Comparative evaluation of incidence of dentinal defects after root canal preparation using three different endodontic retreatment systems - An in vitro study.

Context: Safe and efficient removal of all root filling materials from the root canal system without compromising radicular dentin structure is essential for optimal nonsurgical retreatment. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the incidence of dentinal defects caused during root canal filling removal using conventional, rotary, and reciprocating retreatment file systems. Settings and Design: A detailed protocol explaining purpose and procedures of the study was submitted to the Institutional Ethics Committee and ethical clearance obtained. Subjects and Methods: Sixty human maxillary permanent central incisors were collected and decoronated to 12-mm standardized length. The canals prepared up to a master apical file size F3 with Protaper hand files, obturated using AH plus sealer, examined under the stereomicroscope (×40 magnification): Group I: Control (n = 15), Group II: Conventional (n = 15), Group III: Protaper Universal Retreatment Files (n = 15), and Group IV: Reciproc Blue (n = 15). After instrumentation, teeth were sectioned at 3, 6, and 9 mm from the apex to evaluate the presence of dentinal defects under the stereomicroscope. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistics were performed using the SPSS, version, 25 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Initially, normality test was done using the Shapiro-Wilk test and data were not normally distributed followed by Kruskal-Wallis test. P < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results: Maximum percentage increase in dentinal defects was observed in Protaper Universal Retreatment Files followed by Conventional method and Reciproc Blue. Conclusions: Significantly Reciproc Blue reduced the incidence of dentinal defects after root canal preparation.

Automatic detection of COVID-19 in chest radiographs using serially concatenated deep and handcrafted features.

Since the infectious disease occurrence rate in the human community is gradually rising due to varied reasons, appropriate diagnosis and treatments are essential to control its spread. The recently discovered COVID-19 is one of the contagious diseases, which infected numerous people globally. This contagious disease is arrested by several diagnoses and handling actions. Medical image-supported diagnosis of COVID-19 infection is an approved clinical practice. This research aims to develop a new Deep Learning Method (DLM) to detect the COVID-19 infection using the chest X-ray. The proposed work implemented two methods namely, detection of COVID-19 infection using (i) a Firefly Algorithm (FA) optimized deep-features and (ii) the combined deep and machine features optimized with FA. In this work, a 5-fold cross-validation method is engaged to train and test detection methods. The performance of this system is analyzed individually resulting in the confirmation that the deep feature-based technique helps to achieve a detection accuracy of > 92% with SVM-RBF classifier and combining deep and machine features achieves > 96% accuracy with Fine KNN classifier. In the future, this technique may have potential to play a vital role in testing and validating the X-ray images collected from patients suffering from the infection diseases.

Antidiabetic potential and high synergistic antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesised with Musa Paradisiaca tepal extract.

This work investigates the Musa Paradisiaca plant and its tepal extracts. The research findings show that the tepal extracts of M. Paradisiaca contain high phytochemical activity. Hence we can conclude that these plants have a number of beneficial properties. Phytochemical analysis concludes that the plant is rich in flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, terpenoids, and phytosterol. In the current work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have revealed the antioxidant properties of M. Paradisiaca. The results show that the methanolic extracts of these tepals exhibit antioxidant potential and are also sources of natural antioxidant compounds, though comparatively, AgNPs have shown the best antioxidant activity. This work investigates the link between the ethnopharmacological statements and the bioactive constituents found in M. Paradisiaca toward all probable markers for cervical cancer via in vivo studies and molecular docking, to form a pharmacophore setting for the active target. However, most of the mechanisms of action of herbal medicines are not in total agreement, and the information collected from their traditional remedies over the years must not be neglected. Hence, it is sensible to investigate the options available in herbal medicine for cancer progression. Biosynthesised AgNPs are principally spherical and nanosized. It was also found that tepalmediated AgNPs exhibit excellent antimicrobial efficacy against tested human pathogens. This green method can be used as a better alternative source than the chemical fabrication of nanomaterials and the biosynthesised nanoparticles can be used in antibacterial medicines. The methanolictepal extract of M. Paradisiaca with AgNPs displayed proficient antidiabetic properties in the diabetes rat model and so could have a possible development for medical use in the future.

