Biomarkers Associated with Organ-Specific Involvement in Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is characterised by onset before 18 years of age and more severe disease phenotype, increased morbidity and mortality compared to adult-onset SLE. Management strategies in JSLE rely heavily on evidence derived from adult-onset SLE studies; therefore, identifying biomarkers associated with the disease pathogenesis and reflecting particularities of JSLE clinical phenotype holds promise for better patient management and improved outcomes. This narrative review summarises the evidence related to various traditional and novel biomarkers that have shown a promising role in identifying and predicting specific organ involvement in JSLE and appraises the evidence regarding their clinical utility, focusing in particular on renal biomarkers, while also emphasising the research into cardiovascular, haematological, neurological, skin and joint disease-related JSLE biomarkers, as well as genetic biomarkers with potential clinical applications.

FRET-enhanced photostability allows improved single-molecule tracking of proteins and protein complexes in live mammalian cells.

A major challenge in single-molecule imaging is tracking the dynamics of proteins or complexes for long periods of time in the dense environments found in living cells. Here, we introduce the concept of using FRET to enhance the photophysical properties of photo-modulatable (PM) fluorophores commonly used in such studies. By developing novel single-molecule FRET pairs, consisting of a PM donor fluorophore (either mEos3.2 or PA-JF549) next to a photostable acceptor dye JF646, we demonstrate that FRET competes with normal photobleaching kinetic pathways to increase the photostability of both donor fluorophores. This effect was further enhanced using a triplet-state quencher. Our approach allows us to significantly improve single-molecule tracking of chromatin-binding proteins in live mammalian cells. In addition, it provides a novel way to track the localization and dynamics of protein complexes by labeling one protein with the PM donor and its interaction partner with the acceptor dye.

Effectiveness of an Oral Health Education Program for Obstetrician/Gynecologist Residents at Tufts Medical Center.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To assess Tufts Medical Center obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) residents' knowledge, beliefs, and previous training in oral health and to assess the effect of an oral health educational seminar on their knowledge and beliefs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A preseminar questionnaire was distributed to the residents. The same questionnaire was distributed immediately after the seminar and 3 months later. SPSS Version 21 was used for the data analysis. RESULTS: Convenience sample of 25 residents were included in the study. The mean (standard deviation) age of participants was 29.08 (2.47) years. Only 1 (4%) participant reported receiving >8 h previous training in oral health and 7 (28%) reported receiving <1 h of training. The nonparametric Friedman test showed a statistically significant difference between administrations in terms of total score on knowledge-based questions (P < 0.001) and some of the belief-based questions. The post hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction showed statistically significant improvement in the knowledge-based questions between pre- and post-seminar questionnaire (P = 0.002) and between preseminar and 3-month follow-up (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: OB/GYN residents at Tufts Medical Center received limited training in oral health. Their knowledge improved significantly following the oral health educational seminar. Similar training modules can be brought to other OB/GYN residencies and OB/GYNs in an effort to enhance the symbiotic relationship between medical and dental professionals.