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The objective was to explore obese adolescents perceptions about obesity among students in the seventh to ninth grade of a public school in Tamaulipas, Mexico. This is a qualitative study. Participants were 24 adolescents with a body mass index equal to or greater than the 95th percentile. Semistructured interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached and the meaning was understood. The adolescents defined obesity according to standards of measurement. They identified the hereditary factor as the main obesity cause, tended to underestimate obesity and had low self-esteem. They reported problems to do physical exercise and get clothes in order to improve their image, and feel rejected by their peers in school. It was identified that these adolescents have psychological defense mechanisms against obesity and that some of them are making efforts to lose weight. Obesity entails social and psychological health implications for persons suffering from this problem. Interventions should be put in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Oral cancer examinations seek to clinically identify early oral cancers and discover premalignancies prior to their progression to invasive cancer., Method and Materials: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and August 2017 to explore and quantify the diagnostic approach used by United States (US) general dental practitioners following discovery of an oral lesion suspicious for malignancy/premalignancy. US licensed general dental practitioners who were clinically active members of the US National Dental Practice-Based Research Network were eligible to participate. Data for analysis were obtained via two questionnaires., Results: The majority of participants were males, practiced full-time, had a suburban primary practice, were born during the 1950s, and graduated dental school in the 1980s or 2000s. After identifying an oral lesion suspicious for premalignancy/malignancy, the next action of most general dental practitioner respondents (65.4%) was to refer the patient for consultation/biopsy. Most general dental practitioners (87.2%) referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon; 22% of general dental practitioners reported personally biopsying suspicious lesions. There was a relatively weak association between completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry or General Practice Residency and subsequently personally performing biopsies on patients with oral lesions suspicious for malignancy/premalignancy (OR 1.33, P = .06). Most written referrals took place electronically and often included information, including lesion location (87.0%), lesion sign/symptoms (85.3%), lesion history (83.9%), radiographs (59.3%), medical history (50.6%), dental history (48.8%), and photographs (42.4%). When a referral biopsy was performed, referring clinicians were most frequently informed of the findings via a written report (96.7%, when positive for malignancy/premalignancy, and 95.4% when negative)., Conclusion: A snapshot is presented of current actions taken by US general dental practitioners following the discovery of oral abnormalities suspicious for premalignancy/malignancy.

Bumble bees are key pollinators with some species reared in captivity at a commercial scale, but with significant evidence of population declines and with alarming predictions of substantial impacts under climate change scenarios. While studies on the thermal biology of temperate bumble bees are still limited, they are entirely absent from the tropics where the effects of climate change are expected to be greater. Herein, we test whether bees' thermal tolerance decreases with elevation and whether the stable optimal conditions used in laboratory-reared colonies reduces their thermal tolerance. We assessed changes in the lower (CT Min ) and upper (CT Max ) critical thermal limits of four species at two elevations (2600 and 3600 m) in the Colombian Andes, examined the effect of body size, and evaluated the thermal tolerance of wild-caught and laboratory-reared individuals of Bombus pauloensis . We also compiled information on bumble bees' thermal limits and assessed potential predictors for broadscale patterns of variation. We found that CT Min decreased with increasing elevation, while CT Max was similar between elevations. CT Max was slightly higher (0.84°C) in laboratory-reared than in wild-caught bees while CT Min was similar, and CT Min decreased with increasing body size while CT Max did not. Latitude is a good predictor for CT Min while annual mean temperature, maximum and minimum temperatures of the warmest and coldest months are good predictors for both CT Min and CT Max . The stronger response in CT Min with increasing elevation, and similar CT Max , supports Brett's heat-invariant hypothesis, which has been documented in other taxa. Andean bumble bees appear to be about as heat tolerant as those from temperate areas, suggesting that other aspects besides temperature (e.g., water balance) might be more determinant environmental factors for these species. Laboratory-reared colonies are adequate surrogates for addressing questions on thermal tolerance and global warming impacts., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interests., (© 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

