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Background: The most detrimental outcome of pregnancy, intrauterine foetal death (IUFD), causes psychological suffering to the expectant mother and the entire family. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness as well as safety of misoprostol for labour induction in IUFD. Methods: The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the MTI-HMC, Peshawar, conducted this clinical research on 120 women who had IUFD from 09 September 2020 to 09 March 2021. With the patient's informed agreement, labour was induced with vaginal misoprostol pills at a dose of 50 mcg four times per day. Results: In research including 120 women, the majority of the women (n=55; 45.83%) were between the ages of 21 and 30, with a median gestational age of 37.61 ± 4.17 weeks. The majority of patients (n=83; 69.17%) did not have appointments, were from rural areas (n=79; 65.83%), and had no formal education (n=91; 75.83%). In our study, 49 women (40.83%) were primigravidas, whereas 71 women (59.17%) were multigravidas. Following misoprostol introduction, the average Bishop's score increased to 6.89 ± 2.3 from 2.32 ± 1.28 at baseline, a difference of 4.57 on average.

Background: The success of endodontic treatment depends on the complete debridement and disinfection of canal space. Various chemicals have been used for canal disinfection. However, to overcome the adverse effects, toxicity issues, and microbial resistance of most conventional canal disinfectants, alternative agents are needed. Many herbal products have been studied and recommended for canal disinfection. This article aimed to review the role of herbal extracts in canal disinfection as an irrigant, intracanal medicament, and their efficacy in smear layer removal. Results: Studies were identified through search of the following electronic databases: PubMed, Science direct, Scopus and Google Scholar. The search was undertaken with keywords herbal agents/ products for root canal disinfection, Enterococcus faecalis, endodontics, smear layer, biofilm, herbal extracts and antimicrobial activity. The literature was reviewed for past 30 years (1990- till June 2020). The results showed that several in-vitro studies reported effective antimicrobial action of herbal extracts for canal disinfection, however, very less in-vivo or clinical studies have been reported to ascertain the use of these agents for endodontic therapy. Conclusions: The study concludes that herbal agents can be effectively used for canal disinfection. However, long-term, invitro, clinical, biocompatibility studies clinical trials are further needed to confidently use these products in endodontics. Herbal extracts can be used as substitute to existing root canal disinfectants due to their unique properties. Therefore, improving the endodontic success rate by preventing root canal failures, persistent and reinfections.

The limited availability of organs for liver transplantation, the ultimate curative treatment for end stage liver disease, has resulted in a growing and unmet need for alternative therapies. Mesenchymal stromal cells with their broad ranging anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties have therefore emerged as a promising therapeutic agent in treating inflammatory liver disease. Significant strides have been made in exploring their biological activity. Clinical application of MSC has shifted the paradigm from using their regenerative potential to one which harnesses their immunomodulatory properties. Reassuringly, MSCs have been extensively investigated for over 30 years with encouraging efficacy and safety data from translational and early phase clinical studies, but questions remain about their utility. Therefore, in this review we examine the translational and clinical studies using MSCs in various liver diseases and their impact on dampening immune-mediated liver damage. Our key observations include progress made thus far with use of MSCs for clinical use, inconsistency in the literature to allow meaningful comparison between different studies and need for standardised protocols for MSC manufacture and administration. In addition, the emerging role of MSC derived extracellular vesicles as an alternative to MSC has been reviewed. We have also highlighted some of the remaining clinical challenges that should be addressed before MSC can progress to be considered as therapy for patients with liver disease.

