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The modified surface layers of Mg enriched with Al and Si were fabricated by thermochemical treatment. The substrate material in contact with an Al + 20 wt.% Si powder mixture was heated to 445°C for 40 or 60 min. The microstructure of the layers was examined by OM and SEM. The chemical composition of the layer and the distribution of elements were determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The experimental results show that the thickness of the layer is dependent on the heating time. A much thicker layer (1 mm) was obtained when the heating time was 60 min than when it was 40 min (600 μm). Both layers had a non-homogeneous structure. In the area closest to the Mg substrate, a thin zone of a solid solution of Al in Mg was detected. It was followed by a eutectic with Mg17Al12 and a solid solution of Al in Mg. The next zone was a eutectic with agglomerates of Mg2Si phase particles; this three-phase structure was the thickest. Finally, the area closest to the surface was characterized by dendrites of the Mg17Al12 phase. The microhardness of the modified layer increased to 121-236 HV as compared with 33-35 HV reported for the Mg substrate.

This paper discusses the joining of AZ91 magnesium alloy with AlSi17 aluminium alloy by compound casting. Molten AZ91 was cast at 650°C onto a solid AlSi17 insert placed in a steel mould under normal atmospheric conditions. Before casting, the mould with the insert inside was heated up to about 370°C. The bonding zone forming between the two alloys because of diffusion had a multiphase structure and a thickness of about 200 μm. The microstructure and composition of the bonding zone were analysed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results indicate that the bonding zone adjacent to the AlSi17 alloy was composed of an Al3Mg2 intermetallic phase with not fully consumed primary Si particles, surrounded by a rim of an Mg2Si intermetallic phase and fine Mg2Si particles. The bonding zone near the AZ91 alloy was composed of a eutectic (an Mg17Al12 intermetallic phase and a solid solution of Al and Si in Mg). It was also found that the compound casting process slightly affected the AZ91 alloy microstructure; a thin layer adjacent to the bonding zone of the alloy was enriched with aluminium.

Al-enriched layer was formed on a magnesium substrate with use of casting. The magnesium melt was cast into a steel mould with an aluminium insert placed inside. Different conditions of the casting process were applied. The reaction between the molten magnesium and the aluminium piece during casting led to the formation of an Al-enriched surface layer on the magnesium substrate. The thickness of the layer was dependent on the casting conditions. In all fabricated layers the following phases were detected: a solid solution of Mg in Al, Al3Mg2, Mg17Al12 and a solid solution of Mg in Al. When the temperature of the melt and the mould was lower (variant 1 – 670°C and 310°; variant 2 – 680°C and 310°C, respectively) the unreacted thin layer of aluminium was observed in the outer zone. Applying higher temperatures of the melt (685°C) and the mould (325°C) resulted in deep penetration of aluminium into the magnesium substrate. Areas enriched in aluminium were locally observed. The Al-enriched layers composed mainly of Mg-Al intermetallic phases have hardness from 187-256 HV0.1.

The paper present the results of physical simulation of the deformation of the two-layered AZ31/eutectic material using the Gleeble 3800 metallurgical processes simulator. The eutectic layer was produced on the AZ31 substrate using thermochemical treatment. The specimens of AZ31 alloy were heat treated in contact with aluminium powder at 445°C in a vacuum furnace. Depending on the heating time, Al-enriched surface layers with a thickness of 400, 700 and 1100 μm were fabricated on a substrate which was characterized by an eutectic structure composed of the Mg17Al12 phase and a solid solution of aluminium in magnesium. In the study, physical simulation of the fabricated two-layered specimens with a varying thickness of the eutectic layer were deformed using the plane strain compression test at various values of strain rates. The testing results have revealed that it is possible to deform the two-layered AZ31/eutectic material at low strain rates and small deformation values.

The paper presents the results of the experimental study of the three-layer Al-Mg-Al sheets rolling process by the ARB method. The tests carried out were limited to single-pass symmetric and asymmetric rolling processes. An Al-Mg-Al package with an initial thickness of 4 mm (1-2-1 mm) was subjected to the process of rolling with a relative reduction of 50%. To activate the shear band in the strip being deformed, an asymmetry factor of av=2 was applied. From the test results, an increase in the tensile strength of the multi-layer Al-Mg-Al sheets obtained from the asymmetric process was observed. Microhardness tests did not show any significant differences in aluminium layer between respective layers of sheets obtained from the symmetric and the asymmetric process. By contrast, for the magnesium layer, an increase in microhardness from 72 HV to 79 HV could be observed for the asymmetric rolling. The analysis of the produced Al-Mg-Al sheets shows that the good bond between individual layers and grain refinement in the magnesium layer contributed to the obtaining of higher mechanical properties in the multi-layer sheets produced in the asymmetric process compared to the sheets obtained from the symmetric process.

The study involved using the liquid-solid compound casting process to fabricate a lightweight ZE41/AlSi12 bimetallic material. ZE41 melt heated to 660 oC was poured onto a solid AlSi12 insert placed in a steel mold. The mold with the insert inside was preheated to 300 oC. The microstructure of the bonding zone between the alloys was examined using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical composition was determined through linear and point analyses with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS). The bonding zone between the magnesium and aluminum alloys was about 250 µm thick. The results indicate that the microstructure of the bonding zone changes throughout its thickness. The structural constituents of the bonding zone are: a thin layer of a solid solution of Al and Zn in Mg and particles of Mg-Zn-RE intermetallic phases (adjacent to the ZE41 alloy), a eutectic region (Mg17(Al,Zn)12 intermetallic phase and a solid solution of Al and Zn in Mg), a thin region containing fine, white particles, probably Al-RE intermetallic phases, a region with Mg2Si particles distributed over the eutectic matrix, and a region with Mg2Si particles distributed over the Mg-Al intermetallic phases matrix (adjacent to the AlSi12 alloy). The microstructural analysis performed in the length direction reveals that, for the process parameters tested, the bonding zone forming between the alloys was continuous. Low porosity was observed locally near the ZE41 alloy. The shear strength of the AZ91/AlSi17 joint varied from 51.3 to 56.1 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bimetallic AZ91/AlSi17 samples were produced by compound casting. The casting process involved pouring the AZ91 magnesium alloy heated to 650oC onto a solid AlSi17 aluminum alloy insert placed in a steel mould. Prior to casting, the mould with the insert inside was heated to about 370oC. The bonding zone formed between AZ91 and AlSi17 had a thickness of about 200 µm; it was characterized by a non-homogeneous microstructure. Two different areas were distinguished in this zone: the area adjacent to the AZ91 and the area close to the AlSi17. In the area closest to the AZ91 alloy, a eutectic composed of an Mg17Al12 intermetallic phase and a solid solution of Al in Mg was observed. In bonding zone at a certain distance from the AZ91 alloy an Mg2Si phase co-occurred with the eutectic. In the area adjacent to the AlSi17 alloy, the structure consisted of Al3Mg2, Mg17Al12 and Mg2Si. The fine Mg2Si phase particles were distributed over the entire Mg-Al intermetallic phase matrix. The microhardness of the bonding zone was much higher than those of the materials joined; the microhardness values were in the range 203-298 HV. The shear strength of the AZ91/AlSi17 joint varied from 32.5 to 36 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of physical modelling of the plastic deformation of the two-layered AZ31 - Al alloys. The AZ31 - Al feedstock was produced using the diffusion bonding method. Heating under pressure led to the formation of a continuous layer of the intermetallic phases at the bond interface of AZ31 - Al. A compression test was used to determine the plastic deformation of the two-layered AZ31 - Al alloys. Based on the analysis of the investigation results it has been found that, as the strain rate decreases and temperature increases, the intermetallic phase yields, and a distinct thinning of the intermetallic phase layer has occurred in the zone directly affected by the anvil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work theoretical and experimental analysis of the backward extrusion with a rotary die of the AZ31 alloy has been performed. The modification of the classical extrusion was based on the use of a rotary die. The results of theoretical research have confirmed that the use of the modified backward extrusion causes the appearance of shear stress in deformed material, which could affects the activation of additional mechanisms of deformation. The numerical modelling of the rotating extrusion of AZ31 alloy has been conducted by using the computer program Forge®. The experimental tests were carried out in the conditions of the STD 810 torsion plastometer using newly designed tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is effective for replication-repair-deficient, high-grade gliomas (RRD-HGG). The clinical/biological impact of immune-directed approaches after failing ICI monotherapy is unknown. We performed an international study on 75 patients treated with anti-PD-1; 20 are progression free (median follow-up, 3.7 years). After second progression/recurrence (n = 55), continuing ICI-based salvage prolonged survival to 11.6 months (n = 38; P < 0.001), particularly for those with extreme mutation burden (P = 0.03). Delayed, sustained responses were observed, associated with changes in mutational spectra and the immune microenvironment. Response to reirradiation was explained by an absence of deleterious postradiation indel signatures (ID8). CTLA4 expression increased over time, and subsequent CTLA4 inhibition resulted in response/stable disease in 75%. RAS-MAPK-pathway inhibition led to the reinvigoration of peripheral immune and radiologic responses. Local (flare) and systemic immune adverse events were frequent (biallelic mismatch-repair deficiency > Lynch syndrome). We provide a mechanistic rationale for the sustained benefit in RRD-HGG from immune-directed/synergistic salvage therapies. Future approaches need to be tailored to patient and tumor biology., Significance: Hypermutant RRD-HGG are susceptible to checkpoint inhibitors beyond initial progression, leading to improved survival when reirradiation and synergistic immune/targeted agents are added. This is driven by their unique biological and immune properties, which evolve over time. Future research should focus on combinatorial regimens that increase patient survival while limiting immune toxicity. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 201., (©2023 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Objective: To analyze the tendency of alcoholic beverage consumption among adolescents and young adults at school age according to their sexes., Methods: This is a trend research study in public schools of the municipality of Petrolina, between 2014 and 2016, with 3146 students aged between 12 and 24 years old. The instrument was constituted by socio-economic inquiry and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Trends were assessed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended approach. The analyses were conducted using logistic regression, with a statistical significance of 0.05., Results: Close to 56% of the adolescents had already tried some alcoholic beverage, most of which had contact after 13 years of age. The prevalence of binge drinking ranged between 17% and 25%. The percentage of girls who tried alcohol before 13 years old remained similar over the three years (p = 0.943). The prevalence of this behavior was stabilized at around 20%. There was a trend to decrease in the prevalence of boys who reported having tried alcohol before 13 years old (p = 0.014). The percentage of boys who reported involvement in binge drinking in the past 30 days remained stable at around 20% over the years (p = 0.951). The girls' data revealed a significant decrease in binge drinking (p = 0.019)., Conclusions: The general analysis suggests a trend towards stabilization of consumption among boys, and an increase among girls., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors report no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article. The authors are the only ones responsible for the content and writing of the article., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Purpose: Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome (CMMRD) is a lethal cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by early-onset synchronous and metachronous multiorgan tumors. We designed a surveillance protocol for early tumor detection in these individuals., Patients and Methods: Data were collected from patients with confirmed CMMRD who were registered in the International Replication Repair Deficiency Consortium. Tumor spectrum, efficacy of the surveillance protocol, and malignant transformation of low-grade lesions were examined for the entire cohort. Survival outcomes were analyzed for patients followed prospectively from the time of surveillance implementation., Results: A total of 193 malignant tumors in 110 patients were identified. Median age of first cancer diagnosis was 9.2 years (range: 1.7-39.5 years). For patients undergoing surveillance, all GI and other solid