High proteolytic activity and several biological functions (antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, among others) have been attributed to lactic-acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from fish and peptides obtained from proteolysis. Therefore, the objective of this research was isolating, characterizing, and identifying LAB with proteolytic activity by spontaneous fermentation from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) reared in ponds and wild ones obtained from Lago de Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico. Spontaneous fermentation from complete carp specimens was observed, considering two sampling points (skin and intestines) at 15 °C at 5 and 10 days. Isolated LAB-from both reared and wild specimens-were identified and morphologically characterized; identification was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Proteolytic activity was assessed by the presence of the proteolytic halo. A total of five genera and eight different LAB proteolytic species were isolated from all the carp samples. At 10 days, greater proteolytic LAB diversity was obtained from the intestine (Tukey's, p < 0.05); the proteolytic halo with the greatest diameter was recorded in wild carp skin with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum S5P2 (2.8 cm) at 5 days of fermentation, followed by Leuconostoc mesenteroides S5I1 (2.73 cm) and Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides S5P2 (2.66 cm) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, proteolytic capability of LAB isolated from carp (Cyprimus carpio)-both wild and reared-is influenced by the ecosystem where they develop. These proteolytic LAB may be used in biotechnological industries to obtain bioactive peptides by fermenting substrates rich in proteins., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia.)

Public spaces could promote health equity by providing a place for people to engage in physical activity. Whereas most studies show a positive association between public spaces and physical activity, there are still mixed results, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The objectives of this mixed-methods study were: (i) to assess the quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity; (ii) to assess the modification of the association by public spaces quality, area-level walkability, and social stratifiers; (iii) to explain the quantitative results using qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained with a household survey in two arid-climate Mexican cities in 2017-2018. physical activity was measured with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Access to public spaces was measured in buffers centered on survey blocks, walkability with area-level indicators, and public spaces quality with the Physical Activity Resources Assessment. Qualitative data were obtained with semi-structured interviews and neighborhood observation. No quantitative association between access to public spaces and physical activity was found, as well as no interactions between access to public spaces and other variables. Walkability was positively associated with physical activity. Qualitative analysis showed that local public spaces were rarely used by adults because they were perceived as small, unequipped, unattractive, and unsafe. The results shed light on the relationship between public spaces and physical activity, highlighting the improvements in design and upkeep of public spaces that are necessary to achieve their potential health benefit.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of clinical cues on risk assessment of cancer-associated mucosal abnormalities., Study Design: We differentiated lesions with a low risk from those with a high risk for premalignancy or malignancy by using 4 cues: (1) color, (2) location, (3) induration, and (4) pain on exploration. Combinations of color and location were presented through 8 photographs, with induration and pain status variably presented in the standardized history and physical findings. This created 16 clinical scenarios (vignettes) that were permutations of the 4 cues. Three questions assessed the extent to which each cue was used in obtaining a clinical impression as to whether a lesion was benign, premalignant, or malignant., Results: Completed vignette questionnaires were obtained from 130 of 228 invited dentists, (two-thirds males; 79% white; mean age 52 years; average weekly hours of practice 33 hours). Only 40% of the responding dentists had statistically significant decision policies to assign a clinical diagnosis of a lesion as benign, premalignant, or malignant. Lesion location and color were the 2 dominant cues. As a cue, induration was used as a cue by more of the respondents in determining a clinical diagnosis of malignancy, and pain was infrequently used as a cue., Conclusions: Many dentists do not to have a decision strategy for the clinical diagnosis and risk stratification of oral potentially malignant lesions., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

General dentists (GDs) have the opportunity to examine their patients for oral premalignancy/malignancy. We estimated the annualized per dentist number of oral lesions suspicious for premalignancy/malignancy discovered by United States (U.S.) general dentists and the annualized per dentist number of histologically-confirmed cancers subsequently diagnosed. Eligible participants were licensed, clinically-active U.S. GDs who were members of the U.S. National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. An a priori sample size of 900 was determined; 2000 GDs were invited to participate; 1,073 completed the study. Self-reported, cross-sectional data were obtained via an online questionnaire during 4/12/2017-8/31/2017 and analyzed. The reported numbers of suspicious oral lesions and histologically-confirmed oral cancer cases diagnosed over the previous six months were quantified. Potential outcome predictors were evaluated as covariates in multivariable analyses. Crude and adjusted statistics were produced by regressing each outcome on each independent variable while assuming a Poisson distribution, log link and utilizing robust standard errors. Eighty-seven percent of dentists reported discovering 1+ lesion suspicious for oral premalignancy/malignancy during the preceding six months. The mean number of suspicious lesions/dentist/year was 9.5; adjusted mean: 9.6. Fifteen percent of participants reported discovering 1+ lesion confirmed as cancer during the same period, 213 confirmed cancer cases/6 months or 426/year. Crude and adjusted mean numbers of histologically-confirmed oral cancers were both 0.4 cancers/dentist/year. Our findings suggest that many U.S. general dentists are actively identifying oral lesions suspicious for premalignancy/malignancy, thereby aiding in the discovery of oral malignancies and representing an important component in the frontline against cancer., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The Patient Concern Inventory © (PCI) is a clinical tool of self-reported patient concerns to be used by the clinician to structure the patient-oncologist visit. It was developed in the United Kingdom to address the issues of quality of life (QOL) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine the prevalence of PCI © items, the associations between PCI © items and QOL, and to explore the importance of oral/dental issues in the patient's well-being., Methods: The PCI © and the University of Washington (UW-QOLv4) instruments were self-administered by an HNC population in a cross-sectional study. Following an a priori sample size estimate, consecutive HNC patients attending at the University of Florida's Oral Medicine and the ENT Clinics had the study described, eligibility assessed, and if eligible, were invited to participate in the study. Participants completed the PCI © and UW-QOL. PCI © issues prevalence was determined, and for those with a ≥10% prevalence: 1) Fisher's exact test was used to test for statistical differences between treatments, and 2) multivariable regression was used to test each of the prevalent PCI © issues across four QOL measures, health in the last 7 days, overall QOL in the last 7 days, and the physical and social domain scores., Results: Twenty of 45 PCI © issues had a prevalence ≥10%. Of the 15 prevalent items statistically associated with a QOL measure, four issues are the clinical responsibility of the dental profession: 1) chewing/eating, 2) dental health/teeth, 3) mouth opening, and 4) salivation. An additional four (eight total, 50%) are of clinical concern for dental clinicians: 5) pain in head/neck, 6) swallowing, 7) speech/voice/being understood, and 8) taste., Conclusions: Dental concerns represent almost half of all PCI © concerns observed in 10% or more of the sample patients. Prosthodontists should support our maxillofacial prosthodontics specialists in joining other oral oncologists and advocate for comprehensive, integrated dental support for HNC patients by assuring dental involvement/inclusion with the multidisciplinary oncology team and a research agenda to established best patient-centered outcomes., (© 2017 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of team-based learning (TBL) methodology on dental students' retention of knowledge regarding removable partial denture (RPD) treatment. The process of learning RPD treatment requires that students first acquire foundational knowledge and then use critical thinking skills to apply that knowledge to a variety of clinical situations. The traditional approach to teaching, characterized by a reliance on lectures, is not the most effective method for learning clinical applications. To address the limitations of that approach, the teaching methodology of the RPD preclinical course at the University of Florida was changed to TBL, which has been shown to motivate student learning and improve clinical performance. A written examination was constructed to compare the impact of TBL with that of traditional teaching regarding students' retention of knowledge and their ability to evaluate, diagnose, and treatment plan a partially edentulous patient with an RPD prosthesis. Students taught using traditional and TBL methods took the same examination. The response rate (those who completed the examination) for the class of 2013 (traditional method) was 94% (79 students of 84); for the class of 2014 (TBL method), it was 95% (78 students of 82). The results showed that students who learned RPD with TBL scored higher on the examination than those who learned RPD with traditional methods. Compared to the students taught with the traditional method, the TBL students' proportion of passing grades was statistically significantly higher (p=0.002), and 23.7% more TBL students passed the examination. The mean score for the TBL class (0.758) compared to the conventional class (0.700) was statistically significant with a large effect size, also demonstrating the practical significance of the findings. The results of the study suggest that TBL methodology is a promising approach to teaching RPD with successful outcomes.

This study aims to identify educational and training modalities that dentists in Puerto Rico (PR) believe will increase the quality and quantity of opportunistic oral cancer screening examinations (OCS) in dental offices on the island. The study was conducted in three phases: a systematic search of relevant literature, an expert review and consensus panel, and focus groups (FG) involving PR general dentists. To increase OCS by dentists in PR, the FG participants proposed a small group, hands-on OCS training, an integrated oral cancer course, and readily available videos, photographs, and computer simulations to further demonstrate OCS performance and facilitate differential diagnosis. OCS training requirements for licensure and re-licensure, improving OCS dentist-patient communication skills, and establishment of an oral lesion referral center were also viewed favorably. In conclusion, general dentists in our FGs believed the quality and quantity of OCS in Puerto Rico can be increased through the application of specific continuing education and training modalities.

Background: Flow diverter (FD) treatment aims to slow down blood flow inside the aneurysm and increase the average time that blood resides in the aneurysm., Objective: To investigate the relationship between vessel and aneurysm morphology and their influence on the way in which braided FDs change intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics., Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patient-specific intracranial aneurysm models at the supraclinoid segment of the internal carotid artery were studied. Vessel and aneurysm morphology was quantified and blood flow was modeled with computational fluid dynamics simulations. The relation between morphologic variables and the hemodynamic variables, WSS (wall shear stress) and totime (ratio between the aneurysm volume and inflow at the aneurysm neck), was assessed statistically., Results: Intra-aneurysmal flow was less dependent on the vessel than on aneurysm morphology. In summary, after treatment with a FD, a greater aneurysm flow reduction and redirection to the vessel main stream should be expected for (a) aneurysms located further away from the curvature peak, (b) aneurysms on the inner side of the bend, (c) aneurysms with no proximal stenosis, and (d) larger aneurysms., Conclusions: Although the change in intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics after FD treatment strongly depends on the morphology of the aneurysm, the hemodynamic effect of a FD is also linked to the parent vessel morphology and the position and orientation of the aneurysm with respect to it., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

Article Title and Bibliographic Information: Health related quality of life in head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy: a systematic review. Klein J, Livergant, J, Ringash J.Oral Oncol 2014;50(4):254-62., Reviewers: Walter J. Psoter, DDS, PhD, Maria Lucia Aguilar, DDS, MSD, MSc, Purpose/question: The authors conducted a systematic review to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSSC) in non-surgical patients whose treatment consisted of radiotherapy with and without chemotherapy., Source of Funding: Information not available, Type of Study/design: Systematic review, Level of Evidence: Level 2: Limited-quality patient-oriented evidence, Strength of Recommendation Grade: B Limited-quality patient-orientated evidence., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Scholars have recognized a climate gap, wherein poor communities face disproportionate impacts of climate change. Others have noted that climate change and economic globalization may mutually affect a region or social group, leading to double exposure. This paper investigates how current and changing patterns of neighborhood demographics are associated with extreme heat in the border city of Juárez, Mexico. Many Juárez neighborhoods are at-risk to triple exposures, in which residents suffer due to the conjoined effects of the global recession, drug war violence, and extreme heat. Due to impacts of the recession on maquiladora employment and the explosion of drug violence (since 2008), over 75% of neighborhoods experienced decreasing population density between 2000 and 2010 and the average neighborhood saw a 40% increase in the proportion of older adults. Neighborhoods with greater drops in population density and increases in the proportion of older residents over the decade are at significantly higher risk to extreme heat, as are neighborhoods with lower population density and lower levels of education. In this context, triple exposures are associated with a climate gap that most endangers lower socioeconomic status and increasingly older aged populations remaining in neighborhoods from which high proportions of residents have departed.

Purpose: Edentulism has been decreasing in the US elderly population; however, due to the increasing number of elderly, the need for prostheses has been projected to rise over the next several decades. One of the aims of the Puerto Rican Elderly Dental Health Study (PREDHS) was to assess the quality of removable prostheses (RP) in the Puerto Rican (PR) elderly (>69 years of age) population., Methods: A cross-sectional design, using a subgroup from the Puerto Rican Elderly: Health Conditions (PREHCO) study of dentate, community-dwelling older adults from the greater San Juan area was employed. Eligible participants were administered structured questionnaires and examined in their homes by three trained and calibrated dentists using National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) criteria., Results: One hundred and eighty three (183) participants were examined (61 males, 122 females) (p < 0.001). Overall, 64% were found to have a prosthetic problem with no statistical difference between genders. Unadjusted and age-adjusted logistic models were employed. Increasing age was associated with both upper and lower clinically defined abraded prostheses, (p = 0.007; p = 0.041, respectively). Maxillary (23%) and mandibular (27%) prostheses needed replacement due to deficiencies., Conclusion: RP deficiencies were found in almost two-thirds of a representative sample of dentate 70+ year-old people residing in PR. There was no difference in the proportion of deficiencies between elderly who reported a dental visit in the preceding year or not having seen a dentist. A quarter of the prostheses required replacement. The findings from this and the NHANES studies demonstrate that an engaged and recognized prosthodontic dental school faculty continues to be as important now as it was a generation ago., (© 2013 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

