White spot lesions: diagnosis and treatment - a systematic review

BACKGROUND: White spot lesions represent the first stage of caries and their prevalence has been increasing in recent years, particularly in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. DIferential diagnosis and lesion activity are essential to decide on the clinical approaches to treatment. The aim of this study is to understand if the new diagnostic tools such as fluorescence, microradiography and computed microtomography have the potential to change the conventional treatment of white spots". METHODS: A systematic search of available studies in the literature was carried out, using PRISMA guidelines, in Pubmed and Scopus electronic databases and manually to identify relevant articles to answer the PICO question: "Do the new diagnostic tools have the potential to change the conventional treatment of white spots?". This systematic review included randomized controlled trials (RCT), cross-sectional and longitudinal studies complying with the following inclusion criteria: (i) studies in humans, (ii) studies about white spot lesions, (iii) studies published between 2012 and 2023, (iv) studies having both diagnosis and treatment and (v) studies with full text available. In this review we excluded other systematic reviews of clinical trials and in vitro studies. The RoB tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: The systematic literature search identified 143 potentially relevant references, which after applying the exclusion criteria, resulted in 20 articles. Regarding diagnostic methods, most articles found were based on conventional methods of visual examination (n:10) or fluorescence (n:7). The least referenced diagnostic techniques were based on the use of clinical photographs (n:2), cross-sectional microradiography (n:1) and computed microtomography (n:1). The use of DIAGNOdent was reported by 3 in vitro studies. With regard to therapies, most studies reported the use of infiltrating resin (n:7) and fluoride-based products (n:5). Other studies have reported the use of self-assembling peptide P11-4 (n:1), home care (n:1), casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (n:2) and hydrochloric acid (n:1). Combination therapies were also considered. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic tool does not have the potential to change the form of treatment, whether it is a conventional method or a more differentiated one.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Different exercise protocols improve metabolic syndrome markers, tissue triglycerides content and antioxidant status in rats

Background: An increase in the prevalence of obesity entails great expenditure for governments. Physical exercise is a powerful tool in the combat against obesity and obesity-associated diseases. This study sought to determine the effect of three different exercise protocols on metabolic syndrome and lipid peroxidation markers and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in adult Wistar rats (120 days old).Methods: Animals were randomly divided into four groups: the control (C) group was kept sedentary throughout the study; the aerobic group (A) swam1 h per day, 5 days per week, at 80% lactate threshold intensity; the strength group (S) performed strength training with four series of 10 jumps, 5 days per week; and the Concurrent group (AS) was trained using the aerobic protocol three days per week and the strength protocol two days per week.Results: Groups A and S exhibited a reduction in body weight compared to group C. All exercised animals showed a reduction in triglyceride concentrations in fatty tissues and the liver. Exercised animals also exhibited a reduction in lipid peroxidation markers (TBARS) and an increase in serum superoxide dismutase activity. Animals in group A had increased levels of liver catalase and superoxide dismutase activities.Conclusions: We concluded that all physical activity protocols improved the antioxidant systems of the animals and decreased the storage of triglycerides in the investigated tissues

Eight Million Years of Satellite DNA Evolution in Grasshoppers of the Genus Schistocerca Illuminate the Ins and Outs of the Library Hypothesis

This study was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP (process number 2014/11763-8) and Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-CAPES. The authors are grateful to anonymous reviewers for valuable comments. O.M.P.-G. and F.J.R.-R. acknowledge the scholarship obtained from the Lawski Foundation (Sweden), H.S. to the U.S. National Science Foundation (Grant No. IOS-1253493) and the United State Department of Agriculture (Hatch Grant TEX0-1-6584), D.A.M. was supported by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-CONICET from Argentina. D.C.C.-d.-M. is recipient of a research productivity fellowship from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq (process number 304758/2014-0). Computing ran on resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing (SNIC) through Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science (UPPMAX). We also thank Alexander Suh (Uppsala University, Uppsala/Sweden) for helpful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript and to Cristiane Mileo (UNESP-Rio Claro/SP) for helping with some figures.Satellite DNA (satDNA) is an abundant class of tandemly repeated noncoding sequences, showing high rate of change in sequence, abundance, and physical location. However, the mechanisms promoting these changes are still controversial. The library model was put forward to explain the conservation of some satDNAs for long periods, predicting that related species share a common collection of satDNAs, which mostly experience quantitative changes. Here, we tested the library model by analyzing three satDNAs in ten species of Schistocerca grasshoppers. This group represents a valuable material because it diversified during the last 7.9 Myr across the American continent from the African desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), and this thus illuminates the direction of evolutionary changes. By combining bioinformatic and cytogenetic, we tested whether these three satDNA families found in S. gregaria are also present in nine American species, and whether differential gains and/or losses have occurred in the lineages. We found that the three satDNAs are present in all species but display remarkable interspecies differences in their abundance and sequences while being highly consistent with genus phylogeny. The number of chromosomal loci where satDNA is present was also consistent with phylogeny for two satDNA families but not for the other. Our results suggest eminently chance events for satDNA evolution. Several evolutionary trends clearly imply either massive amplifications or contractions, thus closely fitting the library model prediction that changes are mostly quantitative. Finally, we found that satDNA amplifications or contractions may influence the evolution of monomer consensus sequences and by chance playing a major role in driftlike dynamics.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo-FAPESP 2014/11763-8Coordenadoria de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-CAPESLawski Foundation (Sweden)U.S. National Science Foundation IOS-1253493United State Department of Agriculture TEX0-1-6584CONICET from ArgentinaCNPq 304758/2014-

