Fetal Appendiceal Perforation Masquerading as Meconium Peritonitis: A Report of a Rare Case.

Intrauterine appendicular perforation leading to meconium peritonitis is exceptionally rare, with few reported cases in the literature. This case underscores the diagnostic challenges and high mortality associated with neonatal appendicular perforation. Neonatal appendicitis and subsequent perforation are uncommon due to the funnel shape of the fetal appendix, which reduces susceptibility to luminal obstruction. While advances in neonatal care and diagnostic modalities have improved outcomes, challenges persist in timely diagnosis and management. We present the case of a preterm infant, one of dichorionic-diamniotic (DCDA) twins delivered via cesarean section, who developed gross abdominal distension and respiratory distress shortly after birth. Diagnostic abdominocentesis revealed meconium-stained fluid, prompting further investigation with imaging and subsequent exploratory laparotomy. Extensive adhesions and cecal perforation were observed, necessitating a cecostomy. Despite interventions, the infant's condition deteriorated, leading to a fatal outcome. Intrauterine appendicular perforation leading to meconium peritonitis is a rare and difficult-to-diagnose condition. Antenatal suspicion and early surgical intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. Factors contributing to neonatal appendicular perforation include ischemia, obstruction, and infective etiologies. Neonatal appendicular perforation is a rare but life-threatening condition requiring a high index of suspicion for prompt diagnosis and management. Advances in diagnostic tools and antenatal monitoring have contributed to improved outcomes, highlighting the importance of considering this diagnosis in cases of unexplained neonatal abdominal distension.

Prospective Evaluation of Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy in Renal and Upper Ureteric Stone Treatment: Clinical Assessment and Results.

INTRODUCTION: Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a widely accepted non-invasive treatment for renal and upper ureteric stones smaller than 2 cm due to its safety and efficacy. Despite advancements in minimally invasive techniques, extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy remains an important modality. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: This prospective observational study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of ESWL in managing renal and upper ureteric stones measuring less than 2 cm in terms of stone clearance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a study conducted at a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital, 119 patients with renal and upper ureteric stones underwent extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy over a 12-month period. Data on patient demographics, stone characteristics, treatment procedures, and complications were collected. Follow-up assessments were performed at two-week intervals for up to two months post-treatment. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 39.78 years, with a mean stone size of 1.2 cm. Right kidney stones were more prevalent (61.3% [n=76]). Complications included fever (19.3% [n=23]), gross haematuria (24.3% [n=29]), and steinstrasse (21.8% [n=26]). The success rate of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy was 81.5% (n=97), with 18.5% (n=22) of patients requiring surgical intervention due to incomplete fragmentation or residual fragments >4 mm. Stone size and density played significant roles in treatment success. CONCLUSION: Despite advancements in minimally invasive techniques, ESWL retains its significance as a noninvasive and effective treatment option for renal and upper ureteric stones smaller than 2 cm. Its success depends on various factors, including the stone site, size, and composition. ESWL offers advantages such as minimal morbidity, shorter hospital stays, and better patient compliance. Complications such as steinstrasse are manageable with conservative measures or ancillary procedures. While ESWL may be losing ground in some cases, its noninvasive nature and favourable outcomes make it a valuable option in the armamentarium for stone management.

The role of continental evapotranspiration on water vapour isotopic variability in the troposphere.

Rainforests play an important role in hydrological and carbon cycles, both at regional and global scales. They pump large quantities of moisture from the soil to the atmosphere and are major rainfall hotspots of the world. Satellite-observed stable water isotope ratios have played an essential role in determining sources of moisture in the atmosphere. Satellites provide information about the processes involving vapour transport in different zones of the world, identifying sources of rainfall and distinguishing moisture transport in monsoonal systems. This paper focuses on major rainforests of the world (Southern Amazon, Congo and Northeast India) to understand the role of continental evapotranspiration in influencing tropospheric water vapour. We have used satellite measurements of 1H2H16O/1H216O from Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS), evapotranspiration (ET), solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), precipitation (P), atmospheric reanalysis-derived moisture flux convergence (MFC) and wind to discern the role of ET in influencing water vapour isotopes. A global map of the correlation between δ2Hv and ET-P flux indicates that densely vegetated regions in the tropics show the highest positive correlation (r > 0.5). Using mixing models and observations of specific humidity and isotopic ratio over these forested regions, we discern the source of moisture in pre-wet and wet seasons.

