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ABSTRACT: The dairy industry is moving toward selecting animals with better fertility to decrease the economic losses linked to reproductive issues. The reproductive tract size and position score (SPS) was recently developed in physiological studies as an indicator of pregnancy rate and the number of services to conception. Cows are scored as SPS 1, 2, or 3 based on the size of their reproductive tract and its position in the pelvis, as determined by transrectal palpation. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for SPS to assess its potential as a novel fertility trait. Phenotypes were collected at the University of British Columbia's research herd from 2017 to 2020, consisting of 3,247 within- and across-lactation SPS records from 490 Holstein cows. A univariate animal model was used to estimate the variance components for SPS. Both threshold and linear models were fit under a Bayesian approach and the results were compared using the Spearman rank correlation (r) between the estimated breeding values. The 2 models ranked the animals very similarly (r = 0.99), and the linear model was selected for further analysis. Genetic correlations with other currently evaluated traits were estimated using a bivariate animal model. The posterior means (± posterior standard deviation) for heritability and repeatability within- and across-lactation were 0.113 (± 0.013), 0.242 (± 0.012), and 0.134 (± 0.014), respectively. The SPS showed null correlations with production traits and favorable correlations with traditional fertility traits, varying from −0.730 (nonreturn rate) to 0.931 (number of services). Although preliminary, these results are encouraging because SPS seems to be more heritable than and strongly genetically correlated with number of services, nonreturn rate, and first service to conception, indicating potential for effective indirect selection response on these traits from SPS genetic selection. Therefore, further studies with larger data sets to validate these findings are warranted.

Nanoparticles of LiNbO3 and NaNbO3 were obtained for the first time by microwave-assisted combustion. Preliminary experiments reveal that the synthetic conditions influence their microstructure and optoelectronic features. Therefore, there is a need for performing the structural characterization of these materials, obtained by this new route. In the case of NaNbO3, there are two polimorphs which are stable at room temperature, space groups P21ma and Pbma. Powder x-Ray diffraction experiments were not capable to identify the crystalline phases present in the nanoparticles. Therefore, we have performed a detailed structural characterization of the nanoparticles by 1D and 2D solid state 23Na and 93Nb Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques. 23Na results reveal the presence of both phases, Pbma and P21ma, for samples prepared using NaNO3 precursor in a 1:1 Na:Nb ratio or NaCl in excess. On the other hand, the P21ma polymorph could be isolated in the synthesis using NaCl salt in 1:1 Na:Nb ratio. On the other hand, LiNbO3 nanoparticles display the usual rhombohedral structure R3c. 7Li MAS NMR results reveal the presence of two types of Li species, with distinct dynamics. Highly mobile Li+ ions are found at the surface of the nanoparticles, while bulk Li+ show restricted movement. Finally, as a proof of principle, the photocatalytic activity of these niobates was tested for the degradation of methylene blue dye, a common organic-water contaminant.

ABSTRACT In view of the increase in the infested areas and the difficulty in controlling Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Millsp (garden spurge) there is growing interest in identifying herbicides that can be applied in pre and post-emergence, helping to reduce infestation and to provide species control. The objective of this work was to evaluate efficient alternatives of herbicides applied in pre and post emergence aiming at the control of Chamaesyce hirta. Three experiments were carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design with four replications. The first with the application of herbicides in pre-emergence, the second with the application of herbicides in post-emergence when the plants of C. hirta had two to four true leaves fully expanded, and the third experiment, also with the post-emergence application at the flowering and branching stage of the plants. For herbicides applied in pre-emergence, at 28 days after application (DAA), all herbicides evaluated were considered effective for the control of Chamaesyce hirta, showing results above 90%. Several herbicides were efficient in controlling the species with two to four leaves, however, in the flowering stage, there is greater difficulty in control, showing the importance of the plant stage at the time of application.

ABSTRACT Amaranthus hybridus is a C4 broadleaf species widely spread across Brazilian agricultural territory. Recently, several herbicide resistance reports have been documented in southern Brazil, including the reports for enolpyruvilshikymate-3-phosphate (EPSPS)- and acetolactate-synthase (ALS)- inhibitors. The objective of this study was to confirm the existence of an ALS resistant (R) A. hybridus population from Paraná state. Dose-response experiments were conducted with R and a known susceptible (S) population with herbicides from three different chemical groups of ALS inhibitors. Biomass relative to untreated control was quantified and GR50 (dose for 50% of biomass reduction), GR90 (dose for 90% of biomass reduction) and resistant index (RI) were calculated based on non-linear regression analysis. The R population was 6.9-fold resistant to chlorimuron-ethyl and 6.5-fold resistant to metsulfuron-ethyl (sulfonylureas - SUL). Additionally, the recommended rates from each herbicide was not sufficient to reach 90% control to R based on GR90 parameter estimation. There was no resistance to imazethapyr (imidazolinone - IMI) and cloransulan-methyl (triazolopyrimidine - TRI) due to the low doses of GR90 and non-significant RIs. The R A. hybridus population investigated was resistant to ALS inhibitors chlorimuron-ethyl and metsulfuron-ethyl (SUL), but susceptible to IMI and TRI herbicides.

This study expands the known distributional range and records of host plants for the semiaquatic weevil Amalactus carbonarius. Previously, it was recorded on three species of Cyperaceae in four states in Brazil (Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Bahia, and Espírito Santo). This work adds a new record on the monocot Typha domingensis Pers. and presents an unpublished report of the weevil species from the Atlantic Forest in Rio de Janeiro, accompanied by a morphological redescription and illustrations of adult specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined how a low dose of an eccentric-oriented lunge exercise could induce the repeated-bout effect (RBE) and affect the subsequent post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) in recreational runners. Methods: Twenty male recreational runners (32.1 ± 2.8 years; 173.4 ± 6.1 cm; 73.3 ± 11.5 kg; 57.8 ± 7.2 mL·kg−1·min−1) were divided into control (N = 10) and experimental (N = 10) groups. In the first and fourth weeks, the groups were assessed for jump capacity, dynamic balance, and submaximal running kinematics before and after an incremental shuttle-run test until exhaustion. The experimental group was also submitted to two sessions of the eccentric-oriented lunge exercise (3 sets of 10 repetitions with 2 min of passive recovery) in the second and third weeks. Results: We observed that the first session promoted muscle damage, which was significantly (p <.05) reduced after the second training session, thus indicating an RBE. Meanwhile, there was no effect of the RBE on dynamic balance and submaximal running kinematics in the post-intervention. However, there was a significant increase in countermovement jump height (p =.008) for the experimental group when compared to the control group, although no PAPE was observed. Conclusions: The current results demonstrate that a simple, low-dose eccentric-oriented exercise may induce an RBE, leading to reduced muscle damage and a possibly improved lower limbs' muscle power in recreational runners. However, the absence of PAPE effects suggests that the RBE may not directly influence the potentiation/fatigue balance after fatiguing running exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capitalist city in its public dimension of spaces, manifests in contemporaneity an expressive retreat from the impacts of the production of urban space. When considering the public space as a product, it is the result of the interest and disinterest of a group of agents that organize the space of cities, guiding the structuring, especially due to the relationship between use value and exchange value. On the other hand, the public space interpreted as a condition for the realization of everyday life, it contains the determinations and possibilities that sociability provides. In this sense, our proposal is to identify elements that prove the retreat of public space in the city of Ituiutaba, considering that consumption has a significant influence on new forms of public space. For that, the relationship between the abandonment of the constitution of new public squares is worked, linking the discussion about the relationship between use value and exchange value, as well as some impacts of the retreat of the public space in daily life and in social reproduction. It was possible to observe, from the theoretical development and the empirical support, that consumption starts to supplant use, also that control and surveillance started to guide the constitution of new spaces of sociability, thus reducing the public space quantitatively and qualitatively.

The static wideline and high-resolution magic angle spinning (MAS) 25Mg NMR lineshapes measured for isotopically enriched enstatite and diopside glasses indicate a wide distribution of the electric-field gradient (EFG) components at the 25Mg position caused by disorder. The correct characterization of this distribution requires simulations with special attention paid to the experimental parameters. Here, both the static spectra obtained by wideband excitation and the MAS-NMR spectra obtained via rotor-synchronized Hahn spin echo acquisition were successfully simulated with the Czjzek distribution model, using one consistent set of parameters. Average nuclear electric quadrupole coupling constants near 8 MHz and a distribution width around 4 MHz were obtained for both materials, which suggests that earlier results on these glasses need to be re-examined. The results of this study outline a general strategy for characterizing the local environments of strongly coupled quadrupolar nuclei in amorphous and glassy materials. Despite the discrepancies between the interaction parameters extracted from our data and those published in earlier NMR work, the best fit to the data indicate an average isotropic chemical shift near 13 ppm (vs. aqueous MgCl2 solution) for both the enstatite and diopside glasses. Assuming the applicability of the current database relating the 25Mg chemical shifts with coordination numbers in crystalline compounds, this value suggests that the Mg2+ ions are six-coordinated. This conclusion, however, is based on the simplifying assumption that the 25Mg spectrum comprises a Czjzek distribution centered at a single isotropic chemical shift value and stands in contrast to the results of recent isotope-selective neutron diffraction studies which give an average Mg-O coordination number of 4.4–4.5 for both glasses. However, reasonable fits to the MAS-NMR spectra can also be obtained when constraining the average isotropic chemical shift to 50 ppm, a value typical of four-coordinated Mg. We conclude that multiple Mg sites with different coordination numbers may well be present and that, in the present glasses, 25Mg NMR at typically used spinning rates and magnetic field strengths (20 kHz, 14.1 T) is not capable of resolving them due to excessive broadening by quadrupolar interactions.

E-learning is the direct result of the integration between technology and education. The lifelong learning process for older people should consider employing e-learning activities. The objective of this work was to identify the pedagogical processes involved in e-learning activities in learning environments used by elderly people. The literature search resulted in 826 papers. Ten studies were selected for the qualitative synthesis. The research method used was PRISMA. The results point out that: the need to adapt e-learning content to different cognitive skills; the interface of virtual learning environments must be adaptive; the level of knowledge of older people must be considered; communication features such as forums, chats and message exchange must be considered; face-to-face meetings should be offered to remedy possible difficulties in the use of technological resources; the use of explanatory tutorials on communication tools and teacher assistance in mediations should be observed; there is a need to use interactive materials; activities that foster collaborative dynamics must be encouraged; and themes suggested by the elderly that enable self-knowledge should also be adopted. Although an article investigated indicates the opposite, it was found that e-learning is well accepted by the elderly, adding many advantages for the development of digital skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction are a significant complication of chronic Chagas disease, with heart failure, stroke, and sudden death related to disease progression. Thus, understanding the signaling pathways involved in the chagasic cardiac hypertrophy may provide potential targets for pharmacological therapy. Herein, we investigated the implication of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway in triggering hypertrophic phenotype during acute and chronic T. cruzi infection. C57BL/6 mice infected with T. cruzi (Brazil strain) were evaluated for electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and activation of signaling pathways involved in cardiac hypertrophy, including FAK and ERK1/2, as well as expression of hypertrophy marker and components of the extracellular matrix in the different stages of T. cruzi infection (60–210 dpi). Heart dysfunction, evidenced by prolonged PR interval and decrease in heart rates in ECG tracing, was associated with high plasma ET-1 level, extracellular matrix remodeling and FAK signaling activation. Upregulation of both FAK tyrosine 397 (FAK-Y397) and serine 910 (FAK-S910) residues phosphorylation as well as ERK1/2 activation, lead to an enhancement of atrial natriuretic peptide gene expression in chronic infection. Our findings highlight FAK-ERK1/2 signaling as a regulator of cardiac hypertrophy in Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Both mechanical stress, induced by cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) augment and cardiac overload, and ET-1 stimuli orchestrated FAK signaling activation with subsequent activation of the fetal cardiac gene program in the chronic phase of infection, highlighting FAK as an attractive target for Chagas disease therapy.

From the first description of the human ventricular system occurred in the 3rd century B.C. to modern neuronavegated endoscopy, neurosurgical knowledge evolved exponentially allowing safer approaches to the ventricular system. The present paper describes the historical aspects of ventricular system anatomy and its macroscopic and endoscopic anatomy from the Lateral ventricles to the third ventricle, describing in detail its structure and anatomical relationships.

Resumo Fundamento A angiotomografia coronária (ATC) tem sido usada para avaliação de dor torácica principalmente em pacientes de baixo risco, e poucos dados existem com pacientes em risco intermediário. Objetivo Avaliar o desempenho de medidas seriadas de troponinas sensíveis e de ATC em pacientes de risco intermediário. Métodos Um total de 100 pacientes com dor torácica, TIMI score 3 ou 4 e troponina negativa foram prospectivamente incluídos. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à ATC, e aqueles com obstruções ≥ 50% foram encaminhados à cineangiocoronariografia. Pacientes com lesões < 50% recebiam alta hospitalar, receberam alta e foram contatados 30 dias depois por telefonema para avaliação dos desfechos clínicos. Os desfechos foram hospitalização, morte, e infarto agudo do miocárdio em 30 dias. A comparação entre os métodos foi realizada pelo teste de concordância kappa. O desempenho das medidas de troponina e da ATC na detecção de lesões coronárias significativas e desfechos clínicos foi calculado. Os resultados foram considerados estatisticamente significativos quando p

O artigo tem como objetivo aproveitar as experiências dos autores com música e cinema na escola de Educação Infantil e perceber nelas o que pode vir a ser música para cinema. Há vivências que aconteceram sem intervenção ou planejamento, assim como outras que foram pensadas e planejadas. Apresentando a potência das narrativas docentes para as investigações sobre a formação de professores, o texto tem como matéria-prima principal quatro relatos da educadora-autora sobre suas primeiras experimentações com a criação de música para pequenos filmes produzidos na Educação Infantil. Esses relatos foram realizados no projeto de extensão e pesquisa Lugar-escola e Cinema, situado no Cineclube Regente/Cha e no Programa Cinema e Educação, da Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas. Ao manter os relatos (quase) na íntegra, garante-se o frescor, a simplicidade e a singularidade de cada uma das vivências autobiográficas relatadas logo após terem ocorrido, com maior proximidade do percurso de aprendizado docente operado pelos problemas colocados da música para o cinema e do cinema para a música na escola de Educação Infantil. O texto analisa os modos de envolvimento das crianças pequenas nesses processos de criação, tendo como mote a pergunta: o que seria música para cinema numa escola de Educação Infantil?

Neutron diffraction with magnesium isotope substitution, high energy x-ray diffraction, and 29Si, 27Al, and 25Mg solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to measure the structure of glassy diopside (CaMgSi2O6), enstatite (MgSiO3), and four (MgO)x(Al2O3)y(SiO2)1−x−y glasses, with x = 0.375 or 0.25 along the 50 mol. % silica tie-line (1 − x − y = 0.5) or with x = 0.3 or 0.2 along the 60 mol. % silica tie-line (1 − x − y = 0.6). The bound coherent neutron scattering length of the isotope 25Mg was remeasured, and the value of 3.720(12) fm was obtained from a Rietveld refinement of the powder diffraction patterns measured for crystalline 25MgO. The diffraction results for the glasses show a broad asymmetric distribution of Mg–O nearest-neighbors with a coordination number of 4.40(4) and 4.46(4) for the diopside and enstatite glasses, respectively. As magnesia is replaced by alumina along a tie-line with 50 or 60 mol. % silica, the Mg–O coordination number increases with the weighted bond distance as less Mg2+ ions adopt a network-modifying role and more of these ions adopt a predominantly charge-compensating role. 25Mg magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR results could not resolve the different coordination environments of Mg2+ under the employed field strength (14.1 T) and spinning rate (20 kHz). The results emphasize the power of neutron diffraction with isotope substitution to provide unambiguous site-specific information on the coordination environment of magnesium in disordered materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the first experiences of shunt implantation in the world occurred in 1949, by Nulsen and Spitz, who implanted a rubber catheter with a ball valve system, from the lateral ventricle to the internal jugular vein [1]. In the 1950s, the shunt systems had great development, especially the Spitz-Holter system, first used in 1956, consisting of the first system produced on a large scale. The second patient who benefited from this new system was Holter's son Casey, who had myelomeningocele [2,3]. From these first American reports, the shunt surgery had great worldwide dissemination in the 1960s. One of the first CSF shunts in Brazil and Latin America occurred in 1966, in the city of Uberaba, Minas Gerais, by Prof. Francisco Mauro Guerra Terra, founder of the Chair of Neurosurgery at Triângulo Mineiro Medical School, today part of Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM). The procedure was performed at the Children's Hospital of Uberaba, at the time one of University Hospitals, and the patient was a 7-month-old baby named Maria Beatriz. The child suffered from hydrocephalus, as a complication of tuberculous meningitis, and was diagnosed by pneumoventriculography, a procedure described by Dandy, and widely used in the era before tomography [4] (Fig. 1). The child was submitted to a ventriculo-atrial shunt (Figs. 2, 3 and 4), with implantation of a catheter without a valve, an option widely used at the time. Besides Prof. Guerra, the surgical team was composed by the then medical students Jaime Olavo Marquez, later titular of the Neurology Department of UFTM, Antônio Luiz da Costa Sobrinho, later a neurosurgeon, who later settled in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo, Brazil Carlos Antunes de Paula, also later a neurosurgeon, who settled in the city of Santos, São Paulo, Brazil and the anesthesiologist Dr. Newton Camargo Araújo, from Uberaba (Fig. 5). There is a postoperative image of the case, showing the success of the procedure (Fig. 6). The surgery had great repercussion in the national media at the time (Fig. 7).

A novel meroterpenoid cabagranin D was isolated with related neolignans cabagranins A-C from the leaves of Piper cabagranum (Costa Rica). Cabagranins A-C represent the first examples of 3,3'-neolignans isolated from the plant genus Piper, and the meroterpenoid cabagranin D displays an unprecedented Diels-Alder conjugate of an unsubstituted phenylpropenone and α-phellandrene. Details of the full structural elucidation of these compounds and a discussion of their potential biosynthetic relationships are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Knowledge on weed biology and ecology is fundamental to provide suitable control practices in weed management systems. The objective of this research was to understand the effect of light and temperature on germination of Chamaesyce hirta, as well as to evaluate the effect of depth of seed placement in the soil in the emergence of the plant. Two experiments were conducted. In the first one, in the laboratory, the seeds were placed to germinate in plastic boxes and kept in a B.O.D. germination chamber, under constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 ºC, either in the dark or under continuous light. Daily germination assessments were performed. The percentage of germinated seeds in the 10-day period and the germination speed index (GSI) were calculated. In the second trial, carried out in greenhouse conditions, 100 seeds were planted, under six levels of seeding depth (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm) and three soil cover conditions: no straw, under black oats (Avena strigosa) straw and under corn (Zea mays) straw. Daily plant emergence was counted along 30 days and total emergence and GSI were calculated. Germination of C. hirta seeds occurs both in the presence and absence of light. For the highest temperature, both increased germination and GSI were reported in the presence of light. The highest levels of emergence were obtained with the absence of plant cover and under corn straw at 0 cm depth. The presence of black oat straw on the soil reduced the emergence of C. hirta.

