Environmental Controls In The Water Use Patterns Of A Tropical Cloud Forest Tree Species, Drimys Brasiliensis (winteraceae).

Trees from tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) display very dynamic patterns of water use. They are capable of downwards water transport towards the soil during leaf-wetting events, likely a consequence of foliar water uptake (FWU), as well as high rates of night-time transpiration (Enight) during drier nights. These two processes might represent important sources of water losses and gains to the plant, but little is known about the environmental factors controlling these water fluxes. We evaluated how contrasting atmospheric and soil water conditions control diurnal, nocturnal and seasonal dynamics of sap flow in Drimys brasiliensis (Miers), a common Neotropical cloud forest species. We monitored the seasonal variation of soil water content, micrometeorological conditions and sap flow of D. brasiliensis trees in the field during wet and dry seasons. We also conducted a greenhouse experiment exposing D. brasiliensis saplings under contrasting soil water conditions to deuterium-labelled fog water. We found that during the night D. brasiliensis possesses heightened stomatal sensitivity to soil drought and vapour pressure deficit, which reduces night-time water loss. Leaf-wetting events had a strong suppressive effect on tree transpiration (E). Foliar water uptake increased in magnitude with drier soil and during longer leaf-wetting events. The difference between diurnal and nocturnal stomatal behaviour in D. brasiliensis could be attributed to an optimization of carbon gain when leaves are dry, as well as minimization of nocturnal water loss. The leaf-wetting events on the other hand seem important to D. brasiliensis water balance, especially during soil droughts, both by suppressing tree transpiration (E) and as a small additional water supply through FWU. Our results suggest that decreases in leaf-wetting events in TMCF might increase D. brasiliensis water loss and decrease its water gains, which could compromise its ecophysiological performance and survival during dry periods.

Autologous Platelet Gel: Five Cases Illustrating Use On Sickle Cell Disease Ulcers.

Leg ulcers represent a particularly disabling complication in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Platelet gel (PG) is a novel therapeutic strategy used for accelerating wound healing of a wide range of tissues through the continuous release of platelet growth factors. Here, we describe the use of PG preparation according to Anitua's PRGF (preparations rich in growth factors) protocol for treating chronic nonhealing ulcers in patients with SCD. A positive response occurred in 3 patients with an area reduction of 85.7% to 100%, which occurred within 7 to 10 weeks, and a 35.2% and 20.5% of area reduction in 2 other patients, who however, had large ulcers. After calcium chloride addition, the platelet-rich plasmas demonstrated enhanced platelet-derived growth factors-BB (P < .001), transforming growth factor-β1 (P = .015), vascular endothelial growth factors (P = .03), and hepatocyte growth factors (nonsignificant) secretion. Furthermore, calcium chloride addition induced a significant decrease in platelet number (P = .0134) and there was no leukocyte detection in the PG product. These results demonstrate that PG treatment might impact the healing of leg ulcers in sickle cell disease, especially in patients with small ulcers.

Profile Of The Use Of Disease Modifying Drugs In The Brazilian Registry Of Spondyloarthritides.

Few studies have evaluated the profile of use of disease modifying drugs (DMD) in Brazilian patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). A common research protocol was applied prospectively in 1505 patients classified as SpA by criteria of the European Spondyloarthropathies Study Group (ESSG), followed at 29 referral centers in Rheumatology in Brazil. Demographic and clinical variables were obtained and evaluated, by analyzing their correlation with the use of DMDs methotrexate (MTX) and sulfasalazine (SSZ). At least one DMD was used by 73.6% of patients: MTX by 29.2% and SSZ by 21.7%, while 22.7% used both drugs. The use of MTX was significantly associated with peripheral involvement, and SSZ was associated with axial involvement, and the two drugs were more administered, separately or in combination, in the mixed involvement (p < 0.001). The use of a DMD was significantly associated with Caucasian ethnicity (MTX , p = 0.014), inflammatory back pain (SSZ, p = 0.002) , buttock pain (SSZ, p = 0.030), neck pain (MTX, p = 0.042), arthritis of the lower limbs (MTX, p < 0.001), arthritis of the upper limbs (MTX, p < 0.001), enthesitis (p = 0.007), dactylitis (MTX, p < 0.001), inflammatory bowel disease (SSZ, p < 0.001) and nail involvement (MTX, p < 0.001). The use of at least one DMD was reported by more than 70% of patients in a large cohort of Brazilian patients with SpA, with MTX use more associated with peripheral involvement and the use of SSZ more associated with axial involvement.

