Onyx®, A New Tool for Intraoperative Localization of Liver Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Precise preoperative localization of liver tumors facilitates successful surgical procedures, Intraoperative ultrasonography is a sensitive imaging modality. However, the presence of small non-palpable isoechoic intraparenchymal lesions may be challenging intraoperatively. METHODOLOGY AND MATERIAL DESCRIPTION: Onyx® is a non-adhesive liquid agent comprised of ethylene-vinyl alcohol usually used dissolved in dimethyl-sulfoxide and suspended micronized tantalum powder to provide contrast for visualization under fluoroscopy and ultrasonography and a macroscopic black shape. This embolization material has been increasingly used for the embolization of intracranial arteriovenous malformations. We present the novel application of Onyx® on liver surgery. CURRENT STATUS: We present the case of a female, 55 years-old, whose medical history revealed an elective sigmoidectomy (pT3N1a). After 17 months of follow up, by PET-CT scan, the patient was diagnosed of a small intraparenchymal hypo-attenuated 13 mm tumor located at segment V consistent with metachronous colorectal liver metastasis. Open metastasectomy was performed, ultrasonography-guided Onyx® infusion was delivered the day after, intraoperative ultrasonography showed a palpable hyperechoic material with a posterior acoustic shadowing artifact around the lesion. Onyx® is a promising new tool, without any previous application on liver surgery, feasible with advantages in small not palpable intraparenchymal liver lesions.

Effect of cross-linked vs non-cross-linked collagen membranes on bone: A systematic review.

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to compare the clinical outcomes of two different resorbable collagen membranes in terms of regenerated bone volume, postoperative complications and membrane degradation during bone regeneration procedures. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) or controlled trials (CT) that compared both techniques were reviewed on four electronic databases up to December 2015, a manual search was performed on the bibliography of the collected articles and the authors were contacted for additional references if undetected on the electronic and manual search. Membrane exposure was evaluated as a dichotomous outcome and the statistical unit was the membrane. The results were presented as relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval. Eight RCTs and one CT were included in this study. The majority of the studies depicted a bone augmentation area, which ranged from 46.15% to 94.6% for the non-cross-link membranes and from 44% to 92.6% for the cross-link membranes at the 4-6 month re-entry surgery. From a total of 289 patients, a forest plot concerning the membrane exposure was constructed using the obtained RR of the included studies. The overall RR was 1.43 (95% CI: 0.85-2.39) with no statistically significant differences between the two groups, although with a marginal tendency towards higher exposure in the cross-link membrane group. This systematic review suggests the different membranes present themselves as appropriate for bone regeneration procedures, although cross-link membranes present higher rates of postoperative complications. However, more RCT with higher sample sizes are needed to evaluate the different membranes. The suggested lack of clinical differences between the compared membranes suggest that further cost-benefit ratio, tissue integration and postoperative complication oriented studies should be performed so that clinicians can take a patient-centred, evidence-based decision.

Study on frequency of dental developmental alterations in a Mexican school-based population.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to know the distribution of dental developmental alterations in the population requesting stomatological attention at the Admission and Diagnosis Clinic of our institution in Mexico City. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed the archives and selected those files with developmental dental alterations. Analyzed data were diagnoses, age, gender, location and number of involved teeth. RESULTS: Of the 3.522 patients reviewed, 179 (5.1%) harbored 394 developmental dental alterations. Of them, 45.2% were males and 54.8% were females with a mean age of 16.7 years. The most common were supernumeraries, dental agenesia and dilaceration. Adults were 30.7% of the patients with dental developmental alterations. In them, the most common lesions were agenesia and supernumeraries. Mesiodens was the most frequently found supernumerary teeth (14.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that 30.7% of the affected patients were adults is an undescribed and unusually high proportion of patients that have implications on planning and prognosis of their stomatological treatment.

Indicators of jawbone asymmetry through analysis of panoramic radiographs.

AIM: To assess the degree of jawbone asymmetry by drawing vertical lines on digital panoramic radiographs of paediatric patients with right or left unilateral cross-bite. STUDY DESIGN: The sample consisted of 217 paediatric patients of both genders, aged 6-9 years. A set of vertical lines was drawn on the side of the mandible with the cross-bite and on the side without the cross-bite, using software program tpsDigs version 2. Subsequently, the differences in the measurements of the two sides were determined through statistical analysis. RESULTS: Analysis of the vertical jaw lines on the radiographic bite indices indicated, in every case, quantifiable differences between the side with the cross-bite and the side without the cross-bite. The differences between vertical variables, related to the heights of the mandible body and the condyle, were statistically significant (p>0.005) for the whole sample and both genders. Statistically significant differences in the heights of the mandible body were found for all the age groups (6 to 9 years old), except for the 9-year-old group, which registered differences in the variables of condylar height. CONCLUSION: Throughout the sample and regardless of the side affected by cross-bite, the vertical variables corresponding to the total height of the ramus were always smaller on the side with the cross-bite. Gender did not affect the results obtained and age influenced some of the mandible's vertical heights.

Synthesis and complementary self-association of novel lipophilic π-conjugated nucleoside oligomers.

A series of lipophilic nucleosides comprising natural and non-natural bases that are π-conjugated to a short oligophenylene-ethynylene fragment has been synthesized. These bases comprise guanosine, isoguanosine, and 2-aminoadenosine as purine heterocycles, and cytidine, isocytosine and uridine as complementary pyrimidine bases. The hydrogen-bonding dimerization and association processes between complementary bases were also studied by (1)H NMR and absorption spectroscopy in order to obtain the relevant association constants.

A study on the chronology and sequence of eruption of primary teeth in Spanish children.

AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the timing of primary teeth eruption in Spanish children, and to distinguish gender and arch differences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on primary teeth eruption in a sample of 1,250 children (623 girls and 627 boys) from the Region of Madrid aged between 3 and 42 months. The clinical emergence of teeth was taken to estimate the mean ages of primary teeth eruption. The t test was used to analyse gender and arch differences. RESULTS: The process of primary dentition lasted 22.28 months, and statistically significant differences were found in the eruption of homologous contralateral teeth. The first molars and maxillary lateral incisors erupted earlier in girls than in boys, with no statistically significant chronological differences. The central incisors and second molars erupted first in the mandibular arch, while the lateral incisors, canines and first molars erupted first in the maxilla. A greater chronological difference was found between the lateral incisors, which erupted more than 8 months earlier in the maxilla than in the mandible. CONCLUSIONS: In the overall sample, the first tooth to erupt was the lower right central incisor at 10.96 ± 1.88 months, and the last was the upper left second molar, at 33.24 ± 4.35 months, symmetry was found in the eruption of the deciduous teeth. The greatest chronological difference was observed in the lateral incisors, with the upper ones erupting more than 8 months before the lower ones. Although statistically significant gender differences were found, they were considered clinically irrelevant.

Anesthetic efficacy of Oraqix® versus Hurricaine® and placebo for pain control during non-surgical periodontal treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of Oraqix® during scaling and root planing (SRP) in comparison with 20% benzocaine and placebo. STUDY DESIGN: 15 patients requiring 4 sessions of SRP were enrolled. For each patient, Oraqix®, Hurricaine®, vaseline or no anesthetic product were randomly assigned each to a quadrant. Treatment pain was evaluated on a 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and on a Verbal Rating Scale (VRS). The amount of product administered, the need to re-anesthetise, patient and operator satisfaction and the onset of side-effects were also recorded. RESULTS: Oraqix® was significantly better than nothing, with a reduction of VAS score to 13.3 units, but without significant differences with Vaseline or Hurricaine®. Oraqix® was better in VRS reduction than not using any anesthetic (p=0.001) or using vaseline (p=0.024), but similar to Hurricaine® (p=0.232). CONCLUSIONS: Oraqix® effectively controls pain in SRP procedures, with few side-effects and a good acceptance on the part of patients and clinicians.

Handling 'carbon footprint' in orthopaedics.

INTRODUCTION: The National Health Service contributes 4%-5% of England and Wales' greenhouse gases and a quarter of all public sector waste. Between 20% and 33% of healthcare waste originates from a hospital's operating room, and up to 90% of waste is sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. The goal of this study was to quantify the amount and type of waste produced during a selection of common trauma and elective orthopaedic operations, and to calculate the carbon footprint of processing the waste. METHODS: Waste generated for both elective and trauma procedures was separated primarily into clean and contaminated, paper or plastic, and then weighed. The annual carbon footprint for each operation at each site was subsequently calculated. RESULTS: Elective procedures can generate up to 16.5kg of plastic waste per procedure. Practices such as double-draping the patient contribute to increasing the quantity of waste. Over the procedures analysed, the mean total plastic waste at the hospital sites varied from 6 to 12kg. One hospital site undertook a pilot of switching disposable gowns for reusable ones with a subsequent reduction of 66% in the carbon footprint and a cost saving of £13,483.89. CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds new light on the environmental impact of waste produced during trauma and elective orthopaedic procedures. Mitigating the environmental impact of the operating room requires a collective drive for a culture change to sustainability and social responsibility. Each clinician can have an impact upon the carbon footprint of their operating theatre.

