Color Stability of Dry Earth Pigmented Maxillofacial Silicone A-2186 Subjected to Microwave Energy Exposure

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure spectrophotometrically the color stability of pigmented A-2186 silicone maxillofacial elastomer with 10% by volume of titanium white dry earth opacifier before and after exposure to microwave energy over a simulated 1.5-year period of microwave sterilization. Materials AND METHODS: A-2186 silicone elastomer opacified with titanium white dry earth pigment, pigmented with 5 cosmetic dry earth pigment colors [no pigment (control) group (Pc), red (Pr), yellow ochre (Py), burnt sienna (Po), and a mixture of Pr + Py + Po color group (P3)], was used in this study. Each of the 5 experimental groups consisted of 5 specimens. All specimens were placed in a 250 ml glass beaker filled with 150 ml of water (replenished for each microwave exposure). An exposure of 6 minutes was used 18 times (simulating 1.5 years of microwave sterilization with one 6 minute exposure monthly). Reflectance values were measured by spectrophotometer. Three- and two-way analyses of variance with repeated measures were performed for the color difference (DeltaE*) with the factors of group/color/months, and group/months, respectively. Means were compared by Tukey Honest Significant Difference (HSD) multiple range test calculated at the 0.05 level of significance using SPSS. RESULTS: The trained human eye can detect color changes (DeltaE*) greater than 1.0. Most DeltaE* values of the red pigment group at all intervals and the mixed pigment group at 15- and 18- month intervals increased significantly greater than 1.0 (p < 0.001) compared with the control group. Yellow and burnt sienna groups remained the most color stable over time with DeltaE* values below 0.35. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of color stability of red dry earth pigmented A-2186 silicone maxillofacial elastomers was clinically significant after 12-month exposure to microwave energy as compared with yellow, burnt sienna, and opacified A-2186 dry earth pigments.     

Idiopathic pericardial effusion in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging - The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of moderate to large (moderate–large) idiopathic pericardial effusion (i-PEF) in...     

H5N1 Oseltamivir-resistance detection by real-time PCR using two high sensitivity labeled TaqMan probes

A single amino acid substitution, from histidine to tyrosine at position 274 of the neuraminidase gene has converted Oseltamivir sensitive H5N1 influenza A virus into a resistant strain. Currently, Oseltamivir is being stockpiled in many countries potentially affected by the influenza A virus subtype H5N1 epidemic. To identify this change in Oseltamivir-treated patients, a method based on real-time PCR using two labeled TaqMan probes was developed for its rapid detection. In order to validate the method, Oseltamivir specimen from treated (Oseltamivir-resistant strain from a Vietnamese patient, two Oseltamivir-treated tigers) and untreated subjects have been used for this study. The results thus obtained as well as those derived from clone selection and sequencing showed that TaqMan probes could clearly discriminate wild type H274 from the mutant 274Y variant. The sensitivity of this assay was as low as 10 copies/microl and allowed the detection of the mutation in a mixture of wild type and mutant. Overall, the assay based on real-time PCR with two labeled TaqMan probes described here should be useful for detecting Oseltamivir-resistant H274Y H5N1 influenza A virus in many species and various sources of specimens with high sensitivity and specificity. Such studies can address potential differences in the diagnostic outcomes between patients who develop detectable Oseltamivir resistance and those who retain only the wild type strain of H5N1.     

