Perceptions of teachers regarding sex education in national capital territory of Delhi

A cross sectional study was conducted to find out the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers regarding sex education. Information was collected from 476 senior secondary school teachers belonging both to the government and public schools, selected randomly in National Capital Territory of Delhi using pre-tested close ended questionnaires. A majority of school teachers (73%) were in favour of imparting sex education to school children. Regarding contents of sex education, 90% agreed to the inclusion of reproductive anatomy, physiology including menstruation and birth control measures like condoms and oral pills. However, a majority of school teachers did not want sex education to include topics like abortion, premarital sex and masturbation etc. Fourteen years of age was considered to be the most appropriate for imparting sex education by 28.6% of school teachers. School teachers and doctors were considered by 69.4% and 63.6% of the respondents respectively to be the most appropriate persons for providing sex education.     

Comparison of the effect of diclofenac with hyoscine-N-butylbromide in the symptomatic treatment of acute biliary colic

BACKGROUND: Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and spasmolytics have been used to relieve biliary colic, the role of these drugs in the natural history of biliary colic has not been clarified. The objective of the present study is to compare the efficacy of intramuscular diclofenac with intramuscular hyoscine in the treatment of pain of acute biliary colic, and to study their role in the natural history of biliary colic and in the prevention of cholelithiasis-related complications. METHODS: Seventy-two consecutive patients with biliary colic were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blind study. They received either a single 75 mg intramuscular dose of diclofenac (n = 36) or similarly administered 20 mg of hyoscine (n = 36). Pain severity was recorded on a visual analogue scale 30 min, 1 h, 2 h and 4 h after injection of the drug. Patients were then followed closely for the next 72 h for persistence or relapse of pain, or development of acute cholecystitis, or drug related complications. RESULTS: Diclofenac provided much more rapid relief of pain than hyoscine, as shown by significantly lesser pain scores after injection of the drug. 91.7% of patients on diclofenac were completely relieved of pain at 4 h as compared to 69.4% with hyoscine (P = 0.037). Progression to acute cholecystitis was seen in only 16.66% of patients on diclofenac as compared to 52.77% on hyoscine (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with biliary colic, diclofenac gives much faster and more effective pain relief in a significantly larger number of patients as compared with hyoscine. Most remarkably, diclofenac can prevent progression of biliary colic to acute cholecystitis in a significant number of patients.     

Androgen supplementation in older women: too much hype,not enough data

Androgen supplementation in women has received enormous attention in the scientific and lay communities. That it enhances some aspects of cognitive function, sexual function, muscle mass, strength, and sense of well-being is not in question. What is not known is whether physiological testosterone replacement can improve health-related outcome in older women without its virilizing side effects. Although it is assumed that the testosterone dose-response relationship is different in women than in men and that clinically relevant outcomes on the above-mentioned effects can be achieved at lower testosterone doses, these assumptions have not been tested rigorously. Androgen deficiency has no clear-cut definition. Clinical features may include impaired sexual function, low energy, depression, and a total testosterone level of less than 15 ng/dL, the lower end of the normal range. Measurement of free testosterone is ideal, because it provides a better estimate of the biologically relevant fraction. It is not widely used in clinical practice, because some methods of measuring free testosterone assay are hampered by methodological difficulties. In marked contrast to the abrupt decline in estrogen and progesterone production at menopause, serum testosterone is lower in older women than in menstruating women, with the decline becoming apparent a decade before menopause. This article reviews testosterone's effects on sexual function, cognitive function, muscle mass, body composition, and immune function in postmenopausal women.     

Colorectal tuberculosis

Our objective was to evaluate the incidence of colorectal tuberculosis in our series and to study its radiological spectrum. A total of 684 cases of proven gastrointestinal tuberculosis with positive barium contrast findings seen over a period of more than one decade were evaluated. The study did not include cases where colon was involved in direct contiguity with ileo-caecal tuberculosis. Seventy-four patients (10.8%) had colorectal tuberculosis. Commonest site involved was transverse colon, closely followed by rectum and ascending colon. Radiological findings observed were in the form of strictures (54%), colitis (39%) and polypoid lesions (7%). Complications noted were in the form of perforations and fistulae in 18.9% of cases. Colorectal tuberculosis is a very common site for gastrointestinal tuberculosis. Typical findings of colorectal tuberculosis are strictures, signs of colitis and polypoid lesions. Common complications are perforation and fistulae.     

Palm oil alleviates 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion response in murine skin

Palm oil is a rich source of vitamin E, carotenoids, tocotrienols and tocopherols which are natural antioxidants and act as scavengers of oxygen free radicals. 12-O-Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is a known oxidant that promotes tumorigenesis in mouse skin through the elaboration of oxidative stress. In this study we therefore assessed the anti-tumor promoting potential of palm oil against TPA-mediated skin tumorigenesis in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated Swiss albino mice. Topical application of palm oil 1 h prior to application of TPA resulted in a significant protection against skin tumor promotion. The animals pre-treated with palm oil showed a decrease in both tumor incidence and tumor yield as compared to the TPA (alone)-treated group. Palm oil application also reduced the development of malignant tumors. Since TPA-induced epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and [(3)H]thymidine incorporation are conventionally used markers of skin tumor promotion, we also assessed the effect of pre-application of palm oil on these parameters, and it was observed that the application of palm oil prior to the application of TPA alleviated both these TPA-induced markers of tumor promotion. The effect of pre-application of palm oil on TPA-mediated depletion in the non-enzymatic and enzymatic molecules was also assessed and it was observed that palm oil application prior to TPA application resulted in the recovery of TPA-mediated depletion in the levels of these molecules viz. glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase. Similarly, palm oil also exhibited a protective effect against Fe(2+)-ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation in the epidermal microsomes. The results of the present study thus suggest that palm oil possesses anti-skin tumor promoting effects, and that the mechanism of such effects may involve the inhibition of tumor promoter-induced epidermal ODC activity, [(3)H]thymidine incorporation and cutaneous oxidative stress.