Factors impacting the growth and nutritional status of cystic fibrosis patients younger than 10 years of age who did not undergo neonatal screening / Fatores que afetam o crescimento e estado nutricional de pacientes com fibrose cística com idade inferior a 10 anos e que não foram submetidos à triagem neonatal

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate by clinical and laboratory parameters how cystic fibrosis (CF) affects growth and nutritional status of children who were undergoing CF treatment but did not receive newborn screening. METHODS: A historical cohort study of 52 CF patients younger than 10 years of age were followed in a reference center in Campinas, Southeast Brazil. Anthropometric measurements were abstracted from medical records until March/2010, when neonatal screening program was implemented. Between September/2009 and March/2010, parental height of the 52 CF patients were also measured. RESULTS: Regarding nutritional status, four patients had Z-scores ≤-2 for height/age (H/A) and body mass index/age (BMI/A). The following variables were associated with improved H/A ratio: fewer hospitalizations, longer time from first appointment to diagnosis, longer time from birth to diagnosis and later onset of respiratory disease. Forced vital capacity [FVC(%)], forced expiratory flow between 25-75% of FVC [FEF25-75(%)], forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1(%)], gestational age, birth weight and early respiratory symptoms were associated with improved BMI/A. CONCLUSIONS: Greater number of hospitalizations, diagnosis delay and early onset of respiratory disease had a negative impact on growth. Lower spirometric values, lower gestational age, lower birth weight, and early onset of respiratory symptoms had negative impact on nutritional status. Malnutrition was observed in 7.7% of cases, but 23% of children had nutritional risk. .

OBJETIVO: Avaliar por meio de parâmetros clínicos e laboratoriais como a fibrose cística (FC) afeta o crescimento e estado nutricional de crianças submetidas ao tratamento de FC que não foram submetidas à triagem neonatal. MÉTODOS: Uma coorte histórica com 52 pacientes com FC menores de 10 anos foi acompanhada em um centro de referência em Campinas, Sudeste do Brasil. Peso e altura foram coletados de prontuários médicos até março de 2010, quando a triagem neonatal foi implementada. Entre setembro de 2009 a março de 2010 a altura dos pais foi medida. RESULTADOS: Quatro pacientes tiveram escores Z ≤ -2 para altura/idade (A/I) e índice de massa corporal/idade (IMC/A). As seguintes variáveis foram associadas com melhor razão A/I: menor número de hospitalizações, maior tempo entre a primeira consulta e o diagnóstico, maior tempo entre o nascimento e o diagnóstico e início tardio da doença respiratória. Capacidade vital forçada [CVF(%)], fluxo expiratório forçado entre 25-75% da CVF [FEF25-75(%)], volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo [VEF1(%)], idade gestacional, peso ao nascer e início dos sintomas respiratórios foram associados com melhor IMC/I. CONCLUSÕES: Maior número de hospitalizações, retardo no diagnóstico e início precoce da doença respiratória tiveram impacto negativo no crescimento. Menores valores espirométricos, menor idade gestacional, menor peso ao nascer e o início precoce dos sintomas respiratórios tiveram impacto negativo no estado nutricional. A desnutrição foi observada em 7,7% dos casos, mas 23% das crianças apresentaram risco nutricional. .

Effects of sulfur-based hemostatic agents and gingival retraction cords handled with latex gloves on the polymerization of polyvinyl siloxane impression materials

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the possible interactions between three addition silicone materials (Express®, Aquasil Ultra® and Adsil®), three hemostatic agents (ferric sulfate, StatGel FS®; aluminum sulfate, GelCord®; and aluminum chloride, Hemostop®) and gingival retraction cords previously handled with latex gloves to determine whether direct contact with medicaments or indirect contamination by latex in conditions similar to those found in clinical practice inhibit or affect the setting of the impression materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A portable device for the simultaneous test of several specimens was specifically developed for this study. Polymerization inhibition was analyzed by examination of the impressions and the molded surface. Ten trials were performed for each addition silicone material used in the study, at a total of 240 study samples. RESULTS: All the samples tested (N=240) were nonreactive regardless of the type of combination used. CONCLUSIONS: Aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate and aluminum chloride hemostatic solutions did not show any inhibitory potential on the addition silicone samples under study, and there were no changes in polymerization as a result of contact between addition silicone and retraction cords handled with latex gloves.

Hydrogen production by photosynthetic green algae.

Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria, green algae and diatoms are capable of absorbing light and storing up to 10-13% of its energy into the H-H bond of hydrogen gas. This process, which takes advantage of the photosynthetic apparatus of these organisms to convert sunlight into chemical energy, could conceivably be harnessed for production of significant amounts of energy from a renewable resource, water. The harnessed energy could then be coupled to a fuel cell for electricity generation and recycling of water molecules. In this review, current biochemical understanding of this reaction in green algae, and some of the major challenges facing the development of future commercial algal photobiological systems for H2 production have been discussed.

Identification of 30- [2'-methylenethienyl] -hopane isomers in sediments

Two 30-[2'-methylenethienyl]-hopane isomers [based on the alpha-beta and beta beta configurations] have been identified in S-rich immature sediments from the Nordlinger Ries [southern Germany] in the aromatic hydrocarbon fractions separated from the total extractable lipids. The identification was used on chromatographic and mass spectral data and confirmed by carbon skeleton determination by desulfurization using Raney Ni. The results provide further evidence of the widespread occurrence of thienyl hopanes in immature sediments. These compounds are presumed to originate from the incorporation of sulfur into a C35 bactriohopanetetrol present in bacterial membranes during the early stages of diagenesis

Sulfur aromatic compounds in crude oils from Egypt

Sulfur is usually the most abundant hetero element in petroleum and is also common in other types of fossil organic matter[1] Most of the sulfur present in crude oils, bitumens and kerogens is organically-bound sulfur, i.e. bound to carbon; hydrogen sulphide and elemental sulfur dissolved in crude oils usually are a very minor portion of the total sulfur[2]- Organically-bound sulfur in crude oils is mainly present in medium [as single compounds] and heavy fractions [as part of complex molecules; i.e. asphaltenes and resins]. Sulfur compounds have been and are of interest to the petroleum industry for four major reasons. [1] 1] Organic sulfur compounds [OSC] can cause problems during processing of petroleum i.e. they poison catalysts and cause corrosion to metal vessels and pipelines; 2] they impart undesirable characteristics to the products derived from the crude oils; 3] sulfur dioxide is produced during combustion of sulfur-containing fuels, which causes global environmental problems, .e.g. acid rain problem; and 4] its geochemical significance i.e. in providing information on the origin and composition and the geochemical and geological history of petroleum. [3] To solve, systematically, the problem of removing the sulfur compounds from petroleum or its products, or to render these compounds harmless, a knowledge of the type, structure, and chemical nature of the compounds present is desirable. Therefore, a systematic characterization of the sulfur compounds in crude oils has both theoretical and practical value. The identification of OSC started in the nineteenth century with the identification of ten alkyl sulfides in Ohio crude oil [4] and thiophene in Gromy crude oil. [5]Ever since, the number and structural complexity of OSC identified has increased significantly, as comprehensively reviewed by Gal'pern, [6-8] Orr, [2] Thompson, [9] Aksenov and Kamayanov,[10] Orr and Sinninghe Damste [11] and Sinninghe Damste and de Leeuw[3] Thiophene derivatives [benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophenes, and naphthbenzothiophenes] are known to be one of the most important petroleum sulfur compound types, constituting 45-84 percent of sulfur compounds in middle and high boiling fractions[10] In previous work[12], the distribution of paraffins, triterpenoidal alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons in Alamein and Badran crude oil samples from Egypt have been studied. The results indicated that the oils were sourced from type II/III kerogens with preponderant terrestrial components. Further, the triterpane maturityindicator based on the ratio of the two trisnorhopanes [T[s] / T[m]] showed that alamein oil has a more advanced level of thermal maturity. In continuation of the study, the present paper reports on the occurrence and distribution of thiophenic compounds in the same oil samples. An evaluation of the distribution patterns of these compounds as maturity indicators is also presented

Stress corrosion cracking of alpha-brass in solutions containing some sulphur species

Stress corrosion cracking [SCC] tests were carried out for alpha-brass in solutions of Na2SO3 and Na2S2O3 by using the constant slow strain rate technique. It was found that brass is susceptible to undergo SCC in Na2SO3 and Na2S2O3 solutions at the open-circuit as well as at the anodic polarization conditions. The susceptibility to SCC increases with increase of the solution concentration and with anodic polarization. The mode of cracking was intergranular in Na2O3 solutions and mixed to predominantly transgranular in Na2S2O3 solutions. The susceptibility of brass to SCC is greater in thiosulfate solutions as compared with sulfite solutions