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Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi , is an important public health problem, occurring mainly in Latin America. The disease has a major social and economical effect, negatively impacting the life of the infected individuals, and bringing great costs to public health. An early and accurate diagnosis is essential for administration of early treatment. In addition, prognostic tests may aid disease management, decreasing hospitalization costs. However, the serological diagnostic scenario for CD still faces several challenges, making the development of new diagnostic kits a pressing matter. Facing this scenario, several researchers have expanded efforts in developing and testing new antigens, such as recombinant proteins and recombinant multiepitope proteins, with promising results. These recombinant antigens offer several advantages, such as improved sensitivity and specificity, in addition to facilitated scaling. Also, it has been possible to observe a rising number of studies using ELISA and point-of-care platforms, employing these antigens in the past few years. Among them, recombinant proteins were the most applied antigens, demonstrating great capacity to discriminate between positive and negative samples. Although fewer in number, recombinant multiepitope proteins also demonstrated an improved diagnostic performance. Indeed, a great number of studies employing these antigens showed sensitivity and specificity values above 90%, greatly impacting diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, despite the good results found, it is still possible to observe some bottlenecks in the development of new antigens, such as the scarcity of tests with sera from the acute phase and the variability of results in different geographic areas. In this sense, aiming to contribute to control and health programs, the continuous search for a more accurate serological diagnosis is essential, both for the acute and chronic phases of the disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Resende, Ribeiro, Gandra, Silva, Lopes, Barcelos, Couto, de Faria, Pereira, Xavier, Machado, da Paz, Chaves, Coelho, Giunchetti, Chávez-Fumagalli, Dutra, Gonçalves and Galdino.)

This prospective study aims to evaluate dental pain, anxiety, and catastrophizing levels in pregnant women undergoing root canal treatment. Sixty pregnant and non-pregnant women presenting dental pain and an indication for root canal treatment were included in the study. Dental anxiety and catastrophizing were investigated using validated questionnaires. The endodontic intervention was performed, and a numerical scale measured preoperative and postoperative dental pain. The results were analyzed using STATA software 12.0. Unadjusted analyses assessed the association between pregnancy and pain, anxiety, and catastrophizing levels. Multiple linear regression models using 'forward stepwise' entry procedures were used to assess the independent effects of variables on pain scores. The significance level was set at 0.05. Initially, most patients experienced intense dental pain. The levels of dental pain, dental anxiety, and catastrophizing did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Logistic regression showed that postoperative pain was associated with irreversible pulpitis diagnosis (OR = 4.78; 95%CI 1.55-13.55) and high catastrophizing levels (OR = 1.96; 95%CI 1.01-3.84). Preoperative and postoperative pain rates and anxiety and catastrophizing were similar between pregnant and non-pregnant patients. Postoperative pain was associated with irreversible pulpitis diagnosis and high catastrophizing levels. The similarity between pregnant and non-pregnant women regarding preoperative and postoperative dental pain and catastrophizing and anxiety levels supports the indication of root canal treatment during the gestational period whenever necessary.

Recombinant multiepitope proteins (RMPs) are a promising alternative for application in diagnostic tests and, given their wide application in the most diverse diseases, this review article aims to survey the use of these antigens for diagnosis, as well as discuss the main points surrounding these antigens. RMPs usually consisting of linear, immunodominant, and phylogenetically conserved epitopes, has been applied in the experimental diagnosis of various human and animal diseases, such as leishmaniasis, brucellosis, cysticercosis, Chagas disease, hepatitis, leptospirosis, leprosy, filariasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and COVID-19. The synthetic genes for these epitopes are joined to code a single RMP, either with spacers or fused, with different biochemical properties. The epitopes' high density within the RMPs contributes to a high degree of sensitivity and specificity. The RMPs can also sidestep the need for multiple peptide synthesis or multiple recombinant proteins, reducing costs and enhancing the standardization conditions for immunoassays. Methods such as bioinformatics and circular dichroism have been widely applied in the development of new RMPs, helping to guide their construction and better understand their structure. Several RMPs have been expressed, mainly using the Escherichia coli expression system, highlighting the importance of these cells in the biotechnological field. In fact, technological advances in this area, offering a wide range of different strains to be used, make these cells the most widely used expression platform. RMPs have been experimentally used to diagnose a broad range of illnesses in the laboratory, suggesting they could also be useful for accurate diagnoses commercially. On this point, the RMP method offers a tempting substitute for the production of promising antigens used to assemble commercial diagnostic kits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi, continues to be a serious public health problem in Latin America, worsened by the limitations in its detection. Given the