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Transient extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy probes core level transitions to unoccupied valence and conduction band states. Uncertainty remains as to what degree the core-hole created by the XUV transition modifies the measurement of photoexcited electron and hole energies. Here, the Si L 2,3 edge is measured after photoexcitation of electrons to the δ, L, and σ valleys of Si(100). The measured changes in the XUV transition probability do not energetically agree with the increasing electron photoexcitation energy. The data experimentally confirm that, for the Si L 2,3 edge, the time-dependent electron and hole energies are partially obscured by the core-hole perturbation. A model based on many-body approximations and the Bethe-Salpeter equation is successfully used to predict the core-hole modification of the final transition density of states in terms of both electronic and structural dynamics. The resulting fit time constants match the excited-state electron thermalization time and the intervalley electron-phonon, intravalley electron-phonon, and phonon-phonon scattering times previously measured in silicon. The outlined approach is a more comprehensive framework for interpreting transient XUV absorption spectra in photoexcited semiconductors.

Transient XUV core level spectroscopy is used to resolve photoexcited electron and hole distributions, as well as carrier-phonon and phonon-phonon scattering times, in the Γ, L, and X valleys of silicon.

Background: The presence of contamination and microorganisms at any stage of processing renders a method unsafe, leading to a high risk of cross-transmission and cross-infection., Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the cleaning quality of aspirator instruments used in neurosurgical procedures., Methods: The experimental study was conducted at the materials and sterilization center, as well as the microbiology laboratory, of a philanthropic hospital in Brazil. A study protocol was implemented, which involved the analysis of 10 samples of Yasargil aspirators with varying dimensions. The samples were subjected to protein tests to detect the presence of organic matter and microbiological analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data., Results: The results indicated that 40% of the instruments tested positive for protein after manual cleaning. Furthermore, after automated cleaning, samples showed an increased microbiological load, with Escherichia coli accounting for 20% and Klebsiella aerogenes for 10% of the identified microorganisms., Conclusion: This study provides evidence of failures in the cleaning process of healthcare products and highlights the presence of biofilm in the pipes, thereby compromising the drinking water quality standard., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: Men's health is influenced by a complex interplay of social, economic, and cultural determinants. Understanding how these aspects affect the health of adult cisgender men in medium and high-complexity healthcare settings is essential for improving healthcare services and promoting better health outcomes., Objective: This study aimed to analyze the health status of adult cisgender men in medium and high-complexity healthcare settings based on social determinants and conditioners., Methods: This study employed a qualitative design involving 45 adult cisgender men receiving care in medium/high complexity services in Bahia, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from July 2019 to February 2020, and data were interpreted based on Dahlgren and Whitehead's Model of Social Determinants of Health using deductive thematic analysis., Results: Proximal determinants included biological aspects, preventive behaviors, lifestyle/social life, and aging processes. Intermediate factors included work conditions, access/utilization of healthcare services/medications, and psychosocial factors. Macro determinants involved income distribution, power dynamics, resource allocation, health inequalities/iniquities, morbidity, culture, political decisions, environmental factors, and structural elements., Conclusion: The health status of men in medium/high complexity care was profoundly influenced by structural social determinants. These determinants impacted healthcare attention, service organization, cultural influences, the reproduction of hegemonic masculinity patterns, lifestyle, social support, and socioeconomic conditions necessary to realize the right to health. Nursing practices should conduct comprehensive assessments that extend beyond physical health indicators., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflict of interest in this study., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

This review article explores the potential of fermentations in the Amazon region as catalysts for economic and social development. It highlights the rich cultural and gastronomic diversity of the Amazon, focusing on indigenous fermented products. Two main products, tucupi and caxiri, are discussed in detail, emphasizing their significance in local cuisine and culture. The review examines the challenges and opportunities for industrial applications of these products, as well as their potential for social technology initiatives, particularly in the context of family farming. The sustainable production of native fermented products in the Amazon is seen as a means to preserve biodiversity, empower local communities, and promote cultural heritage. The article concludes that both industrial and social technologies have complementary roles in promoting economic growth, cultural preservation, and the well-being of the Amazon region, making it a promising hub for innovative and sustainable fermented food products on a global scale.

Background: Contamination of the breathing circuit and medication preparation surface of an anesthesia machine can increase the risk of cross-infection., Objective: To evaluate the contamination of the anesthetic medication preparation surface, respiratory circuits, and devices used in general anesthesia with assisted mechanical ventilation., Design and Setting: Cross-sectional, quantitative study conducted at the surgical center of a philanthropic hospital, of medium complexity located in the municipality of Três Lagoas, in the eastern region of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul., Methods: Eighty-two microbiological samples were collected from the breathing circuits. After repeating the samples in different culture media, 328 analyses were performed., Results: A higher occurrence of E. coli, Enterobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (P < 0.001) were observed. Variations were observed depending on the culture medium and sample collection site., Conclusion: The study findings underscore the inadequate disinfection of the inspiratory and expiratory branches, highlighting the importance of stringent cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces.

The search for new prominent chemosensors is significantly related to the rationalization of possible multiple pathways of excited-state deactivation. We have prepared and studied compound α-(2-hydroxyphenyl)- N -phenylnitrone (Nit-OH), observing that Nit-OH is stable in acetonitrile solution under UV-vis light. The experimentally observed 540 nm fluorescence for Nit-OH was shown to be related to excitation at 360 nm from the highest occupied molecular orbital to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO transition). Potential energy curves (PECs) for the S 1 state of Nit-OH did show that there are structures associated with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and the existence of an intramolecular H-bonding was confirmed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) took place following ESIPT, and a nonradiative deactivation at the S 1 /S 0 conical intersection occurred; aggregation-induced emission was observed at 540 nm associated with the formation of a stacked dimer. Anti-Kasha emission from the S 2 was proposed based on the dependence of the fluorescence excitation wavelength on Nit-OH concentration. From the calculation of the PEC for the S 2 state, we obtained radiative transitions at 379 and 432 nm, similar to the obtained experimental values of 383 and 453 nm. We proposed a Jablonski-like diagram that depicts all experimental and theoretical electronic transitions for Nit-OH, summarizing the unique intricate photophysical behavior of this nitrone derivative.

An increase in global energy demand has caused oil prices to reach record levels in recent times. High oil prices together with concerns over CO 2 emissions have resulted in renewed interest in renewable energy. Nowadays, ethanol is the principal renewable biofuel. However, the industrial need for increased productivity, wider substrate range utilization, and the production of novel compounds leads to renewed interest in further extending the use of current industrial strains by exploiting the immense, and still unknown, potential of natural yeast strains. This review seeks to answer the following questions: (a) which characteristics should S. cerevisiae have for the current production of first- and second-generation ethanol? (b) Why are alcohol-tolerance and thermo-tolerance characteristics required? (c) Which genes are related to these characteristics? (d) What are the advances that can be achieved with the isolation of new organisms from the environment?, Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Flávia da Silva Fernandes et al.)

A state-of-the-art method was developed for repurposing nitrone-containing compounds in the chemosensory field, the ability of the designed molecules to chelate metal cations was evaluated, and their unprecedented solubility in water was confirmed. A facile, rapid, and solvent-free method of synthesizing small molecular mass chemosensors was developed by using a modulative α-aryl-N-aryl nitrone template. α-(Z)-Imidazol-4-ylmethylen-N-phenyl nitrone (Nit1) and α-(Z)-2-pyridyl-N-phenyl nitrone (Nit2) were prepared in 15 min, isolated in less than 60 min with ca. 90% yield, and screened against nine metal cations. Nit1 is a small-molecular-mass compound (188 g mol -1 ) that is water-soluble and has specificity for sensing Cu 2+ with an association constant of K = 1.53 × 10 10 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.06 ppm. These properties make Nit1 a competitive chemosensor for the detection of Cu 2+ in aqueous solution. The nitrone-containing template used in this study is a step forward for new and small chemosensory entities., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to determine the total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), the carbon‑nitrogen ratio (TOC/TN), carbon isotope (δ 13 C), and nitrogen isotope (δ 15 N) in five sediment cores collected from upstream to downstream of the Rio Serinhaem estuary, State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil, in order to investigate the origin of the deposited organic matter (OM).Significant positive correlation was found between TOC and NT (r s  = 0.75); TOC/TN and TOC (r s  = 0.64); δ 15 N and TOC (r s  = 0.72); and δ 15 N and TOC/TN (r s  = 0.63). The values of δ 13 C and δ 15 N found are characteristic of terrestrial sources. The TOC/TN ratio confirmed the data found for δ 13 C and δ 15 N, which recorded the origin of organic matter from terrestrial C3 type plants. Upstream of the estuary, the highest means of TOC/TN were found (T1 = 36.9 and T2 = 24.4), as reflected by the increase in TOC content or reduction in TN. The OM along the estuary is predominantly from plants with a C3 photosynthetic pattern, indicating that the Serinhaem River estuary is considered a relatively well-preserved environment., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new early Eocene, small-sized metatherian from the Itaboraí fauna is described. The new taxon is recognized on the basis of an incomplete dentary recovered from fissure fillings in the travertine limestones from the Itaboraí Basin, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The phylogenetic analysis placed the new genus and species as the sister taxon of Derorhynchus, undescribed Derorhynchidae, and Coona plus Pauladelphys. When compared to Derorhynchus, the new taxon exhibits a shorter dentary, in which the first lower premolar is not separated from the second by a diastema, and shows second and third lower molars with subequal trigonid and talonid width (in Derorhynchus the talonids are wider than the trigonids). This new taxon shows some plesiomorphic traits when compared with the remaining derorhynchids, such as the shallower dentary (less than 1.5 mm), and conical entoconids rather than flattened in shape. The combination of very small size (~13-20g), sharp crests, tall and slender cuspids, broad talonid basins, as well as trigonid taller than the talonid is suggestive of an insectivorous diet for the new taxon.

The Serinhaém River estuary is located in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of Pratigi, in the State of Bahia, Brazil, which is recognized for being a relatively well-preserved environment. In this work, the levels of aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) were determined to evaluate the behavior of these chemical elements through geochemical parameters. Eighty-one sediment samples were collected in five sediment cores along the estuarine region. The results of the composition of the Serinhaém river basin showed high levels of Fe, Al, and Mn in the sediment samples. By using Principal Component Analysis, it was observed that 55.8% of the elements have a significant correlation with Fe, Al, and Mn, which may have the same origin or be associated with Fe and Mn oxy-hydroxides, and aluminosilicates. Although Cr, As, and V are correlated with Fe, Mn, and Al, their concentrations are above those established by NOAA, suggesting adverse effects on biota. Barium concentrations increased toward the outfall, where it meets the Camamu Bay, which is naturally enriched with this element. It was also possible to observe that along with the vertical profile, there were no variations in the concentrations of the elements, while along the estuary, it was possible to verify that the cores differ from each other. The estuary of the Serinhaém River can be considered to be influenced relatively little by human activities, and its concentrations can be considered as a base level for this coastal region., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Protodidelphidae was a group of marsupials that lived in Gondwana from the early to middle Eocene. Among South American faunas, the Itaboraí Basin calls attention by the presence of four genera and six species. Herein is described Bergqvistherium primigenia gen. et sp. nov., a new protodidelphid from the Itaboraí Basin - lower Eocene. This taxon differs from other protodidelphids in the smaller size, developed entocristid, less brachyo-bunoid adaptations, and entoconid more mesial than the hypoconid. These characters are recovered as plesiomorphies of the Protodidelphidae, supporting Bergqvistherium as an early-divergent lineage of this group. The Protodidelphidae fauna of the Itaboraí Basin is represented by less specialized "basal" taxa, such as Bergqvistherium and Periprotodidelphis; and more specialized apical taxa, such as Guggenheimia, Protodidelphis, and Carolocoutoia. This result indicates that the diversification of apical protodidelphids probably was a result of a relatively short-time event, occurring during the early Eocene. This evolutionary event can be directly correlated to the increase in the temperatures and the extension of tropical forests resulted by the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum during the Itaboraiense time span. The study supported a Late Cretaceous origin for the Protodidelphidae, which agrees with molecular studies for the Didelphimorphia.

The thermalization of hot carriers and phonons gives direct insight into the scattering processes that mediate electrical and thermal transport. Obtaining the scattering rates for both hot carriers and phonons currently requires multiple measurements with incommensurate timescales. Here, transient extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) spectroscopy on the silicon 2p core level at 100 eV is used to measure hot carrier and phonon thermalization in Si(100) from tens of femtoseconds to 200 ps, following photoexcitation of the indirect transition to the Δ valley at 800 nm. The ground state XUV spectrum is first theoretically predicted using a combination of a single plasmon pole model and the Bethe-Salpeter equation with density functional theory. The excited state spectrum is predicted by incorporating the electronic effects of photo-induced state-filling, broadening, and band-gap renormalization into the ground state XUV spectrum. A time-dependent lattice deformation and expansion is also required to describe the excited state spectrum. The kinetics of these structural components match the kinetics of phonons excited from the electron-phonon and phonon-phonon scattering processes following photoexcitation. Separating the contributions of electronic and structural effects on the transient XUV spectra allows the carrier population, the population of phonons involved in inter- and intra-valley electron-phonon scattering, and the population of phonons involved in phonon-phonon scattering to be quantified as a function of delay time.

Small polaron formation limits the mobility and lifetimes of photoexcited carriers in metal oxides. As the ligand field strength increases, the carrier mobility decreases, but the effect on the photoexcited small polaron formation is still unknown. Extreme ultraviolet transient absorption spectroscopy is employed to measure small polaron formation rates and probabilities in goethite (α-FeOOH) crystalline nanorods at pump photon energies from 2.2 to 3.1 eV. The measured polaron formation time increases with excitation photon energy from 70 ± 10 fs at 2.2 eV to 350 ± 30 fs at 2.6 eV, whereas the polaron formation probability (85 ± 10%) remains constant. By comparison to hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ), an oxide analogue, the role of ligand composition and metal center density in small polaron formation time is discussed. This work suggests that incorporating small changes in ligands and crystal structure could enable the control of photoexcited small polaron formation in metal oxides.

Small polaron formation is known to limit ground-state mobilities in metal oxide photocatalysts. However, the role of small polaron formation in the photoexcited state and how this affects the photoconversion efficiency has yet to be determined. Here, transient femtosecond extreme-ultraviolet measurements suggest that small polaron localization is responsible for the ultrafast trapping of photoexcited carriers in haematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ). Small polaron formation is evidenced by a sub-100 fs splitting of the Fe 3p core orbitals in the Fe M 2,3 edge. The small polaron formation kinetics reproduces the triple-exponential relaxation frequently attributed to trap states. However, the measured spectral signature resembles only the spectral predictions of a small polaron and not the pre-edge features expected for mid-gap trap states. The small polaron formation probability, hopping radius and lifetime varies with excitation wavelength, decreasing with increasing energy in the t 2g conduction band. The excitation-wavelength-dependent localization of carriers by small polaron formation is potentially a limiting factor in haematite's photoconversion efficiency.

Abnormalities in lungs caused by emphysema might alter their response to sepsis and the occurrence of acute lung injury (ALI). This study compared the extension of ALI in response to intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in Wistar rats with and without emphysema induced by elastase. Adult male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: control, emphysema without sepsis, normal lung with sepsis and emphysema with sepsis. Sepsis was induced, and 24 h later the rats were euthanised. The following analysis was performed: blood gas measurements, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung permeability and histology. Animals that received LPS showed significant increase in a lung injury scoring system, inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and IL-6, TNF-α and CXCL2 mRNA expression in lung tissue. Animals with emphysema and sepsis showed increased alveolocapillary membrane permeability, demonstrated by higher BAL/serum albumin ratio. In conclusion, the presence of emphysema induced by elastase increases the inflammatory response in the lungs to a systemic stimulus, represented in this model by the intraperitoneal injection of LPS., (© 2016 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2016 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.)

Jocote (Spondias purpurea L.) is rich in phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties. The focused microwave-assisted extraction (FMAE) was compared with the conventional microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) to obtain flavonols from jocote pomace. The effects of parameters such as the extraction time, the temperature and the composition of the solvent mixture (i.e., the ethanol to water ration) were evaluated and optimized using a statistical experimental design approach. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to determine the important effects and interactions of these independent variables on the extractive yield and quantification of some flavonoids. In addition, the antioxidant activity was analyzed. The total phenolic and flavonoid content was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity of the extract was evaluated according to the DPPH assay. The results showed that the optimum extracting parameters used FMAE with extraction time of 20 min, temperature of 68 °C and ethanol composition of 80% in water. Under these conditions, a yield of 3.42% was obtained. Rutin and quercetin were quantified (0.19 mg/mL and 0.024 mg/mL, respectively) through HPLC-DAD. The total phenol and flavonoid contents were found to be 0.897 g GAE/g and 1.271 g QE/g, respectively. In the DPPH scavenging assay, the IC50 value of the extract occurred at 43.10 μg/mL. This study shows that FMAE is suitable as an efficient extraction procedure for the extraction of flavonols from jocote pomace.

Context: α- and β-Amyrin (AMY) from Protium heptaphyllum (Aubl) March (Burseraceae) is found in Brazil and used in diverse inflammation-related diseases. This species presents a central action, as previously described., Objective: The objectives were to evaluate the anticonvulsant effect of AMY in mice and to verify the mechanism of action., Material and Methods: Seizures were induced by pentylenetetrazole followed by acute or subchronic treatments (5-25 mg/kg, p.o. and i.p.) and determination of brain amino acids (10 and 25 mg/kg, i.p., 7 d)., Results: In the acute treatment, AMY (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg, p.o.) increased the latency to the first convulsion (FC) by 30, 44, and 40% and time to death (TD) by 36, 52, and 42%, respectively. When administered intraperitoneally, the same doses increased FC by 62, 75, and 73% and TD by 76, 82, and 119%, respectively. Combined with polymixin or staurosporine, AMY (25 mg/kg, i.p.) increased TD by 61 and 63%, respectively, as related to each drug alone. When subchronically administered (25 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) increased FC by 75 and 101% and TD by 86 and 124%, respectively. AMY increased taurine (116 and 76%) and tyrosine concentrations (135 and 110%) in basal ganglia and hippocampus, respectively, and decreased by 68, 65, and 62% glutamate, aspartate, and GABA in basal ganglia., Conclusion: Thus, the AMY anticonvulsant activity is related to the GABAergic system and may be linked to the inhibition of the signaling cascade of PKC as well as to alterations in amino acids metabolism.

Objectives: To evaluate the hepatitis B immunization status of female sex workers (FSWs) in Central-West Brazil and to evaluate their compliance with and immune response to hepatitis B vaccination delivered using outreach strategies., Methods: A total of 721 FSWs recruited in 2 large cities in Central-West Brazil were interviewed and screened for the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers. Hepatitis B vaccine was offered to all women susceptible to HBV, using outreach strategies. The immune response of FSWs who received a full course of vaccine was assessed following the final vaccine dose., Results: We found that 27.6% of FSWs, the majority of whom were aged 18 to 25 years, had serological evidence of previous hepatitis B vaccination. A total of 434 FSWs were eligible for vaccination, 389 (89.6%) of whom accepted the first hepatitis B vaccine dose. Of those, 64% received a second dose and 37.5% received all three doses. Through the outreach strategy, there was a 52.2% increase in the number of women who received the second dose and a 67% increase in the number who received the third dose. Of the 146 women who received a full course of vaccine, 105 accepted testing for quantitative anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antibody) following the final vaccine dose, and 92.4% of those tested had developed protective levels of anti-HBs. Lower education level, workplace, and length of prostitution were predictors of full-vaccine acceptance., Conclusions: The present findings illustrate the benefits of using outreach strategies to overcome the difficulties of vaccinating hard-to-reach populations such as FSWs.

Background: Leprosy is a chronic disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which poses a serious public health problem worldwide. Its high incidence in people under 15 years old in Ceará state, Brazil, reflects the difficulty of its control. The spectrum of clinical manifestations is associated with the immune response developed, with the Th1 and Th2 responses being related to the paucibacillary and multibacillary forms, respectively. Regulatory T cells (Treg), which can suppress Th1 and Th2 response, have received special attention in the literature and have been associated with development of chronic infections. However, their role in leprosy in individuals under 15 years old has not yet been elucidated. We evaluated the frequency of CD4(+)/CD8(+)CD25(high)FOXP3(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+)CD25(high)FOXP3(high) cells in leprosy patients and household contacts, in both cases under 15 years old., Methodology/principal Findings: PBMC from 12 patients and 17 contacts were cultured for 72 hours with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 (activators) or with activators associated with total sonicated fraction of M. leprae. After culture, the frequency of CD4(+)/CD8(+) Treg was identified by flow cytometry. Cells stimulated by activators and antigen from multibacillary patients showed Treg frequencies almost two times that of the contacts: CD4(+)FOXP3(+) (21.93±8.43 vs. 13.79±8.19%, p = 0.0500), CD4(+)FOXP3(high) (10.33±5.69 vs. 5.57±4.03%, p = 0.0362), CD8(+)FOXP3(+) (13.88±9.19 vs. 6.18±5.56%, p = 0.0230) and CD8(+)FOXP3(high) (5.36±4.17 vs. 2.23±2.68%, p = 0.0461). Furthermore, the mean fluorescence intensity of FOXP3 in Treg was higher in multibacillary patients than in the contacts. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation of the bacillary index and number of lesions with the frequency of all Treg evaluated in patients., Conclusions/significance: We have demonstrated for the first time that multibacillary leprosy patients under 15 years old have greater CD4(+) and CD8(+) Treg frequencies and these correlate with clinical and laboratorial aspects of disease. These findings suggest the involvement of these cells in the perpetuation of M. leprae infection.

Objectives: Leprosy household contacts represent a group at high risk of developing the disease. The aim of this study was to detect Mycobacterium leprae subclinical infection in this group through serological and molecular parameters., Methods: Serum anti-PGL1 IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM was investigated using an ELISA, and nasal carriage of M. leprae DNA was detected by PCR, in leprosy household contacts of paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) household leprosy patients (n=135), their index cases (n=30), and in persons living in a low endemic city (n=17)., Results: Salivary anti-PGL1 IgA and IgM and serum anti-PGL1 IgG showed good correlation comparing contacts and index cases (p<0.01, p<0.005, and p<0.0001, respectively). This was not observed for serum anti-PGL1 IgM (p>0.05). A high frequency of anti-PGL1 IgM positivity was found in IgG-negative samples (p<0.0001). For IgG-positive samples, IgM antibodies were also positive in most of the samples. None of the 17 volunteers living in a low endemic city presented seropositivity for IgG; however, two of them showed positivity for anti-PGL1 IgM. M. leprae DNA was found in the nasal swabs of nine out of the 85 MB household leprosy contacts (10.6%) and in three out of the 50 PB household leprosy contacts (6.0%)., Conclusion: We strongly suggest that serum IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM measurements are used to follow leprosy household contacts., (Copyright © 2013 International Society for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The use of lignocellulosic constituents in biotechnological processes requires a selective separation of the main fractions (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin). During diluted acid hydrolysis for hemicellulose extraction, several toxic compounds are formed by the degradation of sugars and lignin, which have ability to inhibit microbial metabolism. Thus, the use of a detoxification step represents an important aspect to be considered for the improvement of fermentation processes from hydrolysates. In this paper, we evaluated the application of Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs) for the detoxification of rice straw hemicellulosic hydrolysate with the goal of improving ethanol bioproduction by Pichia stipitis yeast. Aiming to reduce the toxicity of the hemicellulosic hydrolysate, different treatment conditions were analyzed. The treatments were carried out according to a Taguchi L16 orthogonal array to evaluate the influence of Fe+2, H2O2, UV, O3 and pH on the concentration of aromatic compounds and the fermentative process., Results: The results showed that the AOPs were able to remove aromatic compounds (furan and phenolic compounds derived from lignin) without affecting the sugar concentration in the hydrolysate. Ozonation in alkaline medium (pH 8) in the presence of H2O2 (treatment A3) or UV radiation (treatment A5) were the most effective for hydrolysate detoxification and had a positive effect on increasing the yeast fermentability of rice straw hemicellulose hydrolysate. Under these conditions, the higher removal of total phenols (above 40%), low molecular weight phenolic compounds (above 95%) and furans (above 52%) were observed. In addition, the ethanol volumetric productivity by P. stipitis was increased in approximately twice in relation the untreated hydrolysate., Conclusion: These results demonstrate that AOPs are a promising methods to reduce toxicity and improve the fermentability of lignocellulosic hydrolysates.

The present work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng against MRSA clinical isolates. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the hydroalcoholic extract (HE), the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction and its subfractions were determined by broth microdilution and bioautography against MRSA clinical isolates. The microdilution checkerboard method was used to assess in vitro drug combination studies. To induce abscess formation, bacterial suspensions were added to Citodex and inoculated subcutaneously into male Swiss mice. The treatment protocol consisted of 2 doses of HE, the EA fraction or vancomycin introduced intraperitoneally into mice 3 and 12 h after infection. The EA fraction and its subfractions presented the lowest minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC, 0.25 to 0.5 mg/mL). The plant samples were bacteriostatic at 2x and 4x MIC and bactericidal at 100 mg/mL. The EA fraction presented synergism with vancomycin and an additive effect with ciprofloxacin. A significant reduction of abscess volume, bacterial cell counts in abscess slurries, and inflammatory scores was observed in the HE and EA fraction-treated groups. The samples were effective in treating the animals in a dose-dependent fashion. The present study proved the effectiveness of P. amboinicus fractions against MRSA using in vitro and in vivo assays.

