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Copyright of Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal is the property of World Health Organization and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines how moral disengagement, empathy, belief in a just world, and peer group normative beliefs regarding the roles of bully and defender of the victim are associated with attitudes regarding the roles of the bully and the defender of the victim. Two hundred ninety-two students from grades 6-9 participated. Results showed that more positive attitudes regarding role of bully were predicted by higher levels of moral disengagement, whereas more positive attitudes regarding the role of defender of the victim were predicted by lower levels of moral disengagement. The perception of the normative beliefs of the peer group also predicted the attitudes of participants regarding the respective role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Biomecânica is the property of Editora Estacao Liberdade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the teratogenic effects of the interaction between acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and ethanol on the epithelium of the lingual mucosa in rat fetuses. On the 10th pregnancy day, a single intraperitoneal ethanol dose (2.96 g/kg body weight) (Group I), ASA (200 mg/kg body weight) (Group II) and ASA plus ethanol, in the same doses (Group III), or saline (Group IV – control), were administrated. The epithelial alterations were assessed by means of histological and morphometric methods, on posterior dorsal, anterior dorsal and ventral regions of the tongue. ASA reduced, in rat fetuses, the ethanol deleterious effects on nuclear size in the epithelial prickle cell of the lingual mucosa. On the other hand, ASA did not influence the effects of ethanol in both epithelial layers of the lingual mucosa, when the nuclear shape, cell volume or epithelial layers thickness were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJETIVO: Tem sido sugerido que os indicadores da obesidade centralizada, representados pela relação entre as medidas das circunferências da cintura e do quadril e pela medida da circunferência da cintura, expressam distúrbios metabólicos diferentes. Assim, realizou-se estudo para verificar o potencial diagnóstico da relação circunferência cintura/circunferência do quadril com fatores sociais, comportamentais e biológicos, determinantes da obesidade centralizada. MÉTODOS: Em uma amostra da população do Município de São Paulo, SP, composta por 1.042 pessoas, foram utilizados dois modelos de análise hierárquica de regressão múltipla para se avaliar as relações entre os indicadores e os fatores determinantes da obesidade centralizada. Foram realizados três inquéritos (clínico, bioquímico e laboratorial e comportamental), utilizando questionário padronizado. Para avaliação, foram utilizados os instrumentos: pressão arterial, medidas antropométricas, medida de cintura e medida do quadril. RESULTADOS: A medida de circunferência da cintura e do quadril (RCQ) mostrou associação significativa com a baixa estatura e foi fortemente relacionada ao nível socioeconômico, não ocorrendo o mesmo com a CC. A RCQ e a medida de circunferência da cintura (CC) foram fortemente associadas à idade, sexo e sedentarismo. As mulheres têm maior risco de apresentaram obesidade centralizada: OR=5,04 e 7,27, para a RCQ e CC, respectivamente. No que se refere aos distúrbios metabólicos, a RCQ associou-se significativamente com as alterações indicativas da síndrome metabólica: hipertensão e baixos níveis de HDL-colesterol. A CC associou-se significativamente com a hipertensão isolada. Ambos os indicadores associaram-se intensamente com a presença concomitante de duas ou mais alterações ligadas à síndrome metabólica. A CC associou-se à hipercolesterolemia, o que não ocorreu com a RCQ. CONCLUSÕES: A RCQ relacionou-se melhor com os fatores socioeconômicos, risco de desnutrição pregressa e com as alterações indicativas da síndrome metabólica do que a CC, mais associada aos fatores de risco para doenças cardiovasculares ateroscleróticas.

