Andean Crops Germination: Changes in the Nutritional Profile, Physical and Sensory Characteristics. A Review.

Andean crops such as quinoa, amaranth, cañihua, beans, maize, and tarwi have gained interest in recent years for being gluten-free and their high nutritional values; they have high protein content with a well-balanced essential amino acids profile, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and antioxidant compounds. During the germination bioprocess, the seed metabolism is reactivated resulting in the catabolism and degradation of macronutrients and some anti-nutritional compounds. Therefore, germination is frequently used to improve nutritional quality, protein digestibility, and availability of certain minerals and vitamins; furthermore, in specific cases, biosynthesis of new bioactive compounds could occur through the activation of secondary metabolic pathways. These changes could alter the technological and sensory properties, such as the hardness, consistency and viscosity of the formulations prepared with them. In addition, the flavor profile may undergo improvement or alteration, a critical factor to consider when integrating sprouted grains into food formulations. This review summarizes recent research on the nutritional, technological, functional, and sensory changes occur during the germination of Andean grains and analyze their potential applications in various food products.

Levels of evidence and journal impact factor in oral and maxillofacial surgery: a 15-year follow-up.

This study was performed to assess changes over time in the quality of research in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) by examining the level of evidence of published articles. A secondary aim was to determine the relationship of the journal impact factor to these levels of evidence. The four major OMS journals with an impact factor were assessed. Articles published in 2017 and 2018 were categorized based on their level of evidence, and their correlation with the 2019 journal impact factor was investigated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). The total number of published articles increased by a factor of 2.4 over a 15-year period, from 932 in 2002-2003 to 2253 in 2017-2018. The percentage of articles increased by 1.0% for level I evidence, 3.4% for level II, 8.2% for level III, and 4.1% for level IV. Non-evidence articles reduced by 16.7%. All journals showed an increase in impact factor, and a significant correlation was noted between the proportion of published higher-level evidence articles and the impact factor over time (rho=0.811, P=0.001). It is concluded that OMS journals currently display a higher proportion of good quality articles leading to a better impact factor than 15 years ago.

Folate content and retention in selected raw and processed foods.

Adequate intake of folate reduced the risk of abnormalities in early embryonic brain development such as the risk of malformations of the embryonic brain/spinal cord, collectively referred to as neural tube defects (NTDs). Folate is extremely sensitive to destruction by heat, oxidation and UV light. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of different extraction procedures and enzymatic treatment to determine folate concentrations in variety of foods using a microbiological assay (MA) with Lactobacillus rhamnosus as the test organism. This study also aimed to evaluate the retention of folate in foods after using different cooking processes. Nine of the most commonly consumed foods in Argentina and that contain folate were analyzed: broccoli, spinach, potato, lentil, soy (raw and boiled); hen whole egg and yolks (raw, boiled and fried); beef liver (raw and cooked); strawberry (raw) and white bread. For this study, rat plasma (RP) and human plasma (HP) conjugases together with acetate and phosphate buffers were tested. In extraction step for all analyses, RP conjugase was selected since it was easily available in our laboratory and small quantities were required. The acetate buffer was chosen since better growth and more reproducible results were obtained in the different conditions assayed. The results allowed the foods to be grouped into (a) rich sources of folate: hen eggs, yolks, spinach, soybean (raw) and strawberry (100 and 350 microg/100 g fresh weight (FW); (b) good sources of folate: broccoli (raw), soybean (boiled), lentils (raw) and potato (56 to 83 microg/100 g FW) and c) moderate sources of folate: broccoli, lentils (boiled), white breads, onions and beef liver (15 to 30 microg/100g FW). The folate retention was in the range 14-99% according to both type of food and method of processing. Contents and losses of folate vary widely according to type of food and cooking method.

Squalene in petroleum asphaltenes.

Squalene, 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene, a new biological marker, has been detected in various petroleum asphaltenes and their pyrolysis products. Since squalene is the most common triterpenoid in nature and the biological precursor of the important tetra- and pentacyclic triterpane markers, its detection in asphaltene suggests new ways for marker correlations.

Risks and benefits of deliberate hypotension in anaesthesia: a systematic review.

This systematic review was performed to investigate and review the evidence on the risks and benefits of hypotensive anaesthesia in order to answer the following question: 'Should deliberate hypotension be used routinely during orthognathic surgery?' An electronic search on MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library database was carried out for all relevant articles using specific search keywords. All articles were classified by their levels of evidence. Studies with highest level of evidence and rated to have the lowest risk of bias were reviewed. Regarding the benefits of hypotensive anaesthesia, three studies reported significant decrease of blood loss in patients receiving hypotensive anaesthesia. Two studies reported a significant decrease in transfusion rate. Two studies demonstrated improved surgical field and significant reduction in operation time. In terms of risk, no significant changes in cerebral, cardiovascular, renal and hepatic functions in patients receiving hypotensive anaesthesia compared to control were reported. In conclusion, hypotensive anaesthesia appears to be effective in reducing blood loss. Serious consequences due to organ hypoperfusion are uncommon. Hypotensive anaesthesia can be justified as a routine procedure for orthognathic surgery especially bimaxillary osteotomy. Patient selection and appropriate monitoring are mandatory for this technique to be carried out safely.

Dietary nutritional profile and phenolic compounds consumption in school children of highlands of Argentine Northwest.

The objective of this work was to assess dietary patterns and consumption of phenolic compounds from fruits and vegetables byschoolchildren of high altitude regions from northwest of Argentina. A nutritional survey including food-frequency consumption, 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric measurements was applied to 241 children from 6 to 12years old. The amounts of the different classes of phenolic compounds were established from Food Composition Tables available in phenol-explorer website. Statistics analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 20.0. Nutritional status assessment showed underweight (2.2%), low weight (12.7%), overweight (12.7%) and obesity (7.4%). Mean intake of phenolic compounds was 412mg/day. Most consumed foods were infusions and sugar products, consumption of vegetables, fruits and dairy products were low compared to recommendations for this age. Considering that polyphenols have protective health effects, its low consumption could be a risk of development of chronic non communicable diseases.

Increasing the folate content of tuber based foods using potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria.

It is known that certain lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains can produce folates, a B-group vitamin that cannot be synthesized by humans and must be exogenously obtained. The aim of this study was to select folate-producing LAB and evaluate their probiotic characteristics in order to obtain a tuber-based food with elevated folate content. Several LAB strains were isolated from a traditional Andean fermented potato product tocosh and cultured in folate-free culture medium. Five folate-producing strains (29-138 ng/mL) were selected to ferment three Andean tubers (potato S. tuberosum spp. andigena, oca Oxalis tuberosa and papalisa Ullucus tuberosus). Sterile purees were inoculated and samples were collected at 0, 6 and 24 h of fermentation and after 28 days of cold storage. Cell growth, pH and total folate were determined. All selected strains were able to grow and produce folates in the substrates and two Lactobacillus sakei strains, CRL 2209 and CRL 2210, produced the highest folate concentrations (730-1484 ng/g after 24 h fermentation). These strains were selected to ferment potato substrates supplemented with amaranth (Amaranthus caudathus) and chia (Salvia hispanica) flour to increase the nutritional value. This addition increased folate synthesis in 89-95%. Furthermore, the ability to survive under simulated gastrointestinal conditions was evaluated and cell counts of the 5 strains remained above the recommended for a probiotic candidate (8.0 log CFU/mL). In conclusion, the selected LAB could be considered potentially probiotic strains and could be used to produce novel tuber based products with elevated folate concentrations. These products could also be used as novel food matrixes for the delivery of probiotic microorganisms.

Quality of life in patients with dentofacial deformity: a comparison of measurement approaches.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dentofacial deformity on quality of life (QOL) as assessed by generic health, generic oral health and condition-specific approaches. A case-control study was performed involving 154 subjects: 76 with dentofacial deformity (non-cleft) and 76 without dentofacial deformity. Generic health-related QOL was assessed employing the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), generic oral health-related QOL was assessed by the 14-item short form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and condition-specific QOL was assessed by the 22-item Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ). No significant difference in SF-36 scores between case and control groups was observed (P>0.05). There were significant differences in overall OHIP-14 scores (P<0.001) and overall OQLQ scores (P<0.001) between case and control groups. The results suggest that dentofacial deformity affects individuals in many aspects of their lives, and that generic oral health and condition-specific approaches to assessing QOL are able to discriminate patients with dentofacial deformities from those without, and thus have value in determining the impact of dentofacial deformities on QOL.

Levels of evidence and journal impact factor in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between quality of research, in terms of levels of evidence, and journal impact factor (IF), and to describe the pattern of publications in oral and maxillofacial surgery. All four major journals in this subject area only, and with a published IF, were included in the study. Latest published IF dated 2004 was chosen, and all articles related to its calculation were accessed and classified into four levels of evidence. Correlation between levels of evidence and IF was investigated and the pattern of publications was described. All eligible 932 published articles were analysed. None (0%) were level I evidence, 20 (2%) were Level II, 70 (8%) level III and 337 (40%) level IV; 465 (50%) articles were classified as non-evidence. IF ranged from 0.689 to 1.154. There were statistically significant correlations between levels of evidence and IF (rho=1.0, P<0.01). Among the 465 non-evidence articles, there were 219 (47%) case reports, 91 (20%) animal studies, 52 (11%) laboratory studies, 35 (8%) technical notes, 24 (5%) tutorial articles, and 16 (3%) reviews articles.

Recurrence related to treatment modalities of unicystic ameloblastoma: a systematic review.

This systematic review aims to identify all studies pertinent to the clinical question, 'which treatment for unicystic ameloblastoma results in the lowest recurrence rate?' A structured systematic search of the literature, with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, using computer and manual searches as well as personal communication, was performed. Evaluations and critical appraisal were done separately in 3 rounds. All searches were performed by 2 independent judges and any disagreement was settled by discussion with a third party. Four treatment modalities for unicystic ameloblastomas were identified. The recurrence rates were 3.6% for resection, 30.5% for enucleation alone, 16% for enucleation followed by application of Carnoy's solution and 18% for marsupialization with/without other treatment in a second phase. It was concluded that there is only weak evidence showing that jaw resection resulted in the lowest recurrence rate, followed by enucleation with application of Carnoy's solution. Enucleation alone resulted in the highest recurrence rate and treatment by marsupialization cannot be sufficiently evaluated since most cases were followed by a second stage surgery of some kind.

Validation of a sampling plan to generate food composition data.

A methodology to develop systematic plans for food sampling was proposed. Long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil were selected to validate the methodology in Argentina. Fatty acid profile in all foods, proximal composition, and calcium's content in milk were determined with AOAC methods. The number of samples (n) was calculated applying Cochran's formula with variation coefficients ⩽12% and an estimate error (r) maximum permissible ⩽5% for calcium content in milks and unsaturated fatty acids in oil. n were 9, 11 and 21 for long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil respectively. Sample units were randomly collected from production sites and sent to labs. Calculated r with experimental data was ⩽10%, indicating high accuracy in the determination of analyte content of greater variability and reliability of the proposed sampling plan. The methodology is an adequate and useful tool to develop sampling plans for food composition analysis.

Nutritional improvement of corn pasta-like product with broad bean (Vicia faba) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa).

In this study, the nutritional quality of pasta-like product (spaghetti-type), made with corn (Zea mays) flour enriched with 30% broad bean (Vicia faba) flour and 20% of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) flour, was determined. Proximate chemical composition and iron, zinc and dietary fiber were determined. A biological assay was performed to assess the protein value using net protein utilization (NPU), true digestibility (TD) and protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). Iron and zinc availability were estimated by measuring dialyzable mineral fraction (%Da) resulting from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Nutritionally improved, gluten-free spaghetti (NIS) showed significantly increased NPU and decreased TD compared with a non-enriched control sample. One NIS-portion supplied 10-20% of recommended fiber daily intake. Addition of quinoa flour had a positive effect on the FeDa% as did broad bean flour on ZnDa%. EDTA increased Fe- and ZnDa% in all NIS-products, but it also impaired sensorial quality.

Inflammatory pseudotumour of the mouth and maxilla.

AIM: To describe the clinicopathological and immunophenotypical findings of two cases of inflammatory pseudotumour in the oral cavity. METHODS AND RESULTS: The patients presented with a short history of swelling in the cheek and the maxilla respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging or computerised tomography scan showed space occupying lesions with infiltrative margins which were interpreted as aggressive malignant neoplasms. Histological examination showed fascicles of spindle cells in a background of chronic reactive inflammatory cells including plasma cells, typical of inflammatory pseudotumour. The spindle cells were positive for vimentin, smooth muscle actin and CD68, but were negative for follicular dendritic cell markers. The lymphocytes showed no light chain restriction. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammatory pseudotumour in the oral cavity is completely benign and simple excision is curative. However, it may be confused with a malignant tumour on clinical and radiographic grounds, and histologically the appearances can also be misinterpreted as those of a more aggressive lesion. Its correct recognition by the surgical pathologist is important to avoid unnecessarily radical and potentially mutilating surgery.

