Fluoride concentration in public water supply: 72 months of analysis

Known as one of the ten most important advances on Public Health in the 20th century, fluoridation of public water supply is a measure of wide population coverage, which is effective on caries control. The city of Araçatuba, in the Northwest region of the São Paulo state, Brazil, started public water supply fluoridation in 1972 and, based on the average annual highest temperature, has kept the fluoride concentration between 0.6 to 0.8 mgF/L. The purpose of this study was to analyze monthly the fluoride concentration in public water supply in the city of Araçatuba during 72 months. Water samples were collected monthly on weekdays, directly from the water distribution network, on pre-established locations and analyzed in duplicate between November 2004 and October 2010 at the Research Laboratory of the Nucleus for Public Health (NEPESCO) of the Public Health Graduate Program from Araçatuba Dental School/UNESP, Brazil, using an fluoride-specific electrode connected to an ion analyzer. From the total of samples (n=591), 67.2% (n=397) presented fluoride concentration between 0.6 and 0.8 mgF/L; 20.6% (n=122) below 0.6 mgF/L; 11.5% (n=68) between 0.8 and 1.2 mgF/L and 0.7% (n=4) above 1.2 mgF/L. Most samples showed fluoride levels within the recommended parameters. Minimal variation was observed among the analyzed collection locations, showing that the city has been able to control the fluoride levels in the public water supply and reinforcing the importance of surveillance and constant monitoring to assure the quality of the water delivered to the population.

Oral manifestations of secondary syphilis in the elderly - A timely reminder for dentists

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum. Cases of syphilis have increased in frequency and are challenging when affecting the elderly. The main causes of increased prevalence of syphilis are sexual promiscuity, lack of knowledge about the disease and decreasing use of barrier protection. Clinically, the oral manifestation of syphilis may resemble other entities, which hampers the correct diagnosis. We report a case of a 79-year-old male with weight loss and feeding difficulties. In the oral cavity there were ulcerative lesions in the hard palate and bilaterally in the buccal mucosa. The incisional biopsy revealed only a non-specific ulceration of the oral mucosa. After 20 days, the patient was re-evaluated and presented maculopapular lesions in the palmar and plantar areas. Positive serological venereal disease reference laboratory (VDRL) tests confirmed the diagnosis of secondary syphilis. The patient was treated with Benzathine penicillin G. After two weeks of treatment the oral lesion disappeared and the patient returned to normal feeding and gained weight. This case report reinforces the need to alert physicians and dentists to include sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis in the differential diagnosis of oral ulcerative lesions in elderly sexually active patients. © 2013 Australian Dental Association.

Perfis hematológico, hepático, lipídico e lipoprotéico de cães (Canis familiaris) com doença hepática

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Utilização de forro de bambu e seus efeitos sobre os índices de conforto térmico e parâmetros zootécnicos de frangos de corte criados em diferentes densidades populacionais

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Elevated Plasma Hemoglobin Levels Increase Nitric Oxide Consumption in Experimental and Clinical Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assessment of structural cardiac abnormalities and diastolic function in women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Background: The main manifestation of hyperglycaemia during pregnancy is gestational diabetes mellitus. It can herald diabetes mellitus type 2 and its deleterious long-term effects, such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to assess diastolic function in women with gestational diabetes mellitus, one of the first signs of future cardiovascular disease.Methods: A total of 21 women with gestational diabetes mellitus and 23 healthy pregnant women (control group) between 34 and 37weeks of gestation underwent echocardiographic assessment. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus was made in agreement with the American Diabetes Association criteria. Echocardiographic images obtained were analysed according to the criteria of the American Society of Echocardiography. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation coefficient, analysis of variance and Student's t-test.Results: Women with gestational diabetes mellitus had higher posterior wall and interventricular septum thickness, increased left ventricular mass and left ventricular mass index, lower early diastolic annular velocity and early diastolic annular velocity/late diastolic annular velocity ratio. There was a positive correlation between left ventricular mass index and fasting glucose and pregnancy body mass index.Conclusion: Patients with gestational diabetes mellitus seem to have a different diastolic profile as well as a mildly dysfunctional pattern on echocardiogram, which may show a need for greater glycaemic control.

Effects of dipyrone, meloxicam, or the combination on hemostasis in conscious dogs

To compare the effects of dipyrone, meloxicam, and of the combination of these drugs on hemostasis in dogs. Prospective, blinded, randomized crossover study. Research laboratory at a veterinary teaching hospital. Six adult dogs. Animals received 4 intravenous treatments with 15-day washout intervals: control (physiological saline, 0.1 mL/kg), meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg), dipyrone (25 mg/kg), and dipyrone-meloxicam (25 and 0.2 mg/kg, respectively). A jugular catheter was placed for drug injection and for collecting samples for whole blood platelet aggregation (WBPA) and thromboelastometry assays at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 hours after treatment administration. The percent change from baseline of lag time and of the area under the curve (AUC) of impedance changes in response to collagen-induced platelet activation were recorded during WBPA. Thromboelastometry-derived parameters included clotting time, clot formation time, alpha-angle, and maximum clot firmness. The buccal mucosal bleeding time was evaluated by a blinded observer at baseline, 1, 3, and 5 hours after treatment injection. No significant changes in WBPA and thromboelastometry were recorded in the control treatment. Dipyrone significantly (P < 0.05) increased the lag time for 2 hours and decreased the AUC for 3 hours after injection. Meloxicam did not alter WBPA. Dipyrone-meloxicam significantly increased lag time for 2 hours and decreased the AUC for 5 hours after treatment injection. Experimental treatments did not differ from the control treatment for thromboelastometry and buccal mucosal bleeding time. While meloxicam does not alter hemostasis by the methods evaluated, dipyrone inhibits platelet aggregation for up to 3 hours. Meloxicam-dipyrone combination causes more prolonged inhibition of platelet function than dipyrone alone. Decreased platelet aggregation induced by dipyrone and dipyrone-meloxicam does not appear to impact the viscoelastic properties of the blood clot nor increase the risk of bleeding in dogs without preexisting hemostatic disorders.

Effect of oral infections on serum creatinine levels in diabetic rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pulpal and/or periodontal disease and serum creatinine levels in a rat model of diabetes mellitus. Methods: Eighty male rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus, Wistar) were divided into the following 8 groups compris-ing 10 animals each: normal (G1), with pulpal disease (G2), with periodontal disease (G3), with both pulpal and periodontal disease (G4), diabetic (G5), diabetic with pulpal disease (G6), diabetic with periodontal disease (G7), and diabetic with both pulpal and periodontal disease (G8). Diabetes was induced by injecting streptozotocin, pul-pal disease were induced by exposing pulpal tissue to the oral environment, and periodontal disease was induced by periodontal ligature. After 30 days, blood was collected by cardiac puncture and the animals were killed. The maxillae were processed for histopathology. Serum creatinine levels were measured by the enzymatic method. The total assessed values were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). Results: Serum creatinine levels were significantly higher in diabetic rats than that in all normoglycemic rats (p < 0.05). The presence of pulpal and periodontal disease increased the serum creatinine levels in normoglycemic and diabetic rats, but there was no statistical difference between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: We found that the serum creatinine level was higher in diabetic rats and may be related to the pres-ence of oral infections. Clinical significance: Changes in serum creatinine level may be related to the presence of oral infections and diabetes.

Zoneamento do escoamento superficial da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paciência, Ilha do Maranhão-MA

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Investigação da poluição por metais tóxicos no córrego do Cintra

Cintra stream is the major receiver of treated effluent from sanitary, hospital and research laboratory sewage from the UNESP campus in Botucatu, Rubião Júnior District, São Paulo state; and it has shown evidence of diffuse contamination by metals along it. Analyses of the most toxic metals (Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn) were carried out by using an atomic absorption spectrometer AA-6.800 - Perkin Elmer, analyst 700. ANOVA followed by the Tukey test were used for data analyses at 5% significance level. The main objective of this study was to compare current data on metal levels with data from other studies, in the same area, and of the same nature, conducted before and after implementation of chemical residue management by the university in 2008. Also, it aimed at identifying and quantifying possible diffuse and punctual contamination. Sites S1 and S2 showed punctual contamination, while diffuse sources were observed between S4 and S5. The quality of water in the Cintra Stream improved after establishment of the program of laboratory chemical residue management in the Campus of UNESP.