Seroprevalence of Protective Antibodies Against Influenza and the Reduction of the Influenza Incidence Rate: An Annual Repeated Cross-Sectional Study From 2014 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Seroepidemiological studies provide estimates of population-level immunity, prevalence/incidence of infections, and evaluation of vaccination programs. We assessed the seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza and evaluated the correlation of seroprevalence with the cumulative annual influenza incidence rate. METHODS: We conducted an annual repeated cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey, during June-August, from 2014 to 2019, in Portugal. A total of 4326 sera from all age groups, sex, and regions was tested by hemagglutination inhibition assay. Seroprevalence and geometric mean titers (GMT) of protective antibodies against influenza were assessed by age group, sex, and vaccine status (65+ years old). The association between summer annual seroprevalence and the difference of influenza incidence rates between one season and the previous one was measured by Pearson correlation coefficient (r). RESULTS: Significant differences in seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza were observed in the population. Higher seroprevalence and GMT for A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) were observed in children (5-14); influenza B seroprevalence in adults 65+ was 1.6-4.4 times than in children (0-4). Vaccinated participants (65+) showed significant higher seroprevalence/GMT for influenza. A strong negative and significant correlation was found between seroprevalence and ILI incidence rate for A(H1N1)pdm09 in children between 5 and 14 (r = -0.84; 95% CI, -0.98 to -0.07); a weak negative correlation was observed for A(H3N2) and B/Yamagata (r ≤ -0.1). CONCLUSIONS: The study provides new insight into the anti-influenza antibodies seroprevalence measured in summer on the ILI incidence rate in the next season and the need for adjusted preventive health care measures to prevent influenza infection and transmission.

Deletion of Sarcolemmal Membrane-Associated Protein Isoform 3 (SLMAP3) in Cardiac Progenitors Delays Embryonic Growth of Myocardium without Affecting Hippo Pathway.

The slmap gene is alternatively spliced to generate many isoforms that are abundant in developing myocardium. The largest protein isoform SLMAP3 is ubiquitously expressed and has been linked to cardiomyopathy, Brugada syndrome and Hippo signaling. To examine any role in cardiogenesis, mice homozygous for floxed slmap allele were crossed with Nkx2.5-cre mice to nullify its expression in cardiac progenitors. Targeted deletion of the slmap gene resulted in the specific knockout (KO) of the SLMAP3 (~91 KDa) isoform without any changes in the expression of the SLMAP2 (~43 kDa) or the SLMAP1 (~35 kDa) isoforms which continued to accumulate to similar levels as seen in Wt embryonic hearts. The loss of SLMAP3 from cardiac progenitors resulted in decreased size of the developing embryonic hearts evident at E9.5 to E16.5 with four small chambers and significantly thinner left ventricles. The proliferative capacity assessed with the phosphorylation of histone 3 or with Ki67 in E12.5 hearts was not significantly altered due to SLMAP3 deficiency. The size of embryonic cardiomyocytes, marked with anti-Troponin C, revealed significantly smaller cells, but their hypertrophic response (AKT1 and MTOR1) was not significantly affected by the specific loss of SLMAP3 protein. Further, no changes in phosphorylation of MST1/2 or YAP were detected in SLMAP3-KO embryonic myocardium, ruling out any impact on Hippo signaling. Rat embryonic cardiomyocytes express the three SLMAP isoforms and their knockdown (KD) with sh-RNA, resulted in decreased proliferation and enhanced senescence but without any impact on Hippo signaling. Collectively, these data show that SLMAP is critical for normal cardiac development with potential for the various isoforms to serve compensatory roles. Our data imply novel mechanisms for SLMAP action in cardiac growth independent of Hippo signaling.

Mo-LDH-GO Hybrid Catalysts for Indigo Carmine Advanced Oxidation.

