Fermentative losses and lactic acid content of elephant grass silages added with macaúba cake

Elephant grass is indicated for silage production but requires additives to increase dry matter content because it reduces the production of effluents, potentially improves the fermentation pattern, and preserves the nutrients of the silage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of including macaúba cake in elephant grass ensilage on dry matter content, lactic acid bacteria population, lactic acid production, pH values, losses by gases and effluents, and dry matter recovery. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 3x6 factorial scheme, with three levels of inclusion of macaúba cake (0, 10, and 20%) and six opening times (1, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 days after ensilage), with four repetitions. Macaúba cake was an effective moisture-absorbing additive, increasing dry matter content, lactic acid bacteria population, and lactic acid content and reducing the pH. The losses by effluents and gases decreased, and dry matter recovery increased with the addition of this biodiesel co-product. The 20% level of inclusion of macaúba cake in elephant grass ensilage allowed for better preserving the ensiled material.

Ethanol Production and Other Bioproducts by Galactomyces geotrichum from Sugarcane Bagasse Hydrolysate.

This study investigated the enzymatic saccharification of alkaline-pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSB) and the bioconversion of simple sugars from hydrolysates to ethanol and other bioproducts by the yeast Galactomyces geotrichum. The effects of percentage of dry substrate (3 and 10% w/v) and time of hydrolysis (24 and 72 h) in the content of released sugars were evaluated. The concentrations of monosaccharides and total reducing sugars (TRS) were calculated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by 3.5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method, respectively. The highest concentrations of TRS, glucose and xylose (73.96, 31.78 and 10.85 g/L, respectively) were obtained after the saccharification of 10% of PSB with Cellic CTec3 multi-enzyme cocktail (10 FPU/g cellulose) during 72 h (hydrolysate IV). G. geotrichum UFVJM-R150 fermented both glucose and xylose from the hydrolysates. The most efficient ethanol production was obtained after the fermentation of hydrolysate IV (9.99 g/L of ethanol, volumetric productivity-QP of 0.42 g/L.h and yield of ethanol as a function of the substrate-YP/S of 0.27 gethanol/gsugar). Besides ethanol, G. geotrichum was also able to produce other high-value chemicals such as isoamyl alcohol and galacturonic acid. This is the first report of the potential of the yeast G. geotrichum to fermentate sugarcane bagasse hydrolysates with the production of important bioproducts to further use by biorefineries.

"Pá de pedreiro" como sinal de intoxicaçäo digitálica / Depression of the ST-T segment with flattening and inversion of T waves as a sign of digitalis intoxication

Objetivos: enfatizar a importância do aparecimento da "pá de pedreiro" em derivaçöes com QRS predominantemente negativo como sinal diagnóstico na intoxicaçäo digitálica e fazer uma revisäo da literatura sobre o assunto. Métodos: entre 1990 e 1991, foram internados no HUGG 7.422 pacientes, dos quais 13 apresentaram quadro clínico de intoxicaçäo digitálica, sendo que em nove foram encontrados eletrocardiogramas (ECGs), que mostravam o referido sinal. Resultados: Em 53,8 por cento dos casos, a "pá de pedreiro" precedeu os sinais clínicos de intoxicaçäo digitálica. Como o sinal näo foi valorizado, o diagnóstico de enfermidade foi atingido em face do quadro clínico arritmias ao ECG. Conclusäo: os autores reiteram a necessidade de que a digitalizaçäo de uma paciente seja sempre acompanhada por ECGs seriados, atentando para o surgimento da "pá de pedreiro".

Edema agudo pulmonar em insuficiência cardíaca diastólica / Acute pulmonary edema caused by diastolic heart failure

Os autores discorrem a respeito da insuficiência cardíaca diastólica como causa de edema agudo pulmonar; mostrando que nåo se trata de um evento raro, sendo, portanto, primordial fazer a distinçåo com a insuficiência cardíaca sistólica, visto que as condutas terapêuticas divergem. Apresentam um caso clínico ilustrativo e fazem uma revisåo da literatura sobre o tema, enfatizando a importância de um diagnóstico precoce da disfunçåo diastólica com a finalidade de evitar conseqüências mais graves no futuro, e traçam as principais metas no tratamento da enfermidade