Search

Current indications of maxillary reconstruction with scapular tip free flap (STFF) are palatoalveolar defects associated with zygomaticomaxillary buttress and/or orbital floor defects. STFF can be placed either horizontally or vertically. Horizontal placement usually allows ideal palatal conformation, preventing oronasal communication, but has been argued to compromise orbital support and projection of the midface, whereas vertical placement is advocated for midface support but may be insufficient for the complete closure of the palate. The present study focuses on the horizontal placing of STFF to allow complete palate reconstruction and fistulae prevention while still obtaining optimal midface projection and orbital support. This study included 21 case complex maxillary reconstructions with this flap, in which the horizontally placed scapular tip component replaced the palate, a muscular flap component was included for midface volume restoration, and an alloplastic implant was utilized for supporting the orbital content when needed. None of the patients presented palatal fistulas or alterations in the orbital support. A multilevel approach was proposed according to the maxillectomy defect. This experience supported the horizontal insetting of STFF to allow palatal fistulae prevention while still obtaining an optimal midface projection and orbital support. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to identify possible products resulting from chemical interactions between calcium hypochlorite (Ca[OCl] 2) and other irrigants for endodontic use using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The 5.25% Ca(OCl) 2 was associated with either 70% ethanol solution, distilled water, saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride), 5% sodium thiosulfate, 10% citric acid, 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), or 2% chlorhexidine (CHX). The reaction ratio was 1:1 and the products obtained were analyzed by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The interactions between Ca(OCl) 2 and CHX generated an orange-brown precipitate, without identification of para-chloroaniline and between Ca(OCl) 2 and sodium thiosulfate, a milky-white precipitate. Furthermore, when the oxidizing agent was associated with EDTA and citric acid, chlorine gas was released. As for the other associations, 70% ethanol, distilled water, and saline solution, no precipitation or gas release occurred. The orange-brown precipitate occurs due to the chlorination of guanidine nitrogens, and the milky-white precipitate is due to the partial neutralization of the oxidizing agent. The release of chlorine gas occurs due to the low pH of the mixture, which results in the rapid formation and decomposition of chlorine. In this context, an intermediate rinsed with distilled water, saline solution, and ethanol between Ca(OCl) 2 and CHX, citric acid, and EDTA seems to be appropriate to prevent the formation of by-products when these irrigants need to be used in the canal. Furthermore, if it is necessary to use sodium thiosulfate, a larger volume of the solution must be used compared to that used for the oxidizing solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cepstral measures are sensitive to gender, age and phonatory tasks. With a cepstral measure designated as the CPP, it was possible to confirm the vulnerability of the Fado singers' voice. These were established at the vocal pathological threshold, which suggests a need for a direct clinical approach for these voice users. This study aimed to characterize cepstral peak prominence (CPP) and cepstral peak prominence smoothed (CPPS) in the Fado singing voice and to determine if there were significant differences in CPP and CPPS measures between spoken and sung tasks, as well as due to singers' gender and age. Forty seven males and 57 females Fado singers, ranging from 18 to 70 years participated in this study. Spoken voice tasks were sustained [a] and reading aloud the phonetically balanced text " O Sol ". Sung tasks were sustained [a] of the word [ɐfin a ɫ] and the Fado chorus song " Nem às paredes confesso ". Acoustic measures included CPP and CPPS. CPP was measured using Analyses of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice software, of Multi-Speech program, Model 3700, by KayPENTAX. CPPS was measured using Praat software (4.2.1/2003). Statistical analysis was performed with an IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 program. CPP and CPPS mean differences of spoken and sung tasks were analyzed using paired samples t -test, with α at.05. CPP and CPPS values of singers' voice changed according to the gender, age and phonatory tasks. There were significant differences between CPP and CPPS measures (P < 0.05). Generally, young male singers, in their sung task, presented the highest CPP and CPPS values. The highest CPP mean was obtained by older males in sustained spoken [a] and the lowest was obtained by younger males in their reading aloud task. For CPPS, the highest mean value was obtained by younger males during sung [a] and the lowest was by younger males in the reading aloud task. Males presented higher cepstral measures than females. Young singers presented higher cepstral measures than older. Sung tasks had higher cepstral measures than spoken tasks. CPPS means are overall higher than CPP means. This study reinforces the need for a clinical prevention approach directed at potential vocal disorders in Fado singers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To verify characteristics associated with drug resistant epilepsy in children up to 36 months of age with Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS).Methods: This is a prospective cohort study with children aged up to 36 months diagnosed with CZS. Obstetric, demographic, phenotype and other clinical signs, cranial tomography, growth and motor development of the children were collected.Results: Of a total of 109 children diagnosed with CZS, 100 (91.7%) had epilepsy and 68 (68%) with drug resistant seizures. The types of seizures associated with drug resistant epilepsy were focal seizures from the occipital lobe, generalized tonic and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. There was an association between drug resistant epilepsy and microcephaly at birth, severe microcephaly at birth, excess nuchal skin, ventriculomegaly, reduced brain parenchyma volume, and hypoplasia or malformation of the cerebellum. Difficulty sleeping, irritability, continuous crying, dysphagia and gross motor function were clinical signs associated with drug resistant epilepsy, as were the presence of ocular abnormalities, low head circumference in the first year of life and low weight in the first six months.Conclusions: The prevalence of drug resistant epilepsy in children up to 36 months with CZS was 62.4% and was associated with the severity of the child's neurological damage, with emphasis on the reduction of brain parenchyma volume and damage to the cerebellum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The encapsulation and the oxidative stability of vitamin retinyl palmitate (AP), a vitamin A derivative, within coaxial electrosprayed (AP) core – octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA-modified starch) shell microcapsules were investigated. The antioxidant efficiency of amino acids (AAs) (namely histidine, leucine, valine, tryptophan, tyrosine, cysteine and lysine) added to the core, on the oxidative stability of AP was evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry at the isothermal temperature of 140 °C. Confocal microscopy confirmed the location of the AP within the core with AAs microcapsules, surrounded by the shell layer of OSA starch. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the microcapsules are uniform in size with an average diameter ranging from 2.06 ± 1.05 to 2.41 ± 1.42 μm. The AAs contributed substantially to enhance the oxidative stability of AP, with histidine being the most efficient with an improvement in oxidative stability of about 214 times, while lysine showed the lowest protection (about 3.9 times), compared to non-encapsulated AP. For the encapsulated AP, the presence of histidine or lysine enhanced the oxidative stability of the vitamin by about 70.6 or 1.3 times, respectively. The enhancement of the oxidative stability was mainly due to both the hydrophobic interactions formed between AP and AAs, and the adsorption of AP on the surface of AAs crystals (except lysine), assisted by the suspension of the AAs in ethanol antisolvent, as confirmed with attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. [Display omitted] • AP encapsulated within coaxial electrosprayed OSA-modified starch microcapsules. • Amino acids (AAs) added to the core, enhance the oxidative stability of AP. • Histidine provides the highest antioxidant efficacy while lysine showed the lowest. • The oxidative stability was mainly due to the hydrophobic interactions of AP with AAs. • Adsorption of AP on the surface of AAs crystals was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this study we examined how outdoor climate affects indoor conditions of a cleanroom used for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals in the Uppsala university hospital pharmacy, Sweden. Further objectives were to identify associated risk factors to ensure a consistent extemporaneous manufacturing process. Data for two years from the facility monitoring system (with one minute resolution for temperature, relative humidity (%RH), differential pressure) were compared with meteorological outdoor data from Uppsala (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, 60-minute mean data for temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and air pressure). The findings of this study indicate a linear relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature for the autumn, winter and spring seasons. The typical summer outdoor diurnal pattern is also seen for indoor temperature. During the study period, the minimum outdoor temperature was −17.5 °C and the maximum 31.4 °C. This wide temperature range also entails a wide range of air humidity from 10 %RH to 100 %RH indoors. Cleanroom temperature and %RH are factors that may affect the quality of medications, especially the risk of microbiological growth in aseptic processes, stability of medications during storage but also may affect handling of for example uncoated tablets or weighing of powder, especially at high %RH for hygroscopic drugs or at low %RH due to static electricity. Further the risk of damage on electrical equipment from electrostatic discharge at low %RH is discussed with a focus on the need for humidity control of cleanrooms and/or systems for mitigation of electrostatic discharge in climates with outdoor temperature in the wintertime below freezing point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution represents a new threat to both marine environments and the species that reside within them. This study examined the temporal concentrations of microplastics found in the commercially and ecologically important bivalve, Cerasastoderma edule and the presence of microplastics in intertidal sediment from the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protected Area (SPA) of Dundalk Bay, Ireland. A microplastic range of 1.55 ± 1.38 to 1.92 ± 1.00 g−1 and 3.43 ± 2.47 to 6.90 ± 3.68 ind−1 was reported between seasons. Microfibres dominated the shape of microplastics present in both sediment and cockles. While a wider range of polymers were identified in cockles than in sediment, microplastic concentrations recovered from both intertidal sites studied were approximately double the estimated safe loading levels for this pollutant. The potential of cockles to perform as shallow environment biomonitors of microplastic pollution was identified as they presented buoyant microplastics that were not identified in sediment samples. [Display omitted] • Microfibres were the dominant shape found in both sediment and cockles • Microplastic levels found in beach sediment were twice the estimated safe loading levels • Lighter plastics (PP and PE) were only identified in cockles • The high level of microfibres found indicate a need for better wastewater treatment facilities and legislation for these secondary microplastics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a severe case of rhinothecal cryptococcoma in a 13-year-old female African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus). The bird was born and bred in captivity in Portugal. The beak was deformed and showed several round soft masses, and microscopic examination revealed the presence of cells suggestive for Cryptococcus. Phenotypic and molecular analyses identified the obtained yeast culture as C. bacillisporus (AFLP5/VGIII). By phylogenetic analysis the parrot strain clustered with clinical C. bacillisporus strains from Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for a transnational validation is imperative at the stage of development of the CompACT, a self-report measure of psychological flexibility. This study aimed to translate, validate and test the factor structure of the Portuguese version of the CompACT and to conduct a measurement invariance analysis comparing the scale's performance in Portuguese and UK samples. Results from an Exploratory Factor Analysis demonstrated that the Portuguese version of the CompACT statistically performed better without 5 items from the Openness to Experience subscale. The 18-item Portuguese-adapted CompACT presented significant correlations in the expected directions and with the expected magnitudes with AAQ-II, CFQ-7, MAAS, CAQ-8, and DASS-21. Partial metric invariance was demonstrated between the Portuguese-adapted 18-item CompACT and the original CompACT in a UK sample. The non-correspondence between responses to these versions may be due to differences between the Portuguese and British cultures. This study contributes with the adaptation of the original CompACT to the Portuguese language and with the refinement of this instrument to an 18-item measure of psychological flexibility, that appears to be adequate for use in Portuguese samples. The lack of complete metric invariance of the CompACT found across the Portuguese and UK samples highlights the importance of psychometrically analyzing psychological instruments before use in cultural contexts distinct from the one targeted in the measure's original validation study. • CompACT's Portuguese and UK samples presented partial metric invariance. • CompACT's Portuguese version was refined to an 18-item structure. • This version showed correlations with key measures in the expected directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for more sustainable packaging materials is increasing. However, the multidisciplinary and complexity of this topic often lead to misconceptions among food packaging designers and producers, which challenge the creation of more sustainable food packaging systems. This manuscript presents in a holistic perspective the most relevant parameters that need to be considered for sustainability in food packaging and aims to increase the awareness of food and packaging producers to create effective sustainable packaging materials for foods. The use of bio-based plastic packaging materials contribute to create more sustainable food packaging materials, comparatively to conventional plastic packaging materials, when looking at climate impact responses. Although bio-based plastic packaging materials have reduced climate impact, there are other environmental impacts (e.g. eutrophication, use of water and pesticides, effects on biodiversity) that are less favorable for using bio-based materials and should also be considered. Recycling of the packaging significantly contributes to reduce its environmental and climate impacts. The sum of the climate and environmental impacts of the packaging should be seen together with the food it protects. The combined system should be assessed in its entire lifecycle and optimized through the design, production and end of life of the packaging material to improve its sustainability. • Bio-based plastic can reduce climate impact. • Recycling reduces environmental and climate impact. • The packaging/food systems should be assessed including both climate and environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance to ACT theory, psychological inflexibility may influence the well-known link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology. This exploratory preliminary study aims to analyse whether psychological flexibility moderates the relationship between these variables. A community sample of 84 Portuguese participants (30 men and 54 women), with a mean age of 33.98 (SD = 11.05), completed the LHS, CompACT, and DASS-21. The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology was calculated using the PROCESS computation macro. The interaction term between learned helplessness and psychological flexibility was significant (b = −0.01, SE = 0.00, p < 0.001), pointing out psychological flexibility as a moderator of the association between learned helplessness and depression symptoms. The total model explained 55% of the variance of depression symptomatology. For the same level of learned helplessness, participants who reported higher psychological flexibility, presented less depression symptomatology. The buffer effect of psychological flexibility is stronger when learned helplessness is higher. Higher psychological flexibility seems to be protective for depression symptomatology, in particular for those individuals who experience higher levels of learned helplessness. Individuals who are most likely to struggle with learned helplessness are potentially those who could benefit the most of an intervention targeting psychological flexibility as a way to ameliorate depressive symptomatology. Future studies with larger and clinical samples are required to confirm these preliminary findings. • Psychological flexibility buffered learned helplessness' effect on depressed mood. • Psychological flexibility seems to be protective for depression symptoms. • This effect is stronger for individuals with higher levels of learned helplessness. • This may inform the future development of interventions for depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean's characteristics are rapidly changing, modifying environmental suitability for early life stages of fish. We assessed whether the chronic effects of warming (24 °C) and hypoxia (<2–2.5 mg L−1) will be amplified by the combination of these stressors on mortality, growth, behaviour, metabolism and oxidative stress of early stages of the white seabream Diplodus sargus. Combined warming and hypoxia synergistically increased larval mortality by >51%. Warming induced faster growth in length and slower gains in weight when compared to other treatments. Boldness and exploration were not directly affected, but swimming activity increased under all test treatments. Under the combination of warming and hypoxia, routine metabolic rate (RMR) significantly decreases when compared to other treatments and shows a negative thermal dependence. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities increased under warming and were maintained similar to control levels under hypoxia or under combined stressors. Under hypoxia, the enzymatic activities were not enough to prevent oxidative damages as lipid peroxidation and DNA damage increased above control levels. Hypoxia reduced electron transport system activity (cellular respiration) and isocitrate dehydrogenase activity (aerobic metabolism) below control levels. However, lactate dehydrogenase activity (anaerobic metabolism) did not differ among treatments. A Redundancy Analysis showed that ∼99% of the variability in mortality, growth, behaviour and RMR among treatments can be explained by molecular responses. Mortality and growth are highly influenced by oxidative stress and energy metabolism, exhibiting a positive relationship with reactive oxygen species and a negative relationship with aerobic metabolism, regardless of treatment. Under hypoxic condition, RMR, boldness and swimming activity have a positive relationship with anaerobic metabolism regardless of temperature. Thus, seabreams may use anaerobic reliance to counterbalance the effects of the stressors on RMR, activity and growth. The outcomes suggests that early life stages of white seabream overcame the single and combined effects of hypoxia and warming. [Display omitted] • Combined warming and hypoxia increased mortality in early stages of seabreams. • The single and combined effects of warming and hypoxia increased swimming activity. • Warming induced faster growth in length and slower gains in weight. • Oxidative damages increased when early stages of seabreams were exposed to hypoxia. • Thermal and hypoxia tolerance of seabreams are associated with anaerobic reliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of emulsification pH on the composition and colloidal stability of cheese feed (the spray dryer feed of cheese powder) was investigated in the absence of emulsifying salts (ES) to understand the sole effect of emulsification pH and to give insights into ES removal from cheese powder production. Cheese feeds were prepared at six different pH values from 5.1 to 6.8. Adjustments of pH during feed production had a significant impact on the mass fraction of several components (i.e., fat, calcium) between feed and retained mass (RM) obtained after sieving. These differences were primarily attributed to electrostatic changes among proteins during the emulsification process. pH-induced alterations in feed composition were associated with a significant change in particle size, viscosity, and colloidal stability. Confocal microscopy images of feeds revealed differences in protein aggregation and fat cluster formations. Raman spectroscopy of RM indicated alterations in protein structure by increased pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early diagnosis is still the most important factor to deal with skin cancer, a disease that challenges physicians and researchers. It has benefited from computer-aided diagnosis methods that successfully combine dermoscopy, Digital Image Processing, and Machine Learning techniques. This paper aims to approximate medical professionals working with dermoscopy to these methods, to join the challenge of melanoma early detection. Accordingly, a proposal for extracting, selecting and combining texture and shape features from dermoscopic images is presented. The Feature Selection task is added to the learning process to potentiate the quality of classification models. Three classical Machine Learning algorithms were applied to differentiate melanoma from non-melanoma images. The models are evaluated by standard performance measures and a multi-criteria decision analysis method. This is the first time such method is used in melanoma diagnosis. As a result, we found a decision tree that performs well and allows the explicit representation and analysis of the knowledge learned from the images. In addition, the competitiveness of our decision models in comparison with literature approaches reviewed in this work encourages further applications of Machine Learning and Feature Selection to assist computer-aided diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]