Procalcitonin in children with sepsis and septic shock

Objectives: To study the behavior of procalcitonin and to verify whether it can be used to differentiate children with septic conditions.Methods: Children were enrolled prospectively from among those aged 28 days to 14 years, admitted between January 2004 and December 2005 to the pediatric intensive care unit at Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP with sepsis or septic shock. The children were classified as belonging to one of two groups: the sepsis group (SG; n = 47) and the septic shock group (SSG; n = 43). Procalcitonin was measured at admission (TO) and again 12 hours later (T12h), and the results classed as: < 0.5 ng/mL = sepsis unlikely; >= 0.5 to < 2 = sepsis possible; >= 2 to < 10 = systemic inflammation and : 10 = septic shock.Results: At T0 there was a greater proportion of SSG patients than SG patients in the highest PCT class [SSG: 30 (69.7%) > SG: 14 (29.8%); p < 0.05]. The proportion of SSG patients in this highest PCT class was greater than in all other classes (>= 10 = 69.7%; >= 2 to < 10 = 18.6%; >= 0.5 to < 2 = 11.6%; < 0. 5 = 0.0%; p < 0.05). The behavior of procalcitonin at T12h was similar to at T0. The pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) scores for the SSG patients in the highest procalcitonin class were more elevated than for children in the SG [SSG: 35.15 (40.5-28.7) vs. SG: 18.6 (21.4-10.2); p < 0.05].Conclusions: Procalcitonin allows sepsis to be differentiated from septic shock, can be of aid when diagnosing septic conditions in children and may be related to severity.

Interleukin-6 and procalcitonin in children with sepsis and septic shock

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comparison between procalcitonin and C-reactive protein for early diagnosis of children with sepsis or septic shock

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Traveling waves in the Lethargic Crab Disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dimorphism, thermal tolerance, virulence and Heat shock protein 70 transcription in different isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

The mycelia-to-yeast (M-Y) transition, thermal tolerance and virulence profiles were evaluated for nine isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, including samples from two of the three recently discovered cryptic species, as well as their relation to the partial sequence and transcription of the hsp70 gene. The isolates Bt84 and T10 (from PS2 species) took more time to convert to yeast form and presented elongated yeast cells at 36 degrees C. Arthroconidia production was also observed during the M-Y transition for some isolates. Our data confirm that the hsp70 transcription may be associated with thermal tolerance, but this does not seem to be directly related to high virulence profiles. The partial sequencing of this gene allowed the separation of our isolates into two clusters that correspond to the two sympatric cryptic species occurring in an area hyperendemic for PCM (Botucatu, SP, Brazil).

Indigofera suffruticosa Mill as new source of healing agent: Involvement of prostaglandin and mucus and heat shock proteins

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Gastroprotective mechanisms of Citrus lemon (Rutaceae) essential oil and its majority compounds limonene and beta-pinene: Involvement of heat-shock protein-70, vasoactive intestinal peptide, glutathione, sulfhydryl compounds, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E-2

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Involvement of Glutathione, Sulfhydryl Compounds, Nitric Oxide, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, and Heat-Shock Protein-70 in the Gastroprotective Mechanism of Croton cajucara Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) Essential Oil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

In situ localization of heat-shock proteins and cell death labelling in the salivary gland of acaricide-treated honeybee larvae

The effects of the acaricides, rotenone and oxalic acid (OA) on salivary glands of honeybee larvae were evaluated. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect cell death and heat-shock protein (HSP70 and 90) localizations. Heat-shock proteins (HSP70 and 90) were localized in the cytoplasm and/or the nuclei of secretory gland cells, both under stress and in normal conditions. In rotenone-treated larvae, there were no changes in the normal level of cell death and also there were no morphological alterations in the secretory cells. In the larvae treated with oxalic acid, the salivary gland showed varying degrees of morphological cellular alteration and an increase in the cell death level. The present data suggest that stress-induced HSP70 might have an antiapoptotic effect while the stress-induced HSP90 might have a chaperone function in the larval salivary glands.

Theory of small aspect ratio waves in deep water

In the limit of small values of the aspect ratio parameter (or wave steepness) which measures the amplitude of a surface wave in units of its wave-length, a model equation is derived from the Euler system in infinite depth (deep water) without potential flow assumption. The resulting equation is shown to sustain periodic waves which on the one side tend to the proper linear limit at small amplitudes, on the other side possess a threshold amplitude where wave crest peaking is achieved. An explicit expression of the crest angle at wave breaking is found in terms of the wave velocity. By numerical simulations, stable soliton-like solutions (experiencing elastic interactions) propagate in a given velocities range on the edge of which they tend to the peakon solution. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Absorption cross section of electromagnetic waves for Schwarzschild black holes

The absorption cross section of black holes has been investigated for various fields. Nevertheless, the absorption cross section of Schwarzschild black holes for the electromagnetic field has been only calculated in the low- and high-frequency approximations until now. Here we compute it numerically for arbitrary frequencies.

A mathematical model for wave propagation in elastic tubes with inhomogeneities: Application to blood waves propagation

We study the propagation of waves in an elastic tube filled with an inviscid fluid. We consider the case of inhomogeneity whose mechanical and geometrical properties vary in space. We deduce a system of equations of the Boussinesq type as describing the wave propagation in the tube. Numerical simulations of these equations show that inhomogeneities prevent separation of right-going from left-going waves. Then reflected and transmitted coefficients are obtained in the case of localized constriction and localized rigidity. Next we focus on wavetrains incident on various types of anomalous regions. We show that the existence of anomalous regions modifies the wavetrain patterns. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mean-field model for the interference of matter-waves from a three-dimensional optical trap

Using the mean-field time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation we study the formation of a repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate on a combined optical and harmonic traps in two and three dimensions and subsequent generation of the interference pattern upon the removal of the combined traps as in the experiment by, Greiner et al. [Nature (London 415 (2002) 39]. For optical traps of moderate strength, interference pattern of 27 (9) prominent bright spots is found to be formed in three. (two) dimensions on a cubic (square) lattice in agreement with experiment. Similar interference pattern can also be formed upon removal of the optical lattice trap only. The pattern so formed can oscillate for a long time in the harmonic trap which can be observed experimentally. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Periodic waves and solitons in a nonlinear fibre with resonant impurities

We shall consider a coupled nonlinear Schrodinger equation- Bloch system of equations describing the propagation of a single pulse through a nonlinear dispersive waveguide in the presence of resonances; this could be, for example, a doped optical fibre. By making use of the integrability of the dynamic equations, we shall apply the finite-gap integration method to obtain periodic solutions for this system. Next, we consider the problem of the formation of solitons at a sharp front pulse and, by means of the Whitham modulational theory, we derive the amplitude and velocity of the largest soliton.