Exploring the Fluconazole-Resistance Modifying Activity and Potential Mechanism of Action of Fixed Oil from Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. (Caryocaraceae) against Candida Species.

The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. is used in the Chapada do Araripe region of Brazil for the treatment of genitourinary candidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antifungal activity, reduction of fungal virulence, and the preliminary toxicity of the fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum tested against three Candida yeasts. The oil was characterized by gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID). Antifungal activity was assessed using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the oil as an enhancer of fluconazole action was tested at sub-inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8). The mechanism of action of C. coriaceum fixed oil was determined by evaluating the inhibition of morphological transition in Candida spp. The chemical composition of the fixed oil of C. coriaceum comprised both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Oleic (61 %) and palmitic (33 %) acids were the major constituents. Regarding its anti-Candida activity, the oil inhibited the growth of C. albicans (IC50 : 371 µg/mL) and C. tropicalis (IC50 : 830 µg/mL). Furthermore, the oil reversed the antifungal resistance of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, restoring the susceptibility to fluconazole and reducing their IC50 from 12.33 µg/mL and 362 µg/mL to 0.22 µg/mL and 13.93 µg/mL, respectively. The fixed oil of C. coriaceum completely inhibited the morphological transition of C. albicans and C. tropicalis at a concentration of 512 µg/mL, but exhibited limited low antifungal potential against C. krusei. The observed antifungal activity may be attributed to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the oil showed no toxic effect on the Drosophila melanogaster in vivo model. The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum emerge as a strong candidate for the development of new pharmaceutical formulations to treat infections caused by Candida spp.

Caryocar coriaceum fruits as a potential alternative to combat fungal and bacterial infections: In vitro evaluation of methanolic extracts.

Caryocar coriaceum, commonly known as 'pequi', is a medicinal species used traditionally for the herbal treatment of infectious and parasitic diseases in the Brazilian Northeast region. In this study, we investigated whether the fruits of C. coriaceum have bioactive chemical constituents against etiological agents of infectious diseases. The methanolic extract of the internal mesocarp of the fruits of C. coriaceum (MECC) was chemically analyzed and evaluated for its antimicrobial and drug-enhancing activity against multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus), and Candida spp. strains. The extract had flavones, flavonols, xanthones, catechins, and flavanones as major classes. A total of 11.26 mg GAE/g of phenolics, and 5.98 mg QE/g of flavonoids were found. No intrinsic antibacterial activity was observed; however, the extract was able to intensify the action of gentamicin and erythromycin against multi-resistant strains. The anti-Candida effect observed in this study was mainly due to the formation of reactive oxygen species. The extract was capable of causing damage to the plasmatic membrane of Candida tropicalis through pores formation. Our findings partially support the ethnopharmacological uses of the fruit pulp of C. coriaceum against infectious and parasitic diseases.

Genotype-by-environment interactions for feed efficiency traits in Nellore cattle based on bi-trait reaction norm models.

BACKGROUND: Selecting animals for feed efficiency directly impacts the profitability of the beef cattle industry, which contributes to minimizing the environmental footprint of beef production. Genetic and environmental factors influence animal feed efficiency, leading to phenotypic variability when exposed to different environmental conditions (i.e., temperature and nutritional level). Thus, our aim was to assess potential genotype-by-environment (G × E) interactions for dry matter intake (DMI) and residual feed intake (RFI) in Nellore cattle (Bos taurus indicus) based on bi-trait reaction norm models (RN) and evaluate the genetic association between RFI and DMI across different environmental gradient (EG) levels. For this, we used phenotypic information on 12,958 animals (young bulls and heifers) for DMI and RFI recorded during 158 feed efficiency trials. RESULTS: The heritability estimates for DMI and RFI across EG ranged from 0.26 to 0.54 and from 0.07 to 0.41, respectively. The average genetic correlations (± standard deviation) across EG for DMI and RFI were 0.83 ± 0.19 and 0.81 ± 0.21, respectively, with the lowest genetic correlation estimates observed between extreme EG levels (low vs. high) i.e. 0.22 for RFI and 0.26 for DMI, indicating the presence of G × E interactions. The genetic correlation between RFI and DMI across EG levels decreased as the EG became more favorable and ranged from 0.79 (lowest EG) to 0.52 (highest EG). Based on the estimated breeding values from extreme EG levels (low vs. high), we observed a moderate Spearman correlation of 0.61 (RFI) and 0.55 (DMI) and a selection coincidence of 53.3% and 40.0% for RFI and DMI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show evidence of G × E interactions on feed efficiency traits in Nellore cattle, especially in feeding trials with an average daily gain (ADG) that is far from the expected of 1 kg/day, thus increasing reranking of animals.

