Effects of aging on the tensile strength and surface condition of orthodontic aligners: a comparative study of five models.

Background/objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effect of aging on tensile strength and surface condition of orthodontic aligners on days 0, 1, 5, 7, 10, and 14.

Materials/methods: The total sample of 80 aligners included five brands (Accusmile®, Angel®, GRAPHY®, Invisalign® and Suresmile®) were placed in a thermocycler to imitate the temperature variations of the oral cavity and accelerate aging for 50, 250, 350, 500, and 700 cycles. The mechanical tensile properties (Young's modulus E, yield strength YS, maximum elastic stress MES, Ultimate Tensile Strength UTS, and maximum stress MS) were measured by Universal Testing Machine at a rate of 5 mm of deformation per minute for 4 minutes.

Complete physico-chemical characterisation of foundry waste.

The manufacture of foundry metal parts generates various types of mineral wastes. Studies mentioned in the literature are mainly interested in the characterisation of foundry sands and their recycling way. The other wastes (finer than sand) are not dealt and are currently stored in landfills without any recycling solution.

Altered locomotor muscle metaboreflex control of ventilation in patients with COPD.

We investigated the locomotor muscle metaboreflex control of ventilation, circulation, and dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ten patients [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1; means ± SD) = 43 ± 17% predicted] and nine age- and sex-matched controls underwent ) cycling exercise followed by postexercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) to activate the metaboreflex or free circulatory flow to inactivate it, ) cold pressor test to interpret whether any altered reflex response was specific to the metaboreflex arc, and ) muscle biopsy to explore the metaboreflex arc afferent side. We measured airflow, dyspnea, heart rate, arterial pressure, muscle blood flow, and vascular conductance during reflexes activation.

Thermal Stability of MgSiSn under Oxidation Conditions.

The use of MgSiSn under air in thermoelectric modules in the mid-temperature range of 400-600 °C is linked to its ability to resist oxidation. In this study, oxidation experiments performed at 400 °C under air evidenced the stability of the material, either under static conditions (up to 100 h) or under severe heating-cooling cyclic conditions (up to 400 cycles), showing its ability to be used in a reliable way at this temperature. By combining thermogravimetry, scanning electron microscopy, temperature X-ray diffraction analysis, and mechanical and thermodynamic considerations, a mechanism is proposed explaining how MgSiSn further undergoes decomposition with time under air when treated above 500 °C.

Characterizing the implementation of performance management interventions in a primary health care system: a case study of the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative in El Salvador.

Performance management (PM) reforms have been introduced in health systems worldwide to improve accountability, transparency and learning. However, gaps in evidence exist regarding the ways in which PM contributes to organizational-level outcomes. Between 2015 and 2017, the government of El Salvador and the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative (SMI) introduced team-based PM interventions in the country's primary health care (PHC) system including target setting, performance measurement, provision of feedback and in-kind incentives.

Enhanced Respiratory Frequency Response to Lower Limb Mechanoreceptors Activation in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: To investigate the mechanoreflex control of respiration and circulation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with moderate-to-severe COPD (mean ± SD: 67.0 ± 7.

Increasing access to hematopoietic cell transplantation in Latin America: results of the 2018 LABMT activity survey and trends since 2012.

A total of 5642 hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) in 5445 patients (2196-40% allogeneic and 3249-60% autologous) were reported by 127 teams in 14 Latin American countries that answered the 2018 LABMT/WBMT Global Transplant Activity survey. The transplant rate (defined as the number of first transplants per 10 million inhabitants per year) was 85 (51 autologous and 34 allogeneic) in 2018. The main indications for allogeneic HCT were acute leukemias (60%), while plasma cell disorders and lymphomas were the most common conditions warranting autologous HCT (50 and 36%, respectively).

Basic Skills in Higher Education: An Analysis of Attributed Importance.

Today, the skills-based approach is increasingly in demand by companies due, in large part, to the fact that it favors the management of human resources by focusing on individual capabilities; which, finally, improves the job profile of a company. As a result, choosing the right candidates has become increasingly selective. Universities, therefore, need to teach skills to improve the incorporation of graduates into the workplace making it as successful as possible.

Evaluation of desensitization protocols to betalactam antibiotics.

What Is Known And Objective: Betalactam antibiotics are the most frequent cause of hypersensitivity reactions. Rapid drug desensitization (RDD) is a technique that induces temporary tolerance to a drug allowing a patient to receive the optimal agent. The increased use of RDD and the lack of standardization among available protocols in terms of formulation, starting dose, number of steps and dosing frequency make it essential to determine the safety and appropriate management of these protocols, especially regarding reconstitution, diluents, stability and drug administration in order to guarantee reproducibility.

Microbiological assessment of arterial allografts processed in a tissue bank.

The transmission of microbial infection through tissue allografts is one of the main risks that must be controlled in tissue banks. Therefore, microbiological monitoring controls and validated protocols for the decontamination of tissues during processing have been implemented. This study is based on the evaluation of data from microbiological cultures of arteries (mainly long peripheral arteries) processed in the tissue bank of Valencia (Spain).

Cardiac baroreflex dysfunction in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension at rest and during orthostatic stress: role of the peripheral chemoreflex.

The baroreflex integrity in early-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains uninvestigated. A potential baroreflex impairment could be functionally relevant and possibly mediated by enhanced peripheral chemoreflex activity. Thus, we investigated ) the cardiac baroreflex in nonhypoxemic PAH; ) the association between baroreflex indexes and peak aerobic capacity [i.

