Vestibular Disorders Limited to the Vertical Semicircular Canals.

 The advent of the video head impulse test (vHIT) enables the study of each one of the six semicircular canals. In the present study, certain patients present disorders related only to the vertical semicircular canals, and they were carefully evaluated.  To investigate vestibular disorders limited to the vertical semicircular canals.

Tofacitinib and peficitinib inhibitors of Janus kinase for autoimmune disease treatment: a quantum biochemistry approach.

Autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ulcerative colitis, are associated with an uncontrolled production of cytokines leading to the pronounced inflammatory response of these disorders. Their therapy is currently focused on the inhibition of cytokine receptors, such as the Janus kinase (JAK) protein family. Tofacitinib and peficitinib are JAK inhibitors that have been recently approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Effect of the quality of orthodontic finishing on the stability of anterior tooth alignment.

Objectives: To evaluate whether the quality of orthodontic finishing influences long-term stability of anterior tooth alignment.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 38 patients. Data were obtained at the beginning of treatment (T0), at the end (T1), and at least 5 years after T1 (T2).

Effect of (Mill.) N.E. Brown Essential Oil on the Human Umbilical Artery.

is popularly known as lemon balm, with its essential oil (EO) cited for displaying antimicrobial, sedative, and vasorelaxant effects. Yet, its action on isolated human vessels has not been described in the literature. Thus, we evaluated the vasorelaxant effect of essential oil of (EOLa) on human umbilical arteries (HUA) isolated in organ baths.

Evaluation of the antibacterial and inhibitory activity of NorA and MepA efflux pumps from Staphylococcus aureus by diosgenin.

The increase in bacterial resistance to available antibiotics has driven several researchers to search for new agents with therapeutic properties. Diosgenin is a naturally occurring steroidal saponin that has demonstrated several pharmacological properties. In the present study, we report the antimicrobial activity of diosgenin against the standard and multidrug-resistant bacteria of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, in addition to the efflux pump inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus strains carrying NorA and MepA pumps.

Analysis of gunshot residues from nontoxic ammunition: a contribution to health and environmental analysis.

This study's aim was to determine the presence, as well as to evaluate the health and environmental impacts, of chemical elements from firearm shots during shooter practice at outdoor shooting ranges, both in the environment and on the shooters' hands. Two high-precision devices were used for measuring suspended particles that are released during discharge of Taurus PT 100 .40 caliber pistols.

Bacterial volatile organic compounds induce adverse ultrastructural changes and DNA damage to the sugarcane pathogenic fungus Thielaviopsis ethacetica.

Due to an increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices, the adoption of microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as antagonists against phytopathogens has emerged as an eco-friendly alternative to the use of agrochemicals. Here, we identified three Pseudomonas strains that were able to inhibit, in vitro, up to 80% of mycelial growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Thielaviopsis ethacetica, the causal agent of pineapple sett rot disease in sugarcane. Using GC/MS, we found that these bacteria produced 62 different VOCs, and further functional validation revealed compounds with high antagonistic activity to T.

Sub-diffractional cavity modes of terahertz hyperbolic phonon polaritons in tin oxide.

Hyperbolic phonon polaritons have recently attracted considerable attention in nanophotonics mostly due to their intrinsic strong electromagnetic field confinement, ultraslow polariton group velocities, and long lifetimes. Here we introduce tin oxide (SnO) nanobelts as a photonic platform for the transport of surface and volume phonon polaritons in the mid- to far-infrared frequency range. This report brings a comprehensive description of the polaritonic properties of SnO as a nanometer-sized dielectric and also as an engineered material in the form of a waveguide.

Graphene: Insights on Biological, Radiochemical and Ecotoxicological Aspects.

Graphene, including graphene quantum dots, its oxide and unoxidized forms (pure graphene) have several properties, like fluorescence, electrical conductivity, theoretical surface area, low toxicity, and high biocompatibility. In this study, we evaluated genotoxicity ( analysis using the functional density theory-FDT), cytotoxicity (human glioblastoma cell line), pharmacokinetics, impact on microcirculation and cell internalization assay. It was also radiolabeled with lutetium 177 (177Lu), a beta emitter radioisotope to explore its therapeutic use as nanodrug.

Galactomannan of Delonix regia seeds reduces nociception and morphological damage in the rat model of osteoarthritis induced by sodium monoiodoacetate.

This study investigated the effects of the protein-free galactomannan obtained from Delonix regia seeds (GM-DR) in an experimental osteoarthritis (OA) model. GM-DR was obtained from water-homogenized endosperms by collection of the supernatant and precipitation with ethanol. The remaining proteins in the galactomannan were removed by alkaline hydrolysis.

Abdominal wall endometriosis: experience of the General Surgery Service of the Antônio Pedro University Hospital of the Universidade Federal Fluminense.

Objective: to study the characteristics of women undergoing abdominal surgery with suspected abdominal wall endometriosis or abdominal wall tumor, and to assess the association with age, race and previous cesarean delivery.

Method: retrospective and analytical study carried out from January 2000 to December 2019, at the General Surgery Service of Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro (HUAP) at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). Medical records of 100 patients with abdominal wall endometriosis and other types of abdominal wall tumors were analyzed.

The urokinase plasminogen activator binding to its receptor: a quantum biochemistry description within an in/homogeneous dielectric function framework with application to uPA-uPAR peptide inhibitors.

Despite being recognized as a therapeutic target in the processes of cancer cell proliferation and metastasis for over 50 years, the interaction of the urokinase plasminogen activator uPA with its receptor uPAR still needs an improved understanding. High resolution crystallographic data (PDB ) of the uPA-uPAR binding geometry was used to perform quantum biochemistry computations within the density functional theory (DFT) framework. A divide to conquer methodology considering a mixed homogeneous/inhomogeneous dielectric model and explicitly taking water molecules into account was employed to obtain a large set of uPA-uPAR residue-residue interaction energies.

Dipole modelling for a robust description of subdiffractional polariton waves.

The nanophotonics of van der Waals (vdW) materials relies critically on the electromagnetic properties of polaritons defined on sub-diffraction length scales. Here, we use a full electromagnetic Hertzian dipole antenna (HDA) model to describe the hyperbolic phonon polaritons (HPs) in vdW crystals of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on a gold surface. The HP waves are investigated by broadband synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy (SINS) which covers the type I and type II hyperbolic bands simultaneously.

Proximity of the maxillary artery to the neck of the mandibular condyle: anatomical study.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the anatomical distance of the maxillary artery, the most superior portion of the condyle and subcondyle in standardized coronal sections, acquired from 16 hemifaces in 8 cadavers.

Methods: Measurements were taken to evaluate the distance between the uppermost portion of the mandibular condyle and the height of the maxillary artery (AB) and between the lateral (CD) and medial (EF) sides of the condylar neck to the artery.

Results: The mean for AB was 21.

Efficacy of proportional versus high condylectomy in active condylar hyperplasia - A systematic review.

Objective: To perform a systematic literature review to test the efficacy of proportional condylectomy versus high condylectomy in patients with active condylar hyperplasia, in terms of avoiding secondary surgeries.

Method: Following a search of Medline (Pubmed), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane databases, ten studies were included for qualitative analysis, and two studies were included for meta-analysis. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort studies and the 18-item modified Delphi technique for case series.

Anisotropic Flow Control and Gate Modulation of Hybrid Phonon-Polaritons.

Light-matter interaction in two-dimensional photonic or phononic materials allows for the confinement and manipulation of free-space radiation at sub-wavelength scales. Most notably, the van der Waals heterostructure composed of graphene (G) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) provides for gate-tunable hybrid hyperbolic plasmon phonon-polaritons (HP). Here, we present the anisotropic flow control and gate-voltage modulation of HP modes in G-hBN on an air-Au microstructured substrate.

