Effects of blood and root-dentin cleaning on the porosity and bond strength of a collagen bioceramic material.

To assess the effect of cleaning protocols on dentin contaminated with blood in reparative endodontic materials, bovine root samples were divided: no contamination (N); contamination (P); contamination and cleaning with saline (S), 2.5% NaOCl+saline (Na) or 2.5% NaOCl+17% EDTA+saline (NaE) and filled with: mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium-aluminate-cement (C), or C+collagen (Ccol) (n=13). The samples were evaluated for porosity, chemical composition, and bond strength. MTA porosity was lower than C (p=0.02) and higher than Ccol (p<0.001). P and NaE were similar (p=1.00), but higher than the other groups (p<0.001). MTA bond strength was similar to Ccol (p=0.777) and lower than C (p=0.028). P presented lower bond strength than the N (p<0.001); S and Na were similar to each other (p=0.969), but higher than P and lower than N (p<0.001). It was observed a predominance of mixed and cohesive failures. None of the samples showed Ca/P ratio values similar to human hydroxyapatite. This study showed that contamination with blood increased the materials porosity, but dentin cleaning with 2.5% NaOCl reduced this effect, and the collagen additive reduced the material porosity. Furthermore, blood contamination reduced the materials bond strength, and cleaning with saline or 2.5% NaOCl diminished this effect.

Effects of blood and root-dentin cleaning on the porosity and bond strength of a collagen bioceramic material

Abstract To assess the effect of cleaning protocols on dentin contaminated with blood in reparative endodontic materials, bovine root samples were divided: no contamination (N); contamination (P); contamination and cleaning with saline (S), 2.5% NaOCl+saline (Na) or 2.5% NaOCl+17% EDTA+saline (NaE) and filled with: mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium-aluminate-cement (C), or C+collagen (Ccol) (n=13). The samples were evaluated for porosity, chemical composition, and bond strength. MTA porosity was lower than C (p=0.02) and higher than Ccol (p<0.001). P and NaE were similar (p=1.00), but higher than the other groups (p<0.001). MTA bond strength was similar to Ccol (p=0.777) and lower than C (p=0.028). P presented lower bond strength than the N (p<0.001); S and Na were similar to each other (p=0.969), but higher than P and lower than N (p<0.001). It was observed a predominance of mixed and cohesive failures. None of the samples showed Ca/P ratio values similar to human hydroxyapatite. This study showed that contamination with blood increased the materials porosity, but dentin cleaning with 2.5% NaOCl reduced this effect, and the collagen additive reduced the material porosity. Furthermore, blood contamination reduced the materials bond strength, and cleaning with saline or 2.5% NaOCl diminished this effect.

Resumo As amostras de raízes bovinas foram divididas em: sem contaminação (N); contaminação sanguínea (P); contaminação sanguínea e limpeza com soro fisiológico (S), 2,5% NaOCl+soro fisiológico (Na) ou 2,5% NaOCl+17%EDTA+soro fisiológico (NaE) e preenchido com: agregado de trióxido mineral (MTA), cimento de aluminato de cálcio (C), ou C+colágeno (Ccol) (n=13). A porosidade do MTA foi menor que C (p=0,02) e maior que Ccol (p<0,001). P e NaE foram semelhantes (p=1,00), mas superiores aos demais grupos (p<0,001). A resistência de união do MTA foi semelhante ao Ccol (p=0,777) e inferior ao C (p=0,028). P apresentou menor resistência de união que o N (p<0,001); S e Na foram semelhantes entre si (p=0,969), porém maiores que P e menores que N (p<0,001). Este estudo mostrou que a contaminação com sangue aumentou a porosidade dos cimentos, mas a limpeza da dentina com NaOCl 2,5% reduziu esse efeito, e o aditivo de colágeno reduziu a porosidade dos cimentos. Além disso, a contaminação sanguínea reduziu a resistência de união dos cimentos e a limpeza com solução salina ou NaOCl 2,5% diminuiu esse efeito.

Interfaz entre formación en enfermería y actividades artístico-culturales en el espacio académico: visión de los estudiantes / The interface between the nursing formation process and artistic-cultural activities within the academic space: the students' perspective / A interface entre formação de enfermagem e atividades artístico-culturais no espaço acadêmico: visão dos estudantes

