Vitamin D levels and risk for periodontal disease: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existing evidence supporting or refuting the following questions: (i) Do patients with lower vitamin D levels have higher risk for periodontal disease? (ii) Are periodontal treatment outcomes improved by the adjuvant supplementation of vitamin D or by elevated serum vitamin D levels? MATERIAL AND METHODS: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched up to September 2017. Studies were included if they had measured serum vitamin D levels or vitamin D intake and any periodontal parameter. RESULTS: Overall, 27 studies were included (13 cross-sectional studies, 6 case-control studies, 5 cohort studies, 2 randomized clinical trials and 1 case series study). Sixty-five percent of the cross-sectional studies reported significant associations between low vitamin D levels and poor periodontal parameters. None of the observational longitudinal studies found that periodontal disease progression could be attributed to lower vitamin D levels. No interventional studies that evaluated the use of vitamin D supplementation as a solely adjuvant to periodontal treatment was found. No meta-analysis was performed due to high variability across studies. CONCLUSION: The data to support or refute the association between vitamin D levels and periodontal disease are inconclusive at the moment. More rigorously designed longitudinal studies with standardized definitions of periodontal disease and vitamin D are necessary.

Qualitative and Quantitative Determination and Resistance Patterns of Salmonella from Poultry Carcasses.

Poultry products are important in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens, mainly Salmonella. This genus causes millions of foodborne diseases worldwide every year. Cross-contamination by food sources in human cases of salmonellosis and the increase in resistant strains have become important issues. A qualitative and quantitative Salmonella detection method was utilized in a poultry slaughterhouse in São Paulo State, Brazil. We collected 33 samples from different batches of carcasses. Each sample was analyzed at three process points: postbleeding, postdefeathering, and postchilling. A fourth point, retail simulation, was added to simulate retail market storage at 5°C for 72 h. The qualitative methods revealed 100% (33 samples) contamination at postbleeding, 39% (13 samples) contamination at postdefeathering, 58% (19 samples) contamination at postchilling, and 30% (10 samples) contamination at the retail simulation. The quantitative results, determined by the most-probable-number (MPN) technique, ranged from <0.03 to >2,400 MPN/g. We identified 23 Salmonella serovars; the most prevalent were Mbandaka, Senftenberg, and Enteritidis. Resistance to nalidixic acid was significantly more common (P < 0.05) than resistance to other antimicrobial agents. Five multidrug-resistant strains were identified. This study contributes important epidemiological data and demonstrates the need to improve sanitary conditions in slaughterhouses.

Cleaning conveyor belts in the chicken-cutting area of a poultry processing plant with 45°c water.

Conveyor belts are widely used in food handling areas, especially in poultry processing plants. Because they are in direct contact with food and it is a requirement of the Brazilian health authority, conveyor belts are required to be continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. The use of water in this procedure has been questioned based on the hypothesis that water may further disseminate microorganisms but not effectively reduce the organic material on the surface. Moreover, reducing the use of water in processing may contribute to a reduction in costs and emission of effluents. However, no consistent evidence in support of removing water during conveyor belt cleaning has been reported. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to compare the bacterial counts on conveyor belts that were or were not continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. Superficial samples from conveyor belts (cleaned or not cleaned) were collected at three different times during operation (T1, after the preoperational cleaning [5 a.m.]; T2, after the first work shift [4 p.m.]; and T3, after the second work shift [1:30 a.m.]) in a poultry meat processing facility, and the samples were subjected to mesophilic and enterobacterial counts. For Enterobacteriaceae, no significant differences were observed between the conveyor belts, independent of the time of sampling or the cleaning process. No significant differences were observed between the counts of mesophilic bacteria at the distinct times of sampling on the conveyor belt that had not been subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45°C. When comparing similar periods of sampling, no significant differences were observed between the mesophilic counts obtained from the conveyor belts that were or were not subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45°C. Continuous cleaning with water did not significantly reduce microorganism counts, suggesting the possibility of discarding this procedure in chicken processing.

Electromyographic analysis of masseter and temporal muscles, bite force, masticatory efficiency in medicated individuals with schizophrenia and mood disorders compared with healthy controls.

This study aimed to comparatively analyse the electromyographic activity of the masseter and temporal muscles at rest and during mandible postural clinical conditions (right and left laterality, protrusion and maximum voluntary contraction), right and left maximum molar bite forces and the masticatory efficiency of individuals with schizophrenia or mood disorders - all medicated (medicated groups) compared with control group (healthy volunteers) via electromyography. Individuals were distributed into three groups: Group I (Schizophrenia - 20 individuals), Group II (mood disorders - 20 individuals) and Group III (Control - 40 individuals). Basically, the results were only statistically significant for the clinical mandible conditions and bite force. The most unsatisfactory results were observed in the medicated groups in relation to the control group. The group with mood disorders obtained the most unsatisfactory results compared with the group with schizophrenia. It was suggested by these observations that the association of mood disorders and schizophrenia with medication has negatively affected the stomatognathic system in relation to controls when the electromyography and bite force were used for the analysis.

Identification of pathogens and virulence profile of Rhodococcus equi and Escherichia coli strains obtained from sand of parks.

The identification of pathogens of viral (Rotavirus, Coronavirus), parasitic (Toxocara spp.) and bacterial (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Rhodococcus equi) origin shed in feces, and the virulence profile of R. equi and E. coli isolates were investigated in 200 samples of sand obtained from 40 parks, located in central region of state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, using different diagnostic methods. From 200 samples analyzed, 23 (11.5%) strains of R. equi were isolated. None of the R. equi isolates showed a virulent (vapA gene) or intermediately virulent (vapB gene) profiles. Sixty-three (31.5%) strains of E. coli were identified. The following genes encoding virulence factors were identified in E. coli: eae, bfp, saa, iucD, papGI, sfa and hly. Phylogenetic classification showed that 63 E. coli isolates belonged to groups B1 (52.4%), A (25.4%) and B2 (22.2%). No E. coli serotype O157:H7 was identified. Eggs of Toxocara sp. were found in three parks and genetic material of bovine Coronavirus was identified in one sample of one park. No Salmonella spp. and Rotavirus isolates were identified in the samples of sand. The presence of R. equi, Toxocara sp, bovine Coronavirus and virulent E. coli isolates in the environment of parks indicates that the sanitary conditions of the sand should be improved in order to reduce the risks of fecal transmission of pathogens of zoonotic potential to humans in these places.

Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. e microrganismos indicadores em carcaças bovinas para exportação / Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Salmonella spp., micro-organism indicators in export cattle carcasses

Foram colhidas amostras de 100 carcaças em um frigorífico exportador, localizado no interior do estado de São Paulo, amostradas ao longo de um ano, por meio do método de esponjas, aplicado na região do peito do animal. As amostras foram colhidas em três pontos, denominados A, B e C, sendo cada carcaça amostrada nos três pontos, localizados nas etapas: pós-sangria (A); pós-esfola (B) e pós-lavagem (C). Foram realizadas pesquisas de Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. e microrganismos indicadores (Petrifilms® AC, EC e EB). Não foram isolados Listeria ou E. coli O157 em nenhuma das 300 amostras. Salmonella spp. foi isolada em nove, sendo oito no ponto A e uma no ponto B. Para mesófilos, as contagens variaram de 0 a 6,8 log UFC/cm², para coliformes totais, de 0 a 4,57 log UFC/cm², e para E. coli, de 0 a 4,38 log UFC/cm². Diante dos resultados obtidos e em comparação com a literatura, conclui-se que o estabelecimento estudado apresenta qualidade, tanto sanitária (devido às baixas prevalências dos patógenos) quanto higiênica (devido à acentuada diminuição da carga microbiana de indicadores ao longo da linha).

Samples were collected from 100 carcasses in a slaughterhouse exporter, located within the State of São Paulo, sampled over a year through the sponge method, applied to the chest of the animal. Samples were taken at three points, denominated A, B and C, each carcass sampled at three points located in the following steps: after bleeding (A) after skinning (B) and after washing (C). Research was conducted for Listeria sp., E. coli O157, Salmonella spp. and Micro-organism (Petrifilms ® AC, EC and EB). Listeria or E. coli O157 were not isolated in any of the 300 samples. Salmonella spp. was isolated in nine, eight at point A and one at point B. For Mesophiles, scores ranged from 0 to 6.8 log UFC/cm²; for Total coliforms, 0 to 4.57 log UFC/cm² and E. coli from 0 to 4.38 log UFC/cm². With the results obtained and compared with the literature, it is concluded that the establishment in this study has both sanitary quality (due to the low prevalence of pathogens) and hygienic quality (due to the sharp decrease in the microbial load of indicators along the line.

Identification of pathogens and virulence profile of Rhodococcus equi and Escherichia coli strains obtained from sand of parks

The identification of pathogens of viral (Rotavirus, Coronavirus), parasitic (Toxocara spp.) and bacterial (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Rhodococcus equi) origin shed in feces, and the virulence profile of R. equi and E. coli isolates were investigated in 200 samples of sand obtained from 40 parks, located in central region of state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, using different diagnostic methods. From 200 samples analyzed, 23 (11.5%) strains of R. equi were isolated. None of the R. equi isolates showed a virulent (vapA gene) or intermediately virulent (vapB gene) profiles. Sixty-three (31.5%) strains of E. coli were identified. The following genes encoding virulence factors were identified in E. coli: eae, bfp, saa, iucD, papGI, sfa and hly. Phylogenetic classification showed that 63 E. coli isolates belonged to groups B1 (52.4%), A (25.4%) and B2 (22.2%). No E. coli serotype O157:H7 was identified. Eggs of Toxocara sp. were found in three parks and genetic material of bovine Coronavirus was identified in one sample of one park. No Salmonella spp. and Rotavirus isolates were identified in the samples of sand. The presence of R. equi, Toxocara sp, bovine Coronavirus and virulent E. coli isolates in the environment of parks indicates that the sanitary conditions of the sand should be improved in order to reduce the risks of fecal transmission of pathogens of zoonotic potential to humans in these places.

Microbiological evaluation of chicken carcasses in an immersion chilling system with water renewal at 8 and 16 hours.

Since 2004, Brazil has been the leading exporter of chicken. Because of the importance of this sector in the Brazilian economy, food safety must be ensured by control and monitoring of the production stages susceptible to contamination, such as the chilling process. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in microbial levels on chicken carcasses and in chilling water after immersion in a chilling system for 8 and 16 h during commercial processing. An objective of the study was to encourage discussion regarding the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food Supply regulation that requires chicken processors to completely empty, clean, and disinfect each tank of the chilling system after every 8-h shift. Before and after immersion chilling, carcasses were collected and analyzed for mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and Escherichia coli. Samples of water from the chilling system were also analyzed for residual free chlorine. The results do not support required emptying of the chiller tank after 8 h; these tanks could be emptied after 16 h. The results for all carcasses tested at the 8- and 16-h time points indicated no significant differences in the microbiological indicators evaluated. These data provide both technical and scientific support for discussing changes in federal law regarding the management of immersion chilling water systems used as part of the poultry processing line.

A false case of clozapine-resistant schizophrenia.

One of the subjects that most concerns physicians is treatment-resistance. About 30%-60% of schizophrenia patients do not respond adequately to antipsychotic treatment and are known as refractory schizophrenia patients. Clozapine has been the drug of choice in such cases. However, approximately 30% of them do not respond to clozapine either. Here, we describe a patient with an initial diagnosis of refractory schizophrenia who had a history of dramatic aggressiveness. However, in this case, "refractoriness" was a wrong diagnosis. A case of psychosis secondary to epilepsy had been treated as schizophrenia for almost 20 years. Reports like this one are important because they remind us of how a thorough investigation can lead to the correct diagnosis and improve the patient's prognosis.

Microbiological quality of spices marketed in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.

The aim of this work was to assess the microbiological quality of spices sold in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 233 samples were analyzed for mesophilic bacteria, thermotolerant coliforms, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella. Data showed that 21 and 5.6% of these samples were not in agreement with the standards of Brazilian law, due to an excess of coliforms and to the presence of Salmonella, respectively. Black pepper and cumin exhibited the lowest microbiological quality, whereas bay leaf showed the highest quality. It was concluded that the seasonings possessed poor microbiological quality, and new alternatives should be taken in the primary production in order to improve this quality. Irradiation may also be a tool to assure the safety of these products.

Cannabidiol for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson's disease.

The management of psychosis in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been considered a great challenge for clinicians and there is a need for new pharmacological intervention. Previously an antipsychotic and neuroprotective effect of Cannabidiol (CBD) has been suggested. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to directly evaluate for the first time, the efficacy, tolerability and safety of CBD on PD patients with psychotic symptoms. This was an open-label pilot study. Six consecutive outpatients (four men and two women) with the diagnosis of PD and who had psychosis for at least 3 months were selected for the study. All patients received CBD in flexible dose (started with an oral dose of 150 mg/day) for 4 weeks, in addition to their usual therapy. The psychotic symptoms evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire showed a significant decrease under CBD treatment. CBD did not worsen the motor function and decreased the total scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. No adverse effect was observed during the treatment. These preliminary data suggest that CBD may be effective, safe and well tolerated for the treatment of the psychosis in PD.

Avaliação do teste do anel em leite na vigilância epidemiológica da brucelose bovina em rebanhos e em laticínios / Evaluation of the ring test in an epidemiological surveillance of bovine brucellosis in herds and dairies

Analisaram-se 464 amostras individuais de leite e 54 amostras de leite de latões, oriundos de leite dos mesmos animais, por meio do teste do anel do leite (TAL) visando à sua aplicação no diagnóstico individual e de rebanhos da brucelose bovina. Foram também avaliadas 464 amostras de soro sangüíneo por meio de provas do antígeno tamponado acidificado (ATA), soroaglutinação lenta em tubos (SAL) e 2-mercaptoetanol (2-ME), todas para brucelose. Cento e vinte e três amostras (26,5 por cento) testadas pelo TAL apresentaram resultados positivos. Dessas, 30 resultaram positivas ao ATA, 28 ao ATA, à SAL e ao 2-ME e 18 à SAL. Das amostras positivas ao TAL, 95 pertenciam a animais sorologicamente negativos ao 2-ME, caracterizando 77,2 por cento (95/123) das reações falso-positivas; dos resultados negativos ao TAL, 4 pertenciam a animais sorologicamente positivos, caracterizando 1,2 por cento (4/341) de reações falso-negativas no TAL individual. Das 54 amostras de leite de latões analisadas pelo TAL, 17 foram consideradas positivas, das quais uma foi caracterizada como falso-positivo, pois todos os animais que a compunham foram negativos ao 2-ME. De 37 latões considerados negativos ao TAL, três continham leite de animais positivos ao 2-ME, caracterizando 8,1 por cento de falso-negativos. O TAL individual demonstrou elevado percentual de resultados falso-positivos, enquanto o TAL em amostras de leite obtidas em latões detectou 84,2 por cento de latões contaminados e 75 por cento de rebanhos infectados.

The ring test (RT) was analyzed regarding its application for the individual and herd bovine brucellosis diagnoses. Individual samples of milk from 464 cows and 54 composite samples of milk bucket from these animals were evaluated. The results were analyzed considering the serological results obtained by the rose bengal (RBT), tube agglutination (TAT) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) tests. From the 464 individual milk samples analyzed by the RT, 123 (26.5 percent) presented positive results. From those, 30 were positive only to the RBT, 28 by the RBT/TAT/2-ME and 18 by the TAT. From the 123 positive samples by the RT, 95 came from the 2-ME seronegative animals, characterizing 77.2 percent of false-positive reactions and 4/341 negative reactions came from the seropositive animals, characterizing 1.2 percent of false-negative reactions in the individual RT. From the 54 samples of compositive milk analyzed by the RT, 17 were positive. From these positive samples, one was considered false positive since all the animals that composed it were negative by the 2-ME. Three of the composite milk samples that were negative to RT(3/37) were constituted by milk from positive animals, characterizing 8.1 percent of false-negative results by the RT. The individual RT showed high percentage of false-positive results, while the RT in samples from bucket detected 84.2 percent of the contaminated milk and 75 percent of the infected herds.

Identification of a promoter element within the zebrafish colXalpha1 gene responsive to runx2 isoforms Osf2/Cbfa1 and til-1 but not to pebp2alphaA2.

Type X collagen is a short chain collagen specifically expressed by hypertrophic chondrocytes during endochondral ossification. We report here the functional analysis of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) collagen Xalpha1 gene (colXalpha1) promoter with the identification of a region responsive to two isoforms of the runt domain transcription factor runx2. Furthermore, we provide evidence for the presence of dual promoter usage in zebrafish, a finding that should be important to further understanding of the regulation of its restricted tissue distribution and spatial-temporal expression during early development. The zebrafish colXalpha1 gene structure is comparable to that recently identified by comparative genomics in takifugu and shows homology with corresponding mammalian genes, indicating that its general architecture has been maintained throughout vertebrate evolution. Our data suggest that, as in mammals, runx2 plays a role in the development of the osteogenic lineage, supporting zebrafish as a model for studies of bone and cartilage development.

Matrix Gla protein gene expression and protein accumulation colocalize with cartilage distribution during development of the teleost fish Sparus aurata.

Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a member of the family of extracellular mineral-binding Gla proteins, expressed in several tissues with high accumulation in bone and cartilage. Although the precise molecular mechanism of action of this protein remains unknown, all available evidence indicates that MGP plays a role as an inhibitor of mineralization. We investigated the sites of gene expression and protein accumulation of MGP throughout development of the bony fish Sparus aurata, by in situ hybridization, Northern and RT-PCR Southern hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. The results obtained were compared with the patterns of developmental appearance of cartilaginous and mineralized structures in this species, identified by histological techniques and by detection of mRNA presence and protein accumulation of osteocalcin (Bone Gla protein), a marker for osteoblasts known to accumulate in bone mineralized extracellular matrix. The expression of MGP mRNA was first detected at 2 days posthatching (dph) by Northern analysis, RT-PCR amplification, and in situ hybridization, and thereafter continuously detected at various levels of intensity, until 130 dph. In situ hybridization analysis performed in parallel with immunohistochemistry indicated that until ca. 45 dph, the MGP gene was highly expressed in a number of different tissues including skull, jaw, neural and hemal arches, and heart and the protein accumulated in cartilaginous tissues. At 85 dph, a stage when most skeletal structures are mineralized, MGP gene expression and protein accumulation were restricted to the remaining cartilaginous structures, whereas osteocalcin gene expression and protein accumulation were localized in most mineralized structures. MGP gene expression was also detected in heart and kidney, although in situ hybridization only detected MGP mRNA in heart, located in the arterial bulbus and not in the cardiac muscle. Our results are in agreement with those recently described for MGP localization in adult tissues of another teleost fish, as well as available data from higher vertebrates, strengthening the hypothesis of a conserved function for MGP from teleost fish to human, a period of more than 200 million years of evolution. In addition, Sparus aurata, a marine teleost fish routinely grown in captivity, appears to be a good model to further analyze MGP gene expression and regulation.

Cloning and characterization of the cDNA and gene encoding Xenopus laevis osteocalcin.

A full length Xenopus laevis osteocalcin (bone Gla protein, BGP) has been cloned by a combination of reverse transcription and amplification by the polymerase chain reaction, sequenced, and found to encode a polypeptide with 101 amino acid residues, including a 52-residue prepro-region and a 49-residue mature protein. The N-terminal region of the mature Xenopus BGP (xBGP), as deduced from the cDNA, is in full agreement with the sequence of the BGP previously purified from Xenopus long bones. This cDNA was used to clone the xBGP gene and its promoter region. The xBGP gene spans 3727 bp from the site of transcription initiation corresponding to the 5'end of the cDNA to the site of insertion of the poly-A(+) tail, and it contains four exons. This structure is similar to the one obtained for both fish and mammalian BGP genes and indicates that the molecular organization of this gene has been conserved throughout vertebrate evolution. Also similar to other known vertebrate systems, xBGP gene expression is restricted to bone, with no signal for xBGP messenger RNA (mRNA) detected in all other tissues analyzed. The availability of the xBGP promoter will permit to analyze its regulation in a widely used non-mammalian model system for vertebrate development, taking advantage of the availability of sequences for various Xenopus steroid hormone receptors and transcription factors known to affect BGP expression in the mammalian system.

When half a word is enough: infants can recognize spoken words using partial phonetic information.

Adults process speech incrementally, rapidly identifying spoken words on the basis of initial phonetic information sufficient to distinguish them from alternatives. In this study, infants in the second year also made use of word-initial information to understand fluent speech. The time course of comprehension was examined by tracking infants' eye movements as they looked at pictures in response to familiar spoken words, presented both as whole words in intact form and as partial words in which only the first 300 ms of the word was heard. In Experiment 1, 21-month-old infants (N = 32) recognized partial words as quickly and reliably as they recognized whole words; in Experiment 2, these findings were replicated with 18-month-old infants (N = 32). Combining the data from both experiments, efficiency in spoken word recognition was examined in relation to level of lexical development. Infants with more than 100 words in their productive vocabulary were more accurate in identifying familiar words than were infants with less than 60 words. Grouped by response speed, infants with faster mean reaction times were more accurate in word recognition and also had larger productive vocabularies than infants with slower response latencies. These results show that infants in the second year are capable of incremental speech processing even before entering the vocabulary spurt, and that lexical growth is associated with increased speed and efficiency in understanding spoken language.

Cloning of the bone Gla protein gene from the teleost fish Sparus aurata. Evidence for overall conservation in gene organization and bone-specific expression from fish to man.

Bone Gla protein (BGP, Osteocalcin) is a bone-specific vitamin K-dependent protein which has been intensively studied in mammals. Although BGP is the most abundant non-collagenous protein of bone, its mode of action at the molecular level remains unclear. From an evolutionary point of view, the appearance of BGP seems to parallel the appearance of hydroxyapatite-containing bone structures since it has never been found in elasmobranchs, whose skeleton is composed of calcified cartilage. Accordingly, recent work indicates that, in mammalian bone, BGP is required for adequate maturation of the hydroxyapatite crystal. Taken together, these data suggest that teleost fishes, presumably the first vertebrates to develop a BGP-containing skeleton, may be a useful model to further investigate BGP function. In addition, fish offer several advantages over mammalian models, due to a large progeny, external embryonic development and transparency of larvae. In the present work, the BGP cDNA and gene were cloned from a teleost fish, Sparus aurata, and its tissue distribution, pattern of developmental expression and evolutionary pathways analyzed. The molecular organization of the Sparus BGP (spBGP) gene is similar to mammalian BGP genes, and its expression throughout development follows the onset of calcification. The spBGP gene encodes a pre-propeptide of 97 amino acid residues, expressed only in bone and showing extensive homology to its mammalian homologs. Phylogenetic analysis of the available BGP sequences supports the hypothesis that all BGPs have a single origin and share a common ancestor with a related vitamin K-dependent protein (Matrix Gla protein).

Continuous processing in word recognition at 24 months.

Speech processing in adults in continuous: as acoustic-phonetic information is heard, listeners' interpretation of the speech is updated incrementally. The present studies used a visual fixation technique to examine whether young children also interpret speech continuously. In Experiments 1 and 2, 24-month-old children looked at visual displays while hearing sentences. Sentences each contained a target word labeling one of the two displayed pictures. Children's latency to fixate the labeled picture was measured. Children's responses were delayed when the competing distractor picture's label overlapped phonetically with the target at onset (dog-doll), but not when the pictures' labels rhymed (ball-doll), showing that children monitored the speech stream incrementally for acoustic-phonetic information specifying the correct picture. In Experiment 3, adults' responses in the same task were found to be very similar to those of the 24-month-olds. This research shows that by 24 months, children can interpret speech continuously.