Neuronal and nonneuronal quantitative BACE immunocytochemical expression in the entorhinohippocampal and frontal regions in Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, we quantitatively investigated the expression of beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE) in the entorhinohippocampal and frontal cortex of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and old control subjects. The semiquantitative estimation indicated that the intensity of BACE overall immunoreactivity did not differ significantly between AD and controls, but that a significantly stronger staining was observed in the hippocampal regions CA3-4 compared to other regions in both AD patients and controls. The quantitative estimation confirmed that the number of BACE-positive neuronal profiles was not significantly decreased in AD. However, some degeneration of BACE-positive profiles was attested by the colocalization of neurons expressing BACE and exhibiting neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), as well as by a decrease in the surface area of BACE-positive profiles. In addition, BACE immunocytochemical expression was observed in and around senile plaques (SP), as well as in reactive astrocytes. BACE-immunoreactive astrocytes were localized in the vicinity or close to the plaques and their number was significantly increased in AD entorhinal cortex. The higher amount of beta-amyloid SP and NFT in AD was not correlated with an increase in BACE immunoreactivity. Taken together, these data accent that AD progression does not require an increased neuronal BACE protein level, but suggest an active role of BACE in immunoreactive astrocytes. Moreover, the strong expression in controls and regions less vulnerable to AD puts forward the probable existence of alternate BACE functions.

Transient global amnesia associated with an acute infarction at the cingulate gyrus.

Background. Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a syndrome of sudden, unexplained isolated short-term memory loss. In the majority of TGA cases, no causes can be identified and neuroimaging, CSF studies and EEG are usually normal. We present a patient with TGA associated with a small acute infarct at the cingulate gyrus. Case Report. The patient, a 62 year-old man, developed two episodes of TGA. He had hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. He was found to have an acute ischemic stroke of small size (15 mm of maximal diameter) at the right cerebral cingulate gyrus diagnosed on brain magnetic resonance imaging. No lesions involving other limbic system structures such as thalamus, fornix, corpus callosum, or hippocampal structures were seen. The remainder of the examination was normal. Conclusion. Unilateral ischemic lesions of limbic system structures may result in TGA. We must bear in mind that TGA can be an associated clinical disorder of cingulate gyrus infarct.

Thorax, pelvis and hip pattern in the frontal plane during walking in unilateral transtibial amputees: biomechanical analysis.

BACKGROUND Lower limb amputees exhibit postural control deficits during standing which can affect their walking ability. OBJECTIVES The primary purpose of the present study was to analyze the thorax, pelvis, and hip kinematics and the hip internal moment in the frontal plane during gait in subjects with Unilateral Transtibial Amputation (UTA). METHOD The participants included 25 people with UTA and 25 non-amputees as control subjects. Gait analysis was performed using the Vicon(r) Motion System. We analyzed the motion of the thorax, pelvis, and hip (kinematics) as well as the hip internal moment in the frontal plane. RESULTS The second peak of the hip abductor moment was significantly lower on the prosthetic side than on the sound side (p=.01) and the control side (right: p=.01; left: p=.01). During middle stance, the opposite side of the pelvis was higher on the prosthetic side compared to the control side (right: p=.01: left: p=.01). CONCLUSIONS The joint internal moment at the hip in the frontal plane was lower on the prosthetic side than on the sound side or the control side. Thorax and pelvis kinematics were altered during the stance phase on the prosthetic side, presumably because there are mechanisms which affect postural control during walking.

Perifollicular erythema as a trichoscopy sign of progression in frontal fibrosing alopecia.

INTRODUCTION Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) in an entity characterized by the recession of the frontotemporal hairline (FTHL) with alopecic scarring change. In recent years there are numerous articles discussing the usefulness of dermoscopy for the clinical diagnosis of different types of scarring alopecia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We value 79 patients diagnosed with FFA, evaluating some trichoscopical findings described as typical for FFA: Absence of follicular opening, follicular hyperkeratosis, follicular plugs and erythema. RESULTS In a population of 79 women, 100% showed no follicular opening, 72.1% follicular hyperkeratosis, 66.3% perifollicular erythema and 44.8% follicular plugs. Thus, 100% of patients had at least one of the dermoscopic elements described as suggestive of FFA, 53% two of them, 45% three and 27%, all those elements. Perifollicular erythema was present in 95% of cases in which the disease was active. CONCLUSIONS We consider that the presence of perifollicular erythema will be a direct marker of FFA activity.

Disseny i fabricació del frontal d'un monoplaça de competició en fibra de carboni

El projecte estudia la industrialització d’una peça de material compòsit per a un vehicle de competició tenint en compte consideracions de resistència estructural i, en especial, el posterior procés de fabricació. S’ha escollit el frontal d’un monoplaça de competició per estudiar-ne el procés d’industrialització utilitzant una sèrie de programes per fer les simulacions pertinents a partir d’un model informàtic 3D del frontal i de l’aleró que va fixat a la part inferior del frontal

Differential damage in the frontal cortex with aging, sporadic and familial Alzheimer's disease.

In order to understand relationships between executive and structural deficits in the frontal cortex of patients within normal aging or Alzheimer's disease, we studied frontal pathological changes in young and old controls compared to cases with sporadic (AD) or familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). We performed a semi-automatic computer assisted analysis of the distribution of beta-amyloid (Abeta) deposits revealed by Abeta immunostaining as well as of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) revealed by Gallyas silver staining in Brodman areas 10 (frontal polar), 12 (ventro-infero-median) and 24 (anterior cingular), using tissue samples from 5 FAD, 6 sporadic AD and 10 control brains. We also performed densitometric measurements of glial fibrillary acidic protein, principal compound of intermediate filaments of astrocytes, and of phosphorylated neurofilament H and M epitopes in areas 10 and 24. All regions studied seem almost completely spared in normal old controls, with only the oldest ones exhibiting a weak percentage of beta-amyloid deposit and hardly any NFT. On the contrary, all AD and FAD cases were severely damaged as shown by statistically significant increased percentages of beta-amyloid deposit, as well as by a high number of NFT. FAD cases (all from the same family) had statistically more beta-amyloid and GFAP than sporadic AD cases in both areas 10 and 24 and statistically more NFT only in area 24. The correlation between the percentage of beta-amyloid and the number of NFT was significant only for area 24. Altogether, these data suggest that the frontal cortex can be spared by AD type lesions in normal aging, but is severely damaged in sporadic and still more in familial Alzheimer's disease. The frontal regions appear to be differentially vulnerable, with area 12 having the less amyloid burden, area 24 the less NFT and area 10 having both more amyloid and more NFT. This pattern of damage in frontal regions may represent a strong neuroanatomical support for the deterioration of attention and cognitive capacities as well as for the presence of emotional and behavioral troubles in AD patients.

Mortalidade infantil em município do interior do estado de São Paulo

Considerando que a mortalidade infantil é indicador dos níveis de saúde da população, realizamos este trabalho, cujo objetivo foi identificar as causas de mortalidade infantil no ano de 1998 em Botucatu. O coeficiente de mortalidade infantil obtido foi 12/1000 NV, com maior participação dos óbitos neonatais - 8,3/1000 NV A maior parte dos óbitos foi classificada como reduzível ou parcialmente reduzível, mas a atenção necessária para viabilizar tal redução foi variada. Dos óbitos ocorridos, 21,7% eram inevitáveis, evidenciando que para redução dos índices de mortalidade infantil deveremos continuar investindo na qualidade da assistência à saúde e melhoria das condições de vida da população.

The interior designer : Can the physiological agents of homeostasis create the appearance of design in nature?

Review of the book: The Tinkerer's Accomplice: How Design Emerges From Life Itself by J. Scott TurnerHarvard University Press: 2007. 304 pp.

Representação de gestantes tabagistas sobre o uso do cigarro: estudo realizado em hospital do interior paulista

Este estudo objetivou apreender as representações de gestantes tabagistas sobre o uso de cigarro. Utilizou-se como referencial teórico a Teoria das Representações Sociais. Para análise dos dados, construiu-se o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. Das 27 mulheres entrevistadas, 18 possuíam primeiro grau completo, oito, o segundo grau completo e uma, ensino superior; 14 tinham união estável, seis eram casadas. Quatro temas emergiram: 1) o início do hábito de fumar: prática social e natural; 2) satisfação versus culpa; 3) uma bomba: efeitos do cigarro na gestação; 4) cessação: entre o querer e o poder. Apreendeu-se representação negativa do cigarro, considerado o pior dos vícios e potencial causador de complicações feto-maternas. O tabagismo foi representado de maneira preconceituosa, desconsiderando a existência e necessidade de tratamento. Emergiram dificuldades relativas à cessação, trazendo a necessidade de ajuda profissional, para informações, abordagem e tratamento adequados e apoio para que se alcance êxito.

Simultaneous Doppelgänger and limb amputation impression in right frontal opercular stroke.

A case is described of a patient who presented almost simultaneously the impression that his left arm was amputated and the feeling of the presence of his invisible Doppelgänger. While these body scheme disorders have both been described after (right) parietal lesions, a right frontal opercular ischaemic stroke was found in the neurological work up. Diffusion tensor imaging showed that the stroke involved the ventral bundle of the superior longitudinal fasciculus that connects the parietal to the frontal lobe. The unusual clinical presentation of this frontal lesion may have been due to a 'diaschisis'-like phenomenon via the superior longitudinal fasciculus.

Qualidade de vida de mulheres vivendo com o HIV/aids de um município do interior paulista

A terapia antirretroviral de alta potência beneficia os indivíduos com HIV/aids na sobrevida, cronicidade e qualidade de vida. Este estudo de corte transversal, com abordagem quantitativa, objetivou avaliar a qualidade de vida de mulheres com HIV/aids, utilizando o WHOQOL - HIV bref e sua associação com variáveis sociodemográficas. Foi realizado em dois ambulatórios especializados no atendimento a indivíduos com HIV/aids. De 106 mulheres participantes, 99,1% eram heterossexuais e 92,4% foram infectadas por via sexual. Dentre os domínios de qualidade de vida, espiritualidade obteve maior escore (65,7), seguido pelo físico (64,7), psicológico (60,6), relações sociais (59,5). Menores escores foram atingidos nos domínios nível de independência (58,6) e meio ambiente (54,5). Evidenciou-se que os fatores baixo nível socioeconômico e educacional tiveram associação com diferentes domínios, denotando a relação entre qualidade de vida e condições de vida. Concluiu-se que persistem os desafios no âmbito das relações sociais, afetivas, financeiras, requerendo intervenções efetivas focando o empoderamento das mulheres com HIV/aids.

O monitoramento de processos físicos de esterilização em hospitais do interior do estado de Goiás

Estudo descritivo com o objetivo de identificar a realização de controles físicos, químicos e biológicos dos processos de esterilização pelo vapor saturado sob pressão e em estufas de Pasteur em Centros de Material e Esterilização - CME. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista ao responsável pelo CME do maior hospital de todas as cidades do interior do Estado de Goiás, com número de habitantes igual ou superior a 20.000, no período de agosto de 2005 a junho de 2006. Participaram 44 municípios. Foi utilizado o programa SPSS, para análise. Em 31 (94,0%) hospitais não havia enfermeiros exclusivos no CME, os responsáveis eram técnicos e auxiliares de enfermagem. A maioria não realizava os controles físicos, químicos e biológicos dos processos de esterilização e, em apenas um, esses eram realizados simultaneamente. O descumprimento da monitorização dos ciclos de esterilização, impedindo a garantia da qualidade dos processos, representa risco à população assistida.