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Oxytetracycline (OTC), is a widely used veterinary antibiotic for treatment and prophylaxis in aquaculture. As an emerging pollutant, OTC in the environment exerts selective pressure on aquatic organisms causing proliferation of antibiotic resistant genes. In the present study, an OTC tolerant isolate labelled as pw2 was selected among the 11 OTC tolerant isolates, isolated from the aquaculture effluent, for investigating its OTC degrading potential. The cell morphology, biochemical characteristics, and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence of the isolated strain indicated that it belonged to the genus Planococcus. The OTC removal percentage was estimated through measuring its residual concentration in the culture medium with high performance liquid chromatography. The strain exhibited maximum removal efficiency of 90.62%, with initial OTC concentration of 10 µg/ml. The optimum degrading conditions were 35 °C and pH 7. The degradation rate of OTC with (biotic) and without strain pw2 (abiotic) was 3.253 and 1.149 mg/l/d, respectively. The half-life was recorded to be 2.13 d in the presence of strain pw2, in contrast to 6.03 days recorded without strain pw2. The total (biotic + abiotic) OTC degradation efficiency was 75.74, 83.93, 90.62, and 86.47% for the initial OTC concentrations of 1 to 25 µg/ml, respectively. Addition of carbon and nitrogen did not influence the OTC removal which indicates Planococcus sp. pw2 use OTC as sole energy source. Thus, Planococcus sp. pw2 plays a vital role in reducing the OTC concentration in the environment, offering a promising method for treatment of aquaculture effluent containing OTC., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plasma technology finds applications in many industrial areas. To improve the process efficiency, different plasma forming gases and their mixtures are used. Since CO 2 is economical and has high thermal conductivity, it is identified as a potential candidate in plasma material processing. However, the characteristics and merits of CO 2 plasma arc in material processing are scanty. In this work, a 2D model is built to simulate plasma arc with CO 2 and its mixtures with Ar. Effects of arc current, gas composition and arc length on the arc heating efficiency and arc characteristics are discussed. The arc size is strongly influenced by the gas composition at 200 A than at 100 A. Temperature distribution in the arcs is wider when CO 2 content is decreased. The effect of arc current on the arc heating efficiency is stronger at lower current. Results predicted by the present model are compared with measured data for model validation., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present study area falls beside the coastal zone of Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry is characterized by varied geological formations that mostly contain groundwater resources that are primarily utilized for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and other utilities. The study aims to differentiate various hydrogeochemical processes responsible for disparities in water chemistry. Groundwater samples were collected from 66 sites during the two major seasons: pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. The analytical data were separated into terrain vice and utilized for preparing graphical plots as well as mathematical calculations to obtain the existing relationship among chemical constituents and water quality. The Ca-HCO3, Na-Cl, Ca-Na-HCO3, mixed Ca-Mg-Cl, Ca-Cl, and Na-HCO 3 are the main hydrochemical facies observed from the groundwater samples. The ionic relationship among the samples indicates the control of direct and reverse ion exchange in the concentration of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , and K + in groundwater. Moreover, silicate weathering contributes more in comparison with carbonate and evaporite dissolution. Gibbs plots reveal that water-rock interaction and evaporation processes are the main mechanisms controlling the water chemistry. The saturation index of different mineral phases indicates groundwater to be oversaturated with silicate mineral phases irrespective of the terrain. Statistical methods like correlation and principal component analysis were also performed to differentiate the specific association and possible source of the dissolved constituent in the groundwater. The study concludes the influence of multiple processes such as silicate weathering, direct and reverse ion exchange, secondary dissolution, saline water intrusion, and anthropogenic sources as the main reasons responsible for variation in groundwater chemistry.

Groundwater and saline water interaction is the most common processes in the coastal aquifers that alters the quality of aquifer waters. The quaternary alluvium aquifer system is a significant water resource of southeast coastal Tamil Nadu that provides water supplies for industrial, agriculture, and domestic utilities. Hydrogeochemical investigations were attempted to analyze groundwater-saline water interactions for which a total of three hundred and sixty samples representing surface water, pore water, and groundwater samples collected from three significant locations (location A, B, and C) and analyzed for major ion concentrations. Piper plot infers surface and pore water samples representing saline water type (Na-Cl) in all the three locations due to tidal variation and sand dominant surface layer. Groundwater samples represent (Ca-HCO 3 ) type at location A due to fresh groundwater discharge, mixed or subterranean estuary (Ca, Mg-Cl, HCO 3 ) at location B due to conversion of freshwater (Ca-HCO 3 ) at low tide to saline water (Na-Cl) at high tide, and saline (Na-Cl) water at location C due to proximity and influence of tides. The Cl - /HCO 3 - vs. Cl - plot represents two water types, such as fresh groundwater (0.5) and strongly affected by seawater intrusion (6.6). The plot (Ca 2+ +Mg 2+ )/(K + +Na + ) vs. log Cl - represents freshwater in location A, mixing in location B, and saline water in location C. Groundwater samples observed to be fresh in location A (20.0 km away from the coast), recirculated in location B (9.0 km away from the coast), and saline in location C (0.5 km away from the coast).

