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Background: The global demographic shift toward an older population is witnessing an increase in age-related psychological disorders and chronic illnesses, particularly among those residing in old age homes. Mind-body interventions (MBIs) have shown promise in enhancing mental and physical health without the adverse effects associated with pharmaceuticals. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study involved 42 elderly participants from two old age homes in South India. Participants were divided into an experimental group, which received interventions including Benson’s Relaxation Technique, Guided Imagery, and various mindfulness exercises, and a control group, which received routine care. Assessments of stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life were conducted at baseline and post-intervention using standardized scales. Results: The experimental group exhibited significant improvements, with reductions in stress scores from an average of 23.71 to 10.86, anxiety scores from 27.62 to 12.71, and depression scores from 10.05 to 5.24. The quality of life scores improved from an average of 37.81 to 54.24. In contrast, the control group showed minimal changes in these psychological parameters, with only slight modifications in quality of life scores from 37.24 to 38.38. Physiological and biochemical markers remained largely unchanged across both groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the critical role of nurses in implementing MBIs to enhance the psychological health and overall well-being of the elderly. Integrating these interventions into regular nursing care can significantly improve the quality of life for elderly individuals, suggesting the adaptation of MBIs as primary non-pharmacological interventions in elderly care practices.

The increasing resistance to antiparasitic drugs and limited availability of new agents highlight the need to improve the efficacy of existing treatments. Ivermectin (IVM) is commonly used for parasite treatment in humans and animals, however its efficacy is not optimal and the emergence of IVM-resistant parasites presents a challenge. In this context, the physico-chemical characteristics of IVM were modified by nanocrystallization to improve its equilibrium water-solubility and skin penetration, potentially improving its therapeutic effectiveness when applied topically. IVM-nanocrystals (IVM-NC) were prepared using microfluidization technique. The impact of several process/formulation variables on IVM-NC characteristics were studied using D-optimal statistical design. The optimized formulation was further lyophilized and evaluated using several in vitro and ex vivo tests. The optimal IVM-NC produced monodisperse particles with average diameter of 186 nm and polydispersity index of 0.4. In vitro results showed an impressive 730-fold increase in the equilibrium solubility and substantial 24-fold increase in dissolution rate. Ex vivo permeation study using pig's ear skin demonstrated 3-fold increase in dermal deposition of IVM-NC. Additionally, lyophilized IVM-NC was integrated into topical cream, and the resulting drug release profile was superior compared to that of the marketed product. Overall, IVM-NC presents a promising approach to improving the effectiveness of topically applied IVM in treating local parasitic infections.

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are a family of flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of a wide range of endogenous and exogenous amines. Multiple neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are closely correlated with altered biogenic amine concentrations in the brain caused by MAO. Toxic byproducts of this oxidative breakdown, including hydrogen peroxide, reactive oxygen species, and ammonia, can cause oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in brain cells. Certain MAO-B blockers have been recognized as effective treatment options for managing neurological conditions, including AD and PD. There is still a pressing need to find potent therapeutic molecules to fight these disorders. However, the focus of neurodegeneration studies has recently increased, and certain compounds are now in clinical trials. Chromones are promising structures for developing therapeutic compounds, especially in neuronal degeneration. This review focuses on the MAO-B inhibitory potential of several synthesized chromones and their structural activity relationships. Concerning the discovery of a novel class of effective chromone-based selective MAO-B-inhibiting agents, this review offers readers a better understanding of the most recent additions to the literature.

Addition silicone is a newer type of silicone impression material which has high dimensional stability, accuracy, and flexibility. They are mostly used for fixed restorations such as crowns and bridges. They have high tear strength; however, this strength may be altered upon disinfection. Disinfection of addition silicone prior use is important to reduce the microbial load. The aim of this study is to check whether there is any change in tear strength of addition silicone on disinfection with two commercially available disinfectants. Zhermack Elite HD + Putty material was tested in this study. Base and catalyst material was mixed and the material was cut into strips of dimension 70 mm × 10 mm × 2 mm. Five strips were immersed in sterillium and five strips were immersed in glutaraldehyde solution. These strips were then tested for their tear strength using Instron E3000 Universal Testing Machine. The values obtained were recorded in SPSS software version 22 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for analysis and the P was obtained. The mean tear strength of Group 1, addition silicone immersed in sterillium disinfecting solution was found to be 7.148 ± 2.654 kN/m. The mean tear strength of Group 2, addition silicone immersed in glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution was found to be 7.326 ± 4.062 kN/m. An unpaired Student's t-test was done and P was found to be 0.235. The tear strength values between the groups was statistically not significant. Hence the tear strength of addition silicone was found to be greater in the glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution group.

