Ressonância magnética para avaliação dos limites dos campos clássicos de radioterapia em pacientes portadoras de neoplasia maligna de colo uterino

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os limites de campo padronizados para radioterapia de neoplasia maligna de colo uterino com o uso de ressonância magnética e verificar a importância deste exame na redução de possíveis erros de planejamento com técnica convencional. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram analisados, retrospectivamente, exames de ressonância magnética do planejamento de 51 pacientes tratadas devido a neoplasia de colo uterino. Os parâmetros estudados foram limites anterior e posterior no corte sagital. RESULTADOS: Observou-se, no corte sagital das ressonâncias magnéticas, que o limite de campo anterior apresentou-se inadequado em 20 (39,2%) pacientes e que houve perda geográfica em 37,3% dos casos no limite posterior. A inadequação de ambos os limites de campo não se relacionou com parâmetros clínicos como idade das pacientes, estadiamento, tipo e grau histológico. CONCLUSÃO: A avaliação dos limites de campo padronizados pela literatura com o uso de ressonância magnética mostrou altos índices de inadequação dos limites do campo lateral, assim como a importância do uso deste exame no planejamento radioterápico de pacientes portadoras de câncer de colo uterino com a finalidade de reduzir a perda geográfica no volume alvo de tratamento.

Acute and Chronic Altitude-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction in Children and Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether exposure to high altitude induces cognitive dysfunction in young healthy European children and adolescents during acute, short-term exposure to an altitude of 3450 m and in an age-matched European population permanently living at this altitude. STUDY DESIGN: We tested executive function (inhibition, shifting, and working memory), memory (verbal, short-term visuospatial, and verbal episodic memory), and speed processing ability in: (1) 48 healthy nonacclimatized European children and adolescents, 24 hours after arrival at high altitude and 3 months after return to low altitude; (2) 21 matched European subjects permanently living at high altitude; and (3) a matched control group tested twice at low altitude. RESULTS: Short-term hypoxia significantly impaired all but 2 (visuospatial memory and processing speed) of the neuropsychological abilities that were tested. These impairments were even more severe in the children permanently living at high altitude. Three months after return to low altitude, the neuropsychological performances significantly improved and were comparable with those observed in the control group tested only at low altitude. CONCLUSIONS: Acute short-term exposure to an altitude at which major tourist destinations are located induces marked executive and memory deficits in healthy children. These deficits are equally marked or more severe in children permanently living at high altitude and are expected to impair their learning abilities.

AltitudeOmics : Resetting of Cerebrovascular CO2 Reactivity Following Acclimatization to High Altitude.

Previous studies reported enhanced cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity upon ascent to high altitude using linear models. However, there is evidence that this response may be sigmoidal in nature. Moreover, it was speculated that these changes at high altitude are mediated by alterations in acid-base buffering. Accordingly, we reanalyzed previously published data to assess middle cerebral blood flow velocity (MCAv) responses to modified rebreathing at sea level (SL), upon ascent (ALT1) and following 16 days of acclimatization (ALT16) to 5260 m in 21 lowlanders. Using sigmoid curve fitting of the MCAv responses to CO2, we found the amplitude (95 vs. 129%, SL vs. ALT1, 95% confidence intervals (CI) [77, 112], [111, 145], respectively, P = 0.024) and the slope of the sigmoid response (4.5 vs. 7.5%/mmHg, SL vs. ALT1, 95% CIs [3.1, 5.9], [6.0, 9.0], respectively, P = 0.026) to be enhanced at ALT1, which persisted with acclimatization at ALT16 (amplitude: 177, 95% CI [139, 215], P < 0.001; slope: 10.3%/mmHg, 95% CI [8.2, 12.5], P = 0.003) compared to SL. Meanwhile, the sigmoidal response midpoint was unchanged at ALT1 (SL: 36.5 mmHg; ALT1: 35.4 mmHg, 95% CIs [34.0, 39.0], [33.1, 37.7], respectively, P = 0.982), while it was reduced by ~7 mmHg at ALT16 (28.6 mmHg, 95% CI [26.4, 30.8], P = 0.001 vs. SL), indicating leftward shift of the cerebrovascular CO2 response to a lower arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) following acclimatization to altitude. Sigmoid fitting revealed a leftward shift in the midpoint of the cerebrovascular response curve which could not be observed with linear fitting. These findings demonstrate that there is resetting of the cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity operating point to a lower PaCO2 following acclimatization to high altitude. This cerebrovascular resetting is likely the result of an altered acid-base buffer status resulting from prolonged exposure to the severe hypocapnia associated with ventilatory acclimatization to high altitude.

High Altitude Increases Alteration in Maximal Torque but Not in Rapid Torque Development in Knee Extensors after Repeated Treadmill Sprinting.

We assessed knee extensor neuromuscular adjustments following repeated treadmill sprints in different normobaric hypoxia conditions, with special reference to rapid muscle torque production capacity. Thirteen team- and racquet-sport athletes undertook 8 × 5-s "all-out" sprints (passive recovery = 25 s) on a non-motorized treadmill in normoxia (NM; FiO2 = 20.9%), at low (LA; FiO2 = 16.8%) and high (HA; FiO2 = 13.3%) normobaric hypoxia (simulated altitudes of ~1800 m and ~3600 m, respectively). Explosive (~1 s; "fast" instruction) and maximal (~5 s; "hard" instruction) voluntary isometric contractions (MVC) of the knee extensors (KE), with concurrent electromyographic (EMG) activity recordings of the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles, were performed before and 1-min post-exercise. Rate of torque development (RTD) and EMG (i.e., Root Mean Square or RMS) rise from 0 to 30, -50, -100, and -200 ms were recorded, and were also normalized to maximal torque and EMG values, respectively. Distance covered during the first 5-s sprint was similar (P > 0.05) in all conditions. A larger (P < 0.05) sprint decrement score and a shorter (P < 0.05) cumulated distance covered over the eight sprints occurred in HA (-8 ± 4% and 178 ± 11 m) but not in LA (-7 ± 3% and 181 ± 10 m) compared to NM (-5 ± 2% and 183 ± 9 m). Compared to NM (-9 ± 7%), a larger (P < 0.05) reduction in MVC torque occurred post-exercise in HA (-14 ± 9%) but not in LA (-12 ± 7%), with no difference between NM and LA (P > 0.05). Irrespectively of condition (P > 0.05), peak RTD (-6 ± 11%; P < 0.05), and normalized peak RMS activity for VL (-8 ± 11%; P = 0.07) and RF (-14 ± 11%; P < 0.01) muscles were reduced post-exercise, whereas reductions (P < 0.05) in absolute RTD occurred within the 0-100 (-8 ± 9%) and 0-200 ms (-10 ± 8%) epochs after contraction onset. After normalization to MVC torque, there was no difference in RTD values. Additionally, the EMG rise for VL muscle was similar (P > 0.05), whereas it increased (P < 0.05) for RF muscle during all epochs post-exercise, independently of the conditions. In summary, alteration in repeated-sprint ability and post-exercise MVC decrease were greater at high altitude than in normoxia or at low altitude. However, the post-exercise alterations in RTD were similar between normoxia and low-to-high hypoxia.

La investigación en Comunicación ante una encrucijada: de la teoría de los campos a la diseminación y diversidad gnoseológica. Estudio inicial comparado entre España, Brasil y Chile

Desde sus inicios, la comunicación fue un espacio de investigación diver - so, complejo, atravesado por múltiples influencias (sociológicas, políticas, económicas y semióticas). En ese contexto, la teoría de los campos (apun- talada por Pierre Bourdieu) brindó las posibilidades de estructuración y de autonomía, como mecanismo de reducir esa diversidad. Sin embargo, en estos años la heteronomía del campo, ha conducido a la comunicación 804 La investigación en Comunicación ante una encrucijada: ... - Víctor Silva Echeto, Jordi de San Eugenio Vela (como en el caso del arte u otras disciplinas) a influenciarse por contextos globales, inter y transdisciplinarios e intermediales (o transmediales), por tanto, no son los medios su objeto de investigación en sí mismos, sino una diversidad gnoseológica. En el artículo, se pone en discusión estos aspec- tos teóricos, contrastándolos con un estudio comparado –inicial– sobre la investigación en comunicación en España, Brasil y Chile, tres de los países con un mayor desarrollo en los últimos años.

Fritz Feigl: sua obra e novos campos tecno-científicos por ela originados

Fritz Feigl's scientific legacy of more than 500 original publications of spot reactions and new chemical concepts, includes a precise definition of identification limit, the difference between specific and selective reactions, and the masking/demasking of chemical reactions, the selective functionalization for the development of new reactions. It resulted in a considerable and varied number of new applications evident in hundreds of citations of his publications, up to 2003, throughout the thirty years following his passing away, and comprehending scientific as well as commercial fields, like that of kits for exploratory tests, based on his reactions and of his followers.

Distribuição de Hg total e suas associações com diferentes suportes geoquímicos em sedimentos marinhos da margem continental brasileira: Bacia de Campos - Rio de Janeiro

Mercury distribution and geochemical support on the Continental Margin was evaluated at the Campos Basin, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The average concentrations for all analyzed elements were, respectively, 20 ± 5 ng g-1 (Hg); 30 ± 14 mg g-1 (Al); 16 ± 6 mg g-1 (Fe), and 254 ± 83 µg g-1 (Mn). Silt and clay content, total carbonate and Hg, and organic carbon increased with depth. Finally, the relationship between Hg and silt clay showed significant positive correlation. Total Hg concentrations are the background level described primarily (~40 ng g-1).

Caracterização do material particulado fino e grosso e composição da fração inorgânica solúvel em água em São José dos Campos (SP)

Air samples of fine (PM2,5) and coarse (PM2,5-10) particulate matter were collected in São José dos Campos from February 2004 to February 2005. Average PM10 mass concentrations was 31.2 ± 14.0 μg m-3, half of which belonging to the PM2.5 fraction. Ammonium and SO4(2-) were predominantly found in the fine fraction. Average (NH4)2SO4 concentration was estimated to be about 2.9 μg m-3. Chloride, Na+ and NO3- were mostly associated with PM2,5-10. Chloride deficits with respect to sea-salt Cl/Na ratio were found in both size fractions.

Emissões naturais e antrópicas de nitrogênio, fósforo e metais para a bacia do Rio Macaé (Macaé, RJ, Brasil) sob influência das atividades de exploração de petroleo e gás na Bacia de Campos

Emission factors of natural processes and anthropogenic activities were used to estimate nutrients and metal loads for the lower Macaé river basin, which hosts the operational base for the offshore oil and gas exploration in the Campos Basin. The estimates indicated that emissions from anthropogenic activities are higher than natural emissions. Major contributing drivers include husbandry and urbanization, whose effluents receive no treatment. The increasing offshore oil exploration along the Brazilian littoral has resulted in rapid urbanization and, therefore might increase the inshore emission of anthropogenic chemicals in cases where effective residue control measures are not implemented in fluvial basins of the region.

Inhalable particulate matter characterization in a medium-sized urban region in Brazil (São José dos Campos Town) - Part I: Morphology

In this study, the concentration and morphological characteristics of inhalable particulate material (PM10) were evaluated and associated with climatic conditions. The mean annual concentration was 11.0 µg m−3, varying between 0,647 µg m−3 and 36.8 µg m−3. Wind speed has a higher influence on PM10 dispersion, but direction was associated with particle source. During the wet period, wind speed is the main dispersion factor, while speed and direction both are important during the dry period. Based on the morphological characteristics, it is concluded that biogenic particles prevail during the rainy season and terrigenous particles during the dry period, depending on the wind direction and intensity.

Levantamento de fungos associados às podridões do colmo e quantificação de danos em lavouras de milho do Planalto Médio gaúcho e dos Campos Gerais do Paraná

Os danos causados pelas podridões da base do colmo, a incidência de colmos doentes e as espécies de fungos envolvidas foram determinados em amostragem procedida em 29 lavouras de milho (Zea mays) destinadas à produção de grãos e de sementes, localizadas nas regiões do Planalto Médio gaúcho (RS) e dos Campos Gerais do Paraná (PR), nas safras 1997/98 e 1998/99. Os danos na safra 1997/98 variaram de 213 a 3.089 com média de 678 e na safra 1998/99 de 358 a 3.086 com média de 1.151 kg.ha-1. A incidência de colmos doentes no primeiro ano variou de 11,2 a 71,4 com média de 40,9 e no segundo de 21,9 a 79,3 com média de 45,9%. Não foi observada correlação entre os danos e a incidência de colmos doentes provavelmente pela diversidade das lavouras quanto aos fatores como genótipos, sistema de cultivo e forma de semeadura, fertilidade do solo, adubação e condições ambientais. A espécie de fungo que apresentou a maior incidência na primeira safra foi Colletotrichum graminicola e, na segunda, Fusarium graminearum. Além dessas, identificou-se outras espécies, como Diplodia maydis, D. macrospora, Fusarium moniliforme e F. subglutinans.

Visualização e caracterização de campos ultra-sônicos via óptica de schlieren

Neste trabalho aplicamos um método óptico sensível e de baixo custo denominado ‘Schlieren’ para visualização e caracterização de feixes ultra-sônicos em solução aquosa. Esta caracterização assume papel importante na Medicina para diagnóstico não invasivo via método ultra-sônico.

Objetivos educacionais na pedagogia das humanidades médicas: taxonomias alternativas (campos de significado e competências)

Os currículos médicos estão preocupados em formar médicos detentores de traços humanísticos, que passam, assim, a ser objetivos educacionais. Deve-se desenvolver, então, a sua pedagogia. Como objetivos, podem ser tratados pedagogicamente com base nos corpos conceituais teóricos que informam o planejamento de currículos, como a taxonomia de objetivos educacionais clássica, que compreende os domínios cognitivo, afetivo e psicomotor. Esta taxonomia dá conta de muitos dos objetivos relacionados aos traços humanísticos, organizando-os e facilitando a tarefa de planejamento educacional nessa área, mas deixa marginalizados alguns aspectos do conhecimento humano cruciais para as Humanidades, como os objetivos que se referem a autoconhecimento, amadurecimento e à individuação, reconhecimento dos próprios sentimentos e habilidades de comunicação interpessoal. Devem-se, então, buscar outros sistemas conceituais como referenciais teóricos mais adequados às Humanidades. É possível que se possa usar as taxonomias de maneira aditiva, procurando objetivos humanísticos em cada uma das categorias e subcategorias das diversas taxonomias. Assim, aumenta-se a abrangência do corpo de objetivos educacionais de natureza humanística.