Oral Jaws Research Articles

Functional groups in piscivorous fishes.

Piscivory is a key ecological function in aquatic ecosystems, mediating energy flow within trophic networks. However, our understanding of the nature of piscivory is limited; we currently lack an empirical assessment of the dynamics of prey capture and how this differs between piscivores. We therefore conducted aquarium‐based performance experiments, to test the feeding abilities of 19 piscivorous fish species. We quantified their feeding morphology, striking, capturing, and processing behavior. We identify two major functional groups: grabbers and engulfers. Grabbers are characterized by horizontal, long‐distance strikes, capturing their prey tailfirst and subsequently processing their prey using their oral jaw teeth. Engulfers strike from short distances, from high angles above or below their prey, engulfing their prey and swallowing their prey whole. Based on a meta‐analysis of 2,209 published in situ predator–prey relationships in marine and freshwater aquatic environments, we show resource partitioning between grabbers and engulfers. Our results provide a functional classification for piscivorous fishes delineating patterns, which transcend habitats, that may help explain size structures in fish communities.

Evaluation of the efficiency of different treatment modalities in individuals with painful temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction: a randomised controlled clinical trial

The aim of the study was to investigate and compare short and long-term effects of occlusal splints (OS), ultrasound (US), and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) in patients with painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement with reduction (DDWR). This prospective, randomised, single-blinded, controlled clinical study was conducted on patients with DDWR at a university oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic. A total of 140 patients were allocated randomly to four groups (OS, US, HILT, and control), with 35 patients in each. Patients were evaluated for pain, range of motion of the jaw, disability, and quality of life. A total of 132 patients completed the study. In all treatment groups (OS, US, and HILT), a significant improvement was observed in terms of pain, function, disability, and quality of life, at both weeks four and 12 compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Improvements in VAS pain and maximum mouth opening were not significantly different between the treatment groups. However, compared with the OS group, there was a significant improvement in the HILT and US groups in terms of total Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-20 (JFLS-20) scores at week four, but no difference between the groups at week 12. The results of this study show that OS, US, and HILT are effective treatments for pain and functional jaw movements in patients with DDWR. HILT, a new method, can be an alternative treatment in cases of TMD.

Ecological Limits on the Decoupling of Prey Capture and Processing in Fishes.

Ray-finned fishes have two jaw systems, the oral and pharyngeal jaws, which perform functions associated with prey capture and processing, respectively. The structural independence of the jaw systems is recognized as having broad implications for the functional and ecological diversity of the radiation. Cichlids (and a few other lineages) possess a modified pharyngeal jaw system that enhances prey processing versatility and capacity. This innovation, pharyngognathy, is hypothesized to have freed the oral jaws to diversify in terms of prey capture. We test the relative role of prey capture properties (e.g., evasiveness) and prey processing (e.g., crushing) in driving divergent selection in the oral and pharyngeal jaws using a macroevolutionary model fitting framework. Evolutionary outcomes were asymmetric. All transitions between different properties of prey capture had a corresponding transition in properties of prey processing. In contrast, fewer than half the transitions in the properties of prey processing had a corresponding prey capture transition. This discrepancy was further highlighted by multi-peak models that reflect the opposing function of each jaw system, which fit better than null models for oral jaw traits, but not pharyngeal jaw traits. These results suggest that pharyngeal jaw function can change independently from the function of the oral jaws, but not vice versa. This finding highlights the possibility of ecological limits to the evolutionary decoupling of jaw systems. The independent actions of prey capture and processing may be decoupled, but their respective functional demands (and evolution) are not. Therefore, prey likely impose some degree of coordinated evolution between acquisition and processing functional morphology, even in decoupled jaw systems.

