Multiple exophytic osteomas of craniofacial bones not associated with Gardner s Syndrome: a case report

Exophytic osteomas are mature bone protuberances required to be carefully differentiated from other lesions. The authors present a male, 44 year-old patient s report presenting multiple exophytic osteomas located in both sides of the vestibulomaxillary, premolar and molar regions not-associated with Gardner s Syndrome.Osteomas exofíticos são protuberâncias de osso maduro que necessitam ser cuidadosamente diferenciados de outras lesões. Os autores apresentam relato de paciente do sexo masculino, com 44 anos de idade, apresentando osteomas exofíticos múltiplos localizados na região vestíbulo-maxilar em ambos os lados, região de pré-molares e molares não associados à Síndrome de Gardner.UNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

The impact of morning stiffness duration on the definition of clinical inactive disease in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Objective To investigate the impact of morning stiffness (MS) on parent disease perception in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with clinical inactive disease (CID). Methods 652 visits in which patients fulfilled 2004 or 2011 Wallace criteria for CID were examined. Parent-reported outcomes were compared among patients with no MS or with MS < or 65 15 minutes. Results Among 652 visits with CID by 2004 criteria, no MS was reported in 554 visits (85%), MS < 15 minutes in 53 (8%), and MS 65 15 minutes in 45 (7%). The frequency of altered physical function, health-related quality of life, and well-being, pain and disease activity visual analog scales was proportionally greater from patients without MS to those with longer MS. The frequency of parent subjective rating of disease state as remission was 87.7%, 58% and 27.7% among patients with no MS, MS < 15 minutes and MS 65 15 minutes, respectively. Conclusion Our results suggest that a change in 2011 CID criteria to require absence of MS should be considered

Thermal noise reduction for present and future gravitational wave detectors

Thermal noise in mirror suspension is and will be the most severe fundamental limit to the low-frequency sensitivity of interferometric gravitational wave detectors currently under construction. The technical solutions, adopted in the Virgo detector, optimize the current suspension scheme, but new materials and new designs are needed to further reduce the suspension thermal noise. Silicon fibers are promising candidates both for room temperature advanced detectors and for future cryogenic interferometric detectors

Biphasic calcium phosphate biomaterials: Stem Cell-derived Osteoinduction or In-vivo Osteoconduction? Novel insights in Maxillary Sinus Augmentation by advanced Imaging

none11noMaxillary sinus augmentation is often necessary prior to implantology procedure, in particular in cases of atrophic posterior maxilla. In this context, bone substitute biomaterials made of biphasic calcium phosphates, produced by three-dimensional additive manufacturing were shown to be highly biocompatible with an efficient osteoconductivity, especially when combined with cell-based tissue engineering. Thus, in the present research, osteoinduction and osteoconduction properties of biphasic calcium-phosphate constructs made by direct rapid prototyping and engineered with ovine-derived amniotic epithelial cells or amniotic fluid cells were evaluated. More in details, this preclinical study was performed using adult sheep targeted to receive scaffold alone (CTR), oAFSMC, or oAEC engineered constructs. The grafted sinuses were explanted at 90 days and a cross-linked experimental approach based on Synchrotron Radiation microCT and histology analysis was performed on the complete set of samples. The study, performed taking into account the distance from native surrounding bone, demonstrated that no significant differences occurred in bone regeneration between oAEC-, oAFMSC-cultured, and Ctr samples and that there was a predominant action of the osteoconduction versus the stem cells osteo-induction. Indeed, it was proven that the newly formed bone amount and distribution decreased from the side of contact scaffold/native bone toward the bulk of the scaffold itself, with almost constant values of morphometric descriptors in volumes more than 1 mm from the border.openGiovanna Iezzi, Antonio Scarano, Luca Valbonetti, Serena Mazzoni, Michele Furlani, Carlo Mangano, Aurelio Muttini, Mario Raspanti, Barbara Barboni, Adriano Piattelli, Alessandra GiulianiIezzi, Giovanna; Scarano, Antonio; Valbonetti, Luca; Mazzoni, Serena; Furlani, Michele; Mangano, Carlo; Muttini, Aurelio; Raspanti, Mario; Barboni, Barbara; Piattelli, Adriano; Giuliani, Alessandr

Pattern and distribution of extracellular matrix proteins in human reparative dentin by an immunohistochemical approach

