Student’s perceptions and feedback about teaching-learning pharmacology in Nepalgunj Medical College of Chisapani, Nepal

Background: Pharmacology, being both basic and applied science, forms the backbone of rational therapeutics in medical field. Understanding of current perceptions and opinions of medical students is important for the betterment of teaching-learning methodologies in pharmacology subject. This study done with the objective to determine the perception and feedback of teaching learning pharmacology.Methods: Descriptive cross sectional questionnaire based study was conducted in Nepalgunj Medical College Chisapani, Banke Nepal, among second year MBBS students in September 2017. A questionnaire distributed in class and then collected. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).Results: Total 119 students, 78 male and 41 females participated in this study. The percentage average of agreed responses for 15 questions (58.92±19.53) was significant (p <0.05) when compared with the percentage average of the disagreed (5.42± 5.17). Seventy three (61.3%) students agreed that pharmacology is a favourite subject but the preferences for pharmacology as a subject in post-graduation was low (18.5%). High proportion of students wanted the faculty members to make more use of Audio-Visual aids 93.3%, case based learning 96.6%, more clinical pharmacology, 97.5%, group discussions, 88.2%, integration to clinical sciences 92.4% and 82.4% prefer MCQs to be introduced in the curriculum for effective learning.Conclusions: Introduction of integrated teaching, MCQs, case based, and group based discussion with clinical pharmacology and audio-visual aids was favoured by majority of the students. Regular reviewing perception and feedback of the students help teachers to plan the curriculum and improve the teaching methodologies

Resistance Status of the Malaria Vector Mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles subpictus Towards Adulticides and Larvicides in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas of India

Susceptibility studies of malaria vectors Anopheles stephensi Liston (Diptera: Culicidae) and An. subpictus Grassi collected during 2004–2007 from various locations of Arid and Semi-Arid Zone of India were conducted by adulticide bioassay of DDT, malathion, deltamethrin and larvicide bioassay of fenthion, temephos, chlorpyriphos and malathion using diagnostic doses. Both species from all locations exhibited variable resistance to DDT and malathion from majority of location. Adults of both the species were susceptible to Deltamethrin. Larvae of both the Anopheline species showed some evidence of resistance to chlorpyriphos followed by fenthion whereas susceptible to temephos and malathion

The role of vectors in emerging and re-emerging diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Considerable attention has recently been drawn at a global level to the serious threat to humans by the new, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Among the infectious vector-borne diseases, dengue, dengue haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, plague, malaria, leishmaniasis, rodent-borne viruses and arboviruses are considered to be persisting, and sometimes re-emerging, with serious threats to human health. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, dengue, malaria and leishmaniasis are the significant vector-borne diseases. This article discusses the role of vectors in the re-emergence of malaria, leishmaniasis and dengue fever and their control</jats:p

Experimental Investigation of Local Heat Transfer Measurement Having Inclined Discrete Ribs of Solar Air Heater Duct Using LCT Technique

Abstract The steady-state experiment using liquid crystal thermography has been conducted for the analysis of Nusselt number distribution over the absorber surface of solar air heater (SAH) duct having a gap with the staggered arrangement in inclined rib geometry to recuperate its thermal performance. The heat transfer experiment is performed with uniform heat flux and thermo-chromic liquid crystal (TLC) is utilized to show the temperature distribution profile over the ribbed surfaces of the rectangular duct of aspect ratio of 5. The colored pattern image of TLCs was acquired using a 3CCD (charged couple device) camera and exported to a Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) file format using frame grabbing SOFTWARE SAPERALT which was further processed to get hue, saturation, intensity (HSI) values. The flow parameters considered in this present investigation are Re, d/W, and g/e varied from 4000 − 12,500, 0.15 − 0.45, and 1 − 4, respectively. Experiments has been performed with fixed P/e, r/e, p′/P, α, and e/Dh of 10, 2, 0.6, 60 deg, and 0.0303, respectively. The influence of relative gap position and relative gap width on flow pattern has been analyzed. The maximum augmentation in Nu and f over the smooth duct was obtained as 4.01 and 4.28 times, respectively, at the optimum value of d/W = 0.35 and g/e = 2 under similar flow conditions. The maximum value of THPP obtained at d/W and g/e of 0.35 and 2, respectively, and Reynolds number of 12,445.</jats:p

Inheritance of DDT dehydrochlorination and of a mechanism restricting uptake of DDT in the mosquito <i>Aedes aegypti</i>

