Randomized controlled trial of a TiO2 Semiconductor toothbrush on mild-to-moderate periodontitis..

UNLABELLED: The Soladey toothbrush (Shiken Corp., Osaka, Japan) is based on the principle that electrical induction will cause a wetted titanium dioxide semiconductor to emit electrons. The manufacturer claims that in addition to the established mechanical benefits of brushing, the flow of electrons from the brush head may disrupt ionic bonding of plaque, neutralize bacterial organic acids, and thus confer an advantage over a conventional toothbrush. AIM: Determine whether a TiO2 semiconductor-containing toothbrush confers an advantage over a conventional toothbrush in adult patients with mild-to-moderate gingivitis/periodontitis. MATERIALS and METHODS: Seventy-one patients with mild-to-moderate gingivitis/periodontitis were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled modified crossover trial that compared the Soladey-3 titanium dioxide semiconductor toothbrush (Shiken Corp., Osaka, Japan) to an otherwise identical toothbrush containing an inert resin core in place of the semiconductor. Changes in indices of gingivitis and periodontitis were the primary outcomes. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients completed the study. Relative to baseline, an almost two-fold increased gingival crevice fluid flow followed both active and control treatments was statistically significant. Relative to the inactive control device, the active Soladey-3 toothbrush had no clinically meaningful effects on selected markers of gingivitis/periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: The active Soladey-3 toothbrush did not substantially impact selected markers of gingivitis/periodontitis by the end of a two-week treatment period in adult patients with mild-to-moderate disease. Both inactive (control) and active (TiO2 semi-conductor) versions of the Soladey toothbrushes significantly increased crevice fluid flow.

Prevalence and duration of exercise induced albuminuria in healthy people.

PURPOSE: Vigorous exercise increases urine protein excretion. However, whether exercise increases urine albumin enough to reach the threshold for microalbuminuria (2.8 and 2.0 mg/mmol creatinine in women and men respectively) is uncertain. Furthermore, the duration of such albuminuria is unknown. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and duration of exercise induced microalbuminuria in normal healthy volunteers. METHODS: Thirty normal subjects provided a urine sample, then exercised to maximal heart rate, or exhaustion, using the standard Bruce Treadmill protocol. Further urine samples were collected within 15 min of completing exercise, and 24 and 48 hr later. Urine creatinine was measured by the Jaffé method and albumin via immunoturbidometry. RESULTS: Baseline urine albumin: creatinine ratio (A/C) was 0.5 +/- 0.3 (SD) in women (n=14) and 0.4 +/- 0.1 mg/mmol in men (n=16). Immediately after exercise A/C increased to 5.6 +/- 9.7 (in women) and 7.6 +/- 17.6 (in men). Twelve of 30 subjects reached the threshold for microalbuminuria and 2 that for macroalbuminuria. By 24 hr all had returned to baseline and there was no further change at 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS: A short period, 15-20 min, of maximal exercise leads to A/C ratios above the microalbuminuria threshold in a substantial proportion of normal subjects. Physicians should not measure urine albumin in patients who give a history of such activity in the past 24 hr.

The effects of ibuprofen on muscle hypertrophy, strength, and soreness during resistance training.

High doses of ibuprofen have been shown to inhibit muscle protein synthesis after a bout of resistance exercise. We determined the effect of a moderate dose of ibuprofen (400 mg x d(-1)) consumed on a daily basis after resistance training on muscle hypertrophy and strength. Twelve males and 6 females (approximately 24 years of age) trained their right and left biceps on alternate days (6 sets of 4-10 repetitions), 5 d x week(-1), for 6 weeks. In a counter-balanced, double-blind design, they were randomized to receive 400 mg x d(-1) ibuprofen immediately after training their left or right arm, and a placebo after training the opposite arm the following day. Before- and after-training muscle thickness of both biceps was measured using ultrasound and 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) arm curl strength was determined on both arms. Subjects rated their muscle soreness daily. There were time main effects for muscle thickness and strength (p < 0.01). Ibuprofen consumption had no effect on muscle hypertrophy (muscle thickness of biceps for arm receiving ibuprofen: pre 3.63 +/- 0.14, post 3.92 +/- 0.15 cm; and placebo: pre 3.62 +/- 0.15, post 3.90 +/- 0.15 cm) and strength (1 RM of arm receiving ibuprofen: pre 18.6 +/- 2.8, post 23.4 +/- 3.5 kg; and placebo: pre 18.8 +/- 2.8, post 22.8 +/- 3.4 kg). Muscle soreness was elevated during the first week of training only, but was not different between the ibuprofen and placebo arm. We conclude that a moderate dose of ibuprofen ingested after repeated resistance training sessions does not impair muscle hypertrophy or strength and does not affect ratings of muscle soreness.

Field-test of a date-rape drug detection device.

Drink Safe Technology Version 1.2 is an inexpensive color-change reagent test marketed internationally for use by consumers in settings such as a night club to detect potentially incapacitating concentrations of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and ketamine in beverages. The objective of this study was to compare product performance in the laboratory and performance in the hands of consumers in the field. Product performance in the laboratory adhered to the protocol defined by the manufacturer. Product performance in the hands of consumers in field settings allowed browsing participants to pipette an aliquot of their own drinks into randomly coded vials containing authentic drugs, or pure water, so as to yield the same concentrations of GHB or ketamine specified in the manufacturer-defined protocol, or blanks. Consumers were to proceed according to the directions printed on the product, and to record their results on a card with a code corresponding with the vial to which they had added an aliquot of their beverage. Diagnostic performance was calculated using two-way analysis. In the laboratory, Drink Safe Technology Version 1.2 reliably detected GHB and ketamine at concentrations specified by the manufacturer's protocol. The reactive color change denoting a positive test for GHB was rapid, but a positive test for ketamine required substantially more time to resolve. Nonetheless, test accuracy following the manufacturer's protocol in the laboratory was 100%. In the field, based on 101 paired-test results recorded by consumers, the test efficiency was 65.1%, sensitivity 50%, and specificity 91.6%. The product performed much better in the laboratory than it did in the hand of consumers in the field. There seems to be considerable potential for consumers to misinterpret a test result. The potential for consumers to record a false-negative test result for a spiked drink is cause for concern.