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The growing use of insect-derived proteins as a food source, driven by their nutritional benefits and low environmental impact, raises questions about their impact on human health, particularly oral health. This position paper analyzes the potential implications of integrating insect proteins into the diet, with a special focus on dental, periodontal, and oral microbiome health. By offering complete amino acid profiles, omega-3 fatty acids, and antimicrobial peptides, insect proteins may help address nutritional gaps and positively influence oral tissue regeneration and microbiome balance. Their low-carbohydrate content also reduces substrate availability for cariogenic bacteria, making them a valuable alternative to starch- or sugar-rich diets. We justify this dietary transition in light of present nutritional deficiencies and demonstrate how insect proteins can register within a holistic approach to global health (One Health) and the Planetary Health Diet, supporting sustainability and improving overall health. However, further studies are needed to evaluate their safety as potential sources of allergens and contaminants. Both in-vitro and in-vivo studies are needed to assess correlations with the oral microbiota and its most frequent dysbiosis-related manifestations.

Abstract This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of supercapacitor materials derived from pyrolyzed natural compounds. Four compounds were investigated: methylcellulose with lysine (ML), methylcellulose with lysine-graphene composite (MLG), algae (A), and algae-graphene composite (AG). The pyrolysis process was utilized to convert these natural compounds into carbon-based materials suitable for supercapacitor applications. The properties of the resulting materials were analyzed extensively to evaluate their potential as supercapacitor electrodes. The electrochemical performance, including specific capacitance, cyclic stability, and rate capability was measured using various characterization techniques. The effects of incorporating graphene into the lysine-methylcellulose and algae matrices were also studied to explore the enhancements in supercapacitor performance. In both cases, the addition of graphene resulted in a positive effect. Among all the materials investigated, the algae-graphene composite exhibited the most favorable properties, demonstrating a specific capacitance of 192 F g−1 after 10,000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles at a current of 5 A g−1 in K2SO4 electrolyte. This exceptional performance underscores the potential of the algae-graphene composite as a highly efficient and durable electrode material for supercapacitor applications.

Background: MS patients experience gradual and progressive functional limitation, bulbar symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric disorders that can impinge on oral status. This study aimed to investigate the oral state, oral hygiene habits, and salivary cortisol levels in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to healthy controls. It also evaluated systemic parameters: disease duration, type of Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT), disability score, professional activity, and smoking in the study group. Methods: This study included 101 patients (71 women and 30 men, aged 16–71 years) and 51 healthy volunteers (36 women and 15 men, aged 28–82 years). The oral examination assessed the number of teeth, type and number of dental fillings and prosthetic restoration, oral hygiene state, and salivary cortisol. Results: It was found that MS patients had significantly more professional activity, swallowing problems, pronunciation issues, dry mouth, and taste disturbances than the control group. They brushed their teeth twice daily significantly less often. The API was higher, while the SBI was lower in MS patients. Disease duration positively correlated with age and number of missing teeth. The Expanded Disability Status Scale positively correlated with age, disease duration, number of missing teeth, number of composite fillings, and right and left-hand Nine Hole Peg test scores, and negatively correlated with the Sulcus Bleeding Index. Salivary cortisol levels did not differ between groups and correlated only with the disability scale. Conclusions: MS patients require ongoing dental care and preventive measures to manage both general and oral health symptoms effectively.

