Parental perceptions and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride treatment in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: Dental caries managed through two main approaches: Treatment and prevention; one of the recently preventive measures is silver diamine fluoride (SDF), which proven to be a cost effective, minimally invasive, and handy. SDF also is a treatment that could be chosen for uncooperative patients to stop active caries. SDF has drawbacks, and one of these is staining, which may raise esthetic concerns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, and the collected data were obtained from Saudi volunteers in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaire designed to obtain demographic data from participants and their opinion about the staining was shown in the photographs after using SDF on primary teeth. RESULTS: Of the 222 participants, when we asked their opinion about the staining, we found that the majority reject this type of treatment. In our analyses, there was statistically significant difference in acceptance ratings between male and female with SDF on posterior teeth (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The majority reject this type of treatment. There was a difference in acceptance to the treatment between anterior and posterior teeth. Dentist should provide informed consent form which includes clear photographs showing expected staining, especially when treating anterior teeth.

The role of heparin-binding protein in the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis syndrome in pediatric patients at the Philippine Children's Medical Center

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> The burden of sepsis is global despite measures to improve its prompt recognition. However, there is no single reliable parameter for its early detection. Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is a new and promising biomarker for sepsis. Presently, there are no published reports in children apart from a limited study on UTI.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To evaluate the role of HBP as a diagnostic tool and prognostic marker of sepsis syndrome among pediatric patients.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> This prospective cohort study enrolled pediatric patients who were categorized as SIRS or sepsis syndrome. HBP assay was determined on Day1. Likewise, blood culture was taken. A 7-day observation period using PELOD scoring was done. Final category as SIRS or sepsis syndrome was done on Day7. Statistical analysis was done to know relationship of HBP level to SIRS and sepsis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> 106 patients were included in this study. There was statistical significance in the correlation of HBP assay with presence of growth in blood culture and toxic granulations, length of ventilator support, and development of complications including mortality. The cutoff point was >125ng/mL. Sensitivity and specificity for HBP in sepsis syndrome were 98.31% and 97.87% respectively. Positive predictive value was 98.3%. Negative predictive value was 97.9%. Positive likelihood ratio was 46.2. Negative likelihood ratio was 0.017. Risk ratio was 47.6. Subjects with HBP level of >125 ng/mL had 47.6 times the risk of having sepsis syndrome as compared to those with level</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS</strong>: Elevated HBP level is a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for childhood sepsis syndrome. Determination of HBP levels at different time intervals within a longer observation period may give a more accurate description of subject's clinical improvement or progression to MODS or mortality.</p>

Outbreak of pathogenic Escherichia coli in an outdoor-housed non-human primate colony.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic Escherichia coli has been identified as an etiologic agent in humans causing acute diarrhea or even death but has been rarely reported in non-human primates (NHP). An outbreak of diarrhea occurred in an outdoor-housed NHP colony over a period of 2 months with an attack rate of 29%. METHODS: Bacterial culture and PCR were performed on the fecal specimens to identify enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) in the NHPs. RESULTS: By random sampling of 10% of fecal samples of diarrheal cases, four cases of EIEC in rhesus macaques and two cases of EHEC in cynomolgus macaques were confirmed. CONCLUSION: This is the first time EIEC and EHEC have been reported in NHPs associated with diarrhea. The primary source of infection could not be determined.

Peripheral vascular endothelial dysfunction and apoptosis in old monkeys.

To determine the effects of aging on vasoactivity in a primate model (Macaca fascicularis), 13 young male monkeys (aged 7.1+/-0.4 years) and 9 old male monkeys (aged 19.8+/-0.6 years) were chronically instrumented for measurement of left ventricular and aortic pressures and cardiac output. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting blood sugar levels were not different between the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in baseline mean aortic pressure and total peripheral resistance (TPR) in the young monkeys versus the old monkeys. TPR fell less (P<0.05) with acetylcholine (1 microg/kg) in old monkeys (-25+/-1%) than in young monkeys (-34+/-2%), whereas decreases in TPR with sodium nitroprusside were similar in old and young monkeys. There was no evidence of atherosclerosis, but apoptosis of endothelial cells was enhanced (P<0.05) in the aortas and femoral arteries, but not in the media, of the old monkeys. There was a relationship (r=0.62, P=0.013) between the incidence of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL)-positive endothelial cells and endothelial cell density in the femoral artery. The reduced endothelial cell density was also correlated (r=0.82, P<0.01) with depressed TPR responses to acetylcholine. Thus, vascular endothelial dysfunction was present in old monkeys without evidence of atherosclerosis, which may be due to endothelial apoptosis and reduced endothelial cell density.

The Philippine cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fasicularis) provides a new nonhuman primate model of tuberculosis that resembles human disease.

A nonhuman primate model of tuberculosis that closely resembles human disease is urgently needed. We have evaluated the Philippine cynomolgus monkey, Macaca fasicularis, as a model of TB. Cynomolgus monkeys challenged intratracheally with extremely high doses of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (10(5) or 10(4) CFU) developed an acute, rapidly progressive, highly fatal multilobar pneumonia. However, monkeys challenged with moderate or low doses of M. tuberculosis (

Conditioning and breeding facilities for the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) in the Philippines: a progress report on the SICONBREC project.

Large-scale breeding of Macaca fascicularis in the country of origin is a way in which the demands of the research community can be met whilst the feral population of monkeys is safeguarded. The establishment of the SICONBREC project and the success of its breeding programme to date is clear evidence of the future trend in the supply of non-human primates for biomedical research.

Solvolysis of a substituted imidazoline, mazindol.

Hydrolysis of mazindol to form 2-(2-aminoethyl)-3-(p-chlorophenyl)-3-hydroxyphthalimidine was followed spectro-photometrically in aqueous solutions at temperatures between 37 and 70degree, pH values up to 7.6, and an ionic strength of 0.2. The effects of acetate, formate, and phosphate buffers as well as ionic strength on the observed rate constants were investigated. An interesting nonlinear dependency of the kobs with buffer concentration was noted. The velocity constants declined with increasing hydrogen-ion concentration; the log k-pH profile and rate law are given along with other relevant data.

Alcoholysis of medicinally active 5-aminodibenzo(a,d)cycloheptenes.

The rate constants for alcoholic solvolysis of the hydrochloride salts of diethylaminodibenzo(a,d)cycloheptene and related amino congeners were determined. The objective was a study of the comparative ease of cleavage of the C-N amino linkage by various aliphatic alcohols. The interaction of protonated amines of this series with alcoholic hydroxyls presumably leads to formation of the corresponding ethers in a manner somewhat analogous to alkoxide reaction with alkyl bromides. The methyl ether produced from solvolysis of diethylaminodibenzocycloheptene hydrochloride was isolated and identified. Methanol appears to react somewhat more rapidly with the amine hydrochlorides than other aliphatic alcohols. The latter produce almost invariant velocity constants with a given amine hydrochloride. The exception was tertbutanol, which resulted in Kobs values about one-third of those given by the other alcohols. Some velocity constants in formic and acetic acids were evaluated. Generation of carbonium ions of appreciable lifetime was indicated in formic acid by the formation of a highly colored (red-violet) solution. This color may be a manifestation of the dibenzotropylium ion.

Practical kinetics III: benzodiazepine hydrolysis.

The velocity constants for chlordiazepoxide hydrolysis were measured by independent techniques. A quantitative TLC kinetic procedure is compared with an extractive method. The data derived from both processes are in approximate agreement, further exemplifying the feasibility of TLC for rapid stability evaluation of liquid formulations as well as solution kinetic studies. In the extractive procedure, benzodiazepine-substrate was separated from the lactam product by methylene chloride extraction of acidic aqueous solution. The TLC procedure consisted of separation on silica gel plates followed by elution and subsequent analysis. The log kappa-pH relationship for the hydrolysis representing water addition coupled with expulsion of methylamine is presented. This function is characterized by water and hydroxide-ion attack on monoprotic species along with specific hydrogen-ion catalysis at higher hydronium-ion concentrations, and the rate law for the decomposition of chlordiazepoxide is given. Trhrough several half-times (pH 0.15-11.5, 79.5 degrees), this hydrolytic reaction generating lactam predominated; however, more benzophenone was formed as the pH decreased. Velocity constants were invariant over a 200-fold concentration range. The subsequent acid-facilitated cleavage of lactam to benzophenone was not further investigated. Both general acid catalysis and general base catalysis were evidenced, with borate, acetate, formate, and phosphate buffers accelerating the conversion of chlordiazepoxide to lactam. At pH values below neutrality, nonlinear dependency of the rate constant on buffer concentration was observed. This finding may be explained by a change in the rate-determining step as buffer concentration varied.