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Carta de Apresentacao O objetivo deste posicionamento e informar clinicos, cardiologistas e imaginologistas sobre procedimentos, fluxos e protocolos recomendados para o periodo da pandemia do SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), visando a protecao mais eficiente de profissionais de saude e pacientes. As recomendacoes sao baseadas na melhor evidencia cientifica disponivel no momento e no consenso de especialistas com grande experiencia na area. Desde o primeiro caso de COVID-19 no Brasil, passamos por inumeras mudancas nas recomendacoes e grande debate cientifico sobre algumas delas [...]

Aim To assess the influence of artefacts generated by metal posts on the detection of simulated internal root resorption (IRR) in adjacent teeth using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to verify the impact of metal artefact reduction (MAR) on these cases. Methodology CBCT images of 14 premolar teeth were acquired before and after IRR simulation using chemical and mechanical procedures, in an OP300 Maxio unit, with and without MAR. Each tooth was placed in the socket of a human mandible and scanned under three different conditions: (i) without adjacent teeth - control group; (ii) distal adjacent tooth restored with metal post; and (iii) with both adjacent teeth restored with metal post. Five oral radiologists scored the IRR detection using a 5-point scale. Diagnostic values were obtained for the tested groups and compared using two-way analysis of variance (α = 0.05). Results The presence of a single adjacent tooth restored with metal post did not significantly influence the diagnostic values for IRR detection (P > 0.05). The presence of both adjacent teeth with metal posts, without MAR application, was associated with a significantly lower area under the ROC curve (Az) compared to the control (P = 0.0182). In this case, the application of MAR increased Az, leading to nonsignificant differences from the control group and the group with one adjacent restored tooth (P > 0.05). Sensitivity decreased significantly when two adjacent restored teeth were present, regardless of MAR application (P = 0.0379). Specificity was not affected by the conditions tested (P > 0.05). Conclusion CBCT detection of IRR was impaired by artefacts only when both adjacent teeth restored with metal posts were present. In such cases, activation of MAR improved the performance on this diagnostic task.

Neonates can be exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) through placenta and milk, and BPA is associated with disorders such as precocious puberty and obesity. We evaluated the effects of BPA exposure during breastfeeding on the biochemical and endocrine profiles in young and adult rat progeny. From postnatal day (PND) 3 to 15 dams were divided into low-dose BPA treatment [50 μg/kg/day s.c. (BPA-LD)], high-dose BPA treatment [5 mg/kg/day s.c. (BPA-HD)], and Control (vehicle) groups. Milk was collected at PND15 and 21, which represents the end of exposure and 6 days after withdrawal, respectively. Dams were euthanized at weaning. Offspring of both genders were euthanized at PND15, 21, and 180. Milk estradiol levels were lower in the BPA-HD group than in the control group at PND 15; however, they were higher at PND21. Female rats whose mothers were BPA-exposed showed more significant differences from those in the control group, including better glycemic control and lipid profiles and higher food intake without higher adiposity, in adulthood than in the weaning period, when they presented with higher adiposity and hyperestrogenism. Conversely, male rats showed more abnormalities after BPA exposure compared to control rats, including insulin, leptin, testosterone, and thyroid hormone changes, when young but exhibited fewer alterations in adulthood, with increase only in LDLc in the BPA-HD rats. Taken together, the present findings suggest that exposure to BPA exclusively through milk affects adiposity, metabolism, and/or hormones of offspring in the short and long term, possibly compromising normal development in both sexes.

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier that separates the blood from the brain tissue and possesses unique characteristics that make the delivery of drugs to the brain a great challenge. To achieve this purpose, it is necessary to design strategies to allow BBB passage, in order to reach the brain and target the desired anatomic region. The use of nanomedicine has great potential to overcome this problem, since one can modify nanoparticles with strategic molecules that can interact with the BBB and induce uptake through the brain endothelial cells and consequently reach the brain tissue. This review addresses the potential of nanomedicines to treat neurological diseases by using nanoparticles specially developed to cross the BBB.

Este estudo tem o objetivo de identificar a estrutura contábil entre as microempresas localizadas no bairro do Grajaú no município de São Paulo ? SP. A pesquisa foi aplicada em 30 MPEs de setores diversificados, a maioria atuando há 3 e 4 anos no mercado. Os resultados demonstraram que todas as MPEs pertencem ao regime de tributação do SIMPLES e realizam sua contabilidade em escritórios especializados. Verificou-se que a maioria das empresas possui de 1 a 3 funcionários. Concluiu-se que, as empresas com faturamento de até R$ 30.000,00 não possuem o conhecimento sobre contabilidade gerencial, e, consequentemente, não fazem uso dessa ferramenta de gestão.

Background: Currently, consumers are increasingly becoming more demanding regarding the quality of food, holding high expectations from the time of purchase to the consumption of foodstuffs. Thus, food should be safe and sensory alterations should be minimized. The shelf-life of most perishable foodstuffs is based on the study of the survival and growth of microorganisms. However, this study is insufficient to assure the quality and safety of food, making it necessary to carry out physiochemical and sensory analysis to ensure the final quality of products. Scope and Approach: The objective of this study was to characterize the physiochemical, microbiological and sensory properties of two ready-to-eat (RTE) Portuguese condensed milk-based desserts during storage time. The desserts were stored for 30 days at a refrigeration temperature of 4℃. Throughout the study, the following parameters were determined: pH, moisture, hardness and adhesiveness. A sensory analysis was performed according to a semi-trained panel that evaluated the following attributes: appearance, odor, texture and flavor. Key Findings and Conclusions: Results showed a slight increase of pH, moisture, hardness and adhesiveness during storage time. It was concluded that the different RTE desserts comply with the parameters of microbiological quality and food safety according to the guidelines set by Health Protection Agency and Institute of Food Science and Technology. As for sensory analysis results, the panel did not detect differences up to 8 days of storage time. As a result, an expiration date of 8 days could be granted to these four products analyzed.

