Publications by authors named "Soledad Alvarez"

The mesophotic zone represents one of our planet's largest and least explored biomes. An increasing number of studies evidence the importance of macrofouling species in marine ecosystems, but information on these communities and the factors influencing their structures at mesophotic depths remain poor. This lack of understanding limits our ability to predict anthropogenic impacts or conduct restoration operations in the mesophotic and the lower boundary of the euphotic zones.

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We present the case of a healthy young woman who consulted for left peripheral facial palsy associated with fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and asthenia of two weeks' evolution. Physical examination revealed hypoesthesia in left T6 to T12 dermatomes and bilateral galactorrhea. In the laboratory, she presented negative viral serology, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibody titers, prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone, with positive antiperoxidase antibodies.

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Hull fouling is considered to be the most significant vector of introduction of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) in the Madeira Archipelago (NE Atlantic) because these islands provide a vital passage route for many ships. The transfer of species between boat hulls and artificial substrates in marinas is known to be high. Bryozoans are among the most common groups of marine invertebrates growing on this type of substrate.

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The ingestion of microplastics (MPs - plastic particles <5 mm) by planktivorous organisms represents a significant threat to marine food webs. To investigate how seasonality might affect plastic intake in oceanic islands' ecosystems, relative abundances and composition of MPs and mesozooplankton samples collected off Madeira Island (NE Atlantic) between February 2019 and January 2020 were analysed. MPs were found in all samples, with fibres accounting for 89 % of the particles.

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Insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG2) and its homolog INSIG1 encode closely related endoplasmic reticulum proteins that regulate the proteolytic activation of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins, transcription factors that activate the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids in animal cells. Several studies have been carried out to identify INSIG2 genetic variants associated with metabolic diseases. However, few data have been published regarding the regulation of INSIG2 gene expression.

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Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of sonography and sonographically guided biopsy in the preoperative diagnosis of metastatic invasion of the axilla in patients with breast carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: We performed a MEDLINE search (keywords, "sonography" OR "ultrasound" AND "axillary") and a manual search of the references of relevant studies and reviews of preoperative diagnosis on sonography of possible axillary metastases. The gold standard required was axillary lymph node dissection; we accepted sentinel node biopsy as an alternative gold standard.

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A 61-year-old-man with persistent anemia was referred for a Tc-99m-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scan to detect any source of gastrointestinal bleeding. RBC scintigraphy revealed a hypervascular mass in the left renal fossa with functional loss in that kidney, suggesting the possibility of a renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Computed tomography confirmed this.

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