This paper is focused on the utilization of hybrid catalysts obtained from layered double hydroxides containing molybdate as the compensation anion (Mo-LDH) and graphene oxide (GO) in advanced oxidation using environmentally friendly H2O2 as the oxidation agent for the removal of indigo carmine dye (IC) from wastewaters at 25 °C using 1 wt.% catalyst in the reaction mixture. Five samples of Mo-LDH-GO composites containing 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt% GO labeled as HTMo-xGO (where HT is the abbreviation used for Mg/Al in the brucite type layer of the LDH and x stands for the concentration of GO) have been synthesized by coprecipitation at pH 10 and characterized by XRD, SEM, Raman, and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, determination of the acid and base sites, and textural analysis by nitrogen adsorption/desorption. The XRD analysis confirmed the layered structure of the HTMo-xGO composites and GO incorporation in all samples has been proved by Raman spectroscopy. The most efficient catalyst was found to be the catalyst that contained 20%wt. GO, which allowed the removal of IC to reach 96.6%. The results of the catalytic tests indicated a strong correlation between catalytic activity and textural properties as well as the basicity of the catalysts.

Overview on biofuels production in a seaweed biorefinery.

The policy makers gathered at COP27 set a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above the pre- industrial level which requires a reduction of CO2 emissions of 43% by 2030 (relative to 2019 value). To meet this target, it is imperative to replace fossil derivatives (fuels and chemicals) with biomass derivatives. Given that 70% of planet Earth is the ocean, blue carbon can contribute significantly to the mitigation of anthropogenic carbon emissions. Marine macroalgal, or seaweed, that stores carbon, mostly, in the form of sugars rather than lignocellulosic, like terrestrial biomass, is suitable as input raw material for biorefineries. Seaweed biomass has high growth rates, does not require fresh water or arable land, and therefore does not compete with conventional food production. To make seaweed based biorefineries profitable the valorization of biomass has to be maximized through cascade processes with the production of several high-value products such as pharmaceuticals/chemicals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food, feed, fertilizers/biostimulants and low-carbon fuels. The composition of macroalgae, which varies depending on the species (green, red, or brown), the region in which it is grown, and the time of year, determines the variety of goods that can be made from it. Fuels must be made from seaweed leftovers since the market value of pharmaceuticals and chemicals is substantially larger than that of fuels. The following sections present a literature review on seaweed biomass valorization in the context of biorefinery with particular emphasis on low-carbon fuel production processes. An overview of seaweed's geographical distribution, composition, and production processes is also presented.

Postsurgical oral symptoms after insertion of one or two implants for mandibular overdentures: short-term results of a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare the short-term postsurgical symptoms after insertion of one or two implants for retention of a mandibular overdenture. This study investigated whether the less invasive single-implant approach results in lower postoperative symptoms compared to the conventional two-implant overdenture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients received new complete dentures and were randomly assigned to groups receiving one or two single-stage, early-loaded hydrophilic implants, inserted in the midline (n = 23), or the lateral incisor-canine area bilaterally (n = 24). Patient-reported postoperative symptoms were measured in a 0-100 visual analogue scale concerning pain in the surgical area, pain when chewing, bleeding, swelling, and unpleasantness. Data collection occurred 24 h and 7 and 21 days after surgery. Demographic and clinical features (smoking habit, classification of the residual ridges, and mucosal width and thickness at the implant sites), osteotomy for alveolar bone reduction, and surgery time were tested as predictors of symptom levels. RESULTS: Overall reported symptoms were mild and self-limited, with high rates of complete remission after the early loading period of 3 weeks. Progressive improvement of symptoms occurred from the 24-h to the 7-day and 21-day follow-ups (p < 0.001), similarly in both groups. None of the clinical predictors was significantly associated with the changes in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the insertion of one or two implants may result in similar postoperative outcomes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The severity of short-term postoperative symptoms may not be a critical factor for the decision between overdenture treatment with one or two implants.

Management of gummy smile using botulinum toxin: a case series.

A "gummy smile," considered to be exposure of more than 3.0 mm of gingival tissue during a forced smile, negatively affects smile esthetics. The present case series describes the clinical indications and technique for applying botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA) to correct a gummy smile and assesses the outcomes and satisfaction levels of 3 patients. The patients were told about the risks and benefits of the procedure and advised that their gummy smile was likely to recur within 6 months posttreatment. After the exposed gingival tissue of the patients was measured with a ruler, photographs were taken, and the patients recorded their pretreatment level of satisfaction with their smile on a visual analog scale (VAS), the patients were treated with BoNTA. The BoNTA was diluted in 1 mL of sterile saline according to the manufacturer's instructions, and an extraoral point of application was marked 1 mm lateral to each of the patient's nasal wings, close to the insertion of the elevator muscles of the upper lip and the nasal wings. At each location, 4 U was injected by tilting the syringe 45° in relation to the skin. Fourteen days after treatment, the gingival tissue exposed during a smile was again measured with a ruler, new photographic records were taken, and the patients' level of satisfaction with the treatment and the esthetic result was determined. Repositioning of the upper lip was observed in all patients. No adverse effects or complaints were reported. All 3 patients reported that they were satisfied with the outcome and wanted to continue therapy with BoNTA as needed. The results of the reported cases suggest that the application of BoNTA constitutes a safe, effective treatment for the correction of gummy smile and is well accepted by patients. However, for the treatment to be successful, it is essential that clinicians master the facial topographic anatomy and the technique to be employed.

Effect of prednisolone on language function in children with autistic spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Objective: To describe the effect of prednisolone on language in children with autism spectrum disorder. This study is based upon two hypotheses: autism etiology may be closely related to neuroinflammation; and, an effective treatment should restore the individual's language skills. Method: This is a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, carried out in a federal university hospital. The initial patient sample consisted of 40 subjects, which were randomized into two parallel groups. Inclusion criteria were: male gender, 3-7 years of age, and meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria. The final sample consisted of 38 patients, of whom 20 were randomized to the placebo group and 18 to the active group. The latter received prednisolone for 24 weeks, at an initial dose of 1 mg/kg/day and a tapering dose from the ninth week onward. Language was measured on four occasions over a 12-month period by applying two Brazilian tools: the Language Development Assessment (ADL) and the Child Language Test in Phonology, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Pragmatics (ABFW). Results: The side effects were mild: two patients had hypertension, five had hyperglycemia, and two had varicella. Prednisolone increased the global ADL score in children younger than 5 years of age who had developmental regression (p = 0.0057). The ABFW's total of communicative acts also responded favorably in those participants with regression (p = 0.054). The ABFW's total of vocal acts showed the most significant results, especially in children younger than 5 years (p = 0.004, power = 0.913). Conclusions: The benefit of prednisolone for language scores was more evident in participants who were younger than five years, with a history of developmental regression, but the trial's low dose may have limited this benefit. The observed side effects do not contraindicate corticosteroid use in autism.

Effect of prednisolone on language function in children with autistic spectrum disorder: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of prednisolone on language in children with autism spectrum disorder. This study is based upon two hypotheses: autism etiology may be closely related to neuroinflammation; and, an effective treatment should restore the individual's language skills. METHOD: This is a prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, carried out in a federal university hospital. The initial patient sample consisted of 40 subjects, which were randomized into two parallel groups. Inclusion criteria were: male gender, 3-7 years of age, and meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria. The final sample consisted of 38 patients, of whom 20 were randomized to the placebo group and 18 to the active group. The latter received prednisolone for 24 weeks, at an initial dose of 1mg/kg/day and a tapering dose from the ninth week onward. Language was measured on four occasions over a 12-month period by applying two Brazilian tools: the Language Development Assessment (ADL) and the Child Language Test in Phonology, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Pragmatics (ABFW). RESULTS: The side effects were mild: two patients had hypertension, five had hyperglycemia, and two had varicella. Prednisolone increased the global ADL score in children younger than 5 years of age who had developmental regression (p=0.0057). The ABFW's total of communicative acts also responded favorably in those participants with regression (p=0.054). The ABFW's total of vocal acts showed the most significant results, especially in children younger than 5 years (p=0.004, power=0.913). CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of prednisolone for language scores was more evident in participants who were younger than five years, with a history of developmental regression, but the trial's low dose may have limited this benefit. The observed side effects do not contraindicate corticosteroid use in autism.

Influence of Nanotopography on Early Bone Healing during Controlled Implant Loading.

Nanoscale surface modifications influence peri-implant cell fate decisions and implant loading generates local tissue deformation, both of which will invariably impact bone healing. The objective of this study is to determine how loading affects healing around implants with nanotopography. Implants with a nanoporous surface were placed in over-sized osteotomies in rat tibiae and held stable by a system that permits controlled loading. Three regimens were applied: (a) no loading, (b) one daily loading session with a force of 1.5N, and (c) two such daily sessions. At 7 days post implantation, animals were sacrificed for histomorphometric and DNA microarray analyses. Implants subjected to no loading or only one daily loading session achieved high bone implant contact (BIC), bone implant distance (BID) and bone formation area near the implant (BFAt) values, while those subjected to two daily loading sessions showed less BFAt and BIC and more BID. Gene expression profiles differed between all groups mainly in unidentified genes, and no modulation of genes associated with inflammatory pathways was detected. These results indicate that implants with nanotopography can achieve a high level of bone formation even under micromotion and limit the inflammatory response to the implant surface.

Dendrimers in the context of nanomedicine.

Dendrimers are globular structures, presenting an initiator core, repetitive layers starting radially from the core and terminal groups on the surface, resembling tree architecture. These structures have been studied in many biological applications, as drug, DNA, RNA and proteins delivery, as well as imaging and radiocontrast agents. With reference to that, this review focused in providing examples of dendrimers used in nanomedicine. Although most studies emphasize cancer, there are others which reveal action in the neurosystem, reducing either neuroinflammation or protein aggregation. Dendrimers can carry bioactive compounds by covalent bond (dendrimer prodrug), or by ionic interaction or adsortion in the internal space of the nanostructure. Additionally, dendrimers can be associated with other polymers, as PEG (polyethylene glycol), and with targeting structures as aptamers, antibodies, folic acid and carbohydrates. Their products in preclinical/clinical trial and those in the market are also discussed, with a total of six derivatives in clinical trials and seven products available in the market.

Declaração de óbito domiciliar na Atenção Primária à Saúde: acolhendo a morte no lar / Certificado de defunción domiciliaria en la Atención Primaria de la Salud: acogida de la muerte en el hogar / Home death certificate in Primary Health Care: welcoming death at home

A Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) é um cenário capaz de produzir cuidado em todas as fases da vida, desde o nascer ao morrer. Porém, o cuidado de saúde de pessoas gravemente enfermas requer uma abordagem complexa e holística desses sujeitos e famílias, sendo muitas vezes prestado em domicílio. Uma das atribuições relacionadas aos cuidados em fim de vida é a emissão da declaração de óbito quando este ocorre em domicílio. Pela perspectiva de uma médica de Família e Comunidade, relatou-se, de modo narrativo e reflexivo, uma experiência de um atendimento domiciliar para emissão de declaração de óbito. A partir dessa narrativa, discutiu-se sobre como a visita para declaração de óbito nos convida a entrar em um território repleto de subjetividades, que nos evoca muitas reflexões sobre o processo de morte e morrer, provocando transformações em nossa vida pessoal e profissional.(AU)

La Atención Primaria de la Salud es un escenario capaz de producir cuidado en todas las fases de la vida, desde el nacimiento hasta la muerte. No obstante, el cuidado de la salud de personas gravemente enfermas requiere un abordaje complejo y holístico de esos sujetos y familias, siendo muchas veces realizada a domicilio. Una de las atribuciones relacionadas con los cuidados al final de la vida es la emisión del certificado de defunción, cuando la misma ocurre en el domicilio. Bajo la perspectiva de una médica deFamilia y Comunidad, se relató de modo narrativo y reflexivo una experiencia de una atención domiciliaria para emisión de certificado de defunción. A partir de esa narrativa, se discutió sobre cómo la visita para el certificado de defunción nos invita a entrar en un territorio repleto de subjetividades que nos evoca muchas reflexiones sobre el proceso de la muerte y el morir, causando transformaciones en nuestra vida personal y profesional.(AU)

Primary Health Care is a scenario capable of producing care at all stages of life, from birth to death. However, the health care of severely ill people requires a complex and holistic approach to these subjects and families, often being provided at home. One of the duties related to end-of-life care is the issuance of a death certificate when death occurs at home. From the perspective of a Family and Community doctor a narrative and reflective experience is reported by a home care service for issuing a death certificate. From this narrative we discussed how the visit for the issuance of the death certificate invites us into a territory full of subjectivities, which evokes many reflections on the process of death and dying, causing changes in our lives both personally and professionally.(AU)

Neurofeedback Training for Cognitive and Motor Function Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke: Two Case Reports.

Stroke is a debilitating neurological condition which usually results in the abnormal electrical brain activity and the impairment of sensation, motor, or cognition functions. In this context, neurofeedback training, i.e., a non-invasive and relatively low cost technique that contributes to neuroplasticity and behavioral performance, might be promising for stroke rehabilitation. We intended to explore neurofeedback training on a 63-year-old male patient and a 77-year-old female patient with chronic stroke. Both of them had suffered from an ischemic stroke for rather long period (more than 3 years) and could not gain further improvement by traditional therapy. The neurofeedback training was designed to enhance alpha activity by 15 sessions distributed over 2 months, for the purpose of overall cognitive improvement and hopefully also motor function improvement for the female patient. We found that the two patients showed alpha enhancement during NFT compared to eyes open baseline within most sessions. Furthermore, both patients reduced their anxiety and depression level. The male patient showed an evolution in speech pattern in terms of naming, sentences completion and verbal fluency, while the female patient improved functionality of the march. These results suggested that alpha neurofeedback training could provide a spectrum of improvements, providing new hope for chronic stroke patients who could not gain further improvements through traditional therapies.

Atenção Primária à Saúde quebrando tabus: memorial do I Seminário de Sexualidade e Diversidade da SBMFC / Primary Health Care breaking taboos: memorial of the 1st SBMFC Seminar of Sexuality and Diversity / Atención primaria de salud rompiendo tabúes: memorial del 1er Seminario sobre Sexualidad y Diversidad de la SBMFC

A produção acadêmica sobre sexualidade e diversidade apresenta lacunas importantes, e muitas das diretrizes de cuidados clínicos a populações específicas são baseadas em baixo grau de evidência científica, como ocorre com a população de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Intersexuais (LGBTI). Dessa forma, a fundação do Grupo de Trabalho (GT) de Gênero, Sexualidade, Diversidade e Direitos, junto à Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade surge com o importante objetivo de promover estudos e debates sobre gênero e sexualidade a fim de promover direitos, diversidade e equidade na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Como uma das atividades desse GT foi idealizado e construído o I Seminário Sexualidade e Diversidade, com o tema "Atenção Primária à Saúde Quebrando Tabus", que aconteceu em São Paulo, entre os dias 20 e 22 de abril de 2018. O presente texto tem como objetivo apresentar como se deu a construção do evento, descrevendo os espaços realizados e as impressões dos participantes sobre o seminário. A programação foi elaborada a partir da demanda dos fóruns do GT (grupos de e-mail, Facebook e WhatsApp), sendo proposto quatro eixos para as atividades: 1- Pesquisa/produção acadêmica, 2- Assistência/temas clínicos, 3- Educação médica e 4- Representatividade e políticas públicas. Ao todo, foram realizadas 6 mesas redondas, 6 oficinas, 3 performances artísticas e 1 exposição cultural, contando com a participação de 202 pessoas, de 11 estados. O GT atingiu seu objetivo com esse seminário de produzir conhecimento e discutir sobre sexualidade e gênero, com foco na Atenção Primária, com médicos de família e comunidade, profissionais e estudantes da saúde. Considerando que a procura pelo Seminário foi maior que a esperada e que a discussão dos temas não se encerram em um evento, a intenção é de que o Seminário se torne parte da agenda regular da SBMFC.

Academic production on sexuality and diversity has important gaps, and many series of clinical care series in which children are more science-driven, such as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transvestite, transsexual, and intersex population (LGBTI). Thus, the foundation of the Working Group (WG) on Gender, Sexuality, Diversity and Rights, with the Brazilian Society of Family and Community Medicine (BSFCM), arises with the important objective of promoting studies and debates on gender and sexuality in order to promote rights, diversity and equity in Primary Health Care (PHC). As one of the activities of this WG, the I Seminar Sexuality and Diversity was conceived and prepared, with the theme "Primary Health Care Breaking Taboos", which took place in São Paulo, between April 20 and 22, 2018. This text aims to present how the event was built, describing the spaces held and the participants' impressions about the seminar. The program was elaborated from the search of the WG forums (e-mail groups, Facebook and WhatsApp), with the proposal of four axes for the activities: 1-Research/academic production, 2- Assistance/clinical subjects, 3- Medical education and 4-Representativeness and public votes. In all, there were 6 round tables, 6 workshops, 3 artistic performances and 1 cultural exhibition, with a participation of 202 people from 11 states. The WG achieved its goal with this seminar to produce knowledge and discuss sexuality and gender, focusing on Primary Care, with family and community doctors, health professionals and students. Considering that the demand for the Seminar was higher than expected and that the discussion of the topics does not end at an event, the intention is for the Seminar to become part of BSFCM's regular agenda.

La producción académica sobre sexualidad y diversidad tiene vaciós importantes, y muchas series de atención clínica en las que los niños están más motivados por la ciencia, como la población lesbiana, gay, bisexual, travesti, transexual e intersexual (LGBTI). Así, la fundación del Grupo de Trabajo (GT) sobre Género, Sexualidad, Diversidad y Derechos, con la Sociedad Brasileña de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, surge con el importante objetivo de promover estudios y debates sobre género y sexualidad para promover los derechos, diversidad y equidad en Atención Primaria de Salud (APS). Como una de las actividades de este GT, se diseñó y construyó el I Seminario de Sexualidad y Diversidad, con el tema "Atención primaria de salud, tabúes", que tuvo lugar en São Paulo, entre el 20 y el 22 de abril de 2018. para presentar cómo se construyó el evento, cómo se llevaron a cabo los espacios y los mensajes de los participantes sobre el seminario. El programa se elaboró a partir de la búsqueda en los foros del GT (grupos de correo electrónico, Facebook y WhatsApp), y se editó como guías de enseñanza: 1-Investigación/producción académica, 2- Asistencia/temas clínicos, 3- Educación médica y 4-Representatividad y votos públicos. En total, hubo 6 mesas redondas, 6 talleres, 3 representaciones artísticas y 1 exposición cultural, con una participación de 202 personas de 11 estados. El GT logró su objetivo con este seminario para producir conocimiento y discutir sobre sexualidad y género, con énfasis en Atención Primaria, con médicos familiares y comunitarios, profesionales de la salud y estudiantes. Teniendo en cuenta que la demanda del seminario fue mayor de lo esperado y que la discusión de los temas no se enicerra en un evento, la intención es que el seminario se convierta en parte de la agenda regular de la SBMFC.

Synchronization and equitable partitions in weighted networks.

The work presented in this paper has two purposes. One is to expose that the coupled cell network formalism of Golubitsky, Stewart, and collaborators accommodates in a natural way the weighted networks, that is, graphs where the connections have associated weights that can be any real number. Recall that, in the former setup, the network connections have associated nonnegative integer values. Here, some of the central concepts and results in the former formalism are present and applied to the weighted setup. These results are strongly associated with the existence of synchrony subspaces and balanced relations. This work also makes the correspondence between the concepts of synchrony subspace and balanced relation with those of cluster of synchrony and equitable partition, respectively, which are used in the other strand of literature. This correspondence implies that the results of these two strands of literature are linked. In particular, we remark that the results stated here for weighted coupled cell networks apply in that other strand of literature, and examples are given to illustrate that.

Bone healing response in cyclically loaded implants: Comparing zero, one, and two loading sessions per day.

When bone implants are loaded, they are inevitably subjected to displacement relative to bone. Such micromotion generates stress/strain states at the interface that can cause beneficial or detrimental sequels. The objective of this study is to better understand the mechanobiology of bone healing at the tissue-implant interface during repeated loading. Machined screw shaped Ti implants were placed in rat tibiae in a hole slightly bigger than the implant diameter. Implants were held stable by a specially-designed bone plate that permits controlled loading. Three loading regimens were applied, (a) zero loading, (b) one daily loading session of 60 cycles with an axial force of 1.5 N/cycle for 7 days, and (c) two such daily sessions with the same axial force also for 7 days. Finite element analysis was used to characterize the mechanobiological conditions produced by the loading sessions. After 7 days, the implants with surrounding interfacial tissue were harvested and processed for histological, histomorphometric and DNA microarray analyses. Histomorphometric analyses revealed that the group subjected to repeated loading sessions exhibited a significant decrease in bone-implant contact and increase in bone-implant distance, as compared to unloaded implants and those subjected to only one loading session. Gene expression profiles differed during osseointegration between all groups mainly with respect to inflammatory and unidentified gene categories. The results indicate that increasing the daily cyclic loading of implants induces deleterious changes in the bone healing response, most likely due to the accumulation of tissue damage and associated inflammatory reaction at the bone-implant interface.

Antimicrobial action of chlorhexidine digluconate in self-ligating and conventional metal brackets infected with Streptococcus mutans biofilm.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the adherence of Streptococcus mutans biofilms grown over conventional ligature (CL) or self-ligating (SL) metal brackets and their bacterial viability after 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) digluconate treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 48 metallic orthodontic brackets divided randomly into two groups: CL (n=24) and SL brackets (n=24). S. mutans biofilms were grown over the bracket surface (96 h) and treated with CHX (positive control) or 0.9% phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (negative control) for 1 min each. Quantitative analysis was assessed by colony-forming units, and fluorescence microscopy was performed aiming to illustrate the outcomes. The tests were done in triplicate at three different times (n=9). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey test (P<0.05). RESULTS: There were significant differences in brackets' biofilm formation, being CL largely colonized compared with SL, which was observed by colony-forming unit counting (P<0.05) and microcopy images. Significant reduction in the viability of S. mutans was found in both brackets treated with CHX compared to PBS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial activities of CHX were similar for CL and SL brackets (P>0.05). In conclusion, a lower colonization was achieved in SL brackets and S. mutans biofilms were susceptible to CHX treatment to both studied brackets.

Educação inclusiva no ensino superior: desafios e experiências de um núcleo de apoio discente e docente / Inclusive approach on higher education: challenges and experiences of a nucleus for faculty and student support

No Ensino Superior, a prática inclusiva é recente, e este panorama novo exige das instituições o desenvolvimento de políticas de apoio e acompanhamento com ações que vão além da disponibilidade de vaga. Somado a isto, os requisitos legais de avaliação e reconhecimento de cursos também exigem as evidências de práticas inclusivas no ambiente universitário. O objetivo deste trabalho é descrever a atuação de um núcleo de apoio ao discente e docente (NADD) de dois Centros Universitários do município de São Paulo. O Núcleo foi criado em 2015 e, deste então, desenvolve ações de inclusão no contexto universitário a partir de um programa intitulado "Atenção Especial". O foco de atuação do programa é o acolhimento e apoio aos estudantes com deficiência, dificuldades de aprendizagem e outros transtornos por meio da sua identificação, estratégias de intervenção, encaminhamento e orientação. Atualmente, o programa acompanha 193 estudantes orientados por um protocolo de atendimento, que contempla diversas ações para favorecer a inclusão destes estudantes a partir da sua entrevista inicial: monitorias de reforço entre pares, nivelamento, cursos de apoio ao estudante, encaminhamento para clínicas de saúde, parceria com profissionais de saúde, acessibilidade física, tecnologia assistiva, orientação aos professores, atividades de sensibilização com estudantes e palestras a toda comunidade acadêmica. Os resultados do programa têm promovido, além da conscientização ampla de toda comunidade acadêmica, o favorecimento da inclusão e da permanência destes estudantes em um ambiente receptivo, inclusivo e legítimo.

