GENDER DISTRIBUTION AFFECTS EATING BEHAVIOR IN PATIENTS WITH DENTAL DECAY

REZUMAT Obiective: Obiectivul studiului a fost investigarea influenţei distribuţiei pe sexe asupra comportamentului alimentar cu risc (consumul de dulciuri şi băuturi acidulate) la pacienţii cu carie dentară. Material şi metodă: Studiul a fost efectuat pe un eşantion format din 60 de pacienţi cu carie dentară trataţi de către studenţi în laboratoarele Facultăţii de Medicină Dentară Timişoara, în anul 2008. Metoda a fost ancheta epidemiologică transversală cu aplicarea unui chestionar format din 10 itemi specifici temei investigate (consumul de dulciuri şi băuturi acidulate) şi înregistrarea datelor din evidenţele primare (registrul de consultaţii). Rezultate: Consumul zilnic de dulciuri la bărbaţi (50%) a fost foarte mare comparativ cu femeile (18%), însă femeile consumă dulciuri şi de 2 ori/zi (18%). După consumul de dulciuri au efectuat igiena orală 1% dintre bărbaţi şi 22% femei. Bărbaţii au consumat mai frecvent prăjituri şi sucuri îndulcite cu zahăr (30% respectiv 34%) decât femeile (26% în ambele cazuri). Ambele sexe (27% bărbaţi, 28% femei) au consumat dulciuri lipicioase (nuga, jeleuri, ciocolată). Consumul de băuturi răcoritoare a fost reprezentat de apa plată, băuturi acidulate şi predominant acidulate atât la bărbaţi cât şi la femei. Femeile au consumat mai mult sucuri naturale (55%) şi mai puţin Coca Cola (35%) comparativ cu bărbaţii (37% sucuri naturale şi 42% Coca Cola). Un procent de 73% bărbaţi şi 84% femei nu s-au spălat pe dinţi după consumul de băuturi acidulate. S-a observat o corelaţie Spearman (r=0.943, Sig. 0.005) foarte puternică între consumul de băuturi răcoritoare la bărbaţi şi femei. Concluzii: Există diferenţe între sexe în ceea ce priveşte comportamentul alimentar cu risc asupra sănătăţii orale (consumul de dulciuri şi tipurile de băuturi acidulate), ale igienei orale şi ale adresabilităţii pacienţilor cu carie dentară la cabinetul de medicină dentară, dar şi asemănări (consumul de băuturi acidulate). Cuvinte cheie: distribuţia pe sexe, zaharuri, băuturi răcoritoare, carie dentară ABSTRACT Objectives: The objective of our study was to investigate the measure in which gender distribution affects risk eating behavior (confectionery products and carbonated beverages consumption) in patients with dental decay. Material and method: The study was performed on a sample consisting of 60 patients with dental decay treated by students in the laboratories of the Faculty of Dental Medicine Timisoara, during 2008. The method was an epidemiological transverse inquiry, applying a questionnaire consisting of 10 items specific to the investigated topic (confectionery products and carbonated beverages consumption) connected with primary files data registration (register of consults). Results: Daily consumption of confectionery products in men (50%) was very high in comparison with women (18%), but women consumed confectionery products 2 times/day, also (18%). After confectionery products consumption, dental hygiene was performed by 1% men and 22% women. Men consumed more frequently cookies and beverages enriched with sugar (30% and 34%, respectively) than women (26% cases in both situations). Both sexes (27% men, 28% women) consumed sticky confectionery products (nougat, jelies, chocolate). Beverages consumption consisted of plain water and, predominantly, carbonated beverages in the same measure in men as in women. Women consumed more beverages obtained from fruits (55%) and less Coca Cola (35%) in comparison with men (37% consumed beverages obtained from fruits and 42% Coca Cola). A percentage of 73% men and 84% women did not wash their teeth after carbonated beverages consumption. We observed that between women and men beverage consumption there is a powerful Spearman correlation (r=0.943, sig. 0.005). Conclusions: There are differences between sexes regarding risk eating behavior on oral health (confectionery products consumption and sorts of carbonated beverages), oral hygiene and addresability of the patients to dental offices, and similarities for carbonated beverages

Fe3O4-PEI-RITC Magnetic Nanoparticles with Imaging and Gene Transfer Capability: Development of a Tool for Neural Cell Transplantation Therapies

PurposeTo develop Fe3O4-PEI-RITC magnetic nanoparticles with multimodal MRI-fluorescence imaging and transfection capability, for use in neural cell replacement therapies.MethodsThe Fe3O4-PEI-RITC MNPs were synthesised through a multi-step chemical grafting procedure: (i) Silanisation of MNPs with 3-iodopropyltrimethoxysilane; (ii) PEI coupling with iodopropyl groups on the MNP surface; and (iii) RITC binding onto the PEI coating. The cell labelling and transfection capabilities of these particles were evaluated in astrocytes derived from primary cultures.ResultsFe3O4-PEI-RITC MNPs did not exert acute toxic effects in astrocytes (at ≤6 days). Cells showed rapid and extensive particle uptake with up to 100% cellular labelling observed by 24 h. MRI and microscopy studies demonstrate that the particles have potential for use in bimodal MR-fluorescence imaging. Additionally, the particles were capable of delivering plasmids encoding reporter protein (approximately 4 kb) to astrocytes, albeit with low efficiencies.ConclusionsMultifunctional Fe3O4-PEI-RITC MNPs were successfully prepared using a multi-step synthetic pathway, with the PEI and RITC chemically bound onto the MNP surface. Their combined MR-fluorescence imaging capabilities with additional potential for transfection applications can provide a powerful tool, after further development, for non-invasive cell tracking and gene transfer to neural transplant populations

Novel magnetite-silica nanocomposite (Fe<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB>-SBA-15) particles for DNA binding and gene delivery aided by a magnet array

Novel magnetite-silica nanocomposite particles were prepared using SBA-15 nanoporous silica as template. Magnetite nanoparticles were impregnated into the nanopore array of the silica template through thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate, Fe(AcAc)(3) at 200 degrees C. These composite particles were characterized using TEM, XRD and SQUID magnetometry. The TEM images showed that the size of composite particles was around 500 nm and the particles retained the nanoporous array of SBA-15. The formation of magnetite nanoparticles was confirmed by the powder XRD study. These composite particles also exhibited ferrimagnetic properties. By coating with short chain polyethyleneimine (PEI), these particles are capable of binding DNA molecules for gene delivery and transfection. With an external magnetic field, the transfection efficiency was shown to have an increase of around 15%. The results indicated that these composite nanoparticles may be further developed as a new tool for nanomagnetic gene transfection

Indium-111 labeled gold nanoparticles for in-vivo molecular targeting.

The present report describes the synthesis and biological evaluation of a molecular imaging platform based on gold nanoparticles directly labeled with indium-111. The direct labeling approach facilitated radiolabeling with high activities while maintaining excellent stability within the biological environment. The resulting imaging platform exhibited low interference of the radiolabel with targeting molecules, which is highly desirable for in-vivo probe tracking and molecular targeted tumor imaging. The indium-111 labeled gold nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple procedure that allowed stable labeling of the nanoparticle core with various indium-111 activities. Subsequent surface modification of the particle cores with RGD-based ligands at various densities allowed for molecular targeting of the αvß3 integrin in-vitro and for molecular targeted imaging in human melanoma and glioblastoma models in-vivo. The results demonstrate the vast potential of direct labeling with radioisotopes for tracking gold nanoparticles within biological systems

Upregulation of Key Molecules for Targeted Imaging and Therapy.

Targeted diagnosis and therapy enable precise tumor detection and treatment. Successful examples for precise tumor targeting are diagnostic and therapeutic radioligands. However, patients with tumors expressing low levels of the relevant molecular targets are deemed ineligible for such targeted approaches. METHODS We performed a screen for drugs that upregulate the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sstr2). Then, we characterized the effects of these drugs on transcriptional, translational, and functional levels in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We identified 9 drugs that act as epigenetic modifiers, including the inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase decitabine as well as the inhibitors of histone deacetylase tacedinaline and romidepsin. In vitro, these drugs upregulated sstr2 on transcriptional, translational, and functional levels in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Thereby, their combinations revealed synergistic effects. In vivo, drug-based sstr2 upregulation improved the tumor-to-background and tumor-to-kidney ratios, which are the key determinants of successful sstr2-targeted imaging and radiopeptide therapy. CONCLUSION We present an approach that uses epigenetic modifiers to improve sstr2 targeting in vitro and in vivo. Translation of this method into the clinic may potentially convert patients ineligible for targeted imaging and therapy to eligible candidates

Measurements of the Total and Differential Higgs Boson Production Cross Sections Combining the H??????? and H???ZZ*???4??? Decay Channels at s\sqrt{s}=8??????TeV with the ATLAS Detector

Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3~fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured $H \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ and $H \rightarrow ZZ ^{*}\rightarrow 4\ell$ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be $\sigma_{pp \to H} = 33.0 \pm 5.3 \, ({\rm stat}) \pm 1.6 \, ({\rm sys}) \mathrm{pb}$. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions.Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3  fb-1 of pp collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of s=8  TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured H→γγ and H→ZZ*→4ℓ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances, and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be σpp→H=33.0±5.3 (stat)±1.6 (syst)  pb. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions.Measurements of the total and differential cross sections of Higgs boson production are performed using 20.3 fb$^{-1}$ of $pp$ collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 8$ TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Cross sections are obtained from measured $H \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ and $H \rightarrow ZZ ^{*}\rightarrow 4\ell$ event yields, which are combined accounting for detector efficiencies, fiducial acceptances and branching fractions. Differential cross sections are reported as a function of Higgs boson transverse momentum, Higgs boson rapidity, number of jets in the event, and transverse momentum of the leading jet. The total production cross section is determined to be $\sigma_{pp \to H} = 33.0 \pm 5.3 \, ({\rm stat}) \pm 1.6 \, ({\rm sys}) \mathrm{pb}$. The measurements are compared to state-of-the-art predictions