Oxidized cholesteryl ester induces exocytosis of dysfunctional lysosomes in lipidotic macrophages.

A key event in atherogenesis is the formation of lipid-loaded macrophages, lipidotic cells, which exhibit irreversible accumulation of undigested modified low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in lysosomes. This event culminates in the loss of cell homeostasis, inflammation, and cell death. Nevertheless, the exact chemical etiology of atherogenesis and the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the impairment of lysosome function in plaque macrophages are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that macrophages exposed to cholesteryl hemiazelate (ChA), one of the most prevalent products of LDL-derived cholesteryl ester oxidation, exhibit enlarged peripheral dysfunctional lysosomes full of undigested ChA and neutral lipids. Both lysosome area and accumulation of neutral lipids are partially irreversible. Interestingly, the dysfunctional peripheral lysosomes are more prone to fuse with the plasma membrane, secreting their undigested luminal content into the extracellular milieu with potential consequences for the pathology. We further demonstrate that this phenotype is mechanistically linked to the nuclear translocation of the MiT/TFE family of transcription factors. The induction of lysosome biogenesis by ChA appears to partially protect macrophages from lipid-induced cytotoxicity. In sum, our data show that ChA is involved in the etiology of lysosome dysfunction and promotes the exocytosis of these organelles. This latter event is a new mechanism that may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Tapping into non-English-language science for the conservation of global biodiversity.

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified. Here, we show that non-English-language studies provide crucial evidence for informing global biodiversity conservation. By screening 419,679 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages, we identified 1,234 non-English-language studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, compared to 4,412 English-language studies identified with the same criteria. Relevant non-English-language studies are being published at an increasing rate in 6 out of the 12 languages where there were a sufficient number of relevant studies. Incorporating non-English-language studies can expand the geographical coverage (i.e., the number of 2° × 2° grid cells with relevant studies) of English-language evidence by 12% to 25%, especially in biodiverse regions, and taxonomic coverage (i.e., the number of species covered by the relevant studies) by 5% to 32%, although they do tend to be based on less robust study designs. Our results show that synthesising non-English-language studies is key to overcoming the widespread lack of local, context-dependent evidence and facilitating evidence-based conservation globally. We urge wider disciplines to rigorously reassess the untapped potential of non-English-language science in informing decisions to address other global challenges. Please see the Supporting information files for Alternative Language Abstracts.

Functional analysis of airway remodeling is related with fibrotic mediators in asthmatic children.

BACKGROUND: Asthmatic children present variable degrees of airway inflammation, remodeling, and resistance, which correlate with disease control and severity. The chronic inflammatory process of the airway triggers airway remodeling, which reflects the degree of airway resistance. Pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators are centrally involved in this process. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the levels of pulmonary and systemic pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators present a correlation with the resistance of the respiratory system and of the proximal and distal airways. METHODS: 39 Asthmatic children (persistent mild and moderate) and 39 non-asthmatic children (both between 6 and 13 years old) were evaluated for anthropometric characteristics, lung function and mechanics, and pulmonary and systemic immune responses. RESULTS: Asthmatic children showed an increased number of blood eosinophils (p < 0.04), basophils (p < 0.04), monocytes (p < 0.002) and lymphocytes (p < 0.03). In addition, asthmatic children showed impaired lung function, as demonstrated by FEV1 (p < 0.0005) and FEV1/FVC (p < 0.004), decreased total resistance of the respiratory system (R5Hz; p < 0.009), increased resistance of the proximal airways (R20Hz; p < 0.02), increased elastance (Z5Hz; p < 0.02) and increased reactance (X5Hz; p < 0.002) compared to non-asthmatic children. Moreover, the following inflammatory factors were significantly higher in asthmatic than non-asthmatic children: GM-CSF in the breath condensate (BC) (p < 0.0001) and in the serum (p < 0.0001); TGF-beta in the BC (p < 0.0001) and in the serum (p < 0.004); IL-5 in the BC (p < 0.02) and in the serum (p < 0.01); IL-4 in the serum (p < 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: Impulse oscillometry is a sensitive method to detect airway resistance in persistent mild and moderate asthmatic children, an event followed by increased levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators.

Effects of supplementing cassava root silage to grazing dairy cows on nutrient utilization, milk production and composition in the tropics.

The current study evaluated the effects of supplementing cassava root silage (CRS) to dairy cows grazing on Megathyrsus maximus cv Mombasa on nutrient intake and digestibility, as well as on milk production and composition. Ten primiparous Girolando cows with average body weight ± (SEM) of 373.45 ± (63.55) kg were used in a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square. Animals were subjected to five treatments: (I) grazing cows without supplementation (WCS); (II) grazing cows provided with 5 kg DM of supplement without CRS (0 g/kg DM of CRS) or including (III) 260, (IV) 520, and (V) 780 g/kg DM of CRS. Statistical analyses were performed using the PROC MIXED of SAS with significance at P < 0.05. Intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ether extract decreased (P < 0.01), while intake of non-fiber carbohydrates increased (P < 0.01), with increased CRS in the diets. Total DM intake and digestibility of DM, and digestibility of nutritional components were lower (P < 0.03) in WCS animals compared to supplemented animals, except for intake and digestibility of NDF, which was the opposite. Milk yield (MY) and fat corrected milk (FCM), as well as all milk components were unaffected (P > 0.05) by CRS inclusion. In contrast, MY, FCM, protein, lactose, casein, and non-fat milk solids (NFMS) were greater for animals that received supplementation (P < 0.05), compared to animals WCS. Milk fat and total dry extract (TMS) did not differ (P > 0.11) between two groups. In conclusion, CRS may be a potential corn meal replacer in the supplement of dairy cows under tropical conditions.

mRNA distribution in skeletal muscle is associated with mRNA size.

Skeletal muscle myofibers are large and elongated cells with multiple and evenly distributed nuclei. Nuclear distribution suggests that each nucleus influences a specific compartment within the myofiber and implies a functional role for nuclear positioning. Compartmentalization of specific mRNAs and proteins has been reported at the neuromuscular and myotendinous junctions, but mRNA distribution in non-specialized regions of the myofibers remains largely unexplored. We report that the bulk of mRNAs are enriched around the nucleus of origin and that this perinuclear accumulation depends on recently transcribed mRNAs. Surprisingly, mRNAs encoding large proteins - giant mRNAs - are spread throughout the cell and do not exhibit perinuclear accumulation. Furthermore, by expressing exogenous transcripts with different sizes we found that size contributes to mRNA spreading independently of mRNA sequence. Both these mRNA distribution patterns depend on microtubules and are independent of nuclear dispersion, mRNA expression level and stability, and the characteristics of the encoded protein. Thus, we propose that mRNA distribution in non-specialized regions of skeletal muscle is size selective to ensure cellular compartmentalization and simultaneous long-range distribution of giant mRNAs.

Review on the methodology to assess respiratory tract lesions in pigs and their production impact.

Porcine respiratory disease is one of the most important health problems in pig production worldwide. Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation (CVPC) and pleurisy are the two most common lesions in the respiratory tract of slaughtered pigs. The present review paper discusses pathogens involved in the lesions, lesion prevalence, scoring systems, advantages and disadvantages of slaughterhouse examination, and the impact of CVPC and pleurisy on performance, carcass, and meat quality. Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation and pleurisy in slaughter pigs are characteristic for infections with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, respectively, although other pathogens may cause similar lesions and/or be involved in their development. The overall prevalence of CVPC and pleurisy in slaughter pigs are still high, being the prevalence of CVPC generally higher than that of chronic pleurisy. The advantages and disadvantages of slaughterhouse examination are discussed in relation to practical aspects, the assessment of lesions, the number and representativeness of the examined animals and the interpretation and value of the results for the stakeholders. The main scoring methods for CVPC and pleurisy are shortly reviewed. In general, scoring methods can be applied rapidly and easily, although significant variation due to abattoir and observer remains. Artificial intelligence-based technologies that automatically score lesions and facilitate processing of data may aid solving these problems. Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation and pleurisy have a major negative impact on pig performance, and the effects increase the extension of the lesions and/or presence of multiple lesions. The performance losses caused by these lesions, however, vary significantly between studies and farms, possibly due to differences in study population and used methodology. Both lesions also have a negative impact on different carcass and meat quality parameters, leading to increased risk for poor processing and storage of the carcasses. Monitoring lung lesions of slaughter pigs should be optimized and implemented routinely; however, it is recommended to complement this information with farm data and laboratory results for specific pathogens.

Chronic constrictive pericarditis: a rare cardiac involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Constrictive pericarditis represents a chronic condition and systemic inflammatory diseases are a known, yet uncommon, cause. Pericardial involvement is seldom reported in primary Sjögren's syndrome, usually occurring in association with pericardial effusion or pericarditis. We report a case of constrictive pericarditis with an insidious course and unusual evolution associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome. Due to the challenging nature of the diagnosis, clinical suspicion and multimodality imaging are essential for early identification and prompt initiation of treatment. Long-term outcomes remain uncertain. To the best of our knowledge, no other cases linking this autoimmune disease to constrictive pericarditis have been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 48-year-old male patient with moderate alcohol habits and a history of two prior hospitalizations. On the first, the patient was diagnosed with primary Sjögren's syndrome after presenting with pleural effusion and ascites, and empirical corticosteroid regiment was initiated. On the second, two-years later, he was readmitted with complaints of dyspnea and abdominal distension. Thoracic computed tomography revealed a localized pericardial thickening and a thin pericardial effusion, both of which were attributed to his rheumatic disease. A liver biopsy showed hepatic peliosis, which was considered to be a consequence of glucocorticoid therapy. Diuretic therapy was adjusted to symptom-relief, and a tapering corticosteroid regimen was adopted. Four years after the initial diagnosis, the patient was admitted again with recurrent dyspnea, orthopnea and ascites. At this time, constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed and a partial pericardiectomy was performed. Although not completely asymptomatic, the patient reported clinical improvement since the surgery, but still with a need for baseline diuretic therapy. CONCLUSION: Albeit uncommon, connective tissue disorders, such as primary Sjögren's syndrome, should be considered as a potential cause of constrictive pericarditis, especially in young patients with no other classical risk factors for constriction. In this case, after excluding possible infectious, neoplastic and autoimmune conditions, a primary Sjögren´s syndrome in association with constrictive pericarditis was assumed. This case presents an interesting and challenging clinical scenario, highlighting the importance of clinical awareness and the use of multimodal cardiac imaging for early recognition and treatment.

Peritoneal Dialysis Exit-Site Care Protocols in Portugal and Its Association with Catheter-Related Infections.

INTRODUCTION: Exit-site infection (ESi) prevention is a key factor in lowering the risk of peritonitis. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between exit-site (ES) care protocols and the annual incidence rates of ESi and peritonitis in Portugal. METHODS: We performed a national survey using two questionnaires: one about the incidence of catheter-related infections and the other characterizing patients' education and ES care protocols. RESULTS: In 2017 and 2018, 14 Portuguese units followed 764 and 689 patients. ESi incidence rate was 0.41 episodes/year, and the peritonitis incidence rate was 0.37. All units monitor catheter-related infections on a yearly basis, use antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of catheter placement, and treat nasal carriage of S. aureus, although with different approaches. Screening for nasal carriage of S. aureus is performed by 12 units, and daily topical antibiotic cream is recommended by 6 out of 14 of the units. We did not find statistical differences in ESi/peritonitis, comparing these practices. The rate of ESis was lower with nonocclusive dressing immediately after catheter insertion, bathing without ES dressing, with the use of colostomy bags in beach baths and was higher with the use of bath sponge. The peritonitis rate was lower with bathing without ES dressing and if shaving of the external cuff was performed in the presence of chronic ESi. CONCLUSIONS: We found potential proceedings associated with ESi and peritonitis. A regular national audit of peritoneal dialysis units is an important tool for clarifying the best procedures for reduction of catheter-related infections.

