ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PERIODONTAL DISEASE AMONG A GROUP OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN CHENNAI CITY: A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY

Objective: The main objective of this study is to assess the awareness about oral hygiene, etiology periodontal disease and awareness of treatmenttechniques for the same among medical professionals in Chennai city.METHODS: A survey will be carried out among a group of medical professionals comprising of interns, post graduates (PG) and faculty in medicalcolleges by means of questions to identify the knowledge of periodontitis, risk associated with periodontal disease and the general awareness amongmedical professionals with regards to periodontal care. The data obtained from the questionnaire was statistically analyzed and the results werecomputed. RESULTS: The results of this study show that there in increase in the knowledge about periodontal disease in postgraduates and faculty compared tointerns. It was observed that the awareness increased with the number of years of experience, however, across groups there was a deficiency in theknowledge with respect to latest treatment modalities available for periodontal disease.CONCLUSION: The input from the survey can be used to organize periodontal health programs and awareness among professionals about periodontaldisease and importance of treating the same.Keywords: Knowledge, Periodontal disease, Medical professionals

DFT Analysis, ADME, antibacterial activity and molecular docking studies of 2-(3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-n-phenylacetamide derivatives

Quantum computational study based on density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP) using basis set 6-311G (d,p) a number of global and local reactivity descriptors have been computed to predict the reactivity and the reactive sites on the 2-(3-aryl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-yl)-n-phenylacetamideoxadiazole derivatives. The molecular geometry and the electronic properties such as frontier molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO), ionization potential (I) and electron affinity (A) are investigated to get a better insight of the molecular properties. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) for all compounds were determined to check their electrophilic or nucleophilic reactivity. The in silico pharmacokinetics showed that nearly all derivatives obeyed Lipinski rule of 5 with low toxicity and metabolic stability. The antibacterial activity was carried out against B. subtilis, S. aureus, P.aeruginosa and E. coli, displaying considerable inhibition. MurE ligases, (PDB: 7b6k) participating in the intracellular steps of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis, are taken as targets for molecular docking studies using Flare GUI software. The docking outcome revealed that these 1,2,4-oxadiazole analogues have highest LF rank score in the range -12.9 to -6.0 which shows that they act as potent antibacterial agents

Mining the GALAH Data. I. Study of Five Super Lithium-rich Metal-poor Giants

The presence of a large amount of Li in giants is still a mystery. Most of the super Li-rich (SLR) giants reported in recent studies are in the solar metallicity regime. Here, we study the five metal-poor SLRs from the Galactic Archeology with HERMES Data Release 3, with their [Fe/H] ranging from −1.35 to −2.38 with lithium abundance of A (Li) ≥ 3.4 dex. The asteroseismic analysis reveals that none are on the red giant branch. The average period spacing (Δ P ) values indicate giants are in the core He-burning phase. All of them are low-mass giants ( M < 1.5 M _⊙ ). Their location in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram suggests one of them is in the red clump (RC) phase, and interestingly, the other four are much brighter and coincide with the early asymptotic giant branch phase. The analysis of the abundance reveals that C, O, Na, Ba, and Eu are normal in giants of respective metallicities and evolutionary phases. Further, we did not find any strong evidence of the presence of dust in the form of infrared excess or binarity from the available radial velocity data. We discuss a few scenarios for the existence of SLRs at higher luminosity, including past merger events. Our findings will help in understanding the production and evolution of Li among giants, in particular, during the RC phase and the post-RC phase

Development and Evaluation of an Objective Criterion for the Real-Time Prediction of Indian Summer Monsoon Onset in a Coupled Model Framework

Abstract This study reports an objective criterion for the real-time extended-range prediction of monsoon onset over Kerala (MOK), using circulation as well as rainfall information from the 16 May initial conditions of the Grand Ensemble Prediction System based on the coupled model CFSv2. Three indices are defined, one from rainfall measured over Kerala and the others based on the strength and depth of the low-level westerly jet over the Arabian Sea. While formulating the criterion, the persistence of both rainfall and low-level wind after the MOK date has been considered to avoid the occurrence of “bogus onsets” that are unrelated to the large-scale monsoon system. It is found that the predicted MOK date matches well with the MOK date declared by the India Meteorological Department, the authorized principal weather forecasting agency under the government of India, for the period 2001–14. The proposed criterion successfully avoids predicting bogus onsets, which is a major challenge in the prediction of MOK. Furthermore, the evolution of various model-predicted large-scale and local meteorological parameters corresponding to the predicted MOK date is in good agreement with that of the observation, suggesting the robustness of the devised criterion and the suitability of CFSv2 model for MOK prediction. However, it should be noted that the criterion proposed in the present study can be used only in the dynamical prediction framework, as it necessitates input data on the future evolution of rainfall and low-level wind

Petroleum Microbiology’s Metamorphosis:Expert Insights on the Energy Transition

In the dynamic landscape of today’s energy sector, the shift from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources has become a focal point of exploration and innovation. Yet, microorganisms continue to be a dominant player amid this transition period. In a series of enlightening interviews, we engage with experts who stand at the forefront of this research, offering valuable perspectives on the pivotal role of microorganisms in the ongoing energy transition. These conversations provide a unique window into the intricate relationships between microbiology and the energy transition, shedding light on how these tiny organisms hold the potential to drive significant change in our quest for a more sustainable energy future.</p

Expression of the BAD pathway is a marker of triple-negative status and poor outcome

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has few therapeutic targets, making nonspecific chemotherapy the main treatment. Therapies enhancing cancer cell sensitivity to cytotoxic agents could significantly improve patient outcomes. A BCL2-associated agonist of cell death (BAD) pathway gene expression signature (BPGES) was derived using principal component analysis (PCA) and evaluated for associations with the TNBC phenotype and clinical outcomes. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the relative expression levels of phospho-BAD isoforms in tumour samples. Cell survival assays evaluated the effects of BAD pathway inhibition on chemo-sensitivity. BPGES score was associated with TNBC status and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer samples of the Moffitt Total Cancer Care dataset and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). TNBC tumours were enriched for the expression of phospho-BAD isoforms. Further, the BPGES was associated with TNBC status in breast cancer cell lines of the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE). Targeted inhibition of kinases known to phosphorylate BAD protein resulted in increased sensitivity to platinum agents in TNBC cell lines compared to non-TNBC cell lines. The BAD pathway is associated with triple-negative status and OS. TNBC tumours were enriched for the expression of phosphorylated BAD protein compared to non-TNBC tumours. These findings suggest that the BAD pathway it is an important determinant of TNBC clinical outcomes.National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USANIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) [1R21 CA-181617-01]; Total Cancer Care Initiative; Collaborative Data Services Core at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center [P30-CA076292]; DeBartolo Family; Tissue Core at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center [P30-CA076292]; Cancer Informatics Core at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center [P30-CA076292]; Analytic Microscopy Core at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center [P30-CA076292]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]