Endovascular coiling aims to isolate the aneurysm from blood circulation by altering hemodynamics inside the aneurysm and triggering blood coagulation. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques have the potential to predict the post-operative hemodynamics and to investigate the complex interaction between blood flow and coils. The purpose of this work is to study the influence of blood viscosity on hemodynamics in coiled aneurysms. Three image-based aneurysm models were used. Each case was virtually coiled with a packing density of around 30%. CFD simulations were performed in coiled and untreated aneurysm geometries using a Newtonian and a Non-Newtonian fluid models. Newtonian fluid slightly overestimates the intra-aneurysmal velocity inside the aneurysm before and after coiling. There were numerical differences between fluid models on velocity magnitudes in coiled simulations. Moreover, the non-Newtonian fluid model produces high viscosity (>0.007 [Pas]) at aneurysm fundus after coiling. Nonetheless, these local differences and high-viscous regions were not sufficient to alter the main flow patterns and velocity magnitudes before and after coiling. To evaluate the influence of coiling on intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics, the assumption of a Newtonian fluid can be used., (© 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Effects of blood flow modification by flow diverters are observed to lead often to aneurysm thrombosis and reverse remodeling. For this process, to further understand the potential roles of intra-aneurysmal blood pressure changes and aneurysm morphologies, 23 patients were studied by numeric simulation., Materials and Methods: 3D imaging of aneurysms of different sizes and shapes, all located at the supraclinoid segment of the ICA (n=23), was prepared for CFD simulations. Hemodynamic variables were calculated for conditions before and after virtual FD implantation, reconstituting a vessel wall scaffold across the aneurysm neck. WSS, velocity, residence time, turnover time, and intra-aneurysmal pressure were assessed statistically., Results: After placement of FDs, significant reductions inside the aneurysm were observed for most hemodynamic variables (P<.01) except mean intra-aneurysmal pressures. For minimum/maximum intra-aneurysmal pressure values, small but significant changes were found; however, they were considered too small to be of relevance., Conclusions: Calculations in 23 cases did not reveal significant intra-aneurysmal mean or peak pressure changes, indicating a minor role of pressure changes in the rare event of secondary ruptures after FD use. Other hemodynamic variables (WSS and velocity) exhibited more significant changes, indicating their role in intra-aneurysmal thrombus formation. Size-dependent, significantly higher reduction in WSS (P=.069) and velocity (P=.013) was observed in small aneurysms compared with larger ones. When it came to shape, there were significantly higher reductions in WSS (P=.055) and velocity (P=.065) and a significantly higher increase in turnover time in fusiform aneurysms compared with saccular aneurysms.

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important treatment outcome for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. By ascertaining the most important HNC HRQOL issues, research and practice can be directed toward enhancing patient QOL., Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 46 ENT clinic HNC patients in Puerto Rico (PR) was completed. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 (general QOL), and the QLQ-H&N35 (HNC QOL) instruments were administered. Correlations and multivariable regressions were separately conducted for QLQ-H&N35 variables on the three QLQ-C30 outcome variables: overall health, overall QOL, and the global health/QOL domain., Results: Correlation findings included statistically significant negative correlations between the three QLQ-C30 outcome variables and the QLQ-H&N35 variables pain, swallowing, social eating, social contact, and sexuality. Multivariable linear regression identified statistically significant inverse indicators of the outcomes: (1) "lessening of sexuality" with "overall health" (p= 0.02), (2) "problem with social eating" (p= 0.023), "taking pain killers" (p= 0.025), and "problem with social contact" (p= 0.035) with "overall QOL," and (3) "problems with social eating" (p < 0.009) and "taking pain killers" (p= 0.016) with the "global health/QOL" domain., Conclusions: We conclude that problems with pain, social eating, social interactions, and loss of sexuality are critical indicators of degraded HRQOL in HNC patients living in Puerto Rico. Our results add to the overall knowledge base regarding QOL among HNC patients. The promise of improved QOL for the HNC patient is attainable through additional research in conjunction with advances in clinical treatments and patient management protocols., (© 2012 by the American College of Prosthodontists.)

In higher plants, ammonium is assimilated into amino acids through the glutamine synthetase (GS)/glutamate synthase (GOGAT) cycle. This metabolic cycle is distributed in different cellular compartments in conifer seedlings: glutamine synthesis occurs in the cytosol and glutamate synthesis within the chloroplast. A method for preparing intact chloroplasts of pine cotyledons is presented with the aim of identifying a glutamine-glutamate translocator. Glutamine-glutamate exchange has been studied using the double silicone layer system, suggesting the existence of a translocator that imports glutamine into the chloroplast and exports glutamate to the cytoplasm. The translocator identified is specific for glutamine and glutamate, and the kinetic constants for both substrates indicate that it is unsaturated at intracellular concentrations. Thus, the experimental evidence obtained supports the model of the GS/GOGAT cycle in developing pine seedlings that accounts for the stoichiometric balance of metabolites. As a result, the efficient assimilation of free ammonia produced by photorespiration, nitrate reduction, storage protein mobilisation, phenylpropanoid pathway or S-adenosylmethionine synthesis is guaranteed.

Statement of Problem: In dental implant restorations, a lack of passivity may be associated with mechanical failure. Passivity can be compromised during impression making., Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the distortion of mechanically mixed polyether and hydrophilic addition silicone impression materials, and to evaluate the effect of intercoping distance on distortion., Material and Methods: Twenty impressions (10 polyether and 10 silicone) were made from a single mandibular definitive cast with 5 abutment analogs using standardized laboratory and technique protocols. The direct impression technique and mechanical mixing were used. A precision measuring machine established spatial coordinates of the impression copings in 3 dimensions, with the operator blinded to materials. Linear distances (concentricity) and angular inclinations (perpendicularity, parallelism) were calculated to measure impression distortion relative to the positions/angulations of the implants in the definitive cast. Distortion differences between materials and implant intercoping distances were tested using 2-factor ANOVA with an interaction term. A Bonferroni 2-sided test was used (alpha=.05)., Results: No significant difference was found between the impression materials for parallelism (P=.91) and concentricity (P=.85). For perpendicularity, the silicone material had an average of 0.643 degrees less distortion (P=.004). With respect to intercoping distances, no significant differences were found for perpendicularity (P=.234), parallelism (P=.114), or concentricity (P=.346). An interaction term for material and coping distance was not significant., Conclusions: Hydrophilic addition silicone and polyether impression materials have similar distortion effects for transfer procedures when using the direct impression technique and machine mixing. Silicone demonstrated superiority for perpendicularity distortion, though of a magnitude unlikely to have clinical significance., (Copyright 2010 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Plants of Tagetes erecta L. (marigold) cultivated in vitro in ventilated containers exhibited greater control of leaf water loss and increased survival in the field than plants cultivated in sealed containers. Increased field survival of plants cultivated in ventilated containers was attributed to higher levels of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA). Therefore, ABA was supplied exogenously to plants in sealed or ventilated containers by adding ABA (10(-6), 10(-5), 10(-4) M) to the in vitro culture media in order to evaluate control of leaf water loss, growth and field survival. The addition of 10(-4) M ABA to the culture media in sealed containers produced plants that had similar control of leaf water loss and were morphologically similar to plants cultivated in ventilated containers without the addition of ABA. Field survival of 10(-4) M ABA plants (75%) was increased compared to plants cultivated in sealed containers without ABA (31%), with survival being closer to that of plants cultivated in ventilated containers (90-100%). Plants cultivated with 10(-4) M ABA (sealed and ventilated) also exhibited increased plant vigour and leaf area in the field compared to plants cultivated without ABA. The results suggest that the limited field survival and growth of plants cultured in vitro are related to the limited ABA concentrations they accumulate while in vitro. Consequently, conditions that increase the endogenous ABA concentrations of in vitro plants (like ventilation or ABA addition to the medium) would improve the control of leaf water loss, field survival and plant vigour.

In a period of 15 months (1990-1991) it was carried out 5781 blood cultures in which 180 strains of yeast-like were isolated. 116 of these strains were selected for biochemical classification, cellular and colonial morphology and experimental determination of virulence in mice. Most of the strains were classified as Candida albicans (60%) and the others were C. tropicalis (15.5%); C. guillermondii (10.3%); T. glabrata (6.8%); Rhodotorula rubra (3.4%); Cryptococcus neoformans (2.58%) y C. parapsilosis (0.86%). C. albicans ATCC14053, y C. tropicalis ATCC14056 and T. glabrata ATCC15545 were employed as controls. The virulence test was performed using mice of 20-30 gr (4-6 weeks age) by intravenous injection in caudal vein with 0.5 ml of different suspension from 10(5) to 10(9) CFU/ml. Observation time was 10 days. Target organ was kidney by macro and microscopic observation of micro-abscess death. LD50 was estimated by the Reed-muench method. Intraspecific and interspecific differences were observed. It is more valid if we take into account that the experiment was done in homogenous population of host without risk factor which influences the human population in hospitals. Experimental virulence was compared with the evolution of diseases in the human host of which the strain was isolated.