Effect Of Daily Use Of An Enzymatic Denture Cleanser On Candida Albicans Biofilms Formed On Polyamide And Poly(methyl Methacrylate) Resins: An In Vitro Study.

Candida biofilms on denture surfaces are substantially reduced after a single immersion in denture cleanser. However, whether this effect is maintained when dentures are immersed in cleanser daily is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the daily use of enzymatic cleanser on Candida albicans biofilms on denture base materials. The surfaces of polyamide and poly(methyl methacrylate) resin specimens (n=54) were standardized and divided into 12 groups (n=9 per group), according to study factors (material type, treatment type, and periods of treatment). Candida albicans biofilms were allowed to form over 72 hours, after which the specimens were treated with enzymatic cleanser once daily for 1, 4, or 7 days. Thereafter, residual biofilm was ultrasonically removed and analyzed for viable cells (colony forming units/mm(2)) and enzymatic activity (phospholipase, aspartyl-protease, and hemolysin). Factors that interfered with the response variables were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA with the Holm-Sidak multiple comparison method (α=.05). Polyamide resin presented more viable cells of Candida albicans (P<.001) for both the evaluated treatment types and periods. Although enzymatic cleansing significantly (P<.001) reduced viable cells, daily use did not maintain this reduction (P<.001). Phospholipase activity significantly increased with time (P<.001) for both materials and treatments. However, poly(methyl methacrylate) based resin (P<.001) and enzymatic cleansing treatment (P<.001) contributed to lower phospholipase activity. Aspartyl-protease and hemolysin activities were not influenced by study factors (P>.05). Although daily use of an enzymatic cleanser reduced the number of viable cells and phospholipase activity, this treatment was not effective against residual biofilm over time.

Profile Of The Use Of Disease Modifying Drugs In The Brazilian Registry Of Spondyloarthritides.

Few studies have evaluated the profile of use of disease modifying drugs (DMD) in Brazilian patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). A common research protocol was applied prospectively in 1505 patients classified as SpA by criteria of the European Spondyloarthropathies Study Group (ESSG), followed at 29 referral centers in Rheumatology in Brazil. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained and evaluated, by analyzing their correlation with the use of DMDs methotrexate (MTX) and sulfasalazine (SSZ). At least one DMD was used by 73.6% of patients: MTX by 29.2% and SSZ by 21.7%, while 22.7% used both drugs. The use of MTX was significantly associated with peripheral involvement, and SSZ was associated with axial involvement, and the two drugs were more administered, separately or in combination, in the mixed involvement (p < 0.001). The use of a DMD was significantly associated with Caucasian ethnicity (MTX , p = 0.014), inflammatory back pain (SSZ, p = 0.002) , buttock pain (SSZ, p = 0.030), neck pain (MTX, p = 0.042), arthritis of the lower limbs (MTX, p < 0.001), arthritis of the upper limbs (MTX, p < 0.001), enthesitis (p = 0.007), dactylitis (MTX, p < 0.001), inflammatory bowel disease (SSZ, p < 0.001) and nail involvement (MTX, p < 0.001). The use of at least one DMD was reported by more than 70% of patients in a large cohort of Brazilian patients with SpA, with MTX use more associated with peripheral involvement and the use of SSZ more associated with axial involvement.

Contrasting Effects Of Land Use Intensity And Exotic Host Plants On The Specialization Of Interactions In Plant-herbivore Networks.

Human land use tends to decrease the diversity of native plant species and facilitate the invasion and establishment of exotic ones. Such changes in land use and plant community composition usually have negative impacts on the assemblages of native herbivorous insects. Highly specialized herbivores are expected to be especially sensitive to land use intensification and the presence of exotic plant species because they are neither capable of consuming alternative plant species of the native flora nor exotic plant species. Therefore, higher levels of land use intensity might reduce the proportion of highly specialized herbivores, which ultimately would lead to changes in the specialization of interactions in plant-herbivore networks. This study investigates the community-wide effects of land use intensity on the degree of specialization of 72 plant-herbivore networks, including effects mediated by the increase in the proportion of exotic plant species. Contrary to our expectation, the net effect of land use intensity on network specialization was positive. However, this positive effect of land use intensity was partially canceled by an opposite effect of the proportion of exotic plant species on network specialization. When we analyzed networks composed exclusively of endophagous herbivores separately from those composed exclusively of exophagous herbivores, we found that only endophages showed a consistent change in network specialization at higher land use levels. Altogether, these results indicate that land use intensity is an important ecological driver of network specialization, by way of reducing the local host range of herbivore guilds with highly specialized feeding habits. However, because the effect of land use intensity is offset by an opposite effect owing to the proportion of exotic host species, the net effect of land use in a given herbivore assemblage will likely depend on the extent of the replacement of native host species with exotic ones.

Chronicity Factors Of Temporomandibular Disorders: A Critical Review Of The Literature.

Facial pain often persists long after any identifiable organic pathology has healed. Moreover, in a subgroup of patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD), no treatment is effective. Knowledge of factors associated with persistent pain in TMD could help identify personalized treatment approaches. Therefore, we conducted a critical review of the literature for the period from January 2000 to December 2013 to identify factors related to TMD development and persistence. The literature findings showed that chronic TMD is marked by psychological distress (somatization and depression, affective distress, fear of pain, fear of movement, and catastrophizing) and characteristics of pain amplification (hyperalgesia and allodynia). Furthermore, these factors seem to interact in TMD development. In addition, our review demonstrates that upregulation of the serotonergic pathway, sleep problems, and gene polymorphisms influence the chronicity of TMD. We conclude that psychological distress and pain amplification contribute to chronic TMD development, and that interactions among these factors complicate pain management. These findings emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary assistance in TMD treatment.