Medicine is looking for solutions to help implant patients recover more smoothly. The porous implants promote osteointegration, thereby providing better stabilization. Introducing porosity into metallic implants enhances their biocompatibility and facilitates osteointegration. The introduction of porosity is also associated with a reduction in Young’s modulus, which reduces the risk of tissue outgrowth around the implant. However, the risk of chronic inflammation remains a concern, necessitating the development of coatings to mitigate adverse reactions. An interesting biomaterial for such modifications is chitosan, which has antimicrobial, antifungal, and osteointegration properties. In the present work, a porous titanium biomaterial was obtained by powder metallurgy, and electrophoretic deposition of chitosan coatings was used to modify its surface. This study investigated the influence of ethanol content in the deposition solution on the quality of chitosan coatings. The EPD process facilitates the control of coating thickness and morphology, with higher voltages resulting in thicker coatings and increased pore formation. Ethanol concentration in the solution affects coating quality, with higher concentrations leading to cracking and peeling. Optimal coating conditions (30 min/10 V) yield high-quality coatings, demonstrating excellent cell viability and negligible cytotoxicity. The GIXD and ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of deposited chitosan coatings on Ti substrates. The microstructure of the chitosan coatings was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Biological tests showed no cytotoxicity of the obtained materials, which allows for further research and the possibility of their use in medicine. In conclusion, EPD offers a viable method for producing chitosan-based coatings with controlled properties for biomedical applications, ensuring enhanced patient outcomes and implant performance.

Background and Objectives: An oral lichen planus (OLP) chronic lesion refers to a group of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) that still lack a proper understanding from the point of view of relevant biomarkers for diagnostics and prognosis. The aim of the study was to assess the salivary histamine levels in patients with oral lichen planus lesions. Materials and Methods: The study included a group of 76 patients with oral lichen planus. General diseases and medication taken, smoking habits, severity of pain assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), oral hygiene status, and duration of OLP were evaluated. ELISA diagnostics for histamines in saliva levels were assessed. Results: The histamine levels in the OLP group were higher (0.468) in comparison with the control group (0.056), without a statistically significant value p = 0.090 (Mann–Whitney U Test). The median age of 76 OLP patients was 63 years (min 22.0–max. 81), with the biological sex being 80.3% females and 15 19.7% males. The average duration of OLP lesion presence was 29.4 months (SD 37.1) and the median value was 14.5 months. The median of the VAS was 3.0. OLP assessment in accordance with the Malhotra methodology showed the highest frequency—30.3% for only two of the point areas involved and 17.1% for three points. Clinical assessment of the different OLP grades, severity, and oral site involvement and the VAS in correlation with histamine salivary levels showed a lack of statistical significance in the investigated population. Conclusions: Undertaking further research could provide further possibilities for searching for general factors in OLP development.

This work aims to demonstrate that the Fe2O3 nanocrystals’ adsorptive and photocatalytic properties can be adjusted by exposing the crystal facets that are functionalized. To this end, cube- and disc-like structures were synthesized using a metal ion-mediated hydrothermal route. Thereafter, some of the samples were annealed at 500 °C for 3 h. Our paper combines the experimental part with theoretical calculations of the obtained materials’ band edge positions. The results reveal that—aside from hematite—the as-synthesized discs also contain γ-FeOOH and β-Fe2O3 phases, which transform into α-Fe2O3 during annealing. The hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and adsorption kinetics measurements show that the cube-like samples exhibit the highest affinity for cationic, whereas the discs have an affinity for anionic dye. Measurements of the wall zeta potential also reveal that annealing the discs modifies their surface state and ability to adsorb molecules. Photocatalytic tests show that the as-synthesized powders have better photocatalytic performance toward methylene blue decomposition than the annealed ones. The observed small changes in the concentration of the MO during illumination result from the energy band structure of the cube-like crystal orientation.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating, progressive, and neurodegenerative disease. The cause of this condition remains unknown. Diagnosing and monitoring the course of this disease requires the use of time-consuming, costly, and invasive methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. To date, no specific diagnostic tests for MS are available. The purpose of this publication is to answer the question of whether saliva, as a mirror of oral and general health and easily obtainable test material, can be a significant source of information on etiological factors, biomarkers, and indicators of disease progression and whether analysis of substances in saliva is sensitive enough to replace plasma, urine, or cerebrospinal fluid. For this purpose, a systematic search of databases was conducted: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The production of effective catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) continues to be a great challenge for scientists. A constant increase in demand for energy storage materials is followed by a proportionate increase in the number of reports on electrocatalyst synthesis. The scientific world focuses on environmentally friendly materials synthesized in accordance with the safest possible. In this work, we developed a facile method of obtaining heavy-metal-free electrode materials that are effective in ORR. Graphene-based catalysts were doped using azodicarbonamide (ADC) as the source of nitrogen, then carbonized at high temperatures in the range of 700–900 °C under inert gas flow. The produced materials were tested as catalysts for ORR, which is the most important reaction for Zn–air batteries and fuel cells. All obtained nitrogen-doped graphene foams showed increased catalytic activity in ORR owing to active sites created by nitrogen functional groups on the graphene surface. This paper shows that carbonization temperature has a significant impact on nitrogen content and that a small percentage of nitrogen may have a positive effect on the catalytic activity of the obtained materials. The number of transferred electrons in ORR was found to range from three to the maximal theoretical value, i.e., four.

