Steinert's disease or myotonic dystrophy type 1 (MD1), (OMIM 160900), is the most prevalent myopathy in adults. It is a multisystemic disorder with dysfunction of virtually all organs and tissues and ...a great phenotypical variability, which implies that it has to be addressed by different specialities with experience in the disease. The knowledge of the disease and its management has changed dramatically in recent years. This guide tries to establish recommendations for the diagnosis, prognosis, follow-up and treatment of the complications of MD1.
Consensus guide developed through a multidisciplinary approach with a systematic literature review. Neurologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, neuropaediatricians and geneticists have participated in the guide.
The genetic diagnosis should quantify the number of CTG repetitions. MD1 patients need cardiac and respiratory lifetime follow-up. Before any surgery under general anaesthesia, a respiratory evaluation must be done. Dysphagia must be screened periodically. Genetic counselling must be offered to patients and relatives.
MD1 is a multisystemic disease that requires specialised multidisciplinary follow-up.
The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of photobiomodulation with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as a preventive and therapeutic procedure for the treatment of oral and ...oropharyngeal mucositis caused by radio-chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). An experimental, prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted involving patients diagnosed with oral SCC undergoing oncological treatment. The variables analyzed included grade, appearance, and remission of mucositis. A final sample of 26 patients was included: 11 (42.3%) in the study group and 15 (57.7%) in the control group; their average age was 60.89±9.99years. Statistically significant differences between the groups were observed from week 5 of oncological treatment; 72.7% of the laser group showed normal mucosa (mucositis grade 0), while in the control group, 20.0% showed grade 0 mucositis and 40.0% showed grade 2 mucositis (P<0.01). No statistically significant difference between the groups was found regarding the application or use of medication throughout the study period (P>0.05). The tolerance evaluation did not show any statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the occurrence of side effects or adverse events during the trial (P>0.05). Photobiomodulation with LLLT reduces the incidence and severity of mucositis in patients treated with radiotherapy±chemotherapy.
Phosphogypsum (PG) is disposed worldwide in large stacks usually placed in coastal zones, as in the case of Huelva (SW of Spain), where around 100 Mt of PG are stored on the salt marshes of the Tinto ...River estuary covering a surface of about 1000 ha. This management generates the weathering of PG, and due to its high acidity (pH ≈ 2) and pollutant load can provoke significant emissions into their surroundings. In this work were evaluated by laboratory experiments the effects of pH increase in the behaviour of heavy metals and natural radionuclides during the mixing of phosphogypsum leachates with seawater.
The acidic phosphogypsum leachates showed concentrations of heavy metals from two to three orders of magnitude higher than natural continental waters, and natural radionuclides (U-isotopes and 210Po) from four to five orders of magnitude higher than unperturbed aquatic systems. Major elements and some heavy metals as Mn, Ni, Cd, As, Sb and Co showed a conservative behaviour during the neutralisation of the leachates with seawater, remaining in the liquid phase, while other ones as Al, Fe, Cr, Zn, Cu, Pb precipitated and/or were adsorbed onto the solid phase. The U-isotopes and 210Po showed a clear non-conservative behaviour probably due to coprecipitation/adsorption processes onto the formed precipitates, but while 210Po reached a total removal at pH ≈ 7, U- isotopes after a total removal at pH ≈ 5 returned into the liquid phase due to redissolution/desorption processes at near neutral pH.
The formed precipitates, mainly composed by iron phosphates particles, showed heavy metal and natural radionuclide concentrations from one to three orders of magnitude higher than unperturbed soils. All these facts demonstrate the serious environmental impact produced by the PG stacks into their surroundings and the urgency of effective restoration measures.
Display omitted
•Mixing of acidic phosphogypsum leachates with seawater.•Effects of pH increase in the behaviour of heavy metals and natural radionuclides.•Precipitation and/or adsorption onto the solid phase of Al, Fe, Cr, Zn, Cu, Pb.•Coprecipitation/adsorption of U-isotopes and 210Po.•Highly polluted precipitates by heavy metals and natural radionuclides.
Findings: The main finding is the evaluation of heavy metals and natural radionuclides behaviour during the mixing of PG leachates with seawater and the environmental impact due to the enrichment of these pollutants in the particulate phase.
