Early weaning impairs body composition in male mice

O presente estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito do desmame precoce sobre a composição corporal e sobre parâmetros indicativos do estado nutricional de camundongos. O grupo experimental consistiu de camundongos Swiss Webster, machos, desmamados precocemente (14º dia de vida) e alimentados com ração apropriada para roedores em crescimento até o 21º dia pós-natal (grupo DESM). O grupo controle consistiu de camundongos amamentados até o 21º dia pós-natal (grupo CON). Todos os animais foram sacrificados no 21º dia de vida. O grupo DESM apresentou redução da concentração e conteúdo hepático e muscular de proteínas, da concentração cerebral de proteínas, da concentração e conteúdo cerebral de DNA e da razão proteína/RNA hepática e muscular (p<0,05). Quanto à composição corporal, o grupo DESM apresentou maior conteúdo de umidade, maior percentual de umidade e lipídios e menor conteúdo e percentual de cinzas e proteína na carcaça (p<0,05). Os resultados indicam que o desmame precoce acarreta em prejuízo à composição corporal e a parâmetros indicativos do estado nutricional, o que pode estar relacionado ao retardo do processo de maturação química. Os dados do presente estudo podem contribuir para o entendimento da influência da alimentação com fórmulas infantis sobre a composição corporal e sobre o estado nutricional.

Women's satisfaction with childbirth's experience in different models of care: a descriptive study

Com o objetivo de comparar a satisfação das mulheres com a experiência do parto em três modelos assistenciais, foi realizada pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem quantitativa, em dois hospitais públicos de São Paulo, um promovendo o modelo "Típico" e o outro com um centro de parto intra-hospitalar (modelo "CPNIH") e um peri-hospitalar (modelo "CPNPH"). A amostra foi constituída por 90 puérperas, 30 de cada modelo. A comparação entre os resultados referentes à satisfação das mulheres com o atendimento prestado pelos profissionais de saúde, com a qualidade da assistência e os motivos de satisfação e insatisfação, com a indicação ou recomendação dos serviços recebidos, com a sensação de segurança no processo e com as sugestões de melhorias, mostrou que o modelo CPHPH foi o melhor avaliado, vindo em seguida o CPNIH e por último o Típico. Conclui-se que o modelo peri-hospitalar de assistência ao parto deveria receber maior apoio do SUS, por se constituir em serviço em que as mulheres se mostram satisfeitas com a atenção recebida

The Process of Simulation Authoring/Creation by Chemistry Teachers: A Service Learning Experience

Two case studies are presented to describe the process of public school teachers authoring and creating chemistry simulations. They are part of the Virtual Didactic Laboratory for Chemistry, a project developed by the School of the Future of the University of Sao Paulo. the documental analysis of the material produced by two groups of teachers reflects different selection process for both themes and problem-situations when creating simulations. The study demonstrates the potential for chemistry learning with an approach that takes students' everyday lives into account and is based on collaborative work among teachers and researches. Also, from the teachers' perspectives, the possibilities of interaction that a simulation offers for classroom activities are considered.

Method for early quantification of quiescent infections of Colletotrichum musae on bananas

Introduction. This protocol aims at detecting and quantifying quiescent infections of Colletotrichum musae on bananas. The principle, key advantages, starting plant material, time required and expected results are presented. Materials and methods. The materials required and details of the three steps of the protocol (fruit sampling, fruit ripening and anthracnose lesion quantification) are described. Possible troubleshooting is discussed. Results. The protocol results in the quantification of anthracnose lesions on the fruits, which makes it possible to predict postharvest losses due to anthracnose (peel rot), and also to propose a better management of postharvest fungicide applications.

Prognostic evaluation of early rheumatoid arthritis

The progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is quite variable, ranging from very mild or subclinical forms (approx. 10%) to rapidly progressing and debilitating forms (10-15%). The majority of patients present with an intermediate stage with episodes of exacerbation separated by periods of relative inactivity, which evolves to progressive functional losses. To optimise the therapeutic management of early RA it is necessary to perform periodic evaluations of the clinical and laboratory test responses to the treatment instituted, as well as the parameters indicating disease prognosis. Composite measures are frequently used to evaluate the disease activity score (DAS), including the response criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), the response criteria and the DAS according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the composite indices of disease activity (CIDsA): DAS, the index of disease activity based on 28 joints (DAS 28), the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI). The evaluation of prognosis includes investigation of the absence or occurrence of disease and joint damage remission. Due to the multifaceted nature of RA, no single clinical or laboratory parameter is able to describe satisfactorily the level of inflammatory activity or the disease prognosis at any given time.

Renal hypothermia: Experience in pigs and clinical trial

Purpose: This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of two methods of inducing renal hypothermia through laparoscopy in pigs and humans. Materials and Methods: Twelve pigs were divided into four groups of three animals each. Both kidneys of the animals in Groups A, B, and C were submitted to pelvic irrigation with cold saline (4 degrees C) for 20 minutes, with flow rates of 5 mL/min, 10 mL/min, and 15 mL/min, respectively. In Group D renal hypothermia was induced by intracorporeal ice slush applied to the surface for 20 minutes. All maneuvers were performed laparoscopically and renal cortex temperature was measured by a thermocouple needle. Five human patients also underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy due to renal cell carcinoma. In one case renoprotection was induced by retrograde endoscopic cold saline perfusion at a flow rate of 10 mL/min. In the remaining four patients we induced renal hypothermia via laparoscopic application of ice slush. The renal temperature of the human patients was also monitored using a thermocouple needle. Results: In the pigs, at 20 minutes of renal pelvis perfusion the mean renal temperature, the temperature drop, and saline flow per gram of kidney were: Group A, -29.5 degrees C +/- 1.1 (-6.3 degrees C; 0.10 mL); Group B, -22.8 degrees C +/- 1.1 (-13.1 degrees C; 0.22 mL); and Group C, -21.1 degrees C +/- 0.9 (-14.9 degrees C; 0.31 mL). In Group D the mean renal cortex temperature at 20 minutes was 13.6 degrees C +/- 1.2, a drop of -22.5 degrees C. There were striking differences among the groups (P < 0.0001). The laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was uneventful in all five human patients. The lowest renal cortex temperature was 32.5 degrees C, seen in the patient who submitted to pelvic irrigation with cold saline, and the mean temperature drop was 19.1 degrees C +/- 2.5 degrees C in the patients who submitted to ice slush-induced renal hypothermia. Conclusions: Induction of renal hypothermia using intracorporeal ice slush confers lower kidney temperatures than endoscopically-induced cold saline perfusion.

A simplified minimal residual disease polymerase chain reaction method at early treatment points can stratify children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia into good and poor outcome groups

Background Minimal residual disease is an important independent prognostic factor in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The classical detection methods such as multiparameter flow cytometry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis are expensive, time-consuming and complex, and require considerable technical expertise. Design and Methods We analyzed 229 consecutive children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated according to the GBTLI-99 protocol at three different Brazilian centers. Minimal residual disease was analyzed in bone marrow samples at diagnosis and on days 14 and 28 by conventional homo/heteroduplex polymerase chain reaction using a simplified approach with consensus primers for IG and TCR gene rearrangements. Results At least one marker was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 96.4%, of the patients. By combining the minimal residual disease results obtained on days 14 and 28, three different prognostic groups were identified: minimal residual disease negative on days 14 and 28, positive on day 14/negative on day 28, and positive on both. Five-year event-free survival rates were 85%, 75.6%,, and 27.8%, respectively (p<0.0001). The same pattern of stratification held true for the group of intensively treated children. When analyzed in other subgroups of patients such as those at standard and high risk at diagnosis, those with positive B-derived CD10, patients positive for the TEL/AML1 transcript, and patients in morphological remission on a day 28 marrow, the event-free survival rate was found to be significantly lower in patients with positive minimal residual disease on day 28. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the detection of minimal residual disease on day 28 is the most significant prognostic factor. Conclusions This simplified strategy for detection of minimal residual disease was feasible, reproducible, cheaper and simpler when compared with other methods, and allowed powerful discrimination between children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a good and poor outcome.

High spatial resolution spectroscopy of W51IRS 2E and IRS 2W: Two very massive young stars in early formation stages

We present K-band spectra of the near infrared counterparts to IRS 2E and IRS 2W which is associated with the ultracompact H II region W51d, both of them embedded sources in the Galactic compact H II region W51 IRS 2. The high spatial resolution observations were obtained with the laser guide star facility and Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) mounted at the Gemini-North observatory. The spectrum of the ionizing source of W51d shows the photospheric features N III ( 21155 angstrom) in emission and He II ( 21897 angstrom) in absorption which lead us to classify it as a young O3 type star. We detected CO overtone in emission at 23000 angstrom in the spectrum of IRS 2E, suggesting that it is a massive young object still surrounded by an accretion disk, probably transitioning from the hot core phase to an ultracompact H II region.

Status of Early 19th-Century Names Authored in Parallel by Wied and Schinz for South American Reptiles and Amphibians, with Designations of Three Nomina Protecta

Prince Maximilian zu Wied's great exploration of coastal Brazil in 1815-1817 resulted in important collections of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, many of which were new species later described by Wied himself The bulk of his collection was purchased for the American Museum of Natural History in 1869, although many ""type specimens"" had disappeared earlier. Wied carefully identified his localities but did not designate type specimens or type localities, which are taxonomic concepts that were not yet established. Information and manuscript names on a fraction (17 species) of his Brazilian reptiles and amphibians were transmitted by Wied to Prof. Heinrich Rudolf Schinz at the University of Zurich. Schinz included these species (credited to their discoverer ""Princ. Max."") in the second volume of Das Thierreich ... (1822). Most are junior objective synonyms of names published by Wied. However, six of the 17 names used by Schinz predate Wied's own publications. Three were manuscript names never published by Wied because he determined the species to be previously known. (1) Lacerta vittata Schinz, 1822 (a nomen oblitum) = Lacerta striata sensu Wied (a misidentification, non Linnaeus nec sensu Merrem) = Kentropyx calcarata Spix, 1825, herein qualified as a nomen protectum. (2) Polychrus virescens Schinz, 1822 = Lacerta marmorata Linnaeus, 1758 (now Polychrus marmoratus). (3) Scincus cyanurus Schinz, 1822 (a nomen oblitum) = Gymnophthalmus quadrilineatus sensu Wied (a misidentification, non Linnaeus nec sensu Merrem) = Micrablepharus maximiliani (Reinhardt and Lutken, ""1861"" [1862]), herein qualified as a nomen protectum. Qualifying Scincus cyanurus Schinz, 1822, as a nomen oblitum also removes the problem of homonymy with the later-named Pacific skink Scincus cyanurus Lesson (= Emoia cyanura). The remaining three names used by Schinz are senior objective synonyms that take priority over Wied's names. (4) Bufo cinctus Schinz, 1822, is senior to Bufo cinctus Wied, 1823; both, however, are junior synonyms of Bufo crucifer Wied, 1821 = Chaunus crucifer (Wied). (5) Agama picta Schinz, 1822, is senior to Agama picta Wied, 1823, requiring a change of authorship for this poorly known species, to be known as Enyalius pictus (Schinz). (6) Lacerta cyanomelas Schinz, 1822, predates Teius cyanomelas Wied, 1824 (1822-1831) both nomina oblita. Wied's illustration and description shows cyanomelas as apparently conspecific with the recently described but already well-known Cnemidophorus nativo Rocha et al., 1997, which is the valid name because of its qualification herein as a nomen protectum. The preceding specific name cyanomelas (as corrected in an errata section) is misspelled several ways in different copies of Schinz's original description (""cyanom las,"" ""cyanomlas,"" and cyanom""). Loosening, separation, and final loss of the last three letters of movable type in the printing chase probably accounts for the variant misspellings.

Molecules Clarify a Cnidarian Life Cycle - The ""Hydrozoan'' Microhydrula limopsicola Is an Early Life Stage of the Staurozoan Haliclystus antarcticus

Background: Life cycles of medusozoan cnidarians vary widely, and have been difficult to document, especially in the most recently proposed class Staurozoa. However, molecular data can be a useful tool to elucidate medusozoan life cycles by tying together different life history stages. Methodology/Principal Findings: Genetic data from fast-evolving molecular markers (mitochondrial 16S, nuclear ITS1, and nuclear ITS2) show that animals that were presumed to be a hydrozoan, Microhydrula limopsicola (Limnomedusae, Microhydrulidae), are actually an early stage of the life cycle of the staurozoan Haliclystus antarcticus (Stauromedusae, Lucernariidae). Conclusions/Significance: Similarity between the haplotypes of three markers of Microhydrula limopsicola and Haliclystus antarcticus settles the identity of these taxa, expanding our understanding of the staurozoan life cycle, which was thought to be more straightforward and simple. A synthetic discussion of prior observations makes sense of the morphological, histological and behavioral similarities/congruence between Microhydrula and Haliclystus. The consequences are likely to be replicated in other medusozoan groups. For instance we hypothesize that other species of Microhydrulidae are likely to represent life stages of other species of Staurozoa.45

Morphological and growth alterations on early development stages of Iridaea cordata (Rhodophyta) under different intensities of UVB radiation

