Utilização de pelos de animais silvestres para monitoramento ambiental de Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb e Zn

This study investigates the use of wild animal hair of C. brachyurus, C. thous and L. pardalis as biomonitors of trace metal at Parque Nacional das Emas, Brazil. Results reveal a strong correlation between Cd and Pb as well as Cu and Zn, which suggests a single source of emission. Most metals showed a lower or equal concentration than those obtained in previous studies. The research shows that monitoring may be performed only with Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cr because of statistical similarity and of a non-natural occurrence of large amounts of the material under analysis.

Poluição por mercúrio em aterros urbanos do período colonial no extremo sul do Brasil

Land reclamation fills in the city of Rio Grande (RS) are polluted by mercury with concentrations ranging from 0.3 to 18.7 mg kg-1. The level of Hg pollution decreases from the oldest landfills of 18th century to recent ones. Mercury distribution along vertical profiles resembles the same for copper, lead, and zinc, what allow supposing that mercury distribution has an autochthonous character. It is suggested that the principal source of mercury pollution was the activities related to animal skin and fair hair treatment, using ancient technology known as "carroting". Similar scenario of environmental risk could be met in other Brazilian cities with similar colonization history.

A química e toxicidade dos corantes de cabelo

The market for hair dye involves a growing range of products, which requires greater understanding of hair properties, mechanisms of action and color development. In this work, we present a critical analysis of the classification, physical and chemical characteristics, chemical analysis and toxicological/mutagenic potential of dyes used in the hair dyeing process. A compilation of some studies was carried out, focusing on the available knowledge about these dyes and their effects on the environment and human health.

Effect of ethephon on hardening of Pachystroma longifolium seedlings

Immediately after planting, tree seedlings face adverse environmental and biotic stresses that must be overcome to ensure survival and to yield a desirable growth. Hardening practices in the nursery may help improve seedling stress resistance through reduction of aboveground plant tissues and increased root volume and biomass. We conducted an assay to quantify changes in the morphogenesis following application of ethephon on seedlings of Pachystroma longifolium (Ness) I. M. Johnst.during hardening. The results showed no effect of the ethephon treatments on the number of leaves but a reduction of up to 50% in seedling height increment, and an increase in stem diameter increment of up to 44% with the 600 mg L-1 ethephon treatment, which consequently altered seedling Dickson Quality Index. Our results indicate that ethephon may help to promote desired morphological changes that occur during seedling hardening in nurseries.

TÉCNICAS PARA DETECÇÃO DE PONTOS INFLUENTES EM VARIÁVEIS CONTÍNUAS REGIONALIZADAS

RESUMO Na análise de dados espaciais em agricultura, a presença de pontos influentes pode alterar consideravelmente os resultados das análises de dependência espacial e, consequentemente, a construção dos mapas. Quando se referem a atributos físico-químicos do solo e da produtividade, os mapas devem representar uma estimativa eficiente das condições reais do campo, já que são importantes informações utilizadas para a manutenção de um sistema agrícola de manejo localizado, com a otimização da aplicação de insumos agrícolas, visando à maior produtividade. Este trabalho teve por objetivo apresentar as técnicas gráficas hair-plot, de influência local (Ci e |Lmax|) de identificação de observações influentes em dados contínuos espaciais georreferenciados, coletados em uma área experimental de cultivo comercial, com 167,35 hectares, onde o sistema agrícola de manejo localizado é adotado. Como resultados apresentam-se os pontos potencialmente influentes e os mapas construídos com e sem eles. Na comparação entre os mapas com e sem estes pontos, as métricas de comparação dos mapas mostraram a importância da identificação dos pontos influentes em uma base de dados espaciais. Sendo assim, a existência de pontos influentes deve ser investigada para entender o motivo de seu comportamento atípico, já que eles modificam, consideravelmente, os mapas gerados.

Tricobezoar gástrico

Bezoar is a foreign body in the digestive tract originated from ingestion of varied substances, mainly vegetal hair or coats, staple fibers among others. We present a case of a 16-year-old female with trichotillomania history of approximately 5 months, diagnosed through clinical evidence of traumatic alopecia made by her dermatologist. Though asymptomatic the presence of tricobezoar was suspected and confirmed through digestive seriography and high digestive endoscopy. The patient was operated on for gastrotomy and removal of bezoar, with good postoperative follow-up, except for surgical wound infection.

