Evaluation of the dental structure loss produced during maintenance and replacement of occlusal amalgam restorations

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate four different approaches to the decision of changing or not defective amalgam restorations in first primary molar teeth concerning the loss of dental structure. Ditched amalgam restorations (n = 11) were submitted to four different treatments, as follows: Control group - polishing and finishing of the restorations were carried out; Amalgam group - the ditched amalgam restorations were replaced by new amalgam restorations; Composite resin group - the initial amalgam restorations were replaced by composite resin restorations; Flowable resin group - the ditching around the amalgam restorations was filled with flowable resin. Images of the sectioned teeth were made and the area of the cavities before and after the procedures was determined by image analysis software to assess structural loss. The data were submitted to ANOVA complemented by the Student Newman Keuls test (p < 0.05). The cavities in all the groups presented significantly greater areas after the procedures. However, the amalgam group showed more substantial dental loss. The other three groups presented no statistically significant difference in dental structure loss after the re-treatments. Thus, replacing ditched amalgam restorations by other similar restorations resulted in a significant dental structure loss while maintaining them or replacing them by resin restorations did not result in significant loss.

Evaluation of post-surgical healing in rats using a topical preparation based on extract of Musa sapientum L., Musaceae, epicarp

Considering that oral preparations made with peel green bananas (e.g. flour and extracts) demonstrated healing effects on mucous membranes and skin, this study evaluated the healing and the antimicrobial property of a topical preparation based on extract of Musa sapientum L., Musaceae, (apple banana) in surgically induced wounds in the skin of male Wistar rats, 100 g. The extract was obtained by decoction, the presence of tannins was detected by phytochemical screening and 10% of the extract was incorporated into the carbopol gel (CMS gel). The processes of healing and bacterial isolation were evaluated in the following experimental groups: control (no treatment), treatment with placebo or with the CMS gel. The healing of surgical wounds treated with the CMS gel was faster when compared with the control and placebo groups and the treatment with CMS gel also inhibited the growth of pyogenic bacteria and enterobacteria in the wounds. The results indicate that the extract of Musa sapientum epicarp has healing and antimicrobial properties (in vivo), probably, due to tannins.

Critical applications of SW 846 US EPA methods to evaluation of marine samples quality

Technical evaluation of analytical data is of extreme relevance considering it can be used for comparisons with environmental quality standards and decision-making as related to the management of disposal of dredged sediments and the evaluation of salt and brackish water quality in accordance with CONAMA 357/05 Resolution. It is, therefore, essential that the project manager discusses the environmental agency's technical requirements with the laboratory contracted for the follow-up of the analysis underway and even with a view to possible re-analysis when anomalous data are identified. The main technical requirements are: (1) method quantitation limits (QLs) should fall below environmental standards; (2) analyses should be carried out in laboratories whose analytical scope is accredited by the National Institute of Metrology (INMETRO) or qualified or accepted by a licensing agency; (3) chain of custody should be provided in order to ensure sample traceability; (4) control charts should be provided to prove method performance; (5) certified reference material analysis or, if that is not available, matrix spike analysis, should be undertaken and (6) chromatograms should be included in the analytical report. Within this context and with a view to helping environmental managers in analytical report evaluation, this work has as objectives the discussion of the limitations of the application of SW 846 US EPA methods to marine samples, the consequences of having data based on method detection limits (MDL) and not sample quantitation limits (SQL), and present possible modifications of the principal method applied by laboratories in order to comply with environmental quality standards.

Synthesis of PID controllers for a class of time delay systems

In this paper we use the Hermite-Biehler theorem to establish results on the design of proportional plus integral plus derivative (PID) controllers for a class of time delay systems. Using the property of interlacing at high frequencies of the class of systems considered and linear programming we obtain the set of all stabilizing PID controllers. As far as we know, previous results on the synthesis of PID controllers rely on the solution of transcendental equations. This paper also extends previous results on the synthesis of proportional controllers for a class of delay systems Of retarded type to a larger class of delay systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of organophosphorus and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides against six vector mosquitoe species

Three organophosphorus compounds- malathion, folithion and temephos- and two synthetic pyrethroids- alphamethrin and deltamethrin- were used for monitoring the susceptibility status of larvae and adults of six vector mosquitoe species: Culex quinquefasciatus (Filariasis) and Aedes albopictus (Dengue) (both laboratory and field strains); laboratory strains of Aedes aegypti (Dengue), Anopheles slephensi and Anopheles culicifacies (Malaria), and Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Japanese encephalitis) in India. From the LC50 values obtained for these insecticides, it was found that all mosquito species including the field strains of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. albopictus were highly susceptible Except for Cx. quinquefasciatus (field strain) against malathion, 100% mortality was observed at the discriminating dosages recommended by World Health Organization. The residual effect of alphamethrin, deltamethrin, malathion and folithion at 25 mg (ai)/m² on different surfaces against six species of vector mosquitoes showed that alphamethrin was the most effective on all four treated surfaces (mud, plywood, cement and thatch). Nevertheless, residual efficacy lasted longer on thatch than on the other surfaces. Therefore, synthetic pyrethroids such as alphamethrin can be effectively employed in integrated vector control operations.

Evaluation of dog population in an urban area of Southeastern Brazil

Planning control programs, for diseases such as rabies requires information on the size and structure of the dog and cat population. In order to evaluate the dog population of the urban area of Araçatuba city, S. Paulo State, Brazil, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire to interview members of households. Eighty-eight districts were visited (37,778 houses) and the interview was possible at 77.93% of these. Human population size evaluated was 113,157 inhabitants. Houses that owned animals represented 55.2%, 26,926 of the animals concerned were dogs and 5,755 were cats. Of the dogs, 56.64% were 1-4 year olds and males represented 56.2% of the total population. Dog: person ratio was estimated at 2.8 dogs to every 10 persons, almost 3 times the ratio hitherto estimated and used in the planning of rabies vaccination campaigns.

Evaluation of a program to reduce back pain in nursing personnel

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed to reduce back pain in nursing aides. METHODS: Female nursing aides from a university hospital who had suffered episodes of back pain for at least six months were included in the study. Participants were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group. The intervention program involved a set of exercises and an educational component stressing the ergonomic aspect, administered twice a week during working hours for four months. All subjects answered a structured questionnaire and the intensity of pain was assessed before and after the program using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Student's t-test or the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test for independent samples, and Chi-square test or the Exact Fisher test for categorical analysis, were used. The McNemar test and the Wilcoxon matched pairs test were used to compare the periods before and after the program. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of cervical pain in the last two months and in the last seven days in the intervention group. There was also a reduction in cervical pain intensity in the two periods (2 months, 7 days) and lumbar pain intensity in the last 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a program of regular exercise with an emphasis on ergonomics can reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in nursing personnel.

Passive haemagglutination test for human neurocysticercosis immunodiagnosis: I. Standardization and evaluation of the passive haemagglutination test for the detection of anti-Cysticercus cellulosae antibodies

A passive haemagglutination test (PHA) for human neurocysticercosis was standardized and evaluated for the detection of specific antibodies to Cysticercus cellulosae in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). For the assay, formaldehyde-treated group O Rh-human red cells coated with the cysticerci crude total saline extract (TS) antigen were employed. A total of 115 CSF samples from patients with neurocysticercosis was analysed, of these 94 presented reactivity, corresponding to 81.7% sensitivity, in which confidence limit of 95% probability (CL95%) ranged from 74.5% to 88.9%. Eighty-nine CSF samples derived from individuals of control group presented as nonreactive in 94.4% (CL95% from 89.6% to 99.2%). The positive and negative predictive values were 1.4% and 99.9%, respectively, considering the mean rate of that this assay provide a rapid, highly reproducible, and moderately sensitive mean of detecting specific antibodies in CSF samples.

Evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent and alternative assays for detection of HIV antibodies using panels of Brasilian sera

Sera from 472 Brazilian subjects, confirmed to be either positive or negative for HIV antibodies and comprising the total clinical spectrum of HIV infection, were utilized in the evaluation of six commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), as well as of four alternative assays, namely indirect immunofluorescence (IIF), passive hemagglutination (PHA), dot blot and Karpas AIDS cell test. The sensitivities ranged from 100% (Abbott and Roche ELISA) to 84.2% (PHA) and the specificities ranged from 99.3% (IIF) to 80.2% (PHA). The sensitivity and specificity of the PHA and the sensitivity of the Karpas cell test were significantly lower than those of the other tests. Although the IFF and dot blot had good sensitivities and specificities, the six ELISA were more attractive than those tests when other parameters such as ease of reading and duration of assay were considered.

Evaluation of temporal, seasonal and geographic stability of the molluscicidal property of Euphorbia splendens latex

Laboratory tests with aqueous solutions of Euphorbia splendens var. hislopii latex have demonstrated seasonal stability of the molluscicidal principle, with LD90 values of 1.14 ppm (spring), 1.02 ppm (fall), 1.09 ppm (winter), and 1.07 ppm (summer) that have been determined against Biomphalaria tenagophila in the field. Assays on latex collected in Belo Horizonte and Recife yielded LD90 values similar to those obtained with the reference substance collected in Rio de Janeiro (Ilha do Governador), demonstrating geographic stability of the molluscicidal effect. The molluscicidal action of aqueous dilutions of the latex in natura, centrifuged (precipitate) and lyophilized, was stable for up to 124 days at room temperature (in natura) and for up to 736 days in a common refrigerator at 10 to 12ºC (lyophilized product). A 5.0 ppm solution is 100% lethal for snails up to 13 days after preparation, the effect being gradually lost to almost total inactivity by the 30th day. This observation indicated that the active principle is instable. These properties together with the wide distribution of the plant, its resistance and adaptation to the tropical climate, its easy cultivation and the easy obtention of latex and preparation of the molluscicidal solution, make this a promising material for large-scale use in the control of schistosomiasis

Schistosoma mansoni: evaluation of the activity of oxamniquine on schistosomules, at 24 hours after infection

Mice transcutaneously infected with about 400 cercariae were submitted to treatment with oxamniquine (400 mg/kg), 24 hours after infection. The recovery of schistosomules, at 4, 24, 48 and 72 hours and 35 days after treatment, showed the activity of the drug on the parasites, thus practically preventing their migration from the skin to the lungs. Worm recovery performed in the lungs (96 hours after treatment) showed recovery means of 0.6 worms/mouse in the treated group and 53.8 in the control group (untreated). The perfusion of the portal system carried out at 35 days after treatment clearly showed the elimination of all the parasites in the treated group, whereas a recovery mean of 144.7 worms/mouse was detected in the control group (untreated). These findings confirm the efficacy of oxamniquine at the skin phase of infection, and also show similarity with the immunization method that uses irradiated cercariae. The practical application of these findings in the medical clinic is discussed too

Evaluation of the resistance to Schistosoma mansoni infection in Nectomys squamipes (Rodentia: Cricetidae), a natural host of infection in Brazil

The development of resistance in three stages throughout an active infection (pre-ovular, acute and initial chronic stages) was studied, comparing the total number of adult worms recovered from the reinfected group and the control groups. It was shown that Nectomys squamipes was unable to develop resistance in the tested conditions and, on the other hand, reinfection in the pre-ovular period of the parasite led the rodent to present the phenomenonacilitation, with reduction of natural resistance and an increase in the parasite load. These results suggest the existence of other forms of immunity diverse from the concomitant immunity in the host-parasite relationship, according to the employed model.

An Evaluation of clinical, serologic, anatomopathologic and immunohistochemical findings for fifteen patients with mucosal leishmaniasis before and after treatment

Treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) can be controlled by clinical examination and by serologic titers by the indirect immunofluorescence serologic reaction (IISR). We studied the correlation between the presence of antigen in tissue determined by immunohistochemistry, the IISR titers and the anatomopathologic findings in fifteen patients with ML before and after healing of the lesions as determined by otorhinolaryngologic evaluation, and evaluated these parameters to determine which of them could be useful during follow-up. Tissue antigens became negative in four patients (group A) after treatment, with a statistically significant reduction or negativity of IISR titers (p<0.05). This did not occur in patients in whom the antigen persisted after treatment (group B), suggesting that serologic follow-up should be performed together with the search for tissue antigen, a combination which, to our knowledge, has not been used in previous studies. The negativity of tissue antigens and the behavior of IIRS titers in group A patients probably indicate a lower possibility of recurrence. Upon anatomopathologic examination the inflammatory process was found to persist after treatment even in group A, suggesting that the permanence of inflammatory activity even in clinically healed lesions is possibly correlated with the presence of the antigen or of some unknown factor.

Nutritonal evaluation of pemphigus foliaceus patients on long term glucocorticoid therapy

Our objective was to compare food intake and nutritional status of Pemphigus Foliaceus patients (PG) on long term glucocorticoid therapy to a Control Group (CG). Fourteen PG female inpatients receiving prednisone (0.33 ± 0.22mg/kg) for at least 12 months and twelve CG subjects were submitted to nutritional evaluation, including anthropometry, urinary creatinine determination and serum biochemical measurements, besides 48-h-based food intake records. Groups were compared by Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and "t" tests. PG patients and CG were paired, respectively, in relation to age (24.7 ± 14.1 vs. 22.0 ± 12.0 years), body mass index (25.8 ± 6.4 vs. 24.0 ± 5.6kg/m2), daily protein intake (132.9 ± 49.8 vs. 95.2 ± 58.9g), and serum albumin (median; range) (3.8; 3.5-4.1 vs. 3.8; 3.6-5.0g/dl). However, PG patients had lower height-creatinine index (64.8 ± 17.6 vs. 90.1 ± 33.4%), and higher daily energy (3080 ± 1099 vs. 2187 ± 702kcal) and carbohydrate (376.8 ± 135.8 vs. 242.0 ± 80.7g) intakes. Despite high food, protein and energy consumption, PG patients on long term glucocorticoid therapy had lower body muscle mass than controls, while showing high body fat stores. These findings are possibly related to combined metabolic effects of long term corticotherapy and inflammatory disease plus corticosteroid-induced increased appetite.

Evaluation of anti-Schistosoma mansoni igG antibodies in patients with chronic schistosomiasis mansoni before and after specific treatment

The circumoval precipitin test (COPT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the immunoblotting anti-adult worm antigen (AWA) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) tests were applied to 17 chronically schistosome-infected patients for the detection of anti-Schistosoma mansoni antibodies before and on four occasions after oxamniquine administration over a period of six months. Compared to a control group, schistosomiasis patients showed high levels of IgG antibodies in AWA and SEA-ELISA. A decrease in IgG levels was observed six months after treatment, although negative reactions were not obtained. Significant decreases in IgG1, IgG3 and, mainly, IgG4, but not anti-SEA IgG2 levels were observed six months after treatment, again without negativity. Analysis of anti-AWA IgG antibodies by immunoblotting before treatment showed a 31 kDa strand in 14 patients (82%) which disappeared in three cases up to six months after treatment; furthermore, anti-SEA IgG antibodies showed the same band in nine patients (53%) before treatment, which disappeared in only four cases up to six months after treatment.