Cytoskeletal ß-tubulin and cysteine cathepsin L deregulation by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interaction with the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y.

SARS-CoV-2 mainly infects the respiratory tract but can also target other organs, including the central nervous system. While it was recently shown that cells of the blood-brain-barrier are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, it remains debated whether neurons can be infected. In this study, we demonstrate that vesicular stomatitis virus particles pseudotyped with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants WT, Alpha, Delta and Omicron enter the neuronal model cell line SH-SY5Y. Cell biological analyses of the pseudo-virus treated cultures showed marked alterations in microtubules of SH-SY5Y cells. Because the changes in ß-tubulin occurred in most cells, but only few were infected, we further asked whether interaction of the cells with spike protein might be sufficient to cause molecular and structural changes. For this, SH-SY5Y cells were incubated with trimeric spike proteins for time intervals of up to 24 h. CellProfiler™-based image analyses revealed changes in the intensities of microtubule staining in spike protein-incubated cells. Furthermore, expression of the spike protein-processing protease cathepsin L was found to be up-regulated by wild type, Alpha and Delta spike protein pseudotypes and cathepsin L was found to be secreted from spike protein-treated cells. We conclude that the mere interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 with neuronal cells can affect cellular architecture and proteolytic capacities. The molecular mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induced cytoskeletal changes in neuronal cells remain elusive and require future studies.

Lipid Assessment, Cholesterol and Fatty Acid Profile of meat from broilers raised in four different rearing systems.

Evaluated lipid and cholesterol concentration and fatty acid profile of raw breast, thigh and drumstick meat from broilers raised in different rearing systems. Were used 200 male broiler carcasses from four different rearing systems (n=50 from conventional intensive; n=50 from organic; n=50 from free-range; and n=50 from antibiotic-free) distributed in a completely randomized design with four rearing systems and 50 replications (carcasses). Breast meat from conventional broilers showed higher lipid (1.47) and cholesterol (34.13) concentration. Thigh and drumstick meat from free-range broilers had higher lipid (7.53/4.73) and cholesterol (45.55/53.65) concentration. Fat contained in breast, thigh and drumstick meat from free-range broilers showed higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fat from breast and thigh meat from free-range broilers showed higher total concentration of ω3 and ω6 fatty acids. Fat from thigh meat from organic broilers showed higher levels of EPA (C20:5n3) and DHA (C22:6n3). Fat from drumstick meat from free-range broilers showed higher total concentration of ω3 and ω6 fatty acids. Meat from chickens raised in alternative rearing systems offers less risk to cardiovascular health because it presents lower concentrations of lipids and cholesterol, greater amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health.

Direct Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ionization Promotes Rapid and Simple Lubricant Oil Fingerprinting.

Petroleomics, which is the characterization, separation, and quantification of the components of petroleum and crude oil, is an emerging area of study. However, the repertoire of analytical methods available to understand commercial automotive lubricant oils (ALOs) is very limited. Ambient mass spectrometry is one of the most sensitive analytical methods for real-time and in situ chemical analysis. With this technique, the chemical fingerprinting of ALOs can be performed quickly and simply using dielectric barrier discharge ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In this study, the mass spectra of 35 samples were obtained without any sample preparation in positive-ion mode, and no carryover was observed. To elucidate the similarities and differences between the ALO samples, the data generated from these spectra were analyzed using four chemometric techniques: principal component analysis, multivariate curve resolution, hierarchical cluster analysis, and pattern recognition entropy. The ALO samples were readily differentiated according to their American Petroleum Institute classification and base oil types: mineral, semisynthetic, and synthetic. The development of this new methodology will aid in the semiquantitative control analysis of ALOs and offers an improved ability to identify the components therein.

Multi-residue analysis of pesticide residues in mangoes using solid-phase microextraction coupled to liquid chromatography and UV-Vis detection.

