Background/Objectives: Periodontitis is caused by bacterial plaque. The oral microflora may interact with the intestinal microflora and play a role in the development of periodontitis. The periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) has been shown to be a useful indicator of periodontal disease related to systemic diseases; however, few studies have shown an association between PISA and the bacterial flora. This study aimed to determine the association between PISA and oral and intestinal bacteria. Methods: Participants were recruited between 2018 and 2021 at the Medical and Dental Collaboration Center of Kanagawa Dental University Hospital. A periodontal clinical examination was performed, and the PISA was calculated. Salivary tests were conducted, and leukocyte scores in the saliva were calculated. Moreover, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed using saliva and stool samples to analyze oral and intestinal bacteria, respectively. Results: Higher PISA levels resulted in an increased presence of Bacteroides and a decreased presence of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in the saliva. An increase in Bacteroides was detected in the saliva of patients with high leukocyte scores. No correlation was observed between PISA and intestinal bacteria. Conclusions: Bacteroides was highly abundant in the saliva of patients with worsened periodontal conditions, as indicated by PISA. No association was found between PISA and intestinal bacteria.

Periodontal disease (PerioD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of dysbiotic etiology. Animal models and few human data showed a relationship between oral bacteria and gut dysbiosis. However, the effect of periodontal inflammation and subgingival dysbiosis on the gut is unknown. We hypothesized that periodontal inflammation and its associated subgingival dysbiosis contribute to gut dysbiosis even in subjects free of known gut disorders. We evaluated and compared elderly subjects with Low and High periodontal inflammation (assessed by Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA)) for stool and subgingival derived bacteria (assayed by 16S rRNA sequencing). The associations between PISA/subgingival dysbiosis and gut dysbiosis and bacteria known to produce short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) were assessed. LEfSe analysis showed that, in Low PISA, species belonging to Lactobacillus, Roseburia, and Ruminococcus taxa and Lactobacillus zeae were enriched, while species belonging to Coprococcus, Clostridiales, and Atopobium were enriched in High PISA. Regression analyses showed that PISA associated with indicators of dysbiosis in the gut mainly reduced abundance of SCFA producing bacteria (Radj = -0.38, p = 0.03). Subgingival bacterial dysbiosis also associated with reduced levels of gut SCFA producing bacteria (Radj = -0.58, p = 0.002). These results suggest that periodontal inflammation and subgingival microbiota contribute to gut bacterial changes.

Introduction Through plausible biological mechanisms, periodontitis causes systemic inflammatory burden and response, thus resulting in damage far beyond the oral cavity. Studies have demonstrated periodontitis to be a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. The larger the quantum of periodontal inflamed tissue, the greater the chances of periodontitis eliciting bacteremia and systemic inflammatory responses. Studies have reported that periodontitis and other common oral infections play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the quantity of inflamed periodontal tissue assumes significance in determining the severity of atherosclerosis. Hence, this study investigates the impact of periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) on the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Materials and methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 160 patients who presented at the department of periodontics of The British University in Egypt (BUE) from 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2023 were enrolled. Patients were only enrolled if they had undergone coronary angiography within the last six months, were less than 60 years of age, shared their previous medical history and coronary angiographic report, and gave informed written consent. Data on classic coronary risk factors and periodontal inflammatory status and angiographic findings were recorded and subjected to appropriate statistical analysis. Results The results revealed that the periodontal inflamed surface area (p = 0.002) apart from age (p < 0.047) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p < 0.001) is a significant independent predictor of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Conclusions The periodontal inflamed surface area is an independent predictor of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

Schools have been closed across the country and will remain closed until September in most provinces. The decision to reopen should take into account current inequalities in cognitive skills across the country and the impact of school interruptions on knowledge accumulation. In this article, we use information from a companion article to estimate the socioeconomic achievement gaps of 15-year-olds across Canada and assess the impact of the pandemic on inequalities in education. Using estimates from the literature on the impact of school closures, we find that the socioeconomic skills gap measured using Programme for International Student Assessment data could increase by more than 30 percent.
Les écoles ont été fermées partout au pays et le demeureront jusqu’en septembre dans la plupart des provinces. Dans la décision de rouvrir les écoles, il faudra tenir compte des inégalités actuelles au chapitre des habiletés cognitives des élèves dans l’ensemble du Canada et de l’incidence de l’interruption du fonctionnement des écoles sur le cumul des connaissances. Les auteurs utilisent l’information provenant d’un document complémentaire pour estimer l’écart socioéconomique dans la réussite des jeunes de 15 ans sur l’ensemble du territoire canadien et évaluent les répercussions de la pandémie sur les inégalités dans l’éducation. À l’aide d’estimations tirées de la documentation sur les conséquences de la fermeture des écoles, les auteurs prévoient que les écarts socioéconomiques de compétences mesurés selon les données du PISA pourraient croître de plus de 30 pour cent.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) stands as one of the most widely prescribed chemotherapeutics. Despite over 60 years of study, a systematic synopsis of how 5-FU binds to proteins has been lacking. Investigating the specific binding patterns of 5-FU to proteins is essential for identifying additional interacting proteins and comprehending their medical implications. In this review, an analysis of the 5-FU binding environment was conducted based on available complex structures. From the earliest complex structure in 2001 to the present, two groups of residues emerged upon 5-FU binding, classified as P- and R-type residues. These high-frequency interactive residues with 5-FU include positively charged residues Arg and Lys (P type) and ring residues Phe, Tyr, Trp, and His (R type). Due to their high occurrence, 5-FU binding modes were simplistically classified into three types, based on interactive residues (within <4 Å) with 5-FU: Type 1 (P-R type), Type 2 (P type), and Type 3 (R type). In summary, among 14 selected complex structures, 8 conform to Type 1, 2 conform to Type 2, and 4 conform to Type 3. Residues with high interaction frequencies involving the N1, N3, O4, and F5 atoms of 5-FU were also examined. Collectively, these interaction analyses offer a structural perspective on the specific binding patterns of 5-FU within protein pockets and contribute to the construction of a structural interactome delineating the associations of the anticancer drug 5-FU.

UNASSIGNED: The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a structured framework to enable countries to rapidly assess the severity of an influenza pandemic. This framework, the Pandemic Influenza Severity Assessment (PISA), is intended to be performed weekly during seasonal epidemics so that assessing influenza severity during a pandemic can be done with greater ease and efficiency.
UNASSIGNED: Using influenza surveillance indicators within Canada\'s FluWatch program from seasons 2014-2015 to 2018-2019, national PISA thresholds were developed and assessed against seasonal data for seasons 2019-2020 to June of 2022-2023.
UNASSIGNED: Canada developed thresholds for each required indicator (transmissibility, seriousness of disease and impact) for multiple WHO-recommended parameters. The thresholds were assessed against four seasons, and it was determined that there was a good agreement between the PISA assessments and the characterization of the season by FluWatch epidemiologists.
UNASSIGNED: With confidence in the validity of the PISA thresholds, the FluWatch program will begin to share PISA assessments weekly through the FluWatch report in the 2023-2024 seasons to help characterize influenza activity in Canada and inform responses to the seasonal influenza epidemic.

Computer-based assessments provide the opportunity to collect a new source of behavioral data related to the problem-solving process, known as log file data. To understand the behavioral patterns that can be uncovered from these process data, many studies have employed clustering methods. In contrast to one-mode clustering algorithms, this study utilized biclustering methods, enabling simultaneous classification of test takers and features extracted from log files. By applying the biclustering algorithms to the \"Ticket\" task in the PISA 2012 CPS assessment, we evaluated the potential of biclustering algorithms in identifying and interpreting homogeneous biclusters from the process data. Compared with one-mode clustering algorithms, the biclustering methods could uncover clusters of individuals who are homogeneous on a subset of feature variables, holding promise for gaining fine-grained insights into students\' problem-solving behavior patterns. Empirical results revealed that specific subsets of features played a crucial role in identifying biclusters. Additionally, the study explored the utilization of biclustering on both the action sequence data and timing data, and the inclusion of time-based features enhanced the understanding of students\' action sequences and scores in the context of the analysis.

Poly(glycerol monomethacrylate)-block-poly(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PGMA-PHPMA) with worm-like morphology is a typical example of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerized thermo-responsive copolymer via polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) in aqueous solution. Chain transfer agents (CTAs) are the key component in controlling RAFT, the structures of which determine the end functional groups of the polymer chain. It is therefore of interest to monofunctionalize the polymers via CTA moiety, for bioactive functionality conjugation and in the meantime maintain the precisely controlled morphology of the copolymers and the related property. In this work, a newly designed CTA 5-(2-(tert-butoxycarbonylamino) ethylamino)-2-cyano-5-oxopentan-2-yl benzodithioate (t-Boc CPDB) was synthesized and used for the RAFT polymerization of PGMA45-PHPMA120. Subsequently, PGMA45-PHPMA120 copolymers with primary amine, maleimide, and reduced L-glutathione (a tripeptide) monofunctionalized terminals were synthesized via deprotection and conjugation reactions. These monofunctionalized copolymers maintain worm-like morphology and thermo-responsive property in aqueous solution (10% w/v), as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, and the observation of the phase transition behavior in between 4 °C and room temperature (~20 °C), respectively. Summarily, a range of thermo-responsive monofunctionalized PGMA45-PHPMA120 diblock copolymer worms were successfully synthesized, which are expected to offer potential biomedical applications, such as in polymer therapeutics, drug delivery, and diagnostics.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the link between periodontal microbiota and obesity in humans. We conducted a cohort study including 45 subjects with periodontitis divided into two groups: normo-weighted subjects with a body mass index (BMI) between 20 and 25 kg/m2 (n = 34) and obese subjects with a BMI > 30 kg/m2 (n = 11). Our results showed that obesity was associated with significantly more severe gingival inflammation according to Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA index). Periodontal microbiota taxonomic analysis showed that the obese (OB) subjects with periodontitis were characterized by a specific signature of subgingival microbiota with an increase in Gram-positive bacteria in periodontal pockets, associated with a decrease in microbiota diversity compared to that of normo-weighted subjects with periodontitis. Finally, periodontal treatment response was less effective in OB subjects with persisting periodontal inflammation, reflecting a still unstable periodontal condition and a risk of recurrence. To our knowledge, this study is the first exploring both salivary and subgingival microbiota of OB subjects. Considering that OB subjects are at higher periodontal risk, this could lead to more personalized preventive or therapeutic strategies for obese patients regarding periodontitis through the specific management of oral microbiota of obese patients.