Estimation of the calcium content of intact tooth by decalcification and ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid method - A analytical quantitative study.

Background: Teeth, one of the strongest structures of the human body, stands as reliable evidence in forensic odontology. The gender and age can be estimated from a tooth using various methods. We aimed to estimate the calcium content of an intact tooth and compare it with its average weight and dimension and also to find the possible correlation with the age and gender of an individual. Materials and Methods: A total of 180 extracted teeth were divided into group A (21-40), group B (41-60) and group C (61-80). Calcium estimation by decalcification followed by ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid method analysis was performed. Results: Greatest calcium values were found in the males with mandibular premolars in group A, of maxillary premolars and mandibular molars in group B, as well as of maxillary canine, maxillary molars and mandibular incisors in group C. Greater calcium levels in the age of group B and C in mandibular incisors and male maxillary molars and in the jaws of group B, group C incisors and group C canines with P < 0.05. Calcium content and the weight of the teeth decreased with ageing. Conclusion: Calcium levels significantly varied in each tooth type, arch, gender and age.

Effect of calcined clay on the improvement of compaction, swell and microstructural characteristics of expansive soil.

Expansive soil is problematic soil because its alternate swell shrink behaviour depends on the presence of water. Soil stabilization technique was widely adopted to alter the characteristics of the expansive soil which is suitable for construction. Among the various soil stabilization techniques, chemical stabilization was found to be more suitable method of sustainable stabilizing the soil due to its effective and timely reaction with the chemical compound. Calcined form of clay material is used as an admixture to study the effects on the improvement of soil properties. Calcined Clay (CC) is added into the virgin soil with different percentages of 2%,4%,6%,8% and 10% under varying 1,3,7,14,28 and 60 days of curing by conducting experiments such as standard proctor test, Free Swell test to analyse the compaction characteristics and swelling behaviour of the soil. In addition to that the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) on virgin and treated soil were studied by varying 2% incremental of CC up to 10% at 28 days of curing. From the test results it shows the variation in the compaction characteristics by rising in Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and reduction in Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) that merges at 8% as an optimum to develop the soil behaviour and from the free swell test, it was found that the Free Swell Index (FSI) of the soil decrease from 210 to 80 at 10% calcined clay added soil and the Mineralogical studies also show the variation in the compounds. Thus, this naturally available calcined clay was used to improve the soil Compaction and swell characteristics that influences the reduction in deformation and increase in shear strength of soil which helped to minimize the environmental problem as well as one of the effective admixtures to improve the expansive soil characteristics.

Assessment of Ploidy Status in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders - A Systematic Review.

Malignant and potentially malignant epithelial lesions are often associated with various abnormalities such as epithelial dysplasia, abnormal DNA content, loss of heterozygosity, and chromosomal number aberrations. Screening and early detection of such abnormalities facilitates proper care and also helps to prevent further progression of potentially malignant lesions to malignancy. In such way, the presence of DNA aneuploidy in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) may serve as an indicator for the malignant transforming potential. Various assessment methods have been proposed to find the DNA ploidy status of cells. This current systematic review is mainly designed to assess the importance of ploidy status in OPMD while measuring the feasibility of using this biomarker for evaluating the hazard of malignant transformation. As an upshot of this systematic review, we can conclude that use of DNA ploidy status can serve as an independent bio-marker for predicting the malignant transformation of lesions. Furthermore, as a future scope the use of DNA ploidy analysis in normal mucosa of smokers will help to assess the malignancy risk and this technique might also help to predict the genetic predisposition of patients with malignancy.

Management of tannery waste effluents towards the reclamation of clean water using an integrated membrane system: A state-of-the-art review.

Tanning and other leather processing methods utilize a large amount of freshwater, dyes, chemicals, and salts and produce toxic waste, raising questions regarding their environmental sensitivity and eco-friendly nature. Total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, chemical oxygen demand, and ions such as chromium, sulfate, and chloride turn tannery wastewater exceedingly toxic for any living species. Therefore, it is imperative to treat tannery effluent, and existing plants must be examined and upgraded to keep up with recent technological developments. Different conventional techniques to treat tannery wastewater have been reported based on their pollutant removal efficiencies, advantages, and disadvantages. Research on photo-assisted catalyst-enhanced deterioration has inferred that both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis can be established as green initiatives, the latter being more efficient at degrading organic pollutants. However, the scientific community experiences significant problems developing a feasible treatment technique owing to the long degradation times and low removal efficiency. Hence, there is a chance for an improved solution to the problem of treating tannery wastewater through the development of a hybrid technology that uses flocculation as the primary treatment, a unique integrated photo-catalyst in a precision-designed reactor as the secondary method, and finally, membrane-based tertiary treatment to recover the spent catalyst and reclaimable water. This review gives an understanding of the progressive advancement of a cutting-edge membrane-based system for the management of tanning industrial waste effluents towards the reclamation of clean water. Adaptable routes toward sludge disposal and the reviews on techno-economic assessments have been shown in detail, strengthening the scale-up confidence for implementing such innovative hybrid systems.

Study of anxiety in patients with glaucoma undergoing standard automated perimetry and optical coherence tomography - A prospective comparative study.

Purpose: To compare the anxiety levels related to visual field testing and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with glaucoma. Methods: This prospective, comparative study was conducted on patients with glaucoma. The participants' anxiety traits were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]. Before visual field testing on Humphrey visual field analyzer (HVF) and retinal nerve fiber analysis on OCT, the participants completed Form Y1 to measure the current pretest level or 'State' anxiety [pretest anxiety]. Immediately after testing, participants were administered the Form Y1 questionnaire to assess the induced anxiety level during the testing [Intratest anxiety]. Results: A total of 228 patients were enrolled with 152 participants in the HVF group and 76 in the OCT group. The mean age of the participants in the HVF group was 57.2 ± 20.8 years and in the OCT group was 56.8 ± 20 years. There was no significant difference in trait and pretest anxiety between the HVF group and the OCT group (P = 0.971 and P = 0.716). Intratest test anxiety score was slightly higher in the HVF group (HVF: 42.13 ± 10.63, OCT: 40.71 ± 9.76; P = 0.33). The anxiety scores were higher when the experience of previous HVF tests was <2 and least when the number of tests exceeded five. Conclusion: Automated perimetry induces slightly more anxiety than OCT, which may affect test performance. The measured anxiety reduces as patients gain familiarity with the test with experience. This adds credence to the recommendation of more frequent visual field testing in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients.

Review of paraneoplastic syndromes associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Malignancies are usually preceded by the presence of various paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS), which could be the indirect and/or remote effects of the metabolites produced by neoplastic cells. PNS manifested by oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, which is the most common head and neck malignancy, are highlighted in this review. Knowledge of the clinical spectrum of these syndromes will equip the oral physician for early diagnosis and management of these hidden malignancies, especially of the pharyngeal region.