AIDS-associated renal tuberculosis

In order to study the prevalence and the clinical features of renal tuberculosis associated with AIDS, we studied the renal tissue of the necropsies made in 46 AIDS patients under light microscopy. We found renal tuberculous granuloma in 11 (23%) patients (in 3 without previous diagnosis of renal or extrarenal tuberculosis) and only 4 of them presented moderate hematuria or pyuria sterile. As subclinical renal tuberculosis was frequent in this group of AIDS patients, the urine culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis may be useful for diagnosing tuberculosis in AIDS patients.     

A comparison of bond strengths of complete crowns using two types of cements and three cleaning agents

In the past, biomechanical investigations on the dorsal pelvic ring have generally been performed on a small number of cadaveric pelves in various non-standardized procedures. Significant differences in stability between different internal fixation methods of unstable pelvic ring fractures were not found. The experimental design presented here was based as closely as possible on the physiological loading of the pelvis in one-leg stance. This method made it possible to carry out standardized, reproducible tests on different osteosytheses of the sacroiliac joint. Furthermore, the suitability of artificial bones for such investigations can be assessed on the basis of a larger number of similar experiments on artificial and human pelves and the number of human pelves required for such studies could be reduced.     

Coronary artery fistula after cardiac transplantation

A cardiac transplant recipient with multiple coronary artery fistulae draining into the right ventricle is described. These fistulae presumably resulted from repeated endomyocardial biopsies. The diagnosis of coronary artery fistulae was made at the annual coronary arteriography. The magnitude of the shunt remained small over eight years of follow-up.     

MicroRNA Profiling of B Cell Subsets from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Reveals Promising Novel Biomarkers

MicroRNAs control the differentiation and function of B cells, which are considered key elements in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, a common micro(mi)RNA signature has not emerged since published data includes patients of variable ethnic background, type of disease, and organ involvement, as well as heterogeneous cell populations. Here, we aimed at identifying a miRNA signature of purified B cells from renal and non-renal severe SLE patients of Latin American background, a population known to express severe disease. Genome-wide miRNA expression analyses were performed on naive and memory B cells and revealed two categories of miRNA signatures. The first signature represents B cell subset-specific miRNAs deregulated in SLE: 11 and six miRNAs discriminating naive and memory B cells of SLE patients from healthy controls (HC), respectively. Whether the miRNA was up or down-regulated in memory B cells as compared with naive B cells in HC, this difference was abolished in SLE patients, and vice versa. The second signature identifies six miRNAs associated with specific pathologic features affecting renal outcome, providing a further understanding for SLE pathogenesis. Overall, the present work provided promising biomarkers in molecular diagnostics for disease severity as well as potential new targets for therapeutic intervention in SLE.     

Evaluation of the Sorption Equilibrium and Effect of Drying Temperature on the Antioxidant Capacity of the Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

In recent years, interest toward berries has increased (e.g., Myrciaria cauliflora or jaboticaba) because of their high phenolic content (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) that has been associated with positive effects on consumer health and which play an important role in the antioxidant properties of food. This study analyzed the sorption isotherms, thermodynamic properties of sorption (isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy), and the evolution of the antioxidant capacity during the drying process. The effects of drying temperatures of 40°, 50°C, and 60°C on the antioxidant capacity and thermodynamic properties of sorption were evaluated. The gravimetric static method for sorption isotherm determination over a range of relative humidity levels from 0.10 to 0.90 was used. The sorption isotherms exhibited a Type II behavior, typical for many foods. The Guggenheim, Anderson, and Boer (GAB); Oswin; Peleg; and Lewicki models were used to fit the experimental data, and it was determined that the GAB and Peleg models were most appropriate for describing the sorption curves. The isosteric heat and Gibbs free energy were obtained from the experimental sorption equilibrium. The isosteric heat of adsorption decreased when the moisture content increased, while the Gibbs free energy increased. In addition, the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity increased while drying at 50°C and 60°C, whereas these factors decreased at 40°C. Our results provide the food industry with information concerning the best drying conditions to preserve antioxidant properties.     

水热沉积电压对C-AlPO_4涂层显微结构的影响

以方石英型磷酸铝(C-A1PO4)粉体为原料,异丙醇为溶剂,碘为荷电介质,采用水热电泳沉积方法在涂有SiC涂层的碳纤维增强碳(C/C-SiC复合材料表面制备了C-A1PO4外涂层.借助X射线衍射和扫描电镜表征了涂层的晶相组成和显微结构.研究了沉积电压对C-A1PO4涂层显微结构的影响,并测试了涂层的抗氧化性能.结果表明:在180～220V范围内,水热沉积电压对涂层的显微结构有较大的影响,220V时制备的涂层致密均匀.涂层的沉积量以及涂层与基体的结合强度随着沉积电压的升高而增加;单位面积沉积量与时间的二次方根之间符合线性关系.与包埋法制备的SiC涂层相比,水热电泳沉积法制备的C-A1PO4涂层具有更好的抗氧化性能,涂层样品在1500℃的空气中氧化37h后质量损失仅为0.53%.     

注射成型中浇口形式对塑件质量的影响

用生产实例介绍了不同浇口形式及位置对塑料熔体在型腔中的填充模式和注射成型后塑件的内在机械物理性能及表观质量的影响。