Evaluation of the response to treatment and clinical evolution in patients with burning mouth syndrome

Objective: the aim of this study is to investigate the clinical evolution, the spontaneous remission of the symptomatology and the response to different treatments in a group of burning mouth syndrome patients. Study Design: the sample was formed by a group of patients that were visited in the Unit of Oral Medicine of the Dentistry Clinic of the University of Barcelona, from the year 2000 to 2011. After revising the clinical records of all the patients that had been under control for a period of time of 18 months or longer, they were contacted by telephone. In the telephone interview, they were questioned about the symptomatology evolution and the response to the treatments received, noting down the data in a questionnaire previously performed. Results: the average duration of the symptoms was 6.5 years (+/-2.5 years). The most frequent treatments were: chlorhexidine mouthrinses, oral benzodiazepines, topical clonazepam, antiinflamatory drugs, antidepressants, antifungicals, vitamins, psycotherapy, salivary substitutes and topical corticoids. The specialists that were consulted with a higher frequency were: dermatologists (30%), othorrynolaringologists (10%) and psychiatrists (3%). In 41 patients the oral symptoms did not improve, 35 reported partial improvements, 12 patients worsened, and only in 3 patients the symptoms remitted. Conclusions: In three of the 91 patients studied the symptoms remitted spontaneously within the five years of treatment. Only 42% of the study population had improved the symptomatology significantly, and this improvement would reach 60% if clonazepam were associated to psychotherapy

Profiling the publish/subscribe paradigm for automated analysis using colored Petri nets

UML sequence diagrams are used to graphically describe the message interactions between the objects participating in a certain scenario. Combined fragments extend the basic functionality of UML sequence diagrams with control structures, such as sequences, alternatives, iterations, or parallels. In this paper, we present a UML profile to annotate sequence diagrams with combined fragments to model timed Web services with distributed resources under the publish/subscribe paradigm. This profile is exploited to automatically obtain a representation of the system based on Colored Petri nets using a novel model-to-model (M2M) transformation. This M2M transformation has been specified using QVT and has been integrated in a new add-on extending a state-of-the-art UML modeling tool. Generated Petri nets can be immediately used in well-known Petri net software, such as CPN Tools, to analyze the system behavior. Hence, our model-to-model transformation tool allows for simulating the system and finding design errors in early stages of system development, which enables us to fix them at these early phases and thus potentially saving development costs

Therapeutic applications of probiotics

En los últimos años han comenzado a desarrollarse nuevos conceptos en nutrición como fruto de la preocupación por una elevada calidad de vida de la sociedad desarrollada. Esto ha promovido la aparición del término “alimento funcional”, que se puede defi nir como aquel producto, alimento modifi cado o ingrediente alimentario, que puede proveer benefi cios a la salud superiores a los ofrecidos por los alimentos tradicionales. Las bacterias probióticas quedan incluidas dentro del campo de los alimentos funcionales, existiendo evidencias de su efi cacia en ciertas patologías, y sufi cientes estudios experimentales en otras para justifi car posibles mecanismos de acción que faciliten el desarrollo de microorganismos más efectivos, así como para defi nir los límites de su efectividad.Over recent years new concepts in nutrition have been arising in consequence of some of the negative aspects of modern lifestyles in today’s highly developed societies. This has brought about the appearance of the term “functional foods”, which can be defi ned as a modifi ed foodstuff or ingredient that can promote better health benefi ts than those offered by traditional foods. Probiotic bacteria have been included within the concept of functional foods, given that there is suffi cient evidence to suggest their effectiveness in combating certain pathologies. Furthermore, numerous experimental studies have identifi ed the action mechanisms that facilitate the development of the most effective microorganisms, while at the same time establishing the limits of their effectiveness

A new forward-scatter visibility sensor based on a universal frequency-to-digital converter

