Antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from clinical specimens of companion animals in Northern Portugal, 2021-2023.

Staphylococcus spp. are growing pathogens in humans and companion animals. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus-associated infections, due to zoonotic transmission, is a major public health concern. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, are possible reservoirs of multi-resistant bacterial species, which makes it relevant to monitor them due to their proximity to humans. However, there is a lack of information on the real scenario in Europe, especially in Portugal, particularly for animal infections caused by Staphylococcus spp. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from cats and dogs diagnosed with infection in Northern Portugal. During 2021-2023, 96 Staphylococcus isolates from dogs and cats with symptoms of bacterial infection, including animals being treated in veterinary clinics/hospitals and cadavers submitted for necropsy at INIAV were included in the study collection. Of the 96 isolates, 63 were from dogs and 33 were Staphylococcus spp. from cats, most of which were isolated from ear (57% and 18%, respectively), skin (19 % and 27 %, respectively) and respiratory tract infections (6 % and 27 %, respectively). Among all the isolates, 12 different Staphylococcus spp. were identified, with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius being the most identified (61 % from dogs and 30 % from cats). It is noteworthy that 36 % of the isolates were multi-drug resistant and 25 % of the isolates showed a methicillin-resistant phenotype, with the mecA gene having been identified in all these isolates. This study highlights a high occurrence of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus spp. in companion animals in Northern Portugal. This underlines the potential for cats and dogs to act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance, that can be transmitted to humans, posing a serious threat to public health.

Identifying strategic opportunities through the development of a roadmap for additive manufacturing: The example of Portugal.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) demonstrates significant potential with rapid growth and widespread industrial adoption. To support the integration and innovation of AM technologies, the development of guidance tools and support methods are crucial, and a technological roadmap can assist in this effort. Despite its widespread use in production processes, the need for further research on the potential impact of AM remains significant. The full impact of AM is still uncertain and lacks consensus, highlighting the need for increased knowledge and investment from the scientific community and organizations. While the benefits of AM are recognized, the challenges of its adoption are not entirely known. AM will bring changes in the way organizations create, distribute, and derive value. Thus, in this article, a roadmap for AM is proposed and presented as a tool to map technological knowledge on the implementation and evolution of AM and serve as a strategic guide for organizations. The methodology for its elaboration involves three phases: planning and preparation, roadmap development, and review and update. Through a literature review, database and project consultation, and questionnaires to Portuguese companies that use AM in their production process it was possible to characterize the AM technology and through the visual format, based on a time horizon, summarize in a common framework all the information about the current and future state of AM in Portugal. The results of this study show that research and development initiatives are essential to promote the evolution of knowledge of the AM technology. Throughout this study and with the development of the roadmap it is anticipated that in the near future the AM will be widely used for prototyping and manufacturing of components and may be used for direct production in the short to medium term. It was also found that the main obstacles to the implementation of AM are the economic/productivity factors and the shortage of professionals with knowledge and skills in the area.

Exploring the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profile of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from clinically ill companion animals from North of Portugal.

Klebsiella spp. is an important pathogen in humans and animals and due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics, its prevalence and antibiotic resistance has increased in companion animals. The main goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella spp. isolated from clinically ill cats and dogs admitted in veterinary clinics in the North of Portugal. A total of 255 clinical specimens were collected and, after isolation, the identification of Klebsiella strains was performed using the BBL Crystal™ identification system and confirmed by PCR-based sequencing with specific primers. Antibiotic resistance profile was determined through the disc diffusion method. Beta-lactam resistance genes were screened through a multiplex PCR assay. Fifty Klebsiella strains were isolated and, 39 were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae and 11 as Klebsiella oxytoca. Thirty-one were recovered from dogs and 19 from cats. The Klebsiella isolates were recovered mainly from skin wounds, respiratory tract, and from urine. Fifty percent of K. oxytoca and K. pneumoniae isolates revealed to be Multidrug Resistant (MDR) strains, with most of them positive for the presence of blaTEM-like and blaSHV genes. This data shows that MDR Klebsiella are highly disseminated in companion animals and that extended-spectrum beta-lactamases can be easily found among these isolates. This highlights the potential role of dogs and cats as a reservoir of resistant Klebsiella spp. that have the potential to be transmitted to humans.

