RESUMO A degeneração mixomatosa valvar mitral (DMVM) costuma ser diagnosticada pelo ecocardiograma, porém o eletrocardiograma (ECG) pode sugerir alterações específicas e auxiliar no diagnóstico e no tratamento. A deflexão intrinsecóide (DI) é uma medida simples do ECG, que representa o início da despolarização ventricular e pode indicar a presença de sobrecargas e hipertrofia no ventrículo esquerdo. O objetivo deste trabalho é comparar dados prévios sobre condição clínica e ecocardiograma de cães com endocardiose de mitral e o valor da deflexão intrinsecóide do ECG, para buscar uma relação de concordância. Foram selecionados os arquivos de 45 cães anteriormente atendidos na rotina clínica do HV-UPFR. A estatística mostrou diferença relevante nos grupos B1, B2 e C nas derivações D2, D3, aVF, rV, V2 e V4 (P<0,05), o que permitiu classificá-los de acordo com o tamanho da DI, e esse resultado correspondeu à classificação do consenso de endocardiose de mitral em cães nesses estágios. Concluiu-se que há um aumento gradativo no valor da DI à medida que a DMVM avança, principalmente nos estágios B1, B2 e C, associado à sobrecarga e à hipertrofia ventricular esquerda, portanto esse parâmetro pode ser usado na classificação da doença.

ABSTRACT The mitral valve myxomatous degeneration (DMVM) is usually diagnosed by echocardiography, however, electrocardiogram (ECG) may suggest specific alterations and aid diagnosis and treatment. Intrinsicoid deflection (DI) is a simple ECG measure that represents the onset of ventricular depolarization and may indicate the presence of overload and hypertrophy in the left ventricle. The objective of this study is to compare previous data on clinical condition and echocardiogram of dogs with mitral endocardiosis and the value of the intrinsicoid deflection from ECG to obtain a concordance relation. The archives of 45 previously examined dogs in the clinical routine of HV-UFPR were selected. The statistic showed a significant difference in groups B1, B2 and C in leads D2, D3, aVF, rV, V2 and V4 (P< 0,05), which allowed to classify them according to the DI size, and this result corresponded to the consensus classification of mitral endocardiosis in dogs at these stages. It was concluded that there is a gradual increase in the value of DI as DMVM progresses, especially in stages B1, B2 and C, associated with left ventricular overload and hypertrophy, so this parameter can be used to classify the disease.

RESUMO: No Estado de Minas Gerais, a região Norte constitui um dos principais núcleos de produção de banana. A interferência de plantas daninhas pode reduzir o crescimento da cultura e, consequentemente, levar à redução na produção e qualidade dos frutos. Portanto, objetivou-se com este estudo avaliar a interferência de plantas daninhas na produção do primeiro e segundo ciclos da bananeira ‘Prata-Anã’. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com dez tratamentos e três repetições, avaliadas em dois ciclos de cultivo. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de dez períodos de controle das plantas daninhas a partir do plantio: sem controle; controle em todo o período experimental; controle apenas no primeiro mês após o plantio; controle até o segundo; terceiro; quarto; quinto; sexto; oitavo; e décimo mês após o plantio. Avaliaram-se na colheita características agronômicas e produtivas da bananeira ‘Prata-Anã’. A manutenção da bananeira ‘Prata-Anã’ sem a convivência com plantas daninhas por até 30 dias após o plantio foi suficiente para obtenção de frutos com qualidade e produtividade satisfatória tanto no primeiro quanto no segundo ciclo de produção, sem alterar os ciclos vegetativos e reprodutivos.

ABSTRACT: In the state of Minas Gerais, the northern region is one of the main banana production cores. Weed interference can reduce crop growth and, consequently, lead to reduced yield and fruit quality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the interference of weeds in the production of the first and second cycles of ‘Prata-Anã’ bananas. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with ten treatments and three replicates, evaluated in two crop cycles. The treatments were ten periods of weed control, from planting: without control; control throughout the whole experimental period; control only in the first month after planting; control until the second; third; fourth; fifth; sixth; eighth and tenth months after planting. The agronomic and productive characteristics of the ‘Prata-Anã’ bananas were evaluated aton harvest. The maintenance of ‘Prata-Anã’ bananas without weed coexistence for up to 30 days after planting was enough to obtain fruits with satisfactory quality and productivity, both in the first and in the second production cycle, without altering the vegetative and reproductive cycles.

Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias include complex diseases that have a strong interaction between genetic makeup and environmental factors. However, in many cases, no infectious agent can be demonstrated, and these clinical diseases rapidly progress to death. Theoretically, idiopathic interstitial pneumonias could be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, hepatitis C virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and herpesvirus, which may be present in such small amounts or such configuration that routine histopathological analysis or viral culture techniques cannot detect them. To test the hypothesis that immunohistochemistry provides more accurate results than the mere histological demonstration of viral inclusions, this method was applied to 37 open lung biopsies obtained from patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. As a result, immunohistochemistry detected measles virus and cytomegalovirus in diffuse alveolar damage-related histological patterns of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in 38 and 10% of the cases, respectively. Alveolar epithelium infection by cytomegalovirus was observed in 25% of organizing pneumonia patterns. These findings were coincident with nuclear cytopathic effects but without demonstration of cytomegalovirus inclusions. These data indicate that diffuse alveolar damage-related cytomegalovirus or measles virus infections enhance lung injury, and a direct involvement of these viruses in diffuse alveolar damage-related histological patterns is likely. Immunohistochemistry was more sensitive than the histological demonstration of cytomegalovirus or measles virus inclusions. We concluded that all patients with diffuse alveolar damage-related histological patterns should be investigated for cytomegalovirus and measles virus using sensitive immunohistochemistry in conjunction with routine procedures.

