Extraction of persistent lagrangian coherent structures for the pollutant transport prediction in the Bay of Bengal.

Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) are the hidden fluid flow skeletons that provide meaningful information about the Lagrangian circulation. In this study, we computed the monthly climatological LCSs (cLCS) maps utilizing 24 years (1994-2017) of HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) currents and ECMWF re-analysis winds in the Bay of Bengal (BoB). The seasonal reversal of winds and associated reversal of currents makes the BoB dynamic. Therefore, we primarily aim to reveal the cLCSs associated with seasonal monsoon currents and mesoscale (eddies) processes over BoB. The simulated cLCS were augmented with the complex empirical orthogonal functions to confirm the dominant lagrangian transport pattern features better. The constructed cLCS patterns show a seasonal accumulation zone and the transport pattern of freshwater plumes along the coastal region of the BoB. We further validated with the satellite imagery of real-time oil spill dispersion and modelled oil spill trajectories that match well with the LCS patterns. In addition, the application of cLCSs to study the transport of hypothetical oil spills occurring at one of the active oil exploration sites (Krishna-Godavari basin) was described. Thus, demonstrated the accumulation zones in the BoB and confirmed that the persistent monthly cLCS maps are reasonably performing well for the trajectory prediction of pollutants such as oil spills. These maps will help to initiate mitigation measures in case of any occurrence of oil spills in the future.

The consequences of reduced anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic on microplastic abundance in a tropical estuarine region: Goa, India.

Plastic pollution is pervasive, as it has infiltrated every corner of the planet and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a depletion in the production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. To find out the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a comparative assessment of microplastics (MPs) observed before and after the pandemic was evaluated in surface water and sediment from the major rivers of Goa, i.e. Mandovi and Zuari. To comprehend the relative difference in the abundance, characteristics, and source of MPs, samples were examined in both the dry and wet seasons. We found a sharp decrease in the concentration of MPs immediately after the isolated pandemic. During the dry and wet seasons, two to seven times less concentration of MPs was recorded for water and sediments after the pandemic period compared to the prior pandemic. MPs size, >300 µm were relatively abundant after the pandemic period in contrast to the prior pandemic (<300 µm sized MPs were more). Polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the dominant polymers after the pandemic whereas earlier the dominant polymers were polyacetylene, polyacrylamide (PAM), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The risk assessment of MPs in sediments (Polymer load index) was higher prior to the pandemic. The water quality parameters also indicated an improvement in the water quality during the pandemic. The present study clearly exhibited that due to the reduction of overall anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic period, a sharp decline of plastic waste and MP abundance in the coastal water body in Goa, west coast of India was found. This study unveils the controlling factors (such as total solid waste generation, plastic waste, tourism activities, and the effect of monsoon) which influence the abundance and distribution of macro- and microplastics.

Microplastic intrusion into the zooplankton, the base of the marine food chain: Evidence from the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean.

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment, yet information regarding their occurrence in the food web is limited. We investigated the concentration and composition of MPs in water and diverse zooplankton groups from the Arabian Sea basin. Forty-one zooplankton tows were collected with a bongo net (330 µm mesh) from the Arabian Sea in January 2019. MPs in the surface water varied between 0 and 0.055 particles/m3, with a relatively higher concentration (0.013 ± 0.002 particles/m3) in the central Arabian Sea. Though fibrous MPs were most abundant in the seawater (77.14 %), zooplankton prefers small fragments (55.3 %). The size of MPs was distinctly smaller (277.1 ± 46.74 µm) in zooplankton than that in seawater (864.32 ± 73.72 µm), and MPs bioaccumulation was observed in almost all the zooplankton functional groups. Polymer composition revealed polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC were abundant in water and zooplankton, suggesting that the textile, fishing, shipping, and packaging industries are significant sources. The prevailing northeasterly winds, strong West India Coastal Current, and conducive westward radiated Rossby wave during January 2019 have carried the microplastic contaminated water mass away from the coast, posing a threat to the open ocean ecosystems. These results demand further attention to investigate the state of plastic pollution in the Arabian Sea basin.