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a highly versatile Gram-positive bacterium that is carried asymptomatically by up to 30% of healthy people, while being a major cause of healthcare-associated infections, making it a worldwide problem in clinical medicine. The adaptive evolution of S. aureus strains is demonstrated by its remarkable capacity to promptly develop high resistance to multiple antibiotics, thus limiting treatment choice. Nowadays, there is a continuous demand for an alternative to the use of antibiotics for S. aureus infections and a strategy to control the spread or to kill phylogenetically related strains. In this scenario, bacteriocins fit as with a promising and interesting alternative. These molecules are produced by a range of bacteria, defined as ribosomally synthesized peptides with bacteriostatic or bactericidal activity against a wide range of pathogens. This work reviews ascertained the main antibiotic-resistance mechanisms of S. aureus strains and the current, informative content concerning the applicability of the use of bacteriocins overlapping the use of conventional antibiotics in the context of S. aureus infections. Besides, we highlight the possible application of these biomolecules on an industrial scale in future work.

São limitadas as informações sobre a atividade residual de herbicidas aplicados no controle das soqueiras do algodoeiro e o seu potencial para afetar o desenvolvimento e a produtividade do milho semeado na safra seguinte. O objetivo desse trabalho foi identificar o efeito carryover promovido pela aplicação única e sequencial de herbicidas utilizados no controle das soqueiras do algodoeiro e estimar o intervalo de segurança entre o manejo químico da soqueira do algodoeiro e a semeadura do milho. Foram conduzidos simultaneamente dois experimentos em casa de vegetação, um para aplicação única e outro para aplicação sequencial dos tratamentos herbicidas. Os experimentos foram instalados em esquema fatorial 15 x 5, delineados em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. O primeiro fator foi composto por tratamentos herbicidas e o segundo fator por cinco épocas de semeadura do milho após a aplicação (0, 30, 60, 90 e 120 dias). As parcelas experimentais foram compostas de vasos plásticos com capacidade para 3 dm3 preenchidos com solo de textura argilosa (470 g kg-1 de argila), seco e peneirado. Os herbicidas utilizados foram 2,4-D, glyphosate, saflufenacil, [imazapic+imazapyr], dicamba, fluroxypyr e sulfentrazone. Conclui-se que a aplicação sequencial da maioria dos tratamentos proporcionou um aumento na atividade residual dos herbicidas avaliados. Os tratamentos 2,4-D (1340 g ha-1), 2,4-D + glyphosate (1340 + 720 g ha-1) e 2,4-D + glyphosate + saflufenacil (1340 + 720 + 105 g ha-1) apresentaram os menores intervalos de segurança e foram aqueles que apresentaram o menor risco de afetar o milho semeado em sucessão, mesmo em aplicações sequenciais. Contudo, os tratamentos constituídos pela associação com herbicidas de maior atividade residual no solo como o dicamba, fluroxypyr, sulfentrazone e [imazapic+imazapyr], apresentaram maior potencial de carryover para a cultura do milho, sendo observado intervalo de segurança superior a 94 dias após a aplicação sequencial de 2,4-D + glyphosate + sulfentrazone.

Resumo Neste trabalho explora-se o movimento pendular amortecido por atrito seco. O atrito seco (ou coulombiano) difere do atrito viscoso pelas seguintes características: a) a amplitude de oscilação decai linearmente, enquanto que o atrito viscoso resulta em decaimento exponencial; b) a frequência do movimento é igual ao pêndulo não amortecido, sendo que, no amortecimento viscoso, a frequência “natural” de oscilação diminui com o fator de amortecimento. Foram realizados experimentos com uma ripa de madeira suspensa oscilando em contato lateral com uma placa lisa e um DVD oscilando suspenso pela borda, onde o atrito estava no eixo que o suspendia. Os movimentos foram gravados e analisados com o software Tracker. Foi possível obter os parâmetros de decaimento e a força de atrito em cada caso. Foi também calculada a força de arrasto devida ao ar, mostrando que esta era desprezível em relação à força de atrito seco.

Young’s double-slit experiment is commonly used in undergraduate physics laboratory to show the wave nature of light. As an alternative to expensive commercial kits, here we present an automated, low–cost light intensity measurement setup that allows real-time visualization of the interference pattern. The light intensity is measured by a light dependent resistor placed on the head of a dot matrix printer. The head motion is controlled by an Arduino which also collects the data and send them to a computer. The interference pattern obtained by the setup is in agreement with a model that includes the degree of the coherence of the light source and the effective size related to the light collecting area of the resistor. The apparatus allows quantitative data analysis from the measured light patterns and is suitable to be used in undergraduate physics laboratories.

Hypertension is a major global health challenge, as it represents the main risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease. It is a multifactorial clinical condition characterized by high and sustained levels of blood pressure, likely resulting from a complex interplay of endogenous and environmental factors. The gut microbiota has been strongly supposed to be involved but its role in hypertension is still poorly understood. In an attempt to fill this gap, here we characterized the microbial composition of fecal samples from 48 hypertensive and 32 normotensive Brazilian individuals by next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. In addition, the cytokine production of peripheral blood samples was investigated to build an immunological profile of these individuals. We identified a dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota in hypertensive subjects, featured by reduced biodiversity and distinct bacterial signatures compared with the normotensive counterpart. Along with a reduction in Bacteroidetes members, hypertensive individuals were indeed mainly characterized by increased proportions of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia while decreased relative abundances of well-known butyrate-producing commensals, including Roseburia and Faecalibacterium within the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families. We also observed an inflamed immune profile in hypertensive individuals with an increase in TNF/IFN-γ ratio, and in TNF and IL-6 production when compared to normotensive ones. Our work provides the first evidence of association of hypertension with altered gut microbiota and inflammation in a Brazilian population. While lending support to the existence of potential microbial signatures of hypertension, likely to be robust to age and geography, our findings point to largely neglected bacteria as potential contributors to intestinal homeostasis loss and emphasize the high vulnerability of hypertensive individuals to inflammation-related disorders.

Background: Endovascular therapeutic hypothermia (ETH) reduces the damage by ischemia/reperfusion cell syndrome in cardiac arrest and has been studied as an adjuvant therapy to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). New available advanced technology allows cooling much faster, but there is paucity of resources for training to avoid delays in door-to-balloon time (DTB) due to ETH and subsequently coronary reperfusion, which would derail the procedure. The aim of the study was to describe the process for the development of a simulation, training & educational protocol for the multidisciplinary team to perform optimized ETH as an adjunctive therapy for STEMI. Methods and results: We developed an optimized simulation protocol using modern mannequins in different realistic scenarios for the treatment of patients undergoing ETH adjunctive to PCI for STEMIs starting from the emergency room, through the CathLab, and to the intensive care unit (ICU) using the Proteus® Endovascular System (Zoll Circulation Inc™, San Jose, CA, USA). The primary endpoint was door-to-balloon (DTB) time. We successfully trained 361 multidisciplinary professionals in realistic simulation using modern mannequins and sham situations in divisions of the hospital where real patients would be treated. The focus of simulation and training was logistical optimization and educational debriefing with strategies to reduce waste of time in patient’s transportation from different departments, and avoiding excessive rewarming during transfer. Afterwards, the EHT protocol was successfully validated in a trial randomizing 50 patients for 18 minutes cooling before coronary recanalization at the target temperature of 32 ± 1.0 ∘C or PCI-only. A total of 35 patients underwent ETH (85.7% [30/35] in 90 ± 15 minutes), without delays in the mean door-to-balloon time for primary PCI when compared to 15 control group patients (92.1 minutes versus 87 minutes, respectively; p = 0.509). Conclusions: Realistic simulation, intensive training and educational debriefing for the multidisciplinary team propitiated feasible endovascular therapeutic hypothermia as an adjuvant therapy to primary PCI in STEMI. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02664194.