Propagação in vitro e aclimatização de Lippia rotundifolia, uma espécie endêmica dos Campos Rupestres Brasileiros

The importance in folk medicine, combined to threats in their environment, becomes necessary to carry out studies involving large-scale propagation of Lippia genus. Although the tissue culture propagation is widely disseminated for medicinal plants, for L. rotundifolia any article was published yet. The present study aimed to establish an efficient protocol for micropropagation of L. rotundifolia. Nodal segments, taken from plants collected in the Espinhaço Range, were disinfected, and cultures were initiated on MS medium with PVPP (1 g L- 1), sucrose (3%) and agar (0.7%). The culture were maintained in a growth room at controlled conditions. Disinfestation procedures and the supply of PVPP on culture media resulted in both reduced contamination and phenol oxidation rates, with more than 90% of viable cultures. In the multiplication phase were tried different BAP and NAA combinations supplied to the MS medium. The treatment that resulted in highest multiplication rates was 0.33 µM BAP. The effects of NAA were evaluated for in vitrorooting. At 0.44 µM, rooting was 70% higher than that observed in the control. The acclimatization was held in trays with substrate, coated with translucent plastic and kept under shade. The plantlets were transferred to the greenhouse after 15 days and transplanted to plant beds after 30 days. The acclimatized plantlets bloomed one year after the transference to field conditions, showing that the in vitro culture did not affect the vegetative and reproductive development, which confirms the potential of micropropagation to reduce the extinction risk of L. rotundifolia.A importância na medicina popular, assim como as ameaças em seu ambiente, tornam necessária a realização de estudos envolvendo a propagação em larga escala de plantas do gênero Lippia. Embora a propagação in vitro seja amplamente disseminada para plantas medicinais, nenhum artigo foi publicado ainda com L. rotundifolia. O presente estudo teve como objetivo estabelecer um protocolo eficiente para a micropropagação dessa espécie. Segmentos nodais, retirados de plantas coletadas na Cadeia do Espinhaço, foram desinfetados antes da inoculação em meio MS suplementado com PVPP (1 g L-1), sacarose (3%) e ágar (0,7%). Os tubos de ensaio foram mantidos em sala de crescimento sob condições controladas. O tratamento de desinfestação e a adição de PVPP aos meios de cultura resultaram na redução da infecção microbiológica assim como nas taxas de oxidação fenólica, proporcionando mais de 90% de culturas assépticas e viáveis . Na fase de multiplicação foram testadas diferentes combinações de BAP e ANA adicionadas ao meio MS. O tratamento que resultou em maiores taxas de multiplicação foi de 0,33 µM de BAP. Os efeitos do ANA foram avaliados no enraizamento in vitro. A 0,44 µM de ANA, o enraizamento foi 70% superior ao observado no controle. A aclimatização foi realizada em bandejas com substrato, revestidas com plástico translúcido e mantidas à sombra. As plantas foram transferidas para casa de vegetação após 15 dias e transplantadas para canteiros após 30 dias. As plantas aclimatizadas floresceram após um ano da transferência para condições de campo, demonstrando que os procedimentos de cultivo in vitro não afetaram o desenvolvimento vegetativo e reprodutivo das plantas, o que confirma o potencial da micropropagação para redução dos riscos de extinção de L. rotundifolia

The virus and socioeconomic inequality: An agent-based model to simulate and assess the impact of interventions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / O vírus e a desigualdade socioeconômica: um modelo baseado em agentes para simular e avaliar o impacto de intervenções para reduzir a disseminação do COVID-19 no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

The emergence of COVID-19 in China, in December of 2019 led to a local epidemic that rapidly spread to multiple countries in the world, including Brazil.  Nowadays, there is an accelerated search to understand the dynamics of the spread of the disease and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention measures.  Given these special socioeconomic conditions surrounding Brazil, using the  predictive  models  developed  for  other  countries  can  make  a  very  incomplete picture of the epidemic,  since these differences could result in different patterns in low income settings.  The aim of this work is to simulate interventions and understand the impact to reduce the spread of COVID-19 considering the  socioeconomic  conditions  of  Brazil.   With  this  purpose  we  use  an  agent- based model (ABM), a subarea of the Artificial Intelligence, as it allows us to treat each individual in a personalized manner, as well as the environment of which they are part.  The simulations have heterogeneous populations, considering different age groups, socioeconomic differences and number of members per family, contacts and movements intra and inter the sub-populations (favelas and non-favelas), numbers of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and study different scenarios to show how the interventions can influence the spread of the virus in the population of simulated environments

Door crossing and state identification using robotic vision

This project is aimed at the implementation of an autonomous vehicle guide (AGV) to navigate in internal environments, such as hospitals, offices, residences and so on. The work presents a new 3D algorithm for robotic vision, used for automatic identification of the state of doors, without any previous information about the environment, such as maps, location of obstacles, illumination and the like. The characteristics of the doors that would influence the decision of the robot on the identification of its state, also not ignored, such as texture, color, dimensions. Published in the 8th IFAC International Sysmposium on Robot Control (SYROCO 2006), this work presented the application of the Hougth Transform in images captured by the robotic vision. The coordinates of Hougth then presented the location of the edges of the doors and the analysis of cross-corelation of the found ones, gave us the configuration of the state of the door (open, closed, half open). With the results obtained, the navigation of the autonomous robot became more secure, since the risks of collision were minimized. Navigation using 3D vision, with real-time processing, also reduced the risk of collision with objects dynamically positioned in the environment. In the first part of this document, we present the article published in (SYROCO 2006). In the second part, we present some of the experimental results obtained during the project.O presente relatório técnico trata de um dos projetos realizados no Laboratório de Controle – CONTROLAB do Núcleo de Computação Eletrônica – NCE da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, nos anos de 2004 e 2005. Este projeto é voltado para a implementação de um robô autônomo AGV (Autonomous Vehicle Guide) para navegar em ambientes internos, tais como hospitais, escritórios, residências e etc. Especializado na área de visão computacional, O trabalho apresenta um novo algoritmo 3D para visão robótica, utilizado para identificação automática do estado de portas, sem quaisquer informações prévias sobre o ambiente, tais como mapas, localização de obstáculos, iluminação e etc. As próprias características das portas que influenciariam na decisão do robô sobre a identificação de seu estado, também não ignoradas, tais como textura, cor, dimensões. Publicado no 8th IFAC International Sysmposium on Robot Control (SYROCO 2006), o trabalho apresentou a aplicação da Transformada de Hougth em imagens capturada pela visão robótica. As coordenadas de Hougth apresentavam então a localização das arestas das portas e a análise de corelação cruzada das quinas encontradas, nos davam a configuração do estado da porta (aberta, fechada, entre-aberta). Com os resultados obtidos, a navegação do robô autônomo se tornava mais segura, vez que os riscos de colisão eram minimizados. A navegação utilizando visão 3D, com processamento em tempo real, também reduzia o risco de colisão com objetos dinamicamente posicionados no ambiente. Na primeira parte deste documento, apresentamos o artigo publicado em (SYROCO 2006). Na segunda parte, apresentamos alguns dos resultados experimentais obtidos durante a realização do projeto

Overview of mitral valve replacement versus mitral valve repair due to ischemic papillary muscle rupture: A meta-analysis inspired by a case report

Background: Papillary muscle rupture (PMR) is an infrequent but catastrophic complication after myocardial infarction (MI). Surgical procedure is considered the optimal treatment, despite high risk. However, the gold standard technique is still a major dilemma. Therefore, a meta-analysis was carried out to assess and provide an overview comparing mitral valve replacement (MVR) and mitral valve repair (MVr) for PMR post-MI. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed. Data were extracted and verified using a standardized data extraction form. Meta-analysis was realized mainly using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: From four observational studies 1640 patients were identified; 81% underwent MVR and 19% MVr. Operative mortality results were significantly higher in MVR group than the MVr group. MVR was performed under emergency conditions and patients admitted in cardiogenic shock or who required the use of mechanical cardiac support underwent MVR. MVr had shorter time of hospitalization and similar incidence of postoperative complications than MVR. No significant differences existed between the two procedures regarding cardiopulmonary bypass time. Conclusions: Mitral valve repair appears to be a viable alternative to MVR for post-MI PMR, given that it has lower operative mortality, shorter time of hospitalization and similar incidence of short-term postoperative complications than MVR. However, it needs to be pointed out that MVR was associated with the most critical clinical condition following PMR. There is uncertainty regarding the overall survival and improvement of the quality of life between the procedures. Nevertheless, further completed investigation is required

Ischemic mitral regurgitation: a multifaceted syndrome with evolving therapies

Dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) with impaired contractility following chronic ischemia or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the main cause of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR), leading to moderate and moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR). The site of AMI exerts a specific influence determining different patterns of adverse LV remodeling. In general, inferior-posterior AMI is more frequently associated with regional structural changes than the anterolateral one, which is associated with global adverse LV remodeling, ultimately leading to different phenotypes of IMR. In this narrative review, starting from the aforementioned categorization, we proceed to describe current knowledge regarding surgical approaches in the management of IMR

Effects of the Topical Application of Hydroalcoholic Leaf Extract of Oncidium flexuosum Sims. (Orchidaceae) and Microcurrent on the Healing of Wounds Surgically Induced in Wistar Rats

This study evaluated the wound healing activity of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Oncidium flexuosum Sims. (Orchidaceae), an important native plant of Brazil, combined or not with microcurrent stimulation. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of nine animals: control (C), topical application of the extract (OF), treated with a microcurrent (10 μA/2 min) (MC), and topical application of the extract plus microcurrent (OF + MC). Tissue samples were obtained 2, 6, and 10 days after injury and submitted to structural and morphometric analysis. The simultaneous application of OF + MC was found to be highly effective in terms of the parameters analyzed (P < .05), with positive effects on the area of newly formed tissue, number of fibroblasts, number of newly formed blood vessels, and epithelial thickness. Morphometric data confirmed the structural findings. The O. flexuosum leaf extract contains active compounds that speed the healing process, especially when applied simultaneously with microcurrent stimulation

The prognostic role of the echocardiographic tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) ratio and its relationship with NT-proANP plasma level in systemic sclerosis

BackgroundThe tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion/systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (TAPSE/sPAP) ratio is an echocardiographic estimation of the right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV/PA) coupling, with a validated prognostic role in different clinical settings. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients without evident cardiovascular involvement frequently display subtle RV impairment. The amino-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP) plasma level relates to SSc disease progression and mortality. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of the TAPSE/sPAP ratio and its relationship with NT-proANP plasma level in SSc patients without overt cardiovascular involvement.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed 70 SSc consecutive patients, with no clinical evidence of cardiovascular involvement or pulmonary hypertension (PH), and 30 healthy controls (HC) in a retrospective, single-centre study. All SSc patients underwent recurrent clinical and echocardiographic assessments and NT-proANP plasma level was assessed at baseline. SSc-related cardiovascular events and deaths were extracted during a 6-year follow-up. The complete work-up for the diagnosis, treatment and management of PH performed along the 6 years of follow-up referred to the 2015 European Society of Cardiology guidelines.ResultsSystemic sclerosis patients showed lower TAPSE/sPAP ratio at baseline compared to HC [SSc median value = 0.71 mm/mmHg, (IQR 0.62–0.88) vs. HC median value = 1.00 mm/mmHg, (IQR 0.96–1.05); p &lt; 0.001]. Multivariable Cox analysis revealed TAPSE/sPAP ratio as an independent predictor for SSc-related cardiovascular events [HR = 3.436 (95% CI 1.577–7.448); p = 0.002] and mortality [HR = 3.653 (95% CI 1.712–8.892); p = 0.014]. The value of TAPSE/sPAP ratio &lt; 0.7 mm/mmHg was identified as an optimal cut-off for predicting adverse outcomes (p &lt; 0.001) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. NT-proANP level significantly related to TAPSE/sPAP ratio (r = 0.52, p &lt; 0.001). TAPSE/sPAP ratio combined with NT-proANP showed an overall significant prognostic role in this SSc population, confirmed by Kaplan–Meier analysis (Log rank p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionThe TAPSE/sPAP ratio, as an index of RV/PA coupling, is an affordable predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality in SSc and, combined with NT-proANP level, may improve the clinical phenotyping and prognostic stratification of SSc patients

MYOD-SKP2 axis boosts tumorigenesis in fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma by preventing differentiation through p57Kip2^{Kip2} targeting

Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are pediatric mesenchymal-derived malignancies encompassing PAX3/7-FOXO1 Fusion Positive (FP)-RMS, and Fusion Negative (FN)-RMS with frequent RAS pathway mutations. RMS express the master myogenic transcription factor MYOD that, whilst essential for survival, cannot support differentiation. Here we discover SKP2, an oncogenic E3-ubiquitin ligase, as a critical pro-tumorigenic driver in FN-RMS. We show that SKP2 is overexpressed in RMS through the binding of MYOD to an intronic enhancer. SKP2 in FN-RMS promotes cell cycle progression and prevents differentiation by directly targeting p27$^{Kip1}$ and p57$^{Kip2}$, respectively. SKP2 depletion unlocks a partly MYOD-dependent myogenic transcriptional program and strongly affects stemness and tumorigenic features and prevents in vivo tumor growth. These effects are mirrored by the investigational NEDDylation inhibitor MLN4924. Results demonstrate a crucial crosstalk between transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms through the MYOD-SKP2 axis that contributes to tumorigenesis in FN-RMS. Finally, NEDDylation inhibition is identified as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in FN-RMS