importance of developing new diagnostic methods for this disease, the present review aimed to verify the number of publications dedicated to research on peptides that demonstrate their usefulness in serodiagnosis. To this end, a bibliographic survey was conducted on the PubMed platform using the keyword "peptide" or "epitope" combined with "Chagas disease" or "Trypanosoma cruzi"; "diagno*" or "serodiagnosis" or "immunodiagnosis", without period restriction. An increasing number of publications on studies employing peptides in ELISA and rapid tests assays was verified, which confirms the expansion of research in this field. It is possible to observe that many of the peptides tested so far originate from proteins widely used in the diagnosis of Chagas, and many of them are part of commercial tests developed. In this sense, as expected, promising results were obtained for several peptides when tested in ELISA, as many of them exhibited sensitivity and specificity values above 90%. Furthermore, some peptides have been tested in several studies, confirming their diagnostic potential. Despite the promising results observed, it is possible to emphasize the need for extensive testing of peptides, using different serological panels, in order to confirm their potential. The importance of producing an effective assay capable of detecting the clinical stages of the disease, as well as new immunogenic antigens that enable new serological diagnostic tools for Chagas disease, is evident., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Improving the diagnostic technology used to detect tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) is essential in view of it being a widespread, often neglected tropical disease, with cases reported from the Southern United States to Northern Argentina. Recombinant proteins, recombinant multiepitope proteins, and synthetic peptides have been extensively researched and used in disease diagnosis. One of the benefits of applying these antigens is a measurable increase in sensitivity and specificity, which improves test accuracy. The present review aims to describe the use of these antigens and their diagnostic effectiveness. With that in mind, a bibliographic survey was conducted on the PudMed platform using the search terms "tegumentary leishmaniasis" AND "diagno", revealing that recombinant proteins have been described and evaluated for their value in TL diagnosis since the 1990s. However, there was a spike in the number of publications using all of the antigens between 2013 and 2022, confirming an expansion in research efforts to improve diagnosis. Moreover, all of the studies involving different antigens had promising results, including improved sensitivity and specificity. These data recognize the importance of doing research with new technologies focused on developing quick, more effective diagnostic kits as early diagnosis facilitates treatment., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: Monkeypox is a global public health issue caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). As of October 28, 2022, a total of 77,115 laboratoryconfirmed cases and 3,610 probable cases, including 36 deaths, were reported, with 9,070 cases reported in Brazil, the second most affected country. The need to develop national technologies for the rapid diagnosis of emerging diseases for mass testing of the population is evident, as observed in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic., Objective: With that in mind, this article provides an overview of current methods, techniques, and their applications in the molecular detection of monkeypox, focusing the search on real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and polymerase chain reaction-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (PCRELISA)., Methods: The relevant documents or papers covered in this study were selected by a search in international bibliographic databases. The search terms used in the databases were aimed at summarizing existing knowledge on molecular diagnostic methods, such as monkeypox; MPX, MPXV, qPCR, PCR, PCR-ELISA, diagnosis and detection searched separately or together using the Boolean operator "AND" either in the title or abstract. The searches took place in September 2022, and the corresponding articles were selected between 2012 and 2022., Results: We found 256 documents in total and twelve studies addressing the molecular diagnosis of monkeypox were classified as possible sources for this review., Conclusion: It is evident there is a pressing need to develop national technologies for rapid diagnosis of emerging diseases for mass testing of the population. It is also extremely important to have national detection kits with greater diagnostic capacity to assist in developing effective public policies in countries affected by this disease., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Objectives: To evaluate the incorporation of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) loaded with one of two calcium sources (i.e., calcium hydroxide/CaOH 2 or beta-tricalcium phosphate/β-TCP) on the physicochemical and biological properties of an experimental resin-based dual-cured endodontic sealer., Materials and Methods: HNTs were encapsulated with CaOH 2 or β-TCP at 10 wt.%. HNTs containing CaOH 2 or β-TCP were added into the experimental sealers at 50 wt.