Volumetry after botulinum toxin A: the impact on abdominal wall compliance and endotracheal pressure.

PURPOSE: Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) is an adjuvant tool used in the preoperative optimization of complex hernias before abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). This study aims to investigate changes in the abdominal cavity and hernia sac dimensions after BTA application. METHOD: A prospective study with 27 patients with a hernia defect of ≥ 10 cm and loss of domain (LOD) ≥ 20% underwent AWR. Computed tomography (CT) measurements and volumetry before and after the application of BTA were performed. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Imaging post-BTA revealed hernia width reduction of 1.9 cm (p = 0.002), lateral abdominal wall muscle elongation of 3.1 cm (p < 0.001), hernia volume reduction (HV) from 2.9 ± 0.9L to 2.4 ± 0.8L (p < 0.001), increase in abdominal cavity volume (ACV) from 9.7 ± 2.5L to 10.3L ± 2.4L (p = 0.003), and a reduction in the HV/ACV ratio from 30.2 ± 5% to 23.4 ± 6% (p < 0.001). Fascial closure was achieved in 92.6% of cases and component separation was required in 78%. The average variation in pulmonary plateau pressure was 3.53 cmH2O, and there were no postoperative respiratory failure recorded. At the 90-day follow-up, the wound morbidity rate was 25%, unplanned readmissions were 11%, and hernia recurrence 7.4%. CONCLUSION: BTA produces measurable volumetric changes in abdominal wall and appears to facilitate fascial closure. Further studies are required to determine the role of BTA in the surgical armamentarium for complex hernia repair.

Long-term commuting times and air quality relationship to COVID-19 in São Paulo.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic is an unprecedented global health crisis and the effects may be related to environmental and socio-economic factors. In São Paulo, Brazil, the first death occurred in March 2020 and since then the numbers have grown to 175 new deaths per day in April 2021, positioning the city as the epicenter of the number of cases and deaths in Brazil. São Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world with more than 12 million inhabitants, a fleet of about 8 million vehicles and frequent pollutant concentrations above recommended values. Social inequalities are evident in the municipality, similarly to other cities in the world. This paper focuses on transportation activities related to air pollution and associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases especially on people who developed comorbidities during their whole life. This study relates travel trip data to air quality analysis and expanded to COVID-19 disease. This work studied the relationship of deaths in São Paulo due to COVID-19 with demographic density, with family income, with the use of public transport and with atmospheric pollution for the period between March 17th, 2020 and April 29th, 2021. The main results showed that generally passenger kilometers traveled, commuting times and air quality related diseases increase with residential distance from the city center, and thus, with decreasing residential density. PM2.5 concentrations are positively correlated with COVID-19 deaths, regions with high urban densities have higher numbers of deaths and long-distance frequent trips can contribute to spread of the disease.

Trapping and sorting of active matter in a periodic background potential.

We study, numerically, a system of active particles with either a single noise value or a mixture of equal proportions of particles with two noise values under the influence of an attractive periodic background potential, and we observe their diffusion regimes and trapping states. For the single noise system, we show that the slow diffusion is correlated to a significant particle trapping, while normal diffusion is seen for partial or no trapping. Our results indicate that low noise particles are less susceptible to the background, i.e., they have a smaller chance to be trapped as compared to higher noise particles for the same background, and that denser systems achieve a no-trapping state, unless for the largest noise value we studied. For the mixtures, we study the sorting of particles based on their noise value differences and observe that particles with distinct noises are trapped at distinct radii compared to a trap minimum, and, since these radii depend on the density, the latter should be well tuned in order to have an efficient sorting.

Quenched and annealed disorder mechanisms in comb models with fractional operators.

