Multiple pregnancies and its relationship with the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

Background: The influence of multiple gestation on the occurrence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is still not completely understood. Objectives: To verify the incidence of any stage of ROP and threshold ROP in singletons and in multiple gestation among preterm infants. Methods: This was an institutional, prospective, and descriptive cohort study, which included preterm newborns with birth weight (BW) of 1500 g or less and/or gestational age (GA) of 32 weeks or less, as admitted to the neonatal units at Laranjeiras and Amparo Hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between January 2001 and July 2005, and whom remained hospitalized for at least 28 days. There were no exclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 included multiples; and Group 2 consisted of singletons. Results: A total of 159 infants that remained in neonatal unit care for at least 28 days were included in this study. Group 1 comprised 56 (35%) multiples; and Group 2 comprised 103 (65%) singletons. Mean BW was 1072 g ± 272 and 1089 g ± 282 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (analysis of variance [ANOVA] P . 0.05). Mean GA among multiple gestation (Group 1) was 29 weeks ± 2.1; and 29 weeks ± 2.4 among singletons (Group 2) (ANOVA P . 0.05). Days in oxygen therapy ranged from 0 to 188 days. Median among Group 1 was 15 days, while median in Group 2 was 10 days (Kruskal–Wallis P . 0.05) Any stage ROP was detected in 66 (41.5%) of the whole cohort comprising 159 babies. Among the 56 multiples, 30 (53.6%) achieved any stage ROP, and among 103 singletons, 36 (35%) achieved any stage ROP (Chi-square test P , 0.05). Threshold ROP occurred in 12 (7.5%) of the 159 patients included. Three (5.3%) patients from Group 1 and nine (8.7%) patients in Group 2 reached threshold ROP needing laser treatment (Fisher’s exact test P . 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed higher frequency of any stage of ROP in twins and triplets but not regarding threshold disease. Because of the relatively small number of patients in this sample, other studies are necessary to determine if gemelarity plays a role in the occurrence of ROP

Estudo da massa específica básica e da variação dimensional da madeira de três espécies de eucalipto para a indústria moveleira

The utilization of wood from reforested species by the furniture industry is a recent trend. Thus, the present study determined the specific gravity and shrinkage of wood of 18-year-old Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus dunnii and Eucalyptus urophylla, for use as components in solid wood furniture making. The tests to evaluate the specific gravity and shrinkage of wood in the radial and axial variation of the eucalyptus trees were performed according to NBR 7190/96. The results of the analysis of wood from eucalypt species were subjected to the Homogeneity Test, ANOVA, Tukey and Pearson correlation and compared to the performance of sucupira wood (Bowdichia nitida) and cumaru wood (Dipteryx odorata), often used in the furniture industry.  The following results were found: Eucalyptus grandis had a lower value of shrinkage, being more suitable for furniture components that require high dimensional stability, as well as parts of larger surface. The wood of this species showed a rate of dimensional variation compatible with the native species used in the furniture industry.  The radial variation of the wood was also verified, and a high correlation between specific gravity and shrinkage was found. Longitudinally, the base of the trunk of the eucalyptus trees was shown to be the region of greatest dimensional stability.A utilização da madeira de árvores de espécies de reflorestamento pela indústria moveleira tem apresentado tendência de crescimento nos últimos anos. Nesse sentido, no presente trabalho foram determinadas a massa específica básica e variação dimensional da madeira de árvores de Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus dunnii e Eucalyptus urophylla, de 18 anos, para a aplicação como componentes de madeira maciça em movelaria. Os ensaios laboratoriais para a avaliação da massa específica básica e da variação dimensional da madeira nos sentidos radial e longitudinal do tronco das árvores de eucaliptos foram realizados de acordo com a NBR 7190/96. Os resultados da análise da madeira das espécies de eucalipto foram submetidos ao Teste de Homogeneidade, Análise de Variância, Teste de Tukey e Correlação de Pearson e comparados com o desempenho da madeira de sucupira (Bowdichia nitida) e de cumaru (Dipteryx odorata) utilizadas na indústria moveleira. Verificou-se para a madeira de Eucalyptus grandis menor valor de variação dimensional, sendo a mais indicada para componentes de móveis que exigem elevada estabilidade dimensional, além de peças de maior superfície. A madeira dessa espécie apresentou índice de variação dimensional compatível com o de espécies nativas utilizadas na indústria moveleira. Verificou-se, ainda, variação radial das propriedades da madeira, com alta correlação entre a massa específica básica e a variação dimensional. No sentido longitudinal, a base do tronco das árvores de eucalipto mostrou-se com a região de madeira de maior estabilidade dimensional

