Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are common in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease (HD). The aim of this study was to evaluate variability in circadian blood ...pressure (BP) to determine the association between abnormal circadian BP and sleep quality in patients with HD.
Cross-sectional, multicenter study of 38 HD mutation carriers (23 premanifest and 15 early stage patients) who were compared to 38 age- and sex-matched controls. BP was evaluated by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Based on the percentage decrease in nocturnal BP, subjects were classified as either dippers (≥10%) or non-dippers (<10%). Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were measured, respectively, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Daytime Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the scores on these indices were correlated with the ABPM findings.
Sixty-three percent HD mutation carriers were non-dippers (86.7% of the symptomatic and 47.8% of the premanifest patients) versus 23.7% of controls (p = 0.001). In the HD group, sleep quality was significantly more impaired (PSQI>5) (p = 0.016) with more excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS>9) (p = 0.001) than in the control group. Nocturnal non-dipping was associated with worse sleep quality in patients (p = 0.011) but not in controls.
These results show that patients with HD present early disturbances in the circadian rhythm of BP and that this altered nocturnal BP is associated with poor sleep quality. These findings suggest the potential role of subtle hypothalamic dysfunction in this population.
•Association between circadian blood pressure and sleep quality in HD is proposed.•The non-dipper pattern is more frequent in patients with HD, even in premanifest.•The non-dipper pattern is associated with poorer sleep quality in HD.•These findings suggest early disturbances in the circadian rhythm of HD patients.•The cause of these disturbances could be related to hypothalamic involvement.
Novel data-acquisition technologies have revolutionized the study of natural systems, allowing the massive collection of information in situ and remotely. Merging these technologies improves the ...understanding of complex hydrological interactions, such as those of wetland–aquifer systems, and facilitates their conservation and management. This paper presents the combination of UAV technology with water level dataloggers for the study of a coastal temporary wetland linked to an underlying sandy aquifer and influenced by the tidal regime. Wetland morphology was defined using UAV imagery and SfM algorithms during the dry period. The DTM (6.9 cm resolution) was used to generate a flood model, which was subsequently validated with an orthophoto from a wet period. This information was combined with water stage records at 10-min intervals from a network of dataloggers to infer the water balance of the wetland and the transfers to the aquifer. Inflows into the pond were around 6200 m3 (40% direct precipitation over the pond, 60% surface runoff). Outputs equalled the inputs (41% direct evaporation from water surface, 59% transfers into the aquifer). The proposed methodology has demonstrated its suitability to unravel complex wetland–aquifer interactions and to provide reliable estimations of the elements of the water balance.
To assess accuracy of reflectance reconstruction and color estimation of different dental materials with varying thicknesses using Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B2, C2 and D2 ...shades and 5 thicknesses (within 0.5–2.5 mm range) of Vita Suprinity (VS-PC) and Vitapan Dentine (VD), were used. Reflectance measurements were performed over black background using a non-contact spectroradiometer with CIE 45∘∕0∘ geometry. A PCA based algorithm was proposed to reconstruct spectral data and color of samples, using both extrapolation and interpolation approaches. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Goodness of Fit (GFC), correlation coefficient (R2) as well as ΔE00 with corresponding 50:50% acceptability and perceptibly thresholds (AT and PT) were used as performance assessment.
The interpolation approach provided an average RMSE = 0.01 and GFC > 0.999 when comparing predicted and measured spectral reflectances for both materials, while for the extrapolation approach RMSE = 0.02 and GFC > 0.999. Interpolation approach also resulted in lower overall mean color difference ΔE00 = 0.8 (ΔE00 = 0.9 for VS-PC and ΔE00 = 0.7 for VD), while using extrapolation approach resulted in higher overall mean color difference ΔE00 = 1.6, although below the AT (ΔE00 = 1.8 for VS-PC and ΔE00 = 1.5 for VD). Correlation values between predicted and measured spectral reflectances of R2 = 0.987 and R2 = 0.993 were globally obtained for VS-PC and VD, respectively.
The proposed PCA-based algorithm is able to efficiently predict reflectance spectrum and color of monolithic samples of different dental materials with varying thickness. It can be used to optimize dental materials manufacturing processes and to improve chromatic accuracy of clinical dental restorations.
•Reflectance data of dental materials can be estimated by PCA-based algorithms.•Thickness and shade variations do not affect the accuracy of the estimation.•Predicted - measured color differences are generally lower than AT.
Objectives
This study aims to evaluate in vivo the color agreement between natural teeth and dental shade guides by means of visual and instrumental coverage error (
CE
) index.
Materials and methods
...The color of the middle third of 735 incisors was visually determined by two evaluators using the Vita Classical (VC) and Vita 3D Master (V3DM) shade guides. The color match between the natural tooth and the shade tab was rated as poor (P), good (G), or optimum (O) by each observer. CIE color coordinates of the target teeth and shade tabs of VC and V3DM were instrumentally measured using a clinical spectrophotometer. Visual (
CE
V
) and instrumental (
CE
I
) coverage error indexes were computed using CIELAB and CIEDE2000 metrics for both shade guides. For
CE
V
calculation, only the concordant inter-observer determination on tooth shade rated as O–O or O–G was used. The results were evaluated using perceptibility (PT,
Δ
E
ab
∗
= 1.2,
Δ
E
00
= 0.8) and acceptability (AT,
Δ
E
ab
∗
= 2.7,
Δ
E
00
= 1.8) color thresholds for dentistry.
Results
VC and V3DM exhibited
CE
I
(2.5, 3.2, and 3.2, 2.7 CIELAB units; 1.9, 2.3, and 2.8, 2.4 CIEDE2000 units, respectively, for O–O and O–G match) and
CE
V
(4.7, 4.8, and 4.1, 4.6 CIELAB units; 3.3, 3.4, and 3.4, 3.6 CIEDE2000 units, respectively, for O–O and O–G match) values greater than 50:50% AT for both color difference formulas.
CE
I
contributes more than 50% (53.2–82.4% range) to the
CE
V
value. This contribution depends on the shade guide used and the quality of the visual rating.
Conclusions
The evaluated shade guides exhibited visual coverage errors above acceptability thresholds, largely due to the contribution of the instrumental coverage error to the visual coverage error.
Clinical relevance
It necessary to further improve commercially available dental shade guides to facilitate achievement of satisfactory esthetics results in clinical practice.
Individuals with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constitute a unique group within individuals with oncohematological disease (OHD). They receive treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that ...present immunomodulatory properties, and they may eventually be candidates for treatment discontinuation under certain conditions despite the chronic nature of the disease. In addition, these individuals present a lower risk of infection than other immunocompromised patients. For this study, we recruited a cohort of 29 individuals with CML in deep molecular response who were on treatment with TKIs (n = 23) or were on treatment-free remission (TFR) (n = 6), and compared both humoral and cellular immune responses with 20 healthy donors after receiving the complete vaccination schedule against SARS-CoV-2. All participants were followed up for 17 months to record the development of COVID-19 due to breakthrough infections. All CML individuals developed an increased humoral response, with similar seroconversion rates and neutralizing titers to healthy donors, despite the presence of high levels of immature B cells. On the whole, the cellular immune response was also comparable to that of healthy donors, although the antibody dependent cytotoxic activity (ADCC) was significantly reduced. Similar rates of mild breakthrough infections were observed between groups, although the proportion was higher in the CML individuals on TFR, most likely due to the immunomodulatory effect of these drugs. In conclusion, as with the healthy donors, the vaccination did not impede breakthrough infections completely in individuals with CML, although it prevented the development of severe or critical illness in this special population of individuals with OHD.
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•MMIPs were synthetized based on MIP optimization for Enrofloxacin.•MMIPs were developed and used as dispersive-SPE sample preparation.•MMIPs devoted to diverse fluoroquinolone ...analysis in milk by LC-UV.
The aim of the present study is to develop selective extracting materials applicable to a diversity of fluoroquinolones. A series of Molecularly Imprinted Materials (MIPs) were prepared in order to choose the nature of the monomer and that of the porogen together with its ratio with the cross-linker. A non-regulated quinolone, Levofloxacin, was used as a template to avoid false positive results in its application. The resulting MIPs were evaluated in MISPE experiments for Enrofloxacin. The polymer prepared using methyl acrylate (MA) as a monomer and MeOH/CHCl3 (1:1, v/v) as a porogen provided the desired selectivity. Concretely, 100 μL (1.1 mmol) of MA as a monomer, 1.30 mL (9.8 mmol) of EGDMA (ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate) as a cross-linker, 31 mg (0.19 mmol) of AIBN (2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionitrile)) as an initiator, were mixed with 85 mg (0.24 mmol) of levofloxacin as a template and 4 mL of MeOH/CHCl3 (1:1, v/v) as a porogen.
The obtained optimized composition was upgraded to magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) to be used as a dispersive-SPE extracting materials in the analysis of fluoroquinolones in milk. The selectivity of the resulting material for several fluoroquinolones (enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sarafloxacin and norfloxacin) was studied. Finally, the MMIP was tested against real quinolone positive milk samples to evaluate its applicability.
•Modern LED sources produce changes in color and whiteness of natural teeth.•Some LED illuminants recommended by CIE generate perceptible color shifts.•LED illuminants produce color shifts in very ...different directions of color space.•Color differences for pairs of teeth are almost independent of illuminants.•Whiteness differences for pairs of teeth are almost independent of illuminants.
To evaluate color and whiteness changes of natural teeth under nine white LED illuminants recently proposed by CIE.
From spectral reflectance factors of 36 caries-free upper central incisors, corresponding colors under illuminant D65 and CIE 1931 standard colorimetric observer were computed for all tested illuminants, using the chromatic adaptation transform CAT16. Color differences (CIELAB and CIEDE2000 units) and whiteness (WID and WIO indices) from teeth illuminated by CIE standard illuminants (D65 and A) and white LED illuminants were calculated. The appearance of 630 pairs of teeth under all illuminants was also evaluated.
Color gamuts from 36 teeth under tested illuminants showed similar volume and shape in CIELAB color space, but their centers of gravity changed in many different directions with respect to colors under D65 or A illuminants: Considering colors under D65/A, color shifts produced by white LED illuminants were in the ranges 2.0–8.6/1.1–7.0 CIELAB units (1.4–8.2/0.6–6.8 CIEDE2000 units). Average WID and WIO values for the 36 teeth under different illuminants ranged from −5.8 to +19.3 and from −7.7 to +11.1, respectively. Considering 630 pairs of teeth, average color differences (mainly lightness differences) were below 0.5 CIELAB units (0.3 CIEDE2000 units), and average whiteness differences ranged from 8.1 to 10.7 for WID (23.4–25.1 for WIO).
Using CIE LED illuminants, most changes in color and whiteness for individual teeth were above typical threshold values of perceptibility and acceptability in dentistry. However, considering pairs of teeth, the average color and whiteness differences under all tested illuminants were very similar.
The selective functionalization of carbon nanotube surfaces is crucial for many potential applications of these materials. For this purpose several oxidants, among other substances, are used. The aim ...is to reach a large degree of functionalization which depends on the oxidant character of the reagent. For this reason the functionalization of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by treatment with ozone in basic solution is studied. At basic pHs, ozone results into hydroxyl radicals whose reduction potential is very high (E° = 3.06 V). The results have been compared to those obtained by ozone in gas phase and with cold oxygen plasma. The oxidation with ozone in basic solution seems to be kinetically restricted. As a consequence, the degree of oxidation in this medium is smaller than this of ozone gas, in spite of the larger oxidation capacity of the former. The oxygen-containing groups fixed by these two treatments are mainly attached to defects of the nanotubes. Moreover, no modification of the graphene layers and no porosity result from these treatments. The oxygen plasma treatment stands out in the content of oxygen groups fixed to the MWCNTs, as it is by far more effective, although some of these groups have relatively low thermal stability. Nevertheless, this treatment mainly fixes the oxygen groups on the walls of the nanotubes.
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•H2 plasma removes oxygen groups but not the sulfonyl and sulfonic groups.•Water treatment + H2 plasma treatment removes 60% of oxygen and 100% of sulfur.•This methodology removes as ...much oxygen as NaBH4 but is simpler, faster and cleaner.•The oxygen remaining after H2 plasma reduction forms labile surface groups.•Three GOs were tested rendering similar results.
We report the reduction of GO by hydrogen cold plasma as an effective alternative to the usual chemical (with harsh reducing agents) or physical (through high-temperature treatments) methods. The hydrogen plasma is generated through microwave radiation and the reduction is performed barely above room temperature, avoiding structural degradation of the graphene oxide. Three commercial GOs, with several oxygen and sulfur contents, have been used in this study. As a consequence of the exposure to the hydrogen plasma, the oxygen content is decreased in large extent while sulfur is scarcely removed. Thus a two-stage methodology consisting of a simple water treatment under reflux conditions of GO (to remove sulfur) and further treatment with H2 plasma is proposed. The combination of both steps allows the total elimination of sulfur while achieving very high degrees of reduction, lowering the initial oxygen content by more than 60%. These degrees of reduction are comparable to those obtained when the reduction is carried out by using the standard procedure with NaBH4 on the same materials. The reduction with hydrogen plasma clearly shows advantages over the conventional reduction procedures due to its simplicity: no chemicals or high temperatures are needed, and the procedure is very fast.
Backgound
In the workup of follicular lymphoma (FL), bone marrow biopsy (BMB) assessment is a key component of FLIPI and FLIPI2, the most widely used outcome scores. During the previous decade, ...several studies explored the role of FDG‐PET/CT for detecting nodal and extranodal disease, with only one large study comparing both techniques.
Methods
The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and the prognostic impact of both procedures in a retrospective cohort of 299 FL patients with both tests performed at diagnosis. In order to avoid a collinearity bias, FLIPI2 was deconstructed in its founding parameters, and the bone marrow involvement (BMI) parameter separately included as: a positive BMB, a positive PET/CT, the combined “PET/CT and BMB positive” or “PET/CT or BMB positive”. These variables were also confronted independently with the POD24 in 233 patients treated with intensive regimens.
Results
In the total cohort, bone marrow was involved in 124 and 60 patients by BMB and PET/CT, respectively. In terms of overall survival, age > 60 y.o. and the combined “PET/CT or BMB positive” achieved statistical independence as a prognostic factor. In patients treated with an intensive regimen, only the combined “PET/CT or BMB positive” added prognostic value for a shorter overall survival, when confronted with the POD24.
Conclusion
Our results show that in FL both BMB and PET/CT should be considered at diagnosis, as their combined assessment provides independent prognostic value in the context of the most widely use clinical scores.
