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Background: The ever-increasing market of functional meat products demanded especially by modern health conscious consumers has prompted researchers to develop healthier meat products. Aims: This experiment was conducted to improve the dietary fiber-deficient buffalo meat with natural functional fiber-rich extenders. Methods: Meat obtained from the carcass of adult female buffalo (>10 years of age) was procured from the local market within 5-6 h of slaughter, conditioned for 24 h, and then processed by incorporating the dietary fiber-rich extenders at their optimum levels viz. 12% barley flour, 12% maize flour, 10% pea hull powder, and 8% wheat bran (hydrated as 1:1, w/w) for the development of functional restructured buffalo meat fillets (FRBMF). Results: Results revealed higher cooking yield, pH, moisture content, lower protein, and fat percentage for most of the treated samples compared with the control group. The ash percentage of FRBMF prepared with the optimum level of pea hull powder and wheat bran was significantly higher (P<0.05) than in control and other treatments. Shear force values for FRBMF were lower than the control. Total dietary fiber (TDF) percentage of all the treatment products was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the control. Texture profile analysis revealed no significant differences (P>0.05) between FRBMF and the control. The sensory scores for most of the attributes of FRBMF incorporated with the optimum level of extenders were lower but comparable to the control. Conclusion: It was concluded that the functionality of the product had improved, especially in terms of total dietary fiber, as compared to the control. Pea hull powder and wheat bran proved to be excellent sources of dietary fibers, followed by barley and maize flours, respectively.
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The efficacy of eprinomectin and ivermectin pour-on was evaluated against Sarcoptes scabiei in naturally infested buffaloes. Eighteen animals were allocated into three groups (A, B and C) of six animals each. Animals in group A were treated with eprinomectin (pour-on) @ 0.5 mg/kg; group B with ivermectin (pour-on) @ 0.2 mg/kg while group C served as untreated controls. Skin scrapings were examined on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 post-treatment (PT). Skin scrapings were found free for mites on day 21 PT, with marked clinical improvement in the lesions after day 28 of treatment. Untreated control group continued to show severe progressive lesions throughout the study period. No clinical side-effects of the tested drugs were observed after treatment. This preliminary report on the efficacy of eprinomectin (pour-on) against S. scabiei in buffaloes is encouraging and results could be of considerable importance.
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A trial was conducted on 12 buffaloes naturally infested with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus to evaluate the efficacy of eprinomectin pour-on at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg body weight. A reduction in live tick count by 45.94, 63.96, 81.53, 90.54, 98.19 and 100 % was observed on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 post-treatment, respectively. The reinfestation of ticks was not observed up to 42 days of trial period. On the basis of the present trial of eprinomectin pour-on, it can be recommended for use in dairy buffaloes against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infestation.
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This article reviews numerical simulations of red blood cells (RBCs) mainly using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), focusing on the 2-dimensional deformation and aggregation of the cells in simple shear flow. We outline the incorporation of the immersed boundary method into the LBM, in which the membrane forces are obtained from the membrane model. The RBCs are simulated as a single biconcave capsule and as a doublet of biconcave capsules. The transition from swinging to tumbling motions of the RBCs, as induced by reducing the shear rate or increasing the membrane bending stiffness, is discussed. Also discussed is the aggregation tendency of the doublet of RBCs, for which homogenous deformability maintained RBC aggregation, whereas an increased deformability difference resulted in RBC dissociation.
Assuntos
Agregação Eritrocítica/fisiologia , Eritrócitos/citologia , Modelos Biológicos , Fenômenos Biomecânicos , Simulação por Computador , HumanosAssuntos
Antineoplásicos/efeitos adversos , Vacina BCG/efeitos adversos , Granuloma/induzido quimicamente , Síndrome de Secreção Inadequada de HAD/induzido quimicamente , Tuberculose Pulmonar/induzido quimicamente , Neoplasias da Bexiga Urinária/tratamento farmacológico , Adjuvantes Imunológicos/efeitos adversos , Idoso , Evolução Fatal , Humanos , Masculino , Tuberculose Miliar/induzido quimicamenteRESUMO
AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of short chain fatty acid administration in mesenteric ischemia reperfusion in rats. METHODS: Sixteen 60-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into two groups of eight each. In group I (n=8) normal saline (10 ml/kg) was injected into the ileal lumen. Ischemia reperfusion was achieved by clamping the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) for 30 min and then releasing it for another 30 min. The ileum was harvested for histopathological examination. In group II (n=8) a mixture of short chain fatty acids (10 ml/kg) was injected into the ileal lumen. Ischemia reperfusion was achieved in a similar fashion and the ileum harvested for histopathological examination. Injury was graded according to Chiu's score. RESULTS: The ileum in rats from group II showed a lower injury score (0.013+/-0.354) compared to ileum from rats in group I (4.631+/-0.521), and this difference was significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Short chain fatty acids significantly decreased the degree of reperfusion injury in the gut in a rat model of mesenteric ischemia reperfusion.
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Ácidos Graxos/administração & dosagem , Oclusão Vascular Mesentérica/patologia , Traumatismo por Reperfusão/terapia , Animais , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Masculino , Artéria Mesentérica Superior , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether loss of melastatin (MLSN) is a universal phenomenon in American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I and II melanoma patients who experienced recurrence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Paraffin blocks of primary melanomas (PMs) were retrieved from 30 patients who had a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy and developed recurrent melanoma (AJCC stage I and II). Chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) methods were utilized to evaluate the expression of MLSN mRNA. These results were correlated with clinicopathologic data. RESULTS: Variable, heterogeneous expression of MLSN mRNA was identified in normal, in situ and invasive melanocytes within and between cases. For the invasive PM component, 24 (80%) had focal, regional or complete loss of MLSN mRNA. The remaining 20% had either regional or total partial downregulation of MLSN mRNA. Intact MLSN mRNA expression was present regionally in 14/30 (47%), with mean relative tumor area of 38%, range 5-85%. Increasing loss of MLSN mRNA significantly correlated with increasing tumor depth and microsatellites (r = 0.1/0.4, p = 0.04). However, thin, AJCC T stage 1a PM had higher relative mean loss than intermediate AJCC T stage 2a/2b/3a thickness PM (65% vs. 34%/48%/25%). Increasing loss of MLSN mRNA significantly impacted on disease free survival (DFS) by multivariate analysis (58 vs. 0% 2 years DFS, < or = 75 vs. > 75% mRNA loss, p = 0.02). Decreased overall survival significantly correlated with increasing age and vascular invasion on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Extensive loss of MLSN in PM correlated with aggressive metastatic melanoma. Ancillary testing for MLSN mRNA expression by CISH could offer a means to more accurately identify AJCC stage I and II patients at risk for metastatic disease, who could benefit from adjuvant therapy.
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Biomarcadores Tumorais/análise , Compostos Cromogênicos , Hibridização In Situ/métodos , Melanoma/metabolismo , Neoplasias Cutâneas/metabolismo , Canais de Cátion TRPM/biossíntese , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Intervalo Livre de Doença , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Melanócitos/metabolismo , Melanócitos/patologia , Melanoma/genética , Melanoma/patologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/metabolismo , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/patologia , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Neoplasias Cutâneas/genética , Neoplasias Cutâneas/patologia , Análise de Sobrevida , Taxa de Sobrevida , Canais de Cátion TRPM/genéticaRESUMO
We have previously demonstrated a modulation of Na+/H+ exchange (NHE) activity by vitamin D3 in the rat ileum and Caco-2 cells. However, the molecular mechanism(s) of action of vitamin D3 on NHE are still not understood. The current studies were undertaken to understand the regulation of individual NHE isoforms on mRNA levels in two distinct models of vitamin D3 deficiency. Acute D3 deficiency was induced secondary to streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, while chronic D3 deficiency was induced by feeding a D3-deficient diet in an environment devoid of fluorescent light. Vitamin D3 deficiency in both models increased the initial rates of rat ileal brush-border membrane (BBM) Na+/H+ exchange by 2.5-fold compared to D-repleted controls. In parallel to the increased exchanger activity, NHE3 mRNA abundance was increased about twofold in both acute and chronic D deficiency compared to control. There was no change in NHE1 or NHE2 abundance in vitamin D3-deficient rat ileum. These findings indicate that vitamin D3 regulates Na+/H+ exchange activity in rat ileum by influencing the mRNA levels of NHE3, the predominant luminal membrane isoform involved in vectorial Na+ transport.
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Calcitriol/fisiologia , Íleo/metabolismo , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/metabolismo , Animais , Calcitriol/deficiência , Masculino , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Trocador 3 de Sódio-Hidrogênio , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/genéticaRESUMO
Visual word recognition of a profoundly deaf girl (AH) with developmental reading disorders was explored using an experimental technique that measures performance as a function of eye fixation within a word. AH's fixation-dependent word recognition profile revealed that she was inferring the identity of words using a "logographic" reading strategy (i. e., using salient visual features). Following this observation a special training program that enhances the understanding of grapheme-phoneme relations was applied. After few months of training, AH's reading skills improved, while her fixation-dependent performance changed to become like that of normal readers. We discuss the impact of our technique for the early diagnosis of reading impairments.
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Surdez , Dislexia/diagnóstico , Idioma , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Fixação Ocular/fisiologia , Humanos , Reconhecimento Psicológico , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Percepção Visual/fisiologiaRESUMO
The present study examines the landing-site distributions of the eyes during natural reading of Japanese script: a script that mixes three different writing systems (Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana) and that misses regular spacing between words. The results show a clear preference of the eyes to land at the beginning rather than the center of the word. In addition, it was found that the eyes land on Kanji characters more frequently than on Hiragana or Katakana characters. Further analysis for two- and three-character words indicated that the eye's landing-site distribution differs depending on type of the characters in the word: the eyes prefer to land at the word beginning only when the initial character of the word is a Kanji character. For pure Hiragana words, the proportion of initial fixations did not differ between character positions. Thus, as already indicated by Kambe (National Institute of Japanese Language Report 85 (1986) 29), the visual distinctiveness of the three Japanese scripts plays a role in guiding eye movements in reading Japanese.
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Leitura , Movimentos Sacádicos/fisiologia , Análise de Variância , Sinais (Psicologia) , Fixação Ocular/fisiologia , Humanos , Japão , Percepção Espacial/fisiologiaRESUMO
A family of anion exchangers (AEs) including AE1, AE2 and AE3 has been described. AE3 gene has been shown to encode two alternatively spliced isoforms termed as bAE3 (brain subtype) and cAE3 (cardiac subtype). The identity of the AE(s) involved in the human intestinal NaCl absorption is not fully understood. Current studies were undertaken to identify the AE isoforms expressed in the human intestine, to define their regional and vertical axis (crypt vs. surface cells) distribution, and to elucidate their membrane localization in the epithelial cells along the entire length of the human intestine. Our studies utilizing reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with total RNA extracted from pinch biopsies from various regions of the human intestine demonstrate that AE2 and bAE3 but not AE1 or cAE3 were expressed in all the regions of the human intestine. Utilizing in situ RT-PCR, we demonstrated that the message of AE2 was expressed throughout the vertical surface--crypt axis of the colon. Our Western blotting studies demonstrated that AE2 and bAE3 are localized to the basolateral but not the apical membranes of the intestinal epithelial cells from the human ileum and colon. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that in the human intestine, AE2 and bAE3, but not AE1 or cAE3, are expressed throughout the tract with the highest expression in the colon compared to the ileum and jejunum. Both the isoforms were found to be localized to the basolateral but not the apical membranes of the epithelial cells. We speculate that, in the human intestine, AE2 and bAE3 may be the 'housekeeping' isoforms, and the apical AE, the potential candidate for chloride absorption, remains to be identified.
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Proteínas de Transporte de Ânions , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Antiporters/metabolismo , Antiportadores de Cloreto-Bicarbonato , Colo/metabolismo , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Humanos , Íleo/metabolismo , Immunoblotting , Jejuno/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/análise , Isoformas de Proteínas/análise , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/análise , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Proteínas SLC4ARESUMO
Molecular species of the Na(+)-H(+) exchanger (NHE) and anion exchanger (AE) gene families and their relative abundance in the human airway regions were assessed utilizing RT-PCR and the RNase protection assay, respectively. Organ donor lung epithelia from various bronchial regions (small, medium, and large bronchi and trachea) were harvested for RNA extraction. Gene-specific primers for the human NHE and AE isoforms were utilized for RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that NHE1, AE2, and brain AE3 isoforms were expressed in all regions of the human airway, whereas NHE2, NHE3, AE1, and cardiac AE3 were not detected. RNase protection studies for NHE1 and AE2, utilizing glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as an internal standard, demonstrated that there were regional differences in the NHE1 mRNA levels in human airways. In contrast, the levels of AE2 mRNA remained unchanged. Differential regional expression of NHE1 isoform may be related to a higher acid load in the tracheal epithelial cells than in epithelia of distal airways. Fluctuations in PCO(2) during inspiration and expiration are probably larger in the tracheal lumen than in the lumen of distal airways with associated larger swings in intracellular pH with each respiratory cycle. Immunohistochemical staining for AE2 protein demonstrated localization to the epithelial cells of human bronchial mucosa.
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Antiportadores de Cloreto-Bicarbonato/análise , Mucosa Respiratória/química , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/análise , Brônquios/química , Brônquios/metabolismo , Antiportadores de Cloreto-Bicarbonato/biossíntese , Antiportadores de Cloreto-Bicarbonato/genética , DNA/genética , Pegada de DNA , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mucosa Respiratória/metabolismo , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/biossíntese , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/genética , Traqueia/química , Traqueia/metabolismoRESUMO
A survey into the attitudes of anaesthetists to features in monitoring instruments, particularly the design of alarms, visual warnings, alarm limits and the general instrument interface is reported. Questions in the survey had short introductions outlining a clinical scenario followed by items that proposed alternative design features that an instrument might have. Participants were asked to grade their responses to these alternatives on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The results suggest that anaesthetists would welcome the use of more advanced technology in instrument design. They prefer context-specific messages and alarms. They reject overt control systems for delivering anaesthesia, except for use in exceptional circumstances. Generally, the preferences of anaesthetists are consistent with known principles of safe, ergonomic design.
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Anestesiologia/instrumentação , Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Monitorização Intraoperatória/instrumentação , Atitude Frente aos Computadores , Sistemas de Apoio a Decisões Clínicas , Desenho de Equipamento , Falha de Equipamento , Humanos , Corpo Clínico Hospitalar/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Interface Usuário-ComputadorRESUMO
Visual word recognition performance of first graders (mean age: 6.6 years) through fifth graders (mean age: 10.8 years) was investigated using an experimental technique that is known to elicit the "viewing position effect" in skilled readers. The results showed that this effect, which consists of a systematic variation of performance as a function of fixation position within words, emerged early at the end of the 1st year of reading instruction. Visual field asymmetries in recognizing individual letters in words were also observed starting from first grade. Effects of word familiarity were obtained as early as in second grade. In contrast to skilled readers, children showed a marked word-length effect, which persisted through the first 5 years of instruction. No other qualitative differences between beginning and skilled readers were apparent. Hence, the basics of reading skills, as measured by the present technique, seem to be attained very early during acquisition. Further experience mainly reduces the time a reader needs to extract visual information from print.
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Desenvolvimento Infantil , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos , Leitura , Atenção , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Rememoração Mental , OrientaçãoRESUMO
Recent studies have indicated the presence of Na+/H+ and Cl-/HCO-3 exchange activities in lung alveolar and tracheal tissues of various species. To date, the identity of the Na+/H+ (NHE) and Cl-/HCO-3 (AE) exchanger isoforms and their regional distribution in human airways are not known. Molecular species of the NHE and AE gene families and their relative abundance in the human airway regions were assessed utilizing RT-PCR and the RNase protection assay, respectively. Organ donor lung epithelia from various bronchial regions (small, medium, and large bronchi and trachea) were harvested for RNA extraction. Gene-specific primers for the human NHE and AE isoforms were utilized for RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that NHE1, AE2, and brain AE3 isoforms were expressed in all regions of the human airways, whereas NHE2, NHE3, AE1, and cardiac AE3 were not detected. RNase protection studies for NHE1 and AE2, utilizing glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase as an internal standard, demonstrated that there were regional differences in the NHE1 mRNA levels in human airways. In contrast, the levels of AE2 mRNA remained unchanged. Differential expression of these isoforms in the human airways may have functional significance related to the airway absorption and secretion of electrolytes.
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Antiporters/metabolismo , Brônquios/metabolismo , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/metabolismo , Traqueia/metabolismo , Adulto , Antiporters/genética , Brônquios/citologia , Antiportadores de Cloreto-Bicarbonato , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hibridização de Ácido Nucleico , Isoformas de Proteínas/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Ribonucleases , Trocadores de Sódio-Hidrogênio/genética , Distribuição Tecidual/fisiologia , Traqueia/citologiaRESUMO
Recognition performance for a target letter embedded in a string of characters is worse than that for targets presented in isolation. This lateral masking (LM) effect is known to depend on target eccentricity and spacing between target and flankers (Bouma, 1970), indicating that LM arises in early visual processing due to interactions among visual features. The feature interaction account would predict that flankers consisting of similar features produce similar LM effects and that differences in LM produced by different types of flanker diminish with increasing target eccentricity and decreasing spacing. However, in a series of six experiments, this prediction was shown not to be true. Flankers that did not access a higher level code (e.g., pseudoletters or rotated letters) produced more LM than standard letter flankers. Moreover, effects of different flanker types were most pronounced for medium target eccentricities and medium spacings for which recognition performance scores ranged between 40% and 60%.
