Angiotensin II Alters Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Lipid Metabolism in Rat Colonic Epithelial Cells.

An over-active renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is characterized by elevated angiotensin II (Ang II). While Ang II can promote metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction in tissues, little is known about its role in the gastrointestinal system (GI). Here, we treated rat primary colonic epithelial cells with Ang II (1-5000 nM) to better define their role in the GI.

Illustrated catalogue of type specimens of insects (Hexapoda) at Coleção Entomológica "Prof. J.M.F.Camargo" (RPSP), Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.

The present catalogue lists the insect types (Hexapoda) deposited at Coleção Entomológica "Prof. J.M.

Minimally processed beetroot waste as an alternative source to obtain functional ingredients.

Large amounts of waste are generated by the minimally processed vegetables industry, such as those from beetroot processing. The aim of this study was to determine the best method to obtain flour from minimally processed beetroot waste dried at different temperatures, besides producing a colorant from such waste and assessing its stability along 45 days. Beetroot waste dried at 70 °C originates flour with significant antioxidant activity and higher betalain content than flour produced from waste dried at 60 and 80 °C, while chlorination had no impact on the process since microbiological results were consistent for its application.

Branching, flowering and fruiting of Jatropha curcas treated with ethephon or benzyladenine and gibberellins.

Jatropha curcas L. has been identified for biofuel production but it presents limited commercial yields due to limited branching and a lack of yield uniformity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of single application of ethephon or a combination of 6-benzyladenine (BA) with gibberellic acid isomers A4 and A7 (GA4+7) on branch induction, flowering and fruit production in jatropha plants with and without leaves.

ICU Blood Pressure Variability May Predict Nadir of Respiratory Depression After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Objectives: Surgical stress induces alterations on sympathovagal balance that can be determined through assessment of blood pressure variability. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is associated with postoperative respiratory depression. In this study we aimed at investigating ICU blood pressure variability and other perioperative parameters that could predict the nadir of postoperative respiratory function impairment.

Feeding and larval growth of an exotic freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens (Decapoda: Palaemonidae), from Northeastern Pará, Amazon Region.

In the present study, we carried out experiments on the diet of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium equidens. We tested which type of food and which density of food is suitable for larval development. For the experiment on the type of food, eight treatments were carried out: (I) starvation, (AL) microalgae, (RO) rotifers, (AN) Artemia, (RO + AN) rotifers + Artemia, (AL + RO) microalgae + rotifers, (AL + AN) microalgae + Artemia, (AL + RO + AN) microalgae + rotifers + Artemia.

A new species of Atanatolica Mosely 1936 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Serra Bonita, Bahia, Brazil.

The Neotropical genus Atanatolica includes 17 species distributed from Costa Rica to Brazil, but only two, A. brasiliana and A. flinti, have been recorded from Brazil, both occurring in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo States.

TeenEARS: development of a pilot assessment battery for cochlear implanted adolescents.

Changes in selection criteria have led to the inclusion of pre-lingually deafened adolescents as potential cochlear implant candidates, depending on their degree of residual hearing, access to and use of acoustic amplification, use of oral communication, and other factors such as motivation and support. Outcomes results in adolescents vary widely, and it has become evident that there is a need for a test battery that can assess a wide range of skills over time. This article presents the development and validation of one such test battery: TeenEARS.

A French national survey on infiltrating breast cancer: analysis of clinico-pathological features and treatment modalities in 1159 patients.

Background: Despite the approximate 42,000 yearly new cases of breast cancer in France, there have been very few exhaustive studies on the clinicopathological features and treatment options of this disease.

Methods: Thus, a prospective, non-selective, nationwide survey on infiltrating breast cancer (IBC) was conducted in France from September 2001 to April 2002, in order to assess the epidemiological features of newly diagnosed disease, the prognostic and predictive variables with a special emphasis on hormone receptors, and the current approaches to therapy in everyday clinical practice.

Results: In total, 1159 patients were evaluable (median age 57 years); two-thirds of women were postmenopausal and 38% had undergone hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).