The surface area determination has a vital role in measuring the properties of liquid and solid substances. Fluoride is a potent remineralizing agent of the teeth. The surface area is measured using a goniometer. The main aim of this study is to estimate the wettability of topical fluoride gel on the anterior and posterior teeth surfaces. Topical acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel was taken in small quantities. Anterior and posterior teeth were collected, and their superficial unaltered enamel sections were used as the surface where the contact angle (CA) is determined. The surface wettability is determined using Ossila goniometer to measure CA. Each stage was mounted on a mechanical stage of the goniometer. A calibrated microsyringe was used to dispense drops of the APF gel over the surface of the specimen Group A (anterior tooth cut section) and Group B (posterior tooth cut section). This procedure is repeated for all specimen samples. The mean of CAs of the anterior teeth (88.41°) was greater when compared with the mean of posterior teeth (80.36°) CA. P value found using the paired t-test of SPSS software is found to be 0.271 (>0.05), hence statistically not significant. The greater the CA, the lower is the degree of wettability on the teeth surfaces. The mean CA of the topical fluoride APF gel on the anterior tooth surface is greater when compared to the posterior tooth surface. This signifies that greater wettability is seen on posterior tooth surfaces.

Composite is usually a mixture of two phases. The composites used in dentistry have high durability. The individual properties of each phase are important to increase the mechanical property of the composite. This study aimed to determine the surface roughness changes of two composite resin restorative materials after thermocycling. Two of the commercially available composites were chosen (RestoFill and SwissTEC). The composite disks of dimension 10 mm diameter and 3 mm height were prepared using silicone molds, and every increment was light cured for 30 s. A stylus profilometer was used to assess the surface roughness prethermocycling, and then, the disks were subjected to an integrated thermocycler (T.S-4.4) for 1000 cycles. The postsurface roughness was obtained after the thermocycling process using the same stylus profilometer. The surface parameter values before and after thermocycling of the SwissTEC sample is less than that of RestoFill. There was a significant difference between the Rz and Rq values of the two different commercially available composite materials. Thus, the present study concludes that thermocycling influenced the surface roughness of composite resin and increased the surface roughness of both the RestoFill and SwissTEC composites.

Pit-and-fissure sealants of the occlusal surfaces for the posterior teeth are well susceptible to develop dental caries compared to the smooth surfaces due to its complex morphology, which makes dental hygiene a challenging fact which give rise to increased plaque accumulation. The use of pit-and-fissure sealants is to provide inhibition toward microorganisms and aggregation of food particles, thereby inhibiting caries initiating and preventing caries progression. The study aimed to assess the effect of pit-and-fissure sealants postbrushing simulation through photography. For this photogenic original study, eight teeth were selected, with two groups each and four teeth present in each of the groups. Brushing simulator machines are well-established methods for analyzing the efficacy of toothbrushes. A total of 10,000 cycles were accounted for by the machine with linear X-axis and Y-axis = 2500 in each group. The clockwise and counterclockwise = 2500 in each group. From the research, it can be concluded that Group A is found to be more effective than Group B, where Group A is Clinpro sealant and Group B is YuSeal. This pit-and-fissure sealant application is very important in clinical practice to prevent the tooth from getting decayed. This research helps us to establish the amount of reduction in both the groups of sealants postbrushing as various brushing patterns influence the retention of pit-and-fissure sealants.

Flexural strength is the bend strength or stress which causes failure in bending of the material. Composite is the widely used restorative material in the era of esthetic dentistry as it provides better esthetic and mechanical support for both posterior and anterior teeth. The term “thermocycling” refers to the process of changing temperatures in the mouth. Thus, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of thermocycling on flexural strength in two different composite filling materials. Twelve samples of packable type composite filling material, among which four samples prepared were from Restofill l (Group 1) and four were prepared from Ivoclar Vivadent (Group 2) for the study. Bar-shaped composite resin specimens were prepared with dimensions of 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm. Then, the eight samples were subjected to a thermocycling process and four left as control. This was followed by the determination of maximum force by a universal testing machine, and then, the collected data were used to determine flexural strength using the formula. The determining flexural strength was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 by Independent sample t-test. The mean flexural strength of thermocycled Restofill composite filling material is 6.73, whereas the nonthermocycled Restofill sample showed 5.58 and the mean flexural strength of thermocycled Ivoclar Vivadent composite filling material was 5.08. The difference was not statistically significant with P = 0.978 >0.05. The current study concludes that the flexural strength of the Restofill composite (Group 1) was higher than the Ivoclar composite (Group 2). Hence, thermocycling affects the flexural strength of composite resin.

Resin-based composites have been widely used to reconstruct anterior and posterior teeth, as dentistry has progressed and there has been an increasing interest in the creation of suitable materials to replace damaged tooth tissue. The aim of the study is to compare the effect of fruit juices on the surface roughness of bulk fill and flowable composite restorative material. A total of 8 bulk fill composite and flowable composite resin disc samples were made. These eight samples were tested for surface roughness following immersion in three juices which were pineapple juice, lime juice, orange juice, and distilled water as the control group. They were immersed at room temperature for 7 days. Surface roughness was evaluated by the Mitutoyo SJ-310 contact profilometer. It showed that there was a decrease in the Ra value of flowable composite when compared to bulk fill composite. Rq and Rz values were more for the flowable composite resin group. Flowable composite resin samples had more surface roughness than bulk fill dental composite restorative material after exposure to pineapple, lime, and orange juices.

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a material used for restoration in dentistry. The stress in a material right before it yields in a flexure test is referred to as flexural strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the flexural strength of two different glass ionomers after immersion in fruit juices. Five samples of D-Tech and Shofu GIC were prepared from each for the in vitro study. The eight samples were subjected to a flexural strength process and two were left as control which was followed by the determination of maximum force and displacement, then the collected data were used to determine flexural strength and analyzed using SPSS software (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). The mean value of flexural strength of the D-Tech GIC immersed in fruit juices is 4.4375 and the mean value of Shofu GIC immersed in fruit juices was 8.4975. Paired t-test was done between the two groups and the P value was 0.00, which is considered highly statistically significant. From this study, it is evident that the GIC brand Shofu has higher flexural strength compared to D-Tech. Flexural strength was decreased for both the GIC groups when immersed in grape juice.

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) releases fluorides and has good biocompatibility, carbonated drinks, sometimes known as fizzy drinks, are carbonated liquids that contain dissolved carbon dioxide, sweeteners, and natural or artificial flavoring. The aim of our study is to determine the flexural strength of GIC after immersing in carbonated beverages. Twelve samples of GIC filling material were used among which six samples prepared were from the Dtech brand and six were prepared from the Shofu brand for the in vitro study. Bar-shaped specimens were prepared from each group with the dimension of 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm. They were immersed in Sprite, fizz drinks, and in distilled water as a control group. The immersion period was 7 days. Then, the determination of maximum force and displacement was done using INSTRON E3000 (ElectroPuls) universal testing machine, then the collected data were used to determine flexural strength. The mean flexural strength of Dtech GIC was 24.84 ± 6.523 Mpa. The mean flexural strength of Dtech GIC was 18.57 ± 11.60 Mpa. The independent sample t-test showed that P = 0.247 (>0.05) which was statistically not significant. The flexural strength of GIC material decreased after being immersed in Sprite and fizz drinks.

Soft denture liners evenly distribute functional loads over denture-bearing tissues. The liners aid in more evenly distributing the pressures of mastication to the underlying tissues by absorbing some of the masticatory forces. The study aimed to evaluate the brushing simulation influence on the surface roughness property of soft-tissue liners. A total of eight samples of Avue brand soft-tissue liners with the composition of varnish base and varnish catalyst were suspended into a standard template extracted and numbered sequentially and surface roughness was calculated using a stylus profilometer. A total of 30,000 cycles brushing were done, where the first group samples were brushed with Colgate toothpaste and the second group brushed with Dabur Red toothpaste using a toothbrush simulator (ZM3.8 SD Mechatronik). The data of both pre- and postbrushing values were recorded manually and statistically uploaded on SPSS software version 22 and values were represented in clustered bar graph forms. The significance value of Ra was 0.321. The significance value of Rq was 0.211. The significance value of Rz was 0.354, hence statistically, insignificant. In the present study, the surface roughness of soft-tissue liners is reduced to a minimal extent after brushing simulation.

Carbonated beverages have side effects on oral health and general health. Flexural strength is a prime mechanical property of restorative material. The aim of this study is to know the effect of carbonated beverages on the flexural strength of composite restorative material. Two types of composites (Ivoclar and Restofill) were used as samples for comparative evaluation of flexural strength. The sample size is 10 where 5 of each type of composites are included. The obtained samples were immersed in carbonated beverages. One sample of each type was used as a control. After 24 h, the flexural strength of all the 10 samples was evaluated using the formula (3FL/2bd2), and the values were tabulated. Average values and graphs were done using SPSS software. The results showed the changes in flexural strength of both Ivoclar and Restofill materials when immersed in carbonated beverages. The mean value of all the samples was taken, and the standard deviation was calculated. After immersion in carbonated liquids, the mean value of Ivoclar and Restofill samples is 58.9 and 35.01, respectively. P = 0.718 (>0.05), which was not statistically significant. After immersion in Coke, the Restofill group exhibits more flexural strength than the Ivoclar group composite; however, the strength reduces when immersed in Sprite as compared to the Ivoclar group composite.

Tooth discoloration is considered as one of the most common dental problems among people, and in dentistry, the most common cases are claimed after the restoration. Therefore, in this research, we aim to evaluate the effect of carbonated beverages on the color stability of bulk and flowable composite resin. For the study, 12 composite disc samples were made using the standard dimensions of 10 mm diameter and 2 mm thick. To find the color stability, we used a VITA Easyshade spectrophotometer. We used two different composites of bulk fill and flowable composite resin; the composite brand we used was Tetric ecom plus; as an immersion medium, we used two different carbonated beverages, and the chosen beverages were Appy Fizz and 7Up. 24-h and 7-day postimmersion color stability was evaluated. In the results of postimmersion, we have found the Delta E value for 24 h immersion of flowable and bulk fill composite as 5.8115 and 7.4378, respectively; similarly, the Delta E value for 7 days immersion of flowable and bulk fill composite was 9.9559 and 10.1028, respectively. Using the independent “t”-test, we found that the significance is 0.633 and 0.328, which was statistically not significant. In the present study, when immersed in Appy Fizz juice and 7Up juice, bulk fill composite resins have shown greater discoloration when compared to flowable composite resin material. Thus, the flowable composite resin samples were more color stable.

Surgical sutures are the most well-known surgical biomaterial device for ligating blood vessels. The primary goal of wound closure is to align wound margins to provide a closed and stable environment. Sutures with lesser tensile strength are susceptible to break throughout the healing process due to edema. To evaluate the tensile strength of absorbable and nonabsorbable suture materials after immersion in fruit juices. In this in vitro study, eight samples of commercially available sutures such as black silk and vicryl were divided into two groups: sample -1 were immersed in grape juice and sample -2 were immersed in lemon juice for 1 week. Universal testing machine INSTRON E300 UTM was used to test the tensile strength of various suture materials. The data are statistically analyzed using an independent t-test. The P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The mean of vicryl suture after immersion in grape and lemon juice was found to be 34.445 and 43.39; the mean value of black silk after immersion in grape and lemon juice was found to be 36.95 and 33.1. The tensile strength of black silk was slightly lower than the vicryl. Independent sample t-test showed that P = 0.561 (>0.05) which is statistically insignificant. Vicryl suture tested to have the highest tensile strength along with excellent knot holding capacity than black silk suture after immersion in fruit juices.

Resin-based composites are increasingly employed in dental restorations due to their esthetics. Flexural strength is the characteristic feature of a substance, and it can be described as the stress present in the material just before it renders in a flexure test. The purpose of this study was to determine the flexural strength of a bulk-fill composite following immersion in fruit juices. Ten samples of bulk-fill type composite filling material were created, with four samples from Restofill (Group 1) and four samples from Ivoclar Vivadent (Group 2). Out of which, four specimens of each brand were included for immersion in fruit juices; two specimens were kept as control. The eight samples were put through a flexural strength test, with four remaining as controls, before being measured for maximum force and displacement on the Instron E3000 universal testing equipment. SPSS version 23 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was used to examine the calculated flexural strength. The composite Ivoclar has a mean flexural strength of 20.52, whereas the composite Restofill has a mean flexural strength of 20.55. The P value for the independent sample t-test between the two groups, Ivoclar and Restofill, was 0.089 (>0.05), which is statistically insignificant. It is clear from this research that the bulk-fill composite resin Ivoclar has a low flexural strength when compared to the sample Restofill after immersion in fruit juices.

Abstract Background Green plants are found to be an effective reservoir for bioactive molecules and can provide appreciable sources of antimicrobial agents. Antibacterial activity of solvent extracts of Euphorbia cotinifolia leaves was tested by agar cup diffusion and broth microdilution methods against some common human pathogenic bacteria viz., Bacillus cereus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhi. The methanol extract of Euphorbia cotinifolia was subjected to a silica gel column, leading to the isolation of a bioactive compound 1. The structure of compounds was elucidated by spectroscopic techniques and assessed for their antibacterial activity against several human pathogenic bacteria. Results The inhibition zone ranged against some common human pathogenic bacteria was 15.25–19.50 mm, 13.50–19.25 mm, 12–18.50 mm, 15–20 mm, and 13–19 mm for ECMF1, ECMF2, ECMF3, compounds 1, respectively. The MIC was found to be in the range 91–729 μg/ml for the fractions. The inhibition range was recorded between 12–19 and 10–14 mm for methanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. K. pneumoniae, E. aerogenes, and B. subtilis were highly susceptible to methanol extract with the maximum inhibition zone of 19 mm. The MIC of the compound 1 against human pathogens was 78–833 μg/ml. Conclusion The present study results suggest that tested plant extracts have moderate to potent antibacterial activity due to the occurrence of phenols and flavonoids in the extracts. The defensive property of natural antibacterials is mainly due to the presence of these major groups, vitamins, phenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids. In the present study, biologically active diterpene was isolated and the structures of the new diterpenoids isolated from E. cotinifolia were closely related to an ingenol ester.

The emerging interest in the field of coordination chemistry and their biological applications has created a novel impact in the field of chemical biology. With this motivation, in this work we have synthesized a novel benzimidazole derived imine ligand, 2-((E)-((1H-benzo[d]-2-yl)methylimino)methyl)-4-fluorophenol (HBMF) and its Co(III) and Cu(II) complexes. The metal complexes (C1–C4) were synthesized in 2:1 (HBMF: metal ion) and 1:1:1 (HBMF: metal ion: 1,10-phen) ratios. Structural elucidations of all the synthesized compounds were performed using FT-IR, UV-Visible, NMR, Mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis techniques. A combination of first principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulations was applied to computationally investigate the structural, reactive, and spectroscopic properties of the newly synthesized HBMF ligand and its complexes with copper and cobalt metal ions. Quantum-mechanical calculations in this study were based on the density functional theory (DFT), while molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were based on the OPLS4 force field. The DFT calculations were used to obtain the reactive and spectroscopic properties of the ligand and its complexes, while molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to address the ligand’s reactivity with water. Further, the in vitro anti-proliferative activity of the compounds was tested against the A549, Ehrlich–Lettre ascites carcinoma (EAC), SIHA and NIH3T3 cell lines. The biological results depicted that the compound C4, with molecular formula C27H23Cl2CoFN5O3 exhibited profound anti-proliferative activity against the EAC cell line with a significant IC50 value of 10 µm when compared to its parent ligand and other remaining metal complexes under study. Various assays of hematological parameters (alkaline phosphate, creatinine, urea, RBC and WBC) were performed, and significant results were obtained from the experiments. Furthermore, the effect of C4 on neovascularization was evaluated by stimulating the angiogenesis with rVEGF165, which was compared with non-tumor models. The EAC cells were cultured in vivo and administrated with 50 and 75 mg/kg of two doses and tumor parameters were evaluated.

Quantum dots (QDs) are a promising tool to detect and monitor tumors. However, their small size allows them to accumulate in large quantities inside the healthy cells (in addition to the tumor cells), which increases their toxicity. In this study, we synthesized stealth liposomes encapsulating hydrophilic graphene quantum dots and triggered their release with ultrasound with the goal of developing a safer and well-controlled modality to deliver fluorescent markers to tumors. Our results confirmed the successful encapsulation of the QDs inside the core of the liposomes and showed no effect on the size or stability of the prepared liposomes. Our results also showed that low-frequency ultrasound is an effective method to release QDs encapsulated inside the liposomes in a spatially and temporally controlled manner to ensure the effective delivery of QDs to tumors while reducing their systemic toxicity.

The particle size (PS) and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of drug-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) may inhibit their cellular uptake and lead to possible leakage of the drug into the systemic circulation at the tumor site. In this work, ultra-high paclitaxel-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) NPs (PTX-PLGA-NPs) with ultra-small sizes were prepared and optimized by adopting the principles of quality by design (QbD) approach. The optimized PTX-PLGA-NPs showed ultra-small spherical particles of about 53 nm with EE% exceeding 90%, a relatively low polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.221, an effective surface charge of −10.1 mV, and a 10-fold increase in the in vitro drug release over 72 h relative to free drug. The cellular viability of pharynx carcinoma cells decreased by almost 50% in 24 h following treatment with optimized PTX-PLGA-NPs, compared to only 20% from the free drug. The intracellular uptake of PTX-PLGA-NPs was highly favored, and the antitumor activity of PTX was remarkably improved with a reduction in its half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), by almost 50% relative to free drug solution. These results suggest that the optimal critical formulation parameters, guided by QbD principles, could produce PLGA-NPs with remarkably high EE% and ultra-small PS, resulting in enhanced cellular uptake and efficacy of PTX.