Chemosensory representation of first-time oral exposure to ethanol in the orbitofrontal cortex of mice.

Intermittent ethanol consumption changes the neuronal activity of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in rodents, which has been attributed to important participation in the development of addiction, particularly alcoholism. The OFC participates in gustatory sensory integration. However, it is unknown whether this region can encode chemosensory elements of oral ethanol administration independently of the consumption movement (orofacial motor response) when administered for the first time (naïve mice). To answer this question, we used a sedated mouse model and a temporary analysis protocol to register extracellular neuronal responses during the oral administration of ethanol. Our results show an increase in neuronal frequency (in the first 500 ms) when low (0.6, 1, and 2.1 M) and high (3.2, 4.3, and 8.6 M) concentrations of ethanol are orally administered. The modulatory effect of ethanol was observed from low and high concentrations and differed from the tastants. There was consistent neuronal activity independent of the concentration of ethanol. Our results demonstrate a sensory representation of oral ethanol stimulation in the OFC neurons of naïve mice under sedation.

Sensory-motor response elicited by first time intraoral administered ethanol after trigeminal neuropathic injury.

Recent findings have shown a relationship between alcohol use disorders (AUD) and chronic pain. Preclinical models have demonstrated that chronic pain, including trigeminal nerve injury, increases ethanol consumption throughout extended administration periods. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether chronic pain induces a greater susceptibility to developing AUD by altering motor control consumption regardless of the symptomatology of neuropathic pain, and whether sex influences this susceptibility. We used a former prolonged pain experience model induced by a constriction of the mental nerve (mNC) to answer this question. We analyzed ethanol consumption in a short-access protocol to reduce the post-ingestional effects and compared licking microstructure between groups. The constriction of the mental nerve induced evoked and spontaneous pain and reduction in the hedonic value of sucrose. The differences in alcohol consumption were not reflective of the former prolonged pain experience. Female mice showed a more efficient dynamic of consumption of alcohol, reflected in a long burst of licking and a less variable licking rate within a cluster.

Encoding signs of orofacial neuropathic pain from facial expressions in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of mental nerve injury in the facial reactions elicited by mechanical stimulation of different intensities and detect and quantify spontaneous facial pain-like expressions during a period free of stimuli, as signs of evoked and spontaneous pain in a mouse model for neuropathic orofacial pain. DESIGN: We recorded mouse heads in a fixed position during a stimulus-free period and with mechanical stimulation with 3 different Von Frey filaments. We extracted the Histograms of Oriented Gradients of each frame of the video recordings to be compared with a prototypical pain-like facial expression. The similarity score was then used to register and quantify the percentage of spontaneous pain-like facial reactions and evaluate the increased similarity to the prototypical pain-like face evoked by mechanical stimuli. The assessments were made one day before and four days after a unilateral mental nerve compression. RESULTS: Our findings show that mental nerve injury promotes an increase in spontaneous facial pain-like expressions and reduced mechanical threshold, reflected in a higher similarity to our pain-like face prototype, regardless of the intensity of the stimuli applied. CONCLUSIONS: Machine vision encodes the facial expression associated with evoked and spontaneous pain after mental nerve injury for up to four days. Facial expression quantitatively reflects the increased mechanical sensitivity elicited by mental nerve injury. We also show that this technique can detect spontaneous pain-like responses from facial reactions. Artificial vision can be applied to evaluate signs of orofacial neuropathic pain to study the involved neural circuits.

Photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid over ZrO2, Cu/ZrO2 and Fe/ZrO2 photocatalysts synthesized by sol gel method.

Photocatalytic oxidation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was performed over ZrO2, Cu/ZrO2 and Fe/ZrO2 catalysts prepared by the sol-gel method. The samples were annealed at 400 degrees C. Textural and electronic characterization was carried out using BET and UV-Vis in order to establish the relationship between surface, pore volume and E(g) with the photoactivity of the materials. The degradation of the acid was followed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The disappearance of the herbicide in solution follows approximately pseudo-first order kinetics. The apparent rate constants were calculated for the three catalysts. The results reveal that Fe/ZrO2 exhibits the best photoactivity for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Molecular vibrational analysis and MAS-NMR spectroscopy study of epilepsy drugs encapsulated in TiO2-sol-gel reservoirs.

A nanostructured matrix, consisting of titania, was designed in such a way that an antiepileptic drug could be encapsulated and released according to a well-defined time release schedule. The titania was synthesized by a sol-gel method in which titanium n-butoxide was used as the precursor for the formation of the sol. The synthesis was optimized to yield a homogeneous particle size with a high porosity and an anatase crystal structure. The antiepilectic drugs, phenytoine or valproic acid, were added during the gelation stage in order to obtain a homogeneous gel phase. The resulting nanostructured matrix including the drug showed only weak attractive forces, such as London forces, dipole-dipole coupling, and in some cases hydrogen bonds. The resulting assembly, referred to as a reservoir, was characterized using conventional FTIR and NMR spectroscopic techniques. Theoretical simulation studies were performed so as to obtain an understanding of the equilibrium electrostatic potential distribution and the relative charges on the titania and the anticonvulsants.

Evaluation of Petrifilm™ method for enumerating aerobic bacteria in Crottin goat's cheese / Evaluación de PetrifilmTM para la enumeración de bacterias aerobias en queso de cabra Crottin

The PetrifilmTM Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) developed by 3M laboratories, is a ready-to-use culture medium system, useful for the enumeration of aerobic bacteria in food. PetrifilmTMwas compared with a standard method in several different food products with satisfactory results. However, many studies showed that bacterial counts in PetrifilmTM were significantly lower than those obtained with conventional methods in fermented food. The purpose of this study was to compare the PetrifilmTM method for enumerating aerobic bacteria with a conventional method (PCA) in Crottin goat's cheese. Thirty samples were used for the colony count. The mean count and standard deviation were 7.18 ± 1.17 log CFU g-1 on PCA and 7.11 ± 1.05 log CFU g-1 on PetrifilmTM. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between both methods (t = 1.33, P = 0.193). The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.971, P=0.0001) indicated a strong linear relationship between the PetrifilmTM and the standard method. The results showed that PetrifilmTM is suitable and a convenient alternative to this standard method for the enumeration of aerobic flora in goat soft cheese.

PetrifilmTM Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) desarrollado por 3M es un sistema listo para usar, empleado para el recuento de bacterias aerobias en alimentos. PetrifilmTMfue comparado con los métodos estándar en diferentes productos alimenticios con resultados satisfactorios. Sin embargo, en alimentos fermentados, algunos estudios mostraron que el recuento de bacterias aerobias en PetrifilmTM fue significativamente menor que aquellos obtenidos con los métodos convencionales (PCA). El propósito de este estudio fue comparar el método PetrifilmTM para el recuento de bacterias aerobias con un método convencional en queso de cabra Crottin. Se usaron 30 muestras para el recuento de colonias. Las medias y desviaciones estándar fueron 7,18 ± 1,17 log UFC g-1 en PCA y 7,11 ± 1,05 log UFC g-1 en PetrifilmTM. El análisis de varianza mostró que no había diferencia significativa entre ambos métodos (t = 1,33, P = 0,193). El coeficiente de correlación fue 0,971 ( P = 0,0001) indicando una fuerte correlación lineal. Los resultados muestran a PetrifilmTM como un método apropiado y una alternativa conveniente a los métodos estándar para la cuantificación de flora aeróbica en queso blando de cabra.

Behavior of Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella typhimurium in Crottin goat's cheese.

In order to evaluate the behavior of Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella typhimurium in Crottin goat's cheese, inoculated products stored at 5, 15 and 25 degrees C were analysed together with chemical and microbiological characteristics of the cheese. In general, low counts of microorganisms were detected. None of the samples showed the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. or Y. enterocolitica. In the inoculation tests, Y. enterocolitica and S. typhimurium were inhibited during storage; nevertheless, these bacteria survived for extensive periods. The counts at the end of the experiments at 5 and 15 degrees C were high, indicating that contamination with high bacterial numbers represents a potential health hazard. The primary mathematical models used to analyse the behavior of Y. enterocolitica and S. typhimurium were the Vitalistic, Gompertz's empirical and Churchill's model. The mean square error was calculated for the three models in order to evaluate the goodness-of-fit of each one. For Y. enterocolitica, the Vitalistic model was the best at the three temperatures. For S. typhimurium, there was no significant difference between the three models at 5 and 15 degrees C; the Churchill model was clearly the best at 25 degrees C. These results confirm that, in order to predict the risk of transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in foods using mathematical models, it is essential to analyse their behavior in specific foods.

Evaluation of Petrifilm method for enumerating aerobic bacteria in Crottin goat cheese.

The Petrifilm Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) developed by 3M laboratories, is a ready-to-use culture medium system, useful for the enumeration of aerobic bacteria in food. Petrifilm was compared with a standard method in several different food products with satisfactory results. However, many studies showed that bacterial counts in Petrifilm were significantly lower than those obtained with conventional methods in fermented food. The purpose of this study was to compare the Petrifilm method for enumerating aerobic bacteria with a conventional method (PCA) in Crottin goat's cheese. Thirty samples were used for the colony count. The mean count and standard deviation were 7.18 +/- 1.17 log CFU g(-1) on PCA and 7.11 +/- 1.05 log CFU g(-1) on Petrifilm. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between both methods (t = 1.33, P = 0.193). The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.971, P = 0.0001) indicated a strong linear relationship between the Petrifilm and the standard method. The results showed that Petrifilm is suitable and a convenient alternative to this standard method for the enumeration of aerobic flora in goat soft cheese.

Evaluation of Petrifilm method for enumerating aerobic bacteria in Crottin goat cheese.

The Petrifilm Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) developed by 3M laboratories, is a ready-to-use culture medium system, useful for the enumeration of aerobic bacteria in food. Petrifilm was compared with a standard method in several different food products with satisfactory results. However, many studies showed that bacterial counts in Petrifilm were significantly lower than those obtained with conventional methods in fermented food. The purpose of this study was to compare the Petrifilm method for enumerating aerobic bacteria with a conventional method (PCA) in Crottin goats cheese. Thirty samples were used for the colony count. The mean count and standard deviation were 7.18 +/- 1.17 log CFU g(-1) on PCA and 7.11 +/- 1.05 log CFU g(-1) on Petrifilm. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between both methods (t = 1.33, P = 0.193). The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.971, P = 0.0001) indicated a strong linear relationship between the Petrifilm and the standard method. The results showed that Petrifilm is suitable and a convenient alternative to this standard method for the enumeration of aerobic flora in goat soft cheese.

[Indicators of contamination and their relation to the presence of Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat foods]. / Indicadores de contaminación y su relación con la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo.

The relationship between indicator microorganism counts and the presence of Escherichia coli was determined in ready-to-eat food in food stores. Aerobic counts (CA), total coliforms (CT) and molds and yeast (ML) were registered in each food sample as well as the presence of E. coli in food, surface and hand samples. There was a high percentage of E. coli in cooked food (46% in 1 g), in raw food (31% in 0.1 g), in surfaces (37%) and in hands (21%). Significant correlations were found in CT, CA and ML in cooked food (P = 0.0001); no significant correlations were found in raw food (P > 0.01). The CT count in cooked food with E. coli was significantly higher than CT count in cooked food without E. coli (median 5.00 cfu/g and 1.54 cfu/g, respectively). Meanwhile, no significant differences were found in raw food.

Indicadores de contaminación y su relación con la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo / Indicator microorganisms and their relationship to the presence of Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat food

Se determinó la relación entre indicadores de contaminación y la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo en locales de venta directa al público, en Córdoba, Argentina. Se tomaron 60 muestras de alimentos, 16 de superficies y 14 de manos. Se determinaron bacterias mesófilas aerobias (CA), coliformes totales (CT), mohos y levaduras (ML) en alimentos y la presencia de E.coli en alimentos, superficies y manos. Se detecto E.coli en el 46 por ciento de los alimentos cocidos en 1 g de muestra y en el 31 por ciento de los alimentos crudos en 0,1 g de muestra. También se encontró E.coli en el 37 por ciento de las muestras de superficies y en el 21 por ciento de las provenientes de manos. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas al comparar de a pares CT, CA y ML en los alimentos cocidos (P=0,0001); en los crudos no se observaron correlaciones (P>0,01). El nivel de CT en alimentos cocidos que presentaban E.coli resultó significativamente más alto que el nivel de CT en los alimentos cocidos sin E.coli (mediana 5,00 ufc/g y 1,54 ufc/g, respectivamente). Los alimentos crudos con o sin presencia de E.coli no mostraron diferencias significativas en los niveles de CT.

