Long-term inflammatory outcome after placement of a novel two-piece dental implant in a dog model experimental peri-implantitis.

Purpose: Evaluate the inflammatory outcome of a two-piece novel titanium dental implant (test article) vs. a one- piece titanium dental implant (control article) inducing experimental peri-implantitis in a dog model.

Materials & Methods: A novel, two-piece pre-assembled implant with a 0.

New Bone Growth into Surgical Bone Defects Grafted with a Novel Cultivated Coral Graft: A Histomorphometric Study in Rabbit Calvarias.

Natural Coral Particles (NCPs) are a suitable scaffold material for Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) procedures; it combines the placement of a bone substitute supporting a barrier membrane. Due to increasing sea pollution and the declarations of endangered coral species (KYOTO 1997), they are no longer suitable for the medical industry. Novel domestic corals have been grown under controlled conditions to produce cultivated coral graft (CCG) material.

The Cell Tracking Challenge: 10 years of objective benchmarking.

The Cell Tracking Challenge is an ongoing benchmarking initiative that has become a reference in cell segmentation and tracking algorithm development. Here, we present a significant number of improvements introduced in the challenge since our 2017 report. These include the creation of a new segmentation-only benchmark, the enrichment of the dataset repository with new datasets that increase its diversity and complexity, and the creation of a silver standard reference corpus based on the most competitive results, which will be of particular interest for data-hungry deep learning-based strategies.

National Institute on Aging seed funding enables Alzheimer's disease startups to reach key value inflection points.

Introduction: The National Institute on Aging (NIA) provides funding to academic researchers and small businesses working in the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRD) fields to help commercialize their products. The NIA uses Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards to bridge the funding gap in the diagnostic, therapeutic, and care interventions areas, enabling startups to reach key value inflection points to achieve scientific milestones.

Methods: Only publicly available information is reported.

Palmitate attenuates myocardial contractility through augmentation of repolarizing Kv currents.

There is considerable evidence to support a role for lipotoxicity in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy, although the molecular links between enhanced saturated fatty acid uptake/metabolism and impaired cardiac function are poorly understood. In the present study, the effects of acute exposure to the saturated fatty acid, palmitate, on myocardial contractility and excitability were examined directly. Exposure of isolated (adult mouse) ventricular myocytes to palmitate, complexed to bovine serum albumin (palmitate:BSA) as in blood, rapidly reduced (by 54+/-4%) mean (+/-SEM) unloaded fractional cell shortening.

Temporal and mutation-specific alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis differentially determine the progression of cTnT-related cardiomyopathies in murine models.

Naturally occurring mutations in cardiac troponin T (cTnT) result in a clinical subset of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. To determine the mechanistic links between thin-filament mutations and cardiovascular phenotypes, we have generated and characterized several transgenic mouse models carrying cTnT mutations. We address two central questions regarding the previously observed changes in myocellular mechanics and Ca(2+) homeostasis: 1) are they characteristic of all severe cTnT mutations, and 2) are they primary (early) or secondary (late) components of the myocellular response? Adult left ventricular myocytes were isolated from 2- and 6-mo-old transgenic mice carrying missense mutations at residue 92, flanking the TNT1 NH(2)-terminal tail domain.

Quantitative evaluation of regional left ventricular function by multidetector computed tomography.

Objective: : Because most contemporary workstations offer quantitative analysis of regional function by multidetector computed tomography, we aimed to establish typical values for normal, hypokinetic, and akinetic regions, and to establish optimal thresholds to differentiate between normal and abnormal values.

Methods: : For 33 patients, quantitative regional functional parameters were compared with visual analysis by both multidetector computed tomography and echocardiography. Normal values were established to normalize for segmental variability.

Ca2+-independent alterations in diastolic sarcomere length and relaxation kinetics in a mouse model of lipotoxic diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Previous studies demonstrated increased fatty acid uptake and metabolism in MHC-FATP transgenic mice that overexpress fatty acid transport protein (FATP)1 in the heart under the control of the alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC) promoter. Doppler tissue imaging and hemodynamic measurements revealed diastolic dysfunction, in the absence of changes in systolic function. The experiments here directly test the hypothesis that the diastolic dysfunction in MHC-FATP mice reflects impaired ventricular myocyte contractile function.

Independent FHC-related cardiac troponin T mutations exhibit specific alterations in myocellular contractility and calcium kinetics.

Mutations in cardiac troponin T (cTnT) are linked to a severe form of Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Patients carrying mutations flanking the tropomyosin-binding domain of cTnT (R92L and Delta160E) develop distinct clinical syndromes. In order to better understand the cellular pathophysiology underlying these clinically relevant differences, we studied isolated adult left ventricular myocytes from independent transgenic cTnT mouse lines carrying either a 35% (Delta160E) or 50% (R92L) replacement of the endogenous cTnT with the mutant forms.

Changes in the chemical and dynamic properties of cardiac troponin T cause discrete cardiomyopathies in transgenic mice.

Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is a central component of the regulatory thin filament. Mutations in cTnT have been linked to severe forms of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A mutational "hotspot" that leads to distinct clinical phenotypes has been identified at codon 92.

Ethanol reduces cardiac myocyte function through activation of the nitric oxide-cyclic GMP pathway.

We tested the hypothesis that low-dose ethanol would reduce cardiac myocyte function through increased production in the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP signal transduction pathway, rather than reduced degradation. Ventricular myocytes were isolated from the hearts of 9 rabbits. Myocyte function was studied using a video-edge detector and cyclic GMP levels were measured by radioimmunoassay.

Depression among Alzheimer's caregivers: identifying risk factors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reveal risk factors contributing to the development of depression among caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all caregivers of consecutive Alzheimer's disease patients were asked to participate in the study. Patient and caregiver depression was evaluated by using the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS).

Nitric oxide and cGMP protein kinase activity in aged ventricular myocytes.

We tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide-induced negative functional effects through cGMP would be reduced in aged cardiac myocytes. Maximum rate of shortening (R(max)) and percent shortening of ventricular myocytes from young (6 mo) and old (3 y) rabbits were studied using a video edge detector. cGMP-dependent phosphorylation was examined by electrophoresis and autoradiography.

The NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist memantine in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to study the analgesic efficacy of the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist memantine (1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane hydrochloride) in relieving postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Memantine (or an identical-looking placebon=12/group) was administered at a dose of 10 mg/day for one week, and 20 mg/day for an additional 4 weeks. All patients were required to record their pain level twice daily during the entire study period, with the use of a 0-10 numerical pain scale (NPS).

Anti-Sa antibody is an accurate diagnostic and prognostic marker in adult rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To evaluate in various groups of patients with chronic joint disease the sensitivity and specificity of anti-Sa antibody, recently described in sera from adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); and to determine the prognostic significance of anti-Sa in initial sera from patients with long standing RA with or without severe joint destruction.

Methods: Serum samples from 489 patients were included. Of these, 154 were collected from patients with RA attending 2 rheumatology units.

Clinical usefulness of antibodies to U1snRNP proteins in mixed connective tissue disease and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To determine whether the anti-68 kDaU1snRNP antibody is associated with mixed connective tissue disease and not with SLE; to evaluate correlations between anti-U1snRNP titers and disease activity; and to look for associations between anti-U1snRNP specificities and specific clinical features.

Patients And Methods: 40 patients with a positive double diffusion test for anti-68 kDa U1snRNP were studied, including 21 with mixed connective tissue disease, 14 with systemic lupus erythematosus and five with other connective tissue diseases. IgGs to 68 kDa U1snRNP were assayed using an ELISA.

Anticentromere antibodies in rheumatologic practice are not consistently associated with scleroderma.

Anticentromere antibodies identified by indirect immunofluorescence are a valuable aid to the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with systemic sclerosis since they are associated in 50% to 80% of cases with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, a pattern usually associated with a good prognosis. We studied clinical presentations in rheumatology patients with anticentromere antibodies by indirect immunofluoresence and by ELISA and/or Western blot, but without scleroderma or Raynaud's phenomenon. Eight of 34 (23.

Diagnostic value of anti-RA33 antibody, antikeratin antibody, antiperinuclear factor and antinuclear antibody in early rheumatoid arthritis: comparison with rheumatoid factor.

The goal of this prospective longitudinal study was to determine the serological profile of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to test whether antikeratin antibody (AKA), antiperinuclear factor (APF), anti-RA33 antibody and antinuclear antibodies (ANA) had an additional diagnostic value when prescribed after rheumatoid factor (RF)-detecting methods. Sixty-nine patients with early polyarthritis suggestive of RA, seen between 1991 and 1993, were included. Five autoantibodies (i.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

We determined the occurrence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and their specificities in 77 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compared them with 25 patients with psoriatic arthritis (Pso), 19 with drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DI-LE) and 11 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thirty-two percent of RA patients had positive indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) stains (P or atypical ANCA). Twenty-nine per cent of patients with rheumatoid vasculitis (RAV), 48% with long-standing RA (LSRA) and 20% with early RA (Ely RA) had positive ANCAs compared with 4% of Pso patients, 47% of DI-LE patients and 45% of SLE patients.

Anti-vascular endothelial cell antibodies (AECA): comparison of two assay methods and clinical applications.

Vascular endothelial cells may be a target for autoantibodies (AECAs) against membrane antigens that are constitutively expressed, induced or bound to their surface. To test this hypothesis, we used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with two types of human endothelial cells as the substrate, i.e.

Anti-RA 33 antinuclear autoantibody in rheumatoid arthritis and mixed connective tissue disease: comparison with antikeratin and antiperinuclear antibodies.

Besides rheumatoid factor (RF), antikeratin antibodies (AKA) and antiperinuclear factor (APN), anti-RA 33 antibody has been described as a highly specific antinuclear antibody for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study RA 33 antibodies were detected using Western blotting with HeLa cell nuclear extract in a group of 94 RA patients and 259 controls. Anti-RA 33 was present in 35% of 94 RA patients, with a similar frequency in RF positive (32%) and RF-negative (45%) RA patients.