Difference in the color stability of direct and indirect resin composites

Indirect resin composites are generally regarded to have better color stability than direct resin composites since they possess higher conversion degree. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at comparing the changes in color (ΔE) and color coordinates (ΔL, Δa and Δb) of one direct (Estelite Sigma: 16 shades) and 2 indirect resin composites (BelleGlass NG: 16 shades; Sinfony: 26 shades) after thermocycling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Resins were packed into a mold and light cured; post-curing was performed on indirect resins. Changes in color and color coordinates of 1-mm-thick specimens were determined after 5,000 cycles of thermocycling on a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: ΔE values were in the range of 0.3 to 1.2 units for direct resins, and 0.3 to 1.5 units for indirect resins, which were clinically acceptable (Δ

Transgene integration - an analysis in autotransgenic Labeo rohita Hamilton (Pisces: Cyprinidae)

Transgenic Labeo rohita founder population was analyzed for the presence of autotransgene having histone 3 promoter and growth hormone (GH) cDNA (LRH3-GHcDNA) or total GH gene (LRH3-GH2.8) by PCR with transgene specific primers. Transgene specific amplification was seen with LRH3-GHcDNA in five out of seven individuals and all three fishes with LRH3-GH2.8, indicating their transgenic nature. Transgene integration was also studied by Southern hybridization of DNA isolated from blood of the transgenic fishes with two different probes (histone 3 promoter and cDNA of L. rohita). Autotransgene integration was confirmed in all PCR positive transgenic individuals. The site of integration of the transgene in the genome of the four transgenic fish could be determined by inverse PCR. Two individuals showed integration at the same site whereas in the remaining two individuals the integration sites were different

Difference in the color stability of direct and indirect resin composites

Indirect resin composites are generally regarded to have better color stability than direct resin composites since they possess higher conversion degree. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed at comparing the changes in color (&#916;E) and color coordinates (&#916;L, &#916;a and &#916;b) of one direct (Estelite Sigma: 16 shades) and 2 indirect resin composites (BelleGlass NG: 16 shades; Sinfony: 26 shades) after thermocycling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Resins were packed into a mold and light cured; post-curing was performed on indirect resins. Changes in color and color coordinates of 1-mm-thick specimens were determined after 5,000 cycles of thermocycling on a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: &#916;E values were in the range of 0.3 to 1.2 units for direct resins, and 0.3 to 1.5 units for indirect resins, which were clinically acceptable (&#916;E0.05), while &#916;L, &#916;a and &#916;b values were signifcantly different by the type of resins (p<0.05). For indirect resins, &#916;E values were infuenced by the brand, shade group and shade designation based on three-way ANOVA (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Direct and indirect resin composites showed similar color stability after 5,000 cycles of thermocycling; however, their changes in the color coordinates were different

Studies of the Decay B+- -> D_CP K+-

We report studies of the decay B+- -> D_CP K+-, where D_CP denotes neutral D mesons that decay to CP eigenstates. The analysis is based on a 29.1/fb data sample of collected at the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e+ e- storage ring. Ratios of branching fractions of Cabibbo-suppressed to Cabibbo-favored processes involving D_CP are determined to be B(B- -> D_1 K-)/B(B- -> D_1 pi-)=0.125 +- 0.036 +- 0.010 and B(B- -> D_2 K-)/B(B- -> D_2 pi-)=0.119 +- 0.028 +- 0.006, where indices 1 and 2 represent the CP=+1 and CP=-1 eigenstates of the D0 - anti D0 system, respectively. We also extract the partial rate asymmetries for B+- -> D_CP K+-, finding A_1 = 0.29 +- 0.26 +- 0.05 and A_2 = -0.22 +- 0.24 +- 0.04.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Phase II study of weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine in patients with metastatic or recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This phase II study assessed the response rate and toxicity profile of weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine in patients with metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE)</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients with histologically confirmed SCCE were treated with paclitaxel 80 mg/m²intravenously on days 1 and 8 plus capecitabine 900 mg/m²orally twice a day on days 1-14. Treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Between 2006 and 2009, 32 patients were enrolled. Twelve patients were chemotherapy-naïve. Twenty patients had received prior chemotherapy including platinum-based regimens. Patients received a median of 5 cycles of treatment (range, 1-12). The response rate was 75% (95%CI; 50.5~99.5%) in the first-line and 45% (95%CI; 26.9~73.1%) in the second-line. With a median follow-up of 20.7 months, median progression-free survival was 5.2 months (95% CI, 4.0 to 6.4) for all patients and median overall survival (OS) was 11.7 months (95% CI, 5.5 to 18.0) for all patients. The median OS was 14.3 months (95% CI, 10.6 to 18.0) for patients receiving therapy as 1^stline and 8.4 months (95% CI, 6.6 to 10.1) for those receiving as 2^nd-line therapy. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 53.3% of the patients, which was the most common cause of dose reduction. G3 non-hematologic toxicity included stomatitis (9.4%), asthenia (6.3%), and hand-foot skin reaction (3.1%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Weekly paclitaxel and capecitabine is a highly active and well-tolerated regimen in patients with metastatic or recurrent SCCE in the first-line as well as second-line setting.</p

