Outcomes of three-piece rigid scleral fixated intraocular lens implantation in subjects with deficient posterior capsule following complications in manual small incision cataract surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the surgical visual outcomes of three-piece rigid scleral fixated intraocular lens (SFIOL) implantation in subjects with deficient posterior capsule following complications of cataract extraction. Design: Retrospective 4-year cohort study. Participants: Data from 174 eyes that underwent SFIOL combined with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) between January 2018 and March 2022 and follow-up exams were included. Methods: Demographic characteristics including primary indications for surgery, history of trauma, laterality, baseline and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction as spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP), duration of follow-up, and complications were analyzed. Results: The mean preoperative BCVA was 1.38 ± 0.46 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR), which improved significantly to 0.37 ± 0.22 logMAR. The baseline refractive status measured in spherical equivalent (SE) was 4.1 ± 6.2 Diopters (D), and the postoperative status was -0.4 ± 0.97 D. Early postoperative complications included hypotony (n = 1; 0.57%, vitreous hemorrhage (n = 3; 1.72%), elevated IOP (n = 8; 4.59%), mild dilated pupil (n = 1; 0.57%) and corneal edema (n = 16; 9.19%). Late complications included in this study were retinal detachment (n = 1; 0.57%), cystoid macular edema (CME) (n = 1; 0.57%), primary glaucoma (n = 1; 0.57%), secondary glaucoma (n = 13; 7.47%), zonular dehiscence (n = 3; 1.72%), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) changes (n = 3; 1.72%), choroidal coloboma (n = 2; 1.14%), posterior dislocation of posterior chamber IOL (PCIOL) (n = 1; 0.57%), corneal decompensation (n = 1; 0.57%), retinal hemorrhage (n = 1; 0.57%), macular hole (n = 1; 0.57%), chronic uveitis (n = 1; 0.57%), mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) (n = 3; 1.72%), and mild NPDR with diabetic macular edema (DME) (n = 1; 0.57%). Conclusion: Integrating IOL implantation with vitrectomy various posterior segment complications were resolved in the same setting without attempting a second surgery.

Global Mental Health Movement: Need for a cultural perspective.

The present commentary reviews the goals and differing positions on the Movement for Global Mental Health (GMH), with a distinct emphasis on the cultural differences in the understanding of the aetiology of mental health issues. The proponents and advocates of GMH support its intentions and primary agenda of scaling up mental health services, especially in low-income and middle-income countries where the prevalence of mental health disorders is continually rising. However, many cultural psychologists and sociologists critique the movement for universalising psychiatric symptoms, as this universalisation could actually suppress local voices and might also undermine the significance of culture and political and psychosocial predictors which may contribute to mental health challenges. After discussing the pros and cons of the GMH movement, this commentary concludes with a conceptual analysis of the GMH position and offers predictions about its future discourse.

A micropillar array-based microfluidic chip for label-free separation of circulating tumor cells: The best micropillar geometry?

INTRODUCTION: The information derived from the number and characteristics of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), is crucial to ensure appropriate cancer treatment monitoring. Currently, diverse microfluidic platforms have been developed for isolating CTCs from blood, but it remains a challenge to develop a low-cost, practical, and efficient strategy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to isolate CTCs from the blood of cancer patients via introducing a new and efficient micropillar array-based microfluidic chip (MPA-Chip), as well as providing prognostic information and monitoring the treatment efficacy in cancer patients. METHODS: We fabricated a microfluidic chip (MPA-Chip) containing arrays of micropillars with different geometries (lozenge, rectangle, circle, and triangle). We conducted numerical simulations to compare velocity and pressure profiles inside the micropillar arrays. Also, we experimentally evaluated the capture efficiency and purity of the geometries using breast and prostate cancer cell lines as well as a blood sample. Moreover, the device's performance was validated on 12 patients with breast cancer (BC) in different states. RESULTS: The lozenge geometry was selected as the most effective and optimized micropillar design for CTCs isolation, providing high capture efficiency (>85 %), purity (>90 %), and viability (97 %). Furthermore, the lozenge MPA-chip was successfully validated by the detection of CTCs from 12 breast cancer (BC) patients, with non-metastatic (median number of 6 CTCs) and metastatic (median number of 25 CTCs) diseases, showing different prognoses. Also, increasing the chemotherapy period resulted in a decrease in the number of captured CTCs from 23 to 7 for the metastatic patient. The MPA-Chip size was only 0.25 cm2 and the throughput of a single chip was 0.5 ml/h, which can be increased by multiple MPA-Chips in parallel. CONCLUSION: The lozenge MPA-Chip presented a novel micropillar geometry for on-chip CTC isolation, detection, and staining, and in the future, the possibilities can be extended to the culture of the CTCs.

