Abstract Roadkill is one of the most direct impacts on fauna, leading to numerous direct and indirect impacts. Road-killed animals could serve as a resource for research and teaching purposes, but first, they need to have their tissues preserved by some technique. Plastination is one of the most modern techniques for the conservation of biological tissues, its principle is the replacement of body fluids by a curable polymer, resulting in a non-toxic, odorless, and manipulable material. So the main aim of this work was to compose a collection of plastinated roadkill victims from the Biological Reserve Sooretama region, adapting the standard protocol to the different taxa worked here (Avialae, Reptilia, Amphibia, and Mammalia). For this, 42 animals were used, previously frozen and stored in the Sooretama Biological Reserve and Vale Natural Reserve until they were sent for processing. Upon arriving at the Plastination laboratory at the Federal University of Espírito Santo, the animals underwent the 4 stages of plastination: fixation, dehydration, forced impregnation, and chemical cure; some adaptations were made to improve the final specimens. The results proved that the plastination of these animals is extremely viable in generating satisfactory results. Given the results obtained, it becomes clear how plastination can become an alternative to implement in the composition of biological collections using roadkill animals. The animals prepared in this work comprise an unprecedented collection available for different applications, such as exhibitions, practical classes, and research.

ABSTRACT Introduction: To demonstrate the entire surgeon's point of view of a prone split-leg (PSL) endoscopic guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (ePCNL) recorded with a GoPro® camera for standardization of the essential technical steps towards a successful procedure (1). Materials and methods: A 40y.o female patient presented with right flank pain for three years. She had previously been submitted to shock wave lithotripsy without success. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) revealed a 2cm stone in the renal pelvis with 1400HU and stone-to-skin distance of 11cm (Guy's Stone Score 1). PCNL approach was chosen for providing higher chances of stone-free after a single procedure. Informed consent was obtained. The PSL ePCNL was uneventful with a single access in a mid-pole. The surgeon had a Full HD GoPro Hero 4® camera mounted on his head, controlled by the surgical staff with a remote control. All essential surgical steps were recorded. Results: Operative time was 90 minutes. Hemoglobin drop was 0.7g/dL. The post-operative NCCT scan was stone-free. The patient was discharged 24h after surgery. Kidney stent was left with a string and removed after 5days. The camera worked properly and didn't cause any kind of discomfort to the surgeon. The quality of the recorded movie was excellent. Conclusion: By recording the surgeon's perspective of an endoscopic urological procedure, we were able to provide a comprehensive understanding of the surgical technique by assembling the endoscopic, fluoroscopic, and operative field views. The GoPro® camera proved to be an interesting tool to document surgical procedures without compromising outcomes and has great potential for educational purposes.

ABSTRACT Nowadays, there is a growing interest in biodegradable polymers-based materials due to their diverse application in the biomedical field. Most studied systems involve biocompatible micro and nanodevices, such as liposomes, dendrimer, micelles or polymeric nanogels. The use of Radiation Technology, specifically gamma radiation, to produce micro and nanogels raises the possibility to obtain higher purity products, an important feature for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The radio-induced synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity evaluation, and immunological response of nanogels are described in this study. Nanogel synthesis was performed in the absence of oxygen using aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions. Crosslinking reactions were carried out at 25 °C in a gamma irradiation chamber with a 60Co source. Nanogels properties were analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, and Viscosimetry. The cytotoxicity and immunological response were evaluated by MTT test and analysis of the neutrophil respiratory burst. The results showed that nanogels formation strongly depends on the total absorbed dose. The nanogels have an elliptical shape and their chemical structure is similar to the initial polymer. The nanogels are biocompatible and promote a low-intensity neutrophil activation, similar to the well-characterized biomaterial TiO2, suggesting their potential biomedical uses.

RESUMEN En la actualidad existe un interés creciente en los materiales biodegradables basados en polímeros, debido a sus diversas aplicaciones en la esfera de la biomedicina. En la mayoría de los sistemas estudiados participan micro- y nanodispositivos biocompatibles, tales como liposomas, dendrímeros, micelas o nanogeles poliméricos. El uso de la tecnología de radiaciones, en particular de radiaciones gamma, para producir micro- y nanogeles, eleva la posibilidad de obtener productos de mayor pureza, un rasgo importante con vistas a su aplicación biomédica y farmacéutica. El estudio describe la síntesis radioinducida, caracterización, evaluación de la citotoxicidad y respuesta inmunológica de los nanogeles. La síntesis de los nanogeles se realizó en ausencia de oxígeno, usando soluciones acuosas de polivinilpirrolidona. Las reacciones de entrecruzamiento se realizaron a 25 ºC en cámara de irradiación gamma con una fuente de 60Co. Las propiedades de los nanogeles se analizaron mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido, espectroscopia por transformada de Fourier total atenuada, dispersión dinámica de luz y viscosimetría. La citotoxicidad y la respuesta inmunológica se evaluaron mediante prueba MTT y análisis del estallido respiratorio de neutrófilos. Los resultados muestran que la formación de nanogeles depende en gran medida de la dosis total absorbida. Los nanogeles tienen forma elíptica y su estructura química es similar a la del polímero inicial. Los nanogeles son biocompatibles y promueven una activación de neutrófilos de baja intensidad similar al bien caracterizado material TiO2, lo que sugiere usos biomédicos potenciales.

Abstract: Dermatophytes are fungi capable of invading keratinized tissues. Isolation of the fungus with the culture is essential to guide the treatment, because there are more resistant species like Microsporum canis. The chronic use of corticosteroids leads to the deregulation of immunity, promoting atypical manifestations of infections. Topical antifungal therapy is often insufficient, requiring systemic medications. We describe the case of a patient undergoing systemic corticosteroid therapy with a large figurate lesion who presented complete response to exclusively topical treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze angiotomographic parameters of juxtarenal aneurysms to assess the applicability of an endograft model to patients and to create in vitro and in vivo models to assess the new endograft. METHODS: A total of 49 patients with juxtarenal aneurysms were submitted to angiotomographic evaluation, and parameters such as the aortic diameter, the length of the neck, and the angulations of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery and renal arteries; the distances between them; and anatomic variations were analyzed. Based on these parameters, an endograft model was developed and tested in a newly created in vitro model of juxtarenal aneurysm. An experimental model of juxtarenal aneurysm was then established in six pigs weighing 50-60 kg to assess the new endograft model. RESULTS: The angiotomographic parameters of juxtarenal aneurysm measured in this study were similar to those reported in the literature and allowed the development of an endograft based on the hourglass concept, which was applicable to 85.8% of the patients. The in vitro model of juxtarenal aneurysm evidenced good radiopacity and functionality and permitted adjustments in the new device and technical improvements in the procedures for treating these aneurysms. In addition, the porcine model of juxtarenal aneurysm was successfully created in all six animals using a bovine pericardial patch, and use of the new endograft in three pilot procedures evidenced its feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: The Hourglass endograft was rendered applicable to treatment of the majority of patients with juxtarenal aneurysms simply by changing its diameter. Moreover, the new in vitro and in vivo models were shown to be effective for assessing both the presented endograft and experiments assessing the endovascular treatment of juxtarenal aneurysms.

This systematic review focuses on the 30-day mortality associated with open surgery and fenestrated endografts for short-necked (<15 mm) juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms. A search for studies published in English and indexed in the PubMed and Medline electronic databases from 2002 to 2012 was performed, using “juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm” and “treatment” as the main keywords. Among the 110 potentially relevant studies that were initially identified, eight were in accordance with the inclusion criteria in the analysis. Similar outcomes for open and endovascular repair were observed for 30-day mortality. No differences were observed regarding the secondary outcomes (duration of surgery, hospital stay, postoperative renal dysfunction and late mortality), except that the late mortality rate was significantly higher for the patients treated with open repair after a median follow-up of 24 months. Fenestrated endografting is a viable alternative to conventional surgery in juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms with a proximal neck <15 mm.

Este trabalho visa descrever o conjunto de teorias da Psicologia Social com as quais os pesquisadores brasileiros têm trabalhado, buscando-se compreender quais as vertentes teóricas privilegiadas no desenvolvimento das pesquisas. Foram investigados os artigos de Psicologia Social publicados nos periódicos da área da Psicologia avaliados em 2012 pela CAPES com Qualis A1, A2 e B1 no período de 2007 a 2011. Foram selecionados 16 periódicos que, no período, publicaram 3.501 artigos dos quais 550 foram classificados como artigos de Psicologia Social a partir dos critérios definidos. Observou-se que 45% dos artigos analisavam um tema social sem recorrer ao arcabouço teórico-conceitual da Psicologia Social e apenas 4% dos artigos debruçavam-se sobre uma discussão metodológica. Assim, a Psicologia Social termina se caracterizando como um campo de descrição dos problemas sociais, dos fenômenos de relevância ou emergência na sociedade, sem um avanço mais consistente do ponto de vista teórico ou metodológico.

This work aims at describing the set of Social Psychology theories that Brazilian researchers have been using, trying to understand the theoretical currents privileged when developing research. It surveyed the Social Psychology articles published in Psychology journals ranked by CAPES in 2012 as Qualis A1, A2 and B1, from 2007 to 2011. Sixteen journals were selected. These have published 3,501 articles in that period, of which 550 were classified as Social Psychology articles, based on the criteria defined. It was observed that 45% of the articles analyzed a social topic without resorting to the theoretical-conceptual framework of Social Psychology, while only 4% employed a methodological discussion. Thus, Social Psychology ends up by being characterized as a field that describes social affairs, phenomena that are relevant or emergent in the society, without more consistent advances in the theoretical or methodological light.