Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Three Single File Retreatment Systems for Removal of Gutta Percha and Assessment of Root Canal Transportation - An In Vitro Study

Background: In comparison to multiple file systems, recent advancements in single file retreatment systems had reduced the working time and ease of operation for clinicians. Aim: To compare the efficacy of retreatment systems compared with hand instrumentation, by evaluating their removal efficacy, time required for retreatment and assessment of canal transportation. Methods and Material: Forty premolars were instrumented using ProTaper Gold gold files. Post instrumentation, scan was taken, obturated using warm vertical compaction technique, and stored in artificial saliva for three months and randomly divided into four groups for retreatment. Hand instrumentation (Hi), Neoniti (Nn), Mtwo R (Mt), WaveOne Gold (Wg). Post retreatment, scan was taken. Teeth were sectioned longitudinally and photographed under the stereomicroscope. Retreatment time was recorded, and canal transportation was calculated. Statistical Analysis: The results were analyzed using one?way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test at 95% confidence level. Results: The retreatment time was significantly longer in the Hi group. Within the test groups, a significantly longer time has been taken by Wg (p < 0.05) compared to Mt and Nn. There was no difference in the canal transportation between the single file systems at 3 mm, 6 mm and 9 mm from the apex, there was statistically significant higher transportation for the Hi group at 9 mm from the apex (p < 0.05). Conclusions: All techniques were effective in removal of filling material with minimal canal transportation. Wg system was shown to increased time compared to Nn and Mt systems. Hi group was slowest with maximum canal transportation at 9 mm from the apex.

An undiagnosed case of cervical ectopic pregnancy: A case report

Cervical ectopic pregnancy very rarely presents in the second trimester. A 35-year-old female was diagnosed with a rare case of cervical pregnancy intraoperatively at 18 weeks as it was undetected prior. Emergency laparotomy was done as she started bleeding torrentially, and a hysterectomy was done as postpartum hemorrhage was noted. The patient recovered in 1 day and was discharged on day 10 without any postoperative surgical complications.

Lethologica in aging: An analytical study

Introduction: Lethologica is a phenomenon that is an early sign of aging. Lethologica refers to the inability to retrieve a specific word as a response to a visual, auditory, or tactile presentation. Need: Even though it is known that aging has a strong impact on cognitive language functions, it is not yet clear which aspect is most affected. Since naming is an important element of language functions, analysis of this aspect would aid in understanding the nature of deterioration of cognitive?linguistic functions with age. Aim: The aim is to analyze the impact of aging on naming abilities in neurotypical individuals. Methods: One hundred and fifty neurotypical individuals of 30 individuals from each group between 30 and 80 years of age, i.e., 31� years, 41� years, 51� years, 61� years, and 71� years participated in the study. A tool was developed in Malayalam language to assess confrontation naming, responsive naming, generative naming, and contextual naming. A score of 1 was given for each correct response. Results: As age advances, all the naming abilities deteriorated. The effect was most prominent in the generative naming task as it demands the most cognitive involvement. The neuronal areas governing these cognitive aspects mainly include the prefrontal cortical regions which are highly susceptible to the aging process. Responsive naming and contextual naming were least affected as it gained the advantage of crystallized intelligence. The age?related decline is more prominent after the age of 60 years. Conclusion: Naming skills, even though being a language element also have strong foundations within the cognitive domain. Hence, any age-related neurobiological alterations can impact naming functions.

