Seasonal metabolic depression, substrate utilisation and changes in scaling patterns during the first year cycle of tegu lizards (Tupinambis merianae)

The tegus increase in body mass after hatching until early autumn, when the energy intake becomes gradually reduced. Resting rates of oxygen consumption in winter drop to 20% of the values in the active season (Vo(2)=0.0636 ml g(-1) h(-1)) and are nearly temperature insensitive over the range of 17-25degreesC (Q(10)=1.55). During dormancy, plasma glucose levels are 60% lower than those in active animals, while total protein, total lipids and beta-hydroxybutyrate are elevated by 24%, 43% and 113%, respectively. In addition, a significant depletion of liver carbohydrate (50%) and of fat deposited in the visceral fat bodies (24%) and in the tail (25%) and a slight loss of skeletal muscle protein (14%) were measured halfway through the inactive period. Otherwise, glycogen content is increased 4-fold in the brain and 2.3-fold in the heart of dormant lizards, declining by the onset of arousal. During early arousal, the young tegus are still anorexic, although Vo(2) is significantly greater than winter rates. The fat deposits analysed are further reduced (62% and 45%, respectively) and there is a large decrease in tail muscle protein (50%) together with a significant increase in glycogen (2-3-fold) and an increase in plasma glucose (40%), which suggests a role for gluconeogenesis as a supplementary energy source in arousing animals. No change is detectable in citrate synthase activity, but beta-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase activities are strongly affected by season, reaching a Mold and 5-fold increase in the liver tissue of winter and arousing animals, respectively, and becoming reduced by half in skeletal muscle and heart of winter animals compared with late fall or spring active individuals. From hatching to late autumn, the increase of the fat body mass relatively to body mass is disproportionate (b=1.44), and the mass exponent changes significantly to close to 1.0 during the fasting period. The concomitant shift in the Vo(2) mass exponent in early autumn (b=0.75) to values significantly greater than 1.0 in late autumn and during winter dormancy indicates an allometric effect on the degree of metabolic depression related to the size of the fat stores and suggests greater energy conservation in the smaller young.

Seasonal changes in daily metabolic patterns of tegu lizards (Tupinambis merianae) placed in the cold (17 degrees C) and dark

Oxygen consumption rate was measured continuously in young tegu lizards Tupinambis merianae exposed to 4 d at 25 degrees C followed by 7-10 d at 17 degrees C in constant dark at five different times of the year. Under these conditions, circadian rhythms in the rate of oxygen consumption persisted for anywhere from 1 d to the entire 2 wk in different individuals in all seasons except the winter. We also saw a progressive decline in standard oxygen consumption rate (at highly variable rates in different individuals) to a very low rate that was seasonally independent (ranging from 19.1 +/- 6.2 to 27.7 +/- 0.2 mL kg(-1) h(-1) across seasons). Although this degree of reduction appeared to take longer to invoke when starting from higher metabolic rates, tegu lizards reduced their metabolism to the low rates seen in winter dormancy at all times of the year when given sufficient time in the cold and dark. In the spring and summer, tegus reduced their standard metabolic rate (SMR) by 80%-90% over the experimental run, but only roughly 20%-30% of the total fall was due to the reduction in temperature; 70%-80% of the total fall occurred at constant temperature. By autumn, when the starting SMR on the first night at 25 degrees C was already reduced by 59%-81% (early and late autumn, respectively) from peak summer values, virtually all of the fall (63%-83%) in metabolism was due to the reduction in temperature. This suggests that the temperature-independent reduction of metabolism was already in place by autumn before the tegus had entered winter dormancy.

Mucus extravasation and retention phenomena: a 24-year study

Background: Mucoceles are benign lesions related to the minor salivary glands and their respective ducts frequently affecting oral structures which are generally asymptomatic. Mucoceles are generally characterized by swollen nodular lesions preferentially located on the lower lip and differ from the so-called ranulas, which are lesions located on the floor of the mouth and related to the sublingual or submandibular glands.Methods: The objective of the present study was to analyze data such as age, gender, race and site of the lesion of 173 mucocele cases diagnosed at the Discipline of Stomatology, Sao Jose dos Campos Dental School, UNESP, over a period of 24 years (April 1980 to February 2003).Results: of the 173 cases analyzed, 104 (60.12%) were females and 69 (39.88%) were males. Age ranged from 4 to 70 years (mean +/- SD: 17 +/- 9.53) and most patients were in the second decade of life (n = 86, 49.42%); white (n = 124, 71.68%). The lower lip was the site most frequently affected by the lesions (n = 135, 78.03%), whereas the lowest prevalence was observed for the soft palate, buccal mucosa, and lingual frenum.Conclusion: In this study, mucoceles predominated in white female subjects in the second decade of life, with the lower lip being the most frequently affected site.