OBJETIVO: Verificar alguns fatores de risco para a baixa estatura em adolescentes escolares e trabalhadores. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi estratificada, constituída por 50% dos escolares da quinta série ao terceiro colegial das duas maiores escolas dos municípios de Monteiro Lobato e de Santo Antonio do Pinhal, em 1999, uma de zona urbana e outra de zona rural, com um total de 756 indivíduos. A desnutrição foi definida pelo indicador altura/idade, segundo o padrão do National Center for Health Statistics (1977). Foram feitas a distribuição da altura/idade na população amostrada e uma análise multivariada, utilizando o método "stepwise", em que a baixa estatura foi a variável dependente. RESULTADOS: Constatou-se que 12,7% (96) dos adolescentes estavam abaixo do P5 do padrão, 24,4% (184) entre os centis 5 e 15 e 47,1% ( 356) entre 15 e 50. A chance de baixa estatura foi associada à idade: tomando-se como base a faixa etária entre 10 e 13 anos, para os indivíduos entre 14 e 17 anos, encontrou-se mais do que o dobro de chance de baixa altura (ORaj=2,49) e, para aqueles de 17 a 19, o triplo (ORaj=3,37). Estar desempregado aumenta o risco de baixa estatura (ORaj=2,86) em relação aos que trabalham. Também são maiores as chances de baixa estatura entre os que trabalham em tempo parcial (ORaj=1,81). CONCLUSÕES: Constataram-se determinantes econômicos no risco de desnutrição crônica entre os adolescentes, na medida em que o trabalho é parte imprescindível da estratégia de sobrevivência desse grupo. Ressalta-se que a aplicação da legislação referente ao trabalho do menor deve ser acompanhada de políticas públicas compensatórias.

Purpose. To report the treatment outcome of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin (PDT) for exudative retinal detachment (RD) associated with diffuse choroidal hemangioma in Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS). Methods. An interventional case report of a 10-year-old girl with SWS who developed an exudative RD (visual acuity hand motions) that was treated with PDT. She was treated with a first session of multispot PDT. Posteriorly, a choroidotomy for drainage of subretinal fluid was created, combined with an intravitreal injection of gas (SF6) and cryoapplication. Finally, a second session of PDT was applied. Results. Subretinal fluid resolved over a period of one year and visual acuity increased to 20/125. Conclusions. PDT is an effective therapeutic option for exudative RD associated with diffuse choroidal hemangioma.

Abstract Background Studies in children have shown that concentration of specific serum IgE (sIgE) and size of skin tests to inhalant allergens better predict wheezing and reduced lung function than the information on presence or absence of atopy. However, very few studies in adults have investigated the relationship of quantitative atopy with lung function and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Objective To determine the association between lung function and AHR and quantitative atopy in a large sample of adults from the UK. Methods FEV1 and FVC (% predicted) were measured using spirometry and airway responsiveness by methacholine challenge (5-breath dosimeter protocol) in 983 subjects (random sample of 800 parents of children enrolled in a population-based birth cohort enriched with 183 patients with physician-diagnosed asthma). Atopic status was assessed by skin prick tests (SPT) and measurement of sIgE (common inhalant allergens). We also measured indoor allergen exposure in subjects' homes. Results Spirometry was completed by 792 subjects and 626 underwent methacholine challenge, with 100 (16.0%) having AHR (dose-response slope>25). Using sIgE as a continuous variable in a multiple linear regression analysis, we found that increasing levels of sIgE to mite, cat and dog were significantly associated with lower FEV1 (mite p = 0.001, cat p = 0.0001, dog p = 2.95 × 10-8). Similar findings were observed when using the size of wheal on skin testing as a continuous variable, with significantly poorer lung function with increasing skin test size (mite p = 8.23 × 10-8, cat p = 3.93 × 10-10, dog p = 3.03 × 10-15, grass p = 2.95 × 10-9). The association between quantitative atopy with lung function and AHR remained unchanged when we repeated the analyses amongst subjects defined as sensitised using standard definitions (sIgE>0.35 kUa/l, SPT-3 mm>negative control). Conclusions In the studied population, lung function decreased and AHR increased with increasing sIgE levels or SPT wheal diameter to inhalant allergens, suggesting that atopy may not be a dichotomous outcome influencing lung function and AHR.

Abstract Background Studies on salivary variables and pregnancy in Latin America are scarce. This study aimed to compare salivary flow rate, pH, and concentrations of calcium, phosphate, and sIgA of unstimulated whole saliva in pregnant and non-pregnant Brazilians. Methods Cross-sectional study. Sample was composed by 22 pregnant and 22 non-pregnant women attending the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, São Lucas Hospital, in Porto Alegre city, South region of Brazil. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected to determine salivary flow rate, pH, and biochemical composition. Data were analyzed by Student t test and ANCOVA (two-tailed α = 0.05). Results No difference was found for salivary flow rates and concentrations of total calcium and phosphate between pregnant and non-pregnant women (p > 0.05). Pregnant women had lower pH (6.7) than non-pregnant women (7.5) (p < 0.001), but higher sIgA level (118.9 mg/L) than the latter (90.1 mg/L) (p = 0.026). Conclusion Some of the tested variables of unstimulated whole saliva were different between pregnant and non-pregnant Brazilians in this sample. Overall, the values of the tested salivary parameters were within the range of international references of normality.

Foram analisadas as interrelações entre as chuvas, a qualidade da água do açude Gavião (município de Pacatuba/CE) e o tratamento da água realizado na estação situada a sua jusante. Acompanharamse as variáveis cor aparante, turbidez e pH da água bruta e as dosagens dos produtos químicos utilizados na estação. O pH no primeiro semestre (chuvoso) teve média de pH 7,53 + 0,3 e no segundo semestre (estiagem) 7,69 + 0,1. A turbidez no primeiro semestre teve média 8,85 + 2,6 uT e no segundo semestre 9,91 + 2,2 uT. Já a média da variável cor no primeiro semestre foi 40,9 + 2,8 uH e no período de estiagem 38,9 + 2,8 uH. Quanto às dosagens dos produtos químicos observou-se que as do Cloro Gasoso foram maiores no período de chuvas (10,28 + 0,6 mg/L) do que na estiagem (9,63 + 0,2 mg/L). Já as dosagens de PAC pouco variaram (período de chuvas: 7,06 + 0,5 mg/L, estiagem: 6,18 + 0,6 mg/L). As dosagens de Polímero Catiônico acompanharam as alterações na qualidade da água (primeiro semestre: 2,21 + 0,3 mg/L, segundo semestre: 1,55 + 0,3 mg/L). Conclui-se que as chuvas influenciaram no comportamento do pH e da turbidez, reduzindo-os. Já a cor aumentou no período de chuvas. Quanto aos produtos químicos, apenas o PAC não sofreu grandes alterações. Todos os outros tiveram suas dosagens aumentadas quando do momento das chuvas.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of the topical administration of propolis and dexamethasone on oral surgical wounds. Method: Surgical wounds were made on the dorsum of the tongues of 90 hamsters, which were then divided into three experimental groups. The wounds were submitted to topical applications of a 30% ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) (Group 1), 0.1% dexamethasone in orabase gel (Group 2), and orabase gel alone (Group 3). Six animals from each subgroup were sacriiced on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 post surgery. Statistical analysis, involving nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests and a chi-square test, were used to compare categorical variables. Results: The macroscopic exam of the surgical sites revealed statistically significant differences in the wound area between the propolis group and the remaining groups on day 7 postoperatively (p-value = 0.002). In the microscopic exam, the effects of EEP and dexamethasone were compared with regard to the presence of necrotic tissue, intensity of inflammation, formation of granulation tissue and epithelialisation. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results showed that EEP demonstrated a greater anti-inflammatory effect and shorter healing time in oral surgical wounds in hamsters, in comparison to dexamethasone in orabase gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic Covalent Organic Frameworks are a special subgroup that has risen as promising materials for innovative applications. In parallel, some of the so-called Reticular Innovative Organic compounds (RIOs), which are ionic and non-ionic porous materials have been used with great versatility, for several purposes. In this work, the ionic dye-based RIO-55 was chosen to capture a series of lanthanides (Eu, Gd, Dy, and Tb) from water, observing their affinity with the