Lipase-Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of (+/-)-Mandelonitrile under Conventional Condition and Microwave Irradiation

The kinetic resolution of (+/-)-mandelonitrile was carried out using lipase from Candida antarctica under conventional condition (orbital shaker) and microwave irradiation in toluene, producing the (S)-mandelonitrile acetate with high selectivity (up to >98% ee, enantiomeric excess). The unreacted (R)-mandelonitrile under microwave irradiation and conventional condition was partially converted into benzaldehyde by spontaneous chemical equilibrium. The (S)-mandelonitrile acetate under microwave irradiation was produced with 92% ee and 35% yield for 8 h of reaction. Conventional transesterification of (+/-)-mandelonitrile in an orbital shaker produced unreacted (R) -mandelonitrile (51% ee) and (S)-mandelonitrile acetate (98% ee) in accordance with Kazlauskas rule for 184 h of reaction.

Fatty acid profile, trans-octadecenoic, alpha-linolenic and conjugated linoleic acid contents differing in certified organic and conventional probiotic fermented milks

Development of dairy organic probiotic fermented products is of great interest as they associate ecological practices and benefits of probiotic bacteria. As organic management practices of cow milk production allow modification of the fatty acid composition of milk (as compared to conventional milk), we studied the influence of the type of milk on some characteristics of fermented milks, such as acidification kinetics. bacterial counts and fatty acid content. Conventional and organic probiotic fermented milks were produced using Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis HN019 in co-culture with Streptococcus thermophilus TA040 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus LB340. The use of organic milk led to a higher acidification rate and cultivability of Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Fatty acids profile of organic fermented milks showed higher amounts of trans-octadecenoic acid (C18:1, 1.6 times) and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including cis-9 trans-11. C18:2 conjugated linoleic (CLA-1.4 times), and alpha-linolenic acids (ALA-1.6 times), as compared to conventional fermented milks. These higher levels were the result of both initial percentage in the milk and increase during acidification, with no further modification during storage. Finally, use of bifidobacteria slightly increased CLA relative content in the conventional fermented milks, after 7 days of storage at 4 degrees C, whereas no difference was seen in organic fermented milks. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conservative Treatment of Comminuted Mandibular Fracture Involving Maxillomandibular Fixation With Miniplates

Bars and steel wires are the most commonly used methods to achieve maxillomandibular fixation, although there are numerous alternatives described for this same purpose. In cases of edentulous candidates for the conservative treatment of facial fractures, none of the conventional methods can be instituted for maxillomandibular fixation. Fixation in such cases is achieved with the aid of the total dentures of the patient or the confection of splints, but these methods lead to eating and oral hygiene problems. This article reports the case of an edentulous patient with a comminuted mandible fracture treated with a rarely described technique in which intermaxillary fixation was achieved with titanium miniplates.

Resonance frequency analysis of overdenture retainer implants with immediate loading

Objective: To evaluate 16 patients of both sexes with lower overdenture and upper complete dentures, by analysing the resonance frequency of the initial and late stability of implants used to retain the overdenture under immediate loading. Background: Oral rehabilitation treatment with complete dentures using implants has been increasingly more common among the specialists in the oral rehabilitation area. This is an alternative for obtaining retention and stability in treatments involving conventional complete dentures, where two implants are enough to retain the overdenture satisfactorily. Materials and methods: The Osstell (TM) Mentor device was used for the analysis in the initial period (primary stability), 3 and 15 months after the installation of the lower overdenture (secondary stability). The statistical analysis was performed with the repeated measures model (p < 0.01). Results: The implant stability quotients were observed to increase after 15 months of the rehabilitating treatment. Conclusion: The use of overdentures over two lower implants should become the treatment of choice for individuals who have a fully edentulous mandible.

