Microplastics in Yellow River Delta wetland: Occurrence, characteristics, human influences, and marker.

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in the environment including coastal wetlands. The influence of different types and intensities of human activities on the occurrence of MPs in coastal wetlands is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of MPs and the contribution of human activities in different areas of Yellow River Delta wetland. MPs were widely detected in different areas of the wetland even in the protection area with little human activities. Direct human activities resulted in more severe MPs contamination in the protection area than the tourism area. In the soil of different areas, the MPs abundances ranged from 136 to 2060 items/kg. The concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) ranged from 536 to 660 µg/kg, and the concentrations of polycarbonate (PC) ranged from 83.9 to 196 µg/kg. The MP abundances of the three areas had significant correlations with PET concentrations. These results indicate that the direct influence of human activities has much greater contribution than indirect influence. These results also suggest that PET concentration can be used as a potential marker of MPs contamination in wetland soils.

Characteristics attributed to individuals with dental fluorosis.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations of the public perception of dental fluorosis have focused mainly on aesthetics. Other characteristics which could potentially be ascribed to fluorosis, such as perceived personality traits, have not been examined. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify personal characteristics (descriptors) attributed to people with fluorosis of varying degrees of severity, as depicted in standardised photographs viewed from different perspectives. METHOD: Extra-oral (full face) and intra-oral images of male and female subjects were digitally manipulated to represent normal dental enamel, mild, moderate, and severe fluorosis. The images were then scored by 90 members of the public (45M, 45F), under different experimental conditions, which varied the level of cueing to the teeth. Participants were asked (i) to record their spontaneous descriptors, (ii) select relevant descriptors from a predefined list of 50 descriptors and traits. RESULTS: 170 different word or phrase descriptors were spontaneously attributed to the images. Characteristics used to describe fluorosis varied with the degree of severity. However, endorsements were significantly influenced by whether participants viewed extra or intraoral images and the degree of cueing. Conditions which most accurately mirrored everyday social interactions, that is viewing extraoral images without cueing to pay particular attention to the mouth, were least likely to result in the attribution of characteristics that varied with levels of fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS: While characteristics varying with severity of dental fluorosis were ascribed, more sophisticated attitudinal measures are required to ascertain the wider social impact of fluorosis beyond the aesthetic.

Ethics, empathy, and the education of dentists.

Professional education in dentistry exists to educate good dentists-dentists equipped and committed to helping society gain the benefits of oral health. In achieving this intention, dental educators acknowledge that student dentists must acquire the complex knowledge base and the sophisticated perceptual-motor skills of dentistry. The graduation of knowledgeable and skilled clinicians in dentistry is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for ensuring quality oral health care. The further requirement is the commitment of graduates to applying their abilities with moral integrity: providing appropriate and quality care in their patients' best interest. Ultimately, good dentistry depends on individuals committed to treating their patients and society fairly, that is, ethically. This essay describes the historical basis for thinking about ethics from the perspective of human nature; describes how evolutionary ethics seeks to ground moral behavior in human emotion rather than primarily human reason; discusses the roots of morality in the behavior of animals, behavior that observed in humans would be described as empathy; characterizes empathy, discussing its imperative in caring for patients; and suggests what implications an empathy-mediated understanding of morality has for dental education.

On the nature and evolution of the neural bases of human language.

The traditional theory equating the brain bases of language with Broca's and Wernicke's neocortical areas is wrong. Neural circuits linking activity in anatomically segregated populations of neurons in subcortical structures and the neocortex throughout the human brain regulate complex behaviors such as walking, talking, and comprehending the meaning of sentences. When we hear or read a word, neural structures involved in the perception or real-world associations of the word are activated as well as posterior cortical regions adjacent to Wernicke's area. Many areas of the neocortex and subcortical structures support the cortical-striatal-cortical circuits that confer complex syntactic ability, speech production, and a large vocabulary. However, many of these structures also form part of the neural circuits regulating other aspects of behavior. For example, the basal ganglia, which regulate motor control, are also crucial elements in the circuits that confer human linguistic ability and abstract reasoning. The cerebellum, traditionally associated with motor control, is active in motor learning. The basal ganglia are also key elements in reward-based learning. Data from studies of Broca's aphasia, Parkinson's disease, hypoxia, focal brain damage, and a genetically transmitted brain anomaly (the putative "language gene," family KE), and from comparative studies of the brains and behavior of other species, demonstrate that the basal ganglia sequence the discrete elements that constitute a complete motor act, syntactic process, or thought process. Imaging studies of intact human subjects and electrophysiologic and tracer studies of the brains and behavior of other species confirm these findings. As Dobzansky put it, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution" (cited in Mayr, 1982). That applies with as much force to the human brain and the neural bases of language as it does to the human foot or jaw. The converse follows: the mark of evolution on the brains of human beings and other species provides insight into the evolution of the brain bases of human language. The neural substrate that regulated motor control in the common ancestor of apes and humans most likely was modified to enhance cognitive and linguistic ability. Speech communication played a central role in this process. However, the process that ultimately resulted in the human brain may have started when our earliest hominid ancestors began to walk.

Comparaciones morfológicas entre las mandíbulas de brasileños y de poblaciones de otros continentes / Morphological comparison between brazilian's mandibles and populations from four continents

Las mandíbulas encontradas en diferentes regiones del mundo presentan considerables diferencias morfológicas, provocando dudas sobre las alteraciones y las características morfológicas de las mandíbulas humanas. La pluralidad racial y la consecuente mezcla de la población brasileña deben promover cambios morfológicos. Esta investigación analizó y comparó las características morfológicas de 100 mandíbulas humanas brasileñas con las dimensiones de las mandíbulas de individuos australianos, asiáticos, europeos y africanos, usando 13 dimensiones mandibulares definidas por Humphrey et al. (1999). Las diferencias significativas entre los valores medios fueran calculados través del test t student (p<0,05 e 0,01). Hubo diferencias significativas en las dimensiones analizadas, reflejando la presencia de variaciones anatómicas en la morfología entre las mandíbulas de las cinco diferentes poblaciones. Las mandíbulas de europeos presentan que la rama mandibular es más estrecha que la de los brasileños, mientras que los asiáticos presentan mandíbulas con dimensiones mayores, no obstante la altura de la sínfisis mandibular es menor. Varios aspectos pueden determinar las diferencias morfológicas resueltas, como las adaptaciones del sistema estomatognático de origen, la plasticidad ósea promovida por la consistencia de la dieta o causada por la mezcla racial.

The mandibles found in different regions of the planet present considerable morphological differences, propounding questions about the morphological changes and characteristics of the human's mandibles. The racial plurality and the consequent miscegenation of the Brazilian population must to offer morphological changes. Thirteen measurements were used in this research to analyze and compared the morphological characteristics of the one hundred Brazilian human mandibles, with mandible's dimensions of the Australians, Asiatic, Europeans, and Africans. The significant and highly significant differences in means values were calculated by testt student, p < 0.05 andp < 0.01, respectively. Were observed highly expressive differences in the analyzed dimensions, what reflect the presence of the anatomic variations in the mandible's morphology of the different populations. The Europeans mandibles show mandibular ramus narrower than when compared with the Brazilians, while the Asiatic show larger mandibles, however the height of the mandibular symphysis is smaller. Several aspects can determine the morphological differences met, like adaptations of the estomatognáthic system came of the bony plasticity promoted by the diet's consistency or aforesaid caused by the racial miscegenation.

Características físicas e bucais em pacientes portadores da Síndrome do X-Frágil / Physical and oral characteristics in patients with fragile X syndrome

A Síndrome do X-Frágil é um distúrbio genético, identificado microscopicamente por uma cons- trição denominada sítio frágil no braço longo do cromossomo X; é considerada como principal causa hereditária de deficiência mental associada a diversas alterações neurológicas. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar características físicas e bucais, presença de alterações sistêmicas e características comportamentais presentes em pacientes portadores da Síndrome do X-Frágil, além de divulgar esta síndrome aos Cirurgiões-Dentistas. Foram analisados 31 voluntários portadores da Síndrome do X- -Frágil por meio da aplicação de questionário estruturado, exame físico geral, bucodental e análise de prontuário multidisciplinar. Os dados obtidos foram tabulados e submetidos ao teste Qui-Quadrado (p

The fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder, identified microscopically by a constriction called fragile site on the long arm of chromosome X, considered the main inherited cause of mental disability associated with severa I neurological disorders. The aim of this study were analyzed physical and oral characteristics, medical problems and behavioral characteristics in patients with fragile X syndrome, and diffuse this syndrome among dentists. Volunteers (n=31) with fragile X syndrome were submitted a structured form, physical and oral exam and the multidisciplinary form was analyzed. The data were submitted to statistical analyses (Chi-square; P<.05). Regular use of medicine was reported by 68% (P<.05), the most commonly used was the anticonvulsants (61%). The presence of biofilm (93%) and gingivitis (81%) was statistically significant when the amount of positive and negative cases were compared. Malocclusion and atresic palate were present in 93% ofthe volunteers (P<.05). Ali subjects reported the presence of family history of mental retardation. Among the facial features elongated face, ears and forehead prominent and behavioral aspects of hyperactivity and anxiety were statically significant differences. Thus, we conclude that there are large variability among the characteristics expressed by individuais with the Fragile X syndrome, frequently these individuais have elongated face, prominent ears and mental retardation associated with oral problems such as malocclusion, atresic palate and enamel hypoplasia. In addition poor oral hygiene and regular medicine is common in this patients.