Tofacitinib 2% ointment, a topical janus kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of alopecia areata: a pilot study of 10 patients

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Author(s): Lucy Y. Liu, Brittany G. Craiglow, Brett A. King




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Subclinical Sensitization with Diphenylcyclopropenone is Sufficient for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: Retrospective Analysis of 159 Cases

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Author(s): Sung Jay Choe, Solam Lee, Long Quan Pi, Dong In Keum, Chung Hyeok Lee, Beom Jun Kim, Won-Soo Lee
BackgroundContact immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) is presently considered the treatment of choice for extensive alopecia areata (AA). However, a major concern with contact immunotherapy is that it causes various adverse effects (AEs) that contribute to discontinuation of treatment.ObjectiveWe investigated whether a modified DPCP treatment protocol can promote hair regrowth with fewer AEs.MethodsAll patients were sensitized with 0.1% DPCP and began treatment with 0.01% DPCP. Thereafter, the DPCP concentration was slowly increased according to the treatment response and AEs. This was a retrospective review of DPCP treatment with modified protocols in 159 patients with AA.ResultsOf the 159 patients, 46 (28.9%) showed a complete response and 59 showed a partial response (37.1%). No patients had AEs after sensitization. During the treatment, only 3 (1.9%) showed severe AEs, and 55 showed moderate AEs, however all were well controlled with antihistamines alone or antihistamines and medium-potency topical steroids. There was no association between treatment response and AEs.LimitationSample size, subject composition, and the retrospective study design represent potential limitations.ConclusionA modified DPCP treatment protocol with subclinical sensitization could induce a favorable therapeutic response and result in fewer AEs.

Teaser

Conventional diphenylcyclopropenone contact immunotherapy has been used in the treatment of extensive alopecia areata, but can be associated with severe adverse effects (AEs).Even without an eczematous reaction after sensitization, sufficient therapeutic responses were achieved without severe AEs.Sensitization to induce an eczematous reaction may not be required for successful contact immunotherapy.


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Sponsoring Organizations and Liaisons

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5





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Table of Contents

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5





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The Essentials

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5





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Academy of Prosthodontics centennial: The emergence and development of prosthodontics as a specialty

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5
Author(s): Jonathan P. Wiens, Sreenivas Koka, Gerald Graser, Shane N. White, Carlo P. Marinello, Donald A. Curtis




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Editorial Board

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5





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News and Notes

Publication date: November 2017
Source:The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Volume 118, Issue 5





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Effect Monitoring in Dual-Task Performance.

Author: Wirth, Robert; Janczyk, Markus; Kunde, Wilfried

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000474

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2iurHQS

The Efficacy of Learners' Testing Choices.

Author: Tullis, Jonathan G.; Fiechter, Joshua L.; Benjamin, Aaron S.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000473

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2h2nCmo

An Imagery-Induced Reversal of Intertrial Priming in Visual Search.

Author: Cochrane, Brett A.; Nwabuike, Andrea A.; Thomson, David R.; Milliken, Bruce

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000470

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2it3Xg3

Eye Movements Reveal Persistent Sensitivity to Sound Symbolism During Word Learning.

Author: Revill, Kate Pirog; Namy, Laura L.; Nygaard, Lynne C.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000476

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2h49F7I

Creating a Recollection-Based Memory Through Drawing.

Author: Wammes, Jeffrey D.; Meade, Melissa E.; Fernandes, Myra A.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000445

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2it3PNB

When Shorter Delays Lead to Worse Memories: Task Disruption Makes Visual Working Memory Temporarily Vulnerable to Test Interference.

Author: Wang, Benchi; Theeuwes, Jan; Olivers, Christian N. L.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000468

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2h5t8ER

Boosting Maintenance in Working Memory With Temporal Regularities.

Author: Plancher, Gaen; Leveque, Yohana; Fanuel, Lison; Piquandet, Gaelle; Tillmann, Barbara

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000481

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

http://ift.tt/2iu63wa

Can I Order a Burger at rnacdonalds.com? Visual Similarity Effects of Multi-Letter Combinations at the Early Stages of Word Recognition.

Author: Marcet, Ana; Perea, Manuel

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000477

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

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Self-Regulated Learning of Important Information Under Sequential and Simultaneous Encoding Conditions.

Author: Middlebrooks, Catherine D.; Castel, Alan D.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000480

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

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The Replicability of the Negative Testing Effect: Differences Across Participant Populations.

Author: Mulligan, Neil W.; Rawson, Katherine A.; Peterson, Daniel J.; Wissman, Kathryn T.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000490

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

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Keep Listening: Grammatical Context Reduces but Does Not Eliminate Activation of Unexpected Words.

Author: Strand, Julia F.; Brown, Violet A.; Brown, Hunter E.; Berg, Jeffrey J.

DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000488

Publication Date: POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 2 November 2017

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Differentiating biliary cystadenomas from benign hepatic cysts: Preliminary analysis of new predictive imaging features

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): Mark D. Kovacs, Douglas H. Sheafor, Philip Burchett, Melissa M. Picard, Andrew D. Hardie
ObjectiveTo identify performance of imaging features in differentiating hepatic cysts from biliary cystadenomas of the liver.Methods25 pathologically confirmed hepatic cystic lesions (hepatic cysts or biliary cystadenomas) were evaluated retrospectively and predetermined imaging features assessed for performance in differentiation.ResultsAny septation which arose from a cyst wall without external indentation had a very high association with biliary cystadenoma, while the presence of a thick septation had only a moderate association.ConclusionsThe relationship between septations and the wall of the cystic lesion performed better than previously reported features including thick septations.



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Breast Arterial Calcification on screening mammography can predict significant Coronary Artery Disease in women

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Clinical Imaging
Author(s): B.S. Kelly, E. Scanlan, H. Heneghan, C.E. Redmond, G.M. Healy, E. McDermott, E.J. Heffernan, R. Prichard, S. McNally
IntroductionBreast Arterial Calcification (BAC) on digital mammography has been associated with an increased risk of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). We aimed to investigate the association of BAC with findings on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) within a cohort of women from the national breast screening program.MethodsSymptomatic women (chest pain) aged between 50 and 65 who underwent a CCTA and who also had a screening mammography between 2014 and 2015 were recorded. BAC and CAD-RADS™: Coronary Artery Disease–Reporting and Data System were scored by separate blinded specialist radiologists. Cardiac risk factors were recorded. Patients' cardiac follow up (with Exercise Stress Test, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or echocardiography) and cardio-protective medications were also documented.Results219 eligible women underwent a CCTA. Of these, 104 patients also underwent digital mammography. Using standard linear regression BAC was identified as a significant predictor of CAD-RADs ≥3 disease. Using binomial logistic regression, BAC remained associated with CAD-RADs ≥3 (p=0.023). A significantly higher proportion of patients with BAC >1 were on cardio-protective medications (p=0.041) and had medications initiated or changed, or had further cardiac investigation (p=0.037 and p=0.019, respectively) than those with no BAC, after a mean follow-up of 20.6 (range 15–27) months.ConclusionBAC diagnosed on 2 yearly screening mammography predicts CAD-RADs ≥3 disease in symptomatic patients.



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Validity of radial magnetic resonance imaging to determine the extent of Bankart lesions

Publication date: March–April 2018
Source:Clinical Imaging, Volume 48
Author(s): Akiko Ogura, Toru Morihara, Hiroyoshi Fujiwara, Yuji Arai, Yoshikazu Kida, Hirotoshi Ito, Ryuhei Furukawa, Yukichi Kabuto, Tsuyoshi Sukenari, Toshikazu Kubo
PurposeThe objectives were to compare conventional oblique coronal and axial images with radial images to determine the capacities of these modalities for visualizing sites in the glenoid labrum.Materials and methodsThe glenoid labra of 45 patients without a labrum injury and 30 patients with Bankart lesions were examined by magnetic resonance imaging using three different sections.ResultsThe radial images permitted a greater range of assessment of the morphology of the glenoid labrum than the conventional images.ConclusionRadial magnetic resonance imaging is a useful method for evaluation of the glenoid labrum and enables wider visualization than conventional methods.



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Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Radiation Dose Escalation to the Gross Tumor Volume with Intensity-Modulated (Photon) Radiation Therapy or Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy and Concurrent Chemotherapy for Stage II-III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase I Study

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Melenda D. Jeter, Daniel Gomez, Quynh-Nhu Nguyen, Ritsuko Komaki, Xiaodong Zhang, Xiaorong Zhu, Michael O'Reilly, Frank V. Fossella, Ting Xu, Xiong Wei, Hui Wang, Wenjuan Yang, Anne Tsao, Radhe Mohan, Zhongxing Liao
PurposeThis phase I portion of a prospective phase I/II study sought to establish the maximum tolerated dose of image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or proton therapy (IMPT), both with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB), for patients with stage II-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving concurrent chemoradiation therapy.MethodsPatients had pathologically proven NSCLC, either unresectable stage II-IIIB disease or recurrent disease after surgical resection, who could tolerate concurrent chemoradiation. Radiation doses were selectively escalated to the SIB volume (SIBV; internal gross tumor volume + 5 mm margin), and the dose to the planning target volume (PTV; internal gross target volume + 8 mm margin for CTV + 5 mm) was kept at 60 Gy (CGE) over 30 fractions. Patients were randomized between the IMRT and IMPT groups if slots were available on the treatment machines for both groups. Otherwise, patients were allocated to IMRT or IMPT, whichever had an open treatment slot on the machine without randomization.ResultsFifteen patients (6 IMRT, 9 IMPT) were enrolled. The highest doses to the SIB were 72 Gy in the IMRT group and 78 Gy (CGE) in the IMPT group. Nine patients (6 IMRT, 3 IMPT) received an SIB dose of 72 Gy (CGE) (BED=89.3 Gy (CGE)) and 6 patients (IMPT) received an SIB dose of 78 Gy (CGE) (BED=98.3 Gy (CGE)). Dose-limiting (grade ≥3) toxicity (esophagitis) developed in 1 of the 9 patients given 72 Gy (CGE) SIB. Grade ≥3 pneumonitis developed in 2 of the 6 patients treated to 78 Gy (CGE) IMPT SIB; one (grade 3) at 3 months after treatment, and the other (grade 5, possibly related to treatment) at 2 months after treatment. Only 1 patient developed a marginal tumor recurrence with a median follow-up of 25 months (range 4.3-47.4 months).ConclusionWe recommend that an SIB dose of 72 Gy (CGE) be used as the highest SIB dose for the planned randomized phase II study.

