A double-blind randomized controlled trial of low doses of propranolol, nortriptyline, and the combination of propranolol and nortriptyline for the preventive treatment of migraine.

Few trials have evaluated combination of two or more drugs in the preventive treatment of migraine. In this study three therapeutic regimens were compared: (a) propranolol, at a dose of 40 mg per day, (b) nortriptyline, at a dose of 20 mg per day, and (c) the combination of these two drugs in these dosages. The groups were matched according to age, gender, and frequency of migraine attacks prior to treatment.

Treatment of viral encephalitis.

Several viruses may cause central nervous system diseases with a broad range of clinical manifestations. The time course of the viral encephalitis can be acute, subacute, or chronic. Pathologically there are encephalitis with direct viral entry into the CNS in which brain parenchyma exhibits neuronal damaging and viral antigens and there are postinfectious autoimmune encephalitis associated with systemic viral infections with brain tissue presenting perivascular aggregation of immune cells and myelin damaging.

Altered cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress but not to cold pressure test in migraine.

Objectives: This study assessed cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress and cold pressure test in migraineurs and controls. It compared the cardiovascular reactivity between patients with migraine with aura and patients with migraine without aura.

Background: Several studies have assessed the autonomic nervous system functioning and cardiovascular responses to stressor stimuli in migraine.

Primary mediastinal liposarcoma - computed tomography and pathological findings: a case report.

Liposarcomas are the most common soft tissue sarcoma of adults, and primary mediastinal liposarcomas are rare. We present a case of a 50-year-old man with primary mediastinal liposarcoma without any invasion into the surrounding structures, such as the esophagus, trachea, or left atrium of the heart. Following surgical removal of the liposarcoma, the patient has had no recurrence after one year.

A case of advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma successfully treated with sunitinib.

Context: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumor arising from "C" cells of the thyroid; it is a RET associated cancer that can be sporadic or familial in origin. Advances in understanding the genetic changes associated with the development of MTC explain the growing interest in the therapeutic potential of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Sunitinib is an orally administered multikinase inhibitor likely to target multiple pathways in the tumor, stromal, and endothelial compartments.

Assessment of breast lesions with diffusion-weighted MRI: comparing the use of different b values.

Objective: Our purpose was to study the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions by assessing the best b values.

Subjects And Methods: Forty-five women (mean age, 46.1 years) with 52 focal mass breast lesions underwent diffusion-weighted imaging with different b values.

[The different perspectives in the assessment of learners during supervised clinical clerkship].

Objective: To compare medical students' global itemized ratings (GIR) and real-case structured clinical assessment (RC-SCA), generated by faculty members from three different specialties (Gynecology-O&G, Internal Medicine-IM, Pediatrics-Ped).

Method: 106 Y4 learners were assessed by one faculty member from each specialty, who filled in GIR, consisting of 6 technical domains (mean score GIRt) and 7 humanistic domains (mean score GIRh), on a 0-10 scale, and resultant RC-SCA, from direct attendance observation. Statistical analyses used Cronbach coefficient, Friedman and Wilcoxon paired tests, Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients, Euclidean distances.

Global overall rating for assessing clinical competence: what does it really show?

Context: Single-item global overall ratings are often used as a method of assessing learners' clinical competence at the end of a clerkship. The purpose of this study was to identify which aspects of clinical competence are assessed through these ratings.

Methods: At the end of a clinical clerkship in primary health units, 106 Year 4 students are routinely assessed by faculty staff of three disciplines (obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine, paediatrics), using a single global numeric rating (on a scale of 0-10).

Adiponectin is related to intramyocellular lipid content in non-diabetic adults.

Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content and low serum adiponectin (ADP) levels and ADP is also involved in muscle fat oxidation. However, the relationship between ADP and IMCL content is still controversial and in this study we explored it further in non-diabetic adults.

Design: Cross-sectional clinical study.

Evaluation of atherosclerosis in renal transplanted patients by non-invasive methods.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction can be considered an early atherogenic event.

