Evaluación de la cronología dentaria en grupos wichi, toba y criollos del Gran Chaco (provincia de Formosa)

Se realizó el análisis de la cronología de erupción dentaria como una evaluación de maduración funcional en individuos pertenecientes a comunidades wichí, toba y crillas del Gran Chaco (provincia de Formosa, Argentina). Se tuvieron en cuenta los elementos dentarios presentes en cada hemiarcada izquierda y el orden de erupción. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue examinar el comportamiento de estas variables en la población infantil de ambos sexos de las distintas comunidades. La muestra estuvo integrada por 159 individuos entre 6 y 12 años. La metodología aplicada fue la del conteo de las piezas dentarias individuales. Los datos fueron volcados en una ficha odontológica pertinente. Se analizó comparativamente el orden de erupción en cada muestra investigada. Resultados: a) diferencias de erupción entre los wichí, toba y criollos; b) alteración en el orden de erupción, en el segundo premolar y los segundos molares y c) variación de erupción de las niñas con respecto a los varones. Concluimos que los grupos pertenecientes a la misma zona geográfica, pero con distinto nivel socioeconómico, muestran diferencias en la cronología dentaria, lo cual estaría indicando una influencia ambiental sobre el determinante genético

Detection and genetic analysis of the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (EAST1) gene in clinical isolates of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains

Background: the enteroaggregative E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1) encoded by astA gene has been found in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains. However, it is not sufficient to simply probe strains with an astA gene probe due to the existence of astA mutants (type 1 and type 2 SHEAST) and EAST1 variants (EAST1 v1-4). in this study, 222 EPEC (70 typical and 152 atypical) isolates were tested for the presence of the astA gene sequence by PCR and sequencing.Results: the astA gene was amplified from 54 strains, 11 typical and 43 atypical. Sequence analysis of the PCR products showed that 25 strains, 7 typical and 18 atypical, had an intact astA gene. A subgroup of 7 atypical strains had a variant type of the astA gene sequence, with four non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions. the remaining 22 strains had mutated astA gene with nucleotide deletions or substitutions in the first 8 codons. the RT-PCR results showed that the astA gene was transcribed only by the strains carrying either the intact or the variant type of the astA gene sequence. Southern blot analysis indicated that astA is located in EAF plasmid in typical strains, and in plasmids of similar size in atypical strains. Strains carrying intact astA genes were more frequently found in diarrheic children than in non-diarrheic children (p < 0.05).Conclusion: in conclusion, our data suggest that the presence of an intact astA gene may represent an additional virulence determinant in both EPEC groups.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina Reumatol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina Reumatol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program report: latin american and brazilian results for 1997 through 2001

The alarming emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance among common bacteria threatens the effectiveness of therapy for many infections. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is essential to identify the major problems and guide adequate control measures. Several resistance surveillance programs have been implemented in North America and Europe in the last decade; however, very few programs have assessed antimicrobial resistance in Latin American countries. The SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program was initiated in 1997 and represents the most comprehensive surveillance program in place at the present time worldwide. The SENTRY Program collects consecutive isolates from clinically documented infections in more than 80 medical centers worldwide (10 in Latin America). The isolates are collected according to the type of infection (objectives) and susceptibility tested in a central microbiology laboratory by reference broth microdilution methods according to NCCLS guidelines. The Program also incorporated molecular typing (ribotyping and PFGE) and resistance mechanism analysis of selected isolates. In this report we present a very broad analysis of the data generated by testing almost 20,000 bacterial isolates against more than 30 antimicrobial agents. The susceptibility results (MIC50, MIC90 and % susceptible) are presented in 11 tables according to the organism and site of infection. The data from Brazil, as well as the data from isolates collected in 2001, are analyzed separately. This report allows the evaluation of the activities numerous antimicrobial agents against clinical isolates collected in Latin American countries.Federal University of São Paulo Division of Infectious Diseases Special Laboratory of Clinical MicrobiologyThe JONES Group JMI LaboratoriesUNIFESP, Division of Infectious Diseases Special Laboratory of Clinical MicrobiologySciEL

Understanding drop spreading behaviour on WC-10wt%Co cutting tools – an experimental and numerical study

WC-Co cutting tools performance under demanding cutting conditions largely depend on the efficiency of the cutting fluid, mainly its ability to remove heat and reduce friction, both highly dependent on the wettability and drop spreading behaviour of the fluid. In this context, this study focuses on the spreading behaviour of machining cutting fluid and water in WC-10 wt%Co cutting tools surface. Contact angles were experimentally measured and then used for performing numerical simulations by the level set method. A contact angle of 75.3˚ and 92.8˚ were measured for the machining cutting fluid and distilled water, respectively, and coincident values were found by numerical simulation, as well as a strong agreement in the drop shape. It was also possible to observe that machining cutting fluid has a lower spreading time than water, due to a lower contact angle and higher viscous dissipation, allowing to reach equilibrium phase sooner. Also, the machining cutting fluid presents a higher drop radius than water, meaning a 24.2% contact area increase over 50 ms of spreading time. Furthermore, numerical simulation showed that the drops spreading over the capillary-inertial time, at the early stage of spreading, follow an exponential dependency with a spreading factor of approximately t1/2, which indicates that the initial spreading of both drops is driven and controlled by the balance between inertial and capillary forces. This work intends to contribute to the knowledge on the phenomena that drive the drop spreading behaviour on WC-10 wt%Co cutting tools, being the development of numerical models to predict this behaviour of utmost importance, since it can lead to the development of novel surface improved tools, with an enhanced lubrification effect and heat removal capacity closer to the cutting zone during machining processes, and consequently allowing an improvement in the tribological and cutting performance of these toolspublishe

Characterization of compatible TRM composites for strengthening of earthen materials

The high seismic vulnerability of earth constructions has been evidenced by several recent earthquakes that occurred around the World with moderate to high magnitudes, namely Bam 2003, Pisco 2007 and Maule 2010. The seismic risk associated to earth constructions is further amplified by the fact that a great percentage of these constructions is built on regions with important seismic hazard. Thus, the preservation of the immense earthen built heritage and of the life of their inhabitants demands adopting innovative strengthening interventions. However, the success of such solutions requires fulfilling compatibility requirements, while its general use requires adopting affordable materials and low complexity technical solutions. In the last years, textile reinforced mortars (TRM) have been increasingly used to strengthen masonry structures due to their high structural effectiveness and compatibility. In the case of earth constructions, these composite materials are also expected to provide efficient strengthening, though specific component materials should be adopted. This paper presents an experimental program dedicated to the characterization of the composite behavior of two TRM composites proposed for strengthening rammed earth walls. The composites differ on the mesh used, namely a low cost glass fiber mesh and a nylon mesh acquired locally, while the same earth-based mortar was used in both cases. The experimental program involved testing the mortar under compression and composite coupons under tension. In general, the glass TRM presents higher strength and stiffness in tension, while the nylon TRM presents considerably higher deformation capacity. Finally, stress-strain relationships describing the composite behavior are presented for numerical modelling purposes.This work was partly financed by FEDER funds through the Competitivity Factors Operational Programme - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of projects POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007633 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016737

Person-centered practice in the Portuguese Healthcare Services: a scoping review protocol

Recognizing the importance of the international advancements on person-centered practice (PCP) with positive implementation outcomes at the varied levels of healthcare systems, this scoping review will examine the PCP in Portuguese healthcare services. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for scoping reviews will be followed. The Population (P) Concept (C) Context (C) mnemonic will scaffold research questions, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the searching strategy. Literature reporting on person-centeredness domains at the macro-, meso-, and micro levels applied to Portuguese healthcare services in Portuguese and English will be considered for inclusion. Accordingly, MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, LILACS, SCIELO, Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal (RCAAP), and Open gray will be searched. The literature will be screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers, first by title and abstract and subsequently by full text. A data extraction matrix designed to answer the research questions will be used for the included literature. The charted data will be thematically analyzed and presented graphically, with a narrative description of the literature characteristics. The results are expected to inform healthcare stakeholders at varying levels about the PCP domains where further improvements might be required in order to raise the quality of care to the international gold standards.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improving downstream processing of enveloped virus-like particles with multi-column chromatography

The interest in continuous downstream purification processes is rapidly growing as industry pursues the establishment of continuous manufacturing. Continuous multi-column chromatography is therefore looked as an enabling technology, capable of improving purification yields whilst improving product quality and lowering costs. We report on the development and comparison of two types of multi-column chromatographic systems aimed at the purification of enveloped VLPs, produced using insect cell-based expression with recombinant baculovirus. By subjecting an array of chromatographic devices to a temporal sequence of operations steps, suchlike column equilibration, product application, production and regeneration, one is able to overcome the limits of dynamic binding capacity characteristic of single-column batch processes. This will enable the increase of volumetric productivity, column capacity utilization and subsequently a decrease on processing costs. The first process described herein is based on direct product capture using an anion exchange chromatographic media and subsequent elution with the modulation of ionic strength. The second process reported is based on negative chromatographic purification. In this approach, elution conditions are such that impurities should adsorb on the chromatographic media whereas the product of interest flows through the column. The proposed strategies will be compared in terms of their volumetric productivity, resin capacity utilization, equipment footprint and skid complexity. We will also demonstrate that the optimal design is not only a balance between the manufacturing scale, complexity and imposed product quality requirements, but depends also upon factors such as media capacity for the product and related impurities, operational flow-rates, and mechanical limitations of the systems used

Development of a novel methodology to validate optimal sterilization conditions for maximizing the texture quality of white beans in glass jars

Optimal thermal processes were designed for white beans in glass jars heated in a still and end-over-end rotary pilot water cascading retort. For this purpose, isothermal kinetics of thermal softening of white beans were studied in detail using a tenderometer and a texturometer. The fractional conversion model was applied in both cases to model the texture degradation. The Arrhenius equation described well the temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant. With regard to the heat transfer, heat penetration parameters (fh and jh) were experimentally determined from 100 containers under static as well as rotational (end-over-end) conditions at 4, 7, 10, and 15 rpm. Theoretical optimal temperatures, maximizing volume average quality retention, were calculated using a computer program valid for conduction heating foods. Experimental verification of the calculated results was conducted. Considering the finite surface heat transfer coefficient, theoretical and experimental optimal temperatures were of the same order of magnitude, around 130 °C, while for an infinite surface heat transfer coefficient the calculated optimum temperature was much lower than the experimental value. The type of reaction kinetic model, fractional conversion or first-order models, does not significantly affect optimal sterilization temperatures. Although some differences were found, the developed theoretical approach was successfully applied to convective and mixed heating mode products. The use of the correct surface heat transfer coefficient is crucial to design optimal processing conditions

Advances in bioprocessing, analytics and formulation of influenza HA-VLP vaccine candidates produced by insect cells

The emergence of new influenza strains demands the continued development of novel, flexible, and scalable platforms for vaccine production. In this study, we describe advancements in the manufacturing process of influenza hemagglutinin (HA)-displaying virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines produced by insect cells, from upstream and downstream processing to analytics and formulation. Aiming to improve influenza HA-VLPs production, evolutionary engineering and process intensification have been applied. Adaptation of stable Sf-9 cells producing HA-VLPs to hypothermic growth resulted in up to 12-fold higher expression. Likewise, adaptation of parental High Five cells to neutral pH induced a 3-fold higher specific HA-VLPs production rate following infection with baculovirus. In both case studies, the adaptation process had no impact on VLPs activity and morphology. Noteworthy, stable adapted Sf-9 cells could be cultured in perfusion (up to 100x106 cell/mL) and continuous (~20x106 cell/mL) operation modes with cell-specific productivity similar to batch mode. Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full abstract