Evaluation of Sealing Ability of Biodentine to Root-End Cavities Irrigated either with Maleic Acid or Irritrol Using Glucose Filtration Model

Objective: To compare the effect of Maleic acid and Irritrol (combination of Chlorhexidine & Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) irrigation on the sealing ability of Biodentine when used as root-end filling material. Material and Methods: Thirty single-rooted human premolars were subjected to standardized root canal instrumentation and were irrigated with 2.5% Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) after each instrument change. Apical root resections were done by removing 3 mm of the apex at a 90° angle to the long axis of the root with a diamond bur. The root end cavity preparation was done using ultrasonic tips at a low power setting under water coolant. They were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10). Group 1 was irrigated with 7% Maleic acid, Group 2 was irrigated with Irritrol, and Group 3 was irrigated with 0.9% Saline (Control). Then, the root end cavities of all the samples were restored with Biodentine and were subjected to leakage analysis using a glucose filtration test. The mean values for each group were calculated and the obtained data was statistically analysed using ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s test, ANOVA with post-hoc Games-Howell test and repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni test. Results: The specimens irrigated with Irritrol showed least microleakage as compared to 7% Maleic acid and 0.9% Saline. Conclusion: A regimen involving irrigation of the root-end cavity with Irritrol followed by root-end filling with Biodentine can improve the apical seal

Antibodies to Enteroviruses in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Acute Flaccid Myelitis.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) has caused motor paralysis in >560 children in the United States since 2014. The temporal association of enterovirus (EV) outbreaks with increases in AFM cases and reports of fever, respiratory, or gastrointestinal illness prior to AFM in >90% of cases suggest a role for infectious agents. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 14 AFM and 5 non-AFM patients with central nervous system (CNS) diseases in 2018 were investigated by viral-capture high-throughput sequencing (VirCapSeq-VERT system). These CSF and serum samples, as well as multiple controls, were tested for antibodies to human EVs using peptide microarrays. EV RNA was confirmed in CSF from only 1 adult AFM case and 1 non-AFM case. In contrast, antibodies to EV peptides were present in CSF of 11 of 14 AFM patients (79%), significantly higher than controls, including non-AFM patients (1/5 [20%]), children with Kawasaki disease (0/10), and adults with non-AFM CNS diseases (2/11 [18%]) (P = 0.023, 0.0001, and 0.0028, respectively). Six of 14 CSF samples (43%) and 8 of 11 sera (73%) from AFM patients were immunoreactive to an EV-D68-specific peptide, whereas the three control groups were not immunoreactive in either CSF (0/5, 0/10, and 0/11; P = 0.008, 0.0003, and 0.035, respectively) or sera (0/2, 0/8, and 0/5; P = 0.139, 0.002, and 0.009, respectively).IMPORTANCE The presence in cerebrospinal fluid of antibodies to EV peptides at higher levels than non-AFM controls supports the plausibility of a link between EV infection and AFM that warrants further investigation and has the potential to lead to strategies for diagnosis and prevention of disease

Effect of rGO with BaCuO perovskite on the thermal decomposition of AP and NTO

In this study, the syntheses of a BaCuO 3 perovskite-structured oxide and rGO were conducted using a solgel method and ultrasonication process, respectively. Their physico-chemical characteristics were studied by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy analyses. The perovskite type particles were found to present as a cubic crystal system with a crystal size in the range of 1060 nm. Their catalytic performance was investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements at varying heating rates via the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO). The kinetics and thermodynamics parameters, such as the average activation energy, pre-exponential factor, entropy, and Gibbs free energy, were also investigated, which showed a decrease in the decomposition peak temperature of AP and NTO in the presence of the catalysts rGO, BaCuO 3 , and rGO + BaCuO 3 compared to pure AP and NTO. The thermal decomposition of AP and NTO was investigated in the presence of rGO, a perovskite structured BaCuO 3 catalyst, and composite rGO + BaCuO 3 using DTA analysis. These catalysts highly decreased the decomposition peak temperature of AP and NTO compared to pure AP and NTO

Dermatoglyphic Patterns in Patients Having Impacted and Erupted Third Molars—A Comparative Study

Background: The dermatoglyphics have been used in several researches for predicting various pathologies of oral cavity like periodontitis, dental caries, impacted teeth, mal-occlusion, developmental defects such as cleft lip and palate, and potentially malignant disorders. Impacted teeth may be associated with various pathologies such as caries, pericoronitis, dentigerous cysts, and keratocystic odontogenic tumors; therefore, predicting impacted teeth through dermatoglyphic patterns can help in diagnosis and future treatment planning of such event. Aims and Objectives: The aim and objective of the study were to evaluate and compare various dermatoglyphic patterns in the patients with the impacted maxillary and/or mandibular third molar (group 1) and patients having erupted maxillary and/or mandibular third molar (group 2). Materials and Methods: This study comprised totally 300 patients, which were divided into two groups, according to erupted or impacted maxillary and/or mandibular third molar visiting outpatient department, who fulfilled the selection criteria for the study. After a comprehensive clinical examination, dermatoglyphic patterns were recorded from the same individuals. Panoramic radiographs were taken to confirm the diagnosis. Data collected were entered in the spreadsheet and analyzed. For all tests, P value was set at <0.05 and was considered statistically significant. Result: There was statistical significance noted in frequencies of whorl pattern in patients of group 1 and loop pattern in patients of group 2. Conclusion: This study concluded that dermatoglyphic patterns can be used to assess the prevalence of impacted wisdom teeth

Compassionate-use pocapavir and immunoglobulin therapy for treatment of rituximab-associated enterovirus meningoencephalitis.

A 71-year-old woman previously on rituximab treatment for rheumatoid arthritis presented with 2 years of progressive neurologic symptoms. She was found to have persistent hypogammaglobulinemia and B cell depletion despite rituximab discontinuation a year prior. MRI revealed diffuse meningeal enhancement along the entire neuroaxis. LP showed a CSF lymphocytic pleocytosis, elevated protein, and presence of enterovirus by PCR. The patient was hospitalized several times for progressive clinical and radiologic decline, though she had transient improvements following treatment with immunoglobulin therapy. Her CSF remained positive for enterovirus PCR for at least 12 months. Though two brain biopsies were non-diagnostic, pan-Enterovirus was ultimately identified using a high-throughput next-generation sequencing technique. She was treated with compassionate-use pocapavir with clinical stabilization at 4-month follow-up; however, she expired 8 months later from a bacterial pneumonia

A Short Series of Case Reports of COVID-19 in Immunocompromised Patients

Immunocompromised individuals are at risk of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection due to weaker immunity, co-morbidities, and lowered vaccine effectiveness, which may evolve highly mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2. Nonetheless, limited data are available on the immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection, reinfections, and vaccinations with emerging variants in immunocompromised patients. We analyzed clinical samples that were opportunistically collected from eight immunocompromised individuals for mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes, neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers against different SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the identification of immunoreactive epitopes using a high-throughput coronavirus peptide array. The viral genome analysis revealed two SARS-CoV-2 variants (20A from a deceased patient and an Alpha variant from a recovered patient) with an eight amino-acid (aa) deletion within the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the surface glycoprotein. A higher NAb titer was present against the prototypic USA/WA1/2020 strain in vaccinated immunocompromised patients. NAb titer was absent against the Omicron variant and the cultured virus of the 20A variant with eight aa deletions in non-vaccinated patients. Our data suggest that fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections may occur in immunocompromised individuals even with high titers of NAb post-vaccination. Moreover, persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to the emergence of newer variants with additional mutations favoring the survival and fitness of the pathogen that include deletions in NAb binding sites in the SARS-CoV-2 surface glycoprotein

Full genome characterization of human G3P[6] and G3P[9] rotavirus strains in Lebanon

Rotaviruses are the most common infectious agents causing severe diarrheal diseases in young children globally. Three rare human rotavirus strains, two G3P[9] and one G3P[6], were detected in stool samples of children under 5 years of age hospitalized for gastroenteritis in Lebanon during the course of a surveillance study. Complete genomes of these strains were sequenced using VirCapSeq-VERT, a capture based high-throughput sequencing method. Genomic sequences were further characterized by using phylogenetic analyses with global RVA G3P[6]/P[9] strains, other vaccine and reference strains. Genetic analysis revealed that the G3P[6] strain emerged as a DS-1/Wa-like mono-reassortant strain with a potential Ethiopian origin. The two G3P[9] strains possessed a mixed DS-1/Wa/AU-1-like origin indicating that these may have evolved via multiple reassortment events involving feline, human and bovine rotaviruses. Furthermore, analysis of these strains revealed high antigenic variability compared to the vaccine strains. Additional studies are essential to fully understand the evolutionary dynamics of G3P[6]/P[9] strains spreading worldwide and their implications on vaccine effectiveness. •The genetic background of Lebanese G3P[6]/P[9] RVAs was elucidated.•VirCapSeq-VERT was used to recover full RVA genomes.•G3P[6]/P[9] RVAs possess a mixed DS-1/Wa-like or DS-1/Wa/AU-1-like backgrounds.•Lebanese G3P[6] and Ethiopian G3P[6] RVAs share common ancestry

Identification of immunoreactive linear epitopes of Borrelia miyamotoi.

Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging tick-borne spirochete transmitted by ixodid ticks. Current serologic assays for B. miyamotoi are impacted by genetic similarities to other Borrelia and limited understanding of optimal antigenic targets. In this study, we employed the TBD-Serochip, a peptide array platform, to identify new linear targets for serologic detection of B. miyamotoi. We examined a wide range of suspected B. miyamotoi antigens and identified 352 IgM and 91 IgG reactive peptides, with the majority mapping to variable membrane proteins. These included peptides within conserved fragments of variable membrane proteins that may have greater potential for differential diagnosis. We also identified reactive regions on FlaB, and demonstrate crossreactivity of B. burgdorferi s.l. C6 with a B. miyamotoi C6-like peptide. The panel of linear peptides identified in this study can be used to enhance serodiagnosis of B. miyamotoi

Immunoreactive peptide maps of SARS-CoV-2

Serodiagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is impeded by immunological cross-reactivity among the human coronaviruses (HCoVs): SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, OC43, 229E, HKU1, and NL63. Here we report the identification of humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 peptides that may enable discrimination between exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and other HCoVs. We used a high-density peptide microarray and plasma samples collected at two time points from 50 subjects with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by qPCR, samples collected in 2004-2005 from 11 subjects with IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-1, 11 subjects with IgG antibodies to other seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV), and 10 healthy human subjects. Through statistical modeling with linear regression and multidimensional scaling we identified specific peptides that were reassembled to identify 29 linear SARS-CoV-2 epitopes that were immunoreactive with plasma from individuals who had asymptomatic, mild or severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. Larger studies will be required to determine whether these peptides may be useful in serodiagnostics