Abstract In this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbons obtained from chitosan, gelatine, and green algae were investigated in their role as supercapacitor electrodes. The effects of three factors on electrochemical performance have been studied—of the specific surface area, functional groups, and a porous structure. Varying nitrogen contents (from 5.46 to 10.08 wt.%) and specific surface areas (from 532 to 1095 m2 g−1) were obtained by modifying the carbon precursor and the carbonization temperature. Doping nitrogen into carbon at a level of 5.74–7.09 wt.% appears to be the optimum for obtaining high electrochemical capacitance. The obtained carbons exhibited high capacitance (231 F g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and cycle durability in a 0.2 mol L−1 K2SO4 electrolyte. Capacitance retention was equal to 91% at 5 A g−1 after 10,000 chronopotentiometry cycles. An analysis of electrochemical behaviour reveals the influence that nitrogen functional groups have on pseudocapacitance. While quaternary-N and pyrrolic-N nitrogen groups have an enhancing effect, due to the presence of a positive charge and thus improved electron transfer at high current loads, the most important functional group affecting energy storage performance is graphite-N/quaternary-N. The study points out that the search for the most favourable organic precursors is as important as the process of converting precursors to carbon-based electrode materials.

Electrocatalytic water splitting for green hydrogen production necessitates effective electrocatalysts. Currently, commercial catalysts are primarily platinum-based. Therefore, finding catalysts with comparable catalytic activity but lower cost is essential. This paper describes spinel-structured catalysts containing nickel cobaltite NiCo2O4, graphene, and additionally doped with heteroatoms. The structure and elemental composition of the obtained materials were analyzed by research methods such as TEM, SEM-EDX, XRD, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurements showed that hybrid materials containing nickel cobaltite NiCo2O4 doped with graphene are highly active catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (Tafel slopes = 91 mV dec−1, overpotential = 468 mV and onset potential = -339 mV), while in the oxygen evolution reaction (Tafel slopes = 51 mV dec−1, overpotential = 1752 mV and onset potential = 370 mV), bare NiCo2O4 without the addition of carbon has a worse activity (for HER: Tafel slopes = 120 mV dec−1, overpotential - does not achieve and onset potential = -404 mV, for OER: Tafel slopes = 54 mV dec−1, overpotential = 1796 mV and onset potential = 410 mV). In terms of stability, comparable results were obtained for each synthesized compound for both the HER and OER reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into the synthesis and characterization of MoS2-carbon-based materials, holding promise for applications in supercapacitors and ion batteries. The synthesis process entails the preparation of MoS2 and its carbon hybrids through exfoliation, hydrothermal treatment, and subsequent pyrolysis. Various analytical techniques were employed to comprehensively examine the structural, compositional, and morphological properties of the resulting materials. The article explores the electrochemical performance of these electrode materials in supercapacitors and ion batteries (LiB, SiB, KiB). Electrochemical measurements were conducted in aqueous electrolyte for supercapacitors and various aprotic electrolytes for ion batteries. Results highlight the impact of the synthesis process on electrochemical performance, emphasizing factors such as capacitance, rate capability, and charge/discharge cycle performance. Hydrothermally treated MoS2-carbon exhibited a specific capacitance of approximately 150 F g-1 in supercapacitors, attributed to its high surface area and efficient charge storage mechanisms. Additionally, for Li-ion battery materials without hydrothermal treatment showed impressive capacity retention of around 88% after 500 charge-discharge cycles, starting with an initial specific capacity of about 920 mAh/g. Long-term stability was demonstrated in both supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries, with minimal capacitance degradation even after extensive charge-discharge cycles. This research underscores the potential of MoS2-based materials as effective energy storage solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: MS patients experience gradual and progressive functional limitation, bulbar symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and psychiatric disorders that can impinge on oral