Indicadores de contaminación y su relación con la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo / Indicator microorganisms and their relationship to the presence of Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat food

Se determinó la relación entre indicadores de contaminación y la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo en locales de venta directa al público, en Córdoba, Argentina. Se tomaron 60 muestras de alimentos, 16 de superficies y 14 de manos. Se determinaron bacterias mesófilas aerobias (CA), coliformes totales (CT), mohos y levaduras (ML) en alimentos y la presencia de E.coli en alimentos, superficies y manos. Se detecto E.coli en el 46 por ciento de los alimentos cocidos en 1 g de muestra y en el 31 por ciento de los alimentos crudos en 0,1 g de muestra. También se encontró E.coli en el 37 por ciento de las muestras de superficies y en el 21 por ciento de las provenientes de manos. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas al comparar de a pares CT, CA y ML en los alimentos cocidos (P=0,0001); en los crudos no se observaron correlaciones (P>0,01). El nivel de CT en alimentos cocidos que presentaban E.coli resultó significativamente más alto que el nivel de CT en los alimentos cocidos sin E.coli (mediana 5,00 ufc/g y 1,54 ufc/g, respectivamente). Los alimentos crudos con o sin presencia de E.coli no mostraron diferencias significativas en los niveles de CT. (AU)

Indicadores de contaminación y su relación con la presencia de Escherichia coli en alimentos listos para consumo. / [Indicators of contamination and their relation to the presence of Escherichia coli in ready-to-eat foods]

The relationship between indicator microorganism counts and the presence of Escherichia coli was determined in ready-to-eat food in food stores. Aerobic counts (CA), total coliforms (CT) and molds and yeast (ML) were registered in each food sample as well as the presence of E. coli in food, surface and hand samples. There was a high percentage of E. coli in cooked food (46

in 1 g), in raw food (31

in 0.1 g), in surfaces (37

) and in hands (21

). Significant correlations were found in CT, CA and ML in cooked food (P = 0.0001); no significant correlations were found in raw food (P > 0.01). The CT count in cooked food with E. coli was significantly higher than CT count in cooked food without E. coli (median 5.00 cfu/g and 1.54 cfu/g, respectively). Meanwhile, no significant differences were found in raw food.

Evaluation of two media and different plating techniques for enumeration of thermotolerant coliforms in river water.

Testing for evidence of faecal contamination in river water has been traditionally accomplished by enumeration of thermotolerant coliform bacteria. In this work, deoxycholate lactose and m-Endo Agar LES media were evaluated using different techniques. The colony count methods were pour plate technique on Deoxycholate Agar (DCL pour plate), spread plating on m-Endo Agar LES (ELS spread), and membrane filtration on m-Endo Agar LES (ELF filtration). Typical thermotolerant coliform colonies were analysed by conventional biochemical tests. The three matched pairs showed statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) by the Wilcoxon signed rank test. One hundred and twenty three isolates obtained on m-Endo Agar LES (65%) were confirmed as E. coli. Likewise, one hundred and twenty isolates obtained on Deoxycholate Agar (71%) were confirmed as E. coli. The results of this study showed that the matched DCL-ELF presented the smaller statistically significant difference (P = 0.042) so, DCL could be used as alternative to ELF.

Bacteriological stability and growth kinetics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in bottled water.

Bacteriological stability of water bottled in plastic containers and the growth kinetics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined. Samples of water from the source, water to be bottled, finished product and sterile water bottled in non-returnable and returnable containers were analysed for aerobic colony count, coliforms, Escherichia coli and Ps. aeruginosa. The samples were examined for up to 30 d storage. Aerobic colony count increased 6 d after bottling to between 10(3) and 10(5) cfu ml-1. Coliforms and E. coli were not found in any sample. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from commercial products bottled in returnable plastic containers due to the contamination from the containers and the subsequent multiplication utilizing trace nutrients. The predominant Ps. aeruginosa strains showed high doubling time (26 h) due to competition from the accompanying flora. In the absence of competing flora Ps. aeruginosa reached higher density than the maximum reached by aerobic flora, with a doubling time of only 3.6 h. After 30 d storage, this micro-organism was predominant.

[Moraxella bovis biomass production in a bench-top fermentor]. / Producción de biomasa de Moraxella bovis en fermentador de mesa.

A Moraxella bovis strain was isolated from a kerato-conjunctivities lesion of a calf in Villa Valeria (Córdoba); it was used to establish improved cultural conditions, such as nature and concentration of carbon and nitrogen sources, and pH control in shaken flasks. The selected conditions were assayed for biomass production in a bench-top fermentor. The strain is used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce vaccines and adjuvants. In the initial condition (48 h culture on blood agar) 0.019 g biomass/l.h-1 was obtained. With the use of liquid defined medium with pH control, productivity was increased to 0.153g/l.h-1, with optimum harvest time of 32 h.

Catalytic and interfacial aspects of enzymatic polymer synthesis in reversed micellar systems.

The enzyme horseradish peroxidase, when encapsulated in reversed micelles, is capable of catalyzing the synthesis of phenolic and aromatic amine polymers. The synthesis of polyethylphenol is specifically considered in this article and is found to be extremely feasible in the micellar system. Polymer chain growth can be controlled to some degree by manipulating the ability of the solvent to sustain chain solubility; this is effectively done by adjusting the surfactant concentration. This results in a degree of control of polymer molecular weight. The synthesized polymer drops out of solution and can be easily recovered.

[Percutaneous surgery in renal lithiasis. Current indications]. / Cirugía percutánea en la litiasis renal. Indicaciones actuales.

The indiscriminate use of extracorporeal shock waves in the treatment of urinary calculi has changed the place of percutaneous surgery in the treatment of renal lithiasis. The authors analyse current indications of PCN highlighting stone size. In their view, calculi greater than 2 cm warrant treatment by PCN since only 15-20% of patients are completely stone-free following a single session of ESWL. Attention is focussed on the staghorn calculus and the percutaneous approach. They describe the difficulty encountered in the fragmentation of the cystine calculus owing to its hardness and discuss the difficulties that may arise when using the percutaneous approach in patients with coexisting renoureteral conditions, in the treatment of lithiasis in children and in the obese patients.

Tratamiento moderno de la urolitiasis en el niño con ondas de choque extracorporea / Moderm treatment of the children urolithiasis with extracorporeal shock ware

En los últimos años el tratamiento de la Urolitiasis ha tenido importantes avances con la implementación de nuevas técnicas para la eliminación de cálculos de las vías urinarias, partiendo de la Cirugía convencional, la litotomía endoscópica y la nefrolitotomía percutánea; se han usado recientemente las ondas de choque extracorpóreas, con o sin inmersión para la desintegración de cálculos. La litotricia extracorpórea (LEC) aplicada actualmente en diversos centros del mundo para el tratamiento de la urolitiasis del adulto, ha demostrado su eficacia en el manejo de esta patología; sin embargo no existe suficientes reportes sobre la aplicación de esta modalidad terapéutica en Pediatría. Nosotros hemos venido utilizando esta técnica durante los últimos 16 meses para el tratamiento de niños con litiasis urinaria y entre Enero 1988 y Mayo 1989, 23 pacientes han sido sometidos a LEC con equipos Litotritor Electromagnético (LITHOSTAR) el cual posee una fuente de ondas de impulso ultracorto de baja potencia que asegura fragmentación del cálculo en finas partículas, las cuales son expulsadas espontáneamente por el niño y permiten su aplicación sin anestesia general y ambulatoriamente. De los 23 niños tratados 13 correspondieron al sexo femenino y 10 al masculino con rango de edad de 1.5 meses a 12 años (X 7.3 ñ 3.5) con predominio del grupo de 8 a 12 años (48%). Todos los pacientes presentaron clínica y radiología demostrativa de Urolitiasis. El tamaño de los cálculos osciló entre 5 y 6 mms a cálculos coraliformes (> 2 cms); 20 cálculos (87%) fueron de localización renal (2 bilaterales), 2 ureterales (9%) y 1 vesical (4%)..