Pigmented Euglenophytes in a natural and shallow lake in the semiarid region of Paraíba State, Brazil

A floristic survey of the class Euglenophyceae in Panati Lake (7º11'14" S and 36º49'52" W) is presented. The samples were collected between November 2005 and April 2007 along the margins of the lake, and a total of 29 taxa were collected, described, and illustrated, comprising 11 specifics and 18 infraspecifics, with five typical and 13 non-typical varieties. The genus Trachelomonas showed the greatest richness (13 taxa), followed by the genus Lepocinclis (seven taxa). All of the 29 taxa cataloged had been previously reported for Brazil, most with wide geographical distributions, but all were new records for Paraíba State, and 25 new for northeastern Brazil - reflecting the need for more taxonomic studies of the Euglenophyceae in these locations.

Resultados del tratamiento de nevos melanocíticos con láser

Introducción A pesar de que los nevos melanocíticos son un motivo de consulta frecuente en nuestra población no existen estudios a nivel de Colombia acerca de su tratamiento, a nivel mundial existe muy poca literatura al respecto por lo que hay un vacío conceptual en este campo. Objetivos Evaluar los cambios en cuanto a la presencia de pigmento y cicatrización, en los nevos melanocíticos adquiridos tratados con láser, basados en la experiencia de un solo centro en Bogotá. Materiales y métodos Es un estudio observacional de antes y después, en una cohorte histórica, de 90 casos de nevos melanocíticos adquiridos, tratados con láser en Uniláser Medica, en los que se evaluó la presencia de pigmento, cicatrización, y otras variables, con un control realizado a no menos de 3 meses de la intervención. Resultados Se encontró un rango de edad entre los 18 -51 años, promedio 27,59 años; fototipo de III-V; en el 32% de los casos, solo fue requerida una sesión de láser de Co2 y Erbio, para el aclaramiento completo de la misma. La duración del eritema en el 54,4% los casos fue de 1 a 3 meses. En un 64,4% quedó pigmento residual al control, pero de éstos casos el 48,2% fue entre un 5 a un 10% del inicial. El 58,9% hizo cicatriz, de éstos el 63% fue estética. La satisfacción por parte de los pacientes es alta a pesar de la persistencia pigmentaria y/o la presencia de cicatriz. Discusión El tratamiento de nevos melanocíticos adquiridos con láser es una opción terapéutica que genera cambios estadísticamente significativos en cuanto a pigmento, cicatriz estética y alta satisfacción por parte de los pacientes. Se requieren estudios, analíticos, para determinar eficacia del tratamiento.

Effect of Disinfection and Accelerated Aging on Color Stability of Colorless and Pigmented Facial Silicone

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The oral blue nevus in children: a case report.

The intraoral blue nevus is a benign, relatively rare lesion that usually occurs in adults and most often in women. The reported case is interesting because the patient was only 11 years old. The lesion, located in the hard palate, was surgically removed. The specimen was sent for histologic examination, resulting in the final diagnosis of common blue nevus.

Investigation of photo-bleaching through transmittance method in pigmented solution: Understanding possible mechanisms and advantages for photo dental whitening

The dental bleaching is known for many years. Recently a technique employing light has open up new and exciting possibilities. Besides its vast application there are still many important points to be understood about teeth photon bleaching. In this work we present an in vitro experiment to explore the main mechanisms involved during the photon action in tooth whitening. Our results indicated that light at same wavelengths are great absorbed by pigments creating a local heating which considerably increase the bleaching rate. This results in a fast reaction without heating the whole dental structure. We discuss details of our experiment. Work supported by Fapesp and CNPq.

Visual evaluation of color stability after accelerated aging of pigmented and nonpigmented silicones to be used in facial prostheses

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate by a visual method of comparison the color stability of nonpigmented and pigmented facial silicones after accelerated aging. Materials and Methods: Two kinds of silicones were used in this study; one specifically formulated for facial prostheses and the other an acetic silicone for industrial use. Twenty-four trial bodies were made for each silicone. These were divided into colorless and intrinsically pigmented groups: ceramic, make-up, and iron oxide. The groups were submitted to accelerated aging for nonmetallic materials. An initial reading and subsequent readings were made at 163, 351, 692, and 1000 hours using a visual method of comparison. The values were annotated in a spreadsheet by two observers, according to scores elaborated for this study. Results: All groups presented color stability in the visual method. According to the results obtained and analyzed in this study, we can conclude that both silicones, Silastic 732 RTV and Silastic MDX 4-4210, behaved similarly, they can therefore be indicated for use in maxillofacial prosthesis. The time factor of aging influenced negatively, independently of the pigmentation, or lack of it, and of silicones and no group had visually noticeable alterations in any of the accelerated aging time, independently of the addition or not of pigments.

Color stability after accelerated aging of two silicones, pigmented or not, for use in facial prostheses

One of the greatest challenges faced by buccomaxillofacial prosthetists is to reproduce the patient's exact skin color and provide adequate esthetics. To reach this objective, professionals must use materials with easy characterization and that maintain color over long periods of time. The objective of this study was, thus, to evaluate the color stability of two types of silicones, Silastic 732 and Silastic MDX4-4210. Twenty-four test specimens were made from each type of silicone and were divided into a colorless group and groups intrinsically pigmented with ceramics, cosmetics or iron oxide. The specimens were submitted to an accelerated system of aging for non-metallic materials. Readings were carried out initially and after periods corresponding to 163, 351, 692 and 1,000 hours of aging, using a reflection spectrophotometer analysis, and color alterations were calculated by the CIE L*a*b* system. The data were submitted to variance analysis and Tukey's test at a 5% level of probability. The results demonstrated that, irrespective of the period of time analyzed, all the materials underwent some type of chromatic alteration (ΔE > 0). The test specimens made with Silastic 732 and MDX4-4210, without pigmentation, presented the lowest color alteration values after 1,000 hours of aging. Of the pigments, ceramic presented the lowest color alteration values and cosmetic powder presented the highest values. Thus, it may be concluded that the materials without the incorporation of pigments presented similar color alteration values, and did not differ statistically. The cosmetic powder used in this study was the pigment that most altered the color of the test specimens. © 2009 Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica.

