Association between respiratory mechanics and autonomic function in morbid obesity.

This study aimed to investigate the association between respiratory mechanics and autonomic modulation in morbidly obese patients. We evaluated 10 morbidly obese subjects (BMI=52.9±11.2kg/m(2)), aged 23-58 years. Assessment of respiratory mechanics was done by the forced oscillation technique (FOT), and cardiovascular autonomic function was recorded by heart rate variability analysis (HRV). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the associations between respiratory mechanics and HRV variables. There were associations between the standard deviation of all RR intervals (SDNN) and airway resistance (Rm) (r=-0.82; p=0.004), SDNN and respiratory system resistance (R0) (r=-0.79; p=0.006), root mean square of successive differences between adjacent normal RR intervals (rMSSD) and respiratory system resistance (R5) (r=-0.643; p=0.0451), rMSSD and R0 (r=-0.64; p=0.047), and rMSSD and Rm (r=-0.658; p=0.039). We concluded that the airway and respiratory system resistances are negatively associated with parasympathetic activity in patients with morbid obesity.

Development of a disposable amperometric biosensor for salicylate based on a plastic electrochemical microcell.

The use of an amperometric biosensor for rapid salicylate determination in blood is described. Photolitography was used to make gold electrodes on a polyester film. The plastic microcell was characterized using cyclic voltammetry to demonstrate the electrochemical performance of the system. The biosensor was constructed by immobilizing salicylate hydroxylase onto the working electrode of the plastic electrochemical microcell. The optimized working conditions were 0.1 mol L(-1) phosphate buffer at pH 7.6 with 0.5 mmol L(-1) of NADH and 300 mV vs. Au as the applied potential. The resulting biosensor exhibited a high sensitivity (97.4 nA/mmol L(-1) salicylate) and an adequate linear response range (1.2x10(-4) to 1.0x10(-3)mol(-1)). The biosensor performance was verified by determining salicylate in spiked blood samples and the results were statistically equivalent to the values obtained from the standard Trinder spectrophotometric method, with a 95% confidence level. This study shows the potential development of a portable, inexpensive and disposable device for point-of-care monitoring.

Surface plasmon resonance immunosensor for early diagnosis of Asian rust on soybean leaves.

Soybean rust (Asian rust) is a disease that occurs in soy cultures, negatively affecting pod formation and final grain weight and reducing value and product quality. Early identification of fungus in the plants prevents severe farming losses and spread to neighboring cultures. In this paper, a fast response sensor was developed based on surface plasmon resonance to detect Asian rust in soybean leaf extract at early stages of the disease. The antibody anti-Phakopsora pachyrhizi (pathogen) was covalently immobilized on a gold substrate via a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of thiols using cysteamine-coupling chemistry. This immunosensor presented a linear response range for the antigen from 3.5 to 28.0 microg mL(-1) (r(2)=0.996). The effects of the antibody amount and the surface blocking to minimize non-specific adsorption on immunosensor response were evaluated. These studies provide new perspectives on using SPR technology for the development of a highly sensitive sensor for agricultural applications.

Morfologia e inervaçäo do diafragma de veados (Manzana americana, Manzana simplicicornis e Blastoceros bezoarticus) / Morphology and innervation of the diaphragm of deers (Manzana americana, Manzana simplicicornis and Blastoceros bezoarticus)

A morfologia e a inervaçäo do diafragma foram estudadas em três espécies de veados (Manzana americana, Manzana simplicicornis e Blastoceros bezoarticus). Os diafragmas foram fixados em soluçäo aquosa de formol a 10 por cento e o método utilizado para evidenciar a ramificaçäo e a distribuiçäo dos nervos frênicos foi o da dissecaçäo. Os resultados mostraram que os diafragmas das três espécies säo pouco espessos, possuem porçäo carnosa periférica reduzida, um centro tendíneo (folíolos) amplo e delgado e pilares robustos. Quando consideradas em conjunto as três espécies, os nervos frênicos dividem-se por trifurcaçäo (mais à direita) e por bifurcaçäo (ramo dorsal e tronco lateroventral - mais à esquerda - e ramo ventral e tronco laterodorsal - percentagens sem diferença estatisticamente significante entre os dois lados). Os ramos dorsais, laterais e ventrais destinam-se às partes lombar, costal e costal esternal respectivamente. Foram encontradas conexöes entre os filetes nervosos

Estudo anatômico das vias bilíferas em búfalos (Bubalus bubalis, L. 1758). Sistematizaçäo do Ramus principalis sinister / Anatomical study of the biliary ducts in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis, L. 1758). Intra-hepatic distribution of the Ramus principalis sinister

Estabeleceu-se a sistematizaçäo do ramus principalis sinister, um dos componentes das vias bilíferas intra-hepáticas em 40 búfalos fêmeas da raça Jaffarabadi adultas. Através do ductus choledocus, as vias bilíferas de cada animal foram injetadas com látex Neoprene 650 e Celobar, radiografadas e dissecadas após fixaçäo em soluçäo aquosa de formol a 10 por cento. O ramus principalis sinister é formado de maneira geral pelos seus componentes: ramus medialis lobi sinestri, truncus intermedialis, truncus intermediolateralis, ramus lateralis lobi sinistri e ramus lobi quadrati, além de afluentes inominados oriundos do lobus caudatus (pars supraportalis), lobus sinister (territórios medial, intermédio e lateral), lobus quadratus e lobus dexter. Foram observados em alguns órgäos determinados componentes do sistema do ramus principalis sinister relacionando-se entre si ou com a vesica fellea