Introduction: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a recent advancement in diagnostic radiology in dentistry which allows the clinician to have a clear 3D view of the root canals before starting the endodontic treatment. The goal of the present research was to assess the root canal cross-sectional shape (RCCSS) in maxillary and mandibular premolars in the Saudi Arabian subpopulation. Materials and Methods: In the present study, radiographs of 330 patients who had teeth with complete root development and closed apices were selected. Root canal shapes were assessed at the coronal and middle thirds, and in the apical third, 1 mm above the apical foramen using CBCT. Categorical variables were explained as frequencies and percentages and evaluated using the Chi-square test. Results: 1666 premolars were evaluated in the study. Maxillary first and second premolars were found to have a maximum circular cross-sectional shape at the coronal, middle, and apical sections in most of them followed by flattened and oval cross-sectional shapes except the maxillary right second premolars where the most frequent RCCSS was flattened in the coronal section (71%), circular in the middle (14%), and apical (10%) section. The most recurring coronal RCCSS in mandibular first and second premolars was oval followed by flattened and circular, while the most frequent cross-sectional shape in the middle and apical sections was found to be circular followed by oval and flattened RCCSS. Conclusion: Marked variations were observed in the coronal and middle RCCSS of maxillary and mandibular premolars though the most prominent RCCSS in the apical section was the circular shape.

The study was intended to find the influence of demographic factors on entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of students from premier management colleges in India. With a sample size of 323 students, research aimed to see the influence of factors such as family, education, age, and background on the willingness of these students to do business. The goal of the research was to learn more about the demographic and socio-economic factors that influence these students’ entrepreneurial ambitions. Also, the study was aimed to relate the findings with two broad questions: ‘which socio-demographic indicators are associated with a desire to start a business’? and ‘which socio-demographic characteristics impact entrepreneurial intentions among families and individuals?’ The study also tried to capture the influence of factors like number of children in the family, caste, and religion on individual’s entrepreneurial aspirations.

Muffins are among high sucrose-containing bakery products enjoyed globally for their soft texture and great taste. Its excess consumption results in high-calorie intake, leading to many health problems such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, etc. Replacement of sucrose from muffins helps in the preparation of low-calorie bakery products. The objective of the current study was the preparation of sugar-free muffins and examining their effect on the height and textural attributes. Refined flour was replaced with millet-legume-based composite flour selected from our previous work. Statistical analysis was done using the central composite design of Design Expert, v.11. Polydextrose and guar-gum were the variables, and height, hardness, fracturability, springiness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, and resilience were the responses in the experimental design. The ANOVA, R2, and R2 adjusted values for all the responses except cohesiveness and resilience showed a significant effect of polydextrose and guar-gum on the height and textural quality of sugarfree muffin. Replacement of sucrose resulted in muffins with lower height (p ˂0.01), more hardness, more fracturability, lesser springiness, adhesiveness (p˂0.05), and no significant effect on cohesiveness and resilience. Incorporating composite flour containing high fiber and protein in the muffin formulation may be another reason for the present findings. However, adding polydextrose and guar-gum to sugar-free muffins has helped to prepare low-calorie products with accepted quality attributes. The best solution from optimization with a design expert was polydextrose (12.627%) and guar-gum (0.707%) with a desirability value of 0.791. These sugar-free muffins will help the bakery industry achieve the new goal of preparing less energy-containing functional foods. In the future, this research will help food technologists and bakery experts to prepare sugar-free muffins with desirable quality

The α-aminonitriles are versatile building blocks in the synthesis of natural or artificial amino acids as well as important intermediates in organic synthesis. For their synthesis, the three-component Strecker reaction involving an aldehyde or a ketone together with amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide is used. In the literature, hydrothermally produced metal-based heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts have been utilized in various solvents. In this work, we aimed at a greener approach toward such catalysis by (a) making two precatalysts with d

