Relevance to Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Protocol of Blood Pressure Measurements Taken Before First- Morning Micturition and in the Afternoon

Background: The importance of measuring blood pressure before morning micturition and in the afternoon, while working, is yet to be established in relation to the accuracy of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM). Objective: To compare two HBPM protocols, considering 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (wakefulness ABPM) as gold-standard and measurements taken before morning micturition (BM) and in the afternoon (AM), for the best diagnosis of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), and their association with prognostic markers. Methods: After undergoing 24-hour wakefulness ABPM, 158 participants (84 women) were randomized for 3- or 5-day HBPM. Two variations of the 3-day protocol were considered: with measurements taken before morning micturition and in the afternoon (BM+AM); and with post-morning-micturition and evening measurements (PM+EM). All patients underwent echocardiography (for left ventricular hypertrophy - LVH) and urinary albumin measurement (for microalbuminuria - MAU). Result: Kappa statistic for the diagnosis of SAH between wakefulness-ABPM and standard 3-day HBPM, 3-day HBPM (BM+AM) and (PM+EM), and 5-day HBPM were 0.660, 0.638, 0.348 and 0.387, respectively. The values of sensitivity of (BM+AM) versus (PM+EM) were 82.6% × 71%, respectively, and of specificity, 84.8% × 74%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 69.1% × 40% and 92.2% × 91.2%, respectively. The comparisons of intraclass correlations for the diagnosis of LVH and MAU between (BM+AM) and (PM+EM) were 0.782 × 0.474 and 0.511 × 0.276, respectively. Conclusions: The 3 day-HBPM protocol including measurements taken before morning micturition and during work in the afternoon showed the best agreement with SAH diagnosis and the best association with prognostic markers.

Galectin-3: A Link between Myocardial and Arterial Stiffening in Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure?

Abstract Background: Heart failure is accompanied by abnormalities in ventricular-vascular interaction due to increased myocardial and arterial stiffness. Galectin-3 is a recently discovered biomarker that plays an important role in myocardial and vascular fibrosis and heart failure progression. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether galectin-3 is correlated with arterial stiffening markers and impaired ventricular-arterial coupling in decompensated heart failure patients. Methods: A total of 79 inpatients with acute decompensated heart failure were evaluated. Serum galectin-3 was determined at baseline, and during admission, transthoracic echocardiography and measurements of vascular indices by Doppler ultrasonography were performed. Results: Elevated pulse wave velocity and low arterial carotid distensibility are associated with heart failure in patients with preserved ejection fraction (p = 0.04, p = 0.009). Pulse wave velocity, carotid distensibility and Young’s modulus did not correlate with serum galectin-3 levels. Conversely, raised galectin-3 levels correlated with an increased ventricular-arterial coupling ratio (Ea/Elv) p = 0.047, OR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.0‑3.6). Increased galectin-3 levels were associated with lower rates of left ventricular pressure rise in early systole (dp/dt) (p=0.018) and raised pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.046). High galectin-3 levels (p = 0.038, HR = 3.07) and arterial pulmonary pressure (p = 0.007, HR = 1.06) were found to be independent risk factors for all-cause mortality and readmissions. Conclusions: This study showed no significant correlation between serum galectin-3 levels and arterial stiffening markers. Instead, high galectin-3 levels predicted impaired ventricular-arterial coupling. Galectin-3 may be predictive of raised pulmonary artery pressures. Elevated galectin-3 levels correlate with severe systolic dysfunction and together with pulmonary hypertension are independent markers of outcome.

Redescription of Prosthenhystera obesa (Diesing, 1850) (Callodistomidae, Digenea) with New Host Records and Data on Morphological Variability

Prosthenhystera obesa (Diesing,1850) Travassos, 1922 from the gall bladder of Astyanax bimaculatus, Caranx gibbosus, Galeocharax humeralis, Leporinus copelandii, Pimelodus fur, Pseudopimelodus roosevelti, Salminus brevidens, Salminus maxillosus and from the new hosts, Cynopotamus amazonum and Triurobrycon lundii is redescribed, demonstrating a large morphological variation, mainly in body and testes size and shape. New hosts harbouring immature specimens of P. obesa are presented: Brycon sp., Leporellus vittatus, Pachyurus squamipinnis, Pimelodus clarias, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans and Salminus hilarii. Scanning electron microscopy micrographies, original figures and measurements of adult and immature specimens from different Brazilian hosts and localities are presented

Terrestrial mammal feces: a morphometric summary and description

The study of feces of terrestrial mammals brings out biological and ecological data such as the species presence, diet, behaviour, territory, parasitic fauna, and home-range use, which can be applied for conservation projects and support paleoecological research that use coprolites as the main source of study. Although the new biotechnological techniques allow more accurate data, the diagnosis based on morphometric analyses permits the primary identification of the taxonomic group origin to support the best choice of subsequent analyses. We present the compilation list of fecal shape and measurements available in the literature published in North America, Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe, and new data from Brazil. Shape and diameters are the best characteristics for taxonomic identification. Feces were assembled in 9 groups that reflect the Order, sometimes the Family, and even their common origin.

Biomass decomposition and nutrient release from black oat and hairy vetch residues deposited in a vineyard

A significant quantity of nutrients in vineyards may return to the soil each year through decomposition of residues from cover plants. This study aimed to evaluate biomass decomposition and nutrient release from residues of black oats and hairy vetch deposited in the vines rows, with and without plastic shelter, and in the between-row areas throughout the vegetative and productive cycle of the plants. The study was conducted in a commercial vineyard in Bento Gonçalves, RS, Brazil, from October 2008 to February 2009. Black oat (Avena strigosa) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) residues were collected, subjected to chemical (C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and biochemical (cellulose - Cel, hemicellulose - Hem, and lignin - Lig content) analyses, and placed in litter bags, which were deposited in vines rows without plastic shelter (VPRWS), in vines rows with plastic shelter (VPRS), and in the between-row areas (BR). We collected the residues at 0, 33, 58, 76, and 110 days after deposition of the litter bags, prepared the material, and subjected it to analysis of total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg content. The VPRS contained the largest quantities and percentages of dry matter and residual nutrients (except for Ca) in black oat residues from October to February, which coincides with the period from flowering up to grape harvest. This practice led to greater protection of the soil surface, avoiding surface runoff of the solution derived from between the rows, but it retarded nutrient cycling. The rate of biomass decomposition and nutrient release from hairy vetch residues from October to February was not affected by the position of deposition of the residues in the vineyard, which may especially be attributed to the lower values of the C/N and Lig/N ratios. Regardless of the type of residue, black oat or hairy vetch, the greatest decomposition and nutrient release mainly occurred up to 33 days after deposition of the residues on the soil surface, which coincided with the flowering of the grapevines, which is one of the phenological stages of greatest demand for nutrients.

Abdominal and pelvic ultrasound study of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

The aim of the present study was the ultrasound characterization of the abdominal and pelvic regions of five maned wolves kept in captivity at the Triage Center of Wild Animals of the Federal University of Viçosa (Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres, Universidade Federal de Viçosa). This characterization included descriptions of ultrasonographic aspects and measurements of various structures using B-mode ultrasound. Biometric data were collected to assess the existence of significant linear correlations between these measurements and the measurements obtained by ultrasound. Additionally, hematological and serum biochemistry evaluations of the animals were performed. The ultrasound findings were similar to those available in the literature on domestic dogs, which were used for comparison as a result of the lack of published data regarding maned wolves. The latter species showed characteristics closely resembling those of the former, differing in the spleen and left renal cortex echogenicities, in the appearance of the prostatic and testicular regions and in the hepatic portal vein morphology. In the current study, the biometric values were similar to those previously published; however, no data regarding thoracic perimeter, modified crown-rump length or thoracic depth were found in the literature for this Canidae species. Statistical analysis showed the existence of a strong negative correlation between the modified crown-rump length and left renal length, between the modified crown-rump length and the right renal volume, between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the cranial pole of the left adrenal gland and between the thoracic perimeter and the height at the caudal pole of the left adrenal gland. Laboratory findings, including segmented neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte and lymphocyte counts and the serum levels of glucose, ALT, alkaline phosphatase, urea, total protein, globulin, creatine phosphokinase, triglyceride, sodium, phosphate, potassium and chloride, were inconsistent with values found by other authors. The ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging method that must be further explored in the medicine of wild animals; therefore, additional research in this area is required.

Biomass and mineralmass estimates in a "cerrado" ecosystem

This work aimed to develop allometric equations for tree biomass estimation, and to determine the site biomass in different "cerrado" ecosystems. Destructive sampling in a "campo cerrado" (open savanna) was carried out at the Biological Reserve of Moji-Guaçu, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. This "campo cerrado" (open savanna) grows under a tropical climate and on acid, low nutrient soils. Sixty wood plants were cut to ground level and measurements of diameter, height and weight of leaves and stems were taken. We selected the best equations among the most commonly used mathematical relations according to R² values, significance, and standard error. Both diameter (D) and height (H) showed good relationship with plant biomass, but the use of these two parameters together (DH and D²H) provided the best predictor variables. The best equations were linear, but power and exponential equations also showed high R² and significance. The applicability of these equations is discussed and biomass estimates are compared with other types of tropical savannas. Mineralmass was also estimated. "Cerrados" proved to have very important carbon reservoirs due to their great extent. In addition, high land-use change that takes place nowadays in the "cerrado" biome may significantly affect the global carbon cycle.

