Influence of storage temperature on cooling intensity of topical emulsions containing encapsulated menthol

The cooling intensity of topical emulsions added with encapsulated or free menthol was evaluated by a screened and trained panel recruited based on the American Society for Testing and Materials method. A sensory panel composed of 10 trained judges performed the evaluation of samples stored at 22 +/- 2C for 24 h and, after 28 days of storage, at 37.0 +/- 0.5C. The obtained data were analyzed by analysis of variance and Tukey`s test. The results showed an increase of cooling intensity as a function of encapsulated menthol concentration. The opposite was observed in samples added with free menthol, which may have caused sensory fatigue. Storage at 37 +/- 0.5C for 28 days had no impact on the cooling intensity of emulsions containing encapsulated menthol, demonstrating high stability and suggesting its application in cooling skin care products. In contrast, emulsions added with free menthol showed a drastic decrease of cooling intensity at 37 +/- 0.5C..

Production and characterization of sponge-dough bread using scalded rye

In this work, flatbed scanning, instrumental texture analysis, spectrophotometric color determination (L*, a*, b*), moisture and specific volume measurements were used to evaluate the effects of the addition of rye flour or rye flakes, yeast and boiling water in different amounts in sponge-dough rye bread production. The treatments changed significantly (P < 0.05) the crumb cell area (mm(2)), cell diameter (mm), cell perimeter (mm), texture parameters and light reflectance (L*, a*, b*). Scalding process could be used to produce new textures and color of baked products.

Prevention of hypertension in patients with pre-hypertension: protocol for the PREVER-prevention trial

Background: Blood pressure (BP) within pre-hypertensive levels confers higher cardiovascular risk and is an intermediate stage for full hypertension, which develops in an annual rate of 7 out of 100 individuals with 40 to 50 years of age. Non-drug interventions to prevent hypertension have had low effectiveness. In individuals with previous cardiovascular disease or diabetes, the use of BP-lowering agents reduces the incidence of major cardiovascular events. In the absence of higher baseline risk, the use of BP agents reduces the incidence of hypertension. The PREVER-prevention trial aims to investigate the efficacy, safety and feasibility of a population-based intervention to prevent the incidence of hypertension and the development of target-organ damage. Methods: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with participants aged 30 to 70 years, with pre-hypertension. The trial arms will be chlorthalidone 12.5 mg plus amiloride 2.5 mg or identical placebo. The primary outcomes will be the incidence of hypertension, adverse events and development or worsening of microalbuminuria and of left ventricular hypertrophy in the EKG. The secondary outcomes will be fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events: myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, evidence of new sub-clinical atherosclerosis, and sudden death. The study will last 18 months. The sample size was calculated on the basis of an incidence of hypertension of 14% in the control group, a size effect of 40%, power of 85% and P alpha of 5%, resulting in 625 participants per group. The project was approved by the Ethics committee of each participating institution. Discussion: The early use of blood pressure-lowering drugs, particularly diuretics, which act on the main mechanism of blood pressure rising with age, may prevent cardiovascular events and the incidence of hypertension in individuals with hypertension. If this intervention shows to be effective and safe in a population-based perspective, it could be the basis for an innovative public health program to prevent hypertension in Brazil.

Sexual ratio, reproductive period and seasonal variation of the gonochoric shrimp Hippolyte obliquimanus (Caridea: Hippolytidae)

Hippolyte obliquimanus is a small, gonochoric shrimp found in algal substrates along the western Atlantic coast of Brazil, particularly in association with seaweed of the genus Sargassum. We studied population features (sexual ratio, reproductive period and temporal distribution) of H. obliquimanus in southeastern Brazil, including its relationships with the seasonality of banks of this alga. Specimens were collected at two-monthly intervals from March 2005 to January 2006, in Ubatuba Bay. The sex of individuals was checked, and the carapace length measured. In total, 668 individuals were collected: 211 males (0.70-2.50 mm carapace length), 341 non-ovigerous females (0.55-2.90 mm), and 116 ovigerous females (1.55-3.20 mm). Hippolyte obliquimanus showed seasonal-continuous reproduction and variable continuous recruitment. The highest number of animals (75%) was collected in fall-winter. The percentages of ovigerous females/total females (fall-winter: 27%; spring-summer: 26%) and the sexual ratio (fall-winter: 31%; spring-summer: 32%) were practically equal in both periods. The sexual ratio showed a predominance of females in almost all size classes, and we detected a new sex ratio pattern for this species. The seasonal variation in the number of individuals can be related to its migration to deeper areas, due to the decrease in the abundance of Sargassum sp. in shallower waters in spring-summer.