Use of Nanostructured Silica SBA-15 as an Oral Vaccine Adjuvant to Control Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in Swine Production.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is a difficult-to-control bacterium since commercial vaccines do not prevent colonization and excretion. The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of an orally administered vaccine composed of antigens extracted from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and incorporated into mesoporous silica (SBA-15), which has an adjuvant-carrier function, aiming to potentiate the action of the commercial intramuscular vaccine. A total of 60 piglets were divided into four groups (n = 15) submitted to different vaccination protocols as follows, Group 1: oral SBA15 + commercial vaccine at 24 days after weaning, G2: oral vaccine on the third day of life + vaccine commercial vaccine at 24 days, G3: commercial vaccine at 24 days, and G4: commercial vaccine + oral vaccine at 24 days. On the first day, the piglets were weighed and, from the third day onwards, submitted to blood collections for the detection and quantification of anti-Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae IgG. Nasal swabs were collected to monitor IgA by ELISA, and oropharyngeal swabs were used to assess the bacterial load by qPCR. Biological samples were collected periodically from the third day of life until the 73rd day. At 41 days of life, 15 individuals of the same age, experimentally challenged with an inoculum containing M. hyopneumoniae, were co-housed with the animals from groups (1 to 4) in a single pen to increase the infection pressure during the nursery period. At 73 days, all piglets were euthanized, and lungs were evaluated by collecting samples for estimation of bacterial load by qPCR. Quantitative data obtained from physical parameters and laboratory investigation were analyzed by performing parametric or non-parametric statistical tests. Results indicate that animals from G2 showed smaller affected lung areas compared to G3. Animals from G2 and G4 had a low prevalence of animals shedding M. hyopneumoniae at 61 days of age. Additionally, no correlation was observed between lung lesions and M. hyopneumoniae load in lung and BALF samples in animals that received the oral vaccine, while a strong correlation was observed in other groups. In the present study, evidence points to the effectiveness of the oral vaccine developed for controlling M. hyopneumoniae in pig production under field conditions.

Usability of a telehealth solution based on TV interaction for the elderly: the VITASENIOR-MT case study.

Remote monitoring of biometric data in the elderly population is an important asset for improving the quality of life and level of independence of elderly people living alone. However, the design and implementation of health technological solutions often disregard the elderly physiological and psychological abilities, leading to low adoption of these technologies. We evaluate the usability of a remote patient monitoring solution, VITASENIOR-MT, which is based on the interaction with a television set. Twenty senior participants (over 64 years) and a control group of 20 participants underwent systematic tests with the health platform and assessed its usability through several questionnaires. Elderly participants scored high on the usability of the platform, very close to the evaluation of the control group. Sensory, motor and cognitive limitations were the issues that most contributed to the difference in usability assessment between the elderly group and the control group. The solution showed high usability and acceptance regardless of age, digital literacy, education and impairments (sensory, motor and cognitive), which shows its effective viability for use and implementation as a consumer product in the senior market.

Influence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae natural infection on the respiratory microbiome diversity of finishing pigs.

Mycoplasma (M.) hyopneumoniae interacts with the respiratory microbiota and facilitates colonization of other pathogens. The present study investigated the pulmonary and nasal microbiota of M. hyopneumoniae-infected and M. hyopneumoniae-free pigs. Sixty-six pigs from three commercial herds were selected at the end of the finishing phase: 44 originated from two M. hyopneumoniae-positive herds and 22 from a M. hyopneumoniae-negative farm. At the slaughterhouse, samples of nasal turbinate (NT) and bronchus-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. DNA was extracted with a commercial kit and the infection status was confirmed by qPCR. All samples from the same herd were pooled, and next-generation sequencing based on the hypervariable region V3-V4 of the 16 s bacterial rDNA was performed. Data analysis included the taxonomic analysis, Alpha diversity indexes, and Principal coordinates analysis (Pcoa) using Jaccard, Bray-Curtis, Weighted Unifrac, and Unweighted Unifrac distances. All pigs from the infected herds tested PCR positive for M. hyopneumoniae, whereas all pigs from the negative farm were negative. There was a greater diversity of microorganisms in BALF when compared to NT samples in all the farms. BALF samples from infected animals showed higher abundance of M. hyopneumoniae than NT samples and a predominance of Pasteurella multocida among the main species identified, which was also abundant in the M. hyopneumoniae-free herd. PCoa diagrams indicated that for most of the samples, dissimilarity on bacterial composition was observed, regardless of infection status and sample type. Therefore, the lung microbiota was modulated by M. hyopneumoniae infection, which could play a role in the pathogenesis of M. hyopneumoniae-disease.

Association between breastfeeding, parents' body mass index and birth weight with obesity indicators in children.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is potentially affected by breastfeeding, parents' body mass index and birth weight. Thus, this study aimed to verify the association between breastfeeding, parents' body mass index and birth weight with obesity indicators in children. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, including data from 402 schoolchildren between 9 and 11 of age in the city of São Caetano do Sul, Brazil. Parents or guardians answered a questionnaire about breastfeeding (month), birth weight (kg), and parental body weight and height (parents' body mass index [kg/m2] was calculated). Body mass index (kg/m2), waist circumference (cm) and body fat (%), determined via bio-impedance, were measured and used as obesity indicators. Multi-level linear regression models were used to assess the respective associations adjusted for the potential confounders. RESULTS: Considering body mass index of children, the overall prevalence of eutrophic, overweight and obese were 58.2%, 20.9% and 17.2%, respectively. Significant and positive correlations were observed between breastfeeding, maternal as well as paternal body mass index and the children's body mass index, body fat and waist circumference. Birth weight was weakly and positively associated with body mass index and body fat but was not associated with waist circumference. After adjusting for school, sex, age, race/ethnicity, annual household income, sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, maternal body mass index and birth weight were positively associated with children's body mass index (ß: 0.228; 95%CI: 0.142; 0.314 and ß: 0.001; 95%CI: 0.001; 0.002), body fat (ß: 0.484; 95%CI: 0.297; 0.671 and ß: 0.002; 95%CI: 0.001; 0.003) and waist circumference (ß: 0.509; 95%CI: 0.304; 0.715 and ß: 0.003; 95%CI: 0.001; 0.005). Breastfeeding was not associated with any obesity indicators. CONCLUSION: Maternal body mass index and birth weight were associated with children's obesity indicators. The perinatal environment, therefore, appears to be a critical contributor to childhood obesity and public policies need to address parental obesity in order to tackle childhood obesity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) is registered at (Identifier NCT01722500).

Whole or coarsely broken açai seed as a source of roughage in the diet of feedlot cattle: intake, digestibility, and ruminal parameters.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two methods of provision of açai seed (AS) as a fiber source (coarsely broken or whole) for feedlot beef cattle on the intake, digestibility, and ruminal parameters. Four bulls (male, non-castrated, and rumen fistulated), with an average body weight of 340 ± 31 kg, distributed in two simultaneous 2 × 2 Latin squares, were used. The treatments were two methods of processing of the açai seed, as follows: whole açai seed (WAS), and coarsely broken açai seed (CBAS). The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake were higher (P < 0.10) with the use of CBAS. The digestibility of DM and nutrients was not affected (P > 0.10) by AS processing. Acetate and total volatile fatty acids concentrations, and acetate:propionate ratio were higher with the CBAS diet, whereas the pH was higher with the WAS diet. The concentrations of propionate, butyrate, and ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3) did not change with AS processing. Thus, coarsely broken açai seed increases the intake of DM and nutrients without altering the digestibility. Furthermore, it increases the concentrations of total fatty acids and acetate.

Carcass traits and meat characteristics of grazing Nellore cattle submitted to different supplementation strategies in the tropics.

This study explored the effects of different supplementation strategies during the dry and rainy seasons in the tropics on the carcass traits and meat quality of Nellore cattle produced under grazing conditions. Additionally, a cost assessment of the supplementation strategies was conducted to define the most suitable ones from an economic standpoint. Twenty-eight non-castrated male animals (18 months) with an initial body weight of 327.9 ± 4.2 kg were used. The animals were equitably distributed in a randomized complete design thorough four supplementation strategies as follows: (i) mineral supplementation (MS) in both dry and rainy seasons (MS/MS), (ii) MS during the dry season and concentrate supplementation (CS) during the rainy season (MS/CS), (iii) CS during the dry season and MS during the rainy season (CS/MS), and (iv) CS in both dry and rainy seasons (CS/CS). Thereafter, carcass traits, primary carcass cut yields, meat quality traits, and chemical composition of the meat of cattle produced across different supplementation strategies were determined. Data revealed that animals under CS/CS showed the greatest (P < 0.01) hot carcass weights among the other supplementation strategies evaluated. Conversely, supplementation strategy did not affect (P > 0.10) the carcass traits (the ribeye area, final pH, and forequarter), meat quality traits (shear force, myofibrillar fragment index, sarcomere length, and color), and meat chemical composition (crude protein, fat, and moisture) of the animals. A cost assessment of the supplementation strategies revealed that CS/CS had the highest production costs. Nevertheless, CS/CS had the greatest income and profit, while MS/MS had the lowest ones. In conclusion, data suggest that cattle grazing on tropical forage under CS during at least one season (i.e., dry or rainy) produce similar meat quality traits and chemical composition of meat to those observed for animals under CS in both seasons. Additionally, the last supplementation strategy revealed the greatest profit indicators among the other explored.

