Comparison Of The Solution Of Histidine-tryptophan-alfacetoglutarate With Histidine-tryptophan-glutamate As Cardioplegic Agents In Isolated Rat Hearts: An Immunohistochemical Study.

Cardiac arrest during heart surgery is a common procedure and allows the surgeon to perform surgical procedures in an environment free of blood and movement. Using a model of isolated rat heart, the authors compare a new cardioplegic solution containing histidine-tryptophan-glutamate (group 2) with the histidine-tryptophan-alphacetoglutarate (group 1) routinely used by some cardiac surgeons. To assess caspase, IL-8 and KI-67 in isolated rat hearts using immunohistochemistry. 20 Wistar male rats were anesthetized and heparinized. The chest was opened, cardioctomy was performed and 40 ml/kg of the appropriate cardioplegic solution was infused. The hearts were kept for 2 hours at 4ºC in the same solution, and thereafter, placed in the Langendorff apparatus for 30 minutes with Ringer-Locke solution. Immunohistochemistry analysis of caspase, IL-8, and KI-67 were performed. The concentration of caspase was lower in group 2 and Ki-67 was higher in group 2, both P<0.05. There was no statistical difference between the values of IL-8 between the groups. Histidine-tryptophan-glutamate solution was better than histidine-tryptophan-alphacetoglutarate solution because it reduced caspase (apoptosis), increased KI-67 (cell proliferation), and showed no difference in IL-8 levels compared to group 1. This suggests that the histidine-tryptophan-glutamate solution was more efficient than the histidine-tryptophan-alphacetoglutarate for the preservation of hearts of rat cardiomyocytes.

Remediation Of 17-α-ethinylestradiol Aqueous Solution By Photocatalysis And Electrochemically-assisted Photocatalysis Using Tio2 And Tio2/wo3 Electrodes Irradiated By A Solar Simulator.

TiO2 and TiO2/WO3 electrodes, irradiated by a solar simulator in configurations for heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP) and electrochemically-assisted HP (EHP), were used to remediate aqueous solutions containing 10 mg L(-1) (34 μmol L(-1)) of 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), active component of most oral contraceptives. The photocatalysts consisted of 4.5 μm thick porous films of TiO2 and TiO2/WO3 (molar ratio W/Ti of 12%) deposited on transparent electrodes from aqueous suspensions of TiO2 particles and WO3 precursors, followed by thermal treatment at 450 (°)C. First, an energy diagram was organized with photoelectrochemical and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy data and revealed that EE2 could be directly oxidized by the photogenerated holes at the semiconductor surfaces, considering the relative HOMO level for EE2 and the semiconductor valence band edges. Also, for the irradiated hybrid photocatalyst, electrons in TiO2 should be transferred to WO3 conduction band, while holes move toward TiO2 valence band, improving charge separation. The remediated EE2 solutions were analyzed by fluorescence, HPLC and total organic carbon measurements. As expected from the energy diagram, both photocatalysts promoted the EE2 oxidation in HP configuration; after 4 h, the EE2 concentration decayed to 6.2 mg L(-1) (35% of EE2 removal) with irradiated TiO2 while TiO2/WO3 electrode resulted in 45% EE2 removal. A higher performance was achieved in EHP systems, when a Pt wire was introduced as a counter-electrode and the photoelectrodes were biased at +0.7 V; then, the EE2 removal corresponded to 48 and 54% for the TiO2 and TiO2/WO3, respectively. The hybrid TiO2/WO3, when compared to TiO2 electrode, exhibited enhanced sunlight harvesting and improved separation of photogenerated charge carriers, resulting in higher performance for removing this contaminant of emerging concern from aqueous solution.

Evaluation Of Soft-tissue Lesions With (18)f-fdg Pet/ct: Initial Results Of A Prospective Trial.

Although MRI is utilized for planning the resection of soft-tissue tumors, it is not always capable of differentiating benign from malignant lesions. The risk of local recurrence of soft-tissue sarcomas is increased when biopsies are performed before resection and by inadequate resections. PET associated with computed tomography using fluorodeoxyglucose labeled with fluorine-18 ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) may help differentiate between benign and malignant tumors, thus avoiding inadequate resections and making prior biopsies unnecessary. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in differentiating benign from malignant solid soft-tissue lesions. Patients with solid lesions of the limbs or abdominal wall detected by MRI were submitted to (18)F-FDG PET/CT. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) cutoff was determined to differentiate malignant from benign tumors. Regardless of the (18)F-FDG PET/CT results all patients underwent biopsy and surgery. MRI was performed in 54 patients, and 10 patients were excluded because of purely lipomatose or cystic lesions. (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed in the remaining 44 patients. Histopathology revealed 26 (59%) benign and 18 (41%) malignant soft-tissue lesions. A significant difference in SUVmax was observed between benign and malignant soft-tissue lesions. The SUVmax cutoff of 3.0 differentiated malignant from benign lesions with 100% sensitivity, 83.3% specificity, 89.6% accuracy, 78.3% positive predictive value, and 100% negative predictive value. (18)F-FDG PET/CT seems to be able to differentiate benign from malignant soft-tissue lesions with good accuracy and very high negative predictive value. Incorporating (18)F-FDG PET/CT into the diagnostic algorithm of these patients may prevent inadequate resections and unnecessary biopsies.

Value Of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy In Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Initial Results Of A Prospective Trial.

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in detecting occult metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to correlate their presence to tumor and patient characteristics. Twenty-three clinically node-negative PTC patients (21 females, mean age 48.4 years) were prospectively enrolled. Patients were submitted to sentinel lymph node (SLN) lymphoscintigraphy prior to total thyroidectomy. Ultrasound-guided peritumoral injections of (99m)Tc-phytate (7.4 MBq) were performed. Cervical single-photon emission computed tomography and computed tomography (SPECT/CT) images were acquired 15 min after radiotracer injection and 2 h prior to surgery. Intra-operatively, SLNs were located with a gamma probe and removed along with non-SLNs located in the same neck compartment. Papillary thyroid carcinoma, SLNs and non-SLNs were submitted to histopathology analysis. Sentinel lymph nodes were located in levels: II in 34.7 % of patients; III in 26 %; IV in 30.4 %; V in 4.3 %; VI in 82.6 % and VII in 4.3 %. Metastases in the SLN were noted in seven patients (30.4 %), in non-SLN in three patients (13.1 %), and in the lateral compartments in 20 % of patients. There were significant associations between lymph node (LN) metastases and the presence of angio-lymphatic invasion (p = 0.04), extra-thyroid extension (p = 0.03) and tumor size (p = 0.003). No correlations were noted among LN metastases and patient age, gender, stimulated thyroglobulin levels, positive surgical margins, aggressive histology and multifocal lesions. Sentinel lymph node biopsy can detect occult metastases in PTC. The risk of a metastatic SLN was associated with extra-thyroid extension, larger tumors and angio-lymphatic invasion. This may help guide future neck dissection, patient surveillance and radioiodine therapy doses.

The Neuromuscular Activity Of Bothriopsis Bilineata Smaragdina (forest Viper) Venom And Its Toxin Bbil-tx (asp49 Phospholipase A2) On Isolated Mouse Nerve-muscle Preparations.

The presynaptic action of Bothriopsis bilineata smaragdina (forest viper) venom and Bbil-TX, an Asp49 PLA2 from this venom, was examined in detail in mouse phrenic nerve-muscle (PND) preparations in vitro and in a neuroblastoma cell line (SK-N-SH) in order to gain a better insight into the mechanism of action of the venom and associated Asp49 PLA2. In low Ca(2+) solution, venom (3μg/ml) caused a quadriphasic response in PND twitch height whilst at 10μg/ml the venom additionally induced an abrupt and marked initial contracture followed by neuromuscular facilitation, rhythmic oscillations of nerve-evoked twitches, alterations in baseline and progressive blockade. The venom slowed the relaxation phase of muscle twitches. In low Ca(2+), Bbil-TX [210nM (3μg/ml)] caused a progressive increase in PND twitch amplitude but no change in the decay time constant. Venom (10μg/ml) and Bbil-TX (210nM) caused minor changes in the compound action potential (CAP) amplitude recorded from sciatic nerve preparations, with no significant effect on rise time and latency; tetrodotoxin (3.1nM) blocked the CAP at the end of the experiments. In mouse triangularis sterni nerve-muscle (TSn-m) preparations, venom (10μg/ml) and Bbil-TX (210nM) significantly reduced the perineural waveform associated with the outward K(+) current while the amplitude of the inward Na(+) current was not significantly affected. Bbil-TX (210nM) caused a progressive increase in the quantal content of TSn-m preparations maintained in low Ca(2+) solution. Venom (3μg/ml) and toxin (210nM) increased the calcium fluorescence in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells loaded with Fluo3 AM and maintained in low or normal Ca(2+) solution. In normal Ca(2+), the increase in fluorescence amplitude was accompanied by irregular and frequent calcium transients. In TSn-m preparations loaded with Fluo4 AM, venom (10μg/ml) caused an immediate increase in intracellular Ca(2+) followed by oscillations in fluorescence and muscle contracture; Bbil-TX did not change the calcium fluorescence in TSn-m preparations. Immunohistochemical analysis of toxin-treated PND preparations revealed labeling of junctional ACh receptors but a loss of the presynaptic proteins synaptophysin and SNAP25. Together, these data confirm the presynaptic action of Bbil-TX and show that it involves modulation of K(+) channel activity and presynaptic protein expression.

Human Mitochondrial Hsp70 (mortalin): Shedding Light On Atpase Activity, Interaction With Adenosine Nucleotides, Solution Structure And Domain Organization.

The human mitochondrial Hsp70, also called mortalin, is of considerable importance for mitochondria biogenesis and the correct functioning of the cell machinery. In the mitochondrial matrix, mortalin acts in the importing and folding process of nucleus-encoded proteins. The in vivo deregulation of mortalin expression and/or function has been correlated with age-related diseases and certain cancers due to its interaction with the p53 protein. In spite of its critical biological roles, structural and functional studies on mortalin are limited by its insoluble recombinant production. This study provides the first report of the production of folded and soluble recombinant mortalin when co-expressed with the human Hsp70-escort protein 1, but it is still likely prone to self-association. The monomeric fraction of mortalin presented a slightly elongated shape and basal ATPase activity that is higher than that of its cytoplasmic counterpart Hsp70-1A, suggesting that it was obtained in the functional state. Through small angle X-ray scattering, we assessed the low-resolution structural model of monomeric mortalin that is characterized by an elongated shape. This model adequately accommodated high resolution structures of Hsp70 domains indicating its quality. We also observed that mortalin interacts with adenosine nucleotides with high affinity. Thermally induced unfolding experiments indicated that mortalin is formed by at least two domains and that the transition is sensitive to the presence of adenosine nucleotides and that this process is dependent on the presence of Mg2+ ions. Interestingly, the thermal-induced unfolding assays of mortalin suggested the presence of an aggregation/association event, which was not observed for human Hsp70-1A, and this finding may explain its natural tendency for in vivo aggregation. Our study may contribute to the structural understanding of mortalin as well as to contribute for its recombinant production for antitumor compound screenings.

In Vivo Evaluation Of The Genetic Toxicity Of Rubus Niveus Thunb. (rosaceae) Extract And Initial Screening Of Its Potential Chemoprevention Against Doxorubicin-induced Dna Damage.

Rubus niveus Thunb. plant belongs to Rosaceae family and have been used traditionally to treat wounds, burns, inflammation, dysentery, diarrhea and for curing excessive bleeding during menstrual cycle. The present study was undertaken to investigate the in vivo genotoxicity of Rubus niveus aerial parts extract and its possible chemoprotection on doxorubicin (DXR)-induced DNA damage. In parallel, the main phytochemicals constituents in the extract were determined. The animals were exposed to the extract for 24 and 48h, and the doses selected were 500, 1000 and 2000mg/kg b.w. administered by gavage alone or prior to DXR (30mg/kg b.w.) administered by intraperitoneal injection. The endpoints analyzed were DNA damage in bone marrow and peripheral blood cells assessed by the alkaline alkaline (pH>13) comet assay and bone marrow micronucleus test. The results of chemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of tormentic acid, stigmasterol, quercitinglucoronide (miquelianin) and niga-ichigoside F1 as main compounds. Both cytogenetic endpoints analyzed showed that there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) between the negative control and the treated groups with the two higher doses of Rubus niveus extract alone, demonstrating absence of genotoxic and mutagenic effects. Aneugenic/clastogenic effect was observed only at 2000mg/kg dose. On the other hand, in the both assays and all tested doses were observed a significant reduction of DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations in all groups co-treated with DXR and extract compared to those which received only DXR. These results indicate that Rubus niveus aerial parts extract did not revealed any genotoxic effect, but presented some aneugenic/clastogenic effect at higher dose; and suggest that it could be a potential adjuvant against development of second malignant neoplasms caused by the cancer chemotherapic DXR.

Estilos motivacionais de professores: propriedades psicométricas de um instrumento de avaliação

The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory factorial analysis of Problems in School, a teachers' motivational styles evaluation instrument, constructed by Deci et al. The original instrument is in a Likert-scale format with the underlying assumption of the existence of a continuum of four different styles contributing to promote students' autonomy. Translated into portuguese, the instrument was applied to 582 elementary and junior high school teachers from several regions of Brazil. Factorial analyses revealed a solution with four orthogonal distinct factors, the authors' initial supposition (existence of a continuum) was not confirmed. In fact, only two opposite styles (both high promotion of autonomy and of control) corresponded to the Deci et al. original ideas. Problems regarding the validity of the other remaining styles emerged. Data was discussed and a revised version of the scale was developed. Directions for further research were also suggested.

Central retinal vein thrombosis as an initial manifestation of heterozygous protein C deficiency: case report

The purpose of this paper is to report a case of central retinal vein thrombosis associated with isolated heterozygous protein C deficiency. Acute occlusion of the central retinal vein presents as one of the most dramatic pictures in ophthalmology. It is often a result of both local and systemic causes. A rare systemic cause is heterozygous protein C deficiency, and it usually occurs in combination with other thrombophilic conditions. This case highlights that isolated heterozygous protein C deficiency may be the cause of central retinal vein thrombosis and underscores the importance of its screening in young patients with this ophthalmologic disease.

Initial challenges in the career of ophthalmologists

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Desporto adaptado no Brasil : origem, institucionalização e atualidade

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física