Electroencephalographic abnormalities in preschool children with language delay

Background: Most children seem to be slow in the initial days of learning language but some children continue to have problems. Studies show that speech and language development affects 5–10% of preschool children. A high proportion of electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities and epileptic syndromes has been found in children with severe language impairments in western studies. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to look at the rate of occurrence of EEG abnormalities in preschool children with language disorders in the local population. Materials and Methods: Fifty two preschool children (<5 years) who present with complaints of language delay/regression to Department of Audiology and speech pathology and psychiatry were included in the study. Children with concomitant hearing impairment, orofacial anomalies, and medical illness were excluded from the study. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Ethical committee. After the initial assessment, International Classification of Diseases 10 was used to diagnose language dysfunction with or without co morbid neurological or psychiatric manifestations. EEG was done on the sample and the reports analyzed. Chi-square test was used to examine statistical significance between the presence of EEG abnormalities and other categorical variables, while independent t-test was used to examine the statistical significance with that of continuous variables such as age. Associations and differences were said to be significant when P < 0.05. Results: The mean age of the sample was 49.85 months. There was a higher number of male 32 (61.5%) in comparison to females 20 (38.5%). 42 (80.8%) children of the sample had abnormal EEG discharges such as spikes, sharp and wave pattern, focal and generalized. There was higher prevalence of EEG abnormalities in girls compared to boys (P = 0.008). Children with epilepsy had higher EEG abnormalities which was statistically significant (P = 0.031). Conclusion: EEG is an useful tool in assessing children with language delay and may be a trial of antiepileptic medications can help these children.

The socio-demographic determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus among postnatal women from Palakkad district, Kerala: comparative study

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing all over the world and it is associated with different genetic factors as well as environmental factors. The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes among young people has led to an increase in number of pregnancies with this complication. As the incidence of diabetes is more in Kerala, the present study was undertaken to compare the socio-demographic determinants among pregnant mothers with normal gestation and mothers with GDM.Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study was carried out and sample size was calculated using the formulae of (Z? + Z?) 2 × 2 × P × Q/d2. The calculated sample size was 108 and consecutive sampling technique was used for data collection. A semi-structured questionnaire containing socio-demographic and obstetrics details were used as a study tool and an interview schedule was used for data collection.Results: Out of total 111 postnatal mothers, majority 80 (72.1%) belongs to the age group of 21-30 years, and more than half 64(57.66%) of mothers belongs to Hindu religion. When the socio-demographic and obstetrics details of mothers were compared among GDM and normal mothers it was found that there was statistically significant difference between religion, family history of diabetes and occurrence of GDM (p=0.001). Among obstetric details history of abortion, BMI of mothers and birth weight show statistically significant difference among two groups (p<0.001).Conclusions: The study reveals that the socio demographic factors and obstetric factors influence the occurrence of GDM.

Increasing population and declining biological resources in the context of global change and globalization.

In the context of over-consumption of natural resources in the name of development and rapid industrialization by a small section of the human population that is rapidly growing, the world is currently faced with a variety of environmental uncertainties. 'Global change' covering a whole variety of ecological issues, and 'globalization' in an economic sense, are two major phenomena that are responsible for these uncertainties. There is increasing evidence to suggest that the developing countries more than the developed, particularly the marginalized traditional (those living close to nature and natural resources) societies would be the worst sufferers. In order to cope with this problem in a situation where the traditional societies have to cope with rapidly depleting biodiversity on which they are dependant for their livelihood, there is an urgent need to explore additional pathways for sustainable management of natural resources and societal development. Such pathways should be based on a landscape management strategy, that takes into consideration the rich traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that these societies have. This is critical because TEK is the connecting link between conservation and sustainable development. This paper explores the possibilities in this direction through a balanced approach to development, that links the 'traditional' with the 'modern', in a location-specific way.

Mechanism of the antioxidant effect of Bordetella pertussis extract.

In order to gain insight into the antioxidant effect of the cell extract from Bordetella pertussis (strain 18-323, phase I) pancreatic antioxidant enzymes, glutathione (GSH), lipid conjugated dienes, DNA strand breaks in islet cells and the in vitro ROM scavenging potential of the extract were studied in 18 hr-fasted mice after administration (i.v.) of the extract (1 mg/kg body wt) 1 hr before alloxan treatment. The antioxidant enzymes activities as well as the glutathione content, which were severely depleted in the alloxan group, were found to be significantly restored in the extract treated group at the end of 48 hr. Moreover, the extract arrested the two-fold increase in lipid conjugated dienes, the primary products of lipid peroxidation, and afforded significant protection against DNA strand breakage in islet cells of pancreas in alloxan diabetic mice. In addition, it caused a six-fold increase in serum insulin levels of normal mice in 15 min and also demonstrated an unique in vitro superoxide anion radical scavenging activity at a dose of 37.5 micrograms/ml in 10 min. B. pertussis extract thus appears to exert its antioxidant protection through stimulation of insulin release from pancreas and hitherto unobserved intrinsic superoxide anion radical scavenging ability.

Gap phase regeneration of tree species of differing successional status in a humid tropical forest of Kerala, India.

Germination, establishment and growth of seedlings of tree species Palaquium ellipticum (primary), Actinodaphne malabarica (late secondary) and Macaranga peltata (early secondary) were studied in a humid tropical forest at Nelliampathy, in the Western Ghats of Kerala. While the primary species completed its germination within a brief period of 1·5 months, at the other extreme, early secondary species showed slow germination extending for about 5 months, the late secondary species falling in between. Although, all the species studied showed higher establishment and growth under gaps, the early secondary species were more responsive compared to the primary species. Primary species showed better establishment in undisturbed sites and natural gaps than under selection felled gaps; the reverse was true for late and early secondary species. Survival of seedlings increased with gap size, but sharply declined with gap age. Shoot/root ratio was consistently higher in the early secondary species than in the primary species.

Bordetella pertussis extract induces increase in the activities of glycolytic enzymes in mouse liver.

The hypoglycemic effect of Bordetella pertussis (Challenge strain No.18323) purified cell extract (protein with traces of carbohydrates, 2 mg%) administered (0.1 mg/100 g body wt. i.v.) into mice on the activities of the key regulatory enzymes, viz. glucokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, glyceraldehyde phosphodehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and lactate dehydrogenase, of glycolytic pathway in liver has been studied at varying intervals after injection. The maximum hypoglycaemic effect was observed at the end of 12 hr, while activities of all the enzymes studied showed significant enhancement after 18 hr, thus suggesting increased glucose utilization towards the formation of pyruvate. Actinomycin D is found to inhibit stimulation of G-6-PD activity in B. pertussis treated animals, thereby indicating the role of B. pertussis in synthesis of this enzyme.