Recent experimental findings on anomalous diffusion have demanded novel models that combine annealed (temporal) and quenched (spatial or static) disorder mechanisms. The comb model is a simplified description of diffusion on percolation clusters, where the comblike structure mimics quenched disorder mechanisms and yields a subdiffusive regime. Here we extend the comb model to simultaneously account for quenched and annealed disorder mechanisms. To do so, we replace usual derivatives in the comb diffusion equation by different fractional time-derivative operators and the conventional comblike structure by a generalized fractal structure. Our hybrid comb models thus represent a diffusion where different comblike structures describe different quenched disorder mechanisms, and the fractional operators account for various annealed disorder mechanisms. We find exact solutions for the diffusion propagator and mean square displacement in terms of different memory kernels used for defining the fractional operators. Among other findings, we show that these models describe crossovers from subdiffusion to Brownian or confined diffusions, situations emerging in empirical results. These results reveal the critical role of interactions between geometrical restrictions and memory effects on modeling anomalous diffusion.

Extensions and solutions for nonlinear diffusion equations and random walks.

We investigate a connection between random walks and nonlinear diffusion equations within the framework proposed by Einstein to explain the Brownian motion. We show here how to properly modify that framework in order to handle different physical scenarios. We obtain solutions for nonlinear diffusion equations that emerge from the random walk approach and analyse possible connections with a generalized thermostatistics formalism. Finally, we conclude that fractal and fractional derivatives may emerge in the context of nonlinear diffusion equations, depending on the choice of distribution functions related to the spreading of systems.

Estimating physical properties from liquid crystal textures via machine learning and complexity-entropy methods.

Imaging techniques are essential tools for inquiring a number of properties from different materials. Liquid crystals are often investigated via optical and image processing methods. In spite of that, considerably less attention has been paid to the problem of extracting physical properties of liquid crystals directly from textures images of these materials. Here we present an approach that combines two physics-inspired image quantifiers (permutation entropy and statistical complexity) with machine learning techniques for extracting physical properties of nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals directly from their textures images. We demonstrate the usefulness and accuracy of our approach in a series of applications involving simulated and experimental textures, in which physical properties of these materials (namely: average order parameter, sample temperature, and cholesteric pitch length) are predicted with significant precision. Finally, we believe our approach can be useful in more complex liquid crystal experiments as well as for probing physical properties of other materials that are investigated via imaging techniques.

Avaliação clínica inicial de novo balão farmacológico com sirolimus e nano partículas no tratamento de lesões reestenóticas / Initial clinical evaluation of a new sirolimus and nanoparticle pharmacological balloon in the treatment of restenosis lesions

INTRODUÇÃO: Recentemente, o conceito dos chamados balões farmacológicos tem sido testado no tratamento da reestenose intra stent, como uma alternativa de tratamento sem implante adicional de outra camada de metal no sítio previamente tratado. Ainda que os balões farmacológicos com paclitaxel tenham se mostrado eficazes para esta finalidade, esta tecnologia ainda apresenta alguns desafios: o paclitaxel é sabidamente menos efetivo e mais tóxico que outros fármacos anti-proliferativos, em especial quando comparado ao sirolimus e seus análogos/derivados. No presente estudo avaliamos um novo balão-farmacológico (Magic Touch), que utiliza sirolimus na dose de 1,27µg/mm2 , depositado em solução excipiente (nano partícula), na concentração de 1:1. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, multicêntrico, de braço único, incluindo pacientes com reestenose tanto de stents nãofarmacológicos como farmacológicos, tratados com balão Magic Touch. Não foram incluídas reestenoses do tipo oclusiva. Os pacientes foram submetidos a avaliação angiográfica e com ultrassom (USIC) aos seis meses. O desfecho primário foi a avaliação do grau de supressão neointinamal aos seis meses pela angiografia (perda luminal) e USIC (% de obstrução luminal). RESULTADO: Um total de 17 pacientes foram incluídos, sendo a maioria do sexo masculino (59%), com média de idade de 58 anos e com 60% de diabéticos. Metade da população tratada apresentava reestenose de stents farmacológicos e em 62% dos casos a reestenose era do tipo difusa/proliferativa. Sucesso angiográfico foi obtido em 100% dos casos. Aos 6 meses, a mediana da perda luminal tardia intra stent foi de 0,21mm [0,07; 0,51] ao passo que ao USIC, o% de obstrução luminal foi de 20% [18; 24]. Do ponto de vista clínico, ocorreu apenas um óbito, de causa não cardíaca. CONCLUSÃO: Neste estudo inicial em humanos, o balão farmacológico com sirolimus e nano partículas mostrou-se eficaz em reduzir a proliferação neointimal em pacientes com reestenose prévia de stents não-farmacológicos e/ou farmacológicos. (AU)

Intralayer and interlayer electron-phonon interactions in twisted graphene heterostructures.

