Thermomechanical Characterization of Variable Force NiTi Orthodontic Archwires

ABSTRACT THERMOMECHANICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF VARIABLE FORCE NITI ORTHODONTIC ARCHWIRES Anjali Mehta, BDS MDS Marquette University, 2015 Introduction: Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) archwires, due to their properties of superelasticity and shape memory, have been extensively used in orthodontic mechanotherapy. However, one of the shortcomings of these wires is that they deliver constant forces across the entire arch. The amount of force needed to move a tooth is a function of the surface area of the tooth and its supporting bone; and is lesser for single rooted anterior teeth compared to larger molars. The introduction of heat treatment of NiTi wires and the influence of varying temperature and duration of heat treatment on the transition temperature range has provided wires with variable forces across different sections of the same archwire. Objectives: This study investigated the thermal behavior and load-deflection characteristics of different brands of variable force archwires across sections of the archwire. Materials and Method: Five brands of variable force orthodontic wires of 0.016 X 0.016 inch were compared against a non-variable force brand to evaluate their thermomechanical characteristics using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and a three point bending test. Three segments (anterior, premolar and molar) of each type of wire were evaluated and compared. Two-way ANOVA was used to statistically analyze the thermal and bending measures. Results: The anterior segments of the variable force orthodontic wires exhibited significantly (p\u3c0.05) greater austenite finish temperatures and lower loads compared to the molar segments. Significant (p\u3c0.05) differences in thermal and bending values were observed between different brands of variable force wires and the control. Conclusion: Marketed variable force orthodontic wires do in fact deliver different force values depending on region (anterior, premolar, molar) and do so as a result of manufacturing steps that alter their thermal transitions. Differences exist among brands suggesting they are not interchangeable

The Use of Art Observation Interventions to Improve Medical Students' Diagnostic Skills: A Scoping Review

Clinical observation skills are fundamental to the practice of medicine. Yet, the skill of looking carefully is rarely taught within the medical curriculum. This may be a contributory factor in diagnostic errors in healthcare. A growing number of medical schools, especially in the United States, have turned to the humanities to offer visual arts-based interventions to foster medical students' visual literacy. This research aims to map the literature on the relationship between art observation training and diagnostic skills of medical students, highlighting effective teaching methodologies. Based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework, a comprehensive scoping review was conducted. Publications were identified by searching nine databases and hand searching the published and grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened each publication using the pre-designed eligibility criteria. Fifteen publications were included. Significant heterogeneity exists between the study designs and the methods employed to evaluate skill improvement. Nearly all studies (14/15) reported an increase in the number of observations made post-intervention, but none evaluated long-term retention rates. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the programme, but only one study explored the clinical relevance of the observations made. The review establishes improved observational acumen following the intervention, however, uncovers very limited evidence towards improved diagnostic abilities. There is a need for greater rigour and consistency within the experimental designs, through using control groups, randomisation, and a standardised evaluation rubric. Further research on the optimal intervention duration and the application of skills gained to clinical practice, should be performed. [Abstract copyright: Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).

Deacidification of Camelina sativa L. seed oil by Physisorption method and characterization of produced biodiesel

According to India's National Biofuel Policy, only non-edible oilseed crops can be used for the biofuel feedstock. In this context, Camelina sativa is one such plant that fulfils all the criteria defined by the Biofuel policies of India. So, the present investigation was aimed to examine C. sativa seed oil capabilities as a biodiesel feedstock. Oil was deacidified via adsorption method applying Silica Gel as an adsorbent. The highest efficacy was obtained when 1:9 (Silica gel: oil) ratio was applied and the acid value was reduced from 6.45 to 2.78 mg KOH/g. Furthermore, oil was transesterified using methanol in the ratio of 1:6 (oil: methanol molar ratio) and 0.8 % (w/w of oil) of KOH as a catalyst at 70 ?C. The produced biodiesel was analyzed in terms of fuel-specific parameters and results were compared with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. The results were very much satisfactory and under the limits specified by the ASTM standards. The results revealed that oil to biodiesel conversion was 92.28 % with an acid value of 0.37 mg KOH/g. The measured Iodine value was 152 gI2/100g indicated the high unsaturation. Still, Camelina biodiesel showed oxidation stability of 6 h., which was a decent value compared to this much unsaturation. The sulphur content was also higher (24 ppm) than the specified limit (15 ppm). Besides, the fuel-specific parameters like sulphur content and iodine value were under the ASTM limits

prophylactic

Abstract The aim of the present study was to compare the antiemetic effect of intravenous Granisetron, Ondansetron & Metoclopramide in a randomized blinded study for prophylaxis of post operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia. 60 patients (ASA I & II) undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated into three equal groups (n=20). Emetic episodes in first 24 hours were recorded and compared in different study groups. Results were analyzed. Minimal emetic episodes were observed in early post-operative period (1-12hrs) in patients who had received intravenous granisetron in comparison to ondansetron and metoclopramide. However, after 12 hours emesis free periods were statistically insignificant between group A and B while patients in group C had no antiemetic effect

