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Background Black men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately infected with HIV, and are less well retained along the HIV continuum of care. We report on the feasibility of a peer support text messaging intervention designed to increase retention in HIV care and HIV medication adherence among HIV-infected Black MSM. Methods Based on formative research, a cellphone app was developed to support a peer-based text messaging intervention. The app allowed the researchers to view text messages sent between mentors and mentees, but did not allow them to view other text messages sent by these phones. Three HIV-infected Black MSM were recruited to serve as volunteer peer mentors. They were trained in motivational techniques, peer support skills, and skills for improving appointment attendance and medication adherence. Mentees (N = 8) received the intervention for one month. Mentees completed a post-intervention survey and interview. Results The peer mentor text messaging intervention was feasible. Mentors delivered support in a nonjudgmental, motivational way. However, technical and other implementation problems arose. Some mentees desired more frequent contact with mentors, and mentors reported that other commitments made it difficult at times to be fully engaged. Both mentors and mentees desired more personalized contact (i.e., phone calls). Conclusions A text messaging peer mentor intervention was feasible. Additional research with a larger sample is needed to determine optimal ways to improve mentors’ engagement in the intervention, as well as to determine intervention acceptability and efficacy. In future studies, peer support phone calls could be incorporated.

Biodentine stimulated similar markers as MTA, but staining was more intense and spread over a larger area of the pulp tissue.

Bezerra da Silva RA, Nelson-Filho P, Lucisano MP, De Rossi A, de Queiroz AM, Bezerra da Silva LA. Aim To characterize the formation and progression of experimentally induced periapical lesions in teeth of MyD88 knockout (MyD88 KO) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Methodology Periapical lesions were induced in the mandibular first molars of 30 WT and 30 MyD88 KO mice. After 7, 21 and 42 days, the animals were euthanized and the mandibles were subjected to histotechnical processing. Histological sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin (HE), TRAP histoenzymology, Brown and Brenn staining and immunohistochemistry (RANK, RANKL, OPG). Data were subjected to statistical analysis by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and the Dunn post-test, using the SPSS software, version 17.0 (a = 0.05). Results Regarding the periapical lesion size, the MyD88 KO group had significantly higher values than the WT group in the periods of 7 (P = 0.001) and 21 days (P = 0.05). A larger number of neutrophils in the MyD88 KO group were observed (P = 0.01 at 7 days, P = 0.004 at 21 days and P < 0.001 at 42 days). Regarding the number of osteoclasts, no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups at any of the experimental periods (P = 0.884 at 7 days, P = 0.506 at 21 days and P = 0.211 at 42 days). Conclusions In the absence of MyD88, the animals had larger periapical lesions, with a severe inflammatory infiltrate and a significantly larger number of neutrophils.