Health-related quality of life of patients undergoing rehabilitation with implant-supported prostheses

The success of oral reabilitation treatment depend on the re-establishment of the masticatory function and oral comfort of the patient. Objective: To evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients undergoing rehabilitation with implant-supported prostheses by Oral Health Impact Profile - short form questionnaire (OHIP-14) and a questionnaire associated to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Material and methods: Fourteen patients requiring implant-supported prostheses on anterior region were asked to complete the OHIP-14 before, 1 and 3 months, and the VAS questionnaire, 1 and 3 months after the prosthesis installation (sample group). Moreover, fourteen complete dentate patients were asked to complete the OHIP-14 (control group). For each OHIP-14 category, the sample group’s answers were compared between the evaluation periods by the Kruskal-Wallis test, and to the control group’s answers by the U-test. The answers of the questionnaire associated to VAS were compared between the evaluation periods by t-test ( α=0.05). Results: For OHIP-14, there was no statistical difference between the answers after 1 and 3 months; however, there was difference among the answers of baseline, and 1 and 3 months after the prostheses installation, excepted for functional limitation. Comparing to the control group, before the prostheses installation, there was statistical difference for functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical and psychological disability; and, there was no difference after 3 months of prostheses installation. For the questionnaire associated to the VAS, there was no statistical difference between the responses for both evaluation periods, excepted for the prosthesis’ comfort and stability. Conclusion: The rehabilitated patients showed a significant improvement in function, aesthetics, self-esteem, and the quality of life.The success of oral reabilitation treatment depend on the re-establishment of the masticatory function and oral comfort of the patient. Objective: To evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients undergoing rehabilitation with implant-supported prostheses by Oral Health Impact Profile - short form questionnaire (OHIP-14) and a questionnaire associated to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Material and methods: Fourteen patients requiring implant-supported prostheses on anterior region were asked to complete the OHIP-14 before, 1 and 3 months, and the VAS questionnaire, 1 and 3 months after the prosthesis installation (sample group). Moreover, fourteen complete dentate patients were asked to complete the OHIP-14 (control group). For each OHIP-14 category, the sample group’s answers were compared between the evaluation periods by the Kruskal-Wallis test, and to the control group’s answers by the U-test. The answers of the questionnaire associated to VAS were compared between the evaluation periods by t-test ( α=0.05). Results: For OHIP-14, there was no statistical difference between the answers after 1 and 3 months; however, there was difference among the answers of baseline, and 1 and 3 months after the prostheses installation, excepted for functional limitation. Comparing to the control group, before the prostheses installation, there was statistical difference for functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical and psychological disability; and, there was no difference after 3 months of prostheses installation. For the questionnaire associated to the VAS, there was no statistical difference between the responses for both evaluation periods, excepted for the prosthesis’ comfort and stability. Conclusion: The rehabilitated patients showed a significant improvement in function, aesthetics, self-esteem, and the quality of life

Towards Early Warning Signals for Desertification

Dryland ecosystems cover a large share of the world’s terrestrial surface. Deficiency and spatio-temporal variability of precipitation as well as low vegetation growth rates make dry rangelands prone to degradation, especially under changing climate and intensified land use. Degradation often occurs gradually but sometimes, a sudden and surprising shift from a healthy to a degraded rangeland can be observed, where perennial grasses are lost, and bare soil is exposed. If such changes are sudden and irreversible, they are coined a tipping point. Due to their abrupt appearance, it is a great challenge to discover early warning signals that precede the regime shifts. Theory predicts that variance and autocorrelation in state conditions could be used as early warning signals. However, these theoretical assumptions have rarely been tested in real ecosystems. Here, we use a data-based approach to contribute to filling this research gap using desertification processes in a semi-arid rangeland as a case study. In order to test the applicability of theoretical early warning signals for tipping points, we looked at a dataset from Widou, Senegal, that includes annual observations of rainfall, grazing intensity and primary production from 1981 – 2007. We analysed productivity-based metrics, such as rain use efficiency, in order to detect patterns that may precede a shift between alternate stable states. Strong signals of a regime shift were detected that were expressed in a sudden alteration of species composition and general decline of productivity after a drought. However, we did not find any changes in the theoretically proposed parameters that may reflect early warning signals for a critical transition, i.e. the regime shift was essentially unpredictable. We suggest that while the theory around tipping points and early recognition thereof may be robust, the applicability of theoretical concepts to the real world may be challenging

Surface activation of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and formation of calcium phosphate coatings by precipitation

