In vitro evaluation of antibacterial properties and smear layer removal/sealer penetration of a novel silver-citrate root canal irrigant

This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a novel silver-citrate root canal irrigation solution (BioAKT) on smear layer removal, sealer penetration after root canal instrumentation and antibacterial activity. Single-root teeth were endodontically treated, sealed with an epoxi-amine resin sealer and irrigated using: Group I: 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Group II: silver-citrate solution (BioAKT). Group III: phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Group IV: 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Smear layer removal and silver deposition at the coronal, middle and apical portion of each canal were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Sealer penetration into dentinal tubules at coronal, middle and apical portion was assessed through dye-assisted confocal microscopy (CSM). Both SEM and CSM micrographs were evaluated by two examiners (\u3ba = 0.86), who were blind to the irrigation regimens. scores were given according to the degree of penetration of the sealer. Data analysis included Pearson's x2 and Sidak's multiple comparisons. Dentin discs were polished and sterilized. Enterococcus faecalis biofilms were grown using a continuous-flow bioreactor under anaerobic conditions for 72 h. Specimens were irrigated with the tested solutions, and bacterial viability was assessed using a tetrazolium salt assay (MTT). Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA and Student's post-hoc t-test (p<0.05). BioAKT and EDTA were the most efficient solutions both in removing the smear layer and allowing sealer penetration. However, at the apical portion BioAKT performed significantly better compared to EDTA both in smear layer removal and sealer penetration (p<0.05). BioAKT and NaOCl showed comparable antibacterial effect (p = 0.53). In conclusion, BioAKT represents a suitable smear layer removal agent, which allows for reliable sealer penetration at the apical portion of the root canal system and offers significant antibacterial properties

Femtosecond laser direct inscription of 3D photonic devices in Er/Yb-doped oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics

[EN]The fabrication of optical waveguides by direct femtosecond laser irradiation in Er3+/Yb3+ oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics is investigated. Following the strategy of single line irradiation, a wide range of laser parameters can be used to obtain single-mode waveguides with nearly-gaussian modal profiles, in the visible and near-infrared. Measured propagation loss is 1.6 dB/cm for the optimum parameters (0.34 μJ/pulse and 20 μm/s scanning velocity), with no annealing after irradiation, and the induced refractive index contrast is Δn∼0.006 (at 800 nm). The multi-scan technique is used to gain control of the refractive index profiles thus producing multimodal structures. The active behavior of the waveguides is induced under ∼800 nm seeding and the co-propagating guidance of the erbium emission is demonstrated. The integration of photonic elements such as Y-splitters, both in 2D and 3D, as well as Mach-Zehnder interferometers, is also shown. Results demonstrate the optimum behavior of Er3+/Yb3+ oxyfluoride nano-glass ceramics as a host material for the integration of complex active photonic devices by femtosecond laser irradiation in the low repetition rate regime.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (FIS2017-87970R, MAT2017-87035-C2-1-P/-2-P); Consejería de Educación, Junta de Castilla y León (SA287P18); Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (GIU17/014); Eusko Jaurlaritza (PIBA2018-24)

Prognostic factors and treatment-effect modifiers in spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease characterized by loss of motor neurons and muscle atrophy. Untreated infants with Type 1 SMA do not achieve major motor milestones, and death from respiratory failure typically occurs before 2 years. Individuals with Types 2 and 3 SMA exhibit milder phenotypes and have better functional and survival outcomes. Herein, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify factors that influence the prognosis of Types 1, 2 and 3 SMA. In untreated infants with Type 1 SMA, absence of symptoms at birth, a later symptom onset and a higher survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2) copy number are all associated with increased survival. Disease duration, age at treatment initiation and, to a lesser extent, baseline function were identified as potential treatment-modifying factors for survival, emphasizing that early treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMT) is essential in Type 1 SMA. In patients with Types 2 and 3 SMA, factors considered prognostic of changes in motor function were SMN2 copy number, age and ambulatory status. Individuals aged 6-15 years were particularly vulnerable to developing complications (scoliosis and progressive joint contractures) which negatively influence functional outcomes and may also affect the therapeutic response in patients. Age at the time of treatment initiation emerged as a treatment-effect modifier on the outcome of DMTs. Factors identified in this review should be considered prior to designing or analyzing studies in an SMA population, conducting population matching or summarizing results from different studies on the treatments for SMA

Innovation in GI teaching and learning: a case-based approach

giCASES – Creating a University-Enterprise Alliance for a Spatially Enabled Society – is a Knowledge Alliance co-funded within the EC ERASMUS+ Programme. General objectives: a) To enable and strengthen innovation in GI education and industry; b) To facilitate the collaborative creation, management and sharing of knowledge. These objectives are addressed by developing new, innovative and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning within the Geographic Information (GI) sector, and facilitating the exchange, flow and co-creation of knowledge. In particular, giCASES aims to: a) Improve the quality and relevance of GI courses provided by the University members of the consortium; b) Facilitate the growth of new knowledge-sharing processes and tools between enterprises and universities; c) Improve the management of knowledge by the partners. The overall approach to address these objectives is to develop new learning material and processes based on case-based learning. In the approach taken in the project, enterprises and academia collaborate both when creating learning material based on real cases and also during and after the courses (through a collaborative platform)

Innovation in GI teaching and learning: a case-based approach

There is a need to align the geospatial education and training offered by European universities with the requirement of the private and public sector to have access to a well-trained Geographic Information workforce. Over the past decades the collaboration between academia and the private and public sector gained importance in research as well as education. However, a more intense collaboration and more innovative methods are necessary to cope with the challenges of the fast evolving technological developments in the geospatial and ICT fields. In the context of the giCASES Erasmus+ project, a case-based and collaborative learning method has been designed based on the concept of co-creation of knowledge. Six case studies have been identified and described to test the approach. The case studies have been analysed and modelled with focus on three collaborative learning patterns. This poster describes the approach, the identified case studies, as well as the collaborative learning patterns. In ongoing and future work, the different patterns will serve as use cases for the deployment of a collaborative learning platform and for testing the co-creation of knowledge

Conservation of energy and momenta in nonholonomic systems with affine constraints

We characterize the conditions for the conservation of the energy and of the components of the momentum maps of lifted actions, and of their `gauge-like' generalizations, in time-independent nonholonomic mechanical systems with affine constraints. These conditions involve geometrical and mechanical properties of the system, and are codified in the so-called reaction-annihilator distribution

Resíduos de mancozebe e etu em mamão: efeito do tratamento hidrotérmico pós-colheita.

O mancozebe é um fungicida não sistêmico, e seus resíduos devem ser diferentes em frutos que recebam ou não o tratamento hidrotérmico, por sua remoção da superfície dos frutos. Por outro lado uma das preocupações quanto à sua toxicologia é a formação de um produto de transformação, favorecido pela temperatura, a etilenotiouréia (ETU). A ETU é estável em água e é rapidamente absorvida e metabolizada pelas plantas mas, não é estável quando exposta a matrizes de produtos agrícolas. Os seus resíduos são estabelecidos em 50 µg kg-1 (50ppb) pela União Européia. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do tratamento hidrotérmico nos resíduos de mancozebe e de ETU em mamão após aplicações sucessivas de mancozebe

A análise de etilenotiouréia em mamão evita resultados falso positivos de resíduos de etileno(bis)ditiocarbamatos.

O principal produto de degradação de etileno(bisditiocarbamatos) (EBDCs) é a etilenotiouréia (ETU), que teoricamente pode estar presente em qualquer cultura tratada com esses fungicidas. A formação endógena de CS2 na família das Caricaceas é um fato comprovado e tem conduzido à conclusão errônea da presença de resíduos de EBDCs. Portanto, é necessário estabelecer um procedimento confirmatório para confirmar a presença desses resíduos, sendo uma possibilidade a determinação dos resíduos do seu metabólito ETU. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os resíduos de ETU e de EBDCs em frutos de mamoeiro que receberam tratamento em campo com o fungicida mancozeb

Risdiplam in Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy

BACKGROUND: Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy is a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease that is caused by low levels of functional survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein. Risdiplam is an orally administered, small molecule that modifies SMN2 pre-messenger RNA splicing and increases levels of functional SMN protein. METHODS: We report the results of part 1 of a two-part, phase 2-3, open-label study of risdiplam in infants 1 to 7 months of age who had type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, which is characterized by the infant not attaining the ability to sit without support. Primary outcomes were safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics (including the blood SMN protein concentration), and the selection of the risdiplam dose for part 2 of the study. Exploratory outcomes included the ability to sit without support for at least 5 seconds. RESULTS: A total of 21 infants were enrolled. Four infants were in a low-dose cohort and were treated with a final dose at month 12 of 0.08 mg of risdiplam per kilogram of body weight per day, and 17 were in a high-dose cohort and were treated with a final dose at month 12 of 0.2 mg per kilogram per day. The baseline median SMN protein concentrations in blood were 1.31 ng per milliliter in the low-dose cohort and 2.54 ng per milliliter in the high-dose cohort; at 12 months, the median values increased to 3.05 ng per milliliter and 5.66 ng per milliliter, respectively, which represented a median of 3.0 times and 1.9 times the baseline values in the low-dose and high-dose cohorts, respectively. Serious adverse events included pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, and acute respiratory failure. At the time of this publication, 4 infants had died of respiratory complications. Seven infants in the high-dose cohort and no infants in the low-dose cohort were able to sit without support for at least 5 seconds. The higher dose of risdiplam (0.2 mg per kilogram per day) was selected for part 2 of the study. CONCLUSIONS: In infants with type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, treatment with oral risdiplam led to an increased expression of functional SMN protein in the blood. (Funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02913482.)