Effect of Glycemic Control on Self‐Perceived Oral Health,Periodontal Parameters,and Alveolar Bone Loss Among Patients With Prediabetes

Background: The effect of glycemic control on severity of periodontal inflammatory parameters in patients with prediabetes is unknown. The aim of the present study is to assess the effects of glycemic control on self‐perceived oral health, periodontal parameters, and marginal bone loss (MBL) in patients with prediabetes. Methods: A total of 303 individuals were included. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose levels (FBGLs) were recorded. Participants were divided into three groups: 1) group A: 75 patients with prediabetes (FBGLs = 100 to 125 mg/dL [HbA1c ≥5%]); 2) group B: 78 individuals previously considered prediabetic but having FBGLs <100 mg/dL (HbA1c <5%) resulting from dietary control; and 3) control group: 150 medically healthy individuals. Self‐perceived oral health, socioeconomic status, and education status were determined using a questionnaire. Plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (AL) were recorded. Premolar and molar MBLs were measured on panoramic radiographs. Results: Periodontal parameters (PI, BOP, PD, and AL) (P <0.01) and MBL (P <0.01) were worse among individuals in group A than those in group B. Self‐perceived gingival bleeding (P <0.001), pain on chewing (P <0.001), dry mouth (P <0.001), and oral burning sensations (P <0.05) were worse among patients in group A than those in group B. There was no difference in periodontal parameters, MBL, and self‐perceived oral symptoms among patients with prediabetes in group B and healthy controls. Conclusions: Self‐perceived oral health, severity of periodontal parameters, and MBL are worse in patients with prediabetes than controls. Glycemic control significantly reduces the severity of these parameters as well as the state of prediabetes in affected individuals.     

Simulation of Depth of Wear of Eco-Friendly Concrete Using Machine Learning Based Computational Approaches

To avoid time-consuming, costly, and laborious experimental tests that require skilled personnel, an effort has been made to formulate the depth of wear of fly-ash concrete using a comparative study of machine learning techniques, namely random forest regression (RFR) and gene expression programming (GEP). A widespread database comprising 216 experimental records was constructed from available research. The database includes depth of wear as a response parameter and nine different explanatory variables, i.e., cement content, fly ash, water content, fine and coarse aggregate, plasticizer, air-entraining agent, age of concrete, and time of testing. The performance of the models was judged via statistical metrics. The GEP model gives better performance with R² and ρ equals 0.9667 and 0.0501 respectively and meet with the external validation criterion suggested in the previous literature. The k-fold cross-validation also verifies the accurateness of the model by evaluating R², RSE, MAE, and RMSE. The sensitivity analysis of GEP equation indicated that the time of testing is the influential parameter. The results of this research can help the designers, practitioners, and researchers to quickly estimate the depth of wear of fly-ash concrete thus shortening its ecological susceptibilities that push to sustainable and faster construction from the viewpoint of environmentally friendly waste management.     

Removal of toluene as a toxic VOC from methane gas using a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Methane is the main component of biogas, which could be used as a renewable energy source for electricity, source of heat, and biofuel production after upgrading from biogas. It also contains toxic compounds which cause environmental and human health problems. Therefore, in this work, the removal of a toxic compound (toluene) from methane gas was studied using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. It was observed that the removal of the toxic compound could be achieved from methane carrier gas using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor, and it depends on plasma input power. The maximum removal of the toxic compound was 85.9% at 40 W and 2.86 s. The major gaseous products were H₂ and lower hydrocarbons (LHC) and the yield of these products also increases with input power. In the current study, the yield of gaseous products depends on the decomposition of toxic compounds and methane, because the decomposition of methane also produces H₂ and lower hydrocarbons. The percentage yield of H₂ increases from 0.43–4.74%. Similarly, the yield of LHC increases from 0.56–7.54% under the same reaction conditions. Hence, input power promoted the decomposition of the toxic compound and enhanced the yield of gaseous products.

The removal of toluene as a toxic volatile organic compound from methane gas, which is the major component of biogas, is carried out using a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge reactor.     

