Probing the (empirical) quantum structure embedded in the periodic table with an effective Bohr model

The atomic shell structure can be observed by inspecting the experimental periodic properties of the Periodic Table. The (quantum) shell structure emerges from these properties and in this way quantum mechanics can be explicitly shown considering the (semi-)quantitative periodic properties. These periodic properties can be obtained with a simple effective Bohr model. An effective Bohr model with an effective quantum defect (u) was considered as a probe in order to show the quantum structure embedded in the Periodic Table. u(Z) shows a quasi-smoothed dependence of Z, i.e., u(Z) ≈ Z2/5 - 1.

GLOBAL AND LOCAL REACTIVITY DESCRIPTORS FOR PICLORAM HERBICIDE: A THEORETICAL QUANTUM STUDY

In this work, we studied the reactivity of picloram in the aqueous phase at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) and MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) levels of theory through global and local reactivity descriptors. The results obtained at the MP2 level indicate that the cationic form of picloram exhibits the highest hardness while the anionic form is the most nucleophilic. From the Fukui function values, the most reactive site for electrophilic and free radical attacks are on the nitrogen in the pyridine ring. The more reactive sites for nucleophilic attacks are located on the nitrogen atom of the amide group and on the carbon atoms located at positions 2 and 3 in the pyridine ring.

JUVENILE-MATURE GENETIC CORRELATIONS IN Pinus taeda CLONES PROPAGATED VIA SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS

ABSTRACT This study aimed to estimate the genetic correlation among selection ages (juvenile - adult) and efficiency of early selection for the height, diameter, and volume traits of individuals from Pinus taeda families propagated via somatic embryogenesis. This study was carried out by genetic-statistical analysis, estimation procedure of variance (Reml), and prediction components of breeding values (Blup), using the Selegen-Reml/Blup software. Genetic correlations among juvenile ages and rotation age were performed by applying the linear model developed by Lambeth (1980). In accordance with results of the established model, the early selection can be performed in clones of Pinus taeda with high selection efficiency. Ages from 4 to 6 years old are enough to select Pinus taeda clones propagated via somatic embryogenesis for harvesting at 8 and 12 years old; and 6 to 10 years old are enough to select them for harvesting at 20 years old. On the basis of the genetic correlations estimates from the environments, the clones' selection of Pinus taeda propagated via somatic embryogenesis should be developed specifically for each environment. The clones' selection can be performed considering the diameter due to the high correlation between volume and diameter.

Holstein white coat color and performance: phenotypic, genetic and environmental correlations

Correlations of measures of percentages of white coat color, five measures of production and two measures of reproduction were obtained from 4293 first lactation Holsteins from eight Florida dairy farms. Percentages of white coat color were analyzed as recorded and transformed by an extension of Box-Cox procedures. Statistical analyses were by derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood (DFREML) with an animal model. Phenotypic and genetic correlations of white percentage (not transformed) were with milk yield, 0.047 and 0.097; fat yield, 0.002 and 0.004; fat percentage, -0.047 and -0.090; protein yield, 0.024 and 0.048; protein percentage, -0.070 and -0.116; days open, -0.012 and -0.065; and calving interval, -0.007 and -0.029. Changes in magnitude of correlations were very small for all variables except days open. Genetic and phenotypic correlations of transformed values with days open were -0.027 and -0.140. Modest positive correlated responses would be expected for white coat color percentage following direct selection for milk, fat, and protein yields, but selection for fat and protein percentages, days open, or calving interval would lead to small decreases.

Correlations between ANP concentrations in atria, plasma and cerebral structures and sodium chloride preference in Wistar rats

We determined whether ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide) concentrations, measured by radioimmunoassay, in the ANPergic cerebral regions involved in regulation of sodium intake and excretion and pituitary gland correlated with differences in sodium preference among 40 Wistar male rats (180-220 g). Sodium preference was measured as mean spontaneous ingestion of 1.5% NaCl solution during a test period of 12 days. The relevant tissues included the olfactory bulb (OB), the posterior and anterior lobes of the pituitary gland (PP and AP, respectively), the median eminence (ME), the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH), and the region anteroventral to the third ventricle (AV3V). We also measured ANP content in the right (RA) and left atrium (LA) and plasma. The concentrations of ANP in the OB and the AP were correlated with sodium ingestion during the preceding 24 h, since an increase of ANP in these structures was associated with a reduced ingestion and vice-versa (OB: r = -0.3649, P<0.05; AP: r = -0.3291, P<0.05). Moreover, the AP exhibited a correlation between ANP concentration and mean NaCl intake (r = -0.4165, P<0.05), but this was not the case for the OB (r = 0.2422). This suggests that differences in sodium preference among individual male rats can be related to variations of AP ANP level. Earlier studies indicated that the OB is involved in the control of NaCl ingestion. Our data suggest that the OB ANP level may play a role mainly in day-to-day variations of sodium ingestion in the individual rat

Glycosuria in glomerular diseases: histopathology and clinical correlations

There are doubts about the presence of glycosuria and the progress of glomerular disease. Some reports suggest that glycosuria could be an index of a more severe tubulointerstitial lesion. We investigated the presence of glycosuria in 60 patients with primary glomerular diseases: 17 patients (28%) had glycosuria and 43 patients (72%) were glycosuria free. The two groups were similar in age, arterial pressure and sex. Serum creatinine was higher in patients with glycosuria (2.0 ± 1.7 vs 1.3 ± 0.9 mg/dl, P<0.05). The protein excretion rate was 7.5 ± 3.7 vs 5.3 ± 4.2 g/day (P>0.05) in patients with and without glycosuria, respectively, while serum albumin was lower in patients with glycosuria (1.7 ± 0.6 vs 2.7 ± 1.0 g/dl, P<0.05). Several histological forms were present in the group with glycosuria, with membranous glomerulonephritis being the most frequent. Histological evidence of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis prevailed in patients with glycosuria, suggesting a poor prognosis for these patients. We may conclude that the presence of glycosuria in patients with glomerular disease is associated with more pronounced tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis and therefore imply a poorer prognosis.

Correlations between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow in acute asthma

Few studies are available concerning correlations between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow in children and adolescents with acute asthma. Although the Global Initiative for Asthma states that measurements of lung function and oximetry are critical for the assessment of patients, it is not clear if both methods should necessarily be included in their evaluation. Since there is a significant difference in cost between pulse oximetry equipment and peak expiratory flow devices, we determined whether clinical findings and peak expiratory flow measurements are sufficient to determine the severity of acute asthma. The present prospective observational study was carried out to determine if there is correlation between pulse oximetry and peak expiratory flow determination in 196 patients with acute asthma aged 4 to 15 years diagnosed according to the Global Initiative for Asthma criteria. Patients experiencing their first or second wheezing episode, with fever, related acute or chronic diseases, and unable to perform the peak expiratory flow maneuver were excluded. Measurements of peak expiratory flow and pulse oximetry were performed at admission and after 15 min of each inhaled salbutamol cycle. Correlations obtained by linear regression using the Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were 0.41 (P < 0.0001), 0.53 (P < 0.0001), 0.51 (P < 0.0001), and 0.61 (P < 0.0001) at admission and after the first, second and third cycles of salbutamol, respectively. These correlations showed that one measure cannot substitute the other (Pearson's coefficient <0.7), probably because they evaluate different aspects in the airways, suggesting that peak expiratory flow should not be used alone in the assessment of acute asthma in children and adolescents.

HLA-DRB1 alleles in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: renal histologic class correlations

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) DRB1*03 and DRB1*02 have been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Caucasians and black populations. It has been observed that certain HLA alleles show stronger associations with SLE autoantibodies and clinical subsets, although they have rarely been associated with lupus renal histologic class. In the present study, HLA-DRB1 allele correlations with clinical features, autoantibodies and renal histologic class were analyzed in a cohort of racially mixed Brazilian patients with juvenile-onset SLE. HLA-DRB1 typing was carried out by polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence-specific primers using genomic DNA from 55 children and adolescents fulfilling at least four of the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE. Significance was determined by the chi-square test applied to 2 x 2 tables. The HLA-DRB1*15 allele was most frequent in patients with renal, musculoskeletal, cutaneous, hematologic, cardiac, and neuropsychiatric involvement, as well as in patients positive for anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm, anti-U1-RNP, and anti-SSA/Ro antibodies, although an association between HLA alleles and SLE clinical features and autoantibodies could not be observed. The HLA-DRB1*17, HLA-DRB1*10, HLA-DRB1*15, and HLA-DRB1*07 alleles were significantly higher in patients with renal histologic class I, class IIA, class IIB, and class V, respectively. The present results suggest that the contribution of HLA- DRB1 alleles to juvenile-onset SLE could not be related to clinical or serological subsets of the disease, but it may be related to renal histologic classes, especially class I, class II A, class II B, and class V. The latter correlations have not been observed in literature.

Correlations of circulating peptide YY and ghrelin with body weight, rate of weight gain, and time required to achieve the recommended daily intake in preterm infants

The objective was to elucidate the relationships between serum concentrations of the gut hormone peptide YY (PYY) and ghrelin and growth development in infants for potential application to the clinical observation index. Serum concentrations of PYY and ghrelin were measured using radioimmunoassay from samples collected at the clinic. For each patient, gestational age, birth weight, time required to return to birth weight, rate of weight gain, time required to achieve recommended daily intake (RDI) standards, time required for full-gastric feeding, duration of hospitalization, and time of administration of total parenteral nutrition were recorded. Serum PYY and ghrelin concentrations were significantly higher in the preterm group (N = 20) than in the full-term group (N = 20; P < 0.01). Within the preterm infant group, the serum concentrations of PYY and ghrelin on postnatal day (PND) 7 (ghrelin = 1485.38 ± 409.24; PYY = 812.37 ± 153.77 ng/L) were significantly higher than on PND 1 (ghrelin = 956.85 ± 223.09; PYY = 545.27 ± 204.51 ng/L) or PND 3 (ghrelin = 1108.44 ± 351.36; PYY = 628.96 ± 235.63 ng/L; P < 0.01). Both serum PYY and ghrelin concentrations were negatively correlated with body weight, and the degree of correlation varied with age. Serum ghrelin concentration correlated negatively with birth weight and positively with the time required to achieve RDI (P < 0.05). In conclusion, serum PYY and ghrelin concentrations reflect a negative energy balance, predict postnatal growth, and enable compensation. Further studies are required to elucidate the precise concentration and roles of PYY and ghrelin in newborns and to determine the usefulness of measuring these hormones in clinical practice.

Correlations between forced oscillation technique parameters and pulmonary densitovolumetry values in patients with acromegaly

The aims of this study were to evaluate the forced oscillation technique (FOT) and pulmonary densitovolumetry in acromegalic patients and to examine the correlations between these findings. In this cross-sectional study, 29 non-smoking acromegalic patients and 17 paired controls were subjected to the FOT and quantification of lung volume using multidetector computed tomography (Q-MDCT). Compared with the controls, the acromegalic patients had a higher value for resonance frequency [15.3 (10.9-19.7) vs 11.4 (9.05-17.6) Hz, P=0.023] and a lower value for mean reactance [0.32 (0.21-0.64) vs 0.49 (0.34-0.96) cm H2O/L/s2, P=0.005]. In inspiratory Q-MDCT, the acromegalic patients had higher percentages of total lung volume (TLV) for nonaerated and poorly aerated areas [0.42% (0.30-0.51%) vs 0.25% (0.20-0.32%), P=0.039 and 3.25% (2.48-3.46%) vs 1.70% (1.45-2.15%), P=0.001, respectively]. Furthermore, the acromegalic patients had higher values for total lung mass in both inspiratory and expiratory Q-MDCT [821 (635-923) vs 696 (599-769) g, P=0.021 and 844 (650-945) vs 637 (536-736) g, P=0.009, respectively]. In inspiratory Q-MDCT, TLV showed significant correlations with all FOT parameters. The TLV of hyperaerated areas showed significant correlations with intercept resistance (rs=−0.602, P<0.001) and mean resistance (rs=−0.580, P<0.001). These data showed that acromegalic patients have increased amounts of lung tissue as well as nonaerated and poorly aerated areas. Functionally, there was a loss of homogeneity of the respiratory system. Moreover, there were correlations between the structural and functional findings of the respiratory system, consistent with the pathophysiology of the disease.

Energy system contribution in a maximal incremental test: correlations with pacing and overall performance in a 10-km running trial

This study aimed to verify the association between the contribution of energy systems during an incremental exercise test (IET), pacing, and performance during a 10-km running time trial. Thirteen male recreational runners completed an incremental exercise test on a treadmill to determine the respiratory compensation point (RCP), maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max), peak treadmill speed (PTS), and energy systems contribution; and a 10-km running time trial (T10-km) to determine endurance performance. The fractions of the aerobic (WAER) and glycolytic (WGLYCOL) contributions were calculated for each stage based on the oxygen uptake and the oxygen energy equivalents derived by blood lactate accumulation, respectively. Total metabolic demand (WTOTAL) was the sum of these two energy systems. Endurance performance during the T10-km was moderately correlated with RCP, V˙O2maxand PTS (P<@0.05), and moderate-to-highly correlated with WAER, WGLYCOL, and WTOTAL (P<0.05). In addition, WAER, WGLYCOL, and WTOTAL were also significantly correlated with running speed in the middle (P<0.01) and final (P<0.01) sections of the T10-km. These findings suggest that the assessment of energy contribution during IET is potentially useful as an alternative variable in the evaluation of endurance runners, especially because of its relationship with specific parts of a long-distance race.

Clinical and pathological correlations of C4d immunostaining and its infl uence on the outcome of kidney transplant recipients

INTRODUCTION: C4d is a marker of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) in kidney allografts, although cellular rejection also have C4d deposits. OBJECTIVE: To correlate C4d expression with clinico-pathological parameters and graft outcomes at three years. METHODS: One hundred forty six renal transplantation recipients with graft biopsies by indication were included. C4d staining was performed by paraffin-immunohistochemistry. Graft function and survival were measured, and predictive variables of the outcome were determined by multivariate Cox regression. RESULTS: C4d staining was detected in 48 (31%) biopsies, of which 23 (14.7%) had diffuse and 25 (16%) focal distribution. Pre-transplantation panel reactive antibodies (%PRA) class I and II were significantly higher in C4d positive patients as compared to those C4d negative. Both glomerulitis and pericapillaritis were associated to C4d (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The presence of C4d in biopsies diagnosed as no rejection (NR), acute cellular rejection (ACR) or interstitial fibrosis/ tubular atrophy (IF/TA) did not impact graft function or survival. Compared to NR, ACR and IF/TA C4d-, patients with ABMR C4d+ had the worst graft survival over 3 years (p = 0.034), but there was no difference between ABMR versus NR, ACR and IF/TA that were C4d positive (p = 0.10). In Cox regression, graft function at biopsy and high %PRA levels were predictors of graft loss. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that C4d staining in kidney graft biopsies is a clinically useful marker of ABMR, with well defined clinical and pathological correlations. The impact of C4d deposition in other histologic diagnoses deserves further investigation.