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Research has been conducted on Microviridae bacteriophages which infect chlamydiae. The factors affecting the tropism of the Microviridae infecting chlamydiae have been investigated and the results suggest that host cell recognition is controlled only by protein-protein interactions.

States that amino acid substitutions at a site in the center of the bacteriophage protein P22 tailspike polypeptide chain suppress temperature-sensitive foulding mutations at many sites throughout the chain. Mutational analysis of intercellular folding; Intracellular chain folding; Mechanisms of inclusion body formation; Implications.

Spiroplasma virus 4 (SpV4) is a bacteriophage of the Microviridae , which packages circular ssDNA within non-enveloped T = 1 icosahedral capsids. It infects spiroplasmas, which are known pathogens of honeybees. Here, the structure of the SpV4 virion is determined using cryo-electron microscopy to a resolution of 2.5 Å. A striking feature of the SpV4 capsid is the mushroom-like protrusions at the 3-fold axes, which is common among all members of the subfamily Gokushovirinae. While the function of the protrusion is currently unknown, this feature varies widely in this subfamily and is therefore possibly an adaptation for host recognition. Furthermore, on the interior of the SpV4 capsid, the location of DNA-binding protein VP8 was identified and shown to have low structural conservation to the capsids of other viruses in the family. The structural characterization of SpV4 will aid future studies analyzing the virus-host interaction, to understand disease mechanisms at a molecular level. Furthermore, the structural comparisons in this study, including a low-resolution structure of the chlamydia phage 2, provide an overview of the structural repertoire of the viruses in this family that infect various bacterial hosts, which in turn infect a wide range of animals and plants.

Aim: Oligodontia (OD) is a rare developmental condition characterized by the absence of six or more teeth. Dental implant placement may be challenging due to anatomical factors. This study aims to evaluate the alveolar bone dimensions in OD patients compared with controls., Materials and Methods: On maxillary and mandibular cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), bone height and width were measured at every tooth and edentulous site. The distance to the inferior alveolar nerve was also measured. Fifty-three OD patients (40 maxillary and 32 mandibular CBCT) and 82 controls (51 maxillary and 31 mandibular CBCT) were compared using mixed models., Results: Compared with those in OD patients, maxillary permanent teeth and edentulous sites showed significantly higher mean height in control patients (incisive-canine site height: +2.12 mm; edentulous incisive-canine site height: +4.46 mm [p > .001]). For the mandibular permanent teeth, mean height was higher in controls than in OD patients at the incisive-canine (+3.82 mm [p > .001]) and premolar areas (+2.06 mm [p > .001]). Only edentulous incisive-canine sites were significantly different between controls and OD patients (mean: +0.52 mm [p > .001]). Changes in alveolar nerve position were observed in case of molar agenesis., Conclusion: Maxillary and mandibular bone dimensions are reduced in OD patients compared with controls both in sites with permanent teeth and in edentulous areas., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Statement of Problem: Cleft lip and palate are the most frequent congenital anomalies of the face and are often linked with lateral incisor agenesis. The therapeutic decision on whether and how to replace the lateral incisors is not straightforward, and a decision-making tree is needed., Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the available literature reporting on treatments for the replacement of missing lateral incisors in cleft areas. By analyzing the success and survival rates of these treatments, a decision-making tree was developed., Material and Methods: The literature search was performed on the PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, Cochrane, EMBASE, Dentistry of Oral and Science Source, and Google Scholar databases and was based on the question: Which treatment for patients with lateral incisor agenesis and cleft lip and palate has a good success rate?, Results: Twenty-six articles were included in this systematic review. A meta-analysis was performed on 14 articles (20 case series, 6 case controls). The estimated overall 5-year survival rates were 96.4% for implant-supported prostheses., Conclusions: Different treatment options are available, depending on the clinical situation. If the patient meets the conditions for implant placement, this treatment remains a preferred solution. If the prosthetic space is reduced, orthodontic space closure and composite resin restorations are possible. When these options are not possible, a resin-bonded fixed partial denture is the preferred option. If the teeth adjacent to the edentulous area require extensive restorations, a fixed partial denture may be a suitable alternative., (Copyright © 2023 Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In 2021, the ten provinces in Canada enacted COVID-19 vaccine mandates that restricted access to non-essential businesses and services to those that could provide proof of full vaccination to decrease the risk of transmission and provide an incentive for vaccination. This analysis aims to examine the effects of vaccine mandate announcements on vaccine uptake over time by age group and province., Methods: Aggregated data from the Canadian COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Surveillance System (CCVCSS) were used to measure vaccine uptake (defined as the weekly proportion of individuals who received at least one dose) among those 12 years and older following the announcement of vaccination requirements. We performed an interrupted time series analysis using a quasi-binomial autoregressive model adjusted for the weekly number of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to model the effect of mandate announcements on vaccine uptake. Additionally, counterfactuals were produced for each province and age group to estimate vaccine uptake without mandate implementation., Results: The times series models demonstrated significant increases in vaccine uptake following mandate announcement in BC, AB, SK, MB, NS, and NL. No trends in the effect of mandate announcements were observed by age group. In AB and SK, counterfactual analysis showed that announcement were followed by 8 % and 7 % (310,890 and 71,711 people, respectively) increases in vaccination coverage over the following 10 weeks. In MB, NS, and NL, there was at least a 5 % (63,936, 44,054, and 29,814 people, respectively) increase in coverage. Lastly, BC announcements were followed by a 4 % (203,300 people) increase in coverage., Conclusion: Vaccine mandate announcements could have increased vaccine uptake. However, it is difficult to interpret this effect within the larger epidemiological context. Effectiveness of the mandates can be affected by pre-existing levels of uptake, hesitancy, timing of announcements and local COVID-19 activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Viruses have brought humanity many challenges: respiratory infection, cancer, neurological impairment and immunosuppression to name a few. Virology research over the last 60+ years has responded to reduce this disease burden with vaccines and antivirals. Despite this long history, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to the field of virology. Some of this attention is focused on concern about the safe conduct of research with human pathogens. A small but vocal group of individuals has seized upon these concerns - conflating legitimate questions about safely conducting virus-related research with uncertainties over the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The result has fueled public confusion and, in many instances, ill-informed condemnation of virology. With this article, we seek to promote a return to rational discourse. We explain the use of gain-of-function approaches in science, discuss the possible origins of SARS-CoV-2 and outline current regulatory structures that provide oversight for virological research in the United States. By offering our expertise, we - a broad group of working virologists - seek to aid policy makers in navigating these controversial issues. Balanced, evidence-based discourse is essential to addressing public concern while maintaining and expanding much-needed research in virology.

Objectives: Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (NBCS) is a rare genetic condition affecting multiple organs including the maxillofacial and dental region. The surgical removal of the odontogenic keratocystic tumors (OKT), the high rate of recurrence leads to a iatrogenic tooth loss requiring dental care. The aim of this study is therefore to describe the dental and orthodontic management, and to assess the impact of surgery on facial growth and oral development., Methods: A retrospective study including 14 patients with GGS, followed at the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. The study was carried out on the medical files and photographic records RESULTS: Patients developed on average 5.5 OKT (range: 1 to 11) and 1.7 recurrences (range:0 to 9) during the follow-up. The mean age at diagnosis of first OKT was 11.23 years (range: 6.75 to 16). KOTs were more frequently localized at the mandibular (30.9%) and maxillary molar level (25.1%). Forty-seven impacted teeth were extracted during the OKT removal. Eight patients out of 12 presented a class III skeletal relationship. The remaining ones had a skeletal class II associated with a hyperdivergent typology. Almost all patients had dental impactions with ectopic positions of the succedaneums tooth. At the inter-arch level, all patients needed orthodontic care, 3 patients did not begin their orthodontics. Orthodontic treatments began with an orthopedic phase followed by braces for the majority in 8 patients. Two patients had to undergo orthognathic surgery. Impacted teeth were treated by traction or extraction with further rehabilitation., Conclusion: The objective is not to simply compensate the iatrogenic hypodontia generated by the surgical procedure but to take into consideration the maxillofacial phenotype, skeletal characteristics and numerous intra- and inter-arch dental anomalies for a healthy oral management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Canada has maintained a low incidence of toxigenic diphtheria since the 1990s, supported by continued commitment to publicly funded vaccination programs., Objective: To determine whether hospitalization data, complemented with notifiable disease data, can describe the toxigenic respiratory and cutaneous diphtheria burden in Canada, and to assess if Canada is meeting its diphtheria vaccine-preventable disease-reduction target of zero annual cases of locally transmitted respiratory diphtheria., Methods: Diphtheria-related hospital discharge data from 2006 to 2017 were extracted from the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), and diphtheria case counts for the same period were retrieved from the Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS), for descriptive analyses. As data from the province of Québec are not included in the DAD, CNDSS cases from Québec were excluded., Results: A total of 233 diphtheria-related hospitalizations were recorded in the DAD. Of these, diphtheria was the most responsible diagnosis in 23. Half the patients were male (52%), and 57% were 60 years and older. Central region (Ontario) accounted for the most discharge records (61%), followed by Prairie region (Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan; 23%). Cutaneous diphtheria accounted for 43% of records, and respiratory diphtheria accounted for 3%, with the remainder being other diphtheria complications or site unspecified. Two records with diphtheria as the most responsible diagnosis resulted in inpatient deaths. Eighteen cases of diphtheria were reported through CNDSS. Cases occurred in all age groups, with the largest proportions among those aged 20 to 59 years (39%) and those aged 19 years and younger (33%). Cases were only reported in the Prairie (89%) and West Coast (British Columbia; 11%) regions., Conclusion: Hospital administrative data are consistent with the low incidence of diphtheria reported in CNDSS, and a low burden of respiratory diphtheria in Canada. Although Canada appears to be on track to meet its disease-reduction target, information on endemic transmission is not available., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None.

Introduction: Stigma has been identified as a key determinant of health and health inequities because of its effects on access to health-enabling resources and stress exposure. Though existing reports offer in-depth summaries of the mechanisms through which stigma influences health, a review of evidence on the upstream drivers of stigma across health and social conditions has been missing. The objective of this review is to summarize known structural determinants of stigma experienced across health and social conditions in developed country settings., Methods: We conducted a rapid review of the literature. English- and French-language peer-reviewed and grey literature works published after 2008 were identified using MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Google and Google Scholar. Titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers. Information from relevant publications was extracted, and a thematic analysis of identified determinants was conducted to identify broad domains of structural determinants. A narrative synthesis of study characteristics and identified determinants was conducted., Results: Of 657 publications identified, 53 were included. Ten domains of structural determinants of stigma were identified: legal frameworks, welfare policies, economic policies, social and built environments, media and marketing, pedagogical factors, health care policies and practices, biomedical technology, diagnostic frameworks and public health interventions. Each domain is defined and summarized, and a conceptual framework for how the identified domains relate to the stigma process is proposed., Conclusion: At least 10 domains of structural factors influence the occurrence of stigma across health and social conditions. These domains can be used to structure policy discussions centred on ways to reduce stigma at the population level., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Starting in 2014, biennial clusters of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), frequently described as "polio-like" illness, have been reported across the United States and elsewhere, often linked to enteroviruses. To assess AFM trends in Canada, we reviewed the Canadian Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance System (CAFPSS) for cases reported during the 2018 and 2019 calendar years that meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definitions for AFM. A total of 10 cases (8 in 2018 and 2 in 2019) met the confirmed AFM case definition and 30 (26 in 2018 and 4 in 2019) met the probable AFM case definition. Sixty percent of confirmed and probable cases were younger than five years old, and all cases had symptom onset between the months of July and October. Enteroviruses were detected in 50% of confirmed cases. At the time of writing this report, 2020 AFM data were not yet available; it is unknown if a spike in AFM cases will be seen in 2020., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None.

Through his/her knowledge of cranio-facial growth, the orthodontist plays a leading role within the multidisciplinary team that tracks and treats sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children. Correction of craniofacial risk factors (maxillary deficiency and retrognathia) is commonly used by practitioners alongside orthodontic treatment such as OMA and RME in the optimal conditions afforded by childhood growth. Myofunctional therapies are performed to restore correct stomatognathic function and play a central role in the management of SDB in children. The orthodontist is therefore a key player in the medical treatment chain of these children.

Dental anomalies occur frequently in a number of genetic disorders and act as major signs in diagnosing these disorders. We present definitions of the most common dental signs and propose a classification usable as a diagnostic tool by dentists, clinical geneticists, and other health care providers. The definitions are part of the series Elements of Morphology and have been established after careful discussions within an international group of experienced dentists and geneticists. The classification system was elaborated in the French collaborative network "TÊTECOU" and the affiliated O-Rares reference/competence centers. The classification includes isolated and syndromic disorders with oral and dental anomalies, to which causative genes and main extraoral signs and symptoms are added. A systematic literature analysis yielded 408 entities of which a causal gene has been identified in 79%. We classified dental disorders in eight groups: dental agenesis, supernumerary teeth, dental size and/or shape, enamel, dentin, dental eruption, periodontal and gingival, and tumor-like anomalies. We aim the classification to act as a shared reference for clinical and epidemiological studies. We welcome critical evaluations of the definitions and classification and will regularly update the classification for newly recognized conditions., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: While, bacteria resistance mutations can affect competitive fitness, given our multidrug-resistant (MDR) prevalence, we conducted this study to determine the impact of MDR on the competitive fitness of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complex MDR strains. We conducted a cross-sectional study at the University Clinical Research Center (UCRC) from January to December 2017. New TB patients over aged of 18 were recruited at University teaching hospital and health reference centers of Bamako in USTTB Ethical committee approved protocols., Methods: MDR and drug-susceptible (wild-type [WT]) MTB strains (T1 and Beijing) and MTB H37Rv were competed on solid media in UCRC's Tuberculosis Laboratory. Competitive and individual cultures were incubated for 14 days at 37°C with 7% CO2. Number of generation, generation time, and relative competitive fitness (W) of the strains were calculated. Data were analyzed with Epi-Info 7.1.5.2 software (CDC). P value was considered significant when it was <0.05. Scientific calculator (CS-82TL) was used for competitive fitness parameters calculations., Results: We performed 24 competitive cultures and 10 individual cultures. In individual cultures, strains' generation number was for Beijing (WT: 4.60 and mutant MR: 4.40), T1 (WT: 2.69 and MR: 2.37), and H37Rv: 2.91. Generation number of WT strains was less than those of MDR strains in both individual and competitive culture. Relative competitive fitness was below 1 (W<1) in 83.3%., Conclusion: MDR strains were less competitive than WT strains in 83.3% of cases. Resistant mutation impacts bacteria fitness.

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, is often underestimated because it requires a burdensome test (ie, polysomnography) to ensure diagnosis. To improve polysomnography referral, it is of utmost importance to validate efficient alternative screening tools. This study aimed to provide a translation and a cross-cultural validation of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) into French to obtain an easy-to-use and reliable screening tool. The psychometric properties of the French version were also determined., Methods: The process of cross-cultural adaptation was carried out following these steps: forward-backward translation, evaluation by an expert committee, and pretesting of the pre-final version. Reliability of the French-PSQ version was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients and Spearman's correlation on a convenient sample of 201 children (aged between 2 and 17 years). Construct validity was determined by factor analysis of principal components., Results: Internal consistency was within an adequate range for all subscales: 0.711 for snoring, 0.559 for sleepiness, 0.682 for behavioral problems, and 0.776 for the whole questionnaire. Spearman's correlation analysis comparing questionnaires administered two weeks apart showed good correlation coefficients for all subscales (snoring: 0.642, sleepiness: 0.846, behavioral problems: 0.780, and entire SRBD scale: 0.835). Factor analysis performed to assess the structure of the French-SRBD scale confirmed the same four factors described in the original questionnaire ("breathing," "behavior," "sleepiness," and "other")., Conclusion: The French version of the PSQ has been successfully cross-culturally adapted and showed good psychometric properties, suggesting that it is useful as a tool to screen sleep-disordered breathing in French-speaking children., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Primary alveolar cleft repair has two main purposes: to restore normal morphology and normal function. Gingivoperiosteoplasty with bone grafting in mixed dentition has been a well-established procedure. We hypothesized that 1) performance of this surgery in deciduous dentition would provide favorable bone graft osseointegration, and 2) would improve the support of incisor teeth eruption, thereby avoiding maxillary growth disturbances. We conducted a retrospective study of clinical and tridimensional radiological data for 73 patients with alveolar clefts (with or without lip and palate clefts) who underwent gingivoperiosteoplasty with iliac bone graft in deciduous dentition. Pre- and post-operative Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) comparison allowed evaluation of the ratio between bone graft volume and initial cleft volume (BGV/ICV ratio), and measurement of central incisor teeth movements. This series of 73 patients included 44 males and 29 females, with a mean age of 5.5 years. Few complications were observed. Post-operative CBCT was performed at 7.4 months. The mean BGV/ICV ratio was 0.62. Axial rotation was significantly improved post-operatively (p = 0.004). Gingivoperiosteoplasty with iliac bone graft is safe when performed in deciduous dentition and results in a sufficient bone graft volume to support lateral incisor eruption and upper central incisor tooth position improvement., (Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As androgens might have rapid androgen-receptor (AR) independent action on muscle cells, we analysed the in vivo acute effect of androgens on maximal force generation capacity and electrically evoked calcium transient responsible for the excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle from wild-type male mice and muscle fibre androgen receptor (AR) deficient (AR(skm-/y)) male mice. We tested the hypothesis that acute in vivo androgen treatment improves contractility and modifies calcium transient in mouse hindlimb muscles. In addition, we determined whether the reduced maximal force generation capacity of AR(skm-/y) mice is caused by an alteration in calcium transient. We found that acute dehydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone treatment of mice does not change in situ maximal force, power or fatigue resistance of tibialis anterior muscles. In agreement with this observation, maximal force and twitch kinetics also remained unchanged when both whole extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle or fibre bundles were incubated in vitro with DHT. Electrically evoked calcium transient, i.e. calcium amplitude, time to peak and decay, was also not modified by DHT treatment of EDL muscle fibre bundles. Finally, we found no difference in calcium transient between AR(skm-/y) and wild-type mice despite the reduced maximal force in EDL fibre bundles of AR(skm-/y) mice. In conclusion, acute androgen treatment has no ergogenic effect on muscle contractility and does not affect calcium transient in response to stimulation. In addition, the reduced maximal force of AR(skm-/y) mice is not related to calcium transient dysfunction., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)