Application of additional anthropometric and functional methods in children undergoing orthodontic treatment using braces

BackgroundOcclusal interference causes instability in temporomandibular joint and hyperactivity of mastication muscles which eventually leads to temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Therefore, achieving stable occlusion is important in young patients. It is key factor in optimizing functional occlusion in adulthood.AimApplication of «The ABO Model Grading System» and Mandibular Position Indicator as an additional diagnostic method in children undergoing orthodontic treatment using braces.MethodsThirty-two patients aged 14 to 18 diagnosed with teeth crowding on the upper and lower jaws were examined, then separated in two groups of 16 people each. All patients underwent orthodontic treatment using braces.ResultsIn group 2, due to application the anthropometrical system of quantitative evaluation ABO with re-fixing the incorrectly arranged braces by indirect bonding method, occlusal interferences were eliminated. MPI analysis showed discrepancy between the central occlusion and the central relation which was not as relevant as in the group 1 (p > 0.05).ConclusionUsing the anthropometric system of quantitative assessment of ABO with subsequent re-fixation of incorrectly placed braces by indirect bonding, effectively improves the MPI. This determines the unity of position between articular condyles on the lower jaw in the centric occlusion and in the centric relation, which allows to get a stable result of orthodontic treatment.     

Complete mesocolic excision and central vascular ligation for right colon cancer: an introduction for abdominal radiologists

Abdominal Radiology - To provide an overview of complete mesocolic excision, along with a review of the relevant vascular anatomy and locoregional staging concepts, for abdominal radiologists....     

CD4 T cells provide protection against acute lethal encephalitis caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus

Studying the mechanisms of host survival resulting from viral encephalitis is critical to the development of vaccines. Here we have shown in several independent studies that high dose treatment with neutralizing antibody prior to intranasal infection with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus had an antiviral effect in the visceral organs and prolonged survival time of infected mice, even in the absence of αβ T cells. Nevertheless, antibody treatment did not prevent the development of lethal encephalitis. On the contrary, the adoptive transfer of primed CD4⁺ T cells was necessary to prevent lethal encephalitis in mice lacking αβ T cell receptor.     

Superior efficacy of a recombinant flagellin:H5N1 HA globular head vaccine is determined by the placement of the globular head within flagellin

Transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) between birds and humans is an ongoing threat that holds potential for the emergence of a pandemic influenza strain. A major barrier to an effective vaccine against avian influenza has been the generally poor immunopotency of many of the HPAI strains coupled with the manufacturing constraints employing conventional methodologies. Fusion of flagellin, a toll-like receptor-5 ligand, to vaccine antigens has been shown to enhance the immune response to the fused antigen in preclinical studies. Here, we have evaluated the immunogenicity and efficacy of a panel of flagellin-based hemagglutinin (HA) globular head fusion vaccines in inbred mice. The HA globular head of these vaccines is derived from the A/Vietnam/1203/04 (VN04; H5N1) HA molecule. We find that replacement of domain D3 of flagellin with the VN04 HA globular head creates a highly effective vaccine that elicits protective HAI titers which protect mice against disease and death in a lethal challenge model.     

Integrated Management of Physician‐delivered Alcohol Care for Tuberculosis Patients: Design and Implementation

Background: While the integration of alcohol screening, treatment, and referral in primary care and other medical settings in the U.S. and worldwide has been recognized as a key health care priority, it is not routinely done. In spite of the high co‐occurrence and excess mortality associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among individuals with tuberculosis (TB), there are no studies evaluating effectiveness of integrating alcohol care into routine treatment for this disorder. Methods: We designed and implemented a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effectiveness of integrating pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments for AUDs into routine medical care for TB in the Tomsk Oblast Tuberculosis Service (TOTBS) in Tomsk, Russia. Eligible patients are diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence, are newly diagnosed with TB, and initiating treatment in the TOTBS with Directly Observed Therapy‐Short Course (DOTS) for TB. Utilizing a factorial design, the Integrated Management of Physician‐delivered Alcohol Care for Tuberculosis Patients (IMPACT) study randomizes eligible patients who sign informed consent into 1 of 4 study arms: (1) Oral Naltrexone + Brief Behavioral Compliance Enhancement Therapy (BBCET) + treatment as usual (TAU), (2) Brief Counseling Intervention (BCI) + TAU, (3) Naltrexone + BBCET + BCI + TAU, or (4) TAU alone. Results: Utilizing an iterative, collaborative approach, a multi‐disciplinary U.S. and Russian team has implemented a model of alcohol management that is culturally appropriate to the patient and TB physician community in Russia. Implementation to date has achieved the integration of routine alcohol screening into TB care in Tomsk; an ethnographic assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of AUD management among TB physicians in Tomsk; translation and cultural adaptation of the BCI to Russia and the TB setting; and training and certification of TB physicians to deliver oral naltrexone and brief counseling interventions for alcohol abuse and dependence as part of routine TB care. The study is successfully enrolling eligible subjects in the RCT to evaluate the relationship of integrating effective pharmacotherapy and brief behavioral intervention on TB and alcohol outcomes, as well as reduction in HIV risk behaviors. Conclusions: The IMPACT study utilizes an innovative approach to adapt 2 effective therapies for treatment of alcohol use disorders to the TB clinical services setting in the Tomsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia, and to train TB physicians to deliver state of the art alcohol pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments as an integrated part of routine TB care. The proposed treatment strategy could be applied elsewhere in Russia and in other settings where TB control is jeopardized by AUDs. If demonstrated to be effective, this model of integrating alcohol interventions into routine TB care has the potential for expanded applicability to other chronic co‐occurring infectious and other medical conditions seen in medical care settings.     

Upregulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha by stress and substance p in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation

OBJECTIVE: Clinical observation has suggested that stress and asthma morbidity are associated, though underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. After having established a mouse model of stress-exacerbated allergic airway inflammation, we demonstrated a stress-mediating role for neurokinin-1 receptor, the main substance P (SP) receptor. Here, our aim was to investigate the influence of stress or exogenously applied SP on airway inflammation and on the local cytokine production of immune cells. METHODS: BALB/c mice were systemically sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) and repeatedly challenged with OVA aerosol. Sound stress was applied to the animals for 24 h, starting with the first airway challenge. Alternatively, one group of non-stressed mice received intranasal SP before airway challenges. Cell numbers were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Leukocytes from mediastinal lymph nodes were analyzed by flow cytometry to determine the percentages of T cells producing interleukin-4, interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. RESULTS: In BAL fluids of stressed or SP-treated animals, significantly higher total cell counts were found compared to non-stressed mice. In lymph nodes, the percentage of TNF-alpha-positive T cells was higher in stressed mice and mice after application of SP. In contrast, the influence of stress did not increase the percentages of interferon-gamma-positive CD3+ cells, meanwhile the application of SP increased the percentages of T cells positive for this cytokine. CONCLUSION: Our data provide further evidence for a stress-mediating neuroimmunological pathway that, putatively via SP, is able to influence the composition of immune cells in different compartments of allergic airway inflammation.     

Regularities of Structure Formation in 30 mm Rods of Thermoelectric Material during Hot Extrusion

In this study, Ingots of (Bi, Sb)₂Te₃ thermoelectric material with p-type conductivity have been obtained by hot extrusion. The main regularities of hot extrusion of 30 mm rods have been analyzed with the aid of a mathematical simulation on the basis of the joint use of elastic-plastic body approximations. The phase composition, texture and microstructure of the (Bi, Sb)₂Te₃ solid solutions have been studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The thermoelectric properties have been studied using the Harman method. We show that extrusion through a 30 mm diameter die produces a homogeneous strain. The extruded specimens exhibit a fine-grained structure and a clear axial texture in which the cleavage planes are parallel to the extrusion axis. The quantity of defects in the grains of the (Bi, Sb)₂Te₃ thermoelectric material decreases with an increase in the extrusion rate. An increase in the extrusion temperature leads to a decrease in the Seebeck coefficient and an increase in the electrical conductivity. The specimens extruded at 450 °C and a 0.5 mm/min extrusion rate have the highest thermoelectric figure of merit (Z = 3.2 × 10⁻³ K⁻¹).