Molecular detection of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in subgingival plaque of healthy young children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in subgingival plaque of healthy young children aged between 3 and 15 years using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and to compare their presence in children in their primary, mixed and permanent dentitions. METHOD: Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 120 healthy children and were grouped as Group I-Deciduous dentition, Group II- Mixed dentition and Group III- Permanent dentition, and were subjected to PCR assay. RESULTS: Binomial test and Proportions test were used for statistical analysis. A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis were detected in 5% and 35%, 12.5% and 20%, and 0% and 27.5% samples in group I, II and III respectively. CONCLUSION: Both the microorganisms were present in group I and II. In group III only P. gingivalis was present. The results from this study do not necessarily pertain to differences in dentition but possibly to inter-individual differences.

Comparative study of pulmonary function variables in relation to type of smoking.

This study was intended to compare pulmonary function parameters in beedi smokers, cigarette smokers and subjects who smoked both beedi and cigarette on the basis of the dynamic ventilatory pulmonary function tests. The pulmonary function tests were done on 188 subjects which included, 48 beedi smokers, 48 cigarette smokers, 43 others who smoked both beedi as well as cigarette and 49 non-smokers (control). In beedi smokers the values of Forced Expiratory Volume in 1st second (FEV1), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Forced Expiratory Flow (FEF) 25%-75%, FEV1/FVC%, BMI and weight were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those of cigarette smokers and non-smokers. Moreover, the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) of beedi smokers were significantly (P < 0.0001) lower than those of non-smokers. It may be concluded that pulmonary functions are more affected in beedi smokers than in cigarette smokers.

Timed activity studies for assessing the energy expenditure of women from an urban slum in south India.

Time-disposition studies are necessary for computing energy requirements of populations. This study captures the rich information on the timed activity pattern of adult women from poor households engaged in home-based work. We studied 34 women beedimakers (cigarette makers), 21 tailors, and 34 homemakers. Data were collected by direct observation of the women's activities on a typical day. Time spent on related activities was pooled and classified as sleep, household work, child care, occupational work, and residual work. These were further categorized on the basis of our published work on the energy cost of women's activities and the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of occupational activities as sedentary, moderate, and heavy. Most of the household activities could be classified as moderate to heavy (> 2.2 times basal metabolic rate [BMR]). Childcare activities were distributed on a scale from sedentary to heavy, whereas occupational activities, such as beedimaking and tailoring, were sedentary (< 2.2 BMR). Homemakers spent significantly more time on moderate to heavy work (p < .05) than beedimakers and tailors. Women working for income spent only four to six hours on occupational work, which was possible because they reduced the time spent on heavy work (i.e., housework), and reduced the time on personal care. Still, more than 80% of women could not put in eight hours of paid work. Thus, women in the home-based sector constantly negotiate among time spent on heavy household work, child care, and occupational work in order to continue in the labor market.