Volumetric laser endomicroscopy and its application to Barrett\u27s esophagus: results from a 1,000 patient registry.

Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) for real-time, microscopic cross-sectional imaging. A US-based multi-center registry was constructed to prospectively collect data on patients undergoing upper endoscopy during which a VLE scan was performed. The objective of this registry was to determine usage patterns of VLE in clinical practice and to estimate quantitative and qualitative performance metrics as they are applied to Barrett\u27s esophagus (BE) management. All procedures utilized the NvisionVLE Imaging System (NinePoint Medical, Bedford, MA) which was used by investigators to identify the tissue types present, along with focal areas of concern. Following the VLE procedure, investigators were asked to answer six key questions regarding how VLE impacted each case. Statistical analyses including neoplasia diagnostic yield improvement using VLE was performed. One thousand patients were enrolled across 18 US trial sites from August 2014 through April 2016. In patients with previously diagnosed or suspected BE (894/1000), investigators used VLE and identified areas of concern not seen on white light endoscopy (WLE) in 59% of the procedures. VLE imaging also guided tissue acquisition and treatment in 71% and 54% of procedures, respectively. VLE as an adjunct modality improved the neoplasia diagnostic yield by 55% beyond the standard of care practice. In patients with no prior history of therapy, and without visual findings from other technologies, VLE-guided tissue acquisition increased neoplasia detection over random biopsies by 700%. Registry investigators reported that VLE improved the BE management process when used as an adjunct tissue acquisition and treatment guidance tool. The ability of VLE to image large segments of the esophagus with microscopic cross-sectional detail may provide additional benefits including higher yield biopsies and more efficient tissue acquisition. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02215291

Hospital Organization and Importance of an Interventional Radiology Inpatient Admitting Service:Italian Single-Center 3-year Experience

In June 2005 a Complex Operating Unit of Interventional Radiology (COUIR), consisting of an outpatient visit service, an inpatient admitting service with four beds, and a day-hospital service with four beds was installed at our department. Between June 2005 and May 2008, 1772 and 861 well-screened elective patients were admitted to the inpatient ward of the COUIR and to the Internal Medicine Unit (IMU) or Surgery Unit (SU) of our hospital, respectively, and treated with IR procedures. For elective patients admitted to the COUIR’s inpatient ward, hospital stays were significantly shorter and differences between reimbursements and costs were significantly higher for almost all IR procedures compared to those for patients admitted to the IMU and SU (Student’s t-test for unpaired data, p\0.05). The results of the 3-year activity show that the activation of a COUIR with an inpatient admitting service, and the better organization of the patient pathway that came with it, evidenced more efficient use of resources, with the possibility for the hospital to save money and obtain positive margins (differences between reimbursements and costs). During 3 years of activity, the inpatient admitting service of our COUIR yielded a positive difference between reimbursements and effective costs of €1,009,095.35. The creation of an inpatient IR service and the admission of well-screened elective patients allowed short hospitalization times, reduction of waiting lists, and a positive economic outcome. Keywords Inpatients Hospitalization Costs Reimbursement

Production of tocotrienols in seeds of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) enhances oxidative stability and offers nutraceutical potential

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an economically important multi-purpose crop cultivated globally for fibre, seed oil and protein. Cottonseed oil also is naturally rich in vitamin E components (collectively known as tocochromanols), with a- and c-tocopherols comprising nearly all of the vitamin E components. By contrast, cottonseeds have little or no tocotrienols, tocochromanols with a wide range of health benefits. Here, we generated transgenic cotton lines expressing the barley (Hordeum vulgare) homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase coding sequence under the control of the Brassica napus seed-specific promoter, napin. Transgenic cottonseeds had ~twofold to threefold increases in the accumulation of total vitamin E (tocopherols + tocotrienols), with more than 60% c-tocotrienol. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry imaging showed that c-tocotrienol was localized throughout the transgenic embryos. In contrast, the native tocopherols were distributed unequally in both transgenic and non-transgenic embryos. a- Tocopherol was restricted mostly to cotyledon tissues and c-tocopherol was more enriched in the embryonic axis tissues. Production of tocotrienols in cotton embryos had no negative impact on plant performance or yield of other important seed constituents including fibre, oil and protein. Advanced generations of two transgenic events were field grown, and extracts of transgenic seeds showed increased antioxidant activity relative to extracts from non-transgenic seeds. Furthermore, refined cottonseed oil from the two transgenic events showed 30% improvement in oxidative stability relative to the non-transgenic cottonseed oil. Taken together, these materials may provide new opportunities for cottonseed co-products with enhanced vitamin E profile for improved shelf life and nutrition

Radiação ultravioleta C no controle de Aspergillus flavus Link e de outros contaminantes da castanha-do-brasil.

bitstream/item/201110/1/boletim-82-daniel.pd

Volumetric laser endomicroscopy and its application to Barrett's esophagus: results from a 1,000 patient registry.

Volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) for real-time, microscopic cross-sectional imaging. A US-based multi-center registry was constructed to prospectively collect data on patients undergoing upper endoscopy during which a VLE scan was performed. The objective of this registry was to determine usage patterns of VLE in clinical practice and to estimate quantitative and qualitative performance metrics as they are applied to Barrett's esophagus (BE) management. All procedures utilized the NvisionVLE Imaging System (NinePoint Medical, Bedford, MA) which was used by investigators to identify the tissue types present, along with focal areas of concern. Following the VLE procedure, investigators were asked to answer six key questions regarding how VLE impacted each case. Statistical analyses including neoplasia diagnostic yield improvement using VLE was performed. One thousand patients were enrolled across 18 US trial sites from August 2014 through April 2016. In patients with previously diagnosed or suspected BE (894/1000), investigators used VLE and identified areas of concern not seen on white light endoscopy (WLE) in 59% of the procedures. VLE imaging also guided tissue acquisition and treatment in 71% and 54% of procedures, respectively. VLE as an adjunct modality improved the neoplasia diagnostic yield by 55% beyond the standard of care practice. In patients with no prior history of therapy, and without visual findings from other technologies, VLE-guided tissue acquisition increased neoplasia detection over random biopsies by 700%. Registry investigators reported that VLE improved the BE management process when used as an adjunct tissue acquisition and treatment guidance tool. The ability of VLE to image large segments of the esophagus with microscopic cross-sectional detail may provide additional benefits including higher yield biopsies and more efficient tissue acquisition. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02215291

Substância isolada de Conyza canadensis combinada com a irradiação UVC no controle de bolor verde da laranja.

O Brasil é o maior produtor de laranjas respondendo por 85% do mercado mundial de suco de laranja. Doenças em pós-colheita reduzem a quantidade e a qualidade de frutos cítricos comercializáveis e podem provocar grandes perdas, sendo a principal delas o bolor verde causada pelo fungo Penicillium digitatum. O controle desta doença é feito pela aplicação de fungicidas sintéticos nos tratamentos pós-colheita, no entanto, eles representam perigo à saúde humana e contaminam o meio ambiente. Existe, portanto, uma demanda por métodos alternativos de controle, dentre eles tem se destacado os biopesticidas à base de compostos naturais de plantas e os tratamentos físicos usando a irradiação com luz ultravioleta C (UVC), por serem tecnologias limpas e que não deixam resíduos tóxicos. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a eficiência da aplicação de substância isolada de Conyza canadensis combinada à irradiação UVC no controle de bolor verde em laranja Pera. No primeiro ensaio foram avaliadas três doses (10; 50 e 100 µg mL-1) da substância (4Z)-lachnophyllum lactona (LACH) extraída de C. canadensis pela aspersão de dois jatos de spray (1mL) da suspensão da substância no local da inoculação. No segundo ensaio utilizou-se a combinação da substância LACH, nas mesmas doses do ensaio anterior, com a irradiação (UVC) na dose de 2,0 kJ m-2. Os ensaios comprovaram a eficiência da substância (LACH) no controle do bolor verde em laranja pera, sendo que a eficiência aumentou em função do aumento da dose. A combinação com a irradiação de luz UVC, após a aplicação da substância, apresentou um efeito sinérgico, melhorando significativamente o controle da doença. Brazil is the leader in production of oranges accounting for 85% of the orange juice world market. Postharvest diseases reduce the quantity and quality of marketable citrus fruits and cause great losses, and the main postharvest disease is the green mold caused by Penicillium digitatum. The control of this disease has been made by the application of synthetic fungicides on the postharvest treatments; however, they pose a danger to human health and contaminate the environment. Therefore, there is a demand for alternative control methods, and among them, biopesticides based on natural plant compounds and physical treatments using ultraviolet C irradiation (UVC), since they are clean technologies and do not leave toxic residues. The present work had the objective of studying the efficiency of the application of substance isolated from Conyza canadensis combined with UVC irradiation on the control of green mold in orange Pera. On the first trial three doses (10, 50 and 100 µg mL-1) of the substance (4Z)-lachnophyllum lactone (LACH) extracted from C. Canadensis were evaluated by spraying two spray jets (1mL) of the suspension of the substance at the inoculation site. In the second test were combined of LACH substance at the same doses of the previous test with the UVC irradiation at the dose of 2.0 kJ m-2. The tests proved the efficiency of the substance (LACH) in the control of green mold in orange, and the efficiency increased according to the dose increase. The combination with UVC light irradiation, after application of the substance, showed a synergistic effect, significantly improving the disease control

