ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) agreement between synthetic data and the Smart Computerized Anthropometric NavigatioN and Evaluation Resource (SCANNER) software package. METHODS: One hundred and ten 3D digital humans (55 for each sex) were created to obtain synthetic values. WHtR was obtained through the waist circumference and height division, both in centimeters. These data were programmed and obtained directly from the synthetic models. SCANNER v0.01 was coded by the researchers using Matlab. Differences between the objective WHtR and the one the SCANNER software package estimated were quantified using standard errors, Spearman's correlation and the Bland-Altman plot. RESULTS: Using the Spearman correlation, an agreement level of 0.982 was identified. Using the Bland-Altman plot, the agreement level was high, with a Rho value of 0.983 (95% CI: 0.977-0.988). Finally, when the standard errors were quantified, there was an overall error (between the synthetic data created and the computed one) of 0.49%, being higher in men (0.81%) than in women (0.18%). CONCLUSIONS: The SCANNER software package is a straightforward tool that could facilitate the estimation of WHtR in distance participants or patients.
ABSTRACT
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), together with relative stagnation in the development of effective antibiotics, has led to enormous health and economic problems. In this study, we aimed to describe the antibacterial spectrum of LyeTx I mnΔK, a short synthetic peptide based on LyeTx I from Lycosa erythrognatha venom, against CRAB. LyeTx I mnΔK showed considerable antibacterial activity against extensively resistant A. baumannii, with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations ranging from 1 to 16 µM and 2 to 32 µM, respectively. This peptide significantly increased the release of 260 nm-absorbing intracellular material from CRAB, suggesting bacteriolysis. LyeTx I mnΔK was shown to act synergistically with meropenem and colistin against CRAB. The cytotoxic concentration of LyeTx I mnΔK against Vero cells (CC50 = 55.31 ± 5.00 µM) and its hemolytic activity (HC50 = 77.07 ± 4.00 µM) were considerably low; however, its antibacterial activity was significantly reduced in the presence of human and animal serum and trypsin. Nevertheless, the inhalation of this peptide was effective in reducing pulmonary bacterial load in a mouse model of CRAB infection. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the peptide LyeTx I mnΔK is a potential prototype for the development of new effective and safe antibacterial agents against CRAB.
