Efficacy of electronic apex locators in comparison with intraoral radiographs in working length determination- a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Successful endodontic treatment needs accurate determination of working length (WL). Electronic apex locators (EALs) were presented as an alternative to radiographic methods; and since then, they have evolved and gained popularity in the determination of WL. However, there is insufficient evidence on the post-operative pain, adequacy, and accuracy of EALs in determining WL. OBJECTIVE: The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to gather evidence regarding the effectiveness of EALs for WL determination when compared to different imaging techniques along with postoperative pain associated with WL determination, the number of radiographs taken during the procedure, the time taken, and the adverse effects. METHODS: For the review, clinical studies with cross-over and parallel-arm randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in seven electronic databases, followed by cross-referencing of the selected studies and related research synthesis. Risk of bias (RoB) assessment was carried out with Cochrane's RoB tool and a random-effects model was used. The meta-analysis was performed with the RevMan software 5.4.1. RESULTS: Eleven eligible RCTs were incorporated into the review and eight RCTs into the meta-analysis, of which five had high RoB and the remaining six had unclear RoB. Following meta-analysis, no significant difference in postoperative pain was found among the EAL and radiograph groups (SMD 0.00, CI .29 to .28, 354 participants; P value = 0.98). Radiograph group showed better WL accuracy (SMD 0.55, CI .11 to .99, 254 participants; P value = 0.02), while the EAL group had 10% better WL adequacy (RR 1.10, CI 1.03-1.18, 573 participants; P value = 0.006). CONCLUSION: We found very low-certainty evidence to support the efficacy of different types of EAL compared to radiography for the outcomes tested. We were unable to reach any conclusions about the superiority of any type of EAL. Well-planned RCTs need to be conducted by standardizing the outcomes and outcome measurement methods.

Semiconductor Nanoparticle Anchored Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for a Bolometer.

The bolometer is developed using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) anchored with semiconductor nanoparticles of cadmium sulfide, stannous disulfide, and zinc oxide (ZnO). The bolometric responses were recorded at varying temperatures from 10 K to room temperature. The anchored SWCNTs provided a higher temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) than pristine SWCNTs. The largest TCR is recorded from SWCNTs/ZnO (-0.11%/K) at room temperature, which is 200% higher than pristine SWCNTs. The largest photoresponsivities of SWCNTs/ZnO under near-infrared (NIR) and wide wavelength source (200-1200 nm) illuminations are 5.06 and 37.51 mV/W, respectively. The extraordinary performance of SWCNTs/ZnO stands out at ∼17 × 104% under IR illumination. The study presents a significant advancement in the development of high-performance SWCNT bolometric materials by anchoring with semiconductor nanoparticles.

Assessment of Potentially Malignant Disorders among Men and Women in South Bihar Population.

Oral cancer is detected in 270,000 people per annum or around 3% of all malignancies. It ranks sixth among males and twelve among females in terms of prevalence. Mostly, all oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) are responsible for 92-95% of cases. Oral carcinoma starts five years before the average age of PMD patients, who range in age from 5th to 6th decade of life. Thus, the goal of this study is to identify any relevant risk factors and assess the incidence of oral possibly malignant disorders in both men and women living in rural Bhojpur District, Bihar. A cross-sectional study has been carried out at the Sadar Hospital in Bhojpur by surveying volunteers at various oral health screening and treatment camps held from January 2022 to July 2022. A pre-validated questionnaire adapted and modified from Kumar S et al. was utilized to collect data in a qualitative interview. It was discovered that (17%) of all people had an oral possibly malignant disease. OSMF was the lesion with the greatest prevalence (7%) and lichen planus having the smallest prevalence (1%). Malignancy frequently develops from oral potential malignant diseases. Diabetes and BMI were inversely related, which is expected provided the socioeconomic position.

Dermatoglyphic Pattern Assessment in Smokeless Tobacco Users in the North Gujarat Population: A Comparative Case-Control Study.

Introduction: Dermatoglyphic patterns identify genetic conditions as they develop early in pregnancy and remain constant throughout life. Multiple studies suggest that there is a genetic link to smokeless tobacco use. So, this study has been conducted to assess dermatoglyphic patterns among smokeless tobacco users in the North Gujarat population with nonconsumers. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 cases were investigated for "ATD" angle and patterns, of which 250 subjects of smokeless tobacco are assessed for statistical significance via comparing them to 250 subjects of nonconsumers. Student's t-test was employed for evaluating quantitative factors (also known as the "ATD" angle), and the Chi-square test was used to analyze qualitative variables (also known as fingerprint patterns). A P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant. Results: In this study, the angle "ATD" was found to be reduced in both the palms of males (P 0.001) and females (P 0.001) when compared to controls, which was statistically highly significant. In our study, we discovered that the number of whorls and arches is lower in male cases as compared to male controls, which is highly significant (P = 0.020 and P = 0.010). Male cases had a greater number of loops than male controls, which was statistically significantly greater (P 0.001). Conclusion: In this latest study, an association between smokeless tobacco users and palmar dermatoglyphics was identified. Though dermatoglyphics solely is unable to identify individuals who abuse alcohol and/or cigarette packs, the results of this research could serve to further develop diagnostic guidelines.

Relationship of skin complexion with gingival tissue color and hyperpigmentation. A multi-ethnic comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The most frequently seen intra-oral soft tissue is the gingiva. Most often, it is seen as coral-pink tissue that surrounds the neck of the teeth. Gingiva that encircles the tooth necks and covers the alveolar processes of the jaws is an intra-oral tissue that exhibits biomimetic features. The wide range of colors of the gingiva depends on the configuration of gingival vascularity, the degree of epithelial cornification, level of melanogenesis, and the depth of epithelialization. However, the color of the gingiva varies depending on the degree of melanin pigmentation. The current study aimed to identify the different distribution patterns of gingival color and determine the correlation between skin color, gender, and geographical area of origin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 839 subjects were involved in the study where the gingival color and skin tone were measured using the Dummett-Gupta Oral pigmentation Index (DOPI) combined with VITA VMK MASTER and skin shade method developed by Revlon (USA) and L'Oreal (France) for makeup foundation shades. One investigator was calibrated for the examination of the colors after being tested for normal color vision and color aptitude using the line test. RESULTS: A significant association was found between skin color and gingival pigmentation (χ2 value (6) = 114.48; P = 0.001). It was also found that females (67.1%) significantly had darker gingiva than males (58.3%). The study statistics display that location of the individual was also statistically associated with melanin pigmentation of the gingiva (χ2 value (57) = 559.33; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study concluded that gender, skin color, and individual location are significantly associated with gingival melanin pigmentation.

Exploring Climate Change Adaptation Practices and Agricultural Livelihoods among Rice Farmers of the Brahmaputra Valley in Northeast India.

Global climate change has seriously threatened agriculture and connected sectors, especially in developing countries like India. The Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, Northeast India, is vulnerable to climate change due to its agrarian economy, fragile geo-ecological setting, recurrent floods and droughts, and poor socioeconomic conditions of the farmers. The climate-induced hindrances faced by the rice farming community of this region and the local adaptation practices they employ have not been adequately studied. Therefore, we carried out a survey among 635 rice farmers across four agro-climatic zones of Assam, namely the Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone, North Bank Plain Zone, Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone, and Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone, to understand how they perceive and respond to climatic changes. The survey revealed that all the respondents have perceived an increase in ambient temperature, and 65% of the respondents have perceived a slight change in rainfall characteristics over the years. Most farmers reported adjusting the existing farming practices and livelihood choices to adapt to the changing climate. Farming adjustments were made mainly in terms of field preparation and management of water, rice variety, nutrients, and pests. Environmental variables like rainfall, flood, drought, and pest level, and socioeconomic variables like family size, education, farming experience, training, digital media exposure, and land area were found to influence farmers' adaptation choices. The findings imply that policies to strengthen flood, drought, pest management, education, land-use planning, agricultural training, and digital media applications in agriculture are needed for effective climate change adaptation in this region.

Enhancing the efficacy of depression detection system using optimal feature selection from EHR.

