Effect of Cervitec (R) on mutans streptococci in plaque and on caries formation on occlusal fissures of erupting permanent molars

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cervitec(R) on the abundance of mutans streptococci (MS) in occlusal dental plaque and on 2-year caries increment of partly erupting first permanent molars. Sixteen healthy schoolchildren aged 6-8 years, with at least 2 sound contralateral partly erupted permanent molars, received diet counselling and daily parental supervised toothbrushing with a fluoride dentifrice. Stimulated saliva samples were collected at baseline and after 1 year to evaluate MS levels. In a split-mouth design, Cervitec varnish was applied to one of the teeth at baseline and after 3 and 6 months, while the other tooth in the same jaw was a control. At the 9-month follow-up the teeth were in occlusal contact. At this time, varnish was not applied. At 3 and 6 months after the first application of varnish a significant suppression of MS was observed in plaque. Caries investigations, performed at baseline and every 3 months during the 2 years after the start of the study, showed that all the teeth treated with the varnish were free of caries after 2 years, whereas 8/16 control teeth developed incipient caries. In conclusion, our results suggest that treatment with Cervitec reduces MS in plaque on erupting permanent molars and can lead to a significant decrease in caries incidence. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cellular and tissue effects induced by photogemA (R) and red LED in photodynamic therapy

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

Healing at implant sites prepared conventionally or by means of Sonosurgery (R): an experimental study in dogs

ObjectiveTo compare peri-implant tissue healing at implants installed in sites prepared with conventional drills or a sonic device.Material and methodsIn six Beagle dogs, the mandibular premolars and first molars were extracted bilaterally. After 3 months, full-thickness muco-periosteal flaps were elevated and recipient sites were prepared in both sides of the mandible. In the right side (control), the osteotomies were prepared using conventional drills, while, at the left side (test), a sonic device (Sonosurgery((R))) was used. Two implants were installed in each side of the mandible. After 8weeks of non-submerged healing, biopsies were harvested and ground sections prepared for histological evaluation.ResultsThe time consumed for the osteotomies at the test was more than double compared to the conventional control sites. No statistically significant differences were found for any of the histological variables evaluated for hard and soft tissue dimensions. Although not statistically significant, slightly higher mineralized bone-to-implant contact was found at the test (65.4%) compared to the control (58.1) sites.ConclusionsSimilar healing characteristics in osseointegration and marginal hard tissue remodeling resulted at implants installed into osteotomies prepared with conventional drills or with the sonic instrument (Sonosurgery((R))).

The Importance of Vocabulary Instruction in Everyday Mathematics

In this action research study of my 6th grade math students I try to answer the question of how mathematical vocabulary plays an integral role in the understanding and learning of middle level mathematics. It is my belief that mathematics is a language, and to be fluent in that language one must be able to use and understand vocabulary. With the use of vocabulary quizzes and mathematically-centered vocabulary activities, student scores and understanding of math concepts can be increased. I discovered that many of the students had never been exposed to consistent mathematical terminology in their elementary education, which led many to an unfavorable impression of math. As a result of my research, I plan to incorporate vocabulary as a regular part of my mathematical teaching. As the students understood the language of math, their confidence, attitudes, and scores all began to improve.

The complexity of narrative interferes in the use of conjunctions in children with specific language impairment

PURPOSE: To verify the use of conjunctions in narratives, and to investigate the influence of stimuli's complexity over the type of conjunctions used by children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with typical language development. METHODS: Participants were 40 children (20 with typical language development and 20 with SLI) with ages between 7 and 10 years, paired by age range. Fifteen stories with increasing of complexity were used to obtain the narratives; stories were classified into mechanical, behavioral and intentional, and each of them was represented by four scenes. Narratives were analyzed according to occurrence and classification of conjunctions. RESULTS: Both groups used more coordinative than subordinate conjunctions, with significant decrease in the use of conjunctions in the discourse of SLI children. The use of conjunctions varied according to the type of narrative: for coordinative conjunctions, both groups differed only between intentional and behavioral narratives, with higher occurrence in behavioral ones; for subordinate conjunctions, typically developing children's performance did not show differences between narratives, while SLI children presented fewer occurrences in intentional narratives, which was different from other narratives. CONCLUSION: Both groups used more coordinative than subordinate conjunctions; however, typically developing children presented more conjunctions than SLI children. The production of children with SLI was influenced by stimulus, since more complex narratives has less use of subordinate conjunctions.

