A time based objective evaluation of the erosive effects of various beverages on enamel and cementum of deciduous and permanent teeth

Erosion of the teeth is a chronic irreversible process leading to loss of surface enamel and even the dentin, in turn causing sensitivity and pain. Increased consumption of carbonated beverages remains a major cause for dental erosion. However, many of the so called safe beverages that are consumed may also have sufficiently low pH to cause dental erosion. One of the parameters to measure the dental erosion is estimation of hardness and surface roughness. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the difference in hardness and surface roughness of enamel and cementum using three beverages namely (carbonated drink, lime soda, lime juice) in deciduous and permanent teeth. Ten permanent and three deciduous teeth samples each were kept in lime juice, lime soda, carbonated beverage and tap water. The VHN using Vickers hardness tester and Ra value using surface profilometer were assessed at baseline, 1 day and 10 days. At the end of 10 days the decrease in hardness of enamel of permanent teeth was maximum for teeth immersed in carbonated beverage followed by lime soda and lime juice. However, in the deciduous teeth it was observed that the VHN drop was maximum at 1 day in relation to teeth immersed in carbonated beverage followed by lime juice and lime soda. The hardness of cementum decreased significantly at the end of ten days both in deciduous as well as permanent teeth. The present study shows that many of the most commonly used beverages like lime juice and lime soda have a sufficiently low pH to cause erosion of the enamel surface as well as that of cementum of both deciduous and permanent teeth. Though protective mechanisms do exist in the oral cavity to neutralize the acids present in these beverages, continuous usage of these beverages leads to irreversible damage to the tooth structure

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity Studies on 6-p-Dimethylaminophenyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline: Crystal Structure of the Title Compound and Comparative Study with Related Derivatives

Reaction of o-aminophenylbenzimidazole with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde yielded 6-p-dimethylaminophenyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline, which was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, mass spectral studies and X-ray crystal structure analysis. Studies on the antimicrobial activity of the compound revealed that it is active against fungus Yeast but not Bacillus subtilis. The compound crystallized in the space group P2(1)/n with the unit cell parameters a = 10.652(2) , b = 11.002(2) , c = 15.753(2) , beta = 109.29(2)A degrees and the structure was refined to an R-factor of 0.0479. The hydropyrimidine ring in the quinazoline moiety is in skew-boat conformation. The dimethylamino group attached to phenyl ring is in conjugation with it. The structure was stabilized by intermolecular C-H-N interactions. A few of the related quinazolines (6-p-hydroxyphenyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline; 6-phenyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline; 6-pyridyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline; 6-furyl-5,6-dihydrobenzoimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline) were also examined for their biological activity, in addition to their characterization by IR, UV-Vis, H-1 and C-13 NMR spectral studies along with structural comparison

Role of Co-stimulation in Leishmaniasis

<p><i>Leishmania </i>are obligate intracellular parasites that cause a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from cutaneous, mucocutaneous and the visceral kind. Persistence or resolution of leishmaniasis is governed by host immune response. Co-stimulation is an important secondary signal that governs the extent, strength and direction of the immune response that follows. Co-stimulation by CD40, B7 and OX40 family has been shown to influence the outcome following <i>Leishmania</i> infection and manipulation of these pathways has shown promise for use in immune therapy of leishmaniasis. In this review, we discuss the roles of CD40, B7 and OX40 co-stimulatory pathways in regulating immunity to <i>Leishmania</i> and their implications in the treatment of this disease.</p

Surgical Treatment for Endometrial Cancer, Hysterectomy Performed via Minimally Invasive Routes Compared with Open Surgery:A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy via minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as the standard of care for early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Prior systematic reviews and meta-analyses have focused on outcomes reported solely from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), overlooking valuable data from non-randomised studies. This inaugural systematic review and network meta-analysis comprehensively compares clinical and oncological outcomes between MIS and open surgery for early-stage EC, incorporating evidence from randomised and non-randomised studies. Methods: This study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020186959). All original research of any experimental design reporting clinical and oncological outcomes of surgical treatment for endometrial cancer was included. Study selection was restricted to English-language peer-reviewed journal articles published 1 January 1995–31 December 2021. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted. Results: A total of 99 studies were included in the network meta-analysis, comprising 181,716 women and 14 outcomes. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery demonstrated reduced blood loss and length of hospital stay but increased operating time. Compared with laparoscopic surgery, robotic-assisted surgery was associated with a significant reduction in ileus (OR = 0.40, 95% CrI:0.17–0.87) and total intra-operative complications (OR = 0.38, 95% CrI: 0.17–0.75) as well as a higher disease-free survival (OR = 2.45, 95% CrI: 1.04–6.34). Conclusions: For treating early endometrial cancer, minimal-access surgery via robotic-assisted or laparoscopic techniques appears safer and more efficacious than open surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery is associated with fewer complications and favourable oncological outcomes

Controlling anammox speciation and biofilm attachment strategy using N-biotransformation intermediates and organic carbon levels

Conventional nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment requires a high oxygen and energy input. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), the single-step conversion of ammonium and nitrite to nitrogen gas, is a more energy and cost effective alternative applied extensively to sidestream wastewater treatment. It would also be a mainstream treatment option if species diversity and physiology were better understood. Anammox bacteria were enriched up to 80%, 90% and 50% relative abundance, from a single inoculum, under standard enrichment conditions with either stepwise-nitrite and ammonia concentration increases (R1), nitric oxide supplementation (R2), or complex organic carbon from mainstream wastewater (R3), respectively. Candidatus Brocadia caroliniensis predominated in all reactors, but a shift towards Ca. Brocadia sinica occurred at ammonium and nitrite concentrations > 270 mg NH4–N L−1 and 340 mg NO2–N L−1 respectively. With NO present, heterotrophic growth was inhibited, and Ca. Jettenia coexisted with Ca. B. caroliniensis before diminishing as nitrite increased to 160 mg NO2–N L−1. Organic carbon supplementation led to the emergence of heterotrophic communities that coevolved with Ca. B. caroliniensis. Ca. B. caroliniensis and Ca. Jettenia preferentially formed biofilms on surfaces, whereas Ca. Brocadia sinica formed granules in suspension. Our results indicate that multiple anammox bacteria species co-exist and occupy sub-niches in anammox reactors, and that the dominant population can be reversibly shifted by, for example, changing nitrogen load (i.e. high nitrite concentration favors Ca. Brocadia caroliniensis). Speciation has implications for wastewater process design, where the optimum cell immobilization strategy (i.e. carriers vs granules) depends on which species dominates.</p