Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties of the Co2Mn1-x V-x Sb (0 <= x <= 1 ) Heusler Compounds

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of the Co2Mn1-x V-x Sb (0 <= x <= 1) Heusler compounds have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), magnetometric measurements, and full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. All compounds crystallize in a cubic Cu2MnAl-type crystal structure with the space group Fm-3m. The samples for x < 0.8 have the Curie temperatures above room temperature, while the Curie temperature is observed at 68 K for the sample with x = 0.8. The saturation magnetization at 5 K decreases linearly with increasing vanadium concentration x. The values of the saturation magnetization obtained by FP-LAPW-local density approximation (LDA) calculations are in better agreement with the experimental results compared with the results obtained by FP-LAPW-generalized gradient approximation (GGA) calculations

Characterisation and microleakage of a new hydrophilic fissure sealant - UltraSeal XT (R) hydro (TM)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterise the new hydrophilic fissure sealant, UltraSeal XT (R) hydro (TM) (Ultradent Products, USA), and to investigate its in vitro resistance to microleakage after placement on conventionally acid etched and sequentially lased and acid etched molars. Material and Methods: The sealant was characterised by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and Vickers indentation test. Occlusal surfaces of extracted human molars were either conventionally acid etched (n=10), or sequentially acid etched and laser irradiated (n=10). UltraSeal XT (R) hydro (TM) was applied to both groups of teeth which were then subjected to 2,500 thermocycles between 5 and 55 degrees C prior to microleakage assessment by fuchsin dye penetration. Results: UltraSeal XT (R) hydro (TM) is an acrylate-based sealant that achieved a degree of conversion of 50.6 +/- 2.2% and a Vickers microhardness of 24.2 +/- 1.5 under standard light curing (1,000 mWcm(-2) for 20 s). Fluoride ion release is negligible within a 14-day period. SEM and EDX analyses indicated that the sealant comprises irregular submicron and nano sized silicon-, barium-, and aluminium-bearing filler phases embedded in a ductile matrix. Laser preconditioning was found to significantly reduce microleakage (Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.001). The lased teeth presented enhanced surface roughness on a 50 to 100 mu m scale that caused the segregation and concentration of the filler particles at the enamel-sealant interface. Conclusion: Laser preconditioning significantly decreased microleakage and increased enamel surface roughness, which caused zoning of the filler particles at the enamel-sealant interface

Reliability and validity study of the Turkish Version of the Psychache Scale

WOS: 000440082300002Objective: Suicidal rates are increasing rather than decreasing. In the case of suicide, the evaluations of individuals at the time of consult are vital for both the patient and the clinician. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Psychache Scale used in the evaluation of suicidal behavior and/or suspected individuals. Methods: The study was carried out with 106 inpatients and outpatients with major depressive disorder who were treated in cukurova University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and 94 healthy controls. In addition to Turkish version of the Psychache Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, and Visual Analogue Scale were administered to the patient and control groups. The scales were filled in by the participants. Results: Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.98 in the internal consistency and item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.80-0.92. In the exploratory factor analysis, a one-factor solution was obtained and the eigenvalue was 10.09, explaining 77.60% of the total variance. The factor loadings of the Psychache Scale items ranged from 0.73 to 0.93. According the discriminant function analysis, it was determined that the patient group and the healthy group, suicide attempted and non-attempted patient groups, and the each group when three groups were taken together were classified (respectively overall, 90.00%, 65.10%; 74.50%) well by the scale. Conclusion: Turkish version of the Psychache Scale has been shown to be reliable and valid

Evaluation of chromosomal damage, cytostasis, cytotoxicity, oxidative DNA damage and their association with body-mass index in obese subjects

Over-weight and obesity are serious problems that increase the risk not only for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease but also of various types of cancer. This study was conducted to evaluate cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMN-cyt) assay parameters and plasma concentrations of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and their relationship with age, body-mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in 83 obese, 21 over-weight and 21 normal-weight subjects. Frequencies of micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB), nuclear buds (NBUD), and apoptotic and necrotic cells in lymphocytes of obese subjects were found to be significantly higher than those found in normal-weight and over-weight subjects (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05), whereas plasma concentrations of 8-0HdG in obese subjects were lower than those observed in normal-weight and over-weight subjects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). There was a negative correlation between age and frequency of necrotic cells and NDI (p < 0.05), whereas there was no correlation between BMI, WHR, CBMN cyt assay parameters and plasma 8-0HdG in normal-weight subjects. In over-weight subjects, a negative correlation was observed between age and NDI (p < 0.01) and a positive correlation between age and frequency of NPB (p <0.01) and between BMI and frequency of NBUD (p < 0.05). In obese subjects, a negative correlation was observed between age and NDI (p < 0.01) and between BMI and NDI (p < 0.05), whereas no correlation was observed between WHR and CBMN-cyt assay parameters and plasma 8-0HdG. However, frequencies of MN, NPB, NBUD, apoptotic and necrotic cells in total over-weight/obese (p < 0.01/p < 0.05) and all subjects (p < 0.01) increased with increasing BMI. The increase in genomic damage (MN, NPB and NBUD) in obese subjects and the positive correlation between genomic damage and BMI in total over-weight/obese subjects indicate that obesity increases genomic damage and may be associated with an increased risk of cancer, because an increase in MN frequency is a predictor of cancer risk. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved