Growth promotion in wheat seedlings altered by conditions in the culture medium of Azospirillum brasilense.

Agricultural management using technologies that help farmers increase productivity and reduce production costs must be promoted to ensure agricultural sustainability. The objective of the study was to achieve the pH effect of growth solution, chemical treatment, use of osmoprotector additive and mineral nitrate presence, on the activity of growth promoting bacteria, Azospirillum brasilense, and its effects on the physiological quality of seeds and wheat seedling growth. The first experiment evaluated the physiological quality of seeds and the second experiment was divided into four, evaluating the growth of wheat seedling in a hydroponic system. The experiments were prolonged in a very randomized design, with four replications. The physiological quality of the seeds was evaluated by germination tests, first germination count, length of the shoot and root and dry mass of the shoot and root. Initial growth was evaluated by quantifying the dry mass of the leaf shoot and root and the root system intervals. The pH of the solution and the presence of nitrogen did not influence the effects of inoculation of the A. brasilense bacteria. With the use of chemical treatment and osmoprotective additive, A. brasilense had no effect on the growth of wheat seedlings.

The applicability of the "surprise question" as a prognostic tool in patients with severe chronic comorbidities in a university teaching outpatient setting.

BACKGROUND: Life expectancy in recent decades has increased the prevalence of chronic diseases in the population, requiring an approach to new health topics, such as discussions on quality of life and expectations about death and dying. The concept of advance directives (ADs) gives individuals the opportunity to make known their decisions about the treatments they would like to receive at the end of life. Despite the recognition of relevance in clinical practice, the applicability of the concept presents challenges, including establishing the appropriate prognosis for each patient and the ideal time to approach the patient. Some prognostic tools were developed, such as the surprise question (SQ): "Would you be surprised if your patient died in 12 months?", which is used in some clinical settings to predict patient deaths and to make decisions regarding ADs. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the behavior of second-year resident physicians (PGY-2) when the SQ was applied. METHOD: In our observational study, from July 1, 2016, to February 28, 2017, (PGY-2) in the Internal Medicine Residency Program (IMRP) applied SQ to all patients with multiple and varied chronic no communicable comorbidities, who were followed up at the general medicine outpatient clinic (GMOC) of a tertiary university hospital in São Paulo- Brazil. The frequency of the outcome (death or non-death within 12 months) was analyzed by correlating it with the clinical data (impact of the studied variables). RESULTS: Eight hundred forty patients entered the study. Fitfty-two of them (6.2%) died within one year. PGY-2 predicted that two hundred and fourteen patients (25.5% of total) would die within a year (answer No to SQ), of which, 32 (14.9%) did so. The correct residents' prognosis for the subgroup of 626 patients (answer "Yes" to SQ) was NPV = 96.8% (CI = 95.4%-98.2%) and PPV = 14.9% (CI 10.1%-19, 6%). Answering "Yes" to SQ correlated negatively to addressing AD while the outcomes death and the answer No to SQ were positively correlated, according to the number of comorbidities. CONCLUSION: The SQ, in addition to care, contributed to health education, communication and care planning shared by the doctor and patient.

Mandibular Dysmorphology and Clinical Presentation in Treacher Collins Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Treacher Collins syndrome is a rare congenital disease characterized by the multiple craniofacial malformations. Although the deformities affecting patients with Treacher Collins syndrome have been well characterized, the effects of these malformations to clinical severity of the syndrome are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of specific Treacher Collins mandibular malformations with clinical severity. DESIGN: A retrospective radiographic observational study. SETTING: Study conducted at a single institution, a quaternary craniofacial care center. PATIENTS: 54 patients with Treacher Collins syndrome. INTERVENTIONS: Computed tomography (CT), clinical photographs and medical history were included in this analysis. Mandibles were isolated from CT data and reconstructed in three dimensions using Mimics software. Cephalometric measurements were performed on CT data. Clinical severity was determined by Teber and Vincent scores. Association of craniofacial dysmorphology to clinical severity was determined by Spearman rank coefficient. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main results obtained were the measurements of the mandibles and the quantification of the malformations of the evaluated patients. RESULTS: Among the most frequent findings in the sample are hypoplasia of the zygomatic complex, descending palpebral cleft and mandibular hypoplasia. Patients with a lower ramus/corpus ratio had a higher (more severe) Teber and Vincent classification. CONCLUSION: Patients with the most compromised mandible are also the patients with the highest number of malformations, thus, the most severe patients.

UVA/persulfate-driven nonylphenol polyethoxylate degradation: effect of process conditions.

UV/persulfate (UV/PS) technologies have gained increased attention as efficient alternatives for removing pollutants from different classes, although processes based on the UVA-driven S2O82- (PS) activation have not yet been discussed in the literature for the removal of the nonionic surfactant nonylphenol polyethoxylate (NPEO). The present study investigated the simultaneous effect of the initial persulfate concentration ([PS]0) and specific photon emission rate (EP,0) on NPEO degradation by UVA/PS following a Doehlert experimental design. The results for [NPEO]0 = (4.65 ± 0.15) mg L-1 indicated more than 97.8% NPEO removal after 2 h, with pseudo first-order specific degradation rate (kobs) of 0.0320 min-1, for [PS]0 = 7.75 mmol L-1 and EP,0 = 0.437 µmol photons L-1 s-1. Under these conditions, NPEO half-life time was about 22 min, and the EC50-48 h (% v/v) values for Daphnia similis before and after treatment did not differ significantly. Higher values of EP,0 would influence NPEO removal for [PS]0 not higher than 8-10 mmol L-1, although lower degradation efficiencies were obtained with higher [NPEO]0 or real wastewater, except for longer reaction times. Additionally, UVA/PS showed to be efficient for tensoactivity removal, despite the negligible total organic carbon (TOC) removal achieved. Finally, UVC and UVA resulted in NPEO degradation higher than 96% and similar tensoactivity removals when UVA/PS was conducted under optimal conditions ([PS]0 = 10 mmol L-1; EP,0 = 0.324 µmol photons L-1 s-1), suggesting that UVA radiation available in solar light could be advantageously employed for NPEO removal at concentrations usually found in wastewater.

Fractional and fractal processes applied to cryptocurrencies price series.

Introduction: Cryptocurrencies have been attracting the attention from media, investors, regulators and academia during the last years. In spite of some scepticism in the financial area, cryptocurrencies are a relevant subject of academic research. Objectives: In this paper, several tools are adopted as an instrument that can help market agents and investors to more clearly assess the cryptocurrencies price dynamics and, thus, guide investment decisions more assertively while mitigating risks. Methods: We consider three methods, namely the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Auto-Regressive Fractionally Integrated Moving Average (ARFIMA) and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, and three indices given by the Hurst and Lyapunov exponents or the Fractal Dimension. This information allows assessing the behaviour of the time series, such as their persistence, randomness, predictability and chaoticity. Results: The results suggest that, except for the Bitcoin, the other cryptocurrencies exhibit the characteristic of mean reverting, showing a lower predictability when compared to the Bitcoin. The results for the Bitcoin also indicate a persistent behavior that is related to the long memory effect. Conclusions: The ARFIMA reveals better predictive performance than the ARIMA for all cryptocurrencies. Indeed, the obtained residual values for the ARFIMA are smaller for the auto and partial auto correlations functions, as well as for confidence intervals.

Effect of target/filter combination on the mean glandular dose and contrast-detail threshold: A phantom study.

INTRODUCTION: In mammography it is essential to combine aspects of image quality with compliance with glandular dose levels. The objective of this study was to combine the assessment of the contrast-detail threshold and the mean glandular dose for different target/filter combinations in digital mammography and to indicate the optimal combination through a figure of merit (FOM). METHODS: In a direct digital mammograph, performance and image quality standards were evaluated using a solid-state multidetector capable of measuring various parameters including kerma and standardized phantoms for image quality. After verifying the proper functioning of the mammograph, the contrast-detail detection threshold and the mean glandular dose values for thicknesses ranging from 20 mm to 70 mm in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were evaluated. Combining these values, an FOM was defined to determine the optimal combination. RESULTS: The results indicated that the Mo/Rh and W/Rh combinations present mean glandular doses below the limit for all thicknesses. In contrast, using the Mo/Mo combination, the mean glandular doses were below the limit only up to 45 mm. However, when considering the FOM that combines dosimetric aspects and the contrast-detail threshold, the use of W/Rh is the most optimal option. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the W/Rh combination in direct digital mammography is the option that presents the best trade-off between the mean glandular dose and the contrast-detail detection threshold. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results demonstrate that the application of the W/Rh combination in direct digital mammography offers an optimized and applicable option, regardless of the thickness of the breast that will be radiographed.

Energy values of crude glycerin for broilers / [Valores energéticos da glicerina bruta para frango de corte]

The energetic values of crude glycerin (CG) were determined for broilers at different ages using the method proposed by Matterson and by polynomial regressions. Two trials were performed with broilers from 11 to 21 and from 31 to 41 days of age. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with a reference ration (RR), without CG, and three ration tests with replacement of 5%, 10%, and 15% of RR by CG. The metabolizable energy values were calculated by the Matterson method, and the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) values were used in polynomial regression analysis. The mean values of AME, apparent corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn), metabolizable coefficient of gross energy (CAMEB), and corrected for nitrogen balance (CAMEBn) of CG, for the phase from 11 to 21 days by the Matterson method were 10.08 MJ kg-1, 10.04 MJ kg-1, 67.06%, and 66.74%, respectively. The inclusion of CG presented an increasing linear effect for CAMEB and CAMEBn in this period. From 31 to 41 days, these values were 10.38 MJ kg-1, 10.27 MJ kg-1, 69.02%, and 62.24%, respectively. The predicted AMEn value through the polynomial regression equations was 10.49 MJ kg-1 and 10.18 MJ kg-1, respectively. According to the equations proposed by Matterson, the crude glycerin EMAn values for broilers from 11 to 21 and 31 to 41 days of age were 10.04 MJ kg-1 and 10.26 MJ kg-1, respectively. According to Adeola's method the AMEn values were 10.49 and 10.20 MJ kg-1 for each phase.(AU)

Os valores energéticos da glicerina bruta (GB) foram determinados para frangos de corte em diferentes idades, por meio da utilização do método proposto por Matterson e de regressões polinomiais. Foram realizados dois ensaios: de 11 a 21 dias e de 31 a 41 dias de idade das aves; em ambos, as aves foram distribuídas em um delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, com uma ração referência (RR), sem GB, e três rações testes com substituição de 5%, 10% e 15% da RR por GB. Foram calculados os valores de energia metabolizável pelo método de Matterson, sendo os valores de energia metabolizável aparente (EMA) utilizados na análise de regressão polinomial. Os valores médios da EMA corrigida pelo balanço de nitrogênio (EMAn), o coeficiente de metabolizabilidade da EB (CMAEB) e o corrigido para o balanço de nitrogênio (CMAEBn) da GB, na matéria natural, para a fase de 11 a 21 dias, pelo método de Matterson, foram de 10,08 MJ kg-1, 10,04 MJ kg-1, 67,06% e 66,74%, respectivamente. A inclusão de GB apresentou um efeito linear crescente para os CMAEB e os CMAEBn. Na fase de 31 a 41 dias, foram de 10,38 MJ kg-1, 10,27 MJ kg-1, 69,02% e 62,24%, respectivamente. Por meio das equações de regressões polinomiais, o valor de EMAn estimada foi de 10,49 MJ kg-1 e 10,18 MJ kg-1, respectivamente. Os valores de EMAn da GB para as idades 11 a 21 e 31 a 41 dias foram de 10,04 MJ kg-1 e 10,26 MJ kg-1, respectivamente. De acordo com as equações propostas por Matterson e com o método de Adeola, os valores de EMAn foram 10,49 e 10,20 MJ kg-1 para cada fase.(AU)

Valores energéticos e composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia associado a carboidrases para frangos de corte em fase de crescimento / [Energy value and bromatological composition of dry residue of cassava associated with carbohydrases for grower broilers]

Foram determinados os valores energéticos e a composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia (RSF) para frangos de corte, na fase de crescimento, utilizando ou não enzimas carboidrases. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em esquema fatorial 2x4 + ração referência, sendo uma RR sem adição de RSF e quatro tratamentos experimentais com 10%, 20%, 30% e 40% de inclusão do RSF e a suplementação ou não com carboidrases. A composição química encontrada para o RSF, na MN, foi de 89,86% de matéria seca, 0,98% de proteína bruta, 3519kcal kg-1 de energia bruta, 0,19% de extrato etéreo, 27% de fibra em detergente neutro, 19,5% de fibra em detergente ácido, 0,33% de cálcio, 0,43% de fósforo, 0,46% de potássio e 0,12% de magnésio. O uso de carboidrases proporcionou um aumento de 173 e 213kcal kg-1 nos valores de EMA e EMAn, respectivamente, resultando em 1828kcal kg-1 EMA e 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. Concluiu-se que os maiores níveis de EMA e EMAn foram encontrados para o nível de inclusão médio do RSF de 35% e que a suplementação enzimática pode promover aumento desses parâmetros em até 12% em dietas para frangos de corte na fase de crescimento.(AU)

The energetic values and the bromatological composition of the dry residue of cassava (DRC) were determined for growing broilers with or without carbohydrase enzymes. The treatments were distributed in a 2x4 + reference diet factorial scheme, with one RD without addition of DRC and four experimental treatments with 10, 20, 30 and 40% inclusion levels of RSF and supplementation or not with carbohydrases. The chemical composition found for DRC in natural matter was 89.86% dry matter, 0.98% crude protein, 3519kcal kg-1 gross energy, 0.19% ether extract, 27% neutral detergent fiber, 19.5% of acid detergent fiber, 0.33% of calcium, 0.43% of phosphorus, 0.46% of potassium and 0.12% of magnesium. The use of carbohydrase resulted in an increase of 173 and 213kcal kg-1 in EMA and EMAn values, respectively, resulting in 1828kcal kg-1 EMA and 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. It was concluded that the highest levels of AME and AMEn were found for the mean inclusion level of the DRC of 35% and that enzymatic supplementation may promote the increase of these parameters by up to 12% in broiler diets in the growth phase.(AU)

Valores energéticos e composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia associado a carboidrases para frangos de corte em fase de crescimento / [Energy value and bromatological composition of dry residue of cassava associated with carbohydrases for grower broilers]

Foram determinados os valores energéticos e a composição bromatológica do resíduo seco de fecularia (RSF) para frangos de corte, na fase de crescimento, utilizando ou não enzimas carboidrases. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em esquema fatorial 2x4 + ração referência, sendo uma RR sem adição de RSF e quatro tratamentos experimentais com 10%, 20%, 30% e 40% de inclusão do RSF e a suplementação ou não com carboidrases. A composição química encontrada para o RSF, na MN, foi de 89,86% de matéria seca, 0,98% de proteína bruta, 3519kcal kg-1 de energia bruta, 0,19% de extrato etéreo, 27% de fibra em detergente neutro, 19,5% de fibra em detergente ácido, 0,33% de cálcio, 0,43% de fósforo, 0,46% de potássio e 0,12% de magnésio. O uso de carboidrases proporcionou um aumento de 173 e 213kcal kg-1 nos valores de EMA e EMAn, respectivamente, resultando em 1828kcal kg-1 EMA e 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. Concluiu-se que os maiores níveis de EMA e EMAn foram encontrados para o nível de inclusão médio do RSF de 35% e que a suplementação enzimática pode promover aumento desses parâmetros em até 12% em dietas para frangos de corte na fase de crescimento.(AU)

The energetic values and the bromatological composition of the dry residue of cassava (DRC) were determined for growing broilers with or without carbohydrase enzymes. The treatments were distributed in a 2x4 + reference diet factorial scheme, with one RD without addition of DRC and four experimental treatments with 10, 20, 30 and 40% inclusion levels of RSF and supplementation or not with carbohydrases. The chemical composition found for DRC in natural matter was 89.86% dry matter, 0.98% crude protein, 3519kcal kg-1 gross energy, 0.19% ether extract, 27% neutral detergent fiber, 19.5% of acid detergent fiber, 0.33% of calcium, 0.43% of phosphorus, 0.46% of potassium and 0.12% of magnesium. The use of carbohydrase resulted in an increase of 173 and 213kcal kg-1 in EMA and EMAn values, respectively, resulting in 1828kcal kg-1 EMA and 1840kcal kg-1 EMAn. It was concluded that the highest levels of AME and AMEn were found for the mean inclusion level of the DRC of 35% and that enzymatic supplementation may promote the increase of these parameters by up to 12% in broiler diets in the growth phase.(AU)