O ACERTO DE CONTAS DE DIDEROT COM O CETICISMO

RESUMO: Este artigo é o segundo de uma tríade que trata do diálogo, mais precisamente do envolvimento, entre a filosofia de Denis Diderot e o ceticismo. O primeiro artigo, intitulado “O jovem Diderot e o ceticismo dos Pensamentos”, foi publicado na revista Dois Pontos, em sua edição dedicada ao tema do ceticismo (cf. PIVA, 2007), e limitou-se a uma análise minuciosa do problema da postura cética nos Pensamentos filosóficos, de 1746. O presente artigo, por seu turno, examina duas questões fundamentais, desta vez em O passeio do cético ou As alamedas, de 1747, último livro em que o ceticismo é evocado com destaque pelo enciclopedista, dois anos antes de ele render-se definitivamente ao materialismo ateu: 1) a interpretação que Diderot desenvolve do ceticismo e 2) sua posição diante dele. Já o terceiro e derradeiro texto da tríade examinará – evidentemente, numa próxima oportunidade – a presença do ceticismo no pensamento diderotiano da maturidade, ou seja, no período que se inicia em 1749, com a redação da Carta sobre os cegos, quando a questão da dúvida cética passa a perder em suas obras a relevância que tinha na origem de suas reflexões, mudando, até mesmo, de registro.

Multicenter double blind trial of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation through intracoronary injection post acute myocardium infarction - MiHeart/AMI study

Background: Myocardial infarction remains as a major cause of mortality worldwide and a high rate of survivors develop heart failure as a sequel, resulting in a high morbidity and elevated expenditures for health system resources. We have designed a multicenter trial to test for the efficacy of autologous bone marrow (ABM) mononuclear cell (MC) transplantation in this subgroup of patients. The main hypothesis to be tested is that treated patients will have a significantly higher ejection fraction (EF) improvement after 6 months than controls. Methods: A sample of 300 patients admitted with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) and left ventricle (LV) systolic dysfunction, and submitted to successful mechanical or chemical recanalization of the infarct-related coronary artery will be selected for inclusion and randomized to either treated or control group in a double blind manner. The former group will receive 100 x 106 MC suspended in saline with 5% autologous serum in the culprit vessel, while the latter will receive placebo (saline with 5% autologous serum). Implications: Many phase I/II clinical trials using cell therapy for STEMI have been reported, demonstrating that cell transplantation is safe and may lead to better preserved LV function. Patients with high risk to develop systolic dysfunction have the potential to benefit more. Larger randomized, double blind and controlled trials to test for the efficacy of cell therapies in patients with high risk for developing heart failure are required.

A randomized comparative study of patients undergoing myocardial revascularization with or without cardiopulmonary bypass surgery: The MASS III Trial

The MASS III Trial is a large project from a single institution, The Heart Institute of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (InCor), enrolling patients with coronary artery disease and preserved ventricular function. The aim of the MASS III Trial is to compare medical effectiveness, cerebral injury, quality of life, and the cost-effectiveness of coronary surgery with and without of cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with multivessel coronary disease referred for both strategies. The primary endpoint should be a composite of cardiovascular mortality, cerebrovascular accident, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and refractory angina requiring revascularization. The secondary end points in this trial include noncardiac mortality, presence and severity of angina, quality of life based on the SF-36 Questionnaire, and cost-effectiveness at discharge and at 5-year follow-up. In this scenario, we will analyze the cost of the initial procedure, hospital length of stay, resource utilization, repeat hospitalization, and repeat revascularization events during the follow-up. Exercise capacity will be assessed at 6-months, 12-months, and the end of follow-up. A neurocognitive evaluation will be assessed in a subset of subjects using the Brain Resource Center computerized neurocognitive battery. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging will be made to detect any cerebral injury before and after procedures in patients who undergo coronary artery surgery with and without cardiopulmonary bypass.

Association of polymorphisms of glutamate-cystein ligase and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein genes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background and Aims: Although the metabolic risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression have been recognized, the role of genetic susceptibility remains a field to be explored. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of two polymorphisms in Brazilian patients with biopsy-proven simple steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): -493 G/T in the MTP gene, which codes the protein responsible for transferring triglycerides to nascent apolipoprotein B, and -129 C/T in the GCLC gene, which codes the catalytic subunit of glutamate-cystein ligase in the formation of glutathione. Methods: One hundred and thirty-one biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (n = 45, simple steatosis; n = 86, NASH) and 141 unrelated healthy volunteers were evaluated. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood cells, and the -129 C/T polymorphism of the GCLC gene was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The -493 G/T polymorphism of the MTP gene was determined by direct sequencing of the polymerase chain reaction products. Results: The presence of at least one T allele in the -129 C/T polymorphism of the GCLC gene was independently associated with NASH (odds ratio 12.14, 95% confidence interval 2.01-73.35; P = 0.007), whereas, the presence of at least one G allele in the -493 G/T polymorphism of the MTP gene differed slightly between biopsy-proven NASH and simple steatosis. Conclusion: This difference clearly warrants further investigation in larger samples. These two polymorphisms could represent an additional factor for consideration in evaluating the risk of NAFLD progression. Further studies involving a larger population are necessary to confirm this notion.