Zooplankton fluctuations in Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil): a three-year study

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

Paulista registry of glomerulonephritis: 5-year data report

Background. The Paulista Registry of Glomerulopathies was created in May 1999 and comprises several centres of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian State, that concentrates people from all regions of the country who look for health care.Methods. This report includes data from 2086 patients from Brazil submitted to renal biopsy due to the presumed diagnosis of glomerular diseases, registered prospectively since May 1999 until January 2005. Data were collected by the integrants of the 11 centres involved, utilizing a standardized questionnaire.Results. The mean age of the patients was 34.5 +/- 14.6 years. Primary glomerular diseases were more frequent in males (55.1%) than in females; on the other hand, secondary glomerular diseases were more frequent in females (71.8%). The most common clinical presentation was nephrotic syndrome and the frequency of hypertension, at this time, was 55.5%. There was a predominance of indication of biopsies in the third, fourth and fifth decades of life. The most common primary glomerular diseases were focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (29.7%), followed by membranous nephropathy (20.7%), IgA nephropathy (17.8%), minimal change disease (9.1%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (7%), crescentic glomerulonephritis (4.1%), advanced chronic glomerulopathy (4%), non-IgA mesangial glomerulonephritis (3.8%), diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (2.5%), focal segmental proliferative glomerulonephritis (1%) and others (0.3%). The most frequent secondary glomerular disease was lupus nephritis, corresponding to 66.2% of the cases, followed by post-infectious glomerulonephritis (12.5%), diabetic nephropathy (6.2%), diseases associated to paraproteinaemia (4.9%), hereditary diseases (4.6%), vasculitis (3.2%), malignancies (0.9.%), secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (0.6%) and others (0.9%).Conclusion. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was the most frequent primary glomerular disease, followed by membranous nephropathy and IgA nephropathy. Lupus nephritis predominated over all the other secondary glomerular diseases.

Multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain from myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome: A four-year experience at a Brazilian center

Chronic pain is the major complaint of myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS) and is a complex problem which involves physical, psychological and social aspects, the etiology of MPDS is multifactorial and the multidisciplinary approach is essential for differential diagnosis and for comprehensive treatment planning, In 1993, the Dental School of Piracicaba-UNICAMP, Brazil, opened a Center for Pain Studies (CPS), staffed by health care providers including, dentists, psychologists, physicians, physiotherapists and phonoaudiologists. The major aims of the CPS are to provide clinical care and to develop basic and applied research, Sixty-two MPDS patients had been admitted to the CPS by 1997, There were 60 females and 2 males, mean age -32.5 years, the mean duration of chronic pain was 48 months. Pain intensity and unpleasantness were measured employing the Visual Analogue Scale, the tendency to develop stress-related diseases was assessed by the Social Readjustment de Scale, There was a mean reduction of chronic pain of 69.89% and 71.78% relative to intensity and unpleasantness, respectively, the experience of clinical attendance at a multidisciplinary center showed the relevance of a team consisting of health care providers from different specialties with well-established aims, completely integrated and sensitive enough to understand the painful complaints of MPDS patients.

Anemia at one year is an independent risk factor of graft survival

Background Post-transplant anemia is multifactorial and highly prevalent. Some studies have associated anemia with mortality and graft failure. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the presence of anemia at 1 year is an independent risk factor of mortality and graft survival. Methods All patients transplanted at a single center who survived at least 1 year after transplantation and showed no graft loss (n = 214) were included. Demographic and clinical data were collected at baseline and at 1 year. Patients were divided into two groups (anemic and nonanemic) based on the presence of anemia (hemoglobin<130 g/l in men and 120 g/l in women). Results Baseline characteristics such as age, gender, type of donor, CKD etiology, rejection, andmismatches were similar in both groups. Creatinine clearance was similar in both anemic and nonanemic groups (69.32 ± 29.8 × 75.69 ± 30.5 ml/mim; P = 0.17). A Kaplan- Meier plot showed significantly poorer death-censored graft survival in the anemic group, P = 0.003. Multivariate analysis revealed that anemic patients had a hazard ratio for the graft loss of 3.85 (95% CI: 1.49-9.96; P = 0.005). Conclusions In this study, anemia at 1 year was independently associated with death-censored graft survival and anemic patients were 3.8-fold more likely to lose the graft. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, B.V.

Water fluoridation in 40 Brazilian cities: 7 year analysis.