lattice and the performance of the adsorbent. Thus, the higher adsorbed amount was referred to as Eu 3+ (Q max  = 370 mg/g), as well as the best affinity (K L  = 5x10 -3 ), following the Langmuir model. The impregnated Eu 3+ @RIO-55 was used for chemical sensing, capturing dopant molecules (ephedrine and dopamine) from water, showing great performance, even after some reuse cycles. In addition, some initial fluorescence tests were performed using RIO-55 and Eu 3+ @RIO-55 to observe the spectrum before and after lanthanide impregnation., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Luis C. Branco reports financial support was provided by 10.13039/501100005855NOVA University Lisbon 10.13039/501100005855NOVA 10.13039/501100022533School of Science and Technology., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) ligands, upon binding, induce distinct gene expression profiles orchestrated by the AHR, leading to a spectrum of pro- or anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we designed, synthesized and evaluated three indole-containing potential AHR ligands (FluoAHRL: AGT-4, AGT-5 and AGT-6). All synthesized compounds were shown to emit fluorescence in the near-infrared. Their AHR agonist activity was first predicted using in silico docking studies, and then confirmed using AHR luciferase reporter cell lines. FluoAHRLs were tested in vitro using mouse peritoneal macrophages and T lymphocytes to assess their immunomodulatory properties. We then focused on AGT-5, as it illustrated the predominant anti-inflammatory effects. Notably, AGT-5 demonstrated the ability to foster anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells (Treg) while suppressing pro-inflammatory T helper (Th)17 cells in vitro. AGT-5 actively induced Treg differentiation from naïve CD4 + cells, and promoted Treg proliferation, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression and interleukin-10 (IL-10) production. The increase in IL-10 correlated with an upregulation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) expression. Importantly, the Treg-inducing effect of AGT-5 was also observed in human tonsil cells in vitro. AGT-5 showed no toxicity when applied to zebrafish embryos and was therefore considered safe for animal studies. Following oral administration to C57BL/6 mice, AGT-5 significantly upregulated Treg while downregulating pro-inflammatory Th1 cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes. Due to its fluorescent properties, AGT-5 could be visualized both in vitro (during uptake by macrophages) and ex vivo (within the lamina propria of the small intestine). These findings make AGT-5 a promising candidate for further exploration in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Plants trigger endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pathways to survive stresses, but the assistance of ER in plant tolerance still needs to be explored. Thus, we selected sensitive and tolerant contrasting abiotic stress sorghum varieties to test if they present a degree of tolerance to ER stress. Accordingly, this work evaluated crescent concentrations of tunicamycin (TM µg mL -1 ): control (0), lower (0.5), mild (1.5), and higher (2.5) on the initial establishment of sorghum seedlings CSF18 and CSF20. ER stress promoted growth and metabolism reductions, mainly in CSF18, from mild to higher TM. The lowest TM increased SbBiP and SbPDI chaperones, as well as SbbZIP60, and SbbIRE1 gene expressions, but mild and higher TM decreased it. However, CSF20 exhibited higher levels of SbBiP and SbbIRE1 transcripts. It corroborated different metabolic profiles among all TM treatments in CSF18 shoots and similarities between profiles of mild and higher TM in CSF18 roots. Conversely, TM profiles of both shoots and roots of CSF20 overlapped, although it was not complete under low TM treatment. Furthermore, ER stress induced an increase of carbohydrates (dihydroxyacetone in shoots, and cellobiose, maltose, ribose, and sucrose in roots), and organic acids (pyruvic acid in shoots, and butyric and succinic acids in roots) in CSF20, which exhibited a higher degree of ER stress tolerance compared to CSF18 with the root being the most affected plant tissue. Thus, our study provides new insights that may help to understand sorghum tolerance and the ER disturbance as significant contributor for stress adaptation and tolerance engineering., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Cell Stress Society International.)

The present study evaluated the seminal plasma metabolome of Bos indicus Guzerá bulls with good (n = 4) and poor (n = 5) sperm freezability. Animals were raised in natural pasture of a 'Caatinga' ecosystem, in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Seminal plasma samples were subjected to gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and data, analysed using bioinformatics tools (Cytoscape with the MetScape plug-in). Sixty-two metabolites were identified in the bovine seminal plasma. Fatty acids and conjugates and organic compounds were the predominant seminal fluid metabolites, followed by carboxylic acids and derivatives, amino acids, benzenes and steroids and derivatives, carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates and prenol lipids. Multivariate analysis indicated a distinct separation of seminal plasma metabolomes from bulls with contrasting sperm freezability. Abundances of propanoic acid, d-ribose and glycine were greater in the seminal plasma of bulls with good sperm freezability. Heptadecanoic acid and undecanoic acid were the predominant in bulls of poor sperm freezability. Propanoic acid is an energy source for spermatozoa and may act as an antimicrobial component in semen. Glycine acts against oxidizing and denaturing reactions. d-ribose is also an energy source and reduces apoptosis and oxidative stress. Undecanoic acid may protect sperm against fungal damage. This study provides fundamental information approximately the seminal plasma metabolome of tropically adapted bulls and its association with sperm freezability. However, further studies with larger groups of animals are needed to validate those metabolites as markers of sperm freezability. This strategy could support the selection of sires with superior sperm cryoresistance., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Transfer RNA fragments (tRFs) have gene silencing effects similarly to miRNAs, can be sorted into extracellular vesicles (EVs) and are emerging as potential circulating biomarkers for cancer diagnoses. We aimed at analyzing the expression of tRFs in gastric cancer (GC) and understanding their potential as biomarkers. We explored miRNA datasets from gastric tumors and normal adjacent tissues (NATs) from TCGA repository, as well as proprietary 3D-cultured GC cell lines and corresponding EVs, in order to identify differentially represented tRFs using MINTmap and R/Bioconductor packages. Selected tRFs were validated in patient-derived EVs. We found 613 Differentially Expressed (DE)-tRFs in the TCGA dataset, of which 19 were concomitantly upregulated in TCGA gastric tumors and present in 3D cells and EVs, but barely expressed in NATs. Moreover, 20 tRFs were expressed in 3D cells and EVs and downregulated in TCGA gastric tumors. Of these 39 DE-tRFs, 9 tRFs were also detected in patient-derived EVs. Interestingly, the targets of these 9 tRFs affect neutrophil activation and degranulation, cadherin binding, focal adhesion and the cell-substrate junction, highlighting these pathways as major targets of EV-mediated crosstalk with the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, as they are present in four distinct GC datasets and can be detected even in low quality patient-derived EV samples, they hold promise as GC biomarkers. By repurposing already available NGS data, we could identify and cross-validate a set of tRFs holding potential as GC diagnosis biomarkers.

