Purpose of the Study:Personal identification is a vital arena of forensic investigation, facilitating the search for missing persons. This process of identification is eased by the determination of age, sex, and ethnicity. In situations where there are fragmented and mutilated skeletal remains, sex determination is relatively difficult, and it becomes important to establish the accuracy of individual bones.Aim:This study aims to evaluate sexual dimorphism in foramen magnum (FM) dimensions in the South Indian population using digital submentovertex (SMV) radiograph.Materials and Methods:150 individuals (75 males and 75 females) were subjected to digital SMV radiography. FM in the resultant image was assessed for longitudinal and transverse diameters, circumference, and area. Also, one particular shape was assigned to each image based on the classification of Chethan et al. of FM shapes. Three qualified oral radiologists performed all the measurements twice within an interval of 10 days.Results and Conclusion:The values obtained for all four parameters were statistically significant and higher in males than in females. The most common morphology of FM was an egg shape while hexagonal was the least common morphology. Circumference was the best indicator of sex followed by area, transverse diameter, and longitudinal diameter. Having achieved a high accuracy of 67.3% with digital SMV radiograph makes it a reliable and reproducible alternative to dry skulls for sex determination.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifactorial disease with no one specifi c drug available to treat. Th e main causes of DM Type 2 are insulin resistance and decreased insulin production. Oxidative damage to beta cells due to reactive oxygen species is a trusted cause of DM2. Vitamins are a class of nutrients required in miniscule quantity. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful dietary antioxidant available, closest in structure to carbohydrate. Vitamin C and glucose competitively inhibit each other to penetrate the cell membrane by the tunneling mechanism. Clinical trials have suggested that mega doses of vitamin C reduce the microvascular complications of DM2 such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and diabetic foot. Apart from this, there is another biological signifi cance of vitamin C. Vitamin C in higher dose reduces the (glycosylated hemoglobin concentration) levels and low-density lipoproteins. Role of vitamin C as an adjunct in the treatment of DM2, atherosclerosis has been signifi cantly contributory. Th is review paper presents the diff erent biological roles of vitamin C, in particular DM2.

Potentially malignant disorders (PMDs) of oral cavity and oral cancer remain a cause of serious concern despite intensive research and development. Diet and immunity have been identified to play a crucial role as modifying factors in these diseases. Our study intended to explore this relationship by estimating and comparing the serum levels of copper, iron and circulating immune complexes (CICs) in patients diagnosed with PMDs and oral cancer and normal healthy individuals. In this study, 40 histopathologically diagnosed cases of PMDs and oral cancer were included along with 30 healthy controls and 5 ml of venous blood was drawn using venipuncture. Serum estimation of copper, iron and CIC then followed using the colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using one way ANOVA and Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation Test. The mean serum copper level was measured as 138.98 ± 10.13µg/100ml in the PMD group and 141.99 ± 21.44 µg/100ml in the oral cancer as compared to 105.5 + 18.81µ/100ml in the controls. The mean serum CIC levels was highest in the oral cancer (9.65 ± 0.16OD470) followed by the PMD group (0.18 + 0.21 OD470) and least in the control group (0.048 ± 0.02OD470). Whereas, the serum levels of iron showed a significant decrease in the PMD group (110.9 ± 10.54 µg/100ml) and the oral cancer group (114.29 ± 25.83 µg/100ml) as compared with the control group (136.85 ± 14.48 µg/100ml). There was no positive correlation obtained between the three groups with respect to the chosen parameters indicating that the variables were independent of each other. It can be thus be ascertained that trace elements like copper and iron as well as humoral responses (CICs) have a close relationship with PMDs and oral cancers.

Digital radiography has been available in dentistry for more than 25 years, but it has not replaced conventional film-based radiography completely. This could be because of the costs involved in replacing conventional radiographic equipment with a digital imaging system, or because implementing new technology in the dental practice requires a bit of courage. As use of digital radiography becomes more common, many dentists are wondering if and how they can replace conventional film-based imaging with a digital system. This article presents an overview of the different technologies used for digital imaging in dentistry with a broad overview of the benefits and limitations of digital imaging. The principles of direct and indirect digital imaging modalities, image processing and image analysis will be discussed.

EIAgen H. pylori IgG assay is a noninvasive, moderately accurate, and sensitive method for the detection of H. pylori infection in saliva. Salivary anti H. pylori IgG test prior to endoscopy is a useful screening test for seroepidemiological studies.