Brazilian beef produced on pastures: sustainable and healthy.

With a herd of 209 million cattle, Brazilian beef production estimate for 2023 is 10,935 million tons, representing an increase of 28.9% and accounting for 20% of the world trade. Beef cattle production is constantly evolving; however, there are extremes, ranging from simple existing farm ranges to intensive forage systems, strategic supplementation, updated health and genetic improvement programs for the production of quality beef. This modern production is based on scientific research carried out at universities and other research institutions. A new generation of professionals with multidisciplinary knowledge and a holistic vision of the productive chain-proposed management practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production of grass-fed beef cattle, whose meat has high omega-3 and CLA contents. Age at slaughter of steers and of heifers at first mating, significant increases in the ratio calves/100 cows, adequate traceability for pastoral systems with hundreds or thousands of animals per farm and a more intense transference of technology are required.

Nutritional composition of the meat of Hereford and Braford steers finished on pastures or in a feedlot in southern Brazil.

Chemical and mineral composition and the intramuscular fatty acid (IMF) profile of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of 60 purebred Hereford, 1/4 Braford and 3/8 Braford steers finished either in a feedlot or on improved pastures of the Pampa biome were evaluated. Pastures were improved with the introduction of Lolium multiflorum, Trifolium repens, and Lotus corniculatus. On average, beef from pasture-fed steers presented higher concentrations of the fatty acids C18:3n-3 (P<0.001), C20:3n-3 (P=0.035), total n-3 (P<0.001) and lower n-6/n-3 ratio (P<0.001) in the IMF, and higher Mg and lower K content in muscle relative to those finished in the feedlot. C12:0 concentration in IMF was higher (P=0.027) for 3/8 Braford than the purebred Hereford steers, whereas purebred Herefords presented lower C14:1 (P=0.003) and higher C18:0 (P=0.022) concentrations than the two Braford groups. The meat composition of purebred Hereford and Braford steers was not substantially different; however, beef produced exclusively on improved pastures presented higher concentration of components that are considered beneficial to human health, such as n-3 fatty acids, and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio.

Ligation of CD4 concomitant to activation induces primary CD4+ T-cell adhesion and pseudopodia formation in vitro.

A regulatory function for CD4 molecules in lymphocyte adhesion and motility was investigated. Murine splenic CD4+ T cells, activated in the presence of phorbol ester and immobilized anti-CD4 mAb, adhered to the plastic surface and formed extended cytoplasmic projections (pseudopodia). Pseudopod formation was cell-density-dependent, peaked at Day 3, and disappeared by Day 5 in culture. This response could be inhibited by soluble anti-CD4 and by RGD-containing peptide. Ligation of CD4 was required at a late stage in cell activation, and stimulated cell motility in vitro. Addition of IL-4, but not IL-2, upregulated pseudopod formation induced by suboptimal stimuli. Anti-IL-4 mAb blocked pseudopod formation, and exogenous IL-4 restored the response. A combination of IL-4 plus phorbol ester, but not IL-2 plus phorbol ester, induced pseudopod formation in concert with CD4 ligation. Exogenous IL-2, on the other hand, blocked pseudopod formation. CD45RBlow CD4+ T cells were much more efficient than CD45RBhigh CD4+ T cells for pseudopod formation. These results indicate that CD4 ligation induces CD4+ T-cell adhesion and motility, mainly in the memory/activated subset, which might be relevant for immune responses in vivo.

[An analysis of plasma histaminase in schizophrenic patients and its relationship to clinical parameters]. / Análise da histaminase plasmática em doentes esquizofrénicos e sua relação com paraâmetros clínicos.

Previous studies have investigated putative alterations in histamine and histamine receptors in schizophrenia, and evidence in favour of the role of this amine as a neurotransmitter or as a neuromodulator was found. In the present study the activity of plasmatic histaminase was analysed, with histamine and with cadaverine as substrates, in a group of 23 schizophrenic patients and compared with that of healthy controls (n = 32). Plasma histaminase activity was determined using Gordon and Peters spectrophotometric method, and the results were expressed in mumoles of H2O2 transformed/hour/litre of plasma at 25 degrees C. Plasmatic histaminase, using histamine as substrate, was significantly increased in schizophrenic patients as a whole compared with the healthy controls. On the other hand, when cadaverine was used as substrate plasma histaminase was significantly reduced in female schizophrenics but not in males. When patients were divided according to 17 clinical characteristics it was found that the following subgroups were significantly associated to high levels of plasma histaminase (using histamine as substrate): the non mentally deteriorated schizophrenic patients compared with mentally deteriorated schizophrenic patients and those with thymic symptoms as opposed to those without thymic symptoms. An extension of this series and a prospective analysis are required to further define the clinical and biological significance of the alteration of this biochemical parameter in schizophrenia, and particularly in relation with a subgroup of schizophrenia with a more favourable course.

O teste de Pfister em adolescentes do sexo feminino; estudo de padroes de respostas na escolha de cores e seus matizes. / The Pfister test in female adolescents: study of answer patterns in the choice of colors and their nuances

No presente trabalho, estudou-se estatisticamente o comportamento de escolha de cores, no Teste das Piramides Coloridas, em 128 protocolos de adolescentes do sexo feminino, com idade entre 17 e 23 anos Procurou-se, a partir dos dados quantitativos observados, obter informacoes para apreciar a validade do uso das Tabelas de Adulto - Piramides Bonitas e Feias - propostas pos SCHAIE & HEISS (1964), na avaliacao quantitativa dos testes na populacao considerada. Diferencas significativas, a partir de estudo estatistico pertinente, em relacao a preferencia na escolha de cores entre uma tabela de "sten" proposta pelo estudo do material, apreciado e a de SCHAIE & HEISS (1964), sao demostradas

Contribuicao ao estudo das variacoes anatomicas dos giros do lobulo parietal inferior no homen. / Anatomical variations of the gyri of the inferior parietal lobule in the man

Dispondo-se de 100 cerebros de individuos adultos brasileiros estudou-se a anatomia macroscopica das variacoes dos giros supramarginal e angular, os quais compoem o lobulo parietal inferior, em funcao dos 3 fatores de variacoes: sexo, grupo etnico e simetria no lado. Justifica-se a proposicao desta investigacao em face da previcao de delimitacao das areas corticais para estudos citoarquitetonicos, pela importancia da regiao enfocada na fisiologia da linguagem humana e animal, em decorrencia da complexidade que os giros e sulcos possam apresentar, pela utilidade na orientacao, localizacao e em estudos topograficos desta area e de sua extensao

Elaboracao de um instrumento para avaliacao da articulacao na producao oral-triagem fonoaudiologica. / Elaboration of an instrument to evaluate the articulation in the production of oral-referral phonoaudiology

Elaborou-se um instrumento para Triagem Fonoaudilogica pertinente ao aspecto articulatorio da producao oral. Apos aplica-lo em 100 criancas, foram identificadas deficiencias e dificuldades que obrigaram a reformulacao do material, que, reaplicado, revelou-se eficiente em relacao ao objetivo proposto.