Heart failure as a predictor of functional dependence in hospitalized elderly

AbstractOBJECTIVEIdentify whether Heart Failure (HF) is a predictor of functional dependence for Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) in hospitalized elderly.METHODSWe investigated medical records and assessed dependence to BADL (by the Katz Index) of 100 elderly admitted to a geriatric ward of a university hospital. In order to verify if HF is a predictor of functional dependence, linear regression analyzes were performed.RESULTSThe prevalence of HF was 21%; 95% of them were dependent for BADLs. Bathing was the most committed ADL. HF is a predictor of dependence in hospitalized elderlies, increasing the chance of functional decline by 5 times (95% CI, 0.94-94.48), the chance of functional deterioration by 3.5 times (95% CI, 1.28-11.66; p <0.02) and reducing 0.79 points in the Katz Index score (p <0.05).CONCLUSIONHF is a dependency predictor of ADL in hospitalized elderly, who tend to be more dependent, especially for bathing.

Year-round poultry litter decomposition and N, P, K and Ca release

Poultry litter is an important nutrient source in agriculture, although little information is available regarding its decomposition rate and nutrient release. To evaluate these processes, poultry litter (PL) was applied to the soil to supply 100, 200 and 300 kg ha-1 N contained in 4,953, 9,907 and 14,860 kg ha-1 PL, respectively. The litter bag technique was used to monitor the process of decomposition and nutrient release from the litter. These bags were left on the soil surface and collected periodically (after 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, and 365 days). The dry matter (DM) loss was highest (35 %) after the first 30 days of field incubation. The highest nutrient release occurred in the first 60 days on the field, when 40, 34, 91, and 39 %, respectively, of N, P, K, and Ca of the initial PL dry matter (4,860 kg ha-1) was already released to the soil. In absolute terms, these percentages represent 40, 23, 134, and 69 kg ha-1 of N, P, K, and Ca and these values doubled and tripled as the PL fertilization rates increased to 9,907 and 14,860 kg ha-1, respectively. After one year of field incubation, the residual contents in the litter were 27, 15, 18 and 30 % of the initial DM , and N, P and Ca, respectively. The release rate of K was the fastest and 91 % of the K had been released from the PL after 30 days of field incubation.

Silicate fertilization of tropical soils: silicon availability and recovery index of sugarcane

Sugarcane is considered a Si-accumulating plant, but in Brazil, where several soil types are used for cultivation, there is little information about silicon (Si) fertilization. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the silicon availability, uptake and recovery index of Si from the applied silicate on tropical soils with and without silicate fertilization, in three crops. The experiments in pots (100 L) were performed with specific Si rates (0, 185, 370 and 555 kg ha-1 Si), three soils (Quartzipsamment-Q, 6 % clay; Rhodic Hapludox-RH, 22 % clay; and Rhodic Acrudox-RA, 68 % clay), with four replications. The silicon source was Ca-Mg silicate. The same Ca and Mg quantities were applied to all pots, with lime and/or MgCl2, when necessary. Sugarcane was harvested in the plant cane and first- and second-ratoon crops. The silicon rates increased soil Si availability and Si uptake by sugarcane and had a strong residual effect. The contents of soluble Si were reduced by harvesting and increased with silicate application in the following decreasing order: Q>RH>RA. The silicate rates promoted an increase in soluble Si-acetic acid at harvest for all crops and in all soils, except RA. The amounts of Si-CaCl2 were not influenced by silicate in the ratoon crops. The plant Si uptake increased according to the Si rates and was highest in RA at all harvests. The recovery index of applied Si (RI) of sugarcane increased over time, and was highest in RA.

Preservation of rhizobia by lyophilization with trehalose

The objective of this study was to determine if trehalose can effectively enhance the viability and storage lifetime of Rhizobium tropici and Rhizobium etli after lyophilization as compared to the traditional protective combination of sucrose and peptone. Two strains of bean-nodulating rhizobia were effectively preserved in the lyophilized state by 100 mM trehalose, and survived for at least 12 days, even when stored under non-ideal conditions. Trehalose provided better protection than the sucrose/peptone combination. When protective excipients were introduced inside the cells, strain CFN 42 was more sensitive to the type of additive used than strain CIAT 899, probably because CIAT 899 produces beta (1-2) glucan, which may have a protective effect. beta (1-2) glucan combined with sucrose protected better than trehalose against leakage from freeze-dried liposomes, but by itself it had no protective capability. There was a high level of unfrozen water associated with the hydrated glucan, in addition to a thermal event at approximately 70ºC, corresponding to an observed gel-sol transition in the glucan. These findings may shed light on the mechanism by which the glucan contributes to the protection of dried cells and liposomes, and may lead to further improvements in rhizobial inoculants.

Use of solaria to predict weed density and floristic composition in no-till cropping systems

The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of a new method, developed for predicting density and floristic composition of weed communities in field crops. Based on the use of solaria (100 mm transparent plastic tarps lying on the soil) to stimulate weed seedlings emergence, the method was tested in Tandil, Argentina, from 1998 to 2001. The system involved corn and sunflower in commercial no-till system. Major weeds in the experiments included Digitaria sanguinalis, Setaria verticillata and S. viridis, which accounted for 98% of the weed community in the three years of experiments since 1998. Large numbers of Tagetes minuta, Chenopodium album and Ammi majus were present in 2001. Comparison of weed communities under solaria with communities in field crops indicated that the method is useful for predicting the presence and density of some major weed species, at both high and low densities, of individuals in areas of 10 ha using only five solaria. Low density of weed species makes the method particularly useful to help deciding the time for herbicide applications to avoid soil contamination.

Acclimatization of Tapeinochilos ananassae plantlets in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

The objective of this work was to assess the potential of three isolates of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to promote growth of micropropagated plantlets of Tapeinochilos ananassae during acclimatization. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse, in a completely randomized block design, with four inoculation treatments: non‑inoculated control and plants inoculated with Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula or Gigaspora albida, with ten replicates. After 90 days, the following parameters were evaluated: survival rate, height, leaf and tiller number, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass, contents of macro‑ and micronutrients in the root and shoot, glomerospore number, and mycorrhizal colonization. The survival percentage was 100%, except for plants inoculated with G. albida (80%). The isolate G. etunicatum is more suitable for plant development, since it improves survival, growth, dry matter production, nutritional status, and vigor of T. ananassae micropropagated plants.

Flight movement and spatial distribution of immunomarked thrips in onion, potato, and tomato

The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial distribution of thrips in different crops, and the correlation between meterological parameters and the flight movements of this pest, using immunomarking. The experiment was conducted in cultivated areas, with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and onion (Allium cepa); and non-cultivated areas, with weedy plants. The areas with tomato (100 days), potato (20 days), and weeds were sprayed with casein, albumin, and soy milk, respectively, to mark adult thrips; however, the areas with onion (50 days) and tomato (10 days) were not sprayed. Thrips were captured with georeferenced blue sticky traps, transferred into tubes, and identified by treatment area with the Elisa test. The dependence between the samples and the capture distance was determined using geostatistics. Meteorlogical parameters were correlated with thrips density in each area. The three protein types used for immunomarking were detected in different proportions in the thrips. There was a correlation between casein-marked thrips and wind speed. The thrips flew a maximum distance of 3.5 km and dispersed from the older (tomato) to the younger crops (potato). The immunomarking method is efficient to mark large quantities of thrips.

Axillary ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration in preoperative staging of axillary lymph nodes in patients with invasive breast cancer

Abstract Objective: To propose an algorithm to determine the necessity for ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) in preoperative axillary lymph node staging of patients with invasive breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Prospective study developed at National Cancer Institute. The study sample included 100 female patients with breast cancer referred for axillary staging by US-FNA. Results: The overall US-FNA sensitivity was set at 79.4%. The positive predictive value was calculated to be 100%, and the negative predictive value, 69.5%. The US-FNA sensitivity for lymph nodes with normal sonographic features was 0%, while for indeterminate lymph nodes it was 80% and, for suspicious lymph nodes, 90.5%. In the assessment of invasive breast tumors stages T1, T2 and T3, the sensitivity was respectively 69.6%, 83.7% and 100%. US-FNA could avoid sentinel node biopsy in 54% of cases. Conclusion: Axillary ultrasonography should be included in the preoperative staging of all patients with invasive breast cancer. The addition of US-FNA in cases of lymph nodes suspicious for malignancy may prevent more than 50% of sentinel lymphadenectomies, significantly shortening the time interval to definitive therapy.

Economia de átomos, engenharia molecular e catálise organometálica bifásica: conceitos moleculares para tecnologias limpas

For economical and ecological reasons, synthetic chemists are confronted with the increasing obligation of optimizing their synthetic methods. Maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs in the production of molecules and macromolecules constitutes, therefore, one of the most exciting challenges of synthetic chemistry. The ideal synthesis should produce the desired product in 100% yield and selectivity, in a safe and environmentally acceptable process. In this highlight the concepts of atom economy, molecular engineering and biphasic organometallic catalysis, which address these issues at the molecular level for the generation of "green" technologies, are introduced and discussed.

Determinação espectrofotométrica por injeção em fluxo de paracetamol (acetaminofeno) em formulações farmacêuticas

A flow injection spectrophotometric procedure is proposed for the determination of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in pharmaceutical formulations. Powdered and liquid samples were previously dissolved/diluted in 0.05 mol L-1 hydrochloric acid solution and a volume of 250 µL was injected directly into a carrier stream of this same acid solution, flowing at 2.5 mL min-1. Paracetamol reacts with sodium hypochlorite forming N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine which then reacts with sodium salicylate in sodium hydroxide solution yielding a blue indophenol dye which was measured at 640 nm in the pH range of 9.5-10.0. Paracetamol was determined in pharmaceutical products in the 1.0 to 100.0 mg L-1 (3.3x10-6 a 6.6x10-4 mol L-1) concentration range, with a detection limit of 0.5 mg L-1 (1.6x10-6 mol L-1). The recovery of this analyte in five samples ranged from 98.0 to 103.6 %. The analytical frequency was 80 determinations per hour and the RSDs were less than 1% for paracetamol concentrations of 25.0, 50.0 and 75.0 mg L-1 (n=10). A paired t-test showed that all results obtained for paracetamol in commercial formulations using the proposed flow injection procedure and a spectrophotometric batch procedure agree at the 95% confidence level.

