Trends in food availability in Switzerland, 1961-2007.

Trends in food availability in Switzerland were assessed using the Food and Agricultural Organization food balance sheets for the period 1961-2007. A relatively stable trend in the daily caloric supply was found: 3545 kcal/day in 1961 and 3465 kcal/day in 2007. Calories associated with carbohydrates decreased (slope±s.e.: -1.1±0.2 kcal/day/year), namely regarding cereals (-2.9±0.6 kcal/day/year) and fruit (-1.5±0.1 kcal/day/year), while the availability of sugars increased (1.2±0.5 kcal/day/year). In 1961, protein, fat, carbohydrates and alcohol represented 10.6, 33.5, 50.0 and 5.9% of total caloric supply, respectively; in 2007, the values were 10.8, 40.3, 43.7 and 5.2%. In 1961, palm, groundnut and sunflowerseed oil represented 3.4, 30.7 and 5.3% of total vegetable oils, respectively; in 2007, the values were 10.4, 3.7 and 31.6%. We conclude that between 1961 and 2007 total caloric availability remained relatively stable in Switzerland; the health effects of the increased and differing fat availability should be evaluated.

One minute of grief: Emotional processing in short-term dynamic psychotherapy for adjustment disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Depth of emotional processing has shown to be related to outcome across approaches to psychotherapy. Moreover, a specific emotional sequence has been postulated and tested in several studies on experiential psychotherapy (Pascual-Leone & Greenberg, 2007). This process-outcome study aims at reproducing the sequential model of emotional processing in psychodynamic psychotherapy for adjustment disorder and linking these variables with ultimate therapeutic outcome. METHOD: In this study, 32 patients underwent short-term dynamic psychotherapy. On the basis of reliable clinical change statistics, a subgroup (n = 16) presented with good outcome and another subgroup (n = 16) had a poor outcome in the end of treatment. The strongest alliance session of each case was rated using the observer-rated system Classification of Affective Meaning States. Reliability coefficients for the measure were excellent (κ = .82). RESULTS: Using 1 min as the fine-grained unit of analysis, results showed that the experience of fundamentally adaptive grief was more common in the in-session process of patients with good outcome, compared with those with poor outcomes (χ2 = 6.56, p = .01, d = 1.23). This variable alone predicted 19% of the change in depressive symptoms as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory at the end of treatment. Moreover, sequences of the original model were supported and related to outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These results are discussed within the framework of the sequential model of emotional processing and its possible relevance for psychodynamic psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Chronic rejection of allogenic dermal grafts in 73 % TBSA burn patient

Rationale: Allogenic grafts are an excellent way to temporarily cover a wound. It prevents the loss of electrolytes and water, reduces the risk of infection and diminishes pain. Another advantage of the allograft is in circumventing problems such as the morbidity of skin graft donor sites. We present here the case of a patient grafted in 1991 with cultured epidermal autografts (CEA) and allogenic skin transplants on his legs, outlining the risks and potential long-term complications. Methods: The 40-year-old male patient was treated with allogenic Split Thickness Skin Graft (STSG) transplantations, CEA and Cyclosporine-A therapy. Allogenic STSG for lower extremities were harvested from a female HIV-negative organ donor. They were transplanted, de-epithelialized and subsequently covered with CEAs. Cyclosporine-A was administered systemically from the first day following transplantation until three weeks after the last CEAs were placed on the allogenic dermis. Results: Immediate results showed a 90% successful grafting under cyclosporine therapy. However, some lesions were still present 16 months later. The skin was hard with little or no elasticity. Five years after the transplantation there were no more lesions. However, a 10-year follow-up showed new ulcers on both lower extremities. All the skin of the right leg was removed and replaced by STSG from the patient's back. Postoperative results were excellent with a 100% graft take. The anatomopathology showed dermo-hypodermic tissue with fibrosis of the dermis, vasculopathy and chronic ulcers compatible with chronic rejection. Conclusion: While early functional results of the allografts may seem encouraging, their long-term evolution remains uncertain and, in this case, presents complications. The apparent antigenic effect of the dermal tissue may be controlled with long-term immunosuppression which may cause important secondary effects. Even with such treatments, 15 years after organ transplantation, about 35% of a transplant is no longer functional. It is therefore important to take these long-term observations into consideration when treating sensitive areas such as hands or a face.

Multicopy suppression of a gacA mutation by the infC operon in Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0: competition with the global translational regulator RsmA.

The gacA gene of the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 codes for a response regulator which, together with the sensor kinase GacS (=LemA), is required for the production of exoenzymes and secondary metabolites involved in biocontrol, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN). A gacA multicopy suppressor was isolated from a cosmid library of strain CHA0 and identified as the infC-rpmI-rplT operon, which encodes the translation initiation factor IF3 and the ribosomal proteins L35 and L20. The efficiency of suppression was about 30%, as determined by the use of a GacA-controlled reporter construct, i.e. a translational hcnA'-'lacZ fusion. Overexpression of the rsmA gene (coding for a global translational repressor) reversed the suppressive effect of the amplified infC operon. This finding suggests that some product(s) of the infC operon can compete with RsmA at the level of translation in P. fluorescens CHA0 and that important biocontrol traits can be regulated at this level.

Reliure de : Hieronymi Cardani,... De Subtilitate libri XXI...

Numérisation partielle de reliure

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: evaluation of prenatal diagnosis in 20 European regions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prenatal diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia by ultrasound in well-defined European populations. DESIGN: Data from 20 registries of congenital malformations in 12 European countries were included. The prenatal ultrasound screening programs in the countries ranged from no routine screening to three ultrasound investigations per patient being routinely performed. RESULTS: There were 187 cases with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, with an overall prenatal detection rate of 59% (110/187). There was considerable variation in prenatal detection rate between regions. There was a significant difference in the detection rate of isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia (59/116, 51%) compared with congenital diaphragmatic hernia associated with multiple malformations, karyotype anomalies or syndromes (51/71, 72%) (P = 0.01). Termination of pregnancy was performed in 39 cases (21%) of which 14 cases were isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Mean gestational age at discovery was 24.2 weeks (range, 11-38 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: The overall prenatal detection rate of congenital diaphragmatic hernia is high (59%) but varies significantly between European regions. The gestational age at discovery was greater than 24 weeks in half of the prenatally diagnosed cases.

Risk factors of stroke mortality in the African region: a cohort study

Background: Population-based cohort studies of risk factors of stroke are scarce in developing countries and none has been done in the African region. We conducted a longitudinal study in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean, east of Kenya), a middle-income island state where the majority of the population is of African descent. Such data in Africa are important for international comparison and for advocacy in the region. Methods: Three examination surveys of cardiovascular risk factors were performed in independent samples representative of the general population aged 25-64 in 1989, 1994 and 2004 (n=1081, 1067, and 1255, respectively). Baseline risk factors data were linked with cause-specific mortality from vital statistics up to May 2007 (all deaths are medically certified in the Seychelles and kept in an electronic database). We considered stroke (any type) as a cause of death if the diagnosis was reported in any of the 4 fields in the death certificates for underlying and concomitant causes of death. Results. Among the 2479 persons aged 35-64 at baseline, 280 died including 56 with stroke during follow up (maximum: 18.2 years; mean: 10.2 years). In this age range, age-adjusted mortality rates (/100'000/year) were 969 for all cause and 187 for stroke; age-adjusted prevalence of high blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg) was 48%. In multivariate Cox survival time regression, stroke mortality was increased by 18% and 35% for a 10-mmHg increase in systolic, respectively diastolic BP (p<0.001). Stroke mortality was also associated with age, smoking ≥5 cigarettes vs. no smoking (HR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2-4.8) and diabetes (HR: 1.9; 1.02-3.6) but not with sex, LDL-cholesterol intake, alcohol intake and professional occupation. Conclusion. This first population-based cohort study in the African region demonstrates high mortality rates from stroke in middle-aged adults and confirms associations with high BP and other risk factors. This emphasizes the importance of reducing BP and other modifiable risk factors in high risk individuals and in the general population as a main strategy to reduce the burden of stroke.

Bilateral olfactory sensory input enhances chemotaxis behavior.

Neural comparisons of bilateral sensory inputs are essential for visual depth perception and accurate localization of sounds in space. All animals, from single-cell prokaryotes to humans, orient themselves in response to environmental chemical stimuli, but the contribution of spatial integration of neural activity in olfaction remains unclear. We investigated this problem in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Using high-resolution behavioral analysis, we studied the chemotaxis behavior of larvae with a single functional olfactory neuron on either the left or right side of the head, allowing us to examine unilateral or bilateral olfactory input. We developed new spectroscopic methods to create stable odorant gradients in which odor concentrations were experimentally measured. In these controlled environments, we observed that a single functional neuron provided sufficient information to permit larval chemotaxis. We found additional evidence that the overall accuracy of navigation is enhanced by the increase in the signal-to-noise ratio conferred by bilateral sensory input.

A tailored approach for the treatment of indirect inguinal hernia in adults--an old problem revisited.

A patent processus vaginalis peritonei (PPV) presents typically as an indirect hernia with an intact inguinal canal floor during childhood. Little is known however about PPV in adults and its best treatment. A cohort study included all consecutive patients admitted for ambulatory open hernia repair. In patients with a PPV, demographics, hernia characteristics, and outcome were prospectively assessed. Annulorrhaphy was the treatment of choice in patients with an internal inguinal ring diameter of < 30 mm. Between 1998 and 2006, 92 PPVs (two bilateral) were diagnosed in 676 open hernia repairs (incidence of 14%). Eighty nine of the 90 patients were males, the median age was 34 years (range: 17-85). A PPV was right-sided in 67% and partially obliterated in 66%. Forty-one patients had an annulorrhaphy and 51 patients had a tension-free mesh repair. The median operation time was significantly shorter in the annulorrhaphy group (38 vs. 48 min, P <.0001). In a median follow-up period of 56 months (27-128), both groups did not differ concerning recurrence (1/41 vs. 2/51), chronic pain (3/41 vs. 4/51), and hypoesthesia (5/41 vs. 9/51). There was however a clear trend to less neuropathic symptoms in favor of annulorrhaphy (0/41 vs. 5/51, P < 0.066). PPV occurs in 14% of adults undergoing hernia repair. In selected patients, annulorrhaphy takes less time and is associated with equally low recurrence but less potential for neuropathic symptoms.

T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 characteristics start to develop during T cell priming and are associated with an immediate ability to induce immunoglobulin class switching.

The respective production of specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G2a or IgG1 within 5 d of primary immunization with Swiss type mouse mammary tumor virus [MMTV(SW)] or haptenated protein provides a model for the development of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 responses. The antibody-producing cells arise from cognate T cell B cell interaction, revealed by the respective induction of Cgamma2a and Cgamma1 switch transcript production, on the third day after immunization. T cell proliferation and upregulation of mRNA for interferon gamma in response to MMTV(SW) and interleukin 4 in response to haptenated protein also starts during this day. It follows that there is minimal delay in these responses between T cell priming and the onset of cognate interaction between T and B cells leading to class switching and exponential growth. The Th1 or Th2 profile is at least partially established at the time of the first cognate T cell interaction with B cells in the T zone. The addition of killed Bordetella pertussis to the hapten-protein induces nonhapten-specific IgG2a and IgG1 plasma cells, whereas the anti-hapten response continues to be IgG1 dominated. This indicates that a Th2 response to hapten-protein can proceed in a node where there is substantial Th1 activity.

Extração e exportação de nutrientes por variedades de cana-de-açúcar cultivadas sob irrigação plena

A pesquisa tecnológica para suporte do setor sucroalcooleiro nacional mostra que são esporádicos os trabalhos desenvolvidos com cana-de-açúcar irrigada envolvendo a exigência nutricional. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se quantificar, durante o ciclo de cana-planta de 11 variedades de cana-de-açúcar (SP79-1011, RB813804, RB863129, RB872552, RB943365, RB72454, RB763710, SP78-4764, SP81-3250, RB867515 e RB92579) cultivadas sob irrigação plena, a capacidade de extração e exportação de N, P, K, Ca e Mg, bem como a exigência nutricional para produção de uma tonelada de colmo por hectare (TCH). A pesquisa foi realizada em campo, no município de Carpina, PE, durante a safra agrícola 2006/2007. O delineamento experimental empregado foi de blocos casualizados, com 11 tratamentos e quatro repetições. A extração e exportação de nutrientes, assim como a exigência nutricional, foram avaliadas aos 360 dias após o plantio (DAP) na parte aérea das plantas. A extração de nutrientes na parte aérea da cana-planta apresentou, em média, valores de 179, 25, 325, 226 e 87 kg ha-1 de N, P, K, Ca e Mg, respectivamente, o que proporcionou a seguinte ordem decrescente de extração: K > Ca > N > Mg > P. A exportação média de N, P, K, Ca e Mg pelo colmo das variedades irrigadas foi de 92; 15; 188; 187; e 66 kg ha-1; correspondendo, respectivamente, a 51, 60, 58, 83 e 76 % de todo o nutriente extraído na parte aérea da cana-planta, com destaque para as variedades RB92579 e SP81-3250 para o N, RB813804, RB863129, RB872552, RB763710, RB92579, SP78-4764, SP81-3250 e SP79-1011 para o P, SP79-1011, SP81-3250, RB813804, RB872552 e RB763710 para o K, RB92579 e RB863129 para o Ca e RB92579 para o Mg. Para produção de uma TCH, foram exigidos pelas variedades durante o ciclo de cana-planta valores médios de 0,91; 0,13; 1,71; 1,18; e 0,44 kg de N, P, K, Ca e Mg, respectivamente.

Nitrous oxide and methane fluxes in south Brazilian gleysol as affected by nitrogen fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizers increase the nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and can reduce the methane (CH4) oxidation from agricultural soils. However, the magnitude of this effect is unknown in Southern Brazilian edaphoclimatic conditions, as well as the potential of different sources of mineral N fertilizers in such an effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different mineral N sources (urea, ammonium sulphate, calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, Uran, controlled- release N fertilizer, and urea with urease inhibitor) on N2O and CH4 fluxes from Gleysol in the South of Brazil (Porto Alegre, RS), in comparison to a control treatment without a N application. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block with three replications, and the N fertilizer was applied to corn at the V5 growth stage. Air samples were collected from a static chambers for 15 days after the N application and the N2O and CH4 concentration were determined by gas chromatography. The topmost emissions occurred three days after the N fertilizer application and ranged from 187.8 to 8587.4 µg m-2 h-1 N. The greatest emissions were observed for N-nitric based fertilizers, while N sources with a urease inhibitor and controlled release N presented the smallest values and the N-ammonium and amidic were intermediate. This peak of N2O emissions was related to soil NO3--N (R² = 0.56, p < 0.08) when the soil water-filled pore space was up to 70 % and it indicated that N2O was predominantly produced by a denitrification process in the soil. Soil CH4 fluxes ranged from -30.1 µg m-2 h-1 C (absorption) to +32.5 µg m-2 h-1 C (emission), and the accumulated emission in the period was related to the soil NH4+-N concentration (R² = 0.82, p < 0.001), probably due to enzymatic competition between nitrification and metanotrophy processes. Despite both of the gas fluxes being affected by N fertilizers, in the average of the treatments, the impact on CH4 emission (0.2 kg ha-1 equivalent CO2-C ) was a hundredfold minor than for N2O (132.8 kg ha-1 equivalent CO2-C). Accounting for the N2O and CH4 emissions plus energetic costs of N fertilizers of 1.3 kg CO2-C kg-1 N regarding the manufacture, transport and application, we estimated an environmental impact of N sources ranging from 220.4 to 664.5 kg ha-1 CO2 -C , which can only be partially offset by C sequestration in the soil, as no study in South Brazil reported an annual net soil C accumulation rate larger than 160 kg ha-1 C due to N fertilization. The N2O mitigation can be obtained by the replacement of N-nitric sources by ammonium and amidic fertilizers. Controlled release N fertilizers and urea with urease inhibitor are also potential alternatives to N2O emission mitigation to atmospheric and systematic studies are necessary to quantify their potential in Brazilian agroecosystems.