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Introduction: Restorative dentistry has achieved remarkable developments in halting caries predominantly seen in pit and fissures. Flowable composite resin is predominantly used as pit-and-fissure sealants in recent years. The aim of our study was to compare the retentive properties of a flowable composite resin compared to a conventional sealant in 6–9 years school children over 18 months' period. Materials and Methods: The study was a randomized controlled trail and conducted over a period of 18 months. Forty participants were randomly selected for this study from the private school. Flowable composite resin was used to seal the mandibular 1st molars on one side and conventional resin sealant was used on the other side. Results: The differences in the retention status between the sealants after 12 and 18 months were found statistically significant with P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively. When the retention status was compared within the materials at different intervals, it was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Conventional resin-based sealants had better retention rate at 12 and 18 months' duration than the flowable composite resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the participation of women in international criminal courts enhance the provision of gender justice? Scant scholarly attention has been paid to women as prosecutors, despite the pivotal role that prosecutors play in determining who is charged and what charges they face. In this article, we explore the influence of women in the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) in international criminal courts. First, we examine the relationship between the presence of women on prosecutorial teams and sexual violence charges that are brought forth at trial. Next, we move beyond the influence of women prosecutors on indictments to consider how their presence is shaped by the internal dynamics of the institutions. We point to the culture of trial teams, the processes of investigations, and internal hierarchies to demonstrate how informal practices and gendered norms affect women's positionality within the OTPs and their ability to provide gender justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents various commentaries from political scientists on the issue of the legitimacy of qualitative methods as used in the field of political science. Samuel Barkin argues that the term qualitative poses both substantive and disciplinary problems. Matthew Hoffmann believes that discussions of method often conflate data gathering and data analysis. Nina Tannenwold cites the benefits of organizing through the Qualitative Methods Section and other initiatives of the American Political Science Association (APSA).

Purpose: Breast cancer is a significant global health issue, contributing to 15% of cancer-related deaths. Our laboratory has pioneered a novel approach, combining Ayurvedic principles with green nanotechnology, to develop a scientifically rigorous medical modality referred to as Nano-Ayurvedic Medicine, recently approved by the US Patents and Trademarks Office. Here in we report a new Nano-Ayurvedic medicine agent derived from gold nanoparticles encapsulated with phytochemicals from Ginkgo biloba plant (GB-AuNPs)., Methods: We have developed biocompatible gold nanoparticles using electron-rich phytochemicals from Ginkgo biloba as reducing agent cocktail. Ginkgo biloba phytochemical-encapsulated gold nanoparticles (GB-AuNPs) were fully characterized, and their anticancer activity, including immunomodulatory profiles, were evaluated against breast (MDAMB-231) cancer cell lines., Results: Characterization revealed spherical morphology for GB-AuNPs and possessed optimum in vitro stability through high zeta potential of -34 mV for optimum in vivo stability. The core size of GB-AuNPs of 19 nm allows for penetration into tumor cells through both EPR effects as well as through the receptor-mediated endocytosis. The Antitumor efficacy of this nano-ayurvedic medicine agent revealed strong antitumor effects of GB-AuNPs towards MDAMB-231. Our investigations reveal that GB-AuNPs enhance anti-tumor cytokines (IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-γ) and reduce pro-tumor cytokines (IL-10, IL-6), promoting the conversion of protumor M2 macrophages into M1-like macrophage antitumor phenotype. Cellular studies show that GB-AuNPs offer superior anti-tumor efficacy and a better safety profile against breast tumors compared to cisplatin., Conclusion: Our investigations have demonstrated that the nano-ayurvedic medicine agent, GB-AuNPs, treats cancers through an immunomodulatory mechanism facilitated by elevated levels of anti-tumor cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-12) with concomitant downregulation of pro-tumor cytokines expression (IL-6 and IL-10). The green nanotechnology approach for the development of nano-ayurvedic medicine agent (GB-AuNPs), as described in this paper, presents new and attractive opportunities for treating human cancers and other debilitating diseases and disorders., Competing Interests: The authors (s) report no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Thipe et al.)