Use of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Endodontics

Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) is a diagnostic imaging modality that provides high-quality, accurate three-dimensional (3D) representations of the osseous elements of the maxillofacial skeleton. CBCT systems are available that provide small field of view images at low dose with sufficient spatial resolution for applications in endodontic diagnosis, treatment guidance, and posttreatment evaluation. This article provides a literature review and pictorial demonstration of CBCT as an imaging adjunct for endodontics

Sweetpotato weevil resistance in sub-saharan Africa: A viable mechanism for reducing Cylas damage.

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas, L) is the third most important crop in Sub-Saharan Africa contributing significantly to food security, nutrition and income. Weevils, Cylas spp., are the most important insect pest of the crop. The weevils damage both vines and roots, causing unacceptable odour, discoloration, and bitter taste making them unfit for consumption. Depending on conditions, weevils can cause complete losses of the harvestable crop. Host plant resistance seems to be the only viable option for management of the pest. Studies in Uganda reveal existence of active resistance in some sweetpotato genotypes. Field and laboratory experiments show that clones HMA 519, ARA 230, LIR 302, APA 356, ARA 228, RAK 865 (local), and New Kawogo (improved), have varying levels of resistance compared to the susceptible varieties NASPOT1, Kakamega, and Tanzania. The resistant clones were evaluated for field resistance against the susceptible checks; root and vine damage was less in the resistant clones. No-choice bioassays using roots conducted in the laboratory to show that feeding and oviposition was less on the resistant clones indicating that the observed field resistance was not simply escape. The resistance has been linked to some hydroxycinnamic acid esters which occur in higher concentrations in the roots of resistant compared to the susceptible clones. The compounds were extracted from the roots, analysed and synthetic derivatives used to conduct toxicity & deterrence tests. Different concentrations (0.001, 0.01, 0.1mg/ml) of synthetic derivatives of the compounds were applied to the root surfaces of the susceptible variety (NASPOT 1) and showed that weevil species from both Uganda and Malawi fed less and laid fewer eggs on the treated roots compared to the untreated ones confirming the activity of the compounds against weevils. Preliminary studies indicate that the compounds have an additive effect with Cry7a proteins which are the target for the development of clones transformed with the Bt toxin. The findings have important implications for the breeding program in Uganda and will be used to map QTLs in segregating populations from a cross between the US variety Beauregard and the Ugandan variety New Kawogo

Internet of Things (IoT) based Energy Tracking and Bill Estimation System

Electrical energy is an important form of energy in the present times. For better or worse electricity is indispensable to life as we know it. Although we may not yet be able to produce enough clean energy to power the world, we can reduce environmental damage by learning how to save electricity is becoming a priority for more and more people. The purpose of this project is to design a system which can track and estimate the bill using IOT from anywhere in world. The project design comprises of NodeMCU, four channel relay, OLED display and MIT app Inventor 2  as cloud Interface. Here NodeMCU fetches  average consumption detail of loads from and logs estimated bill to the cloud-hosted database, monitors the duration for which each relay in a 4-channel relay module was switched-on, performs calculations, and transmits real-time results to an IoT cloud interface. 4-channel relay module executes switching instructions on loads sent over the internet via the control unit. This paper provides highlights on cloud-hosted database details, hardware design, IoT cloud interface application design, and working principle with mathematical modeling of the proposed system and tested results of this system are discussed, with the cloud-hosted database and IoT cloud interface

Chromosome-End Knockoff Strategy to Reshape Alkaloid Profiles of a Fungal Endophyte

Molecular genetic techniques to precisely eliminate genes in asexual filamentous fungi require the introduction of a marker gene into the target genome. We developed a novel strategy to eliminate genes or gene clusters located in subterminal regions of chromosomes, and then eliminate the marker gene and vector backbone used in the transformation procedure. Because many toxin gene clusters are subterminal, this method is particularly suited to generating nontoxic fungal strains. We tested this technique on Epichloë coenophiala, a seed-transmissible symbiotic fungus (endophyte) of the important forage grass, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum). The endophyte is necessary for maximal productivity and sustainability of this grass but can produce ergot alkaloids such as ergovaline, which are toxic to livestock. The genome sequence of E. coenophiala strain e19 revealed two paralogous ergot alkaloid biosynthesis gene clusters, designated EAS1 and EAS2. EAS1 was apparently subterminal, and the lpsB copy in EAS2 had a frame-shift mutation. We designed a vector with a fungal-active hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph), an lpsA1 gene fragment for homologous recombination at the telomere-distal end of EAS1, and a telomere repeat array positioned to drive spontaneous loss of hph and other vector sequences, and to stabilize the new chromosome end. We transformed E. coenophiala with this vector, then selected “knockoff” endophyte strains, confirmed by genome sequencing to lack 162 kb of a chromosome end including most of EAS1, and also to lack vector sequences. These ∆EAS1 knockoff strains produced no detectable ergovaline, whereas complementation with functional lpsB restored ergovaline production

