Breastfeeding at discharge and in the third stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care among hospitalized preterm infants.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the type of feeding and analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge, in the first and in the last follow-up visit of the third stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care among infants admitted to the kangaroo unit. METHOD: Longitudinal and retrospective study. A total of 186 infants of gestational age <37 weeks admitted to the kangaroo unit in 2018 and 2019 was included. Data collected from medical records and subjected to inferential analysis and the Poisson regression model (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 73.1% at discharge, with a drop at the last follow-up visit (68.1%). At discharge, there was a greater probability of exclusive breastfeeding in younger mothers, with higher education, infants born with higher birth weight and who received exclusive human milk during hospitalization; in the first follow-up visit, in a younger mother and infant who received only human milk during hospitalization; and in the last follow-up visit, a young mother, infant who received only human milk and suckled at the breast for the first time in the kangaroo unit. CONCLUSION: Most infants hospitalized in the second stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care were exclusively breastfed and presented maternal and clinical factors related to breastfeeding. This fact can help manage the challenges of the method and promote breastfeeding.

Mixture of pesticides based on dimethylamine and imidacloprid affects locomotion of adult zebrafish.

Numerous chemical compounds are found in aquatic environments; among them are pesticides. Pesticides are widely used worldwide, and this use has progressively increased in recent decades, resulting in the accumulation of potentially toxic compounds in surface waters. Dimethylamine-based herbicides (DBH) and imidacloprid-based insecticides (IBI) have low soil absorption and high water solubility, facilitating the arrival of these compounds in aquatic environments. In this study, our objective was to analyze whether two pesticides, DBH and IBI at environmentally relevant concentrations of 320 µg/L for each compound, and their mixtures impact the behavioral and endocrine parameters of adult zebrafish, verifying the effect of pesticides on exploratory behavior and social and analyzing hormonal parameters related to stress. Acute exposure to the mixture of pesticides reduced fish locomotion. Pesticides alone and in combination did not affect cortisol levels in exposed animals. Pesticides, when tested together, can cause different effects on non-target organisms, and the evaluation of mixtures of these compounds is extremely important.

Breastfeeding at discharge and in the third stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care among hospitalized preterm infants / Lactancia materna al alta y en la tercera etapa del Método Madre Canguro en recién nacidos prematuros hospitalizados / Aleitamento materno na alta e na terceira etapa do Método Canguru entre recém-nascidos prematuros hospitalizados

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the type of feeding and analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge, in the first and in the last follow-up visit of the third stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care among infants admitted to the kangaroo unit. Method: Longitudinal and retrospective study. A total of 186 infants of gestational age <37 weeks admitted to the kangaroo unit in 2018 and 2019 was included. Data collected from medical records and subjected to inferential analysis and the Poisson regression model (P < 0.05). Results: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 73.1% at discharge, with a drop at the last follow-up visit (68.1%). At discharge, there was a greater probability of exclusive breastfeeding in younger mothers, with higher education, infants born with higher birth weight and who received exclusive human milk during hospitalization; in the first follow-up visit, in a younger mother and infant who received only human milk during hospitalization; and in the last follow-up visit, a young mother, infant who received only human milk and suckled at the breast for the first time in the kangaroo unit. Conclusion: Most infants hospitalized in the second stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care were exclusively breastfed and presented maternal and clinical factors related to breastfeeding. This fact can help manage the challenges of the method and promote breastfeeding.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Identificar el tipo de alimentación y analizar los factores sociodemográficos y clínicos asociados a la lactancia materna exclusiva al alta hospitalaria, en el primero y en la última visita de seguimiento de la tercera etapa del Método Madre Canguro entre los recién nacidos ingresados en la unidad canguro. Método: Estudio longitudinal y retrospectivo. Se incluyeron 186 neonatos en edad gestacional <37 semanas ingresados en la unidad canguro en 2018 y 2019. Datos recopilados de historias clínicas sometidas a análisis inferencial y modelo de regresión de Poisson (p < 0,05). Resultados: La tasa de lactancia materna exclusiva fue del 73,1% al alta, con descenso en la última visita de seguimiento (68,1%). Al alta hubo mayor probabilidad de lactancia materna exclusiva en madres más jóvenes, con mayor escolaridad, recién nacidos con mayor peso al nacer y que recibieron leche materna exclusiva durante la internación; en la primera visita de seguimiento, en una madre más joven y un recién nacido que recibió únicamente leche materna durante la hospitalización; y en la última visita de seguimiento, una madre joven, recién nacido que recibió sólo leche humana y con la primera succión del pecho en la unidad canguro. Conclusión: La mayoría de los recién nacidos hospitalizados en la segunda etapa del Método Madre Canguro fueron amamantados exclusivamente y presentaron factores maternos y médicos relacionados con la lactancia materna, que pueden ayudar a gestionar los desafíos del método y promover la lactancia materna.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar o tipo de alimentação e analisar os fatores sociodemográficos e clínicos associados ao aleitamento exclusivo na alta hospitalar, no primeiro e no último retorno da terceira etapa do Método Canguru entre neonatos internados na unidade canguru. Método: Estudo longitudinal e retrospectivo. Incluídos 186 neonatos com idade gestacional <37 semanas admitidos na unidade canguru em 2018 e 2019. Dados coletados do prontuário submetidos à análise inferencial e ao modelo de regressão Poisson (p < 0,05). Resultados: Taxa de aleitamento exclusivo foi de 73,1% na alta, com queda no último retorno (68,1%). Na alta, houve maior probabilidade de aleitamento exclusivo em mãe mais jovem, com escolaridade superior, neonato nascido com maior peso e que recebeu leite humano exclusivo durante internação; no primeiro retorno, em mãe mais jovem e neonato que recebeu apenas leite humano na internação; e no último retorno, mãe jovem, neonato que recebeu apenas leite humano e com primeira sucção na mama na unidade canguru. Conclusão: A maioria dos neonatos internados na segunda etapa do Método Canguru estava em aleitamento exclusivo e apresentou fatores maternos e clínicos relacionados ao aleitamento, podendo auxiliar no manejo dos desafios do método e na promoção da amamentação.

Temporal validation of the MMCD score to predict kidney replacement therapy and in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury has been described as a common complication in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, which may lead to the need for kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in its most severe forms. Our group developed and validated the MMCD score in Brazilian COVID-19 patients to predict KRT, which showed excellent performance using data from 2020. This study aimed to validate the MMCD score in a large cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a different pandemic phase and assess its performance to predict in-hospital mortality. METHODS: This study is part of the "Brazilian COVID-19 Registry", a retrospective observational cohort of consecutive patients hospitalized for laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in 25 Brazilian hospitals between March 2021 and August 2022. The primary outcome was KRT during hospitalization and the secondary was in-hospital mortality. We also searched literature for other prediction models for KRT, to assess the results in our database. Performance was assessed using area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUROC) and the Brier score. RESULTS: A total of 9422 patients were included, 53.8% were men, with a median age of 59 (IQR 48-70) years old. The incidence of KRT was 8.8% and in-hospital mortality was 18.1%. The MMCD score had excellent discrimination and overall performance to predict KRT (AUROC: 0.916 [95% CI 0.909-0.924]; Brier score = 0.057). Despite the excellent discrimination and overall performance (AUROC: 0.922 [95% CI 0.914-0.929]; Brier score = 0.100), the calibration was not satisfactory concerning in-hospital mortality. A random forest model was applied in the database, with inferior performance to predict KRT requirement (AUROC: 0.71 [95% CI 0.69-0.73]). CONCLUSION: The MMCD score is not appropriate for in-hospital mortality but demonstrates an excellent predictive ability to predict KRT in COVID-19 patients. The instrument is low cost, objective, fast and accurate, and can contribute to supporting clinical decisions in the efficient allocation of assistance resources in patients with COVID-19.

