Skeletal fluorosis: an uncommon cause, yet a rescue treatment?

PURPOSE: Skeletal fluorosis (SF) results from chronic exposure to fluoride (F-) causing excessive aberrantly mineralized brittle bone tissue, fractures, and exostoses. There is no established treatment other than avoiding the source of F-. Still, excess F- can persist in bone for decades after exposure ceases. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old woman presented with multiple, recurrent, low AQ2 trauma fractures yet high radiologic bone mineral density. Serum F- was elevated, and osteomalacia was documented by non-decalcified transiliac biopsy. She reported intermittently "huffing" a keyboard cleaner containing F- (difluoroethane) for years. Following cessation of her F- exposure, we evaluated the administration of the parathyroid hormone analog, abaloparatide, hoping to increase bone remodeling and diminish her skeletal F- burden. CONCLUSION: Due to the prolonged half-life of F- in bone, SF can cause fracturing long after F- exposure stops. Anabolic therapy approved for osteoporosis, such as abaloparatide, may induce mineralized bone turnover to replace the poorly mineralized osteomalacic bone characteristic of SF and thereby diminish fracture risk. Following abaloparatide treatment for our patient, there was a decrease in bone density as well as a reduction in F- levels.

Physiochemical characterization of sodium doped zinc oxide nano powder for antimicrobial applications.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is one of the semiconductor materials with unique antimicrobial properties towards various microorganisms. In this article, pure and Na doped ZnO nanopowders were synthesized by easiest and cost-effective co-precipitation process. X-ray diffraction (XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), ultraviolet - visible (UV - Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) techniques were used to characterize the particle size, surface morphology and chemical composition of prepared materials. The XRD analysis revealed that the samples exhibiting hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure with high crystallinity and the average crystallite size values increased from 23.51 to 28.118 nm. The UV - Vis spectroscopy results exposed that the bandgap energy (Eg) of the samples with the values in the range of 3.068-3.301 eV. The SEM micrographs showed that the morphology of the of synthesized particles are hexagonal and spherical in nanometric size. The EDX spectra confirmed the elemental composition of Na, Zn and O in the crystal lattice and FTIR spectroscopic data proved the formation of functional groups and the presence of chemical bonding at the ZnO interface.Antibacterial activity of pure and Na doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles against Gram-negative pathogenssuch as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa & Klebsiella pneumoniae and Gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus reveal that the zone of inhibition increases with increasing Na concentration. The antifungal activity against Aspergillus and Candida was investigated.These results demonstrated that the pure and Na doped ZnO samples exhibit enhanced antibacterial and antifungal activity with increasing particle sizein presence of visible light and they could be used as good antibacterial as well as antifungal agents.

Advancements in MXene-Polymer Nanocomposites in Energy Storage and Biomedical Applications.

MXenes are 2D ceramic materials, especially carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides derived from their parent 'MAX' phases by the etching out of 'A' and are famous due to their conducting, hydrophilic, biocompatible, and tunable properties. However, they are hardly stable in the outer environment, have low biodegradability, and have difficulty in drug release, etc., which are overcome by MXene/Polymer nanocomposites. The MXenes terminations on MXene transferred to the polymer after composite formation makes it more functional. With this, there is an increment in photothermal conversion efficiency for cancer therapy, higher antibacterial activity, biosensors, selectivity, bone regeneration, etc. The hydrophilic surfaces become conducting in the metallic range after the composite formation. MXenes can effectively be mixed with other materials like ceramics, metals, and polymers in the form of nanocomposites to get improved properties suitable for advanced applications. In this paper, we review different properties like electrical and mechanical, including capacitances, dielectric losses, etc., of nanocomposites more than those like Ti3C2Tx/polymer, Ti3C2/UHMWPE, MXene/PVA-KOH, Ti3C2Tx/PVA, etc. along with their applications mainly in energy storing and biomedical fields. Further, we have tried to enlist the MXene-based nanocomposites and compare them with conducting polymers and other nanocomposites. The performance under the NIR absorption seems more effective. The MXene-based nanocomposites are more significant in most cases than other nanocomposites for the antimicrobial agent, anticancer activity, drug delivery, bio-imaging, biosensors, micro-supercapacitors, etc. The limitations of the nanocomposites, along with possible solutions, are mentioned.

