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Aims and Background: Midazolam is commonly used as a preanesthetic medication for behavior management of children. The current study is conducted to find out the effect of midazolam through nasal and oral routes as a premedicament in pediatric patients treated under general anesthesia. The main aims of the study were: to compare the effect of oral syrup and intranasal spray as preanesthetic medication; to record the undesirable side effects of midazolam by both routes., Materials and Methods: The patients aged 2-6 years of either sex were randomly divided into two equal groups of 30 each-group I: oral; group II: intranasal., Results: The oral and intranasal routes of midazolam were found to be equally effective and provided adequate sedation for easy separation from the parents and cooperation from children during the induction of anesthesia with minimal side effects., Conclusion: Based on the study results, we can conclude that both oral and intranasal midazolam can be used as preanesthetic medication for pediatric dental patients treated under general anesthesia., Clinical Significance: In pediatric patients, the oral route should be preferred for midazolam premedication in comparison to the intranasal route., How to Cite This Article: Swati, Shah RK, Tandon S, et al . Comparative Evaluation of Oral and Intranasal Administration of Midazolam as Preanesthetic Medication in Pediatric Dental Patients Treated under General Anesthesia. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(8):881-886., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: NoneConflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

Optic neuropathy can be of infectious or non-infectious/idiopathic aetiology. Many infectious organisms can cause optic neuropathy that can be of varied presentation including papillitis, retrobulbar optic neuritis, neuroretinitis, and optic perineuritis. Detailed history, ocular, systemic/neurologic examination along with appropriate laboratory evaluation can help clinicians to identify the infectious agent causing optic neuropathy. In spite of recent advanced techniques in serological testing and molecular diagnostics like polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the identification of these pathogens is still a diagnostic challenge. It is ideal to have an infectious disease (ID) consultant in the management team, as most of these infections are multisystem involving diseases. Most infectious agents can be effectively treated with specific antibiotics, with or without corticosteroid therapy, but visual recovery is highly variable and depends entirely on early diagnosis of the causative agent. This review article will provide an overview of common pathogens involved in ION and will describe their management paradigms., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Aim: To evaluate efficacy of oil pulling on caries activity of Streptococcus mutans ., Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled experiment was designed, with 60 children chosen at random. Following that, the participants were divided into three groups-group A: oil pulling using cold pressed coconut oil (Perfora*); group B: commercially available fluoridated mouthwash (Kidodent*); group C: distilled water as control. Saliva samples were collected at baseline, immediately, and 2 weeks postoperatively. To assess the effectiveness of coconut oil, fluoride mouthwash, and distilled water, microbiological examination was carried out and colonies were counted., Results: Both group A (oil pulling with coconut oil) and group B (commercially available Kidodent mouthwash) experienced a statistically significant decrease in colony count., Conclusion: Oil pulling is found to be as effective as commercially available fluoride mouthwash and can be used in conjunction with other aids for maintaining oral hygiene in children., Clinical Significance: Oil pulling is a natural, economical, and organic alternative to medicated mouthwashes; hence, it can be used as an aid for maintaining oral hygiene., How to Cite This Article: Gosavi HS, Tandon S, Rai TS, et al. To Evaluate the Efficacy of Oil Pulling on Caries Activity of Streptococcus mutans : An In Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(5):580-584., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: NoneConflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

Purpose: To study the optic nerve head characteristics on optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with papilledema and correlate them with intracranial pressure (ICP)., Methods: A retrospective hospital-based study of 46 eyes of 23 patients with bilateral optic disc edema secondary to increased ICP. The clinical profile and the OCT features in terms of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL), ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, and enhanced depth imaging (EDI) B scan images of the optic nerve head were studied and correlated with the ICP., Results: Papilledema was secondary to idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) ( n = 20), obstructive hydrocephalus ( n = 2), and communicating hydrocephalus ( n = 1). The mean ICP in 20 IIH patients was 347 mmH 2 O. The ICP and RNFL thickness in all four quadrants were found to be weakly positively correlated: superior RNFL r (38) = 0.17, P = 0.30, and nasal RNFL r (38) = 0.30, P = 0.05, inferior RNFL r (38) = 0.29, P = 0.07, and temporal RNFL, r (38) = -0.001, P = 0.99. The GCIPL layer thickness and the ICP were weakly negatively correlated in all sectors: superior (38) = -0.23, P = 0.16, superonasal, r (38) = -0.07, P = 0.67, inferonasal r (38) = -0.08, P = 0.64, inferior r (38) = -0.21, P = 0.19, inferotemporal r (38) = -0.23, P = 0.17, superotemporal, r (38) -0.21, P = 0.20. Descriptive features on the B scan, such as peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures and microcystic spaces, were observed most commonly with an ICP of 251-350 mmH 2 O, and the hyperreflective dots in the RNFL layer and Bruch's membrane inward denting were observed more commonly with an ICP of 351-450 mmH 2 O., Conclusion: The RNFL thickness in all four quadrants had a weak positive correlation, and the GCIPL layer had a weak negative correlation with the ICP. The EDI descriptive features on OCT may vary with ICP., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Aim: This case report aims to describe the management of a maxillary lateral incisor with a palatogingival groove (PGG) associated with a complex lesion., Background: The PGG is a rare developmental anomaly that involves the lingual surface of the maxillary incisors and extends for varying distances and depths on the root surface. This anomaly is usually inconspicuous and funnel-shaped, which forms a niche where bacterial plaque and calculus can accumulate to levels significant for pathological changes resulting in endodontic and periodontal lesions. These grooves are easily overlooked as etiologic factors, as they are concealed by the periodontal tissues., Case Description: This paper describes the successful management of a rare case of maxillary lateral incisor with an accessory root, two canals, and a complex or type III PGG with a endodontic-periodontic lesion using a multidisciplinary approach., Conclusion: Recognizing PGG as the initiator of pathology is critical for the successful treatment and favorable prognosis of the affected tooth., Clinical Significance: This case report highlights the importance of three-dimensional (3D) imaging using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) that can provide accurate and sensitive information to assess and plan the treatment of the teeth with PGG. It also emphasizes that with the development of newer materials and diagnostic tools, clinicians need a detailed understanding of the characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of PGG to successfully manage the condition., How to Cite This Article: Gupta S, Tandon S, Rathore AS, et al. Palatogingival Groove: The Known-unknown Devourer. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(S-1):S95-S99., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None Patient consent statement: The author(s) have obtained written informed consent from the patient's parents/legal guardians for publication of the case report details and related images.Conflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

For environmental sustainability and to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), drinking water treatment must be done at a reasonable cost with minimal environmental impact. Therefore, treating contaminated drinking water requires materials and approaches that are inexpensive, produced locally, and effortlessly. Hence, locally available materials and their derivatives, such as biochar (BC) and activated carbon (AC) were investigated thoroughly. Several researchers and their findings show that the application of locally accessible materials and their derivatives are capable of the adsorptive removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from drinking water. The application of locally available materials such as lignocellulosic materials/waste and its thermo-chemically derived products, including BC and AC were found effective in the treatment of contaminated drinking water. Thus, this review aims to thoroughly examine the latest developments in the use of locally accessible feedstocks for tailoring BC and AC, as well as their features and applications in the treatment of drinking water. We attempted to explain facts related to the potential mechanisms of BC and AC, such as complexation, co-precipitation, electrostatic interaction, and ion exchange to treat water, thereby achieving a risk-free remediation approach to polluted water. Additionally, this research offers guidance on creating efficient household treatment units based on the health risks associated with customized adsorbents and cost-benefit analyses. Lastly, this review work discusses the current obstacles for using locally accessible materials and their thermo-chemically produced by-products to purify drinking water, as well as the necessity for technological interventions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Aim: This study was designed to compare the clinical efficacy of two esthetic restorative materials, nanoceramic (Magma NT®) and giomer (Beautifil II®), as full coronal restoration in primary maxillary incisors., Materials and Methods: A total of 15 patients aged 3-5 years presenting with mutilated primary maxillary incisors due to caries or trauma were selected for the study using randomized simple sampling. A total of 40 maxillary incisors were randomly divided into two equal groups, with 20 teeth in each group. Teeth in group I (GP I) were restored with nanoceramic (Magma NT®) and group II (GP II) with giomer (Beautifil II®). The full coronal restorations were done using strip crowns (3M ESPE). The restorations were evaluated for gross fracture, marginal integrity, and secondary caries according to modified Ryge's criteria [United States Public Health Service (USPHS)] at baseline (immediate postoperative), 3, 6, and 9 months. Parental satisfaction with each type of restoration was also evaluated using the Likert 5-point scale., Results: The data obtained was statistically analyzed using the Chi-squared test, and the level of significance, that is, the p -value, was determined. The Chi-squared test showed no significant changes to all modified USPHS criteria for each material at baseline and 3-month evaluation period. The changes recorded were after a 3-month follow-up between the two materials; nanoceramic (Magma NT®) restoration demonstrated marginally better than giomer (Beautifil II®) in terms of gross fracture and marginal integrity; however, there was no statically significant difference between them ( p > 0.05), while giomer (Beautifil II®) was better than nanoceramic in terms of secondary caries ( p < 0.05). Parental satisfaction for both entities was comparable in terms of color and durability; however, they were cost-ineffective., Conclusion: Nanoceramic restoration demonstrated better results in terms of gross fracture and marginal integrity, while giomer was better in terms of secondary caries., Clinical Significance: Nanoceramics and giomers can serve as an alternative to conventional restorative materials in primary anterior teeth because of their improved qualities., How to Cite This Article: Dhaker KK, Tandon S, Rathore AS, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Two Esthetic Full Coronal Restorative Materials for Primary Incisors. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(3):321-327., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: NoneConflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of audiovisual (AV) aids in creating awareness of toothbrush hygiene., Materials and Methods: This randomized trial study was conducted on 40 children aged 6-11 years. Children were given soft toothbrushes and then collected after brushing for 14 days. The toothbrushes were collected and sent to the laboratory for microbial culture evaluation. A questionnaire consisting of various questions regarding daily toothbrush hygiene practices was filled by the parents at the same time. After 14 days, brushes were collected, and the parents were shown an AV aid regarding toothbrush decontamination, parental awareness, and supervision. Those children were given new sets of toothbrushes and instructed to decontaminate them with chlorhexidine solution. After 14 days, the same questionnaire was filled out by the parents and toothbrushes were collected and immediately sent to the laboratory for microbial culture evaluation., Results: All the sampled toothbrushes had significant ( p < 0.001) bacterial growth after 14 days of use. The use of disinfectant led to a 99.98% reduction in microbial colony counts. Hence, showed a significant result. Questionnaire analysis showed a positive parental approach toward maintaining toothbrush hygiene., Conclusion: Cleaning and disinfection of toothbrushes is crucial to stop the spread of disease since bacterial contamination cannot be 100% eliminated. AV aids can be effective tools for increasing awareness., Clinical Significance: Through this study, we want to emphasize toothbrush hygiene and create awareness for the same through AV aid because a healthy toothbrush leads to healthy oral health., How to Cite This Article: Sharma S, Tandon S, Rai TS, et al. Don't Rush with Your Brush: An In Vitro Study on Toothbrush Hygiene. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):162-167., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).)

Purpose: Minimally invasive biomarkers have been used as important indicators of treatment response and progression in cancers such as prostate and ovarian. Unfortunately, all biomarkers are not prognostic in all cancer types and are often not routinely collected. Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) provide a non-obtrusive, personalized measure of a patient's quality of life and symptomatology, reported directly from the patient, and are increasingly collected as part of routine care. Previous literature has shown correlations between specific PROs (i.e., insomnia, fatigue) and overall survival. Although promising, these studies often only consider single time points and ignore patient-specific dynamic changes in individual PROs, which might be early predictors of treatment response or progression., Experimental Design: In this study, PRO dynamics were analyzed to determine if they could be used as interradiographic predictors of tumor volume changes among 85 patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy. PRO questionnaires and tumor volume scans were completed biweekly and monthly, respectively. Correlation and predictive analysis were conducted to identify specific PROs that could accurately predict patient response., Results: Changes in tumor volume over time were significantly correlated with dizziness (P < 0.005), insomnia (P < 0.05), and fatigue (P < 0.05). In addition, cumulative changes in insomnia could predict progressive disease with a 77% accuracy, on average 45 days prior to the next imaging scan., Conclusions: This study presents the first time that patient-specific PRO dynamics have been considered to predict how individual patients will respond to treatment. This is an important first step in adapting treatment to improve response rates., (©2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Tanning and other leather processing methods utilize a large amount of freshwater, dyes, chemicals, and salts and produce toxic waste, raising questions regarding their environmental sensitivity and eco-friendly nature. Total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, and ions such as chromium, sulfate, and chloride turn tannery wastewater exceedingly toxic for any living species. Therefore, it is imperative to treat tannery effluent, and existing plants must be examined and upgraded to keep up with recent technological developments. Different conventional techniques to treat tannery wastewater have been reported based on their pollutant removal efficiencies, advantages, and disadvantages. Research on photo-assisted catalyst-enhanced deterioration has inferred that both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis can be established as green initiatives, the latter being more efficient at degrading organic pollutants. However, the scientific community experiences significant problems developing a feasible treatment technique owing to the long degradation times and low removal efficiency. Hence, there is a chance for an improved solution to the problem of treating tannery wastewater through the development of a hybrid technology that uses flocculation as the primary treatment, a unique integrated photo-catalyst in a precision-designed reactor as the secondary method, and finally, membrane-based tertiary treatment to recover the spent catalyst and reclaimable water. This review gives an understanding of the progressive advancement of a cutting-edge membrane-based system for the management of tanning industrial waste effluents towards the reclamation of clean water. Adaptable routes toward sludge disposal and the reviews on techno-economic assessments have been shown in detail, strengthening the scale-up confidence for implementing such innovative hybrid systems., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To measure the pupillary dynamics and accommodative response in individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) as compared to age-matched controls., Materials and Methods: This prospective comparative study was carried out at the neuro-optometry clinic of a tertiary eye care hospital. Sixty-three subjects with a history of mTBI and ninety age-matched controls were enrolled in this study. Subjects in the age range of 18-35 years were included in the study. A comprehensive neuro-optometric assessment was performed followed by pupillary dynamics and accommodation response measurements using NeurOptics® pupillary light reflex™-3000 and Grand-Seiko WAM-5500 binocular accommodation auto ref/keratometer | shigiya machinery works LTD., Results: A statistically significant difference was noticed for constriction percentage (%): 32.73 ± 9.20 versus 39.93 ± 7.36 ( P < 0.001), average constriction velocity (mm/s): 2.24 ± 0.85 versus 2.62 ± 0.68 ( P = 0.002), maximum constriction velocity (mm/s): 3.82 ± 1.33 versus 4.42 ± 0.93 ( P = 0.004) and T75 (recovery period to 75% of the baseline pupillary diameter in sec): 1.38 ± 0.36 versus 2.0 ± 0.82 ( P < 0.001) in mTBI compared to age-matched controls. A statistically significant difference was noted for accommodative response (in D) as well as in the sample as compared to age-matched controls: -1.12 ± 0.64 versus - 1.39 ± 0.47 ( P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Pupillary constriction velocities and accommodative response are significantly affected in mTBI. These findings have important clinical implications in being able to understand the visual symptoms following an mTBI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this paper., (Copyright: © 2023 Taiwan J Ophthalmol.)

