Accuracy of a salivary examination kit for the screening of periodontal disease in a group medical check-up (Japanese-specific health check-up)

Hybrid MoSe2/P3HT Transistor for Real-Time Ammonia Sensing in Biofluids

Organic and inorganic hybrid field-effect transistors (FETs), utilizing layered molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) and an organic semiconductor poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), are presented for biosensing applications. A new hybrid device structure that combines organic (P3HT) and inorganic (MoSe2) components is showcased for accurate and selective bioanalyte detection in human bodily fluids to overcome 2D-transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) nonspecific interactions. This hybrid structure utilizes organic and inorganic semiconductors' high surface-to-volume ratio, carrier transport, and conductivity for biosensing. Ammonia concentrations in saliva and plasma are closely linked to physiological and pathological conditions of the human body. A highly sensitive hybrid FET biosensor detects total ammonia (NH4+ and NH3) from 0.5 μM to 1 mM concentrations, with a detection limit of 0.65 μM in human bodily fluids. The sensor's ammonia specificity in artificial saliva against interfering species is showcased. Furthermore, the fabricated hybrid FET device exhibits a stable and repeatable response to ammonia in both saliva and plasma, achieving a remarkable response level of 2300 at a 1 mM concentration of ammonia, surpassing existing literature by 10-fold. This hybrid FET biosensing platform holds significant promise for developing a precise tool for the real-time monitoring of ammonia concentrations in human biological fluids, offering potential applications in point-of-care diagnostics.

The effectiveness of a self-reported questionnaire on masticatory function in health examinations

Periodontal diseases have been reported to be lifestyle-related and associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The introduction of dental checkups in a health checkup program may create a synergistic effect and aid the prevention of MetS. In Japan, a chewing function questionnaire has now been introduced into the national health checkup program. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the questionnaire reflects dental and oral conditions and whether it helps improve general and oral health. A total of 6599 subjects who underwent health checkups or guidance specified by the National Health Insurance of Japan for two consecutive years were included. A single comprehensive question to evaluate masticatory function was asked. Medical and dental examinations and insurance data were collected and used for analysis. In terms of masticatory function during chewing, 82.3% of subjects experienced no problems, 17.3% experienced some difficulty, and 0.4% experienced severe problems. There was a significant relationship between the questionnaire response and dental examinations results for several items of examination. The overall dental consultation rate after health screening was 42.3%. Improvement in periodontal disease was achieved in those who reported some problems with chewing function. Improvement in blood pressure was also observed in those who reported some problem with chewing function and subsequently had a dental consultation. The results of this study indicate that questionnaires on masticatory function reflect the status of dental and oral health. In addition, the results suggested that questionnaire results are potentially linked to improvement in dental and oral health status, and improvement in MetS.

Prevalence of periodontitis in dentate people between 2011 and 2020: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies

AIM

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of periodontitis in dentate people between 2011 and 2020.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PUBMED, Web of Science, and LILACS were searched up to and including December 2021. Epidemiological studies reporting the prevalence of periodontitis conducted between 2011 and 2020 were eligible for inclusion in this review. Studies were grouped according to the case definition of confidence as confident (Centers for Disease Control [CDC] AAP 2012; CDC/AAP 2007; and Armitage 1999) and non-confident (community periodontal index of 3 or 4, periodontal pocket depth >4 mm, and clinical attachment level ≥1 mm). Random effects meta-analyses with double arcsine transformation were conducted. Sensitivity subgroup and meta-regression analyses explored the effect of confounding variables on the overall estimates.

RESULTS

A total 55 studies were included. The results showed a significant difference, with confident case definitions (61.6%) reporting nearly twice the prevalence as non-confident classifications (38.5%). Estimates using confident periodontal case definitions showed a pooled prevalence of periodontitis of 61.6%, comprising 17 different countries. Estimates reporting using the CDC/AAP 2012 case definition presented the highest estimate (68.1%) and the CDC/AAP 2007 presented the lowest (48.8%). Age was a relevant confounding variable, as older participants (≥65 years) had the highest pooled estimate (79.3%).

CONCLUSION

Between 2011 and 2020, periodontitis in dentate adults was estimated to be around 62% and severe periodontitis 23.6%. These results show an unusually high prevalence of periodontitis compared to the previous estimates from 1990 to 2010.

Evaluation of a rapid coliform detection kit from clinical mastitis milk using colloidal gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic strips

The accurate identification of mastitis‐causing bacteria assists in effective management by both dairy farmers and veterinarians and can be used to implement the selective use of antimicrobials for treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of our developed anti–ribosomal protein-L7/L12 antibody–coated immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test to detect coliforms in milk by comparing the results with the bacteriological culture method. We investigated the performance of the ICS test as compared with the bacteriological culture method using 308 milk samples from clinical bovine mastitis. First, to determine the optimal ICS test cutoff point for detecting coliform mastitis, we developed a receiver-operating characteristic curve. The result showed that the cutoff point was at 0.5 of our index. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value of the ICS test were 81.3%, 84.8%, 69.2%, and 91.54%, respectively. As the clinical signs increased in severity, the F-measure, a weighted harmonic mean of the sensitivity and overall PPV performance, increased. Because it is especially important to treat clinical mastitis appropriately in the early stages of detection, the ICS test, which can be used by both dairy farmers and veterinarians on dairy farms, is considered to be a useful tool for detecting coliform mastitis, which often presents with severe signs.