RESUMO Este estudo foi desenvolvido para avaliar a extensão da proteção contra a infecção pelo vírus da diarréia viral bovina tipo 2 (BVDV-2) através da vacinação com uma vacina combinada inativada contendo o vírus da diarréia viral bovina tipo 1 (BVDV-1) e vírus da rinotraqueíte de bovinos infecciosos (IBRV). Cinco bezerros com 3 a 4 meses de idade foram vacinados via intramuscular com uma dose única da vacina combinada e reforçados com a mesma dose três semanas após a primeira vacinação, com cinco bezerros imunizados em simulação servindo como grupo controle. Vinte e um dias após a segunda vacinação, todos os bezerros foram desafiados com a cepa BVDV-2 SX08 por spray na narina. Os animais não vacinados desenvolveram sinais clínicos típicos, como alta temperatura retal, diarréia com erosões e queda drástica na contagem de leucócitos. Estes sinais tiveram ocorrência significativamente menor em todos os animais vacinados, cuja temperatura retal, leucopenia e virarmia eram significativamente menores do que os bezerros simulados. É possível concluir que a vacinação com a vacina combinada inativada proporciona proteção cruzada contra os efeitos clínicos de uma infecção provocada pela cepa BVDV-2 SX08, embora tenha sido parcialmente protegida.

ABSTRACT This study was designed to evaluate the extent of the protection for bovine viral diarrhea virus type 2 (BVDV-2) infection, afforded by vaccination with a combo inactivated vaccine, which contains bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 (BVDV-1) and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV). Five 3-4-month-old calves were intramuscularly vaccinated with a single dose of the combo vaccine and boosted with same dose three weeks after the first vaccination, with five mock immunized calves serving as a control group. Twenty-one days after the second vaccination, all calves were challenged with BVDV-2 SX08 strain by spray into nostril. The unvaccinated animals developed typical clinical signs of high rectal temperature, diarrhoea with erosions and a dramatic drop in leukocyte counts. These signs occured markedly less in all vaccinated animals, the rectal temperature, leukopenia and virarmia of which, were significantly less than the mock immunized calves. It can be concluded that vaccination with the combo inactivated vaccine affords cross-protection against clinical effects of a challenge-infection with BVDV-2 SX08 strain, although it was part protection.

This study proposes a block-edge-based perceptual zero-tree coding (PZTC) method, which is implemented with efficient optimization on the embedded platform. PZTC combines two novel compression concepts for coding efficiency and quality: block-edge detection (BED) and the low-complexity and low-memory entropy coder (LLEC). The proposed PZTC was implemented as a fixed-point version and optimized on the DSP-based platform based on both the presented platform-independent and platform-dependent optimization technologies. For platform-dependent optimization, this study examines the fixed-point PZTC and analyzes the complexity to optimize PZTC toward achieving an optimal coding efficiency. Furthermore, hardware-based platform-dependent optimizations are presented to reduce the memory size. The performance, such as compression quality and efficiency, is validated by experimental results.

In order to investigate signal transduction and activation of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling on angiogenesis in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) after inhibiting STAT3 expression, we constructed the HT-29-shSTAT3 cell line by lentivirus-mediated RNAi. Cell growth was assessed with MTT and the cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry. CRC nude mouse models were established and tumor growth was monitored periodically. On day 30, all mice were killed and tumor tissues were removed. Microvessel density (MVD) was determined according to CD34-positive staining. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) was monitored by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. Knockdown of STAT3 expression significantly inhibited cell growth in HT-29 cells, with a significantly higher proportion of cells at G0/G1 (P < 0.01). Consistently, in vivo data also demonstrated that tumor growth was significantly inhibited in mice injected with HT-29-shSTAT3 cells. MVD was 9.80 ± 3.02 in the HT-29-shSTAT3 group, significantly less than that of the control group (P < 0.01). mRNA and protein levels of VEGFA and MMP2 in the HT-29-shSTAT3 group were significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed in the mRNA or protein level of FGF2 (P > 0.05). Taken together, these results demonstrate that STAT3 signaling is important to the growth of CRC and promotes angiogenesis by regulating VEGFA and MMP2 expression.

