Synthesis and Characterization of Naringin Functionalized Nano-Hydroxyapatite for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Bone is a unique nanocomposite tissue composed of organic and inorganic materials. Bone grafting is a common surgical method used to improve bone regeneration in dentistry and orthopedic surgery. Because standard therapies have substantial drawbacks, nanomaterials provide alternative options for bone repair. Owing to its high bioactivity, osteoconductivity, biocompatibility, and topography that matches the architecture of real bone, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HA) are commonly used in bone treatment. We report here the synthesis and characterization of Naringin (NA) functionalized n-HA using HRTEM, FTIR, XRD, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The obtained results indicated that the n-HA can be functionalized with Naringin and they might be used as a bone regenerative material in medical and dental fields.

Projection of Sediment Loading from Pearl River Basin, Mississippi into Gulf of Mexico under a Future Climate with Afforestation.

Sediment load in rivers is recognized as both a carrier and a potential source of contaminants. Sediment deposition significantly changes river flow and morphology, thereby affecting stream hydrology and aquatic life. We projected sediment load from the Pearl River basin (PRB), Mississippi into the northern Gulf of Mexico under a future climate with afforestation using the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)-based HAWQS (Hydrologic and Water Quality System) model. Three simulation scenarios were developed in this study: (1) the past scenario for estimating the 40-year sediment load from 1981 to 2020; (2) the future scenario for projecting the 40-year sediment load from 2025 to 2064, and (3) the future afforestation scenario that was the same as the future scenario, except for converting the rangeland located in the middle section of the Pearl River watershed of the PRB into the mixed forest land cover. Simulations showed a 16% decrease in sediment load for the future scenario in comparison to the past scenario due to the decrease in future surface runoff. Over both the past and future 40 years, the monthly maximum and minimum sediment loads occurred, respectively, in April and August; whereas the seasonal sediment load followed the order: spring > winter > summer > fall. Among the four seasons, winter and spring accounted for about 86% of sediment load for both scenarios. Under the future 40-year climate conditions, a 10% reduction in annual average sediment load with afforestation was observed in comparison to without afforestation. This study provides new insights into how a future climate with afforestation would affect sediment load into the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Temperature- and Reagent-Controlled Complementary Syn- and Anti-Selective Enolboration-Aldolization of Substituted Phenylacetates.

In contrast to methyl phenylacetates, methyl arylacetates do not provide syn-aldols in the dicyclohexylboron triflate/triethylamine (Chx2BOTf/Et3N)-mediated enolboration-aldolization reaction. However, a combination of a less bulky boron reagent (dibutylboron triflate, n-Bu2BOTf), a bulky amine (i-Pr2NEt), and ambient temperature is required to obtain syn-aldols from methyl arylacetates. The corresponding anti-aldol products have been synthesized by the enolboration-aldolization of methyl arylacetates in the presence of Chx2BOTf/Et3N at a lower temperature. We report the first example of a complementary syn- and anti-selective enolboration-aldolization of arylacetates.

Carbon Dot-NaCl Crystals for White-Light Generation and Fabry-Perot Lasing.

Phosphor materials with broad spectral range and an average emission lifetime (20 µs) have been achieved from carbon dots (CDs)-NaCl crystals. A one-pot synthesis pathway has been developed for CDs-NaCl crystals formation at room temperature. Precursor for CDs materials was screened at room temperature by oxidation methodology from different simple sugar molecules. CDs (size less than 10 nm) prepared from the fructose sugar exhibit most intense emission. Utilizing ripe banana peel (contains ∼27% of fructose) as a precursor for the carbon dot formation, white-light emission with a CIE index of (0.29, 0.34) has been achieved from the single source with CDs-NaCl crystals upon excitation at 430 nm. The crystals also function as Fabry-Perot (F-P) mode resonator for lasing, with a laser threshold value of 0.9 mW and a resonating Q-factor of 207. These results outline a new approach for realizing F-P lasing and white light emission from a non-toxic green source with a quick, facile and low-cost synthesis procedure.

Reprogramming natural proteins using unnatural amino acids.

Unnatural amino acids have gained significant attention in protein engineering and drug discovery as they allow the evolution of proteins with enhanced stability and activity. The incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins offers a rational approach to engineer enzymes for designing efficient biocatalysts that exhibit versatile physicochemical properties and biological functions. This review highlights the biological and synthetic routes of unnatural amino acids to yield a modified protein with altered functionality and their incorporation methods. Unnatural amino acids offer a wide array of applications such as antibody-drug conjugates, probes for change in protein conformation and structure-activity relationships, peptide-based imaging, antimicrobial activities, etc. Besides their emerging applications in fundamental and applied science, systemic research is necessary to explore unnatural amino acids with novel side chains that can address the limitations of natural amino acids.

