Illustration of the microbial community selected by optimized process and nutritional parameters resulting in enhanced biomethanation of rice straw without thermo-chemical pretreatment.

Effects of different process and nutritional parameters on microbial community structure and function were investigated to enhance the biomethanation of rice straw without any thermochemical pre-treatment. The study was performed in a mesophilic anaerobic digester with cattle dung slurry as inoculum. The highest methane yield of 274 ml g-1 volatile solids was obtained from particulate rice straw (1 mm size, 7.5% solids loading rate) at 37 °C, pH-7, when supplemented with urea (carbon: nitrogen ratio, 25:1) and zinc as trace element (100 µM) at 21 days hydraulic retention time. The optimization of conditions selected Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Ruminococcus as dominant hydrolytic bacteria and Methanosarcina as the methanogen. Analysis of metagenome and metatranscriptome revealed wide array of bacterial lignocellulolytic enzymes that efficiently hydrolyzed the rice straw. The methane yield was >80% of the theoretical yield, making this green process a sustainable choice for efficient extraction of energy from rice straw.

Alkali pretreatment at ambient temperature: A promising method to enhance biomethanation of rice straw.

Anaerobic digestion is the most cost effective technology for sustainable biogas production from rice straw. Rice straw was subjected to ambient pretreatment with alkali and subsequently digested anaerobically. A dimensional equation was developed to predict the efficacy of alkali treatment in terms of soluble COD. Biomethanation process parameters like temperature, initial pH, particle size, substrate/inoculum ratio, trace element supplementation, C/N ratio and hydraulic retention time were optimized. The highest biogas production under optimized conditions was 514L/kg VS/day (∼59% CH4) from milled rice straw (1mm) pretreated with sodium hydroxide (1% w/v) at ambient temperature for 180min. The digester was operated at 15days HRT at 37°C and neutral pH. C/N ratio was optimized at 25 using urea. Higher biogas yield from rice straw treated with lower concentration of NaOH at ambient temperature may make this process more economical than the previous reports.

Metagenome changes in the biogas producing community during anaerobic digestion of rice straw.

The present investigation was undertaken to study the microbial community succession in a sour and healthy digester. Ion torrent next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based metagenomic approach indicated abundance of hydrolytic bacteria and exclusion of methanogens and syntrophic bacteria in sour digester. Functional gene analysis revealed higher abundance of enzymes involved in acidogenesis and lower abundance of enzymes associated with methanogenesis like Methyl coenzyme M-reductase, F420 dependent reductase and Formylmethanofuran dehydrogenase in sour digester. Increased abundance of methanogens (Methanomicrobia) and genes involved in methanogenesis was observed in the restored/healthy digester highlighting revival of pH sensitive methanogenic community.

Prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas on panoramic radiographs of renal stone patients.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas detected on panoramic radiographs of patients with renal stones and to assess the correlation of renal stones and carotid artery calcifications (CAC). Panoramic radiographs of 120 renal stone patients (76 males and 44 females) and 120 controls (68 males and 52 females) were examined for any calcifications in the carotid artery. The mean age of the patients with renal stones and controls was 40.6±7.8 years and 41.1±6.7 years, respectively. A total of 25 (20.8%) patients with renal stones and 16 (12.3%) patients from the control group showed CAC. The calcifications were however higher in the patients with renal stones, but there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) between the two groups. CAC was found in 15 males and ten females with renal stones and nine males and seven females of the control group, and this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the present study, no significant relationship was found between the presence of CAC in the patients with renal stones and the control group. However, there was a trend for higher prevalence of CAC in renal stone patients.

Efficacy of oxitard capsules in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

AIM: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a high-risk premalignant condition predominantly seen in the Indian subcontinent. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of oxitard capsules in the management of OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total of 120 subjects with clinico-pathologically diagnosed OSMF were included in the study and divided equally in 2 groups; Group A (oxitard group) and Group B (placebo group). Group A was administered 2 oxitard capsules twice daily and Group B was given placebo tablets twice daily, for 3 months. Evaluation for different clinical parameters was done at regular intervals and data was analyzed using the Student's paired t test and Chi-square test. P < 0.001 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Clinical improvements in mouth-opening and tongue protrusion were significant in the Group A (P < 0.001). Subjective symptoms of burning sensation (P = 0.0001), pain associated with the lesion (P = 0.000), difficulty in swallowing (P = 0.0003) and speech (P = 0.0005) also significantly improved in the Group A. There was a mild to moderate decrease in the size of the lesion. CONCLUSION: Though there is no definitive treatment for the condition; however, oxitard capsules can bring about significant clinical improvements in the symptoms like mouth-opening, tongue protrusion, burning sensation, difficulty in swallowing and speech and pain associated with the lesion, thereby improving the quality of life of the affected individuals.

Prevalence of oral lesions in kidney transplant patients: A single center experience.

Kidney transplant patients (KTPs) have a potential tendency to develop oral lesions due to the administration of immunosuppressive drugs, but their prevalence is still obscure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the oral clinical findings in a group of renal transplant patients in comparison with ageand sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Three hundred KTPs who underwent transplantation at least six months earlier and 296 HCs were examined clinically for the presence of any oral lesions. Demographic and additional details regarding medications, systemic diseases and duration after transplantation were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, with significance set at P <0.05. The prevalence of oral lesions in KTPs was 56.8% as compared with 29.7% in HCs. The most common lesion observed in KTPs was gingival overgrowth (21.8%), followed by candidiasis (17.1%). Coated tongue (15.9%), followed by leukoplakia (11.3%), were common in HCs. Both gingival hyperplasia and coated tongue were significantly related to poor oral hygiene (P <0.05), but were not significantly related to the immunosuppressive therapy (P >0.05). The findings of the present study indicate the need for a routine and regular oral health check-up, with emphasis on maintenance of oral hygiene for renal transplant patients.

Comparative evaluation of natural antioxidants spirulina and aloe vera for the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

AIM: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a high risk premalignant condition predominantly seen in the Indian subcontinent. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of spirulina and aloe vera in the management of OSMF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 42 subjects with clinico-pathologically diagnosed OSMF were included in the study and divided equally in 2 groups, Group A (spirulina group) and Group B (aloe vera group). Group A was administered 500 mg spirulina in 2 divided doses for 3 months and Group B was given 5 mg aloe vera gel to be applied topically thrice daily for 3 months. Evaluation for different clinical parameters was done at regular intervals and data was analyzed using the Chi-square test. P-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The patients in Group A showed significant clinical improvement in mouth opening and ulcers/erosions/vesicles (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant improvement in burning sensation (p = 0.06) and pain associated with the lesion (p = 0.04) among the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Both the drugs showed improvement in the condition; however spirulina can bring about significant clinical improvements in the symptoms like mouth opening and ulcers/erosion/vesicles. Thus, spirulina appears to be more promising when compared to aloe vera for the treatment of OSMF.

Prevalence and distribution of oral mucosal lesions in a geriatric Indian population.

BACKGROUND: Oral health is important to individuals of all age groups. Previous epidemiologic studies of the oral health status of the general population in India provided very little information about oral mucosal lesions in the elderly. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of the oral lesions in a geriatric Indian population. METHODS: 5,100 patients were clinically evaluated, with age ranging from 60 to 98 years. There were 3,100 males and 2,000 females, with a mean age of 69 ± 6.3 yrs. The statistical analysis was done using the SPSS software, where p < .05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: 64% of the patients presented with one or more oral lesions, associated to tobacco, betel nut consumption, and lesions secondary to trauma and prosthesis. Males were more affected than females and this difference was clinically not significant (p > .05). The lesions were more frequently observed between 65 to 70 yrs. The most common alterations observed were smoker's palate (43%), denture stomatitis (34%), oral submucous fibrosis (30%), frictional keratosis (23%), leukoplakia (22%), and pyogenic granuloma (22%). Hard palate was the most commonly affected site (23.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study provide important information when clinically evaluating oral cavity in elderly. Close follow-up and systematic evaluation is required in the elderly population to plan future treatment needs.

Proposed new grading of oral submucous fibrosis based on cheek flexibility.

OBJECTIVES: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder of oral cavity, pharynx and upper digestive tract, characterized by progressive inability to open the mouth. Based on clinical and/or histopathological features, various classifications and grading systems have been put forth till date. The aim of the present study was to study the variance in cheek flexibility in OSMF patients, the observance of which led to the introduction of a new grading for the condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 412 patients with OSMF attending to the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology during the period from December 2008 to June 2013. A detailed history and examination of the patients was performed with special emphasis on measuring cheek flexibility. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test and p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The most common etiological factor was tobacco (73.3%). All the patients reported with burning sensation of the mouth and blanching of the mucosa. Malignancy was reported in only 4.6% patients. 60.4% patients showed cheek flexibility of 30mm and above, while 29.6% patients showed cheek flexibility between 20-30mm and 10% patients showed less than 30mm of cheek flexibility. CONCLUSION: The observations of the present study have led to the proposal of a new grading of OSMF based on cheek flexibility which could assist in the categorization of the condition by the clinicians. Key words:Cheek flexibility, oral submucous fibrosis, grading, areca nut.

