Prosthetic management of a growing patient with Russell-Silver syndrome: a clinical report

Russell-Silver syndrome (RSS) is a congenital disease characterized by short stature due to growth hormone deficiency, physical asymmetry, inverted triangular face, micrognathia, prominent forehead, and hypodontia. This case report presents a prosthetic management of a 6-year-old patient with Russell-Silver syndrome treated with overdentures on the maxilla and the mandible using the remaining primary teeth. Subsequent and comprehensive dental management considering the growth and development of a young patient will be necessary.     

Wettability of denture relining materials under water storage over time

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Poor wettability of denture relining materials may lead to retention problems and patient discomfort.

PURPOSE

Purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate wettability of nine denture relining materials using contact angle measurements under air and water storage over time.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Nine denture relining materials were investigated in this study. Two heat-curing polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) denture base materials: Vertex RS, Lang, one self-curing polyethyl-methacrylate (PEMA) chairside reline resin: Rebase II, six silicone relining materials: Mucopren soft, Mucosoft, Mollosil® plus, Sofreliner Touch, GC Reline™ Ultrasoft, Silagum automix comfort were used in this experiment. Contact angles were measured using high-resolution drop shape analysis system (DSA 10-MK2, KRUESS, Germany) under three conditions (in air after setting, 1 hour water storage, and 24 hours water storage). Nine materials were classified into three groups according to material composition (Group 1: PMMA, Group 2: PEMA, Group 3: Silicone). Mean values of contact angles were compared using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA, followed by a Scheffe''s post hoc analysis (α= 0.01).

RESULTS

Contact angles of materials tested after air and water storage increased in the following order: Group 1 (PMMA), Group 2 (PEMA), Group 3 (Silicone). Heat-cured acrylic denture base resins had more wettability than silicone relining materials. Lang had the highest wettability after 24 hours of water storage. Silicone relining materials had lower wettability due to their hydrophobicity. Wettability of all denture relining materials, except Rebase II and Mollosil® plus, increased after 24 hours of water storage.

CONCLUSIONS

Conventional heat-cured resin showed the highest wettability, therefore, it can be suggested that heat-cured acrylic resin is material of choice for denture relining materials.     

The Potential Role of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 for Major Depressive Disorder

The immune hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) fits well with the supposed interaction between genetic and environmental factors in disorders with a complicated etiopathogenesis. It has been suggested that infectious diseases are associated with MDD in that cytokines may play a critical role as a key modulator in the transition between infection and the development of MDD. It has been also suggested that antidepressants have immunomodulatory effects on some cytokines and cytokine receptors, although the exact mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Among cytokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is especially well known and has attracted considerable interest owing to its immunomodulatory functions. MCP-1 is expressed in highly regionalized neuronal areas in the brain, leading to kind of modulation of neuronal activity and neuroendocrine functions commonly seen in patients with MDD. Additionally, it is involved in the control of other cytokines that have been consistently proposed as associated with the development of MDD. It also has a possible role in the neurodegenerative process of a number of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Hence, this paper draws from the perspective of immunology to offer several suggestions about the role of MPC-1 in the development of MDD.     

Effects of Smoking on Menopausal Age: Results From the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007 to 2012

Objectives:

Decreased fertility and impaired health owing to early menopause are significant health issues. Smoking is a modifiable health-related behavior that influences menopausal age. We investigated the effects of smoking-associated characteristics on menopausal age in Korean women.

Methods:

This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2012. Menopausal age in relation to smoking was analyzed as a Kaplan-Meier survival curve for 11 510 women (aged 30 to 65 years). The risk of entering menopause and experiencing early menopause (before age 48) related to smoking were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results:

The menopausal age among smokers was 0.75 years lower than that among non-smokers (p<0.001). The results of the Cox proportional hazards model showed pre-correction and post-correction risk ratios for entering menopause related to smoking of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.46) and 1.27 (95% CI, 1.10 to 1.47), respectively, and pre-correction and post-correction risk ratios for experiencing early menopause related to smoking of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.80) and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.85), respectively.

Conclusions:

Smokers reached menopause earlier than non-smokers, and their risk for experiencing early menopause was higher.     

Criticisms of drugs in early development for the treatment of depression: what can be improved?

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mental illness, which leads to serious functional impairment in patients, and treatment-wise, there are currently a number of different classes of antidepressants already on the market. However, emerging evidence from numerous clinical trials has confirmed that there is still an unmet need for antidepressant efficacy in terms of response and remission. Approximately only 30% of patients with MDD may remit after adequate treatment with antidepressants in clinical practice. The drawbacks of the currently available antidepressants also include inadequate overall efficacy, safety issues and the lag prior to onset of clinical improvement. The need for new agents with novel mechanisms of action has led to the development of several newer antidepressants including vilazodone, edivoxetine, ketamine, atomoxetine and vortioxetine, which have been approved for the treatment of MDD. However, the efficacy and safety of these next-generation antidepressants, in clinical trials, are still unsatisfactory. This paper provides a brief updated overview of the progress and critical limitations in the development of novel antidepressants.     

Case-control association study of 36 single-nucleotide polymorphisms within 10 candidate genes for major depression and bipolar disorder

In this study we investigated 36 single nucleotide polymorphisms within 10 genes previously associated with major depression and bipolar disorder, as well as with the response to their treatment (ABCB1, ABCB4, TAP2, CLOCK, CPLX1, CPLX2, SYN2, NRG1, 5HTR1A and GPRIN2). No association with mood disorders and clinical outcomes was observed.     

Partial compliance with antipsychotics and its impact on patient outcomes

Partial compliance with antipsychotic medications is a common and complex phenomenon that is underestimated by physicians. The consequences of partial compliance include an increased risk of relapse, rehospitalization and suicide attempts. Stigma, negative attitudes towards medications, cognitive impairment and diminished insight negatively impact treatment adherence. Oral atypical antipsychotics may improve both insight and cognitive function, but compliance with these agents is not assured. Depot conventional antipsychotics ensure medication delivery but are associated with side-effects such as EPS and dysphoria that decrease compliance. Long-acting atypicals provide significant symptom improvement, foster adherence and may help achieve improvement in insight and cognition. Addressing issues of partial and non-compliance is a significant consideration in relapse prevention strategies for patients with schizophrenia, given the devastating consequences associated with psychotic relapses.     

Stroop interference associated with efficient reading fluency and prelexical orthographic processing

The Stroop Color–Word Test involves a dynamic interplay between reading and executive functioning that elicits intuitions of word reading automaticity. One such intuition is that strong reading skills (i.e., more automatized word reading) play a disruptive role within the test, contributing to Stroop interference. However, evidence has accumulated that challenges this intuition. The present study examined associations among Stroop interference, reading skills (i.e., isolated word identification, grapheme-to-phoneme mapping, phonemic awareness, reading fluency) measured on standardized tests, and orthographic skills measured on experimental computerized tasks. Among university students (N = 152), correlational analyses showed greater Stroop interference to be associated with (a) relatively low scores on all standardized reading tests, and (b) longer response latencies on orthographic tasks. Hierarchical regression demonstrated that reading fluency and prelexical orthographic processing predicted unique and significant variance in Stroop interference beyond baseline rapid naming. Results suggest that strong reading skills, including orthographic processing, play a supportive role in resolving Stroop interference.