For the preference in nuclear energy, one of the high-level liquid waste materials in the form of pertechnetate anion (TcO4-) has become an environmental hazard due to its mobility into groundwater and soil. For its sequestration, numerous efforts have been reported in recent years. However, its selective sensing, even using its nonradioactive surrogate oxidizing perrhenate ion (ReO4-), in aqueous media is very limited. To develop novel materials for such a purpose, we have designed an amino acid-functionalized bent dicarboxylic acid, 4-(((4-((carboxymethyl)carbamoyl)phenyl)amino)methyl)benzoic acid (H2hipamifba), for the strategic room-temperature synthesis of two isostructural and highly luminescent two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic coordination networks (MOCNs), {[Cu(hipamifba)(4,4'-azbpy)]·2CH3OH·2H2O}n (1) and {[Zn(hipamifba)(4,4'-azbpy)]·2CH3OH·2H2O}n (2), where 4,4'-azobipyridine (4,4'-azbpy) as a pillar linker imparts luminescent properties in the architectures. The single-crystal X-ray structural analysis demonstrates that 1 and 2 have pillared-bilayer 2D networks with the sq1/Shubnikov tetragonal plane net topology. These multiresponsive luminescent materials were gainfully employed for the selective sensing of ReO4- in water with a detection limit of 3.4 and 5.4 ppm for 1 and 2, respectively. It is noteworthy to point out that these are the first neutral sensors for such study as the only other two sensors reported in the literature are cationic in nature. Their suitability (selectivity, stability, and recyclability) as excellent water-stable sensors was established through the competitive analyte test and a comparison of pristine and spent samples by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Further, the mechanism of selective detection is explained by the time-resolved studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Introduction: There is currently no specific treatment for liver disease due to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) other than care applied for other liver diseases including transplantation. This...

Globally, celiac disease (CD) affects around 1-2% of the population. Gluten elimination becomes the cornerstone treatment and is also being followed by non-celiac as a healthy dietary habit. However, there is lack of sustainable evidence to understand this view. Adherence to gluten-free diet (GFD) rendered a few to reduced quality of life. Hence, a meta-analysis has been performed to determine interaction of GFD and Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL). NCBI/MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Science Direct were combed from date of inception to October 30, 2018 for studies assessing the effect of GFD using validated questionnaires on HRQoL a) between healthy controls and celiac patients b) dietary adherence to GFD in celiac subjects. Random effect model was used for meta-analysis. Twenty-five studies comprising 5148 CD subjects fit in the inclusion criteria. GFD had moderate significant association with HRQoL, for PGWB odds ratio’s (OR) 0.613 [95% CI, 0.449-0.837], SF-36 Mental Component Score (MCS) 0.026 [95% CI, 0.011-0.060], Physical Component Score (PCS) 0.066 95% [CI, 0.032-0.138]. Partial adherence to GFD had lower quality of life when compared to strictly adherent patients for OR’s SF-36 MCS 5.080 [95% CI, 1.885- 13.692], PCS 3.204 [95% CI, 1.579- 6.503] and CDQoL 2.439 [95%CI (1.724- 3.450)]. The results implied moderate significant association between GFD and HRQoL and better compliance leads to favourable HRQoL.

Introduction Immune-mediated liver and gastrointestinal diseases are chronic conditions that lack curative treatments. Despite advances in the understanding and treatment of these conditions, they frequently remain refractory to treatment and represent a significant unmet need. Cellular therapies are an emerging option and hold the potential to have a major impact. Data sources A literature review was carried out using Pubmed. Keywords used for search were ‘ATMP’, ‘immune mediated’, ‘autoimmune liver disease’ and ‘immune mediated gastrointestinal conditions’, ‘cell therapy’, ‘MSC’, ‘HSCT’, ‘Regulatory T cells’, ‘GVHD’, ‘Coeliac disease’ ‘IBD’, ‘PSC’, ‘AIH’, ‘PBC’. No new data were generated or analysed in support of this review. Areas of agreement There is substantial evidence from clinical trials to support the use of cell therapies as a treatment for immune-mediated liver and gastrointestinal conditions. Cellular therapy products have the ability to ‘reset’ the dysregulated immune system and this in turn can offer a longer term remission. There are ongoing clinical trials with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and other cells to evidence their efficacy profile and fill the gaps in current knowledge. Insights gained will inform future trial designs and subsequent therapeutic applications. Areas of controversy There remains some uncertainty around the extrapolation of results from animal studies to clinical trials. Longevity of the therapeutic effects seen after the use of cell therapy needs to be scrutinized further. Heterogeneity in the selection of cells, source, methods of productions and cell administration pose challenges to the interpretation of the data. Growing points MSCs are emerging as a key therapeutic cells in immune-mediated liver and gastrointestinal conditions. Ongoing trials with these cells will provide new insights and a better understanding thus informing future larger scale studies. Areas timely for developing research Larger scale clinical trials to build on the evidence from small studies regarding safety and efficacy of cellular therapy are still needed before cellular therapies can become off the shelf treatments. Alignment of academia and industry to standardize the processes involved in cell selection, manipulation and expansion and subsequent use in clinical trials is an important avenue to explore further.

