AVALIAÇÃO DAS ALTERAÇÕES NA SOBREMORDIDA E NAS ALTURAS FACIAIS ANTERIOR E POSTERIOR, DECORRENTES DO TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO COM EXTRAÇÃO DE PRÉ-MOLARES, EM PACIENTES COM DIFERENTES TIPOS FACIAIS.

O presente estudo investigou as alterações no trespasse vertical e na altura facial ântero-inferior em pacientes com má-oclusão de Classe I e diferentes tipos faciais com apinhamento submetidos a extração de quatro pré-molares, no pré e pós-tratamento ortodôntico. Foram selecionadas telerradiografias em norma lateral de 36 indivíduos na faixa etária de 12 anos e 2 meses a 16 anos e 5 meses, que realizaram o tratamento ortodôntico com o emprego de aparelho pré-ajustado Straight Wire..Para a análise as medidas utilizadas foram AFA, AFAI, AFP, FMA, SN.GoGn, além de medidas lineares descritas por Hans et al. As alterações nas alturas faciais anterior, antero-inferior e posterior foram similares nos três grupos estudados, apresentando aumento ao final do tratamento ortodôntico, porém sem significância estatística nas alturas faciais anteriores no grupo dos braquifaciais. Em FMA, foram estatisticamente significantes apenas para os braquifaciais e de SN.GoGn para braqui e dolicofaciais. Quanto às medidas lineares de Hans verificou-se que o grupo dos braquifaciais apresentou aumento estatisticamente significante em TLI e MNSK, no grupo dos mesofaciais, o mesmo ocorreu em BUI e MNSK e nos dolicofaciais todas as medidas exceto TUI apresentaram aumento significativo. Em todos os grupos foi observada uma diminuição da sobremordida.(AU)

AVALIAÇÃO DAS ALTERAÇÕES NA SOBREMORDIDA E NAS ALTURAS FACIAIS ANTERIOR E POSTERIOR, DECORRENTES DO TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO COM EXTRAÇÃO DE PRÉ-MOLARES, EM PACIENTES COM DIFERENTES TIPOS FACIAIS.

O presente estudo investigou as alterações no trespasse vertical e na altura facial ântero-inferior em pacientes com má-oclusão de Classe I e diferentes tipos faciais com apinhamento submetidos a extração de quatro pré-molares, no pré e pós-tratamento ortodôntico. Foram selecionadas telerradiografias em norma lateral de 36 indivíduos na faixa etária de 12 anos e 2 meses a 16 anos e 5 meses, que realizaram o tratamento ortodôntico com o emprego de aparelho pré-ajustado Straight Wire..Para a análise as medidas utilizadas foram AFA, AFAI, AFP, FMA, SN.GoGn, além de medidas lineares descritas por Hans et al. As alterações nas alturas faciais anterior, antero-inferior e posterior foram similares nos três grupos estudados, apresentando aumento ao final do tratamento ortodôntico, porém sem significância estatística nas alturas faciais anteriores no grupo dos braquifaciais. Em FMA, foram estatisticamente significantes apenas para os braquifaciais e de SN.GoGn para braqui e dolicofaciais. Quanto às medidas lineares de Hans verificou-se que o grupo dos braquifaciais apresentou aumento estatisticamente significante em TLI e MNSK, no grupo dos mesofaciais, o mesmo ocorreu em BUI e MNSK e nos dolicofaciais todas as medidas exceto TUI apresentaram aumento significativo. Em todos os grupos foi observada uma diminuição da sobremordida.(AU)

Sustained correction of bleeding disorder in hemophilia B mice by gene therapy

Mice generated by disrupting the clotting factor IX gene exhibit severe bleeding disorder and closely resemble the phenotype seen in hemophilia B patients. Here we demonstrate that a single intraportal injection of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector encoding canine factor IX cDNA under the control of a liver-specific enhancer/promoter leads to a long-term and complete correction of the bleeding disorder. High level expression of up to 15–20 μg/ml of canine factor IX was detected in the plasma of mice injected with 5.6 × 1011 particles of an AAV vector for >5 months. The activated partial thromboplastin time of the treated mice was fully corrected to higher than normal levels. Liver-specific expression of canine factor IX was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining, and secreted factor IX protein was identified in the mouse plasma by Western blotting. All treated mice survived the tail clip test without difficulty. Thus, a single intraportal injection of a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector expressing factor IX successfully cured the bleeding disorder of hemophilia B mice, proving the feasibility of using AAV-based vectors for liver-targeted gene therapy of genetic diseases.

Synchronization between prefrontal and posterior association cortex during human working memory

We measured coherence between the electroencephalogram at different scalp sites while human subjects performed delayed response tasks. The tasks required the retention of either verbalizable strings of characters or abstract line drawings. In both types of tasks, a significant enhancement in coherence in the θ range (4–7 Hz) was found between prefrontal and posterior electrodes during 4-s retention intervals. During 6-s perception intervals, far fewer increases in θ coherence were found. Also in other frequency bands, coherence increased; however, the patterns of enhancement made a relevance for working memory processes seem unlikely. Our results suggest that working memory involves synchronization between prefrontal and posterior association cortex by phase-locked, low frequency (4–7 Hz) brain activity.

The role of prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex in task switching

Human ability to switch from one cognitive task to another involves both endogenous preparation without an external stimulus and exogenous adjustment in response to the external stimulus. In an event-related functional MRI study, participants performed pairs of two tasks that are either the same (task repetition) or different (task switch) from each other. On half of the trials, foreknowledge about task repetition or task switch was available. On the other half, it was not. Endogenous preparation seems to involve lateral prefrontal cortex (BA 46/45) and posterior parietal cortex (BA 40). During preparation, higher activation increases in inferior lateral prefrontal cortex and superior posterior parietal cortex were associated with foreknowledge than with no foreknowledge. Exogenous adjustment seems to involve superior prefrontal cortex (BA 8) and posterior parietal cortex (BA 39/40) in general. During a task switch with no foreknowledge, activations in these areas were relatively higher than during a task repetition with no foreknowledge. These results suggest that endogenous preparation and exogenous adjustment for a task switch may be independent processes involving different brain areas.

Regulation of number and size of digits by posterior Hox genes: A dose-dependent mechanism with potential evolutionary implications

The proper development of digits, in tetrapods, requires the activity of several genes of the HoxA and HoxD homeobox gene complexes. By using a variety of loss-of-function alleles involving the five Hox genes that have been described to affect digit patterning, we report here that the group 11, 12, and 13 genes control both the size and number of murine digits in a dose-dependent fashion, rather than through a Hox code involving differential qualitative functions. A similar dose–response is observed in the morphogenesis of the penian bone, the baculum, which further suggests that digits and external genitalia share this genetic control mechanism. A progressive reduction in the dose of Hox gene products led first to ectrodactyly, then to olygodactyly and adactyly. Interestingly, this transition between the pentadactyl to the adactyl formula went through a step of polydactyly. We propose that in the distal appendage of polydactylous short-digited ancestral tetrapods, such as Acanthostega, the HoxA complex was predominantly active. Subsequent recruitment of the HoxD complex contributed to both reductions in digit number and increase in digit length. Thus, transition through a polydactylous limb before reaching and stabilizing the pentadactyl pattern may have relied, at least in part, on asynchronous and independent changes in the regulation of HoxA and HoxD gene complexes.