Molecular detection and identification of spotted fever group rickettsiae in ticks collected from horses in Cuba.

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae are obligatory intracellular bacteria that cause disease in humans and other animals. Ixodid ticks are the principal vectors of SFG rickettsiae. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and species identity of SFG rickettsiae in ticks and horses from urban and rural areas of western Cuba using PCR assays. Tick samples, collected from 79 horses, consisted of 14 Amblyomma mixtum adults, 111 Dermacentor nitens adults and 19 pools of D. nitens nymphs (2-5 individuals/pool). The PCR results revealed the presence of Rickettsia spp. in 64% of the A. mixtum adults, 16% of the D. nitens adults, and 11% of the pooled samples of D. nitens nymphs. In contrast, Rickettsia spp. was not detected in any of the 200 horse blood samples included in this study. DNA sequence data of the rickettsial 17 kDa antigen gene showed that Rickettsia amblyommatis was present in A. mixtum; and Rickettsia felis in D. nitens. This is the first report of R. felis in D. nitens in Cuba. The present study extends our knowledge of the potential vector spectrum and distribution of SFG rickettsiae pathogens in western Cuba.

Subcutaneous connective tissue reactions to iRoot SP, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Fillapex, DiaRoot BioAggregate and MTA.

AIM: To evaluate connective tissue reactions to iRoot SP (Innovative Bioceramics, Vancouver, BC, Canada), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Fillapex (FLPX) (Angelus Soluções Odontológicas, Londrina, Brazil), DiaRoot Bioaggregate (DiaDent Group International, Burnaby, BC, Canada) and white MTA (Angelus, Londrina, Brazil) in Wistar rats. METHODOLOGY: A total of 128 dentine tubes filled with the materials and 32 empty tubes (control) were implanted into 32 rats. After 7, 15, 30 and 90 days (n = 8 per period), the animals were euthanized, and the tissues were processed for histological evaluation using haematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Von Kossa (VK) staining. Observations were made for cellular inflammatory components and the presence of multinucleated giant cells (MNGC), macrophages and tissue necrosis. Data were analysed by Fisher's exact and Kruskal­Wallis tests (P < 0.05). RESULTS: In all experimental periods, MTA FLPX and iRoot SP scored higher than the other groups for the variable macrophages (P < 0.05). After 30- and 90-day experimental periods, MTA FLPX scored higher than the other groups for the variable MNGC (P < 0.05). After 90 days, the only group that exhibited samples with severe inflammatory response was MTA FLPX. VK positivity was observed in areas of necrosis in all groups, except in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The materials were considered biologically acceptable except MTA FLPX, which remained toxic to subcutaneous tissue even after 90 days.

Influence of anatase and rutile phase in TiO2 upon the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under solar irradiation in presence of activated carbon.

The influence of activated carbon (AC) on the photocatalytic activity of different crystalline TiO2 phases was verified in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under UV and solar irradiation. The results showed a volcano trend with a maximum photoactivity for the crystalline phase ratio of anatase:rutile equal to 80:20 both under UV or solar irradiation. By contrast, in presence of AC the photocatalytic activity of the binary materials of TiO2/AC followed an exponential trend, increasing as a function of the increase in anatase proportion in the TiO2 framework. The increase in the photoactivity of the binary material TiO2/AC relative to neat TiO2 was up to 22 and about 17 times higher under UV and visible irradiation, respectively. The present results suggest that AC interacts more efficiently with anatase phase than with rutile phase.

Stability of plasma electrolytic oxidation coating on titanium in artificial saliva.

Bioactive PEO coating on titanium with high Ca/P ratio was fabricated and characterized with respect to its morphology, composition and microstructure. Long-term electrochemical stability of the coating and Ti(4+) ion release was evaluated in artificial saliva. Influence of the lactic acid and fluoride ions on corrosion protection mechanism of the coated titanium was assessed using AC and DC electrochemical tests. The PEO-treated titanium maintained high passivity in the broad range of potentials up to 2.5 V (Ag/AgCl) for up to 8 weeks of immersion in unmodified saliva and exhibited Ti(4+) ion release <0.002 µg cm(-2) days(-1). The high corrosion resistance of the coating is determined by diffusion of reacting species through the coating and resistance of the inner dense part of the coating adjacent to the substrate. Acidification of saliva in the absence of fluoride ions does not affect the surface passivity, but the presence of 0.1 % of fluoride ions at pH ≤4.0 causes loss of adhesion of the coating due to inwards migration of fluoride ions and their adsorption at the substrate/coating interface in the presence of polarisation.

Prevalence of oral and maxillofacial lesions in children and adolescents at a regional Brazilian oral pathology service: a retrospective study and the relevant literature review.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the prevalence of maxillofacial lesions in children, i.e., 0-9 years, and adolescents, i.e., 10-19 years, in a Brazilian Oral Pathology Service and compared results with available literature. METHODS: Clinical and histopathological records from January 2007 to August 2020 were analysed and a literature review investigating maxillofacial lesions in paediatric populations was also performed. RESULTS: Overall, "reactive salivary gland lesions" and "reactive connective tissue lesions" were the most prevalent group of soft tissue lesions, affecting children and adolescents equally. From these, mucocele and pyogenic granuloma were the most prevalent histological diagnoses, respectively, regardless of age. These findings were consistent with the 32 studies included. Considering intraosseous lesions, "odontogenic cysts" and "periapical inflammatory lesions" were the most prevalent groups, with no relevant differences between age groups, except for the odontogenic keratocyst, which was more prevalent in adolescents. Moreover, several odontogenic tumours, such as ameloblastic fibroma and odontogenic myxoma, were significantly more prevalent in children. CONCLUSION: Most maxillofacial lesions presented a similar prevalence between children and adolescents. Reactive salivary gland lesions and reactive connective tissue lesions were the prevailing diagnostic categories, regardless of age. Some odontogenic tumours and the odontogenic keratocyst showed significantly different frequencies across these age groups.

Phthalates and bisphenols migration in Mexican food cans and plastic food containers.

The presence of endocrine disruptors bisphenol-A, bisphenol-A-dimethacrylate, bisphenol-A-diglycidyl-ether, phthalic-acid, dibutyl-phthalate, diethyl-phthalate and dioctyl-phthalate was determined in vegetable cans, baby bottles and microwaveable containers from the Mexican market. Gas-Chromatography-Mass-Spectrometry was used for the identification and High-Performance-Liquid-Chromatography with UV/Visible light and fluorescence detectors was used for the quantification. Endocrine disruptors were found in all samples. PA and DOP were the substances most commonly found, and maximum concentrations were 9.549 and 0.664 µg/kg, respectively from a jalapeno peppers can. Bisphenol A, phthalic-acid, bisphenol-A-dimethacrylate, bisphenol-A-diglycidyl-ether, dioctyl-phtalate and dibutyl-phthalate were found in baby bottles and microwaveable containers.

Effectiveness of marsupialisation and decompression on the reduction of cystic jaw lesions: a systematic review.

In this study, we aimed to systematically review and critically appraise the available literature concerning the effectiveness of marsupialisation and decompression on the reduction of cystic jaw lesions. The 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis' guidelines were followed and the study protocol was registered at the 'International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews' (CRD42019116099). Six main databases were searched: Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Searches were complemented with three grey literature sources: Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Open Grey. Any reduction measures, compared with preoperative status or other procedures, were considered. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tool. Thirty-one studies were included, of which five were judged with low, 24 with moderate, and two with high risk of bias. Considering surgical approach, 20 studies assessed the decompression and 11 the marsupialisation technique. Most studies considered these techniques as preliminary treatments, followed by enucleation. From 1088 lesions found, most were odontogenic keratocysts (33.8%), followed by unicystic ameloblastomas (21.0%), dentigerous cysts (20.6%), and radicular cysts (8.4%). Large lesions and younger individuals frequently presented more favourable responses to treatment and anatomical location was not associated with lesion reduction overall. The intervention duration generally ranged between one to two years. In conclusion, marsupialisation and decompression were mostly considered as preliminary treatments, followed by enucleation. Lesion reduction was generally considered insufficient for these techniques to be used as definitive therapies, although benefits concerning the diminished invasiveness of the secondary surgery were often proposed.

Design of a strong cation exchange methodology for the evaluation of charge heterogeneity in glatiramer acetate.

Complex pharmaceuticals are in demand of competent analytical methods able to analyze charge heterogeneity as a critical quality attribute (CQA), in compliance with current regulatory expectations. A notorious example is glatiramer acetate (GA), a complex polypeptide mixture useful for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. This pharmaceutical challenges the current state of analytical technology in terms of the capacity to study their constituent species. Thus, a strong cation exchange methodology was designed under the lifecycle approach to support the establishment of GA identity, trough the evaluation of its chromatographic profile, which acts as a charge heterogeneity fingerprint. In this regard, a maximum relative margin of error of 5% for relative retention time and symmetry factor were proposed for the analytical target profile. The methodology met the proposed requirements after precision and specificity tests results, the former comprised of sensitivity and selectivity. Subsequently, method validation was conducted and showed that the method is able to differentiate between intact GA and heterogeneity profiles coming from stressed, fractioned or process-modified samples. In summary, these results provide evidence that the method is adequate to assess charge heterogeneity as a CQA of this complex pharmaceutical.

Extensive preclinical evaluation of an infliximab biosimilar candidate.

Infliximab is therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) against TNF-α employed in the treatment of immunoinflammatory diseases. The development of biosimilar mAbs is a global strategy to increase drug accessibility and reduce therapy-associated costs. Herein we compared key physicochemical characteristics and biological activities produced by infliximab and infliximab-Probiomed in order to identify functionally relevant differences between the mAbs. Binding of infliximab-Probiomed to TNF-α was specific and had kinetics comparable to that of the reference product. Both mAbs had highly similar neutralizing efficacy in HUVEC cell cultures stimulated with TNF-α. In vitro induction of CDC and ADCC were also similar between the evaluated products. In vivo comparability was assessed using a transgenic mouse model of arthritis that expresses human TNF-α in a 13-week multiple-administration study. Infliximab and infliximab-Probiomed showed comparable efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic profiles. Our results indicate that infliximab-Probiomed has highly similar activities to infliximab in preclinical models, warranting a clinical evaluation of its biosimilarity.

[Satellite manifestations of internal diseases]. / Manifestaciones satélites de las enfermedades internas.

AIMS: Define the concept of satellite manifestations (SM) and to determine the number and types of them that appear in the diseases of each one of the subspecialties of the Internal Medicine. METHODS: 290 diseases are reviewed in agreements of Internal Medicine and specialties books and in each one are described the types of SM that they present. RESULTS: The respiratory diseases are the group that more SM presents and the less one the neurological. The most frequent type of SM are dermatological. The diseases that have more variety of types of SM are the endocrinologicals. Analyzing the percentages of every type of SM in relation with the number of diseases of every group, the highest are the dermatological SM in cardiac diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The SM are a very frequent phenomenon in the current medical practice and express the holistic character of the disease. His knowledge is indispensable in the internal medicine and subspecialties, where they can suppose a help in the diagnoses, though a bad knowledge of his reality can mean the opposite.

Changes in cancer mortality in Catalonia and Spain (1975-77 and 1987-89). A comparison with other European countries.

Comparisons of cancer mortality in Catalonia and Spain have shown an intermediate position of these areas in relation to the rest of Europe. This study compares the overall cancer mortality in Catalonia and Spain in the periods 1975-77 and 1987-89 in relation to other European countries selected on the basis of geographical proximity and availability of information. Adjusted and truncated cancer mortality rates and relative changes in these rates have been assessed for both sexes. The mortality rate for males in Catalonia, Spain, Italy, Portugal and France has increased from 1975-77 to 1987-89 with relative increments of 13.5%, 13.7%, 10.1%, 9.6% and 4.3% respectively, whereas in Switzerland and England and Wales this rate has decreased. The mortality rate for females showed a slight drop between the two periods in all the studied countries except England and Wales and Portugal. By age groups, in males, the 0-44 year interval in Catalonia, Spain, France and Portugal, in descending order, showed the highest rates. The marked contrast of the evolution of the cancer mortality rate in Catalonia, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal, compared with Switzerland and England and Wales, and especially the considerable increase of the mortality in young people in Catalonia, indicates the extremely urgent need for all countries to adopt the measures to control cancer that have already shown themselves to be effective elsewhere.

Protrusio acetabuli in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Acetabular protrusion (PA) as measured by a line crossing method was studied in 73 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and its frequency found to be 12% (9/73), presenting bilaterally in 5 cases and unilaterally in 4. All patients had some other forms of radiological damage and the presence of PA was predominantly observed in the JRA group with greater age at onset (8 vs 4.2 years; p < 0.001) and lower frequency of extraarticular manifestations (22% vs 72%; p < 0.01). There was no correlation with type of JRA onset, course of disease, sex, disease duration, seropositivity for rheumatoid factor, and prior steroid intake.

[Tendencies of mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Catalonia: 1975-1992]. / Tendencias de la mortalidad por enfermedades cardiovasculares en Cataluña: años 1975-1992.

BACKGROUND: There is an uncertainty of which is going to be the trend of cardiovascular disease in Spain. In the present study cardiovascular disease mortality is described from 1975 to 1992 in Catalonia, and a prediction until 1997 is made, assuming the same trend. Possible causes of this trend are analyzed. METHODS: Deaths from cardiovascular disease, ischaemic heart disease and stroke have been identified from 1975 to 1992. It has been used the direct method for standardization by age and sex, using the European population as the standard population. Logarithmic transformations of the standardized rates were used for each cause of death and for both sexes. Linear regression analysis was used to adjust the evolution of the rates in the time period. RESULTS: There is a reduction of 2.6% and 2.7% by year in rates for cardiovascular diseases mortality for both males and females respectively, a reduction of 1.2% by year in rates for ischaemic heart disease in males and a reduction of 1.8% in females, and a reduction of 4.0% and 4.2% for stroke in males and females respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in cardiovascular disease mortality reveal a decline for both males and females, mostly due to a reduction in stroke mortality; ischaemic heart disease mortality slightly decreased specifically during the period 1983-1992.

[Evaluation of the design and reliability of a questionnaire to identify elderly individuals in need for social and health services]. / Evaluación del diseño y de la fiabilidad de un cuestionario para la detección de ancianos con necesidades de servicios sociosanitarios.

BACKGROUND: To assess the construction of a short screening questionnaire designed for the detection of elderly people living in the community and in need of social and health care, and to test the reliability of the scores obtained on the scales of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and mobility through its application. METHODS: A short screening questionnaire of 11 items was designed to score elderly community dwellings on the scales of ADL and mobility of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps of the WHO (ICIDH). A random sample of 1,000 people aged 65 and over from the community of a geographical area of Catalonia (Spain) were interviewed in 1989, either by telephone or in-home personal interview, by non-professional trained interviewers on the basis of the mentioned schedule, and scored on the ICIDH ADL and Mobility scales. The design of the screening questionnaire was evaluated on the construction, content and wording through a 16 opinion statements questionnaire upon which 12 professionals, familiarized with questionnaire construction, expressed agreement or disagreement. To test reliability, each interviewer re-scored, one month apart, 20 subjects based on the information they had registered on the questionnaires, and following the same procedure, a gold standard observer re-scored all 1,000 interviews. In addition, a number of interviews were tape recorded, with previous consent of the subjects, and re-scored by 9 different observers. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability was measured with Cohen's weighted kappa coefficient. RESULTS: The average time of questionnaire administration was approximately 10 +/- 5 min. Although the instrument was said to be a good tool for the interviewer to score the subjects on the scales, wording of some items of the questionnaire need to be reviewed. Both intraobserver and interobserver reliability were high: kappa coefficients of 0.79-0.97 and > 0.75 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a simple and reliable ADL and mobility questionnaire is a practical way to obtain information on the functional status of elderly people living at home, and to select elderly people for a further comprehensive assessment of their social and health care needs for planning the appropriate services in the community.

[Cancer mortality in the counties of Catalonia (1983-1989)]. / La mortalidad por cáncer en las comarcas de Cataluña (1983-1989).

OBJECTIVES: To compare mortality among counties (comarques) in Catalonia, Spain for the most frequent malignant tumors. METHODS: Overall mortality data and for five specific tumor sites were analyzed for a five-year period (1983-1989). Crude and site-specific mortality rates were computed. The comparison between counties was adjusted for the 1986 population of Catalonia using the direct method. Comparative mortality ratios (CMR) were obtained for each county with respect to Catalonia. RESULTS: Overall cancer mortality was higher in the Barcelonès for men and in Osona form women. The CMR for men in the Barcelonès was the highest for cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs; the CMR in Solsonès was the highest for stomach cancer, while in Cerdanya it was the highest for colorectal cancer. Among women, the highest CMR for cancer of the trachea, bronchi and lungs was in Montsià, whereas for breast cancer it was Baix Empordà, and Alt Urgell for stomach cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Comparative analyses of cancer mortality by county in Catalonia and sex underscores differences in its distribution, allowing the orientation of cancer control policies and research to be developed in each geographical area.

Risk factors for intestinal ischaemia among patients registered in a UK primary care database: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ischaemia, including ischaemic colitis and acute mesenteric ischaemia, causes significant morbidity and mortality. Few population-based studies have estimated incidence and potential risk factors for this disease. AIMS: To estimate the incidence of intestinal ischaemia and identify the associated risk factors in cohorts: (i) patients with irritable bowel syndrome and/or chronic constipation (IBS/CC/both), (ii) individuals free of these conditions. METHODS: Population-based case-control analysis nested in a cohort of patients with first ever recorded diagnosis of IBS/CC/both and a cohort free of these conditions from general population using the General Practice Research Database. RESULTS: Of 78 cases of intestinal ischaemia, 71 were from general population, seven from the IBS/CC/both cohort. Incidence rate of intestinal ischaemia in IBS/CC/both patients vs. general population was 4.49:1.09 per 100,000 person-years; age- and gender-adjusted incidence rate ratio (95% CI) was 2.7 (1.2-5.9). Inflammatory bowel disease and heart failure showed an association with ischaemic colitis [OR (95% CI): 4.2 (0.5-38.4) and 5.6 (2.2-14.1)], but none with acute mesenteric ischaemia. Diabetes and prior cardiovascular surgery were associated with higher risk of acute mesenteric ischaemia, but showed no association with ischaemic colitis. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that different risk factors are associated with acute mesenteric ischaemia and ischaemic colitis. However, due to small number of patients, associations should be carefully interpreted.

Interferon-alpha 2b quantification in inclusion bodies using reversed phase-ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC).

Interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-alpha 2b) is a recombinant therapeutic cytokine produced as inclusion bodies using a strain of Escherichia coli as expression system. After fermentation and recovery, it is necessary to know the amount of recombinant IFN-alpha 2b, in order to determine the yield and the load for solubilization, and chromatographic protein purification steps. The present work details the validation of a new short run-time and fast sample-preparation method to quantify IFN-alpha 2b in inclusion bodies using Reversed Phase-Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-UPLC). The developed method demonstrated an accuracy of 100.28%; the relative standard deviations for method precision, repeatability and inter-day precision tests were found to be 0.57%, 1.54% and 1.83%, respectively. Linearity of the method was assessed in the range of concentrations from 0.05 mg/mL to 0.5 mg/mL, the curve obtained had a determination coefficient (r(2)) of 0.9989. Detection and quantification limits were found to be 0.008 mg/mL and 0.025 mg/mL, respectively. The method also demonstrated robustness for changes in column temperature, and specificity against host proteins and other recombinant protein expressed in the same E. coli strain.