Resumo O câncer de colo uterino configura-se como um importante problema de saúde pública. O teste citopatológico é a principal estratégia de programas de rastreamento dessa neoplasia maligna em todo o mundo. Entretanto, a demora no diagnóstico ocasiona tratamentos mais agressivos e menos efetivos. Pacientes com neoplasia maligna de colo uterino que são encaminhadas para radioterapia apresentam doença em estádios avançados, e esse fato determina altos índices de recidiva locorregional. A utilização da radioterapia como tratamento do câncer do colo uterino provoca alterações morfológicas não só nas células epiteliais neoplásicas e não neoplásicas como também nas células estromais, o que dificulta o diagnóstico da lesão residual e resulta em um dilema na rotina citopatológica. Com base nas dificuldades da avaliação citopatológica do seguimento das pacientes pós-radioterapia, o objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever os efeitos citopáticos actínicos. O trabalho teve como base uma revisão estruturada no período de junho de 2015 a abril de 2016, visando a um estudo exploratório-descritivo. As investigações bibliográficas foram realizadas por meio de seleção e análise dos artigos, lista de autores e palavras-chave; seleção de novos artigos focada na análise de referências bibliográficas dos documentos previamente selecionados e livros-texto de relevância conceitual. As alterações citopatológicas actínicas mais incidentes descritas na literatura são: gigantismo celular, vacuolização nuclear e citoplasmática, disceratose, bi e multinucleações, macro e múltiplos nucléolos, anisocariose, anisonucleolose e picnose nuclear. Até o momento, não se conseguiu estabelecer um protocolo que possa diferenciar precisamente as características morfológicas entre células benignas com efeitos actínicos das células malignas recidivantes em esfregaços pós-radioterapia.

Summary Cervical cancer is an important public health problem. Pap smear is the leading strategy of screening programs for cervical cancer worldwide. However, delayed diagnosis leads to more aggressive and less effective treatments. Patients with uterine cervix malignancies who are referred for radiotherapy have advanced-stage disease, which results in high rates of locoregional recurrence. The use of radiotherapy as a treatment for cervical cancer causes morphological changes in neoplastic and non-neoplastic epithelial cells, as well as in stromal cells, which make it difficult to diagnose the residual lesion, resulting in a dilemma in cytopathological routine. Based on the difficulties of cytopathologic evaluation for the follow-up of patients treated with radiotherapy for cervical cancer, our objective was to describe the actinic cytopathic effects. Our paper was based on a structured review including the period from June 2015 to April 2016, aiming at an exploratory-descriptive study. Bibliographic investigations were carried out through selection and analysis of articles, list of authors and keywords, selection of new articles focused on the analysis of bibliographic references to previously selected documents, as well as textbooks of recognized merit. The most incident actinic cytopathological alterations as described in the literature are: cellular gigantism, nuclear and cytoplasmic vacuolization, dyskeratosis, bi- and multinucleated (B/M) cells, macro and multiple nucleoli, anisokaryosis, anisonucleolosis and nuclear pyknosis. To date, a protocol has not been established that can precisely differentiate the morphological characteristics between benign cells with actinic effects from recurrent malignant cells on post-radiotherapy smears.

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to describe and analyze clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with sickle cell anemia treated at the Hemominas Foundation, in Divinópolis, Brazil. Furthermore, this study aimed to compare the clinical and laboratory outcomes of the group of patients treated with hydroxyurea with those patients that were not treated with hydroxyurea. Methods: Clinical and laboratorial data were obtained by analyzing medical records of patients with sickle cell anemia. Results: Data from the medical records of 50 patients were analyzed. Most of the patients were female (56%), aged between 20 and 29 years old. Infections, transfusions, cholecystectomy, splenectomy and systemic arterial hypertension were the most common clinical adverse events of the patients. The most frequent cause of hospitalization was painful crisis. The majority of patients had reduced values of hemoglobin and hematocrit (8.55 ± 1.33 g/dL and 25.7 ± 4.4%, respectively) and increased fetal hemoglobin levels (12 ± 7%). None of the clinical variables was statistically significant on comparing the two groups of patients. Among hematological variables only hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were statistically different between patients treated with hydroxyurea and untreated patients (p-value = 0.005 and p-value = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Sickle cell anemia requires treatment and follow-up by a multiprofessional team. A current therapeutic option is hydroxyurea. This drug reduces complications and improves laboratorial parameters of patients. In this study, the use of the drug increased the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of patients.

ABSTRACT In the last 40 years, several scientific and technological advances in microbiology of the fermentation have greatly contributed to evolution of the ethanol industry in Brazil. These contributions have increased our view and comprehension about fermentations in the first and, more recently, second-generation ethanol. Nowadays, new technologies are available to produce ethanol from sugarcane, corn and other feedstocks, reducing the off-season period. Better control of fermentation conditions can reduce the stress conditions for yeast cells and contamination by bacteria and wild yeasts. There are great research opportunities in production processes of the first-generation ethanol regarding high-value added products, cost reduction and selection of new industrial yeast strains that are more robust and customized for each distillery. New technologies have also focused on the reduction of vinasse volumes by increasing the ethanol concentrations in wine during fermentation. Moreover, conversion of sugarcane biomass into fermentable sugars for second-generation ethanol production is a promising alternative to meet future demands of biofuel production in the country. However, building a bridge between science and industry requires investments in research, development and transfer of new technologies to the industry as well as specialized personnel to deal with new technological challenges.

PURPOSE: Urinary stone disease is a common medical problem. Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) has been applied with high success and low complication rates. Steinstrasse (SS) is a possible complication after SWL. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the factors and outcomes associated with SS after SWL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have prospectively evaluated 265 SWL sessions (2005-2009). Two lithotriptors were used randomly: Siemens Lithostar and Dornier Compact S. All patients had imaging exams after 30 and 90 days or according to symptoms. RESULTS: SS was observed in 14 (5.3%) out of 265 SWL procedures (n = 175 patients, 51.5% women/48.5% men, mean ± SD age = 46.3 ± 15.5 years). SS was more common after SWL for pelviureteral calculi rather than caliceal stones (p = 0.036). There was a trend toward more occurrences of SS after SWL for larger stone area (> 200 mm², p = 0.072). Preoperative ureteral stent didn't prevent SS. SWL machine, intensity, number of pulses and frequency were not associated with SS formation. Post-SWL pain, fever and gravel elimination were factors associated with SS (p = 0.021; p = 0.011; p = 0.078). When SS occurred, treatment modalities included Medical Expulsive Therapy (MET), ureteroscopy and SWL. CONCLUSIONS: Steinstrasse is an uncommon event after SWL and seems to occur more frequently with larger pelviureteral stones. Impaction of stones is more frequent in the middle ureter. All patients should be followed after SWL, but SS should be specially suspected if there is macroscopic gravel elimination, flank pain and/or fever. When SS occurs, treatment should be promptly introduced, including medical expulsive therapy, surgical approach or SWL in selected cases. Further prospective studies are awaited to evaluated preventive measures for SS occurrence.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of enzymatic hydrolysis of acid or alkali pretreated sugarcane bagasse for the production of fermentable sugars. The first step consisted of selection of commercial enzymes presenting the highest cellulolytic activities. After selection of four enzymes: HPL, CL, P1 and P4, their performances were tested in the bagasse pretreated with acid and alkali. The sugar content of the hydrolysates was analyzed by anion exchange liquid chromatography. Data showed that the joint action of 0.5% acid pretreatment, 121ºC, 30 minutes and enzyme CL provides the best results, 67.25 g of hexose and 148.13g of pentose per kg of dry bagasse.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de produtos alternativos na proteção da videira (Vitis vinifera) contra o míldio (Plasmopara viticola), bem como determinar a influência desses produtos na qualidade dos frutos da cultivar Merlot. Para o controle da doença, foram utilizados produtos à base de extratos vegetais, manano-oligossacarídeos fosforilados, fosfitos e acibenzolar-S-metil, além de fungicidas tradicionais. A intensidade do míldio em folhas e cachos, a produtividade, o número total de cachos por parcela, o peso médio do cacho e baga e as características analíticas do mosto foram avaliados nas safras de 2007/2008 e 2008/2009. Os fosfitos proporcionaram proteção contra o míldio da videira, com produtividade semelhante à do tratamento com fungicidas tradicionais. Os tratamentos baseados em manano-oligossacarídeos fosforilados, acibenzolar-S-metil e extratos vegetais não apresentaram controle eficiente do míldio. Os produtos alternativos testados não influenciam a qualidade analítica dos frutos, mas proporcionam, em geral, peso médio de cachos e de bagas menor que o do tratamento com fungicidas.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of alternative products for the protection of vine (Vitis vinifera) against downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and to determine the influence of these products on the quality of Merlot cultivar grapes. Products based on plant extracts, phosphorylated mannanoligosaccharides, phosphites and acibenzolar-S-methyl, besides traditional fungicides, were used for the disease control. The intensity of downy mildew on leaves and bunches, productivity, total number of bunches per plot, average weight of bunch and berry and analytical characteristics of grapes were assessed during the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons. Phosphites provided protection against downy mildew, and the yield was similar that of to the treatment with traditional fungicides. Treatments based on phosphorylated mannanoligosaccharides, acibenzolar-S-methyl and plant extracts showed no effective control of downy mildew. The alternative products tested do not influence the analytical quality of the grapes, but generally provide lower average weight of bunches and berries than the treatment with fungicides.

Embriões de frango foram incubados na presença de BrdU e montados em resina plástica. A detecção de células em proliferação nos somitos e tubo neural foi feita através de anticorpos contra BrdU. Um ponto essencial para a otimização do método foi a fixação dos embriões por apenas uma hora em paraformaldeído a 4%. Análise de cortes transversais revelou que no tubo neural os núcleos marcados se posicionavam na região central. Cortes transversais em somitos diferenciados revelaram a presença de células em proliferação no dermátomo e esclerótomo, no entanto não foi observado nenhum sinal no miótomo. A metodologia aqui apresentada permitiu identificar com clareza e boa resolução as células em proliferação presentes em tecidos embrionários.

Chicken embryos were incubated with BrdU, embedded in plastic resin, sectioned and screened immunohistochemically to identify proliferating cells in the neural tube and somites. Fixation in 4% paraformaldehyde for 1 h was essential for detecting specific colorimetric signals of BrdU incorporation into cells during the S phase of the cell cycle. Transverse sections of the neural tube showed that the nuclei of proliferating cells (BrdU positive) had a uniform and centralized distribution, whereas unstained nuclei were found only along the extremities of the neural tube. Transverse sections of differentiated somites showed proliferating cells in the scleratome and dermatome. However, no incorporation of BrdU was observed in myotomic cells, which give rise to axial skeletal muscle. In spite of their proximity, the dermatome and myotome showed marked differences in cell proliferation. The excellent preservation of morphological characteristics in the embryonic tissues facilitated identification of variations in BrdU incorporation.