Byzantium, its Slavic Elements and their Culture (sixth to ninth centuries)

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The Ghost of Athens in Byzantine and Ottoman Times

Among early Byzantines the history of the Athenians retained someinterest for the history of education and the last phase of the performance ofpagan religious ceremonies. After the reign of Justinian even this restrictedhistory disappears, and Athens lives on as a kind of mythic survival of theByzantine literary cult of ancient Hellenism. Still the use of both forms of theGreek language (learned, popular) continued as is evidenced by the Parthenoninscriptions and the writings of Byzantine classicizing bureaucrats. This“ghost” of classical Athens became even more diluted in Ottoman times. Itwas in the writing of two historical memories by two Athenians that the Ghostof Athens and its actual contemporary history were reunited at a time of theinfluence of the European Enlightenment and the expansion of capitalist institutions(maritime commerce). The two authors were the Athenians Benizelosand Skouzes, the former a classicizing teacher and the latter a merchantmarine captain

A study on the fracture strength of collarless metal-ceramic fixed partial dentures

PURPOSE. The objective of this study was to evaluate fracture strength of collarless metal-ceramic FPDs according to their metal coping designs. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Four different facial margin design groups were investigated. Group A was a coping with a thin facial metal collar, group B was a collarless coping with its facial metal to the shoulder, group C was a collarless coping with its facial metal 1 mm short of the shoulder, and group D was a collarless coping with its facial metal 2 mm short of the shoulder. Fifteen 3-unit collarless metal-ceramic FPDs were fabricated in each group. Finished FPDs were cemented to PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate) dies with resin cement. The fracture strength test was carried out using universal testing machine (Instron 4465, Instron Co., Norwood MA, USA) at a cross head speed of 0.5 mm/min. Aluminum foil folded to about 1 mm of thickness was inserted between the plunger tip and the incisal edge of the pontic. Vertical load was applied until catastrophic porcelain fracture occurred. RESULTS. The greater the bulk of unsupported facial shoulder porcelain was, the lower the fracture strength became. However, there were no significant differences between experimental groups (P>.05). CONCLUSION. All groups of collarless metal-ceramic FPDs had higher fracture strength than maximum incisive biting force. Modified collarless metal-ceramic FPD can be an alternative to all-ceramic FPDs in clinical situations. [J Adv Prosthodont 2010;2:134-41]

Prospective, randomised, parallel-group, open-label study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IMU-838, in combination with oseltamivir, in adults with COVID-19 : the IONIC trial protocol

Background: Globally, there is a scarcity of effective treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infections (causing COVID-19). Repurposing existing medications may offer the best hope for treating patients with COVID-19 to curb the pandemic. IMU-838 is a dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor, which is an effective mechanism for antiviral effects against respiratory viruses. When used synergistically with oseltamivir, therapeutic effects have been observed against influenza and SARS-CoV-2 in rodents. The IMU-838 and Oseltamivir in the Treatment of COVID-19 (IONIC) trial is a randomised controlled trial that will investigate whether time to clinical improvement in patients with COVID-19 is improved following a 14-day course of IMU-838+oseltamivir versus oseltamivir alone. Methods: IONIC trial is an open-label study in which participants will be randomised 1:1 in two parallel arms: the intervention arm (IMU-838+oseltamivir) and the control arm (oseltamivir only). The primary outcome is time to clinical improvement; defined as the time from randomisation to a two-point improvement on WHO ordinal scale; discharge from hospital, or death (whichever occurs first). The study is sponsored by the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and funded by LifeArc. Discussion: The IONIC protocol describes an overarching trial design to provide reliable evidence on the effectiveness of IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) when delivered in combination with an antiviral therapy (oseltamivir) (IONIC intervention) for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection in adult patients receiving usual standard of care. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been independently reviewed and approved by Wales Research Ethics Committee. In addition, required regulatory approvals were received from Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Trial registration number: EudraCT 2020-001805-21, ISRCTN53038326, NCT04516915