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Abstract Objective: The aim of this investigation was to compare the healing of laser-irradiated and non-irradiated wounds covered by an occlusive dressing in mice. Background data: Many previous studies of the effects of laser irradiation of experimental wounds in mice and rats did not cover the wounds so that healing occurred mainly by contraction. Healing of covered wounds is slower and mimics more closely wound healing in humans. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven diabetic and twenty non-diabetic mice were used. A single wound (5?mm diameter) was created on the left flank of each animal and covered by Tegaderm HP dressing (Day 1). Wounds were irradiated (660?nm) for 20?s using a lower power (18?mW) or higher power (80?mW) laser starting immediately post-wounding for seven consecutive d...

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The incidence of candidiasis in two groups of voluntary participants wearing tight and loose fitted dresses was investigated by both microscopic and cultural techniques for a period of two months....Full Text Available

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Wound dressings impregnated with silver have a role to play in aiding to reduce both the dressing and wound microbial bioburden. It is therefore imperative that antimicrobial wound dressings have efficacy on a broad range of clinical significant microorganisms. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of a silver alginate dressing against 115 wound isolates that had been isolated routinely from patients at West Virginia University Hospital. Standardised corrected zones of inhibition (CZOIs) were performed on all clinical isolates. It was found that the silver alginate dressing was able to inhibit the growth of all microorganisms tested. In particular, the silver alginate dressing inhibited the growth of Candida albicans and yeasts with CZOI of 3-115 mm. All met...

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The aim of this study was to observe both the clinical signs and symptoms of wounds at risk of infection, that is critically colonised (biofilm infected) and antimicrobial-performance of an ionic silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose (SACMC) dressing, in comparison with a non silver calcium alginate fibre (AF) dressing, on chronic venous leg and pressure ulcers. Thirty-six patients with venous or pressure ulcers, considered clinically to be critically colonised (biofilm infected), were randomly chosen to receive either an SACMC dressing or a non silver calcium AF dressing. The efficacy of each wound dressing was evaluated over a 4-week period. The primary study endpoints were prevention of infection and progression to wound healing. The SACMC group showed a statistically significant (P = 0.017) improvement to healing as indicated by a reduction in the surface area of the wound, ...

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No abstract prepared.

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AbstractThree biologic dressings [split-thickness allogeneic skin (STS)], allogeneic peritoneum (P), and xenogenic porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS)] were...Full Text Available

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The main objective of Phase I of this SBIR project was to demonstrate the feasibility for successful development of an antimicrobial wound dressing based on a hydrogel sustained release matrix. This goal has been achieved. In vitro studies of drug diffusi...

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Abstract Silver-impregnated wound dressings continue to be routinely used for the management of infected wounds, or wounds that are at risk of becoming infected. The ability of antimicrobials that have been incorporated into wound dressings to kill microorganisms within the dressing requires appropriate evaluation using in vitro models. In vitro models that have been exploited for this purpose have included the corrected zone of inhibition and the log reduction assay. However, these and other related culturable-based assays are purported to have poor correlation with the overall microbicidal barrier activity of an antimicrobial wound dressing. This is because culturable-based methods only retrospectively indicate bacterial cell death and do not take into account viable but nonculturable st...

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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of fetal tracheal occlusion on sodium and chloride concentrations in amniotic and tracheal fluid. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Intrauterine tracheal occlusion has been...Full Text Available

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ObjectiveCompare occlusal contacts calculated from 3D virtual models created from clinical records to contacts identified clinically using shimstock and transillumination.Full Text Available

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PMID:9226309

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There is a plethora of new silver-containing dressings on the market today. Various manufacturers attempt to show that their dressings are the most efficacious and therefore should be preferentially employed by health care workers based on the results of their in vitro tests. However, there have been no studies that clearly identify which tests are appropriate for comparison purposes. The purpose of this study was to determine which in vitro test is most appropriate for evaluating the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-containing dressings. This was done by testing seven silver-containing dressings and two non-silver-containing topical agents against 17 clinically relevant microorganisms using zone of inhibition assays and time-kill kinetic assays in complex media. The results for the two assays were then correlated to determine whether the methods generated similar results. It was determined that the two ...

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Greenman J, Thorn RMS, Saad S, Austin AJ. In vitro diffusion bed, 3-day repeat challenge `capacity' test for antimicrobial wound dressings. Int Wound J 2006;3:322-329. Abstract The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro wound infection model that allows the comparison of the bacterial kill rate of antimicrobial wound dressings over the course of 3 days, with renewed microbial challenges each day, under realistic wound-like conditions. A test bed model of a moderately exuding wound was constructed from a hydrogel containing releasable foetal calf serum (FCS), and cellulose discs dosed with test microbes (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) suspended in 50% FCS applied at the interface between the test dressing and the hydrogel test bed. Freshly prep...

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A decontamination washer for working dresses using liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide were designed and manufactured. The size of reactor for decontamination and solidification is about 16 liter. The system is a closed one with recycling ability of carbon dioxide. The efficiency of recycling of carbon dioxide and that of separation of solutes in carbon dioxide were checked. They met all the design goals. A remote control system of the carbon dioxide flow was set in a control panel. The manufactured decontamination washer was brought to Wolsung nuclear power plants, and installed to check the efficiency of decontamination and the feasibility of usage in nuclear power plants. The elimination of radioactive oil from the contaminated dresses were very high. However, the decontamination factor was lower than the design goal value. It's due to the low removal rate of radioactive particles attached on the dresses.

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Eliminating anterior tooth contact is paramount when treating combination syndrome. It is possible to do so through the use of linear occlusion with a non-interceptive arrangement and the bilateral fulcrum of protrusive stability. The presence of mandibular anterior teeth often complicates this procedure. When establishing the horizontal plane of occlusion, clinical circumstances often necessitate modifications; nevertheless, certain principles must be incorporated into the design of the prostheses. Clinical circumstances may dictate altering the approach but these principles must be maintained to eliminate anterior hyperfunction. PMID:15055634

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Two patients who developed large intracranial vessel occlusion after standard radiation therapy for brain tumor are described. This form of vascular occlusion is usually seen in patients who have previously been treated by radiotherapy for intracranial tumor who then develop a relatively acute change in neurologic status. Histology of the lesion mimics accelerated focal arteriosclerosis. The clinical and radiographic manifestations of one case were highly atypical. The vasculopathy became evident shortly after termination of radiation therapy for a fourth ventricular ependymoma, and the angiographic picture stimulated a diffuse arteritis. The second patient was more typical, with clinical symptoms developing 12 years after radiation therapy for an oligodendroglioma. Occlusion of a proximal vessel that had been included in the radiation port was demonstrated radiographically and confirmed by pathologic examination. The ...

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We show how the formulation of the matrix models as conformal field theories on a Riemann surfaces can be used to compute the genus expansion of the observables. Here we consider the simplest example of the Hermitian matrix model, where the classical solution is described by a hyperelliptic Riemann surface. To each branch point of the Riemann surface we associate an operator which represents a twist field dressed by the modes of the twisted boson. The partition function of the matrix model is computed as a correlation function of such dressed twist fields. The perturbative construction of the dressing operators yields a set of Feynman rules for the genus expansion, which involve vertices, propagators and tadpoles. The vertices are universal, the propagators and the tadpoles depend on the Riemann surface. As a demonstration we evaluate the genus-two free energy using the Feynman rules.

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We report a patient who developed occlusion of the intracranial major arteries induced by radiation therapy for craniopharyngioma. The patient, a 9-year-old boy, presented with deterioration of vision, nausea and vomiting. He underwent a right ventriculo-peritoneal shunt operation, and the tumor was partially removed. Postoperatively, he received focal radiation therapy with total of 60 Gy. Preoperative cerebral angiography, cerebral vessels had no sigh of occlusive lesion or stenosis. One year after irradiation, he started to have repeated cerebral ischemic attacks. But no regrowth of the tumor was detected on CT scans. Two years and 8 months after irradiation, he suddenly had right hemiparesis. Cerebral angiography revealed severe stenosis of the right anterior cerebral artery (precommunicating segment), middle cerebral artery (horizontal portion) and terminal portion of the right carotid artery. Left carotid angiography showed complete ...

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Accessory cusp present on the occlusal surface may seldom pose problems. While its presence may not be a cause for alarm in most instances, it can sometimes lead to serious consequences if it is damaged....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The management of the interim phase of a complete oral rehabilitation in patients with severely worn dentition is often challenging due to the loss of occlusal vertical dimension, loss of tooth structure,...Full Text Available

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Compliance mismatch is a significant challenge to long-term patency in small-diameter bypass grafts because it causes intimal hyperplasia and ultimately graft occlusion. Current engineered grafts...Full Text Available

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English Mar 1998 p. 278 France Omura, M. Aida, N. Sekido, K. Kakehi,

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Endovascular surgery is a new multidisciplinary field that applies the recently innovated techniques of angioscopy, intraluminal ultrasound, balloon angioplasty, laser, mechanical atherectomy, and stents....Full Text Available

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To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent insertion in central venous steno-occlusion. Between August 1992 and January 1998, 11 patients with symptomatic central venous steno-occlusion (six stenoses and five occlusions) underwent pereutaneous treatment. Eleven PTAs were performed and stents were introduced in two patients because of incomplete PTA. During follow-up, a total of eight revisions were performed in five patients with recurrence (six stenoses and two occlusions). Success and long term patency rates were evaluated. The length and degree of the lesion and degree of residual stenosis, as well as pressure gradient through the lesion and decrease of the gradient after PTA, were correlated with patency rates. Complications during the procedures and follow-up period were evaluated. The overall success rate was 89.5%;those of primary and revision intervention ...

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Biological wound dressings sterilized with gamma radiation, such as amnion and pig skin, are a reality in Mexico. These tissues are currently processed in the tissue bank and sterilized in the Gamma Industrial Irradiation Plant; both facilities belong to the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) (National Institute of Nuclear Research). With the strong support of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the bank was established at the ININ and the Mexican Ministry of Health issued its sanitary license on July 7, 1999. The Quality Management System of the bank was certified by ISO 9001:2000 on August 1, 2003; the scope of the system is 'Research, Development and Processing of Biological Tissues Sterilized with Gamma Radiation'. At present, more than 150 patients from 16 hospitals have been successfully treated with these tissues. This paper presents a brief description of the tissue processing, as well as the present Mexican clinical experience with ...

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Many alternative therapies are used as first aid treatment for burns, despite limited evidence supporting their use. In this study, Aloe vera, saliva and a tea tree oil impregnated dressing (Burnaid) were applied as first aid to a porcine deep dermal contact burn, compared to a control of nothing. After burn creation, the treatments were applied for 20 min and the wounds observed at weekly dressing changes for 6 weeks. Results showed that the alternative treatments did significantly decrease subdermal temperature within the skin during the treatment period. However, they did not decrease the microflora or improve re-epithelialisation, scar strength, scar depth or cosmetic appearance of the scar and cannot be recommended for the first aid treatment of partial thickness burns. PMID:18603378

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The whole equipment consists of three separate portable parts: a detector case, a microprocessor and a graphic TV monitor. Magnetic tape memory and an x-y recorder can be connected for recording the measured spectra. The analyzer contains two built-in exchangeable excitation radionuclides. Fluorescence and scattered radiation is detected using a proportional detector. The detected pulses are analyzed by a 256-channel analyzer and the results are shown on the display. The device may be used in mining laboratories, coal and ore dressing plant control rooms or in mining fields of open cast mines for quick detection of the quality of mined or dressed raw materials. (E.S.). 1 fig.

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New nanofibers containing poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-iodine complex (PVP-iodine) were obtained by electrospinning in order to prepare materials suitable for wound dressings. Different approaches were used: a one-step method based on electrospinning of PVP-iodine or poly(ethylene oxide)/PVP-iodine solutions and a three-step method based on electrospinning of PVP or poly(ethylene oxide)/PVP mixed solutions followed by photo-mediated crosslinking of the obtained nanofibers and subsequent complexation with iodine. The average diameters of the fibers were in the range 150-470nm depending on the composition and on the applied field strength (AFS) and increased with increasing the amount of PEO in the spinning solutions. Higher AFS resulted in greater fiber diameter and in size distribution broadeni...

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The action of the Virasoro algebra on integrable hierarchies of non-linear equations and on related objects ('Schroedinger' differential operators) is investigated. The method consists in pushing forward the Virasoro action to the wave function of a hierarchy, and then reconstructing its action on the dressing and Lax operators. This formulation allows one to observe a number of suggestive similarities between the structures involved in the description of the Virasoro algebra on the hierarchies and the structure of conformal field theory on the world-sheet. This includes, in particular, an 'off-shell' hierarchy version of operator products and of the Cauchy kernel. In relation to matrix models, which have been observed to be effectively described by integrable hierarchies subjected to Virasoro constraints, I propose to define general Virasoro-constrained hierarchies also in terms of dressing operators, by certain equations which carry the ...

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This issue of Exploratorium Magazine focuses on Antarctica. Antarctica has one of the most extreme climates in the world with an untouched environment inviting researchers with great opportunities for study. This issue describes the journey of four Exploratorium staff members to frozen Antarctica. Chapters include: (1) "Life at the Bottom of the World"; (2) "Try This! Dress the Scientist"; (3) "South Pole Astronomy"; and (4) "Ground Truth." (YDS)

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Background This study compares the expected 5-year costs for permanent sterilization in women between nonincisional hysteroscopic tubal occlusion with the Essure? system performed in an office setting and laparoscopic bilateral tubal ligation (LBTL). Study Design An economic decision tree is used to predict outcomes and costs to compare these two procedures from a US Medicaid perspective over a 5-year time horizon. Results Expected costs are $2367 for Essure? and $3545 for LBTL (Essure? saves $1178 or 33% of LBTL costs). Sensitivity analyses show Essure? has lower expected costs across all values considered. If the cost for a LBTL procedure were to decrease by 20% and the cost for Essure? to increase by 20%, Essure? would have still have lower expected costs. Conclusion Office-based steril...

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Angiography plays a vital role in the investigation of the patient suffering from multiple trauma. The commonest injuries have been rupture of the thoracic aorta, renal lacerations, arterial bleeding associated with fractures and soft-tissue injuries to the pelvis, and occlusions of the arteries supplying the limbs. Transcatheter arterial embolization may be the definitive therapeutic procedure in pelvic bleeding.

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Abstract: We tested the effects on the early-stage wound healing of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanofiber matrices cultured with hair follicular cells. PHBV only, PHBV/collagen, and PHBV/gelatin at a 7/3 weight ratio were produced by electrospinning, and their in vitro cell culture and in vivo wound healing as biological dressings were examined. In cell attachment and growth on matrices, dermal sheath (DS) cells attached to hydrophilic PHBV/collagen and PHBV/gelatin faster than hydrophobic PHBV at the early incubation stage (up to 6 h). From 6- to 24-h incubation, PHBV/collagen showed the best results in cell culture. Furthermore, PHBV/collagen cocultured for 3-5 days with DS and epithelial outer root sheath (ORS) cells expressed more extracellular materials, such a...

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The subband structure and optical properties of a cylindrical quantum well wire under intense non-resonant laser field are investigated by taking into account the correct dressing effect for the confinement potential. The energy levels and wave functions are calculated within the effective mass- approximation using a finite element method. It is found that the absorption coefficient and the saturation intensity are strongly affected by the laser amplitude and frequency as well as by the incident light polarization. As a key result, a large anisotropy in the linear and nonlinear optical absorptions for very intense laser field is predicted. These effects can be useful for the design of polarization sensitive devices.

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Infrainguinal peripheral occlusive disease is increasingly being treated by endovascular techniques. Bare metal stainless steel, self-expanding nitinol stents, drug-eluting and covered stents (stent grafts) are becoming increasingly more important adjuncts to percutaneous translumninal angioplasty in the treatment of peripheral artery disease. In this article the available evidence supporting the use of stents in the femoropopliteal and tibial arteries will be described as well as their limitations. Future stent developments will also be discussed. (orig.) [German] Die endovaskulaere Therapie spielt bei der Therapie der peripheren arteriellen Verschlusskrankheit (PAVK) eine wichtige Rolle. Unbeschichtete ballonexpandierbare Stahlstents, selbstexpandierende Nitinolstents sowie medikamentenbeschichtete und ''covered stents'' (Stentgrafts) haben eine zunehmende Bedeutung als Zusatztherapie zusammen mit der primaeren ...

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Today, the use of the arch bars in the treatment of mandibular fractures is common [1]. But it has complications such as damaged teeth, periodontal tissue [2], risk of blood transmitted disease [3] and premature contact with maxillary incisor teeth in anterior deep bite occlusion. Many techniques are used for resolving these problems. In this paper, we describe the technique of using Maxillo-Mandibular Fixation Screws (MMFS) with essig wiring of anterior mandibular teeth in the management of symphyseal fracture of deep bite patients.

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Self-expanding metallic stent insertion has been widely applied for the palliative treatment of malignant esophageal strictures. Although it is known as an easy, safe, and effective procedure, complications are well known and include things such as stent migration and esophageal stent occlusion caused by tumor in growth. However, metallic stent fractures have been rarely reported in the esophagus, especially for nitinol stents. We report a case of a stent fracture associated with migration in a patient with a malignant esophageal stricture near the gastroesophageal junction. It is highly probable that the stent fracture was due to chemical erosion of the stent caused by gastric juice

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We report the results of a prospective clinical study using a new self-expanding nitinol stent (Enterprise) designed for the treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. We treated 31 saccular, wide-necked intracranial aneurysms in 30 patients. Ten aneurysms had recanalized after prior endovascular treatment without a stent, and 21 aneurysms had not been treated before. Stent deployment was successful in all procedures. Additional coil embolization was performed in all aneurysms. Initial complete angiographic occlusion was achieved in 6 aneurysms, a neck remnant was left in 18 aneurysms and there were 7 residual aneurysms. Angiographic follow-up examinations of 30 lesions after 6 months demonstrated 15 complete occlusions, 8 neck remnants and 7 residual aneurysms. One patient refused the 6-month angiographic follow-up. Spontaneous occlusion of the aneurysm had occurred in 14 patients, and 6 aneurysms showed ...

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Background: Ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain after SMAS-based facelift surgery are all the direct result of the physical trauma of surgery and subsequent inflammatory response. Hilotherapy is a novel form of cryotherapy that purports to minimise these events through single-use face masks circulating cooled, sterile water. This study was performed to assess the validity of Hilotherapy in this population of patients. Methods: Over 14 weeks fifty consecutive patients were randomised to post-operative facial cooling with Hilotherapy or management with standard dressings alone, while fifteen subsequent, consecutive patients were randomised to cooling of one side of the face but not the other. Assessment of ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain was performed independently by clinical staf...

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Abstract Aims: To develop an in vitro flat-bed perfusion biofilm model that could be used to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of topically applied treatments. Methods and Results: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms were grown within continuously perfused cellulose matrices. Enumeration of the biofilm density and eluate was performed at various sampling times, enabling determination of the biofilm growth rate. Two antimicrobial wound dressings were applied to the surface of mature biofilms and periodically sampled. To enable real-time imaging of biofilm growth and potential antimicrobial kinetics, a bioluminescent Ps. aeruginosa biofilm was monitored using low-light photometry. Target species produced reproducible steady-state biofilms at a density of c. 107 per b...

