Effect of Contrast, Stimulus Density, and Viewing Distance on Multifocal Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (MSVs)

We investigated the effects of image contrast, stimulus density, and viewing distance upon a multifocal steady-state visual evoked potential (MSV) method. Fourteen adults with normal vision (mean age = 27.0 ± 6.6 years; 6 males) participated in the stud

Enzymatic resistance of corneas crosslinked using riboflavin in conjunction with low energy, high energy, and pulsed UVA irradiation modes

Purpose: To investigate the effect of various riboflavin/ultraviolet light (UVA) crosslinking (CXL) protocols on corneal enzymatic resistance. Methods: A total of 66 enucleated porcine eyes, with the corneal epithelium removed, were divided into 6 groups. Group 1 remained untreated. Groups 2 to 6 received riboflavin/dextran for 30 minutes. Group 3 underwent standard CXL (SCXL) with 3 mW/cm2 UVA for 30 minutes (total energy dose 5.4 J/cm2). Groups 4 and 5 underwent high intensity CXL (HCXL) using 30 mW/cm2 UVA for 3 minutes (5.4 J/cm2) and 30 mW/cm2 for 4 minutes (7.2 J/cm2), respectively. Group 6 was exposed to 8 minutes of 30 mW/cm2 UVA in a 10-second on/10-second off pulsed-radiation mode (p-HCXL; 7.2 J/cm2). A central 8-mm disk from each cornea was submerged in pepsin digest solution at 23°C and measured daily. After 13 days, the dry weight was recorded from 5 samples in each group. Results: The CXL-treated corneas took longer to digest than nonirradiated corneas (P < 0.0001). Differences in digestion time also were observed between CXL groups, such that, HCXL (5.4 J/cm2) < SCXL (5.4 J/cm2) < HCXL (7.2 J/cm2) < p-HCXL (7.2 J/cm2; P < 0.0001). The dry weight of the SCXL (5.4 J/cm2) group was higher than the HCXL (5.4 and 7.2 J/cm2; P < 0.001) and p-HCXL 7.2 J/cm2 (P <0.05) groups. No difference was detected between the HCXL and p-HCXL 7.2 J/cm2 groups. Conclusions: The intensity and distribution of the crosslinks formed within the cornea vary with different UVA protocols. The precise location and amount of crosslinking needed to prevent disease progression is unknown

The effect of bacteriochlorophyll derivative WST-D and near infrared light on the molecular and fibrillar architecture of the corneal stroma

A cross-linking technique involving application of Bacteriochlorophyll Derivative WST-11 mixed with dextran (WST-D) to the epithelium-debrided cornea and illumination with Near Infrared (NIR), has been identified as a promising therapy for stiffening pathologically weakened corneas. To investigate its effect on corneal collagen architecture, x-ray scattering and electron microscopy data were collected from paired WST-D/NIR treated and untreated rabbit corneas. The treated eye received 2.5 mg/mL WST-D and was illuminated by a NIR diode laser (755 nm, 10 mW/cm2). An increase in corneal thickness (caused by corneal oedema) occurred at 1-day post-treatment but resolved in the majority of cases within 4 days. The epithelium was fully healed after 6–8 days. X-ray scattering revealed no difference in average collagen interfibrillar spacing, fibril diameter, D-periodicity or intermolecular spacing between treated and untreated specimens. Similarly, electron microscopy images of the anterior and posterior stroma in healed WST-D/NIR corneas and untreated controls revealed no obvious differences in collagen organisation or fibril diameter. As the size and organisation of stromal collagen is closely associated with the optical properties of the cornea, the absence of any large-scale changes following treatment confirms the potential of WST-D/NIR therapy as a means of safely stiffening the cornea

Integration of transcriptome and metabolome provides unique insights to pathways associated with obese breast cancer patients