Propranolol reduces variceal pressure and wall tension in schistosomiasis presinusoidal portal hypertension

Background and Aim: Although prophylaxis with beta-blockers has been shown to decrease variceal pressure and wall tension in cirrhotic patients, this has not been demonstrated in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension caused by Schistosoma mansoni infection. Methods: Thirteen patients without history of previous gastrointestinal bleeding were included. All of them had high-risk esophageal varices at endoscopy. An endoscopic gauge and a high-frequency endoscopic ultrasonography miniprobe were used to assess transmural variceal pressure and wall tension before and after achieving beta-blockade with propranolol. Results: Baseline variceal pressure decreased from 13.3 +/- 3.5 to 8.2 +/- 2.0 mmHg (P < 0.0001) and wall tension from 500.2 +/- 279.8 to 274.0 +/- 108.3 mg.mm-1. The overall effect of propranolol on decreasing variceal pressure and wall tension expressed in percentage change in relation to baseline values was 35.7 +/- 18.4% and 35.9 +/- 26.7%, respectively (P = 0.9993). Conclusion: Propranolol significantly reduced variceal pressure and wall tension in schistosomiasis.

Gastroduodenal opportunistic infections and dyspepsia in HIV-infected patients in the era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Background and Aim: Dyspeptic symptoms are frequently reported by human immuno-defficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy. Whether opportunistic infections are a cause of dyspepsia is still unknown. In this study we prospectively compare the prevalence of gastrointestinal opportunistic infections in dyspeptic versus non-dyspeptic HIV-infected patients with advanced immunodeficiency. Patients and Methods: Six hundred and ninety HIV-infected patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy with mucosal biopsies from the stomach and duodenum. Group 1: 500 patients (161 women, 339 men; mean age 38.8 years; mean CD4 count 154.3 cells/mm(3) with dyspeptic symptoms such as epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and fullness. Group 2: 190 patients (169 men, 21 women; mean age 40.7 years; mean CD4 count 171.6 cell/mm(3)) with no dyspeptic symptoms. Results: Group 1: Gastrointestinal opportunistic infections were observed in eight (1.6%), and non-opportunistic parasites in two (0.4%), patients. They were: Cytomegalovirus (four patients), Cryptosporidium sp. (two patients), Schistosoma mansoni sp. (one patient), Strongyloides stercoralis (one patient) and Giardia sp. (two patients). In five patients esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed no mucosal lesions. Group 2: Giardia sp. was detected in two patients (1.1%: P = 0.07947). Conclusion: Gastrointestinal opportunistic infections were shown in a small number of HIV-infected patients under highly active antiretroviral therapy with advanced immunodeficiency. Although gastrointestinal opportunistic infections were detected exclusively in the dyspeptic patient group, they could not be related to these symptoms, since the number of infected patients was not statistically significant. To correctly diagnose opportunistic infections, multiple biopsy specimens may be necessary even from normal-appearing mucosa.

LICAVAL: combination therapy in acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder

Background: The challenge of Bipolar Disorder (BD) treatment is due to the complexity of the disease. Current guidelines represent an effort to help clinicians in their everyday practice but still have limitations, specially concerning to long term treatment. LICAVAL (efficacy and tolerability of the combination of LIthium and CArbamazepine compared to lithium and VALproic acid in the treatment of young bipolar patients) study aim to evaluate acute and maintenance phase of BD treatment with two combined drugs. Methods: LICAVAL is a single site, parallel group, randomized, outcome assessor blinded trial. BD I patients according to the DSM-IV-TR, in depressive, manic,/hypomanic or mixed episode, aged 18 to 35 years are eligible. After the diagnostic assessments, the patients are allocated for one of the groups of treatment (lithium + valproic acid or lithium + carbamazepine). Patients will be followed up for 8 weeks in phase I (acute treatment), 6 months in phase II (continuation treatment) and 12 months in phase III (maintenance treatment). Outcome assessors are blind to the treatment. The main outcome is the evaluation of changes in mean scores on CGI-BP-M between baseline and endpoint at the end of each phase of the study. Results: LICAVAL is currently in progress, with patients in phase I, II or III. It will extended until august 2012. Conclusions: Trials comparing specific treatments efficacy in BD (head to head) can show relevant information in clinical practice. Long term treatment is an issue of great important and should be evaluated carefully in more studies as long as BD is a chronic disease.

Starch mobilization and sucrose accumulation in the pulp of Keitt mangoes during postharvest ripening

Sugar is a determinant for the quality of mangoes, but information about its accumulation is scarce. Although starch can contribute to sugar production during ripening, not much is known about the enzymes involved. This work presents the changes in carbohydrate and enzymes during the development and ripening of Keitt mangoes. Starch disappearance was concomitant to a fivefold increase of sucrose, the most abundant sugar of the ripe fruits. The activities of alpha-amylase, beta-amylase, phosphorylase and isoamylase were detected in the pulp, and while alpha-amylase increased parallel to the starch content, beta-amylase presented a 20-fold increase during ripening. On the other hand, high phosphorylase activity was observed when fruits were still accumulating starch, and lowered during ripening. Isoamylase was detected during development and increased slightly during ripening, which would be in agreement to the expected role for isoamylases as acting on both subproduct of starch synthesis and degradation.

Effect of a thrombin receptor (protease-activated receptor 1, PAR-1) gene polymorphism in chronic hepatitis C liver fibrosis

Background and Aim: Tissue injury leads to activation of coagulation and generation of thrombin. Inhibition of thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) has been shown to reduce liver fibrosis in animals. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of PAR-1 gene polymorphism on rate of liver fibrosis (RF) in chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Polymorphisms studied: C > T transition 1426 bp upstream of translation start site (-1426C/T), 13 bp repeat of preceding -506 5`-CGGCCGCGGGAAG-3` sequence (-506I/D), and A > T transversion in intervening sequence (IVS) 14 bp upstream of exon-2 start site (IVS-14A/T). A total of 287 European and 90 Brazilian patients were studied. Results: 1426C/T polymorphism: There was a trend to higher RF in patients with the TT genotype (P = 0.06) and an association between genotype CC and slow fibrosis (P = 0.03) in Europeans. In males, RF was significantly higher in those with the TT genotype compared to CT (P = 0.003) and CC (P = 0.007). There was a significant association between TT and fast fibrosis (P = 0.04). This was confirmed in an independent cohort of Brazilians where RF was higher in TT than in CC (P = 0.03). Analysis of -506I/D showed no difference in RF and distribution of slow/fast fibrosis among different genotypes in both populations. Analysis of IVS-14A/T showed no difference between genotypes. Conclusion: In conclusion, these findings suggest that PAR-1 receptor polymorphisms influence the progression of liver fibrosis.

Performance of Petrifilm Aerobic Count plates on enumeration of lactic acid bacteria in fermented milks

This study aimed to compare Petrifilm Aerobic Count (AC) plates and the conventional pour plate methodology using the de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) agar for the enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in fermented milks (FMs), with different starter cultures added. FM samples (n = 66) were collected and plated on both methodologies, with incubation under anaerobic conditions at 35C for 48 h. The count results were compared by analysis of variance (P <= 0.05) and regression analysis. No differences between the mean counts obtained by both methodologies were observed, even when distinct FMs were compared. Considering all samples, a high correlation level was obtained between Petrifilm AC and MRS agar (r = 0.92), but these indexes were lower in FMs with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (r = 0.90) and Lactobacillus fortis (r = 0.81). Despite some slight interferences, Petrifilm AC has proven to be a convenient methodology on enumerating LAB in FM.

Essential oils of Origanum vulgare L. subsp glandulosum (Desf.) letswaart from Tunisia: chemical composition and antioxidant activity

BACKGROUND: Characterisation of the essential oils from O. glandulosum collected in three locations of Tunisia, chemical composition and the evaluation of their antioxidant activities were carried out. RESULTS: The essential oils from Origanum vulgare L. subsp. glandulosum (Desf.) letswaart collected from three localities of north Tunisia - Krib, Bargou and Nefza - were obtained in yields of 2.5, 3.0 and 4.6% (v/w), respectively. The essential oils were analysed by GC and GC/MS and assayed for their total phenolics content, by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant effectiveness, using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The main components of these essential oils, from Nefza, Bargou and Krib, were p-cymene (36%, 40% and 46%), thymol (32%, 39% and 18%), gamma-terpinene (24%, 12% and 16%) and carvacrol (2%, 2% and 15%), respectively). The ability to scavenge the DPPH radicals, expressed by IC50, ranged from 59 to 80 mg L-1. The total phenolic content, expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g kg(-1) dry weight, varied from 9.37 to 17.70 g kg(-1) dw. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was identified between the total phenolic content of the essential oils and DPPH radical scavenger capacity. The occurrence of a p-cymene chemotype of O. glandulosum in the northern region of Tunisia is demonstrated.