Human dental enamel is organized by prisms that are structured between 3 and 6 µm in diameter. De... more Human dental enamel is organized by prisms that are structured between 3 and 6 µm in diameter. Determining the relationships between different treatments on the surface of enamel using ultrastructural analysis is the purpose of many in vitro experiments. Different sample pretreatments have been reported in the literature. Grinding and polishing are common procedures for enamel preparation. They provide a flat and standardized surface, which is imperative for the use of some techniques such as ATR-FTIR. However, for morphological analysis, SEM and AFM represent easier methods to measure and reduce the biological sample variation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish how different forms of enamel preparation can influence the advent of artifacts during ultrastructural observation, especially by AFM analysis. Four groups (n = 10) were tested: (a) without preparation; (b) polishing with a diamond paste; (c) grinding with decreasing granulations of silicon carbide pape...
Universal adhesives combine silane and various monomers in a single bottle to make them more vers... more Universal adhesives combine silane and various monomers in a single bottle to make them more versatile. Their adhesive performance is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the effects of an additional silane application before using a universal adhesive on the adhesion between a disilicate glass ceramic and a composite resin by using a microshear bond strength test (μSBS) and fracture analysis immediately and after thermocycling. One hundred lithium disilicate glass ceramic disks were divided into 10 groups for bond strength testing according to the following 3 surface treatments: silane application (built-in universal adhesive or with additional application), adhesive (Adper Single Bond Plus [SB, 3M ESPE], Scotchbond Universal Adhesive [U, 3M ESPE], and mixed U with Dual Cure Activator [DCA, 3M ESPE]); or thermocycling (half of the specimens were thermocycled 10000 times). After surface treatment, 5 resin cylinders were bonded to each disk and submitted to a μSB...
Despite the relevance of the sandwich technique, there are still doubts about the best adhesive s... more Despite the relevance of the sandwich technique, there are still doubts about the best adhesive strategy and surface treatment for glass ionomer cements (GICs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the best surface treatment for GIC to ensure an effective and durable adhesion to resin, through micro-shear test, using an alternative method to build up test specimens. Eighty GIC samples were divided into eight groups (n = 10) according to five surface treatments (none, etching, air drying, grinding, and grinding plus etching) and according to the adhesive system (conventional or self-etch). Five starch tubes were positioned on each sample, and a flowable composite was inserted generating 50 resin test bodies per group and a total of 400 tested areas. All specimens were submitted to the micro-shear test: half immediately and half after thermal cycling (10,000 cycles of 20 s each/5° and 55°C). All samples were analyzed to evaluate fracture. Representative samples were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's honest significant difference post hoc test (P <.05). The bond strengths in the thermal cycled specimens were lower and showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0). The "grinding" groups showed the highest bond strength. The alternative method to build up test specimens was effective and easy to execute. Grinding of the GIC surface, which is not normally performed before the use of the adhesive system, represented the best option of surface treatment.
Grunting respirations occurring in the first hours of life is a frequent nonspecific clinical sig... more Grunting respirations occurring in the first hours of life is a frequent nonspecific clinical sign. Our objective was to assess the clinical significance of grunting lasting over two hours of birth in term and near term newborns. +0 METHODS: A five years retrospective study of all newborns >35 weeks of gestational age admitted for grunting to a level III NICU. Prolongued grunting occurred in 1.2% of the delivered newborns. Data on 151 grunter newborns and 302 controls were reviewed. Higher mother ́s age, pregnancy complications, lower gestational age, male gender, resuscitation need at birth, respiratory signs and therapy were associated to prolongued grunting. Poor adaptation to extrauterine life was the most frequent cause of grunting occurring in 73 (48.3%) of the cases, followed by transient tachypnea of the newborn (40 cases, 26.5%); RDS (7 cases, 4.6%) and infection (sepsis and pneumonia, 7 cases, 4.6%). Less common causes were: birth trauma (4 cases, 2.6%); pneumomediastin...
BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAM... more BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAML) ranges from asymptomatic lesions to neonatal respiratory distress and hydrops fetalis.AIM: To review our experience with CCAML, emphasising natural history, management and outcome.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all CCAML-diagnosed neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care units of five tertiary medical centres in the north of Portugal between 1996 and 2005.RESULTS: Fifteen neonates with CCAML were identified, 9F/6M, birth weight 3100 g (645-3975), gestational age 38 weeks (24-40). The incidence of CCAML was 1: 9300 births. There were 11 (73%) cases of cystic lung lesion diagnosed during pregnancy, median age 22 weeks (19-30). The lesion was right sided in six (40%) and left sided in nine (60%) cases. In utero spontaneous regression of the lesion was observed in two cases. Antenatal intervention (pleurocentesis and thoracoamniotic shunting) was performed in one foetus with impending hydrops. Normal lung radiographic findings at birth were present in five cases, with an abnormal CT scan. Three (20%) neonates became symptomatic during the neonatal period (respiratory distress) and one (70%) after the neonatal period (spontaneous pneumothorax). Two neonates (13%) died. Six (40%) patients underwent thoracotomy and appropriate excisional surgery. Histological examination showed definitive features of CCAML (Stocker classification: type I = 4; type II = 1; type III = 2). Eight (53%) patients remain asymptomatic and did not undergo surgery.CONCLUSIONS: Antenatally diagnosed CCAML has a good prognosis in the absence of severe foetal distress; normal radiographic findings at birth do not rule out CCAML; treatment of asymptomatic CCAML is controversial; surgery may be advocated because of its low morbidity and the prevention of late complications such as malignancy.
Chylothorax is the most common pleural effusion in the fetus and the neonate. Actual treatment of... more Chylothorax is the most common pleural effusion in the fetus and the neonate. Actual treatment of chylothorax includes many different antenatal and postnatal therapeutical approaches. The authors present practical and summarized guide- lines for the treatment of chylothorax in the fetus and the neonate, including the new therapies somatostatin and octreotide.
In many cells, motility is mediated by flagellar beating. Protist parasites are capable of highly... more In many cells, motility is mediated by flagellar beating. Protist parasites are capable of highly coordinated motility which contributes to their pathogenicity in mammalian hosts. Understanding the structural aspects of the flagellum may be important to the identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Our group used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine the ultrastructure of Trypanosoma cruzi, obtaining valuable information on the organisation of the flagellar sub-structure. AFM images revealed novel flagellar components such as the presence of periodically-spaced protrusions organised along a flagellar furrow and oriented through the major flagellar axis between the axoneme and the paraflagellar rod. The nature and functional role of this structure are still unknown, although the hypothesis that the furrow might physically separate the two distinct domains of the flagellar membrane that comprise the surface of the axoneme and the paraflagellar rod (PFR) has been raised. To test whether the furrow was present or not only in PFR-bearing flagella, different protists containing or lacking the PFR, were analysed by AFM. Analysis of T. cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Herpetomonas megaseliae, which present distinct PFRs, showed similar and equivalent furrows along the main axis of their flagella, whereas Crithidia deanei, Giardia lamblia and Tritrichomonas foetus (in which the PFR is reduced or absent) lacked a furrow. Our results strongly suggest that the flagellar furrow is a characteristic feature of PFR-containing flagella and opens new perspectives for its functional role in the definition of sub-domains on the flagellar membrane.
To assess the association between the human leukocyte antigen system and retinopathy of prematuri... more To assess the association between the human leukocyte antigen system and retinopathy of prematurity. Neonates of <32 weeks of gestational age, born at two level III neonatal intensive care units from January 2000 to December 2001 and from January 2006 to June 2009, were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, and retinopathy was classified according to the International Classification. Epithelial cells were collected from the oral cavity and the HLA were studied using the PCR/SSO method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS® v.18. We evaluated 156 neonates, including 82 (52.6%) males. Median gestational age was 29 (23-31) weeks, and median birth weight was 1030 (525-1935) grams. Seventy (44.9%) of the neonates developed retinopathy. Alleles HLA-B*38, HLA-Cw*12, HLA-DRB1*09, HLA-DRB1*14 (univariate analysis) and HLA-A*68 and HLA-Cw*12 were associated to retinopathy (multivariate analysis). The results suggest that the HLA system may be associated with the development of retinopathy of prematurity. A large-scale population-based study should be performed to clarify this association.
A female is described with axial mesodermal dysplasia complex (AMDC) born to a consanguineous cou... more A female is described with axial mesodermal dysplasia complex (AMDC) born to a consanguineous couple. This is thought to be the first description of a patient with AMDC born to consanguineous parents.
Human dental enamel is organized by prisms that are structured between 3 and 6 µm in diameter. De... more Human dental enamel is organized by prisms that are structured between 3 and 6 µm in diameter. Determining the relationships between different treatments on the surface of enamel using ultrastructural analysis is the purpose of many in vitro experiments. Different sample pretreatments have been reported in the literature. Grinding and polishing are common procedures for enamel preparation. They provide a flat and standardized surface, which is imperative for the use of some techniques such as ATR-FTIR. However, for morphological analysis, SEM and AFM represent easier methods to measure and reduce the biological sample variation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish how different forms of enamel preparation can influence the advent of artifacts during ultrastructural observation, especially by AFM analysis. Four groups (n = 10) were tested: (a) without preparation; (b) polishing with a diamond paste; (c) grinding with decreasing granulations of silicon carbide pape...
Universal adhesives combine silane and various monomers in a single bottle to make them more vers... more Universal adhesives combine silane and various monomers in a single bottle to make them more versatile. Their adhesive performance is unclear. The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the effects of an additional silane application before using a universal adhesive on the adhesion between a disilicate glass ceramic and a composite resin by using a microshear bond strength test (μSBS) and fracture analysis immediately and after thermocycling. One hundred lithium disilicate glass ceramic disks were divided into 10 groups for bond strength testing according to the following 3 surface treatments: silane application (built-in universal adhesive or with additional application), adhesive (Adper Single Bond Plus [SB, 3M ESPE], Scotchbond Universal Adhesive [U, 3M ESPE], and mixed U with Dual Cure Activator [DCA, 3M ESPE]); or thermocycling (half of the specimens were thermocycled 10000 times). After surface treatment, 5 resin cylinders were bonded to each disk and submitted to a μSB...
Despite the relevance of the sandwich technique, there are still doubts about the best adhesive s... more Despite the relevance of the sandwich technique, there are still doubts about the best adhesive strategy and surface treatment for glass ionomer cements (GICs). The aim of this study is to evaluate the best surface treatment for GIC to ensure an effective and durable adhesion to resin, through micro-shear test, using an alternative method to build up test specimens. Eighty GIC samples were divided into eight groups (n = 10) according to five surface treatments (none, etching, air drying, grinding, and grinding plus etching) and according to the adhesive system (conventional or self-etch). Five starch tubes were positioned on each sample, and a flowable composite was inserted generating 50 resin test bodies per group and a total of 400 tested areas. All specimens were submitted to the micro-shear test: half immediately and half after thermal cycling (10,000 cycles of 20 s each/5° and 55°C). All samples were analyzed to evaluate fracture. Representative samples were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's honest significant difference post hoc test (P <.05). The bond strengths in the thermal cycled specimens were lower and showed a statistically significant difference (P = 0). The "grinding" groups showed the highest bond strength. The alternative method to build up test specimens was effective and easy to execute. Grinding of the GIC surface, which is not normally performed before the use of the adhesive system, represented the best option of surface treatment.
Grunting respirations occurring in the first hours of life is a frequent nonspecific clinical sig... more Grunting respirations occurring in the first hours of life is a frequent nonspecific clinical sign. Our objective was to assess the clinical significance of grunting lasting over two hours of birth in term and near term newborns. +0 METHODS: A five years retrospective study of all newborns >35 weeks of gestational age admitted for grunting to a level III NICU. Prolongued grunting occurred in 1.2% of the delivered newborns. Data on 151 grunter newborns and 302 controls were reviewed. Higher mother ́s age, pregnancy complications, lower gestational age, male gender, resuscitation need at birth, respiratory signs and therapy were associated to prolongued grunting. Poor adaptation to extrauterine life was the most frequent cause of grunting occurring in 73 (48.3%) of the cases, followed by transient tachypnea of the newborn (40 cases, 26.5%); RDS (7 cases, 4.6%) and infection (sepsis and pneumonia, 7 cases, 4.6%). Less common causes were: birth trauma (4 cases, 2.6%); pneumomediastin...
BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAM... more BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung (CCAML) ranges from asymptomatic lesions to neonatal respiratory distress and hydrops fetalis.AIM: To review our experience with CCAML, emphasising natural history, management and outcome.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all CCAML-diagnosed neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care units of five tertiary medical centres in the north of Portugal between 1996 and 2005.RESULTS: Fifteen neonates with CCAML were identified, 9F/6M, birth weight 3100 g (645-3975), gestational age 38 weeks (24-40). The incidence of CCAML was 1: 9300 births. There were 11 (73%) cases of cystic lung lesion diagnosed during pregnancy, median age 22 weeks (19-30). The lesion was right sided in six (40%) and left sided in nine (60%) cases. In utero spontaneous regression of the lesion was observed in two cases. Antenatal intervention (pleurocentesis and thoracoamniotic shunting) was performed in one foetus with impending hydrops. Normal lung radiographic findings at birth were present in five cases, with an abnormal CT scan. Three (20%) neonates became symptomatic during the neonatal period (respiratory distress) and one (70%) after the neonatal period (spontaneous pneumothorax). Two neonates (13%) died. Six (40%) patients underwent thoracotomy and appropriate excisional surgery. Histological examination showed definitive features of CCAML (Stocker classification: type I = 4; type II = 1; type III = 2). Eight (53%) patients remain asymptomatic and did not undergo surgery.CONCLUSIONS: Antenatally diagnosed CCAML has a good prognosis in the absence of severe foetal distress; normal radiographic findings at birth do not rule out CCAML; treatment of asymptomatic CCAML is controversial; surgery may be advocated because of its low morbidity and the prevention of late complications such as malignancy.
