Carbohydrate-rich supplements can improve nitrogen use efficiency and mitigate nitrogenous gas emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing temperate grass.

Temperate pasture species constitute a source of protein for dairy cattle. On the other hand, from an environmental perspective, their high N content can increase N excretion and nitrogenous gas emissions by livestock. This work explores the effect of energy supplementation on N use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogenous gas emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing a pasture of oat and ryegrass. The study was divided into two experiments: an evaluation of NUE in grazing dairy cows, and an evaluation of N-NH3 and N-N2O volatilizations from dairy cow excreta. In the first experiment, 12 lactating Holstein × Jersey F1 cows were allocated to a double 3 × 3 Latin square (three experimental periods of 17 days each) and subjected to three treatments: cows without supplementation (WS), cows supplemented at 4.2 kg DM of corn silage (CS) per day, and cows supplemented at 3.6 kg DM of ground corn (GC) per day. In the second experiment, samples of excreta were collected from the cows distributed among the treatments. Aliquots of dung and urine of each treatment plus one blank (control - no excreta) were allotted to a randomized block design to evaluate N-NH3 and N-N2O volatilization. Measurements were performed until day 25 for N-NH3 and until day 94 for N-N2O. Dietary N content in the supplemented cows was reduced by 20% (P < 0.001) compared with WS cows, regardless of the supplement. Corn silage cows had lower N intake (P < 0.001) than WS and GC cows (366 v. 426 g/day, respectively). Ground corn supplementation allowed cows to partition more N towards milk protein compared with the average milk protein of WS cows or those supplemented with corn silage (117 v. 108 g/day, respectively; P < 0.01). Thus, even though they were in different forms, both supplements were able to increase (P < 0.01) NUE from 27% in WS cows to 32% in supplemented cows. Supplementation was also effective in reducing N excretion (761 v. 694 g/kg of Nintake; P < 0.001), N-NH3 emission (478 v. 374 g/kg of Nmilk; P < 0.01) and N-N2O emission (11 v. 8 g/kg of Nmilk; P < 0.001). Corn silage and ground corn can be strategically used as feed supplements to improve NUE, and they have the potential to mitigate N-NH3 and N-N2O emissions from the excreta of dairy cows grazing high-protein pastures.

Postnatal diagnosis of constitutive ring chromosome 13 using both conventional and molecular cytogenetic approaches.

We describe the first postnatal diagnosis of a child from Central Brazil with de novo cytogenetic alterations in 13q showing malformations of the brain, eyes, distal limbs, and genitourinary tract, and severe intellectual disability. The karyotype was a constitutive 46,XX,r(13)[77]/45,XX,-13[17]/46,XX,idic r(13)[6]. Interphase and metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses also showed the absence of 13qter and the presence of 13q14.3 in the cells with r(13), and chromosome microarray analysis detected a 15.39 Mb deletion in chromosome region 13q32.3-q34. This study is intended as the registry of a rare case of chromosomal rearrangement involving chromosome 13 in Central Brazil. Further studies are needed to define whether genetic haploinsufficiency is associated with each major 13q deletion anomaly.

Technical note: Evaluation of markers for estimating duodenal digesta flow and ruminal digestibility: Acid detergent fiber, sulfuric acid detergent lignin, and n-alkanes.

