A new method for quantification of hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mTc-mebrofenin. A comparative study

A method based upon the application of mathematical techniques of deconvolution on the classical compartmental model for the quantitative study of liver function from hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mTc-mebrofenin data is proposed. The theory in which the method is based upon is presented and a comparison with a published methodology of obtaining the hepatic extraction after scintigraphic sudies has been performed using the results on 36 rats studies obtained with the two methods. A highly significant correlation between the two techniques was verified. The characteristics of the two methodologies, the proposed one based upon a theoretical approach and the other one on an empirical approximation are discussed. Comments are made on the interest and limitations of the presented technique that may be an useful tool for the evaluation of hepatic insufficiency

Implant Site Nexplanon Reaction?

Nexplanon (Schering-Plough Limited/Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited (MSD)) is a long active reversible contraceptive method that provides effective contraception for 3 years. It consists of a single, flexible, rod-shaped implant, containing 68 mg etonogestrel. It is 4 cm long, consists of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, a non-absorbable material, and also contains 15 mg of barium sulfate, which makes it visible by X-ray. We describe a case of a 39-year-old woman who experienced a local reaction to the barium sulfate in Nexplanon. She was given medical treatment, but only the removal of the implant resolved the symptoms. After removal there was gradual improvement and 72 h later the patient was asymptomatic. Allergic reaction to barium sulfate is extremely rare: until now, there have only been two cases associated with Nexplanon described in the literature

Ecophysiological potential of the Dão terroir for the production of Touriga Nacional red grapes

Proceedings - IX International Terroir Congress, 2012Aiming to evaluate the potential of the portuguese Dão winegrowing region for the production of Touriga Nacional (TN) red grapes, climatic, ecophysiological and viticultural data from two different climatic years (2004, wet year and 2005, dry year) are presented and discussed. The data was collected in the control non-irrigated plants of an irrigation experiment installed at the Dão Research Station, Nelas, Portugal. The vineyard is established in a typical granitic soil and trained on a vertical shoot positioning. According to the Géoviticulture Multicriteria Climatic Classification System, the Dão region is classified as temperate/temperate warm for the heliothermal index, with cool nights (night cold index) and moderately dry (dryness index). In 2004 the predawn leaf water potential presented always values higher than -0.2 MPa from flowering to harvest but in 2005 moderate to severe water stress was observed during the ripening period (-0.4 MPa at veraison to -0.6 MPa at harvest). Leaf stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate displayed a decreasing pattern from flowering to harvest in both years but attained much lower values in the 2005 ripening period as compared to that of 2004. The yield was similar in both years but 2005 showed lower sugar content, similar titratable acidity and a higher anthocyanin berry skin content. Our data shows that the Dão terroir presents a high inter-annual climate variability which has important repercussions on TN responses being the most unfavorable climatic years those were the high temperatures are coincident with water stress during the first half of the ripening period. In those years irrigation should be applied in order to obtain better quality grapes

Fetal Growth Restriction - a 4-Year Case Series

Overview and aims: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects 15% of pregnancies and is associated with both increased perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and long-term effects in adult life. Our aim was to describe cases and outcomes of FGR from a tertiary perinatal care centre and identify the predictors of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Study design: retrospective cohort. Population: pregnancies with early or late FGR caused by placental factors followed from 2006 to 2009 in a tertiary perinatal care centre. Methods: we collected data from clinical records on demographics, clinical history and fetal ultrasound parameters. Perinatal and neonatal outcomes were stratiied according to gestational age (above or below 28 weeks) and we used bivariate analysis to identify any associations with clinical and imaging indings. Results: we included 246 pregnancies; hypertension was the most prevalent maternal risk factor (16%). There were 15 cases of early FGR, 11 of which had cesarean delivery due to deterioration of fetal Doppler parameters. Outcomes in this group included one fetal and three neonatal deaths. Of 231 cases of late FGR, 64% were delivered early given a non-reassuring fetal status i.e. due to changes in Doppler evaluation or altered Manning biophysical proile. There were four cases of perinatal death in this group, three of which delivered at 28 weeks. Neonatal morbidity was associated with lower gestational age, lower birthweight and progressive placental dysfunction (p<0.01). Conclusion: there was an association between neonatal morbidity and gestational age, birthweight and Doppler deterioration, particularly for deliveries below 28 weeks. The assessment of vascular changes through Doppler analysis allows anticipation of fetal deterioration and is a helpful tool in deciding the optimum timing of delivery

Response of growth, yield and berry composition to basal leaf removal in Jaen grapevine

Results from a leaf removal experiment located at Dão Winegrowing region of Portugal are presented. Three intensity levels of defoliation (control non-defoliated, leaves removed up to the third basal node and up to the sixth basal node) are compared. Defoliation treatments had no significant effect on yield and on must soluble solids, showing that the remaining leaves were able to guarantee berry development and sugar accumulation in the fruit. The more intense defoliation treatment induced favorable effects on light microclimate in the cluster zone, with positive consequences for polyphenols synthesis and reduction of Botrytis cinerea Pers. incidenceinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Complex movement disorders in Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1: Beyond the cerebellar syndrome

