Distribution of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii in the upper Paraná River basin, Brazil.

This study describes the invasion of the upper Paraná River basin by Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii based on a literature review and field samples. Pterygoplichthys ambrosettii has been reported in 42 localities throughout the upper Paraná River basin, including the Tietê, Paranapanema, Paraná, Grande and Aguapeí rivers. The ascent of P. ambrosettii after the inundation of the Sete Quedas Falls on the Paraná River and the release of individuals by aquarium hobbyists were the primary drivers of this invasion.

HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Ins Genotype in Patients Harbouring Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Potential Risk Factor?

H. pylori is a potent pathogen due to its capacity to successfully evade host defence mechanisms. Despite inducing immune responses in infected individuals, sometimes these responses fail to clear the infection and the bacterium establishes a persistent infection leading to chronic inflammation. In this context, we hypothesized that human leucocyte antigen G (HLA-G), a non-classical major histocompatibility complex molecule that has the ability to regulate immune responses both in physiological and in pathological conditions, may play an important role in promoting tolerance and helping H. pylori to subvert host defence and consequently establish a chronic infection. Therefore, we evaluated the expression of HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Del polymorphism in patients harbouring H. pylori infection, as well as their relationship with histological and demographic variables, to gain a better understanding of the actual role of HLA-G and its genetic polymorphisms in bacterial infection. Sixty-eight patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of H. pylori infection were enrolled to assess HLA-G 14-bp Ins/Del polymorphism allele and genotype frequencies. After adjustment for covariates (age and gender), the odds of having the genotype Ins/Ins, compared to Del/Del, were 3.77 times greater among HP+ cases than among controls. These findings suggest that the 14-bp Ins/Ins genotype, already associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as some viral and parasitic infections, could confer a greater risk of developing H. pylori infection.

Perímetro escrotal e características seminais de touros da raça Nelore selecionados para precocidade sexual / Scrotal perimeter and seminal characteristics of Nelore bulls selected for sexual precocity

Vinte e quatro touros jovens da raça Nelore foram distribuídos em grupo 1 (G1, à puberdade) e grupo 2 (G2, pós-puberdade), segundo a concentração seminal e motilidade progressiva dos espermatozoides. Características de produção, seminais e endócrinas foram avaliadas à puberdade e pós-puberdade, aos 12, 14, 16 e 18 meses de idade. A média de idade, de peso e de perímetro escrotal à puberdade foram, respectivamente, de 15,37±1,58 meses, 391,35±55,64 kg e 26,41±2,35cm, e na pós-puberdade foram, respectivamente, de 17,49±1,73 meses; 451,75±35,44kg e 29,93±2,59cm. As características seminais na pós-puberdade aumentaram em relação à puberdade. Pode-se inferir que os tourinhos da raça Nelore submetidos a um programa de seleção para precocidade sexual manifestaram a puberdade em torno de 15 meses de idade e que touros jovens com maior perímetro escrotal apresentaram menor idade à puberdade.

Twenty-four young Nelore bulls were divided in group 1 (G1, at puberty) and group 2 (G2, after puberty), according to characteristics of seminal concentration and gradual motility of the spermatozoa. Zoothecnic, seminal and endocrine characteristics were evaluated at puberty and after puberty, at 12, 14, 16 and 18 months of age. The average of age, weight and scrotal perimeter at puberty were, respectively, 15,37±1,58 months, 391,35±55,64 and 26.41±2,35cm, and in the period after puberty they were, respectively, 17,49±1,73 months; 451,75±35,44kg and 29,93±2,59cm. The seminal characteristics after puberty increased in relation to that at puberty. It is concluded that the young Nelore bulls submitted to one program of election for sexual precocity reached puberty around 15 months of age, and young bulls with higher escrotal perimeter had puberty at an early age.

