Ulcerative lesion over tongue: a diagnostic dilemma

Tuberculosis even today remains as the most common infectious disease affecting lungs in India despite having advanced diagnostic testing and a national programme to eradicate this disease. It may present with various clinical appearances, of them tongue tuberculosis is rare and it mimics malignant lingual neoplasms on clinical examination which was rarely described in the literature. In this article we are presenting a 69-year-old patient with tuberculosis of tongue presented as a painful ulcer, so far very few cases reported

Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness and Attitude towards Oral Precancer and Cancer among Narikuravar Population in Pondicherry State

Objective Literature revealed that oral health status and awareness about oral hygiene measures of Narikuravar tribes were very poor. There was also an increased prevalence of tobacco usage among this population. Considering this, incidence and prevalence of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions are expected to be high in this population. Surprisingly, the literature search revealed a lack of data on the awareness, knowledge, and prevalence of oral cancer and precancer in this group. The primary objective of this survey is to assess knowledge, awareness and attitude toward oral precancer and cancer among the Narikuravar tribal population in Pondicherry state. Materials and Methods This questionnaire survey is a part of the Model for Oral Cancer Eradication project conducted among the Narikuravar population in Pondicherry, which is funded by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). A total of 153 participants were recruited for the survey. A prevalidated questionnaire was used for the survey. Results The results indicated that 47% of the participants were aware of what is oral precancer and cancer. As much as 62% knew that chewing tobacco causes oral cancer and 44% thought that the growth of tissue in the mouth could be a sign of oral cancer. Almost 100% did not think that the presence of a red lesion, white lesion, or limitation of mouth opening could be signs of cancer or precancer. Only 16% thought that oral cancer is preventable. Conclusion Awareness about oral cancer and precancer is inadequate among the Narikuravar population of Pondicherry. Majority of the population is not aware of the risks, signs, or treatment options of oral precancer and cancer. The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) identified the people’s knowledge gaps, and improving awareness is one of the strategies of the program.

KNOWLEDGE OF HEALTH FUNCTIONARIES REGARDING NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES: FINDINGS OF A STUDY FROM NORTH INDIA

National Programme for prevention and control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and stroke (NPCDCS) envisaged prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through behavioural change. It aimed at capacity building at various level of health care for primordial prevention, early diagnosis, IEC, BCC etc. Necessary induction training was imparted to health functionaries. Regular monitoring and review of the knowledge of different health functionaries is an integral part of programme. With this background, this study was carried to assess the knowledge of health functionaries about NCDs (general and individual), their behavioral as well as intermediate risk factors and programmatic issues of NPCDCS. Knowledge of 8 Medical ofcers (Allopathic/AYUSH), 18 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and 15 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) were assessed in these areas through predesigned and pretested proforma. There existed gap in the knowledge of medical ofcers, ANMs and ASHAs. In some areas their knowledge was satisfactory however, in majority of areas this was not up to the mark e.g., cut off for normal random blood sugar was known to All MOs, ANMs and 33.3% ASHAs [Z=5.55, p< 0.01]. There is need and scope for improving knowledge of health functionaries through focused capacity building initiative and overcoming barriers to promote health functionaries to take up NCD prevention in community

Perception of Social Responsibility Strategy in Higher Education: Empirical Study in Poland

Today, the role of universities in the education of future managers who promote the principles of social responsibility (SR) and CSR in business practice is pivotal. Properly educated management staff of organizations can disseminate knowledge on this subject and apply its principles in practice. The research scope of the paper is to identify the knowledge and perception of the University Social Responsibility Declaration (Polish national programme in this field, hereinafter called USRD) among the students of the University of Economics in Katowice. The research assumes that most of the students do not have any knowledge about such programs as the USRD, and that despite this, they see the need for implementation of the specific principles of the USRD into university’s activities. Significance of specific principles is associated with students’ sociodemographic and psychographic characteristics. The strongest relation between the perception of the importance of the objectives of USRD and students’ characteristics is observed in the declared extent to which respondents implement the principles of social responsibility in their everyday life, as well as in their age and year of study. The more the students use those principles, the higher they personally rate specific principles of the USRD.

Study on the Development of Ethnic Museums in China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Ethnic museums collect, research and protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage of 56 ethnic groups in China to fulfill their obligations of consolidating national identities. Under the context of national programme of Belt and Road Initiative, ethnic museums face both strategic opportunities and historical challenges. The paper clarifies ethnic museums’ new positioning, defines their development goal and historical mission, analyzes new advantages of ethnic museums’ geographic and cultural resources, and discusses from an international perspective on how ethnic museums innovate their working concepts, contents and models to become international radiation centers of ethnic cultures in cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative.

Deaths from novel psychoactive substances in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Evaluating the impact of the UK psychoactive substances act 2016

Background: ‘Legal highs’ began appearing in the UK in the mid-2000s. Whilst many of these substances were controlled under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, novel compounds and new variants of controlled compounds were continuously being introduced to the recreational drug market. The Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) was therefore implemented in 2016 as a blanket ban on all novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Aim: To evaluate the impact of the PSA on deaths following NPS use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Methods: Cases reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths where death had occurred 3 years pre- or post-implementation of the PSA were extracted. Cases with NPS detected at post-mortem were analysed and compared against cases non-NPS cases. Results: 293 deaths with NPS detected were identified; 91 occurring before the PSA and 202 afterwards, indicating an 222.0% post-PSA increase. Contrastingly, non-NPS drug-related death case reporting increased by only 8.0%. Synthetic cannabinoid, anxiolytic/sedative and stimulant NPS were detected in the largest proportions of deaths pre-PSA; post-PSA stimulant NPS detections reduced whilst synthetic cannabinoid and anxiolytic/sedative detections increased. Post-PSA, average decedent age increased significantly (mean age pre-PSA 34.4 ± 10.8 vs post-PSA 38.3 ± 9.4), and they were significantly more likely to have been living in deprived areas (pre-PSA 50.0% vs post-PSA 65.9%). Conclusions: Reporting of deaths following NPS use has risen despite introduction of the PSA. Whilst deaths amongst younger individuals and those living in more affluent areas has reduced, additional approaches to prohibition are needed to curb their persistence in deprived demographics.