The Effect of Regional Analgesia on Vascular Tone in Hip Arthroplasty Patients

Background: While it is assumed that neuraxial analgesia and pain management may beneficially influence perioperative hemodynamics, few studies provided data quantifying such effects and none have assessed the potential contribution of the addition of a nerve block. Questions/purposes: This clinical trial compared the visual analog scale (VAS) scores and measurement of arterial tone using augmentation index of patients who received combined spinal-epidural (CSE) only to patients who received both CSE and lumbar plexus block. Methods: After obtaining written consent, 92 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were randomized to receive either CSE or CSE with lumbar plexus block (LPB). Perioperative pain and arterial tone were measured using VAS scores and augmentation index (AI) respectively, at baseline and at various times postoperatively. Results: After the exclusion of 2 patients, 44 patients received CSE alone and 46 patients received CSE and LPB. Patient demographics and perioperative characteristics were similar in both groups. AI continuously decreased after placement of a CSE with or without LBP, beyond full resolution of neuraxial and peripheral blockade. Although the LPB group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of VAS pain scores in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU; P \u3c 0.05), overall, the addition of a LPB did not significantly reduce the AI when compared to the control group. Conclusion: The addition of a LPB provided better pain control in the PACU but did not reduce the AI, compared to the control group. We conclude that the addition of a LPB may have limited ability to affect arterial tone in the presence of a continuous infusion of epidural analgesics. In summary, the addition of a LPB in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty is clinically effective and provided better pain control, especially in the immediate postoperative period. The continuous decrease on the AI in both groups beyond the full resolution of the neuroaxial and LPB will require further studies

Temperaturas de quema y propiedades físicas y químicas de suelos de la Región Semiárida Pampeana Central Impact of different burning temperatures on the physical and chemical properties of Central Semiarid Pampa soils

Los fuegos controlados y naturales son frecuentes en el Caldenal, en la Región Semiárida Pampeana Central, y sus efectos sobre propiedades físicas y químicas de los suelos son poco conocidos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue detectar las temperaturas de quema que producen cambios en algunas propiedades físicas y químicas del suelo en el Caldenal. Dos Haplustoles énticos, uno franco arenoso y otro franco fueron calentados durante 5 minutos a 100 ºC, 200 ºC, 300 ºC, 400 ºC, 500 ºC y 600 ºC. Sobre las muestras de suelo sin tratar y las sometidas a las diferentes temperaturas se determinó pH en agua, textura, carbono orgánico, nitrógeno total, cationes intercambiables y capacidad de intercambio catiónico. Las temperaturas de quema a las que se produjeron mayores modificaciones fueron 500 ºC y 600 °C, detectándose disminuciones del contenido de carbono orgánico, nitrógeno total, de la relación de ambos, de la capacidad de intercambio catiónico y la transformación del suelo franco en franco arenoso y del franco arenoso en arenoso franco. Los contenidos de potasio y sodio intercambiables aumentaron a partir de 300 ºC y 400 ºC según el suelo, mientras que en ambos el contenido de magnesio disminuyó a partir de 400 ºC y el de calcio no fue afectado a ninguna temperatura. A menores temperaturas, 200 ºC y 300 ºC, sólo se afectaron las proporciones de las fracciones de arena. Como consecuencia de una quema a altas temperaturas disminuirá la capacidad de retención de agua y de nutrientes de estos suelos, con la consecuente pérdida de fertilidad.<br>The natural and controlled burns are very frequent in the Caldenal area, located in the Central Semiarid Pampean Region, and the effects they produce on the physical and chemical properties of the soils are not well-known. The aim of this study was to find out the burning temperatures that produce changes in soil physical and chemical properties in the Caldenal area. Two Entic Haplustolls (loam and sandy loam), were heated during 5 minutes at 100 ºC, 200 ºC, 300 ºC, 400 ºC, 500 ºC and 600 ºC. Ph in water, texture, organic carbon, total nitrogen, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity were determined on soil samples that received heat and on untreated controls. The 500 and 600 ºC burning temperatures produced more changes, decreasing the organic carbon contents, total nitrogen, the OC/Nt ratio, the cation exchange capacity and causing the transformation of the loam soil into sandy loam and of the sandy loam into loamy sand soil. The exchangeable potassium and sodium contents increased with burning temperatures of 300 ºC and 400 ºC and greater, depending on the soil, but in both of them the magnesium content decreased from 400 ºC and greater, and the calcium content was not affected by high temperatures. At lower temperatures, such as 200 ºC and 300 ºC, only the proportions of sand fractions changed. As a consequence of burning with high temperatures, the water and nutrient retention capacity of the Caldenal area soils will decrease, concomitantly with the fertility