tumors, and 75% of brain cancers were detected asymptomatically. By contrast, only 16% of hematologic malignancies were detected asymptomatically ( P < .001). Eighty-nine patients were followed prospectively and used for survival analysis. Five-year overall survival (OS) was 90% (95% CI, 78.6 to 100) and 50% (95% CI, 39.2 to 63.7) when cancer was detected asymptomatically and symptomatically, respectively ( P = .001). Patient outcome measured by adherence to the surveillance protocol revealed 4-year OS of 79% (95% CI, 54.8 to 90.9) for patients undergoing full surveillance, 55% (95% CI, 28.5 to 74.5) for partial surveillance, and 15% (95% CI, 5.2 to 28.8) for those not under surveillance ( P < .0001). Of the 64 low-grade tumors detected, the cumulative likelihood of transformation from low-to high-grade was 81% for GI cancers within 8 years and 100% for gliomas in 6 years., Conclusion: Surveillance and early cancer detection are associated with improved OS for individuals with CMMRD., Competing Interests: Hagit N. BarisConsulting or Advisory Role: Sanofi, Igentify LtdSpeakers' Bureau: Sanofi, Takeda, Pfizer Donald BaselHonoraria: BioMarinConsulting or Advisory Role: iQvia Deborah T. BlumenthalConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca, Novocure, Takeda Miriam BornhorstConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZeneca/MedImmune Sara RhodeHonoraria: Myriad GeneticsSpeakers' Bureau: Myriad GeneticsTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Myriad Genetics Roula FarahHonoraria: Novo NordiskConsulting or Advisory Role: Novo Nordisk William D. FoulkesResearch Funding: AstraZeneca David GassEmployment: X4 PharmaceuticalsHonoraria: X4 PharmaceuticalsSpeakers' Bureau: Precisionscientia Heather HampelStock and Other Ownership Interests: Genome MedicalConsulting or Advisory Role: InVitae, Genome Medical, Promega, 23andMe Jordan R. HansfordConsulting or Advisory Role: Bayer Craig HarlosTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: GlaxoSmithKline Nobuko HijiyaHonoraria: NovartisConsulting or Advisory Role: Novartis, IncyteResearch Funding: Pfizer Junne KamiharaStock and Other Ownership Interests: PanTher Therapeutics, ROME Therapeutics, TellBioHonoraria: Pfizer, NanoString Technologies, Third Rock Ventures, Foundation MedicineConsulting or Advisory Role: ROME Therapeutics, Third Rock VenturesResearch Funding: PureTech, Ribon Therapeutics, ACD BiotechnePatents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: Patent on drug delivery device licensed to PanTher Therapeutics, Patents on Repeat RNA biomarkers and therapeutics licensed to Rome Therapeutics, Patents on Circulating Tumor Cell Biomarkers Licensed to TellBio Inc Jeffrey KnipsteinEmployment: PRA Health SciencesConsulting or Advisory Role: Atheneum Alvaro LassalettaStock and Other Ownership Interests: Gilead SciencesConsulting or Advisory Role: Shire, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Roche, ServierTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Shire, Gilead Sciences Simon C. LingHonoraria: AbbvieResearch Funding: Abbvie, Gilead Sciences Michael P. LinkConsulting or Advisory Role: Incyte, ADC Therapeutics, Lilly, Steba Biotech, Mesoblast, GlaxoSmithKline, SyndaxResearch Funding: Seattle Genetics, Janssen Oncology Rebecca Loret de MolaEmployment: Huron Consulting Maura MassiminoConsulting or Advisory Role: Oncoscience, Novartis Gary MasonEmployment: Janssen Research & Development, MerckStock and Other Ownership Interests: Johnson & Johnson, MerckTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Janssen Research & Development Kim E. NicholsStock and Other Ownership Interests: IncyteResearch Funding: Incyte/Novartis, Alpine Immune Sciences Enrico OpocherConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZenecaTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: AstraZeneca Michael OsbornTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Amgen, Pfizer Benjamin OshrineHonoraria: Mesoblast Alyssa ReddyConsulting or Advisory Role: Novartis, AstraZeneca Lara ReichmanResearch Funding: Illumina Marc RemkeStock and Other Ownership Interests: Bayer, BB Biotech Ventures, BioNTech AG, InVitae, IDEXX Laboratories Kami Wolfe SchneiderOther Relationship: Journal of Genetic Counseling Duncan StearnsConsulting or Advisory Role: AstraZenecaOpen Payments Link: https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/physician/792397 Patrick TombocHonoraria: Unicare Health PlanConsulting or Advisory Role: UniCare Health Plan An Van DammeConsulting or Advisory Role: Octapharm, Pfizer, BayerResearch Funding: Johnson & JohnsonTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Pfizer, Sobi, Shire, Roche Ira WinerResearch Funding: Oncoceutics David S. ZieglerConsulting or Advisory Role: Bayer, AmgenTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Bayer Cynthia HawkinsConsulting or Advisory Role: BayerPatents, Royalties, Other Intellectual Property: IP for low-grade glioma and