Quantification of the force systems delivered by transpalatal arches activated in the six Burstone geometries

Objective:To evaluate the force systems produced by transpalatal arches (TPAs) activated according to the six classes of geometries described by Burstone and Koenig.Materials and Methods:Sixty appliances were tested for first-order activations using a mechanical force testing system. The TPAs were first checked for passivity in sagittal, transverse, and vertical planes at the measuring machine. Then 10 appliances per group were activated using a millimeter template to obtain the six classes of geometries, and the activated appliances were inserted into lingual tubes of the Force System Identification machine that recorded the deactivation forces and moments delivered by both terminal ends of the TPAs.Results:The overall force system with the actual values of forces and moments recorded by each type of activation was illustrated and compared with the mathematical model reported by Burstone and Koenig. Although a great consistency of the direction of forces and moments were observed, the theoretically feasible force systems could not be fully accomplished by the TPA activated for the six classes of geometries.Conclusion:The first-order activations of the TPA can deliver predictable force systems in respect to the direction of forces and moments attainable, but some unexpected forces and moments are also produced. Careful clinical monitoring is, therefore, strongly recommended when using this statically indeterminate system.     

Nitric Oxide and Hydrogen Sulfide Interact When Modulating Gastric Physiological Functions in Rodents

Aim

The objective was to evaluate the effects of nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) donors and possible interactions between these two systems in modulating gastric function.

Methods

Mice received saline, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or sodium hydrosulfite (NaHS), and after 1 h, the animals were killed for immunofluorescence analysis of CSE or eNOS expressions, respectively. Other groups received saline, SNP, NaHS, Lawesson’s reagent (H₂S donor), PAG + SNP, l-NAME, l-NAME + NaHS, or l-NAME + Lawesson’s reagent. Then, the gastric secretions (mucous and acid), gastric blood flow, gastric defense against ethanol, and gastric motility (gastric emptying and gastric contractility) were evaluated.

Results

SNP and NaHS increased the expression of CSE or eNOS, respectively. SNP or Lawesson’s reagent did not alter gastric acid secretion but increased mucus production, and these effects reverted with PAG and l-NAME treatment, respectively. SNP or NaHS increased gastric blood flow and protected the gastric mucosa against ethanol injury, and these effects reverted with PAG and l-NAME treatments, respectively. SNP delayed gastric emptying when compared with saline, and PAG partially reversed this effect. NaHS accelerate gastric emptying, and l-NAME partially reversed this effect. SNP and NaHS alone induced gastric fundus and pylorus relaxation. However, pretreatment with PAG or l-NAME reversed these relaxant effects only in the pylorus but not in the gastric fundus.

Conclusion

NO and H₂S interact in gastric physiological functions, and this “cross-talk” is important in the control of mucus secretion, gastric blood flow, gastric mucosal defense, and gastric motility, but not in the control of basal gastric acid secretion.

     

"It sure ain't easy!": an ethnographic study of primary health care for patients with hypertension and/or diabetes in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil

This paper analyzes the results of an evaluative study in the city of Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, on primary health care for patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. The ethnographic approach used access to services and comprehensiveness of health care as core analytical categories, comparing the health practices developed by Family Health Program (FHP) units with traditional non-FHP primary care units. Access to family health care units in low-income communities is limited by the precarious surrounding urban infrastructure. The main barrier to access to primary care units is distance. The lack of a referral system between the various levels of complexity jeopardizes patients' access to tests and specialists. The care supplied by the two units is limited to patient conditions that can be treated pharmacologically, thus compromising the comprehensiveness of care. The health professionals display a limited capacity to hear problems outside the immediate focus of the program activity. The paper highlights the potential for using ethnography in evaluative research on health systems and services.     

