[The results of an open comparative retrospective trial of the course of multiple sclerosis during treatment with infibeta and other interferon-beta bioanalogues and glatiramer acetate].

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the interferon beta-1b bioanalogue 'infibeta' in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in comparison with other interferon beta bioanalogues and the generic drug glatiramer acetate.

Material And Methods: The data of 500 patients with MS treated with different disease-modifying drugs were analyzed. Patients of group 1 (n=95) received infibeta; group 2 (n=108) interferon beta-1b; group 3 (n=83) genfaxon-44; group 4 (n=109) sinnovex; group 5 (n=105) aksoglatiran FS.

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) block copolymers for calcium phosphate mineralization and biofilm inhibition.

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has long been used as an additive in toothpaste, partly because it reduces biofilm formation on teeth. It does not, however, reduce the formation of dental calculus or support the remineralization of dental enamel or dentine. The present article describes the synthesis of new block copolymers on the basis of PEO and poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) blocks using atom transfer radical polymerization.

Optical pen-size reflectometer for monitoring of early dental erosion in native and polished enamels.

Application of the specular reflection intensity was previously reported for the quantification of early dental erosion. Further development of the technique and assembly of the miniaturized pen-size instrument are described. The optical system was adjusted to fit into a handy device which could potentially access different positions in the oral cavity.

Inhibition of enamel erosion by stannous fluoride containing rinsing solutions.

This in vitro study investigated the erosion-inhibiting properties of dental rinses during erosion in the presence of the salivary pellicle. The erosion inhibition by a Sn/F containing dental rinse (800 ppm Sn2+, 500 ppm F –, pH = 4.5) was compared with a fluoridated solution (500 ppm F –, pH = 4.

Inhibition of enamel erosion by stannous and fluoride containing rinsing solutions.

This in vitro study investigated the erosion-inhibiting properties of dental rinses during erosion in the presence of the salivary pellicle. The erosion inhibition by a Sn/F containing dental rinse (800 ppm Sn(2+), 500 ppm F(-), pH = 4.5) was compared with a fluoridated solution (500 ppm F(-), pH = 4.

A new optical detection method to assess the erosion inhibition by in vitro salivary pellicle layer.

Objectives: Application of the recently developed optical method based on the monitoring of the specular reflection intensity to study the protective potential of the salivary pellicle layer against early enamel erosion.

Methods: The erosion progression was compared between two treatment groups: enamel samples coated by the 15 h-in vitro-formed salivary pellicle layer (group P, n=90) and the non-coated enamel surfaces (control group C, n=90). Different severity of the erosive impact was modelled by the enamel incubation in 1% citric acid (pH=3.

Effects of enamel abrasion, salivary pellicle, and measurement angle on the optical assessment of dental erosion.

The present study assessed the effects of abrasion, salivary proteins, and measurement angle on the quantification of early dental erosion by the analysis of reflection intensities from enamel. Enamel from 184 caries-free human molars was used for in vitro erosion in citric acid (pH 3.6).

Comparative stability studies of poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(ethylene glycol) brush coatings.

Non-fouling surfaces that resist non-specific adsorption of proteins, bacteria, and higher organisms are of particular interest in diverse applications ranging from marine coatings to diagnostic devices and biomedical implants. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is the most frequently used polymer to impart surfaces with such non-fouling properties. Nevertheless, limitations in PEG stability have stimulated research on alternative polymers that are potentially more stable than PEG.

Application of the specular and diffuse reflection analysis for in vitro diagnostics of dental erosion: correlation with enamel softening, roughness, and calcium release.

We present assembly and application of an optical reflectometer for the analysis of dental erosion. The erosive procedure involved acid-induced softening and initial substance loss phases, which are considered to be difficult for visual diagnosis in a clinic. Change of the specular reflection signal showed the highest sensitivity for the detection of the early softening phase of erosion among tested methods.

Self-assembly of focal point oligo-catechol ethylene glycol dendrons on titanium oxide surfaces: adsorption kinetics, surface characterization, and nonfouling properties.

This work covers the synthesis of second-generation, ethylene glycol dendrons covalently linked to a surface anchor that contains two, three, or four catechol groups, the molecular assembly in aqueous buffer on titanium oxide surfaces, and the evaluation of the resistance of the monomolecular adlayers against nonspecific protein adsorption in contact with full blood serum. The results were compared to those of a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) analogue with the same molecular weight. The adsorption kinetics as well as resulting surface coverages were monitored by ex situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE), in situ optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS), and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) investigations.

Dental erosion--an overview with emphasis on chemical and histopathological aspects.

The quality of dental care and modern achievements in dental science depend strongly on understanding the properties of teeth and the basic principles and mechanisms involved in their interaction with surrounding media. Erosion is a disorder to which such properties as structural features of tooth, physiological properties of saliva, and extrinsic and intrinsic acidic sources and habits contribute, and all must be carefully considered. The degree of saturation in the surrounding solution, which is determined by pH and calcium and phosphate concentrations, is the driving force for dissolution of dental hard tissue.

The role of the interplay between polymer architecture and bacterial surface properties on the microbial adhesion to polyoxazoline-based ultrathin films.

Surface platforms were engineered from poly(L-lysine)-graft-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PLL-g-PMOXA) copolymers to study the mechanisms involved in the non-specific adhesion of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Copolymers with three different grafting densities α (PMOXA chains/Lysine residue of 0.

Solid-supported block copolymer membranes through interfacial adsorption of charged block copolymer vesicles.

The properties of amphiphilic block copolymer membranes can be tailored within a wide range of physical parameters. This makes them promising candidates for the development of new (bio)sensors based on solid-supported biomimetic membranes. Here we investigated the interfacial adsorption of polyelectrolyte vesicles on three different model substrates to find the optimum conditions for formation of planar membranes.

Self-organization behavior of methacrylate-based amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers.

Amphiphilic di- and triblock copolymers having different hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic block length ratio were synthesized using ATRP. The self-assembly behavior of these AB and ABA block copolymers consisting of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (B) and poly(2,2-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (A) was investigated using a combination of dynamic light scattering, negative-stain transmission electron microscopy, cryoelectron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Two populations of self-organized structures in aqueous solution, micelles and compound micelles, were detected for diblock copolymers.

[Estimation of efficiency of seed irradiation by thermal neutrons for inducing chromosomal aberration in M2 of cotton Gossipium hirsutum L].

Cytogenetic analysis of M2 plants after irradiation of cotton by thermal neutrons was performed in 56 families. In 40 plants of 27 M2 families, different abnormalities of chromosome pairing were found. These abnormalities were caused by primary monosomy, chromosomal interchange, and desynapsis.

[Estimation of the efficiency of seed irradiation by thermal neutrons for inducing chromosomal aberrations in M1 of cotton Gossypium hirsutum l].

Exposure of cotton seeds to thermal neutrons at doses of 15, 25, and 35 Gy was shown to induce many altered plants, including sterile and chimeric ones. Most of these phenotypic changes were shown to result from novel genomic, chromosomal, and desynaptic mutations. The presence of these mutations in the karyotype of M, plants often decreased meiotic index and pollen fertility.