Oral Process Research Articles

Development and validation of a printed educational material for patients undergoing periodontal treatment

OBJECTIVE: Develop and validate a Printed Educational Material (PEM), based on scientific evidence, to be used as an adjunct agent in the oral hygiene instruction process, during periodontal treatment. METHODS: In this qualitative study, the instrument was developed according to the methods proposed by theoretical references, to be used during periodontal treatment. The evaluation was carried out with dental surgeons and specialists in Periodontics, through questionnaires; and with patients, through semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: The PEM exceeded the minimum rate of 80% agreement between professionals and patient evaluators. A professional in the linguistic area also evaluated the developed material, concluding that the instrument is understandable by people who studied up to the fifth year of elementary school. The format and layout of the texts and figures were considered pleasant by the interviewed patients. CONCLUSION: The PEM was developed and validated with adequate information, from the professional point of view and according to the needs of the patients, and it can constitute a useful auxiliary tool for patients during periodontal treatment.

Development, Characterization and in Vitro–In Vivo Evaluation of Farnesol Loaded Niosomal Gel for Applications in Oral Candidiasis Treatment

The aim of the study was to formulate and characterize the farnesol loaded niosomes comprising gel formulation and their in vitro–in vivo evaluation for applications in the treatment of oral candidiasis infections. Various gelling systems were evaluated for their stability and rheological properties. The nano-formulation was statistically optimized using Box-Behnken experimental design method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the surface morphology of the niosomes. Centrifugation method and dialysis method were used to find out the % entrapment efficiency (%EE) and in-vitro release of Farnesol from the niosomes, respectively. In-vitro antifungal effect of the Farnesol loaded niosomal gel was also performed using Candida albicans (C. albicans) as the model organism. The skin irritation study was performed on rabbit skin. Farnesol loaded niosomes were integrated into polymeric gel solution. The optimized formulation displayed acceptable % entrapment efficiencies (>80%) and an optimum particle size (168.8 nm) along with a sustained release up to 3 days and was found to be stable over a period of 6 months. TEM observation revealed a spherical shape morphology of the niosomes. The high antibacterial efficacy found in vitro, after treatment with the farnesol niosomal gels in comparison with the plain farnesol solution. For skin irritation test, niosomal gel formulation was found to be nontoxic and non-irritant to the rabbit skin. The resultant formulation demonstrated promising in-vitro biocompatibility and antifungal efficacy, signifying their potential application as a gel preparation to overcome candida infections caused by C. albicans fungal strains. This novel formulation can be employed for making oral candidiasis healing process more efficient while improving patient compliance.

Fathers\u2019 experiences of feeding their extremely preterm infants in family-centred neonatal intensive care: a qualitative study

BackgroundExtremely preterm infants need advanced intensive care for survival and are usually not discharged before they reach the time of expected birth. In a family-centred neonatal intensive care unit both parents are involved at all levels of care including the feeding process. However, studies focusing on fathers in this situation are scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of feeding extremely preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit from fathers’ perspectives.MethodsThe study adopts a qualitative inductive method, reported according to the COREQ checklist. Seven fathers of extremely preterm infants (gestational age 24–27 weeks) in neonatal intensive care in Sweden were interviewed by telephone after discharge in 2013–2014. The interviews were analysed using a qualitative content analysis and confirmed by triangulation in 2021.ResultsSix sub-categories and two generic categories formed the main category: “a team striving towards the same goal”. The fathers were equally involved and engaged members of the feeding team all hours of the day. The fathers shared responsibility and practical duties with the mothers, and they provided as much support to the mothers as they could. However, the fathers found it difficult to support and encourage the mothers to breastfeed and express breastmilk when the breastmilk production was low. The fathers experienced a loss when breastfeeding was not successful.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that fathers want to be involved with infant care, including night-time feeds, and long and demanding feeding processes. Fathers and staff need to collaborate to provide the best support to mothers during the feeding process. This study may inspire hospital staff to acknowledge and support fathers to become more involved in the oral feeding process when an infant is born extremely preterm.

Measuring Listening Comprehension and Predicting Language Development in At-Risk Preschoolers

ABSTRACT Listening comprehension involves the ability to understand and extract meaning from spoken sentences, stories, and instruction. This skill is vital for young children and has long-term effects on school achievement, employability, income, and participation in society. There is a lack of measures of young children’s listening comprehension skills. We report on a new measure of listening comprehension (LURI) that we tested in a group of at-risk preschoolers. Using IRT (Item Response Theory) analysis, we examined the psychometric properties of the instrument. Moreover, in a series of regressions, we found that the LURI measure predicted a range of other language skills better than standardized measures. Thus, the LURI test is a reliable and valid measure of listening comprehension. Assessing listening comprehension is a time-effective way of measuring a skill critically important to language development and represents the product of a range of different oral language processes.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Compounds from Citrus Pomaces and Orange Pomace Biscuits.

The present investigation aimed to provide novel information on the chemical composition and in vitro bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds from raw citrus pomaces (mandarin varieties Clemenule and Ortanique and orange varieties Navel and Valencia). The effects of the baking process on their bioaccessibility was also assessed. Samples of pomaces and biscuits containing them as an ingredient were digested, mimicking the human enzymatic oral gastrointestinal digestion process, and the composition of the digests were analyzed. UHPLC-MS/MS results of the citrus pomaces flavonoid composition showed nobiletin, hesperidin/neohesperidin, tangeretin, heptamethoxyflavone, tetramethylscutellarein, and naringin/narirutin. The analysis of the digests indicated the bioaccessibility of compounds possessing antioxidant [6.6–11.0 mg GAE/g digest, 65.5–97.1 µmol Trolox Equivalents (TE)/g digest, and 135.5–214.8 µmol TE/g digest for total phenol content (TPC), ABTS, and ORAC-FL methods, respectively; significant reduction (p < 0.05) in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) formation under tert-butyl hydroperoxide (1 mM)-induced conditions in IEC-6 and CCD-18Co cells when pre-treated with concentrations 5–25 µg/mL of the digests], anti-inflammatory [significant reduction (p < 0.05) in nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages], and antidiabetic (IC50 3.97–11.42 mg/mL and 58.04–105.68 mg/mL for α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition capacities) properties in the citrus pomaces under study. In addition, orange pomace biscuits with the nutrition claims “no-added sugars” and “source of fiber”, as well as those with good sensory quality (6.9–6.7, scale 1–9) and potential health promoting properties, were obtained. In conclusion, the results supported the feasibility of citrus pomace as a natural sustainable source of health-promoting compounds such as flavonoids. Unfractionated orange pomace may be employed as a functional food ingredient for reducing the risk of pathophysiological processes linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, and carbohydrate metabolism, such as diabetes, among others.

Adopting the ICT Innovation to Administrative and Activity Procedures in a University

Information Communication Technology (ICT) has made performing administrative tasks more convenient for organisations. This paper discusses the contribution of ICT innovations to administrative effectiveness with respect to the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and, specifically, their examination process. An analytical study guided by one hypothesis has been applied in this paper to understand the utilisation of ICT at OUT and framed within the timeframe of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hypothesis states that there is no significant difference in the mean response of students, lecturers, and administrators on the effectiveness of ICT in the Online Oral Examination System (OREX) and administrative process of the OUT. The use of both primary data collected through administered questionnaires to the university population and secondary data sourced from existing literature aided in determining the findings. The results revealed that ICT innovations could be effective if well used in university activities and more suitable if adapted in an innovative way for online admission and a perfect fit for online examination system such as OREX, which was developed as a response to the pandemic. The study also inveterate that the students, lecturers and senior administrative Staff (Registry) had very similar responses on the effectiveness of ICT innovation on the administrative process and academics of the OUT. It was recommended, among others, that the university should mobilise resources towards the provision of facilities and training of its ICT personnel for more relevant innovations, particular for online examination processes such as OREX.

Assessment of spatial concentration variation and deposition of bioaerosol in a dental clinic during oral cleaning

The dental clinic environment is relatively closed, and many aerosols carrying pathogenic microorganisms are generated during the diagnosis and treatment of infectious patients, which increases the infection risk by dental staff. In this study, Serratia marcescens and ΦX174 phage were used as the releasing sources during the oral cleaning process to investigate bioaerosol migration and deposition. The high concentration spatial regions and high concentration deposition areas of bioaerosol in the dental clinic were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the highest bioaerosol concentration was located at the S1 sampling point near the mouth of the dentist. At the equipment trays, the two kinds of bioaerosols deposition rates per unit area were as high as 10.5% and 6.6%, respectively. After oral cleaning, it took 90 min to discharge 99.9% of the bioaerosols from the dental clinic. This study could provide some reference for reducing the exposure risk of dental staff in the dental clinic and creating a safe dental clinic environment.

Automated Detection and Classification of Oral Lesions Using Deep Learning to Detect Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.

Simple SummaryOral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer worldwide. The detection of oral potentially malignant disorders, which carry a risk of developing into cancer, often provides the best chances for curing the disease and is therefore crucial for improving morbidity and mortality outcomes from oral cancer. In this study, we explored the potential applications of computer vision and deep learning techniques in the oral cancer domain within the scope of photographic images and investigated the prospects of an automated system for identifying oral potentially malignant disorders with a two-stage pipeline. Our preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of deep learning-based approaches for the automated detection and classification of oral lesions in real time. The proposed model offers great potential as a low-cost and non-invasive tool that can support screening processes and improve the detection of oral potentially malignant disorders.Oral cancer is the most common type of head and neck cancer worldwide, leading to approximately 177,757 deaths every year. When identified at early stages, oral cancers can achieve survival rates of up to 75–90%. However, the majority of the cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage mainly due to the lack of public awareness about oral cancer signs and the delays in referrals to oral cancer specialists. As early detection and treatment remain to be the most effective measures in improving oral cancer outcomes, the development of vision-based adjunctive technologies that can detect oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), which carry a risk of cancer development, present significant opportunities for the oral cancer screening process. In this study, we explored the potential applications of computer vision techniques in the oral cancer domain within the scope of photographic images and investigated the prospects of an automated system for detecting OPMD. Exploiting the advancements in deep learning, a two-stage model was proposed to detect oral lesions with a detector network and classify the detected region into three categories (benign, OPMD, carcinoma) with a second-stage classifier network. Our preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of deep learning-based approaches for the automated detection and classification of oral lesions in real time. The proposed model offers great potential as a low-cost and non-invasive tool that can support screening processes and improve detection of OPMD.

Expression of fibroblast growth factor-β and transforming growth factor-β in mauli banana stem (Musa Acuminate) extract gel - treated traumatic ulcer

Purpose: To investigate the effect of mauli banana (Musa acuminate) stem topical gel extract application on the expression of transforming growth factor - β (TGF - β) and fibroblast growth factor-β (FGF-β) during the healing process in traumatic oral ulcers.&#x0D; Methods: The work represented a true experimental study incorporating a post test - only control group design. Four groups of male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegivus) (n = 20) with traumatic oral ulcers were given mauli banana stem extract gel of varying concentrations the negative control group: 0 %; treatment group I: 25 %; treatment group II: 37.5 %; and treatment group III: 50 %. The animals were subsequently sacrificed prior to conducting biopsy on day 5. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in order to analyze the degree of FGF-β and TGF–β expressions.&#x0D; Results: TGF–β was strongly expressed in treatment group II (16.80 ± 1.30). TGF-β expression was significantly different, except between treatment groups II and III (Table 2). FGF-β was strongly expressed in treatment group II (15.60 ± 3.97). There was significant difference in FGF-β expression between all the groups with the exception of treatment groups I and III.&#x0D; Conclusion: Topical application of mauli banana stem extract gel (37.5 % concentration) stimulates FGF-β and TGF-β expression on day 5 of traumatic oral ulcer healing process. Thus, the extract gel has potentials for clinical application for the therapy of traumatic oral ulcers

Assessment of the Vanillin Anti-Inflammatory and Regenerative Potentials in Inflamed Primary Human Gingival Fibroblast.

Background Inflammatory responses have been associated with delayed oral mucosal wound healing and the pathogenesis of the periodontal disease. The invasion of microbes into the tissues and the establishment of a chronic infection may be due to impaired healing. The protracted inflammatory phase may delay wound healing and probably support tissue fibrosis and reduce tissue regeneration. Vanillin is a well-known natural compound with potential anti-inflammatory capacity. Hence, we hypothesized that Vanillin could accelerate wound healing reducing inflammation and especially cytokine production making the oral tissue repair process easier. Methods Our hypothesis was tested using primary human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cell pretreated with Vanillin and primed with IL-1β, as inductor of proinflammatory environment. After 24 hours of treatments, the gene expression and production of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, COX-2, iNOS, and nitric oxide (NO) generation and the wound healing rate were determined. Results In IL-1β-primed cells, preincubation with Vanillin reduced IL-6, IL-8, COX-2, and iNOS expression and NO release, compared to IL-1β-primed cells. Moreover, Vanillin determines the increased gene expression of nAChRα7, leading us to hypothesize a role of Vanillin in the activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Furthermore, in presence of mechanical injury, the Vanillin preincubation, wound closure may be reducing the expression and release of IL-6 and TNF-α and upregulation of COX-2 and IL-8. Conclusion Together, the results of this study highlight the anti-inflammatory and tissue repair ability of Vanillin in IL-1β-primed HGF. Therefore, Vanillin shows a potential therapeutic interest as an inflammatory modulator molecule with novel application in periodontal regeneration and oral health.

Eremantholide C from aerial parts of Lychnophora trichocarpha, as drug candidate: fraction absorbed prediction in humans and BCS permeability class determination.

Lychnophora trichocarpha (Spreng.) Spreng. ex Sch.Bip has been used in folk medicine to treat pain, inflammation, rheumatism and bruises. Eremantholide C, a sesquiterpene lactone, is one of the substances responsible for the anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperuricemic effects of L. trichocarpha. Considering the potential to become a drug for the treatment of inflammation and gouty arthritis, this study evaluated the permeability of eremantholide C using in situ intestinal perfusion in rats. From the permeability data, it was possible to predict the fraction absorbed of eremantholide C in humans and elucidate its oral absorption process. In situ intestinal perfusion studies were performed in the complete small intestine of rats using different concentrations of eremantholide C: 960μg/ml, 96μg/ml and 9.6μg/ml (with and without sodium azide), in order to verify the lack of dependence on the measured permeability as a function of the substance concentration in the perfusion solutions. Eremantholide C showed Peff values, in rats, greater than 5 × 10-5cm/s and fraction absorbed predicted for humans greater than 85%. These results indicated the high permeability for eremantholide C. Moreover, its permeation process occurs only by passive route, because there were no statistically significant differences between the Peff values for eremantholide C. The high permeability, in addition to the low solubility, indicated that eremantholide C is a biologically active substance BCS class II. The pharmacological activities, low toxicity and biopharmaceutics parameters demonstrate that eremantholide C has the necessary requirements for the development of a drug product, to be administered orally, with action on inflammation, hyperuricemia and gout.

A 90-Day Oral Toxicity of Hydroethanolic Root Extract of Carissa spinarum in Wistar Rats.

