Minimally invasive esthetic therapy: a case report describing the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach

The decision-making process for the treatment of esthetic areas is based on the achievement of a healthy, harmonious, and pleasant smile. These conditions are directly associated with a solid knowledge of tooth anatomy and proportions, as well as the smile line, soft tissue morphology, and osseous architecture. To achieve these objectives, a multidisciplinary approach may be necessary to create long-term harmony between the final restoration and the adjacent teeth, and the health of the surrounding soft and hard tissues. This case report describes the application of a minimally invasive therapy on a 33-year-old woman seeking esthetic treatment. Minimally invasive periodontal plastic surgery associated with porcelain laminate veneers yielded satisfactory esthetics and minimal trauma to dental and periodontal tissues. Such a combined approach may be considered a viable option for the improvement of "white" and "red" esthetics.

VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION COMPOUNDS OF NICKEL (II): AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF POINT GROUPS

VIBRATIONAL ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION COMPOUNDS OF NICKEL (II): AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF POINT GROUPS. This paper presents an IR and Raman experiment executed during the teaching of the course "Chemical Bonds" for undergraduated students of Science and Technology and Chemistry at the Federal University of ABC, in order to facilitate and encourage the teaching and learning of group theory. Some key aspects of this theory are also outlined. We believe that student learning was more significant with the introduction of this experiment, because there was an increase in the discussions level and in the performance during evaluations. This work also proposes a multidisciplinary approach to include the use of quantum chemistry tools.

Contribution to economic evaluation of systems that value animal welfare at farm

The demand for "welfare friendly" products increases as public conscience and perception on livestock production systems grow. The public and policy-makers demand scientific information for education and to guide decision processes. This paper describes some of the last decade contributions made by scientists on the technical, economical and market areas of farm animal welfare. Articles on animal welfare were compiled on the following themes: 1) consumer behavior, 2) technical and economical viability, 3) public regulation, and 4) private certification policies. Most studies on the economic evaluation of systems that promote animal welfare involved species destined to produce export items, such as eggs, beef and pork. Few studies were found on broilers, dairy cows and fish, and data regarding other species, such as horses, sheep and goats were not found. Scientists understand that farm animal welfare is not only a matter of ethics, but also an essential tool to gain and maintain markets. However, it is unfortunate that little attention is paid to species that are not economically important for exports. Studies that emphasize on more humane ways to raise animals and that provide economic incentives to the producer are needed. An integrated multidisciplinary approach is necessary to highlight the benefits of introducing animal welfare techniques to existing production systems.

Freeze-drying microscopy in mathematical modeling of a biomaterial freeze-drying

Transplantation brings hope for many patients. A multidisciplinary approach on this field aims at creating biologically functional tissues to be used as implants and prostheses. The freeze-drying process allows the fundamental properties of these materials to be preserved, making future manipulation and storage easier. Optimizing a freeze-drying cycle is of great importance since it aims at reducing process costs while increasing product quality of this time-and-energy-consuming process. Mathematical modeling comes as a tool to help a better understanding of the process variables behavior and consequently it helps optimization studies. Freeze-drying microscopy is a technique usually applied to determine critical temperatures of liquid formulations. It has been used in this work to determine the sublimation rates of a biological tissue freeze-drying. The sublimation rates were measured from the speed of the moving interface between the dried and the frozen layer under 21.33, 42.66 and 63.99 Pa. The studied variables were used in a theoretical model to simulate various temperature profiles of the freeze-drying process. Good agreement between the experimental and the simulated results was found.

Is Drosera meristocaulis a pygmy sundew? Evidence of a long-distance dispersal between Western Australia and northern South America

South America and Oceania possess numerous floristic similarities, often confirmed by morphological and molecular data. The carnivorous Drosera meristocaulis (Droseraceae), endemic to the Neblina highlands of northern South America, was known to share morphological characters with the pygmy sundews of Drosera sect. Bryastrum, which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. The inclusion of D. meristocaulis in a molecular phylogenetic analysis may clarify its systematic position and offer an opportunity to investigate character evolution in Droseraceae and phylogeographic patterns between South America and Oceania. was included in a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Droseraceae, using nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid rbcL and rps16 sequence data. Pollen of D. meristocaulis was studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques, and the karyotype was inferred from root tip meristem. The phylogenetic inferences (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches) substantiate with high statistical support the inclusion of sect. Meristocaulis and its single species, D. meristocaulis, within the Australian Drosera clade, sister to a group comprising species of sect. Bryastrum. A chromosome number of 2n approx. 3236 supports the phylogenetic position within the Australian clade. The undivided styles, conspicuous large setuous stipules, a cryptocotylar (hypogaeous) germination pattern and pollen tetrads with aperture of intermediate type 78 are key morphological traits shared between D. meristocaulis and pygmy sundews of sect. Bryastrum from Australia and New Zealand. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this study (using morphological, palynological, cytotaxonomic and molecular phylogenetic data) enabled us to elucidate the relationships of the thus far unplaced taxon D. meristocaulis. Long-distance dispersal between southwestern Oceania and northern South America is the most likely scenario to explain the phylogeographic pattern revealed.

Health education intervention in early and late postmenopausal Brazilian women

Aim To identify aspects of health in postmenopausal Brazilian women using a health-related educational program provided by a multidisciplinary team as part of the primary care approach for early and late postmenopausal symptoms. Design A prospective cohort was formed with 69 postmenopausal women; they were divided into groups corresponding to early (n = 32) and late postmenopause (n = 37) through gynecological and clinical evaluations. We administered the Kuppermann-Blatt Menopausal Index and the Women's Health Questionnaire before and after health education instructions. Results The average age for the onset of menopause was 47.9 years (n = 69). Fifty women (72.5%) in this study had completed their primary education, 78.3% (n = 54) performed manual labor, and 60.9% (n = 42) showed concomitant chronic illnesses. After attending a series of health-related presentations, the mean weight of the women was reduced by 3.54% in early postmenopausal women (p < 0.001) and by 2.06% in the late postmenopausal group (p < 0.001). The mean abdominal circumference was reduced by 1.75% (p < 0.001) in the early postmenopausal group. In addition, the total score in the Kuppermann-Blatt Menopausal Index decreased by 34.38% in the early and by 33.33% in the late postmenopausal groups. According to the Women's Health Questionnaire, there was a decrease in the domain Depressive mood by 0.839 to 0.700 (p < 0.001) in the early and by 0.814 to 0.648 (p < 0.001) in the late postmenopausal groups. Conclusion Regardless of improving menopausal symptoms and anthropometric parameters, the effects of the multidisciplinary team activities in early postmenopausal women may be similar to those in late postmenopausal women.

Early diagnosis of Gorlin-Goltz syndrome: case report

The Gorlin-Goltz syndrome, also known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), is an infrequent multisystemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal way, which shows a high level of penetrance and variable expressiveness. It is characterized by keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOT) in the jaw, multiple basal cell nevi carcinomas and skeletal abnormities. This syndrome may be diagnosed early by a dentist by routine radiographic exams in the first decade of life, since the KCOTs are usually one of the first manifestations of the syndrome. This article paper reports the case of a patient, a 10-year-old boy with NBCCS, emphasizing its clinical and radiographic manifestations. This study highlights the importance of health professionals in the early diagnosis of NBCCS and in a preventive multidisciplinary approach to provide a better prognosis for the patient.

Inter-relação periodontia e dentística restauradora na lapidação de facetas cerâmicas

Diferentes fatores devem ser considerados nos casos de substituição de restaurações em dentes anteriores, tais como tratamento periodontal e tipo de material utilizado. Nessas situações, uma abordagem multidisciplinar é fundamental. Pacientes com resinas antigas próximas à margem gengivaI normalmente apresentam inflamação do tecido nessa região; por esse motivo, uma adequação prévia é fundamental para o sucesso do tratamento restaurador. Além disso, cuidados na substituição dessas restaurações devem ser considerados pelo profissional e pelo paciente. Os laminados cerâmicos têm sido amplamente utilizados em dentes anteriores; no entanto, esse tratamento deve ser indicado em situações específicas, de tal forma que seja o mais conservador possível. Assim, o presente trabalho demonstra, por meio de um caso clínico, a associação da Periodontia e Dentística na substituição de resinas compostas por laminados cerâmicos, de forma conservadora.

Análise vibracional de compostos de coordenação de niquel(II): uma abordagem ao ensino dos grupos pontuais

This paper presents an IR and Raman experiment executed during the teaching of the course "Chemical Bonds" for undergraduated students of Science and Technology and Chemistry at the Federal University of ABC, in order to facilitate and encourage the teaching and learning of group theory. Some key aspects of this theory are also outlined. We believe that student learning was more significant with the introduction of this experiment, because there was an increase in the discussions level and in the performance during evaluations. This work also proposes a multidisciplinary approach to include the use of quantum chemistry tools.

A complex networks approach for data clustering

This work proposes a method for data clustering based on complex networks theory. A data set is represented as a network by considering different metrics to establish the connection between each pair of objects. The clusters are obtained by taking into account five community detection algorithms. The network-based clustering approach is applied in two real-world databases and two sets of artificially generated data. The obtained results suggest that the exponential of the Minkowski distance is the most suitable metric to quantify the similarities between pairs of objects. In addition, the community identification method based on the greedy optimization provides the best cluster solution. We compare the network-based clustering approach with some traditional clustering algorithms and verify that it provides the lowest classification error rate. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Petrographic approach to the study of organic microfossils from the Irati Subgroup (Permian, Parana Basin, Brazil)

Early diagenetic chert, infrequently exploited in Phanerozoic micropaleontology, was examined for organic-walled microfossils in petrographic thin sections of silicified dolostones from diverse levels and localities of the Assistencia Formation (Permian, Parana Basin) in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. In contrast to previous palynological studies of this formation, the use of thin sections allowed direct observation in three dimensions of common palynomorphs, as well as benthic microbial mats preserved in situ in various stages of their life cycles and degradation. As in palynological residues from the more wellknown shale of this formation, the chert contains wind-dispersed pollen grains and phytoclasts derived from terrestrial sources and planktonic cryptarchs (unornamented coccoidal unicellular or colonial palynomorphs). However, only in the chert is it possible to see much more delicate microfossils, such as abundant cyanobacteria of the in situ benthic microbiota as well as chlorophycean microalgae of the microphytoplankton. Post-depositional processes affecting the formation have destroyed all but the most resistant organic remains in the other lithologies, such that only rare, degraded pollen grains are seen in the unsilicified dolostone of the formation, and in the shale the vast majority of microfossils have been compacted to flattened disks. On the other hand, early silicification not only preserved organic remains at an incipient stage of decomposition but also impeded significant further degradation due to compaction, recrystallization, and oxidation. Thus, the petrographic study of such chert can complement traditional palynological investigations in Phanerozoic rocks by furnishing hitherto unavailable information, especially with regard to benthic organic microfossils and fragile organic-walled phytoplankton normally absent from organic residues. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical and physical factors influencing lead and copper contamination in drinking water: approach for a case study in analytical chemistry

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING LEAD AND COPPER CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER: APPROACH FOR A CASE STUDY IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. Lead and copper concentrations in drinking water increase considerably on going from municipality reservoirs to the households sampled in Ribeirao Preto (SP-Brazil). Flushing of only 3 liters of water reduced metal concentrations by more than 50%. Relatively small changes in water pH rapidly affected corrosion processes in lead pipes, while water hardness appeared to have a long-term effect. This approach aims to encourage University teachers to use its content as a case study in disciplines of Instrumental Analytical Chemistry and consequently increase knowledge about drinking water contamination in locations where no public monitoring of trace metals is in place.

A LED Based Photometer for Solid Phase Photometry: Zinc Determination in Pharmaceutical Preparation Employing a Multicommuted Flow Analysis Approach

In this work, a LED (light emitting diode) based photometer for solid phase photometry is described. The photometer was designed to permit direct coupling of a light source (LED) and a photodiode to a flow cell with an optical pathlength of 4 mm. The flow cell was filled with adsorbing solid phase material (C-18), which was used to immobilize the chromogenic reagent 1-(2-thiazolylazo)-2-naphthol (TAN). Aiming to allow accuracy assessment, samples were also analyzed employing ICP OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry) methodology. Applying the paired t-test at the 95% confidence level, no significant difference was observed. Other useful features were also achieved: linear response ranging from 0.05 to 0.85 mg L-1 Zn, limit of detection of 9 mu g L-1 Zn (3 sigma criterion), standard deviation of 1.4% (n = 10), sampling throughput of 36 determinations per h, and a waste generation and reagent consumption of 1.7 mL and of 0.03 mu g per determination, respectively.

Design of laminated piezocomposite shell transducers with arbitrary fiber orientation using topology optimization approach

Sensor and actuator based on laminated piezocomposite shells have shown increasing demand in the field of smart structures. The distribution of piezoelectric material within material layers affects the performance of these structures; therefore, its amount, shape, size, placement, and polarization should be simultaneously considered in an optimization problem. In addition, previous works suggest the concept of laminated piezocomposite structure that includes fiber-reinforced composite layer can increase the performance of these piezoelectric transducers; however, the design optimization of these devices has not been fully explored yet. Thus, this work aims the development of a methodology using topology optimization techniques for static design of laminated piezocomposite shell structures by considering the optimization of piezoelectric material and polarization distributions together with the optimization of the fiber angle of the composite orthotropic layers, which is free to assume different values along the same composite layer. The finite element model is based on the laminated piezoelectric shell theory, using the degenerate three-dimensional solid approach and first-order shell theory kinematics that accounts for the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia effects. The topology optimization formulation is implemented by combining the piezoelectric material with penalization and polarization model and the discrete material optimization, where the design variables describe the amount of piezoelectric material and polarization sign at each finite element, with the fiber angles, respectively. Three different objective functions are formulated for the design of actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. Results of laminated piezocomposite shell transducers are presented to illustrate the method. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antidepressants prevent hierarchy destabilization induced by lipopolysaccharide administration in mice: a neurobiological approach to depression

In spite of the high prevalence and negative impact of depression, little is known about its pathophysiology. Basic research on depression needs new animal models in order to increase knowledge of the disease and search for new therapies. The work presented here aims to provide a neurobiologically validated model for investigating the relationships among sickness behavior, antidepressants treatment, and social dominance behavior. For this purpose, dominant individuals from dyads of male Swiss mice were treated with the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce social hierarchy destabilization. Two groups were treated with the antidepressants imipramine and fluoxetine prior to LPS administration. In these groups, antidepressant treatment prevented the occurrence of social destabilization. These results indicate that this model could be useful in providing new insights into the understanding of the brain systems involved in depression.