The Importance of Basic Sciences in Dental Education.

The rapid advancements in biomedical sciences, including genomics, microbiome research, and bioinformatics, underscore the need for dental education to evolve to meet future challenges in public oral health and healthcare delivery. The integration of basic sciences into dental curricula is crucial to ensure that dental professionals are thoroughly prepared in these fundamental areas. Despite the widespread agreement on the necessity of including basic medical sciences in dental education, challenges such as curricular congestion, faculty economics, and infrastructural limits persist, complicating the integration of new scientific knowledge.

Entropion.

Entropion, or the inward turning of the eyelid, is common, particularly in older patients. The condition is classified as involutional, cicatricial, spastic or congenital. Involutional entropion is most common and typically treated with lateral tarsal strip, which may be combined with other techniques for eyelid eversion.

The DLEU2-miR-15a-16-1 Cluster Is a Determinant of Bone Microarchitecture and Strength in Postmenopausal Women and Mice.

This study explores how select microRNAs (miRNAs) influence bone structure in humans and in transgenic mice. In trabecular bone biopsies from 84 postmenopausal women (healthy, osteopenic, and osteoporotic), we demonstrate that (deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 2)-encoded is strongly positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites. In bone transcriptome analyses, levels correlated positively with the osteocyte characteristic transcripts (encoding sclerostin) and (Matrix Extracellular Phosphoglycoprotein), while the related showed a negative association with BMD and osteoblast markers.

Tear fluid reflects the altered protein expressions of Alzheimer's disease patients in proteins involved in protein repair and clearance system or the regulation of cytoskeleton.

Background: New biomarkers that improve diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are warranted. Tear fluid (TF) containing variety of proteins that reflect pathophysiological changes of systemic diseases makes TF proteins potential biomarker candidates for AD.

Objective: We investigated the expression levels of TF proteins in persons with mild AD and cognitively healthy controls (CO) to find out if altered proteins may link to the AD pathophysiology.

Bioengineering strategy to promote CNS nerve growth and regeneration via chronic glutamate signaling.

Being part of the mature mammalian central nervous system, impairments of the retina and optic nerves caused by trauma or diseases often cannot be restored. Progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies gradually leads to permanent vision loss, which currently has no cure. The purpose of this study is to develop a biocompatible scaffold to support RGC survival and guide axon growth, facilitating optic nerve repair and regeneration.

Review of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose in Artificial Tears for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a highly prevalent condition, resulting in reduced quality of life, lower participation in social life and impaired work efficiency. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is a cellulose-based viscosity-enhancing agent and is one of the most popular therapeutic ingredients in artificial tears. This review aims to evaluate the literature on the efficacy and safety of HPMC used in the treatment of DED.

Preservation of vision by transpalpebral electrical stimulation in mice with inherited retinal degeneration.

Introduction: The potential neuroprotective and regenerative properties of electrical stimulation (ES) were studied in rhodopsin knockout mice ( ), a murine model of inherited retinal degeneration. The study focused on assessing the impact of varying ES frequencies on visual functions and photoreceptor cell survival in mice.

Methods: To elucidate the impact of electrical stimulation on cone survival, mice received either sham or transpalpebral ES using biphasic ramp or rectangular waveforms at 100 µA amplitude, starting at six weeks of age.

Integrating Structured Digital Tools with the Traditional Hands-on Puzzle Method for Teaching Tooth Morphology: A Comparative Study of Educational Outcomes.

The study of tooth morphology is a critical component of the dental curriculum, highlighting the importance for dental students to acquire comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the complex structure of teeth. This study compared the educational outcomes of two student cohorts in a tooth morphology course, using traditional methods for the control group and additional digital video-based resources for the experimental group. We hypothesized that early integration of digital resources would significantly reduce the learning time.

Purinergic agonists increase [Ca] in rat conjunctival goblet cells through ryanodine receptor type 3.

ATP and benzoylbenzoyl-ATP (BzATP) increase free cytosolic Ca concentration ([Ca]) in conjunctival goblet cells (CGCs) resulting in mucin secretion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the source of the Ca mobilized by ATP and BzATP. First-passage cultured rat CGCs were incubated with Fura-2/AM, and [Ca] was measured under several conditions with ATP and BzATP stimulation.

