Influence of inorganic filler content on the radiopacity of dental resin cements

Digital radiography was used to measure the radiopacity of 18 resin cements to determine the influence of inorganic filler content on radiopacity. Four disk specimens (n=4) of each light-curing cement were digitally radiographed alongside an aluminum step wedge using an intraoral sensor (XIOS Plus, Sirona, Germany), and their mean gray value measured. Percentage of filler by weight was determined using an analytical combustion furnace. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05). All materials were more radiopaque than dentin and 12 materials were more radiopaque than enamel. Filler percentage ranged between 17.36 to 53.56 vol% and radiopacity between 1.02 to 3.40 mm Al. There were no statistically significant differences in inorganic filler percentage and radiopacity among the different shades of the same material (p>0.05), but the highest radiopacity was measured for the material which contained a higher percentage of filler.     

Static and dynamic compression application and removal on the intervertebral discs of growing rats

Fusionless implants are used to correct pediatric progressive spinal deformities, most of them spanning the intervertebral disc. This study aimed at investigating the effects of in vivo static versus dynamic compression application and removal on discs of growing rats. A microloading device applied compression. 48 immature rats (28 d.o.) were divided into two groups (43d, 53d). Each group included four subgroups: control (no surgery), sham (device installed without loading), static (0.2 MPa) and dynamic compressions (0.2 MPa ± 30% with 0.1 Hz). In 43d subgroups, compression was applied for 15 days. In 53d subgroups, compression was followed by 10 days without loading. Disc heights, nucleus/annulus volumetric proportions and nucleus proteoglycan contents were analyzed using one‐way ANOVA and post‐hoc Tukey comparisons (p < 0.05). Disc heights of 43d and 53d static and dynamic loading rats were lower than shams (p < 0.05). Volumetric proportions remained similar. At 43d, nucleus proteoglycan contents increased in both static and dynamic loading rats. However, at 53d, static loading rats had lower proteoglycan content than dynamic loading rats (p < 0.05). Disc structure is altered following static compression removal, but nucleus proteoglycan content remaining elevated in dynamic group. Dynamic fusionless implants would better preserve disc integrity. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:290–298, 2016.     

Being an identity-release donor: a qualitative study exploring the motivations,experiences and future expectations of current UK egg donors

The objective of this study was to examine the motivations, experiences and future expectations of identity-release egg donors in the UK following the removal of donor anonymity and the increase in financial compensation for egg donation. This exploratory, in-depth qualitative study comprised semi-structured interviews with 11 women who had attended an egg donation screening appointment at a UK clinic during a four-month period in 2014. Interviews were conducted two to six weeks after the woman had donated or had withdrawn/been rejected from the donation process. Participants’ primary motivation for donating was to help infertile women have their ‘own child’, and the recent increase in financial compensation did not seem to play a significant role in their decision. All were happy to be identifiable and contacted by children born as a result of their donation. However, some were hesitant about providing non-identifying information about themselves for these offspring and wished for further information about the recipient(s) of their eggs and the outcome of their donation. Whilst this study was limited due to the small sample size, it is the first study of UK egg donors following the rise in donor compensation and suggests that other strategies may be more effective in increasing donor numbers.     

Arterial calcifications and osteoprotegerin in chronic hemodialysis patients: impact on 6-year survival

International Urology and Nephrology - The association between end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular mortality may be influenced through vascular alterations, in particular atherosclerosis and...     

Prostate cancer risk after anti-androgen treatment for priapism

Background

Patients with recurrent ischemic priapism have historically been treated with anti-androgen therapy due to the limited available evidence for more targeted therapies to treat the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of this condition. We report a case in which anti-androgen therapy caused significant adverse side effects and likely masked this patient’s elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, which adversely impacted the timely diagnosis and treatment of his prostate cancer.

Case report

A 69-year-old man treated with anti-androgens for priapism initially developed unwanted anti-androgenic side effects such as gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, and decreased libido. After decreasing his anti-androgen dosage and starting a specified regimen of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor therapy, his serum PSA levels were found to be elevated. He was subsequently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate and underwent a radical prostatectomy with the pathologic finding of high-grade, locally progressive disease.

Conclusion

Anti-androgen therapy carries significant complication risks, including the potential to alter the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Clinicians administering this therapy for priapism management should be aware of these possible risks.     

Enhanced absorption of TiO2 nanotubes by N-doping and CdS quantum dots sensitization: insight into the structure

Anodization of titanium film sputtered on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass was performed to obtain highly ordered ∼2 μm long and ∼60 nm wide TiO₂ nanotubes. The titania films were annealed in ammonia atmosphere to enable the doping with N. The annealing did not affect the nanotubular morphology and the porosity remained open which is a very important requirement for further deposition of CdS quantum dots. The analysis done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has shown that the N-doped nanotubes have a smaller interplanar distance as compared to the undoped ones, whose interplanar distance corresponded to anatase phase. This difference was attributed to the N doping and the Sn migration from the substrate, as demonstrated by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) analysis clearly demonstrated that also the doped TiO₂ film has anatase phase. Regarding the chemical composition of the studied samples, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SRPES) analyses have shown that N is incorporated both interstitially and substitutionally in the TiO₂ lattice, with a decreased contribution of the interstitial after ionic sputtering. The shift of the valence band maximum (VBM) position for the doped TiO₂vs. the undoped TiO₂ proved the narrowing of the band gap. The CdS/TiO₂ films show bigger VBM shifting that can be attributed to CdS deposit. Comparing the absorption spectra of the bare undoped and doped TiO₂ samples, it was noticed that the doping causes a red shift from 397 to 465 nm. Furthermore, the CdS deposition additionally enhances the absorption in the visible range (575 nm for undoped TiO₂/CdS and 560 nm for doped TiO₂/CdS films).

A simple two-step procedure to shift the absorption of TiO₂ nanotubes to the visible range.     

Clinical algorithms for malaria diagnosis lack utility among people of different age groups

We conducted a study to determine whether clinical algorithms would be useful in malaria diagnosis among people living in an area of moderate malaria transmission within Kilifi District in Kenya. A total of 1602 people of all age groups participated. We took smears and recorded clinical signs and symptoms (prompted or spontaneous) of all those presenting to the study clinic with a history of fever. A malaria case was defined as a person presenting to the clinic with a history of fever and concurrent parasitaemia. A set of clinical signs and symptoms (algorithms) with the highest sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing a malaria case was selected for the age groups /=15 years. These age-optimized derived algorithms were able to identify about 66% of the cases among those <15 years of age but only 23% of cases among adults. Were these algorithms to be used as a basis for a decision on treatment among those presenting to the clinic, 16% of children /=5000 parasites/microl of blood would be sent home without treatment. Clinical algorithms therefore appear to have little utility in malaria diagnosis, performing even worse in the older age groups, where avoiding unnecessary use of anti-malarials would make more drugs available to the really needy population of children under 5 years of age.     

Clinicopathologic and molecular features of intracranial desmoplastic small round cell tumors

Desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCTs) are highly aggressive sarcomas that most commonly occur intra‐abdominally, and are defined by EWSR1‐WT1 gene fusion. Intracranial DSRCTs are exceptionally rare with only seven previously reported fusion‐positive cases. Herein, we evaluate the clinical, morphologic, immunohistochemical and molecular features of five additional examples. All patients were male (age range 6–25 years; median 11 years), with four tumors located supratentorially and one within the posterior fossa. The histologic features were highly variable including small cell, embryonal, clear cell, rhabdoid, anaplastic and glioma‐like appearances. A prominent desmoplastic stroma was seen in only two cases. The mitotic index ranged from <1 to 12/10 HPF (median 5). While all tumors showed strong desmin positivity, epithelial markers such as EMA, CAM 5.2 and other keratins were strongly positive in only one, focally positive in two and negative in two cases. EWSR1‐WT1 gene fusion was present in all cases, with accompanying mutations in the TERT promoter or STAG2 gene in individual cases. Given the significant histologic diversity, in the absence of genetic evaluation these cases could easily be misinterpreted as other entities. Desmin immunostaining is a useful initial screening method for consideration of a DSRCT diagnosis, prompting confirmatory molecular testing. Demonstrating the presence of an EWSR1‐WT1 fusion provides a definitive diagnosis of DSRCT. Genome‐wide methylation profiles of intracranial DSRCTs matched those of extracranial DSRCTs. Thus, despite the occasionally unusual histologic features and immunoprofile, intracranial DSRCTs likely represent a similar, if not the same, entity as their soft tissue counterpart based on the shared fusion and methylation profiles.     

Myxoid glioneuronal tumor,PDGFRA p.K385‐mutant: clinical,radiologic, and histopathologic features

“Myxoid glioneuronal tumor, PDGFRA p.K385‐mutant” is a recently described tumor entity of the central nervous system with a predilection for origin in the septum pellucidum and a defining dinucleotide mutation at codon 385 of the PDGFRA oncogene replacing lysine with either leucine or isoleucine (p.K385L/I). Clinical outcomes and optimal treatment for this new tumor entity have yet to be defined. Here, we report a comprehensive clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic assessment of eight cases. In addition to its stereotypic location in the septum pellucidum, we identify that this tumor can also occur in the corpus callosum and periventricular white matter of the lateral ventricle. Tumors centered in the septum pellucidum uniformly were associated with obstructive hydrocephalus, whereas tumors centered in the corpus callosum and periventricular white matter did not demonstrate hydrocephalus. While multiple patients were found to have ventricular dissemination or local recurrence/progression, all patients in this series remain alive at last clinical follow‐up despite only biopsy or subtotal resection without adjuvant therapy in most cases. Our study further supports “myxoid glioneuronal tumor, PDGFRA p.K385‐mutant” as a distinct CNS tumor entity and expands the spectrum of clinicopathologic and radiologic features of this neoplasm.