Early use of nitazoxanide in mild COVID-19 disease: randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Nitazoxanide is widely available and exerts broad-spectrum antiviral activity in vitro. However, there is no evidence of its impact on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. METHODS: In a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adult patients presenting up to 3 days after onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms (dry cough, fever and/or fatigue) were enrolled. After confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection using reverse transcriptase PCR on a nasopharyngeal swab, patients were randomised 1:1 to receive either nitazoxanide (500 mg) or placebo, three times daily, for 5 days. The primary outcome was complete resolution of symptoms. Secondary outcomes were viral load, laboratory tests, serum biomarkers of inflammation and hospitalisation rate. Adverse events were also assessed. RESULTS: From June 8 to August 20, 2020, 1575 patients were screened. Of these, 392 (198 placebo, 194 nitazoxanide) were analysed. Median (interquartile range) time from symptom onset to first dose of study drug was 5 (4-5) days. At the 5-day study visit, symptom resolution did not differ between the nitazoxanide and placebo arms. Swabs collected were negative for SARS-CoV-2 in 29.9% of patients in the nitazoxanide arm versus 18.2% in the placebo arm (p=0.009). Viral load was reduced after nitazoxanide compared to placebo (p=0.006). The percentage viral load reduction from onset to end of therapy was higher with nitazoxanide (55%) than placebo (45%) (p=0.013). Other secondary outcomes were not significantly different. No serious adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with mild COVID-19, symptom resolution did not differ between nitazoxanide and placebo groups after 5 days of therapy. However, early nitazoxanide therapy was safe and reduced viral load significantly.

Home physical exercise improves functional mobility and quality of life in the elderly: A CONSORT-prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial.

AIMS: To test the hypothesis of a semi-supervised home physical exercise programme that is likely to improve the functional mobility and quality of life (QOL) of elderly in the community. METHODS: This trial included elderly adults (88% female) aged 60 years or older and who were sedentary and without cognitive decline. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG, home physical exercise and sleep hygiene) and a control group (CG, sleep hygiene). The International Questionnaire on Physical Activity, mental state mini-exam, World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests were conducted before and after the 12-week intervention period. RESULTS: The study was concluded with 125 elderly participants. Anthropometric data were indicative of pre-obesity, with a mean body mass index of 27.3 ± 4, a low-income socio-economic profile (78% ≤ 2 SM) and low schooling rates (76% ≤ 3 years of study). Most of the elderly (87%) were considered physically active with IPAQ > 150 min/week. The group of elderly people who performed the home physical exercise programme showed a significant improvement in functional mobility according to the time of execution of the TUG test before (9.1 ± 2) and after (7.1 ± 1) with an average reduction of 2 ± 1 s (P < .01). The difference in the QOL of the elderly who participated in the exercise protocol was also observed, verified through the WHOQOL-OLD global score, which presented an initial score of 85 ± 10, changing to 90.4 ± 9 after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Semi-supervised physical home exercise is safe and effective in improving the functional mobility and QOL of sedentary elderly people in the community.

Diffuse reflectance and machine learning techniques to differentiate colorectal cancer ex vivo.

In this study, we used machine learning techniques to reconstruct the wavelength dependence of the absorption coefficient of human normal and pathological colorectal mucosa tissues. Using only diffuse reflectance spectra from the ex vivo mucosa tissues as input to algorithms, several approaches were tried before obtaining good matching between the generated absorption coefficients and the ones previously calculated for the mucosa tissues from invasive experimental spectral measurements. Considering the optimized match for the results generated with the multilayer perceptron regression method, we were able to identify differentiated accumulation of lipofuscin in the absorption coefficient spectra of both mucosa tissues as we have done before with the corresponding results calculated directly from invasive measurements. Considering the random forest regressor algorithm, the estimated absorption coefficient spectra almost matched the ones previously calculated. By subtracting the absorption of lipofuscin from these spectra, we obtained similar hemoglobin ratios at 410/550 nm: 18.9-fold/9.3-fold for the healthy mucosa and 46.6-fold/24.2-fold for the pathological mucosa, while from direct calculations, those ratios were 19.7-fold/10.1-fold for the healthy mucosa and 33.1-fold/17.3-fold for the pathological mucosa. The higher values obtained in this study indicate a higher blood content in the pathological samples used to measure the diffuse reflectance spectra. In light of such accuracy and sensibility to the presence of hidden absorbers, with a different accumulation between healthy and pathological tissues, good perspectives become available to develop minimally invasive spectroscopy methods for in vivo early detection and monitoring of colorectal cancer.

