Oral rehabilitation of a pediatric patient with osteogenesis imperfecta type VII: A case report

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as glass bone disease, is associated with mutations in COL1A1 and COL1A2, which encode collagen type I chains, and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. However, as the molecular structure of the disease progresses, new autosomal recessive types have been identified. Type VII has recently been defined as a type of OI caused by the mutation of a fatal recessively inherited cartilage-associated protein (CRTAP) that causes moderate to severe bone deformities. Type VII OI is characterized by fractures at birth, blue sclera, early deformity of the lower extremities, coxa vara, and osteopenia. There is no known cure for this disease. There are few definitions of craniofacial and oral manifestations of type VII OI available in the literature. The aim of this study was to improve the quality of life of a 6-year-old pediatric patient with primary dentition diagnosed with OI type VII by providing oral rehabilitation, and to offer qualified treatment alternatives to such patients

The evaluation of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is considered a cause of conditions such as depression and eating disorders, and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Material and methods: This study was conducted as a prospective study at Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study included 73 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies (32 pregnant women with HG and 41 pregnant women without hyperemesis). Serum BDNF levels were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean age of the study group was 27.3 ± 3.5 years and the body mass index (BMI) was 22.4 ± 2.7 kg/m2. There is no statistically significant difference between the study group and the control group in terms of demographic data (p > 0.05). The pregnant women with HG were found to have significantly higher serum BDNF levels compared to the control group (349.1 ± 94.6 pg/mL vs 292. 3± 86.01, p = 0.009) Conclusions: Serum BDNF levels that are low in psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety were found as high in pregnant women with HG

Molecular perspective on targeted therapy in breast cancer: a review of current status

Breast cancer is categorized at the molecular level according to the status of certain hormone and growth factor receptors, and this classification forms the basis of current diagnosis and treatment. The development of resistance to treatment and recurrence of the disease have led researchers to develop new therapies. In recent years, most of the research in the field of oncology has focused on the development of targeted therapies, which are treatment methods developed directly against molecular abnormalities. Promising advances have been made in clinical trials investigating the effect of these new treatment modalities and their combinations with existing therapeutic treatments in the treatment of breast cancer. Monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitors, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors, anti-angiogenic drugs, PARP inhibitors are among the targeted therapies used in breast cancer treatment. In this review, we aim to present a molecular view of recently approved target agents used in breast cancer

Comparison of the Mesiodistal Angulations of Canine and Molar Teeth in Different Types of Orthodontic Malocclusions: A Retrospective Study

(i) Objective: Changes in the mesiodistal axial angulations of teeth with orthodontic treatment have been a topic of interest in orthodontics for many years, although it has not been clarified enough yet. Therefore, this present study aimed to compare mesiodistal axial angulations of canine and first molar teeth by measuring from pre- and post-treatment panoramic radiographs in different types of orthodontic malocclusions. (ii) Materials and Methods: In the study, the mesiodistal axial angulation angles of the lower–upper canines (teeth numbered 13, 23, 33, and 43) and first molars (teeth numbered 16, 26, 36, and 46) were compared on panoramic radiographs taken pre- (T0) and post- (T1) orthodontic treatment of 353 patients: 237 female (mean age 14.74 ± 2.96) and 116 male (mean age 14.44 ± 2.50), who had not received any prior orthodontic treatment. The groups were formed according to pre-/post-treatment, gender, angle classification, skeletal classification, bilaterally first premolar extraction/non-extraction, and the use/non-use of miniscrews in the extraction cases. The mesiodistal angulations between the long axes of both the lower and upper canines and first molars and the interorbital plane were measured separately and recorded. The reliability analysis between the repeated measurements was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). For statistical analysis, a paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon test were used for the normally and non-normally distributed data, respectively. For the between-groups comparison, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used for normally distributed data, while the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for non-normally distributed data. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. (iii) Results: ICCs showed excellent reliability, ranging from 0.804 to 0.913 in other teeth, yet were good in tooth 43 (ICC = 0.712). Regardless of the groups, statistically significant differences were found between the T0 and T1 angulations for all teeth, except teeth 13 and 16. In all groups, the increase in the angulations of teeth 33 and 43 and the decrease in the angulations of teeth 36 and 46 (except skeletal class 3) were found to be statistically significant. The T0 and T1 angulation changes in the miniscrews in the used and non-used groups in extraction cases were similar to the differences found in all teeth, regardless of the groups. There was no significant difference between gender, skeletal classes, and angle classes in the amounts of change in the mesiodistal angulations. (iv) Conclusion: It was concluded that orthodontic treatment caused significant changes in the mesiodistal axial angulation of the canine and the first molar teeth. Furthermore, the fact that the angulations tended to increase in the lower canine teeth and decrease in the lower first molar teeth revealed the importance of tooth movement control, especially in orthodontic mechanics in the mandibula

