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Biomedical subjects

M A Lima

Publications and source records attributed to M A Lima.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Interstitial cells of Cajal in patients with chagasic megacolon originating from a region of old endemicity.

UNLABELLED: Megacolon is the second most frequent and most important digestive manifestation of Chagas' disease. It is characterized by motor disorders and dilatation of the distal segments of the colon. Several theories have been presented to explain the physiopathology of chagasic megacolon, e.g. the plexus theory. OBJECTIVE: In the present study the distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) was evaluated in colon biopsies from chronic chagasic patients originating from a region of old endemicity for Trypanosoma cruzi and for comparison in subjects with other colon disorders. The chagasic patients had been submitted to colectomy for the investigation of other possible mechanisms underlying the physiopathogenesis of megacolons. DESIGN STUDY: Twenty-two colon biopsies (15 from chagasic patients and 7 from nonchagasic patients) were examined. ICC were identified by immunohistochemistry by using the anti-CD117 antibody. The number of ICC was determined in longitudinal and circular muscle layers and in the myenteric plexus, and the results were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis and Student t-tests. RESULTS: A reduced number of ICC was observed in all layers and in the myenteric plexus of patients with chagasic megacolon (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the physiopathological manifestations observed in the large bowel of chagasic patients originate from alterations that occur in the ICC, which play an important role in the control of gut motility.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

[Critical thinking: a focus in nursing education].

In this study we identify and analyse articles published in national and international journals, that used the term "critical thinking" in the title or summary. The aim of the analysis was to seek answers to educators' queries as to how to improve teaching-learning the process in nursing. We analysed 52 articles published in the indexes Comprehensive Medline, Lilacs and Cinahl, in the last five years, from July, 1992 to July, 1997. Data analysis showed that critical thinking should be implemented in nursing education, what demands syllabus planning and teaching-learning strategies that will favour active participation by both educators and learners.

Education, Nursing↗
PubMed2000

[Opinions of nursing assistants about shift reports].

It approaches the nursing assistants' opinion about the importance of shift report in the continuity of nursing assistance. It aims to find subsidies that can contribute to a better development of this activity in the nursing practice. It is a descriptive research that uses an opinion poll with 15 nursing assistants of one clinical unit of a university hospital in Porto Alegre/RS. The data were collected through a questionnaire with closed questions and one open question. The data analysis of the closed questions was done by a manual tabulation of the obtained answers, and they were grouped by regularity and repetition. The data treatment of the opened question was through the thematic analysis with categories construction and contents quantification. It was possible to verify that the study subjects are interested in changing aspects related to the activity. It was emphasized the need to greater objectivity in the information transmission and in the time reduction.

Humans↗
PubMed1999

[The work of nursing in the production of health care in a clinical model].

The subject of this research study is the technological and social organization of health work in hospital, considering the position of nursing practice within production of care. The aim is to analyze the work process at a University Hospital to apprehend the configuration of practices, knowledges, social relations and technologies that are operated by agents in intervention on the body of an ill person. Using a dialectical approach, empirical data were collected by direct observation of the work process in a medical in-patient unit and by semi-structured interviews with professionals. It was found that the production of care is developed based on collective work, that is structured by the division in parts and fragmentation of the actions of the different agents, in order to produce a diagnosis and therapy. The agents articulate their actions around the medical act which takes up a central position in the production of care. The importance of broadening the clinical model to contemplate the social and subjective dimension of the health/disease process is pointed out in a therapeutical project shared by different health care team professionals. It is proposed to change the work process associated with the construction of new management models in health care institutions.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1999

[Use of participating observation and semi-structured interviews in nursing research].

An experience report of the researchers in the development of a qualitative research is presented. The limits and the possibilities found in the realization of the field work are described, while adopting participant observation and semi-structured interview as techniques for data collection. The importance of the involvement level of the researcher with the subjects and some aspects that may interfere in the results to be achieved are emphasized.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1998

Quantitative analysis of C cells in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

The objective of the present investigation was to study quantitatively C cells in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) by analyzing 22 thyroids obtained at autopsy or thyroidectomy from 16 patients with thyroiditis and from 6 normal subjects. Six different areas were sampled on average and labeled with a monoclonal anticalcitonin antibody by immunohistochemistry using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex. Normal thyroids from adult patients with no thyroid disease were used as control. C cells were counted in 1 cm2 fields and the mean number of cells per field was calculated. Data were analyzed statistically by the Mann-Whitney test. The inflammatory process detected in cases of HT was usually moderate (50%) and the number of C cells ranged from 0 to 12.2 per 1 cm2 field. The number of C cells in normal thyroids ranged from 20 to 148 per 1 cm2 field, with a median of 35.2 cells per field. The results demonstrate a significant decrease in C cell number in HT compared with normal thyroids, indicating that the inflammatory process causes destruction of both follicular and C cells, which are replaced by fibrosis.

Calcitonin↗
PubMed1996

Biologically active flavonoids and terpenoids from Egletes viscosa.

The steam volatile components from the hexane extract of dried flower buds of Egletes viscosa were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as trans-carvyl acetate, cis-carvyl acetate, sabinyl acetate, verbenyl acetate, cyclopentaethylidene, geranyl acetate and 5-methylfuranone, and trans-pinocarvyl acetate (major component). From the non-volatile residue, centipedic acid and a novel clerodane diterpene, 12-acetoxy-hawtriwaic acid lactone, were isolated. From the ethanol extract, ternatin (4',5-dihidroxy-3,3',7,8-tetramethoxyflavone), was isolated. Ternatin showed anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotection and gastroprotection properties, and, according to the NCI protocols, it showed moderate activity against HIV. The diterpenes showed antispasmodic activity. Structure determination of these secondary metabolites was accomplished by spectrometric methods, including 2D NMR, chemical interconversion and X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed1996

[Health education: some considerations and implications for nursing practice].

The article focuses on distincts approaches on Health Education, analyzing its implications for the nursing practice in the health work process. It emphasizes the importance of this theme for the health agents' education for a interdisciplinary work with social sciences. It also points out some implications of the social citizenship's developing approach for nursing practice and education.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Limb-girdle syndrome: a genetic study of 22 large Brazilian families. Comparison with X-linked Duchenne and Becker dystrophies.

The differential clinical diagnosis between the X-linked muscular dystrophies (DMD and BMD) and autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), which is extremely important for genetic counseling, may be very difficult. The aim of the present report is to describe clinical and laboratory findings in patients from large families, with AR inheritance, in an attempt to characterize better cases which have been diagnosed as LGMD compared with the X-linked forms. The main features analysed are: age of onset and of confinement to a wheelchair, reproductive performance, serum enzymes (CK and PK) and dystrophin assessment (through immunohistochemistry and Western blot). Twenty-two families, with 62 affected patients diagnosed as limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, were included in this report. In 19 families, the patients had a milder clinical course, while in the remaining 3, the progression of the disease was continuous and clinically similar to X-linked DMD ("DMD-like"). A high consanguinity rate was observed among the parents of the affected patients (77%). No major clinical difference was observed between the X-linked and the AR forms. However, muscle dystrophin was found qualitatively and quantitatively normal in the autosomal forms but absent or abnormal in the X-linked ones. The reproductive performance was significantly higher for male than female patients. In addition, a surprising finding was the significantly greater fitness estimated for male LGMD cases as compared with Becker patients of comparable age studied in our center. The implications of such findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

A histopathologic study of the mechanism of Evans blue staining of myocardial infarcts in rats.

In a study of the mechanism of Evans blue (EB) staining of experimental infarcts in rats, it has been reported that when the dye was injected iv before left coronary occlusion (LCO) it diffused centripetally from the periphery of the excluded vascular bed region (ExVB), i.e., the myocardial area with circulation interrupted by LCO, to its center. In the present study, we have attempted to identify the mechanism of this phenomenon. The animals were sacrificed at different times after EB injection, i.e., 10, 20, and 30 min and 1, 2.5, 4.5, 6, 16, 24 and 48 h. This phenomenon occurred from 4.5 up to 24 h after LCO and could not be ascribed to either collateral circulation or to venous backflow. We conclude that diffusion from one necrotic cell to another, beginning at the ill-perfused periphery of the ExVB (lateral and endocardial margins of the ExVB), and also at the epicardium (bathed by pericardial effusion rich in EB) is responsible for the production of the so-called "blue infarct".

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Serum and pleural adenosine deaminase. Correlation with lymphocytic populations.

This study attempts to correlate levels of ADA in tuberculous and neoplastic pleural exudates with the different immunologic cellular expressions that follow these clinical situations. Seventy-three patients with pleural effusion were studied in order to assess ADA activity (pleural and serum); in 25 of them, a study of delayed cellular immunity (pleural and sanguineous) was performed through B, CD3, CD4, and CD8 lymphocytic populations. The activity of ADA was determined, and the study of lymphocytic populations was made through the use of monoclonal antibodies. The data obtained showed the following: levels of ADA were significantly (p less than 0.0005) higher in the pleural fluid and the serum of tuberculous effusions compared to neoplastic effusions; percentages of CD3 and CD4 T-cells were significantly (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.0005, respectively) greater in tuberculous effusions. The statistical study of the levels of ADA activity and the percentage of CD4 T-cells in pleural exudates produced a significant regression curve (r = 0.612 and p less than 0.0001) which showed a positive correlation between these two parameters. The pathogenic implications of these results suggest the possibility that ADA could be a new marker of cell-mediated immune activity.

Adenosine Deaminase↗
PubMed1981

[Broncho-alveolar lavage in uranium miners (author's transl)].

This study on workers in a uranium mine is principally concerned with the characteristics of the cells recovered by LBA. First, alveolar macrophage function was studied (including viability, phagocytic activity, capillary adherence and migratory activity). Secondly the lymphocytes were identified as T, B, and then their mitogenic responses were studied; occurring spontaneously or in response to phytohemagglutinin or purified protein derivative. Finally, the biochemical aspects were examined (including immunoglobulins, total protein, albumin, phospholipids, potassium, calcium, magnesium, complement components, anti-proteases, etc.). We conclude that there were not demonstrable changes in cellular function in either smokers or non smokers in miners subjected to the ambient radiation of a uranium mine.

Cell Migration Inhibition↗