Category: Nevin Manimala

Am J Perinatol. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/a-1827-7518. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the utility of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), troponin, galectin-3 and miRNA-126a-5p as screening biomarkers for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) by comparing expression in serum of infants with hypoxic-ischemic injury that develop PPHN to those that do not. Study design This was a prospective, observational pilot study including neonates with hypoxic-ischemic injury undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH) at two regional perinatal medical centers. PPHN in this population was diagnosed clinically and confirmed by ECHO. Serial measurements of biomarkers were performed from 6-96 hours post-TH initiation in 40 patients. Results Of 40 infants in study, 10 (25%) developed PPHN and 30 (75%) did not. Baseline demographics and hemodynamics were similar between the groups. Patients with PPHN had significantly higher need for vasopressors compared to patients without PPHN (70% vs. 27%, p=0.007). Mean serum BNP and troponin levels were significantly higher in PPHN group peaking at 12-24 hours and decreasing following PPHN treatment initiation. MiRNA-126a-5p expression was increased in patients with PPHN compared to patients without, with statistical significance detected at 12 hours (p=0.005) and 96 hours (p=0.01). Mean circulating Gal-3 levels were not statistically different between the two groups; however, Gal-3 was elevated in all patients with hypoxic-ischemic injury on TH compared to healthy infants from prior studies. Conclusion BNP and troponin are readily available, low-cost biomarkers that showed significant serial elevations in PPHN group of study, thus may have value in screening for PPHN in the setting of HIE. Galectin-3 was elevated in all patients with HIE and may be a useful biomarker of hypoxic injury in infants being evaluated for TH. Elevations in MiRNA-126a-5p were not consistently seen in this study. Larger studies are required to establish an association between PPHN and these biomarkers in patients with and without HIE.

PMID:35436801 | DOI:10.1055/a-1827-7518

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1742125. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the antibiofilm effectiveness of cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanii) ethanol extract against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in vitro.

MATERIAL AND: METHODS: Phytochemical tests were done to identify the cinnamon extract active substances. Furthermore, a crystal violet biofilm assay was used to analyze biofilm detachment after treatment with different concentrations (15, 10, 7.5, 5, and 2.5%) of cinnamon. Biofilm turbidity was measured at 595-nm wavelength using a microplate reader. Additionally, MTT assay was done to analyze the toxicity level of cinnamon extract on fibroblast cells.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The obtained data were analyzed for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The differences between each group were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance statistical test, with a significance level of p <0.05.

RESULTS: The results showed that the ethanol extract of cinnamon contains active compounds of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, quinones, and terpenoids. MTT result showed the cinnamon extract to be nontoxic. The biofilm assay results showed that all cinnamon concentrations exhibited an antibiofilm effect against P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans in all incubation time compared with a negative control (p <0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Cinnamon extracts were effective in inhibiting biofilm of periodontal pathogens. Cinnamon extract might be useful as an alternative therapy for periodontal diseases. Future studies are still needed to confirm this result in vivo to analyze the efficacy of this extract as mouthwash.

PMID:35436792 | DOI:10.1055/s-0041-1742125

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743152. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine (1) the level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 and dental emergency (DE) along with the factors that might be associated (2) with the effect of educational video on the level of knowledge among nondental students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This online pre-experimental study used an educational video regarding COVID-19 and DE with a one-group pretest-posttest design toward the undergraduate nondental students (n = 363) from six public universities in West Java Province, Indonesia, aged 18 to 22 years. A Google Form was used and convenience sampling was undertaken.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The chi-squared, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and Spearman correlation tests were performed. Cohen’s d effect size was used to assess the effect of videos.

RESULTS: Most of the respondents were females around 20.36 ± 0.94 years. There is a statistically significant difference between the pre- and posttest knowledge score for COVID-19 (p <0.001) and DE (p <0.001). The “with dental school” group had a significantly higher pretest score in DE literacy than the “without dental school” group. There is a significantly positive linear relationship between the frequency of watching videos and the posttest score. The effect size was 1.03 and 0.8 for COVID-19 and DE, respectively. The majority of students agreed (agree and very agree) with all statements regarding video education.

CONCLUSIONS: The level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 and DE increased from 5.30 to 6.75 and 6.58 to 8.02, respectively. The associated factors were the type of university and the frequency of watching videos. Educational intervention seems to have a great effect in increasing the knowledge of nondental students.

PMID:35436791 | DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1743152

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1742131. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Frequent consumption of acidic beverages and dietary preservatives in younger generation, diet-conscious (celebrities), and obese individuals have a rapid impact on demineralization of the teeth. An attempt was made to analyze the erosive potential of various acidic beverages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and ninety extracted human permanent teeth were sectioned longitudinally, pre-weighed, randomly grouped, and placed in nine acidic beverages (200 mL) with predetermined pH, i.e., three commercially available fruit juices, three carbonated drinks, and three dietary preservatives.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The sectioned specimens (n = 10) were analyzed at time intervals of 12, 24, 48, and 96 days. Mean weight loss was calculated, and surface changes were assessed under a stereomicroscope. The demineralization pattern and microscopic changes were observed under a compound and polarizing microscope. One-way analysis of variance test followed by Tukey’s post-hoc analysis was employed.

