The implementation of an analgesia-based sedation protocol reduced deep sedation and proved to be safe and feasible in patients on mechanical ventilation.

Introduction: Deep sedation in critically ill patients is associated with a longer duration of mechanical ventilation and a prolonged length of stay in the intensive care unit. Several protocols have been used to improve these outcomes. We implement and evaluate an analgesia-based, goal-directed, nurse-driven sedation protocol used to treat critically ill patients who receive mechanical ventilation.

Population characteristics may reduce the levels of individual call identity.

Individual variability influences the demographic and evolutionary dynamics of spatially structured populations, and conversely ecological and evolutionary dynamics provide the context under which variations at the individual level occur. Therefore, it is essential to identify and characterize the importance of the different factors that may promote or hinder individual variability. Animal signaling is a prime example of a type of behavior that is largely dependent on both the features of individuals and the characteristics of the population to which they belong.

Circulating progenitor and mature endothelial cells in deep vein thrombosis.

Introduction: Mature circulating endothelial cells (CEC) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) have been described in several conditions associated with endothelial injury. Their role in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has not been previously evaluated.

Patients And Methods: In this pilot study we evaluated the time course of CEC and EPC release after vena cava experimental DVT in mice, using the FeCl3 model.

Genetics at the verge of extinction: insights from the Iberian lynx.

Population viability might become compromised by the loss of genetic diversity and the accumulation of inbreeding resulting from population decline and fragmentation. The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) provides a paradigmatic example of a species at the verge of extinction, and because of the well-documented and different demographic histories of the two remaining populations (Doñana and Andújar), it provides the opportunity to evaluate the performance of analytical methods commonly applied to recently declined populations. We used mitochondrial sequences and 36 microsatellite markers to evaluate the current genetic status of the species and to assess the genetic signatures of its past history.

Lymphoscintigraphic evaluation of manual lymphatic therapy: the Godoy & Godoy technique.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the transport of radiotracers in lymphatic collectors during manual lymphatic therapy. The legs of four male and two female patients with leg lymphedema were assessed using lymphoscintigraphy before, during and after manual lymphatic therapy. The ages of the patients, treated in Hospital de Base in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, ranged from 42 to 64 years with a mean age of 51.

Patterns of substance use among Argentinean adolescents and analysis of the effect of age at first alcohol use on substance use behaviors.

Objective: The present study used an empirically based method to characterize substance use in a sample of Argentinean adolescents and analyzed the association between age at drinking onset and substance use behaviors. Differences in alcohol expectancies and personality traits as a function of different patterns of substance use were also explored.

Method: Data were obtained from 583 adolescents aged 13-18years (M=15.

Laparoscopically harvested omental flap for breast reconstruction in Poland syndrome.

Background/purpose: Poland syndrome (PS) is a congenital anomaly of the thoracic wall characterised by a variable degree of unilateral agenesis of pectoralis major and minor muscles associated with ipsilateral breast, rib and upper-arm anomalies. In female patients, breast reconstruction is particularly challenging because of cranial pectoralis muscle defects and partial or complete breast agenesis. Different techniques have been used to treat the thoracic anomaly, including the positioning of an implant, fat transfer or latissimus dorsi transposition, but in some cases these techniques are not feasible resulting in a poor reconstruction.

Tetrahydrohyperforin induces mitochondrial dynamics and prevents mitochondrial Ca2+ overload after Aβ and Aβ-AChE complex challenge in rat hippocampal neurons.

St. John's wort has been the subject of studies focused on its therapeutic properties against several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), a critical peptide in AD, has been linked to the mitochondrial dysfunction often observed in this disease.

Nicotine prevents synaptic impairment induced by amyloid-β oligomers through α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation.

An emerging view on Alzheimer disease's (AD) pathogenesis considers amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers as a key factor in synaptic impairment and rodent spatial memory decline. Alterations in the α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) have been implicated in AD pathology. Herein, we report that nicotine, an unselective α7-nAChR agonist, protects from morphological and synaptic impairments induced by Aβ oligomers.

Adaptive support ventilation: State of the art review.

Mechanical ventilation is one of the most commonly applied interventions in intensive care units. Despite its life-saving role, it can be a risky procedure for the patient if not applied appropriately. To decrease risks, new ventilator modes continue to be developed in an attempt to improve patient outcomes.

Canonical Wnt signaling protects hippocampal neurons from Aβ oligomers: role of non-canonical Wnt-5a/Ca(2+) in mitochondrial dynamics.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of age-related dementia. The disease is characterized by a progressive loss of cognitive abilities, severe neurodegeneration, synaptic loss and mitochondrial dysfunction. The Wnt signaling pathway participates in the development of the central nervous system and growing evidence indicates that Wnts also regulate the function of the adult nervous system.

Obesity and worsening of chronic venous disease and joint mobility.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate a possible relationship between obesity and decreased mobility of the talocrural joint and in turn chronic venous disease.

Subjects And Methods: One hundred obese patients recruited at Hospital Santa Casa de Maringa, Parana were enrolled by order of arrival at the hospital in a randomized quantitative cross-sectional study. Inclusion criteria were patients with a body mass index above 30 kg/m(2) and the exclusion criteria were infectious conditions that would interfere with the assessment.

Thiazolidinediones promote axonal growth through the activation of the JNK pathway.

