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Research on the existence of various elements in the universe has been extensive, but their role in the human body is not fully understood. About 98% of the human body mass consists of nine non-metallic elements, categorized into abundant and non-abundant/trace elements. Micronutrients, including trace elements, vitamins, and antioxidants, play a vital role in regenerative processes, coping with oxidative stress, and providing immunity against pathogens. Dental health is also dependent on these nutrients, which help in the production and development of oral mucosa, teeth, and surrounding tissues. The recommended intake of these nutrients remains variable due to factors such as geography, altitude, age, weight, physiological needs, pathological backlogs, and other recognizable/unrecognizable factors. Essential trace elements are broadly categorized into macro-elements, micro-elements or trace elements, probably essential elements, and potentially toxic elements. The current review focuses on the role of essential trace elements in maintaining oral health and their implications in various oral diseases and disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitors are highly efficient energy storage devices that are known for their stability, ability to charge and discharge rapidly, extended cycle life, and impressive power density. However, their low energy density makes them unsuitable for energy-demanding applications like electric vehicles, requiring larger packs. This challenge has led to ongoing research focused on creating lightweight and cost-effective supercapacitors that can deliver optimal performance. This study aimed to develop a polyindole/gadolinium-gallium-aluminum garnet (PIn/GGAG) nano-composite tailored specifically for supercapacitor applications. The two-step synthesis process involved the sol-gel method to produce GGAG nano-powder, followed by creating the PIn/GGAG binary composite through a straightforward oxidative polymerization reaction. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the morphology of the composite, which was found to be within the 230–560 nm range. Characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, Raman, and FE-SEM, confirmed the presence of the GGAG phase. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to scrutinize the supercapacitive performance in a three-electrode configuration. CV confirmed the contribution of the pseudo-capacitance mechanism at the interface of the PIn/GGAG nano-composite-coated carbon fiber (CF) and H2SO4 electrolyte. The calculated specific capacitance (SC) using the CV technique was 105 F/g at a scan rate of 5 mV/s. The PIn/GGAG nano-composite-coated CF electrode demonstrated a charging potential increase of up to 1.8 V within 100s, coupled with a discharge time of approximately 90s. These findings suggest that the PIn/GGAG nano-composite has significant potential as a novel, high-performance lightweight supercapacitor electrode, potentially enhancing the longevity and charging efficiency in the hybrid energy systems of electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural products have received a lot of attention in a variety of medical sectors, including dentistry. Cissus, a flowering plant genus, has long been used for its therapeutic benefits. The purpose of this review is to thoroughly investigate the possibilities of Cissus extracts in dentistry. To that end, we used specific selection criteria for the selection of pertinent scientific articles published in the scientific information databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ProQuest. We found that the diverse array of bioactive compounds found in varied species of Cissus holds promise for applications ranging from oral wound healing to periodontal health. This review summarizes known studies on antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and tissue-regenerative characteristics of Cissus extracts, shedding light on their potential significance in modernizing modern dental practices. It exerts that Cissus extracts have the potential to supplement established dentistry therapies by providing all-natural remedies for a variety of oral health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a debilitating condition stemming from disruption to the respiratory system during sleep. At present, the nature of the relationship between OSA and mood, specifically depression and anxiety, is still unclear. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on this relationship. There is an urgent need to better understand the roles of psychological illness in OSA. Well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to examine temporal relationships between the OSA, and psychological diseases and further research is needed to establish the role of confounders, and effect modifiers such as gender, in any apparent relationship. Sleep clinicians are advised to consider psychological diseases a likely cause of sleepiness and fatigue. Several possible causal mechanisms linking OSA, and depression have been proposed but not established. Patients who have depression as well as OSA appear worse off than those with OSA only, and depressive symptoms persist in at least some patients in short term studies of treatment for OSA. Direct treatment of psychological diseases in OSA might improve acceptance of therapy, reduce sleepiness, and fatigue and improve quality of life, but intervention trials are required to answer this question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SORCS2 is one of five proteins that constitute the Vps10p-domain receptor family. Members of this family play important roles in cellular processes linked to neuronal survival, differentiation and function. Genetic and functional studies implicate SORCS2 in cognitive function, as well as in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. DNA damage and DNA repair deficits are linked to ageing and neurodegeneration, and transient neuronal DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) also occur as a result of neuronal activity. Here, we report a novel role for SORCS2 in DSB formation. We show that SorCS2 loss is associated with elevated DSB levels in the mouse dentate gyrus and that knocking out SORCS2 in a human neuronal cell line increased Topoisomerase IIβ-dependent DSB formation and reduced neuronal viability. Neuronal stimulation had no impact on levels of DNA breaks in vitro, suggesting that the observed differences may not be the result of aberrant neuronal activity in these cells. Our findings are consistent with studies linking the VPS10 receptors and DNA damage to neurodegenerative conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothesis that a relationship exists between body mass index (BMI), functional class, and 6 min walk distance (6MWD) in Group 1‐pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was examined. Analysis of data from the UK National Cohort Study for heritable pulmonary arterial/idiopathic PAH suggests increased BMI is a predictor of worse functional class and shorter 6MWD; increased body‐weight in mice and man may be associated with increased estrogen metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Out of all the morphological landmarks on the human body, the mental foramen is thought to be one of the most reliable for determining age and gender. It has therefore been utilised in the current investigation to assess age and gender because of its durability. Aim: To determine sexual dimorphism and to estimate the age in a subset of population in Kolkata, West Bengal by analysing the mental foramen using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using CBCT of 70 subjects, of which 50 were included in the study as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The patient's OPD registration number, gender, date of birth was kept confidential, and a unique study case number was allotted. The required measurements in the CBCT scans, were done on these following parameters in both right and left side: 1. superior border of crest of mandible to superior border of mental foramen (SBMSBMF), 2. superior border of crest of mandible to inferior border of mandible (SBM-IBMF), 3. superior border of mental foramen to inferior border of mandible (SBMF-IBM), 4. inferior border of mental foramen to inferior border of mandible (IBMF-IBM), 5. superior border of mental foramen to inferior border of mental foramen. The information gathered was entered into a Microsoft Office Excel sheet, from which it was extracted to produce the desired outcomes using Stata version 13.1 and SPSS version 20 for Windows software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The study's findings indicate that there is bilateral dimorphism in the (UM-IM) and (LM-IM) distances for both genders, making it a useful tool for distinguishing gender. Regarding age estimation, the research demonstrates substantial values for each of the four criteria. There were also bilateral differences noted. There is a substantial correlation between the estimated and original ages, according to the age regression model. Conclusion: The mental foramen, a stable landmark in the mandible, is a useful tool for determining gender and age. As a result, using particular Mental Foramen measurements, one can determine the age of an individual. Additionally, pre-prosthetic surgery, implant placement, and orthognathic treatments use its location and distance from the alveolar crest as a guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is one of the most serious public health threats globally and is emerging as pandemic. Data from World Health Organisation proves that about 5 million people die prematurely per year around the globe due to tobacco use with India being a leading nation among tobacco users. Aim: To evaluate the most prevalent tobacco habit and the oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (PMDs) among the tobacco users and assessment of prevalence rate of awareness and change in various habits in relation to similar studies conducted in past in Eastern zone. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months, wherein all the patients visiting the OPD were assessed and questioned for Tobacco related habits. A detailed history about the duration and frequency of the habit and the type of tobacco and the predominant reason for its consumption among males and females were recorded and evaluated for the evidence of PMDs. Patients below the age of 13 years and with systemic/metabolic disorder with oral manifestations were excluded from the study. Results: The results of the study revealed that the tobacco consumption was more prevalent in males than in females. Most prevalent tobacco habit was chewing tobacco with slaked lime followed by smoking then mixed tobacco. Most common age group affected was 20-50 years and tobacco pouch keratosis were most prevalent lesion followed by leukoplakia. Conclusion: This study imparted us the particulars of association of Oral PMDs in different kinds of tobacco users thus reducing the chances of morbidity and mortality associated with them due to their asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic nature which remains unnoticed till advanced stages due to relative lack of awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco usage even in current times of social media, thus guiding physicians to provide better patient care at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Potentially malignant oral mucosal diseases such as oral leukoplakia, oral Erythroplakia and oral submucous fibrosis have a high malignant transformation rate with tobacco, alcohol, chewing of betel quid containing areca nut being etiological agents. Early identification, diagnosis and treatment hinder 'progression of the disease to severe dysplasia and even carcinoma in-situ and/or squamous cell carcinoma. Therefore, early intervention is highly advocated to attain favourable prognosis as well as treatment outcome. Aim: To assess, compare and correlate the levels of serum folate and iron in patients with/without any visible Oral leukoplakia. Materials and Methods: A total of 136 patients (34 Oral leukoplakia patients with habit(s) 34 patients without leukoplakia with habit(s) in Bengaluru and 34 Oral leukoplakia patients with habit(s) and 34 patients without leukoplakia with habit(s) in Kolkata. Serum folate was measured by chemi-luminescent immunoassay and serum iron concentration was measured by photometric method. Results: There was a definite male predilection with majority of the subjects found in the age group of 20-30 years. The mean folate levels in BOL (34 Individuals with oral leukoplakia and habits in Bangalore), BWOL (34 Individuals without leukoplakia but with habits in Bangalore), KOL (34 Individuals with oral leukoplakia and habits in Kolkata), KWOL (34 Individuals without leukoplakia but with habits in Kolkata) was found to be 5.20, 5.3, 6.4 and 5.6 respectively, whereas the mean iron levels were 91.20, 105.73, 102.12 and 114.53 respectively, which was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The mean serum folate and iron levels were found to be high in the Kolkata population in comparison to that of the Bengaluru population. A clear decline in the serum iron and folate levels in patients with clinically diagnosed leukoplakia amongst smokers as well as in tobacco chewers was recorded; however, the folate levels were found to increase amongst smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Introduction: Smoking is one of the common recreational drug uses. Tobacco smoking habit has spread across the world, and is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity. Smokers are more likely to develop many deadly diseases such as cancer and other types of respiratory diseases. Tobacco smokingrelated diseases have been shown to kill around half of long-term smokers compared with the overall mortality levels faced by nonsmokers. Aim: To investigate and assess the knowledge, attitude and awareness of the effects of smoking on oral health among non dental and non Medical University students in Kolkata Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by circulating the self-designed questionnaire among 150 college students. The questionnaire was designed to assess the data's on demographics, smoking prevalence, smoking related knowledge and attitudes and health effects due to smoking habits. The survey was conducted through an online setting through google form. Results: The responses from the study were analysed and represented in pie charts. The findings were 85% of individuals are aware of the complications of smoking. Around10% of individuals felt that the habit of smoking is greatly influenced by friends and stress. 87% of individuals felt that smoking in public places is an offence. 81% of individuals strongly impose smoking Cessation Campaigns at their Institutions Conclusion: The study concludes that students are well aware about smoking habits and its ill effects which cause major complications in their health. In addition, collaborative and more comprehensive anti-tobacco efforts are important to curb the tobacco epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection caused by members of Mucorales and zygomycotic species. These are saprophytes known as Mucormycotina that grow from rotten matter or soils during the decomposition of soil. It has been seen affecting many COVID-19-affected patients recently in India. Mucormycosis can be diagnosed in six different sites depending on the immunological status and the site of the body affected. The six manifestations are rhinocerebral, pulmonary, cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system or disseminated forms. Here, we present a dental case of mucormycosis or black fungus disease that has affected an immune-compromised patient who had suffered from COVID-19 2 months ago. Surgical debridement was done and the histopathologic study revealed fungal hyphae. Systemic antifungal therapy was administered that helped the patient to recover in 7-week time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a rare but fatal disease diagnosed by right heart catheterisation and the exclusion of other forms of pulmonary arterial hypertension, producing a heterogeneous population with varied treatment response. Here we show unsupervised machine learning identification of three major patient subgroups that account for 92% of the cohort, each with unique whole blood transcriptomic and clinical feature signatures. These subgroups are associated with poor, moderate, and good prognosis. The poor prognosis subgroup is associated with upregulation of the ALAS2 and downregulation of several immunoglobulin genes, while the good prognosis subgroup is defined by upregulation of the bone morphogenetic protein signalling regulator NOG, and the C/C variant of HLA-DPA1/DPB1 (independently associated with survival). These findings independently validated provide evidence for the existence of 3 major subgroups (endophenotypes) within the IPAH classification, could improve risk stratification and provide molecular insights into the pathogenesis of IPAH. Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare and fatal disease with a heterogeneous treatment response. Here the authors show that unsupervised machine learning of whole blood transcriptomes from 359 patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension identifies 3 subgroups (endophenotypes) that improve risk stratification and provide new molecular insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal vasculopathy characterized by pathogenic remodeling of pulmonary arterioles leading to increased pulmonary pressures, right ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure. PAH can be associated with other diseases (APAH: connective tissue diseases, congenital heart disease, and others) but often the etiology is idiopathic (IPAH). Mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) are the cause of most heritable cases but the vast majority of other cases are genetically undefined. Methods: To identify new risk genes, we utilized an international consortium of 4241 PAH cases with exome or genome sequencing data from the National Biological Sample and Data Repository for PAH, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and the UK NIHR BioResource – Rare Diseases Study. The strength of this combined cohort is a doubling of the number of IPAH cases compared to either national cohort alone. We identified protein-coding variants and performed rare variant association analyses in unrelated participants of European ancestry, including 1647 IPAH cases and 18,819 controls. We also analyzed de novo variants in 124 pediatric trios enriched for IPAH and APAH-CHD. Results: Seven genes with rare deleterious variants were associated with IPAH with false discovery rate smaller than 0.1: three known genes (BMPR2, GDF2, and TBX4), two recently identified candidate genes (SOX17, KDR), and two new candidate genes (fibulin 2, FBLN2; platelet-derived growth factor D, PDGFD). The new genes were identified based solely on rare deleterious missense variants, a variant type that could not be adequately assessed in either cohort alone. The candidate genes exhibit expression patterns in lung and heart similar to that of known PAH risk genes, and most variants occur in conserved protein domains. For pediatric PAH, predicted deleterious de novo variants exhibited a significant burden compared to the background mutation rate (2.45×, p = 2.5e−5). At least eight novel pediatric candidate genes carrying de novo variants have plausible roles in lung/heart development. Conclusions: Rare variant analysis of a large international consortium identified two new candidate genes—FBLN2 and PDGFD. The new genes have known functions in vasculogenesis and remodeling. Trio analysis predicted that ~ 15% of pediatric IPAH may be explained by de novo variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal vasculopathy characterized by pathogenic remodeling of pulmonary arterioles leading to increased pulmonary pressures, right ventricular hypertrophy, and heart failure. PAH can be associated with other diseases (APAH: connective tissue diseases, congenital heart disease, and others) but often the etiology is idiopathic (IPAH). Mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) are the cause of most heritable cases but the vast majority of other cases are genetically undefined. Methods: To identify new risk genes, we utilized an international consortium of 4241 PAH cases with exome or genome sequencing data from the National Biological Sample and Data Repository for PAH, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and the UK NIHR BioResource – Rare Diseases Study. The strength of this combined cohort is a doubling of the number of IPAH cases compared to either national cohort alone. We identified protein-coding variants and performed rare variant association analyses in unrelated participants of European ancestry, including 1647 IPAH cases and 18,819 controls. We also analyzed de novo variants in 124 pediatric trios enriched for IPAH and APAH-CHD. Results: Seven genes with rare deleterious variants were associated with IPAH with false discovery rate smaller than 0.1: three known genes (BMPR2, GDF2, and TBX4), two recently identified candidate genes (SOX17, KDR), and two new candidate genes (fibulin 2, FBLN2; platelet-derived growth factor D, PDGFD). The new genes were identified based solely on rare deleterious missense variants, a variant type that could not be adequately assessed in either cohort alone. The candidate genes exhibit expression patterns in lung and heart similar to that of known PAH risk genes, and most variants occur in conserved protein domains. For pediatric PAH, predicted deleterious de novo variants exhibited a significant burden compared to the background mutation rate (2.45×, p = 2.5e−5). At least eight novel pediatric candidate genes carrying de novo variants have plausible roles in lung/heart development. Conclusions: Rare variant analysis of a large international consortium identified two new candidate genes—FBLN2 and PDGFD. The new genes have known functions in vasculogenesis and remodeling. Trio analysis predicted that ~ 15% of pediatric IPAH may be explained by de novo variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was recognized in the early 1980s. It was more common in men who had sex with previously healthy men and young people and were affected by atypical pneumopathy caused by an opportunistic microorganism, identified as Pneumocystis carinii, and presently known as Pneumocystis jiroveci. Histopathology of the purplish or brown nodular lesions revealed Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). KS is the most frequent neoplasm in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Its pathophysiology has been associated with the presence of a herpes virus, whose etiologic agent is a member of herpes virus type 8 family, which gets transmitted through sexual contact. Here, we present a case report to present the diagnosis and bring the light of knowledge to the Dentist the need of therapeutic measures in the treatment of the pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenamatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is an odontogenic tumor with a prevalence of 2.2–7.1%. AOT is a benign, noninvasive, and progressive lesion which is also known as "a two third tumor." As the name suggests the tumor occurs in the maxilla in two third of cases. It occurs in young patients in two third of cases and associated with missing or unerupted teeth in two third of cases. Two third cases are associated with the maxillary canine. Characterized by slow growing, gradually enlarging, painless swelling associated with missing teeth. We report a case of a male patient of age 22 years, with characteristic findings. AOT resembles different odontogenic cysts and tumors which may include dentigerous cyst, globulomaxillary cyst, ameloblastoma, and other entities, hence must be well differentiated. Conservative surgical enucleation is the treatment of choice. Recurrence rate for AOT is 0.2%. Prognosis is excellent when completely removed in toto. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: I Nature Communications i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27326-0, published online 07 December 2021 The original version of this Article omitted Richard C Trembath from the UK National PAH Cohort Study consortium from Health and Life Sciences, King's College London. These authors jointly supervised this work: Allan Lawrie, Dennis Wang. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Serum urea and creatinine are most widely accepted parameters to assess Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) status as well as to assess renal status in susceptible diabetic and hypertensive subjects. Aim: To assess and correlate the serum and salivary urea and creatinine levels of CKD, diabetes mellitus and hypertensive subjects. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 120 subjects involving 30 CKD, 30 diabetic, 30 hypertensive subjects and 30 healthy controls. After collection of saliva and blood samples, urea was analyzed by enzymatic calorimetric method and creatinine by Jaffe's method. Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney U test were used for comparison between different groups and correlations between serum and salivary parameters were evaluated by applying Spearman's correlation test. The p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The median serum and salivary urea and creatinine levels were highest in CKD group followed by diabetic, hypertensive groups and controls. The correlation coefficient for serum urea and salivary urea was 0.977 and for serum creatinine and salivary creatinine was 0.976, with p-value <0.001. Conclusion: This study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between salivary and serum urea and creatinine. Thus, salivary urea and creatinine levels can be used non-invasively to detect serum urea and creatinine levels respectively in renal disease and diabetic and hypertensive nephropathic cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral cancer is one of the most common deadliest cancers leading to disfigurement. Despite recent advancement in the treatment modalities, it has less improvement in the prognosis. Early detection plays vital role survival rate of the patients. There is no accurate, cost-effective and reliable method for screening of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Hence, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Early detection would, therefore, help to identify patients and modify treatment with close monitoring. There is a need for mass screening with a rapid and reliable oral cancer diagnostic test that can be widely used in a clinical setting. Recent diagnostic techniques for OSCC require modern laboratory facilities, sophisticated equipment with elaborative and lengthy processing techniques by skilled personnel. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) or micro-total-analysis systems, one of the microfluidics technology that is defined as adaptation, miniaturization, integration, and automation of analytical laboratory procedures into a single device or "chip." This technology assures the replacement of complicated techniques with miniaturized, integrated, programmed and economical diagnostic devices. The detection of oral dysplastic and cancer cells utilizing chip is based on membrane-associated cell proteins. There is unique gene transcription profiles singularly expressed on the cell membranes for its detection. Hence, this system provides a means for rapid, automated, molecular analysis of cancer cells. This review articles emphasis on LOC technology for identification of biomarkers of oral cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na Zhu, Emilia M. Swietlik, Carrie L. Welch, Michael W. Pauciulo contributed equally to this work. Reference 1 Zhu N. Rare variant analysis of 4241 pulmonary arterial hypertension cases from an international consortium implicates FBLN2, PDGFD, and rare de novo variants in PAH. [Extracted from the article]

Although the invention of right heart catheterisation in the 1950s enabled accurate clinical diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), it was not until 2000 when the landmark discovery of the causative role of bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2) mutations shed new light on the pathogenesis of PAH. Since then several genes have been discovered, which now account for around 25% of cases with the clinical diagnosis of idiopathic PAH. Despite the ongoing efforts, in the majority of patients the cause of the disease remains elusive, a phenomenon often referred to as "missing heritability". In this review, we discuss research approaches to uncover the genetic architecture of PAH starting with forward phenotyping, which in a research setting should focus on stable intermediate phenotypes, forward and reverse genetics, and finally reverse phenotyping. We then discuss potential sources of "missing heritability" and how functional genomics and multi-omics methods are employed to tackle this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]