Presently, owing to the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization activities, a huge quantity of wastewater is generated that contain toxic chemical and heavy metals, imposing higher environmental jeopardies and affecting the life of living well-being and the economy of the counties, if not treated appropriately. Subsequently, the advancement in sustainable cost-effective wastewater treatment technology has attracted more attention from policymakers, legislators, and scientific communities. Therefore, the current review intends to highlight the recent development and applications of biochars and/or green nanoparticles (NPs) produced from agricultural waste via green routes in removing the refractory pollutants from water and wastewater. This review also highlights the contemporary application and mechanism of biochar-supported advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of organic pollutants in water and wastewater. Although, the fabrication and application of agriculture waste-derived biochar and NPs are considered a greener approach, nevertheless, before scaling up production and application, its toxicological and life-cycle challenges must be taken into account. Furthermore, future efforts should be carried out towards process engineering to enhance the performance of green catalysts to improve the economy of the process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Structural significance of conformational preferences and ribose ring puckering of newly discovered hyper modified nucleotide, 5'-monophosphate 2-methylthio cyclic N 6 -threonylcarbamoyladenosine (p-ms 2 ct 6 A) have been investigated using quantum chemical semi-empirical RM1 and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. Automated geometry optimization of most stable structure of p-ms 2 ct 6 A has also been carried out with the help of abinitio (HF SCF, DFT) as well as semi empirical quantum chemical (RM1, AM1, PM3, and PM6) methods. Most stable structure of p-ms 2 ct 6 A is stabilized by intramolecular interactions between N(3)…HC(2'), N(1)…HC(16), O(13)…HC(15), and O(13)…HO(14). The torsion angles alpha (α) and beta (β) show the significant characteristic patterns with the involvement of intramolecular hydrogen bonding to provide stability to the p-ms 2 ct 6 A. Further, molecular dynamics simulations of p-ms 2 ct 6 A revealed the role of ribose sugar ring puckering i.e. C2'-endo and C3'-endo on the structural dynamics of ms 2 ct 6 A side chain. The modified nucleotide p-ms 2 ct 6 A periodically prefers both the C2'-endo and C3'-endo sugar with 'anti' and 'syn' conformations. This property of p-ms 2 ct 6 A could be useful to recognize the starting ANN codons. All atom explicit MD simulation of anticodon loop (ACL) of tRNA Lys of Bacillus subtilis containing ms 2 ct 6 A at 37th position showed the U-turn feature, base stacking ability with other adjacent bases and hydrogen bonding interactions similar to the isolated base p-ms 2 ct 6 A. The ribose sugar puckering contributes to the orientation of the side chain conformation of p-ms 2 ct 6 A. Thus, the present study could be helpful to understand the structure-function relationship of the hypermodified nucleoside, ms 2 ct 6 A in recognition of the proper codons AAA/AAG during protein biosynthesis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Ethambutol (EMB) is one of the first-line drugs used for treating tuberculosis. Vision loss due to optic nerve toxicity is a well-known potential side effect of the drug. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical features and visual outcomes of patients with EMB optic neuropathy (EON)., Methods: A retrospective, observational, single-center study of all patients who were diagnosed to have EON during January 2017-December 2019 was done. All these patients were screened in the Department of Neuro-ophthalmology at a referral tertiary eye care institution in India. Clinical features, visual outcomes, and neuroimaging findings of these patients were analyzed., Results: Two hundred and fifty-six eyes of 128 patients were included. Of these, 73 were male and 55 were female. Mean age was 50.55 ± 15 years. Mean visual acuity at presentation was 1.12 ± 0.45 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). One hundred and forty three eyes had normal optic disk on presentation, 111 had disk pallor, and two eyes had disk edema. The most common field defect was central/paracentral scotoma (26.2%) followed by temporal defects (24.6%). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain and orbit showed optic nerve signals in 19.6% and chiasmal signals in 5.2%. At the final follow-up, a ≥2-line vision improvement was noted in 161 eyes (62.9%), which was statistically significant., Conclusion: Multiple prognostic factors were analyzed to predict the visual recovery of EON. We observed that patients presenting with visual acuity worse than 6/60 had poor visual outcome and long duration of follow-up showed better visual recovery, proving the possibility of a gradual recovery pattern of EON. Interestingly, we found in our study that the chances of favorable visual outcome were directly proportionate to early diagnosis and cessation of EMB., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: To report the ocular features of patients with PD who presented with visual complaints to a tertiary eye care center., Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out between January 2015 and March 2020 at the Neuro-Optometry clinic of a tertiary eye care center in Southern India. All PD patients with ocular complaints examined by the neuro- ophthalmologists were referred to Neuro-Optometry Clinic for detailed evaluation. Patients with other neurodegenerative disorders, brain injury, and other causes of vision loss or extraocular motility disorders were excluded., Results: A total of 43 patients (7 females, 36 males) between 50 and 86 years of age (mean: 70 ± 8.9 years) with a mean duration of PD of 4.5 ± 4.5 years were studied. Decreased vision associated with reading difficulty (40%) was common in PD patients. In terms of gaze restriction, vertical gaze involvement (35%) was more than horizontal involvement (7%). Convergence insufficiency (CI) was the most common binocular vision dysfunction (30%), followed by CI with oculomotor dysfunction (14%) and vertical gaze palsy (18%). Ground prisms were recommended for 26 patients (61%) and home vision therapy for 5 patients (12%) as corrective measures., Conclusion: Binocular vision dysfunction is highly prevalent among PD patients. This could potentially contribute to the reading difficulties and double vision encountered by these patients. Assessment of binocular vision and oculomotor parameters thus becomes important to understand and manage the reading difficulties in patients with PD., Competing Interests: None

