Features of lumbar spine texture extracted from routine MRI correlate with bone mineral density and can potentially differentiate patients with and without fragility fractures in the spine

The use of routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to potentially assess skeletal fragility has been widely studied in osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate bone texture attributes (TA) from routine lumbar spine (LS) MRI and their correlation with vertebral fragility fractures (VFF) and bone mineral density (BMD). Sixty-four post-menopausal women were submitted to LS densitometry, total spine radiographs, and routine T2-weighted LS MRI. Twenty-two TA were extracted with the platform IBEX from L3 vertebra. The statistical difference was evaluated using ANOVA and Duncan's post-test. Correlation analyses were performed using Spearman's coefficient. Statistical significance was considered when P<0.05. The results did not show a significant difference in BMD between the women with and without fractures. Two bone TA (cluster tendency and variance) were significantly lower in the fracture group. Cluster tendency with VFF in osteopenia was 1.54±1.37 and in osteoporosis was 1.11±58. Cluster tendency without VFF in osteopenia was 2.23±1.38 and in osteoporosis was 1.88±1.14). Variance with VFF in osteopenia was 1.44±1.37 and in osteoporosis was 1.13±59. Variance without VFF in osteopenia was 2.34±1.38 and in osteoporosis was 1.89±1.14. There was a significant correlation between BMD and cluster prominence (r=0.409), cluster tendency (r=0.345), correlation (r=0.570), entropy (r=0.364), information measure corr1 (r=0.378), inverse variance (r=0.449), sum entropy (r=0.320), variance (r=0.338), sum average (r=-0.274), and sum variance (r=-0.266). Our results demonstrated the potential use of TA extracted from routine MRI as a biomarker to assess osteoporosis and identify the tendency of skeletal fragility vertebral fractures.

Anabolic steroids and their effects of on neuronal density in cortical areas and hippocampus of mice / Esteroides anabolizantes e seus efeitos na densidade neuronal em áreas corticais e no hipocampo de camundongos

Abstract Anabolic substances have been increasingly used by bodybuilders and athletes with the goal of improving performance and aesthetics. However, this practice has caused some concern to physicians and researchers because of unknowledge of consequences that the indiscriminate and illicit use of these substances can cause. Thus, this study analyzed the effects of two commercially available anabolic steroids (AS), Winstrol Depot® (Stanozolol) and Deposteron® (Testosterone Cypionate), in the neuronal density of limbic, motor and sensory regions on the cerebral cortex and in CA1, CA2, CA3 regions of the hippocampus. A total of 60 Swiss mice were used (30 males and 30 females), separated into three groups: control and two experimental groups, which received the AAS. From each brain, homotypic and semi-serial samples were taken in frontal sections from areas established for the study. The results showed that females treated with testosterone cypionate presented a reduction in all regions tested and the ones treated with Stanozolol showed a decrease in some hippocampal areas. Regarding male animals, stanozolol led to a decrease in neuron number in one hippocampal region. These data allow us to conclude that supra-physiological doses of steroids used in this study, can cause considerable damage to nervous tissue with ultrastructural and consequently behavioral impairment. These changes could interfere with the loss of physical yield and performance of athletes and non-athletes and may cause irreparable damage to individuals making irresponsible use of anabolic steroids.

Resumo As substancias anabólicas tem sido cada vez mais utilizadas por fisiculturistas e atletas com o objetivo de melhorar o desempenho e a estética. No entanto, essa prática tem causado algumas preocupações aos médicos e pesquisadores, devido ao desconhecimento das consequencias que o uso indiscriminado e ilícito dessas substâncias podem causar. Diante disso, este estudo analisou os efeitos de dois esteroides anabolizantes (EA) comercialmente disponíveis, Winstrol Depot® (Stanozolol) e Deposteron® (cipionato de testosterona), na densidade neuronal das regiões corticais límbica, motora e sensitive bem como das áreas CA1, CA2, CA3 do hipocampo. Foram utilizados 60 camundongos Swiss (30 machos e 30 fêmeas), separados em três grupos: controle e dois grupos experimentais, que receberam o EA. De cada cérebro, foram coletadas amostras homotípicas e semi-seriadas em cortes frontais das áreas estabelecidas para o estudo. Os resultados mostraram que as fêmeas tratadas com cipionato de testosterona apresentaram uma redução em todas as regiões analisadas já as fêmeas tratadas com Stanozolol mostraram uma diminuição em algumas áreas do hipocampo. Em relação aos animais machos, o stanozolol levou a uma diminuição na densidade neuronal em uma região do hipocampo. Estes dados nos permitem concluir que doses supra fisiológicas de esteroides utilizadas neste estudo podem causar danos consideráveis ao tecido nervoso com comprometimento ultraestrutural e consequentemente comportamental. Essas alterações podem interferir na perda de rendimento físico e no desempenho de atletas e não atletas e podem causar danos irreparáveis a indivíduos que fazem uso irresponsável destes EA.

SCREENER, an educational game for teaching the Drug Discovery and Development process

Although the use of games as an educational strategy is an important current trend, there is practically no option available for training people on the Drug Discovery and Development (DDD) process. To fill this gap, we designed "SCREENER", a science game that is intended to be educational, but also challenging and interesting enough to ensure player engagement. Our main target audience is students of postgraduate programs in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy, and medicine. This game could also be of interest to the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory and patent agencies for training new employees. We discuss the creation of SCREENER, a hybrid of board and card games, and present its components with some examples of cards and resources, as well as the dynamics of the game. SCREENER mimics the process of drug discovery and development from validating a target to registering the new drug with the regulatory agency, and can be played individually (self-learning) or with the help of a monitor who assists up to six players/teams. Briefly, 29 task cards categorized in four major areas (efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmaceutical development) must be purchased sequentially. Classic characteristics of games such as decision making and challenge have been incorporated. More in-depth information on the tasks and technical terms is available through QR codes. The vagaries of the DDD process are mimicked by the bonus/setback cards. The evaluation of our first test with students is presented and supports the usefulness of this new tool.

Manual and semiautomatic segmentation of bone sarcomas on MRI have high similarity

The aims of this study were to evaluate the intra- and interobserver reproducibility of manual segmentation of bone sarcomas in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies and to compare manual and semiautomatic segmentation methods. This retrospective study included twelve osteosarcoma and eight Ewing sarcoma MRI studies performed prior to any therapeutic intervention. All cases were histopathologically confirmed. Three radiologists used 3D-Slicer software to perform manual segmentation of bone sarcomas in a blinded and independent manner. One radiologist segmented manually and also performed semiautomatic segmentation with the GrowCut tool. Segmentation exercises were timed for comparison. The dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) were used to evaluate similarity between the segmentation results and further statistical analyses were performed to compare DSC, HD, and volumetric results. Manual segmentation was reproducible with intraobserver DSC varying from 0.83 to 0.97 and HD from 3.37 to 28.73 mm. Interobserver DSC of manual segmentation showed variation from 0.73 to 0.97 and HD from 3.93 to 33.40 mm. Semiautomatic segmentation compared to manual segmentation resulted in DSCs of 0.71−0.96 and HDs of 5.38−31.54 mm. Semiautomatic segmentation required significantly less time compared to manual segmentation (P value ≤0.05). Among all situations compared, tumor volumetry did not show significant statistical differences (P value >0.05). We found excellent intra- and interobserver agreement for manual segmentation of osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. There was high similarity between manual and semiautomatic segmentation, with a significant reduction of segmentation time using the semiautomatic method.

Anabolic steroids and their effects of on neuronal density in cortical areas and hippocampus of mice

Abstract Anabolic substances have been increasingly used by bodybuilders and athletes with the goal of improving performance and aesthetics. However, this practice has caused some concern to physicians and researchers because of unknowledge of consequences that the indiscriminate and illicit use of these substances can cause. Thus, this study analyzed the effects of two commercially available anabolic steroids (AS), Winstrol Depot® (Stanozolol) and Deposteron® (Testosterone Cypionate), in the neuronal density of limbic, motor and sensory regions on the cerebral cortex and in CA1, CA2, CA3 regions of the hippocampus. A total of 60 Swiss mice were used (30 males and 30 females), separated into three groups: control and two experimental groups, which received the AAS. From each brain, homotypic and semi-serial samples were taken in frontal sections from areas established for the study. The results showed that females treated with testosterone cypionate presented a reduction in all regions tested and the ones treated with Stanozolol showed a decrease in some hippocampal areas. Regarding male animals, stanozolol led to a decrease in neuron number in one hippocampal region. These data allow us to conclude that supra-physiological doses of steroids used in this study, can cause considerable damage to nervous tissue with ultrastructural and consequently behavioral impairment. These changes could interfere with the loss of physical yield and performance of athletes and non-athletes and may cause irreparable damage to individuals making irresponsible use of anabolic steroids.

Resumo As substancias anabólicas tem sido cada vez mais utilizadas por fisiculturistas e atletas com o objetivo de melhorar o desempenho e a estética. No entanto, essa prática tem causado algumas preocupações aos médicos e pesquisadores, devido ao desconhecimento das consequencias que o uso indiscriminado e ilícito dessas substâncias podem causar. Diante disso, este estudo analisou os efeitos de dois esteroides anabolizantes (EA) comercialmente disponíveis, Winstrol Depot® (Stanozolol) e Deposteron® (cipionato de testosterona), na densidade neuronal das regiões corticais límbica, motora e sensitive bem como das áreas CA1, CA2, CA3 do hipocampo. Foram utilizados 60 camundongos Swiss (30 machos e 30 fêmeas), separados em três grupos: controle e dois grupos experimentais, que receberam o EA. De cada cérebro, foram coletadas amostras homotípicas e semi-seriadas em cortes frontais das áreas estabelecidas para o estudo. Os resultados mostraram que as fêmeas tratadas com cipionato de testosterona apresentaram uma redução em todas as regiões analisadas já as fêmeas tratadas com Stanozolol mostraram uma diminuição em algumas áreas do hipocampo. Em relação aos animais machos, o stanozolol levou a uma diminuição na densidade neuronal em uma região do hipocampo. Estes dados nos permitem concluir que doses supra fisiológicas de esteroides utilizadas neste estudo podem causar danos consideráveis ao tecido nervoso com comprometimento ultraestrutural e consequentemente comportamental. Essas alterações podem interferir na perda de rendimento físico e no desempenho de atletas e não atletas e podem causar danos irreparáveis a indivíduos que fazem uso irresponsável destes EA.

Classificação semi-automática da degeneração de discos intervertebrais em imagens imagens de ressonância magnética / Semi-automatic classification of disc degeneration intervertebraises in magnetic resonance images

Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento de um método que classifica de forma semi-automática a degeneração de discos intervertebrais lombares em imagens de ressonância magnética ponderadas em T2. O conjunto de imagens consiste de 210 discos extraídos de exames de 94 indivíduos (20 a 80 anos). A classificação é feita por uma rede neural do tipo perceptron multicamada com 6 entradas, 15 neurônios na camada intermediária e 1 saída. Os resultados obtidos mostraram uma taxa média de acerto de 81,42%, com erro padrão de 9,11%.

This article describes the development of a method that classifies semi-automatic degeneration of lumbar intervertebral discs in magnetic resonance T2-weighted images. The dataset consists of images of 210 discs obtained from94 individuals (20 to 80 year old). An artificial neural network of the multilayer perceptron with 6 inputs, 15 neuronsin the hidden layer and 1 output, was used to check the efficiency of this study. Obtained an average rate of sucess of81.42%, with a standard error of 9.11%.

Effects of ethanol consumption and alcohol detoxification on the biomechanics and morphology the bone in rat femurs / Efeitos do consumo de etanol e da desintoxicação alcóolica sobre a biomecânica e morfologia óssea em fêmur de ratos

Abstract The objective of this study was to verify the effects of ethanol consumption and alcohol detoxification on the biomechanics, area and thickness of cortical and trabecular bone in rat femur. This was an experimental study in which 18 male Wistar rats were used, with 40 days of age, weighing 179±2.5 g. The rats were divided into three groups (n=06): CT (control), AC (chronic alcoholic), DT (detoxification). After experimental procedures, the animals were euthanized by an overdose of the anesthetic and their femurs were collected for mechanical testing and histological processing. All animals did not present malnutrition or dehydration during experimentation period. Morphometric analysis of cortical and trabecular bones in rat femurs demonstrated that AC animals showed inferior dimensions and alcohol detoxification (DT) allowed an enhancement in area and thickness of cortical and trabecular bone. Material and structural properties data of AC group highlighted the harmful effects of ethanol on bone mechanical properties. The results of this study demonstrated that chronic alcoholic rats (AC) presented major bone damage in all analyzed variables. Those findings suggested that alcohol detoxification is highly suggested in pre-operative planning and this corroborates to the success of bone surgery and bone tissue repair. Thanks to the financial support offered by PROBIC – UNIFENAS.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar os efeitos do consumo de etanol e da desintoxicação alcoólica sobre a biomecânica, área e espessura do osso cortical e trabecular em fêmur de ratos. Este foi um estudo experimental no qual foram utilizados 18 ratos Wistar machos, com 40 dias de vida, pesando 179±2,5 g. Os ratos foram divididos em três grupos (n=06): CT (controle), AC (alcoolista crônico), e DT (desintoxicado). Após os procedimentos experimentais os animais foram eutanaziados por uma overdose de anestésico e os fêmures coletados para os testes mecânicos e processamento histológico. Todos os animais não apresentaram desnutrição ou desidratação durante o período de experimentação. As análises morfométrica do osso cortical e trabecular demonstraram que os animais do grupo AC apresentavam dimensões inferiores, enquanto nos animais do grupo DT observou-se um aumento na área e espessura do osso cortical e trabecular. Dados dos materiais e das propriedades estruturais óssea do grupo AC destacam os efeitos nocivos do etanol sobre as propriedades mecânicas do osso. Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram que os ratos do grupo AC apresentaram danos significativos no osso em todas as variáveis ​​analisadas. Esses resultados sugerem que a desintoxicação alcoólica é recomendada no planejamento pré-operatório e isso corrobora para o sucesso de cirurgias e reparação no tecido ósseo. Agradecemos ao apoio financeiro oferecido pelo PROBIC – UNIFENAS.