Background:Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.Objectives:1) To compare proliferative (PLN), membranous (MLN) and mixed LN regarding clinical and laboratory presentation. 2) To investigate predictors of progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:Multicentre observational study, with retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort, using data from the Portuguese registry of rheumatic diseases – Reuma.pt. Patients with biopsy-proven PLN, MLN and mixed LN were included. Groups were compared using Pearson’s Chi-Square for categorical variables and One-Way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis for numerical variables. COX regression analysis was used to investigate predictors of CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] lower than 60 mL/min/1.73m2for at least 3 months) and Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn.Results:236 patients were included. Median follow-up was 8 years (IQR 11; maximum 35 years). As seen in table 1, the level of proteinuria did not differ between groups; however, MLN patients presented with significantly lower serum creatinine. Levels of complement C3 and C4 were reduced in PLN but normal in MLN patients, and there were fewer patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibodies in the MLN group (pTable 1.Comparative description of the Reuma.pt cohort of patients with proliferative, membranous and mixed LNPLNMLNMixedPTotal, N186428Females, N (%)157 (85)39 (95)4 (50)0.004EthnicityWhite European, N (%)163 (90)31 (78)7 (88)0.115Other, N (%)19 (10)9 (23)1 (13)Age LN diagnosis(y), median (IQR)30 (20)34 (16)42 (25)0.409SLEDAI at LN diagnosis, median (IQR)16 (9)10 (10)21 (17)0.006*uPCR at LN diagnosis, median (IQR)1675 (2598)1698 (2153)2160 (3320)0.629Creatinine at LN diagnosis, median (IQR)0.80 (0.32)0.70 (0.20)1.00 (0.95)0.006*eGFR at LN diagnosis, mean ± SD98 ± 33112 ± 1782 ± 450.019*Albumin at LN diagnosis, mean ± SD34 ± 734 ± 730 ± 60.390C3 at LN diagnosis, mean ± SD0.65 ± 0.260.90 ± 0.350.53 ± 0.30Positive anti-dsDNA LN diagnosis, N (%)115 (91)11 (48)6 (86)Use of antimalarials, N (%)166 (94)36 (92)8 (100)0.688Use of immunosuppressants, N (%)163 (94)33 (87)8 (100)0.245Use of corticosteroids, N (%)145 (84)33 (85)7 (100)0.511CKD after LN diagnosis, N (%)27 (15)1 (3)3 (38)0.018*ESRD, N (%)7 (4)1 (3)2 (25)0.016Deaths, N (%)14 (8)2 (5)00.610uPCR: urinary protein-creatinine ratio, mg/g; y: years; Creatinine presented in mg/dL, eGFR in mL/min/1.73m2,albumin in g/L and C3 in g/LNote: Baseline data (LN diagnosis) in grey; other data refer to the course of disease*Significant difference between the proliferative and membranous groupsFigure 1.Kaplan-Meir curves showing cumulative survival free of CKD in patients with PLN, MLN and mixed LNConclusion:Our results support previous findings from single-centre studies suggesting that MLN has a different serological profile than PLN, possibly reflecting different pathogenesis. Renal function at one year predicts long-term outcome in LN.Disclosure of Interests:Filipa Farinha: None declared, Sofia C Barreira: None declared, Maura Couto: None declared, Margarida Cunha: None declared, Diogo Fonseca: None declared, Raquel Freitas: None declared, Luís Inês: None declared, Mariana Luis: None declared, Carla Macieira: None declared, Ana Rita Prata: None declared, Joana Rodrigues: None declared, Bernardo Santos: None declared, Rita Pinheiro Torres: None declared, Ruth J. Pepper: None declared, Anisur Rahman: None declared, Maria Jose Santos Speakers bureau: Novartis and Pfizer

The Robocup Small Size Soccer League is a widely known Robotics league around the world. One important competition done in Robocup is the Small Size Soccer League (SSL). The path following problem is important to score goals in this competition. It is also necessary a speed control algorithm embedded in the low level. The teams mostly use embedded linear speed controllers. However, the robot has constraints not considered by linear control theory. The main goal of this paper is to derive a mathematical description of the robot's model and propose a Model Predictive Controller that considers these constraints, getting near to an optimal approach for the problem. The speed controller achieved shows a system that uses the maximum acceleration available throughout the transient. Besides this, the controller obtained slows down the system to avoid slippages. The slippages could drastically reduce the robot's performance when following paths. Finally, the linear physical model obtained for the constraints opens up opportunities for implementing faster algorithms using e.g. Multi Parametric Programming.