Effects of glyphosate exposure on western diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

We evaluated whether glyphosate promotes western diet (WD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Male C57BL/6J mice were fed WD and received intragastrical glyphosate (0.05, 5 or 50 mg/kg) for 6 months. Glyphosate did not promote WD-induced obesity, hypercholesterolemia, glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, and fibrosis. Nonetheless, the higher dose (50 mg) enhanced hepatic CD68+ macrophage density, p65, TNF-α, and IL-6 protein levels. Furthermore, this dose decreased hepatic Nrf2 levels, while enhancing lipid peroxidation in the liver and adipose tissue. Hepatic transcriptome revealed that glyphosate at 50 mg upregulated 212 genes and downregulated 731 genes. Genes associated with oxidative stress and inflammation were upregulated, while key cell cycle-related genes were downregulated. Our results indicate that glyphosate exposure - in a dose within the toxicological limits - impairs hepatic inflammation/redox dynamics in a NAFLD microenvironment.

Functional Training and Dual-Task Training Improve the Executive Function of Older Women.

Functional training (FT) is a type of multicomponent training with emphasis on activities of daily living that stimulate different physical capacities in only one session. Dual-task training (DTT) is a type of training that simultaneously applies cognitive and motor stimuli. We investigated the effects of sixteen weeks of FT and DTT and eight weeks of detraining on older women's inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Sixty-two older women (66.9 ± 5.4 years; 27.7 ± 3.9 kg/m2) completed a 16-week intervention program comprising the FT (n = 31) and DTT (n = 31), and 43 returned after the detraining period. We used the Stroop Color Word Color test to evaluate inhibitory control, the Corsi Block Test to assess working memory, and the Trail Making Test to evaluate cognitive flexibility. Only DTT reduced the congruent response time between the pre-test and post-test (d= -0.64; p < 0.001), with no difference between the post-test and the detraining values (d = 1.13; p < 0.001). Both groups reduced the incongruent response time between the pre-test and post-test (FT: d = -0.61; p = 0.002; DTT: d= -0.59; p = 0.002) without a difference between groups. There were no significant differences in working memory and cognitive flexibility. Sixteen weeks of FT and DTT increased the inhibitory control of older women but not the working memory and cognitive flexibility, and these effects persisted after eight weeks of detraining.

Carbon nanotube-cellulose ink for rapid solvent identification.

In this work, a conductive ink based on microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was used to produce transducers for rapid liquid identification. The transducers are simple resistive devices that can be easily fabricated by scalable printing techniques. We monitored the electrical response due to the interaction between a given liquid with the carbon nanotube-cellulose film over time. Using principal component analysis of the electrical response, we were able to extract robust data to differentiate between the liquids. We show that the proposed liquid sensor can classify different liquids, including organic solvents (acetone, chloroform, and different alcohols) and is also able to differentiate low concentrations of glycerin in water (10-100 ppm). We have also investigated the influence of two important properties of the liquids, namely dielectric constant and vapor pressure, on the transduction of the MFC-MWCNT sensors. These results were corroborated by independent heat flow measurements (thermogravimetric analysis). The proposed MFC-MWCNT sensor platform may help paving the way to rapid, inexpensive, and robust liquid analysis and identification.

Effects of twenty-eight months of detraining imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the functional fitness of older women experienced in concurrent and functional training.

PURPOSE: To assess the impacts of 28 months of detraining imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the functional fitness of older women practicing functional or concurrent training. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted with 16 weeks of intervention and 28 months of detraining imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-five participants were allocated to functional training (FT - 32), concurrent training (CT - 31), or the control group (CG - 32). All the dependent variables were measured pre-training, post-training, and after the detraining period. The functional fitness was assessed by the put on and take off a t-shirt (PTS - upper limbs), timed up and go (TUG - dynamic balance), five times sit-to-stand (FTSST - lower-limb muscle power), gallon-jug shelf-transfer (GJST - global function), and 10 m walk (W10 m - walking ability) tests. RESULTS: Sixty-three women remained after the detraining period, twenty-four in the FT (66.0 ± 3.8 years), twenty in the CT (65.0 ± 4.3 years), and nineteen in the CG (69.6 ± 5.9 years). Comparing the detraining vs. the pre-intervention, the FT and CT showed a smaller reduction than CG for the PTS (ßFT = -2.296; ßCT = -1.914), timed up and go (ßFT = -0.705; ßCT = -0.600), five times sit-to-stand (ßFT = -1.970; ßCT = -2.970), gallon-jug shelf-transfer (ßFT = -1.512; ßCT = -1.003), without differences in the 10 m walk. Also, the concurrent training showed a smaller reduction than the functional training in the FTSST (ß = 1.000). CONCLUSION: Even after a long detraining period imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, FT and CT practices were effective strategies for maintaining the functional fitness of older women.

Supplementation with okra combined or not with exercise training is able to protect the heart of animals with metabolic syndrome.

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clinical manifestation strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death worldwide. In view of this scenario, many therapeutic proposals have appeared in order to optimize the treatment of individuals with MetS, including the practice of exercise training (ET) and the consumption of okra (O). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of O consumption and/or ET in animals with MetS. In all, 32 male Zucker rats (fa/fa) at 10 weeks old were randomly distributed into four groups of 8 animals each: MetS, MetS+O, MetS+ET and MetS+ET+O, and 8 lean Zucker rats (fa/ +) comprised the control group. Okra was administered by orogastric gavage 2x/day (morning and night, 100 mg/kg), 5 days/week, for 6 weeks. The ET was performed on a treadmill 1x/day (afternoon), 5 days/week, 60 min/day, in an intensity of 70% of maximal capacity, for the same days of O treatment. It was found that, O consumption alone was able to promote improved insulin sensitivity (MetS 93.93 ± 8.54 mg/dL vs. MetS+O 69.95 ± 18.7 mg/dL, p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.65, CI = 50.32 -89.58, triglyceride reduction (MetS 492.9 ± 97.8 mg/dL vs. MetS+O 334.9 ± 98.0 mg/dL, p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.61, CI = 193.2-398.7). In addition, it promoted a reduction in systolic blood pressure (MetS 149.0 ± 9.3 mmHg vs. MetS+O 132.0 ± 11.4 mmHg, p ≤ 0.05, d = 1.63, CI = 120-140), prevented an increase in cardiac collagen (MetS 12.60 ± 2.08% vs. MetS+O 7.52 ± 0.77%, p ≤ 0.05, d = 3.24, CI = 6.56-8.49). When associated with ET, the results were similar. Thus, we conclude that O consumption combined or not with aerobic ET can have a protective effect on the cardiac tissue of rats with MetS.

Postnatal Dynamics of Circulating Steroid Hormones in Mule and Equine Neonates.

It is necessary to study hormonal patterns from mules to recognize alterations and neonatal maladaptation. Our objective was to evaluate concentrations of hormones in mule (n = 6) and equine foals (n = 6). Blood was collected at T0, 1, 6 and 12 h after birth. Hormone concentrations were evaluated using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Effects of time, group and interactions and regression analysis were evaluated (p < 0.05). There was a cubic and quadratic decline in mule and equine foals, respectively, for 3ß,20α-dihydroxy-DHP. Mule foals were born with lower circulating 3ß,20α-dihydroxy-DHP concentrations, which might be related to progestogen concentrations in mares with a hybrid placenta. Corticosterone and cortisol concentrations remained unchanged for the first hour post-foaling then declined in mule and equine foals (p < 0.0001). Dehydroepiandrosterone was the main androgen present. There was a decrease in dihydrotestosterone at 12 h (p = 0.002). Differences in the temporal patterns of secretion within each steroid class, pregnanes, corticoids, and androgens, suggest they were derived from different tissue sources, presumptively the placenta, adrenals and gonads of the fetus/neonate, respectively. Mule and horse foals were born without evidence of testosterone secretion. For the first time, steroid hormone levels were measured in neonatal mules, and this will provide insight into neonatal physiology that differs from equine and allow us to gain an understanding of mules that have rarely been studied. Further studies are needed to elucidate the effects of hybrid pregnancies in the steroid endocrinology of neonates.