Fluoride levels in the public water supplies of 40 Brazilian cities were analyzed and classified on the basis of risk/benefit balance. Samples were collected monthly over a seven-year period from three sites for each water supply source. The samples were analyzed in duplicate in the laboratory of the Center for Research in Public Health - UNESP using an ion analyzer coupled to a fluoride-specific electrode. A total of 19,533 samples were analyzed, of which 18,847 were artificially fluoridated and 686 were not artificially fluoridated. In samples from cities performing water fluoridation, 51.57% (n=9,720) had fluoride levels in the range of 0.55 to 0.84 mg F/L; 30.53% (n=5,754) were below 0.55 mg F/L and 17.90% (n=3,373) were above 0.84 mg F/L (maximum concentration=6.96 mg F/L). Most of the cities performing fluoridation that had a majority of samples with fluoride levels above the recommended parameter had deep wells and more than one source of water supply. There was some variability in the fluoride levels of samples from the same site and between collection sites in the same city. The majority of samples from cities performing fluoridation had fluoride levels within the range that provides the best combination of risks and benefits, minimizing the risk of dental fluorosis while preventing dental caries. The conduction of studies about water distribution systems is suggested in cities with high natural fluoride concentrations in order to optimize the use of natural fluoride for fluoridation costs and avoid the risk of dental fluorosis.

Retrospective study on the cytological exams in a veterinary technic hospital in a five year period

The cytological exam is a practical diagnostic aplication which allows the detection of inflammatory, proliferative and infectious disturbances. In the present study, the results of cytological exams during six years were evaluated, determining the most common type of disorder (inflammatory, infectious, proliferative). Epidemiological aspects such as species, breed, sex and age were taken into account. 270 reviews were evaluated and the prevalence was neoplasms (53%). The canine specie was the most observed, with 92% of cases. Females totaled 53%. The age ranged from one to 17 years and the interval of six to 10 years was most observed (40% of cases). The round cell neoplasms were the most prevalent, followed by breast neoformations.

One-Year Evaluation of a Simplified Ethanol-Wet Bonding Technique: A Randomized Clinical Trial

O objetivo deste ensaio clínico randomizado foi avaliar o comportamento clínico das restaurações adesivas, usando um adesivo convencional de três passos (CTP), um adesivo autocondicionante de um passo (AUP) e uma técnica simplificada da adesão úmida por etanol (AUET) antes da aplicação de uma resina composta em lesões cervicais não-cariosas. Noventa e três restaurações (31 para cada grupo) foram realizadas em 17 pacientes por um único operador. Nenhum preparo cavitário foi realizado. Depois de 6 e 12 meses, as restaurações foram avaliadas por 2 examinadores previamente treinados, utilizando critérios de Ryge modificados para retenção (kappa=1,00) e adaptação/manchamento marginal (kappa=0,81), e os resultados foram analisados pelos testes Exato de Fisher e Kruskal-Wallis, respectivamente. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos aos 6 e 12 meses para qualquer um dos critérios avaliados (p≥0,05). A análise intra-grupo feita pelos testes Q de Cochran (para retenção) e Wilcoxon (para adaptação/manchamento marginal) revelou diferenças significativas entre os intervalos de tempo baseline/12 meses para a adaptação marginal no AUP (p=0,0180) e manchamento marginal no CTP (p=0,0117). A análise de sobrevivência para o critério retenção realizada utilizando o teste de log-rank não apresentou diferenças significantes (p≥0,05). As restaurações feitas utilizando a técnica simplificada da adesão úmida por etanol comportaram-se igualmente às outras estratégias adesivas empregadas.

Longitudinal results of a 10-year clinical trial of repair of amalgam restorations

The aim of this prospective, blind, and randomized clinical trial was to assess the effectiveness of repair of localized clinical defects in amalgam restorations that were initially scheduled for replacement. A cohort of 20 patients with 40 (Class I and Class II) amalgam restorations that presented one or more clinical features that deviated from the ideal (Bravo or Charlie) according to US Public Health Service criteria, were randomly assigned to either the repair or the replacement group—A: repair, n = 19; and B: replacement, n = 21. Two examiners who had calibration expertise evaluated the restorations at baseline and 10 years after according to seven parameters: marginal occlusal adaptation, anatomic form, surface roughness, marginal staining, contact, secondary caries, and luster. After 10 years, 30 restorations (75%) were evaluated (Group A: n = 17; Group B: n = 13). Repaired and replaced amalgam restorations showed similar survival outcomes regarding marginal defects and secondary caries in patients with low and medium caries risk, and most of the restorations were considered clinically acceptable after 10 years. Repair treatment increased the potential for tooth longevity, using a minimally interventional procedure. All restorations trend to downgrade over time.

Variações sazonais dos níveis plasmáticos do esteroide sexual 17β-estradiol (e2) em fêmeas de matrinxã (brycon amazonicus)

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia Animal - FEIS