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Introduction: Aspergillus species cause a broad range of infections, from Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) to invasive aspergillosis. Accurate species-level identification is crucial for diagnosis and treatment, especially since some rare Aspergillus species exhibit increased resistance to common antifungal agents. Aim: To identify Aspergillus species at the species complex level and determine the emergence of cryptic Aspergillus species using Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA). Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over eight months, from January 2023 to August 2023, in three tertiary care centres in Chennai, India. Sixty Aspergillus strains were isolated from various clinical samples. The primary inclusion criteria were patients with suspected aspergillosis, categorised based on the European Organszation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Mycoses Study Group (EORTC-MSG) criteria. Isolates were grown on Oatmeal Agar or Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and phenotypically identified using tease mount and slide culture techniques. Genomic fungal Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted and amplified using specific primers for Internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin, hydrophobin, and calmodulin genes, followed by nucleic acid sequencing. Results: Among the 60 Aspergillus isolates, the Aspergillus flavus complex comprised 26 (43.3%), the Aspergillus fumigatus complex 16 (26.7%), the Aspergillus niger complex 12 (20%), and the Aspergillus terreus complex 6 (10%). Initial speciation relied on microscopic and cultural characteristics. Isolates were recovered from various clinical specimens: bronchial wash 6 (10%), Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid 10 (16.7%), sputum 3 (5%), ear swab 20 (33.3%), endotracheal aspirate 8 (13.3%), pus and tissue from the nasal cavity and paranasal sinus 11 (18.3%), and tissue from other sites 2 (3.3%). MLSA identified common species such as A. flavus, A. fumigatus, A. terreus, and A. niger, as well as rare species including A. awamori, A. carneus, A. lentulus, A. oryzae, A. tamarii, A. tubingensis, and A. welwitschiae. Sequence identity ranged from 99% to 100%, confirming species diversity. Phylogenetic analysis using ITS, beta-tubulin, hydrophobin, and calmodulin genes supported species identification with robust bootstrap support (1000 replications). Conclusion: Cryptic Aspergillus species are prevalent in clinical samples from the South Indian population, with a notable presence from the section Nigri and the first-time isolation of Aspergillus carneus in clinical samples from India. Molecular identification is essential for determining the invasive potential and guiding appropriate antifungal therapy

Purpose: Nurses are the professional group who most often provide care. Studies have shown that oral healthcare is being neglected by general healthcare professionals, including nurses. With proper health-related behaviour, knowledge and attitude, they can play an important role in health education and act as a role model for patients. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge, attitude and practices related to oral health among nursing (Bsc) students in Davangere city, Karnataka, India.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 365 BSc Nursing students at their college premises in Davangere city. Data was collected using 25 items self-administered questionnaire which was validated. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student's unpaired t tests were used considering p ≤0.05 as statistically significant.Results: The mean knowledge scores of final and third year nursing students were significantly higher than the first and second year students (p = 0.01). The majority of the students felt the need for regular visits to dentist (72.6%) and felt that oral healthcare was an important part of nursing care (91.2%). They also felt the need to collaborate with dentists (78.1%). The majority of them brushed their teeth twice daily (74.2%) and had the habit of mouth rinsing (67.4%) and referred their patients to dentists (61.4%).Conclusion: The knowledge related to oral health among nursing students was good. The majority believed that oral healthcare was an important part of nursing care, hence the training of nursing students pertaining to oral health education and upgrade of their academic curriculum should be prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the recent years, various studies have shown a link between the free radicals, antioxidants and periodontal diseases. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the oxidative stress and the antioxidant status present in the gingival tissue and plasma of patients with chronic periodontitis and to evaluate the antioxidant property of taurine. Materials and Methods: Periodontal status in 10 chronic periodontitis patients was assessed in terms of gingival index, plaque index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level prior to and after oral administration of taurine (500 mg O.D.) for 15 days. The oxidative stress present in the gingival tissue and blood (by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS]) and the antioxidants namely glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were estimated before and after administration of taurine. The changes in the clinical parameters were also reassessed following administration of taurine. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Student′s t-test. A level of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The levels of TBARS in plasma and gingival tissue showed a significant reduction (P < 0.001) following administration of taurine. The antioxidant enzyme GPX showed a significant reduction following administration of taurine (P < 0.001), whereas GSH increased significantly (P < 0.001) following administration of taurine. The improvement in the periodontal status following administration of taurine was also significant statistically. Conclusion: Based on the biochemical and clinical assessments, taurine seems to exert a protective role against the oxidative stress in the management of patients with chronic periodontitis.

