Load-bearing capacity and the recommended thickness of dental monolithic zirconia single crowns.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the load bearing capacity and a reasonable thicknesss of dental monolithic zirconia crowns.

Materials And Methods: Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) abutment tooth specimens were made by CAD/CAM technic. Monolithic zirconia crowns (MZC), monolithic lithium disilicate crowns (MLC), layered zirconia crowns (LZC) and metal ceramic crowns(MCC), of which the occlusal thickness was 1.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome associated with Lamotrigine.

Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome (SJS) is an immune-complex-mediated hypersensitivity reaction and has been linked as an adverse side effects to many drugs. Lamotrigine, an anticonvulsive medication and also a commonly used mood stabiliser, can be associated with this adverse reaction. Although this has not been reported very commonly , SJS has high mortality and morbidity and requires careful attention as the use of Lamotrigine is increasing in clinical practice.

Dyspnoea related to pre-excitation during sinus rhythm as a new indication for catheter ablation.

Background: Patients with pre-excitation without arrhythmic symptoms are diagnosed as Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with a WPW pattern and reported dyspnoea.

Methods: Five patients (four adults and one adolescent, all female, age 33 ± 15 years) with a WPW pattern were referred due to dyspnoea and exercise intolerance.

The blood supply to the femoral head after posterior fracture/dislocation of the hip, assessed by CT angiography.

The femoral head receives blood supply mainly from the deep branch of the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA). In previous studies we have performed anatomical dissections of 16 specimens and subsequently visualised the arteries supplying the femoral head in 55 healthy individuals. In this further radiological study we compared the arterial supply of the femoral head in 35 patients (34 men and one woman, mean age 37.

Impact of the shift to neonatal noninvasive ventilation in Poland: a population study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to document the real impact of a directed shift in the standard of neonatal practice to a pervasive use of noninvasive respiratory support.

Design: Before-after observational study.

Setting: All 18 neonatal ICUs in the capital region of Poland.

Accelerating bone generation and bone mineralization in the Interparietal sutures of rats using an rhBMP-2/ACS composite after rapid expansion.

This study aims to investigate the effects of rhBMP-2/ACS composite on bone regeneration and mineralization during expansion of the interparietal suture in rats. Forty 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n=10). The first group (intact group) did not receive any intervention.

The effect of blood collection procedure on plasma renin activity (PRA) and concentrations of direct renin (DRC) and aldosterone.

Introduction: Performing measurements of plasma renin activity (PRA) or direct renin concentration (DRC) and aldosterone concentration, we should be well informed about requirements concerning blood sample processing.

Material And Methods: Forty-seven patients had blood collected in the supine and upright positions. Blood was withdrawn into two EDTA2K tubes and one with clot activator.

Antibiotic cement nail for the treatment of posttraumatic intramedullary infections of the tibia: midterm results in 10 cases.

Introduction: This is a single, level 1 trauma centre, prospective consecutive patient series with intramedullary infection in the presence of unstable tibial fracture treated using the Kirschner wire-reinforced, antibiotic cement nail.

Patients And Methods: A total of 10 consecutive patients (eight males and two females) with a mean age of 42 years (range, 20-59) suffering from infection after intramedullary nailing for tibial fracture, admitted during a period of 4 years, were included. An antibiotic cement-coated nail, handmade at the time of surgery, was implanted in all patients.

Psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease which develops in patients with psoriasis. It is characteristic that the rheumatoid factor in serum is absent. Etiology of the disease is still unclear but a number of genetic associations have been identified.

Students' educational needs for clinical reasoning in first clerkships.

Developing clinical reasoning skills early in medical education is important. However, research to uncover students' educational needs for learning clinical reasoning during clerkships is limited. The aim of our study was to investigate these needs.

Imaging the vascularisation of the femoral head by CT angiography.

The femoral head receives its blood supply primarily from the medial femoral circumflex artery, with its deep branch being the most important. In a previous study, we performed classical anatomical dissections of 16 hips. We have extended our investigation with a radiological study, in which we aimed to visualise the arteries supplying the femoral head in healthy individuals.

Routine infant immunization with the 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: current perspective on reduced-dosage regimens.

The 7 and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are mostly used in routine infant immunizations to prevent the development of pneumococcal disease. Currently, the dosing schedule approved and recommended for PCV7 and PCV13 in infants is 3 primary doses followed by a booster dose in the second year of life. However, a number of countries use a 2-dose only primary series with a booster dose in the second year of life.

Comparison of the effects of different lens-cleaning solutions on the protein profiles of human conjunctival cells.

Background: Many contact lens wearers suffer from dry eye syndrome. Previous studies show significant changes in the protein composition of the tears depending on the lens-cleaning solution used. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect the influence of different lens solutions on conjunctival cells, cells also involved in tear film composition.

Mechanisms of action of thyroid hormones in the skeleton.

Background: Thyroid hormones regulate skeletal development, acquisition of peak bone mass and adult bone maintenance. Abnormal thyroid status during childhood disrupts bone maturation and linear growth, while in adulthood it results in altered bone remodeling and an increased risk of fracture

Scope Of Review: This review considers the cellular effects and molecular mechanisms of thyroid hormone action in the skeleton. Human clinical and population data are discussed in relation to the skeletal phenotypes of a series of genetically modified mouse models of disrupted thyroid hormone signaling.

Phenotype and metabolic disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome.

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most frequent endocrinopathies in women. Its incidence is assessed at 6-8% of the female population in the reproductive age. It is characterised by oligomenorrhea (Oligo), hyperandrogenism (HA), and the presence of polycystic ovaries (PCOs).

Comparative study of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness performed with optical coherence tomography and GDx scanning laser polarimetry in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Background: We compared the parameters of retinal nerve fibre layer in patients with advanced glaucoma with the use of different OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) devices in relation to analogical measurements performed with GDx VCC (Nerve Fiber Analyzer with Variable Corneal Compensation) scanning laser polarimetry.

Material/methods: Study subjects had advanced primary open-angle glaucoma, previously treated conservatively, diagnosed and confirmed by additional examinations (visual field, ophthalmoscopy of optic nerve, gonioscopy), A total of 10 patients were enrolled (9 women and 1 man), aged 18-70 years of age. Nineteen eyes with advanced glaucomatous neuropathy were examined.

Does treatment of the laryngeal mucosa reduce dystonic symptoms? A prospective clinical cohort study of mannose binding lectin and other immunological parameters with diagnostic use of phonatory function studies.

This study examined efficacy of the innate immune defence via the mannose binding lectin (MBL) in a cohort of 55 dystonic patients prospectively referred to the clinic with laryngeal mucosal complaints, who were placed on local steroids (budesonid inhaler, 400 μg 2 times daily) and antihistamines (fexofenadin 180 mg mostly 3 times daily) with adjuvant lifestyle corrections. Treatment efficacy of the larynx was assessed based on mucosal findings of the vocal folds examined with phonatory function studies (PhFS) comprising simultaneous high-speed digital images, kymography, electroglottography and voice acoustics combined with a visual score of arytenoids oedema, as these measures are indicative of the magnitude of laryngitis. Lactose and gluten intolerance and immunological analyses of the innate system were made systematically.

Anatomy of the medial femoral circumflex artery with respect to the vascularity of the femoral head.

We performed a series of 16 anatomical dissections on Caucasian cadaver material to determine the surgical anatomy of the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA) and its anastomoses. These confirmed that the femoral head receives its blood supply primarily from the MFCA via a group of posterior superior nutrient arteries and the posterior inferior nutrient artery. In terms of anastomoses that may also contribute to the blood supply, the anastomosis with the inferior gluteal artery, via the piriformis branch, is the most important.

MiR-224 targets the 3'UTR of type 1 5'-iodothyronine deiodinase possibly contributing to tissue hypothyroidism in renal cancer.

Type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (DIO1) catalyses the conversion of prohormone thyroxine to the active thyroid hormone 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3), important regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation. DIO1 expression is reduced in the most common type of kidney neoplasia, clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC). MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at posttranscriptional levels.

Femoral insufficiency fractures with bisphosphonate therapy. Cases study.

The aim of this paper is to analyze on clinical cases specific features of femoral insufficiency fractures during bisphosphonates therapy. We are presenting two insufficiency femoral fractures (2 patients) in patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy. These two cases represent new type of femoral fractures.

Gastroesophageal reflux in alcohol-abusing patients.

Introduction: Consumption of large amounts of alcohol can promote regurgitation of hydrochloric acid into the esophagus and therefore cause symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Most individuals who experience alcohol-related health problems are not addicted to alcohol, but they usually show a hazardous pattern of alcohol consumption.

Objectives: Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the gastrointestinal tract in hazardous drinkers and to establish whether such alcohol consumption pattern may be an important risk factor for developing gastroesophageal reflux.

Iodothyronine deiodinases and cancer.

Thyroid hormones (TH) regulate key cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis in virtually all human cells. Disturbances in TH pathway and the resulting deregulation of these processes have been linked with neoplasia. The concentrations of TH in peripheral tissues are regulated via the activity of iodothyronine deiodinases.

Alternative splicing and its role in pathologies of the endocrine system.

Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is a process in which noncoding regions of primary transcript are removed and coding regions are joined in different manners to produce mRNA molecules of different sequences. Alternative splicing affects nearly all human genes and is a key source of diversity of proteins coded by a relatively small number of genes. Since alternative splicing is of crucial importance for the proper functioning of cells, including those involved in hormonal signalling, aberrations of alternative splicing can lead to disruption of cellular mechanisms and in consequence result in serious endocrine pathologies.

GreenLight™ laser in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic enlargement.

For more than a decade, laser technology has facilitated a minimally invasive surgical method to treat patients with bladder outlet obstruction caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. This article critically assesses the features of the GreenLight™ laser and its potential use in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients. Recently, a significant body of evidence in the literature on good clinical outcomes in 1-year follow-up periods has been enriched with the findings from a few randomized trials, in which this device is compared with other minimally invasive or standard approaches.