Construction of an index of information from clinical practice in Radiology and Imaging Diagnosis based on text mining and thesaurus

Objective To construct a Portuguese language index of information on the practice of diagnostic radiology in order to improve the standardization of the medical language and terminology. Materials and Methods A total of 61,461 definitive reports were collected from the database of the Radiology Information System at Hospital das Clínicas – Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (RIS/HCFMRP) as follows: 30,000 chest x-ray reports; 27,000 mammography reports; and 4,461 thyroid ultrasonography reports. The text mining technique was applied for the selection of terms, and the ANSI/NISO Z39.19-2005 standard was utilized to construct the index based on a thesaurus structure. The system was created in *html. Results The text mining resulted in a set of 358,236 (n = 100%) words. Out of this total, 76,347 (n = 21%) terms were selected to form the index. Such terms refer to anatomical pathology description, imaging techniques, equipment, type of study and some other composite terms. The index system was developed with 78,538 *html web pages. Conclusion The utilization of text mining on a radiological reports database has allowed the construction of a lexical system in Portuguese language consistent with the clinical practice in Radiology.

Low-level laser therapy for the prevention of low salivary flow rate after radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer

Abstract Objective: To determine whether low-level laser therapy can prevent salivary hypofunction after radiotherapy and chemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 23 head and neck cancer patients, of whom 13 received laser therapy and 10 received clinical care only. An InGaAlP laser was used intra-orally (at 660 nm and 40 mW) at a mean dose of 10.0 J/cm2 and extra-orally (at 780 nm and 15 mW) at a mean dose of 3.7 J/cm2, three times per week, on alternate days. Stimulated and unstimulated sialometry tests were performed before the first radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions (N0) and at 30 days after the end of treatment (N30). Results: At N30, the mean salivary flow rates were significantly higher among the laser therapy patients than among the patients who received clinical care only, in the stimulated and unstimulated sialometry tests (p = 0.0131 and p = 0.0143, respectively). Conclusion: Low-level laser therapy, administered concomitantly with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, appears to mitigate treatment-induced salivary hypofunction in patients with head and neck cancer.

Currículo de licenciatura em química da universidade de brasília: uma proposta em implantação

This article presents the conception, principles and academic structure of the evening course leading to the formation of a Licentiate in Chemistry, at the University of Brasília. The curriculum has been carried out since the beginning of 1993. This curriculum has as its basic axis the graduation of future teachers integrated with the conceptual formation in Chemistry. Interdisciplinary actions are planned between the Chemistry Department, the Psychology Institute and the Faculty of Education so as to provide mechanisms which would allow the licenciate to acquire teaching experience along the course.

Caracterização química e física de vermicomposto e avaliação de sua capacidade em adsorver cobre e zinco

The physical and chemical characterization of vermicompost from bovine manure has been studied. It was examined the pH and cation exchangeable capacity (CEC), organic matter content, electric conductivity and elementary and XRD analyses, among other characteristics. The vermicompost was then applied to the retention and competition of metal micronutrients and pollutants (Cu and Zn) from metal nitrate solutions. The retention was affected by both the pH and adsorption time, while the competitive character of these metals for the substrate was relevant to each pH examined.

Adsorção de íons Cu2+ em latossolo vermelho-amarelo húmico

In environmental studies it is necessary to know the adsorption behavior of metals by soils, since the unfavorable effects of heavy metals and even the micronutrients at high concentrations in the environment are related to these adsorbents' ability to immobilize them. A sample of a humic yellow red oxisol from Araponga region in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, was used to verify the adsorption behavior of Cu2+ ions in this substrate. The mathematical model described by Langmuir's adsorption equation in its linearized form was applied and the values of the maximum capacity b and those of the constant related to the bonding energy a were obtained. Aliquots of copper nitrate solutions containing several concentrations of this metal were added to soil samples, the pH being predetermined for developing the adsorption experiments. The chemical and physical characterization of soil sample were performed by determining the organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, concentration of metals (Al, Fe, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Co, Pb, and Cd), granulometric analysis and X-ray diffraction. Langmuir isotherms presented two distinct adsorption regions at both pH 4 and pH 5, showing that the adsorptive phenomenon occurs in two distinct stages. The adsorption sites for the lower part presented greater bonding energy and low adsorption capacity compared with the adsorption sites of the part of the curve corresponding to higher Cu concentrations in the equilibrating solution.

Usando um website para explicar a espectrometria de ressonância ciclotrônica de íons por transformada de Fourier

This article shows the usefulness of a website to explain the concepts, operational events, vacuum system, applications and an experimental sequence of the Fourier Transform Ion Ciclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry technique (http://143.107.46.113/icr/icrj.html).

Estudo fitoquímico e avaliação do potencial antidiabético do Cissus sicyoides L. (Vitaceae)

The effect of hydroalcoholic extracts (HE) obtained from leaves of Cissus sicyoides (CS) on glucose tolerance (GT) was investigated in rats treated with dexametasone (DEX). Our results showed that HE intensified the decreased GT promoted by (DEX). Additionally, the flavonoids kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, obtained from aerial parts of CS, were used to study the incorporation of glucose to glycogen in soleo muscle. The results showed that both flavonoids did not show effect on glycogen synthesis. Thus, our data, in contrast to popular believe, did not reveal antidiabetic activity to SC.

Quatro alternativas para resolver a equação de Schrödinger para o átomo de hidrogênio

Quantum chemistry describes the hydrogen atom as one of the few systems that permits an exact solution of the Schrödinger equation. Students tend to consider that little can be learned from the hydrogen atom and forget that it can be used as a standard to test numerical procedures used to calculate properties of multielectronic systems. In this paper, four different numerical procedures are described in order to solve the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom. The basic motivation is to identify new insights and methods that can be obtained from the application of powerful numerical techniques in a well-known system.

Recensión al libro ANDORNO, Roberto, Bioética y dignidad humana, Tecnos, Madrid, 2012, 177 pp.

Recensión al libro de Roberto Andorno, Bioética y dignidad humana, en el cual el autor, actualmente investigador de la Facultad de Derecho de Zurich, y exmiembro del Comité Internacional de Bioética de la UNESCO, nos ofrece la segunda edición de este interesante ensayo que ya fue publicado en 1998, acerca de los fundamentos de la bioética, el concepto de persona, las consecuencias de determinadas visiones utilitaristas de la ciencia, realizando un recorrido acerca de los dilemas bioéticos que se presentan en los diversos momentos de la vida de la persona.

Peróxido de hidrogênio: importância e determinação

A brief discussion about the hydrogen peroxide importance and its determination is presented. It was emphasized some consideration of the H2O2 as reagent (separated or combined), uses and methods of analysis (techniques, detection limits, linear response intervals, sensor specifications). Moreover, it was presented several applications, such as in environmental, pharmaceutical, medicine and food samples.

Teor e composição do óleo essencial de cinco acessos de mentrasto

This study aimed to analyse the content and the composition of the essential oil of five accesses of mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides). Five accesses of mentrasto with three repetitions were used. The accesses were obtained in Mariana-MG (AMA), Piranga-MG (API), Visconde do Rio Branco (ARB) and Viçosa-MG (AVB and AVP). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and the identification of the oil components by CG and GC/MS. The ARB access presented the higher essential oil content, that is 0.70% (P < 0.05). Eleven chemical compounds were identified. The precocene I was the main constituent in the access API, and the precocene II was the main constituent in the accesses AMA, ARB, AVB and AVP.

O pKa de indicadores ácido-base e os efeitos coloidais

An experiment is proposed that can be included in undergraduate courses of chemistry. The subject is the acidity of organic compounds, which are employed as pH indicators, particularly in acid-base titrations. The indicators used are methyl orange, bromophenol blue and bromocresol green in aqueous medium. The influence of colloidal systems on the equilibrium is evaluated by the pKa. The colloids employed are surfactants like sodium dodecyl sulfate, cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide and a polymeric non-ionic F127 (pluronics). The effect of stabilization promoted by the system on the acidic or basic structureof the indicator establishes the action mechanism of the colloid on the pKa values.