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This article addressed the scarcity of water and its importance for the pharmaceutical industry. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility in terms of quality for the use of rainwater, as an alternative in water systems for the production of medicines. A comparison of physical-chemical and microbiological parameters was performed. Of the 10 parameters taken, rainwater is equal to or greater than drinking water for 7 parameters, namely Nitrate, STD, Hardness, Conductivity, Iron, Aluminum and Coliforms T., F. and E. coli. However, for the parameters of TOC, pH and Heterotrophic Bacteria Count, rainwater, which can obtain the same standard of drinking water, provided it is subjected to pre-treatment. It was found that the atmospheric environment of the region and the collection area can result in water quality. It was concluded that, if rainwater is subjected to the same type of control and treatment as drinking water, it can be considered viable for use in purified water systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the advance of international capital in the management of industrial complexes engaged in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity in Brazil and, in the state of Goiás in particular. In order to analyze the socioenvironmental impacts of the development of the sugarcane industry, the study investigated the establishment of sugarcane industries in the state of Goiás, especially in the municipality of Edéia. This region experienced the expansion and internationalization of the sugarcane industry, as part of the 'Third March to the West', during which the industrial estate established therein was acquired by the English group British Petroleum (BP). The data presented in this article highlight the increase in the flow of international capital investment in the sugarcane industry in the state of Goiás, which is in consonance with the rate of national increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the capabilities of instrumental techniques aiming at differentiating marine oils is a matter of great importance for both authorities and industries which has been highlighted over 120 years. In this study, different strategies were evaluated by means of principal component analysis (PCA) for their performance in differentiating various marine oils. Triacylglycerols (TAGs) composition and four different profiles including total ion current (TIC) and total mass spectral (TMS) profiles derived from liquid chromatography electrospray single and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS and LC-ESI-MS2) were used as the dataset for PCA study. Among these strategies, the tandem TMS profiles from LC-ESI-MS2experiments as the dataset demonstrated to be the most rapid and convenient approach for the differentiation of various marine and plant oils investigated and for the representation of the characteristics TAG patterns. This novel approach represents an alternative and promising tool for fingerprinting and differentiating marine oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The road death is an important cause of death for wildlife in Brazil. This study aimed to survey the deaths of wild animals caused by running over registered in the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory Unipampa between June 2012 and June 2013. Were collected and necropsied 39 wild animals. Samples were collected in two federal roads, BR 472 and BR 290. Mammals corresponded to 94.9% and 5.1% to the birds. This study allowed establishing more precise information about the impact caused by road death in this region and etiologic agents that affect these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate awareness of prostate cancer in the population of the city of São Paulo. Methods: A total of 392 adults were randomly interviewed on public spaces in the city of São Paulo, and answered a questionnaire that addressed demographic questions and specific knowledge about the prostate cancer. A score was used to assess awareness of cancer in general, and of prostate cancer, considering satisfactory knowledge a score of 6 points. Results: The mean age was 36.9 years (standard deviation of ±12.6) and 58.2% of participants were male. No previous contact with information related to prostate cancer was reported by 45.5% of participants. For these cases, a greater proportion was observed among men aged over 50 years. As to the score, the mean was 3.7 (standard deviation of ±1.3), with a positive correlation among higher scores, higher income and education level. Less than 5% of participants believed they should only search for prostate cancer screening when symptomatic. Finally, among the less frequent responses to risk factors for prostate cancer, is “ethnic origin” (2.8%). Conclusion: Even though most participants did not have a satisfactory score, the level of awareness demonstrated in this study seems superior to that of other populational series. Hence it suggested the assessed population understood some essential concepts in prostate cancer, such as the importance of screening and the follow-up. The efforts made by the Sociedade Brasileira de Urologia on educational campaigns partially explain this. However, working