Surgical Approach to Managing an Apical Periodontal Cyst Using Titanium-Activated Platelet-Rich Fibrin (T-PRF) in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report.

This case report discusses the surgical management of an apical periodontal cyst in a 14-year-old male patient presenting with pain in the upper anterior jaw. The patient had a history of trauma to the upper anterior teeth, leading to the development of a radicular cyst involving teeth 11 and 12. The treatment plan included initial root canal therapy followed by surgical enucleation of the cyst, apicoectomy, and retrograde filling of the affected teeth. Titanium-activated platelet-rich fibrin (T-PRF) membranes were utilized along with an osseo-bone graft to promote healing and bone regeneration. Post-operative aesthetic rehabilitation was achieved, and the patient showed complete healing upon six months of follow-up. The case highlights the efficacy of combining endodontic therapy with surgical intervention using advanced biomaterials to manage radicular cysts in pediatric patients successfully.

Co-occurrence of and factors associated with health risk behaviors among adolescents: a multi-center study in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India.

Background: Despite lifelong and detrimental effects, the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors (HRBs) during adolescence remains understudied in low- and middle-income countries. This study examines the co-occurrence of HRBs and its correlates among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India. Methods: A multi-country cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022, involving 9697 adolescents (aged 10-19 years) from eight countries, namely Burkina Faso, China, Ethiopia, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. A standardized questionnaire was administered to examine five types of HRBs - physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behavior. Latent class analysis was employed to identify clustering patterns among the behaviors, and logistic regression was used to identify the correlates of these patterns. Findings: Three clusters of HRBs were identified, with Cluster 1 (27.73%) characterized by the absence of any specific risky behavior, Cluster 2 (68.16%) characterized by co-occurrence of physical inactivity and poor dietary habits, and Cluster 3 (4.11%) characterized by engagement in smoking, alcohol consumption, and risky sexual behavior. Relative to Cluster 1, being in Cluster 2 was associated with being female (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32), not enrolled in education (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99), and not engaged in paid work (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.08-1.41). Compared with those Cluster 1, adolescents in Cluster 3 were less likely to be female (aOR 0.41, 95% CI 0.32-0.54), be engaged in paid work (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.71), more likely to be older (aOR 7.56, 95% CI 5.18-11.03), not be enrolled in educational institution (aOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.27-2.38), and more likely to live with guardians other than parents (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.19-2.05). Interpretation: The significant clustering patterns of HRBs among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, China, and India highlights the urgent need for convergent approaches to improve adolescent health behaviors. Early life and school-based programs aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and preventing risky and unhealthy behaviors should be prioritized to equip adolescents with the tools and skills for lifelong well-being. Funding: Fondation Botnar (Grant #INV-037672) and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, partially funded this study.

Comparative Analysis of Dentition and Periodontal Status in Patients With Unilateral Smokeless Tobacco Pouch Keratosis.

INTRODUCTION: The consumption of smokeless tobacco (SLT) and related products has become an epidemic worldwide, especially among young people, as they come into direct contact with the tissues of the oral cavity. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the status of dentition and periodontal health of teeth associated with the unilateral SLT pouch keratosis with the unaffected contralateral side. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 96 SLT users from north Maharashtra, India, with unilateral SLT pouch keratosis were studied. Demographic data, past and present SLT use history, features of SLT pouch keratosis, modified community periodontal index, dentition status index, and loss of tooth attachment were recorded. Data were collected and subjected to statistical analysis using the unpaired t-test and chi-square test. RESULTS: The results of the present study showed a significant difference (p≤0.05) in gingival bleeding, pocket depth, and attachment loss in teeth associated with smokeless tobacco keratosis (STK) compared to teeth at the contralateral sides of the arch. The duration of tobacco use had a significant effect on the severity of loss of attachment at SLT pouch keratosis sides. There was a significant difference (p≤0.05) in the mean scores of the sound crown, carious crown, and coronal caries status between the SLT pouch keratosis side and the contralateral side. CONCLUSION: The results of the study revealed that significant gingival bleeding, gingival recession, and attachment loss in the teeth are associated with SLT pouch keratosis compared with the teeth on the contralateral side without the lesion.

Diagnosis of Aspergillosis in Horses.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) may be a rare cause of granulomatous pneumonia in horses. The mortality of IPA is almost 100%; direct diagnostic tools in horses are needed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum samples were collected from 18 horses, including individuals suffering from IPA (n = 1), equine asthma (EA, n = 12), and 5 healthy controls. Serum samples were collected from another 6 healthy controls. Samples of BALF (n = 18) were analyzed for Aspergillus spp. DNA, fungal galactomannan (GM), ferricrocin (Fc), triacetylfusarinin C (TafC), and gliotoxin (Gtx). Analysis of 24 serum samples for (1,3)-ß-D-glucan (BDG) and GM was performed. Median serum BDG levels were 131 pg/mL in controls and 1142 pg/mL in IPA. Similar trends were observed in BALF samples for GM (Area under the Curve (AUC) = 0.941) and DNA (AUC = 0.941). The fungal secondary metabolite Gtx was detected in IPA BALF and lung tissue samples (86 ng/mL and 2.17 ng/mg, AUC = 1).

Correction: Patil et al. Freeing Aspergillus fumigatus of Polymycovirus Infection Renders It More Resistant to Competition with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Due to Altered Iron-Acquiring Tactics. J. Fungi 2021, 7, 497.

In the original publication [...].

Freeing Aspergillus fumigatus of Polymycovirus Infection Renders It More Resistant to Competition with Pseudomonas aeruginosa Due to Altered Iron-Acquiring Tactics.

A virus-free (VF) A. fumigatus isolate has been shown to be resistant in competition with Pseudomonas as compared to the isogenic line infected with Aspergillus fumigatus polymycovirus 1 (AfuPmV-1), and this phenotype was apparently related to alterations in iron metabolism. Here we investigated further the mechanisms underpinning this phenotype. The extracellular siderophore profiles of five isogenic VF and virus-infected (VI) strains were sampled at 24, 31, 48, 54, and 72 h in submerged cultures and quantitatively examined by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Intracellular profiles of conidia and cultures at the stationary growth phase were defined. VF A. fumigatus demonstrated the best fitness represented by the fastest onset of its exponential growth when grown on an iron-limited mineral medium. The exponential phase and transitional production phase of the extracellular triacetylfusarinine C (TafC) were achieved at 24 and 31 h, respectively, contrary to VI strains, which acted more slowly. As a result, the TafC reservoir was consumed sooner in the VF strain. Additionally, the VF strain had lower ferricrocin and higher hydroxyferricrocin content in the pellet during the stationary phase. All of these differences were significant (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.01). In our study, the siderophore reservoir of a VF strain was consumed sooner, improving the fitness of the VF strain in competition with P. aeruginosa.

Baseline cell proliferation rates and response to UV differ in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from healthy individuals of extreme constitution types.

Differences in human phenotypes and susceptibility to complex diseases are an outcome of genetic and environmental interactions. This is evident in diseases that progress through a common set of intermediate patho-endophenotypes. Precision medicine aims to delineate molecular players for individualized and early interventions. Functional studies of lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) model of phenotypically well-characterized healthy individuals can help deconvolute and validate these molecular mechanisms. In this study, LCLs are developed from eight healthy individuals belonging to three extreme constitution types, deep phenotyped on the basis of Ayurveda. LCLs were characterized by karyotyping and immunophenotyping. Growth characteristics and response to UV were studied in these LCLs. Significant differences in cell proliferation rates were observed between the contrasting groups such that one type (Kapha) proliferates significantly slower than the other two (Vata, Pitta). In response to UV, one of the fast growing groups (Vata) shows higher cell death but recovers its numbers due to an inherent higher rates of proliferation. This study reveals that baseline differences in cell proliferation could be a key to understanding the survivability of cells under UV stress. Variability in baseline cellular phenotypes not only explains the cellular basis of different constitution types but can also help set priors during the design of an individualized therapy with DNA damaging agents. This is the first study of its kind that shows variability of intermediate patho-phenotypes among healthy individuals with potential implications in precision medicine.