Topical glaucoma medications - Possible implications on the meibomian glands.

One of the most common causes of blindness on a global scale is glaucoma. There is a strong association between glaucoma and increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Because of this, adequate IOP-lowering is the most important treatment strategy, mostly through topical eyedrops.

Oxidative Stress, Persistent Inflammation and Blood Coagulation Alterations in Serum Proteome of Patients with Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of irreversible blindness in elderly populations in developed countries. AMD's etiopathology is multifactorial, with strong environmental and genetic components, but the exact molecular pathomechanisms underlying the disease are still unknown. In this study, we analyzed blood serum collected from 74 neovascular AMD patients and 58 healthy controls to identify proteins that may serve as potential biomarkers and expand our knowledge about the etiopathogenesis of the disease.

Identification of Transcripts with Shared Roles in the Pathogenesis of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis and Cardiovascular Disease.

Epidemiological evidence suggests existing comorbidity between postmenopausal osteoporosis (OP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but identification of possible shared genes is lacking. The skeletal global transcriptomes were analyzed in trans-iliac bone biopsies (n = 84) from clinically well-characterized postmenopausal women (50 to 86 years) without clinical CVD using microchips and RNA sequencing. One thousand transcripts highly correlated with areal bone mineral density (aBMD) were further analyzed using bioinformatics, and common genes overlapping with CVD and associated biological mechanisms, pathways and functions were identified.

Effect of chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and betadine antiseptic eye drops on cultured human conjunctival goblet cell survival.

Purpose: To compare the effect of the ocular antiseptic treatments 0.05% chlorhexidine, 5% povidone-iodine (PI) and 5% betadine on cell viability and mucin secretion of primary cultured human goblet cells (GCs).

Method: GC viability was analysed using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and tetrazolium dye (MTT) colorimetric assays.

Optimal transcorneal electrical stimulation parameters for preserving photoreceptors in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202419110-00034/figure1/v/2024-03-08T184507Z/r/image-tiff Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary retinal disease that affects rod and cone photoreceptors, leading to progressive photoreceptor loss. Previous research supports the beneficial effect of electrical stimulation on photoreceptor survival.

The association between head injury and facial fracture treatment: an observational study of hospitalized bicyclists from a level 1 trauma centre.

Purpose: To compare the types of facial fractures and their treatment in bicyclists admitted to a level 1 trauma centre with major and minor-moderate head injury.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data from bicycle-related injuries in the period 2005-2016 extracted from the Oslo University Hospital trauma registry.

Results: A total of 967 bicyclists with head injuries classified according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) were included.

A Preservative-Free Approach - Effects on Dry Eye Signs and Symptoms After Cataract Surgery.

Purpose: To compare the effect of treatment with preservative-free dexamethasone, NSAIDs and trehalose/hyaluronic acid eye drops with the preservative benzalkonium chloride containing dexamethasone and NSAIDs after cataract surgery in dry versus non-dry eyes.

Patients And Methods: In this prospective randomized intervention study, dry eye tests were performed before and 6 weeks after cataract surgery. Patients were considered as having dry eye, SDE (sign of dry eye), if at least one of the following dry eye tests were abnormal; corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), non-invasive keratograph breakup time (NIKBUT) or tear osmolarity.

Heritability of tear fluid cytokines in healthy twins.

Purpose: Ocular surface disease is common and it is associated with elevated concentration levels of cytokines in tear fluid. Studies of the normal variation in tear fluid inflammatory markers are lacking. New knowledge may help guide research into ocular surface disease biomarkers and therapeutics.

Culture- and non-culture-based approaches reveal unique features of the ocular microbiome in dry eye patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ocular microbiome in individuals with dry eye disease and to identify features of their ocular microbiome of possible health and diagnostic significance.

Methods: Conjunctival samples were collected from both eyes in duplicate from 91 individuals (61 dry eye, 30 healthy) and used for both culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses. Samples were either analysed using next generation sequencing (V3-V4 16S rDNA) or inoculated on a wide range of agar types and grown under a broad range of conditions to maximize recovery.