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Catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) can counteract the deleterious effects of oxidative stress (OS). Their binding to the red blood cell (RBC) membrane has been reported in non-immune hemolytic anemias (NIHAs). Our aim was to evaluate the relationships between CAT, GPx, and Prx2, focusing on their role at the RBC membrane, in hereditary spherocytosis (HS), sickle cell disease (SCD), β-thalassemia (β-thal), and healthy individuals. The studies were performed in plasma and in the RBC cytosol and membrane, evaluating OS biomarkers and the enzymatic activities and/or the amounts of CAT, GPx, and Prx2. The binding of the enzymes to the membrane appears to be the primary protective mechanism against oxidative membrane injuries in healthy RBCs. In HS (unsplenectomized) and β-thal, translocation from the cytosol to the membrane of CAT and Prx2, respectively, was observed, probably to counteract lipid peroxidation. RBCs from splenectomized HS patients showed the highest membrane-bound hemoglobin, CAT, and GPx amounts in the membrane. SCD patients presented the lowest amount of enzyme linkage, possibly due to structural changes induced by sickle hemoglobin. The OS-induced changes and antioxidant response were different between the studied NIHAs and may contribute to the different clinical patterns in these patients.

Risk-reducing bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is an effective prophylactic surgery provided to premenopausal women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and presenting an increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. This procedure is related to physiological, sexual, and psychosocial distress, which altogether increase uncertainty and complexity in the clinical decision-making process and post-surgery adaptation. Physician-patient communication (PPC) has been pointed out as a determinant factor in the decision-making to undergo RRSO, and the subsequent adjustment of women. However, studies examining the psychosocial impact of the decision-making process have been scarce and often lack clear theoretical frameworks. While the role of PPC in such processes has been highlighted in a few qualitative studies, there is a paucity of quantitative research addressing this question. Therefore, this narrative review, conducted using a multidisciplinary approach, was planned to: (1) present an updated medical background for RRSO; (2) analyze the psychosocial impact of the decision-making process within a theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model; and (3) discuss the role of PPC in such a decision-making process and in post-surgery. The collected research also enabled the recommendation of some additions to the existing clinical guidelines and the outlining of future research directions.

Melanins play a fundamental role in the biology and ecology of several fungal species. Unfortunately, this group of amorphous macromolecules also severely (and most times irreversibly) stains cultural heritage objects. Despite efforts made throughout the years, knowledge of the chemical composition and structure of melanins is still insufficient, which hampers the task of safely cleaning these colourants from cultural heritage materials in a targeted way without causing further deterioration. This work aimed therefore to contribute towards enlightening the characteristics of fungal melanins from three fungi that are common paper colonizers: Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum and Cladosporium cladosporioides. The extracted melanins were characterized by FTIR, Raman, UV-vis, Solid-State NMR and MALDI-TOF MS spectroscopies and the effect of inhibitors of DHN-melanin and DOPA-melanin pathways on colony pigmentation and growth was evaluated. Although all the extracted colourants show a predominantly aromatic structure with carbonyl and phenolic groups, some differences between the melanins can be highlighted. Melanins obtained from Ch. globosum and Cl. cladosporioides exhibited similar structures and composition and both presented DHN-melanin characteristics, while A. niger’s melanins revealed a more complex and ordered structure, with a higher prevalence of highly conjugated carbonyls than the others, besides the additional presence of a yellow/green component. These conclusions cannot be overlooked while selecting targeted cleaning methodologies for melanin stains on cultural heritage materials.

The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) are particularly important in erythroid cells. Reticulocytes and other erythroid precursors may adapt their biosynthetic mechanisms to cell defects or to changes in the bone marrow environment. Our aim was to perform a comparative study of the mRNA levels of CAT, GPX1, PRDX2 and SOD1 in reticulocytes from healthy individuals and from patients with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), sickle cell disease (SCD) and β-thalassemia (β-thal), and to study the association between their transcript levels and the reticulocyte maturity indices. In controls, the enzyme mRNA levels were significantly correlated with reticulocyte maturity indices for all genes except for SOD1. HS, SCD and β-thal patients showed younger reticulocytes, with higher transcript levels of all enzymes, although with different patterns. β-thal and HS showed similar reticulocyte maturity, with different enzyme mRNA levels; SCD and HS, with different reticulocyte maturity, presented similar enzyme mRNA levels. Our data suggest that the transcript profile for these antioxidant enzymes is not entirely related to reticulocyte maturity; it appears to also reflect adaptive mechanisms to abnormal erythropoiesis and/or to altered erythropoietic environments, leading to reticulocytes with distinct antioxidant potential according to each anemia.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia caused by electrophysiological anomalies in the atrial tissue, tissue degradation, structural abnormalities, and comorbidities. A direct relationship exists between AF and altered mitochondrial activity resulting from membrane potential loss, contractile dysfunction, or decreased ATP levels. This review aimed to elucidate the role of mitochondrial oxidative mechanisms in AF pathophysiology, the impact of mitochondrial oxidative stress on AF initiation and perpetuation, and current therapies. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and the Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and Scopus were explored until June 2023 using “MESH terms”. Bibliographic references to relevant papers were also included. Oxidative stress is an imbalance that causes cellular damage from excessive oxidation, resulting in conditions such as AF. An imbalance in reactive oxygen species production and elimination can cause mitochondrial damage, cellular apoptosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are intrinsically linked, and inflammatory pathways are highly correlated with the occurrence of AF. AF is an intricate cardiac condition that requires innovative therapeutic approaches. The involvement of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of AF introduces novel strategies for clinical treatment.

