Intravaginal electrical stimulation: a randomized, double-blind study on the treatment of mixed urinary incontinence

Background the aim of this study was to compare effective and sham intravaginal electrical stimulation (IES) in treating mixed urinary incontinence. Methods. Between January 2001 and February 2002, 40 women were randomly distributed, in a double-blind study, into two groups: group G1 (n = 20), effective IES, and group G2 (n = 20), sham IES, with follow up at one month. Different parameters was studied: 1. clinical questionnaire, 2. body mass index; 3. 60-min pad test; 4. urodynamic study. The protocol of IES consisted of three 20-min sessions per week over a seven-week period. The Dualpex Uro 996 used a frequency of 4 Hz. Results. There was no statistically significant difference in the demographic data of both groups. The number of micturitions per 24 h after treatment was reduced significantly in both groups. Urge incontinence was reduced to 15% in G1 and 31.5% in G2; there was no significant difference between the groups. In the analog wetness and discomfort sensation evaluations were reduced significantly in both groups. The pretreatment urodynamic study showed no statistical difference in urodynamic parameters between the groups. Ten percent of the women presented involuntary detrusor contractions. In the 60-min pad test, there was a significant reduction in both groups. In regards to satisfaction level, after treatment, 80% of G1 patients and 65% of G2 patients were satisfied. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Conclusion. Significant improvement was provided by effective and sham electrostimulation, questioning the effectiveness of electrostimulation as a monotherapy.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis in a case of benign mixed mammary tumor in a female dog: cytological and histopathological assessment

Backgroud: Extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is defined as the presence of hematopoietic stem cells such as erythroid and myeloid lineage plus megakaryocytes in extramedullary sites like liver, spleen and lymph nodes and is usually associated with either bone marrow or hematological disorders. Mammary EMH is a rare condition either in human and veterinary medicine and can be associated with benign mixed mammary tumors, similarly to that described in this case.Case presentation: Hematopoietic stem cells were found in a benign mixed mammary tumor of a 7-year-old female mongrel dog that presents a nodule in the left inguinal mammary gland. The patient did not have any hematological abnormalities. Cytological evaluation demonstrated two distinct cell populations, composed of either epithelial or mesenchymal cells, sometimes associated with a fibrillar acidophilic matrix, apart from megakaryocytes, osteoclasts, metarubricytes, prorubricytes, rubricytes, rubriblasts, promyelocytes, myeloblasts. Histological examination confirmed the presence of an active hematopoietic bone marrow within the bone tissue of a benign mammary mixed tumor.Conclusions: EMH is a rare condition described in veterinary medicine that can be associated with mammary mixed tumors. It's detection can be associated with several neoplastic and non-neoplastic mammary lesions, i.e. osteosarcomas, mixed tumors and bone metaplasia.

Calcium Hydroxide Mixed With Camphoric p-Monochlorophenol or Chlorhexidine in Delayed Tooth Replantation

This study evaluated the repair process after delayed replantation of rat teeth, using calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) mixed with camphorated p-monochlorophenol (CMCP), chlorhexidine 2% (CHX), or saline as temporary root canal dressing to prevent and/or control inflammatory radicular resorption. Thirty Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinos) had their right upper incisor extracted, which was bench-dried for 60 minutes. The dental papilla, the enamel organ, the dental pulp, and the periodontal ligament were removed. The teeth were immersed in 2% acidulated-phosphate sodium fluoride solution for 10 minutes. The root canals were dried with absorbent paper cones and divided into 3 groups of 10 animals according to root canal dressing used: group 1: Ca(OH)(2) + saline, group 2: Ca(OH)(2) + CMCP, and group 3: Ca(OH)(2) + CHX 2%. Before replanting, the teeth sockets were irrigated with saline. Histological analysis revealed the presence of inflammatory resorption, replacement resorption, and ankylosis in all 3 groups. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between group 3 and the other groups. The use of Ca(OH)(2) mixed with CMCP or CHX did not show an advantage over the use of Ca(OH)(2) mixed with saline in preventing and/or controlling inflammatory resorption in delayed replantation of rat teeth.

Noradrenaline and mixed alpha(2)-adrenoceptor/imidazoline-receptor ligands: effects on sodium intake

The effect of noradrenaline, and mixed ligands to alpha(2)-adrenoceptors (alpha(2)-AR) and imidazoline receptors (IR), injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.), on sodium intake of sodium depleted rats, was tested against idazoxan, a mixed antagonist ligand to alpha(2)-AR and IR. The inhibition of sodium intake induced by noradrenaline (80 nmol) was completely reversed by idazoxan (160 and 320 nmol) injected i.c.v. The inhibition of sodium intake induced by mixed ligands to alpha(2)-AR and IR, UK14,304, guanabenz and moxonidine, was antagonized from 50 to 60% by idazoxan i.c.v. The results demonstrate that noradrenaline, a non-ligand for IR, acts on alpha(2)-AR inhibiting sodium intake. The possibility that either alpha(2)-AR or IR mediate the effect of mixed agonists on sodium intake remains an open question. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Survival rate, body size and food abundance in pure and mixed blowfly cultures

The influence of food abundance, larval density and interspecific interactions on the survival and body size of Chrysomya albiceps, Chrysomya megacephala and Cochliomyia macellaria was investigated in pure and mixed cultures, to determine the impact of competition and/or facultative predation on native and introduced blowfly species in South America. In mixed cultures there was complete elimination of C. megacephala and C. macellaria. Chrysomya albiceps exhibited higher survival in mixed compared to pure cultures, suggesting that predation offers more advantages than competition for food. Body size of C. albiceps was significantly affected by food scarcity in pure cultures. However, tibia size in males of all species suffered no significant variation as a function of food scarcity. The implications of these results for population dynamics of introduced and native blowfly species are discussed.

Vigilance towards raptors by nuclear species in bird mixed flocks in a Brazilian savannah

A nuclear or leader species is the one around which foraging activity is organized. In the campo-cerrado (Brazilian savannah) up to four bird species (Saltator atricollis, Cypsnagra hirundinacea, Mimus saturninus, and Neothraupis fasciata) may function as nuclear or leader species in mixed species flocks. The aim of this study was to assess the features shown by these nuclear species. I quantified parameters of sociality, communication and alertness of nuclear bird species in mixed flocks with different composition. Parameters related to sociality (mean intraspecific group size) and communication (frequency of contact calls) were not correlated with the leadership. on the other hand, the most alert species was in the front of a given mixed flock most of the time. The leader species spent more time in vigilance and gave most alarm calls due to approaching raptors earlier. The results of this study strongly suggest that the alertness of a species is the major character of nuclear bird species in mixed flocks of the campo-cerrado.

A Weak Maximum Principle for Optimal Control Problems with Nonsmooth Mixed Constraints

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of self-, chase and mixed self/cross-pollinations on pistil longevity and fruit set in Ceiba species (Bombacaceae) with late-acting self-incompatibility

Background and aims Late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI). in which selfed flowers fail to form fruits despite apparently successful growth of the pollen tubes to the ovules, is a contentious and still poorly understood phenomenon. Some studies have indicated pollen tube-pistil interactions, and major gene control. Others favour an early acting inbreeding depression explanation.Methods Experimental pollinations, including selfs (in a subsample of which the style was cut before pollen tubes reached the ovary), chase self/cross-pollinations, crosses, and mixed self/cross-pollinations were used to study floral/pistil longevity and effect on fruit set and seed yield in two Ceiba species known to have LSI.Results Self-pollinations, including those with a cut style, had extended floral longevity compared with unpollinated flowers. Chase pollinations in which cross-pollen was applied up to 3 h after selfing set fruits, but with reduced seed set compared with crosses. Those with cross-pollen applied at 4 and 8 h after self-pollination all failed to set fruits. Flowers subjected to 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 self/cross-pollinations all produced fruits but again with a significantly lower seed set compared with crosses.Conclusions Extended floral longevity initiated with self-pollen tubes growing in the style indicates some kind of pollen tube-pistil interaction. Fruit set only in chase pollinations up to 3 h implies that self-pollen tubes either grow more slowly in the style or penetrate ovules more slowly on arrival at the ovary compared with cross-tubes. This agrees with previous observations indicating that the incidence of penetrated ovules is initially lower in selfed compared with crossed pistils. However, the low seed yield from mixed pollinations indicates that self- and cross-pollen tubes arrive at the ovary and penetrate ovules more or less simultaneously. Possible explanations for these discordant results are discussed. (C) 2004 Annals of Botany Company.

Absence or weak correlation between chewing side preference and lateralities in primary, mixed and permanent dentition

Objectives: To determine whether chewing side preference (CSP) is correlated to lateralities (handedness, footedness, eyedness and earedness) in primary, mixed and permanent dentitions.Design: Three-hundred subjects were divided into 3 groups: Group 1-100 children 3-5 years old, primary dentition; Group 2-100 children 6-12 years old, mixed dentition; Group 3 - 100 subjects 18-47 years old, permanent dentition. CSP was determined using a method developed by Mc Donnell et al.(9) Subjects were given a piece of gum and the position of the chewing gum was recorded 7 times as right or left. Subjects were classified as 'observed preferred chewing side' (OPCS) when they performed 5/7, 6/7 or 7/7 strokes on the same side. OPCS corresponded to the CSP. Laterality tests were performed for handedness, footedness, eyedness and earedness tasks. The Chi-square (chi(2)) and phi correlation (r) tests were used to investigate significant correlations between CSP and sidedness.Results: There was a significant correlation between chewing and earedness (p = 0.00), although there was weak positive correlation (r = 0.30) for primary dentition. There were significant correlations between chewing and handedness (p = 0.02; r = 0.25) and chewing and footedness (p = 0.02; r = 0.26), however, there were weak positive correlations for mixed dentition; there were significant correlations between chewing and handedness (p = 0.02; r = 0.26); chewing and footedness (p = 0.00; r = 0.33) and chewing and earedness (p = 0.01; r = 0.29); however, there were weak positive correlations for permanent dentition.Conclusion: It may be concluded that CSP can be significantly correlated with: earedness for primary dentition; handedness and footedness for mixed dentition; handedness, footedness and earedness for permanent dentition, but these are weak positive relationships. Future work on larger samples of left- and right-sided individuals is required to validate the findings. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed-isotope Bose-Einstein condensates in rubidium

We consider the ground-state properties of mixed Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb-87 and Rb-85 atoms in the isotropic pancake trap for both signs of the interspecies scattering length. In the case of the repulsive interspecies interaction, there are the axially symmetric and symmetry-breaking ground states. The threshold for the symmetry-breaking transition, which is related to appearance of a zero dipole mode, is found numerically. For attractive interspecies interactions, the two condensates assume symmetric ground states for the numbers of atoms up to the collapse instability of the mixture.

Nonautonomous mixed mKdV-sinh-Gordon hierarchy

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

A class of mixed integrable models

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dimensional reduction of a binary Bose-Einstein condensate in mixed dimensions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of barium zirconate titanate ceramics prepared from mixed oxide method

Barium zirconium titanate (BZT) ceramics were prepared by mixed oxide method. X-ray diffraction showed the presence of a single phase while Raman scattering confirmed structural transitions as a function of different Zr/Ti ratio. The addition of Zr strongly influenced the crystal structure and electrical properties of the ceramics. A typical hysteresis loops were observed for all investigated compositions. BZT ceramics with 15 mol% Zr have shown a ferroelectric to paraelectric transition at around 77 degrees C. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Doxorubicin biocompatible O/W microemulsion stabilized by mixed surfactant containing soya phosphatidylcholine

Microemulsions (ME) containing soya phosphatidylcholine (SPC/polyoxyethylenglycerol trihydroxystearate 40 (EU)/sodium oleate (SO) as surfactant cholesterol (CHO) as oil phase and aqueous buffer were studied. Pseudo-ternary phase diagrams of the investigated systems were obtained at constant SPC/EU/SO weight ratio 3.5:3.5:3.0 by titration, in order to characterize the proportions between the components to form clear systems. The dynamic light scattering results showed that the size of the oil droplets decreases significantly with the ratio of surfactant/oil phase added to system. Depending on the composition ME system could exhibit a thixotropic behavior. The apparent viscosity increased 25- and 13-folds with cholesterol concentration for drug-free and drug-load ME, respectively. It was also verified that the octanol/aqueous buffer partition coefficient (K-O/B) of doxorubicin (DOX) was pH dependent increasing abruptly above pH 6.0. It was possible to incorporate 2.24 mg/ml of DOX into ME. The incorporation of DOX in the ME systems increased the droplets size for all surfactant concentrations used in the system. The results suggest that DOX interacts with the microstructure of the ME at the studied pH increasing significantly the drug solubility. It was possible to conclude that the investigated ME can be a very promising vehicle as drug-carrier for administration of doxorubicin. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.