A Cross Sectional Survey for Dermatoses in Children and Adolescents Residing in Orphanages in Urban Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.

CONTEXT: Skin diseases are a major cause of public concern among underprivileged people residing in orphanages. There is a need for community-based study for dermatoses in orphanages as the literature is scarce at the national and international levels. AIMS: For profiling of various dermatoses to generate information on general health, nutritional status, and sanitation, and to educate about personal skin hygiene and care to inmates in urban child orphanages. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 18 urban child orphanages in Tirunelveli city for 1 month. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A predesigned proforma was prepared and the demographic details regarding the inmates were obtained and they were screened under natural light for skin, hair, nail, and oral disorders as well as their built, nourishment, height, and weight were measured and recorded in tabulations. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistical analysis was followed for describing the prevalence of dermatoses and the age group affected which are explained in percentages and ratios. RESULTS: Out of a total of 850 inmates, 93 (11%) were of 5-9 years and 757 (89%) were of 10-19 years. Among them, 330 (39%) were males and 520 (61%) were females. Overall, the inmates affected with dermatoses were 360 (42.4%) and infectious dermatoses were seen in 218 inmates (60.5%) and non-infectious dermatoses were seen in 142 inmates (39.5%). Adolescent females were more commonly affected and the commonest dermatoses observed were pediculosis capitis (13.6%) followed by acne vulgaris (8.1%) and in adolescent males, scabies (7.1%) was the commonest. No psychocutaneous disorders were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Infections and infestations are common in orphanages due to a lack of awareness of personal hygiene and self-care practices. They should be given health education in order to reduce the disease burden in children living in orphanages which in turn decreases the disease burden at the community level.

Smartphone geospatial apps for dengue control, prevention, prediction, and education: MOSapp, DISapp, and the mosquito perception index (MPI).

India has the largest number of dengue cases in the world, contributing approximately 34% of the global burden. The framework for a geospatially enabled early warning and adaptive response system (EWARS) was first proposed in 2008. It was meant to be a decision support system for enhancing traditional surveillance methods for preventing mosquito-borne diseases in India by utilizing remote sensing data and fuzzy logic-based mathematical predictive modeling. This conceptual paper presents a significant evolution of EWARS such that it synthesizes inputs from not only traditional surveillance and reporting systems for dengue but also from the public via participatory disease surveillance. Two smartphone-based applications have been developed to support EWARS. The first-MOSapp-allows field health workers to upload surveillance data and collect key data on environmental parameters by both direct observation and via portable microclimate stations. The second-DISapp-collects relevant information directly from the community to support participatory disease surveillance. It also gives the user a real-time estimate of the risk of exposure to dengue in proximity to their home and has an educational component that provides information on relevant preventive measures. Both applications utilize a new mosquito abundance measure-the mosquito perception index (MPI)-as reported by the user. These data streams will feed into the EWARS model to generate dynamic risk maps that can guide resource optimization and strengthen disease surveillance, prevention, and response. It is anticipated that such an approach can assist in addressing gaps in the current system of dengue surveillance and control in India.

Importance of magnesium ions in development of tolerance to ethanol: studies on cultured cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells, type-2 astrocytes and intact rat brain.

This study was designed to examine the roles of intracellular free magnesium ion concentration ([Mg(2+)](i)) in ethanol-induced intoxication and development of tolerance in cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells and astrocytes as well as intact rat brain. The basal, resting level of [Mg(2+)](i) in cerebrovascular cells was 732.5 +/- 82.4 microM. Exposure of cultured canine cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells to ethanol (10 and 25 mM) for 24 h reduced the concentrations of [Mg(2+)](i) to 521.1 +/- 59.6 microM, and 308.2 +/- 37.8 microM, respectively. However, exposure of these cultured vascular cells to the same concentrations of ethanol, after initial pretreatment with ethanol for 24 h, failed to interfere with the levels of [Mg(2+)](i). Measurement of [Mg(2+)](i) at 48 h and 72 h indicated that the decreased levels of [Mg(2+)](i) induced by ethanol at 24 h treatment returned toward baseline. Similar experiments were performed in cultured type-2 astrocytes isolated from neonatal rat brain. The basal level of [Mg(2+)](i) in type-2 astrocytes was about 125 microM. Incubation of these cells with 10 mM ethanol for 10 min resulted in a 27% reduction in the level of [Mg(2+)](i), whereas incubation with 25 mM ethanol resulted in almost a 50% reduction in [Mg(2+)](i). The decreased levels of [Mg(2+)](i) lasted around 30 min, until the measurement finished. Continuous incubation of these cultured astrocytes, with ethanol (either 10 mM or 25 mM), for more than 24 h, indicated that the concentrations of [Mg(2+)](i) in type-2 astrocytes were equivalent to those at basal, resting levels. In vivo 31P-NMR spectroscopy, performed on intact rat brains, indicated that an initial administration of 4 mg/kg ethanol ( approximately 20-25 mM blood alcohol level) resulted (after 20-40 min of exposure) in severe deficits in whole brain [Mg(2+)](i) (550 +/- 33 microM to 358 +/- 24 microM). Repeated injections of ethanol (4 mg/kg) over the next 24-72 h resulted in progressively diminishing effects on brain [Mg(2+)](i). These experimental data indicate that chronic ethanol treatment can induce a tolerance to depletion of [Mg(2+)](i) in cerebrovascular smooth muscle cells, type-2 astrocytes as well as intact rat brain. The results suggest that [Mg(2+)](i) might play a major role in alcohol-induced tolerance in the brain.

Low concentrations of ethanol deplete type-2 astrocytes of intracellular free magnesium.

The acute effects of low concentrations of ethanol on intracellular free magnesium ions ([Mg2+]i) in cultured type-2 astrocytes were studied by digital imaging microscopy using the Mg2+ fluorescent probe, mag-fura-2. In 0-mM ethanol, the basal level of [Mg+]i was 124.7+/-2.56 microM with a heterogeneous distribution within the cells. Treatment of the cells with 10 and 25 mM ethanol (10 min) resulted in rapid concentration-dependent reduction in [Mg2+]i; the greater the concentration of alcohol, the greater the depletion of [Mg2+]i. Exposure of cells to 10 and 25 mM resulted in approximately 27 and 50% reductions in [Mg2+]i, respectively. Reincubation in normal Mg2+-physiological buffer solution restored [Mg2+]i levels. These observations may suggest that acute "binge drinking" of ethanol, which often results in cerebral ischemia and stroke, may do so as a result of depletion of astrocytic [Mg2+]i, possibly producing disruption of the blood-brain barrier.