A Systematic Review of Dental Disease in Patients Undergoing Cancer Therapy

Introduction: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the literature and update our current understanding of the impact of present cancer therapies on the dental apparatus (teeth and periodontium) since the 1989 NIH Development Consensus Conference on the Oral Compli­cations of Cancer Therapies. Review Method: A systematic literature search was con­ducted with assistance from a research librarian in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed and EMBASE for articles published between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2008. Each study was independently assessed by two reviewers. Taking into account predetermined quality measures, a weighted prevalence was calculated for the prevalence of dental caries, severe gingival disease, and dental infection. Data on DMFT/dmft, DMFS/dmfs, plaque, and gingival indexes were also gathered. The level of evidence, recommendation, and guideline (if possible) were given for published preventive and management strategies. Results: Sixty-four published papers between 1990 and 2008 were reviewed. The weighted overall prevalence of dental caries was 28.1%. The overall DMFT for patients who were post-antineoplastic therapy was 9.19 (SD, 7.98; n=457). The overall plaque index for patients who were post­antineoplastic therapy was 1.38 (SD, 0.25; n=189). The GI for patients who were post-chemotherapy was 1.02 (SD, 0.15; n=162). The weighted prevalence of dental infections/ abscess during chemotherapy was reported in three studies and was 5.8%. Conclusions: Patients who were post-radiotherapy had the highest DMFT. The use of fluoride products and chlorhex­idine rinses are beneficial in patients who are post-radiotherapy. There continues to be lack of clinical studies on the extent and severity of dental disease that are associated with infectious complications during cancer therapy

Human Pleural Fluid Elicits Pyruvate and Phenylalanine Metabolism in Acinetobacter baumannii to Enhance Cytotoxicity and Immune Evasion

The CCAAT box-harboring proteins represent a family of heterotrimeric transcription factors which is highly conserved in eukaryotes. In fungi, one of the particularly important homologs of this family is the Hap complex that separates the DNA-binding domain from the activation domain and imposes essential impacts on regulation of a wide range of cellular functions. So far, a comprehensive summary of this complex has been described in filamentous fungi but not in the yeast. In this review, we summarize a number of studies related to the structure and assembly mode of the Hap complex in a list of representative yeasts. Furthermore, we emphasize recent advances in understanding the regulatory functions of this complex, with a special focus on its role in regulating respiration, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron homeostasis.Fil: Nyah, Rodman. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Martinez, Jasmine. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fung, Sammie. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Nakanouchi, Jun. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Myers, Amber L.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Harris, Caitlin M.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Dang, Emily. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fernandez, Jennifer. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Liu, Christine. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Mendoza, Anthony M.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Jimenez, Verónica. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Nikolaidis, Nikolas. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Brennan, Catherine A.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Bonomo, Robert A.. Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Cente; Estados Unidos. Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology; Estados Unidos. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Sieira, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ramirez, Maria Soledad. California State University; Estados Unido

Transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in long-term care facilities and their related healthcare networks.

BACKGROUND: Long-term care facilities (LTCF) are potential reservoirs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), control of which may reduce MRSA transmission and infection elsewhere in the healthcare system. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has been used successfully to understand MRSA epidemiology and transmission in hospitals and has the potential to identify transmission between these and LTCF. METHODS: Two prospective observational studies of MRSA carriage were conducted in LTCF in England and Ireland. MRSA isolates were whole-genome sequenced and analyzed using established methods. Genomic data were available for MRSA isolated in the local healthcare systems (isolates submitted by hospitals and general practitioners). RESULTS: We sequenced a total of 181 MRSA isolates from the two study sites. The majority of MRSA were multilocus sequence type (ST)22. WGS identified one likely transmission event between residents in the English LTCF and three putative transmission events in the Irish LTCF. WGS also identified closely related isolates present in colonized Irish residents and their immediate environment. Based on phylogenetic reconstruction, closely related MRSA clades were identified between the LTCF and their healthcare referral network, together with putative MRSA acquisition by LTCF residents during hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that MRSA is transmitted between residents of LTCF and is both acquired and transmitted to others in referral hospitals and beyond. Our data present compelling evidence for the importance of environmental contamination in MRSA transmission, reinforcing the importance of environmental cleaning. The use of WGS in this study highlights the need to consider infection control in hospitals and community healthcare facilities as a continuum.UKCRC Translational Infection Research (TIR) Initiative, Medical Research Council (Grant ID: G1000803), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorate, Hospital Infection Society (Major Research Grant), Wellcome Trust (Grant ID: 098051), Academy of Medical Sciences, Health Foundation, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centr

Identifying and Responding to Lead in Drinking Water in a University Setting

Lead is an established neurotoxicant, and it has known associations with adverse neurodevelopmental and reproductive outcomes. Exposure to lead at any level is unsafe, and the United States (US) has enacted various federal and state legislations to regulate lead levels in drinking water in K-12 schools and childcare facilities; however, no regulations exist for higher education settings. Upon the discovery of lead in drinking water fixtures in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) campus, a cross-campus water testing network and sampling plan was developed and deployed. The campaign was based on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 3Ts (Training, Testing, and Taking Action) guidance. The seven-month campaign involved 5954 tests on 3825 drinking water fixtures across 265 buildings. A total of 502 (8.43%) tests showed lead above the limit of detection (1 part per billion, ppb), which represented 422 (11.03%) fixtures. Fewer than 1.5% of the tests were above the EPA action level for public water systems (15 ppb). In conclusion, systematic testing of all the fixtures across campus was required to identify localized contamination, and each entity in the cross-campus network undertook necessary roles to generate a successful testing campaign. UNC-CH established preventative measures to test drinking water fixtures every three years, which provide a framework for other higher education institutions in responding to lead contamination

Open Science principles for accelerating trait-based science across the Tree of Life.

