MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixmaster dies were duplicated from the prepared maxillary first premolar tooth using nonprecious metal alloy (Wiron 99). Ten copings of 0.6 mm thickness were fabricated from each type of ceramic, for a total of thirty copings. Two master dies were used for each group, and each of them was used to lute five copings. All groups were cemented with resin luting cement Panavia F according to manufacturer's instructions and received a static load of 5 kg during cementation. After 24 hours of distilled water storage at 37 degrees C, the copings were vertically compressed using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min.
RESULTS: The results of the present study showed the following mean loads at fracture: Turkom-Cera (2184 +/- 164 N), In-Ceram (2042 +/- 200 N), and Procera AllCeram (1954 +/- 211 N). ANOVA and Scheffe's post hoc test showed that the mean load at fracture of Turkom-Cera was significantly different from Procera AllCeram (p < 0.05). Scheffe's post hoc test showed no significant difference between the mean load at fracture of Turkom-Cera and In-Ceram or between the mean load at fracture of In-Ceram and Procera AllCeram.
CONCLUSION: Because Turkom-Cera demonstrated equal to or higher loads at fracture than currently accepted all-ceramic materials, it would seem to be acceptable for fabrication of anterior and posterior ceramic crowns.
OBJECTIVE: This study was intended to assess the knowledge and attitude towards OSA and compare it among dental and medical undergraduate students of University Sains Malaysia (USM).
METHODS: In this study, a total of 216 clinical undergraduate students (36 from each year; 108 from medical and 108 from dental school) of University Sains Malaysia (USM) Health campus were recruited for the study by non-probability stratified random sampling method. Total study period was October 2017 to October 2018. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the sociodemographic status and OSAKA questionnaire was used to assess knowledge and attitude regarding sleep apnoea of the respondents. Descriptive analysis was carried out to assess the knowledge and attitude of OSA amongst dental and medical undergraduate students of USM. The Mann-Whitney U test was carried out to compare the knowledge and attitude of OSA amongst dental and medical undergraduate students of USM.
RESULTS: Our study findings revealed that 0.9 %and 6.5 %of the dental undergraduate students and medical undergraduate students could answer all the questions correctly regarding knowledge of OSA. Based on the assessment of the difference between medical and dental students in terms of knowledge towards OSA patients, significant difference was observed at the significance level of 95%, where p
Methods: A single-centre, retrospective cohort study was conducted. From 2014 to 2018, all patients over 40 years old with COPD who were admitted to the hospital with a case of COPD exacerbation and received systemic corticosteroids at presentation were included. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the duration of systemic corticosteroid therapy. The primary outcome was hospital re-admission within 180 days. The secondary outcomes were 30 days mortality and length of hospitalisation. The two groups were compared using an independent sample t-test, a Chi-square test, and a Mann-Whitney U test, according to the data type.
Results: Eighty patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 52 (65%) patients completed long-term therapy, while 28 (35%) patients were on short-term treatment. A total of 15 (28.8%) patients reached the primary endpoint in the long-term treatment group versus 19 (67.9%) in the short-term treatment group (P = 0.001). The 30-day mortality was 4 (7.7%) and 0 (0%), respectively, and the median length of hospitalisation was 6.5 and 7.5 days in the long-term group and short-term group, respectively (P = 0.32, P = 0.88).
Conclusion: Long-term corticosteroid use in the management of acute COPD exacerbation was significantly associated with fewer 180 days re-admission. The duration of corticosteroid use remains controversial, and further studies are recommended to assess the relationship between patient profile and adherence to therapy post-discharge with re-exacerbation.
METHODS: A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted at universities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. A 59-item survey was administered between October 2017 and December 2017.
FINDINGS: The survey was completed by 211 students (response rate 77.8%). The mean knowledge score for antibiotic resistance, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic stewardship was 5.6 ± 1.5, 4.7 ± 1.8 (maximum scores 10.0) and 3.1 ± 1.4 (maximum score 5.0), respectively. Significant variations were noted among the schools. There was poor awareness about the consequences of antibiotic resistance and cases with no need for an antibiotic. The knowledge of antibiotic resistance was higher among male respondents (6.1 vs. 5.4) and those who had attended antibiotic resistance (5.7 vs. 5.2) and antibiotic therapy (5.8 vs. 4.9) courses (p
Methods: In Malaysian patients aged ≥12 years with severe (n = 47) and nonsevere (n = 99) knowlesi malaria, severe (n = 21) and nonsevere (n = 109) falciparum malaria, and healthy controls (n = 50), we measured parasite biomass, systemic inflammation (interleukin 6 [IL-6]), endothelial activation (angiopoietin-2), and microvascular function, and evaluated the effects of age.
Results: Plasmodium knowlesi parasitemia correlated with age (Spearman's correlation coefficient [rs] = 0.36; P < .0001). In knowlesi malaria, IL-6, angiopoietin-2, and microvascular dysfunction were increased in severe compared to nonsevere disease, and all correlated with age, independent of parasitemia. In falciparum malaria, angiopoietin-2 increased with age, independent of parasite biomass (histidine-rich protein 2 [HRP2]). Independent risk factors for severe malaria included parasitemia and angiopoietin-2 in knowlesi malaria, and HRP2, angiopoietin-2, and microvascular dysfunction in falciparum malaria.
Conclusions: Parasite biomass, endothelial activation, and microvascular dysfunction are associated with severe disease in knowlesi malaria and likely contribute to pathogenesis. The association of each of these processes with aging may account for the greater severity of malaria observed in older adults in low-endemic regions.
Materials and Methods: In this in-vitro study, a total of 48 single-rooted permanent human teeth were decoronated, and the roots were treated endodontically. Following post space preparation, the sample was divided into four groups (n= 12 each) based on the types of post and cement. Two different types of post [GC everStick®POST (ES) and Parapost® Fiber LuxTM (PF)], and two different types of cement [G-CEMTM (G), and RelyXTM Unicem (R)] were used according to the manufacturer's instructions. All roots were sectioned at the coronal and middle thirds with a thickness of 3±0.1mm. The Push-out bond strength (PBS) test was performed using a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5mm/ min. The bond strength values were recorded, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Apart from descriptive statistics, three-way ANOVA was used for the interaction of the independent variables (post, cement, and root level). For differences between the groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant for all analyses.
Results: Push-out bond strength of samples at the middle level (11.38±10.31 MPa), with PF posts (11.18±9.98 MPa), and of those luted with RelyXTM Unicem cement (13.26±8.73 MPa) was higher than that of their counterparts. The PBS means of RelyXTM Unicem cement at both root levels were much higher than PBS means of G-CEMTM cement. Three-way ANOVA test revealed a significant effect for each variable with a higher effect of cement (Sum of Squares= 1310.690; P< 0.001). No significant difference (P= 0.153) was found between the coronal and middle parts and between ES and PF posts (P= 0.058). However, a highly significant difference (P< 0.001) was found between RelyXTM Unicem and G-CEMTM cements.
Conclusion: The type of cement had a significant effect on push-out bond strength with RelyXTM Unicem which had higher values than G-CEMTM. However, the type of post and root level had no significant effect on PBS, although Parapost® Fiber LuxTM and middle root level had higher values than their counterparts.