Weighted genomic prediction for growth and carcass-related traits in Nelore cattle.

This study aimed to assess the impact of differential weighting in genomic regions harboring candidate causal loci on the genomic prediction accuracy and dispersion for growth and carcass-related traits in Nelore cattle. The dataset contained 168 793 phenotypic records for adjusted weight at 450 days of age (W450), 83 624 for rib eye area (REA), 24 480 for marbling (MAR) and 82 981 for subcutaneous backfat thickness (BFT) and rump fat thickness (RFT). The pedigree harbored information from 244 254 animals born between 1977 and 2016, including 6283 sires and 50 742 dams. Animals (n = 7769) were genotyped with the low-density panel (Clarifide® Nelore 3.0), and the genotypes were imputed to a panel containing 735 044 markers. A linear animal model was applied to estimate the genetic parameters and to perform the weighted single-step genome-wide association study (WssGWAS). A total of seven models for genomic prediction were evaluated combining the SNP weights obtained in the iterations of the WssGWAS and the candidate QTL. The heritability estimated for W450 (0.35) was moderate, and for carcass-related traits, the estimates were moderate for REA (0.27), MAR (0.28) and RFT (0.28), and low for BFT (0.18). The prediction accuracy for W450 incorporating reported QTL previously described in the literature along with different SNPs weights was like those described for the default ssGBLUP model. The use of the ssGWAS to weight the SNP effects displayed limited advantages for the REA prediction accuracy. Comparing the ssGBLUP with the BLUP model, a meaningful improvement in the prediction accuracy from 0.09 to 0.63 (700%) was observed for MAR. The highest prediction accuracy was obtained for BFT and RFT in all evaluated models. The application of information obtained from the WssGWAS is an alternative to reduce the genomic prediction dispersion for growth and carcass-related traits, except for MAR. Furthermore, the results obtained herein pointed out that is possible to improve the prediction accuracy and reduce the genomic prediction dispersion for growth and carcass-related traits in young animals.

Influence of carbonated acid beverage on fracture resistance and marginal gap formation in different restorative approaches to non-carious cervical lesions.

OBJECTIVE: This study is to evaluate fracture resistance, failure mode, and gap formation at the restorative interface of unrestored or restored non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) submitted to a short-term erosive environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Artificial NCCLs were produced in vitro in bovine incisors, and were randomly divided into four restorative resins groups (n = 22): nanohybrid-NR; bulk-fill-BR; flow with a nanohybrid layer-FNR; bulk-fill with a nanohybrid layer-BNR; and a group unrestored-UR (n = 16). Half of the specimens were submitted to an erosive challenge (per 5 min, 3 × a day for 7 days, before and after restoration), and the other half, was immersed in artificial saliva. After, all teeth undergone thermal (5 ºC, 37 ºC, and 55 ºC, 3600 cycles) and mechanical (50 N, 2 Hz, 300,000 cycles) aging. Eighty teeth were subjected to compressive loading, and resistance and failures were analyzed, while 24 teeth were evaluated for gaps by microcomputed tomography. Statistical tests were performed (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The restorative approaches affected fracture resistance (η2p = 0.14, p = 0.023), and gap formation (η2 = 0.18, p = 0.012) and so did the immersion medium (fracture η2p = 0.09, p = 0.008; gap η2 = 0.09, p = 0.017). BNR showed the highest resistance, while UR the lowest. FNR showed the highest gaps in both immersion media. Neither the resin groups nor the immersion media were associated with failure mode. CONCLUSIONS: The erosive immersion medium based in acid beverages has been shown to affect NCCLs with or without restoration, but when Bulk-Fill resin is covered by nanohybrid resin, the performance is good. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Erosion negatively affects restorations, but unrestored NCCL shows worse biomechanical performance in stress-bearing situations.

Estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters for feeding behaviour and feed efficiency-related traits in Nelore cattle.

The objective of this study was to obtain (co)variance components, heritability, and genetic and phenotypic correlation estimates for feed efficiency and feed behaviour-related indicator traits. Further, it aimed to predict the direct and correlated responses for feed efficiency traits when selection was applied for feeding behaviour-related traits in Nelore cattle. Phenotypic records (n = 4840) from 125 feed efficiency tests (RFI: Residual feed intake and DMI: Dry matter intake) carried out between 2011 and 2018 were considered in this study. Animals belonged to five farms located in two Brazilian geographical regions (Midwest and Southeast). Animals under similar management and environmental conditions in the feedlot were evaluated when they attained an average of 13.5 ± 4.15 months of age. Feed behaviour-related traits were also obtained, including meal criteria (MC), meal frequency (MF), average meal duration (AMD), meal duration (MD), average consumption per meal (ACM), and consumption rate (CR) through the GrowSafe System® electronic bunk system. The contemporary groups for all traits were composed of farm, management group, feed efficiency test, sex, and birth year. The (co)variance components were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood method considering a multi-trait (n = 8) animal model. The heritability estimates for RFI (0.23 ± 0.02), DMI (0.31 ± 0.02), MF (0.65 ± 0.02), AMD (0.29 ± 0.02), ACM (0.24 ± 0.02), MD (0.41 ± 0.02), MC (0.48 ± 0.02), and CR (0.42 ± 0.02) were moderate to high. The highest genetic correlation was obtained between CR and MD (-0.91 ± 0.04), MD and AMD (0.73 ± 0.03), CR and AMD (-0.68 ± 0.04), and RFI and DMI (0.81 ± 0.02). The highest phenotypic correlation was between ACM and AMD (0.76 ± 0.02), DMI and MD (0.77 ± 0.02), and DMI and RFI (0.77 ± 0.02). Genetic improvement for feed efficiency and feeding behaviour-related traits is feasible and the results obtained herein provided valuable information regarding the genetic background of Nelore feeding behaviour-related traits. The genetic association between feeding behaviour and feed efficiency-related traits suggested that animals spending less time feeding at a low feeding rate also had lower DMI and higher feed efficiency (RFI), and likely had lower energy maintenance requirements. The relative efficiency of selection showed that feeding behaviour-related traits were not adequate indicator traits to improve RFI and DMI. The DMI might be an effective selection criterion to improve RFI and reduce the herd's maintenance requirements.

Transcriptomic profile of longissimus thoracis associated with fatty acid content in Nellore beef cattle.

The beef fatty acid (FA) profile has the potential to impact human health, and displays polygenic and complex features. This study aimed to identify the transcriptomic FA profile in the longissimus thoracis muscle in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot. Forty-four young bulls were sampled to assess the beef FA profile by considering 14 phenotypes and including differentially expressed genes (DEG), co-expressed (COE), and differentially co-expressed genes (DCO) analyses. All samples (n = 44) were used for COE analysis, whereas 30 samples with extreme phenotypes for the beef FA profile were used for DEG and DCO. A total of 912 DEG were identified, and the polyunsaturated (n = 563) and unsaturated ω-3 (n = 346) FA sums groups were the most frequently observed. The COE analyses identified three modules, of which the blue module (n = 1776) was correlated with eight of 14 FA phenotypes. Also, 759 DCO genes were listed, and the oleic acid (n = 358) and monounsaturated fatty acids sum (n = 120) were the most frequent. Furthermore, 243 and 13, 319 and seven, and 173 and 12 gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were enriched respectively for the DEG, COE, and DCO analyses. Combining the results, we highlight the unexplored GIPC2, ASB5, and PPP5C genes in cattle. Besides LIPE and INSIG2 genes in COE modules, the ACSL3, ECI1, DECR2, FITM1, and SDHB genes were signaled in at least two analyses. These findings contribute to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying the beef FA profile in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot.

Relationship between normative and self-perceived criteria for orthodontic treatment need and satisfaction with esthetics and mastication in adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontic treatments are performed to improve esthetics and masticatory functions. In general, clinical criteria are used to recommend such treatments without considering the opinion of the patient. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between technically defined orthodontic need (normative criteria) and the need for treatment perceived by adolescent patients. METHODS: A total of 215 students aged between 15 and 19 years were selected and asked to respond to a questionnaire concerning their perception of need for orthodontic treatment and their satisfaction with their own esthetics and mastication. One trained and calibrated examiner obtained normative data using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) on the need for orthodontic treatment of these students. RESULTS: Associations were found between the DAI score and the patient's perception of need for orthodontic treatment (P <0.001), satisfaction with esthetics (P = 0.003), and satisfaction with mastication (P = 0.047). When occlusal characteristics were analyzed separately, associations between several normative and perceived needs, as well as for satisfaction with esthetics, were found. Satisfaction with mastication analysis was only found to be associated with open bite malocclusion (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The DAI revealed a consistent opinion in adolescents to link their perceived malocclusion-related conditions to esthetics.

Microleakage at Different Implant-Abutment Connections Under Unloaded and Loaded Conditions.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the microleakage at different implant-abutment (I-A) connections under unloaded and loaded conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty implants, specially designed with an opening at the apex, were grouped according to the I-A and screw device: external hexagon implants with titanium (EH) or EH diamond-like carbon screws fixing the abutment; internal hexagon implants with titanium screws (IH); and Morse taper implants with solid (MT) or MT passing screws (MTps) abutments. The implants were fixed in a 2-compartment device, and toluidine blue solution (1.0 mg/mL) was placed at the I-A interface (upper compartment). The lower compartment was filled with purified water. Four implants of each group were loaded (50 N, 1.2 Hz) and after 50,000, 100,000, 200,000, and 300,000 cycles, aliquots were collected from the lower compartment for absorbance reading. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance for repeated measurements and Tukey (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Although microleakage increased over time in most of the groups, MTps group showed lower values when loaded (P < 0.05). The DLC on the EH screw did not prevent microleakage (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that MT connection is more effective to prevent microleakage.

Fracture Resistance of Internal Conical and External Hexagon: Regular and Narrow Implant-Abutment Assemblies.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the maximum load on the elastic limit of internal conical (IC) implants with regular external hexagon (REH) and narrow external hexagon (NEH) implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cylindrical implants were divided in 3 groups (n = 10): REH (3.75 mm); NEH (3.3 mm); IC (3.5 mm). The implants were evaluated by means of cantilever bending loads using a mechanical testing machine. A strain qualitative analysis and the corresponding angles were analyzed. Using single factor analysis of variance with Tukey Test and Friedman Test (P < 0.05) the statistical analysis for data were performed. RESULTS: REH (294.37 N) and IC (294.37 N) groups presented statistically greater Fle than NEH (189.16 N). Regarding to the strain, there were no significant differences among groups. However, there were a greater number of fissures and more fractures present on NEH group. CONCLUSION: The IC implant with smaller diameter did not result in reduction of elastic limit when compared with the REH implants. Nevertheless, the reduction of 0.45 mm of the hexagonal connection implant's diameter has significantly diminished the elastic limit.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization of pre-incubated blood culture material for the rapid diagnosis of histoplasmosis.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been shown to be useful for the detection of Candida and Cryptococcus species in blood culture materials. FISH procedures for the detection of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum have not been reported so far. This study describes the development and evaluation of fluorescently labeled rRNA-targeting FISH probes to detect and identify H. capsulatum in blood cultures. All three analyzed H. capsulatum reference strains and clinical isolates showed positive signals with the newly designed specific oligonucleotide probes for H. capsulatum, whereas negative reactions were observed for all three nontarget yeast species and the two nontarget bacteria. The assay was also successfully applied for detections of H. capsulatum cells in pre-incubated blood culture samples of patients with clinical suspicion of histoplasmosis (n = 33). The described FISH-based assay was shown to be easy to apply, sensitive, and specific (compared to polymerase chain reaction) for the detection and identification of H. capsulatum in this proof-of-principle analysis. Larger multicentric assessments are recommended for a thorough diagnostic evaluation of the procedure.

Evaluation of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) for the detection of fungi directly from blood cultures and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with suspected invasive mycoses.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of in-house FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridisation) procedures for the direct identification of invasive fungal infections in blood cultures and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and to compare these FISH results with those obtained using traditional microbiological techniques and PCR targeting of the ITS1 region of the rRNA gene. In total, 112 CSF samples and 30 positive blood cultures were investigated by microscopic examination, culture, PCR-RFLP and FISH. The sensitivity of FISH for fungal infections in CSF proved to be slightly better than that of conventional microscopy (India ink) under the experimental conditions, detecting 48 (instead of 46) infections in 112 samples. The discriminatory powers of traditional microbiology, PCR-RFLP and FISH for fungal bloodstream infections were equivalent, with the detection of 14 fungal infections in 30 samples. However, the mean times to diagnosis after the detection of microbial growth by automated blood culture systems were 5 hours, 20 hours and 6 days for FISH, PCR-RFLP and traditional microbiology, respectively. The results demonstrate that FISH is a valuable tool for the identification of invasive mycoses that can be implemented in the diagnostic routine of hospital laboratories.

Influence of crown-to-implant ratio on stress around single short-wide implants: a photoelastic stress analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the photoelastic fringe patterns around two short-wide implants supporting single crowns with different crown-to-implant (C/I) ratios. MATERIALS AND METHODS: External hexagon (EH) cylindrical implants (5 × 7 mm) or Morse Taper (MT) conical implants (5 × 6 mm) were embedded individually into photoelastic resin blocks. Each implant received a single metal-ceramic crown, with a C/I ratio of 1:1 or 2:1 (n = 10). Each set was positioned in a polariscope and submitted to a 0.5 kgf compressive load, applied axially or obliquely (30°). The polariscope images were digitally recorded, and based on isoclinal and isochromatic fringes, the shear stress was calculated at 5 predetermined points around each implant. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Under axial loading, the stress was concentrated at the crestal region, and there were no differences between C/I ratio or implant types. In contrast, under oblique loading, EH implants showed lower stress values than the MT group and the 2:1 C/I ratio showed higher stress concentration for both implant types (p < 0.05). Moreover, MT implants showed stress distribution through a higher area than the EH implant did, with a tendency to direct the stress toward the implant's apex under oblique loading. CONCLUSION: MT conical short-wide implants showed higher stress values that were distributed through a higher area directed to the implant apex. The C/I ratio influences the stress distribution only under oblique loading.

Photoelastic stress analysis of mandibular fixed prostheses supported by 3 dental implants.

PURPOSE: To observe the photoelastic stress patterns generated around implants in relation to variations in the diameter and total number of implants supporting fixed complete-arch mandibular frameworks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three different implant configurations were analyzed (n = 3): 5 standard implants with diameters of 3.75 mm (C), 3 standard implants with diameters of 3.75 mm (3S), and 3 wide implants with diameters of 5.0 mm (3W). The samples were subjected to a vertical compressive load (1.33 kgf) applied at the end of the distal cantilever of the framework. The shear stresses were calculated around the implants, and the data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The implants nearest to the loading showed higher stress values regardless of the group. The C group showed lower shear stress when compared with the other groups (P = 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the 3W and 3S groups (P = 0.785). CONCLUSION: A reduction in the number of implants, regardless of the implant diameter, showed higher stress concentration around the implants. Five-implant configuration showed lower stress concentration and seems to be more biomechanically predictable.

Comparison of implant-abutment interface misfits after casting and soldering procedures.

The aim of this study was to compare vertical and horizontal adjustments of castable abutments after conducting casting and soldering procedures. Twelve external hexagonal implants (3.75 × 10 mm) and their UCLA abutments were divided according their manufacturer and abutment type: PUN (plastic UCLA, Neodent), PUC (plastic UCLA, Conexão), PU3i (plastic UCLA, Biomet 3i), and PUTN (plastic UCLA with Tilite milled base, Neodent). Three infrastructures of a fixed partial implant-supported bridge with 3 elements were produced for each group. The measurements of vertical (VM) and horizontal (HM) misfits were obtained via scanning electron microscopy after completion of casting and soldering. The corresponding values were determined to be biomechanically acceptable to the system, and the results were rated as a percentage. Statistical analysis establishes differences between groups by chi-square after procedures, and McNeman's test was applied to analyze the influence of soldering over casting (α ≤ .05). For the values of VM and HM, respectively, when the casting process was complete, it was observed that 83.25% and 100% (PUTN), 33.3% and 27.75% (PUN), 33.3% and 88.8% (PUC), 33.3% and 94.35% (PU3i) represented acceptable values. After completing the requisite soldering, acceptable values were 50% and 94.35% (PUTN), 16.6% and 77.7% (PUN), 38.55% and 77.7% (PUC), and 27.75% and 94.35% (PU3i). Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that the premachined abutments presented more acceptable VM values. The HM values were within acceptable limits before and after the soldering procedure for most groups. Further, the soldering procedure resulted in an increase of VM in all groups.

Dielectric Characterization of Solutions of Galactomannan Extracted from Adenanthera pavonina L.: Effects of Purification and Ethanol Concentration.