Comparative Evaluation of Intrapulpal Thermal Changes during the Polymerization of Different Adhesive Resin Materials: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: Aim of this study was to assess the thermal changes within the pulp at the time of polymerization of three different adhesive resin materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty human premolar teeth that had been recently extracted for orthodontic reasons and were devoid of dental caries/flaws were included in this research. Following preparation of the cavities, all 60 samples consisting of 20 premolars in every group, depending on the adhesive resins that were positioned as were assigned at random to one of the following three groups: Group I: RelyX self-adhesive resin cement; Group II: Breeze self-adhesive resin cement; Group III: Pan F self-etch adhesive resin cement. The temperature changes were calculated using a thermocouple wire attached to a digital thermometer. The dissimilarities amid the baseline temperature as well as the temperatures at different time intervals (1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes) were established. RESULTS: The thermal value was higher at first minute (1.84 ± 0.34) and gradually reduced at 5 minutes (1.36 ± 0.29), 10 minutes (0.62 ± 0.11), and 15 minutes (0.06 ± 0.03) in RelyX self-adhesive resin cement. The maximum thermal value was found at the first minute (2.66 ± 0.21) and gradually reduced at 5 minutes (1.42 ± 0.13), 10 minutes (0.86 ± 0.09), and 15 minutes (0.28 ± 0.01) in Breeze self-adhesive resin cement. The higher thermal value was found at the first minute (1.98 ± 0.19) and gradually reduced at 5 minutes (1.49 ± 0.14), 10 minutes (0.76 ± 0.10), and 15 minutes (0.16 ± 0.09) in Pan F self-etch adhesive resin cement and there was a statistically significant difference found between various time points and with all three adhesive resin material groups (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: This current research arrived at a conclusion that each of the three adhesive resin substances showed a safe temperature change within the pulp. However, the lowest heat scores within the pulp were depicted by RelyX self-adhesive resin in pursuit by Pan F self-etch adhesive resin cement as well as the Breeze self-adhesive resin cement in that order. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical triumph of a restoration is dependent partially on the method of cementation, which is utilized to establish a connection amid the restoration and the tooth. Temporary and permanent pulp inflammation can be avoided by the decreased temperature changes in the adhesive resin cement at the time of polymerization.

Evaluation of Microleakage Using Dye-penetration Method in Three Different Composite Resin Core Build-up Materials: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: Aim of the current research is to establish and assess the microleakage in bulk-fill composite, nanohybrid ormocer-based resins, and nanofilled composite resin core build-up materials employing the dye-penetration technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty human mandibular first premolar teeth with a solitary root canal without dental caries were chosen for this research. Each specimen was subjected to decoronation of 2 mm from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), following which the root canal treatment procedure was rendered complete. A space for the post was made for all the 60 samples. Following positioning of the post, specimens were allocated into one of the following three investigational groups (20 specimens in every group) on the basis of the core build-up materials used as group I: bulk-fill composites, group II: nanohybrid ormocer-based resins, and group III: nanofilled resin composites. Direct composite was used for core build-up and subjected to light-curing. Following this, the specimens were immersed in 1% methylene blue solution for 24 hours interval. Each section was evaluated for dye diffusion employing a stereomicroscope with software at a magnifying power of 40× and surface contact between dentin and base of the material was evaluated under scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: Nanohybrid ormocer-based composites exhibited the least microleakage at 1.12 ± 0.14, in pursuit by nanofilled composite resins at 1.79 ± 0.09, and finally the bulk-fill composites at 2.85 ± 0.11, amid the investigational groups studied. A statistically significant difference amid the three dissimilar cores buildup substances was found upon analysis of variance. CONCLUSION: Despite the study limitations, this research came to a conclusion that each of the three investigated core build-up substances exhibited microleakage. However, amid the three, nanohybrid ormocer-based composites depicted the lowest amount of microleakage in pursuit by the nanofilled resins and the bulk-fill composites. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Core build-up is an important requirement as the remaining tooth substance following root canal treatment reduces and needs reinforcement with core build-up to sustain the tooth structure and provide resistance. A vital mandate for enduring efficiency of the restoration in the mouth is high-quality adhesive bond of these agents to cavity walls with diminished microleakage.

Year-to-year variability of oil pollution along the Eastern Arabian Sea: The impact of COVID-19 imposed lock-downs.

This study investigated the year-to-year variability in the occurrence, abundance and sources of oil spills in the Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) using sentinel-1 imagery and identified the potential oil spills vulnerable zones. The four consecutive year's data acquired from 2017 to 2020 (March-May) reveal three oil spill hot spot zones. The ship-based oil spills were dominant over zone's-1 (off Gujarat) and 3 (off Karnataka and Kerala), and the oil field based over zone-2 (off Maharashtra). The abundance of oil spills was significantly low in zone-1, only 14.30km2 (1.2%) during lock-down due to the covid-19 pandemic. Whereas, the year-to-year oil spills over zone's 2 and 3 are not significantly varied (170.29 km2 and 195.01 km2), further suggesting the influence of oil exploration and international tanker traffic are in operation during the lock-down. This study further recommends that manual clustering is the best method to study the distribution of unknown oil spills.

Fate of MV Wakashio oil spill off Mauritius coast through modelling and remote sensing observations.

This study aims at assessing the fate of MV Wakashio oil spill, and the driving forces responsible for possible environmental consequences of polluted coastal region. GNOME simulations were performed, considering various meteo-oceanographic forcings such as (i) winds and currents, (ii) only winds, and (iii) only winds with different diffusion coefficients, and validated with the satellite images. The results revealed that the simulations performed with 'only winds' reasonably match with the satellite observations, indicating that winds are the primary driving forces. The conducive stokes drift is an added contribution to the predominant northwestward drift of the spill. The oil budget analysis suggests that beaching and evaporation together accounted for a significant portion of the spilled oil (1000 tons), in which ~60% of the oil was accounted only for beaching. Our results depict that the diffusion coefficient of 100,000 cm2/s and 3% windages are optimal for oil-spill simulations off the southeastern Mauritius coast.

Spatial and seasonal variation of microplastics and possible sources in the estuarine system from central west coast of India.

The versatile use of various synthetic polymers, including plastics, generates a large volume of non-degradable waste, which is eventually responsible for forming microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments. The present study describes the significant spatial and seasonal variation on the abundance of MPs and their physiochemical nature along the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system of Goa, west coast of India. During the wet season (September), the average abundance of MPs was found relatively higher in water (0.107 particles/m3) and sediment (7314 particles/kg) than those found in the dry season (April) (0.099 particles/m3 in water and 4873 particles/kg in sediment). During the wet season, heavy rain and excessive riverine freshwater influx carry more terrestrial plastic debris in the estuarine system which causes higher averages MPs density in surface water and sediment. <300 µm sized particles and black colored MPs were predominant equally in water and sediment during both seasons. MPs of different shapes like fragments, fibres, films and beads accounted for most collected samples. The Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µ-FTIR) based compositional analysis identified approximately 33 types of polymers, of which polyacrylamide (PAM), polyacetylene, polyamide (PA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyimide (PI) were abundant. Fragmentation of larger plastic particles due to mismanaged treated and untreated STPs and washing machine effluents are the primary sources of these MPs in the estuarine system. Moreover, these estuaries also receive a variety of domestic, industrial and other wastes from local cities, ports, and fishing jetties. Thus the present study enlightens the current distribution of MPs and their sources in the Mandovi-Zuari estuarine system and thus provides very useful information to the stakeholder and concerned departments for initiating the mitigation measures.

Formation and weathering assessment of oil-suspended sediment aggregates through a laboratory investigation.

Formation of oil-suspended sediment aggregates (OSAs) is believed to be one of the natural cleaning processes in the marine environment. In this study, we have investigated the formation processes of OSAs under different mixing periods (continuous mixing and with the addition of sediments in between), oil-sediment ratios (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) and crude oils (Arabian Light (AL), Kuwait (KW) and Murban (MB)). The results revealed that size of OSAs significantly increased (up to ≈ 1.41 mm) with the addition of sediments. Aggregates (total 36) were extracted for n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to quantify and assess their weathering and toxic levels. The maximum n-alkane depletion was 84% (111-02), 94% (212-02) and 84% (321-02) and PAH depletion was ≈ 72% (111-02), 79% (212-02) and 81% (311-03) for the OSAs of AL, KW and MB crude oils, respectively, for the different samples considered, indicating that n-alkanes were depleted relatively higher than the PAHs. The highest depletion of both n-alkane and PAHs has occurred in OSAs of 10-h continuous mixing. The depletion of both n-alkane and PAHs reduced after the addition of sediments, however, escalated the growth of OSAs, resulting in bigger size OSAs. The concentration of PAHs of all 36 OSAs is greater than 5000 ng/g, indicating very high PAH pollution. Though the formation of OSAs helps in cleaning the spill sites, the carcinogenic threat to the marine ecosystem caused by these OSAs cannot be ignored.

Effect of Acidic Beverages on Color Stability and Microhardness of Various Esthetic Restorative Materials: A Comparative Study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acidic beverages on color stability and microhardness of various esthetic restorative materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 samples were included in the present study. Group I: Microhybrid composite resin, Group II: Nanoceramic, Group III: ORMOCER (Organically Modified Ceramics). 10 mm internal diameter and 5 mm depth of cylindrical aluminum mold of were utilized to prepare the samples. All the esthetic restorative samples were submerged for 10 min in 25 ml of acidic drink (Coca-Cola) each day up to 15 days. Vickers diamond intender was used to measure the microhardness of each sample. These values were calculated with baseline, 7th, and 15th days for final microhardness values. RESULTS: The mean surface microhardness of 63.20 ± 0.46 was shown by Group III which was slightly more than that in Group II (60.08 ± 0.34) and Group I (58.10 ± 1.76). Analysis of covariance did not show any statistically significant difference between the groups. The samples in Group I showed the highest reduction in surface microhardness value after immersion into acidic drink, followed by Group II and Group III on 7th day and 15th day. A statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) was found on the 7th day. CONCLUSION: The present study concludes that the Organically Modified Ceramics esthetic restorative material showed the finest behavior after being dipped in the acidic drink followed next by Nanoceramic and Microhybrid composite resin.

A Scanning Electron Microscope Evaluation of the Efficacy of Different Fluoride-releasing Dental Restorative Materials to Prevent Enamel Demineralization: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: Aim of the present research was to investigate the effectiveness of various fluoride-releasing dental restorative agents in preventing demineralization of enamel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty human mandibular permanent molar teeth constituted the study group. All samples were subjected to storage in thymol, after which they were taken out to prepare alike proximal box in each. Inductions of artificial enamel surface lesions were done by placing the teeth in demineralizing solution for 96 hours. Subsequently, all 80 molars were randomly assigned to any of the four groups (i.e., 20 in every individual group) according to the restoration as group A: giomer (composite resin containing surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer fillers), group B: compomer (polyacid-modified composite resin), group C: resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC), group D: fluoride-releasing composite. After this, the pH cycling was performed, and the samples were subjected to examination beneath scanning electron microscope (SEM). RESULTS: Higher mean areas of remineralization were noted when RMGIC (96.34 ± 0.06) was used followed by the compomer (109.52 ± 0.17), giomer (118.39 ± 0.82), and the fluoride-releasing composite group (129.27 ± 0.31) in that order. A statistically significant difference was seen amid the investigational groups that utilized different restorative agents (p <0.001). A pairwise evaluation that was performed revealed that except for the giomer group and the compomer group, a statistically significant difference (p <0.001) was found among the experimental groups. CONCLUSION: This research infers that the RMGIC-treated samples exhibited significantly superior performance in preventing enamel demineralization in comparison to compomer, giomer as well as fluoride-releasing composites. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: One among the highly frequently employed anticariogenic materials is fluorides. Owing to this characteristic, they are integrated into numerous restorative substances. Nevertheless, the quantity and speed of fluoride release differ in different agents, which translates to the efficacy of the restorative agent in avoiding demineralization about the restoration.

