Juvenile aggressive ossifying fibroma.

Ossifying fibroma, also the cement ossifying fibroma radiographically, represents a well-demarcated mixed radiolucency/radio-opacity with smooth and often sclerotic borders. These lesions are usually solitary and most commonly seen in the mandible; cases in the maxilla have also reported. Histologically, they contain a relatively avascular cellular fibrous stroma with reticular bone trabeculae and cementum-like spherules. We present a case report of an 11-year-old boy with a 2-month history of an asymptomatic swelling seen on the left side of the angle of the mandible. An initial diagnosis of ossifying fibroma was made by an incisional biopsy, and considering the age as a factor surgical resection of the tumor was done under general anesthesia following closure by a two-layer suturing under proper antibiotic and analgesic coverage. The patient has been on regular follow-ups with no adverse effects and satisfactory healing.

Evidence of Coevolution Between Cronartium harknessii Lineages and Their Corresponding Hosts, Lodgepole Pine and Jack Pine.

Variation in rate of infection and susceptibility of Pinus spp. to the fungus Cronartium harknessii (syn. Endocronartium harknessii), the causative agent of western gall rust, has been well documented. To test the hypothesis that there is a coevolutionary relationship between C. harknessii and its hosts, we examined genetic structure and virulence of C. harknessii associated with lodgepole pine (P. contorta var. latifolia), jack pine (P. banksiana), and their hybrids. A secondary objective was to improve assessment and diagnosis of infection in hosts. Using 18 microsatellites, we assessed genetic structure of C. harknessii from 90 sites within the ranges of lodgepole pine and jack pine. We identified two lineages (East and West, FST = 0.677) associated with host genetic structure (r = 0.81, P = 0.001), with East comprising three sublineages. In parallel, we conducted a factorial experiment in which lodgepole pine, jack pine, and hybrid seedlings were inoculated with spores from the two primary genetic lineages. With this experiment, we refined the phenotypic categories associated with infection and demonstrated that stem width can be used as a quantitative measure of host response to infection. Overall, each host responded differentially to the fungal lineages, with jack pine exhibiting more resiliency to infection than lodgepole pine and hybrids exhibiting intermediate resiliency. Taken together, the shared genetic structure between fungus and host species, and the differential interaction of the fungal species with the hosts, supports a coevolutionary relationship between host and pathogen.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

COVID-19-associated psychosis in Indian settings: A retrospective descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected millions of people across the world since early 2020. Besides the large number of case fatalities, this virus has produced significant health-related sequelae involving multiple systems of the body. As with previous coronavirus infections, this was also found to be associated with various neuropsychiatric symptoms. Psychosis has been uncommon, and the few reported cases across the world have forwarded association with either raised inflammatory markers or the consequences of social isolation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study of 12 patients, who were admitted with COVID-19 infection and psychosis, between March 2020 and December 2020. Cases of head injury, any neurological or metabolic illnesses, and substance use disorders were excluded. RESULTS: Cases with psychosis formed only 0.19% of all cases of COVID-19 admissions. All of them were young male and employed. Most of them had abrupt onset of psychosis with confusion, delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and sleep disturbances. Investigations including inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein) and computerized tomography scans were largely normal. Medications used were mainly benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Most of the cases resolved within the second week, and follow-up after a month did not elicit any residual symptoms in majority. Diagnosis was acute and transient psychotic disorder (about 75%), bipolar affective disorder (2 cases), and schizophrenia (one). CONCLUSIONS: The major findings included nonreactive inflammatory markers, quick resolution of symptoms, requirement of low doses of antipsychotic drugs, and no long-term sequelae.

Gingival, oral hygiene and periodontal status of the teeth restored with stainless steel crown: A prospective study.

AIM: To compare the gingival health and periodontal status in primary molars restored with stainless steel crowns with unrestored contralateral teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A split mouth design study was conducted on 60 children aged 5- 10 years who required stainless steel crown restoration on deciduous molars. The molar teeth restored with stainless steel crown were selected for study and healthy unrestored contralateral teeth were selected as controls. Bitewing radiograph of study and control tooth was taken at initial, three months and at six months. The gingival status, oral hygiene status was evaluated at three months and six month intervals using gingival index and oral hygiene index respectively. RESULT: On evaluating the oral hygiene status at three months study group showed the mean value of 0.7±0.700 whereas in control group it was 1±0.368. At six months it was 1.183±0.390 in study group and 1.5±0.504 in control group. Chi square test shows that the crown marginal adaptation produced statistically significant difference at six months. Crown marginal extension did not produce any difference on gingival index and oral hygiene index. CONCLUSION: When compared to control teeth, the teeth restored with stainless steel crown showed lesser plaque and debris accumulation at three months and six months. Radiographic bone level the control teeth showed higher level of bone resorption compared to the teeth restored with stainless steel crown.