In Higher Education, inclusive practice is recent, this totally new panorama requires that higher education institutions develop support and follow-up policies with actions that go beyond the availability of vacancies. In addition to this, the legal requirements for course evaluation and recognition also require evidences of inclusive practices in the university environment. The objective of this paper is to describe the performance of NADD - Núcleo de Apoio Discente e Docente (Nucleus for Faculty and Student Support) of two University Centers of the city of São Paulo. NADD was created in 2015 and, since then, develops inclusion actions in the university context with a program titled "Atenção Especial" (Special Attention). The focus of this program is the reception and support of students with disabilities, learning difficulties and other disorders through identification, intervention strategies, referral and orientation. Currently, 193 students guided by a service protocol that includes several actions to favor the inclusion of these students since their initial interview accompany the program: reinforcement, peer, leveling, student support courses, referral to health clinics, partnership with health professionals, physical accessibility and assistive technology. The results of the program have promoted, in addition to the broad awareness of the entire academic community, the favoring of inclusion and permanence of these students in a receptive, inclusive and legitimate environment.

Patterns of synchrony for feed-forward and auto-regulation feed-forward neural networks.

We consider feed-forward and auto-regulation feed-forward neural (weighted) coupled cell networks. In feed-forward neural networks, cells are arranged in layers such that the cells of the first layer have empty input set and cells of each other layer receive only inputs from cells of the previous layer. An auto-regulation feed-forward neural coupled cell network is a feed-forward neural network where additionally some cells of the first layer have auto-regulation, that is, they have a self-loop. Given a network structure, a robust pattern of synchrony is a space defined in terms of equalities of cell coordinates that is flow-invariant for any coupled cell system (with additive input structure) associated with the network. In this paper, we describe the robust patterns of synchrony for feed-forward and auto-regulation feed-forward neural networks. Regarding feed-forward neural networks, we show that only cells in the same layer can synchronize. On the other hand, in the presence of auto-regulation, we prove that cells in different layers can synchronize in a robust way and we give a characterization of the possible patterns of synchrony that can occur for auto-regulation feed-forward neural networks.

Foliar accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in native tree species from the Atlantic Forest (SE-Brazil).

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic to living organisms. They can accumulate on foliar surfaces due to their affinity with apolar organic compounds, which enables the use of native plant species as sentinels of atmospheric PAH deposition in polluted ecosystems. The present study extends the knowledge about this subject in the tropical region by focusing on the PAH accumulation in the foliage of dominant tree species (Astronium graveolens, Croton floribundus, Piptadenia gonoacantha) in four remnants of Semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest surrounded by diversified sources of PAHs and located in the cities of Campinas, Paulínia, Holambra and Cosmópilis (central-eastern part of São Paulo State, SE-Brazil). Leaves of the tree species were collected in the forest remnants during the wet and dry seasons (2011 to 2013). All samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a fluorescence detector for identification of 14 PAHs. The native tree species showed distinct capacities to accumulate PAHs. All of them accumulated proportionally more light PAHs than heavy PAHs, mainly during the dry period. P. gonoacantha was the most effective accumulator species. Higher accumulations of most of the PAHs occurred during the dry periods. The predominance of moderately (1 ≤ EF < 5) to highly enriched (EF ≥ 5) leaf samples of P. gonoacantha with regard to BaA and PHE in all of the forest remnants indicated that vehicular sources were widely distributed in the entire region. The predominance of the moderate to high enrichment of ACE in leaf samples from the forest remnants located in Paulínia, Holambra and Cosmópolis indicated that they were also affected by emissions from petrochemical industries.

Searching for native tree species and respective potential biomarkers for future assessment of pollution effects on the highly diverse Atlantic Forest in SE-Brazil.

This study summarizes the first effort to search for bioindicator tree species and respective potential biomarkers for future assessment of potential mixed pollution effects on the highly diverse Atlantic Forest in SE-Brazil. Leaves of the three most abundant species inventoried in a phytosociological survey (Croton floribundus, Piptadenia gonoacantha and Astronium graveolens) were collected in four forest remnants during winter and summer (2012). Their potential bioindicator attributes were highlighted using a screening of morphological, chemical and biochemical markers. The leaf surface structure and/or epicuticular wax composition pointed the accumulator properties of C. floribundus and P. gonoacantha. C. floribundus is a candidate for assessing potential accumulation of Cu, Cd, Mn, Ni, S and Zn. P. gonoacantha is a candidate to monitor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Increased levels of secondary metabolites and decreased antioxidant capacity in leaves of A. graveolens may support its value as a bioindicator for oxidative pollutants by visible dark stipplings.