Isoacteoside attenuates acute kidney injury induced by severe acute pancreatitis.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a common acute abdominal disease accompanied by systemic inflammatory response syndrome, which may be complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). Isoacteoside (ISO) is the active ingredient of Franch. ex Maxim and has been reported to have anti‑inflammatory activities.

Stroke Communication Scale based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF - SCS).

Introduction: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health encompasses activities, participation, and contextual factors in health care, helping in the evaluation, planning, and management of patients.

Aim: To develop an instrument to evaluate and classify speech-language needs, participation, and functioning in post-stroke based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

Materials And Methods: This is a methodological research to develop an instrument.

Modulation of cortical and subcortical brain areas at low and high exercise intensities.

Introduction: The brain plays a key role in the perceptual regulation of exercise, yet neuroimaging techniques have only demonstrated superficial brain areas responses during exercise, and little is known about the modulation of the deeper brain areas at different intensities.

Objectives/methods: Using a specially designed functional MRI (fMRI) cycling ergometer, we have determined the sequence in which the cortical and subcortical brain regions are modulated at low and high ratings perceived exertion (RPE) during an incremental exercise protocol.

Results: Additional to the activation of the classical motor control regions (motor, somatosensory, premotor and supplementary motor cortices and cerebellum), we found the activation of the regions associated with autonomic regulation (ie, insular cortex) (ie, positive blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal) during exercise.

Value Flow Map: application and results in the disinfection center.

Objective: To identify and eliminate steps that do not add value for customers in the disinfection center.

Method: We applied the Lean tool: Value Flow Map, using the concepts of gemba and kaizen in the work process of the disinfection unit for ventilatory care materials, aiming at improving such process. After performing a training with the team on the Lean concepts described above, applying the Value Flow Map in the gemba, analyzing the opportunities for improvement, and approving the changes, the Value Flow Map of the future state was devised and changes were implemented.

Using Lean tools to reduce patient waiting time.

Purpose This paper aims to address problems in patient flow and identify the reasons behind extensive wait time at a public liver transplant outpatient clinic in an education and research hospital through the use of Lean health-care theories. Design/methodology/approach This paper opted for the application of Lean thinking and action research strategy. Data were collected through personal observations, interviews with users and team brainstorming.

Concurrent Training with Blood Flow Restriction does not Decrease Inflammatory Markers.

The aging process is associated with several changes in the elderly such as the decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness, strength and muscle mass, in addition to chronic low-grade inflammation. Concurrent training with blood flow restriction can be an interesting alternative to improve functional capacity with low mechanical stress in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to compare the inflammatory effects in older individuals submitted to two different protocols of concurrent training.

Effects of ω-3 Fatty Acids on Toll-like Receptor 4 and Nuclear Factor κB p56 in the Pancreas of Rats With Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the effects of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3FAs) on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κB p56 (NF-κBp56) signaling pathway in the pancreas of rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control, SAP-saline, SAP-soybean oil, and SAP-ω-FA groups. Severe acute pancreatitis was induced by the retrograde infusion of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct.

Effects of ω-3 fatty acids on toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB p56 in lungs of rats with severe acute pancreatitis.

Aim: To determine the effects of ω-3 fatty acids (ω-3FA) on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κB p56 (NF-κBp56) signal pathway in the lungs of rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: A total of 56 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, SAP-saline group, SAP-soybean oil group and SAP-ω-3FA group. SAP was induced by the retrograde infusion of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct.

Brain Connectivity and Functional Recovery in Patients With Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Brain mapping studies have demonstrated that functional poststroke brain reorganization is associated with recovery of motor function. Nonetheless, the specific mechanisms associated with functional reorganization leading to motor recovery are still partly unknown. In this study, we performed a cross-sectional evaluation of poststroke subjects with the following goals: (1) To assess intra- and interhemispheric functional brain activation patterns associated with motor function in poststroke patients with variable degrees of recovery; (2) to investigate the involvement of other nonmotor functional networks in relationship with recovery.

Analysis of neoplastic lesions in magnetic resonance imaging using self-organizing maps.

Objective: To provide an improved method for the identification and analysis of brain tumors in MRI scans using a semi-automated computational approach, that has the potential to provide a more objective, precise and quantitatively rigorous analysis, compared to human visual analysis.

Background: Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) is an unsupervised, exploratory data analysis tool, which can automatically domain an image into selfsimilar regions or clusters, based on measures of similarity. It can be used to perform image-domain of brain tissue on MR images, without prior knowledge.

Lateral pterygoid muscle volume and migraine in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

Purpose: Lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) plays an important role in jaw movement and has been implicated in Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Migraine has been described as a common symptom in patients with TMDs and may be related to muscle hyperactivity. This study aimed to compare LPM volume in individuals with and without migraine, using segmentation of the LPM in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the TMJ.

A Brazilian original pedagogical approach to the teaching of neurology.

Unlabelled: The two-arm Clinical Decisions/Diagnostic Workshop (CD/DW) approach to undergraduate medical education has been successfully used in Brazil.

Objective: Present the CD/DW approach to the teaching of stroke, with the results of its pre-experimental application and of a comparative study with the traditional lecture-case discussion approach.

Method: Application of two questionnaires (opinion and Knowledge-Attitudes-Perceptions-KAP) to investigate the non-inferiority of the CD/DW approach.

Caspase-1 inhibition alleviates acute renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis.

Aim: To assess the effect of inhibition of caspase-1 on acute renal injury in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods: Forty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: healthy controls (HC, n = 6), SAP rats treated with saline (SAP-S, n = 18), or SAP rats treated with a caspase-1/interleukin (IL)-1β-converting-enzyme (ICE) inhibitor (SAP-I-ICE, n = 18). SAP was induced by retrograde infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate into the bile-pancreatic duct.

Brain activity and perceived exertion during cycling exercise: an fMRI study.

Background/aim: Currently, the equipment and techniques available to assess brain function during dynamic exercise are limited, which has restricted our knowledge of how the brain regulates exercise. This study assessed the brain areas activated during cycling by making use of a novel cycle ergometer, constructed to measure functional MRI (fMRI) brain images during dynamic exercise. Furthermore, we compared brain activation at different levels of ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) generated during the exercise.

Brain SPECT in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: comparison between visual analysis and SPM.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of SPM and visual analysis of brain SPECT in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).

Method: Interictal and ictal SPECTs of 22 patients with MTLE were performed. Visual analysis were performed in interictal (VISUAL(inter)) and ictal (VISUAL(ictal/inter)) studies.

[Genomic analysis of DNA-protein interaction by chromatin immunoprecipitation].

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is an effective technique to analyze the interactions of DNA binding proteins with the genome in vivo. ChIP coupled with high density microarray (ChIP-chip) or high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) has generated large amount of data and expected to allow the development of a network describing the cellular transcriptional regulation. Here, we reviewed the ChIP, ChIP-chip, and ChIP-Seq techniques as well as their perspectives.

Extrahippocampal gray matter atrophy and memory impairment in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Memory impairment observed in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is classically attributed to hippocampal atrophy. The contribution of extrahippocampal structures in shaping memory impairment in patients with MTLE is not yet completely understood, even though atrophy in MTLE extends beyond the hippocampus. We aimed to evaluate the neuropsychological profile of patients with MTLE focusing on memory, and to investigate whether gray matter concentration (GMC) distribution within and outside the medial portion of the temporal lobes would be associated with their neuropsychological performance.

An optimized assay for transcription factor NF-kappaB with dsDNA-coupled microplate.

To develop an EMSA-free assay approach for analyzing the sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins (DBPs), an easy cost-effective dsDNA-coupled plate (dcPlate) was developed in our lab for this purpose. In this paper, the assay conditions of such dcPlate were fully optimized for detecting an important transcription factor, NF-kappaB. The optimized parameters of dcPlate for assay of NF-kappaB were as follows: immobilized DNA probe at the concentration of 25 pmol/100 microL-well, incubation time of 90 min for NF-kappaB binding to dcPlate, primary and secondary antibody concentration of 0.

Longitudinal analysis of gray and white matter loss in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cerebral atrophy has been described to occur in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with variable frequency. The aim of this study was to determine white and gray matter abnormalities in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with SLE and to determine if these abnormalities progress over a one-year period. Seventy-five patients with SLE and 44 healthy age and sex-matched controls were enrolled in this study.

Memory and language impairments and their relationships to hippocampal and perirhinal cortex damage in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Chronic medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is associated with memory loss due to damage in the hippocampal system. To investigate the relationship between volume of medial temporal lobe structures and performance on neuropsychological tests, we studied 39 consecutive patients with MTLE and unilateral hippocampal atrophy (HA) determined by volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structures of interest comprised hippocampus, amygdala, and entorhinal, perirhinal, parahippocampal, and temporopolar cortices.

Menstrual cycle worsening of epileptic seizures in women with symptomatic focal epilepsy.

Introduction: Hormonal fluctuation is responsible for worsening of epileptic seizures during the menstrual cycle.

Objective: To identify irregularities in the menstrual cycles of women with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and extratemporal focal epilepsy (ETFE) and correlate the frequency of seizures during the menstrual cycles.

Method: We evaluated prospectively women in the menacme with MTLE and ETFE.

[The research on the quenching of fluorescence spectra of TOP I by iodine anion].

Comparing the fluorescence spectra of tobacco peroxidase I (TOP I) solution and the solutions titrated by iodine anions, the number of binding locus and the binding constant of iodine anion to TOP I were calculated by using the modified Stern-Volmer equation. The mechanism of the quenching of fluorescence spectra and the distribution of tryptophane residues in the TOP I molecule were discussed.

[UV-Vis absorption spectral characteristics of tobacco peroxidase I from Nicotiana tabacum].

The ultraviolet/visible spectra of TOP I were studied. It was proved that TOP I is an acid enzyme containing it hemochrome as an agon. When the pH reduced, the Soret absorption in UV-Vis region exhibited a blue shift, when pH increased exhibited a red shift.

Assessment of the epilepsy treatment gap in two cities of south-east of Brazil.

Objective: To assess the epilepsy treatment gap in Campinas and São Josédo Rio Preto, two cities in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Method: The treatment gap was estimated using the formula n1-n2/n1x100, where n1 was calculated using 1.86% prevalence and represented the number of individuals with epilepsy, while n2 represented the number of people who could be treated with an adult standard dose for a year utilizing the antiepileptic drugs supplied by the public health system.