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Penile rehabilitation therapy following radical prostatectomy is a much debated topic. Erectile dysfunction is still a significant contributor to postoperative morbidity following radical prostatectomy, despite meticulous nerve-sparing technique. Secondary smooth muscle changes in the penis have been identified as the underlying causes of penile atrophy, veno-occlusive dysfunction, and fibrosis. Initial observations that intracavernous injection therapies used on a regular basis postoperatively resulted in improvements in the return of spontaneous erectile function led to the development of penile rehabilitation protocols. Chronic dosing of PDE-V inhibitors is now commonly used by urologists after radical prostatectomy. Despite the current enthusiasm of penile rehabilitation therapy, current scientific evidence with clinical trials is still limited. PMID:19255627

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Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro behaviour of all-ceramic zirconia molar crowns in regard to different core designs and marginal fit. Methods: Identically shaped methacrylate molars were prepared according to the ceramic restoration directives resulting in a 1-mm deep circular shoulder preparation. They were embedded in polymethylmethacrylate resin after covering their roots with a polyether layer to simulate periodontal mobility. The crown cores were made of yttria-stabilized zirconia veneered with a corresponding veneering ceramic. The crowns were divided into 5 groups (n=8) which differed in core design and cement gap thickness: #1: simple core, 40mm cement; #2: core with minimal occlusal support, 40mm cement; #3: core with optimized cusp support, 40mm ceme...

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MRT is able to demonstrate arteries while MR angiography can quantify blood flow by a non-invasive method. In the present paper blood flow measurements were carried out in four selected cases on the basis of phase mapping. In 3 patients with lesions in the pelvis or thigh, angiography was performed in order to localise the stenosis or occlusion and this was followed by qantitative blood flow measurements. The results showed that angiography may not always provide all necessary information concerning a haemodynamically significant stenosis. The method may also be used for quantifying blood flow in the renal arteries and that it has significant advantages over the colour Doppler method. (orig.).

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On 10 dialysis patients we performed 12 balloon dilatations, 2 catheter lyses, 6 stent implants (Palmaz stent) and one atherectomy of central venous stenoses or occlusions (v. subclavia, v. brachiocephalica) at the shunt arm of the patient. The primary success rate was, in balloon PTA and lysis, 12/14 interventions, and in stent placement and atherectomy 7/7. The angiographical and clinical primary result after stent implantation was significantly better than after conventional dilatation. After 66% of the balloon dilatations recidivation occurred within the first year; this can be treated by means of repeated PTA. Whether long-term exclusion of recurrence can be achieved by stent implantation, must be established by means of follow-up studies that are at present in progress. (orig.).

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The endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic intracranial arterial stenoses has previously been based on balloon dilatation or the deployment of a balloon expandable stent. Both methods have advantages (balloon: flexibility; balloon expandable stent: high radial force) and drawbacks (balloon: risk of elastic recoil and dissection; balloon expandable stent: limited flexibility, risk of injury to the vessel due to excessive straightening, overexpansion at ends of stent). A new combination of balloon dilatation, followed by the deployment of a self-expanding microstent has been applied in 15 patients with atherosclerotic arterial stenoses, symptomatic despite medical treatment. An anatomically and clinically adequate result was achieved in all patients. The initial degree of stenosis was 72% (mean). Balloon dilatation resulted in an average residual stenosis of 54% (mean), reduced further to a mean of 38% after stent deployment. Arterial dissection, occlusion of the ...

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The aim of this study was to determine sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for the assessment of durable occlusion of intracranial aneurysms with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDC) and to point out the influence of MRA results in re-intervention strategies. Forty-five patients with 54 aneurysms that were previously treated by endovascular occlusion with GDC were selected for this study. All patients underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and MRA examinations on the same day. The time-of-flight MRA studies were performed on a 1-T scanner. The MRA images were first read by radiologists who were not aware of the DSA results. In a second consensus reading by the neuroradiologists who had performed all interventional procedures of this series, the decision was made as to whether re-treatment was necessary. The distribution of aneurysm sizes, configurations and treatment results were sufficient for an unbiased ...

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Interaction of the internal states of an atom with spatially dependent standing-wave cavity field can impart position information of the atom passing through it leading to subwavelength atom localization. We recently demonstrated a different regime of atom localization [Phys. Rev. A 72, 013820 (2005)], namely sub-half-wavelength localization through phase control of electromagnetically induced transparency. This regime corresponds to extreme localization of atoms within a chosen half-wavelength region of the standing-wave cavity field. Here we present further investigation of the simplified model considered earlier and show interesting features of the proposal. We show how the model can be used to simulate a variety of energy-level schemes. Furthermore, the dressed-state analysis is employed to explain the emergence and suppression of the localization peaks, and the peak positions and widths. The range of parameters for obtaining clean sub-half-wavelength ...

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We investigate the features of the spontaneous emission spectra in a coherently driven cold five-level atomic system by means of a radio frequency (rf) or microwave field driving a hyperfine transition within the ground state. It is shown that a few interesting phenomena such as spectral-line narrowing, spectral-line enhancement, spectral-line suppression, and spontaneous emission quenching can be realized by modulating the frequency and intensity of the rf-driving field in our system. In the dressed-state picture of the coupling and rf-driving fields, we find that this coherently driven atomic system has three close-lying levels so that multiple spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) arises. Our considered atomic model can be found in real atoms, such as rubidium or sodium, so a corresponding experiment can be done to observe the expected phenomena related to SGC reported by Fountoulakis et al. [Phys. Rev. A 73, 033811 (2006)], since no rigorous conditions are ...

