An overview of COVID-19 infection in dental practices - a questionnaire survey

Dental nurses and practitioners are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to physical proximity and exposure to body fluids during treatment. Dental practices have implemented multiple protective protocols to decrease COVID-19 transmission; however, it is difficult to evaluate how effective these measures are, as there is limited data on COVID-19 in dental practices. To evaluate COVID-19 infection rates among dentists, dental staff, and patients in different countries through an online survey, with a primary focus on South Africa (SA). Cross-sectional online survey. One hundred fifty-four participants from 52 countries answered the survey, 48.6% (n=561) from SA. COVID-19 infections were reported in 18.2% (n=210) of dental practices. Only 1.1% regarded the practice as the source of infection for dentists and staff who got infected. In total, 13.9% (n=160) treated COVID-19 patients. SA presented a higher infection rate (19% vs 13%, p=0.04) and more frequent treatment of COVID-19 patients than the other countries combined (17% vs 11%, p=0.006). These findings support the need to maintain strict infection control measures to decrease transmission of SARSCoV-2 during the delivery of oral care

Assessing the environmental and economic performance of alternative car chassis

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the life cycle environmental and economic performance of a car multimedia chassis containing metallic parts, and compare it with new, totally plastic, chassis designs. The Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing methodologies were applied. All systems boundaries consider material and parts production, and the use and End of Life (EoL) phases of the chassis. The results showed that the former system has a higher environmental impact, the material production being the main contributor followed by the use phase, and Fossil depletion the most burdensome impact category. All total plastic scenarios enable approximately 40% weight reduction, mitigating both the Global Warming Potential and the Cumulative Energy Demand environmental impacts until the end of the use phase. However, this result is inverted including the EoL phase, as recycling the metal is more favourable than incinerating the polymer and recovering energy. All TPC scenarios present a higher cost. Although their assembly and use phases costs are lower than the corresponding BSL ones, this does not mitigate the higher material and production costs. Again, at EoL, recycling the metal is more cost favourable. The present work evidences that to make sustainable decisions environmental and economic considerations should be concurrently contemplated in product development.The present work was partially financed by the Portuguese Incentive System for Research and Technological Development, as co-promotion Project nº 36265/2013 (Project HMIExcel – 2013-2015). The authors thank the support of the Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal, S.A. company throughout the inventory phase of the study. Two of the authors (CAB, AJP) acknowledge the funding received from FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through project UID/CTM/50025/2013 and from the COMPETE 2020 Programme under project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00768

Tooth loss in relation to serum cotinine levels - A cross-sectional study from the Belville South area in South Africa

Tooth loss constitutes a major public health challenge, sharing common risk factors with non-communicable diseases. To report the relationship between tooth loss and serum cotinine levels in a population sample of mixed ethnic heritage from the Belville South area in South Africa. Cross-sectional epidemiological study.Subjects were invited from 2014 to 2016 according to a consecutive sampling technique and all those who met the inclusion criteria were included. In all, 1876 individuals were included, being 1416 females (75.5%), with a combined average age of 49.5 ± 15.3 years. In total 46.7% of the sample was edentulous, with females presenting a higher proportion than males (50.7% vs. 34.1%, p < 0.001). The relative risk (RR) of being edentulous was higher for females (RR=1.8, 95% CI=1.35-2.41, p<0.001) and for participants with cotinine levels 15-299 ng/ml (RR = 1.37, 95% CI=1.02=1.83, p=0.04) and ≥300 ng/ml (RR=1.51, 95% CI=1.09-2.08, p=0.01). Maxillary incisors and mandibular molars were the most prevalent missing teeth. The burden of tooth loss is high in the studied population sample, as well their unmet needs for dental care. Female gender, tobacco exposure, and aging were associated with partial and total edentulism

Effects of high intensity interval training on neuro-cardiovascular dynamic changes and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by high-fat diet in rats

This research was supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technologic Development (CNPq) (Grant number: 474116/2008-5) and Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) (Grant number: E-26/ 111.732/2011), both received by Eliete Bouskela. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A Novel Soluble Immune-Type Receptor (SITR) in Teleost Fish: Carp SITR Is Involved in the Nitric Oxide-Mediated Response to a Protozoan Parasite

Background- The innate immune system relies upon a wide range of germ-line encoded receptors including a large number of immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) receptors. Different Ig-like immune receptor families have been reported in mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. Most innate immune receptors of the IgSF are type I transmembrane proteins containing one or more extracellular Ig-like domains and their regulation of effector functions is mediated intracellularly by distinct stimulatory or inhibitory pathways. Methodology/Principal Findings - Carp SITR was found in a substracted cDNA repertoire from carp macrophages, enriched for genes up-regulated in response to the protozoan parasite Trypanoplasma borreli. Carp SITR is a type I protein with two extracellular Ig domains in a unique organisation of a N-proximal V/C2 (or I-) type and a C-proximal V-type Ig domain, devoid of a transmembrane domain or any intracytoplasmic signalling motif. The carp SITR C-proximal V-type Ig domain, in particular, has a close sequence similarity and conserved structural characteristics to the mammalian CD300 molecules. By generating an anti-SITR antibody we could show that SITR protein expression was restricted to cells of the myeloid lineage. Carp SITR is abundantly expressed in macrophages and is secreted upon in vitro stimulation with the protozoan parasite T. borreli. Secretion of SITR protein during in vivo T. borreli infection suggests a role for this IgSF receptor in the host response to this protozoan parasite. Overexpression of carp SITR in mouse macrophages and knock-down of SITR protein expression in carp macrophages, using morpholino antisense technology, provided evidence for the involvement of carp SITR in the parasite-induced NO production. Conclusion/Significance - We report the structural and functional characterization of a novel soluble immune-type receptor (SITR) in a teleost fish and propose a role for carp SITR in the NO-mediated response to a protozoan parasite

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio