Fluoride Release from Two High-Viscosity Glass Ionomers after Exposure to Fluoride Slurry and Varnish

The effect of brushing with different fluoride slurries on the fluoride release (FR) of different high-viscosity glass ionomer cements (GICs) was investigated. Fifty-eight discs were fabricated from two high-viscosity GICs (GC Fuji IX (F9) and 3M ESPE Ketac-fil (KF)). Five specimens from each brand were used to measure Vickers microhardness and the remaining were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 6) based on two-factor combinations: (1) fluoride concentration in the abrasive slurry (275 or 1250 ppm fluoride as NaF) and (2) immersion in a 22,500 ppm fluoride-containing solution. Specimens were brushed for a total of 20,000 strokes over 4 days with daily FR measurement. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and Bonferroni tests (α = 0.05). Baseline FR and microhardness values were different between the two tested material brands. Exposure to a 22,500 ppm solution was associated with higher FR but not the exposure to 1250 ppm slurries. Brushing and immersion of glass ionomer cements in a 22,500 ppm F solution led to higher FR that was more sustained for KF. Type of the glass ionomer, progressive brushing, and fluoride varnish affected FR but not the fluoride content in the abrasive slurry

Prediction of gas-liquid two-phase flow regime in microgravity

An attempt is made to predict gas-liquid two-phase flow regime in a pipe in a microgravity environment through scaling analysis based on dominant physical mechanisms. Simple inlet geometry is adopted in the analysis to see the effect of inlet configuration on flow regime transitions. Comparison of the prediction with the existing experimental data shows good agreement, though more work is required to better define some physical parameters. The analysis clarifies much of the physics involved in this problem and can be applied to other configurations

How pharmacoepidemiology networks can manage distributed analyses to improve replicability and transparency and minimize bias

Several pharmacoepidemiology networks have been developed over the past decade that use a distributed approach, implementing the same analysis at multiple data sites, to preserve privacy and minimize data sharing. Distributed networks are efficient, by interrogating data on very large populations. The structure of these networks can also be leveraged to improve replicability, increase transparency, and reduce bias. We describe some features of distributed networks using, as examples, the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies, the Sentinel System in the USA, and the European Research Network of Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology. Common protocols, analysis plans, and data models, with policies on amendments and protocol violations, are key features. These tools ensure that studies can be audited and repeated as necessary. Blinding and strict conflict of interest policies reduce the potential for bias in analyses and interpretation. These developments should improve the timeliness and accuracy of information used to support both clinical and regulatory decisions

Control system for hunger and its implications in animals and man

No description supplie

Detailed Geant4 simulations of the ANITA and ANITA-CUP neutron facilities

Simulations of the ANITA spallation neutron source at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) are described. Neutron radiation calculations show close agreement with measurements at both standard and close user positions. Gamma radiation characteristics are also predicted

Macrophage autophagy in atherosclerosis

Macrophages play crucial roles in atherosclerotic immune responses. Recent investigation into macrophage autophagy (AP) in atherosclerosis has demonstrated a novel pathway through which these cells contribute to vascular inflammation. AP is a cellular catabolic process involving the delivery of cytoplasmic contents to the lysosomal machinery for ultimate degradation and recycling. Basal levels of macrophage AP play an essential role in atheroprotection during early atherosclerosis. However, AP becomes dysfunctional in the more advanced stages of the pathology and its deficiency promotes vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, and plaque necrosis. In this paper, we will discuss the role of macrophages and AP in atherosclerosis and the emerging evidence demonstrating the contribution of macrophage AP to vascular pathology. Finally, we will discuss how AP could be targeted for therapeutic utility

Competing many-body instabilities and unconventional superconductivity in graphene

The band structure of graphene exhibits van Hove singularities (VHS) at doping x=+- 1/8 away from the Dirac point. Near the VHS, interactions effects, enhanced due to the large density of states, can give rise to various many-body phases at experimentally accessible temperatures. We study the competition between different many-body instabilities in graphene using functional renormalization group (FRG). We predict a rich phase diagram, which, depending on long range hopping as well as screening strength and absolute scale of the Coulomb interaction, contains a d+id-wave superconducting (SC) phase, or a spin density wave phase at the VHS. The d+id state is expected to exhibit quantized charge and spin Hall response, as well as Majorana modes bound to vortices. In the vicinity of the VHS, we find singlet d+id-wave as well as triplet f-wave SC phases.Comment: 4.5 pages, 4 figure

Control of Initiation, Rate, and Routing of Spontaneous Capillary-Driven Flow of Liquid Droplets through Microfluidic Channels on SlipChip

This Article describes the use of capillary pressure to initiate and control the rate of spontaneous liquid–liquid flow through microfluidic channels. In contrast to flow driven by external pressure, flow driven by capillary pressure is dominated by interfacial phenomena and is exquisitely sensitive to the chemical composition and geometry of the fluids and channels. A stepwise change in capillary force was initiated on a hydrophobic SlipChip by slipping a shallow channel containing an aqueous droplet into contact with a slightly deeper channel filled with immiscible oil. This action induced spontaneous flow of the droplet into the deeper channel. A model predicting the rate of spontaneous flow was developed on the basis of the balance of net capillary force with viscous flow resistance, using as inputs the liquid–liquid surface tension, the advancing and receding contact angles at the three-phase aqueous–oil–surface contact line, and the geometry of the devices. The impact of contact angle hysteresis, the presence or absence of a lubricating oil layer, and adsorption of surface-active compounds at liquid–liquid or liquid–solid interfaces were quantified. Two regimes of flow spanning a 104-fold range of flow rates were obtained and modeled quantitatively, with faster (mm/s) flow obtained when oil could escape through connected channels as it was displaced by flowing aqueous solution, and slower (micrometer/s) flow obtained when oil escape was mostly restricted to a micrometer-scale gap between the plates of the SlipChip (“dead-end flow”). Rupture of the lubricating oil layer (reminiscent of a Cassie–Wenzel transition) was proposed as a cause of discrepancy between the model and the experiment. Both dilute salt solutions and complex biological solutions such as human blood plasma could be flowed using this approach. We anticipate that flow driven by capillary pressure will be useful for the design and operation of flow in microfluidic applications that do not require external power, valves, or pumps, including on SlipChip and other droplet- or plug-based microfluidic devices. In addition, this approach may be used as a sensitive method of evaluating interfacial tension, contact angles, and wetting phenomena on chip

Selling wellness : the cultural politics of holistic health in the U.S.

Abstract from short.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Srirupa Prasad.Includes vita.Currently, holistic health and lifestyle medicine are growing sectors of the U.S. health care market (Fadlon 2005). The term "holistic" entered the U.S. medical discourse in the 1970s and refers to the treatment of the whole person as opposed to the biomedical treatment of the medical condition itself (Whorton 2002). The aim of this research is to examine various representations of the practice of holistic health and wellness through the perspectives and experiences of holistic health practitioners and locates these representations within neoliberal, gender, and class discourses. Over the last eighteen months I conducted interviews with holistic health practitioners and field work at professional health conferences, a wellness retreat, and various community health education events. I found holistic health practitioners represent a wellness-centered lifestyle health as a privileged social status, however practitioners continue frame holistic health and wellness as a possibility for all on individual health choices ignoring the significance of class position. I argue that holistic health and wellness care offers a distinct orientation to health through the emphasis on lifestyle and the expansion of what behaviors and elements of life are related to health. Furthermore, holistic health and wellness are made visible through celebrity and popular culture. Celebrities promote wellness as an aspirational consumer lifestyle, which requires economic means and privilege to achieve. Finally, I argue these representations of holistic health and wellness also rely on notions of femininity and masculinity. Holistic health practitioners engage gender frameworks within holistic health interactions and wellness consumption is also represented as a material means to enact gender identities.Includes bibliographical references (pages 94-99)