Fracciones de fósforo en suelos del Caldenal Pampeano expuestos a distintas temperaturas de quema Phosphorus fractions in soils of the Pampean Caldenal expose to different burn temperatures

RESUMEN En el Área del Caldenal donde la ganadería es una de las principales actividades productivas se utiliza el fuego para aumentar la producción de pasturas, sin embargo existen pocos antecedentes de los efectos de las quemas controladas sobre el contenido de las fracciones de fósforo del suelo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de temperaturas de quema sobre fracciones orgánicas e inorgánicas de fósforo en un suelo franco arenoso y otro franco. Se tomaron muestras de los primeros 5 cm de cada uno de los suelos sin la cobertura vegetal, que fueron calentadas a 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 y 600 ºC dejando una muestra sin calcinar como testigo. A cada muestra se le determinó el contenido de P por extracción secuencial con los siguientes extractantes: carbonato ácido de sodio (Pi-HCO3), hidróxido de sodio (Pi-NaOH y Po-NaOH), ácido clorhídrico (Pi-HCl) y ácido sulfúrico (P-H2SO4). En general, el efecto de la temperatura de quema sobre los contenidos de las fracciones analizadas fue similar en ambos suelos. Por efecto del calentamiento a temperaturas de 300 ºC y superiores en ambos suelos, en general, aumentaron los contenidos de Pi-HCO3 y de Pi-NaOH mientras que disminuyeron los contenidos de P-H2SO4 como así también de la fracción Po-NaOH, atribuible a la descomposición de la materia orgánica a esas temperaturas con el consecuente aumento de las formas disponibles de fósforo inorgánico. Cuando los suelos fueron calentados a 300 °C, en el suelo franco arenoso se registraron aumentos de los contenidos de Pi-HCl y en el suelo franco disminuciones de dicha fracción. Al calentar ambos suelos a 600 °C se registraron aumentos de Pi-HCl los que estuvieron en relación con los aumentos de pH. Esto indica que disminuyó la solubilidad de los fosfatos de calcio predominantes en estos suelos. Quemas en las que la temperatura desarrollada en el suelo sea menor a los 300 °C no producirán cambios en los contenidos de las fracciones de fósforo. Sólo en el suelo franco el calentamiento a 300 ºC produjo una disminución neta de P posiblemente debido a la volatilización de compuestos orgánicos.<br>Cattle production is one of the main productive activities in the Caldenal area of La Pampa Province, and burning is used to increase forage production. However, there are very few reports in the literature on the effect of controlled burning on soil phosphorus fraction content. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of burn temperatures on organic and inorganic phosphorus fractions of a sandy loam and a loam soil. Superficial soil samples (0-5 cm) without plant cover were air dried and heated at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 ºC, and a non-heated sample was left as control. In every sample, the P content was determined by a sequential extraction procedure using the following extractants: sodium bicarbonate (Pi-HCO3), sodium hydroxide (Pi-NaOH and Po-NaOH) clorhidric acid (Pi-HCl) and sulfuric acid (P-H2SO4). In general, the effect of burn temperature on the analyzed fraction&#8217;s content was similar in both soils. In general, heating at 300 ºC or higher temperatures increased Pi-HCO3 and Pi-NaOH content and decreased P-H2SO4 and Po-NaOH content, possibly due to organic matter decomposition at these temperatures and the consequent increase in available inorganic phosphorus. When soils were heated at 300ºC, increases in Pi-HCl content were registered in the sandy loam soil, whereas this fraction decreased in loam soil. Heating both soils at 600 ºC caused an increase in Pi-HCl related to higher pH values, indicating a decrease in Ca-phosphates. Burns involving soil temperatures no higher than 300 ºC do not produce changes in phosphorus fraction content. Heating at 300ºC produced a net decrease in P only in the loam soil, possibly due to the volatilization of organic materials

