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Background: Pregnant women are susceptible to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the consequences on the fetus are still uncertain. Here, we present a case of a pregnant woman with subclinical hypothyroidism and PAI-1 4G/5G mutation who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: nested PCR were performed to detect the virus, followed by ssDNA sequencing. Results: transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can cause placental inflammation, ischemia and neonatal viremia, with complications such as preterm labor and damage to the placental barrier in patients with PAI-1 4G/5G mutation. Conclusion: we show the possibility of transplacental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the last weeks of pregnancy. more...

Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that etiologic agent of pandemic outbreak is a betacoronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. For public health interventions, a diagnostic test with high sensitivity and specificity is required. The gold standard protocol for diagnosis by WHO is the RT-PCR. To detect low viral load and large-scale screening a low-cost diagnostic test becomes necessary. Here we develop a cost-effective test capable of to detect the new coronavirues. We validated an auxiliary protocol for molecular diagnosis with RT-PCR SYBR Green methodology to successfully screen negative cases of SARS-CoV-2. Our results demonstrated that a set of primers with high specificity, and no homology with other viruses from Coronovideae family or human respiratory tract pathogenic viruses. Optimization of annealing temperature and polymerization time led to an high specificity in the PCR products. We have developed a more affordable and swift methodology for negative SARS-CoV-2 screening. This methodology can be applied on large scale populational to soften panic and economic burden through guidance for isolation strategies. more...

Phylogenetic analysis has demonstrated that the etiologic agent of the 2020 pandemic outbreak is a betacoronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. For public health interventions, a diagnostic test with high sensitivity and specificity is required. The gold standard protocol for diagnosis by the Word Health Organization (WHO) is RT-PCR. To detect low viral loads and perform large-scale screening, a low-cost diagnostic test is necessary. Here, we developed a cost-effective test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2. We validated an auxiliary protocol for molecular diagnosis with the SYBR Green RT-PCR methodology to successfully screen negative cases of SARS-CoV-2. Our results revealed a set of primers with high specificity and no homology with other viruses from the Coronovideae family or human respiratory tract pathogenic viruses, presenting with complementarity only for rhinoviruses/enteroviruses and Legionella spp. Optimization of the annealing temperature and polymerization time led to a high specificity in the PCR products. We have developed a more affordable and swift methodology for negative SARS-CoV-2 screening. This methodology can be applied on a large scale to soften panic and economic burden through guidance for isolation strategies. more...

Neonatal hypoxia ischemia (HI) is the main cause of newborn mortality and morbidity. Preclinical studies have shown that the immature rat brain is more resilient to HI injury, suggesting innate mechanisms of neuroprotection. During neonatal period brain metabolism experience changes that might greatly affect the outcome of HI injury. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate how changes in brain metabolism interfere with HI outcome in different stages of CNS development. For this purpose, animals were divided into 6 groups: HIP3, HIP7 and HIP11 (HI performed at postnatal days 3, 7 and 11, respectively), and their respective shams. In vivo [18F]FDG micro positron emission tomography (microPET) imaging was performed 24 and 72 h after HI, as well as ex-vivo assessments of glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) oxidation. At adulthood behavioral tests and histology were performed. Behavioral and histological analysis showed greater impairments in HIP11 animals, while HIP3 rats were not affected. Changes in [18F]FDG metabolism were found only in the lesion area of HIP11, where a substantial hypometabolism was detected. Furthermore, [18F]FDG hypometabolism predicted impaired cognition and worst histological outcomes at adulthood. Finally, substrate oxidation assessments showed that glucose oxidation remained unaltered and higher level of BHB oxidation found in P3 animals, suggesting a more resilient metabolism. Overall, present results show [18F]FDG microPET predicts long-term injury outcome and suggests that higher BHB utilization is one of the mechanisms that confer the intrinsic neuroprotection to the immature brain and should be explored as a therapeutic target for treatment of HI. more...

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is a major cause of cognitive impairments in infants. Antenatal strategies improving the intrauterine environment can have high impact decreasing pregnancy-derived intercurrences. Physical exercise alters the mother-fetus unity and has been shown to prevent the energetic challenge imposed by HI. This study aimed to reveal neuroprotective mechanisms afforded by pregnancy swimming on early metabolic failure and late cognitive damage, considering animals' sex as a variable. Pregnant Wistar rats were submitted to daily swimming exercise (20′ in a tank filled with 32 °C water) during pregnancy. Neonatal HI was performed in male and female pups at postnatal day 7. Electron chain transport, mitochondrial mass and function and ROS formation were assessed in the right brain hemisphere 24 h after HI. From PND45, reference and working spatial memory were tested in the Morris water maze. MicroPET-FDG images were acquired 24 h after injury (PND8) and at PND60, following behavioral analysis. HI induced early energetic failure, decreased enzymatic activity in electron transport chain, increased production of ROS in cortex and hippocampus as well as caused brain glucose metabolism dysfunction and late cognitive impairments. Maternal swimming was able to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and to improve spatial memory. The intergenerational effects of swimming were sex-specific, since male rats were benefited most. In conclusion, maternal swimming was able to affect the mitochondrial response to HI in the offspring's brains, preserving its function and preventing cognitive damage in a sex-dependent manner, adding relevant information on maternal exercise neuroprotection and highlighting the importance of mitochondria as a therapeutic target for HI neuropathology. more...

Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD), a common type of Malformations of cortical development, may result from an early disturbance in the migration and final arrangement of the cortical architecture of immature neurons. FCD type II is now known to be due to a post-zygotic somatic mutation that involves the mTOR and AKT pathways. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible differences in neurogenesis and neurodifferentiation of iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) from fibroblasts of individuals affected by FCD type II (2) and normal individuals (2). iPSCs were generated from skin fibroblasts of FCD individuals and healthy individuals. The reprogramming was done through the fibroblasts exposure to viral vectors containing the OCT4, KLF4, SOX2, and c-MYC genes and the clones were characterized by immunohistochemistry. iPSCs were neurodifferentiated and analyzed at the 14th, 22nd and 35th days. We also analyzed the cerebral cortex tissue, fibroblasts and iPSCs cells from the individuals. Through qRT-PCR, the expression of 4 genes involved in Notch signaling process were quantified. In general, individuals with dysplasia presented increase and decrease in the relative quantification in the most genes analyzed compared to control individuals in all processes and study groups. We suggest that, during embryonic neurogenesis, the neural precursor cells of FCD type II individuals present increase and decrease in gene expression in the Notch signaling pathway causing cortical formation disorders and can be seen as a candidate for the developmental changes observed in the cerebral cortex of individuals with FCD type II. This altered gene expression may be related to brain formation with dysplasia. more...

The observation that the fluidity must remain within a critical interval, outside which the stability and functionality of the cell tends to decrease, shows that stability, fluidity and function are related and that the measure of erythrocyte stability allows inferences about the fluidity or functionality of these cells. This study determined the biochemical and hematological variables that are directly or indirectly related to erythrocyte stability in a population of 71 volunteers. Data were evaluated by bivariate and multivariate analysis. The erythrocyte stability showed a greater association with hematological variables than the biochemical variables. The RDW stands out for its strong correlation with the stability of erythrocyte membrane, without being heavily influenced by other factors. Regarding the biochemical variables, the erythrocyte stability was more sensitive to LDL-C. Erythrocyte stability was significantly associated with RDW and LDL-C. Thus, the level of LDL-C is a consistent link between stability and functionality, suggesting that a measure of stability could be more one indirect parameter for assessing the risk of degenerative processes associated with high levels of LDL-C. more...

Since the launch of Spinal Cord Series and Cases in July 2015, the publisher has noticed an error in article volume numbers. All articles published in 2015 are in volume 1, and articles published in 2016 are in volume 2. The following articles have been affected: SCSANDC.2015.1 SCSANDC.2015.3 SCSANDC. more...

The number of bronchiectasis diagnoses has increased in the last two decades due to several factors.Research carried out over the last years showed that an aetiological diagnosis could change the approach and treatment of a relevant percentage of patients and consequently the prognosis.Currently, systematic investigation into aetiology, particularly of those disorders that can be subject to specific treatment, is recommended.Given the complexity of the aetiological diagnosis, the Pulmonology Portuguese Society Bronchiectasis Study Group assembled a working group which prepared a document to guide and standardize the aetiologic investigation based on available literature and its own expertise. The goal is to facilitate the investigation, rationalize resources and improve the delivery of care, quality of life and prognosis of patients with bronchiectasis. Keywords: Bronchiectasis, Recommendations, Aetiological diagnosis more...

INTRODUCTION Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an entity characterized by neurologic symptoms such as headaches, altered mental status, seizures and visual changes, and it is associated with white matter vasogenic edema predominantly affecting the posterior occipital and parietal lobes of the brain. CASE REPORT A 19-year-old patient developed PRES after the use of chemotherapy for a testicular teratocarcinoma and after the development of a blood pressure elevation. DISCUSSION Few cases described the involvement of the spinal cord in this syndrome. In the majority of these cases, the spinal cord involvement was asymptomatic or with few symptoms of spinal cord disease. more...

The main objective of this study is to quantify pharmacokinetic processes - such as absorption, distribution, and elimination - of [18F]2-fluor-2deoxy-D-glucose(18F -FDG), by using the Laplace transformation method. more...

The proposal was to study the presence of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the chorioamniotic membrane of healthy postpartum women with premature rupture of the chorioamniotic membrane (PROM).A single radial immunodiffusion technique was used to quantify the IgA in the chorioamniotic membrane tissues.The level of IgA was approximately 10 times higher in patients whose membranes had been ruptured for10 h (24.58 mg/dl). These results were compared with those of a previously published study where the mean of amount of IgA was 2.52 mg/dl in membranes of patients with rupture10 h. Our results show that IgA began to rise after 10-15 h following rupture.Although more studies need to be performed our data indicate that the increasing IgA in our patients after 10 h of latency probably represents the beginning of an ascending colonization of bacteria which could be the source of future infection. more...

A group of 51 patients with chronic cryptogenic or symptomatic localized epilepsy refractory to therapy with barbiturates underwent progressive substitution with phenytoin or carbamazepine, in standardized and randomized fashion. After drug changes were completed two thirds of the patients remained seizure free during a period of 6 months. A clearer effect of phenytoin and carbamazepine was seen on secondary generalized than on partial seizures. The frequency of severe side effects decreased after the change to phenytoin and carbamazepine. The group on carbamazepine improved in immediate and late recall, and in immediate and late recognition of pictures. The group on phenytoin improved significantly in the Stroop test. Patients changed to phenytoin, but not those changed to carbamazepine, became significantly more aggressive, anxious and depressive than when on phenobarbital, as measured by subjective scales. The results indicate that patients should not be considered refractory to antiepileptic drug therapy while on barbiturates. Cognitive dysfunction and mood changes observed in epilepsy may be temporary and dependent on the presence of seizures and/or on use of barbiturates. more...

A one-dimensional model is developed and numerical simulation results are presented for single-electron tunnelling non-linear dynamics in a pair of coupled quantum dots, with ohmic energy dissipation. The analysis of a simple mesoscopic cell structure with two coupled quantum dots, possessing bi-stability with only one excess electron, is also presented in order to evaluate its application in implementing fast cellular automata. more...

Summary form only given. The realization of extremely dense integrated circuits, having from 109 to beyond 1012 devices per chip presents several challenges to current I.C. fabrication technologies. Among them, power dissipation seems to be one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome. Nowadays, nanoelectronic devices seem to be an attractive alternative to MOS devices for the implementation of these GSI to TSI integrated circuits. Single electron tunneling (SET) - based transistors are well-known for their extremely low power consumption and high-scale integration capability and should be an interesting option for the implementation of extremely dense I.C.s . However, their limited driving capabilities do not favor the interfacing of SET circuits and other non-SET modules in an electronic system. In this work, the present development of circuit solutions for a GSI/TSI processor (based on single-electron transistors) that is being developed at Universidade de Brasilia will be presented. The possibilities of interfacing these SET-based circuits via MOS devices, in order to overcome the limited SET driving capabilities, will be also discussed. more...

A CMOS VLSI system on chip, designed for irrigation control applications was developed. The SoC features include wireless communication capability, data processing, sensor signal acquisition and actuator control. A power saving strategy provides long-term autonomy with standard energy sources. Application software and dedicated software development CAD tools were also implemented in this design effort. more...

A hybrid architecture for neural coprocessing is presented. A fixed set of analog multipliers and capacitors (analog memory) emulates multilayer perceptrons through digitally-controlled multiplexing. Thus parallelism is partially preserved without direct analog implementation of the whole structure. Details of system VLSI implementation are given, along with simulation results and performance estimation. more...

A hybrid architecture for neural coprocessing is presented. A fixed set of analog multipliers and capacitors (analog memory) emulates multilayer perceptrons through digitally-controlled multiplexing. Parallelism is partially preserved, then, without direct analog implementation of the whole structure. Details of system VLSI implementation are given, along with simulation results that validate system cells design. more...

A signal processing system based upon a custom-made neural coprocessor integrated circuit is presented. The system comprises a dedicated PCB containing up to four coprocessors, which works in association with a microcomputer. All control and communication software, including a program for neural network training, were also developed. A speech recognition application and a performance evaluation are also presented. more...

