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Background: Oral outcomes may have an impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with the impact of fixed appliance orthodontic treatment on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents., Material and Methods: Individuals aged 10 to 18 years undergoing orthodontic treatment were included. Data regarding adolescents' sex and age, parental schooling, family income, and number of individuals who depend on income were collected. Clinical variables, orthodontic tooth extraction and malocclusion severity were also analyzed. OHRQoL was assessed with a questionnaire with items distributed across nine domains: aesthetics, functional limitation, diet, hygiene, maintenance, physical impact, social impact, time constraints, and transport/cost inconveniences. The higher the score, the more negative the adolescent's perception of his/her OHRQoL. Statistical analysis was performed., Results: Seventy-five adolescents participated. Individuals aged ≤12 years had a more negative perception of the diet domain ( p =0.026). Individuals whose parents/guardians had ≥8 years of schooling had a more negative perception of the impact on the hygiene domain ( p <0.024). Individuals whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries had a more negative perception of the maintenance domain ( p =0.016). Girls had a more negative perception of the physical impact domain ( p <0.018). Girls ( p =0.011), adolescents whose families had an income of ≤2 salaries ( p =0.003), and adolescents who had severe malocclusion ( p =0.026) had a more negative perception of the transport/cost inconveniences domain. Girls had a significantly higher overall score in response to the questionnaire than boys ( p =0.041)., Conclusions: Adolescents' sex, age, and malocclusion as well as parental education and family income were associated with the impact of orthodontic treatment on adolescents' OHRQoL. Key words: Adolescent, Quality of life, Orthodontic treatment, Fixed appliance., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright: © 2024 Medicina Oral S.L.)

PU foams are versatile materials that find applications in a wide range of products, from upholstery to packaging and construction. These foams consist primarily of two components, polyol and prepolymer, and their concentrations play a crucial role in determining their physical and mechanical properties. A second-order mixture design approach is used in this work to identify the significant components and their contributions on the physical-mechanical properties of biodegradable castor oil-based foams. The experimental design includes three components: two types of polyols and one prepolymer. These components are varied in nine distinct conditions to evaluate their effects on properties such as expansion rate, bulk density, compressive strength, and tensile strength. The Scheffé's quadratic model coefficients exhibit R-squared values higher than 0.84 in most cases. Chemical analysis using infrared spectroscopy confirms the successful formation of the urethane bond during the manufacturing process. The biobased foams developed in this work have densities ranging between 61 and 100 kg m -3 , compressive modulus of 11-15 MPa and compressive strength between 273 and 429 kPa. The tensile modulus varies between 3.2 and 4.9 MPa, with a tensile strength in the range of 370-500 kPa. These results highlight the potential of biodegradable castor oil-based foams as promising alternative materials to traditional synthetic foams., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Background: Limited evidence suggests that antimony induces vascular inflammation and oxidative stress and may play a role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, few studies have examined whether environmental antimony from sources other than tobacco smoking is related with CVD risk. The general population may be exposed through air, drinking water, and food that contains antimony from natural and anthropogenic sources, such as mining, coal combustion, and manufacturing., Objectives: To examine the association of urine antimony with incident acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and stroke among people who never smoked tobacco., Methods: Between 1993 and 1997, the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health (DCH) cohort enrolled participants (ages 50-64 years), including n = 19,394 participants who reported never smoking at baseline. Among these never smokers, we identified incident cases of AMI (N = 809), heart failure (N = 958), and stroke (N = 534) using the Danish National Patient Registry. We also randomly selected a subcohort of 600 men and 600 women. We quantified urine antimony concentrations in samples provided at enrollment. We used modified Cox proportional hazards models to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for each incident CVD outcome in relation to urine antimony, statistically adjusted for creatinine. We used a separate prospective cohort, the San Luis Valley Diabetes Study (SLVDS), to replicate these results., Results: In the DCH cohort, urine antimony concentrations were positively associated with rates of AMI and heart failure (HR = 1.52; 95%CI = 1.12, 2.08 and HR = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.15, 2.18, respectively, comparing participants in the highest (>0.09 µg/L) with the lowest quartile (<0.02 µg/L) of antimony). In the SLVDS cohort, urinary antimony was positively associated with AMI, but not heart failure., Discussion: Among this sample of Danish people who never smoked, we found that low levels of urine antimony are associated with incident CVD. These results were partially confirmed in a smaller US cohort., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. Wellenius serves as a consultant to the Health Effects Institute (Boston, MA) and Google, LLC (Mountain View, CA). The other 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae), popularly known as "neem", is used for the treatment of rheumatism, cancer, ulcers, diabetes, respiratory problems, among others. This species is present on six continents and contains more than 400 bioactive compounds. Practically all parts of the plant are used in the treatment of diseases. Although it is widely used, no study has evaluated the safety of this species throughout the gestational period in Wistar rats., Aim of the Study: To evaluate the genotoxicity and the effect of treatment with dried extract of leaves of Azadirachta indica on maternal toxicity and fetal development., Materials and Methods: The dried extract of leaves of A. indica was obtained by spray drying after percolation of the plant material in 30% ethanol (w/w). The total flavonoids and rutin contents of the extract were determined by spectrophotometric method and HPLC-DAD, respectively. Pregnant Wistar rats (n = 40) were divided into four groups (n = 10/group): one control and three groups treated with dried extract of leaves of A. indica at doses of 300, 600 or 1200 mg/kg. Treatments were carried out from gestational day (GD) 0-20. During gestation, clinical signs of toxicity, weight gain, feed and water consumption of the dams were evaluated. On GD 21, rats were euthanized and cardiac blood was collected. Liver, kidneys, lung, heart, uterus, ovaries and bone marrow were collected. Reproductive performance parameters, histopathological analysis, biochemistry and genotoxicity were evaluated. Fetuses were evaluated for external morphology, skeletal and visceral changes., Results: The total flavonoid content of the extract ranged from 2.64 to 3.01%, and the rutin content was 1.07%. There was no change in body mass gain, food and water consumption between the evaluated groups. There was also no difference between the groups in terms of biochemical parameters, reproductive performance, histopathological analysis of the mother's organs and genotoxicity. Supernumerary ossification sites of the sternum were observed, and other skeletal and visceral alterations were not significant., Conclusions: The treatment did not induce maternal toxicity, it was neither embryotoxic nor fetotoxic. The extract was not potentially genotoxic, and at a dose of 1200 mg/kg, it caused changes in the ossification of the sternum., 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.)

Caribbean small island developing states are highly exposed to climate change impacts. Incorporating weather and climate information into public health decisions can promote resilience to climate change's adverse health effects, but regionally it is not common practice. We implemented a project to enhance dialogue between climate and public health specialists in Puerto Rico and Dominica. First, we conducted environmental scans of public health vulnerability in the context of weather and climate for both islands. Then, we convened stakeholders to discuss the scan results and identify priorities for climate and health. A shared priority was increasing climate and health knowledge; thus, we developed several educational initiatives. In this viewpoint, we discuss our process for conducting environmental scans, building capacity and partnerships, and translating knowledge-to-action around climate and health., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s).)

Deep-sea carbonate mounds can harbor a wide variety of heterotrophic and chemosynthetic microbial communities, providing biodiversity hotspots among the deep-sea benthic ecosystems. This study examined the bacterial and archaeal diversity and community structure in the water column and sediments associated with a recently described giant carbonate mound named Alpha Crucis Carbonate Ridge (ACCR), located in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Because of the acoustic evidence of gas chimneys from a previous study, we further evaluated the chemosynthetic primary production through in situ-simulated dark carbon fixation rates. Pelagic microbial communities varied significantly with depth, showing a high abundance of photosynthetic groups in surface waters and taxa related to nitrification in intermediate and deep waters. The benthic communities from the top of the ACCR were very similar along with the sediment depth, while those from the base of the ACCR showed a clear stratification pattern, with members in the deep strata mainly related to anoxic and chemosynthetic ecosystems. Dark carbon fixation rates were of the same order of magnitude as those of deep-sea cold seeps and hydrothermal vents. Our study provides the first description of the ACCR microbiome and adds new information to help formulate and implement future conservation and management strategies for vulnerable marine ecosystems., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The scope of this study is to discuss equity and access to mental health care by means of analysis of the distribution of primary care teams (Community Health Agents; Family Health Teams; the Expanded Family Health Nucleus) and the coverage of the Psychosocial Care Network in three Northeastern states (Ceará, Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte) and their respective health regions. It is a descriptive study, supported by exploratory quantitative analysis. For this purpose, the database of the Department of Basic Care/DATASUS was used to collect secondary data in relation to the historical trajectory of training of Primary Care teams. Regarding the points of care of RAPS, the database made available by the National Mental Health Coordination of the Ministry of Health was consulted. The conclusion of the investigation was that prior to 2018 there was a major drive in the country into the interior and expansion of coverage in relation to primary and psychosocial care, impacting the expansion of equity in territories of lesser economic and social development. However, it was also observed that Psychosocial Care Network services are more prevalent in the interior while the other related services are more developed in capitals and large municipalities.

Using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for poultry litter characterization can be a rapid, non-destructive, and low-cost alternative. This study aims to estimate the C, N, P, and K content in poultry litter samples using for first time NIR spectroscopy. For these purposes, the building models were carried out using Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) methods. A total of 160 litter samples were analyzed in poultry houses of different rearing systems, seeking the highest possible variability in their chemical composition. NIR spectroscopy, combined with PLS and SVM methods, is an alternative method for non-destructive C, N, P, and K determination in poultry samples. The regression models using SVM provide better accuracy for all elements, laying the basis for the nonlinear regression approach's application. The K determination on poultry litter using NIR was possible only by the SVM model (R 2  = 0.8620 and RPD = 2.7330). Conclusively, the predictive ability was improved using the SVM method., 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 © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Perform genotyping of SNPs in the promoter region of the SMO gene in BCC samples from patients from northeastern Brazil, and to determine if there is an association of these SNPs of the gene in question with the susceptibility to the development of the BCC., Methods: 100 samples of paraffined tissue from patients with histopathological diagnosis of BCC and 100 control samples were analyzed for each polymorphism by a newly developed genotyping method, the Dideoxy Single Allele Specific - PCR. The software Bioestat - version 5.3 and Haploview 4.2 were used for the statistical analysis. For all tests a P-value.

Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected diseases in the world. Its most severe clinical form, called visceral, if left untreated, can be fatal. Conventional therapy is based on the use of pentavalent antimonials and includes amphotericin B (AmB) as a second-choice drug. The micellar formulation of AmB, although effective, is associated with acute and chronic toxicity. Commercially-available lipid formulations emerged to overcome such drawbacks, but their high cost limits their widespread use. Drug delivery systems such as nanoemulsions (NE) have proven ability to solubilize hydrophobic compounds, improve absorption and bioavailability, increase efficacy and reduce toxicity of encapsulated drugs. NE become even more attractive because they are inexpensive and easy to prepare. The aim of this work was to incorporate AmB in NE prepared by sonicating a mixture of surfactants, Kolliphor® HS15 (KHS15) and Brij® 52, and an oil, isopropyl myristate. NE exhibited neutral pH, conductivity values consistent with oil in water systems, spherical structures with negative Zeta potential value, monomodal size distribution and average diameter of drug-containing droplets ranging from 33 to 132 nm. AmB did not modify the thermal behavior of the system, likely due to its dispersion in the internal phase. Statistically similar antileishmanial activity of AmB-loaded NE to that of AmB micellar formulation suggests further exploring them in terms of toxicity and effectiveness against amastigotes, with the aim of offering an alternative to treat visceral leishmaniasis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Basal cell carcinoma - BCC is considered a multifactorial neoplasm involving genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Where UVB radiation is considered the main physical agent involved in BCC carcinogenesis. The Brazil and state of Paraíba are exposed to high levels of UVB rays. The mismatch repair - MMR is important DNA repair mechanisms to maintain replication fidelity. Therefore, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding proteins involved in MMR may be potential molecular markers of susceptibility to BCC. The objective of this study was to evaluate and describe for the first time the SNPs rs560246973, rs2303425 and rs565410865 and risk of developing BCC. The present study analyzed 100 samples of paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with histopathological diagnosis of BCC and 100 control samples. The results were obtained by genotyping method, Dideoxy Unique Allele Specific - PCR (DSASP). The SNPs rs2303425 were not associated with Basal Cell Carcinoma. However, the SNPs rs560246973 and rs565410865 was shown to be associated with the development of BCC when compared to control samples (P < 0.0001). The SNPs rs565410865 was also statistical significance between the genotypes of and the age group (p = 0.0027) and tumor location (p = 0,0191). The result suggests that SNPs rs2303425 and rs565410865 are associated with susceptibility to the development of BCC in the Brazilian population and may be considered as potential molecular markers for BCC.

Timor-Leste struggles with problems of poverty and inequalities that underlie many health disparities, including oral health. This study aimed to determine the association between parental education and dental caries in school children aged 6 to 17 years from 40 randomly selected schools in 4 Dili subdistricts. A questionnaire and oral examination collected data and multivariable log binomial models were used for data analysis. Results indicate no association between parental education level and the prevalence of untreated decay in deciduous teeth ( P = .96). There was an association between parental education level and untreated decay in permanent teeth ( P = .03) and untreated decay overall ( P = .01). Children whose parents had higher education levels have approximately half the relative risk (aRR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25-0.89) of decay compared with children whose parents had low levels of education.

Lapachol is an abundant prenyl naphthoquinone occurring in Brazilian Bignoniaceae that was clinically used, in former times, as an antimalarial drug, despite its moderate effect. Aiming to search for potentially better antimalarials, a series of 1,2,3-triazole derivatives was synthesized by chemical modification of lapachol. Alkylation of the hydroxyl group gave its propargyl ether which, via copper-catalyzed cycloaddition (CuAAC) click chemistry with different organic azides, afforded 17 naphthoquinonolyl triazole derivatives. All the synthetic compounds were evaluated for their in vitro activity against chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum (W2) and for cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells. Compounds containing the naphthoquinolyl triazole moieties showed higher antimalarial activity than lapachol (IC 50 123.5 μM) and selectivity index (SI) values in the range of 4.5-197.7. Molecular docking simulations of lapachol, atovaquone and all the newly synthesized compounds were carried out for interactions with PfDHODH, a mitochondrial enzyme of the parasite respiratory chain that is essential for de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis. Docking of the naphthoquinonolyl triazole derivatives to PfDHODH yielded scores between -9.375 and -14.55 units, compared to -9.137 for lapachol and -12.95 for atovaquone and disclosed the derivative 17 as a lead compound. Therefore, the study results show the enhancement of DHODH binding affinity correlated with improvement of SI values and in vitro activities of the lapachol derivatives., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Hemoglobin variants (Hb) result from mutations in globin genes, with amino acid substitution in the polypeptide chain. Among the most common structural variants are HbS, HbC, HbD and HbE. The S hemoglobin gene is a high frequency gene across America and Brazil, where it is more frequent in the Southeast and Northeast. The scope of this article is to investigate the presence of hemoglobin variants in 15 quilombos (fugitive slave communities) of Piaui. The sample was of 1,239 people and hemoglobin was screened by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A questionnaire was applied related to gender, ethnicity and consanguinity. Of the samples analyzed, 5.4% had AS sickle cell trait, while SS and SC sickle cell anemia showed a rate of 0.8%, with AC, AD and DD hemoglobin. Of the 1,069 Afro-descendants, 84 revealed hemoglobin abnormalities, 34 being male 53 being female. There were 13 consanguineous marriages among the 84 hemoglobin alterations. The study of hemoglobin variants in 15 former quilombo communities in the state of Piaui contributes to their education in health in the aspects of genetic inheritance of hemoglobin, a relevant public health issue, providing input for the implementation of the State Program of Sickle Cell Disease of Piaui.

