Use of silver diamine fluoride for the maintenance of dental prostheses in a high caries-risk patient: A medical management approach

A technique for using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as part of a regimen to help maintain dental prostheses in a patient with scleroderma and at high risk of caries is presented. Medically compromised, xerostomic, or elderly patients generally face greater risk of caries and specifically with prosthetic retainer teeth. SDF is a minimally invasive solution to this problem. A technique is described for using SDF to arrest and prevent new caries with the goal of maintaining fixed and removable prostheses and supporting teeth in a cost-effective manner.     

Diversity of foliar endophytes in wind-fallen Picea abies trees

The unmanaged Norway spruce montane forests in the Bohemian Forest National Park (Czech Republic) suffered from repeated large-scale bark beetle outbreaks in last decade. In this study, the diversity of culturable foliar endophyte microfungi in needles originating from eleven recently wind-fallen trees in this area was surveyed. Our aims were to describe their diversity and to determine the relative host and organ specificities of isolated endophyte species to estimate the species pool and abundance of foliar endophytes before the forest degradation. Microfungi were isolated from surface-sterilized needles, and the outgrowing strains were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics (analyses of ITS1, ITS2 and partial 28S rDNA). Fungal communities in the needles were diverse, with ascomycetes (mostly anamorphs of Helotiales) dominating basidiomycetes. The most frequent species (Phacidiopycnis sp., Cistella acuum, Sirococcus sp. and two species of Chalara) did not correspond with those recorded in previous studies of Picea spp. For example, the widely distributed Lophodermium piceae was rarely recorded in this study. This pattern may be caused by different methods of sterilization and cultivation or by physiological characteristics of the needles, or it may reflect the species distribution in the studied area. Members of the Helotiales, along with sequences from GenBank, showed substantial overlap in host affinities, most prominently between Pinus and Picea, and also among species from distant plant lineages.     

General anesthesia without intravenous access in children--a survey of current practice among members of the APAGBI and UK regional representatives of the APAGBI and the AAGBI

Background: The establishment of intravenous (IV) access should be considered for all adults and children undergoing general anesthesia. Inhalational induction prior to the establishment of IV access remains a popular technique in pediatric practice, and most practitioners will subsequently obtain IV access at the earliest opportunity. Previous surveys have indicated that some anesthetists may elect to omit IV access for the duration of anesthesia and surgery; however, the extent of this practice is unclear. A survey of pediatric anesthetists (members of the APAGBI and regional representatives of both the APAGBI and the AAGBI) was conducted to determine the prevalence of anesthesia without IV access in children, together with the circumstances in which this would be considered by practitioners. Method: A web‐based survey was distributed via email to members of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (APAGBI) and regional representatives of both the APAGBI and the Association of Anesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI). In total, 1419 invitations to complete the survey were sent. Results: Seven hundred and twenty seven completed surveys were returned, indicating a response rate of 51%. Twenty‐eight respondents reported that they did not anesthetize children age <16 years. Of the remaining 699 respondents, 295 (42%) described circumstances where intravenous access was omitted during general anesthesia. The vast majority (84.7%) indicated that this was a rare occurrence. Only 44 (6.3%) respondents indicated they would always or usually undertake procedures under general anesthesia in children without IV access. Respondents suggested that short procedures, including dental extractions and myringotomy, were circumstances in which this practice was acceptable. Conclusion: The majority of respondents to this survey reported that they would usually establish IV access in children undergoing general anesthesia except in specific circumstances.     

Centrioles in the beginning of human development.

We demonstrate the presence of centrioles in fertilized human oocytes at syngamy. Single or double centrioles within centrosomes were detected by transmission electron microscopy at one pole of the first cleavage spindle in normal and dispermic embryos (25-26 hr after insemination). Sperm centrioles were also closely associated with the male pronucleus (16-20 hr after insemination) in pronuclear stage embryos. A tripolar spindle derived from a tripronuclear embryo is also demonstrated with two centrioles at one pole. The data provide evidence that human centrioles, as those in most other animals, and unlike the mouse, are paternally derived, thus supporting Boveri's classical theory. Furthermore, this study provides insights to the proposed mechanisms of aberrant cleavage patterns of dispermic human embryos.     

Current Advances,Research Needs and Gaps in Mycotoxins Biomonitoring under the HBM4EU—Lessons Learned and Future Trends

Mycotoxins are natural metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed worldwide. They can pose a threat to human and animal health, mainly causing chronic effects, e.g., immunotoxic and carcinogenic. Due to climate change, an increase in European population exposure to mycotoxins is expected to occur, raising public health concerns. This urges us to assess the current human exposure to mycotoxins in Europe to allow monitoring exposure and prevent future health impacts. The mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) were considered as priority substances to be studied within the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) to generate knowledge on internal exposure and their potential health impacts. Several policy questions were addressed concerning hazard characterization, exposure and risk assessment. The present article presents the current advances attained under the HBM4EU, research needs and gaps. Overall, the knowledge on the European population risk from exposure to DON was improved by using new harmonised data and a newly derived reference value. In addition, mechanistic information on FB₁ was, for the first time, organized into an adverse outcome pathway for a congenital anomaly. It is expected that this knowledge will support policy making and contribute to driving new Human Biomonitoring (HBM) studies on mycotoxin exposure in Europe.