The role of motor nerve conduction: in cervical radiculopathy patients

Background: Cervical radiculopathy is the clinical description of when a nerve root in the cervical spine becomes inflamed or damaged, resulting in a change in neurological function. Neurological deficits, such as numbness, altered reflexes, or weakness, may radiate from the neck into the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers. Patient also complains of tingling, numbness or loss of sensation along with the nerve root dermatome. It is a substantial cause of disability and morbidity, and its cost-effective evaluation and treatment are crucial so there is a definite need to establish a cost effective, reliable, and accurate means for establishing the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. Electrodiagnostic tests are the closest to fulfil these criteria out of which nerve conduction tests are one of the electrodiagnostic test.Methods: In this study motor nerve conduction of ulnar and median nerve done in 30 clinically proven cervical radiculopathy patientsResults: There are significant decrease in the conduction velocity of both nerve (median nerve (51.60±7.5), Ulnar nerve (50.60±5.6)) and significantly increased in the mean latency of both nerve (median nerve (6.02±2.4), ulnar nerve (5.8±1.8)).Conclusions: Authors concluded that MNC is the specific test for the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. At least the MNC of both nerves included in diagnostic criteria of cervical radiculopathy

Discourse Analysis in the ESL Classroom

This article attempts a user-friendly definition of discourse analysis. By defining it in this manner, the authors hope to encourage teachers to use it in their ESL classrooms. To this end, they suggest certain concrete measures that bring discourse analysis into the ESL classroom

The effect and safety of placental blood drainage as a part of active management of third stage of labour in spontaneous vaginal delivery

Background: In placental cord drainage facilitates placental delivery in both vaginal and caesarean section deliveries. The present study was done to evaluate the effect and safety of placental blood drainage as a part of active management of third stage of labour to reduce the duration and blood loss during third stage of labour.Methods: The study was conducted in department of Obstetrics and, SN Medical College, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India on 400 term pregnant women, with single live intrauterine fetus in cephalic presentation, without any complication. They were randomly divided into to study and control group. Study group: It comprised of 200 Gynaecology cases, underwent active management of third stage of labour with placental blood drainage. Control group: It comprised of 200 cases, underwent active management of third stage of labour (AMTSL) alone. Duration and blood loss during third stage were noted.Results: The mean duration of third stage of labour was 3.61±0.972mins in study group and 8.15±1.711mins in control group. The mean blood loss during third stage of labour was 168.14±76.703ml and 287.40±85.808ml in study and control group respectively.Conclusions: Duration of third stage, blood loss during third stage, and hemoglobin deference between pre and post-delivery were reduced significantly in study group than control group

Validation of a noninvasive aMMP-8 point-of-care diagnostic methodology in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease

Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate an active matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-8) point-of-care diagnostic tool in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease. Subjects, Materials, and Methods: Seventy-two COVID-19-positive and 30 COVID-19-negative subjects were enrolled in the study. Demographic data were recorded, periodontal examination carried out, and chairside tests run for evaluating the expression of active MMP-8 (aMMP-8) in the site with maximum periodontal breakdown via gingival crevicular fluid sampling as well as via a mouth rinse-based kit for general disease activity. In COVID-19-positive patients, the kits were run again once the patients turned COVID-19 negative. Results: The overall (n = 102) sensitivity/specificity of the mouthrinse-based kits to detect periodontal disease was 79.41%136.76% and that of site-specific kits was 64.71%/55.88% while adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status increased the sensitivity and specificity (82.35%/76.47% and 73.53%/88.24, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for the adjusted model revealed very good area under the ROC curve 0.746-0.869 (p < .001) and 0.740-0.872 (p < .001) (the aMMP-8 mouth rinse and site-specific kits, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed in the distribution of results of aMMP-8 mouth rinse test (p = .302) and aMMP-8 site-specific test (p = .189) once the subjects recovered from COVID-19. Conclusions: The findings of the present study support the aMMP-8 point-of-care testing (PoCT) kits as screening tools for periodontitis in COVID-19 patients. The overall screening accuracy can be further increased by utilizing adjunctively risk factors of periodontitis. The reported noninvasive, user-friendly, and objective PoCT diagnostic methodology may provide a way of stratifying risk groups, deciding upon referrals, and in the institution of diligent oral hygiene regimens.Peer reviewe

Characterization of BGO crystals for Time of Flight Positron Emission Tomography

With new developments in the field of medical imaging, the time-of-flight method has gained increasing popularity in positron emission tomography (TOF-PET). Clinical TOF-PET systems using L(Y)SO:Ce have proven the benefits of the TOF-method which is now a widely accepted method. The Cherenkov effect is an optical phenomenon which provides an almost instantaneous response to the photoelectric absorption of 511 keV annihilation photons. However, the Cherenkov yield is mostly in the blue and UV- region of the light spectrum (300 -500 nm) and is extremely low (about 20 photons per photoelectric absorption of an annihilation photon). This complicates energy discrimination and is unfavorable for clinical PET. BGO crystals have been state-of-the-art in PET systems until about a decade ago. In addition to lower price, BGO offers superior physical properties required for detection of annihilation photons. After the introduction of L(Y)SO:Ce, BGO was replaced due to inferior scintillation properties. However, the optical properties of BGO crystals, especially its high refractive index and transparency to blue-UV light make it a good Cherenkov radiator. Previous studies have proven the feasibility of applying BGO crystals as hybrid scintillator/Cherenkov radiator in TOF-PET in lab-scale coincidence experiments. In this work we try to prove these results for prototype detector modules. Therefore, BGO arrays with various optical reflector materials have been examined and are being compared in terms of coincidence resolving time (CRT), photon detection yield and energy resolution

