Pulmonary hypertension in AIDS/HIV infection: a rare disease

A Hipertensão pulmonar (HTP) é uma patologia rara mas que condiciona elevada morbilidade e mortalidade. É conhecida a sua associação com o Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (VIH), mas muitos dos mecanismos implicados na sua patogénese bem como o impacto da terapêutica antiretroviral (TARV) no tratamento e prognóstico desta doença ainda se encontram por definir. Apresenta-se um caso clínico de uma doente de 62 anos com infecção VIH internada por um quadro interpretado inicial- mente como infecção respiratória. A má evolução e os exames adicionais permitiram o diagnóstico de Hipertensão pulmonar grave que viria a determinar o falecimento da doente em poucos dias. Atendendo à elevada prevalência de doentes com infecção VIH, é expectável o aumento do número de casos de Hipertensão pulmonar, pelo que se chama a atenção para a necessidade de um diagnóstico precoce antes da evolução da mesma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Activity of glycolytic enzymes in the gut of Hormogaster elisae (Oligochaeta, Hormogastridae)

The glycolytic enzymatic activities in the gut of the endogeic earthworm #Hormogaster elisae from El Molar (Madrid, Spain) were studied in order to determine its digestive capacity and to assess its alimentary regime. Most endogeic earthworms have weak enzymatic complement and they usually establish mutualistic relationships with soil microflora to digest some organic compounds. Therefore, the intestinal wall tissues were cultured in vitro to assess the origin of the glycolytic enzymes found in the gut and enzymatic activities were measured in both cultured tissues and culture media. #H. elisae had a wide but not very strong enzyme complement, since all substrates were degraded but most of them at a low rate. This species cannot produce cellulase and mannamase, so for the digestion of these substrates it probably uses the digestive enzymatic capabilities of the ingested microflora. (Résumé d'auteur

Explosive development of winter storm Xynthia over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean

In winter of 2009–2010 south-western Europe was hit by several destructive windstorms. The most important was Xynthia (26–28 February 2010), which caused 64 reported casualties and was classified as the 2nd most expensive natural hazard event for 2010 in terms of economic losses. In this work we assess the synoptic evolution, dynamical characteristics and the main impacts of storm Xynthia, whose genesis, development and path were very uncommon. Wind speed gusts observed at more than 500 stations across Europe are evaluated as well as the wind gust field obtained with a regional climate model simulation for the entire North Atlantic and European area. Storm Xynthia was first identified on 25 February around 30° N, 50° W over the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. Its genesis occurred on a region characterized by warm and moist air under the influence of a strong upper level wave embedded in the westerlies. Xynthia followed an unusual SW–NE path towards Iberia, France and central Europe. The role of moist air masses on the explosive development of Xynthia is analysed by considering the evaporative sources. A lagrangian model is used to identify the moisture sources, sinks and moisture transport associated with the cyclone during its development phase. The main supply of moisture is located over an elongated region of the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean with anomalously high SST, confirming that the explosive development of storm Xynthia had a significant contribution from the subtropics

Thermal transport in thin films measured by time-resolved, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98715/1/JApplPhys_110_102203.pd

Parainfectious Optic Neuritis Followed by Microcystic Macular Oedema

Parainfectious optic neuritis is a very rare cause of acute vision loss. We present a case of a 51-year-old man with a recent upper respiratory tract infection, presumably of viral aetiology, who showed up with complains of painless right eye vision loss, followed by the same symptoms on the left eye 3 weeks later. Ophthalmological examination revealed optic disc swelling (sequential in severity) which was confirmed by optic disc imaging. The remaining evaluations (lumbar puncture, MRI, laboratory and genetic testing) were completely normal. Considering a postviral aetiology, 5-day intravenous methylprednisolone treatment was performed. Follow-up examinations revealed slight visual acuity and visual fields recovery, with subsequent optic disc atrophy and microcystic macular oedema, bilaterally. This case illustrates how important a correct clinical history is to guide a correct diagnosis and posterior management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio