Analysis of TMJ vibration sounds before and after use of two types of occlusal splints

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds are important and common physical signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the effect of the use of occlusal bite splints (stabilizing and repositioning) on the sounds produced in the TMJ, by means of the electrovibratography (EVG). Thirty-one patients with TMD from the Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil were selected for this study. Group 1 (n=23) wore stabilizing bite splints and Group 2 (n=8) used anterior repositioning splints. Before and after treatment with occlusal splints both groups were analyzed using the SonoPAK Q/S recording system (BioResearch System, Inc.). The treatments with stabilizing bite splints were satisfactory, since they reduced the total amount of the sound energies (p<0.05), but the use of anterior repositioning splints for no more than 4 weeks produced significantly better results (p<0.01). The total amount of vibration energy involved in the vibrating movements of the TMJ showed significant improvement using anterior repositioning splints.

Reviewed evidence about the safety of the daily use of alcohol-based mouthrinses

Current scientific knowledge provides clear evidence that alcohol-based mouthwashes can be beneficial in a daily oral health routine, including dental hygiene and plaque control. Several issues are worth discussing, in spite of the wealth of supporting evidence. Despite some undesirable effects to some people, like burning sensation, and some contraindications, like the use by infants, alcohol addicts and patients with mucosal injuries, there is no reason to avoid the use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes as long as they are used following proper guidance by dental professionals and the manufacturers' instructions. The alleged correlation between oral cancer and alcohol-based mouthrinses presents so little, weak, inconsistent and even contradictory evidence in the literature that any kind of risk warning to patients would be uncalled for. Antimicrobial mouthrinses are safe and effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis, and should be part of a comprehensive oral health care regimen that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing to prevent or minimize periodontal disease.

Effect of different polishing systems on the surface roughness of microhybrid composites

The use of composite resins in dentistry is well accepted for restoring anterior and posterior teeth. Many polishing protocols have been evaluated for their effect on the surface roughness of restorative materials. This study compared the effect of different polishing systems on the surface roughness of microhybrid composites. Thirty-six specimens were prepared for each composite $#91;Charisma® (Heraeus Kulzer), Fill Magic® (Vigodent), TPH Spectrum® (Dentsply), Z100® (3M/ESPE) and Z250® (3M/ESPE)] and submitted to surface treatment with Enhance® and PoGo® (Dentsply) points, sequential Sof-Lex XT® aluminum oxide disks (3M/ESPE), and felt disks (TDV) combined with Excel® diamond polishing paste (TDV). Average surface roughness (Ra) was measured with a mechanical roughness tester. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA with repetition of the factorial design and the Tukey-Kramer test (p<0.01). The F-test result for treatments and resins was high (p<0.0001 for both), indicating that the effect of the treatment applied to the specimen surface and the effect of the type of resin on surface roughness was highly significant. Regarding the interaction between polishing system and type of resin used, a p value of 0.0002 was obtained, indicating a statistically significant difference. A Ra of 1.3663 was obtained for the Sof-Lex/TPH Spectrum interaction. In contrast, the Ra for the felt disk+paste/Z250 interactions was 0.1846. In conclusion, Sof-Lex polishing system produced a higher surface roughness on TPH Spectrum resin when compared to the other interactions.

Use of chewing gum containing 15% of xylitol and reduction in mutans streptococci salivary levels

Frequent use of Xylitol may decrease the S. mutans levels. However, very little is known about whether this effect on the levels of cariogenic bacteria is maintained after the interruption of short-term usage of xylitol. This study aimed at evaluating changes in mutans streptococci (MS) salivary levels after using a chewing gum containing xylitol. Twelve volunteers harboring > 10(5) CFU MS/ml saliva levels were asked to chew Happydent-xylit® for 5 minutes, 5 X/day, for 30 days. Saliva samples were collected at baseline, at 30 days after xylitol usage began, and at 30 days beyond its interruption. MS salivary levels were estimated. The average salivary levels of MS in the ten subjects who completed the study were 13.17 (NL-CFU) at baseline (A). After the 30 days experimental period (B), this average decreased to 9.45 (NL-CFU). Nine of ten subjects studied showed a reduction in MS salivary levels in relation to baseline, whereas salivary levels were maintained in the remaining subject. At thirty days beyond the interruption of xylitol usage (C), the average levels of MS were still reduced to 10.31 (NL-CFU). Multiple sample comparison using the Bonferroni test revealed that the decrease in MS levels observed from baseline (A) to the time immediately after 30 days of xylitol usage (B) was statistically significant (p < 0.05), and those levels were still decreased between baseline and 30 days beyond the interruption of xylitol usage (C). So, the use of xylitol induced a reduction in MS salivary levels after a short period of usage which persisted beyond its interruption.

Use of flowable composite as intermediary layer in non-carious cervical lesions restored with composite resin: 48-month follow-up

PURPOSE: In this case report, the clinical performance of a microhybrid resin composite placed with or without a flowable resin composite was compared, over a 48-month period. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient of this case report presented 2 pairs of equivalent cervical abfraction lesions, under occlusion. Four restorations were placed in teeth 34, 35, 44 and 45. The restorations were divided into groups (Single Bond + Filtek-Flow + Filtek Z250 or Single Bond + Filtek Z250) and the materials were applied according to the manufactures instructions. Two previously calibrated operators placed the restorations and two other independent examiners evaluated the restorations at baseline and after 48 months, according to the USPHS criteria and modified criteria for color match. CONCLUSION: After 48 months of evaluation the lesions restored with Filtek-Flow as a liner under Filtek Z250 did not show better clinical performance than the restorations without Filtek-Flow. All restorations showed a trend toward dark yellowing after 48 months.

Vancomycin use in a brazilian teaching hospital: comparison with the Hospital Infection Controlpractices Advisory Committee Guidelines (HICPAC)

This study describes vancomycin prescribing patterns in an average complexity hospital and compare the guidelines proposed by the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). The study was conducted in a 256-bed secondary-care hospital. Data were collected of all patients given vancomycin from March 2003 to February 2004, using a standardized chart-extraction form designed. Appropriate and inappropriate use was reviewed according to the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) guidelines on prudent vancomycin use. Out of 118 prescriptions, 95 (80.5%) were considered appropriate. Out of these 95 orders, 77 (81.1%) were administered for empiric treatment of suspected Gram-positive infections, 17 (17.9%) were administered for treatment of proven Gram-positive infections (76.5% identified as Staphyloccocus aureus-like agents) and 1 (1.0%) for beta-lactam allergy. The majority of the patients (96.6%) had recently used an antimicrobial medication (3 months). The mean pre-treatment hospitalization period was 11±10 days. Out of the 118 treatments, 67 (56.8%) were for nosocomial infections. The more frequent indications for vancomycin use were pneumonia (48.3%) and primary sepsis (18.6%), accounting for more than 66% of all treatments. No restriction policy was suggested because vancomycin use was considered adequate in the majority of the treatment cases. The broad empiric use of this antimicrobial was greater than expected in the institution and its use should be revised.

Use of chromosome microdissection in fish molecular cytogenetics

Chromosome microdissection is a technique in which whole chromosomes or chromosomal segments are dissected under an inverted microscope yielding chromosome-specific sequences. Several protocol modifications introduced during the past 15 years reduced the number of chromosomes required for most applications. This is of particular interest to fish molecular cytogenetics, since most species present highly uniform karyotypes which make impossible the collection of multiple copies of the same chromosome. Probes developed in this manner can be used to investigate chromosome homologies in closely related species. Here we describe a protocol recently used in the gymnotiform species group Eigenmannia and review the major steps involved in the generation of these markers focusing on protocol modifications aiming to reduce the number of required chromosomes.

Ant community richness and composition across a gradient from Eucalyptus plantations to secondary Atlantic Forest

Secondary forests and exotic tree plantations are expanding across tropical landscapes. However, our current understanding of the value of these human-dominated forest landscapes for invertebrate biodiversity conservation is still very poor. In this paper, we use the leaf-litter ant fauna to assess invertebrate diversity in one commercially managed Eucalyptus plantation (four years old), two abandoned plantations of different regeneration ages (16 and 31 years), and one neighboring secondary Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil. There was a clear gradient in species richness from the secondary forest to the managed Eucalyptus plantation; richness and diversity peaked in secondary forest and in the older regenerating Eucalyptus plantation. Significantly more species were recorded in secondary forest samples than in Eucalyptus plantations, but Eucalyptus plantations had a similar level of richness. Furthermore, a non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed clear differences in species composition between the younger managed Eucalyptus plantation (understory absent) and habitats with sub-developed or developed understory. Eucalyptus plantations were characterized by an assemblage of widespread, generalist species very different from those known to occur in core forest habitats of southeastern Brazil. Our results indicate that while older regenerating Eucalyptus plantations can provide habitat to facilitate the persistence of generalist ant species, it is unlikely to conserve most of the primary forest species, such as specialized predators, Dacetini predators, and nomadic species.

Opiniões e atitudes em relação à sexualidade: pesquisa de âmbito nacional, Brasil 2005

OBJETIVO: Descrever opiniões e atitudes sobre sexualidade da população urbana brasileira. MÉTODOS: Inquérito de base populacional realizado em 2005, em amostra representativa de 5.040 entrevistados. Realizou-se análise das atitudes diante da iniciação e educação sexual de adolescentes, considerando sexo, idade, escolaridade, renda, estado civil, religião, cor, região geográfica e opiniões sobre fidelidade, homossexualidade e masturbação. Os resultados foram contrastados com pesquisa similar realizada em 1998, sempre que possível. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos entrevistados escolheu como significado para o sexo a alternativa: "sexo é uma prova de amor". Como em 1998, a maioria manifestou-se pela iniciação sexual dos jovens depois do casamento (63,9% para iniciação feminina vs. 52,4% para a masculina), com diferenças entre praticantes das diversas religiões. A educação escolar de adolescentes sobre o uso do preservativo foi apoiada por 97% dos entrevistados, de todos os grupos sociais. Foi elevada a proporção de brasileiros que concordaram com o acesso ao preservativo nos serviços de saúde (95%) e na escola (83,6%). A fidelidade permaneceu um valor quase unânime e aumentou, em 2005, a proporção dos favoráveis à iniciação sexual depois do casamento, assim como a aceitação da masturbação e da homossexualidade, em relação à pesquisa de 1998. As gerações mais novas tendem a ser mais tolerantes e igualitárias. CONCLUSÕES: Como observado em outros países, confirma-se a dificuldade de estabelecer uma dimensão única que explique a regulação da vida sexual ("liberal" vs "conservador"). Sugere-se que a normatividade relativa à atividade sexual deva ser compreendidas à luz da cultura e organização social da sexualidade ao nível local, auscultadas pelos programas de DST/Aids. A opinião favorável ao acesso livre ao preservativo na escola contrasta com resultados mais lentos no âmbito do combate ao estigma e à discriminação das minorias homossexuais. A formulação de políticas laicas dedicadas à sexualidade permitirá o diálogo entre diferentes perspectivas.

The use of a graphite-silicone rubber composite electrode in the determination of rutin in pharmaceutical formulation

The possibility of using a graphite silicone-rubber composite electrode (GSR) in a differential pulse voltammetric(DPV) procedure for rutin (vitamin P) determination is described. Cyclic voltammograms of rutin presented a reversible pair of oxidation/reduction peaks respectively at 0.411 and 0.390 V (vs. SCE) at the GSR surface in Britton-Robinson(B-R) buffer solution pH 4.0. In DPV after optimization of conditions, an oxidation peak at 0.370 V (vs. SCE) was used to quantitative determination of rutin in B-R buffer solution pH 4.0. In this case a linear dynamic range of 5.0×10-8 to 50.0×10-8 mol L-1 was observed with a detection limit of 1.8×10-8 mol L-1 for the analyte. Recoveries from 94 to 113% were observed. The electrode surface was renewed by polishing after each determination, with a repeatability of 1.09 ± 0.06 µA (n = 10) peak current. Rutin was determined in a pharmaceutical formulation using the proposed electrode and the results agreed with those from an official method within 95% confidence level.

Potentiometric determination of Minoxidil in topical use pharmaceutical samples

A potentiometric titration method for the determination of minoxidil based on its redox reaction with K2Cr2O7 is described. The best results were observed using 1.00 x 10-3 mol L-1 K2Cr2O7 and 1.00 x 10-2 mol L-1 minoxidil solutions, and the minoxidil as titrant in 2.00 mol L-1 H2SO4 medium. The method was applied to commercial samples and compared with the results from a chromatographic procedure. Recoveries from 97.4 to 98.7 % were observed depending on the sample. Comparison with the chromatographic procedure reveled agreement within 90% confidence level.

Dipeptide synthesis in biphasic medium: evaluating the use of commercial porcine pancreatic lipase preparations and the involvement of contaminant proteases

Dipeptide syntheses starting from Ac-L-Tyr-OEt or Z-L-X-OMe (X: Asp, Tyr, Phe, Arg, Lys or Thr) and glycine amide in biphasic reaction media were achieved using two commercially available porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) preparations (crude (cPPL) and purified PPL (pPPL)). Under the mild conditions employed, α-chymotrypsin, a pancreatic protease that also presents esterase activity, catalyzed Ac-L-Tyr-Gly-NH2 synthesis with high productivity. Product hydrolysis also occurred in most of the syntheses studied. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, enzymatic assays employing specific chromogenic substrates and size-exclusion chromatography revealed that cPPL and pPPL contain contaminant proteases and, therefore, exhibit esterase and amidase activities. Overall, these data indicate that those contaminants may be the main catalysts of peptide bond synthesis when Nα-blocked-L-amino acid esters and the commercial PPL preparations are used. On the other hand, such data do not contest the possibility of using such enzyme preparations as an inexpensive source of catalysts for dipeptide synthesis under soft conditions.

Capture fishery in northern Todos os Santos Bay, tropical southwestern Atlantic, Brazil

Information on marine and estuarine capture fishery activity in northern Todos os Santos Bay, northeastern Brazil, based on daily data collected between September 2003 and June 2005 is presented. Small-scale artisanal fishery in this area includes the use of traditional vessels both nonmotorized and motorized for locomotion, being carried out mainly by canoe or on foot, and involves many different kinds of gear, including gillnet, hook and line, seine nets, and traps. A total of 113 taxa were grouped into 77 resources, including 88 fish, 10 crustaceans, and 15 mollusks. Data on nominal catches of fish, crustaceans and mollusks are presented by month and location. A total of 345.2 tonnes of fishery resources were produced (285.4 tonnes of fish, 39.2 tonnes of fresh invertebrates, and 20.6 tonnes of processed invertebrates). Temporal variation in the fish catch was associated with the life cycle of the species or with the hydrographic conditions. The first-sale value of this catch amounted to around US$ 615,000.00, fishes representing 71.3% of it. A table of the average price of each fishery resource is presented. The results produced in this study may be considered a reference for future monitoring programs of fishery resources in the area.

Validade científica de conhecimento epidemiológico gerado com base no estudo Saúde Bucal Brasil 2003

Problematiza-se a afirmação de que não são válidas as estimativas sobre as condições de saúde bucal da população brasileira geradas pelo SB Brasil 2003. Criticam-se os elementos que pretendem sustentar esse ponto de vista com base apenas em conceitos estatísticos, sem prova empírica. Identificam-se reduções decorrentes da abordagem epistemocêntrica que recusa peremptoriamente outras formas de conhecimento e não reconhece o caráter multidisciplinar da epidemiologia. Reconstituem-se informações sobre a realização do levantamento e seu impacto na produção de conhecimento. Faz-se uma analogia entre ciência e arte, argumentando-se que, nas imagens obtidas por ambas, os saberes gerados a partir do objeto cognoscível assumem feições variadas e, portanto, o reconhecimento de sua validade requer amplo domínio do objeto e operações com adequados critérios de valor. Conclui-se pela cientificidade, validade e relevância da produção acadêmica desenvolvida a partir da base de dados do levantamento SB Brasil 2003.

Contraceptive use and associated factors among adolescents on Santiago Island - Cape Verde - Western Africa

OBJECTIVE: to estimate the prevalence of contraceptive use and associated factors among adolescents attending public schools on Santiago Island, Cape Verde. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out with 368 sexually active adolescents aged 13-17years attending eight public elementary and high schools, randomly selected, on Santiago Island, Cape Verde, between January and March 2007. Poisson regression with robust variance was used for the multiple analysis of risk factors, at a 5% level of significance. RESULTS: among 368 adolescents, 69.3% reported having used a contraceptive method during the last act of sexual intercourse. The most frequently used method were condom (94.9%) and pill (26.4%). Factors significantly and positively associated with contraceptive use were: living in the capital (PR=1.23; CI95%: 1.07; 1.39); having dated and had sexual intercourse (PR =1.53; CI95%: 1.14;2.06); and having more than nine years of schooling (PR=1.19; CI95%: 1.02; 1.38). CONCLUSIONS: more educated adolescents who studied in Praia (the capital city) and were dating at the time of the study were more likely to use contraception. The high prevalence of condom use and the association between contraception use and years of schooling among adolescents may indicate that sexual and reproductive health policies have produced positive outcomes that may account for the decrease in HIV infection.