status. This study aimed to investigate the oral state, oral hygiene habits, and salivary cortisol levels in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) compared to healthy controls. It also evaluated systemic parameters: disease duration, type of Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT), disability score, professional activity, and smoking in the study group. Methods: This study included 101 patients (71 women and 30 men, aged 16–71 years) and 51 healthy volunteers (36 women and 15 men, aged 28–82 years). The oral examination assessed the number of teeth, type and number of dental fillings and prosthetic restoration, oral hygiene state, and salivary cortisol. Results: It was found that MS patients had significantly more professional activity, swallowing problems, pronunciation issues, dry mouth, and taste disturbances than the control group. They brushed their teeth twice daily significantly less often. The API was higher, while the SBI was lower in MS patients. Disease duration positively correlated with age and number of missing teeth. The Expanded Disability Status Scale positively correlated with age, disease duration, number of missing teeth, number of composite fillings, and right and left-hand Nine Hole Peg test scores, and negatively correlated with the Sulcus Bleeding Index. Salivary cortisol levels did not differ between groups and correlated only with the disability scale. Conclusions: MS patients require ongoing dental care and preventive measures to manage both general and oral health symptoms effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthodontic treatment is often mandatory to improve the patient's health condition. However, the fixed appliance can create additional plaque retention areas, which can increase the risk of caries development. Clinically, one can observe various effects of fixed appliance treatment on caries prevalence. This study aims to analyze to what extent orthodontic therapy with fixed appliances is a risk factor for developing caries in pediatric and adult patients. The keywords used in the search strategy were as follows: ("caries" AND "caries risk" AND "caries experience" AND" "orthodontic treatment" OR "fixed appliance"") and ("caries experience" AND "orthodontic treatment"). From 808 potential articles, 15 were included in the review. In individuals undergoing fixed orthodontic therapy, several factors can increase the risk of caries during fixed orthodontic treatment, such as salivary composition, oral dysbiosis and plaque accumulation. On the other hand, factors that reduce caries risk are, i.e., oral hygiene self-awareness and previous orthodontic treatment. In most studies which used the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, there were no significant differences between the values obtained before orthodontic treatment and after the treatment. Moreover, it is easier for a patient with aligned teeth to remove plaque. In the young population, fixed orthodontic treatment appears to reduce the incidence of caries. In the adult population, fixed orthodontic treatment increases the risk of dental caries. However, education on proper oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment can reduce the risk of dental caries. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (PROSPERO CRD42022356628). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The development of effective catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a significant challenge in energy conversion systems, e.g., Zn–air batteries. Herein, green-algae- and gelatine-derived porous, nitrogen-rich carbons were extensively investigated as electrode materials for electrochemical catalytic reactions. These carbon-based catalysts were designed and optimized to create a metal-free catalyst via templating, carbonization, and subsequent removal of the template. The additional incorporation of graphene improved electronic conductivity and enhanced the electrochemical catalytic reaction. Porous carbons with heteroatoms were used as effective platinum-free ORR electrocatalysts for energy conversion; the presence of nitrogen in the carbon provided more active sites for ORR. Our catalyst also displayed notable durability in a rechargeable Zn–air battery energy system. More importantly, the nitrogen-containing porous carbons were found to have comparable ORR performance in alkaline media to commercially available electrocatalysts. The manuscript demonstrates that nitrogen atom insertion is an appropriate approach when aiming to eliminate noble metals from the synthesis route. N-doped carbons are competitive materials compared to reference platinum-based catalysts.