BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which high-voltage electrical stimulation (HVPC) acts on edema reduction is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of HVPC with negative polarity (-) applied to the ankle of rats with acute joint inflammation. METHOD: Sixty-four rats were divided into four groups (n=16): inflamed+HVPC(-), 0.03 mL application of ι-carrageenan (3%) to the tibiotarsal joint plus HVPC(-); inflamed+HVPC placebo, carrageenan application and HVPC placebo; normal+HVPC(-), HVPC application(-); and normal control, no intervention. The HVPC(-) 100 Hz at a submotor level was applied daily for 45 min on three consecutive days. The variables were pain, hind-foot volume, and serum histamine and albumin assessed before and during the 48 hours following inflammation. The variables were compared using the t test, one-way ANOVA, nested ANOVA for repeated measures, and the post hoc Bonferroni test. Analysis of covariance was applied to adjust the effects of HVPC(-) by measurements of pain, inflammation, albumin, and histamine at 24 h, and the final weight was compared to the other groups. The significance level was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: There were no differences between the inflamed+HVPC(-) and inflamed+HVPC placebo groups in terms of pain or edema (p>0.05). Albumin was reduced in the groups that received the intervention, but there was no differences between them. There was only a 24 hour increase in histamine with the normal+HVPC(-) (p=0.0001) and inflamed+HVPC placebo groups (p=0.01) compared to the normal control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that HVPC(-) with the parameters employed did not reduce pain or edema and did not change serum albumin or histamine levels,, which indicates the inability of this resource to have a positive effect when treating treat acute joint inflammation.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo geral desenvolver um Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG), que permita o armazenamento de informações e a localização geográfica de apiários em oito municípios da região oeste do Paraná; estudar a flora local, a ocupação do solo; e a produção de mel na safra de 2010, em dois deles: Marechal Cândido Rondon e Santa Helena. Para isso foi utilizado o software SPRING, delimitando um raio de ação das abelhas de três quilômetros ao redor dos apiários. Foram entrevistados e cadastrados 126 apicultores e 383 apiários. Pelas imagens foram selecionadas áreas com maior e menor sobreposição de colmeias em Marechal Cândido Rondon (144 e 44 colmeias, respectivamente) e Santa Helena (165 e 40 colmeias, respectivamente), em três quilômetros de raio, selecionando 15 colônias em cada área, para o estudo dos parâmetros citados. Na análise multivariada de agrupamento foram formados cinco grupos, pela semelhança de manejo, indicando maior produção média nas colmeias da área mais povoada de Santa Helena e menor na área mais povoada de Marechal Cândido Rondon. O agrupamento das colmeias, as diferenças nas produções de mel e o levantamento florístico indicaram que estas diferenças podem estar associadas ao manejo, diferenças florísticas e climáticas registradas no período de produção nas áreas estudadas.

This study aimed to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS), for storage of information and geographic location of apiaries in eight counties in western Paraná; study the local flora; the land used; and the honey productivity in the harvest of 2010 in two of these areas: Marechal Cândido Rondon and Santa Helena. In order to do so we used the software SPRING, delimiting a radius of action of bees of three kilometers around the apiaries. We interviewed and registered 126 beekeepers with 383 apiaries. By using the images we selected areas with greater and lower overlap of hives in Marechal Cândido Rondon (144 and 44 hives, respectively) and Santa Helena (165 and 40 hives, respectively), in a three kilometers radius, selecting 15 colonies in each area, for the study of the parameters cited. In the multivariate analysis of the grouping, five groups were formed, by their similarity of management, indicating the higher average production in the hives of the most populated area of Santa Helena and lower average production in the most populated of Marechal Cândido Rondon. The grouping of hives, the differences in the production of honey and floristic survey indicated that these differences could be associated with management, floristic and climatic differences recorded in the period of production, in the areas studied.

El músculo esternalis es una variante anatómica poco común de la pared torácica. se estima su frecuencia en, aproximadamente, el 8% de la población mundial, se presenta tanto en hombres como en mujeres, y puede ser unilateral o bilateral. Constituye una situación que amerita cuidado, pues puede simular neoplasia maligna en la mamografía. su reconocimiento evita la realización de estudios imagenológicos adicionales innecesarios, incluyendo biopsias guiadas, que generan costos económicos al sistema, y estrés y ansiedad injustificada a las pacientes.

The sternalis muscle is a rare anatomical variant of the chest wall. Its frequency is estimated at approximately 8% of the world population, both in men and women, and can be unilateral or bilateral. Its importance is due to the fact that it can simulate malignancy on mammography. Recognizing it avoids performing unnecessary additional imaging studies, including guided biopsies involving extra financial costs to the system, as well as undue stress and anxiety in patients.

Castor oil was modified by transesterification with pentaerithritol. In a parallel step, starch was divided into monosaccharide units by glycosylation in order to obtain products with high hydroxyl content. The values of hydroxyl index were measured according to the content of pentaerithritol and starch used in the synthesis. Novel simultaneous interpenetrating polymer networks (SINs) of polyurethane (PU) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in different weight ratios of 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40 and 50/50 were prepared based on polyol-glucosides. The polyurethane network was created by reacting the poliol-glucosides with isophorone diisocyanate maintaining a molar ratio NCO/OH = 1. The PMMA network was synthesized using benzoyl peroxide as initiator and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker. The SINs were characterized in their mechanical properties, such as Shore A hardness, tensile strength and elongation at break. Thermal stability of SINs was measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Surface morphology measured using scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed two-phase morphology for all the SINs. SINs based on polyurethane from castor oil modified and poly(methyl methacrylate) show limited compatibility at low concentrations of PMMA, but are totally incompatible at higher concentrations of PMMA.

El aceite de ricino se modificó por transesterificación con pentaeritritol. Paralelamente, se utilizó la reacción de glucosilación con glicerol para dividir el almidón en unidades monosacáridos. El glucósido obtenido reaccionó por transesterificación con el aceite modificado por transesterificación con pentaeritritol. Se determinó el índice de hidroxilo de los poliol-glucósidos en función del contenido de pentaeritritol y almidón utilizados en la síntesis. Se sintetizaron redes interpenetradas de polímero de manera simultánea (SINs) con diferentes relaciones en peso poliuretano/PMMA de 100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40 y 50/50. Para la síntesis de la red de poliuretano (PU) se utilizaron los poliol-glucósidos y diisocianato de isoforona (IPDI) o con una relación NCO/OH = 1 y para la síntesis de la red de polimetilmetacrilato (PMMA) se utilizó peróxido de benzoílo como agente iniciador y dimetacrilato de etilenglicol como agente entrecruzante. Los SINs se caracterizaron por sus propiedades fisicomecánicas como resistencia al ataque químico, dureza, resistencia a la tensión y elongación de ruptura. La estabilidad térmica de los SINs se determinó usando análisis termogravimétrico (TGA). La morfología de superficie se determinó usando microscopia electrónica de barrido (SEM) y mostró una morfología de dos fases para todos los SINs.