Objective: To assess whether there the final range of motion (ROM) results achieved by patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with prosthesis using Medial Pivot design are predictable., Methods: Between January and August of 2014, 155 patients with primary osteoarthritis of knee who underwent TKA using the prosthesis ADVANCE ® Medial Pivot were prospectively assessed. All ROM measures were made and recorded before, during, and after surgery. All patients were clinically assessed preoperatively and postoperatively (15, 45 days, three months, six months, one year, and annually thereafter after surgery); their functional status was assessed using the WOMAC questionnaire., Results: Significant differences ( p  < 0.001) were observed between the means and medians of ROM in the preoperative when compared with those during the perioperative; the perioperative values, when compared with those after six months postoperative, were also different ( p  < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the means and medians ROM between the intraoperative period and at the 45-day assessment (ns) and between the means and medians ROM between the preoperative period and at the six-month evaluation (ns)., Conclusion: The final ROM achieved by patients that underwent TKA with medial pivot prosthesis can be predicted. The perioperative ROM correlates with that at 45 days after surgery. The final ROM is correlated with that of the pre-operative period.

Brazilian Quilombolas are communities composed of African-derived populations that have their territories guaranteed by the Brazilian Constitution. The present study investigated the hemoglobin (Hb) variants among these population groups. This study was conducted in a total of 2843 individuals of Brazilian Quilombola communities of the Bahia, Pará, and Piauí states. All the participants had their Hb profiles evaluated. The Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) variant was described in all the studied localities. However, the individuals in Bahia State had the highest frequency of the Hb C (HBB: c.19G>A) variant; individuals from Piauí State had a higher frequency of the Hb D-Punjab (HBB: c.364G>C) variant compared to the other states, and individuals from Pará State only carried the Hb S variant. The present study revealed a specific distribution of Hb variants that could represent different waves of African influence in these Brazilian populations.

Introduction: This research compared the oral health status of school children in Dili (the capital of Timor Leste) in 2002 and 2014., Methods: The 2014 oral health survey of Dili's children replicated the methods of an AusAID-supported oral health survey conducted in 2002. Equal numbers of children were invited to participate from four age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17 years). For the 2014 survey, the subdistricts of Dom Aleixo, Cristo Rei, Metinaro and Vera Cruz were randomly selected for inclusion. A questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics and oral health behaviours. Oral epidemiological examinations were conducted by four dentists and five dental nurses., Results: The 2014 survey in Dili recruited 758 participants for the questionnaire and 655 children for the oral examination. In 2014, a lower proportion of children reported brushing their teeth the previous day (97% vs 100%, p =0.01) and a larger proportion reported having toothache (40% vs 19%, p <0.001) (sometimes to very often) during the previous 12 months. The mean number of decayed, missing or filled teeth in the primary plus permanent dentition (dmft + DMFT) was greater in 2014 than in 2002 (4.2 vs 3.5, p =0.01). There was no difference in the prevalence of decay in the primary dentition (39% vs 37%, p =0.61) or the mean number of decayed, missing or filled (dmft) teeth in the primary dentition in 2014 compared to 2002 (2.0 vs 1.8, p =0.47). However, the prevalence of decay in the permanent dentition was greater in 2014 (70% vs 53%, p <0.001) as was the mean DMFT (2.3 vs 1.7, p =0.04). The prevalence of gingival bleeding (65% vs 81%, p <0.001) and calculus (57% vs 86%, p <0.001) was lower in 2014., Conclusions: There was an increase in dental caries experiences in Dili school children between 2002 and 2014, associated with more permanent teeth dental caries experiences.

Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in the world. The aim of this article was to investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and dental caries experience in children living in Dili. Four out of 6 Dili subdistricts and 40 schools were randomly selected. Equal numbers of school children from 4 age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17 years) were invited to participate. Data were gathered via a questionnaire and an oral examination by dental practitioners. In bivariate analysis, decayed, missing, and filled teeth index for deciduous + permanent teeth (dmft) was higher in children from mid- to high-SES than low-SES schools (1.1, 2.2, P = .001). With age, having had a toothache and dental visiting in the past 12 months in the multivariable model, higher dmft was found in children from mid- to high- to low-SES schools ( P < .001). The primary dental caries experience was greater among children from mid- to high- than low-SES schools, which may be explained by high sugar consumption.

Introduction: Food and dietetic components have received considerable attention as auxiliary feeding resources on controlling of chronic non-transmissible diseases, among them diabetes. This study evaluated the effect of supplementary diet with multimixture based on linseed, sesame, oats and sunflower seeds on the hepatic function and antioxidant activity of diabetic rats., Methods: Male rats were distributed on groups of seven animals: diabetic control (DC), diabetics subject to multimixture diet (DM), diabetic with insulin (DI), and normal control (NC). The treatment was started on the 5th day after diabetes induction with 40 mg/kg i.v. streptozotocin on tampon citrate and kept during 50 days., Results: The ethereal extract of the supplemented diet showed a higher content of phenolics (p < 0.05) compared to other extracts of the supplemented diet and the ethereal extract of the standard diet. There was no difference in antioxidant in vitro activity of the utilized diets. Concerning to transaminases, significant bigger ALT levels (p < 0.05) were present on diabetic groups compared to NC. The relative liver weight on diabetic groups was significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared to NC group. Non-proteic sulfhydryl group levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) on DM and I groups when compared to DM and NC. Only the treatment with insulin resulted in an improvement of antioxidant activity concerning to hepatic catalase. The supplementation with multimixture did not improve the metabolic control of diabetes., Conclusion: The multimixture treatment showed an isolated improvement on antioxidant activity in the hepatic tissue, evidenced by the increasing on non-proteic sulfhydryl group levels.

Timor-Leste faces an urgent set of challenges in oral health. The impact of oral diseases in terms of reduced quality of life and cost of treatment is considerable. This paper reviews progress on policy recommendations since the National Oral Health Survey in 2002, the first such national survey. Few proposals have been implemented to date, owing to (i) lack of local support for the recommendations, particularly on promotion of oral health; (ii) lack of financial and budgetary provisions for oral health; (iii) lack of focus on services, human resources and dental personnel; (iv) poor focus, design and implementation of policy and planning in oral health; and (v) lack of transport to facilitate health-care workers' access to remote areas. Based on this assessment, the present paper presents a reconfigured set of policies and recommendations for oral health that take into consideration the reasons for low uptake of previous guidance. Key priorities are promotion of oral health, legislative interventions, education of the oral-health workforce, dental outreach programmes, targeted dental treatment, dental infrastructure programmes, and research and evaluation. Interventions include promotion of oral health for schoolchildren, salt fluoridation, fluoride toothpaste and banning sweet stalls and use of tobacco and betel nut in, or near, schools. Timor-Leste should strengthen the availability and quality of outreach programmes for oral health. Dental therapists and dental nurses who can supply preventive and atraumatic restorative dental care should continue to be trained, and the planned dentistry school should be established. Ongoing research and evaluation is needed to ensure that the approach being used in Timor-Leste is leading to improved outcomes in oral health.

Exposure to negative environmental events triggers defensive behavior and leads to the formation of aversive associative memory. Cellular and molecular changes in the central nervous system underlie this memory formation, as well as the associated behavioral changes. In general, memory process is established in distinct phases such as acquisition, consolidation, evocation, persistence, and extinction of the acquired information. After exposure to a particular event, early changes in involved neural circuits support the memory consolidation, which corresponds to the short-term memory. Re-exposure to previously memorized events evokes the original memory, a process that is considered essential for the reactivation and consequent persistence of memory, ensuring that long-term memory is established. Different environmental stimuli may modulate the memory formation process, as well as their distinct phases. Among the different environmental stimuli able of modulating memory formation is the physical exercise which is a potent modulator of neuronal activity. There are many studies showing that physical exercise modulates learning and memory processes, mainly in the consolidation phase of the explicit memory. However, there are few reports in the literature regarding the role of physical exercise in implicit aversive associative memory, especially at the persistence phase. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between swimming exercise and the consolidation and persistence of contextual and auditory-cued fear memory. Male Wistar rats were submitted to sessions of swimming exercise five times a week, over six weeks. After that, the rats were submitted to classical aversive conditioning training by a pairing tone/foot shock paradigm. Finally, rats were evaluated for consolidation and persistence of fear memory to both auditory and contextual cues. Our results demonstrate that classical aversive conditioning with tone/foot shock pairing induced consolidation as well as persistence of conditioned fear memory. In addition, rats submitted to swimming exercise over six weeks showed an improved performance in the test of auditory-cued fear memory persistence, but not in the test of contextual fear memory persistence. Moreover, no significant effect from swimming exercise was observed on consolidation of both contextual and auditory fear memory. So, our study, revealing the effect of the swimming exercise on different stages of implicit memory of tone/foot shock conditioning, contributes to and complements the current knowledge about the environmental modulation of memory process., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To assess the intake, digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics of feedlot lambs, 36 F1 Santa Ines × Dorper male lambs with an initial average weight of 19.5 ± 0.27 kg were fed with different levels of spineless cactus (0, 33, 66, and 100 %) as a replacement of the wheat bran. The replacement diets had no effect on the intake of dry matter (DM) or crude protein (CP), whose average values were 962 and 140 g/day, respectively. There was a quadratic effect on the intake of digestible organic matter (OM) and the digestibility of DM, CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). The highest average daily gain (ADG) of 168 g/day was achieved at 58.7 % replacement level. The highest hot and cold carcass weights of 15.4 and 14.5 kg were achieved at 62.4 and 56.9 % replacement levels. For lambs in the feedlot, we recommend replacing wheat bran with up to 58.7 % spineless cactus.

