Field level evaluation of rice introgression lines for heat tolerance and validation of markers linked to spikelet fertility.

Rice lines derived from wild species and mutants can serve as a good resource for favorable alleles for heat tolerance. In all, 48 stable lines including 17 KMR3/O. rufipogon introgression lines (KMR3 ILs), 15 Swarna/O. nivara ILs (Swarna ILs) along with their parents, Nagina 22 (N22) and its 4 EMS induced mutants and 7 varieties were evaluated for heat tolerance under irrigated conditions under field in two seasons, wet season 2012 using poly cover house method and dry season 2013 using late sown method. Spikelet fertility (SF), yield per plant (YP) and heat susceptibility index (HSI) for these two traits were considered as criteria to assess heat tolerance compared to control. Four KMR3 ILs and eight Swarna ILs were identified as heat tolerant based on SF and YP and their HSIs in both wet and dry seasons. S-65 and S-70 showed low SF and high YP consistently in response to heat in both seasons. We provide evidence that SF alone may not be the best criterion to assess heat tolerance and including YP is important as lines with low SF but high YP and vice versa were identified under heat stress. Out of 49 SSR markers linked to spikelet fertility, 18 were validated for five traits. RM229 in wet season and RM430 and RM210 in dry season were significantly associated with both SF and its HSI under heat stress. RM430 was also significantly associated with both YP and its HSI in dry season. Thirty two candidate genes were identified close to nine markers associated with traits under heat stress.

Effective removal of pharmaceutical contaminants ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole from water by Corn starch nanoparticles: An ecotoxicological assessment.

Pharmaceutical pollutants, a vital type of emerging contaminants, have attracted researchers to study their removal from water. In this research, Corn starch nanoparticles (CSNP) have been synthesized and characterized using various analytical techniques. The synthesized CSNP was used for the biosorption of two pharmaceutical drugs, ibuprofen (IBU) and sulfamethoxazole (SUL). The influence of various experimental conditions was optimized through batch study with the removal efficiency of 86.33 % (IBU) and 85.80 % (SUL) at pH 2 and 3, initial concentration of 10 mg/L, 0.01 g of CSNP dosage. The biosorption of IBU follows Temkin, and SUL follows Langmuir isotherm models. The toxicological assessment was performed using the seeds of Vigna mungo (VM) and Vigna radiata (VR) and zebrafish to evaluate the toxic effects of pollutants on these organisms. The LC50 of IBU and SUL on zebrafish before the biosorption process was 209.50 mg/L and 338.84 mg/L. After biosorption, the LC50 values increase to 1435.82 mg/L for IBU and 1317.04 mg/L for SUL. Thus, CSNP is an efficient biosorbent for removing the pharmaceutical pollutants to protect ecological systems.

Toxicological assessment and adsorptive removal of lead (Pb) and Congo red (CR) from water by synthesized iron oxide/activated carbon (Fe3O4/AC) nanocomposite.

Heavy metals and dyes are the persistent pollutants causing harmful effects on living organisms in different ecosystems. In current study, removal of Lead (Pb) and Congo Red (CR) from water was performed using Iron oxide/Activated Carbon (Fe3O4/AC) nanocomposite. Ferromagnetic behavior of the nanocomposite is the crucial advantage in separation of nanocomposite after biosorption process. The biosorbent was thermally stable till 800 °C of temperature. The synthesized biosorbent was polycrystalline in nature comprising of elements like C, O, Fe. The influence of various experimental conditions was optimized through batch study with the biosorption capacity of 144.92 mg/g (Pb) and 122.22 mg/g (CR) at pH 5-6, Fe3O4/AC dosage (0.04 g) for 40 mg/L of Pb and CR. Toxicological assessment was performed using Danio rerio and seeds to evaluate the harmful effects of pollutants on these organisms. The phytotoxicity results revealed that growth inhibition of seeds lies between 85.64% and 55.92% (Pb) and 77.94%-51.85% (CR). The LC50 value of Pb on the Danio rerio was found to be 20.98 mg/L. In contrast, we observed significant increase in LC50 value about 86.82 mg/L after biosorption of Pb onto biosorbent.

Comparative Evaluation of Salivary Fluoride Concentration after Topical Application of Silver Diamine Fluoride and Sodium Fluoride: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The topical fluoride acts on the tooth in many ways and their most important action is inhibition of demineralization and enhancement of enamel remineralization. Aim: The purpose of this clinical trial was to assess the fluoride concentration in saliva before and after 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) application on enamel and duration of its availability at different time intervals. Methodology: A randomized clinical trial was conducted among 40 healthy children aged between 6 and 12 years. The participants were then randomly allocated into two different groups in which the first group (group I) was given 30% SDF and the second group (group II) were topically applied with 5% NaF solution. The fluoride concentration was measured in the salivary samples, which were collected at three time intervals, that is, at baseline (S1), 2 hours (S2), and 24 hours (S3) after application. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for evaluation and independent paired t-test was conducted for comparison between groups. Results: When using an ANOVA with repeated measures with a Greenhouse-Geisser correction, the mean scores of fluoride concentration were statistically significantly different at different time intervals for both NaF (F = 20.854, p < 0.0005) and SDF (F = 22.746, p < 0.0005). Conclusion: The present trial concluded that topical fluoride application increases fluoride bioavailability in saliva thereby increasing tooth remineralization. A steep rise in fluoride concentration was observed shortly post-SDF application at 2 hours and 24 hours time interval emerging a need for further research into the field of fluoridation with SDF. How to cite this article: Jabin Z, Nasim I, Priya V V, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Salivary Fluoride Concentration after Topical Application of Silver Diamine Fluoride and Sodium Fluoride: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(3):371-375.

Valorization of sawdust by mineral acid assisted hydrothermal carbonization for the adsorptive removal of bisphenol A: A greener approach.

sawdust was valorized using acid-assisted hydrothermal carbonization and used in the removal of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA). The effect of acid addition on the hydrothermal carbonization of sawdust and removal of BPA was studied. Two different hydrochars were prepared using deionized water (HCD) and hydrochloric acid solution (HCAH) as feed water. The prepared hydrochars were characterized using FESEM, EDS, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, TGA, and surface area analysis to study the structural and functional changes. Then they were compared in the removal of bisphenol A. Out of the two hydrochars prepared, acid-assisted hydrothermal carbonized hydrochar (HCAH) showed better removal efficiency. Hence, HCAH was used to study the influence of different parameters like pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial bisphenol A concentration by one variable at a time approach. Further, the study of interactive effects and optimization of adsorption of bisphenol A onto HCAH was carried out using RSM-CCD. The isotherm, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption of bisphenol A could be explained by the Freundlich isotherm, pseudo-second-order kinetics fitted well in all the initial BPA concentrations, and the adsorption of bisphenol A onto HCAH was exothermic and spontaneous.

Sequestration and toxicological assessment of emerging contaminants with polypyrrole modified carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC/PPY): Case of ibuprofen pharmaceutical drug.

Ibuprofen (IBU) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug released into water bodies causing toxic biological effects on living organisms. The current study aims to eliminate IBU from aqueous solutions by a novel carboxymethylcellulose/polypyrrole (CMC/PPY) composite with high removal efficiency. Pyrrole was polymerized to polypyrrole whose average size was about 20 nm on the CMC surface. The maximum removal percentage of IBU by CMC/PPY composite was optimized at initial concentration 10 mg/L, dosage 0.02 g, and pH 7 with adsorption capacity of 72.30 (mg/g) and removal of 83.17 %. IBU adsorption onto CMC/PPY theoretically fits into the Langmuir isotherm and Elovich-kinetic models. Fish and Phytotoxicity assessment were performed with zebrafish and seeds of Vigna mungo (VM) and Vigna radiata (VR). The toxicity study reveals that before adsorption, IBU shows high toxicity towards the zebrafish mortality (33 %), growth inhibition (58.52 % for VM, 60.84 % for VR), and germination (86.66 % for VM and 90 % for VR). As CMC/PPY adsorbs IBU, toxicity drastically decreases. Before adsorption, LC50 was 233.02 mg/L. After adsorption, the LC50 increases to 2325.07 mg/L as IBU molecules get adsorbed by CMC/PPY. These findings show the feasibility of preparing CMC/PPY composite to effectively remove pharmaceutical pollutant IBU from aqueous solutions with their toxicological assessment.

Knowledge and awareness about fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva among dental students.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder which is autosomal dominant distinguished by congenital malformations of large toes and flare ups, etc. It is a disorder of connective tissue, with heterotopic ossifications seen with skeletal muscles, tendons, and cartilages and also called as Stone man disease, myositis ossificans, and Munchmeyer disease. The main objective of the study is to assess and create the awareness about FOP among dental students. An online-based survey was conducted among 103 dental students, undergraduates and postgraduates. About 20 questionnaires were prepared and circulated among the students through the "Google forms" across Chennai. A survey questionnaire asked about the knowledge of fibrodysplasia, its causes, treatment, and diagnosis was enquired. Thus, the data obtained were analyzed statistically using the SPSS software. In our study, about 64% were undergraduates and 35% of them were postgraduates. About 66% of the participants were aware of fibrodysplasia and 32% of them were not aware. Most of the undergraduate students were more aware of fibrodysplasia (40%) when compared to postgraduates (29%). However, this is statistically not significant. Fibrodysplasia ossificans reported to have a high incidence in 1 in 2 million people worldwide. Hence, an early diagnosis of this disorder can prevent further complications. Although the survey has provided significant knowledge about fibrodysplasia, awareness still has to be created among dental students.