UNNOTICED MICROORGANISMS IN DISINFECTION OF SWIMMING POOLS: FREE- LIVING AMOEBA

The presence of free-living amoebae (FLA) in swimming pools has become an issue of increasing concern in recent years on account of their pathogenicity and their capacity to host other microorganisms. Effective disinfection doses for neutralizing bacteria in swimming pools are specified in the guideline (15.11.2011) put out by the Turkish Ministry of Health; however, this guideline does include any information about FLA. This study aims, therefore, to investigate the effect of different concentrations (1, 3, 5 mg/L) and contact times (0, 30, 240 minutes) of NaClO against trophozoites of FLA isolated from swimming pool waters in Turkey. Experiments were conducted using the most probable number (MPN) method. Maximum log reductions were determined to be 1.764, 2.165, and 3.388 for 1, 3, and 5 mg/L of NaClO, respectively, at 240 minutes of contact time. A. castellanii (ATCC 50373) cysts showed little log reduction (0.017) against 5 mg/L of NaClO, which has a cytotoxic effect against 3T3 cells. Thus, we recommend that new disinfection strategies be developed to try to control the presence of FLA in swimming pools

Investigation of the Relationship of Impacted Maxillary Canines with Orthodontic Malocclusion: A Retrospective Study

Impacted canines, which play an important role in smile aesthetics and functional occlusion, can lead to dental and skeletal malocclusions. In this study the aim was to evaluate the relationship between impacted maxillary canines and malocclusion. A total of 151 patients comprising 101 females and 50 males aged between 13 and 33 years were included. The groups were divided based on age, gender, skeletal and dental classification, and sector classification. Angular and linear measurements were performed on lateral cephalometric and panoramic radiographs. In panoramic radiographs, the vertical distance of the impacted canine to the occlusal plane and the angle between it and the bicondylar plane were measured and sector classification was performed according to its relationship with the root of the lateral incisor. Skeletal classification was performed according to the ANB angle on lateral cephalometric radiographs and dental classification by molar relationship via the intraoral photographs. The Chi-square test analyzed independent qualitative and quantitative data using Kruskal–Wallis and Man–Whitney U tests. The statistical significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. According to the intraclass correlation test, an excellent positive correlation was found with 0.985 for canine distance and 0.993 for canine angle between the repeated measurements. The impaction of the maxillary right canine was significantly highest in females and lowest in males. The impacted canine angle was significantly highest in sector 1 and lowest in sector 4. Distance to the occlusal plane was significantly higher in dental Class II and sector 4. It was observed that there was a considerable relationship between impacted maxillary canines and malocclusion; bilateral impacted canines were more frequent in skeletal Class III, and the distance of impacted canines to the occlusal plane increased while their angles decreased both in dental Class II and from sectors 1 to 4

Short-Term Standard Diet Consumption Prior to the Oral Fat Tolerance Test Modulates the Postprandial Triglyceride Response

We hypothesized that the consumption of a 3-day standard diet (SD) prior to the oral fat tolerance test (OFTT), used to evaluate postprandial lipemia, may counteract the undesirable effects of individual dietary habits on the test results. The OFTT was applied to 22 healthy adults (11 females and 11 males), after their habitual diets (HDs) and following the consumption of a 3-day SD (45–60% energy from carbohydrate, 20–35% from fat, and 10–20% from protein). Plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations were measured during fasting and at the fourth hour of the OFTT. A 3-day SD significantly reduced fasting and fourth-hour TG concentrations and delta TG values by 10%, 12.8%, and 22.7%, respectively. Decreases were observed in fasting and fourth-hour TG and delta TG values following the 3-day SD compared to the HD in subjects with fasting TG concentrations between 89 and 180 mg/dL (p = 0.062, p = 0.018, and 0.047, respectively). As a result, the consumption of a 3-day standardized diet prior to the OFTT may be useful to eliminate the false positive or negative effects of individual dietary habits on test results and to correctly identify individuals who should be administered the OFTT

