From Davydov solitons to decoherence-free subspaces: self-consistent propagation of coherent-product states

The self-consistent propagation of generalized $D_{1}$ [coherent-product] states and of a class of gaussian density matrix generalizations is examined, at both zero and finite-temperature, for arbitrary interactions between the localized lattice (electronic or vibronic) excitations and the phonon modes. It is shown that in all legitimate cases, the evolution of $D_{1}$ states reduces to the disentangled evolution of the component $D_{2}$ states. The self-consistency conditions for the latter amount to conditions for decoherence-free propagation, which complement the $D_{2}$ Davydov soliton equations in such a way as to lift the nonlinearity of the evolution for the on-site degrees of freedom. Although it cannot support Davydov solitons, the coherent-product ansatz does provide a wide class of exact density-matrix solutions for the joint evolution of the lattice and phonon bath in compatible systems. Included are solutions for initial states given as a product of a [largely arbitrary] lattice state and a thermal equilibrium state of the phonons. It is also shown that external pumping can produce self-consistent Frohlich-like effects. A few sample cases of coherent, albeit not solitonic, propagation are briefly discussed.Comment: revtex3, latex2e; 22 pages, no figs.; to appear in Phys.Rev.E (Nov.2001

Different regulation of haloperoxidation during agar oligosaccharide-activated defence mechanisms in two related red algae

The related red seaweeds Gracilaria sp. from the eastern Mediterranean and Gracilaria chilensis from Chile were similar in their enzymatic inventory for halogenation. In both species, halogenation was dependent upon H(2)O(2) and thus driven by haloperoxidases. These could be inhibited with phosphate and reversibly inhibited with azide and were therefore apparently dependent upon vanadate. Both species generated in the first line bromoform and other brominated halocarbons. Gel electrophoresis under non-denaturating conditions demonstrated that both species expressed halogenating peroxidases. Elicitation of Gracilaria sp. with agar oligosaccharides resulted in marked increases in bromination, iodination, and chlorination. Production rates of volatile halocarbons and phenol red bromination both increased by a factor of eight, presumably due to increased availability for haloperoxidases of H(2)O(2) during the oxidative burst response. Elicitation of Gracilaria sp. also triggered a release of bromide ions through DIDS-sensitive anion channels, which allowed for some bromination in bromide-free medium. However, this effect was relatively limited. By contrast, agar oligosaccharide oxidation in G. chilensis did not increase halogenation. Obviously, agar oligosaccharide oxidation does not provide sufficient amounts of hypohalous acids for such increases, because it does not deliver H(2)O(2) at the active site of vanadium-dependent haloperoxidases. These results correlate with earlier findings that the agar oligosaccharide-elicited oxidative burst controls microorganisms while agar oligosaccharide oxidation does not

Abordaje del problema de la hipertensión desde una oficina de farmacia: detección, educación sanitaria o seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. ¿Qué actuación muestra mayor eficiencia?

Introducción: La prevalencia de la hipertensión arterial en España aumenta con los años. Nos proponemos evaluar la función del farmacéutico desde la farmacia comunitaria como instrumento muy útil para mejorar el control y el manejo del paciente hipertenso, evaluando y comparando la eficiencia de las diferentes intervenciones que puede realizar para beneficiar al paciente hipertenso: detección de cifras altas de presión arterial (PA), educación sanitaria y seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. Método: Estudio observacional, prospectivo y de intervención, llevado a cabo en una farmacia de Valencia. Se ofertaba la toma de la PA a los participantes y se les pasaba una encuesta. Los pacientes eran asignados de forma aleatoria a un tipo de intervención: consejo farmacéutico, educación sanitaria o seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. A los 6 meses se evaluó la intervención. Resultados: Se propone la inclusión en el estudio a 220 pacientes, y aceptan participar 207, que se clasifican en 65 normotensos (31,4%), 64 prehipertensos (30,9%) y 78 hipertensos (37,7%). De los hipertensos, el 40% desconocía sus cifras elevadas de PA, y remitimos a los pacientes al médico. Se realizó un seguimiento farmacoterapéutico durante 6 meses en el grupo de pacientes con cifras de PA >140/90 mmHg, observándose diferencias en función de la actuación farmacéutica realizada. Conclusiones: El farmacéutico comunitario puede ser un elemento clave para conseguir mejorar la salud cardiovascular. Los programas de cribado de pacientes hipertensos parecen ser más coste-efectivos que el seguimiento semanal del paciente hipertenso

Abordaje del problema de la hipertensión desde una oficina de farmacia: detección, educación sanitaria o seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. ¿Qué actuación muestra mayor eficiencia?

Introducción: La prevalencia de la hipertensión arterial en España aumenta con los años. Nos proponemos evaluar la función del farmacéutico desde la farmacia comunitaria como instrumento muy útil para mejorar el control y el manejo del paciente hipertenso, evaluando y comparando la eficiencia de las diferentes intervenciones que puede realizar para beneficiar al paciente hipertenso: detección de cifras altas de presión arterial (PA), educación sanitaria y seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. Método: Estudio observacional, prospectivo y de intervención, llevado a cabo en una farmacia de Valencia. Se ofertaba la toma de la PA a los participantes y se les pasaba una encuesta. Los pacientes eran asignados de forma aleatoria a un tipo de intervención: consejo farmacéutico, educación sanitaria o seguimiento farmacoterapéutico. A los 6 meses se evaluó la intervención. Resultados: Se propone la inclusión en el estudio a 220 pacientes, y aceptan participar 207, que se clasifican en 65 normotensos (31,4%), 64 prehipertensos (30,9%) y 78 hipertensos (37,7%). De los hipertensos, el 40% desconocía sus cifras elevadas de PA, y remitimos a los pacientes al médico. Se realizó un seguimiento farmacoterapéutico durante 6 meses en el grupo de pacientes con cifras de PA >140/90 mmHg, observándose diferencias en función de la actuación farmacéutica realizada. Conclusiones: El farmacéutico comunitario puede ser un elemento clave para conseguir mejorar la salud cardiovascular. Los programas de cribado de pacientes hipertensos parecen ser más coste-efectivos que el seguimiento semanal del paciente hipertenso

The Prognosis of Root Canal Therapy: a 20-year Follow-up Ambispective Cohort Study on 411 Patients With 1169 Endodontically Treated Teeth

PURPOSE To evaluate the 20-year prognosis of endodontically treated/re-treated teeth in a population with multiple patient/tooth/site risk factors, and to investigate the prognostic factors that could predict the long-term outcome of endodontic therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This ambispective cohort study included patients who received primary/secondary root canal therapy from 1986 to 1998 performed by a single operator in a private practice. Outcomes measures were: tooth survival; clinical and radiographic success, as assessed by the treating clinician and an independent outcome assessor; and complications, as evaluated 20 years after treatment. Descriptive statisti-cs, life table and Cox regression analyses for survival were fitted. RESULTS Four hundred and eleven patients (59% affected by advanced periodontitis) with 1169 endodontically treated teeth were identified (703 treatment, 466 retreatment). Drop-outs at 20-year follow-up were 128 patients (31.1%) with 388 (33.2%) teeth. Forty teeth (3.4%) in 30 patients experienced endodontic complications, subsequently successfully treated. Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed: complete clinical success in 542 teeth (69.7%), partial success in 10 (1.3%), partial failure in 75 (9.6%), and failure in 151 (19.4%) (10 extracted for endodontic reasons, 58 due to periodontitis, and 58 vertical fracture). Life table analysis revealed 86% tooth survival at 20-year follow-up. The chance of survival decreased with increasing patient age (P = 0.006). Re-treated teeth had better survival than treated teeth (P = 0.024) Canines and premolars had better chances of survival than incisors (P = 0.002 and P = 0.015, respectively). Teeth treated at two sittings (with intermediate medication) had reduced chances of survival as compared to teeth treated at one sitting (P = 0.027). Teeth treated for the first time for endodontic reasons exhibited a better chance of survival than teeth treated for periodontal and prosthetic reasons (P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS The 20-year prognosis of endodontically treated/re-treated teeth as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation of patients affected by advanced periodontitis is good. Aging, two-stage endodontic treatment, and endodontic treatment for non-endodontic reasons are important predictors of failure

Identificação do gene pccB A partir da varredura de uma biblioteca genômica de Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis visando uma vacina contra linfadenite caseosa.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis é o agente etiológico da linfadenite caseosa (LC), que acomete principalmente ovinos e caprinos. Esta doença é causadora de grandes problemas na ovinocaprinocultura. Diversas pesquisas tem sido realizadas na busca de uma vacina eficaz contra a LC. Estudos recentes utilizando um gene reporter em C. pseudotuberculosis, identificou a expressão do gene pccB (cadeia β da propionil CoA carboxilase) em macrófagos, indicando um possível envolvimento na virulência deste patógeno e um bom antígeno a ser explorado no desenvolvimento de uma nova estratégia vacinal. Como a sequência deste gene ainda não está disponível em banco de dados, o objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar varredura em uma biblioteca genômica de C. pseudotuberculosis para identificação completa da sequência do gene pccB. Uma sonda foi gerada a partir de um fragmento parcial do gene pccB marcado com [α32P]dCTP. A biblioteca genômica foi plaqueada em placas de lise para obter 2X103 pfu/placa e em seguida transferida para membranas de nylon previamente tratadas com soluções desnaturante, neutralizante e de pré-hibridização, a fim de, posteriormente, reagir com a sonda radioativa seguido da exposição das membranas a um filme de raio X. Dois clones positivos foram isolados e utilizados como template em reação de PCR, utilizando primers específicos da biblioteca genômica, gerando produtos de 3 Kb que foram sequenciados e analisados por BlastX, verificando-se 82% de identidade com o gene pccB2 de C. diphtheriae. Acreditando que haja sintenia entre as duas espécies mencionadas, foram desenhados primers com genes que flanqueiam o gene pccB2 de C. diphtheriae. Esses foram utilizados como iniciadores em reação de PCR, tendo como molde o DNA genômico de C. Pseudotuberculosis, gerando um fragmento de 2,1 Kb que foi clonado no vetor pGEM-T easy, sequenciado e analisado por BlastX. Resultados preliminares indicam que novos primers precisam ser desenhados para concluir a sequência deste gene