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Objective: To investigate the association between kidney dysfunction and haplotypes in sickle cell disease. Methods: A cohort of 84 sickle cell disease patients, treated in a public health service in Fortaleza, Brazil, was studied. Hemoglobin S haplotypes were obtained from 57 patients as they had recently received blood transfusions with 18 of them agreeing to undertake urinary concentrating ability and acidification tests. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. Urinary concentration was evaluated utilizing the urinary and serum osmolality ratio (U/Posm) after 12 hours of water deprivation. Urinary acidification was evaluated by measuring the urinary pH before and after the administration of oral CaCl2. The analysis of the haplotypes of the beta S gene cluster was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for multiple comparisons of means and the Newman-Keuls test was used to identify which groups were significantly different. Results: The mean age of the patients was 33 ± 13 years with 64.2% being females. The glomerular filtration rate was normal in 25 cases (30%) and a rate > 120 mL/min was seen in 52 cases (62%). Urinary concentration deficit was found in all patients who underwent the test and urinary acidification in 22%. There was no significant difference when comparing patients with the Bantu/Bantu and Benin/Benin haplotypes. On comparing patients with the Central African Republic-haplotype however, a higher number had glomerular filtration rates between 60 and 120 mL/min. Conclusion: There was no significant difference among sickle cell disease patients regarding the haplotypes and kidney dysfunction.

Objective: To investigate the association between kidney dysfunction and haplotypes in sickle cell disease. Methods: A cohort of 84 sickle cell disease patients, treated in a public health service in Fortaleza, Brazil, was studied. Hemoglobin S haplotypes were obtained from 57 patients as they had recently received blood transfusions with 18 of them agreeing to undertake urinary concentrating ability and acidification tests. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. Urinary concentration was evaluated utilizing the urinary and serum osmolality ratio (U/Posm) after 12 hours of water deprivation. Urinary acidification was evaluated by measuring the urinary pH before and after the administration of oral CaCl2. The analysis of the haplotypes of the beta S gene cluster was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for multiple comparisons of means and the Newman-Keuls test was used to identify which groups were significantly different. Results: The mean age of the patients was 33 ± 13 years with 64.2% being females. The glomerular filtration rate was normal in 25 cases (30%) and a rate > 120 mL/min was seen in 52 cases (62%). Urinary concentration deficit was found in all patients who underwent the test and urinary acidification in 22%. There was no significant difference when comparing patients with the Bantu/Bantu and Benin/Benin haplotypes. On comparing patients with the Central African Republic-haplotype however, a higher number had glomerular filtration rates between 60 and 120 mL/min. Conclusion: There was no significant difference among sickle cell disease patients regarding the haplotypes and kidney dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To retrospectively examine sex-differences and predictors of completion in consecutively-referred patients to a 6-month exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program (CRP) from 2006 to 2017., Materials/methods: People with hemiplegic gait participated in stroke-adapted-CRP; otherwise, traditional-CRP. Reasons for non-completion were ascertained by interview. Regression-analyses were conducted to determine non-completion in all patients and women and men separately., Results: There were 1536 patients (30.3% women), mean age 64.5 ± 12.5 with 23% initiating the stroke-adapted-CRP. Overall, 75.1% completed the CRP (87.3% stroke-adapted-CRP vs 71.5% traditional-CRP; p < .001). There was no difference in completion between women and men (74.5% vs 75.4%; p=0.7), or in attendance to pre-scheduled sessions (p=0.6) or reasons for non-completion (p > .05, all). The only sex difference in completion by age (decade) occurred in those <41 years (59% women vs 85% men; p=.02). Baseline predictors of non-completion among all patients included not being enrolled in the stroke-adapted-CRP, lower V̇O 2peak , smoking, diabetes (prescribed insulin) and depression but not sex (p=.5) or age (p=.15). Unique predictors in women vs men were younger age, lower V̇O 2peak , smoking, diabetes (prescribed insulin), depression, and cancer diagnoses. Unique to men was having >1 stroke and diabetes (any anti-diabetes medication). The strongest predictor of non-completion among all models was not being enrolled in stroke-adapted-CRP., Conclusions: While there were no sex-differences in adherence to the CRP, women and men have mostly unique predictors of non-completion. Younger women are at greatest risk for non-completion. Practitioners should provide sex-specific, tailored strategies for enhancing completion with a focus on younger women and offering a stroke-adapted-CRP with close attention to those with diabetes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Brazilian strategy to overcome the spread of COVID-19 has been particularly criticized due to the lack of a national coordinating effort and an appropriate testing program. Here, a successful approach to control the spread of COVID-19 transmission is described by the engagement of public (university and governance) and private sectors (hospitals and oil companies) in Macaé, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a city known as the National Oil Capital. In 2020 between the 17th and 38th epidemiological week, over two percent of the 206,728 citizens were subjected to symptom analysis and RT-qPCR testing by the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with positive individuals being notified up to 48 h after swab collection. Geocodification and spatial cluster analysis were used to limit COVID-19 spreading in Macaé. Within the first semester after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Brazil, Macaé recorded 1.8% of fatalities associated with COVID-19 up to the 38th epidemiological week, which was at least five times lower than the state capital (10.6%). Overall, considering the successful experience of this joint effort of private and public engagement in Macaé, our data suggest that the development of a similar strategy countrywise could have contributed to a better control of the COVID-19 spread in Brazil. Quarantine decree by the local administration, comprehensive molecular testing coupled to scientific analysis of COVID-19 spreading, prevented the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic as seen in other populous cities within the state of Rio de Janeiro and elsewhere in Brazil., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