Principal component analysis approach for comprehensive screening of salt stress-tolerant tomato germplasm at the seedling stage.

Salt stress is a major abiotic factor that affects the growth and yield of crops. The present study was carried out to assess the salt tolerance among the Arka Samrat, Arka Rakshak, YVU-1, S-22, YVU-2, and PKM-OP tomato germplasms using principal component analysis (PCA). Different salt (NaCl) concentrations like control, 0.04 M, 0.12 M, and 0.20 M were selected in order to classify them into sensitive and tolerant tomato germplasms based on 13 parameters. A significant variation was observed among the selected tomato germplasms towards salinity tolerance at the seedling stage. Shoot length, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight parameters of the seedlings were decreased linearly with an increase in the external NaCl concentration. Salinization of plants has shown to reduce K+ content and increase in the Na+ accumulation, Ca2+, and Catalase activity. Salt stress also increased electrolyte leakage and reduced relative water content of all germplasms. The maximum parameters were less affected in Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat compared to the remaining germplasms at higher salt stress. The PCA analysis of 13 morphological and physiological variables indicated that Arka Rakshak and Arka Samrat germplasms were salt-tolerant and PKM-OP was susceptible. Thus PCA analysis results are useful for the identification of resistance and sensitive germplasms at the seedling stage.

The Biochemical and Clinical Perspectives of Lactate Dehydrogenase: An Enzyme of Active Metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a group of oxidoreductase isoenzymes catalyzing the reversible reaction between pyruvate and lactate. The five isoforms of this enzyme, formed from two subunits, vary in isoelectric points and these isoforms have different substrate affinity, inhibition constants and electrophoretic mobility. These diverse biochemical properties play a key role in its cellular, tissue and organ specificity. Though LDH is predominantly present in the cytoplasm, it has a multi-organellar location as well. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this review article is to provide an update in parallel, the previous and recent biochemical views and its clinical significance in different diseases. METHODS: With the help of certain inhibitors, its active site three-dimensional view, reactions mechanisms and metabolic pathways have been sorted out to a greater extent. Overexpression of LDH in different cancers plays a principal role in anaerobic cellular metabolism, hence several inhibitors have been designed to employ as novel anticancer agents. DISCUSSION: LDH performs a very important role in overall body metabolism and some signals can induce isoenzyme switching under certain circumstances, ensuring that the tissues consistently maintain adequate ATP supply. This enzyme also experiences some posttranslational modifications, to have diversified metabolic roles. Different toxicological and pathological complications damage various organs, which ultimately result in leakage of this enzyme in serum. Hence, unusual LDH isoform level in serum serves as a significant biomarker of different diseases. CONCLUSION: LDH is an important diagnostic biomarker for some common diseases like cancer, thyroid disorders, tuberculosis, etc. In general, LDH plays a key role in the clinical diagnosis of various common and rare diseases, as this enzyme has a prominent role in active metabolism.

Association of interleukin-28B rs12979860 and rs8099917 polymorphisms with sustained viral response in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and 3 infected patients from the Indian subcontinent.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms of the IL28B gene (rs12979860 and rs8099917) have been shown to impact treatment responses in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. The association of these polymorphisms with sustained viral response (SVR) has been studied in HCV genotype 3 infected patients in India, but not in genotype 1. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the association of IL28B gene polymorphisms and other host and viral factors with treatment response in patients with HCV genotype 1 and 3 infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA from 42 HCV-infected patients on antiviral therapy was analysed for the IL28B polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Bidirectional sequencing was performed on a subset of samples for verification of PCR-RFLP results. Information on age, weight, height, diabetic status, pre-treatment viral load and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels was obtained from clinical records. The IL28B genotypes and the other factors were analysed for their association with SVR. RESULTS: The frequency distribution of rs12979860 CC/CT/TT genotypes was found to be 66.7%, 26.2% and 7.1%, respectively. For rs8099917 genotype, the TT/GT/GG distribution was 73.8%, 21.4% and 4.8%, respectively. SVR was seen in 61.9% of cases (55.6% in genotype 1 and 62.5% in genotype 3). CC genotype at rs12979860 and TT genotype at rs8099917 were significantly higher in responders (P = 0.013 and 0.042, respectively). Lower baseline ALT and rapid viral response were also found to be associated with SVR. On logistic regression analysis, CC genotype at rs12979860 emerged as the most powerful predictor of treatment response. CONCLUSION: IL28B polymorphisms are strong predictors of SVR in patients from the Indian subcontinent infected with HCV genotype 3 and genotype 1.

Mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus: a cause for concern.

Mother to child transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important public health issue. India introduced HBV vaccine in 10 states as part of its Universal Immunization Program (UIP). Here we show evidence of mother-to-child transmission of HBV in three families from Jharkhand and Bihar states where HBV vaccination is not yet included in the UIP. This report illustrates the need for active screening of HBV in pregnant women and implementation of HBV vaccine across all states in India to reduce the burden of disease.

Genotypes of hepatitis C virus in the Indian sub-continent: a decade-long experience from a tertiary care hospital in South India.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease (CLD) that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Genotypes of HCV can vary in pathogenicity and can impact on treatment outcome. OBJECTIVES: To study the different genotypes among patients with HCV related CLD attending a tertiary care hospital in south India during 2002-2012. STUDY DESIGN: Study subjects were those referred to clinical virology from the liver clinic. Genotyping was performed using the genotype specific core primers in nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 5' non-coding regions based PCR- restriction fragment length polymorphism and NS5B sequencing methods. With the latter method, obtained sequences were compared with published GenBank sequences to determine the genotype. RESULTS: Of the 451 samples tested, HCV genotype 3 was found to be the most predominant (63.85%). Other genotypes detected were genotype 1 (25.72%), genotype 2 (0.002%), genotype 4 (7.5%) and genotype 6 (2.7%). Genotype 3 was the common genotype in patients from Eastern India while genotype 1 and 4 were mainly seen in South Indian patients. Genotype 6 was seen exclusively in patients from North-Eastern India. Two other patients were infected with recombinants of genotype 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: In this study spanning a decade, HCV genotype 3 and genotype 1 were found to be the predominant genotypes in the Indian sub-continent. Genotype 4 and genotype 6 appeared to show some geographic restriction. A continued monitoring of HCV genotypes is essential for the optimum management of these chronically infected patients. In addition, knowledge of circulating genotypes could impact on future vaccine formulations.

Nephrotoxicity of bisphenol A (BPA)--an updated review.

Bisphenol A (BPA), the highest volume chemical produced in the whole world is widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are used especially in the manufacture of consumer products. The exposure of BPA to humans occurs through food contamination from polycarbonate bottles and food and beverage cans. Dust is also a contributor to the total daily exposure of BPA. Thus, BPA has a high potential for human consumption. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced concern about the safety of BPA and the need for more research data. This article reviews toxicity of BPA in general and kidney in particular using clinical and experimental literature. BPA is toxic to aquatic organisms, animals and humans. BPA is cytotoxic and mutagenic and exerts various adverse effects on immune, endocrine, reproductive, developmental and nervous systems in animals and human and exhibits toxicity by all routes of exposure. Metabolism of BPA is much more rapid in humans than in rodents. BPA increases estrogen metabolism in the kidney and upregulates cytochrome p-450 aromatase activity by means of steroidogenesis. BPA acts as biomarker for renal disease and exhibits nephrotoxicity. BPA toxicity with reference to human exposure level and also carcinogenicity are lacking. While focusing on kidney, this review suggests that further research is required to evaluate the molecular mechanism of BPA induced nephrotoxicity. Protective role of antioxidants against BPA induced toxicity / nephrotoxicity is discussed in this literature.

Food flavor cinnamaldehyde-induced biochemical and histological changes in the kidney of male albino wistar rat.