Postpartum Hepatic Infarction in Antiphospholipid Syndrome Patients

CASE: Our patient is a 31-year-old woman with a complicated past medical history of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Antiphospholipid Ayndrome (APS). She originally presented several years ago when she was found to have Libman-Sacks endocarditis. She was diagnosed with SLE and APS at the time and was subsequently anticoagulated with warfarin. When she became pregnant, warfarin was discontinued and she was managed with a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). She was continued on LMWH post-partum, but was noncompliant. For a few weeks following delivery, she presented to the hospital on several occasions with acute right upper quadrant pain. CT imaging confirmed several hepatic infarcts and she was treated with steroids, fondaparinux, and plaquenil. CONCLUSIONS: APS poses several risks during and after pregnancy due to susceptibility to venous and arterial thrombosis1. There is an increased risk of thrombosis up to 12 weeks postpartum. Continuation of anticoagulation following delivery is essential in APS women who have a high baseline risk of thrombosis2. Non-compliance with medications may have contributed to this presentation. This case is unique in that hepatic infarcts rarely occur due to the dual blood supply of the liver. Moreover, the diagnosis of hepatic infarction can be difficult as it may present similarly to HELLP, possibly contributing to her multiple admissions with RUQ pain3,4. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This case is significant because it demonstrates the rare, but life-threatening risk of postpartum hepatic infarction in APS patients. Proper postpartum management and compliance with anticoagulation medications are essential to mitigating risk. Furthermore, providers may face challenges in diagnosing hepatic infarction as it could mimic other diseases

Mapping India's Energy Policy 2022

Carefully designed energy support measures—subsidies, public utilities' investments, and public finance institutions' lending—and government's energy revenues play a key role in India's transition to clean energy and reaching net-zero emissions by 2070. Looking at how the Government of India has supported different types of energy from FY 2014 to FY 2021, the study aims to improve transparency, create accountability, and encourage a responsible shift in support away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy.Mapping India's Energy Subsidies 2022 covers India's subsidies to fossil fuels, electricity transmission and distribution, renewable energy, and electric vehicles between fiscal year (FY) 2014 and FY 2021.We found that fossil fuels continue to receive far more subsidies than clean energy in India. This disparity became even more pronounced from FY 2020 to FY 2021, going from 7.3 times to 9 times the amount of subsidies to renewables

THEILERIOSIS IN BUFFALO: A CASE STUDY

Bovine theileriosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria annulata and Theileria parva and is transmitted through tick Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus, respectively leading to economic losses and causes devastating losses to the livestock worldwide. This paper deals with clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of theileriosis in buffalo having 4years of age and clinical signs observed were; high fever (106.7oF), anorexia, enlarge lymph nodes, dyspnoea and ocular discharge with pale mucous membrane. The peripheral blood smear confirmed the presence of Koch blue bodies. The animal was treated with a single dose of Buparvaquone, 2.5 mg/kg i.m. along with supportive therapy

Hair Cortisol in Twins : Heritability and Genetic Overlap with Psychological Variables and Stress-System Genes

A. Palotie on työryhmän jäsen.Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is a promising measure of long-term hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Previous research has suggested an association between HCC and psychological variables, and initial studies of inter-individual variance in HCC have implicated genetic factors. However, whether HCC and psychological variables share genetic risk factors remains unclear. The aims of the present twin study were to: (i) assess the heritability of HCC; (ii) estimate the phenotypic and genetic correlation between HPA axis activity and the psychological variables perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism; using formal genetic twin models and molecular genetic methods, i.e. polygenic risk scores (PRS). HCC was measured in 671 adolescents and young adults. These included 115 monozygotic and 183 dizygotic twin-pairs. For 432 subjects PRS scores for plasma cortisol, major depression, and neuroticism were calculated using data from large genome wide association studies. The twin model revealed a heritability for HCC of 72%. No significant phenotypic or genetic correlation was found between HCC and the three psychological variables of interest. PRS did not explain variance in HCC. The present data suggest that HCC is highly heritable. However, the data do not support a strong biological link between HCC and any of the investigated psychological variables.Peer reviewe

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Cases

Introduction Drug-induced acute kidney injury (DI-AKI) is a frequent adverse event. The identification of DI-AKI is challenged by competing etiologies, clinical heterogeneity among patients, and a lack of accurate diagnostic tools. Our research aims to describe the clinical characteristics and predictive variables of DI-AKI. Methods We analyzed data from the DIRECT study (NCT02159209), an international, multi-center, observational cohort study of enriched clinically adjudicated DI-AKI cases. Cases met the primary inclusion criteria if the patient was exposed to at least one nephrotoxic drug for a minimum of 24 hours prior to acute kidney injury (AKI) onset. Cases were clinically adjudicated and inter-rater reliability (IRR) was measured using Krippendorff's alpha. Variables associated with DI-AKI were identified using L1 regularized multivariable logistic regression. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC). Results 314 AKI cases met the eligibility criteria for this analysis, and 271 (86%) cases were adjudicated as DI-AKI. The majority of the AKI cases were recruited from the United States (68%). The most frequent causal nephrotoxic drugs were vancomycin (48.7%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (18.2%), and piperacillin/tazobactam (17.8%). The IRR for DI-AKI adjudication was 0.309. The multivariable model identified age, vascular capacity, hyperglycemia, infections, pyuria, serum creatinine trends, and contrast media as significant predictors of DI-AKI with good performance, ROC AUC 0.86. Conclusions The identification of DI-AKI is challenging even with comprehensive adjudication by experienced nephrologists. Our analysis identified key clinical characteristics and outcomes of DI-AKI compared to other AKI etiologies