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Introduction: Periodontitis is a significant oral health issue caused by specific microorganisms, leading to the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) is a rapidly progressing form of the disease, particularly affecting young adults. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a potential treatment modality for periodontitis, utilizing visible light combined with a photosensitizer to inactivate bacteria. Aim: The aim of the current in vitro study is to investigate the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (A.a) biofilm using confocal fluorescence imaging. Materials and Methods: Bacterial cultures were cultured in Brain Heart Infusion broth, supplemented with horse blood, hemin, and menadione. Biofilms were inoculated into 24-well plates, treated with purpurin dye, and exposed to laser irradiation. Following treatment, biofilms were fixed, stained with a LIVE/DEAD staining kit, and examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to assess bacterial viability and biofilm formation. Additionally, an MTT assay was performed to evaluate cell viability quantitatively after laser exposure. Results: Treatment groups exhibited a significant reduction in A.a viability compared to the control group. CLSM imaging revealed a decrease in viable bacterial colonies within the biofilm after PDT, with complete bacterial kill observed in some cases. Additionally, PDT resulted in alterations in biofilm structure and morphology. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the potential of purpurin-mediated PDT as an effective antimicrobial therapy for periodontitis, offering a promising adjunct to conventional in vivo periodontal treatment approaches and has high potential in clinical applications.

Development of mitigation strategies to combat climate change necessitates an advanced analysis of the historical connection between crops and climate. Such an analysis is lacking for the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)-climate research in Mississippi (MS). Hitherto, research has been confined to small-scale experimental settings, leaving an opportunity to explore large-scale inferences. Therefore, the present study aimed to compute MS climatic trends during the cotton growing period (CGP) from 1970 to 2020 using the Mann-Kendall and Sen slope methods. The impact of climate change on MS cotton yield was assessed using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. The climatic variables considered were maximum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), diurnal temperature range (DTR), precipitation (PR), and CO2 emissions (COE). A required series of statistical tests, including pre- and post-analysis, model robustness, and goodness-of-fit were performed, and data met all criteria. Results revealed that Tmin (79.6 %) contributed more than Tmax (20.4 %) to the MS-climate warming over CGP. From 1970 to 2020, the Tmax, Tmin, DTR, and PR changed by + 0.30 °C, +1.17 °C, −1.07 °C, and + 22.54 mm, respectively, exhibiting change rate per decade of + 0.06 °C, +0.23 °C, −0.21 °C, and + 4.42 mm, respectively. Precipitation had no effect on cotton yield in the long or short-term. However, cotton yield significantly decreased with a rise in Tmax, and increased with a rise in Tmin and COE in the long-term. Conclusively, a 1 °C increase in Tmax reduced cotton yield by 6.1 %, a 1 °C increase in Tmin improved it by 5.5 %, and a unit increase in COE increased it by 0.45 % over the long run. Overall, the crop-climate link in MS cotton marked a varied sensitivity towards short and long-term, indicating the need to reassess current mitigation strategies. Additionally, testing the best agronomic practices in a controlled environment at the actual rates of climate change identified by the current study could provide cotton stakeholders with more precise and valuable insights.

An experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) season of 2023 at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu to assess the effect of drone based herbicide application in greengram. Results showed that drones could be effectively used for spraying of pre-emergence herbicide to control weeds and increase the yield of greengram. Further, application of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha with spray fluid of 60 litre/ha precisely through drones controlled the weeds effectively (WCE of 81.8%), increased grain yield, saved herbicide dose and spray fluid to the tune of 6.9%, 25% and 88% respectively than manual spray of pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha with spray fluid of 500 litre/ ha. Thus, application of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha with spray fluid of 60 litre/ha was considered as the optimum dosage and spray fluid for drone spray to control weeds, increase grain yield and profit in greengram, considering the reduced dose of herbicide as well as the labour scarce situation.

Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composite laminates are extensively employed in vehicle, aeroplane, marine, and machine tool structures. These FRP structures are subjected to vibration and fatigue under dynamic service conditions. The purpose of this study is to see how cyclic loading affects the free vibration characteristics of FRP composite laminates. Hybrid composite laminates comprised of natural jute fibre and synthetic glass fibre are being examined as a way to promote the concept of environmentally friendly materials in structural applications. For both natural and synthetic fibres, woven fabric forms are chosen because they produce balanced characteristics in both the fibre plane and thickness direction. Epoxy resin is employed as a matrix. Hand layup method is used to fabricate four layered glass/jute hybrid composite laminates with two different stacking sequences. Mechanical parameters such as tensile strength and flexural strength are evaluated according to ASTM standards for the prepared laminates. A completely reversed bending fatigue test apparatus is built in-house to apply cyclic load to the glass/jute hybrid composite specimen with the specified amplitude and frequency. At various levels of cyclic loading, the free vibration properties of a glass/jute hybrid composite specimen are measured using the impulse excitation technique. The optimal stacking sequence of glass/jute hybrid composite laminates for dynamic service conditions is established based on experimental data of mechanical properties and vibration characteristics of glass/jute hybrid composite laminates.

