When Is the Best Moment to Assess the Ankle Brachial Index: Pre- or Post-Hemodialysis?

Background: Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death in patients on dialysis. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a prognostic factor for cardiovascular disease. The ankle brachial index (ABI) is a noninvasive method used for the diagnosis of PAD. The difference between ABI pre- and post-dialysis had not yet been formally tested, and it was the main objective of this study. Methods:The ABI was assessed using an automated oscillometric device in incident patients on hemodialysis. All blood pressure readings were taken in triplicate pre- and post-dialysis in three consecutive dialysis sessions (times 1, 2, and 3). Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients (85 men) aged 53 +/- 19 years were enrolled. We found no difference in ABI pre- and post-dialysis on the right or left side, and there was no difference in times 1, 2, and 3. In patients with a history of PAD, the ABI pre- versus post-dialysis were of borderline significance on the right side (p = 0.088). Conclusion: ABI measured pre- and post-dialysis presented low variability. The ABI in patients with a history of PAD should be evaluated with caution. The applicability of the current method in predicting mortality among patients on hemodialysis therefore needs further investigation. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel

Acesso aos livros eletrônicos (E-books), disponíveis para a comunidade USP

Este trabalho tem por objetivo demonstrar o processo de implementação de uma Base de Busca Unificada, para acesso aos títulos de E-books, adquiridos pelo Consórcio CRUESP Bibliotecas e desenvolvida pelo Sistema Integrado de Bibliotecas da Universidade de São Paulo (SIBi/USP). A Metodologia utilizada para elaboração do serviço foi a exportação dos registros de cada base dos fornecedores de E-books para um banco de dados MySQL, integrado com a linguagem Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), a elaboração de treinamento com bibliotecários e usuários para utilização do recurso e o desenvolvimento de estatística por Unidades da USP. Após a realização dos treinamentos e análise dos dados estatísticos verificou-se um aumento significativo da utilização do serviço desde a sua implantação em 2008, pelos usuários das Bibliotecas da USP. Conclui-se que o serviço é essencial para o desenvolvimento das atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão da Universidade, além de estar em consonância com as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) utilizadas atualmente em bibliotecas universitárias. Para aprimoramento do serviço outras atividades estão em desenvolvimento, como a ampliação da divulgação e a inclusão dos registros no Banco de Dados Bibliográficos da USP – DEDALUS

The capability of endophytic fungi for production of hemicellulases and related enzymes

Abstract Background There is an imperative necessity for alternative sources of energy able to reduce the world dependence of fossil oil. One of the most successful options is ethanol obtained mainly from sugarcane and corn fermentation. The foremost residue from sugarcane industry is the bagasse, a rich lignocellulosic raw material uses for the production of ethanol second generation (2G). New cellulolytic and hemicellulytic enzymes are needed, in order to optimize the degradation of bagasse and production of ethanol 2G. Results The ability to produce hemicellulases and related enzymes, suitable for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction, was explored using 110 endophytic fungi and 9 fungi isolated from spoiled books in Brazil. Two initial selections were performed, one employing the esculin gel diffusion assay, and the other by culturing on agar plate media with beechwood xylan and liquor from the hydrothermal pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse. A total of 56 isolates were then grown at 29°C on steam-exploded delignified sugar cane bagasse (DEB) plus soybean bran (SB) (3:1), with measurement of the xylanase, pectinase, β-glucosidase, CMCase, and FPase activities. Twelve strains were selected, and their enzyme extracts were assessed using different substrates. Finally, the best six strains were grown under xylan and pectin, and several glycohydrolases activities were also assessed. These strains were identified morphologically and by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the partial β-tubulin gene (BT2). The best six strains were identified as Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49. These strains produced glycohydrolases with different profiles, and production was highly influenced by the carbon sources in the media. Conclusions The selected endophytic fungi Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49 are excellent producers of hydrolytic enzymes to be used as part of blends to decompose sugarcane biomass at industrial level.

Web Scale Discovery Systems – How to assess the best solution

The University of São Paulo has been experiencing the increase in contents in electronic and digital formats, distributed by different suppliers and hosted remotely or in clouds, and is faced with the also increasing difficulties related to facilitating access to this digital collection by its users besides coexisting with the traditional world of physical collections. A possible solution was identified in the new generation of systems called Web Scale Discovery, which allow better management, data integration and agility of search. Aiming to identify if and how such a system would meet the USP demand and expectation and, in case it does, to identify what the analysis criteria of such a tool would be, an analytical study with an essentially documental base was structured, as from a revision of the literature and from data available in official websites and of libraries using this kind of resources. The conceptual base of the study was defined after the identification of software assessment methods already available, generating a standard with 40 analysis criteria, from details on the unique access interface to information contents, web 2.0 characteristics, intuitive interface, facet navigation, among others. The details of the studies conducted into four of the major systems currently available in this software category are presented, providing subsidies for the decision-making of other libraries interested in such systems.

Evidence on the best chlorhexidine concentration to perform oral hygiene: meta-analysis

Although scientific literature has demonstrated the relevance of oral hygiene with chlorhexidine in preventing ventilation-associated pneumonia, there is a wide variation of concentrations, frequency and techniques when using the antiseptic. The aim of this research was to assessthe best chlorhexidine concentration used to perform oral hygiene to prevent ventilation-associated pneumonia. A systematic review followed by four meta-analysis using chlorhexidine concentration as criterion was carried out. Articles in English, Spanish or Portuguese indexed in the Cochrane, Embase, Lilacs, PubMed/Medline and Ovid electronic databases were selected. The research was carried out from May to June 2011. The primary outcome measure of interest was ventilation-associated pneumonia. Ten primary studies were divided in four groups (Gl-4), based on chlorhexidine concentration criterion. Gl (5 primary studies, chlorhexidine 0.12%) showed homogeneity among studies and the use of chlorhexidine represented a protective factor. G2 (3 primary studies, chlorhexidine 0.20%) showed heterogeneity among studies and chlorhexidine did not represent a protective factor. G3 (2 primary studies, chlorhexidine 2,00%) showed homogeneity among studies and the use of chlorhexidine was significant. G4 (10 primary studies with different chlorhexidine concentrations) showed homogeneity among studies and the common Relative Risk was significant. Statistic analyses showed a protective effect of oral hygiene with chlorhexidine in preventing ventilation-associated pneumonia. However, it was not possible to identity a standard to establish optimal chlorhexidine concentration.

The capability of endophytic fungi for production of hemicellulases and related enzymes

Abstract BACKGROUND: There is an imperative necessity for alternative sources of energy able to reduce the world dependence of fossil oil. One of the most successful options is ethanol obtained mainly from sugarcane and corn fermentation. The foremost residue from sugarcane industry is the bagasse, a rich lignocellulosic raw material uses for the production of ethanol second generation (2G). New cellulolytic and hemicellulytic enzymes are needed, in order to optimize the degradation of bagasse and production of ethanol 2G. RESULTS: The ability to produce hemicellulases and related enzymes, suitable for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction, was explored using 110 endophytic fungi and 9 fungi isolated from spoiled books in Brazil. Two initial selections were performed, one employing the esculin gel diffusion assay, and the other by culturing on agar plate media with beechwood xylan and liquor from the hydrothermal pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse. A total of 56 isolates were then grown at 29°C on steam-exploded delignified sugar cane bagasse (DEB) plus soybean bran (SB) (3:1), with measurement of the xylanase, pectinase, β-glucosidase, CMCase, and FPase activities. Twelve strains were selected, and their enzyme extracts were assessed using different substrates. Finally, the best six strains were grown under xylan and pectin, and several glycohydrolases activities were also assessed. These strains were identified morphologically and by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the partial β-tubulin gene (BT2). The best six strains were identified as Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49. These strains produced glycohydrolases with different profiles, and production was highly influenced by the carbon sources in the media. CONCLUSIONS: The selected endophytic fungi Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49 are excellent producers of hydrolytic enzymes to be used as part of blends to decompose sugarcane biomass at industrial level.