A simple technical innovation to prevent needle stick injuries among dental professionals

OBJECTIVE

Dental healthcare personnel face the potential danger of being exposed to infectious patients while administering local anesthesia injections during dental operations. This could lead to unintentional transfer of infectious diseases from patients to physicians. Although safety measures such as the One-hand-scoop technique and the use of safety syringes, plastic needle cap holders, and needles with safety caps are in place, there have been instances of needle stick injuries reported in clinics. This might be due to the lack of adherence to conventional safety measures or the impracticality of safety techniques and safety syringes. This article aims to demonstrate the utilization of dental tweezers, specifically London College tweezers or dental forceps, for the secure recapping of needles, eliminating the requirement for extra equipment or devices.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

After obtaining ethical approval (Approval No.: 024-01-2024) from the College of Dentistry, Dar Al Uloom University, 67 dental professionals, with consent for participation in the study, were included. They were requested to use dental tweezers/London College tweezers and dental extraction forceps such as maxillary anterior, mandibular anterior, and maxillary bayonet root forceps individually to recap the local anesthetic needles. The efficacy of these techniques was evaluated against the one-hand scoop technique for its ease, convenience, and reliability in preventing needle stick injuries.

RESULTS

The evaluation of dental professionals regarding the ease of using dental tweezers to recap needles, compared to the one-hand scoop technique (p=0.592), maxillary bayonet root forceps (p=0.746), mandibular anterior forceps (p=0.380), and maxillary anterior forceps (p=0.808), did not yield statistically significant results. The assessment of the procedural simplicity of the one-hand scoop technique showed a satisfaction rate of over 40%, whereas the application of dental tweezers resulted in a satisfaction rate of 30%. However, the use of dental tweezers for needle recapping resulted in a satisfaction rate of over 50%, compared to a satisfaction rate of 30% for the one-handed scoop technique.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no statistically significant difference in the assessment of the efficacy of dental tweezers and the one-hand scoop technique, bayonet root forceps, mandibular anterior forceps, maxillary anterior forceps, and dental tweezers for the needle capping technique. Therefore, dental forceps can be used instead of the one-handed scoop approach. The needle recapping procedure outlined in our study, aimed at preventing needle stick injuries, is simple to implement, and all dental specialties have convenient access to the required instruments.

Perspectives and challenges in lip rejuvenation: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

There is an abundance of information on facelifts, blepharoplasties, rhinoplasty, and other cosmetic surgical procedures for the upper third of the face, but little is known about perioral lip rejuvenation. The aim of this article is to examine the existing literature on lip rejuvenation and perioral procedures related to lip rejuvenation. Additionally, this article aims to highlight the importance of addressing perioral areas alongside lip rejuvenation procedures, rather than solely focusing on lip rejuvenation. We also discussed the extensive procedures and materials used for lip rejuvenation, such as hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin A, abobotulinum, onabotulinum, incobotulinum, prabobotulinum, fat grafts, silicone fillers, human collagen, collagen stimulating procedures such as derma pens and derma rolls, radiation frequency, stem cells, and plasma therapy, as well as the underlying factors that contribute to varying success rates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A thorough literature search was done using PubMed, Cochrane, Ebsco search, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science for the articles pertaining to facial and lip cosmetic surgeries 1995-2020. Keywords for the search included anatomy of the face, facial aging, perioral areas, lip rejuvenation, botox, grafts, facelift, plastic surgery, stem cell therapy, plasma treatment, and cosmetic surgery.

RESULTS

37 articles met the study criteria. 14 out of 37 studies included procedures for lip and perioral region rejuvenation. The remaining 23 studies either involved lip procedures alone or lip procedures in conjunction with facial cosmetic procedures. Lip rejuvenation with perioral enhancement with hyaluronic acid gel demonstrated a 94.3% improvement on the lip fullness scale (LFS) one month after re-treatment. The amalgamation of lip and perioral region rejuvenation produces a synergistic effect. Whereas, sole lip rejuvenation procedures showed short-term results with less patient satisfaction, calling for secondary lip rejuvenation procedures. It was also observed that hyaluronic acid was the most commonly used agent for lip rejuvenation procedures with minimal or no side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

In conjunction with perioral rejuvenation, lip rejuvenation procedures produce more aesthetically appealing results. However, any cosmetic surgical or non-surgical procedure is limited by the nature and composition of the products used. The use of FDA-approved products for rejuvenation is strongly advised to avoid undesirable side effects. Further extensive research is required on the long-term outcomes and adverse effects of stem cell transplants, such as tumor development.

Synthesis, in silico analysis and antidepressant activity of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives

The compounds 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (1-8) were synthesized by the cyclization of 4-hydroxy benzhydrazide (1) with various substituted aroma-tic aldehydes (2) using FeCl3 as catalyst and methanol as a solvent medium. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were assigned based on FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and mass spectral data. In vivo antidepressant activity was performed by tail suspension test and forced swimming test models. Using the Schrodinger Maestro, the in silico analysis was performed and docked to the glycogen synthase kinase 3β binding site (PDB: 3GB2). Compounds 8 [4,4'-(1,3,4-oxadiazole-2,5-diyl)diphenol] and 3 [3-(5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl) phenol] showed both potent inhibitory activity against GSK-3β with a docking score of -7.800 kcal/mol as well as good antidepressant activity in both tail suspension and forced swimming tests models. The synthesized derivatives showed good antidepressive potential.

3D energy frameworks of dimethylbenzophenone tetramorphs

The tetramorph^th crystals of 4,4-dimethylbenzophenone (D) were obtained using slow-evaporation crystallization method and the structure is elucidated using single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. D crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Pbca) with cell parameters a = 14.6986 (11) Å, b = 6.1323 (4) Å, c = 26.2730 (18) Å, V = 2368.2 (3) ų and Z = 8. In the crystal structure, intermolecular interaction of the type C---H^...π stabilizes the crystal packing. This polymorph is the fourth candidate of its kind and second candidate in the orthorhombic crystal system. The structural comparisons and crystal packing of tetramorphs (A, B, C and D) are analyzed using molecular structures, Hirshfeld surfaces, enrichment ratios (E) and energy frameworks. The conformational differences are observed in all the tetramorphs and the intercontacts H ⋯ H and C ⋯ H contributes around 85 % to the Hirshfeld surfaces. The E ratio provides evidence of H ⋯ H, C ⋯ H and O ⋯ H intercontacts having high propensity to form contacts in the crystal packing. The average energy (dimer formation) for each polymorph is calculated from energy framework analysis. The systematic comparison of crystal packing in tetramorphs through 3D-topology is visualized. In the energy-frameworks of the crystal packing, dispersion energy dominates over the electrostatic energy. Overall, the molecular packings of the four polymorphic structures are different.

Microalgae biomass from swine wastewater and its conversion to bioenergy

Ever-increasing swine wastewater (SW) has become a serious environmental concern. High levels of nutrients and toxic contaminants in SW significantly impact on the ecosystem and public health. On the other hand, swine wastewater is considered as valuable water and nutrient source for microalgae cultivation. The potential for converting the nutrients from SW into valuable biomass and then generating bioenergy from it has drawn increasing attention. For this reason, this review comprehensively discussed the biomass production, SW treatment efficiencies, and bioenergy generation potentials through cultivating microalgae in SW. Microalgae species grow well in SW with large amounts of biomass being produced, despite the impact of various parameters (e.g., nutrients and toxicants levels, cultivation conditions, and bacteria in SW). Pollutants in SW can effectively be removed by harvesting microalgae from SW, and the harvested microalgae biomass elicits high potential for conversion to valuable bioenergy.

Synthesis, structural, biological andin silicostudies of new 5-arylidene-4-thiazolidinone derivatives as possible anticancer, antimicrobial and antitubercular agents

Thiazolidinone–sulfonamide hybrids emerged as promising anticancer and antitubercular agents, and their anticancer activity was confirmed by docking studies.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of N,N'-bis-(2-nitro-phen-yl)glutaramide

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C17H16N4O6, contains two independent mol-ecules (A and B). The two benzene rings are twisted by an angle of 79.14 (7)° in mol-ecule A, whereas, in mol-ecule B, they are inclined by 19.02 (14)°. The conformations of the mol-ecules are stabilized by intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the amide nitro-gen atom and the O atom of the ortho-nitro substituent on the phenyl ring, enclosing an S(6) ring motif. In the amide and aliphatic segments, all the N-H, C=O and C-H bonds are anti to each other. In the crystal, the A and B mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular amide-to-amide N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, resulting in chains running along the b-axis direction. The inter-molecular inter-actions were analysed using Hirshfeld surface analysis. The two-dimensional fingerprint plots of the inter-molecular contacts indicate that the major contributions are from H⋯H and O⋯H inter-actions.

Crystal structure of SAM-dependent methyltransferase from Pyrococcus horikoshii

Methyltransferases (MTs) are enzymes involved in methylation that are needed to perform cellular processes such as biosynthesis, metabolism, gene expression, protein trafficking and signal transduction. The cofactor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is used for catalysis by SAM-dependent methyltransferases (SAM-MTs). The crystal structure of Pyrococcus horikoshii SAM-MT was determined to a resolution of 2.1 Å using X-ray diffraction. The monomeric structure consists of a Rossmann-like fold (domain I) and a substrate-binding domain (domain II). The cofactor (SAM) molecule binds at the interface between adjacent subunits, presumably near to the active site(s) of the enzyme. The observed dimeric state might be important for the catalytic function of the enzyme.