Artificial insemination of gilts with bovine viral diarrhea virus-contaminated semen.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a pestivirus that infects swine and other species and has genetic and antigenic similarity to classical swine fever virus. The objective of this study was to mimic the infection of swine by contaminated semen and evaluate the effects on their reproductive tracts and litters. Six gilts were artificially inseminated with semen containing BVDV-2 ncp (LVB 16557/15) and 2 were inseminated with BVDV-free semen. Blood samples from all gilts were collected for polymerase chain reaction and virus neutralization tests. No viremia or neutralizing antibodies were detected, and all the litters were born healthy.

Insémination artificielle de cochettes avec du sperme contaminé par le virus de la diarrhée virale bovine. Le virus de la diarrhée virale bovine (BVDV) est un pestivirus qui infecte les porcs et d'autres espèces et qui présente des similitudes génétiques et antigéniques avec le virus de la peste porcine classique. L'objectif de ce travail était de reproduire expérimentalement l'infection des femelles porcines par insémination avec du sperme contaminé, d'évaluer les effets sur l'appareil reproducteur de la truie et sur sa portée. Six cochettes primipares ont été inséminées artificiellement avec du sperme contenant du BVDV-2 ncp (LVB 16557/15) et deux femelles ont été inséminées avec du sperme sans BVDV. Des échantillons de sang de toutes les femelles ont été prélevés pour des tests de réaction d'amplification en chaîne par la polymérase et de neutralisation virale. Aucune virémie ni aucun anticorps neutralisant n'ont été détectés et toutes les portées sont nées saines.(Traduit par les auteurs).

Acid mine drainage at the Bahia Gold Belt (Brazil): microbial isolation and characterization.

Acid mine drainage occurs due to the chemical and microbiological oxidation of sulfide minerals and can be a source of potentially toxic elements contamination of groundwater and surface water. The objective of this study was to identify microorganisms involved in sulfide oxidation in the tailings of a Bahia Gold Belt mine (Brazil). Samples of solids and water were collected at the mine tailings dam and characterized. The microorganisms were isolated after enrichment and subsequent purification. The major constituents of the tailings are Si, Fe, Al, S, and K. The sulfur content of the tailings is 0.98%. The major phases are quartz, muscovite, and clinochlore. Gravity concentrates of the tailings show several particles of pyrite, that is, the major sulfide phase. Molecular analysis identified the microorganisms isolated in the acid mine drainage process in this region. Five bacterium species were found: Acidithiobacillus spp., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidiphilium spp., Leptospirillum type II, and Sulfobacillus spp. No organisms of the archaea or eukaryote domains were found. The isolate was used in the bioleaching of copper sulfide ore, and the copper extraction was about 60% in 60 days for ground ore.

Nutrient utilization, performance, and milk fatty acid composition of grazing cows fed supplements with babassu coconut.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of cracked babassu coconut (CBC) in the supplement on nutrient utilization, performance, and milk fatty acid (FA) composition of dairy cows grazing Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombasa. Five multiparous Holstein × Zebu mid-lactation cows (125 ± 16.5 days in milk) were assigned to five dietary treatments (replacement of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of ground corn with CBC, on a dry matter (DM) basis) in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The intake of DM from the supplement, crude protein (CP), non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC), fat (ether extract (EE)), and total digestible nutrients (TDNs) decreased linearly (P < 0.05), while the intake of DM from forage increased linearly (P < 0.05), with the increase in CBC inclusion in the supplement. Conversely, total DM intake was unaffected (P > 0.05). The DM, NFC, EE, and TDN digestibility decreased linearly (P < 0.05), while organic matter (OM) digestibility decreased in a quadratic fashion (P < 0.05), as CBC inclusion in the supplement increased. Nevertheless, digestibility of CP was unaffected (P > 0.05). Milk yield and composition (lactose, fat, protein, casein, and majority of FA) showed a linearly decreasing pattern (P < 0.05) with the increasing of CBC inclusion. However, proportions of trans-vaccenic acid, rumenic acid, total monounsaturated FA, and odd- and branched-chain FAs increased linearly (P < 0.05). On the opposite, total saturated FA (SFA) and the n-6:n-3 FA ratio in milk fat decreased linearly (P < 0.01). Hence, replacement of corn meal with CBC up to 80% in the supplement decreases nutrient intake and digestibility, as well as milk yield response in grazing dairy cows. However, CBC inclusion may enhance the nutritional properties of milk fat.