A clinical evaluation of resin-based composite and glass ionomer cement restorations placed in primary teeth using the ART approach: results at 24 months

BACKGROUND: The authors evaluated the 24-month performance of a packable resin-based composite/dentin bonding system and a high-viscosity glass ionomer cement (GIC) in restorations placed in primary molars with the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach. METHODS: Three dentists placed 419 restorations in 219 children aged 6 through 10 years who had bilateral matched pairs of carious posterior Class I and II primary teeth. They used a split-mouth design to place the two materials, which were assigned randomly to contralateral sides. The authors evaluated the restorations according to U.S. Public Health Service Ryge criteria. RESULTS: After 24 months, 96.7 percent of the Class I GIC restorations and 91 percent of the resin-based composite restorations survived, while the success rates for the Class II restorations were 76.1 percent and 82 percent for the GIC and resin-based composite restorations, respectively. The survival rate of the Class II resin-based composite restorations was 5.9 percent higher than that of the GIC restorations at the 24-month evaluation, but this difference was not statistically significant. However, the study results showed a statistically significant difference in survival rates between Class I and II restorations for both materials. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The two-year clinical performance of both materials was satisfactory for the restoration of Class I and II primary molars using the ART approach.     

Does gender modify the detrimental coronary effects of metabolic syndrome?

The association between metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease, either clinical or subclinical, has been well established. There is also a consensus regarding the higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in females compared with males with coronary artery disease. However, the impact of gender on the coronary artery disease severity has not been investigated in patients with metabolic syndrome. The available data have suggested no significant association between gender and the extent and severity of coronary artery disease.     

Intracavitary left ventricular hydatid cysts ruptured during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient with acute myocardial infarction

Cardiac hydatid cyst is a rare complication of parasitic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Cardiac involvement occurs in only 0.2-2% of hydatidosis cases. Rupture of hydatid cysts into cardiac chambers is very rare. In this report, we present a case of intracavitary left ventricular hydatid cysts ruptured during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient with acute myocardial infarction.     

Comparison of scanning electron microscopy findings regarding biofilm colonization with microbiological results in nasolacrimal stents for external, endoscopic and transcanalicular dacryocystorhinostomy

AIM:To compare bacterial biofilm colonization in lacrimal stents following external dacryocystorhinostomy (EX-DCR), endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR), and transcanalicular dacryocystorhinostomy (TC-DCR) with multidiode laser.METHODS: This prospective study included 30 consecutive patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction who underwent EXT-, EN-, or TC-DCR. Thirty removed lacrimal stent fragments and conjunctival samples were cultured. The lacrimal stent biofilms were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).RESULTS:Eleven (36.7%) of the 30 lacrimal stent cultures were positive for aerobic bacteria (most commonly Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). However anaerobic bacteria and fungi were not identified in the lacrimal stent cultures. Twenty-seven (90%) patients had biofilm-positive lacrimal stents. The conjunctival culture positivity after the DCR, biofilm positivity on stents, the grade of biofilm colonization, and the presence of mucus and coccoid and rod-shaped organisms did not significantly differ between any of the groups (P＞0.05). However, a significant difference was found when the SEM results were compared to the results of the lacrimal stent and conjunctival cultures (P＜0.001).CONCLUSION: Type of dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery did not affect the biofilm colonization of the lacrimal stents. SEM also appears to be more precise than microbiological culture for evaluating the presence of biofilms on lacrimal stents.     

Functional and structural basis of the nuclear localization signal in the ZIC3 zinc finger domain

Disruptions in ZIC3 cause heterotaxy, a congenital anomaly of the left-right axis. ZIC3 encodes a nuclear protein with a zinc finger (ZF) domain that contains five tandem C2H2 ZF motifs. Missense mutations in the first ZF motif (ZF1) result in defective nuclear localization, which may underlie the pathogenesis of heterotaxy. Here we revealed the structural and functional basis of the nuclear localization signal (NLS) of ZIC3 and investigated its relationship to the defect caused by ZF1 mutation. The ZIC3 NLS was located in the ZF2 and ZF3 regions, rather than ZF1. Several basic residues interspersed throughout these regions were responsible for the nuclear localization, but R320, K337 and R350 were particularly important. NMR structure analysis revealed that ZF1-4 had a similar structure to GLI ZF, and the basic side chains of the NLS clustered together in two regions on the protein surface, similar to classical bipartite NLSs. Among the residues for the ZF1 mutations, C253 and H286 were positioned for the metal chelation, whereas W255 was positioned in the hydrophobic core formed by ZF1 and ZF2. Tryptophan 255 was a highly conserved inter-finger connector and formed part of a structural motif (tandem CXW-C-H-H) that is shared with GLI, Glis and some fungal ZF proteins. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of Karyopherin alpha1/alpha6 impaired ZIC3 nuclear localization, and physical interactions between the NLS and the nuclear import adapter proteins were disturbed by mutations in the NLS but not by W255G. These results indicate that ZIC3 is imported into the cell nucleus by the Karyopherin (Importin) system and that the impaired nuclear localization by the ZF1 mutation is not due to a direct influence on the NLS.     

