Does surgical treatment of mandibular condyle head (diacapitular) fractures provide better outcomes than closed treatment? - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The choices for managing a condylar head fracture (CHF) of the mandible are either open surgical or closed functional treatments (CFT) and the decision depends on various factors. The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain from the available literature whether the open method or CFT yields better outcomes in managing CHF. We have systematically reviewed published articles according to the PRISMA statement. The search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and the Cochrane Library database for comparative studies about both open and closed treatments from inception until April 2023. The outcomes of interest were mouth opening (MO), protrusion, laterotrusion, postoperative pain, and malocclusion. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The review comprised of 326 cases, among which 177 were managed by open methods and 149 were treated by CFT. The incidence of postoperative malocclusion and pain were significantly less in the open group. MO was better in the open treatment group although this was not statistically significant. Protrusion and laterotrusion occurred slightly more in CFT, although these were also statistically not significant. Overall, meta-analysis favoured open methods of managing CHF. Although enough evidence exists for the use of open methods for selected condylar head fractures, CFT still demonstrated favourable outcomes in undisplaced fractures. The selection of a particular treatment method should be individualised on the basis of each particular case considering the risk/benefits. Further high quality randomised trials are needed to establish a therapeutic guideline.

Comprehending the interaction between chitosan and ionic liquid for the adsorption of palladium.

Biopolymers and ionic liquids are of prime importance in numerous applications. Recovery of industrially important noble metals such as palladium is of paramount significance considering their diverse applications. The main idea behind this work was to develop an effective strategy involving the impregnation of Aliquat-336 (ionic liquid) onto chitosan as a novel adsorbent for the adsorption of Pd(II). The analytical characterization was systematically done through FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDX analysis. The interaction of the amino and hydroxyl functional groups in chitosan with the cationic nitrogen in the ionic liquid could be established through the above characterization. Several key parameters such as pH influence, amount of adsorbent, isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamic studies were also studied in detail for the adsorption of palladium. The effectiveness of adsorption was observed between pH 3.5-4.0 with 50 mL of 120 mg L(-1) Pd(II) solution giving a commendable monolayer adsorption capacity of 187.61 mg g(-1).

A novel ultrasonication method in the preparation of zirconium impregnated cellulose for effective fluoride adsorption.

In the present work, we propose for the first time a novel ultrasound assisted methodology involving the impregnation of zirconium in a cellulose matrix. Fluoride from aqueous solution interacts with the cellulose hydroxyl groups and the cationic zirconium hydroxide. Ultrasonication ensures a green and quick alternative to the conventional time intensive method of preparation. The effectiveness of this process was confirmed by comprehensive characterization of zirconium impregnated cellulose (ZrIC) adsorbent using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The study of various adsorption isotherm models, kinetics and thermodynamics of the interaction validated the method.

The efficacy of clobetasol propionate with varying dilutions of emollient determined by histamine wheal suppression test.

BACKGROUND: The ability of steroids to reduce the histamine wheal was used to assess the efficacy of topical clobetasol propionate with varying dilutions of emollients. AIM: To determine the wheal-suppressing ability of topical clobetasol with varying dilutions of emollient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a double-blinded randomized study. Twenty-five volunteers were included in the study. Five syringes of 5 ml were taken and the syringes were loaded with either clobetasol propionate 0.05%, emollient, or clobetasol propionate with emollient in dilutions of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. The syringes were coded 1 to 5. Five squares of 3 × 3 cm were marked on the flexor aspect of the forearm of the volunteers. After randomization, half fingertip unit of the cream was applied within each square uniformly. Three hours later histamine prick test was performed by the standard method. The wheal was measured after 15 min and the results were recorded. After decoding, results were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance. RESULT: The decrease in wheal suppression of steroid with emollient (1:1) was same as topical steroid and the wheal suppression decreased with increasing dilutions of steroid. CONCLUSION: We conclude that steroids and emollients can be mixed in equal proportion (1:1) and the effect is same as steroid alone and increasing dilution of steroids with emollients was not effective in suppressing the wheal.