Mapping DNA Conformations Using Single-Molecule Conductance Measurements

DNA is an attractive material for a range of applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and it has recently been demonstrated that the electronic properties of DNA are uniquely sensitive to its sequence and structure, opening new opportunities for the development of electronic DNA biosensors. In this report, we examine the origin of multiple conductance peaks that can occur during single-molecule break-junction (SMBJ)-based conductance measurements on DNA. We demonstrate that these peaks originate from the presence of multiple DNA conformations within the solutions, in particular, double-stranded B-form DNA (dsDNA) and G-quadruplex structures. Using a combination of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, computational approaches, sequence and environmental controls, and single-molecule conductance measurements, we disentangle the conductance information and demonstrate that specific conductance values come from specific conformations of the DNA and that the occurrence of these peaks can be controlled by controlling the local environment. In addition, we demonstrate that conductance measurements are uniquely sensitive to identifying these conformations in solutions and that multiple configurations can be detected in solutions over an extremely large concentration range, opening new possibilities for examining low-probability DNA conformations in solutions

Biotin deficiency in hyperemesis gravidarum

The aim of this study was to determine the serum biotin levels in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Ninety pregnant women with HG (mild (n = 30), moderate (n = 30) and severe (n = 30)), and 80 pregnant women without HG were included for this study. In both groups, serum biotin levels were measured. There were no statistically significant differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the HG groups and the control group except for PUQE scores. Serum biotin levels in all hyperemesis gravidarum groups were statistically significantly lower than control group. Negative statistically significant correlation between hyperemesis gravidarum severity and serum biotin levels was noted. This is the first study that shows low serum biotin levels in women with hyperemesis gravidarum.Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Almost 80% of pregnant women have nausea and vomiting. If nausea and vomiting became severe and the symptoms combined with weight loss and ketonuria; the diagnosis should be hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). The etiopathogenetic factors of this unwanted condition have not been exactly known. Biotin is an essential water-soluble vitamin. Biotin catabolism increases in pregnancy. Marginal biotin deficiency occurs in approximately 50% of the gestations despite the “normal” biotin intake on the diet. What do the results of this study add? Current study results elucidated that serum biotin levels were lower in HG cases compared to non HG cases. This study is the first study that reports the association between low serum level of biotin and HG. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Further research is needed to show the importance of biotin supplementation in women with hyperemesis gravidarum

Graphene/Copper Heterostructures for Thermal Management

With the technological developments in the microelectronic systems used in military computers, the number of circuit elements per unit area increases enabling the production of faster and more efficient processors. To be able do this, these circuit elements are required to withstand higher current densities and thus higher temperatures are generated by Joule heating. Overheating (in general non-uniformly) at some specific areas in chips, adversely affects the performance and reliability of electronic devices. Therefore, it is critical to control temperature distribution within the chip and the efficient heat management is one of the most important issues for today’s high power electronic devices and thus, every improvement in the area is very valuable. In this context, to increase the lateral heat conduction, the graphene-copper heterostructures (graphene-copper laminate structures for heat spreaders and graphene-copper porous structures for heat sinks/exchangers) are studied both experimentally and through computational studies. For the experimental studies, first graphene is synthesized on Cu via CVD. The thermal diffusivity measurements, which were performed through the laser flash method, show that the presence of graphene did not make a contribution to the thermal properties in graphene-copper laminate system. These results were also confirmed by the computational studies which showed that to see an increase in the thermal conductivity, the ratio of graphene/copper should be higher than 1/20. Within the scope of these findings, 3D graphene-Cu porous heterostructures are studied to increase the graphene’s contribution to the thermal diffusivity. 3D graphene-Cu porous heterostructures showed an increase in the thermal diffusivity by 10% at the room temperature and 30% at 400 °C. Graphene’s positive effect on the thermal properties is attributed to its high thermal conductivity and the protection of Cu structure against the oxidation at higher temperatures. Our studies show that the graphene-copper porous structures developed in this study can be a good lightweight candidate for a heat sink/exchanger with corrosion resistant and high thermal conductivity