This study describes the effects of different intensities of UVB radiation on growth and morphology of early development stages of Iridaea cordata in germlings, young gametophytes originated in the laboratory and young fronds collected in the Magellan Strait, Chile. The experiments were carried out during four weeks in controlled conditions of temperature and photoperiod and the results were compared with a control treatment (without UVB). All UVB irradiation treatments caused bleaching and decrease in growth rates of germlings. Additionally, initial upright fronds were not observed in any of the UVB treatments, where as those cultivated in UVB absence developed erect ones in the second week of culture. The young gametophytes exhibited morphological alteration (small number and size of basal ramifications, curling of tips, bleaching and necrosis) and decrease in growth when exposed to UVB radiation. Young fronds collected from the field showed mainly morphological alterations (curling of frond). Morphological alterations in young gametophytes and young fronds of I. cordata could be interpreted as a defense against UVB by reducing the area exposed to radiation. However, high level of UVB radiation can produce irreparable damage, such as necrosis, observed in young gametophytes originated in the laboratory. Finally, the UVB effects on early developmental stages of I. cordata depend on the UVB irradiance and time of exposition.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Prevents Early Death Caused by Experimental Cerebral Malaria

Background: Cerebral malaria (CM) is a syndrome characterized by neurological signs, seizures and coma. Despite the fact that CM presents similarities with cerebral stroke, few studies have focused on new supportive therapies for the disease. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy has been successfully used in patients with numerous brain disorders such as stroke, migraine and atherosclerosis. Methodology/Principal Findings: C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) were exposed to daily doses of HBO (100% O(2), 3.0 ATA, 1-2 h per day) in conditions well-tolerated by humans and animals, before or after parasite establishment. Cumulative survival analyses demonstrated that HBO therapy protected 50% of PbA-infected mice and delayed CM-specific neurological signs when administrated after patent parasitemia. Pressurized oxygen therapy reduced peripheral parasitemia, expression of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-10 mRNA levels and percentage of gamma delta and alpha beta CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes sequestered in mice brains, thus resulting in a reduction of blood-brain barrier (BBB)dysfunction and hypothermia. Conclusions/Significance: The data presented here is the first indication that HBO treatment could be used as supportive therapy, perhaps in association with neuroprotective drugs, to prevent CM clinical outcomes, including death.

A Complete Skull of an Early Cretaceous Sauropod and the Evolution of Advanced Titanosaurians

Advanced titanosaurian sauropods, such as nemegtosaurids and saltasaurids, were diverse and one of the most important groups of herbivores in the terrestrial biotas of the Late Cretaceous. However, little is known about their rise and diversification prior to the Late Cretaceous. Furthermore, the evolution of their highly-modified skull anatomy has been largely hindered by the scarcity of well-preserved cranial remains. A new sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil represents the earliest advanced titanosaurian known to date, demonstrating that the initial diversification of advanced titanosaurians was well under way at least 30 million years before their known radiation in the latest Cretaceous. The new taxon also preserves the most complete skull among titanosaurians, further revealing that their low and elongated diplodocid-like skull morphology appeared much earlier than previously thought.

The importance of scientific literacy in fostering education for sustainability: Theoretical considerations and preliminary findings from a Brazilian experience

Scientific literacy can be considered as a new demand of post-industrial society. It seems necessary in order to foster education for sustainability throughout students` academic careers. Universities striving to teach sustainability are being challenged to integrate a holistic perspective into a traditional undergraduate curriculum, which aims at specialization. This new integrative, inter- and transdisciplinary epistemological approach is necessary to cultivate autonomous citizenship, i.e., that each citizen be prepared to understand and participate in discussions about the complex contemporary issues posed by post-industrial society. This paper presents an epistemological framework to show the role of scientific literacy in fostering education for sustainability. We present a set of 26 collaborative concept maps (CCmaps) in order to illustrate an instance of theory becoming practice. During a required course for first-year undergraduate students (ACH 0011, Natural Sciences), climate change was presented and discussed in broad perspective by using CCmaps. We present students` CCmaps to show how they use concepts from quantitative and literacy disciplines to deal with the challenges posed by the need of achieving a sustainable development. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The experience of repeated fatherhood during adolescence

Objective: to examine how adolescent fathers experience recurring parenthood. Design: qualitative study with a social phenomenological focus. Participants: five fathers between 16 and 19 years of age, each with two children. Findings: the participants perceived themselves as mature, responsible, worried about the care and education of their children, and desiring a secure future life. These factors made them seek employment, their own home, marital stability, construction of a family and return to school. They experienced the ambivalence of desiring one reality and living another, given that, as adolescent parents, they regretted the loss of their freedom. Key conclusions: recurring parenthood in adolescence is a complex phenomenon, with many possible perceptions. The diverse experiences depend on the social context that is defined by the wishes, plans, possibilities and meanings of each distinct social class. Implications for practice: care delivery to these adolescents should consider not only theoretical and chronobiological aspects, but also the experiences of these young people and the psychosocial and cultural factors involved in their fatherhood. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.