Leprosy elimination campaigns in Orissa

Four Modified Leprosy Elimination Campaigns (MLECs) were conducted in Orissa by March 2003. Their impact on various leprosy indicators was analyzed. More than 70% of the people of the State were examined during these campaigns. The suspect rate decreased from 1.44% to 0.37% towards the fourth MLEC. About 15% of the suspects were clinically confirmed to be having leprosy. The total number of new cases detected during the MLEC years was on the decrease. A marked fall in new case-detection rate was observed during inter-MLEC years. This has resulted in fluctuation in the prevalence rate during the MLEC years, but the overall PR/10,000 population decreased from 12.18 in 1996-97 to 7.3 in March 2003. More than 40% of the total new cases and about 45% of total new child cases for the corresponding year were detected during the MLECs, and the proportion of total new case-detection was as high as 60.8% during the first MLEC. The proportion of female cases detected during succeeding MLECs improved and an almost equal number of female cases were detected during MLECs III and IV. Considering the present leprosy situation in Orissa and the effectiveness of MLECs in case-detection, it was recommended that such campaigns should be undertaken in select high prevalent blocks of the State at regular intervals, along with the strengthening of the integration of NLEP activities into primary health care activities.     

Risk factors of substance use among street children from Delhi

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the magnitude of and socio-demographic factors related to substance use among street children in Delhi. DESIGN: Observational study. METHODS: 115 male street children aged 6 to 16 years were interviewed at the time of their admission to an observation home. RESULTS: More than half of the subjects had indulged in substance use before coming to the observation home. The agents consumed were nicotine,inhalants, alcohol and cannabis. On application of multiple logistic regression, maltreatment of the child by family members was found significant predictor of substance use in the study group. CONCLUSION: Substance use in street children is associated with unstable homes and maltreatment.     

Impact of blast induced transitory vibration and air-overpressure/noise on human brain--an experimental study

Human response to blast induced ground vibration and air-overpressure/noise is a major concern of current mining activity. This is because the fact that mines are fast transgressing the habitats and people are getting educated. Consequently the response of humans is changing and expectedly will increase in days to come with no viable and economic alternative to blasting--an essential component of mining. The response of humans can be purely physiological or psychological in nature or combination of both depending upon the situation and conditions of mining. Where physiological response is documented in terms of effects on ears and lungs there is a meager amount or no literature available regarding effects of blasting on the brain. Moreover, the studies on transitory phenomenon like the effects of blasting on humans are rare in comparison to the whole body vibration studies. This study was designed to address the issues as a precursor to a major initiative. The preliminary investigations conducted with the monitoring of EEG responses of humans to vibration and air-overpressure/noise due to blasting revealed that there is no major response of the brain to transitory vibrations and noise.     

Dissolution behaviour of nalidixic acid solid dispersions using water soluble dispersion carriers

The oral bioavailability of nalidixic acid (NA) is low due to its poor solubility and slow dissolution. Solid dispersions of NA containing varying concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), beta-cyclodextrin (BCD) and sodium starch glycolate (SSG) were prepared by solvent evaporation technique in an attempt to improve dissolution rate of NA. Physical characterization of NA, physical mixtures (PM) and solid dispersions were investigated by a variety of analytical methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). SEM was useful in the verification of possible nalidixic acid inclusion in the dispersion system by studying its surface and shape characteristics of different samples. IR analysis demonstrated no strong interaction between the drug and the carrier exists in the solid dispersions. The degree of crystallinity of nalidixic acid decreased and also differed with the dispersion systems of different carriers. Disolution studies indicated that the dissolution rate and percent dissolution efficiency (DE) were significantly increased in the solid dispersions compared with drug alone. The relative potency of the carriers to enhance the dissolution rate of nalidixic acid was in the order: BCD > PVP > SSG. The dissolution rate of the drug in the solid dispersions was faster when the ration of the drug to carrier was smaller. F-test suggests that first order model may be used for explaining the kinetics of drug release from all the solid dispersion systems.     

Design and synthesis of aryl diphenolic azoles as potent and selective estrogen receptor-beta ligands

New diphenolic azoles as highly selective estrogen receptor-beta agonists are reported. The more potent and selective analogues of these series have comparable binding affinities for ERbeta as the natural ligand 17beta-estradiol but are >100-fold selective over ERalpha. Our design strategy not only followed a traditional SAR approach but also was supported by X-ray structures of ERbeta cocrystallized with various ligands as well as molecular modeling studies. These strategies enabled us to take advantage of a single conservative residue substitution in the ligand-binding pocket, ERalpha Met(421) --> ERbeta Ile(373), to optimize ERbeta selectivity. The 7-position-substituted benzoxazoles (Table 5) were the most selective ligands of both azole series, with ERB-041 (117) being >200-fold selective for ERbeta. The majority of ERbeta selective agonists tested that were at least approximately 50-fold selective displayed a consistent in vivo profile: they were inactive in several models of classic estrogen action (uterotrophic, osteopenia, and vasomotor instability models) and yet were active in the HLA-B27 transgenic rat model of inflammatory bowel disease. These data suggest that ERbeta-selective agonists are devoid of classic estrogenic effects and may offer a novel therapy to treat certain inflammatory conditions.     

Quantitative EEG analysis for assessment to 'plan' a task in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: a study of executive functions (planning) in ALS patients

An attempt has been made to study the ability of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to 'plan' a task. Electroencephalogram (EEG) data corresponding to 'planning of a movement task' is analyzed in comparison with a normal relaxed state. The study was conducted on 12 patients with ALS (6 males, 3 females, mean age 46.75 years) and on same number of controls (10 males, 2 females, mean age 48.75 years) to evaluate a difference in the ability to 'plan' a movement task between them. Patients with ALS were divided in two groups defined by unclear/clear speech. It has been observed that patients with ALS having unclear speech (Group I) showed considerable reduction (p<0.0001) in 'planning' a movement task, whereas patients with ALS having clear speech (Group II) showed no deficit in 'planning' a movement task (p=0.0577), both in comparison with age-matched controls. Apart from supporting the earlier reports of a possible extended neuronal degeneration across wide area of the frontal lobes, the findings reveal a possible reduction in planning, an executive function of the prefrontal cortex of brain, and also reveal that speech impairment may be associated with cognitive deficits in patients with ALS.     

Motor performance as a function of verbal, nonverbal interference and handedness

The effect of verbal and nonverbal interference on finger-tapping performance was analyzed in self-classified left (n = 15) and right-handed (n = 15) subjects. Data were analyzed with a Group (left hander, right hander) x Condition (with interference [verbal, nonverbal], without interference) x Hand (left hand, right hand) mixed factorial ANOVA with repeated measures in Condition and Hand factors. Verbal as well as nonverbal interference conditions, as compared to non-interference conditions, significantly impaired finger-tapping performance of the left relative to right handers.