Rats were given food flavor cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) orally by gavage at the dose of 2.14, 6.96, 22.62 and 73.5mg/kg body weight/day for 10, 30 and 90 days. Only the group of rats treated with CNMA at the dose 73.5mg/kg body weight/day for 90 days showed histological changes in the kidney followed by increased activities of renal, serum and urinary enzymes. CNMA-induced glucosuria in these rats was accompanied by marked proteinuria and creatinuria. Increased serum blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and decreased serum protein and glucose levels were observed in these rats. Thus, CNMA at the dose of 73.5mg/kg body weight/day for 90 days exert its effect on kidney of male albino wistar rat and its effect is time and dose dependent.

Effect of the food flavour cinnamaldehyde on the antioxidant status of rat kidney.

Cinnamaldehyde, a food flavour, has a high potential for human consumption in India. In this study, we evaluated the effect of cinnamaldehyde on the antioxidant status of the rat kidney. Rats were given cinnamaldehyde orally by gavage at dose levels of 2.14, 6.96, 22.62 and 73.5 mg/kg body weight/day for the period of 10, 30 and 90 days. The non-enzymatic antioxidants ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol and reduced glutathione were decreased while the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-s-transferase were increased. Catalase was decreased and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were increased only in the kidney of rats treated with cinnamaldehyde at the dose level of 73.5 mg/kg body weight/day during an exposure period of 90 days and not in the kidney of other cinnamaldehyde-treated rat groups. Thus, cinnamaldehyde has an effect on the antioxidant status of rat kidney and its effect is time- and dose-dependent.

Prevention of T cell-driven complement activation and inflammation by tryptophan catabolism during pregnancy.

Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) activity during pregnancy protects developing fetuses from maternal immune responses in CBA mice. We show here that fetal allografts were rejected only in mating combinations where paternally inherited tissue antigens elicited potent maternal T cell responses after exposure to IDO inhibitor. IDO inhibitor treatment triggered extensive inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface in susceptible mating combinations, which was characterized by complement deposition and hemorrhagic necrosis. Identical inflammatory responses occurred in B cell-deficient (RAG-I-/-) mothers that carried a monoclonal cohort of CD8+ T cells specific for a single paternally inherited fetal major histocompatibility complex antigen. Thus, fetal allograft rejection was accompanied by a unique form of inflammation that was characterized by T cell-dependent, antibody-independent activation of complement. In contrast, no inflammation, complement deposition or T cell infiltration was elicited when mice carrying syngeneic fetuses were exposed to IDO inhibitor. These data show that IDO activity protects the fetus by suppressing T cell-driven local inflammatory responses to fetal alloantigens.

Anti-tumor activity of monoclonal antibody CIBCNSH3 generated to the human EGF receptor.

The overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been demonstrated in many malignancies like squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, cervix, breast etc. which are most prevalent in India. This is often associated with poor prognosis and high mortality in these patients. Monoclonal antibodies generated against EGFR which inhibit binding of ligands like EGF to their receptor have anti-tumor activity and hence therapeutic application. One such monoclonal antibody designated as CIBCNSH3 generated in our laboratory has been found to recognize an epitope in the extracellular domain of EGFR by immunoprecipitation. By immunoperoxidase test this antibody exhibited strong reactivity to EGFR in head and neck cancers and breast cancers studied. It also inhibited the binding of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) to its receptor on MDA MB468 breast cancer cells rich in EGFR as revealed by competitive binding assay using 125I EGF, indicating its anti-tumor activity. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy has been demonstrated by injecting i.p. into tumor bearing mice 200 micrograms of the antibody for 4 consecutive days and then 100 micrograms twice a week resulting in complete regression of tumors of initial tumor size of 0.5-1.0 cm diameter. These results were compared with a control antibody against EGFR and also a nonspecific antibody which were administered to different groups of animals. In vivo studies performed using cell lines in culture like MDA MB468, MDA MB157 and HN5 with overexpression of EGFR revealed 98% cell death when incubated with different concentrations of the antibody. This monoclonal antibody seems to have a promising future application as therapeutic agent for tumors which overexpress EGFR.