Age-at-death assessed with Lamendin's original and population-specific models in a modern Brazilian osteological collection.

BACKGROUND: Estimating the age at death is a common procedure in the fields of forensic human identification and anthropological/archaeological investigations. Root translucency and periodontosis are regressive parameters used to estimate the age of adults, more specifically in Lamendin's method - established in 1992 in a French population. This study aimed to test the applicability and validity of Lamendin's method in a Brazilian osteological collection. METHODS: The sample consisted of 74 single-rooted teeth obtained from 50 skeletal remains (mean age: 53.20 ± 16.17 years) from Southeast Brazil. Lamendin's method was applied to enable a comparison between chronological (CA) and estimated ages (EA). A new population-specific equation was designed for the studied sample and the outcomes were compared with those obtained with Lamendin's original equation. RESULTS: The original methods led to a general underestimation of 11.32 years (8.83 years in males and 15.91 years in females). The method had a better performance among individuals between 40 and 59 years (mean differences between CA and EA: 4.8 years). The population-specific equation led to a mean overestimation of -2.04 years in males, and a mean underestimation of 3.77 years in females. Underestimations were considerably higher in other age groups. CONCLUSION: Despite the apparent improvements, both the original and the population-specific equations revealed coefficients of concordance that were constantly low between CA and EA. These outcomes suggest restrictions to the application of Lamendin's method in the forensic field, especially for human identification. The method, however, seems to be applicable for anthropological/archaeological applications.

[Application of oral Foams Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 in patients with false xerostomia]. / Primenenie ochishchaiushchikh polost' rta penok Splat Oral Sare Foam 2 in 1 pri lozhnoi kserostomii.

The purpose of our study was to identify false xerostomies in students of different nationalities studying at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Sechenov University and to assess the effectiveness of Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 against xerostomia stress-induced. Based on the results of Fox test 40 people were selected who used Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 for three weeks. The participants were divided in 4 groups of 10 depending on the nationality. Oral hygiene was assessed by OHI-S and Silness-Loe indices and saliva was collected by the method of M.M. Pozharitskaya to determine salivation rate. It was found that the use of Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 significantly improves the level of oral hygiene and positively affects the rate of salivation, thereby improving the quality of life.

[The efficacy of electroodontodiagnosis by means of various types of current]. / Éffektivnost' élektroodontodiagnostiki s pomoshch'iu razlichnykh vidov toka.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: determination of the optimal parameters of the action of various types of current, which have the most pronounced irritating effect on the receptor apparatus of the tooth pulp. The study involved 102 volunteers aged 19 to 72 years (53 females and 49 males). The study was conducted on 217 teeth: 86 molars, 25 premolars, 19 canines and 98 incisors. 137 (63%) teeth were intact, in 48 (22%) teeth caries were found, in 32 (15%) teeth there was pulpitis or teeth were depulpated. Electroexcitability of the teeth was determined with the help of various types of electric current: an impulse variable, an impulse constant and a sinusoidal variable. The optimal current for carrying out an electroodontodiagnosis proved to be sinusoidal variable current with a frequency of 50 Hz. This current does not cause polarization of tissues, it is easy to dose, it causes a clear, but not painful sensation, gives the smallest spread of the indicators during repeated studies. The obtained results allowed formulating requirements for electroodontodiagnosis devices.

[Comparative effectiveness of therapeutic toothpastes with fluoride and hydroxyapatite]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka éffektivnosti lechebno-profilakticheskikh zubnykh past, soderzhashchikh ftorid i gidroksiapatit.

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of toothpastes containing hydroxyapatite and fluoride on enamel caries resistance and remineralization rate. Study groups comprised 160 patients divided in 2 groups of 80 patients: 40 - at the age of 15-17 and 40 at the age of 18-25 who have been using toothpastes with hydroxyapatite and fluoride during 1 year. The plaque determination was carried out with the use of OHI-S and Turesky indexes. Litmus test pieces were used to determine oral fluid pH. The clinical determination of enamel remineralization rate, dynamics of acid resistance of enamel were carried out. Oral hygiene at baseline examination was poor in both groups. After oral hygiene training, there was a tendency towards indexes decrease more pronounced in the 18-25 age group regardless of the composition of the toothpastes used. Mean baseline oral fluid pH in the observation group was 6.5±0.4, in the comparison group - 6.8±0.4. By the end of the trial there was a tendency towards the increase of the oral fluid pH, which were 7.3±0.3 and 7.7±0.3, respectively. The enamel acid resistance of the patients of the observation group was significantly higher (p>0.05) compared with the group of patients using fluoride toothpaste, as well as the proportion of patients in whom the enamel recovery occurred within 24 hours (47.5% vs. 22.5%, respectively).

[Efficiency of paste and suspension with nano-hydroxyapatite on the sensitivity of teeth with gingival recession]. / Éffektivnost' vliianiia pasty i suspenzii s nano-gidroksiapatitom na chuvstvitel'nost' zubov pri retsessii desny.

The purpose of our study was to assess the efficiency of toothpaste 'Intensive strengthening of supersensitive teeth with nano-GAP' INNOVA and the suspension 'Liquid Enamel' INNOVA on the sensitivity of teeth with gingival recession. We examined 40 people aged 20-25 years. Each group consisted of 20 people: 10 women, 10 men. The first group (observations) used the paste and the suspension for 14 days, and the second group (comparisons) cleaned teeth only with a brush without a paste. Schiff aerial test was performed to assess the rate of hypersensitivity. As a result of the study, it was found that the combination of paste and liquid suspension with nano-hydroxyapatite for 14 days effectively reduced the hypersensitivity of the teeth with gingival recession that was shown by a statistically significant decrease in the Schiff index in the observation group. Thus, this combination is the method of choice in the treatment of hyperesthesia and can be used as an alternative substitute therapy.

[Epicardial Fat and Atrial Fibrillation: the Role of Profibrinogenic Mediators].

BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has certain paracrine functions, which could be associated with proinflammatory and fibrotic changes in myocardium even in patients without structural heart disease but with atrial fibrillation (AF). PURPOSE: to evaluate interrelationship between clinical data, parameters of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), EAT thickness estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and biochemical markers of fibrosis and inflammation in patients with nonvalvular AF without concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included in this study 39 AF patients without valvular pathology or IHD with normal or moderately increased left atrial (LA) dimension (mean age 50.8±13.9 years, 49 % men). The following groups were distinguished for analysis: with idiopathic AF (iAFgroup, n=21); with AF and arterial hypertension (AF+AH group, n=18); with normal (.

[Gender related salivation features]. / Polovye osobennosti sliunootdeleniia.

The aim of the study was to assess gender related salivation features. One hundred and seventy-five patients were enrolled in the study (115 females and 60 males aged from 18 to 75 years). The study results showed xerostomia to be more common in females and it's subjective symptoms are more prominent partly because of gender-related psychological reasons. Xylitol-based paste and spray were successfully used for symptoms relief.

[Specific age-related and gender related features in oral status]. / Stomatologicheskii status patsientov v zavisimosti ot ikh gendernykh i vozrastnykh kharakteristik.

The aim of the study was to assess age and gender related features of oral status and oral hygiene. The study included 234 patients (76 males and 158 females) aged 25 to 74 years. It is proved that females have more dental appointments than males mostly because of specific oral conditions associated with pregnancy and menopause as well as better compliance with prevention programs. Thus, females require more intense follow-up than males which should be taken into consideration in treatment and follow-up plans.

[Genetic Differentiation among Natural Populations of the Lizard Complex Darevskia raddei as Inferred from Genome Microsatellite Marking].

The article presents the genetic parameters of the populations of lizards of the Darevskia raddei complex (D. raddei nairensis and D. raddei raddei) and the populations of D. valentini calculated on the basis of the analysis of variability of 50 allelic variants of the three nuclear genome microsatellite-containing loci of 83 individuals. It was demonstrated that the F(st) genetic distances between the populations of D. raddei nairensis and D. raddei raddei were not statistically significantly different from the F(st) genetic distances between the populations of different species, D. raddei and D. valentini. At the same time, these distances were statistically significantly higher than the F(st) distances between the populations belonging to one species within the genus Darevskia. These data suggest deep divergence between the populations of D. raddei raddei and D. raddei nairensis of the D. raddei complex and there arises the question on considering them as separate species.

Respiratory gas exchange in the desert flea Xenopsylla ramesis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae): response to temperature and blood-feeding.

Xenopsylla ramesis is a flea species parasitizing gerbilline rodents in the deserts of the Middle East. This study was undertaken to determine metabolic requirements of the different developmental stages of the flea-life cycle as well as to investigate the metabolic response to temperature and starvation after blood feeding. A high resolution respirometry system was used to measure CO2 emission of fleas ranging in size from 0.166+/-0.006 mg (larvae) to 0.263+/-0.009 mg (adults). The free-living stages (larvae and adults) had significantly higher metabolic rates than the cocooned stages (pupae). CO2 emission rates of the larvae exceeded that of the adults by 2.6-fold and the pupae by 7.3 times. In the adults, both temperature and blood feeding significantly affected starvation-level metabolism. Metabolism was temperature dependent with an average Q10 of 2.57 for females and 2.55 for males over the temperature range of 10-30 degrees C. No consistent decline in thermal sensitivity at higher ambient temperatures was evident. Fleas that had a blood meal prior to starvation had significantly higher metabolic rates (0. 86 +/- 0.008 x 10(-3) ml mg(-1) h(-1)) than fleas, which were newly emerged unfed adults (0.56 +/- 0.1 x 10(-3) ml mg(-1) h(-1)). Water content also differed between fed (range approx. 67-69% body mass) and newly emerged adults (range approx. 73-75% of body mass). Feeding may stimulate some as yet undetermined physiological process that causes differential metabolic response in starving, fed and unfed fleas. Characteristics of gas exchange in desert-dwelling fleas are reflective of the off-host life style in the protected microenvironment of the host nest or burrow, rather than as a response to any type of environmental extreme.

Host specificity and foraging efficiency in blood-sucking parasite: feeding patterns of the flea Parapulex chephrenis on two species of desert rodents.

Parasite species can adapt to ecological, behavioral, physiological and biochemical traits of a particular host species. The flea Parapulex chephrenis occurs on the spiny mouse Acomys cahirinus, but does not occur on a co-existing gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus. To test the hypothesis that the host species affects feeding parameters of a host-specific flea, we studied the feeding rate, rate of blood digestion and resistance to starvation of P. chephrenis when feeding on A. cahirinus and G. dasyurus. We predicted that P. chephrenis would: (1) fill its gut with blood faster, (2) digest blood for a shorter time, and (3) survive longer when starved while feeding on its specific host, A. cahirinus, than on a non-specific host, G. dasyurus. These three responses were observed when P. chephrenis fed on the different hosts and, consequently, our predictions were supported. Twenty percent of fleas filled their midgut after feeding for 10 min on A. cahirinus but this occurred only after 25 min on G. dasyurus. The middle stage of blood digestion was significantly shorter in all fleas feeding on A. cahirinus than in fleas feeding on G. dasyurus. Flea survival was shorter when feeding on G. dasyurus than when feeding on A. cahirinus at 25 degrees C, but no difference in survival time was found at 15 or 20 degrees C. Both A. cahirinus, the specific host, and G. dasyurus, the non-specific host, co-exist in rocky habitats, yet P. chephrenis occurs on one rodent and not the other. The absence of P. chephrenis on G. dasyurus in nature and the decreased foraging efficiency when feeding on this species in the laboratory suggests that some physiological and biochemical differences between hosts can lead to sharp ecological differences in host-parasite relationships.