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate candidal parameters in the oral cavity of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM)., Materials and Methods: The samples included in the study were divided into two groups: group A, comprises 50 patients with type 2 DM, and group B, comprises 30 subjects who were nondiabetic. A nonrandom consecutive sampling technique was used to enroll the subjects for the study. The χ2 test was used to examine the characteristics of the samples., Results: The results found that there is a significant difference in saliva and swab for Candida growth between patients with type 2 DM and normal healthy individuals. Swab had shown slightly more Candida growth than saliva in group A (type 2 DM). No significant variation in Candida growth was found. Candida krusei was seen in normal healthy individuals alone. In antifungal susceptibility pattern to various antifungal agents, Candida tropicalis has shown a significant result for various antifungal agents whereas Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis did not show any significant result for various antifungal agents used in group A (patients with type 2 DM)., Conclusion: Diabetic individuals who are prone to a hyperglycemic state favors the growth and establishment of Candida species. Although a smaller percentage of multidrug-resistant Candida species has been observed in the saliva of patients with type 2 DM., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.)

Background: Many topical agents are available in the market, which interfere with the pigmentation process at different levels. They are often known to cause side effects ranging from irritation to tumor over chronic use., Objective: The present study was designed to develop and characterize an anti blemish cream containing herbal oils., Methods: A herbal cream was formulated using dill, nagarmotha and black cumin oil and subjected to evaluation of its anti blemish potential against stress augmented UV-B rays-induced hyperpigmentation. Topical oil in water type of creams containing 2%, 4% and 6% of each oil was formulated using herbal oils. The formulated cream was characterized for solubility, pH, particle size, grittiness, viscosity, stability, phase separation, shelf life and spreadability, and found to be stable. Acute dermal toxicity was carried out individually for dill, nagarmotha and black cumin oil according to the OECD guidelines 402. Hyperpigmentation was induced in all the experimental animals by stress-augmented UV-B irradiation method. The animals were treated for 30 days (twice daily) with standard and test formulations by topical administration, whereas the disease group was left untreated. The skin of the animals was subjected to photographical study as well as grading for pigmentation and irritation before and after treatment. After the treatment period, the serum antioxidant levels were estimated and histopathology, histochemical studies of skin were performed., Results: The animals treated with test formulations containing 2%, 4%, and 6% of herbal oil showed significant improvement in pigmentation compared to disease control as it is evident in photographic biochemical, histopathological and histochemical studies., Conclusion: Thus, it was concluded that the developed anti-blemish cream containing herbal oils possesses significant anti-blemish potential. This study necessitates further evaluations in human subjects as it could have a high positive therapeutic value in the treatment of hyperpigmentation., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background and Objectives: Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous intercellular messenger molecule with important cardiovascular, neurological, and immune functions. In addition, it has been postulated that the pharmacological inhibition of NO or its actions may be therapeutically valuable in the disease management. The levels of nitric oxide may provide clues about the severity and the state of the underlying disease process. It could be an inflammatory biomarker that may enable clinicians to direct the environmentally based prevention or treatment programmes and to establish whether NO plays a role in the pathogenesis of periodontitis or not. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the salivary and the serum levels of NO in generalized chronic and aggressive periodontitis. The Study Design: Unstimulated whole saliva and serum samples were collected from a total of 60 subjects who were in the age group of 18-45 years, who participated in this study. They were divided into three equal groups with 20 subjects in each group; group A (healthy controls), group B (chronic periodontitis) and group C (aggressive periodontitis). The clinical parameters were assessed, based on the oral hygiene index simplified (OHI-S), the gingival index (GI), the probing pocket depth and the clinical attachment loss (CAL). A biochemical analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the salivary and the serum nitric oxide levels of the above groups. Statistical Analysis and Results: The statistical comparisons were done under the Griess Reaction. There were statistically significant salivary and serum levels of NO in the groups of periodontitis (group B and C) as compared to those in the healthy controls (group A). A significant positive correlation was found between the values of the salivary and the serum NO levels in chronic and aggressive periodontitis., Conclusion: Nitric oxide is a potent modulator of the inflammatory disease processes and under pathological conditions, NO has damaging effects. As there is a paucity in the studies which have compared chronic and aggressive periodontitis, this study paved an interest for combining the serum and the salivary analysis in comparing the levels of nitric oxide in chronic and aggressive periodontitis.

