Percutaneous injection of ethanol for thyroid nodule treatment: a comparative study.

Objective: Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is an alternative to surgery for the treatment of thyroid nodules (TNs). However, size reductions of treated (TTNs) and untreated TN (UTNs) have not been compared. Volumetric reductions in TTNs with PEI were evaluated by comparing TTNs and UTNs in the same patient, and independent variables predicting good post-PEI outcomes were analyzed.

Molecular and morphological characterization of rice phylloplane fungi and determination of the antagonistic activity against rice pathogens.

Cladosporium spp. is a cosmopolitan fungal genus. In the literature, it has been reported as a biological agent for controlling several plant diseases, but its mechanism of action has never been clarified.

Plant-associated bacteria mitigate drought stress in soybean.

Agriculture accounts for ~ 70% of all water use and the world population is increasing annually; soon more people will need to be fed, while also using less water. The use of plant-associated bacteria (PAB) is an eco-friendly alternative that can increase crop water use efficiency. This work aimed to study the effect of some PAB on increasing soybean tolerance to drought stress, the mechanisms of the drought tolerance process, and the effect of the PAB on promoting plant growth and on the biocontrol of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Defence responses in rice plants in prior and simultaneous applications of Cladosporium sp. during leaf blast suppression.

An alternative method to control rice blast (Magnaporthe oryzae) is to include biological agent in the disease management strategy. The objective of this study was to assess the leaf blast-suppressing effects of rice phylloplane fungi. One Cladosporium sp.

Is there any association between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thyroid cancer? A retrospective data analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the association between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Materials And Methods: The patients were evaluated by ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration cytology. Typical cytopathological aspects and/or classical histopathological findings were taken into consideration in the diagnosis of HT, and only histopathological results were considered in the diagnosis of PTC.

Improvement of the lipid profile in post menopausal women who use estradiol and testosterone implants.

Objective: This study evaluating the lipid profile in women in post menopause using the hormone therapy (HT) with implants of estradiol and testosterone.

Method: One year prospective cohort with 122 patients separated in group 1, not using HT, group 2 starting the use of HT, and group 3 with prior use of implants of estradiol and testosterone. All patients performed serum dosages of total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides, in the beginning of the study and after 1 year.

Lack of clopidogrel-statin interaction in patients undergoing coronary stent implantation.

Background: Some studies have suggested reduced activity of clopidogrel on platelet activation and adherence in patients using statins.

Objective: To assess whether platelet activation and aggregation decrease with clopidogrel, and whether there is a reduction of the action of clopidogrel when associated with atorvastatin or simvastatin.

Methods: This prospective study included 68 patients with stable angina with previous use of simvastatin, atorvastatin, or no statin (control group), with previous elective indication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease associated with obstructive sleep apnea: just a coincidence?

Background: Obesity is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It has been shown that OSA could be an independent risk factor for NAFLD. OSA could cause not only insulin resistance but worse NAFLD through nocturnal hypoxemia.

Hormonal therapy with estradiol and testosterone implants: bone protection?

Objective: To assess bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women using estradiol and testosterone hormonal implants comparing to that of patients without hormonal therapy.

Design Of The Study: Sixty-one patients were followed in prospective cohort study separated in Group 1, 34 women using implants and Group 2, 27 women without implants and BMD assessment through Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was conducted in the beginning of follow-up and after 1 year.

Results: The average lumbar spine BMD in Group 1 was 1.

Prevalence and severity of sleep apnea in a group of morbidly obese patients.

Background: Obesity is the most important risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. It is estimated that 70% of sleep apnea patients are obese. In the morbidly obese, the prevalence may reach 80% in men and 50% in women.

Coronary artery disease in women: a review on prevention, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Despite numerous studies on women's cardiac health throughout the past decade, the number of female deaths caused by cardiovascular disease still rises and remains the leading cause of death in women in most areas of the world. Novel studies have demonstrated that cardiovascular disease, and more specifically coronary artery disease presentations in women, are different than those in men. In addition, pathology and pathophysiology of the disease present significant gender differences, which leads to difficulties concerning diagnosis, treatment and outcome of the female population.

[Percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of thyroid nodules].

To verify the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of thyroid nodules (TN), we analyzed 86 TN from 77 patients before and after one or two sessions of PEI. The medians of the initial and final volumes were: 3.5 mL (range 0.

[Obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS): association with obesity, gender and age].

Obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) has been the focus of extensive research because of its association with neurocognitive and cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and association between OSAHS and the class of obesity, gender and age in outpatients referred to a sleep laboratory. We selected 1,595 patients, 71.

[Association of gamma-glutamyl transferase and the metabolic syndrome in obese women].

Objective: To evaluate the correlation of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity to the presence and number of abnormalities of the metabolic syndrome (MS).

Subject And Methods: We have studied 353 women consecutively admitted into the obesity outpatient unit, aged 39.0 +/- 11.

[Weight cycling during treatment of obese women].

Long-term treatment of obese patients shows that the majority of them regains weight or has weight cycling (WC). We have studied the frequency of WC (weight lost and regain of at least 5% of initial weight, IW) in 218 obese women selected from a University Hospital with a follow-up of >12 months admitted between 1992 and 2000. Patients with psychiatric, infectious or chronic disease (except metabolic syndrome), pregnancy, or using glucocorticoids were excluded.