Summary: The temporal network fragmentation and uncertain vehicle mobility are considered to impact the communication connectivity among the vehicular nodes of the network. In this context, road side units (RSUs) play an anchor role in enhancing the vehicle‐to‐vehicle (V2V) communication connectivity and support vehicle‐to‐infrastructure (V2I) communication. In the current scenario, deploying a huge number of RSUs in the vehicular networks at an initial stage is completely impossible as it incurs high installation cost and authority restriction. Moreover, the optimal placement of RSUs in the vehicular network needs to be enforced for attaining maximized network coverage. In this paper, Chew's first Delaunay triangulation refinement scheme (CFDTRS) is proposed for optimal positioning of RSUs in order to attain optimal network coverage in the vehicular network with minimized cost. This CFDTRS considered the factors of vehicular density, number of obstacles in the map, intersection popularity, and global coverage into account during the placement of RSUs. It is proposed with the objective of deploying required number of RSUs within the range of data transmission in order to achieve maximal coverage in the convex map, such that each area of the convex map is completely covered with at least a single RSU in the existence of multiple number of obstacles. The simulation results of the proposed CFDTRS attained from the real time situations of simplex, moderate, and complex maps confirmed improved packet delivery rate of 9.32%, throughput by 10.74% with minimized packet loss of 9.14%, and reduced end‐to‐end delay of 19.31$, compared to the benchmarked schemes considered for investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In big cities, the drivers face a major problem in identifying an optimal vacant parking space for their vehicles as the number of vehicles has rapidly grown over the recent years. This objective of determining the available parking space results in wastage of time, air pollution, and traffic congestion. Smart parking systems facilitate the driver to book parking slots and attain real‐time parking information. However, the existing smart parking solutions necessitate the disclosure of sensitive information like desired destination from the vehicle drivers. Moreover, the current smart parking solutions are highly centralized, making them vulnerable for launching privacy breaches by service providers and resulting in the issues of single‐point failure. In this paper, ring signature and improved multi‐transaction mode consortium blockchain‐based private information retrieval (RS‐IMTMCB‐PIR) scheme is proposed for privacy preserving in smart parking system. This RS‐IMTMCB‐PIR scheme initially utilizes an improved multi‐transaction mode consortium blockchain constructed by different number of parking lot owners in order to achieve maximized parking offers based on the factor of availability, transparency, and security. It incorporates an improved private information retrieval approach for protecting the location privacy of drivers and secretly retrieving the offers of parking from the improved multi‐transaction mode consortium blockchain. It further utilizes the benefits of ring signature for permitting the drivers in a potential anonymous authentication process that aids in available parking slot reservation. The simulation results of this proposed RS‐IMTMCB‐PIR scheme portrayed a predominant performance in ensuring maximized degree of drivers' privacy with reduced computation and communication overheads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of balloon blowing exercise on wheezing patients. Introduction: Wheezing is a dynamic sign, occurs when airflow through narrowed airways, by creating vibrations in the audible frequency. In this highly polluted society, all age groups are affected invariably with respiratory diseases, in which wheezing is the most common condition. To control the severity of wheezing, Balloon blowing exercise has been introduced. It is cheap and can be followed by all age groups. The principle followed in blowing the balloon exercise is to increase the maximum expiratory volume of lungs. Materials and Methods: The sample size of 15 students of the age group 18-20 years was selected. They were given the balloon and asked to blow the balloon for the consecutive 30 days, both in the morning and evening for 15 min. The lung functions such as FVC, FEV1, and PEF were measured using spirometer before and after the exercise. Results and Discussion: There is a significant increase in the forced vital capacity (FVC) of wheezing patient after balloon blowing exercise. Among the respiratory function test parameters, only FVC showed a significant increase of P = 0.056. Since it is a pilot study, it had many limitations. Therefore, future studies need to be conducted with more subjects, measuring the balloon resistance accurately. Conclusions: Blowing the balloon strengthens the respiratory muscles and results in increased of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one sec (FEV1), and peak expiratory flow (PEF). This exercise improves pulmonary function and reduces the risk of lung disorder from wheezing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study to comprehensively analyze bone marrow (BM) infiltration by nonhematological round cell tumors. Materials and Methods: A total of 206 diagnosed cases of small round blue cell tumors (excluding lymphomas) during a period of 2½ years, referred for BM examination were included in the study. Clinical details were obtained from medical records. BM aspiration (BMA) and BM biopsies (BMBx) were performed under local anesthesia for staging workup. BMBx were studied for cellularity, presence of infiltration by round cells (nonhematopoietic), histologic patterns (island/nests and diffuse sheets), fibrosis, necrosis and other secondary changes. Immunohistochemistry panel was used depending on the morphology. Results: The cases included age range from 45 days to 25 years with a median age of 12 years. There was a male predominance with male:female 1.5:1. Among these, 37/206 cases (17.9%) were positive for BM involvement (BMI) on BMBx. Of these, 24 cases were neuroblastoma (64.8%), 9 cases Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (24.3%), and 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma (10.8). BMBx was done in all the 206 cases. Among these, 37/206 cases were positive for BMI on BMBx while 35/206 cases were positive on BM imprints and 33/206 cases were positive on BMA. Conclusion: Detection of metastasis in the BM has both therapeutic and prognostic significance. BMBx are complementary in the diagnosis of small round cell tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Music is the best described as the drug for the spirit as well as to the physique. The heartbeat and blood pressure (BP) recorded while listening to fast music was approximately 120-130 beats/min and 140/90. Moreover, in case of slow music, it was approximately 55-65 beats/min and 90/60, respectively. Materials and Methods: The sample size of this study is about 30 healthy individuals. Three different types of music are used for this study include melody, exciting, and arbitrary type. Participants were asked to listen each music separately and measure BP and heart rate. For a music interval, 10 min relaxation has been given and follows the other type of music and measurements will be noted. Results: The mean values of pulse rate, systole, and diastole were not significantly reduced from resting state when compared between before and after listening to slow and arbitrary music. However, the fast beat showed the increased mean (±standard deviation) values of pulse rate, systole, and diastole which have a significant effect on individual. Conclusions: Listening to slow beat music can benefit the health of an individual by modulating the cardiovascular rhythms, whereas fast beat music is ineffective and often dangerous. Thus, listening to slow music not only makes as happy but also have a significant result on our body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is also called as sodium glutamate which is a sodium salt of glutamic acid and the commonly occurring non-essential amino acids.MSG is actually a flavor enhancer and commonly used as food additive in various packed foods. It was first believed that the use of MSG was limited only to Asian countries, but now it has been the most used food additive across the world.The present study focuses on the awareness about MSG among Indian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Society is a complex web of interactions, in which an individual should be able to get along with people harmoniously. This is the fundamental of Social Intelligence (SI). This paper stresses the importance of SI. People with high SI possess magnetic powers that attract others, and are friendly, supportive and caring; they are successful in the society. But people with low SI have problems in interpersonal relationships and are a misfit in the society. This paper discusses the essential characteristics of SI, steps to develop SI, domains of SI, essential requisites for an employee to accomplish success and the effects of poor SI. It concludes by emphasizing that developing or cultivating SI helps one to become successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aims to determine the association between the consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSBs) and periodontal disease. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines were followed to conduct a literature search on five electronic databases till January 2022. Systemically healthy individuals consuming SSBs and presenting periodontal disease (gingivitis/periodontitis) were included. The modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and the Grading of Recommendation Assessment Development and Evaluation criteria were respectively used to assess the risk of bias and the evidence's quality. Of the 1303 eligible records identified in the initial search, ten studies (nine cross‐sectional and one case–control) were selected for the final review. Among the included articles, five reported SSBs intake in the form of carbonated soft drinks, two as sugary drinks, two as soft drinks, and one as coffee with added sugar. Four studies reported gingivitis as an outcome, while the remaining six studies reported periodontitis using validated indices. The included studies were of medium to high quality. Consumption of SSBs may increase gingival bleeding, thereby gingivitis and the risk of periodontitis. Intake of added sugars like SSBs should be considered as a potential factor during gingival/periodontal risk assessment. Further studies are warranted to establish additional evidence of association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory condition that affects the supporting tissues of the teeth, and menopause can contribute to its progression. Vitamin‑D Binding Protein (DBP) is a multifunctional protein that acts as an acute phase reactant and plays a key role in bone metabolism. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare DBP levels in Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) of pre‑ and postmenopausal women with and without chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Fifty‑two female participants aged 35–60 were selected from outpatients’ clinics and divided into premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. Plaque index, gingival bleeding index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level were measured. GCF DBP levels were evaluated using an enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: There was a significant correlation between menopausal status and periodontal status in relation to GCF DBP levels (P = 0.000). However, regardless of the menopausal status, participants with periodontitis exhibited a five‑fold increase in mean GCF DBP levels compared to those without periodontitis. There was a significant positive correlation existed between the periodontal parameters and GCF DBP levels. Conclusion: Based on the findings, we conclude that GCF DBP is influenced more by participants’ periodontal health than by their menopausal status, and it correlates favorably with the degree of periodontal destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the recent years, various studies have shown a link between the free radicals, antioxidants and periodontal diseases. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the oxidative stress and the antioxidant status present in the gingival tissue and plasma of patients with chronic periodontitis and to evaluate the antioxidant property of taurine. Materials and Methods: Periodontal status in 10 chronic periodontitis patients was assessed in terms of gingival index, plaque index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level prior to and after oral administration of taurine (500 mg O.D.) for 15 days. The oxidative stress present in the gingival tissue and blood (by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS]) and the antioxidants namely glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were estimated before and after administration of taurine. The changes in the clinical parameters were also reassessed following administration of taurine. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Student's t-test. A level of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The levels of TBARS in plasma and gingival tissue showed a significant reduction (P < 0.001) following administration of taurine. The antioxidant enzyme GPX showed a significant reduction following administration of taurine (P < 0.001), whereas GSH increased significantly (P < 0.001) following administration of taurine. The improvement in the periodontal status following administration of taurine was also significant statistically. Conclusion: Based on the biochemical and clinical assessments, taurine seems to exert a protective role against the oxidative stress in the management of patients with chronic periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anorexia and bulimia nervosa can have significant effects on oral health. Assessment of enzyme concentrations in saliva can be useful for obtaining information on molecular biomarkers for the prevention, monitoring, and diagnosis of oral diseases. This study investigated the periodontal condition, changes in salivary biochemical parameters, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Methods: The study comprised 60 women patients who attended a Brazilian medical school. Participants were divided into two groups: patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa (ABN; n = 30) and control patients (CN; n = 30). Oral clinical examinations were carried out to evaluate the periodontal condition by Community Periodontal Index, and interviews using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) were conducted to assess OHRQoL. Saliva samples were collected for the evaluation of salivary concentrations of total protein, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), and salivary flow rate.Results: Periodontal condition in the ABN group was significantly worse than that in the CN group. The ABN group showed significantly higher salivary concentrations of total protein, AST, ALT, and LDH than the CN group. There was no significant difference in the salivary concentrations of TBARS among the groups. The OHIP-14 score was higher in the ABN group than in the CN group.Conclusion: Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are associated with poor periodontal condition, elevated salivary concentrations of total protein, AST, ALT, and LDH, decreased salivary flow rate and a significant adverse impact on OHRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives: Genital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections are one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections across the world. In pregnant women, if not detected and treated early, these may result in poor pregnancy outcomes and complications. The present study was aimed to screen CT infections from first void urine (FVU) samples of asymptomatic pregnant women using molecular methods. The secondary objective was to evaluate cost-effectiveness in pooling FVU samples for their diagnostic application. Methods: FVU samples were collected from 1000 asymptomatic pregnant women over a period of three years. Pooling was done by including five specimens in one pool in the amount of 10 µl and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and further confirmed by direct fluorescent antibody assay (DFA). Results: The age of study participants ranged from 18 to 43 yr with the median±standard deviation of 26±3.84 yr. Majority of positive participants were younger than 25 years. A total of 200 pools were prepared and 20 of these were PCR positive. When individual specimen in 20 positive pools was tested, 20 PCR-positive specimens were identified from 19 pools, of which 16 were positive by DFA. Thus, CT was detected in 1.6 per cent asymptomatic pregnant women in India and pooling strategy resulted in 70 per cent reduction in a number of tests performed. Interpretation & conclusions: Our study detected C. trachomatis infection in 1.6 per cent asymptomatic pregnant women, and pooling of FVU specimens for PCR testing was found to be a cost-saving strategy in comparison to testing individual samples. Further evaluation and studies on the bigger sample size are warranted to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As soon as oxygen was used as the terminal electron acceptor in aerobic respiration, then came the curse in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS). So as to overcome this problem the evolving organism had developed elaborate defence machinery to escape from these reactive by-products of its own metabolism, and also developed a mechanism by which there is utilization of these species in physiological processes to gain a survival advantage. Thus it can be said that reactive oxygen species (ROS) exert a multitude of biological effects that ranges from physiological regulatory functions to damaging alterations participating in the pathogenesis of number of diseases. Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth, is initiated and perpetuated by a small group of predominantly gram-negative, anaerobic or microaerophilic bacteria that colonize the subgingival area. These bacterial species result in the production of various cytokines including interleukin-8 and TNF-α, further causing an increase in number and activity of polymorphonucleocytes (PMN) along with these cytokines, PMNs also produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) superoxide via the respiratory burst mechanism as the part of the defence response to infection. ROS, when produced in excess, have deleterious effects on tissue cells. Human body has its own defence mechanisms to eliminate them as soon as they are formed so as to counter the harmful effects. Recently, as the medical and dental research regarding ROS, free radicals antioxidant defence mechanisms has expanded tremendously, this review paper focuses on the key roles of ROS in both health and periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different fungicides, biocontrol agents, and botanicals against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in vitro and in vivo. Among three tested fungicides, mancozeb was the most effective treatment inhibiting 100% fungal growth with a minimum disease incidence (11.10%) and disease severity (22.52%). Similarly, among all the three tested biocontrol agents, Trichoderma harzianum was the best in controlling the pathogen with maximum growth inhibition (63.33%) and minimum disease incidence (22.21%) and disease severity (27.77%). Neem among the botanicals inhibited pathogen growth by 61.94. Reductions in disease incidence (27.77%) and disease severity (29.93%) were also significant. Overall, mancozeb, T. harzianum, and neem treatments improved tomato crop growth and yield parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose |!|#8211; The purpose of this paper is to develop a new composite model using structural equation modelling (SEM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for the selection of suppliers. Design/methodology/approach |!|#8211; In this paper the authors have made an attempt to arrive at the supplier selection score using SEM and AHP. An attempt has been made to develop a new composite model using SEM and AHP technique, based on the survey of 151 respondents. Attributes|!|#39; weightage are found out using cluster analysis. Findings |!|#8211; Based on the output from the composite model, cluster analysis has been carried out to find out the strengths and weakness of each supplier on the influencing factors. Based on these findings, the supplier can improve on factors where they lag and can maintain the factors where they excel. Originality/value |!|#8211; In this paper the authors have made an attempt to arrive at the supplier selection score using SEM and AHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An implantable antenna is designed for body area network, industrial scientific and medical applications with low specific absorption rate (SAR). The proposed antenna with defected ground structure (DGS) is designed on the FR4 substrate as well as on polyimide substrate. The designed antenna providing dual band characteristics at (Industrial scientific and medical) ISM band of 2.5 GHz and location application for emergency services (LAES) band at 4.2 GHz. The electromagnetic radiation is evaluated using the specific absorption rate in three layered phantom models and the SAR values of the antenna are evaluated by placing the antenna at different levels. The antenna distance is varied inside the skin layer to 5 mm away from the three-layered model and observed the reduction in SAR, when moving away from skin tissue. The observed value of SAR satisfies the IEEE-C95-1-2005 standards at ISM operating band. The proposed antenna is tested on three-layered phantom model in simulation through HFSS and in the real time on artificial layers with the help of combinational analyzer (CNA) connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]