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AHL (acyl homoserine lactone) is a signaling molecule responsible for communication in gram negative bacteria, which is liable for bacterial virulence as well as biofilm formation. This study aims in targeting the AHL formation and AHL mediated virulence factor using plant extracts / plant metabolites. AHL plays a major role in pigment production, motility and rhamnolipid production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Inhibition of these mechanism by any mean implies that it is having impact in biofilm formation too. Plant derived metabolites/ extracts were subjected for swarming motility assay, the metabolite which inhibited the swarming motility was subjected for further study, where P. aeruginosa SU-3 was allowed to grow in the presence of the metabolite and its impact over the AHL production, pigment production and rhamnolipid production was evaluated. Curcumin was found to be effective against all the metabolites used. Thus curcumin subjected for molecular docking against ENR (enoyl carrier protein reductase), the enzyme involves in fatty acid synthesis and production of AHL.

Besides being an essential source of nutrients, the bioactive components of some fruits also help in enhancing the physiological functions by expressing its therapeutic action, acting as radical scavenger, improving digestion and healing. Here, seven edible fruits juices of Punica granatum, Citrus reticulata, Anana scomosus, Ficus carica, Vitis vinifera, Vitis amurensis and Carica papaya were utilized against biofilm forming Gram negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa to evaluate its effect on Quorum sensing. On proving its antibacterial activity and anti-swarming motility in our earlier report, this work is extended to determine the biofilm inhibitory action of these fruit juices due to the impact on AHL (Acyl Homoserine lactone), the signaling molecule responsible for developing cell-cell communication and also on AHL mediated metabolites production. The fruit juices were evaluated for their Antioxidant activity on subjecting to TLC bioautography, DPPH and FRAP assay. AHL, Pyocyanin and Rhamnolipid were extracted from fruit juices treated Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the influence of fruit juice was identified by FT-IR and LC-MS analysis. However, AHL production was not stopped by fruit juice molecules but showed least production level in Punica granatum treated P.aeruginosa. Whereas the production of pyocyanin pigment was disturbed in Punica granatum, Citrus reticulata, Vitis amurensis and Vitis vinifera treated culture. The production of a biosurfactant called Rhamnolipid (Rha 10) was a failure in Citrus reticulata, Vitis amurensis, Vitis vinifera and Ficus carica treated P.aeruginosa. Thus the organism was restrained by the fruit juice molecules from expressing its virulence factors in spite of having no impact on AHL synthesis.

Several studies have suggested that irrespective of the mode of action of antibiotics, induction of oxidative stress also contributes to their bactericidal actions. When antioxidants are supplemented with antibiotics, the bactericidal effect of the antibiotic are reduced. Thus, in this study, sensitivity of norfloxacin was analysed in the presence of antioxidants like glutathione and ascorbic acids, then the influence of multivitamins in the sensitivity was also analysed. The effect was studied though disc diffusion, MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) and DNA damage assays against the model organisms - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. This study suggested that the antioxidant and vitamin solution were having influence over sensitivity towards the antibiotics whose MIC was determined at highest concentration with reduced zone of inhibition and DNA damage. Hence, these results lead to a hypothetical claim for the involvement of multivitamins / antioxidants to have antibacterial resistance development.

Dry beans and nuts are vital in our daily diet and contains high dietary fiber, poly-unsaturated fatty acids and phytochemical compounds such as phenolic and flavonoids. The objective of this study was to compare the antioxidant activities in selected dry beans and nuts and the effect of roasting. Roasted and raw dried nuts and beans were grounded into powder, extracted in 70% methanol and evaporated. The methanol extracts were subjected to 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay, 2,2’-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, total phenolic content (TPC) assay and total flavonoid content (TFC) assay. Results were analyzed using ANOVA (p value

