Background:Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a frequently encountered chronic metabolic disease with various complications throughout its course, which causes severe restriction and disability in an individual's life. It has been well documented that the incidence of depression is higher in diabetic patients and co-morbid depression causes further deterioration in the quality of life in diabetic patients.Aims:To study the prevalence of depression and its impact on quality of life in patients with type II DM.Settings and Design:Single centre, cross-sectional, single interview.Materials and Methods:Total 195 type II DM patients are included in this study. To diagnose Depressive Episode Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV Axis-1 Disorders, Research Version patient edition was applied. All patients were evaluated with a semi-structured socio-demographic proforma to assess socio-demographic characteristics, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES–Q) SF (Short Form) to measure the quality of life.Results:Among them, 46.15% (N=90; males: 41, females: 49) met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depressive episodes. Among the depressed group, majority were (36.7%) moderately depressed. QLESQ-SF total and each item scores were significantly lower in the depressed group than in the non-depressed group. Both the HAM-D scores and HbA1c level have significant negative correlations with QLESQ-SF total scores.Conclusion:Our study demonstrates that the presence of depression in type II DM further deteriorates the quality of life of the patients. Therefore, treating depression would have a beneficial effect on the quality of life.

Background:Adequate sexual expression is an essential part of many human relationships, and may enhance quality of life and provide a sense of physical, psychological, and social well-being. Epidemiological and clinical studies show that depression is associated with impairments of sexual function and satisfaction, even in untreated patients. Most antidepressant drugs have adverse effects on sexual function, but accurate identification of the incidence of treatment-emergent dysfunction has proved troublesome. However, few investigators have reported the base rate for disturbances in sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm or ejaculation in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) prior to antidepressant treatment. The purpose of this study is to define the frequency of sexual dysfunction (SD) in 60 patients with MDD and examine the relationship between SD and quality of life enjoyment and satisfaction variables.Materials and Methods:A consecutive series of 24 male and 36 female MDD patients diagnosed by SCID-DSM IV assessment completed a series of psychometric measures including a Sexual Function Questionnaire—Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) which asked about change in sexual interest and function as well as quality of life of life enjoyment using QLESQ-SF.Results:Over 33.33% of men and 42% of women reported decreased sexual interest. Reduced levels of arousal were more common in both men and women (8-22%) than ejaculatory or orgasm difficulties (11–16%). In women, SDs were more than males. Quality of life was more impaired in sample with SDs than those without dysfunction showing significant impact of SD on quality of life.Limitation and Conclusion:Although limited by a relatively small sample of drug-free patients with MDD, and by the absence of a non-depressed comparison sample, these results emphasize the importance of factors beyond specific drug effects in the assessment of SD in drug naive-depressed patients.

SummaryAmong the 12 varieties of tea tested against three isolates of Pestalotiopsis theae, causal agent of grey blight disease, Teen Ali‐17/1/54 and TV‐23 were found to be highly susceptible while CP‐1 and TV‐26 were resistant under identical conditions. Leaf antigens were prepared from all the tea varieties, three isolates of P. theae and a non‐pathogen of tea (Bipolaris tetramera). Polyclonal antisera were raised against mycelial suspensions of P. theae (isolate Pt‐2) and leaf antigens of Teen Ali‐17/1/54 and CP‐1. These were compared an immunodiffusion test and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to detect cross reactive antigens (CRA) shared the host and the parasite. CRA were found among the susceptible varieties and isolates of P. theae (Pt‐1, 2 and 3). Such antigens were not detected between isolates of P. theae and resistant varieties, B. tetramera and tea varieties or isolates of P. theae. Indirect staining of antibodies using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) indicated that in cross sections of tea leaves, the CRA was concentrated in the epidermal cells and mesophyll tissues. CRA was present in the young hyphal tips of the mycelia and on the setulae and appendages of the conidia of P. theae.

Context:Suicidal ideation in depressed patients is a serious and emergent condition that requires urgent intervention. Intravenous ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, has shown rapid antidepressant effects, making it a potentially attractive candidate for depressed patients with suicidal risk.Aims:In India few studies have corroborated such findings; the present study aimed to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of antisuicidal effects of ketamine in subjects with resistant depression.Settings and Design:Single-center, prospective, 4 weeks, open-label, single-arm pilot study.Materials and Methods:Twenty-seven subjects with DSM-IV major depression (treatment resistant) were recruited. The subjects were assessed on Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI), 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). After a 2-week drug-free period, subjects were given a single intravenous infusion of ketamine hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg) and were rated at baseline and at 40, 80, 120, and 230 minutes and 1 and 2 days postinfusion.Results:The ketamine infusion was effective in reducing the SSI and HDRS scores, the change remained significant from minute 40 to 230 at each time point.Conclusions:The real strength of this study rests in documenting the rapid albeit short-lasting effect of ketamine on suicidal ideation in depressed patients.

Background:The occurrence of stress and stress related anxiety and depression in medical personnel are being increasingly reported in literature. The perceived stress scale (PSS) is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the perception of stress. It is needed to assess perceived stress in our population using appropriately translated version of PSS. The objectives of study were to prepare a Bengali version of PSS-10 and to establish its psychometric properties in the study population.Materials and Methods:The study was conducted in a teaching hospital among medical students and interns (N=37). The translated Bengali version and the original English version of PSS-10 were separately handed over to the individual subjects. The scores were compared across different subgroups and psychometric properties of the translated version were assessed using SPSS 16.Results:Internal consistency of PSS English (α=0.79) and Bengali (α=0.80) was satisfactory. Intra-rater reliability was adequate (κ>0.5) for most of the items, but showed an inadequate value (κ<0.5) for four items on the scale. After deleting these four items from the Bengali version, a new six-item PSS in Bengali was derived that showed good internal consistency (α=0.699).Conclusion:This new version needs to be validated in a larger study population. Perceived stress score using PSS-10 was considerably high in our study population, although there was no significant difference between the subgroups (male/female, intern/student).