El rol primario de las matrices funcionales en el crecimiento craneo facial

Se ha dado una breve reseña sobre los postulados del método craneal funcional con particular énfasis en la definición de matriz funcional. Son descriptos dos tipos básicos de tales matrices ( perióstica y capsular ). Las matrices periósticas incluyen músculos y dientes mientras que las capsulares son concebidas como volúmenes rodeados y protegidos por las cápsulas neurocraneales y orofaciales. En el cráneo la matriz capsular es la masa neural. En el esqueleto facial esta matriz es el espacio funcionante de la cavidad oronasofaríngea. Notamos las siguientes diferencias entre la actividad de las matrices funcionales periósticas y capsulares. Las matrices periósticas actúan sobre las unidades esqueléticas en una forma directa por los procesos de aposición y reabsorción ósea (o de la multiplicación de tejido cartilaginoso o fibroso). Su efecto es alterar la estructura (tamaño y forma) de sus unidades esqueléticas respectivas. Las matrices capsulares actúan sobre los componentes craneales funcionales en su totalidad, de una manera indirecta y secundaria, lo hacen alterando el volúmen de las cápsulas dentro de las cuales los componentes craneales funcionales están incluidos. El efecto de tales cambios en el crecimiento es causa de una traslación pasiva de estos componentes craneales en el espacio. El crecimiento craneal es una combinación de la actividad primaria morfogénica de ambos tipos de matriz. El crecimiento es llevado a cabo por traslación espacial y cambios en la forma

Aplicación del método de los elementos finitos en estudios de diferenciación craneofacial.

The object of the present study was: (a) to demonstrate that the Finite Elemental M'ethocl (FEM) is an useful way to perforo! studies on craniofacial growth and development, and (b) to incorporate FEM as an adequate method in studies of craniological anthropology, a's well as in other fields related to cephalo-facial development and its alterations. The outstanding feature of this methocl is that such stuclies may be done avoiding any type of arbitrary reference systems. This faet will allow to solve the main methodological eonstraint in eraniology, as ",ell as in all fields of biology in which eranial tracing constitutes a valid descriptive, comparative and analytical teehnique. As an example, a study performed on experimental Iaboratory rats is included, in whieh a cranial analysis by the FEM was performed.El presente trabajo tiene por objeto: (a) demostrar la aplicabilidad del método de los ELementos Finitos (MEF) a los estudios de crecimiento y diferenciación craneofacial; (b) fundamentar la incorporación del MEF como método válido en craneografía antropológica y disciplinas relacionadas. Esta innovación implica prescindir de los procedimientos clásicos de orientación según sistemas cle líneas, puntos y/o planos (Francfort, Broca, basicraneal, vestibular, ete.) usualmente aplicados en craneología convencional. Se resuelve así la principal limitación de los estudios basados en representaciones gráficas como método de descripción, comparación y análisis. Se incluye a modo de ejemplo, un estudio realizado en ratas experimentales de laboratorio, cuyo análisis craneográfico fue desarrollado mediante el MEF

Long-Term Corticosteroid-Sparing Immunosuppression for Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background Long-term corticosteroid therapy is the standard of care for treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). The efficacy of long-term corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppression in CS is unknown. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of methotrexate with or without adalimumab for long-term disease suppression in CS, and to assess recurrence and adverse event rates after immunosuppression discontinuation. Methods and Results Retrospective chart review identified treatment-naive CS patients at a single academic medical center who received corticosteroid-sparing maintenance therapy. Demographics, cardiac uptake of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose, and adverse cardiac events were compared before and during treatment and between those with persistent or interrupted immunosuppression. Twenty-eight CS patients were followed for a mean 4.1 (SD 1.5) years. Twenty-five patients received 4 to 8 weeks of high-dose prednisone (>30 mg/day), followed by taper and maintenance therapy with methotrexate±low-dose prednisone (low-dose prednisone, <10 mg/day). Adalimumab was added in 19 patients with persistently active CS or in those with intolerance to methotrexate. Methotrexate±low-dose prednisone resulted in initial reduction (88%) or elimination (60%) of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, and patients receiving adalimumab-containing regimens experienced improved (84%) or resolved (63%) 18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. Radiologic relapse occurred in 8 of 9 patients after immunosuppression cessation, 4 patients on methotrexate-containing regimens, and in no patients on adalimumab-containing regimens. Conclusions Corticosteroid-sparing regimens containing methotrexate with or without adalimumab is an effective maintenance therapy in patients after an initial response is confirmed. Disease recurrence in patients on and off immunosuppression support need for ongoing radiologic surveillance regardless of immunosuppression regimen