Hypothesis: Due to their unique quantum yield and photostability performances, quantum nanoplatelets are very promising building blocks for future generations of displays. The directed assembly of such colloidal nano-objects in the shape of micro-pixels is thus the next mandatory step to reach this goal. Selectively trapping them on electrostatically charged patterns by nanoxerography could be a versatile and appealing strategy but requires a full understanding of the assembly mechanisms in order to make the most of their integration., Experiments: We propose an experimental platform based on a smart resealable microfluidic chip coupled to an inverted optical fluorescence microscope and a high-speed camera for in situ access of such assembly mechanisms, using CdSe/CdZnS quantum nanoplatelets as model nano-objects. The photoluminescence signal of the nanoplatelet patterns is thus recorded in real time during their assembly and data extracted after image processing., Findings: The coupling of experimental results and numerical simulations evidences the main role of advection at the origin of this directed nanoparticle trapping. Deep understanding of the involved mechanisms and tuning of experimental parameters allow to make high resolution quantum nanoplatelet based micro-pixels with a fine control of their lateral and vertical dimensions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: To evaluate whether a strategy of double-dose influenza vaccination during hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared with standard-dose outpatient vaccination (as recommended by current guidelines) would further reduce the risk of major cardiopulmonary events., Methods and Results: Vaccination against Influenza to Prevent cardiovascular events after Acute Coronary Syndromes (VIP-ACS) was a pragmatic, randomized, multicentre, active-comparator, open-label trial with blinded outcome adjudication comparing two strategies of influenza vaccination following an ACS: double-dose quadrivalent inactivated vaccine before hospital discharge vs. standard-dose quadrivalent inactivated vaccine administered in the outpatient setting 30 days after randomization. The primary outcome was a hierarchical composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina, hospitalization for heart failure, urgent coronary revascularization, and hospitalization for respiratory causes, analysed by the win ratio method. Patients were followed for 12 months. During two influenza seasons, 1801 participants were included at 25 centres in Brazil. The primary outcome was not different between groups, with 12.7% wins in-hospital double-dose vaccine group and 12.3% wins in the standard-dose vaccine group {win ratio: 1.02 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79-1.32], P = 0.84}. Results were consistent for the key secondary outcome, a hierarchical composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke [win ratio: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.66-1.33), P = 0.72]. Time-to-first event analysis for the primary outcome showed results similar to those of the main analysis [hazard ratio 0.97 (95% CI: 0.75-1.24), P = 0.79]. Adverse events were infrequent and did not differ between groups., Conclusion: Among patients hospitalized with an ACS, double-dose influenza vaccination before discharge did not reduce cardiopulmonary outcomes compared with standard-dose vaccination in the outpatient setting., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT04001504., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: H.A.R.F. reports research grants from AstraZeneca and Brazilian Ministry of Health; R.H.M.F. reports research grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Biomm and Servier; and research grants from Amgen, Pfizer, EMS, Aché, CytoDin, Brazilian Ministry of Health, University Health Network (received from his institution), and Lemann Foundation Research Fellowship. A.Z. reports research scholarships from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Lemann Foundation Research Fellowship; M.F. reports research grants from Brazilian Ministry of Health; P.A.L., supported in part by a grant from The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)—Brazil (grant # 308733/2016-9); non-paid clinical advisor of Flouit, a scientific computing initiative; part of Argonauts, an innovation facilitator; B.R.N. is partially financed CNPq (Bolsa de produtividade em pesquisa, 312382/2019-7), by the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation (Improving the Prevention and Detection of Heart Valve Disease Across the Lifespan, 2021) and by FAPEMIG (grant APQ-000627-20); J.C.N. reports research grants from Amgen, Astrazeneca, Bayer, CSL Behring, Daiichi Sankyo, Dalcor, Esperion, Janssen, Novartis, NovoNordisk, Sanofi and Vifor, research support from the Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq); O.B. received research grants (paid to his institution) from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Bayer, Amgen, Servier, BMS, and Novartis. The other authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Anaphylaxis, which is rare, has been reported after COVID-19 vaccination, but its management is not standardized., Method: Members of the European Network for Drug Allergy and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology interested in drug allergy participated in an online questionnaire on