Energetic Values and Inclusion Levels of the Dry Residue of Cassava in Broiler Diet

The objective of this study was to evaluate the energetic values of dry residue of cassava (DRC) and the effects of its inclusion in broiler diets on performance, intestinal morphometry, protein and fat deposition rate, and carcass and cut yields. In experiment I, two metabolism trials were carried out from 11-21 and from 31-41 days of age. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized design and DRC was included at levels of 10, 20, 30 and 40% in the basal diet. In experiment II, 980 male chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design with seven treatments (0; 2; 4; 6; 8; 10; 12% DRC) and seven replicates. DRC levels did not influence (p>0.05) the energetic values. From days 1-7, weight gain (WG) had a linear adjustment, and the inclusion of up to 6% of DRC from d 1-7, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) had a tendency (p=0.060) with quadratic effect (p=0.001), and the worst FCR was observed with the inclusion of 5.81% of DRC. From d 1-21 of age, the WG decreased linearly, with the increasing of DRC while the FCR increased linearly. Breast yield decreased linearly with increasing levels of DRC inclusion. The addition of the residue reduced the protein deposition rate (PDR) and did not alter the (fat deposition rate) FDR. The metabolizable energy of DRC was 1534 kcal kg-1 (11-21 d), 1746 kcal kg-1 (d 31-42) and can be included up to 6% until d 42 in the broiler`s diet without harming the performance.(AU)

Dried Cassava Residue in Laying Quail Feeding

This study evaluated the performance, egg quality, relative weight of the gastrointestinal organs, and the intestinal morphometry of laying quails fed diets containing levels of dried cassava residue (DCR). A total of 120 150-day-old Japanese quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0.0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5; and 10.0% of DCR), four replicates, and six birds per experimental unit. The dietary inclusion of DCR did not affect (p>0.05) performance, internal egg quality, yolk color, and the values of villus height, crypt depth, and villus height/crypt depth ratio for the segments of the small intestine. However, a linear increase (p 0.05) was found for eggshell thickness, relative weight of the gizzard, and small intestine with increased dietary levels of the residue. For the relative weight of the pancreas, a quadratic effect (p 0.05) was observed, with the lower relative weight estimated at 4.04% DCR inclusion. Comparing to the control group (0% of DRC inclusion) the quails fed 5% of DRC showed a lower relative weight of the pancreas. The inclusion of up to 10% of dried cassava residue in laying quails diets does not interfere with the performance. Among the organs of gastrointestinal tract, the inclusion of dried cassava residue increased the relative weight of gizzard and small intestine. In addition, it improves eggshell quality by increasing eggshell thickness.(AU)

Dried Cassava Residue in Laying Quail Feeding

This study evaluated the performance, egg quality, relative weight of the gastrointestinal organs, and the intestinal morphometry of laying quails fed diets containing levels of dried cassava residue (DCR). A total of 120 150-day-old Japanese quails were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0.0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5; and 10.0% of DCR), four replicates, and six birds per experimental unit. The dietary inclusion of DCR did not affect (p>0.05) performance, internal egg quality, yolk color, and the values of villus height, crypt depth, and villus height/crypt depth ratio for the segments of the small intestine. However, a linear increase (p 0.05) was found for eggshell thickness, relative weight of the gizzard, and small intestine with increased dietary levels of the residue. For the relative weight of the pancreas, a quadratic effect (p 0.05) was observed, with the lower relative weight estimated at 4.04% DCR inclusion. Comparing to the control group (0% of DRC inclusion) the quails fed 5% of DRC showed a lower relative weight of the pancreas. The inclusion of up to 10% of dried cassava residue in laying quails diets does not interfere with the performance. Among the organs of gastrointestinal tract, the inclusion of dried cassava residue increased the relative weight of gizzard and small intestine. In addition, it improves eggshell quality by increasing eggshell thickness.