Saliva as a propitious diagnostic biofluid, biomarker, and bodies first line of defense against COVID-19: A review.

This review aims to recognize the role of saliva not just as a transmitting agent of COVID 19, but also comprehend its role in the diagnosis, and as a biomarker. A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed database and eligible studies were included if they addressed the key issues i.e saliva as a diagnostic aid. As of January 10, 2021, a total of 309 articles across the PubMed database were identified of which 28 studies met the inclusion criteria. They were carefully examined for the type of study, sample size, parameters used, sample collection technique, and conclusions drawn. Diagnostic properties of saliva, the role of ACE 2 receptors, antibody formation ability, and antiviral characteristics were also explored. Comparisons among methods of sample collection like nasopharyngeal swabs and oropharyngeal swabs to saliva were also investigated. The observations and important deductions among the different studies were compared. Results indicated that saliva could be a reliable and financially viable option in both testing viral titers as well as marking for bio analytes due to its propitious specificity and sensitivity results reported in most of the studies. However, the inferences drawn from many of these studies should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes, inadequate detailing on the sample handling, laboratory processing, and rush in Corona-related publication. Scientific research with larger sample sizes, in diverse populations and age groups, at different phases of disease progression of COVID-19 are essential to reach any conclusion regarding its multi-facet use in the future.

A universal microfluidic approach for integrated analysis of temporal homocellular and heterocellular signaling and migration dynamics.

Microfluidics offers precise and dynamic control of microenvironments for the study of temporal cellular responses. However, recent research focusing solely on either homocellular (single-cell, population) or heterocellular response may yield insufficient output, which possibly leads to partial comprehension about the underlying mechanisms of signaling events and corresponding cellular behaviors. Here, a universal microfluidic approach is developed for integrated analysis of temporal signaling and cell migration dynamics in multiple cellular contexts (single-cell, population and coculture). This approach allows to confine the desired number or mixture of specific cell sample types in a single device. Precise single cell seeding was achieved manually with bidirectional controllability. Coupled with time-lapse imaging, temporal cellular responses can be observed with single-cell resolution. Using NIH3T3 cells stably expressing signal transducer and activator of transcription 1/2 (STAT1/2) activity biosensors, temporal STAT1/2 activation and cell migration dynamics were explored in isolated single cells, populations and cocultures stimulated with temporal inputs, such as single-pulse and continuous signals of interferon γ (IFNγ) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We demonstrate distinct dynamic responses of fibroblasts in different cellular contexts. Our presented approach facilitates a multi-dimensional understanding of STAT signaling and corresponding migration behaviors.

Evaluation of Ozone Therapy in Endodontic Treatment of Teeth with Necrotic Pulp and Apical Periodontitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different application techniques of ozone on the prevalence of postendodontic pain in patients undergoing single-visit root canal treatment. METHODS: hundred eight patients with necrotic pulp in single-rooted teeth and apical periodontitis participated in the trial. A standard single-visit endodontics protocol was followed with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite and rotary nickel-titanium files. After shaping and cleaning, patients were randomly allocated into the following groups: group 1 (n = 21), ozone treatment with no activation (NA); group 2 (n = 22), ozone treatment with manual dynamic activation (MDA); group 3, (n = 21), ozone treatment with passive ultrasonic activation (PUA); group 4 (n = 23), ozone treatment with sonic activation (SA); and group 5 (n = 21), no ozone treatment (the control group). Patient levels of discomfort were recorded at 6 different time intervals using the visual analog scale (VAS). Comparison of the mean difference between the groups and time intervals was performed using 2-way analysis of variance followed by a post hoc Bonferroni test. The level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: VAS scores were highest for the control > NA > MDA > SA > PUA groups. A statistically significant reduction in VAS scores was observed in the PUA and SA groups in comparison with the NA, control, and MDA groups. Timewise comparison showed a highly significant decline in VAS scores at all time intervals (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonic and sonic activation of ozone resulted in less pain in patients undergoing single-visit endodontics compared with no ozone treatment.

A prospective case-control study to evaluate oral health status before and after intervention using different dental aids in children with visual impairment.

