405 research outputs found

    Predictive success factors for ct-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of pulmonary lesions

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    OBJECTIVE: Computed tomography-guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of lung lesions is a simple, safe and reproducible procedure. Currently, it is widely used to diagnose lung lesions. However, different factors can influence the success rates of this procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of radiological and procedural characteristics in predicting the success rates of computed tomography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of lung lesions. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was developed and involved 340 patients who were submitted to a consecutive series of 362 computed tomography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies of lung lesions, between July 1996 and June 2004, using 22-gauge needles (Chiba). Variables such as the radiological characteristics of the lesions, secondary pulmonary radiological findings, and procedural techniques were studied. RESULTS: For this study, 304 (84%) fine needle aspiration biopsies of lung lesions provided sufficient material for cytological evaluation. The variables that predicted sufficient material for cytological evaluation were lesions larger than 40 mm (p=0.02), lesions on the superior lung lobes (p=0.02), and suspicion of primary lung malignancy (p=0.03). From the multivariate analysis, the only predictive variable for success of the biopsies was localization on the superior lobes (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography-guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of lung lesions showed greater rates of success in biopsies performed in patients with suspicion of primary lung malignancy, with lesions located in the superior lobes, and that have diameters equal to and larger than 40 mm

    Uso de marcadores RAPD na identificação de híbridos de Brachiaria humidicola.

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    Brachiaria humidicola é uma importante gramínea forrageira tropical de origem africana, tolerante a solos maldrenados ou temporariamente alagados. No Brasil, somente três cultivares foram registradas no Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, e destas, apenas duas estão disponíveis no mercado, o que demanda o desenvolvimento de novas cultivares. O programa de melhoramento da Embrapa Gado de Corte baseia-se em cruzamentos e seleção de genótipos mais produtivos. Recentemente, foi identificado um acesso sexual e tetraplóide natural (H31) no banco de germoplasma dessa espécie, que permitiu a realização de cruzamentos controlados com Brachiaria humidicola cv. BRS Tupi, gerando uma população única em todo o mundo tropical. O objetivo deste trabalho foi a identificação segura e precoce de híbridos dessa população usando marcadores RAPD. Dez primers que amplificaram 31 bandas informativas, exclusivas do genitor paterno, foram usados para analisar as 347 plantas dessa população. Por esses marcadores RAPD, 286 plantas foram confirmadas como híbridas e 61 foram não híbridas, que podem resultar de autopolinização da planta sexual. A identificação precoce de híbridos torna o programa de melhoramento mais eficiente, reduzindo o tempo e o trabalho necessários para o desenvolvimento de novas cultivares.bitstream/CNPGC-2009-09/12398/1/BP23.pd

    The Screen representation of spin networks: 2D recurrence, eigenvalue equation for 6j symbols, geometric interpretation and Hamiltonian dynamics

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    This paper treats 6j symbols or their orthonormal forms as a function of two variables spanning a square manifold which we call the "screen". We show that this approach gives important and interesting insight. This two dimensional perspective provides the most natural extension to exhibit the role of these discrete functions as matrix elements that appear at the very foundation of the modern theory of classical discrete orthogonal polynomials. Here we present 2D and 1D recursion relations that are useful for the direct computation of the orthonormal 6j, which we name U. We present a convention for the order of the arguments of the 6j that is based on their classical and Regge symmetries, and a detailed investigation of new geometrical aspects of the 6j symbols. Specifically we compare the geometric recursion analysis of Schulten and Gordon with the methods of this paper. The 1D recursion relation, written as a matrix diagonalization problem, permits an interpretation as a discrete Schr\"odinger-like equations and an asymptotic analysis illustrates semiclassical and classical limits in terms of Hamiltonian evolution.Comment: 14 pages,9 figures, presented at ICCSA 2013 13th International Conference on Computational Science and Applicatio

    Avaliação de diferentes métodos para extração de RNA total de folhas e raízes de braquiária.

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    A extração de RNA a partir de tecidos específicos consiste no primeiro passo para estudos de expressão gênica e caracterização de transcritos. Plantas, em geral, contêm grande quantidade de compostos fenólicos e/ou polissacarídeos em seus tecidos, o que pode comprometer a extração e purificação de moléculas de RNA. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi testar diferentes protocolos para extrair RNA total de folhas e raízes de braquiária. Sementes de Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk foram germinadas e plântulas com12 dias foram utilizadas. As extrações de RNA foram feitas em duplicatas de 200 mg de amostras de folhas ou raízes pulverizadas com nitrogênio líquido. Para as extrações de RNA de folhas foram testados os reagentes Trizol® e Brazol® e para as extrações de RNA de raízes foram testados estes reagentes mais dois kits comerciais: SV Wizard Isolation RNA system (Promega®) e Invisorb Spin Plant RNA Mini Kit (Invitek®). ANOVA e teste Tukey (1% de significância) foram utilizados para comparar as médias das concentrações e de qualidade das amostras de RNA extraídas. Os resultados mostraram diferenças não-significativas entre as concentrações e a qualidade do RNA extraído de folhas pelos reagentes Trizol® e Brazol®. Entretanto, para as amostras de raízes as concentrações e qualidade do RNA isolado foram significativamente diferentes, sendo o reagente Trizol® mais eficiente. Os dois kits isolaram menores concentrações de RNA com qualidade inferir a obtida com os dois reagentes testados. Para síntese de DNA complementar (cDNA) foram testadas duas enzimas: SuperScript RTII (Invitrogen®) e M-MLV-RT (Sigma®), sendo esta última mais eficiente, pois foi possível obter maior quantidade e qualidade de cDNA, com relação a presença de contaminantes. Esses resultados podem ser considerados como ponto de partida para a execução de trabalhos sobre expressão gênica em espécies de Brachiaria.bitstream/item/56268/1/BP29.pd

    Glycyrrhizic acid and its hydrolyzed metabolite 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid as specific ligands for targeting nanosystems in the treatment of liver cancer

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    Glycyrrhizic acid and its hydrolyzed metabolite 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, obtained from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, have numerous pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerative, antiallergic, immunomodulatory, antiviral, antitumor, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects, and others. In addition to the pharmacological activities, in the 1980s, an interaction and uptake of these molecules by the liver was verified, which was later confirmed by other studies through the discovery of specific receptors in the hepatocytes. The presence of these specific receptors in the liver led to vectorization and delivery of drugs, by the introduction of glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhetinic acid on the surface of nanosystems, for the treatment of liver diseases. This review describes experimental evidence of vectorization by conjugating glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhetinic acid to nanosystems and delivery of antitumor drugs for the treatment of liver cancer and also describes the techniques used to perform this conjugation. We have shown that due to the existence of specific receptors for these molecules, in addition to the targeting of nanosystems to hepatocytes, nanosystems having glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhetinic acid on their surface had the same therapeutic effect in a significantly lower dose compared to the free drug and unconjugated nanosystems, with consequent reduction of side effects and toxicity
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