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Aim: To systematically review the currently available high quality evidence evaluating treatments for moist desquamation in radiotherapy patients. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Electronic databases, websites, reference lists, key journals and conference proceedings were searched. Attempts were also made to uncover unpublished material. Relevant studies proceeded to data extraction and quality assessment. Results: Twenty studies were found; 10 were eligible for inclusion. Although many studies were small, none had unacceptably poor quality. No meta-analysis was undertaken as the studies were not homogenous in their interventions or methods. No convincing evidence for any intervention was found. Conclusion: Despite being recommended by many guidelines (College of Radiographers Summary of Intervention for Acute Radiotherapy Induced Skin Reactions in Cancer Patients (London, 2001); NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Best Practice Statement: Skincare of Patients Receiving ...

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the medium to long freezing range alloys of aluminum such as A356, A357, A206, 319 for example are known to exhibit dispersed porosity, which is recognized as a factor affecting ductility, fracture toughness, and fatigue resistance of light alloy castings. The local thermal environment, for example, temperature gradient and freezing from velocity, affect the mode of solidification which, along with alloy composition, heat treatment, oxide film occlusion, hydrogen content, and the extent to which the alloy contracts on solidification, combine to exert strong effects on the porosity formation in such alloys. In addition to such factors, the availability of liquid metal and its ability to flow through the partially solidified casting, which will be affect by the pressure in the liquid metal, must also be considered. The supply of molten metal will thus be controlled by the volume of the riser available for feeding the particular casting location, its solidification ...

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Abstract in english We hypothesized that chronic oral administration of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil could improve the exercise capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on the basis of previous short-term studies. We tested this hypothesis in 14 subjects with PAH, including seven patients with the idiopathic form and seven patients with atrial septal defects, but no other congenital heart abnormalities. Patients were subjected (more) to a 6-min walk test and dyspnea was graded according to the Borg scale. Pulmonary flow and pressures were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Patients were given sildenafil, 75 mg orally three times a day, and followed up for 1 year. Sildenafil therapy resulted in the following changes: increase in the 6-min walk distance from a median value of 387 m (range 0 to 484 m) to 462 m (range 408 to 588 m; P

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Penile rehabilitation has been an area of intense study and debate over the last decade. Interest in this topic was stimulated by the observation that erectile dysfunction remained a significant problem after radical prostatectomy despite meticulous nerve-sparing technique. Smooth muscle alterations and fibrotic changes in the penis were identified as the underlying causes of penile atrophy, veno-occlusive dysfunction, and Peyronie's-like changes that were observed after surgery. Initial observations that intracavernous injection therapies used on a regular basis postoperatively resulted in improvements in the return of spontaneous erectile function led to the development of penile rehabilitation protocols. Chronic dosing of oral type V phosphodiesterase inhibitors is now commonly used by urologists after radical prostatectomy despite a lack of convincing evidence from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Use of local therapies to heal the penis may have ...

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Endoluminal vascular prostheses that can be implanted by percutaneous routes represent the most recent development in vascular interventional radiology. Various commercially available types of prosthesis are presented and the construction principles and applications are described. At present secure indications for the implantation of endoluminal prostheses are limited to the elimination of aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulae of the large vessels near the trunk in sections that do not cross a joint. The wide use in peripheral occlusive diseases cannot yet be recommended because confirmed data are not available. (orig.) [German] Endoluminale Gefaessprothesen, die perkutan implantierbar sind, stellen die juengste Entwicklung in der vaskulaeren interventionellen Radiologie dar. Verschiedene kommerziell erhaeltliche Prothesentypen werden vorgestellt, ihr Konstruktionsprinzip und ihre Applikation erlaeutert. Die gesicherten Indikationen zur endoluminalen ...

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Objective: To investigate the value of MRI in the diagnosis of hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: Sixty-four patients with hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinomas confirmed by surgery or pathology underwent MRI using a 1.5-T superconductive MR system including conventional unenhanced MRI, MRCP and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with Gd-DTPA. Results: Dilatation of the intrahepatic biliary tree with narrowing, occlusion or filling defects in the hepatic hilar bile ducts was noted in all 64 cases. Unenhanced MR[ showed T_1- and T_2-hyperintense hilar masses in 42 patients and was normal in the remaining 22 patients. The hilar masses demonstrated slow, progressive and delayed enhancement patterns. There was enhancement of the thickened bile duct wall with luminal narrowing in the 22 patients without hilar masses. Conclusion: The characteristic MRI findings of enhancing hepatic hilar mass and bile duct wall thickening together with MRCP are valuable for diagnosing ...

