An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Single Bundle Versus Anatomical Double Bundle Techniques

INTRODUCTION: Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures are frequent, especially in sports. Surgical reconstruction with autologous grafts is widely employed in the international literature. Controversies remain with respect to technique variations as continuous research for improvement takes place. One of these variations is the anatomical double bundle technique, which is performed instead of the conventional single bundle technique. More recently, there has been a tendency towards positioning the two bundles through double bone tunnels in the femur and tibia (anatomical reconstruction). OBJECTIVES: To compare, through biomechanical tests, the practice of anatomical double bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with a patellar graft to conventional single bundle reconstruction with the same amount of patellar graft in a paired experimental cadaver study. METHODS: Nine pairs of male cadaver knees ranging in age from 44 to 63 years were randomized into two groups: group A (single bundle) and group B (anatomical reconstruction). Each knee was biomechanically tested under three conditions: intact anterior cruciate ligament, reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament, and injured anterior cruciate ligament. Maximum anterior dislocation, rigidity, and passive internal tibia rotation were recorded with knees submitted to a 100 N horizontal anterior dislocation force applied to the tibia with the knees at 30, 60 and 90 degrees of flexion. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two techniques for any of the measurements by ANOVA tests. CONCLUSION: The technique of anatomical double bundle reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament with bone-patellar tendon-bone graft has a similar biomechanical behavior with regard to anterior tibial dislocation, rigidity, and passive internal tibial rotation

Unveiling the metabolic effects of glycomacropeptide

Funding Information: Funding: This article was funded by the project NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000018, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (Norte2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UID/BIM/04293/2013]. Funding Information: Acknowledgments: M.J.P. was partially funded by the project NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000018, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (Norte2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Glycaemia strips and device were kindly provided by Abbott Laboratórios Lda., Portugal. A special thanks to Raquel Soares for the help submitting the project to the national authorities. Furthermore, thanks to Patrícia Ribeiro, Veterinary Nurse Adriana Francisco and Liliana Leite from the animal facilities. Funding Information: This article was funded by the project NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000018, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (Norte2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement,M.J.P. was partially funded by the project NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000018, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (Norte2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Glycaemia strips and device were kindly provided by Abbott Laborat?rios Lda., Portugal. A special thanks to Raquel Soares for the help submitting the project to the national authorities. Furthermore, thanks to Patr?cia Ribeiro, Veterinary Nurse Adriana Francisco and Liliana Leite from the animal facilities. through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by FCT?Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia [UID/BIM/04293/2013]. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Li-censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.For many years, the main nitrogen source for patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) was phenylalanine-free amino acid supplements. Recently, casein glycomacropeptide (GMP) supplements have been prescribed due to its functional and sensorial properties. Nevertheless, many doubts still persist about the metabolic effects of GMP compared to free amino acids (fAA) and intact proteins such as casein (CAS). We endeavour to compare, in rats, the metabolic effects of different nitrogen sources. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were fed equal energy density diets plus CAS (control, n = 8), fAA (n = 8) or GMP (n = 8) for 8 weeks. Food, liquid intake and body weight were measured weekly. Blood biochemical parameters and markers of glycidic metabolism were assessed. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was analysed by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Food intake was higher in rats fed CAS compared to fAA or GMP throughout the treatment period. Fluid intake was similar between rats fed fAA and GMP. Body weight was systematically lower in rats fed fAA and GMP compared to those fed CAS, and still, from week 4 onwards, there were differences between fAA and GMP. None of the treatments appeared to induce consistent changes in glycaemia, while insulin levels were significantly higher in GMP. Likewise, the production of GLP-1 was higher in rats fed GMP when compared to fAA. Decreased urea, total protein and tri-glycerides were seen both in fAA and GMP related to CAS. GMP also reduced albumin and triglyc-erides in comparison to CAS and fAA, respectively. The chronic consumption of the diets triggers different metabolic responses which may provide clues to further study potential underlying mech-anisms.publishersversionpublishe

Nitrogênio fixado simbioticamente por feijão‑caupi e gliricídia em sistemas tradicional e agroflorestal sob condições semiáridas

The objective of this work was to estimate the amounts of N fixed by cowpea in a traditional system and by cowpea and gliricidia in an agroforestry system in the Brazilian Northeast semiarid. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design, in a split‑plot arrangement, with four replicates, in the semiarid region of the state of Paraíba, Brazil. Plots consisted of agroforestry and traditional systems (no trees), and split‑plots of the three crops planted between the tree rows in the agroforestry system. To estimate N fixation, plant samples were collected in the fourth growth cycle of the perennial species and in the fourth planting cycle of the annual species. In the agroforestry system with buffel grass and prickly‑pear cactus, gliricidia plants symbiotically fix high proportions of N (>50%) and contribute with higher N amounts (40 kg ha‑1 in leaves) than in the traditional system (11 kg ha‑1 in grain and 18 kg ha‑1 in straw). In the agroforestry system with maize and cowpea, gliricidia plants do not fix nitrogen, and N input is limited to the fixation by cowpea (2.7 kg ha‑1), which is lower than in the traditional system due to its lower biomass production.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar as quantidades de N fixadas em feijão‑caupi em sistema tradicional e em feijão‑caupi e gliricídia em sistema agroflorestal, sob condições semiáridas do Nordeste brasileiro. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos ao acaso, em arranjo em parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições, no semiárido da Paraíba. As parcelas consistiram dos sistemas agroflorestal e tradicional (sem árvores), e as subparcelas, dos três cultivos entre as linhas das árvores, no sistema agroflorestal. Para estimar a fixação de N, amostras das plantas foram coletadas no quarto ciclo de crescimento das espécies perenes e no quarto ciclo de cultivo das espécies anuais. No sistema agroflorestal com capim‑buffel e palma forrageira, a gliricídia fixa simbioticamente altas proporções de N (>50%) e adiciona quantidades maiores de N (40 kg ha‑1 nas folhas) que no sistema tradicional (11 kg ha‑1 nos grãos e 18 kg ha‑1 na palhada). No sistema agroflorestal com milho e feijão‑caupi, a gliricídia não fixa N e a adição de N é limitada à fixação no feijão‑caupi (2,7 kg ha‑1), que é menor que no sistema tradicional em razão da sua baixa produção de biomassa

