New tele-diagnostic model using volume sweep imaging for rural areas.

Advances in information and communications technologies provide a new opportunity to improve the access to healthcare in remote rural areas (RA) where there is a lack of infrastructure and medical experts. This paper implements a new model for tele-ultrasound (US) based on volumetric sweep imaging protocols specially designed for the acquisition of US. Non-physician health personnel from the RA are trained on the use of these protocols in a few days.

The profile of patients followed at the Neuroimmunology Clinic at UNIFESP: 20 years analysis.

Objective: To describe the clinical activities at the Neuroimmunology Clinic of the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) from 1994 to 2013.

Method: The final diagnosis of all patients that attended the center was reviewed and established upon specific guidelines for each disease. The number of total appointments and extra clinical activities (reports and prescriptions) were also analyzed, as are part of routine activities.

[Devic's disease in an adolescent girl with juvenile dermatomyositis].

Devic's disease, also known as neuromyelitis optica, is an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the optic nerve and spinal cord. Recently, Devic's disease was demonstrated to be a channelopathy due to the presence of antibodies against the water channel aquaporin-4 in the blood-brain barrier. There have been reports of Devic's disease in infancy, but there are few reported associations of Devic's disease with other diseases.

Effects of soy germ isoflavones and hormone therapy on nitric oxide derivatives, low-density lipoprotein oxidation, and vascular reactivity in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of soy germ isoflavones and hormone therapy on vascular reactivity, the formation of nitric oxide derivatives, and lipid peroxidation in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.

Design: Women were treated with soy germ, 17beta-estradiol or 17beta-estradiol + noretisterone acetate for 3 months after taking placebo for 1 month. The plasma concentrations of nitrite + nitrate and S-nitrosothiols were evaluated by gaseous phase chemiluminescence; nitrotyrosine, electronegative low-density lipoprotein, and estradiol levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; cholesterol oxides and isoflavones were determined by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively.

Lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide inactivation in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To assess the effect of endogenous estrogens on the bioavailability of nitric oxide (.NO) and in the formation of lipid peroxidation products in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Methods: NOx and S-nitrosothiols were determined by gaseous phase chemiluminescence, nitrotyrosine was determined by ELISA, COx (cholesterol oxides) by gas chromatography, and cholesteryl linoleate hydroperoxides (CE18:2-OOH), trilinolein (TG18:2-OOH), and phospholipids (PC-OOH) by HPLC in samples of plasma.