Teaser

Local failure is common after conventionally fractionated, standard-dose chemoradiation for NSCLC. Theoretically, higher doses could confer a survival benefit, but this has not been confirmed in a phase III trial using conventional techniques. Dose escalation by new strategies seems promising. Our study is trying to find the optimal dose and fractionation by image-guided IMRT or IMPT with a simultaneous integrated boost. This article presents our preliminary results of a phase I study.Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Radiation Dose Escalation to the Gross Tumor Volume with Intensity-Modulated (Photon) Radiation Therapy or Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy and Concurrent Chemotherapy for Stage II-III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase I Study


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Optimal high dose rate brachytherapy fractionation scheme after keloid excision. A retrospective multicenter comparison of recurrence rates and complications

Publication date: Available online 4 November 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Eveline Bijlard, Gerda M. Verduijn, J.X. Harmeling, Homan Dehnad, Frank B. Niessen, Otto WM. Meijer, Marc AM. Mureau
Background and PurposeExtralesional keloid excision followed by brachytherapy is currently considered as the most effective treatment. However, the optimal brachytherapy dose and fractionation scheme is unknown and radiation may have considerable side effects. Because keloid formation is a benign condition, often in young patients, it is particularly important to minimize these adverse effects. Therefore, it is key to find the optimal radiation fractionation scheme for keloid treatment.Material and MethodsPatient cohorts from three centers treated with keloid excision followed by 2x9 Gy, 3x6 Gy, or 2x6 Gy high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy were retrospectively compared regarding recurrence (after at least 12 months follow-up) and complications (after at least 1 month follow-up), using logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 238 keloids were treated. An overall full recurrence rate of 8.3% was found. After correction for confounders (sex, skin color, keloid location, keloid duration) no statistically significant differences in recurrence rates could be discerned between fractionation schemes. There were 12.8% major and 45.6% minor complications. Lower radiation dose resulted in significantly less complications (OR 0.35, p=0.015).ConclusionsAfter excision of resistant keloids, HDR brachytherapy with a biological equivalent dose around 20 Gy is recommended based on both low recurrence and complication rates.

Teaser

Keloid treatment with excision followed by brachytherapy is considered the most effective. However, the optimal fractionation scheme is unknown. Patient cohorts from three centers using 2x9 Gy, 3x6 Gy, or 2x6 Gy were analyzed. The scheme using 2x6 Gy had equally low recurrence and lower complication rates, showing a BED of 20 Gy is adequate in post-excisional HDR brachytherapy keloid treatment.


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Gray Zone Coping with Knife: Post-operative Management of Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Shushan Rana, John Holland, Carol Marquez, Avyakta Kallam, James O. Armitage, Parag Sanghvi




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Relevance of raised cerebrospinal fluid monocyte levels in patients with frontotemporal dementia

Publication date: February 2018
Source:Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 62
Author(s): Matthias Pawlowski, Gero Lueg, Catharina C. Gross, Andreas Johnen, Julia Krämer, Matthias Weckesser, Heinz Wiendl, Sven G. Meuth, Thomas Duning
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. The contribution of the immune system to its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we performed comprehensive immune cell profiling in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral blood of patients with FTD. Thirty-two patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and 25 patients with primary progressive aphasia were included and compared to 14 healthy elderly controls. All patients underwent neuropsychological examination, magnetic resonance imaging, voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging, and peripheral blood and CSF immune cell profiling by multiparameter flow cytometry. The percentage of CSF monocytes was significantly increased specifically in patients with primary progressive aphasia. The proportion of monocytes in the CSF of the total FTD patient group directly correlated with semantic language impairment and microstructural temporal lesions. Increased intrathecal numbers of monocytes suggest a specific response of the innate immune system in a subset of patients with FTD. The findings are of clinical relevance since monocyte levels in the CSF were correlated with typical neuropsychological deficits and microstructural patterns of temporal degeneration.



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Treated hypothyroidism is associated with cerebrovascular disease but not Alzheimer's disease pathology in older adults

Publication date: February 2018
Source:Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 62
Author(s): Willa D. Brenowitz, Fang Han, Walter A. Kukull, Peter T. Nelson
Thyroid hormone disease is common among older adults and is associated with cognitive impairment. However, pathologic correlates are not well understood. We studied pathologic and clinical factors associated with hypothyroidism, the most common manifestation of thyroid disease, in research subjects seen annually for clinical evaluations at U.S. Alzheimer's Disease Centers. Thyroid disease and treatment status were assessed during clinician interviews. Among autopsied subjects, there were 555 participants with treated hypothyroidism and 2146 without known thyroid disease; hypothyroidism was associated with severe atherosclerosis (odds ratio: 1.35; 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.79) but not Alzheimer's disease pathologies (amyloid plaques or neurofibrillary tangles). Among participants who did not undergo autopsy (4598 with treated hypothyroidism and 20,945 without known thyroid hormone disease), hypercholesterolemia and cerebrovascular disease (stroke and/or transient ischemic attack) were associated with hypothyroidism, complementing findings in the smaller autopsy sample. This is the first large-scale evaluation of neuropathologic concomitants of hypothyroidism in aged individuals. Clinical hypothyroidism was prevalent (>20% of individuals studied) and was associated with cerebrovascular disease but not Alzheimer's disease–type neuropathology.



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Integrated 18 F-FDG PET/MRI in breast cancer: early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Abstract

Purpose

To explore whether integrated ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI can be used to predict pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer.

Methods

Between November 2014 and April 2016, 26 patients with breast cancer who had received NAC and subsequent surgery were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI examination before and after the first cycle of NAC. Qualitative MRI parameters, including morphological descriptors and the presence of peritumoral oedema were assessed. Quantitatively, PET parameters, including maximum standardized uptake value, metabolic tumour volume and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and MRI parameters, including washout proportion and signal enhancement ratio (SER), were measured. The performance of the imaging parameters singly and in combination in predicting a pathological incomplete response (non-pCR) was assessed.

Results

Of the 26 patients, 7 (26.9%) exhibited a pathological complete response (pCR), and 19 (73.1%) exhibited a non-pCR. No significant differences were found between the pCR and non-pCR groups in the qualitative MRI parameters. The mean percentage reductions in TLG_30% on PET and SER on MRI were significantly greater in the pCR group than in the non-pCR group (TLG_30% −64.8 ± 15.5% vs. −25.4 ± 48.7%, P = 0.005; SER −34.6 ± 19.7% vs. −8.7 ± 29.0%, P = 0.040). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the percentage change in TLG_30% (0.789, 95% CI 0.614 to 0.965) was similar to that for the percentage change in SER (0.789, 95% CI 0.552 to 1.000; P = 1.000).The specificity of TLG_30% in predicting pCR) was 100% (7/7) and that of SER was 71.4% (5/7). The sensitivity of TLG_30% in predicting non-pCR was 63.2% (12/19) and that of SER was 84.2% (16/19). When the combined TLG_30% and SER criterion was applied, sensitivity was 100% (19/19), and specificity was 71.4% (5/7).

Conclusion

¹⁸F-FDG PET/MRI can be used to predict non-pCR after the first cycle of NAC in patients with breast cancer and has the potential to improve sensitivity by the addition of MRI parameters to the PET parameters.

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EANM Springer Prizes awarded at EANM’ 17 Vienna

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68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in primary staging of prostate carcinoma: preliminary results on differences between black and white South-Africans

Abstract

Purpose

The incidence of prostate cancer is 60% higher and the mortality rate is two- to three-times greater in black versus white men. We report on differences in ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging findings in 77 black South-African (BSAs) and 18 white South-African (WSAs) treatment-naïve primary prostate carcinoma (PPC) patients.

Methods

⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging findings were compared to histological, biochemical and morphological imaging data. Patients were grouped into three Gleason grade groups (GG), GG 1 (scores 3 + 3 and 3 + 4), GG2 (scores 4 + 3 and 4 + 4) and GG3 (scores 9 and 10), and the PSA difference among the groups was determined. Inter-racial difference in SUVmax of the primary tumor as well as its correlation with serum PSA were also determined.

Results

Ninety-three out of 95 PPC where readily identified on ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging. Median PPC SUVmax and serum PSA values proved significantly higher (p = 0.033 and p = 0.003) in GG3 patients (median 16.4 and 180 ng/ml) when compared to GG1 patients (median 9.6 and 25.1 ng/ml) or GG2 patients (median 8.8 and 46.2 ng/ml). SUVmax significantly correlated with serum PSA-values (r = 0.377 (p = 0.0001)). Age, frequency of lymph node involvement and distant metastases, and GGs (p ≥ 0.153) were similar in BSAs and WSAs, both median serum PSA-values as well as SUVmax values proved significantly higher in BSAs when compared to WSAs, respectively, 81.6 ng/ml versus 14.5 ng/ml (p = 0.0001) and 11.9 versus 4.38 (p = 0.004). Moreover, Gleason-score normalized median SUVmax values proved 2.5 times higher in BSAs when compared to WSAs (p = 0.005).

Conclusion

SUVmax values proved significantly related to GG and to be significantly higher in BSAs when compared to WSAs. Also, SUVmax significantly correlated with serum PSA values, which was significantly higher in BSAs when compared with WSAs.

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Quantitative assessment of liver function with whole-liver T1rho mapping at 3.0T

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Author(s): Weibo Chen, Xin Chen, Li Yang, Guangbin Wang, Jianqi Li, Shanshan Wang, Queenie Chan, Dongrong Xu
ObjectivesTo assess the segmental liver function in healthy subjects and liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with different Child-Pugh grades using whole-liver T1rho mapping at 3.0T.MethodsThirty-three healthy volunteers and 33 patients with clinically diagnosed LC were examined using a three-dimensional (3D) whole-liver coverage T1rho mapping. T1rho maps were calculated from five respiratory-triggered sequences with different spin-lock durations (0, 10, 20, 40, and 60ms). The patients were classified into group A with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis and group B with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis. The hepatic T1rho values in different segments of the healthy volunteers and LC patients were compared, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were plotted to determine the performance of T1rho.ResultsThe median T1rho value of the patients (Child-Pugh class A: 47.07ms; Child-Pugh classes B and C: 51.09ms) was significantly higher than that of the healthy volunteers (39.37ms, P<0.001). No remarkable variations among different hepatic segments in LC patients with various Child-Pugh grades were found (P>0.05). The T1rho values of the liver parenchyma were significantly correlated with albumin (r=−0.590, P<0.001) and prothrombin time (r=0.601, P<0.001). The T1rho values in patients increased with an increase in the Child-Pugh classification (r=0.574, P<0.001).ConclusionsThe whole-liver coverage T1rho sequence at 3.0T was feasible for the assessment of segmental liver function. T1rho relaxation might be a potential biomarker for the estimation of liver function in LC patients.



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Deoxygenation of methyl laurate as a model compound on Ni-Zn alloy and intermetallic compound catalysts: Geometric and electronic effects of oxophilic Zn

Publication date: May 2018
Source:Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Volume 224
Author(s): Zhengyi Pan, Rijie Wang, Jixiang Chen
A series of Ni-Zn bimetallic catalysts with different Ni/Zn atomic ratios were prepared from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with an atomic ratio of 3 between divalent (Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺) and trivalent ions (Al³⁺). After the mixed oxides derived from calcined LDHs were reduced with H2 at 650°C, Ni-rich alloy with a fcc structure was synthesized at Ni/Zn ratios≥2, while an Ni-Zn intermetallic compound (IMC) with a tetragonal L10 structure was generated at Ni/Zn atomic ratios of 1 and 1/2, and an Ni-Zn IMC was generated with a cubic structure at Ni/Zn ratio of 1/8. HAADF-STEM-EDS, H2 chemisorption and magnetic measurements showed that Ni and Zn atoms were uniformly distributed in catalysts, and the ensembles of Ni atoms decreased with decreasing Ni/Zn ratios. XPS and CO-TPD characterizations revealed a charge transfer from Ni to Zn. In the deoxygenation of methyl laurate as a model compound to diesel-like hydrocarbons, although the addition of Zn reduced the conversion of methyl laurate, mostly due to the decrease in Ni content, a synergetic effect between Ni and Zn was suggested to enhance turnover frequency (TOF), and higher TOFs were obtained on the catalysts with Ni/Zn ratios of 1/1 and 1/2. Because of the high oxophilicity of Zn, this synergetic effect also promoted the hydrodeoxygenation pathway. With decreasing Ni/Zn ratios, the molar ratio between C11 hydrocarbons and both C12 hydrocarbons and oxygenates decreased. Particularly, it was smaller than 0.2 on Ni-Zn IMC when the reaction temperature was 330°C, and much lower than that of 60.5 on the metallic Ni catalyst. Compared with metallic Ni, Ni-rich alloys and IMCs (especially IMCs) showed lower reactivity for CC bond hydrogenolysis and CO/CO2 methanation, which was more remarkable with decreasing Ni/Zn atomic ratios and increasing reaction temperatures. Particularly, when the conversion of methyl laurate was close to 100% at 400°C, the metallic Ni catalyst dominatingly gave methane, which was derived from CC bond hydrogenolysis as well as complete methanation of CO/CO2, and the total selectivity to C11 and C12 (i.e., SC11+C12) was only 1.1%. However, when the Ni/Zn atomic ratio was≤2/1, SC11+C12 reached as high as 96.2%, and the molar ratio between (CO+CO2) and C11 hydrocarbons was still larger than 1.0, i.e., CC bond hydrogenolysis and methanation were remarkably suppressed on Ni-Zn IMC catalysts. We suggest that the role of Zn is ascribed to its geometric and electronic modification of Ni in the alloy and IMC.

Graphical abstract

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Cd isotope fractionation during sulfide mineral weathering in the Fule Zn-Pb-Cd deposit, Yunnan Province, Southwest China

Publication date: March 2018
Source:Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 616–617
Author(s): Chuanwei Zhu, Hanjie Wen, Yuxu Zhang, Runsheng Yin, Christophe Cloquet
Zinc (Zn)-Lead (Pb) deposits are generally rich in cadmium (Cd), and the weathering of sulfide minerals in such deposits results in large releases of Cd into the environment. From an environmental and public health standpoint, understanding Cd sources and cycling is critical to identifying potential hazards to humans. In this study, the Cd isotope compositions (expressed as δ^114/110Cd) of secondary minerals such as anglesite (−0.57±0.03‰; 2S.D.), granular smithsonite (0.04±0.14‰; 2S.D.), layered smithsonite (0.15±0.40‰; 2S.D.), hydrozincite (0.26±0.01‰; 2S.D.) and clay minerals (−0.01±0.06‰; 2S.D.) from the Fule Zn-Pb-Cd deposit, Southwest China, are investigated to better understand the Cd sources and cycling in this area.Combined with our previous study (Zhu et al., 2017), the work herein elucidates the patterns of Cd isotopic fractionation during the formation processes of such secondary minerals and traces the weathering of these minerals into the ecosystem. The δ^114/110Cd values of secondary minerals exhibit the following decreasing trend: hydrozincite>large granular smithsonite>small granular smithsonite>anglesite. Although different amounts of Cd were lost during the formation of equally sized samples, no or minor variations in Cd isotopic composition were observed. However, significant isotopic differences were observed between different size fractions. These results demonstrate that the particle size of secondary minerals and weathering products of sulfide significantly influence Cd isotope composition and fractionation during natural weathering. This systematic fractionation provides an initial foundation for the use of Cd isotopes as environmental tracers in ecosystems and in the global Cd isotope budget.

Graphical abstract

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A bi-functional luminescent Zn(II)-MOF for detection of nitroaromatic explosives and Fe3+ ions

Publication date: March 2018
Source:Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Volume 257
Author(s): Jian-Long Du, Xiao-Ying Zhang, Chao-Ping Li, Ju-Ping Gao, Jin-Xin Hou, Xu Jing, Ya-Juan Mu, Li-Jun Li
A luminescent Zn(II) metal-organic framework (MOF), [Zn3(L)2(bipy)(μ3-OH)2]·3H2O (1) (bipy=4,4′-bipyridine, H2L=9H-carbazolyl-3,6-dicarboxylic acid) was obtained by the reaction of a rigid ligand H2L and Zn(II) ions. Compound 1 possesses an interesting 3D network with [Zn9(μ3-OH)6(CO2)12] units as eighteen-connected nodes. Particularly, 1 shows highly sensitive response to nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and Fe³⁺ ions through fluorescence quenching. At the same time, 1 can be easily recycled by washing with N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) or distilled water after sensing studies, indicating that it can be reused easily. Furthermore, the possible detection mechanisms have also been discussed.

Graphical abstract

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Portable device for acetone detection based on cataluminescence sensor utilizing wireless communication technique

Publication date: March 2018
Source:Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Volume 257
Author(s): Guolong Shi, Yigang He, Qiwu Luo, Bing Li, Chaolong Zhang
Portable sensor system was constructed for detection of acetone vapor based on the cataluminescence (CTL) theory. Excellent microspheres were prepared successfully which increased the contact probability with vapors. The instrument architecture, optimal experiment conditions and measurement characteristics were discussed in detail. The results showed the CTL sensor instrument exhibited excellent CTL properties including visible intensity, high signal/noise (S/N) values, short response time (within 2s) and recovery time (within 3s). The sensor instrument covered a linear test range from 5ppm to 2500ppm, while the sensor showed non-linearity when concentration ranged from 2500ppm to 8000ppm. Furthermore, the sensor system showed outstanding selectivity to acetone compared with other ten kinds of common vapors. Moreover, the CTL sensor also showed an excellent response for H2S, the CTL performance of H2S under different wavelength and temperature was also discussed. The excellent sensing and online detecting properties proved this sensor instrument to be an excellent candidate for real-time gas contaminant detection. Finally, the sensing control processes and monitoring software interface was also presented.



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Partitioning and geochemical fractions of heavy metals from geogenic and anthropogenic sources in various soil particle size fractions

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Geoderma, Volume 312
Author(s): Guannan Liu, Juan Wang, Xuan Liu, Xinhui Liu, Xiaosai Li, Yaqiong Ren, Jing Wang, Liming Dong
The size of soil particles can significantly affect the enrichment of heavy metals in soil. However, the size effect of soil particles in colloidal dimension on the partitioning and geochemical fractions of heavy metals has been rarely studied. In this study, four soils, polluted by several heavy metals, were collected from Jiangxi (JX) and Hebei (HB) Provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GX and GX′) in China, respectively. Five size fractions (>10, 10–1, 1–0.45, 0.45–0.2 and <0.2μm) were separated from the studied soils to investigate the partitioning and geochemical fractions of cadmium (Cd), cadmium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). For JX, GX and GX′ soils, Cr and Ni in JX and GX′ soils and Cr, Ni and Mn in GX soil, as geogenic elements, were comparable with their background values; whereas other heavy metals, as anthropogenic elements, were higher than their background values. For the HB soil that was only polluted by Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn were the geogenic heavy metals. Generally, the contents of most heavy metals in the soil colloids were higher than that in coarse soil particles, and the partitioning tendencies with particle size were not significantly different between geogenic heavy metals and anthropogenic heavy metals. The partitioning of heavy metals in various soil particle size fractions was closely related to the soil particle compositions, such as OM, Fe/Al oxides and clay minerals. For geogenic heavy metals (Cr, Ni), the proportion of the residual fraction, which is imbedded in the silicate crystalline structures of soil particles, was very high, and the geochemical fraction patterns of the various soil particle size fractions were comparable, whereas the bioavailable fraction of anthropogenic heavy metals, such as Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn, decreased with decreasing soil particle size and the proportion of other fractions increased with decreasing size. This result indicates that more anthropogenic heavy metals exist in their stable form in fine soil particles. Correlations between Fe, Al and TOC and the bioavailable fraction of anthropogenic heavy metals were all negative, and most were significant or very significant indicating that high contents of OM and Fe/Al oxides stabilize anthropogenic heavy metals in fine soil particles.

Graphical abstract

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Mechanisms of placebo analgesia: A dual-process model informed by insights from cross-species comparisons

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Progress in Neurobiology
Author(s): Scott M. Schafer, Stephan Geuter, Tor D. Wager
Placebo treatments are pharmacologically inert, but are known to alleviate symptoms across a variety of clinical conditions. Associative learning and cognitive expectations both play important roles in placebo responses, however we are just beginning to understand how interactions between these processes lead to powerful effects. Here, we review the psychological principles underlying placebo effects and our current understanding of their brain bases, focusing on studies demonstrating both the importance of cognitive expectations and those that demonstrate expectancy-independent associative learning. To account for both forms of placebo analgesia, we propose a dual-process model in which flexible, contextually driven cognitive schemas and attributions guide associative learning processes that produce stable, long-term placebo effects. According to this model, the placebo-induction paradigms with the most powerful effects are those that combine reinforcement (e.g., the experience of reduced pain after placebo treatment) with suggestions and context cues that disambiguate learning by attributing perceived benefit to the placebo. Using this model as a conceptual scaffold, we review and compare neurobiological systems identified in both human studies of placebo analgesia and behavioral pain modulation in rodents. We identify substantial overlap between the circuits involved in human placebo analgesia and those that mediate multiple forms of context-based modulation of pain behavior in rodents, including forebrain-brainstem pathways and opioid and cannabinoid systems in particular. This overlap suggests that placebo effects are part of a set of adaptive mechanisms for shaping nociceptive signaling based on its information value and anticipated optimal response in a given behavioral context.



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Nano- and neurotoxicology: an emerging discipline

Publication date: Available online 3 November 2017
Source:Progress in Neurobiology
Author(s): Anna Bencsik, Philippe Lestaevel, Irina Guseva Canu
The present critical review analyzes the question of how nanoparticles from continuously growing industrial production and use of nanomaterials may impact human brain health.Available evidence suggests incomplete effectiveness of protective barriers of the brain against nanoparticles translocation to the brain. This raises concerns of potential effects of manufactured nanoparticles on brain functions, given that nanoparticle's potential to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, death by apoptosis, or changes in the level of expression of certain neurotransmitters. Most concerns have not been studied sufficiently and many questions are still open: Are the findings in animals transposable to humans? What happens when exposure is chronic or protracted? What happens to the developing brain when exposure occurs in utero? Are some nanoparticles more deleterious, given their ability to alter protein conformations and aggregation? Aside from developments in nanomedicine, the evidence already available fully justifies the need to specifically evaluate the interactions between nanoparticles and the nervous system. The available data clearly indicates the need for original dedicated experimental models and tools for neurotoxicological research on the one hand, and the need for epidemiological studies of neurodegenerative diseases in manufactured nanoparticle-exposed populations, on the other. A combination of nanotoxicology with neurology in a novel discipline, with its specific tools and methods of investigation, should enable answering still unresolved questions.

Graphical abstract

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Synthetic olive mill wastewater treatment by Fenton’s process in batch and continuous reactors operation

Abstract

Degradation of total phenol (TPh) and organic matter, (expressed as total organic carbon TOC), of a simulated olive mill wastewater was evaluated by the Fenton oxidation process under batch and continuous mode conditions. A mixture of six phenolic acids usually found in these agro-industrial wastewaters was used for this purpose. The study focused on the optimization of key operational parameters of the Fenton process in a batch reactor, namely Fe²⁺ dosage, hydrogen peroxide concentration, pH, and reaction temperature. On the assessment of the process efficiency, > 99% of TPh and > 56% of TOC removal were attained when [Fe²⁺] = 100 ppm, [H₂O₂] = 2.0 g/L, T = 30 °C, and initial pH = 5.0, after 300 min of reaction. Under those operational conditions, experiments on a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) were performed for different space-time values (τ). TOC and TPh removals of 47.5 and 96.9%, respectively, were reached at steady-state (for τ = 120 min). High removal of COD (> 75%) and BOD₅ (> 70%) was achieved for both batch and CSTR optimum conditions; analysis of the BOD₅/COD ratio also revealed an increase in the effluent's biodegradability. Despite the high removal of lumped parameters, the treated effluent did not met the Portuguese legal limits for direct discharge of wastewaters into water bodies, which indicates that coupled chemical-biological process may be the best solution for real olive mill wastewater treatment.

http://ift.tt/2iv8s9Z

Will elevated atmospheric CO 2 boost the growth of an invasive submerged macrophyte Cabomba caroliniana under the interference of phytoplankton?

Abstract

The growth of most submerged macrophytes is likely to be limited by the availability of carbon resource, and this is especially true for the obligatory carbon dioxide (CO₂) users. A mesocosm experiment was performed to investigate the physiological, photophysiological, and biochemical responses of Cabomba caroliniana, an invasive macrophyte specie in the Lake Taihu Basin, to elevated atmospheric CO₂ (1000 μmol mol⁻¹); we also examined the possible impacts of interferences derived from the phytoplankton proliferation and its concomitant disturbances on the growth of C. caroliniana. The results demonstrated that elevated atmospheric CO₂ significantly enhanced the biomass, relative growth rate, and photosynthate accumulation of C. caroliniana. C. caroliniana exposed to elevated atmospheric CO₂ exhibited a higher relative maximum electron transport rate and photosynthetic efficiency, compared to those exposed to ambient atmospheric CO₂. However, the positive effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ on C. caroliniana were gradually compromised as time went by, and the down-regulations of the relative growth rate (RGR) and photosynthetic activity were coupled with phytoplankton proliferation under elevated atmospheric CO₂. This study demonstrated that the growth of C. caroliniana under the phytoplankton interference can be greatly affected, directly and indirectly, by the increasing atmospheric CO₂.

http://ift.tt/2h1pRGJ

Hematological, hepatic enzymes’ activity and oxidative stress responses of gray mullet ( Mugil cephalus ) after sub-acute exposure to copper oxide

Abstract

Given the importance of assessing potential toxicity of heavy metals in valuable species of aquatic animals, the goal of the present research was to assess the sub-acute effects of copper oxide on hematological, enzymological, and oxidative stress responses of gray mullet to measure toxicity of copper oxide pollution in this significant fish. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) value of copper oxide to gray mullet was detected at 3.15 ± 0.039 mg/L for 96 h, and 25 and 50% of the 96-h LC₅₀ values were selected as sub-acute concentrations. The fish were exposed to (0.79 and 1.57 mg/L) copper oxide for 21 days. At the end of 21 days, the results showed that hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), red blood cells (RBC) count, MCV, MCH, and MCHC levels were found to be decreased in copper oxide treated fish, whereas white blood cells (WBC) count increased in copper-treated fish. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity increased in treated groups; however, copper oxide in both groups of sub-acute exposure significantly decreased plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity compared to the control group. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) levels significantly declined in copper oxide-treated fish. These findings indicated the deleterious effects of copper oxide on gray mullet, even at low concentrations, and offered that hematological and hepatic enzyme activity and antioxidants are suitable tools for evaluating heavy metals toxicity.

http://ift.tt/2itkeS7

Impact of contracted endodontic cavities on fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth: a systematic review of in vitro studies

Abstract

Objective

This systematic review was performed to answer the following question: do contracted endodontic cavities (CECs) increase resistance to fracture in extracted human teeth compared to traditional endodontic cavities (TECs)?

Methods

A literature search without restrictions was carried out in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and Open Grey databases. Articles were selected by two independent reviewers. In addition, a reference and hand search was also fulfilled. All included in vitro studies evaluated the influence of CECs on strength to fracture in extracted human teeth and compared to TECs. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated and they were classified as having a low, moderate or high risk of bias.

Results

A total of 810 articles were obtained in the electronic search. After the application of the eligibility criteria, reference and hand search, and duplicate removal, six studies were included in this systematic review. All included studies evaluated the influence of CECs on strength to fracture in extracted human teeth and compared to TECs. Characteristics investigated in the selected articles included the sample size and tooth type, access cavity design, filling and restoration procedures, load at fracture test characteristics, and results. The studies demonstrated large variability among the fracture resistance values and standard deviations and low power. Three of the reviewed studies presented low risk of bias and the other three showed medium risk of bias.

Conclusion

Overall, this systematic review of in vitro studies showed that there is no evidence that supports the use of CECs over TECs for the increase of fracture resistance in human teeth.

Clinical relevance

Recently, CECs have gained attention in endodontics due to maximum tooth structure preservation including the pericervical dentin, which could improve the strength to fracture of endodontically treated teeth. However, the influence of access cavity design on fracture resistance remains limited and controversial.

http://ift.tt/2zbLjU9

Amygdaloid involvement in the defensive behavior of mice exposed to the open elevated plus-maze

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 338
Author(s): Tatiani Sorregotti, Ana Cláudia Cipriano, Fábio Cardoso Cruz, Diego Cardozo Mascarenhas, Robert John Rodgers, Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
Previous studies have shown that the exposure to an open elevated plus maze (oEPM, an EPM with all four open arms) elicits fear/anxiety-related responses in laboratory rodents. However, very little is known about the underlying neural substrates of these defensive behaviors. Accordingly, the present study investigated the effects of chemical inactivation of the amygdala [through local injection of cobalt chloride (CoCl2: a nonspecific synaptic blocker)] on the behavior of oEPM-exposed mice. In a second experiment, the pattern of activation of the basolateral (BLA) and central (CeA) nuclei of the amygdala was assessed through quantification of Fos protein expression in mice subjected to one of several behavioral manipulations. To avoid the confound of acute handling stress, 4 independent groups of mice were habituated daily for 10days to an enclosed EPM (eEPM) and, on day 11 prior to immunohistochemistry, were either taken directly from their home cage (control) or individually exposed for 10min to a new clean holding cage (novelty), an eEPM, or the oEPM. An additional group of mice (maze-naïve) was not subjected to either the habituation or exposure phase but were simply chosen at random from their home cages to undergo an identical immunohistochemistry procedure. Results showed that amygdala inactivation produced an anxiolytic-like profile comprising reductions in time spent in the proximal portions of the open arms and total stretched attend postures (SAP) as well as increases in time spent in the distal portions of the open arms and total head-dipping. Moreover, Fos-positive labeled cells were bilaterally increased in the amygdaloid complex, particularly in the BLA, of oEPM-exposed animals compared to all other groups. These results suggest that the amygdala (in particular, its BLA nucleus) plays a key role in the modulation of defensive behaviors in oEPM-exposed mice.



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Two-day fasting evokes stress, but does not affect mood, brain activity, cognitive, psychomotor, and motor performance in overweight women

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 338
Author(s): Rima Solianik, Artūras Sujeta
The physiological, cognitive state, and motor behavior changes that occur during acute fasting are not completely understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the effect of 2-day total fasting on evoked stress, mood, brain activity, and cognitive, psychomotor, and motor function in overweight women. Eleven overweight women (body mass index above 25kg/m²) aged 20–30 years were tested under two conditions allocated randomly: 2-day zero-calorie diet with water provided ad libitum and 2-day usual diet. One week before the experiment, aerobic fitness was evaluated. Subjective stress ratings in relation to the diet, autonomic function, prefrontal cortex activity, cognitive performance, psychomotor coordination, and grip strength were evaluated before and after each diet. The study demonstrated that fasting decreased log-transformed high-frequency (HF) power, without affecting heart rate. The relative maximum oxygen uptake was negatively correlated with subjective stress rating and changes in log-transformed HF. Fasting did not affect mood, brain activity, and cognitive, motor, and psychomotor performance. Thus, 2-day total fasting evoked moderate stress with a shift of the autonomic nervous system balance toward sympathetic activity in overweight women. Better aerobic endurance is likely to facilitate the capacity for dealing with acute fasting. Regardless of the evoked stress, cognitive state and motor behavior remained intact.



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The enduring impact of neurulation stage alcohol exposure: A combined behavioral and structural neuroimaging study in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice

Publication date: 15 February 2018
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 338
Author(s): E.W. Fish, L.A. Wieczorek, A. Rumple, M. Suttie, S.S. Moy, P. Hammond, S.E. Parnell
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause behavioral and brain alterations over the lifespan. In animal models, these effects can occur following PAE confined to critical developmental periods, equivalent to the third and fourth weeks of human gestation, before pregnancy is usually recognized. The current study focuses on PAE during early neurulation and examines the behavioral and brain structural consequences that appear in adulthood. On gestational day 8 C57BL/6J dams received two alcohol (2.8g/kg, i.p), or vehicle, administrations, four hours apart. Male and female offspring were reared to adulthood and examined for performance on the elevated plus maze, rotarod, open field, Morris water maze, acoustic startle, social preference (i.e. three-chambered social approach test), and the hot plate. A subset of these mice was later evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging to detect changes in regional brain volumes and shapes. In males, PAE increased exploratory behaviors on the elevated plus maze and in the open field; these changes were associated with increased fractional anisotropy in the anterior commissure. In females, PAE reduced social preference and the startle response, and decreased cerebral cortex and brain stem volumes. Vehicle-treated females had larger pituitaries than did vehicle-treated males, but PAE attenuated this sex difference. In males, pituitary size correlated with open field activity, while in females, pituitary size correlated with social activity. These findings indicate that early neurulation PAE causes sex specific behavioral and brain changes in adulthood. Changes in the pituitary suggest that this structure is especially vulnerable to neurulation stage PAE.



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On-line competitive host-guest interactions in a turn-on fluorometric method to amantadine determination in human serum and pharmaceutical formulations

Publication date: 1 March 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 179
Author(s): María del Pozo, Ángela Fernández, Carmen Quintana
A competitive assay between the antiviral Amantadine and the dye Thionine for the Cucurbit[8]uril cavity was carried out in a flow injection analysis system for the indirect fluorescence detection of Amantadine. Both, Cucurbit[7]uril and Cucurbit[8]uril Thionine complexes were evaluated for the competitive assay. The use of a 12-port injection valve allows the on-line reaction in the flow system. Once optimized all the experimental variables, the methodology developed allows the detection of Amantadine at the 0.16µM level with excellent accuracy (Er ≤ 8.2%) and reproducibility (RSD ≤ 6.3%) for all the concentration range assayed. This one-step turn-on fluorescence methodology allows reaching sampling frequencies of 68 samples per hour. The selectivity of the method was evaluated against different antiviral drugs. Moreover, the performance of the methodology proposed was tested by the Amantadine determination in human serum and pharmaceutical formulations samples. The results demonstrated that the method can be applied to Amantadine determination in real samples of different nature with excellent recoveries, ranging from 83% to 98% depending on the matrix assayed.

Graphical abstract

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An electrochemical immunosensor for brain natriuretic peptide prepared with screen-printed carbon electrodes nanostructured with gold nanoparticles grafted through aryl diazonium salt chemistry

Publication date: 1 March 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 179
Author(s): V. Serafín, R.M. Torrente-Rodríguez, A. González-Cortés, P. García de Frutos, M. Sabaté, S. Campuzano, P. Yáñez-Sedeño, J.M. Pingarrón
A sensitive amperometric immunosensor has been prepared by immobilization of capture antibodies onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) grafted on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) through aryl diazonium salt chemistry using 4-aminothiophenol (AuNPs-S-Phe-SPCE). The immunosensor was designed for the accurate determination of clinically relevant levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in human serum samples. The nanostructured electrochemical platform resulted in an ordered layer of AuNPs onto SPCEs which combined the advantages of high conductivity and improved stability of immobilized biomolecules. The resulting disposable immunosensor used a sandwich type immunoassay involving a peroxidase-labeled detector antibody. The amperometric transduction was carried out at −0.20V (vs the Ag pseudo-reference electrode) upon the addition of hydroquinone (HQ) as electron transfer mediator and H2O2 as the enzyme substrate. The nanostructured immunosensors show a storage stability of at least 25 days, a linear range between 0.014 and 15ngmL⁻¹, and a LOD of 4pgmL⁻¹, which is 100 times lower than the established cut-off value for heart failure (HF) diagnosis. The performance of the immunosensor is advantageously compared with that provided with immunosensors prepared by grafting SPCE with p-phenylendiamine (H2N-Phe-SPCE) and attaching AuNPs by immersion into an AuNPs suspension or by electrochemical deposition, as well as with immunosensors constructed using commercial AuNPs-modified SPCEs. The developed immunosensor was applied to the successful analysis of human serum from heart failure (HF) patients upon just a 10-times dilution as sample treatment.

Graphical abstract

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Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of ZnO nanorods and its sensitive detection of cytochrome C

Publication date: 1 March 2018
Source:Talanta, Volume 179
Author(s): Xiao Ling Zhang, Zhao Rong Tang, Yong Ping Dong, Cheng Ming Wang
Various kinds of ZnO nanoparticles have been successfully used in gas sensing applications, however, these nanomaterials have been rarely investigated in electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). In the present work, ZnO nanorods (ZnONRs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method, and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). ECL behaviors of ZnONRs were investigated in neutral aqueous condition in the presence of K2S2O8. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) results revealed that ZnONRs can react with K2S2O8 to generate strong light emission, revealing that K2S2O8 can act as coreactant of ZnONRs ECL. ZnONRs synthesized under different pH conditions exhibited different ECL intensities, and the most intense ECL signal was obtained at pH 7.0. Cytochrome C could compete with ZnONRs to react with K2S2O8, and exhibited apparent inhibiting effect on ZnONRs ECL, which can be sensitively detected in the range of 1.0 × 10^–11–5.0 × 10⁻⁹molL⁻¹, with a detection limit of 4.7 × 10⁻¹²molL⁻¹ (3σ). The present ECL system exhibited high sensitivity and good stability, which is suitable for the fabrication of novel ECL sensors.

Graphical abstract

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The integrative effect of periphyton biofilm and tape grass ( Vallisneria natans ) on internal loading of shallow eutrophic lakes

Abstract

The response of periphyton biofilm and the submerged macrophyte tape grass (Vallisneria natans) to internal loading from eutrophic lake sediments were evaluated in microcosms. The sediments from the littoral zone and center of a lake were selected to carry out the microcosm experiment. To determine how the differences in the periphyton biofilm and V. natans growth alone or in combination, we measured changes in water quality, growth, and TP in the periphyton biofilm and V. natans in microcosms containing these sediments. The results showed that the average daily TN and TP removal rates were 32.6 and 35.4%, respectively, in the microcosms containing the lake center sediments by V. natans and the periphyton biofilm. The presence of the periphyton biofilm and V. natans increased the pH, dissolved oxygen, and redox potential and decreased the conductivity in the overlying water in all treatments. Compared to the state before the treatments, V. natans grew well, with a significant increase in biomass (3.1- to 5.5-fold growth) and TP amount (5.1- to 8.8-fold) in all treatments after 48 days. However, the growth of V. natans that combined with the periphyton biofilm was better than that of V. natans alone, as reflected by the dry weight, chlorophyll a content, malondialdehyde content, and TP amount. In conclusion, the periphyton biofilm was beneficial for the growth of V. natans, and the appropriate combination of V. natans and periphyton biofilm would be a potential method for the ecological restoration of eutrophic lakes.

http://ift.tt/2AhkdIS

Hydrological conditions and phytoplankton community in the Lesina lagoon (southern Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean)

Abstract

The Lesina lagoon (southern Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean) is a coastal lagoon located in a highly intensified farming and tourist area. A monthly sampling was carried out in 1998 in five stations, representative of different hydrological features, in order to analyse phytoplankton composition and its relation to environmental parameters. Our results showed high spatial variability of abiotic variables. Phytoplankton abundances and biomass trends showed marked seasonality, with annual peaks occurring in late winter–early spring and summer periods. Phytoplankton blooms were due to the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum cordatum. Statistical analyses showed that salinity and nutrients were the main factors affecting phytoplankton abundance and biomass. Phytoplankton dynamics was associated both to seasonality and the hydrodynamic regime of the system. Moreover, chemical–physical data were analysed together with those collected in the same stations in 2007, to compare their dynamics under different hydrological regimes. The two periods corresponded to the closure and opening, respectively, of canals connecting the lagoon to the sea. In general, abiotic variables (salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate, phosphate and silicate concentrations) were significantly affected by the hydrodynamic regime. These data could provide a useful basis to complement the knowledge gained through current monitoring within the framework of the European Directives, as well as to implement conservation and management strategies of these transitional waters.

http://ift.tt/2iYMIHm

Reassessment of heavy metal pollution in riverine sediments of Hainan Island, China: sources and risks

Abstract

Riverine sediment samples from Hainan Island were collected in 2013 to assess the heavy metal pollution levels, sources, and associated environmental risks. The concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb measured in this study were 31.6–128.8 mg kg⁻¹, 9.8–70.3 mg kg⁻¹, 18.3–210.8 mg kg⁻¹, 49.3–314.2 mg kg⁻¹, 2.3–69.2 mg kg⁻¹, 0.3–1.5 mg kg⁻¹, and 23.2–113.4 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The results indicate that the sediment quality of Hainan Island has been obviously influenced by heavy metals. Based on the effect range classification, the heavy metals in Hainan riverine sediments likely have adverse biological effects on local ecosystems. The enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (I_geo), contamination factor (CF), and pollution load index (PLI) clearly reflect significant metal pollution in this region. The most significant pollution was observed in the northern and eastern parts of Hainan Island. The pollution levels of the three largest rivers on Hainan Island (i.e., the Nandu, Changhua, and Wanquan Rivers) were notably high. The results of this research will be useful in assessing and managing environmental pollution in this region. In the future, greater attention and further investigation should focus on the metal sources linked to further economic development on Hainan Island.

http://ift.tt/2hbjYdV

A two-step leaching method designed based on chemical fraction distribution of the heavy metals for selective leaching of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Pb from metallurgical sludge

Abstract

For selective leaching and highly effective recovery of heavy metals from a metallurgical sludge, a two-step leaching method was designed based on the distribution analysis of the chemical fractions of the loaded heavy metal. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) was used as a leaching agent in the first step to leach the relatively labile heavy metals and then ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was applied to leach the residual metals according to their different fractional distribution. Using the two-step leaching method, 82.89% of Cd, 55.73% of Zn, 10.85% of Cu, and 0.25% of Pb were leached in the first step by 0.7 M HCl at a contact time of 240 min, and the leaching efficiencies for Cd, Zn, Cu, and Pb were elevated up to 99.76, 91.41, 71.85, and 94.06%, by subsequent treatment with 0.2 M EDTA at 480 min, respectively. Furthermore, HCl leaching induced fractional redistribution, which might increase the mobility of the remaining metals and then facilitate the following metal removal by EDTA. The facilitation was further confirmed by the comparison to the one-step leaching method with single HCl or single EDTA, respectively. These results suggested that the designed two-step leaching method by HCl and EDTA could be used for selective leaching and effective recovery of heavy metals from the metallurgical sludge or heavy metal-contaminated solid media.

http://ift.tt/2zbLij3

Fine chalk dust induces inflammatory response via p38 and ERK MAPK pathway in rat lung

Abstract

Chalk teaching is widely used in the world due to low cost, especially in some developing countries. During teaching with chalks, a large amount of fine chalk dust is produced. Although exposure to chalk dust is associated with respiratory diseases, the mechanism underlying the correlation between chalk dust exposure and adverse effects has not fully been elucidated. In this study, inflammation and its signal pathway in rat lungs exposed to fine chalk dust were examined through histopathology analyses; pro-inflammatory gene transcription; and protein levels measured by HE staining, RT-PCR, and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that fine chalk dust increased neutrophils and up-regulated inflammatory gene mRNA levels (TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β1, iNOS, and ICAM-1), and oxidative stress marker (HO-1) level, leading to the increase of inflammatory cell infiltration and inflammatory injury on the lungs. These inflammation responses were mediated, at least in part, via p38 and extracellular regulated proteinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling mechanisms. In contrast, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) supplement significantly ameliorated these changes in inflammatory responses. Our results support the hypothesis that fine chalk dust can damage rat lungs and the NAC supplement may attenuate fine chalk dust-associated lung inflammation.

http://ift.tt/2xZBmW8

Rapid in-situ radiometric assessment of the Mrima-Kiruku high background radiation anomaly complex of Kenya

Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Author(s): M.I. Kaniu, H.K. Angeyo, I.G. Darby, L.M. Muia
This paper presents the radiometric survey results of the Mrima-Kiruku high background radiation (HBR) anomaly complex of south coastal Kenya. Utilizing a portable γ-ray spectrometer consisting of a 2.0 l NaI(Tl) backpack detector integrated with GPS to perform the relevant in-situ radiometric measurements, a novel geospatial gating method was devised to represent the measurements. The goal of this study was to assess radiation exposure and associated natural radioactivity levels in the complex and to compare the results obtained with those from previous preliminary related studies. Absorbed dose-rates in air were found to range <60–2368 nGy h⁻¹. These rates were observed to correspond with the spatial variability of the underlying geology and terrain, increasing toward the summits of both Mrima and Kiruku Hills which implies that the complex is a geogenic HBR anomaly. The activity concentrations of ²³²Th in the study area are generally higher than those of ⁴⁰K and ²³⁸U: The means of ⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U and ²³²Th ranged 235±19–603±28 Bq kg⁻¹, 68±6–326±24 Bq kg⁻¹ and 386±12–1817±51 Bq kg⁻¹ respectively. It was concluded that the high air absorbed dose-rate values that were measured (>600 nGy h⁻¹) are due to elevated activity concentrations of ²³²Th. Therefore there is significant (>1 mSv/y) radiological hazard to the inhabitants of the area particularly those who reside at the foothills of both Mrima and Kiruku Hills.



http://ift.tt/2iZbkQj

Radiological survey of the covered and uncovered drilling mud depository

Publication date: Available online 2 November 2017
Source:Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Author(s): Jácint Jónás, János Somlai, Anita Csordás, Edit Tóth-Bodrogi, Tibor Kovács
In petroleum engineering, the produced drilling mud sometimes contains elevated amounts of natural radioactivity. In this study, a remediated Hungarian drilling mud depository was investigated from a radiological perspective. The depository was monitored before and after a clay layer was applied as covering.In this study, the ambient dose equivalent rate H*(10) of the depository has been measured by a Scintillator Probe (6150AD-b Dose Rate Meter). Outdoor radon concentration, radon concentration in soil gas, and in situ field radon exhalation measurements were carried out using a pulse-type ionization chamber (AlphaGUARD radon monitor). Soil gas permeability (k) measurements were carried out using the permeameter (RADON-JOK) in situ device. Geogenic radon potentials were calculated. The radionuclide content of the drilling mud and cover layer sample has been determined with an HPGe gamma-spectrometer. The gamma dose rate was estimated from the measured radionuclide concentrations and the results were compared with the measured ambient dose equivalent rate.Based on the measured results before and after covering, the ambient dose equivalent rates were 76 (67–85) nSv/h before and 86 (83–89) nSv/h after covering, radon exhalation was 9 (6–12) mBq/m²s before and 14 (5–28) mBq/m²s after covering, the outdoor radon concentrations were 11 (9–16) before and 13 (10–22) Bq/m³after covering and the soil gas radon concentrations were 6 (3–8) before and 24 (14–40) kBq/m³ after covering. Soil gas permeability measurements were 1E-11 (7E-12-1E-11) and 1E-12 (5E-13-1E-12) m² and the calculated geogenic radon potential values were 6 (3–8) and 12 (6–21) before and after the covering. The main radionuclide concentrations of the drilling mud were CU-238 12 (10–15) Bq/kg, CRa-226 31 (18–40) Bq/kg, CTh-232 35 (33–39) Bq/kg and CK-40 502 (356–673) Bq/kg. The same radionuclide concentrations in the clay were CU-238 31 (29–34) Bq/kg, CRa-226 45 (40–51) Bq/kg, CTh-232 58 (55–60) Bq/kg and CK-40 651 (620–671) Bq/kg.According to our results, the drilling mud depository exhibits no radiological risk from any radiological aspects (radon, radon exhalation, gamma dose, etc.); therefore, long term monitoring activity is not necessary from the radiological point of view.



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Effect of long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter on prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension in Iranian adults: an ecologic study

Abstract

Air pollution is considered as an environmental risk to health worldwide. Current evidence is mostly from Western populations exposed to lower levels of pollutants. This study was to explore the association of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension prevalence with exposure to high levels of air pollution in Iranian adults. The air pollution data were obtained from the air quality monitoring stations of five large cities in Iran from 2006 to 2011. The air quality monitoring stations could only detect ambient particulate matter_10 (PM₁₀) during the study period; therefore, the average PM₁₀ concentration was considered for comparison. We grouped the cities as group 1 (Tehran, Shiraz) with PM₁₀ concentration < 100 μg/m³, and group 2 (Kermanshah, Ahwaz, Esfahan) with PM₁₀ concentration > 100 μg/m³. Data from the Surveillance of Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Disease (SuRFNCD) study were used to calculate the prevalence of T2D and hypertension. We assessed the association between air pollution and the prevalence of T2D using logistic regression models. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CI for each outcome were calculated after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, physical activity, and other covariates. The 5-year average of PM₁₀ concentration was higher in group 2 (120.15 ± 6.81 μg/m³) compared to group 1 (83.95 ± 7.81 μg/m³). The prevalence of T2D in group 2 was 13.8%, while it was 10.7% in group 1 (p = 0.01), OR = 1.32 (95% CI 1.03–1.69). Similarly, hypertension was more prevalent in group 2 (15.7 vs. 11.9%, p = 0.005, OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.20–1.99). PM₁₀ is associated with higher prevalence of T2D and hypertension in Iranian adults.

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Occurrence of organotins in the aquatic environment during an operating cycle of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Abstract

Organotins (OTs) pollution in the aquatic environment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) was assessed during the reservoir's operating cycle. Butyltins (BTs) and phenyltins (PhTs) in the water phase and suspended particulate matter (SPM) at different water levels were analysed. It was found that the distribution of OTs in the surface and bottom water phases were similar, with the dominant OTs being BTs at the low water level and PhTs at the high water level. The detection rates and concentrations of OTs in the water phase at the high water level were both higher than those at the low water level, with most OTs being monobutyltin (MBT) at the low water level and monophenyltin (MPhT) at the high water level. The concentrations of OTs in SPM at the low water level were higher than those at the high water level, and BTs, especially dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT), were the predominant OTs whether surface or bottom layer at each water level. The BTs and SPM concentrations had a significant positive relationship in all samples, indicating that the SPM concentration would determine the distribution of BTs in the aquatic environment of the TGR region (TGRR). The difference in the distribution of OTs at the different water levels indicated that the hydrological and hydraulic behaviour of the TGR influences OTs transport in the aquatic environment of the TGRR.

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Nickel, vanadium, and lead as indicators of sediment contamination of marina, refinery, and shipyard areas

Abstract

Metallic elements found in the aquatic environment may originate in areas where petroleum is refined and vessels are maintained and repaired. This study aims to assess contamination caused by nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and vanadium (V) in sediment of the Lagoa dos Patos estuary (RS, Brazil) and to evaluate them as indicators of areas under the influence of petroleum products and antifouling paints. Surface sediments were collected in summer and in winter in areas of marinas, shipyards, refinery, and a control station. High Pb and V concentrations in shipyards and at the Yacht Club showed that some organisms may be affected by toxicity. High Pb results of the index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) were found at the Yacht Club and shipyards. Al, Ni, and V had similar distribution in the sediment in both seasons. Ni and V had high relation in winter at the Yacht Club and at the Santos Shipyard, thus suggesting that these elements come mainly from petroleum products. The same happened to the relations between Pb and V, as well as Pb and Ni at the Santos Shipyard. These elements are employed as useful tools as indicators to identify places with moderate to high localized anthropogenic inputs of petroleum derivatives and antifouling paints.

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Editorial Board

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5





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Directory: AAO Officers and Organizations

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5





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Adverse events

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Steve Marshall




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Traction of impacted canines in a skeletal Class III malocclusion

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Ren Yang, Yuanyuan Jiang, Huang Li




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Authors' response

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): José Tarcísio Lima Ferreira, Fábio Lourenço Romano, Maria Bernadete Sasso Stuani, Mírian Aiko Nakane Matsumoto, Ribeirão Preto




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Table of Contents

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5





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Correction

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5





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To understand the understood

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Peter M. Greco




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Effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field for pain caused by placement of initial orthodontic wire in female orthodontic patients: A preliminary single-blind randomized clinical trial

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Jin-Gon Jung, Jae Hyun Park, Sang-Cheol Kim, Kyung-Hwa Kang, Jin-Hyoung Cho, Jin-Woo Cho, Na-Young Chang, R. Curtis Bay, Jong-Moon Chae
IntroductionThe purpose of this 2-arm parallel trial was to assess the effects of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the reduction of pain caused by initial orthodontic tooth movement.MethodsThirty-three female patients (mean age, 16.8 ± 3.8 years) who began orthodontic treatment using fixed appliances were examined. In the pilot study, male patients were less likely to use the PEMF device (epatchQ; Speed Dental, Seoul, Korea) and answer a survey consistently, so eligibility criteria were female patients who were periodontally and systemically healthy at the initiation of treatment and had no history of dental pain in the prior 2 weeks or who used no medications (anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs) during the experiment period. Each patient had brackets bonded on the maxillary teeth, and a 0.014-in nickel-titanium archwire was tied with elastomeric rings. Their maxillary arches were randomly divided into left and right sides in a split-mouth design: a normal PEMF device (experimental group) was used on 1 side, and a PEMF device with an inversely inserted battery (placebo group) was used on the opposite side of the arch for 7 hours on 3 consecutive nights. A Google survey link was sent to the patients' mobile phones via text message, and they were instructed to record their current pain on the survey. The survey was sent a total of 6 times after insertion of the initial archwire at 0 (T0), 2 (T1), 6 (T2), 24 (T3), 48 (T4), and 72 (T5) hours. Patients recorded the degree of pain in resting and clenching states using a numeric rating scale (NRS) from 1 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). PEMF devices were used after T2. Generalized linear mixed models, along with ancillary pairwise analyses, were used to model and evaluate the differences in pain reported over 72 hours.ResultsThe NRS scores did not differ across the groups during the before-PEMF phase for resting (mean difference, −0.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.73 to 0.59; P = 0.842) and clenching (mean difference, −0.28; 95% CI, −1.11 to 0.56, P = 0.513). During the after-PEMF phase, NRS scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the placebo group during both resting (mean difference, −1.46; 95% CI, −2.06 to −0.85; P = <0.001) and clenching (mean difference, −1.88; 95% CI, −2.74 to −1.02, P = <0.001). The NRS scores did not differ across the groups during the before-PEMF phase for either state but were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the placebo group at T3, T4, and T5 (P <0.01). The average NRS score in the clenching state was significantly greater than in the resting state.ConclusionsPEMF was effective in reducing orthodontic pain caused by initial archwire placement.RegistrationThe trial was not registered.ProtocolThe protocol was not published before trial commencement.



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In-vivo determination of critical force levels using an intraoral electromechanical device to measure nonpathologic tooth mobility

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Tim Wucher, Alfred Meyer Dippenaar, Martin Wucher
IntroductionAn electromechanical device was used to experimentally characterize the movement of a single tooth within the periodontal ligament space. The force magnitude leading to the complete compression of the periodontal ligament is considered a critical force and is designated Fc. We investigated the effectiveness of the electromechanical device to repeatedly determine the critical force magnitude Fc.MethodsThe study comprised 12 tests conducted on 11 subjects. Alternating labial and lingual forces were applied to a maxillary incisor by the device. The resulting immediate intra-alveolar tooth displacement was recorded in real time. Data processing was used to determine the tooth mobility curve for 193 push-pull cycles. The critical force Fc was mathematically determined for both the labial and lingual displacements of the tooth.ResultsThe tooth mobility curve could be characterized for all 12 tests. A total of 386 values of Fc were calculated for the 12 different teeth. Values of Fc for each test ranged from 10.47 to 20.18 g in the lingual direction, and from 12.56 to 21.72 g in the labial direction.ConclusionsThe electromechanical appliance was successful in repeatedly determining Fc in vivo. The ability to experimentally determine the extent of periodontal ligament compression at a given force magnitude could shed new light on the question of an optimal orthodontic force and open new avenues of orthodontic research and treatment.



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Numeric simulation model for long-term orthodontic tooth movement with contact boundary conditions using the finite element method

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Ryo Hamanaka, Satoshi Yamaoka, Tuan Nguyen Anh, Jun-ya Tominaga, Yoshiyuki Koga, Noriaki Yoshida
IntroductionAlthough many attempts have been made to simulate orthodontic tooth movement using the finite element method, most were limited to analyses of the initial displacement in the periodontal ligament and were insufficient to evaluate the effect of orthodontic appliances on long-term tooth movement. Numeric simulation of long-term tooth movement was performed in some studies; however, neither the play between the brackets and archwire nor the interproximal contact forces were considered. The objectives of this study were to simulate long-term orthodontic tooth movement with the edgewise appliance by incorporating those contact conditions into the finite element model and to determine the force system when the space is closed with sliding mechanics.MethodsWe constructed a 3-dimensional model of maxillary dentition with 0.022-in brackets and 0.019 × 0.025-in archwire. Forces of 100 cN simulating sliding mechanics were applied. The simulation was accomplished on the assumption that bone remodeling correlates with the initial tooth displacement.ResultsThis method could successfully represent the changes in the moment-to-force ratio: the tooth movement pattern during space closure.ConclusionsWe developed a novel method that could simulate the long-term orthodontic tooth movement and accurately determine the force system in the course of time by incorporating contact boundary conditions into finite element analysis. It was also suggested that friction is progressively increased during space closure in sliding mechanics.



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Perinatal health and malocclusions in preschool children: Findings from a cohort of adolescent mothers in Southern Brazil

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Cássia Cardozo Amaral, Vanessa Polina Pereira da Costa, Marina Sousa Azevedo, Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro, Flávio Fernando Demarco, Marília Leão Goettems
IntroductionPregnancy in adolescence has long-term consequences that can negatively influence oral conditions. In this study, we aimed to assess malocclusion in deciduous dentition and its association with prolonged breastfeeding, pacifier use, and perinatal health indicators pertaining to the periods immediately before and after birth.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was nested in a cohort of adolescent mothers who became pregnant from 13 to 19 years of age (mean age, 17.3 ± 1.6 years). A total of 509 mother-child dyads were included. Information on perinatal indicators, including Apgar score (0-10), which is a standardized assessment of the condition of the infant at birth (heart rate, breath rate, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and skin color), head circumference, birth weight, and need for intensive care unit admission were collected after delivery through interviews with the mothers. By the time the children were 24 to 36 months of age, malocclusion was assessed, and information on the use of pacifiers and breastfeeding was collected. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to assess the effect of independent variables on the outcome (malocclusion).ResultsThe prevalence of malocclusion was 62.33%, and open bite was the most frequent one (47.45%). After adjustments, children with no need for intensive care unit admission had a lower risk of malocclusion (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-0.99), whereas those with an Apgar score less than 7 had a higher risk (PR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.06-1.64). Children who had used a pacifier (PR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02-3.24) or were still using it (PR = 3.88; 95% CI, 2.65-5.68) had a higher chance of malocclusion compared with children who never used a pacifier. Children breastfeeding for 24 months or longer were less likely to have malocclusion (PR = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34-0.73).ConclusionsPoor perinatal health and pacifier use may be risk factors for malocclusion development in deciduous teeth. Long duration of breastfeeding is associated with better occlusal conditions in children of adolescent mothers. Further studies are needed with other age groups.



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Effects of low-level laser irradiation on the rate of orthodontic tooth movement and associated pain with self-ligating brackets

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Irfan Qamruddin, Mohammad Khursheed Alam, Verda Mahroof, Mubassar Fida, Mohd Fadhli Khamis, Adam Husein
IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of low-level laser irradiation applied at 3-week intervals on orthodontic tooth movement and pain associated with orthodontic tooth movement using self-ligating brackets.MethodsTwenty-two patients (11 male, 11 female; mean age, 19.8 ± 3.1 years) with Angle Class II Division 1 malocclusion were recruited for this split-mouth clinical trial; they required extraction of maxillary first premolars bilaterally. After leveling and alignment with self-ligating brackets (SmartClip SL3; 3M Unitek, St Paul, Minn), a 150-g force was applied to retract the canines bilaterally using 6-mm nickel-titanium closed-coil springs on 0.019 x 0.025-in stainless steel archwires. A gallium-aluminum-arsenic diode laser (iLas; Biolase, Irvine, Calif) with a wavelength of 940 nm in a continuous mode (energy density, 7.5 J/cm²/point; diameter of optical fiber tip, 0.04 cm²) was applied at 5 points buccally and palatally around the canine roots on the experimental side; the other side was designated as the placebo. Laser irradiation was applied at baseline and then repeated after 3 weeks for 2 more consecutive follow-up visits. Questionnaires based on the numeric rating scale were given to the patients to record their pain intensity for 1 week. Impressions were made at each visit before the application of irradiation at baseline and the 3 visits. Models were scanned with a CAD/CAM scanner (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland).ResultsCanine retraction was significantly greater (1.60 ± 0.38 mm) on the experimental side compared with the placebo side (0.79 ± 0.35 mm) (P <0.05). Pain was significantly less on the experimental side only on the first day after application of LLLI and at the second visit (1.4 ± 0.82 and 1.4 ± 0.64) compared with the placebo sides (2.2 ± 0.41 and 2.4 ± 1.53).ConclusionsLow-level laser irradiation applied at 3-week intervals can accelerate orthodontic tooth movement and reduce the pain associated with it.



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Directory: AAO Officers and Organizations

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5





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ENPP1 and ESR1 genotypes associated with subclassifications of craniofacial asymmetry and severity of temporomandibular disorders

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Kay Chung, Tabitha Richards, Romain Nicot, Alexandre R. Vieira, Christiane V. Cruz, Gwénaël Raoul, Joel Ferri, James J. Sciote
IntroductionWe investigated whether ACTN3, ENPP1, ESR1, PITX1, and PITX2 genes which contribute to sagittal and vertical malocclusions also contribute to facial asymmetries and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) before and after orthodontic and orthognathic surgery treatment.MethodsOne hundred seventy-four patients with a dentofacial deformity were diagnosed as symmetric or subdivided into 4 asymmetric groups according to posteroanterior cephalometric measurements. TMD examination diagnosis and jaw pain and function (JPF) questionnaires assessed the presence and severity of TMD.ResultsFifty-two percent of the patients were symmetric, and 48% were asymmetric. The asymmetry classification demonstrated significant cephalometric differences between the symmetric and asymmetric groups, and across the 4 asymmetric subtypes: group 1, mandibular body asymmetry; group 2, ramus asymmetry; group 3, atypical asymmetry; and group 4, C-shaped asymmetry. ENPP1 SNP-rs6569759 was associated with group 1 (P = 0.004), and rs858339 was associated with group 3 (P = 0.002). ESR1 SNP-rs164321 was associated with group 4 (P = 0.019). These results were confirmed by principal component analysis that showed 3 principal components explaining almost 80% of the variations in the studied groups. Principal components 1 and 2 were associated with ESR1 SNP-rs3020318 (P <0.05). Diagnoses of disc displacement with reduction, masticatory muscle myalgia, and arthralgia were highly prevalent in the asymmetry groups, and all had strong statistical associations with ENPP1 rs858339. The average JPF scores for asymmetric subjects before surgery (JPF, 7) were significantly higher than for symmetric subjects (JPF, 2). Patients in group 3 had the highest preoperative JPF scores, and groups 2 and 3 were most likely to be cured of TMD 1 year after treatment.ConclusionsPosteroanterior cephalometrics can classify asymmetry into distinct groups and identify the probability of TMD and genotype associations. Orthodontic and orthognathic treatments of facial asymmetry are effective at eliminating TMD in most patients.



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Clinical recognition of mouth breathers by orthodontists: A preliminary study

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Julia Garcia Costa, Genilza Silva Costa, Carolina Costa, Oswaldo de Vasconcellos Vilella, Claudia Trindade Mattos, Adriana de Alcantara Cury-Saramago
IntroductionA routine diagnosis of a patient's breathing status performed by an orthodontist normally includes visual assessment, medical history, clinical examination of habitual lip posture, size and shape of the nostrils, reflex control of the alar muscle and respiratory tests, and the dental mirror test. The objective of this study was to test the recognition of mouth breathers in young persons by an orthodontist and agreement with an otolaryngologist's reference diagnosis when routine assessments were carried out.MethodsThree independent and blind evaluations were conducted on the same day by 2 orthodontists independently (anamnesis and breathing tests, respectively) and an otolaryngologist (rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy, and visual assessment). The weighted kappa coefficient was used to test intraexaminer and interexaminer agreement. The frequencies of answers and findings were reported for each breathing status.ResultsFifty-five volunteers composed the sample of this study; 20 participants were nasal breathers, and 35 participants were classified as mouth breathers (and subdivided into mouth breathers with airway obstruction and mouth breathers by habit) by the otolaryngologist. The weighted kappa coefficient showed poor interrater agreement for most comparisons.ConclusionsRecognition of mouth breathing in young persons by orthodontists is poor.



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Protein and mRNA expressions of IL-6 and its key signaling factors under orthodontic forces in mice: An in-vivo study

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Yi Liu, Fang Song, Shu Wu, Shushu He, Mingmei Meng, Chunxiao Lv, Qingqing Yang, Song Chen
IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanical loading-induced changes in protein and mRNA expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its key signaling factors glycoprotein 130 (gp130), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and the Src homology phosphotyrosine phosphatase (SHP2) at the tension and compression sides of the teeth in mouse models.MethodsA total of 55 C57B/6 mice (10 weeks old) were divided into 3 groups. Orthodontic force was applied in group A (experimental group, n = 30); the tooth movement device was placed without activation in group B (sham control group, n = 15), and group C (blank control group, n = 10). Tooth movement was induced by a nickel-titanium coil spring inserted between the maxillary left incisor and the first molar with a force of approximately 4 g. The animals were killed 12 days after the interventions; protein and mRNA expressions of IL-6, gp130, STAT3, and SHP2 in the periodontal tissues were observed with immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization, respectively.ResultsIn contrast with the control groups, we observed enhanced expressions of IL-6, gp130, STAT3, and SHP2 protein and mRNA at the mesial and distal sides of the teeth with application of orthodontic forces in the experimental group. In contrast with the distal side, we observed enhanced expression of gp130 protein and mRNA at the mesial side in the experimental group.ConclusionsWe observed enhanced expression of IL-6 and its key signaling factors gp130, STAT3, and SHP2 protein and mRNA at the tension and compression sides of the teeth with application of orthodontic forces. The mechanical loading applied for orthodontic tooth movement might induce changes in protein localization and mRNA expression patterns of IL-6 and its key signaling factors gp130, STAT3, and SHP2 at the tension and compression sides of the periodontal ligaments of the teeth in mouse models. The result might demonstrate the special role of IL-6 and its key signaling factors in the alveolar bone-modeling process.



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Long-term stability of Class II treatment with the Jasper jumper appliance

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Camilla Fiedler Foncatti, José Fernando Castanha Henriques, Guilherme Janson, Waleska Caldas, Daniela Gamba Garib
IntroductionTreatment of Class II Division 1 malocclusion with orthopedic devices combined with fixed orthodontic appliances has shown excellent results when used in growing patients. We aimed to evaluate the long-term stability of the cephalometric changes obtained during Class II malocclusion correction with the Jasper jumper associated with fixed appliances.MethodsThe treatment group comprised 24 patients who were evaluated at 3 stages: pretreatment, posttreatment, and long-term posttreatment. The control group comprised 15 subjects with normal occlusion. Intratreatment group comparisons among the 3 stages were performed with repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by Tukey tests. Intergroup comparisons of posttreatment changes and normal growth changes of the treatment group were performed with t tests.ResultsApical base relationship, maxillary incisor anteroposterior position, and overjet demonstrated significant relapses in relation to the control group.ConclusionsMost dentoalveolar changes obtained with the Jasper jumper followed by fixed appliances during treatment remained stable in the long term. However, apical base relationship, maxillary incisor anteroposterior position, and overjet demonstrated significant relapses in relation to the control group. Therefore, active retention time should be increased in the posttreatment period.



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Children's orthodontic utilization in the United States: Socioeconomic and surveillance considerations

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Nadia Laniado, Stephanie Oliva, Gregory J. Matthews
IntroductionThere has been no epidemiologic study of malocclusion prevalence and treatment need in the United States since the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1988 to 1991. In this descriptive study, the authors sought to estimate orthodontic treatment prevalence by examining a nationally representative survey to assess current pediatric dental and orthodontic utilization.MethodsThe 2009 and 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were used to categorize and compare all types of pediatric dental and orthodontic procedures in children and adolescents up to 20 years old. Descriptive variables included dental insurance, poverty level, and racial/ethnic background.ResultsVisits for orthodontic procedures constituted the third largest treatment category (14.5%) and were greatest among the uninsured and higher income populations. Children with public insurance had the fewest orthodontic visits (9.4%). Racial/ethnic disparities were most pronounced among orthodontic visits, with black and Hispanic children receiving the fewest orthodontic procedures (8.89% and 10.56%, respectively).ConclusionsOrthodontic treatment prevalence data suggest that significant disparities exist in orthodontic utilization based on race/ethnicity, poverty level, and insurance status. To establish the burden of malocclusion, describe populations in greatest need of interventions, and craft appropriate programs and policies, an active orthodontic surveillance system is essential.



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Miniscrew-assisted multidisciplinary orthodontic treatment with surgical mandibular advancement and genioplasty in a brachyfacial Class II patient with mandibular asymmetry

Publication date: November 2017
Source:American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Volume 152, Issue 5
Author(s): Vanessa Paredes-Gallardo, Verónica García-Sanz, Carlos Bellot-Arcís
This article describes the complex dental treatment of a 43-year-old man with skeletal Class II, mandibular asymmetry, severe brachyfacial pattern, Class II Division 2, canting of the occlusal plane, and an increased curve of Spee. To achieve optimal results, we adopted a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, involving periodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, maxillofacial surgery, and prosthetics specialists. After periodontal treatment, miniscrews were placed to correct the occlusal plane canting and the excessive curve of Spee with orthodontic treatment. The surgical treatment plan consisted of a bilateral asymmetric sagittal split osteotomy for mandibular advancement and genioplasty. The patient had an infection after the surgery at the site of the right fixation plate, so the plate was removed, and active orthodontic treatment was continued and finished. Mandibular first molar implants and maxillary ceramic crowns using the Digital Smile Design method (Digital Smile Design, Doral, FL) were placed at the end of orthodontic treatment. The patient was satisfied with the treatment results and with his facial and dental appearance, as well as his oral function. The 2-year follow-up pictures show a stable result both esthetically and functionally.



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