in some concepts, like identifying risk factors for prostate cancer, might optimize screening outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lumbar kyphosis is a complex spinal deformity occurring in approximately 8% to 20% of patients with myelomeningocele. The resulting gibbosity may cause pressure ulcers, difficulty lying down in the supine position and sitting on the ischia without support, decreasing quality of life (QOL). Surgery is generally performed to correct kyphosis and maintain vertebral alignment, but high complication rates have been reported. Despite satisfactory radiological results, the impact of surgery and its complications on health-related QOL (HRQOL) has not yet been established.Questions/purposes: Among children with myelomeningocele undergoing corrective surgery for lumbar kyphosis: (1) What is the risk of complications and reoperation after this procedure? (2) Does this procedure improve HRQOL scores in these patients?Methods: Between 2012 and 2013, five surgeons at three centers treated 32 patients for myelomeningocele-related kyphosis with kyphectomy and posterior instrumentation. During that period, all surgeons used the same indications for the procedure, which were progressive postural decompensation and chronic ulceration at the apex of the deformity. Data were prospectively collected, and all patients who underwent surgery were considered in this retrospective study. The legal guardians of one patient declined to sign the informed consent form, resulting in 31 patients included. A total of 9.7% (3 of 31) were lost to follow-up before the 2-year period, and the remaining 90.3% (28 of 31) were seen at a mean of 3 years (± 9 months) after surgery. The average age was 10 years, 7 months (± 21 months) at the time of surgery. The patients had a mean kyphosis angle of 130° ± 36° before surgery. This technique involved posterior fixation using S-shaped rods inserted through the foramina of S1 and pedicle screws inserted in the thoracic spine. The patients' caregivers answered both the generic and specific (neuromuscular module) Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaires preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively. The minimum clinically important difference (MCID) considered for the instruments used was 5.Results: Reoperation was performed in 68% of patients (19 of 28), mostly to treat deep infection. In all, 18% of patients (five of 28) underwent implant removal to control infection. Eleven percent (three of 28) had a loss of reduction and pseudarthrosis. The HRQOL increased from 71 ± 11 preoperatively to 76 ± 10 postoperatively (p < 0.001), resulting in a 5-point increase (95% CI 3 to 7) in the generic questionnaire score and from 71 ± 13 to 79 ± 11 (p < 0.001), resulting in an 8-point increase (95% CI 5 to 10) in the neuromuscular Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaire score, mainly in the physical health domain on both questionnaires.Conclusions: Kyphectomy was associated with a high risk of complications and reoperations and did not seem to deliver a substantial clinical benefit for patients who underwent the procedure. Most of our HRQOL score improvements were below the minimum clinically important difference for the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory questionnaires. Although it seems that surgeons lack a better surgical alternative when facing the challenging health impairments these patients suffer, efforts should be made to improve the technique and reduce surgical complications. Additionally, patients and caregivers should be advised of the high reoperation rate and notified that the procedure may not result in a better QOL and should thus be avoided when possible. Future studies should verify whether decreasing the complication rate could imply improvement in the HRQOL of these patients after surgery.Level Of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following study aimed to develop a fatty liver model in primary hepatocytes isolated from Atlantic salmon. In order to induce the fatty liver, oleic acid (OA) at 0.2 or 0.4 mM was used. Metformin, known to prevent and cure fatty liver in mammalian cells, was used at 1 or 10 mM for 24 hr before addition of OA to test possible prevention effect of metformin on the OA‐induced fatty liver phenotype. Cells grown in 0.2 mM OA did not increase the mean number of lipid droplets, while cells grown in 0.4 mM OA increased the number of lipid droplets within the liver cells (p < 0.0001). Metformin pretreatment prior to OA supplementation reduced the mean number of lipid droplets. Gene expression of ApoB100, CD36 and PPARa increased in cells treated with metformin and most so at 10 mM. On the other hand, gene expression of LXR, SREBP2 and CPT‐1 decreased at both concentrations of metformin, while OA treatment did not affect these genes. Gene expression of IL‐8 increased by 0.4 mM OA (p = 0.002). Metformin reduced the gene expression of IL‐8. Thus, metformin efficiently enhanced the expression of genes related to transport and oxidation of lipids in hepatic cells of salmon, but required higher concentrations of OA and metformin than those required in rodent models to increase and prevent lipid accumulation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]