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Biomedical subjects

N Barrera

Publications and source records attributed to N Barrera.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Predicting vertical dimension with cephalograms, for edentulous patients.

OBJECTIVES: To provide information on vertical dimension (VD), occlusal plane (OP), and size of future occlusal rims, through lateral Rx and cephalometric tracings that analyse and compare hard and soft tissue. To show that these measures are compatible with methods routinely used to prescribe for full. DESIGN: Ten patients age range 53-81. Lateral Rx, with and without dentures, were taken and traced cephalograms were used to compare hard and soft tissue angles and planes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Based on three cephalometric analyses: Rickets, and McNamara for skeletal, and Legan-Burstone for soft tissue, to identify the following landmarks: 13 skeletal points: N, ANS, PNS, Me, Xi, Pm, FC, Or, Po, A, B, Co, Gn and four soft tissue points: G, Gv, Sn, Me'; seven skeletal planes: HP, FP, NF, N-ANS-Me, A-B, ANS-Me, Co-Gn, and three soft tissue planes: G-Sn, Sn-Me', Sn-Gv, and six angles: N-FC-A, ANS-Xi-Pm, INF, IMP, 6NF, interincisor angle. RESULTS: Stability in skeletal VD was observed with the proportion of 0.8 +/- 0.2 being present, between the middle third and lower third facial heights, N-ANS/ANS-Me. In addition, soft tissue proportion remained near 1, G-Sn,/Sn-Me. The length and position of first upper molar, upper and lower incisors were used to predict the OP. When compared with cephalograms of the same patient with dentures, similar measurements were observed. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to provide information on skeletal, facial proportions, VD, OP, and rim size using cephalograms for edentulous patients.

Aged↗

Prevention of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs-induced gastropathy: follow up of protocol adherence.

OBJECTIVE: To reach a consensus on and evaluate the compliance of the protocol for the prophylaxis of gastropathy induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with 20 mg omeprazole per day. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Three transversal studies have been carried out on patients admitted to our hospital before establishing the protocol, immediately after and 6 months later. RESULTS: Between 16 and 24% of patients admitted to our hospital take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Before the application of the protocol 34.7% of prescriptions coincided with this use. After its establishment adherence by the prescribing doctors improved to 51.8% (c2 = 5.27, p = 0.02) and at 6 months it reached 51.4% adherence, an improvement that continued being significative (c2 = 5.74, p = 0.01). The main reason for non-compliance was the use of ranitidine instead of omeprazole. One of the most useful methods for improving adhesion has been meeting with the medical services that most use the anti-inflammatory drugs, focussing specifically on the use of the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: The follow-up of the protocol shows an improvement in compliance after the establishment stage which is maintained after 6 months. Adherence by the prescribing doctors to the treatment, nevertheless, is lower than had been hoped.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

Platelet activating factor increases ciliary activity in the hamster oviduct through epithelial production of prostaglandin E2.

We investigated the signal transduction mechanisms associated with an increase in ciliary beat frequency (CBF) produced by platelet activating factor (PAF) in oviductal ciliated cell cultures. In the range of concentrations similar to that produced by preimplantation embryos, PAF increased the CBF in a dose-dependent manner. The addition of PAF and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to the cultures produced a synergic increase of ciliary beating, suggesting that PAF and PGE2 signal transduction pathways may be associated. To demonstrate this hypothesis, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was selectively blocked by a specific inhibitor, NS-398, and the PAF-induced CBF increase was abolished. Moreover, a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, AACOCF3, blocks the PAF-induced CBF increase. PGE2 production by oviductal epithelial cells is stimulated by PAF, and WEB-2086, a PAF-receptor blocker, specifically blocks the PAF-induced PGE2 production. Using the fluorescent indicator fura-2, we measured the effect of PAF on intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in individual ciliated cells. PAF induced a transient increase of [Ca2+]i that was blocked by WEB-2086 or by removal of extracellular Ca2+. We propose a mechanism for PAF-mediated signal transduction in the ciliated cells of the oviductal epithelium. Minimal doses of PAF trigger Ca2+ mobilization in tandem with increased PLA2 activity and a COX-2-mediated increase in PGE2. Local PGE2 production by the oviductal mucosa suggests the presence of an autocrine loop controlling ciliary activity.

Animals↗

Female victims of intimate partner physical domestic violence (IPP-DV), California 1998.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to identify factors associated with adult female victims of intimate partner physical domestic violence (IPP-DV) in California and to estimate statewide IPP-DV prevalence. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 1998 California Women's Health Survey, a random, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey of 4006 California women aged > or = 18, conducted by the California Department of Health Services. RESULTS: Data from the survey indicated that 6% of the women reported that in the previous 12 months, their intimate partners threw objects at them, or hit them with an object, or kicked, pushed, slapped, choked, beat up, or threatened them with a gun or a knife. Odds ratio (OR) analyses controlling for age and race/ethnicity suggest that a large number of factors are associated statistically with IPP-DV victims. These factors include feelings of ill physical and mental health; pregnancies at early age; smoking status; nutritional needs; low income; participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program; having children aged < 18 in the household; and limited access to health care. Among the non-U.S.-born respondents, IPP-DV victims were significantly younger when they entered the United States than their nonvictim counterparts. A multiple logistic regression model identified the following factors as main correlates with IPP-DV: feelings of being overwhelmed in the past 30 days (OR = 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.5-4.6); aged 18 to 44 (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.9-4.1); current smoking status (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.5-2.9); participation in WIC in the previous 2 years (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.2-2.6); and being out of work (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1-1.9). CONCLUSIONS: The above findings suggest that a variety of venues (e.g., schools, mental and physical health care providers, WIC, immigration programs, and social services) will be needed in order to identify/gain access to IPP-DV victims, provide referral resources, and implement any future prevention efforts.

Adult↗

Functional cross talk after activation of P2 and P1 receptors in oviductal ciliated cells.

The presence of ATP and adenosine receptors and their role in controlling ciliary activity in oviductal ciliated cells was studied by measuring the ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in oviductal tissue cultures. ATP, adenosine, and related compounds increased the CBF in a dose-dependent manner. We established that P2 receptors of subtype 2Y(2) and P1 receptors of subtype A(2a) mediated the responses to ATP and adenosine, respectively. We found evidence to suggest that stimulation of ciliary activity by ATP requires D-myo-inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P(3)] metabolism, intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization, and protein kinase C activation. On the other hand, the adenosine effect is mediated by activation of a G(s) protein-dependent pathway that enhances cAMP intracellular levels. To study the interaction between P2 and P1 receptors, cells were stimulated simultaneously with both agonists. We observed a synergistic increase of the CBF even at agonist concentrations (100 nM) that did not produce a significant response when added separately to the culture. Furthermore, a blocker of the cAMP pathway produced a reduction of the ATP response, whereas a blocker of the Ins(1,4,5)P(3) pathway also produced an inhibition of the adenosine response. Our evidence demonstrates that both ATP and adenosine receptors are present in a single ciliated cell and that a mechanism of cross talk could operate in the transduction pathways to control ciliary activity.

Adenosine↗