The understanding of interactions between electrons and phonons in atomically thin heterostructures is crucial for the engineering of novel two-dimensional devices. Electron-phonon (el-ph) interactions in layered materials can occur involving electrons in the same layer or in different layers. Here we report on the possibility of distinguishing intralayer and interlayer el-ph interactions in samples of twisted bilayer graphene and of probing the intralayer process in graphene/h-BN by using Raman spectroscopy. In the intralayer process, the el-ph scattering occurs in a single graphene layer and the other layer (graphene or h-BN) imposes a periodic potential that backscatters the excited electron, whereas for the interlayer process the el-ph scattering occurs between states in the Dirac cones of adjacent graphene layers. Our methodology of using Raman spectroscopy to probe different types of el-ph interactions can be extended to study any kind of graphene-based heterostructure.

Polymorphisms in the melatonin receptor gene promoter and their associations with fertility characteristics in buffalo herd in Eastern Amazon.

Buffalo production is spreading globally because of its economic advantage. Then, it has become necessary to improve the reproductive and productive efficiency of these animals, as well as to look for genetic factors that increase this efficiency. The objectives of this study were to characterize the promoter region of the melatonin 1A receptor gene (MTRN1A), to detect possible SNPs and associate them with fertility characteristics, and identify binding sites of transcription factors involved in the regulation of genetic expression in buffaloes in the Amazon. The conventional PCR method was carried out using the two primers designed from the reference sequence deposited in the GenBank AY52466.1. The products of the PCRs were purified, sequenced, and subsequently edited and aligned. Twenty-six SNPs were found, where 73% presented allele frequencies of wild nucleotides above 0.5, and 73% presented deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.05) and FIS varying between 0.06 and 1.00, characterizing high degrees of inbreeding within the population. A block of ACAA deletion (position -1483) was observed in 25% of samples. The associations between these SNPs and reproductive characteristics were observed for calving interval and 5 SNPs: -1289, -1139, -911, -724, and -656 (P < 0.05), and three other SNPs: -1395, -724, and -94 (P < 0.05) were associated significantly with age at first calving, and were not associated with calving concentration. The promoter region was characterized by the different types of binding factors, where only 11 sites are significantly strong enough for transcription factor bindings. The ACAA deletion also exhibited a strong association with transcription factors. As a result, it would be necessary to test the SNPs above with other reproductive characteristics of economic relevance to approve the gene as a strong candidate for the selection of buffaloes in the Amazon.

Ion Motion in Electrolytic Cells: Anomalous Diffusion Evidences.

In this study, we argue that ion motion in electrolytic cells containing Milli-Q water, weak electrolytes, or liquid crystals may exhibit unusual diffusive regimes that deviate from the expected behavior, leading the system to present an anomalous diffusion. Our arguments lie on the investigation of the electrical conductivity and its relationship with the mean square displacement, which may be used to characterize the ionic motion. In our analysis, the Poisson-Nernst-Planck diffusional model is used with extended boundary conditions to simulate the charge transfer, accumulation, and/or adsorption-desorption at the electrode surfaces.

Anomalous diffusion and transport in heterogeneous systems separated by a membrane.

Diffusion of particles in a heterogeneous system separated by a semipermeable membrane is investigated. The particle dynamics is governed by fractional diffusion equations in the bulk and by kinetic equations on the membrane, which characterizes an interface between two different media. The kinetic equations are solved by incorporating memory effects to account for anomalous diffusion and, consequently, non-Debye relaxations. A rich variety of behaviours for the particle distribution at the interface and in the bulk may be found, depending on the choice of characteristic times in the boundary conditions and on the fractional index of the modelling equations.

Novel polymorphism in exon 1 of the melatonin receptor gene unassociated with reproductive characteristics of buffaloes in the Amazon Region.

The objective of this study was to sequence part of the exon 1 in the melatonin receptor 1A gene (MTRN1A) in buffaloes to detect a novel polymorphism with which to associate reproductive characteristics, such as age at first birth and the interval between births, in buffaloes from the northeastern region of the State of Pará (Brazil). Buffalo hair samples (77) were collected from the Terra Firme region of Pará. DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were carried out with a primer that was designed using the GenBank accession No. AY524665 reference sequence. PCR products were purified and sequenced. After editing and analysis of the sequences, a mutation was observed at the 62nd position in exon 1 of MTRN1A (T↔C), which corresponded with a change in the 21st amino acid from leucine to proline. All possible genotypes were observed, with the most common being genotype CC (0.481). The allele frequencies were T = 0.377 and C = 0.623. Statistical analysis of FIS showed inbreeding within the sample group (FIS = 0.397) and deviations from the Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium were observed (P < 0.05). Associations between genotypes and reproductive characteristics were not significant (P > 0.05). Although the related SNP was not synonymous, there were no observable effects on the reproductive characteristics under investigation. As such, it would be ideal to detect other SNPs in exon 1 of the MTRN1A gene that can be associated with reproductive characteristics in Amazonian buffaloes.

Edge phonons in black phosphorus.

Black phosphorus has recently emerged as a new layered crystal that, due to its peculiar and anisotropic crystalline and electronic band structures, may have important applications in electronics, optoelectronics and photonics. Despite the fact that the edges of layered crystals host a range of singular properties whose characterization and exploitation are of utmost importance for device development, the edges of black phosphorus remain poorly characterized. In this work, the atomic structure and behaviour of phonons near different black phosphorus edges are experimentally and theoretically studied using Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Polarized Raman results show the appearance of new modes at the edges of the sample, and their spectra depend on the atomic structure of the edges (zigzag or armchair). Theoretical simulations confirm that the new modes are due to edge phonon states that are forbidden in the bulk, and originated from the lattice termination rearrangements.

Corrigendum Polymorphism in the melatonin receptor gene in buffalo populations of the Brazilian Amazon - Genet. Mol. Res. 15 (2): gmr.15027960.

The correction is only in the name of the first author and should be: E.M. Barbosa(1), B.B. Souza(2), R.C. Guimarães(2), J.S.N. Azevedo(3), E.C. Gonçalves(4), H.F.L. Ribeiro(2), S.T. Rolim Filho(2), E. Silva Filho(2).

BacPP: a web-based tool for Gram-negative bacterial promoter prediction.

Bacterial Promoter Prediction (BacPP) is a tool used to predict given sequences as promoters of Gram-negative bacteria according to the σ factor that recognizes it. The first version of BacPP was implemented in Python language in a desktop version without a friendly interface. For this reason, a web version of BacPP is now available with the purpose of improving its usability and availability. The present paper describes the implementation of the web version of this tool, focusing on its software architecture and user functionalities. The software is available at www.bacpp.bioinfoucs.com/home.

Polymorphism in the melatonin receptor gene in buffalo populations of the Brazilian Amazon.

Buffalo farming in Brazil is increasing, as is the challenge of identifying molecular markers that will improve productivity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze single nucleotide polymorphisms of the receptor gene for the hormone melatonin in buffaloes from northern Brazil by polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and restriction fragment length polymorphism assays. The PCR products exhibited a cutting point for HpaI at the 318th position of the gene, indicating a transition substitution (T↔C). This substitution was synonymic, and did not alter the stability of the mRNA structure. Allelic and genotypic frequencies differed between the populations studied, and all of the populations demonstrated endogamy and were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Therefore, the HpaI restriction marker in the melatonin receptor gene cannot be used for genetic improvement, but is an excellent marker for population genetic studies.

Cow's milk-based beverage consumption in 1- to 4-year-olds and allergic manifestations: an RCT.

BACKGROUND: Nutrients such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prebiotics and ß-glucan have been associated with reduced incidence of respiratory illnesses and allergic manifestations (AM). Our objective was to assess if consumption of a cow's milk-based beverage with these and other nutrients supports respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin health in otherwise well-nourished, healthy children. METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, healthy children (1-4 years of age) from two daycare centers in Brazil were fed three servings/day of a cow's milk-based beverage (CMBB; n = 125) containing DHA, the prebiotics polydextrose (PDX) and galactooligosaccharides (GOS), ß-glucan, and other key nutrients, or a control cow's milk-based beverage (control; n = 131) for up to 28 weeks. Occurrence of respiratory infections, diarrheal disease and AM was assessed by study pediatricians and the number of episodes were analyzed with the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test and the Andersen-Gill model. RESULTS: The CMBB group had fewer episodes of AM, which included allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis, wheezing, allergic cough, eczema and urticaria, compared to the control group (p = 0.021). The hazard ratio for increased number of episodes of AM was lower in the CMBB group compared to control (HR, 0.64; 95 % CI 0.47-0.89; p = 0.007). There was no difference in the incidence of respiratory infections and diarrheal disease between groups. CONCLUSION: A cow's milk-based beverage containing DHA, PDX/GOS, and yeast ß-glucan, and supplemented with micronutrients, including zinc, vitamin A and iron, when consumed 3 times/day for 28 weeks by healthy 1- to 4-year-old children was associated with fewer episodes of allergic manifestations in the skin and the respiratory tract. TRIAL REGISTRATION: registration number: NCT01431469.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with sodium hyaluronate enhance bone mineralization.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sodium hyaluronate (HY), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and HY-functionalized SWCNTs (HY-SWCNTs) on the behavior of primary osteoblasts, as well as to investigate the deposition of inorganic crystals on titanium surfaces coated with these biocomposites. Primary osteoblasts were obtained from the calvarial bones of male newborn Wistar rats (5 rats for each cell extraction). We assessed cell viability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay and by double-staining with propidium iodide and Hoechst. We also assessed the formation of mineralized bone nodules by von Kossa staining, the mRNA expression of bone repair proteins, and the deposition of inorganic crystals on titanium surfaces coated with HY, SWCNTs, or HY-SWCNTs. The results showed that treatment with these biocomposites did not alter the viability of primary osteoblasts. Furthermore, deposition of mineralized bone nodules was significantly increased by cells treated with HY and HY-SWCNTs. This can be partly explained by an increase in the mRNA expression of type I and III collagen, osteocalcin, and bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4. Additionally, the titanium surface treated with HY-SWCNTs showed a significant increase in the deposition of inorganic crystals. Thus, our data indicate that HY, SWCNTs, and HY-SWCNTs are potentially useful for the development of new strategies for bone tissue engineering.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with sodium hyaluronate enhance bone mineralization

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sodium hyaluronate (HY), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and HY-functionalized SWCNTs (HY-SWCNTs) on the behavior of primary osteoblasts, as well as to investigate the deposition of inorganic crystals on titanium surfaces coated with these biocomposites. Primary osteoblasts were obtained from the calvarial bones of male newborn Wistar rats (5 rats for each cell extraction). We assessed cell viability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay and by double-staining with propidium iodide and Hoechst. We also assessed the formation of mineralized bone nodules by von Kossa staining, the mRNA expression of bone repair proteins, and the deposition of inorganic crystals on titanium surfaces coated with HY, SWCNTs, or HY-SWCNTs. The results showed that treatment with these biocomposites did not alter the viability of primary osteoblasts. Furthermore, deposition of mineralized bone nodules was significantly increased by cells treated with HY and HY-SWCNTs. This can be partly explained by an increase in the mRNA expression of type I and III collagen, osteocalcin, and bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4. Additionally, the titanium surface treated with HY-SWCNTs showed a significant increase in the deposition of inorganic crystals. Thus, our data indicate that HY, SWCNTs, and HY-SWCNTs are potentially useful for the development of new strategies for bone tissue engineering.