Applications of Silver Nanoparticles in Dentistry: Advances and Technological Innovation.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been successfully applied in several areas due to their significant antimicrobial activity against several microorganisms. In dentistry, AgNP can be applied in disinfection, prophylaxis, and prevention of infections in the oral cavity. In this work, the use of silver nanoparticles in dentistry and associated technological innovations was analyzed. The scientific literature was searched using PubMed and Scopus databases with descriptors related to the use of silver nanoparticles in dentistry, resulting in 90 open-access articles. The search for patents was restricted to the A61K code (International Patent Classification), using the same descriptors, resulting in 206 patents. The results found were ordered by dental specialties and demonstrated the incorporation of AgNPs in different areas of dentistry. In this context, the search for patents reaffirmed the growth of this technology and the dominance of the USA pharmaceutical industry over AgNPs product development. It could be concluded that nanotechnology is a promising area in dentistry with several applications.

Decoding how receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) mediate nuclear calcium signaling.

Calcium (Ca2+) is a highly versatile intracellular messenger that regulates several cellular processes. Although it is unclear how a single-second messenger coordinates various effects within a cell, there is growing evidence that spatial patterns of Ca2+ signals play an essential role in determining their specificity. Ca2+ signaling patterns can differ in various cell regions, and Ca2+ signals in the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments have been observed to occur independently. The initiation and function of Ca2+ signaling within the nucleus are not yet fully understood. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) induce Ca2+ signaling resulting from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) formation within the nucleus. This signaling mechanism may be responsible for the effects of specific growth factors on cell proliferation and gene transcription. This review highlights the recent advances in RTK trafficking to the nucleus and explains how these receptors initiate nuclear calcium signaling.

Susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis Clinical Isolates to Allopathic Antifungals and Brazilian Red, Green, and Brown Propolis Extracts.

Clinical mycoses treatment is associated with issues such as negative side effects, high cost, prolonged treatment, and resistant strain selection. Malassezia pachydermatis is the most frequently isolated yeast in cases of canine otitis and dermatitis. The number of fungal strains exhibiting primary resistance to several drugs in vitro is increasing. Propolis has a diverse chemical composition and well-known therapeutic properties against mycoses. An alternative method for producing propolis extracts using supercritical fluid has higher selectivity, yielding extracts with fewer pollutant residues. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the in vitro susceptibility profile of M. pachydermatis clinical isolates to precharacterized supercritical and ethanolic extracts. Three types of Brazilian propolis extracts (green, red, and brown) and commercial allopathic antifungals were used in this investigation. We used the microdilution broth technique to evaluate the susceptibility profile of the yeasts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the brown propolis ethanolic extract was ≥16 µg/mL for all isolates. The MICs of fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B ranged from 8 to >64 µg/mL, 0.032-4 µg/mL, 0.0313-16 µg/mL, and 1-2 µg/mL, respectively. The MICs of ethanolic red propolis extracts were lower than those of supercritical red propolis extracts. However, the green propolis ethanolic extract had more pronounced fungicidal activity. Isolates with lower susceptibility to commercial fungicides were inhibited by red and green propolis extracts. These results indicate that propolis can potentially be used in in vivo experiments as a promising therapeutic agent against M. pachydermatis infections.

Perfil Socioeconômico e Expectativa de Carreira dos Estudantes de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia / Socioeconomic Profile and Career Expectations of Medical Students of the Universidade Federal da Bahia

Resumo: Introdução: As recentes de políticas de inclusão e de democratização do acesso ao ensino superior têm conclamado ao desenvolvimento de pesquisas que observem o perfil socioeconômico dos estudantes universitários, ainda mais em cursos de alta concorrência e prestígio, como Medicina. Método: Nesse sentido, foi realizada uma pesquisa de caráter transversal, com aplicação de questionários trianalíticos numa amostra de 381 estudantes, com o objetivo de descrever o perfil socioeconômico do estudante de graduação em Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia (Ufba), assim como conhecer aspectos relacionados à sua vida acadêmica e às expectativas futuras de atuação profissional. Para análise dos dados, utilizou-se o software SPSS 18 em 20 variáveis que abordaram perfil socioeconômico, aspectos relacionados à vida acadêmica dos estudantes e expectativa de carreira. Resultados: Os resultados deste estudo apontam que o perfil do estudante de Medicina é formado por 50,7% de mulheres, 52,8% de pardos, média de idade de 23 anos, 50,4% são oriundos de Salvador e da região metropolitana, 38,8% dos estudantes possuem alta renda familiar, 55,6% estudaram a maior parte do ensino médio em escola particular e para 58% a entrada no curso não se deu por políticas de ação afirmativa. Para 73% dos discentes, Medicina é a primeira graduação. Quase a totalidade dos estudantes (98,4%) afirmou que pretende fazer especialização, esvaziando assim as especialidades raízes e a formação de um médico generalista como preconizado pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Conclusão: Conclui-se que, mesmo com a implementação de políticas de ação afirmativa, o curso de Medicina continua sendo de elite que tende a priorizar espaços de ensino em detrimento dos outros pilares da universidade.

Abstract: Introduction: The recent inclusion policies to democratize the access to higher education have urged the development of researches that assess the socioeconomic profile of students, even more in courses of high competition and prestige, such as medicine. Method: In this sense, a cross-sectional study was carried out with the application of tri-analytic questionnaires in a sample of 381 students, with the objective of describing the socioeconomic profile of medical undergraduate students from Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), as well as learning about aspects related to their academic life and future professional performance expectations. To analyze the data, SPSS Inc. Software 18 was used in 20 variables that addressed the socioeconomic profile, aspects related to the students' academic life, and career expectations. Results: The study results show that the medical student profile consists of 50.7% women, 52.8% of brown ethnicity, mean age of 23 years, 50.4% from Salvador and its metropolitan region, 38.8% of the students have a high family income, 55.6% of them studied most of the high school years in private schools and for 58% of the students, college admission did not occur through affirmative actions. For 73% of students, medicine is the first degree. Almost all the students (98.4%) stated that they intend to do a specialization, highlighting the gap in the generalist career, demanded by the Brazilian health system. Conclusion: The results show that even with the implementation of affirmative action policies, the medical course continues to be predominantly an elite course and institutions tend to prioritize teaching spaces, to the detriment of other pillars of the university.