In this work, electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (PAN), wheat, and orange powders obtained by dehydration and carbonization were used as precursors to prepare colloidal suspensions of graphene ...oxide quantum dots (GOQDs). Different concentrations and centrifugation speeds of 8000 to 12,000 rpm of GOQDs in distiller water were employed. Nonlinear optical properties of the GOQDs were measured by the Z-scan technique. For the experimental, a laser of continuous wavelength of 325 nm was used as an excitation source. The excitation beam was focused using a lens of 10 cm and the sample was moved across the focal region along the Z-axis. It was shown that the concentration of GOQDs highly improved the nonlinear optical properties of the sample. The morphology and structure of GOQDs were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis spectroscopy, respectively. From the experimental results, the optical nonlinear refractive index of the GOQDs were obtained, with values of −4.51 × 10
–9
cm
2
/W and −5.83 × 10
–9
cm
2
/W for 8000 a 12,000 rpm for PAN, −2.97 × 10
–9
and −3.04 × 10
–9
cm
2
/W for 8000 a 12,000 rpm for wheat, and −3.45 × 10
–9
and −3.63 × 10
−9
cm
2
/W for 8000 to 12,000 rpm for orange, respectively. This suggests that GOQDs aqueous solution could be a very promising nonlinear medium, establishing the bases of nonlinear photonics and bio-imaging for optoelectronic applications.
Abstract Many authors have studied various different parameters in relation to postoperative anxiety after the extraction of third molars. However, the effect that the acute inflammatory process ...occurring post extraction could have on these parameters has not been studied. Certain salivary biomarkers, although not specifically inflammatory, may be affected by the acute inflammatory process occurring following the extraction of a retained lower third molar. Three biomarkers were assessed in this study: total protein, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and alpha-amylase. A total of 15 patients were recruited. Four samples of saliva were taken from each patient: before extraction, immediately after extraction, at 2 h after extraction, and at 7 days after extraction. The concentrations of the proteins in the saliva were measured. The average values of each marker were compared across the different stages of the study. Statistical analysis revealed that of the three salivary biomarkers, only alpha-amylase was associated with an inflammatory response to the surgery ( P < 0.05). These results suggest the possibility that salivary alpha-amylase levels may be affected by the acute inflammation occurring post extraction; therefore, this would not be an appropriate marker to use in the study of other situations, unless this interference is controlled for.
HIV-2 is a neglected virus despite estimates of 1-2 million people being infected worldwide. The virus is naturally resistant to some antiretrovirals used to treat HIV-1 and therapeutic options are ...limited for patients with HIV-2.
In this retrospective observational study, we analysed all HIV-2-infected individuals treated with integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) recorded in the Spanish HIV-2 cohort. Demographics, treatment modalities, laboratory values, quantitative HIV-2 RNA and CD4 counts as well as drug resistance were analysed.
From a total of 354 HIV-2-infected patients recruited by the Spanish HIV-2 cohort as of December 2017, INSTIs had been given to 44, in 18 as first-line therapy and in 26 after failing other antiretroviral regimens. After a median follow-up of 13 months of INSTI-based therapy, undetectable viraemia for HIV-2 was achieved in 89% of treatment-naive and in 65.4% of treatment-experienced patients. In parallel, CD4 gains were 82 and 126 cells/mm3, respectively. Treatment failure occurred in 15 patients, 2 being treatment-naive and 13 treatment-experienced. INSTI resistance changes were recognized in 12 patients: N155H (5), Q148H/R (3), Y143C/G (3) and R263K (1).
Combinations based on INSTIs are effective and safe treatment options for HIV-2-infected individuals. However, resistance mutations to INSTIs are selected frequently in failing patients, reducing the already limited treatment options.
This study aimed to develop Ca2+ doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and investigate their antibacterial properties against microorganisms of dental interest. Zn-Ca NPs were synthesized by the sol-gel ...method with different concentrations of Ca2+ (1, 3, and 5 wt. %) and subsequently characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The Kirby–Bauer method was used to measure antibacterial effects. NPs showed the wurzite phase of ZnO and bandgap energies (Eg) from 2.99 to 3.04 eV. SEM analysis showed an average particle size of 80 to 160 nm. The treatments that presented the best antibacterial activity were Zn-Ca 3% and Zn-Ca 5%. ZnO NPs represent an alternative to generate and improve materials with antibacterial capacity for dental applications.
PDF