Non stationary Einstein-Maxwell fields interacting with a superconducting cosmic string

Non stationary cylindrically symmetric exact solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations are derived as single soliton perturbations of a Levi-Civita metric, by an application of Alekseev inverse scattering method. We show that the metric derived by L. Witten, interpreted as describing the electrogravitational field of a straight, stationary, conducting wire may be recovered in the limit of a `wide' soliton. This leads to the possibility of interpreting the solitonic solutions as representing a non stationary electrogravitational field exterior to, and interacting with, a thin, straight, superconducting cosmic string. We give a detailed discussion of the restrictions that arise when appropiate energy and regularity conditions are imposed on the matter and fields comprising the string, considered as `source', the most important being that this `source' must necessarily have a non- vanishing minimum radius. We show that as a consequence, it is not possible, except in the stationary case, to assign uniquely a current to the source from a knowledge of the electrogravitational fields outside the source. A discussion of the asymptotic properties of the metrics, the physical meaning of their curvature singularities, as well as that of some of the metric parameters, is also included.Comment: 14 pages, no figures (RevTex

Higher Dimensional Cylindrical or Kasner Type Electrovacuum Solutions

We consider a D dimensional Kasner type diagonal spacetime where metric functions depend only on a single coordinate and electromagnetic field shares the symmetries of spacetime. These solutions can describe static cylindrical or cosmological Einstein-Maxwell vacuum spacetimes. We mainly focus on electrovacuum solutions and four different types of solutions are obtained in which one of them has no four dimensional counterpart. We also consider the properties of the general solution corresponding to the exterior field of a charged line mass and discuss its several properties. Although it resembles the same form with four dimensional one, there is a difference on the range of the solutions for fixed signs of the parameters. General magnetic field vacuum solution are also briefly discussed, which reduces to Bonnor-Melvin magnetic universe for a special choice of the parameters. The Kasner forms of the general solution are also presented for the cylindrical or cosmological cases.Comment: 16 pages, Revtex. Text and references are extended, Published versio

Renal artery sympathetic denervation:observations from the UK experience

Background: Renal denervation (RDN) may lower blood pressure (BP); however, it is unclear whether medication changes may be confounding results. Furthermore, limited data exist on pattern of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) response—particularly in those prescribed aldosterone antagonists at the time of RDN. Methods: We examined all patients treated with RDN for treatment-resistant hypertension in 18 UK centres. Results: Results from 253 patients treated with five technologies are shown. Pre-procedural mean office BP (OBP) was 185/102 mmHg (SD 26/19; n = 253) and mean daytime ABP was 170/98 mmHg (SD 22/16; n = 186). Median number of antihypertensive drugs was 5.0: 96 % ACEi/ARB; 86 % thiazide/loop diuretic and 55 % aldosterone antagonist. OBP, available in 90 % at 11 months follow-up, was 163/93 mmHg (reduction of 22/9 mmHg). ABP, available in 70 % at 8.5 months follow-up, was 158/91 mmHg (fall of 12/7 mmHg). Mean drug changes post RDN were: 0.36 drugs added, 0.91 withdrawn. Dose changes appeared neutral. Quartile analysis by starting ABP showed mean reductions in systolic ABP after RDN of: 0.4; 6.5; 14.5 and 22.1 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.001 for trend). Use of aldosterone antagonist did not predict response (p < 0.2). Conclusion: In 253 patients treated with RDN, office BP fell by 22/9 mmHg. Ambulatory BP fell by 12/7 mmHg, though little response was seen in the lowermost quartile of starting blood pressure. Fall in BP was not explained by medication changes and aldosterone antagonist use did not affect response

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Evolution of mammalian dental enamel. American Museum novitates ; no. 2360

39 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-39)."A polarization microscopic study of evolutionary changes in mammalian dental enamel structure is reported. An extensive series of fossil and Recent teeth were studied. The data show that the enamel of the earliest true mammals was non-prismatic (continuous), that true prismatic (discontinuous) enamel structure first arose in the early Cretaceous (Albian) therians, that in placentals prismatic enamel only gradually became the predominant structural type, and that non-therians did not evolve prismatic structure at any time. A discussion of current theories of amelogenesis and its relationship to the orientation of the c axes of the enamel crystallites suggests that the nature of the evolutionary change in enamel structure is an alteration of the orientation of the ameloblasts in relation to the developing enamel front"--P. 35-36