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Purpose: This study evaluated the inflammatory reaction caused by the implantation of iodoform and calcium hydroxide in the back of rats. These drugs may be used as intracanal dressings to eliminate residual bacteria of the root canal system. Methods: Twenty albinic rats (Rattus norvegicus, var Wistar) were divided into four groups: control group 1 (CG1) had normal skin; control group 2 (CG2) had wounded tissue without drugs; in groups 3 and 4, iodoform (IG) and calcium hydroxide (CHG) were inserted into the wounds, respectively. After 3, 5 and 11 days, slices of the implanted areas were macroscopically and microscopically observed regarding to their qualitative and quantitative aspects. Results: In the macroscopical analysis, the CHG showed a large area of necrosis and swelling, which progressively decreased; in the IG the presence of iodoform surrounded by normal tissue was observed. The qualitative and quantitative histological analysis showed that IG promoted a shorter delay in the inflammatory response than the CHG. Conclusion: The inflammatory reaction for iodoform had a peak period five days after the drug insertion. By comparison, calcium hydroxide showed a very large area of necrosis that could only be partially eliminated after eleven days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employed organic sulfur markers (S-markers) associated with geochemistry parameters to evaluate the paleoenvironment of different depositional settings in 24 samples collected in vertical sections of outcrops of the Candeias and Barreirinha Formations in Recôncavo and Amazon basins, respectively. A total of twenty-one S-markers from benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT), and benzonaphtothiophenes (BNT) classes were optimized and quantified by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). S-markers efficiently evaluated and differentiated the depositional paleoenvironment in the source rocks based on the individual compound, in cross-validation with saturated biomarkers, and associated with parameters such as total organic carbon (TOC) and Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Samples from the lacustrine environment presented low concentrations of BT, DBT, and BNT, and samples from the marine environment showed high BT, DBT, and BNT concentrations. The variations in ∑DBT and TOC indicated that the quantity and/or the type of organic matter exert some control over the distribution of DBTs. Although the formations are from different paleoenvironments, the organic matter input was similar, as indicated by high proportions of 1,2-BNT and 2,1-BNT relative to 2,3-BNT, thus characterizing the algal input with a microbial contribution for both sites. The sum of the BNTs was directly related to the amounts of amorphous organic matter (AOM) in the vertical distribution of outcrops. These results are in accordance with the finding that BNTs may originate from the microbial activity. The DBT/Phen vs pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) relationship attested to differences in the redox conditions of the depositional paleoenvironments of the formations under study. The 4,6-DMDBT/2,4,6-TMDBT and 2,4,6-TMDBT/(2,4,7 + 2,4,8)-TMDBT ratios indicated immaturity for hydrocarbon generation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Context: Ectopic fat depots are related to the deregulation of energy homeostasis, leading to diseases related to obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Despite significant changes in body composition over women's lifespans, little is known about the role of breast adipose tissue (BrAT) and its possible utilization as an ectopic fat depot in women of different menopausal statuses., Objective: We aimed to assess the relationship between BrAT and metabolic glycemic and lipid profiles and body composition parameters in adult women., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled adult women undergoing routine mammograms and performed history and physical examination, body composition assessment, semi-automated assessment of breast adiposity (BA) from mammograms, and fasting blood collection for biochemical analysis. Correlations and multivariate regression analysis were used to examine associations of BA with metabolic and body composition parameters., Results: Of the 101 participants included in the final analysis, 76.2% were in menopause, and 23.8% were in premenopause. The BA was positively related with fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat when adjusted for age among women in postmenopause. Also, the BA was an independent predictor of hyperglycemia and MetS. These associations were not present among women in premenopause., Conclusion: The BA was related to different adverse body composition and metabolic factors in women in postmenopause. The results suggest that there might be a relevant BrAT endocrine role during menopause, with mechanisms yet to be clarified, thus opening up research perspectives on the subject and potential clinical implications., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In this study, chromatographic methods were first optimized to ensure the robustness of the identification and quantification of nitrogen markers and biomarkers. Then, the optimal conditions were applied to 14 crude oil samples deposited in distinct paleoenvironments from Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia to perform an integrated geochemical assessment. Analytical standards, certified reference material, and retention indices were used to confirm the identification of biomarkers and N-markers. The results of geochemical interpretations based on unresolved complex mixture (UCM), pristane/ n -heptadecane (Pr/ n -C 17 ), and phytane/ n -octadecane (Ph/ n -C 18 ) ratios and concentrations of carbazole and benzo[ b ]carbazole indicated that all oils are not biodegraded. The Pr/ n -C 17 , Ph/ n -C 18 , and Pr/Ph ratios showed that the organic matter that generated the oils from Brazil and Venezuela was deposited under anoxic conditions and Colombia oil reached dysoxic conditions. Some samples present a greater abundance of low- to high-molecular-mass n -alkanes, indicating freshwater lakes' organic matter (Brazil oils). In contrast, other samples showed a lower abundance of high-mass n -alkanes, suggesting marine and saline lake origins (Colombia and Venezuela oils). The tricyclic/hopane ratio, the ternary diagrams using 1-methylcarbazole, 2-methylcarbazole, and 4-methylcarbazole, and regular steranes C 27 , C 28 , and C 29 suggested a contribution of algae to the formation of kerogen present in the source rocks of all petroleum samples. The high concentrations of carbazole in oils generated by marine organic matter confirm the more positive δ 13 C values compared with those generated by lake organic matter (Brazil samples). The use of chemometric tools as principal component analysis exhibited a grouping of samples according to the depositional environment using carbazole and tricyclic/hopane ratio. The integration of all parameters analyzed provides a guide for refined interpretations and differentiation of oils according to their depositional environments., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) encompass a wide variety of organic analytes that have mutagenic and carcinogenic potentials for human health and are recalcitrant in the environment. Evaluating PACs levels in fuel (e.g., gasoline and diesel), food (e.g., grilled meat, fish, powdered milk, fruits, honey, and coffee) and environmental (e.g., industrial effluents, water, wastewater and marine organisms) samples are critical to determine the risk that these chemicals pose. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have garnered significant attention in recent years as a green alternative to traditional organic solvents employed in sample preparation. DES are biodegradable, have low toxicities, ease of synthesis, low cost, and a remarkable ability to extract PACs. However, no comprehensive assessment of the use of DESs for extracting PACs from fuel, food and environmental samples has been performed. This review focused on research involving the utilization of DESs to extract PACs in matrices such as PAHs in environmental samples, NSO-HET in fuels, and bisphenols in foods. Chromatographic methods, such as gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were also revised, considering the sensibility to quantify these compound types. In addition, the characteristics of DES and advantages and limitations for PACs in the context of green analytical chemistry principles (GAC) and green profile based on metrics provide perspective and directions for future development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To describe independent factors related to the interaction of FTO rs9939609, TMEM18 rs6548238, leptin, and adiponectin in children/adolescents with asthma, under the influence of obesity., Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional study with 57 children/adolescents, ages 8-19 years, at a tertiary hospital, from 2017 to 2018. Participants were classified by nutritional status, performed spirometry with a bronchodilator test and completed an asthma questionnaire, higher scores indicated more asthma symptoms. Two asthma groups were formed: Group 1(G1)-normal-weight; Group 2(G2)-overweight/obese. Serum was collected for adipokines (n = 32) and genetic polymorphisms (n = 53) dosages., Results: Age and body mass index (BMI) correlated directly in normal-weight (p = 0.009) and obese participants (p = 0.004). Girls reported more asthma complaints (p = 0.044). Participants with negative bronchodilator responses presented lower BMI (14.55-17.16) than responders (19.4-26.84) (p = 0.049). Leptin dosages are related directly to BMI (5,34-40 ng/ml in obese × 0,54-42 ng/ml in nonobese) (p = 0.003). Levels were high in girls (4.78-17.55 µg/ml) (p = 0.029) and low in nonobese boys (0.54-6.92 µg/ml) (p = 0.006). In obese, low leptin levels (< 10 ng/ml) were found in small airway dysfunction carriers (p = 0.025); elevated adiponectin (> 5 µg/ml) correlated with FEV1/FVC > 80 % (p = 0.035) and positive bronchodilator tests (8.84-13 µg/ml) (p = 0.039); and FTO A allele correlated with low adiponectin 0-8.84 µg/ml (p = 0.021) and low FEV1/FVC (46 %-88 %) (p = 0.023)., Conclusion: BMI correlated directly with age and leptin levels. Obese participants presented high serum levels of leptin and FTO A allele correlated with low FEV1/FVC. Larger cohorts are necessary for better elucidation of the role of adipokines and polymorphisms in the pathophysiology of asthma and obesity., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs), such as benzothiophenes (BT), dibenzothiophenes (DBT) and benzonapthothiophenes (BNT), can be emitted from vehicular traffic and deposited in fine particles matter (PM 2.5 ). The presence of these compounds in PM 2.5 is an environmental concern due to air pollution and its toxic properties. In this study, a green microscale solid-liquid extraction method was developed to determine twenty-three PASHs in PM 2.5 . A simplex-centroid mixture design was applied to optimize the extraction solvent. A full factorial design was used for preliminary evaluation of the factors that influence the extraction process (extraction time, sample size, and solvent volume) and then a Doehlert design for the significant parameters. The optimal extraction conditions based on the experimental design were: sample size, 4.15 cm 2 ; 450 μL of toluene:dichloromethane (80:20,v/v); and extraction duration, 24 min. High sensitivity (LOD < 0.66pg m -3 and LOQ < 2.21 pg m -3 ) and acceptable recovery (82.8-120 %), and precision (RSD 3.6-14.0 %) were obtained. The greenness of the method was demonstrated using the Analytical GREEnness (AGREE) tool. The method was applied for analyzing PASHs in PM 2.5 samples collected in three time intervals per day from years with different sulfur contents in the diesel: S-500 (≤500 ppm sulfur) and S-50 (≤50 ppm sulfur). Fourteen PASHs were quantified with the highest concentrations observed for 2,8-DMDBT and 4,6-DMDBT, which are recalcitrant compounds. The ANOVA test indicated significant differences between sampling periods during the day. The reduction of diesel S-500 to S-50 corresponded to a 28 % decrease in the total sum of PASHs (∑PASHs) evaluated. Spearman's rank correlations allowed for verifying that BTs and DBTs were highly correlated, suggesting that they were derived from similar sources. A weak correlation of 2,1-BNT and 2,3-BNT with BTs and DBTs indicates that these compounds are a chemical proxy for the emission of diesel engines during the combustion process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Emerging polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs) contributes significantly to the health risk associated with inhaling polluted air. However, there is a lack of analytical methods with the needed performance to their determination. This study presents the optimization and validation for the first time of a green microscale extraction procedure for the determination of twenty-one PANHs, including carbazole, indole, and quinolone classes, in particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A simplex-centroid mixture design and full factorial design (2 3 ) were employed to optimize the following extraction parameters: type and volume of solvent, sample size, extraction time, and necessity of a cleanup step. Low limits of detection and quantification (LOD < 0.97 pg m -3 and LOQ < 3.24 pg m -3 , respectively) were obtained in terms of matrix-matched calibration. The accuracy and precision of the method were adequate, with recoveries in three levels between 73 to 120% and intraday and interday relative standard deviations from 2.0 to 12.9% and 7.3 to 18.9%, respectively. The green character of the method was evaluated using the Analytical Greenness (AGREE) tool, where a score of 0.69 was obtained, indicating a great green procedure. The method was applied to PM 2.5 samples collected from sites with different characteristics; the concentrations ranged from 69.3 pg m -3 (2-methylcarbazole) to 11,874 pg m -3 (carbazole) for individual PANHs and from 2306 to 24,530 pg m -3 for ∑21PANHs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering enabled discrimination of the sampling sites according to the PANHs concentrations. The score plots formed two distinct groups, one with samples containing higher concentrations of PANHs, corresponding to sites with a major influence from diesel emissions, and another group with minor PANH contents, corresponding to sites impacted by emissions from urban traffic and industrial activities., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: Asthma and obesity are complex disorders influenced by environmental and genetic factors. We performed an integrative review of genetic polymorphisms and adipokines effects in children and adolescents with asthma and obesity., Data Sources: Articles focused on these issues were collected from SciELO, PubMed, LILACS, Embase and ScienceDirect electronic databases, in 2009-2020 period., Study Selections: 22 articles were selected, including clinical trials, analyses approaches, case-control studies, meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization studies., Results: Leptin concentrations were higher in obesity and asthma. The high value of BMI and Leptin indicated severe asthma. Adiponectin may be reduced in obese children. The high value of BMI and low level of Adiponectin may indicate severe asthma. Some linkage of PRKCA gene, asthma and BMI was observed. FTO T allele rs62048379 was positively associated with overweight/obesity, related to protein and PUFA:SFA ratio intake and influences the choice of more energy-dense foods. FTO rs9939609 effects are more pronounced among children with insufficient vitamin D levels., Conclusion: Leptin may be a potential predictor for asthma control in children. BMI and Adiponectin could have certain predictive value for asthma. FTO gene was related to a higher mean BMI Z-score and accelerated developmental age per allele. Strong genetic heterogeneity influencing on asthma and obesity susceptibilities is evident and related to distinct genetic features. GWAS with childhood obesity in asthma contributed to greater insights, mainly on later childhood. Standardized definitions for asthma and overweight/obesity in studies approaching adipokines and SNPs would provide stronger evidence in deciding the best management.

In this study, a green microscale solid-liquid extraction method using a miniaturized device combined with cleanup via dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction (MSLE-DµSPE) was developed for the determination by gas chromatography-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of n-alkanes in marine sediments. The main factors affecting the performance of this novel method were optimized using multivariate statistical tools. The MSLE-DµSPE method was validated considering the matrix-matched calibration, recovery, detection and quantification limits, ruggedness and accuracy. Under the optimum conditions, the method detection limits for n-alkanes ranged from 0.0051 to 0.0279 mg kg -1 , and the quantification limits ranged from 0.0171 to 0.0930 mg kg -1 . Correlation coefficients (R 2 ) ≥0.99 were obtained for all compounds within the linear region (0.0025-0.200 mg L -1 ). The mean recovery for most n-alkanes ranged from 60.6 to 119%, with intraday and interday relative standard deviation (RSD) <20%. Evaluation of the MSLE-DµSPE method using Analytical Eco-Scale, Green Analytical Procedure (GAPI), and Analytical Greenness (AGREE) assessment metrics demonstrated the green potential of the developed method. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to marine sediment samples and the n-alkanes from C 12 to C 40 were detected with total concentrations in the range of 0.98-7.61 mg kg -1 . This study represents the first application of a green microscale procedure to the analysis of n-alkanes in marine sediments., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Schinus essential oils were tentatively identified by GC×GC/TOFMS, which revealed a greater number of compounds than previously reported. Eighty-six, seventy-two, and eighty-eight components were identified in Schinus lentiscifolius, Schinus molle and Schinus terebinthifolius essential oils, respectively. Compound separation due to 2 D selectivity was observed. Phytotoxic effects of Schinus essential oils were assessed on germination and initial growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. All essential oils in all tested quantities (5 μL, 10 μL, 15 μL, 20 μL, and 25 μL) affected germination rate, speed of accumulated germination, and root and shoot length of A. thaliana. Considering the mode of action of the essential oils, no differences were observed on expression of the genes ANP1 and CDK B1;1 in A. thaliana, which was analyzed by RT-qPCR. Results suggest that phytotoxic effects of Schinus essential oils seem to be explained by cellular damage rather than by induction of stress-inducible genes., (© 2022 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

This paper describes a novel method based on an ultrasound-assisted extraction microscale device (UAE-MSD) for the rapid and simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASH) in marine sediments. Solvent extraction conditions were optimized by applying a simplex-centroid mixture design. Optimum conditions were used to validate and determine the concentrations of 17 PAH and 7 PASH. The best conditions were obtained by extracting sediments with 500 µL of DCM:MeOH (65:35, v:v) over 23 min of sonication. Analytes were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in selective ion monitoring (GC-MS/SIM). Matrix effects were evaluated, and matrix-matched calibration was used for quantitation. Analytical method validation was carried out using the certified reference material NIST SRM 1941b, as well as sediment spiked with PASH at three concentration levels. Recoveries ranged between 70.0 ± 3.5% and 119 ± 9.1% for PAH and 80.6 ± 10.4% and 120 ± 10% for PASH. Linearity (R 2 ) was ≥0.99 for all compounds. Method detection limits ranged from 8.8 to 30.2 ng g -1 , while limits of quantification ranged from 29.4 to 1011 ng g -1 . UAE-MSD was applied to marine sediments exposed to different anthropogenic impacts collected in Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil. PAH concentrations ranged from -1 , while PASH levels were -1 . Dibenzothiophene was the compound presented in the highest concentration in all samples, with values up to 249 ng g -1 . The results indicated contributions of pyrogenic sources from all compounds. The developed method can potentially be applied to extract trace levels of compounds in different solid matrices to minimize extraction time and solvent consumption., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Rivaroxaban (RXB), an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor, presents innovative therapeutic profile. However, RXB has shown adverse effects, mainly due to pharmacokinetic limitations, highlighting the importance of developing more effective formulations. Therefore, this work aims at the preparation, physicochemical characterization and in vitro evaluation of time-dependent anticoagulant activity and toxicology profile of RXB-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/poloxamer nanoparticles (RXBNps). RXBNp were produced by nanoprecipitation method and physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. In vitro analysis of time-dependent anticoagulant activity was performed by prothrombin time test and toxicological profile was assessed by hemolysis and MTT reduction assays. The developed RXBNp present spherical morphology with average diameter of 205.5 ± 16.95 nm (PdI 0.096 ± 0.04), negative zeta potential (-26.28 ± 0.77 mV), entrapment efficiency of 91.35 ± 2.40%, yield of 41.81 ± 1.68% and 3.72 ± 0.07% of drug loading. Drug release was characterized by an initial fast release followed by a sustained release with 28.34 ± 2.82% of RXB available in 72 h. RXBNp showed an expressive time-dependent anticoagulant activity in human and rat blood plasma and non-toxic profile. Based on the results presented, it is possible to consider that RXBNp may be able to assist in the development of promising new therapies for treatment of thrombotic disorders.

The present study compared the short-term effects of a diesel oil spill on the strucure and function of nematode and macrobenthic assemblages between tidal flats with different history of exposure to oil perturbation. A manipulative field experiment was conducted, where oil exposed treatments were contrasted with controls, during four successive times, two before and two after the oil spills. During the oil spill the death and the presence of diverse debilitated macrofaunal organisms were observed in the oil treatments. However, 24 h later no significant changes were identified, suggesting that the impacted plots were quickly recolonized. Nematode assemblages showed a decrease in overall density and an increase of r-strategist traits such as non-selective deposit feeders and colonizers at perturbed treatments from one of the historically non-perturbed tidal flats. We discuss the mechanisms responsible by distinctive patterns of response observed between the two benthic components., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by a protozoa parasite from one of over 20 Leishmania species. Depending on the tissues infected, these diseases are classified as cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. For the treatment of leishmaniasis refractory to antimony-based drugs, pentamidine (PTM) is a molecule of great interest. However, PTM displays poor bioavailability through oral routes due to its two strongly basic amidine moieties, which restricts its administration by a parenteral route and limits its clinical use. Among various approaches, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems (nano-DDS) have potential to overcome the challenges associated with PTM oral administration. Here, we present the development of PTM-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) with a focus on the characterization of their physicochemical properties and potential application as an oral treatment of leishmaniasis. NPs were prepared by a double emulsion methodology. The physicochemical properties were characterized through the mean particle size, polydispersity index (PdI), zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, yield process, drug loading, morphology, in vitro drug release and in vivo pharmacological activity. The PTM-loaded PLGA NPs presented with a size of 263 ± 5 nm (PdI = 0.17 ± 0.02), an almost neutral charge (-3.2 ± 0.8 mV) and an efficiency for PTM entrapment of 91.5%. The release profile, based on PTM dissolution, could be best described by a zero-order model, followed by a drug diffusion profile that fit to the Higuchi model. In addition, in vivo assay showed the efficacy of orally given PTM-loaded PLGA NPs (0.4 mg kg -1 ) in infected BALB/c mice, with significant reduction of organ weight and parasite load in spleen (p-value < 0.05). This work successfully reported the oral use of PTM-loaded NPs, with a high potential for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, opening a new perspective to utilization of this drug in clinical practice.

The present review reports, for the first time, various comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) applications for different fossil fuel matrices (crude oil, heavy gas oil (HGO), light and middle distillates, coal and shale oil) for the determination of nitrogen-containing compounds. The focus is on the various types of detectors (universal and specific), and their applicability for the separation and speciation of nitrogen compounds (N-compounds) was evaluated. The capability of GC×GC to provide additional chemically specific information using different detector types, including a flame ionization detector (FID), a nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCD), a nitrogen-phosphorus (NPD) detector and detectors in combination with mass spectrometry (MS), is described. The coelutions (detection by MS) for various N-compounds, analytes and components of other classes, such as those that are oxygenates and hydrocarbons, are discussed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the performance of partial-mouth periodontal examination (PMPE) protocols with different cut-off points to the full-mouth examination (FME) in the assessment of the prevalence and extent of gingival bleeding in adolescents., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 12-year-old adolescents. Following a systematic two-stage cluster sampling process, 1134 individuals were evaluated. Different PMPE protocols were compared to the FME with six sites per tooth. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the ROC curve (AUC), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), relative and absolute biases and the inflation factor were assessed for each PMPE protocol with different cut-off points for the severity of gingival bleeding., Results: The highest AUC values were found for the six-site two-diagonal quadrant (2-4) (0.97), six-site random half-mouth (0.95) and Community Periodontal Index (0.95) protocols. The assessment of three sites [mesiobuccal (MB), buccal (B) and distolingual (DL)] in two diagonal quadrants and the random half-mouth protocol had higher sensitivity and lower specificity than the same protocols with distobuccal (DB) sites. However, the use of DB sites led to better specificity and improved the balance between sensitivity and specificity, except for the two-diagonal quadrant (1-3) protocol. The ≥1 cut-off point led to the most discrepant results from the FME., Conclusion: Six-site two-diagonal quadrant (2-4) and random half-mouth assessments perform better in the evaluation of gingival bleeding in adolescents. However, when a faster protocol is needed, a two-diagonal quadrant assessment using only MB, B and DL sites can be used with no important loss of information., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer, and bone is one of the most frequent sites of metastasis. However, there is no published evidence regarding an association between lung cancer histology and skeletal complications. Therefore, we evaluated the influence of lung cancer histology on the frequency of bone metastases (BMs), skeletal-related events (SREs), and survival after BM., Material and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated medical records from 413 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer between 2003 and 2012. The prevalences of BMs and SREs were calculated, and their associations with the histological subtypes were evaluated using the chi-square test, odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Overall survivals and associations with the histological subtypes were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test., Results: The prevalences of BM, synchronous BM, and SREs were 28.2%, 70.4%, and 68.7%, respectively. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological subtype (46.7%), and was significantly more frequent among patients with BM (58.3% vs. 42.1%; p=0.003; OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29-2.97). Squamous cell was significantly less frequent among patients with BM (13.0% vs. 29.8%; p=0.0004; OR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.19-0.64). The median survival time after the first BM diagnosis was 4 months, and there was no significant difference in the survival periods for the various histological subtypes., Conclusion: Adenocarcinoma and squamous cell were significantly associated with higher and lower risks of developing BM, respectively., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the association between physical intimate partner violence and household food security within households with schoolchildren., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Salvador, Bahia, north-eastern Brazil., Subjects: The study was conducted in 1019 households with students. Violence between couples was evaluated using the Portuguese version of the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), previously adapted and validated for use in Brazil. The Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale (BFIS) was used to identify food insecurity. We also obtained socio-economic information for each participant. We used multivariate Poisson regression to assess the associations of interest., Results: According to the results of the BFIS, 62·5% of the households were found to experience food insecurity, including 19·5% moderate food insecurity and 6·5% severe food insecurity. The prevalence of minor physical violence was 9·6% (95% CI 7·8, 11·4%) and of severe physical violence was 4·7% (95% CI 3·4, 6·0%) among the couples. In the final multivariate model, it was found that couples reporting minor (prevalence ratio=1·23; 95% CI 1·12, 1·35) and severe (prevalence ratio=1·16; 95% CI 1·00, 1·34) physical violence were more likely to be experiencing household food insecurity, compared with those not reporting physical violence., Conclusions: Physical intimate partner violence was associated with food insecurity of households. The present study brings new data to the subject of the role of violence in the context of food insecurity.

Objective: This study identifies the risk factors for extreme weight-control behaviors among adolescents in public school in Salvador, northeastern Brazil., Methods: A case-control study nested to a cross-sectional study, including 252 adolescents of both sexes, age between 11 to 17 years, with 84 cases and 168 age-matched controls was conducted. The variable outcome is represented by extreme weight-control behaviors, integrated by following the variables: self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills. Covariables included body image dissatisfaction, dieting, prolonged fasting, and self-perception of body weight. The study also investigated the demographic and anthropometric variables and economic conditions of the students' families. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for the adoption of extreme weight-control behaviors among adolescents., Results: Among the adolescents investigated, the conditional logistic regression explained 22% the occurrence of extreme weight-control behaviors and showed that these behaviors were positively associated to overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 3.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-9.17), body image dissatisfaction (OR = 3.87; 95% CI, 1.75-8.54), and the adoption of a restrictive diet (OR = 2.83; 95% CI, 1.16-6.91)., Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that among adolescents, overweight, body image dissatisfaction, and restrictive diet are important risk factors to adoption of extreme weight-control behaviors.