Nanocrystalline spinel ferrite of composition Cu0.2Ni0.2Sn0.2Ba0.4 Fe2O4 has been synthesized by a wet hydroxyl chemical route in ethylene glycol as chelating agent and sodium hydroxide as precipitator at pH 8. Ethylene glycol has been used as the medium which serves as the solvent as well as a complexing agent. The synthesized particles are annealed at temperatures of 350°C, 700°C, and 1050°C. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis confirms that at 240°C, ethylene glycol has evaporated completely, and a stable␣phase is formed above 670°C. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy of mixed Cu0.2Ni0.2Sn0.2Ba0.4 ferrite nanoparticles like as synthesized and annealed at 1050°C are recorded between 400 cm−1 and 4000 cm−1. FT-IR appraises the structural formation of Cu0.2Ni0.2Sn0.2Ba0.4 Fe2O4 between the as-synthesized sample and the sample annealed at 1050°C. Structural characterizations of all the samples are carried out by x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. XRD reveals that the particle size increases with the increase in annealing temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms that the particles are flaky and spherical with the crystallite size in the range of 11–27 nm. The decrement of dielectric properties, like dielectric constant and dielectric loss, with the increment of frequency as seen in all the samples is an usual dielectric behavior of spinel ferrites. The lack of net magnetization is noticed immediately when the applied magnetic field is removed which prompts superparamagnetic behavior, as seen in all the samples.

Gallium doped tin oxide (Ga doped SnO 2 ) thin films have been coated on silica glass substrates at 400 °C by the spray pyrolysis technique. The relative various volumes of Ga precursor solution, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 were mixed with Sn precursor solution. The structural, morphological and optical properties of Ga doped SnO 2 thin films are investigated. SnO 2 and Ga doped SnO 2 films showed well defined structures and polycrystalline nature and they showed orthorhombic and monoclinic structures. The variations of the surface morphology were observed by SEM results. The elemental compositional analysis of the Ga doped SnO 2 thin films were confirmed using EDAX analysis. The transmittance spectra of the Ga doped SnO 2 films were measured and a variation in the average transmittance, which is about 65–75% for the Ga doped SnO 2 films. Maximum band gap value of 3.70 eV is obtained for Ga doped SnO 2 .

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe) thin films were grown on glass substrates by the chemical bath deposition. The films were annealed in air for 1 h at various temperatures (300 °C, 400 °C and 500 °C). The grown films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV spectra. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that films are polycrystalline in nature with rhombohedral structure. The structural parameters such as grain size, dislocation density and micro strain were evaluated. SEM analysis at high temperature indicates the hexagonal face like rod structure. Optical transmittance study shows the wide transmittance with the band gap energy decreasing, from 2 to 1.75 eV.

The present study aimed to assess not only the efficacy of sap from two seaweeds Kappaphycus alvarezii (K-sap) and Gracilaria edulis (G-sap) on productivity and quality of Zea mays under rain-fed condition, but also to quantify whether sap application is beneficial in terms of lowering the carbon and phosphate footprint of mineral fertilizers per unit of produce. Field experiment was carried out to test 18 treatments, viz., 5 concentrations (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10 and 15 %) each of K-sap and G-sap applied along with recommended rate of fertilizers (RRF); 3 concentrations (7.5, 10 and 15 %) of each of the two types of sap applied along with 50 % RRF; alongside 2 control treatments T1 (water spray along with 100 % RRF) and T18 (water spray along with 50 % RRF). The optimal treatments that enhanced the grain productivity of maize were 5 % G-sap or 7.5 % K-sap applied in conjunction with 100 % RRF and the grain yield enhancements ranged from 21.4 to 29.8 % as compared to T1. Significant increase in P (35.5 %) and K (14.4 %) content in grains was observed through G-sap application, suggesting bio-stimulation in absorption of these elements. Notably, stover yield production at reduced RRF in certain combinations with sap was at par with T1 suggesting a possible saving on fertilizer requirement for fodder production under rain-fed conditions. Compared to T1, there was marked reduction of 17.5 and 23.1 % in global warming potential per unit of produce when 7.5 % K-sap and 5 % G-sap were used respectively in conjunction with 100 % RRF.

Odontogenic cysts are a benign group of lesions occurring in the head and neck region with minimal propensity for complications. Occasionally a neoplasm might arise from the lining of such odontogenic cysts. Although relatively rare, dentigerous cysts might also show malignant changes. Till date, only 22 well-documented cases of squamous cell carcinoma arising from the lining of a dentigerous cyst have been reported in the English language literature. In this article, we report another case of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma arising in a dentigerous cyst and review relevant literature with emphasis on the pathogenesis.