Continuous manufacture of hydroxychloroquine sulfate drug products via hot melt extrusion technology to meet increased demand during a global pandemic: From bench to pilot scale.

During pandemics and global crises, drug shortages become critical as a result of increased demand, shortages in personnel and lockdown restrictions that disrupt the supply chain. The pharmaceutical industry is therefore moving towards continuous manufacturing instead of conventional batch manufacturing involving numerous steps, that normally occur at different sites. In order to validate the use of large-scale industrial processes, feasibility studies need to be performed using small-scale laboratory equipment.

Intercostal and vastus lateralis microcirculatory response to a sympathoexcitatory manoeuvre in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Patients with COPD present with systemic vascular malfunctioning and their microcirculation is possibly more fragile to overcome an increase in the sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow during sympathoexcitatory situations. To test the skeletal muscle microvascular responsiveness to sympathoexcitation, we asked patients with COPD and age- and sex-matched controls to immerse a hand in iced water [Cold Pressor Test (CPT)]. Near-infrared spectroscopy detection of the indocyanine green dye in the intercostal and vastus lateralis microcirculation provided a blood flow index (BFI).

Fault Injection Emulation for Systems in FPGAs: Tools, Techniques and Methodology, a Tutorial.

Communication systems that work in jeopardized environments such as space are affected by soft errors that can cause malfunctions in the behavior of the circuits such as, for example, single event upsets (SEUs) or multiple bit upsets (MBUs). In order to avoid this erroneous functioning, this kind of systems are usually protected using redundant logic such as triple modular redundancy (TMR) or error correction codes (ECCs). After the implementation of the protected modules, the communication modules must be tested to assess the achieved reliability.

Cranioplasty with Autologous Bone Flaps Cryopreserved with Dimethylsulphoxide: Does Tissue Processing Matter.

Objective: The aim of this article was to study the outcome of patients who underwent cranioplasty with cryopreserved autologous bone after decompressive craniectomy.

Methods: Data from 74 patients were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into groups according to the storage time and the age at cranioplasty.

Unique anabolic action of stem cell gene therapy overexpressing PDGFB-DSS6 fusion protein in OVX osteoporosis mouse model.

In the present study we sought to improve the efficacy and safety of our Sca1 PDGFB stem cell gene therapy for osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model. This therapy is administered by marrow transplantation. We established the promise of this approach by previously showing that this therapy in normal mice increase bone density, increased endosteal cortical and trabecular bone formation, caused de novo trabecular bone formation, increased cortical thickness and improve bone strength.

Evidence gap map of performance measurement and management in primary care delivery systems in low- and middle-income countries - Study protocol.

For the last two decades there has been growing interest in governmental and global health stakeholders about the role that performance measurement and management systems can play for the production of high-quality and safely delivered primary care services. Despite recognition and interest, the gaps in evidence in this field of research and practice in low- and middle-income countries remain poorly characterized. This study will develop an evidence gap map in the area of performance management in primary care delivery systems in low- and middle-income countries.

Evidence gap map of performance measurement and management in primary healthcare systems in low-income and middle-income countries.

Introduction: We mapped available evidence on performance measurement and management (PMM) strategies in primary healthcare (PHC) systems of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Widely used, their effectiveness remains inconclusive. This evidence gap map characterises existing research and evidence gaps.

Immunoglobulin M anti-A and anti-B titers in South Texas group O D+ male donors.

Background: The success of whole blood (WB) in damage control resuscitation on the battlefield has generated interest in its use for civilian trauma. Blood centers must maintain a committed donor pool with low isoagglutinin titers to provide this product. Information regarding isoagglutinin titers in different donor populations will help with targeted recruitment of these donors.

Carotid chemoreflex activity restrains post-exercise cardiac autonomic control in healthy humans and in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Key Points: Dysfunction of post-exercise cardiac autonomic control is associated with increased mortality risk in healthy adults and in patients with cardiorespiratory diseases. The afferent mechanisms that regulate the post-exercise cardiac autonomic control remain unclear. We found that afferent signals from carotid chemoreceptors restrain the post-exercise cardiac autonomic control in healthy adults and patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Risk of bias over time in updates of Cochrane oral health reviews.

Objectives: To assess the changes in the risk of bias (RoB) across different versions of the same Cochrane systematic review, and to identify characteristics of systematic reviews which may be associated with different RoB scores by means of regression analysis.

Methods: We examined changes in RoB ratings in domains of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) included in original Cochrane systematic reviews and their updates published in oral health. First, we checked the number of domains assessed for RoB in the different versions of the systematic review.

[Comparison of adhesive seal morphology between APC™ PLUS and APC™ Flash-Free Adhesive Coated brackets].

Introduction: Does the new adhesive-coated APC™ Flash-Free bracket from the 3M Unitek group simplify the bonding protocol without compromising precision?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the morphology of the adhesive joint between the classic APC™ PLUS adhesive-coated brackets and APC™ Flash-Free brackets.

Materials And Methods: In vitro bonding of esthetic brackets in the CLARITY™ ADVANCED range was performed to compare the morphology of the excess flash between APC™ PLUS and APC™ Flash-Free brackets.

Results: No statistically significant difference was found concerning the morphology of the excess flash between APC™ PLUS and APC™ Flash-Free brackets.

Hyperadditive ventilatory response arising from interaction between the carotid chemoreflex and the muscle mechanoreflex in healthy humans.

Physical exercise potentiates the carotid chemoreflex control of ventilation (VE). Hyperadditive neural interactions may partially mediate the potentiation. However, some neural interactions remain incompletely explored.