RESUMO A população idosa brasileira possui escolaridade relativamente baixa, quando comparada a outras populações. Na prática clínica, torna-se difícil decidir se alterações mais sutis, observadas nos testes de função executiva (FE) e coordenação motora de idosos, devem-se a um quadro neurológico inicial ou à baixa escolaridade. O objetivo do trabalho foi investigar: (1) possíveis diferenças na coordenação motora e FE de adultos e idosos com escolaridade alta e baixa; e (2) possíveis correlações entre coordenação motora e FE nessa amostra. Foram avaliados 75 indivíduos saudáveis, com idade entre 30 e 89 anos. A FE foi avaliada por meio do trail making test (TMT) e a coordenação motora foi avaliada com o teste de diadococinesia dos membros superiores, que consiste na alternância rápida entre supinação e pronação do antebraço (direito, esquerdo, de ambos os antebraços em fase, e ambos em antifase). A análise de variância investigou possíveis influências da idade e da escolaridade na FE e coordenação motora. O teste de correlação de Pearson investigou possíveis relações entre FE e diadococinesia. Idosos com escolaridade baixa foram significativamente mais lentos na parte B (cognitivo-motora) e no delta (cognitiva) do TMT. Todos os grupos foram mais lentos na condição antifase, sobretudo os idosos com escolaridade baixa. Encontramos apenas correlações fracas entre FE e coordenação motora. A idade e a escolaridade influenciaram na FE e na coordenação motora; porém, os testes de FE e coordenação motora não apresentaram correlação quando esses dois fatores foram corrigidos estatisticamente.

Abstract Background We present a case of primary biliary cholangitis diagnosed during pregnancy. Diagnosis of this entity in pregnancy is infrequent, and when everything seemed to point to a simple obstetric cholestasis, close attention to the details of the clinical history was required to raise suspicion of the true diagnosis. Case presentation We present a 37-year-old Portuguese Caucasian patient who complained of generalized pruritus and showed alteration in hepatic function tests with a cholestatic pattern. The first diagnostic hypothesis was intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and she began treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, which resulted in slight improvement of cholestasis. Her pregnancy was also complicated with occlusive hemorrhagic placenta, and at 30 weeks she underwent emergency cesarean section due to heavy blood loss. However, careful observation of clinical and laboratory findings, postpartum evolution, and a multidisciplinary approach to the patient led to the probable diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis. Conclusions Physiological changes during pregnancy can mimic chronic liver disease that can only be revealed at this stage, having an impact not only on the pregnancy but on the entire future of the woman.

ABSTRACT Background: Assessment of muscle tone is of great importance for evaluating people with spinal injuries. Objective: To translate and adapt the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS) to Brazilian Portuguese and validate its use for evaluating patients with spinal cord injury. Methods: The translation and adaptation of the “Escala de Tardieu Modificada” went through the steps of translation, translation synthesis, back-translation and expert committee meeting. Two evaluators rated the tone of the elbow flexors/extensors, wrist extensors, knee flexors/extensors and ankle plantar flexors of 51 patients with spinal cord injury. These patients were reevaluated after one week. Validation included intra and inter-rater reliability (ICC) and internal and external consistency. The Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) was used in the evaluations, to investigate the correlations. Results: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MTS is presented in this study. ICCs ranged from 0.60 to 0.99 (intra and inter-examiner) and there was a moderate to strong correlation with MAS. Conclusions: The MTS proved to be adequate for assessing the muscle tone of people with spinal cord injury in Brazil.

Uncontrolled urbanization growth contributes to the pollution of aquatic environments. Heavy metals released by domestic and industrial effluents can negatively affect aquatic organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of environmental pollutants, such as metals, on fish DNA damage, in stretches of an urban stream. Specimens of the Neotropical fish, Astyanax lacustris, were exposed in situ for 96 h along the Antas stream, a Brazilian aquatic system deteriorated by anthropogenic factors. Water and sediment samples were collected simultaneously for physicochemical and heavy metal analyses. The comet assay was performed as a biomarker of genotoxicity. Fish located downstream had a higher frequency of DNA damage than in the reference site. We found concentrations of Cr and Ni above acceptable levels in sediment samples. Generally, Ba, Mn, Mg, Zn, Cr, and Ni were the elements most associated with genotoxic damage. Water and sediment of the Antas stream showed genotoxic potential in A. lacustris according to the urbanization gradient, demonstrating the importance to prevent the release of environmental pollutants, especially heavy metals in urban areas.

O objetivo deste artigo foi efetuar uma revisão integrativa de literatura sobre as estratégias de enfrentamento do racismo na escola. Foi realizada uma busca nas bases de dados SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), PePSIC (Periódicos Acadêmicos em Psicologia) e Periódicos CAPES, utilizando os descritores “racismo”, “preconceito racial”, “escola”, “educação”, “combate” e “enfrentamento”. O banco final foi constituído por 20 documentos e os temas mais frequentes nos artigos foram: Lei 10.639/03 e formação docente. Foi constatada pouca produção acerca de temas relacionados a questões raciais e educação infantil. Com relação ao enfrentamento, a maioria dos artigos enfatizavam a importância da formação docente e a Lei 10.639/03 como estratégias para o combate do racismo na escola. Foi verificado que os estudos sobre essa temática precisam se expandir, pois as discussões são importantes para aprofundar o tema e o compartilhamento dos recursos utilizados podem contribuir para o enfrentamento do racismo na escola.

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is a choice of great relevance because of its impact on health. Some biomarkers, such as microparticles derived from different cell populations, have been considered useful in the assessment of cardiovascular disease. Microparticles are released by the membrane structures of different cell types upon activation or apoptosis, and are present in the plasma of healthy individuals (in levels considered physiological) and in patients with different pathologies. Many studies have suggested an association between microparticles and different pathological conditions, mainly the relationship with the development of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the effects of different lipid-lowering therapies have been described in regard to measurement of microparticles. The studies are still controversial regarding the levels of microparticles that can be considered pathological. In addition, the methodologies used still vary, suggesting the need for standardization of the different protocols applied, aiming at using microparticles as biomarkers in clinical practice.

AbstractStewart-Treves Syndrome is characterized by the presence of lymphangiosarcoma on limb extremities. Rare, it occurs in 0.5% of patients who have undergone radical mastectomy with axillary node dissection. The main cause is chronic lymphedema with endothelial and lymphatic differentiation, with no direct relationship to breast cancer. Seven years after a radical right-side mastectomy with lymph node dissection and adjuvant therapy, the patient developed a lesion on her right arm. The dermatological examination revealed an erythematous nodule with bleeding surface on chronic right forearm lymphedema. After the biopsy, a lymphangiosarcoma on chronic lymphedema was diagnosed. Infrequent, this syndrome is relevant because of its associated mortality. Early diagnosis is important to improve survival and reduce complications.

A margem continental do leste e norte do Brasil apresenta uma série de bacias marginais, cujo desenvolvimento está diretamente relacionado com a separação da placa africana/sul-americana, eem ambos os lados do Atlântico Sul, as bacias têm uma história geológica comum. Com a abertura do Atlântico Sul, o mar transgressivo cobriu os depósitos da fase evaporítica protomarinha com águas moderadamente quentes e hipersalinas, possibilitando a deposição sucessiva de carbonatos. Assim, o registro desta fase marinha inicial é representado por uma extensa plataforma carbonática que se estende ao longo de 3.500 km de litoral brasileiro, desde a bacia de Santos até a bacia de Barreirinhas. A Formação Riachuelo aflora numa faixa de aproximadamente 20 km de largura, entre os municípios de Itaporanga e Pacatuba, noEstado de Sergipe. A Formação Riachuelo engloba um complexo de plataforma mista siliciclásticacarbonática, onde podem ser reconhecidos três membros: Angico, Taquari e Maruim. Os Polychaetas são encontrados abundantemente em alguns intervalos das sequências marinhas, principalmente em rochas do Albiano inferior daFormação Riachuelo, Coniaciano da Formação Cotinguiba e Campaniano superior da Formação Calumbi. As formas mais comuns são as secretorasde tubos calcários, p. ex., Serpula, Diploconcha e Hamulus, entretanto formas escavadoras, p. ex., Terebella, ocorrem de forma localizada. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal identificar os icnogêros que ocorrem na localidade Porto dosBarcos 2, da Formação Riachuelo. Esta localidade é representada por uma exposição de siltito argiloso amarelo, com concreções, e camadas que mergulham 20oNE, ocorrem ainda uma fauna associada composta por amonóides, biválvios, gastrópodos e equinóides, está a 10°43’22”S - 37º10’51”W, no município de Riachuelo. A construção dos icnitos dehabitação (Dominichnia) desta formação é atribuída a poliquetas de hábito suspensívoro epibentônico. Geralmente os tubos são encontrados dispersos no sedimento, no entanto amostras do icnito preservado evidenciam a variação no diâmetro do tubo de acordocom a extensão do icnofóssil. As informações quanto a extensão do tubo e seu diâmetro são parciais, já que a preservação do icnofóssil completa é rara. Os dados obtidos mostram uma variação de 1,0 mm a3,5cm no tamanho, enquanto o diâmetro é de 1,0 a 4,0 mm. variando com freqüência de acordo com a distância da secção observada em relação ao ponto de fixação no sedimento. A variação da espessurada parede é diretamente proporcional a extensão do icnito e sua textura é diferenciada de acordo com a densidade e desgaste dos anéis de crescimento. A construção de moradia é semelhante à da Família Serpulidae, poliquetas que secretam tubos calcárioscirculares no seu prolongamento e ornamentados por fora com anéis de protuberâncias concêntricas, estando geralmente fixo por uma extremidade e são perpendiculares ao substrato ou inclinado formandoângulos sutilmente variáveis em relação ao acamamento. Os exemplares coletados na localidade Porto dos Barcos 2 apresentam coloração que variam do branco, cinza ao amarelado. Segundo Netto (2001) estas variações são inerentes à alternância de energia do meio podendo indicar variação na taxa de oxigênio, profundidade e salinidade. O presente trabalho se encontra em fase de desenvolvimento e o estudodesses icnitos e dos parâmetros ecológicos atuantes poderão contribuir para um melhor entendimento da seqüência deposicional ocorrida nas ingressões marinhas, auxiliando no esclarecimento da dinâmica dos fatores físico-químicos atuantes nesse local.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar sujeitos submetidos a laringectomia supracricóide quanto à autoavaliação da voz, análises perceptivo-auditiva e acústica e impacto da alteração vocal na qualidade de vida. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, observacional, que envolveu 12 sujeitos do gênero masculino, com disfonia orgânica, média de idade de 59,3 anos, que realizaram laringectomia supracricóide para exérese de neoplasia maligna de laringe. Foi realizada análise perceptivo-auditiva, por meio da escala GRBASI em duplo-cego. A análise acústica realizada através do software VOXMETRIA® considerou parâmetros de frequência fundamental, jitter e shimmer, proporção harmônico-ruído e diagrama de desvio fonatório. A autoavaliação vocal e o estudo do impacto da disfonia na qualidade de vida dos sujeitos ocorreram por meio de aplicação dos protocolos: Qualidade de Vida em Voz (QVV) e o Índice de Desvantagem Vocal (IDV). RESULTADOS: A frequência das vozes variou entre 91,59 Hz e 260,05 Hz e as medidas de shimmer e jitter mostraram-se alteradas, comprovando as análises perceptivo-auditivas, que revelaram vozes com grau de desvio de moderado a intenso. A maioria dos sujeitos qualificou suas vozes como razoável ou boa. O QVV demonstrou escores brutos em níveis compatíveis com vozes disfônicas em 50,0%. O IDV mostrou predomínio do domínio orgânico. CONCLUSÃO: O grau de desvio vocal dos sujeitos mostrou-se entre moderado e intenso, confirmando parâmetros acústicos, enquanto que os sujeitos qualificaram suas vozes como razoáveis ou boas. Os escores do QVV e IDV revelaram predomínio de domínios físico e orgânico, respectivamente, com parte dos sujeitos com escores compatíveis a vozes disfônicas. Sugerem-se estudos que busquem aprofundar o conhecimento entre autopercepção da voz e impacto na qualidade de vida de sujeitos com disfonia decorrente de carcinoma de laringe.

