Eco-Friendly Microwave Synthesis of Sodium Alginate-Chitosan Hydrogels for Effective Curcumin Delivery and Controlled Release.

In this study, we developed sodium alginate-chitosan hydrogels using a microwave-assisted synthesis method, aligning with green chemistry principles for enhanced sustainability. This eco-friendly approach minimizes chemical use and waste while boosting efficiency. A curcumin:2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin complex was incorporated into the hydrogels, significantly increasing the solubility and bioavailability of curcumin.

The Influence of Soft Segment Structure on the Properties of Polyurethanes.

A series of polyurethanes (PU) were synthesised via one-step polymerisation without a chain extender, using toluene diisocyanate as well as a variety of soft segments composed of different macrodiols. Poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) and polycaprolactone diol (PCL) were synthesised as a polyester type polyols to obtain soft segments. The process of varying the molar ratio of newly synthesised PDLLA in soft segments has been confirmed as a powerful tool for fine-tuning the final properties of PU.

Temperature-Sensitive Hydrogels as Carriers for Modulated Delivery of Acetaminophen.

The purposes of this study are the polymerization of temperature-sensitive copolymers based on N-isopropyl acrylamide and 10 mol % of 2-hydroxypropylmethacrylate, characterisations of their thermal, morphological and swelling properties, as well as the analysis of potential application in drug-delivery systems. Acetaminophen, the representative of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, was used as a model drug in this study. It is a common pain relief drug, which is also used for fever treatment.

A Review of Patents and Innovative Biopolymer-Based Hydrogels.

Biopolymers represent a great resource for the development and utilization of new functional materials due to their particular advantages such as biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. "Intelligent gels" sensitive to different stimuli (temperature, pH, ionic strength) have different applications in many industries (e.g.

Development of Light-Polymerized Dental Composite Resin Reinforced with Electrospun Polyamide Layers.

As the mechanical properties of resin-based dental composite materials are highly relevant in clinical practice, diverse strategies for their potential enhancement have been proposed in the extant literature, aiming to facilitate their reliable use in dental medicine. In this context, the focus is primarily given to the mechanical properties with the greatest influence on clinical success, i.e.

Developing Edge AI Computer Vision for Smart Poultry Farms Using Deep Learning and HPC.

This research describes the use of high-performance computing (HPC) and deep learning to create prediction models that could be deployed on edge AI devices equipped with camera and installed in poultry farms. The main idea is to leverage an existing IoT farming platform and use HPC offline to run deep learning to train the models for object detection and object segmentation, where the objects are chickens in images taken on farm. The models can be ported from HPC to edge AI devices to create a new type of computer vision kit to enhance the existing digital poultry farm platform.

Biomedical Applications of Thermosensitive Hydrogels for Controlled/Modulated Piroxicam Delivery.

The objectives of this study are the synthesis of thermosensitive poly(-isopropylacrylamide--2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate), p(NiPAm-HPMet), hydrogels and the analysis of a drug-delivery system based on piroxicam, as a model drug, and synthesized hydrogels. A high pressure liquid chromatography method has been used in order to determine both qualitative and quantitative amounts of unreacted monomers and crosslinkers from polymerized hydrogels. Swelling kinetics and the order of a swelling process of the hydrogels have been analyzed at 10 and 40 °C.

Effects of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy on Salivary 8-Hydroxy-Deoxyguanosine Levels and Glycemic Control in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Patients.

Diabetes and periodontitis are complex chronic diseases that are potentially interrelated, as well as associated with oxidative stress. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on salivary 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels and glycemic control in patients suffering from both diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and periodontitis. The study sample included 53 DM2 patients, while 31 systemically healthy patients served as controls.

THE INFLUENCE OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE TREATMENT ON 8-HYDROXY-DEOXYGUANOSINE CONCENTRATIONS IN SALIVA AND PLASMA OF CHRONIC PERIODONTITIS PATIENTS.

The 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is one of the customary products of oxidized DNA. The purpose of this study was to compare salivary and plasma 8-OHdG concentrations in a group of chronic periodontitis patients to those measured in a group of patients with healthy periodontium, as well as to determine the impact of periodontal therapy on 8-OHdG concentrations in saliva and plasma in chronic periodontitis patients. The study sample comprised of 24 patients with chronic periodontitis and 16 periodontally healthy individuals.

In vitro efficacy of antibiotics against different Borrelia isolates.

In the present study, the effectiveness of six antimicrobial agents have been tested against 24 borrelia strains isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks (11 Borrelia lusitaniae, eight Borrelia afzelii, three Borrelia garinii and two Borrelia valaisiana) and one B. lusitaniae strain isolated from human skin. The minimum inhibitory concentration range of antimicrobial agents was as follows: amoxicillin, 0.

Comparison of growth and morphology of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in BSK-H and BSK-II media stored for prolonged periods.

Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly II (BSK-II) and BSK-H media were used for cultivation and isolation of fastidious Borrelia species - the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis. Culture media have a limited shelf life and require adequate storage. Our goal was to assess how the growth of Borrelia would be affected by prolonged storage of media and inadequate storage conditions (BSK-H stored at +4 °C for 2.

Diversity of Lyme borreliosis spirochetes isolated from ticks in Serbia.

Spirochetes from the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.).

Golden jackals (Canis aureus) as hosts for ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Serbia.

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a medium-sized canid species native to Europe. This species is characterized by rapid large-scale expansion. A similar trend is also observed in Serbia, where the species is now distributed in more than a half of the territory.

Assessment of using recombinant Ixodes ricinus AV422 saliva protein for confirmation of tick bites in hunting dogs as naturally infested hosts.

Due to the recorded spreading of ticks in past years, a higher incidence of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) can be expected in the future in endemic areas, but can also pose an emerging public health concern in areas where they have not yet been recognized. Assessment of the exposure of vulnerable hosts to ticks would be a very helpful tool for TBD epidemiological studies, as well as for their proper managing. To confirm previous tick bites, the method of choice is detection of antibodies in host serum as markers developed against injected tick saliva proteins during feeding.

Assessment of risk factors and preventive measures and their relations to work-related musculoskeletal pain among dentists.

Background: Dentists have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal (MS) pain, which is the most common symptom associated with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). To overcome this problem, identification of the risk factors and preventive measures for MS pain are of paramount importance to dentists in order to improve their quality of life and work.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to recognize the risk factors for MS pain and their impact on dental work, as well as to identify preventive measures of MS pain among dentists.

Ixodes ricinus immunogenic saliva protein, homologue to Amblyomma americanum AV422: Determining its potential for use in tick bite confirmation.

Tick bites often go unnoticed, so specific reliable tests are needed to confirm them for prompt diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases. One of the promising candidates for developing such a test is AV422, a tick saliva protein that has been conserved across tick genera. In this study, we demonstrate the potential of the AV422 homologue from Ixodes ricinus to be used for tick bite detection for both Prostriata and Metastriata.

Different methods for subgingival application of chlorhexidine in the treatment of patients with chronic periodontitis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of different chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) preparations applied subgingivally as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP).

Material And Methods: A total of 120 periodontal pockets was included in this randomized, controlled, split mouth designed study. According to protocols used in treatment, periodontal pockets were assigned to experimental and control groups as follows: CHX solution as an addition to SRP versus control SRP group; CHX gel as an addition to SRP versus control SRP; CHX chip as an addition to SRP versus control SRP group.

The Association Between Periodontal Inflammation and Labor Triggers (Elevated Cytokine Levels) in Preterm Birth: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Periodontitis is considered to be a risk factor for preterm birth. Mechanisms have been proposed for this pathologic relation, but the exact pathologic pattern remains unclear. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to evaluate levels of four major labor triggers, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and serum samples between women with preterm birth (PTB) and full-term birth (FTB) and correlate them with periodontal parameters.

MMP-9 -1562 C>T (rs3918242) promoter polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for multiple gingival recessions.

The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the potential role of -1562 C>T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gene as a risk modulator in the development of multiple gingival recessions (MGRs) in young adults in the Serbian population. The study sample comprised 161 systemically healthy people: 60 with MGRs and 101 controls with healthy periodontal tissues. Genotyping was done using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism approach on DNA obtained from buccal swabs.

Ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) parasitizing bats in the central Balkans.

Ticks parasitizing bats have been largely understudied, especially in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, where the last data from the field research date from almost 25 years ago. Bats are hosts to a large number of ectoparasites, including ticks, which can act as vectors of zoonotic agents. For this reason, it is important to identify the distribution of ticks and their relationship to different hosts, including wild animals, bats in particular.

Clinical application of autologous fibroblast cell culture in gingival recession treatment.

Background And Objective: Gingival recession is defined as soft and hard tissue displacement resulting in root surface exposure. The optimal outcome of gingival recession treatment is complete, predictable and long-lasting root coverage with a significant level of tissue regeneration. Tissue engineering, which applies active regeneration principles, presents the contemporary treatment approach in the restitution and regeneration of lost tissues.

[Utilization of two different surgical techniques in gingival recession treatment: a comparative study].

Introduction: Gingival recession is a displacement of gingival margin apically to cement-enamel junction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the results achieved with two different surgical procedures used in gingival recession treatment.

Methods: Ten patients with bilateral buccal recession on maxillary canines or premolars were included in the study.

Salivary interleukin-8 levels in children suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between the salivary levels of IL-8 in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) with (DM+P) or without (DM-P) concomitant periodontitis and healthy subjects. The correlations between the levels of these cytokines and clinical periodontal parameters were also established.

Methods: Twenty children and adolescents with Type 1 DM (10 diagnosed with periodontitis, 10 presenting no signs of periodontitis) and a control group consisting of 20 healthy children and adolescents aged 7-18 years were recruited for this study.

The influence of different therapeutic modalities and platelet rich plasma on apexogenesis: a preliminary study in monkeys.

Background: Traumatic injuries of permanent teeth with incomplete root formation are frequent during childhood. Adequate therapy is important for the further destiny of teeth with damaged pulp.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of pulpotomy and high pulpotomy on the pulp and on root development, and the effect of platelet rich plasma (PRP) with hydroxyapatite (HAP) as a carrier and hydroxyapatite alone on apexogenesis.