BACKGROUND: A major dental concern in children with special health-care needs is poor oral hygiene, which results in increased incidences of dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. AIMS: The study intended to determine if there was a difference in the oral health status of children with visual impairment and normal children and to evaluate the efficacy of the frequently used dental aids. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study population included 90 children, 45 children with visual impairment (study group) with age- and sex-matched 45 normal children (control group). Both the groups were further divided into three intervention subgroups. Subgroup A: manual toothbrushes, Subgroup B: manual toothbrush with medicated mouthwashes, and Subgroup C: powered toothbrushes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For each subject, oral hygiene index simplified (OHIS), Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman modification of the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (TQPHI), and decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) indices were recorded at baseline, i.e., before any intervention. This was followed by oral prophylaxis by ultrasonic scaling. The three indices were recorded in 0 (baseline), 30 days (1 month), 90 days (3 months), and 180 days (6 months), respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: ANOVA test, Chi-square test, and student paired test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean TQHPI and OHIS values of mouthwashes at the end of 6 months were 1.01 and 1.60, respectively, which were lower than manual and power brushes. No statistically significant reduction in the DMFT scores with the use of any of the adjuncts was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Among the dental aids used in the study, mouthwash showed a significant reduction in plaque and oral hygiene scores as compared to powered toothbrushes and manual brushes alone.

Mean Free Paths and Cross Sections for Electron Scattering from Liquid Water.

Electron collision with liquid water is theoretically investigated and reported in this article. The range of projectile energy considered is 10-5000 eV, covering all major channels, viz., ionization, inelastic, elastic, and total scattering. The liquid phase electron charge density and static potential are generated and used in the calculation under a spherical complex optical potential formalism to achieve the goals. For the ionization channel, the complex scattering potential-ionization contribution method is used. The agreement with available theoretical data is satisfactory. The study on the total electron scattering from liquid water, using a common method for elastic and inelastic cross sections, is new and requires further attempts to support the reported data.

Positron Scattering from Pyridine and Pyrimidine.

Positron impact scattering cross-sections for pyridine and pyrimidine are reported here. Spherical complex optical potential formalism is used to calculate the positronium formation, elastic, total, and differential cross-sections. The ionization cross-sections calculated here are obtained employing the complex scattering potential-ionization contribution method. To account for the complex molecular structure of the target, an effective potential method is employed in our formalism for the first time. The contribution from rotational excitation is also included, which shows a reasonable comparison with the experimental data. The results obtained using the modified approach are encouraging and show very good agreement with the measurements. The differential cross-section for pyridine is reported for the first time.

Low-Energy Electron Scattering from Dimethyl Ether.

Low-energy (0.1 to 15 eV) R-matrix calculation is performed for dimethyl ether molecule. Electronic excitation and momentum transfer cross section for low energies are reported for the first time. Present differential cross sections show good agreement with previous data in terms of shape but are significantly higher in magnitude. Apart from low energies, we have also performed high-energy calculation (11-5000 eV) using spherical complex optical potential formalism. To deal with the molecular nature of the present target, we have applied an effective potential method in our computation for the first time. Good consistency can be seen at the overlapping energies of the two calculations.

A Pipette-Tip Based Method for Seeding Cells to Droplet Microfluidic Platforms.

Amongst various microfluidic platform designs frequently used for cellular analysis, droplet-microfluidics provides a robust tool for isolating and analyzing cells at the single-cell level by eliminating the influence of external factors on the cellular microenvironment. Encapsulation of cells in droplets is dictated by the Poisson distribution as a function of the number of cells present in each droplet and the average number of cells per volume of droplet. Primary cells, especially immune cells, or clinical specimens can be scarce and loss-less encapsulation of cells remains challenging. In this paper, we present a new methodology that uses pipette-tips to load cells to droplet-based microfluidic devices without the significant loss of cells. With various cell types , we demonstrate efficient cell encapsulation in droplets that closely corresponds to the encapsulation efficiency predicted by the Poisson distribution. Our method ensures loss-less loading of cells to microfluidic platforms and can be easily adapted for downstream single cell analysis, e.g., to decode cellular interactions between different cell types.

Integrating Immunology and Microfluidics for Single Immune Cell Analysis.