Dentin is a large and complex component of the tooth synthesized by odontoblasts during the process of dentinogenesis. Dentin formed, before the completion of root formation, is define primary dentin (PD), while dentin formed after and associated with the normal aging process is designated secondary dentin (SD). Tertiary dentin (TD) is produced in reaction to external noxious stimulus/injury, such as attrition or dental caries, adjacent to the preexisting dentin layer and further classified reparative dentin (RD) (1, 2). Aim this study was to compare pattern and distribution of extracellular matrix proteins, produced by odontoblast cells during dentin mineralization and during reparative process, in response to stimulus in human sound dentin vs human reparative dentin matrix. Sixteen sound carious human molars were selected, demineralized, fixed in paraformaldehyde and then processed for immunohistochemical approach to detect extracellular matrix proteins. In particular specimens were submitted to an immunolabeling technique by using primary antibodies anti dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteoponti (OPN). Results indicate that the region of the exposed pulp, formed a layer of reparative dentin bridge sealing the communication between the cavity and pulp chamber. In addition results indicate that in RD is present a lower levels of DMP1 and DSP than PD layer, while BSP and OPN are present in RD but absent in PD layer. The expression of BSP and OPN in RD indicates that the odontoblast-like cells were attempting to produce a hard tissue at a very rapid process. In according with previous scientific literature, our results suggested that the deposition of OPN and BSP at the calcification front is essential for the type I collagen secretion by newly differentiated odontoblast-like cells to form reparative dentin during pulpal healing following cavity preparation

Pulmonary and cardiovascular syndrome due to hantavirus: clinical aspects of an emerging disease in southeastern Brazil

A síndrome pulmonar e cardiovascular por hantavírus é doença causada pela aspiração de aerossóis dos dejetos de roedores silvestres contaminados por vírus da família Bunyaviridae. Estudamos manifestações clínicas e laboratoriais de 70 casos ocorridos de 1998 a 2007 na região de Ribeirão Preto, SP. A freqüência de sintomas foi dispnéia (87%), febre (81%), tosse (44%), cefaléia (34%), taquicardia (81%), hipotensão arterial (56%), hipóxia (49%), acidose metabólica (57%), linfocitopenia (51%), hematócrito >45% (70%), leucocitose com desvio à esquerda (67%), creatinina (51%) e uréia (42%) séricas elevadas. A letalidade (54,3%) ocorreu principalmente no 4o dia. Insuficiência respiratória, hipotensão arterial e choque ocorreu 24-48 horas; o hematócrito elevado e a plaquetopenia são sinais fortemente sugestivos da doença. A hipótese diagnóstica de pneumonia atípica associada a bom prognóstico (p:0,0136); a infusão hídrica >2.000ml e hipotensão arterial associadas a mau prognóstico (p:0,0286 e p:0,0453).Pulmonary and cardiovascular syndrome due to hantavirus is a disease caused by inhalation of aerosols from the excreta of wild rodents contaminated by viruses of the Bunyaviridae family. We studied the clinical and laboratory manifestations of 70 cases that occurred in the region of Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil, between 1998 and 2007. The frequency of symptoms was as follows: dyspnea (87%), fever (81%), coughing (44%), headache (34%), tachycardia (81%), low arterial blood pressure (56%), metabolic acidosis (57%), lymphocytopenia (51%), hematocrit > 45% (70%), leukocytosis with left deviation (67%), creatinine (51%) and urea (42%). Mortality (54.3%) occurred mainly on the fourth day. Respiratory insufficiency, low arterial blood pressure and shock occurred after 24 to 48 hours. High hematocrit and decreased platelet levels were signs strongly suggestive of the disease. The diagnostic hypothesis of atypical pneumonia was associated with a good prognosis (p = 0.0136). Fluid infusion greater than 2,000 ml and arterial hypotension were associated with a poor prognosis (p = 0.0286 and p = 0.0453)

Antitumor Agents. 1. Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Modeling of 5H-Pyrido[3,2-a]phenoxazin-5-one, a Compound with Potent Antiproliferative Activity

The iminoquinone is an important moiety of a large number of antineoplastic drugs and plays a significant role in the nucleus of actinomycins, powerful, highly toxic, natural antibiotics that target DNA as intercalating agents. A series of polycyclic iminoquinonic compounds, 2-amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (1), 2-amino-1,9-diacetyl-3H-phenoxazin-3-one (2), 2-acetylamino- 3H-phenoxazin-3-one (3), 3H-phenoxazin-3-one (4), 5H-pyrido[3,2-a]phenoxazin-5-one (5), and 5H-pyrido[3,2-a]phenothiazin-5-one (6), strictly related to the actinomycin chromophore, were synthesized for developing new anticancer intercalating drugs. The antiproliferative activity of these compounds, evaluated against representative human liquid and solid neoplastic cell lines, showed that 5 and its isoster 6 were the most active compounds inhibiting cell proliferation in a submicromolar range. Compound 5 was also evaluated against KB subclones (KBMDR, KB7D, and KBV20C), which overexpress the MDR1/P-glycoprotein drug efflux pump responsible for drug resistance. All the above KB subclones did not show altered sensitivity to the antiproliferative activity of 5. UV-vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy experiments support the phenoxazinone 5/DNA binding. Molecular mechanics methods were used to build a three-dimensional model of the 5/[d(GAAGCTTC)]2 complex. Electrostatic interactions between the hydrogen of the positively charged pyridine nitrogen of 5 and the negatively charged oxygen atoms (O4¢ and O5¢) of the cytosine C5 residue together with stacking forces contribute to the high antiproliferative activity. The metal(II)-assisted synthesis procedure of 5 is described, and the formation mechanism is proposed

A straightforward multiparametric quality control protocol for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: Validation and comparison of various 1.5 T and 3 T clinical scanner systems

Purpose: The aim of this study was to propose and validate across various clinical scanner systems a straightforward multiparametric quality assurance procedure for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Methods: Eighteen clinical 1.5 T and 3 T scanner systems for MRS, from 16 centres and 3 different manufacturers, were enrolled in the study. A standard spherical water phantom was employed by all centres. The acquisition protocol included 3 sets of single (isotropic) voxel (size 20 mm) PRESS acquisitions with unsuppressed water signal and acquisition voxel position at isocenter as well as off-center, repeated 4/5 times within approximately 2 months. Water peak linewidth (LW) and area under the water peak (AP) were estimated. Results: LW values [mean (standard deviation)] were 1.4 (1.0) Hz and 0.8 (0.3) Hz for 3 T and 1.5 T scanners, respectively. The mean (standard deviation) (across all scanners) coefficient of variation of LW and AP for different spatial positions of acquisition voxel were 43% (20%) and 11% (11%), respectively. The mean (standard deviation) phantom T2 values were 1145 (50) ms and 1010 (95) ms for 1.5 T and 3 T scanners, respectively. The mean (standard deviation) (across all scanners) coefficients of variation for repeated measurements of LW, AP and T2 were 25% (20%), 10% (14%) and 5% (2%), respectively. Conclusions: We proposed a straightforward multiparametric and not time consuming quality control protocol for MRS, which can be included in routine and periodic quality assurance procedures. The protocol has been validated and proven to be feasible in a multicentre comparison study of a fairly large number of clinical 1.5 T and 3 T scanner systems

ARIANNA: A research environment for neuroimaging studies in autism spectrum disorders

The complexity and heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) require the implementation of dedicated analysis techniques to obtain the maximum from the interrelationship among many variables that describe affected individuals, spanning from clinical phenotypic characterization and genetic profile to structural and functional brain images. The ARIANNA project has developed a collaborative interdisciplinary research environment that is easily accessible to the community of researchers working on ASD (https://arianna.pi.infn.it). The main goals of the project are: to analyze neuroimaging data acquired in multiple sites with multivariate approaches based on machine learning; to detect structural and functional brain characteristics that allow the distinguishing of individuals with ASD from control subjects; to identify neuroimaging-based criteria to stratify the population with ASD to support the future development of personalized treatments. Secure data handling and storage are guaranteed within the project, as well as the access to fast grid/cloud-based computational resources. This paper outlines the web-based architecture, the computing infrastructure and the collaborative analysis workflows at the basis of the ARIANNA interdisciplinary working environment. It also demonstrates the full functionality of the research platform. The availability of this innovative working environment for analyzing clinical and neuroimaging information of individuals with ASD is expected to support researchers in disentangling complex data thus facilitating their interpretation