Energetic Values and Inclusion Levels of the Dry Residue of Cassava in Broiler Diet

The objective of this study was to evaluate the energetic values of dry residue of cassava (DRC) and the effects of its inclusion in broiler diets on performance, intestinal morphometry, protein and fat deposition rate, and carcass and cut yields. In experiment I, two metabolism trials were carried out from 11-21 and from 31-41 days of age. The birds were distributed in a completely randomized design and DRC was included at levels of 10, 20, 30 and 40% in the basal diet. In experiment II, 980 male chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design with seven treatments (0; 2; 4; 6; 8; 10; 12% DRC) and seven replicates. DRC levels did not influence (p>0.05) the energetic values. From days 1-7, weight gain (WG) had a linear adjustment, and the inclusion of up to 6% of DRC from d 1-7, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) had a tendency (p=0.060) with quadratic effect (p=0.001), and the worst FCR was observed with the inclusion of 5.81% of DRC. From d 1-21 of age, the WG decreased linearly, with the increasing of DRC while the FCR increased linearly. Breast yield decreased linearly with increasing levels of DRC inclusion. The addition of the residue reduced the protein deposition rate (PDR) and did not alter the (fat deposition rate) FDR. The metabolizable energy of DRC was 1534 kcal kg-1 (11-21 d), 1746 kcal kg-1 (d 31-42) and can be included up to 6% until d 42 in the broiler`s diet without harming the performance.

Structural and topological phase transitions induced by strain in two-dimensional bismuth.

We employ first-principles density-functional calculations to study structural and topological electronic transitions in two-dimensional bismuth layers. Our calculations reveal that a free-standing hexagonal bismuthene phase (the most stable one in the absence of strain) should become thermodinamically unstable against transformation to a putative 'pentaoctite' phase (composed entirely of pentagonal and octagonal rings), under biaxial tensile strain. Moreover, our results indicate that 2D bismuth layers in the pentaoctite phase should undergo a topological electronic phase transition under either a biaxial or uniaxial tensile strain. More specifically, at its equilibrium lattice parameters the pentaoctite lattice is a topologically trivial system with a direct band gap. Strain-induced parity inversion of valence and conduction bands is obtained, and the pentaoctite structure undergoes a transition to a topological-insulator phase at a biaxial tensile strain of 5%. In the case of uniaxial tensile strains, the topological transition happens at a tensile strain of 6% along the armchair direction of the pentaoctite lattice, and at a 5% tensile strain in the zigzag direction. Our study indicates that 2D bismuth layers may prove themselves a rich platform to realize topologically non-trivial 2D materials upon strain engineering.

Apoptosis induced by synthetic compounds containing a 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl fragment against lymphoid immature neoplasms.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an aggressive hematological malignancy originating from the malignant transformation of progenitor T cells at different stages of development. The treatment causes severe adverse effects and is associated with relapses and high morbidity and mortality rates. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of 28 new compounds containing 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl analogues on hematological neoplastic cells lines. Cytotoxicity screening by the MTT method revealed that compound 1d was the most promising. Cell viability of neoplastic cells decreased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, with compound 1d not causing hemolysis or reducing peripheral blood mononuclear cells viability, suggesting a selective cytotoxicity. We also suggested that compound 1d induced apoptotic-like cell death with mitochondrial involvement in Jurkat cells.

Gadolinium-Enhanced Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis: Optimizing the Recognition of Active Plaques for Different MR Imaging Sequences.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Gadolinium SWI is MR imaging that has recently been reported to be effective in the evaluation of several neurologic disorders, including demyelinating diseases. Our aim was to analyze the accuracy of gadolinium SWI for detecting the imaging evidence of active inflammation on MS plaques when a BBB dysfunction is demonstrated by a focal gadolinium-enhanced lesion and to compare this technique with gadolinium-enhanced T1 spin-echo and T1 spin-echo with magnetization transfer contrast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging studies of 103 patients (170 examinations) were performed using a 1.5T scanner. Two neuroradiologists scrutinized signal abnormalities of the demyelinating plaques on gadolinium SWI and compared them with gadolinium T1 before and after an additional magnetization transfer pulse. Interrater agreement was evaluated among gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast, gadolinium SWI, and gadolinium T1 spin-echo using the κ coefficient. The T1 magnetization transfer contrast sequence was adopted as the criterion standard in this cohort. Thus, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for gadolinium T1 spin-echo and gadolinium SWI sequences. RESULTS: Differences in BBB dysfunction were evident among gadolinium SWI, gadolinium T1 spin-echo, and gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast. Gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast demonstrated the highest number of active demyelinating plaques. Gadolinium SWI was highly correlated with gadolinium T1 magnetization transfer contrast in depicting acute demyelinating plaques (κ coefficient = 0.860; sensitivity = 0.837), and these techniques provided better performance compared with gadolinium T1 spin-echo (κ coefficient = 0.78; sensitivity = 0.645). CONCLUSIONS: Gadolinium SWI was able to better detect BBB dysfunction in MS plaques and had a better performance than gadolinium T1 spin-echo. Increasing SWI sequence applications in clinical practice can improve our knowledge of MS, likely allowing the addition of BBB dysfunction analysis to the striking findings of the previously reported central vein sign.

