Risk factors of postictal generalized EEG suppression in generalized convulsive seizures.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical determinants of occurrence of postictal generalized EEG suppression (PGES) after generalized convulsive seizures (GCS). METHODS: We reviewed the video-EEG recordings of 417 patients included in the REPO2MSE study, a multicenter prospective cohort study of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. According to ictal semiology, we classified GCS into 3 types: tonic-clonic GCS with bilateral and symmetric tonic arm extension (type 1), clonic GCS without tonic arm extension or flexion (type 2), and GCS with unilateral or asymmetric tonic arm extension or flexion (type 3). Association between PGES and person-specific or seizure-specific variables was analyzed after correction for individual effects and the varying number of seizures. RESULTS: A total of 99 GCS in 69 patients were included. Occurrence of PGES was independently associated with GCS type (p < 0.001) and lack of early administration of oxygen (p < 0.001). Odds ratio (OR) for GCS type 1 in comparison with GCS type 2 was 66.0 (95% confidence interval [CI 5.4-801.6]). In GCS type 1, risk of PGES was significantly increased when the seizure occurred during sleep (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.2-20.9) and when oxygen was not administered early (OR 13.4, 95% CI 3.2-55.9). CONCLUSION: The risk of PGES dramatically varied as a function of GCS semiologic characteristics. Whatever the type of GCS, occurrence of PGES was prevented by early administration of oxygen.

Paniculite mesentérica pseudotumoral: aspectos tomográficos de um caso

A paniculite mesentérica representa um processo inflamatório do mesentério de ocorrência rara e etiologia desconhecida, que apenas em alguns poucos casos pode se manifestar sob a forma de pseudotumores abdominais. Descreve-se, enfatizando os aspectos tomográficos, um raro caso de paniculite mesentérica que se apresentou inicialmente como um pseudotumor que envolvia a região peripancreática.

Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: a pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants.

One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age-standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are affecting the number of adults with diabetes. We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence-defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7.0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs-in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue. We used data from 751 studies including 4,372,000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4.3% (95% credible interval 2.4-7.0) in 1980 to 9.0% (7.2-11.1) in 2014 in men, and from 5.0% (2.9-7.9) to 7.9% (6.4-9.7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28.5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39.7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31.8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target. Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults affected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Wellcome Trust.

Immediate ecotoxicological effects of short-lived oil spills on marine biota.

Marine environments are frequently exposed to oil spills as a result of transportation, oil drilling or fuel usage. Whereas large oil spills and their effects have been widely documented, more common and recurrent small spills typically escape attention. To fill this important gap in the assessment of oil-spill effects, we performed two independent supervised full sea releases of 5 m(3) of crude oil, complemented by on-board mesocosm studies and sampling of accidentally encountered slicks. Using rapid on-board biological assays, we detect high bioavailability and toxicity of dissolved and dispersed oil within 24 h after the spills, occurring fairly deep (8 m) below the slicks. Selective decline of marine plankton is observed, equally relevant for early stages of larger spills. Our results demonstrate that, contrary to common thinking, even small spills have immediate adverse biological effects and their recurrent nature is likely to affect marine ecosystem functioning.

Multicomutação e amostragem binária em análise química em fluxo: determinação espectrofotométrica de ortofosfato em águas naturais

A flow system based on multicommutation and binary sampling process was developed to implement the sample zone trapping technique in order to increase the spectrophotometric analytical range and to improve sensitivity. The flow network was designed with active devices in order to provide facilities to determine sequentialy analyte with a wide concentration range, employing a single pumping channel to propel sample and reagents solutions. The procedure was employed to determine ortophosphate ions in water samples of river and waste. Profitable features such as an analytical throughput of 60 samples determination per hour, relative standard deviation (r.s.d.) of 2% (n = 6) for a typical sample with concentration of 2.78 mg/L were achieved. By applying the paired t-test no significant difference at 95% confidence level was observed between the results obtained with the proposed system and those of the usual flow injection system.

O dispositivo à corrente diferencial-residual (DR) e sua utilidade em laboratórios químicos

The use of GFCI, ground-fault circuit interrupter, in the chemical laboratory is described, to improve the electrical safety of equipments such as rotary evaporators and constant temperature baths.

Reações de Diels-Alder entre compostos carbonílicos a,b-insaturados e ciclopentadieno

We review herewith the use of solids such as activated alumina and other modern Lewis acid catalysts, as well as the influence of different solvents, including water, on the title reactions, described in the last seven years.

Síntese de poli(p-xililenos)

Poly(p-xylylenes), PPX, are a class of high performance insulating materials with many applications in the electronic component industry. We review herewith the most important synthetic routes to these polymers, described in the literature, since 1904.

Despolarizador eletrônico de eletrodos

This paper presents the design of a simple apparatus that periodically switches off both working and auxiliary electrodes short-circuiting them for a couple of seconds. Depolarization takes place and the initial current is re-established.

Control and femtosecond time-resolved imaging of torsion in a chiral molecule

We study how the combination of long and short laser pulses can be used to induce torsion in an axially chiral biphenyl derivative (3,5-difluoro-3 ,5 -dibromo-4 -cyanobiphenyl). A long, with respect to the molecular rotational periods, elliptically polarized laser pulse produces 3D alignment of the molecules, and a linearly polarized short pulse initiates torsion about the stereogenic axis. The torsional motion is monitored in real-time by measuring the dihedral angle using femtosecond time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging. Within the first 4 picoseconds (ps), torsion occurs with a period of 1.25 ps and an amplitude of 3◦ in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. At larger times, the quantum states of the molecules describing the torsional motion dephase and an almost isotropic distribution of the dihedral angle is measured.We demonstrate an original application of covariance analysis of two-dimensional ion images to reveal strong correlations between specific ejected ionic fragments from Coulomb explosion. This technique strengthens our interpretation of the experimental data

Estudos Cinéticos da aquação do trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]Cl

The trans-dichlorobis(ethylenediamine)cobalt(III) chloride was synthesized in an undergraduate laboratory and its aquation reaction was carried out at different temperatures. This reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics and the rate constants, determined at 25, 35, 45, 55 and 70 º C, are 1.44 x 10-3; 5.14 x 10-3; 1.48 x 10-2; 4.21 x 10-2 and 2.21 x 10-1 s-1, respectively. The activation energy is 93.99 ± 2.88 kJ mol-1.

Composição centesimal do leite humano e caracterização das propriedades físico-químicas de sua gordura

Human milk fat is essential for development of newborn infants. Many studies detail chemical characteristics of human milk fat; however there are no studies about its physical properties. The objective of this work was to analyze the centesimal composition of human milk and to compare the calculated energy value with the estimated energy by the creamatocrit method. Chemical composition and physical properties of human milk lipids and Betapol - a structured lipid - were also studied. The results showed that energy values of human milk estimated by creamatocrit and calculated by the centesimal composition didn't present significant correlation. Human milk lipids and Betapol presented distinct physico-chemical properties.

Comportamento de cristalização de lipídios estruturados por interesterificação química de banha e óleo de soja

The aim of this study was to evaluate the crystallization behavior of binary mixtures of lard and soybean oil in different ratios and their respective structured lipids obtained by chemical interesterification. Crystallization kinetics and polarized light microscopy were used to analyze the mixtures before and after interesterification. The addition of soybean oil changed the lard crystallization, by the effect of the dilution. Crystal diameter increased, while the number of crystals decreased, as a function of temperature. Interesterification resulted in the formation of fewer crystals, with larger diameter in comparison with the original mixtures.

Validação de métodos cromatográficos para a determinação de resíduos de medicamentos veterinários em alimentos

Different agencies that supply validation guidelines worldwide establish almost the same parameters to be evaluated in the validation process of bioanalytical methods. However, they recommend different procedures, as well as establish different acceptance criteria. The present review delineates and discusses the stages involved in the validation procedures of bioanalytical methods designed for determining veterinary residues in food, explaining the main differences in the guidelines established for this purpose by the main regulatory agencies in the world.

De perfectione transcendentali

Invocatio: Auspice et duce Jesu Christo.