Individual importance of olfaction decreases with duration of smell loss.

BACKGROUND: The personal importance of a lost neurologic - motor or sensory - function in several conditions has been shown to decrease as the afflicted patient becomes accustomed to not having that function. It is unknown how the importance of olfaction changes with duration of olfactory dysfunction (OD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between duration of smell loss and individual significance of olfaction, and whether this relationship would be modulated by other factors, such as etiology of smell loss. METHODS: This is a retrospective study including a total 163 subjects with different degrees of olfactory function. Individual significance of olfaction was measured using the Importance of Olfaction Questionnaire (IOQ). Demographics, olfactory function, duration and etiology of OD were evaluated. Group comparisons, bivariate correlations, analyses of variance and multivariate linear regression were applied to detect differences and associations with the outcome measure of IOQ. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was found between duration of OD and the IOQ. Other important findings include a significantly higher IOQ in patients with posttraumatic- compared to idiopathic OD and in patients with higher aggravation scores compared to the lower aggravation group. Multivariate regression analysis further confirmed that duration of smell loss was independently associated with IOQ. CONCLUSIONS: The duration of smell loss is negatively correlated with the individual importance of olfaction, suggesting that patients develop coping mechanisms for adjusting to OD.

Histopathological Changes in Oral Tissues Induced by Pesticide Poisoning: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the histopathological changes in oral tissues induced by pesticide poisoning. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional pilot study. The sample consisted of oral tissues obtained from deceased patients during autopsy. The study samples were obtained from 10 cases of ingested pesticide poisoning, and the control samples were obtained from road traffic accident cases. All the obtained samples were subjected to histopathological examinations. The changes observed in poisoning cases were compared to those in the road traffic accident cases. RESULTS: Significant degenerative changes were observed in the epithelial cells and connective tissue components, such as collagen, muscles, nerves, vasculature, adipose tissue, and salivary acini and ducts, in the poisoning cases. The oral tissues of the road traffic accident cases did not show any significant degenerative changes. CONCLUSION: The degenerative changes in the study samples can be attributed to the direct contact of the pesticide with the autopsied oral tissues when the poison was consumed. There are instances in which the entire body may not be recovered or may not be in an examinable state. In such cases, an oral autopsy could provide additional evidence for determining the cause of death in suspected poison cases.

Coupling Pressure Sensing with Optical Coherence Tomography to Evaluate the Internal Nasal Valve.

PURPOSE: To evaluate endoscopic long-range optical coherence tomography system combined with a pressure sensor to concurrently measure internal nasal valve cross-sectional area and intraluminal pressure. METHODS: A pressure sensor was constructed using an Arduino platform and calibrated using a limiter-controlled vacuum system and industrial absolute pressure gauge. Long-range optical coherence tomography imaging and pressure transduction were performed concurrently in the naris of eight healthy adult subjects during normal respiration and forced inspiration. The internal nasal valve was manually segmented using Mimics software and cross-sectional area was measured. Internal nasal valve cross-sectional area measurements were correlated with pressure recordings. RESULTS: Mean cross-sectional area during forced inspiration was 6.49 mm2. The mean change in pressure between normal respiration and forceful inspiration was 12.27 mmHg. The direct correlation between pressure and cross-sectional area as measured by our proposed system was reproducible among subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate a direct correlation between internal nasal valve cross-sectional area and nasal airflow during inspiration cycles. Endoscopic long-range optical coherence tomography coupled with a pressure sensor serves as a useful tool to quantify the dynamic behavior of the internal nasal valve.

Gingival Fenestration Management: A Rarefied Case Entity and Literature Review.

Dehiscence and fenestration are commonly confronted alveolar defects. But the combined mucosal and alveolar fenestration is uncommonly reported in the literature as they less often cause pain, and in majority of the cases, only aesthetic complaint is present. This article highlights the case report of a 28-year-old female patient who presented with aesthetic concern about gingival/mucosal fenestration in her right lower central incisor. She had a history of surgical endodontic treatment in the same tooth. In this case, mucosal fenestration was treated with regenerative therapy using bioactive glass with platelet-rich fibrin and free connective tissue graft. The treatment resulted in excellent aesthetic outcome and satisfactory bone healing.

