EFFECT OF CURCUMA LONGA EXTRACT ON BIOFILM FORMATION BY STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS

Objective: To find the effect of Curcuma longa extract on biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans.Methods: The organism S. mutans was isolated from saliva sample using special media (Mutans - sanguis agar) and maintained in tryptone soya agar at 4°C in Department of Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals.Results: From the study, we infer that 78.35% of inhibition of the biofilm formation is seen with 100 ug of curcumin extract. From the result, it is evident that curcumin has a very good inhibitory effect on S. mutans growth.Conclusion: The study concludes the inhibitory action of curcumin on S. mutans by preventing biofilm formation

ACTION OF TEA TREE OIL AND CINNAMON LEAF OIL AGAINST ORAL PATHOGENS

Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial effect of tea tree oil (TTO) (Melaleuca alternifolia) and cinnamon leaf oil (Cinnammomum osmophloeum) againstoral pathogens. This study gives a detail description about the action of TTO and cinnamon leaf oil against pathogens that are responsible for dentalcaries. The mouth contains a wide variety of oral bacterial, and only a few specific species of bacteria are believed to cause dental caries: Streptococcusmutans and Lactobacillus species among them. TTO or Malaleuca is an essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odor and color ranges from pale yellow tocolorless or clear. It is used for medications as it has an antimicrobial effect. The essential oil of M. alternifolia exhibits antimicrobial activity against a widerange of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. Cinnamon oil contains cinnamaldehyde which possess the strongest antibacterialactivity. Since essential oil has a very good antimicrobial effect, it is used against the action of oral pathogens involved in dental caries.Methods: Cinnamon leaf oil and TTO disc diffusion method is used.Result: The results obtained from our study shows that the two essential oils have got a very good antibacterial activity against S. mutans.Conclusion: From this study , we conclude that herbal product have a very good anti bacterial effect. So herbal products can be introduced for dentaltreatments.Keywords: Cinnamon oil, tea tree oil, dental caries, disc diffusion, S. Mutans, herbal product

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF ORAL MICROBIOTA OF CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES BORN TO CARIES FREE MOTHERS

Objectives: To compare the level of mutans streptococci in children with and without Early childhood caries (ECC) born to caries free mothers.Methods: Twenty children aged between 3 and 6 years were selected depending on their caries experience, and the mother should be caries free inboth the groups. The children were divided into two groups. Group I had an active carious lesion and Group II were caries free. Saliva samples werecollected from the child and the mother in a sterile tube and bacterial culture was carried out to estimate the colony count.Results: There was a highly significant difference in the colony forming unit (CFU) between the 2 groups, indicating higher CFU in children with ECC.Conclusions: Even though there are higher chances of vertical transmission of MS from mother to their child, this study provides a new view thatmother alone is not a potential factor for mutans streptococci transmission to their child.Keywords: Mutans streptocci, Early childhood caries, Colony forming unit

NATURAL REMEDY FOR PREVENTING TOOTH DECAY-A REVIEW!

 Dental caries (tooth decay) is a chronic disease, affecting a large number of populations. The carious process affects the mineralized tissues of theteeth, enamel, dentine and cementum. It is caused by the action of microorganisms on fermentable carbohydrates in the diet. The disease is oftendescribed to be progressive and if not treated may expand in size and progress to the pulp leading to pulp inflammation thus pain and discomfort,and the end result will be loss of vitality then loss of the tooth. To promote healthy teeth, many communities have implemented the fluoridated water,a practice started during the 1940s. Other common practices include using fluoride-containing toothpaste for brushing, routine dental cleaningsby a qualified practitioner and getting cavities filled. Now, an array of more natural methods are available to promote dental health, prevent toothdecay and provide relief from tooth pain and gum irritation associated with poor dental health. This review discusses about anti-cariogenic activityof raisins. Although raisins are sweet and are considered sticky,†research imply that they do not adhere to the teeth long enough to promote dentalcaries formation and may help clear other cariogenic sugars from the tooth surface.Keywords: Tooth decay, Streptococcus mutans, Raisins

Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support in modern medical physics:Selection, acceptance, commissioning, and quality assurance

Background: Recent advances in machine and deep learning based on an increased availability of clinical data have fueled renewed interest in computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). CDSSs have shown great potential to improve healthcare, increase patient safety and reduce costs. However, the use of CDSSs is not without pitfalls, as an inadequate or faulty CDSS can potentially deteriorate the quality of healthcare and put patients at risk. In addition, the adoption of a CDSS might fail because its intended users ignore the output of the CDSS due to lack of trust, relevancy or actionability.Aim: In this article, we provide guidance based on literature for the different aspects involved in the adoption of a CDSS with a special focus on machine and deep learning based systems: selection, acceptance testing, commissioning, implementation and quality assurance.Results: A rigorous selection process will help identify the CDSS that best fits the preferences and requirements of the local site. Acceptance testing will make sure that the selected CDSS fulfills the defined specifications and satisfies the safety requirements. The commissioning process will prepare the CDSS for safe clinical use at the local site. An effective implementation phase should result in an orderly roll out of the CDSS to the well-trained end-users whose expectations have been managed. And finally, quality assurance will make sure that the performance of the CDSS is maintained and that any issues are promptly identified and solved.Conclusion: We conclude that a systematic approach to the adoption of a CDSS will help avoid pitfalls, improve patient safety and increase the chances of success. (C) 2019 The Authors. Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.</p

Genomic interventions to improve resilience of pigeonpea in changing climate

Pigeonpea is an important food legume crop for rainfed agriculture in developing countries, particularly in India. Productivity gains in pigeonpea have remained static, and the challenge of improving pigeonpea yield is further aggravated by increasingly uncertain climatic conditions. Improved pigeonpea cultivars with favourable traits, allowing them to cope with climatic adversities, are urgently required. Modern genomic technologies have the potential to rapidly improve breeding traits that confer resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent advances in pigeonpea genomics have led to the development of large-scale genomic tools to accelerate breeding programs. Availability of high-density genotyping assays and high-throughput phenotyping platforms motivate researchers to adopt new breeding techniques like genomic selection (GS) for improving complex traits. Accurate GS predictions inferred from multilocation and multiyear data sets also open new avenues for ‘remote breeding’ which is very much required to achieve genotype selection for future climates. Speed breeding pigeonpea with deployment of rapid generation advancement (RGA) technologies will improve our capacity to breed cultivars endowed with resilient traits. Once such climate-resilient cultivars are in place, their rapid dissemination to farmer’s fields will be required to witness the real impact. Equally important will be the acceleration of varietal turnover to keep pace with the unpredictably changing climatic conditions so that cultivars are constantly optimized for the climatic conditions at any given time