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We measure the effects of transverse wakefields driven by a relativistic proton bunch in plasma with densities of 2.1×10^{14} and 7.7×10^{14}  electrons/cm^{3}. We show that these wakefields periodically defocus the proton bunch itself, consistently with the development of the seeded self-modulation process. We show that the defocusing increases both along the bunch and along the plasma by using time resolved and time-integrated measurements of the proton bunch transverse distribution. We evaluate the transverse wakefield amplitudes and show that they exceed their seed value (<15  MV/m) and reach over 300  MV/m. All these results confirm the development of the seeded self-modulation process, a necessary condition for external injection of low energy and acceleration of electrons to multi-GeV energy levels.

Background: Antioxidants help prevent lipid oxidation, and therefore are critical to maintain sensory quality and chemical characteristics of edible oils. Jussara berry (Euterpe edulis M.) oil is a source of minor compounds with potential antioxidant activity. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of such compounds on the effectiveness to prevent or delay oxidation of oil present in oil-in-water emulsions, and how the emulsions' physical stability would be affected., Results: Jussara berry oil extracted by ethanol extraction, its stripped variations (partially stripped, highly stripped and highly stripped with added butylhydroxytoluene), and expeller-pressed oil were used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions. Jussara berry oils were analyzed before emulsions preparation to ensure their initial quality and composition, and oil-in-water emulsions were analyzed regarding their oxidative and physical stability. Ethanol extracted oil emulsion presented higher oxidative stability than highly stripped oil emulsion with added synthetic antioxidant butylahydroxytoluene (oxidative stability index 45% lower, after 60 days, and reached undetectable levels after 90 days). All emulsions remained physically stable for up to 120 days of storage., Conclusion: Our results indicate that natural antioxidants in jussara berry oil protect emulsions from oxidation while keeping physical stability unchanged. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

We propose an all-optical dual-stage laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA), staged with co-propagating two-color laser pulses in a plasma medium, to enhance the electron bunch energy. After the depletion of the leading fundamental laser pulse that initiates self-injection and sets up the first stage particle acceleration, the subsequent second-harmonic laser pulse takes over the acceleration process and accelerates the electron bunch in the second stage over a significantly longer distance than in the first stage. In this all optical dual-stage LWFA, the electrons can gain 3 times higher energy as compared to the energy gain from the single stage LWFA driven by a single-color laser pulse with equivalent energy. Our multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that a 10-GeV electron bunch with 20-pC charge can be obtained by the two-color dual-stage LWFA using total input laser power of 0.6 PW.

Objectives: Ureaplasma diversum is a pathogen of cows that may cause intense inflammatory responses in the reproductive tract and interfere with bovine reproduction. The aims of this study were to evaluate the immune response of bovine blastocysts and macrophages to U. diversum infection and to evaluate the invasion capacity of this microorganism in bovine blastocysts. Methods: Viable and heat-inactivated U. diversum strains ATCC 49782 and CI-GOTA and their extracted membrane lipoproteins were inoculated in macrophages in the presence or absence of signaling blockers of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 4, TLR2/4, and Nuclear Factor KB (NF-κB). In addition, the same viable U. diversum strains were used to infect bovine blastocysts. RNA was extracted from infected and lipoprotein-exposed macrophages and infected blastocysts and assayed by qPCR to evaluate the expression of Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α), TLR2 and TLR4 genes. U. diversum internalization in blastocysts was followed by confocal microscopy. Results: Both Ureaplasma strains and different concentrations of extracted lipoproteins induced a higher gene expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, TLR2, and TLR4 in macrophages ( p < 0.05) when compared to non-infected cells. The used blockers inhibited the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in all treatments. Moreover, U. diversum was able to internalize within blastocysts and induce a higher gene expression of IL-1b and TNF- α when compared to non-infected blastocysts ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: The obtained results strongly suggest that U. diversum and its lipoproteins interact with TLR4 in a signaling pathway acting via NF-kB signaling to stimulate the inflammatory response. This is the first study to evaluate the in vitro immunological response of macrophages and bovine blastocysts against U. diversum . These results may contribute to a better understanding of the immunomodulatory activity and pathogenicity of this infectious agent.

This study aimed at identifying and comparing subjective risk perception regarding two different violent situations in urban roads: traffic accidents (i.e. crashes) and robberies. A robbery consists of subtracting something from someone, while seriously threatening the victim, or using violence. Robberies can be perpetrated either with or without the use of a weapon. This study was carried out in the city of Uberlândia, a medium size city in the state of Minas Gerais, south-east Brazil. A total of 383 people was interviewed at home in two boroughs of Uberlândia, using a questionnaire divided in five parts: a) personal information; b) description of crash involvement; c) description of robbery involvement; d) the chance of being involved in a crash and in a robbery within the next three years; e) willingness to pay for more safety in traffic or for more security against robberies; f) what causes more damage or harm to society, crashes or robberies. Descriptive figures are shown for the sample which reported 1.44 crashes/person. More than half of those involved in crashes (56%) were injured and 75% of these needed hospital care. There were 1.15 robberies/person. Only 7% of those involved in robberies were injured, none of them hospitalized. During robberies, 57.3% of the respondents were threatened with weapons. Car drivers were more subject to crashes (40%) and pedestrians were more subject to robberies (78%). Risk perception of being involved in a robbery within the next three years and when on the streets of the local borough is higher than crash risk perception. Respondents thought of dying in 25.5% of the crashes and in 46.3% of the robberies. A large group (63.7% of the sample) declared the willingness to pay for more personal security rather than for more traffic safety. Statistical analysis is presented in an attempt to study the relationship between variables. As expected, the respondents' subjective risk perception appears to contradict objective risk. Instinctively, interviewees might perceive robberies as a greater threat than crashes, perhaps reflecting lightly on the latter. In countries with high crash and violent incident statistics such results could be used to orientate traffic safety policies, education and campaigns, concentrating on the outcomes of crashes., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The dynamical evolution of a fully kinetic, collisionless system with imposed background density and temperature gradients is investigated analytically. The temperature gradient leads to the generation of temperature anisotropy, with the temperature along the gradient becoming larger than that in the direction perpendicular to it. This causes the system to become unstable to pressure anisotropy driven instabilities, dominantly to the electron Weibel instability. When both density and temperature gradients are present and nonparallel to each other, we obtain a Biermann-like linear-in-time magnetic field growth. Accompanying particle-in-cell numerical simulations are shown to confirm our analytical results.