Bispectral Index and Other Processed Parameters of Electroencephalogram: an Update

SummaryBackground and objectivesThe processed analysis of electroencephalogram became extremely important to monitor nervous system, being used to obtain a better anesthetic adequacy. The objective was to conduct a review about each processed parameter, defining its real importance.ContentA review was conducted showing mathematical, physical and clinical aspects as well as their correlations and updates, presenting new integrated parameters.ConclusionsAn adequate analysis of processed parameters of electroencephalogram may provide more intraoperative safety as well as result in a better outcome for the patient

Investigating autonomic nervous system dysfunction among patients with post-COVID condition and prolonged cardiovascular symptoms

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and arterial pressure (AP) variability and their responses to head-up tilt test (HUTT) were investigated in Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) patients reporting tachycardia and/or postural hypotension. Besides tachycardia, PCS patients also showed attenuation of the following HRV parameters: RMSSD [square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent normal-to-normal (NN) intervals] from statistical measures; the power of RR (beat-to-beat interval) spectra at HF (high frequency) from the linear method spectral analysis; occurrence of 2UV (two unlike variation) pattern of RR from the nonlinear method symbolic analysis; and the new family of statistics named sample entropy, when compared to control subjects. Basal AP and LF (low frequency) power of systolic AP were similar between PCS patients and control subjects, while 0 V (zero variation) patterns of AP from the nonlinear method symbolic analysis were exacerbated in PCS patients. Despite tachycardia and a decrease in RMSSD, no parameter of HRV changed during HUTT in PCS patients compared to control subjects. PCS patients reassessed after 6 months showed higher HF power of RR spectra and a higher percentage of 2UV pattern of RR. Moreover, the reassessed PCS patients showed a lower occurrence of 0 V patterns of AP, while the HUTT elicited HR (heart rate) and AP responses identical to control subjects. The HRV and AP variability suggest an autonomic dysfunction with sympathetic predominance in PCS patients. In contrast, the lack of responses of HRV and AP variability indices during HUTT indicates a marked impairment of autonomic control. Of note, the reassessment of PCS patients showed that the noxious effect of COVID-19 on autonomic control tended to fade over time

Clinical And Surgical Anatomy Of Lumbar Hernia: A Review

Lumbar hernia is defined as the presence of failure in the transverse fascia or in the aponeurosis of the transverse abdominal muscle that results in the extrusion of intra or extra peritoneal organs through the discontinuity of the postero lateral abdominal wall. The aim of this study was to conduct a methodical review of the anatomy of the hernia form grynfelt dated from 2006 to 2017. For this, we performed a bibliographic review by means of electronic databases like SciELO, PubMed, Science Direct, LILACS and Bireme to get better approach to the subject. It has been found that the lumbar hernia is a disease little known by doctors whose diagnostics are often performed in the wrong way and for surgical correction needs a good anatomical knowledge. Lumbar hernias, although rare, must be taken into account, since ischemia of herniated intestinal segments can lead to the death of the patient, especially in the elderly. Knowledge about the anatomy of the lumbar region is of vital importance because it makes surgery safe and reduces risks of complications and recidivating of the hernia

ATLANTIC-PRIMATES: a dataset of communities and occurrences of primates in the Atlantic Forests of South America

Primates play an important role in ecosystem functioning and offer critical insights into human evolution, biology, behavior, and emerging infectious diseases. There are 26 primate species in the Atlantic Forests of South America, 19 of them endemic. We compiled a dataset of 5,472 georeferenced locations of 26 native and 1 introduced primate species, as hybrids in the genera Callithrix and Alouatta. The dataset includes 700 primate communities, 8,121 single species occurrences and 714 estimates of primate population sizes, covering most natural forest types of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina and some other biomes. On average, primate communities of the Atlantic Forest harbor 2 ± 1 species (range = 1–6). However, about 40% of primate communities contain only one species. Alouatta guariba (N = 2,188 records) and Sapajus nigritus (N = 1,127) were the species with the most records. Callicebus barbarabrownae (N = 35), Leontopithecus caissara (N = 38), and Sapajus libidinosus (N = 41) were the species with the least records. Recorded primate densities varied from 0.004 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta guariba at Fragmento do Bugre, Paraná, Brazil) to 400 individuals/km 2 (Alouatta caraya in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil). Our dataset reflects disparity between the numerous primate census conducted in the Atlantic Forest, in contrast to the scarcity of estimates of population sizes and densities. With these data, researchers can develop different macroecological and regional level studies, focusing on communities, populations, species co-occurrence and distribution patterns. Moreover, the data can also be used to assess the consequences of fragmentation, defaunation, and disease outbreaks on different ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, species invasion or extinction, and community dynamics. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this Data Paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data. © 2018 by the The Authors. Ecology © 2018 The Ecological Society of Americ