An In Vitro Evaluation of the Remineralizing Efficacy of Two concentrations of Silica Doped Nanohydroxyapatite on Bleached Enamel

@#Introduction: Vital bleaching of teeth is associated with mineral loss and surface roughness leading to hypersensitivity. Aesthetic restorations are recommended after one week. Search is on for a suitable remineralizing material, which helps in instant adhesive bonding. Hence objective of the study is to evaluate the remineralizing efficacy of two concentrations of Silica doped Nanohydroxyapatite on bleached enamel. Methods: Enamel surfaces of 30 extracted human central incisors were divided into Part A: Unbleached enamel, Part B: Bleached enamel, Part C: Remineralized enamel. The samples were randomly divided into, Group 1: MI Paste Plus (Recaldent, USA), Group 2 and 3 for application of Dentin bonding agents (Tetric- n-bond, Ivoclar, Vivadent) mixed 0.2% and 0.8% Silica doped Nanohydroxyapatite (Sigma Aldrich, Bangalore, India). Post bleaching remineralizing agents were applied on part C. Surface roughness was evaluated with contact stylus profilometer and mineral content was evaluated with Energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy for three parts. Data were analysed using ANOVA and Post Hoc Tukey test with p ≤ 0.05. Results: Surface roughness values (Ra) were increased, and mineral loss (Ca:P) was observed after bleaching. After application of remineralizing agents, surface roughness was decreased with no significant value (p > 0.05) and a significant increase in mineral content of all three groups with a p < 0.05 was observed. Conclusion: Application of dentin bonding agent mixed with Silica doped Nanohydroxyapatite decreased surface roughness and improved remineralization of bleached enamel.

Effect of lifestyle intervention holistic approach on blood glucose levels, health-related quality of life and medical treatment cost in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a costly, lifestyle-related disorder, its management is very critical and challenging hence lifestyle intervention may a cornerstone in the reversal and management of T2DM. This study designed to assess the impact of lifestyle intervention holistic (LIH) Model on blood glucose levels (BGL), Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL), and medical treatment cost in T2DM patients. This prospective, quasi-experimental study was conducted among 224 T2DM patients in Delhi Diabetes Research Center (DDRC), New Delhi. The study participants were allocated into two groups-Lifestyle Intervention Counseling (LIC) group received lifestyle-based counseling through the LIH model while the Usual-care group received only standard treatment. Study outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3rd, 6th, and 12th month and data were analyzed through SPSS. Study results revealed that LIC participants had decreased in fasting blood glucose 0.26 mg dL-1(-4.37 to 4.89), blood glucose postprandial -70.16 mg dL-1(-85.15 to -55.16), HbA1C -2.82% (-5.26 to -0.37), medicine cost (p < 0.004), hospitalization cost (p < 0.011), and cost of surgery (p < 0.0005). A significant improvement also observed in HRQOL and adherence towards a holistic model in LIC group. The study concludes that lifestyle-based counseling and its adherence was cost-effective and significantly improves BGL, HRQoL, and medical treatment in T2DM patients.

Genetic alterations in Wnt family of genes and their putative association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most frequent type of head and neck cancer that usually arises from the mucosal surfaces of several organs including nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, oral cavity, tongue, pharynx, and larynx. The Wnt signaling pathway is a crucial mechanism for cellular maintenance and development. It regulates cell cycle progression, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Dysregulation of this pathway correlates with oncogenesis in various tissues including breast, colon, pancreatic as well as head and neck cancers. The present study aims to assess the gene alterations in the Wnt family of genes so as to derive an association with HNSCC. Computational approaches have been utilized for the identification of gene alterations in the Wnt family of genes. Several databases such as cBioportal, STRING, and UALCAN were used for the purpose. The frequency of alteration was high in case of Wnt family member 11 (5%). Gene amplification, deep deletions, missense and truncating mutations were observed in HNSCC patients. There was a marked difference in the gene expression profile of WNT11 between grades as well as normal samples. The survival probability measured using the Kaplan-Meier curve also presented with a significant difference among male and female subjects experiencing a low/medium level expression. The female patients showed less survival probability when compared to the male subjects. This provides the prognostic significance of the WNT11 gene in HNSCC. Taken together, the present study provides clues on the possible association of WNT11 gene alterations with HNSCC, which has to be further validated using experimental approaches.