Improvement in survival among HIV-infected individuals in the Republic of Korea: Need for an early HIV diagnosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is little information describing survival in HIV-infected patients after primary diagnosis in Korea, and changes in survival over time. This study investigated survival times, survival characteristics, and changes in survival after initial HIV diagnosis. Survival was characterized by evaluation of the immune status at primary HIV diagnosis nationwide.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 5,323 HIV-infected individuals were registered with the government and followed until the end of 2007. Survival following HIV diagnosis was estimated based on epidemiological characteristics. We examined 3,369 individuals with available initial CD4+ T-cell counts within 6 months of HIV diagnosis to estimate survival based on immune status at diagnosis. The association between epidemiological variables and survival times was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox's proportional hazards model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Individuals died during the study period (n = 980), and 45% of the individuals died within 6 months of HIV diagnosis. The median survival following HIV diagnosis was 16.7 years. Survival were longer in women, in younger persons, in individuals diagnosed at blood centers, and in individuals diagnosed later in the study period. Survival were shortest in individuals with CD4+ T-cell counts <200 cells/mm³at HIV diagnosis. These results suggest that early HIV diagnosis in Korea is imperative to increase survival and to promote the quality of life for HIV-infected individuals with governmental support.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The median survival time of HIV-infected individuals following HIV diagnosis was 16.7 years in Korea. The survival was significantly lower in individuals with CD4+ T-cell counts <200 cells/mm³at HIV diagnosis and higher by introduction of drugs and development of therapy.</p

Inhibitory effect of 4-O-methylhonokiol on lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation, amyloidogenesis and memory impairment via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB in vitro and in vivo models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuroinflammation is important in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer disease (AD). Previously, we demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation caused memory impairments. In the present study, we investigated the possible preventive effects of 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol, a constituent of <it>Magnolia officinalis</it>, on memory deficiency caused by LPS, along with the underlying mechanisms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated whether 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol (0.5 and 1 mg/kg in 0.05% ethanol) prevents memory dysfunction and amyloidogenesis on AD model mice by intraperitoneal LPS (250 μg/kg daily 7 times) injection. In addition, LPS-treated cultured astrocytes and microglial BV-2 cells were investigated for anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-amyloidogenic effect of 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonkiol (0.5, 1 and 2 μM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Oral administration of 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol ameliorated LPS-induced memory impairment in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol prevented the LPS-induced expression of inflammatory proteins; inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as well as activation of astrocytes (expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein; GFAP) in the brain. In <it>in vitro </it>study, we also found that 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol suppressed the expression of iNOS and COX-2 as well as the production of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E₂, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β in the LPS-stimulated cultured astrocytes. 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol also inhibited transcriptional and DNA binding activity of NF-κB via inhibition of IκB degradation as well as p50 and p65 translocation into nucleus of the brain and cultured astrocytes. Consistent with the inhibitory effect on neuroinflammation, 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol inhibited LPS-induced Aβ_1-42generation, β- and γ-secretase activities, and expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP), BACE1 and C99 as well as activation of astrocytes and neuronal cell death in the brain, in cultured astrocytes and in microglial BV-2 cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol inhibits LPS-induced amyloidogenesis via anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Thus, 4-<it>O</it>-methylhonokiol can be a useful agent against neuroinflammation-associated development or the progression of AD.</p

Performance of CMS muon reconstruction in pp collision events at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The performance of muon reconstruction, identification, and triggering in CMS has been studied using 40 inverse picobarns of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the LHC in 2010. A few benchmark sets of selection criteria covering a wide range of physics analysis needs have been examined. For all considered selections, the efficiency to reconstruct and identify a muon with a transverse momentum pT larger than a few GeV is above 95% over the whole region of pseudorapidity covered by the CMS muon system, abs(eta) < 2.4, while the probability to misidentify a hadron as a muon is well below 1%. The efficiency to trigger on single muons with pT above a few GeV is higher than 90% over the full eta range, and typically substantially better. The overall momentum scale is measured to a precision of 0.2% with muons from Z decays. The transverse momentum resolution varies from 1% to 6% depending on pseudorapidity for muons with pT below 100 GeV and, using cosmic rays, it is shown to be better than 10% in the central region up to pT = 1 TeV. Observed distributions of all quantities are well reproduced by the Monte Carlo simulation.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO