Gigantic peripheral osteoma of the mandible: a case report

Osteomas are osteogenic lesions that have a limited growth potential. They are comprised of histologically and radiographically normal bone. Osteomas are categorized as central, peripheral or extraskeletal according to location. Clinically, peripheral osteomas (PO) are unilateral, sessile or pedunculated and have mushroom-like lesions ranging from 10 to 40 mm in diameter. Osteomas affecting the mandible are rare. In this report, we presented a gigantic peripheral mass on the left mandible in a 55-year old patient exhibiting clinical signs related to neoplasia

Exploring bacterial communities in aquaponic systems

Aquaponics is a production system based on the dynamic equilibrium between fish, plants, and microorganisms. In order to better understand the role of microorganisms in this tripartite relationship, we studied the bacterial communities hosted in eight aquaponic and aquaculture systems. The bacterial communities were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene deep sequencing. At the phylum level, the bacterial communities from all systems were relatively similar with a predominance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, however, the communities present in the sampled systems were more heterogeneous. The biofilter samples harbored more diverse communities than the corresponding sump samples. The core microbiomes from the coupled and decoupled systems shared more common operational taxonomic units than with the aquaculture systems. Eventually, some of the taxa identified in the systems could have beneficial functions for plant growth and health, but a deeper analysis would be required to identify the precise functions involved in aquaponics

CALCIFYING EPITHELIAL ODONTOGENIC TUMOR: A CASE REPORT

The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT) is a rare benign odontogenic tumor. It was firstly described by Pindborg, and thus, is also referred to as the “Pindborg tumor.” CEOTaccounts for approximately 0.4-3 % of all the odontogenic tumors. Pindborg tumor is a benign but locally aggressive. It usually presents as a hard painless mass, generally affecting the mandible. Epithelial calcified odontogenic tumor usually found in the posterior mandibular bone, and it shares many features with the ameloblastoma. In this case report, clinical, radiological findings and surgical treatment of the patient with Pindborg tumor were presented

Determinação da composição centesimal a partir de dois métodos de secagem para a produção da farinha de beterraba (Beta vulgaris, L. - Família Amaranthaceae)

A beterraba (Beta vulgaris, L. - Família Amaranthaceae) é uma hortaliça tuberosa que contém uma elevada quantidade de água e uma composição de vitaminas e minerais variada. Seus altos valores de carboidratos a tornam útil na produção de açúcar. Seu pigmento é um ótimo antioxidante natural que age contra o envelhecimento celular e reduz o risco de alguns tipos de câncer. A farinha pode ser introduzida na dieta em receitas que podem ser adaptadas para seu uso, como por exemplo, em bolos e pães, além de sua pigmentação específica (devido à betalaína e ferro) ser atraente aos consumidores. Foram utilizadas duas técnicas diferentes para a obtenção da farinha: por secagem em estufa e por liofilização e, em seguida, foram realizados testes macroscópicos e determinação da composição química e nutricional das farinhas obtidas. Observou-se que as farinhas apresentavam maior concentração de nutrientes quando comparados à beterraba crua. A farinha obtida por liofilização apresentou valores mais altos de proteínas, carboidratos e fibras, o que pode ser explicado por a liofilização não expor os compostos a altas temperaturas, reduzindo as reações de decomposição desses nutrientes. Além disso, observou-se que a coloração da farinha liofilizada se manteve mais semelhante à beterraba crua quando comparada com a farinha obtida por secagem em estufa, devido às possíveis reações de caramelização e/ou Maillard que podem ocorreram. Conclui-se então que o processo de liofilização gera um produto com menor perda de características (como cor e propriedades organolépticas), porém é preciso estudar o uso de conservantes durante o processo para reduzir a higroscopicidade do produto obtido.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Beterraba. Farinha de beterraba. Secagem em estufa. Liofilização. Composição centesimal. Beta vulgaris, L.  ABSTRACTThe beetroot (Beta vulgaris, L. - Family Amaranthaceae) is a tuberous vegetable that has a high quantity of water and a varied composition of vitamins and minerals. Its high levels of carbohydrates makes it useful in sugar production. Its pigment is a great natural antioxidant that acts against aging and lower the risks of some types of cancer. The flour can be introduced in the feeding through adapted recipes, like cakes and bread. Besides, its specific pigmentation (due to betalain and iron) may appeal to whom will consume these products. Two methods were used to obtain the flour, by heat drying and lyophilization, and then went through macroscopic tests and determination of chemical and nutritional composition of the obtained flours. It was observed that the flours had a reduction in humidity and a concentration of its nutrients when compared to the raw beetroot. The flour obtained through lyophilization presented the highest levels of nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fibers, which can be explained because the lyophilization doesn’t expose the nutrients to high temperatures, reducing their degradation. Besides, we could see that the color of the lyophilized flour was similar to the raw beetroot when compared to the heat dryied flour due to possible caramelization reactions and/or Maillard reaction that may occur. We can conclude that the lyophilization process obtains a flour with less loss of qualities (like color and organoleptic properties). However, there’s a need to study the use of preservatives to reduce the hygroscopicity of the final product

Statistical analysis plan for the ‘Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke’ (ENOS) trial

High blood pressure is common during the acute phase of stroke and is associated with a poor outcome. However, the management of high blood pressure remains unclear. The ‘Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke’ trial tested whether transdermal glyceryl trinitrate, a nitric oxide donor that lowers blood pressure, is safe and effective in improving outcome after acute stroke. Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke is an international multicenter, prospective, randomized, single-blind, blinded endpoint trial, with funding from the UK Medical Research Council. Patients with acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage and systolic blood pressure 140–220 mmHg were randomized to glyceryl trinitrate or no glyceryl trinitrate and, where relevant, to continue or stop prestrike antihypertensive therapy. The primary outcome is shift in modified Rankin Scale at three-months. Patients or relatives gave written informed (proxy) consent, and all sites had research ethics approval. Analyses will be done by intention to treat. This paper and attachment describe the trial’s statistical analysis plan, developed prior to unblinding of date. The statistical analysis plan contains design and methods for analyses, and unpopulated tables and figures for the two primary publications and some secondary publications. The database will be locked in late February 2014 in preparation for presentation of the results in May 2014. The data from the trial will improve the precision of the estimates of the overall treatment effects (efficacy and safety) of results from completed trials of blood pressure management in acute stroke, and provide the first large-scale randomized evidence on transdermal glyceryl trinitrate, and of continuing (vs. stopping) prestroke antihypertensive medications, in acute stroke

Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) in Iran and its neighboring countries, 1990–2015

BACKGROUND: Summary measures of health are essential in making estimates of health status that are comparable across time and place. They can be used for assessing the performance of health systems, informing effective policy making, and monitoring the progress of nations toward achievement of sustainable development goals. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 (GBD 2015) provides disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) as main summary measures of health. We assessed the trends of health status in Iran and 15 neighboring countries using these summary measures. METHODS: We used the results of GBD 2015 to present the levels and trends of DALYs, life expectancy (LE), and HALE in Iran and its 15 neighboring countries from 1990 to 2015. For each country, we assessed the ratio of observed levels of DALYs and HALE to those expected based on socio-demographic index (SDI), an indicator composed of measures of total fertility rate, income per capita, and average years of schooling. RESULTS: All-age numbers of DALYs reached over 19 million years in Iran in 2015. The all-age number of DALYs has remained stable during the past two decades in Iran, despite the decreasing trends in all-age and age-standardized rates. The all-cause DALY rates decreased from 47,200 in 1990 to 28,400 per 100,000 in 2015. The share of non-communicable diseases in DALYs increased in Iran (from 42% to 74%) and all of its neighbors between 1990 and 2015; the pattern of change is similar in almost all 16 countries. The DALY rates for NCDs and injuries in Iran were higher than global rates and the average rate in High Middle SDI countries, while those for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders were much lower in Iran. Among men, cardiovascular diseases ranked first in all countries of the region except for Bahrain. Among women, they ranked first in 13 countries. Life expectancy and HALE show a consistent increase in all countries. Still, there are dissimilarities indicating a generally low LE and HALE in Afghanistan and Pakistan and high expectancy in Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Iran ranked 11th in terms of LE at birth and 12th in terms of HALE at birth in 1990 which improved to 9th for both metrics in 2015. Turkey and Iran had the highest increase in LE and HALE from 1990 to 2015 while the lowest increase was observed in Armenia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Iraq. CONCLUSIONS: The levels and trends in causes of DALYs, life expectancy, and HALE generally show similarities between the 16 countries, although differences exist. The differences observed between countries can be attributed to a myriad of determinants, including social, cultural, ethnic, religious, political, economic, and environmental factors as well as the performance of the health system. Investigating the differences between countries can inform more effective health policy and resource allocation. Concerted efforts at national and regional levels are required to tackle the emerging burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries in Iran and its neighbors

Metarhizium brunneum Blastospore Pathogenesis in Aedes aegypti Larvae: Attack on Several Fronts Accelerates Mortality

Aedes aegypti is the vector of a wide range of diseases (e.g. yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika) which impact on over half the world's population. Entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana have been found to be highly efficacious in killing mosquito larvae but only now are the underlying mechanisms for pathogenesis being elucidated. Recently it was shown that conidia of M. anisopliae caused stress induced mortality in Ae. aegypti larvae, a different mode of pathogenicity to that normally seen in terrestrial hosts. Blastospores constitute a different form of inoculum produced by this fungus when cultured in liquid media and although blastospores are generally considered to be more virulent than conidia no evidence has been presented to explain why. In our study, using a range of biochemical, molecular and microscopy methods, the infection process of Metarhizium brunneum (formerly M. anisopliae) ARSEF 4556 blastospores was investigated. It appears that the blastospores, unlike conidia, readily adhere to and penetrate mosquito larval cuticle. The blastospores are readily ingested by the larvae but unlike the conidia are able infect the insect through the gut and rapidly invade the haemocoel. The fact that pathogenicity related genes were upregulated in blastospores exposed to larvae prior to invasion, suggests the fungus was detecting host derived cues. Similarly, immune and defence genes were upregulated in the host prior to infection suggesting mosquitoes were also able to detect pathogen-derived cues. The hydrophilic blastospores produce copious mucilage, which probably facilitates adhesion to the host but do not appear to depend on production of Pr1, a cuticle degrading subtilisin protease, for penetration since protease inhibitors did not significantly alter blastospore virulence. The fact the blastospores have multiple routes of entry (cuticle and gut) may explain why this form of the inoculum killed Ae. aegypti larvae in a relatively short time (12-24hrs), significantly quicker than when larvae were exposed to conidia. This study shows that selecting the appropriate form of inoculum is important for efficacious control of disease vectors such as Ae. aegypti