Genetic alterations in Wnt family of genes and their putative association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most frequent type of head and neck cancer that usually arises from the mucosal surfaces of several organs including nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, oral cavity, tongue, pharynx, and larynx. The Wnt signaling pathway is a crucial mechanism for cellular maintenance and development. It regulates cell cycle progression, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Dysregulation of this pathway correlates with oncogenesis in various tissues including breast, colon, pancreatic as well as head and neck cancers. The present study aims to assess the gene alterations in the Wnt family of genes so as to derive an association with HNSCC. Computational approaches have been utilized for the identification of gene alterations in the Wnt family of genes. Several databases such as cBioportal, STRING, and UALCAN were used for the purpose. The frequency of alteration was high in case of Wnt family member 11 (5%). Gene amplification, deep deletions, missense and truncating mutations were observed in HNSCC patients. There was a marked difference in the gene expression profile of WNT11 between grades as well as normal samples. The survival probability measured using the Kaplan-Meier curve also presented with a significant difference among male and female subjects experiencing a low/medium level expression. The female patients showed less survival probability when compared to the male subjects. This provides the prognostic significance of the WNT11 gene in HNSCC. Taken together, the present study provides clues on the possible association of WNT11 gene alterations with HNSCC, which has to be further validated using experimental approaches.

Targeting the Secreted Aspartic Proteinase (SAP-1) Associated with Virulence in C. albicans by C. cassia Bio-compounds: A Computational Approach

Evaluation of the drug ligand interactions between the C. cassia bio-compounds with the SAP-1 in C. albicans to explore the inhibitory medicinal potential of C. cassia bio-compounds by a computational approach is performed in the present investigation. Antimicrobial assay was done using agar well diffusion method with the crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the dried barks of C. cassia against C. albicans. 2D & 3D structures of the active bio-compounds of C. cassia were optimized and the 3D structure of SAP-1 was retrieved from the PDB data bank. In-silico inhibitory potential of the selected C. cassia biocompounds against SAP-1 was done by Auto Dock 2.0 and was visualized with Accelrys discovery studio visualizing tool with the assessment of the molecular properties of the ligands against SAP-1 by molinspiration calculations and further assessment for their drug likeliness. In-vitro analysis showed a promising anti-fungal activity of C. cassia extracts against C. albicans. Cinnamoyl E-acetate and Eugenyl acetate seem to possess promising inhibitory effect to target SAP-1 with a least binding energy of –5.33 and -5.21 Kcal/mol with four hydrogen bonds respectively. Molinspiration assessments showed zero violations for all the C. cassia compounds with the TPSA scores of <140 Å towards the best oral bioavailability. The findings of the study emphasize that cinnamaldehyde, cinnamoyal acetate and eugenol from C. cassia seem to possess a promising inhibitory effect against SAP-1 of C. albicans suggesting the medicinal value of the spice against SAP-1

Frequency of Chromosomally Encoded gyrA and parC Genetic Determinants of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in A. baumannii

Fluoroquinolones are administered as routine drugs of choice for treating complicated urinary tract infections caused by multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains. It is now a world-wide issue that gyr and par induced quinolone resistance as one of the major drug resistance mechanisms. This investigation is thus aimed to assess the prevalence of quinolone resistance and to characterize the gyrA and parC producing strains of A. baumannii. Genomic DNA from 50 fluoroquinolone resistant A. baumannii were screened for gyrA and parC by PCR for the genetic relatedness with fluoroquinolone resistance, with sequencing of the representative strains. All the strains were positive for gyrA(100%) and 82% (n=41)for parC. Presence of parC was observed in 56.09% (n=23) ciprofloxacin resistant A. baumannii with 43.90% (n=18) in levofloxacin resistant A baumannii. The findings of the present study showed the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance among A. baumannii in urinary tract infections and the frequency of gyrA and parC in inducing the resistance

Frequency of Adhesive Virulence Factor fimH among the Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in India

The objective of the study was to detect the presence of fimH geneamong the drug resistanst strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.fimH gene was found to be associated with a catch bond mechanism which led to better evolution of biofilm formation. Since there are not many studies done with this gene it would be a timely investigation and this study mainly aims in molecular characterizationof fimHgene among clinical isolates of A.baumannii. Semi quantitative bio adherent assay was done by the multidrug resistant strains of A.baumannii to find the formation of biofilm. The DNA was extracted with the help of kit and PCR was performed for amplification. Pearson correlation analysis was done to find the existing correlation between the fimHgene and MDR strains of A.baumanniiwith significant p-value of (<0.05). From the screened 73 genomes of MDR A.baumannii 6.8% showed positive amplicons for the fimH gene which were related to biofilm and porin formation (Fig. 1). Correlation of its existence was high in beta lactamase (100%), cephems (100%), folate (100%) resistant strains, followed by aminoglycosides (80%), carbapenems (60%) and fluoroquinolones (60%) and efflux pumps (20%). In Spite of various measures undertaken to prevent the disease, the prevalence of the pathogen is multiplying. The current study recorded the presence of fimHgene (6.8%) among the clinical isolates of A.baumannii. This gene can be used as a target to develop new drugs and vaccines to combat the menace of A.baumannii infection

An in silico Analysis of Protein Targeted by Glycyrrhizin in Common Dental Pathogens

Glycyrrhizin is a phytocompound which is derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra. It is used in treating the upper respiratory tract disease like cough, bronchitis, laryngitis, sore throat, etc. It has various medicinal uses in rheumatism, peptic ulcers, asthma, allergies, and inflammation. Glycyrrhizin has been reported to possess antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti inflammatory properties. In view of the above facts, the present in silicostudy was designed to demonstrate the molecular mechanism underlying the antimicrobial activity of glycyrrhizin against common dental pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Enterococcus faecalisandTannerella forsythia.The STITCH tool was used to identify the drug-protein interaction. The functional class of the protein was deduced using VICMPred, followed by the identification of epitopes on the virulence factors using BepiPred. Further, the subcellular location of the virulence factors were also studied using PSORTb software. The computational analysis performed identified several virulence factors viz., short chain dehydrogenase/reductase family oxidoreductase of Treponema denticola and D-mannonate oxidoreductase of Tannerella forsythiawhich were found to interact with glycyrrhizin. Interestingly, phosphopyruvate hydratase was found to be the protein present in all the five genera was shown to interact with glycyrrhizin. Thus the present study reveals the target proteins on the dental pathogens which were shown to interact with glycyrrhizin. Furthermore,experimental validation of the resultsare warranted to provide substantial details on the anti-microbial activity of glycyrrhizin against common dental pathogens

Deciphering the Genetic Aberrations in DNA Damage Response Genes and Their Possible Association with HNSCC

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) includes carcinomas in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. It is considered as the sixth most common form of cancer in the world. Severalstudies have confirmed that smoking and alcohol consumption are the major risk factors for HNSCC. DNA damage response genes play an important role in the maintenance of the genome. Defects in cell cycle checkpoint and DNA repair mechanisms, such asmutation or abnormalities, may lead to the wide spectrum of human diseases. The present study employs databases and computational tools to identify the genetic abnormalities associated with DNA damage related genes which might have a direct or indirect association with HNSCC. The demographic details of HNSCC patients was obtained from The Cancer Gene Atlas (TCGA, Firehose Legacy) dataset hosted by the cBioportal database. The oncoprint data analysis revealed the highest frequency of gene alteration in the ATR gene (15%), followed by ATM, BRCA2and CHEK2(5%). Other genes showed less than 5% alteration. The gene expression profile of ATRgene revealed its differential expression pattern in different grades of tumor relative to normal samples. The survival curve analysis using Kaplan-Meier method revealed that a high level expression of the ATR gene leads to poor survival rate in the female HNSCC patients when compared to males. Thus the present study has identified gross and single nucleotide variants in the ATRgene which could have a putative role in the development of tumor. Further experimental research is required to confirm this association

Effect of Two Different Mouth Rinses on S. mutans Counts in Subjects Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment – A Pilot Study

The study is thus aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of Herbostra oil pulling mouthwash with Chlorhexidinemouthwash in reducing plaque accumulation around orthodontic brackets. A total of 20 patients were considered in this study randomly assigned into Group I (experimental group -Herbostra oil pulling mouthwash) and Group II (reference group-0.2% Chlorhexidine mouthwash). The plaque index scores were recorded in each individual at baseline (pre) and after 3 weeks (post).Dental plaque samples were collected around the orthodontic brackets at the cervical region of maxillary upper molars and lower incisors bycotton swabbing method and evaluated for the presence of microflora. Paired sample t-test for Streptococcus mutanscount showed that statistically significant difference only within the group II (p=0.000) (Chlorhexidine group) and there was no significantdifference within the group I (p=0.103) (Herbostra group). Paired sample t-test for plaque index score shows statistically significant difference within the groups (0.000).Independent t test showed statistically significant difference in the levels ofStreptococcus mutanscount after 3 weeks between the two groups (p=0.000) with the mean values of (2.230±0.5056), (1.080±0.3458) in group I and group II respectively. From this study we concluded that, even though there was a reduction in plaque scores and S. mutanscount with Herbostra oil pulling mouthwash but it was not as effective as Chlorhexidine mouth rinse

Genetic Aberrations in Caspase Family of Genes and Their Possible Association with HNSCC

The cell suicide pathway of apoptosis is a necessary event in the life of multicellular organisms. It is involved in many biological processes ranging from development to the immune response. Over expression of interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (later renamed caspase-1) was shown to be sufficient to induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. The present study aims to assess the gene alterations in the Caspase family of cytochromes so as to derive an association with HNSCC. Earlier eleven genes were found in the human genome to encode 11 human caspases, caspase-1 to caspase-10 and caspase-14, which is now populated to 13, whereas 10 genes were found in the mouse genome to encode 10 murine caspases including caspase-1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14 Caspases share a number of features distinguishable from other proteases. The analysis follows an observational study design, employing several computational tools to identify and predict the possible outcomes of gene alterations identified in HNSCC patients. cBioportal server was used to identify the gene alterations which was further analyzed using tools such as PROVEAN, I-Mutant and gnomAD. Several reported polymorphic variants were also identified. The pathogenicity and protein stability of gene alterations documented in the present study were identified at standard biological conditions. Further experimental studies would provide concrete evidence on the association of the observed genetic abnormalities with HNSCC especially in individuals exposed to habitual carcinogens

Correlation between serum ferritin and gall stones

Background: The incidence of gall stones is in increasing trend. The old axiom that a typical gall stone sufferer is a fat, fertile, female of fifty, is only partially true, as the disease is found in women soon after their first delivery, in underweight and thin people. So, while searching for other parameters, iron deficiency was found to be a new parameter of interest in the aetiology of gall stones.7Methods: 50 cases of cholelithiasis and 40 cases of anaemia with low serum ferritin levels from September 2017 to August 2019 was studied. Serum iron was estimated by carbonyl metallo-immunoassay method. Serum cholesterol was estimated by the CHOD-POD Enzymatic method. Biliary cholesterol was estimated after extraction of biliary lipids from bile from the gallbladder specimen of the patients by the method of Folch et al which was followed by the procedure similar to the analysis of serum cholesterol by CHOD-POD enzymatic method. Fischer’s chi square exact test was used as statistical method.Results: It was observed that 70% of the group A study group with cholelithiasis had normal serum ferritin levels and 30% had low serum ferritin levels. It was observed that 95% had normal sonographic findings and 5% had cholelithiasis with normal ferritin levels in group B.Conclusions: In our study low serum ferritin levels with cholelithiasis was associated with raised bile cholesterol levels and so it can be concluded that low serum ferritin level is causing biliary stasis and hence leading to increase in the incidence of cholelithiasis.