Quantitative characteristics of fruits and seeds of Pouteria pachycarpa Pires - Sapotaceae

Pouteria pachycarpa is a tree species, found in the Brazilian Amazon and Bolivia whose wood has been exploited from the native forest. The present research describes the quantitative characteristics of fruits and seeds and quantifies the seed germination of this species. The fruit and seed color were characterized and measurements taken of the mass, length, diameter and number of seeds per fruit, the seed length, width and thickness, the germination percentage, abnormal seedlings and dead seeds. Sowing was carried out on a substrate containing sand and sawdust (1:1), in four replications of 50 seeds. The predominant fruit and seed colors were vivid yellowish orange (9YR) and dark grayish brown (6YR), respectively. Fruit mass, length and diameter ranged from 37.7 to 192.4g, 41.3 to 87.3mm and 39.7 to 71.7mm, respectively. Fruits had from two to seven seeds, and 42.6% were damaged by insects. Seed length, width and thickness ranged from 22.4 to 35.2mm, 9.7 to 15.5mm and 5.5 to 10.8mm, respectively. Seedling emergence began 18 days after sowing. Maximum germination, 86%, was recorded 33 days after sowing. The germination curve was sigmoid, similar to the majority of species. The percentage of abnormal seedlings and dead seeds were 3% and 11%, respectively. Both fruits and seeds show great variation in quantitative characteristics and the germination is slow and non-uniform.

Determination of reactivity rates of silicate particle-size fractions

The efficiency of sources used for soil acidity correction depends on reactivity rate (RR) and neutralization power (NP), indicated by effective calcium carbonate (ECC). Few studies establish relative efficiency of reactivity (RER) for silicate particle-size fractions, therefore, the RER applied for lime are used. This study aimed to evaluate the reactivity of silicate materials affected by particle size throughout incubation periods in comparison to lime, and to calculate the RER for silicate particle-size fractions. Six correction sources were evaluated: three slags from distinct origins, dolomitic and calcitic lime separated into four particle-size fractions (2, 0.84, 0.30 and <0.30-mm sieves), and wollastonite, as an additional treatment. The treatments were applied to three soils with different texture classes. The dose of neutralizing material (calcium and magnesium oxides) was applied at equal quantities, and the only variation was the particle-size material. After a 90-day incubation period, the RER was calculated for each particle-size fraction, as well as the RR and ECC of each source. The neutralization of soil acidity of the same particle-size fraction for different sources showed distinct solubility and a distinct reaction between silicates and lime. The RER for slag were higher than the limits established by Brazilian legislation, indicating that the method used for limes should not be used for the slags studied here.

Factors associated with the nutritional status of children less than 5 years of age

OBJECTIVE To analyze if the nutritional status of children aged less than five years is related to the biological conditions of their mothers, environmental and socioeconomic factors, and access to health services and social programs.METHODS This cross-sectional population-based study analyzed 664 mothers and 790 children using canonical correlation analysis. Dependent variables were characteristics of the children (weight/age, height/age, BMI/age, hemoglobin, and retinol serum levels). Independent variables were those related to the mothers’ nutritional status (BMI, hemoglobin, and retinol serum levels), age, environmental and socioeconomic factors and access to health service and social programs. A < 0.05 significance level was adopted to select the interpreted canonical functions (CF) and ± 0.40 as canonical load value of the analyzed variables.RESULTS Three canonical functions were selected, concentrating 89.9% of the variability of the relationship among the groups. In the first canonical function, weight/age (-0.73) and height/age (-0.99) of the children were directly related to the mother’s height (-0.82), prenatal appointments (-0.43), geographical area of the residence (-0.41), and household incomeper capita (-0.42). Inverse relationship between the variables related to the children and people/room (0.44) showed that the larger the number of people/room, the poorer their nutritional status. Rural residents were found to have the worse nutritional conditions. In the second canonical function, the BMI of the mother (-0.48) was related to BMI/age and retinol of the children, indicating that as women gained weight so did their children. Underweight women tended to have children with vitamin A deficiency. In the third canonical function, hemoglobin (-0.72) and retinol serum levels (-0.40) of the children were directly related to the mother’s hemoglobin levels (-0.43).CONCLUSIONS Mothers and children were associated concerning anemia, vitamin A deficiency and anthropometric markers. Living in rural areas is a determining factor for the families health status.

Novos anfíbios anuros das Serras costeiras do Brasil

During the last years, one of the authors has turned her attention, increasingly, to the anuran fauna of the high forested ranges near the sea-board of S.E. Brazil. This has led to the finding of a number of very interesting frogs which do not occur in the lower, mesic, or, occasionally, xeric, open country. One of these forms is presented here. As it did not fit perfectly into any of the known genera, she decided to consult her fellow herpetologist at the National Museum, Mr. Antenor Leitão de Carvalho, who is interested in anatomy. He cleared an adult and a juvenille specimen; the osteological characters found are given below. Joint publication was decided upon, one author contributing her field-notes and the morphological characters and drafting the text, whereas the other contributed the osteology, drawings and measurements. The specific name was also chosen by Leitão de Carvalho, in homage to the late Professor Adolpho Lutz, a pioneer in the study of Brazilian frogs. In regard to the specific designation, the co-author and daughter of Adolpho Lutz wishes to publish the following.

Basic Surface Properties of Mononuclear Cells from Didelphis marsupialis

The electrostatic surface charge and surface tension of mononuclear cells/monocytes obtained from young and adult marsupials (Didelphis marsupialis) were investigated by using cationized ferritin and colloidal iron hydroxyde, whole cell electrophoresis, and measurements of contact angles. Anionic sites were found distributed throughout the entire investigated cell surfaces. The results revealed that the anionic character of the cells is given by electrostatic charges corresponding to -18.8 mV (cells from young animals) and -29.3 mV (cells from adult animals). The surface electrostatic charge decreased from 10 to 65.2% after treatment of the cells with each one of trypsin, neuraminidase and phospholipase C. The hydrophobic nature of the mononuclear cell surfaces studied by using the contact angle method revealed that both young and adult cells possess cell surfaces of high hidrofilicity since the angles formed with drops of saline water were 42.5°and 40.8°, respectively. Treatment of the cells with trypsin or neuraminidase rendered their surfaces more hydrophobic, suggesting that sialic acid-containing glycoproteins are responsible for most of the hydrophilicity observed in the mononuclear cell surfaces from D. marsupialis.

Value of renal cortical thickness as a predictor of renal function impairment in chronic renal disease patients

Objective: To determine the presence of linear relationship between renal cortical thickness, bipolar length, and parenchymal thickness in chronic kidney disease patients presenting with different estimated glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) and to assess the reproducibility of these measurements using ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: Ultrasonography was performed in 54 chronic renal failure patients. The scans were performed by two independent and blinded radiologists. The estimated GFR was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Interobserver agreement was calculated and a linear correlation coefficient (r) was determined in order to establish the relationship between the different renal measurements and estimated GFR. Results: The correlation between GFR and measurements of renal cortical thickness, bipolar length, and parenchymal thickness was, respectively, moderate (r = 0.478; p < 0.001), poor (r = 0.380; p = 0.004), and poor (r = 0.277; p = 0.116). The interobserver agreement was considered excellent (0.754) for measurements of cortical thickness and bipolar length (0.833), and satisfactory for parenchymal thickness (0.523). Conclusion: The interobserver reproducibility for renal measurements obtained was good. A moderate correlation was observed between estimated GFR and cortical thickness, but bipolar length and parenchymal thickness were poorly correlated.

Metodologias eletroanalíticas para a determinação de herbicidas triazínicos por voltametria de onda quadrada e técnicas de deconvolução

This work describes the development of electroanalytical methodologies for the determination of atrazine, ametrine and simazine by square wave voltammetry on a mercury electrode. For pure atrazine and pure ametrine, the detection limits (DL) were 3.7 and 4.3 µg L-1, respectively, while they increased to 4.8 and 6.5 µg L-1 in the presence of 3.0 x 10-6 mol L-1 of the other component (a mathematical deconvolution program was used in the mixture cases). The voltammetric response for simazine could not be separated from that of atrazine and measurements were carried out only in pure simazine solutions (DL: 7.5 µg L-1).

Estabilização do ácido lipoico via encapsulação em nanocápsulas poliméricas planejadas para aplicação cutânea

This work reports the development of polymeric nanocapsules containing lipoic acid prepared by interfacial deposition of poli(ε-caprolactona). The suspensions showed acid pH and encapsulation efficiencies from 77 to 90%. Zeta potential values were from -7.42 to -5.43 mV and particle sizes were lower than 340 nm with polidispersion lower than 0.3. The stability of nanocapsules within 28 days was evaluated in terms of pH, lipoic acid content, diameter, size distribution, zeta potential and measurements of relative light backscattering. The stability of formulations containing free lipoic acid was also evaluated. Nanoencapsulation drastically improved the physico-chemical stability of lipoic acid.