Degradation of tarballs using associated bacterial consortia.

Tarballs are semi-solid blobs of crude-oil formed in marine environment. Microbial degradation of tarballs is poorly understood, though there are indications that tarball-associated microbes can degrade recalcitrant hydrocarbons present in tarballs. In this study, 38 tarball-associated bacteria from Betul beach, Goa, India were initially screened for crude oil degradation. Based on preliminary studies and literature survey, four bacterial strains, Alcanivorax sp. Betul-O, Marinobacter sp. Betul-26, Pseudomonas sp. Betul-14, and Pseudomonas sp. Betul-M were selected for bacterial consortia preparation. Eleven bacterial consortia were prepared and studied for degradation of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs) of tarballs based on gravimetric and GC-MS-MS analyses. The bacterial consortia depleted 53.69-97.78% and 22.78-61.98% of n-alkanes and PAH compounds, respectively, within 45 days. Bacterial consortium comprising Pseudomonas sp. Betul-14, Pseudomonas sp. Betul-M, and Alcanivorax sp. Betul-O exhibited promising tarball degradation abilities with 97.78% and 61.98% degradation of n-alkanes and PAH, respectively, within 45 days. Further research is required to obtain insights into degradation products and possible pathways involved.

Assessing the source of oil deposited in the surface sediment of Mormugao Port, Goa - A case study of MV Qing incident.

In June 2016, a cruise vessel was grounded in the Mormugao Port, resulting in unnoticed oil spill. The surface water and sediment samples were collected from the vicinity of the ship, and also an oil sample from the ship (OIL). These samples were subject to petroleum biomarker such as pentacyclic triterpenes (hopanes) and compound specific carbon isotopic (δ13C) analyses to assess the source of hydrocarbon pollution in the Mormugao Port. While no clear trend was observed in water samples, the bottom surface sediments did show an identical pattern of hopanes with the oil. The chemometric analyses of hopane Diagnostic Ratios (DRs) and δ13C ratios confirmed the ship oil as the source of oil pollution in sediments. Whereas the water is comparatively more dynamic than the sediment, the physical processes arising out of winds, waves, tides and currents might have dispersed the oil away from the grounded ship.

Oil pollution in the Eastern Arabian Sea from invisible sources: A multi-technique approach.

The Eastern Arabian Sea (EAS) is affected by oil pollution, as often evidenced by the presence of tarballs along the West Coast of India (WCI). Tarball samples collected during May 2017 along the Goa coast were subject to biomarker fingerprints, and the results matched with Bombay High (BH) oil fingerprints. The present study primarily aims at identifying the potential minor spill areas using Sentinel-imagery. Interestingly, repeated occurrence of oil spills detected at two locations, perfectly matched with BH platforms. The simulated Lagrangian trajectories also depict that tarball particles have originated from those detected locations. In 2017 alone, the quantity of spilled oil was estimated to be 129,392 l. However, spills detected offshore regions of Kachchh and Mangalore were found to be caused by ships. This is the first comprehensive study, tracking the oil pollution sources in the EAS through multi-technique approach - chemical, remote sensing and numerical modeling.

Evaluation of Wettability of Three Saliva Substitutes on Heat-polymerized Acrylic Resin-An In vitro Study.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the wettability of three saliva substitutes on heat-polymerized acrylic resin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Heat-cured acrylic resins 150 were made and divided into three groups containing 50 samples each, i.e., group 1 Aqwet, group 2 Biotene, and group 3 Mouthkote. The prepared wax pattern was cut using 30 × 30-mm two square glass plates along the sides using a sharp carver. The uniformity of the wax samples was checked using the wax gauge. The wax samples were invested using dental plaster in varsity flasks. The samples were prepared using conventional heat-cure denture base acrylic resin. A goniometer was used to calculate receding and advancing contact angles for dynamic contact angle analysis. RESULTS: The least mean value of advancing and receding contact angles was seen in group 1 Aqwet (68.12 ± 1.30 and 58.56 ± 0.10) followed by group 2 Biotene (81.64 ± 0.88 and 74.89 ± 0.45), and group 3 Mouthkote (85.76 ± 1.02 and 80.63 ± 0.66). A significant difference was found between the groups statistically with a p value of 0.001. A significant difference was found on multiple comparisons between group 1 vs group 3 and group 1 vs group 2 with different receding and advancing contact angles of saliva substitutes analyzed with Turkey's post hoc test. CONCLUSION: The lowest advancing and receding contact angle values were significantly seen in the Aqwet saliva substitute followed by Biotene and Mouthkote on heat-polymerized acrylic resin. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The clinical significance of the saliva substitute's good wetting property on acrylic denture base. The quality of life of the patients with xerostomia can be improved using a suitable saliva substitute.

In Vitro Analysis of Different Polishing Systems on the Color Stability and Surface Roughness of Nanocomposite Resins.

AIM: To assess the different polishing systems on the color stability and surface roughness of nanocomposite resins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 composite resin samples were fabricated. The Tetric N Ceram composite was compacted into the custom-made cylindrical metallic mold of internal diameter 6 × 6 mm. Based on the polishing system used, sixty samples were divided into three groups. Group I: Sof-Lex, group II: Shofu super-snap polishing disks, and group III: Astropol. The samples in each group were immersed in beverage, that is tea. Spectrophotometer was used to measure the color of the samples after staining period. And surface profilometer was used to measure all surface roughness. RESULTS: Of the three groups, Sof-Lex polishing group reported the least mean value of 0.458 ± 0.118 succeeded by Astropol polishing group (0.494 ± 0.121) and Shofu super-snap polishing group (0.540 ± 0.031) having the higher mean value. Statistically significant difference was found between the different polishing systems calculated by analysis of variance. And color change between the groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: We conclude that a composite polished with Sof-Lex was a superior polish compared to Astropol polishing group and Shofu super-snap polishing group. There was only a minimal difference in the color stability of the composite between the groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Excellent finishing and polishing are the critical steps to enhance the esthetics and longevity of the composite restorations. High strength, fracture toughness, surface hardness, optimum polishability, and gloss are the functional properties which need assessment while a resin composite is used for restoration. How to cite this article: Dhananjaya KM, Vadavadagi SV, Almalki SA, et al. In Vitro Analysis of Different Polishing Systems on the Color Stability and Surface Roughness of Nanocomposite Resins. J Contemp Dent Pract 2019;20(11):1335-1338.

Comparison of Different Post Systems for Fracture Resistance: An in vitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Endodontic restoration becomes a challenging task for the clinician because of severe loss of coronal tooth structure owing to trauma, caries, restorative, and endodontic procedures. The restoration of these teeth requires the use of a post and core as individual units or as abutment supports for fixed or removable restorations in a predictable long-term manner. AIM: To compare and assess the compressive bond strength of glass, quartz, and carbon fiber posts restored with porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 45 upper central incisor teeth having straight root canals, similar anatomically root segments, and fully developed apices were selected. Teeth were divided into three groups of 15 teeth after endodontic treatment. Group I: Teeth inserted with the prefabricated glass fiber post. Group II: Teeth inserted with the quartz fiber post. Group III: Teeth inserted with carbon fiber post. The posts were placed and core was fabricated using composite restoration followed by PFM crown cementation using adhesive resin. Compressive load required to fracture the tooth was measured using a universal loading machine. The difference between the variables was assessed by one-way analysis of variance, followed by Tukey's post hoc test. RESULTS: The compressive strength exhibited by carbon fiber posts was highest with a mean of 668.33 ± 26.397, followed by quartz fiber post (635.80 ± 30.390). Least compressive strength was exhibited by glass fiber post (567.53 ± 26.632). An analysis of variance shows statistically highly significant difference (p < 0.005) among the posts used. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the carbon fiber posts had higher compressive strength than other quartz, glass fiber posts. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Endodontic treatment results in loss of a significant part of the tooth structure. Posts restore these teeth and provide retention.

Diversity of bacteria and fungi associated with tarballs: Recent developments and future prospects.

Tarballs are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environment. They are transported from open ocean to the shores by sea currents and waves. Tarball pollution is a major concern to global marine ecosystem. Microbes such as bacteria and fungi are known to be associated with tarballs. They presumably play an important role in tarball degradation and some are potential human and animal pathogens. This paper highlights the recent studies on tarball-associated bacteria and fungi. Future perspectives on diversity, ecology and possible applications of tarball-associated microbes in bioremediation of beached tarballs have been discussed.

Characteristics, seasonal distribution and surface degradation features of microplastic pellets along the Goa coast, India.

Microplastic pellets (MPPs) are ubiquitous contaminants, recognised as a serious threat to the biota in coastal, estuarine and marine environment. The distribution, abundance, weathering and chemical characteristics of MPPs on the beaches of Goa, and their transport to the coast during the southwest (SW) monsoon are discussed in this paper. MPP samples collected from six sandy beaches were categorised based on colour and polymer types using Stereoscope microscope and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, respectively. White colour MPPs were the most abundant, and Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) were the dominant polymer types of MPPs deposited on all the beaches. Carbonyl index values showed that MPPs collected in June 2015 (representing SW monsoon) were 'new', whereas the MPPs collected in January 2015 were 'aged', showing that MPPs are arriving at Goa coast only during SW monsoon due to conducive hydrodynamic conditions. Characteristics of MPPs suggest that they could be originated primarily from ocean-based sources. The winds and surface currents during SW monsoon are the driving forces for the transportation and deposition of MPPs on the Goa beaches. The results of this study will be useful to the National 'Clean India' program for effective plastic debris removal management.

Backtrack modeling to locate the origin of tar balls depositing along the west coast of India.

Tar ball (TB) deposition along the West Coast of India (WCI) is a common phenomenon during the southwest monsoon season, particularly along the coast of Goa and Gujarat, and it is a major concern to the stake holders. Our earlier studies showed that the source oil for the TBs deposited on the Goa coast in August 2010 is the tanker wash, and the source for subsequent TBs deposited on the Gujarat coast during July 2012 and June 2013 and Goa coast in May 2013 is from Bombay High (BH) oil fields. In the present study, the TBs that were deposited during May 2013 and May 2014 on the Goa coast were backtracked through a trajectory model, primarily to simulate their pathways and identify the reason for the occurrence of TBs only in May, and eventually to identify the origin and the source. The backtracking results re-confirmed that the TBs deposited in 2010 were originated from the tanker routes and that of both 2013 and 2014 TBs from the BH oil fields. The climatology of wind and surface circulation showed that the TBs deposited on the Goa coast during May/June only are from the oil fields and those during August from the tanker route. The results of backtracking simulations showed that the residence time of the oil residues/TBs is approximately 22days for August 2010 TBs, ≈30days for May 2013 TBs and 65days for May 2014 TBs. The residence time (in water) of TBs that deposit (on the coast) in the month of May could be as much as 7months, and could be around one month if deposit in August, primarily because of winds and hydrodynamic conditions of the Arabian Sea.