Efeitos de Z' nos modelos left-right, B-L e 331

Pós-graduação em Física - IFT

Population histories of right whales (Cetacea: Eubalaena) Inferred from Mitochondrial Sequence Diversities and Divergences of Their Whale Lice (Amphipoda: Cyamus)

Right whales carry large populations of three ‘whale lice’ (Cyamus ovalis, Cyamus gracilis, Cyamus erraticus) that have no other hosts. We used sequence variation in the mitochondrial COI gene to ask (i) whether cyamid population structures might reveal associations among right whale individuals and subpopulations, (ii) whether the divergences of the three nominally conspecific cyamid species on North Atlantic, North Pacific, and southern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, Eubalaena japonica, Eubalaena australis) might indicate their times of separation, and (iii) whether the shapes of cyamid gene trees might contain information about changes in the population sizes of right whales. We found high levels of nucleotide diversity but almost no population structure within oceans, indicating large effective population sizes and high rates of transfer between whales and subpopulations. North Atlantic and Southern Ocean populations of all three species are reciprocally monophyletic, and North Pacific C. erraticus is well separated from North Atlantic and southern C. erraticus. Mitochondrial clock calibrations suggest that these divergences occurred around 6 million years ago (Ma), and that the Eubalaena mitochondrial clock is very slow. North Pacific C. ovalis forms a clade inside the southern C. ovalis gene tree, implying that at least one right whale has crossed the equator in the Pacific Ocean within the last 1–2 million years (Myr). Low-frequency polymorphisms are more common than expected under neutrality for populations of constant size, but there is no obvious signal of rapid, interspecifically congruent expansion of the kind that would be expected if North Atlantic or southern right whales had experienced a prolonged population bottleneck within the last 0.5 Myr.

Distribution of North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) as shown by 19th and 20th century whaling catch and sighting records

North Pacific right whales (Eubalaena japonica) were extensively exploited in the 19th century, and their recovery was further retarded (severely so in the eastern population) by illegal Soviet catches in the 20th century, primarily in the 1960s. Monthly plots of right whale sightings and catches from both the 19th and 20th centuries are provided, using data summarized by Scarff (1991, from the whale charts of Matthew Fontaine Maury) and Brownell et al. (2001), respectively. Right whales had an extensive offshore distribution in the 19th century, and were common in areas (such as the Gulf of Alaska and Sea of Japan) where few or no right whales occur today. Seasonal movements of right whales are apparent in the data, although to some extent these reflect survey and whaling effort. That said, these seasonal movements indicate a general northward migration in spring from lower latitudes, and major concentrations above 40°N in summer. Sightings diminished and occurred further south in autumn, and few animals were recorded anywhere in winter. These north-south migratory movements support the hypothesis of two largely discrete populations of right whales in the eastern and western North Pacific. Overall, these analyses confirm that the size and range of the right whale population is now considerably diminished in the North Pacific relative to the situation during the peak period of whaling for this species in the 19th century. For management purposes, new surveys are urgently required to establish the present distribution of this species; existing data suggest that the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Okhotsk Sea, the Kuril Islands and the coast of Kamchatka are the areas with the greatest likelihood of finding right whales today.

EMERGENT CONDITIONAL RELATIONS IN A GO/NO-GO PROCEDURE: FIGURE-GROUND AND STIMULUS-POSITION COMPOUND RELATIONS

Past research has demonstrated emergent conditional relations using a go/no-go procedure with pairs of figures displayed side-by-side on a computer screen. The present Study sought to extend applications Of this procedure. In Experiment, 1, we evaluated whether emergent conditional relations Could be demonstrated when two-component stimuli were displayed in figure-ground relationships-abstract figures displayed on backgrounds of different colors. Five normal)), capable adults participated. During training, each two-component stimulus Was presented successively. Responses emitted in the presence of some Stimulus pairs (A1B1, A2B2, A3B3, B1C1, B2C2 and B3C3) were reinforced, whereas responses emitted in the presence of other pairs (A1B2, A1B3, A2B1, A2B3, A3B1, A3B2, B1C2, B1C3, B2C1, B2C3, B3C1 and B3C2) were not. During tests, new configurations (AC and CA) were presented, thus emulating structurally the matching-to-sample tests employed in typical equivalence Studies. All participants showed emergent relations consistent with stimulus equivalence during testing. In Experiment 2, we systematically replicated the procedures with Stimulus compounds consisting Of four figures (A1, A2, C1 and C2) and two locations (left - B1 and right - 132). A,11 6 normally capable adults exhibited emergent stimulus-stimulus relations. Together, these experiments show that the go/no-go procedure is a potentially useful alternative for Studying emergent. conditional relations when matching-to-sample is procedurally cumbersome or impossible to use.

Pulmonary root translocation in malposition of great arteries repair allows right ventricular outflow tract growth

Objective: Optimal surgical treatment of patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), ventricular septal defect (VSD), and pulmonary stenosis (PS) remains a matter of debate. This study evaluated the clinical outcome and right ventricle outflow tract performance in the long-term follow-up of patients subjected to pulmonary root translocation (PRT) as part of their surgical repair. Methods: From April 1994 to December 2010, we operated on 44 consecutive patients (median age, 11 months). All had malposition of the great arteries as follows: TGA with VSD and PS (n = 33); double-outlet right ventricle with subpulmonary VSD (n = 7); double-outlet right ventricle with atrioventricular septal defect (n = 1); and congenitally corrected TGA with VSD and PS (n 3). The surgical technique consisted of PRT from the left ventricle to the right ventricle after construction of an intraventricular tunnel that diverted blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. Results: The mean follow-up time was 72 +/- 52.1 months. There were 3 (6.8%) early deaths and 1 (2.3%) late death. Kaplan-Meier survival was 92.8% and reintervention-free survival was 82.9% at 12 years. Repeat echocardiographic data showed nonlinear growth of the pulmonary root and good performance of the valve at 10 years. Only 4 patients required reinterventions owing to right ventricular outflow tract problems. Conclusions: PRT is a good surgical alternative for treatment of patients with TGA complexes, VSD, and PS, with acceptable operative risk, high long-term survivals, and few reinterventions. Most patients had adequate pulmonary root growth and performance. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2012;143:1292-8)

Coronary to Bronchial Artery Fistula: Are We Treating it Right?

Fistulas between coronary artery and bronchial artery may be present from birth, with few hemodynamic consequences, and may remain closed due to similarity of the filling pressures at these 2 sites.(1) They can also be secondary to pulmonary artery occlusive disease or chronic pulmonary inflammation.(2,3) These pulmonary changes may cause a dilation of the fistula and make it functional, causing angina pectoris by coronary steal syndrome, which is the most common symptom. The presentation may also be composed of episodes of hemoptysis, heart failure, and infective endocarditis. However, most patients remain asymptomatic. The ones that need treatment may not have a good response to the medical management, requiring an intervention. This can be done using embolization coils, stents grafts, and performing surgical ligation of the fistulas.(2-4) J INVASIVE CARDIOL 2012;24(11):E303-E304

Semantic Equivalence of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the "Body Change Inventory"

With the increase in research on the components of Body Image, validated instruments are needed to evaluate its dimensions. The Body Change Inventory (BCI) assesses strategies used to alter body size among adolescents. The scope of this study was to describe the translation and evaluation for semantic equivalence of the BCI in the Portuguese language. The process involved the steps of (1) translation of the questionnaire to the Portuguese language; (2) back-translation to English; (3) evaluation of semantic equivalence; and (4) assessment of comprehension by professional experts and the target population. The six subscales of the instrument were translated into the Portuguese language. Language adaptations were made to render the instrument suitable for the Brazilian reality. The questions were interpreted as easily understandable by both experts and young people. The Body Change Inventory has been translated and adapted into Portuguese. Evaluation of the operational, measurement and functional equivalence are still needed.

EQUIVALENCE OF REAL MILNOR FIBRATIONS FOR QUASI-HOMOGENEOUS SINGULARITIES

We show that for real quasi-homogeneous singularities f : (R-m, 0) -> (R-2, 0) with isolated singular point at the origin, the projection map of the Milnor fibration S-epsilon(m-1) \ K-epsilon -> S-1 is given by f/parallel to f parallel to. Moreover, for these singularities the two versions of the Milnor fibration, on the sphere and on a Milnor tube, are equivalent. In order to prove this, we show that the flow of the Euler vector field plays and important role. In addition, we present, in an easy way, a characterization of the critical points of the projection (f/parallel to f parallel to) : S-epsilon(m-1) \ K-epsilon -> S-1.

Rupture of the right ventricular free wall after myocardial infarction

Patient, 75 years-old, with free wall rupture of the right ventricle, corrected with prolene 3.0 points anchored in bovine pericardium patch, promoting the closure of the rupture. The patient was discharged on the 59th day after surgery in good clinical ans laboratorial conditions.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging: What Can It Add to Our Knowledge of the Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease of the pulmonary vasculature characterized by vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling leading to a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). It is becoming increasingly recognized that it is the response of the right ventricle (RV) to the increased afterload resulting from this increase in PVR that is the most important determinant of patient outcome. A range of hemodynamic, structural, and functional measures associated with the RV have been found to have prognostic importance in PAH and, therefore, have potential value as parameters for the evaluation and follow-up of patients. If such measures are to be used clinically, there is a need for simple, reproducible, accurate, easy-to-use, and noninvasive methods to assess them. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is regarded as the "gold standard" method for assessment of the RV, the complex structure of which makes accurate assessment by 2-dimensional methods, such as echocardiography, challenging. However, the majority of data concerning the use of CMRI in PAH have come from studies evaluating a variety of different measures and using different techniques and protocols, and there is a clear need for the development of standardized methodology if CMRI is to be established in the routine assessment of patients with PAH. Should such standards be developed, it seems likely that CMRI will become an important method for the noninvasive assessment and monitoring of patients with PAH. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Am J Cardiol 2012;110[suppl]:25S-31S)

Biventricular structural and functional responses to aortic constriction in a rabbit model of chronic right ventricular pressure overload

Objectives: Chronic right ventricular (RV) pressure overload results in pathologic RV hypertrophy and diminished RV function. Although aortic constriction has been shown to improve systolic function in acute RV failure, its effect on RV responses to chronic pressure overload is unknown. Methods: Adjustable vascular banding devices were placed on the main pulmonary artery and descending aorta. In 5 animals (sham group), neither band was inflated. In 9 animals (PAB group), only the pulmonary arterial band was inflated, with adjustments on a weekly basis to generate systemic or suprasystemic RV pressure at 28 days. In 9 animals, both pulmonary arterial and aortic devices were inflated (PAB+AO group), the pulmonary arterial band as for the PAB group and the aortic band adjusted to increase proximal systolic blood pressure by approximately 20 mm Hg. Effects on the functional performance were assessed 5 weeks after surgery by conductance catheters, followed by histologic and molecular assessment. Results: Contractile performance was significantly improved in the PAB+AO group versus the PAB group for both ventricles. Relative to sham-operated animals, both banding groups showed significant differences in myocardial histologic and molecular responses. Relative to the PAB group, the PAB+AO group showed significantly decreased RV cardiomyocyte diameter, decreased RV collagen content, and reduced RV expression of endothelin receptor type B, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and transforming growth factor beta genes. Conclusions: Aortic constriction in an experimental model of chronic RV pressure overload not only resulted in improved biventricular systolic function but also improved myocardial remodeling. These data suggest that chronically increased left ventricular afterload leads to a more physiologically hypertrophic response in the pressure-overloaded RV. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2012;144:1494-501)

Pulmonary hypertension diagnosed by right heart catheterisation in sickle cell disease

Recent studies have recognised the importance of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in sickle cell disease (SCD). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and prognostic impact of PH and its features in patients with SCD. 80 patients with SCD underwent baseline clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, 6-min walk tests (6MWTs) and echocardiography. Patients with a peak tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRV) of >= 2.5 m.s(-1) were further evaluated through right heart catheterisation (RHC) to assure the diagnosis of PH. Our study evidenced a 40% prevalence of patients with elevated TRV at echocardiography. RHC (performed in 25 out of 32 patients) confirmed PH in 10% (95% CI 3.4-16.5%) of all patients, with a prevalence of post-capillary PH of 6.25% (95% CI 0.95-11.55%) and pre-capillary PH of 3.75% (95% CI -0.4-7.9%). Patients with PH were older, had worse performance in 6MWTs, and more pronounced anaemia, haemolysis and renal dysfunction. Survival was shorter in patients with PH. Our study reinforced the use of echocardiography as a screening tool for PH in SCD and the mandatory role of RHC for proper diagnosis. Our findings confirmed the prognostic significance of PH in SCD as its association to pronounced haemolytic profile.

Assessment of Pharmaceutical Equivalence: Difference Test or Equivalence Test?

Pharmaceutical equivalence is an important step towards the confirmation of similarity and Interchangeability among pharmaceutical products, particularly regarding those that win not be tested for bioequivalence. The aim of this paper is to compare traditional difference testing to two one-side equivalence tests in the assessment of pharmaceutical equivalence, by means of equivalence studies between similar, generic and reference products of acyclovir cream, atropine sulfate injection, meropenem for injection, and metronidazole injection. All tests were performed in accordance with the Brazilian Pharmacopeia or the United States Pharmacopeia. All four possible combinations of results arise in these comparisons of difference testing and equivalence testing. Most of the former did not show significant difference, whereas the latter presented similarity. We concluded that equivalence testing is more appropriate than difference testing, what can make it a useful tool to assess pharmaceutical equivalence in products that will not be tested for bioequivalence.