Sex determination by mandibular ramus: A digital orthopantomographic study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine the usefulness of mandibular ramus as an aid in sex determination. (2) To evaluate Anteroposterior | superioinferior angle of mandibular condyle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using orthopantomographs of 60 males and 60 females, which were taken using Kodak 8000C Digital Panoramic and Cephalometric System (73 kVp, 12 mA, 13.9 s). The age group ranged between 18 - 45 years. Mandibular ramus measurements were carried out using Master View 3.0 software. The measurements of the mandibular ramus will be subjected to Discriminant function analysis. RESULTS: Maximum ramus breadth, Minimum ramus breadth, Condylar height, Projective height of ramus Coronoid height were calculated for both the sexes differently with the formula & analyzed with Discriminant function analysis using Fischer exact test. The P value was statistically significant with the P value < 0.05 for the following parameters Max. ramus breadth, Condylar height and Projective height of ramus. CONCLUSION: Mandibular ramus measurements can be a useful tool for gender determination.

Spectroscopic studies (FT-IR, FT-Raman, UV-Visible), normal co-ordinate analysis, first-order hyperpolarizability and HOMO, LUMO studies of 3,4-dichlorobenzophenone by using Density Functional Methods.

The vibrational frequencies of 3,4-dichlorobenzophenone (DCLBP) were obtained from the FT-IR and Raman spectral data, and evaluated based on the Density Functional Theory using the standard method B3LYP with 6-311+G(d,p) as the basis set. On the basis of potential energy distribution together with the normal-co-ordinate analysis and following the scaled quantum mechanical force methodology, the assignments for the various frequencies were described. The values of the electric dipole moment (µ) and the first-order hyperpolarizability (ß) of the molecule were computed. The UV-absorption spectrum was also recorded to study the electronic transitions. The calculated HOMO and LUMO energies show that charge transfer occurs within the molecule. The NBO analysis, to study the intramolecular hyperconjugative interactions, was carried out. Mulliken's net charges were evaluated. The MEP and thermodynamic properties were also calculated. The electron density-based local reactivity descriptor, such as Fukui functions, was calculated to explain the chemical selectivity or reactivity site in 3,4-dichlorobenzophenone.

Synthesis, structural and luminescence properties of Mn doped ZnO/Zn2SiO4 composite microphosphor.

Manganese doped ZnO/Zn2SiO4 (MZS) composite phosphors were successfully prepared by conventional solid state reaction method. The structural and optical properties of as-prepared samples were analysed by means of XRD, SEM, PLE and PL. The result shows that the samples consist of both ZnO and ZnSiO4 phases which confirms the composite phosphor. The strain acting on the phosphor is found to be in the range of 0.0040-0.0058 for different concentration of Mn(2+) doping. The doping of Mn(2+) significantly influences the optical properties of phosphor. Under 266 nm laser excitation samples show green emission (∼530 nm) and with 355 nm laser excitation blue emission (∼441 nm) is shown. The enhancement of luminescence intensity is achieved with Mn(2+) doping up to an optimum concentration (10 at.%) and then decreases. On 266 nm excitation, blue emission intensity decreases with Mn(2+) doping. This composite phosphor shows both blue and green emission under different excitations.

Polarographic determination of deltamethrin.

The electrochemical characteristics of deltamethrin have been determined by means of electrochemical techniques such as d.c. polarography, cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse polarography over a wide range of pH from 2.0-12.0. The title compound exhibits a single well defined peak due to the reduction of the CC moiety present in deltamethrin. The overall reduction process is diffusion-controlled and adsorption free in nature. The variation of half-wave potential with the pH, concentration of the title compound, and other experimental conditions is described. A possible mechanism for the reduction is suggested. The number of electrons involved in the electrode reduction is two. Investigation was also undertaken for the determination of deltamethrin in vegetables and in storage bags of rice and wheat under FCI's storage system.