Direct Visualization Of The Action Of Triton X-100 On Giant Vesicles Of Erythrocyte Membrane Lipids.

The raft hypothesis proposes that microdomains enriched in sphingolipids, cholesterol, and specific proteins are transiently formed to accomplish important cellular tasks. Equivocally, detergent-resistant membranes were initially assumed to be identical to membrane rafts, because of similarities between their compositions. In fact, the impact of detergents in membrane organization is still controversial. Here, we use phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy to observe giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) made of erythrocyte membrane lipids (erythro-GUVs) when exposed to the detergent Triton X-100 (TX-100). We clearly show that TX-100 has a restructuring action on biomembranes. Contact with TX-100 readily induces domain formation on the previously homogeneous membrane of erythro-GUVs at physiological and room temperatures. The shape and dynamics of the formed domains point to liquid-ordered/liquid-disordered (Lo/Ld) phase separation, typically found in raft-like ternary lipid mixtures. The Ld domains are then separated from the original vesicle and completely solubilized by TX-100. The insoluble vesicle left, in the Lo phase, represents around 2/3 of the original vesicle surface at room temperature and decreases to almost 1/2 at physiological temperature. This chain of events could be entirely reproduced with biomimetic GUVs of a simple ternary lipid mixture, 2:1:2 POPC/SM/chol (phosphatidylcholine/sphyngomyelin/cholesterol), showing that this behavior will arise because of fundamental physicochemical properties of simple lipid mixtures. This work provides direct visualization of TX-100-induced domain formation followed by selective (Ld phase) solubilization in a model system with a complex biological lipid composition.

[the Use Of Fish On Buccal Smear To Investigate Mosaicism With A 45,x Cell Line: Study On Healthy Men And Patients With Disorders Of Sex Development].

To verify whether fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cells from the buccal epithelium could be employed to detect cryptomosaicism with a 45,X lineage in 46,XY patients. Samples of nineteen 46,XY healthy young men and five patients with disorders of sex development (DSD), four 45,X/46,XY and one 46,XY were used. FISH analysis with X and Y specific probes on interphase nuclei from blood lymphocytes and buccal epithelium were analyzed to investigate the proportion of nuclei containing only the signal of the X chromosome. The frequency of nuclei containing only the X signal in the two tissues of healthy men did not differ (p = 0.69). In all patients with DSD this frequency was significantly higher, and there was no difference between the two tissues (p = 0.38), either. Investigation of mosaicism with a 45,X cell line in patients with 46,XY DSD or sterility can be done by FISH directly using cells from the buccal epithelium.

Mechanical Properties And Fracture Dynamics Of Silicene Membranes.

As graphene has become one of the most important materials, there is renewed interest in other similar structures. One example is silicene, the silicon analogue of graphene. It shares some of the remarkable graphene properties, such as the Dirac cone, but presents some distinct ones, such as a pronounced structural buckling. We have investigated, through density functional based tight-binding (DFTB), as well as reactive molecular dynamics (using ReaxFF), the mechanical properties of suspended single-layer silicene. We calculated the elastic constants, analyzed the fracture patterns and edge reconstructions. We also addressed the stress distributions, unbuckling mechanisms and the fracture dependence on the temperature. We analysed the differences due to distinct edge morphologies, namely zigzag and armchair.

Use Of Electrocautery For Coagulation And Wound Complications In Caesarean Sections.

