An unusual cause of intra-abdominal calcification: A lithopedion

AbstractWe report a case of a 77-year-old female who was admitted to the emergency department complaining of diffuse abdominal pain for five days, associated with nausea, vomiting and constipation.Physical examination disclosed a large incarcerated umbilical hernia, which was readily apparent on supine abdominal plain films. These also showed a calcified heterogeneous mass in the mid-abdominal region, which was further characterized by CT as a lithopedion (calcified ectopic pregnancy). This is one of the few cases studied on a MDCT equipment, and it clearly enhances the post-processing abilities of this imaging method which allows diagnostic high-quality MIP images.Lithopedion is a rare entity, with less than 300 cases previously described in the medical literature. However, many reported cases corresponded to cases of skeletonization or collections of fetal bone fragments discovered encysted in the pelvic region at surgery or autopsy. It is thus estimated that true lithopedion is a much rarer entity.The diagnosis may be reached by a suggestive clinical history and a palpable mass on physical examination, while the value of modern cross-sectional techniques is still virtually unknown. Ultrasonography may depict an empty uterine cavity and a calcified abdominal mass of non-specific characteristics, and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging are able to reach a conclusive diagnosis and may additionally define the involvement of adjacent structures.The differential diagnosis includes other calcified pathologic situations, including ovarian tumors, uterine fibroids, urinary tract neoplasms, inflammatory masses or epiploic calcifications

Aplicabilidade de métodos de estudo da composição de betão auto-compactável (BAC)

O presente artigo tem como objectivo apresentar os resultados obtidos na campanha experimental para o estudo de verificação da aplicabilidade técnica de dois métodos de cálculo de composição de betão auto-compactável - BAC - propostos por investigadores nacionais em trabalhos anteriores. Com o referido estudo, pretendeu-se, através dos métodos em análise, identificar o método que permite de um modo mais simples, sem necessidade de recorrer a um grande número de amassaduras experimentais, obter as características requeridas aos BAC, tanto no estado fresco como no endurecido. Da análise de resultados efectuada, é possível a comparação entre os métodos estudados e a verificação da sua aplicabilidade, bem como identificar quais os factores que condicionam o processo de cálculo de amassaduras de BAC.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nueva información sobre la coloración e historia natural del Cutín de Papallacta Pristimantis acerus (Lynch & Duellman, 1980) (Anura: Craugastoridae)

The Papallacta Robber Frog Pristimantis acerus (Lynch & Duellman) was described in 1980 and remains restricted to the Upper Napo River, Ecuador, lacking subsequent records after its original description. During herpetological surveys at Guango Lodge, several individuals of P. acerus were collected. We present herein new information on the individual and ontogenic colour variation and natural history of P. acerus.El Cutín de Papallacta Pristimantis acerus (Lynch & Duellman) fue descrito en 1980 y está restringido a la cuenca alta del río Napo, Ecuador, careciendo de registros posteriores a su descripción original. Durante evaluaciones herpetológicas en Guango Lodge, varios individuos de P. acerus fueron colectados. Presentamos aquí nueva información sobre la variación de color individual y ontogénica y la historia natural de P. acerus

Exploratory research analysis on emissions generated in internal combustion engines

It is common knowledge that internal combustion engines have the function of transforming thermal energy into useful mechanical work. During the combustion process of the fuel and air mixture (heat generation) a quantity of gases are produced and released into the environment by the exhaust system of these engines. When these machines were invented, their creators might not have had the notion that the generated gases would be aggressors to nature. The constant population growth, the increasing demand for the use of these engines and observations of the impact in nature, among them the health and greenhouse effects, evidenced mainly from the end of the last century, led scientists to study the problem related to gaseous emissions from these machines. The present work aims to study and evaluate the emissions of internal combustion engines, their consequences both to the human health and to the environment, the evolution of government legislation and also the control mechanisms implemented to reduce these pollutants. The applied methodology is a qualitative and exploratory study of bibliographic character of theoretical and experimental works that were presented in master's dissertations, doctoral theses, scientific articles and websites of companies specialized in the subject

Lutzomyia longipalpis Saliva Triggers Lipid Body Formation and Prostaglandin E2 Production in Murine Macrophages

After the injection of saliva into the host's skin by sand flies, a transient erythematous reaction is observed, which is related to an influx of inflammatory cells and the release of various molecules that actively facilitate the blood meal. It is important to understand the specific mechanisms by which sand fly saliva manipulates the host's inflammatory responses. Herein, we report that saliva from Lutzomyia (L.) longipalpis, a widespread Leishmania vector, induces early production of eicosanoids. Intense formation of intracellular organelles called lipid bodies (LBs) was noted within those cells that migrated to the site of saliva injection. In vitro and ex vivo, sand fly saliva was able to induce LB formation and PGE2 release by macrophages. Interestingly, PGE2 production induced by L. longipalpis saliva was dependent on intracellular mechanisms involving phosphorylation of signaling proteins such as PKC-α and ERK-1/2 and subsequent activation of cyclooxygenase-2. Thus, this study provides new insights into the pharmacological properties of sand fly saliva and opens new opportunities for intervening with the induction of the host's inflammatory pathways by L. longipalpis bites

COMPOSIÇÃO QUÍMICA E VALORES DE ENERGIA METABOLIZÁVEL DE INGREDIENTES ALTERNATIVOS PARA FRANGOS DE CORTE

Um experimento foi realizado para determinar a composição química e os valores de energia metabolizável aparente (EMA) e EMA corrigida para nitrogênio (EMAn) de três tipos de farelo de algodão (FA): FA extrusado, FA com extração por solvente com casca e FA com 40% de proteína bruta (PB); duas variedades de sorgo e farelo residual de milho (FRM). Valores de EMAn do FA e do sorgo da literatura foram usados para estabelecer equações de predição através da composição nutricional. Pintos de corte machos Ross (n=210) foram alojados com seis repetições por tratamento e cinco aves por gaiola. Foi utilizada uma ração-referência (RR) e seis rações-teste contendo os ingredientes a avaliar em substituição de 40 % da RR. A composição química dos ingredientes foi: 92,92; 91,80; 89,08; 86,44; 87,19; 88,50% de matéria seca; 32,96; 35,11; 40,50; 9,83; 8,17 e 10,80% de PB, 17,81; 1,03; 3,59; 2,27; 2,67 e 12,90% de extrato etéreo (EE) e os valores de EMAn foram 2977, 2793, 2827, 2766, 3117 e 3017 kcal/kg para o FA extrusado, FA com casca, FA com 40% PB, sorgo IPA, sorgo Dow e FRM, respectivamente. A equação de EMAn para o FA foi -9158,67 + 1106,94*PB - 12,05*PB*PB -  1866,99*Cinzas (CZ) + 100,16*CZ*CZ - 834,01*Fibra Bruta (FB) + 30,43*FB*FB e para o sorgo foi 4365,59 + 175,41*PB - 10,35*PB*PB - 99,55*EE + 525,34*CZ - 85,06*CZ*CZ - 1310,47*FB + 251,61*FB*FB. Os valores de EMAn de uma variedade de sorgo e um tipo de FA não se ajustaram às equações de predição estabelecidas. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: equações de predição; farelo de algodão; farelo residual de milho; metabolismo; sorg

A Clinical Rationale for Assessing the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Adjunctive Subcutaneous Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Background: A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) is related to higher suicide rates and poor treatment outcomes in depressed adult patients. Twenty years after the first study investigating the effects of ketamine/esketamine on depression and suicide, there is a lack of data on the CSA effects on this emerging treatment. Here, we assess the impact of CSA on adjunctive subcutaneous (SC) esketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods: A directed acyclic graphic (DAG) was designed to identify clinical confounders between CSA and esketamine predictors of response. The confounders were applied in a statistical model to predict depression symptom trajectory in a sample of 67 TRD outpatients. Results: The patient sample had a relatively high prevalence rate of CSA (35.82%). Positive family history of first-degree relatives with alcohol use disorder and sex were clinical mediators of the effects of esketamine in a CSA adult population. Overall, the presence of at least one CSA event was unrelated to esketamine symptom reduction. Conclusions: Unlike responses to conventional antidepressants and psychotherapy, CSA does not appear to predict poor response to esketamine.publishedVersio

Constraining the mass of dark photons and axion-like particles through black-hole superradiance

Ultralight bosons and axion-like particles appear naturally in different scenarios and could solve some long-standing puzzles. Their detection is challenging, and all direct methods hinge on unknown couplings to the Standard Model of particle physics. However, the universal coupling to gravity provides model-independent signatures for these fields. We explore here the superradiant instability of spinning black holes triggered in the presence of such fields. The instability taps angular momentum from and limits the maximum spin of astrophysical black holes. We compute, for the first time, the spectrum of the most unstable modes of a massive vector (Proca) field for generic black-hole spin and Proca mass. The observed stability of the inner disk of stellar-mass black holes can be used to derive \emph{direct} constraints on the mass of dark photons in the mass range $10^{-13}\,{\rm eV}\lesssim m_V \lesssim 3\times 10^{-12}\,{\rm eV}$. By including also higher azimuthal modes, similar constraints apply to axion-like particles in the mass range $6\times10^{-13}\,{\rm eV}\lesssim m_{\rm ALP} \lesssim 10^{-11}\, {\rm eV}$. Likewise, mass and spin distributions of supermassive BHs --~as measured through continuum fitting, K$\alpha$ iron line, or with the future space-based gravitational-wave detector LISA~-- imply indirect bounds in the mass range approximately $10^{-19}\,{\rm eV}\lesssim m_V, m_{\rm ALP} \lesssim 10^{-13}\, {\rm eV}$, for both axion-like particles and dark photons. Overall, superradiance allows to explore a region of approximately $8$ orders of magnitude in the mass of ultralight bosons

Thorium in solar twins: Implications for habitability in rocky planets

We have investigated the thorium (Th) abundance in a sample of 53 thin disc solar twins covering a wide range of ages. These data provide constrains on the mantle energy budget of terrestrial planets that can be formed over the evolution of the Galaxy's thin disc. We have estimated Th abundances with an average precision of 0.025 dex (in both [Th/H] and [Th/Fe]) through comprehensive spectral synthesis of a Th II line present at 4019.1290 Å, using very high resolution (R  =  115 000) high quality HARPS spectra obtained at the ESO La Silla Observatory. We have confirmed that there is a large energy budget from Th decay for maintaining mantle convection inside potential rocky planets around solar twins, from the Galactic thin disc formation until now, because the pristine [Th/H]ZAMS is super-solar on average under a uniform dispersion of 0.056 dex (varying from +0.037 up to +0.138 dex based on linear fits against isochrone stellar age). Comparing to neodymium (Nd) and europium (Eu), two others neutron-capture elements, the stellar pristine abundance of Th follows Eu along the Galactic thin disc evolution, but it does not follow Nd, probably because neodymium has a significant contribution from the s-process (about 60 per cent).This work has made use of the VALD database, operated at Uppsala University, the Institute of Astronomy RAS in Moscow, and the University of Vienna. RB acknowledges the PhD grant from Coordenac¸ao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nıvel Superior (CAPES) (093.875.006-24). AM acknowledges the research grant from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientıfico e Tecnologico (CNPq) (309562/2015-5). JM thanks Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) (2012/24392-2). The research by MA has been supported by the Australian Research Council (grants FL110100012 and DP150100250). We all are grateful for the anonymous referee by his valuable revision to improve the paper