A inter-relação entre as infecções pulpares e a diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects the dental pulp due to some local changes. Before this information, a research through literature was made with the purpose to study the interrelation between pulp infections and diabetes. We analyzed several articles that described researches involving animals and they showed that there is a relation between diabetes and size, progression and severity of the periradicular lesions. There is evidence that diabetes is an important factor over the oral tissue, causing alterations in the inflammatory mediators and changing the structure of the pulp. Although many studies prove that there is an interrelation between diabetes and pulp infections, there are still some gaps in the current literature that need to be filled.

Occurrence of Odontogenic Infections in Patients Treated in a Postgraduation Program on Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology

This study assessed the occurrence and characteristics of oral and maxillofacial infections in patients treated at a Brazilian oral and maxillofacial emergency service during a 7-year period. The clinical files of all patients treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology Service of the Aracatuba Dental School, São Paulo State University, Brazil, between 2002 and 2008 were reviewed. From a population of 3645 patients treated in this period, the study sample consisted of 93 subjects who presented odontogenic infections. Data referring to the patients' sex, age, medical history, and the etiology, diagnosis, complications, drug therapy/treatment, and evolution of the pathologic diseases were collected and analyzed using the Epi Info 2000 software. of these patients, 54 were men (58.1%) and 39 were women (41.9%). Most patients were in the 31- to 40-year-old (20.7%) and 21- to 30-year-old (19.6%) age groups. The most frequent etiology was pulp necrosis due to caries (80.6%). Regarding the treatment, antibiotics were administered to all patients, surgical drainage was done in 75 patients (82.4%), and 44 patients (47.3%) needed hospital admission. First-generation cephalosporin alone or combined with other drugs was the most prescribed antibiotic (n = 26) followed by penicillin G (n = 25). Most patients (n = 85, 91.4%) responded well to the treatment. Five cases had complications: 3 patients needed hospital readmission, 1 case progressed to descending mediastinitis, and 1 patient died. Odontogenic infections can be life-threatening and require hospital admission for adequate patient care. Complications from odontogenic infections, although rare, may be fatal if not properly managed.

HEMATOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN FOUR BRAZILIAN TELEOST FISH WITH PARASITIC INFECTIONS, COLLECTED IN FEEFISHING FROM FRANCA, São Paulo, BRAZIL

The effects of parasitic infections in condition factor, hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and leucocytes and thrombocytes distribution in Piaractus mesopotamicus, Leporinus macrocephalus, hybrid tambacu (P. mesopotamicus x Colossoma macropomum and Brycon amazonicus collected in feefishing from Franca, São Paulo, Brazil were evaluated. Parasitized tambacu and L. macrocephalus had higher (p<0.05) condition factor than unparasitized fish. However, the contrary occurred in P. mesopotamicus and B. amazonicus. Changes in the hematocrit, hemoglobin and MCHC were not related to parasitism. Parasitic infections did not cause effect on leucocytes and thrombocytes percentage (p>0.05) of tambacu. In P. mesopotamicus parasitized by Monogenea Anacanthorus penilabiatus and dinoflagellate Piscinoodinium pillulare, increase in monocytes and decrease in thrombocytes percentage (p<0.05) were found. However, the same parasitic association in L. macrocephalus caused a decrease in lymphocytes percentage accompanied by increase in neutrophils percentage (p<0.05). In B. amazonicus, infection by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, P. pillulare and monogeneans caused increase in neutrophils percentage.

Observations on helminth infections of free-living and captive rheas (Rhea americana) in Brazil

The present work describes helminth infection of eight free-living and 12 captive rheas (Rhea americana) from, respectively, Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul State, and Jaboticabal, São Paulo State, Brazil. Captive birds were young and had a high mortality rate, while free-living birds were adult and apparently healthy. Infections were evaluated by post-mortem examination of internal organs and recovery of helminths using standard parasitological procedures. Seven species of nematodes (Sicarius uncinipenis, Torquatoides crotophaga, Deletrocephalus dimidiatus, D. cesarpintoi, Paradeletrocephalus minor, Capillaria venteli and Dicheilonema rheae) and two species of cestodes (Houttuynia struthionis and Chapmania tauricolis) were identified. P. minor, which inhabits the large intestine, was the most common helminth in free-living birds (63.9%). In captive rheas, a mean parasitic load of 173 helminths per host was found. The gizzard of these birds was the most parasitized organ and S. uncinipenis was most common (92.5%). Parasitism of free-living and captive birds and associated pathology are discussed. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B. V.

Natural infections with filarioidea nematodes in Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris in the floodplain of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Foram coletados 570 nematódeos Filaroidea de 36 capivaras, sacrificadas entre 1989 e 1996, onze jovens menores que seis meses e 25 adultas, provenientes da região do pantanal do Mato Grosso do Sul (Paiaguás). Cento e setenta e seis (176) espécimes de Yatesia hydrochoerus foram encontrados nas fáscias dos músculos esqueléticos, principalmente da região do obliquus externus abdominis e na face interna dos membros posteriores e trezentos e noventa e quatro (394) espécimes de Cruorifilaria tuberocauda foram coletados das artérias renais (380) e das artérias pulmonares (14) dos animais.

Neospora caninum infection in birds: experimental infections in chicken and embryonated eggs

Neospora caninum causes economical impact in cattle-raising farms since it is implicated as the major cause of bovine abortions. Although infection by the parasite has been widely described in mammals, the role of birds in its life-cycle is still obscure. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the infection by N. caninum in different chicken models. Experimental infections were conducted in 7-day-old chicks, laying hens and embryonated eggs, where samples were analysed for parasite burden, IgG antibodies and lesions promoted. Chickens demonstrated an asymptomatic infection, although with seroconversion and systemic replication of the parasite. In laying hens, no signs of vertical transmission were observed. However, embryonated eggs inoculated by the allantoic cavity route demonstrated susceptibility to infection, with mortality rates around 50% independent of the inoculum dose. Additionally, dogs became infected after ingestion of different amounts of inoculated eggs, producing either oocysts or specific IgG antibodies. The results herein presented demonstrate that chickens may be intermediate hosts of N. caninum and that embryonated eggs could be a useful model to study the parasite's biology.

Phenotypical characterization and adhesin identification in Escherichia coli strains isolated from dogs with urinary tract infections

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hypolipemic and antioxidant activities from Tamarindus indica L. pulp fruit extract in hypercholesterolemic hamsters

Dietary modifications may significantly reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The present study addressed the effects of the crude extract from the pulp fruit of Tamarindus indica L. on lipid serum levels and early atherosclerotic lesions in hypercholesterolemic hamsters in vivo, and the extract's antioxidant action, in vitro. Animals were fed on either chow or atherogenic diet during 10 weeks and concomitantly received either water or T indica L. extract for drinking. Treatment of hypercholesterolemic hamsters with the T. indica pulp fruit extract (5%) led to a decrease in the levels of serum total cholesterol (50%), non-HDL cholesterol (73%) and triglyceride (60%), and to an increase of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (61%). In vitro, the extract presented radical scavenging ability, as assessed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide radicals assays, and led to decreased lipid peroxidation in serum, as assessed by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. In vivo, the extract improved the efficiency of the antioxidant defense system, as assessed by the superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Together these results indicate the potential of tamarind extracts in diminishing the risk of atherosclerosis development in humans. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fermentative and microbiological profile of marandu-grass ensiled with citrus pulp pellets

Forragens com alta umidade e baixa concentração de carboidratos solúveis, como é o caso dos capins tropicais, podem conduzir a condições desfavoráveis para a produção de silagens de qualidade satisfatória. Esse estudo objetivou conhecer o perfil fermentativo e microbiológico de silagens de capim-Marandu [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex. A. Rich) Stapf cv. Marandu], colhido com 58 dias de crescimento, aditivadas com polpa cítrica peletizada (PCP),. Foram utilizados silos experimentais de PVC adaptados com válvula do tipo Bunsen, tendo a silagem atingindo densidade de 900 kg m-3. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três proporções de PCP (0, 50 e 100 g kg-1 em relação a matéria natural) e sete tempos de abertura após a ensilagem (1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28 e 56 dias). A presença de PCP aumentou os teores de CHOs em 15 a 20%, reduziu o pH (5,3 para 4,2) e diminuiu as concentrações de N-NH3. Houve crescimento da população de enterobactérias somente durante o primeiro dia de fermentação (média 3 UFC g-1), pequeno desenvolvimento de clostrideos (média 0,5 UFC g-1) e dominância de bactérias homo em relação às heterofermentativas, para os três tratamentos estudados. A adição de polpa cítrica durante a ensilagem do capim-Marandu foi benéfica, podendo ser recomendada desde que haja benefício econômico na sua adoção.

Effect of inclusion of citrus pulp in the diet of finishing swines

No primeiro ensaio foram utilizados 16 suínos machos castrados da linhagem Topigs, com peso inicial de 80,5±4,7 kg, para a avaliação biológica da polpa cítrica. Por apresentar 18,85% de fibra em detergente neutro e 41,18% de fibra solúvel em detergente neutro, a polpa cítrica mostrou-se como um ingrediente viável a ser utilizado em programas de restrição alimentar qualitativa. No segundo ensaio foram utilizados 36 suínos machos castrados, com peso inicial de 83,7±5,1 kg, recebendo rações com níveis de 0, 10, 20 e 30% de polpa cítrica. Os animais foram abatidos com peso próximo de 130 kg, sendo avaliados quanto ao desempenho e parâmetros séricos. Houve resposta quadrática (P<0,05) para ganho diário de peso e número de dias para atingir o peso de 130 kg, em função dos níveis de polpa cítrica na dieta, sendo observados melhores resultados com níveis de inclusão de 10,79 e 10,97%, respectivamente. Para os parâmetros séricos avaliados, não foi observado efeito (P>0,05) dos níveis de polpa cítrica sobre a uréia e triacilgliceróis, porém houve resposta quadrática (P<0,05) para o colesterol em função dos níveis de polpa cítrica.

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of heavy swine fed different citrus pulp levels

Foi realizado um ensaio utilizando 36 suínos machos castrados, com peso inicial de 83,7±5,1kg, para avaliar o efeito da inclusão de polpa cítrica, 0, 10, 20 e 30%, em um programa de restrição alimentar qualitativa para suínos abatidos aos 130kg de peso, sobre o peso dos órgãos do sistema digestório e sobre características da carcaça e da qualidade da carne. A inclusão de polpa cítrica proporcionou aumento linear (P<0,05) nos pesos do estômago, cólon e fígado, e efeito quadrático (P<0,05) no peso do ceco. Foi observada redução linear (P<0,05) no peso, no rendimento da carcaça e no peso do pernil, porém não houve efeito (P>0,05) sobre o rendimento do pernil. Maior inclusão de polpa cítrica não foi suficiente para reduzir a espessura do toucinho e aumentar a quantidade de carne magra na carcaça, mostrando que a restrição alimentar qualitativa não foi eficiente. Foi observado aumento linear (P<0,05) do pH da carcaça resfriada e linear negativo (P<0,05) sobre as variáveis indicativas de cor da carne em função da inclusão da polpa cítrica nas dietas. A adição de polpa cítrica em programas de restrição alimentar qualitativa não foi eficiente. Por não promover nenhum efeito deletério sobre as características da carne, a polpa cítrica pode ser utilizada como ingrediente alternativo para suínos em terminação.

Use of Primary Sludge from Pulp and Paper Mills for Nanocomposites

Cellulose nanocrystals have been evaluated as reinforcement material in polymeric matrices due to their potential to improve the mechanical, optical, and dielectric properties of these matrixes. This work describes how high pressure defibrillation and chemical purification affect the sludge fiber morphology from micro to nanoscale. Microscopy techniques and X-ray diffraction were used to study the structure and properties of the prepared nanofibers and composites. Microscopic studies showed that the used individualization processes lead to a unique morphology of interconnected web-like structure of sludge fibers. The nanofibers are bundles of cellulose fibers having widths (5 to 30 nm) and estimated lengths of several micrometers.

Pyrolysis and combustion of pulp mill lime sludge

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

Volatile compounds from organic and conventional passion fruit (Passiflora edulis F. Flavicarpa) pulp

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

The influence of ripening stage and cultivation system on the total antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds of yellow passion fruit pulp

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