This study compared the surface gloss (SG), gloss retention (GR), and color stability (CS) of 2 universal resin composites after chemical (CA) and mechanical (MA) aging.
Twenty disc-shaped samples of ...G-ænial A´Chord (GC-Europe) and Filtek Universal (3M-ESPE) were polished with sequential abrasive papers. For CA, specimens were stored in 1 mL of 75% ethanol for 15 days at 37°C, and readings (SG, GR, and CS) were obtained at baseline and 5, 10, and 15 days. For MA, specimens were subjected to 10,750 simulated brushing cycles. SG and CS were evaluated after every 3,583 cycles. SG was measured with a glossmeter (geometrical configuration: 60°), and values were expressed in gloss units. Color was measured with a spectrophotometer using the CIE-L*a*b* color system. The Student's
-test, 1-way analysis of variance, and Scheffé test were used for statistical analysis (α = 0.05).
G-ænial presented significantly higher SG values than Filtek (
= 0.02), with GR reductions of 5.2% (CA) and 5.3% (MA) for G-ænial and 7.6% (CA) and 7.2% (MA) for Filtek. The aging protocol had no statistically significant effect on SG or GR (
= 0.25) from baseline to the final readings. G-ænial-MA presented the lowest color difference
= 1.8), and G-ænial-CA and Filtek-CA had the largest changes (
= 8.6 and
= 11.8, respectively).
G-ænial presented higher SG values and better CS. Both restorative materials demonstrated acceptable GR and CS. Aging protocols impacted these properties negatively.
Analgesic consumption increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. A high concentration of this kind of drug is discarded in the urine, reaching the effluents of rivers, lakes, and seas. ...These medicines have brought serious problems for the flora and, especially, the ecosystems’ fauna. This paper presents the results of removing diclofenac, ibuprofen, and paracetamol in an aqueous solution, using Sargassum spp. from the Caribbean coast. The study consisted of mixing each drug in an aqueous solution with functionalized Sargassum spp in a container under constant agitation. Therefore, this work represents an alternative to solve two of the biggest problems in recent years; first, the reduction of the overpopulation of sargassum through its use for the remediation of the environment. Second is the removal of drug waste used excessively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Liquid samples of the solution were taken at intervals of 10 min and analyzed by fluorescence to determine the concentration of the drug.
The sorption capacity for diclofenac, ibuprofen, and paracetamol was 2.46, 2.08, and 1.41 μg/g, corresponding to 98 %, 84 %, and 54 % of removal, respectively. The removal of the three drugs was notably favored by increasing the temperature to 30 and 40 °C, reaching efficiencies close to 100 %. Moreover, the system maintains its effectiveness at various pH values. In addition, the Sargassum used can be reused for up to three cycles without reducing its removal capacity. The wide diversity of organic compounds favors the biosorption of drugs, removing them through various kinetic mechanisms. On the other hand, the Sargassum used in the drugs removal was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, TGA analysis, and scanning electron microscopy before and after removal. The results showed an evident modification in the structure and morphology of the algae and demonstrated the presence of the biosorbed drugs. Therefore, this system is sustainable, simple, economical, environmentally friendly, highly efficient, and scalable at a domestic and industrial level that can be used for aquatic remediation environments.
Background: Hypersensitivity to beta-lactam (BL) antibiotics is one of the most frequent reported drug allergies. In our population, it is common to find labels of BL allergy in electronic medical ...records (EMRs) that have not been assessed. The objective of our study was to detect patients with beta-lactam allergy labels in their EMRs and to assess how many of them are false after a correct diagnostic evaluation. Methods: A multicentre prospective study was performed with patients labelled as allergic to BLs in their EMRs in the previous 5 years. Demographical and clinical data, as well as variables regarding the BL allergy label and the characteristics of the index reaction from clinical history and EMRs, were recorded. Then, diagnostic assessments including clinical history, skin tests (STs), and drug provocation tests (DPTs) were conducted in order to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of BL allergy. Results: A total of 249 patients completed the study, of which 160 (64.3%) were women with a median age of 57 years (interquartile range IQR, 45–68). The most frequent BL allergy labels detected were for penicillin (124), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (61), and amoxicillin (54). Of the 204 patients who underwent STs, 20.1% were positive. DPTs were performed in 224 patients, showing good tolerance in 87.1% of cases. After the allergy diagnosis work-up, 186 patients (74.7%) were diagnosed as non-allergic to BL antibiotics. Conclusion: In our study population, the number of patients labelled as allergic to BLs in their EMRs was similar to that in previously published studies, with proportions near to 75%–80% being falsely labelled as allergic to BLs.
