From Testicle to Brain: A Case of Disseminated Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains a major cause of death by infection in the world. Disseminated tuberculosis occurs most frequently in the context of reactivation of a previously latent infection and is invariably lethal if untreated. Age, late presentation, and serious underlying disease are strong death predictors. We report the case of a 72-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency room with sudden onset hemiparesis and aphasia, with no acute lesions on contrast CT. Two months prior to the current event, the patient had undergone surgery for a testicular abscess in a different hospital. Since the surgery, he had progressive and unexplained weight loss and dysphagia. The medical team reviewed patient records from this hospital and the one where the surgery took place and concluded that the histopathology results from the surgery were not reviewed in the post-surgery follow-up consult and that the diagnosis of genitourinary tuberculosis was never made. This disease, untreated, evolved into disseminated tuberculosis with central nervous system involvement, causing the neurological deficits the patient presented and leading to his death. Surveillance and notification systems exist for individual and public health safeguarding. In the present case, failure to review the pathology report after surgery, coupled with the absence of notification from the laboratory, delayed the diagnosis and led to patient death. This report suggests a need for continuous system improvement, with integrated healthcare records and interinstitutional communication channels, in order to minimize information loss, diagnostic delays, and public health risks.

Assessing the Impact and Suitability of Dense Carbon Dioxide as a Green Solvent for the Treatment of PMMA of Historical Value

Surface cleaning of plastic materials of historical value can be challenging due to the high risk of inducing detrimental effects and visual alterations. As a result, recent studies have focused on researching new approaches that might reduce the associated hazards and, at the same time, minimize the environmental impact by employing biodegradable and green materials. In this context, the present work investigates the effects and potential suitability of dense carbon dioxide (CO₂) as an alternative and green solvent for cleaning plastic materials of historical value. The results of extensive trials with CO₂ in different phases (supercritical, liquid, and vapor) and under various conditions (pressure, temperature, exposure, and depressurization time) are reported for new, transparent, thick poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples. The impact of CO₂ on the weight, the appearance of the samples (dimensions, color, gloss, and surface texture), and modifications to their physicochemical and mechanical properties were monitored via a multi-analytical approach that included optical microscopy, Raman and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopies, and micro-indentation (Vickers hardness). Results showed that CO₂ induced undesirable and irreversible changes in PMMA samples (i.e., formation of fractures and stress-induced cracking, drastic decrease in the surface hardness of the samples), independent of the conditions used (i.e., temperature, pressure, CO₂ phase, and exposure time).

Programming Robots by Demonstration Using Augmented Reality

The world is living the fourth industrial revolution, marked by the increasing intelligence and automation of manufacturing systems. Nevertheless, there are types of tasks that are too complex or too expensive to be fully automated, it would be more efficient if the machines were able to work with the human, not only by sharing the same workspace but also as useful collaborators. A possible solution to that problem is on human-robot interaction systems, understanding the applications where they can be helpful to implement and what are the challenges they face. This work proposes the development of an industrial prototype of a human-machine interaction system through Augmented Reality, in which the objective is to enable an industrial operator without any programming experience to program a robot. The system itself is divided into two different parts: the tracking system, which records the operator's hand movement, and the translator system, which writes the program to be sent to the robot that will execute the task. To demonstrate the concept, the user drew geometric figures, and the robot was able to replicate the operator's path recorded.

Application of Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy on Plastics in Cultural Heritage Collections: A Comparative Assessment of Two Portable Mid-Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Devices