Synthesizing trait observations and knowledge across the Tree of Life remains a grand challenge for biodiversity science. Species traits are widely used in ecological and evolutionary science, and new data and methods have proliferated rapidly. Yet accessing and integrating disparate data sources remains a considerable challenge, slowing progress toward a global synthesis to integrate trait data across organisms. Trait science needs a vision for achieving global integration across all organisms. Here, we outline how the adoption of key Open Science principles-open data, open source and open methods-is transforming trait science, increasing transparency, democratizing access and accelerating global synthesis. To enhance widespread adoption of these principles, we introduce the Open Traits Network (OTN), a global, decentralized community welcoming all researchers and institutions pursuing the collaborative goal of standardizing and integrating trait data across organisms. We demonstrate how adherence to Open Science principles is key to the OTN community and outline five activities that can accelerate the synthesis of trait data across the Tree of Life, thereby facilitating rapid advances to address scientific inquiries and environmental issues. Lessons learned along the path to a global synthesis of trait data will provide a framework for addressing similarly complex data science and informatics challenges

Urine proteomics for discovery of improved diagnostic markers of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Absence of definitive diagnostic markers limits the accuracy of clinical evaluations of suspected KD with significant increases in morbidity. In turn, incomplete understanding of its molecular pathogenesis hinders the identification of rational targets needed to improve therapy. We used high-accuracy mass spectrometry proteomics to analyse over 2000 unique proteins in clinical urine specimens of patients with KD. We discovered that urine proteomes of patients with KD, but not those with mimicking conditions, were enriched for markers of cellular injury such as filamin and talin, immune regulators such as complement regulator CSMD3, immune pattern recognition receptor muclin, and immune cytokine protease meprin A. Significant elevations of filamin C and meprin A were detected in both the serum and urine in two independent cohorts of patients with KD, comprised of a total of 236 patients. Meprin A and filamin C exhibited superior diagnostic performance as compared to currently used markers of disease in a blinded case-control study of 107 patients with suspected KD, with receiver operating characteristic areas under the curve of 0.98 (95% confidence intervals [CI] of 0.97–1 and 0.95–1, respectively). Notably, meprin A was enriched in the coronary artery lesions of a mouse model of KD. In all, urine proteome profiles revealed novel candidate molecular markers of KD, including filamin C and meprin A that exhibit excellent diagnostic performance. These disease markers may improve the diagnostic accuracy of clinical evaluations of children with suspected KD, lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets, and allow the development of a biological classification of Kawasaki disease

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a Community-Based Health Promotion Intervention for Adults with Mobility Impairments: Living Well with a Disability

This document reports on research conducted by the University of Montana and the University of Kansas for the Office of Disability and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The research project, conducted between August 1,1997 and July 31, 2001, was conducted in four separate but related studies. The research was conducted in eight States. We contracted with nine centers for independent living (CIL) to conduct 34 Living Well with a Disability health promotion workshops and to collect outcome measures. These programs included 246 individuals. In the first study, we evaluated the effectiveness and cost outcomes of the Living Well with a Disability health promotion program for adults with mobility impairments. The results of this study, conducted over 18 months, indicated participants= activity limitation due to secondary conditions was substantially reduced. Responding to items from the BRFSS Quality of Life module, individuals reported gaining more than a full day without physical and mental symptoms following the program

Exploring Microorganisms from Plastic-Polluted Sites: Unveiling Plastic Degradation and PHA Production Potential

The exposure of microorganisms to conventional plastics is a relatively recent occurrence, affording limited time for evolutionary adaptation. As part of the EU-funded project BioICEP, this study delves into the plastic degradation potential of microorganisms isolated from sites with prolonged plastic pollution, such as plastic-polluted forests, biopolymer-contaminated soil, oil-contaminated soil, municipal landfill, but also a distinctive soil sample with plastic pieces buried three decades ago. Additionally, samples from Arthropoda species were investigated. In total, 150 strains were isolated and screened for the ability to use plastic-related substrates (Impranil dispersions, polyethylene terephthalate, terephthalic acid, and bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate). Twenty isolates selected based on their ability to grow on various substrates were identified as Streptomyces, Bacillus, Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas spp. Morphological features were recorded, and the 16S rRNA sequence was employed to construct a phylogenetic tree. Subsequent assessments unveiled that 5 out of the 20 strains displayed the capability to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates, utilizing pre-treated post-consumer PET samples. With Priestia sp. DG69 and Neobacillus sp. DG40 emerging as the most successful producers (4.14% and 3.34% of PHA, respectively), these strains are poised for further utilization in upcycling purposes, laying the foundation for the development of sustainable strategies for plastic waste management