Association between dairy product intake and abdominal obesity in Azorean adolescents.

Background: Some studies have reported an inverse association between dairy product (DP) consumption and weight or fat mass loss.

Objectives: The objective of our study was to assess the association between DP intake and abdominal obesity (AO) among Azorean adolescents.

Subjects/methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis.

Low prevalence of gingival overgrowth associated to new imunossupressive protocols with cyclosporin.

Gingival overgrowth (GO) is a frequent finding in patients treated with cyclosporine (CsA). This study investigated the prevalence and severity of GO in patients who received kidney transplant and CsA therapy, as well as associations with pharmacological and clinical factors. This cross-sectional study included 63 kidney transplant recipients who were treated with CsA in a university hospital.

Effect of nonsurgical periodontal therapy and strict plaque control on preterm/low birth weight: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objective: This randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out to assess the effect of comprehensive nonsurgical periodontal treatment and strict plaque control performed during pregnancy on the reduction of preterm and/or low birth weight rates (PTLBW).

Material And Methods: Three hundred and three women were randomly allocated to receive periodontal treatment either during pregnancy (n = 147, test group) or after delivery (n = 156, control group). During pregnancy, the control group received only one session of supragingival scaling and oral hygiene instruction.

Relationship between cytokine levels in serum and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) in pregnant women.

Background: Periodontal disease has been linked to systemic diseases/disorders and a low-grade systemic inflammatory status originated from periodontitis has been proposed as a possible explanation for this association. This study evaluates the relationship, early in pregnancy, between gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and serum levels of a panel of cytokines that have been implicated in PTB and periodontal disease.

Methods: One hundred pregnant women aged 18-35 years old with a gestational age up to 20 weeks were included (mean±SD gestational age:16.

Metabolic syndrome, physical activity and cardiac autonomic function.

Background: Our primary aim was to investigate the associations that components of metabolic syndrome and physical activity have with cardiac autonomic nervous system activity as estimated by heart rate variability (HRV) in young adults free of metabolic abnormalities. We also aimed to identify predictors of 3-year changes in HRV.

Methods: Physical activity was assessed annually in 163 healthy participants over 3 years (2008-2010).

Biofilm production by clinical staphylococci strains from canine otitis.

This study determined the species of 54 staphylococci isolates from canine otitis and their ability to produce biofilm through the Congo red agar method, confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The most frequently identified species were S. intermedius and S.

Changes in blood metabolic parameters during the development of Walker-256 tumour-induced cachexia in rats are not caused by decreased food intake.

Blood metabolic parameters of Walker-256 tumour-bearing rats, on days 5, 8, 11 and 14 after implantation of tumour, were compared with those of rats without tumour fed ad libitum (free-fed control) or with reduced feeding (pair-fed control), similar to the anorexic tumour-bearing rats. Cachexia parameters and tumour mass also were investigated. In general, especially on day 14 after implantation of tumour, there was reduction of body mass, gastrocnemius muscle mass, food intake and glycemia and increase of blood triacylglycerol, free fatty acids, lactate and urea, compared with free-fed controls rats.

Gingival inflammation and platelet count in patients with leukemia: preliminary results.

Leukemia has been associated with oral manifestations. However, the available literature on this topic consists of mostly reports of cases, without data about the periodontal parameters that may be under the influence of hematologic factors. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the correlation between the Gingival Index and Bleeding on Probing with the platelet count in patients with leukemia.

Association between dental floss use and gingival conditions in orthodontic patients.

Introduction: Evidence comparing periodontal conditions in orthodontic patients who regularly use or do not use dental floss is scarce.

Methods: The subjects were 330 patients who had been under fixed orthodontic treatment for at least 6 months. They were examined by 1 calibrated examiner for plaque and gingival indexes, probing pocket depths, clinical attachment losses, and excessive resin around brackets.

Impact of comorbid migraine on the clinical course of bipolar disorder.

Background: Recent evidence suggests an association between migraine and bipolar disorder (BD), although the impact of this association in the clinical course of BD is relatively unknown.

Objective: This study aimed to compare 2 groups of individuals with BD (with vs without comorbid migraine) and evaluate differences in severity of clinical course.

Methods: Three hundred thirty-nine adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-defined bipolar I or II disorder were enrolled and divided into 2 groups: with and without comorbid migraine.

Seasonal dynamics of Microcystis spp. and their toxigenicity as assessed by qPCR in a temperate reservoir.

Blooms of toxic cyanobacteria are becoming increasingly frequent, mainly due to water quality degradation. This work applied qPCR as a tool for early warning of microcystin(MC)-producer cyanobacteria and risk assessment of water supplies. Specific marker genes for cyanobacteria, Microcystis and MC-producing Microcystis, were quantified to determine the genotypic composition of the natural Microcystis population.

Metabolic syndrome and bipolar disorder: what should psychiatrists know?

This paper reviews the association between bipolar disorder (BD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), focusing on the etiopathogenetic and pathophysiological aspects of this association and on the recommendations for preventing and managing MetS in patients with BD. We conducted a nonsystematic literature review by means of a MEDLINE search. The exact causal relationship between MetS and BD is still uncertain.

Involvement of mast cells in a mouse model of postoperative pain.

Recent studies have indicated that nearly half of all surgical patients still have inadequate pain relief; therefore, it is becoming increasingly more important to understand the mechanisms involved in postoperative pain in order to be better treated. Previous studies have shown that incisions can cause mast cell degranulation. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of mast cells in a model of postoperative pain in mice.

Behavioral, neurochemical and histological alterations promoted by bilateral intranigral rotenone administration: a new approach for an old neurotoxin.

Rotenone exposure in rodents provides an interesting model for studying mechanisms of toxin-induced dopaminergic neuronal injury. However, several aspects remain unclear regarding the effects and the accuracy of rotenone as an animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD). In order to counteract these limitations, this study characterized a precise neurotoxin-delivery strategy employing the bilateral intranigral administration protocol of rotenone as a reliable model of PD.

Evaluation of physical activity programmes for the elderly - exploring the lessons from other sectors and examining the general characteristics of the programmes.

Background: In Portugal, there are several physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people developed by the local government. The importance of these programmes has been increasing since the evidence has shown that this type of health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. However, no study has already identified the general characteristics of these programmes nor if they use any scheme to assess the quality of the service provided.

Behaviour of human erythrocyte aggregation in presence of autologous lipoproteins.

The aim of this work was to evaluate in vitro the effect of autologous plasma lipoprotein subfractions on erythrocyte tendency to aggregate. Aliquots of human blood samples were enriched or not (control) with their own HDL-C, LDL-C, or VLDL-C fractions obtained from the same batch by density gradient ultracentrifugation. Plasma osmolality and erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI) were determined.

Reference curves for BMI, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio for Azorean adolescents (Portugal).

Objective: There are no percentile curves for BMI, waist circumference (WC) or waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) available for Portuguese children and adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to develop age- and sex-specific BMI, WC and WHtR percentile curves for a representative sample of adolescents living in the Portuguese islands of Azores, one of the poorest regions of Europe, and to compare them with those from other countries.

Design: Cross-sectional school-based study.

Treatment of nephroblastoma in Africa: results of the first French African pediatric oncology group (GFAOP) study.

Background: The multidisciplinary management of nephroblastoma has been defined through multicentric prospective studies and an average 90% of patients cured expected. In Africa, such studies are uncommon and results are fragmentary or unknown in most of the countries. We report the results of the GFAOPNEPHRO 01 study using SIOP 2001 protocol approach.

Secretory cavities and volatiles of Myrrhinium atropurpureum Schott var. atropurpureum (Myrtaceae): an endemic species collected in the restingas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this study, we investigated the leaf anatomy and the composition of volatiles in Myrrhinium atropurpureum var. atropurpureum endemic to Rio de Janeiro restingas. Particularly, leaf secretory structures were described using light microscopy, and histochemical tests were performed from fresh leaves to localize the secondary metabolites.

Ability of different measures of adiposity to identify high metabolic risk in adolescents.

Introduction. This study aimed to evaluate the screening performance of different measures of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for high metabolic risk in a sample of adolescents. Methods.

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy modulates the inflammatory response in experimental traumatic brain injury.

Therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has showed to be promising due to its immunomodulatory function. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers immune response and release of inflammatory mediators, mainly cytokines, by glial cells creating a hostile microenvironment for endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs). We investigated the effects of factors secreted by MSCs on NSC in vitro and analyzed cytokines expression in vitro in a TBI model.

Drosophila hemocyte migration: an in vivo assay for directional cell migration.

This protocol describes an in vivo assay for random and directed hemocyte migration in Drosophila. Drosophila is becoming an increasingly powerful model system for in vivo cell migration analysis, combining unique genetic tools with translucency of the embryo and pupa, which allows direct imaging and traceability of different cell types. In the assay we present here, we make use of the hemocyte response to epithelium wounding to experimentally induce a transition from random to directed migration.

Influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and parental lifestyle on adolescents' abdominal obesity.

Aim: The aims of this study were (1) to analyse the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and parental overweight status (POS) and socioeconomic status (SES) on abdominal obesity.

Subjects And Methods: This study was comprised of 779 adolescents (12-18 years). Waist-height ratio (WHtR), 20 m shuttle-run test to ascertain CRF, POS according to World Health Organization recommendations and SES of parents using level of education were analysed.

Mortality by neoplasia and cellular telephone base stations in the Belo Horizonte municipality, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

Pollution caused by the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of radio frequencies (RF) generated by the telecommunication system is one of the greatest environmental problems of the twentieth century. The purpose of this research was to verify the existence of a spatial correlation between base station (BS) clusters and cases of deaths by neoplasia in the Belo Horizonte municipality, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, from 1996 to 2006 and to measure the human exposure levels to EMF where there is a major concentration of cellular telephone transmitter antennas. A descriptive spatial analysis of the BSs and the cases of death by neoplasia identified in the municipality was performed through an ecological-epidemiological approach, using georeferencing.

A retrospective study of malaria in pediatric oncology patients in Senegal.

We retrospectively studied the outcome of malaria infection in pediatric oncology patients presenting to a single institution in Senegal, West Africa over a 10-year period (2000 to 2009). We investigated whether myelosuppression (secondary to chemotherapy) was associated with increased case fatality from malaria. Anonymized clinical and laboratory data were recorded.