Plastics have been increasingly used to create modern and contemporary art and design, and nowadays, museum collections hold numerous objects completely or partially made of plastics. However, the preservation of these materials is still a challenging task in heritage conservation, especially because some plastics show signs of degradation shortly after their production. In addition, different degradation mechanisms can often take place depending on the plastic composition and appropriate environmental and packaging conditions should be adopted. Therefore, methods for in situ and rapid characterization of plastic artifacts' composition are greatly needed to outline proper conservation strategies. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, such as attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), is a well-established method for polymeric material analysis. However, ATR FT-IR requires an intimate contact with the object, which makes its application less appropriate for the in situ investigation of fragile or brittle degraded plastic objects. Mid-FT-IR reflectance spectroscopy may represent a valid alternative as it allows in situ measurements with minimum or even no contact, and IR data can be acquired rapidly. On the other hand, spectral interpretation of reflectance spectra is usually difficult as IR bands may appear distorted with significant changes in band maximum, shape, and relative intensity, depending on the optical properties and surface texture of the material analyzed. Presently, mid-FT-IR reflection devices working in external reflection (ER FT-IR) and diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) modes have been used in cultural heritage research studies. As the collected vibrational information depends on the optical layout of the measuring system, differences between ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectra are thus expected when the same polymer is analyzed. So far, ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectroscopy have been individually explored for the identification of plastic objects, but comparative studies between the application of two reflectance FT-IR modes have not been presented yet. In this work, the use of two portable FT-IR spectrometers equipped with ER FT-IR and DRIFTS modes were compared for plastics identification purposes for the first time. Both references of polymeric materials and historical plastic objects (from a Portuguese private collection) were studied and the differences between ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectra were discussed. The spectra features were examined considering the two different optical geometries and analytes' properties. This new insight can support a better understanding of both vibrational information acquired and practical aspects in the application of the ER FT-IR and DRIFTS in plastic analysis.

A first approach into the characterisation of historical plastic objects by in situ diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy

This research explores the potential of a portable instrumentation of diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy for the in situ characterisation of plastics cultural objects. As sampling has been increasingly questioned in the conservation field, the development of portable devices has been sought. Among them, infrared (IR) spectroscopy in reflection mode has been gaining a powerful position in conservation research. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) has been widely used for plastics, yet the strong contact required by the technique can make it inappropriate for flexible and/or fragile historic objects. Therefore, in this study, the potential of in situ DRIFT spectroscopy is assessed on both references and historical objects made of the same polymers - polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS). Plastic samples showing different characteristics such as refractive and absorption indexes and topography are also included. These different polymers and surface qualities are discussed as factors influencing the final spectra. In situ DRIFT proved to be very versatile as it could be applied in a variety of plastics and objects' shapes, does not require sampling nor an intimate contact as ATR. Moreover, specific bands and spectral profiles were identified as DRIFT markers of the polymers under study. The acquisition conditions for the in situ analysis were optimized and a pilot spectral database using different IR modes (transmission, ATR and DR) was created. Important information was collected, which allowed the polymer identification of the majority of the historical objects produced between the 1940s and 1980s, from a Portuguese private collection.

Estado nutricional y acúmulo de micronutrientes en capim-elefante cv. Morado en secano

Se objetivó evaluar el estado nutricional y la dinamica de acumulación de micronutrientes en la parte aérea del pasto elefante cv. Morado en diferentes épocas bajo secano. Se analizarón siete edades de crecimiento (9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54 y 63 días) y tres épocas de cultivo (lluviosa, transición y sequía), en un delineamiento completamente casualizado en el arreglo de parcelas subdivididas en el tiempo, las edades fueron asignadas en las parcelas y las épocas de cultivo en las subparcelas, con tres repeticiones. Se constató la interacción entre las edades de crecimiento y la época de cultivo para los contenidos y las acumulaciones de hierro (Fe), zinc (Zn), cobre (Cu) y manganeso (Mn). En la hoja, los niveles de Fe (épocas lluviosa y transición), Zn, Cu y Mn (época lluviosa) redujeron en respuesta al avance en la edad de crecimiento. En la época de sequía, el contenido de Fe fue incrementado linealmente, mientras que los niveles de Cu y Mn presentarón respuestas cuadráticas con el aumento de las edades de crecimiento. Los acúmulos de Fe, Zn, Cu y Mn presentarón una respuesta lineal creciente con el avance en las edades en todas las épocas de cultivo. A los 63 días de crecimiento, se estimaron acúmulos de Fe de 915.51, 463.93 y 360.00 g ha 1, Zn de 439.19, 111.48 y 86.37 g ha 1, Cu de 56.07, 31.43 y 35.30 g ha 1 y Mn de 333.16, 155.78 y 225.40 g ha 1 (épocas lluviosas, transición y sequía, respectivamente). La acumulación de micronutrientes en el pasto elefante cv. Morado manejado sobre secano presenta el siguiente orden Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu para las épocas lluviosas y de transición, y Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu para época de sequía.

Synthesis of thermoelectric magnesium-silicide pastes for 3D printing, electrospinning and low-pressure spray

In this work, eco-friendly magnesium-silicide (Mg₂Si) semiconducting (n-type) thermoelectric pastes for building components concerning energy-harvesting devices through 3D printing, spray and electrospinning were synthetized and tested for the first time. The Mg₂Si fine powders were obtained through the combination of ball milling and thermal annealing under Ar atmosphere. While the latter process was crucial for obtaining the desired Mg₂Si phase, the ball milling was indispensable for homogenizing and reducing the grain size of the powders. The synthetized Mg₂Si powders exhibited a large Seebeck coefficient of ~ 487 µV/K and were blended with a polymeric solution in different mass ratios to adjust the paste viscosity to the different requirements of 3D printing, electrospinning and low-pressure spray. The materials produced in every single stage of the paste synthesis were characterized by a variety of techniques that unequivocally prove their viability for producing thermoelectric parts and components. These can certainly trigger further research and development in green thermoelectric generators (TEGs) capable of adopting any form or shape with enhanced thermoelectric properties. These green TEGs are meant to compete with common toxic materials such as Bi₂Te₃, PbTe and CoSb that have Seebeck coefficients in the range of ~ 290-700 μV/K, similar to that of the produced Mg₂Si powders and lower than that of 3D printed bulk Mg₂Si pieces, measured to be ~ 4866 μV/K. Also, their measured thermal conductivities proved to be significantly lower (~ 0.2 W/mK) than that reported for Mg₂Si (≥ 4 W/mK). However, it is herein demonstrated that such thermoelectric properties are not stable over time. Pressureless sintering proved to be indispensable, but difficultly achievable by long thermal annealing (even above 32 h) in inert atmosphere at 400 °C, at least for bulk Mg₂Si pieces constituted by a mean grain size of 2-3 μm. Hence, for overcoming this sintering challenge and become the silicide's extrusion viable in the production of bulk thermoelectric parts, alternative pressureless sintering methods will have to be further explored.

Resveratrol-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers Are Internalized By Endocytosis in Yeast

Different positive pharmacological effects have been attributed to the natural product resveratrol (RSV), including antioxidant, antiaging, and cancer chemopreventive properties. However, its low bioavailability and rapid metabolic degradation has led to the suspicion that many of the biological activities of this compound observed in vitro may not be attainable in humans. To improve its bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profile, attempts have been made to encapsulate RSV into lipid-based nanocarrier systems. Here, the dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB):monoolein (MO) liposomal system (1:2) loaded with RSV revealed appropriate characteristics for drug release purposes: reduced size for cellular uptake (157 ± 23 nm), stability up to 80 days, positive surface charge (ζ ≈ +40 mV), and a controlled biphasic release of RSV from the lipid nanocarriers over a period of almost 50 h at pH 5.0 and 7.4. Moreover, the encapsulation efficiency of the nanocarrier ranged from 70% to 92% and its RSV loading capacity from 9% to 14%, when [RSV] was between 100 and 200 μM. The partition coefficient ( K_p) of RSV between lipid and aqueous phase was log K_p = 3.37 ± 0.10, suggesting moderate to high lipophilicity of this natural compound and reinforcing the lipid nanocarriers' suitability for RSV incorporation. The thermodynamic parameters of RSV partitioning in the lipid nanocarriers at 37 °C (Δ H = 43.76 ± 5.68 kJ mol^-1; Δ S = 0.20 ± 0.005 kJ mol^-1; and Δ G = -18.46 ± 3.48 kJ mol^-1) reflected the spontaneity of the process and the establishment of hydrophobic interactions. The cellular uptake mechanism of the RSV-loaded nanocarriers labeled with the lipophilic fluorescent probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) was studied in the eukaryotic model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thirty minutes after incubation, yeast cells readily internalized nanocarriers and the spots of blue fluorescence of DPH clustered around the central vacuole in lipid droplets colocalized with the green fluorescence of the lipophilic endocytosis probe FM1-43. Subsequent studies with the endocytosis defective yeast deletion mutant ( end3Δ) and with the endocytosis inhibitor methyl-β-cyclodextrin supported the involvement of an endocytic pathway. This novel nanotechnology approach opens good perspectives for medical applications.

Assessing preschoolers interactive behaviour: A validation study of the "Coding System for Mother-Child Interaction"

BACKGROUND

The preschool years are a period of great developmental achievements, which impact critically on a child's interactive skills. Having valid and reliable measures to assess interactive behaviour at this stage is therefore crucial. The aim of this study was to describe the adaptation and validation of the child coding of the Coding System for Mother-Child Interactions and discuss its applications and implications in future research and practice.

METHODS

Two hundred twenty Portuguese preschoolers and their mothers were videotaped during a structured task. Child and mother interactive behaviours were coded based on the task. Maternal reports on the child's temperament and emotional and behaviour problems were also collected, along with family psychosocial information.

RESULTS

Interrater agreement was confirmed. The use of child Cooperation, Enthusiasm, and Negativity as subscales was supported by their correlations across tasks. Moreover, these subscales were correlated with each other, which supports the use of a global child interactive behaviour score. Convergent validity with a measure of emotional and behavioural problems (Child Behaviour Checklist 1 ½-5) was established, as well as divergent validity with a measure of temperament (Children's Behaviour Questionnaire-Short Form). Regarding associations with family variables, child interactive behaviour was only associated with maternal behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that this coding system is a valid and reliable measure for assessing child interactive behaviour in preschool age children. It therefore represents an important alternative to this area of research and practice, with reduced costs and with more flexible training requirements. Attention should be given in future research to expanding this work to clinical populations and different age groups.

Trends in anecdotal fox sightings in Tasmania accounted for by psychological factors

There has been little evaluation of anecdotal sightings as a means to confirm new incursions of invasive species. This paper explores the potential for equivocal information communicated by the media to account for patterns of anecdotal reports. In 2001, it was widely reported that red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) had been deliberately released in the island state of Tasmania (Australia), although this claim was later revealed to be baseless. Regardless, by 2013 a total of 3153 anecdotal fox sightings had been reported by members of the public, which implied their distribution was wide. For each month in 2001-2003, we defined a monthly media index (MMI) of fox-related media coverage, an index of their relative seasonal abundance (abundance), and a factor denoting claims of fox evidence (claimed evidence) regardless of its evidentiary quality. We fitted a generalized linear model with Poisson error for monthly totals of anecdotal sightings with factors of year and claimed evidence and covariates of MMI, abundance, and hours of darkness. The collective effect of psychological factors (MMI, claimed evidence, and year) relative to biophysical factors (photoperiod and abundance) was highly significant (χ² = 122.1, df = 6, p < 0.0001), whereas anticipated changes in abundance had no significant influence on reported sightings (p = 0.15). An annual index of fox media from 2001 to 2010 was strongly associated with the yearly tally of anecdotal sightings (p = 0.018). The odds ratio of sightings ranked as reliable by the fox eradication program in any year decreased exponentially at a rate of 0.00643 as the total number of sightings increased (p < 0.0001) and was indicative of an observer-expectancy bias. Our results suggest anecdotal sightings are highly susceptible to cognitive biases and when used to qualify and quantify species presence can contribute to flawed risk assessments.

DivStat: a user-friendly tool for single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of genomic diversity

Recent developments have led to an enormous increase of publicly available large genomic data, including complete genomes. The 1000 Genomes Project was a major contributor, releasing the results of sequencing a large number of individual genomes, and allowing for a myriad of large scale studies on human genetic variation. However, the tools currently available are insufficient when the goal concerns some analyses of data sets encompassing more than hundreds of base pairs and when considering haplotype sequences of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Here, we present a new and potent tool to deal with large data sets allowing the computation of a variety of summary statistics of population genetic data, increasing the speed of data analysis.