A hybrid artificial intelligence model leverages multi-centric clinical data to improve fetal heart rate pregnancy prediction across time-lapse systems.

STUDY QUESTION: Can artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms developed to assist embryologists in evaluating embryo morphokinetics be enriched with multi-centric clinical data to better predict clinical pregnancy outcome? SUMMARY ANSWER: Training algorithms on multi-centric clinical data significantly increased AUC compared to algorithms that only analyzed the time-lapse system (TLS) videos. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Several AI-based algorithms have been developed to predict pregnancy, most of them based only on analysis of the time-lapse recording of embryo development. It remains unclear, however, whether considering numerous clinical features can improve the predictive performances of time-lapse based embryo evaluation. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A dataset of 9986 embryos (95.60% known clinical pregnancy outcome, 32.47% frozen transfers) from 5226 patients from 14 European fertility centers (in two countries) recorded with three different TLS was used to train and validate the algorithms. A total of 31 clinical factors were collected. A separate test set (447 videos) was used to compare performances between embryologists and the algorithm. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Clinical pregnancy (defined as a pregnancy leading to a fetal heartbeat) outcome was first predicted using a 3D convolutional neural network that analyzed videos of the embryonic development up to 2 or 3 days of development (33% of the database) or up to 5 or 6 days of development (67% of the database). The output video score was then fed as input alongside clinical features to a gradient boosting algorithm that generated a second score corresponding to the hybrid model. AUC was computed across 7-fold of the validation dataset for both models. These predictions were compared to those of 13 senior embryologists made on the test dataset. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The average AUC of the hybrid model across all 7-fold was significantly higher than that of the video model (0.727 versus 0.684, respectively, P = 0.015; Wilcoxon test). A SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis of the hybrid model showed that the six first most important features to predict pregnancy were morphokinetics of the embryo (video score), oocyte age, total gonadotrophin dose intake, number of embryos generated, number of oocytes retrieved, and endometrium thickness. The hybrid model was shown to be superior to embryologists with respect to different metrics, including the balanced accuracy (P ≤ 0.003; Wilcoxon test). The likelihood of pregnancy was linearly linked to the hybrid score, with increasing odds ratio (maximum P-value = 0.001), demonstrating the ranking capacity of the model. Training individual hybrid models did not improve predictive performance. A clinic hold-out experiment was conducted and resulted in AUCs ranging between 0.63 and 0.73. Performance of the hybrid model did not vary between TLS or between subgroups of embryos transferred at different days of embryonic development. The hybrid model did fare better for patients older than 35 years (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney test), and for fresh transfers (P < 0.001; Mann-Whitney test). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Participant centers were located in two countries, thus limiting the generalization of our conclusion to wider subpopulations of patients. Not all clinical features were available for all embryos, thus limiting the performances of the hybrid model in some instances. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our study suggests that considering clinical data improves pregnancy predictive performances and that there is no need to retrain algorithms at the clinic level unless they follow strikingly different practices. This study characterizes a versatile AI algorithm with similar performance on different time-lapse microscopes and on embryos transferred at different development stages. It can also help with patients of different ages and protocols used but with varying performances, presumably because the task of predicting fetal heartbeat becomes more or less hard depending on the clinical context. This AI model can be made widely available and can help embryologists in a wide range of clinical scenarios to standardize their practices. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Funding for the study was provided by ImVitro with grant funding received in part from BPIFrance (Bourse French Tech Emergence (DOS0106572/00), Paris Innovation Amorçage (DOS0132841/00), and Aide au Développement DeepTech (DOS0152872/00)). A.B.-C. is a co-owner of, and holds stocks in, ImVitro SAS. A.B.-C. and F.D.M. hold a patent for 'Devices and processes for machine learning prediction of in vitro fertilization' (EP20305914.2). A.D., N.D., M.M.F., and F.D.M. are or have been employees of ImVitro and have been granted stock options. X.P.-V. has been paid as a consultant to ImVitro and has been granted stocks options of ImVitro. L.C.-D. and C.G.-S. have undertaken paid consultancy for ImVitro SAS. The remaining authors have no conflicts to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Efficacy of the laser at low intensity on primary burning oral syndrome: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic clinical condition of idiopathic mainly characterized by pain and a burning sensation in the oral cavity. The application of laser at low intensity therapy is a treatment option. This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of laser therapy in treating symptoms of burning mouth syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was formulated according to the PRISMA and Cochrane guidelines. Seven databases were used as primary sources of research. Only randomized controlled clinical trials were included. The efficacy of the therapy was estimated comparing the values of the visual and numerical scales of pain before and after laser treatment, through qualitative analysis. RESULTS: The search resulted in 348 records and only eight filled the eligibility criteria and were included. All studies evaluated pain and / or a burning sensation considering a time interval of two to ten weeks. The total sample consisted of 314 patients submitted to treatment: 123 from the control group, who participated with laser off or with the tip blocked, and 191 from the intervention group, treated with low-level laser therapy. The female gender stood out and the average age of the participants was 60.89 years. The main symptoms reported were pain and a burning sensation in the oral mucosa and tongue. The parameters adopted by the authors for laser treatment were diverse and the variables were not fully described in the published studies. Visual analog and numerical scales were used to assess symptoms and only three studies showed statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that laser therapy may be an effective alternative in the treatment of BMS. New randomized clinical trials should consider well-established protocols to better understand the efficacy of laser therapy without confounding the effects.

