[renal Tumors: The International Society Of Urologic Pathology (isup) 2012 Consensus Conference Recommendations].

During the last 30 years many advances have been made in kidney tumor pathology. In 1981, 9 entities were recognized in the WHO Classification. In the latest classification of 2004, 50 different types have been recognized. Additional tumor entities have been described since and a wide variety of prognostic parameters have been investigated with variable success; however, much attention has centered upon the importance of features relating to both stage and grade. The International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) recommends after consensus conferences the development of reporting guidelines, which have been adopted worldwide ISUP undertook to review all aspects of the pathology of adult renal malignancy through an international consensus conference to be held in 2012. As in the past, participation in this consensus conference was restricted to acknowledged experts in the field.

Microfluidic Paper-based Devices For Bioanalytical Applications.

Paper has become increasingly recognized as a very interesting substrate for the construction of microfluidic devices, with potential application in a variety of areas, including health diagnosis, environmental monitoring, immunoassays and food safety. The aim of this review is to present a short history of analytical systems constructed from paper, summarize the main advantages and disadvantages of fabrication techniques, exploit alternative methods of detection such as colorimetric, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, chemiluminescence and electrochemiluminescence, as well as to take a closer look at the novel achievements in the field of bioanalysis published during the last 2 years. Finally, the future trends for production of such devices are discussed.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles As Nucleic Acid Delivery System: Properties And Molecular Mechanisms.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have been proposed in the 1990s as appropriate drug delivery systems, and ever since they have been applied in a wide variety of cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. In addition, SLNs are considered suitable alternatives as carriers in gene delivery. Although important advances have been made in this particular field, fundamental knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of SLN-mediated gene delivery is conspicuously lacking, an imperative requirement in efforts aimed at further improving their efficiency. Here, we address recent advances in the use of SLNs as platform for delivery of nucleic acids as therapeutic agents. In addition, we will discuss available technology for conveniently producing SLNs. In particular, we will focus on underlying molecular mechanisms by which SLNs and nucleic acids assemble into complexes and how the nucleic acid cargo may be released intracellularly. In discussing underlying mechanisms, we will, when appropriate, refer to analogous studies carried out with systems based on cationic lipids and polymers, that have proven useful in the assessment of structure-function relationships. Finally, we will give suggestions for improving SLN-based gene delivery systems, by pointing to alternative methods for SLNplex assembly, focusing on the realization of a sustained nucleic acid release.

The Psychedelic State Induced By Ayahuasca Modulates The Activity And Connectivity Of The Default Mode Network.

The experiences induced by psychedelics share a wide variety of subjective features, related to the complex changes in perception and cognition induced by this class of drugs. A remarkable increase in introspection is at the core of these altered states of consciousness. Self-oriented mental activity has been consistently linked to the Default Mode Network (DMN), a set of brain regions more active during rest than during the execution of a goal-directed task. Here we used fMRI technique to inspect the DMN during the psychedelic state induced by Ayahuasca in ten experienced subjects. Ayahuasca is a potion traditionally used by Amazonian Amerindians composed by a mixture of compounds that increase monoaminergic transmission. In particular, we examined whether Ayahuasca changes the activity and connectivity of the DMN and the connection between the DMN and the task-positive network (TPN). Ayahuasca caused a significant decrease in activity through most parts of the DMN, including its most consistent hubs: the Posterior Cingulate Cortex (PCC)/Precuneus and the medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC). Functional connectivity within the PCC/Precuneus decreased after Ayahuasca intake. No significant change was observed in the DMN-TPN orthogonality. Altogether, our results support the notion that the altered state of consciousness induced by Ayahuasca, like those induced by psilocybin (another serotonergic psychedelic), meditation and sleep, is linked to the modulation of the activity and the connectivity of the DMN.

Are Human Peripheral Nerves Sensitive To X-ray Imaging?

Diagnostic imaging techniques play an important role in assessing the exact location, cause, and extent of a nerve lesion, thus allowing clinicians to diagnose and manage more effectively a variety of pathological conditions, such as entrapment syndromes, traumatic injuries, and space-occupying lesions. Ultrasound and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging are becoming useful methods for this purpose, but they still lack spatial resolution. In this regard, recent phase contrast x-ray imaging experiments of peripheral nerve allowed the visualization of each nerve fiber surrounded by its myelin sheath as clearly as optical microscopy. In the present study, we attempted to produce high-resolution x-ray phase contrast images of a human sciatic nerve by using synchrotron radiation propagation-based imaging. The images showed high contrast and high spatial resolution, allowing clear identification of each fascicle structure and surrounding connective tissue. The outstanding result is the detection of such structures by phase contrast x-ray tomography of a thick human sciatic nerve section. This may further enable the identification of diverse pathological patterns, such as Wallerian degeneration, hypertrophic neuropathy, inflammatory infiltration, leprosy neuropathy and amyloid deposits. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful phase contrast x-ray imaging experiment of a human peripheral nerve sample. Our long-term goal is to develop peripheral nerve imaging methods that could supersede biopsy procedures.

Investigation Of Genetic Factors Underlying Typical Orofacial Clefts: Mutational Screening And Copy Number Variation.

Typical orofacial clefts (OFCs) comprise cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip and palate. The complex etiology has been postulated to involve chromosome rearrangements, gene mutations and environmental factors. A group of genes including IRF6, FOXE1, GLI2, MSX2, SKI, SATB2, MSX1 and FGF has been implicated in the etiology of OFCs. Recently, the role of the copy number variations (CNVs) has been studied in genetic defects and diseases. CNVs act by modifying gene expression, disrupting gene sequence or altering gene dosage. The aims of this study were to screen the above-mentioned genes and to investigate CNVs in patients with OFCs. The sample was composed of 23 unrelated individuals who were grouped according to phenotype (associated with other anomalies or isolated) and familial recurrence. New sequence variants in GLI2, MSX1 and FGF8 were detected in patients, but not in their parents, as well as in 200 control chromosomes, indicating that these were rare variants. CNV screening identified new genes that can influence OFC pathogenesis, particularly highlighting TCEB3 and KIF7, that could be further analyzed. The findings of the present study suggest that the mechanism underlying CNV associated with sequence variants may play a role in the etiology of OFC.

Modeling The Effects Of Temperature And Ph On The Resistance Of Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris In Conventional Heat-treated Fruit Beverages Through A Meta-analysis Approach.

In this work, all publicly-accessible published findings on Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris heat resistance in fruit beverages as affected by temperature and pH were compiled. Then, study characteristics (protocols, fruit and variety, °Brix, pH, temperature, heating medium, culture medium, inactivation method, strains, etc.) were extracted from the primary studies, and some of them incorporated to a meta-analysis mixed-effects linear model based on the basic Bigelow equation describing the heat resistance parameters of this bacterium. The model estimated mean D* values (time needed for one log reduction at a temperature of 95 °C and a pH of 3.5) of Alicyclobacillus in beverages of different fruits, two different concentration types, with and without bacteriocins, and with and without clarification. The zT (temperature change needed to cause one log reduction in D-values) estimated by the meta-analysis model were compared to those ('observed' zT values) reported in the primary studies, and in all cases they were within the confidence intervals of the model. The model was capable of predicting the heat resistance parameters of Alicyclobacillus in fruit beverages beyond the types available in the meta-analytical data. It is expected that the compilation of the thermal resistance of Alicyclobacillus in fruit beverages, carried out in this study, will be of utility to food quality managers in the determination or validation of the lethality of their current heat treatment processes.

The Influence Of The Buffering Capacity On The Production Of Organic Acids And Alcohols From Wastewater In Anaerobic Reactor.

Some bacteria common in anaerobic digestion process can ferment a broad variety of organic compounds to organic acids, alcohols, and hydrogen, which can be used as biofuels. Researches are necessary to control the microbial interactions in favor of the alcohol production, as intermediary products of the anaerobic digestion of organic compounds. This paper reports on the effect of buffering capacity on the production of organic acids and alcohols from wastewater by a natural mixed bacterial culture. The hypothesis tested was that the increase of the buffering capacity by supplementation of sodium bicarbonate in the influent results in benefits for alcohol production by anaerobic fermentation of wastewater. When the influent was not supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, the chemical oxygen demand (COD)-ethanol and COD-methanol detected in the effluent corresponded to 22.5 and 12.7 % of the COD-sucrose consumed. Otherwise, when the reactor was fed with influent containing 0.5 g/L of sodium bicarbonate, the COD-ethanol and COD-methanol were effluents that corresponded to 39.2 and 29.6 % of the COD-sucrose consumed. Therefore, the alcohol production by supplementation of the influent with sodium bicarbonate was 33.6 % higher than the fermentation of the influent without sodium bicarbonate.

Complicações imediatas e tardias após cirurgia de reservatório ileal na polipose adenomatosa familiar

BACKGROUND: Restorative proctocolectomy is the procedure of choice to treat familial adenomatous polyposis, however it can be associated to short-term and long-term postoperative complications. AIM: To evaluate the occurrence of complications related to the surgical treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis with ileal pouch technique. METHODS: Retrospective study of 69 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis after rectocolectomy with ileal reservoir between 1984 and 2006, operated on Coloproctology Group, Medical Sciences Faculty, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. The median follow-up period was 82 (2-280) months. Data obtained were surgical techniques and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The morbidity and mortality were 63.8% and 2.9%, respectively. The most frequent complications were small-bowel obstruction (17.4%), anastomotic stricture (15.9%) and pelvic sepsis (10.1%). Acute ischemia of the ileal pouch (4.3%), pouchitis (2.9%) and ileal pouch-related fistula (2.9%) had poorer frequency than others. CONCLUSIONS: The morbid-mortality was similar to the literature?s data and it is acceptable for a complex surgery in two terms like the ileal reservoir-anal anastomosis. The small-bowel obstruction was the most frequent complication. However, ischemia of the reservoir, pouchitis and pelvic sepsis were important complications and was related to the failure of the ileal reservoir.

Edema pulmonar neurogênico: relato de dois casos

Neurogenic pulmonary edema is a rare and serious complication in patients with head injury. It also may develop after a variety of cerebral insults such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumors and after epileptic seizures. Thirty six patients with severe head injury and four patients with cerebrovascular insults treated in Intensive Care Unit of HC-UNICAMP from January to September 1995 were evaluated. In this period there were two patients with neurogenic pulmonary edema, one with head injury and other with intracerebral hemorrhage. Diagnosis was made by rapid onset of pulmonary edema, severe hypoxemia, decrease of pulmonary complacence and diffuse pulmonary infiltrations, without previous history of tracheal aspiration or any other risk factor for developement of adult respiratory distress syndrom. In the first case, with severe head trauma, neurogenic pulmonary edema was diagnosed at admission one hour after trauma, associated with severe systemic inflammatory reaction, and good outcome in three days. The second case, with hemorragic vascular insult, developed neurogenic pulmonary edema the fourth day after drenage of intracerebral hematom and died.

Epilepsias parciais familiares

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of familial partial epilepsies. METHOD: Family history of seizures was questioned in all patients followed in our epilepsy clinics, from October 1997 to December 1998. Those with positive family history were further investigated and detailed pedigrees were obtained. All possibly affected individuals available underwent clinical evaluation. Seizures and epilepsy syndromes were classified according to the ILAE recommendations. Whenever possible, EEG and MRI were performed. RESULTS: Positive family history was identified in 32 unrelated patients. A total of 213 possibly affected individuals were identified, 161 of whom have been evaluated. The number of affected subjects per family ranged from two to 23. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was identified in 22 families (68%), frontal lobe epilepsy in one family (3%), partial epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes in five families (15%), and other benign partial epilepsies of childhood in four families (12%). Most of the affected individuals in the TLE families (69%) had clinical and/or EEG characteristics of typical TLE. However, the severity of epilepsy was variable, with 76% of patients with spontaneous seizure remission or good control with medication and 24% with refractory seizures, including 7 patients that underwent surgical treatment. In the other 10 families, we identified 39 possibly affected subjects, 23 of whom were evaluated. All had good seizure control (with or without medication) except for one patient with frontal lobe epilepsy. Pedigree analysis suggested autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance in all families. CONCLUSION: Family history of seizures is frequent among patients with partial epilepsies. The majority of our families had TLE and its expression was not different from that observed in sporadic cases. The identification of genes involved in partial epilepsies may be usefull in classification of syndromes, to stablish prognosis and optimal treatment.

Questionário de qualidade de vida na epilepsia: resultados preliminares

Seizures happen for brief periods of time, but the feelings of anxiety and helplessness, adaptation to the restrictions impose by the life-style and variety of other problems affect more the quality of life in epilepsy. This study proposes a protocol that regards the objectives of a quality of life assessment in health and is applied to a population that attends a university hospital. It contains 65 items and assesses the psychosocial performance, physical limitation, cognitive aspects, perception of control, self-concept, as well as perception of health and quality of life. The results of reliability and validity are discussed.

Contaminação de produtos de higiene e cosméticos por n-nitrosaminas

N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic compounds that have been found during the last three decades in a variety of consumer products, including cosmetic and personal care products, and their raw materials. These compounds are formed from amine precursors and nitrosating agents present in the formulations. This paper reviews the formation and occurrence of N-nitrosamines in cosmetic products, as well as presents considerations about analytical, toxicological and regulatory aspects.

Blendas de PHB e seus copolímeros: miscibilidade e compatibilidade

Poly(hydroxybutyrate) and its copolymers are linear polyesters behaving as conventional thermoplastic materials. However, they are totally biodegradable and produced by a wide variety of bacteria from renewable sources. Some properties and high production cost are still preventing future applications. In an attempt to improve the properties and to reduce cost blending PHB with others polymeric materials is one of the most efficient method. In this paper, miscibility, compatibility, morphological and mechanical aspects of PHB blends will be reviewed. An extensive revision over twenty last years was realized about works of blends based on PHB and its copolymers.

O desafio de analisar solutos básicos por cromatografia líquida em modo reverso: algumas alternativas para melhorar as separações

This review considers some of the difficulties encountered with the analysis of basic solutes using reversed-phase chromatography, such as detrimental interaction with stationary phase silanol groups. Methods of overcoming these problems in reversed-phase separations, by judicious selection of the stationary phase and mobile phase conditions, are discussed. Developments to improve the chemical and thermal stability of stationary phases are also reviewed. It is shown that substantial progress has been made in the manufacturing of stationary phases, enabling their use over a wide variety of experimental conditions. In addition, general measures to significantly extend their lifespan are discussed.