Sequence comparison alignment-free approach based on suffix tree and L-words frequency

The vast majority of methods available for sequence comparison rely on a first sequence alignment step, which requires a number of assumptions on evolutionary history and is sometimes very difficult or impossible to perform due to the abundance of gaps (insertions/deletions). In such cases, an alternative alignment-free method would prove valuable. Our method starts by a computation of a generalized suffix tree of all sequences, which is completed in linear time. Using this tree, the frequency of all possible words with a preset length L-L-words--in each sequence is rapidly calculated. Based on the L-words frequency profile of each sequence, a pairwise standard Euclidean distance is then computed producing a symmetric genetic distance matrix, which can be used to generate a neighbor joining dendrogram or a multidimensional scaling graph. We present an improvement to word counting alignment-free approaches for sequence comparison, by determining a single optimal word length and combining suffix tree structures to the word counting tasks. Our approach is, thus, a fast and simple application that proved to be efficient and powerful when applied to mitochondrial genomes. The algorithm was implemented in Python language and is freely available on the web.

mtDNAoffice: a software to assign human mtDNA macro haplogroups through automated analysis of the protein coding region

We describe a fast, automated process to determine distances between mtDNA sequences allowing their subsequent clustering and haplogroup assignment that may increase the speed of data analysis and avoid human errors. In order to avoid complexities/ambiguities resulting from recurrence and insertion/deletion phenomena and thus improving evolutionary signal-to-noise ratio, protein coding sequences were compared using a vectorial representation method, and the corresponding genetic distance matrix was used for the construction of a neighbor-joining/UPGMA tree or an MDS graphic, which generally agrees with the consensus mtDNA phylogeny. mtDNAoffice software, detailed instructions and example files are freely available on the web at http://www.portugene.com/SupMat/setupmtDNAoffice.rar.

Assessing infertility stress: re-examining the factor structure of the Fertility Problem Inventory

BACKGROUND

Research has documented that fertility problems can negatively affect the life of infertile patients, by imposing an obstacle to one important life goal: the achievement of parenthood. The Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) proposes a comprehensive approach in assessing infertility stress, by measuring the impact on social, marital and sexual life dimensions and the importance of parenthood in infertile patients' life. This study examined the factor structure of the FPI, testing two alternative models using confirmatory factor analysis.

METHODS

A sample of 209 infertile patients was recruited in two public hospital departments of assisted reproduction technology. Measures included the FPI, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the ENRICH Marital Inventory.

RESULTS

Results confirmed the original measurement model of the instrument but suggested that the inclusion of an intermediate conceptual level resulted in a better fit to the model (χ²₈₄= 147.89, P< 0.001) i.e. the instrument assesses infertility stress by assessing two main conceptual domains: the impact of infertility in infertile patients' life and representations about the importance of parenthood. The instrument revealed measurement and structure invariance and construct validity by correlating with other measures assessing similar constructs.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach to the FPI has important contributions for research and clinical practice by distinguishing between the impact of infertility on different dimensions of a couple's' life and representations about the importance of parenthood, therefore extending the utility of the FPI in research and clinical practice.

Vince – a case study

Abstract. Vince was an unusual hurricane that developed over the North Atlantic Ocean in an unexpected area, on October 2005. In this work, the authors analyze its background and genesis over the ocean, making use of satellite imagery and numerical models. The impacts on sea state are investigated both numerically and observationally. Landfall over the Iberian Peninsula is monitored with surface observations and a radar system at Algarve (Portugal).

Nosocomial pneumonia: importance of recognition of aetiological agents to define an appropriate initial empirical therapy

Of the 16,024 patients hospitalized from January 1995 to October 1997, 397 (2.4%) acquired nosocomial pneumonia and the aetiological agent was defined in 101 (25%). About 82% developed late onset pneumonia (>7 days of hospitalization). The site of isolation of microorganisms was bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) (49%), blood culture (39%), pleural effusion (10%) and (2%) pulmonary tissue. Gram-negative bacteria were responsible for 54% of infections. Staphylococcus aureus (34%) was the most frequent microorganism isolated followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (29%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, responsible for 7% of nosocomial pneumonia. Monotherapy gave good cover for early onset pneumonia, but not for late onset pneumonia. Based on our selection criteria, ciprofloxacin was the best monotherapy for early (50%) and late (31%) onset pneumonia. Vancomycin plus ciprofloxacin gave cover of 85% of early and 64% of late onset pneumonia. Monotherapy with ciprofloxacin and also combination therapy of ciprofloxacin plus vancomycin may be good options as initial empirical therapy for nosocomial pneumonia.

[Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with cerebral vascular accident]

Through a prospective controlled study of 81 non-selected patients with acute cerebral ischemia, admitted to the hospital over the period of one year, anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG and IgM) were compared to a control group with the objective of evaluating their place as independent risk factors for stroke. Stroke patients' anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) were again measured at 6 months and compared to the initial values. At the time of the acute ischemic event, the patients' mean ACA IgM was significantly higher than that of the controls and, at 6 months, the patients' mean ACA IgG and IgM were significantly lower than at the time of stroke. Furthermore, through logistic regression analysis and taking into account all other stroke risk factors present in the patient population, ACA IgM's association with stroke was statistically significant. We conclude that ACA may have a role in the pathogenesis of acute cerebral ischemia. Their cross-reactivity with anti-oxidised LDL antibodies may constitute a link between atherosclerosis and thrombosis.

Soluble ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 serum levels in uveitis

Serum level of soluble forms of adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 has been evaluated in a group of patients presenting different clinical forms of uveitis. An increase in serum level of ICAM-1 has been found but not of VCAM-1. Serum level of VCAM-1 can be an useful marker of ocular inflammation in the evaluation of uveitis.

Differential maturation of brainstem auditory evoked potentials in preterm infants according to birthweight

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) were recorded from 39 preterm infants, divided into 3 groups: small-for-gestational-age, with a birthweight less than or equal to 1500 g (SGA); appropriate-for-gestational-age, with a birthweight less than or equal to 1500 g (AGA1); and appropriate-for-gestational-age, with a birthweight higher than 1500 g (AGA2). A significant shortening of the I-V interval due to an increase in wave I latency was found in the SGA group. The lower-weight AGA group (AGA1) was never significantly different from the SGA group. Although there was no correlation between conceptional age and weight at the time of the examination for the studied population, negative correlations were found between wave I latency and weight at the time of the examination. These findings confirm previous research and suggest the existence of a link between weight and basal cochlear maturation.

Electrophysiological correlates of auditory lexical decision: an attempt to test the "Cohort Model"

The electrophysiological correlates of spoken word recognition were investigated in an auditory lexical decision task. N4 and P7 waves were found at Cz and Pz for both words and nonwords, with significantly higher peak amplitudes for the latter; this result was independent of subject's sex and of hand usage for the task response. The results were then analyzed in terms of the "Recognition Point" for words and nonwords as defined in Marslen-Wilson's "Cohort Model" of auditory word recognition (Marslen-Wilson & Welsh 1978). A correlation was found between nonword "Recognition Point" latency and the associated late positive wave. The contribution of the "Cohort Model" to electrophysiological investigation of auditory word-recognition is discussed.

Periapical tissue response to two calcium hydroxide-containing endodontic sealers

One-hundred twenty root canals of dog teeth were cleaned, shaped, and obturated with gutta-percha and sealers using a lateral condensation technique. The sealers used were Sealapex, CRCS, and zinc oxide-eugenol. The animals were killed after 30 or 180 days and the specimens were examined histologically. Sealapex and CRCS caused a periapical tissue response similar to that found with the zinc oxide-eugenol. An ingrowth of connective tissue infiltrated with chronic inflammatory cells was noticed in cases where the filling material reached the apical stops. Regardless of sealer used, deposition of new hard tissue along the apical root canal walls was observed, which caused the partial closure of the apical opening. In the Sealapex and CRCS groups, sealer particles were found at a considerable distance from the apices. All overfilled specimens caused chronic inflammatory reactions in the periapical tissues.

