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Background: Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and gynaecological morbidities constitute a significant proportion of morbidities in women of the reproductive age group. Objective: To find out the proportion of reproductive age group women in an urban resettlement colony having the symptoms of gynaecological morbidities and RTI/sexually transmitted infection (STI) and to explore the healthcare seeking behaviour of the women during such ailments. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2023 among 317 females aged 15 to 49 years in an urban resettlement area of Gautam Buddh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. Statistical analysis used included descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. SPSS 23 was used for data analysis. Results: There was a prevalence of 65.3% of at least one self-reported symptom suggestive of RTI/STI or gynaecological morbidity among the respondents. Among the symptomatic respondents, 54.1% were found to seek treatment. Among the reasons given for not seeking treatment in any health facility, the majority (83.1%) responded 'lack of awareness that the problem needed medical treatment' and 'stigma related with the problem' to be the main reasons. Conclusion: The reproductive healthcare seeking behaviour was found to be inadequate, with only 54.1% of symptomatic respondents seeking treatment. Enhanced health awareness sessions can be planned in the short term, and skilled communicators within or outside of the health system in the long term may be deployed to disseminate information in the community regarding sexual and gynaecological morbidities in reproductive age group women and their timely intervention.

Context: Hypertension is the leading cause of mortality and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) all over the world. World Health Organization defines quality of life (QOL) as an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. Aims: The study was aimed to compare the the QOL of adult hypertensive patients with healthy study subjects and to determine the factors associated with poor QOL among the hypertensive subjects. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to June 2022 in Gautam Budh Nagar District. The study was carried out among 250 hypertensive patients and 50 healthy persons based on World Health Organization-Quality of Life-BREF questionnaire Manual. Statistical Analysis Used: Data collected were entered and statistically analyzed using statistical software (SPSS-22). Results: Overall QOL and general health scores were significantly lower among hypertensive subjects showing worsening of QOL among diseased persons (P value

Background: Ageing is a universal process. It is influenced by a person's genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Nutrition plays a significant role in modulation of ageing. In developing countries like India, the health and nutritional status of the elderly population is not satisfactory. Objectives: The current study was done to assess undernutrition amongst the elderly population and to find the various associations with sociodemographic factors and social determinants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done from February 2023 to July 2023 in rural area of District Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. The elderly participants who were 60 years of age and more and who met the inclusion criteria were selected by simple random sampling technique for the study. Undernutrition was assessed by Mini Nutritional Assessment Tool (MNA). Result: Out of the total of 400 elderly persons, 18% were found to be undernourished and 38% were at risk of undernutrition. The association between undernutrition and age group, gender, occupation, family type, living arrangements that is staying with family or not, financial dependence, any co-morbid illness, smoking, and physical activity was found to be significant. Conclusion: The present findings reveal that undernutrition is not an uncommon problem in the elderly, and further studies are needed in this regard.

AIM: Synthetic MRI (SyMRI) works on the MDME sequence, which acquires the relaxation properties of the brain and helps to measure the accurate tissue properties in 6 minutes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the synthetic MRI (SyMRI)-generated myelin (MyC) to white matter (WM) ratio, the WM fraction (WMF), MyC partial maps performing normative brain volumetry to investigate MyC loss in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with white-matter hyperintensites (WMHs) and non-MS patients with WMHs in a clinical setting. MATERIALS and METHODS: Synthetic MRI images were acquired from 15 patients with MS, and from 15 non-MS patients on a 3T MRI scanner (Discovery MR750w; GE Healthcare; Milwaukee, USA) using MAGiC, a customized version of SyntheticMR's SyMRI® IMAGE software marketed by GE Healthcare under a license agreement. Fast multi-delay multi-echo acquisition was performed with a 2D axial pulse sequence with different combinations of echo time (TEs) and saturation delay times. The total image acquisition time was 6 minutes. SyMRI image analysis was done using SyMRI software (SyMRI Version: 11.3.6; Synthetic MR, Linköping, Sweden). SyMRI data were used to generate the MyC partial maps and WMFs to quantify the signal intensities of test group and control group, andcontrol group , and their mean values were recorded. All patients also underwent conventional diffusion-weighted imaging, i.e., T1w and T2w imaging. RESULTS: The results showed that the WMF was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (38.8% vs 33.2%, p < 0.001). The Mann-Whitney U nonparametric t-test revealed a significant difference in the mean myelin volume between the test group and the control group (158.66 ± 32.31 vs. 138.29 ± 29.28, p = 0.044). Also, there were no significant differences in the gray matter fraction and intracranial volume between the test group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: We observed MyC loss in test group using quantitative SyMRI. Thus, myelin loss in MS patients can be quantitatively evaluated using SyMRI.