Sources of finance for hospitalized treatment in India: Evidence for policy

A study of sources of finance which the household resorts to, in order to meet the hospitalization expense can be of use to policy makers who may want to work in the direction of providing financial security against hospitalization expenses to the masses. In this view, an attempt has been made to study the sources of finance for hospitalized treatment at an individual level based on criteria such as level of living, socio-economic background, level of care in India, as well as at state level through unit level data of the survey on “Social Consumption related to Health”, conducted by National Sample Survey (NSS) during January, 2014 to June, 2014. It has been found that the household's income or saving is not sufficient to meet the expenditure for hospitalized treatment and people have to borrow or arrange finance by other means for hospitalized treatment across the country. The results thereby suggest inputs to policy makers and re-establish the necessity of appropriate policy in order to provide financial security against escalating medical expenses

An in vitro evaluation of microleakage associated with three different compomer placement techniques in primary molars

Background: Microleakage is one of the most frequently encountered problems in posterior tooth-colored restorations. Efforts to decrease this problem with resin restorations include techniques for reducing the ratio of bonded to unbonded restoration surfaces and following strategic incremental placement techniques to reduce residual stress at tooth-restoration interface which reduces the C-factor, hence microleakage. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate microleakage associated with three placement techniques for compomer restorations in primary molars. Design and Methodology: This in vitro experimental study assessed the microleakage associated with bulk-fill, horizontal-incremental, and oblique-incremental compomer placement techniques in primary molars. Ninety specimens were divided into three groups of thirty for each of the placement techniques. Results: Nearly 86.6% of the specimens presented with microleakage involving the entire axial wall and pulpal floor in the bulk-fill group, whereas 56.6% and 46.6% of the specimens in the horizontal-incremental and oblique-incremental groups showed microleakage up to two-third and one-third of the axial walls, respectively. A significant difference in scores was observed between groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Microleakage was observed with all the three techniques but was comparatively lower with the incremental placement techniques. The oblique-incremental technique offered the least microleakage

Effect of high-molecular-weight component of Cranberry on plaque and salivary Streptococcus mutans counts in children: An in vivo study

Background: Previous investigations showed that a high-molecular-weight, nondialyzable material (NDM) from cranberries inhibits the adhesion of a number of bacterial species and prevents the coaggregation of many oral bacterial pairs. Aim: In the present study, the effect of mouthrinse containing high-molecular-weight component of cranberry was evaluated on colonization of Streptococcus mutans in children and compared it with a control mouthrinse without high-molecular-weight component on Streptococcus mutans counts. Materials and Methods: A high-molecular-weight NDM was isolated from cranberry juice concentrate after the dialysis of the cranberry concentrate; followed by lyophilization. A mouthwash was prepared especially for the study having NDM in the concentration of 3 mg/ml. Following 4 weeks of daily usage of cranberry-containing mouthwash by the children of an experimental group (n = 20), the Streptococcus mutans counts in plaque and saliva were compared with that in control group using placebo mouthwash (n = 20) with the help of Dentocult SM strips. Results: There was a highlysignificant reduction in Streptococcus mutans counts in saliva and plaque of children using mouthwash containing cranberry NDM (P < 0.05) compared to control. Conclusion: The data suggest that the high-molecular-weight cranberry extract in mouthwash has a significant potential in reducing the Streptococcus counts in the oral environment

Impact of Socio-Economic Status on Cognitive Processing

Previous studies have manifested a strong relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and cognitive abilities in young children, however, the effects of SES on developed cognitive architecture remain less explored. The current study examined whether and how cognitive processing differs as a function of socioeconomic status in adults. The performance measured individuals from lower and higher SES (29.9 ± 8.2 years, Male = 81, Female = 19) on tests of working memory (Digit Span), visuo-spatial memory (visual retention and recognition) and executive functioning (Stroop test and Koh’s block test). Lower SES adults had significantly lower test scores on all the measures as compared to the higher SES adults. These findings suggest that lower SES individuals exhibit lower cognitive abilities as compared to the individuals associated with higher SES. The current findings append to the previous literature by demonstrating a significant interaction between SES and cognitive processing in adults

Effect of Shirodhara with Ksheerbala oil in stress induced insomnia (Anidra): A Case study

Sleep is counted as one of the three pillars of a body. Any disruption from normal sleep patterns affects physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Kapha Dosha is responsible for Vata's sound sleep and aggravation, and&nbsp;Pitta Dosha is responsible for Anidra. Shirodhara therapy is among the widely prescribed Panchakarma procedures for treating Anidra. This is a case of a thirty-six years old male patient who was suffering from difficulty in falling and staying asleep along with associated complaints like excessive yawning, drowsiness, giddiness, heaviness in the head, body stiffness, and indigestion for a year. Covid 19 pandemic acted as a stress trigger in the patient. Signs of any other systemic illness were absent. The patient was treated with Shirodhara with Ksheerbala oil for fourteen days. The insomnia severity index score reduced from 15 to 5 after treatment and the associated symptoms grading score reduced from ten points to two points. Shirodhara therapy not only reduces insomnia severity index score but also improves the quality of sleep and provided relief to associated complaints