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Background: Pain management plays an essential role in postoperative recovery after lung surgeries. The Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) is a widely used regional anaesthesia technique; however, few clinical trials have compared this block to active control in thoracic surgeries. This study evaluated the non‐inferiority of the analgesia provided by ESPB when compared to paravertebral block (PVB) in lung surgeries. Methods: Randomised, active‐controlled, blinded for patients and assessors, non‐inferiority trial. Patients who underwent unilateral lung surgeries were divided into two groups according to the regional anaesthesia technique—continuous ESPB or PVB at the T5 level. The primary outcome was to assess pain using a numerical rating scale (NRS) with a test of the interaction of three measures over 24 h postoperatively. An NRS score ≥ 7 was considered analgesia failure, and the prespecified non‐inferiority margin was 10%. Results: In the interim analysis that terminated this study, 120 participants were enrolled. ESPB patients reported higher mean NRS general values over 24 h, 4.6 ± 3.2 in the ESPB group versus 3.9 ± 2.9 in the PVB group, with a difference of −0.67 (−15.2%) and 95%CI: −1.29 to −0.05 (p =.02), demonstrating not non‐inferiority. In addition, the ESPB group presented higher NRS failure of analgesia over 24 h (p <.01) and required more postoperative opioids (p =.01 over 24 h). There was no difference in patient satisfaction between groups. Conclusion: This trial demonstrated that a continuous erector spinae plane block was not non‐inferior to a continuous paravertebral block for analgesia after lung surgery but resulted in higher levels of postoperative pain and opioid consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U‐Pb Saturn is new freeware for U‐Pb LA‐ICP‐MS data reduction. It has been developed to provide easy interaction with and visualisation of LA‐ICP‐MS U‐Pb datasets, and allows fast and reliable data reduction of hundreds of data‐points. Saturn offers dynamic graphic interfaces to quickly view, evaluate, and plot U‐Pb and Pb‐Pb isotope data. It operates online (or offline), giving the freedom to change parameters and reprocess data at any stage of data acquisition. The main interface allows the user to: (1) choose the best statistics for drift correction, (2) include/exclude offset factors and (3) apply (or not) Pbc corrections in different modes. Signal intensities are displayed in a separate graphic interface that allows users to interact with the time‐resolved signal of individual spot analyses. All graphic windows are interactive; any modification to data treatment (e.g., inclusion or exclusion of analyses of reference material, or modification of the time‐resolved signal windows) is instantaneously updated on the data tables. Saturn is particularly attractive for beginners in LA‐ICP‐MS U‐Pb geochronology as it is non‐commercial, easy to install, and very interactive. Coding information and a version of the software can be accessed at http://www.air.ufop.br. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: 2,4,6‐Tris(4‐formylphenyl)boroxine (TFPB) is a substituted boroxine containing a benzaldehyde molecule bonded to each boron atom. Boroxine cages are an emerging class of functional nanostructures used in host–guest chemistry, and benzaldehyde is a potential radiosensitizer. Reactions initiated by low‐energy electrons with such complexes may dictate and bring new fundamental knowledge for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Methods: The electron ionization properties of TFPB are investigated using a gas‐phase electron–molecule crossed beam apparatus coupled with a reflectron time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer in an orthogonal geometry. Ionization and threshold energies are experimentally determined by mass spectra acquisition as a function of the electron energy. Results: The abundance of the molecular precursor cation in the mass spectrum at 70 eV is significantly lower than that of the most abundant fragment C7H5O+. Twenty‐nine cationic fragments with relative intensities >2% are detected and identified. The appearance energies of six fragment cations are reported, and the experimental first ionization potential is found at 9.46±0.11 eV. Moreover, eight double cations are identified. The present results are supported by quantum chemical calculations based on bound state techniques, electron ionization models and thermodynamic thresholds. Conclusions: According to these results, the TPFB properties may combine the potential radiosensitizer effect of benzaldehyde with