Single-parenthood and health conditions among children receiving public assistance in Japan: a cohort study

BackgroundChildren’s healthy development is important. While governmental public assistance benefits financially troubled families, it cannot compensate for a lack of social support. Single-parenthood is a health risk factor for children owing to low-income-associated food insecurity and stress. No study has investigated the association between single-parenthood and health status in children from families receiving public assistance. This study aimed to examine the association between single-parent households and children’s health among public assistance recipients in Japan by using linkage data of two municipal public assistance databases and administrative medical assistance data.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study. Public assistance for households below the poverty line ensures income security and medical care. The study population included all children aged 15 or younger availing public assistance in January 2016. We extracted recipients’ sociodemographic factors from January 2016 and identified the incidence of childhood diseases’ diagnosis until December 2016 as the outcome, including 1) acute upper respiratory infections; 2) influenza and pneumonia; 3) injuries, including fractures; 4) intestinal infectious diseases; 5) conjunctivitis; 6) asthma; 7) allergic rhinitis; 8) dermatitis and eczema, including atopic dermatitis; and 9) diseases of the oral cavities, salivary glands, and jaws, such as tooth decay or dental caries.ResultsAmong the 573 children, 383 (66.8%) lived in single-parent households. A multivariable Poisson regression, with a robust standard error estimator, showed that single-parenthood is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma (incidence ratio [IR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–2.26), allergic rhinitis (IR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.07–1.86), dermatitis and eczema (IR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.21–2.70), and dental diseases (IR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.33–2.42) compared to non-single parent households, whereas little association was found between single-parenthood and children’s acute health conditions.ConclusionsAmong public assistance recipients, living in single-parent households may be a risk factor for children’s chronic diseases. The Japanese public assistance system should provide additional social care for single-parent households. Further investigations are necessary using more detailed longitudinal data, including environmental factors, the severity of children’s health conditions, contents of medical treatments, and broader socioeconomic factors.

Integral assessment of the health status of conscripts

Objective:to develop an integral assessment framework of the health status of conscripts.Material and methods.The study included the morbidity parameters among servicemen: general and primary morbidity, necessity in dispensary observation, hospitalization, period of being disabled, dismission for health reasons and mortality. To determine the priority coefficients for the morbidity parameters, we performed an expert survey.Results.Within the structure of the integral assessment of the health status among conscripts, the priority ranking was as follows: 1st — respiratory diseases (chapter X), 2nd — traumas, poisoning and some other consequences of external causes (chapter XIX), 3rd — diseases of the gastro-intestinal system (chapter XI), 4th — diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (chapter XIII), 5th — diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (chapter XII). Within the structure of the integral assessment, the priority nosology ranking was as follows: 1st — acute respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00–J06), 2nd — diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20 – K31), 3rd — multitraumas affecting several body areas (T00–T07), 4th — effects of traumas, poisoning and other consequences of external causes (T90–T98), 5th — diseases of the oral cavity, salivary glands and jaws (K00–K14).Conclusion.The developed integral assessment framework of the health status optimizes the effect of some morbidity parameters and reliably correlates the contribution of the chapters and nosologies with the final assessment result, which makes it possible to timely, completely and promptly assess the quality of medical care to conscripts.

Human Molar Size Variation: Wisdom Teeth Just Don't Care?