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Área de Dependência-Independência , Orientação , Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos , Mascaramento Perceptivo , Adulto , Atenção , Aprendizagem por Discriminação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Desempenho Psicomotor , PsicofísicaRESUMO
Word recognition performance varies systematically as a function of where the eyes fixate in the word. Performance is maximal with the eye slightly left of the center of the word and decreases drastically to both sides of this optimal viewing position. While manipulations of lexical factors have only marginal effects on this phenomenon, previous studies have pointed to a relation between the viewing position effect (VPE) and letter legibility: When letter legibility drops, the VPE becomes more exaggerated. To further investigate this phenomenon, we improved letter legibility by magnifying letter size in a way that was proportional to the distance from fixation (e.g., TABLE). Contrary to what would be expected if the VPE were due to limits of acuity, improving the legibility of letters has only a restricted influence on performance. In particular, for long words, a strong VPE remains even when letter legibility is equalized across eccentricities. The failure to neutralize the VPE is interpreted in terms of perceptual learning: Since normally, because of acuity limitations, the only information available in parafoveal vision concerns low-resolution features of letters; even when magnification provides better information, readers are unable to make use of it.
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Reconhecimento Visual de Modelos/fisiologia , Leitura , Adulto , Intervalos de Confiança , Fixação Ocular/fisiologia , Humanos , Impressão/normas , Campos Visuais/fisiologiaRESUMO
Increasingly, proteins are delivered to the respiratory tract as an aerosol, and clinical efficacy is dependent on optimal delivery of the protein in an intact form. The object of this study was to compare the in vivo and in vitro results of two aerosol delivery systems for the aerosolization of recombinant human deoxyribonuclease I (rhDNase) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Patients with CF who were to be initiated on rhDNase were randomized either to the Hudson nebulizer and Pulmo-Aide compressor or to the Sidestream nebulizer driven by the CR50 air compressor. An in vitro study was performed in six sets of the two aerosol delivery systems. One hundred and seventy three patients were randomized in this open study, where rhDNase was administered for 7 days. Improvements in pulmonary function were observed in both groups following 1 week of therapy with rhDNase. Changes in the Sidestream/CR50 and Hudson/Pulmo-Aide groups, respectively, were: 16 and 11% for forced expiratory volume in one second (p=0.14); 12 and 10% for forced vital capacity (p=0.70); and 14 and 7% for forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of expiration (FEF(25-75)) (p=0.18). A greater proportion of patients in the Sidestream/CR50 group (58%) had a >10% response in FEF(25-75) compared to the Hudson/Pulmo-Aide group (42%; p=0.03). The Sidestream nebulizer had a faster nebulization rate (p<0.05), lower mass median diameter for the aerosol mass produced (p<0.001), higher percentage of particles in the respirable range (p<0.001) and greater respirable output (p<0.005), compared to the Hudson nebulizer. The Sidestream/CR50 combination is a quicker, more efficient system in vitro than the Hudson/Pulmo-Aide combination, whereas the in vivo study only suggested a difference. Clinically, the two systems have similar efficacy.
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Fibrose Cística/terapia , Desoxirribonuclease I/administração & dosagem , Expectorantes/administração & dosagem , Nebulizadores e Vaporizadores , Adulto , Aerossóis , Fibrose Cística/fisiopatologia , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Feminino , Volume Expiratório Forçado , Humanos , Masculino , Fluxo Expiratório Máximo , Tamanho da Partícula , Proteínas Recombinantes/administração & dosagem , Capacidade VitalRESUMO
Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to words, pseudowords, and nonwords were recorded in three different tasks. A letter search task was used in Experiment 1. Performance was affected by whether the target letter occurred in a word, a pseudoword, or a random nonword. ERP results corroborated the behavioral results, showing small but reliable ERP differences between the three stimulus types. Words and pseudowords differed from nonwords at posterior sites, whereas words differed from pseudowords and nonwords at anterior sites. Since deciding whether the target letter was present or absent co-occurred with stimulus processing in Experiment 1, a delayed letter search task was used in Experiment 2. ERPs to words and pseudowords were similar and differed from ERPs to nonwords, suggesting a primary role of orthographic and phonological processing in the delayed letter search task. To increase semantic processing, a categorization task was used in Experiment 3. Early differences between ERPs to words and pseudowords at left posterior and anterior locations suggested a rapid activation of lexico-semantic information. These findings suggest that the use of ERPs in a multiple task design makes it possible to track the time course and the activation of multiple sources of linguistic information when processing words, pseudowords, and nonwords. The task-dependent nature of the effects suggests that the language system can use multiple sources of linguistic information in flexible and adaptive ways.