the stability of the boroxine ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a response to a study comparing the effectiveness of Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) and Paravertebral Block (PVB) in lung surgeries. The authors address several points raised by the study, including limitations such as the assessment of patients at rest only, the timing of the continuous infusion, and the high postoperative pain scores in the ESPB group. They also discuss the clinical relevance of the differences between the groups and the criteria for declaring ESPB non-inferior to PVB. The authors conclude that further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of action and to assess other components of pain beyond pain scores. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: This article presents an observer‐based event‐triggering strategy for systems with slope‐restricted nonlinearities that depend on the state. Both the emulation and codesign problems are addressed. To avoid Zeno behavior, a minimum dwell time is considered. By using a looped‐functional approach and the cone‐bounded properties of the nonlinearity, sufficient conditions based on linear matrix inequalities are derived to ensure global asymptotic stability of the origin of the closed‐loop system under the proposed event‐triggering strategy. These conditions are incorporated into convex optimization problems to optimally determine the event‐triggering function parameters and the observer gain (in the codesign case) aiming at reducing the number of control updates. Numerical examples illustrate the potentialities of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is lack of data on the association between infective endocarditis (IE) and outcomes of mortality and complications in stroke. We aimed to compare characteristics and outcomes of stroke patients with and without IE. Methods: We retrospectively examined the above association using data obtained from an insurance database which covers ~75% of the Thai population. All hospitalised strokes between 8 January 2003 and 31 December 2013 were included in the current study. Characteristics and outcomes were compared between stroke patients with or without IE, and then between two main stroke types. Multiple logistic regression models including propensity score‐matched analyses were constructed to assess study outcomes controlling for age, sex, stroke type and comorbidities. Results: A total of 590 115 stroke patients (mean (SD) age = 64.2 ± 13.7 years; ischaemic = 51.7%; haemorrhagic = 32.6%; undetermined = 15.7%) were included, of whom 2129 (0.36%) had stroke associated with IE. After adjustment, we found that IE was significantly associated with the following complications: arrhythmias (adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) 6.94 (6.29‐7.66)), sepsis (1.24 (1.01‐1.52)), pneumonia (1.34 (1.17‐1.53)), respiratory failure (1.43 (1.24‐1.66)) and in‐hospital mortality (1.29 (1.13‐1.47)) (P for all <.001). Patients with haemorrhagic stroke with IE had poorer outcomes for in‐hospital mortality and respiratory failure compared with their counterparts with ischaemic stroke. Propensity score‐matched analysis showed similar results. Conclusions: Our results suggest that stroke patients with IE differ from that of the general stroke population and these patients have worse outcomes. Future studies are needed to determine the best treatment strategies for stroke patients with IE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is an important component of hepatic intermediary metabolism. Jin et al developed an elegant 13C‐NMR method for measuring hepatic PPP flux by quantifying the distribution of glucose 13C‐isotopomers formed from [U‐13C]glycerol. We demonstrate that this approach can be extended to exogenous [U‐13C]fructose and [U‐13C]glucose precursors by 13C‐NMR analysis of glycogen. Methods: Twelve male C57BL/6 mice fed standard chow were provided a 55/45 mixture of fructose and glucose at 30% w/v in the drinking water for 18 wk. On the evening before sacrifice, the fructose component was enriched with 20% [U‐13C]fructose for 6 mice, while the glucose component was enriched with 20% [U‐13C]glucose for the remaining 6 mice. Mice were allowed to feed and drink naturally overnight, and then, euthanized. Livers were freeze‐clamped and glycogen was extracted and derivatized for 13C NMR spectroscopy. Flux of each sugar into the PPP relative to its incorporation into glycogen was quantified from selected 13C glycogen isotopomer ratios. Results: Both [U‐13C]fructose and [U‐13C]glucose precursors yielded glycogen 13C‐isotopomer distributions that were characteristic of PPP activity. The