On the synthesis and physical properties of iron doped SnO2 nanoparticles.

The synthesis of iron doped tin oxide by pulsed laser pyrolysis is reported. The as obtained nanoparticles have a dominant SnO2 phase (as revealed by Wide Angle X-ray Scattering), with particles of the order of 10 nm. The doping with iron or iron oxide triggers magnetic properties as confirmed by SQUID experiments. EDX measurements supported the presence of Fe while Wide Angle X-ray Scattering failed to sense any iron or iron-oxide phase. It is concluded that Fe is well dispersed within the tin-oxide nanoparticles. The coercitive field has a complex dependence on the Fe/Sn content suggesting that the magnetization is not controlled solely by the amount of Fe dispersed within the nanoparticles.

Cardiovascular risk assessment in osteoporotic patients using osteoprotegerin as a reliable predictive biochemical marker.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily of proteins known to be involved in a large number of biological systems, plays a pivotal role in bone remodelling. In addition to the roles of OPG in bone metabolism, it has been reported to be associated with a high cardiovascular risk in patients with metabolic syndrome. In most cases, the exact functions of OPG remain to be established; however, the widespread expression of OPG suggests that this molecule may have multiple biological activities, mainly in the cardiometabolic environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of OPG as a predictive marker for cardiovascular and metabolic risk in osteoporotic patients. The study group comprised patients with osteoporosis, in order to evaluate the association between OPG serum levels and cardiovascular pathology. Our results revealed significant correlations between classical biochemical bone and metabolic parameters, such as osteocalcin and parathyroid hormone with lipid and glucose biomarkers, sustaining the crosstalk between calcium and bone parameters and cardiovascular risk. The OPG serum level proved to have a significant and independent predictive value for metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a cardiovascular risk standard in osteoporotic patients. The OPG serum levels were increased in patients with MetS as a protective response against the atherosclerotic lesions. The serum levels of 25­hydroxy vitamin D had significant and independent predictive value for cardiovascular and metabolic risk in our subjects, sustaining the active role of vitamin D beyond the area of bone metabolism.

The dowelklip: a device for dowel pin placement.

While no system of dowel pin placement satisfies all the desired requirements in every situation, the dowelklip is an original design that meets most of the requirements for many routine treatment procedures. For dentists who do not do a large enough volume of fixed restorative procedures to justify the expense of complex die positioning systems but are dissatisfied with sticky wax and match sticks, the dowelklip offers an alternative approach.

Film thickness of cements beneath complete crowns.

The results showed that Durelon, EBAC, zinc phosphate, Epoxylite CBA, and Fynal had thinner film thicknesses than EBA and Fluro-Thin. In addition, venting of a crown resulted in lower film thicknesses with all cements except Fynal and EBAC. No significant differences occurred with these two cements whether the crown was vented or not. Obviously many other factors besides film thickness, such as toxicity, strength, and solubility, have to be considered before selecting a cement for clinical use. When only film thickness is to be considered, all of the cements in the study could be recommended for the cementation of crowns with the exception of EBA and Fluoro-Thin.

Nasal carriage of staphylococcus aureus and antibiotic susceptibility pattern among children in Freetown; Sierra Leone

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor for invasive S. aureus infections in various population including children. The extent of S. aureus carriage in Sierra Leonean children is largely unknown. To determine the prevalence and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of nasal S. aureus among children in Freetown; Sierra Leone; samples were collected from anterior nares of children less than two years at the Ola During Children's Hospital between October 2008 and April 2009. Of the 116 children screened during the study period; S. aureus isolates were found in the nasal specimens of 40 (34.5) of the children. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to norfloxacin; gentamycin; erythromycin; trimethoprim-sulfamethazole; doxycycline; tetracycline and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid were observed to be 95; 35; 30; 20; 15; 7.5 and 2.5respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to oxacillin and resistant to chloramphenicol; penicillin G; amoxycillin and ampiclox. Regular monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern may be useful