Pathways between verbal bullying and oral conditions among school children

PURPOSE

To investigate the direct and indirect pathways between verbal bullying and adverse oral conditions among school-aged children.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 8- to 10-year-old children, enrolled in public schools in Southern Brazil. Verbal bullying was collected by self-reports. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, household income, and caregivers' educational level) and oral conditions (anterior open bite, anterior teeth crowding, upper anterior diastema, large overjet, untreated dental caries, and PUFA index). The pathways between verbal bullying and the independent variables were analysed through structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

1369 children were included. The prevalence of verbal bullying was 26.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 23.9-28.6%). Verbal bullying was directly influenced by large overjet (standard coefficient [SC] 0.13, P < 0.01), untreated dental caries (SC 0.63, P = 0.01) and PUFA index (SC 0.75, P = 0.02). Sex (SC - 0.005, P = .04) and age (SC - 0.006, P < 0.01) indirectly influenced verbal bullying via untreated dental caries.

CONCLUSIONS

Verbal bullying was directly influenced by large overjet, untreated dental caries and PUFA index. Sex and age indirectly impacted verbal bullying through untreated dental caries.

Prevalence of anterior open bite in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Anterior open bite is defined by the lack of incisal contact between the teeth in centric relation. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anterior open in children and adolescents.

METHODS

This systematic review included a search in the databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, Google Scholar, and ProQuest. The acronym PECOS was considered: (P) children and adolescents, (E) presence of anterior open bite, (C) not applicable, (O) prevalence, and (S) observational studies. The risk of bias assessment was carried out using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. The prevalence meta-analyses were performed using MedCalc^® software. The certainty of the evidence was determined with the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

26 studies were included. Eleven studies were judged at low, seven at moderate, and eight at high risk of bias. The overall prevalence of anterior open bite was 16.52% (95% CI 12.34-21.17) in children and adolescents. The prevalence was 19.38% (95% CI 13.77-25.69) in South America. The prevalence of anterior open bite was 22.67% (95% CI 16.56-29.43) among females and 16.99% (95% CI 11.77-22.94) among males. The prevalence of anterior open bite was 18.84% (95% CI 13.88-24.38) in the primary dentition, and 14.26% (95% CI 7.67-22.46) in the mixed dentition. The overall certainty of the evidence was very low.

CONCLUSION

The overall prevalence of anterior open bite was 16.52% in children and adolescents aged 2-16 years. Giving the limitations of a prevalence meta-analysis, the extrapolation of the results should be cautious.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020183162, 10 July 2020.

P2476Non-invasive left ventricular stiffness measurements for assessing diastolic myocardial properties after orthotopic heart transplantation

Background

After orthotopic heart transplantation (HTx), allografts undergo characteristic alterations including myocardial fibrosis. These histologic changes contribute to functional impairment, especially to increased passive myocardial stiffness (MS), which is an important pathophysiological determinant of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (DF). However, the transplanted heart is affected by many factors that make the interpretation of diastolic echocardiographic parameters difficult. Echocardiographic shear wave (SW) elastography is an emerging approach for measuring MS in vivo. Natural SWs occur after mechanical excitation of the myocardium, e.g. after mitral (MVC), and their propagation velocity is directly related to MS, thus providing an opportunity to assess stiffness at end-diastole (ED).

Purpose

The aim was to evaluate the relationship between MS and diffuse myocardial fibrosis as mechanism of DF in HTx patients.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 33 patients (10.3±6.3 years after HTx) that underwent right heart catheterization (all) and CMR (n=18) during their annual check-up. We performed SW elastography in parasternal long axis views of the LV using a fully programmable experimental scanner (HD-PULSE) equipped with a clinical phased array transducer (Samsung Medison P2–5AC) at 1100±250 frames per second. Tissue acceleration maps were extracted from an anatomical M-mode line along the midline of the LV septum. The ED SW propagation velocity was measured as the slope in the M-mode image (Figure A). Right heart catheterization was performed on the same day. HTx patients were assumed to have diastolic dysfunction (DDF) if the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) exceeded 18mmHg (n=9). All other patients were assumed to have normal diastolic function (NDF, n=24). Native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) were measured to evaluate diffuse myocardial fibrosis.

Results

Positive correlations were found between SW velocities at ED and PCWP (r=0.61, p<0.001; Figure B), between SW velocities at ED and T1 (r=0.80, p<0.001; Figure D), and between SW velocities at ED and ECV (r=0.66, p=0.004). SW propagation velocities at ED were significantly higher in DDF than in NDF (8.05±1.85 vs. 3.77±1.02 m/s; p<0.001; Figure C), and corresponded to the T1 values (as illustrated in Figure D).

Conclusions

End-diastolic shear wave velocity – as a measurement of passive myocardial stiffness – showed a good correlation with CMR defined myocardial fibrosis. High PCWPs were consistent with the increase in SW velocities, reflecting the fibrous changes in the ventricle. These findings thus suggest that cardiac shear wave elastography has the potential to become a powerful tool for the assessment of diastolic myocardial properties in cardiac transplant recipients.

The plant-based chimeric antimicrobial protein SlP14a-PPC20 protects tomato against bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum

Cecropin-B (CecB) is a peptide with well-established antimicrobial properties against different phytopathogenic bacteria. Despite modest action against Ralstonia solanacearum, its animal source limits the acceptance in transgenic applications. To overcome this, we selected eight alpha-helical (AH) cationic peptides derived from plant protein sequences and investigated their antimicrobial properties against R. solanacearum. Remarkably, PPC20 (a linear AH-peptide present in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase) has a three-fold lower lethal dose on R. solanacearum than CecB and lower toxicity to human intestinal epithelial cells. Linking PPC20 to SlP14a (part of a pathogenesis-related protein) established an apoplast-targeted protein providing a means of secreting and stabilizing the antimicrobial peptide in the plant compartment colonized by the pathogen. SlP14a is also a potential antimicrobial, homologous to a human elastase which likely targets outer membrane proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. Recombinant SlP14a-PPC20 showed antibacterial activity against R. solanacearum in vitro, making it a promising candidate for plant protection. This was confirmed with genetically-modified tomato plants engineered to express SlP14a-PPC20, in which bacterial populations in stems were reduced compared to inoculated wild-type control plants. Disease symptoms were also markedly less severe in SlP14a-PPC20-expressing plants, demonstrating a viable strategy to improve resistance against bacterial wilt in tomato.

Artificial sweetener saccharin disrupts intestinal epithelial cells' barrier function in vitro

SCOPE

Consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) is a dietary practice used by those who wish to lose weight or by patients on a sugar-restricted diet such as those with DM2. Although these substances are safe, possible biological interactions with the digestive tract, particularly in relation to intestinal permeability, have not been studied. Thus, the current work sought to investigate the action of different NNS on intestinal permeability using an in vitro Caco-2 cell model.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Caco-2 cells were incubated with acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose at equimolar concentrations. Acesulfame K, aspartame, and sucralose did not disrupt monolayer integrity in the cells. However, saccharin increased paracellular permeability and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) via a non-cytotoxic mechanism. The levels of the tight junction protein claudin-1 were reduced in Caco-2 cells that had previously been exposed to saccharin. The inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was able to prevent the reduction in TEER induced by saccharin treatment. Thalidomide, as an inhibitor of ubiquitin ligase, was able to prevent the decrease in claudin-1 protein expression and the TEER reduction in Caco-2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Saccharin disrupts monolayer integrity and alters paracellular permeability in a Caco-2 cell monolayer model, via a mechanism involving NF-κB activation, resulting in the ubiquitination of the tight junction protein claudin-1. Saccharin consumption may potentially alter the intestinal integrity in humans.

Altered Leukocyte Sphingolipid Pathway in Breast Cancer

Sphingolipid metabolism pathway is essential in membrane homeostasis, and its dysfunction has been associated with favorable tumor microenvironment, disease progression, and chemotherapy resistance. Its major components have key functions on survival and proliferation, with opposing effects. We have profiled the components of the sphingolipid pathway on leukocytes of breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment and without, including the five sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors, the major functional genes, and cytokines, in order to better understand the S1P signaling in the immune cells of these patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the sphingolipid pathway in whole blood of BC patients. Skewed gene profiles favoring high SPHK1 expression toward S1P production during BC development was observed, which was reversed by chemotherapy treatment, and reached similar levels to those found in healthy donors. Such levels were also correlated with high levels of TNF-α. Our data revealed an important role of the sphingolipid pathway in immune cells in BC with skewed signaling of S1P receptors, which favored cancer development even under chemotherapy, and may probably be a trigger of cancer resistance. Thus, these molecules must be considered as a target pathway for combined BC therapeutics.

Osseointegration of zirconia and titanium implants in a rabbit tibiae model evaluated by microtomography, histomorphometry and fluorochrome labeling analyses

OBJECTIVES

This study compares the osseointegration of machined-zirconia implants containing yttria (M-Y-TZP) with machined (M-Ti) and resorbable blast media (RBM-Ti) titanium implants.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

M-Y-TZP, M-Ti and RBM-Ti implants were randomly placed in rabbit tibiae. Fluorochrome bone labels (tetracycline, alizarin and calcein) were administered at different time periods. After 8 weeks, osseointegration was evaluated in terms of bone-to-implant contact (BIC), new bone area (nBA), remaining cortical bone area (rBA) and temporal quantification of fluorochromes, using micro-CT and histomorphometric analyses.

RESULTS

RBM-Ti implants showed higher resorption of the remaining cortical bone and bone formation (rBA = 36.9% and nBA = 38.8%) than M-Y-TZP implants (rBA = 48% and nBA = 26.5%). The BIC values showed no differences among the groups in the cortical region (mean = 52.2%) but in the medullary region, they were 0.45-fold higher in the RBM-Ti group (51.2%) than in the M-Y-TZP group (35.2%). In all groups, high incorporation of tetracycline was observed (2nd to 4th weeks), followed by alizarin (4th to 6th weeks) and calcein (6th to 8th weeks). In the cortical region, incorporation of tetracycline was similar between RBM-Ti (49.8%) and M-Y-TZP (35.9%) implants, but higher than M-Ti (28.2%) implants. Subsequently, alizarin and calcein were 1.1-fold higher in RBM-Ti implants than in the other implants. In the medullary region, no significant differences were observed for all fluorochromes.

CONCLUSION

All implants favored bone formation and consequently promoted primary stability. Bone formation around the threads was faster in RBM-Ti and M-Y-TZP implants than in M-Ti implants, but limited bone remodeling with M-Y-TZP implants over time can have significant effects on secondary stability, suggesting caution for its use as an alternative substitute for titanium implants.

Atrophic Maxilla Reconstruction With Fresh Frozen Allograft Bone, Titanium Mesh, and Platelet-Rich Fibrin: Case Report

The purpose of this article was to report the clinical and radiographic findings about a case of a man affected by severely atrophic maxilla to demonstrate the clinical proceedings associated with alveolar reconstruction destined for dental implant rehabilitation. The 3-dimensional augmentation of the alveolar ridge with the use of fresh-frozen bone graft, platelet-rich fibrin membrane, and titanium mesh suggests potential benefits to the development of the bone formation physiology. The treatment combination may result in an optimal prognosis and represents an option for reconstruction of bone defects. At 8 months after surgery, no evidence of complications was observed; the clinical examination and computerized tomographic scan revealed bone formation and installed implant stability.