Over the last decade, there has been a considerable progress in the development of cell therapy products for the treatment of liver diseases. The quest to generate well-defined homogenous cell populations with defined mechanism(s) of action has enabled the progression from use of autologous bone marrow stem cells comprising of heterogeneous cell populations to allogeneic cell types such as monocyte-derived macrophages, regulatory T cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, macrophages, etc. There is growing evidence regarding the multiple molecular mechanisms pivotal to various therapeutic effects and hence, careful selection of cell therapy product for the desired putative effects is crucial. In this review, we have presented an overview of the cell therapies that have been developed thus far, with preclinical and clinical evidence for their use in liver disease. Limitations associated with these therapies have also been discussed. Despite the advances made, there remain multiple challenges to overcome before cell therapies can be considered as viable treatment options, and these include larger scale clinical trials, scalable production of cells according to good manufacturing practice standards, pathways for delivery of cell therapy within hospital environments, and costs associated with the production.

Introduction: The key step during the root canal treatment is the biomechanical preparation of the infected root canals. This preparation may result in pushing the apical debris through the apical foramen into the periapical space leading to initiation of immunological response by the host leading to postoperative pain and discomfort. Therefore the aim of the study was to compare the apical debris extrusion during root canal preparation using Hand k file, Revo S, Protaper Next and Wave One file system. Materials and Method: Sixty extracted human mandibular premolars with single canal were selected and randomly divided into four groups (n = 15) for instrumentation with four different files. Group 1: Hand k file, Group 2: Revo S file, Group 3: ProTaper Next, and Group 4: WaveOne single reciprocating file. Debris extruding during instrumentation were collected into pre-weighed Eppendorf tubes. These tubes were then stored in an incubator at 70°C for 5 days and were then weighed to obtain the final weight, with the extruded debris. Weight of extruded debris was calculated by subtracting the initial weight from the final weight. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey’s test. Result: For intergroup comparison, significant differences were found for the debris extruded. Instrumentation with hand K files resulted in significantly more debris extrusion apically as compared to other three NiTi groups. Maximum debris extrusion was seen by Hand K file, followed by group 2(Revo S), then group 4(Wave One) and least by group 3(Protaper Next). However, there was no significant difference in debris extrusion amongst groups prepared with either NiTi rotary or reciprocating file systems. Conclusion: The Pro Taper Next resulted in least debris extrusion when compared to Hand k file, reciprocating Wave One and rotary Revo S. However there was not a significant difference between all the NiTi rotary and reciprocating file system. Keywords: Apical extrusion debris; Hand k file, instrumentation; ProTaper Next, RevoS and WaveOne.