RESULTS: Overall the maximum demineralizing effect was caused by vinegar and apple cider. In the fruit juices category, lemon juice induced significant changes, while in the carbonated drinks category Coca-Cola induced the maximum changes and in the category of food preservatives vinegar induced the maximum changes. Severe discoloration was seen with respect to Coca-Cola followed by Mountain Dew (carbonated drink).

CONCLUSION: The present study is unique as three different types of microscopes have been employed and both dentin and enamel of permanent teeth have been analyzed. In addition, the effect of dietary preservatives on hard tissues was evaluated. Oral health educators can reinforce important practices such as decreasing the frequency of consumption and time duration of beverage contact with the teeth. Also, the use of mouth rinses and buffering agents after the consumption of dietary beverages can be advocated along with regular fluoride application for those who are regular consumers.

PMID:35436789 | DOI:10.1055/s-0041-1742131

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743146. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Migratory speed rate evaluation of human dental pulp stromal cells (hDP-SCs) is one of the important steps in dental pulp regeneration. Therefore, the aim of the study is to analyze various concentrations of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) culture media toward hDP-SCs’ migratory speed rate evaluations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hDP-SCs were divided into four groups: control: hDP-SCs in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium + 10% fetal bovine serum group; hDP-SCs in 1% A-PRF group; hDP-SCs in 5% A-PRF group; and hDP-SCs in 10% A-PRF group, which were planted in 24-well (5 × 10⁴ cell/well). The migratory speed rate of all groups was measured by using cell migration assay (scratch wound assay) after 24 hours. Cell characteristics were evaluated under microscope (Inverted microscope, Zeiss, Observer Z1, UK) that can be read through image-J interpretation. This image J represented the measurement of migratory speed rate (nm/h) data. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tamhane’s test (p < 0.05) (IBM SPSS Statistics Software, version 22.0).

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the migratory speed rates of hDP-SCs among various concentration groups of A-PRF (1, 5, and 10%) compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION: The increase in the migratory speed rate of hDP-SCs was highest in 10% A-PRF group.

PMID:35436790 | DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1743146

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743151. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) persistence among dental students two decades after infant vaccination and immune response after revaccination or booster dose in nonimmune groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using laboratory reports for anti-HBs performed to dental students at the Umm al-Qura University from 2016 to 2020. Reports were classified according to baseline antibody titer into group I (titer <10 mIU/mL), group II (titer 10 to <100 mIU/mL), and group III (titer ≥100 mIU/mL). The basal antibody titer of each group was correlated to student’s gender and birth year and compared with postrevaccination or booster dose titer in groups I and II.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data of baseline and postrevaccination anti-HBs antibody titers were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). One-way ANOVA was used to compare between different means for antibody titers of students as well as baseline and postrevaccination antibody levels for nonimmune students with nonprotective antibody titers. Pairwise multiple comparison of the difference between baseline and postrevaccination anti-HBs antibody titers were done by post hoc Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test. Chi-squared test was used for comparing between the frequencies. A p-Value of ≤0.05 was considered significant and p < 0.01 was considered highly significant.

RESULTS: A significant percentage (73.6%) of students had antibody titer <10 mIU/mL, while only 4.8% had antibody titer ≥100 mIU/mL with nonsignificant difference between both genders (χ ² =3.784, p = 0.151). A statistically nonsignificant difference was also found between the three categories of anti-HBs antibody titers among students with different birth dates (χ ² = 13.817, p = 0.182). After revaccination of nonimmune students, 100% of them showed strongly protective antibody titers with mean of 842.88 to 844.58 mIU/mL. A highly significant difference was observed between the mean baseline and postrevaccination antibody titers in both genders, with a higher mean of post revaccination (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: Two decades after infant immunization, a significant percentage of dental students failed to maintain the anti-HBs seroprotective titer. So titer measurement should be made compulsory before they begin their clinical training and revaccination or booster dose should be given to nonimmune students to maintain a high protection level.

PMID:35436788 | DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1743151

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743154. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The malondialdehyde (MDA) level and TA count represent the progression of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) to malignancy and thus may be used as an indicator of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). This study aimed to determine the MDA level and tissue apoptosis (TA) count in oropharyngeal tissue of Wistar rats exposed to sidestream cigarette smoke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into three groups: T4 group (4-week cigarette smoke exposure), T8 group (8-week cigarette smoke exposure), and control group, which was not exposed to cigarette smoke. The oropharyngeal tissue of the rats from each group was examined histopathologically to count the number of apoptotic cells, and then the blood serum was made to measure the MDA level.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Bonferroni test was performed to see the differences in each group for MDA level. While the data from tissue apoptosis were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test for the significance. All data were considered significant if p < 0.05.

RESULTS: The MDA level and TA count increased as the duration of cigarette smoke exposure increased. In the T8 group, the MDA level and TA count were significantly higher compared with the T4 and control groups with a p-value < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to sidestream cigarette smoke increased the TA count and MDA level in the oropharyngeal tissue of Wistar rats. The TA count and MDA level may be used as markers of OPMD.

PMID:35436787 | DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1743154

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1743155. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of learning by observation on the development of fine motor skills related to endodontic manual instrumentation. We evaluated if learning by observation with guidance had any influence upon operator performance under tense or taxing conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dental students prepared standardized simulated root canals of varying morphology. Learning involved silent video with hand guidance (n = 23), audiovisual combined with oral instructions (n = 23), or silent video (n = 13). Undergraduates who previously completed conventional preclinical endodontics provided comparative data as a control group (n = 16). During investigations, a root canal of a lower molar plastic tooth was shaped, beginning with a primary task, and followed by multitasking conditions. The performance of the students was assessed by evaluating the accuracy of dental canal shaping and time taken to complete the task.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Differences were analyzed using ANOVA (p < 0.05).

RESULTS: Performance was similar during learning between the three experimental groups. Accuracy of the performance did not differ within each group for the two tests nor between the groups at each test (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that performance subsequent to learning by observation without instructions was comparable to learning with instructed observation. The results also identified that the performance of the experimental group (1.5- to 2-hour practice) was comparable with the conventional control group (15- to 20-hour practice). Alternative approaches to learning dexterity skills in dentistry may provide improved outcomes, especially in demanding situations.

PMID:35436786 | DOI:10.1055/s-0042-1743155

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2022 Apr 19. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002712. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Children with medical complexity (CMC) compose 1% of the pediatric population but account for 20% of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits. Previous descriptions of challenges and interventions to ensure quality of care are limited. Our objective was to elicit pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians’ perspectives on challenges and opportunities for improvement of emergency care of CMC, with a focus on emergency information forms (EIFs).

METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey of PEM physicians participating the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Emergency Medicine Survey listserv. The survey was designed using an expert panel, and subsequently piloted and revised to an 18-item survey. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one of 495 respondents (30%) completed the survey. Most respondents (62.9%) reported caring for >10 CMC per month. Whereas overall medical fragility and time constraints were major contributors to the challenges of caring for CMC in the ED, communication with known providers and shared care plans were identified as particularly helpful. Most respondents did not report routine use of EIFs. Anticipated emergencies/action plan was deemed the most important component of EIFs.

CONCLUSIONS: Most PEM physicians view the care for CMC in the ED as challenging despite practicing in high-resource environments. Further research is needed to develop and implement strategies to improve care of CMC in the ED. Understanding experiences of providers in general ED settings is also an important next step given that 80% of CMC present for emergency care outside of major children’s hospitals.

PMID:35436769 | DOI:10.1097/PEC.0000000000002712

Eur J Dent. 2022 Apr 18. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1741375. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Airborne particles are one of the most important factors in the spread of infectious pathogens and must be monitored in healthcare facilities. Viable particles are living microorganisms, whereas non-viable particles do not contain microorganisms but act as transport for viable particles. The effectiveness of ozone in reducing these particles in a non-controlled room and a controlled cleanroom using high-efficiency particles air (HEPA) filter was analyzed in this study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Viable particles and non-viable particles sized 0.5 and 5 μm were quantified before and after ozonation in two different health environments: non-controlled (group 1) and controlled area, which was associated with a HEPA filtering system (group 2). Active air sampling using a MAS 100 was used to count the number of viable particles, while the number of non-viable particles/m³ was obtained following the manufacturer’s recommendations of the Lasair III 310C system.

RESULTS: Our results of the viable particles counting were not quantifiable and analyzed using statistical tests. Both groups showed a slight tendency to reduce the number of viable particles after ozonation of the environmental air. A statistically significant reduction of non-viable 5 μm particles after ozonation was observed in both groups (G1: p = 0,009; G2: p = 0,002). Reduction in the non-viable 0.5 μm particles after ozonation was observed only in group 2, associated with the HEPA filter. In group 1, after ozonation, a significant increase in 0.5 μm particles was observed, probably due to the breaking of 5 μm particles by ozone gas. Our results suggest that ozone gas can break 5 μm particles and, when associated with a HEPA filter, increases its effectiveness in removing 0.5 μm particles.

CONCLUSION: Considering that 5 μm particles are important in the air transport of microorganisms, their reduction in the environment can be a relevant parameter in controlling the dissemination of infections.

PMID:35436785 | DOI:10.1055/s-0041-1741375