Background:Fluorosis is one of the common but major emerging areas of research in the tropics. It is considered endemic in 17 states of India. However, the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu is categorised as a fluorosis non-endemic area. But clinical cases of dental fluorosis were reported in the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Annamalai University, Chidambaram. Since dental fluorosis has been described as a biomarker of exposure to fluoride, we assessed the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among primary school children in the service area.Materials and Methods:Children studying in six primary schools of six villages in the field practice area of Rural Health Centre of Faculty of Medicine, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, were surveyed. Every child was clinically examined at the school by calibrated examiners with Dean's fluorosis index recommended by WHO (1997). Chi-square test, Chi-square trend test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test were used for statistical analysis.Results:Five hundred and twenty-five 5- to 12-year-old school children (255 boys and 270 girls) were surveyed. The overall dental fluorosis prevalence was found to be 31.4% in our study sample. Dental fluorosis increased with age P < 0.001, whereas gender difference was not statistically significant. Aesthetically objectionable dental fluorosis was found in 2.1% of the sample. Villages Senjicherry, Keezhaperambai and Kanagarapattu revealed a community fluorosis index (CFI) score of 0.43, 0.54 and 0.54 with 5.6%, 4.8% and 1.4% of objectionable dental fluorosis, respectively. Correlation between water fluoride content and CFI values in four villages was noted to be positively significant.Conclusion:Three out of six villages studied were in ‘borderline’ public health significance (CFI score 0.4-0.6). A well-designed epidemiological investigation can be undertaken to evaluate the risk factors associated with the condition in the study region.

BackgroundSpastic cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common type of CP. Hip adductor spasticity leads to discomfort, stiffness, and difficulties in doing physical activities such as sitting, transfer, and walking. Management of hip adductor spasticity is still a challenge in the field of rehabilitation. Horse riding simulator (HRS) has been reported to have beneficial effects on spasticity, postural control, and motor function in children with spastic CP.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to determine the immediate effect of HRS on adductor spasticity in children with CP.MethodsTwenty‐four children with CP were selected and were divided into two groups: experimental and control (12 children in each group). Experimental group was exposed to HRS and control group to the corner seat placement. Adductor tone and passive hip abduction range of motion were measured before and after the intervention.ResultsPost intervention scores in the group of HRS show significant reduction in adductor spasticity and improvement in hip abduction range of motion, whereas no difference have been reported in the control group. HRS has positive effects on reducing spasticity and improving range of motion in hip joint in spastic CP.ConclusionIt was concluded that immediate effect of HRS is successful in reducing the adductor spasticity and improving abduction range of motion in hip, which could be incorporated with regular physiotherapy intervention.

Recently, free radical—induced tissue damage is implicated in the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—involved gastric mucosal lesion. Administration of taurine, an endogenous antioxidant, is reported to be beneficial in various clinical conditions. Therefore, we decided to study the protective effect of taurine in ibuprofen-induced gastropathy and the effects of administration of taurine on the endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and reduced glutathione (GSH) of stomach. In rats, administration of taurine orally for three consecutive days (250 mg/kg body weight) protected the gastric mucosa from ibuprofen-induced, acute gastric mucosal lesion. In ibuprofen-treated rats, the lipid peroxidation measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker for free radical—induced tissue damage, is also significantly decreased by taurine. Ibuprofen treatment resulted in a significant increase in the activities of total SOD, manganese SOD (Mn-SOD), and GPX and reduced GSH. Taurine administration in ibuprofen-treated rats also showed a significant increase in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes namely total SOD, Mn-SOD, GPX, CAT, and the level of reduced GSH. The activity of copper-zinc SOD enzyme (Cu-Zn SOD) is not affected by ibuprofen or taurine. There is no temporal relation between the antioxidant status of the stomach and the tissue damage following oral administration of ibuprofen or taurine.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a growing epidemiological problem. GDM is defined as the glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Treatment of GDM is important to avoid maternal and fetal complications. The objectives of this study was to assess the knowledge about GDM among antenatal mothers and to find out the association between knowledge and demographic factors.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done among 191 antenatal mothers in Maternity Health Centre and Government Hospital, Chidambaram during September 2017. A pre tested questionnaire was used to assess knowledge about GDM among all antenatal mothers attending OP.Results: Among the participants, 49.2% were in the age group of 21–25 years, 93.7% of them were housewives, 56.0% of them have studied up to higher secondary level and 72.8% of them were living in rural areas. In this study it was found that 35.2% of the participants had adequate knowledge about GDM and 21.5% had adequate knowledge about its risk factors. Education and residence were found to be associated with knowledge and risk factors of GDM which is statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusions: The knowledge of antenatal women on GDM was just average. There is a need for training the physicians, paramedical people, and public regarding GDM. Health education programs must be conducted to improve the awareness among antenatal women for better utilization of health services. A regular screening of GDM among all pregnant women should be promoted in all health centres.

The present study evaluates the effects of oral administration of taurine on haematological parameters in normal wistar rats. Tissue oxidative stress is implicated in pathogenesis of various clinical disorders and antioxidant taurine is emerging as prophylactic and therapeutic agent. However, studies on effects of taurine on normal physiology are not reported in literature. Normal saline (Group I) or 5% taurine in normal saline was administered in dose of 50 mg (Group II), 250 mg (Group III) or 500 mg kg(-1) of b.wt. (Group IV) through intragastric intubation for 60 days. The blood cell counts, haemoglobin content, packed cell volume, blood indices, bleeding time and clotting time were estimated using routine laboratory haematological techniques. Neutrophil's phagocytic activity was determined by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction test; serum lysozyme activity was estimated colorimetrically by the degree to lyse bacterial cell suspension and serum taurine levels were estimated by HPLC fluorimetric technique. Platelet count showed a decrease in Group III and IV when compared with Group I and II (p<0.001). Mean corpuscular haemoglobin of Group III and IV are significantly lowered when compared to Group I (p<0.001). A statistically significant decrease was observed in the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration between Group 1 and Group IV (p<0.001). The neutrophil percentage of Group II, Group III and Group IV showed a significant increase over Group I (p<0.001). The percentage of lymphocytes showed a significant decrease in Group II, III and Group IV when compared to Group I (p<0.001). Neutrophil's phagocytic activity is significantly lowered in Group III and IV when compared to Group I (p<0.001). The serum lysozyme activity of Group III and IV showed a significant increase over Group I (at p<0.001). From the present study it may be concluded that long term oral administration of taurine affects normal haematological functions.