Soluble phosphate accumulation by Aspergillus niger from fluorapatite

In order to determine conditions that may provide greater solubilization of insouluble phosphate, the fungus Aspergillus niger was grown in a stationary culture containing modified citrate medium supplemented with 800 mg fluorapatite per litre. Solubilization of insouluble phosphate increased with fungal growth, reaching a maximum after 11 days of culture. Soluble phosphate levels were correlated with pH of the culture medium but not with titratable acidity values, probably due to the metabolic activity of the fungus resulting from consumption of sugar in the culture medium. Fructose, glucose, xylose, and sucrose were the carbohydrates that favoured fluorapatite solubilization the most when compared with galactose and maltose. Although increasing fructose concentrations in the culture medium favoured mycelial growth, increased total acidity and a fall in pH, soluble phosphate levels were reduced, probably owing to consumption by the rapidly growing fungus. Among the nitrogen sources tested, ammonium salts favoured the production of larger amounts of soluble phosphate than organic nitrogen (peptone or urea) or nitrate, corresponding to the lowest pH and highest titratable acidity values obtained. © 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Rim esponja medular, litiase, hipercalciuria e hiperuricosuria em crianca. Relato de um caso e evolucao

The medullary sponge kidney is rare in children and may present it self with hematuria and nephrolithiasis. We report a case of medullary sponge kidney in a child with nephrolithiasis, hypercalciuria, hyperuricosuria and prolonged treatment which avoided the recurrence of nephrolithiasis.

Microstructure and phase evolution of SrTiO3 thin films on Si prepared by the use of polymeric precursors

The use of polymeric precursors was employed in preparing SrTiO3 thin films by dip coating using Si (111) as substrate. Crack free films were obtained after sintering at temperatures ranging from 550 to 1000°C. The microstructure, characterized by SEM, shows the development of dense polycrystalline films with smooth surface and mean grain size of 52 nm, for films sintered at 1000°C. Grazing incident angle XRD characterization of these films shows that the SrTiO3 phase crystallizes from an inorganic amorphous matrix. No intermediate crystalline phase was identified.

The interaction between vitamin K nutriture and warfarin administration in patients with bacterial overgrowth due to atrophic gastritis

Atrophic gastritis patients have intestinal bacterial overgrowth which could produce menaquinones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interaction between a diet low in phylloquinone and minidoses of warfarin in subjects with and without bacterial overgrowth. Subjects with atrophic gastritis (indicated by serum pepsinogen ratio) and healthy volunteers were studied while fed a restrictive phylloquinone diet and while receiving a minidose of warfarin. Coagulation times, serum osteocalcin, serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin, plasma phylloquinone, plasma K-epoxide, plasma undercarboxylated prothrombin (PIVKA)-II and urinary gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) were measured. At baseline, there were no differences between groups for any variable measured. Comparisons between baseline and post intervention in both groups, showed significant increases in circulating levels of K-epoxide, PIVKA II and undercarboxylated osteocalcin. However, no differences were observed when comparisons were made between groups. Our data do not support the hypothesis that bacterial synthesis of menaquinones in patients with bacterial overgrowth due to atrophic gastritis confers considerable resistance to the effect of warfarin.

Preparation and properties of ferroelectric BaTiO3 thin films produced by the polymeric precursor method

Ferroelectric barium titanate thin films were produced by the polymeric precursor method. In this technique, the desired metal cations are chelated in a solution using a hydroxycarboxylic acid as the chelating agent. Barium carbonate and titanium IV isopropoxide were used as precursors for the citrate solution. Ethylene glycol and citric acid were used as polymerization/complexation agents for the process. The crystalline structure of the film annealed at 700 °C had a single perovskite phase with a tetragonal structure. The BaTiO3 film showed good P-E hysteresis loops and C-V characteristics due to the switched ferroelectric domains.

