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Objective: This in vitro study is aimed at investigating the caries preventive effectiveness of 445 nm diode laser in combination with topical fluoridation., Materials and Methods: A total of 30 caries-free bovine teeth were used in this study. Eighteen teeth were covered with nail varnish except four windows on the labial surface. The windows were assigned to no treatment/control (C), laser (L) (0.3 W, 60 s, and 90 J/cm 2 ), fluoride (F), and fluoride followed by laser (FL) treatment groups. Artificial caries lesions were created, and the teeth were sectioned and investigated under polarized light microscopy for quantitative measurement of the resulted lesion depth. Ten teeth were used for surface temperature measurement and two teeth for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Extra twelve human molars were used for the intrapulpal temperature measurement. The absorbance of fluoride at 445 nm was measured., Results: The means of lesion depth for the C, L, F, and FL groups were 123.48 (±21.93), 112.33 (±20.42), 99.58 (±30.68), and 89.03 (±30.38) μ m, respectively. The pairwise differences of the L, F, and FL groups compared with the C group were significant ( p < 0.05). The differences between groups were tested: FL versus L p =0.02, F versus L p =0.16, and FL versus F p =0.91, and the difference of the F versus FL was not significant ( p =0.91). Temperature increment at the enamel surface and pulp roof were ∆ T  = 16.67 (±4.11) and 2.12 (±0.66)°C, respectively. The topical fluoride absorbance at 445 nm is five orders higher than that at 810 nm. SEM shows that after laser irradiation the enamel surface was intact and without thermal damage., Conclusions: The 445 nm laser irradiation may be useful for caries prevention, and its effectiveness is lower than those previously achieved using the argon ion laser., Competing Interests: The authors of this article have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2019 Mohammed Abbood Al-Maliky et al.)

Cancer progression is characterized by autarky in growth signals, insensitivity to growth-restrictive signals, evasion of apoptosis, a limitless potential to replicate, sustained angiogenesis, and tissue invasion, including metastasis. The regulation of these cellular processes relies on a fine-tuned control of molecular signal cascades. In recent years, short noncoding RNAs termed microRNAs (miRNAs) have been described as a novel class of molecular regulators. These affect various signaling cascades during the progression of neoplastic diseases by the regulation of gene expression on the post-transcriptional level. The novel endothelial cell-derived secreted protein epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (EGFL7) has been suggested to control vascular tubulogenesis. Further, the two biologically active miRNAs miR-126 and its complement miR-126*, which are encoded by intron 7 of the egfl7 gene, have been described to mediate vascular functions. Knock-out studies in zebrafish and mice suggested a major role of miR-126 in angiogenesis and vascular integrity, which was mediated by the repression of inhibitors of VEGF-induced proliferation in endothelial cells. Recent studies revealed the distribution and function of miR-126 and miR-126* in various types of cancer, and assigned a role to both miRNAs as suppressors of tumor formation. Indeed, miR-126 and miR-126* have been reported to impair cancer progression through signaling pathways that control tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and survival. Conversely, miR-126 and miR-126* may have a supportive role in the progression of cancer as well, which might be mediated by the promotion of blood vessel growth and inflammation. In this work, we will summarize the current knowledge on functions of miR-126/miR-126* that are relevant for cancer formation, and we will discuss their potential clinical use as predictive markers of survival and application as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of neoplastic diseases.

In this article, the author examines the creation and development of Arizona's statewide tobacco control program. In particular, he examines the three basic goals of prevention, cessation, and policy and emphasizes the need to focus equally on all to build an effective program. The need for sound theory and research to guide statewide comprehensive programs is highlighted.