Live Attenuated Bacterial Vectors as Vehicles for DNA Vaccine Delivery: A Mini Review.

DNA vaccines are third-generation vaccines composed of plasmids that encode vaccine antigens. Their advantages include fast development, safety, stability, and cost effectiveness, which make them an attractive vaccine platform for genetic and infectious diseases. However, the low transfection efficiency of DNA vaccines results in poor performance in both larger animals and humans, thereby limiting their clinical use.

Low-Cost Perovskite Solar Cell Fabricated using the Expanded Graphite Back Contact and Electronically Conducting Activated Carbon as the Hole Transporting Material.

Although perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have reached a record high conversion efficiency of 25.7%, the materials used to fabricate them invoke costly hole-transporting materials, such as spiro-OMeTAD, and expensive gold back contacts. The cost of fabrication of a solar cell or any other practical device is an important issue in their practical applications.

The Unique Role of Hope and Optimism in the Relationship between Environmental Quality and Life Satisfaction during COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 in Malaysia has significantly affected the higher education system of the country and increased the level of distress among university students. Empirical evidence proposed that environment quality is associated with university students' life satisfaction during COVID-19. It was found that hope and optimism are linked with greater life satisfaction in general.

Lysine Demethylases: Promising Drug Targets in Melanoma and Other Cancers.

Epigenetic dysregulation has been implicated in a variety of pathological processes including carcinogenesis. A major group of enzymes that influence epigenetic modifications are lysine demethylases (KDMs) also known as "erasers" which remove methyl groups on lysine (K) amino acids of histones. Numerous studies have implicated aberrant lysine demethylase activity in a variety of cancers, including melanoma.

Study of the Female Sex Survival Advantage in Melanoma-A Focus on X-Linked Epigenetic Regulators and Immune Responses in Two Cohorts.

Background: Survival from melanoma is strongly related to patient sex, with females having a survival rate almost twice that of males. Many explanations have been proposed but have not withstood critical scrutiny. Prior analysis of different cancers with a sex bias has identified six X-linked genes that escape X chromosome inactivation in females and are, therefore, potentially involved in sex differences in survival.

The Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitors Ranibizumab and Aflibercept Markedly Increase Expression of Atherosclerosis-Associated Inflammatory Mediators on Vascular Endothelial Cells.

Introduction: Recent studies have suggested that the VEGF inhibitors, Ranibizumab and Aflibercept may be associated with an excess of cardiovascular events, potentially driven by increasing atheroma instability, leading to plaque rupture and clinical events. Inflammation plays a key role in the progression of atherosclerotic plaque and particularly conversion to an unstable phenotype. Here, we sought to assess the in vitro effects of these drugs on the expression of key inflammatory mediators on endothelial cells.

Low-power pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation for pre-emptive anaesthesia: A morphological and histological study.

Background And Aims: To determine if tooth structure or dental pulp of normal healthy human premolar teeth to be extracted for orthodontic reasons exhibit morphological or histological changes following dental anaesthesia by pulsed Nd:YAG laser and subsequent cavity preparation (CP). Materials (Subjects) and Methods: 54 bilateral paired of human, healthy premolar teeth identified for inclusion in a clinical trial of Nd:YAG-induced anaesthesia and subsequently extracted for orthodontic reasons, were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups: Group 1 - teeth (n=44) were irradiated with 150 µs pulsed Nd:YAG laser-1064 nm (American Dental Laser, dLase300, Sunrise Technologies Inc., Folsom, CA, USA; Average power: 1.

The non-canonical Wnt ligand, Wnt5a, is upregulated and associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objective: Aberrant Wnt signalling has previously been associated with gynaecological cancers, and the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Wnt5a in epithelial ovarian cancer, and clarify its role in activating or inhibiting β-catenin dependent and independent Wnt signalling pathways.

Method: Wnt5a expression was investigated in a large cohort of epithelial ovarian cancer patient samples using immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological variables. Wnt5a function was investigated in vitro in ovarian cell lines.

Displacement of a mandibular third molar root fragment into the pterygomandibular space.

Displacement of root fragments into adjacent anatomical areas is an uncommon complication of the removal of teeth. This paper describes the management of a mandibular third molar root fragment that was forced into the antero-inferior aspect of the pterygomandibular space. The importance of tomographical radiographs in the visualization of the displaced root is also discussed.

Cardiovascular effects of bupivacaine and the role of this agent in preemptive dental analgesia.

Inappropriately high blood concentrations of bupivacaine have been reported to cause toxicity and even death. The potential for cardiovascular toxicity and the difficulty with which this may be reversed has made the dental practitioners reluctant to use this agent. Nevertheless, cardiovascular toxicity from its use in and around the mouth is exceedingly rare.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the mandible presenting following tooth extraction.

A case of oral non-Hodgkin's lymphoma presenting following a tooth extraction is reported. The clinical presentation was that of a periodontal lesion and an extraction socket that failed to heal, which may have led to initial confusion in diagnosis and management.

Bupivacaine versus lidocaine for third molar surgery: a double-blind, randomized, crossover study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical use of bupivacaine to lidocaine in third molar surgery.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-three subjects underwent surgical removal of their third molars in two separate procedures. Bupivacaine was used for the third molars on one side, whereas lidocaine was used on the other side.

Pharmacokinetics of EMLA cream 5% application to oral mucosa.

Plasma concentrations of lidocaine and prilocaine were measured following the application of a 5% eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) topical anesthetic cream to the oral mucosa of twelve subjects. For each subject, a total of 8 g of EMLA was occluded to 18 cm2 of buccal mucosa for 30 min. Analysis was carried out by high-pressure liquid chromatography, and results showed peak concentrations at 40 min for lidocaine and prilocaine.

Biochemical analysis of simple bone cyst fluid--report of a case.

The case of a simple bone cyst occurring in the ramus of the mandible of a 19-year-old woman is reported. The fluid aspirated from the cyst cavity was biochemically analysed. The electrolyte and protein concentrations were similar to those of serum.

Pulpal anesthesia from an application of a eutectic topical anesthetic.

A new topical anesthetic agent, EMLA cream 5%, was investigated to determine if long application times could produce a degree of pulpal anesthesia. Thirteen subjects underwent testing in a double-blind manner. Pulpal anesthesia was assessed by electrical pulp testing.

The fate of teeth in mandibular fracture lines. A clinical and radiographic follow-up study.

The aim of this study was to compare the morbidity of permanent teeth associated with mandibular fractures treated with plates with those treated with interdental wiring. Fractures involving third molars were excluded. Sixty-three teeth in the line of fractures in 40 patients were investigated clinically (tooth vitality; periodontal status) and with periapical radiographs.

A clinical evaluation of three topical anaesthetic agents.

This study compared the efficacy of EMLA 5% Cream, Xylocaine 5% (lignocaine 5 per cent) and NUM (benzocaine 15 per cent, amethocaine 1.7 per cent) to a placebo in reducing the pain experience during needle insertion. In a random, double blind study three groups of twenty volunteers each had a paired topical anaesthetic/placebo placed bilaterally in the buccal sulcus of the upper premolar regions for two minutes, followed by the insertion of a standard 27 gauge needle to a depth of 5 mm.

An analysis of 80 cases of mandibular fractures treated with miniplate osteosynthesis.

A study of 80 consecutive cases of mandibular fractures treated utilizing miniplate osteosynthesis is reported. Analysis of the data collected from 2 inner city hospitals revealed a high incidence of males (90%), alcohol abusers (44%), smokers (77%) and unemployed (36%). Assault was the aetiological factor in 72.

Limitations of rotational panoramic radiographs in the diagnosis of maxillary lesions. Case report.

This case report clearly demonstrates that misdiagnosis may result from failure to recognize the limitations dictated by the width of the focal trough in rotational panoramic radiographs. The patient's clinical signs and symptoms were at variance with the findings from the rotational panoramic radiograph. A subsequent radiographic view by the occipito-mental (Water's) projection showed the extent and malignant features of the lesion.

A case of AIDS presenting as intra-oral malignant lymphoma.

A range of oral manifestations in a patient who was subsequently confirmed as infected with the human immune deficiency virus are presented. Most of these lesions have been previously reported in the literature, and represent opportunistic infection changes resulting from immune deficiency. The rare occurrence of a malignant large cell lymphoma intra-orally in this patient is also reported.

An evaluation of the closed mouth mandibular block technique.

This randomised double-blind study compared the efficacy of the closed-mouth and the conventional mandibular block injection techniques in 200 patients requiring anaesthesia for tooth extractions. Results showed the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve anaesthesia with a single injection to be 97% in the conventional group, and 79% in the closed-mouth group. Within 5 min after the injection, 87% of the conventional group as compared with 55% of the closed-mouth group had lip numbness.

An unusual late recurrence of unicystic ameloblastoma.

Unicystic ameloblastomas are considered to be a less aggressive form of ameloblastoma and treatment by simple enucleation has been suggested as adequate for the majority of these cases. However, a case of unicystic ameloblastoma is reported which was treated by enucleation and the patient presented 21 years later with a multicystic recurrence. This raises the question of whether the unicystic variety should be treated in the same manner as the multicystic and solid varieties, thus necessitating a common approach to treatment and post-operative follow-up of all forms of ameloblastoma.

Buffering capacity of normal and inflamed tissues following the injection of local anaesthetic solutions.

This study has compared the buffering capacity of inflamed skin with that of normal skin, in rats, following the injection of commonly used, relatively acidic local anaesthetic solutions. Inflammation was induced by the intradermal injection of 1% carrageenan 0.1 ml.