Organizational factors related to occupational accidents in construction.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of organizational factors on occupational accident causation. A field study was undertaken and focused on the phase of concreting the floors of a residential block in a building project in Brazil. The methodological approach was based on the analysis of carpenters' work practices and of the workers' accounts of minor falls. Observations were noted on work practices over this stage. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with the workers hired by the subcontractors and with professionals working for the main contractor. The results show that falls were related to the introduction of new building technology and its use by the workforce. The production planning and organization of activities by the subcontracted firms also led to temporary demands that were additional determining factors for falls on site. The work analysis reveals the need to consider organizational factors in prevention practices.

Características zootécnicas de touros da raça Nelore submetidos a um programa de seleção para precocidade sexual / Zootecnic characteristics of Nelore bulls subjected to a selection program for sexual precocity

Foram utilizados 24 tourinhos da raça Nelore (Bos taurus indicus) divididos em três grupos de oito animais cada, de acordo com o perímetro escrotal (PE): Grupo 1 (G1) - PE acima de 22,8cm; Grupo 2 (G2) - PE entre 21,6 e 22,6cm; e Grupo 3 (G3) - PE entre 20,1 e 21,2cm. Para a análise da área de olho do lombo (AOL) e espessura de gordura (EG), os 24 animais foram divididos em dois grupos : G1 (mais precoces) e G2 (menos precoces), classificados de acordo com a idade em que cada animal atingiu a puberdade. O G1 apresentou maior PE à puberdade e menor peso à desmama em comparação ao G2 e ao G3. As medidas de AOL não apresentaram diferenças entre os grupos G1 e G2. Os animais do G1 atingiram a precocidade sexual em idade menor, enquanto a deposição de gordura maior e mais cedo ocorreu nos animais do G2, considerados mais tardios. A utilização de características zootécnicas em um programa de seleção para precocidade sexual pode constituir um avanço para a produtividade pecuária, aumentando os ganhos genéticos e diminuindo os custos de produção.

Twenty-four Nelore bulls (Bos taurus indicus) were divided in three groups of eight animals each according to EP: Group 1 - EP above average (EP>22.8cm); Group 2 - EP 5 percent below average (EP between 21.6 and 22.6cm); and Group 3 - EP from 10 to 5 percent below average (EP between 20.1 and 21.2cm). For the AOL and EG analysis the 24 animals were divided in two groups: G1 (more precocious) and G2 (less precocious), classified according to the age in which each animal reached puberty. G1 presented greater EP at puberty and less weight in comparison to G2 and G3. The AOL measures did not present difference between G1 and G2 groups. The animals in G1 reached puberty at a younger age, while the fat deposition occurred in G2. The use of productive characteristics in a program to select animals for sexual precocity can constitute a great advance for cattle productivity, increasing the genetic gain and decreasing production costs.

fMRI of the sensorimotor cortex in patients with traumatic brain injury after intensive rehabilitation.

For evaluating the patterns of brain activation in sensorimotor areas following motor rehabilitation, seven male patients diagnosed with TBI underwent an fMRI study before and after being subjected to motor rehabilitation. Six patients showed a reduction in the BOLD signal of their motor cortical areas during the second fMRI evaluation. A decrease in cerebellum activation was also observed in two patients. Newly activated areas, were observed in four patients after treatment. In addition, an increase in the activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA) following rehabilitation was observed in only one test subject. The findings show that motor rehabilitation in TBI patients produces a decrease in the BOLD signal for the sensorimotor areas that were activated prior to treatment. In addition, we observed the recruitment of different brain areas to compensate for functional loss due to TBI in line with the cortical reorganisation mechanism.

Gait analysis following treadmill training with body weight support versus conventional physical therapy: a prospective randomized controlled single blind study.

