Enterocystoplasty using modified pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patches in the mini-pig model.

Enterocystoplasty and gastrocystoplasty have been developed to restore adequate bladder capacity but they still result in the undesired harmful contact of urine with the intestinal mucosa. In an attempt to prevent this nonphysiological interface we performed several modified enterocystoplasties in the mini-pig model using a pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patch. Five techniques of patch coverage were used to evaluate urothelial growth or survival on the sigmoid patch. All but 1 patch had intestinal mucosa remnants with mucocele formation. When no coverage was applied or a biodegradable polyglactin mesh was temporarily covering the pedicled, detubularized, de-epithelialized sigmoid patch, severe shrinkage occurred. Partial cover with autologous urothelium islets seemed to decrease shrinkage. Adequate urothelium survival and satisfactory elastic properties of the patch were observed when total cover of the sigmoid patch was achieved with a sheet of homologous urothelium recovering autologous urothelial islets or when the patch was applied to protruding urothelium obtained following sagittal posterior detrusor myotomy.

Pollination requirements of seeded and seedless mini watermelon varieties cultivated under protected environment

The objective of this work was to evaluate the floral biology and pollination requirements of seeded and seedless mini watermelon varieties, and to determine the best varieties to cultivate under protected environment. Three seedless (HA-5106, HA-5158, and HA-5161) and two seeded (Minipol and Polimore) genotypes were tested. Flowers were monitored from the pre-anthesis stage to senescence, and fruit quality was also evaluated. The evaluated treatments were hand-geitonogamous pollination (MG), cross-pollination with pollen from the Polimore variety (MCP), cross-pollination with pollen from the Minipol variety (MCM), and restricted pollination. All varieties had monoecious plants with diclinous flowers, and the stigmas remained receptive throughout anthesis. Fruit set rates of 84.62% (MG), 61.54% (MCP), 48% (MCM), and 0% (restricted) were obtained for seeded varieties, but of 0% (MG), 76.36% (MCP), 82.69% (MCM), and 0% (restricted) for seedless varieties. Fruits did not differ in quality among treatments within each genotype. Therefore, all the studied varieties require a pollination agent and diploid pollen for fruit set to occur, regardless of the donor variety; and Minipol or Polimore with HA-5106 or HA-5158 are the varieties recommended for cultivation in protected environment.

Implantação de um mini-pacs (sistema de arquivamento e distribuição de imagens) em hospital universitário

Este trabalho apresenta a implementação de um mini-PACS (sistema de arquivamento e comunicação de imagens) que está sendo estruturado junto ao Serviço de Radiodiagnóstico do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, como parte do projeto de um serviço de radiologia digital ("filmless").

Mini invasive skeletal muscle biopsy technique with a tri-axial end cut needle.

OBJECTIVE: Skeletal Muscle Biopsy is a minor surgical procedure for the diagnosis of different neuromuscular pathological conditions and has recently gained popularity also in the research field of age-related muscular modifications and sarcopenia. Few studies focused on the application of mini-invasive muscular biopsy in both normal and pathological conditions. The aim of our study was to describe a mini invasive ultrasound-guided skeletal muscular biopsy technique in complete spinal cord injured (SCI) patients and healthy controls with a tri-axial end-cut needle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Skeletal muscle biopsies were collected from 6 chronic SCI patients and 3 healthy controls vastus lateralis muscle with a tri-axial end cut needle (Biopince© - Angiotech). Muscle samples were stained for ATPase to determine fibers composition, moreover, gene expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and prostaglandin E2 receptor has been analyzed by Real Time RT-PCR. RESULTS: All the procedures were perfomed easily without failures and complications. Control tissue was macroscopically thicker than SCI one. Control specimen displayed an equal distribution of type I and type II fibers, while SCI sample displayed a prevalence of type II fibers SCI specimen displayed a significant reduction in COX-1 gene expression. This mini-invasive approach was easy, accurate and with low complication rate in performing skeletal muscle biopsy in both SCI patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: This technique could be useful in conditions in which the overall quantity of specimen required is small like for molecular biology analysis. For histological diagnostic purposes and/or conditions in which the original tissue is already pathologically modified, this technique should be integrated with more invasive techniques.

El 1er Mini Foray de la British Mycological Society a Catalunya (1985)

Es presenten els resultats del ler «Mini Foray» de la British Mycological Society a Catalunya, celebrat a Viladrau (Girona) a la tardor de 1985, amb visites a diverses localitats del Vallès Oriental, Baix Llobregat, Ripollès, La Selva i Osona. Es van recol lectar un total de 407 espècies de fongs, repartides en els diferents grups: Acrasiomycetes (1); Ceratiomyxomycetes (2); Myxomycetes (44); Zygomycetes (1); Ascomycetes (36); Basidiomycetes (319); Deuteromycetes (4).

Intensivierte Blutzuckerkontrolle beim Typ-1-Diabetiker - was sind die Ziele? : mini-review Cochrane für die Praxis

Die empfohlene Therapie des Typ-1- Diabetes beruht auf einer intensiven Blutzuckerkontrolle, mit der im Vergleich zur weniger strikten (konventionellen) Blutzuckerkontrolle das Risiko für mikrovaskuläre Komplikationen minimiert werden kann. Die Wirksamkeit einer intensiven Blutzuckerkontrolle bezüglich makrovaskulärer Komplikationen ist dagegen weniger klar, und die Frage des Therapieziels ist Gegenstand der Diskussion. Seit den 1990er Jahren hat es zum Typ-1-Diabetes beim Erwachsenen keine neuen Studien mehr gegeben. Jene für Typ-2-Diabetiker zeigten bezüglich Komplikationsrisiko keinen Nutzen. Unter intensiver Blutzuckerkontrolle kam es sogar zu einer Erhöhung des Mortalitätsrisikos verglichen mit der weniger strikten Strategie. Ziel dieses Reviews war es, die Vor- und Nachteile einer intensiven Blutzuckerkontrolle bei Typ-1-Diabetikern zu bestimmen.

The use of mini-projects in an undergraduate laboratory course in chemistry

This paper reports the results of a three-year study of the effectiveness of mini-projects in a first year laboratory course in chemistry at a Scottish university. A mini-project is a short, practical problem which requires for its solution the application of the knowledge and skills developed in previously completed set experiments. A number of recommendations have been made about the most appropriate ways of introducing mini-projects into undergraduate laboratory course. The main hypothesis of this survey was concerned with the value of mini-projects in laboratory courses formulated within the context of Information Processing Theory.

A Importância da determinação analítica de intermediários reativos e de seus produtos de reações com biomacromoléculas: uma mini revisão

Metabolic reactive intermediates can react with biomolecules such as DNA and proteins to produce adducts. Recently, research has shown that such adducts can act as precursors of some chronic diseases (cancer, Parkinson's, immunologic system diseases, etc.), and their determination is important because they are biomarkers of undesirable health effects. These compounds are produced at very low concentrations, but the development and dissemination of sensitive new analytical tools, especially those based on chromatography coupled to other analytical instruments, make such determinations possible. This mini review is focused on the formation of reactive intermediates, their reaction with biomolecules, and the importance of their determination.

ROOTING MINI-CUTTINGS OF Paulownia fortunei var. mikado DERIVED FROM CLONAL MINI-GARDEN1

ABSTRACTWe aimed to evaluate the technical efficiency of mini-cuttings technique on vegetative propagation of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. var. Mikado, as well as the possible existence of anatomical barriers to its rooting. Therefore, plants originated from cuttings formed the mini-stumps and, consequently the clonal mini-garden, which was conducted in semi-hydroponic system. We evaluated the survival of mini-stumps and sprouts production for five successive collects, the percentage of mini-cuttings rooting and their anatomical description. The mini-cuttings were prepared with about 6 to 8 cm in length and two leaves reduced by about 50% in the upper third, being remained an area of, approximately 78 cm2 (10 cm diameter). The mini-cuttings were placed in tubes of 53 cm3, with substrate formed with fine vermiculite and carbonized rice hulls (1:1 v/v) and rooted in acclimatized greenhouse. After 30 days we evaluated the percentage of rooted mini-cuttings, radicial vigor (number and length of roots / mini-cutting), callus formation, emission of new shoots and maintenance of the original leaves. The mini-stumps showed 100% survival after five collects and an average production of 76-114 mini-cuttings/m2/month and rooting ranged from 70 to 90%. Mini-cuttings technique is efficient in to propagate adult propagules of the species and there are not anatomical barriers preventing roots emission.

Sweet grape mini tomato grown in culture substrates and effluent with nutrient complementation

The objective of this study was to evaluate production of Sweet Grape mini tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.) using culture substrates and nutrient solution sewage effluent, applied by drip irrigation (fertigation). The experiment was conducted at the University of Goiás State (UEG-UnUCET), from June to November 2011 in Anápolis-GO, Brazil. The experimental design was a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with four repetitions. The plots were made by combining two nutrient solutions, effluent supplemented with mineral fertilizers (EcS); conventional nutrient solution (SnC); in addition three cultivation substrates: 60% of fine sand washed + 40% substrate composed by 20% coconut fiber plus 80% pine bark (S1); 20% coconut fiber and 80% pine bark (S2) and natural coconut fiber (S3). Sewage effluent were determined nitrate, calcium, potassium, manganese, total phosphate, total iron, magnesium, chloride, sulphate, boron, zinc and molybdenum. We evaluated average mass and average number of fruits per bunch, total fruit and total yield per plant. Statistical difference absence among tested solutions indicates sewage effluent can be used as an alternative source of nutrients in growing mini tomatoes in hydroponics.

Portable flow board for storage of fruits and vegetables in mini-chambers with controlled atmosphere

ABSTRACT A portable flow board system was developed in the present study with the aim to facilitate lab-scale experiments of controlled atmosphere (CA) with fruits and vegetables. This sturdy flow board combines ease fabrication, low cost and gas economy. Its functionality is provided by manifolds and gas mixers. Each gaseous component is supplied by a gas cylinder through a differential valve of adjusted pressure control, generally at 6 kPa, and forced through 13 standardized restrictors coupled to each manifold output. Controlled atmospheres are then formed with one, two or three gases in 13 gas mixers affixed to the flow board base, which are further conducted through flexible tubes to storage mini-chambers that can also be used to study metabolic consumption and production of gaseous components. The restrictors used in the flow gaseous components were manufactured from microhematocrit test-type capillary glass tubes following the hot forming method under continuous air flow. The portable flow board showed to be low cost and simple post-harvest equipment that allows preparing controlled atmospheres in open systems with stable composition and flow, in a manner similar to traditional flow boards with control of gas escape by barostats.

Mini-UAV:n käyttö lentotukikohdan valvonnassa

Mini-UAV on miehittämätön pienoisilma-alus, joka tarjoaa käyttäjälleen mahdollisuuden reaaliaikaiseen tilannekuvaan, laajojen vastuualueiden valvontakykyyn ja iskun jälkeiseen tiedusteluun. Pienen kokonsa puolesta järjestelmä kulkee joukkojen mukana valvontatehtä-vällä ja se on helppo lähettää suorittamaan tehtävää laukaisukatapultilta tai kädestä. Mini-UAV:n modulaarinen rakenne mahdollistaa vaurioituneiden osien nopean huollon sekä pa-rantaa taistelunkestävyyttä. Sensorit luovat valvonta- ja tiedustelukyvyn rungon, sillä lennokki itsessään on vain lavetti, joka kuljettaa sensorit valvottavan kohteen ylle. Videokameralla varustetut päiväsensorit pystyvät havaitsemaan kohteen ja seuraamaan sitä reaaliajassa. Yösensoreissa käytettävät valonvahvistimet mahdollistavat operoinnin hämärällä ja yöaikana. Sensoreissa voidaan hyödyntää myös lämpökameraa, joka mahdollistaa kohteiden havaitsemisen peitteisestä maastosta. Lentotukikohdan toimintaympäristö luo laajuudellaan ja peitteisyydellään haasteita valvon-taa suorittaville toimijoille. Laajaa ja vaikeakulkuista aluetta ei pystytä valvomaan aukot-tomasti, vaan pyritään estämään vapaa kulku alueella. Erikoisjoukkouhka luo lentotukikoh-dalle haasteita, jotka tulee kiistää tehokkaalla valvonnalla. Lentotukikohdan kriittisten koh-teiden maalittamisen perusteella iskut toteutetaan ilmalavetin toimittamana asekuormana tai risteilyohjuksin. Toimintaympäristö luo haasteita mini-UAV:n toiminnalle. Peitteinen maasto hankaloittaa valvontaa ja mahdollistaa erikoisjoukkojen oman toiminnan salaamisen. Kesän ja talven ai-kana vallitsevat huonon lentosään olosuhteet rajoittavat lennokilla suoritettavaa tiedustelua. Iskun jälkeisessä tiedustelussa lennokki tarjoaa mahdollisuuden nopeaan tilannekuvan muodostamiseen. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaan todeta mini-UAV:n olevan tehokas valvontatyökalu lento-tukikohdan valvontaa suorittaville toimijoille. Toimintaympäristön tuomat haasteet tulee ottaa huomioon valvonnan suunnittelussa ja organisoinnissa, jolloin heikkoudet voidaan minimoida.