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The detection and monitoring of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its virulence factors, such as the LasB protease, are crucial for managing bacterial infections. Traditional fluorescent sensors for this protease face limitations in bacterial cultures due to interference from pigments like pyoverdine secreted by this opportunistic pathogen. We report here a Ln(III)-metallopeptide that combines a DO3A-Ln(III) complex and a sensitizing unit via a short peptide sequence as a simple, tunable, and selective probe for detecting P. aeruginosa 's LasB. The probe's luminescence switches off in the presence of P. aeruginosa 's secretome due to LasB cleavage but remains stable in other bacterial environments, such as non-LasB-secreting P. aeruginosa strains or E. coli cultures. It also resists degradation by other proteases, like human leukocyte elastase and trypsin, and remains stable in the presence of bioanalytes related to P. aeruginosa infections, such as glutathione, H 2 O 2 , and pyocyanin, and in complex media like FBS. Importantly, time-gated experiments completely remove the background fluorescence of P. aeruginosa pigments, thus demonstrating the potential of the developed Ln(III)-metallopeptide for real-time monitoring of LasB activity in bacterial cultures.

In the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps, Blainville 1838), vibrissae are present in neonates, but within a few months the hairs are lost, and the structures remain as empty vibrissal crypts (VCs). In this work, we have studied histologically the facial vibrissal follicles of two juveniles and one adult specimens stranded dead. A few VCs with no visible hairs were found grouped in a row rostral to each eye. The follicular lumen, covered by a simple squamous epithelium, showed invaginations in the most superficial part. Beneath the epithelium, the follicle walls were made of loose connective tissue and were encircled by a thick capsule of dense connective tissue. In juveniles, a dermal papilla was found basally and, from it, a non-keratinized pseudo hair grew upwards but did not reach the skin surface. The VCs were richly innervated and irrigated. Many lamellated corpuscles were identified in the subluminal connective tissue of the crypt walls. A large venous cavernous plexus was located beneath and around the hair papilla. The main differences observed in the adult specimen were the degeneration and calcification of both the dermal papilla and the pseudo hair, and the absence of the venous cavernous plexus, albeit maintaining a rich vascularization and innervation. Our study revealed that VCs of the pygmy sperm whale possess features of fully functional sensory structures, with a microanatomy different from those described in other species. In addition, they undergo a postnatal morphological transformation, which implies functional differences between the VCs of neonates and adults., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To determine the effect of clindamycin in the prevention of infection after oral surgery., Material and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA statement, the PICO-framework and included only randomized controlled clinical trials. In all studies clindamycin was administered to prevent infections in patients who underwent oral surgery. Two independent researchers conducted the search, data extraction and risk of bias assessment. Included studies were classified by the type of oral surgery. Besides, data of patients, procedures and outcome variables were collected. Risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by using Mantel-Haenszel model and the number needed to treat (NNT). Finally, any potential sources of heterogeneity were estimated., Results: Seven trials of 540 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Four articles assessing the effect of oral clindamycin in third molar surgery were quantitatively analyzed. The overall RR was 0.66 (95% CI = 0.38-1.16), being non-statistically significant (p = 0.15). There was no heterogeneity between the studies I 2  = 0, p = 0.44. The NNT was 29 (95% CI = 12- -57)., Conclusions: The effectiveness of clindamycin could not be evaluated except in third molar extraction. Oral clindamycin is ineffective in preventing infection in third molar surgery., Clinical Relevance: There is a lack of high-quality evidence supporting the prescription of clindamycin to prevent infections after oral surgery, despite being frequently prescribed as an alternative for penicillin-allergic patients. Oral clindamycin has not been shown to be effective after third molar extractions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Organic contaminants significantly limit the bioactivity of titanium implants, resulting in the degradation known as the ageing of titanium. To reactivate the surfaces, they can be photofunctionalized, i.e., irradiated with C-range ultraviolet (UVC) light. This descriptive in vitro study compares the effectiveness of novel light-emitting diode (LED) technology to remove contaminant hydrocarbons from three different commercially available titanium dental implants: THD, TiUnite, and SLA. The surface topography and morphology were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical compositions were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), before and after the lighting treatment, by a pair of closely placed UVC (λ = 278 nm) and LED devices for 24 h. SEM analysis showed morphological differences at the macro- and micro-scopic level. XPS analysis showed a remarkable reduction in the carbon contents after the UVC treatment: from 25.6 to 19.5 C at. % (carbon atomic concentration) in the THD; from 30.2 to 20.2 C at. % in the TiUnite; from 26.1 to 19.2 C at. % in the SLA surface. Simultaneously, the concentration of oxygen and titanium increased. Therefore, LED-based UVC irradiation decontaminated titanium surfaces and improved the chemical features of them, regardless of the kind of surface.

C-range Ultraviolet (UVC) mercury (Hg)-vapor lamps have shown the successful decontamination of hydrocarbons and antimicrobial effects from titanium surfaces. This study focused on surface chemistry modifications of titanium dental implants by using two different light sources, Hg-vapor lamps and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), so as to compare the effectivity of both photofunctionalization technologies. Two different devices, a small Hg-vapor lamp (λ = 254 nm) and a pair of closely placed LEDs (λ = 278 nm), were used to irradiate the implants for 12 min. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to characterize the chemical composition of the surfaces, analysing the samples before and after the lighting treatment, performing a wide and narrow scan around the energy peaks of carbon, oxygen and titanium. XPS analysis showed a reduction in the concentration of surface hydrocarbons in both UVC technologies from around 26 to 23.4 C at.% (carbon atomic concentration). Besides, simultaneously, an increase in concentration of oxygen and titanium was observed. LED-based UVC photofunctionalization has been suggested to be as effective a method as Hg-vapor lamps to remove the hydrocarbons from the surface of titanium dental implants. Therefore, due to the increase in worldwide mercury limitations, LED-based technology could be a good alternative decontamination source.

Ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamides (USBs) show great promise as selective and potent inhibitors for human carbonic anhydrase hCA IX and XII, with one such compound (SLC-0111/U-F) currently in clinical trials (clinical trials.gov, NCT02215850). In this study, the crystal structures of both hCA II (off-target) and an hCA IX-mimic (target) in complex with selected USBs (U-CH 3 , U-F, and U-NO 2 ), at resolutions of 1.9 Å or better, are presented, and demonstrate differences in the binding modes within the two isoforms. The presence of residue Phe 131 in hCA II causes steric hindrance (U-CH 3 , 1765 nM; U-F, 960 nM; U-NO 2 , 15 nM) whereas in hCA IX (U-CH 3 , 7 nM; U-F, 45 nM; U-NO 2 , 1 nM) and hCA XII (U-CH 3 , 6 nM; U-F, 4 nM; U-NO 2 , 6 nM), 131 is a Val and Ala, respectively, allows for more favorable binding. Our results provide insight into the mechanism of USB selective inhibition and useful information for structural design and drug development, including synthesis of hybrid USB compounds with improved physiochemical properties., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: A randomised experimental study was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor in neurogenic laryngitis., Materials and Methods: Male Wistar Han rats were subjected to the nasogastric intubation model (NGI) of laryngitis for 1 and 2 weeks. The NGI animals were divided into three groups: (1) treated with COX-2 inhibitor Etoricoxib, (2) vehicle and (3) non-intubated animals. A fourth group of animals was submitted to NGI only. Laryngeal sections were immunostained for substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) fibre-immunoreactivity (IR) and quantification of COX-2 positive cells through stereological analysis. The expression of COX-2, interleukins IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was determined by quantitative real time QRT-PCR., Treatment: Etoricoxib (6 mg/kg/day) was prepared in 0.9% sterile saline with 5% glucose (vehicle) and administered daily during 1 or 2 weeks., Results: Treatment for 1 week with Etoricoxib attenuated the CGRP-IR fibre depletion, the COX-2-IR increased cell number and the TNF-alpha and COX-2 mRNA increased levels induced by NGI. Two weeks of treatment had no beneficial effect., Conclusions: Etoricoxib is effective in neurogenic laryngitis for limited periods of administration, indicating that selective COX-2 inhibitors should be evaluated in the future.