Evaluation of intraocular and partial CO2 pressure in dogs anesthetized with propofol

The effects of propofol on intraocular pressure (IOP) and end tidal CO2 (ETCO2) were studied because an elevation in the latter may alter IOP. Twenty dogs were divided into two groups (G1 and G2). G1 dogs were induced with 10 mg/kg (IV) of propofol followed by a 0.4 mg/kg/min continuous infusion of the same agent diluted in a 0.2% dextrose solution for 1 h. G(CAPS) 2 dogs served as the control group, where only dextrose solution was administered, under the same time intervals as in G1. Applanation tonometry (Tono-Pen) was used to determine IOP and ETCO2 as a method to determine partial CO2 pressure. Measurements were taken every 15 min for 1 h, with M1 occurring immediately before IV administration. IOP and ETCO2 were not statistically significant in either groups. Based on the results, it may be concluded that propofol does not alter IOP and ETCO2.

Hemoglobin as AS/alfa talassemia - Importância diagnóstica

Sickle Cell disease is a generic term for a group of genetic disorders characterized by the predominance of hemoglobin S. These disorders include Sickle Cell anemia, the Sickle Cell beta Thalassemia syndromes and Hemoglobinopathies in which hemoglobin S is in association with another abnormal hemoglobin, such as hemoglobin S/C. The Sickle Cell trait (hemoglobin AS) associated with Alpha Thalassemia presents alterations in the red blood cells morphology, usually absent in the heterozygous for this hemoglobin variant. The interaction between hemoglobin Sand alpha Thalassemia has been described as one of the factors responsible for the improvement in the clinical picture of homozygous of hemoglobin S (Sickle Cell Anemia), decreasing the number of episodes of pain. The genetic mechanisms of this influence are evaluated using molecular analyses of the human globin genes. With the objective of verifying the presence of alpha Thalassemia in heterozygous of hemoglobin S, with anemia, sent to the Laboratory of Hemoglobins, Department of Biology, UNESP, São José do Rio Preto, SP, we analyzed 1002 blood samples with Sickle Cell trait, in the period from 1990 to 1998. The samples were picked with EDTA 5% as anticoagulant, after previous authorization of the carriers. Appropriated counseling and management requires definitive diagnosis. For the laboratorial diagnosis the blood samples were submitted to electrophoretic procedures in alkaline and acid pH and cytological evaluation of hemoglobin H. The electrophoretic procedures confirmed the presence of hemoglobin AS. The cytological evaluation evidenced the presence of alpha Thalassemia. Of this total analyzed, 16(1,59%) blood samples presented the association between hemoglobin AS and alpha Thalassemia and two individuals belonged of the same family. Our results addressed us to suggest to the routine laboratories, that is important to accomplish the research of alpha Thalassemia among the Sickle Cell trait, with anemia, to verify the interaction with alpha Thalassemia, supplying to the carriers a important information on its hematological profile, genetic pattern of hemoglobinopathies and the appropriated counseling. Rev.bras.hematol.hemoter.,2000,22(3):388-394.

Effect of barium titanate seed particles on the sintering and lattice parameters in PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 ceramics

PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMN) powder was prepared by citrate organic solution, and barium titanate (BT) seed particles were added to encourage the perovskite phase formation. Sintering was followed using the constant heating rate mode of a dilatometer, and it was observed that the seed concentration affected the PMN shrinkage rate and crystal structure. The study of the lattice parameters of the samples after the sintering process indicates that the diffusion of the titanium and of the barium inside perovskite and pyrochlore PMN phases occurs. Moreover, this substitution provoked a decrease of the lattice parameters as showed by the Rietveld refinement.