Abscisic acid enhances glucose disposal and induces brown fat activity in adipocytes in vitro and in vivo

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone also present in animals, where it is involved in the regulation of innate immune cell function and of glucose disposal, through its receptor LANCL2. ABA stimulates glucose uptake by myocytes and pre-adipocytes in vitro and oral ABA improves glycemic control in rats and in healthy subjects. Here we investigated the role of the ABA/LANCL2 system in the regulation of glucose uptake and metabolism in adipocytes. Silencing of LANCL2 abrogated both the ABA- and insulin-induced increase of glucose transporter-4 expression and of glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 murine adipocytes; conversely, overexpression of LANCL2 enhanced basal, ABA- and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. As compared with insulin, ABA treatment of adipocytes induced lower triglyceride accumulation, CO2 production and glucose-derived fatty acid synthesis. ABA per se did not induce pre-adipocyte differentiation in vitro, but stimulated adipocyte remodeling in terminally differentiated cells, with a reduction in cell size, increased mitochondrial content, enhanced O2 consumption, increased transcription of adiponectin and of brown adipose tissue (BAT) genes. A single dose of oral ABA (1 \u3bcg/kg body weight) increased BAT glucose uptake 2-fold in treated rats compared with untreated controls. One-month-long ABA treatment at the same daily dose significantly upregulated expression of BAT markers in the WAT and in WAT-derived preadipocytes from treated mice compared with untreated controls. These results indicate a hitherto unknown role of LANCL2 in adipocyte sensitivity to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and suggest a role for ABA in the induction and maintenance of BAT activity

The Utility of Urine Desmosine as a Marker of Lung Injury in Spine Surgery

The objective of this prospective observational study was to determine if urine desmosine levels, a marker of lung injury, increase in response to the periopreative insults of anterior and posterior spine surgery. Desmosine, a stable breakdown product of elastin, has been proposed as a surrogate marker of lung injury in patients with COPD, tobacco use, and ARDS. We recently evaluated this marker in patients undergoing knee surgery, but the utility of desmosine as a marker of lung injury in patients undergoing spine surgery remains unstudied. In this study, we enrolled ten consecutive patients, who underwent anterior/posterior spine surgery. Patient demographics and perioperative data were recorded. Urine samples were collected at baseline, 1 day, and 3 days postoperatively and analyzed for levels of desmosine using a previously validated radioimmunoassay. Desmosine levels were 35.9 ± 18.2 pmol/mg creatinine at baseline, 38.7 ± 11 pmol/mg creatinine on postoperative day 1, and 70.5 ± 49.1 pmol/mg creatinine on postoperative day 3, respectively. Desmosine/creatinine ratios measured on day 3 postoperatively were significantly elevated compared to levels at baseline, and represented a 96.3% increase. No difference was seen between levels at baseline and day 1 postoperatively. In conclusion, we were able to show a significant increase in urine desmosine levels associated with anterior/posterior spine surgery. In the context of previous studies, our findings suggest that desmosine may be a marker of lung injury in this setting. However, further research is warranted for validation and correlation of desmosine levels to clinical markers and various degrees of lung injury

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data