Galactomannans are polysaccharides obtained from legume seed extraction. They present a chemical structure consisting of D-mannose chains linked by glycosidic bonds and galactose branches. The main focus lies in their use as thickeners in the food industry, aimed at improving the dielectric properties of food during heating processes within the radiofrequency and microwave ranges. In this work, the prepared galactomannan samples were electrically analyzed through impedance spectroscopy, which is a powerful physical technique. From the experimental measurements, the dielectric permittivity and loss tangent of the galactomannan solutions were analyzed and the electrical modulus formalism was used to study the dielectric relaxations. Crude galactomannans exhibited higher values of permittivity, conductivity, and losses compared to purified galactomannans. Increasing ethanol concentration in galactomannan purification causes an increase in the permittivity and conductivity of galactomannan solutions. In a 1% solution, at 1 kHz, the permittivity increased from 378.56 to 538.09, while in the 2% solution, this increase was from 656.22 to 1103.24. Regarding the conductivity, at the same frequency, the increase was from 1.6 × 10-3 to 3.3 × 10-3 Ω-1m-1 and from 2.9 × 10-3 to 5.5 × 10-3 Ω-1m-1, respectively. The rise of the ethanol concentration in galactomannan purification led to a decrease in the relaxation time, from 448.56 to 159.15 µs and from 224.81 to 89.50 µs in the solution with 1 and 2%, respectively. The results suggest that galactomannan from Adenanthera pavonina L. has potential for use in the food industry.

Modified Procedure for Simple and Rapid Collection of Zebrafish Fluid Samples for Biochemical Analyses.

This study addresses the challenge of collecting blood samples from zebrafish for biochemical analysis. Traditional methods are cumbersome due to low blood flow and rapid coagulation. Based on a previously published technique, we simplified the process by applying an anticoagulant solution directly to the incision site. The modified protocol involves immersing the fish in an ice bath, making a cross-sectional incision, and immediately applying anticoagulant solution. Centrifugation of the specimens provides a streamlined and efficient approach to zebrafish fluid sample collection, compatible with classic biochemical marker analyses.

Gingival conditioning in an implant-supported prosthesis: a clinical report.

The loss of gingival volume is a major challenge for dental surgeons with implant-supported fixed prosthesis manufactures, particularly from an aesthetics perspective in patients with a high smile line. Gingival tissue remodeling can help in papillae formation to avoid soft tissue surgery by reestablishing the appropriate shape and gingival contour of the tissues. This improves not only the aesthetics, but also the phonetics of the patient. This paper describes a clinical case of gingival conditioning obtained with interim implant-supported fixed partial dentures via incremental addition and adjustment of acrylic resin. The purpose of the gingival conditioning was to obtain improved aesthetics. Gingival conditioning by gradual pressure application is presented as an easy, non-traumatic technique that improves gingival aesthetics.

Implant-supported prosthesis misalignment related to the dental arch: a 14-year clinical follow-up.

The purpose of this study was to warn the dental community about a possible problem in function with partial implant-supported prostheses used for long periods. The misalignment between natural teeth and the implant-supported prosthesis on teeth 11 and 12, observed in a 14-year clinical follow-up, illustrates the fact. The metal-ceramic crowns were placed in 1995 after a rigorous occlusal adjustment. Evaluations were made at 4, 6, 9, and 14 years, when it was noticed that the restorations were positioned palatally and extruded in comparison with the natural teeth. After 9 years, a greater discrepancy was noticed, with anterior occlusion and esthetic changes. The possible causes have been discussed: occlusal problems, parafunctional habits, and natural movement. The first 2 options were discarded after clinical analysis and diagnosis. Therefore, the natural movement probably deriving from an interaction of mechanical and genetic factors might have been the cause. The implants do not have periodontal ligaments but rather ankylosis, so they do not suffer those movements. This case emphasizes the need to inform patients that implants can last more than 10 years in function, but this is not the case with restorations, which lose function and esthetics and must be replaced.

COVID-19-Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis in a Series of Complete Autopsies from the Brazilian Amazon.

Between April and July 2020, and, therefore, prior to the broad recommendation of corticosteroids for severe COVID-19, a total of 50 full autopsies were performed in Manaus. We confirmed two invasive cases of aspergillosis through histopathology and gene sequencing (4%) in our autopsy series. The confirmed invasive aspergillosis incidence seems much lower than expected based on the "probable and possible" definitions, and an individualized approach should be considered for each country scenario. Interestingly, a prolonged length of stay in the intensive care unit was not observed in any of the cases. Timely diagnosis and treatment of fungal infection can reduce mortality rates.