fraction of [U‐13C]glucose utilized by the PPP relative to its conversion to glycogen via the direct pathway was 14 ± 1%, while that from [U‐13C]fructose relative to its conversion to glycogen via the indirect pathway was significantly lower (10 ± 1%, P =.00032). Conclusions: Hepatic PPP fluxes from both [U‐13C]glucose and [U‐13C]fructose precursors were assessed by 13C NMR analysis of glycogen 13C‐isotopomers. Glucose‐6‐phosphate generated via glucokinase and the direct pathway is preferentially utilized by the PPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly efficient energy conversion and storage technologies such as high‐temperature solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells, all‐solid‐state batteries, gas separation membranes, and thermal barrier coatings for advanced turbine systems depend on advanced materials. In all cases, processing of ceramics and metals starting from powders plays a key role and is often a challenging task. Depending on their composition, such powder materials often require high sintering temperatures and show an inherent risk of abnormal grain growth, evaporation, chemical reaction, or decomposition, especially in the case of long dwelling times. Electric current‐assisted sintering (ECAS) techniques are promising to overcome these restrictions, but a lot of fundamental and practical challenges must be solved properly to take full advantage of these techniques. A broad and long‐term expertise in the field of ECAS techniques and comprehensive facilities including conventional field‐assisted sintering technology/spark plasma sintering (FAST/SPS), hybrid FAST/SPS (with additional heater), sinter forging, and flash sintering (FS) devices are available at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research: Materials Synthesis and Processing (IEK‐1). Herein, main advantages and challenges of these techniques are discussed and the concept to overcome current limitations is introduced on selected examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the risk factor profiles associated with post‐acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) myocardial infarction (MI) over long‐term follow‐up. Methods: This observational study includes prospectively identified AIS patients (n = 9840) admitted to a UK regional centre between January 2003 and December 2016 (median follow‐up: 4.72 years). Predictors of post‐stroke MI during follow‐up were examined using logistic and Cox regression models for in‐hospital and post‐discharge events, respectively. MI incidence was determined using a competing risk non‐parametric estimator. The influence of post‐stroke MI on mortality was examined using Cox regressions. Results: Mean age (SD) of study participants was 77.3 (12.2) years (48% males). Factors associated with in‐hospital MI (OR [95% CI]) were increasing blood glucose (1.80 [1.17‐2.77] per 10 mmol/L), total leucocyte count (1.25 [1.01‐1.54] per 10 × 109/L) and CRP (1.05 [1.02‐1.08] per 10 mg/L increase). Age (HR [95% CI] = 1.03 [1.01‐1.06]), coronary heart disease (1.59 [1.01‐2.50]), chronic kidney disease (2.58 [1.44‐4.63]) and cancers (1.76 [1.08‐2.89]) were associated with incident MI between discharge and one‐year follow‐up. Age (1.02 [1.00‐1.03]), diabetes (1.96 [1.38‐2.65]), congestive heart failure (2.07 [1.44‐2.99]), coronary heart disease (1.81 [1.31‐2.50]), hypertension [1.86 (1.24‐2.79)] and peripheral vascular disease (2.25 [1.40‐3.63]) were associated with incident MI between 1 and 5 years after discharge. Diabetes (2.01 [1.09‐3.72]), hypertension (3.69 [1.44‐9.45]) and peripheral vascular disease (2.46 [1.02‐5.98]) were associated with incident MI between 5 and 10 years after discharge. Cumulative MI incidence over 10 years was 5.4%. MI during all follow‐up periods (discharge‐1, 1‐5, 5‐10 years) was associated with increased risk of death (respective HR [95% CI] = 3.26 [2.51‐4.15], 1.96 [1.58‐2.42] and 1.92 [1.26‐2.93]). Conclusions: In conclusion, prognosis is poor in post‐stroke MI. We highlight a range of potential areas to focus preventative efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the literature on horizontal mergers between multisided platforms and argues that the Cournot model can provide useful insights into the welfare effects of such mergers. To illustrate those insights, we develop a simple model in which two‐sided platforms offer a homogeneous service and compete à la Cournot, and derive the effects of "average‐marginal‐cost‐preserving" mergers on consumers on both sides of the market. We conclude with a discussion of several research avenues that could be explored to understand better the impact of horizontal mergers between multisided platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The positional analysis of hepatic glycogen enrichment from deuterated water (2H2O) by 2H NMR has been applied previously to resolve the contributions of glucose and fructose to glycogen synthesis in rodents fed a high sucrose diet. To further validate this method, this analysis was applied to mice fed with synthetic diets whose carbohydrate components consisted solely of either glucose or fructose. Methods: Eight glucose‐fed and 12 fructose‐fed mice were given 2H2O followed by ad libitum feeding overnight. Mice were then euthanized, hepatic glycogen was isolated and derivatized to monoacetone glucose, and 2H‐enrichment of positions 2, 5, and 6S were measured by 2H NMR. From these data, the fraction of overnight glycogen appearance from the direct pathway and/or glycogen cycling and indirect pathway were estimated. Indirect pathway fractions were resolved into Krebs cycle and triose‐phosphate sources—the latter including contributions from fructose metabolism. Results: After overnight feeding, the fraction of overnight glycogen appearance derived from direct pathway and/or glycogen cycling in glucose‐fed‐mice was 63 ± 1%. For the indirect pathway, Krebs cycle and triose‐phosphate sources contributed 22 ± 1% and 15 ± 1%, respectively. For fructose‐fed‐mice, glycogen appearance was dominated by triose‐phosphate sources (60 ± 2%) with lesser contributions from Krebs cycle (14 ± 1%) and direct and/or glycogen cycling (26 ± 2%). Conclusions: 2H NMR analysis of hepatic glycogen 2H enrichment from 2H2O provides realistic profiles of dietary glucose and fructose contributions to hepatic glycogen synthesis in mice fed with diets containing 1 or the other sugar as the sole carbohydrate source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with the stabilisation of discrete‐time linear systems subject to static finite‐level quantisation on the control inputs. Two kinds of quantisers are considered: uniform and logarithmic. The modelling of the finite‐level quantisation is obtained by the application of deadzone and saturation maps to an infinite‐level quantiser. From this model, conditions for the synthesis of state feedback control laws guaranteeing the convergence of the trajectories to an attractor around the origin provided that the initial state belongs to a certain admissible set are proposed. These conditions can thus be incorporated in linear matrix inequality‐based optimisation schemes to compute the stabilising gain while minimising the size of the attractor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic gynecomastia is a benign breast disorder characterized by overdevelopment of male breast tissue. It can cause discomfort and concern, resulting in patients seeking diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tamoxifen therapy in resolving this condition. Methods: We undertook a prospective cohort study of all male patients who presented to our breast clinic, were diagnosed with primary gynecomastia, and were treated with a trial of tamoxifen 10 mg daily therapy, over a 10‐year period from October 2004 to October 2015. All patients underwent routine investigations to exclude secondary causes of gynecomastia. The end point of interest was the complete resolution of gynecomastia. Results: We included 81 patients in this study. The mean age was 42.8 years (SD 19.5 years). Of these, 28.4% were bilateral gynecomastia and 71.6% were unilateral. The majority (87.7%) of cases presented with accompanying mastalgia. Following treatment, 90.1% (n = 73) had a complete response of their gynecomastia with tamoxifen therapy. Only eight patients did not have a complete resolution following tamoxifen therapy, of which two underwent subsequent surgical resection of their symptomatic gynecomastia. Conclusion: Our study is the largest to date examining the role of tamoxifen in idiopathic gynecomastia, and our results show approximately nine in every 10 men treated with tamoxifen therapy had successful resolution of their symptoms. We support its use for idiopathic gynecomastia in eligible men following the careful discussion of its risks and benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background. There is wide variation in the management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) nationwide. We aimed to investigate whether the attitudes of surgeons towards different aspects of DCIS treatment varied by seniority of surgeon or by geographical region within the UK. Materials and Methods. A nationwide online survey targeted at UK breast surgeons was undertaken. The anonymous survey contained questions regarding demographics of respondents and specific questions regarding DCIS management that were identified as areas of uncertainty during a systematic search of the literature. Results. Responses from 80 surgeons were obtained. Approximately 57% were male and the majority were consultant or specialist registrar. Approximately 63% of participants were based in district general hospitals with all training deaneries represented. Surgeons’ views on the prognosis and management of DCIS varied geographically across the UK and terminology for DCIS varied with surgeon seniority. Surgeons’ views particularly differed from national guidance on indications for SLNB, tamoxifen, and follow-up practice. Conclusion. Our survey reaffirms that, irrespective of national guidelines and attempts at uniformity, there continues to be a wide variety of views amongst breast surgeons regarding the ideal management of DCIS. However, by quantifying this variation, it may be possible to take it into account when examining long-term trends in nationwide treatment data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Platelet responsiveness to aspirin in people with cerebrovascular disease is poorly understood. Objectives To determine: (i) normal reference range, imprecision and reproducibility of the Multiplate instrument in healthy volunteers naive to aspirin; (ii) imprecision and reproducibility of the Multiplate instrument in acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack ( TIA); (iii) the relationship between aspirin responsiveness and clinical outcome. Materials and Methods We evaluated platelet function response to three agonists [Adenosine Diphosphate ( ADP), Arachidonic Acid ( AA), Collagen (Col)] using the Mulitplate platelet function analyser in a two-phase pilot study. In phase 1, we recruited healthy volunteers to determine the normal reference range and imprecision of the Multiplate instrument. In phase 2, we assessed platelet function in acute stroke or TIA patients presenting to hospital. These patients were bled within 24 h of presentation and between 12 and 24 h after ≥75 mg dose of Aspirin. Patients were followed up to 1 yr to assess mortality and recurrent cardiovascular event. Results Overall, 29 healthy volunteers and 81 stroke/ TIA patients were recruited. On assessing components of variance, Multiplate testing is reproducible and precise in volunteers and stroke/ TIA patients. In stroke patients receiving aspirin, Bland- Altman plots show initial day 1 measurement provided a reliable measure of continuing response to aspirin at day 3. We defined one-third of patients as aspirin resistant [31.8% (95% CI: 22.1%-42.8%)] using cut off mean aggregation of ≥23.08% for AA and mean aggregation of ≥80.76% for ADP. Conclusion The Multiplate device gives reproducible, precise results in volunteers and stroke/ TIA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To assess occurrence of severe maternal complications associated with ectopic pregnancy (EP). Method. A multi center cross-sectional study was conducted, with prospective surveillance of potentially life-threatening conditions (PLTC), maternal near miss (MNM), and maternal death (MD). EP complications, patient socio-demographic/obstetric characteristics, and conditions of severity management were assessed, estimating prevalence ratios with respective 95% CI. Factors independently associated with greater severity were identified using multiple regression analysis. Results. Of the 9.555 severe maternal morbidity patients, 312 women (3.3%) had complications after EP: 286 (91.7%) PLTC, 25 (8.0%) MNM, and 1 (0.3%) MD. Severe maternal outcome ratio (SMOR) was 0.3/1000 LB among EP cases and 10.8/1000 LB among other causes. Complicated EP patients faced a higher risk of blood transfusion, laparotomy, and lower risk of ICU admission and prolonged hospitalization than women developing complications resulting from other causes. Substandard care was the most common in more severe maternal morbidity and EP cases (22.7% MNM and MD versus 15% PLTC), although not significant. Conclusion. Increased maternal morbidity due to EP raised awareness about the condition and its impact on female reproductive life. No important risk factors for greater severity were identified. Care providers should develop specific guidelines and interventions to prevent severe maternal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a chronic and fatal disease caused by Leishmania infantumin Brazil. Leukocyte recruitment to infected tissue is a crucial event for the control of infections such as VL. Leucotriens are lipid mediators synthesized by 5-lipoxygenase (5- LO) and they display a protective role against protozoan parasites by inducing