The field of immunoengineering aims to develop novel therapies and modern vaccines to manipulate and modulate the immune system and applies innovative technologies toward improved understanding of the immune system in health and disease. Microfluidics has proven to be an excellent technology for analytics in biology and chemistry. From simple microsystem chips to complex microfluidic designs, these platforms have witnessed an immense growth over the last decades with frequent emergence of new designs. Microfluidics provides a highly robust and precise tool which led to its widespread application in single-cell analysis of immune cells. Single-cell analysis allows scientists to account for the heterogeneous behavior of immune cells which often gets overshadowed when conventional bulk study methods are used. Application of single-cell analysis using microfluidics has facilitated the identification of several novel functional immune cell subsets, quantification of signaling molecules, and understanding of cellular communication and signaling pathways. Single-cell analysis research in combination with microfluidics has paved the way for the development of novel therapies, point-of-care diagnostics, and even more complex microfluidic platforms that aid in creating in vitro cellular microenvironments for applications in drug and toxicity screening. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview on the integration of microsystems and microfluidics with immunology and focus on different designs developed to decode single immune cell behavior and cellular communication. We have categorized the microfluidic designs in three specific categories: microfluidic chips with cell traps, valve-based microfluidics, and droplet microfluidics that have facilitated the ongoing research in the field of immunology at single-cell level.

Comparative Evaluation of Accuracy of Two Electronic Apex Locators in the Presence of Contemporary Irrigants: An In vitro Study.

AIM: The present study was aimed to compare the accuracy of Root ZX Mini and Propex II in the presence of 0.1% octinidine dohydrochloride (OCT), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), and 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) heated and nonheated before and after preparation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty extracted single-rooted teeth were selected for the study and decoronated. Teeth were mounted in an alginate model. Actual working length (AL) was measured using a stereomicroscope under ×4 magnification. Electronic working length measurements were recorded using Root ZX Mini and Propex II apex locators in the presence of 0.1% OCT, 2% CHX, and 5% NaOCl (nonheated and heated to 60°C) before and after preparation. Mean and standard deviation differences before and after preparation were calculated and statistically analyzed using analysis of variance and paired t-test. RESULTS: The accuracy of Root ZX Mini before and after preparation within ±0.5 mm of AL was consistently high in the presence of irrigants than Propex II. 5% NaOCl (heated and nonheated) showed more variation than the other irrigants, in the working length determination in both the apex locators. CONCLUSION: Electronic length measurements were shorter with heated and nonheated 5% NaOCl and longer with 0.1% OCT and 2% CHX for both the electronic apex locators.

Positron Scattering from Methyl Halides.

The well-known spherical complex optical potential (SCOP) and complex scattering potential-ionization contribution (CSP-ic) methods with appropriate modifications are applied to the CH3X (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) molecules to compute positron scattering cross sections, which rather is the first theoretical attempt to report the same. Besides, various inelastic cross sections are also predicted for the first time in this Article. We have utilized the multiscattering spherical complex optical potential (MSCOP) approach to derive these cross sections. In general, a reasonable accordance has been found between the present total cross sections and the experimental measurements. Apart from the inconsistency between the present theoretical and previous experimental cross sections in the low energy region, the present theory is found to produce consistent and reliable results at all other energies.

Growth, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface, optical, piezoelectric, dielectric and mechanical properties of bis(L-asparaginium hydrogensquarate) single crystal.

Molecular organic single crystals of bis(L-asparaginium hydrogensquarate) monohydrate [BASQ; (C8H10N2O7)2·H2O] have been grown by solution technique. Crystallographic information was investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis. Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plot studies were performed to understand the intermolecular interactions of the BASQ crystal in graphical representation. Functional group identification was studied with FT-IR (Fourier transform-IR) spectroscopy. The positions of proton and carbon atoms in the BASQ compound were analyzed using NMR spectroscopy. High transparency and a wide band gap of 3.49 eV were observed in the linear optical study by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy. Intense and broad photoluminescence emissions at room temperature were observed in blue and blue-green regions. The frontier molecular orbitals of the BASQ molecule were obtained by the DFT/B3LYP method employing 6-311G** as the basis set. The dielectric study was carried out with temperature at various frequency ranges. The piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) value of BASQ crystal was found to be 2 pC/N, which leads to its application in energy harvesting, mechanical sensors and actuators applications. In the non-linear optical study, the BASQ crystal showed promising SHG conversion efficiency. Mechanical properties of the BASQ crystal were studied experimentally by Vicker's microhardness technique, which revealed that the grown crystal belonged to the softer category. BASQ crystal void estimation reveals the mechanical strength and porosity of the material.