Total Synthesis of Meayamycin and O-Acyl Analogues.

A short, scalable total synthesis of meayamycin is described by an approach that entails a longest linear sequence of 12 steps (22 steps overall) from commercially available chiral pool materials (ethyl l-lactate, BocNH-Thr-OH, and d-ribose) and introduces the most straightforward preparation of the right-hand subunit detailed to date. The use of the approach in the divergent synthesis of a representative series of O-acyl analogues is exemplified.

Retronasal olfactory testing using candies sent by post and for screening purposes: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The olfactory system is able to detect external odours through the orthonasal- and internal odours through the retronasal route. Flavour perception strongly relies on the sense of smell and this back route. In contrast to orthonasal, retronasal olfactory tests (ROT) are less frequently applied, although testing should be recommended for several reasons. The aim of the present investigation was to propose a suitable form of ROT for home-testing (and postal distribution) and evaluate a retronasal screening test. METHODOLOGY: Initially, 111 participants were tested using a 27-item version of the Candy Smell Test (CST). Fifty-four participants performed retesting, of which 25 subjects did so in a home-setting being supplied with professionally packed "candy-chains". Seven candies were chosen by means of hit rate differences in normosmics and severely hyposmics/anosmics. The 7-CST is designed in a non-forced-choice fashion with same seven flavours to choose from. RESULTS: For the 27-item CST both groups (subjects performing home-testing and those performing retesting at the clinic) showed highly significant test-rest-reliabilities. The 7-CST was capable of discriminating healthy from diseased subjects when being tested in 116 healthy subjects and 47 patients suffering from olfactory dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The CST is suitable for home-testing and postal distribution. The new 7-item CST can be valuable for rapidly revealing anosmics. These findings help in further standardizing ROT, may encourage rhinologists to more routinely evaluate retronasal olfactory abilities and pave the way for larger epidemiologic studies also in regard to food preferences and nutritional behaviour.

Quantification and simulation of nutrient sources at watershed scale in Mississippi.

Excessive quantity of nutrient produced from various point and non-point source deteriorates the quality of water. For reduction of nutrient from a watershed, it is needed to be quantified followed by implementation of appropriate management practices. In this study, major sources of nutrient in Big Sunflower River Watershed (BSRW) were identified, quantified, and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied for assessment of flow, sediment and nutrient. SWAT was calibrated and validated for streamflow, sediment, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) for three United States Geological Survey (USGS) gauge stations within BSRW. Moreover, different scenarios, based on agricultural operation and best management practices, were developed. Performance of SWAT was evaluated using Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and coefficient of determination (R2). The performance was good for streamflow during calibration and validation with R2 and NSE ranging from 0.74 to 0.90 and 0.70 to 0.82 respectively. SWAT performed satisfactorily for sediment, TN and TP except in few extreme conditions, where animal waste was mixed with farm runoff. This study has provided a suitable crop rotation and management practice for efficient management of nutrient in BSRW. Manure applied on field cultivated entirely with soybean was the best practice for reduction of TN with R2 and NSE ranging from 0.70 to 0.90 and 0.58 to 0.76 respectively. Application of manure only on existing soybean crop-land was the best practice for reduction of TP with R2 and NSE ranging from 0.51 to 0.69 and 0.41 to 0.60 respectively. Soybean was effective in accumulating both nitrogen and phosphorus from soil. This study will be helpful for efficient planning and management of nutrient through suitable crop rotation and management practice.

Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy for an Intranasal Airway Device in Nasal Surgery.