Scaling Out by Microwave-Assisted, Continuous Flow Organic Synthesis (MACOS): Multi-Gram Synthesis of Bromo- and Fluoro-benzofused Sultams Benzthiaoxazepine-1,1-dioxides

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ullah, F., Samarakoon, T., Rolfe, A., Kurtz, R. D., Hanson, P. R., & Organ, M. G. (2010). Scaling Out by Microwave-Assisted, Continuous Flow Organic Synthesis (MACOS): Multi-Gram Synthesis of Bromo- and Fluoro-benzofused Sultams Benzthiaoxazepine-1,1-dioxides. Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany), 16(36), 10959–10962. http://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201001651, which has been published in final form at doi.org/10.1002/chem.201001651. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving

The endothelial mineralocorticoid receptor regulates vasoconstrictor tone and blood pressure

Pathophysiological aldosterone (aldo)/mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling has significant effects on the cardiovascular system, resulting in hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling; however, the specific contribution of the vascular MR to blood pressure regulation remains to be established. To address this question, we generated a mouse model with conditional overexpression of the MR in endothelial cells (MR-EC). In basal conditions, MR-EC mice developed moderate hypertension that could be reversed by canrenoate, a pharmacological MR antagonist. MR-EC mice presented increased contractile response of resistance arteries to vasoconstrictors (phenylephrine, thromboxane A(2) analog, angiotensin II, and endothelin 1) in the absence of vascular morphological alterations. The acute blood pressure response to angiotensin II or endothelin 1 infusion was increased in MR-EC mice compared with that in littermate controls. These observations demonstrate that enhanced MR activation in the endothelium generates an increase in blood pressure, independent of stimulation of renal tubular Na(+) transport by aldo/MR or direct activation of smooth muscle MR and establish one mechanism by which endothelial MR activation per se may contribute to impaired vascular reactivity

Pheromone-mediated mating disruption in the millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest of pearl millet in the Sahelian region of Africa. The female sex pheromone has been identified and synthesised, and previous research had shown that the synthetic pheromone could cause high levels of reproductive communication disruption in small plots when released at rates of 640 mg/ha/day, using PVC resin formulation renewed every seven days to maintain efficiency. In the present research, in experiments in farmers’ fields in Niger, 86.8% (SE = 2.6%) communication disruption was achieved when polyethylene vials loaded with 0.5 mg pheromone at 400 dispensers/ha were used and replaced every 21 days. Polyethylene vials loaded with 80 mg pheromone gave uniform, zero-order release at approximately 0.05 mg/day at 27 °C. Experiments carried out on replicated 0.5 ha plots in farmers’ fields in Niger using a single application of these dispensers at 400 dispensers/ha resulted in at least 99% suppression of pheromone trap catches of male C. ignefusalis moths in treated plots relative to numbers in untreated plots for up to 3 months. However, sampling the central portions of these plots before and after harvest showed no significant differences in infestation, damage or yield loss between plots treated with pheromone and untreated plots. This may have been because of small plot size and the immigration of mated female moths into the treated plots which negated any reduction of mating of females within the treated plots. Comparisons of numbers of male C. ignefusalis moths in traps baited with the standard 0.5 mg monitoring lures and those baited with the 80 mg disruption dispensers showed catches in the latter were only 10–20% of those in the former; indicating high level communication disruptions in traps with high dose dispensers. Implications of using insect synthetic pheromones in the development of integrated management of C.ignefusalis in pearl millet cropping systems in the Sahel are discussed

Methods for rearing Heliocheilus albipunctella in the laboratory and eliminating the pupal diapause

The life cycle of head miner (H. albipunctella) infesting pearl millet are presented. Methods for rearing the head miner in the laboratory and eliminating the diapause stage of the pest to improve its management in the field are also discussed

RDSP : Rapidly deployable wireless ad hoc system for post-disaster management

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