Adverse drug reaction risk assessment with prescribed renal risk drugs among hospitalized patients attending a teaching hospital in South India

Background: Renal impairment is the primary cause of mortality and morbid conditions in patients. Inappropriate drug use in patients who are with risk of renal damage causes harmful and deleterious effects. Adjusting doses based on renal function is necessary for renal risk drugs, primarily to avoid adverse reactions of medications. Aim of the present study was to assess the risk of incidence on ADRs with drugs lowering the renal function.Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study conducted in General Medicine department. 230 Patients constituted the sample in the study. The study was conducted for a period of one year and prescriptions with renal risk drugs were evaluated. Changes in the renal functional tests were compared to the normal range and adverse drug responses were monitored.Results: A total of 230 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The meanage of the study subjects were 50.9±15.2 respectively. 56.39% patients were men and 43.6% were women. Renal risk drugs included in the study are anti-hypertensive, antibiotics, and analgesics. Paracetamol (24.77%) followed by telmisartan (20.85%) are the predominantly prescribed renal risk drugs with high incidence of adverse drug reactions. Causality assessment by Naranjo ADR probability scale showed out of 211 ADRs, 51.6% were possible, 25.59% were doubtful, 21.8% were probable and 0.94% was definite.Conclusions: The current study signifies that patients under high risk of renal damage require continuous monitoring and optimized therapy for better disease management.

Assessment of immunization among newborns: comparison between children delivered vaginally and by cesarean section

Background: Timely administration of vaccines, particularly for hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours of birth is of immense importance. It is considered as an indicator of quality of immunization programme. This study aimed to assess effect of mode of delivery and type of hospital on immunization among newborns.Methods: This large multi-site study was conducted in Pune district having population of 9.43 million. A total of 13 hospitals were selected which included all government hospitals performing more than five cesarean sections per month, and one government and one private medical college hospital. Cesarean section and vaginally deliveries were enrolled in 1:1 ratio. Their children were followed till discharge. Data were collected by obstetrician or qualified nurse.Results: During study period 3,112 women were enrolled. The relative risk of not getting vaccine Hepatitis B birth dose before 24 hours among cesarean delivered newoborns was 1.08. The relative risk of not getting zero polio and BCG among cesarean delivered newborns was 0.71 and 0.76 respectively. All these differences were significant. The coverage for all vaccines was better in sub district hospitals than others. Coverage of all vaccines in government teaching hospital was better than private.Conclusions: Cesarean section enabled better coverage among newborns probably due to length of stay. Whereas the physical and mental stress after cesarean section resulted lesser coverage of hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours. Opportunities of timely Hepatitis B birth dose administration were missed probably due to lack of knowledge among health workers about ideal timing.

Bronchoscopic Analysis in Sputum Smear Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients A Hospital based Study

Introduction: India has the highest burden of TB cases inthe world, majority of them are pulmonary tuberculosis.The method of choice for diagnosis of PTB is microscopicexamination of AFB by sputum smear. However, 30 to 50%of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis can have negativesputum report or may not produce sputum. Flexible fibreopticbronchoscopy can provide excellent material for diagnosis forpatients with suspected sputum smear negative pulmonarytuberculosis. Study aimed to evaluate the role of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in sputum smear negative pulmonorytuberculosis.Material and methods: Forty suspected cases of pulmonaryTB with clinical and radiological evidence of tb and sputumsmear negative on 2 occasions were selected for thisprospective nonrandomised observational study. Detailedexamination of the bronchial tree was done and specimensincluding bronchial aspirate and lavage was collected andsend for investigations. Post bronchoscopy sputum (PBS) wasalso collected and sent for smear microscopy.Results: In our study of 40 patients, tuberculosis wasconfirmed in 13 (32.50%) by smear examination of AFB inBroncho alveolar fluid and by post bronchoscopy sputumsmear examination in 3/40 (7.5%) cases. A definitive diagnosisof tuberculosis was possible in 23 (57.5%) of the 40 patientsby AFB culture by BACTEC MGIT960.Conclusion: Fibreoptic bronchoscopy with post bronchoscopysputum,BAL and BAL AFB culture is a useful tool fordiagnosis and can thereby prompt treatment of sputum smearnegative pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Clinico-Mycological Study of dermatophytosis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Dermatophytes are fungi that infects the skin, hair and nails. They are hyaline septate moulds with more than hundred species described. Of these, 42 species are considered as valid and less than half are associated with human diseases. Dermatophytoses are infections produced by these and are common in tropical and subtropical areas of the country with high humidity.1 We wanted to speciate dermatophytes using phenotypic methods, analyze the risk factors, and study their clinical correlation.METHODSThe study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in South India over a period of one year. All newly suspected cases of dermatophytosis attending Dermatology Outpatient Department were selected for the study. Thus, a total of 113 patients were enrolled in the study. Samples from these patients were subjected to direct microscopy and culture was done on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar with antibiotics. Potato dextrose agar was used for enhancement of pigment production. Culture confirmation and speciation were done by tease mount, slide culture and supplemental tests like urease test and hair perforation test. RESULTSThe present study was carried out on 113 clinically diagnosed cases of dermatophytoses. Maximum number of cases occurred in the 11-20 years age group and slight female preponderance was noted. Tinea corporis was the most common type of dermatophytosis, 68 cases (60.2%) followed by mixed type (tinea corporis + tinea cruris) 14 cases (12.4%) and tinea cruris 13 cases (11.5%). Overall positivity by culture was 39% and by direct microscopy 96%. Trichophyton rubrum was the most predominant species - 18 isolates (38.3%) and most of them were isolated from tinea corporis. Trichophyton verrucosum (25.5%) and Trichophyton mentagrophyte (21.3%) were also obtained as major isolates.CONCLUSIONSThis study highlighted that tinea corporis is the commonest clinical type. Trichophyton rubrum is the most predominant species. But we got a fairly good number of Trichophyton verrucosum and Trichophyton mentagrophyte also. Exposure to predisposing factors were present in almost half of the cases. Dermatophytosis is a trivial disease and antifungal agents are the drugs of choice for treatment but identification of predisposing factors and avoidance of these can decrease the incidence of the disease to some extent

Effect of Lifestyle based Edu Vaccine in Indian community: Study Outcomes of National Program for Prevention and Eradication of Heart Attack (NPPEHA)

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of Education (Edu) vaccine in National Program forPrevention and Eradication of Heart Attack (NPPEHA).Methods: This pretest–posttest designed study was held in the SAAOL Heart Center in different cities (Delhi,Kolkata, Bangalore, and Mumbai) of India from Nov 2016 to Dec 2017. Total 6,225 community people were enrolled.An educational counseling intervention (Edu vaccine) comprising: knowledge of heart, heart disease awareness,risk factor awareness, preventive measure awareness and diagnostic, and regular medical checkups were given tocommunity people with expert doctors through face-to-face interactions and video counseling. The effect of lifestylebased counseling was assessed through pre- and post-designed Edu vaccine questionnaire.Results: The results of this study showed a significant improvement in knowledge of heart (79.6%), heart diseaseawareness (87.8%), risk factor awareness (74.9%), preventive measure awareness (89.8%), diagnostic, and regularmedical checkups (84.7%), respectively.Conclusion: The results of this study showed a significant improvement in knowledge of heart (79.6%), heart diseaseawareness (87.8%), risk factor awareness (74.9%), preventive measure awareness (89.8%), diagnostic, and regularmedical checkups (84.7%), respectively. The first phase study of NPPEHA results conclude that lifestyle-based Eduvaccine is effective, and this tool is very easy to follow and heart attack prevention methods. The next phase ofNPPEHA program is ongoing and results are awaited.