Dynamic MR imaging of cerebral perfusion during bicycling exercise.

Habitual physical activity is beneficial for cerebrovascular health and cognitive function. Physical exercise therefore constitutes a clinically relevant cerebrovascular stimulus. This study demonstrates the feasibility of quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements during supine bicycling exercise with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla. Twelve healthy volunteers performed a steady-state exercise-recovery protocol on an MR-compatible bicycle ergometer, while dynamic pCASL data were acquired at rest, during moderate (60% of the age-predicted supine maximal heart rate (HRmax)) and vigorous (80% of supine HRmax) exercise, and subsequent recovery. These CBF measurements were compared with 2D phase-contrast MRI measurements of blood flow through the carotid arteries. Procedures were repeated on a separate day for an assessment of measurement repeatability. Whole-brain (WB) CBF was 41.2 ± 6.9 mL/100 g/min at rest (heart rate 63 [57-71] beats/min), remained similar at moderate exercise (102 [97-107] beats/min), decreased by 10% to 37.1 ± 5.7 mL/100 g/min (p = 0.001) during vigorous exercise (139 [136-142] beats/min) and decreased further to 34.2 ± 6.0 mL/100 g/min (p < 0.001) during recovery. Hippocampus CBF decreased by 12% (p = 0.001) during moderate exercise, decreased further during vigorous exercise (-21%; p < 0.001) and was even lower during recovery (-31%; p < 0.001). In contrast, motor cortex CBF increased by 12% (p = 0.027) during moderate exercise, returned to resting-state values during vigorous exercise, and decreased by 17% (p = 0.006) during recovery. The inter-session repeatability coefficients for WB CBF were approximately 20% for all stages of the exercise-recovery protocol. Phase-contrast blood flow measurements through the common carotid arteries overestimated the WB CBF because of flow directed to the face and scalp. This bias increased with exercise. We have demonstrated the feasibility of dynamic pCASL-MRI of the human brain for a quantitative evaluation of cerebral perfusion during bicycling exercise. Our spatially resolved measurements revealed a differential response of CBF in the motor cortex as well as the hippocampus compared with the brain as a whole. Caution is warranted when using flow through the common carotid arteries as a surrogate measure for cerebral perfusion.

High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy for accelerated partial breast irradiation - trial results of Azerbaijan National Center of Oncology.

PURPOSE: To describe early results of two cohorts of patients with low and intermediate risk of early breast cancer treated with accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using different schedules of multicatheter brachytherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with early stage breast cancer after breast conserving surgery were enrolled for a prospective analysis. The APBI, using multicatheter brachytherapy, was delivered either eight times 4 Gy in five days with a planned total dose of 32 Gy, or seven times 5 Gy in four days with a planned total dose of 35 Gy. Primary endpoints were side effects. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were enrolled between 2012 and 2014. Patients characteristics were as follow: median age of patients was 55 years, early breast cancer was defined according GEC-ESTRO recommendations. With a median follow-up period of 37 months, no significant differences regarding late side effects and cosmesis between two cohorts of patients were documented. In total, cosmesis was excellent in 13/48 (27.1%) patients, good in 34/48 (70.8%) patients, and moderate in 1/48 patient (2.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Accelerated partial breast irradiation using multicatheter brachytherapy with 32 Gy/8 fractions and 35 Gy/7 fractions for early breast cancer seems to be similar in terms of late side effects. According to our findings, APBI was also feasible for intermediate-risk of early breast cancer patients.

Profile of Brazilian smokers in the National Program for Tobacco Control.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of tobacco addiction in Brazil has expanded in recent years; however, we must increase knowledge about the characteristics of individuals who adhere to cessation programs in order to adjust treatments to specific characteristics of the target population that favor success. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of smokers who present to Brazilian public health units seeking help to quit smoking based on the experience of a primary health care unit that covers a poor community in the city of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: Data were collected at a Teaching Health Center from January 03 2012 to January 03 2014. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 49.32 ± 11.82 years, and 71% were women. About half of the participants successfully quit smoking (n=125, 51%). Higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with lower levels of smoking cessation. There was a notable decrease in the probability of remaining smoking throughout the first month of treatment. After 3 weeks of treatment, only 19% had not quit smoking. The probability of quitting smoking decreases by 2% for every additional year of age. CONCLUSION: There is a need to revise and expand current strategies to make them more effective in preventing smoking since childhood.

Pattern of primary tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone in Zaria, northern Nigeria: a review of 127 cases.

BACKGROUND: There has been few published reports of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions in Zaria. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relative frequencies of primary bone tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone and the anatomical sites of their occurrence. METHODS: A retrospective review of histopathology reports of all bone specimens received in the Department of Histopathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Teaching Hospital Zaria between 1995 and 2004. RESULTS: Of the 127 histologically diagnosed tumours and tumour-like lesions, 74 (58.3%) were males and 53 (41.7%) were females, giving a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. Benign Tumours accounted for 38.6% of the tumours while the malignant tumours and the tumour-like lesions made up 39.4% and 22% respectively. Osteochondroma [20(15.7%)] and osteosarcoma [17 (13.4%)] were the most commonly encountered tumours while fibrous dysplasia [26(20.4%)] was the most common tumour-like lesion. The peak age incidence of occurrence of these tumours was in the 2(n) [47 (37.0%)] and 3rd [28(22.0%)] decades. The face was the most common site with 62 (48.8%) of occurrence followed by the femur accounting for 8 (6.3%). CONCLUSION: Bone tumours, of which the most common benign and malignant tumours were osteochondroma and Osteosarcoma respectively appear to be mainly a problem of young adults in Zaria.

Formation of a nanogroove-striped NiO surface using atomic steps.

A nanogroove-striped pattern was formed on a NiO film surface. The periodic nanopattern was successfully obtained over the entire surface via high-temperature annealing of the epitaxial NiO thin film, which was grown on an atomically stepped sapphire substrate at low temperature. The depth, width and interval of straight nanogrooves were about 3 nm, 35 nm and about 100 nm, respectively. The periodicity of the stripe agrees well with that of the atomic steps of the substrate.

[Studies on the giardiasis as the zoonosis].

To obtain basic data on the route of Giardia infection as zoonosis, we examined feces from 80 dogs and 16 cats for Giardia cysts and evaluated the detection rates. In addition, familial infection was studied in 3 family members of the patient with giardiasis. Giardia cysts were detected in 10 of the 80 dogs (12.5%) but none of the cats. Of the 10 dogs from which Giardia cysts were isolated, 6 had been maintained by the breeders. Tow other dogs were for examination in the research institutions. None of the family members of the patient with giardiasis had this infection. Since the detection rates of Giardia cysts in the dogs and cats were low, the possibility that human infection is acquired from dogs or cats seemed to be low. However, some of patients with giardiasis we encountered had never been abroad. This fact together with the presence of Giardia cysts in the dogs despite the low detection rates suggest that attention should be paid to the possible association between human giardiasis and pets since the number of people keeping pets is increasing.

Experimental lepromatous leprosy in the white-handed gibbon (Hylobatus lar): successful inoculation with leprosy bacilli of human origin.

Leprosy bacilli of human origin were inoculated into a white-handed gibbon by the i.v. and i.p. routes, and also locally into ears, testis and around an ulnar nerve. The animal was observed closely during a period of nearly 15 years and did not exhibit any clinical evidence of cutaneous or neurological disease. At death, a wide range of tissues was taken for bacterial counts and histological examination, and a disseminated and progressive infection was demonstrated. Acid-fast bacilli were found in many sites; their morphological appearance distribution in nerves, and pattern of multiplication in mouse foot-pads, and also the presence of anti-mycobacterial antibody in the serum and the absence of specific lymphocyte transformation were all in keeping with an infection by Mycobacterium leprae, at an early lepromatous stage. This is probably the first fully documented report of experimental lepromatous infection in a primate. The findings are discussed in relation to the long incubation period of le promatous leprosy and the difficulties of diagnosing the disease at an early stage in man.