WHAT MARYLAND DENTISTS KNOW AND DO ABOUT PREVENTING DENTAL CARIES

Statement of the problem: Dental caries is the most prevalent disease of US children. Yet, we have known for decades how to prevent it and most adults consider dentists their source of dental information. The purpose of this study was to determine dentist's knowledge, opinions and practices regarding caries prevention. Methods: A mail survey was used to determine dentists' knowledge, opinions and practices regarding caries prevention. Frequency distributions, bivariate and multivariate analysis were conducted. Results: The majority of respondents were white, male in private practice. Their knowledge of caries prevention was modest. Their understanding of how fluoride works, appropriate methods of application of fluorides, and duration of professional fluoride applications was poor. Conclusions: Dentists' lack of understanding of dental caries prevention impacts not only their clinical decision-making but also what they tell their patients. These results suggest strongly the need for improved education for dental students and those already in practice

Dental Caries: Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among North Carolina Kindergarten Students

Objectives. We examined racial/ethnic disparities in dental caries among kindergarten students in North Carolina and the cross-level effects between students’ race/ethnicity and school poverty status. Methods. We adjusted the analysis of oral health surveillance information (2009–2010) for individual-, school-, and county-level variables. We included a cross-level interaction of student’s race/ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic) and school National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participation (< 75% vs ‡ 75% of students), which we used as a compositional school-level variable measuring poverty among families of enrolled students. Results. Among 70 089 students in 1067 schools in 95 counties, the prevalence of dental caries was 30.4% for White, 39.0% for Black, and 51.7% for Hispanic students. The adjusted difference in caries experience between Black and White students was significantly greater in schools with NSLP participation of less than 75%. Conclusions. Racial/ethnic oral health disparities exist among kindergarten students in North Carolina as a whole and regardless of school’s poverty status. Furthermore, disparities between White and Black students are larger in nonpoor schools than in poor schools. Further studies are needed to explore causal pathways that might lead to these disparities

Quantum toroidal algebras and solvable structures in gauge/string theory

This is a review article on the quantum toroidal algebras, focusing on their roles in various solvable structures of 2d conformal field theory, supersymmetric gauge theory, and string theory. Using $\mathcal{W}$-algebras as our starting point, we elucidate the interconnection of affine Yangians, quantum toroidal algebras, and double affine Hecke algebras. Our exploration delves into the representation theory of the quantum toroidal algebra of $\mathfrak{gl}_1$ in full detail, highlighting its connections to partitions, $\mathcal{W}$-algebras, Macdonald functions, and the notion of intertwiners. Further, we also discuss integrable models constructed on Fock spaces and associated $\mathcal{R}$-matrices, both for the affine Yangian and the quantum toroidal algebra of $\mathfrak{gl}_1$. The article then demonstrates how quantum toroidal algebras serve as a unifying algebraic framework that bridges different areas in physics. Notably, we cover topological string theory and supersymmetric gauge theories with eight supercharges, incorporating the AGT duality. Drawing upon the representation theory of the quantum toroidal algebra of $\mathfrak{gl}_1$, we provide a rather detailed review of its role in the algebraic formulations of topological vertex and $qq$-characters. Additionally, we briefly touch upon the corner vertex operator algebras and quiver quantum toroidal algebras.Comment: 151+42 pages, Comments are welcom

Normal values for nuclear cardiology: Japanese databases for myocardial perfusion, fatty acid and sympathetic imaging and left ventricular function

Myocardial normal databases for stress myocardial perfusion study have been created by the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine Working Group. The databases comprised gender-, camera rotation range- and radiopharmaceutical-specific data-sets from multiple institutions, and normal database files were created for installation in common nuclear cardiology software. Based on the electrocardiography-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), left ventricular function, including ventricular volumes, systolic and diastolic functions and systolic wall thickening were also analyzed. Normal databases for fatty acid imaging using 123I-beta-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid and sympathetic imaging using 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine were also examined. This review provides lists and overviews of normal values for myocardial SPECT and ventricular function in a Japanese population. The population-specific approach is a key factor for proper diagnostic and prognostic evaluation

Effects of polytetrafluoroethylene or polyimide coating on H2 sensing properties of anodized TiO2 films equipped with Pd–Pt electrodes

Diode-type H2 sensors based on anodically oxidized TiO 2 thin films equipped with Pd-Pt electrodes (Pd-Pt/T-TiO2, T-TiO2 represents the TiO2 thin film fabricated by the anodization of the pre-oxidized Ti plate at 600 C for 1 h in air) have been fabricated, and the effects of the polymer coating on the Pd-Pt/T-TiO 2 sensor to humidity and oxygen partial pressure on the sensing properties to 500-8000 ppm H2 under dry and wet atmospheres have been investigated in this study. The films tested were polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyimide (PI) film and heterogeneously laminated layers of these two polymer films, and the sensors fabricated were referred to as P-n/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 or P1-n/P2-n/Pd-Pt/T-TiO 2 (P, P1 and P2: PTFE or PI, n: polymer concentration of the coating solution (wt%)). The H2 response of almost all sensors in wet air was larger than that in dry air, while the PTFE-n/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 and PI-n/PTFE-n/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensors showed only a slight enhancement in the H2 response by introduction of moisture, in comparison with the Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 or PI-n/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensors. On the other hand, the H2 response of all sensors in N2 was not affected by humidity. The PI-10/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensor showed the largest H2 response in air at 250 C as well as N2 among the all sensors tested; the response of the sensors in dry air and dry N2 were ca. 3.1 × 10-4 A and ca. 4.7 × 10-2 A, respectively, where the sensor current in H2 atmosphere was regarded as sensor response, since that in the atmosphere without H2 was extremely small. In addition, the H2 response of the Pd-Pt/T-TiO2, PTFE-20/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 and PI-20/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensors were almost proportional to the H2 concentration in a lower concentration range (500-2000 ppm) in both dry and wet air, while it tended to saturate at a higher concentration range, especially for the PI-20/Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensor in wet air. On the other hand, the sensor response to H2 is well proportional to the logarithm of H2 concentration in both dry and wet N2 in the whole concentration range. Thus, the direct coating of the PTFE-n film on the Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensors reduced the effect of humidity on the H2 response and the direct coating of the PI-n film on the Pd-Pt/T-TiO2 sensors was effective for enhancing the H 2 response

Analysis of the anti-tumor effect of cetuximab using protein kinetics and mouse xenograft models

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The binding of EGFR and its ligands leads to autophosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinase as well as subsequent activation of signal transduction pathways that are involved in regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. An EGFR inhibitor, cetuximab binds to EGFR and consequently blocks a variety of cellular processes. <it>KRAS</it>/<it>BRAF </it>mutations are known to be associated with a low response rate to cetuximab. In the present study, to clarify the anti-tumor mechanisms of cetuximab, we evaluated the <it>KRAS</it>/<it>BRAF </it>status, phosphorylation level of the EGFR pathway, and the tumor suppression effect in vivo, using a human colon cancer cell line HT29, which exhibited the highest EGFR expression in response to the cetuximab therapy among the 6 colorectal cancer cell lines tested.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The conventional growth suppression assay did not work efficiently with cetuximab. EGF, TGF-α, and IGF activated the EGFR/MAPK cell signaling pathway by initiating the phosphorylation of EGFR. Cetuximab partially inhibited the EGFR/MAPK pathway induced by EGF, TGF-α, and IGF. However, cetuximab exposure induced the EGFR, MEK, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation by itself. Mouse xenograft tumor growth was significantly inhibited by cetuximab and both cetuximab-treated and -untreated xenograft specimens exhibited phosphorylations of the EGFR pathway proteins.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We have confirmed that cetuximab inhibited the EGFR/MAPK pathway and reduced tumor growth in the xenografts while the remaining tumor showed EGFR pathway activation. These results suggest that: ( i ) The effect of cetuximab in growth signaling is not sufficient to induce complete growth suppression in vitro; ( ii ) time-course monitoring may be necessary to evaluate the effect of cetuximab because EGFR signaling is transmitted in a minute order; and ( iii ) cetuximab treatment may have cells acquired resistant selectively survived in the heterogeneous cancer population.</p

White matter microstructural alterations across four major psychiatric disorders : mega-analysis study in 2937 individuals

Identifying both the commonalities and differences in brain structures among psychiatric disorders is important for understanding the pathophysiology. Recently, the ENIGMA-Schizophrenia DTI Working Group performed a large-scale meta-analysis and reported widespread white matter microstructural alterations in schizophrenia; however, no similar cross-disorder study has been carried out to date. Here, we conducted mega-analyses comparing white matter microstructural differences between healthy comparison subjects (HCS; N = 1506) and patients with schizophrenia (N = 696), bipolar disorder (N = 211), autism spectrum disorder (N = 126), or major depressive disorder (N = 398; total N = 2937 from 12 sites). In comparison with HCS, we found that schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder share similar white matter microstructural differences in the body of the corpus callosum; schizophrenia and bipolar disorder featured comparable changes in the limbic system, such as the fornix and cingulum. By comparison, alterations in tracts connecting neocortical areas, such as the uncinate fasciculus, were observed only in schizophrenia. No significant difference was found in major depressive disorder. In a direct comparison between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, there were no significant differences. Significant differences between schizophrenia/bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder were found in the limbic system, which were similar to the differences in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder relative to HCS. While schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may have similar pathological characteristics, the biological characteristics of major depressive disorder may be close to those of HCS. Our findings provide insights into nosology and encourage further investigations of shared and unique pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders

Aspirin and cardiovascular primary prevention in non-endstage chronic kidney disease: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic kidney disease is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. No published meta-analyses on the use of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease exist. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of this subject. METHODS: We used a pre-defined and registered protocol (PROSPERO identification CRD42014008860). We searched Medline and Embase between 1996 and July 2015. Inclusion criteria were adult subjects with non-endstage chronic kidney disease (CKD) and no history of cardiovascular disease. The co-primary outcomes were major cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included bleeding-related events. We used a random effects model to pool data. RESULTS: Three trials were identified and two of these provided previously unpublished data. The studies included 4468 participants and 16,740 person-years of follow-up. There were no statistically significant reductions in the risk of major cardiovascular events (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.73, p = 0.79, I(2) 71%) or mortality (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.00, p = 0.05, I(2) 0%) with aspirin compared to the control group. Major bleeding events were increased with aspirin though (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.52, p = 0.02, I(2) 0%). CONCLUSIONS: There is no clear benefit of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in CKD and no statistically significant reduction in mortality. Aspirin is likely to increase the risk of major bleeding events. Currently, insufficient randomised control trial data exists to recommend universal use or avoidance of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in CKD