The adverse effect of a high energy dense diet on cardiac tissue

Purpose: To determine whether a high energy dense diet intake increases oxidative stress and alters antioxidant enzymes in cardiac tissue. Design: A randomized, controlled study. Ninety-day-old female rats were randomly divided into two groups: one fed with a low energy dense diet (LE; 3.0 kcal g-1) and one with a high energy dense diet (HE; 4.5 kcal g-1). Materials and Methods: After 8 weeks of treatment, the animals were fasted overnight and sacrificed by decapitation. The serum was used for glucose, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol determinations. The glycogen, lipoperoxide, lipid hydroperoxide, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, total and non-protein sulphhydryl groups were determined in cardiac tissue. Results: HE decreased the myocardial glycogen content and increased the lactate dehydrogenase/citrate synthase ratio, indicating an increased glycolytic pathway and a shift from myocardial aerobic metabolism. HE-treated female rats showed increased lipoperoxide and hydroperoxide levels in cardiac tissue. Although no alterations were observed in the total sulphhydryl group and superoxide dismutase activities, glutathione peroxidase and the non-protein sulphhydryl group were significantly decreased in HE-treated animals. Conclusions: Although no alterations were observed in energy intake, HE induced an increased intake of fat and carbohydrate and an increased rate of weight gain. HE intake induced alterations in markers of oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. Hydrogen peroxide is an important toxic intermediate in the development of cardiac oxidative stress by HE. The specific nutrient content, such as fat and carbohydrate, rather than caloric intake, appears to be the main process inducing oxidative stress in HE-treated female rats.

Dietary restriction and fibre supplementation: Oxidative stress and metabolic shifting for cardiac health

Dietary modification ought to be the first line of strategy in prevention of the development of cardiac disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dietary restriction, dietary-fibre-enriched diet, and their interactions might affect antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. Male Wistar rats (180-200 g; n = 10) were divided into four groups: control ad libitum diet (C), 50% restricted diet (DR), fed with fibre-enriched diet (F), and 50% restricted fibre-enriched diet (DR-F). After 35 days of the treatments, F, DR, and DR-F rats showed low cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triacylglycerol, and high HDL-cholesterol in serum. The DR, DR-F, and F groups had decreased myocardial lipoperoxide and lipid hydroperoxide. The DR-F and F treatments increased superoxide dismutase and glutatione peroxidase (GSH-Px). The DR treatment increased GSH-Px and catalase activities. Dietary fibre beneficial effects were related to metabolic alterations. The F and DR-F groups showed high cardiac glycogen and low lactate dehydrogenase/citrate synthase ratios, indicating diminished anaerobic and elevated aerobic myocardial metabolism in these animals. There was no synergistic effect between dietary restriction and dietary fibre addition, since no differences were observed in markers of oxidative stress in the F and DR-F groups. Dietary fibre supplementation, rather than energy intake and dietary restriction, appears to be the main process retarding oxidative stress in cardiac tissue.

Prevalence of yeasts in the oral cavity of children treated with inhaled corticosteroids

The aim of this study was to observe the prevalence of Candida spp. in the oral cavity of children undergoing treatment with inhaled corticosteroids. Thirty children treated with inhaled corticosteroids and thirty control children were studied. Saliva samples were collected through oral rinses with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The samples were plated on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 h. After this period, the number of colony-forming units per ml (cfu/ml) of saliva was calculated. The isolates were identified by phenotypic characterization. Candida spp. was isolated from 43.33% of the samples of children treated with corticosteroids, with a mean of 780 cfu/ml of saliva, and from 30% of the samples of the control group, with a mean of 560 cfu/ml of saliva. No significant statistical difference was observed between the groups. C. albicans was the prevalent species in both groups, followed by C. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis and C. stellatoidea. Furthermore, Rhodotorula rubra and C. lusitaniae were also isolated from the treated group. We concluded that there was no significant increase in the prevalence and number of Candida spp. in the oral cavity of children treated with inhaled corticosteroids.

Diagnósticos e intervenções de enfermagem aos pacientes em terapia anticoagulante.

Patients under treatment with oral anticoagulants present specific needs for which nursing care plays an important role, especially to prevent complications. The present review was carried out aiming at discussing nursing diagnoses for these patients by using the system of the North American Nursing Diagnoses Association--NANDA. Diagnoses for such patients depict the risk of bleeding and rethrombosis almost always due to the ineffective control of the therapeutic regimen and the deficit in the volume of fluids during active bleeding. Also, nursing interventions and assessment criteria are proposed for such conditions. The authors see the team's preparation to deal with such therapy as relevant for successful assistance.

