scholarly journals Individual biosafety barrier in dentistry: an alternative in times of covid-19. Preliminary study

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Angelo Martins MONTALLI ◽  
Aguinaldo Silva GARCEZ ◽  
Gabriel Angelo Martins MONTALLI ◽  
Fabiana Mantovani Gomes FRANÇA ◽  
Selly Sayuri SUZUKI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lactobacillus Casei ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Dental Drill ◽  
Lactobacillus Casei Shirota ◽  
Pvc Film ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Individual

ABSTRACT The return to dental practice in pandemic times is a new challenge due to the generation and dispersion of droplets and aerosols that may contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the etiological agent of covid-19. In the last months some droplet and aerosol containment strategies have been circulating on the internet, however, until now there is no evidence in the literature to prove the effectiveness of such barriers. Thus, using a microbial dispersion model with the fast handpiece, the aim of this preliminary study was to compare the dispersion caused by the the dental drill (DD) alone or in association with an individual biosafety barrier (IDBD / DD), which consisted of a layer of PVC film combined to a layer of polypropylene mounted on a frame. The dental drill was activated for one minute having had the water from the reservoir been replaced with a suspension of Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Petri dishes containing MRS agar were positioned at 50, 100 and 150 cm from the headboard of the dental chair at different angles (90 and 0 degrees). At 50 cm, the mean (standard deviation) of L. casei Shirota for DD was 13,554.59 (493.48) CFU, while for IDBD / DD was 570.67 (60.54) CFU (p <0.0001), establishing a 96% reduction. Considering these preliminary results, the individual biosafety barrier proved effective in reducing dispersion from the dental drill in this study model, which suggests that this barrier may be a viable option to optimize biosafety in the dental environment.

scholarly journals A novel dental biosafety device to control the spread of potentially contaminated dispersion particles from dental ultrasonic tips

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247029
Author(s):  
Victor Angelo Martins Montalli ◽  
Aguinaldo Silva Garcez ◽  
Laís Viana Canuto de Oliveira ◽  
Marcelo Sperandio ◽  
Marcelo Henrique Napimoga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Lactobacillus Casei ◽  
Dispersion Model ◽  
Dental Practice ◽  
Clinical Procedures ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Petri Dishes ◽  
Spray Control ◽  
Dental Environment

Strategies to return to dental practice in pandemic times is a new challenge due to the generation and spread of potentially contaminated dispersion particles (PCDP) that may contain the SARS-CoV-2, the etiological factor of the COVID-19 disease. Due to the significant dispersion of PCDP in the dental environment, the use of equipment such as ultrasonic tips have been inadvisable during the pandemic. Several clinical procedures, however, benefit from the use of such equipment. Thus, using a microbial dispersion model of PCDP, the aim of this study was to compare the dispersion caused by the dental drill (DD) an ultrasonic tip (UT) alone and the UT coupled with a Spray control (SC) device. The DD, UT (with or without the SC) were activated for one minute having had the water from the reservoir replaced with a suspension of Lactobacillus casei Shirota (1.5 x 108 CFU/mL). Petri dishes containing MRS agar were positioned at 50cm, 100cm and 150cm from the headrest of the dental chair at different angles (0 degree and 90 degrees). At 50 cm, the mean CFU (standard deviation) of L. casei Shirota was 13554.60 (4071.03) for the DD, 286.67 (73.99) for the US (97.89% reduction), and 4.5 (0.58) CFU for the UT-SC (p < 0.0001), establishing a further 98.43% reduction between UT and UT with SC. The UT with SC model proved effective in reducing dispersion from the UT, endorsing its use as an additional strategy to reduce PCDP in the dental environment in times of pandemic.

α-Methyldopa selectively reduces alae nasi activity

1988 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Lahive ◽  
J. W. Weiss ◽  
S. E. Weinberger
Keyword(s):  
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea ◽  
Upper Airway ◽  
Normal Subjects ◽  
Sleep Apnoea ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Ventilatory Parameters ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Individual

1. Sedatives such as the benzodiazepines and alcohol reduce upper airway muscle activity. We hypothesized that a sedating antihypertensive, α-methyldopa, might have similar effects. To investigate this hypothesis we studied the effect of α-methyldopa on alae nasi electromyographic (EMG) activity during hypercapnia. 2. We studied ten healthy subjects and three subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea during CO2-stimulated breathing. In a preliminary study four subjects demonstrated a fall in alae nasi EMG activity 4 h after the ingestion of 500 mg of α-methyldopa during CO2 rebreathing. 3. In six additional normal subjects and three subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea, we studied the alae nasi EMG activity during steady-state hypercapnia with PCO2 held constant 5 torr (0.7 kPa) above baseline. On 2 separate days we studied subjects before and 2 h after they had ingested 750 mg of α-methyldopa or placebo. 4. In the normal subjects the mean alae nasi EMG activity fell by 34% 2 h after ingestion of α-methyldopa (P < 0.05) without a change in other ventilatory parameters. 5. In the sleep apnoea group the individual mean alae nasi EMG activity fell 16–49%, with ventilation and tidal volume falling in one patient. 6. We conclude that α-methyldopa selectively reduces upper airway motor activity.

A Simple Method for the Evaluation of Internal Doses in Nuclear Medicine

1974 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
L. Conte ◽  
L. Mombelli ◽  
A. Vanoli
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Medicine ◽  
Close Agreement ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Rapid Estimation ◽  
Absorbed Doses ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Estimation Of Risk

SummaryWe have put forward a method to be used in the field of nuclear medicine, for calculating internally absorbed doses in patients. The simplicity and flexibility of this method allow one to make a rapid estimation of risk both to the individual and to the population. In order to calculate the absorbed doses we based our procedure on the concept of the mean absorbed fraction, taking into account anatomical and functional variability which is highly important in the calculation of internal doses in children. With this aim in mind we prepared tables which take into consideration anatomical differences and which permit the calculation of the mean absorbed doses in the whole body, in the organs accumulating radioactivity, in the gonads and in the marrow; all this for those radionuclides most widely used in nuclear medicine. By comparing our results with dose obtained from the use of M.I.R.D.'s method it can be seen that when the errors inherent in these types of calculation are taken into account, the results of both methods are in close agreement.

SERUM THYROTROPHIN AND THE RESPONSE TO THYROTROPHIN RELEASING HORMONE IN SYMPTOMLESS AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS AND IN BORDERLINE AND OVERT HYPOTHYROIDISM

1974 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gordin ◽  
P. Saarinen ◽  
R. Pelkonen ◽  
B.-A. Lamberg
Keyword(s):  
Autoimmune Thyroiditis ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Primary Hypothyroidism ◽  
Overt Hypothyroidism ◽  
Thyrotrophin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Serum Tsh

ABSTRACT Serum thyrotrophin (TSH) was determined by the double-antibody radioimmunoassay in 58 patients with primary hypothyroidism and was found to be elevated in all but 2 patients, one of whom had overt and one clinically borderline hypothyroidism. Six (29%) out of 21 subjects with symptomless autoimmune thyroiditis (SAT) had an elevated serum TSH level. There was little correlation between the severity of the disease and the serum TSH values in individual cases. However, the mean serum TSH value in overt hypothyroidism (93.4 μU/ml) was significantly higher than the mean value both in clinically borderline hypothyroidism (34.4 μU/ml) and in SAT (8.8 μU/ml). The response to the thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) was increased in all 39 patients with overt or borderline hypothyroidism and in 9 (43 %) of the 21 subjects with SAT. The individual TRH response in these two groups showed a marked overlap, but the mean response was significantly higher in overt (149.5 μU/ml) or clinically borderline hypothyroidism (99.9 μU/ml) than in SAT (35.3 μU/ml). Thus a normal basal TSH level in connection with a normal response to TRH excludes primary hypothyroidism, but nevertheless not all patients with elevated TSH values or increased responses to TRH are clinically hypothyroid.

Quality of Life for Children with Persistent Sinonasal Symptoms

2003 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Kay ◽  
Richard M. Rosenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Longitudinal Change ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Routine Clinical Care ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Sinonasal Symptoms

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to validate the SN-5 survey as a measure of longitudinal change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for children with persistent sinonasal symptoms. DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a before and after study of 85 children aged 2 to 12 years in a metropolitan pediatric otolaryngology practice. Caregivers completed the SN-5 survey at entry and at least 4 weeks later. The survey included 5 symptom-cluster items covering the domains of sinus infection, nasal obstruction, allergy symptoms, emotional distress, and activity limitations. RESULTS: Good test-retest reliability ( R = 0.70) was obtained for the overall SN-5 score and the individual survey items ( R ≥ 0.58). The mean baseline SN-5 score was 3.8 (SD, 1.0) of a maximum of 7.0, with higher scores indicating poorer HRQoL. All SN-5 items had adequate correlation ( R ≥ 0.36) with external constructs. The mean change in SN-5 score after routine clinical care was 0.88 (SD, 1.19) with an effect size of 0.74 indicating good responsiveness to longitudinal change. The change scores correlated appropriately with changes in related external constructs ( R ≥ 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: The SN-5 is a valid, reliable, and responsive measure of HRQoL for children with persistent sinonasal symptoms, suitable for use in outcomes studies and routine clinical care.

scholarly journals VARIABILITY OF EVOLUTIONARY RATES OF DNA

Genetics ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1077-1091
Author(s):  
John H Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Significant Excess ◽  
Ergodic Markov Chain ◽  
The Third ◽  
Markov Chain Models ◽  
Rate Of Molecular Evolution ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Nuclear Loci ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Evolution Of Proteins

ABSTRACT A statistical analysis of DNA sequences from four nuclear loci and five mitochondrial loci from different orders of mammals is described. A major aim of the study is to describe the variation in the rate of molecular evolution of proteins and DNA. A measure of rate variability is the statistic R, the ratio of the variance in the number of substitutions to the mean number. For proteins, R is found to be in the range 0.16 &lt; R &lt; 35.55, thus extending in both directions the values seen in previous studies. An analysis of codons shows that there is a highly significant excess of double substitutions in the first and second positions, but not in the second and third or first and third positions. The analysis of the dynamics of nucleotide evolution showed that the ergodic Markov chain models that are the basis of most published formulas for correcting for multiple substitutions are incompatible with the data. A bootstrap procedure was used to show that the evolution of the individual nucleotides, even the third positions, show the same variation in rates as seen in the proteins. It is argued that protein and silent DNA evolution are uncoupled, with the evolution at both levels showing patterns that are better explained by the action of natural selection than by neutrality. This conclusion is based primarily on a comparison of the nuclear and mitochondrial results.

Evaluation of retinal inflammatory biomarkers after intravitreal steroid implant and Ranibizumab injection in diabetic macular edema

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110294
Author(s):  
Ilkay Kilic Muftuoglu ◽  
Ecem Onder Tokuc ◽  
Fatma Sümer ◽  
V Levent Karabas
Keyword(s):  
Macular Edema ◽  
Diabetic Macular Edema ◽  
Outer Nuclear Layer ◽  
Plexiform Layer ◽  
Retinal Layer ◽  
Treatment Naïve ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Inflammatory Component

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intravitreal (IV) ranibizumab (IVR) injection with IV dexamethasone implant (IVDEX) in treatment naive diabetic macular edema (DME) patients with inflammatory component. Materials and methods: Treatment naive DME eyes with subfoveal neurosensorial detachment (SND) and hyperreflective spots (HRS) were treated either three loading doses of IVR (18 eyes) or one dose of IVDEX (19 eyes). Central macular thickness (CMT), height of SND, the number of HRSs scattered on the individual retinal layers and photoreceptor integrity were assessed using spectral domain- optical coherence tomography scans over 3-months follow-up. Results: The mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was −0.11 ± 0.08 logMAR in IVDEX group and −0.04 ± 0.06 logMAR in IVR group at 1-month ( p = 0.011). IVDEX group showed statistically significant more increase in BCVA compared to those receiving IVR injections at 2-months ( p = 0.004) and 3-months ( p = 0.017) visits. Compared to baseline, the number of total HRSs and the number of HRSs at each individual inner retinal layer significantly decreased in both groups at all follow-up visits. However, IVDEX group showed more decrease in the total number of HRSs at 2- and 3-months ( p < 0.001 at 2-months, and p = 0.006 at 3-months) and in the mean number of HRSs located at inner nuclear layer–outer plexiform layer level ( p = 0.016 at 1-month, p < 0.001 at 2-months, and p < 0.001 at 3-months). After treatment, the number of HRSs on the outer nuclear layer showed some non-significant increase in both groups. Conclusion: HRSs tended to migrate from inner retina to the outer retina in DME eyes by treatment. Dexamethasone seemed to be more effective option in such cases with inflammatory component.

scholarly journals Impact of a Smart-Ring-Based Feedback System on the Quality of Chest Compressions in Adult Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Preliminary Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5408
Author(s):  
Chiwon Ahn ◽  
Seungjae Lee ◽  
Jongshill Lee ◽  
Jaehoon Oh ◽  
Yeongtak Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Feedback System ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Feedback Group ◽  
Compression Depth ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Ideal

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a novel chest compression (CC) smart-ring-based feedback system in a manikin simulation. In this randomized, crossover, controlled study, we evaluated the effect of smart-ring CC feedback on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The learnability and usability of the tool were evaluated with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Participants were divided into two groups and each performed CCs with and without feedback 2 weeks apart, using different orders. The primary outcome was compression depth; the proportion of accurate-depth (5–6 cm) CCs, CC rate, and the proportion of complete CCs (≤1 cm of residual leaning) were assessed additionally. The feedback group and the non-feedback group showed significant differences in compression depth (52.1 (46.3–54.8) vs. 47.1 (40.5–49.9) mm, p = 0.021). The proportion of accurate-depth CCs was significantly higher in the interventional than in the control condition (88.7 (30.0–99.1) vs. 22.6 (0.0–58.5%), p = 0.033). The mean SUS score was 83.9 ± 8.7 points. The acceptability ranges were ‘acceptable’, and the adjective rating was ‘excellent’. CCs with smart-ring feedback could help achieve the ideal range of depth during CPR. The smart-ring may be a valuable source of CPR feedback.

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