Background: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia (AOA1) is characterized by early-onset progressive cerebellar ataxia with peripheral neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia and hypoalbuminemia and hypercholesterolemia. Case Report: A 23-year-old previously healthy woman presented with slowly-progressive gait impairment since the age of six years. Neurological examination revealed profound areflexia, chorea, generalized dystonia and oculomotor apraxia. Brain MRI revealed mild cerebellar atrophy and needle EMG showed axonal sensorimotor neuropathy. Whole exome sequencing revealed a mutation in the aprataxin gene. Discussion: AOA1 can present with choreoathetosis mixed with dystonic features, resembling ataxia-telangiectasia. This case is instructive since mixed and complex movement disorders is not very common in AOA1. Highlights: • Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 (AOA1) is characterized by early-onset ataxia and oculomotor apraxia caused by variants in the APTX gene. • Ataxia is usually not the sole movement abnormality in AOA1. • Hyperkinetic movement disorders, especially chorea and dystonia, may occur. • Mixed and complex movement disorders is not very common in AOA1. • Patients with early-onset ataxia associated with mixed movement disorders should also be investigated for AOA1

Effects of irrigation on the vigour, yield and berry composition of the red variety Touriga Nacional at the Dão winegrowing region, Portugal

Proceedings - 17 th International Symposium GIESCO, Asti, Italy, 2011In a field trial installed at the Centro de Estudos Vitivinícolas do Dão, Nelas, Portugal, the effect of three irrigation treatments on the agronomic behaviour of cv Touriga Nacional (Vitis vinifera L.) were studied during three growing seasons (2006-2008). Three irrigation treatments (DI30 - irrigation with 30% of ETc; DI50 - irrigation with 50% ETc, FI - full irrigation – 100% Etc) were compared to a control non-irrigated treatment (NI). Compared to NI, the deficit irrigation treatments (DI30 & DI50) showed no significant differences on the yield and its components. The full irrigation treatment induced a significantly higher yield due to a higher bunch weight, as compared with the others treatments. Compared to the control, the deficit irrigation treatments presented similar berry composition during all the three seasons. The FI treatment presented, in all seasons, a significantly higher total acidity and a significantly lower Brix and total anthocyanins concentration as compared to the other treatments. The pruning weight and shoot weight increased with the amount of irrigation water applied, but significant differences were found only between the FI and the NI treatments, the last presenting the lowest values. Despite the fact that in the non-irrigated vineyards of the Dão winegrowing region it is very common to observe vine water stress symptoms, mainly during the ripening period, during the three studied seasons (2006-2008), the deficit irrigation treatments showed no advantages relatively to the control non-irrigated. Despite the higher yield produced in the full irrigation, this treatment had the disadvantages of the excessive vine vigour and lower must quality produced

Daily evolution of the components of the balance of radiation of vines in a vineyard in the Dão region

Proceedings - 17 th International Symposium GIESCO, Asti, Italy, 2011In order to validate a model of vine transpiration based on radiative surface temperature a field trial was conducted in a vineyard in the Dão region, centre of Portugal, with the cultivar “Touriga Nacional”. The model is based on the partition of net radiation between the components of the canopy (vines, soil, and grass cover), considering that the vines and the undercover (soil plus grass cover) act separately and in parallel. Thus, the latent heat flux from the vines to the atmosphere (lTc) is determined from vine net radiation (Rnc) and sensible heat flux (Hc). The partition of net radiation (Rn) between the undercover (Rns) and the vines (Rnc) is made considering the exponential form for radiation extinction, with the coefficient of extinction being corrected with a factor dependent on the zenital solar angle (j) while leaf area index (LAI) is corrected with a clumping factor, Ω(φ). Sensible heat flux from the vines (Hc) is calculated from radiative temperature (Tc) considering that the fluxes from the different origins are independent and that there are two resistances in series between the canopy and the atmosphere: the leaf boundary layer resistance (raHc) and the aerodynamic resistance of the crop (raH). Besides the estimation of the daily values of transpiration, the model allows to study the evolution of the different components of the radiation balance throughout the day. The daily evolution of the evaporation fraction from the vines (FEc) can be approximated by a concave curve. Values of FEc > 1 show that, under certain circumstances and periods of the day, energy used for transpiration (lTc) is greater than crop net radiation, which indicates that there are exchanges of energy between the several components of the surface, namely when evaporative demand from the atmosphere is high and there are no soil water restrictions. The model also shows that, regardless of the soil water status, transpiration is a big part of Rn when these values are low (in the beginning of the morning and late afternoon)