Probing the binding of the coumarin drugs using peptide fragments of DNA gyrase B protein

Bacterial DNA gyrase, has been identified as the target of several antibacterial agents, including the coumarin drugs. The coumarins inhibit the gyrase action by competitive binding to the ATP-binding site of DNA gyrase B (GyrB) protein. The high in vitro inhibitory potency of coumarins against DNA gyrase reactions has raised interest in studies on coumarin-gyrase interactions. In this context, a series of low-molecular weight peptides, including the coumarin resistance-determining region of subunit B of Escherichia coli gyrase, has been designed and synthesized. The first peptide model was built using the natural fragment 131-146 of GyrB and was able to bind to novobiocin (K a = 1.8 ± 0.2 × 105/M) and ATP (Ka = 1.9 ± 0.4 × 103/M). To build the other sequences, changes in the Arg136 residue were introduced so that the binding to the drug was progressively reduced with the hydrophobicity of this residue (Ka = 1.3 ± 0.1 × 105/M and 1.0 ± 0.2 × 105/M for Ser and His, respectively). No binding was observed for the change Arg136 to Leu. In contrast, the binding to ATP was not altered, independently of the changes promoted. On the contrary, for peptide-coumarin and peptide-ATP complexes, Mg2+ appears to modulate the binding process. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of Arg 136 residue for the stability of coumarin-gyrase complex as well as suggest a different binding site for ATP and in both cases the interactions are mediated by magnesium ions. Copyright Blackwell Munksgaard, 2005.

Water relations of cut inflorescences of Alpinia purpurata treated with seven pulsing solutions

Alpinia purpurata (Vieill) K. Schum, common name red ginger belongs to Zingiberaceae family, and is a perennial, with nice inflorescences composed of layers of bracts arranged in spirals. The utilization of keeping-quality solutions seeks to prolong vase-life and to maintain the quality of cut flowers. This research was performed to evaluate the effect of seven pulsing solutions (during 24 hours) on water relations, quality (turgor, browning and curvature) and the longevity of cut red ginger. The experiment followed complete randomized design, in factorial arrangement. The following treatments were studied: 1) distilled water (control), 2) sucrose 2% + 8-hidroxyquinoline citrate 200 ppm, 3) sucrose 2%, 4) sucrose 2% + citric acid, 5) benzyladenine 10 μM, 6) benzyladenine 10 μmol + sucrose 2%, 7) quaternary ammonia 0,5 mL/L. There was no significant (P>0.05) reduction of the relative water content (RWC) of the inflorescence bracts, among solutions, in the first period (7 days) and in the second period (14 days) and, between the two periods for all treatments. Significant differences among RWC of some treatments were recorded after 16 days of vase life. The utilization of benzyladenine, benzyladenine plus sucrose and sucrose plus citric acid, in the pulsing solution, allowed to keep the flowers quality for longer periods than the other treatments.

Effects of tissucol™ and epsilon aminocaproic acid in the healing process following dental extraction in dehydrated rats

A histological study was conducted of the alveolar bone healing process following tooth extraction of dehydrated rats after the implantation of fibrin adhesive (TISSUCOL™) associated to previous irrigation of the wound with a 5% epsilon aminocaproic acid solution (EACA). Seventy two rats were used, divided into three groups receiving different treatments after the surgical procedure. In group I, the gingival mucosa was sutured after extraction of the right upper incisor. In groups II and III, chronic dehydration was produced by water deprivation for 9 days (3 days in the preoperative period and 6 days in the postoperative period). In the animals of Group II, after tooth extraction, the gingival mucosa was sutured in the same way as performed in group I. In group III, after extraction, the dental socket was irrigated with 5% EACA, followed by implantation of the fibrin adhesive (TISSUCOL™). The mucosa was sutured in the same way as performed in the other groups. At 3, 7, 15 and 21 postoperative days, the animals were sacrificed in number of 6 for each group. Specimens containing the dental socket were removed and fixed in 10% formalin and decalcified in an equal part formic acid and sodium citrate solution. After routine processing, the specimens were embedded in paraffin for microtomy. We obtained 6 μm semi-serial slices that were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological evaluation. The results showed that the water deprivation in the pre- and postoperative periods caused a delay in the alveolar bone healing process. The use of the fibrin adhesive (TISSUCOL™) produced an improvement in the fibrinolytic picture caused by dehydration.