Dyslipidemia has been described in sickle cell anemia (SCA) but its association with increased disease severity is unknown. Here, we examined 55 children and adolescents with SCA as well as 41 healthy controls to test the association between the lipid profiles in peripheral blood and markers of hemolysis, inflammation, endothelial function, and SCA-related clinical outcomes. SCA patients exhibited lower levels of total cholesterol (P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (P<0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (P<0.001), while displaying higher triglyceride (TG) levels and TG/HDL-c ratio values (P<0.001). TG/HDL-c values were positively correlated with lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.047), leukocyte count (P=0.006), and blood flow velocity in the right (P=0.02) and left (P=0.05) cerebral artery, while being negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels (P<0.04). Acute chest syndrome (ACS) and vaso-occlusive events (VOE) were more frequent in SCA patients exhibiting higher TG/HDL-c values (odds ratio: 3.77, P=0.027). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed independent associations between elevated TG/HDL-c values and SCA. Thus, children and adolescents with SCA exhibited a lipid profile associated with hemolysis and inflammatory parameters, with increased risk of ACS and VOE. TG/HDL-c is a potential biomarker of severity of disease.

O objetivo deste estudo foi buscar associação entre a taxa de prenhez após inseminação e natalidade com marcadores moleculares ligados aos genes do receptor para IGF-1, LHβ, Leptina e receptores do FSH e LH. Utilizaram-se 249 vacas adultas Aberdeen Angus, das quais 199 foram submetidas a protocolos distintos para a IATF, seguida pelo repasse com touros, e 50 vacas formaram o grupo controle representado pelo acasalamento com touros. Foram avaliados o escore de condição corporal (ECC) e o escore de condição ovariana (ECO) ao início da estação reprodutiva. O ECC influenciou a taxa de natalidade, respectivamente de 55,6%, 75,8% e 82,4% (P<0,05) para os animais com ECC menor que 2,5, entre 2,5 a 2,9, e maior ou igual a 3,0, por ocasião da estação reprodutiva. Os marcadores relacionados ao gene do receptor para o IGF-1 (AFZ-1 e HEL5) mostraram associação com a taxa de natalidade. Vacas homozigóticas para o marcador AFZ-1 apresentaram 84,4% de natalidade em comparação às heterozigóticas, com 71,5% (P<0,05). A presença do alelo*161 para o marcador HEL5 foi negativa sobre a natalidade, respectivamente de 33,3% e 76,5% para vacas com e sem esse alelo (P<0,05). Esses resultados demonstram uma importante associação entre os marcadores envolvidos com o receptor para o IGF-1 e desempenho reprodutivo de vacas Angus.

The association between the reproductive performance, expressed by pregnancy rate at fixed timed artificial insemination and birth rate in the subsequent season in beef cows, and molecular markers linked to genes for IGF-1 receptor, LHβ, leptin, and FSH and LH receptors were evaluated. Data from 249 Aberdeen Angus adult cows were used in this study. One hundred and ninety-nine cows were subjected to four different protocols for FTAI, followed by clean-up bulls and 50 cows formed the control group, matted only with bulls for 90 days during the mating season. Body condition score (BCS) and ovarian condition score (OCE) were evaluated at the beginning of the breeding season. The birth rate in the following year was 75.5%, with no treatments influence. The BCS has influenced the birth rate, respectively 55.6%, 75.8% and 82.4% (P<0.05) for animals with BCS less than 2.5; 2.5 to 2.9; and greater than or equal to 3.0, at the beginning of the breeding season. The markers related to IGF-1 receptor gene (AFZ-1 and HEL5) were associated with the birth rate in beef cows. Cows homozygous for AFZ-1 marker showed 84.4% of birth rate, while heterozygous cows showed 71.5% (P <0.05). The presence of allele *161 to the HEL5 marker was negative on birth rate. Cows with this allele had only 33.3% of birth rate, while cows without this allele had 76.5% of birth rate (P <0.05). These results demonstrate a significant association between the markers involved with the IGF-1 receptor and reproductive performance of Aberdeen Angus beef cows.

This survey was carried out in slaughter plants in the southern of the Espírito Santo State in order to study the causes and the percentages of liver condemnation during post mortem examination from 2008 to 2010. The main reasons for the condemnation of cattle livers in routine meat inspection of the State Inspection Service were fasciolosis (62.2%), telangiectatic (12.2%), bleeding (5.9%), abscess (5.2%), cysticercosis (4.0%), adherence (3.7%), infection (1.9%) and tuberculosis (1.1%). The hepatic fascioliasis was responsible for most of the lover condemnations, constituting a major challenge to livestock health in the south of the Espírito Santo.

Cadmium in the air, drinking water and food has the potential to affect the health of people, mainly those who live in highly industrialized regions. Cadmium affects placental functions, can cross the placental barrier and directly disturbs fetal development. It is also excreted into milk. The organism is particularly susceptible to cadmium exposure at perinatal period. The effect on rat maxillary molar junctional epithelium a continuous exposure to drinking water containing low level of cadmium during lactation was studied. Female rats received drinking water ad libitum containing 300 mg/l CdCl2 throughout the whole lactation. Control animals received a similar volume of water without cadmium. Lactent rats (21 day-old) were killed by lethal dose of anesthetic. The heads were separated, fixed in an "alfac" solution for 24 hours; palate region was serially sectioned in frontal plane, at level of first molars. The sections, 6 µm-thick, were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Nuclear epithelium parameters were estimated, as well as cytoplasm and cell volume, nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, numeric and surface density and epithelial thickness. Mean body weight was 34.86 g for the control group and 18.56 g for the treated group. Histologically, the epithelium was thinner, with more numerous and smaller cells. In this experiment, cadmium induced epithelial hypotrophy, indicating a direct action in oral mucosae cells, besides retarded development in pups

El cadmio presente en el aire, agua potable y alimentos, afecta la salud de las poblaciones, principalmente en regiones altamente industrializadas. El cadmio afecta la función placentaria, puede atravesar la barrera placentaria y alterar directamente el desarrollo fetal. Puede ser también excretado en la leche. El organismo es particularmente susceptible a la exposición al cadmio durante el período perinatal. Fue estudiado el efecto de la exposición continua, durante la lactancia, a agua potable conteniendo bajos niveles de cadmio, sobre el epitelio de la zona de unión maxilo-molar. Ratas hembras recibieron agua potable ad libitum conteniendo 300mg/l de CdCl² durante todo el período de lactancia. Los controles recibieron un volumen similar de agua sin cadmio. Ratas lactantes (21 días de edad) fueron sacrificadas con dosis letal de anestésico, sus cabezas separadas, fijadas en alfac por 24 h y la región palatina seccionada frontalmente, al nivel de los primeros molares. Los cortes de 6 µm de espesor fueron teñidos con hematoxilina y eosina. Se estimaron los parámetros nucleares del epitelio, así como los volúmenes citoplasmático y celular, relación núcleo/citoplasma, densidad numérica y superficial y grosor epitelial. El peso medio fue 34,86g para los controles y 18,56g para los tratados. Histológicamente, el epitelio fue más fino, con células más abundantes y menores. El cadmio indujo hipotrofia epitelial, indicando una acción directa sobre la mucosa oral, además de retardo del desarrollo de las crías

In this work two different synthesis methods of perovskites, SrCo0.5FeO3, were compared: combustion synthesis and oxides mixture aiming at evaluating their use as membranes for partial oxidation of methane. The combustion synthesis method explores an exothermic, generally very fast and self-sustaining chemical reaction between the desired metal salts and a suitable organic fuel, which is ignited at a temperature much lower than the actual phase formation temperature. The oxides mixture are based on a physical mixture of the powder oxides followed by calcination to obtain the desired phase. In order to obtain the membranes, we studied the conformation of bodies and the temperatures of sintering in the two powders synthesized. The powders were analyzed by density and grain size distribution and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After conformation, in cylindrical form, the green bodies were analyzed by density. After sintering at 1150 °C, the membranes were analyzed by density and they were characterized by XRD and SEM. The powder obtained by combustion synthesis shows lower density and fine grains than the other obtained by oxides mixture. The membranes obtained present very different morphology depending on the precursor powder synthesis. The sintered membranes obtained by combustion method also present a very uniform morphology without segregation.

OBJECTIVE:To verify the influence of moderate- or high-pressure balloon inflation during primary coronary stent implantation for acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: After successful coronary stent implantation, 82 patients were divided into 2 groups according to the last balloon inflation pressure: group 1 (<FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>12 to <16 atm) and group 2 (<FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>16 to 20 atm), each with 41 cases. All patients underwent late coronary angiography. RESULTS: In group 1, the mean stent deployment pressure was 13.58±0.92 atm, and in the group 2 it was 18.15±1.66 atm. Stents implanted with moderate pressures (<FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>12 to <16 atm) had a significantly smaller postprocedural minimal lumen diameter, compared to with those with higher pressure, with lesser acute gain (2.7± 0.4 mm vs 2.9±04 mm; p=0.004), but the late lumen loss (0,9±0,8 mm vs 0,9±0,6 mm) and the restenosis (22% vs. 17.1%) and target-vessel revascularization rates (9.8% vs 7.3%) were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: During AMI stenting, the use of high pressures (<FONT FACE=Symbol>³</FONT>16 atm) did not cause a measurable improvement in late outcome, either in the late loss, its index, and the net gain, or in clinical and angiographic restenosis rates.