STUDY DESIGN: Single-blind randomized, controlled clinical study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate, using kinematic gait analysis, the results obtained from gait training on a treadmill with body weight support versus those obtained with conventional gait training and physiotherapy. SETTING: Thirty patients with sequelae from traumatic incomplete spinal cord injuries at least 12 months earlier; patients were able to walk and were classified according to motor function as ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) impairment scale C or D. METHODS: Patients were divided randomly into two groups of 15 patients by the drawing of opaque envelopes: group A (weight support) and group B (conventional). After an initial assessment, both groups underwent 30 sessions of gait training. Sessions occurred twice a week, lasted for 30 min each and continued for four months. All of the patients were evaluated by a single blinded examiner using movement analysis to measure angular and linear kinematic gait parameters. Six patients (three from group A and three from group B) were excluded because they attended fewer than 85% of the training sessions. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in intra-group comparisons among the spatial-temporal variables in group B. In group A, the following significant differences in the studied spatial-temporal variables were observed: increases in velocity, distance, cadence, step length, swing phase and gait cycle duration, in addition to a reduction in stance phase. There were also no significant differences in intra-group comparisons among the angular variables in group B. However, group A achieved significant improvements in maximum hip extension and plantar flexion during stance. CONCLUSION: Gait training with body weight support was more effective than conventional physiotherapy for improving the spatial-temporal and kinematic gait parameters among patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries.

Survival of the thriftiest: restricted nurture reveals the thrifty nature of a growth gene in Bos indicus.

Growth hormone (GH) is a part of the somatotropic axis that controls metabolism, growth, development and aging in a wide range of animals. Mutations that reduce GH signaling have been associated with extended life spans and increased longevity in ways similar to what is observed in dietary restriction (DR) models. However, the mechanism by which DR works is not well understood. Here, we show that DR works as a factor in the evolution of the genetic make-up of domestic cattle. In a series of 6864 bovines of seven Bos indicus and tropically adapted Bos taurus breeds, the frequency of a short, wild-type allele of the promoter region of the bovine GH gene, G1 allele, varied from 2.7 to 17.7%. The frequency of the long, domestic G2 allele increased from 88 to 95% along 20 calf crops of commercial Bos indicus cattle of the Nelore breed undergoing selection for increasing post-weaning weight gain with ad libitum nutrient intake. Under DR, however, the G1 allele sustained growth better than the G2 allele, as observed in a series of feeding tests. The G2 allele was even detrimental or abiotropic, as it caused rapid body decay under DR. We observed a reflection symmetry of GH allele substitution effects on body weight under different dietary schemes. The G2 allele is featured as the "demanding allele", because it is optimally fitted to ad libitum nutrient intake. The G1 allele is featured as the "thrifty allele" because it is optimally fitted to DR. Our results show that dietary regimens need not extend lifespan or increase longevity in the sense of age-specific fitness. Instead, adaptation to any particular dietary regimen is just as much a consequence of selection as its cause; dietary regimens work as do any selection force, optimizing genotypic fitness to nutritional conditions.

Invasion or invisibility: using genetic and distributional data to investigate the alien or indigenous status of the Atlantic populations of the peracarid isopod, Stenosoma nadejda (Rezig 1989).

The peracarid isopod, Stenosoma nadejda (Rezig 1989), until recently considered to be endemic of the Mediterranean region, was first reported in the Atlantic coast of southern Spain in 2001, and in 2006 abundant populations were discovered throughout the southwestern Portuguese coast. This fast expansion was intriguing because, as a direct brooder, this species has limited mechanisms for dispersal, such as rafting on seaweeds. Did S. nadejda recently extend its range into the Atlantic or was it overlooked in the past? We examined the patterns of genetic diversity and population differentiation accordingly by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene from 75 individuals collected in five locations in Atlantic Iberia and one in the Mediterranean. Our results indicate that the newly discovered Atlantic populations of S. nadejda appear to be old and have long persisted on Atlantic shores rather than being a recent introduction. High levels of genetic diversity and geographic structure were uncovered in what was initially suspected to be an 'invasive' species. Recent changes in population dynamics may have made S. nadejda more conspicuous in the Atlantic shores, or a more comprehensive survey led to the recognition of this species where it was not expected.

The use of tritium content as an indicator of the groundwater contamination by sanitary landfills leachates in the region of Belo Horizonte City, Brazil.

Tritium content in the leachate of sanitary landfills, in concentrations well above those observed in global precipitation, can be used as a tracer for the evaluation of the contamination of groundwater in piezometers of the landfills and in neighbouring tubular wells. This possibility was first investigated in Brazil for sanitary landfills in the region of Belo Horizonte City. Tritium levels together with the content of metals present in water and the measurement of soil electrical conductivity, proved to be valuable for these studies and also as a tracer for hydrodynamic studies of the surface water in the Ressaca creek.

[Gait analysis and quality of life evaluation after gait training in patients with spinal cord injury]. / Analisis de la marcha y evaluación de la calidad de vida después del entrenamiento de la marcha en pacientes con lesion medular.

INTRODUCTION: Over recent years it has become possible to retrain motor activity among patients with partial spinal cord injury, especially for walking. AIM. To assess the impact of gait training on a treadmill with body weight support, regarding temporospatial parameters and quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients of both sexes were evaluated. They had been diagnosed with partial spinal cord injury of traumatic origin at least 12 months earlier. They were able to walk and their motor function below the level of the injury was partially preserved and classified as level C or D. After the initial evaluation, the participants were trained on a treadmill with body weight support, with two sessions per week lasting 30 minutes each, over a four-month period, thus totaling 30 sessions. The patients' temporospatial gait parameters and quality of life were analyzed before and after the training. RESULTS: There were improvements in all the temporospatial parameters evaluated (p < 0.0001), but no changes in quality of life were seen (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Treadmill training with body weight support among patients with spinal cord injury was effective in improving the temporospatial gait parameters, but without changing their quality of life.

Análisis de la marcha y evaluación de la calidad de vida después del entrenamiento de la marcha en pacientes con lesión medular / Gait analysis and quality of life evaluation after gait training in patients with spinal cord injury

Durante los últimos años ha sido posible rehabilitar la actividad motora en los pacientes con lesiónmedular parcial, especialmente para poder caminar. Objetivo. Evaluar el impacto del entrenamiento de la marcha en una cinta sin fin con soporte del peso corporal con respecto a los parámetros temporoespaciales y la calidad de vida. Pacientes y métodos.Se estudió a 12 pacientes de ambos sexos. Se les había diagnosticado una lesión medular parcial de origen traumático al menos 12 meses antes. Podían caminar, y su función motora por debajo del nivel de la lesión estaba parcialmente preservada y clasificada como nivel C o D. Después de la evaluación inicial, los participantes se entrenaron en una cinta sin fin consoporte del peso corporal, con dos sesiones por semana de 30 minutos de duración cada una, durante un período de cuatro meses, lo que supuso un total de 30 sesiones. Los parámetros temporoespaciales de la marcha y la calidad de vida de los pacientesse analizaron antes y después del entrenamiento. Resultados. Hubo mejoras importantes en todos los parámetros temporoespaciales evaluados (p < 0,0001), pero no se observaron cambios en la calidad de vida (p > 0,05). Conclusión. El entrenamiento en una cinta sin fin con soporte del peso corporal en pacientes con lesión medular fue eficaz a la hora de mejorar los parámetros temporoespaciales de la marcha, pero no se produjeron cambios en su calidad de vida

Over recent years it has become possible to retrain motor activity among patients with partial spinalcord injury, especially for walking. Aim. To assess the impact of gait training on a treadmill with body weight support, regarding temporospatial parameters and quality of life. Patients and methods. Twelve patients of both sexes were evaluated. They had been diagnosed with partial spinal cord injury of traumatic origin at least 12 months earlier. They were able to walkand their motor function below the level of the injury was partially preserved and classified as level C or D. After the initial evaluation, the participants were trained on a treadmill with body weight support, with two sessions per week lasting 30minutes each, over a four-month period, thus totaling 30 sessions. The patients’ temporospatial gait parameters and quality of life were analyzed before and after the training. Results. There were improvements in all the temporospatial parameters evaluated (p < 0.0001), but no changes in quality of life were seen (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Treadmill training with body weightsupport among patients with spinal cord injury was effective in improving the temporospatial gait parameters, but without changing their quality of life

Concentração sérica de progesterona em bezerras da raça nelore e mestiças tratadas com progesterona em veículo de liberação lenta / Serum progesterone concentration in Nelore and crossbreed heifers treated with long-acting progesterone

Avaliaram-se a eliminação da progesterona em veículo de liberação lenta (P4LA) em animais zebus e mestiços e sua potencial aplicabilidade em programas de sincronização de estro, utilizando-se 60 bezerras, 30 da raça Nelore e 30 mestiças (Gir x Holandês), entre 120 e 150 dias de idade e peso médio de 150kg. Em cada grupo experimental as bezerras foram divididas em três subgrupos (G) de 10 animais, sendo GI = controle (tratado com 5ml de solução fisiológica por via intramuscular); GII = tratado com 450mg P4LA (3ml IM); e GIII = tratado com 750mg P4LA (5ml IM). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas no dia zero, 7 e 13 (D0, D7 e D13) e procedeu-se à análise hormonal por radioimunoensaio de fase sólida. A progesterona de ação prolongada (P4LA), administrada por via intramuscular, manteve-se por 13 dias na corrente sangüínea em concentrações superiores a 1ng/ml. As doses de 450mg e 750mg de P4LA não ocasionaram efeitos adversos sistêmicos clinicamente perceptíveis, e o metabolismo da P4LA foi mais lento nas bezerras Nelore, cuja concentração de progesterona foi maior na corrente sangüínea do que nas bezerras mestiças.

The clearance of long-acting progesterone in microspheres (P4LA) in zebu animals and its potential for use in estrus synchronization were evaluated using 30 Nelore and 30 crossbreed (Holstein x zebu) heifers, with aging between 120 to 150-day-old and weighting 150kg in average. For each breed the animals were divided into three groups of ten animals each, GI= control group treated with saline; GII= treated with 450mg of P4LA; and GIII= treated with 750mg of long-acting progesterone (P4LA). Blood samples were colleted on days 0, 7 and 13 and analysed for progesterone using radioimmunoassay in solid phase. The serum concentration of progesterone was different on days 0, 7 and 13 in relation to the dose of P4LA given. All treated animals presented basal values for progesterone on day 0, increased on day 7 and decreased on day 13, but with values over 1ng/ml. The results show that the drug was absorbed rapidly after its administration and remained in satisfactory concentration in the circulation until day 13. The average total concentration of serum progesterone was higher in Nelore heifers when compared to the concentration in crossbreed ones, indicating difference in the metabolism of the drug between the two genetic groups.

Efeito de diferentes protocolos de superovulação sobre a concentração plasmática de progesterona e de metabólitos lipídicos de vacas Nelore / Effect of different superovulation protocols on plasma progesterone concentration and lypidic metabolites in Nelore cows

Avaliaram-se as concentrações plasmáticas de triglicérides, colesterol, aspartato transaminase (AST) e progesterona (P4) em vacas Nelore não lactantes com elevado escore corporal, superovuladas com diferentes protocolos. Foram utilizados três grupos de animais, G1 (n=11), G2 (n=8) e G3 (n=5), superovulados com 500UI de FSH, 200mg e 180mg de FSH (hormônio folículo estimulante), respectivamente, em doses decrescentes, duas vezes ao dia, durante quatro dias. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas antes da superovulação (A), no terceiro dia da superovulação (B), no momento da inseminação artificial (C) e na coleta dos embriões (D). As concentrações de triglicérides, AST e colesterol foram verificados por espectrofotometria, e a de progesterona (P4) por radioimunoensaio. Não houve alteração (P>0,05) na concentração de triglicérides, AST e colesterol entre as amostras. Não houve efeito (P>0,05) do protocolo de superovulação sobre a concentração de triglicérides, AST e P4 nas diferentes amostras. O G2 apresentou menor concentração de colesterol (P<0,05) nas amostras A e B, possivelmente em razão da grande instabilidade dessa variável.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the concentration of tryglicerides, cholesterol, aspartate transaminase (AST) and progesterone (P4) in embryo donor Nelore cows superovulated with different protocols. Twenty four donors were randomly distributed in three groups: group 1 (n=11), donors superovulated with 500UI of FSH and group 2 (n=8) and group 3 (n=5) respectively with 200mg and 180mg of FSH, in decreasing doses, twice a day, during four consecutive days. Blood samples were collected before superovulation (A), in the third day of superovulation (B), at the artificial insemination time (C) and at the embryo collection time (D). The concentrations of tryglicerides, aspartate transaminase (AST) and cholesterol were measured by spectrophotometry and progesterone (P4) by radioimmunoassay. There was no alteration (P<0.05) in the concentration of tryglicerides, AST and cholesterol among the samples. There was no effect (P>0.05) of the superovulation protocol on the concentration of tryglicerides, AST and P4 in the samples. In the samples A and B of group 2 the concentration of cholesterol was lower (P<0.05) than in groups 1 and 3, probably due to the instability of the parameter.