The amount of digesta flowing to the duodenum is a relevant measurement for the evaluation of nutrient supply to ruminants, which is usually estimated in animals fitted with a duodenal T-type cannula using internal or external markers. This study evaluated acid detergent fiber (ADF) compared with external (C32n-alkane) and internal [sulfuric acid lignin (ADL) and n-alkanes C31 and C33] markers for estimating duodenal flow and(or) ruminal digestibility of dry matter (DM) in cattle and sheep. In the first assay, 4 duodenally cannulated Holstein steers housed in metabolism cages, dosed with C32n-alkane, and fed Avena strigosa plus concentrate and increasing levels of tannin extract to reduce ruminal digestibility, were used in a Latin square design. The mobile-bag technique was used to measure the intestinal disappearance of ADL and ADF from forage (Avena strigosa, Pennisetum purpureum, Cynodon dactylon, and Medicago sativa) and concentrate (corn grain, soybean meal, and sunflower meal) samples that were previously incubated in the rumen of additional fistulated steer for 12, 24, 36, or 48 h. The ADF concentration in residues recovered in the feces was strongly related to the ADF concentration in residues at the duodenum (R(2)=0.93, standard deviation=30.0, n=901). This relationship showed a lower precision for ADL fraction (R(2)=0.88, standard deviation=12.6, n=590). In a second assay, duodenal flow and ruminal DM digestibility were calculated from the duodenal and fecal concentration of either marker. We observed a significant effect of marker type on ruminal DM digestibility values, and the effect of tannin treatments was observed only when ADF or ADL was used as the marker. The lowest residual error was obtained for ADF. Ruminal DM digestibility was, on average, higher for C31 and C(33)n-alkanes, and the use of dosed C(32)n-alkane resulted in a negative value. In the third assay, a data set of 235 individual observations was compiled from digestibility trials to compare ADF and ADL as markers for estimating duodenal digesta flow in wethers (n=204) and cattle (n=31). We observed a strong relationship between markers (R(2)=0.84 in sheep and R(2)=0.88 in cattle), but variance analysis within trials indicated that ADF was more precise than ADL. In conclusion, in digestibility trials in which fecal output was measured and spot samples of the duodenal digesta were obtained, duodenal flow and ruminal digestibility of the DM may be estimated from the relationship between the ADF concentration in feces and that in the duodenal digesta of ruminants.

Cytogenetic damage in the buccal epithelium of Brazilian aviators occupationally exposed to agrochemicals.

The frequency of micronuclei in both buccal cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes is extensively used as a biomarker of chromosomal damage and genome stability in human populations. We examined whether prolonged exposure to complex mixtures of pesticides leads to an increase in cytogenetic damage. The exposed group comprised 50 agricultural aviators, mainly from Central and Southeast regions of Brazil, who had inhaled agrochemicals for more than 10 years without personal protection equipment; the control group consisted of 17 men from the same regions, without indication of exposure to pesticides, There were three times higher frequencies of micronuclei (P < 0.05) and 2.5 times higher frequencies of binucleated cells in the aviators when compared to controls. However, cytotoxic alterations such as broken eggs and karyorrhexis did not present statistically significant differences between the exposed and control groups. Therefore, diverse agrochemicals used to combat pests in agriculture possess genotoxic effects in the oral mucosa of the agricultural pilots, as showed in this study.

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.

[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

[Vegetative pyoderma gangrenosum associated with renal failure]. / Pioderma gangrenoso vegetante asociado con insuficiencia renal.

A case report was presented in which a patient developed vegetative pyoderma gangrenosum that was concomitant with acute renal failure; this led to the critical condition of the patient. He was initially treated with systemic antibiotics because his clinical picture was considered to be pyodermitis, but the response was unsatisfactory. After being treated with levamizol and alfa interferon, an improvement in his general condition and skin lesions was observed. Then surgical exeresis was successfully performed, with skin self-grafting in the face and penis lesions. Pyoderma gangrenosum lesions relapsed but they were treated with prednisone, and then there was a rapid elimination of lesions every time they came up.

Relapse rates in lepromatous leprosy according to treatment regularity.

In Gudiyatham Taluk, South India, 1008 lepromatous (LL) and borderline lepromatous (BL) patients were studied. They had previously been smear positive, had attained smear negativity, and continued on DDS monotherapy. "Relapse" was defined as the reappearance of Mycobacterium leprae in skin smears. The area is endemic for leprosy. The lower relapse rates in the first three years of smear negativity alone were associated with more-regular treatment during both past smear positivity and smear negativity. From the fourth year of smear negativity onward, only the more-regular treatment during smear negativity was associated with lower relapse rates; whereas patients with more-regular treatment during past smear positivity had no lower risk of relapse than those with less-regular treatment. The finding that regularity of treatment during smear positivity seems to have no effect on relapse rates beyond the third year of smear negativity is discussed. In a leprosy-endemic area, it is argued that beyond the first three years of smear negativity in an LL or BL patient, sources of M. leprae outside the patient may be more responsible for relapse than the patient's own bacilli.

