Comparative Evaluation of the Apical Sealing Ability of Matched Taper Single Cone Technique with other Obturation Techniques: An In Vitro Study

Seventy single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were selected, cleaned and stored in normal saline solution. They were sectioned at the level of the cementoenamel junction and the rootcanal preparation was done as per the manufacturer’s recommendations. The teeth were then divided into five groups, two of which were used as positive and negative control groups. The other three groups were obturated with matched taper single cone technique, cold lateral condensation technique and thermoplasticized gutta-percha injection technique (obtura-II) respectively. The teeth were then subjected to a dye penetration technique using high vacuum and left in the dye solution for 24 hrs. They were then cleaned and subjected to a technique for clearing the roots. Subsequently the dye penetration at the apex was measured in all the three groups using a binocular stereomicroscope and analysed using a Leica application suite. The results were tabulated and statistically analysed. CONCLUSION: Matched taper single cone obturation technique was evaluated for the apical seal in comparison with the cold lateral condensation technique and thermoplasticized gutta-percha injection technique (obtura-II) of obturation and the following conclusions were made. 1. The thermoplasticized gutta-percha injection technique of obturation, obtura-II (Group-3) showed the least amount of apical percolation of dye and was better than other two techniques in the apical sealing ability. 2. There was statistically significant difference between all the three groups (p<0.05). 3. Matched-taper single-cone technique of obturation (Group-1) showed the highest amount of apical percolation of the dye. 4. The cold lateral condensation method of obturation (Group-2) was also efficient in terms of apical sealing ability though it could not match Group-3, ( p<0.05). The matched taper single cone technique needs to be further studied and evaluated with regards to the limitations of this technique

Agenda setting and framing of gender-based violence in Nepal: how it became a health issue.

: Gender-based violence (GBV) has been addressed as a policy issue in Nepal since the mid 1990s, yet it was only in 2010 that Nepal developed a legal and policy framework to combat GBV. This article draws on the concepts of agenda setting and framing to analyse the historical processes by which GBV became legitimized as a health policy issue in Nepal and explored factors that facilitated and constrained the opening and closing of windows of opportunity. The results presented are based on a document analysis of the policy and regulatory framework around GBV in Nepal. A content analysis was undertaken. Agenda setting for GBV policies in Nepal evolved over many years and was characterized by the interplay of political context factors, actors and multiple frames. The way the issue was depicted at different times and by different actors played a key role in the delay in bringing health onto the policy agenda. Women's groups and less powerful Ministries developed gender equity and development frames, but it was only when the more powerful human rights frame was promoted by the country's new Constitution and the Office of the Prime Minister that legislation on GBV was achieved and a domestic violence bill was adopted, followed by a National Plan of Action. This eventually enabled the health frame to converge around the development of implementation policies that incorporated health service responses. Our explicit incorporation of framing within the Kindgon model has illustrated how important it is for understanding the emergence of policy issues, and the subsequent debates about their resolution. The framing of a policy problem by certain policy actors, affects the development of each of the three policy streams, and may facilitate or constrain their convergence. The concept of framing therefore lends an additional depth of understanding to the Kindgon agenda setting model.<br/

Profile of MicroRNAs following Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury by Deep Sequencing: Implication for Mechanisms of Nerve Regeneration

Unlike the central nervous system, peripheral nerves can regenerate when damaged. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a novel class of small, non-coding RNA that regulates gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Here, we report regular alterations of miRNA expression following rat sciatic nerve injury using deep sequencing. We harvested dorsal root ganglia tissues and the proximal stumps of the nerve, and identified 201 and 225 known miRNAs with significant expression variance at five time points in these tissues after sciatic nerve transaction, respectively. Subsequently, hierarchical clustering, miRNA expression pattern and co-expression network were performed. We screened out specific miRNAs and further obtained the intersection genes through target analysis software (Targetscan and miRanda). Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of these intersection genes were performed. The bioinformatics analysis indicated that the potential targets for these miRNAs were involved in nerve regeneration, including neurogenesis, neuron differentiation, vesicle-mediated transport, homophilic cell adhesion and negative regulation of programmed cell death that were known to play important roles in regulating nerve repair. Finally, we combined differentially expressed mRNA with the predicted targets for selecting inverse miRNA-target pairs. Our results show that the abnormal expression of miRNA may contribute to illustrate the molecular mechanisms of nerve regeneration and that miRNAs are potential targets for therapeutic interventions and may enhance intrinsic regenerative ability

Early and reversible changes to the hippocampal proteome in mice on a high-fat diet

Funding LMW, FMC, CG, ACM and C-DM were funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS). FHM was supported by an EASTBIO DTP BBSRC studentship. DS was supported by a SULSA studentship.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

LigGPT: Molecular Generation using a Transformer-Decoder Model

Application of deep learning techniques for the de novo generation of molecules, termed as inverse molecular design, has been gaining enormous traction in drug design. The representation of molecules in SMILES notation as a string of characters enables the usage of state of the art models in Natural Language Processing, such as the Transformers, for molecular design in general. Inspired by Generative Pre-Training (GPT) model that have been shown to be successful in generating meaningful text, we train a Transformer-Decoder on the next token prediction task using masked self-attention for the generation of druglike molecules in this study. We show that our model, LigGPT, outperforms other previously proposed modern machine learning frameworks for molecular generation in terms of generating valid, unique and novel molecules. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the model can be trained conditionally to optimize multiple properties of the generated molecules. We also show that the model can be used to generate molecules with desired scaffolds as well as desired molecular properties, by passing these structures as conditions, which has potential applications in lead optimization in addition to de novo molecular design. Using saliency maps, we highlight the interpretability of the generative process of the model.</p

Public Distribution System Using Blockchain Technology

&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;In India, the government-run Public Distribution System (PDS) program offers qualified households subsidized food and other necessities. The PDS aims to eradicate food insecurity for the underprivileged and vulnerable people of society, especially in rural areas. Under the PDS, the government offers eligible households basic grains like rice and wheat as well as other necessities like sugar, kerosene, and cooking oil at discounted prices. However, there are numerous issues with the present food supply chain system, which results in a lack of responsibility, transparency, and assurance. In this paper, we suggest a blockchain-based approach to resolve these problems by offering a secure and transparent mechanism for food distribution to the public. From the point of origin of the food goods to the final customer, our system's immutable record of all transactions is kept on a decentralized blockchain network. All participants in the food supply chain, including distributors, retailers, and consumers, are guaranteed access to up-to-date information about the food's provenance, quality, and safety because of this system.&nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt

Evaluation of oral manifestations in COVID patients an original research

Introduction- The continuum emerging viral diseases are a threat to mankind and moreover are a serious concern to the public health. The current lethal COVID‑19, a SARS‑CoV‑2 is a highly contagious disease, which propagated quickly all over the world. Similar to other influenza‑like viral infections, symptoms such as fever, dry cough, myalgia, arthralgia, headache, diarrhea, dyspnea, and fatigue were reported among COVID‑19 patients. Evidence suggests that the oral cavity is affected by this virus either directly or indirectly. Aim &amp; Objective- The aim of this observational study was to determine the oral manifestations among COVID‑19 patients. &nbsp;Materials and Methods- A questionnaire‑based cross‑sectional study was carried out among the patients recovered from COVID‑19. A sample of 120 subjects, diagnosed as mild and moderate cases of COVID‑19 disease were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results-The study comprised an almost equal number of male (64%) and female (56%) participants and among them, 48% belong to the health professional group.Approximately 55% of subjects were aged above 35 years and 45% below 35 years

Addressing Domestic Violence in Antenatal Care Environments in Nepal (ADVANCE) – study protocol for a randomized controlled trial evaluating a video intervention on domestic violence among pregnant women

Abstract Background Domestic violence (DV) prior to, and during pregnancy is associated with increased risks for morbidity and mortality. As pregnant women routinely attend antenatal care this environment can be used to offer support to women experiencing DV. We have developed a video intervention that focuses on the use of behavioral coping strategies, particularly regarding disclosure of DV experiences. The effectiveness of this intervention will be evaluated through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a concurrent process evaluation. Methods All pregnant women between 12–22 weeks of gestation attending routine antenatal care at two tertiary level hospitals in Nepal are invited to participate. DV is measured using the Nepalese version of the Abuse Assessment Screen (N-AAS). Additionally, we measure participants’ mental health, use of coping strategies, physical activity, and food security through a Color-coded Audio Computer Assisted Self Interview (C-ACASI). Irrespective of DV status, women are randomized into the intervention or control arm using a computer-generated randomization program. The intervention arm views a short video providing information on DV, safety improving actions women can take with an emphasis on disclosing the violence to a trusted person along with utilizing helplines available in Nepal. The control group watches a video on maintaining a healthy pregnancy and when to seek healthcare. The primary outcome is the proportion of women disclosing their DV status to someone. Secondary outcomes are symptoms of anxiety and depression, coping strategies, the use of safety measures and attitudes towards acceptance of abuse. Follow-up is conducted after 32 weeks of gestation, where both the intervention and control group participants view the intervention video after completing the follow-up questionnaire. Additionally, a mixed methods process evaluation of the intervention will be carried out to explore factors influencing the acceptability of the intervention and the disclosure of DV, including a review of project documents, individual interviews, and focus group discussions with members of the research team, healthcare providers, and participants. Discussion This study will provide evidence on whether pregnant women attending regular antenatal visits can enhance their safety by disclosing their experiences of violence to a trusted person after receiving a video intervention. Trial registration The study is registered in ClinicalTrial.gov with identifier NCT05199935