Growth promotion in wheat seedlings altered by conditions in the culture medium of Azospirillum brasilense.

Agricultural management using technologies that help farmers increase productivity and reduce production costs must be promoted to ensure agricultural sustainability. The objective of the study was to achieve the pH effect of growth solution, chemical treatment, use of osmoprotector additive and mineral nitrate presence, on the activity of growth promoting bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, and its effects on the physiological quality of seeds and wheat seedling growth. The first experiment evaluated the physiological quality of seeds and the second experiment was divided into four, evaluating the growth of wheat seedling in a hydroponic system. The experiments were prolonged in a very randomized design, with four replications. The physiological quality of the seeds was evaluated by germination tests, first germination count, length of the shoot and root and dry mass of the shoot and root. Initial growth was evaluated by quantifying the dry mass of the leaf shoot and root and the root system intervals. The pH of the solution and the presence of nitrogen did not influence the effects of inoculation of the A. brasilense bacteria. With the use of chemical treatment and osmoprotective additive, A. brasilense had no effect on the growth of wheat seedlings.

The applicability of the "surprise question" as a prognostic tool in patients with severe chronic comorbidities in a university teaching outpatient setting.

BACKGROUND: Life expectancy in recent decades has increased the prevalence of chronic diseases in the population, requiring an approach to new health topics, such as discussions on quality of life and expectations about death and dying. The concept of advance directives (ADs) gives individuals the opportunity to make known their decisions about the treatments they would like to receive at the end of life. Despite the recognition of relevance in clinical practice, the applicability of the concept presents challenges, including establishing the appropriate prognosis for each patient and the ideal time to approach the patient. Some prognostic tools were developed, such as the surprise question (SQ): "Would you be surprised if your patient died in 12 months?", which is used in some clinical settings to predict patient deaths and to make decisions regarding ADs. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of second-year resident physicians (PGY-2) when the SQ was applied. METHOD: In our observational study, from July 1, 2016, to February 28, 2017, (PGY-2) in the Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) applied SQ to all patients with multiple and varied chronic no communicable comorbidities, who were followed up at the general medicine outpatient clinic (GMOC) of a tertiary university hospital in São Paulo- Brazil. The frequency of the outcome (death or non-death within 12 months) was analyzed by correlating it with the clinical data (impact of the studied variables). RESULTS: Eight hundred forty patients entered the study. Fitfty-two of them (6.2%) died within one year. PGY-2 predicted that two hundred and fourteen patients (25.5% of total) would die within a year (answer No to SQ), of which, 32 (14.9%) did so. The correct residents' prognosis for the subgroup of 626 patients (answer "Yes" to SQ) was NPV = 96.8% (CI = 95.4%-98.2%) and PPV = 14.9% (CI 10.1%-19, 6%). Answering "Yes" to SQ correlated negatively to addressing AD while the outcomes death and the answer No to SQ were positively correlated, according to the number of comorbidities. CONCLUSION: The SQ, in addition to care, contributed to health education, communication and care planning shared by the doctor and patient.

Mandibular Dysmorphology and Clinical Presentation in Treacher Collins Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Treacher Collins syndrome is a rare congenital disease characterized by the multiple craniofacial malformations. Although the deformities affecting patients with Treacher Collins syndrome have been well characterized, the effects of these malformations to clinical severity of the syndrome are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of specific Treacher Collins mandibular malformations with clinical severity. DESIGN: A retrospective radiographic observational study. SETTING: Study conducted at a single institution, a quaternary craniofacial care center. PATIENTS: 54 patients with Treacher Collins syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: Computed tomography (CT), clinical photographs and medical history were included in this analysis. Mandibles were isolated from CT data and reconstructed in three dimensions using Mimics software. Cephalometric measurements were performed on CT data. Clinical severity was determined by Teber and Vincent scores. Association of craniofacial dysmorphology to clinical severity was determined by Spearman rank coefficient. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main results obtained were the measurements of the mandibles and the quantification of the malformations of the evaluated patients. RESULTS: Among the most frequent findings in the sample are hypoplasia of the zygomatic complex, descending palpebral cleft and mandibular hypoplasia. Patients with a lower ramus/corpus ratio had a higher (more severe) Teber and Vincent classification. CONCLUSION: Patients with the most compromised mandible are also the patients with the highest number of malformations, thus, the most severe patients.

UVA/persulfate-driven nonylphenol polyethoxylate degradation: effect of process conditions.

UV/persulfate (UV/PS) technologies have gained increased attention as efficient alternatives for removing pollutants from different classes, although processes based on the UVA-driven S2O82- (PS) activation have not yet been discussed in the literature for the removal of the nonionic surfactant nonylphenol polyethoxylate (NPEO). The present study investigated the simultaneous effect of the initial persulfate concentration ([PS]0) and specific photon emission rate (EP,0) on NPEO degradation by UVA/PS following a Doehlert experimental design. The results for [NPEO]0 = (4.65 ± 0.15) mg L-1 indicated more than 97.8% NPEO removal after 2 h, with pseudo first-order specific degradation rate (kobs) of 0.0320 min-1, for [PS]0 = 7.75 mmol L-1 and EP,0 = 0.437 µmol photons L-1 s-1. Under these conditions, NPEO half-life time was about 22 min, and the EC50-48 h (% v/v) values for Daphnia similis before and after treatment did not differ significantly. Higher values of EP,0 would influence NPEO removal for [PS]0 not higher than 8-10 mmol L-1, although lower degradation efficiencies were obtained with higher [NPEO]0 or real wastewater, except for longer reaction times. Additionally, UVA/PS showed to be efficient for tensoactivity removal, despite the negligible total organic carbon (TOC) removal achieved. Finally, UVC and UVA resulted in NPEO degradation higher than 96% and similar tensoactivity removals when UVA/PS was conducted under optimal conditions ([PS]0 = 10 mmol L-1; EP,0 = 0.324 µmol photons L-1 s-1), suggesting that UVA radiation available in solar light could be advantageously employed for NPEO removal at concentrations usually found in wastewater.

Portuguese adaptation of the S3-non-invasive ventilation (S3-NIV) questionnaire for home mechanically ventilated patients.

Short, valid and easy to use tools are needed to monitor non-invasive ventilation in clinical practice and for organization of home mechanical ventilation services. The aim of this study was to develop a professional translation and cultural adaptation of the Portuguese S3 non-invasive ventilation questionnaire. 234 stable patients (128 male patients, 53.8%) with a mean age of 69.3 years under long-term home non-invasive ventilation were recruited from a single-center outpatient clinic. The most frequent diagnostic groups were obesity hypoventilation syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and restrictive chest wall disorders. The Portuguese version of the questionnaire was obtained using translation back-translation process with two professional translators. Internal consistency for the total score was good (Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.76) as well as for the "respiratory symptoms" and the "sleep and side effects" domains (Cronbach's α coefficient=0.68 and Cronbach's α coefficient=0.72, respectively). An exploratory factor analysis was performed leading to an explained variance of 54.6%, and resulted in 3 components. The Portuguese version of the S3-NIV questionnaire is a simple and valid tool for the routine clinical assessment of patients receiving home NIV.

Fractional and fractal processes applied to cryptocurrencies price series.

