Changing bulking agent may require change in injection volume for endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux

ABSTRACT Introduction: Various bulking agents were utilized for endoscopic correction of VUR. A study reviewing multi-institutional data showed that the amount of injection material has increased over time with the purpose of improving success rates, which also resulted in costs. We noticed an opposite trend in our center since we started using a new bulking agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate evolution of our practice with different bulking agents. Patients and Methods: Records of VUR patients who underwent subureteric injection with polyacrylate polyalcohol copolymer (PPC) and dextronomere hyaluronic acide (DxHA) between 2005 and 2014 were reviewed. Variation of different parameters throughout the study period was evaluated along with the success rate. Success was defined as complete resolution of reflux. Results: A total of 260 patients with 384 refluxing units were included. The success rate was higher in PPC group compared to DxHA group. There was no statistically significant difference between years regarding distribution of VUR grade, body weight, patient height, and age in PPC group. Despite significant reduction in injection volume, success rate did not decrease through the years with PPC. Conclusion: Different bulking agents may require different injection volumes to achieve the same success rate in endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux. Habits gained with previous experience using other materials should be revised while using a new agent.

The efficacy and safety of urethral injection therapy for urinary incontinence in women: a systematic review

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different bulking agents for treating urinary incontinence in women, a systematic review including only randomized controlled trials was performed. The subjects were women with urinary incontinence. The primary outcomes were clinical and urodynamic parameters. The results were presented as a weighted mean difference for non-continuous variables and as relative risk for continuous variables, both with 95% confidence intervals. Initially, 942 studies were identified. However, only fourteen eligible trials fulfilled the prerequisites. Altogether, the review included 1814 patients in trials of eight different types of bulking agents, and all studies were described and analyzed. The measured outcomes were evaluated using a large variety of instruments. The most common complications of the bulking agents were urinary retention and urinary tract infection. Additionally, there were certain major complications, such as one case of death after use of autologous fat. However, the lack of adequate studies, the heterogeneous populations studied, the wide variety of materials used and the lack of long-term follow-up limit guidance of practice. To determine which substance is the most suitable, there is a need for more randomized clinical trials that compare existing bulking agents based on standardized clinical outcomes.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of nano-based films for buccal delivery of zolpidem

Abstract Insomnia is becoming increasingly prevalent in the world general population. Therapies used by patients include over-the-counter therapies, herbal and dietary supplements, and pharmacological or nonpharmacological treatments. Among these, zolpidem is a pharmacological treatment popularly used for insomnia. Zolpidem is well tolerated and especially efficacious for initiation of sleep, and therefore is effective for the treatment of sleep-onset insomnia. The purpose of the present study was to design and evaluate zolpidem nanoparticle-impregnated buccal films to prolong the duration of its action. Zolpidem nanospheres were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation and then loaded into buccoadhesive films (Z1-Z4) comprised of different concentrations of HPMC K100, Eudragit® RL 100, and carbopol 974P. The prepared films were characterized for physicomechanical properties, mucoadhesion, percent hydration, in vitro drug release, ex vivo permeation, and in vivo studies. In vitro drug release was found to depend upon film composition. Ex vivo studies showed that film Z4 had the highest flux. In vivo studies revealed that administration of zolpidem nanosphere-impregnated film enhanced absorption of the drug (p < 0.0001), with a higher peak plasma concentration (52.54 ± 8.22 ng/mL) and area under the curve from time 0 to α (236.00 ± 39.51 ng.h/mL) than oral administration. The increase in time taken to reach the maximum drug concentration (1.5 h) further signifies the potential of these films to provide prolonged drug release. Given these promising results, we concluded that these buccal films could be an alternative route for effective zolpidem delivery.

Avaliação do efeito de tratamentos superficiais sobre a força de adesão de braquetes em provisórios de resina acrílica / Assessment of the effect of different surface treatments on the bond strength of brackets bonded to acrylic resin