In the present work, we established two novel embryonic cell lines from the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis containing or not the naturally occurring symbiont bacteria Wolbachia, which were called wAflu1 and Aflu2, respectively. We also obtained wAflu1 without Wolbachia after tetracycline treatment, named wAflu1.tet. Morphofunctional characterization was performed to help elucidate the symbiont-host interaction in the context of energy metabolism regulation and molecular mechanisms of the immune responses involved. The presence of Wolbachia pipientis improves energy performance in A. fluviatilis cells; it affects the regulation of key energy sources such as lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, making the distribution of actin more peripheral and with extensions that come into contact with neighboring cells. Additionally, innate immunity mechanisms were activated, showing that the wAflu1 and wAflu1.tet cells are responsive after the stimulus using Gram negative bacteria. Therefore, this work confirms the natural, mutually co-regulating symbiotic relationship between W. pipientis and A. fluviatilis, modulating the host metabolism and immune pathway activation. The results presented here add important resources to the current knowledge of Wolbachia-arthropod interactions., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Metabolomic approaches can assess the actual state of an organism's energy metabolism during a specific morphological event, providing a more accurate insight into the correlations between physiology and metabolic regulation., Methods: The study of the metabolomic profile aim to identify the largest possible number of biomolecules in a certain organism or specific structures. For this purpose, mass spectrometry (MS) and chromatography have been used in the present study., Objectives: In this context, the aim of the present work is to evaluate the glucose metabolomic profile during embryogenesis in Rhipicephalus microplus tick, investigating the dynamics of nutrient utilization during tick embryo formation, as well as the control of glucose metabolism., Results: We show that glycogen reserves are preferentially mobilized to sustain the energy-intensive process of embryogenesis. Subsequently, the increase in concentration of specific amino acids indicates that protein degradation would provide carbons to fuel gluconeogenesis, supplying the embryo with sufficient glucose and glycogen during development., Conclusion: Altogether, these results demonstrated the presence of a very refined catabolic and anabolic control during embryogenesis in R. microplus tick, suggesting the pronounced gluconeogenesis as a strategy to secure embryo development. Moreover, this research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms that control glucose metabolism during tick embryogenesis and may aid the identification of putative targets for novel chemical or immunological control methods, which are essential to improve the prevention of tick infestations., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Poincianella Bracteosa: has been widely used in folk medicine to treat catarrhal infections, diarrhea, and anemia; however, phytochemical and toxicogenetic data are still lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the phytochemical and antioxidant characteristics as well as assess cytogenotoxicity and antigenotoxicity in hexane (HF), ether (EF) and ethyl acetate (AF) fractions of P. bracteosa leaves using Allium cepa bioassay. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of saponins and phenolic groups. EF fraction contained a higher content of total phenolics (441.23 ± 1.82 mg GAE/g), while HF fraction showed a higher content of total flavonoids (84.77 ± 5.33 mg QE/g). Higher antioxidant activity was observed in EF (EC 50 25.06 ± 0.07 µg/ml). Cytotoxic effect was verified for all fractions, but no chromosomal alterations were observed in the A. cepa assay. With respect to antigenotoxicity, the protective effect of EF and AF fractions was attributed to as evidenced by the modulation of mutagenic action of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), mainly by inhibiting the development of micronuclei. Among the fractions, EF was considered the most promising, as it exhibited higher antioxidant activity, was not genotoxic, exerted protective activity against the damage induced by MMS and also presented cytotoxic activity, a desired quality in the search for natural anticarcinogenic compounds.

In the present study, levels of booster biocides (diuron, Irgarol, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid and DCOIT), butyltin compounds (TBT, DBT and MBT) and antifouling paint particles (APPs) were assessed in sediments of areas under the influence of the largest Latin American port, marinas, boat traffic and ship/boat maintenance facilities located within Santos-São Vicente Estuarine System (SSES). Contamination profile was directly related to local maritime activities, where sediments from the main navigation channel (MNC) presented low levels of antifouling residues while adjacent areas (AA), characterized by the presence of boats and boatyards, showed higher contamination considering all analyzed residues. Moreover, areas under the influence of fishing boats/yards presented relevant levels of butyltins (ΣBTs > 300 ng g -1 ) and APPs (>100 μg g -1 ), while marinas dominated by recreational boats showed higher booster biocides occurrence. Sites located nearby shipyards in the MNC and boatyards in the AA presented expressive amounts of APPs (>200 μg g -1 ). These APPs represent an important long-term source of biocides to the SSES. Thus, the profile of maritime activities in association to local oceanographic conditions drive the spatial distribution of antifouling residues within SESS, which in some case presented levels above sediment guidelines for TBT, DCOIT and diuron., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate if β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles potentiate the photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) effects in single and microcosm oral biofilms using methylene blue (MB) and a red laser. Background data: Studies of PACT have demonstrated promising effects; however, the association of nanoparticles with photosensitizers could enhance the antimicrobial result. Materials and methods: Biofilms were grown on enamel blocks either with Streptococcus mutans or in a microcosm model (salivary microorganisms) supplemented with sucrose. PACT using 50 μM MB associated or not with 32 μM encapsulated β-cyclodextrin with MB for 5 min, followed by irradiation with red laser ( λ  = 660 nm, 320 J/cm 2 ), was conducted and the counts of viable microorganisms in proper selective media were determined. Data were analyzed by one-factor ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test, or Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn's post hoc test, all with a significance level of 5%. Results: In the single-species biofilm model, a significant reduction in S. mutans counts was found for all groups when light was present. In the microcosm biofilm model, no significant difference was found among the groups for total streptococci, but a significant reduction of S. mutans was observed for the PACT group of encapsulated β-cyclodextrin+MB. However, no statistically significant difference was observed among the PACT groups. Conclusions: PACT with β-cyclodextrin mediated with MB associated with a red laser reduced S. mutans in microcosm biofilms. However, the presence of β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles did not potentiate the PACT effects in single or microcosm oral biofilms.

Fatigue and muscle damage negatively affect performance in lower limb exercises involving the stretch-shortening cycle in judo athletes during competition and training sessions. Photobiomodulation therapy has emerged as an effective non-invasive strategy to attenuate fatigue and muscle damage when applied before different types of exercises. Our objective was to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy on fatigue and muscle damage in judo athletes. Sixteen judo athletes participated in the study (23.1 ± 3.8 years, 77.9 ± 14.9 kg, 173.1 ± 8.9 cm, 17.5 ± 7.3 body fat%, 12.9 ± 5.0 years of practice). Each participant received, in a randomized manner, photobiomodulation in one limb and placebo in the contralateral limb on the same day. Thereafter, subjects performed a stretch-shortening cycle protocol to induce muscle fatigue and damage. Countermovement jump (impulse, peak power, peak velocity, and peak force), echo intensity ( rectus femoris and vastus lateralis ), and muscle soreness were assessed at different time points before, during, immediately post, and 24 and 48 h after the protocol. Muscle fatigue was detected due to reductions in countermovement jump impulse (14.7 ± 9.8 and 15.9 ± 15.5%), peak power (12.9 ± 8.5 and 11.9 ± 6.9%), peak velocity (8.6 ± 8.1 and 6.5 ± 6.0%), and peak force (7.0 ± 5.3 and 8.0 ± 6.1%) after the protocol ( p < 0.001), for placebo and photobiomodulation therapy, respectively. Muscle damage was detected due to reductions in countermovement jump impulse (-6.1 ± 19.2% and -4.5 ± 9.2%, p < 0.05), increases in echo intensity ( rectus femoris , 21.0 ± 11.9 and 20.8 ± 9.0%; and vastus lateralis , 22.4 ± 23.2%; and 16.7 ± 23.8%; p < 0.001), and quadriceps muscle soreness (3.6 ± 1.6 and 3.5 ± 1.7 a.u; p < 0.011), 48 h after the protocol, for placebo and photobiomodulation therapy, respectively. No differences were observed between photobiomodulation therapy and placebo at any time points for any variables ( p > 0.05), indicating no positive effect favoring photobiomodulation therapy. In conclusion, our findings suggest no effect of photobiomodulation therapy applied before exercise to reduce lower limb muscle fatigue and damage during and following a stretch-shortening cycle protocol in judo athletes.

South America holds 30% of the world's avifauna, with the Atlantic Forest representing one of the richest regions of the Neotropics. Here we have compiled a data set on Brazilian Atlantic Forest bird occurrence (150,423) and abundance samples (N = 832 bird species; 33,119 bird individuals) using multiple methods, including qualitative surveys, mist nets, point counts, and line transects). We used four main sources of data: museum collections, on-line databases, literature sources, and unpublished reports. The data set comprises 4,122 localities and data from 1815 to 2017. Most studies were conducted in the Florestas de Interior (1,510 localities) and Serra do Mar (1,280 localities) biogeographic sub-regions. Considering the three main quantitative methods (mist net, point count, and line transect), we compiled abundance data for 745 species in 576 communities. In the data set, the most frequent species were Basileuterus culicivorus, Cyclaris gujanensis, and Conophaga lineata. There were 71 singletons, such as Lipaugus conditus and Calyptura cristata. We suggest that this small number of records reinforces the critical situation of these taxa in the Atlantic Forest. The information provided in this data set can be used for macroecological studies and to foster conservation strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Data Paper if data are used in publications and teaching events., (© 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.)

Bladder cancer (BCa) is the most frequent urinary tract neoplasm. BCa results in significant mortality when the disease presents as muscle invasive. Around 75% to 80% of patients present with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), but recurrence and progression are significant issues, compelling current guidelines to recommend long-term surveillance. There is therefore an urgent and unmet need to identify and validate accurate biomarkers for the detection of disease recurrence to improve quality of life for the patients and reduce costs for health care providers, while maintaining or improving current outcomes. In this review, 38 publications on immunohistochemistry prognostic biomarkers, that were studied may be related in nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, have been analyzed. The studies were organized according to the evaluated marker and their findings. It was demonstrated that the combination of independent complementary biomarkers could allow a more accurate prognosis than an isolated marker. Biomarkers, including p53, Ki-67, and CK20, with classic and prognostic factors with recurrence and novel markers such as EN2 may provide a more accurate prediction of outcome compared with any single marker, improving risk stratification and clinical management of patients with BCa.

[Purpose] This study aimed to develop and validate an assessment tool for Moiré topogram made specifically with the Shadow Moiré technique of the dorsum. [Subjects and Methods] In the analysis of topograms, frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes of individuals' dorsal were considered. Two instructor evaluators analyzed the topograms at different times in the day and on different days. The measurements of intra- and inter- (intra- and interday) reliability were calculated. [Results] Of the three planes analyzed, in all analyses, good (0.61 to 0.80) and/or excellent (0.81 to 1) concordances were observed. [Conclusion] This analysis framework can be recommended to evaluate the topograms obtained with SMT.

Objective: To assess, in vitro, the ability of the ProTaper(™) and WaveOne(™) systems to reduce Enterococcus faecalis contamination in primary molars., Study Design: Sixty roots of primary molars were contaminated with E. faecalis. Roots were randomly allocated to one of four groups (n=20): ProTaper(™), WaveOne(™), control A, or control B. The files used were S1 and S2/F1 and F2 (ProTaper(™) system) and 25.08 (WaveOne(™) system). In control group A, the root canal was left uninstrumented, whereas in control group B, the root canal was irrigated with NaCl 0.9%. E. faecalis was sampled from the root canal system before and after instrumentation and the Wilcoxon test and Mann-Whitney U were used., Results: There were no differences in E. faecalis counts between pre-instrumentation counts in the ProTaper™ and WaveOne(™) (p>0.05). The ProTaper(™) system led to an 89.36% reduction in E. faecalis burden, versus 78.10% with the WaveOne(™) system (p>0.05). Instrumentation time was shorter with WaveOne(™) (p<0.0001)., Conclusions: The ProTaper(™) and WaveOne™ systems were equally effective in reducing Enterococcus faecalis in primary molars. The WaveOne(™) system was associated with shorter instrumentation time.

Objective: To analyze the perception of parents about secondhand smoking in their children's health., Methods: Ethnographic qualitative and quantitative study. We sought the point of view and understanding of the parents that were active smokers in relation to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and secondhand smoking. Mothers and fathers who are active smokers and that live with their children from seven different public schools in the city of Anápolis, Midwest Brazil, were interviewed in the first semester of in a reserved room in the schools. A descriptive and qualitative analysis was carried out through the ethnography., Results: 58 parents with an average time of smoking of 15.3 years and an average quantity of cigarettes smoked per day of 2 were interviewed. Among them, 59% didn't know what ETS was, and 60% stated knowing what a secondhand smoker was. However, when questioned about their children as secondhand smokers, 52% didn't consider them to be. Some parents knew some of the effects of secondhand smoking in the health of their children. However, the majority (52%) of them did not believe that their children would suffer any respiratory impairment or did not know about these impairments., Conclusions: Children were exposed to Environmental Tobacco Pollution in their residence if one considers parental duration of smoking and average of cigarettes smoked per day. There was a lack of knowledge of the parents about ETS, secondhand smoking and the evils that cigarettes could cause in the health of their children., (Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Cancer is a multifactorial disease with a high mortality rate in Brazil and worldwide. Gastric cancer (GC) is considered the fourth type of malignancy more frequent in the population worldwide and the second leading cause of death. This work aimed to evaluate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IFNGR1, GSTT1, and GSTP1 genes samples in gastric cancer. We analyzed 60 samples of gastric cancer, 26 diffuse and 34 intestinal types, totaling 120 alleles for each SNP. The results were obtained by PCR and allele-specific PCR. Statistical analyzes performed using BioEstat 5.0 software, applying the Fisher's exact test and chi-square. Only the SNP gene GSTP1 (rs1695) were significantly associated with gastric cancer in the samples analyzed (χ(2) = 8.73, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that the GSTP1 gene SNP (rs1695) can be considered a risk factor associated with gastric carcinogenesis.

The search for reliable biomarkers of human exposure to benzene and its derivatives is still subject of research. Many of the proposed biomarkers have limitations ranging from the low sensitivity to the wide variability of results. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess the frequencies of chromosomal abnormalities (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in workers of gas stations, with (cases, n = 19) and without (local controls, n = 6) risk of exposure to benzene and its derivatives, comparing them with the results from the general population (external controls, n = 38). The blood dosages of benzene, toluene, and xylenes were measured in all participants. Blood solvent levels were compared with the findings obtained in cytogenetic evaluation and a research protocol which included data of the workplace, lifestyle, and health of the individuals. We did not detect the presence of benzene and its derivatives and did not find chromosomal damage that may be associated with the gas station activity in cases. Moreover, although we found an association of increased SCE and the working time in the local controls, the values found for SCE are within normal limits. Thus, our evaluation of SCE and CA reflected the levels of benzene and its derivatives observed in the blood. We believe, therefore, that SCE and CA may actually constitute possible tests for the evaluation of these exposures. However, we believe that further studies, including individuals at risk, are important to confirm this assertion.

Folate is an essential nutrient with important roles in the synthesis, repair, and DNA methylation. Polymorphisms in genes encoding enzymes involved in folate metabolism can change these processes and modulate cancer development. We investigated DNMT3B C46359T (rs2424913) and SHMT1 C1420T (rs1979277) polymorphisms related to folate pathway in head and neck cancer (HNC) risk and the association of the disease with gender, risk factors and clinical histopathological parameters. A case-control study was conducted in 725 individuals (237 patients with HNC and 488 control individuals). Real-time PCR technique was performed for genotyping. Chi square and multiple logistic regression tests were used for statistical analysis. Male gender (OR 1.80; 95 % CI 1.11-2.94; P < 0.02) and tobacco consumption (OR 6.14; 95 % CI 4.13-9.13; P < 0.001) were associated with increased risk for this neoplasia. There were no significant associations between the polymorphisms and risk of disease, however, the tobacco and alcohol habits together showed association with SHMT1 C1420T polymorphism (OR 1.48; 95 % CI 1.08-2.03; P = 0.014). SHMT1 C1420T polymorphism was associated with larynx tumor (OR 0.48; 95 % CI 0.27-0.86; P < 0.05). In conclusion, tobacco habit and male gender can be predictors for HNC risk. SHMT1 C1420T and DNMT3B C46359T polymorphisms are not associated with HNC development in Brazilian population, however, SHMT1 C1420T polymorphism is less frequent in patients with primary site of tumor in larynx and more frequent in individuals who consume tobacco and alcohol together. Further studies involving gene-gene interactions in folate pathway in different populations can contribute to the understanding of the polymorphisms effect on HNC risk.

To verify the methylation status of THBS1, GPX3, and COX2 genes and to evaluate their association with Helicobacter pylori in gastric adenocarcinomas. Methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme PCR assay was performed in 16 diffuse type gastric cancer samples, 23 intestinal type, and 15 normal stomach tissue. The presence of H. pylori was performed by amplification of the fragment of the 16S rRNA. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher's exact test. The hypermethylation of GPX3, THBS1, and COX2 occurred in 18 (n = 7), 5 (n = 2), and 36 % (n = 14) of gastric cancer samples, respectively, whereas in normal samples, it was found in 13, 7, and 67 %. The presence of H. pylori was detected in 67 % of gastric cancer samples and 67 % in normal gastric samples. The methylation of THBS1 and GPX3 was not significantly different between the types of tumors, normal sample, the presence of H. pylori, or clinicopathological variables studied (P > 0.05). However, the methylation status of the gene COX2 is significantly different between normal tissue and intestinal type gastric cancer (P = 0.02). Therefore, our results suggest that the methylation status of the gene COX2 is associated with the intestinal type of gastric cancer.

Objective: To investigate the association between kidney dysfunction and haplotypes in sickle cell disease., Methods: A cohort of 84 sickle cell disease patients, treated in a public health service in Fortaleza, Brazil, was studied. Hemoglobin S haplotypes were obtained from 57 patients as they had recently received blood transfusions with 18 of them agreeing to undertake urinary concentrating ability and acidification tests. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. Urinary concentration was evaluated utilizing the urinary and serum osmolality ratio (U/Posm) after 12 hours of water deprivation. Urinary acidification was evaluated by measuring the urinary pH before and after the administration of oral CaCl2. The analysis of the haplotypes of the beta S gene cluster was carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used for multiple comparisons of means and the Newman-Keuls test was used to identify which groups were significantly different., Results: The mean age of the patients was 33 ± 13 years with 64.2% being females. The glomerular filtration rate was normal in 25 cases (30%) and a rate > 120 mL/min was seen in 52 cases (62%). Urinary concentration deficit was found in all patients who underwent the test and urinary acidification in 22%. There was no significant difference when comparing patients with the Bantu/Bantu and Benin/Benin haplotypes. On comparing patients with the Central African Republic-haplotype however, a higher number had glomerular filtration rates between 60 and 120 mL/min., Conclusion: There was no significant difference among sickle cell disease patients regarding the haplotypes and kidney dysfunction.

Using molecular dynamic simulations, we study a system of particles interacting through a continuous core-softened potentials consisting of a hard core, a shoulder at closest distances, and an attractive well at further distance. We obtain the pressure-temperature phase diagram of this system for various depths of the tunable attractive well. Since this is a two length scale potential, density, diffusion, and structural anomalies are expected. We show that the effect of increasing the attractive interaction between the molecules is to shrink the region in pressure in which the density and the diffusion anomalies are present. If the attractive forces are too strong, particle will be predominantly in one of the two length scales and no density of diffusion anomaly is observed. The structural anomalous region is present for all the cases.

Introduction: Adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) may be at risk for progressive right ventricular (RV) dilatation and dysfunction, which is commonly associated with arrhythmic events. In frequently volume-overloaded patients with congenital heart disease, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is particularly useful for assessing RV function. However, it is not known whether RV TDI can predict outcome in this population., Objective: To evaluate whether RV TDI parameters are associated with supraventricular arrhythmic events in adults with repaired TOF., Methods: We studied 40 consecutive patients with repaired TOF (mean age 35 +/- 11 years, 62% male) referred for routine echocardiographic exam between 2007 and 2008. The following echocardiographic measurements were obtained: left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV end-systolic volume, LV end-diastolic volume, RV fractional area change, RV end-systolic area, RV end-diastolic area, left and right atrial volumes, mitral E and A velocities, RV myocardial performance index (Tei index), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), myocardial isovolumic acceleration (IVA), pulmonary regurgitation color flow area, TDI basal lateral, septal and RV lateral peak diastolic and systolic annular velocities (E' 1, A' 1, S' 1, E' s, A' s, S' s, E' rv, A' rv, S' rv), strain, strain rate and tissue tracking of the same segments. QRS duration on resting ECG, total duration of Bruce treadmill exercise stress test and presence of exercise-induced arrhythmias were also analyzed. The patients were subsequently divided into two groups: Group 1--12 patients with previous documented supraventricular arrhythmias (atrial tachycardia, fibrillation or flutter) and Group 2 (control group)--28 patients with no previous arrhythmic events. Univariate and multivariate analysis was used to assess the statistical association between the studied parameters and arrhythmic events., Results: Patients with previous events were older (41 +/- 14 vs. 31 +/- 6 years, p = 0.005), had wider QRS (173 +/- 20 vs. 140 +/- 32 ms, p = 0.01) and lower maximum heart rate on treadmill stress testing (69 +/- 35 vs. 92 +/- 9%, p = 0.03). All patients were in NYHA class I or II. Clinical characteristics including age at corrective surgery, previous palliative surgery and residual defects did not differ significantly between the two groups. Left and right cardiac chamber dimensions and ventricular and valvular function as evaluated by conventional Doppler parameters were also not significantly different. Right ventricular strain and strain rate were similar between the groups. However, right ventricular myocardial TDI systolic (Sa: 5.4+2 vs. 8.5 +/- 3, p = 0.004) and diastolic indices and velocities (Ea, Aa, septal E/Ea, and RV free wall tissue tracking) were significantly reduced in patients with arrhythmias compared to the control group. Multivariate linear regression analysis identified RV early diastolic velocity as the sole variable independently associated with arrhythmic history (RV Ea: 4.5 +/- 1 vs. 6.7 +/- 2 cm/s, p = 0.01). A cut-off for RV Ea of < 6.1 cm/s identified patients in the arrhythmic group with 86% sensitivity and 59% specificity (AUC = 0.8)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that TDI may detect RV dysfunction in patients with apparently normal function as assessed by conventional echocardiographic parameters. Reduction in RV early diastolic velocity appears to be an early abnormality and is associated with occurrence of arrhythmic events. TDI may be useful in risk stratification of patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

There is tremendous interest in using agro-industrial wastes, such as cellulignin, as starting materials for the production of fuels and chemicals. Cellulignin are the solids, which result from the acid hydrolysis of the sugarcane bagasse. The objective of this work was to optimize the enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose fraction of cellulignin, and to study its fermentation to ethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cellulose conversion was optimized using response surface methods with pH, enzyme loading, solid percentage, and temperature as factor variables. The optimum conditions that maximized the conversion of cellulose to glucose, calculated from the initial dried weight of pretreated cellulignin, (43 degrees C, 2%, and 24.4 FPU/g of pretreated cellulignin) such as the glucose concentration (47 degrees C, 10%, and 25.6 FPU/g of pretreated cellulignin) were found. The desirability function was used to find conditions that optimize both, conversion to glucose and glucose concentration (47 degrees C, 10%, and 25.9 FPU/g of pretreated cellulignin). The resulting enzymatic hydrolyzate was fermented yielding a final ethanol concentration of 30.0 g/L, in only 10 h, and reaching a volumetric productivity of 3.0 g/L x h, which is close to the values obtained in the conventional ethanol fermentation of sugar cane juice (5.0-8.0 g/L x h) in Brazil.

The present paper details our findings following immunohistochemical examination of the midbrain and pons of the Highveld molerat (Cryptomys hottentotus) using antibodies for vesicular acetylcholine transporter (cholinergic neurons), tyrosine hydroxylase (dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurons), and serotonin (serotonergic neurons). The aim was to see if, in this microphthalmic rodent that lacks a distinct circadian rhythm, the nuclei involved in aspects of visual processing and the sleep-wake cycle exhibited specific loss or morphological alteration. For all of the neural systems investigated we found nuclei that can be considered direct homologues of those found in the laboratory rat. There was no specific loss of any nuclear group of any of the systems investigated, but there was significant reduction (as judged qualitatively) in the number of neurons in the visual associated nuclei. The fact that we could identify all nuclear groupings from three systems in this species is suggestive of an evolutionary constraint acting at the level of the organization of the neural system.

The experience of 260 patients with endometrial carcinoma was reviewed. The influence of factors such as age, stage of disease, grade and degree of myometrial penetration on the survival was presented, showing that survival decreases in elderly patients, in patients with advanced stage of disease, when the tumor is undifferentiated, and when the tumor deeply penetrates the myometrium. The methods of therapy, fall into three main groups: surgery, radiotherapy, and combined therapy, the latter yielding the best 5-year survival rate, in all stages. The incidence of vaginal recurrences was low, probably due to the fact that 68.8% of the patients were treated by a combined therapeutic modality.