Chromosome aberrations in patients irradiated for pelvic tumours

Peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients undergoing radiation therapy for pelvic tumours have been examined for the presence of dicentric and centric ring chromosomes. Blood samples were taken, by venipuncture, prior to the first radiotherapy session and 24 h after radiotherapy sessions to allow the mixing of the irradiated lymphocytes in the circulating blood. The yield of dicentrics and centric rings was best fitted by a straight line which, according the maximum likelihood method, corresponds to Y = 1.77 +/- 0.0003 10(-2) D. On this basis the dose inducing ten dicentrics or rings is 5.62 Gy at the target volume and, thus, is intermediate between the doses at the target volumes displaying the same effects in patients treated for mammary carcinoma (15 Gy) or for ankylosing spondylitis (2 Gy).     

Clinical and imaging correlations of Treacher Collins syndrome: report of two cases.

Mandibulofacial dysostosis (Treacher Collins Syndrome) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that probably derives from inhibition of the facial structures from the first and second branchial arches. The facial pattern of the syndrome is a convex facial profile with a prominent nose above a retruded chin. The eyes are deformed by antimongoloid slant of the palpebral fissures and facial bones are hypoplastic. The alterations are caused by mutation in gene 5q32-33.1, which encodes the nucleolar phosphoprotein treacle. Computed tomography images are able to demonstrate craniofacial bones, allowing the morphological analysis of these bones in individuals with complex deformities. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a clinical and computed tomography investigation of two patients with Treacher Collins syndrome.     

Bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride supported on zeolites for ethylene polymerization

Y zeolites with different sodium contents and a sodium mordenite were evaluated as support for bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride as catalyst for ethylene polymerization. The results showed that, although the activities of the supported catalysts were lower than that of the homogeneous system, the average molecular weight of the polyethylene produced from the former was in general much higher than that of the polymer produced in solution. Contrary to the expected trend if the specific area was the dominant factor for catalyst activity, the best catalyst was the one supported on NaM zeolite. Thus, our results indicate that the concentration of framework aluminium atoms is the dominant factor, but that the contribution of the external surface is also important.     

Group‐specific component (GC) in curiaú and pacoval,two african‐derived brazilian populations

The group‐specific component (GC) system is of interest in anthropological genetic studies because the distribution of its subtypes distinguishes among major ethnic groups. The GC system was analyzed in Curiaú and Pacoval, two remnant Quilombo populations (African‐derived populations) from the Brazilian Amazon. There was no significant statistical difference in allelic frequencies between the two populations or between them and three other African‐derived Brazilian populations (Mimbó, Sítio Velho, and Gaucinha in Northeastern Brazil). These populations share similarities among themselves and with African populations (high frequencies of GC*1F and lower frequencies of GC*1S), which may reflect the influence of a high level of African contribution to their formation, but there is a clear difference between them and Europeans and South American Indians. It is suggested that the GC system is a useful marker for studying relationships between single populations and major ethnic groups, but does not discriminate between populations which share the same parental stock. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 13:718–720, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Gender-related cytokine patterns in sera of schistosomiasis patients with Symmers' fibrosis

Cytokine levels were compared between schistosomiasis patients affected by intense fibrosis defined by ultrasound examination and graded from F-0 to F-3. The concentrations of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, gamma interferon, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of serum samples. Levels of IL-4, IL-5, and TNF-alpha in the sera of F-3 patients were significantly higher than those found in F-0 individuals, while levels of IL-13 were lower. Levels of IL-4, IL-5, and TNF-alpha in serum were significantly higher in F-3 males than in F-0 males or F-3 females. Conversely, levels of IL-13 were significantly lower in F-3 females than in F-0 females and males.     

Diet Quality Indices and Physical Activity Levels Associated with Adequacy of Gestational Weight Gain in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and the Physical Activity (PA) levels associated with adequacy of gestational weight gain in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A total of 172 pregnant women with a single fetus and a diagnosis of GDM participated. Food intake was self-reported on the food frequency questionnaire and DQI was quantified using the index validated and revised for Brazil (DQI-R). To assess PA, the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered. Gestational weight gain was classified, following the criteria of the Institute of Medicine, into adequate (AWG), insufficient (IWG), or excessive (EWG) weight gain. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed, with level of significance <0.05. The participants were divided into 3 groups: AWG (33.1%), IWG (27.3%), and EWG (39.5%). The analysis indicated that if the pregnant women PA fell into tertile 1 or 2, then they had a greater chance of having IWG, whereas those with the lowest scores on the DQI-R, whose PA fell into tertile 2, and pregestational obesity women had the greatest chance of having EWG. This study has shown that low PA levels may contribute towards IWG. On the other hand, a low final DQI-R score, representing inadequate food habits, low PA levels, and pregestational obesity may increase the chance of EWG in patients with GDM.     

Vitamin A Deficiency in Pregnancy: Perspectives after Bariatric Surgery

This study aims to describe the clinical consequences of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in pregnant women after bariatric surgery. Included are studies on VAD during pregnancy and after bariatric surgery conducted in humans from 1993 to 2011. There are few investigations on the relationship between pregnancy and bariatric surgery and on the damage to the binomial mother–child resulting from VAD in this relationship. The high percentage of VAD in the postoperative period is a cause for concern, especially considering the function of this vitamin in certain biological moments and in moments of intense nutritional demand. This vitamin serum evaluation is recommended during the prenatal period.