A prospective, randomized, triple-blind comparison of articaine and bupivacaine for maxillary infiltrations.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical anesthetic efficacy of 0.5% bupivacaine and 4% articaine (both with 1:200.000 adrenaline) for anterior maxillary infiltration in healthy volunteers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A triple-blind split-mouth randomized clinical trial was carried out in 20 volunteers. A supraperiosteal buccal injection of 0.9 ml of either solution at the apex of the lateral incisor was done in 2 appointments separated 2 weeks apart. The following outcome variables were measured: latency time, anesthetic efficacy (dental pulp, keratinized gingiva, alveolar mucosa and upper lip mucosa and tissue) and the duration of anesthetic effect. Hemodynamic parameters were monitored during the procedure. RESULTS: Latency time recorded was similar for both anesthetic solutions (p>0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of anesthetic efficacy for dental pulp, keratinized gingiva or alveolar mucosa. Articaine had a significant higher proportion of successful anesthesia at 10 minutes after infiltration in lip mucosa and lip skin (p=0.039). The duration of anesthesia was 336 minutes for bupivacaine and 167 minutes for articaine. (p<0.001). No significant hemodynamic alterations were noted during the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Articaine and bupivacaine exhibited similar anesthetic efficacy for maxillary infiltrations. The duration of anesthesia was longer with the bupivacaine solution, but lip anesthesia was better with articaine.

Pathological findings in a sample of Mexican pediatric patients. Clinical and radiographic survey.

AIM: The findings of a clinical-radiological review of 467 children attending the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the Facultad de Odontología, UNAM, Mexico, are presented. METHODS: All patients were clinically reviewed, clinical history was taken, and an orthopantomogram obtained by last year dentistry students. Patients and radiographs were then reviewed by the panel and all alterations in teeth, soft tissues and bone were recorded. RESULTS: Clinical and/or radiographic alterations were found in 132 (28.26%) children. The main alterations were developmental (75%) and inflammatory/infectious and traumatic (6.06% each). The most common entities were: supernumeraries (30.77%); hypodontia (29.7%); osteosclerotic lesions and microdontia (4.4% each). CONCLUSION: The data on the frequency of alterations in the pediatric population attending at our institution reinforce the importance of this kind of study in efforts to improve the quality of stomatologic services in the pediatric population.

Reproductive alterations of Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Chen, 1935) and exposed to Euphorbia milii var. hislopii latex.

The natural phytochemical latex of Euphorbia milii var. hislopii is one of the most promising natural molluscicides for the control of Biomphalaria glabrata, and has been widely studied under laboratory conditions for selective control of schistosomiasis transmission. However, the effect of this product on B. glabrata infected by other helminths had not yet been investigated. The present study reports evaluation of the effect of E. milii var. hislopii latex on the survival and reproductive activity of B. glabrata infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. For this purpose, the following groups were formed: control (C), exposed (E), infected (I) and infected and exposed for different time intervals (1 day - I+E-1D, 7 days - I+E-7D, 14 days - I+E-14D, 21 days - I+E-21D and 28 days - I+E-28D). The experimental infection was performed with L1 larvae of A. cantonensis and exposure to 0.08 mg/L (LC50) of E. milii latex for a period of 24 hours. We analyzed the effects of E. milii latex on the survival of snails during four weeks, reproductive parameters and possible histophysiopathological changes in the gonad and albumen gland of the snails. Regarding survival, there was reduction of more than 50% in the groups exposed to latex (E and I + E) compared to the control group. As for the number of ovigerous masses, eggs, and average number of hatched snails, significant increases were observed in the I+E-1D group at the 4th week compared to the control group and the other weeks in the same group. Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae were observed in the gonad and albumen gland from day 21 and 28 of infection in groups I and I+E, respectively, with granuloma-like formation. At these observation periods and in these groups, an increase in galactogen was observed in the albumen gland, which influenced egg laying, suggesting the existence of a fecundity compensation mechanism phenomenon. It was possible to conclude that both stressors - A. cantonensis infection and exposure to E. milii latex - directly influenced the survival and reproductive parameters of B. glabrata.

Poly-L-lysine-modified with ferrocene to obtain a redox polymer for mediated glucose biosensor application.

Ferrocene-based polymers as redox mediators are considered versatile and important in the study of glucose biosensors. Poly-L-lysine (PLL), as a cationic polymer, possesses good properties including biocompatibility, biodegradation and water solubility. In this work, PLL was modified with ferrocene carboxylate in a very simple way by activating the carboxyl group of Fc, which reacted with the amino groups of the polymer. The resulting product was analysed by FTIR. Performance as a redox mediator (Fc-PLL) with the enzyme glucose oxidase was tested by cyclic voltammetry and showed an increase in the oxidation current in the presence of glucose in PBS pH 7.4. Additionally, performance as a biosensor was evaluated by amperometry and gave a linear range of 0-10 mM, a limit of detection of 23 µM, a sensitivity of 6.55 µA/cm2 mM and high selectivity. To evaluate the charged regions of Fc-PLL/GOx on the electrode surface, analysis by scanning electrochemical microscopy showed remarkable activity. The Fc-PLL redox polymer as a glucose biosensor has been well accepted as this kind of material, and the results showed remarkable activity as an electron transfer mediator between the redox polymer and the GOx enzyme.

Use of a bioabsorbable mesh in midline laparotomy closure to prevent incisional hernia: randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to assess the effectiveness and safety of a bioabsorbable mesh at the time of closure of a midline laparotomy for IH prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial including patients undergoing abdominal surgical procedures through a midline laparotomy incision was designed. In the group of mesh (n = 167) the incision was closed using a continuous polydioxanone suture (PDS) plus a bioabsorbable mesh. In the control group (n = 165) a continuous PDS single layer suture was only used. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to the two groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of IH at 6, 12 and 24 months. Assessment of IH was done using a CT scan. RESULTS: At 6 months, the rates of IH were 15.2% and 24.8% in the experimental and control groups, respectively (relative risk [RR] 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-0.98, P = 0.042). At 12 months, the rate of IH continued to be significantly lower in the experimental group (21.4% vs. 33.1%, P = 0.033), but at 24 months, there were no significant differences between the study groups with a follow-up rate of only 37.5%. The number needed to treat (NNT) was 11 and 9 at 6 and 12 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: The bioabsorbable mesh significantly prevented IH during the first year. Not reliable conclusions can be drawn across the second year. This may suggest that the any of the closing technique assessed in this study would have a "palliative" transient effect for preventing IH in the long-term.

Effects of the main cereal and type of fat of the diet on productive performance and egg quality of brown-egg laying hens from 22 to 54 weeks of age.

The influence of the main cereal and type of supplemental fat in the diet on productive performance and egg quality of the eggs was studied in 756 brown-egg laying hens from 22 to 54 wk of age. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with 9 treatments arranged factorially, with 3 cereals (dented corn, soft wheat, and barley) and 3 types of fat (soy oil, acidulated vegetable soapstocks, and lard). Each treatment was replicated 4 times (21 hens/replicate). All diets were formulated to have similar nutrient content, except for linoleic acid, which ranged from 0.8 to 3.4% depending on the combination of cereal and fat source used. This approach allows for the estimation of the minimum level of linoleic acid in the diets that maximizes egg weight. Productive performance and egg-quality traits were recorded every 28 d, and the BW of the hens was measured individually at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. No significant interactions between main factors were detected for any of the variables studied. Egg production, egg weight, and egg mass were not affected by dietary treatment. Body weight gain was higher (P < 0.05) for hens fed corn or wheat than for hens fed barley, and also higher for hens fed lard than for hens fed soy oil or acidulated vegetable soapstocks. Egg quality was not influenced by dietary treatment, except for yolk color, which was greater (P < 0.001) for hens fed corn than for hens fed wheat or barley, and greater for hens fed lard than for hens fed soy oil or acidulated vegetable soapstocks. We concluded that brown-egg laying hens do not need more than 1.0% of linoleic acid in their diet (1.16 g/hen per d) to maximize egg production and egg size. The 3 cereals and the 3 fat sources tested can replace each other in the diet provided that the linoleic acid requirements to maximize egg size are met.

Manufacturing parameter analysis for alumina coating on steel substrate by automated image processing of isolated splats samples.

Thermal spray technology, which involves the Atmospheric Plasma Spraying (APS), encompasses a category of coating processes that supply surface properties to protect or improve the performance of a substrate or component. The coating produced by this technology is built by overlapped splats, whose morphology determines the coating properties. In the same way, the splats obtained in a separated distribution by interposing a perforated mask but using the same thermal spray parameters, has a relationship with the overlapped splats inside the coating. The samples with isolated splats have the advantage of being faster and cheaper to generate and analyse. This article analyses alumina plasma-sprayed splats on steel substrates by image processing techniques, which recognize individual splats and their corresponding morphology (doughnut and pancake) parameters. These parameters allow the user to efficiently classify the splats. After that classification, a quality control can be implemented by comparison between the original and checked sample of isolated splats and a new sample obtained during a small interruption in the normal operation. Additionally, these parameters obtained in an automated way can be used to evaluate the effect of different selections of spraying process parameters.

Computational aided acetaminophen - phthalic acid molecularly imprinted polymer design for analytical determination of known and new developed recreational drugs.

In recent times, abuse drug consumption rates have been increasing. In addition, authorities have detected a trend in the development of new substances expressly created to avoid legislation. These novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are non-registered formulations, closely chemically related to outlawed ones to maintain the same psychotropic effects while circumventing legal restrictions. This issue arises enormous social, sanitary, and road safety problems since there is no way to detect nor quantify these non-registered substances. The aim of this work is the development of a high selective material able to pre-concentrate and detect NPS. On that account, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) designed with an imprinted cavity that matches the cathinones structural shape were proposed to detect both conventional and new cathinone derived recreational drugs. The increasing number of illicit drug modifications that is being reported requires developing a receptor valid for not only known molecules but also for incoming ones; thus, a virtual procedure must be carried out to take a step forward towards future modifications. Accordingly, a computational MIP design is proposed as the most appropriated method to effectively design this receptor. By means of molecular dynamics and molecular docking, several combinations are studied regarding their pre-polymerization complex stability but also their rebinding capacity against the proposed analytes. Hence, a phthalic acid - acetaminophen MIP is selected as the most well-suited receptor, valid for current and forthcoming cathinone recreational drugs.

Pegylated interferon {alpha}2a plus ribavirin versus pegylated interferon {alpha}2b plus ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: The two currently available types of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) used to treat hepatitis C have different pharmacokinetic properties. It is unclear how these differences affect response to therapy. We compared the effectiveness and safety of peg-IFN-alpha2a and peg-IFN-alpha2b, both with ribavirin, against chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV-infected patients. METHODS: From the GESIDA HIV/HCV cohort, we analysed patients treated with peg-IFN-alpha2a (n = 315) or peg-IFN-alpha2b (n = 242). The primary endpoint was a sustained virological response (SVR). RESULTS: Both groups were well matched in baseline characteristics except for a higher frequency of injection drug users in the peg-IFN-alpha2b group than in the peg-IFN-alpha2a group (85% versus 76%; P = 0.01) and a higher frequency of bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis (F3-F4) in the peg-IFN-alpha2b group than in the peg-IFN-alpha2a group (42% versus 33%; P = 0.04). End-of-treatment response was significantly lower among patients treated with peg-IFN-alpha2b [40% versus 52%; odds ratio (OR), 1.63; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.16-2.29; P < 0.01]. However, no significant differences were found in SVR between patients treated with peg-IFN-alpha2b and those treated with peg-IFN-alpha2a (31% versus 33%; OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.75-1.59; P = 0.655). Therapy was interrupted due to adverse events in 33 (14%) patients treated with peg-IFN-alpha2b and 47 (15%) patients treated with peg-IFN-alpha2a. CONCLUSIONS: No differences in effectiveness and safety were found between peg-IFN-alpha2b and peg-IFN-alpha2a for the treatment of chronic HCV infection in HIV-infected patients.

Behavioral regulation of the milieu interne in man and rat.

In regulating the internal homeostatic environment mammals, by necessity, employ behavioral strategies that differ from the tactics used in coping with contingencies in the external environment. When an animal consumes a meal, the palatability of that meal is automatically adjusted in accordance with the ultimate internal effects of that meal. If the meal causes toxicosis, the animal acquires an aversion for the taste of the meal; conversely, if recuperation follows ingestion of the meal, the taste of that meal is enhanced. Unlike the learning that occurs when externally referred visual and auditory signals are followed by punishment in the form of peripheral pain or reward in the form of food in the mouth, conditioning to the homeostatic effects of food can occur in a single trial and rarely requires more than three to five trials, even though the ultimate effects of the meal are delayed for hours. Paradoxically, the animal need not be aware of the ultimate internal effect in the same sense that it is aware of external contingencies. For example, an aversion can be acquired even if the animal is unconscious when the agent of illness is administered. Thus, the way in which food-effects are stored in memory may be fundamentally different from the way in which memories of specific time-space strategies devised for external contingencies are stored. This separation of function is indicated by limbic lesions which disrupt conditioning to a buzzer that is followed by shock and facilitate conditioning to a taste that is followed by illness. Operationally speaking, one can describe both aversion conditioning and buzzer-shock conditioning in the spacetime associationistic terms of classical conditioning. However, psychologically speaking, one must realize that in aversion conditioning the animal does not act as if it were acquiring an "if-then" strategy. It acts as if a hedonic shift, or a change in the incentive value of the flavor were taking place. Such hedonic shifts are critical in regulation of the internal milieu. When an animal is in need of calories, food tends to be more palatable; as the caloric deficit is restored, food becomes less palatable. If the animal's body temperature is below optimum, a warm stimulus applied to the skin is pleasant. When body temperature is too high, the converse is true. In this way, homeostatic states monitored by internal receptors produce changes in the incentive values of external stimuli sensed by the peripheral receptors, and guide feeding behavior. In mammals at least, the gustatory system, which provides sensory control of feeding, sends fibers to the nucleus solitarius. This brainstem relay station also receives fibers from the viscera and the internal monitors of the area postrema. Ascending fibers bifurcate at the level of the pons and project toward the feeding areas of the hypothalamus and the cortex. The olfactory system which primarily projects to the limbic system does not play a primary role in adjusting food incentives. Rather, it plays a secondary role in the activation of feeding, as do other external sensory systems. This specialized conditioning mechanism, which specifically adjusts gustatory hedonic values through delayed visceral feedback, is widespread among animals, including man and rat. These two species are remarkably similar in their thresholds and preferences for gustatory stimuli. The behavioral similarities are based on the animals' having similar gustatory systems, similar convergence of gustatory and internal afferents to the nucleus solitarius, and similar midbrain regulatory mechanisms. Thus, it is not surprising that the feeding of obese rats with internal hypothalamic damage resembles the feeding of obese human beings insensitive to the internal signs of this caloric state. Obviously, man has a highly specialized form of symbolic communication and the rat does not, yet man's cognitive specialization does not prevent him from developing aversions to food consumed before illness even when he knows that his illness was not caused by food (43).

Interaction of the cationic peptide bactenecin with phospholipid monolayers at the air-water interface: i interaction with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidilcholine.

In this work we have investigated the influence of NaCl on the adsorption of the antimicrobial cationic peptide bactenecin in the monolayer of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) at the air-water interface, as a function of NaCl concentrations in the subphase. We show that the effect of the salt concentration on DPPC monolayers is a monotonic decrease of the liquid-condensed-liquid-expanded (LC-LE) coexistence region. By contrast, the effect of the bactenecin adsorption at the DPPC monolayer not only removed the LC-LE coexistence region plateau, but also shifted the DPPC isotherms to higher pressures and increased the compressibility of the DPPC/bactenecin monolayers with respect to the pure DPPC monolayer around the LC phase. Analysis of the domain structure, obtained by Brewster angle and atomic force microscopes, indicates that the salt concentration in the subphase builds an electrostatic barrier, increasing the rigidity of DPPC monolayers and limiting the bactenecin adsorption at the LC-LE phase coexistence.

Expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in human pulp cells of teeth with complete and incomplete root development.

AIM: To quantify the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in human pulp cells of teeth with complete or incomplete root development, to support the specific role of IGF-1 in cell proliferation during tooth development and pulp reparative processes. METHODOLOGY: Twenty six pulp samples were obtained from freshly extracted human third molars, equally divided in two groups according to root development stage (complete or incomplete root development). All samples were processed and immunostained to determine the expression of IGF-1 and PCNA in pulp cells. Sections were observed with a light microscope at 80x and morphometric analyses were performed to calculate the area of PCNA and IGF-1 immunostaining using digital image software. Mann-Whitney's test was used to determine statistically significant differences between groups (P < 0.05) for each peptide and the co-expression of both. RESULTS: Expression of IGF-1 and PCNA was observed in all human pulp samples with a statistically significant higher expression in cells of pulps having complete root development (P = 0.0009). CONCLUSION: Insulin-like growth factor-1 and PCNA are expressed in human pulp cells, with a significant greater expression in pulp cells of teeth having complete root development.