Global trends in Kaposi sarcoma incidence and mortality: the need for action to reduce inequalities

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Imaging 3D seismic velocity along the seismogenic zone of Algarve region (southern Portugal)

The present seismic tomographic study is focused around Algarve region, in South of Portugal. To locate the seismic events and find the local velocity structure of epicentral area, the P and S arrival times at 38 stations are used. The data used in this study were obtained during the Algarve campaign which worked from January/2006 to July/2007. The preliminary estimate of origin times and hypocentral coordinates are determined by the Hy- poinverse program. Linearized inversion procedure was applied to comprise the following two steps: 1) finding the minimum 1D velocity model using Velest and 2) simultaneous relocation of hypocenters and determination of local velocity structure. The velocity model we have reached is a 10 layer model which gave the lowest RMS, after several runnings of eight different velocity models that we used “a priori”. The model parameterization assumes a continuous velocity field between 4.5 km/s and 7.0 km/s until 30 km depth. The earth structure is represented in 3D by velocity at discrete points, and velocity at any intervening point is determined by linear interpolation among the surrounding eight grid points. A preliminary analysis of the resolution capabilities of the dataset, based on the Derivative Weight Sum (DWS) distribution, shows that the velocity structure is better resolved in the West part of the region between the surface to15 km. The resulting tomographic image has a prominent low-velocity anomaly that shows a maximum decrease in P-wave velocity in the first 12 kms in the studied region. We also identified the occurrence of local seismic events of reduced magnitude not catalogued, in the neighbourhood of Almodôvar (low Alentejo). The spatial distribution of epicentres defines a NE-SW direction that coincides with the strike of the mapped geological faults of the region and issued from photo-interpretation. Is still expectable to refine the seismicity of the region of Almodôvar and establish more rigorously its role in the seismotectonic picture of the region. This work is expected to produce a more detailed knowledge of the structure of the crust over the region of Algarve, being able to identify seismogenic zones, potentially generators of significant seismic events and also the identification of zones of active faults

Pancreatic Transplantation: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

O transplante pancreático representa uma alternativa cirúrgica para o tratamento de casos selecionados de doentes diabéticos, com o objetivo de evitar as complicações sistémicas da doença. A abordagem mais frequente é o transplante pancreático-renal simultâneo, em que o pâncreas é geralmente posicionado intra-peritonealmente na região pélvica direita. Vários métodos de imagem são usados para a avaliação do enxerto parenquimatoso, a anatomia vascular e a drenagem entérica. A compreensão do procedimento cirúrgico, das técnicas utilizadas e da anatomia pós-procedimento é fundamental à medida que o número destes casos aumenta. O radiologista deve também conhecer as possíveis complicações associadas e a sua aparência imagiológica, com a finalidade de preservar a máxima função do enxerto.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Risk factors for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Mozambique

Studies evaluating risk factors for the occurrence of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in high-risk regions might contribute to a better understanding of the oesophageal cancer aetiology and incidence variation worldwide. We aimed to quantify the association between alcohol, tobacco and dietary history, and the occurrence of ESCC in Mozambique. A case–control study was conducted at Maputo Central Hospital. Cases (n = 143) were patients with newly diagnosed oesophageal cancer recruited in the Gastroenterology Service. Controls (n = 212) were selected in the Orthopaedic Ward among subjects with pathologies related to trauma. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs), and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using non-conditional logistic regression. The risk of ESCC was higher in older participants and lower in those with higher household income. Alcohol drinking (lifetime consumption ≥ 55.1 versus 0 kg ethanol: OR = 5.56; 95% CI: 2.43–12.73) and tobacco smoking (lifetime consumption ≥ 20 versus 0 pack/years: OR=7.26; 95% CI: 1.42–37.17) were associated with increased risk of ESCC. Tea (at least twice daily versus less than daily: OR = 5.09; 95% CI: 2.45–10.58) was also associated with the occurrence of ESCC. No significant differences were observed for fruit and vegetable and for smoked meat or fish consumption. Findings from this study show that in our sample, the occurrence of ESCC is strongly influenced by lifetime consumption of tobacco and alcohol, and with tea drinking. This highlights the importance of preventive measures based on the promotion of healthier lifestyles. Copyright: © the authors; licensee ecancermedicalscience

First Trimester Prediction of Pre-Eclampsia in Low Risk Pregnancies: Determining the Cut-Off in a Portuguese Group

Objective:We aimed to identify the cut-off for risk of pre-eclampsia (PE) in Portuguese population by applying the first trimester prediction model from Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) in a prospective enrolled cohort of low risk pregnant women. Population and methods: A prospective cohort of low risk singleton pregnancies underwent routine first-trimester scree - ning from 2011 through 2013. Maternal characteristics, blood pressure, uterine artery Doppler, levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free b-human chorionic gonadotropin were evaluated. The prediction of PE in first trimester was calculated through software Astraia, the outcome obtained from medical records and the cutoff value was subse quently calculated. Results:Of the 273 enrolled patients, 7 (2.6%) developed PE. In first trimester women who developed PE presented higher uterine arteries resistance, represented by higher values of lowest and mean uterine pulsatility index, p <0.005. There was no statistical significance among the remaining maternal characteristics, body mass index, blood pressure and PAPP-A. Using the FMF first trimester PE algorithm, an ideal cut-off of 0.045 (1/22) would correctly detect 71% women who developed PE for a 12% false positive rate and a likelihood ratio of 12.98 (area under the curve: 0.69; confidence interval 95%: 0.39-0.99). By applying the reported cutoff to our cohort, we would obtain 71.4% true positives, 88.3% true negatives, 11.4% false positives and 28.6% false negatives. Conclusion: By applying a first trimester PE prediction model to low risk pregnancies derived from a Portuguese population, a significant proportion of patients would have been predicted as high risk. New larger studies are required to confirm the present findings