Background: Scales to assess the quality of life and return-to-sport after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may help the clinical decision-making process., Objective: To cross-culturally adapt and determine the validity of the Brazilian versions of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire (ACL-QoL)., Methods: The process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation followed the recommendations of international guidelines. One hundred participants filled out the Brazilian versions of these instruments, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The measurement properties of reliability, internal consistency and construct validity were measured., Results: The ACL-RSI and the ACL-QoL were successfully translated and cross-culturally adapted. Both questionnaires showed good test-retest reliability (ICC 2,1 =0.78, 95% CI=0.67-0.85 for the ACL-RSI; and ICC 2,1 =0.84, 95% CI=0.76-0.90 for the ACL-QoL) and good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87 for the ACL-RSI; and Cronbach's alpha=0.96 for the ACL-QoL). A reasonable correlation was found between both questionnaires and the TSK, and a low to reasonable correlation was found between the questionnaires and the SF-36 in terms of validity. Compared to the IKDC Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, the ACL-RSI had a reasonable correlation and the ACL-QoL had a good correlation., Conclusion: The Brazilian versions of the ACL-RSI and the ACL-QoL have adequate measurement properties and may be used in assessing Brazilians after ACL reconstruction., (Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Fisioterapia. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients submitted to hemodialysis therapy are more susceptible to infection, especially to infection by Gram-positive bacteria. Various research works have attempted to discover new antimicrobial agents from plant extracts and other natural products., Methods: The present study aimed to assess the antibacterial activities of Copaifera duckei , C. reticulata , and C. oblongifolia oleoresins; sodium hypochlorite; and peracetic acid against clinical and environmental isolates recovered from a Hemodialysis Unit. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and the Fractionated Inhibitory Concentration Index were determined; the ability of the tested compounds/extracts to inhibit biofilm formation was evaluated by calculating the MICB 50 and IC 50 ., Results: C. duckei was the most efficient among the assayed Copaifera species, and its oleoresin was more effective than peracetic acid and sodium hypochlorite. Copaifera oleoresins and disinfectants did not act synergistically at any of the tested combinations. Certain of C. duckei oleoresin, peracetic acid, and sodium hypochlorite concentrations inhibited biofilm formation and eradicated 50% of the biofilm population., Conclusion: C. duckei oleoresin is a potential candidate for disinfectant formulations. Based on these results and given the high incidence of multi-resistant bacteria in hemodialysis patients, it is imperative that new potential antibacterial agents like C. duckei oleoresin, which is active against Staphylococcus , be included in disinfectant formulations., Competing Interests: Not applicableAll the authors approve the publication of this work.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of resin infiltration or enamel microabrasion for restoring color changes caused by incipient carious lesions as well as the color stability achieved by these treatments. Enamel specimens were subjected to cariogenic challenge to produce white spot lesions (WSLs) using a microcosm biofilm model. These lesions were treated with resin infiltration or enamel microabrasion (n = 8), and color changes were measured with a spectrophotometer at baseline and after the treatments. Untreated specimens were used as a control. The treated specimens were then immersed in coffee for 1 week, and tooth color was measured again. Data for ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, and ΔE were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Caries induction resulted in significant color changes, mainly decreased lightness. Neither resin infiltration nor enamel microabrasion were able to restore tooth color. The specimens subjected to resin infiltration and the control specimens were more susceptible to color changes following immersion in coffee. In conclusion, enamel microabrasion and resin infiltration were unable to restore the initial tooth color observed prior to WSL induction. Moreover, resin-infiltrated enamel seems more susceptible to staining solutions than enamel subjected to microabrasion.

A new type of proton acceleration stemming from large-scale gradients, low-density targets, irradiated by an intense near-infrared laser is observed. The produced protons are characterized by high-energies (with a broad spectrum), are emitted in a very directional manner, and the process is associated to relaxed laser (no need for high-contrast) and target (no need for ultra-thin or expensive targets) constraints. As such, this process appears quite effective compared to the standard and commonly used Target Normal Sheath Acceleration technique (TNSA), or more exploratory mechanisms like Radiation Pressure Acceleration (RPA). The data are underpinned by 3D numerical simulations which suggest that in these conditions a Low Density Collisionless Shock Acceleration (LDCSA) mechanism is at play, which combines an initial Collisionless Shock Acceleration (CSA) to a boost procured by a TNSA-like sheath field in the downward density ramp of the target, leading to an overall broad spectrum. Experiments performed at a laser intensity of 10 20  W/cm 2 show that LDCSA can accelerate, from ~1% critical density, mm-scale targets, up to 5 × 10 9 protons/MeV/sr/J with energies up to 45(±5) MeV in a collimated (~6° half-angle) manner.

We have investigated proton acceleration in the forward direction from a near-critical density hydrogen gas jet target irradiated by a high intensity (10 18  W/cm 2 ), short-pulse (5 ps) laser with wavelength of 1.054 μm. We observed the signature of the Collisionless Shock Acceleration mechanism, namely quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with small divergence in addition to the more commonly observed electron-sheath driven proton acceleration. The proton energies we obtained were modest (~MeV), but prospects for improvement are offered through further tailoring the gas jet density profile. Also, we observed that this mechanism is very robust in producing those beams and thus can be considered as a future candidate in laser-driven ion sources driven by the upcoming next generation of multi-PW near-infrared lasers.

The achievable energy and the stability of accelerated electron beams have been the most critical issues in laser wakefield acceleration. As laser propagation, plasma wave formation and electron acceleration are highly nonlinear processes, the laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is extremely sensitive to initial experimental conditions. We propose a simple and elegant waveform control method for the LWFA process to enhance the performance of a laser electron accelerator by applying a fully optical and programmable technique to control the chirp of PW laser pulses. We found sensitive dependence of energy and stability of electron beams on the spectral phase of laser pulses and obtained stable 2-GeV electron beams from a 1-cm gas cell of helium. The waveform control technique for LWFA would prompt practical applications of centimeter-scale GeV-electron accelerators to a compact radiation sources in the x-ray and γ-ray regions.

Background: Entomological surveillance of sand fly vectors was carried out to support leishmaniasis prevention and control measures in areas affected by the São Francisco River Transposition Project., Methods: Sand flies were collected monthly between May 2011 and December 2014 in seven municipalities: Missão Velha, Brejo Santo, Lavras da Mangabeira, Iguatu, Mauriti, Jaguaribe and Jaguaretama, in dwellings, peridomicile and forest areas for three consecutive days, for a period of 12 h each day (18:00 to 06:00 h). Differences in species composition between sites were tested with Shannon's diversity index, the similarity between habitats was estimated by the Sørensen's qualitative similarity index and, for the most abundant species in each municipality, a standardized index of species abundance was applied. The influence of climatic factors on sand fly population densities was analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficients., Results: A total of 214,213 sand fly specimens belonging to 18 species were captured. The most abundant species in all municipalities was Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912). The municipalities of Mauriti and Missão Velha stand out in terms of high species richness, with the latter exhibiting the greatest diversity. The number of sand flies in the Iguatu, Jaguaribe and Jaguaretama municipality was higher during the rainy months, whereas the populations declined in the drier months; the sand fly population density in other municipalities (Missão Velha, Brejo Santo, Lavras de Mangabeira and Mauriti) showed negative correlation with rainfall., Conclusions: This study confirms the presence of several Leishmania spp. vectors in the seven municipalities affected by the São Francisco River Transposition Project, with Lu. longipalpis being the most abundant species at all study sites. Vector populations in these municipalities should be monitored, ultimately to assess the associations between environmental changes and sand fly population dynamics and leishmaniasis transmission risk.

Turbulent magnetic fields abound in nature, pervading astrophysical, solar, terrestrial and laboratory plasmas. Understanding the ubiquity of magnetic turbulence and its role in the universe is an outstanding scientific challenge. Here, we report on the transition of magnetic turbulence from an initially electron-driven regime to one dominated by ion-magnetization in a laboratory plasma produced by an intense, table-top laser. Our observations at the magnetized ion scale of the saturated turbulent spectrum bear a striking resemblance with spacecraft measurements of the solar wind magnetic-field spectrum, including the emergence of a spectral kink. Despite originating from diverse energy injection sources (namely, electrons in the laboratory experiment and ion free-energy sources in the solar wind), the turbulent spectra exhibit remarkable parallels. This demonstrates the independence of turbulent spectral properties from the driving source of the turbulence and highlights the potential of small-scale, table-top laboratory experiments for investigating turbulence in astrophysical environments.

Plasma amplifiers offer a route to side-step limitations on chirped pulse amplification and generate laser pulses at the power frontier. They compress long pulses by transferring energy to a shorter pulse via the Raman or Brillouin instabilities. We present an extensive kinetic numerical study of the three-dimensional parameter space for the Raman case. Further particle-in-cell simulations find the optimal seed pulse parameters for experimentally relevant constraints. The high-efficiency self-similar behavior is observed only for seeds shorter than the linear Raman growth time. A test case similar to an upcoming experiment at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics is found to maintain good transverse coherence and high-energy efficiency. Effective compression of a 10kJ, nanosecond-long driver pulse is also demonstrated in a 15-cm-long amplifier.

Objective: To perform a systematic search in the literature in order to verify whether the dentists are able to identify and manage cases elder physical abuse., Background: Dentists may play an important legal role contributing to the management of abused patients through the identification of injuries in their face, head and neck., Materials and Methods: The present systematic review was performed following the PRISMA Statement and was registered in the PROSPERO database. A search was conducted in the following electronic databases: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, Embase, Web of Science, OpenGrey, Google Scholar. Specifically, the last two databases were used to search the 'grey literature'. The research question was based on the PVO strategy for systematic exploratory review. Two examiners determined the eligibility criteria for selecting the studies and performed all the research steps., Results: The initial search resulted in 842 studies, from which eight were considered eligible. Six studies used questionnaires to assess the perception, knowledge and attitudes of dentists towards the identification and management of cases of elder abuse, while two studies assessed this information through personal interviews. Two studies were rated as high quality, while six studies reached moderate quality. Male and female dentists were assessed separately in six studies. Only three studies specified the aggressor., Conclusion: The dentists revealed insufficient knowledge on elder abuse. Most of the dentists are not able to identify and manage these cases in the clinical routine., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The growth rates of seeded QED cascades in counterpropagating lasers are calculated with first-principles two- and three-dimensional QED-PIC (particle-in-cell) simulations. The dependence of the growth rate on the laser polarization and intensity is compared with analytical models that support the findings of the simulations. The models provide insight regarding the qualitative trend of the cascade growth when the intensity of the laser field is varied. A discussion about the cascade's threshold is included, based on the analytical and numerical results. These results show that relativistic pair plasmas and efficient conversion from laser photons to γ rays can be observed with the typical intensities planned to operate on future ultraintense laser facilities such as ELI or Vulcan.

We identify and explore a high orbital angular momentum (OAM) harmonics generation and amplification mechanism that manipulates the OAM independently of any other laser property, by preserving the initial laser wavelength, through stimulated Raman backscattering in a plasma. The high OAM harmonics spectra can extend at least up to the limiting value imposed by the paraxial approximation. We show with theory and particle-in-cell simulations that the orders of the OAM harmonics can be tuned according to a selection rule that depends on the initial OAM of the interacting waves. We illustrate the high OAM harmonics generation in a plasma using several examples including the generation of prime OAM harmonics. The process can also be realized in any nonlinear optical Kerr media supporting three-wave interactions.

The transverse stability of the target is crucial for obtaining high quality ion beams using the laser radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) mechanism. In this Letter, a theoretical model and supporting two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are presented to clarify the physical mechanism of the transverse instability observed in the RPA process. It is shown that the density ripples of the target foil are mainly induced by the coupling between the transverse oscillating electrons and the quasistatic ions, a mechanism similar to the oscillating two stream instability in the inertial confinement fusion research. The predictions of the mode structure and the growth rates from the theory agree well with the results obtained from the PIC simulations in various regimes, indicating the model contains the essence of the underlying physics of the transverse breakup of the target.