Diagnosing depression at an early stage is crucial and majorly depends on the clinician's skill. The present work aims to develop an automated tool for assisting the diagnostic procedure of depression using multiple machine-learning techniques. The dataset of sample size 4184 used in this study contains biometric and demographic information of individuals with or without depression, accessed from the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) are used for classifying the depressed from the control group. To enhance the computational efficiency, various feature selection algorithms like Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), Mutual Information (MI) and three bio-inspired techniques, viz. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Firefly Algorithms (FA) have been incorporated. To enhance the feature selection process further, majority voting is carried out in all possible combinations of three, four and five feature selection techniques. These feature selection techniques bring down the feature set size significantly to a mean of 33 from the actual size of 61 which is a reduction of 45.90%. The classification accuracy of the enhanced model varies between 84.18% and 88.46%, which is a significant improvement in performance as compared to the pre-existing models (83.76-85.89%). The proposed predictive models outperform the pre-existing classification models without feature selection and thereby enhancing both the performance and efficiency of the diagnostic process.

Trends in age of tobacco use initiation over time in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: analysis of cross-sectional nationally representative surveys.

OBJECTIVE: Tobacco use begins at an early age and typically leads to a long-term addiction. The age of initiation for tobacco use is not well studied in South Asia, where 22% of tobacco smokers and 81% of smokeless tobacco (SLT) users reside. METHODS: Data from the nationally representative Global Adult Tobacco Surveys in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan were analysed to examine patterns of initiation among smokers and smokeless tobacco users. RESULTS: Data on 94 651 individuals were analysed, of which 13 396 reported were ever daily smokers and 17 684 were ever SLT users. The proportion of individuals initiating tobacco use before the age of 15 years has increased over time. The rates of SLT initiation among those aged 15-24 years increased markedly in Bangladesh (by 7.8%) and Pakistan (by 37.7%) between 1983 and 1999-2000. Among males, the increase in SLT initiation was higher in individuals aged below 15 years compared with other age groups in India and Bangladesh. Smoking initiation among females aged below 15 years has also significantly increased in India over time. Compared with the initiation of tobacco smoking before the age of 15 years, a greater increase in the proportion of SLT users was observed in urban areas. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the proportion of youth initiating tobacco (both smoking and smokeless) before the age of 15 years has increased over time in all three countries. Moreover, variations in age at initiation for different types of tobacco products across countries, and by rurality, were noticeable. Younger youths (aged up to 15 years) should therefore be a priority population for tobacco control interventions. Strategies such as raising the legal age of tobacco sale and use to 21 years, and, other measures under WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), may prevent underage use and avert lifelong addiction to tobacco products.

Comparative Study of the Management of Distal Tibia Fractures by Nailing Versus Plating.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the management of distal tibial fractures treated by interlocking nail and plate osteosynthesis and to assess their functional outcome according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and complications. Methods Twenty patients were operated on in each group, i.e., intramedullary nailing (IMN) and plating (minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis, MIPO). The patients were regularly followed up at six weeks, 12 weeks, six months, and one year and evaluated clinically and radiologically with respect to operating time, union time, and functional outcome on the basis of AOFAS score and complications. Results The mean union time for the IMN group was 18.45±2.45 weeks and for the MIPO group was 20±3.21 weeks (p-value >0.05). The mean AOFAS score in the MIPO group was 91.2±6.81 and in the IMN group was 92.6±5.41 (p-value >0.05). Lesser complications in terms of implant irritation, ankle stiffness, and infection were observed in the IMN group than in the MIPO group (p-value <0.05). Conclusion Both the IMN and MIPO groups had satisfactory outcomes for treating distal tibial fractures, with a higher risk of wound complications in the MIPO group.

Outcomes and Challenges in the Programmatic Implementation of Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy among Household Contacts of Pulmonary TB Patients: A Mixed-Methods Study from a Rural District of Karnataka, India.

The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) of India is implementing tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) for all household contacts (HHCs) of pulmonary tuberculosis patients (index patients) aged <5 years and those HHCs aged >5 years with TB infection (TBI). We conducted an explanatory mixed-methods study among index patients registered in the Kolar district, Karnataka during April-December 2022, to assess the TPT cascade and explore the early implementation challenges for TPT provision. Of the 301 index patients, contact tracing home visits were made in 247 (82.1%) instances; a major challenge was index patients' resistance to home visits fearing stigma, especially among those receiving care from the private sector. Of the 838 HHCs, 765 (91.3%) were screened for TB; the challenges included a lack of clarity on HHC definition and the non-availability of HHCs during house visits. Only 400 (57.8%) of the 692 eligible HHCs underwent an IGRA test for TBI; the challenges included a shortage of IGRA testing logistics and the perceived low risk among HHCs. As HHCs were unaware of their IGRA results, a number of HHCs actually eligible for TPT could not be determined. Among the 83 HHCs advised of the TPT, 81 (98%) initiated treatment, of whom 63 (77%) completed treatment. Though TPT initiation and completion rates are appreciable, the NTEP needs to urgently address the challenges in contact identification and IGRA testing.

Bibliometric analysis, physical properties, and experimental evaluation of additives-diesel ternary blends.

The availability of petroleum fuels is being challenged due to high demand and heavy dependence on imports, raising awareness of the need for cleaner alternatives. Urbanization, air quality, economic factors, and emissions limits motivate the search for alternative fuels compatible with compression ignition engines. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis further underscores the escalating worldwide research efforts in this critical domain. According to the existing literature, nitromethane and 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate have demonstrated superior physical and combustion properties compared to other additives. To explore their potential, a meticulous performance and emission analysis was conducted using a single-cylinder, 4-stroke VCR CI engine, employing varying proportions of 2-ethoxy ethyl acetate and a constant 2% blend of nitromethane, with EEA concentrations ranging from 5, 10, to 15% (v/v). This research delved into the influence of these diverse fuel blends on the performance of CI engines and exhaust characteristics within a compression ratio spectrum spanning from 17 to 20. The experimental findings revealed that ternary blends, although having a marginal impact on engine performance, exhibited lower emissions compared to pure diesel. The pinnacle of this investigation emerged with the EEA5NM2D93 blend, which yielded optimal results in terms of both performance and emission characteristics.

Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy of different combinations of calcium hydroxide against Enterococcus faecalis.

BACKGROUND: The study aims to compare the synergistic antibacterial efficacy of different combinations of calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament against E. faecalis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The current study included four hundred extracted human permanent mandibular premolar teeth. After complete chemo-mechanical preparation, the middle third of the root was sectioned using a rotary diamond disc and a total of 400 samples were obtained. The specimens were inoculated with E. faecalis for 21 days. After that, specimens were divided into five groups (n = 80) based on materials used for the disinfection of samples: Group I, calcium hydroxide alone; Group II, calcium hydroxide + 2% chlorhexidine gel; Group III, calcium hydroxide + 2% chitosan gel; Group IV, calcium hydroxide + 0.02% silver nanoparticle gel; Group V, calcium hydroxide + Bioactive glass S53P4. Dentin shavings from the apical third were obtained from the inner third of dentin were obtained using gates glidden no.1 to the apical depth, followed by no.2, 3, 4 and 5 analyzed for E. faecalis using the culture method. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis, followed by post-hoc Tukey's test for multiple comparisons of means to check the difference in bacterial inhibition between the groups. RESULTS: ANOVA results revealed a significant reduction of bacterial counts in all the groups compared (p < 0.001). Intergroup comparison showed maximum bacterial reduction (p < 0.001) with calcium hydroxide + bioactive glass S53P4 compared with other groups. CONCLUSION: Synergistic effect of calcium hydroxide showed better bacterial reduction compared to calcium hydroxide alone. Among the combinations evaluated, calcium hydroxide with bioactive glass, found to be most effective compared to other groups.

Unusual Facial Movements (Ictal Blinking, Oculogyric Crises, and Jaw Seizure) in Severe Liver Disease: A Case Series.

