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Introduction: The lack of a healthcare system is one of the serious problems among the Koragas. The Koraga tribal community in the Kasargod district has a community health center in the area, but it lacks advanced medical and dental facilities, making it difficult for them to seek treatment in the few private hospitals in the area due to their economic backwardness. The Malavettuvan tribes are distributed only in the ghat areas of the Kasaragod District of Kerala. Their major occupation is agriculture, and they are educationally, economically, and socially backward. Aim: To compare the periodontal status of the Koraga and Malavettuvan tribes of the Kasargod district. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 304 participants from both Koraga and Malavettuvan tribes aged 35-55 years. Clinical parameters such as the oral hygiene index, Community Periodontal Index (CPI), and loss of attachment were measured. A questionnaire was used to assess the oral hygiene habits, lifestyle, and other habits of the populations. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: The results of the present study showed a significant difference in the oral hygiene index (Median OHI of Koraga-0.40, Malavettuvan-1.20 respectively, p-value

The Kolli hills, a part of Eastern Ghats of India is a treasure of medicinal plants. An attempt is made to gather information about the traditional use of herbs from the local healers. Acanthephippium bicolor Lindley is being used to treat urinary tract infection. Different parts (leaf, bulb and root) are collected in two seasons (summer and winter) and phytochemicals present in them are analyzed. Leaf is found to possess most of the phytochemicals. Hence leaf is selected as study material. Antimicrobial activity of the various solvent extracts (methanol, ethanol, chloroform, acetone, ethyl acetate, benzene and hexane) is screened for both summer and winter samples. Of the 35 organisms studied, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus foecalis, Bacillus cereus, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Microsporum audouinii, Microsporum fulvum, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum are found to be sensitive to leaf extracts. The Gram-positive bacteria are found to be more sensitive than Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The inhibition is found to be more in methanol extract. This proves that the bioactive compounds reside in methanolic extract. When the summer and winter samples are compared for their antimicrobial efficacy, there is no significant difference. This proves that there is no impact of season on antimicrobial activity of this plant. This research proves that Acanthephippium bicolor Lindley would be the best herbal medicine for Urinary Tract Infection and leaves can be used as herbal and scientific medicine throughout the year as there is no seasonal impact.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of latelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and Amniotic membrane (AM) along with the coronally advanced flap (CAF) technique in treating Miller’s class I gingival recession (GR) defects. Material and methods: A total of 32 sites with Miller’s class I GR defects were distributed into Group A (CAF + PRF, n = 16) and Group B (CAF + AM, n = 16). Clinical parameters like gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), gingival sulcus depth (GSD), relative attachment level (RAL), and gingival marginal level (GML) were measured at baseline and at 3, 6 and 9 months after surgical intervention. Results: PRF and AM with CAF were effective treatment modalities for treating Miller’s class I GR defects, with an average root coverage value of 2.00 ± 0.75 mm in Group A and 1.5 ± 0.3 mm in Group B. Complete coverage (100 %) was obtained in 57 % sites of group A and 49 % sites of group B. At the 9-month follow-up, there was a significant increase in relative attachment levels in both groups when compared to baseline. Conclusion: In the present study it was observed that there was a clinically and statistically significant improvement in root coverage with both groups. PRF-treated sites showed > 50 % complete coverage and hence were superior. AM showed comparable results to PRF and could be used as an alternative.

This paper describes a qualitative case study of a fledgling IT organisation's espoused journey to becoming a learning organisation (LO). In particular, it examines how that change journey was informed and impacted by notions and elements embedded in Örtenblad's (2004) model of a LO. It derives insights from the organisation's experience to determine whether and how the model needs to be refined or re-interpreted for organisations pursuing the benefits of becoming a LO. The study concludes that Örtenblad's model has value in guiding such change and affirms the heightened importance of facilitating an appropriate climate for learning (CL), and of meaningfully contextualising learning processes within an organisation's formal and informal learning structure (LS), on that LO journey. The study is unique in identifying the relative influence and importance of Örtenblad's elements, the need for a more nuanced interpretation of those elements, and of evolving rather than developing a new model.

Background: The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of vitamin B complex supplementation following periodontal flap surgery on clinical and microbiological parameters. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial on 10 patients with periodontitis in split-mouth design was undertaken to find the effect of vitamin B complex supplementation with open flap debridement on periodontal wound healing. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Tannerella forsythus and Porphyromonas gingivalis was done using subgingival plaque samples at 0 and 90th day. Results: The results showed a significant reduction (P < 0.01) of clinical (plaque index, gingival index, gingival bleeding index, probing pocket depth, and relative attachment level) and microbial profile in both treatment groups, whereas on intergroup analysis, more reduction in all clinical parameters were observed in the test group, but statistically, the results were insignificant.

Abstract The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the prenatal care experience, specifically regarding medical appointments and social opportunities. It is critical to capture this change through the narratives of pregnant people, particularly those of marginalized populations, whose voices may often be underrepresented in the literature. This mixed-methods paper summarizes the experiences of 40 pregnant Black/African American (AA) women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, online survey was administered between 2020 and 2021 to assess prenatal health and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ pregnancy experience. Coping behaviors during the pandemic were self-reported using the COPE-IS. Univariate analyses were conducted. An additional analysis of participants (n = 4) was explored through a week-long qualitative exercise using a photo documentation procedure. Photo-Elicitation Interviews (PEI) were conducted to capture and center their pandemic pregnancy experiences. Sources of stress during the pandemic varied, with the most common being financial concerns (n = 19, 47.5%). Over half of the sample (n = 18, 54.5%) self-reported increases in their positive coping behaviors during the pandemic, such as communicating with friends and family, talking to healthcare providers, listening to music, and engaging in spiritual practices–such as prayer. The four PEI study participants reflected on the impacts of social distancing on their prenatal experience and mentioned hospital and provider-related weariness due to their race. The findings of this study suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black/AA pregnant women in Charlotte, NC used social support, mindfulness practices, self-advocacy, and health literacy to navigate challenges present during their prenatal health experience. This paper highlights the personal, social, and structural experiences of pregnant women during a public health crisis so that responsive and effective programs or policies can be planned in the future.

This study explores governance strategies and community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bengaluru and Shanghai. It builds on recent evidence showing China centers on territorial institutions to respond to the pandemic, whereas democratic India relies on associational politics, including alliances with different stakeholders. The study argues that increased community involvement in Shanghai arose from the state’s inadequacies during the crisis, while resident welfare associations (RWAs) in Bengaluru primarily served the middle class and had limited impact on vulnerable populations. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study highlights key lessons that contributed to effective responses in both cities, offering policy recommendations for building resilient cities with stronger leadership. Community reactions in India and China surpassed the normal during the pandemic. Despite differences in urban regimes and political systems, Shanghai’s territorial institutions contrasted with Bengaluru’s associational approach; however local governance and community efforts significantly shaped their pandemic outcomes during the health disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]