To Preserve or Extract? A Scoping Review and a Prognostic Decision Tool using Multispecialty Indicators.

As implant-supported restorations have become very popular, there is a tendency to extract teeth and replace them with implants. However, the first goal of dentistry should always be the preservation of natural teeth, given the prerequisite that these can be maintained with the application of appropriate treatment modalities. Therefore, individual tooth risk assessment and prognosis are very important in the treatment plan process.

Non-Covalent Interactions on Polymer-Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Effects on the Electrical Conductivity.

It is well known that a small number of graphene nanoparticles embedded in polymers enhance the electrical conductivity; the polymer changes from being an insulator to a conductor. The graphene nanoparticles induce several quantum effects, non-covalent interactions, so the percolation threshold is accelerated. We studied five of the most widely used polymers embedded with graphene nanoparticles: polystyrene, polyethylene-terephthalate, polyether-ketone, polypropylene, and polyurethane.

A refined model on flow and oxygen consumption in the human cornea depending on the oxygen tension at the interface cornea/post lens tear film during contact lens wear.

The study of oxygen consumption rate under" in vivo" human cornea during contact lens wear has been technically a challenge and several attempts have been made in the last 20 years to model the physiology of the human cornea during contact lens wear. Unfortunately, some of these models, based on a constant corneal oxygen consumption rate, produce areas on the cornea where the oxygen tension is negative, which has no physical sense. In order to avoid such inconsistency, different researchers have developed alternative models of oxygen consumption, which predict the likely oxygen metrics available at the interface cornea/post lens tear film by determination of oxygen flux, oxygen consumption, and oxygen tension through the different layers (endothelium, stroma, and epithelium).

Effect of metallacarborane salt H[COSANE] doping on the performance properties of polybenzimidazole membranes for high temperature PEMFCs.

In this paper, a series of composite proton exchange membranes comprising a cobaltacarborane protonated H[Co(C2B9H11)2] named (H[COSANE]) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) for a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is reported, with the aim of enhancing the proton conductivity of PBI membranes doped with phosphoric acid. The effects of the anion [Co(C2B9H11)2] concentration in three different polymeric matrices based on the PBI structure, poly(2,2'-(m-phenylene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole) (PBI-1), poly[2,2'-(p-oxydiphenylene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole] (PBI-2) and poly(2,2'-(p-hexafluoroisopropylidene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole) (PBI-3), have been investigated. The conductivity, diffusivity and mobility are greater in the composite membrane poly(2,2'-(p-hexafluoroisopropylidene)-5,5'-bibenzimidazole) containing fluorinated groups, reaching a maximum when the amount of H[COSANE] was 15%.

Pharmacologic interventions for prevention of delirium in hospitalized older people: A meta-analysis.

Introduction: To comprehensively assess the effects of pharmacologic interventions for prevention of delirium in hospitalized older people.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology was performed. Hospitalized people aged 65 and older, recruited to randomized controlled clinical trials.

Corneal relaxation time estimation as a function of tear oxygen tension in human cornea during contact lens wear.

The purpose is to estimate the oxygen diffusion coefficient and the relaxation time of the cornea with respect to the oxygen tension at the cornea-tears interface. Both findings are discussed. From the experimental data provided by Bonanno et al.

Design and Use of a 3D Prosthetic Leg in a Red-lored Amazon Parrot ( Amazona autumnalis).

A three-dimensional (3D) prosthesis was designed and built for a red-lored Amazon parrot ( Amazona autumnalis) with a pre-existing amputation of the distal left leg at the tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal joint and injuries to the right leg caused by cage companion aggression. The prosthesis consisted of a straight main imprint, with a round element at both ends to provide stability, and a bridge connecting this to a socket without a bottom where the stump could be accommodated and held securely with self-adhesive bandaging. Over a 4-month period, 3 different 3D prosthetic models were made and evaluated.

On the feasibility of the computational modelling of the endoluminal vacuum-assisted closure of an oesophageal anastomotic leakage.

Endoluminal vacuum-assisted closure (E-VAC) is a promising therapy to treat anastomotic leakages of the oesophagus and bowel which are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. An open-pore polyurethane foam is introduced into the leakage cavity and connected to a device that applies a suction pressure to accelerate the closure of the defect. Computational analysis of this healing process can advance our understanding of the biomechanical mechanisms at play.

Singly and binary grafted poly(vinyl chloride) urinary catheters that elute ciprofloxacin and prevent bacteria adhesion.

Acrylic acid (AAc) and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) were singly and dually grafted onto poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) urinary catheters with the aim of preventing biofouling by endowing the catheters with the ability to load and release antimicrobial agents and to avoid bacteria adhesion. The polymers were grafted applying an oxidative pre-irradiation ((60)Co source) method in two steps. Grafting percentage and kinetics were evaluated by varying the absorbed pre-irradiation dose, reaction time, monomer concentration, and reaction temperature.

Diffusion and Monod kinetics model to determine in vivo human corneal oxygen-consumption rate during soft contact lens wear.

Purpose: We present an analysis of the corneal oxygen consumption Qc from non-linear models, using data of oxygen partial pressure or tension (P(O2) ) obtained from in vivo estimation previously reported by other authors. (1) METHODS: Assuming that the cornea is a single homogeneous layer, the oxygen permeability through the cornea will be the same regardless of the type of lens that is available on it. The obtention of the real value of the maximum oxygen consumption rate Qc,max is very important because this parameter is directly related with the gradient pressure profile into the cornea and moreover, the real corneal oxygen consumption is influenced by both anterior and posterior oxygen fluxes.

No differences in quality of life between men and women undergoing HIV antiretroviral treatment. Impact of demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors.

Introduction: The health-related quality of life (HRQL) is therefore a highly important tool for the evaluation of the health status of HIV positive patients. However, very little information is available about the differences between HRQL in men and women. The aim of this study is to analyse gender differences in HRQL in HIV positive patients.