Mechanisms of subcutaneous adipose tissue formation in experimental lymphedema model

no abstrac

Mechanisms of subcutaneous adipose tissue formation in experimental lymphedema model

no abstrac

Dinâmica espacial e formação de clusters significativos no setor agropecuário de Minas Gerais

A produção do setor agropecuário brasileiro passou recentemente por mudanças profundas, com rebatimentos na competitividade dos estados e, em particular, do Estado de Minas Gerais. O objetivo do trabalho é testar a hipótese de que  existe no estado de Minas Gerais uma natureza multidirecional do padrão de interação intermunicipal, que produz notórios efeitos espaciais. A análise espacial dos dados é categórica, existe certa dependência espacial na produção agropecuária, o que implica em dizer que o padrão de interação intermunicipal produz externalidades espaciais positivas, que formam e ampliam os clusters significativos, explicando o maior dinamismo setorial nas regiões mais produtivas

Ilex paraguariensis extract as drugs alternative for pain

Pain is a common and distressing symptom of many diseases and its clinical treatment generally involves analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs. This study evaluated the toxicity of Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil. (Aquifoliaceae) aqueous extract (leaves, petioles and branches) and its performance in nociceptive response. Hepatotoxicity, psychostimulant test and evaluation of enzyme markers for liver damage were also tested. Chromatographic analysis by UPLC-MS demonstrated a series of isomeric monocaffeoylquinic acids, isomers of dicaffeoylquinic acids, flavonol glycosides, and saponins. Phase I and II of nociception were obtained for meloxicam, dexamethasone and aqueous Ilex paraguariensis extract. Ilex paraguariensis extract concentration was negatively correlated (R = –0.887) with alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.05) in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity test, indicating an hepatoprotective activity of this extract. Ilex paraguariensis extract also presented analgesic properties equivalent to drugs that already have proven efficacy. Notably, administration of multiple doses of Ilex paraguariensis extract was considered safe from the therapeutic point of view

Are eucalyptus harvest residues a truly burden-free biomass source for bioenergy? A deeper look into biorefinery process design and Life Cycle Assessment

With the advent of RenovaBio, Brazil has cast a new light towards the life cycle of cellulosic ethanol. Once considered a resource intensive alternative pathway to achieve the same biofuel, second-generation approaches can now provide an economic advantage due to their potentially lower carbon footprint. The exploration of lignocellulosic harvest residues to this end can be beneficial, since productivity can be increased while not expanding cultivated areas. Eucalyptus forest residues are an example, result of logging and harvest procedures, being a low-cost and readily available biomass. Through an integrated biorefinery process simulation and a Life Cycle Assessment of the coproduction of ethanol and electricity, it was analyzed whether forestry burden is truly relevant when exploring this material, identifying technical and environmental bottlenecks. The biorefinery design implementation of anaerobic digestion and energy integration allowed a productivity boost of 20% for ethanol and 115% for electricity. With a 80 km collection radius, an annual production capacity of 30.3 ML could be achieved in the Campinas region. Enzymes were identified as the main environmental hotspot, but inconsistent published datasets and lack of transparency lead to inconclusive results regarding this input. While the burden associated with the lignocellulosic feedstock is relevant in most impact categories, the main bottleneck resides within the biorefinery itself, with inputs related to pretreatment and hydrolysis, boiler emissions and water consumption. Nevertheless, eucalyptus harvest residues cannot be considered a burden-free resource, since additional operations such as retrieval and transportation cannot be dismissed and often surpasses the impact potential of the aforementioned forestry activities.</p

Bone mineral density, pulmonary function, chronological age, and age at diagnosis in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

AbstractObjectiveTo assess bone mineral density in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and to correlate it with possible intervening variables.MethodsChildren and adolescents diagnosed with CF, aged 6 to 18 years, followed at the outpatient clinic were included in the study. First, demographic data were collected and, subsequently, patients underwent a spirometric test. All patients answered the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (CFQ) and underwent the six-minute walk test (6MWT) and bone densitometry (DXA).ResultsA total of 25 CF patients were included, of which 56% were males. The mean age was 12.3±3.4 years; mean height was 149.2±14.4 cm; and mean weight was 44.4±13.9 kg. Most results on pulmonary function and bone mineral density (BMD) were within normal limits. The mean forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV) was 92.5±23.6 (% of predicted), mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 104.4±21.3 (% of predicted), and1 mean BMD z-score was 0.1±1.0. BMD was moderately correlated with FEV (r = 0.43, p = 0.03) and FVC (r = 0.57, p = 0.003). Regarding chronological age and age at diagnosis, a moderate and inverse correlation was also found (r = −0.55, p = 0.004; r = −0.57, p = 0.003, respectively). However, no significant correlations were found with the data from CFQ, 6MWT, and body mass index.ConclusionMost patients had BMD within normal limits and presented a positive correlation with pulmonary function, as well as a negative correlation with chronological age and age at diagnosis