Energy conservation is a key element in MANET and so the architecture of the protocol demands particular consideration. Several MANET designs explored processes for the storage of renewable resources. Energy dissipation is a key coordinating factor among MANET nodes. Power utilization is ensured in monitoring applications that battery depletions are lowered to avoid regular substitution. MANET primarily aims to relay data by using energy-efficient routing protocols and an increasing lifespan of the network. The results of the simulation show that the approach suggested improves energy efficiency compared to other approaches. The findings are checked and provide decreased power usage, better packet distribution, lower packet error rate, higher network lifetime and lower end-to-end latency compared to conventional methods.

Polyepoxides are a kind of chemical polymerization that is widely employed in several industrial purposes. Due to their macromolecular structure, polyepoxides offer superior superficial treatment and antierosion activity compared to basic organic corrosion inhibitors. During metal-inhibitor interactions, the polyepoxides outlying glacial efficient clusters operate as adsorption centers. Numerous polyepoxides have been employed as anticorrosive coating materials in both pure and cured forms, most notably for ferrite in acidic and NaOH solutions. The majority of polyepoxides operate as inhibitors of interface and mixed-type corrosion. Numerous computer models have been done to illustrate the anticorrosive properties of polyepoxides on metallic shells and their adsorption behavior. However, because the majority of polyepoxides have low solubility, they are best used as anticorrosive coating materials. Numerous polyepoxides-based coatings have been created and effectively applied on ferrite and aluminum in salt-water solution according to a review of the literature. Natural and synthetic additives can be used to further enhance the anticorrosive properties of polyepoxides coatings. This review article compiles published findings on the anticorrosive properties of pure and cured polyepoxides for a variety of metals and alloys in a variety of electrolytes.

Background and Aim: Pain control is an important outcome measure for successful periodontal therapy. Injected local anesthesia has been used to secure anesthesia for scaling and root planing (SRP) and continues to be the anesthetic of choice for pain control. Alternatively, intra-pocket anesthetic gel has been used as an anesthetic during SRP. Hence, this clinical trial was done to compare the effectiveness of intra-pocket anesthetic gel and injected local anesthesia during SRP and also to assess the influence of intra-pocket anesthetic gel on treatment outcomes in chronic periodontitis patients. Materials and Methods: Fifteen systemically healthy chronic periodontitis patients were recruited. The dental quadrants on right side received either intra-pocket 20% benzocaine gel (Gel group) or infiltration/block by 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 adrenaline (injection group). Quadrants on the left side received the alternative. Pain perception and patients preference for the type of anesthesia was recorded. Clinical parameters: plaque index, modified gingival index, modified sulcular bleeding index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level were recorded at baseline and 1 month after treatment. Results: No difference was observed in visual analog scale (P > 0.05) and verbal rating scale (P > 0.05) pain perception between gel group and injection group. A slightly increased preference to gel as anesthesia (53% vs. 47%) was observed. The treatment outcome after SRP did not show a significant difference between gel and injection group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Intra-pocket administration of 20% benzocaine gel may be effective for pain control during SRP and may offer an alternative to conventional injection anesthesia.

Effects of environmental stressors on the parent may be transmitted to the F1 generation of plants that support global food, oil, and energy production for humans and animals. This study was conducted to determine if the effects of drought stress on parental soybean plants are transmitted to the F1 generation. The germination and seedling vigor of F1 soybean whose maternal parents, Asgrow AG5332 and Progeny P5333RY, were exposed to soil moisture stress, that is, 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% replacement of evapotranspiration (ET) during reproductive growth, were evaluated under controlled conditions. Pooled over cultivars, effects of soil moisture stress on the parents caused a reduction in the seed germination rate, maximum seed germination, and overall seedling performance in the F1 generation. The effect of soil moisture stress on the parent environment induced seed quality that carried on the F1 generation seed gemination and seedling traits under optimum conditions and further exasperated when exposed to increasing levels of drought stress. Results indicate that seed weight and storage reserve are key factors positively associated with germination traits and seedling growth. Our data confirm that the effects of soil moisture stress on soybean are transferable, causing reduced germination, seedling vigor, and seed quality in the F1 generation. Therefore, optimal water supply during soybean seed formation period may be beneficial for seed producers in terms of optimizing seed quality and vigor characteristics of commodity seed.

Background and Aim: Dentinal hypersensitivity is a relatively common problem experienced in clinical dental practice and is characterized by short, sharp pain in response to stimuli such as tactile, thermal, evaporative, osmotic, or chemical. Several agents and treatment modalities have been used in the treatment of this condition. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of four commercially available toothpastes in the reduction of dentinal hypersensitivity (DH), based on the hypothesis that calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSPS) group had a better efficacy of the four. Settings and Design: This study design was a prospective, single-blind, randomized, parallel clinical design. Subjects and Methods: A total of 160 cases (93 males and 67 females; aged 20-60 years) were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 - toothpaste containing 5% potassium nitrate; Group 2 - toothpaste containing 5% CSPS (NovaMin); Group 3 - toothpaste containing 10% strontium chloride; and Group 4 - a herbal formulation. The patients′ DH scores for tactile, thermal, and evaporative stimuli were recorded on a visual analog scale at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 2 months. Statistical Analysis Used: The data were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U-test (P < 0.05). Results: The four desensitizing kinds of toothpaste containing different active agents were effective in relieving dentinal hypersensitivity. However, CSPS group showed a better clinical response at the end of 2 months. Conclusions: The CSPS group showed a better reduction in the symptoms of DH.

Background: Of the occupational hazards experienced by dental professional worldwide, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are quite common. Research in the past has recognized that musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry contribute considerably to sick leave, reduced productivity, and dentist attrition. Considering the magnitude of these disorders, an attempt has been made to determine the prevalence and associated factors of various WRMSD. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported, work-related musculoskeletal problems regarding the perception of pain, over the preceding 12 months and also to identify associated factors which might influence pain among dentists. Subjects and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was personally handed over to a select sample of practicing dentists in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The survey was performed using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: This study revealed musculoskeletal pain with a frequency of 56% in the neck, 39% in the hand, 32% in the lower back, and 18% in the shoulder regions. Chi-square test showed a significant association between pain in the neck and gender, age, height, and weight (P < 0.05). Pain in lower back was associated with gender, body mass index (BMI), height, and experience (P < 0.05). Pain in the hand was only related to the experience of the dentist (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the limits of the study, the prevalence of WRMSD among dentists in Visakhapatnam, especially involving the neck, hand, lower back, and shoulders, is high. Gender, age, height, and weight, BMI and experience were found to be related with musculoskeletal pain.

Aims and Objectives: To determine the overall performance of an existing CAD algorithm with thin-section computed tomography (CT) in the detection of pulmonary nodules and to evaluate detection sensitivity at a varying range of nodule density, size, and location. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on 20 patients with 322 suspected nodules who underwent diagnostic chest imaging using 64-row multi-detector CT. The examinations were evaluated on reconstructed images of 1.4 mm thickness and 0.7 mm interval. Detection of pulmonary nodules, initially by a radiologist of 2 years experience (RAD) and later by CAD lung nodule software was assessed. Then, CAD nodule candidates were accepted or rejected accordingly. Detected nodules were classified based on their size, density, and location. The performance of the RAD and CAD system was compared with the gold standard that is true nodules confirmed by consensus of senior RAD and CAD together. The overall sensitivity and false-positive (FP) rate of CAD software was calculated. Observations and Results: Of the 322 suspected nodules, 221 were classified as true nodules on the consensus of senior RAD and CAD together. Of the true nodules, the RAD detected 206 (93.2%) and 202 (91.4%) by the CAD. CAD and RAD together picked up more number of nodules than either CAD or RAD alone. Overall sensitivity for nodule detection with the CAD program was 91.4%, and FP detection per patient was 5.5%. The CAD showed comparatively higher sensitivity for nodules of size 4-10 mm (93.4%) and nodules in hilar (100%) and central (96.5%) location when compared to RAD′s performance. Conclusion: CAD performance was high in detecting pulmonary nodules including the small size and low-density nodules. CAD even with relatively high FP rate, assists and improves RAD′s performance as a second reader, especially for nodules located in the central and hilar region and for small nodules by saving RADs time.

The developmental transition from vegetative to reproductive growth stage is highly sensitive to drought stress in corn (Zea mays L.). Understanding the physiological responses of corn to withstand and recover from drought during early reproductive development is crucial for ensuring stable yields. Therefore, the present study assessed the effects of short-term (7 days) drought stress on the physiology of corn and its ability to recover during the pre-anthesis, mid-silking, and blistering stages. Furthermore, the study examined the effect of drought stress on kernel yield and quality. On average, drought stress during the tasseling, mid-silking, and blistering stages significantly reduced stomatal conductance (82%) and transpiration (81%). These changes under drought led to an average increase in leaf temperature by 3 [degrees]C compared to the control. Leaf chlorophyll content declined by 46% and did not recover after rewatering. Unlike pigments, canopy temperature and quantum efficiency of photosystem II showed substantial recovery after rewatering across growth stages. Drought stress during mid-silking and blistering led to a significant decline of kernel weight by 33% and 34% compared to the control. Average kernel starch was 65%, and protein was 11% across treatments, reflecting kernel quality. Compared with control, drought stress during tasseling led to significant yield losses followed by mid-silking and blistering. The study highlights the importance of managing drought stress by maintaining optimum irrigation around pre- and post-anthesis plant health and efficient kernel set in corn. Keywords: Blistering, Corn, Drought, Physiology, Quality, Tasseling, Mid-silking, Yield., INTRODUCTION Corn, a major annual monoecious crop, requires a substantial amount of water, with a footprint of 1,222 L, to produce one kg of kernels (Mekonnen and Gerbens-Leenes, 2020; Erenstein [...]