A highly stable and luminescent 3D metal-organic framework (MOF), {[Zn4(μ3-OH)2(BTC)2(BBI4PY)2]·10H2O}n (Zn-MOF), with a rare [Zn4(μ3-OH)2]6+ core has been synthesized using a new rigid and functionalized pillar linker, 2,6-bis(pyridin-4-yl)-1,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']diimidazole (BBI4PY) in combination with Zn(OAc)2·2H2O and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3BTC) under solvothermal conditions. Unlike other MOFs with the [Zn4(μ3-OH)2]6+ core, Zn-MOF was synthesized without using an external base, as the intrinsic basicity of BBI4PY served the purpose. Furthermore, it retains crystallinity and phase purity up to 350 °C on the basis of TGA and in situ variable temperature PXRD, correlating with its solid-state structure. Using the dehydrated Zn-MOF, water sorption studies show uptake of 220 cm3 g-1 (corresponds to 10 water molecules). A large hysteresis in desorption isotherm signifies strong interactions between adsorbed water and Lewis basic sites present in the framework. The reversible nature of water sorption was further manifested by TGA and PXRD studies. As an example of its application, the highly fluorescent and electron-rich nature of Zn-MOF has been utilized for the selective sensing of Fe3+ and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) in water with detection limits of 3.7 and 1.8 ppm, respectively. The mechanistic details for the turn-off quenching have been elucidated with the help of Stern-Volmer plots, spectral overlap, lifetime studies, and density functional theory calculations. This mechanistic evidence reveals that a combination of strong hydrogen bonding with resonance energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) processes is synchronously responsible for the quenching of the fluorescence intensity of Zn-MOF.

Modern day lifestyle and eating habits have significantly contributed to several health disorders and calls for inclusion of healthy ingredients in bakery industry. Dietary modification is suggestive of protecting against diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Amongst them Diabetes Mellitus is one of five leading causes of deaths and debilitating disease in the world. With these serious health repercussions in mind, the present research intends to develop a functional composite flour comprising millets and legumes as a healthy bakery ingredient and also exploit its nutritional benefits in diabetes diet management. With extensive literature review, foxtail millet, pearl millet, finger millet and Bengal gram were chosen to understand the health benefits on diabetes patients over refined flour. Mixture Optimal (Custom) Design of Design Expert, v.11 was used for the statistical analysis. For the experimental design, the composite flour components (Foxtail millet, Pearl millet, Finger millet and Bengal gram) were the variables while the functional properties i.e., Water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), swelling power (SP), foaming capacity (FC), foaming stability (FS) and bulk density (BD) were the responses. The optimised flour with 20 % wheat flour was tested for dough characteristics using Brabender. Optimization with mixture optimal custom design resulted in six different solutions. Amongst them the best solution with highest desirability was selected which was foxtail millet (49.65%,), finger millet (10%), pearl millet (10%) and Bengal gram (10.35%) with desirability of 0.864. The ANOVA, R2 and R2 adjusted values for WAC, OAC, SP, FC and BD showed that the composite flours were statistically significant whereas FS model was not fit implying no significant effect of any composite flour ingredient on FS. Farinograph confirms that the optimised composite flour is high-quality strong flour. Composite flour with accepted functiona

Background: Endoscopy within 24 hours of admission (early endoscopy) is a quality standard in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB). We aimed to audit time to endoscopy outcomes and identify factors affecting delayed endoscopy (>24h of admission). Methods: This prospective multicentre audit enrolled patients admitted with AUGIB who underwent inpatient endoscopy between Nov-Dec 2017. Analyses were performed to identify factors associated with delayed endoscopy, and to compare patient outcomes, including length of stay and mortality rates, between early and delayed endoscopy groups. Results: Across 348 patients from 20 centres, the median time to endoscopy was 21.2h (IQR 12.0- 35.7), comprising median admission to referral and referral to endoscopy times of 8.1h (IQR 3.7- 18.1) and 6.7h (IQR 3.0-23.1) respectively. Early endoscopy was achieved in 58.9%, although this varied by centre (range: 31.0% - 87.5%, p=0.002). On multivariable analysis, lower Glasgow-Blatchford score, delayed referral, admissions between 7am-7pm or via the Emergency Department were independent predictors of delayed endoscopy. Early endoscopy was associated with reduced length of stay (median difference 1d; p= 0.004), but not 30-day mortality (p=0.344). Conclusions: The majority of centres did not meet national standards for time to endoscopy. Strategic initiatives involving acute care services may be necessary to improve this outcome.

A highly stable and luminescent 3D metal-organic framework (MOF), {[Zn

WOS: 000452300000024, Wheat breads contains gluten protein that is responsible for the visco-elastic properties of dough. There has recently been an increase in the prevalence of gluten-related disorders including celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Therefore, this study has been designed for improving bread production for gluten-free bread (sorghum and potato starch) using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and whey protein concentrate (WPC-70) as technological improver and optimizing it using response surface methodology (RSM). RSM was used to investigate the influence of predictor variables (HPMC and WPC-70) on bread quality in terms of crust and crumb texture and color, flavor, porosity and overall acceptability. The HPMC level varies from 2- 3% and WPC-70 from 12-15%. Quadratic models are developed to fit with experimental data. The predictor variables had desirable effect on all the responses. Finally, 3% HPMC and 15 % WPC-70 were chosen as optimum levels. The obtained gluten-free bread can be considered as protein rich. The optimized bread was analyzed for various parameters including protein, moisture, fat, crude fiber content, acid insoluble ash and pH. The analyzed results were reported as 10.48g, 38.73g, 8.97g, 2.8g, 0.134g, 6.1 respectively. The microbiological analysis of optimized bread was performed. The total plate count was

Introduction Experts are able to predict and differentiate between neoplastic and non-neoplastic colonic polyps with high accuracy and meet the PIVI (Preservation and Incorporation of Valuable Endoscopic Innovations) thresholds. However, this has not been replicated in non-experts and cannot be currently recommended in clinical practice. The aim of this randomised trial was to establish the optimum method of training to increase the diagnostic accuracy of diminutive/small colonic polyp histological prediction by trainee gastroenterologists. Methods Gastroenterology trainees from the Midlands, UK, reviewed 78 videos (48 i-Scan-OE+30 NBI) of diminutive/small polyps. Participants were randomised to computer-based learning or didactic training. The 78 videos (randomised order) were re-assessed. The NICE (NBI International Colorectal Endoscopic) classification and SIMPLE (Simplified Identification Method for Polyp Labelling during Endoscopy) classification systems were used to classify diminutive/small polyps (figure 1). Results 16 trainees (12 gastroenterology trainees and 4 naive endoscopists) were randomised to receive either self-training (n=8) or didactic training (n=8). A higher proportion of high confidence predictions of polyps were made by the self-training group vs didactic group when using the SIMPLE classification 77.1% vs. 69.9% (p Conclusions Self-learning for the prediction of diminutive/small polyp histology is a method of training that can achieve results similar to the more labour intensive and expensive didactic training. The availability of adequate self-learning teaching modules that teach how to differentiate neoplastic vs non-neoplastic colonic polyps with high accuracy could enable more widespread implementation of optical diagnosis in clinical practice.

Highlights • Indomethacin (IndoM) administration causes renal, hepatic and intestinal toxicity. • The renal proximal tubule, intestinal mucosa particularly their BBM and liver seem to be the major IndoM targets. • IndoM produces multiple adverse effects in the liver, kidney, and intestine and alters metabolic functions. • IndoM shifts energy dependence from oxidative metabolism to anaerobic glycolysis by causing damage to mitochondria. • IndoM caused nephrotoxicity and other effects by increasing ROS generation and suppression of antioxidant mechanism., Indomethacin (IndoM) has prominent anti-inflammatory and analgesic-antipyretic properties. However, high incidence and severity of side-effects on the structure and functions of the kidney, liver and intestine limits its clinical use. The present study tested the hypothesis that IndoM causes multi-organ toxicity by inducing oxidative stress that alters the structure of various cellular membranes, metabolism and hence functions. The effect of IndoM was determined on the enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, brush border membrane (BBM) and oxidative stress in the rat kideny, liver and intestine to understand the mechanism of IndoM induced toxicity. Adult male Wister rats were given IndoM (20 mg/kg) intra-peritoneally in sodium bicarbonate twice a day for 3 d. The body weights of the rats were recorded before and after experimental procedure. IndoM administration significantly increased blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase but inorganic phosphate indicating IndoM induced renal, hepatic and intestinal toxicity. Activity of lactate dehydrogenase along with glucose-6- and fructose-1, 6-bis phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and NADP-malic enzyme increased but malate dehydrogenase decreased in all tissues. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) significantly increased whereas the antioxidant enzymes decreased in all rat tissues studied. The results indicate that IndoM administration caused severe damage to kidney, liver and intestine by icreasing LPO, suppressing antioxidant enzymes and inhibiting oxidative metablolism. The energy dependence was shifted to anaerobic glycolysis due to mitochondrial damage supported by increased gluconeogenesis to provide more glucose to meet energy requirements.