Traffic delays attributable to weather conditions may cause an increase in fuel consumption and then an increase in CO2 emissions to the environment. Visibility reduction in roads due to dense fog is a main cause of traffic accidents and possible environmental pollution, hence the importance of deploying fog warning systems. In this article, we present a forward-scatter visibility sensor that uses a quasi-digital photodetector and a universal frequency-to-digital converter instead of a conventional analog-to-digital converter as data acquisition system. This feature has allowed the design of a low-cost, robust, and simple sensor-to-microcontroller interface as demanded by Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications. An optical system to limit light interference is proposed. The visibilimeter was calibrated from a self-calibrated transmissometer using the same frequency-to-digital technique. This new instrument is capable of a 41 662.5m visibility range detection and to transmit the information wirelessly to a 100m distance.The authors would like to thank the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco and the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia for their support.Barrales Guadarrama, R.; Mocholí Salcedo, A.; Rodríguez Rodríguez, M.; Barrales Guadarrame, VR.; Vázquez Cerón, ER. (2013). A new forward-scatter visibility sensor based on a universal frequency-to-digital converter. Instrumentation Science and Technology. 41:445-462. doi:10.1080/10739149.2013.780250S44546241News Section, p. 8, (April-March 2009), ITS International Electronic Magazine [Online]. Available: www.itsinternational.comBandivadekar , A. ; Bodek , K. ; Cheah , L. ; Evans , C. ; Groode , T. ; Heywood , J. ; Kasseris , E. ; Kromer , M. ; Weiss , M. On the Road in 2035: Reducing Transportation's Petroleum Consumption and GHG Emissions. Report No. LFEE 2008–05 RP, MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2008.Schrank , D. ; Lomax , T. ; Turner , S. TTI's Urban Mobility Report 2010 [Online]. Avalaible: http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/catalog/record/?id=36580.Bradley , J. T. ; Kraus , K. ; Townshend , T. Federal Citing Criteria for Automated Surface Weather Observations. 7th Symp. On Meteorological Observations and Instrumentation, New Orleans, LA, 1991, 207–210.Winstanley, J. V., & Adams, M. J. (1975). Point Visibility Meter: a forward scatter instrument for the measurement of aerosol extinction coefficient. Applied Optics, 14(9), 2151. doi:10.1364/ao.14.002151Horner, J. L. (1976). Analog visibility computer. Applied Optics, 15(4), 999. doi:10.1364/ao.15.000999Twomey, S., & Howell, H. B. (1965). The Relative Merit of White and Monochromatic Light for the Determination of Visibility by Backscattering Measurements. Applied Optics, 4(4), 501. doi:10.1364/ao.4.000501Vogt, H. (1968). Visibility Measurement Using Backscattered Light. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 25(5), 912-918. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1968)0252.0.co;2Tjugum, S. A., Vaagen, J. S., Jakobsen, T., & Hamre, B. (2005). Use of optical scatter sensors for measurement of visibility. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 7(6), 608. doi:10.1039/b414327bNebuloni, R. (2005). Empirical relationships between extinction coefficient and visibility in fog. Applied Optics, 44(18), 3795. doi:10.1364/ao.44.003795Kirianaki, N. V., Yurish, S. Y., Shpak, N. O., & Deynega, V. P. (2002). Data Acquisition and Signal Processing for Smart Sensors. doi:10.1002/0470846100Hlupic, N., Butorac, J., & Kresic, M. (2005). Improved Frequency Measurement by Means of DMM and Verification of its Specifications. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 54(5), 1957-1963. doi:10.1109/tim.2005.853561Prokin, M. (1991). Double buffered wide-range frequency measurement method for digital tachometers. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 40(3), 606-610. doi:10.1109/19.87027Yurish, S. Y., Reverter, F., & Pallàs-Areny, R. (2005). Measurement error analysis and uncertainty reduction for period- and time-interval-to-digital converters based on microcontrollers. Measurement Science and Technology, 16(8), 1660-1666. doi:10.1088/0957-0233/16/8/018Kirianaki, N. V., Yurish, S. Y., & Shpak, N. O. (2001). Methods of dependent count for frequency measurements. Measurement, 29(1), 31-50. doi:10.1016/s0263-2241(00)00026-9Barrales-Guadarrama , R. ; Mocholí-Salcedo , A. ; Vázquez-Cerón , E. R. ; Rodríguez-Rodríguez , M. E. ; Barrales-Guadarrama , V. R. A Technique for Adapting a Quasi-digital Photodetector to a Frequency-to-digital Converter. Proceedings 2012 IEEE Electronics, Robotics and Automotive Mechanics Conference, CERMA 2012, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, Nov. 20–23, 2012.(2011) 700–999 nm Bandpass Interference Filters, [Online]. Available: http://www.edmundoptics.com/products/displayproduct.cfm?productid=3198&PageNum=6&Sort=displayOrder&Order=asc#products.AeroGrapher's Mate, Module 05—Basic Meteorology, Ch. 5, Atmospheric Phenomena, Radiation Fog, [Online]. Available: http://www.tpub.com/content/aerographer/14312/css/14312_143.htm

Human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases in Cuban women

ABSTRACTA cross-sectional study was performed in 60 Cuban women of child-bearing age who were sero-positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 60 controls. Human papillomavirus (HPV) was identified most frequently, with oncogenic HPV serotypes 16, 33 and 58 detected in HIV-positive patients, and serotypes 11, 33 and 51 in the controls (relative risk 4.41; 95% CI 2.21– 8.29). Syphilis and hepatitis B and C viruses were detected exclusively in HIV-sero-positive women (p < 0.05). Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) appeared to pose a substantial health problem, especially for HIV-positive women. Clinics should consider screening and treatment for STDs as part of their HIV prevention programmes

Concientización de la Enfermedad de Chagas como protagonista de un futuro mejor.