several functions in leucocytes. We determined the role of 5-LO activity in parasite control, focusing on the inflammatory immune response against Leishmania infantum infection. LTB4 is released during in vitro infection. The genetic ablation of 5-LO promoted susceptibility in highly resistant mice strains, harboringmore parasites into target organs. The susceptibilitywas related to the failure of neutrophilmigration to the infectious foci. Investigating the neutrophil failure, there was a reduction of proinflammatory cytokines involved in the related Th17 axis released into the organs. Genetic ablation of 5-LO reduced the CD4+T cells producing IL-17, without interfering inTh1 subset. L. infantum failed to activate DC from 5-LO-/-, showing reduced surface costimulatory molecule expression and proinflammatory cytokines involved in Th17 differentiation. BLT1 blockage with selective antagonist interferes with DC maturation and proinflammatory cytokines release. Thus, 5-LO activation coordinates the inflammatory immune response involved in the control of VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work addresses the tracking and rejection problem of periodic signals for discrete‐time linear systems subject to control saturation. To ensure the periodic tracking/rejection an internal model‐based controller is considered. Based on this control structure, conditions allowing the simultaneous synthesis of a stabilising state feedback gain and an anti‐windup gain are proposed. Provided that references and disturbances belong to the interior of a certain admissible set, these gains guarantee that the trajectories of the closed‐loop system starting in an ellipsoidal set contract to the linearity region of the closed‐loop system, where the presence of the internal model ensures the periodic tracking/rejection. To compute the gains, an LMI‐based optimisation problem aiming at the maximisation of the set of admissible states and/or the set of admissible references/disturbances is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p-Fuzzy dynamical systems are variational systems whose dynamic is obtained by means of a Mamdani type fuzzy rule-based system. In this paper, we will show the 1-dimensional p-fuzzy dynamical systems and will present theorems that establish conditions of existence and uniqueness of stationary points. Besides the obtained analytical results, we will present examples that illustrate and confirm the obtained mathematical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose the concept of fuzzy projections on subspaces of F(Rn), obtained from Zadeh's extension of canonical projections in Rn, and we study some of the main properties of such projections. Furthermore, we will review some properties of fuzzy projection solution of fuzzy differential equations. As we will see, the concept of fuzzy projection can be interesting for the graphical representation of fuzzy solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nod2 belongs to the nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat family of proteins and senses bacterial cell wall components to initiate innate immune responses against various pathogens. Recently, it has been reported that T-cell-intrinsic expression of Nod2 promotes host defense against Toxoplasma gondii infection by inducing type 1 immunity. Here, we present results that demonstrate that Nod2 does not play a role in the defense against T. gondii infection. Nod2-deficient mice were fully capable of inducing Th1 immune responses and did not show enhanced susceptibility to infection. Upon TCR stimulation in vitro, Nod2-deficient CD4+ T cells showed normal activation, IL-2 production, proliferation, and Th1/2 differentiation. Nod2 mRNA and protein were expressed in CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells at substantial levels. Therefore, Nod2, although expressed in CD4+ T cells, does not have an intrinsic function in T-cell activation and differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently reported that, depending on its concentration, urate is either a pro-or an antioxidant in Cu2+-induced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. We also previously demonstrated an antioxidant synergy between urate and some flavonoids in the Cu2+-induced oxidation of diluted serum. As a result, the effect of the flavonoid quercetin on the Cu2+-induced oxidation of isolated LDL has been studied either in the presence or absence of urate. We demonstrate that, like urate, quercetin alone, at low concentration, exhibits a pro-oxidant activity. The pro-oxidant behavior depends on the Cu2+ concentration but it is not observed at high Cu2+ concentration. When compared with urate, the switch between the pro- and the antioxidant activities occurs at much lower quercetin concentrations. As for urate, the pro-oxidant character of quercetin is related to its ability to reduce Cu2+ with the formation of semioxidized quercetin and Cu+ with an expected yield larger than that obtained with urate owing to a more favorable redox potential. It is also shown that the pro-oxidant activity of urate can be inhibited by quercetin. An electron transfer between quercetin and semioxidized urate leading to the repair of urate could account for this observation as suggested by recently published pulse radiolysis data. It is anticipated that the interactions between quercetin­Cu2+­LDL and urate, which are tightly controlled by their respective concentration, determine the balance between the pro- and antioxidant behaviors. Moreover, as already observed with other antioxidants, it is demonstrated that quercetin alone behaves as a pro-oxidant towards preoxidized LDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the prognosis of male breast cancer (MBC). Topics mentioned include the treatment differences between men who were treated and who suffered breast cancer recurrence, the adverse outcome of the contralateral breast cancer occurrence and the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in treating MBC.

Objective: Edema in nasal polyps (NP) is related to extracellular matrix degeneration, which is regulated by MMPs (matrix metalloproteinases) and their inhibitor, TIMP. Several studies relate MMP and TIMP expression to airway inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate which is MMP and TIMP expression in Brazilian NP. Method: Thirty NPs were compared with 19 controls. MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, and TIMP1 mRNAs expression was evaluated by RQTPCR. Also, PCR results were correlated to extensiveness of disease. PCR data were analyzed through Student t test, and the correlation between PCR and clinical results was performed by Spearman test. Results: NPs presented significantly higher expression of MMP‐1 (9.79 ± 12.62 for NP vs 1.38 ± 1.21 for middle turbinates, P vs 0.83 ± 0.61 for middle turbinates, P vs 90 ± 0.56 for middle turbinates, P <. 05). TIMP‐1 expression was detected neither in NP nor in middle turbinates. There was no correlation between clinical findings and gene expression. Conclusion: Brazilian NP presented higher expression of all the 3 studied MMPs (MMP1, MMP2, and MMP9), but not of TIMP1. This pattern is very similar to that observed for NP in the literature. There is no correlation between gene expression and extensiveness of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to verify the possible interactions between ethanol extracts of Amburana cearensis A. C. Smith and Anadenanthera macrocarpa (Benth.) Brenan, combined with six antimicrobial drugs against multiresistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli isolated from humans. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The microdilution assay was performed to verify the interactions between the natural products and the antibiotics using a subinhibitory concentration. The activity of amikacin associated with the extract of Anadenanthera macrocarpa against EC 27 was enhanced, demonstrating an MIC reduction from 128 to 4¿ ¿g/mL. Among the ß-lactams, no potentiation on its activity was observed, with exception to the antagonism of the natural products with ampicillin against S. aureus 358. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue fever is a noncontagious infectious disease caused by dengue virus (DENV). DENV belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, and is classified into four antigenically distinct serotypes: DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4. The number of nations and people affected has increased steadily and today is considered the most widely spread arbovirus (arthropod-borne viral disease) in the world. The absence of an appropriate animal model for studying the disease has hindered the understanding of dengue pathogenesis. In our study, we have found that immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice infected intraperitoneally with DENV-1 presented some signs of dengue disease such as thrombocytopenia, spleen hemorrhage, liver damage, and increase in production of IFNγ and TNFα cytokines. Moreover, the animals became viremic and the virus was detected in several organs by real-time RT-PCR. Thus, this animal model could be used to study mechanism of dengue virus infection, to test antiviral drugs, as well as to evaluate candidate vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]