Background: This study was aimed to test simultaneous detection of antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)/aquaporin4 ( AQP4) in serum samples of patients with clinically-diagnosed optic neuritis (ON), by fixed cell-based immunofluorescence assay (CBIFA). Methods: The study involved 237 serum samples of patients with ON which were tested for MOG and AQP4 antibodies using fixed CBIFA kit which utilizes AQP4 or MOG protein transfected cells as a substrate. Results: Of 237 serum samples, 22 (9%) were positive for AQP4, 66 (28%) were positive for MOG, and 138 (58%) were negative for both AQP4 and MOG antibodies. 11 (5%) patients with clinically-diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS) were negative for both antibodies. None of the samples were positive for both AQP4 and MOG. Among 237, 132 women [18 (13.6%) and 37 (28%)] and 105 men [4 (3.8%) and 29 (27.6%)] were positive for AQP4/MOG antibodies and remaining percentage belonged to double negative and MS. Seropositivity rate was higher in women than men. Antibodies to MOG were significantly higher than AQP4 antibodies and evenly found in all age groups. There was no ambiguous result encountered in the study. Conclusion: In this study, the seropositivity for antibodies to MOG is more than AQP4 antibody in patients with ON. Fixed CBIFA is a useful tool for laboratory diagnosis of ON in the clinical setting of neuro-ophthalmology to plan the next line of treatment management effectively., (Copyright © 2022 Iranian Neurological Association, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.)

Purpose: To analyze clinical profile, imaging features, and short-term visual outcomes of optic neuritis patients in Indian population with and without seromarkers for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)/neuromyelitis optica (NMO)., Methods: Electronic medical records of 203 optic neuritis patients who presented between June 2018 and December 2019 to the Neuro-ophthalmology services of a tertiary care center in India were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Of 203 patients, 57 patients (28.08%) were positive for MOG-antibody and 20 patients (9.85%) were positive for NMO antibody. 114 patients (56.16%) were double-negative (negative for both antibodies) and 12 patients (5.91%) were diagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). None of the patients had both antibodies. Mean age of presentation was 31.29 ± 1.035 years. There was female preponderance in NMO-optic neuritis (NMO-ON) and MS-optic neuritis (MS-ON) groups (1:5). Mean vision on presentation was worse (logMAR 1.570 ± 0.863) in NMO-ON group. The mean visual acuity showed statistically significant recovery (logMAR 0.338 ± 0.639) in the final follow-up in MOG-optic neuritis (MOG-ON) group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed poor visual outcome in patients presenting with retrobulbar neuritis, optic disc pallor, bilateral sequential optic nerve involvement, and with positive NMO antibody. Optic neuritis patients presenting with disc edema associated with pain and positive for MOG antibody were found to have a better visual outcome., Conclusion: In this Indian optic neuritis cohort, the prevalence of MOG-ON was higher than NMO-ON. MOG-ON had a better visual outcome than NMO-ON. The incidence of MS-ON was less compared to the western literature. A significant number of patients (114 patients, 56.16%) were double negative for both seromarkers and yet had presented with optic neuritis with no clinical or imaging features suggestive of MS/MOG associated disease (MOG AD)/NMO spectrum disorder (NMO SD)., Competing Interests: None

Abstract: A 37-year-old patient presented to our emergency department with sudden onset decreased vision with a history of being treated for COVID 19 3 weeks earlier. On examination, she was found to have a tonic right pupil, which was confirmed with a dilute pilocarpine test. As tonic pupils are known to be caused by neurotropic viruses and our current understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 is that it does affect the nervous system, we feel that the tonic pupil in our patient may be secondary to COVID 19., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Macrophages are highly responsive to the environmental cues and are the primary responders to tissue stress and damage. While much is known about the role of macrophages during inflammatory disease progression; the initial series of events that set up the inflammation remains less understood. In this study, we use next generation sequencing (NGS) of embryonic skin macrophages and the niche cells - skin epithelia and stroma in the epidermis specific knockout of integrin beta 1 (Itgβ1) model to uncover specific roles of each cell type and identify how these cell types communicate to initiate the sterile inflammatory response. We demonstrate that while the embryonic skin fibroblasts in the Itgβ1 knockout skin are relatively inactive, the keratinocytes and macrophages are the critical responders to the sterile inflammatory cues. The epidermis expresses damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), stress response genes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines that aid in eliciting the inflammatory response. The macrophages, in-turn, respond by acquiring enhanced M2-like characteristics expressing ECM remodeling and matrisome signatures that exacerbate the basement membrane disruption. Depletion of macrophages by blocking the CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) results in improved basement membrane integrity and reduced ECM remodeling activity in the KO skin. Further, blocking the skin inflammation with celecoxib reveals that the acquired fate of macrophages in the KO skin is dependent on its interaction with the epidermal compartment through COX2 dependent cytokine production. Taken together, our study highlights a critical crosstalk between the epithelia and the dermal macrophages that shapes macrophage fate and initiates sterile inflammation in the skin. The insights gained from our study can be extrapolated to other inflammatory disorders to understand the early events that set up the disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Bhattacharjee, Ayyangar, Kurbet, Lakshmanan, Palakodeti, Ginhoux and Raghavan.)

Cobalt (III) Schiff base complexes are of attraction in the context of their potential application in cancer therapy. The aim of this study has been to find the mechanism of action of cobalt (III) Schiff base complexes 1 and 2, the synthesis and characterization of which have already been reported, in inhibiting growth of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 and lung cancer cell A549. The already proclaimed anti-proliferative effect of the cobalt complexes was ascertained using MTT cytotoxicity assay. More assays such as Acridine orange & Ethidium bromide staining, AnnexinV-Cy3 staining, Hoechst staining, comet assay, and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) assay- all supported the cytotoxic property of the complexes. Moreover, the expression levels of mRNA of pro- and antiapoptotic genes also supported the effectiveness of cobalt complexes by modifying the ratio of Bax: Bcl-2. In addition, the cobalt complexes induced apoptosis in MCF- 7 and A549 cells through modulation of pro-apoptotic, anti-apoptotic, and ROS modulatory gene expressions. The present study validates the scientific evidence for antiproliferative efficacy of cobalt complexes against MCF-7 and A549 cells. Thus, this study takes cobalt complexes 1 and 2 to a step higher towards their use as anticancer agents., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread across the globe through the human transmission. The World Health Organization suggested social distancing to curb the community spread. After national social lockdown started in India, air quality improved drastically. This further hypothesized to influence the environment and human health, and this study is positively the first to weigh it using multiple indices. The calculated environmental indices are photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP), acidification potential (AP), and eutrophication potential (EP). The cancer risk, chronic health index (CHI), and acute health index (AHI) were considered to calculate the health risk. The spatial trend change in the air pollution reflecting on these indices are calculated for four Indian megacities Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Temporal variation was accounted for monthly (2019 vs 2020), one-week and two-weeks period during the social lockdown. The results showed a significant decrease in environmental and health risk during the lockdown due to a corresponding decrement in air pollution. The decrease in the particulate matter was found to play a vital role in altering the air pollution mediated risks of interest. Delhi showed a maximum difference in POCP and Acute HI by recording a dip of 70.79% and 43.53% respectively in 2020 during lockdown. The maximum reduction in health risk indices was 41%, 31%, 17%, 19% for Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Bangalore recorded the maximum decline in EP, Cancer risk, Chronic HI by 66.66%, 58.62%, and 58.76% in 2020 compared to 2019. A maximum fall in AP was seen in Kolkata by 57.23% in 2020 among all cities. The connection between these drop-in indices and the cause of air pollutants were well discussed. This present paper gives more in-depth insights into air pollution's effect on environmental and health parameters by connecting and converging various air pollution aspects into a single scale. This study also enlightens the importance of controlling air pollution to have a better environment and healthy life to attain sustainable development., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been responsible for the cause of global pandemic Covid-19 and to date, there is no effective treatment available. The spike 'S' protein of SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 of the host cell are being targeted to design new drugs to control Covid-19. Similarly, a transmembrane serine protease, TMPRSS2 of the host cell plays a significant role in the proteolytic cleavage of viral 'S' protein helpful for the priming of ACE2 receptors and viral entry into human cells. However, three-dimensional structural information and the inhibition mechanism of TMPRSS2 is yet to be explored experimentally. Hence, we have used a molecular dynamics (MD) simulated homology model of TMPRSS2 to study the inhibition mechanism of experimentally known inhibitors Camostat mesylate, Nafamostat and Bromhexine hydrochloride (BHH) using molecular modeling techniques. Prior to docking, all three inhibitors were geometry optimized by semi-empirical quantum chemical RM1 method. Molecular docking analysis revealed that Camostat mesylate and its structural analogue Nafamostat interact strongly with residues His296 and Ser441 present in the catalytic triad of TMPRSS2, whereas BHH binds with Ala386 along with other residues. Comparative molecular dynamics simulations revealed the stable behavior of all the docked complexes. MM-PBSA calculations also revealed the stronger binding of Camostat mesylate to TMPRSS2 active site residues as compared to Nafamostat and BHH. Thus, this structural information could be useful to understand the mechanistic approach of TMPRSS2 inhibition, which may be helpful to design new lead compounds to prevent the entry of SARS-Coronavirus 2 in human cells., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aims and Objectives: This research aimed to determine the predictability and variability of the Yen angle and Mount Vernon Index (MVI) in relation to the other four sagittal discrepancy parameters, as well as to evaluate and explain any correlations that exist. The Lateral Cephalograms of 100 Class I Indian participants aged 17-24 years were recorded. The lateral cephalograms were traced for six distinct AP characteristics, including ANB, Wits appraisal, facial convexity, and beta angle, Yen angle, and MVI. The gathered data were evaluated statistically using S.P.S.S. version 10. To determine the difference between males and females, an independent " t " test was used. The coefficient of variability and correlation methods were used to determine the correctness of the Yen angle and MVI, as well as the association between the variables., Results: The results of this study indicate that the most predictable and highly dependable parameter was the Yen angle (CV = 5.63), followed by the beta angle (5.63), the MVI (CV = 13.6), the ANB, Rickett's analysis, and Wit's analysis. Throughout all five analyses, the most statistically significant positive association between the MVI and the BETA angle was determined., Conclusion: The derived inferences from the study included the high reliability of the yen angle for assessing the AP skeletal patterns of a patient, followed by the beta angle and MVI., How to Cite This Article: Doshi JR, Jain P, Jain M, et al. Mount Vernon Index vs Yen Angle for Assessment of Anteroposterior Apical Jaw Base Relationship. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2021;14(S-1):S35-S38., Competing Interests: Source of support: Nil Conflict of interest: None, (Copyright © 2021; Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd.)

Objective: With the increasing global prevalence of acquired brain injury (ABI), the burden of visual problems as a sequelae to ABI is on the rise. This study reports the visual profile of patients with ABI seen in Neuro-Optometry Clinic (NOC) at a tertiary eye-care center in Southern India., Methods: A retrospective study was carried out between January 2014 and December 2015. Medical records of patients diagnosed with ABI referred by Neuro-Ophthalmologists to the NOC were reviewed. The detailed history, clinical findings of neuro assessment and management details were recorded., Results: Of the 241 patients with ABI, 208 had Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and 33 had Cerebro-Vascular Accident (CVA). The mean (SD) age of patients with TBI was 35 ± 14 years and CVA was 52 ± 16 years. Binocular diplopia (61%) was seen predominantly in TBI due to vertical deviation (31%). Cranial nerve palsy was most common in TBI (55%) than CVA (36%) and visual field defects were most frequently seen in CVA (27%)., Conclusion: Cranial nerve paresis and restrictive strabismus with diplopia were the most common presentations in TBI and visual field defects in CVA. A neuro-optometric evaluation is recommended to identify visual dysfunctions and provide appropriate management options., Abbreviations: ABI: Acquired Brain Injury; TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury; CVA: Cerebrovascular Accident; NOC: Neuro-Optometry Clinic; NSBVA: Non-Strabismic binocular vision anomalies; OMD: Oculomotor dysfunction; VFD: Visual field defect; GON: Glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Novel meso-zero valent iron (mZVI) was investigated for treating complex wastewater containing toxic heavy metal Cr 6+ and organic compound phenol. This study is first of its kind illustrating coupled removal in single-step with H 2 O 2 playing a major role as an oxidant and reductant. The mechanism involved was electron transfer from Fe 0/2+ to Cr 6+ resulting in Fe 2+/3+ which in turn was consumed for phenol oxidation returning as Fe 2+ into the system for further Cr 6+ reduction. While comparing, single-step simultaneous removal of Cr 6+ and phenol showed better performance in terms of pollutant removal, Fe 2+/3+ recurrent reaction and precipitation generation, double-tep sequential removal performed better in iron active-corrosion time. It was also observed that the entire redox cycle of Cr 6+ -Cr 3+ -Cr 6+ was reusable for co-contaminant phenol degradation at all pH with the recurrence of Fe 2+ -Fe 3+ -Fe 2+ . The proposed technique was checked for its viability in a single batch reactor and the complex chemistry of the reactions are unfolded by conducting chemical speciation and mass balance study at every stage of reaction. The unique functioning of mZVI was proven with micro-analysis of ZVI's surface and compared with granular ZVI, cZVI. The results obtained from this study open the door for a safer and cleaner single treatment system in removing both toxic heavy metals and organic compounds from contaminated surface water, groundwater and many such industrial effluents., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nonophthalmologist physicians do not confidently perform direct ophthalmoscopy. The use of artificial intelligence to detect papilledema and other optic-disk abnormalities from fundus photographs has not been well studied., Methods: We trained, validated, and externally tested a deep-learning system to classify optic disks as being normal or having papilledema or other abnormalities from 15,846 retrospectively collected ocular fundus photographs that had been obtained with pharmacologic pupillary dilation and various digital cameras in persons from multiple ethnic populations. Of these photographs, 14,341 from 19 sites in 11 countries were used for training and validation, and 1505 photographs from 5 other sites were used for external testing. Performance at classifying the optic-disk appearance was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity, as compared with a reference standard of clinical diagnoses by neuro-ophthalmologists., Results: The training and validation data sets from 6779 patients included 14,341 photographs: 9156 of normal disks, 2148 of disks with papilledema, and 3037 of disks with other abnormalities. The percentage classified as being normal ranged across sites from 9.8 to 100%; the percentage classified as having papilledema ranged across sites from zero to 59.5%. In the validation set, the system discriminated disks with papilledema from normal disks and disks with nonpapilledema abnormalities with an AUC of 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 0.99) and normal from abnormal disks with an AUC of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99 to 0.99). In the external-testing data set of 1505 photographs, the system had an AUC for the detection of papilledema of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95 to 0.97), a sensitivity of 96.4% (95% CI, 93.9 to 98.3), and a specificity of 84.7% (95% CI, 82.3 to 87.1)., Conclusions: A deep-learning system using fundus photographs with pharmacologically dilated pupils differentiated among optic disks with papilledema, normal disks, and disks with nonpapilledema abnormalities. (Funded by the Singapore National Medical Research Council and the SingHealth Duke-NUS Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program.)., (Copyright © 2020 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Microcantilever-based sensor platform has attracted a lot of attention over the time in detection of a variety of molecules due to their miniaturized dimensions. Sensitivity enhancement is an important aspect of such sensors, especially when used for point-of-care diagnostic purpose. However, the major concern while operating these sensors in deflection mode is their sensitivity which mainly relies on selective chemical modification protocols employed on these sensor surfaces. One of the ways of getting better sensitivity is through asymmetric (one side) biofunctionalization of the sensor surface. In the presented work here, we have demonstrated a novel approach of asymmetric biofunctionalization of proteins in overall sensitivity enhancement of piezoresistive silicon nitride-oxide microcantilever sensor platform inside a flow chamber. Herein, using our developed surface chemistry, asymmetrically biofunctionalized microcantilevers first exhibited a greater electrical response in terms of piezoresistance change than their symmetric counterpart in the detection of human immunoglobulins (HIgGs) protein. Finally, these microcantilevers were employed to exhibit the enhanced sensitivity towards the detection of a crucial cardiac marker protein, i.e. Troponin-I (cTnI) down to 250 ng ml -1 using asymmetric biofunctionalization process. This study shows that the developed asymmetric biofunctionalization methodology may be used as a general protocol to detect other important biomarkers of clinical applications with improved sensitivity.

Transfer RNA remains to be a mysterious molecule of the cell repertoire. With its modified bases and selectivity of codon recognition, it remains to be flexible inside the ribosomal machinery for smooth and hassle-free protein biosynthesis. Structural changes occurring in tRNA due to the presence or absence of wybutosine, with and without Mg 2+ ions, have remained a point of interest for structural biologists. Very few studies have come to a conclusion correlating the changes either with the structure and flexibility or with the codon recognition. Considering the above facts, we have implemented molecular modeling methods to address these problems using multiple molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of tRNA Phe along with codons. Our results highlight some of the earlier findings and also shed light on some novel structural and functional aspects. Changes in the stability of tRNA Phe in native or codon-bound states result from the conformations of constituent nucleotides with respect to each other. A smaller change in their conformations leads to structural distortions in the base-pairing geometry and eventually in the ribose-phosphate backbone. MD simulation studies highlight the preference of UUC codons over UUU by tRNA Phe in the presence of wybutosine and Mg 2+ ions. This study also suggests that magnesium ions are required by tRNA Phe for proper recognition of UUC/UUU codons during ribosomal interactions with tRNA., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2019 American Chemical Society.)

Background: Gastrointestinal tumors (GISTs) represent the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. There has been limited data on GIST incidence and survival disparities between ethnic groups., Aims: Assess disparities in incidence and survival among race in the USA in the era of available GIST histologic codes and treatment., Methods: We queried Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for GIST from 2002 to 2015, with diagnostic code 8936., Results: Of the 7204 patients identified, 4928 (68.4%) were White, 1308 (18.2%) African American (AA), and 968 (13.4%) were classified as "Other" (American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander). The overall incidence rate (IR) was 0.75 per 100,000. IR was highest among AA at 1.37/100,000, but 0.65/100,000 for Whites, 1.10/100,000 for Asians/Pacific Islanders, and 0.28/100,000 for American Indians/Alaskan Natives. The GIST incidence was twice as high for AA as for Whites (rate ratio [RR]: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.98-2.26; p < 0.001). There was higher proportion of Whites than AA, who underwent surgical extirpation. Median overall survival (OS) and GIST specific survival (GSS) were not reached for all race, which indicates more than half of the patients were still alive at end of follow-up period. In multivariate Cox model, belonging to "Other" had better OS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]; 0.73, 95% CI: 0.55-0.95, P = 0.021) for GIST, but no difference in prognosis and OS for AA and White [(aHR for whites; 0.84, 95% CI: 0.69-1.02, P = 0.071), AA = reference]. There was no difference in GSS among races., Conclusions: Significant racial disparity in incidence and overall survival for GIST exists, and efforts should be made to bridge this gap and improve outcomes for all races. The overall incidence rate for GIST was noted to be 7.5 per 1 million, and IR of GIST was twice as high for African Americans as compared to Whites. The "Other" racial group (American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Asians, and Pacific Islanders) had superior OS as compared to African Americans and Whites.

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people were estimated to suffer from depression in 2017. Many studies have observed that medical personnel have a higher level of depression, but studies among dentists are scarce. Early diagnosis will help in controlling the morbidity and mortality due to depression. Hence, this study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of depression among students of Government Dental College (GDC), Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala, India., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at GDC, Thiruvananthapuram, for a period of 3 months from September to December 2017, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and a pro forma comprising 37 questions. Students having PHQ scores >9 were considered to have depression. The questionnaire was administered on 364 students comprising undergraduate students, paradental students, house surgeons, and postgraduates. Separate sessions were arranged for each group and four reminders were given., Results: The prevalence of depression was estimated as 26.9% (95% confidence interval: 22.4-31.8). Being married, having high and average level of course satisfaction, and having close friends were found to act as independent protective factors, whereas female gender and breakups in relationships were found to be independent risk factors., Conclusion: It is high time we provide supportive programs and implement preventive measures to help professional students, especially those who are at higher risk of mental ill-health. Further studies need to be conducted to explore the academic reasons for depression., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Journal of Community Medicine.)