Background and Objectives: Recent studies have correlated postoperative mortality with anesthetic mortality, especially with the depth of anesthesia and systolic blood pressure (SBP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the depth of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) using remifentanil and propofol, performed with monitoring of response entropy (RE) on blood concentrations of oxidative stress markers (TBARS and glutathione) during laparoscopic operations., Method: Twenty adult patients, ASA I, BMI 20-26 kg.m(-2), aged 20 to 40 years, were randomly distributed into two groups: Group I underwent anesthetic-surgical procedure with RE maintained between 45 and 59, and Group II underwent anesthetic-surgical procedure with RE between 30 and 44. In both groups, the remifentanil and propofol infusion was controlled by the effector site (Es), adjusted to maintain RE desired values (Groups I and II) and always assessing the suppression rate (SR). Patients were evaluated in six periods: M1 (immediately before anesthesia), M2 (before tracheal intubation [TI]), M3 (5-minutes after TI), M4 (immediately before pneumoperitoneum [PPT]), M5 (1-minute after PPT), and M6 (1-hour after the operation). The following parameters were assessed at all times: SBP, DBP, HR, RE, SR, TBARS, and glutathione., Results: We found increases in TBARS and glutathione in M5, both in Group I and Group II (p<0.05), with higher values in Group II, and SR in three patients in Group II, immediately after PPT., Conclusions: Increased markers in Group I (M5) suggests an increase in anaerobic metabolism (AM) in the splanchnic circulation while the highest values seen in Group II (GII > GI in M5, p<0.05%) suggest interference of another factor (deep anesthesia) responsible for the increase in AM, probably as a result of increased autonomic nervous system depression and minor splanchnic self-regulation., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: The intraoperative awareness is an adverse event in the general anesthesia, and may occur in approximately 20,000 cases per year, which justifies the study of the risk factors for this event. The objective of this study was to review this subject in order to reduce the incidence of intraoperative awareness and psychological sequelae incurring from this incident, which may result in post-traumatic stress disorder with negative repercussions on the surgical patient social, psychic and functional development., Content: It was conducted a review of the intraoperative awareness assessing its different phases during general anesthesia such as dreaming, wakefulness, explicit and implicit memory, as well as the analysis, consequences and prevention of its main related factors., Conclusions: The reduction of awareness incidence during anesthesia is related to the anesthesiologist improved scientific and technical performance, involving issues such as monitoring, comprehension of the anesthesia activity components, hypnotic and analgesic drugs, neuromuscular blocking agents, autonomic and motor reflex control, in addition to the risk factors involved in this event., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Ethanol use as a fuel additive or directly as a fuel source has grown in popularity due to governmental regulations and in some cases economic incentives based on environmental concerns as well as a desire to reduce oil dependency. As a consequence, several countries are interested in developing their internal market for use of this biofuel. Currently, almost all bio-ethanol is produced from grain or sugarcane. However, as this kind of feedstock is essentially food, other efficient and economically viable technologies for ethanol production have been evaluated. This article reviews some current and promising technologies for ethanol production considering aspects related to the raw materials, processes, and engineered strains development. The main producer and consumer nations and future perspectives for the ethanol market are also presented. Finally, technological trends to expand this market are discussed focusing on promising strategies like the use of microalgae and continuous systems with immobilized cells., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2010.07.001. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was investigated in blood samples from 100 children aged 1 to 12 years and from their mothers, by means of the indirect hemagglutination and anti-CagA methods, using ELISA assays. From these 100 children, 79 stool samples were obtained and bacterial antigens in the stools were investigated using capture ELISA. The antigens were detected in 54.4% (43/79) of the children, and serum antibodies in 43% (34/79). These methods presented similar performance, with greatest disagreement among the children aged 1 to 4 years. The seroprevalence was 50% (50/100) among the children and 86% (86/100) among the mothers. Infected mothers represented a risk factor that was 19 times greater than that of seronegative mothers, with regard to infecting their children (p < 0.05), especially the mothers with CagA+ strains (p < 0.05). Direct person-to-person contact may be a transmission method for this infection.

Purpose: to verify the amount of CD68+ cells in chorionic villosities in placentae from gestations submitted or not to labor., Methods: transversal study with healthy near-term pregnant women, among whose placentae, 31 have been examined by immunohistochemical technique. Twenty placentae were obtained after vaginal delivery (VAGG) and eleven after elective cesarean sections (CESG). Slides were prepared with chorionic villosities samples and labeled with anti-CD68 antibody, specific for macrophages. Labeled and nonlabeled cells were counted inside the villosities. Non-parametric statistical tests were used for the analysis., Results: among the 6,424 cells counted in the villosities' stroma from the 31 placentae, 1,135 cells (17.6%) were stained by the CD68+. The mean of cells labeled by the anti-CD68 was 22+/-18 for the VAGG group and 20+/-16 for the CESG, in each placentary sample., Conclusions: there were no significant differences in the percentage of macrophages (CD68+) in association with labor.

In the present study, we examined the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of the mixture of alpha- and beta-amyrin (AMY), pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from the stem bark resin of Protium heptaphyllum. These effects of AMY were demonstrated by the open-field, elevated-plus-maze, rota rod, forced swimming, and pentobarbital-induced sleeping time tests, in mice. In the open-field test, AMY at the doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, after intraperitoneal or oral administrations, significantly decreased the number of crossings, grooming, and rearing. All these effects were reversed by the pre-treatment with flumazenil (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.), similarly to those observed with diazepam used as a positive standard. In the elevated-plus-maze test, AMY increased the time of permanence and the number of entrances in the open arms. On the contrary, the time of permanence and the number of entrances in the closed arms were decreased. All these effects were also completely reversed by flumazenil, an antagonist of benzodiazepine receptors. In the pentobarbital-induced sleeping time test, AMY at the same doses significantly increased the animals sleeping time duration. In the rota rod test, AMY did not alter motor coordination and, thus, was devoid of effects, as related to controls. Since AMY, at the doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg, showed a sedative effect in the open field test, lower doses (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) were used in the forced swimming test, producing a decrease in the immobility time, similarly to that of imipramine, the positive control. The effect of AMI was greater when it was administered 15 min after imipramine (10 mg/kg). However, the antidepressant AMY effects were not altered by the previous administration of paroxetine, a selective blocker of serotonin uptake. In addition, AMY effects in the forced swimming test were totally blocked by reserpine pretreatment, a drug known to induce depletion of biogenic amines. In conclusion, the present work evidenced sedative and anxiolytic effects of AMY that might involve an action on benzodiazepine-type receptors, and also an antidepressant effect where noradrenergic mechanisms will probably play a role.

The work studied behavioral and neurochemical alterations in 21-day-old pups, from both sexes (26 g on average) born from female Wistar rats administered daily with ethanol (0.5 or 4.0 g/kg, p.o.), for 30 days before mating, and throughout their gestational period. Ethanol administration continued from delivery up to weaning. The open field, elevated plus maze and forced swimming tests were used to evaluate effects of ethanol on locomotion, anxiety and depression, respectively. Binding assays were used to identify dopaminergic (D1- and D2-like) and muscarinic (M1 plus M2) receptors. Results of the plus maze test indicated significant and dose-dependent increases in the number of entrances in the open arms and in the time of permanence in the open arms, in the prenatally ethanol-exposed offspring, as compared to controls, indicating an anxiolytic effect. In the open field test, this group presented decreases in spontaneous locomotor activity as well as in the occurrences of rearing and grooming. Offspring also showed dose-dependent increases in their immobility time in the forced swimming test, characterizing despair behavior. Decreases in the hippocampal (D2: 32%; D1: 25%) and striatal (D2: 30%; D1: 52%) dopaminergic binding were detected in ethanol-exposed offspring. On the other hand, significant increases were observed in muscarinic binding in the hippocampus (40%) as well as in the striatum (42%). This study shows evidence that in utero ethanol exposure produces a long-lasting effect on development and pharmacological characteristics of brain systems that may have important implications in behavioral and neurochemical responsiveness occurring in adulthood.

The acetate (FA), hexanic (FH), hydroalcoholic (FHA) and precipitated hydroalcoholic (FHAppt) fractions from the root of Petiveria alliacea L. were evaluated for antinociceptive effect using the abdominal constriction induced by acetic acid, hot-plate, formalin tests. The open field and rota rod tests were used to evaluate psychomotor function and myorelaxant activity. The fractions were administered intraperitoneally in mice at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Inhibitions of abdominal constrictions were observed with all doses of the fractions, as compared to control. FH and FHAppt, at both doses, reduced the nociception produced by formalin in the 1st (0-5 min) and 2nd (20-25 min) phases, however FHA (100, 200 mg/kg) and FA 200 mg/kg presented significant inhibition on the 1st and 2nd phases, respectively, of this test. A reduction of the locomotor activity was observed in the open field test with all the fractions. These fractions failed to affect the motor coordination in the rota rod test. Results showed that the different fractions of Petiveria alliacea L. have different antinociceptive potentials as demonstrated in the experimental models of nociception in mice, supporting folk medicine use of this plant.

The tremendous environmental impact of pulping and bleaching effluents and the relatively low efficiency of the current biological remediation processes represent one of the most important problems of the paper industry. In this work the efficiency of heterogeneous and homogeneous advanced oxidative processes was evaluated toward the degradation of model substrates (phenol and lignin) and the remediation of paper effluents. Best results were found by application of the UV-H2O2 system, with almost total discoloration of both pulping and bleaching effluents and typical COD removal higher than 60%, at reaction times of 120 min. In view of the reported results, and mainly on account of the simplicity of the UV-H2O2 system, shows good potential for the advanced process to remediation of recalcitrant effluents like those studied in this present work.