The distributed generation (DG) system insertion based on renewable energy system (RES) in the low-voltage microgrids has demanded efforts for a suitable power flow control strategies. Generally, low-voltage microgrids are resistive with a low X/R ratio which results in active and reactive power coupling. The virtual impedance concept (VIC) can increase the X/R making the microgrid more inductive providing the required power decoupling. Differently, from the methods proposed before, this paper investigates the use of VIC for introducing a virtual resistor becoming the network more resistive and decoupled. Simulation and experimental results obtained from a microgrid laboratory setup operating under different scenarios demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Background:Methotrexate (MTX) is an anti-folate drug with anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects. MTX proved to be the most highly effective, fast-acting disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD), being widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (1).Objectives:This review aims to describe the main genetic variants identified concerning proteins that play a role in methotrexate’s kinetics and efficiency profile.Methods:A literature review was conducted since January of 2000 until December 2020, by searching the PubMed and Embase bibliographic databases, employing the following MeSH terms: methotrexate, pharmacogenetics, pharmacokinetics and rheumatoid arthritis. The search was limited to articles in English language. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts followed by a full-text review to assess papers regarding their eligibility. A total of 48 articles matched the research criteria and were analysed.Results:Genetic variants of four main proteins, with different functions, have been consistently described.Reduced folate carrier 1 (RFC1), a constitutively expressed folate transport protein that has high affinity for MTX is responsible, almost exclusively, for the transport of folate and MTX into the cell. The most commonly studied variant of the gene is the 80G > A variant (rs1051266), mapped within exon 2, on chromosome 21. It seems to improve RA responses to MTX, clinical efficacy with long disease remission (2).ABC transporters are involved in the eflux of MTX from cells. An increased expression and function of these transporters should decrease MTX concentrations in target cells, resulting in lack of therapeutic response. ABCB1 3435 C/T (rs1045642) is a high frequency polymorphism, significantly associated with RA good responses, symptom remission and reduced adverse events, due to MTX treatment (3).Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) is involved in thymidine synthesis. MTX decreases TYMS activity by inhibition and decreasing the access to tetrahydrofolate (THF) cofactors (1). The most common genetic variant of the TYMS gene consists of a 28 bp tandem repeat (rs34743033), with double and triple number of repeats (2R and 3R). The 3R allele genotype was associated with decreased efficacy and increased toxicity (4).The 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme is indirectly inhibited by MTX. The most common SNPs of the MTHFR gene are C677T (rs1801133) and A1298C (rs1801131). Both are associated with a decreased efficacy and an increased toxicity of MTX (5).Conclusion:MTX response is affected by many gene variants; the effect of each variant separately is likely to be small. Additionally, gene-gene interaction, enhancing the potential role of linkage disequilibrium. This shows the emerging need for a better gene characterization and to improve the knowledge about variants distribution according to ethnicity, to explain different responses to MTX at an individual level.References:[1]Song, G. et al. Association of the MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms with methotrexate toxicity in rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis. Clin Rheumatol33, 1715–1724 (2014).[2]Hayashi H. et al. A single nucleotide polymorphism of reduced folate carrier 1 predicts methotrexate efficacy in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2013;28(2):164-8.[3]Zhu H. et al. Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics for rheumatoid arthritis responsiveness to methotrexate treatment: the 2013 update. Pharmacogenomics. 2014 Mar;15(4):551-66.[4]Owen SA. et al. Genetic polymorphisms in key methotrexate pathway genes are associated with response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Pharm J. 2013;13:227–34.[5]Hughes LB. et al. Racial or ethnic differences in allele frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and their influence on response to methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:1213–8.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Background:Enthesitis is a recognized as a hallmark of spondyloarthrtis (SpA), including psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, it is an underestimated disease domain in both in clinical trials and clinical practice (1).Objectives:This systematic literature review (SLR) assessed the efficacy of the available pharmacological options for enthesitis.Methods:A SLR was conducted following the PRISMA reporting guidelines. Studies were sourced from PubMed and Embase databases, using the MeSH terms: enthesitis, entheses, treatment, spondylarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. The search was limited to articles in English published between January 2000 and July 2020. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts.Results:A total of 65 articles matched the research criteria. The included populations, the time to assessment of the primary endpoint and the chosen outcome for assessment of enthesitis was heterogeneous across studies. There were no studies assessing the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, or csDMARDs. In PsA, all TNFis showed superiority in monotherapy against placebo (PBO). However, when combined with methotrexate (MTX), only some TNFi showed superiority against MTX monotherapy. In SpA, there was conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of TNFi in enthesitis. Regarding IL23i in PsA, Ustekinumab was superior to PBO, and to TNFis. Guselkumab was superior to PBO when given every 4 weeks. Regarding IL7i, Secukinumab (SEC) was superior to PBO, only for some dosing schemes. Ixekizumab (IXE) was superior to PBO for the treatment of enthesitis only in TNF-naïve patients. Studies comparing SEC and IXE to ADA, showed no difference. There was no reported data on IL17i for enthesitis in SpA. In PsA, Tofacitinib was superior to PBO in naïve patients, and Tofacitinib 10mg was superior to PBO in bioexperienced patients. Apresmilast 30mg showed superiority to PBO for enthesitis. All finding are summarized on Table 1.Table 1.Findings of the systematic literature review on treatment options for enthesitisDiseaseTested drug vs ReferenceSuperiority of the treatment arm against reference arm (p)ReferencePsATNFi vs PBOYESNCT00051623 (IFX)NCT00265096 (GOL)NCT01087788 (CZP)TNFi+MTX vs PBO+MTX(PBO+ETN one study) vs PBO+MTXNONCT00367237 (IFX)NCT02065713 (GOL)NCT02376790 (ETN)UST vs PBOYESNCT01009086NCT01077362UST vs TNFiYESEudraCT 2017-003799-29 βGUS q4w vs PBOGUS q8w vs PBOYESNONCT03162796NCT03158285SEC (pooled dose) vs PBOYESNCT01392326NCT01752634SEC 300mg vs PBOSEC 150mg vs PBOYESNONCT01989468SEC 300mg with loading vs PBOSEC 150mg with loading vs PBOSEC 150mg no loading vs PBOYESYESNONCT02404350IXE vs PBOADA vs PBOYESNOPsA BionaiveNCT01695239IXE vs PBONOPsA BioexperiencedNCT02349295IL17i (SEC/ ADA) vs TNFiNONCT02745080 (SEC)NCT03151551 (ADA) βAPR 20mg vs PBOAPR 30mg vs PBONOYESNCT01172938TOF 5mg vs PBOTOF 10mg vs PBOADA 40mg vs PBONOYESNONCT01877668 (TNFi-naive)TOF vs PBONONCT01882439 (TNFi-failure)SpAETN vs SSZYES (imaging)/ NO (clinical)axSpANCT00844142ETN vs PBOYES for nr-axSpANCT01258738ADA vs PBOYES for r-axSpANO for nr-axSpAYES for perSpANCT00195819NCT00939003NCT01064856GOL IV vs PBOYES for r-axSpANCT02186873GOL 100mg vs PBOGOL 50mg vs PBOYESNOFor r-axSpANCT00265083GOL vs PBOYES nr-axSpANCT01453725β-Open-label; PsA: Psoriatic arthritis; r-axSpA: Radiologic axial spondylarthritis; nr-axialSpA: non radiological axial spondylarthritis; PBO: Placebo; TNFi: Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors; ETN: Etanercept; IFX: Infliximab; ADA: Adalimumab; GOL: Golimumab; UST: Ustekinumab; CZP: Certolizmab; GUS: Guselkumab; SEC: Secukinumab; IXE: Ixekizumab; APR: Apremilast; TOF: Tofacitinib; MTX - MethotrexateConclusion:This SLR emphasizes the current heterogeneity in the assessment and report of enthesitis. There is still an unmet need for further studies to improve our understanding about enthesopathy.References:[1]Schett G. et al. Enthesitis: from pathophysiology to treatment. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2017;13(12):731-41.Disclosure of Interests:Rita Pinheiro Torres: None declared., Santiago Rodrigues-Manica Speakers bureau: Novartis, Janssen and MSD, Fernando Pimentel dos Santos: None declared.

Background:Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), one of the most common chronic diseases in children, can be classified in seven different categories according to its onset presentation. Concerns about pregnancy outcomes play a secondary role in disease approach. However, recent data showed an increased risk of pre-term birth in women with JIA instead the small patient samples analysed.Objectives:In this review, our aim is to describe the current available knowledge on JIA adverse, maternal and fetal, outcomes.Methods:A systematic literature review was conducted since January of 2000 until December 2020, by searching the PubMed and Embase bibliographic databases. The search was limited to articles in English language, presenting a comparator group (healthy individuals or patients without known auto-immune rheumatic diseases) and at least one clinical outcome of interest. Two independent reviewers screened the titles and abstracts followed by a full-text review to assess papers regarding their eligibility.Results:Ten observational studies out of 1560 references, fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of which, 9 were retrospective and 1 prospective. A total of 6.214 women with JIA (with 6.811 pregnancies) and 18.659.513 healthy controls (with 21.339.194 pregnancies) were included in this review.Concerning maternal outcomes, delivery by caesarian section (CS) was more frequent among JIA women (in 4 out of 6 studies). Pre-eclampsia was referred in 3 out of 6 studies and a higher risk of vaginal bleeding and placenta previa in one additional study. No study found an increased risk for gestational diabetes or hypertension in pregnant women with JIA.Regarding fetal outcomes, 8 studies revealed significantly increased of pre-term birth (only in first births in one study) but one study didn’t show any increased risk. Two studies showed a higher risk of small gestational age (SGA) and in another 2, increased risk for low birth weight (LBW). No evidence of increased risk of major congenital malformations.Conclusion:This systematic review suggests an increased risk for pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, delivery by CS, SGA and LBW, among pregnant women with JIA. Conclusions should be carefully interpreted, giving the heterogeneity of studied populations regarding demography, disease type, disease activity, and prescribed medication.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Background:The response to treatment in spondylarthropaties is heterogeneous, due to factors yet to be better described. For that reason, it is important to find tools that might help clinicians to decide what is the best available therapeutic option for each patient.Objectives:The goal of this study is to use comprehensive molecular profiling to characterize clinical response to therapy in a real-world setting. Specifically, to identify molecular biomarkers differentiating good responders and non-responders to TNF inhibitors (TNFi) treatment, using adalimumab, in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis | ankylosing spondylitis (r-axSpA|AS) patients context.Methods:Whole-blood mRNA and plasma proteins were measured in a cohort of biologic naïve r-axSpA|AS patients (n = 35) from the Bioefficacy study (Biomarkers identification of anti-TNF alpha agent efficacy in AS patients using RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry), pre and post (14 weeks) TNFi treatment using adalimumab. Response to treatment was categorized according to ASAS20. Results of differential expression analysis were used to identify the most enriched pathways and in predictive models to distinguish responses to TNFi.Results:A treatment-related signature, independent of the type of response, suggests a reduction in inflammatory disease activity. We found genes and proteins robustly differentially expressed between baseline and week 14 in responders, including the GWAS AS-associated genes TNFRSF1A, FCGR2A, TYK2, TBKBP1, IL1R1, IL6R, ICOSLG, IL7R, HHAT and LTBR. Moreover, CRP and HP proteins showed strong and early decrease in the plasma of AS patients, while a cluster of apolipoproteins (APO1, APO2, APO3) showed an increased expression at week 14. Good responders to TNFi treatment tend to have higher expression of innate immunity genes at baseline, and lower expression of markers associated with adaptive immunity, particularly B-cells. A logistic regression model incorporating ASDAS-CRP, gender and Gene x, the top differentially expressed gene at baseline between responders and non-responders, enabled an accurate prediction of response to adalimumab in our cohort (AUC=0.97).Conclusion:Differences in disease activity and/or innate/adaptive immune cell type composition at baseline may be a major contributor to response to adalimumab in r-axSpA|AS. Alternatively, a model including clinical and gene expression variables could be considered, particularly in patients with mild disease activity.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

Interferon-α-2b ist eine etablierte und gut vertragliche Therapie der Neoplasien der plattenepithelialen okularen Oberflache (NPOO). Bericht uber Komplikationen bei 2 Patientinnen mit NPOO und rheumatoider Arthritis unter adjuvanter topischer IFN-α-2b-Therapie. Die erste Patientin entwickelte ein sklerales Melting, die zweite eine schwere Keratitis. Nach Absetzen des IFN-α-2b kam es in beiden Fallen zu einer deutlichen Befundbesserung. Immunsupprimierte Patienten mit NPOO unter topischer IFN-α-2b-Therapie sollten engmaschig kontrolliert werden, um Komplikationen rechtzeitig zu erkennen.

Background:Early diagnosis of axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) represents a major clinical challenge nowadays. Increasing evidence has determined that early diagnosis, prompt treatment initiation and early achievement of remission are the best predictors of long-term clinical, functional and radiographic outcomes. New tools to support the diagnosis are needed.Objectives:This study aims to identify differentially expressed genes that may improve the current clinical diagnosis approach for early axSpA.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 participants, 25 patients with axSpA (according to ASAS criteria) and 25 Healthy Controls, matched by gender, age and levels of physical activity. Peripheral blood samples were collected and RNA-Seq technology was performed. Normalization of raw data, and identification of differentially expressed genes was obtained using edgeR and limma-voom R packages. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Functional Enrichment analysis using Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) annotations were also performed. A number of Differently Expressed Genes were highlighted.Results:311 genes were identified as being significantly differentially expressed between patients and controls. In details, 129 downregulated (7 genes have fold change more than 1) and 182 upregulated genes (3 genes have fold change more than 1) are highlighted. These genes are mostly involved in Myogenesis, Innate Immune Signalling and JAK/STAT pathways. Several genes with functions of skeletal muscle development and muscle contraction were identified.Conclusion:The evidence disclosed that regulation of muscle development and contraction may be also engaged in physiopathology mechanisms of axSpA. These new cues open new perspectives for diagnosis and therapeutic approaches in axSpA.Acknowledgments:To all patients and healthy people who participate in MyoSpA studyDisclosure of Interests:Atlas Mashayekhi Sardoo: None declared, Daniel Sobral: None declared, Lucia Domingues: None declared, Santiago Rodrigues-Manica Speakers bureau: Jansse, MSD, Novartis, Rita Pinheiro Torres: None declared, Agna Neto: None declared, Patricia Alves: None declared, Julia Costa: None declared, Ana Rita Grosso: None declared, Jaime Branco Speakers bureau: Vitoria, Fernando Pimentel dos Santos Speakers bureau: Novartis, Pfizer, Biogen, Vitoria

Astrocytes and microglia, the immune competent cells of central nercous system, can be activated in response to metabolic signals such as obesity and hyperleptinaemia. In rats, maternal exposure to nicotine during lactation leads to central obesity, hyperleptinaemia, leptin resistance and alterations in hypothalamic neuropeptides in the offspring during adulthood. In the present study, we studied the activation of astrocytes and microglia, as well as the pattern of inflammatory mediators, in adult offspring of this experimental model. On postnatal day 2 (P2), osmotic minipumps releasing nicotine (NIC) (-6 mg/kg/day) or saline for 14 days were s.c. implanted in dams. Male offspring were killed on P180 and hypothalamic immunohistochemistry, retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT) polymerase chain reaction analysis and multiplex analysis for plasma inflammatory mediators were carried out. At P180, NIC astrocyte cell number was higher in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) (medial: +82%; lateral: +110%), in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) (+144%) and in the lateral hypothalamus (+121%). NIC glial fibrillary acidic protein fibre density was higher in the lateral ARC (+178%) and in the PVN (+183%). Interleukin-6 was not affected in the hypothalamus. NIC monocyte chemotactic protein 1 was only higher in the periventricular nucleus (+287%). NIC microglia (iba-1-positive) cell number was higher (+68%) only in the PVN, as was the chemokine (C-X3-C motif) receptor 1 density (+93%). NIC interleukin-10 was lower in the WAT (-58%) and plasma (-50%). Thus, offspring of mothers exposed to nicotine during lactation present hypothalamic astrogliosis at adulthood and microgliosis in the PVN.