Association of an Advance Care Planning Video and Communication Intervention With Documentation of Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: COVID-19 has disproportionately killed older adults and racial and ethnic minority individuals, raising questions about the relevance of advance care planning (ACP) in this population. Video decision aids and communication skills training offer scalable delivery models. Objective: To assess whether ACP video decision aids and a clinician communication intervention improved the rate of ACP documentation during an evolving pandemic, with a focus on African American and Hispanic patients. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Advance Care Planning: Communicating With Outpatients for Vital Informed Decisions trial was a pre-post, open-cohort nonrandomized controlled trial that compared ACP documentation across the baseline pre-COVID-19 period (September 15, 2019, to March 14, 2020), the COVID-19 wave 1 period (March 15, 2020, to September 14, 2020), and an intervention period (December 15, 2020, to June 14, 2021) at a New York metropolitan area ambulatory network of 22 clinics. All patients 65 years or older who had at least 1 clinic or telehealth visit during any of the 3 study periods were included. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was ACP documentation. Results: A total of 14 107 patients (mean [SD] age, 81.0 [8.4] years; 8856 [62.8%] female; and 2248 [15.9%] African American or Hispanic) interacted with clinicians during the pre-COVID-19 period; 12 806 (mean [SD] age, 81.2 [8.5] years; 8047 [62.8%] female; and 1992 [15.6%] African American or Hispanic), during wave 1; and 15 106 (mean [SD] 80.9 [8.3] years; 9543 [63.2%] female; and 2535 [16.8%] African American or Hispanic), during the intervention period. Clinicians documented ACP in 3587 patients (23.8%) during the intervention period compared with 2525 (17.9%) during the pre-COVID-19 period (rate difference [RD], 5.8%; 95% CI, 0.9%-7.9%; P = .01) and 1598 (12.5%) during wave 1 (RD, 11.3%; 95% CI, 6.3%-12.1%; P < .001). Advance care planning was documented in 447 African American patients (30.0%) during the intervention period compared with 233 (18.1%) during the pre-COVID-19 period (RD, 11.9%; 95% CI, 4.1%-15.9%; P < .001) and 130 (11.0%) during wave 1 (RD, 19.1%; 95% CI, 11.7%-21.2%; P < .001). Advance care planning was documented for 222 Hispanic patients (21.2%) during the intervention period compared with 127 (13.2%) during the pre-COVID-19 period (RD, 8.0%; 95% CI, 2.1%-10.9%; P = .004) and 82 (10.2%) during wave 1 (RD, 11.1%; 95% CI, 5.5%-14.5%; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: This intervention, implemented during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, was associated with higher rates of ACP documentation, especially for African American and Hispanic patients. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04660422.

In vivo protein corona on nanoparticles: does the control of all material parameters orient the biological behavior?

Nanomaterials have a huge potential in research fields from nanomedicine to medical devices. However, surface modifications of nanoparticles (NPs) and thus of their physicochemical properties failed to predict their biological behavior. This requires investigating the "missing link" at the nano-bio interface. The protein corona (PC), the set of proteins binding to the NPs surface, plays a critical role in particle recognition by the innate immune system. Still, in vitro incubation offers a limited understanding of biological interactions and fails to explain the in vivo fate. To date, several reports explained the impact of PC in vitro but its applications in the clinical field have been very limited. Furthermore, PC is often considered as a biological barrier reducing the targeting efficiency of nano vehicles. But the protein binding can actually be controlled by altering PC both in vitro and in vivo. Analyzing PC in vivo could accordingly provide a deep understanding of its biological effect and speed up the transfer to clinical applications. This review demonstrates the need for clarifications on the effect of PC in vivo and the control of its behavior by changing its physicochemical properties. It unfolds the recent in vivo developments to understand mechanisms and challenges at the nano-bio interface. Finally, it reports recent advances in the in vivo PC to overcome and control the limitations of the in vitro PC by employing PC as a boosting resource to prolong the NPs half-life, to improve their formulations and thereby to increase its use for biomedical applications.

Taurine-Conjugated Mussel-Inspired Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with an Elongated Shape for Effective Delivery of Doxorubicin into the Tumor Cells.

