Clinical Evaluation of Cement Thickness Around Pre- Fabricated vs. Costume-Fabricated Posts

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variation of cement thickness in different regions of the root in case of prefabricated and custom-fabricated posts. Material and methods: Totally twelve extracted human incisors and premolars with single tooth canals were distributed among 3 experimental groups of 4 specimens each. They were treated endodontically and restored with prefabricated fibre posts or custom-fabricated metallic posts, cemented with different adhesive cements. Each sample was immersed in 1% methylene blue solution and after 10 days the teeths were sectioned into horizontal slices,resulting in three slices for each specimen. The distances between the canal wall and the post perimeter were measured on images of each slice with digital caliper. Results: The costume-fabricated post groups (group 2,3) obtained statistically significant lower cement thicknesses,in particular in the apical third. The prefabricated post group (group 1) showed the highest cement thickness. Cement thickness was less for the specimens prepared using direct impression technique

Integrációra alapozott tanulás és fogalomszervezés: A tantárgyi határok feloldása és a fogalomelsajátítás, illetve -szervezés kapcsolata

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Aquaponics business in Europe : some legal obstacles and solutions

Aquaponics is a rapidly emerging agricultural practice, which combines recirculating aquaculture systems (the RAS technology) with the soil-less (hydroponic) cultivation of vegetables. The advantages in terms of productivity and efficient use of resources are huge. Aquaponics contributes to the solutions of some of the crucial problems our planet is facing: availability and use of potable and irrigation water, pollution of surface waters through animal farming, and management of fertilizer resources. It has been described as one of the “Ten technologies which could change our lives”

EU policies : new opportunities for aquaponics

Aquaponics is a modern and sustainable food production technology. This paper reviews different policies relevant to aquaponics in order to create a clear picture on how aquaponics can contribute to achieving European goals and how the policies and strategies can provide support and opportunities for this sector. Because aquaponics falls into fish as well as plant production relevant policies are the Common Agriculture Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Union (EU) Food Safety and Nutrition Policy, and the EU Environmental Policy. Goals of these policies that are related to aquaponics include promoting innovation, increasing competitiveness and sustainability, improving access to space and water, welfare of fish, prevention of waste, and promoting resource-efficiency and low-carbon economy. Aquaponics contributes to achieving these goals by minimising water and nutrient use, utilising areas unfit for other food production systems, facilitating local food production and thus providing new business opportunities. The EU provides various frameworks for financial support for the different components of aquaponics, resulting in a range of opportunities for the newcomer as well as the already established aquaponics entrepreneurs. Financial support mostly targets research projects, while the sector also needs assistance in the commercial development

Factors affecting the production of putrescine from agmatine by Lactobacillus hilgardii X1B isolated from wine

Aims: To elucidate and characterize the metabolic putrescine synthesis pathway from agmatine by Lactobacillus hilgardii X1B. Methods and Results: The putrescine formation from agmatine by resting cells (the normal physiological state in wine) of lactic acid bacteria isolated from wine has been determined for the first time. Agmatine deiminase and N-carbamoylputrescine hydrolase enzymes, determined by HPLC and LC-Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry, carried out the putrescine synthesis from agmatine. The influence of pH, temperature, organic acids, amino acids, sugars and ethanol on the putrescine formation in wine was determined. Conclusions: Resting cells of Lact. hilgardii X 1B produce putrescine in wine. The putrescine production was carried out from agmatine through the agmatine deiminase system. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results have significance from two points of view, wine quality and toxicological and microbiological aspects, taking account that putrescine, which origin is still controversial, is quantitatively the main biogenic amine found in wine. © 2008 The Authors.Fil: Arena, Mario Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Química del Noroeste. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Landete, J. M.. Universidad de Valencia; EspañaFil: Manca, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Pardo, I.. Universidad de Valencia; EspañaFil: Ferrer, S.. Universidad de Valencia; Españ

The mechanisms by which polyamines accelerate tumor spread

Increased polyamine concentrations in the blood and urine of cancer patients reflect the enhanced levels of polyamine synthesis in cancer tissues arising from increased activity of enzymes responsible for polyamine synthesis. In addition to their de novo polyamine synthesis, cells can take up polyamines from extracellular sources, such as cancer tissues, food, and intestinal microbiota. Because polyamines are indispensable for cell growth, increased polyamine availability enhances cell growth. However, the malignant potential of cancer is determined by its capability to invade to surrounding tissues and metastasize to distant organs. The mechanisms by which increased polyamine levels enhance the malignant potential of cancer cells and decrease anti-tumor immunity are reviewed. Cancer cells with a greater capability to synthesize polyamines are associated with increased production of proteinases, such as serine proteinase, matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsins, and plasminogen activator, which can degrade surrounding tissues. Although cancer tissues produce vascular growth factors, their deregulated growth induces hypoxia, which in turn enhances polyamine uptake by cancer cells to further augment cell migration and suppress CD44 expression. Increased polyamine uptake by immune cells also results in reduced cytokine production needed for anti-tumor activities and decreases expression of adhesion molecules involved in anti-tumor immunity, such as CD11a and CD56. Immune cells in an environment with increased polyamine levels lose anti-tumor immune functions, such as lymphokine activated killer activities. Recent investigations revealed that increased polyamine availability enhances the capability of cancer cells to invade and metastasize to new tissues while diminishing immune cells' anti-tumor immune functions

Beam modulation and bump-on-tail effects on Alfvén eigenmode stability in DIII-D

Beam modulation effects on Alfvén eigenmode stability have been investigated in a recent DIII-D experiment and show that variations in neutral beam modulation period can have an impact on the beam driven Alfvén eigenmode spectrum and resultant fast ion transport despite similar time-averaged input power. The experiment was carried out during the current ramp phase of L-mode discharges heated with sub-Alfvénic 50–80 kV deuterium neutral beams that drive a variety of Alfvén eigenmodes unstable. The modulation period of two interleaved beams with different tangency radii was varied from shot to shot in order to modify the relative time dependent mix of the beam pitch angle distribution as well as the persistence of a bump-on-tail feature near the injection energy (a feature confirmed by imaging neutral particle analyzer measurements). As the beam modulation period is varied from 7 ms to 30 ms on/off (typical full energy slowing down time of τslow ≈ 50 ms at mid-radius), toroidicity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) located in the outer periphery of the plasma become intermittent and coincident with the more tangential beam. Core mode activity changes from reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes (RSAEs) to a mix of RSAE and beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes. Discharges with 30 ms on/off period do not have a persistent bump-on-tail feature, have the lowest average mode amplitude and least fast ion transport. Detailed analysis of an individual TAE using TRANSP kick modeling (Monte Carlo evolution of the distribution function with probabilistic \u27kicks\u27 by the AEs) and the resistive MHD code with kinetic fast ions, MEGA, find no strong role of energy gradient drive due to bump-on-tail features. Instead, the observed TAE modulation with interleaved beams is likely a pitch angle dependent result combined with slowing down of the tangential beam between pulses. For the conditions investigated, bump-on-tail contributions to TAE drive were found to be 5% or less of the total drive at any given time

Mitochondrial phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-M) and serine biosynthetic pathway genes are co-ordinately increased during anabolic agent-induced skeletal muscle growth

We aimed to identify novel molecular mechanisms for muscle growth during administration of anabolic agents. Growing pigs (Duroc/(Landrace/Large-White)) were administered Ractopamine (a beta-adrenergic agonist; BA; 20ppm in feed) or Reporcin (recombinant growth hormone; GH; 10mg/48hours injected) and compared to a control cohort (feed only; no injections) over a 27-day time course (1, 3, 7, 13 or 27-days). Longissimus Dorsi muscle gene expression was analyzed using Agilent porcine transcriptome microarrays and clusters of genes displaying similar expression profiles were identified using a modified maSigPro clustering algorithm. Anabolic agents increased carcass (p=0.002) and muscle weights (Vastus Lateralis: p<0.001; Semitendinosus: p=0.075). Skeletal muscle mRNA expression of serine/one-carbon/glycine biosynthesis pathway genes (Phgdh, Psat1 and Psph) and the gluconeogenic enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-M (Pck2/PEPCK-M), increased during treatment with BA, and to a lesser extent GH (p<0.001, treatment x time interaction). Treatment with BA, but not GH, caused a 2-fold increase in phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) protein expression at days 3 (p<0.05) and 7 (p<0.01), and a 2-fold increase in PEPCK-M protein expression at day 7 (p<0.01). BA treated pigs exhibit a profound increase in expression of PHGDH and PEPCK-M in skeletal muscle, implicating a role for biosynthetic metabolic pathways in muscle growth

Growth-inhibitory effects of the chemopreventive agent indole-3-carbinol are increased in combination with the polyamine putrescine in the SW480 colon tumour cell line

BACKGROUND: Many tumours undergo disregulation of polyamine homeostasis and upregulation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, which can promote carcinogenesis. In animal models of colon carcinogenesis, inhibition of ODC activity by difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) has been shown to reduce the number and size of colon adenomas and carcinomas. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) has shown promising chemopreventive activity against a range of human tumour cell types, but little is known about the effect of this agent on colon cell lines. Here, we investigated whether inhibition of ODC by I3C could contribute to a chemopreventive effect in colon cell lines. METHODS: Cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. Ornithine decarboxylase activity was determined by liberation of CO(2 )from (14)C-labelled substrate, and polyamine levels were measured by HPLC. RESULTS: I3C inhibited proliferation of the human colon tumour cell lines HT29 and SW480, and of the normal tissue-derived HCEC line, and at higher concentrations induced apoptosis in SW480 cells. The agent also caused a decrease in ODC activity in a dose-dependent manner. While administration of exogenous putrescine reversed the growth-inhibitory effect of DFMO, it did not reverse the growth-inhibition following an I3C treatment, and in the case of the SW480 cell line, the effect was actually enhanced. In this cell line, combination treatment caused a slight increase in the proportion of cells in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle, and increased the proportion of cells undergoing necrosis, but did not predispose cells to apoptosis. Indole-3-carbinol also caused an increase in intracellular spermine levels, which was not modulated by putrescine co-administration. CONCLUSION: While indole-3-carbinol decreased ornithine decarboxylase activity in the colon cell lines, it appears unlikely that this constitutes a major mechanism by which the agent exerts its antiproliferative effect, although accumulation of spermine may cause cytotoxicity and contribute to cell death. The precise mechanism by which putrescine enhances the growth inhibitory effect of the agent remains to be elucidated, but does result in cells undergoing necrosis, possibly following accumulation in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle