Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the control of erosive esophagitis

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a multifactorial disease associated with environmental and genetic factors. Obesity is among the risk factors for its development, which also correlates with an increase in severity of clinical presentation and a higher incidence of complications associated with reflux.Aims: To evaluate the impact of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass on the control of erosive esophagitis and metabolic and anthropometric parameters related to obesity.Methods: This historical cohort study included a sample of 249 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery using the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass technique at the Hospital São Vicente de Paulo, Passo Fundo, southern Brazil, from January 2014 to December 2015. Results: Of 249 patients, 77.9% (190 patients) were female and the mean age was 38 years. The occurrence of reflux esophagitis was 81.1% (196 patients) in the preoperative period and 31.3% (75 patients) in the postoperative period. With regard to bariatric treatment response to control moderate and severe esophagitis (grades B, C and D), there was a reduction in prevalence from 62 (25%) to 12 (5%) patients (p<0.05).  Conclusion: Bariatric surgery using the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass technique is effective in the control of reflux esophagitis. Regression is observed mainly in cases of moderate and severe esophagitis.Keywords: Erosive esophagitis; GERD; bariatric surgery; obesity; comorbidit

Characterization of blueberry fruits (Vaccinium spp.) and derived products

The objectives of this study were to physicochemically characterize and determine the antioxidant activities and anthocyanin contents of organic Rabbiteye blueberries grown in Southern Brazil and its derived products, in order to investigate the utility of food processing wastes as raw materials for developing products with beneficial health properties. The antioxidant capacity of the blueberries was superior to that of other fruits and juices. The pomace exhibited high activity, albeit lower than that of the fruit, while the flour and the dried blueberries lost 66% and 46% of the original antioxidant activity, respectively. The average anthocyanin contents of the fruits were moderate compared to other sources and species of blueberries. The pomace contains a large amount of anthocyanins while the flour and dried blueberries exhibited a 32% and 42% loss in anthocyanin content, respectively. The use of agro-industrial residues, in addition to adding value and minimizing the impact caused by the accumulation in the environment, can be directed toward the development of new products with bioactive properties

Physical activity attenuates the influence of FTO variants on obesity risk: A meta-analysis of 218,166 adults and 19,268 children

Background: The FTO gene harbors the strongest known susceptibility locus for obesity. While many individual studies have suggested that physical activity (PA) may attenuate the effect of FTO on obesity risk, other studies have not been able to confirm this interaction. To confirm or refute unambiguously whether PA attenuates the association of FTO with obesity risk, we meta-analyzed data from 45 studies of adults (n = 218,166) and nine studies of children and adolescents (n = 19,268). Methods and Findings: All studies identified to have data on the FTO rs9939609 variant (or any proxy [r2>0.8]) and PA were invited to participate, regardless of ethnicity or age of the participants. PA was standardized by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable (physically inactive versus active) in each study. Overall, 25% of adults and 13% of children were categorized as inactive. Interaction analyses were performed within each study by including the FTO×PA interaction term in an additive model, adjusting for age and sex. Subsequently, random effects meta-analysis was used to pool the interaction terms. In adults, the minor (A-) allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity by 1.23-fold/allele (95% CI 1.20-1.26), but PA attenuated this effect (pinteraction= 0.001). More specifically, the minor allele of rs9939609 increased the odds of obesity less in the physically active group (odds ratio = 1.22/allele, 95% CI 1.19-1.25) than in the inactive group (odds ratio = 1.30/allele, 95% CI 1.24-1.36). No such interaction was found in children and adolescents. Concl

Evolutionary origins of invasive populations

What factors shape the evolution of invasive populations? Recent theoretical and empirical studies suggest that an evolutionary history of disturbance might be an important factor. This perspective presents hypotheses regarding the impact of disturbance on the evolution of invasive populations, based on a synthesis of the existing literature. Disturbance might select for life-history traits that are favorable for colonizing novel habitats, such as rapid population growth and persistence. Theoretical results suggest that disturbance in the form of fluctuating environments might select for organismal flexibility, or alternatively, the evolution of evolvability. Rapidly fluctuating environments might favor organismal flexibility, such as broad tolerance or plasticity. Alternatively, longer fluctuations or environmental stress might lead to the evolution of evolvability by acting on features of the mutation matrix. Once genetic variance is generated via mutations, temporally fluctuating selection across generations might promote the accumulation and maintenance of genetic variation. Deeper insights into how disturbance in native habitats affects evolutionary and physiological responses of populations would give us greater capacity to predict the populations that are most likely to tolerate or adapt to novel environments during habitat invasions. Moreover, we would gain fundamental insights into the evolutionary origins of invasive populations

Estudo das partículas totais em suspensão e metais associados em áreas urbanas Study of total suspended particles and the associated metals in urban areas

<abstract language="eng">This work aims at the study of the air quality determination regarding the total suspended particles (TSP) and the associated metals in the counties of Charqueadas and Sapucaia do Sul at the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The TSP samples were collected using high volume samplers and the analysis of the metallic elements was accomplished through ICP-AES. The results revealed that the TSP concentrations, found in the two studied regions, have exceded the current air quality patterns established by the Brazilian Legislation. They also revealed high levels of several of the elements being attributed to the presence of anthropogenic sources. The correlation between meteorological data (speed and wind direction) and TSP concentrations were significant and revealed strong influence in particle dispersion

Multivariate regression models for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of calcium and magnesium carbonates and magnesium oxide through drifts data

In the present work multivariate regression models were developed for the quantitative analysis of ternary systems using Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to determine the concentration in weight of calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and magnesium oxide. Nineteen spectra of standard samples previously defined in ternary diagram by mixture design were prepared and mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded. The partial least squares (PLS) regression method was applied to the model. The spectra set was preprocessed by either mean-centered and variance-scaled (model 2) or mean-centered only (model 1). The results based on the prediction performance of the external validation set expressed by RMSEP (root mean square error of prediction) demonstrated that it is possible to develop good models to simultaneously determine calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate and magnesium oxide content in powdered samples that can be used in the study of the thermal decomposition of dolomite rocks

Determinação do 5-hidroximetilfurfural em méis utilizando cromatografia eletrocinética capilar micelar

Neste trabalho foi investigado o índice de HMF (5-hidroximetilfurfural) em méis comercializados em Porto Alegre - RS, utilizando Cromatografia Capilar Eletrocinética Micelar. O HMF, produto da condensação da frutose, é um indicador da qualidade e conservação do mel. Foram analisadas 11 marcas de méis comercializados na cidade de Porto Alegre. O composto estudado esteve presente em todas as amostras, em um intervalo de concentração de 0,191 a 6,206 mg.kg-1. Para quantificar o HMF presente nos méis, utilizou-se a técnica de adição de padrão. A taxa de recuperação foi de 98% e o limite de detecção foi de 0,025 mg.kg-1. O limite permitido de HMF em méis, segundo a legislação brasileira, é de 60 mg.kg-1