Molecular Identification of Nocardia Isolates from Clinical Samples and an Overview of Human Nocardiosis in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the Western countries. NAFLD includes a spectrum ranging from a simple steatosis to a nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is defined by the presence of inflammatory infiltrate, cellular necrosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and fibrosis and cirrhosis that can eventually develop into hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies emphasize the role of insulin resistance, oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines, adipokines in the development and progression of NAFLD. It seems to be independently associated with type II diabetes mellitus, increased triglycerides, decreased HDL-cholesterol, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. These findings are in accordance with the criteria used in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Here, we will discuss the current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis of NAFLD and the association of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Heteropyknotic filament in spermatids of Triatoma melanocephala and T. vitticeps (Hemiptera, Triatominae)

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

Healing of normal and osteopenic bone with titanium implant and low-level laser therapy (GaAlAs): a histomorphometric study in rats

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Safety assessment of oral photodynamic therapy in rats

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

Avaliação dos níveis de resposta das emissões otoacústicas em neonatos com asfixia perinatal

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

Influência do tratamento fisioterapêutico em grupo no equilíbrio, na mobilidade funcional e na qualidade de vida de pacientes com Parkinson

Introduction: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic disease of the nervous system, characterized by degeneration of neurons in the mesencephalic substantia nigra, leading to a clinical state of rest tremor, bradykinesia, muscular rigidity and postural instability. Physical therapy seeks to act by slowing the progression of the disease and when done in a group and maintain and / or improving the motor skills of the individual, can provide psychosocial benefi ts. Objective: examine the infl uence of the physical therapy group in balance, functional mobility and quality of life of individuals with PD. Method: participated in this study 04 subjects were female, mean age 67.75 (± 9.5) years, with medical diagnosis of PD, stages 1 to 3 of the Hoehn & Yahr. Before starting treatment, subjects underwent an assessment of the balance (BBS), functional mobility (TUG) and the quality of life (PDQ-39).The treatment was performed in groups, for a period of 10 weeks, lasting 60 minutes each session twice a week, totaling 20 sessions of physiotherapy. Upon completion of the treatment period the subjects were again assessed for balance, functional mobility and quality of life. The data were analyzed using the Student t-test, with signifi cance level of 5% (p ≤ 0.05). Results: statistical analysis showed signifi cant differences in three variables: equilibrium (p = 0.010), functional mobility (p = 0.029) and quality of life (p = 0.004), after physiotherapy intervention. Conclusion: physiotherapy treatment was group provides better balance, functional mobility and quality of life of patients with PD.

Biofilms of Candida albicans serotypes A and B differ in their sensitivity to photodynamic therapy

Candida albicans is classified into different serotypes according to cell wall mannan composition and cell surface hydrophobicity. Since the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) depends on the cell wall structure of microorganisms, the objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of in vitro biofilms of C. albicans serotypes A and B to antimicrobial PDT. Reference strains of C. albicans serotype A (ATCC 36801) and serotype B (ATCC 36802) were used for the assays. A gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser (660 nm) was used as the light source and methylene blue (300 mu M) as the photosensitizer. After biofilm formation on the bottom of a 96-well microplate for 48 h, each Candida strain was submitted to assays: PDT consisting of laser and photosensitizer application (L + P+), laser application alone (L + P-), photosensitizer application alone (L-P+), and application of saline as control (L-P-). After treatment, biofilm cells were scraped off and transferred to tubes containing PBS. The content of the tubes was homogenized, diluted, and seeded onto Sabouraud agar plates to determine the number of colony-forming units (CFU/mL). The results were compared by analysis of variance and Tukey test (p < 0.05). The two strains studied were sensitive to PDT (L + P+), with a log reduction of 0.49 for serotype A and of 2.34 for serotype B. Laser application alone only reduced serotype B cells (0.53 log), and the use of the photosensitizer alone had no effect on the strains tested. It can be concluded that in vitro biofilms of C. albicans serotype B were more sensitive to PDT.

Doppler ultrasound in pregnancy assessment in bitches - literature review

Doppler ultrasound enables the assessment of blood flow in real time and has been widely used to aid in pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring in dogs and cats. This technique has a diferencial when compared with the B-mode ultrasound, as it allows the evaluation of vascular hemodynamic characteristics, while the two-dimensional ultrasound allows the diagnosis of pregnancy and fetal viability. Thus, the objective of this review is to describe how circulation is characterized in the uterine and fetal arteries in bitches during pregnancy using Doppler ultrasonography.

Echocardiographic and radiographic aspects of tetralogy of Fallot in a Border Collie: case report

Tetralogy of Fallot is a complex cardiac malformation characterized by four anatomical defects: pulmonary valve stenosis, right ventricular hypertrophy, interventricular septal defect and aortic dextroposition. Imaging techniques are useful in the diagnosis of this disease, such as radiography for screening and Doppler echocardiography for a definitive diagnosis. Our objective is to report the radiographic and Doppler echocardiographic aspects of a tetralogy of Fallot case in a 10 month-old Border Collie dog.

Controle de qualidade em radioterapia: dosimetria de fótons em acelerador linear – Mevatron MXT

The treatment of a tumor with ionizing radiation is an ongoing process with well differentiated stages. These ones include the tumor diagnosis and location, the decision on the treatment strategy, the absorbed dose planning and calculation, the treatment administration, the absorbed dose verification and the evaluation of results in short and long terms. The quality of a radiotherapy procedure is closely linked to factors that may be classified as clinical, such as the diagnosis, the tumor location, the treatment strategy chosen and the continuous treatment reassessment; dosimetric or physical, such as the uncertainty in the dose calculation, its optimization and verification, the suitability of the equipment to provide a radiation beam consistent with the treatment planning; finally, others which are related to the practical application of radiotherapy treatment and the handling of the patient. In order to analyze the radiotherapy quality, one should realize that the three aspects (medical, physical or dosimetric and practical application) should be considered in a combined way. This means that numerous actions of the radiotherapists, medical physicists and technicians in radiotherapy should be held jointly and their knowledge level will significantly affect the treatment quality. In this study, the main physical parameters used in dosimetry are defined as well as determined experimentally for a linear accelerator Mevatron - MXT. With this, it is intended to provide recommendations for the physical aspects of Quality Assurance (QA) in the radiotherapy treatments, and these will usually be applied by professionals in Medical Physics. In addition to these instructions, it is recommended that additional texts are prepared to address in detail the clinical aspects of the treatments QA

Gama Câmara CZT: alteração de paradigmas em aquisição de imagens de medicina nuclear

Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty related to imagery that deals with imaging techniques, diagnosis and therapy, allowing observing the physiological state of tissues noninvasively by marking the molecules participating of these physiological processes with radioactive isotopes, thus creating the called radionuclides. The image of a radionuclide is one of the most important applications of radioactivity in nuclear medicine. The equipment’s of nuclear medicine imaging use the principle of radiation detection, turning it into an electrical signal which, through specific algorithms, allows forming tomographic images that provide information about the functional status of organs. New detection systems have been developed for tomographic acquisitions using solid state detectors. These devices use crystals of cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe). Some of the advantages of this detector are a significant improvement of signal to noise ratio, the increased spectral and spatial resolution, which in sum, result in greater clarity of the images obtained, opening new perspectives for imaging protocols previously unattainable. In contrast, all other gamma-cameras equipped with vacuum tubes have remained relatively unchanged for nearly fifty years. In these gamma-cameras, the images are obtained using two steps significantly less efficient: the gamma rays are converted to light through a first device, and then the light is converted into an electrical signal through a second device. One of functions the Medical Physicist is related to the quality control of equipment. This control ensures that the information and images provided are true and thus credible to be used in medical reports. To perform this type of analysis the physicist must understand the performance characteristics and operation of all equipment of the department concerned; besides, in the absence of specific legislation, proposing...(Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Hydroxyurea in the sickle cell anemia: toxicity and effectiveness

Objective: to evaluate the use of hydroxyurea with regard to effectiveness and toxicity in people with sickle cell anemia. Method: this is a retrospective descriptive study, developed with 57 medical records of patients with sickle cell anemia, treated at the University Hospital Center of Campo Grande (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), from 1993 to 2005. Inclusion criteria: electrophoresis of hemoglobin in medical record; regular use of drugs, for an average of 196 weeks; dosage; and hematological analyses before starting treatment. Exclusion criteria: living with other hemoglobinopathies. The variables evaluated were: neutrophils count; platelets; leukocytes; hemoglobin; time using hydroxyurea; drug response to the optimal dosage; and number and type of episodes of hospitalization. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, under the Protocol 645. Results: of the 57 medical records, 3 cases were evaluated. Comparing the hematological values, according to Portaria 872, enacted on 11/12/2002, it was found that: cases A, B, and C present an use of hydroxyurea (500 mg/day) for four years, with an average of 196 weeks. Case A, female, decreased painful episodes and frequency of hospitalization, keeping hematological values with no toxicity. In Case B, female, there was one hospitalization due to pain crises and important hemolysis. It stood out, in case C, male, neutropenia with hematological values < 2,000/mm3 . Conclusion: in the cases analyzed, we observed a drop in the number of hospitalizations with the decrease in painful crises from three to one a year, and there was no toxicity with regard to the dosage and time using hydroxyurea, in all three cases. For more comprehensive results, one suggests further study on this therapy with significant samples of this clientele.

Longitudinal effect of curcumin-photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy in adolescents during fixed orthodontic treatment: a single-blind randomized clinical trial study

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

Effect of Er,Cr:YSGG laser application in the treatment of experimental periodontitis

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