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A single crystal of 2-amino-4-methylpyridinium cyanoacetate (2A4MPC) has been grown using SEST at 35 °C from methanol. The 2A4MPC crystal belongs to monoclinic crystal system. The functional groups and their different vibrations were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The UV–visible NIR spectrum analysis revealed the linear optical quality of the crystals. The material shows major weight losses in the temperature between 145 and and 300 °C. The photoconductivity measurement reveals the positive photoconductivity behaviour of 2A4MPC. Additionally, the mechanical properties were also investigated. The temperature-dependent dielectric behavior was determined for different frequencies and different temperatures. The 2A4MPC crystals demonstrate a thermal stability up to 145 °C, a dielectric constant of 8.6 at 100 °C, and a photocurrent of 1.3 nA. Laser damage threshold (LDT) and Z-scan studies were conducted using Nd:YAG laser to evaluate the optical durability and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of the 2A4MPC single crystals. The laser damage threshold was measured at 2.90 GW/cm2, positioning these crystals as promising for nonlinear optical applications due to their high optical durability and significant NLO response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of land subsidence deals with the removal of excess pore water pressure and the compaction of soil mass under the effect of natural or human factors. The detrimental effects of land subsidence include changes in the morphology of the land surface and the formation of earth fissures, as well as structural and non-structural damage to surface and subsurface infrastructures. In Joshimath on 2nd January 2023, an incidence of ground subsidence occurred which damaged many buildings and infrastructures. This study addresses the exploratory work on rapid visual damage assessment of buildings based on method developed by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and European Macroseismic Scale (EMS) − 98. The building vulnerability was assessed using building attributes like typology, number of storeys, area, construction materials, occupancy, configuration, construction practice etc. The damage attributes considered are based on siting issues, soil and foundation conditions, architectural features and elements, structural aspects and components, material & construction details, crack monitoring etc. In the critical buildings, cracks were monitored using crack meters. This study concludes out of total 2364 building surveyed, 37%, 42%, 20%, 1% buildings fall under "Usable", "Further Assessment", "Unusable", "to be demolished", grades respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Aim: This study aims to identify and evaluate the methods of oral health education (OHE) used by dental professionals in Chennai, India. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 357 dentists to assess the standard technique for providing OHE. A 15-item questionnaire consisting of demographic variables and preferred method of OHE was distributed to the participants as Google Form. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Most participants (63.4%) reported the lecture method as the standard technique for delivering OHE. Among the study participants, 80% employed OHE aids, predominantly models (33.2%), pamphlets (16.8%), and AV projections (16.5%). Conclusion: The lecture method predominates among dental professionals for its perceived effectiveness and versatility. These findings underscore the importance of tailored educational strategies in oral health promotion, informed by demographic considerations and practitioner preferences, to enhance public health outcomes globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is emerging as a global epidemic, which has resulted in a need for techniques to accurately diagnose AF and its various subtypes. While the classification of cardiac arrhythmias with AF is common, distinguishing between AF subtypes is not. Accurate classification of AF subtypes is important for making better clinical decisions and for timely management of the disease. AI techniques are increasingly being considered for image classification and detection in various ailments, as they have shown promising results in improving diagnosis and treatment outcomes. This paper reports the development of a custom 2D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model with six layers to automatically differentiate Non-Atrial Fibrillation (Non-AF) rhythm from Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (PAF) and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (PsAF) rhythms from ECG images. ECG signals were obtained from a publicly available database and segmented into 10-second segments. Applying Constant Q-Transform (CQT) to the segmented ECG signals created a time-frequency depiction, yielding 98,966 images for Non-AF, 16,497 images for PAF, and 52,861 images for PsAF. Due to class imbalance in the PAF and PsAF classes, data augmentation techniques were utilized to increase the number of PAF and PsAF images to match the count of Non-AF images. The training, validation, and testing ratios were 0.7, 0.15, and 0.15, respectively. The training set consisted of 207,828 images, whereas the testing and validation set consisted of 44,538 images and 44,532 images, respectively. The proposed model achieved accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score values of 0.98, 0.98, 0.98, 0.97, and 0.98, respectively. This model has the potential to assist physicians in selecting personalized AF treatment and reducing misdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) framework, model updating procedure is an iterative or cyclical process which gives numerical model of structure having modal behaviour close to the dynamic behaviour of real structure. Normally for structures with or without any expansion joints typical model updating procedure is used. But the typical procedure may not be applicable for long uniform buildings having expansion joints since the individual blocks in structure connected with expansion joints tend to vibrate in coherence. This behaviour is confirmed by observing the identicalness of modal frequencies of individual blocks in long uniform buildings. This phenomenon was observed in three selected long uniform buildings. When structures connected with expansion joints vibrate in coherence or when the modal frequency of the connected structures are identical, the numerical models of these structures cannot be updated using typical procedure for the following reasons: (1) Modal parameters from Modal identification of structure doesn't represent the actual parameters of the individual block since the ambient vibration is not independent and is influenced by interaction between blocks. (2) Modal analysis of analytical model of individual structural blocks gives dynamic parameters which are true to the model. And these two sets of parameters can't be compared for convergence in model updating procedure. Therefore, to update a numerical model of long uniform buildings with expansion joints having the coherence phenomenon among its individual blocks, a different is needed. Hence, a new approach is proposed where instead of using modal parameters from analytical analysis, the parameters obtained for the structure from modelled floor responses to weak earthquake using Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) algorithm are used for checking convergence in model updating procedure. To demonstrate the proposed procedure, two long uniform buildings in which the coherence phenomenon was observed were updated by applying the proposed procedure and results are discussed. Here for the selected buildings, only modal frequencies were used for checking convergence, since mode shapes obtained were not reliable as floor vibration data of intermediate floors were not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bananas are the fourth most important food crop in the world. Odoiporus longicollis (Oliver), commonly called the banana pseudostem weevil, is one of the serious insect pests that affect the banana production. Though cultural practices and synthetic insecticides are used against this insect pest, indiscriminate use of the synthetic insecticides is expensive, causes health problems or develops pest resistance. The present study was conducted to investigate the insecticidal efficacy of Cinnamomum verum against the fourth instar larvae of O. longicollis, its impeding effects on the pest, and identify the potential bioactive compounds. The acetone extract of the plant showed larvicidal activity in a dose-dependent manner with an LD50 value of 4.12 g/100 mL. The extract induced hyperproteinemia, increased amino acid content, correlated variations in the activity of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase, an increase in trehalose content, and a reduction in the haemocyte count of the haemolymph. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectroscopy analyses of the extract could identify three bioactive compounds: trans-13-octadecenoic acid, 9-octadecenamide and spiro(tricyclo(4.4.0.0.(5.9)]decane-10,2'- oxirane],1- methyl -4- isoprol (relative abundance 7%, 29% and 13%, respectively), resulting in synergistic action. The results suggest C. verum could be used as a source of natural insecticidal agents for the management of O. longicollis, as an alternative to synthetic insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most studied cardiac arrhythmias due to its increasing prevalence in today's scenario. Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for early identification of AF and classification has been thoroughly scrutinized. This review aims to determine the performance of machine and deep learning models applied for AF detection, classification and prediction through systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, IEEE Xplore, science direct and google scholar were searched for the relevant articles for review based on the search strategy framed. Detection, classification and prediction of AF performed using a 12-lead Electrocardiogram (ECG) recording were studied for systematic review. Bivariate hierarchical random effects method for meta-analysis of diagnostic tests accuracies using Stata 17 was performed, and Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic (HSROC) curve was plotted. Further, Meta-DiSc 1.4 software was used for pooling sensitivity and specificity. The pooled sensitivity of 0.98 (95% C.I. 0.98–0.99) and specificity of 0.98 (95% C.I. 0.97–0.99) was achieved for detecting AF. Classification gave pooled sensitivity of 0.98 (95% C.I. 0.96–0.99) and specificity 0.99 (95% C.I. 0.98–0.99). Correlation between logit Sensitivity and logit Specificity for detection and classification were 0.05 and 