Porphyromonas gingivalis is the most abundant species detected in coronary and femoral arteries.

An association between oral bacteria and atherosclerosis has been postulated. A limited number of studies have used 16S RNA gene sequencing-based metagenomics approaches to identify bacteria at the species level from atherosclerotic plaques in arterial walls. The objective of this study was to establish detailed oral microbiome profiles, at both genus and species level, of clinically healthy coronary and femoral artery tissues from patients with atherosclerosis. Tissue specimens were taken from clinically non-atherosclerotic areas of coronary or femoral arteries used for attachment of bypass grafts in 42 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Bacterial DNA was sequenced using the MiSeq platform, and sequence reads were screened in silico for nearly 600 oral species using the HOMINGS ProbeSeq species identification program. The number of sequence reads matched to species or genera were used for statistical analyses. A total of 230 and 118 species were detected in coronary and femoral arteries, respectively. Unidentified species detected by genus-specific probes consisted of 45 and 30 genera in coronary and in femoral artery tissues, respectively. Overall, 245 species belonging to 95 genera were detected in coronary and femoral arteries combined. The most abundant species were Porphyromonas gingivalis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Finegoldia magna based on species probes. Porphyromonas, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus genera represented 88.5% mean relative abundance based on combined species and genus probe detections. Porphyromonas was significantly more abundant than Escherichia (i.e. 46.8% vs. 19.3%; p = 0.0005). This study provides insight into the presence and types of oral microbiome bacterial species found in clinically non-atherosclerotic arteries.

Oral biomarkers in exercise-induced neuroplasticity in Parkinson's disease.

In this article, we review candidate biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD) in oral cavity, potential of oral biomarkers as markers of neuroplasticity, and literature on the effects of exercise on oral cavity biomarkers in PD. We first describe how pathophysiological pathways of PD may be transduced from brain stem and ganglia to oral cavity through the autonomic nervous system or transduced by a reverse path. Next we describe the effects of exercise in PD and potential impact on oral cavity. We propose that biomarkers in oral cavity may be useful targets for describing exercise-induced brain neuroplasticity in PD. Nevertheless, much research remains to be carried out before applying these biomarkers for the determination of disease state and therapeutic response to develop strategies to mitigate motor or non-motor symptoms in PD.

Impacting faculty teaching and student performance: nine years' experience with the Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

BACKGROUND: The impetus for administering the 2nd-year Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) came from the great variability in student performance observed by 3rd-year clerkship directors. PURPOSE: To document the effects of the OSCE on faculty teaching, student performance, and the curriculum over 9 years of administration of the examinations to more than 1,000 second-year medical students. METHOD: A 20-station OSCE was administered to all medical students at the end of their 2nd year. Using predetermined criteria, clinical faculty served as evaluators in each station. A mix of 1st-, 3rd-, and 4th-year medical students were recruited to serve as simulated patients. Faculty evaluators and examinees completed a questionnaire evaluating their experience with the OSCE. Students received a report card of their performance. Small-group leaders of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine course received feedback on their group's performance on each station compared to the class mean. Summative data on class performance was reported to the curriculum committee. The academic status committee received data on students who performed unsatisfactorily. RESULTS: Faculty and examinee ratings of the OSCE experience were very positive. Over the 9-year period, student performance improved showing less variability and significantly fewer failed stations. CONCLUSION: The OSCE has proven to be a technically feasible, authentic evaluation method yielding valuable information for decisions regarding student performance, faculty teaching, and curriculum planning.

Medical students' knowledge and misconceptions about aging: responses to Palmore's Facts on Aging Quizzes.

Palmore's Facts on Aging Quizzes I and II and Facts on Aging Mental Health Quiz were administered as a single test to third-year medical students before and after their 6-week Community Health and Family Medicine clerkship. The clerkship experience contributed to a small improvement in students' knowledge about the aged, net bias scores decreased from pre- to posttest, and scores on FAQI were significantly higher than scores on FAQII both pre- and posttest.