The center of the incisive papilla for the selection of complete denture maxillary anterior teeth in 4 racial groups

Objectives: To evaluate the use of the center of the incisive papilla as a guide for the selection of the proper width of maxillary dentures in 4 racial groups. Method and Materials: One hundred sixty stone casts were obtained from impressions of the maxillary arch of white, black, mixed, and Asian subjects. The occlusal surfaces of the casts were photocopied and the images placed on a digitizer. The most anterior and posterior points of the papilla and cusp tips of the canines were digitized. Dentofacial Planner Plus software was used to calculate the distance from a line passing through the cusp tips of the canines to the center of the papilla, defined as the midpoint of the anterior and posterior points of the papilla. The selection error (in millimeters) due to the clinical application of the method of the incisive papilla was calculated and analyzed. Results: In all studied racial groups, there was no coincidence between the center of the incisive papilla and the canine line. The utilization of the center of the papilla would lead to the selection of wider artificial teeth. In 24.9% of the white, 19.3% of the mixed, 32.9% of the black, and 15.5% of the Asian populations, errors greater than 4 mm would be present with the utilization of the papilla. Conclusion: The method of the center of the incisive papilla is not accurate, but may aid in initial artificial teeth selection for the racial groups studied. (Quintessence Int 2008;39:841-845)

Cortical diversity in three species groups of Parmotrema sensu lato (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycota)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Application of cellulose modified with p-aminobenzoic groups in preconcentration system for determination of Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn in fuel ethanol samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Cellulose chemically modified with p-aminobenzoic groups, abbreviated as Cel-PAB, was used for preconcentration of copper, iron, nickel, and zinc from ethanol fuel, normally used in Brazil as engine fuel. The surface characteristics and the surface area of the cellulose were obtained before and after chemical modification using FT-IR, elemental analysis, and surface area analysis (B.E.T.). The retention and recovery of the analyte elements were studied by applying batch and column techniques.

Determination of copper, iron, nickel and zinc in gasoline by FAAS after sorption and preconcentration on silica modified with 2-aminotiazole groups

Silica gel chemically modified with 2-aminotiazole groups (SiAT), was used for preconcentration of cupper, zinc, nickel and iron from gasoline, normally used as a engine fuel. Surface characteristics and surface area of the silica gel were obtained before and after chemical modification using FT-IR, Kjeldhal and surface area analysis (B.E.T.). The retention and recovery of the analyte elements were studied by applying batch and column techniques. The experimental parameters, such as shaking time in batch technique, flow rate and concentration of the eluent (HCl-0.25-2.00 mol 1(-1)) and the amount of silica, on retention and elution, have been investigated. Detection limits of the method for cupper, iron, nickel and zinc are 0.8, 3, 2 and 0.1 mug 1(-1), respectively. The sorption-desorption of the studied metal ions made possible the development of a preconcentration method for metal ions at trace level in gasoline using flame AAS for their quantification. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Caution for using ventilatory frequency as an indicator of stress in fish

This study tested the use of ventilatory frequency (VF) as an indicator of stress in the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). Firstly, we tested the relationship between VF and plasma cortisol after confinement. Confined fish showed higher VF and plasma cortisol levels, but the latter continued to increase significantly for longer time than VF. Secondly, we conducted another experiment to test the use of VF as indicator of fish stress. In four out of six treatment, we confined the fish for different intervals (30 s, 5, 15 or 30 min). The others were used as control. In one, no handling was imposed. The other control consisted of introducing the partition (the same used to perform the confinement) into the aquarium for less than 4 s, without confinement and immediately removing the partition (partition control). Ventilatory frequency was increased for the partition control as much as for the longer duration of confinement. This clearly indicates that VF is a very sensitivity response to disturbance, but of limited use because this parameter does not reflect the severity of the stimulus. Thus, although VF is a non-invasive technique that does not require sophisticated recording equipment, its usefulness is limited. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Propolis effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine production and Toll-like receptor 2 and 4 expression in stressed mice

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

Propolis effect on Th1/Th2 cytokines production by acutely stressed mice

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

Propolis immunomodulatory activity on TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression by chronically stressed mice

Our group has been investigating the immunomodulatory activity of propolis in stressed mice. In this work, we wish to report the action of propolis in chronically stressed mice, assessing the Toll-like receptor (TLR2 and TLR-4) expression by spleen cells and corticosterone levels as a stress indicator. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: G1 was considered the control; G2 was treated with propolis (200mg kg(-1)); G3 was submitted to restraint stress for 14 days; and G4 was treated with propolis and immediately submitted to stress. After sacrifice, spleens were removed and TLR-2 and TLR-4 gene expression was analysed. TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression was increased in propolis-treated mice, and propolis administration to stressed mice prevented the inhibition of TLR-2 and TLR-4 expression. No differences were seen in the corticosterone levels among the groups. Propolis exerted an immunomodulatory action in chronically stressed mice, upregulating TLR-2 and TLR-4 mRNA expression, contributing to the recognition of microorganisms and favouring the initial steps of the immune response during stress.

Giardia muris and Giardia duodenalis groups: ultrastructural differences between the trophozoites

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

New analytical procedure based on a cellulose bag and ionic exchanger with p-aminobenzoic acid groups for differentiation of labile and inert metal species in aquatic systems

A new procedure was developed for the in situ characterization of the lability of metal species in aquatic systems by using a system equipped with a diffusion membrane and cellulose organomodified with p-aminobenzoic acid groups (DM-Cell-PAB). To this end, the DM-Cell-PAB system was prepared by adding cellulose organomodified with p-aminobenzoic acid groups (Cell-PAB) to pre-purified cellulose bags. After the DM-Cell-PAB system was sealed, it was examined in the laboratory to evaluate the influence of complexation time, mass of exchanger, pH, metal ions (Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, and Ni), and concentration of organic matter on the relative lability of metal species. It was found that the pH and kinetics strongly influence the process of metal complexation by the DM-Cell-PAB system. At all pH levels, Cd, Mn, and Ni showed lower complexation with Cell-PAB resin than Cu and Fe metals. Note that relative lability of metals complexed to aquatic humic substances (AHS) in the presence of Cell-PAB resin showed the following order: Cu congruent to Fe >> Ni > Mn=Cd. The results presented here also indicate that increasing the AHS concentration decreases the lability of metal species by shifting the equilibrium to AHS-metal complexes. Our results indicate that the system under study offers an interesting alternative that can be applied to in situ experiments for differentiation of labile and inert metal species in aquatic systems.

Phytoplankton assemblages in a reservoir cascade of a large tropical - subtropical river (SE, Brazil)

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

Diet and trophic groups of an aquatic insect community in a tropical stream

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

Floristic relationships among inland swamp forests of Southeastern and Central-Western Brazil

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

Fish community alterations due to pollution and damming in Tiete and Paranapanema rivers (Brazil)

The Tiete River crosses the metropolitan region of São Paulo (Brazil) and receives a large amount of pollution, in contrast to Paranapanema River which runs in a less populated area. In the inferior portions of the basins of these rivers, a series of reservoirs has been built for hydroelectric energy generation which improve the water quality due to the decantation of suspended soils and aeration in the water spills.Twenty-nine sampling sites were established along the two rivers and in each sampling site, two groups of eight gillnets were used with standardized sizes in two seasons: winter (dry season: June-September 1994) and summer (rainy season: December-March 1995). The fishes were measured and weighed.Twenty-five parameters related. to the water were recorded. PCA and cluster analysis helped to identify two groups of sampling sites. The first one corresponds to the rainy season samples, while the second corresponds to the dry season samples, so evidencing strong seasonal environmental variation. However, the dry season group is still divided into polluted and non-polluted sites, showing that during drought there are larger effects of pollutant concentration due to the decreased flow.A total of 415 kg of fish were caught, corresponding to 8324 individuals belonging to 64 different species, in 22 families and four orders of Teleostei. The largest catches occurred in the middle Tiete River. The catches in the reservoirs of the Tiete River, during the rainy season are superior to those of the dry season. on the other hand, sampling sites located in running water presented an inverse pattern with the largest catches in the dry-season. In river Paranapanema, catches are lower than in the Tiete River, except in Rosana Reservoir during the rainy season. Fish diversity was shown to be a good-indicator of environmental stress. In Tiete River an expressive fall in species richness was detected in the polluted stretches, with dominance of one or two species. In the intermediary stretches, the presence of rapids increases the amount of dissolved oxygen, allowing the development of the most abundant and diverse fish community of the river. Fish communities in the reservoirs of the inferior stretch of Tiete River are more diverse. on the other hand, the damming of the superior reaches of Paranapanema River provoked a decrease in diversity. 0 the whole, types of local fish communities detected, showing different compositions and specific abundances, revealed different ecological situations. A discriminant analysis revealed that the parameters of the water influencing the fish community were: dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nitrogen (nitrate, ammoniacal and albuminoid), phosphate, alkalinity, hardness and iron. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Skin diseases in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Paranagua estuary, Brazil: A possible indicator of a compromised marine environment

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