Simultaneous Contralateral Vestibular Schwannoma and Middle Ear Paraganglioma Tumor

To the best of our knowledge, only 2 cases of a simultaneous contralateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) and middle ear paraganglioma (MEP) have previously been reported in literature. We report the third case observed in a 43-year-old male, who presented with an 11-year history of right-sided hearing loss and a 1-year history of left-sided pulsatile tinnitus. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a VS on the right side and computer tomography (CT) identified a Fisch type A1 paraganglioma on the left side. The VS was treated using a translabyrinthine approach and the MEP was kept under radiological observation for 1 year. Due to the growth of the MEP (Fisch type A2), it was treated with excision via a retroauricular approach. Our case was very challenging because there was a different and important pathology on each side, both carrying a risk of deafness as a consequence of the disease and/or the treatments

The costs of 'free': Experiences of facility-based childbirth after Benin's caesarean section exemption policy.

: As one of many similar policies in the region, in 2009 Benin launched a free c-section policy in publicly funded hospitals intended to decrease the barriers to facility delivery and the heavy financial burdens on women and their families. We conducted a qualitative study for eight months between 2012 and 2014 to understand women's experiences of care in maternity wards. We carried out semi-structured interviews with 30 women who had delivered via c-section at five hospitals. Two of these hospitals became case study sites where in-depth research was undertaken that consisted of participant observation in each maternity ward and 32 further interviews with women who had complicated, vaginal and c-section deliveries. Overall, women continue to pay for care, both in the form of under-the-table payments to health workers and prescribed payments for services not covered by the policy, though they consider the costs reasonable compared to what the charges were before. Lifting the fees has facilitated conditions for midwives to alert doctors that the procedure might be needed. Partly because c-sections are still feared by most women, in one hospital this led to some women perceiving them as a threat if their labour was progressing more slowly. Implementation of the policy differed greatly between the two case study hospitals. We conclude that some burdens on women's access to care have been addressed but deterrents remain to the improved perception of quality of care on the part of women. Findings detail how important context is to the implementation of the policy, and suggest that similar user-fee removal policies should be accompanied by other measures addressing staff management and quality of care.<br/

Variabilidade de isolados de Magnaporthe oryzae em arroz irrigado no Brasil.

Objetivando rastrear a variabilidade genética de M. oryzae em regiões produtoras de arroz irrigado no Brasil, este trabalho foi realizado utilizando-se 18 marcadores microssatélites. Foram selecionados 235 isolados monospóricos obtidos de oito cultivares de arroz irrigado coletados em RS,TO, MS e SC , os quais tiveram seus patótipos determinados

Nonlinear diffusion & thermo-electric coupling in a two-variable model of cardiac action potential

This work reports the results of the theoretical investigation of nonlinear dynamics and spiral wave breakup in a generalized two-variable model of cardiac action potential accounting for thermo-electric coupling and diffusion nonlinearities. As customary in excitable media, the common Q10 and Moore factors are used to describe thermo-electric feedback in a 10-degrees range. Motivated by the porous nature of the cardiac tissue, in this study we also propose a nonlinear Fickian flux formulated by Taylor expanding the voltage dependent diffusion coefficient up to quadratic terms. A fine tuning of the diffusive parameters is performed a priori to match the conduction velocity of the equivalent cable model. The resulting combined effects are then studied by numerically simulating different stimulation protocols on a one-dimensional cable. Model features are compared in terms of action potential morphology, restitution curves, frequency spectra and spatio-temporal phase differences. Two-dimensional long-run simulations are finally performed to characterize spiral breakup during sustained fibrillation at different thermal states. Temperature and nonlinear diffusion effects are found to impact the repolarization phase of the action potential wave with non-monotone patterns and to increase the propensity of arrhythmogenesis

Efeito do filtrado de Epicoccum sp. na formação de apressórios por Magnaporthe oryzae.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a ação do filtrado de Epicoccum sp., integrante da microflora do arroz, na inibição da germinação de conídios e na formação de apressórios de M. oryzae

Variabilidade antagônica in vitro de isolados de Sarocladium oryzae aos principais patógenos do arroz.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o antagonismo entre isolados de Sarocladium oryzae x Pyricularia oryzae, Sarocladium oryzae x Bipolaris oryzae e Sarocladium oryzae x M. oryzae.Pôster - pós-graduação

Determinação da atividade enzimática de duas importantes proteínas relacionadas à patogênese em plantas de arroz submetidas à indução biótica de resistência contra o fungo Magnaporthe grisea.

Neste trabalho, foram determinadas as atividades enzimáticas das enzimas relacionadas à patogênese: b-1,3-glucanase e peroxidase em plantas de arroz submetidas a tratamento prévio com isolado de Magnaporthe oryzae avirulento ao cultivar de arroz Cica-8, na tentativa de explicar molecularmente, os resultados obtidos com o mesmo tratamento através de avaliação foliar

Systematic review of the magnitude and case fatality ratio for severe maternal morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa between 1995 and 2010

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Analysis of severe maternal morbidity (maternal near misses) provides information on the quality of care. We assessed the prevalence/incidence of maternal near miss, maternal mortality and case fatality ratio through systematic review of studies on severe maternal morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We examined studies that reported prevalence/incidence of severe maternal morbidity (maternal near misses) during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period between 1996 and 2010. We evaluated the quality of studies (objectives, study design, population studied, setting and context, definition of severe acute obstetric morbidity and data collection instruments). We extracted data, using a pre-defined protocol and criteria, and estimated the prevalence or incidence of maternal near miss. The case-fatality ratios for reported maternal complications were estimated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified 12 studies: six were cross-sectional, five were prospective and one was a retrospective review of medical records. There was variation in the setting: while some studies were health facility-based (at the national referral hospital, regional hospital or various district hospitals), others were community-based studies. The sample size varied from 557 women to 23,026. Different definitions and terminologies for maternal near miss included acute obstetric complications, severe life threatening obstetric complications and severe obstetric complications. The incidence/prevalence ratio and case-fatality ratio for maternal near misses ranged from 1.1%-10.1% and 3.1%-37.4% respectively. Ruptured uterus, sepsis, obstructed labor and hemorrhage were the commonest morbidities that were analyzed. The incidence/prevalence ratio of hemorrhage ranged from 0.06% to 3.05%, while the case fatality ratio for hemorrhage ranged from 2.8% to 27.3%. The prevalence/incidence ratio for sepsis ranged from 0.03% to 0.7%, while the case fatality ratio ranged from 0.0% to 72.7%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The incidence/prevalence ratio and case fatality ratio of maternal near misses are very high in studies from sub-Saharan Africa. Large differences exist between countries on the prevalence/incidence of maternal near misses. This could be due to different contexts/settings, variation in the criteria used to define the maternal near misses morbidity, or rigor used carrying out the study. Future research on maternal near misses should adopt the WHO recommendation on classification of maternal morbidity and mortality.</p

Obtenção de açúcares a partir de cascas de arroz visando à produção de etanol de segunda geração.

O objetivo do trabalho foi a obtenção de açúcares menos complexos, fermentáveis, a partir de cascas de arroz, visando sua aplicação futura na produção de etanol de segunda geração

Variabilidade de Magnaporthe oryzae nos estados de Goiás, Tocantins e Mato Grosso do Sul.

Com o objetivo de monitorar a variabilidade fenotípica de populações de Magnaporthe oryzae, foram coletas amostras de folhas e panículas de arroz com brusone, em lavouras comerciais, nos estados de Goiás, Tocantins e Mato Grosso do Sul, durante as safras 2008/2009, 2009/2010 e 2010/2011