Prevalence of ulcerative stomatitis in arbovirus infections in a Brazilian Northeast population

Although there are no population-based studies that support an association, there are reports in the literature of mucocutaneous, vesiculobullous and ulcerated lesions in the oral mucosa in cases of arbovirus infection. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of ulcerative stomatitis in individuals affected by arboviruses in a population of the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, Brazil. 1,003 people living in an area assigned to a Primary Health Care Unit were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, with questions about sociodemographic variables, residence conditions, general health information, as well as information about the general signs and symptoms of arboviruses and specifically about oral lesions. Of the 1,003 individuals interviewed, 815 (81.25%) were infected by one or more arboviruses. Of these, 147 (18%) reported ulcerated oral lesions during arbovirus infections. The association between arbovirus infections and the presence of ulcerated oral lesions was statistically significant (p = 0.000). In these cases, the ulcerated lesions on the oral mucosa appear to be associated with arbovirus infection, especially Chikungunya, although the pathophysiological mechanisms are not defined, and the studies are not sufficient to confirm this association

Does aortic valve repair in valve-sparing aortic root reconstruction compromise the longevity of the procedure?

OBJECTIVES: The effect of performing aortic valve repair in combination with valve-sparing operation on the length of time for which patients are free from reoperation is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine if the performance of aortic valve repair during valve-sparing operation modified the freedom from reoperation time. METHODS: From January 2003 to July 2014, 78 patients with a mean age of 49±15 years underwent valve-sparing operation. Sixty-eight percent of these patients were male. Twenty-two (28%) aortic valve repair procedures were performed in this patient population. In the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation group, 77.3% of patients had moderate/severe aortic insufficiency, while in the valve-sparing operation group, 58.6% of patients had moderate/severe aortic insufficiency (ns = not significant). Additionally, 13.6% of patients in the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation group had functional class III/IV, while 14.2% of patients in the valve-sparing operation group had functional class III/IV (ns). RESULTS: The in-hospital and late mortality rates, for the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation and valve-sparing operation groups were similar, as they were 4.5% and 3.6%; and 0% and 1.8%, respectively. In the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation group, 0% of patients presented moderate/severe aortic insufficiency during late follow-up, while in the valve-sparing operation group, 14.2% of patients presented with moderate/severe aortic insufficiency during this period (ns). In the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation group, 5.3% of patients presented with functional class III/IV, while in the valve-sparing operation group, 4.2% of patients presented with functional class III/IV (ns). In the aortic valve repair + valve-sparing operation group, 0% of patients required reoperation, while in the valve-sparing operation group, 3.6% of patients required reoperation over a mean follow-up period of 1621±1156 days (75 patients). CONCLUSION: Valve-sparing operation is a safe and long-lasting procedure and performance of aortic valve repair when necessary does not increase risk of reoperation on the aortic valve

Proposed Use of Photovoltaic Energy in a Traffic Light System

The implementation of the replacement of a conventional semaphore system with one powered by photovoltaic energy in the city of Manaus. Nowadays, energy generation has been approached as one of the vitally important issues. The increasing demand for energy in the country and the importation of new technologies conditioned to the use of electricity have been demanding better energy planning, given the energy potential of the northern region for the implementation of a photovoltaic system directed to the semaphore system. In this scenario it is important to identify the impacts caused by the replacement of incandescent lamps with LED technology with the consequent reduction of energy consumption and maintenance costs. In addition, the purpose of this study is the inclusion of photovoltaic panels in traffic lights, seeking a sustainable form of operation. It is noteworthy that the process of analyzing the results of this project was based on measurements made before and after the replacement of the equipment, thus reflecting the actual values ​​of electricity consumption and active power demand

Effect of 36 combined physical exercise sessions on the range of motion and handgrip strength of mastectomized women undergoing breast cancer treatment

Purpose: to verify the influence of 36 sessions of a combined exercise protocol (resistance exercise with dumbbells and flexibility exercises for upper limbs) on the range of motion of the glenohumeral joint and handgrip strength of mastectomized women undergoing treatment of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: 37 female volunteers aged between 31 and 76 years, physically inactive who were being treated for breast cancer through adjuvant therapies were randomized into 2 groups (experimental, n=17; control, n=20). The volunteers in the experimental group underwent 36 sessions of a combined exercise protocol (resistance exercise with dumbbells and flexibility exercises for upper limbs), whereas the volunteers in the control group only continued with conventional cancer treatment. Both groups were evaluated before the start (pre-test) and one day after the end of the 36 combined exercise sessions of the exercise group (post-test). Results: The Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test demonstrated a significant improvement in the exercise group compared to the control group for the variables of handgrip strength, shoulder extension, medial shoulder rotation, and shoulder lateral rotation (p<0.05). Conclusion: The combined exercise protocol had a positive influence on the handgrip strength and improved flexibility for the movements of horizontal shoulder abduction, medial shoulder rotation, shoulder lateral rotation. However, there was no effect on the movements of shoulder flexion, shoulder extension, and horizontal shoulder adduction

Fatigue performance of laser welds in heavy-gage press hardening steels

This work investigates and compares the fatigue performance of laser-welded joints of two press hardening steels: a standard 22MnB5 and a variant modified by a combination of niobium and molybdenum (NbMo) alloying. The results indicate that joint geometry aspects, superposed to an intrusion-generated damage mechanism, were prevalent in causing a poor fatigue life in the case of peak stress values greater than 11% of the base metal's ultimate strength being around 1450 MPa. As identical process procedures were employed, the tests allowed investigating the influence of the alloy design on fatigue performance. The results of geometrical analysis and fatigue tests indicated that the NbMo modified alloy performed better than the standard 22MnB5 steel. The results also suggest that, if extremely tight quality limits are used in the manufacturing procedures, laser-welded joints of press hardened steels could offer a very favorable fatigue performance being considerably better than that of conventional and high strength structural steels

Dental workers in front-line of COVID-19: an in silico evaluation targeting their prevention

SARS-CoV-2 has high human-human transmission rate. The aerosols and saliva droplets are the main contamination source. Thus, it is crucial to point out that dental practitioners become a high-risk group of contagion by SARS-CoV-2. Based on this, protocols have been recommended to avoid cross-contamination during dental care; however, appropriate evidence has not yet been established. Objective: Our study sought to make a screening, by in silico analysis, of the potential of mouth rinses used in dental practices to prevent the dental workers' contamination by SARS-CoV-2. Methodology: Multiple sequence comparisons and construction of the phylogenetic tree were conducted using the FASTA code. Therefore, molecular docking investigation between SARS-CoV-2 proteins (Main Protease, Spike Glycoprotein, Non-structure Protein, and Papain-like Protease) and molecules used in dental practices (chlorhexidine digluconate, hydrogen peroxide, cetylpyridinium chloride, povidone-iodine, gallic acid, β-cyclodextrin, catechin, and quercetin) was performed using AutoDock Vina. Moreover, 2D interactions of the complex protein-ligand structure were analyzed by Ligplot+.&nbsp; Results: The obtained results showed a remarkable affinity between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and all tested compounds. The chlorhexidine digluconate, catechin, and quercetin presented a higher affinity with SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions: The overall results allowed us to suggest that chlorhexidine is the most suitable active compound in reducing the SARS-CoV-2 salivary load due to its better binding energy. However, in vivo studies should be conducted to confirm their clinical use