Plasma activation of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surfaces and the influence on coating formation in a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution was investigated in this study. It was observed that plasma treatment in a N2/O2 plasma had a significant effect on the wettability of the PEEK surface. The contact angle decreased from 85° to 25° after plasma treatment. Cell culture testing with osteoblastic cell lines showed plasma activation not to be disadvantageous to cell viability. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was performed to characterize the chemical composition of the PEEK surfaces. It was observed that the O1s intensity increased with plasma activation time. At the C1s peak the appearance of a shoulder at higher binding energies was observed. Coating of PEEK was performed in a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution. Coating thicknesses of up to 50 μm were achieved after 24 days of immersion. Plasma activation followed by nucleation in a highly saturated hydroxyapatite solution had a positive effect on the growth rate of the layer on PEEK. Chemical analysis revealed that the coating consists of a carbonate-containing calcium phosphat

Vertical transport and plant uptake of nanoparticles in a soil mesocosm experiment

Additional file 1. Figure S1. Bright field TEM micrographs and size information of TiO2 particles. Figure S2. MIH calibration curve. Figure S3. Dependence of the Îś-potential [mV] of TiO2 particles on pH. Figure S4. Transmission electron microscopy micrographs of a potential CNT structure. Figure S5. Raman spectra of the employed MWCNT powder and plant samples. Text. Composition of fertilizers, MWCNT analysis of soil with CTO-375. Detailed sample preparation steps of root cross sections for analysis using transmission electron microscopy

Order and Orientation in Self-Assembled Long Chain Alkanephosphate Monolayers Adsorbed on Metal Oxide Substrates

Octadecylphosphoric acid ester was employed to establish monolayers on various flat oxide substrates. The films were prepared via self-assembly from a heptane/propan-2-ol solution. The alkanephosphate was found to produce oriented, well-ordered films on titanium oxide, niobium. oxide, and aluminum oxide surfaces. Contact-angle measurements and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) indicate that these layers closely resemble those formed by a similar thiol-gold system, with respect to packing density, inclination, and molecular order. The preparation scheme appears to be rather universally applicable to a variety of metal oxide substrates. These systems show promise as an approach to functionalizing different oxide surfaces with well-ordered organic monolayers, with potential applications in the fields of corrosion protection, adhesion promotion, biochemical analysis, and sensors.</p

Iodine, Hemin and Heminester as Oxidants in a Synthesis of ATP from ADP and Pi Mediated by Thiols and Disulfides

The conversion of oxidation energy into the energy-rich phosphoryl linkage of ATP has been demonstrated in a system consisting of the tertiary-butylammonium salts of ADP and Pi in pyridine and utilising several mercapto carboxylic acids or their disulfides as mediators and iodine or hemin or hemindimethyl ester as oxidants. Iodine with several thiols in 1:1 molar proportions produces relatively poor yields of ATP (1.5–5.4%) which can be considerably increased (10–15%) when the corresponding disulfides are used, whereas a thioether (N-acetylmethionine) had no effect. This led to the conclusion that disulfides are better substrates and accordingly much higher amounts of ATP were formed from all thiols on using a two-fold amount of oxidant (up to 25.6%). Taking this into account a mechanism has been formulated in which the formation of a phosphorylating species, RS-OPO3H2, is assumed to be formed from disulfides. Hemin and (less efficiently) its dimethyl ester used as oxidants also give rise to the formation of ATP in our system, but only under aerobic conditions. Here optimal yields (up to 16.7%) were obtained with thioglycolate or its disulfide as mediators, a thioether (N-acetylmethionine) being almost ineffective, and no difference in efficiency between thiol acid and disulfide was observed at a hemin: sulfur ratio of 1:1. The yields depend in some way on the hemin: S ratio, lower values giving higher amounts of ATP on oxidation of the mercapto compound, but not of its disulfide. Therefore a reaction mechanism different from that of iodine must be presumed. The formation of the same phosphorylating species as above has been assumed to occur preferently with a thiol and to a lesser extent with a disulfide. The role of oxygen is still rather obscure, for it can not be determined whether it is the terminal electron acceptor or electron carrier. A catalytic participation of hemin could not be demonstrated, perhaps on account of the slow autoxidation rate of the ferrous heme iron

Bewitterung von Kunststoffen in der Automobilindustrie. Weiterbildungs- und Technologie-Forum Zertifizierte Aus- und Weiterbildung nach DIN EN ISO 9001. Fachtagung

Available from TIB Hannover: F99B499 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman