An Oral-mucosa-on-a-chip sensitively evaluates cell responses to dental monomers.

Knowledge of human gingival cell responses to dental monomers is critical for the development of new dental materials. Testing standards have been developed to provide guidelines to evaluate biological functionality of dental materials and devices. However, one shortcoming of the traditional testing platforms is that they do not recapitulate the multi-layered configuration of gingiva, and thus cannot evaluate the layer-specific cellular responses.

Use of Protein Repellents to Enhance the Antimicrobial Functionality of Quaternary Ammonium Containing Dental Materials.

An advancement in preventing secondary caries has been the incorporation of quaternary ammonium containing (QAC) compounds into a composite resin mixture. The permanent positive charge on the monomers allows for electrostatic-based killing of bacteria. Spontaneous adsorption of salivary proteins onto restorations dampens the antimicrobial capabilities of QAC compounds.

Physicochemical, Mechanical, and Antimicrobial Properties of Novel Dental Polymers Containing Quaternary Ammonium and Trimethoxysilyl Functionalities.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical and mechanical properties, antimicrobial (AM) functionality, and cytotoxic potential of novel dental polymers containing quaternary ammonium and trimethoxysilyl functionalities (e.g., N-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propan-1-aminium iodide (AM) and N-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-11-(trimethoxysilyl)undecan-1-aminium bromide (AM)).

Oral mucosa-on-a-chip to assess layer-specific responses to bacteria and dental materials.

The human oral mucosa hosts a diverse microbiome and is exposed to potentially toxic biomaterials from dental restoratives. Mucosal health is partly determined by cell and tissue responses to challenges such as dental materials and pathogenic bacteria. An model to rapidly determine potential layer-specific responses would lead to a better understanding of mucosal homeostasis and pathology.

Antimicrobial Monomers for Polymeric Dental Restoratives: Cytotoxicity and Physicochemical Properties.

A trend for the next generation of polymeric dental restoratives is to incorporate multifunctional capabilities to regulate microbial growth and remineralize tooth surfaces. Polymerizable 2-(methacryloyloxy)--(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl)-,-dimethylethan-1-aminium bromide (IDMA1) and ,'-([1,1'-biphenyl]-2,2'-diylbis(methylene))bis(2-(methacryloyloxy)-,-dimethylethan-1-aminium) bromide (IDMA2), intended for utilization in bi-functional antimicrobial and remineralizing composites, were synthesized, purified with an ethanol-diethyl ether-hexane solvent system, and validated by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and C NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. When incorporated into light-curable urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA)/polyethylene glycol-extended UDMA (PEG-U)/ethyl 2-(hydroxymethyl)acrylate (EHMA) (assigned UPE) resins, IDMAs did not affect the overall resins' hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance (water contact angle: 60.

Utility of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate-Based Scaffolds in Dental/Biomedical Applications.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials are important inorganic constituents in biological hard tissue. CaPs, including amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) have been widely applied in dental and biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering. Scaffold constructs are commonly used as templates to create a biomimetic environment.

Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Tissue Repair.

Bioactive polymeric materials based on calcium phosphates have tremendous appeal for hard tissue repair because of their well-documented biocompatibility. Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP)-based ones additionally protect against unwanted demineralization and actively support regeneration of hard tissue minerals. Our group has been investigating the structure/composition/property relationships of ACP polymeric composites for the last two decades.

Blow-spun chitosan/PEG/PLGA nanofibers as a novel tissue engineering scaffold with antibacterial properties.

Blow spinning is continuing to gain attention in tissue engineering, as the resultant nanofibrous structures can be used to create a biomimetic environment. In this study, blow spinning was used to construct nanofiber scaffolds with up to 10 % chitosan and poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) in the absence or presence of poly(ethylene glycol). Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that nanofibers were distributed randomly to form three-dimensional mats.

Risk assessment and sensitivity meta-analysis of alveolar osteitis occurrence in oral contraceptive users.

Background: In this study, the authors conducted an alveolar osteitis (AO) risk assessment and global sensitivity meta-analysis within populations using oral contraceptives (OCs). Sex, smoking, and timing within the menstrual cycle were considered as factors.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: Eligibility criteria for inclusion of a study in the meta-analysis were experimental or medical record survey data evaluating AO and OC use, ability to draw pairwise comparisons for factors of interest, and description of the number of AO events relative to the number of participants in the respective group.

Diagnostic accuracy of a point-of-care blood typing kit conducted by potential end users.

The usability of a rapid point-of-care ABO-Rh blood typing kit was determined by comparing the performance of individuals with extensive medical training/experience to those with a lesser extent. Subjects were asked to use the blood typing kit with their own blood. These outcomes were compared to that listed in the subject's medical record, stamped on their dog tag, and the result interpreted by a laboratorian.

Antimicrobial activity of nanoemulsion in combination with cetylpyridinium chloride in multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a serious problematic pathogen due to the ever-increasing presence of antibiotic resistance, demonstrating a need for novel, broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapeutic options. Antimicrobial nanoemulsions are emulsified mixtures of detergent, oil, and water (droplet size, 100 to 800 nm) which have broad antimicrobial activity against bacteria, enveloped viruses, and fungi. Here, we screened the antimicrobial activities of five nanoemulsion preparations against four Acinetobacter baumannii isolates to identify the most suitable preparation for further evaluation.

The effect of simulated field storage conditions on the accuracy of rapid user-friendly blood pathogen detection kits.

Being able to test for the presence of blood pathogens at forward locations could reduce morbidity and mortality in the field. Rapid, user-friendly blood typing kits for detecting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) were evaluated to determine their accuracy after storage at various temperatures/humidities. Rates of positive tests of control groups, experimental groups, and industry standards were compared (Fisher's exact chi2, p < or = 0.

Accuracy of user-friendly blood typing kits tested under simulated military field conditions.

Rapid user-friendly ABO-Rh blood typing kits (Eldon Home Kit 2511, ABO-Rh Combination Blood Typing Experiment Kit) were evaluated to determine their accuracy when used under simulated military field conditions and after long-term storage at various temperatures and humidities. Rates of positive tests between control groups, experimental groups, and industry standards were measured and analyzed using the Fisher's exact chi-square method to identify significant differences (p < or = 0.05).

Stability of user-friendly blood typing kits stored under typical military field conditions.

To help preserve in-theater strength within deployed military units, commercially available, rapid, user-friendly ABO-Rh blood typing kits were evaluated to determine their stability in storage conditions commonly encountered by the warfighter. Methods for environmental exposure testing were based on MIL-STD-810F. When Eldon Home Kits 2511 were exposed to various temperature/relative humidity conditions, the results were comparable to those obtained with the control group and those obtained with industry-standard methods.

The anthrax vaccine: no new tricks for an old dog.

The original license for production of the anthrax vaccine, Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA), was issued in 1970. Since that time, over 8 million AVA immunizations have been administered to 2+ million individuals. In 2002, the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, reviewed the safety and efficacy of AVA.

Rapid point-of-care test to detect broad ranges of protective antigen-specific immunoglobulin G concentrations in recipients of the U.S.-licensed anthrax vaccine.

Currently, there is no routine monitoring of an immune response to the anthrax vaccine. Simple on-site tests are needed to evaluate the antibody response of anthrax-vaccinated individuals in the Armed Forces and others at high risk. Using a prototype lateral flow assay (LFA) (R.

Detection of anti-protective antigen salivary IgG antibodies in recipients of the US licensed anthrax vaccine.

The immune response of anthrax vaccine recipients is not routinely monitored. For field use, a noninvasive test would be beneficial to evaluate the antibody response of anthrax-vaccinated individuals working within a high-risk area of possible exposure. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether whole saliva can be used as a surrogate matrix for the detection of 83 kDa protective antigen (PA)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG).

The impact of incomplete vaccination schedules on the magnitude and duration of protective antigen-specific IgG responses in recipients of the US licensed anthrax vaccine.

Using a cross-sectional analysis design, we measured serum anti-protective antigen (PA) concentrations in individuals receiving six or fewer US licensed anthrax vaccinations. Samples were collected from 363 individuals with a mean of 29.6+/-8.