The chemical fingerprint of hair melanosomes by infrared nano-spectroscopy.

In situ characterization of the chemical and structural properties of black and white sheep hair was performed with a spatial resolution of 25 nm using infrared nano-spectroscopy. Comparing data sets from two types of hair allowed us to isolate the keratin FTIR fingerprint and so mark off chemical properties of the hair's melanosomes. From a polarization sensitive analysis of the nano-FTIR spectra, we showed that keratin intermediate filaments (IFs) present anisotropic molecular ordering.

Low-aberration beamline optics for synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy.

Synchrotron infrared nanospectroscopy is a recently developed technique that enables new possibilities in the broadband chemical analysis of materials in the nanoscale, far beyond the diffraction limit in this frequency domain. Synchrotron infrared ports have exploited mainly the high brightness advantage provided by electron storage rings across the whole infrared range. However, optical aberrations in the beam produced by the source depth of bending magnet emission at large angles prevent infrared nanospectroscopy to reach its maximum capability.

Mandibular Protraction Appliance Effects in Class II Malocclusion in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the mandibular protraction appliance (MPA) for treating mild to moderate Class II malocclusion at different stages of dentofacial development. Lateral radiographs were evaluated before (T0) and at the end (T1) of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliance associated with MPA. Sixty-five consecutively treated patients were divided according to the stage of dentofacial development: 21 children in late mixed dentition, 22 adolescents and 22 young adults with full permanent dentition.

DFT Calculations with van der Waals Interactions of Hydrated Calcium Carbonate Crystals CaCO3·(H2O, 6H2O): Structural, Electronic, Optical, and Vibrational Properties.

The role of hydration on the structural, electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of monohydrated (CaCO3·H2O, hexagonal, P31, Z = 9) and hexahydrated (CaCO3·6H2O, monoclinic, C2/c, Z = 4) calcite crystals is assessed with the help of published experimental and theoretical data applying density functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation and a dispersion correction scheme. We show that the presence of water increases the main band gap of monohydrocalcite by 0.4 eV relative to the anhydrous structure, although practically not changing the hexahydrocalcite band gap.

Infrared Vibrational Nanospectroscopy by Self-Referenced Interferometry.

Infrared vibrational scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) has emerged as a new frontier in imaging science due to its potential to provide nanoscale spatially resolved chemical spectroscopy for the investigation of molecular, soft-matter, and biological materials. As a phase-sensitive technique able to yield the full complex dielectric function of materials, different interferometric schemes have been developed involving asymmetric interferometry between sample and reference arms. In this work, we take advantage of a greatly simplified symmetric geometry that uses the spatially coherent background scattered light from within the confocal sample volume as a reference field for signal amplification in both self-homodyne and self-heterodyne interferometry.

Synthesis of diamond-like phase from graphite by ultrafast laser driven dynamical compression.

Rapid variations of the environmental energy caused by ultrashort laser pulses have induced phase transitions in carbon allotropes, therefore bringing the promise of revealing new carbon phases. Here, by exposing polycrystalline graphite to 25 fs laser pulses at 4 J/cm(2) fluence under standard air atmosphere, we demonstrated the synthesis of translucent micrometer-sized structures carrying diamond-like and onion-like carbon phases. Texturized domains of the diamond phase were also identified.

Graphene/h-BN plasmon-phonon coupling and plasmon delocalization observed by infrared nano-spectroscopy.

We observed the coupling of graphene Dirac plasmons with different surfaces using scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy integrated into a mid-infrared synchrotron-based beamline. A systematic investigation of a graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterostructure is carried out and compared with the well-known graphene/SiO2 heterostructure. Broadband infrared scanning near-field optical microscopy imaging is able to distinguish between the graphene/h-BN and the graphene/SiO2 heterostructure as well as differentiate between graphene stacks with different numbers of layers.