Avoiding occlusal derangement in facial fractures: An evidence based approach

Facial fractures with occlusal derangement describe any fracture which directly or indirectly affects the occlusal relationship. Such fractures include dento-alveolar fractures in the maxilla and mandible, midface fractures – Le fort I, II, III and mandible fractures of the symphysis, parasymphysis, body, angle, and condyle. In some of these fractures, the fracture line runs through the dento-alveolar component whereas in others the fracture line is remote from the occlusal plane nevertheless altering the occlusion. The complications that could ensue from the management of maxillofacial fractures are predominantly iatrogenic, and therefore can be avoided if adequate care is exercised by the operating surgeon. This paper does not emphasize on complications arising from any particular technique in the management of maxillofacial fractures but rather discusses complications in general, irrespective of the technique used.KEY WORDS: Complication, fracture, malocclusion, mandible, midface fracture     

Primary sleep disorders seen at a Neurology service-based sleep clinic in India: Patterns over an 8-year period

There is an increasing awareness for recognition of sleep disorders in India; however, there is still a huge gap in the number of people suffering from various sleep disorders, in the community versus those visiting hospital clinics for the same. Ours is a neurology services-based sleep disorders clinic, which has evolved successfully over the last decade. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the changes in referral patterns and distribution of various sleep disorders in the patients presenting to the clinic.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective chart review-based study on all patients seen over an 8-year period, divided into 2 groups comprising of patients seen during the first 4 years versus those seen over the next 4 years. Only those patients who had the sleep disorder as their presenting manifestation and those who had been formally interviewed with a pre-structured questionnaire detailing about the main features of the common sleep disorders according to the ICSD-R were included. Patients, in whom the sleep disorder could be clearly attributable to another neurological or systemic disorder, were excluded. Statistical analysis was carried out to identify the differences between the two groups as regards the distribution of various sleep disorders and other clinical data.

Results:

Among 710 patients registered in the clinic, 469 were included for analysis and 222 patients formed group 1 while 247 formed group 2. The main differences observed were in the form of a clear increase in the percentage of patients with sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorder, and the hypersomnias on comparison of distribution over the first 4 years versus the last 4 years; while a clear decline was seen in the number of patients with insomnia and parasomnias. A 3-fold increase was observed in the number of patients in whom polysomnography was obtained.

Conclusion:

The distribution of various sleep disorders as seen in a neurology service-based sleep clinic is demonstrated in this study. Increasing referrals for sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, and fewer referrals for insomnia and parasomnias might reflect on changing physician and patient awareness in our community.     

Probiotics in oral health--a review

Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the host organism and, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics. Probiotics strengthen the immune system to combat allergies, stress, exposure to toxic substances and other diseases. There are reports of beneficial use in HIV infections and cancers.These products help in stimulating oral health promoting flora, and suppress the pathologic colonization and disease spread. Probiotics can be bacteria, molds and yeast, but most probiotics are bacteria. In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in the use of probiotics in maintaining good oral health and treating oral infections. Their use in premalignant and malignant oral disorders is yet to be probed.     

Copper mediated one-pot synthesis of quinazolinones and exploration of piperazine linked quinazoline derivatives as anti-mycobacterial agents

A facile method was developed for the synthesis of quinazolinone derivatives in a one-pot condensation reaction via in situ amine generation using ammonia as the amine source and with the formation of four new C–N bonds in good to excellent yields. With the optimised method, we synthesized a library of piperazine linked quinazoline derivatives and the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The compounds 8b, 8e, 8f, 8m, 8n and 8v showed potent anti-mycobacterial activity with MIC values of 2–16 μg mL⁻¹. All the synthesized compounds follow Lipinski''s rules for drug likeness.

A facile method was developed for the synthesis of quinazolinone derivatives in a one-pot condensation reaction via in situ amine generation using ammonia as the amine source and with the formation of four new C–N bonds in good to excellent yields.     

Melioidosis: a review of orthopedic manifestations, clinical features, diagnosis and management

Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by gram-negative soil-dwelling bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei. Musculoskeletal melioidosis mimics other infections both clinically and radiologically. An extensive literature review has been performed over musculoskeletal melioidosis through various search engines such as Pubmed, Embase, Medscape, Altavista and Google. Diagnosis requires a high index of clinical suspicion and is dependent on microbiological confirmation. Prompt treatment with long-term combination antibiotics in high dosages and surgical drainage of abscesses improves survival.     

Barbed Versus Traditional Sutures: Closure Time,Cost, and Wound Related Outcomes in Total Joint Arthroplasty

The purpose of this study was to compare barbed sutures to traditional sutures in three domains: time, cost, and wound related outcomes in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). A total of 34 patients were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial to assess time to wound closure and cost. In addition, a retrospective chart review of an additional 100 patients was conducted to further assess wound-related outcomes. On average, barbed sutures decreased time to wound closure by 9.72 min (P < 0.05) after controlling for length of incision, patient's BMI and number of physicians closing. Further, using barbed sutures saved an average of $549.59 per case. However, increased frequency and severity of wound complications were associated with barbed sutures.     

Potential and Prospects of Shikonin Production Enhancement in Medicinal Plants

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Plants are a rich source of valuable chemicals that are used as herbal and modern medicines. Shikonin, a...     

In Vitro and In Vivo Study of Argyreia speciosa on Chronic Gastric Ulceration and Metabolic Studies

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Chronic gastric ulcer being the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder is considered a major cause of...