Information regarding transcriptome and metabolome has significantly contributed to identifying potential therapeutic targets for the management of a variety of cancers. Obesity has profound effects on both cancer cell transcriptome and metabolome that can affect the outcome of cancer therapy. The information regarding the potential effects of obesity on breast cancer (BC) transcriptome, metabolome, and its integration to identify novel pathways related to disease progression are still elusive. We assessed the whole blood transcriptome and serum metabolome, as circulating metabolites, of obese BC patients compared them with non-obese BC patients. In these patients' samples, 186 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, comprising 156 upregulated and 30 downregulated. The expressions of these gene were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, 96 deregulated metabolites were identified as untargeted metabolomics in the same group of patients. These detected DEGs and deregulated metabolites enriched in many cellular pathways. Further investigation, by integration analysis between transcriptomics and metabolomics data at the pathway levels, revealed seven unique enriched pathways in obese BC patients when compared with non-obese BC patients, which may provide resistance for BC cells to dodge the circulating immune cells in the blood. In conclusion, this study provides information on the unique pathways altered at transcriptome and metabolome levels in obese BC patients that could provide an important tool for researchers and contribute further to knowledge on the molecular interaction between obesity and BC. Further studies are needed to confirm this and to elucidate the exact underlying mechanism for the effects of obesity on the BC initiation or/and progression

αv integrins: key regulators of tissue fibrosis

Chronic tissue injury with fibrosis results in the disruption of tissue architecture, organ dysfunction and eventual organ failure. Therefore, the development of effective anti-fibrotic therapies is urgently required. During fibrogenesis, complex interplay occurs between cellular and extracellular matrix components of the wound healing response. Integrins, a family of transmembrane cell adhesion molecules, play a key role in mediating intercellular and cell-matrix interactions. Thus, integrins provide a major node of communication between the extracellular matrix, inflammatory cells, fibroblasts and parenchymal cells and, as such, are intimately involved in the initiation, maintenance and resolution of tissue fibrosis. Modulation of members of the αv integrin family has exhibited profound effects on fibrosis in multiple organs and disease states. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of the mechanisms of αv-integrin-mediated regulation of fibrogenesis and show that the therapeutic targeting of specific αv integrins represents a promising avenue to treat patients with a broad range of fibrotic diseases

The dome technique: a new surgical technique to enhance soft-tissue margins and emergence profiles around implants placed in the esthetic zone

Tassos Irinakis,1 Salwa Aldahlawi1,2 1Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 2Faculty of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Achieving symmetry of the soft-tissue margins between anterior maxillary dental-implant restorations and adjacent teeth is a therapeutic challenge for both the implant surgeon and the restorative dentist. This article describes a modified procedure utilizing autogenous connective-tissue grafts to improve primarily buccal soft-tissue margins and secondarily interproximal tissues around tooth-bound single dental implants. This technique has the advantage of allowing for coronal augmentation of the peri-implant soft tissue while maximizing the blood supply to the area by using tunneling-technique principles. A detailed description of the technique and a case with a stable result over 24 months after crown placement is presented. Keywords: esthetic dental treatment, peri-implant soft tissue, autogenous connective-tissue grafts, dental implants, soft tissue augmentation, tunnel technique&nbsp

Evaluation of chemokine CXCL10 in human gingival crevicular fluid, saliva, and serum as periodontitis biomarker

Salwa Aldahlawi,1 Abdel-Rahman Youssef,1 Syed Shahabuddin2,3 1Department of Basic and Clinical Oral Sciences, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 2Abbvie, North Chicago, IL,USA; 3Deportment of Biology, City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate CXCL10 as a biomarker for periodontitis by determining the CXCL10 levels in saliva, serum, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples from periodontally healthy control subjects and adult subjects with chronic periodontitis.Patients and methods: Adult patients seeking dental treatment at Umm Al-Qura University dental clinic underwent a complete periodontal examination, and saliva, serum, and GCF samples were collected. Subjects were classified as chronic periodontitis patients (n=31) if they have a periodontal probing depth (PD) of &ge;4 mm and/or clinical attachment level (CAL) of &ge;3 mm in &gt;30% of the teeth. The control group (n=25) had PD &le;3 mm and/or CAL &le;2 mm. ELISA was performed to determine the concentration of CXCL10 in saliva, serum, and GCF samples. Student&rsquo;s t-test was carried out to evaluate the significant difference between different groups. Spearman&rsquo;s correlation test was used to analyze the relationship between the levels of CXCL10 and the clinical periodontal parameters. P-value of &le;0.05 was considered significant.Results: Significantly higher concentrations of CXCL10 were found in saliva and serum in chronic periodontitis patients as compared with the controls (272&plusmn;60.4 pg/mL and 72&plusmn;13.4 pg/mL vs 130&plusmn;22.2 pg/mL and 44.08&plusmn;4.5 pg/mL, P&le;0.05). The CXCL10 levels in GCF were higher in the periodontitis group as compared with the control group (66.36&plusmn;32.0 pg/mL and 44.56&plusmn;17.5 pg/mL, respectively); the difference did not reach statistical significance (P&ge;0.05). Moreover, serum CXCL10 level was significantly higher in periodontitis patients with moderate to severe bone loss as compared with those with mild bone loss (71.05&plusmn;4.7 pg/mL vs 54.8&plusmn;7.7 pg/mL, P&le;0.05). The serum CXCL10 levels were found to be related to CAL measurements (r=0.3, P=0.026), while the saliva CXCL10 levels were related to PD measurements (r=0.8, P=0.0007).Conclusion: CXCL10 is significantly increased in periodontitis subjects as compared with controls and could be used as a marker for periodontal disease. Keywords: periodontal disease, alveolar bone loss, gingival crevicular fluid, saliva, serum, biomarker, CXCL10, IP-1

The effect of implant placement torque on crestal bone remodeling after 1 year of loading

Salwa Aldahlawi,1 Angela Demeter,2 Tassos Irinakis3 1Department of Basic and Clinical Oral Sciences, College of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia; 2Private Practice, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 3Graduate Periodontic Program, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare crestal bone levels (CBLs) after 1 year of loading of self-tapping bone condensing implants placed with high insertion torque (IT) compared to those placed with lower IT. Materials and methods: A retrospective chart review of 66 consecutive patients who received at least one self-tapping bone condensing implant and were in function for at least 1 year was conducted. On the basis of intrasurgical notes documenting the implant IT, the patient population was divided into group A (implant IT, &gt;55 Ncm) and group B (IT, &lt;55 Ncm). Radiographs taken immediately after insertion and during annual follow-up appointments were evaluated for detecting crestal bone loss. The relationship between IT and crestal bone loss, bone density, and jaw location were analyzed, and a P-value of 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 113 self-tapping bone condensing NobelActiveTM implants were placed. The average follow-up period from the placement of the implant restoration was 12.87 (&plusmn;4.83) months. Six implants were classified as failures resulting in overall survival rate of 94.6%. Implants in group A had a mean IT of 67.35 &plusmn; 4.0 Ncm, whereas implants in the group B had a mean IT of 37.9 &plusmn; 12.62 Ncm. Implants in group A had statistically significant crestal bone loss compared to implants in group B (0.95 &plusmn; 1.60 and 0.18 &plusmn; 0.68 mm, respectively). Group A implants placed in the mandible showed significantly more pronounced crestal bone loss (2.12 &plusmn; 1.99 mm) compared to those placed in the maxilla (0.25 &plusmn; 0.65 mm; P&lt;0.05); however, this was not the case in group B implants. Conclusion: Implants inserted with high IT (&gt;55 Ncm) showed more peri-implant bone remodeling than implants inserted with a less assertive IT (&lt;55 Ncm). Bone density and jaw location affect IT and CBLs. Keywords: dental implant, nobelactive, insertion torque, torque, crestal bone level, marginal bone leve