Contact endoscopy (microstomatoscopy) in oral lesions: evaluation of the method

OBJETIVO: Descrever as dificuldades da endoscopia de contato aplicada à boca e ao lábio (microestomatoscopia de contato) e aplicar nas lesões do lábio os critérios usados na endoscopia de contato de outras topografias. MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo utilizando o endoscópio de contato Storz 8715A e o corante azul de toluidina. Vinte exames foram feitos para aprendizado da técnica e depois mais 31 (21 lesões do lábio e 10 da boca), todos exames in vivo. Os critérios avaliados foram: Celularidade, Arquitetura, Estratificação e Morfologia. RESULTADOS: A falta de nitidez, os tremores finos e o deslizamento do aparelho dificultaram o procedimento em 100% dos casos, mas permitiram um exame adequado. Os 13 diagnósticos de malignidade das lesões do lábio apresentaram todos os critérios alterados. CONCLUSÃO: as dificuldades encontradas foram o contato do aparelho com a superfície anatômica, o deslizamento do aparelho, os tremores finos e a falta de nitidez da imagem, que não inviabilizaram a realização e a interpretação do exame. Os critérios são aplicáveis às lesões da boca e do lábio inferior.BACKGROUND: 1- To describe difficulties of contact endoscopy related to mouth and lip (contact microstomatoscopy) and 2- apply the criteria used in contact endoscopy of other topographies when lip lesions are diagnosed. METHODS: A prospective study was performed with the contact endoscope Storz 8715A and toluidine blue was used. Twenty examinations were accomplished in order to learn the technique; after that, other 31 were included (21 lip lesions and 10 oral lesions), all in vivo examinations. The criteria assessed were: cellularity, architecture, stratification and morphology. RESULTS: Lack of image clearness, slight tremors and sliding of the equipment made the procedure difficult in 100% of the cases; even though, accomplishment of proper examination was obtained. The 13 cases of lip malignancy lesions had the criteria altered as a whole. CoNCLUSION: Difficulties found were the contact of the equipment with anatomic surface, the sliding of the equipment, the slight tremors, and the lack of image clearness. Nevertheless, such elements did not interrupt the accomplishment and the examination analysis. The criteria are applied to oral and lower lip lesions

Spectral distortions from promising single and multifield inflationary models

Forthcoming missions probing the absolute intensity of the CMB are expected to be able to measure spectral distortions, which are deviations from its blackbody distribution. As cosmic inflation can induce spectral distortions, these experiments offer a possibility to further test the various promising inflationary proposals, whose predictions need to be carefully determined. After numerically fitting all inflationary observables to match current observations, we compute the predicted spectral distortions of various promising single and multifield inflationary models. The predictions of single-field inflationary models display deviations between 1% and 20% with respect to the standard cosmological model in the observable window, where multi-natural and axion-monodromy inflation stand out in this respect. In the case of multifield inflation, we observe a richer structure of the power spectrum, which, in the case of so-called hybrid attractors, yields spectral distortions about 100 times more intense than the standard signal. These observations open up questions about the relation among our results and other cosmological observables that are also to be probed soon.Comment: 30 pages + references, 17 figures, 6 table

Prognostic value of the percentage of positive fragments in biopsies from patients with localized prostate cancer

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognostic value of the percentage of positive fragments (PPF) in biopsies from patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the period from March 1991 to November 2000, 440 patients were selected. Cases receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant hormone therapy, or adjuvant radiotherapy, were excluded, as were cases presenting Gleason scores higher than 6 at biopsy. PPF was defined as the total number of fragments divided by the total number of biopsy fragments times 100. This variable was initially divided into categories from 0 to 25%, 25.1% to 50%, 50.1 to 75% and 75% to 100%. During the postoperative period, patients were assessed every 2 months for 1 year, then every 6 months for 5 years, and then yearly. Biochemical recurrence was defined as serum PSA higher than or equal to 0.4 ng/mL. Median follow-up was 60 months. RESULTS: One hundred and nine (24.8%) of the 440 patients under study had biochemical recurrence. In the univariate analysis, PPF significantly influenced disease-free survival (log-rank, p < 0.001), and patients with PPF between 75 and 100% presented a risk of a biochemical recurrence of the disease 3 times higher than patients with PPF between 0 and 25% (p < 0.001). After the Cox regression analysis, both serum PSA (p = 0.001) and PPF (p < 0.001) showed to be independent predictive factors for disease-free survival following surgery. CONCLUSION: PPF measurement in biopsy is a simple and practical method, which should be routinely used as a predictive factor for biochemical recurrence in patients with PCa presenting Gleason scores between 2 and 6.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Division of UrologyUNIFESP, EPM, Division of UrologySciEL

Propiedades de los suelos cafetaleros en zonas productivas de Colon y Panamá Oeste

La siembra de café robusta adquiere mayor interés entre productores panameños como alternativa de conservación de suelos. El objetivo fue caracterizar las propiedades de los suelos de fincas productoras de café en las provincias de Colón y Panamá Oeste para la elaboración de cartillas de fertilización regionalizadas de acuerdo con las características edafoclimáticas de cada zona. En 15 fincas de la provincia de Colón y 20 de Panamá Oeste, se tomaron muestras en dos profundidades (0-20 y 20-40 cm) para conocer sus propiedades e iniciar un programa de fertilización sostenible que coadyuve en el mejoramiento de la productividad. Se elaboraron mapas digitales utilizando el programa Q-Gis v.2.2. y cartillas de fertilizacion regionalizada para cada zona. Los suelos de la provincia de Colón 47% presentaron alto porcentaje de saturación de aluminio, pH promedio de 4.6, bajos niveles de materia orgánica y de fósforo, 53% bajos en potasio. El 80% están altos en magnesio, 40% en calcio. Se encontraron desbalances en las relaciones Ca/Mg y Ca + Mg/K, lo que ocasiona problemas nutricionales. En Panamá Oeste 30% presentaron alto porcentaje de saturación de aluminio, pH promedio de 5.3 y 1.4% de materia orgánica, 100% están bajos en fósforo, 90% bajos en potasio, niveles medios y altos de magnesio y calcio. Se encontró correlación positiva y estadísticamente significativa entre % de arcilla, materia orgánica, pH y calcio. Se espera con esta caracterización y las cartillas de fertilización regionalizadas lograr mejorar las propiedades de los suelos en forma sostenible

Survival of patients with prostate cancer and normal PSA levels treated by radical prostatectomy

INTRODUCTION: The unpredictability of prostate cancer has become a daily challenge for the urologist, with different strategies being required to manage these cases. In this study, we report on the perspectives for curing prostate cancer in males undergoing radical prostatectomy with Gleason score of 2-6 on prostate biopsy in relation to pre-operative PSA levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1991 - 2000, we selected 440 individuals whose pathological diagnosis revealed a Gleason score of 2-6 upon prostate biopsy and who subsequently underwent retro-pubic radical prostatectomy due to localized prostate cancer. The clinical stage identified in the group under study was T1c: 206 (46.8%); T2a: 122 (27.7%); T2b: 93 (21.1%); T2c: 17 (3.9%); T3a: 2 (0.5%). Following surgery, we constructed a biochemical recurrence-free survival curve according to pre-operative PSA levels between 0-4; 4.1-10; 10.1-20 and > 20 ng/mL, with a median follow-up of 5 years. RESULTS: Following radical prostatectomy, the pathological stage was confirmed as pT2a: 137 (31.1%); T2b: 118 (26.8%); T2c: 85 (19.3%); T3a: 67 (15.2%); T3b: 6 (1.4%); T3c: 22 (5%). The biochemical recurrence-free survival, according to PSA values between 0-4; 4.1-10; 10.1-20 and > 20 ng/mL, was 86.6%, 62.7%, 39.8% and 24.8% respectively. CONCLUSION: Better chances for curing low-grade prostate cancer occur in individuals with normal PSA for whom a biopsy is not usually recommended.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Department of UrologyUNIFESP, EPM, Department of UrologySciEL

Tratamento fungicida em semente de milho super-doce.

Neste trabalho, procurou-se avaliar a influência do tratamento fungicida no potencial fisiológico e na sanidade de sementes de milho híbrido super-doce DO-04, separadas por diferenças quanto ao formato. Foi utilizado delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 2 x 3 x 4, compreendendo dois formatos de semente (retidas em peneira 15 x ¾\\\", representando as sementes arredondadas, e em peneira 20, representando as achatadas), três lotes e quatro tratamentos fungicidas (testemunha, Fludioxonil, Captan TS + Thiabendazol e Captan TS + Thiram PS). Avaliaram-se a germinação, o vigor (velocidade de germinação, teste de frio e envelhecimento acelerado) e a sanidade de semente. Foi verificado que as sementes arredondadas de milho híbrido super-doce DO-04 apresentam germinação e vigor mais elevados, em comparação às achatadas; os tratamentos fungicidas favorecem o vigor, sendo as combinações Captan + Thiabendazol e Captan + Thiram eficientes para o controle de F. moniliforme, Cephalosporium sp. e Penicillium sp

Directives for Sustainability Management in the Amazon Forest Economy

This paper presents drivers to promote sustainable management in the forest economy in Rondocirc;nia, as an alternative to the traditional economic approach to forest resources. Therefore, the study questions how the forest management in the State of Rondocirc;nia can contribute as an alternative to the predatory use of the forest, mitigating the impact on the Amazonian socio-biodiversity. The general objective is to generate knowledge about the exploitation of timber and non-timber resources in Rondocirc;nia, and has as specific goals to promote the survey of the theme, as indicated in theory and according to practices carried out in the State of Rondocirc;nia / Brazil (1); to discuss the main characteristics of forest management with sustainability, promoting its multifaceted characterization in the face of commercial and intercropping (2); and finally, to address the alternative uses of Forest Management, indicating drivers and adaptive the spatial conditions of the Amazon region, specifically Rondocirc;nia (3). This research is characterized as qualitative with the method of content analysis; involved the raising of theoretical bases that describe the scenario of study and consultation of specialists, to promote the proficient contextualization, analysis, and inference of the results. It was verified that the drivers for sustainable forest management are alternatives to the predatory use of natural resources, providing the use of multiple conservative mechanisms, interrelating profitability and sustainable development, in favor of the emergence and consolidation of an integrated forest production chain with diversified industrial systems. This work is of interest to the scientific community and rural managers and producers since it offers a contribution to the management of forest resources with sustainability

Evaluación numérico-experimental del comportamiento histérico del coeficiente de rugosidad de los macrófitos

La problem&aacute;tica asociada al crecimiento masivo de macr&oacute;fitos en el Bajo Ebro ha llevado a autoridades y gestores a examinar la posibilidad de paliar los efectos negativos que producen sobre el sistema h&iacute;drico, y los usos del agua, mediante la realizaci&oacute;n de avenidas controladas peri&oacute;dicas que provoquen su remoci&oacute;n. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal evaluar el comportamiento hidr&aacute;ulico de los macr&oacute;fitos mediante simulaci&oacute;n num&eacute;rica (modelo Iber) y su comparaci&oacute;n con datos de campo, con el fin de explorar las mejores opciones posibles para dise&ntilde;ar avenidas controladas m&aacute;s eficaces. Para ello se han empleado diferentes relaciones entre el coeficiente de rugosidad y la altura de agua bajo tres enfoques distintos (constante, variable y variable con hist&eacute;resis) a fin de calibrar el modelo num&eacute;rico con los datos de campo. Se ha podido observar que el mejor ajuste se produce cuando dichas curvas son de tipo variable con hist&eacute;resis (diferente rama de subida que de bajada)