The productivity of herds may be negatively affected by inbreeding depression, and it is important to know how intense is this effect on the livestock performance. We performed a comprehensive analysis involving five Zebu breeds reared in Brazil to estimate inbreeding depression in productive and reproductive traits. Inbreeding depression was estimated for 13 traits by including the individual inbreeding rate as a linear covariate in the standard genetic evaluation models. For all breeds and for almost all traits (no effect was observed on gestation length), the performance of the animals was compromised by an increase in inbreeding. The average inbreeding depression was -0.222% and -0.859% per 1% of inbreeding for linear regression coefficients scaled on the percentage of mean (β m ) and standard deviation (β σ ), respectively. The means for β m (and β σ ) were -0.269% (-1.202%) for weight/growth traits and -0.174% (-0.546%) for reproductive traits. Hence, inbreeding depression is more pronounced in weight/growth traits than in reproductive traits. These findings highlight the need for the management of inbreeding in the respective breeding programmes of the breeds studied here., (© 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) represents one of the most common causes of neonatal encephalopathy. The central nervous system injury comprises several mechanisms, including inflammatory, excitotoxicity, and redox homeostasis unbalance leading to cell death and cognitive impairment. Exercise during pregnancy is a potential therapeutic tool due to benefits offered to mother and fetus. Swimming during pregnancy elicits a strong metabolic programming in the offspring's brain, evidenced by increased antioxidant enzymes, mitochondrial biogenesis, and neurogenesis. This article aims to evaluate whether the benefits of maternal exercise are able to prevent behavioral brain injury caused by neonatal HI. Female adult Wistar rats swam before and during pregnancy (30min/day, 5 days/week, 4 weeks). At 7(th) day after birth, the offspring was submitted to HI protocol and, in adulthood (60(th) day), it performed the behavioral tests. It was observed an increase in motor activity in the open field test in HI-rats, which was not prevented by maternal exercise. The rats subjected to maternal swimming presented an improved long-term memory in the object recognition task, which was totally reversed by neonatal HI encephalopathy. BDNF brain levels were not altered; suggesting that HI or maternal exercise effects were BDNF-independent. In summary, our data suggest a beneficial long-term effect of maternal swimming, despite not being robust enough to protect from HI injury., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We demonstrate how to tune the main ion acceleration mechanism in laser-plasma interactions to collisionless shock acceleration, thus achieving control over the final ion beam properties (e. g. maximum energy, divergence, number of accelerated ions). We investigate this technique with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and illustrate a possible experimental realisation. The setup consists of an isolated solid density target, which is preheated by a first laser pulse to initiate target expansion, and a second one to trigger acceleration. The timing between the two laser pulses allows to access all ion acceleration regimes, ranging from target normal sheath acceleration, to hole boring and collisionless shock acceleration. We further demonstrate that the most energetic ions are produced by collisionless shock acceleration, if the target density is near-critical, ne ≈ 0.5 ncr. A scaling of the laser power shows that 100 MeV protons may be achieved in the PW range.

Laser wakefield accelerators have great potential as the basis for next generation compact radiation sources because of their extremely high accelerating gradients. However, X-ray radiation from such devices still lacks tunability, especially of the intensity and polarization distributions. Here we propose a tunable polarized radiation source based on a helical plasma undulator in a plasma channel guided wakefield accelerator. When a laser pulse is initially incident with a skew angle relative to the channel axis, the laser and accelerated electrons experience collective spiral motions, which leads to elliptically polarized synchrotron-like radiation with flexible tunability on radiation intensity, spectra and polarization. We demonstrate that a radiation source with millimeter size and peak brilliance of 2 × 10(19) photons/s/mm(2)/mrad(2)/0.1% bandwidth can be made with moderate laser and electron beam parameters. This brilliance is comparable with third generation synchrotron radiation facilities running at similar photon energies, suggesting that laser plasma based radiation sources are promising for advanced applications.

Background: Copy number variations (CNVs) have been shown to account for substantial portions of observed genomic variation and have been associated with qualitative and quantitative traits and the onset of disease in a number of species. Information from high-resolution studies to detect, characterize and estimate population-specific variant frequencies will facilitate the incorporation of CNVs in genomic studies to identify genes affecting traits of importance., Results: Genome-wide CNVs were detected in high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping data from 1,717 Nelore (Bos indicus) cattle, and in NGS data from eight key ancestral bulls. A total of 68,007 and 12,786 distinct CNVs were observed, respectively. Cross-comparisons of results obtained for the eight resequenced animals revealed that 92 % of the CNVs were observed in both datasets, while 62 % of all detected CNVs were observed to overlap with previously validated cattle copy number variant regions (CNVRs). Observed CNVs were used for obtaining breed-specific CNV frequencies and identification of CNVRs, which were subsequently used for gene annotation. A total of 688 of the detected CNVRs were observed to overlap with 286 non-redundant QTLs associated with important production traits in cattle. All of 34 CNVs previously reported to be associated with milk production traits in Holsteins were also observed in Nelore cattle. Comparisons of estimated frequencies of these CNVs in the two breeds revealed 14, 13, 6 and 14 regions in high (>20 %), low (<20 %) and divergent (NEL > HOL, NEL < HOL) frequencies, respectively., Conclusions: Obtained results significantly enriched the bovine CNV map and enabled the identification of variants that are potentially associated with traits under selection in Nelore cattle, particularly in genome regions harboring QTLs affecting production traits.

Purpose: To compare sleep quality and sustained attention of patients with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and normal individuals., Methods: UARS criteria were presence of excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale-ESS-≥ 10) and/or fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale-MFIS-≥ 38) associated to Apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) ≤ 5 and Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) > 5 events/hour of sleep or more than 30% of total sleep time with flow limitation. Mild OSA was considered if the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS ≥ 10) and/or fatigue (MFIS ≥ 38) associated to AHI ≥ 5 and ≤ 15 events/hour. "Control group" criteria were AHI < 5 events/hour and RDI ≤ 5 events/hour and ESS ≤ 9, without any sleep, clinical, neurological or psychiatric disorder. 115 individuals (34 UARS and 47 mild OSA patients and 34 individuals in "control group"), adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and schooling years, performed sleep questionnaires and sustained attention evaluation. Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) was performed five times (each two hours) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Results: UARS patients had worse sleep quality (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire-FOSQ-and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI: p < 0.05) and more fatigue than mild OSA patients (p = 0.003) and scored significantly higher in both Beck inventories than "control group" (p < 0.02). UARS patients had more lapses early in the morning (in time 1) compared to the results in the afternoon (time 5) than mild OSA (p = 0.02). Mild OSA patients had more lapses in times 2 than in time 5 compared to "control group" (p = 0.04)., Conclusions: UARS patients have a worse sleep quality, more fatigue and a worse early morning sustained attention compared to mild OSA. These last had a worse sustained attention than controls.

We obtained heritability and (co)variance component estimates for slaughter conformation scores at 420 days of age (SCS420), age at calving (first, AFC; second, ASC), calving occurrence until 38 months of age (CP38), weight at 420 days of age (W420), and scrotal circumference at 420 days (SC420) in Canchim (5/8 Charolais + 3/8 Zebu) cattle. A total of 23,168 records of Canchim animals, including 12,493 females and 10,675 males, were analyzed. SCS420 indicated carcass structure, muscle development, and subcutaneous fat deposition. The slaughter conformation score of each animal was relative to the whole contemporary group; 1 corresponded to the lowest expression of the trait and 6 to the highest. Heritabilities, and genetic and residual correlation estimates between SCS420 and reproductive and weight traits, were estimated by multitrait analyses using an animal model with Bayesian inference, employing a linear model for AFC, ASC, SC420, and W420 and a threshold model for CP38 and SCS420. Heritability estimates for SCS420, AFC, ASC, CP38, W420, and SC420 were 0.11, 0.15, 0.15, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.30, respectively. Genetic correlation estimates between SCS420 and the other traits were 0.08 (AFC), 0.58 (ASC), 0.08 (CP38), 0.43 (W420), and 0.17 (SC420). Visual slaughter conformation scores respond to individual selection and can be used as selection criteria in Canchim cattle. Selection to improve sexual precocity would not be effective in improving carcass conformation and composition, and selection for animals with high breeding values for yearling weight may improve slaughter conformation at the yearling stage.

Mercury is a highly toxic substance that is a health hazard to humans. This study aims to investigate powders obtained from the peel of the fruit of Pachira aquatica Aubl, in its in natura and/or acidified form, as an adsorbent for the removal of mercury ions in aqueous solution. The materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The infrared spectra showed bands corresponding to the axial deformation of carbonyls from carboxylic acids, the most important functional group responsible for fixing the metal species to the adsorbent material. The thermograms displayed mass losses related to the decomposition of three major components, i.e., hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin. The adsorption process was evaluated using cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV AFS) and cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS). Three isotherm models were employed. The adsorption isotherm model, Langmuir-Freundlich, best represented the adsorption process, and the maximum adsorption capacity was predicted to be 0.71 and 0.58 mg g(-1) at 25 °C in nature and acidified, respectively. Adsorption efficiencies were further tested on real aqueous wastewater samples, and removal of Hg(II) was recorded as 69.6 % for biomass acidified and 76.3 % for biomass in nature. Results obtained from sorption experiments on real aqueous wastewater samples revealed that recovery of the target metal ions was very satisfactory. The pseudo-second-order model showed the best correlation to the experimental data. The current findings showed that the investigated materials are potential adsorbents for mercury(II) ion removal in aqueous solution, with acidified P. aquatica Aubl being the most efficient adsorbent.

Background: Severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) directly affects the quality of life, mood, and sustained attention of individuals, but it has not yet been established in the literature, if these changes also affect patients with mild OSA. The purpose of this study was to investigate such negative effects on the parameters described above., Methods: A controlled study was held at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Department of Psychobiology. Thirty-nine mild OSA patients and 25 controls were included. Volunteers could be of both genders with body mass index (BMI) ≤35 kg/m(2) and age between 18 and 65 years. Both groups were subjected to full-night polysomnography (PSG), the subjective assessment of mood (Beck Inventory of Anxiety and Depression), Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), and the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) five times during the day. We considered mild OSA patients those with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score between 5 and 15. The control group included subjects with AHI scores <5, respiratory disturbance index (RDI) scores ≤5, arousal index values ≤15, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) values ≤9., Results: Mild OSA patients were older and more obese than the controls. After adjusting for age, BMI, and schooling years, there was an increased number of total lapses (3.90 ± 4.16 and 2.43 ± 5.55, p = 0.004)., Conclusions: Patients with mild OSA showed increased sustained attention lapses compared with normal subjects.

Thirty-one morphotypes of insect galls and two flower damages were found on 16 families, 22 genera and 24 plant species in Restinga de Marambaia (Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, RJ). Fabaceae and Myrtaceae were the plant families with the greatest richness of insect galls (4 and 6 morphotypes, respectively), and the greatest number of galled plants (four and three species, respectively). Galls were mostly found on leaves and stems (77% and 10%, respectively). The galling insects are represented by Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera. The majority of the galls (81%) were induced by gall midges (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera).

Body weight is regulated by the ability of hypothalamic neurons to orchestrate behavioral, endocrine and autonomic responses via afferent and efferent pathways to the brainstem and the periphery. Weight maintenance requires a balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Although several components that participate in energy homeostasis have been identified, there is a need to know in more detail their actions as well as their interactions with environmental and psychosocial factors in the development of human obesity. In this review, we examine the role of systemic mediators such as leptin, ghrelin and insulin, which act in the central nervous system by activating or inhibiting neuropeptide Y, Agouti-related peptide protein, melanocortin, transcript related to cocaine and amphetamine, and others. As a result, modifications in energy homeostasis occur through regulation of appetite and energy expenditure. We also examine compensatory changes in the circulating levels of several peripheral hormones after diet-induced weight loss.