Children, 47, with various types of severe drug-resistant epilepsy were entered into a prospective, add-on, open trial with vigabatrin. Patients with West syndrome and idiopathic generalized epilepsies were excluded. Seven children had the drug withdrawn, five because of increase in seizure frequency and two because of adverse effects. Drug efficacy, measured according to seizure type, showed a 100% decrease in seizure frequency in 18.6% of partial seizures and 17.3% of the generalized seizures. There was a higher than 50% decrease in 39.5% of partial and 60.8% of generalized seizures, and less than 50% decrease or increase in seizure frequency in 41.8% and 21.8% of partial and generalized seizures, respectively. Vigabatrin mean dosage during phase 3 was 63.6 mg/kg per day (S.D. = 30.5), ranging from 19.3 to 110.5 mg/kg per day. Parametric statistical analysis (Student's t-test) of seizure frequency between phases 1 and 3 showed a significant decrease in seizure frequency for partial (P = 0.022), and generalized seizures (P < 0.0001). Drug-related adverse effects were observed in 18/47 cases (38.3%), consisting mainly of irritability, hyperactivity, dizziness, somnolence and gastrointestinal symptoms. more...

The authors have observed hysteretic behavior and negative differential resistance in single-layer devices made from buriti oil mixed with polystyrene and sandwiched between poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) and silver (Ag) electrodes. The hysteresis curve shows not only two different values of current but different behaviors as the increasing voltage curve shows negative differential resistance and the decreasing voltage curve does not. The fact that a simple fabrication technique yields reproducible conductance switching and hysteresis is relevant for the development of theories of organic electronic device behavior. more...

To determine the correlation between the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the clinical forms of American leishmaniasis (AL), duration of the disease and reaction to leishmanin, the authors studied 12 patients and compared them to 25 unaffected individuals. The ulcerated cutaneous form of the disease was observed in 4 patients, the ulcero-nodular lymphangitic form in 1 the mucous cutaneous form with destruction of the nose in 6, and the verrucous form in 1. General patient condition was satisfactory and the Montenegro reaction macroscopically positive with infiltrations of 5–15 mm in diameter. The results revealed no evidence of immunodeficiency among patients. No correlation was observed between clinical forms, duration of the disease and Montenegro reaction and LTT results. LTT with PHA does not appear to be an adequate indicator of the cell immune system in AL cases. more...

A case of dystrophic calcification of the myocardium is reported. The clinical, fluoroscopic, hemodynamic and angiographic findings are described, and correlate well with the lesions discovered at surgery. In this case, the diagnosis was originally suspected because of the calcification noted during fluoroscopy. more...

A new urinary metabolite was identified in eight cases of congenital analgesia, and was shown to be absent in numerous other normal and abnormal patients. The metabolite is excreted in a conjugated form, being hydrolyzed by acid. The isolation and purification of this metabolite is described. Color reactions, infrared and ultraviolet spectra suggest an aromatic amine, with a molecular weight around 214–233. The relation of this metabolite to the pain mechanism is discussed. more...

The photoaffinity label 8-azido[32P]adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and affinity chromatography on N6-(2-aminoethyl)-cAMP-Sepharose were used to analyze the cAMP-binding proteins present in cell-free extracts of Blastocladiella emersonii zoospores. In the presence of a mixture of protease inhibitors, 8-azido[32P]cAMP was specifically and quantitatively incorporated into a major protein band of Mr = 58,000, and three minor protein bands of Mr = 50,000, Mr = 43,000, and Mr = 36,000 respectively, after autoradiography following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacryl-amide gel electrophoresis. In the absence of the protease inhibitors, the Mr = 58,000 protein band was converted into the lower molecular weight cAMP-binding proteins, indicating a high sensitivity of the intact Mr = 58,000 protein band to endogenous proteases. The Mr = 58,000 protein corresponded to the regulatory subunit (R), of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase of zoospores, as shown by their identical behavior on DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The partially purified protein kinase incorporated 32P from [gamma-32P] ATP . Mg2+ into R as demonstrated by the specific adsorption of the 32P-labeled protein with N6-(2-aminoethyl)-cAMP-Sepharose. The incorporated 32P group was rapidly removed by endogenous phosphoprotein phosphatases in the presence of cAMP, as shown by pulse-chase experiments with [gamma-32P]ATP. Dephosphorylation of R-cAMP and rapid proteolysis may indicate two other mechanisms, in addition to cAMP, for the control of this protein kinase in vivo. more...