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Biomedical subjects

D Rios

Publications and source records attributed to D Rios.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of fluoride dentifrice on brushing abrasion of eroded human enamel: an in situ/ex vivo study.

This in situ/ex vivo study assessed the effect of fluoride dentifrice on eroded enamel subjected to brushing abrasion. In a crossover study performed in 2 phases, 10 volunteers wore acrylic palatal appliances, each containing 3 human enamel blocks. Dentifrice was used to brush the volunteers' teeth and the specimens subjected to abrasion. In phases A and B the dentifrices used had the same formulation, except for the absence or presence of fluoride, respectively. The blocks were subjected to erosion by immersion of the appliances in a cola drink for 5 min, 4 times a day. Then the blocks were brushed, and the appliance was replaced into the mouth. Enamel alterations were determined using profilometry and percentage change in surface microhardness (%SMHC) tests. The data were tested using the paired t test. The mean wear values (+/-SD, microm) were: group A 6.84 +/- 1.72 and group B 5.38 +/- 1.21 (p = 0.04). The mean %SMHC values (+/-SD) were: group A 54.6 +/- 16.2 and group B 45.7 +/- 6.8 (p = 0.04). Fluoride dentifrice had a protective effect on eroded enamel subjected to brushing abrasion.

Adult↗

Ensembl 2007.

The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) project provides a comprehensive and integrated source of annotation of chordate genome sequences. Over the past year the number of genomes available from Ensembl has increased from 15 to 33, with the addition of sites for the mammalian genomes of elephant, rabbit, armadillo, tenrec, platypus, pig, cat, bush baby, common shrew, microbat and european hedgehog; the fish genomes of stickleback and medaka and the second example of the genomes of the sea squirt (Ciona savignyi) and the mosquito (Aedes aegypti). Some of the major features added during the year include the first complete gene sets for genomes with low-sequence coverage, the introduction of new strain variation data and the introduction of new orthology/paralog annotations based on gene trees.

Animals↗

Ensembl 2006.

The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) project provides a comprehensive and integrated source of annotation of large genome sequences. Over the last year the number of genomes available from the Ensembl site has increased from 4 to 19, with the addition of the mammalian genomes of Rhesus macaque and Opossum, the chordate genome of Ciona intestinalis and the import and integration of the yeast genome. The year has also seen extensive improvements to both data analysis and presentation, with the introduction of a redesigned website, the addition of RNA gene and regulatory annotation and substantial improvements to the integration of human genome variation data.

Animals↗

Effect of salivary stimulation on erosion of human and bovine enamel subjected or not to subsequent abrasion: an in situ/ex vivo study.

This in situ/ex vivo study evaluated whether saliva stimulated by chewing gum could prevent or reduce the wear and the percent change in microhardness (%SMH) of bovine and human enamel submitted to erosion followed by brushing abrasion immediately or after 1 h. During 2 experimental 7-day crossover phases, 9 previously selected volunteers wore intraoral palatal devices, with 12 enamel specimens (6 human and 6 bovine). In the first phase, the volunteers immersed the device for 5 min in 150 ml of cola drink, 4 times per day (at 8, 12, 16 and 20 h). Immediately after the immersions, no treatment was performed in 4 specimens, 4 other specimens were immediately brushed (0 min) using a fluoride dentifrice, and the device was replaced into the mouth. After 60 min, the remaining 4 specimens were brushed. In the second phase, the procedures were repeated, but after the immersions, the volunteers stimulated the salivary flow rate by chewing a sugar-free gum for 30 min. Changes in wear and %SMH were measured. ANOVA and Tukey's test showed statistical differences (p<0.05) for the following comparisons. The chewing gum promoted less wear and %SMH. A decreasing %SMH and an increasing enamel wear were observed in the following conditions: erosion only, 60 min and 0 min. The human enamel presented greater %SMH and less wear compared to bovine enamel. The data suggest that the salivary stimulation after an erosive or erosive/abrasive attack can reduce the dental wear and the %SMH.

Adult↗

Ensembl 2005.

The Ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) project provides a comprehensive and integrated source of annotation of large genome sequences. Over the last year the number of genomes available from the Ensembl site has increased by 7 to 16, with the addition of the six vertebrate genomes of chimpanzee, dog, cow, chicken, tetraodon and frog and the insect genome of honeybee. The majority have been annotated automatically using the Ensembl gene build system, showing its flexibility to reliably annotate a wide variety of genomes. With the increased number of vertebrate genomes, the comparative analysis provided to users has been greatly improved, with new website interfaces allowing annotation of different genomes to be directly compared. The Ensembl software system is being increasingly widely reused in different projects showing the benefits of a completely open approach to software development and distribution.

Animals↗

HGVbase: a curated resource describing human DNA variation and phenotype relationships.

The Human Genome Variation Database (HGVbase; http://hgvbase.cgb.ki.se) has provided a curated summary of human DNA variation for more than 5 years, thus facilitating research into DNA sequence variation and human phenotypes. The database has undergone many changes and improvements to accommodate increasing volumes and new types of data. The focus of HGVbase has recently shifted towards information on haplotypes and phenotypes, relationships between phenotypes and DNA variation, and collaborative efforts to provide a global resource for genome-phenome data. Open sharing and precise phenotype definitions are necessary to advance the current understanding of common diseases that are typified by complex aetiologies, small genetic effect sizes and multiple confounding factors that obscure positive study results. Association data will increasingly be collected as part of this new project thrust. This report describes the evolving features of HGVbase, and covers in detail the technological choices we have made to enable efficient storage and data mining of increasingly large and complex data sets.

Computational Biology↗

Using artificial bat sonar neural networks for complex pattern recognition: recognizing faces and the speed of a moving target.

Two sets of studies examined the viability of using bat-like sonar input for artificial neural networks in complex pattern recognition tasks. In the first set of studies, a sonar neural network was required to perform two face recognition tasks. In the first task, the network was trained to recognize different faces regardless of facial expressions. Following training, the network was tested on its ability to generalize and correctly recognize faces using echoes of novel facial expressions that were not included in the training set. The neural network was able to recognize novel echoes of faces almost perfectly (above 96% accuracy) when it was required to recognize up to five faces. In the second face recognition task, a sonar neural network was trained to recognize the sex of 16 faces (eight males and eight females). After training, the network was able to correctly recognize novel echoes of those faces as 'male' or as 'female' faces with accuracy levels of 88%. However, the network was not able to recognize novel faces as 'male' or 'female' faces. In the second set of studies, a sonar neural network was required to learn to recognize the speed of a target that was moving towards the viewer. During training, the target was presented in a variety of orientations, and the network's performance was evaluated when the target was presented in novel orientations that were not included in the training set. The different orientations dramatically affected the amplitude and the frequency composition of the echoes. The neural network was able to learn and recognize the speed of a moving target, and to generalize to new orientations of the target. However, the network was not able to generalize to new speeds that were not included in the training set. The potential and limitations of using bat-like sonar as input for artifical neural networks are discussed.

Adult↗

[Immunite reaction of hamsters infected or immunized with Entamoeba histolytica].

The immune response in hamsters either infected or immunized with Entamoeba histolytica was studied. The response was tested by determination of antibodies by the counterimmunoelectrophoresis technique and by lymphocyte transformation induced by the amebic antigen. The results obtained showed differences among both groups when the ability of amebic antigen to induce 3H-thymidine incorporation of lymphocyte cultures is compared. However, the response of lymphocyte cultures to Concanavalin A was similar in both studied groups. On the other hand, a group of hamsters hyperimmunized with E. histolytica antigen incorporated in complete Frend's adjuvant showed a greater immune response than the group receiving a single dose.

Amebiasis↗