A novel reactive epitope-based antigen targeted by serum autoantibodies in oligoarticular and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis and development of an electrochemical biosensor

Currently, there are no specific markers for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) diagnosis, which is based on clinical symptoms and some blood tests for diseases' exclusion. Aiming to select new epitope-based antigens (mimotopes) that could recognize circulating autoantibodies in most JIA forms, we screened a phage displayed random peptide library against IgG antibodies purified from serum of JIA patients. ELISA assay was carried out to confirm immunoreactivity of selected peptides against sera IgG antibodies from JIA patients, healthy children and patients with other autoimmune diseases. The mimotope PRF+1 fused to phage particles was able to efficiently discriminate JIA patients from controls, and for this reason was chosen to be chemically synthesized for validation in a larger sample size. The synthetic peptide was immobilized onto bioelectrodes' surface for antibody detection by electrochemical analyses through differential pulse voltammetry. The PRF+1 synthetic peptide has efficiently discriminated JIA patients from control groups (p<0.0001) with a very good accuracy (AUC>0.84; sensitivity=61%; specificity=91%). The electrochemical platform proved to be fast, low cost and effective in detecting anti-PRF+1 antibodies from JIA patients compared to healthy controls (p=0.0049). Our study describes a novel and promising epitope-based biomarker for JIA diagnosis that can become a useful tool for screening tests, which was successfully incorporated onto an electrochemical biosensor and could be promptly used in field diagnostics.

The interaction of AGT and NOS3 gene polymorphisms with conventional risk factors increases predisposition to hypertension

Renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems are interconnected, regulating blood pressure homeostasis. We have demonstrated the interactions among polymorphisms of the angiotensinogen (AGT) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) genes and conventional risk factors affecting the hypertension occurrence. Individuals were recruited (n=192) and classified into hypertensive (HG; n=140) and normotensive (NG; n=52) groups. The genotypic distribution of the Met235Thr (AGT) and Glu298Asp (NOS3) polymorphisms demonstrated that both are independent risk factors of hypertension (p=0.02 and p=0.008, respectively). The concomitant presence of these polymorphisms in the HG group was significantly different (p=0.001) from the NG. Both gene polymorphisms presented an additive effect for the unfavourable alleles T and A, respectively, and 95% of the double mutant homozygotes were classified into the HG. Specific interactions among certain conventional factors and the presence of at least one unfavourable allele presented significant odds towards hypertension. Blood pressure homeostasis was affected by genetic polymorphisms conditioned by the T and A alleles of the AGT and NOS3 genes, respectively, which acted independently. However, their interaction with smoking, sedentariness, age and total cholesterol may have increased the predisposition to hypertension, which may explain most of the hypertension cases.

The anomalous solvent effect in the vibrational spectrum of 2,3-diphenyl-cycloprop-2-enone: an experimental and theoretical investigation

2,3-Diphenyl-cycloprop-2-enone (DPC) was investigated aiming to understand the origins of the anomalous solvatochromism in its vibrational spectrum. Its Raman and IR spectra in several solvents were obtained revealing that the v(C=C) mode is much more sensitive to the solvent than the v(C=O) mode. Hartree-Fock and density functional theory calculations were undertaken for obtaining the structure and the vibrational spectra of DPC and 2,3-dimethylcycloprop-2-enone (DMC), revealing that both in terms of structure as well as of vibrational spectrum, DPC and DMC are very similar. Such results indicated that DMC could be used as a model system to simulate the solvent effect in DPC, what was done using three different methods: the first takes into account the dielectric effect via the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF); the second is the supermolecular approach that considers explicity the formation of solute-solvent clusters and the third is a combined approach, SCRF + supermolecule. The anomalous solvatochromism in the vibrational spectrum of DPC can be understood on basis of the significant participation of the v(C=O) mode in the one assigned to the v(C=C) vibration, as well as by the presence of a Fermi resonance involving the former. In addition, the v(C=O) mode involves a significant participation of the (C-C) mode (C(cyclopropene)-C(phenyl)) and the two interatomic distances, C=O and C-C, show opposite trends with increasing solvent polarity. Summing up, the anomalous solvatochromic effect of DPC can be understood by the complex composition of its v(C=O) mode that, in addition, is affected by the presence of a Fermi resonance.