sarcoma fusion panels as well as medulloblastoma subgrouping panel David MalkinConsulting or Advisory Role: Bayer Eric BouffetConsulting or Advisory Role: NovartisResearch Funding: Roche, Bristol Myers SquibbNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of current tobacco use and its association with sociodemographic factors and risk behaviors among adolescents and young students, according to gender., Methods: The sample consisted of students from the state public school network aged between 12 and 24 years, who answered the Brazilian version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (v. 20.0), using Poisson regression to evaluate the prevalence ratio (PR) of the independent variables in relation to the outcome. p<0.05 was established as the significance level., Results: The final analysis consisted of 1275 adolescents, of whom 716 (56.2%) were girls and 559 (43.8%) were boys. The prevalence of current tobacco use was 6.6% among girls and 9.7% among boys. In females, consuming alcohol in the last 30 days (3.91 [1.54-9.94]) and being 14 years old or younger (0.50 [0.26-0.96]) influenced current tobacco use. In the male gender, tobacco use in the last 30 days was influenced by current alcohol consumption (2.92 [1.21-7.08]) and involvement in physical fighting in the last 12 months (2.32 [1.32-4.09])., Conclusion: Although the prevalence of current tobacco use was low in both genders, the assessed population still presents a risk, since male involvement in physical fighting and current consumption of alcohol in both genders increased the probability of this population becoming regular tobacco users., (Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Objective: The aim is to evaluate the trajectory of the victims of ground transportation accidents from the prehospital care to the hospital., Methods: The sample consisted of 1,264 patients collected from the prehospital care, from June 2015 to June 2016. The trajectory was analyzed by the difference in the average time elapsed between the call and the hospital entrance. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used, adopting a significance level of 5% and 95% confidence., Results: Patients had a mean age of 31.2 years, Glasgow Coma Scale of 14.8 points, and 24.8 days of hospitalization. It is characterized predominantly masculine, conductive of the vehicle, being the motorcycle prevalent; most of them wore a helmet/seat belt and no alcohol. The association between the average time of care and the characteristics related to the victim was significant: the use of the belt/helmet, alcoholism, and type of discharge and relative to the accident: area of occurrence, period of the week, shift of occurrence, type of prehospital care, and other party involved., Conclusion: The characteristics related to ground transportation accident interfere in the time of prehospital care to the hospital, which can influence the prognosis., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Purpose: To review and critique the current state of liquid biopsy in pHGG., Materials and Methods: Published literature was reviewed for articles related to liquid biopsy in pediatric glioma and adult glioma with a focus on high-grade gliomas., Results: This review discusses the current state of liquid biomarkers of pHGG and their potential applications for liquid biopsy development., Conclusions: While nascent, the progress toward identifying circulating analytes of pHGG primes the field of neuro-oncoogy for liquid biopsy development., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of risky sexual behavior and its association with overweight and obesity among adolescent students., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, conducted in public schools with adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. We used the questionnaire Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The body mass index percentiles were calculated by means of table from the Center for Control and Prevention of Diseases. Possible associations were assessed using the χ2 test and binary logistic regression model. The odds ratio and 95%CI were calculated., Results: We evaluated 1,169 students, and 33.9% reported having had sexual intercourse. Of those, 33% did not use a condom during their last intercourse, and 32.7% had had four or more sexual partners thus far. Regarding nutritional status, 15.3% were overweight or obese. In relation to the non-use of condoms, we observed only an association with the number of lifetime sexual partners (OR: 0.50; 95%CI: 0.28-0.88). The number of lifetime sexual partners was associated with males (OR: 9.17; 95%CI: 4.16-20.22), sexual debut age at 13 years or less (OR: 2.51; 95%CI: 1.23-5.13) and drinking alcohol or using drugs before the last intercourse (OR: 6.16; 95%CI: 2.14-17.73)., Conclusion: Risky sexual behavior rates were high and no association was found between risky sexual behaviors and overweight and obesity.