Background Polyhydroxyalkanoates are bio-based, biodegradable naturally occurring polymers produced by a wide range of organisms, from bacteria to higher mammals. The properties and biocompatibility of PHA make it possible for a wide spectrum of applications. In this context, we analyze the potential applications of PHA in biomedical science by exploring the global trend through the patent survey. The survey suggests that PHA is an attractive candidate in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packaging material as well as other useful products. Objective In our present study, we explored patents associated with various biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates. Method Patent databases of European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office and World Intellectual Property Organization were mined. We developed an intensive exploration approach to eliminate overlapping patents and sort out significant patents.We demarcated the keywords and search criterions and established search patterns for the database request. We retrieved documents within the recent 6 years, 2010 to 2016 and sort out the collected data stepwise to gather the most appropriate documents in patent families for further scrutiny. Results By this approach, we retrieved 23,368 patent documents from all the three databases and the patent titles were further analyzed for the relevance of polyhydroxyalkanoates in biomedical applications. This ensued in the documentation of approximately 226 significant patents associated with biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates and the information was classified into six major groups. Polyhydroxyalkanoates has been patented in such a way that their applications are widely distributed in the medical industry, drug delivery system, dental material, tissue engineering, packagingmaterial as well as other useful products. Conclusion There are many avenues through which PHA & PHB could be used. Our analysis shows patent information can be used to identify various applications of PHA and its representatives in the biomedical field. Upcoming studies can focus on the application of PHA in the different field to discover the related topics and associate to this study.We believe that this approach of analysis and findings can initiate new researchers to undertake similar kind of studies in their represented field to fill the gap between the patent articles and research publications.

Ameloblastoma is a histologically benign odontogenic tumour and has a tendency of locally aggressive behaviour. This is second most prevalent odontogenic tumour and most common in the molar-ramus-angle region and surgical resection is only treatment option. In this article, we propose an innovative approach to deal with these cases by using alloplastic graft with cord stem cells. Over 2.5 years follow-up, we could demonstrate bone regeneration using this technique with no recurrence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful regeneration of part of ramus and body of mandible using allogeneic cord stem cells in cases of Ameloblastoma.

Plastics are synthetic polymers that changed our daily life due to their applications. But it’s increasing environmental problems had made the researchers find the alternative way such as usage of biodegradable plastics like Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) which has similar properties to the conventional plastic. In this research production and characterization of PHAs using sugar industry wastes as a sole carbon source was carried in order to reduce the cost of production of PHA. Isolation of heterotrophic native micro flora from soil sample contaminated with sugar effluent for amylolytic and cellulolytic activity with PHA production potentials was carried out. Suitable conditions for PHA accumulation were optimized with 1X and 2X MSM with sugar effluent as a sole carbon source and bacteriostatic antibiotics as an inducer using bi-phasic system. A total of 14 different heterotrophic native bacterial strains were isolated, among them, 4 isolates showed starch hydrolytic property, 7 isolates showed cellulolytic activity and 7 were PHA producers. The strain with the highest PHA accumulation (99.99µg/mL of culture) in 2X MSM with sugar effluent within 6 hours was considered as a potential strain (53% of PHB CWD). The isolate was confirmed as Chryseobacterium Sp. using 16S rRNA sequencing.

Phosphorus (P) is a major growth limiting nutrient. Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) plays an important role in the development of agricultural industry. In this study, the native PSB were isolated from the okra plant root by using Pikovskaya’s medium and potential strains were selected based on the phosphate solubilization efficiency. The potential strains in presence of Rock Phosphate (RP), Tea dust, Eggshells and Bone waste of animal (TEB) were studied as an alternative fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer. The PSB consortia strains were prepared and inoculated to the plant root. Different growth parameters were studied to determine the effectiveness of strains. In all cases the difference was significant with p

Urinary catheters make humans vulnerable to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) by damaging the natural barrier of the body. Bacteria which are commonly related to this infection are Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this study Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained from the hospital. Levofloxacin is a newly developed fluoroquinolone antibiotic, which is commonly used in clinical practice. The antibacterial effect of levofloxacin was studied using disk diffusion method. In this method the diameter of zone of inhibition in the presence of multivitamin was smaller than without multivitamin. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference in antibiotic sensitivity with and without multivitamin (p

The present study investigates the usage of social media networking behavior among the MAHSA university students by using structured questionnaire. The salivary cortisol levels among the study groups were estimated. In addition, the association between salivary cortisol and the usage of social media networking was also assessed. Saliva samples were obtained twice a day from selected subjects to analyze the cortisol level. Results of the present study indicate that the 11% of the students spend less than one hour on social media, 40.2% uses two to four hours and 46.4% more than four hours daily; whereas, 2% of the study groups are others. The cortisol levels assessed among the male and female study groups showed high cortisol concentration in both morning and evening. The cortisol levels in the morning seen among the male study group ranges from 0.13-5.49 µg/dl and the female cortisol level ranges from 1.11-5.72 µg/dl. Besides in the evening, the cortisol levels seem to be higher among the study group. The evening cortisol level of male students ranges from 0.06-4.6 µg/dl. Whereas in the females, cortisol level ranges 0.263.9 µg/dl. The average value of the cortisol concentration in the morning is seen to be higher among the female study group than the male and in the evening the male cortisol concentration is seen to be higher than the females. Results clearly demonstrated that students spending more hours in social media had higher cortisol levels when compared to less hour users. From the present preliminary study, it is clear that there is an association between salivary cortisol level and the usage of social media networking behavior.

Oral disease affects a considerable portion of population and is considered one of the major causes of tooth loss in developed and developing countries. An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of toothpastes and mouthrinses towards oral pathogens which are found to cause most of the oral diseases such as gingivitis and dental plague. In this study, a total of five toothpastes and four mouthrinses were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against five oral pathogens such as Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Streprococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. The efficacy of different concentration of the toothpastes and mouthrinses were assessed by agar well diffusion method. Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc least square differences (LSD) method (p=0.05). Toothpaste B gave the maximum zone of inhibition against tested organisms, Streptococcus sanguis and Streptococcus oralis. Toothpaste C and E gave the maximum zone of inhibition against Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus mutans respectively. Toothpaste A was most effective against Candida albicans. Mouthrinse G was most effective against Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus oralis and Candida albicans. In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that dentifrices which contain fluoride and cetylpyridium chloride formulation gave the maximum zone of inhibition against the tested organisms compared to other active ingredients.

Bacterial fibrinolytic enzyme possessed significant application in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, thus isolation of potential strains producing more fibrinolytic enzyme is of prime importance. In this present study, microorganisms were isolated from soil samples and sediments around poultry slaughter houses and were screened for protease activity. Positive protease producers were further screened for fibrinolytic activity and its efficacy were assessed by fibrinolytic enzyme assay. One strain showed maximum activity of 79.83 FU/mL and the strain was identified as Bacillus pseudomycoides strain MA02. The molecular weight of the protease was estimated to be 35 kDa. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Central Composite Rotary Design (CCRD) were used to optimize skimmed milk agar to study the effects of the components in the production of fibrinolytic enzyme by B. pseudomycoides. The highest enzyme activity of 284 FU/mL was obtained at 7.5 g/L of peptone, 45 g/L of sodium chloride and 5 g/L of skimmed milk, which was 3 fold higher than the un-optimized medium.

Although stapling is an alternative to hand-suturing in gastrointestinal surgery, recent trials specifically designed to evaluate differences between the two in surgery time, anastomosis time, and return to bowel activity are lacking. This trial compared the outcomes of the two in subjects undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery. Adult subjects undergoing emergency or elective surgery requiring a single gastric, small, or large bowel anastomosis were enrolled into this open-label, prospective, randomized, interventional, parallel, multicenter, controlled trial. Randomization was assigned in a 1:1 ratio between the hand-sutured group (n = 138) and the stapled group (n = 142). Anastomosis time, surgery time, and time to bowel activity were collected and compared as primary endpoints. A total of 280 subjects were enrolled from April 2009 to September 2010. Only the time of anastomosis was significantly different between the two arms: 17.6 ± 1.90 min (stapled) and 20.6 ± 1.90 min (hand-sutured). This difference was deemed not clinically or economically meaningful. Safety outcomes and other secondary endpoints were similar between the two arms. Mechanical stapling is faster than hand-suturing for the construction of gastrointestinal anastomoses. Apart from this, stapling and hand-suturing are similar with respect to the outcomes measured in this trial.

First principles density calculations of the band structure, and density of states of the Cu(In1−xGax)Se2 in the chalcopyrite type structure have been carried out using the density functional theory. The relationship between the band gap and chemical composition in the structure is discussed. The effective masses of the electrons and holes in the different composition crystals are reported.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the structural and optical properties of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide thin films have been performed. Thin films of CIGS were deposited on glass substrates by chemical bath deposition. From the XRD results of the films, it is found that the films are of chalcopyrite type structure. The lattice parameter were determined as a = 5.72 A and c = 11.462 A. The optical properties of the thin films were carried out with the help of spectrophotometer. First principles density functional theory calculations of the band structure, density of states and effective masses of electrons and holes of the CIGS crystals have been done by computer simulations. The experimental data and theoretically calculated data have demonstrated good agreement.

Bluish phycocyanin was obtained from the cyanobacteria namely Spirulina sp. (marine form). The interaction between phycocyanin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by using absorption, FT-IR, steady-state, time resolved and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. Phycocyanin effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA. The number of binding sites (n) and binding constant (K) was measured by fluorescence quenching method. The interaction between phycocyanin and BSA occurs through static quenching and conformational changes of BSA were observed.

Corrosive strictures of the gastrointestinal tract are a surgical challenge. We describe a previously undescribed condition called gastrocoele, a rare condition caused by combined oesophageal and antral strictures and review our results. We present our experience with nine cases of gastrocoele due to combined corrosive strictures of oesophagus and antrum between 1993 and 2005. The age group was 21-65 years with female preponderant (66%) sex distribution. The presentation was at a median of 110 days (range 45-400 days) following the corrosive ingestion. The standard investigations included barium swallow, endoscopy, jejunostomy tubogram and barium enema. The surgical procedures performed were antrectomy and coloplasty in six (one staged), antrectomy and oesophageal dilatation in two and gastrojejunostomy and coloplasty in one. There was no major morbidity or mortality with a median follow-up of 3 years. Gastrocoele is a rare entity where good results can be achieved with surgery, however, prevention of corrosive injuries by public education is the best cure! Language: en

Computed tomography (CT) arthrography of the shoulder is an imaging modality of great diagnostic accuracy with regard to glenohumeral instability and in particular labral lesions. Interpretation of the scans is made difficult by the frequent occurrence of normal anatomic variants and the complexity of injuries to the bone and soft tissues. We selected a continuous sample of 50 CT arthrograms of the shoulder and they were reported by two consultant musculoskeletal radiologists. The results were collated and analysed for the level of agreement. Hill–Sachs showed Kappa (K) statistic to be 0.37 (fair agreement), soft tissue Bankart 0.32 (fair agreement), bony Bankart 0.61 (substantial agreement), anterior capsular laxity 0.41 (moderate agreement) and glenohumeral osteoarthritis 0.20 (slight agreement). All the results were significant with a p value of

4-[(1,2-Dihydro-2-oxo-3H-indol-3-ylidene) amino]-N(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl)-benzene sulphonamide and its derivatives were synthesized by reaction of isatin and its derivatives with sulphadimidine. Their chemical structures have been confirmed by IR, (1)H NMR data and elemental analysis. Investigation of anti-HIV activity of compounds were tested against replication of HIV-1 (IIIB) and HIV-2 (ROD) strains in acutely infected MT-4 cells and the activity compared with standard azidothymidine. Among the compounds tested, 4-[(1,2-dihydro-2 oxo-3H-indol-3-ylidene)amino]-N(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl)-benzene sulphonamide and its N-acetyl derivative were the most active compounds.

Background: In laparoscopic surgery, no external feedback on the magnitude of the force exerted is available. Hence, surgeons and residents tend to exert excessive force, which leads to tissue trauma. Ability of surgeons and residents to perceive their own force output without external feedback is a critical factor in laparoscopic force-skills training. Additionally, existing methods of laparoscopic training do not effectively train residents and novices on force-skills. Hence, there is growing need for the development of force-based training curriculum. Objective: As a first step towards force-based laparoscopic skills training, this study analysed force perception difference between laparoscopic instrument and finger in contralateral bimanual passive probing task. Methods: The study compared the isometric force matching performance of novices, residents and surgeons with finger and laparoscopic instrument. Contralateral force matching paradigm was employed to analyse the force perception capability in terms of relative (accuracy), and constant errors in force matching. Results: Force perception of experts was found to be better than novices and residents. Interestingly, laparoscopic instrument�was more accurate in discriminating the forces�than finger. The dominant hand attempted to match the forces accurately, whereas non-dominant hand�(NH) overestimated the forces.�Further, the NH of experts was found to be most accurate. Furthermore,�excessive forces were applied at lower force levels and at very high force levels. Conclusions: Due to misperception of force, novices and residents applied excessive forces. However, experts had good control over force with both dominant and NHs. These findings suggest that force-based training curricula should not only have proprioception tasks, but should also include bimanual force-skills training exercises in order to improve force perception ability and hand skills of novices and residents. The results can be used as a performance metric in both box and virtual reality based force-skills training. � 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur most commonly in individuals between 18 and 29 years of age and are strongly correlated with sporting activity, with female athletes being at higher risk of ACL rupture than their male counterparts. ACL reconstruction is one of the most frequently performed procedures in orthopaedic surgery, having a reported incidence of 85 per 100,000 head of population in the at-risk age group. Subsequent graft failure is most commonly caused by recurrent trauma, followed by tunnel malpositioning, although the choice of graft type does not appear to affect outcome. The Danish ACL registry reported that ACL revisions accounted for 7.5% of all ACL reconstruction surgery performed between 2005 and 2008. Revision of ACL reconstruction is recognized to carry a worse outcome than primary reconstruction. Preoperative imaging has become a crucial part of surgical planning in these patients, with great reliance placed on computed tomography (CT). The radiologist should be able to recognize the types of primary repair and must be able to assess for the complications of primary surgery, such as tunnel malpositioning, tunnel widening, and fixation device failure. Revision is commonly a two-stage procedure with bone grafting of the tunnels prior to the definitive ligament repair. The radiologist should be able to asses for adequate bone graft incorporation. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the use of CT in the management of ACL revision surgery with examples of commonly used fixation devices; complications, such as tunnel widening and tunnel malpositioning; and bone graft incorporation.

Faciomaxillary and oral surgical procedures are frequently done under local anesthesia. Only few techniques are used widely in these areas in spite of the numerous blocks available. Knowledge about these techniques could encourage use of these techniques for the benefit of patients and operators' comfort. Leaving aside the commonly used intraoral anesthetic technique by faciomaxillary and dental surgeons, focus is given on regional blocks of extraoral route, like maxillary block, mandibular block, superficial cervical plexus block, forehead and scalp block, trigeminal nerve block, sphenopalatine nerve block, and they are discussed with their indications and technical details involved in administering them. Advantages of using the regional blocks over general anesthesia and multiple pricks include reduced dosage and number of needle pricks. Pediatric considerations like prolonged duration of anesthesia and wider area of action for regional blocks warrant that they should be used with caution.

Background: The development of antiviral drugs has provided crucial new means to mitigate or relieve the debilitating effects of many viral pathogens. New classes of inhibitors are essential to combat swine influenza viral infection. Methods: A series of isatine-sulfadimidine derivatives were screened for antiviral activity against swine influenza A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) virus in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell culture. Cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds was also tested in uninfected MDCK cells. Results: All the compounds inhibit the influenza A (H1N1) in MDCK cells. The most active compounds, SPIII-5Br and SPIII-5H, inhibited virus-induced cytopathology by 50% at 27 and 30 μM, respectively, with 50% cytotoxicity occurring at a much higher dose (975–1,000 μM). The positive control compound ribavirin inhibits the replication of the virus at 18 μM and cytotoxic concentration was found to be >1,000 μM. Conclusions: SPIII-5Br and SPIII-5H exhibited potency in the same range as ribavirin and are suitable candidate molecules for further investigation.

Phycoerythrin is a water soluble pigment which absorbs in the visible region at 563 nm. The interaction of phycoerythrin with colloidal metal semiconductors was studied by absorption, FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy. Phycoerythrin adsorbed strongly on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles, the apparent association constant for the association between colloidal metal-TiO2 nanoparticles and phycoerythrin was determined from fluorescence quenching data. The free energy change (ΔGet) for electron transfer process has been calculated by applying Rehm-Weller equation.

Chlorophyll has been extracted from cyanobacteria. The adsorption of chlorophyll on the surface of colloidal TiO(2) through electrostatic interaction was observed. The apparent association constant (K(app)) of chlorophyll-TiO(2) obtained from absorption spectra is 3.78x10(4)M(-1). The K(app) value of chlorophyll-TiO(2) as determined from fluorescence spectra is 1.81x10(4)M(-1), which matches well with that determined from the absorption spectra changes. These data indicate that there is an interaction between chlorophyll and colloidal TiO(2) nanoparticle surface. The dynamics of photoinduced electron transfer from chlorophyll to the conduction band of colloidal TiO(2) nanoparticle has been observed and the mechanism of electron transfer has been confirmed by the calculation of free energy change (DeltaG(et)) by applying Rehm-Weller equation as well as energy level diagram. Lifetime measurements gave the rate constant (k(et)) for electron injection from the excited state chlorophyll into the conduction band of TiO(2) is 4.2x10(8)s(-1).

Objectives. To quantify the extent of inflammation in psoriatic dactylitis and to examine the relationship between clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in both tender and non-tender dactylitis. Methods. Seventeen patients with psoriatic dactylitis underwent clinical assessment for 6 months after change of treatment, usually to methotrexate. Measures of dactylitis included the Leeds Dactylitis Index, the assessment tool used in the Infliximab in Psoriatic Arthritis Clinical Trial (IMPACT), a simple count of tender dactlylitic digits and a count of all dactylitic digits, both tender and non-tender. MRI scans of the affected hand or foot were performed before and after treatment using a 1.5T Siemens scanner pre- and post-contrast. Results. All patients improved clinically, as did their respective dactylitis scores and MRI images. The findings on MRI in both dactylitic and non-dactylitic digits were profound and widespread. The difference between tender and non-tender dactylitis was quantitative rather than qualitative. Synovitis and soft-tissue oedema were the most frequent abnormalities being present in 69 of tender dactylitic digits but bone oedema and flexor tenosynovitis were also frequently seen. Soft-tissue oedema was circumferential and enhancing and not limited to association with the flexor or extensor tendons. None of the clinical indices of dactylitis showed a close relationship to the extent of MRI abnormalities. Conclusions. MRI images demonstrate widespread abnormalities in digits of people with psoriatic arthritis. Tender dactylitic digits have more abnormalities than other digits but the relationship between clinical and MRI scores is not strong.

4-[(1,2-Dihydro-2-oxo-3H-indol-3-ylidene)amino]- N-(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl)-benzenesulphonamide (SPIII-5H) and related compounds were tested for antiviral activity against influenza A (H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1) and B viruses in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell culture. Among the compounds tested, SPIII-5H and four derivatives (5-chloro [SPIII-5Cl], 5-bromo [SPIII-5Br], 5-methyl [SPIII-5Me] and N-acetyl [SPIII-NA]) showed similar antiviral potencies, with only the 5-fluoro (SPIII-5F) derivative being ineffective. Fifty percent effective concentration (EC50) values were determined in cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assays quantified by neutral red dye uptake. By this method, the active compounds were inhibitory to the H1N1 strain of influenza A at 2.7–5.2 µg/ml, to the H3N2 strain of influenza A at 13.8–26.0 µg/ml, to the H5N1 strain of influenza A at 3.1–6.3 µg/ml and to influenza B at 7.7–11.5 µg/ml. Confirmatory virus yield reduction studies against influenza A (H1N1) virus demonstrated antiviral activity (90% inhibition) at concentrations of 2–10 µg/ml. No cytotoxic effects were evident in actively growing uninfected cells or stationary monolayers at 100 µg/ml. Potencies of the compounds were similar to those of ribavirin, but much less than those of oseltamivir carboxylate against the various viruses. Time-of-addition studies indicated the compounds inhibited an early step in the virus replication cycle, probably virus adsorption/penetration, and no virucidal activity was evident. The basic molecule is amenable to diverse chemical modifications, which may improve water solubility and antiviral potency.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a noninfectious, necrotic condition of the bone occurring as a complication of radiotherapy. Most cases occur following trauma or surgical manipulation of the irradiated site. Mandible is the most common bone to be affected following head and neck irradiation. The aim was to develop a successful therapeutic approach for ORN. A spectrum of treatment modalities is practiced for ORN with variable success rate that includes simple irrigation of the affected bone to the partial or complete resection of the jaw bone. In this paper, we present two cases which had successful therapeutic approach for ORN of mandible with autologous bone marrow concentrate stem cells and allogeneic dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) with platelet rich plasma (PRP) following failure of conventional methods. Autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) was injected around the socket and into the periosteum for one case, and DPSC were mixed with tricalcium phosphate and inserted at the site of the defect in one case. The patient treated with BMAC remained asymptomatic and complete bone remodeling was noticed after 1 year. The extraoral sinus was excised, and healing was uneventful without recurrence in the patient treated with allogeneic DPSC and PRP. Periodic panoramic radiographs revealed an appreciable bone formation from the 2(nd) month onward. We have successfully treated two cases of ORN with BMAC and DPSC, respectively.