Conspecific and heterospecific alarm substance induces behavioral responses in piau fish Leporinus piau

In ostariophysan fish, the detection of alarm substance released from the skin of a conspecific or a sympatric heterospecific may elicit alarm reactions or antipredator behavioral responses. In this study, experiments were performed to characterize and quantify the behavioral response threshold of Leporinus piau, both individually and in schools, to growing dilutions of conspecific (CAS) and heterospecific skin extract (HAS). The predominant behavioral response to CAS stock stimulation was biphasic for fish held individually, with a brief initial period of rapid swimming followed by a longer period of immobility or reduced swimming activity. As the dilution of skin extract was increased, the occurrence and magnitude of the biphasic alarm response tended to decrease, replaced by a slowing of locomotion. Slowing was the most common antipredator behavior, observed in 62.5% of animals submitted to HAS stimulation. School cohesion, measured as proximity of fish to the center of the school, and swimming activity near the water surface significantly increased after exposure to CAS when compared with the control group exposed to distilled water. Histological analysis of the epidermis revealed the presence of Ostariophysi-like club cells. The presence of these cells and the behavioral responses to conspecific and heterospecific skin extract stimulation suggest the existence of a pheromone alarm system in L. piau similar to that in Ostariophysi, lending further support for the neural processing of chemosensory information in tropical freshwater fish.

Chronic administration of harmine elicits antidepressant-like effects and increases BDNF levels in rat hippocampus

A growing body of evidence has pointed to the beta-carboline harmine as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of major depression. The present study was aimed to evaluate behavioural and molecular effects of the chronic treatment with harmine and imipramine in rats. To this aim, rats were treated for 14 days once a day with harmine (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) and imipramine (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg) and then subjected to the forced swimming and open-field tests. Harmine and imipramine, at all doses tested, reduced immobility time of rats compared with the saline group. Imipramine increased the swimming time at 20 and 30 mg/kg and harmine increased swimming time at all doses. The climbing time increased in rats treated with imipramine (10 and 30 mg/kg) and harmine (5 and 10 mg/kg), without affecting spontaneous locomotor activity. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) hippocampal levels were assessed in imipramine and harmine-treated rats by ELISA sandwich assay. Interestingly, chronic administration of harmine at the higher doses (10 and 15 mg/kg), but not imipramine, increased BDNF protein levels in rat hippocampus. Finally, these findings further support the hypothesis that harmine could bring about behavior and molecular effects, similar to antidepressants drugs.

Analysis of body posture in children with mild to moderate asthma

The mechanical alterations related to the excessive use of accessory respiratory muscles and the mouth breathing observed in children with asthma may lead to the development of alterations in head posture, shoulders, thoracic region and, consequently, in alterations of body posture. The purpose of this study was to assess body posture changes of children with asthma compared to a non-asthmatic control group matched for gender, age, weight, and height. Thirty children with asthma and 30 non-asthmatic children aged 7 to 12 years were enrolled in this study. Digital photographic records were obtained for analysis of the body posture of the children by computed photogrammetry. The intraclass correlation coefficient and Student`s t test (p < 0.05) were used for statistical analysis. There were no significant differences between groups for the angles analyzed, except for the knee flexor angle. These results demonstrate that children with asthma did not present postural alterations compared to non-asthmatic controls since the only angle for which there was a significant difference between groups showed weak reproducibility. The findings of this study do not support the notion that children with asthma present alterations in body posture.

Postural adjustment as a sign of attention in 7-month-old infants

Adjustments during postural control have been recognized in the process of the integration of movement and cognition. The objective of the present work was to describe postural changes and to verify if there is a correlation between postural adjustment and attention span in 7-month-old infants during 1 min of viewing an animated puppet. Method: Twenty-nine healthy infants (14 males) born from 31 to 39 weeks (median 36) were placed in a prone position and filmed watching a puppet during I min. The analysis of the images allowed us to catalogue the changes in position, the frequency of these changes, and the attention span. The following items were quantified: total number of infant positions, positions with weight transfer, changes in support, axis, decubitus, trunk and cervical movements, timing and pauses in visual attention. Results: Twenty-one infants stayed in the prone position during most of the recording, and eight chose sitting position before starting the session. Two groups were studied according to the main position throughout the filming, one in prone and the other in sitting positions, although they could rolling or crawling. For prone group the attention span was positively correlated with the number of positions with weight transfer (r = 0.53, p = 0.04), negatively correlated with trunk movements (r = -0.63, p = 0.01), and not correlated with birth or current weight. This work suggests that changes in the trunk movements and weight transfer are different traits related to the attention in 7-month-old infants. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Accurate Determination of Energy Needs in Children and Adolescents With Cancer

Studies on children with cancer have suggested that energy expenditure may indeed be greater than predicted for healthy children. Nutritional assessment is important for intervention and for the prevention of complications associated with malnutrition. The present study aimed to describe the nutritional status, energy expenditure, and substrate utilization of children and adolescents with cancer compared to healthy children matched for age, sex, and body mass index. Subjects were evaluated by anthropometry, food intake pattern, and body composition analysis. Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation were measured by indirect calorimetry. Indirect calorimetry data, energy, and macronutrient intake, anthropometry, and body composition parameters showed no significant differences between groups. There was no evidence of increased energy expenditure or of a change in substrate utilization in children with cancer compared to the healthy group. The data regarding usual food consumption showed no significant differences between groups.

High prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in women born small for gestational age

There is evidence that intrauterine growth restriction, resulting in newborn girls that are small for gestational age (SGA), may be related to the onset of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Thus, we studied whether women born SGA have a higher prevalence of PCOS than women born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). This was a prospective birth cohort study of 384 women born at term between June 1, 1978, and May 31, 1979, in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. After exclusion, 165 women effectively participated in this study, of whom 43 were SGA and 122 were AGA. The prevalence of PCOS was analysed. At a mean age of 29 years, the women agreed to follow the study protocol, which included: anamnesis, physical examination, serum tests [follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrostenedione sulphate, 17-OH-progesterone, fasting insulin, sex steroid-binding globulin (SHBG) and fasting glucose] and pelvic ultrasound. Data regarding gestational age, birthweight, age at menarche and maternal data were obtained from the files of the cohort. The adjusted relative risk (RR) values of the SGA, insulin resistance, body mass index, maternal smoking and parity variables were analysed using Poisson regression with robust adjustment of variance for the prediction of PCOS. The prevalence of PCOS was higher in the SGA group than in the AGA group [adjusted RR = 2.44, 95% CI (1.39-4.28)]. Hyperandrogenism was more prevalent in the SGA women than in the AGA women (P = 0.011). Circulating SHBG was lower in the SGA women than in the AGA women (P = 0.041), but fasting insulinemia was similar in both groups. The prevalence of PCOS in SGA women was twice as high as in AGA women in our study population.

Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Preterm Infants and Psychological Intervention During Hospitalization in Neonatal ICU

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare symptoms of anxiety and depression before and after psychological intervention in mothers of babies born preterm with very low birth weight, hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Fifty nine mothers, without psychiatric antecedents, were distributed into two groups according to the type of psychological intervention received. Group G1 included 36 mothers who received routine psychological treatment associated with initial structured intake using support materials (video and guidance manual). Group G2 included 23 mothers who received routine psychological intervention without support material. The STAI and BDI, respectively. were used to evaluate maternal indicators of anxiety and depression. The results revealed that both groups showed a reduction in levels of state or trait anxiety and depression after psychological intervention and discharge of the baby from the hospital. In regard to the emotional symptoms at a clinical level, a statistically significant reduction in the level of state-anxiety was verified in G1. The findings confirmed the need for psychological support for mothers of preterm infants and the use of materials focusing on ""prematurity"" for reduction of the situational anxiety on a clinical level.

Benefits of the Intermittent Use of 6-Mercaptopurine and Methotrexate in Maintenance Treatment for Low-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children: Randomized Trial From the Brazilian Childhood Cooperative Group Protocol ALL-99

Purpose To describe event-free survival (EFS) and toxicities in children with low-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) assigned to receive either continuous 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and weekly methotrexate (MIX) or intermittent 6-MP with intermediate-dose MTX, as maintenance treatment. Patients and Methods Between October 1, 2000, and December 31, 2007, 635 patients with low-risk ALL were enrolled onto Brazilian Childhood Cooperative Group for ALL Treatment (GBTLI) ALL-99 protocol. Eligible children (n=544) were randomly allocated to receive either continuous 6-ME/MIX (group 1, n 272) or intermittent 6-MP (100 mg/m(2)/d for 10 days, with 11 days resting) and MIX (200 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks; group 2, n = 272). Results The 5-year overall survival (OS) and EFS were 92.5% +/- 1.5% SE and 83.6% +/- 2.1% SE, respectively. According to maintenance regimen, the OS was 91.4% +/- 2.2% SE (group 1) and 93.6% +/- 2.1% SE (group 2; P=.28) and EFS 80.9% +/- 3.2% SE (group 1) and 86.5% +/- 2.8% SE (group 2; P=.089). Remarkably, the intermittent regimen led to significantly higher EFS among boys (85.7% v 74.9% SE; P=027), while no difference was seen for girls (87.0% v 88.8% SE; P=.78). Toxic episodes were recorded in 226 and 237 children, respectively. Grade 3 to 4 toxic events for groups 1 and 2 were, respectively, 273 and 166 for hepatic dysfunction (P=.002), and 772 and 636 for hematologic episodes (P=.005). Deaths on maintenance were: seven (group 1) and one (group 2). Conclusion The intermittent use of 6-MP and MIX in maintenance is a less toxic regimen, with a trend toward better long-term EFS. Boys treated with the intermittent schedule had significantly better EFS.

Effect of Acute and Chronic Physical Exercise on Patients with Periodic Leg Movements

ESTEVES, A. M., M. T. DE MELLO, M. PRADELLA-HALLINAN, and S. TUFIK. Effect of Acute and Chronic Physical Exercise on Patients with Periodic Leg Movements. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 41, No. 1,. pp. 237-242, 2009. Purpose: Nonpharmacological interventions may lead to an improvement in sleep quality. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effects of acute intensive exercise and chronic exercise on sleep patterns in patients with periodic leg movements (PLM). Methods: The study involved acute and chronic exercise. The acute intensive exercise group consisted of 22 volunteers who underwent a maximum effort test and a polysomnography (PSG) on the same night. The chronic exercise group included. 11 patients who performed 72 physical training sessions undergoing three PSG studies on the night of sessions 1, 36, and 72. Blood samples were collected from both acute and chronic groups for beta-endorphin dosage. Results: Our results showed that both forms of physical exercise lowered PLM levels. The acute physical exercise increased sleep efficiency, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and reduced wake after sleep onset, whereas the chronic physical exercise increased sleep efficiency, REM sleep, and reduced sleep latency. We also found a significant negative correlation between beta-endorphin release after acute intensive exercise and PLM levels (r = -0.63). Conclusion: Physical exercise may improve sleep patterns and reduce PLM levels. The correlation between beta-endorphin release after acute intensive exercise and PLM levels might be associated with the impact physical exercise has on the opiodergic system. We suggest that physical exercise may be a useful nonpharmacological treatment for PLM.