Comparative study of the efficacy of herbal antioxdants oxitard and aloe vera in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder predominantly seen in the Indian subcontinent due to areca nut, tobacco and their products. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of oxitard and aloe vera in the management of OSMF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 120 subjects with OSMF were included in the study. The patients were clinico-pathologically diagnosed and divided equally in 2 groups, Group A (oxitard group) and Group B (aloe vera group). Group A was administered 2 oxitard capsules twice daily and Group B was given 5 mg aloe vera gel to be applied topically thrice daily for 3 months. Different clinical parameters were evaluated at regular intervals. Data was analyzed using the Student's paired t test and Chi-square test. P-value <0.001 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Clinical improvements in mouth opening and tongue protrusion was significant in the oxitard group (p=0.0005). Subjective symptoms of pain associated with the lesion (p=0.0003), difficulty in swallowing (p=0.0000) and speech (p=0.0001) also significantly improved in the Group A. The improvement in burning sensation was not statistically significant between the 2 groups (p=0.002). There was a mild to moderate decrease in the size of the lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Though there is no definitive treatment for the condition however, overall assessment of symptoms like mouth opening, tongue protrusion, difficulty in swallowing and speech and pain associated with the lesion showed that oxitard capsules can bring about significant clinical improvements than aloe vera gel in the treatment of OSMF. Key words:Oral submucous fibrosis, oxitard capsules, aloe vera, burning sensation, mouth opening.

Prevalence of impacted and supernumerary teeth in the North Indian population.

OBJECTIVES: Dental impaction is a very frequent problem. Supernumerary teeth, or hyperdontia, are the presence of additional teeth to the normal series in the either of the dentition. The presence of impacted and/or supernumerary teeth can cause various complications. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of impacted and supernumerary teeth in the North Indian population. STUDY DESIGN: The panoramic radiographic records of 4750 patients attending the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital between September 2008 to December 2012 were examined for this retrospective study. The ages of the patients ranged from 8 to 72 years, with a mean of 34.6 years. RESULTS: A total of 798 (16.8%) patients presented with 1126 impacted teeth. Impacted canines were the most prevalent (9.7%), followed by impacted premolars (4.3%). Supernumerary teeth (1.6%) and impacted molars (1.2%) were less prevalent. Among the 842 impacted teeth, the most frequently affected teeth were the canines (56.7%), followed by premolars (27.8%), and supernumerary teeth (9.3%), while the prevalence of impacted molars was quite lower (6.2%). CONCLUSION: The most frequently impacted teeth were maxillary canines and the mesiodens were the most common supernumerary tooth. The early diagnosis of supernumerary and impacted teeth is essential to prevent malocclusion and malalignment of permanent teeth demonstrating the importance of panoramic radiographs in their detection. Key words:Impacted, supernumerary, prevalence, canines, mesiodens.

Prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulceration in the Indian Population.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with an oral ulcer may present initially to a general physician or a dental practitioner. Majority of the ulcers are benign and resolve spontaneously but small proportions are malignant. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulcerations in the Indian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 3244 patients attending the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology during the period from November, 2010 to December, 2012 with various complaints were examined. Of the patients examined 1669 were females and 1575 were males. RESULTS: 705 patients presented with recurrent aphthous ulceration (21.7%). Females (56.3%) were more commonly affected than males (43.7%). Patients in the third and fourth decade were most commonly affected. Stress was the most common factor associated with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (386 patients). 54.5% patients did not take any medications and 72.9% patients opined that the condition needed no dental consultation. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that recurrent aphthous ulceration is a common mucosal disorder in the Indian population. The early and proper diagnosis of the ulcers will help the dental practitioner in providing information to the patient regarding awareness and management of the condition. Key words:Recurrent aphthous ulcers, prevalence, Indian population.

The relationship between pulp calcifications and salivary gland calcifications.

AIM: Pulp stones are discrete calcified bodies found in the dental pulp. Sialolithasis is the most common salivary gland disease. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the pulp stones and salivary gland stones. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 196 patients were randomly selected from the out patient department for the study. The periapical radiographs for all patients were evaluated for the presence or absence of the narrowing of dental pulp chambers and pulp canals. The intra oral occlusal radiographs were also evaluated to determine the presence or absence of salivary stones. The results were compared and analyzed using the Chi-square test (p<0.001). RESULTS: Salivary gland calcifications were detected in 5 patients. 191 patients had pulp narrowing and 118 patients had pulp stones. There was no statistical correlation between pulp narrowing and salivary stones (p>0.001) and also between pulp stones and salivary gland stones (p>0.001). CONCLUSIONS: However, the incidental findings of salivary gland stones on intra oral occlusal radiographs can provide useful information in the early diagnosis of the condition, but in the present study no significant relationship was found between the presence of pulp stones and salivary gland stones. Key words:Pulp stone, salivary gland stone, periapical radiograph, occlusal radiograph.

Prevalence of cysts and tumors around the retained and unerupted third molars in the Indian population.

AIM: Tooth impaction is a frequent phenomena and surgical removal of these teeth are the commonest of the dental surgical procedures. The debate over the removal of asymptomatic impacted third molars still continues. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of development of cysts and tumors around the retained and unerupted third molars in the Indian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 5486 impacted third molars of 4133 patients were studied through the panoramic radiographs for the presence of associated cysts and tumors. The ages of the patients ranged from 17 to 67 years, with a mean of 33.7 years. The results were evaluated using the Pearson chi-square test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: There were 134 cysts (2.24%) and 63 tumors (1.16%) found that were associated with impacted third molars, of which 3 were malignant (0.05%). 143 patients had symptoms such as swelling or pain due to cystic or neoplastic lesions. The remainder 54 patients had no symptoms suggestive of pathology. The most common cyst was dentigerous cyst and the most common tumor was ameloblastoma. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that cysts and tumors do develop in a relatively small but still considerable minority of patients. The fact that a considerable number of patients had no signs or symptoms indicating pathology is certainly worth considering. Consultation should be sought from dental specialists if there are symptoms in the third molar region.

Prevalence of lip lesions in an Indian population.

OBJECTIVES: Lip lesions are a frequent cause of consultation in dentistry, as they comprise a significant proportion of the oral lesions. The aim of the present study was to identify the different lip lesions and determine their prevalence in an Indian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 5231 patients visiting a Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology were examined for the presence of different lip lesions during the period from October, 2011 to May, 2013. The statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test and p<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The age of the patients ranged from 8-70 years with a mean age of 32.6 years. The prevalence of lip lesions was 18.8%. The most commonly diagnosed lesions were those due to infections, which affected 32.6% of the population, followed by mucocele (29.8%) and premalignant lesions and conditions which were observed in 20.6% of the population. Males were more commonly affected than females. CONCLUSIONS: The relatively high prevalence of the lip lesions suggests dental practitioners and health care workers to educate the patients and create more awareness regarding them. The dentists should have adequate knowledge about the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis and management of the lip lesions. Key words: Lip, lesions, India, prevalence.

Frequency of mesiodens in the pediatric population in North India: A radiographic study.

OBJECTIVES: Mesiodens are the most common supernumerary teeth, occurring in 0.15% to 2.2% of the population. The aim of the present study was to analyze the frequency and radiological features of mesiodens in the pediatric population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was based on the radiographic evaluation of 4133 pediatric patients of the age range of 4-15 years, attending the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology during the time period between September 2008 to December 2012. In addition to the presence of a supernumerary tooth between the 2 central incisors, data regarding the number, position, shape and associated complications were also recorded. RESULTS: The prevalence of mesiodens in the present study was 1.4%. The prevalence was estimated using a 95% confidence interval. The ratio of boys to girls was 1.8:1 and majority of cases (89.7%) had 1 mesiodens. Most of the mesiodens (59.6%) were aligned in a vertical position. 39 mesiodens (62.9%) were impacted, while 14 (22.6%) were partially erupted and only 9 (14.5%) were completely erupted into occlusion. The main complication associated with the mesiodens was midline diastema (28.6%) and 16 patients were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Mesiodens can result in spacing in the arch, delayed or ectopic eruption of the permanent incisors, further altering the occlusion and esthetics of the patient or may remain asymptomatic. It is therefore important for the practitioners to diagnose a mesiodens early in development to allow for optimal treatment plan. Key words:Mesiodens, prevalence, pediatric population, midline diastema.