Showing papers by "Universidade de Pernambuco published in 1997"

Mortalidade materna em Recife. 1. Avaliação da subenumeração de estatísticas oficiais

Abstract: Este estudo analisou os obitos de mulheres com idade entre 10 a 49 anos, ocorridos em Recife, Pernambuco, nos anos de 1992 e 1993, com a finalidade de identificar os obitos maternos neste periodo e confronta-los com as estatisticas oficiais. As informacoes foram obtidas a partir de 1.013 declaracoes de obito, sendo complementadas com consultas aos prontuarios medicos, fichas de anestesia, relatorios de enfermagem, pericias tanatoscopicas do Instituto de Medicina Legal, relatorios das necropsias do Servico de Verificacao de obitos e por meio de entrevistas com os medicos que assistiram estes obitos ou com familiares das mulheres que faleceram. Calcularam-se as razoes de mortalidade materna (RMM) para o Municipio de Recife para cada ano e para o periodo total do estudo. As 20 mortes maternas declaradas representaram 2% dos obitos entre mulheres nessa faixa etaria. Apos a investigacao encontraram-se mais 22 casos para todo o periodo. A RMM pelas estatisticas oficiais era de 37,0 por 100.000 nascidos vivos, passando a 77,7 apos a correcao. Esta diferenca representou uma subenumeracao de 52,4%. Conclui-se que, no caso de Recife, nao se poderia aplicar o fator de correcao de 3,0 recomendado para a Regiao Nordeste pelo Ministerio da Saude, porque a mortalidade materna estaria sendo entao superestimada.

An interplay between forest and non-forest south American avifaunas suggested by a phylogeny of lepidocolaptes woodcreepers (dendrocolaptinae)

Abstract: Very few South American avian superspecies or species groups are composed of both forest and non‐forest taxa. The genus Lepidocolaptes comprises 8–9 species of woodcreepers, most of which are forest birds, but two species, L. angustirostris and L. souleyetii, inhabit open vegetations. Therefore, this genus should play an important role in the discussion about the relationships between forest and non‐forest South American avifaunas. Nucleotide sequences from two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome b and ND2, suggest that: (i) L. fuscus should be removed from the genus since its association with other members of this genus is poorly supported. This view has been pointed out also by morphological and behavioural data; (ii) the phylogenetic position of the open‐vegetation species within the Lepidocolaptes radiation indicate that the split between forest and non‐forest elements within this genus took place as recently as two million years ago. This result suggests that the evolutionary relationships betwe...

The use of apolipoprotein E genotype for preclinical detection of risk's group for Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: The association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ⑀4 allele as a risk factor for early and late onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD), familial and sporadic, has been shown and replicated in several studies [Corder et al. Recently, in a community-based study, Jarvik et al. [1996] suggested that the APOE genotype, the family history, the gender, and age interactions should be relevant when making predictions about the effects of APOE on AD or age at onset. Despite the widely confirmed characterization of the APOE ⑀4 allele as an important risk factor for AD, the value of using the APOE genotype as a predictive tool in a clinical practice as well as the social and ethical impact of genetic testing in AD have recently been ques-To further evaluate the possibility of APOE genotype application for symptomatic individuals, we verified the allelic frequencies of APOE in three groups: 1. A preclinical group (n ϭ 43) characterized by subjects with memory deficit but without impairment of other cognitive functions or behaviour disturbances that composes the criteria for dementia syndrome. 2. A subgroup (n ϭ 20) of the preclinical group with a positive family history of dementia. 3. A group of demented patients (n ϭ 57) with probable/ possible diagnosis of AD based on NINCDS-ADRDA [McKnann et al., 1984]. The frequencies of APOE alleles in these three groups were compared with a normal control group of similar age (n ϭ 74). The APOE genotype was analized according to the conditions described by Guo et al. [1993]. The ⑀4 allelic frequencies between AD patients and the normal control group was significantly greater (x 2 ϭ 13.8; P ϭ 0.001), confirming the APOE ⑀4 association with AD also in Brazilian patients (see Table I). On the other hand the ⑀4 allelic frequence of the pre-clinical group is about 80% higher when compared with the normal control group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Interestingly, in the subgroup that in addition to the memory deficit has a positive family history for dementia, we verified an ⑀4 al-lele frequency of 25%, which is significantly different (x 2 ϭ 9.7; P ϭ 0.008) from the frequency observed in the normal control group. Those results suggest that the utility of APOE genotype may be useful for screening of risk group for AD between subjects that have memory deficit and a positive family history for dementia even without the clinical or neuropsychological …

Surface plasmon resonance on a single mode fiber

Abstract: A single mode optical fiber probe employing surface plasmon resonance (SPR) as the transducing mechanism is described. The fiber has one end polished at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis and coated with a thin gold film. Diffraction of the guided mode out of the fiber core, after interaction with the metallized fiber tip enables visual observation of a spatial SPR, the latter arising as a dark strip within the light distribution of the diffracted beam pattern. Modifications induced on the SPR due to variations in material properties of the gaseous environment next to the fiber probe indicated a detection sensitivity for changes in refractive index down to 10/sup -5/. A theoretical model that accounts for the observed diffracted light under SPR as well as the spectral dependence of light reflected back to the fiber input, allows obtaining design parameters for the construction of highly sensitive fiber probes for use in gas sensing applications.

Doenca de Binswanger. Estudo anatomo-clinico de um caso

Abstract: The authors describe a case of Binswanger's disease in a female patient with arterial hypertension followed during 10 years, before and after the demential syndrome. The clinical diagnosis was established through history, clinical and neurological examination, and neuropsychologic evaluation. Computed tomography and particularly magnetic resonance imaging suggested the diagnosis, that was confirmed by the anatomo-pathological study. They discuss behavioral and clinical data, and radiological and histopathologic aspects, comparing them with data found in the literature.

Diffraction and backcoupling of surface plasmon oscillations in a planar waveguide

Abstract: A theoretical approach that accounts for diffraction and backcoupling of surface plasmon (SP) oscillations on a metallized planar waveguide is described. The model explains previously reported experimental studies related to the development of SP based optical fiber sensors and can be used to determine design parameters. Results indicate that a planar waveguide metallization scheme similar to that employed in the single mode fiber configuration is a feasible alternative for the construction of integrated optics sensor devices.