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Indian dental students' preferences regarding lecture courses

Parolia A, Mohan M, Kundabala M, Shenoy R

J Dent Educ, 2012 Mar;76(3):366-71.
PMID: 22383607

Teaching and learning activities in the dental clinic or hospital are a challenging area for students as well as teachers. With various teaching methodologies being used in dental schools around the world, gaining greater understanding of students' attitudes toward these methodologies would be useful for dental educators. The objective of this study was to explore the preferences of dental students in India about various aspects of lecture courses. A structured survey consisting of ten closed-ended questions was developed, and 2,680 undergraduate students from forty-three dental schools in India were approached via e-mail with a follow-up postal mailing. Of these, 1,980 students responded, for a response rate of 73.8 percent. Most of the students reported preferring lectures with the aid of PowerPoint and chalkboard. They preferred morning lectures from 8 am to 10 am for a maximum of thirty to forty minutes for each lecture, and they preferred to receive information about the lecture topic in advance. The students said that delivery of clinical demonstrations was beneficial after the lectures, and they preferred learning-based rather than exam-oriented education. The respondents also said that attendance should be made compulsory and that numerical marking of examinations should not be replaced by a grading system.
A recombinant antigen-based IgG4 ELISA for the specific and sensitive detection of Brugia malayi infection

Rahmah N, Lim BH, Khairul Anuar A, Shenoy RK, Kumaraswami V, Lokman Hakim S, et al.

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2001 8 9;95(3):280-4.
PMID: 11490997

An IgG4 ELISA based on a novel recombinant antigen was evaluated for detection of Brugia malayi infection, using 2487 sera from various institutions: 2031 samples from Universiti Sains Malaysia, 276 blinded sera from 2 other institutions in Malaysia, 140 blinded sera from India and 40 blinded sera from Thailand. These sera were from various groups of individuals, i.e., microfilaraemics, chronic patients, endemic normals, non-endemic normals and individuals with other parasitic and bacterial infections. Based on a cut-off optical density reading of 0.300, the IgG4 ELISA demonstrated specificity rates of 95.6-100%, sensitivity rates of 96-100%, positive predictive values of 75-100% and negative predictive values of 98.9-100%. These evaluation studies demonstrated the high specificity and sensitivity of this test for the detection of active B. malayi infection. Thus, the IgG4 ELISA would be very useful as a tool in diagnosis and in elimination programmes for brugian filariasis.
Multicentre laboratory evaluation of Brugia Rapid dipstick test for detection of brugian filariasis

Rahmah N, Shenoy RK, Nutman TB, Weiss N, Gilmour K, Maizels RM, et al.

Trop Med Int Health, 2003 Oct;8(10):895-900.
PMID: 14516300

A multicentre evaluation of the Brugia Rapid dipstick test was performed using 1263 serum samples in four international laboratories, i.e. T.D. Medical College (TDMC, India), National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), Swiss Tropical Institute (STI, Switzerland) and Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC, Netherlands). In comparison with microscopy, the dipstick demonstrated sensitivities of 97.2% (70 of 72) at TDMC, 91.6% (175 of 191) at LUMC and 100% (six of six) at STI. Sera of chronic patients showed a positivity rate of 11.3% (19 of 168) and 61.2% (71of 116) at TDMC and LUMC, respectively. All 266 sera of non-endemic normals from STI, NIH and LUMC tested negative with the dipstick. At LUMC, sera of 'endemic normals' (amicrofilaraemics with no clinical disease) from an area with approximately 35% microfilaria positivity showed 60.8% positive results (31 of 51), thus demonstrating the likelihood of many cryptic infections occurring in this population. Specificities of the test with Onchocerca volvulus sera were 98.8% (80 of 81) and 100% (10 of 10) at the NIH and STI, respectively; while specificity with Loa loa sera at the NIH was 84.6% (44 of 52). At the STI, the dipstick test also demonstrated 100% specificity when tested with 75 sera from various protozoan and helminthic infections.
Fulltext Synthesis and evaluation of selected 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives for in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo anti-tumor activity

Tiwari A, Gopalan Kutty N, Kumar N, Chaudhary A, Vasanth Raj P, Shenoy R, et al.

Cytotechnology, 2016 Dec;68(6):2553-2565.
PMID: 27282155 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-016-9979-9

The oxadiazole moiety is known for its anticancer activity through its antiangiogenic and mitostatic potential. Taking this as a cue, the present study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer potential of selected oxadiazole derivatives. Twelve 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (AMK OX-1 to AMK OX-12) were synthesized and were tested for IC50values through brine shrimp lethality assay and MTT assay on HeLa and A549 cell lines. Four compounds, AMK OX-8, 9, 11 and 12 showed potential cytotoxicity activity with low IC50value. These compounds produced considerable cytotoxic effect on Hep-2 and A549 cancer cell lines. However, they were found to be comparatively safer to normal cell lines, viz., V-79 cell lines than to the tested cancer cell lines, such as HeLa, A 549, and Hep2 cell lines. The mechanism of cytotoxicity was evaluated through nuclear staining and DNA ladder assay. Although DNA ladder assay showed DNA fragmentation (apoptotic phenomenon) in Hep-2 cells treated with only AMK OX-12, the staining procedures using acridine orange, ethidium bromide and propidium iodide showed apoptotic bodies in cells treated with AMK OX-8, 9 and 12 also. In JCI staining on isolated mitochondria of Hep2 cells, AMK OX-8, 9-11 and 12 displayed increasing fluorescence intensity with time which confirmed involvement of mitochondrial pathway and intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. All four compounds were found to be safe in acute oral toxicity study in Swiss albino mice. These derivatives were effective in reducing tumor size and weight in the in vivo DLA-induced solid tumor model. They were found to be significantly effective in reducing tumor volume and tumor weight.
Fulltext Insights into Disaster Management Scenario among Various Health-Care Students in India: A Multi-Institutional, Multi-Professional Study

Rajesh G, Binnal A, H Pai MB, Nayak SV, Shenoy R, Rao A

Indian J Community Med, 2020 06 02;45(2):220-224.
PMID: 32905107 DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_104_19

Background: The frequency of occurrence of disasters is on the rise all over the world. Workforce shortage can be a major impediment toward efficient disaster management. Incorporation of other health-care workers along with conventional medical personnel might be critical for efficient and effective management of disasters.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess various aspects pertaining to disaster management among various health-care students in India.
Methods: Final-year students pursuing medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, Ayurveda, and homeopathy at various institutions in Mangalore, India, were the study participants. Participants' willingness to partake in disaster management and knowledge, attitude, behavior, and perceived effectiveness pertaining to disaster management was ascertained by a questionnaire method. Their previous history of training and familiarity with standard operating procedures was assessed.
Results: A total of 437 students belonging to seven health-care institutions participated in the study. Overall, 98.40% of the participants were willing to partake in disaster management. The mean knowledge, attitude, behavior, and perceived effectiveness scores were 49.19%, 81.75%, 47.28%, and 66.20%, respectively. Step-wise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that course (β = 0.247, P < 0.001), attitude (β = 0.154,P = 0.001), and behavior (β = 0.284, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of perceived effectiveness.
Conclusions: Participants in the present study revealed that they were willing to partake in disaster management. The participants also reported poor behavior and knowledge scores but appropriate attitude scores. The present study highlights the need for curriculum changes and policy implications for effective integration of various sectors for disaster management, particularly in developing nations such as India, which have a definite scarcity of resources.
Specificity and sensitivity of a rapid dipstick test (Brugia Rapid) in the detection of Brugia malayi infection

Rahmah N, Taniawati S, Shenoy RK, Lim BH, Kumaraswami V, Anuar AK, et al.

Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2002 1 31;95(6):601-4.
PMID: 11816429

A total of 753 serum samples from 6 institutions in 3 countries (Malaysia, Indonesia and India) were used to evaluate an immunochromatographic rapid dipstick test, Brugia Rapid, for diagnosis of Brugia malayi infection. The samples comprised sera from 207 microfilaria-positive individuals and 546 individuals from filaria non-endemic areas. The latter consisted of 70 individuals with soil-transmitted helminth infections, 68 with other helminth infections, 238 with protozoan infections, 12 with bacterial and viral infections and 158 healthy individuals. The dipstick is prepared with a goat anti-mouse antibody control line and a B. malayi recombinant-antigen test line. First, the dipstick is dipped into a well containing diluted patient serum, thus allowing specific anti-filarial antibody in the serum to react with the recombinant antigen. Then the dipstick is placed into an adjacent well containing reconstituted anti-human IgG4-gold. After 10 min, development of 2 red-purplish lines denotes a positive result and one line indicates a negative reaction. The overall results of the evaluation showed 97% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 97% positive predictive value and 99% negative predictive value. Brugia Rapid is thus a promising diagnostic tool for detection of B. malayi infection, and would be especially useful for the brugian filariasis elimination programme.