Spectroscopic analyses reveal radiotherapy-induced variations in elemental composition and crystallite properties of human permanent teeth enamel.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of radiation therapy on the structural and elemental composition of permanent teeth enamel in vitro. METHODS: Sections from 21 noncarious healthy human teeth were exposed to a cumulative radiation dose of 20-80 Gy. The sections were subjected to electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to study the elemental composition, the ratio of inorganic and organic content, and the mineralization and crystalline properties of the hydroxyapatite crystal structure respectively. All measures were taken on specified areas of enamel surface before and after radiation exposure and compared. RESULTS: In FTIR and EDS studies, the calcium to phosphorus (Ca/P) and carbonate to phosphate (CO32-/PO3-4) ratios were significantly different (P < 0.05) in teeth sections exposed to 80 Gy, indicating the deterioration of inorganic calcium and phosphorous content. The XRD spectrum data showed loss of peaks at seven specific 2θ coordinate areas, flattened peaks and an increase in the crystallite size in the radiation-exposed groups due to mineralization loss and alteration of the hydroxyapatite crystal matrix in the tooth enamel. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy can induce significant variations in the inorganic and organic functional groups constituting the tooth enamel surface; and these variations are dose dependent. The mechanism responsible for delamination and radiation caries needs to be explored by studying the protein lysis pattern, which might be a leading factor causing the enamel degradation and radiation caries.

Is combined therapy of sympathomimetics and theophylline indicated?

Bronchodilator effect and toxicity of theophylline 300 mg twice a day (R1), salbutamol 4 mg tid (R2), their combination in higher (200/4mg, R3), and lower doses (100/2mg R4), and placebo (calcium lactate 300 mg) tid (R5) were compared in 25 patients with bronchial asthma in a randomized crossover trial. Statistically significant improvement in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was observed in all the active treatment groups (R1 to R4) compared with placebo (R5). The mean improvement in FEV1 was 29.0%, 22.0%, 28.0%, 30.0%, and 0.73% in regimen R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5, respectively day 1, and corresponding improvement was 30.0%, 24.0%, 29.0%, 34.0%, and 4.4% on completion of one week therapy. On intergroup statistical comparison, mean improvement in pulmonary function test values were statistically significant or highly significant in regimens R1 to R4, as compared with placebo. However, improvement between any two regimens was not statistically significant in any of the regimens (R1-R4). Almost all the regimens were tolerated well and no patient showed major adverse reactions or cardiotoxicity necessitating withdrawal of the drug. On the other hand, minor adverse reactions were common and the high dose combination (R3) was found to have more adverse reactions than the low dose combination and either drug used alone.

Traditional concepts of mental disorder among Indian psychiatric patients: preliminary report of work in progress.

In a medically pluralistic setting a range of health care providers offer not only different forms of treatment, but different ways of understanding illness. Even within a single tradition, these concepts evolve over time. Chapters in the classical texts of Ayurveda describe varieties of severe mental disorder (unmada) arising from a particular humoral imbalance (dosa) or arising in association with specific demons and deities (bhuta) that produce distinct character changes and symptom patterns. Patients currently presenting for treatment of mental disorder may describe their illness with reference to these concepts, but they also rely on other indigenous traditional concepts such as astrology, karma, the effects of other humoral relationships, such as semen loss and so forth; or they may rely on ideas derived from cosmopolitan medicine or both. Patients presenting to allopathic psychiatric centers in India were studied to determine whether patterns of help seeking could be predicted from the conceptual model by which they understood their illness. We elicited explanatory models from patients and obtained a history of prior consultations to other types of healer. Preliminary findings were notable for the pervasiveness of prior use of folk healers and the prominence of somatic symptoms among patients presenting to these allopathic physicians. Hypotheses regarding the impact of explanatory models on patterns of medical help seeking require further study from a larger and more diverse data base.

A new ayurvedic compound for the management of ischaemic heart disease (hrdroga).

Ischaemic heart disease (Hrdroga) is known to be the cause of large number of mortality even in developed countries in spite of the fact that much advancement has been made in the field of medicine. But in this paper the author present in Ayurvedic compound remedy for controlling and management those types of endogenous diseases.

The influence of acupuncture stimulation during pregnancy: the induction and inhibition of labor.

Uterine response to electroacupuncture stimulation of specific sites of the extremities is demonstrated in 60 pregnant women--48 cases for labor induction and 12 cases for inhibition of premature labor. In the 34 term, post-term, and 7 intrauterine fetal death cases, induction of labor was attempted; in 32 cases delivery was achieved, resulting in a success rate of 78%. In 7 cases of midterm abortion attempts, all failed to respond. Of the 12 cases of premature labor, with the exception of 1 case, all carried the pregnancy to term, resulting in a success rate of 91.6%. Based on these clinical observations, electroacupuncture may become a useful tool in controlling labor. The possible mechanism of action is discussed. Further investigation and standardization of this technique is proposed.