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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving intervention for patients with refractory cardiorespiratory failure. Despite its benefits, ECMO carries a significant risk of neurological complications, including acute brain injury (ABI). Although standardized neuromonitoring and neurological care have been shown to improve early detection of ABI, the inability to perform neuroimaging in a timely manner is a major limitation in the accurate diagnosis of neurological complications. Therefore, blood-based biomarkers capable of detecting ongoing brain injury at the bedside are of great clinical significance. This review aims to provide a concise review of the current literature on plasma biomarkers for ABI in patients on ECMO support.

Simple Summary: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Local treatment of tumors is typically straightforward. Yet, despite successful local treatment, a portion of patients will still develop subsequent distant metastases which are usually fatal. The current gold standard tool for prognostication is gene expression profiling (GEP), which is only available in the United States. The goal of this research is to develop an artificial intelligence (deep learning-based) tool which can predict patient survival directly from digital cytopathology images generated from fine-needle aspiration biopsies. Our deep learning model was able to predict Month 48 survival status directly from digital cytopathology images with reasonably robust performance. This approach, if validated prospectively, could serve as an alternative survival prediction tool for patients with UM to whom GEP is not available. Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. The median overall survival time for patients who develop metastasis is approximately one year. In this study, we aim to leverage deep learning (DL) techniques to analyze digital cytopathology images and directly predict the 48 month survival status on a patient level. Methods: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the tumor was performed in each patient diagnosed with UM. The cell aspirate was smeared on a glass slide and stained with H&E. Each slide then underwent whole-slide scanning. Within each whole-slide image, regions of interest (ROIs) with UM cells were automatically extracted. Each ROI was converted into super pixels, and the super pixels were automatically detected, segmented and annotated as "tumor cell" or "background" using DL. Cell-level features were extracted from the segmented tumor cells. The cell-level features were aggregated into slide-level features which were learned by a fully connected layer in an artificial neural network, and the patient survival status was predicted directly from the slide-level features. The data were partitioned at the patient level (78% training and 22% testing). Our DL model was trained to perform the binary prediction of yes-versus-no survival by Month 48. The ground truth for patient survival was established via a retrospective chart review. Results: A total of 74 patients were included in this study (43% female; mean age at the time of diagnosis: 61.8 ± 11.6 years), and 207,260 unique ROIs were generated for model training and testing. By Month 48 after diagnosis, 18 patients (24%) died from UM metastasis. Our hold-out test set contained 16 patients, where 6 patients had passed away and 10 patients were alive at Month 48. When using a sensitivity threshold of 80% in predicting UM-specific death by Month 48, our model achieved an overall accuracy of 75%. Within the subgroup of patients who died by Month 48, our model achieved a prediction accuracy of 83%. Of note, one patient in our test set was a clinical surprise, namely death by Month 48 despite having a GEP class 1A tumor, which typically portends a good prognosis. Our model correctly predicted this clinical surprise as well. Conclusions: Our DL model was able to predict the Month 48 survival status directly from digital cytopathology images obtained from FNABs of UM tumors with reasonably robust performance. This approach, if validated prospectively, could serve as an alternative survival prediction tool for patients with UM to whom GEP is not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Combined BRAF and MEK inhibition is effective for some BRAFV600E-altered gliomas, a cancer for which there are few effective therapies. While recent clinical trials demonstrate objective response rates of 30%–40%, tolerable adverse event rates are 70%–90%, and 12%–15% of patients stop therapy for toxicity. There are no clear guidelines regarding the timing and reinitiation of BRAF-targeted therapies following drug holidays. Here, we describe 4 patients with rapid disease progression during periods of treatment interruption. All patients experienced a response upon resumption of targeted therapy. Methods This is a multi-institutional, retrospective review of 4 patients. Results Three patients were diagnosed with BRAFV600E mutated anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (aPXA) and 1 with epithelioid glioblastoma. The age range was 32 to 46; 3 patients were female and one patient was male. All patients were initially treated with radiation and were subsequently treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors after disease progression. All patients with aPXA required the targeted therapy to be held due to toxicity and 1 patient held the therapy prior to transitioning to a novel BRAF-targeted agent. All patients were restarted on BRAF/MEK inhibitors after a drug holiday. Three patients required a dose reduction and all improved clinically following reinitiation. Conclusions Clinical and radiographic progression may occur rapidly upon holding BRAF-targeted therapy, warranting judicious dose reductions and minimization of drug holidays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Os atuais sistemas de produção intensiva de alimentos, com uso de poucas cultivares em extensos monocutivos, associado ao uso intenso de agrotóxicos e fertilizantes químicos, vem contaminando recursos naturais, especialmente os recursos hídricos, modificando suas características e, consequentemente gerando desequilíbrio ambiental e na saúde humana. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar água tratada e não tratada do rio Taquari na cidade de Encantado/RS, durante o período de verão e inverno, com intuito de verificar a presença de princípios ativos de agrotóxicos. O método de pesquisa compreendeu duas etapas de coleta de água, na safra de verão e inverno, e posterior análises no Laboratório de Análises de Resíduos de Pesticidas da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (LARP/UFSM). Os resultados mostram a presença dos seguintes princípios ativos atrazina em água tratada e não tratada, o qual é um herbicida utilizado principalmente em lavouras de milho na região; em agua não tratada foi identificado imidacloprido e clorpirifós, inseticidas utilizados em culturas de soja, fumo, milho, trigo e citros; carbendazim, fungicida empregado no controle de doenças em cereais e frutas e tebuconazol, fungicida empregado nas culturas de grãos. Pode-se considerar que, embora a quantidade de resíduo tenha ficado abaixo do limite máximo permitido (LMP) de segurança estabelecido pela legislação brasileira atual, não é possível assegurar baixos riscos para a saúde humana e ambiental, pois os agrotóxicos têm comprovadamente efeitos agudos e crônicos, agravados pela constante exposição, sendo a reflexão atual e apropriada, bem como sugere-se a continuidade das pesquisas e análises.

O experimento teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de combinações da distribuição das sementes de soja de alto e baixo vigor ao longo da linha de semeadura, sobre o comportamento individual das plantas resultantes e o desempenho geral das comunidades. Utilizou-se o cultivar de soja BRS 154. Foram avaliadas seis combinações de vigor das sementes na linha de semeadura. As plantas provenientes das sementes de alto vigor apresentaram maior índice de área foliar, produção de matéria seca e rendimento de sementes, em relação às plantas provenientes das sementes de baixo vigor. As plantas originadas das sementes de alto vigor não exerceram efeito de dominância sobre as plantas provenientes das sementes de baixo vigor, adjacentes na linha de semeadura. O aumento na proporção das sementes de alto vigor no estabelecimento das comunidades de plantas, proporcionou acréscimos lineares no índice de área foliar, na produção de matéria seca e no rendimento de sementes. A população formada somente por plantas oriundas das sementes de alto vigor, apresentou rendimento 30% superior à população constituída somente por plantas originadas das sementes de baixo vigor.The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of high and low vigor soybean seeds combinations distribution in the planting row on individual plants and different communities performance. The cultivar BRS 154 was used. Six seed vigor combinations were used. Plants from high vigor seeds had higher leaf area, dry matter accumulation and seed yield than plants from low vigor seeds. Plants from high vigor seeds do not have dominance effect on plants from low vigor adjacent in the row. The increases in proportion of high vigor seeds in the establishment of the plants communities provided linears increments in leaf area index, dry matter production and seeds yield. The population established with all plants from of high vigor seeds out yield in more than 30% the population established only with plants from low vigor seeds.

Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da adubação nitrogenada sobre atributos qualitativos dos grãos e das sementes em aveia branca, foi conduzido experimento envolvendo os cultivares, CTC 5, UFRGS 15, UFRGS 19 e UPF 18, e 0, 24, 48 e 73kg ha-1 de N como doses de adubação, em Argissolo Amarelo eutrófico típico, com 26,7g dm-3 de matéria orgânica. A qualidade industrial dos grãos foi avaliada através do peso do hectolitro de grãos (PH), do teor de proteína e do rendimento industrial; a qualidade das sementes foi estimada pelos testes de germinação e de envelhecimento acelerado. Independentemente do cultivar considerado, o incremento, nas doses de adubação nitrogenada reduz o peso do hectolitro, eleva a concentração de proteína nas cariopses e a produção de proteína e não afeta o rendimento industrial e a qualidade fisiológica das sementes.

Com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito de doses de nitrogênio sobre a produção de grãos e o comportamento de componentes envolvidos no uso eficiente do N em aveia branca (Avena sativa L.), realizou-se um experimento com quatro cultivares (CTC 5, UFRGS 15, UFRGS 19 e UPF 18) combinados a quatro doses de N (0, 24, 48 e 73 kg ha-1). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso com três repetições. O experimento foi instalado em um Argissolo Amarelo eutrófico típico, com 26,7 g dm-3 de matéria orgânica. Os cultivares UFRGS 19 e UPF 18 apresentaram maior potencial de resposta à adubação nitrogenada para produção de MS e acúmulo de N no florescimento, remobilização do N e eficiência da fertilização nitrogenada do que os cultivares CTC 5 e UFRGS 15. O incremento na adubação nitrogenada reduziu as eficiências de remobilização, de absorção do N e da fertilização nitrogenada, sem afetar a eficiência de utilização do N, mas aumentou a produção de MS, o acúmulo de N na maturação e o rendimento de grãos em todos os cultivares avaliados.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da adubação nitrogenada sobre atributos de desempenho industrial e na qualidade fisiológica de sementes em aveia branca (Avena sativa L.). O ensaio constou da combinação fatorial de cultivares (CTC 5, UFRGS 15, UFRGS 19 e UPF 18) e disponibilizações de N (ausência de aplicação de N; aplicação de 48kg ha-1 na semeadura; aplicação de 16kg ha-1 na semeadura e 32kg ha-1 no perfilhamento; aplicação de 16kg ha-1 na semeadura, 16kg ha-1 no perfilhamento e 16kg ha-1 na emergência da panícula). As disponibilizações de N não afetaram o peso do hectolitro, o rendimento industrial e a qualidade fisiológica das sementes. A aplicação de N na emissão da panícula elevou a concentração de proteína nas cariopses.

A novel type of isomerism in the cyclidene chemistry was charcterized based on the cis or trans orientation of the two bridge terminals. In unsubstituted cyclidene dioxygen carriers, the absence of methyl substituents from the parent macrocycle caused significant change in the molecular conformation of the novel cis-trans isomerism. These alterations in the structure of the cylcidene dioxygen carriers profoundly affected their chemical and physical properties.

Two members of a new family of unsubstituted lacunar cyclidene dioxygen carriers were produced and a complex with a hexamethylene bridge was structurally characterized. Contrary to previous findings, these materials bear no substituents on the chelated macrocyclic platform. The rates of autoxidation of these unsubstituted cyclidene complexes were five to eight times slower than those for the most stable known cyclidene derivatives. The rates of dioxygen bonding to these newly produced cobalt(II) unsubstituted cyclidenes are fast and about equal to the corresponding values for their Me-substituted analogs.

H2TAAB salts were prepared via direct reduction of o-nitrobenzaldehyde using a wide array of reducing agents. The method used featured a reducing agent that typically transforms nitro- into amino-group functionality and does not alter the aldehyde groups. It also employed a highly acidic medium which can expedite the conversion of o-aminobenzaldehyde to H2TAAB salts. The results demonstrated that {FeCl4} and {SnCl3} anions do not have an effect on the reactions of the H2TAAB salts.