Adjustment of Bracket Position Away From the Andrew\u27s Plane to Achieve a Flat Occlusal Plane

Background: The Six Keys to Normal (Optimal) Occlusion published by Andrews in 1972 identified six common features characteristic of an optimal occlusion. Among these characteristics are flat maxillary and mandibular occlusal planes. Andrews further developed the Straight-Wire Appliance(TM) to facilitate attaining an optimal occlusion in an efficient manner with few if any arch wire bends. In addition to the Six Keys, Andrews proposed that attaining a flat occlusal plane with a straight arch wire is predicated on siting the bracket slots on the FA Points of the tooth crowns (Andrews Plane). Observation of the maxillary and mandibular Andrews plane will reveal that these two planes diverge when both occlusal planes are levelled. This may be attributed to a proportional height discrepancy between the tooth crowns; which requires an adjustment to the sited vertical position of the slots on certain tooth crowns.;Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a need to adjusted the FA Points on certain maxillary and mandibular tooth crowns to permit a flat parabolic shaped arch wire to produce level slot alignment and a flat occlusal plane. Correlations between the tooth crown heights and FA Point discrepancies were also analyzed.;Materials and Methods: Casts of twenty patients were scanned and virtually treated using software (ORTHO INSIGHT 3D version 6.0.7036, Motionview Software, LLC). Crown heights of all maxillary and mandibular teeth were digitally measured and recorded. Each sample case was treated virtually to precise level slot alignment with the brackets sited on the FA Points as defined by Andrews. A second treatment was virtually completed on these cases where a flat occlusal plane was not attained with the initial virtual treatment. Bracket positions were adjusted vertically as needed on certain tooth crowns to permit level slot alignment and a flat occlusal plane. The required height adjustment required to attain level slot alignment were recorded as a + or -- vertical height discrepancy between Andrews FA Point and the adjusted FA Point . Normative statistics was generated for all tooth heights, FA Points, and FA Point discrepancies. Correlations analyses were performed between tooth crown heights, FA Points, and FA Point discrepancies.;Results and conclusions: Mx centrals will likely require an adjustment to the incisal edge of at least 0.5mm ( avg.=1.23 p=\u3c0.0001) Mx laterals will show a positive correlation with crown height and incisal adjustment though not likely to require a change greater than 0.5 mm(avg=0.43mm p=. Md incisors will require an adjustment greater than 0.5mm (laterals avg =0.77mm p=0.0001 centrals avg=0.87mm p=\u3c0.0001) Proclination of lower incisors do not yield a significant change from previously discovered adjustment (lateral avg= 1.34mm p=\u3c0.0001 central avg=1.04mm p=\u3c0.0001) retroclining lower incisors requires no significant adjustment from FA (lateral avg=-0.23mm p=\u3c0.0001 central avg=-0.27mm p=\u3c0.0001) all other teeth found no significant need for occlusal or gingival adjustment

Growth Bands in Test Plates of the Sea Urchins Arbacia punctulata and Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata) on the Central Florida Gulf Coast Shelf

Growth bands in test plates provide information about the biology and ecology of sea urchins. We documented the bands in the test plates of Arbacia punctulata and Lytechinus variegatus at different seasons and locations on the central Florida Gulf Coast shelf. The number of growth bands in test plates is significantly correlated with test diameter for A. punctulata. The number of growth bands is not significantly correlated with test diameter for L. variegatus. The condition of the outermost growth band was recorded along with the month and reproductive state to investigate the effect of variation in reproduction and temperature on growth. Growth bands in A. punctulata are well defined and appear to be related to the reproductive cycle. Growth bands in L. variegatus are less well defined and may be more closely related to food availability

The Genetics of Axonal Transport and Axonal Transport Disorders

Neurons are specialized cells with a complex architecture that includes elaborate dendritic branches and a long, narrow axon that extends from the cell body to the synaptic terminal. The organized transport of essential biological materials throughout the neuron is required to support its growth, function, and viability. In this review, we focus on insights that have emerged from the genetic analysis of long-distance axonal transport between the cell body and the synaptic terminal. We also discuss recent genetic evidence that supports the hypothesis that disruptions in axonal transport may cause or dramatically contribute to neurodegenerative diseases

Cdc4p, a contractile ring protein essential for cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, interacts with a phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase.

The proposed function of Cdc4p, an essential contractile ring protein in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is that of a myosin essential light chain. However, five conditionally lethal cdc4 alleles exhibit complementation in diploids. Such interallelic complementation is not readily explained if the sole function of Cdc4p is that of a myosin essential light chain. Complementation of cdc4 alleles could occur only if different mutant forms can assemble into an active oligomeric complex or if Cdc4p has more than one essential function. To search for other proteins that may interact with Cdc4p, we performed a two-hybrid screen and identified two such candidates: one similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Vps27p and the other a putative phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4-kinase. Binding of Cdc4p to the latter and to myosin heavy chain (Myo2p) was confirmed by immunosorbent assays. Deletion studies demonstrated interaction between the Cdc4p C-terminal domain and the PI 4-kinase C-terminal domain. Furthermore, interaction was abolished by the Cdc4p C-terminal domain point mutation, Gly107 to Ser. This allele also causes failure of cytokinesis. Ectopic expression of the PI 4-kinase C-terminal domain caused cytokinesis defects that were most extreme in cells carrying the G107S allele. We suggest that Cdc4p plays multiple roles in cytokinesis and that interaction with a PI 4-kinase may be important for contractile ring assembly and/or function

Ultrasound confirmation of guidewire position may eliminate accidental arterial dilatation during central venous cannulation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ultrasound guidance during central line insertion has significantly reduced complications associated with this procedure and has led to it being incorporated as standard of care in many institutions. However, inadvertent arterial penetration and dilation remains a problem despite ultrasound guidance and can result in significant morbidity and even mortality. Dynamic ultrasound confirmation of guidewire position within the vein prior to dilation may help to prevent and even eliminate this feared complication.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospectively collected database of central line insertions for one author utilizing this novel technique was retrospectively reviewed for all incidents of arterial dilation over a period from September 2008 to January 2010.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the study period 53 central lines were inserted with no incidents of arterial dilation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ultrasound confirmation of guidewire position has the potential to reduce or eliminate the morbidity and mortality of arterial dilation during central line placement.</p

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir for Treatment of Recurrent Hepatitis C Virus Infection After Liver Transplantation.

There are limited data on direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment options for previously treated patients with recurrent genotype 3 (GT3) hepatitis C virus (HCV) after liver transplantation. Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) is currently approved for treatment of HCV in patients with prior treatment with DAAs. We report the first published experience using SOF/VEL/VOX after liver transplantation for a DAA-experienced patient with severe hepatitis due to early recurrent GT3 HCV. The patient was treated with SOF/VEL/VOX that was extended to a total duration of 16 weeks and was intensified with ribavirin (RBV) starting at week 8 due to persistent viremia during treatment. Sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) after treatment completion was achieved. SOF/VEL/VOX was well tolerated, and immediate drug-drug interaction (DDI) with tacrolimus (TAC) was not evident. Due to improvement in liver metabolic function with increasing TAC clearance, TAC dose adjustment was required throughout the treatment course

Citizenship Matters: Non-Citizen COVID-19 Mortality Disparities in New York and Los Angeles

U.S. non-citizen residents are burdened by inequitable access to socioeconomic resources, potentially placing them at heightened risk of COVID-19-related disparities. However, COVID-19 impacts on non-citizens are not well understood. Accordingly, the current study investigated COVID-19 mortality disparities within New York (NYC) and Los Angeles (LAC) to test our hypothesis that areas with large proportions of non-citizens will have disproportionately high COVID-19 mortality rates. We examined ecological associations between March 2020–January 2021 COVID-19 mortality rates (per 100,000 residents) and percent non-citizens (using ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) for NYC and City/Community units of analysis for LAC) while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant positive associations between the percentage of non-citizen residents and COVID-19 mortality rates in NYC (95% CI 0.309, 5.181) and LAC (95% CI 0.498, 8.720). Despite NYC and LAC policies intended to provide sanctuary and improve healthcare access for non-citizen residents, communities with larger proportions of non-citizens appear to endure higher COVID-19 mortality rates. The challenges that non-citizens endure—e.g., inequitable access to public benefits—may discourage help-seeking behaviors. Thus, improved health surveillance, public health messaging, and sanctuary policies will be essential for reducing COVID-19 mortality disparities in communities with large shares of non-citizens

High-Throughput and Cost-Effective Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Reprogramming somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offers the possibility of studying the molecular mechanisms underlying human diseases in cell types difficult to extract from living patients, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes. To date, studies have been published that use small panels of iPSC-derived cell lines to study monogenic diseases. However, to study complex diseases, where the genetic variation underlying the disorder is unknown, a sizable number of patient-specific iPSC lines and controls need to be generated. Currently the methods for deriving and characterizing iPSCs are time consuming, expensive, and, in some cases, descriptive but not&nbsp;quantitative. Here we set out to develop a set of simple methods that reduce cost and increase throughput in the characterization of iPSC lines. Specifically, we outline methods for high-throughput quantification of surface markers, gene expression analysis of in&nbsp;vitro differentiation potential, and evaluation of karyotype with markedly reduced cost

Pre- and Post-Activity Stretching Practices of Collegiate Soccer Coaches in the United States

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(6): 260-272, 2020. Current pre- and post-activity stretching guidelines are designed to optimize performance and reduce injury risk. However, it is unclear whether soccer coaches adhere to these recommendations. The purpose of this study was to determine if collegiate soccer coaches’ perceptions and practices align with current scientific recommendations. A total of 781 questionnaires were electronically distributed to soccer coaches from NCAA Division I and III universities.The questionnaire obtained demographic, professional, and educational information, as well as stretching practices. Statistical analysis consisted of computing frequency counts and means where applicable. Pearson\u27s Chi-square tests were performed to assess the potential differences in stretching perceptions and practices among the cohort of soccer coaches. Results suggest that soccer coaches are choosing some forms of stretching more frequently than other coaches (χ2= 342.7, p\u3c 0.001). Further analysis failed to determine significant associations between stretching type and coaching certification, level, sex, years of experience, and age. Of the 209 respondents, 84.9% believed pre-activity stretching to be of greater than average importance on a seven-point Likert scale. Dynamic stretching (68.7%) or a combination of static and ballistic stretching (18.0%) prior to athletic events was the most typical stretching prescribed. Current post-activity practices demonstrate that most coaches (95.4%) are using some form of a general cool-down following practice or competition. This study is an important assessment of the extent to which collegiate coaches administer appropriate stretching techniques. Most coaches adhere to current recommendations; however, they should continue to evaluate their practices against ongoing research and the practices of their peers