Objetivo Analizar la percepción de los estudiantes en relación con las contribuciones de su inserción en actividades artístico-culturales en el espacio universitario para la formación en enfermería. Método Investigación cualitativa, guiada por la epistemología de Fleck. Participaron 17 estudiantes de enfermería integrantes de movimientos artístico-culturales existentes en una institución de enseñanza superior, a saber: Grupo teatral, grupo musical y grupo de Maracatú. Los datos fueron recolectados por medio de entrevista semiestructurada y organizados por la técnica del discurso del sujeto colectivo. Resultados: Los estudiantes destacaron entre las ventajas de las actividades artístico-culturales el estímulo para estudiar, sentirse relajado y más preparado para las actividades académicas, así como propiciar el desarrollo de sensibilidad y competencias que puedan transformar los escenarios de la práctica clínica de enfermería. Fueron indicadas como dificultades, la credibilidad de estas actividades en la academia, frente a la lógica de la formación curativa. Conclusiones: Integrar actividades artísticas y culturales con la formación académica permite al alumno protagonizar modos renovados de pensar en el cuidado de enfermería y fortalecer conexiones con los diferentes conocimientos necesarios para la práctica del cuidado holístico.

Objective To analyze the students' perceptions of the impact which their participation in artistic-cultural activities within the university space has on their nursing-formation process. Method: This is a qualitative research guided by the epistemology of Fleck. Seventeen nursing students from a high level school, and also members of artistic-cultural movements such as theater, music and Maracatu groups, participated in this study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then organized following the collective subject discourse technique. Results: Related to the positive influence of their artistic-cultural activities, the students highlighted their stimulus to study, feeling relaxed, and being more prepared for the academic activities including those which can help them develop competences and sensibilities to improve the clinical nursing practice scenarios. A remark on the academia who doubts the credibility of these activities and who follows a model in which health is only viewed as the absence of illness was also highlighted. Conclusions: The integration of artistic and cultural activities into the nursing formation process allows the students to develop renewed modes of thinking which can strengthen the links among their knowledge areas, and thus prepare them better for a holistic care practice

Objetivo Analisar a percepção dos estudantes em relação às contribuições da sua inserção em atividades artístico-culturais no espaço universitário para a formação em enfermagem. Método: Investigação qualitativa, guiada pela epistemologia de Fleck. Participaram 17 estudantes de enfermagem, integrantes de movimentos artístico-culturais existentes em uma instituição de ensino superior, a saber: Grupo teatral, grupo musical e grupo de Maracatú. Os dados foram coletados por médio da entrevista semiestruturada e organizados pela técnica de discurso do sujeito coletivo. Resultados Os estudantes destacaram de entre as vantagens das atividades artístico-culturais, o estímulo para estudar, sentir-se relaxado e mais preparado para as atividades acadêmicas, bem como propiciar o desenvolvimento de sensibilidade e competências que pudessem transformar os cenários da prática clínica de enfermagem. Foram indicadas como dificuldades, a credibilidade destas atividades na escola, perante à lógica da formação curativista. Conclusões Integrar atividades artísticas e culturais na formação acadêmica, permite ao aluno protagonizar modos renovados de pensar no cuidado de enfermagem e fortalecer conexões com os diferentes conhecimentos necessários para a prática do cuidado holístico.

Resistance training and androgenic anabolic steroids on aged skeletal muscles: a review about methodological approaches

One of the most frequent effects of aging is the involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength and function, termed sarcopenia. Longitudinal data suggest that muscle strength is a robust predictor of functional decline that occur during aging. Since strength capacity appears to also be indicative of disability, resistance training may serve as an effective mode of physical activity to directly improve functional capacity. There is also a growing evidence to indicate that age-related decline in production and activity of hormones plays an important role in aging muscle. Testosterone deficiency has been associated with a marked decrease in measures of whole body protein anabolism and decrease strength. The purpose of the present study was to explore the characteristics of the methodological approaches used in the studies related to the role of resistance training and androgenic anabolic steroids in the aged skeletal muscle that have been published in the last ten years. A literature review was conducted in April 2011 using the following databases: PubMed; Medline; Lilacs; and Scielo. We found sixty two articles analyzing the influence of resistance training on skeletal muscle of aged samples, seven articles which proposed to verify the chronic influence of androgenic anabolic steroids and only one article mixing both interventions. The great variety of analysis methods is notable. Morphological analysis was done in only few articles.

Effect of escitalopram on the processing of emotional faces

Serotonin has been implicated in the neurobiology of depressive and anxiety disorders, but little is known about its role in the modulation of basic emotional processing. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, escitalopram, on the perception of facial emotional expressions. Twelve healthy male volunteers completed two experimental sessions each, in a randomized, balanced order, double-blind design. A single oral dose of escitalopram (10 mg) or placebo was administered 3 h before the task. Participants were presented to a task composed of six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise) that were morphed between neutral and each standard emotion in 10 percent steps. Escitalopram facilitated the recognition of sadness and inhibited the recognition of happiness in male, but not female faces. No drug effect on subjective measures was detected. These results confirm that serotonin modulates the recognition of emotional faces, and suggest that the gender of the face can have a role in this modulation. Further studies including female volunteers are needed.

