Iron metabolism disorders of patients with chronic paracoccidioidomycosis.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is caused by Paracoccidioides spp.; during infection, some host mechanisms limit the availability of iron, thereby reducing its reproduction. However, Paracoccidioides spp. can evade the immune defense and, even under limited iron conditions, use this mineral for growth and dissemination. This study evaluated the iron metabolism of 39 patients who were diagnosed with chronic PCM from 2013 to 2021. The forms of iron before treatment and at the time of clinical cure were evaluated based on the following: serum ferritin levels (storage iron); total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) level (transport iron); red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels; and sTfR/log ferritin ratio (functional iron). The mean age of the patients was 54.5 years (±6.7 years). Most patients were men (97.4%), rural workers (92.1%), and smokers (84.6%); furthermore, most had moderate disease severity (66.7%). After achieving clinical cure, we observed that serum ferritin levels decreased, and parameters of functional iron increased. The extent of alteration in these parameters were more pronounced in severe cases than in to mild or moderate cases. Furthermore, moderate correlations were observed between C-reactive protein and the Hb (r = -0.500; p = 0.002), RBC (r = -0.461; p = 0.005), HCT (r = -0.514; p = 0.001), and iron levels (r = -0.491; p = 0.002). However, it is possible to infer that PCM interferes with functional and storage iron because improvements in these parameters after treatment as well as associations with disease severity were observed. PCM can lead to anemia of inflammation, which can be differentiated from iron deficiency anemia by a careful investigation of the iron form parameters.

Creatinine as a Urinary Marker of the Purine Derivatives Excretion in Urine Spot Samples of Lambs Fed Peach Palm Meal.

The objective was to evaluate the influence of diets on lambs using different levels of peach palm meal as a replacement for maize (0, 10, 40, 60, and 85% of diet dry matter) on the endogenous creatinine clearance (CC), urine concentration ratio of purine derivatives to creatinine (PDC index), and daily creatinine excretion (DCE) as a marker to estimate purine derivatives (PD) excretion from urinary spot samples collected at different time points (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 h after morning feeding) compared to 24-h total urine collection. The measured parameters were voluntary intake, urinary volume, CC, DCE, the concentration of plasma creatinine, and PD and purine derivatives' excretion (PDE). Five lambs were allocated to metabolic cages and distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square. Urine collection was taken daily on days 16 to 19 of each experimental period. The inclusion of peach palm meal linearly reduced the intake of dry matter (g kg BW−0.75, p = 0.005), crude protein (g kg BW−0.75, p = 0.010), metabolizable energy (MJ kg BW−0.75, p = 0.010) and CC (p < 0.0001). It also quadratically affected the urinary volume (p = 0.008) and DCE (p = 0.004). There was a linear decrease for PDC index (p = 0.032) and PDE (p < 0.0001) measured in the 24-h total urine with peach palm meal levels. The different times of spot urine sampling did not affect (p > 0.05) the PDC index and PDE. Peach palm meal decreases the CC thereby compromising the use of a mean value of DCE as a PDE marker in spot urine samples. There is greater accuracy when using different values of DCE obtained for each diet as markers for the PDE in spot urine samples. Unconventional foodstuffs of low palatability affecting the voluntary intake of feed change the renal function.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new antioxidant and antiproliferative chalcogenobiotin derivatives for bladder carcinoma treatment.

Approximately 90% of bladder carcinomas are of the urothelial carcinoma type, which are characterized by high rates of recurrence and predisposition to progress to invasive tumors, representing one of the most costly neoplasms for health systems. Intravesical chemotherapy is a standard for the treatment of non-invasive bladder cancer. However, chemotherapy is usually aggressive and cytotoxic, which increases the death rates caused by cancer. Heterocyclic compounds which exhibit favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties may enhance drug affinity for a target protein by targeting the treatment. Thus, this work presents the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro biological evaluation of new antioxidant (inhibition of lipid peroxidation, scavenging of free radical DPPH, and thiol peroxidase-like activity) and antiproliferative chalcogenobiotin derivatives and tests them against bladder carcinoma 5637 cells. A prominent response was obtained for the selected compounds, with tellurium biotin derivatives displaying effective antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. The effective compounds also demonstrated no toxicity in in vitro or in vivo studies.

Instrument Validation on Nurses' Knowledge and Practice in Palliative Care for People with Cutaneous Malignant Tumor Wound / Validación de instrumento sobre el saber y el quehacer de enfermeros en los cuidados paliativos hacia la persona con herida tumoral maligna cutánea / Validação de instrumento sobre o saber e o fazer de enfermeiros nos cuidados paliativos à pessoa com ferida tumoral maligna cutânea

ABSTRACT Objective: To present the construction and validation process of an instrument to evaluate the knowledge and practice of nurses in palliative care toward the person with cutaneous malignant tumor wound. Materials and Methods: Methodological, quantitative study with applying the Delphi technique, conducted in two stages. The first was carried out with 30 judges and the second with 17. The analysis used the Lambda 2 Guttmann coefficient, Kappa index, and Content Validity Index (CVI). Results: Of the 112 items of the original instrument, 28 were excluded, given that the percentiles of Lambda 2 Guttmann, Kappa, and CVI had indicators lower than acceptable; thus, the second version of the instrument resulted with 84 items, which presented 100 % acceptance in the Delphi 2 phase. Conclusions: From the evaluation by the judges, a version of the instrument was defined with adequate content validity and concordance indices, which could contribute to the evaluation of knowledge and practice of nurses in palliative care toward the person with cutaneous malignant tumor wound.

RESUMEN Objetivo: presentar el proceso de construcción y validación de un instrumento para evaluar el saber y el quehacer de enfermeros en los cuidados paliativos hacia la persona con herida tumoral maligna cutánea. Materiales y método: estudio metodológico, cuantitativo, con aplicación de la técnica Delphi, realizada en dos etapas. La primera se realizó con 30 jueces y la segunda, con 17. Para el análisis, se emplearon coeficiente de Lambda 2 Guttman, índice Kappa y Índice de Validez de Contenido (IVC). Resultados: de los 112 ítems del instrumento original, 28 fueron excluidos, pues los porcentuales de Lambda 2 Guttman, el Kappa y el IVC presentaron indicadores menores que el aceptable; así, la segunda versión del instrumento resultó en 84 ítems, lo que presentó aceptación en 100 % en la fase Delphi 2. Conclusiones: a partir de la evaluación de los jueces, se definió una versión del instrumento con índice de concordancia y validez de contenido adecuados, que podrá aportar a la evaluación del saber y del quehacer de enfermeros en los cuidados paliativos hacia la persona con herida tumoral maligna cutánea.

RESUMO Objetivo: apresentar o processo de construção e validação de um instrumento para avaliar o saber e o fazer de enfermeiros nos cuidados paliativos destinados à pessoa com ferida tumoral maligna cutânea. Materiais e método: estudo metodológico, quantitativo, com aplicação da técnica Delphi, realizada em duas etapas. A primeira realizada com 30 juízes; a segunda, com 17. Para a análise, utilizaram-se o coeficiente de Lambda 2 Guttman, o índice Kappa e o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo (IVC). Resultados: dos 112 itens do instrumento original, 28 foram excluídos, pois os percentuais de Lambda 2 Guttman, o Kappa e o IVC apresentaram escores menores do que o aceitável; desse modo, a segunda versão do instrumento resultou em 84 itens, o qual apresentou aceitação em 100 % na fase Delphi 2. Conclusões: a partir da avaliação dos juízes, foi definida uma versão do instrumento com índice de concordância e validade de conteúdo adequados, que poderá contribuir para a avaliação do saber e do fazer de enfermeiros nos cuidados paliativos destinados à pessoa com ferida tumoral maligna cutânea.

Light-Emitting Diode treatment ameliorates allergic lung inflammation in experimental model of asthma induced by ovalbumin.

Since asthma is a multifactorial disease where treatment sometimes is not effective, new therapies that improve the respiratory discomfort of patients are of great importance. Phototherapy as Light-emitting diode (LED) has emerged as a treatment that presents good results for diseases that are characterized by inflammation. Thus, our objective was to investigate the effects of LED on lung inflammation, by an evaluation of lung cell infiltration, mucus secretion, oedema, and the production of cytokines. Male Balb/c mice were or not sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and treated or not with LED therapy (1 h and 4 h after each OVA challenge). Twenty-four hours after the last OVA challenge, analyzes were performed. Our results showed that LED treatment in asthmatic mice reduced the lung cell infiltration, the mucus production, the oedema, and the tracheal's contractile response. It also increased the IL-10 and the IFN-gamma levels. The effects of LED treatment on lung inflammation may be modulated by IL-10, IFN-gamma, and by mast cells. This study may provide important information about the effects of LED, and in addition, it may open the possibility of a new approach for the treatment of asthma.

Nitrogen metabolism in lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nitrogen metabolism of lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal substituting maize (0, 10, 40, 60, and 85 % DM). Thirty Santa Inês uncastrated lambs with an average initial body weight of 21.6 ± 0.87 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with five diets and six replicates. The nitrogen (N) intake (g/day, %BW) and the fecal N decreased linearly as the peach palm meal was added to the concentrate. The urinary N, however, responded quadratically, with maxima at the level of 29.97 and 40.44 % of substitution of maize for peach palm meal when expressed in g/day and %BW, respectively. The substitution of maize for peach palm meal reduced the retention of nitrogen and the microbial protein synthesis in the lambs.

Intake, digestibility and performance of lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients, performance, and plasma glucose concentration of ram lambs fed diets containing peach palm meal substituting maize (0, 10, 40, 60, and 85 % dry matter (DM)). Thirty Santa Inês rams with an average initial body weight of 21.6 ± 0.87 kg were distributed in a completely randomized design with five diets and six replicates. The substitution of the maize for the peach palm meal affected (P < 0.05) the intakes of DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), total carbohydrates (TC), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and metabolizable energy (ME), which decreased linearly (P < 0.05); the intake of ether extract (EE), however, fit an increasing linear equation (P < 0.05). The apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, NDFap, and TC decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as the level of peach palm meal in the concentrate was increased. The total weight gain and the average daily gain decreased by 0.09 and 0.001 kg with each level of substitution of the maize for peach palm meal, respectively. It is recommended to substitute 40 % of the maize for peach palm meal.