Compounds used to produce cloned animals are genotoxic and mutagenic in mammalian assays in vitro and in vivo

The compounds 6-dimethylaminopurine and cycloheximide promote the successful production of cloned mammals and have been used in the development of embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. This study investigated the effects of 6-dimethylaminopurine and cycloheximide in vitro, using the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide colorimetric assay to assess cytotoxicity, the trypan blue exclusion assay to assess cell viability, the comet assay to assess genotoxicity, and the micronucleus test with cytokinesis block to test mutagenicity. In addition, the comet assay and the micronucleus test were also performed on peripheral blood cells of 54 male Swiss mice, 35 g each, to assess the effects of the compounds in vivo. The results indicated that both 6-dimethylaminopurine and cycloheximide, at the concentrations and doses tested, were cytotoxic in vitro and genotoxic and mutagenic in vitro and in vivo, altered the nuclear division index in vitro, but did not diminish cell viability in vitro. Considering that alterations in DNA play important roles in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and morphofunctional teratogenesis and reduce embryonic viability, this study indicated that 6-dimethylaminopurine and cycloheximide utilized in the process of mammalian cloning may be responsible for the low embryo viability commonly seen in nuclear transfer after implantation in utero.

3-D Technology Used to Accurately Understand Equine Ileocolonic Aganglionosis

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

Analysis of the procedures used to evaluate suicide crime scenes in Brazil: A statistical approach to interpret reports

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

Life-history strategies associated to reproduction of three Hyphessobrycon species (Characidae) in lentic environments of upper Paraná River basin

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Procedimentos do ensino da leitura no primeiro ano do ensino fundamental: concepções, estratégias e resultados

The theme of the reading in the first year of the literacy cycle has become recurrent in academic papers, research groups, discussion forums, conferences etc. and raised different positions depending on the theoretical framework with which it is studied. While it is granted that reading instruction this school year is to ensure the ability to encode and decode and learn and understand the meanings and the meanings of what we read. In this work, it formed a general objective to investigate how reading skills are being developed in the classroom and the strategies used to develop decoding and understanding of meanings. The question that formed the north to the survey was as follows: The strategies and procedures being used in the teaching of reading in the early literacy process develop the coding and decoding skills beyond the grasp and understanding of the meanings of ideas? The specific objectives were established: a) investigate how is the teaching of reading in the first grade of elementary school; b) identify the teaching strategies and the design of reading and reader that the teacher of the class has observed and relate it to the way he teaches; c) verify that the teaching of reading in the first year of the literacy process, develop the early reading skills, decoding, and favors the development of the apprehension and understanding of the meanings of what we read. The methodology included field research, from a qualitative interpretation approach and had as direct data source the natural environment in which the teaching of reading has been developed. The work then displays data results analyzed in the light of literacy concepts distinguished by Soares (2011), and reading by Silva (1983), Foucambert (1994), Solé (1998), among others. The results were extracted inferences and interpretations. It is hoped that this work raises in literacy teachers, reflections on the teaching of reading in the literacy cicle, in order to establish the...

Procedimentos do ensino da leitura no primeiro ano do ensino fundamental: concepções, estratégias e resultados

The theme of the reading in the first year of the literacy cycle has become recurrent in academic papers, research groups, discussion forums, conferences etc. and raised different positions depending on the theoretical framework with which it is studied. While it is granted that reading instruction this school year is to ensure the ability to encode and decode and learn and understand the meanings and the meanings of what we read. In this work, it formed a general objective to investigate how reading skills are being developed in the classroom and the strategies used to develop decoding and understanding of meanings. The question that formed the north to the survey was as follows: The strategies and procedures being used in the teaching of reading in the early literacy process develop the coding and decoding skills beyond the grasp and understanding of the meanings of ideas? The specific objectives were established: a) investigate how is the teaching of reading in the first grade of elementary school; b) identify the teaching strategies and the design of reading and reader that the teacher of the class has observed and relate it to the way he teaches; c) verify that the teaching of reading in the first year of the literacy process, develop the early reading skills, decoding, and favors the development of the apprehension and understanding of the meanings of what we read. The methodology included field research, from a qualitative interpretation approach and had as direct data source the natural environment in which the teaching of reading has been developed. The work then displays data results analyzed in the light of literacy concepts distinguished by Soares (2011), and reading by Silva (1983), Foucambert (1994), Solé (1998), among others. The results were extracted inferences and interpretations. It is hoped that this work raises in literacy teachers, reflections on the teaching of reading in the literacy cicle, in order to establish the...

Can the `yin and yang` BDNF hypothesis be used to predict the effects of rTMS treatment in neuropsychiatry?

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel technique of non-invasive brain stimulation which has been used to treat several neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder, chronic pain and epilepsy. Recent studies have shown that the therapeutic effects of rTMS are associated with plastic changes in local and distant neural networks. In fact, it has been suggested that rTMS induces long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) - like effects. Besides the initial positive clinical results; the effects of rTMS are stilt mixed. Therefore new toots to assess the effects of plasticity non-invasively might be useful to predict its therapeutic effects and design novel therapeutic approaches using rTMS. In this paper we propose that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) might be such a tool. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a neurotrophin that plays a key role in neuronal survival and synaptic strength, which has also been studied in several neuropsychiatric disorders. There is robust evidence associating BDNF with the LTP/LTD processes, and indeed it has been proposed that BNDF might index an increase or decrease of brain activity - the `yin and yang` BDNF hypothesis. In this article, we review the initial studies combining measurements of BDNF in rTMS clinical trials and discuss the results and potential usefulness of this instrument in the field of rTMS. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcription profiling of Prss16 (Tssp) can be used to find additional peptidase genes that are candidates for self-peptide generation in the thymus

Positive selection (PS) in the thymus involves the presentation of self-peptides that are bound to MHC class II on the surface of cortical thymus epithelial cells (cTECs). Prss16 gene corresponds to one important element regulating the PS of CD4(+) T lymphocytes, which encodes Thymus-specific serine protease (Tssp), a cTEC serine-type peptidase involved in the proteolytic generation of self-peptides. Nevertheless, additional peptidase genes participating in the generation of self-peptides need to be found. Because of its role in the mechanism of PS and its expression in cTECs, the Prss16 gene might be used as a transcriptional marker to identify new genes that share the same expression profile and that encode peptidases in the thymus. To test this hypothesis, we compared the differential thymic expression of 4,500 mRNAs of wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice with their respective Prss16-knockout (KO) mutants by using microarrays. From these, 223 genes were differentially expressed, of which 115 had known molecular/biological functions. Four endopeptidase genes (Casp1, Casp2, Psmb3 and Tpp2) share the same expression profile as the Prss16 gene; i.e., induced in WT and repressed in KO while one endopeptidase gene, Capns1, features opposite expression profile. The Tpp2 gene is highlighted because it encodes a serine-type endopeptidase functionally similar to the Tssp enzyme. Profiling of the KO mice featured down-regulation of Prss16, as expected, along with the genes mentioned above. Considering that the Prss16-KO mice featured impaired PS, the shared regulation of the four endopeptidase genes suggested their participation in the mechanism of self-peptide generation and PS.

Effects of curing protocol and storage time on the micro-hardness of resin cements used to lute fiber-reinforced resin posts

Objectives: To determine the micro-hardness profile of two dual cure resin cements (RelyX - U100 (R), 3M-ESPE and Panavia F 2.0 (R), Kuraray) used for cementing fiber-reinforced resin posts (Fibrekor (R) - Jeneric Pentron) under three different curing protocols and two water storage times. Material and methods: Sixty 16mm long bovine incisor roots were endodontically treated and prepared for cementation of the Fibrekor posts. The cements were mixed as instructed, dispensed in the canal, the posts were seated and the curing performed as follows: a) no light activation; b) light-activation immediately after seating the post, and; c) light-activation delayed 5 minutes after seating the post. The teeth were stored in water and retrieved for analysis after 7 days and 3 months. The roots were longitudinally sectioned and the microhardness was determined at the cervical, middle and apical regions along the cement line. The data was analyzed by the three-way ANOVA test (curing mode, storage time and thirds) for each cement. The Tukey test was used for the post-hoc analysis. Results: Light-activation resulted in a significant increase in the microhardness. This was more evident for the cervical region and for the Panavia cement. Storage in water for 3 months caused a reduction of the micro-hardness for both cements. The U100 cement showed less variation in the micro-hardness regardless of the curing protocol and storage time. Conclusions: The micro-hardness of the cements was affected by the curing and storage variables and were material-dependent.

Mimosine and Cyclophosphamide: a Potential New Combination Therapy Used to Prevent Tumor Development

The effects of mimosine (MI), which is an amino acid that is derived from Leucaena leucocephala, were evaluated on the growth of ascitic Ehrlich tumors, and the effects of the combination treatment of MI and cyclophosphamide (CY) on tumor growth were also assessed. Mice were divided into groups that received the following treatments over the course of 20 days: phosphate buffer solution (CO), MI, Ehrlich cells (E), E plus CY (EC), E plus MI (EM) and E plus MI and CY (EMC). No signs of toxicity were detected in the mice from the MI group. The mice from the EMC group showed reductions in body weights when compared with those from the E group. The animals from the EC, EM and EMC groups showed reductions in ascitic volume compared with those from the E group. The mice from the EMC group showed reductions in total cell numbers of ascitic fluid compared with those from the E, EC and EM groups. The combination of MI and CY was the most effective treatment for Ehrlich tumor ascites.

A clinical experience of the supraclavicular flap used to reconstruct head and neck defects in late-stage cancer patients

The supraclavicular island flap has been widely used in head and neck reconstruction, providing an alternative to the traditional techniques like regional or free flaps, mainly because of its thin skin island tissue and reliable vascularity. Head and neck patients who require large reconstructions usually present poor clinical and healing conditions. An early experience using this flap for late-stage head and neck tumour treatment is reported. Forty-seven supraclavicular artery flaps were used to treat head and neck oncologic defects after cutaneous, intraoral and pharyngeal tumour resections. Dissection time, complications, donor and reconstructed area outcomes were assessed. The mean time for harvesting the flaps was 50 min by the senior author. All donor sites were closed primarily. Three cases of laryngopharyngectomy reconstruction developed a small controlled (salivary) leak that was resolved with conservative measures. Small or no strictures were detected on radiologic swallowing examinations and all patients regained normal swallowing function. Five patients developed donor site dehiscence. These wounds were treated with regular dressing until healing was complete. There were four distal flap necroses in this series. These necroses were debrided and closed primarily. The supraclavicular flap is pliable for head and neck oncologic reconstruction in late-stage patients. High-risk patients and modified radical neck dissection are not contraindications for its use. The absence of the need to isolate the pedicle offers quick and reliable harvesting. The arc of rotation on the base of the neck provides adequate length for pharyngeal, oral lining and to reconstruct the middle and superior third of the face. (C) 2012 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of application times for ice packs used to relieve perineal pain after normal birth: a randomised clinical trial

Aims and objectives. To compare the effect of an ice pack applied for 10, 15 and 20 minutes to relieve perineal pain after birth. Background. Perineal pain after vaginal birth, with or without vaginal trauma, is one of the most common morbidities reported for postnatal women. Cryotherapy has been used in postpartum period to relieve perineal pain and investigated in several studies. However, cryotherapy treatment protocols in perineal care vary widely regarding temperature, frequency and duration of the application. Design. A controlled trial, randomised for two groups and with a third group as a historical control. Method. The intervention was carried out in a maternity hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The study population consisted of three groups of 38 women who used an ice pack on the perineum, in a single application: group A-10 minutes; group B-15 minutes; group C-20 minutes (historical control from another clinical trial). Participants perineal pain magnitude was evaluated through a numerical scale (010), at four different points: before the cryotherapy; immediately after and at 20 and 40 minutes after cryotherapy. Results. After application of the ice pack, there was no statistical difference when comparing the perineal pain among groups in the second, third and fourth evaluations. Most of the postnatal women reported pain relief, with 72.8% reporting a decrease in pain >50%; 21.9% reported a decrease between 3050%. All postnatal women subjected to cryotherapy were favourable to the procedure. Conclusion. There is no difference in pain scores following ice pack application in three different times (10, 15 and 20 minutes) in women who report moderate or intense perineal pain after normal delivery. Relevance for clinical practice. Ice treatment is safe, and application times of 10 or 15 minutes are as beneficial as an application time of 20 minutes to relieve perineal pain.

Push-out bond strengths of different dental cements used to cement glass fiber posts

Statement of problem: Since the introduction of glass fiber posts, irreversible vertical root fractures have become a rare occurrence; however, adhesive failure has become the primary failure mode. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the push-out bond strength of glass fiber posts cemented with different luting agents on 3 segments of the root. Material and methods: Eighty human maxillary canines with similar root lengths were randomly divided into 8 groups (n=10) according to the cement assessed (Rely X luting, Luting and Lining, Ketac Cem, Rely X ARC, Biscem, Duo-link, Rely X U100, and Variolink II). After standardized post space preparation, the root dentin was pretreated for dualpolymerizing resin cements and untreated for the other cements. The mixed luting cement paste was inserted into post spaces with a spiral file and applied to the post surface that was seated into the canal. After 7 days, the teeth were sectioned perpendicular to their long axis into 1-mm-thick sections. The push-out test was performed at a speed of 0.5 mm/min until extrusion of the post occurred. The results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and the all pairwise multiple comparison procedures (Tukey test) (?=.05). Results: ANOVA showed that the type of interaction between cement and root location significantly influenced the push-out strength (P<.05). The highest push-out strength results with root location were obtained with Luting and Lining (S3) (19.5 ±4.9 MPa), Ketac Cem (S2) (18.6 ±5.5 MPa), and Luting and Lining (S1) (18.0 ±7.6 MPa). The lowest mean values were recorded with Variolink II (S1) (4.6 ±4.0 MPa), Variolink II (S2) (1.6 ±1.5 MPa), and Rely X ARC (S3) (0.9 ±1.1 MPa). Conclusions: Self-adhesive cements and glass ionomer cements showed significantly higher values compared to dual-polymerizing resin cements. In all root segments, dual-polymerizing resin cements provided significantly lower bond strength. Significant differences among root segments were found only for Duo-link cement.