Acute scrotum

Acta Med Port. 1999 Jan-Mar;12(1-3):39-45. [Acute scrotum] [Article in Portuguese] Oliveira A, de Carvalho LF. Unidade de Andrologia, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Porto. Abstract Painful scrotum is a clinical entity that includes a variety of diseases, such as torsion of the spermatic cord, infectious conditions, injuries and oncology. This condition is more common in infants or youths. It is extremely important to recognize this condition and treat it promptly if the testicle is to be saved. PMID: 10423872 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Low Holocene level (7700 to 3650 years ago) of Lake Titicaca (Bolivia)

Les premiers résultats des analyses sédimentologiques et paléontologiques de deux échantillons de sédiments du lac Titicaca indiquent que entre 7700 et 3650 ans B.P. le niveau lacustre pouvait descendre jusqu'à 50 m. au dessous du niveau actue

Strain and slackness of achilles tendon during passive joint mobilization via imaging ultrasonography

Background: In vivo study of the mechanical behavior of tendons may bring advances in evaluating the impact of intervention programs for flexibility and strength, in clinical practice and sports. Objective: The aim of this study was to quantify the relative strain and slackness of achilles tendons during passive mobilization, for four ankle joint angles and two knee angles. Methods: The displacement of the muscle-tendon junction was quantified by means of ultrasound images acquired during passive ankle mobilization, with the aid of an electrogoniometer and an electromyograph to ensure the achievement of the required angles and muscle inactivity, respectively. Results: The strain values ranged from 4.28%±2.37 to -0.94%±1.58 for the fully extended knee, and from 2.38%±1.63 to -2.32%±2.16% for the flexed knee. Conclusions: The values found in this study confirm those in the literature and demonstrate how the Achilles tendon participates in length changes in the muscle-tendon unit during passive movement. These results suggest that the mechanical properties of tendinous tissues affect the relationship between the length of muscle fibers and the joint angle, even during this type of movement

Assessment of a low-cost solar water heating systems in farrowing facilities

ArticleThe objective of this study was to develop a prototype solar heater using alternative materials and then to compare its thermal efficiency against that of two other commercial solar heating systems when heating the floor of piglet housing. To evaluate the thermal heaters, temperature sensors were installed in the inlet and outlet of each floor and the thermal reservoir. The results showed good performance, however the thermal efficiency of the alternative heater was lower than the conventional systems. However, due to the construction of this solar collector with alternative materials its cost was relatively low and its operation is easier than the other conventional heater, therefore this heater is a good alternative to use for small livestock producer

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation: Lipid Content And Hepatic Histology In Healthy Wistar Rats [suplementação Com ácido Linoleico Conjugado: Conteúdo De Lípides E Histologia Hepática De Ratos Wistar Saudáveis]

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of the consumption of two commercial conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) mixtures on lipid content and liver histology of healthy rats. The investigation was carried out using thirty rats divided into three groups: C (control), AE (AdvantEdge®CLA), and CO (CLA One®). The concentration of CLA was 2% of feed consumption, and the animals were supplemented daily for 42 days. The total lipid content of the liver was determined, and the histology of the organ was examined by Transmission Electronic Microscopy. The results of total liver lipid contents did not exhibit significant differences between the groups. With regard to hepatic histology, it was observed that although fat globules were visibly present in higher numbers and bigger size in the CLA groups, the organ histology was considered normal since both cytoplasm and organelles showed integrity. It was concluded that even though liver microscopic images indicated the presence of fat globules in the liver, from a statistical point of view, the supplementation for 42 days did not bring about lipid accumulation, nor did it alter hepatic histology.311141146Adams, L.A., Angulo, P., Lindor, K.D., Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (2005) Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172 (7), pp. 899-905Akbiyik, F., Ligand-induced expression of peroxissome proliferators activated receptor α and activation of fatty oxidation enzymes in fatty liver (2004) European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 34 (6), pp. 429-435Akyüz, F., What is the best indicator for evaluating treatment response in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Histology or aminotransferase levels? (2005) Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 20 (1), pp. 167-168Basu, S., Smedman, A., Vesby, B., Conjugated linoleic acid induces lipid peroxidation in humans (2000) FEBS Letters, 468 (1), pp. 33-36Belury, M.A., Conjugated linoleic acid is na activator and ligand for peroxissome proliferator-activated receptor-gama (PPARγ) (2002) Nutrition Research, 22 (7), pp. 817-824Belury, M.A., Kempa-Steczko, A., Conjugated linoleic acid modulates hepatic lipid composition in mice (1997) Lipids, 32 (2), pp. 199-204Bligh, E.G., Dyer, W.J., A rapid method of total lipid extration and purification (1959) Canadian Journal of Biochemistry and Physiology, 37 (8), pp. 911-917Brown, J.M., McIntosh, M.K., Conjugated linoleic acid in humans: Regulation of adiposity and insulin sensitivity (2003) Journal of Nutrition, 133 (10), pp. 3041-3046Brunt, E.M., Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: Definition and pathology (2001) Seminars in Liver Disease, 21 (1), pp. 3-16Cherian, G., Dietary CLA alters yolk and tissue FA composition and hepatic histopathology of laying hens (2002) Lipids, 37 (8), pp. 751-757Cherian, G., Goeger, M.P., Hepatic lipid characteristics and histopathology of laying hens fed CLA or n-3 fatty acids (2004) Lipids, 39 (1), pp. 31-36Chituri, S., Farel, G.C., Etiopathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (2001) Seminars in Liver Disease, 21 (1), pp. 27-41Choi, J.S., Song, J., Conjugated linoleic acid, obesity, and insulin resistance: Waiting for the day of liberation from chronic disease (2005) Nutrition, 21 (11), pp. 1170-1172Clement, L., Dietary trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid induces hyperinsulinemia and fatty liver in the mouse (2002) Journal Lipid Research, 43 (9), pp. 1400-1409Elitsur, Y., Treatment for NASH: The value of histology (2005) Journal Gastroenterology: A Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 100 (1), pp. 250-251Goena, M., Effect of the raw legume Vicia ervilha on muscle and liver protein metabolism in growing rats (1989) Revista Española de Fisiologia, 45 (SUPPL.), pp. 55-60Granlund, L., Trans10, cis12-conjugated linoleic acid prevents triacylglycerol accumulation in adipocytes by acting as a PPARγ modulator (2003) Journal of Lipid Research, 44 (8), pp. 1441-1452Haddad, A., (1998) Técnicas básicas de microscopia eletrônica aplicadas às ciências biológicas, , Rio de Janeiro: Sociedade Brasileira de MicroscopiaHoek, B.V., Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A brief review (2004) Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 39 (SUPPL.), pp. 56-59Kang, K., Trans-10, cis-12 CLA inhibits differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and decreases PPARγ expression (2003) Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 303 (3), pp. 795-799Lavine, J.E., Vitamin E treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in children: A pilot study (2000) Journal of Pediatrics, 136 (6), pp. 734-738Ludwig, J., Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Mayo Clinic experience with a hitherto unnamed disease (1980) Mayo Clinic Procedings, 55 (7), pp. 434-438McArulla, M.T., Effects of conjugated linoleic acid on liver composition and fatty acid oxidation are isomer-dependent in hamster (2005) Nutrition, 21 (4), pp. 512-519Moya-Camarena, S.Y., Conjugated linoleic acid is a potent naturally occurring ligand and activator of PPARα (1999) Journal Lipid Research, 40 (8), pp. 1426-1433Oustrowska, E., Milk conjugated linoleic and trans-vaccenic acids are highest in Spring in grazing cows (2004) Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 13 (SUPPL.), pp. S53Pariza, M.W., Effects of temperature and time on mutagen formation in pan-fried hamburger (1979) Cancer Letter, 7 (2-3), p. 63Pariza, M.W., Hargraves, W.A., A beef-derived mutagenesis modulator inhibits initiation of mouse epidermal tumors by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (1985) Carcinogenesis, 6 (4), p. 591Parodi, P.W., Conjugated octadecadienoic acids of milk fat (1977) Journal of Dairy Science, 60 (10), pp. 1550-1553Reeves, P.G., Nielsen, F.H., Fahey Jr., G.C., AIN-93 Purified diets for laboratory rodents: Final report of the American Institute of Nutrition Ad Hoc Writing Committee on the Reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet (1993) Journal of Nutrition, 123 (11), pp. 1939-1951Risérus, U., Effects of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on insulin sensitivity, lipid peroxidation, and proinflamatory markers in obese men (2004) American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80 (2), pp. 279-283Salas-Salvadó, J., Marquez-Sandoval, F., Bulló, M., Conjugated linoleic acid intake in humans: A systematic review focusing on its effects on body composition, glucose, and lipid metabolism (2006) Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutritio, 46 (6), pp. 479-488Santos-Zago, L.F., Botelho, A.P., Oliveira, A.C., Supplementation with commercial mixtures of conjugated linoleic acid in association with vitamin E and the process of lipid autoxidation in rats (2007) Lipids, 42 (9), pp. 845-854Sato, S., Ultrastructural and morphometric studies of normal rat hepatocytes (2004) Journal of Submicroscopic Cytology and Pathology, 36 (2), pp. 131-140Sehat, N., Identification of conjugated linoleic acid isomers in cheese by gas chromatography, silver ion high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectral reconstructed ion profiles. Comparison of chromatographic elution sequences (1998) Lipids, 33 (10), pp. 963-971(2003) Institute Project for Windows: User's guide: Statistics, , STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM-SAS, Version 8.0. Cary: USA instVidela, L.A., Oxidative stress-related parameters in the liver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients (2004) Clinical Science, 106 (3), pp. 261-268Yamasaki, M., Effect of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid on Lipid Peroxidation and Histological Change in Rat Liver Tissues (2000) Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 48 (12), pp. 6367-637

Probing the Statistical Properties of Unknown Texts: Application to the Voynich Manuscript

While the use of statistical physics methods to analyze large corpora has been useful to unveil many patterns in texts, no comprehensive investigation has been performed on the interdependence between syntactic and semantic factors. In this study we propose a framework for determining whether a text (e.g., written in an unknown alphabet) is compatible with a natural language and to which language it could belong. The approach is based on three types of statistical measurements, i.e. obtained from first-order statistics of word properties in a text, from the topology of complex networks representing texts, and from intermittency concepts where text is treated as a time series. Comparative experiments were performed with the New Testament in 15 different languages and with distinct books in English and Portuguese in order to quantify the dependency of the different measurements on the language and on the story being told in the book. The metrics found to be informative in distinguishing real texts from their shuffled versions include assortativity, degree and selectivity of words. As an illustration, we analyze an undeciphered medieval manuscript known as the Voynich Manuscript. We show that it is mostly compatible with natural languages and incompatible with random texts. We also obtain candidates for keywords of the Voynich Manuscript which could be helpful in the effort of deciphering it. Because we were able to identify statistical measurements that are more dependent on the syntax than on the semantics, the framework may also serve for text analysis in language-dependent applications

Structural Performance and Durability Issues of Vernacular Schist Masonry

Stone masonry is recognized as one of the most used vernacular construction techniques around the world. Although centuries of proven resilience and high adaptability to context, stone masonry has been progressively replaced in construction industry in the last decades, namely in countries as Portugal, by industrial and concrete-based materials and building systems. Nowadays, with the lack of traditional masons, an important part of traditional stone masonry constructive know-how is endangered. In face of growing concerns regarding heritage preservation, researchers are aware of the need to scientifically know such structures. Being less studied, vernacular schist rubble masonry was selected as case study and tested to characterize its mechanical behaviour and durability parameters. The potential of retrofitting of such structures was also assessed [1]. Eighteen double-leave wallets were built following local building traditions [2] and prepared according to 3 different setups of 6 specimens each: i) non-coated; ii) coated with commercial lime coating; iii) coated with commercial lime coating and injected with lime-based grout. The experimental campaign was designed and implemented in stages for a period of three years: i) experimental characterization of stones and mortars; ii) axial compression testing of reference specimens; iii) salt-based accelerated aging following wet-dry procedures [3]; iv) axial compression testing. Damage progression was monitored by visual inspection, mass variation and sonic testing [4]

Epstein-Barr virus infection and gastric carcinoma in São Paulo State, Brazil

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus, and most people have serological evidence of previous viral infection at adult age. EBV is associated with infectious mononucleosis and human cancers, including some lymphomas and gastric carcinomas. Although EBV was first reported in lymphoepithelioma-like gastric carcinoma, the virus was also found in conventional adenocarcinomas. In the present study, 53 gastric carcinomas diagnosed in São Paulo State, Brazil, were evaluated for EBV infection by non-isotopic in situ hybridization with a biotinylated probe (Biotin-AGACACCGTCCTCACCACCC GGGACTTGTA) directed to the viral transcript EBER-I, which is actively expressed in EBV latently infected cells. EBV infection was found in 6 of 53 (11.32%) gastric carcinomas, mostly from male patients (66.7%), with a mean age of 59 years old. Most EBV-positive tumors were in gastric antrum. Two EBV-positive tumors (33.3%) were conventional adenocarcinomas, whereas four (66.7%) were classified as lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas. EBV infection in gastric carcinomas was reported elsewhere in frequencies that range from 5.6% (Korea) up to 18% (Germany). In Brazil, a previous work found EBV infection in 4 of 80 (5%) gastric carcinomas, whereas another study found 4.7 and 11.2% of EBV-positive gastric carcinomas of Brazilians of Japanese origin or not, respectively. In the present study, the frequency of EBV-positive gastric carcinomas is similar to that reported in other series, and the clinicopathologic characteristics of these EBV-positive tumors are in agreement with the data in the literature.1707171