New Ni(II)-sulfonamide complexes: synthesis, structural characterization and antibacterial properties. X-ray diffraction of [Ni(sulfisoxazole)2(H2O)4].2H2O and [Ni(sulfapyridine)2].

The synthesis, structural characterization, voltammetric experiments and antibacterial activity of [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H(2)O)(4)].2H(2)O and [Ni(sulfapyridine)(2)] were studied and compared with similar previously reported copper complexes. [Ni(sulfisoxazole)(2)(H(2)O)(4)].

Efficacy of the FEV1/FEV6 ratio compared to the FEV1/FVC ratio for the diagnosis of airway obstruction in subjects aged 40 years or over.

The present cross-sectional, population-based study was designed to evaluate the performance of the FEV1/FEV6 ratio for the detection of airway-obstructed subjects compared to the FEV1/FVC <0.70 fixed ratio test, as well as the lower limit of normality (LLN) for 1000 subjects (3)40 years of age in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. After the exclusion of 37 (3.

Light-driven horseradish peroxidase cycle by using photo-activated methylene blue as the reducing agent.

In this work, the regeneration of native horseradish peroxidase (HRP), following the consecutive reduction of oxo-ferryl pi-cation (compound I) and oxo-ferryl (compound II) forms, was observed by UV-visible spectrometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in the presence of methylene (MB+), in the dark and under irradiation. In the dark, MB+ did not affect the rate of HRP compound I and II reduction, compatible with hydrogen peroxide as the solely reducing species. Under irradiation, the dye promoted a significant increase in the native HRP regeneration rate in a pH-dependent manner.

Post-poliomyelitis syndrome: case report.

The post-polio syndrome (PPS) is an entity characterized for an episode of muscular weakness and/or abnormal muscular fatigue in individuals that had presented acute polio years before. We report the case of PPS in a patient, 40 years, that thirty-five years after had had paralytic poliomyelitis, developed new symptoms of fatigue, muscular atrophy, dyspnea, difficulties in deambulation and muscular and joint pain. The electromyographic findings revealed injuried neurons of the anterior horn of the marrow and reinnervation after muscular tests.

Benign monomelic amyotrophy with proximal upper limb involvement: case report.

Monomelic amyotrophy (MA) is a rare condition in which neurogenic amyotrophy is restricted to an upper or lower limb. Usually sporadic, it usually has an insidious onset with a mean evolution of 2 to 4 years following first clinical manifestations, which is, in turned, followed by stabilization. We report a case of 20-years-old man who presented slowly progressive amyotrophy associated with proximal paresis of the right upper limb, which was followed by clinical stabilization 4 years later.

POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein, skin lesions) syndrome: a South America's report.

The POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome, is an unusual systemic disorder described mainly in Asian individuals. It is characterized by the presence of (P)polyneuropathy, (O)organomegaly, (E)endocrinopathy, (M) M-protein, and (S) skin changes. Several other associated conditions such as sclerotic bone lesions, Castleman disease, low-grade fever, edema and hematologic disorders are usually seen.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is underdiagnosed and undertreated in São Paulo (Brazil): results of the PLATINO study.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease in adults over 40 years of age and has a great social and economic impact. It remains little recognized and undertreated even in developed countries. However, there are no data about its diagnosis and treatment in Brazil.

Replacement of the 6-min walk test with maximal oxygen consumption in the BODE Index applied to patients with COPD: an equivalency study.

Introduction: Patients with COPD have decreased exercise capacity and low oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) during formal cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and lower scores on health-related quality of life questionnaires. When isolated, these three variables show different correlations with COPD mortality. The multidimensional BODE (body mass index[BMI], airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity in COPD) index, which comprises four variables including the 6-min walk test (6MWT), predicts survival in COPD.

Respiratory health in Brazil.

According to the Brazilian Constitution each and every Brazilian has the right to free healthcare. Approximately 40% of the population have taken out a private or company funded health care program. Brazil is the world's largest producer of alcohol derived from sugar cane and the burning of the sugar cane leaves produces a large amount of fine and ultrafine particles what increases the relative risk of hospital admissions by children increases 3.

Optimization of wavelets for classification of movement-related cortical potentials generated by variation of force-related parameters.

The paper presents a novel pattern recognition approach for the classification of single-trial movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) generated by variations of force-related parameters during voluntary tasks. The feature space was built from the coefficients of a discrete dyadic wavelet transformation. Mother wavelet parameterization allowed the tuning of basis functions to project the signals.

[Secular plague trend in Ceará State, Brazil].

After its introduction into the State of Ceará, Brazil, in 1900, the plague was established in seven ecological complexes: Chapada do Araripe and the Ibiapaba, Baturité, Machado, Matas, Pedra Branca, and Uruburetama mountains. These natural foci were monitored successively from 1935 to 2004 by the National Health Department, National Plague Service, National Department of Rural Endemics, Superintendency of Public Health Campaigns, National Health Foundation, and finally by the National Health Surveillance Secretariat. Data analysis on human cases during these 70 years allowing identifying different plague circulation patterns in the human population, alternating high incidence with silent periods and characterizing a chronological periodicity with unique epidemiological characteristics, besides concluding that plague should still be considered a potential threat, thus justifying the revitalization of surveillance measures by strengthening all levels in the Unified National Health System.

Using the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire to evaluate quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: validating a new version for use in Brazil.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a modified version of the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire. The version evaluated elicits "agree" and "do not agree", rather than "yes" and "no", responses. The intention is to facilitate the comprehension of double-negative questions and to promote better recollection of symptoms by patients by shortening their symptom histories from 12 months to 3 months.

Guillain-Barré syndrome after brachial plexus trauma: case report.

The Guilllain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute predominantly demyelinating polyneuropathy. In many cases GBS is preceding by infection, immunization, surgery or trauma. Although there are a few reports of GBS after head trauma, there is no report of this syndrome after brachial plexus injury.

Structural and thermodynamic studies of KM+, a d-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus integrifolia seeds.

The KM+ lectin exhibits a novel and unusual circular dichroism (CD) spectrum that could be explained by a high proline content that would be inducing deformation of the beta-structure and/or unusual turns. KM+ was shown to be a very rigid lectin, which was very stable under a broad variety of conditions (urea, guanidine, hydrolysis, pH, etc.).

Photochemically generated stable cation radical of phenothiazine aggregates in mildly acid buffered solutions.

This work characterizes, for the first time, the photochemical behavior of the antipsychotic drugs thioridazine (TR), trifluoperazine (TFP), and fluphenazine (FP) influenced by the aggregation state of the molecules. Samples of monomeric and aggregated forms of phenothiazines were submitted to 20 min of irradiation at 254 nm for intervals of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 days. In high phenothiazine concentrations, the irradiation led to the appearance of absorbance bands in the visible region peaking at 633 nm for TR and 509 nm for FP and TFP.

EEG based BCI-towards a better control. Brain-computer interface research at Aalborg University.

This paper summarizes the brain-computer interface (BCI)-related research being conducted at Aalborg University. Namely, an online synchronized BCI system using steady-state visual evoked potentials, and investigations on cortical modulation of movement-related parameters are presented.

BCI Meeting 2005--workshop on signals and recording methods.

This paper describes the highlights of presentations and discussions during the Third International BCI Meeting in a workshop that evaluated potential brain-computer interface (BCI) signals and currently available recording methods. It defined the main potential user populations and their needs, addressed the relative advantages and disadvantages of noninvasive and implanted (i.e.

Afferent-mediated modulation of the soleus muscle activity during the stance phase of human walking.

The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of proprioceptive feedback to the amplitude modulation of the soleus muscle activity during human walking. We have previously shown that slow-velocity, small-amplitude ankle dorsiflexion enhancements and reductions applied during the stance phase of the step cycle generate, respectively, increments and decrements on the ongoing soleus activity. We have also shown that the increments in soleus activity are at least partially mediated by feedback from group Ia fibres.

Linguistic validation of cystic fibrosis quality of life questionnaires.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to validate the Portuguese translations of four cystic fibrosis quality of life questionnaires (CFQ). The first three were developed for patients with cystic fibrosis aged from 6 to 11 years, from 12 to 13 years and 14 years or more, while the fourth was developed for the parents of patients aged 6 to 13 years.

Material And Methods: The four CFQ translations contained from 35 to 50 questions covering nine domains and were validated as follows: translation from English to Portuguese, pilot application, back translation and then approval by the author of the English versions.

Low spin states of microperoxidases produced by inter- and intra-peptide chain sixth ligands: effect of pH and the oligopeptide type.

The low spin states of microperoxidases (MP)-8, -9 and -9 N-acetylated (N-Ac) were characterized using UV-visible, circular dichroism, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies over the 6.0-12.0 pH range.

Movement-related parameters modulate cortical activity during imaginary isometric plantar-flexions.

A multitude of studies have demonstrated a clear activation of the motor cortex during imagination of various motor tasks; however, it is still unclear if movement-related parameters (movement direction, range of motion, speed, force level and rate of force development) specifically modulate cortical activation as they do during the execution of actual motor tasks. Accordingly, this study examined whether the rate of torque development (RTD) and/or the torque amplitude modulates cortical potentials generated during imaginary motor tasks. Fifteen subjects imagined four different left-sided isometric plantar-flexion tasks, while EEG and EMG recordings were being performed.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: two cases with cervical spinal cord compression.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a peripheral nerve disorder probably due to an immunological disturb. It evolves either in a steadily progressive or in a relapsing and fluctuating course. Weakness is mainly in the lower limbs proximally and distally.

Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and associated factors: the PLATINO Study in São Paulo, Brazil.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is now a major public health concern; deaths attributable to COPD in Latin America have increased by 65.0% in the last decade. This study was aimed at evaluating COPD prevalence and associated factors in adults (> 40 years) living in Greater Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil.

Influence of directional orientations during gait initiation and stepping on movement-related cortical potentials.

The influence of directional orientation on movement-related potentials (MRPs) during gait initiation and stepping has been investigated in the present study, as well as possible effects caused by the distinction between gait initiation and stepping. Accordingly, electroencephalographic (EEG), electromyographic (EMG) and kinetic recordings were conducted while eight subjects initiated gait and were stepping in three different directions (namely, forward, backward and lateral). Five different movement-related potentials were extracted from the EEG recordings and statistically analyzed.