Treatment of Dental Caries by Ozone Therapy – A Review

Ozone, a powerful oxidizer effectively kills bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites at a dramatically lower concentration and also has the capacity to stimulate blood circulation, platelets, and immune response. Ozone being biocompatible is used in all aspects of dentistry in gaseous, ozonated water and as ozonated oils. Ozone therapy is a well-established alternative and complementary therapy in most of the European countries. Treatment may be achieved by increasing the resistance of the tooth against the microbial activity and reducing the extent of microbial activity. In addition to the recent materials and techniques, the therapeutic actions of ozone may provide beneficial results by reducing the demineralization of the tooth. The treatment is completely painless and increases the patient’s acceptability and compliance with minimal adverse effects. In the present paper, a systematic review was performed on studies investigating the effects of ozone on oral tissues and microorganisms and unveil the uses of ozone in dentistry in all aspects

Reproductive biology of Polypleurum stylosum (Podostemaceae)

Floral biology, pollination, pollen-pistil interaction and fruit development were studied in Polypleurum stylosum var. stylosum and var. laciniata growing attached to rocks in rivers and in the laboratory. Floral development and morphology are similar in both varieties but there are differences in flower bud size, number of pollen grains, ovules, seeds and ovule : seed ratio. Both varieties are self-compatible and predominantly self-pollinated. The inter-locking of sex organs within a flower is an adaptation for self-pollination although cross-pollination cannot be ruled out. Germination of pollen on the stigma and entry of pollen tubes into the ovules have been observed. Fruits appear mature in an incredibly short period of 4-5 days after pollination

Practical value of MIB-1 index in predicting behavior of astrocytomas

Background : The MIB-1 labeling index (LI) has proved to be useful in assigning grading and prognosis to astrocytomas. The purpose of our study was to analyze the utility of MIB-1 LI in differentiating astrocytomas of varying grades and the possible relationships of MIB-1 LI with clinical parameters like age and sex. We also wanted to study the prognostic role of MIB-1 index in predicting behavior of astrocytomas. Materials and Methods : Our study included 145 patients with astrocytic tumors of varying grades. Immunolabeling for all patients was done using MIB-1 antibody. Survival data could be obtained for 64 patients. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the difference in MIB-1 LI between different histological grades. The univariate analysis was done by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the multivariate analysis for survival was performed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results : Significant differences were noted in mean MIB-1 LI of high-grade and low-grade diffuse astrocytomas. MIB-1 LI did not vary significantly with age and sex. Univariate analysis showed favorable prognostic factors for low histopathological grade, young patient age and low MIB-1 LI; however, multivariate analysis showed that only histopathological grade had independent prognostic significance. Conclusions : Our study proves that MIB-1 LI is not dependent on factors like age and sex and is solely dependent on histological grade. Though the average level of MIB-1 LI varies considerably in the different grades of astrocytomas, considerable overlap can be observed between them. MIB-1 LI is a very useful adjunct to the histopathological diagnosis and can be of great help in situations where the clinical and radiological findings do not correlate with histological diagnosis