Occurrence and biology of Tolype innocens (Burmeister) on blueberry

Tolype innocens (Burmeister, 1878) is reported for the first time damaging blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) plants in Brazil having the caterpillars feeding on leaves and new shoots. T. innocens biology was studied on blueberry leaves in laboratory conditions and then a fertility life table was elaborated. Developmental time and viability of egg, larval and pupal stages and egg-adult period were 15.0 and 35.3, 33.3 and 84.5, 20.6 and 100, and 69.2 days and 45%, respectively. Average pupal weight was 0.840g for the females and 0.580g for the males. The sex ratio was 0.5. Pre-oviposition and oviposition time lasted 6.34 and 12.1 days, respectively. Mean fecundity was 251 eggs per female. Eggs were laid either individually or in masses. Longevity was 19.0 and 20.0 days for males and females, respectively. T. innocens population increased 47 times per generation, with a mean generation time of 77 days, and a finite rate of increase of 1.02. This data on biological parameters will be useful for establishing control strategies.

Novel micropatterns mechanically control fibrotic reactions at the surface of silicone implants.

Over the past decade, various implantable devices have been developed to treat diseases that were previously difficult to manage such diabetes, chronic pain, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, translation of these novel technologies into clinical practice is often difficult because fibrotic encapsulation and/or rejection impairs device function after body implantation. Ideally, cells of the host tissue should perceive the surface of the implant being similar to the normal extracellular matrix. Here, we developed an innovative approach to provide implant surfaces with adhesive protein micropatterns. The patterns were designed to promote adhesion of fibroblasts and macrophages by simultaneously suppressing fibrogenic activation of both cell types. In a rat model, subcutaneously implanted silicone pads provided with the novel micropatterns caused 6-fold lower formation of inflammatory giant cells compared with clinical grade, uncoated, or collagen-coated silicone implants. We further show that micropatterning of implants resulted in 2-3-fold reduced numbers of pro-fibrotic myofibroblast by inhibiting their mechanical activation. Our novel approach allows controlled cell attachment to implant surfaces, representing a critical advance for enhanced biointegration of implantable medical devices.

Pathological changes in anabolic androgenic steroid users.

Several classes of recreational and prescription drugs have additional effects on the heart and vasculature, which may significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality in chronic users. The study presented herein focuses on pathological changes involving the heart possibly due to anabolic androgenic steroid use. The role these hormones may play in their occurrence of sudden cardiac death is also investigated. 98 medico-legal cases including 6 anabolic androgenic steroid users were retrospectively reviewed. Autopsies, histology, immunohistochemistry, biochemistry and toxicology were performed in all cases. Pathological changes consisted of various degrees of interstitial and perivascular fibrosis as well as fibroadipous metaplasia and perineural fibrosis within the myocardium of the left ventricle. Within the limits of the small number of investigated cases, our results appear to confirm former observations on this topic and suggest anabolic androgenic steroid's potential causative role in the pathogenesis of sudden cardiac deaths in chronic users.

Comparison between Radiographic (2-dimensional and 3-dimensional) and Histologic Findings of Periapical Lesions Treated with Apical Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance of 2- and 3-dimensional radiography and histopathology in the diagnosis of periapical lesions. METHODS: Patients were consecutively enrolled in this study provided that preoperative periapical radiography (PR) and cone-beam computed tomographic imaging of the tooth to be treated with apical surgery were performed. The periapical lesional tissue was histologically analyzed by 2 blinded examiners. The final histologic diagnosis was compared with the radiographic assessments of 4 blinded observers. The initial study material included 62 teeth in the same number of patients. RESULTS: Four lesions had to be excluded during processing, resulting in a final number of 58 evaluated cases (31 women and 27 men, mean age = 55 years). The final histologic diagnosis of the periapical lesions included 55 granulomas (94.8%) and 3 cysts (5.2%). Histologic analysis of the tissue samples from the apical lesions exhibited an almost perfect agreement between the 2 experienced investigators with an overall agreement of 94.83% (kappa = 0.8011). Radiographic assessment overestimated cysts by 28.4% (cone-beam computed tomographic imaging) and 20.7% (periapical radiography), respectively. Comparing the correlation of the radiographic diagnosis of 4 observers with the final histologic diagnosis, 2-dimensional (kappa = 0.104) and 3-dimensional imaging (kappa = 0.111) provided only minimum agreement. CONCLUSIONS: To establish a final diagnosis of an apical radiolucency, the tissue specimen should be evaluated histologically and specified as a granuloma (with/without epithelium) or a cyst. Analysis of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional radiographic images alike results only in a tentative diagnosis that should be confirmed with biopsy.

In vivo electrochemical corrosion study of a CoCrMo biomedical alloy in human synovial fluids.

The present study was initiated with the aim to assess the in vivo electrochemical corrosion behaviour of CoCrMo biomedical alloys in human synovial fluids in an attempt to identify possible patient or pathology specific effects. For this, electrochemical measurements (open circuit potential OCP, polarization resistance Rp, potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy EIS) were carried out on fluids extracted from patients with different articular pathologies and prosthesis revisions. Those electrochemical measurements could be carried out with outstanding precision and signal stability. The results show that the corrosion behaviour of CoCrMo alloy in synovial fluids not only depends on material reactivity but also on the specific reactions of synovial fluid components, most likely involving reactive oxygen species. In some patients the latter were found to determine the whole cathodic and anodic electrochemical response. Depending on patients, corrosion rates varied significantly between 50 and 750mgdm(-2)year(-1).

Modelling the curing process in magneto-sensitive polymers: Rate-dependence and shrinkage

This paper deals with a phenomenologically motivated magneto-viscoelastic coupled finite strain framework for simulating the curing process of polymers under the application of a coupled magneto-mechanical road. Magneto-sensitive polymers are prepared by mixing micron-sized ferromagnetic particles in uncured polymers. Application of a magnetic field during the curing process causes the particles to align and form chain-like structures lending an overall anisotropy to the material. The polymer curing is a viscoelastic complex process where a transformation from fluid. to solid occurs in the course of time. During curing, volume shrinkage also occurs due to the packing of polymer chains by chemical reactions. Such reactions impart a continuous change of magneto-mechanical properties that can be modelled by an appropriate constitutive relation where the temporal evolution of material parameters is considered. To model the shrinkage during curing, a magnetic-induction-dependent approach is proposed which is based on a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into a mechanical and a magnetic-induction-dependent volume shrinkage part. The proposed model obeys the relevant laws of thermodynamics. Numerical examples, based on a generalised Mooney-Rivlin energy function, are presented to demonstrate the model capacity in the case of a magneto-viscoelastically coupled load.