A Proposed Model for Infant and Child Oral Health Promotion in India

Dental caries is an increasing burden in the developing countries. A proper budgetary allocation for treating dental diseases in an enormous population such as India is impractical, where resources are inadequate for major health challenges such as malnutrition and gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children. An integrated, directed population approach targeting children is much needed. The existing machinery of successful public health campaigns such as the “Pulse Polio” and the “Mid-Day-Meals Scheme” of the Government of India can be used for oral health promotion for children. India has about 300 dental colleges and countrywide branches of the Indian Dental Association that can provide manpower for the program. An innovative, large-scale “Fit for School” program in Philippines is a model for an integrated approach for children’s health and has proved to be cost-effective and viable. A model for oral health promotion in infants and children of India, combining age-specific initiatives for health education, nutrition, hygiene, and fluoride use, is proposed. The model could be implemented to evaluate the oral health status of children, knowledge and knowledge gain of the community health workers, and acceptability and sustainability of the preventive programs (fluoride varnish and preschool and school tooth brushing) pragmatically

Fast Homozygosity Mapping and Identification of a Zebrafish ENU-Induced Mutation by Whole-Genome Sequencing

Forward genetics using zebrafish is a powerful tool for studying vertebrate development through large-scale mutagenesis. Nonetheless, the identification of the molecular lesion is still laborious and involves time-consuming genetic mapping. Here, we show that high-throughput sequencing of the whole zebrafish genome can directly locate the interval carrying the causative mutation and at the same time pinpoint the molecular lesion. The feasibility of this approach was validated by sequencing the m1045 mutant line that displays a severe hypoplasia of the exocrine pancreas. We generated 13 Gb of sequence, equivalent to an eightfold genomic coverage, from a pool of 50 mutant embryos obtained from a map-cross between the AB mutant carrier and the WIK polymorphic strain. The chromosomal region carrying the causal mutation was localized based on its unique property to display high levels of homozygosity among sequence reads as it derives exclusively from the initial AB mutated allele. We developed an algorithm identifying such a region by calculating a homozygosity score along all chromosomes. This highlighted an 8-Mb window on chromosome 5 with a score close to 1 in the m1045 mutants. The sequence analysis of all genes within this interval revealed a nonsense mutation in the snapc4 gene. Knockdown experiments confirmed the assertion that snapc4 is the gene whose mutation leads to exocrine pancreas hypoplasia. In conclusion, this study constitutes a proof-of-concept that whole-genome sequencing is a fast and effective alternative to the classical positional cloning strategies in zebrafish

tRNASec is transcribed by RNA polymerase II in Trypanosoma brucei but not in humans

Nuclear-encoded tRNAs are universally transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol-III) and contain intragenic promoters. Transcription of vertebrate tRNASec however requires extragenic promoters similar to Pol-III transcribed U6 snRNA. Here, we present a comparative analysis of tRNASec transcription in humans and the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma brucei, two evolutionary highly diverged eukaryotes. RNAi-mediated ablation of Pol-II and Pol-III as well as oligo-dT induced transcription termination show that the human tRNASec is a Pol-III transcript. In T. brucei protein-coding genes are polycistronically transcribed by Pol-II and processed by trans-splicing and polyadenylation. tRNA genes are generally clustered in between polycistrons. However, the trypanosomal tRNASec genes are embedded within a polycistron. Their transcription is sensitive to α-amanitin and RNAi-mediated ablation of Pol-II, but not of Pol-III. Ectopic expression of the tRNASec outside but not inside a polycistron requires an added external promoter. These experiments demonstrate that trypanosomal tRNASec, in contrast to its human counterpart, is transcribed by Pol-II. Synteny analysis shows that in trypanosomatids the tRNASec gene can be found in two different polycistrons, suggesting that it has evolved twice independently. Moreover, intron-encoded tRNAs are present in a number of eukaryotic genomes indicating that Pol-II transcription of tRNAs may not be restricted to trypanosomatids

A pilot study on the global practice of informed consent in paediatric dentistry

Background: Conducting oral treatment early in the disease course, is encouraged for better health outcomes. Obtaining informed consent is an essential part of medical practice, protecting the legal rights of patients and guiding the ethical practice of medicine. In practice, consent means different things in different contexts. Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) and Silver Fluoride (SF) is becoming popular and cost effective methods to manage carious lesions, however, cause black discolouration of lesions treated. Obtaining informed consent and assent is crucial for any dental treatment—and has specific relevance with SDF/ SF treatments. Methods: The aim of this paper is to describe informed consent regulations for dental care in a selection of countries, focusing on children and patients with special health care needs. An online survey was shared with a convenience sample of dental professionals from 13 countries. The information was explored and the processes of consent were compared. Results: Findings suggest that there are variations in terms of informed consent for medical practice. In Tanzania, South Africa, India, Kenya, Malaysia and Brazil age is the determining factor for competence and the ability to give self-consent. In other countries, other factors are considered alongside age. For example, in Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States the principle of Gillick Competence is applied. Many countries' laws and regulations do not specify when a dentist may overrule general consent to act in the “best interest” of the patient. Conclusion: It is recommended that it is clarified globally when a dentist may act in the “best interest” of the patient, and that guidance is produced to indicate what constitutes a dental emergency. The insights gathered provide insights on international practice of obtaining informed consent and to identify areas for change, to more efficient and ethical treatment for children and patients with special needs. A larger follow up study is recommended to include more or all countries

A role for the Cajal-body-associated SUMO isopeptidase USPL1 in snRNA transcription mediated by RNA polymerase II

Cajal bodies are nuclear structures that are involved in biogenesis of snRNPs and snoRNPs, maintenance of telomeres and processing of histone mRNA. Recently, the SUMO isopeptidase USPL1 was identified as a component of Cajal bodies that is essential for cellular growth and Cajal body integrity. However, a cellular function for USPL1 is so far unknown. Here, we use RNAi-mediated knockdown in human cells in combination with biochemical and fluorescence microscopy approaches to investigate the function of USPL1 and its link to Cajal bodies. We demonstrate that levels of snRNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase (RNAP) II are reduced upon knockdown of USPL1 and that downstream processes such as snRNP assembly and pre-mRNA splicing are compromised. Importantly, we find that USPL1 associates directly with U snRNA loci and that it interacts and colocalises with components of the Little Elongation Complex, which is involved in RNAPII-mediated snRNA transcription. Thus, our data indicate that USPL1 plays a key role in RNAPII-mediated snRNA transcription

Innovative Design & Performance Assessment of a Novel Modular Reactor for One-Step Liquid Fuel Production from Stranded Natural Gas

Poster Division: Engineering: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum)The crude extraction process faces a challenge in tackling the associated natural gas that is dissolved in the crude oil or prevails in the free gas caps of oil reservoirs. Considering the risks and costs involved in natural gas transportation, the quantity of associated gas is very small to substantiate the construction of a pipeline network. Although this associated natural gas is the by-product of the oil extraction process, the absence of a viable solution for utilization makes it ‘stranded natural gas (SNG).’ Approximately 15 tons/day of SNG is flared from one oil well, contributing to greenhouse gases. The uneconomical nature of pipeline installation to transport SNG and the necessity to find a robust solution to tackle SNG opens an avenue for developing modular technologies that can convert SNG to value-added products while reducing CO2 emissions. Liquid fuels (LF) are high-density energy carriers that are easy to transport and can support the existing infrastructure for energy consumption. 15 tons/day of SNG that is flared has the potential to produce ~2.5 tons/day of LF and generate ~115 kW of electricity simultaneously. This work proposes a single reactor modular unit that converts SNG to value-added LF. The novel reactor configuration consists of a multi-tubular packed bed setup divided into three intermediate sections: a mixed reforming section, a section for heat exchange, and a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) section. Mixed reforming of SNG uses CO2 and steam to produce high-quality syngas (H2:CO = 1.7), which in turn can be used to produce liquid fuels in the FT section of the reactor. The heat exchange section assists in increasing the efficiency of the process by facilitating heat integration within the process streams. This process provides inherent CO2 utilization and converts pressurized SNG to easy-to-transport liquid fuels that can be processed to manufacture motor spirit, diesel, jet engine fuels, and feedstocks for the petrochemical industry. System-level thermodynamic evaluation was conducted using ASPEN Plus software for the production of 2.5 tons/day of liquid fuel by taking into consideration multiple plausible cases of reactor configuration and heat integration. Detailed economic calculations performed based on the tubular reactor design for all configurations indicate that the production of liquid fuels using SNG can prove to be a profitable venture. The design of the multi-tubular reactor and the economics associated with it are simultaneously optimized using the Bayesian optimization technique to propose a portable, modular reactor requiring a minimum number of units to process the SNG from an oil well. The robustness of the best-case scenario is then validated for fluctuating SNG compositions, flow rates, and temperatures. This work establishes the design feasibility of a novel, economically viable, modular technology for upgrading SNG to value-added liquid fuels while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.A five-year embargo was granted for this item

Intrusion Alert Correlation Based on UFP-Growth & Genetic Algorithm

Abstract Intrusion alert correlation is an important factor for network security assessment. In the current scenario various security assessment algorithm are available for risk calculation. These algorithms were qualitative in nature. It is difficult for security managers to configure security mechanisms. The paper discuss the problem of managing alerts. A novel approach for intrusion alert correlation using UFP-Growth and Genetic Algorithm is presented in this paper. UFP-Growth is used for association rule mining and genetic algorithm is used for finding optimal pattern. The proposed method implement in MATLAB 7.8.0. For implement purpose various function and script file were written for implementation of model. For the test of our hybrid method, we used DARPA KDDCUP99 dataset. Our proposed method compare with existing ACR (assessment of credibility and risk) technique and getting better result such as risk calculation and minimized alert correlation rate

Conservative management of molar incisor hypomineralization using biomimetic material in a 9-year-old boy

Comprehensive management of severe molar incisor hypomineralization with dental caries in a 9-year-old boy is reported. After the consultation, diagnosis and treatment planning; upon obtaining the consent from parents, and behavior modification of the child over a preparatory visit, three of the four permanent first molars (PFMs) were treated: two with indirect pulp therapy and one with direct pulp capping using tricalcium silicate cement. After observation of 1 month for each tooth, preformed stainless steel crowns (SSCs) were placed on all three PFMs in a diagonal manner for minimizing occlusal discomfort. The remaining PFM (36), restored earlier by another dentist, developed a dentoalveolar abscess during the course; the same was treated endodontically and a coronal seal was established with an SSC. A quadrant approach was adopted to complete extractions of all carious primary teeth along with the treatments of PFMs during the same appointments to minimize the number of visits. Local anesthesia with 4% articaine with adrenaline infiltrations was used for all quadrants except for the third where an inferior alveolar nerve block with 2% lignocaine with adrenaline was given. Follow-up of all PFMs, over a period of over 9 months, was uneventful. The endodontically treated PFM, too, showed satisfactory recovery, posttreatment

Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of aloe vera juice, amla juice, and milk as storage media in maintaining the periodontal ligament cell viability: An in-vitro study

Background: Tooth avulsion implies total displacement of the tooth out of its socket. Many storage media such as milk, saliva, Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), propolis, Viaspan, have been studied as storage medias for preserving PDL cell viability. Amongst these, HBSS has been proposed as the storage medium of choice for treatment of avulsed teeth by the American Associations of Endodontists. However, the major disadvantage is that it is not easily available at places where these traumatic injuries occur. Aim: To evaluate and compare the efficacy of aloe vera juice, amla juice, milk and water in maintaining the periodontal ligament cell viability of avulsed teeth. Study Design: Forty premolars extracted for orthodontic therapeutic purposes were randomly and equally divided into four groups based on storage media used [Group I: aloe vera juice; Group II: amla juice; Group III: milk; Group IV: water. Following extractions, the teeth were dried for 30 mins and were placed in one of the four different storage media for 45 minutes, following which the scrapings of the PDL from these teeth were collected in Falcon tubes containing collagenase enzyme in 2.5 mL of phosphate buffered saline