An Insight into the Role of Benefical Bacteria in Periodontal Pocket Recolonization: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT Microflora can be found in both caries-free and periodontitis-free people and caries-affected and periodontitis-affected people, and many clinical studies reveal that the portion of certain bacterial species such as Streptococcus mutans or Porphyromonas gingivalis, respectively, is increased in patients with caries or periodontitis. Therefore, it seems that the competition that results between beneficial bacteria and virulent bacteria leads to either a healthy or sick status of human beings. Competition between members of the dental microflora and there role in pocket recolonization is very complex and many antagonistic characteristics can be observed from competition for initial attachment on tooth surfaces or for later attachment to pioneer bacteria, competition from bacteriocins or hydrogen peroxide secreted and from facilitating the growth of some species which inhibit other species. To date only some of the details of these mechanisms are known. The present review will provide an overview on the prevalence of beneficial bacteria and the major mechanisms of oral bacterial interactions. Due to the large number of oral bacterial species, only the best characterized species are included in this review.

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Exploring Mucin as Adjunct to Phage Therapy

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9030509 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 509

Author(s):

Amanda Carroll-Portillo ◽

Henry C. Lin

Keyword(s):

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Phage Therapy ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Gi Tract ◽

Beneficial Bacteria ◽

Phage Cocktail ◽

Small Intestinal ◽

Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis

Conventional phage therapy using bacteriophages (phages) for specific targeting of pathogenic bacteria is not always useful as a therapeutic for gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Complex dysbiotic GI disorders such as small intestinal bowel overgrowth (SIBO), ulcerative colitis (UC), or Crohn’s disease (CD) are even more difficult to treat as these conditions have shifts in multiple populations of bacteria within the microbiome. Such community-level structural changes in the gut microbiota may require an alternative to conventional phage therapy such as fecal virome transfer or a phage cocktail capable of targeting multiple bacterial species. Additionally, manipulation of the GI microenvironment may enhance beneficial bacteria–phage interactions during treatment. Mucin, produced along the entire length of the GI tract to protect the underlying mucosa, is a prominent contributor to the GI microenvironment and may facilitate bacteria–phage interactions in multiple ways, potentially serving as an adjunct during phage therapy. In this review, we will describe what is known about the role of mucin within the GI tract and how its facilitation of bacteria–phage interactions should be considered in any effort directed at optimizing effectiveness of a phage therapy for gastrointestinal dysbiosis.

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Role of Statues in the Artistic Commemoration of African Political Leaders: Analysis of 20 Selected National Statues in African Countries

East African Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies ◽

10.37284/eajis.3.1.295 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 40-77

Author(s):

Kamau Wango

Keyword(s):

Public Art ◽

The Political ◽

Human Beings ◽

Political Leaders ◽

African Countries ◽

Long Time ◽

The Subject ◽

Visual Impact ◽

Insight Into

Artistic commemoration of leaders and other iconic personalities has been in existence for centuries. Statues in particular have been used as a fitting avenue for the commemoration of political leaders and other luminaries in many fields. The premise upon which statues are made is that the subjects featured initiated and attained, in their lifetimes, concrete achievements that significantly impacted upon the lives of their fellow human beings. Other criteria for commemoration include proven integrity, dedication and selflessness in the service of the country and citizens. Statues as an integral part of public art have often generated substantial controversy on various fronts in many countries. Some of these gravitate around issues such as disputed likeness, queries about the fundamental achievements cited of the subject, at times open protests on the actions, character and integrity of the subject as well as the location of the statues. Other areas of contention include the implication of the presence of statues upon the political psyche of the country and their long-time impact on history, the youth and posterity. This paper examines the extent to which African countries have embraced this mode of artistic rendition to commemorate African political leaders in a way that is commensurate to their achievements. It is outside the scope of this paper to delve into the intricate web of back-and-forth arguments about the ‘concreteness’ of the legacies of the featured leaders who are mainly founding political figures of the respective countries. The paper, however, analyses the artistic essence of the selected statues in terms of their visual impact and whether they are indeed useful in articulating the legacies of the subjects and further, whether they ultimately bear ‘enduring visual value’ that spurs conversation and insight into these legacies. Statues must, at the very least, spur debate and conversation into the legacy of the featured subject. It becomes a form of constant interrogation as history itself takes its course; controversy is not necessarily a negative occurrence since it forms part of this discourse. The concept of immortalization, which is what initiators of statues often hope for is much harder to achieve and difficult to define. The paper examines 20 statues of African political leaders in different African Countries.

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Role of Microorganisms in the Remediation of Wastewater in Floating Treatment Wetlands: A Review

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12145559 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (14) ◽

pp. 5559 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Munazzam Jawad Shahid ◽

Ameena A. AL-surhanee ◽

Fayza Kouadri ◽

Shafaqat Ali ◽

Neeha Nawaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Species ◽

Complex Compounds ◽

Pollutant Removal ◽

Specific Role ◽

Treatment Wetlands ◽

Plant Microbe Interaction ◽

Removal Process ◽

Floating Treatment Wetlands ◽

Insight Into

This article provides useful information for understanding the specific role of microbes in the pollutant removal process in floating treatment wetlands (FTWs). The current literature is collected and organized to provide an insight into the specific role of microbes toward plants and pollutants. Several aspects are discussed, such as important components of FTWs, common bacterial species, rhizospheric and endophytes bacteria, and their specific role in the pollutant removal process. The roots of plants release oxygen and exudates, which act as a substrate for microbial growth. The bacteria attach themselves to the roots and form biofilms to get nutrients from the plants. Along the plants, the microbial community also influences the performance of FTWs. The bacterial community contributes to the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, toxic metals, hydrocarbon, and organic compounds. Plant–microbe interaction breaks down complex compounds into simple nutrients, mobilizes metal ions, and increases the uptake of pollutants by plants. The inoculation of the roots of plants with acclimatized microbes may improve the phytoremediation potential of FTWs. The bacteria also encourage plant growth and the bioavailability of toxic pollutants and can alleviate metal toxicity.

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The Role of Arts and Humanities in undergraduate Medical Curricula

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70368-2 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

E. Sukhanova

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Human Condition ◽

Human Beings ◽

Additional Insight ◽

Arts And Humanities ◽

The Social ◽

Interpretive Skills ◽

Insight Into ◽

Specific Learning

This paper will explore possible ways of integrating humanities disciplines in medical education.In today's world, medical students have to learn to understand the social and cultural environment in which medicine is practiced. The humanities have long since have been the principal site of diversity in the academy. Now they can help medical students come to terms with diversity that is the context ot today's medicine.Studies in arts and humanities help recognize the limitations of purely biotechnical approach to patient care, in complex and paradigm-changing ways. Such studies also pave the way for understanding how social assumptions and values play out in healthcare policies. In sum, the humanities provide an additional insight into the human condition, allowing students “to consider human beings in their totality,” in the words of Jean Delay, a pioneer of psychopharmacology who also maintained a literary career throughout his life.Furthermore, humanities contribute to the development of complex interpretive skills, embracing affective aspects of intelligence as much as they embrace conventional rationalist forms of inquiry such as logic, analysis, deconstruction and critique. There is some evidence that medical students who have an additional background in the humanities are less vulnerable to burnout while studying and go on to perform better in important areas of practice. Approaches to developing specific learning outcomes and curricular guidelines will be discussed.

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Protection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from Reactive Oxygen Species Conferred by the mel2 Locus Impacts Persistence and Dissemination

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.01481-08 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 77 (6) ◽

pp. 2557-2567 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Suat L. G. Cirillo ◽

Selvakumar Subbian ◽

Bing Chen ◽

Torin R. Weisbrod ◽

William R. Jacobs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Bacterial Species ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Wild Type ◽

Primary Mechanism ◽

Insight Into ◽

Increased Susceptibility

ABSTRACT Persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in humans represents a major roadblock to elimination of tuberculosis. We describe identification of a locus in M. tuberculosis, mel2, that displays similarity to bacterial bioluminescent loci and plays an important role during persistence in mice. We constructed a deletion of the mel2 locus and found that the mutant displays increased susceptibility to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Upon infection of mice by aerosol the mutant grows normally until the persistent stage, where it does not persist as well as wild type. Histopathological analyses show that infection with the mel2 mutant results in reduced pathology and both CFU and histopathology indicate that dissemination of the mel2 mutant to the spleen is delayed. These data along with growth in activated macrophages and infection of Phox−/− and iNOS−/− mice and bone marrow-derived macrophages suggest that the primary mechanism by which mel2 affects pathogenesis is through its ability to confer resistance to ROS. These studies provide the first insight into the mechanism of action for this novel class of genes that are related to bioluminescence genes. The role of mel2 in resistance to ROS is important for persistence and dissemination of M. tuberculosis and suggests that homologues in other bacterial species are likely to play a role in pathogenesis.

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The World of Image in Islamic Philosophy

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474415859.001.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

L. W. C. van Lit

Keyword(s):

Early Modern ◽

Human Beings ◽

Islamic Philosophy ◽

Late Medieval ◽

Ibn Sina ◽

The World ◽

Innovative Thinking ◽

History Of ◽

Insight Into

This book traces the notion of a world of image from its conception until today. This notion is one of the most original innovations in medieval Islamic philosophy, and is unique compared to other parts of the history of philosophy. The notion originated out of discussions on the fate of human beings after death; would this be spiritual only or physical as well? The world of image suggests that there exists a world of non-physical (imagined) bodies, beyond our earthly existence. This world may be entered after death and glimpses of it may already be witnessed during sleep or meditation. Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037) was the first to suggest something along these lines, arguing that people could simply imagine their afterlife without the need for it to be actually physical. Suhrawardī (d. 1191) included this suggestion in his innovative thinking on epistemology, known as ‘knowledge by presence’, without fully ontologizing it. Shahrazūrī (d. > 1286), finally, turned Suhrawardī’s thinking into the full-blown notion of a world of image. Notably through Taftāzānī (d. 1390) and Shaykh Bahāʾī (d. 1621), the idea gained wider popularity and continued to be discussed, especially in Shīʿī circles, up to this day. This book gives an insight into late medieval and early modern Islamic philosophy, especially the role of commentary writing. It sets the record straight for the provenance and development of the world of image and reconsiders the importance of Suhrawardī for the development of philosophy in the Islamic world.

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New Insights into the Composition and Functions of the Acquired Enamel Pellicle

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/0022034512462578 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 91 (12) ◽

pp. 1110-1118 ◽

Cited By ~ 109

Author(s):

W.L. Siqueira ◽

W. Custodio ◽

E.E. McDonald

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Periodontal Disease ◽

3D Structure ◽

Salivary Proteins ◽

Oral Environment ◽

Tooth Surfaces ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Acquired Enamel Pellicle ◽

Insight Into

The acquired enamel pellicle (AEP) is a thin acellular film that forms on tooth surfaces upon exposure to the oral environment. It consists predominantly of salivary proteins, but also includes non-salivary-derived proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Since it is the interface between teeth and the oral environment, the AEP plays a key role in the maintenance of oral health by regulating processes including lubrication, demineralization, and remineralization and shaping the composition of early microbial flora adhering to tooth surfaces. Knowledge of the 3D structure of the AEP and how that correlates with its protective functions may provide insight into several oral pathological states, including caries, erosion, and periodontal disease. This review intends to update readers about the latest discoveries related to the formation, ultrastructure, composition, and functions of the AEP, as well as the future of pellicle research, with particular emphasis on the emerging role of proteomic and microscopy techniques in oral diagnosis and therapeutics.

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Science, Technology and the Supernatural in Contemporary Thai Novels

MANUSYA ◽

10.1163/26659077-00901004 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 38-50

Author(s):

Pornvipa Watarachanakool

Keyword(s):

Dominant Role ◽

Science And Technology ◽

Active Role ◽

Human Beings ◽

Contemporary Novels ◽

Science Technology ◽

Brighter Future ◽

Insight Into ◽

Role Of Local Cultures

As science and technology gain a high reputation and perform an increasingly dominant role in the present globalized era, old knowledge and wisdom, especially local forms, are fast disappearing. Will this trend necessarily bring about a brighter future for the whole world? Are science and technology trustworthy enough and safe enough for human beings to rely on without the other, dated, form of knowledge? These questions comprise the main interest of this paper, which endeavors to search for ideas, practices, and, also, expectations about the stated issues from Thai contemporary novels, in order to examine whether or not there is such a trend in Thai society, and what is the explanation. From literary and cultural anthropological perspectives, the findings seem to reflect that the Thai urban population are well aware of the increasing significance of science and technology and welcome them with enthusiasm. However, for the majority of the rural citizens, the information found presents a rather active role of local cultures and religion, which are closely related to beliefs in the supernatural. This paper is attempts to present some insight into this important issue.

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Neutrophils Orchestrate the Periodontal Pocket

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.788766 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ljubomir Vitkov ◽

Luis E. Muñoz ◽

Janina Schoen ◽

Jasmin Knopf ◽

Christine Schauer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regional Differences ◽

Late Onset ◽

Neutrophil Extracellular Trap ◽

Periodontal Pocket ◽

Oral Microbiota ◽

Tooth Surfaces ◽

Molecular Patterns ◽

Neutrophil Response ◽

Stimulation Of

The subgingival biofilm attached to tooth surfaces triggers and maintains periodontitis. Previously, late-onset periodontitis has been considered a consequence of dysbiosis and a resultant polymicrobial disruption of host homeostasis. However, a multitude of studies did not show “healthy” oral microbiota pattern, but a high diversity depending on culture, diets, regional differences, age, social state etc. These findings relativise the aetiological role of the dysbiosis in periodontitis. Furthermore, many late-onset periodontitis traits cannot be explained by dysbiosis; e.g. age-relatedness, attenuation by anti-ageing therapy, neutrophil hyper-responsiveness, and microbiota shifting by dysregulated immunity, yet point to the crucial role of dysregulated immunity and neutrophils in particular. Furthermore, patients with neutropenia and neutrophil defects inevitably develop early-onset periodontitis. Intra-gingivally injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone causes an exaggerated neutrophil response sufficient to precipitate experimental periodontitis. Vice versa to the surplus of LPS, the increased neutrophil responsiveness characteristic for late-onset periodontitis can effectuate gingiva damage likewise. The exaggerated neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) response in late-onset periodontitis is blameable for damage of gingival barrier, its penetration by bacteria and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) as well as stimulation of Th17 cells, resulting in further neutrophil activation. This identifies the dysregulated immunity as the main contributor to periodontal disease.

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Are women always better able to recognize faces? The unveiling role of exposure time

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0257741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. e0257741

Author(s):

Torben Hansen ◽

Judith Zaichkowsky ◽

Ad de Jong

Keyword(s):

Face Recognition ◽

Exposure Time ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Human Beings ◽

Gender Distribution ◽

Time Length ◽

Recognition Ability ◽

Same Gender ◽

Insight Into

A longer exposure time generally improves individuals’ ability to recognize faces. The current research investigates whether this effect varies between genders and whether it is influenced by the gender of the exposed faces. Based on a set of four experimental studies, we advance our knowledge of face recognition, gender, gender distribution of exposed faces, and exposure time in three main ways. First, the results reveal that women are more likely than men to suffer from a decrease in face recognition ability due to a lower exposure time. Second, the findings show that when exposure time is short (vs. long) women recognize a larger proportion of same gender faces and also recognize a larger proportion of same gender faces as compared with the proportion of same gender faces recognized by men. Third, findings reveal that when individuals are only exposed to same gender faces, women recognize more faces than men regardless whether exposure time is short, or long. In short, the findings of this research suggest that insight into the interplay between gender and exposure time length is critical to appropriately determine human beings’ ability to recognize faces.

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