Feeding at the End of Life in Brazilian Amazon: Qualitative Analysis of Medical Indications

Background: Death is preceded by several medical decisions that impact the dying process. One of the challenges faced by the multidisciplinary team regarding the care for patients at the end of life process is the indication or interruption of enteral feeding. The aim of this study was to describe the decision experience of the indication of artificial nutrition for seriously ill patients at the end of life by physicians working in a private oncology clinic in Manaus-Amazonas (AM), and their perceptions about end-of-life process. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional and observational study based on a qualitative approach. A clinical case involving a hypothetical patient with advanced dementia, not a candidate for disease-modifying therapy, evolving with signs of end of life was applied. The doctors answered in a discursive manner a question about which nutritional option would be the most adequate. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: A total number of 15 specialists physicians acting in a private oncologic clinic in Manaus-AMwere included. Approximately 42.84% of respondents opted to indicate the placement of a nasoenteric feeding tube or a gastrostomy. A large portion of them believed that the patient had the opportunity to treat severe dementia. Conclusions: There is little scientific evidence of the benefits of using artificial feeding in elderly patients with advanced dementia. Further studies are needed in addition to continuing educating initiatives to inform prescribing professionals about the potential related risks of artificial diet at the end of life

Interesse comportamental de machos suínos por diferentes tipos de enriquecimentos ambientais

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento de machos suínos a partir da inserção de correntes e pneus como enriquecimento ambiental em confinamento. O estudo foi realizado na Universidade de São Paulo, em Pirassununga – SP, Brasil. Foram utilizados seis machos híbridos, de 12 a 30 meses. Foram inseridos correntes e pneus, individualmente. O comportamento e o tempo de interesse pelo enriquecimento foi obtido observando o momento em que o animal procurava pelo objeto inserido, com observações diretas, sem intervalos, de manhã e à tarde. Foram aferidas as temperaturas superficiais do corpo dos animais e ambientais, com obtenção da frequência respiratória no início e no final das observações. Foram realizadas colheitas de cortisol salivar, por meio de corda de algodão individualmente. Foi realizada análise de tipo de enriquecimento e idade por análise de qui-quadrado, correlação de Pearson entre o comportamento e temperatura de superfície corporal e teste-t para frequência respiratória e temperatura do ambiente. A idade dos cachaços não teve influência no comportamento de interesse (P>0,05). No total, 79,86% dos machos não apresentaram interesse pela corrente, no entanto, 61,11% dos machos apresentaram interesse pelo pneu. No ambiente controle, 91,67% dos animais permaneceram em ócio. A frequência respiratória encontrada foi maior a tarde (P<0,05). As dosagens séricas de cortisol, foram de 0,5 a 3,1 ng/mL, 0,5 a 0,9 ng/mL, 0,5 a 1,2 ng/mL e de 0,9 a 1,2 ng/mL.  Conclui-se que o enriquecimento ambiental nas instalações de suínos machos constitui-se como importante ferramenta, sendo o pneu o melhor método de entretenimento quando comparado ao uso de correntes

Application of lipase and monoglyceride in fiber enriched pan bread

In this work, the application of lipase and monoglyceride in fiber enriched pan bread was studied, to verify the possibility of substituting the emulsifier by the enzyme. Initially, the main raw materials (flour and wheat bran) were characterized. The pan breads were produced using the straight dough method. A central composite rotational design was used, with two independent variables: i) lipase dosage; and ii) monoglyceride dosage and, in parallel, a control test was carried out (without the addition of lipase and monoglyceride) for comparison. The dependent variables or responses were the quality characteristics of the breads: i) specific volume; ii) sensory acceptance (appearance, texture, aroma and taste); and iii) shelf life evaluated by crumb moisture and firmness after one, four and seven days from baking. Within the ranges studied, it was possible to verify that only crumb moisture on the fourth and seventh days after processing was influenced by the variation of the lipase and monoglyceride dosages. In the sensory evaluation, it was observed that the average scores attributed to the control breads were lower than the lowest average of the experimental design trials, except for taste and aroma. As it was not possible to obtain mathematical models for all the responses, Assays 5 (1% monoglyceride), 7 (25 ppm lipase) and 9 (25 ppm lipase and 1% monoglyceride) of the experimental design, and the control test, were selected for the evaluation of the results by analysis of variance. In the conditions used and for the dosages of lipase (0 to 50 ppm) and monoglyceride (0 to 2%) used, the possibility to substitute monoglyceride by lipase in fiber enriched pan bread was verified.Neste trabalho, estudou-se a aplicação da enzima lipase e do emulsificante monoglicerídeo em pão de forma enriquecido com fibras, com o objetivo de verificar a possibilidade de substituição do emulsificante pela enzima. Inicialmente, foi realizada a caracterização das matérias-primas principais (farinha e farelo de trigo). Os pães de forma foram elaborados pelo método de massa direta. Foi utilizado um planejamento experimental do tipo composto central rotacional com duas variáveis independentes: i) dosagem de lipase; e ii) dosagem de monoglicerídeo e, paralelamente, realizou-se um teste controle (sem adição de lipase e monoglicerídeo) para comparação. As variáveis dependentes foram as características de qualidade dos pães: i) volume específico; ii) aceitação sensorial (aparência, textura, aroma e sabor); e iii) vida de prateleira avaliada pela umidade do miolo e firmeza dos pães após 1, 4 e 7 dias do forneamento. Dentro das faixas estudadas, foi possível verificar que somente a umidade dos pães no quarto e sétimo dia após o processamento foi influenciada pela variação das dosagens de lipase e monoglicerídeo. Na avaliação sensorial, verificou-se que as notas médias atribuídas aos pães do teste controle foram inferiores à menor nota média dos ensaios do planejamento experimental, com exceção do sabor e aroma. Como não foi possível obter modelos matemáticos para todas as respostas, foram selecionados os ensaios 5 (1% monoglicerídeo), 7 (25 ppm lipase) e 9 (25 ppm lipase e 1% monoglicerídeo) do planejamento experimental, e o teste controle, para a avaliação dos resultados por análise de variância. Nas condições em que os ensaios foram conduzidos e para as faixas de lipase (0 a 50 ppm) e monoglicerídeo (0 a 2%) estudadas, verificou-se a possibilidade de substituir o monoglicerídeo por lipase em formulação de pão de forma enriquecido com fibras.18219

Infertility diagnosis in jaguar (Panthera onca): case report

O presente trabalho relata um caso de infertilidade em uma onça-pintada (Panthera onca), macho, de 21 anos e 125 kg. São ressaltadas as alterações ocorridas nos espermatozoides, devido a estresse crônico, manejo alimentar inadequado e senescência reprodutiva.This work reports one case of infertility in a male jaguar (Panthera onca) aged 21 years and weighing 125 kg. Changes in sperm due to chronic stress, inadequate food handling and reproductive senescence are emphasized.

Candida albicans PROTEIN PROFILE CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE BUTANOLIC EXTRACT OF Sapindus saponariaL.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that is capable of causing superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Extracts of Sapindus saponaria have been used as antimicrobial agents against various organisms. In the present study, we used a combination of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify the changes in protein abundance of C. albicans after exposure to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sub-minimal inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) of the butanolic extract (BUTE) of S. saponaria and also to fluconazole. A total of six different proteins with greater than 1.5 fold induction or repression relative to the untreated control cells were identified among the three treatments. In general, proteins/enzymes involved with the glycolysis (GPM1, ENO1, FBA1), amino acid metabolism (ILV5, PDC11) and protein synthesis (ASC1) pathways were detected. In conclusion, our findings reveal antifungal-induced changes in protein abundance of C. albicans. By using the previously identified components of the BUTE of S. saponaria(e.g., saponins and sesquiterpene oligoglycosides), it will be possible to compare the behavior of compounds with unknown mechanisms of action, and this knowledge will help to focus the subsequent biochemical work aimed at defining the effects of these compounds

Candida albicans PROTEIN PROFILE CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO THE BUTANOLIC EXTRACT OF Sapindus saponaria L.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human pathogen that is capable of causing superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Extracts of Sapindus saponaria have been used as antimicrobial agents against various organisms. In the present study, we used a combination of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to identify the changes in protein abundance of C. albicans after exposure to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and sub-minimal inhibitory concentration (sub-MIC) of the butanolic extract (BUTE) of S. saponaria and also to fluconazole. A total of six different proteins with greater than 1.5 fold induction or repression relative to the untreated control cells were identified among the three treatments. In general, proteins/enzymes involved with the glycolysis (GPM1, ENO1, FBA1), amino acid metabolism (ILV5, PDC11) and protein synthesis (ASC1) pathways were detected. In conclusion, our findings reveal antifungal-induced changes in protein abundance of C. albicans. By using the previously identified components of the BUTE of S. saponaria(e.g., saponins and sesquiterpene oligoglycosides), it will be possible to compare the behavior of compounds with unknown mechanisms of action, and this knowledge will help to focus the subsequent biochemical work aimed at defining the effects of these compounds

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost