Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies for mediastinal lesions and lymph node diagnosis and staging

OBJECTIVES: To disseminate transesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) as an alternative to investigate mediastinal tumoral lesions because it is an underused modality that has been available in Brazil for more than 15 years. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of a single endoscopy service's experience since 1997 in the accomplishment of EUSFNA for mediastinal staging of previously known malignancies (Group 1) or diagnostic definition of suspect lymph nodes and masses (Group 2). RESULTS: EUS-FNA was performed in 51 patients between 26 and 87 years of age. The diameter of the lesions ranged between 1.1 and 9.8 cm (mean 3.9 cm). Their location corresponded to the following stations: higher paratracheal (4 cases), lower paratracheal (7), aortic window (12), para-aortic (6), subcarinal (9), paraesophageal (8), and hilar (5). In Group 1, 17 patients had previously diagnosed primary lung (9), breast (4), kidney (2), colon (1), and bladder (1) cancer. Fifteen of these punctures were positive for malignity. Two others were later submitted to mediastinoscopy, which identified metastases not detected by EUS-FNA. Group 2 comprised 34 patients. Among these patients, EUS-FNA diagnosed 22 neoplasms, five cases of tuberculosis and two duplication cysts. Cytology was inconclusive or without a specific diagnosis in five other cases. Mediastinoscopy identified two undiagnosed cases of oat-cell carcinoma, one lymphoma and one cryptococcosis, and confirmed one reactive lymphadenitis. There were no complications related to the method. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNA obviated the need for surgical procedures in 86.3% of cases. Therefore, oncologists, pulmonologists, and thoracic surgeons should always remember the technique's potential and availability

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies for mediastinal lesions and lymph node diagnosis and staging

OBJECTIVES: To disseminate transesophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) as an alternative to investigate mediastinal tumoral lesions because it is an underused modality that has been available in Brazil for more than 15 years. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of a single endoscopy service's experience since 1997 in the accomplishment of EUSFNA for mediastinal staging of previously known malignancies (Group 1) or diagnostic definition of suspect lymph nodes and masses (Group 2). RESULTS: EUS-FNA was performed in 51 patients between 26 and 87 years of age. The diameter of the lesions ranged between 1.1 and 9.8 cm (mean 3.9 cm). Their location corresponded to the following stations: higher paratracheal (4 cases), lower paratracheal (7), aortic window (12), para-aortic (6), subcarinal (9), paraesophageal (8), and hilar (5). In Group 1, 17 patients had previously diagnosed primary lung (9), breast (4), kidney (2), colon (1), and bladder (1) cancer. Fifteen of these punctures were positive for malignity. Two others were later submitted to mediastinoscopy, which identified metastases not detected by EUS-FNA. Group 2 comprised 34 patients. Among these patients, EUS-FNA diagnosed 22 neoplasms, five cases of tuberculosis and two duplication cysts. Cytology was inconclusive or without a specific diagnosis in five other cases. Mediastinoscopy identified two undiagnosed cases of oat-cell carcinoma, one lymphoma and one cryptococcosis, and confirmed one reactive lymphadenitis. There were no complications related to the method. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNA obviated the need for surgical procedures in 86.3% of cases. Therefore, oncologists, pulmonologists, and thoracic surgeons should always remember the technique's potential and availability

Uso do pluviômetro como método de ensino / Use of the rain gauge as a teaching method

O trabalho é um relato de experiências presenciadas durante o PIBID (Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência), que busca a integração da teoria acadêmica com a prática vivenciada em uma escola da rede pública. A abordagem tem como objetivo principal utilizar um pluviômetro como uma ferramenta de ensino, tendo em vista, a dificuldade em expor novas estratégias para lecionar os temas climáticos, buscando um aprendizado mais significativo para os estudantes. A atividade ocorreu na Escola Estadual Vicente Telles de Souza, localizada na cidade de Manaus-AM. Para a realização deste projeto foram feitas reuniões com pais e professores que estivessem dispostos na realização do trabalho, em seguida uma aula teórica para nivelar os alunos voluntários, seguido da confecção dos pluviômetros artesanais, coletas de dados e apresentação de resultados. Diante disso, a utilização de pluviômetros artesanais como uma ferramenta de ensino de temas climáticos, se mostrou acessível e estimulou os alunos a buscarem entender mais a temática

Capture of CO2 by vermiculite impregnated with CaO

Vermiculite samples were impregnated with different amounts of calcium oxide by the conventional thermal heating technique and subject to CO2 capture experiments in thermal analysis equipment. The amount of CO2 captured by calcium oxide increased from 13 g of CO2 per mol of CaO to 16.8 g of CO2 per mol of CaO when the experiments were carried out with pure calcium oxide and vermiculite impregnated with CaO (1:1), respectively. Integral isoconversional methods of Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Osawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW) were used for the kinetic study of the process and good correlation coefficients were achieved. The apparent activation energy values showed that for low conversions (α  0.3) the apparent activation energy values suggest that the slow step is a chemical step (Ea> 40 kJ)

Detecção de Roubo de Computadores em Laboratório Usando Visão Computacional

ABSTRACTComputer theft in computer labs causes academic damage to coursesthat require this resource and ends up directly harming students. Inthis context, this paper describes a methodology applied to detectcomputer removal through video analysis in real-time. For eachframe, image processing and computer vision techniques were used,subtracting background information, binarization, segmentationof the region of interest and definition of contours. The case studywas developed at a Brazilian university. For theft detection, it wasconsidered a black computer tower case carried by people leavingthe laboratory. Monitoring is carried out by a camera positioned infront of the lab exit door. The software developed alerts a suspiciousactivity that may indicate a possible computer theft

Electrocatalytic performance of different cobalt molybdate structures for water oxidation in alkaline media.

Cobalt molybdates with different crystalline structures, i.e., ?, ?, and hydrated (H)-CoMoO4, were synthesized, and their electrocatalytic activities were thoroughly examined for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. The material characteristics were associated with the electrocatalytic properties by evaluating the CoMoO4 crystal structures (XRD and Raman), morphologies (TEM), and electrochemical features (electrochemically active surface area, roughness factor, electrochemical impedance, Tafel analysis, and controlled-current electrolysis). These combined findings revealed that the electrocatalytic performance is greatly influenced by the crystalline structures of CoMoO4, following the order ?-CoMoO4 > H-CoMoO4 > ?-CoMoO4. The H-CoMoO4 catalysts crystallized in the triclinic space group, P[1 with combining macron] (#2), with Z = 4. On the other hand, the ?- and ?-CoMoO4 catalysts exhibited a monoclinic structure, C2/m (#12), with Z = 8. In the OER experiments, ?-CoMoO4 showed an overpotential of 0.43 ? 0.05 V compared to the 0.51 ? 0.05 V and 0.56 ? 0.04 V exhibited by the H-CoMoO4 and ?-CoMoO4 catalysts, respectively, to achieve 10 mA cm?2. All CoMoO4 structures displayed stability for at least 6 h at a controlled current density of 10 mA cm?2. Finally, computational simulations indicate that the coexistence of Co and Mo ions in edge-shared octahedral sites of ?-CoMoO4 may favor the interaction between the O atom of the water molecule and the metal adsorption sites due to its surface being electronically less dense than ?- and H-CoMoO4 surfaces, thus resulting in its higher performance for OER

Apneia do sono e Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica: revisão sistemática

A síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono (SAOS) é uma condição altamente prevalente, porém ainda subdiagnosticada na população em geral. Entre os indivíduos com hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS), a SAOS é encontrada em mais de um terço dos casos. Evidências cada vez mais robustas indicam que a SAOS e a HAS frequentemente coexistem, não apenas devido a fatores de risco compartilhados, como obesidade, sedentarismo e idade avançada, mas também porque a SAOS contribui para o desenvolvimento da HAS. A SAOS provoca alterações hemodinâmicas e metabólicas não apenas durante o sono, mas também ao longo das 24 horas do dia. Essas alterações fisiopatológicas estão relacionadas a mecanismos complexos, incluindo aumento da atividade simpática, inflamação sistêmica e disfunção endotelial. A interação entre a SAOS e a HAS resulta em um aumento do risco cardiovascular e pior prognóstico para os pacientes afetados. Neste breve resumo, discutiremos os princípios fisiopatológicos envolvidos na síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono e sua relação com a hipertensão arterial sistêmica. Além disso, serão abordadas as peculiaridades do tratamento, com base nas evidências mais recentes provenientes de estudos clínicos. O objetivo é fornecer uma visão geral dos mecanismos subjacentes e das estratégias terapêuticas mais atualizadas para essa coexistência de condições clínicas, a fim de melhorar o diagnóstico, o manejo integrado e a prevenção dessas doenças