A thorough anatomical knowledge is very essential for clinical practice and any surgical procedure. Unfortunately anatomical variations can lead to hazards in medical and dental diagnosis and treatment. Such knowledge is very essential even in effective local anesthesia which is an essential part of treatment in patients with many oral disorders. Therefore a normal anatomy and its possible variations are utmost important aspects also in dentistry. One of the structures that dentists very often deal with is the mandibular nerve which therefore needs a thorough review. However, there are not many consolidated literature reviews available regarding its variations and clinical applications. Keeping this in mind, in this article, the authors have brought together available literature on various aspects of mandibular nerve. The final review will be of benefit to clinicians (Fig. 2, Ref. 63).

We present a case report of a single lesion of cysticercosis cellulosae, a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), presenting as a soft tissue swelling of the lower lip. We stress the importance of knowledge about oral manifestations of parasitic infections.

The medical records of 238 patients treated for mandibular fractures at Sri Ramachandra Dental College and Hospital, India, over a period of 4 years were reviewed. Of the total 238 patients with mandibular fractures, 81% were males, and 19% were females. The majority of the patients were 21 to 30 years of age. Road traffic accidents, especially people traveling on motorcycles, accounted for 73% of all patients, with a high prevalence during the month of September and on Saturdays. The most common area of fracture was in the parasymphysis region (35.2%) followed by the condyle region (22.6%).

HYPERICUM PERFORATUM: cv. Anthos) is presented. Isotope tracer experiments were performed on plantlets regenerated from thidiazuron-induced stem explants and grown on MS basal medium for 2 months. Radiolabel from 14 C-tryptophan was recovered as 14 C-indoleacetic acid, 14 C-tryptamine, 14 C-5-hydroxytryptophan, 14 C-serotonin and 14 C-melatonin in the treated St. John's wort plantlets. Chromatographic peak identity was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-mass spectrometry and quantification of melatonin by radioimmunoassay. Significantly more radiolabel was recovered in serotonin relative to melatonin under low light conditions with this ratio being reversed under increased lighting, indicating that the rate of flow through this biosynthetic pathway is regulated, at least in part, by light.

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum. cv 'Anthos') is a medicinal plant with evidence of efficacy as an anti-depressant. The present report describes the development of an in vitro regeneration system that utilizes thidiazuron [N-phenyl-N'-(1,2,3-thidiazol-yl)urea] for the induction of de novo shoots on etiolated hypocotyl segments of St. John's wort seedlings. The optimum level of thidiazuron supplementation to the culture medium was 5 μmol·l -1 for a 9-day induction period followed by subculture of induced hypocotyl explants on basal medium. Other plant growth regulators including benzyladenine and indoleacetic acid were not effective in inducing regeneration on St. John's wort hypocotyls. Histological examination of the cultures revealed that the regenerated plants were derived from de novo developed shoots. Transfer of the regenerated shoots into a liquid medium with no plant growth regulators resulted in the rapid and prolific growth of viable plantlets. The rapid and efficient micropropagation system for St. John's wort may be useful for both the genetic improvement of this crop and the production of high-quality phytopharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Somatic embryogenesis in geranium (Pelargonium xhortorum Bailey cv 'Scarlet Orbit Improved') can be achieved by incubating hypocotyl explants on MS medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ; 10 μM for 3 days followed by subculture on medium devoid of any plant growth regulators. The presence of gibberellins (GAs) during both the induction and expression phases of embryogenesis was significantly detrimental to somatic embryo formation on the hypocotyl explants. The addition of the GA-synthesis inhibitors paclobutrazol, uniconazole or ancymidol during the period of growth and differentiation of somatic embryos increased the number of somatic embryos formed on each explant. However, paclobutrazol added during the period of induction had no significant influence on somatic embryo formation. Results suggest that both exogenously supplied as well as endogenous GAs play a role, albeit a negative one, on somatic embryogenesis of geranium.

Root outgrowths formed on the root tissue of geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum Bailey cv. Kim and cv. Shone Helena) plants in response to treatment with the phenylurea derivative, thidiazuron (N-phenyl-N'-1,2,3-thiadiazol-5'-ylurea; TDZ). Treatment with the cytokinin N(6)-benzylaminopurine (BAP) or the auxin α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) did not result in stimulation of similar abnormal structures on the root tissue. Significantly more outgrowths developed on roots of plants treated with 10 μM and 20 μM TDZ than on control plants or those treated with 1 μM TDZ for the eight-week treatment period. Some outgrowths produced shoots and plantlets while still attached to roots, and regenerants were easily separated from the root tissue and transferred to soil in the greenhouse where they grew to maturity. Histological observations suggested these outgrowths originated from the vascular cambium region of the root.