Inhibitory effect of helium cold atmospheric plasma on cariogenic biofilms.

This study aimed to determine the effects of low-temperature plasma jet produced in gas helium (LTP-helium) on cariogenic biofilms composedby Streptococcusmutans, Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii, and also by the combination of Candida albicans, Lactobacillus acidophilus and S. mutans. Biofilms were treated for 1, 3, 5, and 7 minutes. A 0.12% chlorhexidine solution was used as the positive control and sterile physiologic solution was the negative control. Biofilm viability was analyzed by viable cell recovery, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. All assays were performed intriplicate in three independent experiments. Multispecies biofilms exposed to LTP-helium had a significant reduction in viability when compared to the negative control (p < 0.0001). For biofilm formedby S. mutans, S. sanguinis, and S. gordonii, LTP treatments for 5 and 7 minutes caused similar reduction of morethan 2 log10. Also, a significant reduction in the viability of biofilms formedby C. albicans, L. acidophilus, and S. mutans was detected (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, LTP-helium reduced theviability of cariogenic biofilms with different microbial compositions, which indicates that LTP-helium is a potential tool for developing new protocols for dental caries prevention and treatment.

Effects of Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid on the Performance, Rumen Fermentation, Metabolism, and Meat of Confined Steers.

With the increase in population, it is increasingly necessary to produce food more efficiently. This has expanded the market for additives, which are products that directly (nutritional effect) or indirectly (effect on animal health) favor productivity. Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) is a natural precursor of creatine. It acts as an energy reserve in skeletal muscle. In addition to being a compound with more significant bioavailability, it is more thermally stable and less expensive than creatine. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether adding GAA to the cattle diet would alter the meat's composition and fatty acid profile. We used 24 Holstein cattle males (409 ± 5.6 kg), approximately 15 months old, and separated them into four homogeneous groups, one being the control group and three groups with various dosages of GAA in the diets (3.3; 6.6, and 9.9 g/animal/day), for an experimental period of 60 days. Blood, rumen fluid, and animal weighing were performed at three points (days 1, 30, and 60), and daily feed consumption was measured. Steers fed with GAA (9.9 g/d) showed a 16.9% increase in average daily gain (ADG) compared to the control group. These same animals (T-9.9 group) fed with GAA showed a 20% increase in fed efficiency compared to the control group. Lower leukocyte, lymphocyte, and granulocyte counts and lower cholesterol levels were observed in animals that consumed 6.6 g and 9.9 g/d GAA compared to the control group. Animals from the T-6.6 and T-9.9 groups showed 30% and 27.6% reduced bacterial activity in the rumen compared to the control group, respectively. Steers from the T-6.6 and T-9.9 groups fed with GAA showed a 20% and 37% increase in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) compared to the control group, respectively. A higher concentration of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids in the ruminal fluid of cattle T-9.9 group was observed at day 60. The two highest doses of GAA showed lower fat levels in the meat, just as the cattle that received 9.9 g/d showed higher levels of total polyunsaturated fatty acids. Complementary data results draw attention to the dose of 9.9 g/d GAA in cattle diets, as anti-inflammatory action can be seen and combined with a higher concentration of SCFAs, consequently increases weight gain. We concluded that consuming this GAA increases the concentration of some unsaturated fatty acids (omegas) in the meat, which adds quality to the product for the consumer.

Non-Thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Application in Endodontics.

The failure of endodontic treatment is frequently associated with the presence of remaining microorganisms, mainly due to the difficulty of eliminating the biofilm and the limitation of conventional irrigation solutions. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTPP) has been suggested for many applications in the medical field and can be applied directly to biological surfaces or indirectly through activated liquids. This literature review aims to evaluate the potential of NTPP application in Endodontics. A search in the databases Lilacs, Pubmed, and Ebsco was performed. Seventeen manuscripts published between 2007 and 2022 that followed our established inclusion criteria were found. The selected manuscripts evaluated the use of NTPP regarding its antimicrobial activity, in the direct exposure and indirect method, i.e., plasma-activated liquid. Of these, 15 used direct exposure. Different parameters, such as working gas and distance from the apparatus to the substrate, were evaluated in vitro and ex vivo. NTPP showed a disinfection property against important endodontic microorganisms, mainly Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial potential was dependent on plasma exposure time, with the highest antimicrobial effects over eight minutes of exposure. Interestingly, the association of NTPP and conventional antimicrobial solutions, in general, was shown to be more effective than both treatments separately. This association showed antimicrobial results with a short plasma exposure time, what could be interesting in clinical practice. However, considering the lack of standardization of the direct exposure parameters and few studies about plasma-activated liquids, more studies in the area for endodontic purposes are still required.

Evaluation of a mimotope of the Rickettsia outer membrane protein A (OmpA) as an antigen in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect rickettsiosis in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), horses (Equus caballus), and opossums (Didelphis sp.).

Rickettsia rickettsii is the etiological agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is an important tick-borne zoonosis and, in Brazil, it causes Brazilian spotted fever, which has high lethality rate. This study aimed to evaluate a synthetic peptide corresponding to a segment of the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) as an antigen in a serological test for the diagnosis of rickettsial infections. The amino acid sequence of the peptide was selected by predicting B cell epitopes using B Cell Epitope Prediction (Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource) and Epitopia and OmpA sequences of Rickettsia rickettsii strain 'Brazil' and Rickettsia parkeri strains 'Maculatum 20' and 'Portsmouth'. A peptide with amino acid sequence common to both Rickettsia species was synthesized and arbitrarily named OmpA-pLMC. To evaluate this peptide in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum samples of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), horse (Equus caballus), and opossum (Didelphis albiventris) that had been previously tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for rickettsial infection were separated into IFA-positive and IFA-negative groups and used in the assay. There were no significant differences in ELISA optical density (OD) values between IFA-positive and IFA-negative groups with horse samples. The mean OD values were significantly higher in the IFA-positive capybara serum samples (IFA-pos vs. IFA-neg = 2.389 ± 0.761 vs. 1.760 ± 0.840). However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis did not show significant diagnostic parameters. On the other hand, 12 out of 14 (85.7%) opossum samples of the IFA-positive group showed reactivity in ELISA, and this was significantly higher than of the IFA-negative group (0.7196 ± 0.440 vs. 0.2318 ± 0.098, respectively; 85.7% sensitivity, 100% specificity). Therefore, our results show that OmpA-pLMC has a potential to be used in immunodiagnostic assays to detect spotted fever group rickettsial infections.

Negative impacts of the administration of hydroxycloroquine and anticoagulant in patients with SARS-COV-2 infection: a randomized clinical trial / Impactos negativos da administração de hidroxicloroquina e anticoagulante em pacientes com infecção por SARS-COV-2: um ensaio clínico randomizado

Purpose: To evaluate antimalarial with or without anticoagulant treatment, in patients with recent SARS-COV-2 infection. Methods: Clinical study carried out at Samuel Libânio Clinic Hospital, University of Vale do Sapucaí, Pouso Alegre-MG. Approved by the Ethics Committee (4.034.077) and registered in the Clinical Trials (NCT04788355). Suspected patients for COVID-19 were included in the emergency room. The groups were: C (control) with 6 patients, A (anticoagulant apixaban) with 9 patients, H (hydroxychloroquine) with 5 patients and HA (hydroxychloroquine and anticoagulant apixaban) with 8 patients. Results: there were no significant differences between groups. The HA group, in which there was an intervention with two drugs, presented a greater number of days with symptoms (p = 0.037) and worse results, when compared to the control: most relevant symptoms, were: cough (p = 0.001), and anosmia / ageusia (p = 0.011) headache (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The present study began when there were doubts about the use of drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and apixaban (APX). The reduced "n" was defined through bureaucratic and polemic issues independent of the authors' actions. No clinical benefit was associated with HCQ and APX. There was an increase in the number of symptomatic days when HCQ and APX were administered. Despite the limitations, there was no therapeutic indication of the evaluated drugs. [au]

Objetivo: Avaliar antimalárico com ou sem tratamento anticoagulante, em pacientes com infecção recente por SARS-COV-2. Métodos: Estudo clínico realizado no Hospital das Clínicas Samuel Libânio da Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí, Pouso Alegre-MG. Aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética (4.034.077) e registrado nos Ensaios Clínicos (NCT04788355). Pacientes suspeitos de COVID-19 foram incluídos na sala de emergência. Os grupos foram: C (controle) com 6 pacientes, A (anticoagulante apixabana) com 9 pacientes, H (hidroxicloroquina) com 5 pacientes e HA (hidroxicloroquina e anticoagulante apixabana) com 8 pacientes. Resultados: não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos. O grupo HA, no qual houve intervenção com dois medicamentos, apresentou maior número de dias com sintomas (p = 0,037) e piores resultados, quando comparado ao controle: os sintomas mais relevantes foram: tosse (p = 0,001), e anosmia/ageusia (p = 0,011) cefaléia (p = 0,001). Conclusão: O presente estudo teve início quando havia dúvidas sobre o uso de medicamentos como hidroxicloroquina (HCQ) e apixabana (APX). O "n" reduzido foi definido por meio de questões burocráticas e polêmicas independentes das ações dos autores. Nenhum benefício clínico foi associado com HCQ e APX. Houve um aumento no número de dias sintomáticos quando HCQ e APX foram administrados. Apesar das limitações, não houve indicação terapêutica dos medicamentos avaliados. [au]

Structural Study of Sulfur-Added Carbon Nanohorns.

In the past few decades, nanostructured carbons (NCs) have been investigated for their interesting properties, which are attractive for a wide range of applications in electronic devices, energy systems, sensors, and support materials. One approach to improving the properties of NCs is to dope them with various heteroatoms. This work describes the synthesis and study of sulfur-added carbon nanohorns (S-CNH). Synthesis of S-CNH was carried out by modified chemical vapor deposition (m-CVD) using toluene and thiophene as carbon and sulfur sources, respectively. Some parameters such as the temperature of synthesis and carrier gas flow rates were modified to determine their effect on the properties of S-CNH. High-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the presence of hollow horn-type carbon nanostructures with lengths between 1 to 3 µm and, diameters that are in the range of 50 to 200 nm. Two types of carbon layers were observed, with rough outer layers and smooth inner layers. The surface textural properties are attributed to the defects induced by the sulfur intercalated into the lattice or bonded with the carbon. The XRD patterns and X-ray microanalysis studies show that iron serves as the seed for carbon nanohorn growth and iron sulfide is formed during synthesis.

Análise da cobertura vacinal e a prevalência de internações por doenças do trato respiratório por agentes imunopreveníveis no período de janeiro de 2015 a julho de 2020 / Analysis of vaccine coverage and prevalence of hospitalizations by respiratory tract vaccine-preventable diseases in the period from january 2015 to july 2020

Introdução: as infecções respiratórias das vias aéreas são frequentes no nosso meio. O combate dessas infecções ocorre por meio da introdução dos antimicrobianos, quando indicados, e a profilaxia através da imunização, reduzindo a incidência das infecções e suas complicações. Objetivo: avaliar a cobertura vacinal para agentes causadores de infecções do trato respiratório e a prevalência de internações por essas afecções no Brasil no período de 2015 a 2020. Metodologia: trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico descritivo, cujos dados foram obtidos por meio do banco de dados proveniente do DATASUS, Sistema de Internação Hospitalar e Sistema de Informação do Programa Nacional de Imunizações. A seleção ocorreu por meio dos registros de indivíduos que foram imunizados no Brasil, por região e por ano de imunização das vacinas Pneumocócica, Pneumocócica 1º reforço, Tríplice viral D1, Tríplice viral 2, Tetra Viral, Pentavalente e Influenza. Resultados: ao decorrer dos anos, observou-se uma redução significativa da cobertura vacinal de todas as vacinas analisadas, com a região Norte apresentando o menor registro em todos os anos. Em relação a taxa de internações por pneumonia, a região Sudeste obteve as maiores taxas. Houve um aumento importante de internamentos por influenza na região Centro-Oeste em 2019. As taxas de internação por sarampo aumentaram significativamente no ano de 2018, principalmente na região Norte. Conclusão: apesar da redução progressiva nas taxas de cobertura vacinal das regiões brasileiras nos últimos anos, as taxas de internação para pneumonia e influenza tendem a queda, com aumento mais expressivo dos internamentos por sarampo no período analisado.

Introduction: respiratory airway infections are frequent infections. These infections are fought through use of antimicrobials, when indicated, and prophylaxis is done through immunization, reducing the incidence of infections and their complications. Objective: to evaluate vaccine coverage for agents responsible for respiratory tract infections and the prevalence of hospitalizations for these conditions in Brazil from 2015 to 2020. Methods: This is a descriptive epidemiological study. Data were obtained through the database from the Department of Informatics of SUS, Hospitalization System and Information System from the National Vaccination Program. Selection was conducted through analysis of the records of individuals who were vaccinated in Brazil, by region and by year of vaccination for the Pneumococcal and Pneumococcal 1st booster dose vaccines, first and second doses for Triple Viral vaccine, Tetra Viral vaccine, Pentavalent vaccine and influenza. Expected Results: over the years, there has been a significant reduction in vaccination coverage, with the Northern brazilian presenting the lowest record in all years. Regarding the rate of hospitalizations for pneumonia, the Southeastern had the highest rates. Assessing influenza, there was a more significant increase in the Midwest. Measles hospitalization rates increased significantly in 2018, especially North, despite disease eradication in 2016, with a parallel registry of reduction in vaccination coverage in the period analysed. Conclusion: Despite the progressive reduction in vaccination coverage rates in Brazilian in recent years, the hospitalization rates for pneumonia and influenza tend to fall, with a more expressive increase in hospitalizations for measles in the analyzed period.

Propositure of maximum permissible limits for environmental assessment and classification of materials stabilized by solidification incorporated with oil waste.

In the present work, oil sludge was subjected to the process of stabilization by solidification, the objective was to indicate maximum permissible limits of chemical demand for oxygen and oils and greases to evaluate the resulting material. A factorial design was used with the addition of three repetitions at the central point, to evaluate the performance of different percentage of residue and different curing times. The factors adopted were the percentage of oil sludge and the curing time. This material was evaluated using contaminants immobilization tests. From the leached and solubilized liquid, the concentration of the contaminants was determined and the environmental assessment was also carried out through the analysis of chemical demand for oxygen and oils and greases. One of the contributions of this work was to propose the maximum allowable limit for chemical oxygen demand, which is 1,000 (one thousand) milligrams per litre and, for oil and grease content, 100 (one hundred) milligrams per litre, both for the leaching test. For the solubilization test, 10 (ten) milligrams per litre were proposed for chemical oxygen demand and 1 (one) milligrams per litre for the oil and grease content. It was observed that the best results are obtained, when lower values of percentage of oil sludge were used and longer cure time. This work allows to affirm that the proposal of limits of environmental evaluation contributes to assure an adequate disposition and use of the cement matrix, that is the final product of the oily residue stabilized by solidification.

Development and Characterization of Activated Carbon from Olive Pomace: Experimental Design, Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies in Nimesulide Adsorption.

The lack of adequate treatment for the removal of pollutants from domestic, hospital and industrial effluents has caused great environmental concern. Therefore, there is a need to develop materials that have the capacity to treat these effluents. This work aims to develop and characterize an activated charcoal from olive pomace, which is an agro-industrial residue, for adsorption of Nimesulide in liquid effluent and to evaluate the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium using experimental design. The raw material was oven dried at 105 °C for 24 h, ground, chemically activated in a ratio of 1:0.8:0.2 of olive pomace, zinc chloride and calcium hydroxide and thermally activated by pyrolysis in a reactor of stainless steel at 550 °C for 30 min. The activated carbon was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) method, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), density and zero charge potential analysis. The surface area obtained was 650.9 m2 g-1. The kinetic and isothermal mathematical models that best described the adsorption were PSO and Freundlich and the highest adsorption capacity obtained was 353.27 mg g-1. The results obtained showed the good performance of activated carbon produced from olive pomace as an adsorbent material and demonstrated great potential for removing emerging contaminants such as Nimesulide.

DCNN for condition monitoring and fault detection in rotating machines and its contribution to the understanding of machine nature.

Rotating machines are critical equipment in many processes, and failures in their operation can have serious implications. Consequently, fault detection in rotating machines has been widely investigated. Conventional detection systems include two blocks: feature extraction and classification. These systems are based on manually engineered features (ball pass frequencies, RMS value, kurtosis, crest factor, etc.) and therefore require a high level of human expertise (it is a human who designs and selects the most appropriate set of features to perform the classification). Instead, we propose a system for condition monitoring and fault detection in rotating machines based on a 1-D deep convolutional neural network (1D DCNN), which merges the tasks of feature extraction and classification into a single learning body. The proposed system has been designed for use on a rotating machine with seven possible operating states and it proves to be able to determine the operating condition of the machine almost as accurately as conventional feature-engineered classifiers, but without the need for prior knowledge of the machine. The proposed system has also reported good classification on a bearing fault dataset from another machine, thus demonstrating its capability to monitor the condition of different machines. Finally, the analysis of the features learned by the deep model has revealed valuable and previously unknown machine information, such as the rotational speed of the machine or the number of balls in the bearings. In this way, our results illustrate not only the good performance of CNNs, but also their versatility and the valuable information they could provide about the monitored machine.

Ruminal and histological characteristics and nitrogen balance in lamb fed diets containing cactus as the only roughage.

This study examined rumen fermentation, histological, blood, and urinary characteristics as well as ammoniacal nitrogen concentration, pH, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein in lamb fed diets containing spineless cactus as the sole roughage source plus levels of wheat bran (WB) in comparison with a control diet based on spineless cactus and buffelgrass. Twenty-eight uncastrated, crossbreed lambs with an average initial weight of 22.6 ± 2.37 kg were used in the experiment. The treatments consisted of a standard diet (control) containing buffelgrass and spineless cactus and three diets containing cactus as the only roughage source plus varied concentrations of WB (30, 37, and 44%, on a dry matter basis). Results were evaluated by analysis of variance, and contrasts were applied at the 5% probability level for mean comparison. Rumen villus height and width were greater and musculature was lower in the lamb fed diets containing 37% and 44% WB compared with those fed control diet. In the intestine, the crypts were smaller in the animals which consumed the diets with 30, 44, and 37% WB. All WB levels resulted in lower nitrogen intake and retention. Microbial protein concentration, microbial protein efficiency, microbial nitrogen, urea, and glucose were not significantly affected. Feeding lamb with diets containing levels of wheat bran, with cactus as the only roughage source, does not negatively affect their ruminal-fermentation, blood, and urinary characteristics; ammoniacal nitrogen concentration; pH; or microbial protein. However, nitrogen balance and ruminal and intestinal morphometric characteristics are impaired.

Evaluation of the potential of coal fly ash produced by gasification as hexavalent chromium adsorbent.

The aim of this work was to characterize the coal fly ash from gasification process (G-CFA) and to analyze its potential as hexavalent chromium Cr (VI) adsorbent. The G-CFA was characterized in terms of physical, chemical, mineralogical, and morphological analyses. Bach adsorption studies were carried out in order to evaluate the influence of pH on the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of Cr (VI). The G-CFA characterization demonstrated that the material possessed potential to be applied as an effective low-cost adsorbent, once it presents 18.82 m2 g-1, 0.036 cm3 g-1, and 7.56 nm of surface area, pore volume, and average pore diameter, respectively. The results also showed well-defined mineralogical phases and high content of siliceous material. The adsorption experiments demonstrated that the material has potential to be used as a chromium adsorbent with high removal efficiencies.

Proline synthesis and physiological response of cassava genotypes under in vitro salinity / Síntese de prolina e resposta fisiológica de genótipos de mandioca sob salinidade in vitro

ABSTRACT: The objective of this research was to evaluate the proline synthesis and physiological response of cassava genotypes which were micro propagated and induced to salinity stress in vitro. Micro cuttings of approximately 1.0cm long with a single bud of genotypes TBRS Tapioqueira, BRS Verdinha and Lagoão which were previously established in vitro were inoculated in a MS medium containing different concentrations of NaCl (0; 25; 50; 75; 100mM) and were analyzed after 90th day for: number of roots, number of leaves and shoot dry mass. The proline content of BRS Tapioqueira and Lagoão was assessed at 30th, 60th and 90th day. There was no analysis of proline of the variety Verdinha because of the contamination of the explants. The experimental design was completely randomized in double factorial scheme (3 genotypes x 5 salt treatments), with seven repetitions for growth variables. For comparing proline content, completely randomized design was used in a plot subdivided in time, with genotype and NaCl factors in plot and time in subplot, with two repetitions. For r time and genotypes Tukey test (P<0,05) was used and for NaCl levels regression test (P<0,05). Salinity affected the growth of all varieties; although, BRS Tapioqueira and BRS Verdinha were less affected by induced salt stress. There was an increase in the accumulation of proline from the salt increment, this synthesis of proline being a biochemical indicator of salt stress in cassava plants cultivated in vitro.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a síntese de prolina e respostas fisiológicas de variedades de mandioca micropropagadas e induzidas ao estresse salino in vitro. Microestacas das variedades BRS Tapioqueira, BRS Verdinha e Lagoão previamente estabelecidas in vitro foram inoculadas em meio MS com diferentes concentrações de NaCl (0; 25; 50; 75; 100mM) e aos 90 dias foram analisados: número de raiz, número de folhas e massa seca de parte aérea. O teor de prolina das variedades BRS Tapioqueira e Lagoão foi analisado aos 30, 60 e 90 dias. Não houve análise de prolina da variedade Verdinha por causa da contaminação dos explantes. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3 genótipos x 5 tratamentos salinos, com sete repetições para as variáveis de crescimento. Para o conteúdo de prolina foi considerado inteiramente casualizado subdividido no tempo, com genótipos e NaCl na parcela e o tempo na subparcela e duas repetições. Para os fatores variedade e tempo, foi utilizado o teste de Tukey (P<0,05) e para tratamentos salinos, teste de Regressão (P<0,05). A salinidade afetou o crescimento de todas as variedades, porém BRS Tapioqueira e BRS Verdinha mostraram-se menos afetadas pelo estresse salino induzido. Houve aumento no acúmulo de prolina a partir do incremento de sal, sendo então este, um indicador bioquímico de estresse salino em plantas de mandioca cultivadas in vitro.

Antiproliferative Activity of Neem Leaf Extracts Obtained by a Sequential Pressurized Liquid Extraction.

Azadirachta indica A. Juss (neem) extracts have been used in pharmaceutical applications as antitumor agents, due to their terpenes and phenolic compounds. To obtain extracts from neem leaves with potential antiproliferative effect, a sequential process of pressurized liquid extraction was carried out in a fixed bed extractor at 25 °C and 100 bar, using hexane (SH), ethyl acetate (SEA), and ethanol (SE) as solvents. Extractions using only ethanol (EE) was also conducted to compare the characteristics of the fractionated extracts. The results obtained by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry suggested a higher concentration of terpenes in the SEA extract in comparison to SH, SE, and EE extracts. Therefore, antiproliferative activity showed that SEA extracts were the most efficient inhibitor to human tumor cells MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2. Hepatocellular cells were more resistant to SH, SEA, SE, and EE compared to breast, lung, hepatocellular, and cervical malignant cells. Neem fractioned extracts obtained in the present study seem to be more selective for malignant cells compared to the non-tumor cells.

Effects of Low-level Laser Therapy on Muscle Repair in Rats with Chronic Alcohol Intake

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on muscle repair in rats with chronic alcohol intake. Thirty male Wistar rats were distributed into three groups: injured tibialis anterior (TA) muscle without treatment (IC); chronic ingestion of alcohol plus injured TA muscle (AI); and chronic ingestion of alcohol plus injured TA plus LLLT (AIL). Each group was divided into two different subgroups, and rats were sacrificed on days 3 and 7 post-injury. Morphological features in the injured areas were similar with or without alcohol intake (IC and AI); however, LLLT promoted a decrease in the number of inflammatory cells and destroyed zones, as well as improved tissue organization (AIL). In general, alcohol intake caused a decrease in myogenic regulatory factors (MyoD and myogenin) and vascular endothelial growth factor in the AI group. Moreover, LLLT promoted recovery of these factors to the same level as in animals without alcohol intake (IC and AIL). LLLT was able to increase the expression of myogenic and vascular growth factors and stimulate skeletal muscle regeneration in rats with chronic alcohol intake.

Postharvest conservation of alstroemeria 'ajax' using 1-methylcyclopropene / Conservação pós-colheita de alstroémeria 'ajax' com uso de 1-metilciclopropeno

ABSTRACT Cut flowers deteriorate quickly and require postharvest technologies to increase their durability, which is usually around 8 days. Due to the scarce information related to postharvest physiology of Alstroemeria cut flowers, this study aimed to verify the best dose of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) to the postharvest conservation of inflorescences of Alstroemeria cv. Ajax, considering the factors associated with floral senescence and loss of the decorative life. The stems were submitted to four doses of 1-MCP (0; 100; 250; 500 ppb), then placed in containers with distilled water and stored at room temperature (22 ºC). The treatments were performed in triplicate containing three stems per replicate. The evaluations were performed every three days for a total of 12 days of storage. An F test was conducted, and the means were compared by the Tukey test (p≤0.05). Among the applied treatments the dose of 500 ppb of 1-MCP reduces the loss of water of the stems of alstroemerias during the storage period, keeping the petals turgids and the levels of carotenoids and anthocyanins high, however, this was not enough to keep the decorative quality of the flowers, once the 1-MCP did not solve the problems of yellowing of the leaves and floral openning, which are important characteristics for its commercialization.

RESUMO As flores de corte se deterioram muito rapidamente e necessitam de tecnologias pós-colheita para aumentar a durabilidade, que é normalmente em torno de 8 dias. Devido às escassas informações relacionadas à fisiologia pós-colheita de flores de Alstroeméria, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar qual a melhor dose de 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP) na conservação pós-colheita de inflorescências de Alstroemeria cv. Ajax, considerando os fatores associados à senescência floral e perda da vida decorativa. As hastes foram submetidas a quatro doses de 1-MCP (0; 100; 250; 500 ppb), posteriormente foram colocadas em recipientes com água destilada e armazenadas em temperatura de ambiente (22 ºC). Os tratamentos foram realizados em triplicata contendo três hastes por repetição. As avaliações foram realizadas a cada três dias perfazendo um total de 12 dias de armazenamento. Foi realizado um teste de F, e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (P≤0,05). Entre os tratamentos aplicados a dose de 500 ppb de 1-MCP reduziu a perda de água das hastes de alstroeméria durante o período de armazenamento, mantendo as pétalas túrgidas e os níveis de carotenoides e antocianinas altos, entretanto, isso não foi suficiente para manter a qualidade decorativa das flores, uma vez que o 1-MCP não resolveu os problemas de amarelecimento das folhas e abertura floral, que são importantes características para sua comercilização.

