Acute physical exercise under hypoxia improves sleep, mood and reaction time

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aquisição de densidade mineral óssea e prática de modalidades esportivas de combate em jovens

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Colombian results of the interlaboratory quality control exercise 2009 2010

Colombian Reference National Laboratory, GENES LTDA, have organized and coordinated for the past two years (2009 and 2010) the Quality Control Exercise for laboratories undertaking paternity, maternity and forensic tests with DNA markers. Twenty-two laboratories have participated in 2009, increasing the number to 27 in 2010. Laboratories in Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Dominican Republic and Panama have participated in these exercises. There have been some similarities in the two controls: A practical exercise, three blood samples on FTA cards were sent to each participating laboratory to be genotyped for DNA markers using the routine methodologies in their laboratories; theoretical exercises including optional and obligatory cases. For the theoretical exercises, the participating laboratories should calculate the partial and final PI or BRI (Biological Relationship Index or Paternity Index). Forty-nine and 52 markers were under consensus for 2009 and 2010, respectively, distributed in autosomal, Y and X chromosomes STR. With respect to 2008, 12 and 15 additional markers were under consensus for 2009 and 2010, respectively. The rate of reporting error was 2.9% in 2009 while in 2010, 4.7% error was reported. The Proficiency Test conducted through the Colombian National Reference Laboratory has become a useful tool for quality assurance of all Colombian laboratories and some of Latin America that do DNA testing to establish biological relationships and an excellent opportunity for ongoing training of experts from the region.

Diagnostic accuracy of the EMG parameters associated with anterior knee pain in the diagnosis of patellofemoral pain syndrome

Objective To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the surface electromyography (sEMG) parameters associated with referred anterior knee pain in diagnosing patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Design Sensitivity and specificity analysis. Setting Physical rehabilitation center and laboratory of biomechanics and motor control. Participants Pain-free subjects (n=29) and participants with PFPS (n=22) selected by convenience. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure The diagnostic accuracy was calculated for sEMG parameters’ reliability, precision, and ability to differentiate participants with and without PFPS. The selected sEMG parameter associated with anterior knee pain was considered as an index test and was compared with the reference standard for the diagnosis of PFPS. Intraclass correlation coefficient, SEM, independent t tests, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive likelihood ratios, and negative and positive predictive values were used for the statistical analysis. Results The medium-frequency band (B2) parameter was reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient=.80–.90), precise (SEM=2.71–3.87 normalized unit), and able to differentiate participants with and without PFPS (P<.05). The association of B2 with anterior knee pain showed positive diagnostic accuracy values (specificity, .87; sensitivity, .70; negative likelihood ratio, .33; positive likelihood ratio, 5.63; negative predictive value, .72; and positive predictive value, .86). Conclusions The results provide evidence to support the use of EMG signals (B2 – frequency band of 45–96Hz) of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles with referred anterior knee pain in the diagnosis of PFPS.

Imagem de tensor de difusão na epilesia de lobo temporal mesial

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Análise da pressão intra-abdominal em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia abdominal oncológica internados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

Pós-graduação em Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (Biotecnologia Médica) - FMB

Ilhas de facilitação no Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira, SP

Novas pesquisas apontam que as interações positivas e o processo de facilitação sobre a comunidade tem fornecido importantes conhecimentos sobre a ecologia de diversas espécies no mundo. Existe uma carência de informações sobre quais as espécies interferem nos mecanismos facilitadores que conduzem a regeneração natural da vegetação e a atual necessidade de identificar estratégias de conservação, manejo sustentável e recuperação ambiental em ambientes tropicais. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de avaliar quais são as espécies arbóreas que facilitam o aumento da riqueza e abundância de outras espécies arbóreas/arbustivas regenerantes sob suas copas numa antiga área de pastagem no Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira - SP. Foram selecionadas 42 árvores isoladas que foram chamadas de matrizes. Destas matrizes foram feitas 42 parcelas cirulares na qual cada matriz teve duas subparcelas: a Área da Influência (Ai) e a Área do Entorno (Ae), totalizando 84 unidades amostrais. Para cada matriz, nestas unidades amostrais foram incluídos todos os indivíduos arbustivos e arbóreos com altura superior a 1,3 metros de altura. Foram analisadas a florística, fitossociologia e distribuição da abundância das espécies regenerantes. Já para as espécies das matrizes foram analisadas seis diferentes atributos, divididos em dendrométicos e funcionais para entender como elas influênciam a riqueza e abundância das espécies regenerantes. Em Ai e Ae foram indentificados 883 indivíduos distríbuidos em 28 famílias, 49 gêneros, totalizando 64 espécies em uma área total de 3.028 m³. Em Ai foram intentificados 775 inividuos em uma área total de 1.346 m³, com a mesma composição florística citada acima. As espécies Dimorphandra mollis, Qualea grandiflora, Byrsonima intermedia e Aegiphila lhotzkiana são indicadas aqui neste trabalho como as melhores facilitadoras, por serem decíduas e, por possuírem copas amplas...

Contributions of demography and dispersal parameters to the spatial spread of a stage-structured insect invasion

Stage-structured models that integrate demography and dispersal can be used to identify points in the life cycle with large effects on rates of population spatial spread, information that is vital in the development of containment strategies for invasive species. Current challenges in the application of these tools include: (1) accounting for large uncertainty in model parameters, which may violate assumptions of ‘‘local’’ perturbation metrics such as sensitivities and elasticities, and (2) forecasting not only asymptotic rates of spatial spread, as is usually done, but also transient spatial dynamics in the early stages of invasion. We developed an invasion model for the Diaprepes root weevil (DRW; Diaprepes abbreviatus [Coleoptera: Curculionidae]), a generalist herbivore that has invaded citrus-growing regions of the United States. We synthesized data on DRW demography and dispersal and generated predictions for asymptotic and transient peak invasion speeds, accounting for parameter uncertainty. We quantified the contributions of each parameter toward invasion speed using a ‘‘global’’ perturbation analysis, and we contrasted parameter contributions during the transient and asymptotic phases. We found that the asymptotic invasion speed was 0.02–0.028 km/week, although the transient peak invasion speed (0.03– 0.045 km/week) was significantly greater. Both asymptotic and transient invasions speeds were most responsive to weevil dispersal distances. However, demographic parameters that had large effects on asymptotic speed (e.g., survival of early-instar larvae) had little effect on transient speed. Comparison of the global analysis with lower-level elasticities indicated that local perturbation analysis would have generated unreliable predictions for the responsiveness of invasion speed to underlying parameters. Observed range expansion in southern Florida (1992–2006) was significantly lower than the invasion speed predicted by the model. Possible causes of this mismatch include overestimation of dispersal distances, demographic rates, and spatiotemporal variation in parameter values. This study demonstrates that, when parameter uncertainty is large, as is often the case, global perturbation analyses are needed to identify which points in the life cycle should be targets of management. Our results also suggest that effective strategies for reducing spread during the asymptotic phase may have little effect during the transient phase. Includes Appendix.

Ilhas de facilitação no Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira, SP

Novas pesquisas apontam que as interações positivas e o processo de facilitação sobre a comunidade tem fornecido importantes conhecimentos sobre a ecologia de diversas espécies no mundo. Existe uma carência de informações sobre quais as espécies interferem nos mecanismos facilitadores que conduzem a regeneração natural da vegetação e a atual necessidade de identificar estratégias de conservação, manejo sustentável e recuperação ambiental em ambientes tropicais. Este trabalho tem o objetivo de avaliar quais são as espécies arbóreas que facilitam o aumento da riqueza e abundância de outras espécies arbóreas/arbustivas regenerantes sob suas copas numa antiga área de pastagem no Parque Estadual de Porto Ferreira - SP. Foram selecionadas 42 árvores isoladas que foram chamadas de matrizes. Destas matrizes foram feitas 42 parcelas cirulares na qual cada matriz teve duas subparcelas: a Área da Influência (Ai) e a Área do Entorno (Ae), totalizando 84 unidades amostrais. Para cada matriz, nestas unidades amostrais foram incluídos todos os indivíduos arbustivos e arbóreos com altura superior a 1,3 metros de altura. Foram analisadas a florística, fitossociologia e distribuição da abundância das espécies regenerantes. Já para as espécies das matrizes foram analisadas seis diferentes atributos, divididos em dendrométicos e funcionais para entender como elas influênciam a riqueza e abundância das espécies regenerantes. Em Ai e Ae foram indentificados 883 indivíduos distríbuidos em 28 famílias, 49 gêneros, totalizando 64 espécies em uma área total de 3.028 m³. Em Ai foram intentificados 775 inividuos em uma área total de 1.346 m³, com a mesma composição florística citada acima. As espécies Dimorphandra mollis, Qualea grandiflora, Byrsonima intermedia e Aegiphila lhotzkiana são indicadas aqui neste trabalho como as melhores facilitadoras, por serem decíduas e, por possuírem copas amplas...

The sustainability of ethanol production from sugarcane

The rapid expansion of ethanol production from sugarcane in Brazil has raised a number of questions regarding its negative consequences and sustainability. Positive impacts are the elimination of lead compounds from gasoline and the reduction of noxious emissions. There is also the reduction of CO2 emissions, since sugarcane ethanol requires only a small amount of fossil fuels for its production, being thus a renewable fuel. These positive impacts are particularly noticeable in the air quality improvement of metropolitan areas but also in rural areas where mechanized harvesting of green cane is being introduced, eliminating the burning of sugarcane. Negative impacts such as future large-scale ethanol production from sugarcane might lead to the destruction or damage of high-biodiversity areas, deforestation, degradation or damaging of soils through the use of chemicals and soil decarbonization, water resources contamination or depletion, competition between food and fuel production decreasing food security and a worsening of labor conditions on the fields. These questions are discussed here, with the purpose of clarifying the sustainability aspects of ethanol production from sugarcane mainly in Sao Paulo State, where more than 60% of Brazil`s sugarcane plantations are located and are responsible for 62% of ethanol production. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of irrigation on water use and water use efficiency in two fast growing Eucalyptus plantations

Eucalyptus plantations occupy almost 20 million ha worldwide and exceed 3.7 million ha in Brazil alone. Improved genetics and silviculture have led to as much as a three-fold increase in productivity in Eucalyptus plantations in Brazil and the large land area occupied by these highly productive ecosystems raises concern over their effect on local water supplies. As part of the Brazil Potential Productivity Project, we measured water use of Eucalyptus grandis x urophylla clones in rainfed and irrigated stands in two plantations differing in productivity. The Aracruz (lower productivity) site is located in the state of Espirito Santo and the Veracel (higher productivity) site in Bahia state. At each plantation, we measured stand water use using homemade sap flow sensors and a calibration curve using the clones and probes we utilized in the study. We also quantified changes in growth, leaf area and water use efficiency (the amount of wood produced per unit of water transpired). Measurements were conducted for 1 year during 2005 at Aracruz and from August through December 2005 at Veracel. Transpiration at both sites was high compared to other studies but annual estimates at Aracruz for the rainfed treatment compared well with a process model calibrated for the Aracruz site (within 10%). Annual water use at Aracruz was 1394 mm in rainfed treatments versus 1779 mm in irrigated treatments and accounted for approximately 67% and 58% of annual precipitation and irrigation inputs respectively. Increased water use in the irrigated stands at Aracruz was associated with higher sapwood area, leaf area index and transpiration per unit leaf area but there was no difference in the response of canopy conductance with air saturation deficit between treatments. Water use efficiency at the Aracruz site was also not influenced by irrigation and was similar to the rainfed treatment. During the period of overlapping measurements, the response to irrigation treatments at the more productive Veracel site was similar to Aracruz. Stand water use at the Veracel site totaled 975 mm and 1102 mm in rainfed and irrigated treatments during the 5-month measurement period respectively. Irrigated stands at Veracel also had higher leaf area with no difference in the response of canopy conductance with air saturation deficit between treatments. Water use efficiency was also unaffected by irrigation at Veracel. Results from this and other studies suggest that improved resource availability does not negatively impact water use efficiency but increased productivity of these plantations is associated with higher water use and should be given consideration during plantation management decision making processes aimed at increasing productivity. Published by Elsevier B.V.

TNF blockers show distinct patterns of immune response to the pandemic influenza A H1N1 vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients

Methods. One hundred and twenty patients (RA, n = 41; AS, n = 57; PsA, n = 22) on anti-TNF agents (monoclonal, n = 94; soluble receptor, n = 26) were compared with 116 inflammatory arthritis patients under DMARDs and 117 healthy controls. Seroprotection, seroconversion (SC), geometric mean titre, factor increase in geometric mean titre and adverse events were evaluated 21 days after vaccination. Results. After immunization, SC rates (58.2% vs 74.3%, P = 0.017) were significantly lower in SpA patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, whereas no difference was observed in RA patients receiving this therapy compared with healthy controls (P = 0.067). SpA patients receiving mAbs (infliximab/adalimumab) had a significantly lower SC rate compared with healthy controls (51.6% vs 74.3%, P = 0.002) or those on DMARDs (51.6% vs 74.7%, P = 0.005), whereas no difference was observed for patients on etanercept (86.7% vs 74.3%, P = 0.091). Further analysis of non-seroconverting and seroconverting SpA patients revealed that the former group had a higher mean age (P = 0.003), a higher frequency of anti-TNF (P = 0.031) and mAbs (P = 0.001) and a lower frequency of MTX (P = 0.028). In multivariate logistic regression, only older age (P = 0.015) and mAb treatment (P = 0.023) remained significant factors for non-SC in SpA patients. Conclusion. This study revealed a distinct disease pattern of immune response to the pandemic influenza vaccine in inflammatory arthritis patients receiving anti-TNF agents, illustrated by a reduced immunogenicity solely in SpA patients using mAbs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="www.clinicaltrials.gov" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01151644.

Reduced serum levels of adiponectin in elderly patients with major depression

Recent studies have implicated adiponectin and other adipocytokines in brain function, particularly in processes related to memory and cognition. Blood levels of adiponectin are reduced in patients with primary cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, and in adult patients with major depression. The aim of the present study is to determine serum levels of adiponectin in a sample of elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MOD) as compared to healthy older adults, and to examine the correlations between adiponectin levels and parameters indicative of mood and cognitive state. We recruited fifty-one unmedicated outpatients with late-life depression (LLD) and 47 age-matched controls in this study. The diagnosis of MDD was made according to the DSM-IV criteria, and the severity of depressive episode was determined with the 21-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HORS). Cognitive state was ascertained with the Cambridge Cognitive Test (CAMCOG) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Serum concentrations of adiponectin were determined using a sandwich ELISA method. Serum levels of adiponectin were significantly reduced in individuals with LLD (F = p < 0.001). Adiponectin level remained significantly reduced in after controlling for BMI index, scores on the CAMCOG, MMSE and HDRS and educational level (p < 0.001). Adiponectin levels showed a negative correlation with HORS scores (r = -0.59, p < 0.001) and BMI index (r = -0.42, p < 0.001); and showed a positive correlation with CAMCOG (r = 0.34, p < 0.01) and MMSE scores (r = 0.20, p = 0.05). The availability of circulating adiponectin is reduced in older adults with major depression, with likely implications on cognitive and mood state. Additional studies are required to determine whether this abnormality pertains to the pathophysiology of geriatric depression per se, or is a consequence of the morbid state. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CYBA C242T polymorphism is associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus in Brazilian hypertensive patients

Diabet. Med. 29, e55e61 (2012) Abstract Aims The CYBA C242T polymorphism has been associated with cardiovascular phenotypes such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, but available data are conflicting. This report investigated the impact of this variant on hypertension and metabolic determinants of cardiovascular risk in a large Brazilian sample. Methods We cross-sectionally evaluated 1856 subjects (826 normotensive subjects and 1030 hypertensive patients) by clinical history, anthropometry, laboratory analysis and genotyping of the CYBA C242T polymorphism. Results Genotype frequencies in the whole population were consistent with the HardyWeinberg equilibrium and genotype distributions were not different between hypertensive and normotensive subjects. Hypertensive patients with the CC genotype presented lower fasting plasma glucose levels (5.9 +/- 0.1 vs. 6.2 +/- 0.1 mmol/l, P = 0.020) and waist circumference (94.5 +/- 0.6 vs. 96.3 +/- 0.6 cm, P = 0.028) than CT + TT ones. Similarly, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and obesity was also lower in hypertensive patients carrying the CC genotype (16% vs. 21%, P = 0.041; 36% vs. 43%, P = 0.029, respectively). In addition, multiple and logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the CYBA C242T polymorphism was associated with glucose levels, waist circumference, obesity and diabetes mellitus in hypertensive patients independently of potential confounders. Conversely, in normotensive subjects, no significant difference in studied variables was detected between the genotype groups. Conclusions These data suggest that the T allele of the CYBA C242T polymorphism may be used as a marker for adverse metabolic features in Brazilian subjects with systemic hypertension.

On the implementation of good manufacturing practices in a small processing unity of mozzarella cheese in Brazil

This study reports the implementation of GMPs in a mozzarella cheese processing plant. The mozzarella cheese manufacturing unit is located in the Southwestern region of the state of Parana, Brazil, and processes 20,000 L of milk daily. The implementation of GMP took place with the creation of a multi-disciplinary team and it was carried out in four steps: diagnosis, report of the diagnosis and road map, corrective measures and follow-up of GMP implementation. The effectiveness of actions taken and GMP implementation was compared by the total percentages of non-conformities and conformities before and after implementation of GMR Microbiological indicators were also used to assess the implementation of GMP in the mozzarella cheese processing facility. Results showed that the average percentage of conformity after the implementation of GMP was significant increased to 66%, while before it was 32% (p < 0.05). The populations of aerobic microorganisms and total coliforms in equipment were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) after the implementation of GMP, as well as the populations of total coliforms in the hands of food handlers (p < 0.05). In conclusion, GMP implementation changed the overall organization of the cheese processing unity, as well as managers and food handlers' behavior and knowledge on the quality and safety of products manufactured. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.