Prevalence of ulcerative stomatitis in arbovirus infections in a Brazilian Northeast population.

BACKGROUND: Although there are no population-based studies that support an association, there are reports in the literature of mucocutaneous, vesiculobullous and ulcerated lesions in the oral mucosa in cases of arbovirus infection. The aim of this study is to analyze the prevalence of ulcerative stomatitis in individuals affected by arboviruses in a population of the municipality of Arcoverde, Pernambuco, Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1,003 people living in an area assigned to a Primary Health Care Unit were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, with questions about sociodemographic variables, residence conditions, general health information, as well as information about the general signs and symptoms of arboviruses and specifically about oral lesions. RESULTS: Of the 1,003 individuals interviewed, 815 (81.25%) were infected by one or more arboviruses. Of these, 147 (18%) reported ulcerated oral lesions during arbovirus infections. The association between arbovirus infections and the presence of ulcerated oral lesions was statistically significant (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: In these cases, the ulcerated lesions on the oral mucosa appear to be associated with arbovirus infection, especially Chikungunya, although the pathophysiological mechanisms are not defined, and the studies are not sufficient to confirm this association.

Cardiac tissue function of the teleost fish Oreochromis niloticus under different thermal conditions.

The cardiac responses of Oreochromis niloticus acclimated to 25 degrees C were assessed using ventricle strips mounted for isometric force recording (Fc) and in vivo heart rate (f(H)). f(H) increased progressively from 25 to 40 degrees C. At extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations of 1.25 and 9.25 mM, a transition from 25 to 40 degrees C resulted in a decreased Fc. At both 25 and 40 degrees C, Fc rose when [Ca(2+)] was increased from 1.25 to 9.25 mM. Fc remained constant at 72 and 120 contractions.min(-1) at 25 and 40 degrees C, respectively, and declined thereafter. The post-rest potentiation was not influenced by ryanodine, indicating that the sarcoplasmic reticulum is not important to the excitation-contraction coupling.

Consistency of side choice in the milking parlour by Holstein-Friesian cows and its relationship with their reactivity and milk yield.

Dairy cows often have to choose which of two sides to enter in the milking parlour. Some cows are very consistent in this choice, and it is common to assume that when these cows are more disturbed are being milked in their non-preferred side. Such disturbance might involve significantly poor welfare. In order to assess this assumption, we decided to study the behaviour and milk yield of dairy cows and their relationships with side preference in the milking parlour. The study was carried out at Cambridge University Farm, in a two-sided tandem milking parlour. The data collection followed the daily management routine. We recorded the side chosen by each cow (left or right) during 40 milking sessions. Data from 70 cows, which were present in at least 25 milking sessions (mode=36), were included in the statistical analysis. Cows' reactivity (CR) during premilking udder preparation, time spent fitting the milking cluster (FT), milk yield (MY) and duration of milking (DM) were measured. There was evident individual variation in the consistency of side choice. Individual differences (ANOVA, P<0.001) were also found in CR, FT, MY and DM; although these variables were not significantly affected by the side or the interaction animalxside (ANOVA, P>0.05). The comparison between left and right side means (paired t-test) of these variables did not show significant differences (P>0.05). We concluded that there is no evidence that the cows were discomforted or stressed when milked in the non-preferred side of the milking parlour.

Retinoblastoma: experience of a referral center in the North Region of Portugal.

PURPOSE: To describe the experience of the Ophthalmology Department of Hospital São João (HSJ), a tertiary health care center in North Region, Portugal, in terms of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of retinoblastoma. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with retinoblastoma in Hospital São João, between 1978 and 2012. RESULTS: Fifty patients with retinoblastoma were evaluated in our institution between 1978 and 2012. Four patients were excluded due to loss of follow-up. Among the 46 retinoblastoma cases, 33 (71.7%) were unilateral and 13 (28.3%) bilateral, with a mean age at diagnosis of 22.19 months and 6.92 months, respectively (P<0.001). Leukocoria was the most common presenting sign (36.9%), followed by strabismus (19.6%), a combination of leukocoria and strabismus (8.7%), and buphthalmia (2.2%). Between 1978 and 1992, nine retinoblastoma cases were referred to our hospital, all of them unilateral, and, in each case, enucleation was performed, with or without salvage therapy. Between 1993 and 2012, 18 eyes with retinoblastoma were successfully managed with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: Demographic results were generally coincident with previous reports. It is crucial to screen leukocoria in pediatric practice, even in asymptomatic children. The outcome of retinoblastoma treatment in our hospital is similar to other series in developed countries.

Ventilatory flow relative to intrabuccal and intraopercular volumes in the serrasalmid fish Piaractus mesopotamicus during normoxia and exposed to graded hypoxia.

Ventilation volume Vg - mlH2O.min-1 ), respiratory frequency (fR - breaths.min-1) and tidal volume (VT - mlH2O.breath-1 ) were measured in a group of Piaractus mesopotamicus (650.4 +/- 204.7 g; n = 10) during normoxia and in response to graded hypoxia. The fR was maintained constant, around 100 breaths.min-1, from normoxia until the O2 tension of the inspired water (PiO2) of 53 mmHg, below which it increased progressively, reaching maximum values (157.6 +/- 6.3 breaths.min-1) at 10 mmHg. The VT rose from 1.8 +/- 0.1 to 6.0 +/- 0.5 and 5.7 +/- 0.4 mlH2O. breath-1 in the PiO2 of 16 and 10 mmHg, respectively. The Vg increased from 169.3 11.0 (normoxia) to 940.1 +/- 85.6 mlH2O. min-1 at the PiO2 of 16 mmHg, below which it also tended to decrease. A second group of fish (29 to 1510.0 g, n = 34) was used for the evaluation of allometric relationships concerning ventilation and dimensions of the buccal and opercular cavities. At maximum Vg, the VT corresponded to 93.2 +/- 2.4% of the buccal volume and 94.9 2.3% of the opercular volume, suggesting that the Vg of P. mesopotamicus is limited by the volumes of buccal and opercular cavities in severe hypoxia.

Aspectos psicológicos y calidad de vida de los pacientes de hemodiálisis en los inicios del siglo XXI. Modelo de integración asistencial, docente e investigación clínica / Psicological aspects and quality of life hemodialized patients in the beggining of the XXI century. Model of welfare and clinical investigation

No disponible

Adquisición temprana de la sintaxis en Lengua de Signos Española (LSE) / No disponible

Estudiamos la aparición de las primeras combinaciones de signos en niños que adquieren la Lengua de Signos Española. Se hizo un estudio longitudinal de las producciones espontáneas de dos niños, uno sordo, y otro oyente, desde los 20 a los 33 meses en interacción con sus padres sordos que empleaban la LSE como lengua familiar. En nuestros resultados destacamos: 1) aparición temprana de combinaciones de verbo, con función predicativa, con otros elementos (deícticos, sustantivos y adjetivos); 2) posición variable del verbo en las producciones; 3) posición variable del núcleo del sintagma nominal; 4) aparición temprana del morfema interrogativo en posición inicial, y 5) aparición temprana de los clasificadores proforma y descriptivos. Se discuten nuestros resultados comparándolos con otros estudios en lenguas de signos y lenguas orales (AU)

We studied appearance of first signs’ combinations by children acquiring the Spanish Sign Language (SSL). We carried out a longitudinal study on spontaneous productions of two children (one deaf and the other hearing) from 1; 8 to 2; 9 in interaction with their deaf parents who used SSL as their first language. Result indicated: 1) early combinations of verb, with predicative functions, with other elements (deictic, name and adjective); 2) variable position of the verb in the utterances; 3) variable position of the name phrase nucleus; 4) early appearance of interrogative morpheme in indicial position, and 5) early appearance of proform and descriptive clasificators. We discussed our finding in terms of their similarity with results from other oral and sign languages (AU)