Dimensional stability of 3D-printed edentulous and fully dentate hollowed maxillary models over periods of time.

BACKGROUND: Dental casts made utilising digital workflow are becoming more common because to their speed and cost savings. However, studies on their dimensional accuracy over time with diverse designs are missing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the dimensional stability of 3D-printed edentulous and fully dentate hollowed maxillary models with 50-micrometer resolution over 1 day, 14 days, and 28 days using surface matching software. METHODS: Scanned edentulous and fully dentate maxillary typodont models were used as references. The models were scanned by a desktop lab scanner of 15-micrometer accuracy (D900, 3Shape). Then, the files were used in designing software (Meshmixer, Autodesk) to create hollowed maxillary casts. Fifteen edentulous and 15 fully dentate (total of 30) models were printed using a DLP lab printer (Cara print 4.0, Kulzer). The 3D-printed models were scanned using the same desktop lab scanner of 15-micrometer accuracy at intervals of baseline days, 1 day, 14 days, and 28 days to assess the effect of aging (n = 120). The dimensional changes were quantified and compared using the root mean square (RMS) method, expressed in micrometres (µm). The study employed repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess and compare the root mean square (RMS) values across the variables. The data was analysed using SPSS (26, Chicago, Illinois, USA). RESULTS: The RMS of the edentulous models rapidly increased from a mean value of 0.257 at the beginning of the study to 0.384 after twenty-eight days. However, the mean RMS values for the dentate models did not change much over the four intervals. It varied only from 0.355 to 0.347. The mean values for edentulous patients increased from 0.014 to 0.029 during the period from baseline to twenty-eight days. However, the mean average values decreased for the dentate models from 0.033 to 0.014 during this period. By utilizing ANOVA, mean RMS values increased insignificantly till one day but significantly to fourteen and twenty-eight days. Dentate model mean values differed insignificantly across four intervals. Repeated measures ANOVA for combined and separated data showed no significant differences across edentulous, dentate, and total models over times. CONCLUSION: The study revealed changes in the dimensions of 3D-printed edentulous models over a span of 3 and 4 weeks. Caution should be applied when using 3D-printed dental master models for constructing definitive prostheses on edentulous models over a period of 3 to 4 weeks.

The effect of evolocumab alone and in combination with atorvastatin on atherosclerosis progression and TLRs expression.

Evolocumab, a PCSK-9 inhibitor, is known for its ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). This study aimed to investigate the effects of evolocumab, alone or in combination with atorvastatin, on the progression of atherosclerosis. Fifty male domestic rabbits were randomly assigned to five groups: control, high cholesterol diet, evolocumab vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO), evolocumab alone, and evolocumab plus atorvastatin. Serum levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-17, IL-1ß, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM) were measured. Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression on monocytes was evaluated using flow cytometry. Histopathological examination and measurement of intimal thickness (IT) were also conducted. The results revealed that the evolocumab produced a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction in lipid profile at 5 weeks, with the peak effect occurring at 10 weeks. Furthermore, the inhibitor reduced TLRs at 10 weeks to 10.83±1.8 and intimal thickness to 160.66±9.45. IL-17, IL-1ß, ICAM, and VCAM were significantly reduced by evolocumab treatment, with the improvement of the histopathological changes in the aortic wall. The combination of evolocumab and atorvastatin caused a more statistically significant reduction in TLRs at 10 weeks to 5.08±1.2 and intimal thickness to 121.79±5.3. IL-17, IL-1ß, ICAM, and VCAM were significantly (p<0.05) reduced by the combination, and the histopathological changes in the aortic wall were significantly improved. In conclusion, evolocumab delays the progression of atherosclerosis by modulating inflammatory pathways.

Current-Voltage Characteristics of Membranes with Different Cation-Exchanger Content in Mineral Salt-Neutral Amino Acid Solutions under Electrodialysis.

The features of the electrochemical behavior of experimental heterogeneous ion-exchange membranes with different mass fractions of sulfonated cation-exchange resin (from 45 to 65 wt%) have been studied by voltammetry during electrodialysis. Electromembrane systems with 0.01 M NaCl solution and with a mixed 0.01 M NaCl + 0.05 M phenylalanine (Phe) solution have been investigated. A significant influence of the ion-exchanger content on the parameters of current-voltage curves (CVCs) was established for the first time. Electrodialysis of the sodium chloride solution revealed a decrease in the length of the limiting current plateau and in the resistances of the second and third sections of the CVCs with an increase in the resin content in the membrane. The fact of the specific shape of the CVCs of all studied cation-exchange membrane samples in mixed solutions of the mineral salt and the amino acid was established. A specific feature of current-voltage curves is the presence of two plateaus of the limiting current and two values of the limiting current, respectively. This phenomenon in electromembrane systems with neutral amino acids has not been found before. The value of the first limiting current is determined by cations of the mineral salt, which are the main current carriers in the system. The presence of the second plateau and the corresponding second limiting current is due to the appearance of additional carriers due to the ability of phenylalanine as an organic ampholyte to participate in protolytic reactions. In the cation-exchange electromembrane system with the phenylalanine containing solution, two mechanisms of H+/OH- ion generation through water splitting and acid dissociation are shown. The possibility of the generation of H+/OH- ions at the enriched solution/cation-exchange membrane interface during electrodialysis of amino acid containing solutions is shown for the first time. The results of this study can be used to improve the process of electromembrane demineralization of neutral amino acid solutions by both targeted selection or the creation of new membranes and the selection of effective current operating modes.

The role of cytokines, adhesion molecules, and toll-like receptors in atherosclerosis progression: the effect of Atorvastatin.

Inflammatory cytokines, cell adhesion molecules, and toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the role of inflammatory cytokines, cell adhesion molecules, and toll-like receptors in atherosclerosis. Forty local breed domestic male rabbits were divided randomly into 4 groups, 10 rabbits each. Group I was the control group, group II received a high cholesterol diet, group III received the drug solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and group IV received Atorvastatin (3.5 mg/kg/day). Blood samples were collected at 0 times, 5 weeks, and at the end of 10 weeks. TLRs expression on monocyte was measured by flow cytometry, IL-10, IL-17, IL-1ß, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) were measured by ELISA. In group II, a high cholesterol diet led to a statistically significant elevation of lipids profile (TC, TG, and LDL) at both 5 weeks and 10 weeks compared to the control. The expression of TLRs was also increased compared to the control (13.53±2.5 to 25.79±6.5). The intimal thickness increased from 103.46±13.85 to 248.43±11.11. IL-17 increased significantly from 3.4±0.4 to 7.7±1.00, and IL-1ß increased from 1.04±0.19 to 9.66±1.4 (P 0.05) at 10 weeks. ICAM and VCAM increased from 1.7±0.16 to 8.2±0.74 and from 0.89±0.07 to 5.2±0.45, respectively. Atorvastatin significantly reduced TLRs at 10 weeks to 21.98±3.4 and intimal thickness to 191.6±15.59. IL-17, IL-1ß, ICAM, and VCAM were significantly reduced by Atorvastatin. Cytokines, cellular adhesion molecules, and probably TLRs have a role in the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.

Factors predicting recurrence in thymic epithelial neoplasms.

OBJECTIVES: Thymic epithelial neoplasms (TENs) represent a heterogeneous group of rare thoracic malignancies. We analysed the clinicopathological features, survival outcomes, risk factors, and patterns of recurrence in patients undergoing resection. METHODS: Records were reviewed for adult patients with TEN who underwent resection from 2006 to 2019. Survival rates were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were analysed (51 females, median age 58 years). Thymoma was the most common histology (n = 92), followed by thymic carcinoma (n = 5) and thymic neuroendocrine tumour (n = 3). Stage II (Masaoka) tumours were most common (n = 51), followed by stage I (n = 27). World Health Organization B2/B3 was the most prominent histological subtype (n = 34). Complete resection (R0) was achieved in 91 patients: 86/92 thymoma, 4/5 thymic carcinoma and 1/3 neuroendocrine tumour. The most common treatment modality was surgery alone in 72 patients, followed by surgery and radiation therapy in 24, and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in 3 patients. Only one patient with thymic carcinoma received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The 10-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 86.6% and 83.9%, respectively. Recurrence was most common in neuroendocrine tumours (3/3). Risk factors for recurrence identified on multivariable analyses were: R1/2 resection (hazard ratio 9.30; 95% confidence interval 1.82-36.1), TEN subtype (hazard ratio 8.08; 95% confidence interval 1.24-34.6), and presence of lymphovascular invasion (hazard ratio 9.56; 95% confidence interval 2.56-25.8). CONCLUSIONS: Complete resection remains critical in patients with TEN. Incomplete resection, high-risk histology, and lymphovascular invasion highlight the need for effective adjuvant modalities. Given the rarity of these diseases, emphasis must be placed on collaborative research conducted on TEN.

Environmental performance of dewatered sewage sludge digestate utilization based on life cycle assessment.

Due to the global trend of urbanization, the amount of sewage water is increasing in cities. This calls for efficient treatment of the resulting sewage sludge. To date, in the 27 European Union member countries (EU-27), the prevailing treatment method is application on arable land. Anaerobic digestion is one of the treatment methods being increasingly used nowadays. However, the resulting digestate requires further utilization. Therefore, in this study, the environmental performance of composting, combustion, and pyrolysis options for dewatered sewage sludge digestate is evaluated based on a life cycle assessment. The results show that digestate combustion and composting performed better than pyrolysis for most of the selected impact categories. However, pyrolysis of sewage sludge is still under development, and there are, to some degree, uncertainties in the data related to this technology; thus, more information for the performance assessment of pyrolysis is still required.

THE EFFECT OF EVOLOCUMAB ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH ATORVASTATIN ON LIPID PROFILE.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: In this study, we try to investigate whether evolocumab or its combination with atorvastatin has potent effect on lipid profile? PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Forty local domestic male rabbits were included in this study, and categorized into four group, two untreated group (nohypercholostermic and untreated hypercholostermic) and treated groups (evolocumab treated group at dose 6.1mg/kg/2Wk and atorvastatin treated group at dose 3.5 mg/kg/day),the blood samples were analyzed at base line and after 5week and at the end of the study after 10 weeks for lipid profile by standard enzymatic methods. RESULTS: Results: The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),were increased after 10 weeks of administration of the atherogenic diet significantly (p<0.05) as compared with other groups (group I: 61.19 ± 14, group ΙΙ: 1301 ± 443, group ΙΙΙ 41.01 ± 5.81: 280 ± 50, group ΙV: 190 ± 38 group Ι: 46 ± 15.0, group ΙΙ: 256.0 ± 24.0, group ΙΙΙ: 101.0±28, group ΙV: 48.18 ± 15.27, group Ι: 29±14.50, group ΙΙ: 929±251.0, group ΙΙΙ: 283.0±36, group ΙV: 209.0±33mg/dl) respectively while the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) decrease (18.0±4.1 to 15.0±3.0mg/dl). Compared with evolocumab monotherapy, combination of evolocumab and atorvastatin reduce serum level of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein more than that of evolocumab. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Preproteins convert as esubtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor regulates the serum levels of lipid and cholesterol by lowering LDL-C, and the results also indicate that combination of evolocumab and atorvastatin are more potent in lowering the lipid profile and then reduce progression of atherosclerosis than evolocumab alone in rabbits suggesting that this combination might be beneficial for treatment of atherosclerosis.

Case Report: Diagnosis of COVID-19 versus Tropical Diseases in Pakistan.

A 25-year-old medical student presented in Multan, Pakistan with a high fever, cough, myalgia, and diarrhea consistent with the typical signs and symptoms of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The patient had traveled to high COVID-19-risk areas within Pakistan and had no significant medical and surgical history. Based on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab testing, the patient was found to be negative for COVID-19. He subsequently developed a diffuse rash and had serology consistent with dengue and measles. The patient was treated symptomatically, and his condition gradually improved over 7 days. This case highlights the high prevalence of many tropical diseases in low-income countries and the need for clinicians to consider alternate diagnoses in addition to testing for COVID-19 during the pandemic.

The effect of a multicomponent exercise programme onelderly adults' risk of falling in nursing homes: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a multi-component exercise programme on elderly adults' risk of falling in nursing homes. METHODS: A computerised search of published randomised controlled trials in the English language was performed using PubMed, Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and the Institute for Scientific Information up to December 2017. We included highquality articles that reported a score of ≥5 on the Physiotherapy Evidence Databasescale which compared multicomponent exercise with a single exercise programme in nursing homes, with the risk of falling as an outcome, among participants aged ≥65 years. RESULTS: A total of 8 articles, comprising 382 participants, were included. All these articles scored 6-8 points out of 10 on the PEDro scale, with an average of 6.7 points. The mean age of participants in the included articles was ranged from 76±8.0 to 92±2.0 years, and286 (75%) participants were females. A multi-component exercise programme in the experimental group, which had 204 (53.4%) subjects significantly reduced the risk of falling in nursing homes compared to a single-exercise programme, which was used in the control group that had 178(46.6%) subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-component exercise programme was found to be useful for reducing elderly adults' risk of falling in nursing homes.

Public perceptions and attitudes to biological risks: Saudi Arabia and regional perspectives.

Saudi Arabia has experienced frequent occurrences of biological disasters due to a wide range of generator factors, including natural disasters and epidemics. A national survey (n=1,164) was conducted across 13 regions of Saudi Arabia to examine public perceptions to the risk of a biological disaster. The primary results reveal: (a) a degree of knowledge about biological threats such as SARS and H5N1 flu, despite the lack of individual experience with disasters; (b) age, gender, education and faith are positively related to the perception of biological risk; and (c) a number of important community resilience factors exist, including faith, education and willingness. This study concludes that the development of adapted resilience strategies in disaster management can be achieved through public education and training involving cooperation with official organisations and religious authorities in the country to increase public awareness, knowledge and skills in mitigating biological threats.