Background: Delirium affects 10% to 30% of patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and is associated with increased length of stay and prolonged late sequela. There are no prospective trials evaluating delirium in the pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant (PHO) population. Hypothesizing that delirium is underrecognized in this population, our study aimed to identify the prevalence of delirium in hospitalized PHO patients and associated risk factors., Procedure: PHO and PICU nurses were trained to use the Cornell Assessment for Pediatric Delirium and to record scores once every 12-hour shift. Predetermined demographic and clinical variables were collected daily on all hospitalized PHO patients during the year-long prospective study., Results: Prior to initiating routine delirium screening, 1.1% of PHO admissions and 2.4% of unique patients had delirium mentioned in a progress note. This study included 807 consecutive admissions: 671 oncology, 49 hematology, and 87 bone marrow transplant (BMT) hospitalizations among 223 unique PHO patients. The prevalence of delirium among hospitalizations was 5% and among unique patients was 13%. Among BMT hospitalizations, the prevalence was 23%. Multiple logistic regression identified significant association of delirium with increased length of stay, admission to the BMT service, patient location (PICU vs PHO unit), benzodiazepine, opioid, and anticholinergic administration., Conclusions: Before routine screening, delirium was underrecognized in this PHO-hospitalized population. Patients at highest risk had prolonged hospital stays, PICU admissions, BMT, and/or frequent use of benzodiazepines, opioids, or anticholinergics. Routine screening is feasible and may improve our recognition of delirium., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To determine the association between the number of sexual partners and alcohol consumption in adolescents and young schoolchildren., Methods: The sample consisted of students from public schools aged 12-24 years who answered the Brazilian version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire. The analysis was performed by multinomial logistic regression model., Results: 1275 students were analyzed. For females, having two to five partners was associated with age ≥15 years (OR 14.58) and maternal education up to incomplete high school or lower educational level (OR 3.37). No consumption of alcohol decreased the chances of having more partners by 96%. For males, the associated variables were: age ≥15 years (OR 18.15); having no religion (OR 3.55); age at first dose ≤14 years (OR 3.48). Binge drinking increases the chances of having a higher number of sexual partners., Conclusion: Regardless of the number of partners, binge drinking and age of alcohol consumption onset are risk factors for vulnerable sexual behavior., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Objective: To determine the association between not using the male condom and alcohol consumption in adolescents and schoolchildren., Methods: An epidemiological study, with a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlation design carried out from March to July 2014. The sample consisted of students in public primary and secondary education, aged between 12 and 24 years. The social and demographic survey and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire were used., Results: The study included 1,275 students, of these; 37.0% reported having had sexual relations. The prevalent age of sexual initiation was 14-16 years 55.7% and 65.6% used condom in the last sexual intercourse. Regarding the lack of condom use at the last intercourse, girls showed an association with drunkenness in the previous 30 days (2.19; 95%CI: 1.06-4.54)., Conclusion: In females, the non-use of condoms was associated with drunkenness in the previous 30 days., Objetivo: Identificar os fatores associados ao não uso de preservativo masculino e ao consumo de bebida alcoólica em adolescentes e jovens escolares., Métodos: Estudo epidemiológico, com delineamento transversal, descritivo e correlacional, desenvolvido de março a julho de 2014. A amostra foi composta por estudantes dos Ensinos Fundamental e Médio da rede pública estadual, com idades entre 12 e 24 anos. Empregaram-se o inquérito sociodemográfico e o questionário Youth Risk Behavior Survey., Resultados: Foram incluídos 1.275 estudantes; 37,0% deles relataram terem tido relação sexual. A idade prevalente de iniciação sexual foi de 14 a 16 anos, com 55,7%; 65,6% usaram preservativo na última relação. Com relação ao não uso de preservativo na última relação, as meninas apresentaram associação com bebedeira nos últimos 30 dias (2,19; IC95%: 1,06-4,54)., Conclusão: O não uso de preservativos esteve associado com bebedeira nos últimos 30 dias nas meninas.

Objective: Left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafting has become the gold standard in coronary artery bypass graft procedure (CABG). In order to optimize the use of LITA or other grats, sequential anastomosis has been used. There is no consensus on equivalence of results between isolated and sequential grafts. The aim of this study is to compare the patency of isolated versus sequential grafts., Methods: From January 2000 to August 2007, a retrospective patency analysis of the grafts used in 88 symptomatic patients who underwent CABG procedure in our Service was performed through cinecoronariography. Statistical analysis was performed through Student's t test. Each distal anastomosis was considered an independent graft., Results: The mean postoperative period was of 53 +/- 138 months and mean age was 64 +/- 11 years. LITA isolated grafts presented patency rate significantly higher than the sequential grafts, respectively 92% (46/50) and 77% (30/39) P = 0.02. However, in injured coronary arteries of >or= 70%, isolated LITA patency rate was similar to sequential grafts, (95%; 37/39) and (93%; 26/28) respectively; P = 0.37. Mean radial artery patency rate was similar to isolated 71% (5/7) and sequential 90% (19/21) grafts; P = 0.10. Saphenous vein patency rates were similar for isolated 72% (31/43) and sequential 81% (73/90) grafts; P = 0.12. There was no difference between radial artery and saphenous vein patency rates., Conclusion: In symptomatic patients, isolated LITA patency is superior than sequential LITA. However, in coronary injuries of >or= 70%, the isolated and sequential patency rates are similar. Sequential grafts from radial artery and saphenous vein are similar to their respective isolated grafts.