Application of Nanofiltration to the Treatment of Acid mine Drainage Waters

This study investigated the separation of uranium and other elements in high concentrations from acid mine waters at Caldas Uranium Mining, in the southeast of Brazil, using nanofiltration membranes. Nanofiltrarion is widely used in water treatment due to the lower energy requirements and higher yields than reverse osmosis. Separation characteristics are dependent on both the molecular size and charge of the dissolved species in the feed solution as well as membrane properties. In this investigation the potential of nanofiltration to removed dissolved species like uranium from acid mine water drainage was measured. Two composite aromatic polyamide commercially membranes of FilmTec/Dow were tested and it found that uranium rejections of greater than 90% and also showed potential for the separation of aluminum and manganese

Crescimento de nascidos a termo com peso baixo e adequado nos dois primeiros anos de vida

OBJECTIVE: To assess the growth pattern of full term low and adequate birth weight infants during the first two years of life and to identify the determinants at the time of the greatest growth deceleration. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with 148 full term infants in five small towns of the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. Newborns were recruited from maternities between January 1993 and January 1994 and their anthropometric measurements were taken at one, two, four, six, 12 and 24 months of life. Risk factors were analyzed using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: The increment of mean weight-for-age and length-for-age were more evident for low birth weight when compared with adequate weight infants, especially during the first two months after birth. From this point onward it was observed a progressive mean growth deceleration in both indexes up to 12 months of life. All infants had similar weight and length growth patterns. However, adequate birth weight infants remained in an upper level. Socioeconomic variables explained 23% of variation for weight-for-age, followed by 4% for birth weight. Socioeconomic condition was also the factor mostly affecting length-for-age, explaining 28% of its variation, followed by birth weight, maternal height and diarrhea. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that interventions aiming to adequate growth should focus on prenatal care and social and environmental factors during childhood as a way of ensuring full expression of the genetic potential of this population.OBJETIVO: Verificar o padrão de crescimento de crianças nascidas a termo com peso baixo e adequado nos primeiros dois anos de vida e identificar fatores determinantes no momento de desaceleração máxima do crescimento. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte prospectiva com 148 lactentes nascidos a termo, em cinco municípios do Estado de Pernambuco. Os recém-nascidos foram recrutados nas maternidades no período de janeiro de 1993 a janeiro de 1994 e tiveram as medidas antropométricas aferidas com um, dois, quatro, seis, 12 e 24 meses. Os fatores de risco foram avaliados por análise de regressão linear multivariada. RESULTADOS: Houve incremento na média dos índices peso/idade e comprimento/idade mais evidente nas crianças com baixo peso do que nas com peso adequado ao nascer, especialmente nos dois primeiros meses de vida. A partir desta idade, observou-se desaceleração progressiva do crescimento até os 12 meses. O padrão de crescimento pôndero-estatural foi semelhante entre todas as crianças. Contudo, as nascidas com peso adequado mantiveram peso e comprimento acima das nascidas com baixo peso. As variáveis socioeconômicas explicaram 23% da variação do índice peso/idade, e o peso ao nascer, 4%. A condição socioeconômica explicou 28% da variação do índice comprimento/idade, seguido do peso ao nascer, altura materna e ocorrência de diarréia. CONCLUSÕES: Intervenções visando ao crescimento adequado devem ser direcionadas à assistência pré-natal e aos fatores socioambientais durante a infância, como forma de garantir a expressão máxima do potencial genético neste grupo populacional