Effect of intervention to improve breastfeeding technique on the frequency of exclusive breastfeeding and lactation-related problems.

This randomized clinical trial compared frequencies of exclusive breastfeeding and lactation-related problems during the first 30 days among 74 mothers who received a 30-minute counseling session on breastfeeding technique in the maternity ward, and 137 controls. The frequency of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers who had received intervention was similar to controls by 7 days (79.7% vs 82.5%, respectively) and 30 days (60.8% vs 53.3%). There was no difference between groups in the frequency of sore nipples at 7 and 30 days, in breast engorgement and mastitis, and in the quality of breastfeeding technique at 30 days. Therefore, a single intervention at maternity was not sufficient to improve breastfeeding technique, increase exclusive breastfeeding rates, and reduce the incidence of breastfeeding problems during the first month.     

Histological evaluation of dog permanent teeth after traumatic intrusion of their primary predecessors

Abstract –  The aims of this study were to analyze the histomorphology of developing permanent teeth whose primary teeth had suffered traumatic intrusion, as well as to compare the influence of immediate extraction of the intruded tooth to passive re-eruption. Nine dogs from 45 to 50 days old were submitted to the intrusion of the maxillary central and lateral primary incisors using a force applicator adapted to the teeth incisal cuspids. The right side intruded teeth were kept in their sockets and the ones on the left side were extracted 30 min later. After a postoperatory periods of 30 and 60 days, four (group 1) and five (group 2) dogs, respectively, were killed by perfusion. The histological evaluations showed that, in group 1, alterations had occurred in the odontoblastic layer and deposition of the enamel matrix had taken place in some specimens while in group 2, a portion of non-mineralized matrix was observed. We concluded that the morphological changes were because of the immediate trauma of intrusion. No differences were found between the groups where the primary tooth was immediately extracted or left to passively re-erupt.     

Evaluating the self-esteem of myopic children over a three-year period: The COMET Experience.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate self-esteem over 3 years in the 469 myopic children participating in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), and to examine its relationship with lens assignment (progressive addition lenses [PALs] vs. single-vision lenses [SVLs]), myopia progression, and several other ocular and demographic characteristics. METHODS: Data collection included refractive error measurements, child-reported visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, adherence, and self-esteem as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). A two-way analysis of variance (treatment group x time) was performed to examine whether PAL and SVL wearers differed in self-esteem over time. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between self-esteem at follow-up and relevant factors identified by univariate analyses. RESULTS: Regardless of lens assignment or myopia progression, COMET children reported moderate to high levels of self-esteem at follow-up in the areas of scholastic and athletic competence, physical appearance, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, and global self-worth. Mean scores ranged from 2.87 (+/- 0.68) on athletic competence to 3.40 (+/- 0.56) on global self-worth. Self-esteem changed significantly (p < 0.05) over 3 years in the domains of scholastic competence, social acceptance, and physical appearance. Self-esteem at follow-up was associated with visual symptoms, attitude toward glasses, age, gender, and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Lens assignment and myopia progression were not associated with self-esteem in the COMET cohort. These children had high levels of self-esteem, suggesting that having myopia does not negatively impact self-esteem. Follow-up reports will monitor self-esteem and related factors in this cohort of myopic children over the course of adolescence and early adulthood.     

Cardiovascular and respiratory changes during acute pulmonary edema produced by nephrotoxic serum in the rat

The intravenous injection of rabbit anti-rat kidney serum in rats produces, with a latency of 30 to 60 seconds, the triad sinus bradycardia (or S-A blockade), systemic hypotension and apnea. Recordings of the intracardiac pressures showed a rise in the right and a simultaneous fall in the left ventricular pressure, 30 to 60 seconds after the serum injection. These initial effects were followed by pulmonary edema and death. Bilateral vagotomy prevented the bradycardia and apnea, but not the intracardiac changes, edema and death. Atropine also prevented the bradycardia, but not the apnea, edema and death. Experiments using alpha and beta adrenergic blocking agents seem to indicate that the edema is not caused by the release of catecholamines. It is suggested that the edema could be explained by a rise in the pulmonary capillary pressure, due to the antigen-antibody reaction. The triad bradycardia, systemic hypotension and apnea seems to be the first sign of the pulmonary edema, is reflex in nature, and is assumed to be due to stimulation of J receptors in the lungs, by a mechanical effect (edema). Phenylbutazone and acetylsalicylic acid give a partial protection against the pulmonary edema. Ultramorphological observations of lungs with edema were described.     

Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli infection by duplex PCR assay based on telomeric sequences

We used the species specificity and repetitious nature of subtelomeric kinetoplastida sequences to generate a duplex PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli in experimentally and naturally infected triatomine (Reduviid) bugs and in infected human subjects. The assay was species specific and was capable of detecting 1/20th of T. cruzi and 1/4th of T. rangeli cell equivalents without complementary hybridization. In addition, the PCR-based assay was robust enough for direct application to difficult biological samples such as Reduviid feces or guts and was capable of recognizing all T. cruzi and T. rangeli strains and lineages. Because the assay primers amplify entirely different target sequences, no reaction interference was observed, facilitating future adaptation of this assay to an automated format.     

Oral hairy leukoplakia. Histopathologic and cytopathologic features of a subclinical phase

Accurate diagnosis of oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is important because it may be an early indicator of undiagnosed HIV infection; moreover, it may be a prognostic indicator. Our purpose was to investigate the histopathologic features of subclinical OHL and to evaluate and support the rationale of detecting subclinical OHL with cytopathology. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 4 cases of macroscopically normal lateral borders of tongue mucosa from 8 AIDS necropsies and in none of 8 controls. The histopathologic features were specific when based on nuclear changes: Cowdry type A inclusion, ground glass, and nuclear beading. Smears were obtained from 50 patients with AIDS, without OHL, from the scraping of lateral borders of the tongue. Numerous clusters of the cells were associated with Candida organisms (30% of cases). Nuclear changes were observed in 12 patients (24%) on both sides of the tongue. We describe the histopathologic features of subclinical OHL, and our observations suggest that cytopathology can detect OHL in the subclinical phase.     

Molecular characterization of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and -2 in individuals from guinea-bissau with single or dual infections: predominance of a distinct HIV-1 subtype A/G recombinant in West Africa.

Guinea-Bissau in West Africa has the highest prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-2 infection in the world, but recently the HIV-1 prevalence increased rapidly with the subsequent appearance of HIV-1 and HIV-2 dual infections. Information about the genetic subtypes of HIV in the region is limited. Therefore, we characterized the env V3 region of HIV-1 and HIV-2 variants through direct DNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 18 individuals with HIV-1 only and 9 individuals with dual infection. Phylogenetic analyses of these new sequences and database sequences from other West African countries showed that all HIV-1 and HIV-2 sequences from singly as well as dually infected individuals, except one, clustered among HIV-1 subtype A and HIV-2 subtype A, respectively. Importantly, a majority of the HIV-1 sequences from Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries were closely related with the isolates IbNG, DJ263, and DJ264, which share a common subtype A/G recombination pattern. Analysis of pol gene sequences from selected HIV-1 variants showed that "IbNG-like" viruses in Guinea-Bissau are also recombinant, indicating that the HIV-1 epidemic in Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries is dominated by an epidemic spread of a distinct subtype A/G recombinant, which is strikingly similar to the epidemic spread of a subtype A/E recombinant in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 variants carried by individuals with dual infection were intermixed with variants from singly infected individuals, indicating that variants involved in dual and single infections have common epidemiological histories.     

Recombinant cysteine proteinase from Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi implicated in human and dog T-cell responses

High in vitro lymphoproliferative responses were induced in humans and dogs by a recombinant Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi cysteine proteinase, with secretion of IFN-gamma in asymptomatic subjects or of IFN-gamma, interleukin 4 (IL-4), and IL-10 in oligosymptomatic subjects. In contrast, responses of symptomatic patients and dogs were lower, with production of IL-4 and IL-10.