Summary: During coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, the saphenous vein is sutured through its proximal segment to the aorta. Intimal hyperplasia is one of the possible causes of graft occlusion. Notably, blood turbulence can induce wall shear stress that may also play an important role in this process., Objective: We propose a new technique for performing proximal anastomosis to avoid CABG failure., Method: An 80 kg pig was subjected to open heart surgery. Four stitches were placed in the anterior ascending aorta, which formed a 2 cm by 4 cm patch. This patch was isolated through the application of a tangential clamp that was oriented parallel to the axis of the aorta. After releasing the patch, which was held to the aorta through its cranial end pedicle, the rims were sutured to each other creating a conduit with a length of 4 cm and an internal diameter of 4 mm. The rest of the aortotomy was closed by placing a direct suture between its rims., Result: This novel technique created an "in situ" aortic wall graft that was 4 cm long and characterized as being of uniform 4 mm caliber.

Disruptions of LGI1 in glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines and LGI1 mutations in families with autosomal dominant epilepsy imply a role for LGI1 in glial cells as well as in neurons. Although we and others could not find LGI1 mutations in malignant gliomas, our initial studies appeared to support the idea that LGI1 is poorly expressed or absent in these tumors. Microarray data suggested that LGI1 could be involved in the control of matrix metalloproteinases, and we found that tumors derived from U87 glioblastoma cells overexpressing LGI1 were less aggressive than U87 control tumors. To our surprise, we observed that LGI1 expression after differentiation of murine neural stem cells was robust in neurons but negligible in glial cells, in agreement with immunohistochemistry studies on rodent brain. This observation could suggest that the variable levels of LGI1 expression in gliomas reflect the presence of neurons entrapped within the tumor. To test this hypothesis, we investigated LGI1 expression in parallel with expression of the neuronal marker NEF3 by real-time PCR on 30 malignant gliomas. Results showed a strong, positive correlation between the expression levels of these two genes (P < 0.0001). Thus, our data confirm that LGI1 is involved in cell-matrix interactions but suggest that its expression is not relevant in glial cells, implying that its role as a tumor suppressor in gliomas should be reconsidered.

Women who did not pursue a second in vitro fertilization cycle after a failed cycle were surveyed. The major reason for not pursuing a second cycle was financial.

Objective: To investigate whether any parameter in the routine semen analysis of electroejaculates is correlated with success in achieving pregnancy by IUI., Design: Retrospective observational study., Setting: An Assisted Reproductive Program at a tertiary care university center., Patient(s): Twenty-seven anejaculatory men with spinal cord injury (n = 24) or history of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (n = 3), thirteen of whom attempted conception with their wives., Intervention(s): Anejaculatory men underwent rectal probe electroejaculation and electroejaculates were used for IUI., Main Outcome Measure(s): Statistical correlation of semen parameters between electroejaculates that resulted in pregnancy and those that did not., Result(s): Seven pregnancies resulted from 56 IUIs using electroejaculates (pregnancy rate = 12.5% per IUI). The total motile sperm count and percentage of normal morphology were significantly higher in the specimens that resulted in pregnancies than those that did not. However, there was no statistically significant difference observed in pH, sperm concentration, or percentage of motility between the two groups. Swim-up techniques used to process electroejaculates significantly improved the motility of the specimens. No pregnancy occurred beyond the fifth IUI attempt. Repeated electroejaculation and duration of spinal cord injury had no effect on the quality of the ejaculates., Conclusion(s): The total motile sperm count and the percentage normal morphology of electroejaculates correlate with success in achieving pregnancy by IUI. Because repeated electroejaculation does not improve quality of ejaculate, the initial semen analysis of electroejaculates is not only useful in counseling couples undergoing such treatment program but should be planned for use as an inseminate.