To evaluate the safety of electrocautery for coagulation during Caesarean sections. A randomized, controlled, clinical pilot study was performed at a university maternity hospital. After admission for delivery and decision to perform a C-section, volunteers were randomized to either the intervention group (use of electrocautery for coagulation) or nonintervention group. The women were examined at the time of postpartum discharge (day 3), at days 7 to 10, and again at days 30 to 40 for signs of infection, hematoma, seroma, or dehiscence. Data were analyzed using an intention-to-treat analysis, and risk ratios were calculated. No significant differences were found between the two groups. Only 2.8% of patients in the intervention group developed surgical wound complications during hospitalization. However, 7 to 10 days following discharge, these rates reached 23.0% and 15.4% in the intervention and nonintervention groups, respectively (RR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.84-2.60). Further studies should confirm whether the use of electrocautery for coagulation does not increase the risk of surgical wound complications in patients undergoing Caesarean sections.

Evolution Of The Deaths Registry System In Brazil: Associations With Changes In The Mortality Profile, Under-registration Of Death Counts, And Ill-defined Causes Of Death.

This paper examines the spatial pattern of ill-defined causes of death across Brazilian regions, and its relationship with the evolution of completeness of the deaths registry and changes in the mortality age profile. We make use of the Brazilian Health Informatics Department mortality database and population censuses from 1980 to 2010. We applied demographic methods to evaluate the quality of mortality data for 137 small areas and correct for under-registration of death counts when necessary. The second part of the analysis uses linear regression models to investigate the relationship between, on the one hand, changes in death counts coverage and age profile of mortality, and on the other, changes in the reporting of ill-defined causes of death. The completeness of death counts coverage increases from about 80% in 1980-1991 to over 95% in 2000-2010 at the same time the percentage of ill-defined causes of deaths reduced about 53% in the country. The analysis suggests that the government's efforts to improve data quality are proving successful, and they will allow for a better understanding of the dynamics of health and the mortality transition.

Effect Of Daily Use Of An Enzymatic Denture Cleanser On Candida Albicans Biofilms Formed On Polyamide And Poly(methyl Methacrylate) Resins: An In Vitro Study.

Candida biofilms on denture surfaces are substantially reduced after a single immersion in denture cleanser. However, whether this effect is maintained when dentures are immersed in cleanser daily is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the daily use of enzymatic cleanser on Candida albicans biofilms on denture base materials. The surfaces of polyamide and poly(methyl methacrylate) resin specimens (n=54) were standardized and divided into 12 groups (n=9 per group), according to study factors (material type, treatment type, and periods of treatment). Candida albicans biofilms were allowed to form over 72 hours, after which the specimens were treated with enzymatic cleanser once daily for 1, 4, or 7 days. Thereafter, residual biofilm was ultrasonically removed and analyzed for viable cells (colony forming units/mm(2)) and enzymatic activity (phospholipase, aspartyl-protease, and hemolysin). Factors that interfered with the response variables were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA with the Holm-Sidak multiple comparison method (α=.05). Polyamide resin presented more viable cells of Candida albicans (P<.001) for both the evaluated treatment types and periods. Although enzymatic cleansing significantly (P<.001) reduced viable cells, daily use did not maintain this reduction (P<.001). Phospholipase activity significantly increased with time (P<.001) for both materials and treatments. However, poly(methyl methacrylate) based resin (P<.001) and enzymatic cleansing treatment (P<.001) contributed to lower phospholipase activity. Aspartyl-protease and hemolysin activities were not influenced by study factors (P>.05). Although daily use of an enzymatic cleanser reduced the number of viable cells and phospholipase activity, this treatment was not effective against residual biofilm over time.

Site Specific Spin Dynamics In Bafe2as2: Tuning The Ground State By Orbital Differentiation.

The role of orbital differentiation on the emergence of superconductivity in the Fe-based superconductors remains an open question to the scientific community. In this investigation, we employ a suitable microscopic spin probe technique, namely Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), to investigate this issue on selected chemically substituted BaFe2As2 single crystals. As the spin-density wave (SDW) phase is suppressed, we observe a clear increase of the Fe 3d bands anisotropy along with their localization at the FeAs plane. Such an increase of the planar orbital content is interestingly independent of the chemical substitution responsible for suppressing the SDW phase. As a consequence, the magnetic fluctuations in combination with this particular symmetry of the Fe 3d bands are propitious ingredients for the emergence of superconductivity in this class of materials.