TEORIA PIAGETIANA: OS PROCESSOS COGNITIVOS NO PENSAMENTO LÓGICO - MATEMÁTICO DA CRIANÇA

Este artigo é uma produção organizada a partir das principais ideias de Jean Piaget, o qual aborda o desenvolvimento cognitivo e o pensamento lógico-matemático da criança, os processos de equilibração e acomodação, a inteligência, o pensamento e a linguagem. A escolha do tema se justifica pelo desejo de averiguar as implicações do pensamento lógico-matemático no desenvolvimento cognitivo dos estudantes de modo geral. Destaca-se a evolução mental do sujeito e como a cognição se desenvolve na aprendizagem de conceitos matemáticos. O trabalho tem um cunho investigativo e, utilizou-se como metodologia a revisão de literatura ou revisão bibliográfica, tendo em vista que a pesquisa versa sobre alguns livros e colaboradores do trabalho desenvolvido pelo epistemólogo Piaget durante muitas décadas. Descreve os períodos ou fases de desenvolvimento dos indivíduos, concentrando-se, principalmente, nos períodos da inteligência concreta e das operações formais. Concluiu-se que Jean Piaget trouxe inúmeras contribuições para o estudo da mente das crianças e adolescentes que ainda hoje são utilizadas por psicólogos e educadores para embasar suas pesquisas, bem como analisar como se prescreve   passagem de um período a outro e como se caracteriza o pensamento lógico nos indivíduos

Ocular Biometry and its Relationship with Body Size and Head in French Bulldog Dogs

Background: Ocular biometrics is an easy to perform, safe, non-invasive and low-cost exam that provides immediate results with excellent definition. Brachycephalic dogs have a high risk of developing eye problems, and the early appearance is frequent due to factors linked to anatomical conformation. The aim of the present study was to perform eye biometrics in French Bulldog dogs through ultrasound, correlating with body and head size.Materials, Methods & Results: Clinical examination, ophthalmic examination and ocular biometrics were performed using B-mode ultrasonography, using a 10 megahertz frequency transducer in 30 French Bulldog dogs, aged 1-6 years old, male and females from the Br Lord's Staff kennel and the Radiovet - Rio de Janeiro veterinary clinic. A drop of anesthetic eye drops containing 1% tetracaine hydrochloride and 0.1% phenylephrine hydrochloride was instilled and the direct contact technique was performed with the cornea with the help of sterile water-soluble lubricating acoustic gel between the transducer and the examined eye. These measurements were correlated with cephalic measurements (frontal-occipital distance, skull circumference, distance between the zygomatic arches and frontal-nasal distance) and with body measurements (length of the dog from the cranial end of the sternum to the ischial tuberosity and height of the withers from the cranial angle of the scapula to the ground). No chemical restraint was necessary. Dogs were positioned seated or in sternal decubitus, with slight physical restraint. All measurements were performed by the same examiner. There was no significant difference between the parameters of male and female eye biometrics and there was no difference between the measurements of the right and left eyes. The mean value of axial bulb length was 19.51 ± 0.58 mm, for the thickness of the lens, 6.71 ± 0.66 mm, for depth of the anterior chamber, 2.36 ± 0.89 mm and for the depth of the vitreous chamber, 10.44 ± 1.32 mm, showing the same pattern as other studies with brachycephalic dogs. The size of the dog or skull did not interfere with the measurements of eye biometrics.Discussion: The French Bulldog breed was selected for this study due to the scarcity of publications on ocular biometrics in brachycephalic breeds.The knowledge of ocular biometrics is extremely important for the understanding and early diagnosis of some anomalies related to the growth of ocular structures. It is an essential method of exploration and diagnosis of diseases of the eye bulb and orbit, being indicated to evaluate variations in size, shape and position of the eye bulb. The casuistry of these dogs with eye diseases in the ophthalmological clinical routine is large, since they have a high risk of developing eye problems. Ultrasonography is an easy to access and safe, non-invasive exam and the direct corneal contact technique allows clearer images. As there was no significant difference in measurements of intraocular structures between the right and left eyes, the normal eye can be a reliable parameter to establish the prosthetic eye bulb for the injured or enucleated eye. In the present study, there were 21 females and 9 males, which may have generated interference in these values since there was no sex ratio. The measurements of axial length, lenticular thickness, depth of the anterior chamber and the vitreous chamber had values similar to other studies with brachycephalic dogs