Efeito da aplicação foliar de ácidos graxos na "Via das Lipoxigenases" de plantas de soja

The involvement of lipoxygenase isozymes in several physiological processes of plants has been described but their role is not well understood and more biochemical studies are needed to elucidate the role of the "Lipoxygenase Pathway" in plant physiology. Thus, the biochemical and kinetic characterization of a lipoxygenases "pool" from soybean leaves was carried out. Two genotypes were used: IAC-100 (a normal variety having lipoxygenases in the seeds) and IAC-100 TN (genetically modified genotype, which is devoid of lipoxygenases in the seeds). The plants were submitted to the application of fatty acids (lipoxygenase substrates) on leaves. The results of the biochemical and kinetic studies of lipoxygenase isozymes from leaves of the two genotypes analysed showed that genetic removal of lipoxygenase from seeds did not affect the response of the plant to the treatment, since both genotypes showed similar results.

Avaliação da concentração de retinol em leite UHT ("Ultra High Temperature") comercializado em Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Deficiency of micronutrients is a public health problem. Cow milk is a source of retinol. The objective of this study is to evaluate the retinol concentration in milk commercialized in Natal/RN. Ten samples were taken of each brand of UHT milk. Vitamin content was determined by HPLC using the Shimadzu LC-10 AD Chromatograph, coupled to the Shimadzu SPD 10 A UV-VIS Detector and the Shimadzu C-R6A Chromatopac Integrator with Shim-pack CLC-ODS (M) column, measuring 4.6 mm x 25 cm. The mobile phase was 100% methanol, with a flow of 1 mL/min. The mean retinol concentration varied between 22.7 ± 4.9 µg/100 mL and 44.1 ± 4.1 µg/100 mL, with the differences statistically significant (p<0.001). Only one of the 7 brands had retinol concentration below the normal requirements for human consumption.

An antimicrobial alkaloid and other metabolites produced by Penicillium sp. An endophytic fungus isolated from Mauritia flexuosa L. f.

The alkaloid glandicoline B (1) and six other compounds: ergosterol (2), brassicasterol (3), ergosterol peroxide (4), cerevisterol (5), mannitol (6) and 1-O-α-D-glucopyranoside (7) were isolated from Penicillium sp. strain PBR.2.2.2, a fungus from Mauritia flexuosa roots. The structures of the isolated metabolites were established by spectral analysis. MeOH extract of the fungal mycelium at 500 µg mL-1 exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and the compound 1 at 100 µg mL-1 was active against S. aureus, Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli. The relationship between the bioactive properties of the fungus PBR.2.2.2 and those achieved for glandicoline B, as well the potential of this substance as bactericide is discussed.

Propriedades estruturais e eletrônicas de nanofilmes de TiO2 anatase: cálculos B3LYP-D* em sistemas periódicos bidimensionais

Structural and electronic properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films, in anatase phase, were investigated using periodic 2D calculations at density functional theory (DFT) level with B3LYP hybrid functional. The Grimme dispersion correction (DFT/B3LYP-D*) was included to better reproduce structural features. The electronic properties were discussed based on the band gap energy, and proved dependent on surface termination. Surface energies ranged from 0.80 to 2.07 J/m², with the stability orders: (101) > (100) > (112) > (110) ~ (103) > (001) >> (111), and crystal shape by Wulff construction in accordance with experimental data.

OTIMIZAÇÃO DO PROCESSO DE TRANSESTERIFICAÇÃO EM DUAS ETAPAS PARA PRODUÇÃO DE BIODIESEL ATRAVÉS DO PLANEJAMENTO EXPERIMENTAL DOEHLERT

In this work, Doehlert experimental design was used to optimize the Transesterification Double Step Process (TDSP) method of methyl soybean oil biodiesel production which starts with a basic catalysis followed by an acidic catalysis. The conversion values were calculated from NMR spectra. Response surface was used to show the results of the interactions between the variables. This experimental design evaluated variables like catalyst and alcohol amount for the basic catalysis and time and temperature for the acidic catalysis. According to results obtained after Doehlert design application the alcohol amount was the main factor that influenced on the basic catalysis but for the acidic catalysis both time and temperature are important and their effects are opposite. It resulted on excellent conversions for both steps obtaining for the basic catalysis about 100% when was used like optimal conditions catalyst amount equal to 0.40 g and volume of methanol equal to 60 mL and for the acidic catalysis about 99% when was used like optimal conditions temperature of 65 °C and 90 minutes for reaction time.