Skeletal maturation analysis by morphological evaluation of the cervical vertebrae

The determination of skeletal maturation by morphological evaluation of the cervical vertebrae was evaluated in a 100 cephalograms. The analysis showed that this method was reproducible for assessing the individual's growth curve.

Skeletal age of individuals with Down syndrome

The aim of this study was to assess the skeletal age of Brazilian individuals with Down syndrome (DS) using the method of Greulich and Pyle. Forty subjects with DS between the ages of 6 and 16 years were studied and compared to a control sample of children without DS. The statistical analysis showed that at the age of 7 years the skeletal age (SA) of the individuals with DS was delayed in relation to their chronological age (CA) (SA < CA). On the other hand, at the age of 15 years, their SA was advanced in relation to their CA (SA > CA). An evaluation of the results suggests that the period of adolescent development for individuals with DS was shorter. These individuals reach the completion of bone maturation earlier compared to individuals without DS. © 2008 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A territorial perspective: towards the consolidation of human settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

A virtual contradiction between international migration and human rights

Includes bibliography

Ação do ultra-som terapêutico no processo de regeneração do músculo esquelético

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

A virtual contradiction between international migration and human rights

Abstract If there is a geographical area that will be particularly affected by the tragedy of September 11, that will be the international borders of the United States. It is understandable that a country that enters in a state of war after been attacked with enormous losses, reacts by closing its international borders. Such immediate reaction has now been substituted by a more strict control over everything that crosses the border but, a fact remains, the border life is not going to be what it used to before September 11. In the short run, everything that crosses the border has slowed down by new controls. In the long run many things will return to what it was before that Tuesday, but for a long while, life at the border will not be the same. An intense interaction of more than twelve million people from the two sides of the U.S.-Mexico border have made us live in many instances as if the border does not exist. This is the case among many of us in the way we practice our family life. For the planning of weddings, birthdays, reunions, ceremonies, the border is more virtual than real. This is reversed as we get more serious in what it means to the space where institutions, the laws and the governments reminds us that there is a line that marks the beginning and the end of two different nations.

Spirulina e exercício na recuperação de ratos submetidos à desnutrição protéica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Paleogenetic and taphonomic analysis of human bones from Moa, Beirada, and Zé Espinho Sambaquis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The present paper discusses mtDNA and taphonomy of human remains from Moa, Beirada, and Zé Espinho sambaquis of Saquarema, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. New human bone dating by 14C-AMS for Moa archeological site (3810+50 BP - GX-31826-AMS) is included. Preservation of microscopic lamellae and DNA is not related to the macroscopic integrity of the bones. Results here suggest that the preservation of amplifiable DNA fragments may have relation to the preservation of the lamellar arrangement as indicated by optical microscopic examination (polarized light). In 13 human bone fragments from Moa, Beirada, and Zé Espinho it was possible to sequence mtDNA from the 3 individuals of Moa, and from 1 of 4 individuals of Beirada, whose bones also show extensive areas with preserved lamellar structures. The 6 human bone fragments of Zé Espinho and 3 of the 4 fragments of Beirada showed extensive destruction of cortical microstructure represented by cavities, intrusive minerals, and agglomerated microscopic bodies of fungi and bacteria; it was not possible to extract mtDNA from these samples. The results support the hypothesis that the preservation of the microscopic osteon organization is a good predictor for DNA preservation. It was also confirmed the C haplogroup antiquity in Brazil.

Anatomical evaluation of the cervical vertebrae of Wistar rats by means of digital radiographs and its correlation with the maturation stages of human cervical vertebrae

INTRODUCTION: Biological age is an important parameter for growth and development assessment. It can be evaluated through the observation of radiographic changes in skeletal maturation of cervical vertebrae. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to: a) verify if there is correlation between growth curve and the stages of bone age of animals used in laboratories, by evaluating radiographs of the cervical vertebrae; b) correlate these stages with their correspondents in humans. METHODS: 35 Wistar rats were evaluated for a period of 160 days, starting at day 22nd (weaning), with cross sections for periodic weighing, length measurement and digital radiography. Radiographs of the cervical vertebrae (C2 and C3) were measured by means of a computer program (Radio IMP). Data were submitted to statistical analysis (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: Growth spurt was characterized by fast increasing in weight and length. Through ANOVA, differences were observed in the cervical measurements between days 22, 97, 127, 157, 187 and 217 (p <0.001). A high correlation was found between increasing in body length and weight, as well as in cervical vertebrae height (r = 0.86). Increments in concavities of vertebrae were also observed, similar to humans. CONCLUSIONS: There is correlation between body growth and maturation of cervical vertebrae in rats. Despite the continuous development of concavities, it was not possible to clearly identify the 5/6 stages as in studies of cervical vertebrae maturation in humans.

Ancient Dispersal of the Human Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus gattii from the Amazon Rainforest

Over the past two decades, several fungal outbreaks have occurred, including the high-profile 'Vancouver Island' and 'Pacific Northwest' outbreaks, caused by Cryptococcus gattii, which has affected hundreds of otherwise healthy humans and animals. Over the same time period, C. gattii was the cause of several additional case clusters at localities outside of the tropical and subtropical climate zones where the species normally occurs. In every case, the causative agent belongs to a previously rare genotype of C. gattii called AFLP6/VGII, but the origin of the outbreak clades remains enigmatic. Here we used phylogenetic and recombination analyses, based on AFLP and multiple MLST datasets, and coalescence gene genealogy to demonstrate that these outbreaks have arisen from a highly-recombining C. gattii population in the native rainforest of Northern Brazil. Thus the modern virulent C. gattii AFLP6/VGII outbreak lineages derived from mating events in South America and then dispersed to temperate regions where they cause serious infections in humans and animals.

Finasteride Inhibits Human Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion through MMP2 and MMP9 Downregulation

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

Maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts (R) total joint prostheses Part I - Skeletal and dental stability

The purpose of this study was to evaluate skeletal and dental stability in patients who had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) reconstruction and mandibular counterclockwise advancement using TMJ Concepts total join, prostheses (TMJ Concepts Inc. Ventura, CA) with maxillary osteotomies being performed at the same operation. All patients were operated at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA, by one surgeon (Wolford). Forty-seven females were studied; the average post-surgical follow-up was 40.6 months. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed to estimate surgical and post-surgical changes. During surgery, the occlusal plane angle decreased 14.9 +/- 8.0 degrees. The maxilla moved forward and upward. The posterior nasal spine moved downward and forward. The mandible advanced 7.9 +/- 3.5 mm at the lower incisor tips, 12.4 +/- 5.4 mm at Point B, 17.3 +/- 7.0 mm at menton, 18.4 +/- 8.5 mm at pogonion, and 11.0 +/- 5.3 mm at gonion. Vertically, the lower incisors moved upward -2.9 +/- 4.0 mm. At the longest follow-up post surgery, the maxilla showed minor horizontal changes while all mandibular measurements remained stable. TMJ reconstruction and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts total joint prosthesis in conjunction with maxillary osteotomies for counter-clockwise rotation of the rnaxillo-mandibular complex was a stable procedure for these patients at the longest follow-up.

Frontal sinus recognition for human identification

Many methods based on biometrics such as fingerprint, face, iris, and retina have been proposed for person identification. However, for deceased individuals, such biometric measurements are not available. In such cases, parts of the human skeleton can be used for identification, such as dental records, thorax, vertebrae, shoulder, and frontal sinus. It has been established in prior investigations that the radiographic pattern of frontal sinus is highly variable and unique for every individual. This has stimulated the proposition of measurements of the frontal sinus pattern, obtained from x-ray films, for skeletal identification. This paper presents a frontal sinus recognition method for human identification based on Image Foresting Transform and shape context. Experimental results (ERR = 5,82%) have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Expression of growth-related factors in skeletal muscle of Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) during growth

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

Amazonian malaria: Asymptomatic human reservoirs, diagnostic challenges, environmentally driven changes in mosquito vector populations, and the mandate for sustainable control strategies

Across the Americas and the Caribbean, nearly 561,000 slide-confirmed malaria infections were reported officially in 2008. The nine Amazonian countries accounted for 89% of these infections; Brazil and Peru alone contributed 56% and 7% of them, respectively. Local populations of the relatively neglected parasite Plasmodium vivax, which currently accounts for 77% of the regional malaria burden, are extremely diverse genetically and geographically structured. At a time when malaria elimination is placed on the public health agenda of several endemic countries, it remains unclear why malaria proved so difficult to control in areas of relatively low levels of transmission such as the Amazon Basin. We hypothesize that asymptomatic parasite carriage and massive environmental changes that affect vector abundance and behavior are major contributors to malaria transmission in epidemiologically diverse areas across the Amazon Basin. Here we review available data supporting this hypothesis and discuss their implications for current and future malaria intervention policies in the region. Given that locally generated scientific evidence is urgently required to support malaria control interventions in Amazonia, we briefly describe the aims of our current field-oriented malaria research in rural villages and gold-mining enclaves in Peru and a recently opened agricultural settlement in Brazil. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.