The contribution of endocytosis to sensitization of nociceptors and synaptic transmission in nociceptive circuits.

Chronic pain involves sensitization of nociceptors and synaptic transmission of painful signals in nociceptive circuits in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. We investigated the contribution of clathrin-dependent endocytosis to sensitization of nociceptors by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and to synaptic transmission in spinal nociceptive circuits. We determined whether therapeutic targeting of endocytosis could ameliorate pain.

Oral cancer patients experience mechanical and chemical sensitivity at the site of the cancer.

Introduction: Oral cancer patients suffer severe chronic and mechanically-induced pain at the site of the cancer. Our clinical experience is that oral cancer patients report new sensitivity to spicy foods. We hypothesized that in cancer patients, mechanical and chemical sensitivity would be greater when measured at the cancer site compared to a contralateral matched normal site.

Fluorinated Protein and Peptide Materials for Biomedical Applications.

Fluorination represents one of the most powerful modern design strategies to impart biomacromolecules with unique functionality, empowering them for widespread application in the biomedical realm. However, the properties of fluorinated protein materials remain unpredictable due to the heavy context-dependency of the surrounding atoms influenced by fluorine's strong electron-withdrawing tendencies. This review aims to discern patterns and elucidate design principles governing the biochemical synthesis and rational installation of fluorine into protein and peptide sequences for diverse biomedical applications.

The natural product argentatin C attenuates postoperative pain via inhibition of voltage-gated sodium and T-type voltage-gated calcium channels.

Background And Purpose: Postoperative pain occurs in as many as 70% of surgeries performed worldwide. Postoperative pain management still relies on opioids despite their negative consequences, resulting in a public health crisis. Therefore, it is important to develop alternative therapies to treat chronic pain.

Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8.

Transgender healthcare is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field. In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number and visibility of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seeking support and gender-affirming medical treatment in parallel with a significant rise in the scientific literature in this area. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is an international, multidisciplinary, professional association whose mission is to promote evidence-based care, education, research, public policy, and respect in transgender health.

Reconstructing Peri-implant and Papillary Soft Tissue in the Esthetic Area Using Interdental Tissue, a Tuberosity Connective Tissue Graft, and a Tunneling Approach: A Case Report.

Long-term survival of dental implants in both fully and partially edentulous patients has been proven successful, as reported in the literature. However, maintenance of soft-tissue quality and volume is often difficult due to the multiple surgeries involved in implant placement and the physiological resorption of bone after tooth extraction. Soft-tissue augmentation is frequently necessary to improve soft-tissue contour and can be done simultaneously with implant or abutment placement or following the final insertion of the implant-supported prostheses.

The tumor mycobiome: A paradigm shift in cancer pathogenesis.

Distinct fungal communities or "mycobiomes" have been found in individual tumor types and are known to contribute to carcinogenesis. Two new studies present a comprehensive picture of the tumor-associated mycobiomes from a variety of human cancers. These studies reveal that fungi, although in low abundance, are ubiquitous across all major human cancers and that specific mycobiome types can be predictive of survival.

Impact of implant thread design on insertion torque and osseointegration: a preclinical model.

Background: Successful osseointegration of endosteal dental implants has been attributed to implant design, including the macro-, micro- and nano- geometric properties. Based on current literature pertaining to implant design, the resultant cellular and bone healing response is unknown when the thread thickness of the implants is increased, resulting in an increased contact area in implants designed with healing chambers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two implant designs with different thread profiles on the osseointegration parameters and implant stability at 3- and 6-weeks in vivo using a well-established preclinical dog model.

Interactive effects of the low-carbohydrate diet score and genetic risk score on Hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia among Korean adults: A cross-sectional analysis from the Ansan and Ansung Study of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

This cross-sectional study investigated the interaction between the genetic risk score (GRS) and abnormal high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol lipid levels, which are modified by low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) and their effects on the prevalence of hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (hypo-HDL-C) in Korean adults. Baseline data were obtained from the Ansan and Ansung study of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), conducted from 2001 to 2002, that targeted 8,314 Korean adults aged 40-69 years, including old men (47.6%) and women (52.

Advancing women, parity, and gender equity.

For centuries, society has called out for transformations to lift all of its members. While it may seem ordinary in our time for women to be dentists or dental educators, the path was neither always easy, nor has true equity been achieved. The modern transformation of dental education and dentistry creates the need for leaders to propose and develop concrete initiatives to advance the profession and benefit society.

Stability of fatigued and aged ZTA compared to 3Y-TZP and AlO ceramic systems.

