Chemostratigraphy of the Pliensbachian, Puesto Araya Formation (Neuquén Basin, Argentina)

In a preliminary attempt to establish an isotope stratigraphy, strontium, carbon and oxygen isotope ratios were determined from marine biogenic carbonates of Pliensbachian age, in the context of scheme of local ammonite Zones correlatable to the European Standard Zonation. Two sections, rio Atuel and arroyo Serrucho, of the mainly siliciclastic Puesto Araya Formation, Neuquen Basin, south-western Mendoza, Argentina, were studied. Specimens of the bivalve genera Weyla Bhom and Gryphaea Lamarck were selected for the isotopic determinations because of their low-Mg calcite original mineralogy and widespread presence. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry techniques were used to control the good degree of preservation of most of the biogenic material, as evidenced by pristine fabrics, 100% calcite composition and Sr, Mn and Fe concentrations. Although strontium isotope ratios are slightly scattered, it is possible to compare them with those of the Early Jurassic seawater reference curve. Carbon isotope signals show two relative maxima, correlatable with those recorded for the upper part of the Ibex Zone and the middle part of the Margaritatus Zone in various European sections, indicating the possible global significance of these events. d18O values were found to be unreliable for isotope stratigraphy, as they are largely depleted in comparison to those of coeval unaltered marine carbonates

Efeito da aplicação de diferentes regimes de rega deficitária no pessegueiro ‘Sweet Dream’ cultivado num pomar da região da Beira Interior.

Efeito da aplicação de diferentes regimes de rega deficitária no pessegueiro ‘Sweet Dream’ cultivado num pomar da região da Beira Interior.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efeito da aplicação de diferentes regimes de rega deficitária no pessegueiro ‘Sweet Dream’ cultivado num pomar da região da Beira Interior.

Efeito da aplicação de diferentes regimes de rega deficitária no pessegueiro ‘Sweet Dream’ cultivado num pomar da região da Beira Interior.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Renal Allograft Rupture: A Clinicopathologic Review

Transplantation Proceedings Volume 32, Issue 8, December 2000, Pages 2597-2598 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- doi:10.1016/S0041-1345(00)01801-7 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI Copyright © 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. Cited By in Scopus (4) Permissions & Reprints Renal allograft rupture: a clinicopathologic review M Ramosa, , L Martinsa, L Diasa, A.C Henriquesa, J Soaresa, J Queirósa and A.M Sarmentoa aDepartments of Urology and Nefrology, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Oporto, Portugal Available online 19 December 2000. Article Outline Patients and methods Results Discussion References Renal allograft rupture (RAR) is a rare but very serious complication of renal transplantation, requiring emergency surgery. The most common cause is acute allograft rejection, but other causes such as renal vein thrombosis (RVT), acute tubular necrosis (ATN), renal biopsy, and lymphatic obstruction have been reported.[1] and [2] We reviewed our experience with the aim of identifying RAR predisposing conditions. Patients and methods In a consecutive series of 934 renal transplants performed between July 1983 and September 1999, 11 patients (1.2%) had RAR. In these cases we studied donor and recipient characteristics, preservation conditions, clinical signs and symptoms, treatment, and pathology findings. This group of patients was then compared with their paired cohort. Data analysis was computer-based. In the statistical analysis t test and Fisher’s exact test were used. Results All 11 kidneys that suffered RAR were from cadaver donors, nine male and two female. The mean age was 29.5 years with good terminal serum creatinine (mean 1.1 mg/dL). All organs were stored in Eurocollins solution and the mean cold ischemia time was 21 hours and 25 minutes (range, 10 hours to 29 hours and 20 minutes). Excluding one black patient, all recipients were Caucasian. Eight were female and 3 were male, with a mean age of 33.8 years. The mean HLA match was 1.7, and the mean peak panel reactive antibody (PRA) was 22% (range 0 to 93%) and current was 15% (range 0 to 67%). All patients had cyclosporine treatment, eight had delayed graft function requiring dialysis, and three underwent renal allograft biopsy. In two patients rupture occurred in the second allograft; the others were first transplants. The day of RAR was a mean of 5.3 (range 2 to 13). All patients had new onset of severe allograft pain, eight had a drop in daily hematocrit, and six had hypotension. The four patients with more precocious ruptures had sudden onset of bleeding through the drainage tube. Transplant nephrectomy was performed in 10 patients, and surgical conservative treatment with fibrin glue and collagen foam was performed in one. All patients survived RAR. Three had a second transplant and currently have functioning allografts. Pathology examination revealed RVT in three patients and some degree of rejection in the remaining eight. One patient had a rupture on the second day because of hyperacute rejection, and three had severe acute cellular rejection, but in four patients the dominant figure was ATN with minimal rejection. Excluding the patient with hyperacute rejection, the day of rupture was later for those with severe acute rejection, a mean of 9.6 days (range 6 to 13). In those with ATN, the day of RAR was a mean of 4.5 (range 3 to 6) and the patients with RVT had ruptures even sooner, on mean third day (range 2 to 4). Variables associated with RAR were: sex mismatch (P = .004), current PRA (P = .012), and a need for dialysis (P = .042). Age of the recipient, transplant number, cold ischemia time, total HLA match, and peak PRA were not associated with RAR. Discussion Higher current PRA and a need for dialysis are variables associated with rejection and ATN. Therefore they are expected to be related to rupture. The well-documented conditions that are associated with ATN and rejection3 must be the same, which in extreme conditions predispose to RAR. We find no explanation for the statistically significant association of sex mismatch and RAR, other than random error. Acute allograft rejection is the most frequent cause of graft rupture in the literature (60 to 80%),3 but ATN has received little note. In our series, ATN was responsible for 36% of the ruptures, as much as severe acute rejection. ATN alone can cause RAR,4 because of interstitial edema and rise in intrarenal pressure. But when associated with rejection, it seems that these two conditions can act synergistically to cause allograft rupture. Our data suggests that rupture occurs later when caused by rejection, rather than when RVT is responsible. To our knowledge this finding had never been reported in world literature. Perhaps the timing of RVT is related to technical problems, such as twisting and kinking of the vein or intima tear, although the thrombogenic effect of cyclosporine can also have a role in this process.5 All these patients were on cyclosporine therapy, which may explain the small number of RAR caused by rejection alone and the significant number of patients that had RVT (27%). It appears that cyclosporine therapy is changing the etiology of the graft rupture.6 References 1 T. Grochowiecki, J. Szmidt and K. Madej et al., Transplantation Proc 28 (1996), p. 3461. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (2) 2 R.S. Lord, D.J. Effeney and J.M. Hayes et al., Ann Surg 177 (1973), p. 268. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (4) 3 G.J. Azar, A. Zarifian and G.D. Frentz et al., Clin Transplantation 10 (1996), p. 635. View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (12) 4 Y.H. Chan, K.M. Wong and K.C. Lee et al., Am J Kidney Dis 34 (1999), p. 355. Abstract | Article | PDF (86 K) 5 R.M. Jones, J.A. Murie and A. Ting et al., Clin Transplant 2 (1988), p. 122. 6 A.J. Richardson, R.M. Higgins and A.J. Jaskowski et al., Br J Surg 77 (1990), p. 558. Full Text via CrossRef | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (19

Unveiling the kinomes of leishmania infantum and L. braziliensis empowers the discovery of new kinase targets and antileishmanial compounds

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania (NTD) endemic in 98 countries. Although some drugs are available, current treatments deal with issues such as toxicity, low efficacy, and emergence of resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new targets for the development of new antileishmanial drugs. Protein kinases (PKs), which play an essential role in many biological processes, have become potential drug targets for many parasitic diseases. A refined bioinformatics pipeline was applied in order to define and compare the kinomes of L. infantum and L. braziliensis, species that cause cutaneous and visceral manifestations of leishmaniasis in the Americas, the latter being potentially fatal if untreated. Respectively, 224 and 221 PKs were identified in L. infantum and L. braziliensis overall. Almost all unclassified eukaryotic PKs were assigned to six of nine major kinase groups and, consequently, most have been classified into family and subfamily. Furthermore, revealing the kinomes for both Leishmania species allowed for the prioritization of potential drug targets that could be explored for discovering new drugs against leishmaniasis. Finally, we used a drug repurposing approach and prioritized seven approved drugs and investigational compounds to be experimentally tested against Leishmania. Trametinib and NMS-1286937 inhibited the growth of L. infantum and L. braziliensis promastigotes and amastigotes and therefore might be good candidates for the drug repurposing pipeline17352361FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE GOIÁS - FAPE

Facile synthesis and characterization of MnxZn1-xFe2O4/activated carbon composites for biomedical applications

"The synthesis of MnxZn1-xFe2O4 ferrites (x = 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6) by means of the co-precipitation method is reported. Furthermore, a composite of Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4/activated carbon was prepared with the mechanosynthesis method. The magnetic, structural, morphological and chemical properties were analyzed by means of VSM, XRD, SEM, FTIR and Boehm's titration. The heating capacity was evaluated under a magnetic field using solid-state induction heating equipment, in addition a hemolysis test was performed using human red blood cells. With regard to the synthesis of manganese-zinc ferrite, the results indicated that Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4 ferrite showed higher saturation magnetization (64.48 emu/g) than the other ferrite obtained, with superparamagnetic behavior. The Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4/activated carbon composite was able to heat in concentrations of 10 mg/ml under a magnetic field (10.2 kAm-1 and frequency 200 kHz), increasing the temperature up to 42.5 °C. The hemolysis test indicated that the presence of activated carbon reduces the hemolytic behavior of the ferrite. Thanks to its heating capacity and non-hemolytic activity, theMn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4/activated carbon composite is a potential candidate for use in biomedical applications.

