Applications of videolaparoscopic surgery in children

OBJECTIVES: to present the videolaparoscopies performed by the Children's Surgery Service, and study the main indications for pediatric laparoscopic surgeries, considering advantages and disadvantages over conventional open procedures. METHODS: retrospective analysis of 612 videolaparoscopies in children aged between 8 days and 17 years treated from November/95 to 2000. Basic principles of videolaparoscopy and the postoperative management of several pediatric diseases are described. The results, advantages, and complications were analyzed after a 5-year follow-up period. RESULTS:laparoscopic surgery allowed for a wide series of abdominal procedures conventionally carried out through open surgery, mainly for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, inflammatory acute abdomen, adhesive intestinal obstruction, biliary lithiasis, tumors, cryptorchidism, ovarian diseases, splenectomies, aganglionosis, trauma and others. Morbidity was low (1%), and mortality due to laparoscopy was nonexistent. Conversion to laparotomy occurred in only 14 cases (2.3%), mainly because of trauma. The principal advantages included minimal surgical trauma, pain and reflex ileum, short hospital stay, almost no incisional hernias and better cosmetic scars. CONCLUSIONS: videolaparoscopy seems to be a great advance in modern pediatric surgery, allowing safer and less invasive treatment of a wide series of abdominal diseases at all pediatric ages.OBJETIVO: apresentar a casuística de videolaparoscopias do serviço, analisando as principais indicações para operações videolaparoscópicas em pediatria e considerando as vantagens e desvantagens em relação aos procedimentos convencionais por laparotomia. MÉTODOS: análise retrospectiva de 612 videolaparoscopias em crianças com idades de 8 dias a 17 anos, operadas de novembro/1995 a 2000. São descritos os princípios básicos da videolaparoscopia e o manejo pós-operatório nas inúmeras indicações pediátricas. Os resultados, vantagens e complicações foram analisados após um período de seguimento de até 5 anos. RESULTADOS: a cirurgia laparoscópica permitiu realizar vários procedimentos abdominais convencionalmente efetuados por via aberta, sobretudo no tratamento do refluxo gastroesofágico, abdome agudo inflamatório, criptorquidia, obstrução por bridas, litíase biliar, tumores, afecções de ovário, esplenectomia, aganglionose, trauma e outros. A morbidade foi baixa (1%) e a mortalidade devido à laparoscopia foi nula. Houve conversão para laparotomia em somente 14 casos (2,3%), sobretudo em trauma. As principais vantagens incluíram mínimos trauma cirúrgico, dor e íleo paralítico, pouco tempo de internação, quase ausência de hérnia incisional e melhor estética. CONCLUSÕES: a videolaparoscopia parece ser um grande avanço da cirurgia pediátrica moderna, permitindo tratar de modo menos invasivo e com segurança grande parte das afecções abdominais em crianças de todas as idades.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UFGInstituto Ortopédico de Goiânia e no Hospital AmparoUNIFESPSciEL

Efeito da temperatura no perfil de ácidos graxos do óleo de girassol.

Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados de composição de óleos extraídos de girassóis, convencionais e alto oleico, semeados na safra e na safrinha, com o objetivo de investigar o efeito da temperatura na produção de óleo e na proporção dos principais ácidos graxos em sua composiçã

Evaluation of herbaceous cotton lines and cultivars in the northeast of Brazil. II. Agronomic and fiber characteristics

Avaliou-se o desempenho de novas linhagens de algodoeiro herbáceo, frente às cultivares em uso, originadas do próprio CNPA e de outras instituições de pesquisa do País. Observaram-se os aspectos de peso médio de um capulho, percentagem de fibra, comprimento, uniformidade, finura e resistência de fibra. Os dados foram fornecidos por dezenove ensaios regionais de cultivares de algodoeiro herbáceo delineados em blocos ao acaso, com nove tratamentos e oito repetições, e conduzidos em diferentes localidades dos Estados do Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco. Magoas e Bahia, nos anos agrícolas 1980/81 e 1981/82. IAC 17 e CNPA 78-SME4 detiveram as maiores médias para peso médio de capulho. A primeira atingiu a maior média para percentagem de fibra (40,1%), tendo as linhagens PR 4139 (39,1%) e CNPA 76-6555 (38,9%) se destacado, também, para este aspecto. O comprimento de fibra variou de 29,1 mm a 31,7 mm, destacando-se a CNPA 78-SME4, com a maior média. As linhagens apresentaram médias de uniformidade de fibra variando de 51,0% a 54,2%, finura de fibra variando de 4,2 a 4,9 e resistência de fibra de 7,3 a 8,1.Eight lines of upland cotton were evaluated together with cultivars developed by the Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Algodão (CNPA) and by other research institutions in the country. The following characteristics were observed: boll weight, lint percent and fiber length, uniformity, fineness and resistance. The data were collected in 19 regional cotton variety tests, planted in a complete randomized block design with nine treatments and eight replications, at different locations in the States of Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia, in the years of 1980/81 and 1981/82. The genotypes IAC 17 and CNPA 78-SME4 had the highest boll weight. For lint percent the genotypes had the highest mean values, were IAC 17 (40.1%), PR 4139 (39.1%) and CNPA 76-6555 (38.9%). Fiber length varied from 29.1 mm to 31.7 mm with CNPA 78-SME4 having the highest mean value. For the other fiber characteristics the results were: uniformity varying from 51.0 to 54.2%, fineness from 4.2 to 4.9 and resistance from 7.3 to 8.1

Principales medidas de profilaxis en endoscopia bariátrica. Guía Española de Recomendación de Expertos

Bariatric endoscopy (BE) encompasses a number of techniques -some consolidated, some under development- aiming to contribute to the management of obese patients and their associated metabolic diseases as a complement to dietary and lifestyle changes. To date different intragastric balloon models, suture systems, aspiration methods, substance injections and both gastric and duodenal malabsorptive devices have been developed, as well as endoscopic procedures for the revision of bariatric surgery. Their ongoing evolution conditions a gradual increase in the quantity and quality of scientific evidence about their effectiveness and safety. Despite this, scientific evidence remains inadequate to establish strong grades of recommendation allowing a unified perspective on prophylaxis in BE. This dearth of data conditions leads, in daily practice, to frequently extrapolate the measures that are used in bariatric surgery (BS) and/or in general therapeutic endoscopy. In this respect, this special article is intended to reach a consensus on the most common prophylactic measures we should apply in BE. The methodological design of this document was developed while attempting to comply with the following 5 phases: Phase 1: delimitation and scope of objectives, according to the GRADE Clinical Guidelines. Phase 2: setup of the Clinical Guide-developing Group: national experts, members of the Grupo Español de Endoscopia Bariátrica (GETTEMO, SEED), SEPD, and SECO, selecting 2 authors for each section. Phase 3: clinical question form (PICO): patients, intervention, comparison, outcomes. Phase 4: literature assessment and synthesis. Search for evidence and elaboration of recommendations. Based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine classification, most evidence in this article will correspond to level 5 (expert opinions without explicit critical appraisal) and grade of recommendation C (favorable yet inconclusive recommendation) or D (inconclusive or inconsistent studies). Phase 5: External review by experts. We hope that these basic preventive measures will be of interest for daily practice, and may help prevent medical and/or legal conflicts for the benefit of patients, physicians, and BE in general

Edad U-Pb y análisis isotópico de Hf en circones del plutón Guasayán del Cámbrico temprano, Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: implicancias para el límite noroccidental del arco pampeano

An Early Cambrian pluton, known as the Guasayán pluton, has been identified in the central area of Sierra de Guasayán, northwestern Argentina. A U-Pb zircon Concordia age of 533±4 Ma was obtained by LA-MC-ICP-MS and represents the first report of robustly dated Early Cambrian magmatism for the northwestern Sierras Pampeanas. The pluton was emplaced in low-grade metasedimentary rocks and its magmatic assemblage consists of K-feldspar (phenocrysts)+plagioclase+quartz+biotite, with zircon, apatite, ilmenite, magnetite and monazite as accessory minerals. Geochemically, the granitic rock is a metaluminous subalkaline felsic granodiorite with SiO2=69.24%, Na2O+K2O=7.08%, CaO=2.45%, Na2O/ K2O=0.71 and FeO/MgO=3.58%. Rare earth element patterns show moderate slope (LaN/YbN=8.05) with a slightly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu*=0.76). We report the first in situ Hf isotopes data (εHft=-0.12 to-4.76) from crystallized zircons in the Early Cambrian granites of the Sierras Pampeanas, helping to constrain the magma source and enabling comparison with other Pampean granites. The Guasayán pluton might provide a link between Early Cambrian magmatism of the central Sierras Pampeanas and that of the Eastern Cordillera, contributing to define the western boundary of the Pampean paleo-arc.Un plutón de edad Cámbrica temprana, conocido como plutón Guasayán, ha sido identificado en el área central de la sierra de Guasayán, noroeste de Argentina. Una edad U-Pb en concordia de 533±4 Ma fue obtenida en circones mediante LA-MC-ICP-MS. Esta edad representa el primer reporte de magmatismo Cámbrico temprano para el noroeste de las Sierras Pampeanas. El mismo está emplazado en rocas metasedimentarias de bajo grado y se caracteriza por una asociación magmática de K-feldespato fenocristales)+plagioclasa+cuarzo+biotita, con circón, apatita, ilmenita, magnetita y monacita como minerales accesorios. Geoquímicamente, la roca granítica se clasifica como una granodiorita félsica metaluminosa subalcalina con contenidos de SiO2=69,24%, Na2O+K2O=7,08%, CaO=2,45% y relaciones de Na2O/K2O=0,71 y FeO/MgO=3,58%. Los patrones de elementos de tierras rara muestran una pendiente moderada (LaN/YbN=8,05) con una ligera anomalía negativa de Eu (Eu/Eu*=0,76). Nosotros reportamos los primeros datos in situ de isótopos de Hf (εHft=-0,12 a -4,76) para circones cristalizados en granitos del Cámbrico temprano de Sierras Pampeanas, lo que aporta información crítica sobre la fuente de los magmas, permitiendo la comparación con otros granitos pampeanos. El plutón Guasayán podría proveer el enlace entre el magmatismo del Cámbrico temprano del sector central de las Sierras Pampeanas y aquel de la cordillera Oriental, contribuyendio a definir el límite occidental del paleoarco Pampeano.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y MuseoCentro de Investigaciones Geológica

Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets

Exciton properties in zincblende InGaN-GaN quantum wells under the effects of intense laser fields

ABSTRACT: In this work, we study the exciton states in a zincblende InGaN/GaN quantum well using a variational technique. The system is considered under the action of intense laser fields with the incorporation of a direct current electric field as an additional external probe. The effects of these external influences as well as of the changes in the geometry of the heterostructure on the exciton binding energy are discussed in detail