Prosthodontic rehabilitation of a mucormycosis patient: a case report

Maxillofacial defects can result from congenital disabilities, cancer surgery, trauma, infection, or disease. Facial deformities can affect how a person looks, feels about themselves, and interacts with others. It can significantly impair phonetics, mastication, and deglutition and cause facial deformation. Maxillectomy due to mucormycosis is one such maxillofacial defect and it becomes essential to rehabilitate these cases with modified techniques based on the extension of intraoral defect, the severity, the degree of resection, the type of mucormycosis, the stability of lesions over time, the presence of contiguous disease, the accessibility of dental and prosthetic resources, and patient expectations. The prosthetic reconstruction with a maxillofacial prosthesis can restore function and appearance, comfort, and quality of life. The prosthesis should be simple to handle, easy to maintain, biocompatible, light in weight, and convenient for future adjustments. The maxillofacial surgeon, oncologist, and reconstructive dentist should work together to develop a treatment plan based on these considerations. This case report provides the current treatment options for these patients and rehabilitation of the defect. It also discusses the issues that need to be addressed during the planning of prosthetic treatment and highlights some challenges the clinicians face in providing prosthetic treatment for mucormycosis patients

Stem Cell Therapy: Pieces of the Puzzle

Acute ischemic injury and chronic cardiomyopathies can cause irreversible loss of cardiac tissue leading to heart failure. Cellular therapy offers a new paradigm for treatment of heart disease. Stem cell therapies in animal models show that transplantation of various cell preparations improves ventricular function after injury. The first clinical trials in patients produced some encouraging results, despite limited evidence for the long-term survival of transplanted cells. Ongoing research at the bench and the bedside aims to compare sources of donor cells, test methods of cell delivery, improve myocardial homing, bolster cell survival, and promote cardiomyocyte differentiation. This article reviews progress toward these goals

Oxygen enrichment of silicon wafer by ion implantation method and fabrication of surface barrier detectors

Inter University Consortium for DAE Facilities Silicon surface barrier (SSB) detectors have been fabricated with oxygen enriched, high-resistivity, detector grade, n-type FZ silicon. Oxygen enrichment of the wafer was done by high-energy (140 MeV) oxygen ion implantation. Annealing of the irradiated silicon wafer was done to minimize the irradiation-induced defect concentration. Positron annihilation lifetime studies were used to select the annealing temperature. A comparative study was carried out among various SSB detectors made from as-grown, as-irradiated and annealed silicon wafers. Detector made from the annealed wafer worked satisfactorily and its performance was comparable with that of a detector made from as-grown crystal

Peak expiratory flow rate analysis among construction workers

Background: Construction workers who are employed in building and construction work like masonry, mixing of concrete plastering etc are exposed to silica, dust and cement. Most of them have decrease in pulmonary functions. Most of them have decrease in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Early diagnosis is important as they are prone for occupational lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma. Aim: To study pulmonary function test such as peak expiratory flow rate among construction workers compared with people working in clean environment. Materials and methods: The study was undertaken in 60 construction workers employed in building and construction work like masonry, mixing of concrete plastering etc. 100 healthy controls who work in clean atmosphere were also selected. Peak expiratory flow rate was measured by using Spirowin spirometer. Results: The mean PEFR of group 1 is 73.98 ± 13.78 and group 2 is 80.86 ± 19.07 liters. There is a decrease in the mean values of PEFR in group 1 compared to group 2 and the value is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In the present study shows that decrease in PEFR is statistically significant

Lessons in integration--operations research in an Indian leprosy NGO.

Since the Alma Ata Declaration in 1978, health systems supporting the treatment and control of infectious diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis have been encouraged to 'integrate' into the primary health care structure within countries. Now, more than 20 years later, countries are still grappling with the concept of integration and looking for ways to achieve it. This study reports findings from a leprosy/Tuberculosis/AIDS awareness pilot project conducted by LEPRA India, a leprosy non-governmental organization (NGO), between 1996 and 2000 in Koraput district, Orissa. The project addressed the issue of integration on two levels. On the one hand LEPRA used the context of the project to explore ways in which to integrate TB services into their existing leprosy control structure. On the other hand, lessons from the pilot study were intended to help the organization find ways of linking with the government health care structure. Following a 'qualitative approach', this operations research project assessed the perceptions of communities and providers about leprosy and tuberculosis services. Providers across the spectrum of this plural healthcare system were asked to provide comment on developing stronger networks with each other, with NGOs and with government, while patients and communities were asked to describe the resources available to them and the constraints they face in accessing health care in general, and for leprosy and TB in particular. LEPRA staff from top management to the outreach workers were also approached for their views. Patients and communities noted that physical access to treatment was a major constraint, while the existence of local providers and family support structures facilitated health and health care. Providers expressed a willingness to collaborate (with LEPRA and the government), but lacked training, adequate staff support and the appropriate equipment/technical resources. Also lacking were adequate information campaigns to inform the public about these diseases and their treatment. This information has provided LEPRA with an understanding of how they might best fill gaps in the existing system and therefore assist in the process of integrating services in their own organization and through the primary health care structure. To achieve this aim, LEPRA will increasingly become involved in developing relationships and partnerships with government in the delivery of training and services and in infrastructure development

Positron annihilation studies of detector grade n-type silicon irradiated with 140 MeV oxygen (O⁶⁺) ions

Detector grade n-type float-zone silicon irradiated with 140 MeV O 6+ ions to a dose of 5×1015 particles/cm2 was studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Vacancy clusters containing five vacancies were detected in the irradiated sample. Isochronal annealing studies of the irradiated sample reveal the dissociation of five-vacancy clusters and formation of vacancy agglomerates V3, V6 and vacancy-oxygen complexes in the temperature range 250-500 °C. The vacancy-oxygen complexes dissociate at 550 °C and released vacancies agglomerate around 600 °C to form voids comprising 10 vacancies. In the temperature range 600-700 °C, the voids dissociate and around 750 °C advanced vacancy-oxygen complexes VmOn (n>m) form. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Positron annihilation studies of detector grade n-type silicon irradiated with 140 MeV oxygen (O⁶⁺) ions

Detector grade n-type float-zone silicon irradiated with 140 MeV O 6+ ions to a dose of 5×1015 particles/cm2 was studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Vacancy clusters containing five vacancies were detected in the irradiated sample. Isochronal annealing studies of the irradiated sample reveal the dissociation of five-vacancy clusters and formation of vacancy agglomerates V3, V6 and vacancy-oxygen complexes in the temperature range 250-500 °C. The vacancy-oxygen complexes dissociate at 550 °C and released vacancies agglomerate around 600 °C to form voids comprising 10 vacancies. In the temperature range 600-700 °C, the voids dissociate and around 750 °C advanced vacancy-oxygen complexes VmOn (n>m) form. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved