Radiation-related superficial oral mucoceles: An under-recognized acute toxicity in head and neck cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute toxicity is usually defined as adverse changes occurring immediately or a short time after the start of oncological treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional retrospective study performed with head and neck cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy from 2013 to 2016. RESULTS: Ten (1.2%) patients developed SOMs during radiotherapy, most (80%) of which were men with a mean age of 59.5 years at diagnosis. SOMs mainly affected the floor of the mouth (60%) between the fourth and the sixth weeks of radiation therapy. All lesions were asymptomatic and spontaneously ruptured approximately 9 days after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, SOMs may be regarded as an acute oral toxicity of head and neck radiotherapy.

Panoramic and skull imaging may aid in the identification of multiple myeloma lesions.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of punched-out lesions in craniofacial bones using three different radiographic protocols in a large cohort of patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred fifty-five MM patients were evaluated using panoramic and skull (frontal and lateral) radiographs, which were performed in all patients at the time of MM diagnosis. The diagnostic potential for detecting punched-out lesions was compared among the radiographic techniques. RESULTS: MM punched-out lesions were identified in 135 (87%) panoramic radiographs, 141 (91%) frontal and 144 (93%) lateral skull radiographs. Punched out-lesions were synchronously present in skull and jawbones in 129 (83.23 %) cases. The lesions were detected exclusively in skull in 18 (11.61%) cases and exclusively in jawbones in 6 (3.87%) cases. Punched out-lesion mainly affected the skull and the jawbones in a synchronous way (p<0.001) rather than separately. CONCLUSIONS: All investigated radiographic techniques (panoramic, frontal and lateral skull approaches) demonstrated high detection rates for MM punched-out lesions in craniofacial bones. Panoramic radiography may aid to the radiographic protocols to identify multiple myeloma bone lesions.

Comparison of the proximal tibial angles between labrador retrievers and other dog breeds with and without cranial cruciate ligament rupture / Comparação dos ângulos da tíbia proximal entre cães da raça labrador retriever e cães de outras raças com e sem ruptura do ligamento cruzado cranial

The influence of the proximal tibia conformation in the rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs is still controversial, especially in Labrador Retrievers. The aim of this study was to compare the angles of the proximal tibia between Labrador Retrievers and other large breeds of dogs, both groups with and without CCL rupture. Radiographic images of 64 stifle joints were obtained and divided into four groups of 16 images. Group 1 consisted of Labrador dogs without orthopedic disorders, group 2 consisted of Labrador dogs with CCL rupture, group 3 consisted of dogs of various large breeds without orthopedic disorders, and group 4 consisted of dogs of various large breeds with CCL rupture. The radiographs were performed in mediolateral projection with the stifle joint positioned at an approximate angle of 135°. The tibial plateau angle showed an overall average of 22.17°±4.20°, and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. The patellar ligament angle in relation to the tibial plateau had a mean of 103°±4.20°, and there was a significant difference between groups 1 and 4. The patellar ligament angle in relation to the common tangent at the tibiofemoral contact point showed an average of 99.06°±6.08°, and there was no difference between the groups. The patellar ligament insertion angle had an overall average of 51.45°±5.06°, and there was a significant difference between the two groups of normal dogs and two groups of ruptured dogs. In conclusion, the tibial plateau angle, the patellar ligament angles and the patellar ligament insertion angle do not seem to be predisposing factors for rupture of the CCL in Labrador Retriever dogs. In general, there seems to be no relationship between the angles of the proximal tibia and the CCL rupture in dogs.

A influência da conformação da porção proximal da tíbia na ruptura do ligamento cruzado cranial (LCC) em cães ainda é controversa, principalmente na raça Labrador Retriever. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os ângulos da tíbia proximal entre cães da raça Labrador Retriever e cães de outras raças grandes com e sem ruptura do LCC. Foram selecionadas 64 imagens radiográficas da articulação do joelho de cães, que foram divididas em quatro grupos com 16 imagens cada. O grupo 1 foi formado por cães da raça Labrador sem alterações ortopédicas, o grupo 2 por cães da raça Labrador com ruptura do LCC, o grupo 3 por cães de várias raças grandes sem alterações ortopédicas, e o grupo 4 por cães de diversas raças grandes com ruptura do LCC. Foram realizadas radiografias na projeção mediolateral com a articulação do joelho posicionada em angulação média de 135°. O ângulo do platô tibial apresentou média geral de 22,17°±4,20°, não sendo encontrada diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos. O ângulo do ligamento patelar em relação ao platô tibial apresentou média geral de 103,00°±4,20°, havendo diferença significativa entre os grupos 1 e 4. O ângulo do ligamento patelar em relação à tangente comum no ponto de contato tibiofemoral apresentou média geral de 99.06°±6.08°, não havendo diferença estatística entre os grupos. O ângulo de inserção do ligamento patelar teve média geral de 51.45°±5.06°, com diferença significativa entre os grupos dos cães normais e dos cães com ruptura. Conclui-se que o ângulo do platô tibial, os ângulos do ligamento patelar e o ângulo de inserção do ligamento patelar não parecem ser fatores predisponentes para a ruptura do LCC em cães da raça Labrador Retriever. Em geral, não há relação entre os ângulos da tíbia proximal e a ruptura do LCC em cães.

Reactivity and Speciation of Anti-Diabetic Vanadium Complexes in Whole Blood and Its Components: The Important Role of Red Blood Cells.

Reactions with blood components are crucial for controlling the antidiabetic, anticancer, and other biological activities of V(V) and V(IV) complexes. Despite extensive studies of V(V) and V(IV) reactions with the major blood proteins (albumin and transferrin), reactions with whole blood and red blood cells (RBC) have been studied rarely. A detailed speciation study of Na3[V(V)O4] (A), K4[V(IV)2O2(citr)2]·6H2O (B; citr = citrato(4-)); [V(IV)O(ma)2] (C; ma = maltolato(-)), and (NH4)[V(V)(O)2(dipic)] (D; dipic = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylato(2-)) in whole rat blood, freshly isolated rat plasma, and commercial bovine serum using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is reported. The latter two compounds are potential oral antidiabetic drugs, and the former two are likely to represent their typical decomposition products in gastrointestinal media. XANES spectral speciation was performed by principal component analysis and multiple linear regression techniques, and the distribution of V between RBC and plasma fractions was measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy. Reactions of A, C, or D with whole blood (1.0 mM V, 1-6 h at 310 K) led to accumulation of ∼50% of total V in the RBC fraction (∼10% in the case of B), which indicated that RBC act as V carriers to peripheral organs. The spectra of V products in RBC were independent of the initial V complex, and were best fitted by a combination of V(IV)-carbohydrate (2-hydroxyacid moieties) and/or citrate (65-85%) and V(V)-protein (15-35%) models. The presence of RBC created a more reducing environment in the plasma fraction of whole blood compared with those in isolated plasma or serum, as shown by the differences in distribution of V(IV) and V(V) species in the reaction products of A-D in these media. At physiologically relevant V concentrations (<50 µM), this role of RBC may promote the formation of V(III)-transferrin as a major V carrier in the blood plasma. The results reported herein have broad implications for the roles of RBC in the transport and speciation of metal pro-drugs that have broad applications across medicine.

Relief influence on the spatial distribution of the Atlantic Forest cover on the Ibiúna Plateau, SP.

Several studies suggest that, on a large scale, relief conditions influence the Atlantic Forest cover. The aim of this work was to explore these relationships on a local scale, in Caucaia do Alto, on the Ibiúna Plateau. Within an area of about 78 km(2), the distribution of forest cover, divided into two successional stages, was associated with relief attribute data (slope, slope orientation and altitude). The mapping of the vegetation was based on the interpretation of stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs, from April 2000, on a scale of 1:10,000, while the relief attributes were obtained by geoprocessing from digitalized topographic maps on a scale of 1:10,000. Statistical analyses, based on qui-square tests, revealed that there was a more extensive forest cover, irrespective of the successional stage, in steeper areas (>10 degrees) located at higher altitudes (>923 m), but no influence of the slope orientation. There was no sign of direct influence of relief on the forest cover through environmental gradients that might have contributed to the forest regeneration. Likewise, there was no evidence that these results could have been influenced by the distance from roads or urban areas or with respect to permanent preservation areas. Relief seems to influence the forest cover indirectly, since agricultural land use is preferably made in flatter and lower areas. These results suggest a general distribution pattern of the forest remnants, independent of the scale of study, on which relief indirectly has a strong influence, since it determines human occupation.