Context: Diabetes has become the largest health emergencies of 21st century. The burden of diabetes is increasing globally especially in developing economies like India. In the recent years, Physician’s interest has turned to the concept of quality of life (QOL) as an important treatment goal and an important component of therapy in the management of diabetes. The study was aimed to compare the quality of life of adult diabetic subjects with healthy subjects and to assess the factors affecting the quality of life among diabetic subjects. Methodology: A Community based cross sectional study was conducted among 250 diabetic subjects and 50 healthy subjects more than 18 years of age, based on WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHO-QOL-BREF) questionnaire manual in the rural area of District Gautam Buddha Nagar from Jan 2021-June 2022. Data collected were entered and statistically analyzed using statistical software (SPSS-22) Results: Overall quality of life and general health score was significantly poor among diabetic subjects as compared to healthy subjects. Quality of life was significantly lower in diabetic subjects ≥ 60 years of age, illiterate subjects and in diabetic subjects with presence of comorbidity. Conclusions: Overall QOL was poor among diabetic subjects as compared to healthy subjects.

Introduction: Nationwide lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic, rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and more intense second wave of pandemic in terms of high caseload, reduced essential supplies and scarcity of beds, and unpredictable mortality had a huge impact on mental health of general population. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and determine the factors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the general population of India during the second wave of pandemic. Methodology: An online survey was conducted to estimate the prevalence and assess the factors responsible for PTSD among 614 participants who were above 18 years of age. The prevalence of PTSD was measured using PTSD checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-5 (DSM-5). Results: In the present study, there were a total of 614 participants and the mean age of the participants was 23.64 years. More than half of the participants were female and majority of them were unmarried (76.7%). The prevalence of PTSD was 30.62%. A significant association was observed between occupation and PTSD prevalence. Also, COVID-19 illness, COVID-19 infection among the family members, work outside the home, hospital admissions, difficulty in acquiring the required medication were significantly associated with PTSD. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown led to increased prevalence of psychological effects like PTSD. This highlights the importance of focusing on mental health during the pandemic.

Introduction: Smartphones and computers provide access to the Internet, which makes us highly reliant on them and leads to phubbing. Phubbing is described as the behaviour of ignoring others by looking at your mobile phone during a conversation with another individual and escaping from interpersonal communication. Almost all medical students have smartphones, so it is imperative to study this behaviour among them. Aim: To assess phubbing and its determinants among medical students of the School of Medical Sciences and Research, Gautam Buddha Nagar. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from July 2021 to September 2021 among medical students of the School of Medical Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, India. A total of 422 MBBS students, who were present during data collection were included. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire, consisting of the socio-demographic profile, phubber’s characteristics, phubbing scale, smartphone addiction scale, and self-control scale. The data were analysed using frequency, percentage, and unadjusted odds ratio. Results: A total of 422 MBBS students data was analysed. Mean age, 21.28±1.27 years. The prevalence of phubbing was 42.7 percent in present study. Among them, 151 (83.9%) were college phubbers. On the phubbing scale, the majority of the participants, 306 (72.5%) reported that their phone was always within their reach. There was a significant association found between smartphone addiction (OR:3.880; 95%CI:2.290-6.574) and lack of self-control (OR:1.992; 95%CI:1.250-3.172) with phubbing. Conclusion: This study found a high prevalence of phubbing behaviour. The results presented that phubbing is determined by a lack of self-control and smartphone addiction. Findings highlight the need to regulate smartphone and social media usage during college time and at home.