Objective: To assess atherosclerosis in renal transplanted patients through the coronary calcium score, carotid duplex scan and brachial reactivity through ultrasonography.

Methods: We assessed 30 renal transplanted male patients with stable renal function, with a mean age of 41.

Prevalence and impact of headache and migraine among Brazilian Tupiniquim natives.

This is the first study to evaluate the prevalence of headache and migraine among Tupiniquim Brazilian natives. A high prevalence of headache was found and the most prevalent headache was migraine. Women were more commonly affected than men.

Diffusion tensor imaging of the cervical spinal cord of patients with relapsing-remising multiple sclerosis: a study of 41 cases.

Objective: To evaluate the fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques and normal-appearing cervical spinal cord (NASC) by diffusion tensor MRI imaging (DTI).

Method: Forty-one patients with relapsing-remising MS and 37 controls were evaluated. All MRI exams were performed using a conventional protocol, as well as diffusion tensor MR imaging.

Oxidation of bovine serum albumin: identification of oxidation products and structural modifications.

Albumin is an important plasma antioxidant protein, contributing to protecting mechanisms of cellular and regulatory long-lived proteins. The metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) of proteins plays an important role during oxidative stress. In this study, we examine the oxidative modification of albumin using an MCO in vitro system.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Objective: To analyze the metabolic constitution of brain areas through proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in children affected with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder compared with normal children.

Method: The sample of this case-control study included eight boys with epidemiologic history of in utero exposure to alcohol (median age 13.6+/-3.

Catalytic effect of magnetic nanoparticles over the H2O2 decomposition reaction.

This paper compares the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide when controlled nano-sized magnetite powders are used as catalysts. Two different nano-sized powders and a Fe0/Fe3O4 composite have been used. The nanoparticle samples were synthesized by: (i) a chemical reduction-precipitation method and, (ii) by reduction under H2 atmosphere at 250 degrees C, of a hematite sample previously prepared.

Bacteroides fragilis induce necrosis on mice peritoneal macrophages: In vitro and in vivo assays.

Bacteroides fragilis is an anaerobic bacteria component of human intestinal microbiota and agent of infections. In the host B. fragilis interacts with macrophages, which produces toxic radicals like NO.

Diffusion tensor imaging findings in school-aged autistic children.

Objective: To analyze and compare cerebral white matter tracts through diffusion tensor imaging in autistic and normal children.

Methods: This is a case-control study on a sample of eight male, right-handed children diagnosed with autism according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition criteria, and eight healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Imaging studies were performed on a 1.

Magnetic properties of nanoparticles obtained by different chemical routes.

It is well known that nano-sized materials often present chemical, electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties that are potentially interesting for many technological applications comparatively to their corresponding bulk properties. This paper describes the main differences in magnetic properties among nanomagnetite powders prepared by three methods: (I) reduction-precipitation of ferric chloride by reaction with Na2SO3; (II) reduction of hematite with coal, and (III) reduction of hematite with hydrogen gas. The obtained materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), saturation magnetization measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy.

Correlation of RET somatic mutations with clinicopathological features in sporadic medullary thyroid carcinomas.

Screening of REarranged during Transfection (RET) gene mutations has been carried out in different series of sporadic medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC). RET-positive tumours seem to be associated to a worse clinical outcome. However, the correlation between the type of RET mutation and the patients' clinicopathological data has not been evaluated yet.

Myocardial delayed enhancement in patients with pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure: evaluation by cardiac MRI.

In this study, we evaluated patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and impaired right ventricular function. We used cardiac MRI for the detection of myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) and its possible association with other clinical variables. 20 patients (6 males and 14 females, aged 44.

Miscanthus x giganteus extractives: a source of valuable phenolic compounds and sterols.

The chemical composition of the lipophilic extracts of bark and core, of the Miscanthus x giganteus stalk, was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Aromatic compounds, sterols, and fatty acids, followed by long-chain fatty alcohols, were the major families of components present in the M. x giganteus stalk.