The inhibitory cascade model (ICM) is a tenet of mammalian molar morphogenesis that predicts that a larger developing first molar (M1) results in a smaller and later-forming adjacent second (M2) and third (M3) molar. Recently, we have shown that late-developing M3s are also at higher risk of impaction, a common dental health concern worldwide. The mechanisms delaying M3 onset time are unclear.Here we tested the hypothesis that M1 crown size predicts M3 developmental timing and M3 eruption, based on a sample of young Western Canadian dental patients. We also tested the extent to which contemporary modern human molars conform to the ICM. We sampled retrospective cone beam computed tomography scans and panoramic radiographs taken for clinical diagnostic purposes of multi-ethnic patients aged 13-24 years residing in four Western Canadian municipalities. We studied 99 patients, sampling 327 quadrants from 57 girls and 42 boys, at two distinct times that allowed us to know if an M3 had properly erupted. Using Horos and Xoran i-Cat software, we scored permanent molar development using a 9-stage classification after Demirjian's system. We measured mesiodistal lengths of M1, M2 and M3 crowns. In SPSS v.25, we calculated a Generalized Estimating Equation model through a multivariable linear regression to test if M1 crown length (“size”) predicted M3 developmental timing and eruption status. We also tested other variables including jaw type (maxillary; mandibular). Significance was set to p<0.05. Unexpectedly, we identified 13 molar size ratio patterns occurring at different frequencies (e.g., M1>M2>M3 in only 31.6% of cases) that reflected whether molars were located in the maxilla versus the mandible. This pattern diversity included up to four patterns in the same person's mouth. Further, M3 size was predicted not by M1 size (Wald Chi-Square [Wald X2]=0.701, p=0.40) but by M2/M1 ratio and absolute M2 size (Wald X2=14.04, p=0.000). Relative to M1 crown length, if M2 crown length increased by 10%, the adjacent M3 crown lengthened by 7% (±3%), indicating that M2 increases “faster” than M3. Crown length ratios (M3:M1, M2:M1) did not predict M3 impaction (Wald X2=0.124, p=0.73) or M3 developmental stage (M2:M1, Wald X2=0.228, p=0.63; M3:M1, Wald X2=3.253, p=0.07). We conclude that M1 crown length does not predict early versus late M3 development or M3 eruption status. Thus, the ICM does not appear to be useful for predicting M3 impaction risk. Contemporary modern humans present several distinct molar size ratio patterns, indicating that Homo sapiens molar size is subject to oral quadrant-specific and jaw type-specific effects beyond inhibition from a developing M1.

Gene coexpression networks reveal molecular interactions underlying cichlid jaw modularity

BackgroundThe oral and pharyngeal jaw of cichlid fishes are a classic example of evolutionary modularity as their functional decoupling boosted trophic diversification and contributed to the success of cichlid adaptive radiations. Most studies until now have focused on the functional, morphological, or genetic aspects of cichlid jaw modularity. Here we extend this concept to include transcriptional modularity by sequencing whole transcriptomes of the two jaws and comparing their gene coexpression networks.ResultsWe show that transcriptional decoupling of gene expression underlies the functional decoupling of cichlid oral and pharyngeal jaw apparatus and the two units are evolving independently in recently diverged cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika. Oral and pharyngeal jaw coexpression networks reflect the common origin of the jaw regulatory program as there is high preservation of gene coexpression modules between the two sets of jaws. However, there is substantial rewiring of genetic architecture within those modules. We define a global jaw coexpression network and highlight jaw-specific and species-specific modules within it. Furthermore, we annotate a comprehensive in silico gene regulatory network linking the Wnt and AHR signalling pathways to jaw morphogenesis and response to environmental cues, respectively. Components of these pathways are significantly differentially expressed between the oral and pharyngeal jaw apparatus.ConclusionThis study describes the concerted expression of many genes in cichlid oral and pharyngeal jaw apparatus at the onset of the independent life of cichlid fishes. Our findings suggest that – on the basis of an ancestral gill arch network—transcriptional rewiring may have driven the modular evolution of the oral and pharyngeal jaws, highlighting the evolutionary significance of gene network reuse. The gene coexpression and in silico regulatory networks presented here are intended as resource for future studies on the genetics of vertebrate jaw morphogenesis and trophic adaptation.

Reducing Socioeconomic Disparities in Access to Dental Rehabilitation Using Endosseous Implants in Patients After Undergoing Removal of Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Oral Cavity and Jaws

As oral and maxillofacial surgeons, we are continuously pursuing more sophisticated techniques to improve the quality-of-life of our patients. Today, the rewards of this scientific surgical journey are no more evident than in the development of 3-dimensional virtual surgical planning, which has provided transformative paradigm shifts in the way we care for our patients as a profession. Furthermore, we have further augmented this technology based on our clinical and scientific understanding of prosthodontics, dental implantology, and maxillofacial reconstruction allowing for the immediate placement and at times immediate restoration of endosseous implants in patients undergoing osseous free tissue transfer and flap-based reconstruction.

Zero-TE MRI: Potential Applications in the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx.

