Correlation between the extent of smoking, salivary protein profiles, and dental caries in young adult smokers.

Context.Proteins in the saliva are one of the defense mechanism factors that can protect the oral cavity from disease. However, smoking might affect the properties of saliva. AIM: To determine the differences in salivary protein profiles and total concentrations in smokers and non-smokers and their correlation with dental caries severity as indicated by the Decayed, Missing, Filled-Teeth (DMF-T) scores. METHODS AND MATERIAL: This cross-sectional study included 25 smokers and 25 non-smokers. The DMF-T scores were recorded. The total salivary protein was measured by the Bradford method, and the profile proteins were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). RESULTS: The average of salivary protein concentration in smokers was lower than that in non-smokers (551.486 µg/mL versus 765.361 µg/mL), but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Further correlation analyses showed a negative correlation between the concentration of proteins based on the extent of smoking. A weak negative correlation was found between protein concentration and DMF-T scores (r = -0.239). Dominant salivary protein bands of 11.6 kDa and 54.5 kDa were found in smokers and 27 kDa, 60 kDa, and 94.5 kDa were found in non-smokers. CONCLUSION: Different protein bands appeared in smokers and non-smokers. There was a weak correlation between protein concentration, DMF-T scores, and the extent of smoking.

A multicentre study on epidemiology and prevention of needle stick injuries among students of nursing schools.

INTRODUCTION: Among the health professions with a long period of training, the students of the Nursing Bachelor's Degree are the most exposed to biological risk resulting from accidents, in particular with needles and cutting edges. The aim of the study was to estimate the frequency and the circumstances for the occurrence of needle stick injuries, as a knowledge base for targeted prevention interventions. METHODS: The study was carried out between May and July 2017 in 11 Universities in Italy and 1 in Albania (associated with the "Tor Vergata" University of Rome). An anonymous semi-structured questionnaire was proposed to 1st (second semester), 2nd and 3rd year students of Nursing Bachelor's Degree. RESULTS: A total of 2742 questionnaires were collected. The average age of participants was 22.9 years (median 22, range 19-60 years), 73% of whom were females. A total of 381 injuries were reported. Three hundred and sixteen students (11.8%) underwent at least 1 injury (12.7% among females, 9.7% among males); 41 students declared two or more injuries; four students did not report the number of injuries occurred. The first injury occurred, as an average, 17 days after the start of the internship (median 15 days) and, in 25% of the cases, during the first 9 days. The highest percentage of accidents occurred during the first internship (25.3% of the total) and decreased with the progress of the training path. The injuries occurred in 38% of cases during drug preparation, 24% when disposing of sharp devices, 15% while re-capping needles, 13% during blood sampling and 10% in other circumstances. In 51.2% of cases, the needle was not sterile. Among the nursing students who suffered a needle stick injury, 58.1% declared that they had performed the post-exposure prophylaxis. 96% of students stated to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B virus. Amongst the students who had their serological status checked (74%), 18% stated the antibody titre was not protective. 49.8% of students answered to have been trained in advance on the correct procedures to avoid needle stick and cutting edges injuries in each clinical ward attended, 41.2% referred that this occurred only in some wards and 10% in no ward at all. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show a high percentage of needle stick injuries in students of the Nursing Bachelor's Degree. Therefore, there is a need for careful reflection on the most effective methods of targeted training acquisition of knowledge, skills and behavioural models useful for the exercise of the profession.

Acetylcholinesterase-induced fluorescence turn-off of an oligothiophene-grafted quartz surface sensitive to myristoylcholine.

Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have recently emerged as label-free materials for biosensing due to their intrinsic ability to transduce an amplified optical signal in response to interactions with different analytes. Herein, the conformational change of an anionic oligothiophene is exploited to generate a unique fluorescent response upon interaction with myristoylcholine (MyrCh). The variations observed in spectroscopic signals are explained in terms of a synergistic combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces involving the oligothiophene chains and MyrCh molecules, inducing the disassembling of oligothiophene chains. The enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is able to reverse this effect by catalyzing the hydrolysis of MyrCh; hence, its enzymatic activity can be monitored through the variation of fluorescence emission of the system. The oligothiophene sensing probe retains its conformational sensitivity with regard to the AChE-mediated cleavage of MyrCh upon immobilization onto a quartz substrate, which is accomplished by a "grafting onto" approach based on click chemistry. These results are encouraging for the further development of such a label-free system towards the fabrication of sensing devices that would incorporate CPEs and would be potentially useful for the specific detection of a wide range of bioanalytes.

Nestmate recognition in Parischnogaster striatula (Hymenoptera Stenogastrinae), visual and olfactory recognition cues.

The recognition of nestmates from alien individuals is a well known phenomenon in social insects. In the stenogastrine wasp Parischnogaster striatula, we investigated the ability of females to recognize nestmates and the cues on which such recognition is based. Recognition of nestmates was observed in naturally occurring interactions between wasps approaching a nest and the resident females on that nest. This recognition was confirmed in experiments in which nestmates or alien conspecifics were presented to resident females. In naturally occurring interactions, nestmates generally approach their nest with a direct flight, while aliens usually hover in front of the nest before landing. In experiments in which the presented wasps were placed close to the nest in a direct manner, antennation of the presented wasp generally occurred, indicating that chemical cues are involved. Experiments in which dead alien individuals, previously washed in hexane, and then reapplied with extracts were recognized by colonies giving further evidence that chemical cues mediate nestmate recognition. Epicuticular lipids, known to be nestmate recognition cues in social insects, were chemically analysed by GC-MS for 44 P. striatula females from two different populations (13 different colonies). Discriminant analysis was performed on the data for the lipid mixture composition. The discriminant model showed that, in the samples from these two populations, 68.2% and 81.9% of the specimens could be correctly assigned to their colony.