To evaluate the effect of fatigue and aging on the crystalline content and reliability of a zirconia-toughened-alumina (ZTA) composite compared to its individual counterpart materials (3Y-TZP and AlO). Thirty-six disc-shaped specimens per group were obtained to comply with ISO 6872:2015. Crystalline content, microstructure and reliability of experimental groups were evaluated in four stages: 1) immediate; 2) aged; 3) fatigued; 4) aged + fatigue.

Dynamic loading stimulates mandibular condyle remodeling.

Background: We and others have reported that low-magnitude high-frequency dynamic loading has an osteogenic effect on alveolar bone. Since chondrocytes and osteoblasts originate from the same progenitor cells, we reasoned that dynamic loading may stimulate a similar response in chondrocytes. A stimulating effect could be beneficial for patients with damaged condylar cartilage or mandibular deficiency.

Phylogenetic Diversity of Animal Oral and Gastrointestinal Viromes Useful in Surveillance of Zoonoses.

Great emphasis has been placed on bacterial microbiomes in human and animal systems. In recent years, advances in metagenomics have allowed for the detection and characterization of more and more native viral particles also residing in these organisms. The digestive tracts of animals and humans-from the oral cavity, to the gut, to fecal excretions-have become one such area of interest.

Targeting the succinate receptor effectively inhibits periodontitis.

Periodontal disease (PD) is one of the most common inflammatory diseases in humans and is initiated by an oral microbial dysbiosis that stimulates inflammation and bone loss. Here, we report an abnormal elevation of succinate in the subgingival plaque of subjects with severe PD. Succinate activates succinate receptor-1 (SUCNR1) and stimulates inflammation.

Photobiomodulation therapy in management of cancer therapy-induced side effects: WALT position paper 2022.

Disclaimer: This article is based on recommendations from the 12 WALT Congress, Nice, October 3-6, 2018, and a follow-up review of the existing data and the clinical observations of an international multidisciplinary panel of clinicians and researchers with expertise in the area of supportive care in cancer and/or PBM clinical application and dosimetry. This article is informational in nature. As with all clinical materials, this paper should be used with a clear understanding that continued research and practice could result in new insights and recommendations.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a virtual reality simulation for preclinical local anaesthesia dental education.

Introduction: Traditional manikin training has limitations that virtual reality can address. This study investigated the effectiveness of two part-task training simulation methods, a virtual reality (VR Sim) vs a plastic manikin (PM Sim), on learning outcomes for local anaesthesia skills for second-year pre-clinical dental students.

Methods: In an experimental study, 58 second-year students were randomly assigned to one of two groups, VR Sim or PM Sim.

Engineered multivalent self-assembled binder protein against SARS-CoV-2 RBD.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic since December 2019, and with it, a push for innovations in rapid testing and neutralizing antibody treatments in an effort to solve the spread and fatality of the disease. One such solution to both of these prevailing issues is targeting the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor protein. Structural studies have shown that the N-terminal alpha-helix comprised of the first 23 residues of ACE2 plays an important role in this interaction.

Plant and fungi derived analgesic natural products targeting voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels.

Voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels (VGSCs and VGCCs) play an important role in the modulation of physiologically relevant processes in excitable cells that range from action potential generation to neurotransmission. Once their expression and/or function is altered in disease, specific pharmacological approaches become necessary to mitigate the negative consequences of such dysregulation. Several classes of small molecules have been developed with demonstrated effectiveness on VGSCs and VGCCs; however, off-target effects have also been described, limiting their use and spurring efforts to find more specific and safer molecules to target these channels.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist ELB00824 suppresses oxaliplatin-induced pain, neuronal hypersensitivity, and oxidative stress.

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) is a debilitating and difficult-to-treat side effect of chemotherapeutic drugs. CINP is marked with oxidative stress and neuronal hypersensitivities. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a transcription factor that regulates genes involved in oxidative stress and inflammation.

A Rapid and Sensitive Microfluidics-Based Tool for Seroprevalence Immunity Assessment of COVID-19 and Vaccination-Induced Humoral Antibody Response at the Point of Care.

As of 8 August 2022, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, has infected over 585 million people and resulted in more than 6.42 million deaths worldwide. While approved SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-based vaccines induce robust seroconversion in most individuals, dramatically reducing disease severity and the risk of hospitalization, poorer responses are observed in aged, immunocompromised individuals and patients with certain pre-existing health conditions.

Effect of morphine and ibuprofen on nociceptive behavior, preening and motor activity following tonic chemical pain in the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

Objective: To establish a tonic chemical model of pain in quail and evaluate the efficacy of opioid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Study Design: A randomized, blinded, experimental study design.

Animals: A total of 120 male Japanese quail, aged 7 weeks.