Differentiating present-day from ancient bones by vibrational spectroscopy upon acetic acid treatment

Acetic acid treatment for an accurate differentiation between ancient and recent human bones was assessed using Raman and FTIR-ATR spectroscopies. Each set of skeletal samples was analysed by these techniques, prior and after chemical washing, in order to determine the variations in bone´s chemical composition and crystallinity. Bone samples were collected from several independent sources: recent bones burned under controlled experimental conditions or cremated, and archaeological (XVII century and Iron Age). The effect of acetic acid, expected to impact mostly on carbonates, was clearly evidenced in the spectra of all samples, particularly in FTIR-ATR, mainly through the bands typical of A- and B-carbonates. Furthermore, as seen for crematoria and archaeological samples, acetic acid was found to remove contaminants such as calcium hydroxide. Overall, acetic acid treatment can be an effective method for removing carbonates (exogenous but possibly also endogenous) and external contaminants from bone. However, these effects are dependent on the skeletal conditions (e.g. post-mortem interval and burning settings). In addition, this chemical washing was shown to be insufficient for an unequivocal discrimination between recent and archaeological skeletal remains. Based on the measured IR indexes, only cremated bones could be clearly distinguished.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ORQUIECTOMIA PARA A REDUÇÃO DO VOLUME PROSTÁTICO. ESTUDO EXPERIMENTAL EM CÃES

Prostatic disorders like benign  prostatic hyperplasia,  prostatitis, cysts,  and neoplasia are common in older male dogs. The objective of the treatment of such disorders  is to decrease prostatic size aiming to alliviate  their respective symptoms. The aim of the present research work was to evaluate the efficacy of castration in  regard to the prostatic size and stromal tissue of  healthy dogs. The prostate volume was evaluated by  ultrasonography and the measurements performed before (baseline) orchiectomy and at 7, 21, 40 and 90 days after castration. Canine prostatic volumes significantly decreased by 81% in the 90th day after castration. In most of the experimental animals (80%) as much  as 50%  reduction of the prostate volume  has been observed  after  15 days of  castration, showing that orchiectomy is an efficient  therapy to reduce prostatic size. On the other hand, ultra-sonography is a non invasive diagnostic method indicated towards prostatic evaluation.Doenças prostáticas como a hiperplasia prostática benigna (HPB), prostatites, cistos e neoplasias são enfermidades comuns em machos com idade avançada. O aumento prostático promove compressão do reto e uretra causando tenesmo, constipação, disúria e anúria; o tratamento mais eficaz para reduzir o tamanho prostático, principalmente na HPB, é a castração. Este estudo objetivou avaliar as dimensões e a estrutura prostática após a orquiectomia em cães normais; além da eficiência da ultra-sonografia. O volume prostático de 10 cães foi avaliado por meio da ultra-sonografia transabdominal antes e aos 7, 21, 40 e 90 dias após a orquiectomia. A análise dos resultados demonstrou que houve redução significativa de 81% do volume prostático 90 dias após a castração, sendo que a maioria dos cães (80%) apresentou pelo menos 50% de redução do volume prostático após 15 dias da orquiectomia. A orquiectomia é uma terapia eficiente para a redução do volume prostático. O emprego da ultra-sonografia transabdominal é um método não invasivo adequado para avaliação e mensuração prostática em cães

Demographic and anthropometrical analysis and genotype distribution of chronic hepatitis C patients treated in public and private reference centers in Brazil

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious public health problem, since 80% to 85% of HCV carriers develop a persistent infection that can progress into liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. Considering that the response of hepatitis C patients to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin depends on HCV characteristics as well as on host features, we made a retrospective analysis of demographic and anthropometrical data and HCV genotype distribution of chronic hepatitis C patients treated in public and private reference centers in Brazil. The medical records of 4,996 patients were reviewed, 81% from public and 19% from private institutions. Patients' median age was 46 years, and there was a higher prevalence of male (62%) and white patients (80%). The analysis of HCV-infecting strains showed a predominance of genotype 1 (64%) over genotypes 2 and 3. The patients' mean weight was 70.6 kg, and 65% of the patients weighed less than 77kg. Overweight and obesity were observed in 37.8% and 13.6% of the patients, respectively. Since a body weight of 75 kg or less has been considered an independent factor that significantly increases the odds of achieving a sustained virological response, the Brazilian population seems to have a more favorable body weight profile to achieve a sustained response than the American and European populations. The finding that 65% of chronic hepatitis C patients have a body weight of 77 kg or less may have a positive pharmacoeconomic impact on the treatment of genotype 1 HCV patients with weight-based doses of peginterferon