AIM To evaluate apical transportation and centring ability during root canal preparation in mesial root canals of mandibular molars associated with ProTaper Gold (PTG), ProDesign S (PDS), Hyflex CM (HCM), Hyflex EDM and ProDesign Logic (PDL). METHODOLOGY Sixty mandibular first molars with two separate canals in the mesial root were selected after root anatomy pairing by microcomputed tomography (microCT). The teeth were randomly divided into five groups (n = 24); the root canal volume was calculated to ensure sample homogeneity. All the root canals were prepared up to size 25 in accordance with the instructions of each rotary system manufacturer. After root canal preparation, the teeth were scanned by microCT to analyse apical transportation, root canal centralization and the pre- and post-preparation root canal volume at the apical and cervical levels. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests were used for comparisons amongst groups for transportation values. For volume changes, the parametric ANOVA and Tukey's tests were used RESULTS: There were no significant differences in apical transportation amongst the rotary systems (P > 0.05). All the systems created apical transportation; values ranging from 0.031 mm (PDL) to 0.072 mm (PTG), and enlargements between 39% (HCM) and 91.1% (PDS) were observed. In relative to cervical transportation, significant differences were observed amongst the systems (P

BACKGROUND Carbohydrates (CHO) are among the most investigated nutritional ergogenic aids, and may be consumed in different forms, e.g., mouth rinse with carbohydrate solution (MRCS). In this sense, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of MRCS on the performance of physically active individuals undergoing a physical exercise session carried out until the volitional exhaustion. METHODS This is a counter-balanced randomized study, with a double-blind design. The sample consisted of twenty-one physically active healthy men with a mean (±SD) of age of 22.4 (±2.7) years old, 76.7 (±6.0) cm of height,12.1% (±3.7) of body fat mass, and 23.9 (±2.4) kg/m2 of body mass index. After familiarizing the participants with the protocol (cycle ergometer, with oral mouth rinse procedure) and assessing the maximal lactate steady state the cycling exercise was performed until the volitional exhaustion in the following conditions: without mouth rinse (CONTROL), PLACEBO and MRCS. RESULTS Time to reach exhaustion was statistically different (P

Due to low-cost and simplicity, differential drive mobile robot are very popular in academic and hobby environments. However, in some applications, such as robot soccer, these robots need to move quickly and aggressively, thus requiring the use of techniques from control systems theory, where an accurate mathematical model is paramount. On the other hand, given budget limitations, the components used for academic robotics competitions are often acquired from hobby-grade manufacturers, which usually provide incomplete specifications. In this paper, we introduce a procedure to experimentally measure the parameters involved in the dynamical model of a differential drive robot. The procedure is intentionally based on a low-cost setup, which uses equipments found in academic laboratories. Moreover, we show experiments results that validate the mathematical model obtained through the experimental procedure.

This paper investigates, experimentally and numerically, the shear velocity distribution along a single transverse dune and along two closely spaced dunes, analyzing the flow effects of one dune upon the other. The paper focuses on two-dimensional models simulating transverse sand dunes. The shape of the two pile geometries studied is described by sinusoidal curves, one having a maximum slope of $$32^{\circ }$$ and the other $$27.6^{\circ }$$ , with leeward flow separation. The tests were carried out for two undisturbed wind speeds and the experimental data obtained through wind-tunnel modeling encompass flow visualization and shear-velocity results. A generally good agreement is observed between the experimental measurements and computational results. From the inquiry between shear velocity distributions and published eroded contours for the same geometries, it appears the Bagnold’s approach is insufficient in the prediction of threshold conditions in wake flows formed in the dune’s leeward side.

Non-pharmacological early weaning (NPEW) leads offspring to obesity, higher liver oxidative stress and microsteatosis in adulthood. Pharmacological EW (PEW) by maternal treatment with bromocriptine (BRO) causes obesity in the adult progeny but precludes hepatic injury. To test the hypothesis that BRO prevents the deleterious changes of NPEW, we injected BRO into the pups from the NPEW model on late lactation. Lactating rats were divided into 2 groups: dams with an adhesive bandage around the body to prevent breastfeeding on the last 3 days of lactation and dams whose pups had free suckling (C). Offspring from both groups were subdivided into 2 groups: pups treated with BRO (ip 4 mg/kg/day) on the last 3 days of lactation (NPEW/BRO and C/BRO) or pups treated with the vehicle (NPEW and C). At PN120, offspring were challenged with a high fat diet (HFD), and food intake was recorded after 30 min and 12 h. Rats were euthanized at PN120 and PN200. At PN120, adipocyte size was greater in the NPEW group but was normal in the NPEW/BRO group. At PN200, the NPEW group presented hyperphagia, higher adiposity, adipocyte hypertrophy, hyperleptinemia, glucose intolerance and increased hepatic triglycerides. These parameters were normalized in the NPEW/BRO group. In the feeding test, BRO groups showed lower HFD intake at 30 min than did their controls; however, at 12 h, the NPEW group ate more HFD. The treatment with BRO can preclude some deleterious effects of the NPEW model, which prevented the development of overweight and its comorbidities. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski (guilherme@nead.unesp.br) on 2013-08-22T18:44:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S1808-16572012000400006.pdf: 279652 bytes, checksum: 8f2bb95ab7fa262bfc622fcfc7685599 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:44:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S1808-16572012000400006.pdf: 279652 bytes, checksum: 8f2bb95ab7fa262bfc622fcfc7685599 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-01 Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:32:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1808-16572012000400006.pdf: 279652 bytes, checksum: 8f2bb95ab7fa262bfc622fcfc7685599 (MD5) S1808-16572012000400006.pdf.txt: 35128 bytes, checksum: 213c5ae33ee7023a1493c8ad987d8c39 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-01 Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-20T15:08:48Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S1808-16572012000400006.pdf: 279652 bytes, checksum: 8f2bb95ab7fa262bfc622fcfc7685599 (MD5) S1808-16572012000400006.pdf.txt: 35128 bytes, checksum: 213c5ae33ee7023a1493c8ad987d8c39 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:08:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1808-16572012000400006.pdf: 279652 bytes, checksum: 8f2bb95ab7fa262bfc622fcfc7685599 (MD5) S1808-16572012000400006.pdf.txt: 35128 bytes, checksum: 213c5ae33ee7023a1493c8ad987d8c39 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-01 Objetivou-se estudar a influência da artrite encefalite caprina no hemograma de cabras durante a lactação. Para tanto, 38 matrizes F1 Anglo-Nubiana x Saanen, com idade entre 14 e 38 meses e escore corporal entre dois e três, foram previamente testadas por IDGA e Western Blot para a divisão em grupo soropositivo (n = 19) e soronegativo (n = 19). Os grupos foram mantidos em piquetes distintos, sem contato físico, recebendo o mesmo manejo nutricional e sanitário. O sangue foi coletado por venipunção da jugular, mensalmente, desde o parto até o fim da lactação. Foram determinados os valores do eritrograma e do leucograma. em dados momentos, os soropositivos apresentaram alterações morfológicas nas hemácias, com diminuição significativa do VCM, aumento significativo do HCM e CHCM. Não houve diferença significativa entre grupos na contagem de hemácias e volume globular. Os valores absolutos de monócitos e eosinófilos dos soropositivos, em algumas ocasiões, encontraram-se significativamente superiores aos dos soronegativos e acima da faixa de normalidade para a espécie caprina. The objective was to study the influence of caprine arthritis encephalitis in the blood count of goats during lactation. To this end, 38 F1 Anglo-Nubian x Saanen reproductive female goats, aged 14 to 38 months and body condition score between 2 and 3, were first tested by AGID and Western Blot, and divided into either a seropositive group (n = 19) or a seronegative group (n = 19). The groups were kept in separate paddocks, without physical contact, receiving the same nutritional and health management. The blood of these animals was collected by jugular venipuncture, monthly, from the partum period until the end of lactation, and their erythrogram and leukogram values were determined. At given moments, the seropositive animals showed morphological changes in red blood cells, with significant decrease in MCV, coupled with a significant increase of MCH and MCHC. There was no significant difference between the groups in the values of red blood cells and packed cell volume. The absolute values of monocytes and eosinophils of the seropositive animals, at certain moments, were significantly higher than the seronegative ones and above the normal range for goats. Universidade Estadual do Ceará Laboratório de Virologia Universidade Estadual Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Caprinos e Ovinos Departamento de Sanidade Animal Laboratório de Patologia Clínica e de Virologia Universidade Estadual Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias

Previously, we have shown that maternal smoke exposure during lactation, even when pups are not exposed, affects biochemical profiles in the offspring at weaning, eliciting lower body adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, hypocorticosteronemia and lower adrenal catecholamine content. However, the future impact of tobacco exposure is still unknown. As postnatal nicotine exposure causes short- and long-term effects on pups' biochemistry and endocrine profiles, we have now evaluated some endocrine and metabolic parameters of the adult offspring whose mothers were tobacco exposed during lactation. For this, from day 3 to 21 of lactation, rat dams were divided in: 1) SE group, cigarette smoke-exposed (1.7 mg nicotine/cigarettes for 1 h, 4 times/day, daily), without their pups, and 2) C group, exposed to air, in the same conditions. Offspring were killed at 180-days-old. Body weight and food intake were evaluated. Blood, white adipose tissue, adrenal, and liver were collected. All significant data were p0.05. The adult SE offspring showed no change in body weight, cumulative food intake, serum hormone profile, serum lipid profile, or triglycerides content in liver. However, in adrenal gland, adult SE offspring showed lower catecholamine content ( - 50%) and lower tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression ( - 56%). Despite the hormonal alterations during lactation, tobacco smoke exposure through breast milk only programmed the adrenal medullary function at adulthood and this dysfunction can have consequence on stress response. Thus, an environment free of smoke during lactation period is essential to improve health outcomes in adult offspring.

Maternal nicotine exposure leads to neonatal hypothyroidism that can be returned to euthyroidism after nicotine withdrawal. Here, we examined the transfer of iodine through milk, deiodinase activities (D1 and D2), and serum T3, T4 and TSH in rat offspring after maternal exposure to nicotine. One day after birth, a minipump was implanted to dams releasing nicotine (NIC), 6 mg/kg/day for 13 days or vehicle saline. Animals were killed at the day 15 and 21 of lactation. At day 15, NIC-treated dams showed decreased T4 and mammary 2h-radioiodine uptake (RAIU) and increase of TSH, thyroid 2h-RAIU, liver D1 and mammary D2. At the cessation of NIC-exposure, pups displayed decreased T3, T4 and thyroid 2h-RAIU and increased TSH. At weaning (21-postnatal day), NIC-treated dams recovered their T4 and TSH, but increased deiodinase level in the liver and mammary gland. Milk T3 content in NIC-treated dams was higher at both day 15 and 21, and thyroid function was recovered at the day 21. Thus, thyroid function was affected by nicotine in both mothers and pups, suggesting a primary hypothyroidism. After nicotine withdrawal, pups recovered thyroid function probably due to the increased lactational transfer of T3 in relation with increased mammary gland deiodinase activities.

Summary. HCV infection is highly prevalent among kidney transplant (KT) recipients. The natural history and management of these patients are controversial. We sought to assess the diagnostic value of noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis in KT HCV-infected patients. This cross-sectional study included 102 KT individuals with positive HCV-RNA. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify variables associated with significant fibrosis (METAVIR ≥ F2). Significant fibrosis was observed in 20 patients (20%). Time after transplantation, AST level, and platelet count were identified as independent predictors of significant fibrosis. Based on the regression model, a simplified index was devised. The AUROC for the TX-3 model was 0.867 ± 0.081 (0.909, when adjusted by DANA). Values ≤4.0 of TX-3 showed a NPV of 97% and scores >9.6 exhibited a PPV of 71%. If biopsy indication was restricted to scores in the intermediate range of TX-3, this could have been correctly avoided in 68% of cases. The APRI score provided a correct diagnosis in only 47 individuals (46%) and exhibited lower diagnostic indices for both cutoffs, as compared to the TX-3 index. Comparison of AUROCs showed a trend towards superior diagnostic accuracy for TX-3 over APRI, although the difference between AUROCs did not reach statistical significance (0.867 ± 0.053 vs 0.762 ± 0.066, respectively, P = 0.064). In conclusion, significant liver fibrosis can be reliably predicted in KT HCV-infected subjects by simple and widely available parameters. If additional studies confirm our results, this model might obviate the requirement for a liver biopsy in a significant proportion of those patients.

Standard clinical practice recommends minimal doses of vasoactive drugs during weaning of patients from mechanical ventilation. However, there are currently no clinical data to inform clinicians about whether the use of noradrenaline during weaning predisposes to weaning failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the necessity of the vasopressor noradrenaline in mechanically ventilated patients recovering from septic shock changed the extubation outcome. A total of 656 patients recovering from septic shock on mechanical ventilation were selected from intensive care units in two university hospitals. Patients receiving noradrenaline at the time of weaning and case-controls not taking noradrenaline were matched for age, gender, haemodynamic and ventilatory parameters, aetiology of respiratory failure and APACHE II score. One hundred and forty-five patients who successfully tolerated a spontaneous breathing trial were extubated while on noradrenaline therapy and the reintubation rate was measured. In the noradrenaline group, the mean dose of noradrenaline during initial shock treatment was 0.52±0.29 μg/kg/min and 0.12±0.10 μg/kg/min during weaning. The reintubation rate was 12/63 (19%) in the noradrenaline group and 15/82 (18.3%) in the control group (P=1.00). Intensive care unit mortality was also similar in both groups (10/63, 15.9%) for noradrenaline patients and (11/82, 13.4%) for control patients (P=0.81). Arterial blood gases and ventilatory and haemodynamic parameters were similar in all patients regardless of weaning success. We did not find that the use of noradrenaline at the time of weaning was associated with extubation failure. Low doses of noradrenaline may not preclude weaning from mechanical ventilation.

The tolerance to in-band crosstalk of virtual carrier (VC)-assisted direct detection (DD) multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM) system is assessed numerically through Monte-Carlo simulation and considering a single interferer. The influence of the virtual carrier-to-band power ratio (VBPR) and the virtual carrier-to-band gap (VBG) of the interferer on the in-band tolerance is also studied. We show that, for interferers with the same VBG as the selected signal, the increase of the VBPR of the interferer leads to lower optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) penalties. The increase of the VBG of the interferer with central frequency different from the selected signal also leads to lower OSNR penalties. When the central frequencies of the interferer and selected bands are the same, the variation VBG of the interferer can lead to 11 dB less tolerance to in-band crosstalk of the VC-assisted DD OFDM system. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

There is a high incidence of thrombosis in cancer patients. Retrospective studies indicate that lupus anticoagulant (LA) antibodies can be a thrombosis risk factor in cancer. In 77 patients with different forms of cancer LA and thrombosis incidence were retrospectively evaluated. In a prospective study, with 42 lung adenocarcinoma patients, we measured plasma LA, fibrinogen, factor VIII (FVIII), and thrombosis incidence. A high frequency of LA and thrombosis were observed in both studies. In isolation LA, increased levels of FVIII and fibrinogen could not be considered good markers for the development of thrombosis.

To investigate the effect of partially defatted Granulated Brazil nut (GBN) on biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status of hypertensive and dyslipidemic patients on nutrition and drug approaches. Ninety one hypertensive and dyslipidemic subjects of both genders (51.6 % men), mean age 62.1 ± 9.3 years, performed a randomized crossover trial, double-blind, placebo controlled. Subjects received a diet and partially defatted GBN 13 g per day (≈227.5 μg/day of selenium) or placebo for twelve weeks with four-week washout interval. Anthropometric, laboratory and clinic characteristics were investigated at baseline. Plasma selenium (Se), plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx3) activity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 8-epi PGF2α and oxidized LDL were evaluated at the beginning and in the end of each intervention. GBN intake significantly increased plasma Se from 87.0 ± 16.8 to 180.6 ± 67.1 μg/L, increased GPx3 activity in 24,8 % (from 112.66 ± 40.09 to 128.32 ± 38.31 nmol/min/mL, p

This paper deals with a real application on a brazilian telephone company. Data mining analysis, based on neural networks, was performed on the customer base in order to understand and to prevent bad debt events. This paper describes the knowledge discovering process and focuses on two main products: the cluster analysis of the customer base and a bad debt event classification model. The segmentation of the customer base has provided a better understanding of several groups of customers' behavior. Distinct actions are taken, depending on the segment a given client was put in, according to strategic directions of the company. The classification of insolvent customers is used as a tool to help the company to take preventing actions in order to avoid main losses and taxes leakage. The results of the project's implantation show that investment on information technology infra-structure for data mining is highly profitable.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of different types of lipid diets on the lipid metabolism of aging rats. METHODS: Fifty male Wistar rats were studied from the time of weaning to 12 and 18 months of age. Their diets were supplemented as follows: with soybean oil (S), canola oil (CA), lard and egg yolk (LE), and canola oil + lard and egg yolk (CA + LE). Blood pressure (BP) was measured every month, and the heart/body ratio (H/BR) was determined. The rats were euthanized at the age of 12 and 18 months, and blood samples were collected for lipid analysis as follows: total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, VLDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides (TG), and glucose. RESULTS: The type of oil ingested by the animals significantly altered BP, H/BR, and serum lipid levels in rats at 12 and 18 months. No difference was observed in the survival curve of the animals in the different groups. The LE group had the highest BP, and the CA group was the only one in which BP did not change with aging. A reduction in the H/BR was observed in the LE and CA+LE animals. At the age of 12 months, differences in TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, TG, and glucose were observed. At the age of 18 months, a significant difference in TC, HDL-C, and glucose was observed. The highest TC value was found in the CA group and the lowest in the S group. CONCLUSION: No increase in BP occurred, and an improvement was evident in the lipid profile of rats fed a diet supplemented with CA, in which an elevation in HDL-C levels was observed, as compared with levels with the other types of diet.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are associated with comorbidity. Shoulder pain is among the symptoms associated with TMD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between TMD and rotator cuff disease (RCD) and related genetic aspects. All subjects underwent orofacial and shoulder examinations. The control group comprised 30 subjects with no pain. Affected subjects were divided into three groups: RCD (TMD-free, n=16), TMD (RCD-free, n=13), and TMD/RCD (patients with both RCD and TMD, n=49). A total of eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ESRRB gene were investigated. A chemiluminescent immunoassay was used to measure estradiol levels. Surface electromyography recorded head and cervical muscle activity. The χ(2) test and Student t-test/Mann-Whitney test were used to assess the significance of nominal and continuous variables. A P-value of

The barks of Drimys winteri are used in folk medicine as a remedy to treat several diseases, including dolorous processes. Previous pre-clinical experiments carried out in our laboratories revealed that the hydroalcoholic extract of this plant showed anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. Such promising results led us to determine the analgesic compounds present in D. winteri. Through conventional chromatographic procedures with fractions of CH2Cl2 and EtOAc obtained from methanolic extract, it was found that polygodial (1), 1-beta-(p-methoxycynnamyl) polygodial (2), taxifolin (3) and astilbin (4), are the main components of these fractions. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited marked antinociceptive action by intraperitoneal and oral routes against acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions in mice, suggesting that they are responsible, at least partially, for the antinociceptive effects of this plant. In addition, both compounds were notably more potent than aspirin and acetaminophen, two well-known drugs used here as comparison.

Após caracterização clínico-epidemiológica da oncocercose na região Yanomâmi, RR, Brasil, iniciada em 1993, a Fundação Nacional de Saúde (FNS) implementou um projeto piloto de controle e tratamento nos pólos de base de Tootobi e Balawaú. Nestes, foram estudadas biópsias de pele de 426 pessoas. Nos nódulos de 86,7% de pacientes, foi encontrada Onchocerca volvulus. A prevalência global encontrada na população examinada foi 66,2%. O tratamento, com ivermectina, teve uma cobertura de 80,1% da população total. Reações adversas ao medicamento foram relatadas em 12,3% dos pacientes, sendo consideradas como leves e moderadas. Estes resultados são concordantes com os descritos na literatura médica e sugerem a factibilidade da ampliação do referido Programa para toda a área Yanomâmi, numa próxima fase.After to characterize the clinic and epidemiological picture of the onchocerciasis in Yanomâmi region, RR, Brazil, begun in 1993, the National Health Foundation (FNS) implemented a Control and Treatment Pilot Project in Tootobi and Balawaú. Here, it was studied skin biopsies from 426 inhabitants. In the nodules of 86.7% from patients was encountered Onchocerca volvulus. The over-all prevalence in the examined population was 66.2%. The treatment with ivermectin covered 80.1% of total population. Adverse reactions, light and moderate, of the medicament were reported in 12.3% of the patients. These results agreeing with the medical literature and suggesting the viability of to increase of the programme for all Yanomâmi area in the next phase.

This research presents the study of an AC photovoltaic module, based on a full-bridge DC/DC converter with phase shift controller and soft switching technique that requires a simple controller. It has a high component count, although high efficiency and performance. In this study a comparison is made with one of the topologies with lower component count, based on a flyback converter. The goal of this study is to prove that even with a higher number of components the full bridge-based converter has better and higher efficiency and provides more energy to the grid.

The five-year survival rate of liver cancer is low, 14% according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program database of the National Cancer Institute from 2003 to 2007 [3]. Since in the early stages of liver cancer, patients usually do not show signs or symptoms, improving early diagnosis is essential in order to reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Association rule mining, a popular method for discovering interesting hidden relationships or patterns between variables in large databases, has demonstrated benefit when applied to cancer detection and management. To date, however, no studies have applied it to liver cancer. The objective of this study was to apply the FP-growth association algorithm to discover patterns from liver cancer data, which can hopefully be used for early detection.

Children from pregnant smokers show more susceptibility to develop obesity in adult life. Previously, we failed to demonstrate a program for obesity in rat offspring only when the mothers were exposed to tobacco smoke during lactation. Here, we studied the short- and long-term effects of smoke exposure (SE) to both dams and their pups during lactation on endocrine and metabolic parameters. For this, we designed an experimental model where nursing rats and their pups were divided into two groups: SE group, exposed to smoke in a cigarette smoking machine (four times/day, from the third to the 21st day of lactation), and group, exposed to filtered air. Pups were killed at 21 and 180 days. At weaning, SE pups showed lower body weight (7%), length (5%), retroperitoneal fat mass (59%), visceral adipocyte area (60%), and higher subcutaneous adipocyte area (95%) with hypoinsulinemia (−29%), hyperthyroxinemia (59%), hypercorticosteronemia (60%), and higher adrenal catecholamine content (+58%). In adulthood, SE offspring showed higher food intake (+10%), body total fat mass (+50%), visceral fat mass (retroperitoneal: 55%; mesenteric: 67%; and epididymal: 55%), and lower subcutaneous adipocyte area (24%) with higher serum glucose (11%), leptin (85%), adiponectin (1.4-fold increase), total triiodothyronine (71%), free thyroxine (57%), TSH (36%), triglycerides (65%), VLDL cholesterol (+66%), and HDL cholesterol (91%) levels and lower corticosteronemia (41%) and adrenal catecholamine content (57%). Our present findings suggest that tobacco SE to both dams and their pups during lactation causes malnutrition in early life that programs for obesity and hormonal and metabolic disturbances in adulthood, only if the pups are submitted to the same smoke environment as the mother.

Association rules produced by the Apriori and FPGrowth algorithms reveal demographic factors associated with increased incidence of liver cancer and may provide a mechanism for early detection.

Aims Postnatal nicotine exposure causes precocious primary hypothyroidism and programs for overweight, hyperleptinemia and secondary hypothyroidism in adulthood. As leptin and thyroid hormones share the ability to increase energy expenditure, we studied the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during lactation on the leptin signaling in the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis of suckling and adult offspring. Main methods Two days after delivery, osmotic minipumps were implanted in lactating rats, and nicotine (NIC, 6 mg/kg/day s.c.) or saline (C) was administered for 14 days. Offspring were killed at 15 and 180 days-old. Proteins belonging to leptin signaling were analyzed by Western blot. Significant differences had p Key findings In the hypothalamus, NIC offspring showed higher OB-R and pSTAT-3 content (+ 58%,+1.34x) at 15 days, and lower OB-R, JAK-2 and pSTAT-3 (−61%, −42%, −56%) at 180 days. In the pituitary gland, NIC offspring showed lower JAK-2 content (−52%) at 15 days, but no differences in adulthood. In the thyroid gland, the NIC group presented lower OB-R, JAK-2 and STAT-3 (−44%, −50%, −47%) and higher pSTAT-3 expression (+ 80%) at 15 days. At 180 days-old, NIC offspring presented higher thyroid OB-R (+ 1.54x) and lower pSTAT-3 content (−34%). Significance Neonatal primary hypothyroidism induced by maternal nicotine exposure during lactation may be partially explained by decreased leptin signaling in the thyroid, though the early stimulation of the central leptin pathway did not prevent the thyroid dysfunction. Long-term effects of postnatal nicotine exposure on leptin signaling in the hypothalamus and thyroid appear to involve central and peripheral leptin resistance in adulthood.

Thrombosis is highly prevalent in cancer patients, being accepted as a bad prognosis marker. The importance of various mechanisms involved in the thrombophilic state of lung cancer patients is not well understood. In this prospective study, involving 109 unselected patients with lung adenocarcinoma, thrombosis was present in 24% of patients and affected survival in a bivariable model. However, in a multivariable evaluation, considering all the factors under study, only LAC and IgM anti-beta(2) GP I modified thrombosis risk, whereas in a Kaplan-Meyer regression model, thrombosis, IL-6, LAC, factor VIII, and IgM anti-beta(2) GP I interfered with patient's survival.

The main goal of this paper is to propose a methodology to determine the minimum number of measurement points in an indoor environment for a 2.4 GHz Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) project. For validate this methodology, measurement campaigns was accomplished in two buildings (indoor environments), using an access point as signal transmitter, and a notebook computer as receiver, equipped with a wireless board. Collected data have been expanded using a generalized regressor. Propagation loss computation has been made using the expanded data in an adapted Pade Approximant model from the total points. Results obtained show that the methodology can be applied successfully.

Background and aims Obesity is present among all age groups and in all socioeconomic groups. This study on obese rats aims to quantify the beneficial effects of physical exercise on blood pressure (BP), the heart, the elasticity and resistance of arteries. Methods and results Obese male Wistar rats, (obesity due to a high fat diet with 30% fat), and non-obese rats, were assigned to four groups (n = 5): sedentary obese; exercise-practice obese; sedentary control; and exercise-practice control (motor treadmill for 13 weeks). Their organs were studied through light microscopy and stereology. The diet-induced obesity caused mild hypertension with adverse cardiovascular changes. Physical exercise diminished the alterations associated with BP elevation and obesity. The pressure-lowering effect observed in obese rats submitted to physical exercise improved the myocardial vascularization and the aortic and the carotid wall structure by reducing the thickness and normalizing both the elastic lamellae and the smooth muscle cells. The adaptive response of the gluteus superficialis muscle to physical exercise also improved the peripheral resistance arteries of obese rats. Conclusion Current research supports the notion of physical exercise as a potential non-pharmacological antihypertensive treatment for diet-induced obesity hypertension.