Strength and biocompatibility of composite materials (using a polymer matrix) are used in medicine for various devices such as prostheses and marker clips (biomarkers). Marker clips indicate the site ...of a lesion in the body, specifically for breast cancer diagnosis or treatment. In general, marker clips are made of steel or titanium, but lately, materials containing biodegradable polymers had been proposed. Our hypothesis is that a copolymer of polylactic acid and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLA-PCL) could be used as marker clip material. After evaluating different polymer rates performance, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) were included to enhance the stability of the best copolymer and a marker clip prototype was proposed. Characterization of nanoparticles was made by dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements. Mechanical, thermal and radiopacity properties were evaluated for composites formulation. In vitro, radiopaque experiments showed that BM-2 composite had the best performance. In vivo experiments showed that, after five months, the marker clip prototype maintained its shape, visibility and contrast properties. In consequence, a novel formulation of composite (PLA-PCL/metallic nanoparticles) is suitable for further studies as an alternative material for marker clips for breast cancer lesions.
In this study, new polyurethanes (PUs) were prepared by using inulin and polycaprolactone as polyols. Their structure and morphology were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ...Raman dispersive spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (
H NMR and
C NMR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), whereas their mechanical properties were evaluated by a universal testing machine. Additionally, their water uptake, swelling behavior, and degradation were evaluated to be used as drug delivery carriers. Therefore, an anti-cancer drug was loaded to these PUs with 25% of loading efficiency and its release behavior was studied using different theoretical models to unveil its mechanism. Finally, the ability of the new PUs to be used as a clip marker in breast biopsy was evaluated. The results clearly demonstrate that these PUs are safe and can be used as intelligent drug release matrices for targeted drug delivery and exhibits positive results to be used for clip marker and in general for breast cancer applications.
High penetration of renewable energy sources such as wind generation in microgrids (MGs) causes fluctuations of power flow and significantly affects the power system (PS) operation. This can lead to ...severe problems, such as system frequency oscillations, and/or violations of power lines capability. With the proper control, superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is able to significantly enhance the dynamic security of the PS. In an SMES system, the power conditioning system (PCS) is the crucial component that directly influences the validity of the SMES in the dynamic control of the PS. This paper proposes the use of an improved SMES controller for the stabilization and control of the power flow of wind-hybrid MGs. In this sense, the design and implementation of a novel high-performance PCS scheme of the SMES is described. Moreover, a detailed model of the SMES unit is derived and a novel three-level control scheme is designed, comprising a full decoupled current control strategy in the d -q reference frame and an enhanced PS frequency controller. The dynamic performance of the proposed systems is fully validated by computer simulation.
Abstract Objectives The concept of oral health is frequently reduced to the absence of disease, despite existing conceptual models exploring the wider determinants of oral health and quality of life. ...The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (WHO) is designed to qualify functional, social and environmental aspects of health. This survey aimed to reach a consensual description of adult oral health, derived from the ICF using international professional opinion. Methods The Global Oral Health Survey involved a two-round, online survey concerning factors related to oral health including functioning, participation and social environment. Four hundred eighty-six oral health professionals from 74 countries registered online. Professionals were pooled into 18 groups of six WHO world regions and three professional groups. In a randomised stratification process, eight professionals from each pool ( n = 144) completed the survey. The first round consisted of eight open-ended questions. Open expression replies were analysed for meaningful concepts and linked using established rules to the ICF. In Round 2, items were rated for their relevance to oral health (88% response rate). Results Eighty-nine ICF items and 30 other factors were considered relevant by at least 80% of participants. International professionals reached consensus on a holistic description of oral health, which could be qualified and quantified using the ICF. Conclusions These results represent the first step towards developing an ICF Core Set in Oral Health, which would provide a practical tool for reporting outcome measures in clinical practice, for research and epidemiology, and for the improvement of interdisciplinary communication regarding oral health. Clinical significance Professional consensus reached in this survey is the foundation stone for developing an ICF Core Set in Oral Health, allowing the holistic aspects of oral health to be qualified and quantified. This tool is necessary to widen our approach to clinical decision making, measurement of clinical outcomes, research and epidemiology.
Persons unable to access oral health care in the conventional primary health care setting suffer from inequalities in oral health, particularly in terms of unmet dental need. The International ...Classification of Functioning, disability and health (ICF) is designed to look beyond medical diagnosis and to describe individuals or populations in terms of their ability to function and participate in a social environment. The objective of the study was to describe an adult population requiring specialist oral health care using the ICF and to identify common factors of functioning, participation and environmental context.
The ICF Checklist for Oral Health was completed for 246 participants from five specialist dental services in five countries (mean age 36 ±16.44 years; 16-92). 'Developmental disability' and 'Medically compromised' groups were identified (72% and 28%).
Participants presented with oral disease (92%) and dysfunction (66% impaired chewing). 33 ICF items were affected in over 50% of participants in both groups. Impaired body functions included 'ingestion functions', 'energy and drive functions' and 'emotional functions'. Participation was restricted for "Acquiring, keeping and terminating a job", "Intimate relationships", "Handling stress and psychological demands", "Economic self-sufficiency", "Carrying out a daily routine", "Recreation and leisure", "Community life" and "Looking after one's health". In the environment domain, "Support and relationships" and "Attitudes" were rated as facilitators. Environmental barriers reported for over 25% of the whole group were related to "Services, systems and policies" including, health, social security, general support, transportation, and labour and employment.
Common aspects of functioning, participation and environment were found amongst a heterogeneous population of adults attending specialist dental services, alongside poor oral health and function. The ICF may be used to describe populations that suffer inequality in oral health in order to develop services that effectively target those in need of additional means.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The risk of unintentional islanding creation in distributed energy systems poses a significant security concern since unintentional islanding formation could lead to a supply of energy outside of the ...optimal quality limits. This constitutes a risk for users, maintenance personnel, infrastructure, and devices. To mitigate this problem, anti-islanding protections are widely used to prevent the distributed generator from feeding a portion of the radial distribution grid when a protection device trips upstream. However, the effectiveness of these protections heavily relies on properly tuning protection setting thresholds (such as time delay and pickup). This work proposes a novel approach that utilizes entropy as a model and metric of the uncertainty associated with a particular protection setting. By minimizing entropy, the proposed method aims to improve stability and sensitivity, consequently improving the overall performance of anti-islanding protection. Simulation results demonstrate that the Bayesian entropy methodology (BEM) approach achieves enhanced stability in various scenarios, including frequency transients, and demonstrates a notable reduction in the size of the dataset and computational burden, ranging between 91% and 98%, when compared to related works, with an improvement of the uncertainty achieved. The findings of this study contribute to the development of more robust and reliable anti-islanding protections.
Targeting flavonoids on modulation of metabolic syndrome Neri-Numa, Iramaia Angélica; Cazarin, Cinthia Baú Betim; Ruiz, Ana Lúcia Tasca Gois ...
Journal of functional foods,
October 2020, 2020-10-00, 2020-10-01, Letnik:
73
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Display omitted
•Flavonoids intake modulate positively the oxidative, glucose and lipid metabolisms.•Flavonoids may exert regulatory effects on gene expression in metabolic disorders.•Health benefits ...of flavonoids depend of their bioaccessibility and bioavailability.•Flavonoids or their metabolites modulate the composition of the gut microbiota.
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a complex condition associated with cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes. The weight gain, especially the accumulation of central adipose tissue, may be the first leading cause of the MetS. It is important to highlight that the lifestyle choices considered as modifiable risk factors contribute to the increase in the incidence of the MetS in the population, such as sedentarism and food intake. There is evidence in the literature concerning the benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in polyphenols. Therefore, the flavonoids are a class of non-nutrient that can be extensively studied mainly to elucidate the mechanisms related to the action of these compounds in the modulation of the microbiota, DNA methylation and health improvement. Thus, this review summarized evidence linking flavonoid intake to obesity, insulin resistance, T2DM and cardiovascular diseases.
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