5-FU Weakens Defensive Functions of the Junctional Epithelium.

Aim: To investigate additional factors contributing to the pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis and periodontitis beyond the systemic immune suppression caused by the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU).

Methods: 5-Fluorouracil was topically delivered to the non-keratinized, rapidly proliferating junctional epithelium (JE) surrounding the dentition, and acts as an immunologic and functional barrier to bacterial ingression. Various techniques, including EdU incorporation, quantitative immunohistochemistry (qIHC), histology, enzymatic activity assays, and micro-computed tomographic (μCT) imaging, were employed to analyze the JE at multiple time points following topical 5-FU treatment.

Preoperative hemoglobin to albumin ratio as a prognostic predictor for patients with colorectal cancer surgery.

The purpose of this study was to identify whether the preoperative hemoglobin to albumin ratio (HAR) could predict the prognosis of patients who underwent colorectal cancer (CRC) radical resection. This study enrolled 4018 consecutive CRC patients, calculating HAR as the hemoglobin count divided by albumin count. Patients were divided into the high and low HAR groups based on a cut-off value (0.

Disaccharidase Enzyme Deficiency in Adult Patients with Gas and Bloating.

Introduction: Disaccharidases produced by the small intestinal brush border facilitate digestion of dietary carbohydrates. If deficient, they can cause carbohydrate malabsorption resulting in several abdominal symptoms. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of disaccharidase deficiency and correlate this with abdominal symptoms in adult patients with chronic abdominal symptoms.

Gaps in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for Blindness and Low Vision: The Imperative of Rehabilitation for Visual Disability.

Persons with blindness and low vision experience increased fall and injury risk beyond atypical biomechanics and balance impairments. Falling risk doubles with blindness, and more than triples with depth perception losses. Despite this, physical therapy focuses on musculoskeletal injuries postevent rather than taking a proactive and preventative approach for persons with blindness and low vision.

In Vitro Analysis of Enamel Abrasion Using a Novel Manual Nano-Bristle Toothbrush: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study.

Introduction: To evaluate the enamel abrasion effects of soft, ultra-soft, and nano-bristle toothbrushes using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to guide toothbrush selection for optimal enamel preservation.

Methods: This in vitro study involved 45 extracted human teeth (central and lateral incisors), randomly assigned to three groups (n=15 each): Group I (nano-bristle), Group II (ultra-soft bristle), and Group III (soft bristle). Each specimen underwent 10,000 brushing cycles with a standardized 2 N force to simulate one year of brushing.