3D FEM comparison of lingual and labial orthodontics in en masse retraction

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare displacements and stress after en masse retraction of mandibular dentition with lingual and labial orthodontics using three-dimensional (3D) finite element models (FEM).METHODS: A 3D FEM of each lower tooth was constructed and located as appropriate to Roth's prescription. The 0.018-in. GAC Roth Ovation labial and Ormco 7th Generation lingual brackets were virtually bonded to the lower teeth and threaded with 0.018 × 0.025- and 0.016 × 0.022-in. SS labial (Tru-Arch form, small size) and lingual (mushroom) archwires. En masse retraction was simulated by applying 300 g of distal force from the canine to the second premolar on the 0.016 × 0.022-in. SS labial and lingual archwires. The type of finite element used in the analysis was an eight-noded brick element. The Algor program (Algor Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA) was used to calculate the strains and displacements at each nodal point.RESULTS: Lingual tipping and extrusion of the anterior dentition occurred with both archwires. At the premolars and first molars, intrusion, lingual movements, and lingual tipping were seen with the labial archwire, while intrusion was accompanied by labial movements, mesial tipping, and buccal rotation with lingual mechanics.CONCLUSIONS: Lingual vs. labial bracket placement influences the pattern of tooth movement, but the stress that occurs around the teeth can be accurately mapped using a 3D FEM model

Macrophage Mal1 Deficiency Suppresses Atherosclerosis in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor -Null Mice by Activating Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-g-Regulated Genes

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Objective-The adipocyte/macrophage fatty acid-binding proteins aP2 (FABP4) and Mal1 (FABP5) are intracellular lipid chaperones that modulate systemic glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and atherosclerosis. Combined deficiency of aP2 and Mal1 has been shown to reduce the development of atherosclerosis, but the independent role of macrophage Mal1 expression in atherogenesis remains unclear. Methods and Results-We transplanted wild-type (WT), Mal1(-/-), or aP2(-/-) bone marrow into low-density lipoprotein receptor-null (LDLR(-/-)) mice and fed them a Western diet for 8 weeks. Mal1(-/-)-> LDLR(-/-) mice had significantly reduced (36%) atherosclerosis in the proximal aorta compared with control WT -> LDLR(-/-) mice. Interestingly, peritoneal macrophages isolated from Mal1-deficient mice displayed increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR gamma) activity and upregulation of a PPAR gamma-related cholesterol trafficking gene, CD36. Mal1(-/-) macrophages showed suppression of inflammatory genes, such as COX2 and interleukin 6. Mal1(-/-)-> LDLR(-/-) mice had significantly decreased macrophage numbers in the aortic atherosclerotic lesions compared with WT -> LDLR(-/-) mice, suggesting that monocyte recruitment may be impaired. Indeed, blood monocytes isolated from Mal1(-/-)-> LDLR(-/-) mice on a high-fat diet had decreased CC chemokine receptor 2 gene and protein expression levels compared with WT monocytes. Conclusion-Taken together, our results demonstrate that Mal1 plays a proatherogenic role by suppressing PPAR gamma activity, which increases expression of CC chemokine receptor 2 by monocytes, promoting their recruitment to atherosclerotic lesions. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011;31:1283-1290.

Decreased fertility rates in 9639 women diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease: a United Kingdom population-based cohort study

Background: Clinical studies have reported reduced fertility in women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aim: To compare fertility rates in women with IBD to those in women without IBD and assess whether the relative fertility differed following IBD diagnosis, flares and surgery. Methods: Women aged 15-44 years in 1990-2010 were identified from a UK primary care database. We estimated overall and age-specific fertility rates by 5-year age bands for women with and without IBD. We used Poisson regression to calculate adjusted fertility rate ratios (AFRR), adjusted for age, smoking and socioeconomic deprivation. Results: There were 46.2 live births per 1000 person-years [95% confidence interval (95% CI); 44.6-47.9] in 9639 women with IBD and 49.3 (95% CI 49.2-49.5) in 2 131 864 without (AFRR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89-0.96). Excluding periods of contraception use, the AFRR was 0.99 (95% CI: 0.95-1.03). Before diagnosis, the AFRR for women with ulcerative colitis (UC) was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.99-1.16) and was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.81-0.97) for women with CD. After diagnosis, AFRRs were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82-0.94) for CD and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86-1.00) for UC. The fertility rate was lower following flares (AFRR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59-0.82) or surgery (AFRR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.77-0.92). Women with pouch and non-pouch surgery had similar overall fertility though the reduction after surgery was greater for pouches (AFRR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.23-0.99). Conclusions: Women with Crohn's disease have marginally lower fertility rates. These rates decreased following flares and surgical interventions. Fertility rates returned almost to normal when women were not prescribed contraception but the reduction following surgical intervention remained. As the lifetime effect of pouch vs. nonpouch surgery on fertility is small, the reduction post-pouch surgery should be interpreted with caution

Using of versine and sagitta calculations for log sawing optimization, part 1: Circular cross-section

Log sawing can be defined as a problem with obtaining squares from a cylindrical shaped raw material, log. There are traditional sawing methods such as live, cant, quarter, etc. for sawmills. However, they cant generally obtain maximum yield due to log and lumber variables for each log. Therefore, many mathematical approaches and computer programs were improved for log sawing. In this study, suitability of two geometrical calculations, versine and sagitta, were tried for log sawing process. Logs were assumed having cylindrical shape and circular cross section. The estimation accuracy of calculations were tested for live and cant sawing methods with in a drawing software. The results showed that one of versine equations works almost as well as the real dimensions. It is suggested that the equation can be used inside of algorithms for log sawing optimization. However, the real log defects such as taper, irregular cross-section, curvature, etc. should be considered for more realistic yield and accuracy

Why are European Countries Reluctant to Accept Syrian Refugees?

The conflict in Syria has forcibly moved about 10 million people from their homes. About 5 million of these displaced people fled to four of Syria’s neighbor countries: Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq. Resettlement of Syrian refugees has become a significant public policy debate not only in the neighboring countries of Syria but also in Europe and the United States. Despite the fact that European countries are champions of international law and human rights, there is a strong resistance to acceptance of Syrian refugees. This study analyzes and attempts to explain the reasons why European governments are reluctant to receive Syrian refugees. Several scholars addressed economic and security issues in answering this question. To some, the resettlement of refugees in Europe will create extra burden on already debilitating European economies. To others, the receiving of Syrian refugees increase the threat of terrorism in Europe. Economic and security arguments do not capture the underlying causes of anti-refugee stance among the European policymakers. I argue that domestic political considerations stemming from the increasing Islamophobia and the rise of far right are the main motives behind anti-refugee policies in Europe. Under the pressure of significantly evolving anti-Muslim sentiment particularly after the recent terror attacks in Europe, the European leaders find it gradually difficult to resettle the Syrian refugees without significantly losing public support to their political party platforms

AT7519, a Novel Small Molecule Multi-Cyclin Dependent Kinase Inhibitor, Induces Apoptosis in Multiple Myeloma VIA GSK3 beta

Dysregulated cell cycling is a universal hallmark of cancer and is often mediated by abnormal activation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and their cyclin partners. Overexpression of individual complexes are reported in multiple myeloma (MM), making them attractive therapeutic targets. In this study, we investigate the preclinical activity of a novel small-molecule multi-CDK inhibitor, AT7519, in MM. We show the anti-MM activity of AT7519 displaying potent cytotoxicity and apoptosis; associated with in vivo tumor growth inhibition and prolonged survival. At the molecular level, AT7519 inhibited RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) phosphorylation, a CDK9, 7 substrate, associated with decreased RNA synthesis confirmed by [(3)H] Uridine incorporation. In addition, AT7519 inhibited glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) phosphorylation; conversely pretreatment with a selective GSK-3 inhibitor and shRNA GSK-3beta knockdown restored MM survival, suggesting the involvement of GSK-3beta in AT7519-induced apoptosis. GSK-3beta activation was independent of RNA pol II dephosphorylation confirmed by alpha-amanitin, a specific RNA pol II inihibitor, showing potent inhibition of RNA pol II phosphorylation without corresponding effects on GSK-3beta phosphorylation. These results offer new insights into the crucial, yet controversial role of GSK-3beta in MM and show significant anti-MM activity of AT7519, providing the rationale for its clinical evaluation in MM

Small Molecule Multi-Targeted Kinase Inhibitor RGB-286638 Triggers P53-Dependent and -Independent Anti-Multiple Myeloma Activity through Inhibition of Transcriptional CDKs

Small molecule multi-targeted CDK inhibitors (CDKIs) are of particular interest due to their potent antitumor activity independent of p53 gene alterations. P53 deletion is associated with a very poor prognosis in multiple myeloma (MM). In this regard, we tested the anti-MM activity of RGB-286638, an indenopyrazole-derived CDKI with Ki-nanomolar activity against transcriptional CDKs. We examined RGB-286638’s mode-of-action in MM cell lines with wild type (wt)-p53 and those expressing mutant p53. RGB-286638 treatment resulted in MM cytotoxicity in vitro associated with inhibition of MM tumor growth and prolonged survival in vivo. RGB-286638 displayed caspase-dependent apoptosis in both wt-p53 and mutant-p53 cells that was closely associated with the downregulation of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation and inhibition of transcription. RGB-286638-triggered p53 accumulation via nucleolar stress and loss of Mdm2, accompanied by induction of p53 DNA binding activity. Additionally, RGB-286638 mediated p53-independent activity, which was confirmed by cytotoxicity in p53-knockdown and p53-mutant cells. We also demonstrated downregulation of oncogenic miR-19, miR-92a-1, and miR-21. Our data provide the rationale for the development of transcriptional CDK inhibitors as therapeutic agents, which activate p53 in competent cells, while circumventing p53 deficiency through alternative p53-independent cell death mechanisms in p53-mutant/deleted cells

Collapsing Scale Categories: Comparing the Psychometric Properties of Resulting Scales

This study compares a scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, that was administered with four response categories to versions of the same scale that were administered with six and eight response categories. Respondents were randomly assigned to take one of the three versions of RSES. A rating scale utility analysis was conducted on all three versions creating two new four-category versions after collapsing (or combining) adjacent categories. The three different four-category versions were compared on such properties as average scores, correlations with external variables, and factor structure. While most of the psychometric properties were similar across all versions, there were moderate differences related to criterion validity: the scale that did not need to be collapsed had the strongest relationship with external variables, even though there were slightly stronger correlations for the collapsed versions compared to their original scales. A recommendation is made that if it is found that too many categories are being used for a scale then new administrations of the scale should also use the new format, however, an argument could be made to continue administering the survey in its original format, but then collapse responses before analysis

A comparison of health literacy measurement tools in a sample of college students

Health literacy is an important predictor of health behavior and health outcomes, yet its measurement remains challenging. This study assessed health literacy measurement tools among college students to provide recommendations for future research. A sample of 122 college students completed a survey including the Single Item Health Literacy Screener (SILS) as well as three additional health literacy assessments. These included the Rapid Estimate of Adolescent Literacy in Medicine (REALM-Teen), Newest Vital Sign (NVS), and Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA). All scored high on the S-TOFHLA, but participants with lower health literacy emerged with the SILS (21%), REALM-Teen (17%), and NVS (13%). Logistic regression analysis identified race, home language, and father’s education as predictors of low health literacy, but this varied by tool. The sensitivity of the four measurement tools also varied. Continued assessment of existing tools and exploration of new measures can advance the study of health literacy and health behavior

Identifying the Predictors of Mathematics Anxiety AND Performance in Canada: An Educational Data Mining Approach

Over the last decade, Canadian students have exhibited insubstantial improvements in mathematical scores compared to other countries as indicated by large-scale educational assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In relation to students’ mathematical performance, math anxiety - the feeling of fear or nervousness when performing math-related tasks - was found as an associated factor. However, no previous study has explored math performance and math anxiety, specifically among Albertan students. We present a work-in-progress that identifies significant predictors of math performance and math anxiety among Canadian and Albertan students, using the PISA 2018 and TIMSS 2019 datasets. This study has three phases: first, a list of predictors will be selected from the data set based on existing theories regarding students’ math performance and math anxiety. The initial list of predictors will be presented to domain experts (i.e., math teachers) for refinement based on their practical experience. A predictive model for math performance and math anxiety will be developed with Educational Data Mining techniques in the second phase. Results from the model will be presented to the domain experts for their inputs as the qualitative component, and variable importance metrics of the model will be consulted for the quantitative component. Findings from both components will be integrated consulted with the domain experts to derive actionable recommendations that would inform various stakeholders (e.g., educators, school districts, and Alberta Education) of ways to improve math performance in Alberta students