Crosses and backcrosses were made between the T8 dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) resistant strain and NS susceptible strain. Each generation was tested for resistance, for internal levels of DDT and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) (thus "DDT uptake" (DDT + DDE) and percentage DDT dehydrochlorination in vivo), and for DDT dehydrochlorination in vitro, both at the larval and adult stages. The patterns of inheritance of uptake and dehydrochlorination were different. At both life stages, dehydrochlorination (both in vivo and in vitro) was intermediate in the F1, reverting to or exceeding the parental strains in the backcrosses except in adult tests on the backcrosses to the susceptible strain where it remained intermediate. Uptake increased very substantially in the F1 compared with either parental strain and was also high in the backcrosses. This was interpreted as being due to the disruption of an uptake-restricting mechanism in T8 brought about by outcrossing. Larval resistance in the various generations was correlated significantly with dehydrochlorination, both in vivo and in vitro but bore no clear relation to uptake. Resistance in adults was found not to be correlated significantly with either. Key words: DDT dehydrochlorination, pesticide resistance, DDT uptake, DDT resistance, dehydrochlorination in vivo and in vitro assays. </jats:p

Effect of selection for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) resistance on the uptake and breakdown of DDT in <i>Aedes aegypti</i> L.

Aedes aegypti larvae and adults were selected to high levels of resistance with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) along separate lines. The larval-selected line showed three responses associated with larval resistance: (i) increased detoxication of DDT by dehydrochlorination to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane DDE (demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro), (ii) increased tolerance to unmetabolised ("residual") DDT and, (iii) a reduction in uptake of DDT. Larval selection caused very little change in adult resistance or the uptake of DDT by adults, but there was an increase in dehydrochlorination. In the adult-selected line dehydrochlorination was increased by selection and was significantly correlated with resistance.Key words: DDT, DDE, resistance, Aedes aegypti. </jats:p

Impact of turmoil on the health care delivery system in Kashmir” Kashmir, heaven on earth?

KASHMIR – once known as Jannat-e-Benazir (the heaven unmatched) - is a unique Himalayan Valley having a soothing climate, lofty mountains with snow covered peaks, high-altitude meadows, gushing streams and gurgling springs with crystal clear water. Throughout the history, it has been recognized as one of the most beautiful places in this part of the world. Its scenic exquisiteness is augmented by the beauty of its inhabitants, who are most hospitable and their mutual harmony have been legendary. However, this unmatched beauty is challenged presently by the untold miseries of the inhabitants of this place, who suffer in this war torn place. Kashmir has a population of more than 11 million (Indian Jammu & Kashmir). The place has been going through the worst time in its recorded history; Sixteen years of turmoil have really taken its toll. More than 60,000 people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands got disabled; thousands have been orphaned and innumerable widowed. Countless homes have lost their men – fathers, brothers, sons and husbands. Numerous parents with tears in their eyes are waiting for the return of their sons, who suddenly disappeared years ago. Every sphere of the life has got affected, education, economy and health care being the worst hit. Healthcare system is in rags. Hundreds of doctors feeling the physical, economic & mental brunt of the turmoil migrated leaving behind empty health centres and hospitals. Eminent doctors were mercilessly killed or tortured. Many others were kidnapped, humiliated, mercilessly beaten and put under threat. The exodus of specialists in various fields has affected the quality of care. Many departments in Government Medical College Srinagar previously ranked among the top 10 institutions of India, have virtually become empty. The century old SMHS hospital, attached to the Government Medical College, Srinagar - the only hope for the Valley’s hopeless patients - is gasping for its own life, like an old fort turning into ruins. Hardly any development has taken place in the last decade. The management and running of the hospital has become difficult due to financial crunch faced by the state. The number of functioning specialists falls far short of the requirements. Lack of life-saving medicines and equipment plagues all sections. A handful of physicians and surgeons nurturing this institution are themselves tense and bothered about their own survival. No doubt, there are a few big hospitals in Srinagar, but their number is less than the requirement under the WHO norms. As an example, there is a lone 500 bedded women’s hospital to cater to 1.2 million population of Srinagar. And then there is a constant inflow of patients from peripheries of the Valley - an exasperating load on these hospitals that is beyond their capacity to handle. Every day thousands of patients along with double the number of attendants flock to the city hospitals adding to their agony and chaos. Doctors have to work hard to handle the heavy patient inflow, especially in areas of accident, emergency and intra-natal care. A tertiary care women’s hospital, which was meant for high-risk care, sees itself flooded with normal deliveries eating up its material and manpower resources