Knowledge and awareness of chronic bronchitis and its oral manifestation among dental students and practitioners.

Chronic bronchitis (CB) is an inflammatory disease and is characterized by bronchial tube irritation. The bronchial tube irritation can result in the accumulation of mucus. CB is a part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, causing blockage of airflow and thereby problems in breathing. Cigarette smoking is of utmost importance in causing CB. Besides pollution of air and the working environment can also play a key role. The study aimed to assess and create the awareness about CB among dental students and practitioners. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among dental students utilizing an online review entry called "Google forms." A total of 100 people were assessed using a structured questionnaire comprising 15 questions. The analysis of the result was done using the SPSS software of version 23. It has been shown that 78% of them are aware of CB. 75% of them responded that passive smokers were mostly affected by CB. Within the study limits, it was found that males who participated had increased awareness when compared to the females. The survey results showed that most of the participants were aware about CB but not its clinical features, oral manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment.

Coverage, utilization, and impact of Ayushman Bharat scheme among the rural field practice area of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai.

INTRODUCTION: Ayushman Bharat scheme, otherwise called as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), is a National Health Protection Scheme introduced on 23 September 2018 by the government of India to aid the economically disadvantaged families. AIM: The study was initiated to estimate the coverage, utilization, and impact of Ayushman Bharat scheme in the rural field practice area of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is the cross-sectional study conducted in the rural field practice area of Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. METHODS AND MATERIAL: This cross-sectional study done among 300 households in Mappedu region of Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. Simple random sampling was done to choose the study participants to reach the sample size of 300. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. After the entry of data, the descriptive statistics was presented in frequency tables and graph. RESULT: The study found that out of 300 households only about 42.33% of the households were covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme. Among the households covered under Ayushman Bharat scheme, 47.24% households have availed Ayushman Bharat scheme in the past 1 year and only 10% of those availed the scheme has spent additional amount for health care. Around 39.88% of the households not having Ayushman Bharat scheme has faced financial burden because of health care expenditure. CONCLUSION: Creating awareness, appropriate governance, and working toward quality assurance, prompt referral pathways in both public and private healthcare providers can make Ayushman Bharat scheme effective.

Genotypic characterization of Streptococcus mutans in child-mother pair-A PCR based study.

OBJECTIVES: At present, there is lack of evidence in literature regarding the transmission of Streptococcus Mutans from a caries-free mother to child by genetic methods, so the present study aimed to identify the genetic characterization of Streptococcus Mutans strains isolated from caries-free and caries active children and their mother being caries-free in both the groups and also to identify the genetic patterns of Streptococcus Mutans between caries-free and caries-active individuals. METHODS: Twenty child-mother pair were selected and divided into 2 groups and the mothers being caries-free in both the groups. Saliva samples were collected using a sterile tube, followed by microbial culture of Streptococcus mutans, DNA isolation and PCR amplification. The molecular weights of each band were converted into a binary data and data were entered into SPSS software version 20.0 to generate similarity dendrograms. RESULTS: Amplified products of Streptococcus Mutans demonstrated a same genetic distance between the mother-child pair, indicative of a closely related species. Dendrogram interpretation represented a greater genetic polymorphism of Streptococcus Mutans between caries-free and caries-active children. CONCLUSIONS: Identical genetic distance between child-mother pair showed that, these Streptooccus Mutans were closely related and could have vertically transmitted from their mothers. Different genotypic pattern between caries-free and caries active subjects showed a genetic polymorphism among the Streptococcus Mutans strains.

Biochemical Evidence for the Antitumor Potential of Garcinia mangostana Linn. On Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatic Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Garcinia mangostana is extensively used in most of the Indian herbal pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to elucidate the underlying biochemical protective mechanism of G. Mangostana Linn. fruit extract (GME) in deterioration of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatic carcinoma (HCC) in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cancer was induced using DEN to the experimental rats and treated with GME (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg) to find its anticancer property. The cancer biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), hepatic hydroxyl proline, total tissue protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were measured using ELISA. The vascular endothelial growth factor expressions were also seen in liver tissues using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In addition, there was a significant increase in serum AFP, CEA, hepatic hydroxylproline, and total tissue protein levels in HCC group versus the negative control group. In contrast, the groups with HCC subjected to either high or low dose of GME elicited significant reduction of AFP, CEA, hepatic hydroxylproline, and increase in total protein in serum compared to the untreated HCC rats. Interestingly, treatment with GME elicited marked improvement in the liver histological feature and downregulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in HCC groups. GME extract may have chemopreventive benefits by reducing the tumor promoting growth factor levels in HCC-induced group. CONCLUSION: To sum up, all findings on curative groups had proved clearly that the GME has anticarcinogenic effect on the development of liver cancer induced by DEN in rats. SUMMARY: Garcinia mangostana Linn. (GME) may have chemopreventive property by reducing the tumor promoting growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatic cancerThe suppression in the levels of cancer biomarkers by GME due to the presence of anticancer phytoconstituentsThe histological studies proved the effective dose of GME against DEN-induced experimental hepatic cancer. Abbreviations used: TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, PBS: Phosphate buffered saline, ROS: Reactive oxygen species, DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, GSH: Glutathione, VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor.

DNA profiling of Streptococcus mutans in children with and without black tooth stains: A polymerase chain reaction analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the genetic patterns of Streptococcus mutans by DNA finger printing among caries-active, caries-free, and in children with black tooth stains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this in vitro study Ten children with black tooth stains and ten caries-free and caries-active children between 3 and 6 years of age were recruited. Saliva samples were collected using a sterile tube, followed by microbial culture of S. mutans, DNA isolation, and polymerase chain reaction amplification. The molecular weights of each band were converted into binary data, and data were entered into SPSS to generate similarity dendrograms. RESULTS: Dendrogram interpretation of black tooth stain and caries-free samples revealed an identical genetic pattern in 15 samples with high genetic similarity. Dendrogram interpretation of black tooth stain and caries-active samples exhibited a greater genetic diversity. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that identical genotypes and high genetic similarity among isolates of the caries-free and black tooth stains. Polymorphism and genetic diversity exist between the black tooth stain and caries-active samples.

Trait and Marker Associations in Oryza nivara and O. rufipogon Derived Rice Lines under Two Different Heat Stress Conditions.

Wild species and derived introgression lines (ILs) are a good source of genes for improving complex traits such as heat tolerance. The effect of heat stress on 18 yield traits was studied in four treatments in two seasons, under field conditions by subjecting 37 ILs and recurrent parents Swarna and KMR3, N22 mutants, and wild type and 2 improved rice cultivars to heat stress using polycover house method in wet season and late sowing method in dry season. Normal grown unstressed plants were controls. Both correlation and path coefficient analysis showed that the major contributing traits for high yield per plant (YPP) under heat stress conditions were tiller number, secondary branches in panicle, filled grain number, and percent spikelet fertility. Three ILs, K-377-24, K-16-3, and S-148 which gave the highest YPP of 12.30-32.52 g under heat stress in both the seasons were considered the most heat tolerant. In contrast, K-363-12, S-75, and Vandana which gave the least YPP of 5.36-10.84 g were considered heat susceptible. These lines are a good genetic resource for basic and applied studies on heat tolerance in rice. Genotyping using 49 SSR markers and single marker analysis (SMA) revealed 613 significant marker- trait associations in all four treatments. Significantly, nine markers (RM243, RM517, RM225, RM518, RM525, RM195, RM282, RM489, and RM570) on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 showed association with six traits (flag leaf spad, flag leaf thickness, vegetative leaf temperature, plant height, panicle number, and tiller number) under heat stress conditions in both wet and dry seasons. Genes such as heat shock protein binding DnaJ, Hsp70, and temperature-induced lipocalin-2 OsTIL-2 close to these markers are candidates for expression studies and evaluation for use in marker assisted selection for heat tolerance.

A leak quantification method using sulfur hexafluoride as tracer gas.

Filter holders and continuous air monitors are used extensively in the nuclear industry. It is important to minimize leakage in these devices, and, in recognition of this consideration, a limit on leakage for sampling systems is specified in; however, the protocol given in the standard is really germane to measurement of significant leakage, e.g., several percent of the sampling flow rate. In the present study, we developed a technique for quantifying leakage and used that approach to measure the sealing integrity of a continuous air monitor and two kinds of filter holders. The methodology involves use of sulfur hexafluoride as a tracer gas with the device being tested operated under dynamic flow conditions. The leak rates in these devices were determined in the pressure range from 2.49 kPa (10 inches H2O) vacuum to 2.49 kPa (10 inches H2O) pressure at a flow rate of 56.6 L min-1 (2 cfm). For the two filter holders, the leak rates were less than 0.007% of the nominal flow rate. The leak rate in the continuous air monitors was less than 0.2% of the nominal flow rate. These values are well within the limit prescribed in the ANSI standard, which is 5% of the nominal flow rate. We suggest that the limit listed in the ANSI standard should be reconsidered as lower values can be achieved, and the methodology presented herein can be used to quantify lower leakage values in sample collectors and analyzers.