Morning and Afternoon Sampling and Herbage Chemical Composition of Rotationally Stocked Elephant Grass cv. Napier

Nutrient intake by grazing animals depends on the amount of dry matter consumed and its chemical composition. Forage grasses, as with any other plants, produce assimilates during the day via photosynthesis to sustain live tissues, plant growth and organic reserves (Taiz and Zeiger 2013). In that context, herbage chemical composition may vary according to variations in the photosynthesis-respiration balance throughout the day. From dawn to dusk the balance increases and herbage dry matter content as well as concentration of soluble carbohydrates increase, the reverse happening from dusk to dawn. That could interfere with nutritive value and nutrient intake of grazing animals (Delagarde 2000), since for a given bite volume the amount of herbage and its composition could vary depending on the time of the day. That could have implications for rotationally managed pastures, indicating a potential effect of time of changing animals from one paddock to the other as a management strategy. Against that background, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate dry matter (DM) content and the concentration of soluble carbohydrates (SC), crude protein (CP), neutral (NDF) and acid (ADF) detergent fibre in herbage samples harvested during the morning and afternoon periods from rotationally stocked elephant grass cv. Napier

Restauration de l’habitat de l’azuré des mouillères (Phengaris alcon) et ses hôtes, Gentiana pneumonanthe et les fourmis du genre Myrmica, dans le parc naturel d’Alvao, Portugal.

Restauration de l’habitat de l’azuré des mouillères (Phengaris alcon) et ses hôtes, Gentiana pneumonanthe et les fourmis du genre Myrmica, dans le parc naturel d’Alvao, Portugal.Restauration de l’habitat de l’azuré des mouillères (Phengaris alcon) et ses hôtes, Gentiana pneumonanthe et les fourmis du genre Myrmica, dans le parc naturel d’Alvao, Portugal

Fluid resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starches in patients with sepsis is associated with an increased incidence of acute kidney injury and use of renal replacement therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

Purpose: Fluid resuscitation is a key intervention in sepsis, but the type of fluids used varies widely. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine whether resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starches (HES) compared with crystalloids affects outcomes in patients with sepsis. Materials and Methods: Search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to February 2013. Studies that compared resuscitation with HES versus crystalloids in septic patients, and reported incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), renal replacement therapy (RRT), transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) or fresh frozen plasma and/or mortality. Three investigators independently extracted data into uniform risk ratio measures. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework was used to determine the quality of the evidence. Results: Ten trials (4624 patients) were included. An increased incidence of AKI (risk ratio [RR], 1.24 [95% Confidence Interval {CI}, 1.13-1.36], and need of RRT (RR, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.17-1.57]) was found in patients who received resuscitation with HES. Resuscitation with HES was also associated with increased transfusion of RBC (RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.01-1.93]), but not fresh frozen plasma (RR, 1.47 [95% CI, 0.97-2.24]). Furthermore, while intensive care unit mortality (RR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.43-1.26]), and 28-day mortality (RR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.96-1.28]) was not different, resuscitation with HES was associated with higher 90-day mortality (RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04-1.26]). Conclusions: Fluid resuscitation practice with HES as in the meta-analyzed studies is associated with increased an increase in AKI incidence, need of RRT, RBC transfusion, and 90-day mortality in patients with sepsis. Therefore, we favor the use of crystalloids over HES for resuscitation in patients with sepsis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserve

Biology of the repair of central nervous system demyelinated lesions: an appraisal Biologia da reparação de lesões desmielinizantes do sistema nervoso central: uma avaliação

The integrity of myelin sheaths is maintained by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells respectively in the central nervous system (CNS) and in the peripheral nervous system. The process of demyelination consisting of the withdrawal of myelin sheaths from their axons is a characteristic feature of multiple sclerosis, the most common human demyelinating disease. Many experimental models have been designed to study the biology of demyelination and remyelination (repair of the lost myelin) in the CNS, due to the difficulties in studying human material. In the ethidium bromide (an intercalating gliotoxic drug) model of demyelination, CNS remyelination may be carried out by surviving oligodendrocytes and/or by cells differentiated from the primitive cell lines or either by Schwann cells that invade the CNS. However, some factors such as the age of the experimental animals, intensity and time of exposure to the intercalating chemical and the topography of the lesions have marked influence on the repair of the tissue.<br>A integridade da bainha de mielina é fornecida pelos oligodendrócitos e pelas células de Schwann, no sistema nervoso central (SNC) e no sistema nervoso periférico, respectivamente. O fenômeno de desmielinização refere-se à remoção das bainhas de mielina de axônios e este fato é característico na esclerose múltipla, a doença desmielinizante do SNC mais comum no homem. Muitos modelos experimentais têm sido utilizados para o estudo da biologia da desmielinização e remielinização no SNC, face à dificuldade de estudo de material humano. No modelo experimental da droga intercalate, gliotóxica, brometo de etídio, a remielinização do SNC pode ser efetuada por oligodendrócitos sobreviventes à lesão e/ou oriundos de diferenciação de linhagens celulares mais primitivas e por células de Schwann que invadem o SNC. No entanto, fatores como a idade dos animais, a intensidade, e o tempo de exposição ao agente intercalante e a topografia da lesão influenciam significativamente a reparação da lesão