A sensitive and efficient solid-phase microextraction method, based on liquid chromatography and UV-Vis detection, was developed and validated as an alternative method for sample screening prior to LC-MS analysis. It enables the simultaneous determination of ten pesticides in mango fruits. The fiber used was polydimethylsiloxane while optimum SPME conditions employed have been developed and optimized in a previous work. The desorption process was performed in static mode, using acetonitrile as a solvent. The results indicate that the DI-SPME/HPLC/UV-Vis procedure resulted in good linear range, accuracy, precision and sensibility and is adequate for analyzing pesticide residues in mango fruits. The limits of detection (0.6-3.3 µg/kg) and quantification (2.0-10.0 µg/kg) were achieved with values lower than the maximum residue levels (MRLs) established by Brazilian legislation for all pesticides in this study. The average recovery rates obtained for each pesticide ranged from 71.6 to 104.3% at three fortification levels, with the relative standard deviation ranging from 4.3 to 18.6%. The proposed method was applied for the determination of the aforementioned compounds in commercial mango samples and residues of azoxystrobin, fenthion, permethrin, abamectin and bifenthrin were detected in the mango samples, although below the MRLs established by Brazilian legislation.

Headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined to chemometric analysis for volatile organic compounds determination in canine hair: a new tool to detect dog contamination by visceral leishmaniasis.

A new analytical methodology using HS-SPME/GC-MS was optimized in order to attain maximum sensitivity, using multivariate strategies. The proposed method was employed to evaluate the VOC profile exhaled from canine hair samples collected from 8 healthy dogs and from 16 dogs infected by Leishmania infantum. 274 VOCs were detected, which could be identified as aldehydes, ketones and hydrocarbons. After application of the Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) healthy and infected dogs, with similar VOCs profiles, could be separately grouped, based on compounds such as 2-hexanone, benzaldehyde, and 2,4-nonadienal. The proposed method is non-invasive, painless, readily accepted by dog owners and could be useful to identify several biomarkers with applications in the diagnosis of diseases.

Prevención y manejo de las cardiopatías congénitas en el recién nacido / Prevention and management of congenital hearth diseases in newborns

Se realiza un trabajo sobre cardiopatías congénitas dada su importancia en la morbimortalidad infantil y, sobre todo, en el período neonatal. Para ello se hace un estudio de la prevención y el manejo de las mismas, basado en los aspectos genéticos concernientes a su riesgo de presentación, así como su diagnóstico y conducta prenatal y post-natal. El conocimiento de los factores de riesgo preconcepcionales y la aplicación de medidas de control o eliminación de los mismos, la identificación de factores de riesgos maternos, familiares y, sobre todo, fetales durante el embarazo, que permitiría el diagnóstico y la conducta a tomar ante una cardiopatía fetal y el manejo apropiado del neonato con cardiopatía crítica con diagnóstico prenatal o sin él para lograr su estabilización y traslado al centro cardiológico de referencia son aspectos importantes para reducir la incidencia y la mortalidad por estas afecciones(AU)

We carried out a work about congenital hearth diseases because of their importance in children's morbimortality, above all, in the neonatal period. For that we made a study of their prevention and management, based on the genetic aspects related with the risk of their presentation, and also with their prenatal and postnatal behavior and diagnosis. Knowing preconceptional risk factors and applying measures to control and eliminate them, identifying maternal, familiar and, above all, fetal risk factors during pregnancy, which would allow to diagnose and determinate the correct behavior against a fetal heart disease and the appropriate management of the newborn with a critical heart disease with or without prenatal diagnosis to achieve his stabilization and to carry him to the cardiologic reference center, are all important aspects to reduce the incidence and mortality by these disorders(AU)

Análisis del comportamiento del diagnóstico prenatal de cardiopatías congénitas, Matanzas: estudio de 18 años (1990-2007) / Behavioral analysis of the pre-natal diagnosis of congenital heart diseases, Matanzas: an 18 years study (1990-2007)

La Ecocardiografía Fetal constituye la piedra angular del diagnóstico prenatal de Cardiopatías Congénitas, donde se exige precisar con exactitud la anomalía y su magnitud y entonces definir qué hacer con ella. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el trabajo del diagnóstico prenatal de Cardiologías Congénitas en Matanzas y su repercusión en la disminución de la mortalidad infantil. Para ello se realiza un análisis comparativo de 1990 a 1998 y de 1999 al 2007, en los que se han llevado a cabo el programa de Diagnóstico Prenatal de cardiopatías congénitas a nivel provincial, relacionando las siguientes variables: total de nacidos vivos, total de cardiopatías congénitas diagnosticadas intraútero y total de nacidos con cardiopatías congénitas severas (que unidas representan el total de las registradas), total de fallecidos menores de un año y la tasa de mortalidad (promedio) por estas causas. Los casos con cardiopatías congénitas fetales se clasifican atendiendo al motivo de referencia al estudio y al tipo según la ecocardiografía prenatal practicada y confirmada o corregida por la necropsia o tras el nacimiento del bebé en el caso de los no interrumpidos, a través de la ecocardiografía transtorácica . Un total de 153 cardiopatías fueron identificadas intraútero, el mayor número (93), se logra en el último período, para el 60,8 % del total de diagnósticos prenatales y que a su vez representa el 53,1 por ciento de los casos registrados con tales afecciones en ese período...(AU)

Fetal echocardiography is the cornerstone of the congenital heart diseases pre-natal diagnosis, where it is necessary to determine exactly the disorder and its magnitude and them to define what to do with it. The objective of this work is to analyze the performing of congenital heart diseases pre-natal diagnosis in Matanzas and its repercussion on the decrease of infantile mortality. For that reason we made a comparative analysis from 1990 to 1998 and from 1999 to 2007, during which the program of congenital heart diseases prenatal diagnosis has been developed in the province. The following variables were related: total of children born alive, total of heart diseases diagnosed intra-uterus and total of children born with severe heart diseases (all of them summed up are the total of registered severe heart diseases), total of less-than-one-year-old children deceased and mortality rate (average) for that reason. The cases of fetal heart diseases are classified according to the reference motive and to the kind of practiced prenatal echocardiography, confirmed or corrected by necropsy, or after birth, in the cases of non-interrupted pregnancy, through transthoracic echocardiography. A total of 153 heart diseases were identified intrauterus, most of them (93) during the last period of pregnancy, representing 60,8 per cent of the total of the prenatal diagnosis, and also 53,1 per cent of the cases registered with those disorders in that period...(AU)

Multivariate optimization of a GC-MS method for determination of sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples.

This paper describes the development and optimization, by using multivariate analysis, of a GC-MS-SIM method for evaluation of the 16 polyaromatic hydrocarbons considered as priority pollutants in atmospheric particulate material by the US EPA. In order to assure an adequate separation in the shortest analysis time, a multivariate design was used to set the conditions of the oven temperature program. The optimization process was carried out using factorial fractional design and Box-Behnken design. The following factors were evaluated: initial temperature, temperature rate #1, intermediary temperature, temperature rate #2, and final temperature. The optimized conditions were set at: 70 degrees C (2 min) --> 200 degrees C (30 degrees C/min, 5 min) --> 300 degrees C (5 degrees C/min, 1.67 min). Moreover, we have also optimized the injector temperature as 310 degrees C and sampling time as 0.8 min. The total analysis time was 33 min. Validation of GC-MS-SIM yielded satisfactory results for repetitivity of the detector response and retention times, and linearity of calibration curves. LOD were established as 0.13-0.34 ng/mL (peak area) and 0.18-0.72 ng/mL (peak height). The method has been shown to be appropriate for the analysis of samples of atmospheric particulate material and/or other environmental matrices.

Metástasis solitaria pancreática veinte años después de nefrectomía por adenocarcinoma renal / Solitary pancreatic metastasis ocurring twenty years after nephertomy for renal cell carcinoma

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Pancreatic papillary cystic neoplasm in a pregnant young woman: case report

O tumor pancreatico cistico papilar e neoplasia rara, maligna que ocorre tipicamente em mulheres jovens, evoluindo de modo benigno, apresentando excelente prognostico. Relata-se o caso de uma jovem de 19 anos de idade, gravida, assintomatica, acompanhada pela Divisao de Cirurgia Oncologica do Aparelho Digestivo do Hospital Sao Rafael, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil, depois de identificacao ultra-sonografica incidental de massa tumoral em cabeca pancreatica. A paciente foi submetida a resseccao tumoral, sendo obtido o diagnostico anatomopatologico de ...

Rectal compression caused by sacral chordoma: case report

As formacoes tumorais do espaco retrorretal sao frequentemente diagnosticadas erroneamente, alem de serem inadequadamente tratadas, principalmente pela pobreza de sintomas apresentados pelo paciente, duracao do crescimento neoplasico e pela raridade de per si...