Pharmaceutical study of Pairojaka Bhasma

Bhasma is unique Ayurvedic metallic or mineral preparation, its use as therapeutics in Ayurveda has enormous clinical importance. Pairojaka is a gem and ornamental stone, included in Uparatna group of drugs. Pairojaka Bhasma having its clinical indication as Sthavara, Jangama and Kritrima Visha Nashana. The objective of the study was to prepare Pairojaka Bhasma as per textual reference with the help of 8 Puta. Prepared Bhasma was subjected to ancient as well as modern physio-chemical analysis. In this study an attempt has been made to standardize the process of the preparation of the Pairojaka Bhasma

Effect of educational intervention in reducing exposure to second hand tobacco smoke among 12-year-old children as determined by their salivary cotinine levels and knowledge, attitude and behavior - a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTobacco use is one of the most important public health concerns, with approximately 8.7 million tobacco-related deaths each year, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Even more concerning is the fact that 1.3 million of these deaths are seen in nonsmokers, including babies and children. This study was performed to determine whether a school-based “tobacco-free” educational intervention program among 12-year-old children would be effective in reducing their exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS) by improving their knowledge, attitude and behavior post intervention and estimating salivary cotinine levels as markers of SHS exposure.Materials and methodA randomized controlled trial was performed by a cluster random sampling technique, with 30 participants each in the experimental and control arms. A knowledge, attitude, avoidance behavior and self-efficacy of avoidance questionnaire was administered, followed by estimation of salivary cotinine levels. The experimental arm received the “tobacco-free” intervention, which comprised a 40-min health education session, with the first follow-up at 15 days and the second at 30 days after the intervention. After the intervention, the questionnaire was readministered, followed by re-estimation of salivary cotinine levels.ResultsOne month after the intervention, the number of participants who had a smoker who lived with them and the number of people who smoked inside the house were reduced in the experimental group compared to the control group. In the knowledge domain and the attitude domain, 80% and 60% of the items showed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group. In the avoidance behavior domain and the Self-Efficacy of Avoidance Domain, all the items showed improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group. When the mean salivary cotinine levels were compared pre- and postintervention, it was found that although the mean postintervention salivary cotinine levels increased in both the experimental and control groups, the increase was less in the experimental group than in the control group.ConclusionThe present study has been shown to be effective in improving the knowledge, attitude and avoidance behavior of adolescents toward exposure to secondhand smoke

Condensation of nicotinaldehydes with phenylethanones: A convenient synthesis and biological activities of chalcones

Claisen-Schmidt condensation of nicotinaldehydes 1a-e with various phenylethanones 2a-d in the presence of base at room temperature have provided chalcones 3a-t. All the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their anti-microbial, free-radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Compounds 3d and 3h have been identified as potent anti-fungal and moderate anti-bacterial agents. Compounds 3c, 3h, 3k-m and 3q have shown α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

Association of level of education and utilization of restorative dental care among rural women in India: Cross-sectional study

Background: The utilization of restorative dental care is very scarce in rural India. Association between level of education and health of a person has been well-documented in many countries and time periods with a range of potential factors shaping the connection between both. Objectives: This cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate an association between the level of education (educational qualification) and utilization of restorative dental care among rural women associated with self-help groups. Materials and Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was administrated to 660 rural women associated with self-help group by trained research assistants. The 604 completed questionnaires were received and reviewed. The education levels were divided into three groups: Group 1 - illiterates (17.2%), Group 2 - school educated (69.4%), and Group 3 - college educated (13.4%). Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the utilization of dental services by rural women, and logistic regression was applied to evaluate the influence of their educational qualifications on utilization. Results: A total of 604 properly filled questionnaires out of 660 (91.51% response rate) were included in the analysis. Only 56.9% of the sampled rural women indicated that they have visited dentists earlier. The maximum number of individuals who have never visited the dentist belonged to illiterate group (55.7%), and the association was statistically significant (0.004) when compared with educated individuals. Conclusion: The results of this study concluded that the level of education has a significant influence on the utilization of dental care

Optical coherence tomography: A guide to interpretation of common macular diseases

Optical coherence tomography is a quick, non invasive and reproducible imaging tool for macular lesions and has become an essential part of retina practice. This review address the common protocols for imaging the macula, basics of image interpretation, features of common macular disorders with clues to differentiate mimickers and an introduction to choroidal imaging . It includes case examples and also a practical algorithm for interpretation

An in vitro comparative evaluation of the effect of three intracanal medicaments – Chlorhexidine gel, triple antibiotic paste, and calcium hydroxide paste on the push-out bond strength of MTA Plus, Biodentine, and calcium-enriched mixture

Aim: Caries or traumatic injuries affecting young permanent teeth during root development usually result in an open apex which is highly challenging to treat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the push-out bond strength of apical plugs of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) Plus, Biodentine, and calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) after premedication with chlorhexidine, triple antibiotic paste (TAP), and calcium hydroxide. Methods: Fifty-four extracted intact anterior teeth were decoronated and 3 mm was sectioned from the apex. The canals were rendered parallel using #80 K-files and #3, #4 Peeso reamers to mimic an open apex situation. The samples were divided into 3 groups containing 18 samples each for the three intracanal medicaments. After premedication, the samples were stored for 2 weeks at 37°C, following which the canals were cleaned using #80 K-file along with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and sodium hypochlorite irrigation. The samples were further divided into three subgroups, each containing six samples for the three calcium silicate cement used in this study. They were later subjected to push-out bond strength testing. Results: Regardless of the type of intracanal medicament used, Biodentine had significantly higher bond strength than MTA Plus and CEM. The highest push-out bond strength results were obtained in samples premedicated with chlorhexidine. Compared to TAP and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2), this value was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, Biodentine showed the highest push-out bond strength as compared to MTA Plus and CEM. Chlorhexidine may be superior to calcium hydroxide and TAP medicaments when used for apexification procedures with calcium silicate cement

Scholars Journal of Medical Case Reports ISSN 2347-9507 (Print) Postpartum Hypernatremic Encephalopathy with Osmotic Extrapontine Myelinolysis and Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report

Abstract: A young adult female in a postpartum state was referred to our hospital with history of fever and altered sensorium. On examination patient had pallor, was febrile and stuporous. Laboratory investigations revealed hypernatremia and raised CPK levels suggestive of rhabdomyolysis and MRI showed features suggestive of hypernatremic encephalopathy. After correction of hypernatremia with oral free water supplementation and 5% dextrose and with glucocorticoids therapy, over a period of two weeks there was gradual improvement in the sensorium of the patient. At the time of discharge patient was conscious, oriented and ambulant