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The purpose was to compare the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in prosthetic valve disorders using the operative findings as a gold standard. In a 3-year period, we prospectively enrolled 25 patients with 31 prosthetic heart valves. MDCT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were done to evaluate pannus formation, prosthetic valve dysfunction, suture loosening (paravalvular leak) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patients indicated for surgery received an operation within 1 week. The MDCT findings were compared with the operative findings. One patient with a Bjoerk-Shiley valve could not be evaluated by MDCT due to a severe beam-hardening artifact; thus, the exclusion rate for MDCT was 3.2% (1/31). Prosthetic valve disorders were suspected in 12 patients by either MDCT or TTE. Six patients received an operation that included three redo aortic valve replacements, two redo mitral replacements and one Amplatzer ductal occluder occlusion of a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to investigate the systematics of the loop expansion in high temperature gauge theories beyond the leading order hard thermal loop (HTL) approximation, we calculate the two-loop electron proper self-energy #SIGMA# in high temperature QED. The two-loop bubble diagram of #SIGMA# contains a linear infrared divergence. Even if regulated with a nonzero photon mass M of order of the Debye mass, this infrared sensitivity implies that the two-loop self-energy contributes terms to the fermion dispersion relation that are comparable to or even larger than the next-to-leading order (NLO) contributions of the one-loop #SIGMA#. Additional evidence for the necessity of a systematic restructuring of the loop expansion comes from the explicit gauge-parameter dependence of the fermion damping rate at both one and two loops. The leading terms in the high temperature expansion of the two-loop self-energy for all topologies arise from an explicit hard-soft factorization pattern, in which one of ...

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Repeated exposure to cold air reduces the metabolic response to cold air exposure in man. The purpose of this investigation was to measure the change in resting metabolic rate (RMR) with exposure to 22C air and 4C air during a 12 day period. Four women sat in 22C air for 45 min followed by 45 min in 4C air each day for ten days. The authors measured RMR during a 45 min period in 22C air followed by 45 min in 4C air on four days. All subjects began their morning exposures on a Monday within 2 days of the onset of menses completing the study on a Friday, 12 days later. Subjects dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and cotton socks. During 45 min of exposure to warm air, RMR remained steady at 10% of VO{sub 2peak} on Day 1 and 10% on Day 5. RMR during exposure to warm air significantly increased to 13% of VO{sub 2peak} on Day 8 and remained elevated at 13% on Day 12. During exposure to cold air RMR peaked at 31% of CO{sub 2peak} by the 5th min on Day 1. Peak RMR on Day 5 was ...

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We wanted to determine the technical and clinical efficacy of using a PTFE-covered self-expandable nitinol stent for the palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction. Thirty-seven patients with common bile duct strictures caused by malignant disease were treated by placing a total of 37 nitinol PTFE stents. These stents were covered with PTFE with the exception of the last 5 mm at each end; the stent had an unconstrained diameter of 10 mm and a total length of 50 80 mm. The patient survival rate and stent patency rate were calculated by performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The bilirubin, serum amylase and lipase levels before and after stent placement were measured and then compared using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The average follow-up duration was 27.9 weeks (range: 2 81 weeks). Placement was successful in all cases. Seventy-six percent of the patients (28/37) experienced adequate palliative drainage for the remainder of their lives. There were no immediate ...

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We wanted to evaluate the status of self-expandable nitinol stents implanted in the P2 and P3 segments of the popliteal artery in Korean patients. We retrospectively analyzed 189 consecutive patients who underwent endovascular treatment for steno occlusive lesions in the femoropopliteal artery from July 2003 to March 2009, and 18 patients who underwent stent placement in popliteal arterial P2 and P3 segments were finally enrolled. Lesion patency was evaluated by ultrasound or CT angiography, and stent fracture was assessed by plain X-rays at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and annually thereafter. At the 1-month follow-up, stent fracture (Type 2) was seen in one limb (up to P3, 1 of 18, 6%) and it was identified in seven limbs at the 3-month follow-up (Type 2, Type 3, Type 4) (n = 1: up to P2: n = 6: P3). At the 6-month follow-up, one more fracture (Type 1) (up to P3) was noted. At the 1-year follow-up, there were no additional stent fractures. Just four limbs (up to P2) at ...

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Purpose: To evaluate the initial and mid-term results of a new self-expanding low strut profile nitinol stent for treatment of atherosclerotic lesions stenoses and occlusions in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). Materials and Methods: In 8 patients (4 male, 4 female, mean age 74.8 {+-} 8.8 years) with SFA lesions and non-satisfying results after PTA treatment alone, 10 self-expanding nitinol Xpert stents were deployed via a 4 F sheath. Stent characteristics and handling were graded by the interventionalist. Fontaine classification, duplex flow measurements and ankle brachial index (ABI) at rest and stress were taken prior and one day after stent placement. Patients were followed 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure obtaining the same parameters at each appointment. Results: Initial stent treatment was successful in all patients. Stent handling and positioning were rated very good and safe. All patients improved clinically by at least one Fontaine stage (range ...

