A Rare Case Series: Impacted Distomolars

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of multiple supernumerary teeth in individuals without any associated syndrome is rare. Supernumerary teeth may occur in any region of the dental arch and are frequently observed in the maxillary region. But the occurrence of distomolars is rare, particularly mandibular distomolars are extremely rare. CASES PRESENTATION: In this paper, we present a series of case reports of maxillary and mandibular distomolars. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of distomolars is rare, but when detected patients should be kept under observation

Illuminating Host-Parasite Interaction at the Cellular and Subcellular Levels with Infrared Microspectroscopy

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an opportunistic protozoan that can cause brain infection and other serious health consequences in immuno-compromised individuals. This parasite has a remarkable ability to cross biological barriers and exploit the host cell microenvironment to support its own survival and growth. Recent advances in label-free spectroscopic imaging techniques have made it possible to study biological systems at a high spatial resolution. In this study, we used conventional Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy to analyze the chemical changes that are associated with infection of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) by T. gondii (RH) tachyzoites. Both FTIR microspectroscopic methods showed utility in revealing the chemical alterations in the infected hBMECs. Using a ZnS hemisphere device, to increase the numerical aperture, and the synchrotron source to increase the brightness, we obtained spatially resolved spectra from within a single cell. The spectra extracted from the nucleus and cytosol containing the tachyzoites were clearly distinguished. RNA sequencing analysis of T. gondii-infected and uninfected hBMECs revealed significant changes in the expression of host cell genes and pathways in response to T. gondii infection. These FTIR spectroscopic and transcriptomic findings provide significant insight into the molecular changes that occur in hBMECs during T. gondii infection

What is the right sequencing approach? Solo VS extended family analysis in consanguineous populations.

Testing strategies is crucial for genetics clinics and testing laboratories. In this study, we tried to compare the hit rate between solo and trio and trio plus testing and between trio and sibship testing. Finally, we studied the impact of extended family analysis, mainly in complex and unsolved cases. Three cohorts were used for this analysis: one cohort to assess the hit rate between solo, trio and trio plus testing, another cohort to examine the impact of the testing strategy of sibship genome vs trio-based analysis, and a third cohort to test the impact of an extended family analysis of up to eight family members to lower the number of candidate variants. The hit rates in solo, trio and trio plus testing were 39, 40, and 41%, respectively. The total number of candidate variants in the sibship testing strategy was 117 variants compared to 59 variants in the trio-based analysis. We noticed that the average number of coding candidate variants in trio-based analysis was 1192 variants and 26,454 noncoding variants, and this number was lowered by 50-75% after adding additional family members, with up to two coding and 66 noncoding homozygous variants only, in families with eight family members. There was no difference in the hit rate between solo and extended family members. Trio-based analysis was a better approach than sibship testing, even in a consanguineous population. Finally, each additional family member helped to narrow down the number of variants by 50-75%. Our findings could help clinicians, researchers and testing laboratories select the most cost-effective and appropriate sequencing approach for their patients. Furthermore, using extended family analysis is a very useful tool for complex cases with novel genes

Targeting <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> ME49 TgAPN2: A Bioinformatics Approach for Antiparasitic Drug Discovery

As fewer therapeutic options are available for treating toxoplasmosis, newer antiparasitic drugs that can block TgAPN2 M1 aminopeptidase are of significant value. Herein, we employed several computer-aided drug-design approaches with the objective of identifying drug molecules from the Asinex library with stable conformation and binding energy scores. By a structure-based virtual screening process, three molecules—LAS_52160953, LAS_51177972, and LAS_52506311—were identified as promising candidates, with binding affinity scores of −8.6 kcal/mol, −8.5 kcal/mol, and −8.3 kcal/mol, respectively. The compounds produced balanced interacting networks of hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions, vital for holding the compounds at the docked cavity and stable binding conformation. The docked compound complexes with TgAPN2 were further subjected to molecular dynamic simulations that revealed mean RMSD for the LAS_52160953 complex of 1.45 Å), LAS_51177972 complex 1.02 Å, and LAS_52506311 complex 1.087 Å. Another round of binding free energy validation by MM-GBSA/MM-PBSA was done to confirm docking and simulation findings. The analysis predicted average MM-GBSA value of <−36 kcal/mol and <−35 kcal/mol by MM-PBSA. The compounds were further classified as appropriate candidates to be used as drug-like molecules and showed favorable pharmacokinetics. The shortlisted compounds showed promising biological potency against the TgAPN2 enzyme and may be used in experimental validation. They may also serve as parent structures to design novel derivatives with enhanced biological potency

A Comparative Study between Screen-Printed and Solid-Contact Electrodes for the Stability-Indicating Determination of Bromazepam

Stability-indicating methods are awesome tools to ensure the safety and efficacy of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). An accurate comparative study involving the use of potentiometric sensors for the determination of bromazepam (BRZ) in the presence of its main product of degradation and impurity was performed by the fabrication of two membrane electrodes. A screen-printed electrode (SPE) and a solid-contact glassy carbon electrode (SCE) were fabricated and their performance optimized. The fabricated sensors showed a linear electrochemical response in the concentration range 1.0 &times; 10&minus;6 M to 1.0 &times; 10&minus;2 M. The electrodes exhibited Nernstian slopes of 59.70 mV/decade and 58.10 mV/decade for the BRZ-SPE and BRZ-SCE membrane electrodes, respectively. The electrochemical performance was greatly affected by the medium pH. They showed an almost ideal electrochemical performance between pH 3.0 and pH 6.0. The fabricated membranes were applied successfully for the quantification of BRZ in the presence of up to 90% of its degradation product. Moreover, a successful application of the fabricated electrodes was performed for the sensitive and selective quantification of BRZ in its tablet form without any pretreatment procedure

Tracking glycosylation in live cells using FTIR spectroscopy

Статья посвящена актуальным проблемам теоретического анализа революционного тер- роризма эпохи модерна. Характеризуются специфические особенности революционного терроризма в плане сравнения исторического опыта Великой французской и Октябрьской революций. Критически оцениваются результаты интерпретации этого опыта в общесо- циологических теориях М. Манна, Б. Мура и И. Валлерстайна, а также в политической философии неомарксизма (М. Хардт, А. Негри, Р. М. Унгер, Т. Иглтон, Ф. Джеймисон). В статье отмечается, что большинство объяснительных макросоциологических моделей ограничиваются лишь «подведением итогов» террористической политики партий и госу- дарств в XVIII–XX вв. Различные аспекты дискуссии вокруг самого феномена террориз- ма и роли государства в его сдерживании или, наоборот, распространении затрагиваются в них лишь косвенно, поскольку террор как таковой нивелирован до уровня сегмента (более или менее существенного) макропроцессов и структур, определяющих эволюцию к индустриальному и постиндустриальному типу общества. При этом историческая ли- ния преемственности между различными этапами эволюции самой политической тра- диции террора трактуется в макромоделях весьма абстрактно и нередко становится едва различимой. Аналитические идеи философии современного левого радикализма также свидетельствуют о том, что неомарксистские идеологи в своем анализе современного терроризма, в определенном плане, остаются столь же приверженными абстрактным фи- лософским конструкциям, как и ученые, ориентирующиеся на макро-теоретические па- радигмы современной социологии и академического марксизма со всеми свойственными им несомненными преимуществами и неизбежными аберрациями.The article is devoted to actual problems of the theoretical analysis of the revolutionary terrorism of the modern era. The paper considers the specific features of revolutionary terrorism in frames of a comparison of the historical experience of the French and Russian October Revolutions. In the course of a comparative analysis the authors assess critically the results of the interpretation of this experience in the general sociological theories of Michael Mann, Barrington Moore and Immanuel Wallerstein and political philosophy of Neo-Marxism (Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri, Roberto Mangabeira Unger, Terry Eagleton, Fredric Jameson). The article notes that the majority of explanatory macro-sociological models are limited to the «summing up» of the terrorist policy of the parties and States in the XVIII–XX centuries. The various aspects of the discussion around the very phenomenon of terrorism and the role of the state in its containment or, on the contrary, distribution are affected only indirectly, as the terror itself is reduced to the segment level of macro-processes and structures (more or less significant) that determine the evolution to an industrial and post-industrial type of society. The historical line of continuity between the different stages of the evolution of the political tradition of terror is treated in the macro-models very abstractly and often becomes barely visible. Analytical ideas of the philosophy of modern left-wing radicalism also suggest that the neo-Marxist ideologues in their analysis of modern terrorism are equally committed, in a certain respect, to the abstract philosophical constructs, as well as the scientists oriented to macro-theoretical paradigms of modern sociology and academic Marxism with all their characteristic undoubted advantages and unavoidable aberrations