RESUMO
A portable electrical impedance spectroscopy device was developed to monitor the bioimpedance resistive component of bovine meat by injecting a sinusoidal current of 1 mA at 65 kHz. Both right and left longissimus dorsi muscles were trimmed from 4 slaughtered cows. The left muscle portions were frozen to -18 °C for 7 days while the right ones were meantime maintained at 5 °C. Mean value of impedance per length (Ω/cm) of frozen and thawed left samples was 31% lower than that of right non-frozen one (P = 0.0001). It was concluded that the device is reliable for monitoring the maturation of beef meat in situ with the possibility of revealing undeclared freeze-thaw cycles.
RESUMO
A 75-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with persistent fever, productive cough and systemic symptoms of two months' duration. A chest film showed bilateral infiltration in the form of subpleural plaques with multiple satellite nodules in both lung fields. The biopsy specimens taken by thoracoscopy were compatible with inflammatory pulmonary pseudotumor. Lung resection was ruled out because the lesions were bilateral and corticosteroid treatment was instated. The clinical and radiologic response was excellent and the patient was asymptomatic after 30 months of low-dose corticoid therapy.