Tropical dermatology: Venomous arthropods and human skin Part I. Insecta

Although many tropical insects carry infectious diseases, cutaneous injury can occur by other mechanisms, for example erucism (envenomation by caterpillars) or lepidopterism (dermatitis from moths). Pararama is a unique form of erucism seen in workers in contact with rubber trees in the Amazon, and it is caused by Premolis larvae, resulting in progressive periarticular fibrosis, ankylosis, and the loss of articulation. Ants and aquatic insects of the Belostomatidae family can cause painful bites and stings. Anaphylactic shock and death can result from the venom of bees and wasps. Beetles can cause vesicular dermatitis via cantharidin or paederin. Myiasis results from fly larvae (maggots) feeding on live or necrotic tissue of humans or other hosts, while New World screwworm fly larvae feed only on living tissue and burrow (ie, screw) more deeply when attempts are made to remove them. Tungiasis is characterized by very pruritic and painful papules and ulcers resulting from a Tunga flea penetrating the host's skin. Dermatologists should be able to diagnose and treat the cutaneous manifestations of these tropical insects and educate their patients on prevention. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2012; 67:339.e1-14.)

Factors predictive of inappropriateness in requests for parenteral antimicrobials for therapeutic purposes: A study in a small teaching hospital in Brazil

Background: The identification of patterns of inappropriate antimicrobial prescriptions in hospitals contributes to the improvement of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify predictors of inappropriateness in requests for parenteral antimicrobials (RPAs) in a teaching hospital with 285 beds. We reviewed 25% of RPAs for therapeutic purposes from y 2005. Appropriateness was evaluated according to current guidelines for antimicrobial therapy. We assessed predictors of inappropriateness through univariate and multivariate models. RPAs classified as 'appropriate' or 'probably appropriate' were selected as controls. Case groups comprised inappropriate RPAs, either in general or for specific errors. Results: Nine hundred and sixty-three RPAs were evaluated, 34.6% of which were considered inappropriate. In the multivariate analysis, general predictors of inappropriateness were: prescription on week-ends/holidays (odds ratio (OR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20-2.28, p = 0.002), patient in the intensive care unit (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.11-2.23, p = 0.01), peritoneal infection (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.27-3.65, p = 0.004), urinary tract infection (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.25 -2.87, p = 0.01), combination therapy with 2 or more antimicrobials (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.15-2.57, p = 0.008) and prescriptions including penicillins (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.39-3.25, p = 0.001) or 1(st) generation cephalosporins (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.01-3.00, p = 0.048). Previous consultation with an infectious diseases (ID) specialist had a protective effect against inappropriate prescription (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.24-0.50, p < 0.001). Factors independently associated with specific prescription errors varied. However, consultation with an ID specialist was protective against both unnecessary antimicrobial use (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01-0.26, p = 0.001) and requests for agents with an insufficient antimicrobial spectrum (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03-0.30, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the importance of previous consultation with an ID specialist in assuring the quality of prescriptions. Also, they highlight prescription patterns that should be approached by ASP policies.

Serotonergic mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus and relaxin-induced sodium intake

It has been shown that central or peripheral injections of the peptide relaxin induces water intake, not sodium intake in rats. Important inhibitory mechanisms involving serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the control of water and NaCl intake have been demonstrated in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN). In the present Study, we investigated the effects of bilateral injections of methysergide (serotonergic receptor antagonist) into the LPBN on intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) relaxin-induced water and NaCl intake in rats. Additionally, the effect of the blockade of central angiotensin AT(1) receptors with i.c.v. losartan on relaxin-induced water and NaCl intake in rats treated with methysergide into the LPBN was also investigated. Male Holtzman rats with cannulas implanted into the lateral ventricle (LV) and bilaterally in the LPBN were used. Intracerebroventricular injections of relaxin (500 ng/l mul) induced water intake (5.1+/-0.7 ml/120 min), but not significant 1.8% NaCl intake (0.5+/-0.4 ml/120 min). Bilateral injections of methysergide (4 mug/0.2 mul) into the LPBN strongly stimulated relaxin-induced 1.8% NaCl intake (34.5+/-10.9 ml/120 min) and slightly increased water intake (10.5+/-4.9 ml/120 min). The pretreatment with i.c.v. losartan (100 mug/l mul) abolished the effects of i.c.v. relaxin combined with LPBN methysergide on 1.8% NaCI intake (0.5+/-0.4 ml/120 min). Losartan (100 mug/l mul) also abolished relaxin-induced water intake in rats injected with methysergide into the LPBN (1.6+/-0.8 ml/120 min) or not (0.5+/-0.3 ml/120 min). Losartan (50 mug/l mul) partially reduced the effects of relaxin. The results show that central relaxin interacting with central angiotensinergic mechanisms induces NaCl intake after the blockade of LPBN serotonergic mechanisms. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adrenergic mechanisms of the Kölliker-Fuse/A7 area on the control of water and sodium intake

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

Inhibition of central angiotensin II-induced pressor responses by hydrogen peroxide

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

Use of computerized tomography for diagnosis and follow-up after endodontic surgery: clinical case report with 8 years of follow-up

Computerized tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosis and planning in conventional and surgical endodontic therapy. This case report describes the use of CT in the diagnosis of a periapical lesion undetected by periapical radiography in the mandibular molar area. The CT also showed a possible mesial root perforation associated with the lesion. Following CT, surgical planning, periradicular curettage, and sealing of the root perforation were performed. Eight years after surgery, cone beam CT revealed periapical bone repair. Computerized tomography can be an important resource for diagnosis and planning in conventional and surgical endodontic therapy, as well as for evaluation of post-treatment bone repair. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2010; 109: 629-633)

Annexin A1 protein attenuates cyclosporine-induced renal hemodynamics changes and macrophage infiltration in rats

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

Salinity influences glutathione S-transferase activity and lipid peroxidation responses in the Crassostrea gigas oyster exposed to diesel oil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Development of eleven polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Chaco Treefrog, Hypsiboas raniceps

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

In vitro evaluation of the effectiveness of irrigants and intracanal medicaments on microorganisms within root canals

Aim To evaluate in vitro the effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). chlorhexidine (CHX) and live intracanal medicaments on microorganisms within root canals.Methodology Ninety-six human single-rooted extracted teeth were used. After removing the crowns, canal preparation was completed and the external root Surfaces were coated with epoxy resin. Following sterilization. The teeth were contaminated with Candida albicans and enterococcus faecalis. and were incubated at 37 +/- 1 degreesC for 7 days. The teeth were divided according to the irrigant solution or intracanal medicament: group 1. sterile physiologic solution (SPS) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) paste: group 2. SPS and camphorated paramonochlorophenol (CPMC): group 3.SPS and tricresol formalin: group 4, SPS and CaOH2 + CPMC paste: group 5, SPS and PMC furacin; group 6.2.5%, NaOCl without intracanal medication: group 7, 2.0% CHX without intracanal medication and group 8, SPS Without intracanal medication (control group). Microbiological samples were collected with sterile paper points, and bacterial growth was determined. The data were submitted to the analysis of variance (ANOVA. P = 0.05).Results For C. albicans, groups 3 and S were statistically less effective than groups 1, 2. 4 and 5 (Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) = 65.241; gl = 7; P = 0.001). For E. faecalis, groups 6 and 8 were statistically less effective than groups 1-4 and 7 (K-W = 61.048; gl = 7; P = 0.001).Conclusions Ca(OH)(2) + CPMC paste was the most effective intracanal medicament for the elimination of the two microorganisms; 2.0% CHX solution was more effective than 2.5% NaOCl against E. faecalis.

Dirac's hole theory versus quantum field theory

Dirac's hole theory and quantum field theory are usually considered equivalent to each other. The equivalence, however, does not necessarily hold, as we discuss in terms of models of a certain type. We further suggest that the equivalence may fail in more general models. This problem is closely related to the validity of the Pauli principle in intermediate states of perturbation theory.

Closed string thermal torus from thermo field dynamics

In this Letter a topological interpretation for the string thermal vacuum in the thermo field dynamics (TFD) approach is given. As a consequence, the relationship between the imaginary time and TFD formalisms is achieved when both are used to study closed strings at finite temperature. The TFD approach starts by duplicating the system's degrees of freedom, defining an auxiliary (tilde) string. In order to lead the system to finite temperature a Bogoliubov transformation is implemented. We show that the effect of this transformation is to glue together the string and the tilde string to obtain a torus. The thermal vacuum appears as the boundary state for this identification. Also, from the thermal state condition, a Kubo-Martin-Schwinger condition for the torus topology is derived. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamically induced spontaneous symmetry breaking in 3-3-1 models

We show that in SU(3)(C) circle times SU(3)(L) circle times U(1)(N) (3-3-1) models embedded with a singlet scalar playing the role of the axion, after imposing scale invariance, the breaking of Peccei-Quinn symmetry occurs through the one-loop effective potential for the singlet field. We, then, analyze the structure of spontaneous symmetry breaking by studying the new scalar potential for the model, and verify that electroweak symmetry breaking is tightly connected to the 3-3-1 breaking by the strong constraints among their vacuum expectation values. This offers a valuable guide to write down the correct pattern of symmetry breaking for multi-scalar theories. We also obtained that the accompanying massive pseudo-scalar, instead of acquiring mass of order of Peccei-Quinn scale as we would expect, develops a mass at a much lower scale, a consequence solely of the breaking via Coleman-Weinberg mechanism. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Measurement of the isolated photon cross section in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

The cross section for the inclusive production of isolated photons has been measured in p (p) over bar collisions at root s = 1.96 TeV with the DO detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. The photons span transverse momenta 23 to 300 GeV and have pseudorapidity vertical bar n vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section is compared with the results from two next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The theoretical predictions agree with the measurement within uncertainties. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Survival probability of large rapidity gaps in a QCD model with a dynamical infrared mass scale

We compute the survival probability {vertical bar S vertical bar(2)} of large rapidity gaps (LRG) in a QCD based eikonal model with a dynamical gluon mass, where this dynamical infrared mass scale represents the onset of nonperturbative contributions to the diffractive hadron-hadron scattering. Since rapidity gaps can occur in the case of Higgs boson production via fusion of electroweak bosons, we focus on WW -> H fusion processes and show that the resulting {vertical bar S vertical bar(2)} decreases with the increase of the energy of the incoming hadrons; in line with the available experimental data for LRG. We obtain {vertical bar S vertical bar(2)} = 27.6 +/- 7.8% (18.2 +/- 17.0%) at Tevatron (CERN-LHC) energy for a dynamical gluon mass m(g) = 400 MeV. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.