Aim: The aim of this study is to elucidate the patterns of characteristic hypometabolism on 18F-Fluoro Deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in the variants of Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and its correlation with their core clinical features. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 88 subjects with clinically suspected PSP was done. An institutional informed consent to participate in the study was taken from all the subjects. All the subjects had undergone a prior 99mTechnetium labeled Tropane derivative of dopamine transporter Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (99mTc TRODAT-1 SPECT) study and had abnormal scans to confirm degenerative parkinsonism. The subjects were clinically examined by the neurologists using the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale proposed by the Movement Disorder Society and were further clinically segregated into eight subtypes. All the included subjects further underwent a detailed clinical analysis to obtain their individual Schwab and England activities of daily living scale and Modified Hoehn and Yahr staging by a neurologist. All the subjects underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT scan after adequate preparation. The scans were analyzed both qualitatively (visually) and quantitatively using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Results: The frontal, limbic, and sensorimotor cortices represented the common areas of hypometabolism among all the subtypes of PSP. The subcortical regions showing the most significant hypometabolism were the thalami, mid-brain, nucleus accumbens, caudate, globus pallidus, and putamen in descending order. Multiple cortical and subcortical regions of hypometabolism were identified in different subtypes of PSP. Conclusion: The characteristic patterns of hypometabolism observed in the different subgroups were more apparent on quantification and based on visual analysis alone, it may not be possible to differentiate the different subtypes of PSP. A good correlation was seen between some of the core clinical features and hypometabolic clusters.

Abstract SARS-CoV2 pandemic exposed the limitations of artificial intelligence based medical imaging systems. Earlier in the pandemic, the absence of sufficient training data prevented effective deep learning (DL) solutions for the diagnosis of COVID-19 based on X-Ray data. Here, addressing the lacunae in existing literature and algorithms with the paucity of initial training data; we describe CovBaseAI, an explainable tool using an ensemble of three DL models and an expert decision system (EDS) for COVID-Pneumonia diagnosis, trained entirely on pre-COVID-19 datasets. The performance and explainability of CovBaseAI was primarily validated on two independent datasets. Firstly, 1401 randomly selected CxR from an Indian quarantine center to assess effectiveness in excluding radiological COVID-Pneumonia requiring higher care. Second, curated dataset; 434 RT-PCR positive cases and 471 non-COVID/Normal historical scans, to assess performance in advanced medical settings. CovBaseAI had an accuracy of 87% with a negative predictive value of 98% in the quarantine-center data. However, sensitivity was 0.66–0.90 taking RT-PCR/radiologist opinion as ground truth. This work provides new insights on the usage of EDS with DL methods and the ability of algorithms to confidently predict COVID-Pneumonia while reinforcing the established learning; that benchmarking based on RT-PCR may not serve as reliable ground truth in radiological diagnosis. Such tools can pave the path for multi-modal high throughput detection of COVID-Pneumonia in screening and referral.

Aim: To assess osteotome-mediated sinus floor elevation (OMSFE) with simultaneous implant placement using an in situ hardening biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) compared to xenograft as a control. Methods: Patient in need for sinus floor augmentation in one or both sinuses were selected for this randomised controlled clinical trial. Sites presenting a residual sinus floor height of 3–6 mm and eligible for OMSFE were randomly assigned to receive either BCP (test) or xenograft particles (control). CBCT scans were performed before and at the time of implant loading (180 days). The difference in sinus floor height gain between the two groups was set as the primary endpoint parameter for equivalence testing. The implant insertion torque (ITV) was recorded and Implant stability quotients (ISQ) was assessed upon implant placement, abutment connection (160 days) and implant loading (180 days). Results: A total of 54 sinus lifts were performed in 42 patients including 12 bilateral cases. Four implants failed (two in each group) and a total of six patients were lost to follow-up. Statistical analysis of sinus floor height revealed no significant differences (p < 0.05) between groups at baseline nor at 180 days after augmentation. There was no statistical difference in sinus floor height gain between the two groups as supported by the 90% confidence intervals of the difference between groups. Good primary implant stability was confirmed in both treatment groups by ITV and ISQ measurements. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, it can be concluded that OMSFE using in situ hardening BCP particles results in equivalent sinus floor height gain than using xenograft particles but offers an easier application.

Aim: To elucidate the patterns of characteristic hypometabolism on 18F- fluorodeoxyglucose( 18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in multisystem atrophy (MSA) and their correlation with the patterns of uptake on dopamine transporter imaging with 99mTc TRODAT-1 SPECT. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 67 patients with clinically diagnosed MSA was performed. All the subjects underwent 99mTc TRODAT-1 SPECT and 18F-FDG PET/CT scanning on two separate days. The 99mTc-TRODAT-1 scans were analyzed visually for asymmetry and rostro-caudal gradient. The FDG uptake patterns were recorded, and areas of hypometabolism that were two standard deviations from the mean were considered abnormal. Results: All the subjects had an abnormal pattern of FDG uptake on PET scan, both on a visual inspection and semiquantitative analysis. In MSA-P subjects (n = 29), diffuse predominant hypometabolism of the globus pallidus-putamen complex was noted, with relative sparing of the caudate nuclei. In MSA-C subjects (n = 25), characteristic hypometabolism was noted in the cerebellum and brainstem. In mixed subtypes (n = 13), variable involvement of the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and brainstem was noted with frontoparietal hypometabolism. A statistically significant difference between MSA-P and MSA-C for gradient reduction and asymmetry with gradient reduction was observed. Conclusion: Dopamine transporter imaging with 99mTc TRODAT-1 SPECT not only helps in confirmation of parkinsonian disorders but also demonstrates varying patterns of distribution in different subtypes of MSA. Characteristic patterns of hypometabolism in 18F-FDG PET may help in the differentiation of the subtypes of MSA in the presence of clinically overlapping symptoms.

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of joint surface preparations and chemical surface treatment given to prepared surface on the transverse strength of repaired denture base resin. Methodology: Two hundred and twenty specimens (DPI India) were randomly allocated into eight groups (n = 10), according to the combination of joint surface preparation (Butt joint, 45° bevel, and rounded joint) and chemical surface treatment (methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, and methyl methacrylate) for 30 and 60 s each. Specimens, after surface treatment, were repaired with self-cured resin (DPI India) and then subjected to 3-point bending test to measure transverse strength. Fractured surfaces were viewed under stereomicroscope and subjected to AutoCAD analysis to determine type of failure (adhesive or cohesive) and measure their area. Measurement data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, paired t-test, Dunnett's D test, and multiple comparison Bonferroni t-test, with a 5% significance level. Results: Most of the comparisons between the test specimens were statistically significant. Specimens (methylene chloride for 60 s and rounded joint) show 60%–70% gain of strength. Conclusions: For providing better bond strength to a repaired specimen, the segment of fractured specimens to be provided “Rounded joint” preparation with etching by methylene chloride for 60 s.

