Granuloma eosinofílico na clavícula. Apresentação atípica de uma patologia rara

O granuloma eosinofílico de localização óssea é uma lesão benigna e apresenta geralmente um curso indolente. Esta entidade foi descrita em 1940 por Lichtenstein e Jaffe e a sua etiologia permanece desconhecida, sendo sugerida a sua associação a outros síndromes. A sua localização mais comum é a nível do crânio, fémur e coluna vertebral e pode apresentar-se como uma lesão simples ou lesões múltiplas. Tem geralmente bom prognóstico, não havendo contudo um consenso quanto ao seu tratamento. Os autores presentam o caso de um homem de 36 anos que apresentava um granuloma eosinofílico de localização atípica – a clavícula – complicado com fratura patológica. Foi submetido a tratamento cirúrgico com excisão da massa tumoral e estabilização com placa e enxerto de ilíaco tricortical autólogo. Foi conseguido um excelente resultado funcional que se mantinha no follow-up a três anos. Não existe na literatura, ao conhecimento dos autores, qualquer descrição de um caso de fratura patológica na apresentação de um granuloma eosinofílico

Mutagenicactivity of glycoallkaloids from Solanum palinacanthum Dunal (Solanaceae) found in the brazilian cerrado

Solanaceous plants are widely distributed around the world and they are traditionally used as drugs for the treatment of cancer and herpes, and include familiar foods such as potato, tomato and eggplant and some berries popular in Brazil. As part of a program of research on pharmacologically active new molecules, the aim in this study was to assess the mutagenic effects of Solanum palinacanthum, known popularly as joá. The crude 95% ethanol extract and purified solamargine obtained from the fruits of S. palinacanthum Dunal were investigated by the Ames test, using the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA97a, TA100 and TA102 as test organisms, with and without metabolic activation. The concentrations tested ranged from 0.07 to 15.0 mg/plate for the crude ethanolic extract and from 1.25 to 5.0 mg/plate for the solamargine. The results showed a mutagenic effect of both the extract and the solamargine in the TA98 strain (without metabolic activation). The present study showed the potential mutagenicity and suggests confirming this effect in other models, before recommending their indiscriminate consumption by the population.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Monitoring Antibiotic Comsumption in the Surgery and Orthopaedics

A monitorização do consumo de antimicrobianos é um instrumento de interesse indiscutível e tem merecido uma atenção particular nos últimos anos, devido às crescentes preocupações com a emergência de estirpes microbianas multi-resistentes. Os objectivos do presente estudo consistiram, por um lado, na monitorização do consumo e na avaliação do impacto económico da prescrição hospitalar de antimicrobianos, em serviços de cirurgia e ortopedia. Por outro lado, pretendeu-se estudar e a relação indicação-prescrição terapêutica e profilática. Tendo presentes estes objectivos realizou-se um estudo-piloto longitudinal, com recolha de dados durante o mês de Maio de 2004, em seis Hospitais SA, incidindo numa amostra total de 1.122 doentes internados. Verificámos uma taxa de incidência de prescrição de 76,9%, com dispensa de 1.154 antimicrobianos, dos quais 71,2% se destinaram, em média, à profilaxia da infecção pós-cirúrgica, atestando a adesão geral à prática da profilaxia da infecção no local cirúrgico. O custo médio da antibioterapia foi mais elevado nos casos de “suspeita de infecção” (€9,09) ou “infecção declarada” (€8,74) e mais baixo quando utilizados para “profilaxia” (€5,67), facto relacionado com a menor duração média dos episódios de profilaxia. Os regimes de profilaxia utilizados apresentaram variações consideráveis entre os diferentes hospitais no que respeita ao tipo de antibiótico utilizado e uma duração média de 2,61 dias, com cerca de metade dos episódios de profilaxia prolongando-se por mais de 24 horas, sugerindo uma implementação insuficiente das actuais recomendações quanto ao tipo de fármaco a utilizar para esta prática, o que aponta para o necessidade duma avaliação da existência nas unidades hospitalares, de recomendações claras para a profilaxia da infecção do local cirúrgico, bem como da adesão dos clínicos a estas

Hadron Energy Reconstruction for the ATLAS Calorimetry in the Framework of the Non-parametrical Method

This paper discusses hadron energy reconstruction for the ATLAS barrel prototype combined calorimeter (consisting of a lead-liquid argon electromagnetic part and an iron-scintillator hadronic part) in the framework of the non-parametrical method. The non-parametrical method utilizes only the known $e/h$ ratios and the electron calibration constants and does not require the determination of any parameters by a minimization technique. Thus, this technique lends itself to an easy use in a first level trigger. The reconstructed mean values of the hadron energies are within $\pm 1$ of the true values and the fractional energy resolution is $[(58\pm3)/\sqrt{E}+(2.5\pm0.3)$. The value of the $e/h$ ratio obtained for the electromagnetic compartment of the combined calorimeter is $1.74\pm0.04$ and agrees with the prediction that $e/h > 1.7$ for this electromagnetic calorimeter. Results of a study of the longitudinal hadronic shower development are also presented. The data have been taken in the H8 beam line of the CERN SPS using pions of energies from 10 to 300 GeV.Comment: 33 pages, 13 figures, Will be published in NIM

Gluon polarization in the nucleon from quasi-real photoproduction of high-pT hadron pairs

We present a determination of the gluon polarization Delta G/G in the nucleon, based on the helicity asymmetry of quasi-real photoproduction events, Q^2<1(GeV/c)^2, with a pair of large transverse-momentum hadrons in the final state. The data were obtained by the COMPASS experiment at CERN using a 160 GeV polarized muon beam scattered on a polarized 6-LiD target. The helicity asymmetry for the selected events is = 0.002 +- 0.019(stat.) +- 0.003(syst.). From this value, we obtain in a leading-order QCD analysis Delta G/G=0.024 +- 0.089(stat.) +- 0.057(syst.) at x_g = 0.095 and mu^2 =~ 3 (GeV}/c)^2.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Measurement of the Spin Structure of the Deuteron in the DIS Region

We present a new measurement of the longitudinal spin asymmetry A_1^d and the spin-dependent structure function g_1^d of the deuteron in the range 1 GeV^2 < Q^2 < 100 GeV^2 and 0.004< x <0.7. The data were obtained by the COMPASS experiment at CERN using a 160 GeV polarised muon beam and a large polarised 6-LiD target. The results are in agreement with those from previous experiments and improve considerably the statistical accuracy in the region 0.004 < x < 0.03.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, subm. to PLB, revised: author list, Fig. 4, details adde

Response of the ATLAS tile calorimeter prototype to muons

A study of high energy muons traversing the ATLAS hadron Tile calorimeter in the barrel region in the energy range between 10 and 300~GeV is presented. Both test beam experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations are given and show good agreement. The Tile calorimeter capability of detecting isolated muons over the above energy range is demonstrated. A signal to background ratio of about 10 is expected for the nominal LHC luminosity ($10^{34} cm^{-2} sec^{-1}$). The photoelectron statistics effect in the muon shape response is shown. The e/mip ratio is found to be $0.81 \pm 0.03$; the e/$\mu$ ratio is in the range 0.91 - 0.97. The energy loss of a muon in the calorimeter, dominated by the energy lost in the absorber, can be correlated to the energy loss in the active material. This correlation allows one to correct on an event by event basis the muon energy loss in the calorimeter and therefore reduce the low energy tails in the muon momentum distribution

Osteochondral transplantation using autografts from the upper tibio-fibular joint for the treatment of knee cartilage lesions

Purpose Treatment of large cartilage lesions of the knee in weight-bearing areas is still a controversy and challenging topic. Autologous osteochondral mosaicplasty has proven to be a valid option for treatment but donor site morbidity with most frequently used autografts remains a source of concern. This study aims to assess clinical results and safety profile of autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint applied to reconstruct symptomatic osteochondral lesions of the knee. Methods Thirty-one patients (22 men and 9 women) with grade 4 cartilage lesions in the knee were operated by mosaicplasty technique using autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint, between 1998 and 2006. Clinical assessment included visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and Lysholm score. All patients were evaluated by MRI pre- and post-operatively regarding joint congruency as good, fair (inferior to 1 mm incongruence), and poor (incongruence higher than 1 mm registered in any frame). Donor zone status was evaluated according to specific protocol considering upper tibio-fibular joint instability, pain, neurological complications, lateral collateral ligament insufficiency, or ankle complaints. Results Mean age at surgery was 30.1 years (SD 12.2). In respect to lesion sites, 22 were located in weight-bearing area of medial femoral condyle, 7 in lateral femoral condyle, 1 in trochlea, and 1 in patella. Mean follow-up was 110.1 months (SD 23.2). Mean area of lesion was 3.3 cm 2 (SD 1.7), and a variable number of cylinders were used, mean 2.5 (SD 1.3). Mean VAS score improved from 47.1 (SD 10.1) to 20.0 (SD 11.5); p = 0.00. Similarly, mean Lysholm score increased from 45.7 (SD 4.5) to 85.3 (SD 7.0); p = 0.00. The level of patient satisfaction was evaluated, and 28 patients declared to be satisfied/very satisfied and would do surgery again, while 3 declared as unsatisfied with the procedure and would not submit to surgery again. These three patients had lower clinical scores and kept complaints related to the original problem but unrelated to donor zone. MRI score significantly improved at 18–24 months comparing with pre-operative (p = 0.004). No radiographic or clinical complications related to donor zone with implication in activity were registered. Conclusions This work corroborates that mosaicplasty technique using autologous osteochondral graft from the upper tibio-fibular joint is effective to treat osteochondral defects in the knee joint. No relevant complications related to donor zone were registered

Analysing interactions in a teacher network forum: a sociometric approach

This article presents the sociometric analysis of the interactions in a forum of a social network created for the professional development of Portuguese-speaking teachers. The main goal of the forum, which was titled Stricto Sensu, was to discuss the educational value of programmes that joined the distance learning model in Brazil. The empirical study focused on the sociometrie analysis of the social interactions that take place in asynchronous online environments. This approach, according to literature, allows for new means to observe, analyse, and interpret the reality of a new social paradigm. This type of analysis tries to understand the relationship established between the different actors, seeking to verify if the roles they play in both the access to information and the construction of shared knowledge. The data collected allow the researchers to deduce that the indicators used in the analysis are important for understanding and intervening in the dynamics and functioning of the network to propose improvements in its structure and organisation. In the specific case of the aforementioned discussion forum, the results of the sociometrie analysis of the perceived interactions were not surprising, considering that the nature of the topic did not demand deep reflection to contribute to the debate.This work is funded by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the doctoral grant SFRH/BD/60677/2009

Genetic diversity in natural populations of Jacaranda decurrens Cham. determined using RAPD and AFLP markers

Jacaranda decurrens (Bignoniaceae) is an endemic species of the Cerrado with validated antitumoral activity. The genetic diversity of six populations of J. decurrens located in the State of São Paulo was determined in this study by using molecular markers for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Following optimization of the amplification reaction, 10 selected primers generated 78 reproducible RAPD fragments that were mostly (69.2%) polymorphic. Two hundred and five reproducible AFLP fragments were generated by using four selected primer combinations; 46.3% of these fragments were polymorphic, indicating a considerable level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) using these two groups of markers indicated that variability was strongly structured amongst populations. The unweighted pair group method with arithmatic mean (UPGMA) and Pearson's correlation coefficient (RAPD -0.16, p = 0.2082; AFLP 0.37, p = 0.1006) between genetic matrices and geographic distances suggested that the population structure followed an island model in which a single population of infinite size gave rise to the current populations of J. decurrens, independently of their spatial position. The results of this study indicate that RAPD and AFLP markers were similarly efficient in measuring the genetic variability amongst natural populations of J. decurrens. These data may be useful for developing strategies for the preservation of this medicinal species in the Cerrado