Nutritional quality of Pilosocereus gounellei using different spine removal and plant storage methods / Qualidade nutritiva de Pilosocereus gounellei em relação a diferentes métodos de retirada dos acúleos e ao armazenamento

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality of Pilosocereus gounellei using different methods of spine removal and plant storage. A total of 600 P. gounellei cacti were randomly selected in 10 hectares of Caatinga. The experimental design was completely randomised using a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement and three replicates. The variables evaluated were the storage conditions (under trees; and ventilated storage facilities) and four types of spine removal techniques assessed 31 days after storage (fresh plants with spines [control]; use of flamethrowers before storage; slash-and-burn ["coivara"] before storage; and use of flamethrowers after storage). The P. gounellei subjected to slash-and-burn during the cladode harvest (cutting) process deteriorated rapidly and exhibited a smooth consistency; dark colour. The burning process resulted in increased in situ degradability of dry matter compared with the control treatment. The results of treatment 4 were similar to those of the control treatment regarding the preservation of the nutritional properties of P. gounellei. Therefore, P. gounellei can be harvested and stored fresh for 31 days without losing their nutritional properties, and spines should be removed using flamethrowers after the storage period, i.e., when using the plants as livestock feed.(AU)

Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho avaliar a qualidade nutritiva do Pilosocereus gounellei em relação a diferentes métodos de retirada dos acúleos e ao armazenamento. Foram selecionadas ao acaso 600 P. gounelleis em 10 hectares de caatinga nativa. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial (2 x 4), com três repetições. Os fatores constaram dos locais de armazenamento (primeiro local: árvore. segundo local: galpão) e de quatro tipos de processamento de eliminação dos acúleos do P. gounellei (tratamento 1: in natura, com acúleo (testemunha); tratamento 2: utilização de lança-chamas por ocasião do armazenamento; tratamento 3: queima em coivara por ocasião do armazenamento; tratamento 4: lança-chamas após o armazenamento), avaliado após 31 dias do armazenamento. O P. gounellei queimado em coivara por ocasião do corte (tratamento 3) degradou-se rapidamente, apresentando consistência lisa e coloração escurecida. Em relação à degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca, os tratamentos com fogo proporcionaram maiores valores que o tratamento 1. O tratamento 4 foi o que apresentou resultados mais próximos ao 1 (P. gounellei in natura), conservando as propriedades nutricionais do P. gounellei. O P. gounellei pode ser colhido e armazenado in natura por 31 dias, sendo preservadas suas qualidades nutricionais, com retirada dos acúleos com lança-chamas após o armazenamento, no momento de fornecer aos animais.(AU)

Blood pressure measurement in hemodialysis: The importance of the measurement technique.

Systemic arterial hypertension contributes to the high cardiovascular morbidity in hemodialysis (HD) patients, but the accuracy of blood pressure (BP) measurement in this population has not been well studied. To evaluate the agreement between BP measurement using the routine measurement technique (usual method) and the technique recommended by the VII Joint (standard method). This cross-sectional study enrolled 124 patients in a single center who had undergone dialysis for more than three months and were 18 years of age or older. The BP was verified at the start of dialysis by the nursing team (usual method) and by the researchers (standard method). The agreement between the systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) measurements was tested by the Bland-Altman analysis. A difference in BP measurement higher than ±5 mm Hg was considered clinically significant. The studied group had a mean age of 53.2 years. The average difference between routine and standard BP measurement was -6 mm Hg for SBP (limits of agreement: -40.1-28 mm Hg; P <0.001) and -5.6 mm Hg for DBP (limits of agreement: -33.1-21.8 mm Hg; P <0.001). A clinically significant difference in BP measured by both methods was observed in 69.4% of the patients for SBP and in 61.3% for DBP. The disagreement between the results of different BP measurement methods in HD patients was significant and the BP was underestimated using the usual BP method. BP measurement standardization should be encouraged to avoid errors in diagnosis and therapy.

Treatment of cardiac arrest in the hyperbaric environment: key steps on the sequence of care--case reports.

The U.S. territory of Guam attracts thousands of military and civilian divers annually and is home to the only recompression facility within a 5,000-km radius that accepts critically injured dive casualties. As recompression chambers are confined spaces and standard use of electrical cardioversion cannot be used, cardiac resuscitation at depth must deviate from advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) algorithms. Furthermore, many hyperbaric chambers that accept dive casualties are in remote locations, a situation that requires providers to approach cardiac resuscitation in a different way when compared to an in-hospital or ICU setting. This presents a challenge to trained medical and diving professionals. We present two contrasting vignettes of diving injuries initially responsive to appropriate treatment but then deteriorating during recompression therapy and ultimately requiring resuscitation at depth. Additionally, we explore the physiologic basis of resuscitation in a hyperbaric environment as it relates to the treatment of cardiac arrest at depth. This review critically examines the current guidelines in place for emergency cardiac resuscitation in a hyperbaric chamber followed by recommendations for the key steps in the sequence of care.

Flavonone treatment reverses airway inflammation and remodelling in an asthma murine model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Asthma is an inflammatory disease that involves airway hyperresponsiveness and remodelling. Flavonoids have been associated to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and may represent a potential therapeutic treatment of asthma. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of the sakuranetin treatment in several aspects of experimental asthma model in mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Male BALB/c mice received ovalbumin (i.p.) on days 0 and 14, and were challenged with aerolized ovalbumin 1% on days 24, 26 and 28. Ovalbumin-sensitized animals received vehicle (saline and dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO), sakuranetin (20 mg kg(-1) per mice) or dexamethasone (5 mg kg(-1) per mice) daily beginning from 24th to 29th day. Control group received saline inhalation and nasal drop vehicle. On day 29, we determined the airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodelling as well as specific IgE antibody. RANTES, IL-5, IL-4, Eotaxin, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and GMC-SF content in lung homogenate was performed by Bioplex assay, and 8-isoprostane and NF-kB activations were visualized in inflammatory cells by immunohistochemistry. KEY RESULTS: We have demonstrated that sakuranetin treatment attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodelling; and these effects could be attributed to Th2 pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress reduction as well as control of NF-kB activation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: These results highlighted the importance of counteracting oxidative stress by flavonoids in this asthma model and suggest sakuranetin as a potential candidate for studies of treatment of asthma.

Aerobic exercise attenuates pulmonary injury induced by exposure to cigarette smoke.

It has recently been suggested that regular exercise reduces lung function decline and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among active smokers; however, the mechanisms involved in this effect remain poorly understood. The present study evaluated the effects of regular exercise training in an experimental mouse model of chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups (control, exercise, smoke and smoke+exercise). For 24 weeks, we measured respiratory mechanics, mean linear intercept, inflammatory cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, collagen deposition in alveolar walls, and the expression of antioxidant enzymes, matrix metalloproteinase 9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)1, interleukin (IL)-10 and 8-isoprostane in alveolar walls. Exercise attenuated the decrease in pulmonary elastance (p<0.01) and the increase in mean linear intercept (p=0.003) induced by cigarette smoke exposure. Exercise substantially inhibited the increase in ROS in BAL fluid and 8-isoprostane expression in lung tissue induced by cigarette smoke. In addition, exercise significantly inhibited the decreases in IL-10, TIMP1 and CuZn superoxide dismutase induced by exposure to cigarette smoke. Exercise also increased the number of cells expressing glutathione peroxidase. Our results suggest that regular aerobic physical training of moderate intensity attenuates the development of pulmonary disease induced by cigarette smoke exposure.