Clinical features and molecular analysis in Thai patients with HbH disease

We studied the α-globin gene abnormalities, the clinical features, hematologic values, growth assessment, transfusion therapy, and serum ferritin levels of patients with hemoglobin H (HbH) disease in southern Thailand. HbH disease in 83 of the 147 patients was the deletional type of HbH. The remaining 64 patients was the nondeletional type of HbH disease. All 83 patients with the deletional type were double heterozygotes of α⁰-thalassemia and α⁺-thalassemia. The Southeast Asian type of α⁰-thalassemia accounted for 98% of the Thai patients with HbH disease and the Thai type of α⁰-thalassemia made up the rest. A 3.7-kb deletion accounted for 91% of α⁺-thalassemia, and a 4.2-kb deletion made up the rest of the deletional type. In patients with nondeletional type of HbH disease, the Constant Spring variant was the majority of the disease. Newborns with a nondeletional genotype had higher mean corpuscular volume, had higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin, had higher red blood cell distribution width, had lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and had higher proportions of Hb Bart's than those with a deletional genotype. Twenty-one percent of children with HbH disease had growth deficiency. A genotype–phenotype correlation was found; patients with the nondeletional type of HbH disease had more symptoms at a younger age, more severe hemolytic anemia, more growth deficiency, more dysmorphic facial features, larger spleens, larger livers, and higher serum ferritin levels and required more transfusions than patients with deletional HbH disease.     

Enhanced intestinal absorption of vancomycin with Labrasol and D-alpha-tocopheryl PEG 1000 succinate in rats

Vancomycin hydrochloride (VCM) is a glycopeptide antibiotic used for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococci. It is water soluble, having a high molecular weight, and poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Mixtures of VCM with Labrasol and D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) were prepared to improve oral absorption of VCM. Administration of VCM solution to rat ileum at a dose of 20 mg/kg did not result in detectable plasma VCM concentration. Formulation containing 50% of Labrasol resulted in a Cmax value of 5.86+/-0.97 microg/ml and an AUC(0-6h) value of 16.06+/-1.78 microgh/ml. Addition of TPGS to VCM solution at 12.5% concentration also increased the plasma VCM concentration with a Cmax value of 4.98+/-0.45 microg/ml. But the AUC(0-6 h) (9.87+/-1.90 microgh/ml) was significantly lower than that obtained with Labrasol. The addition of 5.0 and 25.0% TPGS to solutions of VCM containing 50% of Labrasol did not result in any significant increase either in Cmax or AUC(0-6 h) of VCM. Whereas the addition of 12.5% of TPGS has resulted in an increase in Cmax and AUC(0-6 h) by 2.2 and 2.4 times, respectively, suggesting that this concentration of 50% Labrasol and 12.5% TPGS (1:0.25) was optimum for improving intestinal absorption of VCM. A dose dependent decrease in the Cmax and AUC(0-6 h) values was observed when the dose of absorption enhancers was decreased by 50% with formulation containing Labrasol and TPGS in 1:0.25 ratio. The results of the study indicate that formulations containing Labrasol and TPGS improve intestinal absorption of hydrophilic macromolecular drug, VCM.     

Technique for fabricating a lightweight, urethane-lined silicone orbital prosthesis

A technique is presented for packing an acrylic resin core and controlling the thickness of an orbital prosthesis with the use of an irreversible hydrocolloid matrix. This technique provides a durable core without damaging the orbital prosthesis mold and permits a controllable thickness and therefore a lighter prosthesis.     

Repeated vitrification/warming of human sperm gives better results than repeated slow programmable freezing

In this study, we compared the effects of repeated freezing/thawing of human sperm by our in-house method of rapid freezing with slow programmable freezing. Sperm samples from 11 normozoospermic subjects were processed through density gradients and divided into three aliquots: non-frozen, rapid freezing and slow programmable freezing. Sperm in the rapid freezing group had better motility and viability than those in the slow freezing group (P<0.01) after the first, second and third cycles of freezing/thawing, but there was no difference in morphology. In the second experiment, rapid freezing was repeated three times in 20 subjects. The samples from each thawing cycle were evaluated for DNA fragmentation using the alkaline comet assay. DNA fragmentation began to increase considerably after the second cycle of freezing/thawing, but to a level that was not clinically important. In the third experiment, rapid freezing was done repeatedly in 10 subjects, until no motile sperm were observed after thawing. The median number of repeated freezing/thawing that yielded no motile sperm was seven (range: 5–8, mean: 6.8). In conclusion, we demonstrated that repeated freezing/thawing of processed semen using our rapid freezing method gave better results than standard slow programmable freezing. This method can help maximize the usage of precious cryopreserved sperm samples in assisted reproduction technology.