Mechanisms of antidiarrhoeal effects by diosmectite in human intestinal cells

Rotavirus (RV) induces diarrhoea through a sequence of enterotoxic and cytotoxic effects. The former are NSP4-dependent, induce calcium-dependent chloride secretion and involve oxidative stress. Diosmectite (DS) is a natural clay that has been recommended as an active therapy for diarrhoea, but the mechanism of its effect is not clear. Electrical parameters may be used to measure the direct enterotoxic and cytotoxic effects in polar epithelial intestinal cells. To investigate the effects of DS on RV-induced enterotoxic and cytotoxic damage. Caco-2 cells were used as a model of RV infection to evaluate chloride secretion, epithelial integrity, oxidative stress and viral infectivity in Ussing chambers

Critical currents and pinning forces in Nd2−xCexCuO4− thin films

Critical current density, Jc, and flux-pinning force density, Fp, have been investigated at different temperatures in electron-doped Nd2−xCexCuO4− thin films for magnetic fields, H, applied parallel to the c axis. The reduced pinning force density fFp /Fp max shows a clear scaling behavior when H is normalized to the irreversibility field H, indicating the presence of the same pinning mechanism in the investigated temperature range. Moreover the maximum of Fp as function of the field at each temperature depends linearly on H. The experimental data, interpreted using a modified Anderson-Kim description of the flux-creep theory, imply a magnetic field dependence of the activation energy UHH− with =0.8. This value indicates that in Nd2−xCexCuO4− a quasi-two-dimensional vortex system is present, intermediate between Bi-based and Y-based hole-doped compounds

Perioperative care in elderly patients undergoing thyroid surgery

AbstractThe features of western world population are rapidly changing. The increment geriatric population obliges clinicians to implement specific recommendations and guidelines to manage these patients.In the field of thyroid surgery, when indications are represented by benign conditions, surgeons and endocrinologists tent to avoid surgery for the increased perioperative risks in the over 70 year old population.We reviewed our experience in thyroid surgery in geriatric patients within the environment of a “week surgery unit”. This unit was conceived to offer a highly specialized setting for thyroid patients needing short stay after surgery.Results showed that the surgical outcomes were comparable to the ones from third surgery in young patients.The week surgery approach is the best and safest formula to offer to the geriatric population needing thyroid surgery

The analog signal processing board for the HEAT telescopes

Abstract The aim of the Pierre Auger Observatory is to measure with high statistics the flux, the arrival directions and the mass composition of cosmic rays at the highest energies. Since 2009, the Auger Collaboration has added three new High Elevation Auger Telescopes (HEAT) along with a new 25 km 2 infill array in the field of view of the new telescopes. These enhancements have lowered the energy threshold of the Observatory by about an order of magnitude. In combination with the existing telescopes in Coihueco the vertical field of view is extended to about 60°, allowing the measurement of nearby air showers arising from primaries with energies as low as 2×10 17 eV. In this paper we describe the new front-end analog board developed to process the signals generated by the photomultipliers of the HEAT telescopes. Eighty analog boards have been produced, fully characterized and tested. The main characteristics of the electronic circuits and the circuit parameters are illustrated

Evaluation of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA Response in Tears of Vaccinated COVID-19 Subjects

Secretory IgA (sIgA), which may play an important role in the early defense against SARS-CoV-2 infection, were detected in the eye of COVID-19 patients. However, an evaluation of the sIgA response in the tears of vaccinated or non-vaccinated COVID-19 subjects is still lacking. Aimed at characterizing sIgA mucosal immunity in the eye, this study analyzed tear samples from 77 COVID-19 patients, including 63 vaccinated and 14 non-vaccinated subjects. The groups showed similar epidemiological features, but as expected, differences were observed in the percentage of asymptomatic/pauci-symptomatic subjects in the vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated cohort (46% and 29% of the total, respectively). Consistent with this, ocular sIgA values, evaluated by a specific quantitative ELISA assay, were remarkably different in vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated group for both frequency (69.8% vs. 57.1%, respectively) and titer (1372.3 U/mL vs. 143.7 U/mL, respectively; p = 0.01), which was significantly differently elevated depending on the type of administered vaccine. The data show for the first time significant differences of available vaccines to elicit sIgA response in the eye and suggest that quantitative tear-based sIgA tests may potentially serve as a rapid and easily accessible biomarker for the assessment of the development of a protective mucosal immunity toward SARS-CoV-2

Creation and validation of an educational video for deaf people about cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Objetivo: construir e validar vídeo educativo para ensino de alunos surdos acerca da ressuscitação cardiopulmonar. Método: estudo metodológico composto pela construção do vídeo educativo, validação de conteúdo por 22 enfermeiros com expertise em parada cardiorrespiratória e avaliação por 16 alunos surdos. Para coleta dos dados, utilizaram-se instrumentos validados: Instrumento de Validação de Conteúdo Educacional para validação pelos enfermeiros e Questionário de Avaliação de Tecnologia Assistiva para avaliação dos alunos surdos. O critério para validação foi concordância superior a 80%, analisada por meio do índice de validação de conteúdo e teste binomial. Resultados: a versão final do vídeo possuiu 7 minutos e 30 segundos, contemplando as etapas que devem ser realizadas pelo leigo para socorrer a vítima de parada cardiorrespiratória, apresentadas com animação e narração na língua brasileira de sinais. Todos os itens obtiveram concordância dos enfermeiros e dos alunos surdos igual ou superior a 80%. Conclusão: o vídeo foi considerado válido quanto ao conteúdo, por juízes, e compreensível, por alunos surdos, de forma que consiste em uma tecnologia inclusiva para educação em saúde de surdos acerca da ressuscitação cardiopulmonar.Objetivo: construir y validar un vídeo educativo para enseñanza de alumnos sordos acerca de la reanimación cardiopulmonar. Método: estudio metodológico compuesto por la construcción de un vídeo educativo; validez de contenido por 22 enfermeros con dominio en paro cardiorrespiratorio y evaluado por 16 alumnos sordos. Para la recolección de los datos fueron utilizados los instrumentos: Instrumento de Validez de Contenido Educacional para validez por los enfermeros y Cuestionario de Evaluación de Tecnología Asistida para evaluación de los alumnos sordos. El criterio para validación fue tener una concordancia superior a 80%, analizada por medio del índice de validez de contenido y prueba binomial. Resultados: la versión final del vídeo poseía siete minutos y treinta segundos, contempló las etapas que deben ser realizadas por el lego para socorrer la víctima de paro cardiorrespiratorio, presentadas con animación y narración en la lengua brasilera de señas. Todos los ítems obtuvieron concordancia de los enfermeros y de los alumnos sordos igual o superior a 80%. Conclusión: el vídeo fue considerado válido cuanto al contenido, por jueces, y comprensible, por alumnos sordos, de forma que consiste en una tecnología inclusiva para educación en salud de sordos acerca de la reanimación cardiopulmonar.Objective: to create and validate an educational video for teaching deaf students about cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Method: methodological study consisting in the creation of an educational video, validation of its content by 22 nurses with expertise in cardiorespiratory arrest, and evaluation by 16 deaf students. For data collection, the following validated instruments were used: the Instrument for Validation of Educational Content used for the validation by nurses and the Assistive Technology Assessment Questionnaire for the evaluation by deaf students. The criterion for validation was concordance higher than 80%, analyzed through the content validation index and binomial test. Results: the final version of the video lasted seven minutes and thirty seconds, covered the steps that should be performed by a lay person to help a victim of cardiorespiratory arrest, presented animations and the narration in the Brazilian sign language. All the items obtained agreement among nurses and of among deaf students equal or superior to 80%. Conclusion: the video was considered to present valid content by the judges and comprehensible content by deaf students. Thus the video represents an inclusive technology for health education of deaf people about cardiopulmonary resuscitation

PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA SOBRE PARADA CARDIORRESPIRATÓRIA NOS PERIÓDICOS BRASILEIROS DE ENFERMAGEM: ESTUDO BIBLIOMÉTRICO

Objetivo: analisar a produção científica sobre parada cardiorrespiratória nos periódicos brasileiros de enfermagem. Método: estudo bibliométrico realizado mediante acesso eletrônico aos websites das 14 revistas brasileiras de enfermagem, classificadas na Plataforma Sucupira, para análise dos artigos publicados entre 2010 e 2019. Resultados: foram analisados 18.266 artigos, dos quais 50 foram selecionados para integrar a amostra. Foi possível observar que 50% dos artigos foram publicados em periódicos de extrato Qualis A e 80% das produções foram derivadas da Região Sudeste. Em relação ao tipo de estudo, 54% foram descritivos e 64% quantitativos. Quanto à temática mais investigada, 28% retrataram o conhecimento dos enfermeiros e 22% contemplaram o treinamento da enfermagem sobre parada cardiorrespiratória. Conclusão: a produção científica dos periódicos brasileiros demonstrou predominância de artigos publicados em periódico Qualis A, oriundos da Região Sudeste, do tipo descritivo, quantitativos, que investigaram predominantemente o conhecimento e o treinamento dos profissionais.Descritores: Parada Cardiorrespiratória. Pesquisa em Enfermagem. Enfermagem. Bibliometria. Assistência de Enfermagem

Years of life that could be saved from prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes premature death and loss of life expectancy worldwide. Its primary and secondary prevention can result in a significant number of years of life saved. AIM: To assess how many years of life are lost after HCC diagnosis. METHODS: Data from 5346 patients with first HCC diagnosis were used to estimate lifespan and number of years of life lost after tumour onset, using a semi-parametric extrapolation having as reference an age-, sex- and year-of-onset-matched population derived from national life tables. RESULTS: Between 1986 and 2014, HCC lead to an average of 11.5 years-of-life lost for each patient. The youngest age-quartile group (18-61 years) had the highest number of years-of-life lost, representing approximately 41% of the overall benefit obtainable from prevention. Advancements in HCC management have progressively reduced the number of years-of-life lost from 12.6 years in 1986-1999, to 10.7 in 2000-2006 and 7.4 years in 2007-2014. Currently, an HCC diagnosis when a single tumour <2 cm results in 3.7 years-of-life lost while the diagnosis when a single tumour 65 2 cm or 2/3 nodules still within the Milan criteria, results in 5.0 years-of-life lost, representing the loss of only approximately 5.5% and 7.2%, respectively, of the entire lifespan from birth. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence results in the loss of a considerable number of years-of-life, especially for younger patients. In recent years, the increased possibility of effectively treating this tumour has improved life expectancy, thus reducing years-of-life lost

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO