A fala nas diferentes modalidades de reabilitação oral protética em idosos

TEMA: a produção da fala nas modalidades de reabilitação oral protética. OBJETIVO: verificar se o tipo de reabilitação oral interfere na produção da fala. MÉTODO: 36 idosos (média = 68 anos), divididos em 3 grupos, foram avaliados: 13 com dentes naturais (A), 13 com prótese total mucosossuportada superior e inferior (B) e 10 com prótese total mucosossuportada superior e implantossuportada inferior (C). A estabilidade das próteses foi avaliada por um dentista e amostras de fala foram analisadas por 5 fonoaudiólogos. Para determinar a freqüência de alteração dos sons da fala utilizou-se o cálculo da Porcentagem de Consoantes Corretas (PCC). RESULTADOS: observou-se poucos casos com alteração de fala, com maior freqüência no grupo C (23,08%), sendo a articulação travada presente em todos os grupos, a redução dos movimentos labiais em dois grupos (A e B) e a articulação exagerada e a falta de controle salivar em um dos grupos (C e B). Quanto à PCC, menor valor foi observado para os fones linguodentais nos grupos B e C (maior ocorrência de alteração), seguido dos fones alveolares, predominando casos sem alteração no grupo A, contrariamente aos demais grupos, sendo a projeção lingual e o ceceio as alterações mais encontradas. Não houve diferença entre os grupos e a maioria do grupo B estava com a prótese inferior insatisfatória, não havendo associação entre alteração de fala e prótese insatisfatória. CONCLUSÃO: apesar da amostra pequena, indivíduos reabilitados com prótese total apresentam alteração nos fones linguodentais e alveolares e o tipo de prótese, bem como a estabilidade desta parece não interferir na produção da fala.

Organized Crime and Terrorism: From the Cells Towards Political Communication, A Case Study

During the first half of 2006 the city of Sao Paulo suffered three series of violent attacks against the security forces, civilians, and the government. The violent campaign also included a massive rebellion in prisons and culminated in the kidnapping of a journalist and the broadcast of a manifesto from the criminal organization PCC threatening the police and the government. Right after, the main device used to contain organized crime in the prisons was declared unconstitutional. This episode represents a prototypical example of the use of media-focused terrorism by organized crime for projection into the political communication arena.

Morphological and molecular characterization of cyanobacteria from a Brazilian facultative wastewater stabilization pond and evaluation of microcystin production

The cyanobacterial population in the Cajati waste stabilization pond system (WSP) from Sao Paulo State, Brazil was assessed by cell isolation and direct microscope counting techniques. Ten strains, belonging to five genera (Synechococcus, Merismopedia, Leptolyngbya, Limnothrix, and Nostoc), were isolated and identified by morphological and molecular analyses. Morphological identification of the isolated strains was congruent with their phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rDNA gene sequences. Six cyanobacterial genera (Synechocystis, Aphanocapsa, Merismopedia, Lyngbya, Phormidium, and Pseudanabaena) were identified by direct microscope inspection. Both techniques were complementary, since, of the six genera identified by direct microscopic inspection, only Merismopedia was isolated, and the four other isolated genera were not detected by direct inspection. Direct microscope counting of preserved cells showed that cyanobacteria were the dominant members (> 90%) of the phytoplankton community during both periods evaluated (summer and autumn). ELISA tests specific for hepatotoxicmicrocystins gave positive results for six strains (Synechococcus CENA108, Merismopedia CENA106, Leptolyngbya CENA103, Leptolyngbya CENA112, Limnothrix CENA109, and Limnothrix CENA110), and for wastewater samples collected from raw influent (3.70 mu g microcystins/l) and treated effluent (3.74 mu g microcystins/l) in summer. Our findings indicate that toxic cyanobacteria in WSP systems are of concern, since the treated effluent containing cyanotoxins will be discharged into rivers, irrigation channels, estuaries, or reservoirs, and can affect human and animal health.

GEITLERINEMA SPECIES (OSCILLATORIALES, CYANOBACTERIA) REVEALED BY CELLULAR MORPHOLOGY, ULTRASTRUCTURE, AND DNA SEQUENCING

Geitlerinema amphibium (C. Agardh ex Gomont) Anagn. and G. unigranulatum (Rama N. Singh) Komarek et M. T. P. Azevedo are morphologically close species with characteristics frequently overlapping. Ten strains of Geitlerinema (six of G. amphibium and four of G. unigranulatum) were analyzed by DNA sequencing and transmission electronic and optical microscopy. Among the investigated strains, the two species were not separated with respect to cellular dimensions, and cellular width was the most varying characteristic. The number and localization of granules, as well as other ultrastructural characteristics, did not provide a means to discriminate between the two species. The two species were not separated either by geography or environment. These results were further corroborated by the analysis of the cpcB-cpcA intergenic spacer (PC-IGS) sequences. Given the fact that morphology is very uniform, plus the coexistence of these populations in the same habitat, it would be nearly impossible to distinguish between them in nature. On the other hand, two of the analyzed strains were distinct from all others based on the PC-IGS sequences, in spite of their morphological similarity. PC-IGS sequences indicate that these two strains could be a different species of Geitlerinema. Using morphology, cell ultrastructure, and PC-IGS sequences, it is not possible to distinguish G. amphibium and G. unigranulatum. Therefore, they should be treated as one species, G. unigranulatum as a synonym of G. amphibium.

Non-ribosomal peptides produced by Brazilian cyanobacterial isolates with antimicrobial activity

Cyanobacterial strains isolated from terrestrial and freshwater habitats in Brazil were evaluated for their antimicrobial and siderophore activities. Metabolites of fifty isolates were extracted from the supernatant culture media and cells using ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. The extracts of 24 isolates showed antimicrobial activity against several pathogenic bacteria and one yeast. These active extracts were characterized by Q-TOF/MS. The cyanobacterial strains Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii 339-T3, Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942, Microcystis aeruginosa NPCD-1, M. panniformis SCP702 and Fischerella sp. CENA19 provided the most active extracts. The 50 cyanobacterial strains were also screened for the presence of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) genes and microcystin production. Putative fragment genes coding for NRPS adenylation domains and PKS keto-synthase domains were successfully PCR amplified from 92% and 80% of cyanobacterial strains, respectively. The potential therapeutical compounds siderophores were detected in five cyanobacterial isolates. Microcystin production was detected by ELISA test in 26% of the isolates. Further a protease inhibitor substance was detected by LC-MS/MS in the M. aeruginosa NPLJ-4 extract and the presence of aeruginosin and cyanopeptolin was confirmed by PCR amplification using specific primers, and sequenced. This screening study showed that Brazilian cyanobacterial isolates are a rich source of natural products with potential for pharmacological and biotechnological applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Psychometric qualities of the Brazilian versions of the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and the Heaviness of Smoking Index

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Brazilian versions of the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI). The test-retest reliability of the FTND was assessed in a sample of 61 smoking university students, with a 15-day interval between assessments. The interrater reliability was examined in 30 smoking patients of a psychosocial care center for alcohol and drug users (PCC-AD). The reliability coefficient was estimated by the kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients. The predictive validity, internal consistency, and factor structure of the FTND and the HSI were evaluated by factor analysis in 271 smokers treated at an emergency unit and at the PCC-AD. The gold standard was the nicotine dependence criteria of DSM-IV, as assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. The FTND showed high reliability, with correlation coefficients of .92 for test-retest reliability and .99 for interrater reliability. Both the FTND and the HSI presented high levels of sensitivity and specificity. The internal consistency evaluation yielded a Cronbach`s alpha coefficient of .83 for the FTND and of .56 for the HSI. An exploratory factor analysis found 2 factors in the FTND, which were validated by a confirmatory factor analysis. The results obtained in this study confirm the validity and reliability of the Brazilian versions of the FTND and the HSI.

End-of-life practices in seven Brazilian pediatric intensive care units

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of life support limitation and medical practices in the last 48 hrs of life of children in seven Brazilian pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Design. Cross-sectional multicenter retrospective study based on medical chart review. Setting: Seven PICUs belonging to university and tertiary hospitals located in three Brazilian regions: two in Porto Alegre (southern region), two in Sao Paulo (southeastern region), and three in Salvador (northeastern region). Patients. Medical records of all children who died in seven PICUs from January 2003 to December 2004. Deaths in the first 24 hrs of admission to the PICU and brain death were excluded. Interventions: Two pediatric intensive care residents from each PICU were trained to fill out a standard protocol (K = 0.9) to record demographic data and all medical management provided in the last 48 hrs of life (inotropes, sedatives, mechanical ventilation, full resuscitation maneuvers or not). Student`s t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square test, and relative risk were used for comparison of data. Measurements and Main Results. Five hundred and sixty-one deaths were identified; 97 records were excluded (61 because of brain death and 36 due to <24 hrs in the PICU). Thirty-six medical charts could not be found. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed in 242 children (57%) with a significant difference between the southeastern and northeastern regions (p =.0003). Older age (p = .025) and longer PICU stay (p = .001) were associated with do-not-resuscitate orders. In just 52.5% of the patients with life support limitation, the decision was clearly recorded in the medical chart. No ventilatory support was provided in 14 cases. Inotropic drug infusions were maintained or increased in 66% of patients with do-not-resuscitate orders. Conclusions. The incidence of life support limitation has increased among Brazilian PICUs but with significant regional differences. Do-not-resuscitate orders are still the most common practice, with scarce initiatives for withdrawing or withholding life support measures.