IMPORTANCE: Postoperative packing in nasal surgery often results in nasal obstruction and discomfort. Commercially available silicone intranasal airways (IAs) serve as dual-nasal airway tubes aimed at alleviating this process, but the safety and efficacy of these devices are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of an intraoperatively placed IA device in rhinoplasty and nasal surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this retrospective record review, the medical records of patients undergoing nasal surgery with insertion of the IA at a single institution from 2012 to 2017 were reviewed. After review of over 200 patients, a questionnaire was developed to assess device efficacy. EXPOSURES: Use of the IA device. The IA is 12 cm long, anchored across the columella, extends distally along the nasal floor, and has a proximal external portion used for cleaning and maintaining patency. Placed intraoperatively, the device aims to support air flow postoperatively in the face of edema, hemorrhage, and packing. RESULTS: A total of 302 operations in 300 patients were analyzed, including primary and revision septorhinoplasty. A total of 24 (7.9%) patients self-removed or inadvertently dislodged the IA. Minor acute postoperative complications not unique to airway insertion included cellulitis in 4 (1.3%) participants and epistaxis in 6 (2%). Postoperatively, 1 (0.3%) patient developed dehiscence along transcolumellar incisions. A total of 59 patients (100% compliance) completed the efficacy questionnaire. The mean breathing score was between good and average (2.9 of 5), comfort scores between comfortable and average (2.9 of 5), and mean ease of irrigation score was between very easy and easy (1.96 of 5). The device was irrigated on average 3.57 times per day. A total of 43 (76%) particpiants had full patency or only partial obstruction, compared with 13 (24%) patients with total obstruction. In all patients, with or without obstruction, the effect lasted an average of 4 days. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The device is safe and well-tolerated for maintaining patency of the nasal airway in patients undergoing rhinoplasty and nasal reconstruction without increased risk of incisional dehiscence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

Development and evaluation of rhinoplasty spreader graft suture simulator for novice surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical simulators aimed at mimicking elements of rhinoplasty surgery, specifically those aimed at improving cartilage suturing, are not available. Here, we present a surgical simulator for spreader graft placement that uses cartilage rather than synthetic materials and gauge improvement using objective measures for suture placement accuracy, speed, and efficiency of hand motion. METHODS: Twenty-two otolaryngologists in two groups (residents [10] and experts [12]) were instructed to secure the two spreader graft specimen into position with three mattress sutures on a nose model that used porcine septal cartilage as a proxy for the human counterpart. Hand motion was tracked using an electromagnetic position sensing device. The time required to complete the suture task, total hand displacement, cumulative number of hand motion direction changes, and accuracy of suture insertion were measured. These measurements were compared between the two cohort groups for construct validity. The subjects completed a survey to evaluate realism and value of the model. RESULTS: The expert group had a lower mean time required to complete the task (P < 0.05), total hand displacement (P < 0.01), and number of hand motion direction changes (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in suture precision measurement. The subjects agreed on the face validity and usefulness of the trainer. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the simulator may be a useful tool to objectively gauge suturing efficiency. Devices such as this may be useful for developing skill with suturing cartilage tissue and potentially be used to assess resident acquisition of surgical skill. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 129:344-350, 2019.

Is robot-assisted radical cystectomy superior to standard open radical cystectomy? An Indian perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Open radical cystectomy (ORC) has been the standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, but this is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has been proposed as minimally invasive alternative with improved morbidity and acceptable oncological outcomes, but a large series featuring RARC and their comparison with ORC is still lacking in India despite more than a decade of its inception. We have conducted this study with an objective to see the feasibility of RARC in the Indian context and compare it with contemporary standard. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study conducted at two tertiary cancer institutes. We have evaluated the patients pertaining to operative and early post-operative factors from January 2014 to December 2015. Necessary statistical tests applied to see comparability of the arms and their outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients underwent surgery for carcinoma bladder (45 ORC while 125 RARC). Intraoperative blood loss (RARC and ORC: 228 and 529 ml) and average transfusion rate were lower with RARC. A trend towards benefit was noted in favour of robotic arm in terms of mean complication rate (RARC and ORC: 54 and 39%). CONCLUSIONS: The present study has shown comparable surgical and early post-operative outcomes with clear advantage of robotic approach in terms of intraoperative blood transfusion and lymph node yield. Although the study was non-randomised in nature, it should provide substantial evidence on safety and feasibility of RARC in the Indian context and a reference point of evidence to look ahead.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in clean-contaminated head and neck cases with microvascular free flap reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Optimal antibiotic prophylaxis duration in head and neck clean-contaminated free-flap cases is unknown. METHODS: A systematic review/meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web-of-Science, and Scopus databases. RESULTS: Of the 3755 searched articles, 5 articles were included for a total of 861 patients. The recipient surgical site infection risk was significantly higher in patients receiving prophylactic antibiotics for ≤24 hours compared to >24 hours (relative risk [RR] 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-2.14). In the post hoc multivariate analysis based on available individual-level data on 697 patients from 3 studies, the risk of surgical site infection for ≤24 hours versus >24 hours was not significant after adjusting for antibiotic type (RR 1.09; 95% CI 0.78-1.55). When compared to ampicillin-sulbactam, patients who received clindamycin prophylaxis had an increased likelihood of recipient surgical site infection (RR 2.85; 95% CI 1.95-4.17). CONCLUSION: Less than or equal to 24 hours of antibiotic prophylaxis in head and neck clean-contaminated free-flap is likely sufficient but a strong conclusion remains elusive. Clindamycin prophylaxis increases the risk of recipient surgical site infection. Further prospective trials are necessary to clarify.