A novel application of RNase H2-dependent quantitative PCR for detection and quantification of Grosmannia clavigera, a mountain pine beetle fungal symbiont, in environmental samples.

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins; MPB) is an economically and ecologically important pest of pine species in western North America. Mountain pine beetles form complex multipartite relationships with microbial partners, including the ophiostomoid fungi Grosmannia clavigera (Robinson-Jeffrey and Davidson) Zipfel, de Beer and Wingfield, Ophiostoma montium (Rumbold) von Arx, Grosmannia aurea (Robinson-Jeffrey and Davidson) Zipfel, de Beer and Wingfield, Leptographium longiclavatum (Lee, Kim, and Breuil) and Leptographium terebrantis (Barras and Perry). These fungi are vectored by MPB to new pine hosts, where the fungi overcome host defenses to grow into the sapwood. A tree's relative susceptibility to these fungi is conventionally assessed by measuring lesions that develop in response to fungal inoculation. However, these lesions represent a symptom of infection, representing both fungal growth and tree defense capacity. In order to more objectively assess fungal virulence and host tree susceptibility in studies of host-pathogen interactions, a reliable, consistent, sensitive method is required to accurately identify and quantify MPB-associated fungal symbionts in planta. We have adapted RNase H2-dependent PCR, a technique originally designed for rare allele discrimination, to develop a novel RNase H2-dependent quantitative PCR (rh-qPCR) assay that shows greater specificity and sensitivity than previously published PCR-based methods to quantify MPB fungal symbionts in pine xylem and MPB whole beetles. Two sets of assay probes were designed: one that amplifies a broad range of ophiostomoid species, and a second that amplifies G. clavigera but not other MPB-associated ophiostomoid species. Using these primers to quantify G. clavigera in pine stems, we provide evidence that lesion length does not accurately reflect the extent of fungal colonization along the stem nor the quantity of fungal growth within this colonized portion of stem. The sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, cost effectiveness and high-throughput potential of the rh-qPCR assay makes the technology suitable for identification and quantification of a wide array of pathogenic and beneficial microbes that form associations with plants and other organisms, even when the microbial partner is present in low abundance.

Characterization and Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile of Bacteria in Orofacial Abscesses of Odontogenic Origin.

BACKGROUND: Odontogenic infections range from peripheral abscess to superficial and deep infections leading to severe infections in head and neck region. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates responsible for orofacial infection of odontogenic origin and their drug susceptibility patterns so as to provide better perceptive for the management of odontogenic infections. METHODS: The study was made in a selected cohort of patients, irrespective of age and gender having moderate and severe orofacial infections of odontogenic origin admitted to Yenepoya University Hospital. Pus samples were collected and identification of bacteria was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. RESULT: A total of 37 study subjects were included, with bacterial isolation rate of 31 (83.7 %). The mean age presented of all patients was 40.62. Of all, 24 (64.9 %) were males. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter claocae subsp. dissolvens, Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. anaerobius and Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae were the most prevalent isolates. Result showed that 58.6 % of the isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 52.5 % for ampicillin, 51.3 % for piperacillin; least resistant being 18.9 % for azithromycin. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of bacterial isolates was found, Staphylococcus aureus being the dominant. Most of the bacteria were resistant to different classes of antibiotics. Appropriate antibiotics should be given based on the bacterial isolates, culture sensitivity and clinical course of the disease.

Efficacy of 2 Regional Pain Control Techniques in Pediatric Foot Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) have the potential to reduce postoperative pain. The use of ultrasound (US) to guide PNBs may be more beneficial than nerve stimulation (NS); however, very few studies have studied this technique in children. The objective of this study was to compare postoperative pain control in pediatric patients who had general anesthesia (GA) alone compared with those who had PNB performed by NS, or PNB with both NS and US guidance. Our hypothesis was that compared with NS, the US-guided PNB would result in reduced postoperative pain and opioid use, and that both PNB conditions would have improved outcomes compared with GA. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of foot and ankle surgery included 103 patients who were stratified into 3 groups: GA, PNB with NS, and PNB with NS and US. Pain levels were measured with visual pain scales at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively. Days of hospitalization, morphine and oxycodone use by weight, and time to first PRN opioid use were also recorded. A repeated measure analysis of variance was used to compare the groups, and the proportion of patients who reported a visual analog scale score of 0 was calculated for each time point. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in pain levels between groups for the first 12 hours, but the US group had higher pain levels at 24 hours. Both US and NS groups had a longer time to PRN opioid use and used significantly less morphine compared with GA. The US group had a significantly greater proportion of pain-free patients than the other 2 groups for the first 6 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The use of US guidance is beneficial in postoperative pain control. Both US-guided and NS-guided PNB are preferable to GA alone for lower extremity orthopaedic surgery in the pediatric population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, retrospective comparative study.

Antimicrobial and antifungal efficacy of Spilanthes acmella as an intracanal medicament in comparison to calcium hydroxide: An in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Repeated endodontic failures are due to pathogens like Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans which are resistant to the common intracanal medicaments like calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH]2). AIMS: To determine the role of commonly used folk medicine, Spilanthes acmella (SPA) against root canal pathogens like E. faecalis, C. albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sp, and to compare its efficacy with Ca(OH)2, a popularly used intracanal medicament. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bacterial strains of S. aureus, Streptococcus sp., E. faecalis, and fungal strains of C. albicans were tested against different concentrations of SPA and Ca(OH)2. Seven days old cultures of test organisms were seeded onto agar plates and uniformly spread with a spreader. Five to six wells (8 mm) were made on agar plate to which different concentrations of the test solutions were added. The inoculated plates were kept in an incubator at 37°C for 48 h and inhibition zones were measured. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Results of SPA were compared with results of Ca(OH)2 statistically using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: A significant zone of inhibition was obtained with SPA and was found to increase as the concentration increased for C. albicans. SPA showed a significant zone of inhibition at 2-5% and 10% whereas Ca(OH)2 showed a zone of inhibition only at 10% for E. faecalis. SPA showed a zone of inhibition only at 10%, whereas, Ca(OH)2 showed a significant zone of inhibition at 5% and 10% for S. aureus and Streptococcus sp., respectively. CONCLUSION: SPA possesses remarkable antibacterial and antifungal activity against common root canal pathogens which are responsible for repeated endodontic failures such as E. faecalis and C. albicans when compared with medicaments like Ca(OH)2.

Alanine aminotransferase variants conferring diverse NUE phenotypes in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT, E.C. 2.6.1.2), is a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent (PLP) enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of an amino group from alanine to 2-oxoglutarate to produce glutamate and pyruvate, or vice versa. It has been well documented in both greenhouse and field studies that tissue-specific over-expression of AlaAT from barley (Hordeum vulgare, HvAlaAT) results in a significant increase in plant NUE in both canola and rice. While the physical phenotypes associated with over-expression of HvAlaAT have been well characterized, the role this enzyme plays in vivo to create a more N efficient plant remains unknown. Furthermore, the importance of HvAlaAT, in contrast to other AlaAT enzyme homologues in creating this phenotype has not yet been explored. To address the role of AlaAT in NUE, AlaAT variants from diverse sources and different subcellular locations, were expressed in the wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 background and alaat1;2 (alaat1-1;alaat2-1) knockout background in various N environments. The analysis and comparison of both the physical and physiological properties of AlaAT over-expressing transgenic plants demonstrated significant differences between plants expressing the different AlaAT enzymes under different external conditions. This analysis indicates that the over-expression of AlaAT variants other than HvAlaAT in crop plants could further increase the NUE phenotype(s) previously observed.

Hemophagocytosis on bone marrow aspirate cytology: single center experience in north himalayan region of India.

BACKGROUND: The differentiation of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) with other causes of hemophagocytosis is essential as HLH is life-threatening condition and requires definite clinical and biochemical criteria for its diagnosis. AIM: The present study was conducted to study hemophagocytosis on bone marrow aspirates and to observe if there is any difference on bone marrow examination between HLH and non HLH cases showing hemophagocytosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study reviewed all the cases of bone marrow aspirate for evidence of hemophagocytosis in which at least three smears and 500 nucleated cells were observed for every case. The cases were provisionally diagnosed as HLH according to the proposed HLH diagnostic criteria, 2009. RESULTS: A total of 80 cases showed hemophagocytosis in the present study with infections followed by HLH being the most common cause. Pancytopenia and erythroid hyperplasis were common hematological presentation. Moderate to severe hemophagocytosis was observed in HLH cases while mild grade in non HLH cases. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that hemophagocytosis even if observed in single cell should always be documented in the bone marrow reports. It may be the only indicator of subtle infection in the marrow. Pancytopenia and higher grade of hemophagocytosis on bone marrow examination may be helpful in establishing an early differentiation of HLH and non HLH cases.

Variation at diabetes- and obesity-associated Loci may mirror neutral patterns of human population diversity and diabetes prevalence in India.

South Asian populations harbor a high degree of genetic diversity, due in part to demographic history. Two studies on genome-wide variation in Indian populations have shown that most Indian populations show varying degrees of admixture between ancestral north Indian and ancestral south Indian components. As a result of this structure, genetic variation in India appears to follow a geographic cline. Similarly, Indian populations seem to show detectable differences in diabetes and obesity prevalence between different geographic regions of the country. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variation at diabetes- and obesity-associated loci may be potentially related to different genetic ancestries. We genotyped 2977 individuals from 61 populations across India for 18 SNPs in genes implicated in T2D and obesity. We examined patterns of variation in allele frequency across different geographical gradients and considered state of origin and language affiliation. Our results show that most of the 18 SNPs show no significant correlation with latitude, the geographic cline reported in previous studies, or by language family. Exceptions include KCNQ1 with latitude and THADA and JAK1 with language, which suggests that genetic variation at previously ascertained diabetes-associated loci may only partly mirror geographic patterns of genome-wide diversity in Indian populations.

Analysis of the enzymatic properties of a broad family of alanine aminotransferases.

Alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) has been studied in a variety of organisms due to the involvement of this enzyme in mammalian processes such as non-alcoholic hepatocellular damage, and in plant processes such as C4 photosynthesis, post-hypoxic stress response and nitrogen use efficiency. To date, very few studies have made direct comparisons of AlaAT enzymes and fewer still have made direct comparisons of this enzyme across a broad spectrum of organisms. In this study we present a direct kinetic comparison of glutamate:pyruvate aminotransferase (GPAT) activity for seven AlaATs and two glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferases (GGAT), measuring the K(M) values for the enzymes analyzed. We also demonstrate that recombinant expression of AlaAT enzymes in Eschericia coli results in differences in bacterial growth inhibition, supporting previous reports of AlaAT possessing bactericidal properties, attributed to lipopolysaccharide endotoxin recognition and binding. A probable lipopolysaccharide binding region within the AlaAT enzymes, homologous to a region of a lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in humans, was also identified in this study. The AlaAT enzyme differences identified here indicate that AlaAT homologues have differentiated significantly and the roles these homologues play in vivo may also have diverged significantly. Specifically, the differing kinetics of AlaAT enzymes and how this may alter the nitrogen use efficiency in plants is discussed.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in school-going adolescents: validation of PedsQL instrument and comparison with WHOQOL-BREF.

BACKGROUND: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) studies are gaining importance. Yet there is a dearth of crossculturally validated generic HRQoL instruments for Indian adolescents. Two HRQoL instruments, namely World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) and Pediatric Quality of Life inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL), are widely used internationally, with both measuring four domains (physical, psychological/emotional, social relations and environment/school) but each having different questions with 26 in the former and 23 in the latter. This study was done among adolescents in the city of Lucknow to evaluate the psychometric properties of PedsQL and compare its performance with previously validated and culturally revised WHOQOL-BREF. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2010 after institutional ethical approval. Data were collected by a self-administered, redesigned questionnaire in which items of PedsQL and revised WHOQOL-BREF were intermingled. Reliability, content and construct validity were evaluated for PedsQL. Convergent validity of PedsQL with revised WHOQOL-BREF was calculated for domains with similar questions. RESULTS: Parents of 76.5% adolescents (385/503) provided consent. Mean age of adolescents was 13.6 years (1.6 SD and 44.7% were girls). PedsQL showed substantial reliability (Cronbach alpha=0.82, p<0.00001) but poor to fair validity as compared to revised WHOQOL-BREF. CONCLUSIONS: For Indian adolescents, PedsQL is a reliable and valid instrument. However, on comparison with revised WHOQOL-BREF, PedsQL has poor to fair validity. We conclude that revised WHOQOL-BREF is a better HRQoL instrument for Indian adolescents.

Engineering nitrogen use efficient crop plants: the current status.

In the last 40 years the amount of synthetic nitrogen (N) applied to crops has risen drastically, resulting in significant increases in yield but with considerable impacts on the environment. A requirement for crops that require decreased N fertilizer levels has been recognized in the call for a 'Second Green Revolution' and research in the field of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has continued to grow. This has prompted a search to identify genes that improve the NUE of crop plants, with candidate NUE genes existing in pathways relating to N uptake, assimilation, amino acid biosynthesis, C/N storage and metabolism, signalling and regulation of N metabolism and translocation, remobilization and senescence. Herein is a review of the approaches taken to determine possible NUE candidate genes, an overview of experimental study of these genes as effectors of NUE in both cereal and non-cereal plants and the processes of commercialization of enhanced NUE crop plants. Patents issued regarding increased NUE in plants as well as gene pyramiding studies are also discussed as well as future directions of NUE research.

Standards of facial esthetics: an anthropometric study.

AIM: Anthropometry is an art and science used extensively for measuring the soft tissue proportions. While it is true that error is found in measurements of this kind, a great many trends of growth and development and therapy changes can be recorded with a significant degree of accuracy. OBJECTIVE: Facial proportion varies among the different ethnic groups and today, most of the available studies are done on western population. Hence an Anthropometric study was conducted in the local population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out with the aim of measuring the facial soft tissue proportion in the local population using anthropometry. Study was done using 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females) with Class I skeletal relationship and pleasing profile. Using standard anthropometric landmarks the various anthropometric measurements and facial proportional indices were determined (both horizontal and vertical) and were compared with that for North American Caucasians. RESULTS: The statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the facial proportion between the two populations.

Philadelphia Chromosome Symposium: commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Ph chromosome.

This report summarizes highlights of the Philadelphia Chromosome Symposium: Past, Present and Future, held September 28, 2010, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome. The symposium sessions included presentations by investigators who made seminal contributions concerning the discovery and molecular characterization of the Ph chromosome and others who developed a highly successful therapy based on the specific molecular alteration observed in chronic myeloid leukemia. Additional presentations highlighted future opportunities for the design of molecularly targeted therapies for various types of cancer. Also included here are reminiscences connected with the discovery of the Ph chromosome by David Hungerford and Peter Nowell, the discovery that the abnormality arises from a chromosomal translocation, by Janet Rowley, and the cloning of the 9;22 translocation breakpoints by Nora Heisterkamp, John Groffen, and colleagues.

Megaloblastic pancytopenia vis-à-vis non-megaloblastic pancytopenia: is mean platelet volume useful discriminating indicator.

INTRODUCTION: Megaloblastic anaemia may present with pancytopenia and clinically mimic other causes of pancytopenia including myelodysplastic syndrome or aplastic anaemia. Bone marrow examination may be required for precise differentiation. The study was conducted to evaluate the role of mean platelet volume (MPV) to discriminate between pancytopenia due to megaloblastic anaemia or non-megaloblastic causes. METHODS: A total of 268 cases of pancytopenia were divided into megaloblastic and non- megaloblastic group depending on clinical, laboratory and bone marrow examination. Mean MPV was statistically analyzed in both the groups along with comparison with healthy controls. RESULTS: The mean MPV in 88 cases of megaloblastic group (7.97 fl) was although statistically significantly higher than mean MPV in 180 cases of non-megaloblastic group (7.04 fl) with P value <0.05 but had limited sensitivity and specificity to discriminate megaloblastic and non-megaloblastic pancytopenia (cut off of 7.45 fl was 63.6% sensitive and 67.3% specific as observed by receptor operating characteristic curve analysis).The mean MPV in aplastic/hypocellular marrow and acute leukaemia category of non-megaloblastic group was significantly lower than megaloblastic group of pancytopenia (P value <0.05). MPV was also significantly lower in non-megaloblastic pancytopenia as compared to controls (P < 0.001) while there was no statistical difference in MPV between megaloblastic pancytopenia and controls (P < 0.057). CONCLUSION: MPV has limited sensitivity and specificity to discriminate between megaloblastic and non-megaloblastic pancytopenia. Pancytopenia due to aplastic/hypocellular marrow and acute leukaemia has significantly lower MPV than megaloblastic group while other pancytopenic cases do not show any statistical difference in MPV from megaloblastic pancytopenia.