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Interactions among plants secreting extrafloral nectar (EFN) and arthropods, mainly ants, have traditionally been considered as a classic example of mutualism. However, the net balance of these interactions can be highly variable according to biotic and abiotic factors. In the present study, we investigated whether the production of EFN in the Neotropical shrub Turnera subulata (Turneraceae) is induced by ecological context (i.e. biotic and abiotic factors). For this, we tested the hypotheses that the production of EFN in T. subulata plants is increased according to the biotic (phonological stage, herbivore and its simulation, presence of associated ants) and abiotic factors (water stress) in order to protect the most valuable and vulnerable parts. Manipulative experiments were carried out under greenhouse conditions. First, the production of EFN was analyzed in plants of T. subulata in vegetative and reproductive stages with and without water stress. Then, EFN production in response to herbivory and presence of associated ants were tested in plants in the reproductive with and without water stress. EFN volume was estimated with microcapillaries tubes. In general, plants under water stress produced less EFN than plants without stress. The production of EFN was increased in the reproductive stage and under herbivory. Plants under herbivory and with water stress produced a higher amount of EFN only when experience damages caused by the specialist herbivore. On the other hand, plants did not respond to the removal of EFN by ants or manually. Our results demonstrate that T. subulata can modulate the production of EFN according to the ecological context. The plastic response in the production of EFN by T. subulata seems to minimize the costs in defense.

To prospectively determine the accuracy of a combined magnetic resonance (MR) imaging approach (stress first-pass perfusion imaging followed by delayed-enhancement imaging) for depicting clinically significant coronary artery stenosis (or = 70% stenosis) in patients suspected of having or known to have coronary artery disease (CAD), with coronary angiography serving as the reference standard.The committee on human research approved the study protocol, and all participants gave written informed consent. This study was HIPAA compliant. Forty-seven patients (38 men and nine women; mean age, 63 years +/- 5.3 [standard deviation]) scheduled for coronary angiography were prospectively enrolled: 33 were suspected of having CAD (group A) and 14 had experienced a previous myocardial infarction and were suspected of having new lesions (group B). The MR imaging protocol included cine function, gadolinium-enhanced stress and rest first-pass perfusion MR imaging, and delayed-enhancement MR imaging. Myocardial ischemia was defined as a segment with perfusion deficit at stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and no hyperenhancement at delayed-enhancement imaging. Myocardial infarction was defined as an area with hyperenhancement at delayed-enhancement imaging.One patient was excluded from analysis because of poor-quality MR images. Coronary angiography depicted significant stenosis in 30 of 46 patients (65%). In a per-vessel analysis (n = 138), stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and delayed-enhancement imaging yielded sensitivity of 0.87, specificity of 0.89, and accuracy of 0.88, when compared with coronary angiography. The diagnostic accuracy of stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging and delayed-enhancement imaging was slightly better than that of stress and rest first-pass perfusion MR imaging in the entire population (0.88 vs 0.85), in group A (0.86 vs 0.82), and in group B (0.93 vs 0.90).Stress first-pass perfusion MR imaging followed by delayed-enhancement imaging is an accurate method to depict significant coronary stenosis in patients suspected of having or known to have CAD.

PURPOSE: Analysis of the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) involvement in 115 patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) by MR imaging. The simultaneous occurrence of ipsilateral fornix (F) and mamillary body (MB) volume loss was checked also. These findings were correlated with the side of hippocampal involvement, the sex, patient´s age, and the symptoms onset. METHOD: The MR images of 115 patients with HS were studied retrospectively. All the examinations were performed on 1.5 T units (SIGNA, GE, Milwaukee, WI) and included high resolution coronal T2-weighted images (3 mm thickness, 0.6 mm gap). RESULTS: The patient's age ranged between 3.5 and 80 years (mean 34.1); 62 (53.9%) were female and 53 (46.1%) were male. There were HS on the left side in 53 (46.0%), on the right side in 51 (44.3%), and bilateral in 11 (9.7%). In 43 (37.3%) cases there were ipsilateral PHG volume loss and signal hyper intensity on T2-weighted imaging. In 29 (25.2%) cases there were ipsilateral fornix volume loss and in 10 (34.5%) of this there were also ipsilateral MB changes. In abnormal PHG, 23 (53.4%) were on the left side, 17 (39.5%) were on the right side, and 3 (7.1%) were bilateral. There were fornix changes in 15 (34.8%) cases and MB volume loss in 5 (11.6%) cases. Pertinent clinical data were obtained in only 18 (41.8%) of the PHG lesion cases and 11 (61.1%) of these patients had epileptic attacks for more than 20 years before the examination. CONCLUSION: PHG involvement must be investigated in patients with HS and we suggest that the term mesial temporal sclerosis should be used only if there are also changes at this anatomical site. OBJETIVO: Analisar o envolvimento do giro para-hipocampal (GPH) em 115 pacientes com esclerose hipocampal (EH) à RM. Estudou-se a porcentagem dos casos com redução volumétrica do fórnix (F) e corpo mamilar (CM) ipsilaterais, lado acometido, sexo, idade e tempo de convulsão. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo de 115 casos retirados do nosso arquivo. Foram realizados cortes coronais STIR (3mm de espessura com 0,6mm de espaçamento) em aparelhos GE, Signa Horizon, LX e CVI, 1,5T. RESULTADOS: Nos 115 casos estudados, a idade dos pacientes variava entre 3,5 e 80 anos (média 34,1 anos); 62(53,9%) eram mulheres e 53(46,1%) eram homens; 53(46,0%) à esquerda, 51(44,3%) à direita e 11(9,7%) bilaterais; 43(37,3%) apresentavam GPH com dimensões reduzidas e hipersinal ipsilateral, 29(25,2%) fornix reduzido ipsilateralmente e destes, 10(34,5%) tinham CM alterado ipsilateral. Dos GPH alterados, 23(53,4%) à esquerda e 3(7,1%) bilaterais; 15(34,8%) redução de volume CAF e 5(11,6%) no CM. Sabíamos o tempo de crises de 18(41,8%) pacientes com alteração do GPH e destes, 11(61,1%) apresentavam crises há mais de 20 anos. CONCLUSÃO: Concluímos que o radiologista deve estar ciente do envolvimento do GPH nos pacientes com esclerose do lobo temporal e sugerimos que o termo esclerose mesial temporal deva somente ser utilizado na presença de alterações do mesmo.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the main MRI characteristics of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common CNS primary tumor, emphasizing its location and the occurrence of metastases.The MR imaging of 67 pathologically proven cases of glioblastoma multiforme were retrospectively reviewed. The exams were realized in the period between 1995 and 2003, in one of three 1.5 Signa GE units (Milwaukee, WI).The ages of the patients ranged from 4 years to 86 years, mean 60 years, and the occurrence of the tumor was preponderant among men, with 39 cases (58%). The most common location was in the frontal lobes (47%) followed by the temporal lobes (18%) and the parietal lobes (16%). In 19% of the cases there were involvement of more than one site and long distance metastases were seen in 22% of the patients.According to the literature, the most common location of GBM was in the frontal lobe of older than 50 years old men. Metastases occurred in 22% of our cases.

PURPOSE: The typical manifestations of neurocysticercosis are described widely in the literature. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the uncommon presentations of different forms of neurocysticercosis in MR imaging. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 172 cases of neurocysticercosis in MR studies was carried out over a period of 13 years. One hundred and four males and 68 females with a mean age of 32 ± 3.7 years were studied. The studies were performed on 1.5 T GE MR units and T1 was used before and after gadolinium injection, T2 and gradient-echo (T2*) sequences. RESULTS: The authors divided the unusual manifestations of neurocysticercosis into: intraventricular, subarachnoid, spinal, orbital, intraparenchymatous, and reactivation of previously calcified lesions. The results obtained were: intraparenchymatous 95 cases (55.23%); intraventricular 27 cases (15.69%); subarachnoid 20 cases (11.63%); spinal 6 cases (3.49%); orbital 1 case (0.58%); reactivated lesion 1 case (0.58%); association of intraventricular and intraparenchymatous 12 cases (6.98%); association of subarachnoid and intraparenchymatous 6 cases (3.49%); association of subarachnoid and intraventricular, 4 cases (2.32%). CONCLUSION: MR imaging is a sensitive and specific method in the analysis of different forms of unusual manifestations of neurocysticercosis, which should appear in the differential diagnosis of parenchymal, ventricular, spinal, cisternal, and orbital lesions. OBJETIVO: as manifestações típicas da neurocisticercose já são bem conhecidas. O papel deste estudo foi demonstrar os aspectos incomuns da neurocisticercose na ressonância magnética. MÉTODO: foram analisados 172 casos de ressonância magnética de neurocisticercose na Med Imagem num período de 13 (treze) anos em aparelhos GE de 1.5T Signa (Horizon, LX e CVI). Dos casos analisados, foram diversas as formas de apresentação, incluindo intraventricular, intraespinhal, cisternal, orbital, formas atípicas parenquimatosas (simulando tumores), forma miliar e evolução não usual (reativação). CONCLUSÃO: A ressonância magnética é método sensível e específico na avaliação das numerosas formas de apresentação atípica da neurocisticercose, as quais devem constar no diagnóstico diferencial de lesões intraventriculares, cisternais, orbitárias e parenquimatosas.

PURPOSE: A variety of diseases affect the calvaria. They may be identified clinically as palpable masses or incidentally in radiologic examinations. There are many diagnostic possibilities, including congenital, neoplastic, inflammatory and traumatic lesions. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the main calvarial lesions through MR imaging, their signal intensity and extension to neighboring sites. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 81 cases, from November 1996 to July 2001, was conducted. The examinations were performed on a 1.5 T equipment and each one of the cases was pathologically proven. RESULTS: The results were: dermoid cysts [4 cases (5%)], epidermoid cysts [2 cases (2.5%)], cephalocele [14 cases (17.5%)], sinus pericranii [3 cases (3.7%)], leptomeningeal cysts [4 cases (5%)], Langerhans cell histiocytosis [10 cases (12.5%)], lipoma [4 cases (5%)], fibrous dysplasia [13 cases (16.2%)], osteoma [8 cases (10%)], hemangioma [1 case (1.2%)], meningioma [3 cases (3.7%)], chondrosarcoma [5 cases (6.2%)], hemangiosarcoma [1 case (1.2%)], multiple myeloma [3 cases (3.7%)], sarcomatous transformation of Paget disease [1 case (1.3%)], and metastasis [5 cases (6.2%)]. CONCLUSION: MRI identifies bone marrow abnormalities and invasion of adjacent tissues at an early stage. Therefore, it is an essential method when it commes to properly evaluating calvarial lesions. OBJETIVO: A calota craniana é sede de diversas doenças, as quais podem ser identificadas clinicamente como massas palpáveis ou incidentalmente em estudos radiológicos. O diagnóstico diferencial é variado e inclui lesões de natureza congênita, neoplásica, inflamatória e traumática. O objetivo do nosso ensaio é ilustrar as principais lesões da calota craniana através de avalição por imagens de ressonância magnética (RM), expondo suas características de sinal e demonstrando sua extensão para os espaços adjacentes. MÉTODO: Foi realizada análise retrospectiva de 81 casos no período compreendido entre novembro de 1996 a julho de 2001. Os exames foram efetuados em aparelho de RM de 1,5T. RESULTADOS: Cisto dermóide [4 casos (5%)], cisto epidermóide [2 casos (2,5%)], cefalocele [14 casos (17,5%)], sinus pericranii [3 casos (3,7%)], cisto leptomeníngeo [4 casos (5%)], histiocitose de células de Langerhans [10 casos (12,5%)], lipoma [4 casos (5%)], displasia fibrosa [13 casos (16,2%)], osteoma [8 casos (10%)], hemangioma [1 caso (1,2%)], meningeoma [3 casos (3,7%)], condrossarcoma [5 casos (6,2%)], hemangiossarcoma [1 caso (1,2%)], mieloma multiplo [3 casos (3,7%)], transformação sarcomatosa da doença de Paget [1 caso (1,3%)], e metastase [5 casos (6,2%)]. CONCLUSÃO: A RM detecta precocemente as alterações que envolvem a medula óssea, bem como demonstra acuradamente o envolvimento dos tecidos adjacentes. Este método é fundamental na avaliação detalhada das lesões da calota craniana.