OBJETIVO: avaliar a influência do tratamento de superfície de resinas acrílicas na resistência ao cisalhamento de braquetes colados com resina composta. MÉTODOS: foram confeccionados 140 discos de resina acrílica autopolimerizável (Duralay®), divididos aleatoriamente em 14 grupos (n=10). Em cada grupo, os corpos de prova receberam um tipo diferente de tratamento de superfície: grupo 1 = sem tratamento de superfície (controle); grupo 2 = silano; grupo 3 = jato de óxido de alumínio (JOA); grupo 4 = JOA + silano; grupo 5 = broca diamantada; grupo 6 = broca diamantada+ silano; grupo 7 = ácido fluorídrico; grupo 8 = ácido fluorídrico + silano; grupo 9 = ácido fosfórico; grupo 10 = ácido fosfórico + silano; grupo 11 = monômero de metilmetacrilato (MMA); grupo 12 = MMA + silano; grupo 13 = Plastic conditioner (Reliance®); grupo 14 = Plastic conditioner (Reliance®) + silano. Após o preparo de superfície, os corpos de prova foram analizados através da rugosimetria. Posteriormente, foram colados braquetes (Morelli®) de incisivo central "standard edgewise" com resina fotopolimerizável Transbond XT®; de acordo com as instruções do fabricante. RESULTADOS: o agente umectante à base de silano não teve um efeito estatisticamente significativo sobre os valores de força de adesão; os tratamentos com JOA e broca produziram maiores mudanças topográficas na superfície da resina acrílica, bem como os maiores valores de rugosidade; observou-se uma correlação não linear entre a força de adesão e a rugosidade de superfície; tratamentos com monômero e JOA resultaram nas maiores forças de adesão. CONCLUSÕES: o silano não foi capaz de aumentar a força de adesão entre braquete e resina acrílica. Sugere-se mais estudos sobre este tema, pois a força de adesão obtida foi muito baixa.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of the surface treatment of acrylic resins on the shear bond strength of brackets bonded with composite resin. METHODS: Were fabricated 140 discs with autopolymerizing acrylic resin (Duralay™) and divided into 14 groups (n = 10). In each group, the specimens received a different type of surface treatment. Group 1= untreated surface (control), group 2= silane, group 3= aluminum oxide blasting (AOB), group 4= AOB + silane, group 5= diamond bur, group 6= diamond bur + silane, group 7= hydrofluoric acid, group 8= hydrofluoric acid + silane, group 9= phosphoric acid, group 10= phosphoric acid + silane, group 11= methylmethacrylate monomer (MMA), group 12= MMA + silane, group 13= plastic conditioner (Reliance®); group 14= plastic conditioner (Reliance™) + silane. After surface treatment the specimens were analyzed using a surface roughness tester. Subsequently, standard edgewise central incisor brackets (Morelli™) were bonded using Transbond XT™ light-cure adhesive system, according to the manufacturer's instructions. RESULTS: The silane-based wetting agent had no statistically significant effect on bond strength values. Treatments with AOB and bur generated the highest topographical changes on the surface of acrylic resin as well as the highest roughness values. A nonlinear correlation was found between bond strength and surface roughness. Monomer + AOB treatment yielded the highest bond strength values. CONCLUSIONS: Silane failed to increase the bond strength between brackets and acrylic resin. We encourage further studies on this subject since the bond strength achieved in our study was extremely low.

Residual monomer: effect on tensile bond strength of silicone resilient liners / Monômero residual: o efeito na resistência de união de reembasadores resilientes de silicone

Adhesion failure between silicone resilient liner materials and denture base resin is a common problem found in clinical practice. Bond failure results in localized unhygienic conditions at the debonded regions and causes functional failure of the prosthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the tensile bond strength of 2 resilient liners (auto-polymerized silicone - Permafix® and heat-polymerized silicone - Permaflex®) under the influence of a residual monomer methylmethacrylate ([MMA]R) concentration. Two polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimens were prepared by implementing brass dies by means of a 3 mm thick spacer in a denture flask. Specimens (20 X 10 X 3 mm) were made by processing the resilient liners against the polymerized PMMA blocks. After polymerization, the brass spacer was removed from the mold, the PMMAblocks were trimmed, and the bonding surfaces were smoothed. The PMMA blocks were placed back into the molds and resilient liners were packed into the space provided by the brass spacer, followed by trial packing and polymerization according to manufacturer instructions. Twenty specimens...

Falha na união entre reembasadores resilientes de silicone e base acrílica da prótese é um problema encontrado na prática clínica. A falha na união resulta em condições anti-higiênicas localizadas em regiões que apresentam descolamento, além de causar perda de função das próteses. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a resistência de união de 2 reembasadores resilientes de silicone (autopolimerizável - Permafix® and termopolimerizável - Permaflex®) sob a influência da concentração do monômero residual metilmetacrilato ([MMA]R). Duas amostras de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) foram obtidas por meio da inclusão de matrizes metálicas separadas por um espaçador com 3mm de espessura em mufla. As amostras (20 X 10 X 3 mm) foram obtidas processando o material resiliente contra os blocos de PMMA polimerizados. Após a polimerização, removeu-se o espaçador, submeteram-se os blocos ao processo de acabamento, sendo as superfícies de união alisadas. Os blocos foram recolocados no molde e o material resiliente condensado no local...

A comparative assessment of the efficacy of carbomer gel and carboxymethyl cellulose containing artificial tears in dry eyes / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The present study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of a 0.4% carbomer gel and 1% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) containing artificial tears in treatment of dry eye patients. Sixty subjects with mean age of 45.89 years who had symptoms and signs of dry eye were enrolled in this prospective, investigator-masked and stratified random sampling study. The subjects were divided into two parallel groups with 30 subjects (60 eyes) in each group. One group received carbomer gel, and the other group received 1% CMC containing artificial tears. Subjects received the drops 3 to 4 times or more per day for 3 months. At the first visit time, the precorneal residence time of these two drops was measured. The efficacy was assessed by comparing the subjective symptoms (ocular dryness, foreign body sensation, burning sensation and pain), and the objective test results of tears breakup time, Schirmer's test and corneal fluorescein staining prior to the study and after the treatment. As a result, the ocular residence time of carbomer gel was significantly longer than that of 1% CMC (P<0.001). Most of the primary subjective symptoms and objective test results were improved after treatment in both carbomer gel group and 1% CMC group. As to the improvement of each symptom and objective test result, carbomer gel was more effective than 1% CMC group (P<0.01). In conclusion, carbomer gel had longer precorneal residence time and was more effective than 1% CMC in the treatment of patients with dry eyes.