BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) selective inhibitors (flozins) are a class of antidiabetic drugs that improve glycaemic control and are associated with cardiovascular benefits, although the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to explore potential mechanistic effects of dapagliflozin on erythrocyte nanomechanical properties in patients with type 1 diabetes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH:The subject of this exploratory study is the nanomechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs) in a pilot group of type 1 diabetes patients undergoing a thirty-day dapagliflozin treatment. Measurements were conducted on RBCs obtained from a homogeneous group of 31 adult patients with type 1 diabetes and 34 healthy control volunteers. The elastic modulus of erythrocytes was measured immediately after sample collection using the nanoindentation method with an atomic force microscopy probe. Data obtained before therapy (BT) and after therapy (AT) were compared with those from a control group of healthy volunteers. KEY RESULTS:A reduction in RBC stiffness after treatment was observed, which could be related to diabetes duration. Notably, the most significant improvement occurred in patients with diabetes duration exceeding 10 years, a group at elevated cardiovascular risk. Subgroup analyses were descriptive and not powered for inferential comparisons. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS:The observed improvement in the elastic modulus of erythrocytes following dapagliflozin therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes suggests that SGLT2 inhibitors could provide additional benefits for this patient group The results provide preliminary mechanistic insights that are consistent with the reported vascular effects of SGLT2 inhibitors.
Purpose: Bacterial infections are among the most common and significant forms of infectious diseases and pose the greatest threat to the human population in today's day and age. The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the main cause of this widespread. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have significantly contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics and their effect on bacteria, it is necessary to conduct clinical, biological, and histological research. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spread of bacterial strains in dental prostheses and removable orthodontic appliances and evaluate their resistance to different antibiotics. Materials and Methods: 100 swab samples were collected from male and female patients who were either wearing removable dental prostheses or removable orthodontic appliances from various dental clinics in the Zawia district, Libya. Microbiological culture was conducted to identify bacterial strains, and sensitivity tests were carried out on a broad range of antibiotics. Results: After evaluating and testing a wide spectrum of antibiotics, the results demonstrated that the majority of bacterial strains are resistant to the prescribed antibiotics by dental practitioners. Conclusion: Due to the misuse of antibiotics by healthcare providers, oral bacterial species have developed resistance to most prescribed antibiotics. This poses a significant concern regarding the effectiveness of dental procedures and treatment protocols. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct high-quality randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics against oral bacteria. Additionally, these studies can help in assessing and updating the guidelines for prescribing antibiotics by dental practitioners and healthcare providers. (Open J Biomed Res 2024;3:9-14.)
Relevance: Metachronous peritoneal dissemination (MPD) is among the top factors in the structure of gastric cancer (GC) progression, considerably worsening radical surgery outcomes. Since cancer cell dissemination in the peritoneal cavity is often triggered during surgery, assessing its role in MPD development is important. The study aimed to assessment of the effect of the extent of radical surgery and lymph node dissection on the MPD development in radically operated gastric cancer patients. Methods: The results of radical surgery performed on 1080 patients with gastric cancer (рТ1-4N0-3M0) without spreading to the esophagus were assessed (647 males and 433 females) depending on the extent of surgical treatment (proximal/distal subtotal gastric resection (SGR), n=639 / gastrectomy (GE), n=334; standard/combined surgery, n=973/107) and the extent of lymph node dissection (LD) – D1 (n=151) or D2 (n=929). Also assessed were survival rates (Kaplan-Meyer multiplier estimation method), cumulative incidence (CI) of competing events – MPD, metastases of other localizations, and mortality cases unrelated to gastric cancer (competing risks analysis). Results: The analysis showed a statistically significant increase in the cumulative incidence of GC progression after combined operations (55.6±4.9%) as compared with the standard radical treatment (GE – 42.3±2.7%, SRG – 25.6±1.7%, respectively), including an increase in MPD CI in each of applied surgical procedures (respectively after combined operations – 36.8±4.7%; after standard GE – 21.6±2.3% and SRG – 11.1±1.2% (рGray<0.001)). In the event of the presence of lymphohematogenous metastases of other localizations, the relevant figures were 9.4±2.9% after combined operations, after standard GE and SRG – 9.3±1.6%, 5.0±0.9% respectively (рGray=0.022). The presence of lymph node metastases led to an increase in MPD CI after LD D1 from 8.3±2.8% (pN0) to 29.1±6.2% (рN1-3) (рGray<0.05), those after LD D2 increased from 9.4±1.3% (pN0) to 27.3±2.1% (рN1-3) (рGray<0.05). Conclusion: It is advisable to assess the extent of the planned surgical treatment and the condition of local lymph nodes when evaluating the probability of MPD development. The applied lymph dissection procedure did not affect the cumulative incidence of GC progression, including MPD development.
To ensure that the results of fixed orthodontic therapy are maintained and do not relapse, it is crucial to retain and preserve the treatment outcomes. Retention is an essential aspect of orthodontics and can be viewed as the final stage of treatment. It is necessary to maintain an optimal esthetic and functional occlusion following orthodontic therapy. Aim : The objective of the article is to acknowledge the significance of maintaining the outcomes of orthodontic therapy and to assess the various techniques used to fabricate fixed and removable appliances for retention. Materials and Methods: The present article evaluates the different protocols for lingual fixed retainers, as well as removable retentive appliances such as Hawley, Begg, and vacuum-formed retainers (VFR). Removable appliances have been used for retentive purposes for a long period of time. Bonded fixed retainers were introduced in the 1970s, and they have several advantages over removable retentive appliances, such as better esthetics, the absence of patient cooperation, and suitability for lifelong retention. Fixed retainers can be of conventional or digital type. Conventional fixed retainers can be fabricated and attached directly or indirectly to the teeth using a transfer tray. Moreover, bonded retainers can now be digitally manufactured using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM).