Optimizing xanthophyll concentrations in diets to obtain well-pigmented yolks

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Gorlin syndrome: Importance of clinical signs and danger of delayed diagnosis A case report with eight years follow-up

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma (NBCCS) or Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (GS) is a multidisciplinary problem, the early diagnosis of which allows secondary prophylaxis that follows an appropriate regimen to delay progression of the syndrome. The aim of this study was to present a case of delayed diagnosis of GS in a young patient who received multidisciplinary treatment 5 years after onset. The patient presented for evaluation with painless swelling of the left maxilla. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a keratocyst odontogenic tumor (KOT) that was enucleated. On presentation, the patient’s symptoms and clinical signs were not related to complications of GS, and the possibility of GS was initially rejected, as he did not have a family history of the syndrome. Four years after the first surgery to remove the lesion, the patient came to our clinic with a brown, pigmented lesion. Computed tomography revealed ectopic lamellar calcification of the falx cerebri, which was the conclusive factor for the diagnosis of GS. It is important that clinicians recognize the clinical signs of GS, which mainly manifests itself as multiple basal cell carcinomas in the skin.

The Ultraviolet Protection Factor of Naturally-pigmented Cotton

Textile Technology: The sun-blocking properties of a textile are enhanced when a dye, pigment, delustrant, or ultraviolet absorber finish is present that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and blocks its transmission through a fabric to the skin. For this reason, dyed fabrics provide better sun protection than bleached fabrics. Since naturally-colored cottons contain pigments that produce shades ranging from light green to tan and brown, it seemed reasonable to postulate that they would provide better sun protection than conventional bleached cotton, and that natural pigments might prove more durable to laundering and light exposure than dyes, but there is no published research on the ultraviolet transmission values for naturally-pigmented cottons. The purpose of this study was to determine the ultraviolet protection (UPF) values of naturally-pigmented cotton in three shades (green, tan, and brown), and the effect of light exposure and laundering on the sun-blocking properties of naturally-pigmented cotton. Naturally-pigmented cotton specimens were exposed to xenon light and accelerated laundering, ultraviolet transmission values measured, and UPF values calculated following light exposure and laundering. The naturally-pigmented cottons exhibited significantly higher UPF values than conventional cotton (bleached or unbleached). Although xenon light exposure and laundering caused some fading, the UPF values of naturally-pigmented cotton continue to be sufficiently high so that all three shades continue to provide good sun protection after the equivalent of 5 home launderings and 80 American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists fading units (AFUs) of xenon light exposure.

Trichilemmal cyst nevus with a sebaceous nevus component

A 23-year-old man with a typical trichilemmal cyst nevus is reported. This recently described disorder is sufficiently characteristic to differentiate it from sebaceous nevus, nevus comedonicus, porokeratotic eccrine nevus, nevus corniculatus, follicular basaloid hamartoma, Munro's nevus and Gardner's syndrome.

Effects of daunorubicin, mitomycin C, azathioprine and cyclosporin A on human retinal pigmented epithelial, corneal endothelial and conjunctival cell lines

BACKGROUND: We wished to investigate the toxicity of four immunosuppressant and antimetabolic drugs, which are known to influence postoperative wound healing, on three different human ocular cell lines. METHODS: Acute toxicity to cyclosporin A, azathioprine, mitomicyn C and daunorubicin was assessed in Chang cells by monitoring their uptake of propidium iodide during a 3-h period. Chronic toxicity was assessed by monitoring the proliferation and viability of subconfluent cultures of Chang cells, human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) and retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells after continuous exposure to the drugs for 7 days. RESULTS: Acute toxicity testing revealed no obvious effects. However, the chronic toxicity tests disclosed a narrow concentration range over which cell proliferation decreased dramatically but calcein metabolism was sustained. Although the three lines reacted similarly to each agent, HCECs were the most vulnerable to daunorubicin and mitomycin. At a daunorubicin concentration of 0.05 microg/ml, a 75% decrease in calcein metabolism (P < 0.001) and a > or = 95% cell loss (P < 0.001) were observed. At a mitomycin concentration of 0.01 mug/ml, cell density decreased by 61% (P < 0.001) without a change in calcein metabolism, but at 0.1 microg/ml, the latter parameter decreased to 12% (P = 0.00014). At this concentration the proliferation of Chang and RPE cells decreased by more than 50%, whilst calcein metabolism was largely sustained. Cyclosporin inhibited cell proliferation moderately at lower concentrations (< 5 microg/ml; P=0.05) and substantially at higher ones, with a corresponding decline in calcein metabolism. Azathioprine induced a profound decrease in both parameters at concentrations above 5 microg/ml. CONCLUSION: Daunorubicin, cyclosporin and azathioprine could be used to inhibit excessive intraocular scarring after glaucoma and vitreoretinal surgery without overly reducing cell viability. The attributes of immunosuppressants lie in their combined antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects.