Impact of Resin Composite Viscosity and Fill-technique on Internal Gap in Class I Restorations: An OCT Evaluation.

The aim of this in vitro study was to quantitatively evaluate the internal gap of resin composites of high-and low-viscosity used in single- and incremental-fill techniques in Class I cavities exposed to thermal cycling (TC) using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Cavities of 4-mm depth and 3-mm diameter were prepared in 36 third molars randomly distributed into four groups, according to viscosity of restorative resin-based composite (high or low viscosity, all from 3M Oral Care) and technique application (bulk or incremental fill) used (n=9): RC, high-viscosity, incremental-fill, resin-based composite (Filtek Z350 XT Universal Restorative); BF, high-viscosity, bulk-fill, resin-based composite (Filtek One Bulk Fill); LRC, lowviscosity, incremental-fill, resin-based composite (Filtek Z350 XT Flowable Universal Restorative); and LBF, low-viscosity, bulk-fill, resin-based composite (Filtek Flowable Restorative). Single Bond Universal Adhesive system (3M Oral Care) was used in all the experimental groups. The incremental-fill technique was used for RC and LRC groups (2-mm increments), and a single-layer technique was used for BF and LBF groups, as recommended by the manufacturer. The internal adaptation of the resin at all dentin walls was evaluated before and after TC (5000 cycles between 5°C and 55°C) using OCT images. Five images of each restored tooth were obtained. Images were analyzed using ImageJ software that measured the entire length of the gaps at the dentin-restoration interface. The length of gaps (µm) was analyzed using two-way repeated measures ANOVA and the Tukey tests (α=0.05). There was a significant interaction between material types and TC (p=0.006), and a significant difference among all material types (p<0.0001), before and after TC (p<0.0001). Increased internal gaps at the dentin-restoration interface were noticed after TC for all groups. RC presented the lowest value of internal gap before and after TC, while LBF showed the highest values of internal gap after TC. In conclusion, TC negatively affected the integrity of internal gap, whereas high-viscosity, incremental-fill, resin-based composite presented better performance in terms of internal adaptation than low-viscosity, bulk-fill materials in Class I cavities.

Cytotoxicity of Etch-and-Rinse, Self-Etch, and Universal Dental Adhesive Systems in Fibroblast Cell Line 3T3.

The aim of this study was to evaluate in fibroblast cultures the direct cytotoxic effects of etch-and-rinse, self-etch, and universal adhesive systems. The sterile glass cover slips (n = 3) were then immersed in culture medium to obtain the eluates for the experimental groups: (1) Adper™ Single Bond 2; (2) Ambar; (3) Adper™ Scotchbond™ Multi-Purpose; (4) Scotchbond™ Universal; (5) Ambar Universal; and (6) OptiBond All-In-One. As a negative control, sterile glass cover slips were immersed in culture medium only. After 24 h, the eluate obtained was applied on fibroblast culture. Cell viability and cell morphology were evaluated by MTT assay and SEM, respectively. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (α = 0.05). All adhesive systems except universal reduced cell viability in 3T3 cells to between 26.04% and 56.57%, and Scotchbond Universal and Ambar Universal reduced cell viability to 2.13% and 3.57%, respectively, when compared to the negative control. Cytoplasmic membrane shrinkage and cell-free areas with residual membrane fragments from dead cells were observed. In conclusion, improvements in universal adhesive system formulations and their mechanisms of action are not accompanied by increased toxicity compared with those in other systems, warranting commitment to the use of these dentin-pulp complexes.

Putative Mechanisms of Viral Transmission and Molecular Dysregulation of Mammary Epithelial Cells by Human Papillomavirus: Implications for Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in breast cancer samples. However, the role of HPV in breast carcinogenesis is not clear, and the interaction mechanisms between this infectious agent and the breast cancer cell need to be more fully clarified. In this article, we discuss the putative roles of HPV infection in breast carcinogenesis.

Short communication: Variable number of tandem repeat polymorphisms in DGAT1 gene of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) is associated with milk constituents.

The diacylglycerol-O-transferase 1 gene is a positional and functional candidate for milk composition traits. The objective of this study was to evaluate the segregation of the variable number of tandem repeat polymorphisms in the regulatory region of diacylglycerol-O-transferase 1 gene in a water buffalo herd, and to assess the association of this mutation with milk production traits. For this purpose, 196 Murrah buffalo cows were genotyped by PCR. The association of the marker with total milk, fat, and protein yields at 305 d of lactation, milk fat and protein percentage, and somatic cell scores were evaluated by single-trait analyses using a generalized mixed model. Two segregating alleles were identified in the population. The allele with 2 repeats affected fat percentage favorably. The present results suggest that this polymorphism is an interesting marker to include in the genetic evaluation of buffaloes.

Optical coherence tomography applied to tests of skin care products in humans--a case study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: When evaluating skin care products for human skin, quantitative test methods need to be simple, precise and reliable. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), provides high-resolution sectional images of translucent materials to a depth of a few millimeters, a technique usually applied to medical measurements in ophthalmology and dermatology. This study aimed to demonstrate the application of OCT as the main technique for monitoring changes in skin topography during tests of a wrinkle-reduction product in humans. METHODS: We used a commercial OCT apparatus to perform clinical examinations of skin roughness in treated and non-treated sites in the periorbital region of thirty human voluntaries who were using an anti-aging product commercially available: Natura Chronos® Flavonóides de Passiflora 45+ FPS15, from Natura Cosméticos, Brazil. Measurements were performed days 0, 7, 14 and 28 of treatment. Equipment and software allowed real-time recording of skin roughness parameters and wrinkle depths. RESULTS: The OCT measurements have allowed the monitoring of changes in skin roughness, which have shown reduction in treated sites around 10%. The obtained depth distributions also indicate reduction in the occurrence of wrinkles deeper than 170 µm. The verified results are consistent with those typically obtained after successful treatment with modern anti-aging products. CONCLUSION: By using the OCT technique, it was possible to quantify changes in skin roughness and in the distribution of depths of skin wrinkles, with adequate sensitivity. OCT imaging allows the direct visualization of the skin topography with resolution of micrometers, a reliable and interactive tool for clinical use. Therefore, for the first time, we demonstrated the use of OCT technique to verify the efficacy of cosmetic products in real time.

The logarithmic contributions to the [Formula: see text] asymptotic massive Wilson coefficients and operator matrix elements in deeply inelastic scattering.

We calculate the logarithmic contributions to the massive Wilson coefficients for deep-inelastic scattering in the asymptotic region [Formula: see text] to 3-loop order in the fixed flavor number scheme and present the corresponding expressions for the massive operator matrix elements needed in the variable flavor number scheme. Explicit expressions are given in Mellin [Formula: see text]-space.

Efficacy of single-dose antibiotic against early-onset pneumonia in comatose patients who are ventilated.

BACKGROUND: Comatose patients present a high risk of early-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (EO-VAP) for which antibiotic prophylaxis has been proposed. Comatose patients were studied to evaluate the efficacy of a single-dose of antibiotic prophylaxis at intubation against EO-VAP. METHODS: A prospective cohort of comatose patients (Glasgow Coma Score ≤ 8) who were admitted in 2009-2010 and administered a single-dose of antibiotic within 4 h of intubation was compared with comatose patients (admitted ≥ 4 h after intubation in 2009-2010 or admitted in 2007-2008) who did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis. We analyzed the incidence of EO-VAP, late-onset VAP, and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in both groups. Propensity scores for receiving antibiotic prophylaxis were derived on the basis of patients' characteristics (eg, age and severity) to assess its impact on EO-VAP development. RESULTS: We included 129 patients (71 in the prophylaxis group and 58 in the control group). The global incidence of VAP and incidence of EO-VAP were lower in the prophylaxis group: 10.8 vs 28.4 episodes/1,000 days on mechanical ventilation (P = .015) and 4.4 vs 23.1 episodes/1,000 days on mechanical ventilation (P = .02), respectively. The incidence of late-onset VAP did not differ. The prophylaxis group tended toward lower incidence of ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (15.5% vs 25.9%, P = .14). No differences in mortality were found between groups. The propensity-score regression analysis confirmed that a single dose of antibiotic prophylaxis was independently associated with lower incidence of EO-VAP (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.02-0.58; P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of antibiotic prophylaxis at intubation might lower the incidence of EO-VAP. However, a randomized clinical trial should be conducted to confirm our findings.

Co-infection of Bovine Papillomavirus and feline-associated Papillomavirus in bovine cutaneous warts.

The diversity of papillomavirus (PV) found in bovine cutaneous warts from Brazilian cattle was evaluated using the PCR technique with the utilization of consensus primers MY09/11 and by PCR using Bovine Papillomavirus (BPV) type-specific primers followed by sequencing. Eleven cutaneous warts from 6 cattle herds were selected. Six warts were positive for the presence of PV. The presence of BPV types 1, 2, 3, 6 and feline sarcoid-associated PV (FeSarPV) in cutaneous wart lesions, as well as the presence of co-infections, was found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that FeSarPV is described co-infecting a cutaneous wart in Brazil. The present study confirms the previous finding of FeSarPV infecting cattle. These results show the necessity of more studies to investigate the diversity of PV in cattle, its diversity and the possibility of co-infection in cattle and other animals.

Validation of a cutoff value on echo Doppler analysis to replace right heart catheterization during pulmonary hypertension evaluation in heart transplant candidates.

BACKGROUND: Heart transplantation (OHT) has traditionally been contraindicated in the presence of severe pulmonary hypertension (PH), as detected by right heart catheterization. Noninvasive methods are still not reliably accurate to make this evaluation. OBJECTIVES: Determine the efficacy of echo Doppler analysis for the diagnosis of severe PH. METHODS: One hundred thirty patients (mean age = 42 +/- 15 years, 82 men) showed severe left ventricular dysfunction (mean ejection fraction = 29 +/- 12%; functional class III-IV). We excluded patients with atrial fibrillation, heart failure secondary to congenital disease, and valvulopathy. The pulmonary parameters defined as severe PH were: systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) >or= 60 mm Hg; a mean transpulmonary gradient >or= 15; or pulmonary vascular resistance >or= 5 Wood units. Patients underwent a right heart catheterization using a Swan-Ganz catheter to measure hemodynamic parameters and to noninvasively estimate right-sided pressures from spectral Doppler recordings of tricuspid regurgitation velocity (right ventricular systolic pressure [RVsP]). A Pearson correlation of sPAP was obtained with RVsP by; the sensitivity of RVsP for the diagnosis of PH was determined by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A good correlation between sPAP and RVsP was obtained by Pearson correlation analysis (r = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.50-0.75; P < .001). The ROC curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 37.2%, (95% CI 0.69-0.83, P < .0001) of a RVsP < 45 mm Hg (cutoff) on the exclusion of severe PH. CONCLUSIONS: The cutoff of RVsP < 45 mm Hg, on noninvasive echo Doppler evaluation of PH is an efficient method to replace invasive heart catheterization in OHT candidates.

Accumulation of (137)Cs in Brazilian soils and its transfer to plants under different climatic conditions.

The spatial distribution and behaviour of the global fallout (137)Cs in the tropical, subtropical and equatorial soil-plant systems were investigated at several upland sites in Brazil selected according to their climate characteristics, and to the agricultural importance. To determine the (137)Cs deposition density, undisturbed soil profiles were taken from 23 environments situated between the latitudes of 02 degrees N and 30 degrees S. Sampling sites located along to the equator exhibited (137)Cs deposition densities with an average value of 219Bqm(-2). Extremely low deposition densities of 1.3Bqm(-2) were found in the Amazon region. In contrast, the southern part of Brazil, located between latitudes of 20 degrees S and 34 degrees S, exhibited considerably higher deposition densities ranging from 140Bqm(-2) to 1620Bqm(-2). To examine the (137)Cs soil-to-plant transfer in the Brazilian agricultural products, 29 mainly tropical plant species, and corresponding soil samples were collected at 43 sampling locations in nine federal states of Brazil. Values of the (137)Cs concentration factor plant/soil exhibited a large range from 0.020 (beans) to 6.2 (cassava). Samples of some plant species originated from different collecting areas showed different concentration factors. The (137)Cs content of some plants collected was not measurable due to a very low (137)Cs concentration level found in the upper layers of the incremental soils. Globally, the soil-to-plant transfer of (137)Cs can be described by a logarithmic normal distribution with a geometric mean of 0.3 and a geometric standard deviation of 3.9.

Hemodynamic, autonomic and neurohormonal behaviour of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy and neurally mediated syncope patients during supine and orthostatic stress.

Orthostatic intolerance (OI) syndromes are frequent and share symptoms like dizziness and orthostatic syncope. Their pathophysiology however seems to be different. The aim of our work was to evaluate autonomic and hemodynamic behaviour in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy and neurally mediated syncope in supine position and after acute orthostatic passive stress. We studied 12 patients with autonomic failure (group A), 12 patients with neurally mediated syncope (group B) and 16 aged matched normal controls (group C), in supine position and during the first 10 min of head-up tilt test (HUTT). Beat-by-beat blood pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored and digitised at 500 Hz. The baroreceptor alfa-index gain (vagal reflex-BRG), high frequency of RR variability (HFRR, vagal tonus) and low frequency of systolic arterial pressure variability (LFSAP, sympathetic tone) were calculated. Catecholamines, plasma brain (BNP) and atrial natriuretic (ANP) peptides were also measured. Hemodynamic data were derived and calculated by the non-invasive modelflow method. During supine position, cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) were similar in all groups. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and BNP were higher in group A. Noradrenaline (NOR), BRG, HFRR and LFSAP were extremely low in this group. BRG and adrenaline (ADR) were higher in group B than in controls. Within the first 10 min of HUTT, there was a huge drop of CO, SV and MAP in group A, maintenance of very low levels of neurohormones and lack of autonomic function. HR, LFSAP and ADR had a higher rise at HUTT in group B compared with controls (p<0.01) but a significant decrease of BRG was noted (p<0.05). ANP or BNP did not change with tilt in any group. Different orthostatic intolerance syndromes may show important hormonal, autonomic and hemodynamic differences during supine rest and enhanced after passive orthostatism.

The radiation field characteristics of a 137Cs source used for calibration of radiation protection instruments.

In this work, an experimental study of the radiation beam characteristics of the photon beams produced by commercial irradiator that uses a single collimated 137Cs source is performed. A set of lead attenuators are placed at the exit window of the irradiator to vary the air Kerma that is required to cover the instrument scales at a particular calibration distance. The results strongly enhance the findings of previous studies that a single source with appropriate attenuation and collimation is a practical solution for calibration laboratories with an acceptable overall accuracy.

Clastogenic effect of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum v. arachnoideum) diet in peripheral lymphocytes of human consumers: preliminary data.

Ingestion of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum v. arachnoideum) is associated with digestive tract cancer in different regions of Japan, Venezuela and Brazil. In view of reports that dietary bracken fern causes chromosomal instability in cattle, the clastogenic effect of bracken fern was investigated, in a preliminary study, in peripheral lymphocytes obtained from habitual consumers and a control group of non-consumers, which were carefully investigated about cancer history or family cancer history, negative in both cases, using protocols comparable to those previously described in studies in cattle raised on bracken pastures. Cytogenetic analysis showed significant increased levels of chromosomal abnormalities, such as chromatid breaks, in cultured peripheral lymphocytes of the consumer group. There was no correlation with subjects, gender, smoking habits or alcohol consumption, and the only correlation was with prolonged exposure to dietary bracken.

Appropriateness of emergency department visits in a Portuguese university hospital.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: There are no studies in Portugal supporting a common claim that most emergency department visits are inappropriate. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and to evaluate factors associated with an appropriate ED visit in a major public hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional prospective study was performed at a public university hospital ED. Data for demographic variables, duration of complaint, transfer from other medical sources, and previous medical care for the same complaints were collected by interviewing all patients who arrived at the ED within a consecutive period of at least 24 hours. Data for diagnostic tests, treatment performed, and final patient destination were collected by triage records review. An appropriate ED visit was defined by explicit criteria: interhospital transfer, patient death at the ED, hospitalization, and diagnostic tests or treatments performed. RESULTS: The study included 5,818 adult patients. The prevalence of an appropriate ED visit, by use of our criteria, was 68.7%. Sex was an effect modifier. According to this study, determinants of an appropriate visit for men and women were age 60 years or older and complaints of 24 hours or less and in women but not in men, retired from work and with arrival between midnight and 8 AM. CONCLUSIONS: In a university hospital in Oporto, the majority of ED visits were appropriate according to explicit criteria. Some variables may be associated with appropriateness of ED visits. A duration of the complaint 24 hours or less along with an arrival between midnight and 8 AM in women and age 60 years or older in men were the most important determinants.

Coupling gravitons to matter.

Using relationships between open and closed strings, we present a construction of tree-level scattering amplitudes for gravitons minimally coupled to matter in terms of gauge theory partial amplitudes. In particular, we present examples of amplitudes with gravitons coupled to vectors or to a single fermion pair. We also present two examples with massive graviton exchange, as would arise in the presence of large compact dimensions. The gauge charges are represented by flavors of dynamical scalars or fermions. This also leads to an unconventional decomposition of color and kinematics in gauge theories.

Cardiovascular regulation by the autonomic nervous system: a paradigm of self-organization, complexity and chaos.

The understanding that there is an uninterrupted interaction of the brain with the heart and blood vessels by means of the autonomic nervous system was only possible due to recent electrophysiologic, biophysical and molecular advances in the assessment of the autonomic nervous system and the cardiovascular system. This article concerns this relationship, which is not noise, but music with a superb orchestration, and its occasional poor tuning.

Diurnal blood pressure variation in progressive autonomic failure.

To investigate the role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in the generation of the circadian blood pressure (BP) variation, the degree of impairment of the ANS was related to the results of ambulatory BP recordings in 212 patients with progressive autonomic failure due to familial amyloid polyneuropathy. On the basis of BP and/or heart rate (HR) responses to the Valsalva maneuver, 60 degrees head-up tilting, deep-breathing tests, and plasma norepinephrine levels, 4 groups of patients were distinguished. In all patients and in 38 age-matched control subjects, ambulatory BP was monitored. Patients of group I (n=40, aged 32+/-3 y), with no evidence yet of impairment of their ANS, had circadian BP and HR variations indistinguishable from controls. Patients of group II (n=41, aged 34+/-5 y) had a variable degree of impairment of their parasympathetic ANS, but their sympathetic ANS was still intact. Twenty-four-hour HR was higher in these patients than in controls (88+/-11 versus 78+/-7 bpm, P<0.01). Their circadian HR variation was maintained, but their circadian BP variation was diminished (10+/-6/11+/-4 versus 17+/-6/16+/-4 mm Hg in controls, P<0.01) because of an attenuation of the nocturnal BP decline. Patients of group III (n=69, aged 36+/-6 y), with parasympathetic failure and intermediate sympathetic dysfunction, had a blunted diurnal BP variation, whereas patients of group IV (n=62, aged 38+/-6 y), with parasympathetic failure and severe sympathetic dysfunction, had an absent diurnal BP variation. In patients of groups III and IV, a decrease in daytime BP accounted for the blunted circadian BP variation. This extensive study in progressive autonomic failure confirms the important role of the ANS in the generation of circadian BP variation. For the maintenance of a normal circadian BP pattern, not only an intact sympathetic but also an intact afferent parasympathetic ANS is a prerequisite.