Werner's syndrome associated with scleroderma-like syndrome: case report and literature revision

Werner's syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease associated with premature ageing. Skin alteration must be distinguished from cutaneous manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We describe a case of a 39 years old patient with Werner's syndrome admitted with an initial diagnostic hypothesis of SSc. The patient had many characteristic features associated with Werner's syndrome including gray hair, hoarseness, short stature, scleroderma-like skin changes, diabetes mellitus, cataracts, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, and hyperlipidemia. There was no Raynaud's phenomenon, other typical visceral manifestation of SSc, nailfold capillary alterations or autoantibodies. Werner's syndrome diagnosis notwithstanding rare, should be remember in the differential diagnosis of SSc, mainly in the presence of atypical manifestations and in the absence of typical features of SSc.A síndrome de Werner é uma doença autossômica recessiva rara associada a envelhecimento precoce, cujo quadro cutâneo deve ser distinguido daquele encontrado na esclerose sistêmica (ES). Descrevemos aqui o caso de uma paciente de 39 anos de idade, portadora de síndrome de Werner, encaminhada ao nosso serviço com hipótese diagnóstica inicial de ES. A paciente apresentava várias manifestações associadas à síndrome de Werner, incluindo cabelos precocemente grisalhos, voz estridente, baixa estatura, alterações cutâneas esclerodermiformes, diabetes melito, catarata, hipogonadismo, hipotireoidismo e hiperlipidemia. Não apresentava fenômeno de Raynaud, manifestações viscerais típicas da ES, alterações capilaroscópicas periungueais ou auto-anticorpos. O diagnóstico de síndrome de Werner, apesar de raro, deve ser lembrado no diagnóstico diferencial de ES, principalmente na presença de manifestações atípicas e na ausência de alterações típicas da ES.UNIFESP-EPMAmbulatório de Doenças do Espectro da Esclerose SistêmicaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Selective denitrification of lipophilic pollutants from oily wastewater by peroxidation using Janus-structured amphiphilic carbon nanotubes as catalysts

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were tested as catalysts in the selective denitrification of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) from oily wastewater by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO). The CNTs were prepared by chemical vapor deposition, feeding sequentially ethylene (E) and/or acetonitrile (A) during different times until 20 min, resulting in samples E20, A20 and E10A10, the number denoting the time feeding of each precursor and the order of appearance of the letter indicating the order of each precursor. The synthesized CNTs were tested in the CWPO of 4-NP in aqueous solutions and in simulated oily wastewater (2,2,4-trimethylpentane and water) at 80 ºC, initial pH 3.5, C4-NP = 1 g L-1, CH2O2 = 3.56 g/L and Ccatalyst = 2.5 g L-1. The catalyst A20 promoted a faster decomposition of H2O2 and a lower degradation of 4-NP in the aqueous system, whereas the catalyst E20 displayed the opposite trend, since E20 was able to remove 99% of the pollutant and A20 only 69% after 8 h of reaction. E10A10 in biphasic L-L media presented the highest conversion of 4-NP after 24 h in the oily phase (51%), followed by A20 (38%) and then E20 (25%). This tendency may be ascribed to the formation of Pickering emulsions by E10A10. The amphiphilic carachteristic of this material ensures a closer contact between the liquid phases, allowing higher mass transfer.This work was financially supported by project "PLASTIC_TO_FUEL&MAT – Upcycling Waste Plastics into Fuel and Carbon Nanomaterials" (PTDC/EQU-EQU/31439/2017), Base Funding - UIDB/50020/2020 of the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM - funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC), and CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) through FEDER under Program PT2020. Fernanda F. Roman acknowledges the national funding by FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, and FSE, European Social Fund, through the individual research grant SFRH/BD/143224/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Selective oxidation of 4-nitrophenol with H2O2 in a biphasic system by janus-like carbon nanotubes