Chylothorax is the most common pleural effusion in the fetus and the neonate. Actual treatment of... more Chylothorax is the most common pleural effusion in the fetus and the neonate. Actual treatment of chylothorax includes many different antenatal and postnatal therapeutical approaches. The authors present practical and summarized guide- lines for the treatment of chylothorax in the fetus and the neonate, including the new therapies somatostatin and octreotide.
In many cells, motility is mediated by flagellar beating. Protist parasites are capable of highly... more In many cells, motility is mediated by flagellar beating. Protist parasites are capable of highly coordinated motility which contributes to their pathogenicity in mammalian hosts. Understanding the structural aspects of the flagellum may be important to the identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Our group used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine the ultrastructure of Trypanosoma cruzi, obtaining valuable information on the organisation of the flagellar sub-structure. AFM images revealed novel flagellar components such as the presence of periodically-spaced protrusions organised along a flagellar furrow and oriented through the major flagellar axis between the axoneme and the paraflagellar rod. The nature and functional role of this structure are still unknown, although the hypothesis that the furrow might physically separate the two distinct domains of the flagellar membrane that comprise the surface of the axoneme and the paraflagellar rod (PFR) has been raised. To test whether the furrow was present or not only in PFR-bearing flagella, different protists containing or lacking the PFR, were analysed by AFM. Analysis of T. cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Herpetomonas megaseliae, which present distinct PFRs, showed similar and equivalent furrows along the main axis of their flagella, whereas Crithidia deanei, Giardia lamblia and Tritrichomonas foetus (in which the PFR is reduced or absent) lacked a furrow. Our results strongly suggest that the flagellar furrow is a characteristic feature of PFR-containing flagella and opens new perspectives for its functional role in the definition of sub-domains on the flagellar membrane.
To assess the association between the human leukocyte antigen system and retinopathy of prematuri... more To assess the association between the human leukocyte antigen system and retinopathy of prematurity. Neonates of <32 weeks of gestational age, born at two level III neonatal intensive care units from January 2000 to December 2001 and from January 2006 to June 2009, were included in the study. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, and retinopathy was classified according to the International Classification. Epithelial cells were collected from the oral cavity and the HLA were studied using the PCR/SSO method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS® v.18. We evaluated 156 neonates, including 82 (52.6%) males. Median gestational age was 29 (23-31) weeks, and median birth weight was 1030 (525-1935) grams. Seventy (44.9%) of the neonates developed retinopathy. Alleles HLA-B*38, HLA-Cw*12, HLA-DRB1*09, HLA-DRB1*14 (univariate analysis) and HLA-A*68 and HLA-Cw*12 were associated to retinopathy (multivariate analysis). The results suggest that the HLA system may be associated with the development of retinopathy of prematurity. A large-scale population-based study should be performed to clarify this association.
A female is described with axial mesodermal dysplasia complex (AMDC) born to a consanguineous cou... more A female is described with axial mesodermal dysplasia complex (AMDC) born to a consanguineous couple. This is thought to be the first description of a patient with AMDC born to consanguineous parents.
Las TIC en el combate de las enfermedades desatendidas 40 Cuaderno Hay razones bien fundadas para... more Las TIC en el combate de las enfermedades desatendidas 40 Cuaderno Hay razones bien fundadas para ser optimistas en la in-vestigación de las enfermedades desatendidas. En este libro, que recoge los resultados del trabajo de investiga-dores latinoamericanos, se confirman varios aspectos po-sitivos. El primero es que en el campo de la investigación básica existe una notable atención a las enfermedades que azotan principalmente a la población más vulnerable del continente. El segundo, que las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) apuntalan feha-cientemente los importantes desarrollos que habilitan los avances de las diversas investigaciones. Y el tercero, de gran relevancia, es que la ciencia que se produce en la región se traduce en resultados que están a la altura del estado del arte en este campo del conocimiento. Poner la información recogida en el presente estudio al acceso de quienes se ocupan de estos temas es el aporte de Fundación Telefónica para garantizar que ese optimismo se traduzca en beneficios sustentables, y nuestra forma de reiterar la confianza que tenemos en las bondades de la asociación entre las TIC y la ciencia básica.
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