Two-step hot isostatic pressing densification achieved non-porous fully-densified wood with enhanced physical and mechanical properties.

A new two-step densification method for wooden materials entitled hot isostatic pressing (HIP) is proposed. This method has the advantage over previous densification methods that can achieved almost the full densification of wood, reaching values up to 1.47 kg/m, which exceeds any value ever reported for a hardwood species.

Effect of mercury in the influx and efflux of nutrients in the microalga Desmodesmus armatus.

Anthropogenic activities such as mining and the metallurgical industry are the main sources of mercury contamination. Mercury is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world. This study aimed to investigate, using experimental kinetic data, the effect of different inorganic mercury (Hg) concentrations on the response of microalga Desmodesmus armatus stress.

Reducing cadmium bioaccumulation in using biochar: basis for scaling-up to field.

The intake of Cd-enriched food is the main Cd pathway for the nonsmoking population. In some cases, Cd bioaccumulates in edible plant parts which comprise risk to consumers, because of Cd is a harmful heavy metal that can cause potent environmental and health hazards. For instance, Cd enrichment of cacao seeds have led to Cd enrichment of cacao-based products.

Gunshot-related giant brachial artery pseudoaneurysm: Case report.

Pseudoaneurysms are late and rare complications in the upper limbs due to penetrating vascular trauma. Although endovascular management is offered as the ideal approach, there are some anatomical conditions to consider surgical treatment. An 18-year-old patient was admitted into our hospital two months later after suffering a single gunshot on the left arm.

Patient-Physicians: Identities and Expertise Brought Into the Light of Diagnosis and Treatment.

Researchers continue establishing a clear-cut division between identities of doctors and patients, but the perspective of the physician in the event that they became a patient is seldom analyzed. This article shows empirical evidence of the discursive construction of identities and expertise in the accounts of 24 patient-physicians diagnosed and treated for acute or chronic disease in the city of Bogotá, Colombia (2009-2015). An approach to these accounts from Science and Technology Studies, which is a perspective emerged among the field of social sciences during the 1970s that has achieved in our time a broader understanding of expertise, leads to the questioning of stereotypes about who doctors are and who patients are, and to illustrate the difficulty of drawing boundaries between experts and laypeople.

Validation of the sixth version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6) for patients in a clinical population of Colombia.

Introduction: The Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6) is recommended for identifying the needs of addicted patients and assessing the effectiveness of a program. Objective: To develop a version of the ASI-6 suitable for Colombia and trans-linguistically and trans-culturally equivalent to the original. Additionally, this study also sought to assess the reliability and construct validity of the resulting version.

Understanding science in the service and care of mental health and disorders.

Caring for mental health and mental disorders, from primary health attention, is a prime right. The objective of this study was to examine the testimonies of health attention services users regarding the assistance attitudes and practices. This was a hermeneutic qualitative study of several cases.

A proteomic approach to the mechanisms underlying activation of aluminium resistance in roots of Urochloa decumbens.

The mechanisms of extreme Al-resistance in Urochloa decumbens are not established. Full resistance expression requires a lag time of 72-96h and is preceded by a sensitive phase (24-48h) with Al-induced root growth inhibition. The aim here was to identify key processes of the activation phase of Al-resistance analysing both root exudates and comparative root proteome.

Acute effects of energy drinks in medical students.

Purpose: To determine the acute effects of a variety of recognized energy drinks on medical students, based on the hypothesis that these beverages may affect negatively cardiovascular parameters, stress levels and working memory.

Methods: Eighty young healthy medical students were included in the study. 62.

Aluminium-induced changes in root epidermal cell patterning, a distinctive feature of hyperresistance to Al in Brachiaria decumbens.

Brachiaria, a genus of forage grasses of African origin, is gaining considerable importance because of both its nutritional value and its high stress resistance. An extraordinary resistance to Al toxicity has been reported in B. decumbens.

[A leukotriene antagonist (montelukast) in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in pediatric patients].

Background: Leukotrienes participate in certain biological activities such as contraction of human airway muscle, increased vascular permeability, chemotaxis and allergen-induced early and late responses.

Objective: To evaluate the leukotriene antagonist montelukast in patients with atopic dermatitis unresponsive to traditional treatment.

Methods: Eighteen children with atopic dermatitis were treated with 5 mg of chewable montelukast every 24 hs during a period of 24 weeks.

Use of glaucoma drainage devices in the management of glaucoma associated with aniridia.

Purpose: To describe intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity outcomes after glaucoma drainage device placement in eyes with glaucoma associated with aniridia.

Design: Retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive, interventional case series.

Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent glaucoma drainage device placement for the management of glaucoma associated with aniridia at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1999, were reviewed.

[Recurrent otitis media with effusion and food allergy in pediatric patients].

Introduction: Recurrent otitis media with effusion continues to be important pediatric clinical problem and is related to food allergy.

Objective: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the recurrent otitis media with effusion was associated to food allergy.

Methods: We reviewed medical charts from children with food allergy and otitis media with effusion for a period of three months of duration or every month for the last six months seen in an allergy clinic.

Corneal graft survival and intraocular pressure control after penetrating keratoplasty and glaucoma drainage device implantation.

Objective: To investigate corneal graft survival rates and intraocular pressure (IOP) control in eyes after penetrating keratoplasty (PK) and glaucoma drainage device (GDD) implantation.

Design: Retrospective, comparative, consecutive case series.

Participants: All patients who underwent PK and GDD implantation at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1993 and October 31, 1998.

[Klebsiella pneumoniae glycoproteins as coadjuvants in the prevention of recurrent respiratory infections in children 1-6 years of age].

Material And Method: Forty two children with clinical diagnosis of recurrent high and low respiratory infections, were treated with an extract of P1 and F1 glycoproteins; fraction of Klebsiella pneumoniae, 1 g/day for one week a month for three months, according to a double-blind, randomized, parallel group trial.

Results: Improvement of clinical and laboratory results were compared with 44 control patients with the same age and similar sex distribution, that were treated with placebo. At the end of study, clinical analysis at 6, 9 and 12 months after the initial dose of Klebsiella pneumoniae, decreased in the number of respiratory infections, sick days, and school assistance were observed in the study group when compared with the control group (p < 0.

[Myocardiopathy diagnosed in utero in a mother with SS-A antibodies treated with plasmapheresis].

We report a 36 years old patient with Sjogren's syndrome, who during her second pregnancy, the product developed a miocardiopathy with complete heart block that was diagnosed in utero at 26 weeks of pregnancy. Simultaneously, laboratory data reported a SS-A/Ro titer of 1:50,000 with positive antiphospholipids antibodies. Patient was subjected three times to plasmapheresis with three blood volume exchange each time.

[Identification of antinuclear, nucleolar and SS-A antibodies, using an immunoassay system].

In this paper we report a solid phase ELISA for screening of antinuclear, nucleolar, and SS-A antibodies. The test system was evaluated with 158 sera that were positive by immunofluorescence (IF), some of which were immunologically characterized as containing antibodies to Sm, RNP, SS-A, SS-B, nucleolar, and DNA, and 247 IF negative that were used as a control group. Ninety eight per cent of serum samples with an antibody of known specificity and/or positive IF, were positive by the ELISA system including antinucleolar samples.

[The rapid diagnosis of rubella and measles by the dot immunoassay method].

A procedure is described for the routine laboratory identification of IgM or/and IgG antibodies to measles and rubella simultaneously. A rapid dot-immunobinding assay on nitrocellulose was compared with ELISA systems. 58 serum samples from patients with an exanthematous disease and 15 serum negative samples for both virus were studied.

The frequency of antinuclear antibody (ANA) in children by use of mouse kidney (MK) and human epithelial cells (HEp-2) as substrates.

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of antinuclear antibody (ANA) in a normal pediatric population. Sera from 241 children (age range 4 months to 16 years) were tested for IgG ANA by use of indirect immunofluorescence and two commercially available substrates, mouse kidney and human epithelial cells. Patients' sera were tested at three different dilutions.

Cryoprecipitates in Kawasaki syndrome: association with coronary artery aneurysms.

Cryoprecipitates are postulated to play a role in the pathogenesis of several vasculitis illnesses and infectious diseases. To investigate the presence of cryoprecipitates in Kawasaki syndrome, we studied sera from 25 children with acute Kawasaki syndrome. None of the subjects was treated with intravenous gamma-globulin.

Cobra venom factor, an activator of the complement system, enhances the bowel necrosis induced by platelet-activating factor.

We have previously produced an experimental model of ischemic bowel necrosis in the rat by injecting platelet activating factor (PAF) (7 micrograms/kg) into the mesenteric vascular bed. The dose of PAF required to produce necrosis could be reduced to 50% if the animal was pretreated with bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) (20 micrograms/rat). The mechanism of this potentiating effect of lipopolysaccharide is unclear, but activation of the complement system may be one of the contributing factors.

Scleromyxedema with corneal deposits.

Scleromyxedema (Arndt-Gottron syndrome) is a rare cutaneous disease in which hyaluronic acid is deposited in the dermis. The authors describe a patient with scleromyxedema and corneal deposits. A corneal biopsy demonstrated hyaluronic acid deposition in the corneal stroma and amyloid P component in Bowman's membrane.

Activation of complement and coagulation in juvenile dermatomyositis.

In patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), small vessel occlusion and thrombosis result in a decrease in the capillary: muscle fiber ratio. We studied 15 patients with JDM. Six of 7 patients with clinically active JDM had elevated levels of C3d.