Ensino de língua de sinais a familiares de surdos: enfocando a aprendizagem / Teaching sign language to the families of the deaf: focusing the learning process

BACKGROUND: According to bilingual education, only through sign language will deaf children attain linguistic and cognitive development, enabling them to learn a second language--spoken or written. However, it is also necessary for families to learn sign language in order to have a more efficient communication. AIM: To analyze methodological aspects of the teaching-learning process of Sign Language to family groups. METHOD: Transcription and analysis of video recordings were made. RESULTS: The practice of teaching of the deaf teacher modifies itself during the research period and his attitude influences the way by which parents participate. CONCLUSION: The teaching methodology used by the deaf teacher interferes significantly in the motivation/participation of parents, followed by the acceptance of deafness and sign language.

Tema: a abordagem bilíngüe considera que através da língua de sinais, o surdo alcança um bom desenvolvimento lingüístico e cognitivo, favorecendo a aprendizagem da língua oral e ou escrita. Neste sentido, é necessário que os pais também aprendam a língua de sinais para uma comunicação eficaz. Objetivo: analisar aspectos metodológicos do processo ensino/aprendizagem no grupo de língua de sinais aos familiares de sujeitos surdos. Método: foram realizadas vídeo gravações do grupo, com posterior transcrição e análise dosepisódios. Resultados: a prática de ensino do instrutor surdo se modifica ao longo do período pesquisado e sua atitude influencia no modo de participação dos pais. Conclusão:a metodologia de ensino utilizada pelo instrutor surdo interfere significativamente na motivação/participação dos pais, na aceitação da surdez e da língua de sinais.

Subtraçäo de imagens digitais: vantagens e inconvenientes dos métodos de comparaçäo e de complemento / Digital images subtration: advantages and disadvantages of comparison and complement methods

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo comparativo de dois métodos de substração de angiografias determinando as vantagens e desvantagens de cada um em relação ao ruido das imagens.

Neuropatia toxica aguda acidental por chumbo e mercurio: estudo em duas familias. / Toxic acute accidental neuropathy by lead and mercury: study in 2 families

Foram estudadas duas familias, vitimas de intoxicacao aguda acidental por inalacao da queima de lixo industrial, em outubro de 1981 nos arredores da cidade de Paulista (PE). As familias inalaram os gases em suas residencias durante um periodo de cerca de 15 horas. Das doze pessoas (5 do sexo masculino e 7 do sexo feminino) duas eram gestantes. Houve 03 obitos.O diagnostico foi baseado na historia clinica, exames toxicologicos e eletrofisiologicos. A analise quimica dos residuos do citado lixo industrial, demonstrou os seguintes teores de chumbo e mercurio: em 17 gr. de material metalico usado em bocais de lampadas comuns havia 6gr. de Pb (Tecnica de Saulsby e Smith). Em 16gr. da filamentos de lampadas comuns havia 0,2gr. de Pb (pela mesma tecnica).Em 4gr. de vidro de lampadas comuns havia 0,576gr. de Hg (Tecnica de Kaye). Os metais pesados foram dosados no sangue, urina, fezes e LCR em varios casos pelas mesmas tecnicas respectivamente supracitadas

Mal de Pott recidivante: dorsal e cervical. Registro de um caso. / Recurrent Pott's disease: dorsal and cervical. Report of a case

E descrito um caso de Mal de Pott em um paciente de 45 anos, secundario a tuberculose pulmonar, o qual evoluiu em duas etapas: a primeira a nivel dorsal baixo e, a segunda apos 21 meses a nivel cervical baixo. Houve comprometimento medular em ambas as etapas. O diagnostico foi baseado na evolucao clinica, exames radiologicos e na resposta positiva a terapeutica clinica e cirurgica

Hematoma extradural cronico sem sinais de fraturas cranianas. Registro de um caso. / Chronic extradural hematoma without signs of cranial fractures. Report of a case

E descrito um caso de hematoma extradural cronico em um paciente de 17 anos, decorrente de contusao craniana sem sinais de fraturas cranianas. O diagnostico foi baseado na evolucao clinica, exames radiologicos e na cirurgia