In this exploratory study, we searched for associations between the two most common diseases of the oral cavity—dental caries and periodontal diseases—taking into account additional factors, such as personalized clinical pictures (the individual risk factors of the patient), based on the method of a multivariate data analysis of the molecular changes in the composition of human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). For this purpose, a set of synchrotron Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of gingival crevicular fluid samples from patients with different demographics, levels of dental caries development and periodontal diseases, and the presence/absence of concomitant chronic diseases were obtained and analyzed. Using a set of techniques (v-, F-, Chi-square tests; a principal component analysis (PCA); and the hierarchical clustering of principal components (HCPCs)) implemented in the R package FactoMineR allowed us to assess the relationship between the principal components (PCs) and characteristics of the respondents. By identifying the features (vibrational modes in the FTIR spectra) that contribute most to the differentiation of the spectral dataset, and by taking into account the interrelationships between the patients’ characteristics, we were able to match specific biological markers (specific molecular groups) to the two factors of interest—two types of oral pathologies. The results obtained show that the observed changes in the quantitative and qualitative composition of the modes in the infrared (IR) spectra of the GCF samples from patients with different dental caries developments and periodontal diseases present confirm the difficulty of identifying patient-specific spectral information. At the same time, different periodontal pathologies are more closely associated with other characteristics of the patients than the level of their caries development. The multivariate analysis performed on the spectral dataset indicates the need to take into account not only the co-occurrence of oral diseases, but also some other factors. The lack of this consideration (typical in lots of studies in this area) may lead to misinterpretations and consequently to a loss of data when searching for biological markers of certain oral diseases.

The aim of this work was the formation of multilayer structures of macroporous silicon and the study of their structural, morphological, and optical properties in comparison with the properties of multilayer structures of mesoporous silicon. The paper presents the results of the development of techniques for the formation of multilayer structures of porous silicon por-Si by stepwise change in the current with two-stage modes of electrochemical etching.The data on the morphology, composition, and porosity of macroporous and mesoporous silicon samples were obtained using scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity. It was shown that with the two-stage growth of porous silicon layers, the depth of the boundary between the layers of the structure was determined by the primary mode of electrochemical etching, while the total layer thickness increased with an increase in the current density of electrochemical etching.A comparative analysis of the relative intensity and fine structure of vibrational modes of IR spectra indicated a significantly more developed specific pore surface and greater sorption capacity of mesoporous silicon as compared to macroporous silicon. REFERENCES 1. Pacholski C. Photonic crystal sensors based on porous silicon. Sensors. 2013;13(4): 4694–4713. https://doi.org/10.3390/s130404694 2. Harraz F. A. Porous silicon chemical sensors and biosensors: A review. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2014;202: 897–912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2014.06.0483. Qian M., Bao X. Q., Wang L. W., Lu X., Shao J., Chen X. S. Structural tailoring of multilayer porous silicon for photonic crystal application. Journal of Crystal Growth. 2006;292(2): 347–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.04.0334. Len’shin A. S., Kashkarov V. M., Turishchev S. Yu., Smirnov M. S., Domashevskaya E. P. Effect of natural aging on photoluminescence of porous silicon. Technical Physics Letters. 2011;37(9): 789–792. https://doi.org/10.1134/S10637850110901245. Kheifets L. I., Neimark A. B. Multiphase processes in porous media. Moscow: Khimiya Publ.; 1982. 320 p. (In Russ.)6. Canham L. Handbook of porous silicon. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing; 2014. 733 p.7. Zimin S. P. Porous silicon – material with new properties. Soros Educational Journal. 2004;8(1): 101–107. Available at: http://window.edu.ru/resource/217/21217/files/0401_101.pdf (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) 8. Seredin P. V., Lenshin A. S., Goloshchapov D. L., Lukin A. N., Arsentyev I. N., Bondarev A. D., Tarasov I. S. Investigations of nanodimensional Al2O3films deposited by ion-plasma sputtering onto porous silicon. Semiconductors. 2015;49(7): 915–920. https://doi.org/10.1134/S10637826150702109. Seredin P. V., Lenshin A. S., Mizerov A. M., Leiste H., Rinke M. Structural, optical and morphological properties of hybrid heterostructures on the basis of GaN grown on compliant substrate por-Si(111). Applied Surface Science. 2019;476: 1049–1060. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.01.23910. Seredin P. V., Leiste H., Lenshin A. S., Mizerov A. M. Effect of the transition porous silicon layer on the properties of hybrid GaN/SiC/por-Si/Si(111) heterostructures. Applied Surface Science. 2020;508(145267): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.14526711. Lenshin A. S., Barkov K. A., Skopintseva N. G., Agapov B. L., Domashevskaya E. P. Influence of electrochemical etching modes under one stage and two Stage formation of porous silicon on the degree of oxidation of its surface layer under natural conditions. Kondensirovannye sredy i mezhfaznye granitsy = Condensed Matter and Interphases. 2019;21(4): 534–543. https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2019.21/2364 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.) 12. Buttard D., Dolino G., Bellet D., Baumbach T., Rieutord F. X-ray reflectivity investigation of thin p-type porous silicon layers. Solid State Communications. 1998;109(1): 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-1098(98)00531-613. Lenshin A. S., Seredin P. V., Agapov B. L., Minakov D. A., Kashkarov V. M. Preparation and degradation of the optical properties of nano-, meso‑,and macroporous silicon. Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing. 2015;30: 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2014.09.04014. Ksenofontova O. I., Vasin A. V., Egorov V. V., Bobyl’ A. V., Soldatenkov F. Yu., Terukov E. I., Ulin V. P., Ulin N. V., Kiselev O. I. Porous silicon and its applications in biology and medicine. Technical Physics. 2014;59(1): 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063784214010083

Porous silicon samples with a porosity index of 5% to 80% were obtained in this work by electrochemical etching, and their photoluminescence properties were also studied. The porosity index was calculated according to the data from X-ray reflectometry. The composition of the surface was controlled by ultra-soft X-ray spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The degree of the sample surface oxidation increased with the porosity enhancement. Two known mechanisms of photoluminescence in porous silicon were detected that are related to the composition and morphology of its surface. The values of the porosity index specifying the dominations of these mechanisms were determined. Enhancement of photoluminescence was shown to be attributed to an increase in the porosity index.