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Background: Oxidative and nitrosative stress caused by drug metabolism may be a trigger for keratinocyte apoptosis in the epidermis seen in toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS). Aims: To estimate oxidative damage in the serum and to examine the role of nitric oxide in mediating epidermal damage in patients with TEN and SJS. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted among TEN and SJS patients and controls in a tertiary care center between January 2006 and February 2010. Patients with a maculopapular drug rash without detachment of skin constituted the control group 1 (drug exposed). Patients without a drug rash constituted the control group 2 (drug unexposed). The serum values of protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde, conjugated diene and nitrates were measured. Two-group comparison with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was used. Significance of differences if any was established using Pearson's Chi-square test. Results: Ten patients in the SJS-TEN group (study group), 8 patients in control group 1 and 7 patients in control group 2 were included. More than one drug was implicated in 4/10 patients in group 1 and 3/8 patients in group 2. SCORTEN of 0, 1 and 3 at admission were seen in 2, 6 and 2 patients, respectively. The serum values of protein carbonyls, malondialdehyde, conjugated diene and nitrates were not significantly increased in the study group when compared to the controls. Conclusions: There was no elevation of oxidative stress markers in patients with TEN and SJS as compared to the control population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the details of the concept of 'triology’ which is a ‘science of three’ developed by Fr. George Kandathil and a method of counselling developed out of it by S.Siddharthan. They describe a triangle known as the GK Frame and illustrate how it can be regarded as a mode to understand how humankind can be analysed. They show how it can be seen as more encompassing than several other psychological approaches to personality, including highlighting the lack of attention to relationship within all but more recent developments of transactional analysis. They go on to present a detailed guide of how to apply triology counselling and provide two case studies. They label the unhelpful process as 'enhaviour', which is the way in which sensations experienced within the body lead to unhelpful behaviours that can be observed by others. Teaching clients how to observe and disrupt this process through meditation is how this form of counselling requires only one session with a client because the client is then equipped to continue with the process on their own until the healthy outcome has been achieved.

Field effect transistors (FETs) based on networks of randomly oriented Si nanowires (Si nanonets or Si NNs) were biomodified using Thrombin Binding Aptamer (TBA-15) probe with the final objective to sense thrombin by electrical detection. In this work, the impact of the biomodification on the electrical properties of the Si NN-FETs was studied. First, the results that were obtained for the optimization of the (3-Glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GOPS)-based biofunctionalization process by using UV radiation are reported. The biofunctionalized devices were analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), proving that TBA-15 probes were properly grafted on the surface of the devices, and by means of epifluorescence microscopy it was possible to demonstrate that the UV-assisted GOPS-based functionalization notably improves the homogeneity of the surface DNA distribution. Later, the electrical characteristics of 80 devices were analyzed before and after the biofunctionalization process, indicating that the results are highly dependent on the experimental protocol. We found that the TBA-15 hybridization capacity with its complementary strand is time dependent and that the transfer characteristics of the Si NN-FETs obtained after the TBA-15 probe grafting are also time dependent. These results help to elucidate and define the experimental precautions that must be taken into account to fabricate reproducible devices.

The bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames) is a fundamental genetic toxicology test, and efforts to miniaturize the regulatory GLP version are essential in assessing genotoxic liabilities earlier in the drug development pipeline. Two versions of the Ames were compared: the six-well (miniaturized) plate and the standard 100-mm plate test at two different laboratories. Of twenty-four chemicals tested, a subset of six chemicals was tested in the six-well test only and the remaining eighteen were evaluated in both versions of the test. The plate incorporation procedure was used with one Escherichia coli and four different Salmonella strains. The six-well test uses the same plating procedure and evaluation methods as the standard Ames assay in 100-mm plates, but the smaller format requires 20% of the test chemical. Additionally, the six-well test uses a limit concentration of 1000 μg/well versus the standard Petri plate test limit concentration of 5000 μg/plate. Testing across the two formats resulted in 100% concordance in overall mutagenicity judgement and 94% concordance across all tester strains and conditions. Known mutagenic positive control chemicals were correctly detected as positive in both formats. The overall conclusion is that the six-well assay results are concordant with the standard assay format in this evaluation and could be a reliable alternative., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Silicon ribbons (SiRi) have been well-established as highly sensitive transducers for biosensing applications thanks to their high surface to volume ratio. However, selective and multiplexed detection of biomarkers remains a challenge. Further, very few attempts have been made to integrate SiRi with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits to form a complete lab-on-chip (LOC). Integration of SiRi with CMOS will facilitate real time detection of the output signal and provide a compact small sized LOC. Here, we propose a novel pixel based SiRi device monolithically integrated with CMOS field-effect-transistors (FET) for real-time selective multiplexed detection. The SiRi pixels are fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer using a top-down method. Each pixel houses a control FET, fluid-gate (FG) and SiRi sensor. The pixel is controlled by simultaneously applying frontgate (V G ) and backgate voltage (V BG ). The liquid potential can be monitored using the FG. We report the transfer characteristics (I D -V G ) of N- and P-type SiRi pixels. Further, the I D -V G characteristics of the SiRis are studied at different V BG . The application of V BG to turn ON the SiRi modulates the subthreshold slope (SS) and threshold voltage (V TH ) of the control FET. Particularly, N-type pixels cannot be turned OFF due to the control NFET operating in the strong inversion regime. This is due to large V BG (≥25 V) application to turn ON the SiRi sensor. Conversely, the P-type SiRi sensors do not require large V BG to switch ON. Thus, P-type pixels exhibit excellent I ON /I OFF ≥ 10⁶, SS of 70⁻80 mV/dec and V TH of 0.5 V. These promising results will empower the large-scale cost-efficient production of SiRi based LOC sensors.

