Is dental amalgam a higher risk factor rather than resin‐based restorations for systemic conditions? A systematic review

Objective: The aim of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that patients with one or more amalgam restorations have an increased risk for systemic diseases rather than patients with resin-based restorations. Data: The data search produced an initial 3568 total number of records. All titles and abstract were reviewed by five independent examiners, and only 36 records were selected for full text in depth examination. Out of these, only nine publications matched the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Sources: Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Knowledge) were searched up to June 2019. In addition, a manual search was carried out on journals related to this topic. Study selection: All selected human clinical studies compared patients with dental amalgam restorations to patients with non-amalgam restorations on restorative material related diseases/health conditions with at least 50 patients and a reasonable follow up. The systemic effects of dental restorations were analyzed. As for any systemic effects, there was no difference between amalgam and composite restoration. Conclusions: With the limitations of the few available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the matter, amalgam restorations, similarly to other modern resin-based materials, were not related to an increased risk of systemic diseases or conditions. Clinical significance: On the basis of the available RCTs, amalgam restorations, if compared with resin-based fillings, do not show an increased risk for systemic diseases. There is still insufficient evidence to exclude or demonstrate any direct influence on general health. The removal of old amalgam restorations and their substitution with more modern adhesive restorations should be performed only when clinically necessary and not just for material concerns. In order to better evaluate the safety of dental amalgam compared to other more modern restorative materials, further RCTs that consider important parameters such as long and uniform follow up periods, number of restorations per patient, and sample populations representative of chronic or degenerative diseases are needed

Teaching mathematics at distance: A challenge for universities

The focus of this research is how Sicilian state university mathematics professors faced the challenge of teaching via distance education during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic entered our lives suddenly, the professors found themselves having to lecture using an e-learning platform that they had never used before, and for which they could not receive training due to the health emergency. In addition to the emotional aspects related to the particular situation of the pandemic, there are two aspects to consider when teaching mathematics at a distance. The first is related to the fact that at university level, lecturers generally teach mathematics in a formal way, using many symbols and formulas that they are used to writing. The second aspect is that the way mathematics is taught is also related to the students to whom the teaching is addressed. In fact, not only online, but also in face-to-face modality, the teaching of mathematics to students on the mathematics degree course involves a different approach to lessons (as well as to the choice of topics to explain) than teaching mathematics in another degree course. In order to investigate how the Sicilian State university mathematics professors taught mathematics at distance, a questionnaire was prepared and administered one month after the beginning of the lockdown in Italy. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were made, which allowed us to observe the way that university professors have adapted to the new teaching modality: they started to appropriate new artifacts (writing tablets, mathematical software, e-learning platform) to replicate their face-to-face teaching modality, mostly maintaining their blackboard teacher status. Their answers also reveal their beliefs related to teaching mathematics at university level, noting what has been an advantageous or disadvantageous for them in distance teaching

Response: DonorNet and the Potential Effects on Organ Utilization

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79092/1/j.1600-6143.2010.03230.x.pd

DonorNet and the Potential Effects on Organ Utilization

The evolution of communication as donor data flows from organ procurement organization to transplant centers has evolved with the incorporation of DonorNet 2007 ® into the UNet SM system. The ensuing study looks at DonorNet's impact on this process. We established defined time periods for comparison purposes. The study looked at match number for organ placement and overall organ utilization with a focus on ischemia time and graft outcomes. The results of the study demonstrate no significant change in the median match number of organ placement in liver or kidney transplantation. Changes in discard rates were varied amongst transplanted organs and there were noticeable changes in organ sharing with an increase in local allocation for kidney and liver and an ensuing decrease in regional and national distribution. There were no significant differences in the outcomes of livers and kidneys with low offer numbers compared with those with high offer numbers. Overall the study suggests a modest impact by DonorNet on organ placement and utilization, but a longer term study would need to be done to fully evaluate its impact.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79141/1/j.1600-6143.2010.03036.x.pd

Coccidioidomycosis Transmission Through Organ Transplantation: A Report of the OPTN Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134822/1/ajt13950.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134822/2/ajt13950_am.pd