Due to repeated heavy loads, environmental conditions and non-frequent monitoring, the rail is subjected to heavy damage resulting in sudden failure. Hence, a frequent, faster, and efficient monitoring strategy is required. This paper attempts to investigate the application of guided wave (GW) generated through surface-bonded piezo-electric wafer transducer (PWT) to detect damages in rail at high frequencies. Firstly, a combined experimental and simulation study is presented in an effort to understand the dispersion characteristics of guided wave and its interaction with head damages in a relatively small rail specimen. The numerical simulation results are validated with those obtained from the experiments showing a good agreement between them. Secondly, a framework based on the machine learning algorithm is proposed to efficiently detect damage in rail head. Numerous inseparable guided wave modes are observed at higher frequencies implying the inability to detect damage through specific mode. Therefore, a machine learning framework is trained using time, frequency, and time–frequency domain features of the signal. Total 672 numerical simulations of different types of damage with different severity and location in the rail head are carried out to train and validate the model. It is found that GW generated through surface bonded PWTs is able to detect minimum defect size of 5% of head area with 1 mm thickness. Finally, the proposed framework is tested using simulation and experiment results of arbitrary damage in the rail head. The error in estimating severity was found to be in the range from 2.00% to 16.67%.

Acoustic emission (AE) is an emerging technology for real-time non-destructive testing of structures. While research on a simulated AE source in rail and testing on rail material using small beam samples have been conducted, a study is required in lab environment to investigate AE waveform characteristics generated by crack in rail. In this paper, a three-point bending test is conducted on an actual rail section of 1500 mm with transverse damage of 38% head area to simulate AE source due to crack opening in the rail. AE signals are recorded for three different loads. For data analysis, unsupervised machine learning algorithms such as k-means, fuzzy-C mean and gaussian mixture model are used to cluster and filter out usable signals from the whole dataset corrupted by noisy signals from various sources. k-mean with principal component was observed to be best technique based on silhouette score. The frequency and amplitude of waveform have been discussed in relation to load and crack opening displacement. This study establishes a baseline for linking load, crack opening, and AE wave characteristics. This work can ultimately aid in the development of robust denoising, and damage analysis algorithms based on the frequency content and dispersion of the AE waveform.

Aims and Objectives: To study “Honeycomb” pattern of gallbladder wall thickening (GBWT) in dengue fever (DF) and to assess its clinical significance in early diagnosis of severe DF. Materials and Methods: A total 244 patients of DF were studied, 84 patients were classified as severe DF, 61 patients as DF with warning signs, and 99 patients as DF without warning signs. Abdominal ultrasound was performed for assessment of GBWT patterns, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, pancreatic enlargement, ascites, pleural effusion, and other additional findings were recorded in severe DF cases. Statistical comparison between “Honeycomb” pattern of GBWT and clinically severe DF was done using Pearson correlation test. Results: Out of 244 patients, 145 patients were males and 99 patients were females, belonging to various age groups ranging from 1 to 81 years and 14.34% (35 patients) among them included in pediatric group. In total, 65.57% (160 patients) were non-severe DF cases and 34.42% (84 patients) were severe DF cases. A total of 84 patients of severe DF, 92.85% patients showed GBWT, and out of which, 71.42% patients had “Honeycomb” pattern, whereas a total of 160 patients of non-severe DF patients, 45% patients had GBWT and out of which, only 5.6% patients showed “Honeycomb” pattern.”Honeycomb” pattern of GBWT shows sensitivity of 71.4%, 94.37%, Positive predictive value of 86.95%, and Negative predictive value of 86.28% in severe DF. Conclusion:”Honeycomb” pattern of GBWT is significant finding in severe DF. Its sensitivity and specificity are high in severe DF with significant statistical correlation. It can aid in early diagnosis of severe DF.