Background: Nelore is the major beef cattle breed in Brazil with more than 130 million heads. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are often used to associate markers and genomic regions to growth and meat quality traits that can be used to assist selection programs. An alternative methodology to traditional GWAS that involves the construction of gene network interactions, derived from results of several GWAS is the AWM (Association Weight Matrices)/PCIT (Partial Correlation and Information Theory). With the aim of evaluating the genetic architecture of Brazilian Nelore cattle, we used high-density SNP genotyping data (~770,000 SNP) from 780 Nelore animals comprising 34 half-sibling families derived from highly disseminated and unrelated sires from across Brazil. The AWM/PCIT methodology was employed to evaluate the genes that participate in a series of eight phenotypes related to growth and meat quality obtained from this Nelore sample., Results: Our results indicate a lack of structuring between the individuals studied since principal component analyses were not able to differentiate families by its sires or by its ancestral lineages. The application of the AWM/PCIT methodology revealed a trio of transcription factors (comprising VDR, LHX9 and ZEB1) which in combination connected 66 genes through 359 edges and whose biological functions were inspected, some revealing to participate in biological growth processes in literature searches., Conclusions: The diversity of the Nelore sample studied is not high enough to differentiate among families neither by sires nor by using the available ancestral lineage information. The gene networks constructed from the AWM/PCIT methodology were a useful alternative in characterizing genes and gene networks that were allegedly influential in growth and meat quality traits in Nelore cattle.

Twisted Laguerre-Gaussian lasers, with orbital angular momentum and characterized by doughnut-shaped intensity profiles, provide a transformative set of tools and research directions in a growing range of fields and applications, from super-resolution microcopy and ultra-fast optical communications to quantum computing and astrophysics. The impact of twisted light is widening as recent numerical calculations provided solutions to long-standing challenges in plasma-based acceleration by allowing for high-gradient positron acceleration. The production of ultra-high-intensity twisted laser pulses could then also have a broad influence on relativistic laser-matter interactions. Here we show theoretically and with ab initio three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations that stimulated Raman backscattering can generate and amplify twisted lasers to petawatt intensities in plasmas. This work may open new research directions in nonlinear optics and high-energy-density science, compact plasma-based accelerators and light sources.

Background: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been shown to generate significant benefits in different clinical conditions; however, there is scarce information regarding acute clinical and hemodynamic effects., Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic responses during a single short IMT session in patients enrolled in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program (CRP)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Patients referred and regularly attending a non-hospital based medically-supervised exercise program., Population: One hundred and sixty patients patients who regularly performed inspiratory muscle training, Methods: A convenience sample of 21 elderly patients (16 men; 60-87 years of age) had an ECG continuously recorded and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) measured before, during and one-minute after a single IMT session - two sets of 15 cycles with one-minute interval., Results: Comparing values obtained before, during second set and one-minute after IMT, no differences were found to HR (bpm) - 68±2 vs. 70±2 vs. 66±3 (P=0.05) and in systolic and diastolic BP (mm Hg) values, respectively, - 105±3 vs. 111±4 vs. 108±3 (P=0.06) and - 68±2 vs. 72±3 vs. 68±2 (P=0.14); (before, during second set and one-minute after TMI). During IMT, seven (33%) of patients presented minor cardiac arrhythmias, most of them isolated premature ventricular contractions. Additionally, no abnormal signs or symptoms were found., Conclusion: Apart of minor and clinically irrelevant ECG abnormalities seen in 1/3 of the patients, a short IMT session did not induce significant hemodynamic responses or relevant clinical abnormalities. Based on these results, for elderly patients involved in CPR, IMT seems to be clinically safe and continuous ECG monitoring did not seem to add significant or relevant information., Clinical Rehabilitation Impact: For elderly patients participating in CPR, short IMT sessions do not induce major hemodynamic responses and seem to be clinically safe. This is potentially useful information if IMT is to be prescribed in home-based programs.

Pregnancy is a critical period for brain metabolic programming, being affected by individual environment, such as nutrition, stress, and physical exercise. In this context, we previously reported a cerebral antioxidant upregulation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the offspring delivered from exercised mothers, which could provide neuroprotection against neonatal insults. Hypoxia-ischemia (HI) encephalopathy is one of the most studied models of neonatal brain injury; disrupting motor, cognitive, and learning abilities. Physiopathology includes oxidative stress, allied to mitochondria energy production failure, glutamatergic excitotoxicity, and cell death. In this study we evaluated the effect of maternal swimming during pregnancy on offspring׳s brain oxidative status evaluated fourteen days after HI stablishment. Swimming exercise was performed by female adult rats one week before and during pregnancy, in controlled environment. Their offspring was submitted to HI on postnatal day 7, and the brain samples for biochemical assays were obtained in the weaning. Contrary to our expectations, maternal exercise did not prevent the oxidative alterations observed in brain from HI-rats. In a general way, we found a positive modulation in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, measured two weeks after HI, in hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum of pups delivered from exercised mothers. Reactive species levels were modulated differently in each structure evaluated. Considering the scenery presented, we concluded that HI elicited a neurometabolic adaptation in both brain hemispheres, particularly in hippocampus, parietal cortex, and cerebellum; while striatum appears to be most damaged. The protocol of aerobic maternal exercise was not enough to fully prevent HI-induced brain damages., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

High density genotyping panels have been used in a wide range of applications. From population genetics to genome-wide association studies, this technology still offers the lowest cost and the most consistent solution for generating SNP data. However, in spite of the application, part of the generated data is always discarded from final datasets based on quality control criteria used to remove unreliable markers. Some discarded data consists of markers that failed to generate genotypes, labeled as missing genotypes. A subset of missing genotypes that occur in the whole population under study may be caused by technical issues but can also be explained by the presence of genomic variations that are in the vicinity of the assayed SNP and that prevent genotyping probes from annealing. The latter case may contain relevant information because these missing genotypes might be used to identify population-specific genomic variants. In order to assess which case is more prevalent, we used Illumina HD Bovine chip genotypes from 1,709 Nelore (Bos indicus) samples. We found 3,200 missing genotypes among the whole population. NGS re-sequencing data from 8 sires were used to verify the presence of genomic variations within their flanking regions in 81.56% of these missing genotypes. Furthermore, we discovered 3,300 novel SNPs/Indels, 31% of which are located in genes that may affect traits of importance for the genetic improvement of cattle production.