Synthesis, anticancer, structural, and computational docking studies of 3-benzylchroman-4-one derivatives

A series of 3-Benzylchroman-4-ones were synthesized and screened for anticancer activity by MTT assay. The compounds were evaluated against two cancerous cell lines BT549 (human breast carcinoma), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), and one noncancerous cell line vero (normal kidney epithelial cells). 3b was found to be the most active molecule against BT549 cells (IC₅₀ = 20.1 µM) and 3h against HeLa cells (IC₅₀ = 20.45 µM). 3b also exhibited moderate activity against HeLa cells (IC₅₀ = 42.8 µM). The molecular structures of 3h and 3i were solved by single crystal X-ray crystallographic technique. Additionally, the molecular docking studies between the tumour suppressor protein p53 with the lead compound 3h, which exhibited better anticancer activity against HeLa cells was examined.

Crystal structures of N,N-dimethyl-(2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-yn-yloxy)acet-oxy)ethyl-amine and N,N-dimethyl-(2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-yn-yl--oxy)acet-oxy)ethyl-ammonium 2,4,6-tri-nitro-phenolate

The N,N-di-methyl-ethylamminium unit in N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-ynyloxyacet-oxy]ethyl-amine, C21H23NO3 (I), is disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.880 (3) and 0. 120 (3), but there are no direction-specific inter-actions between the mol-ecules of (I). The cation in N,N-dimethyl-[2-(2,2-diphen-yl)-2-prop-2-ynyloxyacet-oxy]ethyl-ammonium 2,4,6-tri-nitro-phenolate (picrate), C21H24NO3+·C6H2N3O7- (II), shows a similar type of disorder, with occupancies of 0.654 (11) and 0.346 (11), although the overall conformation of the cation in (II) is different from that in the neutral (I). The component ions are are linked by an almost planar three-centre N-H⋯(O)2 hydrogen bond, and the ion pairs are further linked by a combination of three C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form sheets. Comparisons are made with some related structures.

Crystal structure of ebastinium 3,5-di-nitro-benzoate

Ebastine, 4-(benzhydr-yloxy)-1-[4-(4-tert-butyl-phen-yl)-4-oxobut-yl]piperidine, reacts with 3,5-di-nitro-benzoic acid in methanol solution to give the title 1:1 salt, ebastinium 3,5-di-nitro-benzoate, C32H40NO2+·C7H3N2O6-. In the cation, the disubstituted aryl ring exhibits orientational disorder over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies 0.706 (4) and 0.294 (6), with a dihedral angle of 41.2 (5)° between the two orientations: the bulky Ph2CH-O- substituent occupies an axial site on the piperidine ring. The two ions in the selected asymmetric unit are linked by a nearly linear N-H⋯O hydrogen bond and this, in combination with two C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, links the ions into complex sheets.

Effect of nucleants in photothermally assisted crystallization

Laser-induced crystallization is emerging as a promising technique to crystallize biomolecules like amino acids and proteins. The use of external materials as nucleants and novel seeding methods open new paths for protein crystallization. We report here the results of experiments that explore the effect of nucleants on laser-based crystallization of microlitre droplets of small molecules, amino acids, and proteins. The role of parameters like solute concentration, droplet volume, type and size of the nucleant, and laser power, are systematically investigated. In addition to crystallization of standard molecules like NaCl, KCl, and glycine, we demonstrate the crystallization of negatively (l-histidine), and positively (l-aspartic acid) charged amino acids and lysozyme protein. Single crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies unequivocally indicate that the nucleants do not alter the molecular structure of glycine, hydrogen bonding patterns, and packing. Localized vaporization of the solvent near the nucleant due to photothermal heating has enabled us to achieve rapid crystallization - within 3 s - at laser intensities of 0.1 MW cm^-2, significantly lower than those reported earlier, with both saturated and unsaturated solutions. The outcome of the current experiments may be of utility in tackling various crystallization problems during the formation of crystals large enough to perform X-ray crystallography.

4-Chloro-2-nitro-1-(2-phenylethyl)benzene

In the title compound, C14H12ClNO2, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 6.09 (17)° and the Car—C—C—Cartorsion angle is −179.4 (3)°. The nitro group is close to coplanar with its attached ring [dihedral angle = 7.9 (2)°] and the Cl atom is disordered over two adjacent sites in a 0.54 (4):0.46 (4) ratio. In the crystal, C—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules intoC(6) [001] chains.

Design, synthesis and pharmacological studies of some new quinoline Schiff bases and 2,5-(disubstituted-[1,3,4])-oxadiazoles

G6P-Ligand (4f) and (5b) interactions as visualized using Chimera (Version 1.8).