Spectrochemical differentiation in gestational diabetes mellitus based on attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

Abstract: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a hyperglycaemic imbalance first recognized during pregnancy, and affects up to 22% of pregnancies worldwide, bringing negative maternal–fetal consequences in the short- and long-term. In order to better characterize GDM in pregnant women, 100 blood plasma samples (50 GDM and 50 healthy pregnant control group) were submitted Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, using chemometric approaches, including feature selection algorithms associated with discriminant analysis, such as Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM), analyzed in the biofingerprint region between 1800 and 900 cm−1 followed by Savitzky–Golay smoothing, baseline correction and normalization to Amide-I band (~ 1650 cm−1). An initial exploratory analysis of the data by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed a separation tendency between the two groups, which were then classified by supervised algorithms. Overall, the results obtained by Genetic Algorithm Linear Discriminant Analysis (GA-LDA) were the most satisfactory, with an accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 100%. The spectral features responsible for group differentiation were attributed mainly to the lipid/protein regions (1462–1747 cm−1). These findings demonstrate, for the first time, the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis as a screening tool for fast and low-cost GDM detection

Saúde da mulher quilombola no brasil: Uma revisão de literatura / health of quilombola women in brazil: A literature review

Este estudo compete a um levantamento de literatura que tem como finalidade explorar trabalhos publicados no intervalo dos anos de 2015 a 2020, que façam explanação sobre a saúde da mulher em comunidades quilombolas e, com isso, mencionar os questionamentos frequentes aos artigos, proporcionando argumentação e reflexão para melhorar o acesso a saúde, a essas comunidades. Como ferramenta de pesquisa foi utilizado as bases de dados SCIELO, LILACS, PUBMED, GOOGLE ACADÊMICO, e o portal periódicos CAPES. Foram encontrados 93 artigos, todavia apenas 10 estavam de acordo com os critérios de inclusão; sendo 3 artigos no SCIELO, 3 artigos no LILACS, 2 artigos no PUBMED, 1 artigos no GOOGLE ACADÊMICO e 1 artigo no portal periódicos CAPES. A revisão de literatura formulada possui um apuramento limitado em virtude da privação de conteúdo relacionados à saúde da mulher quilombola. Por isso é extremamente necessário trabalhar sobre esses assuntos, tema e sua aplicabilidade nas comunidades quilombolas. Com o andamento da análise foram observadas indagações comuns aos artigos, entre elas percebe-se a deficiência na promoção em saúde para essas mulheres, questões raciais, fragilidade na assistência à educação e à informação em saúde, a falta de profissionais de saúde capacitados para atender nessas comunidades, falta de entendimento cultural por parte desses profissionais e dos governantes. Desencadeando, assim, um fenômeno multicausal sobre a saúde da mulher quilombola. Isso causa problemáticas decorrentes ao acesso dos serviços de saúde, revelando a necessidade do investimento em pesquisas e na assistência à saúde dessas mulheres que sofrem vulnerabilidade social

Bothrops jararaca

Bothrops jararaca (BJ) and Bothrops erythromelas (BE) are viper snakes found in South-Southeast and Northeast regions of Brazil, respectively. Snake venoms are bioactive neurotoxic substances synthesized and stored by venom glands, with different physiological and pharmacological effects, recently suggesting a possible preference for targets in cancer cells; however, mechanisms of snakes have been little studied. Here, we investigated the mechanism responsible for snake crude venoms toxicity in cultured cervical cancer cells SiHa and HeLa. We show that BJ and BE snake crude venoms exert cytotoxic effects to these cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells and cell cycle analysis and cell proliferation were assessed by flow cytometry and MTT assay. Detection of mitochondrial membrane potential (Rhodamine-123), nuclei morphological change, and DNA fragmentation were examined by staining with DAPI. The results showed that both the BJ and BE venoms were capable of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, promoting cytotoxicity and death by apoptosis of target SiHa and HeLa cells when treated with BJ and BE venoms. Furthermore, data revealed that both BJ venoms in SiHa cell promoted nuclear condensation, fragmentation, and formation of apoptotic bodies by DAPI assay, mitochondrial damage by Rhodamine-123, and cell cycle block in the G1-G0 phase. BJ and BE venoms present anticancer potential, suggesting that both Bothrops venoms could be used as prototypes for the development of new therapies