Computerized mathematical model of M. leprae population dynamics during multiple drug therapy.

A computerized mathematical model of M. leprae populations during multiple drug therapy (MDT) was constructed. Relevant published information available to date was fed into it, and reasoned assumptions were made. From the model, it seems likely that MDT steadily selects bacteria resistant to the most powerful of the three drugs used: unless the individual bactericidal potencies of the drugs balance one another. If the drugs used have differing potencies, cure probably hinges on treatment being continued until all metabolically active bacteria are killed. Withdrawal of treatment before that could lead to relapse with bacteria resistant to the most powerful of the drugs used.

"Drug-resistant proportion test" for M. leprae to quantify the proportion of drug-resistant M. leprae in a sample using the mouse foot pad.

The mouse foot pad test has not previously been used quantitatively to discriminate between samples of Mycobacterium leprae with differing proportions of drug-resistant M. leprae. The "drug-resistant proportion test" is a simple modification of the routine mouse foot pad test. It is demonstrated to distinguish between samples of M. leprae with a tenfold difference in the proportion of dapsone-resistant M. leprae.

The mouse footpad test--sensitive to small proportions of drug-resistant bacilli in a sample of M. leprae.

In experiments at the Radda Barnen Research Laboratories of the SLR & TC Karigiri, the mouse footpad test was demonstrated to detect DDS-resistant M.leprae even if as few as 0.1% (1 in 1000) of the M. leprae tested were DDS-resistant. The mouse footpad test appears to be sensitive to minute proportions of drug-resistant bacilli in samples of M. leprae tested.

Eritema nudoso leproso o reaccion tipo 2. / Erythema nodosum leprosum or type 2 reaction

Se exponen criterios sobre la concepcion actual del ENL, su identificacion con la Reaccion Tipo 2 y sus diferencias con el eritema genuino o clasico y con la Reaccion Tipo 1 o Reaccion de Reversion. A titulo de ilustracion se presentan casos estudiados en el servicio que avalan las concepciones expuestas

DDS-resistant infection among leprosy patients in the population of Gudiyatham Taluk, South India. Part 3. Prevalence, incidence, risk factors, and interpretation of mouse foot pad test results.

At the Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri, India, a study of the population of Gudiyatham Taluk revealed that the prevalence of dapsone (DDS)-resistant infection among lepromatous (LL) and borderline lepromatous (BL) leprosy patients treated for a minimum of three years was 3.3% (33 per 1000), with an average annual incidence of 0.28% per year. DDS-resistant infection was diagnosed when review of skin smear readings showed a continuing increase in the number of Mycobacterium leprae in successive smears despite adequate DDS treatment. The attainment of smear negativity in an LL or BL patient was found to be a favorable prognostic sign, indicating a reduced risk of DDS-resistant infection. No association was found between the incidence of DDS-resistant infection on the one hand and either the regularity or the initial dosage of DDS treatment on the other. Ninety-five (88.0%) out of 108 successful mouse foot pad tests on patients with a Bacterial Index (BI) greater than or equal to 2+ detected DDS-resistant M. leprae. The mouse test detected bacilli resistant to 0.01% w/w DDS in mouse diet not only among patients deteriorating despite adequate DDS monotherapy, but also among patients improving on DDS monotherapy. Since the mouse test as presently used does not measure the proportion of M. leprae in a sample that are resistant to DDS, the detection of DDS-resistant bacilli in the mouse test may not always indicate that the patient will fail to respond to DDS monotherapy.