Oral and maxillofacial myiasis associated with epidermoid carcinoma: a case report.

Myiasis is a term derived from the Greek word "myia", meaning invasion of vital tissue of humans or other mammals by fly larvae. The deposited eggs develop into larvae, which penetrate deep structures causing adjacent tissue destruction. It is an uncommon clinical condition, being more frequent in underdeveloped countries and hot climate regions, and is associated with poor hygiene, suppurative oral lesions, alcoholism and senility.

ON the influence of parameter theta- on performance of RBF neural networks trained with the dynamic decay adjustment algorithm.

The dynamic decay adjustment (DDA) algorithm is a fast constructive algorithm for training RBF neural networks (RBFNs) and probabilistic neural networks (PNNs). The algorithm has two parameters, namely, theta(+) and theta(-). The papers which introduced DDA argued that those parameters would not heavily influence classification performance and therefore they recommended using always the default values of these parameters.

Nonnutritive sucking habits and anterior open bite in Brazilian children: a longitudinal study.

Purpose: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to assess the relationship between nonnutritive sucking habits and anterior open bite in 305 4- to 5-year-old children attending state schools in the city of Recife, Brazil.

Methods: The data were collected by interviewing the children's mothers or guardians and through clinical examinations carried out by 1 calibrated examiner (K = 1). Bivariate analyses (Pearson chi-square, McNemar, and Stuart-Maxwell tests) were used for the statistical analysis.

Influence of the patient's race on the dentist's decision to extract or retain a decayed tooth.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the patient's race on the dentist's decision to extract or retain a decayed tooth.

Methods: A probabilistic random sample of 297 dentists from Recife, Brazil, was used. Two case scenarios were presented to the dentists.

Nonnutritive sucking habits in Brazilian children: effects on deciduous dentition and relationship with facial morphology.

This study assessed the relationship between nonnutritive sucking habits, facial morphology, and malocclusion in 3 planes of space (transverse, vertical, and anteroposterior) in 330 Brazilian children (4 years of age) attending state schools in the city of Recife, Brazil. The data were collected by interviews with the children's mothers or minders and by clinical examinations carried out by a calibrated examiner (kappa = 1). The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and multivariate analysis were used for statistical analysis.

Patient selection in off-cardiopulmonary bypass revascularization.

Background: The last few years have been marked by striking advances in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG), thanks mainly to developments in instrumentation and technical progress in the revascularization of the posterior arteries of the heart. In 2001, OPCABG was performed on approximately 20% of patients who underwent surgical myocardial revascularization in the United States. This retrospective study aims to evaluate our experience with this procedure over the past 10 years, emphasizing the rapid and increasing progress of the method, indications, contraindications, and results.

How much myocardial revascularization can we do without extracorporeal circulation?

Objective: The main goal of this study is to present a technical alternative that allows myocardial revascularization to be performed on the marginal branches of the circumflex coronary artery without the use of extracorporeal circulation (ECC).

Methods: The technique for exposing the coronary vessels is performed by placing a stitch in the posterior pericardium. The surgeon lifts the heart using his or her left hand with the aim of exposing the posterior pericardium.