pre-vaccination screening and management of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines, and literature was analysed., Results: No death due to anaphylaxis to COVID-19 vaccines has been confirmed in scientific literature. Potential allergens, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polysorbate and tromethamine are excipients. The authors propose allergy evaluation of persons with the following histories: 1-anaphylaxis to injectable drug or vaccine containing PEG or derivatives; 2-anaphylaxis to oral/topical PEG containing products; 3-recurrent anaphylaxis of unknown cause; 4-suspected or confirmed allergy to any mRNA vaccine; and 5-confirmed allergy to PEG or derivatives. We recommend a prick-to-prick skin test with the left-over solution in the suspected vaccine vial to avoid waste. Prick test panel should include PEG 4000 or 3500, PEG 2000 and polysorbate 80. The value of in vitro test is arguable., Conclusions: These recommendations will lead to a better knowledge of the management and mechanisms involved in anaphylaxis to COVID-19 vaccines and enable more people with history of allergy to be vaccinated., (© 2022 EAACI and John Wiley and Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Regular physical exercise may result in many benefits to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis (HD), including gut microbiota modulation and solute removal. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of two programs of intradialytic exercises on uremic toxins plasma levels in HD patients., Methods: In experiment 1, twenty HD patients [12 men, 44.1 ± 8.9 years, BMI of 23.4 ± 2.4 kg/m 2 ] were randomized into two groups: Aerobic exercise group (AEG, n = 11) that performed aerobic exercise on an adapted exercise bike three times a week for three months (36 sessions) and Control group (CG, n = 9). In experiment 2, twenty-six HD patients [19 men, 47.6 ± 11.0 years, BMI of 25.9 ± 3.6 kg/m 2 ] were randomized into Resistance exercise group (REG, n = 14) that performed a resistance exercise program (using elastic bands and ankle cuffs with both lower limbs) monitored three times a week, during six months (72 sessions) and CG (n = 12). P-cresyl sulfate (p-CS), indoxyl sulfate (IS), and indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) plasma levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescent detection., Results: The uremic toxins plasma levels did not reduce in both exercise programs, aerobic exercise (IS: 32.7 ± 14.0 vs 33.0 ± 15.4 mg/L, p = 0.86; p-CS: 59.9 ± 39.3 vs 60.0 ± 41.2 mg/L, p = 0.99; IAA: 2233 [1488-2848] vs 2227 [1275-2824] µg/L, p = 0.72) and resistance exercise (IS: 28.3 ± 11.3 vs 29.1 ± 9.7 mg/L, p = 0.77; p-CS: 31.4 ± 21.3 vs 34.2 ± 19.8 mg/L, p = 0.63; IAA: 1628 [1330-3530] vs 2000 [971-3085] µg/L, p = 0.35) in HD patients., Conclusion: According to our findings, physical exercise does not appear to alter the levels of uremic toxins produced by the gut microbiota in HD patients., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Chagas cardiomyopathy is the most prevalent non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy in Latin America, with high morbidity and mortality even today. Treatment of these patients is based on the use of medications for heart failure. This study evaluated a case series of patients with Chagas heart disease who used sacubitril/valsartan at a referral hospital for this disease in Brazil. After 6 months, there was a symptomatic improvement in these individuals assessed by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, with a 44.3% reduction in the absolute number of patients classified as III-IV in the period (P = 0.035), but without changes in the parameters on the echocardiogram for reverse ventricular remodelling. There was a high mortality rate and number of hospitalizations. These results emphasize the importance of studying the use of sacubitril/valsartan in Chagas heart disease to better describe its effectiveness considering the particularities of these individuals., (© 2021 British Pharmacological Society.)

Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in appropriately selected patients with heart failure improves symptoms and survival. It is necessary to correctly identify patients who will benefit most from this therapy. We aimed to assess the predictive power of the multidisciplinary team's clinical judgement in the short-term death after CRT implantation., Methods and Results: Patients with heart failure and referred for the first CRT implant were prospectively included. Prior to implantation, all patients underwent a systematic assessment with a team composed of social work, nurse, psychologist, nutritionist, and clinical cardiologist. Based on this assessment, patients could be contraindicated to CRT or referred to the procedure as favourable or unfavourable. All patients should complete 12 months of follow-up; 172 patients were referred for CRT, 21 (12.2%) were contraindicated after the multidisciplinary team evaluation, 71 (47%) referred to CRT as non-favourable implants, and 80 (53%) as favourable implants. All-cause mortality occurred in only 2 (2.5%) patients in the favourable group and in 30 (42.3%) in the non-favourable group, P < 0.001 (log rank). Among the 20 variables used as possible predictors of worse prognosis by the multidisciplinary team, four were independently associated with mortality in the follow-up after the multivariate analysis: 1 year MAGGIC score between 40% and 49%, relative risk (RR) 5.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-18.6, P = 0.016; poor pharmacological adherence, RR 4.9, 95% CI 1.6-15.6, P = 0.007; glomerular filtration rate <35 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , RR 3.0, 95% CI 1.1-8.5, P = 0.041; and right ventricular dysfunction, RR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.7, P = 0.018., Conclusions: The clinical judgement before the CRT implantation performed by a multidisciplinary team through the analysis of clinical and psychosocial variables is a strong predictor of short-term mortality., (© 2021 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Hydrogen peroxide priming has emerged as a powerful strategy to trigger multiple responses involved in plant acclimation that reinforce tolerance to abiotic stresses, including salt stress. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of foliar H 2 O 2 priming on the physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural traits related to photosynthesis of salt-stressed plants. Besides, we provided comparative leaf metabolomic profiles of Zea mays plants under such conditions. For this, H 2 O or H 2 O 2 pretreated plants were grown under saline conditions for 12-days. Salinity drastically affected photosynthetic parameters and structural chloroplasts integrity, also increased reactive oxygen species contents promoting disturbance in the plant metabolism when compared to non-saline conditions. Our results suggest that H 2 O 2 -pretreated plants improved photosynthetic performance avoiding salinity-induced energy excess and ultrastructural damage by preserving stacking thylakoids. It displayed modulation of some metabolites, as arabitol, glucose, asparagine, and tyrosine, which may contribute to the maintenance of osmotic balance and reduced oxidative stress. Hence, our study brings new insights into an understanding of plant acclimation to salinity by H 2 O 2 priming based on photosynthesis maintenance and metabolite modulation., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ulcerative colitis (UC), one of the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease, has no effective treatment. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a polyphenol that, when administered orally, is metabolised in the small intestine, compromising its beneficial effects. We used chitosan/nutriose-coated niosomes loaded with RA to protect RA from gastric degradation and target the colon and evaluated their effect on acute colitis induced by 4% dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) for seven days in mice. RA-loaded nanovesicles (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) or free RA (20 mg/kg) were orally administered from three days prior to colitis induction and during days 1, 3, 5 and 7 of DSS administration. RA-loaded nanovesicles improved body weight loss and disease activity index as well as increased mucus production and decreased myeloperoxidase activity and TNF-α production. Moreover, RA-loaded nanovesicles downregulated protein expression of inflammasome components such as NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), adaptor protein (ASC) and caspase-1, and the consequent reduction of IL-1β levels. Furthermore, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein expression increased after the RA-loaded nanovesicles treatment However, these mechanistic changes were not detected with the RA-free treatment. Our findings suggest that the use of chitosan/nutriose-coated niosomes to increase RA local bioavailability could be a promising nutraceutical strategy for oral colon-targeted UC therapy.

Brazil is one of the major contributors to international trade in wildlife and species of the bird genus Sporophila are currently under threat due to illegal trade. Microsatellite loci and mitochondrial DNA constitute important molecular markers for population genetics studies and parentage analyses, and hold great potential to help authorities manage illegal trafficking and control commercial breeders. We describe and characterize 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci and recover part of the mitochondrial genome for Sporophila angolensis using massive parallel sequencing with the Illumina platform. DNA sequencing resulted in a dataset with 2,379,295 paired reads, of which 392 were mapped to the mitogenome of S. maximiliani, resulting in a partial mitogenome of 16,785 bp for S. angolensis. The microsatellite search identified a total of 4737 loci, from which 27 primer pairs were tested on 24 individuals of unknown geographic origin. Nineteen of the 27 loci were successfully amplified and exhibited high levels of genetic variation, with a mean of 11.2 alleles per locus, a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.588 and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.852. About half of the loci showed significant evidence for the presence of a null allele and significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; the remaining eight loci had high paternity exclusion probabilities and low identity probabilities. The high levels of polymorphism for these loci, as well as their high paternity exclusion probability and low identity probability, indicate that they hold potential for parentage analyses and population genetics studies of S. angolensis.