Development of a Virtual Game with Android Operating System for the Rehabilitation of Chewing and Swallowing in the Elderly

Introduction With the aging, the orofacial structures may suffer changes related to disorganization of the stomatognathic system, with a reduction in the strength and resistance of the tongue reflecting delays in the handling of the boluses in the mouth and the elevation of the hyolaryngeal complex; it may result in changes in swallowing (presbifagia or dysphagia). Changes in swallowing may be adjuvants for the illness of the elderly with great socioeconomic impact due to the high costs that bring to the public health with prolonged hospitalizations.

Objectives Before it an app was created with a board game for android operating system with the possibility of training in the functions of chewing and swallowing in elderly using biofeedback.

Methodology A hardware was built capable of capturing, conditioning and transmitting the electrical signal of the masseter and supra-hyoid muscles, with surface electrodes, using an interface system scan with four channels for a mobile device with Android operating system via Bluetooth. The electrical signal is received by software through a biogame, which originally held the calibration of the data, being the value range of the strength of the bite ranging from zero to 255 µV. The participant will receive the information to chew and swallow through the simulation of a “virtual farm” with the displacement of a tractor irrigating the earth which will create a plantation. The chewing cycle was standardized in 10 insect chewing’s, five for each side, ending with the swallowing.

Results At the end of the game a report stating: date of the examination, consistency of the food chosen, testing time, masticatory cycles completed and incomplete, maximum and average power of bite and muscle activity of the swallowing of each side.

Conclusion The application with game developed is a promising resource for training of the masticatory muscles and the swallowing of the elderly.

Complete genome sequence of the Radiation-Resistant bacterium Rubrobacter radiotolerans RSPS-4

Rubrobacter radiotolerans strain RSPS-4 is a slightly thermophilic member of the phylum “Actinobacteria” isolated from a hot spring in São Pedro do Sul, Portugal. This aerobic and halotolerant bacterium is also extremely resistant to gamma and UV radiation, which are the main reasons for the interest in sequencing its genome. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of strain RSPS-4 as well as its assembly and annotation. We also compare the gene sequence of this organism with that of the type strain of the species R. radiotolerans isolated from a hot spring in Japan. The genome of strain RSPS-4 comprises one circular chromosome of 2,875,491 bp with a G+C content of 66.91%, and 3 circular plasmids of 190,889 bp, 149,806 bp and 51,047 bp, harboring 3,214 predicted protein coding genes, 46 tRNA genes and a single rRNA operon.

Feline intraocular sarcoma associated with phthisis bulbi

Two cases of feline intraocular sarcoma were reported in stray cats that presented blindness and hypotonia of the affected eye for years before the tumor development. Phthisis bulbi, a final stage of a severe inflammation of the eye, is frequently unmonitored because eyes are blind, small, opaque, and not painful. Yet, this report shows that monitoring and early enucleation of eyes of cats with phthisis bulbi are important and should be considered as a treatment option, because feline intraocular sarcoma is an aggressive tumor that significantly decreases live expectancy.

Alicyclobacillus hesperidum sp. nov. and a related genomic species from solfataric soils of São Miguel in the Azores

Several acidophilic, slightly thermophilic or thermophilic Gram-positive isolates were recovered from solfataric soil at Furnas on the Island of São Miguel in the Azores. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that these organisms represented two novel species of the genus Alicyclobacillus. Strains FR-11T and FR-1b had an optimum growth temperature of about 50 degrees C, whereas strains FR-3 and FR-6T had an optimum growth temperature of about 60 degrees C. Biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics did not distinguish isolates FR-3 and FR-6T from the type strain of Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius; however, strains FR-11T and FR-1b could be easily distinguished from the type strain of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris by the carbon source assimilation pattern and the fatty acid composition. On the basis of the phylogenetic analysis, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and fatty acid composition the name Alicyclobacillus hesperidum is proposed for the species represented by strains FR-11T and FR-1b; a formal name for the new genomic species represented by strains FR-3 and FR-6T is not proposed at this time.

Meningioma with perivascular pseudorosettes: a morphological entity distinct from papillary meningioma?

Although papillary meningioma is a well known variant of meningiomas, many of the previously reported cases do not seem to contain structures that fulfill the classical microscopic descriptions of a papilla. The case of a 79-year-old man with a meningioma of the convexity is described. This meningioma was totally removed but recurred 36 months after surgery. The main cellular components of the tumor, some of them mimicking astrocytic cells, were arranged preferentially around vessels featuring perivascular pseudorosettes. The survey of the literature stresses a possible morphological misinterpretation of some of the mentioned papillary variants. Although both papillary variants and those with perivascular pseudorosettes seem to display a similar, not always malignant, behavior, strictly from the morphological point of view they should be separated.

Evaluation of single-photon emission tomography imaging of supratentorial brain gliomas with technetium-99m sestamibi

Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) with technetium-99m sestamibi (MIBI) was carried out in 61 adult patients with supratentorial expanding brain lesions. Thirty-one patients had pathologically proven malignant glioma. Ten patients had pathologically proven low-grade glioma, while another 12 patients had a clinical diagnosis of low-grade glioma. The other eight patients had a variety of lesions including radiation necrosis (3), abscess (2), ischaemic stroke (2) and primary brain lymphoma (1). SPET was performed 15 min after administration of 740-930 MBq MIBI and transverse, sagittal and coronal views were reconstructed. Using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging guidance, a MIBI uptake index was computed as the ratio of counts in the lesion to counts in the contralateral homologous region. In high-grade gliomas, the MIBI index ranged from 1.9 to 6.6 (mean 3.6 +/- 1.4) whereas it ranged from 0.8 to 1.7 (1.1 +/- 0.2) in the pathologically proven low-grade group (P < 0.01). No significant difference was found between the two low-grade groups (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs 1.1 +/- 0.2). No overlap was found between high-grade and low-grade glioma index values. Patients with suspected radiation necrosis, cerebral abscess or ischaemic stroke did not demonstrate high MIBI uptake (0.9-2.2), whereas one patient with brain lymphoma did (3.9). This study suggests that MIBI SPET imaging is of value in distinguishing low-from high-grade supratentorial gliomas in adults.

[Aneurysmal bone cysts of the spinal canal]

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare bone tumors of controversial pathogenesis. In 15% of cases, they are localized in the vertebrae. Despite the absence of anaplasia, their volume and localization are often responsible for incomplete surgical resection. The authors present 5 cases of primary vertebral ABC, 4 females and one male, localized in cervical (3 cases), dorsal (1 case) and lumbar (1 case) spine. Symptoms included rachialgia and torticollis. Radiological and histopathological examination disclosed the typical features of ABC. Pre-operative embolization (in 3 cases) and surgery (complete exeresis in all cases except one) were the therapeutic procedures. During a 39 month median period of follow-up, there was one local recurrence. The only case of incomplete exeresis show not did any evidence of progression until 36 months after operation.

Cerebral granular cell tumors: report of a case and a note on their nature and expected behavior

A case of cerebral granular cell tumor (GCT) is reported. Histologically, the growth was composed of benign astrocytes, granular cells and transitional forms between both elements. Glial fibrillary acidic protein was detected in the glial component and, to a lesser extent, in the granular cells. Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was demonstrated in the latter component only. Ultrastructural study also supported the evidence that neoplastic astrocytes became granular cells. The survey of the literature and our own results suggest that GCTs in this particular location, even when histologically benign, seem to have a worse prognosis than the low-grade supratentorial astrocytomas.