Deep learning for Gaussian process soft x-ray tomography model selection in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak.

Gaussian process tomography (GPT) is a method used for obtaining real-time tomographic reconstructions of the plasma emissivity profile in tokamaks, given some model for the underlying physical processes involved. GPT can also be used, thanks to Bayesian formalism, to perform model selection, i.e., comparing different models and choosing the one with maximum evidence. However, the computations involved in this particular step may become slow for data with high dimensionality, especially when comparing the evidence for many different models. Using measurements collected by the Soft X-Ray (SXR) diagnostic in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak, we train a convolutional neural network to map SXR tomographic projections to the corresponding GPT model whose evidence is highest. We then compare the network's results, and the time required to calculate them, with those obtained through analytical Bayesian formalism. In addition, we use the network's classifications to produce tomographic reconstructions of the plasma emissivity profile.

Can different stages of leprosy treatment influence the profile of oral health? Oral status in leprosy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of study was to evaluate the oral health status, salivary flow and halitosis among individuals diagnosed with leprosy as compared with healthy subjects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of 160 individuals was allocated into four groups, as follows: (G1) individuals with complete leprosy treatment; (G2) individuals diagnosed with leprosy and under multi-drug therapy; (G3) individuals diagnosed with leprosy not yet under treatment; and (G4) healthy individuals. Then individuals were submitted to periodontal clinical examination (visible plaque index, bleeding index, depth of probing and clinical attachment level); DMFT index (decayed-missing-filled teeth index); evaluation of salivary flow and halitosis using a halimeter equipment (Interscan Corp, Chatsworth, CA, USA). RESULTS: The data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and chi-square tests. The mean DMFT was found to be higher than 6.6, which is considered very high, with no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). As for salivary flow, 76.2% of the subjects presented normal flow rates, while 10% and 13.7% showed low and very low salivary flow rates, respectively, with hyposalivation being mostly observed in Groups 1 and 2. The highest prevalence of noticeable odor was found in healthy individuals (G4), and the most prevalent periodontal diagnosis was gingivitis (63.1%) in Group 3 (individuals with leprosy not yet under multi-drug therapy) followed by periodontitis (25%) in Group 1 (individuals who had completed leprosy treatment). CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that individuals with a history of leprosy present poor oral health similar to that of systemically healthy individuals.

Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the prevalence of oral lesions in HIV-positive patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to determine whether highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is associated with the prevalence of oral lesions in HIV-positive patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). The search was conducted in seven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, SciELO, LILACS, Embase, Web of Science, and OpenGrey), without restriction on publication period or language. Studies that showed the prevalence of oral lesions manifested in adult HIV-positive patients, subjected or not to HAART, were selected. The meta-analysis estimate of relative risk was calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method and DerSimonian and Laird estimator to determine the variance between studies in the random-effects model. The meta-analysis showed significant results in favour of the group on HAART, with lower prevalence for angular cheilitis, erythematous candidiasis, oral herpes, pseudomembranous candidiasis, Kaposi sarcoma, and oral hairy leukoplakia. The prevalence of oral mucosal hyperpigmentation was higher in patients on HAART. These results suggest that the prevalence of oral lesions in HIV-positive patients is lower for those on HAART, which might occur because of the improvement in immunity provided by the therapy.

Persistent effects of pre-Columbian plant domestication on Amazonian forest composition.

The extent to which pre-Columbian societies altered Amazonian landscapes is hotly debated. We performed a basin-wide analysis of pre-Columbian impacts on Amazonian forests by overlaying known archaeological sites in Amazonia with the distributions and abundances of 85 woody species domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples. Domesticated species are five times more likely than nondomesticated species to be hyperdominant. Across the basin, the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species increase in forests on and around archaeological sites. In southwestern and eastern Amazonia, distance to archaeological sites strongly influences the relative abundance and richness of domesticated species. Our analyses indicate that modern tree communities in Amazonia are structured to an important extent by a long history of plant domestication by Amazonian peoples.

Metabolic Impact of Light Phase-Restricted Fructose Consumption Is Linked to Changes in Hypothalamic AMPK Phosphorylation and Melatonin Production in Rats.

Recent studies show that the metabolic effects of fructose may vary depending on the phase of its consumption along with the light/dark cycle. Here, we investigated the metabolic outcomes of fructose consumption by rats during either the light (LPF) or the dark (DPF) phases of the light/dark cycle. This experimental approach was combined with other interventions, including restriction of chow availability to the dark phase, melatonin administration or intracerebroventricular inhibition of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with Compound C. LPF, but not DPF rats, exhibited increased hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation, glucose intolerance, reduced urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-S-Mel) (a metabolite of melatonin) and increased corticosterone levels. LPF, but not DPF rats, also exhibited increased chow ingestion during the light phase. The mentioned changes were blunted by Compound C. LPF rats subjected to dark phase-restricted feeding still exhibited increased hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation but failed to develop the endocrine and metabolic changes. Moreover, melatonin administration to LPF rats reduced corticosterone and prevented glucose intolerance. Altogether, the present data suggests that consumption of fructose during the light phase results in out-of-phase feeding due to increased hypothalamic AMPK phosphorylation. This shift in spontaneous chow ingestion is responsible for the reduction of 6-S-Mel and glucose intolerance.

Immunoexpression of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1α and interleukin-10 on odontogenic cysts and tumours.

AIM: To analyse the immunoreactivity of IL-1α, TNF-α and IL-10 in odontogenic cysts and tumours and to investigate possible associations with established biological behaviours of these different lesions. METHODOLOGY: Immunohistochemical expression of anti-IL-1α, anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-10 antibodies was assessed on epithelium and mesenchyme of 20 radicular cysts (RCs), 20 residual cysts (RECs), 20 dentigerous cysts (DCs), 18 solid ameloblastomas (SAs), 20 keratocystic odontogenic tumours (KCOTs) and 15 dental follicles (DFs). Comparative analysis of data was performed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Kruskal-Wallis's test. RESULTS: Significantly greater expression of IL-1α in the epithelium was noted in RC, KCOT and SA (P = 0.01), whilst IL-10 and TNF-α was in the epithelium of RC, DC and KCOT (P < 0.01). In the mesenchyme, significantly greater immunopositivity was observed for IL-1α, IL-10 and TNF-α in KCOT, DC and RC (P < 0.01). In epithelial and mesenchymal tissues, there were a significant number of cases of RC and DC with IL-1α < IL-10 ratio (P < 0.01), whilst SA and KCOT showed IL-1α > IL-10 (P < 0.01). There was a significantly greater percentage of DF, DC and KCOT with TNF-α > IL10 ratio (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest involvement of the proteins in the pathogenesis of odontogenic cysts and tumours, with emphasis on the highest immunoreactivity of osteolysis stimulating factors in tumours with aggressive biological behaviour, such as SA and KCOT.

Oral and endotracheal tubes colonization by periodontal bacteria: a case-control ICU study.

Periodontal infection is a possible risk factor for respiratory disorders; however, no studies have assessed the colonization of periodontal pathogens in endotracheal tubes (ET). This case-control study analyzed whether periodontal pathogens are able to colonize ET of dentate and edentulous patients in intensive care units (ICU) and whether oral and ET periodontal pathogen profiles have any correlation between these patients. We selected 18 dentate and 18 edentulous patients from 78 eligible ICU patients. Oral clinical examination including probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index , and plaque index was performed by a single examiner, followed by oral and ET sampling and processing by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (total bacterial load, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia). Data were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney U, two-way analysis of variance (p < 0.05). Among dentate, there was no correlation between clinical parameters and ET bacterial levels. Both dentate and edentulous patients showed similar ET bacterial levels. Dentate patients showed no correlation between oral and ET bacterial levels, while edentulous patients showed positive correlations between oral and ET levels of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis, and T. forsythia. Periodontal pathogens can colonize ET and the oral cavity of ICU patients. Periodontal pathogen profiles tend to be similar between dentate and edentulous ICU patients. In ICU patients, oral cavity represents a source of ET contamination. Although accompanied by higher oral bacterial levels, teeth do not seem to influence ET bacterial profiles.

Immunophenotypic characterization and distribution of dendritic cells in odontogenic cystic lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression and distribution patterns of mature dendritic cells (mDCs) and immature DCs (imDCs) in radicular cysts (RCs), dentigerous cysts (DtCs), and keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-nine odontogenic cystic lesions (OCLs) (RCs, n = 20; DtCs, n = 15; KCOTs, n = 14) were assessed using the following markers: S100, CD1a and CD207 for imDCs; and CD83 for mDCs. RESULTS: Almost all cases were S100, CD1a, and CD207 positive, whereas 63% were CD83 positive. RCs presented greater number of immunostained cells, followed by DtCs, and KCOTs. The number of S100+ cells was greater than both CD1a+ and CD207+ cells (P < 0.001), which showed approximately similar amounts, followed by lower number of CD83+ cells (P < 0.001) in each OCL type. Different from S100+ cells, both CD1a+ and CD207+ cells on the epithelium (P < 0.05) and CD83+ cells on the capsule (P < 0.05) were preferentially observed. In RCs, significant correlation was found between the thickness epithelium with S100+ and CD1a+ cells, and between the degree of inflammation with CD83+ cells. CONCLUSIONS: Dendritic cell populations in OCLs can be phenotypically heterogeneous, and it could represent distinct lineages and/or functional stages. It is suggested that besides DC-mediated immune cell interactions, DC-mediated tissue differentiation and maintenance in OCLs should also be considered.

Eficiência nutricional do Nitrogênio e produção de biomassa em Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) em condições de casa de vegetação / Nitrogen nutritional efficiency and biomass production in Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) under greenhouse conditions

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de diferentes doses de nitrogênio no solo e de épocas de coleta sobre a eficiência nutricional do nitrogênio e a produção de biomassa em Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) em condições de casa de vegetação. O substrato utilizado foi a camada de 0 - 20 cm de Latossolo Vermelho Distroférrico. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de quatro doses de N (0, 21, 42 e 84mg dm-3) e cinco épocas de colheita (15, 30, 45, 60 e 90 dias após o transplante). O teor de N na inflorescência de calêndula reduziu com as épocas de coleta, redução essa que ocorreu possivelmente devido à menor eficiência da absorção desse elemento pela planta e menor translocação do N para as inflorescências. Pode se concluir que as épocas de avaliação influenciaram na resposta da planta à eficiência de absorção (EFA), sendo a máxima EFA de N aos 51 dias após o transplante das mudas. Observou-se aumento na translocação de N da parte aérea (folhas e caules) para as inflorescências, tendo como consequência a redução do N na parte aérea. Houve incremento na produção de biomassa de calêndula em função das épocas de coleta , e do aumento das doses de N aplicadas no solo. A eficiência nutricional do N foi influenciada pelas épocas de avaliação e pelo teor de N presente no solo.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of both the application of different nitrogen levels on the soil and the harvest periods on nitrogen nutritional efficiency and biomass production in Calendula officinalis L. (Asteraceae) under greenhouse conditions. The employed substrate was 0-20cm layer of Oxisol. Experimental design was completely randomized, with four replicates. Treatments consisted of four N levels (0, 21, 42 and 84 mg dm-3) and five harvest periods (15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 days after transplanting). N levels in Calendula officinalis inflorescences reduced with the harvest periods, and such a reduction was probably due to the lower efficiency of absorption of this element by the plant and to the lower N translocation to inflorescences. We can conclude that the evaluation periods influenced the response of plants to uptake efficiency (UE), and the maximal UE for N was found at 51 days after transplanting of seedlings. There was an increase in N translocation from the shoot (leaves and stems) to inflorescences, which has as consequence N reduction in the shoot. Calendula officinalis biomass production increased with the harvest periods and with the increase in the N levels applied on the soil. N nutritional efficiency was influenced by both the evaluation periods and the N levels present on the soil.

Eficiência da absorção, translocação e uso de N e P pela Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. ) Pedersen / Efficiency of N and P uptake, translocation and use by Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. ) Pedersen

Tendo como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de absorção, translocação e uso de nitrogênio (N) e fósforo (P) pela Pfaffia glomerata, foi conduzido o presente trabalho em casa de vegetação no delineamento inteiramente casualizado com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em esquema fatorial 5 x 5, sendo cinco doses de N (0, 125, 250, 375 e 500 mg vaso-1) e cinco doses de P (P2O5) (0, 125, 250, 375 e 500 mg vaso-1). Os resultados evidenciaram que a eficiência de absorção de N e P foi influenciada pelas doses de N e P utilizadas no experimento apresentando interação entre os fatores em estudo. A eficiência de translocação do N foi consideravelmente menor que a de P, provavelmente pela maior concentração de compostos nitrogenados nas raízes em detrimento da parte aérea. Observou-se maior eficiência de uso do P devido à menor concentração desse elemento na planta. A absorção de N e de P foi influenciada pela dose desses elementos no solo, sendo possível a estimativa das doses desses nutrientes que proporcionem maiores eficiências de absorção, translocação, uso e teor total.

Aimed at evaluating the efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake, translocation and use by Pfaffia glomerata, the present study was conducted in greenhouse, in completely randomized design with three replicates. Treatments were displayed in 5 x 5 factorial design, with five N levels (0, 125, 250, 375 and 500 mg pot-1) and five P (P2O5) levels (0, 125, 250, 375 and 500 mg pot-1). Results evidenced that N and P uptake efficiency was influenced by the N and P levels used in the experiment, showing interaction among the studied factors. N translocation efficiency was considerably lower than that of P, probably due to the lower concentration of nitrogenous compounds in the roots than in the shoot. P use efficiency was higher due to the lower concentration of this element in the plant. N and P uptake was influenced by the level of these elements in the soil, being possible to estimate the levels of these nutrients which provide higher uptake, translocation and use efficiency besides total content.

Genetic evaluation of Jatropha curcas: an important oilseed for biodiesel production.

Jatropha curcas, internationally and locally known, respectively, as physic nut and pinhão manso, is a highly promising species for biodiesel production in Brazil and other countries in the tropics. It is rustic, grows in warm regions and is easily cultivated. These characteristics and high-quality oil yields from the seeds have made this plant a priority for biodiesel programs in Brazil. Consequently, this species merits genetic investigations aimed at improving yields. Some studies have detected genetic variability in accessions in Africa and Asia. We have made the first genetic evaluation of J. curcas collected from Brazil. Our objective was to quantify genetic diversity and to estimate genetic parameters for growth and production traits and seed oil content. We evaluated 75 J. curcas progenies collected from Brazil and three from Cambodia. The mean oil content in the seeds was 31%, ranging from 16 to 45%. No genetic correlation between growth traits and seed oil content was found. However, high coefficients of genetic variation were found for plant height, number of branches, height of branches, and stem diameter. The highest individual narrow-sense heritabilities were found for leaf length (0.35) and width (0.34), stem diameter (0.24) and height of branches (0.21). We used a clustering algorithm to genetically identify the closest and most distant progenies, to assist in the development of new cultivars. Geographical diversity did not necessarily represent the genetic diversity among the accessions collected. These results are important for the continuity of breeding programs, aimed at obtaining cultivars with high grain yield and high oil content in seeds.

Molecular aspects involved in swimming exercise training reducing anhedonia in a rat model of depression.

Patients suffering from depression frequently display hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) resulting in elevated cortisol levels. One main symptom of this condition is anhedonia. There is evidence that exercise training can be used as a rehabilitative intervention in the treatment of depressive disorders. In this scenario, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of an aerobic exercise training protocol on the depressive-like behavior, anhedonia, induced by repeated dexamethasone administration. The study was carried out on adult male Wistar rats randomly divided into four groups: the "control group" (C), "exercise group" (E), "dexamethasone group" (D) and the "dexamethasone plus exercise group" (DE). The exercise training consisted of swimming (1 h/d, 5 d/wk) for 3 weeks, with an overload of 5% of the rat body weight. Every day rats were injected with either dexamethasone (D/DE) or saline solution (C/E). Proper positive controls, using fluoxetine, were run in parallel. Decreased blood corticosterone levels, reduced adrenal cholesterol synthesis and adrenal weight (HPA disruption), reduced preference for sucrose consumption and increased immobility time (depressive-like behavior), marked hippocampal DNA oxidation, increased IL-10 and total brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; pro-plus mature-forms) and a severe loss of body mass characterized the dexamethasone-treated animals. Besides increasing testosterone blood concentrations, the swim training protected depressive rats from the anhedonic state, following the same profile as fluoxetine, and also from the dexamethasone-induced impaired neurochemistry. The data indicate that physical exercise could be a useful tool in preventing and treating depressive disorders.

A retrospective study of mandibular fracture in a 40-month period.

This retrospective study evaluated the epidemiology, treatment and complications of mandibular fracture associated, or not associated, with other facial fractures, when the influence of the surgeon's skill and preference for any rigid internal fixation (RIF) system devices was minimized. The files of 700 patients with facial trauma were available, and 126 files were chosen for review. Data were collected regarding gender, age, race, date of trauma, date of surgery, addictions, etiology, signs and symptoms, fracture area, complications, treatment performed, date of hospital discharge, and medication. 126 patients suffered mandibular fractures associated, or not, with other maxillofacial fractures, and a total of 201 mandibular fractures were found. The incidence of mandibular fractures was more prevalent in males, in Caucasians and during the third decade of life. The most common site was the condyle, followed by the mandibular body. The therapy applied was effective in handling this type of fracture and the success rates were comparable with other published data.