Impact of brain biopsy on management of nonneoplastic brain disease

Introduction: Diagnostic yield of brain biopsy in neoplastic brain disease is high and its clinical impact is well established. In nonneoplastic brain disease with negative conventional investigation, decision to undergo invasive procedures is difficult due to its inherent risk and known lower diagnostic yield. Research question: What is the clinical impact of brain biopsy results on management of nonneoplastic brain disease ? Material and methods: A multidisciplinary team retrospectively reviewed and included all nonneoplastic brain disease cases submitted to biopsy between 2009 and 2019, in a tertiary hospital in Lisbon. Baseline characteristics were registered, including immunosuppression status, diagnostic workup, and treatment prior to biopsy. Diagnostic yield, clinical impact and in-hospital complication rates were assessed. Results: Sixty-four patients were included, 20 (31.3%) of them immunosuppressed (15 HIV ​+ ​patients). Thirty-five (67.7%) were previously treated with steroids or antiinfectious agents, with higher percentage (93.3%) in the immunosuppressed group. Biopsy results were diagnostic in 46 (71.9%) cases. More frequent diagnosis was infectious in 20 (31.2%), neoplastic in 12 (18.8%) and inflammatory diseases in 8 (12.5%). Brain biopsy resulted on impact on patient's clinical management in 56 (87.5%), of which 37(57.8%) were submitted to treatment change. In-hospital complications were registered in 4 (6.6%) patients. Discussion and conclusion: Brain biopsy had clinical impact, including a change in treatment, in most patients studied, and may be considered a useful diagnostic option in nonneoplastic brain disease. However, associated complication rate is not negligible, and previous thorough workup, patient selection and risk-benefit assessment are important.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mineralization of 14C-diuron by Acinetobacter baumannii.

The diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] is an herbicide used in sugarcane and other crops. This work evaluated the mineralization of the herbicide diuron by Acinetobacter baumannii and also was developed protocols for extraction and quantification of 14C-diuron. The strain (D12-12), isolated from rhizosphere of sugarcane, grown in soils treated with the herbicide, was cultivated in mineral media J.E. plus diuron at 20 ug/ml and plus 14C-diuron (specific activity = 2.43 MBq/mg) applied at 39,3215 KBq/50 ml, and incubated for 32 days in duplicate. The 14C-diuron extraction was carried out on C-18 SEP-PAK columns, resuspended in scintillation cocktail and the activity determined by liquid scintillation counting. The recuperation of diuron was more than 96,2% and 14CO2 accumulated after 32 days was 1,77%

Prognóstico após Paragem Cardio-Respiratória em Doentes Submetidos a Hipotermia Terapêutica: Factores Clínicos, Electrofisiológicos e Imagiológicos

INTRODUCTION: Predicting outcome in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest is based on data validated by guidelines that were established before the era of therapeutic hypothermia. We sought to evaluate the predictive value of clinical, electrophysiological and imaging data on patients submitted to therapeutic hypothermia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients receiving therapeutic hypothermia during years 2010 and 2011 was made. Neurological examination, somatosensory evoked potentials, auditory evoked potentials, electroencephalography and brain magnetic resonance imaging were obtained during the first 72 hours. Glasgow Outcome Scale at 6 months, dichotomized into bad outcome (grades 1 and 2) and good outcome (grades 3, 4 and 5), was defined as the primary outcome. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients were studied. Absent pupillary light reflex, absent corneal and oculocephalic reflexes, absent N20 responses on evoked potentials and myoclonic status epilepticus showed no false-positives in predicting bad outcome. A malignant electroencephalographic pattern was also associated with a bad outcome (p = 0.05), with no false-positives. Two patients with a good outcome showed motor responses no better than extension (false-positive rate of 25%, p = 0.008) within 72 hours, both of them requiring prolonged sedation. Imaging findings of brain ischemia did not correlate with outcome. DISCUSSION: Absent pupillary, corneal and oculocephalic reflexes, absent N20 responses and a malignant electroencephalographic pattern all remain accurate predictors of poor outcome in cardiac arrest patients submitted to therapeutic hypothermia. CONCLUSION: Prolonged sedation beyond the hypothermia period may confound prediction strength of motor responses

Vicia faba Crop Residues for Sustainable Electricity Generation Using a Sludge-based Microbial Fuel Cell

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) simultaneously degrade organic substrates and generate electricity in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. Here, we built a 4-unit MFC and studied the efficiency of MFC at different conditions, including pH, substrate concentration of Vicia faba agricultural wastes with exoelectrogenic bacteria P. aeruginosa. The exoelectrogenic bacteria were obtained from industrial effluents and used to inoculate the MFCs. The optimized conditions in terms of yielding maximum potential of 802 mV, yielding maximum power density of 283 mW m–2 were reported at a substrate concentration of 6 g L–1 of V. faba waste and pH of 5.5, corresponding to a current density 1255.93 mA m–2. Using exoelectrogenic bacteria from industrial effluents and agricultural wastes resulted in efficient MFC. Thus, the developed MFCs using V. faba agricultural wastes can be used in rural areas that have limited access to electricity, by reusing agricultural wastes and concomitant electricity generation. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Efecto de la fertilización a la pradera en la densidad básica de la madera de Pinus radiata. D. Don.

The effects of pasture fertilization on basic density of Pinus radiata wood growing in silvopastoral sistem, for two trials submitted to different fertilization schemes: fertilized pasture and unfertilized pasture, are shown in this study. In addition, the different social classes existing in the dominant, intermediate and suppressed stands, are considered. To determine the basic density of wood, disks extracted at a diameter breast height, where annual rings were separated, measuring for each one of them its green volume and dry weight, were used. Statistical analyses showed that density of wood was effected by pasture fertilization, remaining its effect for a period of two and three years depending on the social class. Pasture fertilization effects are higher in the suppressed trees, lower in the intermediate trees, and without any effect in the dominant trees. As a general conclusion it was determined that pastures fertilization decreases basic density on Pinus radiata, especially during its first 10 years of tree growth. It was also found that on trees growing on pastures, there is no significant variation on basic density of wood during their first 10 years of growth. This behavior is the result of the intensive management of the trees forcing them to compete for light for forage development.El presente estudio muestra las diferencias en la densidad básica de la madera del Pinus radiata, para dos ensayos sometidos a diferentes esquemas de fertilización: pradera fertilizada y pradera sin fertilizar. Además, se consideran las diferentes clases sociales presentes en los rodales: dominantes, intermedios y suprimidos. Para la determinación de la densidad básica se utilizaron rodelas extraídas al diámetro a la altura del pecho, en la cual los anillos de crecimiento fueron separados, determinando para cada uno de ellos su volumen en estado verde y su peso seco al horno. Los análisis estadísticos demostraron que la densidad disminuye luego de la fertilización, prolongándose el efecto por un período de dos a tres años dependiendo de la clase social. Los efectos de la fertilización son mayores en los árboles suprimidos, menores en los intermedios y sin efecto en los árboles dominantes. Como conclusión general se estableció que la fertilización de la pradera disminuye la densidad básica del Pinus radiata, sobre todo en los primeros 10 años de crecimiento del árbol. Así también se encontró que los árboles creciendo en praderas durante sus primeros 10 años de crecimiento no se producen variaciones significativas en la densidad básica de la madera. Este comportamiento es producto del manejo intensivo que se somete los árboles, en virtud de buscar una mayor cantidad de luz para el desarrollo del forraje

Avaliação de duas cultivares de bananeira mediante diferentes lâminas de irrigação.

A bananeira é a frutífera tropical mais difundida no mundo, apresentando grandes áreas cultivadas e grandes volumes de comercialização, tendo em vista tratar-se de uma das frutas mais consumidas e exploradas nos países tropicais. O Brasil se destaca como um dos países com maior produção e consumo de bananas. A exploração em condições irrigadas tem sido uma solução para os locais em que as precipitações não são suficientes para suprir as necessidades hídricas da bananeira (FAO, 1994)

Construção da primeira micoteca de Mycosphaerella Musicola Leach do Estado da Bahia.

O fungo Mycosphaerella musicola Leach é o agente causal da Sigatoka-amarela em bananeira. Essa doença é reduz da área foliar verde da planta, refletindo em menor produtividade. O objetivo do trabalho foi iniciar uma coleção de isolados de M. musicola coletados no Estado da Bahia. As amostras foram coletadas nas principais microrregiões produtoras de banana, a saber: Bom Jesus da Lapa ( Bom Jesus da Lapa), Ilhéus-Itabuna ( Presidente Tancredo Neves, Wenceslau Guimarães, Barro Preto, Gandu e Teolândia), Valença ( Morro de São Paulo) e Vitória da Conquista (Morro de São Paulo). A partir de 141 amostras coletadas consegui-se isolar e preservar 56 isolados (39,72%) em duplicata nos métodos de Castellani, BDA, BDA+Glicerol, Tiras de papel e Esferas de vidro. A primeira micoteca de Mycosphaerella musicola Leach do Estado da Bahia está sendo construída

Ethyl 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-6-oxa-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-3-carboxylate: crystal structure and Hirshfeld analysis

The title compound, C14H17NO4, features an epoxide-O atom fused to a pyrrolidyl ring, the latter having an envelope conformation with the N atom being the flap. The 4-methoxyphenyl group is orthogonal to [dihedral angle = 85.02 (6)°] and lies to the opposite side of the five-membered ring to the epoxide O atom, while the N-bound ethyl ester group (r.m.s. deviation of the five fitted atoms = 0.0187 Å) is twisted with respect to the ring [dihedral angle = 17.23 (9)°]. The most prominent interactions in the crystal are of the type methine-C—H...O(carbonyl) and these lead to the formation of linear supramolecular chains along the c axis; weak benzene-C—H...O(epoxide) and methine-C—H...O(methoxy) interactions connect these into a three-dimensional architecture. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surface confirms the presence of C—H...O interactions in the crystal, but also the dominance of H...H dispersion contacts.</jats:p

Diversidade genética entre genótipos de bananeira detectada por marcadores SSR.

A bananicultura é uma atividade de elevada importância econômica e social, responde pela produção de alimento básico para as populações carentes de diversos países. O uso de técnicas que apresentem elevada reprodutibilidade e que sejam estáveis, como os microssatélites, são importantes, pois auxiliam na caracterização de espécies economicamente importantes como bananeiras e na criação de perfis moleculares de variedades (1)