Thromboelastography (TEG®) provides a functional evaluation of coagulation. It has characteristics of an ideal coagulation test for trauma, but is not frequently used, partially due to lack of both standardized techniques and normal values. We determined normal values for our population, compared them to those of the manufacturer and evaluated the effect of gender, age, blood type, and ethnicity. The technique was standardized using citrated blood, kaolin and was performed on a Haemoscope 5000 device. Volunteers were interviewed and excluded if pregnant, on anticoagulants or having a bleeding disorder. The TEG® parameters analyzed were R, K, α, MA, LY30, and coagulation index. All volunteers outside the manufacturer’s normal range underwent extensive coagulation investigations. Reference ranges for 95% for 118 healthy volunteers were R: 3.8-9.8 min, K: 0.7-3.4 min, α: 47.8-77.7 degrees, MA: 49.7-72.7 mm, LY30: -2.3-5.77%, coagulation index: -5.1-3.6. Most values were significantly different from those of the manufacturer, which would have diagnosed coagulopathy in 10 volunteers, for whom additional investigation revealed no disease (81% specificity). Healthy women were significantly more hypercoagulable than men. Aging was not associated with hypercoagulability and East Asian ethnicity was not with hypocoagulability. In our population, the manufacturer’s normal values for citrated blood-kaolin had a specificity of 81% and would incorrectly identify 8.5% of the healthy volunteers as coagulopathic. This study supports the manufacturer’s recommendation that each institution should determine its own normal values before adopting TEG®, a procedure which may be impractical. Consideration should be given to a multi-institutional study to establish wide standard values for TEG®.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the intestinal mucosa barrier of septic rats and explore its possible mechanism. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three groups: control, Escherichia coli-induced sepsis (S) and treatment (T) groups. Groups S and T were subdivided into subgroups 1d and 3d, respectively. Expression of liver insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA, Bcl-2 and Bax protein levels and the intestinal Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and plasma GH and IGF-1 levels were determined. Histological examination of the intestine was performed and bacterial translocation was determined. rhGH significantly attenuated intestinal mucosal injuries and bacterial translocation in septic rats, markedly decreased Bax protein levels, inhibited the decrease of Bcl-2 protein expression and maintained the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the intestine. rhGH given after sepsis significantly improved levels of plasma GH (T1d: 1.28 ± 0.24; T3d: 2.14 ± 0.48 µg/L vs S1d: 0.74 ± 0.12; S3d: 0.60 ± 0.18 µg/L; P < 0.05) and IGF-1 (T1d: 168.94 ± 65.67; T3d: 201.56 ± 64.98 µg/L vs S1d: 116.72 ± 13.96; S3d: 107.50 ± 23.53 µg/L; P < 0.05) and expression of liver IGF-1 mRNA (T1d: 0.98 ± 0.20; T3d: 1.76 ± 0.17 vs S1d: 0.38 ± 0.09; S3d: 0.46 ± 0.10; P < 0.05). These findings indicate that treatment with rhGH had beneficial effects on the maintenance of the integrity of the intestinal mucosa barrier in septic rats.

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Estudo recente mostra que a clonidina por via venosa apresenta-se eficaz e segura no tratamento de crises hipertensivas durante cirurgia de catarata. Este estudo visa comparar o uso de nifedipina, droga amplamente utilizada por via sublingual, e clonidina por via venosa no controle da hipertensão arterial em cirurgias de catarata. MÉTODO: Setenta e cinco pacientes submetidos à facectomia foram distribuídos de forma aleatória e encoberta em: Grupo A, que recebeu nifedipina e Grupos C2 e C3, que receberam, respectivamente, 2 e 3 µg.kg-1 de clonidina por via venosa. Todos os pacientes apresentavam hipertensão arterial (PAS > 170 mmHg ou PAD > 110 mmHg). As PAS, PAD e freqüência cardíaca (FC) foram medidas e comparadas nos momentos: 0 (antes do tratamento) e de 2 em 2 minutos até o final do procedimento. Os eventos adversos foram anotados. RESULTADOS: Após o tratamento ocorreram diminuições da PAS e PAD nos 3 grupos (p <0,001). Houve controle da pressão arterial (<160 mmHg) em 32%, 64% e 72% dos pacientes nos grupos A, C2 e C3, respectivamente (p < 0,05). No grupo C3 ocorreu maior incidência de efeitos colaterais que nos grupos C2 e A (p < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES:A clonidina por via venosa é mais eficaz que a nifedipina, por via sublingual, no controle de crises hipertensivas no peri-operatório de cirurgias de catarata. Contudo, a dose de 3 µg.kg-1 pode estar relacionada a efeitos colaterais, devendo-se iniciar o tratamento com 2 µg.kg-1.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A recent study has shown that intravenous clonidine is effective and safe in treating perioperative arterial hypertension during cataract procedures. This study aimed at comparing sublingual nifedipine and intravenous clonidine to control arterial hypertension during cataract procedures. METHODS: Participated in this randomized double-blind study 75 patients submitted to facectomy, who were distributed in: Group A, receiving nifedipine and Groups C2 and C3, receiving 2 and 3 µg.kg-1 intravenous clonidine, respectively. All patients had arterial hypertension (SBP > 170 mmHg or DBP > 110 mmHg). SBP, DBP and HR were monitored and compared in moments 0 (before treatment), and at 2-minute intervals until the end of the procedure. Adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: There has been SBP and DBP decrease in all groups after treatment (p < 0.001). There has been blood pressure control (< 160 mmHg) in 32%, 64% and 72% of groups A, C2 and C3 patients, respectively (p < 0.05). Group C3 presented a higher incidence of side-effects, as compared to groups C2 and A (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous clonidine is more effective than sublingual nifedipine to control perioperative arterial hypertension during cataract extraction. However, the dose of 3 µg.kg-1 may be related to side-effects and treatment should be started with 2 µg.kg-1.

JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Estudio reciente muestra que la clonidina por vía venosa se presenta eficaz y segura en el tratamiento de crisis hipertensivas durante cirugía de catarata. Este estudio visa comparar el uso de nifedipina, droga ampliamente utilizada por vía sub-lingual, y clonidina por vía venosa en el control de la hipertensión en cirugías de catarata. MÉTODO: Setenta e cinco pacientes sometidos a facectomia fueron distribuidos de forma aleatoria y encubierta en: Grupo A, que recibió nifedipina y Grupos C2 y C3, que recibieron, respectivamente, 2 y 3 µg.kg-1 de clonidina por vía venosa. Todos los pacientes presentaban hipertensión arterial (PAS > 170 mmHg o PAD > 110 mmHg). Las PAS, PAD y frecuencia cardíaca (FC) fueron medidas y comparadas en los momentos: 0 (antes del tratamiento) y de 2 en 2 minutos hasta el final del procedimiento. Los eventos adversos fueron anotados. RESULTADOS: Después del tratamiento ocurrieron diminuciones de la PAS y PAD en los 3 grupos (p < 0,001). Hubo control de la presión arterial (<160 mmHg) en 32%, 64% y 72% de los pacientes en los grupos A, C2 y C3, respectivamente (p < 0,05). En el grupo C3 ocurrió mayor incidencia de efectos colaterales que en los grupos C2 y A (p < 0,05). CONCLUSIONES: La clonidina por vía venosa es más eficaz que la nifedipina, por vía sub-lingual, en el control de crisis hipertensivas en el peri-operatorio de cirugías de catarata. Sin embargo, la dosis de 3 µg.kg-1 puede estar relacionada a efectos colaterales, debiéndose iniciar el tratamiento con 2 µg.kg-1.