Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Lopes.
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To characterize the clinical profile and the prognostic factors of the epilepsy due to parenchymal neurocysticercosis (NCC) 143 patients were analysed. Patients (62 men, 81 women) had a mean age at epilepsy onset of 29 years (range 2-71), mean epilepsy duration of 16 years (range 1-58) and mean follow-up of 5.2 years. Seizures were generalised tonic-clonic (GTC) in 50 patients (35%), simple partial (SP) in 66 (46%) and complex partial (CP) in 27 (19%). Epilepsy began as a single seizure in 73% and as a cluster of seizures or status epilepticus in 27%. Seizures were controlled in 64% of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that significant prognostic factors associated with seizure control were type of seizures and age at epilepsy onset. Control is more likely in GTC and SP seizures and in patients with a higher age at seizures onset. Our analysis establishes that epilepsy due to NCC is a heterogeneous syndrome concerning age and mode of onset, seizure type, duration of epilepsy and pattern of evolution probably related with different pathogenic mechanisms.
The objective of this study is to identify the Culicidae species apt to colonize the waters of a creek with reduced gallery forest in the southern region of Brazil. Captures were performed using a water insect-collecting net. The following species were captured. Aedes crinifer, Aedomya squamipennis, Anopheles fluminensis, An. intermedius, An. albitarsis, An. argyritarsis, An. evansae, An. strodei, An. oswaldoi, An. Triannulatus, Chagasia fajardi, Culex bidens, Cx. group coronator, Cx. eduardoi, Cx. Mollis, Cx. quinquefasciatus, Cx. coppenamensis, Cx. vaxus, Cx. group inhibitor, Cx. intrincatus, Cx. (Melanoconion) sp, Psorophora saeva (?) and Uranotaenia pulcherrima. As for the species which showed the highest frequency rate, the following aspects were studied: population fluctuation, environmental factor correlated with geographic distribution along the area. It was concluded that superficial waters with reduced gallery forest may serve as a refuge for some Culicidae. This fact may contribute to the domiciliation process of the species.
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Some aspects of the ecology of eleven species of Culicidae that were found breeding in recipients in an urban area of Southern Brazil are presented. A great variety of recipients were listed as efficient breeding sites. Apparently Aedes aegypti has been recently introduced into the region and was limited to two areas of the city. Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. coronator, Ae. aegypti, Ae. fluviatilis e Limatus durhamii were the predominant species.
The large subunit of RNA polymerase II contains a highly conserved and essential heptapeptide repeat (Pro-Thr-Ser-Pro-Ser-Tyr-Ser) at its carboxy terminus. Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells are inviable if their RNA polymerase II large subunit genes encode fewer than 10 complete heptapeptide repeats; if they encode 10 to 12 complete repeats cells are temperature-sensitive and cold-sensitive, but 13 or more complete repeats will allow wild-type growth at all temperatures. Cells containing C-terminal domains (CTDs) of 10 to 12 complete repeats are also inositol auxotrophs. The phenotypes associated with these CTD mutations are not a consequence of an instability of the large subunit; rather, they seem to reflect a functional deficiency of the mutant enzyme. We show here that partial deletion mutations in RNA polymerase II CTD affect the ability of the enzyme to respond to signals from upstream activating sequences in a subset of promoters in yeast. The number of heptapeptide repeats required for maximal response to signals from these sequences differs from one upstream activating sequence to another. One of the upstream elements that is sensitive to truncations of the CTD is the 17-base-pair site bound by the GAL4 transactivating factor.
Four cases of brain abscess in neonates are described, diagnosed by ultrasonography and CT. All abscesses were confirmed surgically. One patient was operated on 5 weeks after diagnosis because of initial parental refusal. The etiology in all cases was meningitis superimposed on an hypoxic-ischemic insult. Two cases had a single abscess while the other two had multiple lesions. All cases were operated on with intraoperative ultrasound examination through the fontanelle. The case with delayed aspiration showed complete evolution from localized cerebritis to complete capsule formation with mass effect. One abscess was sterile, and in the others grew Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes. The microorganism initially isolated from the lumbar CSF was also found in the abscess. Even after sterilization of the lumbar CSF, all abscesses were still present. Ultrasound examination and CT are compared.
Uterine perforation occurred during abortion in a patient with placenta percreta. The predisposing factor in the invasive placenta in this case was a uterine scar from a cesarean section.
