Disinclusion of unerupted teeth by mean of self-ligating brackets: effect of blood contamination on shear bond strength

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of blood contamination on the shear bond strength and failure site of three different orthodontic self-ligating brackets. Study Design: 240 bovine permanent mandibular incisors were randomly divided into 12 groups of 20 specimens each. Orthodontic self-ligating brackets were tested under four different enamel surface conditions: a) dry, b) blood contamination before priming, c) blood contamination after priming, d) blood contamination before and after priming. Brackets were bonded to the teeth and subsequently tested using a Instron universal testing machine. Shear bond strength values and adhesive failure rate were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey tests (strength values), and Chi squared test (ARI Scores). Results: Non-contaminated enamel surfaces showed highest bond strengths for all self ligating brackets. Under blood-contamination shear bond strengths lowered for all brackets tested. Groups contaminated before and after primer application showed the lowest shear bond strength. Significant differences in debond locations were found among the groups under the various enamel surface conditions. Conclusions: Blood contamination of enamel during the bonding procedure lowers bond strength values of self ligating brackets, expecially when contamination occur in different times of the bonding procedure

Can Grasslands in Photovoltaic Parks Play a Role in Conserving Soil Arthropod Biodiversity?

Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1-grassland mowed with tractor; site 2-grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity

Effects of a glucooligosaccharide supplement on the morphological characteristics of the gastro-intestinal tract and growth performance in weaned piglets

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a gluco-oligosaccharide (GOS), as an alternative to growth promoters in piglets, on: growth performance, blood parameters and morphological characteristics of the intestinal tract. Four week old weaned piglets (n=128) (7.2 ± 1.04 kg l.w.) were divided into four groups and fed for 77 days on different diets as follows: 1.- Basal diet (CTR); 2.- Basal diet supplemented with a 2% GOS; 3.- Basal diet supplemented with chlortetracycline and spiramicine at 1000 and 400 mg/ kg, respectively, for 14 days and then fed the CTR basal diet (CTRM); or 4.-a GOS diet supplemented and administered as in group 3 (GOSM). Animals were individually weighed 5 times, on days 0, 14, 35, 56 and 77. At the same time, the feed intake and average daily gains (ADG) were recorded and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. On days 0 and 77, plasma was sampled from 6 piglets/treatment group, whereas on 77th day, 4 piglets/treatment were slaughtered to assess the morphological characteristics of parts of their gastro-intestinal tracts (ileum and caecum). The results showed no effects of the medications on the ADG in all the experimental periods. However, from days 57 to 77 of the trial period, the ADG was found to be higher in the GOS-fed animals (P=0.0747). During the first 14 days of the trial, the piglets on the medicated diets showed a higher intake than the animals in the normal diet groups, but no differences were detectable in the FCR. The globulin concentration and the albumin/globulin ratio was found to be reduced by GOS treatment (P <0.01). The urea concentration in the blood was decreased (P<0.05), whereas the plasma concentration of phosphorous was increased (P<0.01), by GOS supplementation. We found that the heights of the villi in the ileum was higher in the piglets on the GOSM diet compared to CTRM diet: (188.66 mm vs 255.74 mm; P<0.01). We also observed that supplementing these diets with GOS lead to a higher caecum epithelial cell height (11.7 μm vs 14.7 μm; P 0.068) compared with animals on the non-supplemented diets. Our current data indicate that the growth performance did not differ between piglets fed on control, antibiotic- supplemented or GOS-supplemented diets. A dietary supplementation of GOS does increase the villus length, but only in animals previously fed with medicated feeds. The use of GOS seems to exert anti-inflammatory effects upon these animals

Neural stem cell quiescence and stemness are molecularly distinct outputs of the notch3 signalling cascade in the vertebrate adult brain

International audienceNeural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult vertebrate brain are found in a quiescent state and can preserve long-lasting progenitor potential (stemness). Whether and how these two properties are linked, and to what extent they can be independently controlled by NSC maintenance pathways, is unresolved. We have previously identified Notch3 signalling as a major quiescence-promoting pathway in adult NSCs of the zebrafish pallium. We now show that Notch3 also controls NSC stemness. Using parallel transcriptomic characterizations of notch3 mutant NSCs and adult NSC physiological states, we demonstrate that a set of potentially direct Notch3 target genes distinguishes quiescence and stemness control. As a proof of principle, we focus on one 'stemness' target, encoding the bHLH transcription factor Hey1, that has not yet been analysed in adult NSCs. We show that abrogation of Hey1 function in adult pallial NSCs in vivo, including quiescent NSCs, leads to their differentiation without affecting their proliferation state. These results demonstrate that quiescence and stemness are molecularly distinct outputs of Notch3 signalling, and identify Hey1 as a major Notch3 effector controlling NSC stemness in the vertebrate adult brain

Head-to-tail oligomerization of calsequestrin: a novel mechanism for heterogeneous distribution of endoplasmic reticulum luminal proteins

Many proteins retained within the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) lumen express the COOH-terminal tetrapeptide KDEL, by which they continuously recycle from the Golgi complex; however, others do not express the KDEL retrieval signal. Among the latter is calsequestrin (CSQ), the major Ca2+-binding protein condensed within both the terminal cisternae of striated muscle SR and the ER vacuolar domains of some neurons and smooth muscles. To reveal the mechanisms of condensation and establish whether it also accounts for ER/SR retention of CSQ, we generated a variety of constructs: chimeras with another similar protein, calreticulin (CRT); mutants truncated of COOH- or NH2-terminal domains; and other mutants deleted or point mutated at strategic sites. By transfection in L6 myoblasts and HeLa cells we show here that CSQ condensation in ER-derived vacuoles requires two amino acid sequences, one at the NH2 terminus, the other near the COOH terminus. Experiments with a green fluorescent protein GFP/CSQ chimera demonstrate that the CSQ-rich vacuoles are long-lived organelles, unaffected by Ca2+ depletion, whose almost complete lack of movement may depend on a direct interaction with the ER. CSQ retention within the ER can be dissociated from condensation, the first identified process by which ER luminal proteins assume a heterogeneous distribution. A model is proposed to explain this new process, that might also be valid for other luminal proteins