Relief influence on the spatial distribution of the Atlantic Forest cover on the Ibiúna Plateau, SP

Several studies suggest that, on a large scale, relief conditions influence the Atlantic Forest cover. The aim of this work was to explore these relationships on a local scale, in Caucaia do Alto, on the Ibiúna Plateau. Within an area of about 78 km², the distribution of forest cover, divided into two successional stages, was associated with relief attribute data (slope, slope orientation and altitude). The mapping of the vegetation was based on the interpretation of stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs, from April 2000, on a scale of 1:10,000, while the relief attributes were obtained by geoprocessing from digitalized topographic maps on a scale of 1:10,000. Statistical analyses, based on qui-square tests, revealed that there was a more extensive forest cover, irrespective of the successional stage, in steeper areas (>10 degrees) located at higher altitudes (>923 m), but no influence of the slope orientation. There was no sign of direct influence of relief on the forest cover through environmental gradients that might have contributed to the forest regeneration. Likewise, there was no evidence that these results could have been influenced by the distance from roads or urban areas or with respect to permanent preservation areas. Relief seems to influence the forest cover indirectly, since agricultural land use is preferably made in flatter and lower areas. These results suggest a general distribution pattern of the forest remnants, independent of the scale of study, on which relief indirectly has a strong influence, since it determines human occupation.

Vários estudos sugerem que as condições do relevo influenciam, em larga escala, a cobertura da Mata Atlântica. Este trabalho teve por objetivo explorar estas relações em escala local, na região do Planalto de Ibiúna, denominada de Caucaia do Alto. Numa área de cerca de 78 km², procurou-se associar a cobertura florestal, dividida em dois estádios sucessionais, com atributos do relevo (declividade, orientação de vertente e altitude). O mapeamento da vegetação foi feito a partir da interpretação de pares estereoscópicos de fotografias aéreas de abril de 2000, na escala 1:10.000, enquanto os atributos do relevo foram gerados por geoprocessamento a partir de cartas topográficas digitalizadas, em escala 1:10.000. As análises estatísticas, baseadas em testes de qui-quadrado, revelam que há maior cobertura florestal, independentemente do estádio sucessional, em áreas mais íngremes (>10 graus) e situadas em altitudes mais elevadas (>923 m), porém não há influência da orientação de vertente. Não há indícios de influência direta do relevo sobre a cobertura florestal, através de gradientes ambientais que poderiam agir na regeneração florestal. Também não foram obtidas evidências de que estes resultados possam ser influenciados pelo distanciamento a estradas ou centros urbanos, ou ainda pelo respeito às áreas de preservação permanente. O relevo parece determinar o recobrimento florestal, principalmente por condicionar o uso agrícola dos solos, que se dá preferencialmente em áreas mais planas e baixas. Estes resultados sugerem um padrão geral de influência do relevo sobre a distribuição dos remanescentes florestais, independentemente da escala de estudo, onde o relevo atua indiretamente ao condicionar a ocupação humana.

An ultrasonic method to measure human plasma coagulation time.

An ultrasonic method to measure coagulation time for prothrombin time (PT) is discussed. This method is based on the measurement of ultrasonic scattering from spherical glass particles of 200-microns diameter kept in motion, inside of a holder containing 0.1 ml of plasma, by ultrasonic energy. The incident wave (2.7 MHz) not only keeps the particle in motion but also is the source for the scattered waves. A receiving transducer captures part of the scattered wave and generates at its electrical output a signal containing amplitude and phase fluctuations. The motion of the particles are strongly influenced by the rheological changes during the process of coagulation. When the clot is formed, the amplitude of the motion of these particles is significantly reduced and so the fluctuations on the received signal stop. The time from the start of the coagulation process until the end of the fluctuations at the received signal is the coagulation time. Experimental results demonstrate that the ultrasonic method has precision and accuracy compatible to those provided by the manual tilt-tube method when PT is measured with normal and abnormal samples of human plasma.

Sistema computadorizado para o mapeamento do campo ultra-sônico / Computerized ultrasonic field plotting system

O presente trabalho trata do desenvolvimento de um sistema automático para o mapeamento da distribuiçäo espacial do campo acústico irradiado por um transdutor ultra-sônico. Este sistema utiliza uma estrutura mecânica capaz de manter um transdutor transmissor fixo e submerso em um tanque d'agua, enquanto desloca um receptor no mesmo ambiente, segundo movimentos lineares (X, Y e Z) e angular (Q) no plano horizontal. Estes movimentos säo conseguidos mediante o uso de motores de passo e a resoluçäo alcançada é de 0.25mm para os eixos X e Y, 0.021mm para o eixo Z, e 1.8 graus para Q. Um controlador programado/programável, baseado no microprocessador Z80 com 8 kBytes de EPROM, 64 kBytes de RAM e relógio de 4 MHz, realiza os diferentes tipos de varreduras de que consiste o mapeamento. Além de comandar os movimentos, o controlador dispöe também de um módulo de aquisiçäo de sinais capaz de trabalhar em toda a faixa de freqüência utilizada em ultra-sonografia médica. Os resultados säo armazenados em disquete e apresentados em forma gráfica em microcomputador EGO (compatível com o IBM PC-XT)