Clinicopathologic features and outcome of mycophenolate-induced colitis in renal transplant recipients

Reports on the clinical course of mycophenolic acid (MPA)-related colitis in kidney transplant recipients are scarce. This study aimed at assessing MPA-related colitis incidence, risk factors, and progression after kidney transplantation. All kidney transplant patients taking MPA who had colonic biopsies for persistent chronic diarrhea, between 2000 and 2012, at the Kidney Transplantation Unit of Botucatu Medical School Hospital, Brazil, were included. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunohistochemistry was performed in all biopsy specimens. Data on presenting symptoms, medications, immunosuppressive drugs, colonoscopic findings, and follow-up were obtained. Of 580 kidney transplant patients on MPA, 34 underwent colonoscopy. Colonoscopic findings were associated with MPA usage in 16 patients. The most frequent histologic patterns were non-specific colitis (31.3%), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like colitis (25%), normal/near normal (18.8%), graft-versus-host disease-like (18.8%), and ischemia-like colitis (12.5%). All patients had persistent acute diarrhea and weight loss. Six of the 16 MPA-related diarrhea patients (37.5%) showed acute dehydration requiring hospitalization. Diarrhea resolved when MPA was switched to sirolimus (50%), discontinued (18.75%), switched to azathioprine (12.5%), or reduced by 50% (18.75%). No graft loss occurred. Four patients died during the study period. Late-onset MPA was more frequent, and no correlation with MPA dose or formulation was found.

Fabrication of microenvironments with different geometrical features for cell growth studies

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

Chemical and morphological features of nanofilled composite resin: influence of finishing and polishing procedures and fluoride solutions

This study evaluated the influence of finishing and polishing procedures and differ-ent fluoride solutions on superficial morphology and chemistry of the nanofilled composite resinSupreme XT (3M) through the EDX analysis and SEM evaluation. Circular specimens (n 5 30) of 10mm diameter and 2 mm thickness were prepared, with half of the sample assays finished and polishedwith Super-Snap1sandpaper. The experimental groups were divided according to the presence or ab-sence of finishing and polishing and solutions (arti ficial saliva, 0.0 5% of manipulated sodium fluoridesolution, Fluordent Re ach, Oral B, Fluorgard). Specimens were immersed in each respective solutionfor 1 min per day, during 60 days and stored in artificial saliva at 37 6 18C between immersion peri-ods. Topography and chemical analysis was qualitative. It was observed that specimens submitted tofinishing and polishing procedures had lower superficial degradation. Fluoride solutio ns promoted su-perficial alterations on specimens, being the highest degradation obtained with Fluordent Reach. Itca n be concluded that finishing and polishing procedures and the immersion media influence the su-perficial morphology of composite resin tested; the Fluordent Reach was the flu oride solution thatmo st affected the material’s surface.

Chemical and morphological features of dental composite resin: influence of light curing units and immersion media

Aims: The study evaluated the influence of light curing units and immersionmedia on superficial morphology and chemistry of the nanofilled composite resin Supreme XT (3M)through the EDX analysis and SEM evaluation. Light curing units with different power densitiesand mode of application used were XL 3000 (480 mW/cm2), Jet Lite 4000 Plus (1230mW/cm2), andUltralume Led 5 (790 mW/cm2) and immersion media were artificial saliva, Coke1, tea and coffee,totaling 12 experimental groups. Specimens (10 mm 3 2 mm) were immersed in each respectivesolution for 5 min, three times a day, during 60 days and stored in artificial saliva at 378C 6 18Cbetween immersion periods. Topography and chemical analysis was qualitative. Findings: Groupsimmersed in artificial saliva, showed homogeneous degradation of matrix and deposition of calciumat the material surface. Regarding coffee, there was a reasonable chemical degradation with loss ofload particles and deposition of ions. For tea, superficial degradation occurred in specific areaswith deposition of calcium, carbon, potassium and phosphorus. For Coke1, excessive matrix degra-dation and loss of load particles with deposition of calcium, sodium, and potassium. Conclusion:Light curing units did not influence the superficial morphology of composite resin tested, but theimmersion beverages did. Coke1affected material’s surface more than did the other tested drinks.Microsc. Res. Tech. 73:176–181, 2010.

Bispectral index in calves anesthetized with xylazine, midazolam, ketamine, isoflurane and subjected to continuous rate infusion of lidocaine

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

Chronic reparative changes in medium-sized vessels in a case of primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma with angioinvasive features and cytotoxic phenotype: new histopathological findings in line with indolent clinical behavior

Angioinvasion/angiodestruction has been reported in a small subset of primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (PCALCL). Recently, PCALCL with angioinvasive features and cytotoxic phenotype has been characterized as a variant associated with good clinical outcomes despite worrisome histopathologic features. We report a case of PCALCL with angioinvasive features and cytotoxic phenotype associated with reparative changes on the wall of medium-sized vessels involved by the neoplasm, including intimal fibroblastic proliferation and luminal obliteration. This vascular pattern, although previously unreported in PCALCL, is in accordance with the indolent behavior observed in this entity and provides a further link with lymphomatoid papulosis type E.

Phenotypic and genetic features of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates from diarrheal children in the Ribeirao Preto metropolitan area, Sao Paulo State, Brazil

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

Escherichia coli from Crohn’s disease patient displays virulence features of enteroinvasive (EIEC), enterohemorragic (EHEC), and enteroaggregative (EAEC) pathotypes

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

Histochemical and morphological features of biopsied and stripped oocytes from the Brazilian endangered teleost pirapitinga, Brycon nattereri (Characiformes)

The aim of the present study was to characterize biopsied and stripped oocytes from the Brazilian endangered teleost pirapitinga (Brycon nattereri) using histochemical and morphological analyses. Biopsied oocytes had a mean diameter of 2.225 mm (modal diameter: 2.312 mm), complete vitellogenesis and a central or slightly eccentric nucleus. Neutral polysaccharides were detected in the follicular cells, zona radiata and yolk globules, while acidic polysaccharides were detected in the follicular cells and cortical alveoli. Ten out of the 19 females treated with two doses of carp pituitary extract (cPE) released oocytes, which were also analysed. Stripping occurred 292 +/- 39 degree-hours after the second dose of cPE and led to a mean spawning weight of 36.2 g, 10% spawning index, 241 oocytes/g of ova, 8222 oocytes/female and 23 oocytes/g of body weight. Stripped oocytes had a mean diameter of 2.33 mm and a mode at 2.375 mm, were weakly adhesive and coloration ranged from wine to brown. Under scanning electron microscopy, stripped oocytes exhibited a single funnel-shaped micropyle located at the animal pole and a zona radiata that measured 7.7 m in thickness with eight pore canals/m(2). Oocyte morphology in Brycon nattereri is similar to that found in other species of the genus, except for the larger size and weaker adhesiveness. These findings provide essential information for a better understanding of the reproductive biology of B. nattereri and the establishment of conservation measures for this threatened species.

Importance of anatomical leaf features for characterization of three species of Mapania (Mapanioideae, Cyperaceae) from the Amazon Forest, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nonlinear features identified by Volterra series for damage detection in a buckled beam

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

A virtual experiment for the detection of specific features in the frequency response of a coupled nonlinear and linear oscillator

This paper presents an investigation into some practical issues that may be present in a real experiment, when trying to validate the theoretical frequency response curve of a two degree-of-freedom nonlinear system consisting of coupled linear and nonlinear oscillators. Some specific features, such as detached resonance curves, have been theoretically predicted in multi degree-of-freedom nonlinear oscillators, when subject to harmonic excitation, and the system parameters have been shown to be fundamental in achieving such features. When based on a simplified model, approximate analytical expression for the frequency response curves may be derived, which may be validated by the numerical solutions. In a real experiment, however, the practical achievability of such features was previously shown to be greatly affected by small disturbances induced by gravity and inertia, which led to some solutions becoming unstable which had been predicted to be stable. In this work a practical system configuration is proposed where such effects are reduced so that the previous limitations are overcome. A virtual experiment is carried out where a detailed multi-body model of the oscillator is assembled and the effects on the system response are investigated.

New features of the morphotropic phase boundary in the PbZrO 3-PbTiO3 system: A Raman spectroscopy study

In this work we present a Raman study of PbZr1-xTi xO3 ceramics with composition values close to the morphotropic phase boundary region. The analysis of the Raman spectra leads to the determination of the monoclinic phase extension at different temperatures in a very good agreement with those determined by diffraction techniques. Therefore the obtained results show that Raman spectroscopy is a powerful and suitable technique to study structural phase transitions in PbZr 1-xTixO3. © 2002 Taylor & Francis.

Cherubism: clinicoradiographic features and treatment

Cherubism is a congenital childhood disease of autosomal dominant inheritance. This disease is characterized by painless bilateral enlargement of the jaws, in which bone is replaced with fibrous tissue. The condition has sui generis clinical, radiographic and histological features, of which the clinician should be aware for a better differential diagnosis in the presence of a fibro-osseous lesion affecting the bones of the maxillomandibular complex. The purpose of present paper was to review the literature and to report the most important aspects of cherubism in order to facilitate the study of this disease. Literature was reviewed about cherubism, emphasizing the relevant clinicoradiographic features and treatment. Literature was selected through a search of PubMed and Scielo electronic databases. The keywords used for search were adolescent, cherubism, cherubism/physiopathology, cherubism/treatment, cherubism/radiography. A manual search of the reference lists of the identified articles and the authors' article files and recent reviews was conducted to identify additional publications. Those studies that described new features about cherubism were included in this review. In total 44 literature sources were obtained and reviewed. Studies that described new features about cherubism physiopathology, diagnostics and treatment were reviewed. Despite the exceptions, cherubism is a clinically well-characterized disease. In cases of a suspicion of cherubism, radiographic examination is essential since the clinical presentation, the location and distribution of the lesions may define the diagnosis. Histopathological examination is complementary. Nowadays, genetic tests should be used for final diagnosis of cherubism.

Squamous odontogenic tumor: literature review focusing on the radiographic features and differential diagnosis

Since its first publication in 1975, the squamous odontogenic tumor remains the rarest odontogenic lesion, with around 50 cases in the English-language literature in which the microscopic characteristics are frequently very well demonstrated. However, articles which discuss the radiographic aspects are scarce, especially with emphasis on the differential diagnosis. The present treatise proposes an assessment of jaw lesions with the same radiographic characteristics of the squamous odontogenic tumor to clarify the main findings for dental clinicians during routine diagnosis.