Context: Variations in palatal bone thickness (PBT) at various locations have caused considerable problems when using these sites for anchorage purposes., Aims: To find the comparative thickness of the palatal bone at different locations and to validate its morphology for anchorage purposes using mini-implants (MI)., Settings and Design: This investigation was undertaken to compare the mean PBT and level of significance of differences between male and female subjects and between two different age-groups., Materials and Methods: The computed tomography (CT) data for 60 patients (30 males and 30 females) in two different age-groups (group A: 15-24 years; group B: 25-35 years) were imported into CAD-based medical software, (MIMICS; Materialise, Belgium) for multiplanar reconstruction. The measurements were made in two planes- transverse and sagittal-and at different positions in each of the planes., Statistical Analysis: The mean and standard deviations of the PBT at different points were calculated. The Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparisons between the groups., Results: Significant variations were observed in the thickness of the palatal bone for both groups tested, with the anterior region at 4 mm behind the incisive papilla showing the maximum thickness., Conclusions: Despite the palatal bone being thickest in the mid-palatal suture (MPS) region, this is not the ideal site for anchorage purposes due to inadequate calcification and interposition of connective tissue, especially in young growing children. So, the alternate optimum position is the paramedian region, 3 mm lateral to the MPS and 4 mm from the incisive foramen (IF).

Background: Betel chewing has been shown to predispose to periodontal disease and oral cancer. Studies show that people with gum disease are more likely to test positive for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). It is not known if the lesions produced by betel quid and the resulting, chemical changes predispose to colonization by H. pylori. Further the role of this organism in oral cancer is not known. Our objective was to determine the presence of H. pylori in oral lesions of thirty oral cancer patients and to determine the presence of IgG antibodies to H. pylori in oral cancer patients who are betel chewers and non betel chewers, healthy betel chewers and healthy non-betel chewers and to compare the presence of H. pylori in these four groups. This case control study was conducted at the Cancer Institute Maharagama and the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura., Methods: One hundred and seventy three subjects, of whom fifty three were patients presenting with oral cancer to the Cancer Institute Maharagama, sixty healthy betel chewers and sixty healthy non-betel chewers from the Religious and Welfare Service Centre Maharagama were tested for H. pylori by serology. Thirty oral biopsies from oral cancer patients were cultured under microaerophilic condition to isolate H. pylori. The statistic used was Chi-square test., Results: Of the fifty-three oral cancer patients, forty-four were betel chewers. Among the 53 oral cancer patients examined, ten of forty-four (10/44 = 22.7%) patients who are betel chewers and four of nine (4/9 = 44.4%) patients who are non-betel chewers were detected positive for IgG antibody against H. pylori. In the healthy group (betel chewers and non betel chewers) ten (16.7%) of the healthy betel chewers tested positive for H. pylori by serology. None of the healthy non-betel chewers tested positive for H. pyloriFourteen [26.4%] of oral cancer patients tested positive for H. pylori by serology, of which two were also culture positive (Only thirty samples were cultured). The presence of H. pylori in betel chewers (with or without cancer) compared to non-betel chewers was statistically significant. (Chi-square test p < 0.05) The use of tobacco and areca nut in betel chewers was significant with the presence of H. pylori (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: There is a significant higher proportion of H. pylori in betel chewers compared to non-betel chewers but not between oral cancer patients compared to patients without oral cancer. Hence Betel chewing may predispose to colonisation with H. pylori in the digestive tract through swallowing the quid or during betel chewing.

Secondary metabolites from Dysoxylum malabaricum and Dysoxylum beddomei were tested against mature and immature stage of the mosquito vector Anopheles stephensi under laboratory conditions. The triterpenes 3beta,24,25-trihydroxycycloartane and beddomeilactone from D. malabaricum and D. beddomei showed strong larvicidal, pupicidal and adulticidal activity. They also affected the reproductive potential of adults by acting as oviposition deterrents. The highest concentration tested (10 ppm) of both compounds evoked more than 90% mortality and oviposition deterrence.

An investigation of the leaves of Dysoxylum beddomei has yielded a novel triterpene, named beddomeilactone, together with six known triterpenoids: 3-oxotirucalla-7,24-dien-23-ol, dipterocarpol, niloticin, melianone, melianodiol and 24-epi-melianodiol. The structure and stereochemistry of the new compound were determined on the basis of mass, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopies including NOE difference and spin-spin decoupling studies.

Two triterpenes 21R,23R-epoxy-21alpha-ethoxy-24S,25-dihydroxyapotirucall-7-en-3-one and 24R-acetoxy-3beta,25-dihydroxycycloartane were isolated from the leaves of Dysoxylum malabaricum together with eight known compounds lupeone, lupeol. sitosterol, dipterocarpol, cycloart-25-ene-3beta,24-diol, 24R,25-dihydroxycycloartan-3-one, 3beta,24R,25-trihydroxycycloartane and ergosta-5,24(24(1))-diene-3beta,4beta,20S-triol. The complete 1H and 13C NMR spectral assignment of the new apotirucallene triterpenoid has been achieved by 1H-1H COSY, HMQC and HMBC experiments.