Multitechnique characterization of conventional and experimental Ag-based brazing alloys for orthodontic applications

Objectives

To characterize the microstructure, mechanical properties, ionic release and tarnish resistance of conventional and experimental Ag-based soldering alloys for orthodontic applications.

Brief Exposure to Pictures Depicting Poor Environments Leads to Increased Consumption of Beer in Adult Social Drinkers

Previous studies have suggested a trait-like association between neighborhood deprivation and alcohol consumption. However, it is not known whether temporarily manipulating poverty and affluence states by exposure to stimuli signifying resource-scarcity or resource-wealth would influence alcohol-seeking behavior. Here, we aimed to investigate whether implicit exposure to affluence and poverty-related pictures would influence beer consumption. Participants in a “poverty” group viewed pictures depicting impoverished environments, and participants in an “affluence” group viewed images of wealthy environments. After priming, participants were provided with nonalcoholic beer (which they were told was alcohol-containing beer) and orange juice under the guise of a bogus taste test, to measure their alcohol-seeking behavior. Results showed that priming participants with a resource-scarce environment led to an increase in beer consumption (as a percentage of total fluid consumed), compared to priming with a resource-rich environment. The same pattern of results was obtained in both a Western European sample (Experiment 1) and a West Indian sample (Experiment 2). In Experiment 2, we also tested whether risk-taking behavior, measured by the Balloon Analogue Risk Task, was influenced by the environmental priming; no differences between groups were observed. These results provide the first experimental evidence that manipulation of poverty-affluence state, by brief exposure to pictures of impoverished or wealthy neighborhoods, can influence alcohol-seeking behavior in adult social drinkers.     

Évaluation du risque hémorragique de différents protocoles d’anticoagulation péri-opératoire lors d’une primo-implantation ou un remplacement d’un stimulateur ou d’un défibrillateur cardiaque : analyse d’une cohorte de patients en centre hospitalier général

Aims

Perioperative management of anticoagulation in patients referred for pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator implantation isn’t consensual. Our objective was to evaluate, in a large cohort, hemorrhagic complications in patients having implantation or replacement of a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator, and to assess perioperative anticoagulation effect on hemorrhagic risk.

Methods and results

A cohort of 461 consecutive patients having implantation or replacement of a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator has been analyzed. Thirty patients (6,5%) had oral anticoagulants (OAC) switched to heparin/low-molecular-weight heparin, while 76 (16,5%) had their oral anticoagulation disrupted habitually for 48 hours. A total of six over 30 (20%) and two over 76 (2.6%) patients in the bridge and OAC, respectively experienced a pocket hematoma (bridge vs. OAC, p < 0.05), while ten over 355 (2.8%) had a pocket hematoma in the control group (bridge vs. control p = 0.006). Duration of the hospital stay was longer in the bridge group in comparison with OAC and control groups (9 vs. 7 vs. 6 days, respectively, p = 0.006).

Conclusion

Oral anticoagulation bridging with heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin is associated with a higher risk of pocket hematoma and a longer duration of hospitalization, in comparison with a strategy allowing a temporary disruption of OAC adapted to the thromboembolic risk.     

Evaluation of Moisture Damage Potential in Hot Mix Asphalt Using Polymeric Aggregate Treatment

To enhance the moisture damage performance of hot mix asphalt (HMA), treating the aggregate surface with a suitable additive was a more convenient approach. In this research, two types of aggregate modifiers were used to study the effect of moisture damage on HMA. Three different aggregate sources were selected based on their abundance of use in HMA. To study the impact of these aggregate modifiers on moisture susceptibility of HMA, the indirect tensile strength test and indirect tensile modulus test were used as the performance tests. Moisture conditioning of specimens was carried out to simulate the effect of moisture on HMA. The prepared samples’ tensile strength ratio (TSR) and stiffness modulus (Sm) results indicated a decrease in the strength of the HMA after moisture conditioning. After treating the aggregate surface with additives, an improvement was seen in dry and wet strength and stiffness. Moreover, an increasing trend was observed for both additives. The correlation between TSR and strength loss reveals a strong correlation (R² = 0.7219). Also, the two additives indicate increased wettability of asphalt binder over aggregate, thus improving the adhesion between aggregate and asphalt binder.     

Resolution of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and anemia with prolonged alpha-interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a group of autosomal dominant disorders, characterized by telangiectases that develop in the skin, mucous membranes, and visceral organs. Currently, there is no satisfactory treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Interferon has never been used for the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. In this case, we report disappearance of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia lesions after 12 months of treatment with interferon-alpha for chronic hepatitis C. Further studies are warranted to evaluate its role and potential use in the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.     

IL-13 gene expression in patients with atopic dermatitis: relation to IgE level and to disease severity

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease frequently associated with an increased serum IgE level. T helper cells are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. It is commonly believed that allergens activate Th2 cells, and it is likely that the cytokines produced by Th2 cells are crucial factors in the induction and maintenance of the disease. IL-13 is one of the cytokines that are produced by Th2 lymphocytes and, like IL-4, it can induce the production of IgE. In order to evaluate its role in the pathogenesis of AD, IL-13 mRNA expression was studied in peripheral blood of patients with different degrees of AD and compared with healthy subjects. Also, we correlated its level of expression with the level of serum IgE and with the severity of the disease. EDTA blood was obtained from 25 patients (divided into three groups ranged from mild to severe AD) and 12 normal subjects as a control group. We examined the blood sample for IL-13 mRNA expression using RNA extraction technique, RT-PCR, PCR amplification using primers specific for IL-13 and beta- actin (as internal control) this is followed by visualization of the expressed bands using gel electrophoresis and DNA marker. Serum IgE level was detected using an ELISA kit. Our results revealed that, IL-13 mRNA is significantly expressed in patients with AD as compared to normal control (P<0.001). IL-13 mRNA shows higher level of expression in severe AD group in comparison with both moderate and mild groups (P = 0.05). Serum levels of IgE showed highly significant increase in patients with AD as compared with the control group (p=0.019), its level is significantly higher in severe AD group versus moderate and mild AD groups (P=0.009 and 0.022, respectively). There is a highly significant positive correlation between serum levels of IgE and the levels of IL-13 mRNA expression in all AD groups (P=0.001). In conclusion, the high level of IL-18 mRNA expression in AD, and its correlation with serum level of IgE and with severity of disease indicates that IL-13 is involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and is an important in vivo IgE inducer.     

Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The objectives were to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Anti-CCP antibodies were checked by ELISA in 68 children with JIA, 38 males and 30 females with mean age of 10.6 (±4.02) years and disease duration of 3.7 (±1.8) years. Thirty-eight (56%) patients had polyarticular disease, 20 (29%) patients had oligoarticular disease and 10 (15%) patients had systemic onset disease. All patients had their antinuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF) and ESR checked and x-rays performed to look for erosions. Results were compared to those of 20 healthy children, 14 children with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and 30 adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anti-CCP antibodies were positive in 14/68 (20.6%) patients with JIA, all had polyarticular-onset disease. All patients with positive anti-CCP antibodies had RF-positive polyarthritis. Anti-CCP antibodies were negative in all patients with oligoarticular-onset and systemic-onset disease including 2 patients with extended oligoarthritis. Anti-CCP antibodies were negative in healthy and JSLE controls but were positive in 20/30 (66.5%) adults with RA. Anti-CCP antibodies correlated significantly with joint erosions in patients with JIA (p?=?0.004) but no significant relation was found between anti-CCP antibodies and ANA positivity or raised ESR. These data confirm that anti-CCP antibodies are less prevalent in JIA than adult RA but are detectable in a significant proportion of RF-positive patients with polyarticular-onset JIA. The current study showed significant relation between anti-CCP positivity and erosive joint disease in JIA.     

The end point of the ventral visual stream: face and non-face perceptual deficits following unilateral anterior temporal lobe damage

While it has been claimed that the ventral visual stream ends in the inferior aspects of the anterior temporal lobe (ATL), little is known about whether this region is important for visual perception. Here the performance of two patients with unilateral ATL damage was assessed across four visual perception tasks that parametrically varied stimulus similarity. Patients performed normally on difficult judgments of circle size or face age but were impaired on face identity and dot pattern matching tasks. Portions of the ATL, most likely the ventral surface, may have a functional role in visual perception tasks requiring detailed configural processing, most commonly used to discern facial identity.