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Objectives To evaluate the success rate, treatment duration, and pain perceived during forced eruption of maxillary palatally impacted canines using the K9 and Ballista springs. Materials and Methods Thirty unilateral palatal canine impactions of moderate and difficult category as determined by KPG index (score between 10 and 19) were enrolled. Group 1 comprised canine impactions managed with K9 springs, and Group 2 comprised Ballista springs. Block randomization and opaque sealed envelopes were used for allocation. The success rate and treatment duration (application of force to ligation of the impacted canine into the initial alignment archwire) were recorded. Pain perception was evaluated on a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS) and modified McGill Pain Questionnaire. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the groups. Results The success rate for eruption of palatally impacted canines was 100%. The average treatment duration was 296.13 ± 96.45 days and 311.93 ± 94.34 days, respectively for Group 1 and Group 2. VAS scale scores for pain were greater for Group 2 compared to Group1, and the differences were statistically significant at all time intervals except at T1. The frequency of none and mild pain was significantly greater at all time intervals in both groups. Conclusions The impacted canines of moderate and difficult category were erupted with a 100% success rate and similar treatment duration with both interventions. The pain scores of Ballista springs were greater after 24 hours of force application.

It is a considerable challenge for a prosthodontist to rehabilitate and sustain the prosthesis in edentulous patients with bilateral maxillectomy. Compelling evidence is lacking with respect to the treatment outcome when the maxillary defects are closed surgically in comparison to their prosthetic rehabilitation. Four edentulous male patients, with bilateral maxillectomy defects were referred for prosthodontic intervention to meet their nutritional and speech issues. In the absence of intra oral supporting and retentive structures, it was decided to retain the obturator utilizing extraoral aid to address their functional needs. Customized headgear face-bow retained obturators were adequately retentive and did serve its purpose well in all four patients. It also gave the liberty to alter retention and refine the prosthesis at will, provided access to the operated site for a quick evaluation of disease recurrence, and was economical to the patients. Considering the encouraging outcome experienced in this special category of individuals, it would be reasonable to believe that the headgear face-bow assembly has an immense potential to function as a valuable, prudent, and a viable retentive aid for a non-implant retained obturator in edentulous patients with extensive maxillary defect.

Background: Oral submucous fibrosis is very common in Asia. It has many deleterious effects on individual's oral functions. Thus, there is a need to assess the effect of oral submucous fibrosis on quality of life. Objective: To assess the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in male subjects with oral submucous fibrosis. Methods: Two hundred and thirty male subjects in the age range of 20–40 years were recruited in the cross-sectional, two-group comparative study. Of 230 male subjects, 115 were oral submucous fibrosis subjects who were included in the study group and 115 healthy subjects formed the control group. English version of the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used to assess the OHRQoL. Wilcoxon signed-rank, Kruskal–Wallis, and Bonferroni tests were applied, and the P = 0.05 was considered as level of significance. Results: The mean and median OHIP-14 scores were 19.10 ± 0.66 and 18.00 in the study group and 3.98 ± 3.80 and 3.00 in the control group subjects, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean score of all the seven domains of OHIP-14 was significantly more in oral submucous fibrosis subjects (P < 0.001). All the oral submucous fibrosis subjects had one or more negative effects on OHRQoL compared to 64.34% of healthy subjects. Stage-4 of the oral submucous fibrosis had maximum effect on quality of life compared to other stages (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The quality of life among males is severely affected by oral submucous fibrosis, and Stage-4 of oral submucous fibrosis has maximum effect on the quality of life.

Germination of seed is considered as the first and most fundamental stage of a plant life cycle so that, the achievement in growth and yield production also depends on this stage. Drought stress is one of the most important environmental factors that limit the growth, development and production of plants. The influence of drought stress (0, -.6, -1.2 and -1.8 bar) by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 on seed germination indices and photosynthetic pigments in sweet corn was examined under laboratory conditions with triplicates. Results indicated that drought stress significantly reduced germination per cent (76%), radicle length (71%), plumule length (65%), radicle fresh weight (76%), plumule fresh weight (68%), radicle dry weight (78%), plumule dry weight (56%), chlorophyll a (67%), chlorophyll b (75%), total chlorophyll (69%) and carotenoids (72%). Overall, drought stress had a negative effect on all the parameters.

Background. Hospital discharge summaries are deemed to be an essential part of the medical record in South Africa, but formal assessment of their quality is rarely undertaken. At Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH) in Johannesburg, medical admission notes (bedletters) are difficult to retrieve from the hospital archives and the discharge summary is often the only readily available medical record that documents details of the hospital admission. Objectives. To determine the proportion of discharge summaries that were appropriately completed for children admitted to the general paediatric wards at CHBAH. Methods. A retrospective review of discharge summaries completed for children admitted from 1 May to 31 July 2016 was undertaken. The completeness of the following demographic and clinical variables was assessed: patient identifiers, hospital outcome, HIV infection status and anthropometric status. The documentation of correct International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems , 10th revision (ICD-10) codes was assessed in children diagnosed with any form of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), which is the commonest diagnosis recorded in hospitalised children at CHBAH. Results. Discharge summaries were available for 1 148 (78.3%) of 1 466 children admitted during the study period. For completed discharge summaries, 80.1 - 93.3% of patient identifiers and 91.4% of patient outcomes were appropriately completed. HIV exposure was documented in 84.7% of summaries. Anthropometric parameters, including weight and length/height at admission and discharge weight, were appropriately completed in 91.4%, 70.9% and 50.0% of summaries, respectively. The ICD-10 code for children with LRTI was appropriately recorded by medical staff in 338 (67.2%) of 503 cases. ICD‑10 codes and anthropometric parameters, which are important clinical parameters in the paediatric follow-up consultation, were both correctly recorded for only 21.6% of children who required follow-up clinical consultations at CHBAH. Conclusions. Compared with similar studies, both the rate of completion and the quality of completed discharge summaries were modest in this tertiary academic teaching hospital. As discharge summaries are crucial medical documents, interventions to improve their completeness rate and quality need to be developed.

Space gaining is frequently required in orthodontics. Multiple loops were initially used for space gaining and alignment. The most common used mechanics for space gaining is the use of nickel–titanium open coil springs. The disadvantage of nickel–titanium coil spring is that they cannot be used until the arches are well aligned to receive the stiffer stainless steel wires. Therefore, a new method of gaining space during initial alignment and leveling has been developed and named as sleeve push technique (SPT). The nickel–titanium wires, i.e. 0.012 inches and 0.014 inches along with archwire sleeve (protective tubing) can be used in a modified way to gain space along with alignment. This method helps in gaining space right from day 1 of treatment. The archwire sleeve and nickel–titanium wire in this new SPT act as a mutually synergistic combination and provide the orthodontist with a completely new technique for space opening.

Massive osteolysis in a 7-year old child is a rare condition. The etiology of massive osteolysis is unknown and it results in the progressive destruction of bony structures. There is no standard therapy available in the literature. Conservative treatment is often used for its management. Radiotherapy is considered as an accepted form of treatment with greater chance of success when it is used in the early course of disease. There are few case reports in the literature in which radiotherapy has been used for the treatment. This article highlights the literature update on various treatment modalities and a case managed by radiation therapy.

Background and Aim: Habitual short sleep duration is a common practice linked to weight gain and risk of obesity. The objective of the study was to find out the association between sleep and visceral fat in young adolescents of Gujarati ethnicity. Methods: We used cross-sectional, experimental study data from students of Gujarati ethnicity from different parts of Gujarat in the same institution ( n = 608). We assessed the association between sleep duration ( 7.5 h) and visceral obesity (visceral fat 0–9 as normal and 9 and above as visceral obese). Young healthy adolescents of Gujarati ethnicity were enrolled in the study and divided as per the areas of Gujarat. We measured visceral fat using the body composition monitor of Omron. We measured sleep by asking them the number of hours they sleep in 24 h. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. An explorative, descriptive analysis was done; univariate analysis and logistic regression were also performed. Results: Univariate analysis showed that there was a negative correlation seen with Visceral fat (-0.038), Systolic pressure (-0.044) and Diastolic pressure (-0.075); while negative correlation with sleep was seen in only female population; even though the results were not statistically significant. We found the sleep in hours in our population to be a higher mean of 7.3 h in males, while it was found to be 7.1 h in females. The range of sleep was 6 h– 9 h as the 5 th and 95 th percentile and 7 h as the 50 th percentile in both males and females. Conclusion: The sleep is associated negatively with visceral fat in the female population. Hence, adequacy of sleep for >7.5 h, a potentially modifiable behavior to prevent obesity needs to be considered. Detailed longitudinal studies tracking other activities that contribute to obesity also need to be done.