Review of policies,data, and interventions to improve maternal nutrition in Afghanistan

Malnutrition contributes to direct and indirect causes of maternal mortality, which is particularly high in Afghanistan. Women's nutritional status before, during, and after pregnancy affects their own well‐being and mortality risk and their children's health outcomes. Though maternal nutrition interventions have documented positive impact on select child health outcomes, there are limited data regarding the effects of maternal nutrition interventions on maternal health outcomes globally. This scoping review maps policies, data, and interventions aiming to address poor maternal nutrition outcomes in Afghanistan. We used broad search categories and approaches including database and website searches, hand searches of reference lists from relevant articles, policy and programme document requests, and key informant interviews. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed by type of source document, such as studies with measures related to maternal nutrition, relevant policies and strategies, and programmatic research or evaluation by a third party with explicit interventions targeting maternal nutrition. We abstracted documents systematically, summarized content, and synthesized data. We included 20 policies and strategies, 29 data reports, and nine intervention evaluations. The availability of maternal nutrition intervention data and the inclusion of nutrition indicators, such as minimum dietary diversity, have increased substantially since 2013, yet few nutrition evaluations and population surveys include maternal outcomes as primary or even secondary outcomes. There is little evidence on the effectiveness of interventions that target maternal nutrition in Afghanistan. Policies and strategies more recently have shifted towards multisectoral efforts and specifically target nutrition needs of adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. This scoping review presents evidence from more than 10 years of efforts to improve the maternal nutrition status of Afghan women. We recommend a combination of investments in measuring maternal nutrition indicators and improving maternal nutrition knowledge and behaviours.     

Eco-Friendly Incorporation of Crumb Rubber and Waste Bagasse Ash in Bituminous Concrete Mix

The consumption of waste materials in the construction sector is a sustainable approach that helps in reducing the environmental pollution and decreases the construction cost. The present research work emphasizes the mechanical properties of bituminous concrete mix prepared with crumb rubber (CR) and waste sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA). For the preparation of bituminous concrete mix specimens with CR and SCBA, the effective bitumen content was determined using the Marshall Mix design method. A total of 15 bituminous concrete mix specimens with 4%, 4.5%, 5%, 5.5% and 6% of bitumen content were prepared, and the effective bitumen content turned out to be 4.7%. The effect of five different CR samples of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by weight of total mix and SCBA samples of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight of filler were investigated on the performance of bituminous concrete. A total of 180 samples with different percentages of CR and SCBA were tested for indirect tensile strength (ITS) and Marshall Stability, and the results were compared with conventional bituminous concrete mix. It was observed that the stability values rose with an increase in CR percentage up to 6%, while the flow values rose as the percentage of SCBA increased in the mix. Maximum ITS results were observed at 4% CR and 25% SCBA replacement levels. However, a decrease in stability and ITS result was observed as the percentages of CR and SCBA increased beyond 4% and 25%, respectively. We concluded that the optimum CR and SCBA content of 4% and 25%, respectively, can be effectively used as a sustainable alternative in bituminous concrete mix.     

Effect of cigarette smoking on the clinical outcomes of periodontal surgical procedures

IntroductionExperimental studies have revealed that nicotine upregulates the expression of receptors of advanced glycation end products and retards fibroblastic cell migration in the gingiva of smokers compared with nonsmokers, thereby inducing a proinflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to review the effect of cigarette smoking on the clinical outcomes of periodontal surgical procedures.MethodsTo address the focused question, “What is the effect of cigarette smoking on clinical outcomes after periodontal surgical interventions?”, databases were searched from 1968 to May 2010 using various combinations of the following key words: inflammation, mucoperiosteal flap, periodontal surgery, smoking and tobacco. The inclusion criteria included all levels of available evidence. Articles published only in the English language were evaluated, and unpublished data were not sought.ResultsTwenty-four clinical studies were included. The duration of smoking habit ranged from at least 5 years to 27.8 years. Sixteen studies showed that reductions in probing depth and gains in clinical attachment levels were compromised in smokers in comparison with nonsmokers. Three studies showed residual recession after periodontal surgical interventions to be significantly higher in smokers compared with nonsmokers. Three case reports showed periodontal healing to be uneventful in smokers.ConclusionCigarette smoking has a negative effect on periodontal wound healing after surgical interventions.     

In‐hospital worsening heart failure

Acute worsening heart failure (WHF) is seen in a sizable portion of patients hospitalized for heart failure, and is increasingly being recognized as an entity that is associated with an adverse in‐hospital course. WHF is generally defined as worsening heart failure symptoms and signs requiring an intensification of therapy, and is reported to be seen in anywhere from 5% to 42% of heart failure admissions. It is difficult to ascertain the exact epidemiology of WHF due to varying definitions used in the literature. Studies indicate that WHF cannot be precisely predicted on the basis of baseline variables assessed at the time of admission. Recent data suggest that some experimental therapies may reduce the risk of development of WHF among hospitalized heart failure patients, and this is associated with a reduction in risk of subsequent post‐discharge cardiovascular mortality. In this respect, WHF holds promise as a endpoint for acute heart failure clinical trials to better elucidate the benefit of targeted novel therapies. Better understanding of the pathophysiology and a consensus on the definition of WHF will further improve our epidemiological and clinical understanding of this entity.