Isolation of fungi from nature in the region of Botucatu, state of São Paulo, Brazil, an endemic area of paracoccidioidomycosis

In an attempt to isolate Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from nature 887 samples of soil from Botucatu, SP, Brazil, were collected cultured in brain heart infusion agar supplemented with dextrose, in potato dextrose agar and in yeast extract starch dextrose agar, all with antibiotics, at 25º and 37ºC. Five thermo-dependent dimorphic fungi morphologically resembling P. brasiliensis were isolated; two from armadillo holes; further studies of the biology, antigenicity and genetic features of the five dimorphic fungi are necessary to clarify their taxonomy and their possible relation to P. brasiliensis. In addition, 98 dematiaceous fungi and 581 different species of Aspergillus spp. were also isolated. Our findings emphasize that armadillos and their environment are associated with thermo-dimorphic fungi and confirm the ubiquity of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi and Aspergillus spp.

EFFECT OF THE HELIUM-NEON LASER ON THE HEALING OF EXTRACTION WOUNDS - A HISTOLOGICAL STUDY IN RATS

A histological study on the healing of extraction wounds following laser irradiation using a He-Ne laser, was carried out in rats. The results suggest that this mode of treatment has a beneficial effect on initial bony wound healing. Proliferation of fibroblasts and formation of trabecular osteoid tissue were found to be more prominent within the irradiated group. The deposition of led in the newly formed bone suggests swifter ossification within the irradiated group.

Influence of different types of non-resorbable suture material on the healing of extraction wounds--a histological study in rats.

The influence of different non-resorbable suture materials on the healing of tooth extraction wounds was examined in 120 adult male albino rats. Nylon gave the best biological results for healing of the mucosa and dental socket. Silk and cotton produced considerable delay of socket healing. Healing was only mildly delayed by polyester suture, with a short moderate inflammatory reaction at the initial stage.

Effects of fibrin adhesive material (Tissucol) on alveolar healing in rats under stress.

The effects of Tissucol on alveolar healing following stress were evaluated histologically, comparing three groups of 28 male albino rats each. Stress was applied and their right upper incisors were extracted. Group A served as an empty control site. In Group B, Tissucol was applied into the alveolar cavity. Group C received local antifibrinolytic treatment (alveolar irrigation with epsilon-aminocaproic acid solution) before implant of Tissucol into the tooth socket. Four animals in each group were killed at 1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 21 and 24 days after surgery. Results showed that: 1) Tissucol did not interfere with connective and osseous tissue formation; 2) Tissucol allowed new bone formation; 3) Tissucol residues in Group B in sections of 24-day specimens did not impair healing; 4) Tissucol was usually completely resorbed and healing was complete 24 days after surgery in Group C.

Histological study of hamster buccal mucosa following topical application of DMBA and exposition to low power 337 nm laser light

The aim of the present work is to analyze the histological changes on hamster buccal mucosa caused by the topical use of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) and exposition to a 220 μJ/pulse nitrogen laser light (@ 337 nm) at an average power of 2,3 mW. Twenty-one hamsters divided into two experimental groups were treated six times with DMBA. One hamster was kept as control. Group I was composed by ten hamsters and was submitted only to DMBA. Group II, also with ten hamsters, received the same treatment as group I and was exposed to the laser radiation. The time duration of each irradiation section was 10 seconds. All the treatment happened in alternated days. The histological analysis took place twice, after the end of the treatment and after sixty days. Both experimental groups presented dilatation of vessels, thickening of the epithelial tissue and the presence of inflammatory infiltrates. The preliminary results indicates that in group II the number of dilated vessels and its new area are much more significant than in group I.

A preliminary report on the effect of laser therapy on the healing of cutaneous surgical wounds as a consequence of an inversely proportional relationship between wavelength and intensity: Histological study in rats

Objective: The objective of the present investigation was to assess the histological effects of different wavelengths and intensities on the healing process of cutaneous wounds. Background Data: Tissue repair is a dynamic interactive process which involves mediators, cells and extra-cellular matrix. Several reports on the use of laser therapy have shown that the healing process is positively affected when the correct parameters are used. Methods: Eighteen standardized wounds were surgically created on the dorsum of male and female Wistar rats, which were subsequently divided into two experimental groups according to wavelength used λ.670 or λ685 nm) for lasertherapy (LLLT). Each group was divided into three subgroups of three animals according to the intensity of the applied irradiation (2,15, or 25 mW). Twelve animals were used as entreated controls and were not irradiated. The irradiation was carried out during seven consecutive days. The animals were sacrificed eight days after surgery. The specimens were removed, kept in 4% formaldehyde for 24 h, routinely prepared to wax, stained with H&E, and analyzed under light microscopy. Results: For both groups, light microscopy showed a substitution repair process; however, when LLLT was used, a positive biomodulatory effect was detectable, chiefly associated with shorter wavelength and low intensity. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that LLLT improved cutaneous wound repair and that the effect is a result of an inversely proportional relationship between wavelength and intensity, with treatment more effective when combining higher intensity with short wavelength or lower intensity with higher wavelength.

Optimal allocation of distributed generators providing reactive power support ancillary service

Problems as voltage increase at the end of a feeder, demand supply unbalance in a fault condition, power quality decline, increase of power losses, and reduction of reliability levels may occur if Distributed Generators (DGs) are not properly allocated. For this reason, researchers have been employed several solution techniques to solve the problem of optimal allocation of DGs. This work is focused on the ancillary service of reactive power support provided by DGs. The main objective is to price this service by determining the costs in which a DG incurs when it loses sales opportunity of active power, i.e, by determining the Loss of Opportunity Costs (LOC). The LOC will be determined for different allocation alternatives of DGs as a result of a multi-objective optimization process, aiming the minimization of losses in the lines of the system and costs of active power generation from DGs, and the maximization of the static voltage stability margin of the system. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology in improving the goals outlined was demonstrated using the IEEE 34 bus distribution test feeder with two DGs cosidered to be allocated. © 2011 IEEE.

An application of CHA to concurrent short-term transmission expansion & reactive power planning

In this paper a heuristic technique for solving simultaneous short-term transmission network expansion and reactive power planning problem (TEPRPP) via an AC model is presented. A constructive heuristic algorithm (CHA) aimed to obtaining a significant quality solution for such problem is employed. An interior point method (IPM) is applied to solve TEPRPP as a nonlinear programming (NLP) during the solution steps of the algorithm. For each proposed network topology, an indicator is deployed to identify the weak buses for reactive power sources placement. The objective function of NLP includes the costs of new transmission lines, real power losses as well as reactive power sources. By allocating reactive power sources at load buses, the circuit capacity may increase while the cost of new lines can be decreased. The proposed methodology is tested on Garver's system and the obtained results shows its capability and the viability of using AC model for solving such non-convex optimization problem. © 2011 IEEE.

Pricing of reactive power support provided by distributed generators in transmission systems

Distributed Generation, microgrid technologies, two-way communication systems, and demand response programs are issues that are being studied in recent years within the concept of smart grids. At some level of enough penetration, the Distributed Generators (DGs) can provide benefits for sub-transmission and transmission systems through the so-called ancillary services. This work is focused on the ancillary service of reactive power support provided by DGs, specifically Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs), with high level of impact on transmission systems. The main objective of this work is to propose an optimization methodology to price this service by determining the costs in which a DG incurs when it loses sales opportunity of active power, i.e, by determining the Loss of Opportunity Costs (LOC). LOC occur when more reactive power is required than available, and the active power generation has to be reduced in order to increase the reactive power capacity. In the optimization process, three objectives are considered: active power generation costs of DGs, voltage stability margin of the system, and losses in the lines of the network. Uncertainties of WTGs are reduced solving multi-objective optimal power flows in multiple probabilistic scenarios constructed by Monte Carlo simulations, and modeling the time series associated with the active power generation of each WTG via Fuzzy Logic and Markov Chains. The proposed methodology was tested using the IEEE 14 bus test system with two WTGs installed. © 2011 IEEE.

Wound healing of dehiscence defects following different root conditioning modalities: An experimental study in dogs

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects following different chemical root conditioning modalities. Materials and methods: Buccal osseous dehiscence defects were created on six teeth of seven dogs. After dental plaque accumulation, defects were treated with sterile saline solution (control group) or one chemical conditioning modality: citric acid (CA group), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA group), tetracycline (TTC group), citric acid + tetracycline (CA + TTC group), or tetracycline + citric acid (TTC + CA group). After 3 months of healing, clinical parameters were evaluated, and the animals were killed. Histological sections were processed, and a computer-assisted histometric analysis was used to evaluate the formation of new cementum, new bone, and epithelial apical migration. Results: All treatments yielded significant improvements in terms of probing depth decrease and clinical attachment level gain compared to baseline values; however, without significant differences among the groups (p > 0.05; one-way ANOVA). The highest amount of new cementum was noted in the EDTA group (3.72 ± 0.83 mm, 77.6 %), while the lowest amount of new bone was observed in the TTC group (0.7 ± 0.94 mm, 14.3 %). However, no statistically significant differences could be observed among the groups regarding epithelial apical migration, new cementum, and alveolar bone formation (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Chemical root surface conditioning did not promote any significant improvement in periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects in dogs. Clinical Relevance: Chemical root surface conditioning after surgical debridement did not promote positive or negative effects on periodontal healing pattern of dehiscence-type defects. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Development and validation of a D-loop mtDNA SNP assay for the screening of specimens in forensic casework

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is usually a last resort in routine forensic DNA casework. However, it has become a powerful tool for the analysis of highly degraded samples or samples containing too little or no nuclear DNA, such as old bones and hair shafts. The gold standard methodology still constitutes the direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products or cloned amplicons from the HVS-1 and HVS-2 (hypervariable segment) control region segments. Identifications using mtDNA are time consuming, expensive and can be very complex, depending on the amount and nature of the material being tested. The main goal of this work is to develop a less labour-intensive and less expensive screening method for mtDNA analysis, in order to aid in the exclusion of non-matching samples and as a presumptive test prior to final confirmatory DNA sequencing. We have selected 14 highly discriminatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on simulations performed by Salas and Amigo (2010) [1] to be typed using SNaPShotTM (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA). The assay was validated by typing more than 100 HVS-1/HVS-2 sequenced samples. No differences were observed between the SNP typing and DNA sequencing when results were compared, with the exception of allelic dropouts observed in a few haplotypes. Haplotype diversity simulations were performed using 172 mtDNA sequences representative of the Brazilian population and a score of 0.9794 was obtained when the 14 SNPs were used, showing that the theoretical prediction approach for the selection of highly discriminatory SNPs suggested by Salas and Amigo (2010) [1] was confirmed in the population studied. As the main goal of the work is to develop a screening assay to skip the sequencing of all samples in a particular case, a pair-wise comparison of the sequences was done using the selected SNPs. When both HVS-1/HVS-2 SNPs were used for simulations, at least two differences were observed in 93.2% of the comparisons performed. The assay was validated with casework samples. Results show that the method is straightforward and can be used for exclusionary purposes, saving time and laboratory resources. The assay confirms the theoretic prediction suggested by Salas and Amigo (2010) [1]. All forensic advantages, such as high sensitivity and power of discrimination, as also the disadvantages, such as the occurrence of allele dropouts, are discussed throughout the article. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Impact of diabetes mellitus and metabolic control on bone healing around osseointegrated implants: Removal torque and histomorphometric analysis in rats

Objectives: To evaluate bone healing around dental implants with established osseointegration in experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) and insulin therapy by histomorphometric and removal torque analysis in a rat model. Materials and methods: A total of 80 male Wistar rats received a titanium implant in the tibiae proximal methaphysis. After a healing period of 60 days, the rats were divided into four groups of 20 animals each: a 2-month control group, sacrificed at time (group A), a diabetic group (group D), an insulin group (group I), and a 4-month control group (group C), subdivided half for removal torque and half for histomorphometric analysis. In the D and I groups the DM was induced by a single injection of 40 mg/kg body weight streptozotocin (STZ). Two days after DM induction, group I received subcutaneous doses of insulin twice a day, during 2 months. Groups C and D received only saline. Two months after induction of DM, the animals of groups D, C and I were sacrificed. The plasmatic levels of glucose (GPL) were monitored throughout the experiment. Evaluation of the percentages of bone-to-implant contact and bone area within the limits of the implant threads was done by histomorphometric and mechanical torque analysis. Data were analyzed by anova at significant level of 5%. Results: The GPL were within normal range for groups A, C and I and higher for group D. The means and standard deviations (SD) for histomorphometric bone area showed significant difference between group D (69.34 ± 5.00%) and groups C (78.20 ± 4.88%) and I (79.63 ± 4.97%). Related to bone-to-implant contact there were no significant difference between the groups D (60.81 + 6.83%), C (63.37 + 5.88%) and I (66.97 + 4.13%). The means and SD for removal torque showed that group D (12.91 ± 2.51 Ncm) was statistically lower than group I (17.10 ± 3.06 Ncm) and C (16.95 ± 5.39 Ncm). Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus impaired the bone healing around dental implants with established osseointegration because the results presented a lower percentage of bone area in group D in relation to groups C and I resulting in a lowest torque values for implant removal. Moreover, insulin therapy prevents the occurrence of bone abnormalities found in diabetic animals and osseointegration was not compromised. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Nature-Inspired Framework for Hyperspectral Band Selection

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

Spontaneous healing responses detected by cone-beam computed tomography of horizontal root fractures: a report of two cases

Horizontal root fractures (HRF) usually affect the anterior teeth as a result of trauma, and generally heal spontaneously, depending on the vitality of the pulp. Diagnosis based on clinical findings, sensitivity tests, and radiographic examination is important to determine the presence of a root fracture and to prevent a root fracture from passing unnoticed. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been used successfully for diagnosis and prognosis imaging of root fractures and has proved to be superior to other radiographic methods. This study reports two cases of dental trauma caused by a collision and a sports accident. The patients suffered horizontal root fractures in the maxillary left central incisor and in the mandibular left central incisor. The diagnosis of root fracture was confirmed by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, which also demonstrated spontaneous healing of the fracture line. The repair occurred by interposition of connective tissue in the former case and by interposition of bone and connective tissue in the latter case. The final diagnoses of both cases were based on CBCT images, indicating the importance of a CBCT examination to reach a firm diagnosis and to follow the healing process of root fracture cases, avoiding unnecessary radical endodontic treatment.

Aspectos da cultura rural tradicional na Reforma Agrária: estudo nos assentamentos de Presidente Venceslau, SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)