Abstract Background Post-Extraction ridge preservation using bone graft substitutes is a conservative technique to maintain the width of the alveolar ridge. The objective of the present study was to evaluate an in situ hardening biphasic (HA/β-TCP) bone graft substitutes for ridge preservation without primary wound closure or a dental membrane. Methods A total of 15 patients reported for tooth extraction were enrolled in this study. Implants were placed in average 5.2 ± 2 months after socket grafting. At this visit, Cone Beam CT (CBCT) images and core biopsies were taken. Implant stability (ISQ) was assessed at the insertion as well as at the day of final restoration. Results CBCT data revealed 0.79 ± 0.73 mm ridge width reduction from grafting to implant placement. Histomorphometric analysis of core biopsy samples revealed in average 21.34 ± 9.14% of new bone in the grafted sites. Primary implant stability was high (ISQ levels 70.3 ± 9.6) and further increased until final restoration. Conclusions The results of this study show that grafting of intact post-extraction sockets using a biphasic in situ hardening bone graft substitute results in an effective preservation of the ridge contour and sufficient new bone formation in the grafted sites, which is imperative for successful implant placement.

Context: Globally, it is estimated that by 2020, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) will account for 73% of deaths and 60% of disease burden. India is in the midst of an epidemiological transition leading to increasing the prevalence of NCDs. Targeting the risk factors for NCDs is recognized as an essential preventive strategy. Aims: The rationale of this study was to decipher the baseline data on the prevalence of NCD risk factors among the rural population. Settings and Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 adults in the rural catchment area of the Department of Community Medicine. Subjects and Methods: The World Health Organization STEPS approach was employed which includes three sequential phases: Collection of information on sociodemographic variables and behavioral risk factors (STEP 1), obtaining physical measurements (STEP 2), and acquiring biochemical measurements (STEP 3). Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 16. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Among the study subjects, the prevalence of smoking, smokeless tobacco use, alcohol use, and sedentary lifestyle was 26.0%, 35.1%, 16.9%, and 9.6%, respectively, in males and 4.6%, 15.4%, 0.0%, and 19.0%, respectively, in females. The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 15.6% and 13.0% respectively among males and 20.0% and 7.7% respectively among females. Hypercholesterolemia and Hypertriglyceridemia were observed in 5.2% men and 13.8% women and 22.1% men and 16.9% women, respectively. Conclusions: The study reveals high burden of NCD risk factors in rural areas as well and reiterates the need to take preventive measures.

Aim: In the less dense bone, it is difficult to obtain implant anchorage. The present study was undertaken to determine the survival rate of Maestro TM implants placed in d3 and d4 bones. Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients (10 males and 4 females) were selected for the study and implants were evaluated for posttreatment changes in at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from implant placement. The implant probing depth and mobility were recorded 3 and 6 months after prosthesis placement. Also, peri-implant bone level was assessed at the baseline and 12 months postoperatively, followed by a statistical analysis. Results: The mean plaque and gingival indices showed a reduction at repeated intervals. The mean sulcular bleeding showed a slight reduction which was statistically significant. An overall mean bone loss was observed after 12 months follow-up, which was statistically not significant. The overall survival rate of implants was reported as 92.3%. Conclusion: The specific implant used in the study is advantageous in the soft bone condition. Clinical Significance: Although, there is a great evidence of implant failure in compromised jaw quality, the newer designs and approaches suggest that the poor quality is not a contraindication.

Acute appendicitis is one of the commonest surgical emergencies worldwide. There is considerable variation in prevalence of appendicoliths with appendicitis. Most of the patients with appendicoliths are asymptomatic and they are not pathognomic for acute appendicitis. However, appendicoliths show increased association with perforation and abscess formation. Appendicolith are quite common, being present in 3% of general population and in nearly 10% cases of appendicitis. However, giant appendicoliths measuring over 2 centimeters (cms) are extremely rare. Computed Tomography (CT) has increased their pre-operative diagnosis considerably. Use of spectral analysis can give us the details of composition of the stone pre-operatively. We present a young male diagnosed pre-operatively on Non-Contrast Computed Tomography (NCCT) to have a giant calcium struvite appendicolith. On laparoscopy he had a 3 cm stone and an incidental Meckel's diverticulum and underwent appendectomy. The case is presented for the unique size of the appendicolith alongwith review of literature.