Indications and Outcomes From 32 Consecutive Patients for the Treatment of Rectal Lesions by Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, perioperative morbidity, and short-term outcomes of the transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) technique. METHODS: This is a descriptive review of prospectively collected data from 32 consecutive patients who underwent TAMIS procedures in our colorectal unit over a 40-month period. GelPOINT Path port was used in all cases. Demographic data, indications, tumor characteristics, morbidity, and follow-up data were collected. Primary endpoints included feasibility, safety, perioperative morbidity, and resection quality. RESULTS: Fifteen adenomas, 12 carcinomas, 1 gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and 1 neuroendocrine tumor were locally excised. Additionally, 3 pelvic abscesses were drained transanally using the TAMIS port. Mean distance from the anal verge was 5.6 ± 1.5 cm. Early postoperative complications occurred in 22%, with only one case of major complication (3.1%) requiring reoperation, and no postoperative mortality. Four carcinomas were understaged (33.3%) and 1 adenoma overstaged (6.7%) preoperatively. Three carcinomas were not suspected preoperatively (25%). Microscopic positive lateral margin was found in one case, and no affected deep margin was found. Fragmentation rate was 6.9%, 2 cases, both lesions over 20 cm2. In cases of fit patients with high-risk carcinomas, 2 underwent immediate salvage surgery and another 2 refused and were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy. With a median follow-up of 26 months, the overall recurrence rate was 10.3%, 1 adenoma and 2 carcinomas. CONCLUSION: TAMIS seems to be a safe and reproducible procedure for local excision of well-selected rectal lesions with low morbidity and good functional outcomes.

Análisis inmunohistológico del aspirado intracoronario en pacientes con IAMCEST: implicaciones clínicas de los hallazgos anatomopatológicos / Immunohistological analysis of intracoronary thrombus aspirate in STEMI patients: Clinical implications of pathological findings

Introducción y objetivos: La tromboaspiración permite analizar el material intracoronario en pacientes con infarto agudo de miocardio con elevación del segmento ST. Nuestro objetivo fue caracterizar este material mediante inmunohistología y estudiar su posible relación con el pronóstico. Métodos: Cohorte prospectiva de 142 pacientes sometidos a angioplastia primaria con tromboaspiración positiva. El examen histológico del material aspirado incluyó técnicas de inmunohistoquímica para detectar fragmentos de placa. Se estudiaron variables histológicas (antigüedad del trombo, grado de inflamación, presencia de placa), clínicas y angiográficas de los pacientes. Se realizaron análisis de supervivencia y regresión logística. Resultados: De los marcadores histológicos, solo la presencia de placa (el 63% de las muestras) se relacionó con los eventos clínicos. Los factores asociados a la supervivencia libre de eventos a los 5 años fueron: presencia de placa (el 82,2 frente al 66,0%; p = 0,033), tabaquismo (el 82,5 frente al 66,7%; p = 0,036), arteria responsable del infarto (el 83,3% en infartos de circunfleja o coronaria derecha frente al 68,5% de descendente anterior; p = 0,042); flujo angiográfico final (el 80,8% de II-III frente al 30,0% de 0-I; p < 0,001) y fracción de eyección ≥ 35% (el 83,7 frente al 26,7%; p < 0,001). En el análisis multivariable de regresión (Cox) con dichas variables, se identificaron la presencia de placa (HR = 0,37; IC95%, 0,18-0,77; p = 0,008) y la fracción de eyección (HR = 0,92; IC95%, 0,88-0,95; p < 0,001) como predictores independientes de supervivencia libre de eventos. Conclusiones: La presencia de placa de ateroma en el aspirado coronario de los pacientes con infarto de miocardio transmural puede ser un marcador pronóstico independiente, y el análisis inmunohistoquímico con CD68 es un buen método para detectarlo (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Thrombus aspiration allows analysis of intracoronary material in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Our objective was to characterize this material by immunohistology and to study its possible association with patient progress. Methods: This study analyzed a prospective cohort of 142 patients undergoing primary angioplasty with positive coronary aspiration. Histological examination of aspirated samples included immunohistochemistry stains for the detection of plaque fragments. The statistical analysis comprised histological variables (thrombus age, degree of inflammation, presence of plaque), the patients’ clinical and angiographic features, estimation of survival curves, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the histological markers, only the presence of plaque (63% of samples) was associated with postinfarction clinical events. Factors associated with 5-year event-free survival were the presence of plaque in the aspirate (82.2% vs 66.0%; P = .033), smoking (82.5% smokers vs 66.7% nonsmokers; P = .036), culprit coronary artery (83.3% circumflex or right coronary artery vs 68.5% anterior descending artery; P = .042), final angiographic flow (80.8% II-III vs 30.0% 0-I; P < .001) and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 35% at discharge (83.7% vs 26.7%; P < .001). On multivariable Cox regression analysis with these variables, independent predictors of event-free survival were the presence of plaque (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95%CI, 0.18-0.77; P = .008), and left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95%CI, 0.88-0.95; P < .001). Conclusions: The presence of plaque in the coronary aspirate of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction may be an independent prognostic marker. CD68 immunohistochemical stain is a good method for plaque detection (AU)

Immunohistological Analysis of Intracoronary Thrombus Aspirate in STEMI Patients: Clinical Implications of Pathological Findings.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Thrombus aspiration allows analysis of intracoronary material in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Our objective was to characterize this material by immunohistology and to study its possible association with patient progress. METHODS: This study analyzed a prospective cohort of 142 patients undergoing primary angioplasty with positive coronary aspiration. Histological examination of aspirated samples included immunohistochemistry stains for the detection of plaque fragments. The statistical analysis comprised histological variables (thrombus age, degree of inflammation, presence of plaque), the patients' clinical and angiographic features, estimation of survival curves, and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the histological markers, only the presence of plaque (63% of samples) was associated with postinfarction clinical events. Factors associated with 5-year event-free survival were the presence of plaque in the aspirate (82.2% vs 66.0%; P = .033), smoking (82.5% smokers vs 66.7% nonsmokers; P = .036), culprit coronary artery (83.3% circumflex or right coronary artery vs 68.5% anterior descending artery; P = .042), final angiographic flow (80.8% II-III vs 30.0% 0-I; P < .001) and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 35% at discharge (83.7% vs 26.7%; P < .001). On multivariable Cox regression analysis with these variables, independent predictors of event-free survival were the presence of plaque (hazard ratio, 0.37; 95%CI, 0.18-0.77; P = .008), and left ventricular ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 0.92; 95%CI, 0.88-0.95; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of plaque in the coronary aspirate of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction may be an independent prognostic marker. CD68 immunohistochemical stain is a good method for plaque detection.

Postharvest quality of red gerberas depending on the storage temperature / Qualidade pós-colheita de gérberas vermelhas em função da temperatura de armazenamento

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to verify the best storage temperature in the postharvest quality conservation of inflorescences of gerberas cv. 'Intenza'. Inflorescences were kept in distilled water and stored at the temperatures of 22ºC (control); 12ºC; 8ºC and 4ºC. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in split plot with two factors: 4 treatments (temperatures) X 4 evaluation dates (0, 3, 6 and 9 days). It was used three replicates, with three inflorescences each. It were evaluated the variation of fresh mass, relative water content, soluble and reducing sugars content and longevity. Results were submitted to analysis of variance and means compared by Tukey test at 5% of probability. The inflorescences of gerbera maintained at 4ºC, 8ºC and 12ºC showed a greater postharvest life compared with the inflorescences of the control, highlighting those kept at 4ºC which presented less loss of mass and higher soluble sugar content; thus, maintaining the quality of gerberas for a longer period, with vase life of approximately 15 days.

RESUMO: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a melhor temperatura de armazenamento na conservação da qualidade pós-colheita de inflorescências de gérberas cv. 'Intenza'. As inflorescências foram mantidas em água destilada e armazenadas nas temperaturas de 22ºC (controle); 12ºC; 8ºC e 4ºC. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em parcelas subdivididas no tempo com dois fatores: 4 tratamentos (temperaturas) X 4 períodos de avaliação (0, 3, 6 e 9 dias). Foram utilizados três repetições, com três inflorescências cada. Foi avaliado a variação da massa fresca, o conteúdo relativo de água, o teor de açúcares solúveis e redutores das lígulas e a longevidade. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. As inflorescências de gérbera mantidas a 4°C, 8ºC e 12ºC apresentaram maior vida pós-colheita em comparação com as inflorescências do tratamento controle, com destaque para àquelas mantidas à 4ºC as quais apresentaram menor perda de massa e maior teor de açúcares solúveis, mantendo assim, a qualidade das gérberas por um período mais longo, com vida de útil de aproximadamente 15 dias.