Background Herbal medication is a worldwide and ancient practice, mostly in developing countries, where a large part of the population is involved in this practice. Hence, studies must be conducted to evaluate their safety and efficiency to avoid or prevent toxicological risks due to their usage. In Togo, Carissa spinarum is a medicinal plant belonging to Apocynaceae family, used as an aphrodisiac or to heal some ailments including malaria, sickle cell anemia, hypertension, pain, and asthma. Notwithstanding its several ethnomedicinal benefits, just a few toxicological data associated with its chronic use are available. Objective Therefore, this study aims to assess the toxicity of an ethanolic root extract of Carissa spinarum in Wistar rats. Methods The 90-day oral toxicity process following OECD TG 408 guidelines is used. Male Wistar rats received Carissa spinarum root hydroethanolic extract at 500 and 1000 mg/kg for 90 days by oral gavage. Body weight changes, hematological and blood biochemical parameters, organ weight changes, malondialdehyde as a lipoperoxidation marker expressed according to tissue proteins, and histopathology of vital organs were assessed. Results No signs of toxicity or mortality were observed during the 90 days experiment. Hematological parameters have not shown any treatment-related abnormalities. According to biochemical parameters, an increase in the chloride ion level was observed at 1000 mg/kg (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the treated groups and the control group concerning the malondialdehyde concentration, body weight, and organ relative weight. No changes in necropsy and histopathology of vital organs associated with extract treatment were observed. Conclusion The results indicated that an ethanolic root extract of Carissa spinarum does not cause adverse effects, which can lead to Wistar rats' death after 90-day oral administration at 500 and 1000 mg.

Maternal Apical Periodontitis Increases Insulin Resistance and Modulates the Antioxidant Defense System in the Gastrocnemius Muscle of Adult Offspring

IntroductionMaternal apical periodontitis (AP) is associated with insulin resistance (IR) in adult offspring. Oxidative stress has been linked to IR. This study investigated insulin sensitivity (IS) and oxidative stress in the gastrocnemius muscle (GM) of adult offspring of rats with AP. MethodsFifteen female Wistar rats were distributed into a control group, a group with 1 tooth with AP, and a group with 4 teeth with AP. Thirty days after AP induction, female rats were mated with healthy male rats. When male offspring reached 75 days of age, glycemia, insulinemia, and IS were determined. In the GM, the oxidative damage products (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and carbonyl protein) and activities of enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) and nonenzymatic (glutathione and total antioxidant capacity) antioxidants were quantified. Analysis of variance was performed followed by the Tukey post hoc test (P < .05). ResultsMaternal AP was associated with decreased IS and changes in antioxidant activities (reduced superoxide dismutase and increased catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione) and decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substance concentration in the GM of their adult offspring. However, maternal AP does not appear to affect glycemia, carbonyl protein concentration, and the nonenzymatic total antioxidant capacity in the GM of this offspring. ConclusionsMaternal AP modulates the antioxidant defense system in the GM of their adult offspring, attenuating lipid peroxidation in this tissue. This reflects part of an adaptive response of the offspring to the stimulation of the maternal chronic oral inflammatory process in which the organism acts by decreasing oxidative tissue damage in the postnatal stage. The present study improves knowledge about the impact of maternal oral inflammation on healthy offspring.

Home care aides’ attitudes to training on oral health care

This study investigated home care aides’ (HCAs) oral health care experience, knowledge, and their intention to receive professional training, to explain and predict factors of their intention to receive such training. This cross-sectional study collected data through a structured questionnaire. HCAs affiliated with home care agencies in Taichung, Taiwan were recruited through purposive sampling. A total of 487 questionnaires were distributed from September to December 2015 with 280 valid responses collected (57.4%).This study predicted the factors of HCAs’ intention to receive oral health care training through a decision tree analysis. The decision tree model classified the respondents with an accuracy of 77.5%. The optimal predictor variable was oral health care knowledge (χ2 = 66.662, p < 0.0001). Among the low-scoring respondents on oral health care knowledge, 76.4% were classified in the “uninterested” group, whereas 84.8% of the high scorers were classified in the “interested” group. The second best predictor variable was whether oral health care is part of the job responsibility (χ2 = 7.979, p = 0.007). Among those who answered Yes, 92.9% were in the interested group, as were 76.5% of those who answered No. It is recommended to add “disease and oral care-related content” and “safety protection, assessment, and usage of oral care tools during practical oral care process” to the oral healthcare training course content for HCAs in order to improve HCAs’ oral healthcare knowledge and oral care skills. These research findings are valuable and may be taken into account in the future development of the in-service educational training of oral healthcare for HCAs.

Teacher Questioning in Mathematics Teaching: Feedback that Stimulates Productive Teaching

: Providing feedback to the student responses in the oral questioning process is an essential element in helping the students to understand the concept of mathematics. This study was conducted to describe the types of feedback given by primary school mathematics teachers regarding the student response in the oral questioning process when teaching mathematics. This qualitative study employed a multiple case study research design. The data was obtained through observation methods, interviews, document analysis, and field notes. The data collected was analyzed using the constant comparative analysis method to obtain the themes and sub-themes within the primary data. The selection of the study participants used the purposive sampling method, resulting in a total of six primary school mathematics teachers consisting of three new teachers and three experienced teachers. This study found that both the novice and experienced teachers provided a variety of feedback for the students' responses to the oral questioning activities during the mathematics teaching process, such as repeated trial feedback, explanatory feedback and easier questions feedback. This research provides a deeper understanding of how the different types of feedback given by the teachers as part of the oral questioning activities helps the students to stimulate their thinking.

Oral absorption mechanism of the polysaccharides from Gastrodia elata Blume base on fluorescence labeling

The mechanisms of action of polysaccharides in vivo have been widely elucidated. However, the systematic research of its absorption and transport mechanisms remains unclear. Herein, we extracted a polysaccharide fraction (GEP) from Gastrodia elata by water extraction and alcohol precipitation and aimed to reveal its oral absorption processes through animal models and Caco-2 cells monolayer models. Our research data showed that GEP-Cy5.5 could be absorbed through the small intestine and the main absorption intestinal segment was the ileum (the absorption rate constant [Ka]: (3.64 ± 0.70) × 10−4 cm/s; the effective apparent permeability [Papp value]: (4.88 ± 1.02) × 10−5 cm/s). The ligated intestinal loops also revealed that GEP-Cy5.5 could pass through the villi of the small intestine and the mucosal barrier into the submucosa. Furthermore, GEP-Cy5.5 was readily absorbed into the blood through the gastrointestinal tract, then distributed in the liver and the kidney. The Papp value of in vitro transport study was (1.29 ± 0.08) × 10−6 cm/s, which was a time-dependent process. Notably, GEP-Cy5.5 was transported through the endocytosis process mediated by clathrin and macropinocytosis. The underlying absorptive mechanisms of GEP in vivo and in vitro were clarified, which provided the guidance for clinical medicine administration and could deepen the biological understanding of oral polysaccharides.

Modification of the Lipid Profile of the Initial Oral Biofilm In Situ Using Linseed Oil as Mouthwash.

Lipids are of interest for the targeted modification of oral bioadhesion processes. Therefore, the sustainable effects of linseed oil on the composition and ultrastructure of the in situ pellicle were investigated. Unlike saliva, linseed oil contains linolenic acid (18:3), which served as a marker for lipid accumulation. Individual splints with bovine enamel slabs were worn by five subjects. After 1 min of pellicle formation, rinses were performed with linseed oil for 10 min, and the slabs’ oral exposure was continued for up to 2 or 8 h. Gas chromatography coupled with electron impact ionization mass spectrometry (GC-EI/MS) was used to characterize the fatty acid composition of the pellicle samples. Transmission electron microscopy was performed to analyze the ultrastructure. Extensive accumulation of linolenic acid was recorded in the samples of all subjects 2 h after the rinse and considerable amounts persisted after 8 h. The ultrastructure of the 2 h pellicle was less electron-dense and contained lipid vesicles when compared with controls. After 8 h, no apparent ultrastructural effects were visible. Linolenic acid is an excellent marker for the investigation of fatty acid accumulation in the pellicle. New preventive strategies could benefit from the accumulation of lipid components in the pellicle.

Fuerza de unión por micro-expulsión del sellador de conductos radiculares a base de minerales en conductos con diferentes ahusamientos.

Objective: Biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of oral lesions. Correct management and care of biopsy at all steps (before, during and after obtaining a biopsy) is highly important to provide proper tissue samples for microscopic assessment by pathologists. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge of dental students (DSs) and general dentists (GDs) on post-oral biopsy instructions. Material and Methods: A questionnaire including two parts was used: 1) Demographic data and self-evaluation of biopsy knowledge by the participants and 2) 11 items about the correct oral biopsy storage and transport to a histopathology laboratory. The data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed by STATA. Results: 48 GDs and 131 DSs participated in this study. The knowledge score of the DSs (5.43±2.01) was significantly lower than GDs (8.33±1.78) (p&lt;0.05). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between GDs' knowledge and their working experience, age, gender and the university they graduated from. However, there was a significant relationship between DSs' school year and their knowledge. Conclusion: The findings showed that the knowledge of DSs was lower than GDs. Since, these students will care for the oral and dental health of the community in the future, upgrading their training (by improving the quantity and quality of theoretical and practical training) is necessary to both understand the different aspects of biopsy, and to be familiar enough with proper oral biopsy storage and transport processes.

A critical role of AREG for bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis

We report our discovery of an important player in the development of skin fibrosis, a hallmark of scleroderma. Scleroderma is a fibrotic disease, affecting 70,000 to 150,000 Americans. Fibrosis is a pathological wound healing process that produces an excessive extracellular matrix to interfere with normal organ function. Fibrosis contributes to nearly half of human mortality. Scleroderma has heterogeneous phenotypes, unpredictable outcomes, no validated biomarkers, and no effective treatment. Thus, strategies to slow down scleroderma progression represent an urgent medical need. While a pathological wound healing process like fibrosis leaves scars and weakens organ function, oral mucosa wound healing is a scarless process. After re-analyses of gene expression datasets from oral mucosa wound healing and skin fibrosis, we discovered that several pathways constitutively activated in skin fibrosis are transiently induced during oral mucosa wound healing process, particularly the amphiregulin (Areg) gene. Areg expression is upregulated ~ 10 folds 24hrs after oral mucosa wound but reduced to the basal level 3 days later. During bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis, a commonly used mouse model for skin fibrosis, Areg is up-regulated throughout the fibrogenesis and is associated with elevated cell proliferation in the dermis. To demonstrate the role of Areg for skin fibrosis, we used mice with Areg knockout, and found that Areg deficiency essentially prevents bleomycin-induced skin fibrosis. We further determined that bleomycin-induced cell proliferation in the dermis was not observed in the Areg null mice. Furthermore, we found that inhibiting MEK, a downstream signaling effector of Areg, by selumetinib also effectively blocked bleomycin-based skin fibrosis model. Based on these results, we concluded that the Areg-EGFR-MEK signaling axis is critical for skin fibrosis development. Blocking this signaling axis may be effective in treating scleroderma.

Chemical-Induced Oral Squamous Cell Neoplasms in Rodents: An Overview of NTP 2-Year Cancer Studies.

Oral cancer is the seventh most common malignancy worldwide, and lifestyle factors participate in its development. Rodent studies can help identify substances that contribute to its development and provide information on the early stages of carcinogenicity. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has conducted more than 500 short-term and 2-year toxicology and carcinogenicity studies in rodents, and some of the tested compounds resulted in oral cancer. Our goal was to review the NTP carcinogenic studies to describe those chemicals that have oral carcinogenic outcome in rodents. For this project, we reviewed the results from all NTP carcinogenicity studies and a board-certified veterinary pathologist reviewed the slides from all neoplasms in the oral cavity that were considered treatment related. We have identified 26 chemicals with an adverse effect in the oral cavity. Fourteen chemicals demonstrated clear evidence of carcinogenicity in the oral cavity. We provide information on the carcinogenic findings in rodents together with a detailed description of the morphologic aspects of the oral cancers and speculate that the carcinogenic effects can be induced by different pathological modes of action. The findings reviewed here provide indicators for potential oral carcinogenesis processes in rodent models, which can be further investigated in future mechanistic studies.