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Nanomaterials are widely used in modern clinical dentistry. They improve various properties, such as antimicrobial properties, durability of materials. These particles do not exceed 100 nm, due to they obtain a better ratio between the surface and mass. Nanomaterials are used in many areas of dentistry, such as conservative dentistry, endodontics, oral, and maxillofacial surgery, periodontics, orthodontics, and prosthetics. One of the most important complications of fixed orthodontic treatment is enamel demineralization. Brackets and orthodontic accessories facilitate plaque accumulation and compromise oral hygiene maintenance which lead to an increase in oral bacteria count during orthodontic treatment. 30 MBT 0.022’’ monocrystalline ceramic brackets and 30 MBT 0.022’’ polycrystalline ceramic brackets (Metro Orthodontics) which are randomly divided into 4 groups: 2 control groups (group-1=15 uncoated monocrystalline and group-2=15 uncoated polycrystalline) and 2 experimental groups (group-3=15 silver oxide coated monocrystalline and group-4=15 silver oxide coated polycrystalline). S.mutans counts were significantly less in the experimental groups than control groups. Titanium oxide coatings on ceramic brackets reduced the colony forming units of S. mutans. Reduced number of colony forming units was seen in both the monocrystalline and polycrystalline coated brackets than their control groups.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to identify and test low cost approaches for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction that can enable health systems to achieve such a strategy. OBJECTIVE: Community health workers (CHWs) are an integral part of health-care delivery system in lower income countries. Our aim was to assess impact of CHW based interventions in reducing CVD risk factors in rural households in India. METHODS: We performed an open-label cluster-randomized trial in 28 villages in 3 states of India with the household as a unit of randomization. Households with individuals at intermediate to high CVD risk were randomized to intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, trained CHWs delivered risk-reduction advice and monitored risk factors during 6 household visits over 12 months. Households in the non-intervention group received usual care. Primary outcomes were a reduction in systolic BP (SBP) and adherence to prescribed BP lowering drugs. RESULTS: We randomized 2312 households (3261 participants at intermediate or high risk) to intervention (1172 households) and control (1140 households). At baseline prevalence of tobacco use (48.5%) and hypertension (34.7%) were high. At 12 months, there was significant decline in SBP (mmHg) from baseline in both groups-controls 130.3±21 to 128.3±15; intervention 130.3±21 to 127.6±15 (p

Ovine paratuberculosis is a threat to small animal holders in terms of economic loss such as reduced growth performance and early culling. In order to study the slaughterhouse prevalence of ovine paratuberculosis, the slaughterhouse sheep samples (which are poor in body condition) collected over a period of two and half years from 1,034 suspected male sheep (poor in body condition) and 40 normal sheep (good body condition and subsequently negative by all the diagnostic tests employed) aged between 16 and 18 months were slaughtered at various abattoirs of Tamil Nadu. All the sheep taken in this study were maintained in almost same management conditions. DNA was extracted from 1,034 intestinal tissue and mesenteric lymph node and 121 were positive by IS 900 PCR. One hundred ten and 56 were positive by absorbed ELISA and Ziehl–Neelsen staining, respectively. In histopathology, 28 animals showed gross lesions of paratuberculosis infection (20—multibacillary and 8—paucibacillary forms). Out of 1,034 sheep tissues cultured, 32 showed cultural growth in Middlebrook 7H9 and 26 in Herrold's egg yolk medium. None of the 40 normal sheep were positive by any of the tests employed. In general, the mean body weight of paratuberculosis-affected animal either by any one of the tests employed was less than the non-affected sheep. The approximate economic loss per sheep/farmer/year is around Rs 1,840 (US$ 38.33) in paratuberculosis-affected sheep.