Mechanical removal (epidermal scarification) of pododermatitis injuries reduces the presence of both inflammatory tissue and its associated microbiota in broiler feet.

Chicken feet have become an important commodity in the international market, representing a significant portion of poultry products exported by countries such as Brazil and the USA. However, the presence of pododermatitis in the footpad is an important barrier to exportation, since importing countries do not accept injured feet or allow the use of automatic equipments to remove the affected tissue. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact of using an automatic equipment to remove injuries of pododermatitis on histological and microbiological traits of broiler feet processed according to commercial practices. A total of 240 broiler feet obtained from a commercial processing plant was visually classified according to the degree of pododermatitis and distributed in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, totalizing eight treatments with 30 replications. Factors were feet classification (1 to 4) and injury removal (yes or no). Feet were sampled for microbiological and histological analysis before and after the mechanical removal of pododermatitis injuries by an automatic machine that promoted footpad epidermal scarification. No significant interaction between feet classification and injury removal was detected for any of the analyzed variables. Also, no significant effect of feet classification was detected on aerobic plate counts, total coliforms and Escherichia coli. Feet inflammation score tended to increase (P = 0.06) according to the downgrading of feet classification, but the mechanical removal of pododermatitis injuries reduced feet inflammation score (P < 0.01), total coliform counts (P = 0.01), and E. coli (P = 0.01) independently of feet classification. Together, these results demonstrate the efficacy of the automatic equipment in removing both the inflammatory tissue and its associated microbiota in broiler feet affected by pododermatitis. Therefore, in addition to the already authorized use of blades, the use of automatic equipments for epidermal scarification in the processing of broiler feet deserves further consideration by the regulatory agencies.

Optical absorption in complexes of abasic DNA with noble-metal nanoclusters by first principles calculations.

Abasic sites (AP site) in a DNA duplex have been experimentally used to produce fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (NC) with a small number of atoms (n ≤ 6). These AP-DNA:NC complexes act as biological makers that help to locate genes associated with diseases related to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), for example. Abasic sites are the most common SNP genetic variation, and their detection may help predict a host of genetically determined diseases. In this work, we report a theoretical study of the optical absorption spectra of AP-DNA:Ag4 and AP-DNA:Au4 complexes using a fully ab initio methodology. We consider several different base environments for the noble-metal nanocluster occupying the AP site, and compute the absorption spectra of sixteen AP-DNA:Ag4 and sixteen AP-DNA:Au4 complexes. We find that optical absorption in the AP-DNA:Ag4 complexes tends to concentrate in the green-to-violet range of frequencies (2.50 eV ≤ hω ≤ 3.2 eV) and that AP-DNA:Au4 complexes display absorption peaks in the violet-to-ultraviolet interval (hω ≥ 3.0 eV). An analysis of the optical absorption mechanisms in these complexes shows that they can be of local, charge-transfer, or hybrid nature, i.e., AP-DNA:NC complexes display the full variety of optical absorption processes in molecular systems. In particular, we identify both charge-transfer and hybrid processes involving several DNA bases surrounding the NC. Importantly, we find that even sequences where the Ag4 cluster is not in a guanine rich neighborhood display absorption peaks in the visible-light spectrum. Moreover, we obtain that the maximum intensities of the absorption peaks in complexes with pyrimidine vacancies are generally higher than those in complexes with purine vacancies. Regarding the selectivity of single-vacancy AP-DNA to specific noble-metal nanocluster sizes, our calculations show that the four-atom Ag4 (Au4) species fits naturally and binds into the AP-site in a single-vacancy AP-DNA.