Partitioning The Net Effect Of Host Diversity On An Emerging Amphibian Pathogen.

The 'dilution effect' (DE) hypothesis predicts that diverse host communities will show reduced disease. The underlying causes of pathogen dilution are complex, because they involve non-additive (driven by host interactions and differential habitat use) and additive (controlled by host species composition) mechanisms. Here, we used measures of complementarity and selection traditionally employed in the field of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) to quantify the net effect of host diversity on disease dynamics of the amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Complementarity occurs when average infection load in diverse host assemblages departs from that of each component species in uniform populations. Selection measures the disproportionate impact of a particular species in diverse assemblages compared with its performance in uniform populations, and therefore has strong additive and non-additive properties. We experimentally infected tropical amphibian species of varying life histories, in single- and multi-host treatments, and measured individual Bd infection loads. Host diversity reduced Bd infection in amphibians through a mechanism analogous to complementarity (sensu BEF), potentially by reducing shared habitat use and transmission among hosts. Additionally, the selection component indicated that one particular terrestrial species showed reduced infection loads in diverse assemblages at the expense of neighbouring aquatic hosts becoming heavily infected. By partitioning components of diversity, our findings underscore the importance of additive and non-additive mechanisms underlying the DE.

Avoiding Pitfalls Of Intraoperative Peripheral Endovascular Surgery With The Aid Of Osirix: Expanding The Use Of Virtual Fluoroscopy.

We have shown how the analysis of the angiotomography reconstruction through OsiriX program has assisted in endovascular perioperative programming. We presented its application in situations when an unexpected existence of metallic overlapping artifact (orthopedic osteosynthesis) compromised the adequate visualization of the arterial lesion during the procedure. Through manipulation upon OsiriX software, with assistance of preview under virtual fluoroscopy, it was possible to obtain the angles that would avoid this juxtaposition. These angles were reproduced in the C-arm, allowing visualization of the occluded segment, reducing the need for repeated image acquisitions and contrast overload, allowing the continuation of the procedure.

The Use Of Medication And Associated Factors Among Adults Living In Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil: Differences Between Men And Women.

The objective of this study was to verify factors associated with the use of medication by adults, with emphasis on the differences between men and women. It was a population-based, cross-sectional study with cluster sampling conducted in two stages in Campinas in the state of São Paulo in 2008. Among the 2,413 individuals aged 20 or older, the prevalence of use of at least one drug in the three days before the research was 45.4% (95% CI: 41.3 - 49.4) in men and 64.6% (95% CI: 59.8 - 69.2) in women. For adult men over 40 years old who were not working, former smokers, with one or more chronic diseases, with two or more health problems and who sought health care or a health professional in the two weeks preceding the research showed higher prevalence of medication use. Among women, a higher prevalence of use was observed in females over 40, obese, former smokers, who reported a short sleep pattern, with one or more chronic diseases and two or more health problems, and who reported seeking a health care service or professional in the past 15 days. The findings showed some differences in the determinants of drug use in relation to gender, revealing the greater importance of health-related behavior among women.

[between The Country And The Laboratory: The Dynamics Of The Production Of Knowledge At The Menopause Outpatients Clinic At Caism, Unicamp.]

This study investigates the practices involved in the production of knowledge about menopause at Caism, Unicamp, a reference center for public policies for women's health. Gynecological appointments and psychological support meetings were observed, and women and doctors were interviewed in order to identify what discourse circulates there and how different actors are brought in to ensure that the knowledge produced attains credibility and travels beyond the boundaries of the teaching hospital to become universal. The analysis is based on localized studies aligned with social studies of science and technology.

[between The Country And The Laboratory: The Dynamics Of The Production Of Knowledge At The Menopause Outpatients Clinic At Caism, Unicamp].

This study investigates the practices involved in the production of knowledge about menopause at Caism, Unicamp, a reference center for public policies for women's health. Gynecological appointments and psychological support meetings were observed, and women and doctors were interviewed in order to identify what discourse circulates there and how different actors are brought in to ensure that the knowledge produced attains credibility and travels beyond the boundaries of the teaching hospital to become universal. The analysis is based on localized studies aligned with social studies of science and technology.