WOS: 000431062700018, In recent past; change in lifestyle has paved the way for many diseases like obesity and diabetes with huge demand for reduced calories low fat sugar free products. Therefore, to meet the demand of the current market a low-fat sugar free ice-cream was prepared. The per kg final formulation provided by response surface methodology (RSM) to prepare desirable low-fat sugar free ice cream is 751ml skim milk, 31gm cream, 65gm SMP, 18.2ml sorbitol, 30gm maltodextrin, 70gm polydextrose, 12.5gm WPC-70, 0.009gm sucralose and 5gm emulsifier. RSM was used to investigate the influence of predictor variables (sorbitol and sucralose) on ice-cream color and appearance, body and texture, flavor and taste and melting resistance. 1-3% level of sorbitol and 0.005-0.015% sucralose was varied. Finally, 2.33% sorbitol and 0.009% sucralose were obtained as optimum levels. Available literature indicated levels of Maltodextrin as fat replacer was found effective at 3% and polydextrose at 7% in providing bulk to the ice-cream without affecting the sensory attributes and Physico-chemical parameters. Low calorie sweeteners sorbitol and sucralose on comparison to sucrose were effective in imparting sweetness without adding calorie to the prepared ice-cream. Prepared ice-cream was effective in mimicking mouth feel of full fat ice-cream. The Optimized ice-cream was analyzed for various parameters including Total solids, fat, protein, moisture, titrable acidity, ash, carbohydrate and overrun as 30.44, 2.40, 4.69, 69.56, 0.135, 1.34, 22.01 and 61.6g/100 g respectively. The total plate count (TPC) of freshly prepared ice cream was 1.5x103, yeast & tmould was absent and coliform count was found nil. The calorific value of ice-cream was reduced from 200 kcal to 116.74 kcal/100 gram, UGCUniversity Grants Commission, India, Ms. Sheeba Khan acknowledges the financial assistance of UGC Post-Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holders for PG Programs in academic session 2014-16. The authors duly acknowledge Student training dairy, SHUATS, Sukhjit Agro Industries, Dupont-Danisco, Gulshan Polyols and J. K. Sucralose for providing ingredients in the preparation of low-fat sugar free ice-cream.

Sodium nitrite (SNT) widely used as a curative agent in meat processing industry possesses cell-transforming mutagenic and cytogenic properties. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) has been shown to reduce the severity of certain types of cancers, cardiovascular and renal diseases. The present study examined whether feeding of fish oil (FO)/flaxseed oil (FXO) has protective effect against SNT-induced toxicity. SNT significantly altered the activities of serum creatinine (Crt), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), metabolic and brush border membrane (BBM) enzymes. SNT caused significant imbalances in the antioxidant system associated with increased lipid peroxidation (LPO). Feeding of FO and FXO with SNT ameliorated the changes in various parameters caused by SNT. Nephrotoxicity parameters lowered and enzyme activities of carbohydrate metabolism, BBM and radioactively labeled inorganic phosphate (32Pi) transport were improved to near control values. The results of the present study suggest that ω-3 PUFA-enriched FO and FXO from sea-foods and plant sources respectively are similarly effective in reducing SNT-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative damage.

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) has been recommended for pulp capping, pulpotomy, apical barrier formation in teeth with open apexes, repair of root perforation and root canal obturation. Since, its introduction in 1993 by Torabinejad numerous studies have been published regarding various aspects of this material. The aim of this review was to consider MTA as root canal sealer and various laboratory experiments and clinical studies of MTAbased root canal sealers. An extensive search of the endodontic literature was made to identify publications related to MTA-based root canal sealers. The articles were assessed for the outcome of laboratory and clinical studies on their biological properties and physical characteristics. Comparative studies with other sealers were also considered. Several studies were evaluated covering different properties of MTA-based sealers includingphysical properties, biocompatibility, leakage, adhesion, solubility, antibacterial properties and periapical healing effect. Comparative studies reveal their mild cytotoxicity, but theirantibacterial effects are variable. Further research is required to establish the role of MTA as root canal sealers.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively use a non-invasive algorithm to identify asymptomatic, advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a secondary care diabetes clinic and to determine the short-term effect of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach in a liver clinic. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS) was calculated in 64 asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes. Advanced fibrosis was identified using transient elastography and confirmed with liver biopsy. In a subsequent retrospective study, 95 patients newly referred to the NAFLD MDT clinic were investigated and the impact of the MDT approach assessed. RESULTS: 25/64 (39.0%) of patients with diabetes had a low NFS (5% weight loss. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of asymptomatic patients attending type 2 diabetes clinics have undiagnosed advanced NAFLD fibrosis. An MDT approach to NAFLD results in short-term improvements in metabolic and liver parameters.

Human and animal exposure demonstrates that uranium is nephrotoxic. However, attempts to reduce it were not found suitable for clinical use. Dietary fish oil (FO) enriched in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the severity of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Present study investigates the protective effect of FO on uranyl nitrate (UN)-induced renal damage. Rats prefed with experimental diets for 15 days, given single nephrotoxic dose of UN (0.5mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally. After 5d of UN treatment, serum/urine parameters, enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, brush border membrane (BBM), oxidative stress and phosphate transport were analyzed in rat kidney. UN nephrotoxicity was characterized by increased serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. UN increased the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and NADP-malic enzyme whereas decreased malate, isocitrate and glucose-6-phophate dehydrogenases; glucose-6-phophatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase and BBM enzyme activities. UN caused oxidant/antioxidant imbalances as reflected by increased lipid peroxidation, activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity. Feeding FO alone increased activities of enzymes of glucose metabolism, BBM, oxidative stress and Pi transport. UN-elicited alterations were prevented by FO feeding. However, corn oil had no such effects and was not similarly effective. In conclusion, FO appears to protect against UN-induced nephrotoxicity by improving energy metabolism and antioxidant defense mechanism.

Symptoms relating to esophageal sensory abnormalities can be encountered in the clinical environment. Such sensory abnormalities may be present in demonstrable disease, such as erosive esophagitis, and in the ostensibly normal esophagus, such as non-erosive reflux disease or functional chest pain. In this review, the authors discuss esophageal sensation and the esophageal pain system. In addition, the authors provide a primer concerning the techniques that are available for investigating the autonomic nervous system, neuroimaging and neurophysiology of esophageal sensory function. Such technological advances, whilst not readily available in the clinic may facilitate the stratification and individualization of therapy in disorders of esophageal sensation in the future.

Monoclinic form of BiPO4 phase has been prepared based on the reaction of Bi3+ and PO43− ions in ethylene glycol medium at 185°C. Monoclinic BiPO4 forms random solid solutions with lanthanide phosphates having monoclinic structure as confirmed by XRD and 31P solid state nuclear magnetic resonance studies.