Nutritional risk, not obesity, is associated with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Despite the identification of obesity as a risk factor for higher rates of hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions and complications due to COVID-19, the association between obesity and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients remains controversial, and the nutritional risk is little considered. Hence, our study sought to evaluate the association between obesity, nutritional risk, and mortality in critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19. METHODS: Retrospective study were condutcted including adult critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted to an ICU between April 2020 and March 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from electronic medical records. Obesity was classified by body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2. A mNUTRIC score of ≥ 5 indicated high nutritional risk. Multiple Cox Regression was used to estimate the association between mNUTRIC, obesity, and mortality. RESULTS: From 71 patients aged 59 (± 15) years, 71.8 % were male. The frequencies of obesity (58.7 %) and death (49.3 %) were high, but obesity was not associated with mortality. Based on mNUTRIC, 85.9 % of patients were at high nutritional risk, presenting a higher frequency of mortality than patients at low nutritional risk (50.8 % vs 40.0 %; p = 0.014). Multiple Cox Regression showed that for each unit increase in mNUTRIC score the probability of death almost doubled, regardless of the presence of obesity (HR = 1.74; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A higher nutritional risk was positively associated with mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients, regardless of obesity, showing the importance of early identification of nutritional risk for appropriate nutritional interventions in this population.

Aerobic exercise training combined or not with okra consumption as a strategy to prevent kidney changes caused by metabolic syndrome in Zucker rats.

The complications of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) include kidney disease, and most dialysis patients are diagnosed with MetS. The benefit of exercise training (ET) for MetS treatment is already well defined in the literature, but the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic benefits of okra (O) have been discovered only recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of O and/or ET supplementation on renal function and histology; serum urea and creatinine value; inflammation (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α) and oxidative stress in renal tissue. For this, 32 Zucker rats (fa/fa) were randomly separated into four groups of 8 animals each: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), MetS + Okra (MetS + O), MetS + Exercise Training (MetS + ET), and MetS + Exercise Training and Okra (MetS + ET + O), and 8 Zucker lean (fa/+) rats comprised the Control group (CTL). Okra was administered by orogastric gavage 2x/day (morning and night, 100 mg/kg) and ET performed on the treadmill, at moderate intensity, 1h/day, 5x/week for 6 weeks. Although the renal function was not altered, the animals with MetS showed greater fibrotic deposition accompanied by a worse stage of renal injury, in addition to increased kidney weight. Although all interventions were beneficial in reducing fibrosis, only ET combined with O was able to improve the degree of renal tissue impairment. ET improved the anti-inflammatory status and reduced nitrite levels, but the combination of ET and O was more beneficial as regards catalase activity. Okra consumption alone did not promote changes in inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in the kidney. In conclusion, ET combined or not with O seems to be beneficial in preventing the progression of renal disease when renal function is not yet altered.

Stromal α-Smooth Muscle Actin Positivity Is Associated With High-Risk Basal Cell Carcinomas.

ABSTRACT: The presence of myofibroblast differentiation has been proposed as an invading mechanism in basal cell carcinomas. However, small studies regarding α-smooth muscle actin positivity have led to conflicting results. This review of 100 cases examines the association between α-smooth muscle actin positivity on immunohistochemical studies and the clinical and histopathological characteristics of the tumor, including tumor size, thickness, subtype, topography, ulceration, 5-year recurrence rate, and age at diagnosis.

Hesperidin, a citrus flavanone glycoside, accelerates the gastric healing process of acetic acid-induced ulcer in rats.

The flavonoid hesperidin is abundantly found in citrus fruits and is used to treat vascular diseases. Previous studies described its gastroprotective actions against stress or ethanol-induced ulcer in rodents; however, results from indomethacin-induced ulcer were controversy. Therefore, given its clinical use and contradictory findings in acute models, this study aims to evaluate the effect of hesperidin (1-10 mg/kg, p.o) on chronic gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid in rats, a model that resembles the ulcer in humans. Moreover, the effects of hesperidin on mucin levels and on inflammatory and oxidative parameters at ulcer site were also measured. The treatment with hesperidin at 3 and 10 mg/kg, once a day, by seven days, accelerated by 34 and 62%, respectively, the ulcer healing process when compared to vehicle-treated group (99.1 ±â€¯6.4 mm2). Histological and histochemistry analyses confirmed the healing effect with significant favoring of mucin production. Hesperidin also promoted the preservation of reduced glutathione levels in the gastric mucosa tissue, as well as the normalization of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities at similar levels to those found in the non-ulcerated group. In addition, flavonoid administration increased the enzymatic activity of glutathione-S-transferase by 35%. Tissue lipoperoxides and myeloperoxidase activity were reduced after hesperidin treatment. In conclusion, the flavonoid hesperidin revealed a gastric healing activity in the ulcerated mucosa, an effect that showed to be associated with the reduction of oxidative damage at ulcer site, due to the reduction of the neutrophil migration and the strengthening of the mucus barrier next to the mucosa.

Oligopeptidase B and B2: comparative modelling and virtual screening as searching tools for new antileishmanial compounds.

Leishmaniasis are diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected insects of the subfamily Phlebotominae. Current drug therapy shows high toxicity and severe adverse effects. Recently, two oligopeptidases (OPBs) were identified in Leishmania amazonensis, namely oligopeptidase B (OPB) and oligopeptidase B2 (OPB2). These OPBs could be ideal targets, since both enzymes are expressed in all parasite lifecycle and were not identified in human. This work aimed to identify possible dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis. The three-dimensional structures of both enzymes were built by comparative modelling and used to perform a virtual screening of ZINC database by DOCK Blaster server. It is the first time that OPB models from L. amazonensis are used to virtual screening approach. Four hundred compounds were identified as possible inhibitors to each enzyme. The top scored compounds were submitted to refinement by AutoDock program. The best results suggest that compounds interact with important residues, as Tyr490, Glu612 and Arg655 (OPB numbers). The identified compounds showed better results than antipain and drugs currently used against leishmaniasis when ADMET in silico were performed. These compounds could be explored in order to find dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis.

Caries removal in deciduous teeth using an Er:YAG laser: a randomized split-mouth clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present clinical randomized split-mouth study was to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an Er:YAG laser for caries removal in primary molars, microbiological dentin analysis, and clinical restorations after 1 year in 29 children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The children's teeth were randomized into two groups: (I) an Er:YAG laser group and (II) a bur preparation group. The efficiency of the treatments (the time necessary for the removal of carious tissue) was evaluated based on the time spent on caries removal in the deciduous molars. The effectiveness (caries removal capacity) of the caries removal was determined by means of a blind test in which the examiner performed a tactile and visual examination of the dentin. Microbiological analysis was performed by counting the Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus sp in the remaining dentin. Clinical analysis of restorations was performed using the USPHS method in combination with photographs of restored teeth, 7 days after the restorative procedure and again after 1 year. All cavities were restored with the Adper Single Bond 2/Filtek Z350 system. The obtained data were analyzed with a significance level of 5 %. RESULTS: The Er:YAG laser was less effective and had the same efficacy as bur preparation during caries removal at the pulpal wall of deciduous molars. In the surrounding walls, bur preparation was the more effective method. Regardless of the method employed, the affected dentin in the pulpal wall had similar amounts of S. mutans and Lactobacillus sp. The restorations were clinically accepted by the USPHS method over a 1-year period. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that caries removal with an Er:YAG laser has no influence on the clinical behavior of restorations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Irradiation with an Er:YAG laser is appropriate for caries removal in primary teeth.

5-lipoxygenase-dependent recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages by eotaxin-stimulated murine eosinophils.

The roles of eosinophils in antimicrobial defense remain incompletely understood. In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, eosinophils are selectively recruited to the peritoneal cavity by antigen, eotaxin, or leukotriene(LT)B4, a 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) metabolite. 5-LO blockade prevents responses to both antigen and eotaxin. We examined responses to eotaxin in the absence of sensitization and their dependence on 5-LO. BALB/c or PAS mice and their mutants (5-LO-deficient ALOX; eosinophil-deficient GATA-1) were injected i.p. with eotaxin, eosinophils, or both, and leukocyte accumulation was quantified up to 24 h. Significant recruitment of eosinophils by eotaxin in BALB/c, up to 24 h, was accompanied by much larger numbers of recruited neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. These effects were abolished by eotaxin neutralization and 5-LO-activating protein inhibitor MK886. In ALOX (but not PAS) mice, eotaxin recruitment was abolished for eosinophils and halved for neutrophils. In GATA-1 mutants, eotaxin recruited neither neutrophils nor macrophages. Transfer of eosinophils cultured from bone-marrow of BALB/c donors, or from ALOX donors, into GATA-1 mutant recipients, i.p., restored eotaxin recruitment of neutrophils and showed that the critical step dependent on 5-LO is the initial recruitment of eosinophils by eotaxin, not the secondary neutrophil accumulation. Eosinophil-dependent recruitment of neutrophils in naive BALB/c mice was associated with increased binding of bacteria.

REM sleep deprivation generates cognitive and neurochemical disruptions in the intranigral rotenone model of Parkinson's disease.

The recently described intranigral rotenone model of Parkinson's disease (PD) in rodents provides an interesting model for studying mechanisms of toxin-induced dopaminergic neuronal injury. The relevance of this model remains unexplored with regard to sleep disorders that occur in PD. On this basis, the construction of a PD model depicting several behavioral and neurochemical alterations related to sleep would be helpful in understanding the association between PD and sleep regulation. We performed bilateral intranigral injections of rotenone (12 µg) on day 0 and the open-field test initially on day 20 after rotenone. Acquisition phase of the object-recognition test, executed also during day 20, was followed by an exact period of 24 hr of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep deprivation (REMSD; day 21). In the subsequent day (22), the rats were re-exposed to the open-field test and to the object-recognition test (choice phase). After the last session of behavioral tests, the rat brains were immediately dissected, and their striata were collected for neurochemical purposes. We observed that a brief exposure to REMSD was able to impair drastically the object-recognition test, similarly to a nigrostriatal lesion promoted by intranigral rotenone. However, the combination of REMSD and rotenone surprisingly did not inflict memory impairment, concomitant with a moderate compensatory mechanism mediated by striatal dopamine release. In addition, we demonstrated the existence of changes in serotonin and noradrenaline neurotransmissions within the striatum mostly as a function of REMSD and REMSD plus rotenone, respectively.

Association between the level of quality of life and nutritional status in patients undergoing chronic renal hemodialysis.

INTRODUCTION: The chronic kidney disease and undergoing hemodialysis (HD) cause limitation in patients' life interfering in their life's quality and the nutritional care is fundamental to the disease treatment. OBJECTIVE: The objective is the goal is to analyze the association between quality of life through the instrument (SF-36) with dietary intake, nutritional status in patients with chronic kidney disease in HD through quantitative research and transversal. METHODS: Realized valuation anthropometric, collection of the results of biochemical tests, application of the questionnaire SF-36 and dietary anamnesis (food recall of 24h). RESULTS: The sample consisted of thirty adult patients with age between 28 to 76 years. The disease related with chronic kidney disease was found more hypertension systemic arterial (53.3%) The average body mass index was 25.04 ± 4.50 kg/m². By fold cutaneous arm, 73.3% were in malnutrition. The end nutritional diagnosis of malnutrition was 80% among the patients studied. The time of diagnosis of renal disease had a mean of 4.84 ± 3.51 years. By the middle of biochemical tests only phosphorus creatinine were adequate. In the mean the scores of SF-36 the lowest value found was limited to physical aspects (16.67 ± 29.60) and the largest for the social aspect (68.17 ± 33.67). CONCLUSION: The average energy consumption and protein was below the recommended. Got positive correlation of calories, protein, fiber, calcium and carbohydrate, with quality of life. It was concluded that feeding is associated with quality of life of renal patients undergoing hemodialysis.