Treatment of Gingival Recession

Gingival recession is an intriguing and complex phenomenon. Recession frequently disturbs patients because of sensitivity and esthetics. Many surgical techniques have been introduced to treat gingival recession, including those involving autogenous tissue grafting, various flap designs, orthodontics, and guided tissue regeneration (GTR). This article describes different clinical approaches to treat gingival recession with emphasis on techniques that show promising results and root coverage

What Is Historic Integrity Worth to the General Public? Evidence from a Proposed Relocation of a West Virginia Agricultural Mill

While historians believe that preserving a historic building in its original location is important to maintain its historic integrity, the general publicÂ’s opinion is unknown. Survey data were gathered from local residents regarding a proposed relocation of a historic mill in rural West Virginia. Only a minority of the sample population supported preserving the mill at its original location. Willingness to pay for preservation was estimated at $8.45 for a one-time donation for the sample and$2.29 after adjusting for non-respondents using characteristics of the local population.contingent valuation, historic preservation, Tobit model, willingness to pay, Demand and Price Analysis, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Evaluating the impact of Egyptian social fund for development programs

The Egyptian Social Fund for Development was established in 1991 with a mandate to reduce poverty. Since its inception, it has disbursed about $2.5 billion, of which nearly two-fifths was devoted to supporting microcredit and financing community development and infrastructure. This paper investigates the size of the impact of the Fund’s interventions, whether the benefits have been commensurate with the costs, and whether the programs have been targeted successfully to the poor. The core of the impact evaluation applies propensity-score matching to data from the 2004/2005 national Household Income, Expenditure and Consumption Survey. The authors find that Egypt’s Social Fund for Development programs have had clear and measurable effects, in the expected direction, for all of the programs considered: educational interventions have reduced illiteracy, health and potable water programs have lowered household spending on health, sanitation interventions have cut household spending on sanitation and lowered poverty, and road projects have reduced household transportation costs by 20 percent. Microcredit is associated with higher household expenditures in metropolitan areas and urban Upper Egypt, but not elsewhere. The Social Fund for Development’s road projects generate benefits that, by some estimates, exceed the costs, as do health and potable water interventions; this is less evident for interventions in education and sanitation. The Fund argues that its mission is primarily social, and so should not be judged using a cost-benefit analysis. The Fund support for microcredit is strongly pro-poor; the other programs analyzed have a more modest pro-poor orientation.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,,Rural Poverty Reduction,Housing&Human Habitats,Population Policies

Signalizacija gena za receptor vitamina D, enzim 1 alfa-hidroksilazu i RANTES u mliječnih krava s hipokalcemijom

The aim of the current study focused on screening the signal of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), 1-alpha-hydroxylase (1α-OHase) enzyme, and chemokine regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) genes in dairy cows with hypocalcaemia. A sample of 120 dairy cows (20 dairy cows per herd) in the transition period was studied. Blood samples were drawn from the selected dairy cows for both biochemical and molecular analysis. In cows with subclinical and clinical hypocalcemia, there was a significant (P<0.05) down-regulation of both VDR and RANTES genes, whereas there was a significant (P<0.05) up-regulation of the 1α-OHase enzyme. Moreover, there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in the levels of glucose, parathyroid hormone (PTH), sodium (Na), and chloride (Cl). Furthermore, there was a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the levels of phosphorous and potassium (K). On the animal level, there was a significant association between the expression pattern of the VDR gene and the cows’ breed, the cows’ age, parity number, body condition score, and history of previous transition period disorders. The increase in both the expression of 1α-OHase enzyme and the level of each of PTH, glucose, Na, and Cl in the serum were significant risk factors for the decreased expression of the VDR gene. Likewise, the decrease in both the expression of the RANTES gene and the level of calcium (Ca) and phosphorous in the serum were significant risk factors for decreased expression of the VDR gene. This study revealed that the expression of VDR, 1α-OHase enzyme, and RANTES genes in the blood was greatly affected in dairy cows with hypocalcemia, indicating the need for an extra dose of vitamin D to maintain the normal level of Ca in the blood, especially during periods of high need. Hence, this study provides an insight into the role of vitamin D and its related enzymes in promoting the productivity of dairy cows, especially during the critical production periods.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je nadzor genskog signala za receptor vitamina D (VDR), enzim 1-alfa-hidroksilazu (1 α-OHase) i kemokin (Regulated on Activation Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted – RANTES) u mliječnih krava s hipokalcemijom. Uzorci za biokemijske i molekularne analize prikupljeni su od 120 mliječnih krava (20 krava po stadu), tijekom prijelaznog razdoblja. U krava s subkliničkom i kliničkom hipokalcemijom utvrđena je znakovita (P < 0,05) podregulacija gena VDR i RANTES, te znakovita (P < 0,05) nadregulacija enzima 1-α-Ohaza. Nadalje, u tih životinja došlo je do znakovitog (P < 0,05) povećanja razina glukoze, paratireoidnog hormona (PTH), natrija (Na) i klorida (Cl), te znakovitog (P < 0,05) smanjenja razina fosfora (P) i kalija (K). Uvažavajući različite osobine životinja utvrđena je znakovita povezanost između izražajnosti VDR gena i pasmine krava, dobi krava, redoslijeda teljenja, ocjene tjelesne kondicije te prethodnih poremećaja u prijelaznom razdoblju. Povećanje, s jedne strane ekspresije za enzim 1 α-OHase i s druge strane razine PTH, glukoze, Na i Cl u serumu, dovelo je do znakovitog rizika za smanjenu ekspresiju VDR gena. Isto tako, smanjenje ekspresije gena RANTES i razine kalcija (Ca) i fosfora (P) u serumu bili su značajni čimbenici rizika za smanjenu ekspresiju gena VDR. Ovo je istraživanje pokazalo da je na ekspresiju gena VDR, 1 α-Ohaza i RANTES u krvi mliječnih krava uvelike utjecala hipokalcemija, što upućuje na potrebu dodatne doze vitamina D kako bi se održala normalna razina Ca u krvi, osobito u zahtjevnim razdobljima visoke proizvodnje. Stoga ova studija daje uvid u ulogu vitamina D i s njim povezanih enzima u poboljšanju produktivnosti mliječnih krava, posebno u kritičnim razdobljima proizvodnje

The effectiveness of the English language programme in Saudi state female schools with particular reference to students of medicine

Summary available: p. ii-iii

Molecular Diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus: Comparison Between Cervical and Vaginal Sampling

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most significant cause of cervical cancer. In view of the number of drawbacks associated with endocervical sampling, the gold standard for HPV detection, this study examined the utility and specificity of vaginal sampling as an alternative for endocervical sampling for the routine detection of HPV. Case study: The study comprised 51 women who tested positive and 54 women who tested negative for endocervical HPV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), confirmed by histopathology. At the time of specimen collection, both (speculum-assisted) endocervical and vaginal (no speculum) scrapings were isolated from HPV positive and negativewomen, and HPV DNA was assessed by PCR using the MY09/MY11 primer system;HPV type was identified by hybridization of PCR products with type-specific biotinylated DNA probes. Each participant served as her own control. HPV was detected in vaginal and cervical scrapes from all HPV-positive but not HPV-negative women. In HPV-positive women the same HPV type was found in vaginal and endocervical scrapings (positive predictive value = 1.0). Conclusion: Correlation between vaginal and endocervical sampling methods was excellent in detecting the presence of HPV DNA and for identifying distinct HPV genotypes. Utilization of vaginal testing for routine HPV detection, and for the long-term follow-up of persistent HPV infection, is therefore recommended

Effect of Gastric Fluid Volume on the in Vitro Dissolution and in Vivo Absorption of BCS Class II Drugs: A Case Study with Nifedipine

Nifedipine is a BCS Class II drug used for treatment of hypertension and preterm labor. Large inter-patient variability in nifedipine absorption results in variable exposure among different patients. We conducted in vitro dissolution studies to compare nifedipine dissolution from immediate release (IR) capsules with different volumes of dissolution media. Results from dissolution studies were used to design a crossover study in healthy volunteers to evaluate the effect of coadministered water volume with nifedipine 10 mg IR capsules on nifedipine pharmacokinetics, especially absorption (Cmax, tmax, and AUC0-6). Dissolution studies demonstrated that larger gastric fluid volumes result in enhanced nifedipine dissolution from 10 mg IR cosolvent capsules (73 vs. 17% in 200 and 100 mL simulated gastric fluid, respectively, at 30 min). The pharmacokinetic crossover study in healthy volunteers (N = 6) did not show a significant effect of the water volume administered with the capsule (50 vs. 250 mL) on Cmax, tmax, or AUC0-6 of orally administered nifedipine IR capsules (10 mg). However, administration of large water volumes resulted in lower variability in nifedipine Cmax (47 vs. 70% for 250 and 50 mL, respectively). Administration of large water volumes with nifedipine 10 mg IR cosolvent capsules may reduce inter-individual variability in plasma exposure. Evaluation of similar effects in other BCS Class II drugs is recommended

Organizational Climate Correlates Nurses' Intention to Leave Work

Good organizational climate associated with high degree of employees' satisfaction, performance,  organizational commitment and decrease the intention to leave work.  A descriptive correctional study design was used to determine the correlation between organizational climate and intent to leave work among nurses at main Assuit University Hospital. The total sample size comprised all nurses worked in the selected units was (140) nurse, classified as follows: (89) from general medical unit and (51) from intensive care units. The variables investigated were organizational climate and intent to leave. Data was collected by using the perceived nurse work environment organizational climate scale and the intention to leave factors questionnaire. Our results indicated a negative correlation between organizational climate and nurses’ intention to leave.  In view of our findings we recommend that administrative team of Assuit University Hospital should improve the nurse's salaries, maintaining supportive relationships, sharing them in policy making and administrative decisions. Keywords: Organizational climate, Intent to leave, Nurses, Intensive care units