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and the optimal conditions of radiofrequency (RF) ablation by using the stent-type electrode upon the saphenous vein of goats for the endovenous treatment of varicose veins. A self-expandable nitinol stent electrode (6 mm diameter, 2 cm length, cell size; 1.3 x 2 mm) was designed to expose the distal 1 cm segment to allow for contact with the venous wall. The proximal part of the electrode was connected to the RF generator by insulated copper wires located within the stent electrode introducer. Initially, to optimize the power setting, ablation of 6 saphenous veins in 3 goats was performed with power settings of 10, 20 and 30 W. Pull back rate of the electrode was 2 and 4 cm/min for each power level, respectively. The goats were sacrificed 4-6 weeks later and histologic examinations of the saphenous veins were done. For the second part of the experiment, RF ablation of 4 saphenous veins from 2 goats was done by applying the ...

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A noninvasive, simplified method using inhalation of stable xenon (Xe{sup s}) and computed tomographic (CT) scanning to estimate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional partition coefficient (r{lambda}) is described. Twenty-four patients with cerebrovascular occlusive disease and six volunteer controls inhaled 30% Xe{sup s} and 70% oxygen for 180 seconds and exhaled for 144 seconds during serial CT scanning without denitrogenation. The end-tidal Xe{sup s} concentration was continuously monitored with a thermoconductivity analyzer to determine the build-up range (A value) and build-up rate constant (K value) for arteries with the curve fitting method. The time-CT number (Hounsfield unit) curve for cerebral tissue during the Xe{sup s} washin and washout phases was used to calculate r{lambda} and rCBF using least squares curve fitting analysis. The resultant r{lambda} and rCBF map demonstrated a reliable distribution between the gray and white matter, and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Regional arterial CO2 tension (PaCO2) reactivity of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the effect of PaCO2 on the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of CBF were investigated by using autoradiographically determined CBF in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model after a 2-h period under pentobarbital anesthesia to clarify the relation between PaCO2 reactivity, CBF heterogeneity, and the temporal cycling of CBF. PaCO2 was adjusted to one of four levels. CBF was determined in four cortical areas and white matter using the tissue fractionation of [14C]iodoantipyrine [( 14C]IAP) in combination with vessel mapping using in vivo 4% thioflavine S. Specific PaCO2 reactivity and CBF were normal in the nonischemic cortex, normal, although slightly depressed, in the border zone far from the ischemic core area, and depressed in the border zone adjacent to the ischemic core area (P less than 0.001) and the ischemic core (P less than 0.001). In normocapnic and hypocapnic ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A study was performed to investigate the size of tongue area and intermaxillary space area, and compare the sexual differences between normal Korean children and adults by introducing planimetric and linear analysis of the lateral cephalograms. The cephalograms were composed of 41 child male aged 10.8, 40 child female aged 10.5, 38 adult male aged 21.3 , and 40 adult female aged 20.8 respectively. In order to study and measure the intermaxillary space area, the following were selected, as reference items: occlusal plane, anterior intermaxillary space height, posterior intermaxillary space height, length of intermaxillary space. Among those reference items anterior intermaxillary space height and posterior intermaxillary space height were perpendicular to the maxillary plane. An index, (Anterior intermaxillary space height + posterior intermaxillary space height )/2 Length of intermaxillary space, was introduced for the calculation of intermaxillary space area. ...

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The aim of the paper is to review the role of interventional radiology in the management of hemodialysis vascular access and complications in renal transplantation. The evaluation of patients with hemodialysis vascular access is complex. It includes the radiology/ultrasound (US) evaluation of the peripheral veins of the upper extremities with venous mapping and the evaluation of the central vein prior to the access placement and radiological detection and treatment of the stenosis and thrombosis in misfunctional dialysis fistulas. Preoperative screening enables the identification of a suitable vessel to create a hemodynamically-sound dialysis fistula. Clinical and radiological detection of the hemodynamically significant stenosis or occlusion demands fistulography and endovascular treatment. Endovascular prophylactic dilatation of stenosis greater than 50% with associated clinical abnormalities such as flow-rate reduction is warranted to prolong access patency. The ...

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Purpose: An animal model is used to investigate whether MR angiography combined with super-paramagnetic particles of iron oxide (SPIO) is suitable for detecting thromboses. Methods: 42 rats in groups of 7 each were examined on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11, respectively, after mechanical/chemical thrombus induction in a 1.5 Tesla magnet with a FISP sequence (TR/TE/FA 50 ms/6 ms/40 ). Imaging was performed before and up to 90 minutes after intravenous injection of 30 {mu}mol FE/kg BW of the experimental SPIO (hydrodynamic diameter, 34{+-}17 nm LLS; R1 and R2 relaxivity at 0.47 T, 31 and 57 L/(mmol*s)). MIP reconstructions of MR angiographies were submitted to consensus assessment by two examiners using histology as the gold standard. Results: The image quality of MIP reconstructions was rated as good in 38 of 42 cases. With regard to thrombotic vessel occlusion, MR angiography coincided with histology in 17 of 42 cases and differed in 25, lumen narrowing being ...