Meta-analysis of published studies was applied to analyze the effectiveness of fissure sealants in preventing dental caries. Studies were identified by a MEDLINE search, supplemented by a hand search of the references in the articles recovered. All articles were assessed on the basis of quality, and were combined with the Mantel-Haenszel method. The prevented fraction in the exposed population (PF) was estimated using pooled relative risk. Heterogeneity of the effect and publication bias were also analyzed. Twenty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall effectiveness of autopolymerized fissure sealants was 71.36% (95% confidence interval 69.69-72.94%). Effectiveness in preventing caries decreased with time, and increased when drinking water was fluoridated (82.69% vs 72.28%). Heterogeneity was significant in most cases, and was further studied with multiple linear regression analysis. It is concluded that autopolymerizing sealants should be used. More research is needed to compare the effectiveness of dental hygienists and dentists in applying sealants.

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Our results underline the influence of personality traits on the development of depressive symptoms independently of other individual characteristics and the occupational context.

ABSTRACT:When surface water is used to supply urban settlements, exhaustive studies of the composition of the source are necessary to ensure its potability, and to assess the possible environmental effects associated with contamination by pesticides. The present study centers on the pesticide content of the waters from a section of the Guadalquivir River and its affluents in southern Spain. At many of the sampling points analyzed, high concentrations of both organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides were detected.The presence of these toxic substances in dangerously high concentrations, as well as the linear tendency of the mean values for total pesticide concentration at sampling points, allows us to conclude that the agricultural character of this area has ultimately contributed to the contamination of the Guadalquivir River and its affluents, creating a sanitary and ecological hazard. In some cases the levels of contamination were found to consistently exceed the limits established by the European Union concerning water quality for human consumption.Because the substances analyzed are not eliminated through conventional water treatment methods, we conclude that the sampled section of the Guadalquivir River basin should not be currently used as a source of water for human consumption. Both pretreatment and advanced water treatment techniques would be required to reduce micropollutant concentrations to potable levels.

ABSTRACT:The industrial and sanitary use of dithiocarbamates DTCs is on the rise, and the synthesis of new derivatives has increased the field of their application. Both positive and negative pharmacological and toxicological effects have been documented for DTCs. The development and application of new DTCs must be accompanied by the study of their toxicity, beginning with the performance of simple and rapid biological screening tests.( ) The objective of our study was to apply the IGEC biotest inhibition of growth of Escherichia coli and ( ) the acetylcholinesterase AChE inhibition test to a group of newly synthesized DTCs with possible ( ) ( ) applications in the area of public health. The substances studied were y -ephedrine-DTC, + -pseudoephedrine-DTC, N-ethylbenzyl-DTC, diethyl-DTC, and dimethyl-DTC, and the corresponding amines ( ) ( ) used in their synthesis: y -ephedrine, + -pseudoephedrine, N-ethylbenzylamine, diethylamine, and dimethylamine.( ) The parameters for the minimal effective concentration tested MEC , median effective concentration ( ) ( ) EC , and no observed effect concentration NOEC of each chemical were determined using the 50 IGEC biotest. The AChE inhibition test was carried out for all the DTCs as well. Of the synthesized DTCs, ( ) ( y1 y1 ) + -pseudoephedrine-DTC showed the lowest toxicity NOEC = 30 g mL and EC = 301 g mL 50 ( y1 ) ( ) and N-ethylbenzyl-DTC showed the highest toxicity EC = 26 g mL . Although y -ephedrine-DTC 50 exhibited a minimal inhibitory effect on AChE, the results obtained indicate a generalized absence of AChE inhibition for the DTCs.

Study objective-This study aimed to analyse the influence of social, economic, and health development on infant and perinatal mortality in Spain between 1975 and, and to identify possible changes in these relationships over time. Design-Study of the association between mortality and a range of variables. Setting-50 Spanish provinces. Measurements and main results-Mean infant and perinatal mortality were estimated for two periods-1975-8 and 1983-6. Social, economic, and health care indicators were collected as independent variables for these two periods. The rates of variation between periods were estimated for each variable. Multiple linear regression models were used to define the association between infant and perinatal mortality and their respective rate ofvariation with the former indicators. Mean familial income was the main predictive factor for infant and perinatal mortality in the first period but in the second period health care indicators were more relevant. Conclusions-The reduction in Spanish infant and perinatal mortality over the period can be attributed mainly to the improvement in prenatal and neonatal health care in Spain in recent years, while economic factors seem less important.

The authors propose the use of an ecotoxicity biotest based on Escherichia coli for the sanitary control of water. The sensitivity of the proposed model was evaluated using a group of representative toxicants, and its response (synergism, additive or antagonism) to toxicants was observed. Finally, the biotest was applied to 124 water samples from rivers, underground sources, drinking water and wastewater. The results of the biotest were compared with the sanitary classification of the waters.