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Purpose: This study evaluated the flow rate of the Acroseal, AH Plus, Endomethasone N, Sealapex, and ActiV GP according to the standards of the ISO specification 6876/2001. Methods: A volume of 0.05 mL of the cement mixed according to the manufacturer's recommendations was placed on a glass plate. At 180±5 s after the commencement of mixing, the second glass plate was placed on top of the sealer, followed by the weight of mass approximately 100 g to make a total mass on the plate of 120±2 g. Ten min after the start of mixing, the weight was removed and the value of the diameter of the compressed disc of sealer was measured. The mean of three such determinations for each sealer was taken as the flow of the material. The mean values were compared using ANOVA and Tukey's tests. Results: The results obtained were: Acroseal 21.24 mm, AH Plus 22.72 mm, ActiV GP 24.90 mm, Endomethasone N 18.76 mm, and Sealapex 25.15 mm. Conclusion: Only the Endomethasone N did not conform to ISO Specification that requires that a sealer shall have a diameter of not less than 20 mm. The Sealapex achieved the greatest flow, but it did not differ from Activ GP and AH Plus (P>0.5). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Spontaneous rupture of the spleen (SPR) is a rare and severe affection, difficult to diagnose, with multiple causes such as: Infectious and hematologic affections which represent more than half of the cases. Among this subset of patients, acute myeloid leukemia is one of the causes., Presentation of Case: A 48-year-old man undergoing chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia presented with acute intense abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed Abdominal CT scan showed a splenic rupture with abundant hemoperitoneum and bilateral pleural effusion. The patient presented hemodynamic instability and was immediately operated, splenectomy were performed., Discussion: Spontaneous rupture of the spleen usually presents as a severe abdominal syndrome, which may accompany non-specific symptoms.Two signs are suggestive of splenic rupture: Kehr's sign (left diaphragmatic irritation resulting in referred pain to the left shoulder) and Balance's sign (palpable tender mass in the left upper quadrant. Diagnostic methods of choice are computed tomography andultrasound. The prognosis is depending on the quality of care and the nature of the etiology. Splenectomy remains the cornerstone of the treatment of splenic rupture. It is important to include splenic rupture as a differential diagnosis for acute abdominal pain, especially in patients with hematologic malignancy, since early recognition and treatment increase patient survival and improve the prognosis., Conclusion: Even if spontaneous splenic rupture is rare, every clinician should have in mind the reflex to think of it, especially in patients with hematologic malignancies., Competing Interests: The authors declare having no conflicts of interest for this article., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: The aim of this work was to provide an overview of the prevalence and level of acaricides in beeswax used in Italy in the past 10 years by analysing 1319 beeswax samples processed by the certified laboratory of the Italian Bee Research Institute., Results: The proportion of samples positive to at least one active ingredient decreased between 2005 and 2009 (from 69 to 32%) and then increased again between 2009 and 2014 (from 32 to 91%). This trend is in agreement with reports from beekeepers that the use of synthetic acaricides decreased in the second half of the past decade and increased after the beginning of the colony losses phenomenon. The active ingredient with the greatest overall proportion of positive samples was coumaphos (49%), followed by fluvalinate (38%) and chlorphenvinphos (25%). The indicator for amitraz, 2,4-dimethylphenylformamide (DMPF), was detected in a very small proportion of samples (6%), while residues of cymiazole were never found., Conclusions: In more than half of the analysed samples, residues of at least one active ingredient were detected. The mean levels of residues of all the considered active ingredients in the positive samples may represent a source of accumulation in beeswax and pose risks to honey bee health. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Introduction: An experimental mineral trioxide aggregate sealer (MTAS) has been developed for use as a root canal sealer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the setting time, pH, and calcium ion release of MTAS compared with white Portland cement (CPB-40; Votorantin Cimentos, Camargo Correa SA, Pedro Leopoldo, MG, Brazil), white MTA Angelus (MTA; Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil), and AH Plus (Dentsply DeTrey, Konstanz, Germany)., Methods: For the evaluation of setting time, each material was analyzed using Gilmore-type needles. Polyethylene tubes with the materials were immersed in distilled water for the measurement of pH (digital pH meter) and calcium release (atomic absorption spectrophotometry). The evaluations were performed at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours and 7, 14, and 28 days. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and the Tukey test at 5% significance level., Results: MTAS showed higher calcium release at all experimental periods, a greater increase in pH up to 48 hours and the longest setting time., Conclusions: MTAS presented favorable properties for its indication as a root canal sealer., (Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A new natural formula, Apedin Vapor(R) (water, ethanol 19%, lactose and plant extracts: Echinacea angustifolia, Thuya occidentalis, Spiraea ulmaria and Oxalis acetosella) is considered a honeybee feed and an acaricide against Varroa mites. Colonies in apiaries in Northern Italy were sprayed with 50 ml of a 1:2 solution. After seven administrations at 19-28 day intervals (24 May-5 October 2002), acaricide efficacy reached 19.8%. In another trial, three doses at three-week intervals (the first on 18 May) were administered. Mite mortality was 54.1% and 22.6% in treated colonies and controls, respectively. A noticeable amount of parasites survived the treatment in both trials. The number of adult honeybees and brood cells in each colony were estimated according to the Liebefeld method (modified) before and after the treatment periods. No significant differences were recorded between treated and control groups in each trial. No external reaction to the treatment was detected. Small groups of bees were fed 60% sugar syrup, 60% sugar syrup and ethanol (19%), ethanol (19%), water, Apedin and a 1:2 solution of Apedin. The 60% syrup uptake was 81.5 mg/bee over a period of 28 h. The presence of ethanol seemed to considerably decrease the syrup palatability (the uptake was only 19.4 mg). 2.3 mg, 2.9 mg, 2.7 mg and 2.7 mg of water, ethanol, pure and diluted Apedin were removed, respectively and 84.6%, 80.0%, 71.4%, 74.5% of the bees were found dead or showed clear symptoms of starvation. Furthermore, respectively 0% and 37.5% of the bees in the groups fed plain syrup and syrup to which ethanol had added were dead or nonreactively lying on the bottom of the cages because of the insufficient feeding. The possible side effects of lactose as an Apedin Vapor(R) component are discussed.

Twenty consecutive patients with chronic partial seizures with onset before twenty years of age were investigated by means of 0.5 T MRI (20) and HM-PAO (19) in order to identify focal alterations amenable to surgical therapy. MRI evidentiated parenchymal lesions in 7 patients. Findings consistent with unilateral medial temporal sclerosis and cortico-subcortical parietal scars were found in two patients each. Small solid nodular lesions in the temporal lobe were observed in two patients. These and one additional patient with nodular partially cystic lesions in temporal lobe were administered a paramagnetic contrast agent (Gadolinium DPA) intravenously. In one case a contrast enhancement was observed. Histologic examination post surgery revealed a low grade glioma in one patient. HM-PAO SPECT examination showed area of abnormal captation in 9 of 19 patients. Aspects of EEG correlation with the MRI and SPECT findings are discussed. Our data supported the usefulness of magnetic resonance and SPECT imaging in the completion of pre-surgical assessment in this kind of patients.

Recent findings suggest that patients affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) have evident alterations of smooth-pursuit ocular movements induced by a sinusoidal predictable target. For a better understanding of the possible modifications of this performance in patients with AD we evaluated, using a quantitative method, the smooth-Pursuit induced by ramps with constant, unpredictable velocities. Twelve patients with probable AD were studied. These patients were compared with twelve age matched healthy volunteers. Visual inspection of our recordings shows that AD patients have frequent, large saccades intrusions which in some cases appeared to disrupt smooth tracking, particularly for low target speeds. Furthermore, the smooth-pursuit eye velocity induced by target of high speed is significantly reduced in respect to that present in our control group. Some significant correlations between altered smooth-pursuit parameters and abnormal psychometric scores were noted.