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor in the liver: Expression and function

The liver is a complex organ that performs several functions to maintain homeostasis. These functions are modulated by calcium, a second messenger that regulates several intracellular events. In hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, which are the epithelial cell types in the liver, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP₃) receptors (ITPR) are the only intracellular calcium release channels. Three isoforms of the ITPR have been described, named type 1, type 2 and type 3. These ITPR isoforms are differentially expressed in liver cells where they regulate distinct physiological functions. Changes in the expression level of these receptors correlate with several liver diseases and hepatic dysfunctions. In this review, we highlight how the expression level, modulation, and localization of ITPR isoforms in hepatocytes and cholangiocytes play a role in hepatic homeostasis and liver pathology.     

Sertaconazole: updated review of a topical antifungal agent

Sertaconazole is an imidazole-type antifungal agent that has shown considerable in vitro activity against pathogenic fungi. Various studies carried out in animal models, clinical and toxicologic trials have confirmed the value of sertaconazole in the topical treatment of superficial mycoses in dermatology and gynecology. After several years of clinical experience in the topical treatment of dermatophytosis and Tinea versicolor, the substance has been approved for gynecologic candidiasis in Europe. Sertaconazole has a wide action spectrum that includes yeasts and dermatophyte fungi, and it is also active against bacteria, mainly Gram-positive cocci, making it highly efficient in the treatment of polymicrobial infections. The recent approval of the molecule by the US Food and Drug Administration, and the appearance of a new formulation of sertaconazole for the treatment of onychomycoses on a weekly administrative basis, are all data relevant to the process of marketing the product.     

Mythical stories and the construction of the individual: ambiguity of the bodies and indigenous youth in a context of transformation

Representations about youth vary historically and culturally. In the Upper Rio Negro, there are indigenous groups with over three centuries of contact with the non-indigenous world. In recent years, male initiation rites were suppressed and formal schooling was introduced. These events led to a redefinition of significance in forms of representation at different stages of life. This work sought to understand the construction of the Indian representation of youth; how they correlate with the other life cycle phases and how they contribute to configuring structured social practices in this social group. Several mythical stories dealing with intergenerational relationships have been reviewed; these were correlated with significant stages of life, with other local narratives, and with data gathered from direct observation. The study concludes that the representations about youth have been configured by the social roles of the initiating/initiated, in a currently contradictory fashion, under a generic and lengthy student phase, deprived of its own sociological markers, prolonging the threshold condition of this phase of life.     

Activity of caspofungin and voriconazole against clinical isolates of Candida and other medically important yeasts by the CLSI M-44A disk diffusion method with Neo-Sensitabs tablets

In vitro activity of caspofungin and voriconazole against 184 clinical isolates of Candida and other medically important yeasts in comparison with that of fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole and amphotericin B was determined by using a disk diffusion method (Neo-Sensitabs) standardized according to the recommendations of the CLSI documents M44-A and M44-S1 (same medium: Mueller-Hinton plus methylene blue; inoculum and minimal inhibitory concentration/zone breakpoints). Seventy-two percent of clinical isolates were susceptible to caspofungin, 23.6% showed an intermediate susceptibility (most of them were Candida parapsilosis) and 4.3% were resistant (values for Candida spp. were 71.2, 23.8 and 5%, respectively). For voriconazole, 96.7% of clinical isolates were susceptible and 3.3% were resistant (Candida spp.: 96 and 3.8%, respectively). Both caspofungin and voriconazole showed high activity against a wide variety of clinically important yeasts.     

Bile acid-activated receptors in innate and adaptive immunity: targeted drugs and biological agents

Bile acid-activated receptors (BARs) such as a G-protein bile acid receptor 1 and the farnesol X receptor are activated by bile acids (BAs) and have been implicated in the regulation of microbiota-host immunity in the intestine. The mechanistic roles of these receptors in immune signaling suggest that they may also influence the development of metabolic disorders. In this perspective, we provide a summary of recent literature describing the main regulatory pathways and mechanisms of BARs and how they affect both innate and adaptive immune system, cell proliferation, and signaling in the context of inflammatory diseases. We also discuss new approaches for therapy and summarize clinical projects on BAs for the treatment of diseases. In parallel, some drugs that are classically used for other therapeutic purposes and BAR activity have recently been proposed as regulators of immune cells phenotype. Another strategy consists of using specific strains of gut bacteria to regulate BA production in the intestine.