Desarrollo e histología testicular de gallos ligeros sometidos a diferentes fotoperiodos / Development and testicular histology of light roosters submitted to different photoperiods

Con el objetivo de evaluar los efectos de diferentes fotoperiodos sobre el desarrollo e histología testicularde gallos ligeros, se realizó un experimento en el Departamento de Zootecnía de la Universidade Federalde Lavras. Fueron utilizados 48 gallos de linaje Lohman LSL con una edad inicial de 133 días, que fueron sometidos a 3 tratamientos: 1) Fotoperiodo Continuo; 2) Fotoperiodo Intermitente y 3) Fotoperiodo NaturalCreciente. Tanto la asignación a los grupos experimentales como la selección de los animales para sacrificio se realizo aleatoriamente. El periodo experimental tuvo una duración de 140 días. Las variables evaluadas fueron el peso corporal y peso de los testículos derecho (PTD) e izquierdo (PTE), en gramos; el diámetro de los tubos seminíferos (DTS) y el espesor del epitelio seminífero (EES), en micrómetros, y, el número de células delos tubos seminíferos (células de Sertoli, espermatogonias y espermátides redondeadas). Las diferencias entre tratamientos fueron comparadas por la prueba Scott Knott (5%). No se observó efecto significante (P>0,05) delos fotoperiodos y de las edades sobre las variables evaluadas, con excepción del número de espermatogonias que presentó aumento inicial y disminución progresiva a partir de los 203 días. Se concluyó que los fotoperiodos continuo, intermitente o natural creciente pueden ser utilizados para los gallos ligeros durante el periodo reproductivo, sin prejuicio para los parámetros testiculares. Debido al menor gasto energético que puede ser conseguido con la utilización del fotoperiodo natural creciente, este seria el programa más recomendado para los machos, con relación a las características testiculares

With the objective of evaluating the effects of different photoperiods on the development and testicular histology of light roosters, an experiment was conducted in the Animal Science Department of the Federal University of Lavras. 48 roosters of the Lohman LSL strain, aged 133 days were utilized, they themselves being submitted to 3 treatments: 1) Continuous photoperiod, 2) Intermittent photoperiod and 3) Growing natural photoperiod. The animals were allotted to a completely randomized experimental design, with 4 replicates being the experimental unit being made up of 1 animal. The experimental period lasted 140 days and the variables evaluated were: body weight, weights of the right (PTD) and left testes (PTE), in grams; diameter of the seminiferous tubules (DTS) and thickness of the seminiferous epithelium (EES), in micrometers and number of cells of the seminiferous tubules (Sertoli cells, rounded spermatogonia and spermatids). The differences between treatments were compared by the Scott Knott test (5%). A significant effect was not observed (P>0.05) of the photoperiods and the ages on the analyzed variable, with exception of the number of spermatogonia that had presented quadratic variation with the increase of the age of the animals. It follows that photoperiods continuous, intermittent or growing natural light can be utilized for creation of light roosters over the reproductive period without harming the testicular parameters. Had to the lesser expense of energy that can be gotten with the use of Growing natural photoperiod, this would be the recommended program more for themales, with regard to the testicular characteristics

Placental maturation and expulsion in Holstein and Nelore cows

Foram avaliadas as diferenças morfológicas e a participação da apoptose na população de células do placentoma de vacas das raças Holandesa e Nelore no período periparto. Foram utilizadas 22 vacas da raça Holandesa com parto a termo (tratamento I) e 10 com parto induzido (tratamento II). Nos tratamentos III e IV foram utilizadas 10 vacas Nelore com parto a termo e 21 com parto induzido, respectivamente. As células binucleadas trofoblásticas e epiteliais carunculares e os corpos apoptóticos foram quantificadas por microscopia óptica. A apoptose também foi avaliada por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão, ELISA e determinação da fragmentação do DNA por eletroforese em gel de agarose. O número de células epitelilais carunculares não variou entre as raças com parto normal ou induzido. O número de células binucleadas diferiu entre raças com parto a termo (tratamentos I e III); contudo seu número não variou quando o parto foi induzido. Em vacas com parto a termo a intensidade da apoptose foi significativamente maior no tratamento I do que no III, pela avaliação morfométrica e por ELISA. Entretanto, não foi encontrada diferença entre os tratamentos II e IV. A característica da fragmentação de DNA para a apoptose em eletroforese foi identificada pela presença de bandas com 200 pares de bases ou múltiplos. As características da apoptose no epitélio materno e fetal e no endotélio vascular foram identificadas por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. Os resultados permitem concluir que em vacas Nelore a maturação da placenta ocorre precocemente quando comparada à da raça Holandesa e que em ambas as raças a apoptose é um evento fisiológico ativo na maturação e eliminação da placenta.

Características de ovários de fêmeas zebu (Bos taurus indicus), colhidos em abatedouros / Characteristics of the ovaries of zebu cows (Bos taurus indicus) collected in slaughterhouses

The ovarian characteristics of pregnant and non pregnant zebu cows (Bos taurus indicus) were studied. The ovaries were obtained in slaughterhouses, identified and divided into: group I, non pregnant animals (GI, n=43) and group II, pregnant animals (GII, n=43). The ovaries were measured and cut in their lenght for measuring and evaluation of the corpus luteum (CL) characteristics. For the GI the measures for the left ovary were 2.5 ± 0.70, 1.61 ± 0.32 and 1.22 ± 0.39cm, respectively for length, width and thickness, and 2.62 ± 0.54, 1.71 ± 0.36 and 1.21 ± 0.31cm for the right ovary. For the GII the measures for the left ovary were 2.78 ± 0.48, 1.80 ± 0.33 and 1.23 ± 0.35cm, respectively for length, width and thickness and 2.84 ± 0.50, 1.74 ± 0.45 and 1.21 ± 0.40cm for the right one. Both groups presented 51.2 percent of CL in the left ovary and 48.8 percent in the right one, with high incidence of CL enclosed and without cavity. The mean for the diameter of the CL was 1.59±0.32cm for GI e 1.82±0.35cm for GII. The results suggest the need to consider carefully the size of the ovary and the enclosed characteristics of the CL when performing gynecological examination of zebu cows via rectal palpation

[A 5 consecutive day combination of CIS platinum and bleomycin in squamous cell bronchial carcinoma (author's transl)]. / Association de platine- bléomycine, administrée sur 6 jours consécutifs dans les cancers bronchiques éidermoïdes : résultats préliminaires.

Twenty patients with inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (14 previously untreated and 6 previously treated) received a combination of bleomycin and cis-platinum for 6 consecutive days every 3 or 4 weeks. Pulmonary toxicity was minimal with only one case of reversible bleomycin-induced acute interstitial pneumopathy. The response rate was 65 p.cent. Thirteen patients had an objective response, including 5 apparently complete regressions. All responders were previously untreated patients. The results are discussed in the light of pharmacokinetic and cell kinetic data, and lead to a proposal for a non-conventional combined approach in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, hitherto relatively unresponsive to chemotherapy.