Intralesional corticosteroid injections in the treatment of central giant cell lesions of the jaws

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of treatment of central giant cell lesion to intralesional corticosteroid injections. Study Design: Review of articles indexed in PubMed on the topic between the years 1988 and 2011, and development of a descriptive meta-analysis of the results. Results: Sample of 41 patients primarily treated with intralesional corticosteroid injections was obtained, with a male female ratio of 1:0.95, being 23 aggressive and 18 non-aggressive central giant cell lesions. Triamcinolone acetonide and triamcinolone hexacetonide were the drugs used, and 78.0% cases were considered as good result, 14.6% were considered as moderate response and 7.3% were considered as negative result to treatment. Considering the aggressiveness, 88.9% of non-aggressive lesions presented a good response to treatment, in aggressive central giant cell lesions, 69.6% presented a good response to intralesional corticosteroid injections. Conclusion: In view of the results analyzed, intralesional corticosteroid injections could be considered as first treatment option for central giant cell lesion.

Central giant cell granuloma

Background: Central giant cell granuloma is a benign condition of the jaws which may present an aggressive behavior. Case report: A 9-year-old boy was complaining of swelling in the floor of the mouth. A solid swelling was observed in the area of the lower incisors. From the radiographic exam, we observed a radiolucent image in the mandibular bone with well-defined limits extending from the apical region of tooth 33 to the apical region of tooth 42. Discussion: Due to the diagnosis and the age of the patient, we chose a conservative treatment, administering subcutaneous injections of calcitonin. During this treatment, no reduction to the lesion was observed. Therefore, we chose to treat the lesion with triamcinolone acetonide. Monthly follow-ups demonstrated good lesion reduction and the absence of any clinical symptoms during the first 2 years. After a 3-year follow-up, the patient returned, presenting mobility of the lower incisors. A significant increase in the size of the lesion was observed. After a biopsy, with the removal of tissuewhich had the appearance of a cyst capsule, microscopic analyses were found to be compatible with a secondarily infected cyst. Two months following this procedure, the patient did not present tooth mobility anymore and the oral mucosa presented a normal aspect. Following a radiographic exam, full lesion repair was observed. These conservative treatments should be the first option in cases of central giant cell granuloma and the patient must be observed for a long period of time, until no further clinical or radiographic signs of lesions are observed

Early development, survival and growth rates of the giant clam Tridacna crocea (Bivalvia: Tridacnidae)

Tridacnid clams are conspicuous inhabitants of Indo-Pacific coral reefs and are traded and cultivated for the aquarium and food industries. In the present study, daily growth rates of larvae of the giant clam Tridacna crocea were determined in the laboratory during the first week of life. Adults were induced to spawn via intra-gonadal serotonin injection through the byssal orifice. After spawning oocytes were collected, fertilized and kept in 3 L glass beakers and raceways treated with antibiotics to avoid culture contamination. Larvae were fed twice with the microalga Isochrysis galbana and zooxanthellae were also offered twice during the veliger stage (days 4 and 6). Larval length was measured using a digitizing tablet coupled to a microcomputer. Larval mortality was exponential during the first 48 hours of life declining significantly afterwards. Mean growth rate was 11.3 μm day-1, increasing after addition of symbionts to 18.0 μm day-1. Survival increased to ca. 75% after the addition of zooxanthellae. The results describe the growth curve for T. crocea larvae and suggest that the acquisition of symbionts by larvae may be useful for larval growth and survival even before larvae have attained metamorphosis.

The Gemini planet-finding campaign: the frequency of giant planets aroud debris disk stars

We have completed a high-contrast direct imaging survey for giant planets around 57 debris disk stars as part of the Gemini NICI Planet-Finding Campaign. We achieved median H-band contrasts of 12.4 mag at 0.''5 and 14.1 mag at 1'' separation. Follow-up observations of the 66 candidates with projected separation <500 AU show that all of them are background objects. To establish statistical constraints on the underlying giant planet population based on our imaging data, we have developed a new Bayesian formalism that incorporates (1) non-detections, (2) single-epoch candidates, (3) astrometric and (4) photometric information, and (5) the possibility of multiple planets per star to constrain the planet population. Our formalism allows us to include in our analysis the previously known β Pictoris and the HR 8799 planets. Our results show at 95% confidence that <13% of debris disk stars have a ≥5 M Jup planet beyond 80 AU, and <21% of debris disk stars have a ≥3 M Jup planet outside of 40 AU, based on hot-start evolutionary models. We model the population of directly imaged planets as d 2 N/dMdavpropm α a β, where m is planet mass and a is orbital semi-major axis (with a maximum value of a max). We find that β < –0.8 and/or α > 1.7. Likewise, we find that β < –0.8 and/or a max < 200 AU. For the case where the planet frequency rises sharply with mass (α > 1.7), this occurs because all the planets detected to date have masses above 5 M Jup, but planets of lower mass could easily have been detected by our search. If we ignore the β Pic and HR 8799 planets (should they belong to a rare and distinct group), we find that <20% of debris disk stars have a ≥3 M Jup planet beyond 10 AU, and β < –0.8 and/or α < –1.5. Likewise, β < –0.8 and/or a max < 125 AU. Our Bayesian constraints are not strong enough to reveal any dependence of the planet frequency on stellar host mass. Studies of transition disks have suggested that about 20% of stars are undergoing planet formation; our non-detections at large separations show that planets with orbital separation >40 AU and planet masses >3 M Jup do not carve the central holes in these disks.

The Gemini NICI planet-finding campaign: the frequency of giant planets around young B and A stars

We have carried out high contrast imaging of 70 young, nearby B and A stars to search for brown dwarf and planetary companions as part of the Gemini NICI Planet-Finding Campaign. Our survey represents the largest, deepest survey for planets around high-mass stars (≈1.5-2.5 M ☉) conducted to date and includes the planet hosts β Pic and Fomalhaut. We obtained follow-up astrometry of all candidate companions within 400 AU projected separation for stars in uncrowded fields and identified new low-mass companions to HD 1160 and HIP 79797. We have found that the previously known young brown dwarf companion to HIP 79797 is itself a tight (3 AU) binary, composed of brown dwarfs with masses 58$^{+21}_{-20}$ M Jup and 55$^{+20}_{-19}$ M Jup, making this system one of the rare substellar binaries in orbit around a star. Considering the contrast limits of our NICI data and the fact that we did not detect any planets, we use high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulations to show that fewer than 20% of 2 M ☉ stars can have giant planets greater than 4 M Jup between 59 and 460 AU at 95% confidence, and fewer than 10% of these stars can have a planet more massive than 10 M Jup between 38 and 650 AU. Overall, we find that large-separation giant planets are not common around B and A stars: fewer than 10% of B and A stars can have an analog to the HR 8799 b (7 M Jup, 68 AU) planet at 95% confidence. We also describe a new Bayesian technique for determining the ages of field B and A stars from photometry and theoretical isochrones. Our method produces more plausible ages for high-mass stars than previous age-dating techniques, which tend to underestimate stellar ages and their uncertainties.

Dynamical speckles patterns of action potential transmission effects in squid giant axon membrane.

Undoubtedly the most important result of the investigations in physiology and biophysics was the discovery of the electrochemical mechanism of propagation of the action potential in nerves that was made by Hodgkin and Huxley during the first half of the past century. Since some decades ago diverse experiments about the electro optical properties of the axon membrane there was published using the most diverse optical experimental ‘procedures POT 6-10’. In this paper some results of a dynamical speckle technique applied for obtaining microscopic images of a section of a squid giant axon membrane during the activation by electrical impulses and his digital process are presented.

Unilateral giant renal angiomyolipoma and pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are mesenchymal neoplasms, named so because of the complex tissue composition represented by variable proportions of mature adipose tissue, smooth muscle cells, and dysmorphic blood vessels. Although AMLs may rise in different sites of the body, they are mostly observed in the kidney and liver. In the case of renal AMLs, they are described in two types: isolated AMLs and AMLs associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS). While most cases of AMLs are found incidentally during imaging examinations and are asymptomatic, others may reach huge proportions causing symptoms. Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare benign disease characterized by cystic changes in the pulmonary parenchyma and smooth muscle proliferation, leading to a mixed picture of interstitial and obstructive disease. AML and LAM constitute major features of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a multisystem autosomal dominant tumor-suppressor gene complex diagnosis. The authors report the case of a young female patient who presented a huge abdominal tumor, which at computed tomography (CT) show a fat predominance. The tumor displaced the right kidney and remaining abdominal viscera to the left. Chest CT also disclosed pulmonary lesions compatible with lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Because of sudden abdominal pain accompanied by a fall in the hemoglobin level, the patient underwent an urgent laparotomy. The excised tumor was shown to be a giant renal AML with signs of bleeding in its interior. The authors call attention to the diagnosis of AML and the huge proportions that the tumor can reach, as well as for ruling out the TSC diagnosis, once it may impose genetic counseling implications.

Intracellular biosynthesis and removal of copper nanoparticles by dead biomass of yeast isolated from the wastewater of a mine in the brazilian Amazonia

In this study was developed a natural process using a biological system for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) and possible removal of copper from wastewater by dead biomass of the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Dead and live biomass of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was used to analyze the equilibrium and kinetics of copper biosorption by the yeast in function of the initial metal concentration, contact time, pH, temperature, agitation and inoculum volume. Dead biomass exhibited the highest biosorption capacity of copper, 26.2 mg g(-1), which was achieved within 60 min of contact, at pH 5.0, temperature of 30°C, and agitation speed of 150 rpm. The equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir isotherm and Kinetic analysis indicated a pseudo-second-order model. The average size, morphology and location of NPs biosynthesized by the yeast were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The shape of the intracellularly synthesized NPs was mainly spherical, with an average size of 10.5 nm. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the copper NPs confirmed the formation of metallic copper. The dead biomass of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa may be considered an efficiently bioprocess, being fast and low-cost to production of copper nanoparticles and also a probably nano-adsorbent of this metal ion in wastewater in bioremediation process

Biosynthesis and uptake of copper nanoparticles by dead biomass of Hypocrea lixii isolated from the metal mine in the Brazilian Amazon Region

A biological system for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) and uptake of copper from wastewater, using dead biomass of Hypocrea lixii was analyzed and described for the first time. The equilibrium and kinetics investigation of the biosorption of copper onto dead, dried and live biomass of fungus were performed as a function of initial metal concentration, pH, temperature, agitation and inoculum volume. The high biosorption capacity was observed for dead biomass, completed within 60 min of contact, at pH 5.0, temperature of 40 °C and agitation speed of 150 rpm with a maximum copper biosorption of 19.0 mg g(-1). The equilibrium data were better described using the Langmuir isotherm and kinetic analysis indicated that copper biosorption follows a pseudo-second-order model. The average size, morphology and location of NPs biosynthesized by the fungus were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). NPs were mainly spherical, with an average size of 24.5 nm, and were synthesized extracellularly. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the presence of metallic copper particles. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study revealed that the amide groups interact with the particles, which was accountable for the stability of NPs. This method further confirmed the presence of proteins as stabilizing and capping agents surrounding the copper NPs. These studies demonstrate that dead biomass of Hypocrea lixii provides an economic and technically feasible option for bioremediation of wastewater and is a potential candidate for industrial-scale production of copper NPs.