0.13, respectively. However, information in prediction articles was limited to perform meta-analysis. Convolutional neural network gave the best accuracy output in detecting AF; and Support Vector Machine in classification followed by neural network. Prediction of AF in its early stages has the scope for AI in future along with devising new processing techniques for utilizing f waves as a potent feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Antibiotics are routinely used in dental practice to treat microbial diseases. However, the spread of drug resistant pathogens has drawn researchers' interest to find out new antimicrobial agents against oral microbial diseases. Aim: To compare the anti-microbial activity of clove oil, cinnamon oil, turmeric oil, nutmeg oil, and peppermint oil against oral pathogens. Materials and Methods: It was an in-vitro study. The organisms used in this study were Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis. Agar Well Diffusion Method was used to assess the anti-microbial efficacy of the five essential oils against oral pathogens. Five discs/concentration/microorganism were used in the study. The zone of inhibition was measured after incubation. Kruskal Wallis Test was used to compare the difference in the anti-microbial activity of the oils. Results: The mean zone of inhibition of clove oil against Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, and Enterococcus faecalis was highest at 100 μL (29.8 mm, 44.75 mm, 40.33 mm, respectively), cinnamon oil was highest at 100 μL (39.8 mm, 40.33 mm, 40 mm, respectively), turmeric oil was highest at 100 μL (41.8 mm, 40.50 mm, 40 mm, respectively), peppermint oil was highest at 100 μL (41.8 mm, 27.16 mm, 17 mm, respectively) and nutmeg oil against was highest at 100 μL (24 mm, 24.83 mm, 9.3 mm, respectively). Conclusion: Clove oil, cinnamon oil, turmeric oil, nutmeg oil, and peppermint oil had anti-microbial activity against oral pathogens. Based on the findings, the most effective oil against Streptococcus mutans was turmeric oil and peppermint oil. The most effective oil against Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis was clove oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present pandemic disease COVID-19 demands an urgent need for more efficient antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2. 22-Hydroxyhopane is a bioactive triterpenoid compound with antibacterial activity, present in the leaves of Adiantum latifolium. In this study, molecular docking method revealed strong binding affinity of the compound for ten proteins essential for SARS-CoV-2 multiplication in host cells, including seven nonstructural proteins, two structural proteins and one receptor protein, with a binding energy of −7.61 to −9.82 kcal/mol and inhibition constant <1 μM. MDS and MM-PBSA analysis of the best ranked complex further confirmed the results. The targets selected include six enzymes, RNA binding protein, spike protein, membrane protein and ACE2 receptor of SARS-CoV-2. It is the first report of a natural compound from A. latifolium having multitargeted activity against SARS-CoV-2. We conclude that 22-hydroxyhopane may be used as a best source for the development of novel therapeutic drugs for COVID-19, but requires further evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Smoked, and especially smokeless, tobacco are major causes of oral cancer globally. Here, we examine the oral bacteriome of smokers and of smokeless tobacco users, in comparison to healthy controls, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Methods: Oral swab samples were collected from smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and healthy controls (n = 44). Microbial DNA was extracted and the 16S rRNA gene profiled using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Sequencing reads were processed using DADA2, and taxonomical classification was performed using the phylogenetic placement method. Differentially abundant taxa were identified using DESeq2, while functional metagenomes based on KEGG orthology abundance were inferred using LIMMA. Results: A significantly higher microbial diversity was observed in smokeless tobacco users and smokers relative to controls (P < 0.05). Compositional differences in microbial communities were observed in all comparisons with healthy controls (PERMANOVA P < 0.05) but not between smokers and smokeless tobacco users. Levels of Fusobacterium spp., Saccharibacterium spp., and members of Shuttleworthia were elevated in smokers when compared to controls (BH adj P < 0.01). In addition, the relative abundance of three bacterial taxa belonging to genera Fusobacterium spp., Catonella, and Fretibacterium spp. was significantly increased in smokeless tobacco users relative to controls (BH adj P < 0.01). Major functional pathways significantly increased in smokeless tobacco users relative to both controls, and smokers were similar and involved amino acid metabolism including glutamate and aspartate biosynthesis and degradation (log FC > 1.5; BH adj P < 0.01). Conclusions: A distinct taxonomic and functional profile of oral microbiome in smokers and smokeless tobacco users as compared to healthy controls implicates a significant role of microbes and their metabolites in diseases associated with tobacco use including oral cancer. Clinical relevance: Future efforts in preventive, diagnostic, curative, and prognostic strategies for diseases associated with tobacco use in smokers and smokeless tobacco users could incorporate the oral microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of permanent teeth should not be an insignificant act, specially in children, because of the terrible repercussions on eruption phenomena, the harmony of the arches, the primary capabilities of chewing, swallowing, breathing and phonation. Loss of permanent teeth has negative consequences functionally, psychologically and socially, especially for children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to analyse the most frequently extracted permanent tooth and to evaluate the reasons for extractions in patients below 18 years of age visiting a university hospital in Chennai in a period of 10 months from June 2019 March 2020. The data of 7415 patients was reviewed and patients from 6-18 years of age undergoing permanent teeth extraction were selected for this study. Chi-square test was used to detect the significance between age, gender, reasons, and extracted tooth number. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this study we observed that the most frequently extracted permanent teeth in patients from 6-18 years of age are upper premolars, followed by lower first molars and the main reason for extractions were therapeutic & dental caries. Within the limits of this study, the most frequently extracted permanent teeth in patients from 0-18 years of age is upper premolars, followed by lower first molars and the main reason for extractions were therapeutic & dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients wearing complete dentures whether both arches or a single mandibular denture pose a great problem of midline fracture. They are more evident in patients who have retained their natural maxillary teeth. Few reports are available on the incidence of mandibular complete denture and its management. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of midline fractures in mandibular complete denture .This study was designed as a retrospective clinical study. All the patients with Complete dentures who have been treated at the department of Prosthodontics from June 2019-March 2020 were included in the study. A total of 915 patients wearing complete dentures in the age group 40-80 years were included in the study .Various parameters namely midline fracture, denture age and the arch were evaluated. The data was analysed and results were recorded. In the present study, out of 915 only 11 patients reported with complete denture fractures predominantly within 5 years of denture use. Midline fracture was found to be more prevalent in mandibular complete denture than maxillary complete denture. Patients wearing dentures for less than or equal to 5 years had a higher frequency of denture fracture in both maxilla(0.22%) and mandible(0.66%).The prevalence of midline fracture in mandibular complete denture was found to be 17.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes Mellitus has become a global epidemic and presents many complications. Oral lesions related to DM described are: dry mouth, tooth decay, periodontal disease and gingivitis, oral candidiasis, burning mouth syndrome (BMS), taste disorders, rhinocerebral zygomycosis (mucormycosis) and various other lesions. It is a retrospective study, to study the oral lesions associated with diabetes mellitus in patients who visited Saveetha Dental College and hospitals in between June 2019 to March 2020. The data of 86000 patients was reviewed and patients with diabetes mellitus and having single or multiple oral lesions were selected for this study. Chisquare test was used to detect the significance between age, gender, diabetes and oral lesions. Prevalence of diabetes was high in males (68.2%) and in individuals more than 65 years of age (49.2%) . Among both males and females dental caries and pulpitis was found to be the most common oral lesion ( 44.3% and 16.7% respectively ) oral complications in patients with DM are considered major complications of the disease and can influence the patient's quality of life. There is evidence that chronic and persistent oral complications such as dental caries, periodontitis, gingivitis, candidiasis in these patients adversely affect blood glucose control. Thus, prevention and management of oral complications due to diabetes are considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The merging of traditional medicine with modern technology in the building up of novel scaffold devices, is of additional relevance in this era of regenerative medicine. Hence, the aim of this study is to fabricate and test the safety and efficacy of the flavonoid Naringenin, incorporated Polycaprolactone (Nar-PCL) electrospun nano fibrous scaffolds intended for drug delivery and as stem cell loading stations. Electro spun mats of 5% and 20% wt/wt Naringenin-PCL was fabricated and physico-chemically characterisated by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, XRD analysis and SEM. In vitro drug release of Naringenin from spun mats were studied in PBS for 3, 6, 12 days spectrophotometrically at 292 nm. L929 fibroblasts were grown over Nar-PCL and control PCL scaffolds and Cell adhesion was demonstrated by SEM,viability by Calcien AM- Ethidium homodimer staining, and proliferation by MTT and LDH assay. Simultaneously, viability and adhesion of isolated rat Adipose derived Mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) on different scaffolds were also assessed. Antibacterial activity of Naringenin against Psuedomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was analysed by Kirby-Bauer method. Finally, the combination product of 5% wt/wt Nar- PCL portrayed better cytocompatible, regenerative and antibacterial properties of Naringenin, proving as a prospective candidate for stem cell loading and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the internet has made contemporary revolutions making the shared information more accessible. Retrieving any information is much easier now than ever before. The availability of ubiquitous access to various social networks and modern search engines via smartphones, tablets or laptops has made any information accessible almost at any time of the day. A large number of tools is available to assess the quality of information. DISCERN is an instrument, or tool, which has been designed to help users of consumer health information judge the quality of written information about treatment choices. To determine the readability and the reliability of dental caries-related information retrieved on Indian websites. The present study was designed to assess the readability and the reliability of dental caries-related information retrieved on Indian websites. After determining specific search strategy, the websites were retrieved from most used search engines like Google search and Yahoo. The English term "Tooth decay" was entered in the most commonly search engine Google and Yahoo. From a total of 1,81,00,000 results obtained in various search engines we included in our study the first 25 links in each search engine. We evaluated about 50 websites, not connected to each other. The data was subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. In this study, among the 50 websites, only 7(14%) had good reliability, about 40(80%) had fair reliability. Also only about 3(6%) had good quality of information on treatment choices, about 35(70%) had fair quality. It also shows that only about 18(36%) had good overall quality. Based on the aim of the study, internet-based information about dental caries is yet not completely reliable source and also in terms of quality of source of information in treatment choices. Also, dental caries related contents were fairly easy according to the FRE-BP scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral diseases are the major public health problem due to their high prevalence and noteworthy social impact and it can be controlled only if it was diagnosed at an earlier stage. This study is aimed to evaluate oral health status, oral hygiene practices, among 8-10-year-old school going children in Kanchipuram district. A clinical trial was conducted in 90 schools in Kanchipuram district. Students were selected from 3rd, 4th and 5th standard consists of 4 students from each class with a total of 12 students from each school. Dental caries (DMFT and dmft index), brushing frequency, use of fluoridated toothpaste and sugar intake were assessed. Mean decayed permanent teeth and mean decayed milk teeth were found to be 0.29± 0.692 and 2.65± 2.711 respectively. 95.93% of the participants use fluoridated toothpaste and 69.44% brushes once in a day and 30.37% of participants brushes twice a day. Children of 8 years, 9 years and 10 years have 19.2%, 21.8% and 10.6% prevalence of dental caries respectively. Significant association was found between decayed permanent teeth use of fluoridated toothpaste(p=0.001) as children using fluoridated toothpaste had lower prevalence of caries in our clinical trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral SubMucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, potentially malignant disorder of the oral cavity seen predominantly in the south east asian region[1].The most common cause is tobacco chewing habits like pan, areca nut and gutkha. This cross sectional study aims to determine the prevalence of OSMF among habitual tobacco chewers. This study was designed as a cross sectional study. All the patients with a tobacco chewing habit were included in the study. The patient records were accessed and data was collected between June 2019 and March 2020.The clinical diagnosis of OSMF was based on the presence of palpable fibrous bands, blanched oral mucosa and limited mouth opening. The data collected was analysed using SPSS software and the results were recorded. Out of the 311 habitual tobacco chewers, OSMF was prevalent in 30.5 % of the population with pan chewing(39%) being the most common abusive habit. Men were predominant (92.4%). Buccal mucosa (68.5%) was the most commonly affected site. This study shows a prevalence of 30.5% among habitual tobacco chewers.OSMF was highly prevalent in men within the age group 31-50 years. Pan chewing habit was common over gutkha and areca nuts. Awareness and education on the detrimental effects of tobacco chewing and the risk associated with it should be implemented to limit the frequency of occurrence amongst the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorosis is an endemic disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Long term ingestion of excess fluorides through drinking water and other sources can lead to fluorosis affecting both the skeletal system and teeth. Dental fluorosis is a developmental disturbance of enamel due to the excessive exposure to fluoride. It mostly affects families located in high-fluoride belt regions with excessive fluoride present in drinking water. The aim of the study is to determine the awareness of dental fluorosis among college students in chennai. The study was conducted through an online survey link where a structured questionnaire containing 14 questions were distributed among 150 college students in chennai. This study revealed that nearly 50% of the population were unaware about dental fluorosis and Only 42% of the participants agreed that the main cause of dental fluorosis was the water quality. About 46% of the participants agreed that dental Fluorosis may cause tooth problems as well as skeletal problems. More than 50% of the participants were unaware of the various modes of treatments that are available for dental fluorosis. Hence this study shows that there is a lack awareness about dental fluorosis among the college students in Chennai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of Ayurveda is to achieve physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being by implementing preventive, health promoting and holistic methods towards life. Recently there is renewed interest in use of various ayurvedic drugs for dental health. To determine the anti-bacterial efficacy of Solanum xanthocarpum, Terminalia chebula, Emblica offinalis Mimosa pudica and 0.2% chlorhexidine on oral bacteria Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. An in-vitro study done with eight strains of microorganisms (Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus) were taken and incubated in Mutans media, Mueller Hilton agar, Sabouraud Dextrose agar media, brain heart infusion broth, Muller Hinton Agar and Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) broth respectively for each microorganism respectively. Sterile discs were incorporated with equal amounts of prepared extracts using micropipette. then these discs were placed equidistant to each other following which these plates were incubated for 24 hours. The zone of inhibition against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be highest in Terminalia chebula when compared to the other plant extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate workers constitute a well-defined population. Every workplace is really a work environment where there are interactions between people and the chemical and physical demands involved with performing a job. Oral diseases in adults negatively impact their employability and systemic health. To assess the dental caries experience among corporate employees in Chennai. The corporate workers with age groups of 20-50 years were included in the study. Dental caries experience was assessed using DMFT index and gingival status was assessed by gingival index. Independent t test was used to assess the dental caries experience between professionals and skilled workers. The mean DMFT score was found to be statistically significant between professionals and skilled workers (pvalue-0.02). The mean gingivitis score was not found to be statistically significant between professionals and skilled workers(p value-0.62). The present study revealed that Decay and missing were observed to be increased in skilled workers compared to professionals. Oral health of corporate workers is compromised which might be primarily due to the exposure to sugar products during their job hours and lower awareness level regarding the significance of oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cord blood cells are too valuable to discard. Stem cells have been used in treatment for over 2 decades and the list of diseases treated with cord blood has doubled. This study can be used in the development of public cord blood banks in Chennai. The list of clinics and hospitals in Chennai was obtained and using convenient sampling three hospitals were selected. Equal representations from all three hospitals were taken till the sample size was met. A Self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the pregnant women. 340 pregnant women received the questionnaire. 88.8% had little or very little knowledge about stem cells and cord blood. 29.1% of women had a misconception that the surgical procedure of collecting cord blood cells might harm them or their infant. 85.6% of women said that they would be willing to know more information about cord blood banking. It can be concluded that pregnant women lack sufficient knowledge but there is a positive attitude, regarding the cord blood banking and donation. It also stresses that health care professionals play a vital role in providing the required information to their patients at the right time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malocclusion has a negative impact on the oral health-related quality of life and has all been associated with an unacceptable dental appearance. Dental caries is a common complication of malocclusion. Epidemiological data on malocclusion and dental caries is of interest for dental public health programs, clinical treatment, screening for treatment priority and resource planning. Therefore the objective of the present study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and its relationship with dental caries among 12 to 15year Old School Children of Chandigarh, India. Method: The present study was conducted among 1368 school going children of Chandigarh in the age group of 12 to 15years. The subjects were selected from four randomly selected schools of Chandigarh. Dentition status was assessed using the DMFT index by Klein, Palmer, Knutson, and Malocclusion were quantified based on the presence or absence of dentofacial anomalies which was recorded in a structured format. Results: Prevalence of malocclusion and dental caries in the present study was found to be 28.9% and 31.4%. A significant negative correlation was observed between Malocclusion and Dental caries among subjects having Normal occlusion and Malocclusion. Conclusion: Prevalence of malocclusion and dental caries was greater among older than younger children Results from the present study revealed that Normal occlusion and malocclusion had no or weak significant effect on overall dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The initial stage of dental caries is known as incipient lesions and if the process is not interrupted here, they might progress from demineralisation to non caviatated lesions and finally to cavitated lesions. Nova Min is reactive when exposed to body fluidsrelease calcium, sodium and phosphate ions. Bio Min contains calcium and phosphate but also has fluoride within the glass rather than assoluble addition;this allows longer term delivery of fluoride. Remin Pro contains calciumand phosphate in the hydroxyapatite form and also includes fluoride and xylitol. These agents help in remineralisation of enamel. Materials and Method: A sample of 21 non-carious premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons were used for the study. Surface microhardness value was obtained at baseline, post demineralisation and post treatment using Vickers hardness test. All the teeth were first demineralised and then the test agents were applied for 3 minutues daily for 15 days. The samples were then placed in demineralising and remineralising agents for 1 week followed by assessing the increase in surface microhardness. Results: The mean difference in Vickers hardness value at baseline and Post treatment was found to be highest for Remin Pro group-59.5, followed by Bio Min group-32.5 and the least increment was found in Nova Min group-26.5. Conclusion: The microhardness of artificial carious like lesions increased significantly with Nova Min, Bio Min and Remin Pro containing toothpastes. However, Remin Pro group was found to be more effective as compared to Bio Min and Nova Min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pit and fissures are approximately eight times vulnerable than the smooth surface caries lesion. Sealants are effective in preventing, arresting, and progression of pit-and-fissure occlusal caries lesions. The failure of sealant resin-based retention is mainly attributed to the moisture contamination. To overcome this drawback, UltraSeal XT® hydro, a moisture-friendly sealant, has been introduced. Aim: This study aimed to compare and evaluate the retention, cariostatic effect, and discoloration of conventional Clinpro™ 3M™ ESPE™ and hydrophilic UltraSeal XT® sealants among 12 to 15-year-old schoolchildren for 3 months. Materials and Methods: A single-blinded, randomized, split-mouth clinical trial was conducted among thirty schoolchildren aged 12-15 years. Sealants used in the present study were Group I -- Clinpro™ and Group II -- UltraSeal XT® hydro. Sealants were provided in the school by two operators based on the computer-generated random sequence and the study participants were evaluated after 3 months for sealant coverage, caries incidence, and discoloration using Color, Coverage and Caries sealant evaluation system. Sealant coverage between the two sealants was compared using Mann--Whitney U-test and Z-test for proportions. Results: A total of 47 teeth (78.3%) with UltraSeal XT® Hydro had the sealant covering in all the fissures compared to Clinpro™ 3M™ ESPE™ which was 46.7% (28 teeth) and the difference was observed to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Hydrophilic UltraSeal XT® Hydro yielded better sealant coverage (retention) compared to the conventional Clinpro™ 3M™ ESPE™. No difference was observed with regard to cariostatic effect and discoloration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present explicit formula for the general Randić connectivity, general sum-connectivity, Hyper-Zagreb and Harmonic Indices, and Harmonic polynomial of some simple connected molecular graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the flexural strength of a commercially available, heat polymerized acrylic denture base material could be improved using reinforcements. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 specimens (65 mm × 10 mm × 3 mm) were fabricated; the specimens were divided into three groups with 10 specimens each. They were Group 1 - conventional denture base resins, Group 2 - high impact denture base resins, and Group 3 - glass reinforced denture base resins. The specimens were loaded until failure on a three-point bending test machine. An one-way analysis of variance was used to determine statistical differences among the flexural strength of three groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 21.0© (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) and the results were obtained. Results: The flexural strength values showed statistically significant differences among experimental groups (P < 0.005). Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) reinforced with glass fibers showed the highest flexural strength values this was followed by PMMA reinforced with butadiene styrene, and the least strength was observed in the conventional denture base resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the impact strength of a commercially available, heat polymerized acrylic denture base material could be improved using reinforcements. A total of 30 specimens (65 mm x 10 mm x 3 mm) were fabricated, the specimens were divided into 3 groups with 10 specimens each. They were Group 1 -- conventional denture base resins, Group 2 -- high impact denture base resins and group 3 -- glass reinforced denture base resins. The impact strength of specimens was measured using charpy's test. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine statistical differences among the impact strength of three groups. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and the results were obtained. The flexural strength values showed statistically significant differences among experimental groups (P<0.005). Within the limitations of the study PMMA reinforced with glass fibers showed the highest impact strength values, and this was followed by PMMA reinforced with butadiene styrene and the least strength was observed in the conventional denture base resins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A continuous exposure or contact to latex products may sensitize the human body by causing mild to fatal reactions. Despite the availability of the literature, medical personnel are still unaware of the implications of the use of latex materials. The increased awareness to prevent the transmission of infectious blood borne pathogens has lead to increased usage of medical gloves among health care workers. This increased usage of medical gloves, along with improved methods in diagnosing latex allergy, has been the reason for the rise in the number of reported cases. This has lead to recognition of latex allergy as a serious medical concern. Patients in high-risk groups must be assessed carefully, so that appropriate protocols can be used to protect them from contact with latex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Periodontal disease is universally prevalent and an important public health problem. Poor life style and negative psychosocial condition has been said to play an important role in the aetiology of adult periodontitis. Construction workers are characterized by insecurity of wages and poor life style. Dental extractions form a major constituent of therapeutic measures in these lower socio economic populations, hence an attempt has been made to assess the periodontal health status and treatment needs among them. Methods: A cross sectional study, involving 321 construction workers using a cluster sampling technique was employed and the study was conducted in four construction companies selected by simple random sampling. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel spread sheet and analyzed using Statical package of social science software. Pearson's chi square and Kruskal Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of periodontal disease among the study subjects was 95.4%. Bleeding and calculus was most frequently observed in the age groups 20 -29 years, whereas the percentage of individuals with shallow and deep pockets was greater in the age groups 35-54 years. Among the study [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal drugs are frequently considered to be less toxic and also free from side effects, than synthetic ones. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate one such combination of herbal drugs, Asystasia gangetica and Morus indica for their antidiabetic and antioxidant potential against alloxan-induced diabetes in albino rats. The effect of both individual and a combination of Asystasia gangetica and Morus indica on blood glucose and liver glycogen were studied in the diabetic rats. The study also assessed for the effect of selected plant extracts for their effect on Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH) and Lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the homogenates of the pancreas. The results of the present study attests significant antidiabetic and antioxidant potential for the selected plants individually and also in combination as a prominent decrease in blood glucose and liver glycogen was observed in the rats treated with the extracts of the selected plants. Similarly, the levels of the protective antioxidant enzymes like SOD, CAT and GSH were increased along with decrease in the LPO levels. The present study provides a scientific evidence for antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Asystasia gangetica and Morus indica. Further studies to isolate bioactive compounds will pave the way to identify potential lead compounds for developing safe and efficacious antidiabetic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental fractures are common trauma complications in the oral cavity. Aproper diagnosis and management of dental injuries is a considerable factor in the comprehensive practice of dentistry. The present article describes a case study of trauma in central maxillary incisor with tooth fragment lodged in the lower lip. Radiographs confirmed the presence of this tooth piece, which was removed under local anesthesia. The lower lip was excised and the supposed dental fragment was identified and gently removed. From this case report it is evident that a thorough clinical examination with soft-tissue radiographs is mandatory for early diagnosis and surgical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]