We aimed to correlate plasma glucagon levels with anthropometric measures and abdominal adipose tissue depots. Nonobese males (n=81; BMI

Background: In patients with extensive tooth loss, restoration of masticatory function and aesthetics is main concern for a prosthodontist. Aim of Study: This study aimed to evaluate and compare differences in masticatory efficiency of patients treated with complete dentures made with either high impact or flexible resins. Setting and Design: The sample size consisted of 10 study subjects. Two sets of dentures first conventional followed by flexible dentures were fabricated for each subject and both the sets of dentures were accessed for masticatory performance and efficiency. Materials and Methods: This study compared the masticatory performance and efficiency of dentures by means of standardized mesh sieves. Masticatory efficiency was calculated by recording the total number of chewing cycles and time required to completely swallow a standardized food item. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was given and evaluated. Statistical Analysis Used: The statistical analyses were performed using Z-test of Proportion and Paired t-test. Results: The masticatory performance ratio was found to be more for hard food in conventional dentures. The values of masticatory performance ratios for soft food, time and number of masticatory strokes were indicating better masticatory efficiency of conventional dentures. Conclusion: Though masticatory efficiency and performance were found to be better for patient’s dentures made with Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a statistically significant number of patients reported that the flexible dentures were more satisfying than the conventional dentures.

Cysticercosis is a common problem world wide. However, disseminated cysticercosis is rare. Still rarer is asymptomatic disseminated cysticercosis. We are reporting here a rare case of asymptomatic disseminated cysticercosis which involved brain, face, orbit, lungs, heart, pancreas and spleen in a young Nigerian male, who sought medical attention for dysphagia which was diagnosed as achalasia cardia. Despite widespread dissemination of cysticercosis which involves multiple organs, the individual was asymptomatic for the same. Pancreatic and splenic involvement in disseminated cysticercosis has extremely rarely been reported in literature.

Introduction: Adolescents are overlooked in most health programs as they are basically considered healthy population but the scenario varies. The present study was done with the objective of assessing the nutritional status of adolescent children attending a school in urban resettlement colony. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done covering 392 children between 10-19 years of age from two government schools and interviewed and anthropometric measurements taken. Results: The overall prevalence of thinness was found to be 23.2% and severe thinness was found to be 7.4%.The prevalence of thinness and severe thinness in boys was 24.1% and 8.6% respectively whereas in girls it was comparatively low thinness 20.6 and 3.9%. Overall 12.5% children were found to be suffering from stunting and 1.5% from severe stunting. Moderate stunting was found in 13.7% and 12% girls whereas severe stunting was found in 0.7% boys and 3.9% girls. Conclusion: Adolescents have the lowest mortality among the different age groups and have therefore received low priority in national health programs but considering the high prevalence of malnutrition in this important transitional phase of human life, the adolescent nutrition should be given prior importance in nutritional programs.

Background: Concomitant Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is a lamentable medical phenomenon with dreadful social and economic impact across the globe, aptly described as the "accursed duet". The HIV epidemic has posed major and almost insurmountable challenges to TB control efforts across the world. Aim: To study the socio-demographic correlates of TB - HIV co-infected cases. Material & Methods: This is a hospital based observational study which was conducted in district Jhansi of Utter Pradesh. The study was carried out in District Jhansi for a duration of one year from Dec.2007-Dec. 2008. The study subjects were selected from District Tuberculosis Center, Jhansi, TB clinic and Tuberculosis ward of MLB Medical College, Jhansi. After collecting necessary information from the study subjects, their blood samples were collected to test the HIV status. Results: Maximum TB-HIV co-infection cases(8.65%) were found in 26-45 years of age, and the cases of co-infection were more in males(6.08%) as compared to females(1.84%). There was no significant variation found amongst TB-HIV co-infected cases by religion, however more TB-HIV co-infected cases were significantly found in SC/ST population and among illiterate group. Conclusion: TB-HIV co-infection deserves special attention. Screening of HIV among TB patients should be attached more importance, which would be much more helpful for treatment and outcome of both diseases.