immense competence to play a diverse role in therapeutic applications. Although these stem cells are the most investigated and exploited until now, further research is still essential to comprehend their nature, fate, and potential. Enhanced usage of hematopoietic stem cells in research and therapeutics intensified the requirement of expansion and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells under in vitro conditions. Since these cells remain in senescence for a prolonged period before isolation, selection of appropriate growth medium along with supplements and culture conditions are crucial to initiate their cell division and to designate their destiny. The precise equilibrium between self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells sustained by exclusive medium along with special growth or differentiation factors is accountable for generating diverse cell lineages. Maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell lines along with the advancement of research work generate an inexorable demand for production and commercialization of specialized stem cell culture media, with or without serum along with specific growth factors and supplements. Media commercialization for precise stem cell types, culturing and differentiation is a cost-effective developing field. Here in this review, we are assembling various types of hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal, expansion and differentiation media along with supplements and culture conditions, either developed and used by various scientists or are available commercially.

BACKGROUND: Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) are increasingly reported as pathogens in urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, in Sri Lanka, the clinical and molecular epidemiology of ESBL-PE implicated in UTIs has not been well described. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted prospective, laboratory-based surveillance from October to December 2013 at a tertiary care hospital in southern Sri Lanka and enrolled patients ≥1 year of age with clinically relevant UTIs due to ESBL-PE. Isolate identity, antimicrobial drug susceptibility, and ESBL production were determined. Presence of ß-lactamase genes, bla(SHV), bla(TEM), and bla(CTX-M), was identified by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: During the study period, Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 184 urine samples, with 74 (40.2%) being ESBL producers. Among 47 patients with ESBL-PE who had medical records available, 38 (80.9%) had clinically significant UTIs. Most UTIs (63.2%) were community acquired and 34.2% were in patients with diabetes. Among 36 cultured ESBL-PE isolates, significant susceptibility (>80%) was only retained to amikacin and the carbapenems. The group 1 bla(CTX-M) gene was present in 90.0% of Escherichia coli isolates and all Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae isolates. The bla(SHV) and bla(TEM) genes were more common in K. pneumoniae (75% and 50%) and E. cloacae (50% and 50%) isolates than in E. coli (10% and 20%) isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: The majority of UTIs caused by ESBL-PE were acquired in the community and due to organisms carrying the group 1 CTX-M ß-lactamase. Further epidemiologic studies of infections due to ESBL-PE are urgently needed to better prevent and treat these infections in South Asia.
Amikacin ; Asia ; Carbapenems ; Cloaca ; Enterobacter cloacae ; Enterobacteriaceae* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Medical Records ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prospective Studies ; Sri Lanka* ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

The petrous and cavernous parts of internal carotid artery (ICA) are obscure and are not readily accessible to observation/imaging. These parts have broad biological and medical interest because of their peculiar shape. Given the their clinical importance and the scarce data available based mostly on imaging, the present study was aimed at studying these parts of ICA by dissection. The study was carried out on 56 ICAs obtained from embalmed adult cadavers and 10 ICAs from five fetuses. The foetal ICAs were studied in situ. The morphometric analysis of the adult ICA was done after its removal from cranial cavity to gain an insight into the geometry of the vessel, i.e., length, various bends, and diameters at various locations. ICAs in fetuses ran a relatively straighter course taking gentle curves at three positions (two intrapetrous, one cavernous). Adult ICAs were more tortuous and exhibited greater variability in length and angulations. The length of respective portions of the ICA correlate negatively with the measure of angles. The angles in the petrous and cavernous parts were positively correlated to each other. The carotid siphon was positively, highly significantly correlated to other angles. Longer vessels are more tortuous with acute bends. An acute carotid siphon is an indication of more tortuous ICA. The findings of the present study have created a reference data of unsuspected adult population and has potential implications for studying cause/effect relationship of vessel geometry and hemodynamic factors.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Carotid Artery, Internal* ; Decompression Sickness ; Fetus ; Hemodynamics ; Humans