The red herring argument in everyday life, and in the film, "American Beauty"

The Red Herring Argument is a logical device found in many areas of life. This thesis will narrow the focus, however, and examine how it is employed in the legal technique called “Chewbacca defense,” and in the film, “American Beauty.”

Role of (R)-9-hydroxystearic acid in zebrafish development

9-hydroxystearic acid (9-HSA) belongs to a class of lipid peroxidation products identified in several human and murine cell lines. These products are greatly diminished in tumors compared to normal tissues and their amount is inversely correlated with the malignancy of the tumor. 9-HSA activity has been tested in cancer cell lines, where it showed to act as a histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) inhibitor. In particular, in a colon cancer cell line (HT29), its administration resulted in an inhibition of proliferation together with an induction of differentiation. In this thesis the effect of (R)-9-hydroxystearic acid has been tested in vivo on cell proliferation and differentiation processes, in the early stages of zebrafish development. The final aim of this work was to elucidate the role of (R)-9-HSA in the control of cell differentiation and proliferation during normal development, in order to better understand its molecular control of cancerogenesis. The molecule has been administered via injection in the yolk of zebrafish embryos. The analysis of the histone acetylation pattern showed a hyperacetilation of histone H4 after treatment with the molecule, as detectable in HDAC1 mutants. (R)-9-HSA was also demonstrated to interfere with the signaling pathways that regulate proliferation and differentiation in zebrafish retina and hindbrain. This resulted in a reduction of proliferation in the hindbrain at 24 hours post injection (hpi), and in a hyperproliferation at 48 and 72 hpi in the retina, with a concomitant inhibition of differentiation. Finally, (R)-9-HSA effects were evident on proliferation of stem cell located in the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ) of the retina. The presence of ROS and 4-hydroxynoneal in the CMZ of wild-type embryos supports the hypothesis that oxidative stress could regulate stem cells fate in zebrafish retina.

Talking Tools, Suffering Servants, and Defecating Men: The Power of Storytelling in Maithil Women’s Tales

What can we learn about the way that folk storytelling operates for tellers and audience members by examining the telling of stories by characters within such narratives? I examine Maithil women’s folktales in which stories of women’s suffering at the hands of other women are first suppressed and later overheard by men who have the power to alleviate such suffering. Maithil women are pitted against one another in their pursuit of security and resources in the context of patrilineal formations. The solidarities such women nonetheless form—in part through sharing stories and keeping each other’s secrets—serve to mitigate their suffering and maintain a counter-system of ideational patterns and practices.

Measurement and meaning of head movements in everyday face-to-face communicative interaction

Methodological approaches in which data on nonverbal behavior are collected usually involve interpretive methods in which raters must identify a set of defined categories of behavior. However, present knowledge about the qualitative aspects of head movement behavior calls for recording detailed transcriptions of behavior. These records are a prerequisite for investigating the function and meaning of head movement patterns. A method for directly collecting data on head movement behavior is introduced. Using small ultrasonic transducers, which are attached to various parts of an index person's body (head and shoulders), a microcomputer defines receiver-transducers distances. Three-dimensional positions are calculated by triangulation. These data are used for further calculations concerning the angular orientation of the head and the direction, size, and speed of head movements (in rotational, lateral, and sagittal dimensions).

Patient self-management of oral anticoagulation with vitamin k antagonists in everyday practice: efficacy and safety in a nationwide long-term prospective cohort study.

Patient self-management (PSM) of oral anticoagulation is under discussion, because evidence from real-life settings is missing. Using data from a nationwide, prospective cohort study in Switzerland, we assessed overall long-term efficacy and safety of PSM and examined subgroups. Data of 1140 patients (5818.9 patient-years) were analysed and no patient were lost to follow-up. Median follow-up was 4.3 years (range 0.2-12.8 years). Median age at the time of training was 54.2 years (range 18.2-85.2) and 34.6% were women. All-cause mortality was 1.4 per 100 patient-years (95% CI 1.1-1.7) with a higher rate in patients with atrial fibrillation (2.5; 1.6-3.7; p<0.001), patients>50 years of age (2.0; 1.6-2.6; p<0.001), and men (1.6; 1.2-2.1; p = 0.036). The rate of thromboembolic events was 0.4 (0.2-0.6) and independent from indications, sex and age. Major bleeding were observed in 1.1 (0.9-1.5) per 100 patient-years. Efficacy was comparable to standard care and new oral anticoagulants in a network meta-analysis. PSM of properly trained patients is effective and safe in a long-term real-life setting and robust across clinical subgroups. Adoption in various clinical settings, including those with limited access to medical care or rural areas is warranted.