Although several methods for the analysis of nitrogen compounds in diesel fuel have been described in the literature, the demand for rapid, sensitive, and robust analyses has increased in recent years. In this study, a comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic method was developed for the identification and quantification of nitrogen compounds in diesel fuel samples. The quantification was performed using the standard addition method and the analysis was conducted using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with fast quadrupole mass spectrometry. This study is the first to report quantification of nitrogen compounds in diesel fuel samples using the standard addition method without fractionation. This type of analysis was previously performed using many laborious separation steps, which can lead to errors and losses. The proposed method shows good linearity for target nitrogen compounds evaluated (m-toluidine, 4-ethylaniline, indole, 7-methylindole, 7-ethylindole, carbazole, isoquinoline, 4-methylquinoline, benzo[h]quinolone, and acridine) over a range from 0.05 to 2.0 mg/L, and limits of detection and quantification of <0.06 and 0.16 mg/L, respectively, for all nitrogen compounds studied., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Aim: To evaluate, using micro-computed tomography, the preparation of long-oval root canals using a single reciprocating system versus a multiple-file rotary system., Methodology: Distal canals of thirty mandibular molars were selected and randomly assigned to one of two instrument groups (n = 15): Reciproc 40 (VDW, Munich, Germany) or BioRaCe system (FKG Dentaire, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland). The teeth were scanned before and after preparation of the canal by a SkyScan 1172 micro-computed tomography scanner at 11-μm resolution. Morphometric variations were measured by volume increases and by the remaining untreated canal surface area in the entire canal and as well as in each third of the canal. Data were compared using the Mann-Whitney test., Results: The Reciproc system left significantly more areas untouched (P < 0.001) in the cervical and middle thirds (18.14% and 21.82%) as compared to BioRaCe (8.14% and 11.35%). The Reciproc system had the greatest increase in volume of both the entire canal and the apical third (P < 0.5)., Conclusions: Neither technique was able to completely prepare the outline of long-oval canals. The Reciproc system removed more tooth structure. The BioRaCe left fewer untouched dentine walls in the more coronal thirds of the canal, whilst Reciproc left fewer in the apical third., (© 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The present research is focused on the development of a flow-modulated comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (FM GC × GC-MS/MS) method for the determination of classes of aromatic organic sulphur compounds (benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, and benzonaphthothiophene) in heavy gas oil (HGO). The MS/MS instrument was used to provide both full-scan and multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) data. Linear retention index (LRI) ranges were used to define the MRM windows for each chemical class. Calibration solutions (internal standard: 1-fluoronaphthalene) were prepared by using an HGO sample, depleted of S compounds. Calibration information was also derived for the thiophene class (along with MRM and LRI data), even though such constituents were not present in the HGO. Linearity was satisfactory over the analyzed concentration range (1-100 mg/L); intra-day precision for the lowest calibration point was always below 17%. Accuracy was also satisfactory, with a maximum percentage error of 3.5% (absolute value) found among the S classes subjected to (semi-)quantification. The highest limit of quantification was calculated to be 299 μg/L (for the C1-benzothiophene class), while the lowest was 21 μg/L (for the C4-benzothiophene class)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to identify the seroprevalence of celiac disease in adolescents from public schools in the city of Salvador, Bahia., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with probabilistic sample of 1,213 adolescents, aged 11 to 17 years old, of both genders. The body mass index was used to determine the participants' nutritional status based on the percentiles for age and gender recommended by the World Health Organization. Measurement of the anti-human transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (anti-tTG-IgA) antibody was established as the specific screening test for celiac disease, which involved an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Descriptive analysis was performed using proportions and means (standard deviation)., Results: The female gender prevailed in the sample, and most of the participants had normal weights. The anti-tTG-IgA antibody was positive in 6/1,213 (0.49%) adolescents., Conclusion: The seroprevalence of celiac disease was 0.49% in the investigated adolescents. Further studies are necessary to establish the prevalence of celiac disease in this age range.

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC/TOFMS) has shown great skill in analyzing complex mixtures such as fossil fuels, especially for compounds at low concentrations. The analysis of N-polyaromatic compounds (NPAC) in coal and crude oil is a great challenge for analytical chemistry due to its environmental and technological importance, and also its diversity of concentration in the matrix. This study is the first report in the applicability of GC×GC/TOFMS for detection of NPAC in a coal tar sample with no fractionation. Normally these compounds are analyzed after sample treatment, making the process expensive and time consuming. However, the higher separation power of GC×GC/TOFMS, compared to 1D-GC, produces cleaner mass spectra in complex samples, which helps in identification of analytes with no pre-fractionation. In this paper, the main objectives were to demonstrate the applicability of GC×GC/TOFMS in the speciation and separation between basic and neutral NPAC from coal tar sample derived from fast pyrolysis, without prior sample fractionation. The methodology used here consisted of chromatographic injection of the diluted sample using a conventional columns set and data analysis by ChromaTOF/Excel™ software. Some basic compounds (pyridines and quinolines) and neutral ones (carbazoles and indoles) were detected with good chromatographic separation and spectral similarity. Tools like spectral deconvolution, extracted ion chromatogram (EIC) and dispersion graphics allowed greater security on the identification and separation of NPAC in this complex sample of coal tar, with no pre-treatment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Different single-file systems are available for endodontic treatment; however, comparative studies are scarce. Thus, the present study evaluated bacterial reduction promoted by 2 single-file systems: Wave One (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and One Shape (Micromega, Besancon, France)., Methods: Forty-five distobuccal root canals of upper molars sterilized with ethylene oxide were infected with Enterococcus faecalis for 21 days, and then root canal initial bacterial sample was collected with paper cones and plated on M-enterococcus agar. The specimens were randomly divided into 3 groups according to instrumentation (n = 15): Wave One, One Shape, and the crown-down manual technique (control group). The other 6 specimens without contamination were control asepsis. After instrumentation, samples were collected with the use of scraping and paper cones. The bacterial reduction was calculated, and then intragroup analysis was performed using the paired t test and intergroup analysis using analysis of variance (both at 5% significance)., Results: All techniques significantly reduced the number of bacteria in the root canal (P < .05), with no significant difference between them (P > .05). The aseptic control group did not show any bacterial growth., Conclusions: It can be concluded that the single-file systems Wave One and One Shape significantly reduce the bacterial number in the root canal and that there is no significant difference in their bacterial reduction abilities., (Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a desensitizing gel for topical and home use for the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity (DH) by means of a 3-arm parallel, randomized, double blind clinical trial., Methods: 107 participants were allocated to three groups: placebo gel (PG), test gel (TG) (5% sodium fluoride, 5% potassium oxalate, 10% strontium chloride) and 2% sodium fluoride gel (FG). DH measurement was performed by a single blind examiner by means of the visual analog scale (VAS) after tactile (blunt tipped probe), thermal (air blast) and osmotic (water blast) stimulus at time intervals of baseline, 7, 15 and 30 days., Results: The greatest reductions in DH were observed for the TG, with significant differences for FG in the thermal (Δ = -56 vs -30) and osmotic stimuli (Δ = -44 vs -18). Considering the percentage of participants with moderate/severe pain at 30 days, the TG demonstrated the lowest percentages, with significant differences in comparison with the other groups in thermal and osmotic stimuli. We can conclude that the test gel showed a greater reduction in DH than fluoride 2% and placebo gel, and maybe a treatment option for individuals with DH.

Background: Heparanase is the only known mammalian glycosidase capable of cleaving heparan sulfate chains. The expression of this enzyme has been associated with tumor development because of its ability to degrade extracellular matrix and promote cell invasion., Methods: We analyzed heparanase expression in lung cancer samples to understand lung tumor progression and malignancy. Of the samples from 37 patients, there were 14 adenocarcinomas, 13 squamous cell carcinomas, 5 large cell carcinomas, and 5 small cell carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry was performed to ascertain the expression and localization of heparanase., Results: All of the tumor types expressed heparanase, which was predominantly localized within the cytoplasm and nucleus. Significant enzyme expression was also observed in cells within the tumor microenvironment, such as fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and inflammatory cells. Adenocarcinomas exhibited the strongest heparanase staining intensity and the most widespread heparanase distribution. Squamous cell carcinomas, large cell carcinomas, and small cell carcinomas had a similar subcellular distribution of heparanase to adenocarcinomas but the distribution was less widespread. Heparanase expression tended to correlate with tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging in non-small cell lung carcinoma., Conclusion: In this study, we showed that heparanase was localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus of tumor cells and to cells within the microenvironment in different types of lung cancer. This enzyme exhibited a differential distribution based on the type of lung tumor. General significance Elucidating the heparanase expression patterns in different types of lung cancer increased our understanding of the crucial role of heparanase in lung cancer biology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Matrix-mediated cell behaviour and properties., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This paper starts from the reflection that although the National Policy for Primary Health Care does not define the nurse as the coordinator of Family Health Units, USF very often this professional ends up by taking over this position due to several factors that compose nursing practices. It aimed at analyzing the nurses'coordination of Family Health Units beginning from a descriptive analysis with qualitative approach. The study was carried out with eight nurses from the Primary Health Care network of Porto Alegre-RS through semi-structured interview while the observations were registered in a field diary. The findings were organized from the following categories: coordination activities; potentials before the coordination process; difficulties before the coordination process. In addition, they evidenced a double setting of challenges and qualities that compose the job of coordination nurses. This paper took over old challenges and discussed new perspectives of looking into the primary care work.

Aim: To compare the bacterial reduction achieved with reciprocating and rotary systems during root canal preparation., Methodology: Sixty distobuccal root canals of maxillary molars were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis broth culture. After an incubation period of 21 days, bacterial samples were collected and cultured on m-Enterococcus agar plates. The root canals were divided into five groups, according to the system used for instrumentation: WaveOne, Reciproc, ProTaper, Mtwo and manual instrumentation. The negative controls consisted of five uncontaminated root canals that were subjected to the same instrumentations as each of the experimental groups. Bacterial samples were collected immediately and 7 days after instrumentation. Statistical analysis was performed by paired t-tests and anova tests., Results: Compared with the samples before instrumentation, the bacterial count was significantly reduced after instrumentation in all groups, with no significant difference in bacterial count reduction amongst the reciprocating, rotary and manual techniques. However, the samples tested 7 days after instrumentation showed significantly higher bacterial counts than the samples tested immediately after instrumentation., Conclusions: All systems tested reduced bacterial counts to a similar level., (© 2013 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To evaluate the inflammatory response in dental pulps of rat incisors subjected to tooth bleaching protocols with different HP concentrations and application times., Methods: 42 incisors from Wistar rats were submitted to tooth bleaching using concentrations of 25% or 35% HP for treatment times of 15, 30 or 45 minutes. Four non-bleached teeth were used as controls. The animals received an intravenous injection of India ink immediately after the bleaching procedure and were sacrificed 1 hour later. Six bleached teeth from each group and three controls were made transparent, and one sample from each group was processed for histological analysis. The data were statistically analyzed using Kruskal Wallis and Dunn's tests (P < 0.05)., Results: The amount of dental pulp ink content was significantly higher in the samples that were bleached with 35% HP for 30 minutes and with both HP concentrations (25 and 35%) for 45 minutes than in the controls. For the samples bleached with the same HP concentration, the ink content was higher in samples that were bleached for 45 minutes. These results indicate that HP tooth bleaching can induce an increase in vascular permeability in rat incisors. Importantly, this increase is more dependent on the length of the bleaching procedure than on the concentration of the bleaching agent.

This work studied fast pyrolysis as a way to use the residual fiber obtained from the shells of coconut ( Cocos nucifera L. var. Dwarf, from Aracaju, northeastern Brazil). The bio-oil produced by fast pyrolysis and the aqueous phase (formed during the pyrolysis) were characterized by GC/qMS and GC×GC/TOF-MS. Many oxygenated compounds such as phenols, aldehydes, and ketones were identified in the extracts obtained in both phases, with a high predominance of phenolic compounds, mainly alkylphenols. Eighty-one compounds were identified in the bio-oil and 42 in the aqueous phase using GC/qMS, and 95 and 68 in the same samples were identified by GC×GC/TOF-MS. The better performance of GC×GC/TOF-MS was due to the possibility of resolving some coeluted peaks in the one-dimension gas chromatography. Semiquantitative analysis of the samples verified that 59% of the area on the chromatogram of bio-oil is composed by phenols and 12% by aldehydes, mainly furfural. Using the same criterion, 77% of the organic compounds in the aqueous phase are phenols. Therefore, this preliminary assessment indicates that coconut fibers have the potential to be a cost-effective and promising alternative to obtain new products and minimize environmental impact.

Separation of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles among themselves and also from interferents in petrochemical matrices is a challenging task because of their low concentration, matrix complexity, and also due to the presence of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, as they present similar physico-chemical properties. Therefore, the objective of this work was preparation, characterization, and application of a stationary phase for separation of these compounds in a heavy gas oil sample and their identification by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography. The stationary phase was prepared by grafting mercaptopropyltrimethoxisilane onto a silica surface, followed by palladium(II) chloride immobilization. Elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, infrared analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize this solid phase. Sulfur compounds were separated in an open column packed with the stationary phase and analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection. The number of compounds tentatively identified was 314 and their classes were thiophenes, benzotiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, naphthothiophenes, benzonaphthothiophenes, and dinaphthothiophenes. Separation among sulfur compounds and polyaromatic hydrocarbons was successful, which is a difficult goal to achieve with the traditionally employed solid phases. Some recalcitrant compounds (dibenzothiophenes with substituents of two and four carbons) were fully separated and tentatively identified., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To identify the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and associated factors among students in Salvador, Brazil., Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a random sample of 1,494 (852 girls and 642 boys) adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age who were students in the public schools in Salvador, Brazil. Participants completed the Body Shape Questionnaire and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Body image was characterized as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. We obtained demographic, anthropometric and economic information and information regarding the stage of maturation, self-perception of body weight, and consumption of sweetened beverages and diet soft drinks. To identify associated factors we used Poisson regression analysis., Results: Body image dissatisfaction was present in 19.5% of the adolescents, with a prevalence of 26.6% among the girls and 10% among the boys. Independent of sex, the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was higher among adolescents who were overweight or obese (girls, PR: 1.38, CI: 1.09-1.73 and boys, PR: 2.26, CI: 1.08-4.75), higher among those who perceived themselves as fat (girls, PR: 2.85, CI: 2.07-3.93 and boys, PR: 3.17, CI: 1.39-7.23), and higher among those who had negative attitudes toward eating (girls, PR: 2.42, CI: 1.91-3.08 and boys, PR: 4.67, CI: 2.85-7.63).. A reduction in body image dissatisfaction was only identified among underweight girls (PR: 0.12, CI: 0.03-0.49)., Conclusions: A high occurrence of body image dissatisfaction was observed among the adolescents, and biological and behavioral factors were associated with this dissatisfaction., (Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Aim: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,477 middle school students enrolled in the public school network in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity., Methods: The sample was determined using a two-stage cluster sampling technique for selecting schools and classes. A posteriori error was estimated. The students were classified as overweight or obese according to the World Health Organization's 2007 classifications. They were also classified according to age, stage of sexual maturity, socioeconomic class and the presence of abdominal obesity., Results: Overall, 9.3% of the students were overweight and 6.4% were obese; therefore, 15.7% of the students were considered to have excess weight (obesity + overweight), at a 95% confidence interval. Abdominal obesity was found in 12.9% of all students and in 13% of those of normal weight. An association was found between excess weight and age < 14 years (p = 0.030) and abdominal obesity (p = 0.001)., Conclusions: Intervention programs should be implemented to prevent and treat obesity in childhood and adolescence. In addition, professionals working with individuals in this age group should be sensitized to this problem. The need to standardize the anthropometric indicators used in the different studies is also emphasized., (Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

The separation of the organic sulfur compounds (OSC) of petroleum or its heavy fractions is a critical step and is essential for the correct characterization of these compounds, especially due to similar physical and chemical properties of polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). This similarity results in coelutions among PAH and PASH and for this reason former steps of fractionation are required before gas chromatographic analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of GC×GC for the separation and identification of OSC in a heavy gas oil sample without fractionation, after pre-fractionation in an alumina column and also after fractionation process. This last one was performed with a modified stationary phase manufactured and characterized in the laboratory, called Pd(II)-MPSG, where palladium is chemically linked to silica through mercaptopropyl groups. The fractions obtained from both procedures were analyzed by GC×GC/TOFMS, which was effective to separate and identify various classes of OSC. A hundred and thirty-five compounds were tentatively identified in the sample that was only pre-fractionated. However, when the fractionation was also performed with the Pd(II)-MPSG phase, a larger number of sulfur compounds were found (317). Results have shown that the analysis of a pre-fractionated sample by GC×GC/TOFMS is suitable when the goal is a general characterization of classes of compounds in the sample, while a more detailed analysis of PASH can be performed, using also the fractionation Pd(II)-MPSG phase. GC×GC/TOFMS played a major role in the comparison of samples obtained from pre-fractionation and fractionation steps due to its high peak capacity, selectivity, organized distribution of chromatographic peaks and resolution., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTW) phenotype, and to evaluate its association with metabolic abnormalities in adolescents of low socioeconomic status., Method: This was a cross-sectional study with a random sample of 1,076 adolescents between 11 and 17 years, of both genders, from public schools. The participants underwent anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and waist circumference), and levels of total cholesterol, low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), non-HDL cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and fasting glucose were measured. Information regarding the socioeconomic status of the participants' families was obtained. The HTW phenotype was defined by the simultaneous presence of increased waist circumference (≥ 90(th) percentile for age and gender) and serum triglyceride levels (≥ 100mg/dL). A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations of interest., Results: The prevalence of HTW phenotype was 7.2% among the adolescents, being higher in the presence of obesity (63.4%) and high levels of non-HDL cholesterol (16.6%) and LDL-C (13.7%). The bivariate analysis indicated that, of the metabolic variables, only blood glucose was not associated with the HTW phenotype. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age and gender indicated that the HTW phenotype was positively associated with high non-HDL cholesterol (odds ratio: 7.0; 95% CI: 3.9-12.6) and low HDL-C levels (odds ratio: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.5-4.8)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the HTW phenotype was associated with an atherogenic lipid profile, and this phenotype is suggested as a screening tool to identify adolescents with metabolic alterations., (Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

This aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different chemical methods to disinfect gutta-percha cones (GP). Eighty-six size 80 GP cones were used. The cones were contaminated by immersion in saliva and Enterococcus faecalis. Four chemical agents were used: 1% sodium hypochlorite (G1), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (G2), 10% povidone iodine (G3) and 0.9% saline solution (G4). GP cones were immersed in the solutions for periods of 1 and 10 min. After the disinfection procedure, the cones were incubated in blood heart infusion and the presence of bacterial growth was analysed by turbidity of the medium. In G4, bacterial growth was observed in all specimens; G3 showed growth after immersion for 1 min when contaminated with E. faecalis; G1 showed diverse results after the immersion for 1 min. Meanwhile, G1 and G3 after 10 min, and G2 at both times evaluated did not show bacterial growth. The immersion of GP cones in 2% chlorhexidine gluconate for 1 min was an effective method for GP disinfection, while 10% povidone iodine and 1% sodium hypochlorite needed 10 min of immersion to disinfect the GP., (© 2010 The Authors. Australian Endodontic Journal © 2010 Australian Society of Endodontology.)

The determination of organic sulfur compounds (OSC) in coal is of great interest. Technically and operationally these compounds are not easily removed and promote corrosion of equipment. Environmentally, the burning of sulfur compounds leads to the emission of SO(x) gases, which are major contributors to acid rain. Health-wise, it is well known that these compounds have mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Bitumen can be extracted from coal by different techniques, and use of gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometric detection enables identification of compounds present in coal extracts. The OSC from three different bitumens were tentatively identified by use of three different extraction techniques: accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), ultrasonic extraction (UE), and supercritical-fluid extraction (SFE). Results obtained from one-dimensional gas chromatography (1D GC) coupled to quadrupole mass spectrometric detection (GC-qMS) and from two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (GC × GC-TOFMS) were compared. By use of 2D GC, a greater number of OSC were found in ASE bitumen than in SFE and UE bitumens. No OSC were identified with 1D GC-qMS, although some benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes were detected by use of EIM and SIM modes. GC × GC-TOFMS applied to investigation of OSC in bitumens resulted in analytical improvement, as more OSC classes and compounds were identified (thiols, sulfides, thiophenes, naphthothiophenes, benzothiophenes, and benzonaphthothiophenes). The roof-tile effect was observed for OSC and PAH in all bitumens. Several co-elutions among analytes and with matrix interferents were solved by use of GC × GC.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different irrigant agitation techniques on smear layer removal in curved root canals., Methods: Mesiobuccal canals of 62 extracted lower molars with a curvature of 33 degrees were used and instrumented up to ProTaper F2. The samples were divided into 3 experimental groups according to the final irrigation: conventional irrigation, ultrasonic irrigation, and sonic irrigation by using the EndoActivator system. The control group was composed of 2 specimens without any final irrigation. In all of the experimental groups, 5 mL of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was used for 1 minute, and 5 mL of 2.5% NaOCl was used for 30 seconds. The analysis of the apical region was performed via scanning electron microscopy by 3 examiners. The data were submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (P < .05)., Results: The activation systems removed significantly more smear layer than did conventional irrigation., Conclusions: Sonic and ultrasonic irrigation resulted in better removal of the smear layer in the apical third of curved root canals than did conventional irrigation., (Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Coal is a non renewable fossil fuel, used mainly as a source of electrical energy and in the production of coke. It is subjected to thermal treatment, pyrolysis, which produces coke as a main product, in addition to a condensed liquid by-product, called tar. Tar is a complex mixture of organic compounds which contains different chemical classes, presenting aromatic and sulphur heterocyclic compounds. In general, identification of these compounds requires steps of isolation and fractionation, mainly due to co-elution of these compounds with polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The objective of this work is to characterize the sulphur compounds present in the coal tar obtained via pyrolysis, using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detector (GC×GC/TOFMS). Coal samples from the State of Paraná, Brazil were subjected to laboratorial scale pyrolysis. Several experimental conditions were tested, such as sample weight (5, 10 and 15g), heating ramp (10, 25 and 100°C/min) and final temperature (500, 700 and 900°C). Samples were analyzed by one dimensional gas chromatography (1D-GC) coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometry detector (GC/qMS) and two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry detector (GC×GC/TOFMS). The higher amount of sulphur compounds was obtained at a final temperature of 700°C and a heating ramp of 100°C/min. The main classes observed in the color plot were thiophenes, benzothiophenes and alkylated dibenzothiophenes. GC×GC/TOFMS allowed the identification of the greater number of compounds and the separation of several sulphur compounds from one another. Moreover, separation of sulphur compounds from polyaromatic hydrocarbons and phenols was achieved, which was not possible by 1D-GC. Comparing GC×GC/TOFMS and 1D-GC (SIM mode) also showed that 1D-GC, one of the most employed quantification tools for sulphur compounds, can be misleading for detection, identification and quantification, as the number of isomers of sulphur compounds found was greater than theoretically possible., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the bone repair using autogenous periosteum-derived cells (PDC) and bovine anorganic apatite and collagen (HA-COL). PDC from Wistar rats (n=10) were seeded on HA-COL discs and subjected to osteoinduction during 6 days. Critical-size defects in rat calvarias were treated with blood clot (G1), autogenous bone (G2), HA-COL (G3) and HA-COL combined with PDC (G4) (n=40), and then analyzed 1 and 3 months after surgeries. Radiographic analysis exhibited no significant temporal change. G1 and G2 had discrete new marginal bone, but the radiopacity of graft materials in G2, G3 and G4 impaired the detection of osteogenesis. At 3 months, histopathological analysis showed the presence of ossification islets in G1, which was more evident in G2, homogeneous new bone around HA-COL in G3 and heterogeneous new bone around HA-COL in G4 in addition to moderate presence of foreign body cells in G3 and G4. Histomorphometric analysis showed no change in the volume density of xenograft (p>0.05) and bone volume density in G2 was twice greater than in G1 and G4 after 3 months (p<0.05), but similar to G3. The PDC did not increase bone formation in vivo, although the biomaterial alone showed biocompatibility and osteoconduction capacity.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to determine the disinfection of preparations carried out by using the Protaper or MTwo system in canals infected with Enterococcus faecalis., Methods: Twenty-eight distobuccal canals of upper molars were used, in which the canals were sterilized after being enlarged to #20 file and then contaminated with an inoculation of a culture of E. faecalis. After the incubation period, bacterial samples were collected and were seeded on plates for analysis of colony-forming units (CFU)/mL. The teeth were divided into 2 groups according to the rotary system used for instrumentation; 2 noninstrumented teeth served as the control group. Then bacterial samples were collected and were seeded on plates for analysis of CFU/mL again. The data obtained were evaluated by the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests., Results: Bacterial reduction was 81.94% and 84.29%, respectively, in ProTaper and Mtwo systems, and there was no statistically significant difference (P > .05)., Conclusions: Both systems, ProTaper and Mtwo, reduced the amount of bacteria in the mechanical disinfection of the root canal system, demonstrating that they are suitable for this purpose., (Copyright 2010 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

EGFR mutations have been correlated to responsiveness to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These drugs are themselves substrates for ABC transporters. In the present work we describe the immunohistochemical profile of an archival sample from a male Brazilian patient with no Asian ancestry and never smoker, diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. This tumor was found to contain an in-frame hemi- or homozygous deletion, E746-A750 in exon 19 of the EGFR gene. Immunohistochemistry revealed a relatively weak staining for the ABC transporter subfamily ABCC1 and strongly for ABCB1. The cytoplasm stained positively for Bax and the nucleus stained for p53, but was negative for Bcl-2. Antibody against acetylated lysine revealed staining in both, cytoplasm and nucleus of tumor cells in contrast to normal cells which were essentially negative. The overall immunohistochemistry pattern obtained for this sample indicates that the del E746-A750 mutation may have down-regulated the expression of ABCC1. The results also suggest that the NSCLC analyzed displayed a transcriptionally active chromatin as judged by the results obtained with the anti-acetylated lysine antibody.

The aim of this study was to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of iodoform, calcium hydroxide, IKI (iodine potassium iodine) and CFC (ciprofloxacin, Flagyl (metronidazole) and calcium hydroxide) required to kill S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis and B. fragilis. In the experiment, medicaments were added to bacterial species into test tubes, in 10 different concentrations. The MIC was the lowest concentration of the drug at which bacterial growth could not be observed. In this investigation, CFC was the most effective medicament against all bacteria. All drugs were able to eliminate E. faecalis and B. fragilis, while IKI was not effective against S. aureus. IKI and calcium hydroxide were not able to eliminate P. aeruginosa as well.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the efficacy of 24% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) gel and 17% EDTA solution in cleaning dentine walls after root canal instrumentation. Thirty human canine teeth were divided into three groups of 10 teeth each. In Group 1, 1% sodium hypochlorite was used as the irrigating solution; in Group 2, 1% sodium hypochlorite was used with 17% EDTA solution; and in Group 3, 1% sodium hypochlorite was used with 24% EDTA gel. The presence of a smear layer was analysed after instrumentation using scanning electron microscopy. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a statistical difference (P < 0.05) between Groups 1 and 2, and also between Groups 1 and 3. No difference was observed between Groups 2 and 3 (P > 0.05). The results indicate that 1% sodium hypochlorite alone does not remove the smear layer and that there was no statistical difference between EDTA gel and EDTA solution in smear layer removal.

This study reports the reliability and validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of QLQ-LC13. After translation and cross-cultural adaptation, the questionnaire was administered, together with the QLQ-C30 core questionnaire, to 82 patients with lung cancer. The analysis was based on 60 patients who completed two interviews, and who received chemotherapy alone or in combination with radiotherapy. The reliability or internal consistency of dyspnea scale was 0.79. The pain scale needed to be combined with the QLQ-C30 pain items to reach a satisfactory value of 0.73. The construct validity was supported by the ability of the questionnaire to discriminate patients regarding their performance status and type of treatment. However, the change over time, although in the expected direction for all items, was statistically significant in four of the 10 items studied. The criterion-related validity was supported by the statistically significant correlation between all four side effect items and the physicians' reports of toxicity, while the evolutive changes in the performance status were statistically significant in only four items. Most psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the QLQ-LC13 were adequately supported in this analysis. However, a wider utilization of this module is necessary to fully ascertain its reliability and validity properties.