Limits of WPT through the human body using Radio Frequency

Recently, the medical community has been devel oping new technologies to enhance medical treatments and diagnosis means, having in mind the patients’ comfort and safety. Implantable medical devices are an example of such solutions. Nonetheless, these devices present some disadvantages, namely need of batteries. Hence, these implants have a limited lifetime, and require periodical surgical interventions to change or to recharge. In order to solve this problem, systems based on Radio Frequency (RF) has been developed to transfer energy inside the organism. However, transmitting power to inside the human body must be performed carefully, since high power levels might be prejudicial to the subject. In this context, the goal of this work is to study the performance of the Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) to inside the human body, while respecting the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits. Therefore, the levels of absorbed power in different body parts were verified by simulation, in order to reach conclusions about the user’s safety. More specifically, two biological models that represent the thigh and the arm were considered. The simulation results led us to conclude that it is possible to transmit approximately 140 mW on the limbs location, while respecting the SAR limits. In turn, it is possible to receive a power superior to 93 µW inside the human body. Additionally, real tests were also carried out in three subjects to verify the power attenuation related to each body structure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transplante de pâncreas e rim simultâneo com enxerto renal proveniente de doador vivo

O transplante de pâncreas e rim simultâneo (TPRS) assumiu na última década, importante papel no tratamento dos pacientes diabéticos insulino-dependentes com doença renal em fase terminal. A melhora nos resultados obtidos com esta terapia tornou a indicação deste procedimento mais freqüente, acarretando aumento na lista de receptores e, consequentemente, maior tempo de espera pelo transplante. Com o intuito de reduzir o tempo de espera em lista e associar os benefícios imunológicos e técnicos do transplante realizado com doador-vivo relacionado, alguns centros mundiais passaram a indicar o TPRS com o emprego de enxerto renal proveniente de doador-vivo relacionado. Apresentamos a seguir, o primeiro caso realizado no país desta modalidade de transplante de pâncreas.Simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant (SPK) assumed in the last decade an important paper in treatment of insulin-dependent diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease. The improvement in the results obtained with this therapy made the indication of this procedure more frequent, causing an increase in the patient’s waiting list and, consequently, a larger waiting time for the transplant. Aiming to reduce the waiting time and to associate technical and imunologic benefits in the transplant accomplished with living related donor, some centers started to indicate SPK using the kidney graft obtained from a living related donor. We present the first case of this modality of pancreas transplant accomplished in Brazil

ECONOMICAL AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF AVIARIES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF BROILERS UNDER CONDITIONS OF RISK

Financial investment projects are characterized by uncertainties. When quantified, these will determine the probability of their occurrence and the condition of risk. This information might be analyzed via simulation of Monte Carlo Method, which will establish the level of associated risk. To understand the financial risks of broiler production in integration system, cash flow models for aviaries were formulated with different technological levels. Using deterministic techniques, the value of the main economic viability indicators were calculated, which were incorporated to the risk through a probabilistic model of pseudo-random numbers, generated with Monte Carlo Method. The uncertainties associated to financial projects show that broiler production in different integration systems is economically viable. However, the best financial return and smallest risk are obtained with an aviary which contains low technological level and the least financial investment

ECONOMICAL AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF AVIARIES FOR THE INTEGRATION OF BROILERS UNDER CONDITIONS OF RISK

Financial investment projects are characterized by uncertainties. When quantified, these will determine the probability of their occurrence and the condition of risk. This information might be analyzed via simulation of Monte Carlo Method, which will establish the level of associated risk. To understand the financial risks of broiler production in integration system, cash flow models for aviaries were formulated with different technological levels. Using deterministic techniques, the value of the main economic viability indicators were calculated, which were incorporated to the risk through a probabilistic model of pseudo-random numbers, generated with Monte Carlo Method. The uncertainties associated to financial projects show that broiler production in different integration systems is economically viable. However, the best financial return and smallest risk are obtained with an aviary which contains low technological level and the least financial investment

Síndrome de Meigs: Relato de Caso

Introdução: A síndrome de Meigs é uma condição clínica rara, definida como a associação de derrame pleural, ascite e fibroma ovariano, com resolução dos sintomas após a ressecção do tumor. Relato do caso: Paciente, sexo feminino, 56 anos, com tosse seca, associada à hiporexia, perda de peso e dispneia progressiva durante um mês. Radiografia de tórax e posteriormente tomografia de tórax mostraram derrame pleural volumoso à direita, sendo realizada toracocentese com drenagem de 2.500 ml de líquido seroso, sugestivo de exsudato. Ao exame, observou-se massa palpável em hipogástrio, com limite superior em cicatriz umbilical. Exames de imagem mostram formação expansiva sólida de possível origem ovariana esquerda e presença de líquido ascítico. A paciente foi submetida à histerectomia total com salpingo-ooforectomia bilateral e ressecção da massa pélvica. No intraoperatório, o exame por congelação foi sugestivo de fibroma ovariano. O histopatológico da peça cirúrgica confirmou fibroma ovariano medindo 13,0 x 12,5 x 7,5 cm e o exame citopatológico do líquido ascítico foi negativo para células neoplásicas. A paciente evoluiu em bom estado geral com resolução do derrame pleural e da ascite e segue sem recorrência dos sintomas. Conclusão: O diagnóstico definitivo é feito pela confirmação histológica de fibroma ovariano e resolução dos sintomas após a remoção da tumoração. A dispneia pode ser o sintoma inicial e o marcador tumoral CA-125 pode estar elevado. O prognóstico costuma ser bom e as chances de recidiva são mínimas

Predictors for incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid in primary biliary cholangitis. Data from a national registry of liver disease

© 2021 The Authors. United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of United European Gastroenterology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.Background: The current standard of treatment in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), although a considerable proportion of patients show incomplete response resulting in disease progression. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of incomplete response to UDCA and determine associated patients' characteristics. Methods: Patients with PBC as main diagnosis were included from a national multicentric patient registry-Liver.pt. Main endpoints included incomplete response to UDCA treatment according to Barcelona, Paris I and Paris II criteria, Globe and UK PBC scores and the association between baseline characteristics and incomplete response according to Paris II criteria. Results: A total of 434 PBC patients were identified, with a mean age of 55 years and 89.2% females. Nearly half of patients were asymptomatic at diagnosis and 93.2% had positive anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Almost all patients (95.6%) had been prescribed at least one drug for PBC treatment. At the last follow-up visit, 93.3% were under treatment of which 99.8% received UDCA. Incomplete response to UDCA was observed in 30.7%, 35.3%, 53.7% and 36.4% of patients according to Barcelona, Paris I, Paris II criteria and Globe score, respectively. After adjusting for age and sex, and accordingly to Paris II criteria, the risk for incomplete biochemical response was 25% higher for patients with cirrhosis at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.02-1.54; p = 0.033) and 35% (95%CI:1.06-1.72; p = 0.016) and 5% (OR = 1.05; 95%CI:1.01-1.10; p = 0.013) for those with elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of patients showed incomplete biochemical response to UDCA treatment according to Paris II criteria. Cirrhosis, elevated GGT and ALP at diagnosis were identified as associated risk factors for incomplete response. Early identification of patients at risk of incomplete response could improve treatment care and guide clinical decision to a more careful patient monitorization.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An integrative approach to investigate the respective roles of single-nucleotide variants and copy-number variants in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Many studies have attempted to investigate the genetic susceptibility of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but without much success. The present study aimed to analyze both single-nucleotide and copy-number variants contributing to the genetic architecture of ADHD. We generated exome data from 30 Brazilian trios with sporadic ADHD. We also analyzed a Brazilian sample of 503 children/adolescent controls from a High Risk Cohort Study for the Development of Childhood Psychiatric Disorders, and also previously published results of five CNV studies and one GWAS metaanalysis of ADHD involving children/adolescents. The results from the Brazilian trios showed that cases with de novo SNVs tend not to have de novo CNVs and vice-versa. Although the sample size is small, we could also see that various comorbidities are more frequent in cases with only inherited variants. Moreover, using only genes expressed in brain, we constructed two “in silico” protein-protein interaction networks, one with genes from any analysis, and other with genes with hits in two analyses. Topological and functional analyses of genes in this network uncovered genes related to synapse, cell adhesion, glutamatergic and serotoninergic pathways, both confirming findings of previous studies and capturing new genes and genetic variants in these pathways