The geodiversity of rocky ecosystems includes diverse plant communities with specific names, but their continental‐scale floristic identity and the knowledge on the role of macroclimate remain patchy. Here, we assessed the identity of plant communities in eastern Brazil across multiple types of rocky landscapes and evaluated the relative importance of climatic variables in constraining floristic differentiation. We provided lists of diagnostic species and an assessment of the conservation status of the identified floristic groups. We compiled a data set of 151 sites (4498 species) from rocky ecosystems, including campos rupestres, campos de altitude, granitic‐gneiss lowland inselbergs, and limestone outcrops. We used unsupervised clustering analysis followed by ANOSIM to assess floristic groups among sites. We performed a random forest variable selection to test whether the identified floristic groups occupy distinct climatic spaces. Six groups (lithobiomes) segregated floristically according to lithology and climate. Alongside campos de altitude and limestone outcrops, inselbergs were divided according to the biome in which they occur (Atlantic Forest or Caatinga), and campos rupestres were largely segregated according to their lithological matrix (ironstone or quartzitic). Plant communities of Caatinga inselbergs were more similar to limestone outcrops, while Atlantic Forest inselbergs communities resembled campos de altitude. The composition of plant communities on outcrops seems to be largely constrained by lithology, but climatic factors are also meaningful for sites with similar lithology. The current network of protected areas does not cover these unique ecosystems and their floristic heterogeneity, with Caatinga inselbergs and limestone outcrops being the least protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia caused by electrophysiological anomalies in the atrial tissue, tissue degradation, structural abnormalities, and comorbidities. A direct relationship exists between AF and altered mitochondrial activity resulting from membrane potential loss, contractile dysfunction, or decreased ATP levels. This review aimed to elucidate the role of mitochondrial oxidative mechanisms in AF pathophysiology, the impact of mitochondrial oxidative stress on AF initiation and perpetuation, and current therapies. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and the Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews. PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, and Scopus were explored until June 2023 using "MESH terms". Bibliographic references to relevant papers were also included. Oxidative stress is an imbalance that causes cellular damage from excessive oxidation, resulting in conditions such as AF. An imbalance in reactive oxygen species production and elimination can cause mitochondrial damage, cellular apoptosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation are intrinsically linked, and inflammatory pathways are highly correlated with the occurrence of AF. AF is an intricate cardiac condition that requires innovative therapeutic approaches. The involvement of mitochondrial oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of AF introduces novel strategies for clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Salmonellosis, one of the most common foodborne infections in Europe, is monitored by food safety surveillance programmes, resulting in the generation of extensive databases. By leveraging tree-based machine learning (ML) algorithms, we exploited data from food safety audits to predict spatiotemporal patterns of salmonellosis in northwestern Italy. Data on human cases confirmed in 2015–2018 (n = 1969) and food surveillance data collected in 2014–2018 were used to develop ML algorithms. We integrated the monthly municipal human incidence with 27 potential predictors, including the observed prevalence of Salmonella in food. We applied the tree regression, random forest and gradient boosting algorithms considering different scenarios and evaluated their predictivity in terms of the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and R2. Using a similar dataset from the year 2019, spatiotemporal predictions and their relative sensitivities and specificities were obtained. Random forest and gradient boosting (R2 = 0.55, MAPE = 7.5%) outperformed the tree regression algorithm (R2 = 0.42, MAPE = 8.8%). Salmonella prevalence in food; spatial features; and monitoring efforts in ready-to-eat milk, fruits and vegetables, and pig meat products contributed the most to the models’ predictivity, reducing the variance by 90.5%. Conversely, the number of positive samples obtained for specific food matrices minimally influenced the predictions (2.9%). Spatiotemporal predictions for 2019 showed sensitivity and specificity levels of 46.5% (due to the lack of some infection hotspots) and 78.5%, respectively. This study demonstrates the added value of integrating data from human and veterinary health services to develop predictive models of human salmonellosis occurrence, providing early warnings useful for mitigating foodborne disease impacts on public health.

ABSTRACTInstantaneous determinations of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) over the sea from the Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) on Sentinel-3 are compared with in-situ measurements at the island of Lampedusa in the central Mediterranean Sea. Radiative transfer calculations show that the PAR measured at the island site is representative for open ocean conditions. Satellite data show a good agreement (5.2% positive bias, R2 = 0.97) with in-situ data, in line with similar analyses for other satellite sensors. Larger satellite-in situ differences are found during summer, and the possible role of aerosols in degrading PAR estimate has been investigated by comparing AOD values measured at Lampedusa and derived by OLCI. The relative difference between OLCI and in-situ PAR appears to be negatively correlated with the relative differences between OLCI and in-situ AOD, suggesting that a more accurate determination of AOD, in particular, for cases with AOD > 0.2, mostly related to Saharan dust, may lead to improved satellite PAR estimates.