Introduction: Cryptocurrencies have been attracting the attention from media, investors, regulators and academia during the last years. In spite of some scepticism in the financial area, cryptocurrencies are a relevant subject of academic research. Objectives: In this paper, several tools are adopted as an instrument that can help market agents and investors to more clearly assess the cryptocurrencies price dynamics and, thus, guide investment decisions more assertively while mitigating risks. Methods: We consider three methods, namely the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Auto-Regressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, and three indices given by the Hurst and Lyapunov exponents or the Fractal Dimension. This information allows assessing the behaviour of the time series, such as their persistence, randomness, predictability and chaoticity. Results: The results suggest that, except for the Bitcoin, the other cryptocurrencies exhibit the characteristic of mean reverting, showing a lower predictability when compared to the Bitcoin. The results for the Bitcoin also indicate a persistent behavior that is related to the long memory effect. Conclusions: The ARFIMA reveals better predictive performance than the ARIMA for all cryptocurrencies. Indeed, the obtained residual values for the ARFIMA are smaller for the auto and partial auto correlations functions, as well as for confidence intervals.

Interactions between lipid source and vitamin A on broiler performance, blood parameters, fat and protein deposition rate, and bone development.

A total of 2622 male broilers were distributed in a 2 × 5 factorial design, using 2 lipid sources (soybean oil and palm fat), 5 levels of vitamin A supplementation (0, 3,000, 6,000, 12,000, and 24,000 IU kg-1), with 10 replicates, and also 1 control diet (CD) for each lipid source used (7 replicates), each experimental unit being composed of 23 birds. During the first 21 d (how were the birds fed) and from 22 to 42 d of age, a redistribution of the treatments was carried out in a 2 × 2 × 5 factorial design: half of the repetitions of each treatment received the diet of the initial treatment, and the others received the CD with its type of lipid source. In the phase from 1 to 21 d of age, the effect of lipid source on feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), and the effect of vitamin supplementation on FI and weight gain (WG) were observed, with a quadratic response for both variables. At 42 d of age, the lipid source and vitamin A level influenced the FI, whereas the WG and FCR showed interactions between period and the level of vitamin A supplementation. Neither lipid source resulted in blood parameters out of the typical pattern for birds, and the same was observed in relation to dietary vitamin A supplementation. From 1 to 21 d of age, a vitamin A supplementation of 15,585 IU kg-1 was estimated, and at 42 d, 15,527 IU kg-1 and 15,148 IU kg -1 were estimated for the periods 1 to 21 d and 1 to 42 d, respectively.

Effect of target/filter combination on the mean glandular dose and contrast-detail threshold: A phantom study.

INTRODUCTION: In mammography it is essential to combine aspects of image quality with compliance with glandular dose levels. The objective of this study was to combine the assessment of the contrast-detail threshold and the mean glandular dose for different target/filter combinations in digital mammography and to indicate the optimal combination through a figure of merit (FOM). METHODS: In a direct digital mammograph, performance and image quality standards were evaluated using a solid-state multidetector capable of measuring various parameters including kerma and standardized phantoms for image quality. After verifying the proper functioning of the mammograph, the contrast-detail detection threshold and the mean glandular dose values for thicknesses ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were evaluated. Combining these values, an FOM was defined to determine the optimal combination. RESULTS: The results indicated that the Mo/Rh and W/Rh combinations present mean glandular doses below the limit for all thicknesses. In contrast, using the Mo/Mo combination, the mean glandular doses were below the limit only up to 45 mm. However, when considering the FOM that combines dosimetric aspects and the contrast-detail threshold, the use of W/Rh is the most optimal option. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the W/Rh combination in direct digital mammography is the option that presents the best trade-off between the mean glandular dose and the contrast-detail detection threshold. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results demonstrate that the application of the W/Rh combination in direct digital mammography offers an optimized and applicable option, regardless of the thickness of the breast that will be radiographed.

Energy values of crude glycerin for broilers / [Valores energéticos da glicerina bruta para frango de corte]

The energetic values of crude glycerin (CG) were determined for broilers at different ages using the method proposed by Matterson and by polynomial regressions. Two trials were performed with broilers from 11 to 21 and from 31 to 41 days of age. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with a reference ration (RR), without CG, and three ration tests with replacement of 5%, 10%, and 15% of RR by CG. The metabolizable energy values were calculated by the Matterson method, and the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) values were used in polynomial regression analysis. The mean values of AME, apparent corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn), metabolizable coefficient of gross energy (CAMEB), and corrected for nitrogen balance (CAMEBn) of CG, for the phase from 11 to 21 days by the Matterson method were 10.08 MJ kg-1, 10.04 MJ kg-1, 67.06%, and 66.74%, respectively. The inclusion of CG presented an increasing linear effect for CAMEB and CAMEBn in this period. From 31 to 41 days, these values were 10.38 MJ kg-1, 10.27 MJ kg-1, 69.02%, and 62.24%, respectively. The predicted AMEn value through the polynomial regression equations was 10.49 MJ kg-1 and 10.18 MJ kg-1, respectively. According to the equations proposed by Matterson, the crude glycerin EMAn values for broilers from 11 to 21 and 31 to 41 days of age were 10.04 MJ kg-1 and 10.26 MJ kg-1, respectively. According to Adeola's method the AMEn values were 10.49 and 10.20 MJ kg-1 for each phase.(AU)

Os valores energéticos da glicerina bruta (GB) foram determinados para frangos de corte em diferentes idades, por meio da utilização do método proposto por Matterson e de regressões polinomiais. Foram realizados dois ensaios: de 11 a 21 dias e de 31 a 41 dias de idade das aves; em ambos, as aves foram distribuídas em um delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, com uma ração referência (RR), sem GB, e três rações testes com substituição de 5%, 10% e 15% da RR por GB. Foram calculados os valores de energia metabolizável pelo método de Matterson, sendo os valores de energia metabolizável aparente (EMA) utilizados na análise de regressão polinomial. Os valores médios da EMA corrigida pelo balanço de nitrogênio (EMAn), o coeficiente de metabolizabilidade da EB (CMAEB) e o corrigido para o balanço de nitrogênio (CMAEBn) da GB, na matéria natural, para a fase de 11 a 21 dias, pelo método de Matterson, foram de 10,08 MJ kg-1, 10,04 MJ kg-1, 67,06% e 66,74%, respectivamente. A inclusão de GB apresentou um efeito linear crescente para os CMAEB e os CMAEBn. Na fase de 31 a 41 dias, foram de 10,38 MJ kg-1, 10,27 MJ kg-1, 69,02% e 62,24%, respectivamente. Por meio das equações de regressões polinomiais, o valor de EMAn estimada foi de 10,49 MJ kg-1 e 10,18 MJ kg-1, respectivamente. Os valores de EMAn da GB para as idades 11 a 21 e 31 a 41 dias foram de 10,04 MJ kg-1 e 10,26 MJ kg-1, respectivamente. De acordo com as equações propostas por Matterson e com o método de Adeola, os valores de EMAn foram 10,49 e 10,20 MJ kg-1 para cada fase.(AU)

Valores energéticos e composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia associado a carboidrases para frangos de corte em fase de crescimento / [Energy value and bromatological composition of dry residue of cassava associated with carbohydrases for grower broilers]

Foram determinados os valores energéticos e a composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia (RSF) para frangos de corte, na fase de crescimento, utilizando ou não enzimas carboidrases. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em esquema fatorial 2x4 + ração referência, sendo uma RR sem adição de RSF e quatro tratamentos experimentais com 10%, 20%, 30% e 40% de inclusão do RSF e a suplementação ou não com carboidrases. A composição química encontrada para o RSF, na MN, foi de 89,86% de matéria seca, 0,98% de proteína bruta, 3519kcal kg-1 de energia bruta, 0,19% de extrato etéreo, 27% de fibra em detergente neutro, 19,5% de fibra em detergente ácido, 0,33% de cálcio, 0,43% de fósforo, 0,46% de potássio e 0,12% de magnésio. O uso de carboidrases proporcionou um aumento de 173 e 213kcal kg-1 nos valores de EMA e EMAn, respectivamente, resultando em 1828kcal kg-1 EMA e 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. Concluiu-se que os maiores níveis de EMA e EMAn foram encontrados para o nível de inclusão médio do RSF de 35% e que a suplementação enzimática pode promover aumento desses parâmetros em até 12% em dietas para frangos de corte na fase de crescimento.(AU)

The energetic values and the bromatological composition of the dry residue of cassava (DRC) were determined for growing broilers with or without carbohydrase enzymes. The treatments were distributed in a 2x4 + reference diet factorial scheme, with one RD without addition of DRC and four experimental treatments with 10, 20, 30 and 40% inclusion levels of RSF and supplementation or not with carbohydrases. The chemical composition found for DRC in natural matter was 89.86% dry matter, 0.98% crude protein, 3519kcal kg-1 gross energy, 0.19% ether extract, 27% neutral detergent fiber, 19.5% of acid detergent fiber, 0.33% of calcium, 0.43% of phosphorus, 0.46% of potassium and 0.12% of magnesium. The use of carbohydrase resulted in an increase of 173 and 213kcal kg-1 in EMA and EMAn values, respectively, resulting in 1828kcal kg-1 EMA and 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. It was concluded that the highest levels of AME and AMEn were found for the mean inclusion level of the DRC of 35% and that enzymatic supplementation may promote the increase of these parameters by up to 12% in broiler diets in the growth phase.(AU)

Structural and topological phase transitions induced by strain in two-dimensional bismuth.

We employ first-principles density-functional calculations to study structural and topological electronic transitions in two-dimensional bismuth layers. Our calculations reveal that a free-standing hexagonal bismuthene phase (the most stable one in the absence of strain) should become thermodinamically unstable against transformation to a putative 'pentaoctite' phase (composed entirely of pentagonal and octagonal rings), under biaxial tensile strain. Moreover, our results indicate that 2D bismuth layers in the pentaoctite phase should undergo a topological electronic phase transition under either a biaxial or uniaxial tensile strain. More specifically, at its equilibrium lattice parameters the pentaoctite lattice is a topologically trivial system with a direct band gap. Strain-induced parity inversion of valence and conduction bands is obtained, and the pentaoctite structure undergoes a transition to a topological-insulator phase at a biaxial tensile strain of 5%. In the case of uniaxial tensile strains, the topological transition happens at a tensile strain of 6% along the armchair direction of the pentaoctite lattice, and at a 5% tensile strain in the zigzag direction. Our study indicates that 2D bismuth layers may prove themselves a rich platform to realize topologically non-trivial 2D materials upon strain engineering.

Gadolinium-Enhanced Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis: Optimizing the Recognition of Active Plaques for Different MR Imaging Sequences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Gadolinium SWI is MR imaging that has recently been reported to be effective in the evaluation of several neurologic disorders, including demyelinating diseases. Our aim was to analyze the accuracy of gadolinium SWI for detecting the imaging evidence of active inflammation on MS plaques when a BBB dysfunction is demonstrated by a focal gadolinium-enhanced lesion and to compare this technique with gadolinium-enhanced T1 spin-echo and T1 spin-echo with magnetization transfer contrast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging studies of 103 patients (170 examinations) were performed using a 1.5T scanner. Two neuroradiologists scrutinized signal abnormalities of the demyelinating plaques on gadolinium SWI and compared them with gadolinium T1 before and after an additional magnetization transfer pulse. Interrater agreement was evaluated among gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast, gadolinium SWI, and gadolinium T1 spin-echo using the κ coefficient. The T1 magnetization transfer contrast sequence was adopted as the criterion standard in this cohort. Thus, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for gadolinium T1 spin-echo and gadolinium SWI sequences. RESULTS: Differences in BBB dysfunction were evident among gadolinium SWI, gadolinium T1 spin-echo, and gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast. Gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast demonstrated the highest number of active demyelinating plaques. Gadolinium SWI was highly correlated with gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast in depicting acute demyelinating plaques (κ coefficient = 0.860; sensitivity = 0.837), and these techniques provided better performance compared with gadolinium T1 spin-echo (κ coefficient = 0.78; sensitivity = 0.645). CONCLUSIONS: Gadolinium SWI was able to better detect BBB dysfunction in MS plaques and had a better performance than gadolinium T1 spin-echo. Increasing SWI sequence applications in clinical practice can improve our knowledge of MS, likely allowing the addition of BBB dysfunction analysis to the striking findings of the previously reported central vein sign.

Apoptosis induced by synthetic compounds containing a 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl fragment against lymphoid immature neoplasms.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive hematological malignancy originating from the malignant transformation of progenitor T cells at different stages of development. The treatment causes severe adverse effects and is associated with relapses and high morbidity and mortality rates. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of 28 new compounds containing 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl analogues on hematological neoplastic cells lines. Cytotoxicity screening by the MTT method revealed that compound 1d was the most promising. Cell viability of neoplastic cells decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with compound 1d not causing hemolysis or reducing peripheral blood mononuclear cells viability, suggesting a selective cytotoxicity. We also suggested that compound 1d induced apoptotic-like cell death with mitochondrial involvement in Jurkat cells.

Prospective evaluation of the cardiac safety of HER2-targeted therapies in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and compromised heart function: the SAFE-HEaRt study.

PURPOSE: HER2-targeted therapies have substantially improved the outcome of patients with breast cancer, however, they can be associated with cardiac toxicity. Guidelines recommend holding HER2-targeted therapies until resolution of cardiac dysfunction. SAFE-HEaRt is the first trial that prospectively tests whether these therapies can be safely administered without interruptions in patients with cardiac dysfunction. METHODS: Patients with stage I-IV HER2-positive breast cancer candidates for trastuzumab, pertuzumab or ado-trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1), with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 40-49% and no symptoms of heart failure (HF) were enrolled. All patients underwent cardiology visits, serial echocardiograms and received beta blockers and ACE inhibitors unless contraindicated. The primary endpoint was completion of the planned HER2-targeted therapies without developing either a cardiac event (CE) defined as HF, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia or cardiac death or significant asymptomatic worsening of LVEF. The study was considered successful if planned oncology therapy completion rate was at least 30%. RESULTS: Of 31 enrolled patients, 30 were evaluable. Fifteen patients were treated with trastuzumab, 14 with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, and 2 with TDM-1. Mean LVEF was 45% at baseline and 46% at the end of treatment. Twenty-seven patients (90%) completed the planned HER2-targeted therapies. Two patients experienced a CE and 1 had an asymptomatic worsening of LVEF to ≤ 35%. CONCLUSION: This study provides safety data of HER2-targeted therapies in patients with breast cancer and reduced LVEF while receiving cardioprotective medications and close cardiac monitoring. Our results demonstrate the importance of collaboration between cardiology and oncology providers to allow for delivery of optimal oncologic care to this unique population.

Environmental and social valuation of shipping emissions on four ports of Portugal.

Maritime sector is expected to continue growing significantly in line with world trade, however its impacts on environmental, social and human health are not yet fully known. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the external costs of in-port shipping emissions (NOx, SO2, CO2, VOCs and PM2.5) and accomplish a comprehensive eco-efficiency evaluation of four ports in Portugal (Leixões, Setúbal, Sines and Viana do Castelo) during 2013. External costs were based on the external cost factors from BeTa, CAFE and NEEDS projects and from Song (2014). Eco-efficiency evaluation was based on environmental, social and economic criteria. Results showed higher externalities for Sines and Setúbal (2.0E+02 million €), followed by Leixões (1.8E+02 million €), and Viana do Castelo (6.3 million €). NOx, SO2, and PM2.5 were the pollutants with the highest externalities. Sines port showed the best overall eco-efficiency. Although Setúbal port showed higher performance than Viana do Castelo port based on the economic data, when social and environmental aspects were considered the results changed. This shows the importance of performing a more comprehensive analysis using social and environmental indicators. The combination of all these indicators is highly important to support the implementation of policies for the abatement of shipping in-port emissions.

Mechanical removal (epidermal scarification) of pododermatitis injuries reduces the presence of both inflammatory tissue and its associated microbiota in broiler feet.

Chicken feet have become an important commodity in the international market, representing a significant portion of poultry products exported by countries such as Brazil and the USA. However, the presence of pododermatitis in the footpad is an important barrier to exportation, since importing countries do not accept injured feet or allow the use of automatic equipments to remove the affected tissue. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of using an automatic equipment to remove injuries of pododermatitis on histological and microbiological traits of broiler feet processed according to commercial practices. A total of 240 broiler feet obtained from a commercial processing plant was visually classified according to the degree of pododermatitis and distributed in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, totalizing eight treatments with 30 replications. Factors were feet classification (1 to 4) and injury removal (yes or no). Feet were sampled for microbiological and histological analysis before and after the mechanical removal of pododermatitis injuries by an automatic machine that promoted footpad epidermal scarification. No significant interaction between feet classification and injury removal was detected for any of the analyzed variables. Also, no significant effect of feet classification was detected on aerobic plate counts, total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Feet inflammation score tended to increase (P = 0.06) according to the downgrading of feet classification, but the mechanical removal of pododermatitis injuries reduced feet inflammation score (P < 0.01), total coliform counts (P = 0.01), and E. coli (P = 0.01) independently of feet classification. Together, these results demonstrate the efficacy of the automatic equipment in removing both the inflammatory tissue and its associated microbiota in broiler feet affected by pododermatitis. Therefore, in addition to the already authorized use of blades, the use of automatic equipments for epidermal scarification in the processing of broiler feet deserves further consideration by the regulatory agencies.

Optical absorption in complexes of abasic DNA with noble-metal nanoclusters by first principles calculations.

Abasic sites (AP site) in a DNA duplex have been experimentally used to produce fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (NC) with a small number of atoms (n ≤ 6). These AP-DNA:NC complexes act as biological makers that help to locate genes associated with diseases related to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), for example. Abasic sites are the most common SNP genetic variation, and their detection may help predict a host of genetically determined diseases. In this work, we report a theoretical study of the optical absorption spectra of AP-DNA:Ag4 and AP-DNA:Au4 complexes using a fully ab initio methodology. We consider several different base environments for the noble-metal nanocluster occupying the AP site, and compute the absorption spectra of sixteen AP-DNA:Ag4 and sixteen AP-DNA:Au4 complexes. We find that optical absorption in the AP-DNA:Ag4 complexes tends to concentrate in the green-to-violet range of frequencies (2.50 eV ≤ hω ≤ 3.2 eV) and that AP-DNA:Au4 complexes display absorption peaks in the violet-to-ultraviolet interval (hω ≥ 3.0 eV). An analysis of the optical absorption mechanisms in these complexes shows that they can be of local, charge-transfer, or hybrid nature, i.e., AP-DNA:NC complexes display the full variety of optical absorption processes in molecular systems. In particular, we identify both charge-transfer and hybrid processes involving several DNA bases surrounding the NC. Importantly, we find that even sequences where the Ag4 cluster is not in a guanine rich neighborhood display absorption peaks in the visible-light spectrum. Moreover, we obtain that the maximum intensities of the absorption peaks in complexes with pyrimidine vacancies are generally higher than those in complexes with purine vacancies. Regarding the selectivity of single-vacancy AP-DNA to specific noble-metal nanocluster sizes, our calculations show that the four-atom Ag4 (Au4) species fits naturally and binds into the AP-site in a single-vacancy AP-DNA.