La necesidad de concientizar acerca de la fortaleza de la prevención nos movilizó a implementar actividades donde se utilizaron estrategias que consolidaron “un ida y vuelta”, destinadas a lograr una mirada diferente  para llegar a la comunidad. No sólo brindó conocimiento, sino y principalmente se motivó a los niños, jóvenes, docentes, profesionales y población en general, a conocer y comprender la realidad de su entorno planteando experiencias de aprendizaje que pudieran resultar interesantes, novedosas y trascendentes. Nuestra experiencia docente y las capacidades adquiridas en  investigación fueron “articuladas” y canalizadas en acciones de extensión, que enriquecieron nuestra formación y  nuestros valores al tomar contacto de las necesidades y realidades de otras personas. Se propuso, entre otros: Concientizar a fin de mejorar la calidad de vida; Construir un ámbito colectivo de diálogo e intercambio diferente al áulico, Incitar a los alumnos a pensar por sí mismos, elaborando sus propios conceptos y Motivar a la población estudiantil a fin de que se constituyan en trasmisores y ejecutores de acciones tendientes a mejorar las condiciones del entorno. La misma se llevo a cabo en Escuelas del interior de la provincia. Se intentó construir nuevos universos introduciendo la realidad de la Enfermedad de Chagas a partir de juegos educativos y participativos diseñados y elaborados por los integrantes del proyecto: imágenes del vector a colorear según características de la especie, competencias de dominó, rompecabezas con distinta complejidad, juego de cartas con el ciclo del parásito, carrera de “encintados” y en los cursos superiores jornadas de cine debate, talleres, sesiones de laboratorio y lecturas relacionadas. Los alumnos fueron afianzando sus saberes sobre el agente causal, el vector y distintos aspectos de la tripanosomiasis americana. Posteriormente se implementó una encuesta domiciliaria indagando el grado de conocimiento de la población respecto a la calidad de las viviendas y la presencia del vector .Las devoluciones se consolidaron en  actividades de divulgación,  en una Escuela, los alumnos de todos los niveles presentaron alguna vivencia relacionada con lo aprendido,  en otra,  Jornadas de Puertas Abiertas en la plaza del pueblo y además  resultó trascendente la  que realizaron los alumnos en establecimientos rurales. En este contexto, la “perspectiva CTS” se vislumbra como el marco de acción y reflexión adecuado para la extensión, al iniciar un proceso de cambio, que puso en marcha el compromiso de una comunidad respecto a la prevención para mejorar la calidad de vida de sus habitantes

Esclerosis tuberosa y manifestaciones orales: caso clínico

La esclerosis tuberosa (ET) es una anomalía congénita del desarrollo embrionario que se transmite de forma autosómica dominante y tiene diferentes formas de expresión clínica. Se clasifica dentro de las denominadas facomatosis (phakos 'mancha' y oma 'tumor'), que son anomalías del desarrollo, susceptibles de originar tumores y/o hamartomas del sistema nervioso. Es importante destacar que las lesiones del sistema nervioso se acompañan, prácticamente siempre, de anomalías cutáneas. En este trabajo presentamos el caso de una paciente de 55 años de edad, diagnosticada desde hace años de esclerosis tuberosa, que cursa con lesiones intraorales compatibles clínicamente con fibromas. Estas lesiones de aspecto fibromatoso se presentan sobre todo en el labio inferior y en ambas mucosas yugales, localización poco referenciada para esta manifestación en la enfermedad de base que nos ocupa. La anatomía patológica sugiere lesiones compatibles con angiomiolipoma. También repasamos los datos referentes a la ET, se describen las implicaciones orales de la misma y en base al resultado histopatológico obtenido se revisa el significado del término angiomiolipoma.Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a congenital anomaly in the development of the embryo which is transmitted through the autosomal dominant gene. It has various forms of clinical expression. It is classified as one of what are known as Phacomatoses (phakos stain and oma tumour), which are development anomalies that can originate tumours and/or hamartomas in the nervous system. Lesions in the nervous system are nearly always accompanied by cutaneous anomalies. In this study we introduce the case of a woman patient aged 55, diagnosed several years earlier with Tuberous Sclerosis, who attended for intraoral lesions which were clinically compatible with fibromata. These lesions of fibrous appearance occurred above all on the lower lip and in both cheeks' mucous membranes, little mentioned in the literature as a site for such a manifestation of TS. The pathological anatomy suggested lesions compatible with Angiomyolipoma. In addition, the data referring to TS are reviewed; its implications for the mouth are described; and histopathological results are used to examine the significance of the word Angiomyolipoma