Zero-echo time (ZTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the newest in a family of MRI pulse sequences that involve ultrafast sequence readouts, permitting visualization of short-T2 tissues such as cortical bone. Inherent sequence properties enable rapid, high-resolution, quiet, and artifact-resistant imaging. ZTE can be performed as part of a "one-stop-shop" MRI examination for comprehensive evaluation of head and neck pathology. As a potential alternative to computed tomography for bone imaging, this approach could help reduce patient exposure to ionizing radiation and improve radiology resource utilization. Because ZTE is not yet widely used clinically, it is important to understand the technical limitations and pitfalls for diagnosis. Imaging cases are presented to demonstrate potential applications of ZTE for imaging of oral cavity, oropharynx, and jaw anatomy and pathology in adult and pediatric patients. Emerging studies indicate promise for future clinical implementation based on synthetic computed tomography image generation, 3D printing, and interventional applications.

Microcomputed tomography used to link head morphology and observed feeding behavior in cichlids of Lake Malaŵi.

Cichlids inhabiting the Great Lakes of Africa have radiated extremely rapidly, with Lake Malaŵi harboring some 850 species. This rapid radiation may be linked to the diversity in behaviors, sexual selection, and phenotypic plasticity. To determine the relationships between morphology and behaviors, microcomputed tomography (microCT) was used to observe internal morphological structures. Observed morphological adaptations were linked with observed behavior of cichlids in Lake Malaŵi with respect to the various available food resources. Many of these adaptations have parallels, sometimes into the finest details, in other drainage systems and can thus be considered as variations of how cichlids in general respond to environmental opportunities and challenges. Variations in the structure and teeth of the pharyngeal jaws and the oral jaws allowed for fine tuning of specializations, so that various species can utilize the same source without direct competition. We suggested that high‐resolution X‐ray computed tomography will permit scientists to infer life history and behavior characters of rare or extinct taxa from a detailed examination of morphology and linkages between morphology and behavior found in extant species.

“Ringlike hard mass” surrounding the root of a primary tooth in a young child: report of an unusual case

<h3>Background</h3> Several lesions of diverse origin may be detected in the oral cavity of young children, affecting the oral mucosa, jaws, or teeth. Their clinicopathologic features may show considerable overlap. We present an interesting case of a "ringlike hard mass" of initially unknown nature around the cervical area of a primary tooth in a young child, and we discuss the diagnostic challenges. <h3>Case Summary</h3> A 2-year-old girl presented for evaluation of a painless lesion surrounding a primary tooth, first noticed before she was 5 months of age. Her medical history was unremarkable without any history of trauma. The clinical examination revealed a yellowish cylindrical mass, hard in consistency, completely surrounding the cervical area of the left first primary lower incisor. It was nonremovable, strongly adhered to the root surface. With a provisional clinical diagnosis of a tooth abnormality (eg, hypercementosis), a periapical radiograph revealed acylindrical radiopacity of mild intensity enveloping the tooth cervix, extending approximately 2 mm apically. Based on an expert oral and maxillofacial radiologist's consultation, a diagnosis of a foreign body around the tooth was favored, although no relevant anamnesis was given. A watch-and-wait policy was adopted, and the patient was observed regularly in follow-up for the next 4 years with mild but progressive gingival recession, revealing a larger part of the ringlike structure. Radiographically, the "lesion" did not show any changes; however, a progressive but overall limited resorption of the alveolar bone in the cervical area was observed. At age 6 years, the tooth was extracted, and, on gross examination, a cylindrical structure was detached with difficulty from the tooth, confirming its nature as a foreign body, most likely an accidentally misplaced rubber ringlike toy part. Subsequent follow-up confirmed uneventful eruption of the permanent central incisor. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Accidental impregnation of a foreign body in the oral soft tissues is an unusual but not rare event in children. However, the occurrence of a foreign body completely surrounding the cervix of a tooth, eventually becoming inseparable possibly due to calcification, is probably very rare. Although harmless, the peculiar clinical and radiographic appearance may cause diagnostic dilemmas.

From Simple Mouth Cavities to Complex Oral Mucosal Disorders-Curcuminoids as a Promising Therapeutic Approach.