The squaric acid aggregate in mordenite investigated by Raman spectroscopy

A more detailed investigation of the squaric acid aggregate within mordenite was undertaken with the use of Raman spectroscopy. The previous reported investigation was limited to the carbonyl stretching region in the IR. In the present work the entire region from 500 to 2000 cm(-1) was investigated, revealing rather substantial vibrational shifts of the oxocarbon ring modes in the aggregate. Comparison of such shifts with those observed for the squaric acid (H2Sq)/4,4'-bipyridine (Bipy) charge transfer (CT) complex reveals that the interaction is much stronger in the aggregate, a clear effect of the restrict geometry. On the other hand, the shifts observed for the CO stretching modes are rather modest. The comparison of the ring modes present in the Raman spectra of squaric acid, potassium hydrogen squarate, potassium squarate, H2Sq/Bipy and squaric acid aggregate in mordenite strongly suggests that in the latter hydrogen bonded species are present.

Evidences for a localized chromophore in the Ti(IV)/squarate complex: a resonance Raman investigation

The present work continues a previous investigation on the interaction of oxocarbonic anions with highly charged metal ions. When squarate or croconate solutions are added to Ti(IV) acidic solutions, a rather strong and broad band shows up that is not present in the optical spectrum of the reagents. Excitation of the Raman spectrum of the resulting coloured solutions close to their absorption maxima leads to the enhancement of several modes of the oxocarbon. In particular the totally symmetric nu(C=O) mode of the Ti(IV)/squarate or croconate complexes shows an outstanding enhancement, a completely different behaviour of that observed in the Raman spectrum of the free oxocarbons, where the nu(CO) modes are barely observed. Such result indicates a rather strong Ti(IV)-oxocarbon interaction via the CO moieties with the formation of a strongly allowed LMCT (ligand to metal charge transfer) state. In addition the rather selective enhancement of the nu(CO) modes strongly suggests that the chromophore involved in the LMCT state is highly localized in the Ti(IV)-CO moieties of the complexes and that the enhancement mechanism involved is very likely the one described by Albrecht's A term, i.e. Franck-Condon one state mechanism.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Brazil: clinical aspects of three new cases

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has been recognized recently in Brazil, where 28 cases have been reported as of September 1999. We report here the clinical and laboratory findings of three cases whose diagnoses were confirmed serologically. All the patients were adults who presented a febrile illness with respiratory symptoms that progressed to respiratory failure that required artificial ventilation in two of them. Laboratory findings were most of the time consistent with those reported in the United States in patients infected with the Sin Nombre virus, and included elevated hematocrit and thrombocytopenia; presence of atypical lymphocytes was observed in one patient. The chest radiological findings observed in all the patients were bilateral, diffuse, reticulonodular infiltrates. Two patients died. Histopathological examination of the lungs of these patients revealed interstitial and alveolar edema, alveolar hemorrhage, and mild interstitial pneumonia characterized by infiltrate of immunoblasts and mononuclear cells. In the epidemiologic investigation of one of the cases, serologic (ELISA) tests were positive in 3 (25%) out of 12 individuals who shared the same environmental exposure. HPS should be included in the differential diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia progressing to acute respiratory failure.

Facial leontiasis ossea: a rare presentation of hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal insufficiency

The term renal osteodystrophy is often used in a generic sense to include skeletal disorders of patients with chronic renal failure due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. The prevalence of this condition among patients on hemodialysis is considerably high. However, extreme forms such as facial leontiasis ossea are very rare, only 2 well-characterized cases having been reported thus far in the literature. In the present article we report the case of a female patient who developed hyperparathyroidism secondary to end-stage renal disease which was manifested as facial leontiasis ossea and culminated in dysphagia and respiratory difficulties caused by excess bone tissue growth.