Úlcera gástrica terebrante e pancreatite aguda provocadas por tricobezoar

Bezoar is a foreing body whitin the digestive tract originated from ingestion of varied substances, mainly vegetal fiber or hair. We present a case of a 14-year-old girl with trichotillomania, gastric trichobezoar, gastric ulcer and acute pancreatitis. The patient was operated on for anterior gastrotomy and removal of trichobezoar, with good postoperative follow-up. We illustrate this case to emphasize the need for recognition of gastric ulcer with acute pancreatitis and surgical management.

Tricobezoar gastro-duodeno-jejunal: abordagem videolaparoscópica

Trichobezoars are gastric concretions of hair that sometimes extend throught the intestine. We report on a patient with trichobezoar managed by videolaparoscopic extraction, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this method, that can be the treatment of choice of this conditions.

Tricobezoar gástrico: relato de caso

Bezoars are foreign bodies impacted in the digestive tract resulting of their ingestion and accumulation, involving mainly the stomach. The most common types are phytobezoars, contaning vegetables, fiber and seed and the trichobezoar, made of hair. The present case is the description of a 25-year-old female with nonspecific dyspeptic symptoms associated to intestinal habit change. The diagnosis was suggested by Computerized Tomography in association with clinical history - initially omitted by the pacient - of trichophagia for 10 years. Treatment consisted of Anterior Gastrotomy and remotion of the bezoar.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in men with liver cirrhosis before and after liver transplantation

Objective: To evaluate the influence of end-stage liver disease and orthotopic liver transplantation in the pituitary function and hormone metabolism before and after liver transplantation.Methods: In a prospective study, serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) of 30 male patients with cirrhosis were determined two to four hours before and six months after liver transplantation. The results were compared according to the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD).Results: male patients with liver cirrhosis have hypogonadism. FSH was normal, but inappropriately low due to androgen failure; E2 and PRL, on their turn, were high. After liver transplantation, FSH and LH levels increased (p < 0.05), whereas E2 and PRL normalized (p < 0.05). The MELD score did not influence changes in FSH, PRL and LH, however, the more severe the cirrhosis was, the more significant was the normalization of E2 (p = 0.01).Conclusion: Patients with cirrhosis and male hypogonadism have inappropriately normal levels of FSH and LH, associated with an increase in E2 and LRP. After liver transplantation, FSH and LH increased, while E2 and PRL returned to normal. Changes in E2 levels were most pronounced in patients with MELD > 18. The severity of cirrhosis had no influence on FSH, PRL and LH.

Is liver transplantation associated with decreased bone mass in climacteric women?

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether climacteric women undergoing liver transplantation had higher prevalence of decreased bone mass than those without any liver disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 48 women receiving follow-up care at a university hospital in Southeastern Brazil, from February 4th 2009 to January 5th 2011, was conducted. Of these women, 24 were 35 years or older and had undergone liver transplantation at least one year before study entry. The remaining 24 women had no liver disease and their ages and menstrual patterns were similar to those of transplanted patients. Laboratorial tests (follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol) and bone density measurements of the lumbar spine and femur (equipment Hologic, Discovery WI) were performed. Statistical analysis was carried out by Fisher's exact test, simple Odds Ratio (OR), and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Mean age of the women included in the study was 52.8 (±10.7) years-old, 27.1% were premenopausal and 72.9% were peri/postmenopausal. Approximately 14.6% of these women exhibited osteoporosis and 35.4% had low bone mass. The following items were associated with decreased bone mass: being postmenopausal (OR=71.4; 95%CI 3.8 - 1,339.7; p<0.0001), current age over 49 years-old (OR=11.4; 95%CI 2.9 - 44.0; p=0.0002), and serum estradiol levels lower than 44.5 pg/mL (OR=18.3; 95%CI 3.4 - 97.0; p<0.0001). Having a history of liver transplantation was not associated with decreased bone mass (OR=1.4; 95%CI 0.4 - 4.3; p=0.56). CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation was not associated with decreased bone mass in this group of climacteric women.

Association between Lipid Accumulation Product and Hirsutism in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine metabolic disorder in women between menarche and menopause. Clinical hyperandrogenism is the most important diagnostic criterion of the syndrome, which manifests as hirsutism in 70% of cases. Hirsute carriers of PCOS have high cardiovascular risk. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is an index for the evaluation of lipid accumulation in adults and the prediction of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between LAP and hirsutism in women with PCOS. Methods This was a cross-sectional observational study of a secondary database, which included 263 patients who had visited the Hyperandrogenism Outpatient Clinic from November 2009 to July 2014. The exclusion criteria were patients without Ferriman-Gallwey index (FGI) and/or LAP data. We used the Rotterdam criteria for the diagnosis of PCOS. All patients underwent medical assessment followed by measurement and recording of anthropometric data and the laboratory tests for measurement of the following: thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, total testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone (follicular phase), glycohemoglobin A1c, and basal insulin. In addition, the subjects underwent lipid profiling and oral glucose tolerance tests. Other laboratory measurements were determined according to clinical criteria. LAP and the homeostatic model assessment index (HOMA-IR) were calculated using the data obtained. We divided patients into two groups: the PCOS group with normal LAP (< 34.5) and the PCOS group with altered LAP (> 34.5) to compare the occurrence of hirsutism. For statistical analysis, we used SPSS Statistics for Windows(r) and Microsoft Excel programs, with descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and comparative analyses (Student's t-test and Chi-square test). We considered relations significant when the p-value was≤0.05. Results LAP was high in most patients (n = 177; 67.3%) and the FGI indicated that 58.5% of the patients (n = 154) had hirsutism. The analysis by LAP quartiles showed a positive correlation (p = 0.04) among patients with a high FGI and an upper quartile LAP (> 79.5) when compared with those with LAP < 29.0 (lower quartile). Conclusion This study demonstrated an association between high LAP and hirsutism. The FGI could represent a simple and low-cost tool to infer an increased cardiovascular risk in women with PCOS.

Factors associated with the prevalence of Otodectes cynotis in an ambulatory population of dogs

The objective was to evaluate the factors associated with the prevalence of Otodectes cynotis infestations in dogs assisted at the Dermatology Service of the Veterinary Hospital, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. A total of 250 dogs were examined through direct smear of ear samples using a stereoscopic microscope, for the parasitological diagnostic. All dog owners were interviewed and data regarding the animals and their environments were individually recorded. Mite infestation was observed in 15 animals, with a prevalence of 6%. The variables were tested regarding their association with the mites, using the χ2 test and, when appropriate, the Fisher exact test. There were no evidences that age (p = 0,20), sex (p = 0,31), breed (p = 0,50), shape of ear (p = 0,66), type (p = 0,19) and length of hair (p = 0,14) and contact with other animals (p = 0,06) could act as potential risk factors for O. cynotis infestation. However, living environment (p = 0,03) and frequency of environmental cleaning (p = 0,005) may facilitate the infestation. The occurrence of pruritus was associated to the presence of mites (p<0,001), suggesting to be an effect of the parasitism.

Sheep poisoning by Panicum dichotomiflorum in northeastern Brazil

Different species of Panicum, including P. dichotomiflorum,have been reported as a cause of photosensitization in sheep, horses, cattle and goats. An outbreak of hepatogenous photosensitization occurred in 3 flocks of hair sheep in the Brazilian semiarid region. Eighty one out of 365 sheep were affected and 39 died. The main affected animals were nursing lambs and sheep younger than one year old. Donkeys, goats and cattle grazing in the same pasture were not affected. Clinical signs were edema of the head, followed by dermatitis, mainly in the face, ears, and croup, ocular discharge, corneal opacity with blindness, and redness of the coronary band and hoof. At necropsy of one affected lamb the liver was yellowish. Upon histologic examination scattered necrotic hepatocytes were observed in the liver and focal areas of necrosis of myocytes appeared in the heart. Samples of P. dicotomiflorum were analyzed by TLC and those containing saponins were isolated by HPLC using RP-C18 column and eluted with a mixture of MeOH and H2O. The isolated compounds were submitted to ¹H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Reactions were positive to furostanol saponins with the same Rf of the standard protodioscin (0.21) and methylprotodioscin (0.32). The spectroscopic results indicated a mixture of (25R)- and (25S)-protodioscin isomers in a proportion of 3:1, and methylprotodioscin.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-6 (BMP-6) induces atresia in goat primordial follicles cultured in vitro

This study investigated the effects of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) on in vitro primordial follicle development in goats. Samples of goat ovarian cortex were cultured in vitro for 1 or 7 days in Minimum Essential Medium (control medium) supplemented with different concentrations of BMP-6. Follicle survival, activation and growth were evaluated through histology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After 7 days of culture, histological analysis demonstrated that BMP-6 enhanced the percentages of atretic primordial follicles when compared to fresh control (day 0). Nevertheless, BMP-6 increased follicular and oocyte diameter during both culture periods. As the culture period progressed from day 1 to day 7, a significant increase in follicle diameter was observed with 1 or 50ng/ml BMP-6. However, on the contrary to that observed with the control medium TEM revealed that follicles cultured for up to 7 days with 1 or 50ng/ml BMP-6 had evident signs of atresia. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that BMP-6 negatively affects the survival and ultrastructure of goat primordial follicles.