Efeito da administração do Allium sativum sobre as alterações cardiovasculares de ratos Wistar com infarto do miocárdio. / Effects of consumption of Allium sativum on the cardiovascular abnormalities observed in Wistar rats following cardiac infarction.

O alho (Allium sativum) apresenta várias ações benéficas ao sistema circulatório, tais como diminuição dos níveis de colesterol total, LDL-colesterol e da pressão arterial, além de efeito antioxidante. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da administração do Allium sativum sobre as alterações da hemodinâmica cardiovascular e estruturais macroscópicas do coração de animais com infarto induzido experimentalmente. Ratos Wistar foram tratados, previamente e após indução do infarto, com homogeneizado de alho na dose de 125mg/Kg/dia durante 21 dias, por via oral (uma semana antes e duas depois do procedimento de infarto). Os grupos controle passaram por cirurgia fictícia (SHAM). Os animais foram divididos em grupos controles e infartados com (SHAMT, INFT; respectivamente) ou sem (SHAM, INF; respectivamente) tratamento com alho. Houve redução da hipertrofia do ventrículo direito (INF=0,75±0,05 vs. INFT=0,61±0,03 mg/Kg; p<0,01), da área de infarto (INF=29,7±4,8% vs. INFT=20,4±1,4%; p<0,05) e regularização dos níveis de pressão arterial sistólica (PAS; INF=100±8 vs. INFT=127±7 mmHg; p<0,05) e média (PAM; INF=94±4 vs. INFT=110±6 mmHg; p<0,01) dos animais INFT comparados com os INF. Houve um menor número de animais mortos após o procedimento de infarto no grupo INFT em relação ao grupo INF (20%, n=2; 45,5%, n=5; respectivamente). Esses achados indicam que o alho tem um importante papel na prevenção e no controle de alterações cardiovasculares, uma vez que houve redução do número de mortes pós-infarto e melhor perfil cardiovascular dos animais INFT.

Garlic (Allium sativum) has several beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, such as reductions of the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure, besides acting as an antioxidant. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of administering Allium sativum on changes in the cardiovascular hemodynamics and macroscopic structure that occur in the hearts of animals with experimentally induced cardiac infarction. Male Wistar rats were treated with homogenized garlic at a dose of 125mg/kg b.w./day for 21 days, given orally for one week before and two weeks after the procedure to induce myocardial infarction. The control group was subjected to a fictitious surgery (SHAM). The animals were divided into control and infarcted groups, treated (SHAMT, INFT) or untreated (SHAM, INF) with garlic. There were reductions in right ventricular hypertrophy (INF=0.75±0.05 vs. INFT=0.61±0.03 mg.kg-1; p<0.01) and infarcted area (INF=29.7±4.8 % vs. INFT=20.4±1.4 %; p<0.05) and regularization of the levels of systolic (SAP; INF=100±8 vs. INFT=127±7 mm Hg; p<0.05) and mean arterial pressure (MAP; INF=94±4 vs. INFT=110±6 mm Hg; p<0.01) in the INFT animals, compared to the INF group. Fewer animals died after the cardiac infarction procedure in the group INFT than in INF (20%, n=2; 45.5%, n=5; respectively). These findings suggest that garlic can have an important role in the prevention and control of cardiovascular abnormalities, since there was a reduction in the number of post-infarction deaths and an improvement of the cardiovascular profile in the INFT animals.

Serotonergic modulation of face-emotion recognition: [review]

Facial expressions of basic emotions have been widely used to investigate the neural substrates of emotion processing, but little is known about the exact meaning of subjective changes provoked by perceiving facial expressions. Our assumption was that fearful faces would be related to the processing of potential threats, whereas angry faces would be related to the processing of proximal threats. Experimental studies have suggested that serotonin modulates the brain processes underlying defensive responses to environmental threats, facilitating risk assessment behavior elicited by potential threats and inhibiting fight or flight responses to proximal threats. In order to test these predictions about the relationship between fearful and angry faces and defensive behaviors, we carried out a review of the literature about the effects of pharmacological probes that affect 5-HT-mediated neurotransmission on the perception of emotional faces. The hypothesis that angry faces would be processed as a proximal threat and that, as a consequence, their recognition would be impaired by an increase in 5-HT function was not supported by the results reviewed. In contrast, most of the studies that evaluated the behavioral effects of serotonin challenges showed that increased 5-HT neurotransmission facilitates the recognition of fearful faces, whereas its decrease impairs the same performance. These results agree with the hypothesis that fearful faces are processed as potential threats and that 5-HT enhances this brain processing.