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Abstract Highlyr-process-enhanced (RPE) stars are rare and usually metal poor ([Fe/H] < −1.0), and they mainly populate the Milky Way halo and dwarf galaxies. This study presents the discovery of a relatively bright (V= 12.72), highly RPE (r-II) star ([Eu/Fe] = +1.32, [Ba/Eu] = −0.95), LAMOST J020623.21+494127.9. This star was selected from the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope medium-resolution (R∼ 7500) spectroscopic survey; follow-up high-resolution (R∼ 25,000) observations were conducted with the High Optical Resolution Spectrograph installed on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. The stellar parameters (T_eff= 4130 K, $\log \mathrm{g}$= 1.52, [Fe/H] = −0.54,ξ= 1.80 km s⁻¹) have been inferred taking into account nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium effects. The abundances of [Ce/Fe], [Pr/Fe], and [Nd/Fe] are +0.19, +0.65, and +0.64, respectively, relatively low compared to the Solarr-process pattern normalized to Eu. This star has a high metallicity ([Fe/H] = −0.54) compared to most other highly RPE stars and has the highest measured abundance ratio of Eu to H ([Eu/H] = +0.78). It is classified as a thin-disk star based on its kinematics and does not appear to belong to any known stream or dwarf galaxy. 

Abstract BackgroundSuboptimal maternal oral health during pregnancy is potentially associated with adverse birth outcomes and increased dental caries risks in children. This study aimed to assess the oral microbiome and immune response following an innovative clinical regimen, Prenatal Total Oral Rehabilitation (PTOR), that fully restores women’s oral health to a “disease-free status” before delivery. MethodsThis prospective cohort study assessed 15 pregnant women at baseline and 3 follow-up visits (1 week, 2 weeks, and 2 months) after receiving PTOR. The salivary and supragingival plaque microbiomes were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Multiplexed Luminex cytokine assays were performed to examine immune response following PTOR. The association between salivary immune markers and oral microbiome was further examined. ResultsPTOR was associated with a reduction of periodontal pathogens in plaque, for instance, a lower relative abundance ofTannerella forsythiaandTreponema denticolaat 2 weeks compared to the baseline (p < 0.05). The alpha diversity of plaque microbial community was significantly reduced at the 1-week follow-up (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we observed significant changes in theActinomyces defective-associated carbohydrate degradation pathway andStreptococcus Gordonii-associated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. Two immune markers related to adverse birth outcomes significantly differed between baseline and follow-up. ITAC, negatively correlated with preeclampsia severity, significantly increased at 1-week follow-up; MCP-1, positively correlated with gestational age, was elevated at 1-week follow-up. Association modeling between immune markers and microbiome further revealed specific oral microorganisms that are potentially correlated with the host immune response. ConclusionsPTOR is associated with alteration of the oral microbiome and immune response among a cohort of underserved US pregnant women. Future randomized clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of PTOR on maternal oral flora, birth outcomes, and their offspring’s oral health. 

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Nystatin oral rinse on salivary and supragingival microbiota in adults with oral candidiasis and identify predictive factors related to individuals’ responses to Nystatin. The trial involved twenty participants who used 600,000 International Units/application of Nystatin oral rinse for seven days, four times a day, and were followed up at one week and three months after the rinse. The salivary and plaque microbiome of the participants were assessed via 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Overall, salivary and plaque microbiomes remained stable. However, among the participants (53 percent) who responded to Nystatin rinse (defined as free of oral Candida albicans post treatment), Veillonella emerged as a core genus alongside Streptococcus and Actinomyces in supragingival plaque at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, statistical models were fit to identify predictive factors of Nystatin rinse success (elimination of C. albicans) or failure (remaining C. albicans). The results revealed that an increased level of salivary Interferon (IFN)-γ-inducible protein (IP-10), also known as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), was an indicator of a failure of responding to Nystatin rinse. Future clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of antifungal treatment on the oral flora. 

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a disease that globally affects pre-school children. It is important to identify both protective and risk factors associated with this disease. This paper examined a set of saliva samples of Thai mother–child dyads and aimed to analyze how the maternal factors and oral microbiome of the dyads influence the development of ECC. However, heterogeneous latent subpopulations may exist that have different characteristics in terms of caries development. Therefore, we introduce a novel method to cluster the correlated outcomes of dependent observations while selecting influential independent variables to unearth latent groupings within this dataset and reveal their association in each group. This paper describes the discovery of three heterogeneous clusters in the dataset, each with its own unique mother–child outcome trend, as well as identifying several microbial factors that contribute to ECC. Significantly, the three identified clusters represent three typical clinical conditions in which mother–child dyads have typical (cluster 1), high–low (cluster 2), and low–high caries experiences (cluster 3) compared to the overall trend of mother–child caries status. Intriguingly, the variables identified as the driving attributes of each cluster, including specific taxa, have the potential to be used in the future as caries preventive measures. 

Early childhood caries (ECC) is not only the most common chronic childhood disease but also disproportionately affects underserved populations. Of those, children living in Thailand have been found to have high rates of ECC and severe ECC. Frequently, the cause of ECC is blamed on a handful of cariogenic organisms, such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus . However, ECC is a multifactorial disease that results from an ecological shift in the oral cavity from a neutral pH (~7.5) to an acidic pH (<5.5) environment influenced by the host individual’s biological, socio-behavioral, and lifestyle factors. Currently, there is a lack of understanding of how risk factors at various levels influence the oral health of children at risk. We applied a statistical machine learning approach for multimodal data integration (parallel and hierarchical) to identify caries-related multiplatform factors in a large cohort of mother-child dyads living in Chiang Mai, Thailand (N=177). Whole saliva (1 mL) was collected from each individual for DNA extraction and 16S rRNA sequencing. A set of maternal and early childhood factors were included in the data analysis. Significantly, vaginal delivery, preterm birth, and frequent sugary snacking were found to increase the risk for ECC. The salivary microbial diversity was significantly different in children with ECC or without ECC. Results of linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis of the microbial community demonstrated that S. mutans , Prevotella histicola , and Leptotrichia hongkongensis were significantly enriched in ECC children. Whereas Fusobacterium periodonticum was less abundant among caries-free children, suggesting its potential to be a candidate biomarker for good oral health. Based on the multimodal data integration and statistical machine learning models, the study revealed that the mode of delivery and snack consumption outrank salivary microbiome in predicting ECC in Thai children. The biological and behavioral factors may play significant roles in the microbial pathobiology of ECC and warrant further investigation. 

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is the most common childhood disease worldwide and a health disparity among underserved children. ECC is preventable and reversible if detected early. However, many children from low-income families encounter barriers to dental care. An at-home caries detection technology could potentially improve access to dental care regardless of patients’ economic status and address the overwhelming prevalence of ECC. Our team has developed a smartphone application (app), AICaries, that uses artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technology to detect caries using children’s teeth photos. We used mixed methods to assess the acceptance, usability, and feasibility of the AICaries app among underserved parent-child dyads. We conducted moderated usability testing (Step 1) with ten parent-child dyads using "Think-aloud" methods to assess the flow and functionality of the app and analyze the data to refine the app and procedures. Next, we conducted unmoderated field testing (Step 2) with 32 parent-child dyads to test the app within their natural environment (home) over two weeks. We administered the System Usability Scale (SUS) and conducted semi-structured individual interviews with parents and conducted thematic analyses. AICaries app received a 78.4 SUS score from the participants, indicating an excellent acceptance. Notably, the majority (78.5%) of parent-taken photos of children’s teeth were satisfactory in quality for detection of caries using the AI app. Parents suggested using community health workers to provide training to parents needing assistance in taking high quality photos of their young child’s teeth. Perceived benefits from using the AICaries app include convenient at-home caries screening, informative on caries risk and education, and engaging family members. Data from this study support future clinical trial that evaluates the real-world impact of using this innovative smartphone app on early detection and prevention of ECC among low-income children. 

Untreated tooth decays affect nearly one third of the world and is the most prevalent disease burden among children. The disease progression of tooth decay is multifactorial and involves a prolonged decrease in pH, resulting in the demineralization of tooth surfaces. Bacterial species that are capable of fermenting carbohydrates contribute to the demineralization process by the production of organic acids. The combined use of machine learning and 16s rRNA sequencing offers the potential to predict tooth decay by identifying the bacterial community that is present in an individual’s oral cavity. A few recent studies have demonstrated machine learning predictive modeling using 16s rRNA sequencing of oral samples, but they lack consideration of the multifactorial nature of tooth decay, as well as the role of fungal species within their models. Here, the oral microbiome of mother–child dyads (both healthy and caries-active) was used in combination with demographic–environmental factors and relevant fungal information to create a multifactorial machine learning model based on the LASSO-penalized logistic regression. For the children, not only were several bacterial species found to be caries-associated ( Prevotella histicola, Streptococcus mutans , and Rothia muciloginosa ) but also Candida detection and lower toothbrushing frequency were also caries-associated. Mothers enrolled in this study had a higher detection of S. mutans and Candida and a higher plaque index. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the significant impact machine learning could have in prevention and diagnostic advancements for tooth decay, as well as the importance of considering fungal and demographic–environmental factors. 

SUMMARY Aegilopsspecies represent the most important gene pool for breeding bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Thus, understanding the genome evolution, including chromosomal structural rearrangements and syntenic relationships amongAegilopsspecies or betweenAegilopsand wheat, is important for both basic genome research and practical breeding applications. In the present study, we attempted to develop subgenome D‐specific fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) probes by selecting D‐specific oligonucleotides based on the reference genome of Chinese Spring. The oligo‐based chromosome painting probes consisted of approximately 26 000 oligos per chromosome and their specificity was confirmed in both diploid and polyploid species containing the D subgenome. Two previously reported translocations involving two D chromosomes have been confirmed in wheat varieties and their derived lines. We demonstrate that the oligo painting probes can be used not only to identify the translocations involving D subgenome chromosomes, but also to determine the precise positions of chromosomal breakpoints. Chromosome painting of 56 accessions ofAe. tauschiifrom different origins led us to identify two novel translocations: a reciprocal 3D‐7D translocation in two accessions and a complex 4D‐5D‐7D translocation in one accession. Painting probes were also used to analyze chromosomes from more diverseAegilopsspecies. These probes produced FISH signals in four different genomes. Chromosome rearrangements were identified inAegilops umbellulata,Aegilops markgrafii, andAegilops uniaristata, thus providing syntenic information that will be valuable for the application of these wild species in wheat breeding.