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Since 50 years, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) plays a central role in heart failure (HF) assessment. Oxygen uptake (VO2) is one of the main HF prognostic indicators, then paralleled by ventilation to carbon dioxide (VE/VCO2) relationship slope. Also anaerobic threshold retains a strong prognostic power in severe HF, especially if expressed as a percent of maximal VO2 predicted value. Moving beyond its absolute value, a modern approach is to consider the percentage of predicted value for peak VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope, thus allowing a better comparison between genders, ages, and races. Several VO2 equations have been adopted to predict peak VO2, built considering different populations. A step forward was made possible by the introduction of reliable non-invasive methods able to calculate cardiac output during exercise: the inert gas rebreathing method and the thoracic electrical bioimpedance. These techniques made possible to calculate the artero-venous oxygen content differences (ΔC(a-v)O2), a value related to haemoglobin concentration, pO2, muscle perfusion, and oxygen extraction. The role of haemoglobin, frequently neglected, is however essential being anaemia a frequent HF comorbidity. Finally, peak VO2 is traditionally obtained in a laboratory setting while performing a standardized physical effort. Recently, different wearable ergo-spirometers have been developed to allow an accurate metabolic data collection during different activities that better reproduce HF patients’ everyday life. The evaluation of exercise performance is now part of the holistic approach to the HF syndrome, with the inclusion of CPET data into multiparametric prognostic scores, such as the MECKI score.

Wooden pile dwellings (WPD) are an inexhaustible and precious source of information on landscape evolution and contingent cultural activities. There have been significant investigations on WPD submerged in Alpine areas, but important knowledge gaps are evident regarding Mediterranean volcanic and karstic lakes. The conservation of the latter archaeological remnants is endangered by the climatic change impacts and anthropogenic pressure, further exacerbated by the sensitive and circumscribed lake environments. Wood from pile dwellings is waterlogged, and its conservation mostly depends on the surrounding environment i.e. sediments and water quality. This project aims to study all the aspects of WPD in volcanic and karstic lakes through studies ranging from their potential exploitation, the investigation into their conservation and restoration, monitoring lake environment and forecasting scenarios through an aquarium reproducing the most significant abiotic conditions occurring in the lake. This last study will be achieved by means of an aquarium model. Three case studies have been selected in which agricultural practices influence climatic stress and pollution impact: Lake Banyoles in Spain and Lakes Bolsena and Mezzano in Italy. The foreseen investigations will employ an extraordinarily wide spectrum of skills and disciplines (palynology, dendrochronology, micromorphology, soil science and innovative tools like isotopic analysis). The characterization of wooden materials will involve gravimetric measurements, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and thermogravimetry. Samples will derive from different sources to include immersed, reburied finds and restored wood, lake water and lake sediment samples. The main activities will be devoted to fields campaigns and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), high-resolution methods for monitoring environmental conditions (for example the installed probe will measure water lake temperature, pH and so on), capitalization of results (network of big data about lake sites), involvement of local actors and population on the historical, cultural and environmental value of WPDs to establish decision-making processes and to foster high-quality tourism.

Introduction The usefulness of leukocyte cell population data (CPD) is currently being investigated. In COVID-19 pandemic several reports showed the clinical importance of blood parameters. Our study aimed to assess CPDs in Sars Cov-2 patients as new disease markers. Methods From February to April 2020 (1st wave) 540 and from September to December 2020 (2nd wave) 2821 patients respectively were enrolled. SARS CoV-2 infection diagnosis was carried out by Multiplex rRT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs. CPDs were detected by XN 2000 hematology analyzer (Sysmex Corporation). A comparison between two disease waves was performed. Additionally, C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were assayed. Results CPDs were classified into: cell complextity, DNA/RNA content and abnormal sized cells. We detected parameters increased from the reference population for all cell types for both 1st and 2nd wave (p≤ 0.03). However, in the 2nd vs 1st wave 5 CPDs vs 9 CPDs were found. In addition we observed higher CPD values of the 1st compared to 2nd wave: (NE-SFL) (p=00004), (LY-Y) (p≤0.0001), (LY-Z) (p≤0.0001), (MO-X) (p≤0.0001), (MO-Y) (p≤0.0001). These findings were confirmed by the higher concentrations of CRP and LDH in the 1st vs 2nd wave: 17.3 mg/L (8.5-59.3) vs 6.3 mg/L (2.3-17.6) (p=0.0003) and 241.5 UI/L (201-345) vs 195 UI/L (174-228) (p=0.0005)(median, interquartile range) respectively. Conclusion Leukocyte CPDs showed increased cell activation in patients of 1st wave confirmed by clinical and biochemical data, correlated with worse clinical conditions. Our results highlighted the CPDs as disease characterization markers or useful for a risk model.

Waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW) is a rare and precious organic material that can hold outstanding cultural values. In order to protect WAW for the next generations, this material must be accurately characterized to set its proper conservation, storage and exhibition conditions in museum environments. In this study, the mineral content found in WAW retrieved in a volcanic lake, was investigated by analysing wood ash through scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersion spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). This micro-destructive approach was coupled with morphological studies carried out through optical microscopy. SEM-EDS was also performed on the WAW and on the surrounding sediment, to study the possible correlation between the mineral composition and the wood degradation state. The analysis revealed that calcium was the most abundant element in all poles with weight percentages ranging between 24 % and 42 %. This element was more represented in heartwood (HW) than sapwood (SW). In Sapwood the second most abundant element was arsenic. Sulphur, iron, and potassium were also present in all the analysed samples. Arsenic was detected also in the sediments; it was particularly concentrated in the samples taken near archaeological wood. The presence of this element can be linked to the volcanic origin of the lake, and its high concentration points to bioaccumulation processes induced by bacteria (erosion bacteria and sulphate-reducing bacteria) and biochemical processes favouring precipitation of insoluble compounds. The present work is the first investigation on mineral content in archaeological wood establishing a possible correlation with the surrounding volcanic lake sediments.

Since its first introduction in 2016, cold sintering process (CSP) has gained worldwide interest from the scientific community as green and innovative fabrication route due to the dramatic reduction of processing time, energy, and costs. Cold sintering resembles the geological formation of rocks where a ceramic powder is densified with the aid of a liquid phase under an intense external pressure and limited heating conditions (below 350 °C). Up to date, tens of different materials, including composites, have been successfully processed through CSP and extraordinary results in terms of densification, microstructure and final properties have been achieved. In the present review, processing features and variables, possible densification mechanisms and issues also for the realization of ceramic-based composites are explored. Advantages with respect to existing techniques are analysed and current challenges are described to lay the ground for new processing opportunities to be faced in the near future.

Background β-blockers are one of the four recommended disease-modifying classes of drugs for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Although their efficacy and prognostic role is unquestionable in the general population of HFrEF patients, the differences in their effect in relation to sex have not been yet investigated in detail. The present study analyzed a large, real-world, Italian population of HFrEF patients aiming to highlight any prognostic difference between males and females in relation to dose and β-selectivity of the ongoing β-blocker treatment. Methods Out of the 7900 HFrEF patients included in the MECKI score registry, we retrospectively analyzed those treated with β-blockers. We investigated the prognostic role of β-selectivity, dividing the population in assuming β1/β2-receptor blockers (carvedilol) vs. β1-selective blockers (bisoprolol, nebivolol or metoprolol), according to sex, and the prognostic role of daily carvedilol-equivalent β-blocker dose in relation to sex. The primary outcome of the study was the composite of all cause mortality, urgent heart transplant and LVAD implant analyzed at 5 years, both as raw data and after correction of potential confounders. Results 6784 HFrEF patients treated with β-blockers were analyzed (1215 females, 5569 males). Patients median follow-up was 4.05 years [1.72-7.47]: 4.37 [1.6-8.13] for females and 3.99 [1.75-7.3] for males (p=ns). According to β-selectivity no prognostic differences were found in the general population, as in female or males (Fig. 1 right panel). Stratification of patients according to β-blockers equivalent dose showed significant difference among groups: mortality decreases with increasing β-blockers dose in both males and females (Fig. 1, left panel), both at baseline and after adjustment for the main confounders (LVEF, age, peakVO2, systolic pressure, hemoglobin, rest heart rate; VE/VCO2 slope, etiology. ICD, MDRD). Conclusions In a large, real-life population of chronic HFrEF patients analyzed according to sex, no prognostic differences were found between stratifying for β-selectivity. A better outcome was observed in subjects receiving a high daily dose, independently from sex.