Oral diseases are among the most common encountered health issues worldwide, which are usually associated with anomalies of the oral cavity, jaws, and salivary glands. Despite the availability of numerous treatment modalities for oral disorders, a limited clinical response has been observed because of the inefficacy of the drugs and countless adverse side effects. Therefore, the development of safe, efficacious, and wide-spectrum therapeutics is imperative in the battle against oral diseases. Curcumin, extracted from the golden spice turmeric, is a well-known natural polyphenol that has been extensively studied for its broad pleiotropic attributes and its ability to modulate multiple biological processes. It is well-documented to target pro-inflammatory mediators like NF-κB, ROS, COX-2, IL-1, IL-2, TGF-β, growth factors, apoptotic proteins, receptors, and various kinases. These properties make curcumin a promising nutraceutical in the treatment of many oral diseases like oral submucous fibrosis, oral mucositis, oral leukoplakia, oral erythroplakia, oral candidiasis, aphthous stomatitis, oral lichen planus, dental caries, periodontitis, and gingivitis. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that curcumin alleviates the symptoms of most of the oral complications, including the inhibition of the progression of oral cancer. In this regard, many clinical trials have been completed, and many are ongoing to investigate the "curcumin effect" in oral maladies. Therefore, the current review delineates the mechanistic framework of curcumin's propensity in curbing oral diseases and present outcomes of the clinical trials of curcumin-based therapeutics that can provide a breakthrough in the clinical management of these diseases.

Ecomorphological variation of pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) in exposed littoral shoreline habitat of a postglacial lake

The spatial distribution of phenotypes across the environment has important consequences for population biology, community ecology, and evolution. Populations of pumpkinseed sunfish (Centrarchidae: Lepomis gibbosus) have repeatedly diversified between the littoral and pelagic habitats of postglacial lakes, but we know little about the natural history of pumpkinseed in exposed rocky littoral shorelines relative to those in sheltered littoral bays. We addressed three general questions with respect to the pumpkinseed found in exposed littoral shoreline relative to conspecifics from sheltered littoral and pelagic habitats: (1) What phenotype is associated with the exposed littoral shoreline? (2) What is their summer diet? (3) What is the condition of pumpkinseed from exposed littoral shorelines? Reference sheltered littoral and pelagic pumpkinseed were phenotypically and ecologically differentiated in a pattern consistent with several previous studies; pelagic pumpkinseed had deeper bodies, smaller jaws (narrower oral jaw width and shorter premaxilla), and a more terminal mouth, as well as having more zooplankton and less insects in their diet. Pumpkinseed from exposed shoreline habitat had jaw and body shape phenotypes, as well as diets, that were similar to sheltered littoral reference pumpkinseed in some traits while others were more intermediate. We found no evidence that differences between habitats in phenotype or diet translated into differences in body condition at the end of the summer growing season, suggesting that exposed littoral shorelines are unlikely to be an ecological ‘sink’ habitat. This study expands our understanding of the spatial distributions of polyphenic pumpkinseed, and their habitat use in postglacial lakes.

Plasticity and genetic basis of cichlid gill arch anatomy reveal novel roles for Hedgehog signaling.

Teleost gill arches are exquisitely evolved to maximize foraging efficiency, and include structures for the capture, filtering, and processing of prey. While both plasticity and a genetic basis for gill arch traits have been noted, the relative contributions of genetics and the environment in shaping these structures remains poorly understood. East African cichlids are particularly useful in this line of study due to their highly diverse and plastic feeding apparatus. Here we explore the gene-by-environmental effects on cichlid GRs by rearing pure bred species and their F3 hybrids in different foraging environments. We find that anatomical differences between species are dependent on the environment. The genetic architecture of these traits is also largely distinct between foraging environments. We did, however, note a few genomic "hotspots" where multiple traits map to a common region. One of these, for GR number across multiple arches, maps to the ptch1 locus, a key component of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway that has previously been implicated in cichlid oral jaw shape and plasticity. Since Hh signalling has not previously been implicated in GR development, we explored functional roles for this pathway. Using a small molecule inhibitor in cichlids, as well as zebrafish transgenic systems, we demonstrate that Hh levels negatively regulate GR number, and are both necessary and sufficient to maintain plasticity in this trait. In all these data underscore the critical importance of the environment in determining the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and provide a molecular inroad to better understand the origins of variation in this important foraging-related trait.

Anatomical basis of diverse jaw protrusion directionality in ponyfishes (Family Leiognathidae).

Protrusion of the oral jaws is a key morphological innovation that enhances feeding performance in fishes. The mechanisms of protrusion and the basis of variation in its magnitude are well studied, but little attention has been paid to the functional morphology of protrusion directionality, despite wide variation among teleost species from slightly dorsal to strongly ventral. Ponyfishes (Leiognathidae) comprise a group of 52 species that exhibit striking diversity in the directionality of jaw protrusion, providing a promising system for exploring its underlying basis in a single clade. We examined the anatomical basis of protrusion directionality by measuring eight traits associated with the size and positioning of oral jaw bones. Measurements were made on cleared and stained specimens of 20 ponyfish species, representing every major lineage within the family. Species fell into three nonoverlapping clusters with respect to directionality including dorsal, rostral, and ventral protruders. A key correlate of protrusion direction is the anterior-posterior position of the articular-quadrate jaw joint. As the joint position moves from a posterior to a more anterior location, the orientation of the relaxed mandible rotates from an almost horizontal resting position to an upright vertical posture. Abduction of the mandible from the horizontal position results in ventrally directed protrusion, while the more upright mandible rotates to a position that maintains dorsal orientation. The resting orientation of the premaxilla and maxilla, thus, vary consistently with protrusion direction. Mouth size, represented by length of the mandible and maxilla, is a second major axis of variation in ponyfishes that is independent of variation in protrusion directionality.

A new species of Diplotaxodon (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from Lake Malaŵi.

A species of haplochromine cichlid fish of the genus Diplotaxodon Trewavas, endemic to Lake Malaŵi is described: Diplotaxodon dentatus, new species. All eight type specimens were trawled together off Thumbi East Island in the Southeastern arm of the lake at 73 meters in 1985. They were initially identified as D. argenteus because the teeth on the oral jaws were fully exposed with a closed mouth. The shorter snout length of D. dentatus (26.6-29.2 % HL) clearly separates it from D. argenteus (31.7-34.2 % HL). A plot of a principal components analysis further supports the separation of D. dentatus from D. argenteus.

ИНТЕГРАЛЬНЫЙ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЬ НАРУШЕНИЯ СОСТОЯНИЯ ЗДОРОВЬЯ ВОЕННОСЛУЖАЩИХ

Object. To create an integral index of health impairment of servicemen as a part of the implementation of scientific research work. Materials and methods. Following medical and statistical indicators of morbidity among military personnel were used: general and primary morbidity, necessity in dispensary observation, hospitalization, days of disability, dismission for health reasons and mortality. An expert survey was conducted to determine the significance coefficients of medical and statistical indicators of morbidity. Results. In the structure of health impairment integral assessment among conscripts ranks were following: 1st – respiratory diseases (chapter X), 2nd – trauma, poisoning and some other consequences from external causes (chapter XIX), 3rd – diseases of the gastro-intestinal system (chapter XI), 4th – diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (chapter XIII), 5th – diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (chapter XII). In the structure of the integral assessment ranks dispensed as following: 1st – acute respiratory infections of the upper respiratory tract (J00 – J06), the 2nd – diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (K20 – K31), the 3rd – injuries involving several areas of the body (T00 – T09), 4th – the consequences of trauma, poisoning and other consequences from external causes (T90 – T98), 5th – diseases of the oral cavity, salivary glands and jaws (K00 – K14). Conclusions. The developed integral index of health impairment optimizes the effect of some indicators of morbidity and reliably correlates the contribution of chapters and nosologies to the final assessment, which allows timely, completely and promptly assess the quality of medical support to conscripts.

The involvement of chronic persistent viral infection to various diseases of the oral cavity

Relevance. According to the literature all over the world, there is a tendency to reduce immunological reactivity in humans, this is facilitated by the presence of chronic persistent herpes viral infection. Herpes infection has systemic immunosuppressive effects of the infection on the human body, and also highlighted the role of the virus in a slow occurrence of combined pathology of internal organs and infectious and inflammatory diseases of the oral tissues and periodontium. High interest of specialists to this problem сaused by the necessity of new methods of complex treatment polymorbidity human pathology. Purpose – to assess the degree of involvement of chronic cytomegalovirus persistence in a number of dental diseases.Materials and methods. In 67 patients dental surgery underwent surgery removal of benign tumors of the soft tissues of the oral cavity, periodontium and jaws, had a clinical blood analysis, blood testing for serological signs of chronic persistence of cytomegalovirus infection (antibodies to CMV Ig G (anti CMV IgG), PCR for CMV in blood and saliva, and also studied the cellular composition of blood immunogram. The age of patients averaged 46 years. Рatients were divided according to the nosological principle into 4 groups. The first group consisted of patients with periapical foci of chronic odontogenic inflammation and radicular cysts of the jaws. The second group consisted of persons with oral fibroids of different localization. The third group is patients with retention cysts of small salivary glands of the oral mucosa. The fourth group – patients with poligamy various locations. All operations are performed outside the phase of acute inflammation. The material obtained after the operation underwent histological examination.Results. Serological signs of chronic persistence of cytomegalovirus infection were revealed in all examined patients, the level of anti CMV Ig was 225 ± 25 U / ml (at the rate of 0.00-0.50 U / ml) (p 0.01). Also, all patients showed lymphocytosis of blood and this corresponded to the same type of changes in the cellular composition of the immunogram with a decrease in the quantitative parameters of B-lymphocytes (CD19+ CD3- ), true natural "killers" (NK-cells) (CD3- CD56+ CD45+ ), NK-cells cytokine-producing (CD3- CD16+ Cd56brightcd45+ ), NK-cells cytolytic (CD3- CD16+ (orhigh) sd56dimcd45+ ). The results of the histological study showed that focal mononuclear and lymphohistiocytic cell infiltration with giant cells with large nuclei are more often detected in areas of the oral mucosa in all patients with radical and retention cysts.Conclusion. The Obtained results demonstrate that in patients regardless of surgical dental diagnosis, chronic persistence of cytomegalovirus with the same type of hematological, immunological abnormalities was revealed. In areas of the oral mucosa with retention cysts of small salivary glands and with radicular cysts, focal lymphohistiocytic and mononuclear cell infiltration with giant cells with large nuclei was revealed.

Drivers and dynamics of a massive adaptive radiation in cichlid fishes.

Adaptive radiation is the likely source of much of the ecological and morphological diversity of life1-4. How adaptive radiations proceed and what determines their extent remains unclear in most cases1,4. Here we report the in-depth examination of the spectacular adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika. On the basis of whole-genome phylogenetic analyses, multivariate morphological measurements of three ecologically relevant trait complexes (body shape, upper oral jaw morphology and lower pharyngeal jaw shape), scoring of pigmentation patterns and approximations of the ecology of nearly all of theapproximately 240 cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika, we show that the radiation occurred within the confines of the lake and that morphological diversification proceeded in consecutive trait-specific pulses of rapid morphospace expansion. We provide empirical support for two theoretical predictions of how adaptive radiations proceed, the 'early-burst' scenario1,5 (for body shape) and the stages model1,6,7 (for all traits investigated). Through the analysis of two genomes per species and by taking advantage of the uneven distribution of species in subclades of the radiation, we further show that species richness scales positively with per-individual heterozygosity, but is not correlated with transposable element content, number of gene duplications or genome-wide levels of selection in coding sequences.

Common benign and malignant oral mucosal disease.

Mucosal diseases of the oral cavity arerelatively common, and patients oftenseek initial assessment from theirgeneralpractitioner. The aim of this article is to provide anoverview of common oral mucosal diseases to help with formulating a differential diagnosis and stratifying theurgency of referral. Pathological mucosal conditions of the oral cavity and jaws commonly present asa mucosal ulcer or a white, red or pigmented lesion. In this review, the authors outline the most common conditions organised according to their clinical presentation and describe their typical appearance and management.