The use of petroleum-based products has increased drastically with the increase in population, resulting in the deposition of oily products in aquatic systems. It is estimated that for each ton of petroleum that undergoes refinement processes, between 0.5 and 1 ton of oily wastewaters are generated, bearing an oil concentration that may reach 40 g L-1 [1,2]. Hazardous pollutants dissolved both in oily and aqueous phases may also be found in those oily wastewaters [3], hindering their treatment through conventional processes. Furthermore, the oil phase is, in some cases, an added-value product, and its degradation results in economic losses. Thus, the development of processes that allow the removal of hazardous contaminants from oily and aqueous phases, providing an opportunity for recovering both phases, should be advantageous [3]. This work deals with the selective removal of a hazardous compound (4-nitrophenol, 4-NP) from a simulated oily wastewater (2,2,4-trimethylpentane:water = 10:90 v/v) by an oxidative process considering H2O2 as oxidant and amphiphilic Janus-like carbon nanotubes as catalysts. Amphiphilic catalysts were selected since they should present advantages in this process due to their ability to interact with both aqueous and oily compounds and phases [4]This work was financially supported by project "PLASTIC_TO_FUEL&MAT – Upcycling Waste Plastics into Fuel and Carbon Nanomaterials" (PTDC/EQU-EQU/31439/2017), Base Funding - UIDB/50020/2020 of the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM - funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC), and CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) through FEDER under Program PT2020. Fernanda F. Roman acknowledges the national funding by FCT, Foundation for Science and Technology, and FSE, European Social Fund, through the individual research grant SFRH/BD/143224/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of T tube trial as a strategy of weaning from mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV) is an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in critical care patients. In this setting, this study aimed at evaluation of T-tube trial (TT) in weaning from MV. METHODS: Patient admitted in the ICU were included if they present the following inclusion criteria: MV > 24 hours, no neuromuscular disorders, PaO2/FiO2 ratio >200, hemodynamic stability, reversion of the cause of respiratory failure, adequate respiratory drive. All were submitted to TT. Failure was defined by the presence of one of these symptoms: RR > 30 ipm, hypoxemia, tachycardia, arrhythmia, hypertension or hypotension. After two hours of TT, patients without failure criteria were extubated. After 48 hours of adequate spontaneous respiration the patient was considered successful weaned. Results were considered significant if p 24 horas, ausência de doença neuromuscular, relação PaO2/FiO2 > 200, estabilidade hemodinâmica, reversão da causa da intubação traqueal e drive respiratório adequado. Todos foram submetidos ao teste de tubo T. Considerou-se falha a ocorrência de FR > 30 irpm, hipoxemia, taquicardia, disritmias cardíacas, hipertensão ou hipotensão arterial. Após 2 horas de teste TT sem critérios de falha, os pacientes foram extubados. Considerou-se como sucesso na retirada da VM a manutenção por 48 horas de autonomia ventilatória. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 49 pacientes com idade média de 51,8 ± 21,7 anos. As incidências de SDRA e choque séptico foram 26,5% e 32,7% e o tempo médio de VM foi 11,9 ± 13 dias. A retirada da VM ocorreu em 79,2%, re-intubação em 31,6%, com tempo médio 13 ± 8,7 horas, sendo 75% devido à falência respiratória. Não houve correlação entre extubação e níveis de hemoglobina, PaO2/FiO2, idade, sexo, SDRA ou choque séptico prévios. O sucesso da retirada da VM (48 horas de autonomia) não se correlacionou com nenhuma das variáveis descritas. Os resultados foram considerados significativos se p < 0,05. CONCLUSÕES: O tubo T mostrou ser método adequado para a retirada da VM na maioria dos pacientes. Entretanto, a taxa de re-intubação foi elevada, podendo ser conseqüência do longo tempo do TT, da ventilação mecânica prévia ou da falha dos critérios de indicação de extubação traqueal.UNIFESP-EPM Unidade de Terapia Intensiva da Disciplina de Anestesiologia, Dor e Terapia IntensivaUNIFESP-EPMUNIFESP, EPM, Unidade de Terapia Intensiva da Disciplina de Anestesiologia, Dor e Terapia IntensivaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Selective denitrification of simulated oily wastewater by oxidation using Janus-structured carbon nanotubes

The intense industrial development has resulted in several consequences for human and environmental health, including the increased discharge of oily products in water bodies. Oily products are widely used in industry, often bearing an associated high cost. Finding alternatives to treat oily wastewater aiming at recovering oily and water phases is an approach allowing recovery of products of economic interest. In this work, Janus-like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by varying the feed time of acetonitrile and ethylene, respectively, as nitrogen/ carbon and carbon precursors in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach. The CVD approach allowed the synthesis of completely undoped, completely doped and partially doped CNTs with a Janus structure. The CNTs were then tested as catalysts for the selective oxidation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) contained in a simulated oily wastewater (2,2,4-trimethylpentane/water (O/W) = 1:9, volume basis) by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO). The CWPO experiments were conducted for 24 h, 80 ◦C, 2.5 g L-1 of catalyst, and the stoichiometric concentration of H2O2 (3.6 g L-1) for the degradation of 4-NP (1 g L-1). The same conditions were kept for experiments conducted under a biphasic system. The catalysts bearing a Janus-like structure were demonstrated to be more effective in CWPO experiments in aqueous-only and biphasic systems for the abatement of 4-NP.This work was financially supported by LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM) funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); project “PLASTIC_TO_FUEL&MAT – Upcycling Waste Plastics into Fuel and Carbon Nanomaterials” (PTDC/EQU-EQU/31439/2017), CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), and project “Healthy Waters” (NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000069) through FEDER under Program PT2020. Fernanda F. Roman acknowledges the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the European Social Fund (FSE) for the individual research grant with reference SFRH/BD/143224/2019. Adriano S. Silva was supported by the doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/151346/2021 financed by FCT with funds from NORTE2020, under MIT Portugal Program. Jose L. Diaz De Tuesta acknowledges the financial support through the program of Atracción al Talento of Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) for the individual research grant 2020-T2/AMB-19836.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação da composição corporal de jogadores de futebol sub-20 da cidade de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais

Introduction: Football depends on several variables to be performed at its highest performance, among these variables, one of the most important is body composition, as it is related to the athlete's physical capacity and sports performance, which can influence the team's results. Objective: To evaluate the body composition of young soccer athletes, in an under-20 team. Methodology: Sixteen soccer players from a sub-20 team, aged 18 to 20 years, were evaluated. Weight and height were measured; in addition, they performed the electrical bioimpedance test to assess the parameters of body composition, mainly muscle mass and fat percentage. From the muscle mass, the muscle mass index (BMI) was calculated, dividing the total muscle mass by height in meters squared. Result: Most athletes were above the ideal fat percentage (n = 12), however, most individuals had values close to the ideal, which may have been a variation of the body composition assessment method itself. We observed that 4 individuals had an adequate percentage of fat. Regarding the IMM, the average values were within the normal range (10.9 ± 0.6 kg / m2), with only 4 athletes having little muscle mass. Conclusion: Almost all athletes had muscle mass within the normal range, while the majority had values above the adequate percentage of fat. These results show that future nutritional interventions should be carried out in these athletes, focusing mainly on reducing the percentage of fat.Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (Graduação)Introdução: O futebol depende de diversas variáveis para ser realizado no seu mais alto rendimento, entre essas variáveis, uma das mais importantes é a composição corporal, pois está relacionada com a capacidade física e desempenho esportivo do atleta, podendo influenciar nos resultados da equipe. Objetivo: Avaliar a composição corporal de jovens atletas de futebol, em uma equipe sub-20. Metodologia: Foram avaliados 16 atletas de futebol de campo de uma equipe sub-20, com idade de 18 a 20 anos. Foram mensurados peso e estatura; além disso, fizeram o exame de bioimpedância elétrica para avaliar os parâmetros de composição corporal, principalmente massa muscular e percentual de gordura. A partir da massa muscular, foi calculado o índice de massa muscular (IMM), dividindo a massa muscular total pela altura em metros ao quadrado. Resultado: A maioria dos atletas estava acima do percentual de gordura ideal (n= 12), entretanto, a maior parte dos indivíduos apresentava valores próximos ao ideal, o que pode ter sido uma variação do próprio método de avaliação da composição corporal. Observamos que 4 indivíduos apresentavam percentual de gordura adequado. Em relação ao IMM, os valores médios estavam dentro da normalidade (10,9 ± 0,6 kg/m2 ), sendo que apenas 4 atletas apresentavam pouca massa muscular. Conclusão: Quase todos os atletas apresentaram massa muscular dentro da normalidade, enquanto que a maioria apresentou valores acima do adequado de percentual de gordura. Estes resultados mostram que devem ser realizadas futuras intervenções nutricionais nestes atletas, focando principalmente na redução do percentual de gordura

Roles of non-coding RNA in sugarcane-microbe interaction

Studies have highlighted the importance of non-coding RNA regulation in plant-microbe interaction. However, the roles of sugarcane microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of disease responses have not been investigated. Firstly, we screened the sRNA transcriptome of sugarcane infected with Acidovorax avenae. Conserved and novel miRNAs were identified. Additionally, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were aligned to differentially expressed sequences from the sugarcane transcriptome. Interestingly, many siRNAs aligned to a transcript encoding a coppertransporter gene whose expression was induced in the presence of A. avenae, while the siRNAs were repressed in the presence of A. avenae. Moreover, a long intergenic non-coding RNA was identified as a potential target or decoy of miR408. To extend the bioinformatics analysis, we carried out independent inoculations and the expression patterns of six miRNAs were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Among these miRNAs, miR408—a copper- microRNA—was downregulated. The cleavage of a putative miR408 target, a laccase, was confirmed by a modified 50RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) assay. MiR408 was also downregulated in samples infected with other pathogens, but it was upregulated in the presence of a beneficial diazotrophic bacteria. Our results suggest that regulation by miR408 is important in sugarcane sensing whether microorganisms are either pathogenic or beneficial, triggering specific miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms accordingly

Volatile monoterpene ‘fingerprints’ of resinous Protium tree species in the Amazon rainforest

Volatile terpenoid resins represent a diverse group of plant defense chemicals involved in defense against herbivory, abiotic stress, and communication. However, their composition in tropical forests remains poorly characterized. As a part of tree identification, the ‘smell’ of damaged trunks is widely used, but is highly subjective. Here, we analyzed trunk volatile monoterpene emissions from 15 species of the genus Protium in the central Amazon. By normalizing the abundances of 28 monoterpenes, 9 monoterpene ‘fingerprint’ patterns emerged, characterized by a distinct dominant monoterpene. While 4 of the ‘fingerprint’ patterns were composed of multiple species, 5 were composed of a single species. Moreover, among individuals of the same species, 6 species had a single ‘fingerprint’ pattern, while 9 species had two or more ‘fingerprint’ patterns among individuals. A comparison of ‘fingerprints’ between 2015 and 2017 from 15 individuals generally showed excellent agreement, demonstrating a strong dependence on species identity, but not time of collection. The results are consistent with a previous study that found multiple divergent copies of monoterpene synthase enzymes in Protium. We conclude that the monoterpene ‘fingerprint’ database has important implications for constraining Protium species identification and phylogenetic relationships and enhancing understanding of physiological and ecological functions of resins and their potential commercial applications. © 2019 The Author

Decreased expression of ADAMTS-1 in human breast tumors stimulates migration and invasion

Abstract\ud \ud \ud \ud Background\ud \ud ADAMTS-1 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs) is a member of the ADAMTS family of metalloproteases. Here, we investigated mRNA and protein levels of ADAMTS-1 in normal and neoplastic tissues using qPCR, immunohistochemistry and immunoblot analyses, and we addressed the role of ADAMTS-1 in regulating migration, invasion and invadopodia formation in breast tumor cell lines.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud In a series of primary breast tumors, we observed variable levels of ADAMTS-1 mRNA expression but lower levels of ADAMTS-1 protein expression in human breast cancers as compared to normal tissue, with a striking decrease observed in high-malignancy cases (triple-negative for estrogen, progesterone and Her-2). This result prompted us to analyze the effect of ADAMTS-1 knockdown in breast cancer cells in vitro. MDA-MB-231 cells with depleted ADAMTS-1 expression demonstrated increased migration, invasion and invadopodia formation. The regulatory mechanisms underlying the effects of ADAMTS-1 may be related to VEGF, a growth factor involved in migration and invasion. MDA-MB-231 cells with depleted ADAMTS-1 showed increased VEGF concentrations in conditioned medium capable of inducing human endothelial cells (HUVEC) tubulogenesis. Furthermore, expression of the VEGF receptor (VEGFR2) was increased in MDA-MB-231 cells as compared to MCF7 cells. To further determine the relationship between ADAMTS-1 and VEGF regulating breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 cells with reduced expression of ADAMTS-1 were pretreated with a function-blocking antibody against VEGF and then tested in migration and invasion assays; both were partially rescued to control levels.\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud ADAMTS-1 expression was decreased in human breast tumors, and ADAMTS-1 knockdown stimulated migration, invasion and invadopodia formation in breast cancer cells in vitro. Therefore, this series of experiments suggests that VEGF is involved in the effects mediated by ADAMTS-1 in breast cancer cells.This investigation was supported by The State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP grants 2006/54963-0, 2006/01026-0, 2008/57103-8, 2010/07699-1), and Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq grant 470779/2007-1). The authors also want to thank Dr. Stanley Zucker (Stony Brook University; Stony Brook, NY, USA) and Dr. Rama Khokha (University of Western Ontario, Toronto, Canada) for suggestions made on data analysis