Effect of the number of screws on the stability of locking mandibular reconstruction plates

Atrophic mandible fractures are frequently a challenge to stabilize. This study evaluated, through mechanical testing in vitro, the number of locking screws that is sufficient to withstand loading when applied with a locking reconstruction plate in the fixation of atrophic mandible fractures. Polyurethane mandibles with a simulated linear fracture at the midline were used as substratum. Results show that resistance of the fixation is poor when one and two screws are used on each side of the fracture. Three screws on each side of the fracture significantly increases the resistance to displacement. However, no additional strength is added to the construct when more than three screws per side are used. © 2013 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Is characterizing the digital forensic facial reconstruction with hair necessary? A familiar assessors' analysis

Background: In the international scientific literature, there are few studies that emphasize the presence or absence of hair in forensic facial reconstructions. There are neither Brazilian studies concerning digital facial reconstructions without hair, nor research comparing recognition tests between digital facial reconstructions with hair and without hair. The miscegenation of Brazilian people is considerable. Brazilian people, and, in particular, Brazilian women, even if considered as Caucasoid, may present the hair in very different ways: curly, wavy or straight, blonde, red, brown or black, long or short, etc. For this reason, it is difficult to find a correct type of hair for facial reconstruction (unless, in real cases, some hair is recovered with the skeletal remains). Aims and methods: This study focuses on the performance of three different digital forensic facial reconstructions, without hair, of a Brazilian female subject (based on one international database and two Brazilian databases for soft facial-tissue thickness) and evaluates the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photographs of the target individual and nine other subjects, employing the recognition method. A total of 22 assessors participated in the recognition process; all of them were familiar with the 10 individuals who composed the face pool. Results and conclusions: The target subject was correctly recognized by 41% of the 22 examiners in the International Pattern, by 32% in the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern and by 32% in the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern. The facial reconstructions without hair were correctly recognized using the three databases of facial soft-tissue thickness. The observed results were higher than the results obtained using facial reconstructions with hair, from the same skull, which can indicate that it is better to not use hair, at least when there is no information concerning its characteristics. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular phylogeny of Moenkhausia (Characidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence

Moenkhausia is one of the most speciose genera in Characidae, currently composed of 75 nominal species of small fishes distributed across South American hydrographic basins, primarily the Amazon and Guyanas. Despite the large number of described species, studies involving a substantial number of its species designed to better understand their relationships and putative monophyly are still lacking. In this study, we analysed a large number of species of Moenkhausia to test the monophyly of the genus based on the phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. The in-group included 29 species of Moenkhausia, and the out-group was composed of representatives of Characidae and other members of Characiformes. All species of Moenkhausia belong to the same clade (Clade C); however, they appear distributed in five monophyletic groups along with other different genera, which means that Moenkhausia is polyphyletic and indicates the necessity of an extensive revision of the group. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Informe del Gobierno de Chile sobre la situación del Sur del país y el programa de reconstrucción en estudio = Report by the Government of Chile on the situation in the South of the country and on the reconstruction programme in course of preparation = Rapport du Gouvernement Chilien sur la situation dans le Sud du pays et sur le programme de reconstruction a l'étude

Incluye Bibliografía

Resolución 416(Plen.12): Asistencia internacional para la rehabilitación, la reconstrucción y el desarrollo de Nicaragua = Resolution 416(Plen.12): International assistance for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development of Nicaragua

El número de la resolución no es oficial; fue asignado por la Biblioteca para efectos de ordenación y control

Resolución 5: Préstamos del Banco Internacional = Resolution 5: Loans by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development = Résolution 5: Prêts de la Banque Internationale pour la Reconstruction et le Développement

El símbolo E/840/Rev.1 corresponde a la edición bilingüe inglés/francés publicada en 1953

Tissue-engineered blood vessel substitute by reconstruction of endothelium using mesenchymal stem cells induced by platelet growth factors

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain leaders as the major causes of mortality in Western society. Restoration of the circulation through construction of bypass surgical treatment is regarded as the gold standard treatment of peripheral vascular diseases, and grafts are necessary for this purpose. The great saphenous vein is often not available and synthetic grafts have their limitations. Therefore, new techniques to produce alternative grafts have been developed and, in this sense, tissue engineering is a promising alternative to provide biocompatible grafts. This study objective was to reconstruct the endothelium layer of decellularized vein scaffolds, using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors obtained from platelets. Methods: Fifteen nonpregnant female adult rabbits were used for all experiments. Adipose tissue and vena cava were obtained and subjected to MSCs isolation and tissue decellularization, respectively. MSCs were subjected to differentiation using endothelial inductor growth factor (EIGF) obtained from human platelet lysates. Immunofluorescence, histological and immunohistochemical analyses were employed for the final characterization of the obtained blood vessel substitute. Results: The scaffolds were successfully decellularized with sodium dodecyl sulfate. MSCs actively adhered at the scaffolds, and through stimulation with EIGF were differentiated into functional endothelial cells, secreting significantly higher quantities of von Willebrand factor (0.85 μg/mL; P < .05) than cells cultivated under the same conditions, without EIGF (0.085 μg/mL). Cells with evident morphologic characteristics of endothelium were seen at the lumen of the scaffolds. These cells also stained positive for fascin protein, which is highly expressed by differentiated endothelial cells. Conclusions: Taken together, the use of decellularized bioscaffold and subcutaneous MSCs seems to be a potential approach to obtain bioengineered blood vessels, in the presence of EIGF supplementation. © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery.

Phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the spider mite genera Aponychus, Paraponychus and Stylophoronychus using morphology (Acari:Tetranychidae)

Despite their great importance as pests of cultivated plants worldwide, members of the family Tetranychidae have never been subjected to a thorough cladistic analysis to reveal the history and relationships among related genera. Herein, we provide the first phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic review of species of the genera Aponychus, Paraponychus and Stylophoronychus using morphological characters. The results indicate a monophyletic clade uniting the aforementioned genera, although none of the three genera were recovered as monophyletic. We reinstate the tribe Aponychini as the taxon containing those three genera. Aponychus bambusae and A. aequilibris are herein considered junior synonyms of Stylophoronychus vannus and A. corpuzae, respectively. © 2013 CSIRO.

PRP8 intein in cryptic species of Histoplasma capsulatum: Evolution and phylogeny

The PRP8 intein is the most widespread intein among the Kingdom Fungi. This genetic element occurs within the prp8 gene, and is transcribed and translated simultaneously with the gene. After translation, the intein excises itself from the Prp8 protein by an autocatalytic splicing reaction, subsequently joining the N and C terminals of the host protein, which retains its functional conformation. Besides the splicing domain, some PRP8 inteins also have a homing endonuclease (HE) domain which, if functional, makes the intein a mobile element capable of becoming fixed in a population. This work aimed to study (1) The occurrence of this intein in Histoplasma capsulatum isolates (n=. 99) belonging to different cryptic species collected in diverse geographical locations, and (2) The functionality of the endonuclease domains of H. capsulatum PRP8 inteins and their phylogenetic relationship among the cryptic species. Our results suggest that the PRP8 intein is fixed in H. capsulatum populations and that an admixture or a probable ancestral polymorphism of the PRP8 intein sequences is responsible for the apparent paraphyletic pattern of the LAmA clade which, in the intein phylogeny, also encompasses sequences from LAmB isolates. The PRP8 intein sequences clearly separate the different cryptic species, and may serve as an additional molecular typing tool, as previously proposed for other fungi genus, such as Cryptococcus and Paracoccidioides. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Clinical similarities and histological diversity comparing fresh frozen onlay bone blocks allografts and autografts in human maxillary reconstruction

Background: In the absence of autologous bone for harvesting, fresh-frozen bone allografts turned into an alternative for bone reconstruction procedures. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to make a histological analysis of fresh-frozen onlay bone allografts (ALs), compared with autografts, in patients who needed maxillary reconstruction prior to dental implants placement. Materials and Methods: Twelve patients with bone deficiencies (width inferior to 4mm) in the sites where the implants were planned were enrolled in the study. From these, six were elected to be treated with autogenous (AT) bone grafts and six with fresh-frozen bone AL. This last group included the patients who had absence of a convenient amount of bone in donor sites. Each patient received from one to six graft blocks, totalling to 12 ATs and 17 ALs. Seven months after grafting procedures, biopsies of the grafts were made using 2-mm internal diameter trephine burs, and processed for histological analysis. One biopsy was retrieved from each patient. Results: Clinically, all grafts were found to be firm in consistency and well-incorporated to the receptor bed. Histological analysis showed a large amount of necrotic bone surrounded by few spots of new-formed bone in the AL group, suggesting low rate of graft remodeling. In the AT group, an advanced stage of bone remodeling was seen. Conclusions: Human fresh-frozen bone block AL showed clinical compatibility for grafting procedures, although associated to slow remodeling process. Further studies are needed to define, at long term, the remodeling process chronology the clinical longitudinal results for fresh-frozen bone AL. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multilocus molecular phylogeny of Gasteropelecidae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) reveals the existence of an unsuspected diversity

The characiform family Gasteropelecidae, the so-called freshwater hatchetfishes, is comprised of three genera and nine species found in Panama and all South American countries except Chile. Our goal was to investigate the molecular characteristics, phylogenetic relationships among the species and genera of Gasteropelecidae and phylogenetic relationships between the Gasteropelecidae family with other Characiformes. DNA fragments from two mitochondrial (16S rRNA and Cytochrome B) and three nuclear genes (Rag1, Rag2 and Myh6) were sequenced. Our results corroborate the morphology-based hypothesized monophyly of the Gasteropelecidae family and most of the relationships among its genera. However, the genus Gasteropelecus is polyphyletic because G. maculatus is placed as the sister group to all other gasteropelecids, whereas G. sternicla is more closely related to species of Carnegiella. Similarly, the species Carnegiella strigata is not monophyletic, which suggests that the family needs a taxonomic review. Moreover, the species Thoracocharax stellatus was composed by four distinct lineages suggesting the this species may represents a species complex. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

The macro-economic effects and reconstruction requirements following hurricanes Luis and Marilyn in Saint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles = Los efectos macroeconómicos y las necesidades de reconstrucción en Saint Maarten, Antillas Neerlandesas, después de los huracanes Luis y Marilyn

Incluye Bibliografía

The macro-economic effects and reconstruction requirements following hurricane Luis in the Island of Anguilla

Includes bibliography

Belize: assessment of the damage caused by hurricane Keith, 2000: list of project profiles for the reconstruction process

Includes bibliography