Multifunctional iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles, among them nanorods, were prepared with a mussel-inspired polydopamine (pDA) surface coating agent for cancer therapeutics. Taurine, a free sulfur-containing ß amino acid, was grafted on the pDA at the iron oxide nanoparticle surface to enhance its biocompatibility and targeted delivery action. Doxorubicin (DOX), an anticancer drug, was loaded on the prepared nanovehicles with an entrapment efficiency of 70.1%. Drug release kinetics were then analyzed using UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies, suggesting the pH-responsive behavior of the developed nanovehicle. The developed system was then tested on PC-3 cell lines to check its cellular response. Confocal microscopy observations and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) and Annexin V-FITC assays used to evaluate cell toxicity and apoptosis reveal a dose-dependent nature of nanorods and can overcome the side effects of using free DOX with a targeted action.

Hemolysis tendency of anticancer nanoparticles changes with type of blood group antigen: An insight into blood nanoparticle interactions.

Different blood groups of ABO system have specific antigen which bestows them with different biochemical properties and hence they can show different hemolytic activity. In this report, hemolytic activity of thiol-functionalized Fe3O4-Au nanoparticles were studied in presence and absence of doxorubicin and the effect of various thiol coatings were correlated towards their hemolysis tendency. The nanoparticles were functionalized with four different amino thiols, cysteamine (CEA), cystamine (CA), cysteine (Cys) and cystine (Cyt) to form Fe3O4-Au CEA, Fe3O4-Au CA, Fe3O4-Au Cys and Fe3O4-Au Cyt nanoparticles which were loaded with anticancer drug, doxorubicin. The functionalization was characterized using ATR-FTIR, HR-TEM, XPS and other spectroscopic methods. Maximum drug encapsulation efficiency of 83% was observed with Fe3O4-Au CA nanoparticles. In-vitro experiments were performed on HeLa cells to check the cellular uptake and cytotoxicity using MTT assay. Hemolytic activity was then analyzed with all the blood groups (positive and negative). The amino acid functionalized, Fe3O4-Au Cys and Fe3O4-Au Cyt nanoparticles, shows lesser hemolysis compared to amino thiol functionalized Fe3O4-Au CEA, and Fe3O4-Au CA nanoparticles. In positive blood groups, the Fe3O4-Au CA nanoparticles shows the highest rate of hemolysis followed by Fe3O4-Au CEA, while the lowest hemolysis rate was observed for Fe3O4-Au Cyt nanoparticles. For negative blood groups, the thiol coated nanoparticles show more abrupt hemolysis rate depending upon the type of antigen.

Onset of summer monsoon in Northeast India is preceded by enhanced transpiration.

Variations in isotopic composition of water vapor in the atmosphere is an important indicator of the processes within the hydrological cycle. Isotopic signature of water vapor and precipitation can be helpful in partitioning evaporation and transpiration fluxes. It is well known that transpiration from forested regions supplies a significant amount of vapor to the atmosphere in monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Here, we utilize observations from Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES), Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder (AIRS) and simulation models to ascertain that transpiration is dominant in the forests of Northeast India (NE) during pre-monsoon season. Our results show an increase in δD of 78.0 ± 7.1‰ and in specific humidity of 3.1 ± 0.2 g kg-1 during the pre-monsoon months of April-May compared to January-February. In the monsoon months of July-August, δD reduces by 53.0 ± 6.5‰ albeit the specific humidity increases by 3.4 ± 0.2 g kg-1. Using joint observations of specific humidity and isotope ratio in lower troposphere, we discern the moisture sources over NE India in pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons and posit the role of transpiration in continental recycling during pre-monsoon season.

Gene expression is influenced due to 'nano' and 'ionic' copper in pre-formed Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Today, researchers across the globe suggest the use of antimicrobial coatings containing copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) complementing the traditional protocols to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Since Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the commonest opportunistic pathogens, we assessed the anti-biofilm activity of CuNPs in P. aeruginosa MTCC 3541 and compared it with Cu2+ (copper sulphate) since the latter continues to be used as an antimicrobial-of-choice in food industries, agriculture and water treatment. In this study, we synthesized and characterized stable poly-acrylic acid (PAA) coated CuNPs with a size of 66-150 nm and zeta potential -13 mV. Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 3541 biofilms were highly resistant to both CuNPs and Cu2+ (minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration, MBIC 300 and >600 µg/mL respectively). Scanning electron microscopy revealed alterations in cell morphology upon treatment with CuNPs. A closer analysis of the biofilm-specific gene expression (qRT-PCR) revealed that CuNPs downregulated the genes involved in biofilm matrix formation, motility, efflux, membrane lipoprotein synthesis and DNA replication. Both, CuNPs and Cu2+ up regulated copper resistance and biofilm dispersion genes. Copper did not affect the bacterial communication system as evidenced by downregulation of the negative regulator of quorum sensing. The gene expression analysis reveals multiple cellular targets for CuNPs and ionic Cu. The present study highlights the fact that CuNPs affect the membrane functions adversely damaging the cell surface. In pre-formed biofilms, CuNPs were more toxic and displayed distinct responses attributable due to 'nano' and 'ionic' copper. Our findings thus support the use of CuNPs for curbing HAIs.

Glutathione conjugated superparamagnetic Fe3O4-Au core shell nanoparticles for pH controlled release of DOX.

Glutathione (GSH) coated gold­iron oxide core shell nanoparticles (GS-Au-Fe3O4) were prepared by coating glutathione shell on nanoparticles to reduce the dose dependent behaviour of anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX). The resultant nanoparticles were characterized using XPS, FTIR, HR-TEM with STEM profile to analyze the GSH shell over the surface. The GS-Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were loaded with DOX and maximum drug entrapment capacity of 54% was observed in 48 h. In-vitro drug release were evaluated using UV-vis and Fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show that drug release is facilitated under acidic conditions as well as by extracellular glutathione spiking. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake was studied on HeLa cells where GS-Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles lead to significantly higher uptake of DOX as compared to free drug. The use of glutathione conjugation thus act as an efficient drug delivery vehicle which requires significantly low concentration of GS-Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles for DOX release besides triggering drug release by using redox active GSH.

Polydopamine Modified Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles as Multifunctional Nanocarrier for Targeted Prostate Cancer Treatment.

Polydopamine (pDA)-modified iron oxide core-shell nanoparticles (IONPs) are developed and designed as nanovectors of drugs. Reactive quinone of pDA enhances the binding efficiency of various biomolecules for targeted delivery. Glutathione disulfide (GSSG), an abundant thiol species in the cytoplasm, was immobilized on the pDA-IONP surface. It serves as a cellular trigger to release the drug from the nanoparticles providing an efficient platform for the drug delivery system. Additionally, GSSG on the surface was further modified to form S-nitrosoglutathione that can act as nitric oxide (NO) donors. These NPs were fully characterized using a transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV-vis spectroscopies. Doxorubicin (DOX) and docetaxel (DTX) are two anticancer drugs, which were loaded onto nanoparticles with respective loading efficiencies of 243 and 223 µmol/g of IONPs, calculated using TGA measurements. DOX release study, using UV-vis spectroscopy, showed a pH responsive behavior, making the elaborated nanocarrier a potential drug delivery system. (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl) -2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and apoptosis assays were performed on PC3 cell lines to evaluate the efficiency of the developed nanocarriers. These nanoparticles thus can prove their worth in cancer treatment on account of their easy access to the site and release of drug in response to changes to internal parameters such as pH, chemicals, etc.

Transcriptome analysis of silver nanoparticles treated Staphylococcus aureus reveals potential targets for biofilm inhibition.

The biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus on the implanted materials and chronic wounds are life-threatening and are a substantial financial burden on the healthcare system. Silver nanoparticles (SNP), known for their multi-level physiological effects in planktonic cells could be a promising agent in the treatment of biofilm-related infections also. To gain insight into the effects of SNP on various physiological processes in biofilms we studied the transcriptome of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213. To distinguish between 'nanoparticles-specific' and 'ion-specific' effect of silver, we performed a comparative analysis of the functional genes in response to Ag+. As compared to untreated biofilms, 21% (i.e. 629 genes) and 28.5% (i. e. 830 genes) of the total functional coding genes were differentially regulated upon exposure to SNP and Ag+. Genes encoding capsular polysaccharides, intercellular adhesion, virulence were downregulated in SNP and Ag+ treated biofilms. Genes involved in carbohydrate, protein metabolism including DNA and RNA synthesis, oxidative stress etc. were differentially expressed. Further, activation of efflux pumps and multidrug export proteins was observed, which clearly indicates the presence of metal stress resistance determinants in S. aureus. Silver blocked the integration of mobile genetic elements in S. aureus genome. Our study points out quorum sensing and virulence determinants as possible targets for inhibition of biofilms possibly with/without existing antibiotics. However, further studies on these aspects are warranted. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy revealed changes in biofilm morphology, architecture and thickness in presence of silver nanoparticles and ionic silver, substantiating the transcriptome data.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals a new mechanism based on competitive binding between Tris and protein on a conductive biomimetic polydopamine surface.

A novel mechanism was developed to study the interaction of mussel inspired polydopamine surfaces with bovine serum albumin using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy supplemented with XPS, IR spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The polydopamine surfaces reveal different mechanisms that give a new insight into understanding the interaction with BSA under the variable conditions used for PDA preparation and BSA adsorption. The study provides an in-depth analysis of the orientations and interactions of BSA with polydopamine surfaces. The protein interaction behavior changed significantly in different environments including different pH values and concentrations of buffer and it revealed a competitive binding mechanism of protein binding. The study provides an outlook for studying the interaction of protein foulants with PDA, which should be carried out in nucleophilic buffers, while the covalent binding or immobilization of biomolecules to PDA surfaces should be carried out in non-nucleophilic buffer for higher efficiency.

The tobacco carcinogen NNK drives accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter thereby reducing GR expression in untransformed lung fibroblasts.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive, predominantly cigarette smoke-induced tumour with poor prognosis. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a SCLC tumour suppressor gene, is typically reduced in SCLC. We now show that SCLC cells express high levels of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) which accumulates at the GR promoter. DNMT1 expression is further increased by exposure to the tobacco carcinogen NNK. In the untransformed human lung fibroblast cell line, MRC-5, short term NNK treatment decreases GRα mRNA and protein expression due to accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter. Long term NNK treatment results in persistently augmented DNMT1 levels with lowered GR levels. Long term exposure to NNK slows cell proliferation and induces DNA damage, while the GR antagonist RU486 stimulates proliferation and protects against DNA damage. Although both NNK and RU486 treatment increases methylation at the GR promoter, neither are sufficient to prevent senescence in this context. NNK exposure results in accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter in untransformed lung cells mimicking SCLC cells, directly linking tobacco smoke exposure to silencing of the GR, an important step in SCLC carcinogenesis.

Polydopamine films change their physicochemical and antimicrobial properties with a change in reaction conditions.

The morphology and physicochemical properties of polydopamine are not totally inherent and undergo changes with differing reaction conditions like the choice of solvent used for polymerization. The polymerisation of dopamine to polydopamine carried out in different solvents like sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, PBS and Tris leads to polydopamine with exceptionally different morphological and physicochemical features with each solvent. Additionally, the different physicochemical characteristics and morphologies bestow the polymer films with different extents of antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the findings supported by chemical evidence from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that higher antibacterial activities were obtained against E. coli and S. aureus with polydopamine films prepared by Tris and NaOH solvent induced polymerization. The antibacterial activity observed in saline was found to be higher than that in PBS medium for both E. coli and S. aureus. The higher antibacterial activity of polydopamine films prepared in Tris and NaOH solvents was attributed to the covalent incorporation of -OH groups on the surface provided by nucleophilic Tris and NaOH solvents during the polymerisation process. The distinct physicochemical and morphological changes were supported by the results from contact angle measurements, FE-SEM, EDAX, AFM, and XPS analysis. The present finding provides insight into the different chemistry, morphologies and properties of the designed polydopamine films with controlled antibacterial/antifouling properties. Additionally, new insights into the mechanism of formation, physicochemical changes in morphology and properties of polydopamine coatings were revealed.

Human nitric oxide biomarker as potential NO donor in conjunction with superparamagnetic iron oxide @ gold core shell nanoparticles for cancer therapeutics.

Nitric oxide releasing superparamagnetic (Fe3O4-Au@NTHP) nanoparticles were synthesized by conjugation of human biomarker of nitric oxide, N-nitrosothioproline with iron oxide-gold (Fe3O4-Au) core shell nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of the prepared nanoparticles were confirmed by ATR-FTIR, HR-TEM, EDAX, XPS, DLS and VSM measurements. N-nitrosothioproline is a natural molecule and nontoxic to humans. Thus, the core shell nanoparticles prepared were highly biocompatible. The prepared Fe3O4-Au@NTHP nanoparticles also provided an excellent release of nitric oxide in dark and upon light irradiation for cancer treatment. The amount of NO release was controllable with the wavelength of light and time of irradiation. The developed nanoparticles provided efficient cellular uptake and good cytotoxicity in picomolar range when tested on HeLa cancerous cells. These nanoparticles on account of their controllable NO release can also be used to release small amount of NO for killing cancerous cells without any toxic effect. Furthermore, the magnetic and photochemical properties of these nanoparticles provides dual platform for magneto therapy and phototherapy for cancer treatment.

Nanoscale silver depositions inhibit microbial colonization and improve biocompatibility of titanium abutments.

Although titanium dental implants are biocompatible, exhibit excellent corrosion resistance and high mechanical resistance, the material fails in providing resistance to infection because it exhibits poor antimicrobial activity. To address these issues, we deposited silver onto titanium abutments (Grade 5 titanium discs) using direct current (DC) sputtering and assessed the antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility of the modified implant material. Atomic absorption spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to investigate the concentration and elemental composition of the deposited silver. As expected, silver deposited using DC plasma was uniform and good control over the deposition could be achieved by varying the sputtering time. Moderate biocompatible responses (up to 69% viability) were observed in primary human gingival fibroblast cells incubated in the presence of Ti sputtered with Ag for 5min. Silver deposited titanium (Ti-Ag) showed excellent antibacterial effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus mutans at a very low concentration (Ag content 1.2 and 2.1µg/mm2). However, higher concentration of silver (6µg/mm2) was required to achieve a reduction in cell viability of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The silver sputtered Ti abutments could maintain a long-term antibacterial activity as evidenced by the release of silver up to 22days in simulated body fluid. Our study illustrates that silver deposited titanium is indeed a promising candidate for soft tissue integration on dental abutments and prevents initial microbial adhesion.

Use of Auricular Cartilage for Closure of Oroantral Fistula: A Prospective Clinical Study.

INTRODUCTION: The term oro-antral fistula is understood to mean of fistular canal covered with epithelia which may or may not be filled with granulation tissue or polyposis of the sinus mucous membrane. With the presence of a fistula the sinus is permanently open, which enables the passage of microbial flora of the oral cavity into the maxillary sinus and the occurrence of inflammation with all possible consequences. Every now and then various researchers have proposed innumerable techniques to treat this defect. Starting from simple tissue flaps to autogenous grafts to alloplastic materials, an array of procedures have been evaluated in literature but the most promising technique still needs to be evaluated. Consequently, after reviewing an array of such procedures, our present study focussed on a new technique for the closer of oro-antral fistulas using autogenous auricular cartilage graft supported by buccal advancement flap. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 20 patients of oro-antral fistula were included in the study and after excising the fistular tract a double layer closure was done by placing auricular cartilage over the defect followed by buccal mucoperiosteal flap. The graft was harvested using posterior auricular approach. Assessment of patients was done at the end of 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months. CONCLUSION: We found that the autogenous auricular cartilage graft is an effective sealing material in oro-antral fistula closure. We recommend this technique for the defect size ≤10 mm2 in which future dental implant placement is sought as it allows easy sinus lifting procedure.

Nasopalatine duct cyst mimicking an endodontic periapical lesion: a case report.

Lesions of nonendodontic origin, such as nasopalatine or globulomaxillary cysts, may mimic periapical radiolucencies associated with pulpal pathosis, and incorrect diagnosis may lead to unnecessary endodontic treatment. Horizontal root fractures most commonly affect the maxillary central and lateral incisors. Prognosis depends largely on the level of fracture; fractures in the apical third have the best prognosis, and those in the cervical third have the worst. This case report discusses surgical and restorative management of a patient who had a nasopalatine cyst that had been misdiagnosed and treated as an endodontic lesion of the maxillary right central incisor as well as a midroot horizontal fracture of the adjacent lateral incisor.

Covalently Immobilized Laccase for Decolourization of Glucose-Glycine Maillard Products as Colourant of Distillery Wastewater.

Maillard reaction products like melanoidins are recalcitrant, high-molecular-weight compounds responsible for colour in sugarcane molasses distillery wastewater. Conventional biological treatment is unable to break down melanoidins, but extracellular laccase and manganese peroxidase of microbial origin can degrade these complex molecules. In this work, laccase was covalently immobilized on alumina pellets activated with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The immobilization yield was 50-60 %, and the enzyme activity (886 U/L) was 5-fold higher compared to the soluble enzyme (176 U/L). The immobilized enzyme also showed higher tolerance to pH (4-6) and temperature (35-60 °C), as well as improved storage stability (49 days) and operational stability (10 cycles). Degradation of glucose-glycine Maillard products using immobilized laccase led to 47 % decolourization in 6 h at pH 4.5 and 28 °C. A comprehensive treatment scheme integrating enzymatic, microbial and membrane filtration steps resulted in 90 % decolourization.