Experimentally induced unilateral tooth loss: histochemical studies of the temporomandibular joint.

Occlusal abnormality may contribute to osteoarthrosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Since mechanical force may induce changes in the extracellular matrix, we tested the hypothesis that unilateral removal of teeth and the resulting unilateral mastication change the content of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the TMJ condyle and disc. Lower-right-side teeth were extracted from 12 adult male rabbits, which were killed 3 or 6 weeks later. Three normal rabbits served as controls. Sections were analyzed for morphological changes and levels of sulfated GAGs in the condyle and disc. Unilateral removal of teeth led to thickening of the condylar cartilage, alterations in the morphology of chondrocyte nuclei in the condylar cartilage and disc, and increases in levels of negatively charged ions in the hypertrophic layer of condylar cartilage. Small differences were observed, after unilateral removal of teeth, between the functional and non-functional sides of the TMJ. The results suggest that in response to mechanical stress, chondrocytes alter sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAGs) synthesis and degradation rates, resulting in an elevated level of sulfated GAGs in the condylar cartilage.

The effect of demineralized bone matrix on the healing of intramembranous bone grafts in rabbit skull defects.

A clinical dilemma exists regarding the type of bone that should be used to replace diseased or traumatized osseous tissue. Oral, plastic, and orthopedic surgeons normally implant viable mineralized endochondral (EC) autografts or demineralized EC allografts. A few clinicians have recognized the disadvantages of using EC bone in craniofacial surgery and advocated the replacement of intramembranous (IM) bone with healthy IM bone. However, controversy and uncertainty surround our understanding of these matrices to induce bone formation. Recent studies have advocated the use of other materials with osteoinductive properties, such as demineralized bone matrix (DBM). The proposed delivery system used in this study included IM bone grafts, DBM, and fixation of the IM bone graft. The purpose of this work was to gain further insights into the mechanism of healing of IM bone, in both the presence and the absence of DBM, and to compare the healing of IM bone grafts with that of DBM alone. Critical-sized (10 x 5 mm), full-thickness bony defects in rabbit parietal bone, devoid of periosteum, were filled with IM bone graft (mandible) alone, demineralized cortical bone matrix (DBM) alone, or combined DBM-IM bone graft, or were left unfilled. Histologic changes were examined 14 days later. The IM bone graft healed through IM ossification with no intermediate cartilage stage. DBM and composite DBM-IM healed through an EC ossification with an intermediate cartilage stage. It is hypothesized that the role of the IM graft is to induce neovascularization into the defect site, and that the undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in the perivascular region of the new blood vessels are induced by the bone morphogenetic protein(s) in the DBM into bone-forming cells.

Composition of different bean varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris) of Northwestern Argentina (Region NOA): cultivation zone influence.

There have been prior investigations concerning the environmental effects and especially soil conditions upon the proximate analysis and mineral content of grains. However, the studies are not complete and have not involved beans grown in the northwestern regions of Argentina. For this reason, this study was initiated to determine the concentration of protein, moisture, ash, fat, and minerals of various bean samples grown in northwestern Argentina. Six varieties of beans were taken from seven different regions. AOAC standard methods were used for chemical analysis. The elements analyzed for all bean samples show that moisture varies from 12 to 14%, proteins from 18 to 22%, fat from 0.7 to 1.20%, copper from 0.8 to 1.20 mg/100 g, iron from 9 to 18 mg/100 g, zinc from 2.5 to 4 mg/100 g, and phosphorus from 295 to 542 mg/100 g. No arsenic was detected in the bean samples. Different analyzed bean varieties were significantly different for proximate composition and mineral content, and each variety from different regions of northwestern Argentina present significant differences.

Bilateral transverse facial clefts and accessory maxillae--variant or separate entity?

We report an extremely rare case of bilateral transverse facial clefts and accessory maxillae with severe mandibular hypoplasia in a 7-year-old Chinese boy. The transverse facial clefts had been repaired in infancy. The accessory maxillae were excised via a combined temporal and oral approach. Functional orthodontic appliance therapy was not feasible due to restricted protrusive movements of the mandible. Bimaxillary osteotomies were performed one year later due to failure mandibular catch-up growth to occur. The pathogenesis of the accessory maxillae in the presence of lateral facial clefting is postulated to be compensatory mesenchymal growth from the temporal region, and a case is made for this condition to be considered as a possible syndrome rather than a variant of the transverse facial cleft.

The use of mouldable acrylic for restoration of the temporalis flap donor site.

Despite the wide popularity of the pedicled temporalis myofascial flap, aesthetic management of the temporalis donor site has received little attention. A technique for immediate camouflage of the temporalis flap donor site with cold-cure methyl methacrylate, either alone or in combination with residual muscle in the temporal fossa, is presented. A retrospective evaluation of this technique in 34 consecutive patients was undertaken, with particular reference to the aesthetic results and morbidity associated with the use of cold-cure acrylic for this form of reconstruction. Apart from transient postoperative swelling and neuropraxia, no major or lasting complications associated with the use of cold-cure acrylic were recorded. The aesthetics of the camouflaged temporalis donor site by acrylic alone, or when combined with part of the temporalis muscle, was judged objectively to be excellent in 25 patients, satisfactory in 3 patients, and poor in 2 patients. 4 patients who did not have acrylic reconstruction, but had part of the temporalis muscle transposed to conceal the anterior fossa depression, leaving the posterior fossa unreconstructed, were judged mostly as satisfactory. Histology of the soft tissues around an acrylic implant after nearly 2 years confirmed the good biocompatibility of this material. It is concluded that this technique is a safe and reliable method for immediate camouflaging of the temporal fossa after harvesting a temporalis muscle flap.

Contamination of titanium castings by aluminium oxide blasting.

OBJECTIVES: It is desirable that the surfaces of surgical implants be uncontaminated by foreign materials to avoid untoward tissue reactions, and grit blasting is widely assumed to leave clean metal surfaces. SEM examination and X-ray microanalysis of a recovered 'pure' titanium implant casting that was associated with tissue breakdown revealed embedded particles of alumina. The casting had been cleaned of investment by blasting with alumina grit. METHODS: A variety of treatments of cast titanium plates was used: (a) to establish that the observed aluminium was due to the blasting grit, and (b) to determine whether removal of investment could be achieved effectively by other means. SEM examination and X-ray microanalysis were used. RESULTS: The detected aluminium was associated with embedded fragments identified as coming from the blasting grit. Acid-pickling and mechanical (rotary instrument) trimming produced minimally contaminated surfaces. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst unproven, the presence of the alumina is viewed with great concern as a possible causative agent in the observed tissue breakdown and procedures avoiding alumina blasting are recommended as a precautionary measure.

A comparison of alveolar bone grafting with and without simultaneous maxillary osteotomies in cleft palate patients.

Nineteen unilateral and 19 bilateral alveolar clefts (group A) were grafted with cancellous iliac bone by a standard method, and 21 unilateral and 15 bilateral clefts (group B) underwent simultaneous maxillary osteotomies and alveolar bone grafting with cancellous iliac bone. The two groups were retrospectively evaluated clinically and radiographically for alveolar bone level (ABL), attached keratinized gingiva (AKG), sulcus depth (SD), and persistence of oronasal fistulae (ONF). The follow-up ranged from 6 to 54 months with a mean of 23 months for group A and 26 months for group B. In group A, AKG ranged from 1 to 10 mm (mean 5 mm), most patients having deep or normal SD and type I ABL as measured according to the Oslo method. No persistent ONF was noted. In group B, AKG ranged from 0 to 8 mm (mean 3 mm), half the patients showing a shallow sulcus, most with type II or III ABL. In this group, a 4% failure rate of the bone grafting was noted and 6% fistula persistence. It is concluded that the overall results of standard alveolar bone grafting are better in this series than those of simultaneous osteotomy cases, results which are still quite acceptable because they are comparable with published results of standard alveolar bone grafting. The results of this study indicate that simultaneous osteotomy with alveolar bone grafting in cleft patients does not compromise the outcome of bone grafting; therefore, they support the one-stage surgical management of patients with ungrafted clefts and maxillary hypoplasia.