The axon is a neuronal process involved in protein transport, synaptic plasticity, and neural regeneration. It has been suggested that their structure and function are profoundly impaired in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous evidence suggest that Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors-γ (PPARγ promote neuronal differentiation on various neuronal cell types.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ and PPARα agonists modulate mitochondrial fusion-fission dynamics: relevance to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related neurodegenerative disorders?

Recent studies showed that the activation of the retinoid X receptor, which dimerizes with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), leads to an enhanced clearance of Aβ from the brain of transgenic mice model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), because an increased expression of apolipoprotein E and it main transporters. However, the effects observed must involve additional underlying mechanisms that have not been yet explored. Several studies conducted in our laboratory suggest that part of the effects observed for the PPARs agonist might involves mitochondrial function and, particularly, mitochondrial dynamics.

Underage drinking: prevalence and risk factors associated with drinking experiences among Argentinean children.

The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and predictors of alcohol drinking behavior in children. Data were obtained from 367 children, aged 8-12 years (M = 10.44 years, SD = 1.

[Refractory status epilepticus in children: characterisation of epilepsies, continuous electroencephalographic monitoring and response to treatment].

Introduction: Patients with refractory status epilepticus (RSE) have high morbidity and mortality rates, are hospitalised for longer periods of time, suffer greater neurological damage and progress to symptomatic epilepsy. Continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) monitoring is a valuable aid in the early detection of RSE, especially in the case of non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). In this study we describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and use of cEEG in paediatric patients with RSE.

Tetrahydrohyperforin decreases cholinergic markers associated with amyloid-β plaques, 4-hydroxynonenal formation, and caspase-3 activation in AβPP/PS1 mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive deterioration of cognitive abilities, amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) accumulation, neurofibrillary tangle deposition, synaptic alterations, and oxidative injury. In AD patients, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is low in most regions of the brain, but increased within and around amyloid plaques, where it accelerates the Aβ assembly into oligomers and fibrils, increasing its neurotoxicity. Tetrahydrohyperforin (THH), a semi-synthetic derivative of hyperforin, reduces tau phosphorylation and Aβ accumulation in AD mouse models.

ATP induces NO production in hippocampal neurons by P2X(7) receptor activation independent of glutamate signaling.

To assess the putative role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) upon nitric oxide (NO) production in the hippocampus, we used as a model both rat hippocampal slices and isolated hippocampal neurons in culture, lacking glial cells. In hippocampal slices, additions of exogenous ATP or 2'(3')-O-(4-Benzoylbenzoyl) ATP (Bz-ATP) elicited concentration-dependent NO production, which increased linearly within the first 15 min and plateaued thereafter; agonist EC50 values were 50 and 15 µM, respectively. The NO increase evoked by ATP was antagonized in a concentration-dependent manner by Coomassie brilliant blue G (BBG) or by N(ω)-propyl-L-arginine, suggesting the involvement of P2X7Rs and neuronal NOS, respectively.

Braile vena cava filter and greenfield filter in terms of centralization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate complications experienced during implantation of the Braile Vena Cava filter (VCF) and the efficacy of the centralization mechanism of the filter. This retrospective cohort study evaluated all Braile Biomédica VCFs implanted from 2004 to 2009 in Hospital de Base Medicine School in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. Of particular concern was the filter's symmetry during implantation and complications experienced during the procedure.

Thioredoxins, glutaredoxins, and peroxiredoxins--molecular mechanisms and health significance: from cofactors to antioxidants to redox signaling.

Thioredoxins (Trxs), glutaredoxins (Grxs), and peroxiredoxins (Prxs) have been characterized as electron donors, guards of the intracellular redox state, and "antioxidants". Today, these redox catalysts are increasingly recognized for their specific role in redox signaling. The number of publications published on the functions of these proteins continues to increase exponentially.

Viable biobanking of primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives/hypothesis: To determine the feasibility of viable storage of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for regrowth of cells in culture.

Study Design: Laboratory-based translational study.

Methods: Methods for intermediate-term frozen storage of viable HNSCC were explored using small pieces of primary tumor and dissociated HNSCC cells after short-term culture.

Assessing the robustness of networks of spatial genetic variation.

Habitat transformation is one of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss. The ecological effects of this transformation have mainly been addressed at the demographic level, for example, finding extinction thresholds. However, interpopulation genetic variability and the subsequent potential for adaptation can be eroded before effects are noticed on species abundances.

High proportion of male faeces in jaguar populations.

Faeces provide relevant biological information which includes, with the application of genetic techniques, the sex and identity of individuals that defecated, thus providing potentially useful data on the behaviour and ecology of individuals, as well as the dynamics and structure of populations. This paper presents estimates of the sex ratio of different felid species (jaguar, Panthera onca; puma, Puma concolor; and ocelot/margay, Leopardus pardalis/Leopardus wiedi) as observed in field collected faeces, and proposes several hypotheses that could explain the strikingly high proportion of faeces from male jaguars. The proportion of male and female faeces was estimated using a non-invasive faecal sampling method in 14 study areas in Mexico and Brazil.

Loss of Consciousness in Injuries of the Extremities is an Alert to a Higher Probability of Death.

Background: There are many published studies about loss of consciousness related to general trauma however works on loss of consciousness in respect to orthopedic injuries are scarce.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether loss of consciousness worsens the prognosis of patients with orthopedic injuries.

Method: A retrospective cohort study of orthopedic traumas was performed in the university Hospital of Base in São José do Rio Preto.