Application of Climate Assessment Tool (CAT) to Estimate Climate Variability Impacts on Nutrient Loading from Local Watersheds.

A vast amount of future climate scenario datasets, created by climate models such as general circulation models (GCMs), have been used in conjunction with watershed models to project future climate variability impact on hydrological processes and water quality. However, these low spatial-temporal resolution datasets are often difficult to downscale spatially and disaggregate temporarily, and they may not be accurate for local watersheds (i.e., state level or smaller watersheds). This study applied the US-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)'s Climate Assessment Tool (CAT) to create future climate variability scenarios based on historical measured data for local watersheds. As a case demonstration, CAT was employed in conjunction with HSPF (Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN) model to assess the impacts of the potential future extreme rainfall events and air temperature increases upon nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and orthophosphate (PO4) loads in the Lower Yazoo River Watershed (LYRW), a local watershed in Mississippi, USA. Results showed that the 10 and 20% increases in rainfall rate, respectively, increased NO3-N load by 9.1 and 18% and PO4 load by 12 and 24% over a 10-year simulation period. In contrast, simultaneous increases in air temperature by 1.0 oC and rainfall rate by 10% as well as air temperature by 2.0 oC and rainfall rate by 20% increased NO3-N load by 12% and 20%%, and PO4 load by 14 and 26 %, respectively. A summer extreme rainfall scenario was created if a 10% increase in rainfall rate increased the total volume of rainwater for that summer by 10% or more. When this event occurred, it could increase the monthly loads of NO3-N and PO4, by 31 and 41%, respectively, for that summer. Therefore, the extreme rainfall events had tremendous impacts on the NO3-N and PO4 loads. It is apparent that CAT is a flexible and useful tool to modify historical rainfall and air temperature data to predict climate variability impacts on water quality for local watersheds.

Posttraumatic Laser Treatment of Soft Tissue Injury.

Laser treatment for posttraumatic injury offers the clinician the unique opportunity for early intervention in mediating early scar formation, or for reducing the appearance of scars after maturation. In this review, the authors focus on the mechanisms by which lasers exert their therapeutic effects, highlighting several popular lasers and dosimetry used, and underscoring the power of combined surgical scar revision in managing posttraumatic facial scars.

Conchological differentiation and genital anatomy of Nepalese Glessulinae (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Subulinidae), with descriptions of six new species.

Eleven species of Glessulinae belonging to the genera Glessula Martens, 1860 (three species) and Rishetia Godwin-Austen, 1920 (eight species) are reported from Nepal, six of which are new to science and are described here, viz., G. tamakoshi Budha & Backeljau, sp. n., R. kathmandica Budha & Backeljau, sp. n., R. nagarjunensis Budha & Naggs, sp. n., R. rishikeshi Budha & Naggs, sp. n., R. subulata Budha & Naggs and R. tribhuvana Budha, sp. n. and two are new records for Nepal viz. G. cf. hebetata and R. cf. mastersi. The relation between the shell height-width ratio and the structure of the proximal part of the male reproductive organs in Glessulinae is explored. Illustrations and a key for the identification of the Nepalese Glessulinae are provided, including the first record of a spermatophore in Rishetia.

Identify temporal trend of air temperature and its impact on forest stream flow in Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley using wavelet analysis.

Characterization of stream flow is essential to water resource management, water supply planning, environmental protection, and ecological restoration; while air temperature variation due to climate change can exacerbate stream flow and add instability to the flow. In this study, the wavelet analysis technique was employed to identify temporal trend of air temperature and its impact upon forest stream flows in Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMRAV). Four surface water monitoring stations, which locate near the headwater areas with very few land use disturbances and the long-term data records (60-90 years) in the LMRAV, were selected to obtain stream discharge and air temperature data. The wavelet analysis showed that air temperature had an increasing temporal trend around its mean value during the past several decades in the LMRAV, whereas stream flow had a decreasing temporal trend around its average value at the same time period in the same region. Results of this study demonstrated that the climate in the LMRAV did get warmer as time elapsed and the streams were drier as a result of warmer air temperature. This study further revealed that the best way to estimate the temporal trends of air temperature and stream flow was to perform the wavelet transformation around their mean values.