Effect of surface protection, staining beverages and aging on the color stability and hardness of recently introduced uncoated glass ionomer restorative material

Aim: Evaluation of the effect of coating, staining beverages and aging on the color stability and hardness of recently introduced glass ionomer (GI) restorative material and to determine whether there was a correlation between these two variables. Materials and methods: Two commercially available conventional GI restorative materials were used; Ketac™ Universal Aplicap™ and Ketac™ Fil Plus Aplicap™ GI restoratives. A total of 84 disc-shaped specimens (5×2 mm) were prepared and divided into 3 main groups (n=28). Fifty six specimens were prepared from Ketac Universal Aplicap where half of them was coated (CU) and the other half was uncoated (U) and 28 coated specimens from Fil Plus Aplicap™ (CF) that act as a control group. Coating was performed with Ketac Glaze. Each group was further subdivided into 4 subgroups (n=7) according to the beverages (tea, coffee, coke and distilled water). Color changes (ΔE) and hardness (MPa) were measured by scanning spectrophotometer and Vickers\u27s hardness (VH) test respectively. Measurements were recorded at the baseline, after 7 and 30 days of aging in each beverage. Chemical analysis of the glass powders was performed by EDXA. Additionally, the filler size was examined by the SEM. The data were statistically analyzed (P≤0.05). Results: The CU subgroups possessed lower ΔE than U subgroups in tea and coffee. The impact of staining beverages and aging on the ΔE was material\u27s dependent. The CU subgroups recorded higher VH than the U and CF subgroups after aging in coke (30 days). Aging of the U subgroups in tea and coke significantly decreased its VH. The SEM revealed smaller average filler size in Ketac Universal Aplicap (7.2 μm) than Ketac Fil Plus Aplicap (17.9 μm). Clinical significance: It is advisable to use the recently introduced uncoated GI restorative material for patients who are not consuming tea and/or coffee but with surface protection to maintain its color acceptability up to 3 year clinically. Not all color changes could be associated with surface degradation

Effect of the Morphology of Tungsten Oxide Embedded in Sodium Alginate/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Composite Beads on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Dye Solution

Tungsten oxide nanostructures were modified by oxygen vacancies through hydrothermal treatment. Both the crystalline structure and morphological appearance were completely changed. Spherical WO3·H2O was prepared from tungstic acid solution by aging at room temperature, while rod-like WO3·0.33H2O was prepared by hydrothermal treatment of tungstic acid solution at 120 °C. These structures embedded in sodium alginate (SA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were synthesized as novel porous beads by gelation method into calcium chloride solution. The performance of the prepared materials as photocatalysts is examined for methylene blue (MB) degradation in aqueous solutions. Different operation parameters affecting the dye degradation process, such as light intensity, illumination time, and photocatalyst dosage are investigated. Results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of novel nanocomposite changed with the change in WO3 morphology. Namely, the beads with rod nanostructure of WO3 have shown better effectiveness in MB removal than the beads containing WO3 in spherical form. The maximum degradation efficiency was found to be 98% for WO3 nanorods structure embedded beads, while the maximum removal of WO3 nanospheres structure embedded beads was 91%. The cycling-ability and reuse results recommend both prepared structures to be used as effective tools for treating MB dye-contaminated wastewaters. The results show that the novel SA/PVP/WO3 nanocomposite beads are eco-friendly nanocomposite materials that can be applied as photocatalysts for the degradation of cationic dyes in contaminated water

COL2A1 and Caspase-3 as Promising Biomarkers for Osteoarthritis Prognosis in an Equus asinus Model

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most degenerative joint diseases in both human and veterinary medicine. The objective of the present study was the early diagnosis of OA in donkeys using a reliable grading of the disease based on clinical, chemical, and molecular alterations. OA was induced by intra-articular injection of 25 mg monoiodoacetate (MIA) as a single dose into the left radiocarpal joint of nine donkeys. Animals were clinically evaluated through the assessment of lameness score, radiographic, and ultrasonographic findings for seven months. Synovial fluid and cartilage samples were collected from both normal and diseased joints for the assessment of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activity, COL2A1 protein expression level, and histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of Caspase-3. Animals showed the highest lameness score post-induction after one week then decreased gradually with the progression of radiographical and ultrasonographic changes. MMP activity and COL2A1 and Caspase-3 expression increased, accompanied by articular cartilage degeneration and loss of proteoglycan. OA was successfully graded in Egyptian donkeys, with the promising use of COL2A1and Caspase-3 for prognosis. However, MMPs failed to discriminate between early and late grades of OA

Age at diagnosis in women with non-metastatic breast cancer: Is it related to prognosis?

Objective: Primary objective was to verify whether breast cancer patients aged less than 40 years at diagnosis have poorer prognosis than older patients. Secondary to assess prognostic factors influencing disease free survival. Methods: 941 women were diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer at NCI, Cairo in 2003. Epidemiologic, clinico-pathological characteristics, treatment modalities and disease free survival were compared among the two age groups. Prognostic factors were evaluated for association with disease-free survival. Results: One hundred-eighty-one patients (19.2%) were younger than 40 years and 760 (80.8%) were older. Older women presented with higher rates of comorbidities and younger women presented with more hormone non-responsive tumors. Young women presented with larger tumors pT4 = 13.8% compared to 8.6% in older women, yet not significant. Young women were treated with more conservative surgery, more adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy while older women with more radical mastectomies and more hormonal treatment. Recurrence rates were significantly higher among young women 44.2% compared to 34.5% in older women. Five year disease free survival in young women was 38.9% ± 4.6% compared to 48.6% ± 2.5% with adjusted hazard ratio of 1.22 95% CI (0.91–1.64), p = 0.19. Multivariate analyses identified positive axillary lymph nodes (pN2-pN3), larger tumor size (pT3-pT4), hypertension, lobular carcinoma type and lack of adjuvant systemic treatment as independent factors associated with poor DFS. Conclusion: Young women were not found to have poorer prognosis, yet they presented with more ER negative tumors. Most of women presented with advanced stage and young women had higher recurrence rates

Role of MicroRNA-155 as a Potential Biomarker for Allergic Rhinitis in Children

Background. Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an inflammatory state categorized by a disturbance of immunoregulatory mechanisms. MicroRNA-155 (miRNA-155) has an essential role in regulating gene expression and can mediate the allergic TH2 process. Objective. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of miR-155 as a biomarker in AR and correlate its level with the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and the levels of serum interleukin-4 (IL-4). Methods. This study included 90 children: 45 with pollen-induced AR and 45 healthy controls. Serum miR-155 expression levels were measured using quantitative real-time PCR. Human IL-4 ELIZA kits were used for the semiquantitative detection of the serum levels of IL-4. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the best cutoff values for the studied parameters for the diagnosis of AR. Results. The demographic characteristics of the two groups were matched with respect to age and sex. The AR case group included 23 (51.1%) males and 22 (48.9%) females, while the control group included 24 (53.3%) males and 21 (46.7%) females. The miR-155 level was increased in the serum of children with pollen-induced AR compared with controls (mean difference = 2.8, p<0.001). A significant positive correlation between the serum expression level of miR-155 and TNSS in children with AR was detected (r = 0.494, p<0.001). However, no significant correlation was identified between the expression of miR-155 and that of IL-4. At a cutoff value of 1.09, the sensitivity of miR-155 as a biomarker for AR was 100%, and the specificity was 71.1%. Conclusion. MiR-155 expression levels were elevated in the serum of AR children. Therefore, miR-155 could be used as a biomarker in AR diagnosis

Hair Follicle-Related MicroRNA-34a Serum Expression and rs2666433A/G Variant in Patients with Alopecia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Alopecia areata (AA) is a type of immune-mediated alopecia. Recent studies have suggested microRNAs&rsquo; (miRNAs) implication in several cellular processes, including epidermal and hair follicle biology. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can modify gene expression levels, which may induce an autoimmune response. This case&ndash;control study included 480 participants (240 for each case/control group). MicroRNA-34a gene (MIR-34A) rs2666433A/G variant was genotyped using real-time allelic discrimination polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, circulatory miR-34a levels were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). On comparing between alopecia and non-alopecia cohorts, a higher frequency of A variant was noted among patients when compared to controls&mdash;A allele: 28 versus 18% (p &lt; 0.001); A/A genotype: 9 versus 2%; A/G genotype: 39 versus 32% (p &lt; 0.001). A/A and A/G carriers were more likely to develop alopecia under heterozygote comparison (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.14&ndash;2.93), homozygote comparison (OR = 4.19, 95% CI = 1.33&ndash;13.1), dominant (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.27&ndash;3.15), recessive (OR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.08&ndash;10.48), over-dominant (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.04&ndash;32.63), and log additive (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.3&ndash;2.82) models. Serum miR-34a expression levels were upregulated in alopecia patients with a median and quartile fold change of 27.3 (1.42&ndash;2430). Significantly higher levels were more pronounced in A/A genotype patients (p &lt; 0.01). Patients carrying the heterozygote genotype (rs2666433 * A/G) were two times more likely to develop more severe disease grades. Stratified analysis by sex revealed the same results. A high expression level was associated with concomitant autoimmune comorbidities (p = 0.001), in particular SLE (p = 0.007) and vitiligo (p = 0.049). In conclusion, the MIR34A rs2666433 (A/G) variant is associated with AA risk and severity in the studied population. Furthermore, high miR-34a circulatory levels could play a role in disease pathogenesis

Effect of fishmeal replacement with dried red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) worm meal on growth and feed utilization, production efficiency, and serum biochemistry in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings

This study investigated the effect of replacing fishmeal with red wigglers (Eisenia fetida) worm meal (RWWM) in the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Red wigglers worms (RWW) were culture on a vegetable by-product medium, harvested and dried to obtain red wigglers worm meal. The fish (average weight ± SE: 7.70 ± 0.06 g) were fed with seven diets (30% crude protein and 7.5% crude lipid), in which fishmeal was replaced with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30% RWWM. The fish was reared in 1000 L fiberglass tanks in a recirculating aquaculture system and were hand-fed twice daily for 90 days. At the end of the experiment, the growth, feed conversion ratio, and energy utilization improved when feeding 15% and 20% RWWM compared with the control diet (P < 0.05). Using broken line regression between growth efficiency and feed utilization, showed the optimum level of RWWM replacing FM in Nile tilapia fingerlings diet was around 21 – 22% of the diet. The whole-body crude protein and ash content were elevated in the fish fed with 10–25% RWWM, while crude lipid and energy contents were elevated in the fish fed with 5–25% RWWM compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The essential and non-essential amino acids profiles of the fish were improved by 15% and 20% RWWM compared with the control (P < 0.05). The plasma glucose was decreased by 15–20% and significantly enhanced in fish fed with 25–30% RWWM diets compared with the control (P < 0.05). The total protein, albumin and globulin increased in the fish fed 15–20% diets and decreased in fish fed the 30% RWWM (P < 0.05). Therefore, this study demonstrates that RWWM could replace 20% fishmeal in the diets of Nile tilapia fingerlings without negatively affecting fish growth and physiological performance