Correlation of salivary glucose level with blood glucose level in diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Saliva is a unique fluid, which is important for normal functioning of the oral cavity. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease of absolute or relative insulin deficiency characterized by insufficient secretion of insulin by pancreatic beta-cells. The diagnosis of diabetes through blood is difficult in children, older adults, debilitated and chronically ill patients, so diagnosis by analysis of saliva can be potentially valuable as collection of saliva is noninvasive, easier and technically insensitive, unlike blood. The aim of the study was to correlate blood glucose level (BGL) and salivary glucose level (SGL) in DM patients. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 120 patients, who were categorized as 40 controlled diabetics, 40 uncontrolled diabetics and 40 healthy, age- and sex-matched individuals constituted the controls. The blood and unstimulated saliva samples were collected from the patients at the different intervals for fasting, random and postprandial levels. These samples were then subjected for analysis of glucose in blood and saliva using glucose oxidase/peroxidase reagent in HITACHI 902(R) Automatic analyzer, and the results were recorded. RESULTS: The mean SGLs were higher in uncontrolled and controlled diabetic groups than in nondiabetic group. A highly statistically significant correlation was found between fasting saliva glucose and fasting blood glucose in all the groups. CONCLUSION: With increase in BGL, increase in SGL was observed in patients with diabetes suggesting that SGL can be used for monitoring glycemic level in DM.

Comparitive efficacies of a natural fixative with a conventional fixative.

INTRODUCTION: The quest for formalin substitutes has long been going on due to its health hazards. Honey has been recognized as a safe substitute for formalin. However, we explored jaggery as a natural substitute for formalin. The aim of this study was to compare the tissue fixation abilities of jaggery syrup (30%) with that of 10% neutral-buffered formalin (NBF) and to determine the best fixative among both. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A study was conducted with 65 pathological tissues. Each specimen was divided into two equal parts. One part was fixed in 30% jaggery solution (Group A), while the other half was fixed in 10% NBF solution (Group B). 24 h tissue fixation was attained at room temperature followed by evaluation of pre- and post-fixation, tissue shrinkage, weight difference and ease of sectioning, followed by evaluation of conventional processing and staining. The histomorphological assessment for each slide was made based on evaluation of cellular outline, cytoplasmic details, nuclear details, staining quality and overall morphology under light microscopy. Each criterion was rated on a scale of 1-4. Nominal categorical data between the groups were compared using Chi-squared test. RESULTS: The preservation of tissue specimen by jaggery syrup was comparable to that of formalin and surprisingly overall nuclear detail of the tissue was better than conventional formalin fixative. CONCLUSION: Jaggery can be successfully adopted in routine histopathology laboratories in place of formalin.

Growth, morphology, structure and characterization of L-histidinium dihydrogen arsenate orthoarsenic acid single crystal.

L-Histidinium dihydrogen arsenate orthoarsenic acid (LHAS) crystals were grown by the slow evaporation method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirms monoclinic structure. The growth rates of various planes of LHAS crystals were estimated by morphological study. Hirshfeld surface and fingerprint plots were analyzed to investigate the intermolecular interactions at 0.002 a.u. present in the crystal structure. The functional groups and phase behavior of the compound are studied by FTIR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition at 307 K was observed in dielectric studies. The piezoelectric charge coefficients of the grown crystal were found to be 2 pC/N. The values of coercive field (Ec), remnant polarization (Pr) and spontaneous polarization (Ps) in the hysteresis loop are found to be 5.236 kV cm(-1), 0.654 µC cm(-2) and 2.841 µC cm(-2), respectively. Piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity are reported for the first time in LHAS crystals. The mechanical strength was confirmed from microhardness study and void volume. Due to the low value of the dielectric constant, and good piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties, LHAS crystals can be used in microelectronics, sensors and advanced electronic devices.

Non Surgical Correction of Mandibular Deviation and Neuromuscular Coordination after Two years of Mandibular Guidance Therapy: A Case Report.

Carcinomas of the mandible may require resection of a segment of bone (continuity defect), partial removal of bone (discontinuity defect), tongue, and floor of the mouth and muscle attachments. Patients undergoing such treatment suffer from facial disfigurement, loss of muscle function, loss of neuromuscular coordination resulting in inability to masticate and swallow acceptably. Surgical reconstruction may not always be possible because of high reoccurrence rate, inability of the patient to cope with another surgery etc. The treatment of choice in non surgical cases is prosthetic rehabilitation using guiding flange prosthesis. This article describes the management of a patient who had undergone hemimandibulectomy and was not willing for a surgical reconstruction. Interim maxillary ramp prosthesis was given to the patient 15 days postoperatively followed by definitive guiding flange prosthesis for two years after which the patient was able to occlude in centric occlusal position without any aid.