Foram estudados 24 cavalos atletas hígidos, machos, adultos, da raça Puro Sangue Lusitano, submetidos a esforço físico de trote e galope de rotina do animal, com o objetivo de avaliar a configuração do traçado do eletrocardiograma (ECG) em repouso, mediante eletrocardiografia computadorizada, bem como os efeitos do exercício físico sobre os parâmetros clínicos e eletrocardiográficos destes animais. Foram avaliados exame físico e ritmo cardíaco antes e imediatamente após o exercício físico, assim como as distintas configurações de ondas p e complexos QRS, obtidas ao ECG de repouso. Após o treinamento, ocorreram taquicardia e taquipneia. O ritmo predominante no repouso foi o sinusal e, após o exercício, a taquicardia sinusal. Na morfologia das ondas, encontraram-se quatro configurações distintas para a onda p, e seis para o complexo QRS. Dentre as arritmias cardíacas em repouso, houve uma ocorrência de bloqueio atrioventricular de segundo grau, que desapareceu após exercício. Conclui-se que o traçado do ECG computadorizado de cavalos atletas Puro Sangue Lusitano revela distintas morfologias de ondas p e complexos QRS e baixa ocorrência de arritmias.

In order to assess the configuration of the electrocardiogram (ECG) at rest obtained through computerized electrocardiography and the effects of exercise on clinical and electrocardiographic parameters, 24 healthy male Pure-bred adult Lusitano horses submitted to daily trot and gallop training were studied. Physical evaluation and cardiac rhythm were evaluated before and immediately after exercise, as well the different p waves and QRS complexes, obtained from rest ECG. Tachycardia and tachypnea were observed after training. The predominant rest rhythm was sinus rhythm and, after exercise, sinus tachycardia. In the wave morphology, four distinct configurations were found for the p wave, and six different settings for the QRS complex. Second degree atrioventricular block was observed once during rest, and it disappeared after exercise. In conclusion, computerized ECG in Pure-bred Lusitano horses reveals distinct morphologies of p waves and QRS complexes, and cardiac arrhythmias were rare.

When compared to other model organisms whose genome is sequenced, the number of mutations identified in the mouse appears extremely reduced and this situation seriously hampers our understanding of mammalian gene function(s). Another important consequence of this shortage is that a majority of human genetic diseases still await an animal model. To improve the situation, two strategies are currently used: the first makes use of embryonic stem cells, in which one can induce knockout mutations almost at will; the second consists of a genome-wide random chemical mutagenesis, followed by screening for mutant phenotypes and subsequent identification of the genetic alteration(s). Several projects are now in progress making use of one or the other of these strategies. Here, we report an original effort where we mutagenized BALB/c males, with the mutagen ethylnitrosourea. Offspring of these males were screened for dominant mutations and a three-generation breeding protocol was set to recover recessive mutations. Eleven mutations were identified (one dominant and ten recessives). Three of these mutations are new alleles (Otop1mlh, Foxn1sepe and probably rodador) at loci where mutations have already been reported, while 4 are new and original alleles (carc, eqlb, frqz, and Sacc). This result indicates that the mouse genome, as expected, is far from being saturated with mutations. More mutations would certainly be discovered using more sophisticated phenotyping protocols. Seven of the 11 new mutant alleles induced in our experiment have been localized on the genetic map as a first step towards positional cloning.

Today, the quality of a scientific article depends on the periodical in which it is published and on the number of times the article is cited in the literature. In Brazil, the criteria for the evaluation of this scientific production are improving. However, there is still some resistance, with authors arguing that Brazilian publications must be preferentially addressed to the national readers and, therefore, they should ideally be written in Portuguese. In order to determine the kind of scientific journals cited in the reference lists of articles published in medical periodicals edited in Brazil, in the present study we determine the rate of Portuguese/English citations. Three issues of 43 periodicals (19 indexed in SciELO, 10 in PubMed, 10 in LILACS, and 4 in the ISI-Thompson base) of different medical specialties were analyzed, and the number of both Portuguese and English citations in the reference list of each article was recorded. The results showed that in Brazilian-edited journals the mean number of citations/article was 20.9 ± 6.9 and the percentage of citations of international non-Brazilian periodicals was 86.0 ± 11.2%. Of the latter, 94.4 ± 7.0 are indexed by ISI-Thompson. Therefore, we conclude that Brazilian medical scientists cite the international non-Brazilian periodicals more than the national journals, and most of the cited papers are indexed by ISI-Thompson.