Unlabelled: To evaluate whether, by using an arthropump (irrigation equipment with pressure sensor), pneumatic tourniquet use could interfere with the duration of surgery, recovery of movement and joint volume in patients who underwent knee videoarthroscopy for partial meniscectomy., Methods: 103 patients divided randomly into two groups regarding use or nonuse of a pneumatic tourniquet were evaluated in five different centers by seven different surgeons. The variables were evaluated during the surgery and seven days after the operation., Results: No statistically significant differences were found among any of the variables studied., Conclusion: There are no reasons that would either justify or discredit tourniquet use in this specific situation.

Background: Several species of the genus Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) are used for the treatment of human malaria in Brazil and other meso- and South American countries., Methods: Ethanol extract from Aspidosperma parvifolium trunk bark was submitted to acid-base extractions leading to alkaloid and neutral fractions. The alkaloid fraction was chromatographed over a silica gel column. Ethanol extract, fractions and uleine were analysed by HPLC-DAD, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HPLC-ESI-MicroTOF-MS. The anti-malarial activity was assayed against resistant and sensitive chloroquine Plasmodium falciparum strains by microscopic, [(3)H]-hypoxanthine incorporation and HRPII techniques. Cytotoxicity (CC50) was evaluated against Vero and HepG2 cell lines by the MTT technique; selectivity indexes (SI = CC50/IC50) were calculated., Results: The major peak in the HPLC-DAD chromatograms of the ethanol extract, alkaloid and neutral fractions suggested the presence of uleine that was isolated from the alkaloid fraction by column chromatography and was characterized by spectroscopic methods. A total of 15 alkaloids, besides uleine, were identified in the alkaloid fraction by UPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and HPLC-ESI-MicroTOF-MS. The ethanol extract from Aspidosperma parvifolium and the neutral fraction were moderately active against P. falciparum strains. The alkaloid fraction and uleine disclosed high anti-malarial activity against chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum strain (IC50 < 1 µg/mL). The ethanol extract, neutral fraction and uleine showed low cytotoxicity against Vero and HepG2 cell lines (CC50 > 300 µg/mL). The alkaloid fraction showed moderate cytotoxicity to HepG2 cell line (CC50 = 74.4 µg/mL). High SI values (>10) were determined for all samples., Conclusion: Ethanol extract from Aspidosperma parvifolium trunk bark afforded uleine that is the major constituent of the alkaloid fraction and disclosed a good in vitro anti-malarial activity. Moreover, 15 other indole alkaloids have been identified along with uleine.

Objective: To present a new technique for reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) in patients with recurrent patellar dislocation and to evaluate the clinical findings from this., Methods: Between January 2007 and January 2008, 23 patients underwent reconstruction of the MPFL with a free graft from the semitendinosus tendon. After a minimum of 24 months of follow-up, 22 patients were evaluated using the Kujala and Lysholm clinical protocols., Results: The mean follow up was 26.2 months. According to the Lysholm protocol, the patients had a mean score of 53.72 points preoperatively and 93.36 points postoperatively (p = 0.000006). According to the Kujala protocol, the mean score was 59.81 points preoperatively and 83.54 points postoperatively (p = 0.002173)., Conclusion: Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament using the proposed technique showed excellent results over the short term, when evaluated by means of clinical protocols.

Unlabelled: To evaluate whether, after total knee arthroplasty, there is any correlation between patellar height and range of motion (ROM) achieved by patients six months after the operation., Methods: Forty-five patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were assessed at least 12 months after the operation (total of 54 knees). The maximum and minimum ROM of all the knees was recorded under fluoroscopy, along with patellar height according to the Blackburne and Peel ratio. Two possible correlations were evaluated: patellar height and ROM; and patellar height and ROM variation from before to after the operation., Results: A correlation was found between patellar height and postoperative ROM (p = 0.04). There was no correlation between patellar height and ROM variation (p = 0.182)., Conclusion: After total knee arthroplasty, the lower the patella is, the worse the ROM is.

Unlabelled: To compare the rollback of the contact point between the femoral component and the tibial polyethylene as the knee is flexed, in two types of total knee arthroplasty: one that sacrifices and the other that preserves the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)., Methods: Under fluoroscopy, 36 knees from 32 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. Using lateral images, the contact points between the femur and the tibial polyethylene with the knee in complete extension and at 90° of flexion were measured, thereby measuring the percentage rollback of the femur in arthroplasties in which the PCL was sacrificed and in those in which it was preserved., Results: The mean percentage rollback of the femur was 13.24% in the cases in which the PCL was sacrificed and 5.75% in the cases in which it was preserved. The difference between these measurements was statistically significant (p = 0.026615)., Conclusion: In total knee arthroplasty, sacrificing the PCL increased the rollback of the contact point between the femur and tibia as the knee was flexed up to 90°.

The effect of the replacement of corn with the liquid residue of cassava was evaluated at levels of 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% in the diets of sheep on the intake and nutrient digestibility, weight gain, and carcass characteristics. Forty non-castrated crossbred Santa Ines sheep at 4 months of age and an initial body weight of 19.5 ± 2.5 kg were slaughtered after 90 days at the feedlot. A quadratic effect was found for intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), and digestible OM, with estimated values of 1130, 1080, 558, and 777 g/day at 11.2, 11.9, 30.8, and 2.18% of replacing corn with liquid residue of cassava, respectively. However, the intake of crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) decreased linearly around 105 to 45.3 g CP/day and 413 to 284 g NDF/day. The same effect was found for digestibility of DM (715 to 649 g/kg), OM (725 to 669 g/kg), CP (801 to 759 g/kg), and NDF (486 to 379 g/kg), which decreased linearly as the dietary liquid residue of cassava increased. The maximum average daily gain (174 g/day) was estimated with a 22.4% replacement level. Liquid residue of cassava can replace up to 25% of the corn in the diets of sheep, since it was possible to obtain a gain above 100 g/day, which is considered to be satisfactory.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the replacement of corn with cassava peel in the diets of dairy cows. Eight Holstein cows were used. The experimental treatments consisted of four replacement levels of corn with cassava peel (0, 33, 66, and 100 %). The replacement of corn with cassava peel linearly decreased the intake and digestibility of dry matter and organic matter, but did not alter the intake of neutral detergent fiber and crude protein. In addition, there was a linear decrease in milk production. The milk components (g/kg) of fat, protein, lactose, and total solids were not altered. Although cassava peel decreased intake, digestibility, and milk production, the replacement of corn with cassava peel may be advantageous in locations close to the starch industry.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to some of the available drugs. Several plant species are used for the treatment of malaria, such as Himatanthus articulatus in parts of Brazil. The present paper reports the phyto-chemistry, the anti-plasmodial and anti-malarial activity, as well as the toxicity of H. articulatus., Methods: Ethanol and dichloromethane extracts were obtained from the powder of stem barks of H. articulatus and later fractionated and analysed. The anti-plasmodial activity was assessed against a chloroquine resistant strain P. falciparum (W2) in vitro, whilst in vivo anti-malarial activity against Plasmodium berghei (ANKA strain) was tested in mice, evaluating the role of oxidative stress (total antioxidant capacity--TEAC; lipid peroxidation--TBARS, and nitrites and nitrates--NN). In addition, cytotoxicity was evaluated using the HepG2 A16 cell-line. The acute oral and sub-chronic toxicity of the ethanol extract were evaluated in both male and female mice., Results: Plumieride was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of ethanol extract, Only the dichloromethane extract was active against clone W2. Nevertheless, both extracts reduced parasitaemia in P. berghei-infected mice. Besides, a significant reduction in pulmonary and cerebral levels of NN (nitrites and nitrates) was found, as well as in pulmonary TBARS, indicating a reduced oxidative damage to these organs. The ethanol extract showed low cytotoxicity to HepG2 A16 cells in the concentrations used. No significant changes were observed in the in vivo toxicity studies., Conclusions: The ethanol extract of H. articulatus proved to be promising as anti-malarial medicine and showed low toxicity.

Introduction: Topical application of tranexamic acid to the knee joint before closure in total knee arthroplasty reduces postoperative bleeding without increase in complication. However, it is unknown the effectiveness of topic TXA performed with other topical medications, like povidone-iodine solution., Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-five patients were randomized to receive 100mL of povidone-iodine solution (control: group A) or 1.5 (group B) and 3.0 g (group C) of topical TXA in povidone-iodine solution applied into the knee before closure in total knee arthroplasty., Results: The patients in the TXA groups had higher mean postoperative hemoglobin levels (P=0.01 and P=0.03 in groups B and C, respectively) and a reduced postoperative blood loss in the TXA groups (P=0.07 and P=0.09 in groups B and C, respectively). No significant complications were observed., Discussion: In this study, topical application of tranexamic acid after total knee arthroplasty together with povidone-iodine solution results in higher postoperative hemoglobin levels and lower blood loss compared with those in the control group without other complications., Level of Evidence: I - I: high-powered prospective randomized trial., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: the aim of this study is to evaluate the change in length of hospital stay postoperatively for Total Knee Arthroplasty after using femoral and sciatic nerve block., Materials and Methods: the medical records of 287 patients were evaluated, taking into account the number of hours of admission, the percentage and the reason for re-hospitalization within 30 days, as well as associated complications. All patients were divided into two groups according or not to whether they were admitted to ICU or not. During the years 2009 and 2010, isolated spinal anesthesia was the method used in the procedure. From 2011 on, femoral and sciatic nerve blocking was introduced., Results: between the years 2009 and 2012, the average length of stay ranged from 74 hours in 2009 to 75.2 hours in 2010. The average length of stay in 2011 was 56.52 hours and 53.72 hours in 2012, all in the group of patients who did not remain in the ICU postoperatively. In the same period, among those in the group that needed ICU admission, the average length of stay was 138.7 hours in 2009, 90.25 hours in 2010, 79.8 hours in 2011, and 52.91 hours in 2012. During 2009 and 2010, the rate of re-hospitalization was 0%, while in 2011 and 2012, were 3.44% and 1%, respectively., Conclusion: according to this study, the use of femoral and sciatic nerve blocking after total knee arthroplasty allowed significant reduction in hospital stay.

Purpose: Distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) is the preferential treatment for the symptomatic osteoarthritis of the lateral compartment of the knee in young active patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the physical activity and functional outcome of a group of patients presenting with lateral compartment osteoarthritis of the knee prior to and after a DFO for correction of genum valgum., Methods: Twenty-six patients who had been submitted to complete V-shaped distal femoral osteotomy were evaluated after a mean follow-up period of 48 months by interview and questionnaire. Functional and physical activities were scored according to published rating systems., Results: Twenty-two (84.6 %) patients were very satisfied or satisfied (mean satisfaction 2) with the outcome of surgery and 88.5 % of the patients had normal work duties after surgery without limitation or decline in performance. The preoperative median level for physical activity according to the Tegner activity level was 3(2-7), while the median postoperative level was 3 (1-7) (n.s.) 57.7 % had resumed physical activities at preoperative levels: some patients had increased the number and type of exercises. According to Lysholm score, the mean preoperative score for physical performance was 53.1 ± 16.2 while the mean postoperative score had increased to 77.3 ± 16.7 (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Based on this study, distal femoral osteotomy allowed the resumption of physical activities for individuals with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the lateral compartment of the knee, resulting in improvements in clinical conditions and, consequently, in their daily working and recreational activities.

Cancer is a multifactorial disease with a high mortality rate in Brazil and worldwide. Gastric cancer (GC) is considered the fourth type of malignancy more frequent in the population worldwide and the second leading cause of death. This work aimed to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IFNGR1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes samples in gastric cancer. We analyzed 60 samples of gastric cancer, 26 diffuse and 34 intestinal types, totaling 120 alleles for each SNP. The results were obtained by PCR and allele-specific PCR. Statistical analyzes performed using BioEstat 5.0 software, applying the Fisher's exact test and chi-square. Only the SNP gene GSTP1 (rs1695) were significantly associated with gastric cancer in the samples analyzed (χ(2) = 8.73, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that the GSTP1 gene SNP (rs1695) can be considered a risk factor associated with gastric carcinogenesis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between femoral rollback and range of motion (ROM) in patients with cruciate retaining (CR) and posterior stabilized (PS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: The study included 38 knees of 31 patients (26 female and 5 male) with primary knee arthrosis who underwent TKA. The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was sacrificed in 24 knees in the PS group and preserved in 14 in the CR group. Mean follow-up was 30.6 months. Patients were submitted to fluoroscopic lateral evaluation for ROM and femoral rollback assessment., Results: Average ROM of the CR group was 106.43±9º and 105.43±11.7º for the PS group (p=0.78). Average femoral rollback was 10.5±9.7 mm and was significantly lower in the CR group (5.8±6.5 mm) than the PS group (13.2±10.5 mm) (p=0.026615). While there was no correlation between the femoral rollback and ROM for CR prostheses (p=0.78 and r=0.8), there was a significant correlation for PR prostheses (p=0.01 and r=0.49) with regression pointing to an increase of 0.545 degrees ROM for each unit of femoral rollback., Conclusion: Despite increase in femoral rollback and its relation with ROM in PS TKA, there were no differences in ROM between CR and PS TKA.

Objective: The aim of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effect of computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on component alignment., Methods: The radiographs of 20 patients who underwent computer-assisted TKA within a two-year period were analyzed with respect to the mechanical femorotibial, mechanical femoral, mechanical tibial angles (mFTA, mFA and mTA, respectively) and the tibial slope (σ)., Results: The mean postoperative mFTA (179.7°) was significantly improved when compared to the preoperative value (175.45°) (p=0.012). The mean postoperative mFA was significantly reduced (p=0.035) in comparison with the preoperative mean (89.1° and 90.6°, respectively). The mean postoperative mTA was exactly 90.0°, while the preoperative mean was significantly lower (87.7°; p=0.003). Mean tourniquet time during TKA was 109.5 minutes., Conclusion: Computer navigation in TKA appears to be a reliable system which facilitates implant positioning and component alignment.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and long-term outcome of the treatment of patients with diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) of the knee with subtotal arthroscopic and open synovectomy and subsequent external-beam radiotherapy., Methods: Eight patients diagnosed with diffuse PVNS by clinical and magnetic resonance imaging were treated surgically with subtotal arthroscopic synovectomy and an additional posterior incision for extra-articular lesions, followed by local adjuvant radiotherapy. These patients were followed up for a mean of 8.6 years to monitor remaining lesions and to detect new occurrences of the condition., Results: None of the patients presented with major postoperative complications or have had radiotherapeutic late effects. In no case was radiographic arthritis progression detected. Three patients exhibited late minor complications (peripatellar pain, articular effusion, and persistent quadricipital muscle atrophy). Only 1 patient (12.5%) presented with recurrence of the disease during the follow-up period., Conclusions: On the basis of our limited study, subtotal arthroscopic and open synovectomy with subsequent local external-beam radiotherapy had a recurrence rate of 12.5% at 8.6 years of follow-up for the treatment of diffuse PVNS of the knee joint., Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series., (Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare neutrophilic disease of unknown origin that is associated with systemic diseases in 50% of cases. It is characterized by erythematous-violaceous nodular lesions that quickly progress to painful ulcers, with undermined edges, necrotic-hemorrhagic, varying in size and depth, located mainly in the lower limbs. Extracutaneous locations of pyoderma gangrenosum are rare, usually involving the lungs; the main differential diagnosis in these cases is Wegener granulomatosis. We report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum, which showed multiple cavitary lung nodules, with good response to high doses of steroids. Once excluded the possibility of Wegener granulomatosis, the authors concluded that it was the manifestation of systemic pyoderma gangrenosum with pulmonary involvement.