Are click-evoked BAEPs useful in case of neonate hyperbilirubinemia?

There is still controversy about the usefulness of click-evoked brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) for the investigation of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The present work concerns the study of click-evoked BAEP responses in a population of 72 hyperbilirubinemic children (conceptional age between 33 and 42 weeks). Their bilirubinemia rates were between 219 and 600 mumol/l. The waves I, III and V were always present, and click BAEP thresholds were normal in all subjects. Latency anomalies were found only for 8 of the 72 subjects. The comparison of subjects having the higher (greater than 307 mumol/l) bilirubin levels with the group having the lower ones failed to show any significant differences for the I-III and I-V intervals. The influence of prematurity in BAEP alteration has not been demonstrated in this study. These data show, on the one hand, normal click-BAEP thresholds but, on the other hand, alterations of central conduction time in some hyperbilirubinemic newborns. It seems that other factors than hyperbilirubinemia might be operating.

Is there a difference between extrauterine and intrauterine maturation on BAEP?

A difference between extrauterine and intrauterine maturation on BAEP has not been established, remaining a subject of controversy. The present study involved 76 children, aged between 36 and 37 weeks (conceptional age), with an extrauterine life duration of equal to or less than 2 weeks (N = 46) or more than 2 weeks (N = 30). The latencies for waves III and V, and the I-III and I-V intervals were significantly shorter for the neonates with a greater extrauterine life duration. An explanation for this finding is discussed: the head size is significantly smaller in the group with a greater extrauterine life duration. An influence of extrauterine life duration on BAEP is thus shown, but it seems to reflect the anatomical consideration and not to peripheral auditory system maturation.

Maturational changes in the intensity latency relation of the brainstem auditory evoked potentials in humans

The effects of stimulus intensity variation on brainstem auditory evoked potentials have been studied on 111 preterm, 36 fullterm neonates and 50 adults. When intensity decreases the lengthening of latencies is greater in preterm neonates. This effect is clearer with wave I than waves III and V and suggests an immaturity of the basal part of the human cochlea in preterm neonates.

Relationships between verbal intelligence, educational level and reconstitution of linguistic messages in schizophrenia

The authors studied the influence of educational and verbal intelligence levels on a linguistic messages reconstitution test with schizophrenics. The two studies undertaken showed significantly lower sentence completion test scores for schizophrenics than for control subjects matched for verbal intelligence, educational level, age and sex. There appears to be an alteration of the cognitive processes underlying the processing and reconstitution of simple messages. This alteration is neither affected by educational level nor verbal intelligence level.

Effect of stimulus intensity variation on brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Maturational changes

The effect of stimulus intensity variation on brainstem auditory evoked potentials in premature and full-term neonates has been studied in two experiments. They show that the effects are different according to age and to waves. The variation of latencies is greater the younger the child and it is clearer with wave I than waves III and V. The findings are discussed in terms of the maturation of the basal part of the cochlea.

Effect of brainstem auditory evoked potential stimulus intensity variations in neonates of small for gestational age

The latencies of brainstem auditory evoked potentials were compared first in 25 small for gestational age (SGA) neonates (conceptional age less than 43 weeks) matched with 25 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates, and then in the 8 younger SGA neonates (less than 37 weeks) matched with 8 AGA neonates. In this last subgroup the results showed that the I-V interval is shorter in SGA than in AGA neonates, as previously described. This shortening effect is essentially linked to a lengthening of wave I. So the results are discussed in terms of immaturity of the basal end of the cochlea, rather than of precocious development of the auditory brainstem neural function in SGA infants.

Brainstem auditory evoked responses alteration in twin neonates

The authors obtained BAER recordings for 20 premature twins and 20 premature non-twins. The two groups were comparable as to conceptional age (36-37 weeks), gestational age, chronological age, birthweight, sex ratio and head size. The results showed a prolongation of the central conduction time (I-V interval) in the premature twins. This may be due to the intra-uterine growth retardation of twins.