In vitro growth and leaf anatomy of Cattleya walkeriana (Gardner, 1839) grown in natural ventilation system

Natural ventilation system facilitates gaseous exchanges in in vitro plants promoting changes in the leaf tissue, which can be evaluated through the leaf anatomy, and it allows a cultivation closer to the photoautrophic micropropagation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects on in vitro growth and on the leaf anatomy of Cattleya walkeriana grown in natural and conventional ventilation system with different concentrations of sucrose (0; 15; 30 and 45 L-1) combined with different cultivation systems (conventional micropropagation and natural ventilation system). The culture medium was composed of MS salts, solidified with 7 g L-1 of agar and pH adjusted to 5.8. Forty milliliters of culture medium were distributed in 250 mL flasks, autoclaved at 120 ºC for 20 minutes. The greater plant growth, as well as the greater thickness of the mesophyll was observed with the use of 20 g L-1 sucrose in natural ventilation system. Plants grown in natural ventilation system showed a thicker leaf mesophyll, which is directly related to photoautotrophic crops. The natural ventilation system induced more elliptical stomata and probably more functional formats.

Candida albicans PROTEIN PROFILE CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE BUTANOLIC EXTRACT OF Sapindus saponariaL.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that is capable of causing superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Extracts of Sapindus saponaria have been used as antimicrobial agents against various organisms. In the present study, we used a combination of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify the changes in protein abundance of C. albicans after exposure to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sub-minimal inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) of the butanolic extract (BUTE) of S. saponaria and also to fluconazole. A total of six different proteins with greater than 1.5 fold induction or repression relative to the untreated control cells were identified among the three treatments. In general, proteins/enzymes involved with the glycolysis (GPM1, ENO1, FBA1), amino acid metabolism (ILV5, PDC11) and protein synthesis (ASC1) pathways were detected. In conclusion, our findings reveal antifungal-induced changes in protein abundance of C. albicans. By using the previously identified components of the BUTE of S. saponaria(e.g., saponins and sesquiterpene oligoglycosides), it will be possible to compare the behavior of compounds with unknown mechanisms of action, and this knowledge will help to focus the subsequent biochemical work aimed at defining the effects of these compounds.

Clinical and laboratory findings related to a favorable evolution of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

The medical records of 27 patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome were analyzed according to the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in relation to the following data up on hospital admission: age, gender, fever, cough, dyspnea, systolic arterial blood pressure, heart rate, levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, leukocytes, lymphocytes, platelets, creatinine and arterial blood gases. The volume infused during the first 24 hours after admission, the use of inotropic agents, the use of corticosteroids and the patient outcomes were also evaluated. A favorable outcome was related to systolic blood pressure³ 100mmHg, heart rate lower than 100 beats per minute, creatinine below 1.6mg/dl, arterial blood pH³ 7.35, bicarbonate higher than 15mEq/dl, oxygen saturation higher than 84.1%, lower rehydration volume in the first 24 hours of hospitalization and no use of inotropic agents. Absence of clinical and laboratory signs of circulatory shock up on admission was associated with a favorable outcome of the patients.

Observations of air composition in Brazil between the Equator and 20°s during the dry season.

Field measurement programs in Brazil during the dry season months of August and September in 1979 and 1980 have demonstrated the great importance of the continental tropics in global air chemistry. Especially in the mixed layer, the air composition over land is much different from that over the ocean and the land areas are clearly longe scale sources of many inportant trace gases. During the dry season much biomass, burning takes place especially in the cerrado regions leading to substantial emission of air pollutants, such as CO, NOx, N2O, CH4 and other hydrocarbons. Ozone concentrations are alsoenhanced due to photochemical reactions. Biogenic organic emissions from tropical forests play likewise an important role in the photochemistry of the atmosphere. Carbon monoxide was found to be present in high concentrations in the boundary layer of the tropical forest, but ozone concentrations were much lower than in the cerrado.

Exercise and heart failure. Relation of the severity of the disease to the anaerobic threshold and the respiratory compensation point

OBJECTIVE - To identify, the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point in patients with heart failure. METHODS - The study comprised 42 Men,divided according to the functional class (FC) as follows: group I (GI) - 15 patients in FC I; group II (GII) - 15 patients in FC II; and group III (GIII) - 12 patients in FC III. Patients underwent a treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test, where the expired gases were analyzed. RESULTS - The values for the heart rate (in bpm) at the anaerobic threshold were the following: GI, 122±27; GII, 117±17; GIII, 114±22. At the respiratory compensation point, the heart rates (in bpm) were as follows: GI, 145±33; GII, 133±14; GIII 123±22. The values for the heart rates at the respiratory compensation point in GI and GIII showed statistical difference. The values of oxygen consumption (VO2) at the anaerobic threshold were the following (in ml/kg/min): GI, 13.6±3.25; GII, 10.77±1.89; GIII, 8.7±1.44 and, at the respiratory compensation point, they were as follows: GI, 19.1±2.2; GII, 14.22±2.63; GIII, 10.27±1.85. CONCLUSION - Patients with stable functional class I, II, and III heart failure reached the anaerobic threshold and the respiratory compensation point at different levels of oxygen consumption and heart rate. The role played by these thresholds in physical activity for this group of patients needs to be better clarified.

Polyphasic characterisation of Burkholderia cepaciacomplex species isolated from children with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) pulmonary infections have high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare different methods for identification of Bcc species isolated from paediatric CF patients. Oropharyngeal swabs from children with CF were used to obtain isolates of Bcc samples to evaluate six different tests for strain identification. Conventional (CPT) and automatised (APT) phenotypic tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-recA, restriction fragment length polymorphism-recA, recAsequencing, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) were applied. Bacterial isolates were also tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. PCR-recA analysis showed that 36 out of the 54 isolates were Bcc. Kappa index data indicated almost perfect agreement between CPT and APT, CPT and PCR-recA, and APT and PCR-recA to identify Bcc, and MALDI-TOF and recAsequencing to identify Bcc species. The recAsequencing data and the MALDI-TOF data agreed in 97.2% of the isolates. Based on recA sequencing, the most common species identified were Burkholderia cenocepacia IIIA (33.4%),Burkholderia vietnamiensis (30.6%), B. cenocepaciaIIIB (27.8%), Burkholderia multivorans (5.5%), and B. cepacia (2.7%). MALDI-TOF proved to be a useful tool for identification of Bcc species obtained from CF patients, although it was not able to identify B. cenocepacia subtypes.