Forensic applications of micro-computed tomography: a systematic review

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of micro-CT current applications in forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology, and neonatology. Methods: A bibliographic research on the electronic databases Pubmed and Scopus was conducted in the time frame 01/01/2001–31/12/2021 without any language restrictions and applying the following free-text search strategy: “(micro-computed tomography OR micro-CT) AND (forensic OR legal)”. The following inclusion criteria were used: (A) English language; (B) Application of micro-CT to biological and/or non-biological materials to address at least one forensic issue (e.g., age estimation, identification of post-mortem interval). The papers selected by three independent investigators have been then classified according to the investigated materials. Results: The bibliographic search provided 651 records, duplicates excluded. After screening for title and/or abstracts, according to criteria A and B, 157 full-text papers were evaluated for eligibility. Ninety-three papers, mostly (64) published between 2017 and 2021, were included; considering that two papers investigated several materials, an overall amount of 99 classifiable items was counted when referring to the materials investigated. It emerged that bones and cartilages (54.55%), followed by teeth (13.13%), were the most frequently analyzed materials. Moreover, micro-CT allowed the collection of structural, qualitative and/or quantitative information also for soft tissues, fetuses, insects, and foreign materials. Conclusion: Forensic applications of micro-CT progressively increased in the last 5 years with very promising results. According to this evidence, we might expect in the near future a shift of its use from research purposes to clinical forensic cases

Sex disparities in efficacy in covid-19 vaccines: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sex differences in adaptive and innate immune responses have been shown to occur and anecdotal reports suggest that vaccine efficacy and safety may be sex-dependent. We investigated the influence of sex on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines through a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on COVID-19 vaccines. The safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines was also investigated. A systematic review included eligible articles published in three databases and three websites. A meta-analysis of available data, stratified by sex, was conducted. Statistical analysis was performed using the Hartung\u2013Knapp\u2013Sidik\u2013Jonkman method, as well as influence and heterogeneity analysis. Pooled analysis showed significantly higher efficacy, measured as the rate of new COVID-19 cases, in men compared to women in the vaccine group (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.48\u20130.94). No sex differences were found in the rate of new cases in the control group (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.78\u20131.09). Safety profiles derived from pharmacovigilance reports appear to indicate increased toxicity in women. In conclusion, evidence of a potential role of sex in COVID-19 vaccine efficacy was described. It strengthens the need to include sex as a core variable in the clinical trial design of COVID-19 vaccines

Compost barn system and its influence on the environment, comfort and welfare of dairy cattle

Received: January 16th, 2023 ; Accepted: April 27th, 2023 ; Published: May 15th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the thermal environment on behavioral and physiological parameters of crossbred cows of different productivity levels confined in a compost barn system. For this, air temperature (Tdb) and relative humidity (RH) data were measured using sensors/registers and wind speed (Vair) was recorded with the aid of an anemometer. Subsequently, these data were used to calculate the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI). Bedding material variables (pH and humidity) were also evaluated. The animals were evaluated for physiological variables (respiratory rate – RR and surface temperature – ST), scores (body condition, locomotion and dirt) and behavior. The analyses were carried out on two groups of cows (Group 1: high production vs. Group 2: medium and low production). The average pH of the bedding material was 8.5, within the recommended range. In the case of the physiological responses of the cows, the respiratory rate (RR) of Group 1 indicated better conditions of thermal comfort in the morning vs. the afternoon. The system was efficient in both groups based on body condition score, indicating favorable conditions for the health of the animals. Regarding the behavioral evaluation, Group 1 and 2 were statistically similar and had the longest rumination times, in relation to the other evaluated behaviors. Regarding active periods, medium production were the most active. Regarding idle time, low production spent more time idle than the other animals

PET/MRI in prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: In recent years, the clinical availability of scanners for integrated positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has enabled the practical potential of multimodal, combined metabolic-receptor, anatomical, and functional imaging to be explored. The present systematic review and meta-analysis summarize the diagnostic information provided by PET/MRI in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted in three different databases. The terms used were \u201ccholine\u201d or \u201cprostate-specific membrane antigen - PSMA\u201d AND \u201cprostate cancer\u201d or \u201cprostate\u201d AND \u201cPET/MRI\u201d or \u201cPET MRI\u201d or \u201cPET-MRI\u201d or \u201cpositron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging.\u201d All relevant records identified were combined, and the full texts were retrieved. Reports were excluded if (1) they did not consider hybrid PET/MRI; or (2) the sample size was < 10 patients; or (3) the raw data were not enough to enable the completion of a 2 7 2 contingency table. Results: Fifty articles were eligible for systematic review, and 23 for meta-analysis. The pooled data concerned 2104 patients. Initial disease staging was the main indication for PET/MRI in 24 studies. Radiolabeled PSMA was the tracer most frequently used. In primary tumors, the pooled sensitivity for the patient-based analysis was 94.9%. At restaging, the pooled detection rate was 80.9% and was higher for radiolabeled PSMA than for choline (81.8% and 77.3%, respectively). Conclusions: PET/MRI proved highly sensitive in detecting primary PCa, with a high detection rate for recurrent disease, particularly when radiolabeled PSMA was used

Acoustic analysis of cement composites with lignocellulosic residues

Received: January 19th, 2021 ; Accepted: May 20th, 2021 ; Published: October 5th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] concept of environmental sustainability has been seeking a way to develop projects that reduce the impacts provided by agricultural development and the excessive consumption of natural resources. However, there is still little knowledge about the acoustic insulation/absorption behaviour of lignocellulosic materials. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the acoustic properties of five cement panels reinforced with the following lignocellulosic materials: eucalyptus, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shell, coffee husk, and banana pseudostem, which ones have as a reference a commercial plaster used as sealing in civil constructions. The proposed panels were produced with each lignocellulosic material residue. It was produced three replicates for each type including plaster (being 18 panels in total). The sound insertion loss (SIL) measurement of the above-mentioned panels have been performed using an acoustical treated inexpensive facility developed based on the literature. The characterization of the acoustic behaviour of the studied materials were analysed according to the IEC (61260-1). The acoustic measurements have been done in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz and the analysis in octave bands have been performed. To make the analysis easier, the overall range of frequencies mentioned above was divided as ‘low’, ‘middle’ and ‘high’ ranges. Additionally, the measurement of thickness, density and porosity structure parameters of the lignocellulosic samples have been performed. According to the results and doing a trade-off analysis, the eucalyptus presented the overall best performance considering the overall range of analysis, being the banana pseudostem and sugarcane bagasse materials as good competitors

New insights into the pharmacological, immunological, and CAR-T-cell approaches in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sorafenib continues to be the anchor drug in the treatment of advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Other TKIs as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have also been approved, however the response rates remain poor and heterogeneous among HCC patients, largely due to antitumor drug resistance. Studies aimed at identifying novel biomarkers and developing new strategies to improve the response to current treatment and to overcome drug resistance, are urgently needed. Germline or somatic mutations, neoantigens, and an immunotolerogenic state against constant inflammatory stimuli in the liver, are crucial for the anti-tumor response. A pharmacogenetic approach has been attempted considering germline polymorphisms in genes encoding for proteins involved in drug-targeted pathways. Single gene and comprehensive multi-gene somatic profiling approaches have been adopted in HCC to identify tumor sensitivity scores and immunogenic profiles that can be exploited for new biomarkers and innovative therapeutic approaches. However, the high genomic heterogeneity of tumors and lack of molecularly targeted agents, hamper the discovery of specific molecular markers of resistance to therapy. Adoptive cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor redirected T (CAR-T) cells targeting specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) was proposed recently. The specificity of the chosen TAA, an efficient homing of CAR-T cells to the tumor site, and the ability of CAR-T cells to survive in the tumor microenvironment are central factors in the success of CAR-T therapy. The current review describes the principal systemic treatments for HCC and the molecular evidence regarding potential predictive host and somatic genetic markers, as well as the emerging strategy of liquid biopsy for disease monitoring. Novel immunotherapeutic approaches for HCC treatment, including the use of ICIs and CAR-T, as well as strategies to overcome drug resistance, are discussed

Influence of different methods of treating natural açai fibre for mortar in rural construction

Received: January 20th, 2021 ; Accepted: April 15th, 2021 ; Published: May 4th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected]çai is a typical Amazonian fruit that has enormous potential for use in medicines and foods, whose consumption has been growing year after year. One of the major environmental impacts related to Açai is the generation of agro-industrial wastes, which are disposed of in landfills. One of the major problems related to the reuse of natural fibres in cementitious materials is related to their durability due to the alkalinity of the matrix. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate three different methodologies for surface treatment of Açai fibre, by immersion in NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH)2 solution to mortar application in rural construction. After the treatments, the fibres were added in a proportion of 2.5 and 5.0% in relation to the cement mass, in addition to the reference mortar (without fibre) in the making of the prismatic specimens (40×40×160 mm) and cured for 28 days in room temperature. Right after the curing period, the specimens were evaluated according to the mechanical strength of flexion and compression, workability, water absorption by capillarity and mass density in the hardened state of each methodology. The results showed that the best treatment methodology is with NaOH solution, with the addition of 5% Açai fibre in relation to the cement mass, producing a suitable mortar for use in rural buildings

Behavioural and physiological responses of rabbits

ArticleThe profitability of a rabbit farming system must consider the thermal environment that the animal will be exposed during the productive period. The goal of this study was to evaluate the physiological responses and behaviours of 26 New Zealand rabbits during seven days of their lives at three times a day. The experiment was carried out in rabbit house in the Federal University of Lavras at Lavras, Brazil. To characterize the thermal environment sensors were used to measure the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity at 48 points inside the rabbit house, at 6:00 a.m., 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. In addition, the temperature and humidity index (THI) was calculated. The respiratory rate and the superficial temperature of the rabbits' ears were measured. Behaviour evaluations were monitored in punctual record, with duration of two min/cage. Later an ethogram was made with the main behaviours identified. Similar data of behaviour and data of physiological responses were identified by using Ward’s method of cluster analysis. It was observed the period of 6 a.m. showed more comfortable conditions of THI values than the others analysed. Besides, physiological responses presented better values at 6:00 a.m. in comparison to 12:00 and 6:00 p.m. Furthermore, in general, a similar behaviour was observed in the rabbits at 12:00 and 6:00 p.m., while at 6:00 a.m. was different. But rabbits demonstrated to be more comfortable at 6 a.m. maybe because at this time environment conditions were better than the rest of the day. Besides, it can be observed that rabbits were more active in sunrise and sunset than in the rest of the day

Azathioprine Biotransformation in Young Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Contribution of Glutathione-S Transferase M1 and A1 Variants

The contribution of candidate genetic variants involved in azathioprine biotransformation on azathioprine efficacy and pharmacokinetics in 111 young patients with inflammatory bowel disease was evaluated. Azathioprine doses, metabolites thioguanine-nucleotides (TGN) and methylmercaptopurine-nucleotides (MMPN) and clinical effects were assessed after at least 3 months of therapy. Clinical efficacy was defined as disease activity score below 10. Candidate genetic variants (TPMT rs1142345, rs1800460, rs1800462, GSTA1 rs3957357, GSTM1, and GSTT1 deletion) were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and pyrosequencing. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models for the association between the candidate variants and the pharmacological variables (azathioprine doses and metabolites). Azathioprine metabolites were measured in 257 samples (median 2 per patient, inter-quartile range IQR 1-3). Clinical efficacy at the first evaluation available resulted better in ulcerative colitis than in Crohn's disease patients (88.0% versus 52.5% responders, p = 0.0003, linear mixed effect model, LME). TGN concentration and the ratio TGN/dose at the first evaluation were significantly higher in responder. TPMT rs1142345 variant (4.8% of patients) was associated with increased TGN (LME p = 0.0042), TGN/dose ratio (LME p < 0.0001), decreased azathioprine dose (LME p = 0.0087), and MMPN (LME p = 0.0011). GSTM1 deletion (58.1% of patients) was associated with a 18.5% decrease in TGN/dose ratio and 30% decrease in clinical efficacy. GSTA1 variant (12.8% of patients) showed a trend (p = 0.049, LME) for an association with decreased clinical efficacy; however, no significant effect on azathioprine pharmacokinetics could be detected. In conclusion, GSTs variants are associated with azathioprine efficacy and pharmacokinetics