Decomposition of Cattle Dung on Mixed Grass-Legume Pastures

Animal excreta contribute positively to nutrient cycling and can improve the quality of soil (Dubeux et al. 2009, Carvalho et al. 2010). Cattle excrement, when evenly distributed over a pasture, can help to maintain plant nutrition without the application of fertilizers. The introduction of legumes intercropped with grasses benefits the soil by means of nitrogen fixation. Also, when ruminant animals eat legumes, the excrement produced may have lower C:N, C:P, lignin:N and lignin:P ratios promoting better nutrient return to the soil compared to when cattle eat only grass. Given the importance of nutrient return and decomposition time of cattle excreta on pastures, the objective of this study was to evaluate the decomposition of excrement of heifers managed in mixed grass-shrubby legume pastures and grass-only pastures

Nutraceuticals for Dissolving Nephrolites in Cats

Background: Nephrolithiasis is a condition frequently observed in felines, with or without concomitant chronic kidney disease, constituting the major cause of ureteral obstruction and causing progressive damage to the renal parenchyma. About 90% of nephrolites are composed of calcium oxalate, which cannot dissolve, and its incidence has increased substantially in recent years, along with its recurrence. There are functional foods known as nutraceuticals provides health benefits such as renoprotection. Due to these benefits and the high prevalence of nephrolithiasis in feline species, the present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the association of some nutraceuticals in the dissolution of nephrolites.Materials, Methods & Results: The included cats had an ultrasound diagnosis of nephrolithiasis that, on clinical examination, showed: (i) the absence of previous or concomitant treatment for urinary infections and/or vesical and renal lithiasis; (ii) absence of genitourinary clinical manifestations; (iii) absence of obstructive processes; and (iv) absence of concomitant ureterolithiasis. We separated 51 cats with nephrolithiasis into 2 groups: control (n = 12) and study (n = 39). The control group received a placebo and the study group, nutraceuticals (magnesium chelate, resveratrol, vitamin K2, docosahexaenoic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid). Laboratory tests (blood and urine) and abdominal imaging (ultrasound) were performed at day 0 and 30 days after enrollment. Monitoring the therapeutic efficacy in both groups was performed on day 30 for the CG and on days 30, 60, and 90 for the EG. The CG cats, after this step, were referred to surgery or to the EG, with prior authorization from their tutors. The diameter of nephrolites was significantly different before and after treatment, indicating a reduction in nephroliths over time. During the use of the nutraceutical formulation by the EG and use of placebo by the CG, there were no clinical and/or laboratory manifestations of side effects.Discussion: The dissolution of nephrolites was correlated with the synergism promoted by the combination of nutraceuticals and not with the individual beneficial action of each nutraceutical since nutraceuticals have individually been used in isolation for a long time in veterinary medicine without having yielded the same benefit. Those undissolved were attributed to a different type of mineral composition than the one associated with the nutraceutical compound in this study, such as struvite or ammonium urate, of mixed composition or comprising solidified dried blood, which has shown an increasing increase in use in recent years. The dissolution of nephrolites was correlated with the synergism promoted by the combination of nutraceuticals and not with the individual beneficial action of each nutraceutical since nutraceuticals have individually been used in isolation for a long time in veterinary medicine without having yielded the same benefit. The undissolved nephrolites were attributed to the nephrolites that obtained partial dissolution at the end of 90 days, in that they possibly needed a longer time to obtain complete dissolution or that they present another mineral composition in their nucleus; that is, it is a compound-type urolith. The nutraceutical compound proved to be effective in the dissolution of nephrolites in the cats included in this study, and the time of use (up to 90 days) showed no negative influence on the clinical or laboratory tests during the entire treatment period.Keywords: cats, food supplement, functional foods, natural products, nephrolithiasis, nutraceuticals

Perfil epidemiológico dos corredores de rua, das lesões ortopédicas e fatores de risco associados

Objetivo: Avaliar o perfil epidemiológico dos corredores de rua, das lesões ortopédicas e os principais fatores associados numa população de atletas recreacionais. Métodos: Estudo descritivo transversal desenvolvido em grupos de corredores de rua, na cidade de Aracaju/SE no período entre maio e setembro de 2018. Resultados: A maioria dos corredores foi do sexo masculino (69%). A média de idade dos corredores foi de 39 anos e desvio padrão de ±10,5. A amostra apresentou uma média de IMC de 25,7 e desvio padrão ± 3,66. A maior parte dos atletas recreacionais possuía de 1 a 3 anos de prática, frequência semanal de 3 ou mais dias e percorrem distancias semanais superiores a 25 km. Possuem orientação de educador físico e praticam outra modalidade esportiva. 28% dos praticantes apresentaram ao menos uma lesão nos últimos 12 meses, sendo o joelho o principal sítio acometido (32%). Não foi encontrada relação entre variáveis morfológicas e de treinamento com as lesões ortopédicas. Conclusões: A maioria dos corredores de rua foi do sexo masculino e mais de ¼ dos corredores apresentaram ao menos uma lesão esportiva nos últimos 12 meses, sendo o joelho o principal sítio acometido

Accuracy of Hidden Markov Models in Identifying Alterations in Movement Patterns during Biceps-Curl Weight-Lifting Exercise

This paper presents a comparison of mathematical and cinematic motion analysis regarding the accuracy of the detection of alterations in the patterns of positional sequence during biceps-curl lifting exercise. Two different methods, one with and one without metric data from the environment, were used to identify the changes. Ten volunteers performed a standing biceps-curl exercise with additional loads. A smartphone recorded their movements in the sagittal plane, providing information on joints and barbell sequential position changes during each lift attempt. An analysis of variance revealed significant differences in joint position (p < 0.05) among executions with three different loads. Hidden Markov models were trained with data from the bi-dimensional coordinates of the joint positional sequence to identify meaningful alteration with load increment. Tests of agreement tests between the results provided by the models with the environmental measurements, as well as those from image coordinates, were performed. The results demonstrated that it is possible to efficiently detect changes in the patterns of positional sequence with and without the necessity of measurement and/or environmental control, reaching an agreement of 86% between each other, and 100% and 86% for each respective method to the results of ANOVA. The method developed in this study illustrates the viability of smartphone camera use for identifying positional adjustments due to the inability to control limbs in an adequate range of motion with increasing load during a lifting task.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Malignant tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath in a left Whippet canine kidney

Background: Malignant tumors of the peripheral nerve sheath (MTPNS`s) are considered rare tumors that can affect soft tissues. In dogs, the occurrence is more common in the nerves of the brachial plexus, but they can affect the lumbosacral plexus and cranial nerves. Rarely, they can affect spinal nerves and nerve roots and the urinary tract, especially in kidneys. The present report aims to describe a clinical case of a 10-year-old sterilized female whippet, who had a history of persistent hematuria for months, with subsequent diagnosis of MTPNS as the cause of hematuria.Case: The patient came for evaluation with a history of persistent hematuria. Evaluation of abnormal elements and sedimentation, showed the description of numerous red blood cells and the presence of proteinuria. The abdominal ultrasound revealed a left kidney with enlarged dimensions, irregular contour, loss of corticomedullary definition. The urinary vesicle showed an increase in cellularity. On physical examination, the patient had vital parameters within the normal range. A Snap 4DX® Plus exam was requested, which showed a reaction for Dirofilaria immitis. With this result, it was initially suspected that renal vasculitis. After starting the treatment, the patient started to present normal colored urine. However, after the end of this period, the patient returned to hematuria. After six months of treatment and without justification for the permanence of hematuria, urethrocystoscopy was indicated, which revealed a urinary vesicle with a hemorrhagic focus. A urinary bladder wall biopsy was performed, which showed no changes. Four months after the urethrocystoscopic exam, the patient had her first azotemic crisis. This time that the left renal neoformation observed on ultrasound examination. With the discovery of the origin of the problem, a therapeutic approach could be instituted, consisting of the left nephrectomy. The histopathological analysis showed malignant spindle cell neoplasia. Immunohistochemical analysis in peroxidase revealed positivity for the markers, concluding the diagnosis as a tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath. Seven months after surgery, a new ultrasound examination of the abdominal region, as well as tests for the assessment of renal function, all of which were within normal parameters.Discussion: Most of the MTPNS originate in the peripheral nerves and in the cranial nerve sheath, but it can rarely originate in the abdominal cavity, as in the case reported here, in which the origin was renal. Such neoplasms are not common in dogs, with an incidence of 0.5%. The age of the affected dogs is, on average, nine years for the appearance of the neoplasia, with females with the highest frequency of occurrence. Both data corroborate the patient's age at the time of diagnosis. This is a tumor that is considered to be highly malignant and progressive, which did not occur in the patient in question, since she had a history of persistent hematuria for a long period, with no manifestation of the presence of the tumor on imaging. Still regarding the clinical manifestation of the patient's persistent hematuria, the same occurrence can be observed in a human patient who also reported a history of persistent hematuria and, like the patient in the report, not associated with any other clinical signs. It is important to differentiate this type of neoplasia from the others, because in many cases, the histological patterns are similar, making the performance of immunohistochemistry essential for the diagnosis. Renal MTPNS is rare in humans, and in dogs it is no different. This fact makes it difficult to describe the prognosis. Thus, efforts should be considered for the early diagnosis of peripheral nerve neoplasms, in view of their low response to available halopathic treatments and taking into account the rare aspect and evolution of this disease