In Vitro Assessment of Mutagenic And Genotoxic Effects of Coumarin Derivatives 6,7-Dihydroxycoumarin and 4-Methylesculetin

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

Dental and skeletal components of Class II open bite treatment with a modified Thurow appliance

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Surgical time and complications of total transvaginal (total-NOTES), single-port laparoscopic-assisted and conventional ovariohysterectomy in bitches

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

Excess body weight and gait influence energy cost of walking in older adults

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

Antibacterial activity of alkyl gallates is a combination of direct targeting of FtsZ and permeabilization of bacterial membranes

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

Noninvasive and multidisciplinary approach to the functional and esthetic rehabilitation of amelogenesis imperfecta: a pediatric case report

Case Report. An 8-year-old girl with amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) reported unsatisfactory aesthetics, difficulty in mastication, and dental hypersensitivity. The intraoral examination observed mixed dentition, malocclusion in anteroposterior relationships, anterior open bite, and dental asymmetry. A hypoplastic form of AI was diagnosed in the permanent dentition. A multidisciplinary planning was performed and divided into preventive, orthopedic, and rehabilitation stages. Initially, preventive treatment was implemented, with fluoride varnish applications, in order to protect the fragile enamel and reduce the dental sensitivity. In the second stage, the patient received an interceptive orthopedic treatment to improve cross-relationship of the arches during six months. Finally, the rehabilitation treatment was executed to establish the vertical dimension. In the posterior teeth, indirect composite resin crowns were performed with minimally invasive dental preparation. Direct composite resin restorations were used to improve the appearance of anterior teeth. Follow-Up. The follow-up was carried out after 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. After 18 months of follow-up, The restoration of integrity, oral hygiene, and patient satisfaction were observed . Conclusion. Successful reduction of the dental hypersensitivity and improvement of the aesthetic and functional aspects as well as quality of life were observed.

Development, validation, and application of a method for the GC-MS analysis of fipronil and three of its degradation products in samples of water, soil, and sediment

A method for the identification and quantification of pesticide residues in water, soil, and sediment samples has been developed, validated, and applied for the analysis of real samples. The specificity was determined by the retention time and the confirmation and quantification of analyte ions. Linearity was demonstrated over the concentration range of 20 to 120 µg L(-1), and the correlation coefficients varied between 0.979 and 0.996, depending on the analytes. The recovery rates for all analytes in the studied matrix were between 86% and 112%. The intermediate precision and repeatability were determined at three concentration levels (40, 80, and 120 µg L(-1)), with the relative standard deviation for the intermediate precision between 1% and 5.3% and the repeatability varying between 2% and 13.4% for individual analytes. The limits of detection and quantification for fipronil, fipronil sulfide, fipronil-sulfone, and fipronil-desulfinyl were 6.2, 3.0, 6.6, and 4.0 ng L(-1) and 20.4, 9.0, 21.6, and 13.0 ng L(-1), respectively. The method developed was used in water, soil, and sediment samples containing 2.1 mg L(-1) and 1.2% and 5.3% of carbon, respectively. The recovery of pesticides in the environmental matrices varied from 88.26 to 109.63% for the lowest fortification level (40 and 100 µg kg(-1)), from 91.17 to 110.18% for the intermediate level (80 and 200 µg kg(-1)), and from 89.09 to 109.82% for the highest fortification level (120 and 300 µg kg(-1)). The relative standard deviation for the recovery of pesticides was under 15%.

Temporal, diel and spatial variability of decapod larvae from St Paul`s Rocks, an equatorial oceanic island of Brazil

Temporal, spatial and diel variation in the distribution and abundance of organisms is an inherent property of ecological systems. The present study describes these variations and the composition of decapod larvae from the surface waters of St Paul`s Rocks. The expeditions to the archipelago were carried out in April, August and November 2003, March 2004 and May 2005. Surface plankton samples were collected during the morning and dusk periods, inside the inlet and in increasing distances around the archipelago (similar to 150, 700 and 1500 m). The identification resulted in 51 taxa. Seven species, six genera and larvae of the families Pandalidae and Portunidae were identified for the first time in the area. The mean larval density varied from zero to 150.2 +/- 69.6 individuals 100 m(-3) in the waters surrounding the archipelago and from 1.7 +/- 3.0 to 12,827 +/- 15,073 individuals 100 m(-3) inside the inlet. Significant differences on larval density were verified between months and period of the day, but not among the three sites around the archipelago. Cluster and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that the decapod larvae community was divided into benthic and pelagic assemblages. Indicator species analysis (ISA) showed that six Brachyura taxa were good indicators for the inlet, while three sergestids were the main species from the waters around the archipelago. These results suggest that St Paul`s Rocks can be divided into two habitats, based on larval composition, density and diversity values: the inlet and the waters surrounding the archipelago.

Accurate ab initio potential energy surfaces for the (3)A '' and (3)A ' electronic states of the O(P-3) plus HBr system

In this work, we report the construction of potential energy surfaces for the (3)A '' and (3)A' states of the system O(P-3) + HBr. These surfaces are based on extensive ab initio calculations employing the MRCI+Q/CBS+SO level of theory. The complete basis set energies were estimated from extrapolation of MRCI+Q/aug-cc-VnZ(-PP) (n = Q, 5) results and corrections due to spin-orbit effects obtained at the CASSCF/aug-cc-pVTZ(-PP) level of theory. These energies, calculated over a region of the configuration space relevant to the study of the reaction O(P-3) + HBr -> OH + Br, were used to generate functions based on the many-body expansion. The three-body potentials were interpolated using the reproducing kernel Hilbert space method. The resulting surface for the (3)A '' electronic state contains van der Waals minima on the entrance and exit channels and a transition state 6.55 kcal/mol higher than the reactants. This barrier height was then scaled to reproduce the value of 5.01 kcal/mol, which was estimated from coupled cluster benchmark calculations performed to include high-order and core-valence correlation, as well as scalar relativistic effects. The (3)A' surface was also scaled, based on the fact that in the collinear saddle point geometry these two electronic states are degenerate. The vibrationally adiabatic barrier heights are 3.44 kcal/mol for the (3)A '' and 4.16 kcal/mol for the (3)A' state. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4705428]

PD controller synthesis from open-loop response measurements of rotating system

In this work, a method of computing PD stabilising gains for rotating systems is presented based on the D-decomposition technique, which requires the sole knowledge of frequency response functions. By applying this method to a rotating system with electromagnetic actuators, it is demonstrated that the stability boundary locus in the plane of feedback gains can be easily plotted, and the most suitable gains can be found to minimise the resonant peak of the system. Experimental results for a Laval rotor show the feasibility of not only controlling lateral shaft vibration and assuring stability, but also helps in predicting the final vibration level achieved by the closed-loop system. These results are obtained based solely on the input-output response information of the system as a whole.

Structure and mechanism of diet specialisation: testing models of individual variation in resource use with sea otters

Studies of consumer-resource interactions suggest that individual diet specialisation is empirically widespread and theoretically important to the organisation and dynamics of populations and communities. We used weighted networks to analyze the resource use by sea otters, testing three alternative models for how individual diet specialisation may arise. As expected, individual specialisation was absent when otter density was low, but increased at high-otter density. A high-density emergence of nested resource-use networks was consistent with the model assuming individuals share preference ranks. However, a density-dependent emergence of a non-nested modular network for core resources was more consistent with the competitive refuge model. Individuals from different diet modules showed predictable variation in rank-order prey preferences and handling times of core resources, further supporting the competitive refuge model. Our findings support a hierarchical organisation of diet specialisation and suggest individual use of core and marginal resources may be driven by different selective pressures.

The neuroimmune changes induced by cohabitation with an Ehrlich tumor-bearing cage mate rely on olfactory information

Cohabitation for 14 days with Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice was shown to increase locomotor activity, to decrease hypothalamic noradrenaline (NA) levels, to increase NA turnover and to decrease innate immune responses and decrease the animals' resistance to tumor growth. Cage mates of a B16F10 melanoma-bearer mice were also reported to show neuroimmune changes. Chemosignals released by Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice have been reported to be relevant for the neutrophil activity changes induced by cohabitation. The present experiment was designed to further analyze the effects of odor cues on neuroimmune changes induced by cohabitation with a sick cage mate. Specifically, the relevance of chemosignals released by an Ehrlich tumor-bearing mouse was assessed on the following: behavior (open-field and plus maze); hypothalamic NA levels and turnover; adrenaline (A) and NA plasmatic levels; and host resistance induced by tumor growth. To comply with such objectives, devices specifically constructed to analyze the influence of chemosignals released from tumor-bearing mice were employed. The results show that deprivation of odor cues released by Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice reversed the behavioral, neurochemical and immune changes induced by cohabitation. Mice use scents for intraspecies communication in many social contexts. Tumors produce volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere through breath, sweat, and urine. Our results strongly suggest that volatile compounds released by Ehrlich tumor-injected mice are perceived by their conspecifics, inducing the neuroimmune changes reported for cohabitation with a sick companion. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlation Between Trochlear Groove Depth and Patellar Position During Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises in Subjects With Anterior Knee Pain

The purpose of this study was to correlate the trochlear shape and patellar tilt angle and lateral patellar displacement at rest and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) exercises during open (OKC) and closed kinetic chain (CKC) in subjects with and without anterior knee pain. Subjects were all women, 20 who were clinically healthy and 19 diagnosed with anterior knee pain. All subjects were evaluated and subjected to magnetic resonance exams during OKC and CKC exercise with the knee placed at 15, 30, and 45 degrees of flexion. The parameters evaluated were sulcus angle, patellar tilt angle and patellar displacement using bisect offset. Pearson's r coefficient was used, with p < .05. Our results revealed in knee pain group during CKC and OKC at 15 degrees that the increase in the sulcus angle is associated with a tilt increase and patellar lateral displacement. Comparing sulcus angle, patellar tilt angle and bisect offset values between MVIC in OKC and CKC in the knee pain group, it was observed that patellar tilt angle increased in OKC only with the knee flexed at 30 degrees. Based on our results, we conclude that reduced trochlear depth is correlated with increased lateral patellar tilt and displacement during OKC and CKC at 15 degrees of flexion in people with anterior knee pain. By contrast, 30 degrees of knee flexion in CKC is more recommended in rehabilitation protocols because the patella was more stable than in other positions.

Comparison between endoscopic and open surgery in 37 patients with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a rare benign vascular tumor of the nasopharynx. Although the treatment of choice is surgery, there is no consensus on what is the best approach. Aim: To compare surgical time and intraoperative transfusion requirements in patients undergoing endoscopic surgery versus open / combined and relate the need for transfusion during surgery with the time between embolization and surgery. Material and Methods: Study descriptive, analytical, retrospective study with a quantitative approach developed in the Otorhinolaryngology department of a teaching hospital. Analyzed 37 patients with angiofibroma undergoing surgical treatment. Data obtained from medical records. Analyzed with tests of the Fisher-Freeman-Halton and Games-Howell. Was considered significant if p <0.05. Study design: Historical cohort study with cross-sectional. Results: The endoscopic approach had a shorter operative time (p <0.0001). There is less need for transfusion during surgery when the embolization was performed on the fourth day. Conclusion: This suggests that the period ahead would be ideal to perform the process of embolization and endoscopic surgery by demanding less time would be associated with a lower morbidity. This study, however, failed to show which group of patients according to tumor stage would benefit from specific technical.

Laminar Displacement and Prelaminar Tissue Thickness Change after Glaucoma Surgery Imaged with Optical Coherence Tomography

PURPOSE. To study changes in lamina cribrosa position and prelaminar tissue thickness (PTT) after surgical IOP reduction in glaucoma patients. METHODS. Twenty-two patients (mean age, 71.4 years) were imaged with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT; 24 radial B-scans centered on the optic nerve head [ONH]) before trabeculectomy or tube shunt implantation. Follow up images were acquired 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postsurgery. Bruch's membrane opening (BMO), the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and the anterior laminar surface (ALS) were segmented in each radial scan with custom software. Surfaces were fitted to the ILM and ALS with the extracted three-dimesional coordinates. PTT was the distance between the ILM and ALS, perpendicular to a BMO reference plane. Serial postsurgical laminar displacement (LD), relative to the BMO reference plane, and changes in PTT were measured. Positive values indicated anterior LD. RESULTS. Mean (SD) presurgery IOP was 18.1 (6.5) mm Hg, and reduced by 4.7 (5.5), 2.4 (7.7), 7.0 (6.2), and 6.8 (7.5) mm Hg at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postsurgery, respectively. At the four postsurgery time points, there was significant anterior LD (1.8 [9.5], -1.1 [8.9], 8.8 [20.2], and 17.9 [25.8] mu m) and PTT increase (1.7 [13.3], 2.4 [11.9], 17.4 [13.7], and 13.9 [18.6] mu m). LD was greater in ONHs with larger BMO area (P = 0.01) and deeper ALS (P = 0.04); however, PTT was not associated with any of the tested independent variables. CONCLUSIONS. Both anterior LD and thickening of prelaminar tissue occur after surgical IOP reduction in patients with glaucoma. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:5819-5826) DOI:10.1167/iovs.12-9924