Chronic Conventional resistance exercise reduces blood pressure in stage 1 Hypertensive men

Moraes, MR, Bacurau, RFP, Casarini, DE, Jara, ZP, Ronchi, FA, Almeida, SS, Higa, EMS, Pudo, MA, Rosa, TS, Haro, AS, Barros, CC, Pesquero, JB, Wurtele, M, and Araujo, RC. Chronic conventional resistance exercise reduces blood pressure in stage 1 hypertensive men. J Strength Cond Res 26(4): 1122-1129, 2012-To investigate the antihypertensive effects of conventional resistance exercise (RE) on the blood pressure (BP) of hypertensive subjects, 15 middle-aged (46 +/- 3 years) hypertensive volunteers, deprived of antihypertensive medication (reaching 153 +/- 6/93 +/- 2 mmHg systolic/diastolic BP after a 6-week medication washout period) were submitted to a 12-week conventional RE training program (3 sets of 12 repetitions at 60% 1 repetition maximum, 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days). Blood pressure was measured in all phases of the study (washout, training, detraining). Additionally, the plasma levels of several vasodilators or vasoconstrictors that potentially could be involved with the effects of RE on BP were evaluated pre- and posttraining. Conventional RE significantly reduced systolic, diastolic, and mean BP, respectively, by an average of 16 (p < 0.001), 12 (p < 0.01), and 13 mm Hg (p < 0.01) to prehypertensive values. There were no significant changes of vasoactive factors from the kallikrein-kinin or renin-angiotensin systems. After the RE training program, the BP values remained stable during a 4-week detraining period. Taken together, this study shows for the first time that conventional moderate-intensity RE alone is able to reduce the BP of stage 1 hypertensive subjects free of antihypertensive medication. Moreover, the benefits of BP reduction achieved with RE training remained unchanged for up to 4 weeks without exercise.

Reciprocal gene flow between conventional and genetically modified soybean cultivars

The objective of this work was to determine the reciprocal gene flow between two soybean cultivars, one tolerant and the other sensitive to glyphosate, as well as to use estimators to determine the outcrossing rate in the population and the number of hybrid seeds in the progeny. The experiment was composed of four blocks of 40 soybean rows, of which 20 rows of each cultivar (CD217 and CD219RR). At the R8 stage, five rows, distant 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 m from the adjacent cultivar, were harvested, threshed and analyzed as for the occurrence of gene flow. As phenotypical markers, the trait color of flowers, hypocotil and pubescence, as well as the tolerance to glyphosate were used. The cultivars contrast for all the analyzed traits, each one conditioned by a single gene with two alleles, in a complete dominance interaction. In the tolerant cultivar progeny, the largest outcross rate was 0.27%, and in the sensitive cultivar progeny, 0.83% was identified; by the dilution effect hypothesis, the outcross rates in natural populations would be 0.104 and 0.388%, respectively. The reciprocal gene flow between CD217 and CD219RR cultivars is not the same in both directions. The proposed estimators are useful for determining the hybrid rates in seed samples.

Comparative study of the proton beam effects between the conventional and Circular-Gate MOSFETs

The study of ionizing radiation effects on semiconductor devices is of great relevance for the global technological development and is a necessity in some strategic areas in Brazil. This work presents preliminary results of radiation effects in MOSFETs that were exposed to 3.2 Grad radiation dose produced by a 2.6-MeV proton beam. The focus of this work was to electrically characterize a Rectangular-Gate MOSFET (RGT) and a Circular-Gate MOSFET (CGT), manufactured with the On Semiconductor 0.5 mu m standard CMOS fabrication process and to verify a suitable geometry for space applications. During the experiment, I-DS x V-GS curves were measured. After irradiation, the RGT off-state current (I-OFF) increased approximately two orders of magnitude reaching practically the same value of the I-OFF in the CGT, which only doubled its value. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A cross-over randomised clinical trial of eccentric occlusion in complete dentures

The objective of this study is to compare the effects of canine guidance (CG) and bilateral balanced occlusion (BBO) on denture satisfaction and kinesiographic parameters of complete denture wearers, by means of a cross-over trial. Fifty edentulous patients received new maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. After the intra-oral adjustments and adaptation period, 44 participants were enrolled in the trial and randomly received a sequence of occlusal schemes: BBO followed by CG, or CG followed by BBO. Outcomes were assessed after 30 days of each occlusal scheme. Participants answered a denture satisfaction questionnaire and a kinesiograph instrument recorded mandibular physiologic movements and pattern of maxillary denture movement during chewing. Wilcoxon test and paired sample t-test were used to compare satisfaction levels and kinesiographic data for each occlusal scheme, respectively (a = 0.05). The results showed no differences between occlusal schemes on participants satisfaction and in any of the kinesiographic parameters studied, except for the vertical intrusion of the maxillary complete denture during chewing, which was lower with CG. It can be concluded that the occlusal scheme did not influence on satisfaction and kinesiographic parameters evaluated, as long as volume and resilience of residual edentulous ridges of the participants were normal. Clinical Trial Registration Identifier: NC.T01420536.

Mechanical analysis of conventional and small diameter conical implant abutments

PURPOSE. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if a smaller morse taper abutment has a negative effect on the fracture resistance of implant-abutment connections under oblique compressive loads compared to a conventional abutment MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twenty morse taper conventional abutments (4.8 mm diameter) and smaller abutments (3.8 mm diameter) were tightened (20 Ncm) to their respective implants (3.5 x 11 mm) and after a 10 minute interval, implant/abutment assemblies were subjected to static compressive test, performed in a universal test machine with 1 mm/min displacement, at 45 degrees inclination. The maximum deformation force was determined. Data were statistically analyzed by student t test. RESULTS. Maximum deformation force of 4.8 mm and 3.8 mm abutments was approximately 95.33 kgf and 95.25 kgf, respectively, but no fractures were noted after mechanical test. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the evaluated abutments were statistically similar (P=.230). CONCLUSION. Abutment measuring 3.8 mm in diameter (reduced) presented mechanical properties similar to 4.8 mm (conventional) abutments, enabling its clinical use as indicated. [J Adv Prosthodont 2012;4:158-61]

Trial of Experimental Toothpastes Regarding Quality for Cleaning Dentures

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of experimental toothpastes for removing denture biofilm by means of a randomized crossover trial. Thirty volunteers brushed their dentures using a brush and four pastes: (1) Corega refreshing mint (control), (2)0.2% chloramine T, (3)1.0% chloramine T, and (4) 0.01% fluorosurfactant. Each paste was used for 7 days, and participants were randomized to use them according to one of four sequences. Biofilm was disclosed (neutral red) after each period, photographed, and quantified by means of a software program. All experimental toothpastes were similar to the control in terms of posttreatment biofilm coverage. Int J Prosthodont 2012;25:157-159.

Cost-effectiveness of conventional and modified supervised toothbrushing in preventing caries in permanent molars among 5-year-old children

The cost-effectiveness of a modified supervised toothbrushing program was compared to a conventional program. A total of 284 five-year-old children presenting at least one permanent molar with emerged/sound occlusal surface participated. In the control group, oral health education and dental plaque dying followed by toothbrushing with fluoride dentifrice was carried outfour times per year. With the test group, children also underwent professional cross-brushing on surfaces of first permanent molar rendered by a dental assistant five times per year. Enamel/dentin caries were recorded on buccal, occlusal and lingual surfaces of permanent molars for a period of 18 months. The incidence density (ID) ratio was estimated using Poisson's regression model. The ID was 50% lower among boys in the test group (p = 0.016). The cost of the modified program was US$ 1.79 per capita. The marginal cost-effectiveness ratio among boys was US$ 6.30 per avoided carie. The modified supervised toothbrushing program was shown to be cost-effective in the case of boys.

In vivo accuracy of conventional and digital radiographic methods in confirming root canal working length determination by Root ZX

Objectives: To compare, in vivo, the accuracy of conventional and digital radiographic methods in determining root canal working length. Material and Methods: Twenty-five maxillary incisor or canine teeth from 22 patients were used in this study. Considering the preoperative radiographs as the baseline, a 25 K file was inserted into the root canal to the point where the Root ZX electronic apex locator indicated the APEX measurement in the screen. From this measurement, 1 mm was subtracted for positioning the file. The radiographic measurements were made using a digital sensor (Digora 1.51) or conventional type-E films, size 2, following the paralleling technique, to determine the distance of the file tip and the radiographic apex. Results: The Student "t" test indicated mean distances of 1.11 mm to conventional and 1.20 mm for the digital method and indicated a significant statistical difference (p<0.05). Conclusions: The conventional radiographic method was found to be superior to the digital one in determining the working length of the root canal.

Performance of fluorescence-based and conventional methods of occlusal caries detection in primary molars - an in vitro study

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 459466 Aim. This in vitro study aimed to test the performance of fluorescence-based methods in detecting occlusal caries lesions in primary molars compared to conventional methods. Design. Two examiners assessed 113 sites on 77 occlusal surfaces of primary molars using three fluorescence devices: DIAGNOdent (LF), DIAGNOdent pen (LFpen), and fluorescence camera (VistaProof-FC). Visual inspection (ICDAS) and radiographic methods were also evaluated. One examiner repeated the evaluations after one month. As reference standard method, the lesion depth was determined after sectioning and evaluation in stereomicroscope. The area under the ROC curve (Az), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the methods were calculated at enamel (D1) and dentine caries (D3) lesions thresholds. The intra and interexaminer reproducibility were calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa statistics. Results. At D1, visual inspection presented higher sensitivities (0.970.99) but lower specificities (0.180.25). At D3, all the methods demonstrated similar performance (Az values around 0.90). Visual and radiographic methods showed a slightly higher specificity (values higher than 0.96) than the fluorescence based ones (values around 0.88). In general, all methods presented high reproducibility (ICC higher than 0.79). Conclusions. Although fluorescence-based and conventional methods present similar performance in detecting occlusal caries lesions in primary teeth, visual inspection alone seems to be sufficient to be used in clinical practice.

Post-conventional Political Cultures via Processes of Direct Democracy: Theoretical Considerations Based on Jurgen Habermas and Lawrence Kohlberg

In this article, it is proposed to differentiate political cultures in two dimensions. First, inspired by Habermas' distinction of the contents of discourse, a distinction is suggested between moral, ethical-political and pragmatic elements of political culture as well as of an element of culture of balancing interests. Second, inspired by Kohlberg's stage models for the development of the individual moral consciousness and for moral culture, a distinction is similarly suggested between two pre-conventional, two conventional and two post-conventional collective stages of political culture. It can be shown that from a normative point of view, only deliberations made in a post-conventional political culture can produce reasonable or at least fair results. Conceptual considerations indicate processes of direct democracy as the method for promoting post-conventional political cultures. The more liberty that the citizens have to formulate and trigger processes of direct democracy, the more one can expect from them to generate post-conventional political cultures.

Neuronal NOS Inhibitor and Conventional Antidepressant Drugs Attenuate Stress-induced Fos Expression in Overlapping Brain Regions

Recent evidence indicates that the administration of inhibitors of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) induces antidepressant-like effects in animal models such as the forced swimming test (FST). However, the neural circuits involved in these effects are not yet known. Therefore, this study investigated the expression of Fos protein, a marker of neuronal activity, in the brain of rats submitted to FST and treated with the preferential nNOS inhibitor, 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), or with classical antidepressant drugs (Venlafaxine and Fluoxetine). Male Wistar rats were submitted to a forced swimming pretest (PT) and, immediately after, started receiving a sequence of three ip injections (0, 5, and 23 h after PT) of Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), Venlafaxine (10 mg/kg), 7-NI (30 mg/kg) or respective vehicles. One hour after the last drug injection the animals were submitted to the test session, when immobility time was recorded. After the FST they were sacrificed and had their brains removed and processed for Fos immunohistochemistry. Independent group of non-stressed animals received the same drug treatments, or no treatment (naive). 7-NI, Venlafaxine or Fluoxetine reduced immobility time in the FST, an antidepressant-like effect. None of the treatments induce significant changes in Fos expression per se. However, swimming stress induced significant increases in Fos expression in the following brain regions: medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, locus coeruleus, raphe nuclei, striatum, hypothalamic nucleus, periaqueductal grey, amygdala, habenula, paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, and bed nucleus of stria terminalis. This effect was attenuated by 7-NI, Venlafaxine or Fluoxetine. These results show that 7-NI produces similar behavioral and neuronal activation effects to those of typical antidepressants, suggesting that these drugs share common neurobiological substrates.