%. The control sealers were the calcium-free HNT-modified resin-based experimental sealer and AH Plus™, a commercially available endodontic sealer. Degree of conversion, setting time, flow, film thickness, radiopacity, dimensional stability, and calcium ions release were determined. Antibiofilm properties and cytocompatibility of the formulated sealers and commercial control were also evaluated. One and two-way ANOVA analysis followed by Tukey's post hoc test was conducted to evaluate the effect of the independent variable on the evaluated properties., Results: FTIR confirmed the encapsulation of calcium sources into HNTs. Regarding flow and film thickness, the values obtained from these sealers were in accordance with the specifications provided by ISO 6876. For radiopacity, AH Plus™ achieved the highest radiopacity (p<0.05). Among the experimental formulations, all experimental HNT-containing compositions exhibited values below 3 mm Al. The experimental sealers showed greater dimensional changes when compared to the commercial (AH Plus™) control. The release of calcium ions was observed for the HNT&#95;CaOH 2 and HNT&#95;β-TCP sealers without statistical differences. Experimental sealers containing HNT&#95;CaOH 2 and HNT&#95;β-TCP significantly reduced the CFU/mL count and showed cell compatibility., Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that the incorporation of HNT&#95;CaOH 2 or HNT&#95;β-TCP into resin-based experimental sealers promoted antimicrobial effects and gradual calcium release without impairing cytocompatibility or physicochemical properties of the sealers. Still, an adjustment to reach the minimal radiopacity established by ISO 6876 is needed., Clinical Relevance: The experimental resin-based sealers seemed to be an alternative for endodontics. The incorporation of calcium sources exerts promising antimicrobial effects while displaying low cell toxicity., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The present randomized clinical trial compared the prevalence and intensity of postoperative pain in cases of endodontic reintervention using manual or engine-driven reciprocating instruments. As secondary objectives, the analgesic intake and time required for the root canal filling removal and re-instrumentation were also evaluated. Forty-eight individuals with an endodontically treated single-rooted tooth diagnosed with asymptomatic apical periodontitis were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to two comparison groups (n=24/group): reintervention with stainless steel manual instruments or a nickel-titanium reciprocating system (Reciproc; VDW, Munich, Germany). The endodontic reintervention was performed in two sessions with a calcium hydroxide-based intracanal medication applied for 14 days before root canal obturation. Working time for the root canal filling removal and re-instrumentation was recorded with a digital stopwatch. After each visit, postoperative pain intensity was assessed at 12, 24, and 48 hours and seven days using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The patients were also asked about analgesic intake. Data were analyzed using Pearson chi-square, T and Mann-Whitney U tests (α=0.05). No significant differences between groups were found regarding the prevalence and intensity of pain or the need for analgesic intake at any time point (P > 0.05). Working time was significantly shorter in the reciprocating group (18 versus 41 minutes). In conclusion, manual and reciprocating instruments achieved the same results in terms of prevalence and intensity of postoperative pain and analgesic intake. However, filling material removal and re-instrumentation of the root canals were more than twice as fast when using the reciprocating system.

The objective was to evaluate the shaping ability of XP-endo Shaper and Mtwo systems in oval-shaped canals preparation by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) along the entire canal. The volume, surface area and percentage of unprepared area were evaluated by image processing in entire canal and apical third (5 mm). Apical transportation and centring ability were evaluated at 3, 5 and 7 mm from the apex. Forty single-canal oval canines were paired in two groups (n = 20) according to the instrumentation system: XP-endo Shaper and Mtwo. The teeth were scanned by micro-CT before and after instrumentation, using a thermal vat at 37°C. The XP-endo Shaper system was more effective in the instrumentation of oval-shaped canals when compared to Mtwo system, resulting in greater volume increases and lower percentage of unprepared canals walls in apical region. Regarding apical transportation and centring ability, no statistical difference was observed., (© 2020 Australian Society of Endodontology Inc.)

Objectives: This study evaluated the effect of repeated uses and autoclaving in the instrumented area, fracture resistance, and time of instrumentation of thermally treated nickel-titanium reciprocating systems., Materials and Methods: Two hundred simulated canals were instrumented using Reciproc Blue and WaveOne Gold. Each file was used up to 10 times or until fracture. The instrumented area was measured in pre- and post-operative images, using ImageJ software. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis evaluated the number of uses of instruments before fracture. Instrumented area and time of instrumentation were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis. Correlations among the number of uses and instrumented area were measured. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05., Results: Reciproc Blue presented a higher estimated number of uses in comparison with WaveOne Gold ( p = 0.026), but autoclaving did not affect the resistance to fracture of instruments ( p > 0.05). The instrumented area was different among the evaluated groups ( p = 0.039), and the instrumented area along the uses of both tested instruments was reduced. With the time of instrumentation, there was also a significant difference among the evaluated groups; the groups without sterilization cycles were faster, in comparison to those submitted to autoclaving ( p = 0.010)., Conclusions: Reciproc Blue was more resistant than WaveOne Gold, suffering later fracture. Additionally, the sterilization cycles did not influence the estimated number of uses of thermally treated reciprocating instruments, but the instrumented area of root canals was reduced along with the repeated uses of both instruments., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2021. The Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry.)

Aim: To evaluate in vivo the bone tissue response of rats to varying amounts of infected and noninfected dentine debris., Methodology: Bone tissue reactions were evaluated histologically in 42 Wistar rats after 7, 30 and 60 days. For each animal, three surgical cavities were prepared on the femur and filled with varying amounts (5, 10 or 20 mg) of infected or noninfected dentine debris pellets. In the negative control group, the surgical cavities were not filled. At the end of each experimental period, the animals were euthanized. The samples were processed histologically and analysed using a light microscope. The presence and the severity of inflammatory reaction, as well as hard tissue deposition were evaluated. Data were subjected to statistical analysis and the effects of the dependent variables calculated using nonparametric tests Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U with due Bonferroni corrections at P = 0.05., Results: At 7 days, the presence of infected debris significantly increased the histopathological scores for neutrophils (P < 0.05), and abscess formation (P < 0.05). Noninfected debris scored significantly higher for lymphocyte infiltrate compared with the control group and infected debris (P < 0.05). Both infected and noninfected debris equally triggered eosinophil cells compared with no-dentine (P < 0.05). As for giant cells and macrophages, no difference was detected amongst the dentine groups (P > 0.05). Hard tissue deposition was similar regardless of the presence or the bacteriological status of the dentine (P = 1.00). None of the above histopathological parameters was significantly influenced by the amount of debris (P > 0.05). For all parameters evaluated, at 7 days of analysis, the inflammatory response was significantly more intense compared with 30 and 60 days (P < 0.05). Inflammatory parameters were scored similarly for the evaluated groups after 30 and 60 days (P > 0.05). However, hard tissue deposition has significantly increased after 30 days (P < 0.05). No difference was seen between 30 and 60 days of analysis (P = 1.00) for all histological parameters evaluated., Conclusion: The assumption that the amount of extruded debris may negatively affect the inflammatory response of bone tissue was not validated in the present in vivo animal study. Infected dentine may trigger acute inflammatory parameters especially during the first 7 days of contact with the tissue; however, in the long term, these negative effects are mitigated., (© 2019 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective. This study evaluated the discoloration potential of endodontic materials used in primary teeth. Material and Methods. Dentine-enamel blocks were prepared from 75 bovine teeth, assorted in five experimental groups ( n = 15). The tested materials included an MTA-based material; zinc oxide and eugenol cement (ZOE); Vitapex; and calcium hydroxide thickened with zinc oxide (Calen + ZO). The color measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer at the following intervals: prior to (T0) and after placement of the filling (T1) and after 1 week (T2), 1 month (T3), 3 months (T4), 6 months (T5), and 9 months (T6). Data were submitted to ANOVA with repeated measures and Tukey's test. Results. The time had a significant effect on the color variation (Δ E 00 ⁎ ) ( p < 0.0001). The effect of the materials on the color variation (Δ E 00 ⁎ ) was statistically significant ( p = 0.004). Interactions between time and materials demonstrated a significant effect on the values (Δ E 00 ⁎ ) ( p < 0.0001). The ZOE cement showed the highest darkening effect ( p = 0.018). Conclusion. The MTA-based material showed the smallest discoloration during the experimental time; however, it was similar to the other materials and to the control group. Zinc oxide and eugenol showed higher discoloration.

Background: Many important agricultural traits such as weight gain, milk fat content and intramuscular fat (marbling) in cattle are quantitative traits. Most of the information on these traits has not previously been integrated into a genomic context. Without such integration application of these data to agricultural enterprises will remain slow and inefficient. Our goal was to populate a genomic database with data mined from the bovine quantitative trait literature and to make these data available in a genomic context to researchers via a user friendly query interface., Description: The QTL (Quantitative Trait Locus) data and related information for bovine QTL are gathered from published work and from existing databases. An integrated database schema was designed and the database (MySQL) populated with the gathered data. The bovine QTL Viewer was developed for the integration of QTL data available for cattle. The tool consists of an integrated database of bovine QTL and the QTL viewer to display QTL and their chromosomal position., Conclusion: We present a web accessible, integrated database of bovine (dairy and beef cattle) QTL for use by animal geneticists. The viewer and database are of general applicability to any livestock species for which there are public QTL data. The viewer can be accessed at http://bovineqtl.tamu.edu.