Floristic diversity and survival strategies of climbers in a Caatinga fragment in the municipality of Porto da Folha, Sergipe, Brazil

Foi realizado um levantamento florístico das espécies trepadeiras em um fragmento de Caatinga no município de Porto da Folha, Sergipe, com o objetivo de verificar suas estratégias de sobrevivência durante a estação desfavorável. Foram registradas 45 espécies, distribuídas em 29 gêneros e 14 famílias de angiospermas. A riqueza de espécies computada foi superior à registrada em outros levantamentos realizados em áreas de Caatinga. As famílias mais representativas em número de espécies foram Convolvulaceae (8), Fabaceae (6), Apocynaceae (5) e Dioscoreaceae (5). Verificou-se que 64,4% das trepadeiras apresentaram porte herbáceo. A forma de vida predominante foi a dos terófitos (51,1%), sendo esta a principal estratégia de sobrevivência de escape à época seca adotada pelas plantas herbáceas na área de estudo. As trepadeiras são grupos biológicos importantes no estabelecimento de estratégias para a conservação da biodiversidade na Caatinga e necessitam de mais estudos voltados aos seus aspectos autoecológicos e sinecológicos._________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: A loristic survey of climbing species in a Caatinga fragment in the municipality of Porto da Folha, state of Sergipe, Northeast Brazil, was conducted to determine their survival strategies during unfavorable seasons. Forty-ive angiosperm species belonging to 29 genera and 14 families were counted. Species richness was higher than that recorded in other Caatinga areas. The most representative families were Convolvulaceae (8), Fabaceae (6), Apocynaceae (5), and Dioscoreaceae (5). Most of the climbers (64.4%) were herbaceous. Therophytes represented the dominant lifestyle (51.1%) and represented the main dry-season escape strategy. Climbers are important biological groups that require more studies on their autoecological aspects and their role in ecological communities and should be considered in the establishment of biodiversity conservation strategies

Mortality rate in patients with nosocomial Acinetobacter meningitis from a Brazilian hospital

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate due to Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial meningitis (ANM) is high. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors that have influence over the outcomes in ANM patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 22 cases of ANM was conducted in a hospital with high incidence of multidrug resistance. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 43 years (21 to 91) and 54.5% were male. All ANM cases occurred within 60 days of admission and the mean duration of illness was of 18.2 days. All cases were associated with previous neurosurgical procedures: elective surgery (27.2%), external shunt (54.4%) and emergency surgery due to trauma (18.1%). Imipenem resistance was observed in 40.9% of cases, but ampicillin/sulbactam resistance was lower (27.2%). The mortality rate of ANM patients was of 72.7%. The only risk factor associated with mortality was inappropriate therapy within five days after CSF collection. All patients who survived the meningitis episode had received appropriate therapy, in contrast to only 69.2% of those who did not survive (OR = 5.15; IC = 0.45-54.01). CONCLUSIONS: The high mortality rate observed in our study suggests the need for aggressive empirical treatment with addition of drugs, including intrathecal therapy, where multi-resistant A. baumannii is endemi

The yeast Dekkera bruxellensis genome contains two orthologs of the ARO10 gene encoding for phenylpyruvate decarboxylase

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The yeast Dekkera bruxellensis possesses important physiological traits that enable it to grow in industrial environments as either spoiling yeast of wine production or a fermenting strain used for lambic beer, or fermenting yeast in the bioethanol production process. In this work, in silico analysis of the Dekkera genome database allowed the identification of two paralogous genes encoding for phenylpyruvate decarboxylase (DbARO10) that represents a unique trait among the hemiascomycetes. The molecular analysis of the theoretical protein confirmed its protein identity. Upon cultivation of the cell in medium containing phenylpyruvate, both increases in gene expression and in phenylpyruvate decarboxylase activity were observed. Both genes were differentially expressed depending on the culture condition and the type of metabolism, which indicated the difference in the biological function of their corresponding proteins. The importance of the duplicated DbARO10 genes in the D. bruxellensis genome was discussed and represents the first effort to understand the production of flavor by this yeast.28724732478Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)FACEPE (Fundacao de Apoio a Ciencia e tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Brachial plexus morphology and vascular supply in the wistar rat

Introduction: The rat is probably the animal species most widely used in experimental studies on nerve repair. The aim of this work was to contribute to a better understanding of the morphology and blood supply of the rat brachial plexus. Material and Methods: Thirty adult rats were studied regarding brachial plexus morphology and blood supply. Intravascular injection and dissection under an operating microscope, as well as light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to define the microanatomy of the rat brachial plexus and its vessels. Results: The rat brachial plexus was slightly different from the human brachial plexus. The arterial and venous supply to the brachial plexus plexus was derived directly or indirectly from neighboring vessels. These vessels formed dense and interconnected plexuses in the epineurium, perineurium, and endoneurium. Several brachial plexus components were accompanied for a relatively long portion of their length by large and constant blood vessels that supplied their epineural plexus, making it possible to raise these nerves as flaps. Discussion: The blood supply to the rat brachial plexus is not very different from that reported in humans, making the rat a useful animal model for the experimental study of peripheral nerve pathophysiology and treatment. Conclusion: Our results support the homology between the rat and the human brachial plexus in terms of morphology and blood supply. This work suggests that several components of the rat brachial plexus can be used as nerve flaps, including predominantly motor, sensory or mixed nerve fibers. This information may facilitate new experimental procedures in this animal model.publishersversionpublishe

Reversibility of the effects of natalizumab on peripheral immune cell dynamics in MS patients.

ObjectiveTo characterize the reversibility of natalizumab-mediated changes in pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) following therapy interruption.MethodsPharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data were collected in the Safety and Efficacy of Natalizumab in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (AFFIRM) (every 12 weeks for 116 weeks) and Randomized Treatment Interruption of Natalizumab (RESTORE) (every 4 weeks for 28 weeks) studies. Serum natalizumab and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured using immunoassays. Lymphocyte subsets, α4-integrin expression/saturation, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) binding were assessed using flow cytometry.ResultsBlood lymphocyte counts (cells/L) in natalizumab-treated patients increased from 2.1 × 109 to 3.5 × 109. Starting 8 weeks post last natalizumab dose, lymphocyte counts became significantly lower in patients interrupting treatment than in those continuing treatment (3.1 × 109 vs 3.5 × 109; p = 0.031), plateauing at prenatalizumab levels from week 16 onward. All measured cell subpopulation, α4-integrin expression/saturation, and sVCAM changes demonstrated similar reversibility. Lymphocyte counts remained within the normal range. Ex vivo VCAM-1 binding to lymphocytes increased until ≈16 weeks after the last natalizumab dose, then plateaued, suggesting reversibility of immune cell functionality. The temporal appearance of gadolinium-enhancing lesions was consistent with pharmacodynamic marker reversal.ConclusionsNatalizumab's effects on peripheral immune cells and pharmacodynamic markers were reversible, with changes starting 8 weeks post last natalizumab dose; levels returned to those observed/expected in untreated patients ≈16 weeks post last dose. This reversibility differentiates natalizumab from MS treatments that require longer reconstitution times. Characterization of the time course of natalizumab's biological effects may help clinicians make treatment sequencing decisions.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class III evidence that the pharmacodynamic markers of natalizumab are reversed ≈16 weeks after stopping natalizumab

Avaliação de Três Cultivares de Panicum maximum Jacq. sob Pastejo: Composição Química e Digestibilidade da Forragem Evaluation of Three Cultivars of Panicum Maximum Jacq. under Grazing: Chemical Composition and in Vitro Organic Matter Digestibility

O estudo foi conduzido com o objetivo de estimar o valor nutritivo da MS de três cultivares de Panicum maximum Jacq. submetidas ao pastejo rotativo, através dos teores de proteína bruta, fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em detergente ácido, lignina, celulose, sílica e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria orgânica em amostras de folhas e colmos. Estudou-se, também, no cultivar Tanzânia, a adubação nitrogenada no final do período chuvoso, adicional à de manutenção comum às demais cultivares. As amostragens foram realizadas em junho, setembro e novembro de 1998 e março de 1999. Algumas diferenças entre tratamentos foram observadas, apresentando, em geral, menor valor nutritivo no cv. Massai, com menores teores de proteína bruta e digestibilidade e maiores teores de fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em detergente ácido e lignina tanto nas folhas, como nos colmos. Sua utilização como opção forrageira deve basear-se em outras características agronômicas. O cv. Mombaça apresentou, em geral, maiores teores de sílica e seu valor nutritivo não foi afetado pela adubação nitrogenada no final do período chuvoso, exceto pelo aumento no teor de proteína bruta e pela redução do conteúdo de lignina e sílica em março. O valor nutritivo dos colmos foi inferior ao das folhas. O início do período chuvoso foi, em geral, a época de maior valor nutritivo da forragem em todos os tratamentos.<br>A study was conducted to evaluate three cultivars of Panicum maximum Jacq. under rotational grazing for the nutritive value,where the estimates of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, silica, and in vitro digestibility of the organic material were performed in samples of leaves and stems. Additional nitrogen was applied in cv. Tanzania at the end of the rainny season. Samples were taken in June, September, and October 1998 and in March 1999. Some differences among treatments were observed. In general, cv. Massai showed a lower nutritive value with lower crude protein and digestibility, and higher neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin, either in samples of leaves or in stems. Therefore, its utilization as a forage option should be based on other agronomic characteristics. The cv. Mombaça exhibited higher concentrations of silica and its nutritive value was not affected by nitrogen fertilization at the end of the rainny season, except for an increase in the percentage of crude protein and a reduction in the amount of lignin and silica in March. The nutritive value of the stems was inferior to the leaves. The nutritive value was highest in all treatments at the beginning of the rainny period