Effectiveness of silver nitrate compared to talc slurry as pleural sclerosing agent in rabbits. Influence of concomitant intrapleural lidocaine

Não está ainda definido, qual o agente ideal para a produção de uma pleurodese efetiva. O talco é o agente mais freqüentemente utilizado apesar de suas manifestações colaterais. Outra possibilidade é o nitrato de prata, largamente usado no passado. OBJETIVOS: Determinar a influência da injeção intrapleural de lidocaina na produção de pleurodese com nitrato de prata, definir o efeito da lidocaina na maturação das fibras colágenas e confirmar que a pleurodese produzida pelo nitrato de prata é mais potente que a conseqüente à injeção intrapleural de talco. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados três grupos de 8 coelhos. Dois receberam nitrato de prata a 0,5%; em um deles, foi injetado previamente 0,5 ml de lidocaina a 2%. O terceiro grupo recebeu 2 ml de talco (400 mg/kg). Os animais foram sacrificados após 28 dias da injeção intrapleural e as cavidades pleurais examinadas macroscopicamente, analisando-se a presença de fusão entre os folhetos pleurais e microscopicamente avaliando-se a inflamação e a fibrose. Quantificou-se o total de colágeno na pleura e a distribuição de fibras finas e grossas, utilizando-se a coloração de pricrosirius. RESULTADOS: Nos dois grupos em que se injetou nitrato de prata (s/ lidocaina: 3.5 + 0.3 e com lidocaina: 3.2 + 0.3), a pleurodese macroscópica (scala 0 - 4) foi significantemente (p = 0.001) melhor do que a pleurodese resultante do talco (1.6 + 0.2). A média da fibrose pleural induzida pelo nitrato de prata (3.5 + 0.2) foi significantemente (p = 0.004) mais acentuada do que a produzida por talco (1.9 + 0.1). A instilação prévia de lidocaina determinou tendência a diminuir a quantidade de fibrose (3.1 + 0.4). A média (10³mm²) do colágeno pleural foi significantemente (p = 0.009) maior nos coelhos que receberam nitrato de prata (116.9 + 22.7) do que naqueles que receberam talco (10.7 + 3.4). A injeção de lidocaina reduziu discretamente o colágeno (80.1 + 30.3). A distribuição das fibras colágenas não foi diferente entre os grupos estudados. CONCLUSÃO: Este modelo animal confirma que, o nitrato de prata injetado no espaço pleural mais efetivo do que o talco na produção de pleurodese. A injeção intrapleural de lidocaina determina uma tendência a reduzir a quantidade de colágeno, mas não muda a efetividade da sínfise pleural ou modifica a maturação do colágeno.The ideal agent for producing pleurodesis has not been identified. Talc, the most commonly used, poses several problems. Another possibility is silver nitrate, which was widely used in the past. PURPOSE: To determine the influence of the intrapleural instillation of lidocaine in producing a pleurodesis with silver nitrate, to define the effect of lidocaine in the maturation of the collagen fibers, and to confirm that the pleurodesis after silver nitrate is stronger than after talc. METHODS: We studied three groups of 8 rabbits. Two groups received 0.5% silver nitrate; in one we had previously injected 0.5 ml of 2% lidocaine. The third group received 400 mg/kg talc (2 ml). The animals were sacrificed 28 days after the injection, and the pleural spaces were assessed grossly for evidence of pleurodesis and microscopically for evidence of inflammation and fibrosis. The total amount of pleural collagen and the distribution of thick and thin collagen fibers were quantified. Collagen was identified using picrosirius red stain. RESULTS: In the two groups that received silver nitrate (without lidocaine: 3.5 + 03 and with lidocaine: 3.2 + 0.3), the macroscopic pleurodesis (scale 0 -- 4) was significantly (p = 0.001) better than that resulting from talc (1.6 + 0.2). The mean degree of pleural fibrosis induced by silver nitrate (3.5 + 0.2) was significantly (p = 0.004) higher than that induced by talc (1.9 + 0.1). The previous instillation of lidocaine resulted in a tendency for decreased amounts of fibrosis (3.1 + 0.4). The mean amount (10³mm²) of pleural collagen was significantly (p = 0.009) greater in the rabbits that received silver nitrate (116.9 + 22.7) than in those that received talc (10.7 + 3.4). The injection of lidocaine slightly reduced the collagen (80.1 + 30.3). The distribution of collagen fibers did not differ among the groups. CONCLUSION: This rabbit model clearly confirms that intrapleural silver nitrate is more effective than talc for producing pleurodesis. The previous intrapleural instillation of lidocaine results in a decreasing trend in the amount of collagen, but does not change the effectiveness of the pleural fusion or modify the process of collagen maturation