The phenomenological approach in dentistry - a narrative review.

PURPOSE: Phenomenology is a branch of philosophy that focuses on human lived experience. Illness including dental diseases can affect this living experience. Within the dental literature, there is very little reported on the use of phenomenology compared to other healthcare sciences. Hence, the aim was to review the literature and provide an overview of various applications of phenomenology in dental research. METHODS: This study was a narrative review using literature in the last 10 years identified by web-based search on PubMed and Scopus using keywords. A total of 33 articles that were closely related to the field and application in dentistry were included. The methodology, main results, and future research recommendations, if applicable, were extracted and reviewed. RESULTS: The authors in this study had identified several areas such as orofacial pain and pain control research, dental anxiety, dental education, oral healthcare perceptions and access, living with dental diseases and dental treatment experience in which the phenomenological method was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic. CONCLUSIONS: There are several advantages of using the phenomenological research method, such as the small sample size needed, the diverse and unique perspective that can be obtained and the ability to improve current understanding, especially from the first-person perspective.

Interprofessional collaboration in Paediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (POSA) treatment: Assessment of professional orientation levels amongst otolaryngologists in South India.

Objective: The primary goal was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice among otorhinolaryngologists regarding orthodontic intervention for Paediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (POSA). Methods: An online survey was conducted by sending an email invitation to members of The Association of Otorhinolaryngologists of Karnataka, India. A total of 141 otorhinolaryngologists participated in the survey. Results: Most of the participants (70.2%) agreed that orthodontic interventions help in opening up the airway, but very few knew about its application in nasal obstruction management. Conclusion: Otorhinolaryngologists are aware of dental effects of POSA and they believe that an interprofessional team is essential for its management. This learning can also be used to initiate interprofessional collaborations and academic and curricular improvisations for enhanced health outcomes.

Low serum albumin may predict the need for gastric resection in patients with perforated peptic ulcer.

PURPOSE: Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) is a common surgical emergency and treatment involves omental patch repair (PR). Gastric resection (GR) is reserved for difficult pathologies. We audit the outcomes of GR at our institution and evaluate the pre-operative factors predicting the need for GR. METHODS: This is a single-institution, retrospective study of patients with PPU who underwent surgery from 2004 to 2012. Demographics, clinical presentation and intra-operative findings were studied to identify factors predicting the need for GR in PPU. An audit of clinical outcomes and mortality for all patients with GR is reported. RESULTS: 537 (89.6 %) patients underwent PR and 62 (10.4 %) patients GR. Old age (p < 0.0001), female sex (p = 0.0123), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) usage (p = 0.0008), previous history of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) (p = 0.0159), low hemoglobin (p < 0.0001), low serum albumin (p < 0.0001), high serum creatinine (p = 0.0030), high urea (p = 0.0006) and large ulcer size (p < 0.0001) predict the need for GR. On multivariate analysis only low serum albumin (OR 5.57, 95 % CI 1.56-19.84, p = 0.008) predicted the need for GR. The presence of Helicobacter pylori infection was protective against GR (OR 0.25, 95 %CI 0.14-0.44, p < 0.0001). Morbidity and mortality of GR was 27.7 and 24.2 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: GR is needed in one in ten cases of PPU. Low serum albumin predicted the need for GR on multivariate analysis. Morbidity and mortality of GR remains high.

Substrate specificity of a recombinant D-lyxose isomerase from Serratia proteamaculans that produces D-lyxose and D-mannose.

AIMS: Characterization of substrate specificity of a D-lyxose isomerase from Serratia proteamaculans and application of the enzyme in the production of D-lyxose and D-mannose. METHODS AND RESULTS: The concentrations of monosaccharides were determined using a Bio-LC system. The activity of the recombinant protein from Ser. proteamaculans was the highest for D-lyxose among aldoses, indicating that it is a D-lyxose isomerase. The native recombinant enzyme existed as a 54-kDa dimer, and the maximal activity for D-lyxose isomerization was observed at pH 7.5 and 40 degrees C in the presence of 1 mmol l(-1) Mn(2+). The K(m) values for D-lyxose, D-mannose, D-xylulose, and D-fructose were 13.3, 32.2, 3.83, and 19.4 mmol l(-1), respectively. In 2 ml of reaction volume at pH 7.5 and 35 degrees C, D-lyxose was produced at 35% (w/v) from 50% (w/v) D-xylulose by the D-lyxose isomerase in 3 h, while D-mannose were produced at 10% (w/v) from 50% (w/v) D-fructose in 5 h. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the putative sugar isomerase from Ser. proteamaculans as a D-lyxose isomerase. The enzyme exhibited isomerization activity for aldose substrates with the C2 and C3 hydroxyl groups in the left-hand configuration. High production rates of d-lyxose and d-mannose by the enzyme were obtained. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: A new D-lyxose isomerase was found, and this enzyme had higher activity for D-lyxose and D-mannose than previously reported enzymes. Thus, the enzyme can be applied in industrial production of D-lyxose and D-mannose.

Hydrolytic properties of a thermostable α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus.

AIMS: To characterize of a thermostable recombinant α-L-arabinofuranosidase from Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus for the hydrolysis of arabino-oligosaccharides to l-arabinose. METHODS AND RESULTS: A recombinant α-L-arabinofuranosidase from C. saccharolyticus was purified by heat treatment and Hi-Trap anion exchange chromatography with a specific activity of 28.2 U mg(-1). The native enzyme was a 58-kDa octamer with a molecular mass of 460 kDa, as measured by gel filtration. The catalytic residues and consensus sequences of the glycoside hydrolase 51 family of α-L-arabinofuranosidases were completely conserved in α-L-arabinofuranosidase from C. saccharolyticus. The maximum enzyme activity was observed at pH 5.5 and 80°C with a half-life of 49 h at 75°C. Among aryl-glycoside substrates, the enzyme displayed activity only for p-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinofuranoside [maximum k(cat)/K(m) of 220 m(mol l(-1))(-1) s(-1)] and p-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinopyranoside. This substrate specificity differs from those of other α-L-arabinofuranosidases. In a 1 mmol l(-1) solution of each sugar, arabino-oligosaccharides with 2-5 monomer units were completely hydrolysed to L-arabinose within 13 h in the presence of 30 U ml(-1) of enzyme at 75°C. CONCLUSIONS: The novel substrate specificity and hydrolytic properties for arabino-oligosaccharides of α-L-arabinofuranosidase from C. saccharolyticus demonstrate the potential in the commercial production of L-arabinose in concert with endoarabinanase and/or xylanase. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The findings of this work contribute to the knowledge of hydrolytic properties for arabino-oligosaccharides performed by thermostable α-L-arabinofuranosidase.