Skeletal muscle function was studied in 10 malnourished patients with various gastrointestinal disorders and in 22 normal subjects. The function of the adductor pollicis muscle was assessed by electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve. The objective parameters of muscle function measured were: 1) Force of contraction expressed as a percentage of the maximal force obtained with electrical stimulation at 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100 Hz. 2) Maximal relaxation rate expressed as percentage force loss/!10 ms. 3) Endurance expressed as percentage force loss/30 s. The force of contraction at 10 Hz was higher in malnourished patients compared with normal subjects, with a mean +/- SEM (n) of 43.0 +/- 4.2% (n = 10) and 28.8 +/- 1.2% (n = 22), respectively, (p less than 0.001). The maximal relaxation rate was slower in patients compared with normals with a mean +/- SEM (n) of 7.2 +/- 0.4% (n = 9) ad 9.6 +/- 0.2% (n = 22), respectively, (p less than 0.001). Muscle endurance testing showed an increased force loss with prolonged tetanic stimulation in patients compared with normals, with a mean +/- SEM (n) of 29.1 +/- 4.0% (n = 7) and 3.5 +/- 0.8% (n = 22), respectively, (p less than 0.001). Four patients were restudied after a 4-wk period of total parenteral nutrition, with a significant improvement in muscle function parameters. Malnutrition results in both increased muscle fatiguability and an altered pattern of muscle contraction and relaxation which are reversible by nutritional supplementation. This technique promises to be valuable in assessing the functional effects of malnutrition and the response to nutritional support.
The importance of inspiratory muscle tone in the maintenance of functional residual capacity (FRC) in newborns was studied in eight premature infants with birth weights of 1,166 +/- 217 g and gestational age 29 +/- 1.9 wk (mean +/- SD). Rib cage and abdominal anteroposterior diameters were monitored with magnetometers, and electromyograms of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles were recorded with surface electrodes. Sleep state was monitored using electrooculogram and behavioral criteria. We assessed the decrease in tonic activity of the inspiratory muscles and the fall in end-expiratory lung volume during apnea compared with the period just preceding apnea. A total of 98 apneas were analyzed. In all instances a decrease in diaphragmatic and intercostal tone was associated with a decrease in the anteroposterior diameter of both rib cage and abdomen, indicating a fall in FRC. These changes were more marked during quiet sleep than during rapid-eye-movement sleep (P less than 0.01). Our results suggest that inspiratory muscle tone is a major determinant of FRC in the newborn.
In a patient presenting with long tract motor and sensory signs accompanied by unilateral 12th nerve cranial palsy, we report the successful complete resection of an intra-cranial hypoglossal neurilemmoma. Our case marks the 15th reported observation of such a lesion. The value of computerized tomography in the diagnosis and localization of this type of tumor is emphasized.
The specific activity of 5'-nucleotidase was determined in lymphocyte plasma membranes from 14 normal subjects and 10 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Whereas the enzyme was present in the preparation from normal lymphocytes, in 7 out of 10 CLL patients the membranes had markedly decreased or no detectable 5'-nucleotidase activity. The lack of this activity from the lymphocytes of most patients with CLL constitutes an alteration in a plasma membrane enzyme from the normal cell. The presence of the enzyme in the lymphocytes of some patients with CLL and its decrease in others provide further evidence for biochemical heterogeneity among patients with this disorder.
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Mutants of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium were selected on the basis of their spontaneous leakage of ribonuclease I. The mutants also leaked several other periplasmic enzymes into the medium during active growth but did not leak the intracellular enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or phosphoglucose isomerase.
The fine structure of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), isolated from an avian strain of Escherichia coli O18, was examined by electron microscopy. In positively stained preparations, ribbonlike structures with frequent branching were observed as previously reported (4). Two densely stained parallel lines were occasionally seen associated with a ribbon. When negative staining was employed, the LPS appeared as a branching ribbon with one central and two lateral zones divided by two relatively dense parallel lines running the complete length of the ribbon. The lateral zones were probably due to the O-antigenic side chains of the LPS. This interpretation was supported by the fact that the electron microscopic structure of the LPS from two rough strains, E. coli K-12 Gal 23 and Salmonella tuphimurium TV119 RII, both lacking the O-specific side chains, did not possess the outer lateral zones.
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Polymxyin treatment of isolated lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli resulted in the breakdown of its structure.
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