Background: Seizures are reported in about one-third of patients with severe liver disease in association with acute or chronic liver failure. The majority of the seizures are of focal type. Occasionally generalized tonic-clonic seizures are seen when there is ethanol withdrawal. Not much is known about ictal blinking (IB) in severe liver disease. IB is the rare form of seizures and was reported in severe liver disease recently from this institute. Oculogyric crisis (OGC) is rarely reported in relation to the severe liver disease. OGC was also noted first time in our intensive care unit. Methods: At the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), data on patients with IB and OGC were analyzed from October 2018 to January 2023 (52 months). All the patients had video electroencephalograph (video-EEG) recording after proper permission/consent. The patients were followed up later for the course of the illness. Results: A total of 16 (12M:4F) patients were seen. Majority 12 (75%) were IB and 3 OGC. EEG was abnormal in nine (75.0%) of IB patients. Brain imaging had nonspecific findings. The outcome was based on the severity and recovery of the underlying liver disease. Conclusions: Unusual facial movements in the form of IB and OGC are reported, which are most of the time missed. This report highlights the importance of recognition of these events and proper in time management to improve the outcome.

Effectiveness of the WHO Protocol for the Management of Shock in Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Background The WHO protocol for the management of shock in children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is not supported by physiological evidence. In this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of the WHO treatment protocol in the management of shock in children with SAM. Methodology This cohort study included children aged 2-60 months with WHO-defined SAM and fulfilling the WHO criteria for identification of shock. The exclusion criteria included severe anemia (hemoglobin <4 g/dL), congenital anomalies, congenital heart defects, and chronic diseases. The WHO treatment protocol for the management of shock was used, and features of resolution of shock were assessed at eight and 24 hours. Oliguria was recorded at eight and 24 hours along with in-hospital mortality. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine predictors of mortality. Results Of 53 children, 40 (75.4%) were discharged and 13 (24.5%) expired. We observed significant resolution of features of shock at 24 hours compared to eight hours (35 (71.4%) vs. 10 (18.8%), p < 0.0001). Further analysis revealed a significant resolution of features of shock (p = 0.03) at 24 hours in both fluid-responsive (24 vs. 10) and fluid-refractory children (11 vs. 27) compared to eight hours. Multivariate analysis revealed that mechanical ventilation was positively related to death (odds ratio (OR) = 85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 8.49, 860, p < 0.0001), and inotrope scores <20 (OR = 0.053, 95% CI = 0.004, 0.64, p = 0.021) and blood transfusion (OR = 0.025, 95% CI = 0.001, 0.61, p = 0.024) had favorable outcomes. Conclusions The WHO protocol for the management of shock in children with SAM is effective in fluid-responsive shock whereas evidence was inconclusive in fluid-refractory shock.

Machine learning in the detection of dental cyst, tumor, and abscess lesions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Dental panoramic radiographs are utilized in computer-aided image analysis, which detects abnormal tissue masses by analyzing the produced image capacity to recognize patterns of intensity fluctuations. This is done to reduce the need for invasive biopsies for arriving to a diagnosis. The aim of the current study was to examine and compare the accuracy of several texture analysis techniques, such as Grey Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM), Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM), and wavelet analysis in recognizing dental cyst, tumor, and abscess lesions. MATERIALS & METHODS: The current retrospective study retrieved a total of 172 dental panoramic radiographs with lesion including dental cysts, tumors, or abscess. Radiographs that failed to meet technical criteria for diagnostic quality (such as significant overlap of teeth, a diffuse image, or distortion) were excluded from the sample. The methodology adopted in the study comprised of five stages. At first, the radiographs are improved, and the area of interest was segmented manually. A variety of feature extraction techniques, such GLCM, GLRLM, and the wavelet analysis were used to gather information from the area of interest. Later, the lesions were classified as a cyst, tumor, abscess, or using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Eventually, the data was transferred into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) (version 21) was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Initially descriptive statistics were computed. For inferential analysis, statistical significance was determined by a p value < 0.05. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used to find the significant difference between assessed and actual diagnosis. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that 98% accuracy was achieved using GLCM, 91% accuracy using Wavelet analysis & 95% accuracy using GLRLM in distinguishing between dental cyst, tumor, and abscess lesions. The area under curve (AUC) number indicates that GLCM achieves a high degree of accuracy. The results achieved excellent accuracy (98%) using GLCM. CONCLUSION: The GLCM features can be used for further research. After improving the performance and training, it can support routine histological diagnosis and can assist the clinicians in arriving at accurate and spontaneous treatment plans.

Impact of Portraiture Photography on Orthodontic Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Due to the clear depiction of facial aesthetics and other craniofacial parameters, portraiture photography (PP) is becoming more and more necessary in modern clinical practice. The studies chosen for this review's inclusion looked at how PP affected the orthodontic treatment and diagnostic procedure on the subjects who were watched in the studies. Studies published within the last decade precisely from 2013 were searched for across major online databases after devising a proper search strategy. Multiple reviewers created a specific data extraction form that was used for the investigation, followed by the evaluation of bias and the variables found in each of the chosen papers. This form was meant for the assessment for various variables encountered in this study. According to the meta-analysis, using PP was related with a statistically significant decrease in the risk of orthodontic treatment and diagnostic modalities, with odds ratios (OR) of 0.52 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of (0.28, 0.96), and a relative risk (RR) of 0.66 with a CI of (0.45, 0.96). In orthodontics, PP is an important tool that offers useful data for diagnosis, treatment planning, and tracking treatment success. To validate the results of studies like ours, a sizable evidence sample is required due to the limited number of trials that have been performed in this area.

Mammalian cysteine-rich secretory proteins interact with plasma membrane Ca2+ exporter PMCA4b.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) are predominantly expressed in the male reproductive tract. Knockout mice lacking two or more CRISPs show defects in sperm transport, sperm-egg interaction and Ca2+ homeostasis. CRISPs play redundant and specific roles via their binding partners. To understand this, a comprehensive analysis of CRISP interactome needs to be undertaken. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyse CRISP4 binding partners on the plasma membrane of rat caudal spermatozoa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total proteins from rat caudal spermatozoa were subjected to immunoprecipitation using anti-CRISP4 antibody followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometry analysis. Plasma membrane localised proteins were shortlisted, and a key target was validated by co-immunoprecipitation and co-localisation. Co-transfection followed by co-immunoprecipitation was carried out for studying the interaction of full-length as well as deletion mutants of CRISPs with human plasma membrane calcium ATPase, isoform b (hPMCA4b). Calcium assays were performed using Fura-2-AM. The cholesterol binding ability of different CRISPs was evaluated in silico. RESULTS: The membrane-specific interactome of rat CRISP4 (rCRISP4) from caudal spermatozoa revealed PMCA4b as a novel binding partner, and their interaction was validated in rat spermatozoa. Human CRISP1 (hCRISP1) and hCRISP3 also interacted with PMCA4b via the N-terminal domain. Interestingly, hCRISP1 and rCRISP4 delayed PMCA4b-mediated calcium extrusion but hCRISP3 did not. In silico analysis demonstrated that hCRISP1 and rCRISP4 have higher binding affinity towards cholesterol than hCRISP3. The secretion profile of different CRISPs also showed that the ratio of secreted to cell-associated proteins was highest for hCRISP3. CONCLUSION: Our study identifies PMCA4b as a target of multiple mammalian CRISPs and unravels a new role of CRISPs in regulating calcium homeostasis. Differences in the interaction of different CRISPs with cholesterol may regulate their enrichment in the lipid rafts and redistribution in the membrane post-capacitation, thereby affecting their interaction with PMCA4b.

Identification of rice leaf diseases and deficiency disorders using a novel DeepBatch technique.

Rice is one of the most widely consumed foods all over the world. Various diseases and deficiency disorders impact the rice crop's growth, thereby hampering the rice yield. Therefore, proper crop monitoring is very important for the early diagnosis of diseases or deficiency disorders. Diagnosis of diseases and disorders requires specialized manpower, which is not scalable and accessible to all farmers. To address this issue, machine learning and deep learning (DL)-driven automated systems are designed, which may help the farmers in diagnosing disease/deficiency disorders in crops so that proper care can be taken on time. Various studies have used transfer learning (TL) models in the recent past. In recent studies, further improvement in rice disease and deficiency disorder diagnosis system performance is achieved by performing the ensemble of various TL models. However, in all these DL-based studies, the segmentation of the region of interest is not done beforehand and the infected-region extraction is left for the DL model to handle automatically. Therefore, this article proposes a novel framework for the diagnosis of rice-infected leaves based on DL-based segmentation with bitwise logical AND operation and DL-based classification. The rice diseases covered in this study are bacterial leaf blight, brown spot, and leaf smut. The rice nutrient deficiencies like nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) were also included. The results of the experiment conducted on these datasets showed that the performance of DeepBatch was significantly improved as compared to the conventional technique.

Systematic review fracture resistance of endodontically treated posterior teeth restored with fiber reinforced composites- a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Large cavity designs and access cavities impair endodontically treated tooth fracture resistance. As the tooth's strength is known to reduce significantly after the root canal treatment, occlusal loading as a result of functions such as chewing, biting and certain parafunctional tendencies makes the endodontically treated tooth vulnerable to fracture. Hence, after endodontic treatment, it is vital to give adequate and appropriate restorative material to avoid tooth fractures. Accordingly, the choice of such restorative material should be dictated by the property of fracture resistance. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to conduct a systematic review and critical analysis of available data from in vitro studies examining the fracture resistance of endodontically treated posterior teeth restored with fiber-reinforced composites. METHODOLOGY: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRIS-MA) Statement was used to guide the reporting of this systematic review A comprehensive literature search was performed using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and LILACS. A manual search of the reference lists of the articles was also performed. The databases provided a total of 796 studies from the electronic systematic search. The databases provided a total of 796 studies from the electronic systematic search. Two reviewers scrutinized the papers for eligibility based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and extracted data. The studies were assessed for their potential risk of bias. Based on modified JBI & CRIS (checklist for reporting in vitro studies) guidelines, along with the methodology and treatment objective, we have formulated 13 parameters specifically to assess the risk of bias. A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for qualitative analysis. Considering the high heterogeneity of the studies included, a meta-analysis could not be performed. RESULTS: The majority of the included studies had a moderate or high risk of bias. When compared to traditional hybrid composites, fiber-reinforced composites showed increased fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth in the majority of investigations. On the other hand, limited evidence was found for the bulk fill composites. Moreover, moderate evidence was found for the fracture resistance of inlays and fiber posts with fiber-reinforced composites for core build-up in endodontically treated teeth. No evidence could be found comparing the fracture resistance of endo crowns and fiber-reinforced composites in endodontically treated teeth. CONCLUSION: According to the research, using fiber-reinforced composites instead of conventional hybrid composites improves the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth. However, there was a high risk of bias in the research considered. No judgments could be reached about the superiority of one material over another based-on comparisons between other core restorations.

CRISPR-Cas-Based Adaptive Immunity Mediates Phage Resistance in Periodontal Red Complex Pathogens.

Periodontal diseases are polymicrobial immune-inflammatory diseases that can severely destroy tooth-supporting structures. The critical bacteria responsible for this destruction include red complex bacteria such as Porphoromonas gingivalis, Tanerella forsythia and Treponema denticola. These organisms have developed adaptive immune mechanisms against bacteriophages/viruses, plasmids and transposons through clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated proteins (Cas). The CRISPR-Cas system contributes to adaptive immunity, and this acquired genetic immune system of bacteria may contribute to moderating the microbiome of chronic periodontitis. The current research examined the role of the CRISPR-Cas system of red complex bacteria in the dysbiosis of oral bacteriophages in periodontitis. Whole-genome sequences of red complex bacteria were obtained and investigated for CRISPR using the CRISPR identification tool. Repeated spacer sequences were analyzed for homologous sequences in the bacteriophage genome and viromes using BLAST algorithms. The results of the BLAST spacer analysis for T. denticola spacers had a 100% score (e value with a bacillus phage), and the results for T. forsthyia and P. gingivalis had a 56% score with a pectophage and cellulophage (e value: 0.21), respectively. The machine learning model of the identified red complex CRISPR sequences predicts with area an under the curve (AUC) accuracy of 100 percent, indicating phage inhibition. These results infer that red complex bacteria could significantly inhibit viruses and phages with CRISPR immune sequences. Therefore, the role of viruses and bacteriophages in modulating sub-gingival bacterial growth in periodontitis is limited or questionable.