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of blood contamination on the shear bond strength and failure site of three different orthodontic self-ligating brackets. Study Design: 240 bovine permanent mandibular incisors were randomly divided into 12 groups of 20 specimens each. Orthodontic self-ligating brackets were tested under four different enamel surface conditions: a) dry, b) blood contamination before priming, c) blood contamination after priming, d) blood contamination before and after priming. Brackets were bonded to the teeth and subsequently tested using a Instron universal testing machine. Shear bond strength values and adhesive failure rate were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey tests (strength values), and Chi squared test (ARI Scores). Results: Non-contaminated enamel surfaces showed highest bond strengths for all self ligating brackets. Under blood-contamination shear bond strengths lowered for all brackets tested. Groups contaminated before and after primer application showed the lowest shear bond strength. Significant differences in debond locations were found among the groups under the various enamel surface conditions. Conclusions: Blood contamination of enamel during the bonding procedure lowers bond strength values of self ligating brackets, expecially when contamination occur in different times of the bonding procedure. Disinclusion, self ligating brackets, blood, contamination, enamel, orthodontics, oral surgery. Scribante A, Sfondrini MF, Gatti S, Gandini P. Disinclusion of unerupted teeth by mean of self-ligating brackets: Effect of blood contamination on shear bond strength. Key Words

Proximity array device: a novel photon detector working in long wavelengths

We present here an innovative photon detector based on the proximity junction array device (PAD) working at long wavelengths. We show that the vortex dynamics in PAD undergoes a transition from a Mott insulator to a vortex metal state by application of an external magnetic field. The PAD also evidences a Josephson I-V characteristic with the external field dependent tunneling current. At high applied currents, we observe a dissipative regime in which the vortex dynamics is dominated by the quasi-particle contribution from the normal metal. The PAD has a relatively high photo-response even at frequencies below the expected characteristic frequency while, its superconducting properties such as the order parameter and the Josephson characteristic frequency can be modulated via external fields to widen the detection band. This device represents a promising and reliable candidate for new high-sensitivity long-wavelength detectors. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Effect of the Purinergic Inhibitor Oxidized ATP in a Model of Islet Allograft Rejection

The lymphocytic ionotropic purinergic P2X receptors (P2X1R-P2X7R, or P2XRs) sense ATP released during cell damage-activation, thus regulating T-cell activation. We aim to define the role of P2XRs during islet allograft rejection and to establish a novel anti-P2XRs strategy to achieve long-term islet allograft function. Our data demonstrate that P2X1R and P2X7R are induced in islet allograft-infiltrating cells, that only P2X7R is increasingly expressed during alloimmune response, and that P2X1R is augmented in both allogeneic and syngeneic transplantation. In vivo short-term P2X7R targeting (using periodate-oxidized ATP [oATP]) delays islet allograft rejection, reduces the frequency of Th1/Th17 cells, and induces hyporesponsiveness toward donor antigens. oATP-treated mice displayed preserved islet grafts with reduced Th1 transcripts. P2X7R targeting and rapamycin synergized in inducing long-term islet function in 80% of transplanted mice and resulted in reshaping of the recipient immune system. In vitro P2X7R targeting using oATP reduced T-cell activation and diminished Th1/Th17 cytokine production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from long-term islet-transplanted patients showed an increased percentage of P2X7R+CD4+ T cells compared with controls. The beneficial effects of oATP treatment revealed a role for the purinergic system in islet allograft rejection, and the targeting of P2X7R is a novel strategy to induce long-term islet allograft function

Effect of the Purinergic Inhibitor Oxidized ATP in a Model of Islet Allograft Rejection

The lymphocytic ionotropic purinergic P2X receptors (P2X1R-P2X7R, or P2XRs) sense ATP released during cell damage-activation, thus regulating T-cell activation. We aim to define the role of P2XRs during islet allograft rejection and to establish a novel anti-P2XRs strategy to achieve long-term islet allograft function. Our data demonstrate that P2X1R and P2X7R are induced in islet allograft-infiltrating cells, that only P2X7R is increasingly expressed during alloimmune response, and that P2X1R is augmented in both allogeneic and syngeneic transplantation. In vivo short-term P2X7R targeting (using periodate-oxidized ATP [oATP]) delays islet allograft rejection, reduces the frequency of Th1/Th17 cells, and induces hyporesponsiveness toward donor antigens. oATP-treated mice displayed preserved islet grafts with reduced Th1 transcripts. P2X7R targeting and rapamycin synergized in inducing long-term islet function in 80% of transplanted mice and resulted in reshaping of the recipient immune system. In vitro P2X7R targeting using oATP reduced T-cell activation and diminished Th1/Th17 cytokine production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from long-term islet-transplanted patients showed an increased percentage of P2X7R+CD4+ T cells compared with controls. The beneficial effects of oATP treatment revealed a role for the purinergic system in islet allograft rejection, and the targeting of P2X7R is a novel strategy to induce long-term islet allograft function