I-49. Influência do Ozono no processo de colonização bacteriana em Titânio

Objetivos: com uso de implantes dentários, surgem casos de ocorrência de peri-implantite, que se instala e permanece causando perda óssea peri-implantar podendo culminar no fracasso do implante dentário. Recentemente foram colocados no mercado equipamentos para aplicação de Ozono em medicina dentária, cuja aplicabilidade se baseia na potencial ação bacteriostático do Ozono mas da qual a evidência científica ainda é escassa. Deste modo, este estudo pretendeu avaliar a eficácia antimicrobiana do Ozono em culturas de Staphylococcus aureus sobre discos de titânio. Materiais e métodos: o efeito do ozono na formação de biofilme bacteriano pelo Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) foi testado através do uso de microplacas de 24 poços e de 8 discos de titânio com 1 cm2 de área e com uma superfície tratada quimicamente por aplicação de um ataque ácido (ácido fluorídrico ácido nítrico água na proporção 1:1:1). Cada disco foi revestido com um volume de inóculo correspondente a 1x108 ufc/ml e seco durante 30 min em condições assépticas. Cada disco inoculado foi tratado com jato de ozono durante 40 segundos, usando o HealOzone® (KaVo Dental GmbH, Biberach, Germany). Após esta aplicação do ozono os discos foram submersos em poços com 2 ml de 1% Tryptic Soy Broth (Difco®) e glucose a 1% (Sigma-Aldrich®). Simultaneamente, foi realizado um controlo positivo-disco e um controlo negativo. Após 48 h os discos foram recuperados e o número de unidades formadoras de colónias (UFC) foi determinado através do método Miles and Misra em Plate Count Agar (Merck®). As placas foram incubadas a 37 °C durante 24 h. Os resultados foram analisados aplicando a seguinte formula: %inibição = 100–(LOG UFCAMOSTRA COM OZONO/LOG UFCAMOSTRA SEM OZONO)x100. Resultados: verificou-se que houve uma inibição de crescimento do Sa de 31,4% após a aplicação do ozono. O tratamento da superfície do disco de titânio conduziu a uma redução de cerca de 2.5 ciclos logarítmicos. A analise estatística efetuada pelo método de Mann Whitney revelou a existência de uma diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os 2 grupos (com e sem aplicação de ozono) com o p = 0,0286. Conclusões: a aplicação do ozono em discos de titânio numa superfície revestida com elevado número de Sa (1x108 ufc/ml) conduziu a um efeito bacteriostático, demonstrando assim a potencial relevância deste equipamento na peri-implantite. São necessários mais estudos in vivo, com diferentes superfícies de implantes, para se testar a eficácia do Ozono no tratamento da patologia peri-implantar.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Two-dimensional identification of fetal tooth germs

Objective: To demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of two-dimensional ultrasonography in the identification of tooth germs and in the assessment of potential pathology.Design: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study.Setting: Prenatal Diagnosis Unit of Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia / EspinhoEmpresa Publica in Portugal.Patients: A total of 157 white pregnant women (median age, 32 years; range, 14 to 47 years) undergoing routine ultrasound exams.Main Outcome Measure(s): Description of the fetal tooth germs, as visualized by two-dimensional ultrasonography, including results from prior fetal biometry and detailed screening for malformations.Results: In the first trimester group, ultrasonography identified 10 tooth germs in the maxilla and 10 tooth germs in the mandible in all fetuses except for one who presented eight maxillary tooth germs. This case was associated with a chromosomal abnormality (trisomy 13) with a bilateral cleft palate. In the second and third trimesters group, ultrasonography identified a larger range of tooth germs: 81.2% of fetuses showed 10 tooth germs in the maxilla and 85.0% of fetuses had 10 tooth germs in the mandible. Hypodontia was more prevalent in the maxilla than in the mandible, which led us to use qualitative two-dimensional ultrasonography to analyze the possible association between hypodontia and other variables such as fetal pathology, markers, head, nuchal, face, and spine.Conclusions: We recommend using this method as the first exam to evaluate fetal morphology and also to help establish accurate diagnosis of abnormalities in pregnancy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Economic Analysis of Irrigation Policy Options for Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emission Reduction from Rice Cultivation in Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Rice production contributes a significant amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) from agriculture. The study analyzes policy options for water management in the national irrigation system for reducing GHG emissions from rice cultivation in Division 1 of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (UPRIIS) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. These options include policies associated with continuous flooding, single drainage, and multiple drainage of rice fields. The total economic values were calculated by estimating the cost avoided due to GHG reduction and water savings, and estimating the welfare effect. The per season estimated economic values of the potential GHG emission reduction and value of water savings in the study area are: PhP 339 million (M) for shifting from continuous flooding to midseason (single) drainage and PhP 652M for shifting to alternate wetting and drying (AWD) or multiple drainage. Using choice experiment, farmer's willingness to pay for a policy change for single drainage is estimated at PhP 5,518/ha and PhP 6,774/ha for multiple drainage, or a total welfare effect of PhP 102M and PhP 125M, respectively. Aggregating these values results in a gross benefit of PhP 441M for midseason drainage and PhP 777M for AWD. The net present values (NVP) of net benefits from implementing the policies are both positive, although NPV is higher for the policy on multiple drainage

Valuing Groundwater in a Productive Aquifer Using the Production Function Approach: The Case of Rice Production in Lumban, Laguna, Philippines

Establishment of the price of groundwater is a necessary step in designing means for its sustainable management in rice production. There are several techniques that can be used in groundwater valuation. It is important to identify a valuation method that is appropriate to existing natural conditions within which the groundwater is situated. This paper aims to estimate the value of groundwater in a productive aquifer that is located in Lumban, Laguna, Philippines. Based on an estimated rice production function, the paper revealed that the value of groundwater extracted for rice production is approximately PhP 1.13 per m3 . Out of this estimated economic value, resource rent is roughly 66% while the remainder covers the financial cost associated with groundwater extraction

Maternal high fat diet during pregnancy and lactation alters hepatic expression of insulin like growth factor-2 and key microRNAs in the adult offspring

Background :miRNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene functions. Maternal dietary modifications during pregnancy and gestation have long-term effects on the offspring, but it is not known whether a maternal high fat (HF) diet during pregnancy and lactation alters expression of key miRNAs in the offspring.Results: We studied the effects of maternal HF diet on the adult offspring by feeding mice with either a HF or a chow diet prior to conception, during pregnancy and lactation, and all offspring were weaned onto the same chow diet until adulthood. Maternal HF fed offspring had markedly increased hepatic mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-alpha (ppar-alpha) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1a (cpt-1a) as well as insulin like growth factor-2 (Igf2). A HF diet induced up-regulation of ppar-alpha and cpt-1a expression in the wild type but not in Igf2 knock out mice. Furthermore, hepatic expression of let-7c was also reduced in maternal HF fed offspring. Among 579 miRNAs measured with microarray, ~23 miRNA levels were reduced by ~1.5-4.9-fold. Reduced expression of miR-709 (a highly expressed miRNA), miR-122, miR-192, miR-194, miR-26a, let-7a, let7b and let-7c, miR-494 and miR-483* (reduced by ~4.9 fold) was validated by qPCR. We found that methyl-CpG binding protein 2 was the common predicted target for miR-709, miR-let7s, miR-122, miR-194 and miR-26a using our own purpose-built computer program.Conclusion: Maternal HF feeding during pregnancy and lactation induced co-ordinated and long-lasting changes in expression of Igf2, fat metabolic genes and several important miRNAs in the offspring