Immediate vs non-immediate loading post-extractive implants: A comparative study of Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ)

Purpose. This study aims to evaluate differences in implant stability between post-extractive implants vs immediately placed post-extractive implants by resonance frequency analysis (RFA). Materials and methods. Patients were grouped into two different categories. In Group A 10 patients had an immediate postextractive implant, then a provisional, acrylic resin crown was placed (immediate loading). In Group B (control group) 10 patients only had an immediate post-extractive implant. Both upper and lower premolars were chosen as post-extractive sites. Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) was measured thanks to RFA measurements (Osstell®). Five intervals were considered: immediately after surgery (T0) and every four weeks, until five months after implant placement (T1, T2, T3, T4,T5). A statistical analysis by means of Student’s T-test (significance set at p<0.05) for independent sample was carried out in order to compare Groups A and B. Results. The ISQ value between the two groups showed a statistically significant difference (p<0.02) at T1. No statistically significant difference in ISQ was assessed at T0, T2, T3, T4 and T5. Conclusions. After clinical assessment it is possible to confirm that provisional and immediate prosthetic surgery in postextraction sites with cone-shaped implants, platform-switching abutment and bioactive surface can facilitate osseointegration, reducing healing time

Subacute dislocation of the elbow following Galeazzi fracture-dislocation of the radius: A case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The Galeazzi fracture-dislocation was originally described by Sir Astley Cooper in 1822 but was named after Italian surgeon Ricardo Galeazzi in 1934. It is an injury classified as a radial shaft fracture with associated dislocation of the distal radioulnar joint and disruption of the forearm axis joint. The associated distal radioulnar joint injury may be purely ligamentous in nature, tearing the triangular fibrocartilaginous complex, or involve bony tissue (that is, ulnar styloid avulsions) or both. We report this case because of the rare association of posterior dislocation of the elbow along with Galeazzi fracture-dislocation. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been previously reported in the English literature.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 26-year-old Caucasian man presented to our department after a fall from a motorbike. He sustained a closed, isolated Galeazzi fracture-dislocation of the right forearm and no associated elbow injuries, and this necessitated open reduction and internal fixation of the radius. Post-operative radiographs films were satisfactory. However, clinical and radiological evidence of ipsilateral elbow dislocation was noted at a five-week follow-up, subsequently requiring open reduction of the joint and collateral ligament repair. Our patient was noted to have full elbow and forearm function at three months.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although the Galeazzi fracture-dislocation has been classically described as involving only the distal radioulnar joint, traumatic forces can be transmitted to the elbow via the interosseous membrane of the forearm. This can lead to instability of the elbow joint. Therefore, we recommend that, in every case of forearm fracture, both elbow and wrist joints be assessed clinically as well as radiologically for subluxation or dislocation.</p

O-band QKD link over a multiple ONT loaded carrier-grade GPON for FTTH applications

We have successfully integrated an O-band commercial Quantum-Key-Distribution (QKD) system over a lit GPON testbed that replicates a carrier-grade Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) optical access network with multiple ONTs to emulate real-life FTTH operational deployments.Comment: 3 page

European Glaucoma Society research priorities for glaucoma care

Background/Aims: The goal of health research is to improve patients care and outcomes. Thus, it is essential that research addresses questions that are important to patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to develop a list of priorities for glaucoma research involving stakeholders from different countries in Europe. Methods: We used a three-phase method, including a two-round electronic Delphi survey and a workshop. The clinician and patient electronic surveys were conducted in parallel and independently. For phase I, the survey was distributed to patients from 27 European countries in 6 different languages, and to European Glaucoma Society members, ophthalmologists with expertise in glaucoma care, asking to name up to five research priorities. During phase II, participants were asked to rank the questions identified in phase I using a Likert scale. Phase III was a 1 day workshop with patients and clinicians. The purpose was to make decisions about the 10 most important research priorities using the top 20 priorities identified by patients and clinicians. Results: In phase I, 308 patients and 150 clinicians were involved. In phase II, the highest-ranking priority for both patients and clinicians was € treatments to restore vision'. In phase III, eight patients and four clinicians were involved. The top three priorities were € treatments to stop sight loss', € treatments to restore vision' and € improved detection of worsening glaucoma'. Conclusion: We have developed a list of priorities for glaucoma research involving clinicians and patients from different European countries that will help guide research efforts and investment

Nitroxide-nitroxide and nitroxide-metal distance measurements in transition metal complexes with two or three paramagnetic centres give access to thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities

AG was supported by the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in ‘integrated magnetic resonance’ (EP/J500045/1). BEB is grateful for funding from the European Union (REA 334496). This work was supported by the EPSRC (EP/M024660/1), the DFG (Schwerpunktprogramm 1601) and a Wellcome Trust multiuser equipment grant [099149/Z/12/Z].Fundamentally, the stability of coordination complexes and of templated (bio)macromolecular assemblies depends on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the intermediates and final complexes formed. Here, we used pulse EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectroscopy to determine the stabilities of nanoscopic assemblies formed between one or two nitroxide spin-labelled tridentate 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (tpy) ligands and divalent metal ions (FeII, ZnII, CoII and CuII). In three distinct approaches we exploited (a) the modulation depth of pulsed electron–electron double resonance (PELDOR) experiments in samples with increasing metal-to-ligand ratios, (b) the frequencies of PELDOR under broadband excitation using shaped pulses and (c) the distances recovered from well-resolved PELDOR data in fully deuterated solvents measured at 34 GHz. The results demonstrate that PELDOR is highly sensitive to resolving the stability of templated dimers and allows to readily distinguish anti-cooperative binding (for CuII ions) from cooperative binding (for CoII or FeII ions). In the case of paramagnetic ions (CoII and CuII) the use of broadband PELDOR allowed to identify the cooperativity of binding from the time domain and distance data. By using a second labelled tpy ligand and by mixing two homoleptic complexes of the same metal centre we could probe the kinetic stability on a timescale of tens of seconds. Here, tpy complexes of CuII and ZnII were found to be substitutionally labile, CoII showed very slow exchange and FeII was inert under our conditions. Not only do our chemical models allow studying metal–ligand interactions via PELDOR spectroscopy, the design of our study is directly transferable to (bio)macromolecular systems for determining the kinetic and thermodynamic stabilities underpinning (templated) multimerisation. Considering the limited methods available to obtain direct information on the composition and stability of complex assemblies we believe our approach to be a valuable addition to the armoury of methods currently used to study these systems.PostprintPeer reviewe

The effect of citicoline oral solution on quality of life in patients with glaucoma: the results of an international, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over trial

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate whether the use of citicoline oral solution could improve quality of life in patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma (OAG). DESIGN: Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was used. Patients were randomized to one of the two sequences: either citicoline 500 mg/day oral solution-placebo or placebo-citicoline 500 mg/day oral solution. Switch of treatments was done after 3 months; patients were then followed for other 6 months. Follow-up included 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month visits. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the mean change of "intra-patient" composite score of the Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25). after citicoline oral solution vs placebo at 6-month visit as compared with baseline. METHODS: The trial was multicenter, conducted at 5 European Eye Clinics. OAG patients with bilateral visual field damage, a mean deviation (MD) ranging from - 5 to - 13 dB in the better eye, and controlled IOP were included. VFQ-25 and SF-36 questionnaires were administered at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month visits. A mixed effect model, with a random effect on the intercept, accounted for correlations among serial measurements on each subject. RESULTS: The primary pre-specified outcome of the analysis reached statistical significance (p = 0.0413), showing greater improvement after citicoline oral solution. There was an increase in the composite score in both arms compared to baseline, but it was significant only for the placebo-citicoline arm (p = 0.0096, p = 0.0007, and p = 0.0006 for the three time-points compared to baseline). The effect of citicoline was stronger in patients with vision-related quality of life more affected by glaucoma at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating the effect of a medical treatment aiming at improving vision-related quality of life in glaucomatous patients

Anonymity and Rewards in Peer Rating Systems

When peers rate each other, they may choose to rate inaccurately in order to boost their own reputation or unfairly lower another’s. This could be successfully mitigated by having a reputation server incentivise accurate ratings with a reward. However, assigning rewards becomes a challenge when ratings are anonymous, since the reputation server cannot tell which peers to reward for rating accurately. To address this, we propose an anonymous peer rating system in which users can be rewarded for accurate ratings, and we formally define its model and security requirements. In our system ratings are rewarded in batches, so that users claiming their rewards only reveal they authored one in this batch of ratings. To ensure the anonymity set of rewarded users is not reduced, we also split the reputation server into two entities, the Rewarder, who knows which ratings are rewarded, and the Reputation Holder, who knows which users were rewarded. We give a provably secure construction satisfying all the security properties required. For our construction we use a modification of a Direct Anonymous Attestation scheme to ensure that peers can prove their own reputation when rating others, and that multiple feedback on the same subject can be detected. We then use Linkable Ring Signatures to enable peers to be rewarded for their accurate ratings, while still ensuring that ratings are anonymous. Our work results in a system which allows for accurate ratings to be rewarded, whilst still providing anonymity of ratings with respect to the central entities managing the system

Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

Imola: A decentralised learning-driven protocol for multi-hop White-Fi

In this paper we tackle the digital exclusion problem in developing and remote locations by proposing Imola, an inexpensive learning-driven access mechanism for multi-hop wireless networks that operate across TV white-spaces (TVWS). Stations running Imola only rely on passively acquired neighbourhood information to achieve scheduled-like operation in a decentralised way, without explicit synchronisation. Our design overcomes pathological circumstances such as hidden and exposed terminals that arise due to carrier sensing and are exceptionally problematic in low frequency bands. We present a prototype implementation of our proposal and conduct experiments in a real test bed, which confirms the practical feasibility of deploying our solution in mesh networks that build upon the IEEE 802.11af standard. Finally, the extensive system level simulations we perform demonstrate that Imola achieves up to 4x\u97 more throughput than the channel access protocol defined by the standard and reduces frame loss rate by up to 100%