Background and Objectives: Conflicting evidence indicates that both race and geographic setting may influence the management of malignancies such as gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC)., Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program to identify patients with resectable GAC (N = 15 991). Exposures of interest were race and geographic region of diagnosis (West [WE], Midwest [MW], South [SO], or Northeast [NE]). Endpoints included: (1) recommendation against surgery and (2) gastric adenocarcinoma-specific survival (GACSS). Multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were used to identify pertinent associations., Results: A total of 15 991 patients were included (2007-2015). In adjusted analysis, African American individuals more frequently received a recommendation against surgical resection than White (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.98), Asian American (aOR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.46-0.65), and American Indian (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.31-0.82) individuals. In addition to race-based discrepancies, there was a significant association between geography and management: individuals diagnosed with GAC in the SO were more likely to receive a recommendation against surgery (odds ratio = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.23-1.49) and exhibited poorer GACSS as compared with those in the WE, MW, or NE regions., Conclusions: Race and geographic region of diagnosis affect treatment recommendations and GACSS among individuals with resectable tumors. African Americans with resectable cancers are more likely to receive a recommendation against surgery than individuals of other racial groups., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex network of proteins and proteoglycans secreted by keratinocytes, fibroblasts and immune cells. The function of the skin ECM has expanded from being a scaffold that provides structural integrity, to a more dynamic entity that is constantly remodeled to maintain tissue homeostasis. The ECM functions as ligands for cell surface receptors such as integrins, dystroglycans, and toll-like receptors (TLRs) and regulate cellular signaling and immune cell dynamics. The ECM also acts as a sink for growth factors and cytokines, providing critical cues during epithelial morphogenesis. Dysregulation in the organization and deposition of ECMs lead to a plethora of pathophysiological conditions that are exacerbated by aberrant ECM-immune cell interactions. In this review, we focus on the interplay between ECM and immune cells in the context of skin diseases and also discuss state of the art therapies that target the key molecular players involved.

PRéCIS:: This retrospective study found that combined phacoemulsification and endocyclophotocoagulation reduced intraocular pressure (IOP) to a greater degree in angle-closure glaucoma versus open-angle glaucoma and was effective for all stages of glaucoma., Purpose: Endocyclophotocoagulation (ECP) laser treatment of the ciliary processes is believed to decrease IOP by reducing aqueous production. Anecdotal experience in angle-closure glaucoma suggests that it may also lower IOP by opening the drainage angle to promote aqueous outflow. This study sought to evaluate combined phacoemulsification and ECP (phaco/ECP) in eyes with different types and stages of glaucoma., Patients and Methods: A Retrospective chart review of eyes that underwent phaco/ECP between October 2010 and December 2016 at one institution was conducted., Results: In 63 eyes of 63 patients with an average of 3.0±1.7 years of follow-up, the 22 eyes with chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) had greater IOP reduction and medication reduction than the 41 eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma at both 1 year (6.4 vs. 2.1 mm Hg, P=0.01; 0.9 vs. 0.2 medications, P=0.04) and final follow-up (6.2 vs. 2.4 mm Hg, P=0.02; 0.9 vs. 0.3 medications, P=0.05). There was no difference in IOP reduction or medication reduction for eyes with mild, moderate, or advanced glaucoma at both 1 year (3.5, 3.9, 0.5 mm Hg, respectively, P=0.18; 0.3, 0.6, 0.4 medications, P=0.58) and final follow-up (3.3, 4.8, 0.7 mm Hg, P=0.11; 0.1, 0.8, 0.4 medications, P=0.14)., Conclusions: Eyes with CACG were more responsive to phaco/ECP in terms of IOP and medication reduction compared with eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma. This finding could be partially or entirely due to concurrent cataract extraction and greater CACG preoperative IOP. Phaco/ECP was effective in all stages of glaucoma.

Two cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes, trans-[Co(salen)(DA) 2 ](ClO 4 ) (1) and trans-[Co(salophen)(DA) 2 ](ClO 4 ) (2) (where salen: N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine, salopen: N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine, DA: dodecylamine) were synthesised and characterised using various spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The binding affinity of both the complexes with CT-DNA was explored adopting UV-visible, fluorescence, circular dichroism spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques. The results revealed that both the complexes interacted with DNA via intercalation as well as notable groove binding. Protein (BSA) binding ability of these complexes was investigated by absorption and emission spectroscopy which indicate that these complexes engage in strong hydrophobic interaction with BSA. The mode of interaction between these complexes and CT-DNA/BSA was studied by molecular docking analysis. The in vitro cytotoxic property of the complexes was evaluated in A549 (human small cell lung carcinoma) and VERO (African green monkey kidney cells). The results revealed that the complexes affect viability of the cells. AO and EB staining and cell cycle analysis revealed that the mode of cell death is apoptosis. Both the complexes showed profound inhibition of angiogenesis as revealed in in-vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Of the two complexes, the complex 2 proved to be much more efficient in affecting the viability of lung cancer cells than complex 1. These results indicate that the cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes in this study can be potentially used for cancer chemotherapy and as inhibitor of angiogenesis, in general, and lung cancer in particular, for which there is need for substantiation at the level of signalling mechanisms and gene expressions.

Background: Several prognostic factors have been used to guide therapy for colon cancer (CC). However, the relationship between CC laterality (sidedness) and prognosis remains under investigation., Objectives: To assess the effect of laterality on CC presentation and survival, using a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) population-based cohort., Methods: A retrospective cohort study using data from the SEER program (2007-2015)., Results: Of the 163,980 patients with CC, 85,779 (52.3%) presented with right-sided CC (RCC) and 78,201 (47.7%) with left-sided CC (LCC). Stage distributions were as follows: stage I, 24.1%; stage II, 27.3%; stage III, 28.2%; and stage IV, 20.4%. In an adjusted modified Poisson regression approach for risk ratio (RR), patients with LCCs were more likely to be male (RR = 1.14; 95% CI 1.12-1.15, p<0.001). As compared to stage I, stage II cancers (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.90, p<0.001) were less likely to be LCC. Stage IV CC was slightly less likely to be left-sided (RR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.98, 0.96-1.00, p = 0.028). The median overall survival (OS) for RCC was 87 months. The median OS for LCC was not established, as more than half of the patients diagnosed with LCC were still living at the time of the analysis. In adjusted Cox proportional Hazard model, individuals with stage I, III, and IV LCCs had superior OS as compared to those with matched-stage RCC (adjusted HR = 0.87; 95% CI 0.85-0.88, p<0.001). However, OS was worse among those with stage II disease who presented with LCC (adjusted Hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.06; 95% CI 1.02-1.11, p = 0.004). CC-specific survival (CSS) was superior for LCC versus RCC for stages III and IV but worse for II., Conclusions: In this population-cohort study, LCC is associated with superior OS and CSS survival. The overall survival advantage was attributed to stage I, III, and IV disease. Individuals presenting with stage II disease exhibit superior survival if the CC is right-sided.

Skin is the primary barrier against the external environment and develops a robust immune network for its surveillance. The origin of the resident immune cells of the skin has become a focus of interest over past a decade. Fate mapping studies have revealed that the macrophages home into the skin as early as E12.5 and are derived from the yolk sac and fetal liver. The resident γδT cells are born in the thymus and home to the skin by E16.5. Recent work from our lab has shown that the embryonic macrophages can actively remodel the extracellular matrix in skin suggesting that the skin immune system can be activated long before exposure to foreign antigens. In this chapter, we present a detailed protocol for isolating monocytes, macrophages, and epidermal dendritic T cell populations from embryonic skin.

Background: Optic neuritis in children is an uncommon disorder which usually occurs after a viral illness or vaccination and, less frequently, occurs as a manifestation of a demyelinating disorder. Pediatric optic neuritis usually is bilateral and presents with optic disc edema, recovers rapidly with steroid therapy, and generally has low conversion rate to multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. We report the clinical features and treatment outcomes of pediatric optic neuritis in Indian population, for which little data are available., Methods: We reviewed the medical case records of patients with optic neuritis who were younger than 18 years, from 1999 to 2016. All patients were assessed and managed in the Neuro-Ophthalmology Department of Sankara Nethralaya, a unit of Medical Research Foundation and Pediatric Neurology Department of Kanchi Kamakoti-Childs Trust Hospital, Chennai, India., Results: One hundred seventeen eyes of 78 children with mean age of 11.84 (±4.58) years were identified. Forty-two (53.8%) were females and 36 (46.2%) were males. Thirty-nine patients (50%) had bilateral involvement and a similar number had unilateral involvement. Fifty-nine eyes (50.4%) had optic disc edema, 20 eyes (17.1%) had disc pallor, and 38 eyes (32.4%) had normal discs. Of 63 patients who had neuroimaging, 36 had MRI, and 27 underwent computed tomography. Eighty-four eyes (of 59 patients) received steroid therapy according to the protocol of the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT). Thirty-three eyes that were treated with other steroid protocols were excluded from the final visual outcome analyses. Sixty of the 84 eyes (72.3%) recovered visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Visual acuity improvement was statistically significant between initial and final visual acuity (logMAR) in our patients treated with the ONTT protocol (P ≤ 0.001)., Conclusions: Our Indian pediatric population had good visual recovery after steroid treatment for optic neuritis. Profound loss of visual acuity on presentation and bilateral involvement were significantly associated with poor visual outcome.

Emerging evidence suggests that the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing among individuals under the age of 50 years. However, the pattern of disease presentation in young patients remains under investigation. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) between 2004 and 2015. Data was acquired from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 program registries. A total of 269,398 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in the final analysis. The primary outcomes were the likelihood of metastatic disease at diagnosis and survival. Of the 269,389 patients diagnosed with CRC, 11.8% of the patients were young (20 to 49 years), 45.6% were middle-aged (50 to 69 years), and 42.6% were elderly (70 years or older). Individuals in the middle-aged and elderly cohorts were significantly less likely to present with metastatic disease as compared to the young cohort (middle-aged adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70 to 0.75, elderly aOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.47 to 0.50). However, overall survival was longest in the young cohort. We conclude that young individuals with colorectal cancer have an increased risk of presenting with distant metastases as compared to the middle-aged and elderly, but, nevertheless, exhibit prolonged survival.

Two water-soluble polymer-copper(II) complexes, [Cu(ip) 2 (BPEI)](ClO 4 ) 2 ·H 2 O (Complex 1) and [Cu(dppz) 2 BPEI](ClO 4 ) 2 ·H 2 O (Complex 2) with different degree of coordination have been synthesized and characterized. The interaction between the prepared complexes and CTDNA has been assessed by various physico-chemical methods The spectroscopic and the cyclic voltammetry studies have revealed that both the complexes interact with CTDNA through intercalation binding mode. Among the two complexes, Complex 2 has higher binding affinity with CTDNA. The antiproliferative activity of the complexes has been examined on human breast cancer cells, MDAMB231, adopting various techniques. The results indicate that both the polymer-copper(II) complexes are effective against the breast cancer cell line and the order of the activity is consistent with the DNA-binding ability., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON; OMIM 535000) is one of the most common maternally inherited mitochondrial disorders. Three mitochondrial DNA point mutations-m.3460G>A (MT-ND1), m.11778G>A (MT-ND4), and m.14484T>C (MT-ND6)-account for the majority of reported LHON cases. Only approximately 50% of males and approximately 10% of females carrying these mutations develop optic neuropathy and blindness. Additional factors, such as mtDNA/nuclear genetic background and environmental modifiers, are likely to contribute toward the observed incomplete penetrance and gender bias. We aimed to investigate whether mtDNA haplogroup influences LHON clinical expression in Indian patients harboring the m.11778G>A mutation., Methods: Detailed clinical assessment and complete mitochondrial genome sequencing was undertaken in 64 LHON families harboring the m.11778G>A mutation. Mitochondrial haplogroup was assigned based on evolutionarily conserved mtDNA variations., Results: A total of 543 individuals (295 male, 248 female) from 64 unrelated families harboring the m.11778G>A mutation were recruited to the study. The overall disease penetrance was 27.07% (146 of 543) and higher in males (37.9%; 112 of 295) than females (13.7%; 34 of 248). The mtDNA haplogroup analysis revealed that all affected probands belonged to different mtDNA haplogroups. No association between the m.11778G>A mutation and the background mtDNA haplogroup was detected., Conclusions: The first detailed study of Indian LHON patients confirm that the m.11778G>A-related LHON in India coexists with multiple different mtDNA haplogroups, unlike the preferential association of west Eurasian haplogroup J and the reported increased clinical penetrance with the J2 subhaplogroup. However, we observed variable penetrance of LHON in different Indian mtDNA haplogroup backgrounds, indicating their possible influence on clinical expression. These data suggest that a similar heterogeneity, resulting from the mtDNA haplogroup, might also exist in other mitochondrial diseases among Indian populations.

Understanding contaminant degradation by different sized zero valent iron (ZVI) particles is one important aspect in addressing the long-term stability of these particles in field studies. In this study, meso zero valent iron (mZVI) particles were synthesised in a milling time of 10 h using ball milling technique. The efficacy of mZVI particles for removal of phenol was quantitatively evaluated in comparison with coarse zero valent iron (cZVI) and nano zero valent iron (nZVI) particles. Phenol degradation experiments were carried out in sacrificial batch mode at room temperature independently with cZVI, nZVI and mZVI under varied pH conditions of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10. Batch experiments substantiating the reactivity of mZVI under unbuffered pH system were also carried out and compared with buffered and poorly buffered pH systems. mZVI particles showed consistent phenol degradation at circum-neutral pH with efficiency of 44%, 67%, and 89% in a span of 5, 10 and 20 min respectively. The dissolved iron species and residual iron formation were also measured as a function of pH. Unbuffered systems at circum-neutral pH produced less residual iron when compared to buffered and poorly buffered systems. At this pH, oxidation of Fe(2+) produced a different oxidant Ferryl ion, which was found to effectively participate in phenol degradation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)