Electron-scale surface waves are shown to be unstable in the transverse plane of a sheared flow in an initially unmagnetized collisionless plasma, not captured by (magneto)hydrodynamics. It is found that these unstable modes have a higher growth rate than the closely related electron-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in relativistic shears. Multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations verify the analytic results and further reveal the emergence of mushroomlike electron density structures in the nonlinear phase of the instability, similar to those observed in the Rayleigh Taylor instability despite the great disparity in scales and different underlying physics. This transverse electron-scale instability may play an important role in relativistic and supersonic sheared flow scenarios, which are stable at the (magneto)hydrodynamic level. Macroscopic (≫c/ωpe) fields are shown to be generated by this microscopic shear instability, which are relevant for particle acceleration, radiation emission, and to seed magnetohydrodynamic processes at long time scales.

Beef cattle production requires reproductive efficiency. However, measures of reproductive traits are not usually collected; consequently, correlated traits that could be used as indicators would be useful. We examined associations between measures of reproductive and productive efficiency that could be used as selection indicators. Data from 194 dams of the genetic groups Angus x Nelore, Caracu x Nelore, and Valdostana x Nelore collected over 4 years were used. The reproductive traits analyzed were days to heat (DH), calving interval (CI), days to calving (DC), and pregnancy rate (PR). The productive traits were dam weight (DW), body condition score (BCS), calf weight (CW), and weaning rate (WR). The effects on the model were: year, genetic group, reproductive status (RS), age, reproductive rest, and breed of bull (CW and WR). Multivariate analyses were performed, using the Bayesian approach via Gibbs sampling. We conclude that the reproductive measures are ineffective as selection indicators, whereas using dam weight may be a good alternative.

Electron-positron pair plasmas represent a unique state of matter, whereby there exists an intrinsic and complete symmetry between negatively charged (matter) and positively charged (antimatter) particles. These plasmas play a fundamental role in the dynamics of ultra-massive astrophysical objects and are believed to be associated with the emission of ultra-bright gamma-ray bursts. Despite extensive theoretical modelling, our knowledge of this state of matter is still speculative, owing to the extreme difficulty in recreating neutral matter-antimatter plasmas in the laboratory. Here we show that, by using a compact laser-driven setup, ion-free electron-positron plasmas with unique characteristics can be produced. Their charge neutrality (same amount of matter and antimatter), high-density and small divergence finally open up the possibility of studying electron-positron plasmas in controlled laboratory experiments.

Brazilian Nellore cattle (Bos indicus) have been selected for growth traits for over more than four decades. In recent years, reproductive and meat quality traits have become more important because of increasing consumption, exports and consumer demand. The identification of genome regions altered by artificial selection can potentially permit a better understanding of the biology of specific phenotypes that are useful for the development of tools designed to increase selection efficiency. Therefore, the aims of this study were to detect evidence of recent selection signatures in Nellore cattle using extended haplotype homozygosity methodology and BovineHD marker genotypes (>777,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms) as well as to identify corresponding genes underlying these signals. Thirty-one significant regions (P < 0.0001) of possible recent selection signatures were detected, and 19 of these overlapped quantitative trait loci related to reproductive traits, growth, feed efficiency, meat quality, fatty acid profiles and immunity. In addition, 545 genes were identified in regions harboring selection signatures. Within this group, 58 genes were associated with growth, muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, reproductive traits or the immune system. Using relative extended haplotype homozygosity to analyze high-density single nucleotide polymorphism marker data allowed for the identification of regions potentially under artificial selection pressure in the Nellore genome, which might be used to better understand autozygosity and the effects of selection on the Nellore genome., (© 2014 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.)

This paper proposes two methods for determination of cadmium in vinegar employing electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The optimization step was performed using two-level full factorial and Box-Behnken designs, being that a new multiple response function was established. Under experimental conditions of pyrolysis temperature of 640 °C and atomization temperature of 2000 °C, the direct method allows the analysis using the external calibration technique, with limit of quantification of 14 ng L(-1) and characteristic mass of 1.2 pg, having aluminium as chemical modifier. This method was applied in six samples of vinegar acquired from Salvador City, Brazil. The cadmium content varied from 20 to 890 ng L(-1). Other method was also proposed by digestion using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in reflux system employing cold finger, being cadmium determined by ETAAS. The results obtained with the complete digestion procedure were in agreement with those found by the direct method proposed herein., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Using full-scale 3D particle-in-cell simulations we show that the radiation reaction dominated regime can be reached in an all-optical configuration through the collision of a ~1 GeV laser wakefield accelerated electron bunch with a counterpropagating laser pulse. In this configuration the radiation reaction significantly reduces the energy of the particle bunch, thus providing clear experimental signatures for the process with currently available lasers. We also show that the transition between the classical and quantum radiation reaction could be investigated in the same configuration with laser intensities of 10²³ W/cm².

A new magnetic field generation mechanism in electrostatic shocks is found, which can produce fields with magnetic energy density as high as 0.01 of the kinetic energy density of the flows on time scales ∼10(4)ωpe-1. Electron trapping during the shock formation process creates a strong temperature anisotropy in the distribution function, giving rise to the pure Weibel instability. The generated magnetic field is well confined to the downstream region of the electrostatic shock. The shock formation process is not modified, and the features of the shock front responsible for ion acceleration, which are currently probed in laser-plasma laboratory experiments, are maintained. However, such a strong magnetic field determines the particle trajectories downstream and has the potential to modify the signatures of the collisionless shock.

The present paper describes the development of a method for the determination of copper in airborne particulate matter using slurry sampling and chemical vapor generation atomic absorption spectrometry (CVG AAS). Chemometric tools were employed to characterize the influence of several factors on the generation of volatile copper species. First, a two-level full factorial design was performed that included the following chemical variables: hydrochloric acid concentration, tetrahydroborate concentration, sulfanilamide concentration and tetrahydroborate volume, using absorbance as the response. Under the established experimental conditions, the hydrochloric acid concentration had the greatest influence on the generation of volatile copper species. Subsequently, a Box-Behnken design was performed to determine the optimum conditions for these parameters. A second chemometric study employing a two-level full factorial design was performed to evaluate the following physical factors: tetrahydroborate flow rate, flame composition, alcohol volume and sample volume. The results of this study demonstrated that the tetrahydroborate flow rate was critical for the process. The chemometric experiments determined the following experimental conditions for the method: hydrochloric acid concentration, 0.208 M; tetrahydroborate concentration, 4.59%; sulfanilamide concentration, 0.79%; tetrahydroborate volume, 2.50 mL; tetrahydroborate flow rate, 6.50 mL min(-1); alcohol volume, 200 µL; and sample volume, 7.0 mL. Thus, this method, using a slurry volume of 500 µL and a final dilution of 7 mL, allowed for the determination of copper with limits of detection and quantification of 0.30 and 0.99 µg L(-1), respectively. Precisions, expressed as RSD%, of 4.6 and 2.8% were obtained using copper solutions at concentrations of 5.0 and 50.0 µg L(-1), respectively. The accuracy was evaluated by the analysis of a certified reference material of urban particulate matter. The copper concentration obtained was 570±63 mg kg(-1), and the certified value was 610±70 mg kg(-1). This method was applied for the determination of copper in airborne particulate matter samples collected in two Brazilian regions of Bahia State, Brazil. The copper contents found varied from 14.46 to 164.31 ng m(-3)., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Particle-in-cell simulations are used to investigate the formation of magnetic fields B in plasmas with perpendicular electron density and temperature gradients. For system sizes L comparable to the ion skin depth d(i), it is shown that B ∼ d(i)/L, consistent with the Biermann battery effect. However, for large L/d(i), it is found that the Weibel instability (due to electron temperature anisotropy) supersedes the Biermann battery as the main producer of B. The Weibel-produced fields saturate at a finite amplitude (plasma β ≈ 100), independent of L. The magnetic energy spectra below the electron Larmor radius scale are well fitted by the power law with slope -16/3, as predicted by Schekochihin et al. [Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 182, 310 (2009)].

Collisionless shocks are pervasive in astrophysics and they are critical to understand cosmic ray acceleration. Laboratory experiments with intense lasers are now opening the way to explore and characterise the underlying microphysics, which determine the acceleration process of collisionless shocks. We determine the shock character - electrostatic or electromagnetic - based on the stability of electrostatic shocks to transverse electromagnetic fluctuations as a function of the electron temperature and flow velocity of the plasma components, and we compare the analytical model with particle-in-cell simulations. By making the connection with the laser parameters driving the plasma flows, we demonstrate that shocks with different and distinct underlying microphysics can be explored in the laboratory with state-of-the-art laser systems.

Meat quality traits are economically important because they affect consumers' acceptance, which, in turn, influences the demand for beef. However, selection to improve meat quality is limited by the small numbers of animals on which meat tenderness can be evaluated due to the cost of performing shear force analysis and the resultant damage to the carcass. Genome wide-association studies for Warner-Bratzler shear force measured at different times of meat aging, backfat thickness, ribeye muscle area, scanning parameters [lightness, redness (a*), and yellowness] to ascertain color characteristics of meat and fat, water-holding capacity, cooking loss (CL), and muscle pH were conducted using genotype data from the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip array to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) in all phenotyped Nelore cattle. Phenotype count for these animals ranged from 430 to 536 across traits. Meat quality traits in Nelore are controlled by numerous QTL of small effect, except for a small number of large-effect QTL identified for a*fat, CL, and pH. Genomic regions harboring these QTL and the pathways in which the genes from these regions act appear to differ from those identified in taurine cattle for meat quality traits. These results will guide future QTL mapping studies and the development of models for the prediction of genetic merit to implement genomic selection for meat quality in Nelore cattle.

Although long known and the most prevalent movement disorder, pathophysiology of essential tremor (ET) remains controversial. The most accepted hypothesis is that it is caused by a dysfunction of the olivocerebellar system. Vilela Filho et al. [2001; Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 77:149-150], however, reported a patient with unilateral hand ET that was completely relieved after a stroke restricted to the contralateral posterior putamen and suggested that ET could be the clinical manifestation of posterior putamen hyperactivity. The present study was designed to evaluate this hypothesis in the most often used model of ET, harmaline-induced tremor in rats. Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into three groups: experimental (EG), surgical control (SCG), and pharmacological control (PCG) groups. EG animals underwent stereotactic unilateral posterior striatotomy. SCG rats underwent sham lesion at the same target. PCG served exclusively as controls for harmaline effects. All animals received, postoperatively, intraperitoneal harmaline, and the induced tremor was video-recorded for later evaluation by a blind observer. Thirteen animals were excluded from the study. Limb tremor was reduced ipsilaterally to the operation in 20 of 21 rats of EG and in two of nine of SCG, being asymmetric in one of 10 of PCG rats. Comparisons between EG × SCG and EG × PCG were statistically significant, but not between SCG × PCG. Limb tremor reduction was greater in anterior than in posterior paws. Lateral lesions yielded better results than medial lesions. These results suggest that the posterior striatum is involved with harmaline-induced tremor in rats and support the hypothesis presented., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Because histopathological changes in the lungs of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are consistent with alveolar and vessel cell damage, we presume that this interaction can be characterized by analyzing the expression of proteins regulating nitric oxide (NO) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) synthesis. To validate the importance of alveolar-vascular interactions and to explore the quantitative relationship between these factors and other clinical data, we studied these markers in 23 cases of SSc nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (SSc-NSIP). We used immunohistochemistry and morphometry to evaluate the amount of cells in alveolar septa and vessels staining for NO synthase (NOS) and PAI-1, and the outcomes of our study were cellular and fibrotic NSIP, pulmonary function tests, and survival time until death. General linear model analysis demonstrated that staining for septal inducible NOS (iNOS) related significantly to staining of septal cells for interleukin (IL)-4 and to septal IL-13. In univariate analysis, higher levels of septal and vascular cells staining for iNOS were associated with a smaller percentage of septal and vascular cells expressing fibroblast growth factor and myofibroblast proliferation, respectively. Multivariate Cox model analysis demonstrated that, after controlling for SSc-NSIP histological patterns, just three variables were significantly associated with survival time: septal iNOS (P=0.04), septal IL-13 (P=0.03), and septal basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; P=0.02). Augmented NOS, IL-13, and bFGF in SSc-NSIP histological patterns suggest a possible functional role for iNOS in SSc. In addition, the extent of iNOS, PAI-1, and IL-4 staining in alveolar septa and vessels provides a possible independent diagnostic measure for the degree of pulmonary dysfunction and fibrosis with an impact on the survival of patients with SSc.