Nanosized calcium deficient carbonated apatite was synthesized from three different natural resources, namely chicken eggshells (calcite), cuttlefish bones (aragonite) and mussel shells (aragonite/calcite). The calcium precursors were ball-milled in (NH4)2HPO4 or H3PO4 – containing aqueous medium for different times and then dried at temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 150 °C. The formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) is shown to be strongly affected by such treatment, the amount of synthesized HA increasing with temperature. Aragonite from cuttlebones and the aragonitic fraction of mussels is found to be transformed more easily with respect to the calcite from eggshells. The reaction is also favored by an acidic milling media with respect to basic one. The feasibility of the synthesis process at nearly room temperature described in the present work has interesting potentialities in the retention of the organic portions of the original biological resource in the produced nanometric inorganic compound.

Background and Aims Proteases are responsible for protein degradation during leaf senescence, allowing nutrients to be redirected to sink tissues. In a previous work, we reported that sulphur deficiency produced a delay in the leaf senescence of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants, at both vegetative and reproductive stages. In this work, we analyse the effect of sulphur deficiency on the expression of several genes coding for proteases of different catalytic groups, which have been strongly associated with leaf senescence. Methods Four independent experiments were performed in order to impose low sulphur availability conditions: one of steady-state sulphur deficiency during the vegetative stage and three of sulphur starvation during vegetative and reproductive stages. Key Results Sulphur deficiency inhibited or reduced the senescence-associated induction of seven of the eight proteases analysed. Their induction, as well as senescence and phloem amino acid remobilization, could be achieved with senescence inducers such as methyl-jasmonate (a hormonal stimulus) and darkness, but with different rates of induction dependent on each gene. Sulphur deficiency also exerted an opposite effect on the expression of two cysteine-protease genes (HvSAG12 and HvLEGU) as well as on one serine-protease gene (HvSUBT) according to leaf age and plant phenological stages. All three genes were induced in green leaves but were repressed in senescent leaves of sulphur-deficient plants at the vegetative stage. At the reproductive stage, both cysteine-proteases were only repressed in senescent leaves, while the serine-protease was induced in green and senescent leaves by sulphur deficiency. Conclusions Our results highlight the relevance of adequate sulphur nutrition in order to ensure leaf senescence onset and induction of protease genes, which will consequently impact on grain protein composition and quality. In addition, our results provide evidence that leaf age, plant developmental stage and the nature of the stress modulate the sulphur responses.

Proteases play a main role in the mobilization of storage proteins during seed germination. Until today, there is little information about the involvement of serine proteases, particularly subtilases, in the germination of barley grains. The aims of the present work were to study the contribution of serine proteases to the total proteolytic activity induced during germination of barley grains and evaluate the specific involvement of subtilases in this process. Proteolytic activity assayed against azocasein in the presence of specific inhibitors, showed that serine proteases contributed between 10 and 20% of total activity along germination. Subtilase activity increased from day 1 after imbibition with a peak between days 4-5. Moreover, in vivo determination of subtilase activity in germinating grains revealed increasing activity along germination mainly localized in the seed endosperm and developing rootlets. Finally, the expression of 19 barley genes encoding subtilases was measured by real time PCR during germination. Three of the analyzed genes increased their expression along germination, five showed a transient induction, one was down-regulated, nine remained unchanged and one was not expressed. The present work demonstrates the involvement of subtilases in germination of barley grains and describes the positive association of eight subtilase genes to this process.

Plant proteolytic enzymes belonging to the S8 family of serine proteases are known as subtilases or subtilisin-like proteases. Subtilases compose the largest family of plant serine peptidases and have been associated to a wide range of physiological responses and developmental stages. We here describe a simple and fast method to reveal subtilase activity in vivo in germinating seeds of different crops. The method is based on the hydrolysis of N-Succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe p-nitroanilide (Suc-AAPF-pNA), a synthetic peptide highly specific for subtilases, and subsequent diazotization of liberated p-nitroaniline giving an intense pink dye. The method was tested in germinating seeds of four cereals (wheat, maize, sorghum and rice). In order to verify subtilase activity in such materials, soluble extracts were prepared and analyzed by a standard protocol for in vitro measurement of Suc-AAPF-pNA degradation. Results revealed subtilase activity in vivo in all the cereal grains tested, showing strong correlation with spectrophotometric measurement of subtilase activity in soluble extracts. The present work not only describes for the first time a method to asses for subtilase activity in vivo, but also reveals the ubiquity of active subtilases during the germination of different plant species.

Due to unique osteogenic properties, tricalcium phosphate (TCP) has gained relevance in the field of bone repair. The development of novel and rapid sintering routes is of particular interest since TCP undergoes to high-temperature phase transitions and is widely employed in osteoconductive coatings on thermally-sensitive metal substrates. In the present work, TCP bioceramics was innovatively obtained by Ultrafast High-temperature Sintering (UHS). Ca-deficient hydroxyapatite nano-powder produced by mechanochemical synthesis of mussel shell-derived calcium carbonate was used to prepare the green samples by uniaxial pressing. These were introduced within a graphite felt which was rapidly heated by an electrical current flow, reaching heating rates exceeding 1200 °C min−1. Dense (> 93%) ceramics were manufactured in less than 3 min using currents between 25 and 30 A. Both β and α-TCP were detected in the sintered components with proportions depending on the applied current. Preliminary tests confirmed that the artifacts do not possess cytotoxic effects and possess mechanical properties similar to conventionally sintered materials. The overall results prove the applicability of UHS to bioceramics paving the way to new rapid processing routes for biomedical components.

Este trabalho relata experiências com jogos no ensino da matemática desenvolvidaspor acadêmicos do Curso de Licenciatura em Matemática do IFC-Campus Camboriú,bolsistas do programa de residência pedagógica (CAPES). Foram realizadasintervenções utilizando esta metodologia em uma turma do sexto ano do ensinofundamental, para trabalhar operações com números inteiros, e em uma turma dosegundo ano do ensino médio, em uma avaliação sobre o conteúdo de progressões.Observou-se que as atividades propostas pelos acadêmicos favoreceram algunsalunos, podendo-se afirmar que a prática pedagógica, mediante o uso de jogos,intervém no processo de construção do conhecimento.

Oak disks from pile dwellings of the prehistoric site of Gran Carro (lake Bolsena, Italy) were analysed in order to estimate wood degradation. Micro-morphological observations showed that the microbial decay could be mainly attributed to erosion bacteria. The most important physical properties, i.e. Maximum Water Content (MWC), Residual basal Density (RDb), and the calculation of the Lost Wood Substance (LWS) highlighted that heartwood (HW) was moderately preserved, with MWC values slightly higher or comparable to that of recent oak, whereas sapwood (SW) was very degraded. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was tested as an alternative method for the chemical characterisation of archaeological wood. The TGA profiles were critically discussed taking into account the results of the physical and micro-morphological analyses. Potentialities and drawbacks of TGA were underlined.

Waterlogged archaeological wood is exposed to a high risk of biological degradation during the post-excavation phases of storage and restoration. For this reason, often biocides must be used to preserve wooden remains. In the present work three essential oils (cinnamon, wild thyme, and common thyme) were tested as possible alternative biocides to use in the preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood. The oils were first tested in vitro to establish the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and to evaluate the biocidal activity on selected fungal strains. Then, the established MIC was applied on waterlogged archaeological wood samples and during an actual restoration treatment. The effectiveness of the oils was evaluated through cultural analyses, ATP quantification, and next-generation sequencing. The results showed that the oils caused a significant decrease in the vitality of fungal mycelia grown in vitro and of the microbiota present in treated wood and storage water. Furthermore, an influence on the composition of the bacterial communities of treated wood samples was observed. Although further tests are needed to evaluate interferences with the materials used during restoration procedures, essential oils could be considered as a possible alternative to the currently used biocide.

La enrofloxacina es un antibiótico perteneciente a la familia de las fluorquinolonas ampliamente utilizado en medicina veterinaria. Es considerado un antimicrobiano de amplio espectro por su efecto contra bacterias gram- negativas, gram- positivas, anerobios y Mycoplasma sp (Ebert et al., 2011; Bearson y Brunelle, 2015). Sin embargo, el uso de este antibiótico se encuentra restringido en animales de crecimiento por sus potenciales lesiones a nivel del aparato locomotor. Esta descripto en perros (cita), ratas (cita), conejos (cita) y pollos (cita) la producción de una artropatía erosiva no inflamatoria, frecuentemente irreversible. La administración de esta fluorquinolona en animales en producción está indicada para el tratamiento de infecciones entéricas causadas por E. coli y por Salmonella sp, así como para el tratamiento de bronconeumonías causadas por Mannheimia haemolytica (Ter Hune y col., 2005).Sin embargo hay poca información del uso de esta droga por vía oral en crias de pequeños rumiantes y su posible efecto sobre las articulaciones. El propósito de este trabajo es evaluar radiológicamente las articulaciones de animales que consumieron diariamente el antibiótico enrofloxacina. Antibiotics in veterinary medicine are used not only for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, but also as growth promoters. In this context, enrofloxacin is an antibiotic widely used in veterinary medicine. On the other hand, information on the use of this drug in small ruminants is scarce. The purpose of this work was to perform a radiological study of goat kids submitted to a daily supplementation with enrofloxacin. The animals were fed with reconstituted cow's milk powder with the addition of the antibiotic (5 mg/kg/day). At 70 days of age, a radiological study was performed, using a control animal for comparisons. This study showed a marked increase in cortical and bone density of the thoracic joints of the animals that received the drug. It was found that the use of this scheme of administration caused joint alterations in the species. However, further investigations are required in order to find an adequate administration protocol that does not generate biomechanical alterations in growing animals. Fil: Galotta, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua; Argentina Fil: Moscuzza, Carlos Hernán. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua; Argentina Fil: Fernandez Cirelli, Alicia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Centro de Estudios Transdisciplinarios del Agua; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina

Comparison of clinical and hematological profile of Anglo Nubian kids wasperformed under three different rearing systems. Animals were separated from their dams and rearing from birth until pre-weaning at 24 days of age. Kids were fed with goat milk, reconstituted cow powder milk and reconstituted cow powder milk with enrofloxacin in sub-therapeutic doses. Clinical exam and blood analysis were performed at 3, 10 and 21 days of treatment. As a result, body weight did not show significant differences between treatments. However, values of cardiac frequency, cholesterol, urea, serumalkaline phosphatase and segmented neutrophils (%) were higher than the reference values. These results could be explained considering the physiological state and age of the animals. During this experiment, the use of diet supplemented with enrofloxacin did not generate substantial benefits in the animals that received it. In addition, the use of antibiotics in farms needs to be reconsidered in order to avoid negative environmental effects El uso de diferentes sustitutos lácteos es una práctica común en la crianza artificial de cabritos, sin embargo, no hay información suficiente sobre el impacto que puedan tener tanto en el animal como en el ambiente. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los perfiles clínicos y hematológicos de cabritos de la raza Anglo Nubian bajo tres sistemas de alimentación diferentes. Al nacer, los animales fueron separados de sus madres y evaluados hasta el periodo de pre- destete (24 días). Los cabritos fueron alimentados con leche de cabra, leche de vaca (en polvo reconstituida) y leche de vaca (en polvo de reconstituida) con el agregado de enrofloxacina en dosis sub-terapéuticas. Sobre los animales ensayados se llevó a cabo un análisis clínico y hematológico a los 3, 10 y 21 días de iniciado el tratamiento. Como resultado se observó que la variable peso no presentó diferencias significativas entre los tratamientos. Sin embargo, los valores de frecuencia cardíaca, colesterol, urea, fosfatasa alcalina sérica, y neutrófilos segmentados (%) se encontraron por encima de los valores de referencia. Estos resultados pudieron ser explicados considerando el estado fisiológico y la edad de los animales. En conclusión, la suplementación de la dieta con enrofloxacina no generó un beneficio en los animales que la recibieron. Por otro lado, la utilización de antibióticos en los establecimientos productivos debe ser reconsiderada en orden de atenuar el efecto negativo en el ambiente. Fil: Galotta, Maria Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina Fil: Moscuzza, Carlos Hernán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina Fil: Ambros, Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina Fil: Fernandez Cirelli, Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Unidad Ejecutora de Investigaciones en Producción Animal; Argentina

Damages to hypogeal archaeological monuments, caused by the growth of tree roots, are frequently reported in the city of Rome. Problems of compatibility between trees and underground structures may become complex in the case of historical gardens. The Jewish catacombs of Villa Torlonia show relevant conservation problems, some of them arising from damages due to root growth, and consolidating interventions seem to be urgent. Some species in the gardens, especially Ficus carica L., but also Quercus ilex L. and Pinus pinea L., have developed a strong root system, growing for many meters in lateral distance and for some meters vertically. The plants responsible for the various alterations were identified by their wood anatomy and a methodology to treat similar problems has been proposed. Data collected aim to avoid errors made in managing the plant cover of an archaeological site.

Three apparently well-preserved shipwrecks dating back to Roman times were brought to light near Piazza Municipio in Naples (Italy), during the excavation for the construction of Line 1 of the subway. The shipwrecks were covered by marine sand and silt, below the water table. In order to establish the nature and the extent of wood degradation and, therefore, determine how best to preserve the shipwrecks, a diagnostic investigation was carried out. The study involved the identification of wood species, chemical characterization of the residue component and physical and micro-morphological characterization.

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) have been described in the gastrointestinal tract of different mammals including humans, horses, pigs, rats, dogs, mice and guinea-pigs. In the present study, ICC were identified in the jejunum of Bos taurus using polyclonal anti-c-Kit antibodies in immunohistochemical assays. Vimentin and desmin intermediate filaments were also determined using monoclonal antibodies. ICC were found in the tunica muscularis either in a palisade distribution pattern between the outer longitudinal and the inner circular layers (ICC-MP) or freely distributed in clusters in the longitudinal layer (ICC-LM). Morphometric studies determined that ICC have a fusiform shape presenting cytoplasmic prolongations. ICC were positive to c-Kit and vimentin antigens but negative to desmin. We have observed and described for the first time the presence of ICC in a ruminant. As observed in the aforementioned mammals, bovine ICC were associated with the myenteric plexus. Nevertheless, the presence of widespread ICC in the longitudinal muscular layer of the jejunum differs from previously described studies of other mammals., Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

Phytochemical investigation of the hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of roots and leaf stalks of Euterpe precatoria Mart. ("acai"), afforded stigmast-4-en-6b-ol-3-one (3); p-hydroxy benzoic acid (4); 3b-O-D-glucopyranosyl-sitosterol (5); b-sitosterol palmitate (6); mixtures of b-sitosterol and stigmasterol (1 and 2), a-, b-amirin and lupeol (7, 8 and 9), friedelin-3-one and 28-hydroxy-friedelin-3-one (10 and 11) and a-, b-D-glucose (12, 13). Except for 1, 2 and 4, the other isolated constituents are described in the genus for the first time. Compounds 3 and 5 gave good results in the brine shrimp bioassay, which detects compounds with potential uses as antitumor agents, pesticides, etc..

During software development, one of the most critical activities for software engineers is the correct description and identification of product requirements. This activity involves understanding the problem, which is essential to allow one to define a solution for it. To do this, it is important not only to understand the tasks routinely performed which are part of the problem, but more importantly to understand the domain in which the system will take place. Believing that the use of domain knowledge during software development can be very useful to support software development activities, we define the concept of “Domain-Oriented Software Development Environment” (DOSDE). This kind of environment readies knowledge about a specific domain in a symbolic representation (a domain ontology). It also considers a library of potential tasks from the domain to support problem understanding. This paper presents the main concepts of DOSDE, its features, examples of implementation, and how one can use its embedded knowledge, on a domain and its tasks, to assist in the software development activities.

The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) have been reported to regulate gastrointestinal motility. We investigated the distribution and the morphological and morphometric characteristics of the immunohistochemical reaction against c-kit in the forestomachs of fetal, newborn and adult cows. The anti-c-kit reaction revealed different populations of ICC among age groups and organs. ICC were more numerous and smaller in fetuses. Larger ICC were identified in newborns, except for those in the rumen. During the earliest stages of development, ICC were abundant in the inner layer of the muscularis and were consistently associated with this layer. In all samples, ICC were found in the outer layer of the tunica muscularis. ICC were found between the two muscle layers in the omasum at all ages; however, they were identified only in the rumen of the adult. Our study demonstrated that ICC are present in the forestomach of bovines. Fil: Marquez, Silvia Graciela. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Galotta, Jorge Miguel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Gálvez, G. A.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Portiansky, Enrique Leo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Barbeito, Claudio Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Para uma boa gestão da qualidade, é necessária a identificação de processos inter-relacionados e interativos, pois, freqüentemente, a saída de um processo resultará diretamente na entrada do processo seguinte. São importantes a identificação sistemática e a gestão dos processos empregados na organização e, particularmente, a identificação e gestão das interações entre tais processos. Este artigo aborda o apoio integrado aos processos de negócio e de software através da integração entre Ambientes de Desenvolvimento de Software, responsáveis pelo suporte ao processo de desenvolvimento de software, e Ambientes de Gerência de Conhecimento, responsáveis pelo suporte aos processos que não são de software, mas que interagem com aquele.

Knowledge management enhances organizational competitive advantages by supporting the capture, maintenance and communication of the business processes knowledge to organization members. ACKNOWLEDGE is a tool that supports tacit and explicit knowledge capturing. Organization members can use this tool to exteriorize knowledge related to organizational processes activities. The acquired knowledge is filtered, packed and stored into the organizational memory in order to be reused by other members during processes activities execution.

5062 Background: Cervical cancer is the most frequently encountered malignancy during pregnancy. The presence of nodal metastasis is the most important negative predictor factor and its assessment ...