The effect of low back pain on the daily activities of patients with lumbar disc herniation: a Turkish military hospital experience

This study was performed to assess disability on daily living activities, which developed secondary to low back pain, in patients with lumbar disc herniation and treated either conservatively or surgically. The study was performed between November 2008 and June 2009. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to measure the intensity of pain, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess the disability of the patients on daily living activities. Of the 112 patients, 55 were women and 57 were men. The mean age was 39.68 years for the conservative treatment group and 46.46 years the for surgical treatment group. In the pretreatment period, the patients who were selected for surgical treatment had higher VAS score and ODI than did the patients who were selected for conservative treatment. The disability areas that were reported in the pretreatment period were walking, sleeping, standing, and traveling for the surgical treatment group and self-care, sitting, and social life areas for the conservative treatment group. When the ODI and VAS score of the patients were statistically compared at the third month of posttreatment period, the scores were significantly low in the surgical treatment group. The disability areas that were reported at the third month of posttreatment period were weight lifting, self-care, and walking for the surgical treatment group and social life, sleeping, sitting, and standing for the conservative treatment group. This study found that patients with low back pain experience physical disabilities due to pain. Their daily living activities are affected by these disabilities and the intensity of pain affects the level of disability. Knowledge of the disability areas caused by low back pain plays an important role in the determination of nursing care and content of the education which will be offered to the patients. The use of scale on the patient's care is important to form a common language in nursing and to obtain evidence-based data related to the patients.     

Hepatotoxic activity of toluene inhalation and protective role of melatonin

This study was designed to investigate the harmful effects of toluene inhalation in the liver of rats and possible protective effects of melatonin on these detrimental effects. For this purpose, 21 adult male Wistar-albino rats were randomly divided into three equal groups. Animals in group I were used as control. The rats in group II were exposed to toluene (3000 ppm/1 hour/day) for 4 weeks, while the rats in group III were treated with melatonin (10 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally [ip]) plus toluene inhalation. At the end of the experimental period, liver and blood samples were taken from the decapitated animals. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin and albumin levels were determined. Liver tissue sections were stained with routine histological methods and examined under the light microscope. In addition, the sections were immunohistochemically stained using avidin-biotin-peroxidase method for determination of apoptosis. The liver tissue activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were also measured. Toluene inhalation significantly increased serum ALT, AST and tissue MDA, and decreased serum albumin, but did not affect serum ALP, total bilirubin levels and tissue SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activity when compared with controls. The increases in tissue MDA and serum ALT and AST levels induced by toluene inhalation were significantly inhibited by melatonin treatment. In light microscopic observations of tissues from toluene-inhaled rats, massive hepatocyte degeneration, ballooning degeneration and mild pericentral fibrosis were observed. Bax immune reactivity was also increased significantly. Melatonin treatment decreased the balloon degeneration, fibrosis and Bax immune reactivity in the liver of toluene-inhaled rats. In view of the present findings, it is suggested that melatonin has hepatoprotective effects against toluene toxicity via primarily antioxidative properties.     

Impaired semen parameters in patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection: A prospective cohort study

In this prospective study, we investigated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on semen parameters in a cohort of men who had recently recovered from COVID-19. A total of 24 men who had recently recovered from mild COVID-19 were included in the study. Their semen parameters were normal before COVID-19 according to the World Health Organization 2010 reference values. Semen samples were collected from these participants in the recovery phases of COVID-19. To determine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on semen parameters, the patients' pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 semen analyses were compared. The mean age of the participants was 34.7 ± 6.4 years. The median interval between the positive nasopharyngeal swab test and obtaining semen samples was 111.5 (158) days. There was no significant difference in semen parameters before and after COVID-19 in terms of semen volume (p = .56), sperm concentration (p = .06), and progressive motility (p = .14). Total motility (p = .01) and total motile sperm count (p = .02) decreased significantly after SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the pre-infection values. This study demonstrated that sperm motility and total motile sperm count were the semen parameters which showed a significant reduction in cases with a history of mild COVID-19.