Combined effect of smear layer characteristics and hydrostatic pulpal pressure on dentine bond strength of HEMA-free and HEMA-containing adhesives

Objective

This study evaluated the combined effect of smear layer characteristics with hydrostatic pulpal pressure (PP) on bond strength and nanoleakage expression of HEMA-free and -containing self-etch adhesives.

Methods

Flat dentine surfaces were obtained from extracted human molars. Smear layers were created by grinding with #180- or #600-SiC paper. Three HEMA-free adhesives (Xeno V, G Bond Plus, Beautibond Multi) and two HEMA-containing adhesives (Bond Force, Tri-S Bond) were applied to the dentine surfaces under hydrostatic PP or none. Dentine bond strengths were determined using the microtensile bond test (μTBS). Data were statistically analyzed using three- and two-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc comparison test. Nanoleakage evaluation was carried out under a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Results

Coarse smear layer preparation and hydrostatic PP negatively affected the μTBS of HEMA-free and -containing adhesives, but there were no significant differences. The combined experimental condition significantly reduced μTBS of the HEMA-free adhesives, while the HEMA-containing adhesives exhibited no significant differences. Two-way ANOVA indicated that for HEMA-free adhesives, there were significant interactions in μTBS between smear layer characteristics and pulpal pressure, while for HEMA-containing adhesives, there were no significant interactions between them. Nanoleakage formation within the adhesive layers of both adhesive systems distinctly increased in the combined experimental group.

Conclusion

The combined effect of coarse smear layer preparation with hydrostatic PP significantly reduced the μTBS of HEMA-free adhesives, while in HEMA-containing adhesives, these effects were not obvious.

Clinical significance

Smear layer characteristics and hydrostatic PP would additively compromise dentine bonding of self-etch adhesives, especially HEMA-free adhesives.     

Peripheral blood gene expression profile of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease in patients of different ethnicity in Malaysia

The molecular basis of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been widely studied in the western world but there is no published work on the Malaysian population. This study looked at the global gene expression profiling of the peripheral blood of patients with CAD from the 3 main ethnic groups in Malaysia. Male subjects selected were based on angiographically confirmed CAD (≥50% stenosis) and normal control subjects (0% stenosis) with age range of 55.6±5.3 and 51.0±5.5years, respectively. The global gene expression of 12 angiographically documented CAD patients and 11 matched control subjects were performed. The combined group samples identified 6 up regulated differential expression (DE) genes (GHRL, LTA, CBS, HP, ITGA2B, and OLR1) and 12 down regulated DE genes (IL18R1, ITGA2B, IL18RAP, HP, OLR1, SOD2 ITGB3, IL1B, MMP9, PLA2G7, UTS2, and CBS) to be involved in CAD at the fold change of 1.3 with fault discovery rate (FDR) of 1%. Three genes, MMP9, IL1B, and SOD2 were down regulated in all the 3 ethnic groups making them potential biomarker candidates for CAD across all three ethnicities. Further verification in a cohort study is needed.     

Risk modification of colorectal cancer susceptibility by interleukin-8 -251T>A polymorphism in Malaysians

AIM: To investigate the allele and genotype frequencies and associated risk of interleukin (IL)-8 -251T>A polymorphism on colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility risk.METHODS: Peripheral blood samples of 255 normal controls and 255 clinically and histopathologically confirmed CRC patients were genotyped for IL-8 -251T>A polymorphism employing allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. The relative association of variant allele and genotypes with CRC susceptibility risk was determined by calculating the odds ratios (ORs). Corresponding χ² tests on the CRC patients and controls were carried out and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined using Fisher’s exact test. The allele frequencies and its risk association were calculated using FAMHAP, haplotype association analysis software.RESULTS: On comparing the frequencies of genotypes of patients and controls, the homozygous variant AA was significantly higher in CRC patients (P = 0.002) compared to controls. Investigation on the association of the polymorphic genotypes with CRC susceptibility risk, showed that the homozygous variant IL-8 -251AA had a significantly increased risk with OR 3.600 (95% CI: 1.550-8.481, P = 0.001). In the case of allele frequencies, variant allele A of IL-8 -251 showed a significantly increased risk of CRC predisposition with OR 1.32 (95% CI: 1.03-1.69, P = 0.003).CONCLUSION: Variant allele and genotype of IL-8 (-251T>A) was significantly associated with CRC susceptibility risk and could be considered as a high-risk variant for CRC predisposition.     

Comprehensive in silico modeling of the rice plant PRR Xa21 and its interaction with RaxX21-sY and OsSERK2

The first layer of defense that plants deploy to ward off a microbial invasion comes in the form of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), which is initiated when the pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) bind with the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and co-receptor proteins, and transmit a defense signal. Although several plant PRRs have been discovered, very few of them have been fully characterized, and their functional parameters assessed. In this study, the 3D-model prediction of an entire plant PRR protein, Xa21, was done by implementing multiple in silico modeling techniques. Subsequently, the PAMP RaxX21-sY (sulphated RaxX21) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain of the co-receptor OsSERK2 were docked with the LRR domain of Xa21. The docked complex of these three proteins formed a heterodimer that closely resembles the other crystallographic PTI complexes available. Molecular dynamics simulations and MM/PBSA calculations were applied for an in-depth analysis of the interactions between Xa21 LRR, RaxX21-sY, and OsSERK2 LRR. Arg230 and Arg185 from Xa21 LRR, Val2 and Lys15 from RaxX21-sY and Lys164 from OsSERK2 LRR were found to be the prominent residues which might contribute significantly in the formation of a heterodimer during the PTI process mediated by Xa21. Additionally, RaxX21-sY interacted much more favorably with Xa21 LRR in the presence of OsSERK2 LRR in the complex, which substantiates the necessity of the co-receptor in Xa21 mediated PTI to recognize the PAMP RaxX21-sY. However, the free energy binding calculation reveals the favorability of a heterodimer formation of PRR Xa21 and co-receptor OsSERK2 without the presence of PAMP RaxX21-sY, which validate the previous lab result.

This study exhausts bioinformatics tools to acquire the entire multi-domain rice Xa21 protein structure and analyzes its interactions with its PAMP RaxX21-sY and co-receptor OsSERK2.     

Discovery of 4-(2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy)benzohydrazide derivatives as prospective microtubule affinity regulating kinase 4 inhibitors

Microtubule affinity regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) is a Ser/Thr kinase, considered as a potential drug target for cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Due to its significant role in the development and progression of cancer, different in-house libraries of synthesized small molecules were screened to identify potential MARK4 inhibitors. A small library of hydrazone compounds showed a considerable binding affinity to MARK4. The selected compounds were further scrutinized using an enzyme inhibition assay and finally two hydrazone derivatives (H4 and H19) were selected that show excellent inhibition (nM range). These compounds have a strong binding affinity for MARK4 and moderate binding with human serum albumin. Anticancer studies were performed on MCF-7 and A549 cells, suggesting H4 and H19 selectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The IC₅₀ value of compound H4 and H19 was found to be 27.39 μM and 34.37 μM for MCF-7 cells, while for A549 cells it was 45.24 μM and 61.50 μM, respectively. These compounds inhibited the colonogenic potential of cancer cells and induced apoptosis. Overall findings reflect that hydrazones/hydrazone derivatives could be exploited as potential lead molecules for developing effective anticancer therapies via targeting MARK4.

Inhibition studies of MARK4 with selected hydrazone derivatives.     

Bi-doping improves the magnetic properties of zinc oxide nanowires

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in the large and direct bandgap diluted magnetic semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) is attributed to the intrinsic defects and p-orbital–p-orbital (p–p) coupling interaction. However, due to oxidation, the ferromagnetism induced by defects is unstable. In the present work, the solution process synthesis route was utilized to grow pristine and bismuth-doped, highly crystalline ZnO nanowire (ZnO NW)-based samples. The FE-SEM images showed that the grown ZnO NWs have a preferred orientation along the c-axis in the (001) direction due to the anisotropic crystal nature of ZnO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the presence of Bi, and at a higher doping content, the bismuth oxide phase appeared. The XRD patterns showed the wurtzite crystal structure, and the large intensity of the (002) peak suggests that most of the reflection was from the top hexagonal face of the NWs, and thus, the wires are predominantly aligned along the c-axis. The TEM analysis further confirmed the crystal growth direction along the (001) direction. The UV-Visible absorption and PL measurements also showed a decrease in the bandgap with an increase in doping concentration, which may be associated with the sp–d exchange interaction between the localized d-electrons and band electrons of the Bi ions. Bi-doping tended to increase the PL intensity in the visible region. The magnetic properties measured by SQUID at 4 and 300 K showed ferromagnetic behaviour for both the pristine and Bi-doped samples. However, the saturation magnetization for the Bi-doped samples was higher compared to that of the pristine ZnO samples until the threshold doping value. The obtained results demonstrated that Bi-doping can be used to tune both the optical and magnetic properties of ZnO NWs, hence paving the way for future spintronics and spin-polarized optoelectronics applications.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in the large and direct bandgap diluted magnetic semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) is attributed to the intrinsic defects and p-orbital–p-orbital (p–p) coupling interaction.     

Tracheal intubation with size 1 Airtraq in a 3 month old child with occipital meningocele: A novel experience

Meningocele is a neural tube defect where meninges protrude through a skeletal defect. Occipital meningocele compounded with the problems of paediatric airway itself pose challenges to anaesthesiologist in securing and maintaining airway. We present a case report of a 3 month-old-child with occipital meningocele posted for ventriculo-peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus, who was successfully intubated using a size 1 Airtraq optical laryngoscope.     

Changes in sleep architecture after burn injury: ‘Waking up’ to this unaddressed aspect of postburn rehabilitation in the developing world

BACKGROUND:

Changes in sleep architecture are common phenomena observed in post-traumatic patients; such altered sleeping patterns have negative implications on various phases of rehabilitation. Sleep is an essential process, without which one cannot function effectively and, hence, any aberrations in the quality of sleep in such patients need to be critically analyzed.

OBJECTIVE:

To probe the quality of sleep in postburn patients at one year compared with a group of adequately matched controls.

METHODS:

Quality of sleep in postburn patients at one year was measured using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index questionnaire and compared with a group of adequately matched controls. Data were tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson’s χ² test.

RESULTS:

The relationship between the postburn state and sleep disturbances was found to be statistically significant. Other relevant parameters are also highlighted and discussed.

DISCUSSION:

Sleep is one of aspect of functioning that may be least taken into account by professionals during the phase of postburn rehabilitation because more obvious threats receive preferred treatment. Unless these problems are dealt with in the postburn period, rehabilitation can never be complete.

CONCLUSION:

Postburn patients experience significant changes in sleep architecture, which need to be taken into account to enable complete rehabilitation of the patient.