Ação da temperatura no controle de fungos causadores de doenças pós-colheita em mamão.

As doenças pós-colheita são fatores limitantes para estocagem e exportação de mamão e é crescente o interesse por métodos alternativos de controle. O tratamento hidrotérmico tem se mostrado como método promissor podendo ser integrado a outros. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito in vitro do tratamento térmico nos principais fungos causadores de podridão na pós-colheita do mamão: Fusarium solani, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Phoma caricae-papayae e Lasiodiplodia theobromae, bem como determinar os binômios temperaturas e tempos letais de cada um deles. Discos de micélio foram colocados em bolsas de gaze simples e estéril, depois foram imersas em água destilada estéril em um balão de três bocas contendo um agitador e um termômetro digital, para cada combinação de tempo e temperatura. Após o tratamento térmico os discos de micélio, foram imersos em água gelada, plaqueados em meio BDA e incubados a 25°C. Avaliou-se diariamente o crescimento micelial dos fungos. Observou-se que P. caricae-papayae é o mais sensível deles, com letalidade nas combinações 52°C/60s, 54°C/40s, 56°C/25s, 58°C/20s e 60°C/15s. A. alternata apresenta letalidade nas combinações 52°C/150s, 54°C/100s, 56°C/40s, 58°C/30s e 60°C/10s. C. gloesporioides apresenta termoresistência intermediária sendo letais os seguintes binômios: 52°C/280s, 54°C/150s, 56°C/80s, 58°C/40s e 60°C/30s. L. theobromae apresenta elevada termoresistência com letalidade nas combinações: 52°C/350s, 54°C/140s, 56°C/80s, 58°C/60s, 60°C/30s e 62°C/20s. F. solani é o mais termoresistente dentre eles com letalidade nas combinações: 60°C/300s, 65°C/200s, 70°C/100s e 75°C/80s. Observou-se que, para a maioria dos fungos estudados, em temperaturas mais altas, a partir de 60°C, curtos periodos de tempos (de 10 a 30 segundos) são letais. Postharvest diseases are limiting factors for the storage and export of papaya, and the interest for alternative methods of control is increasing. Hydrothermal treatment has shown to be a promising method and can be integrated with others. The objective of this work was to evalute the in vitro effect of the heat treatment on the main papaya post-harvest rotting fungi: Fusarium solani, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Phoma caricae-papayae and Lasiodiplodia theobromae, as well as to determine the lethal time and temperature binomials for each of them. Mycelial discs were placed into sterile and simple gauze bags, and then immersed in sterile distilled water in a three-necked flask containing a stirrer and a digital thermometer, for each time and temperature combination. After the heat treatment, the disks were immersed in cold water, plated in BDA medium and incubated at 25°C. Mycelial growth was measured daily. It was observed that P. caricae-papayae is the most sensitive of them, with lethality on the combinations 52°C/60s, 54°C/40s, 56°C/25s, 58°C/20s and 60°C/15s. A. alternata shows lethality in the combinations 52°C/150s, 54°C/100s, 56°C/40s, 58°C/30s and 60°C/10s. C. gloesporioides shows intermediate thermoresistance being lethal in the following binomials: 52°C/280s, 54°C/150s, 56°C/80s, 58°C/40s and 60°C/30s. L. theobromae has a high thermoresistance with lethality in the combinations: 52°C/350s, 54°C/140, 56°C/80s, 58°C/60, 60°C/30s and 62°C/20s. F. solani is the most thermoresistant among them with lethality in the combinations: 60°C/300s, 65°C/200s, 70°C/100s and 75°C/80s. It was observed that for all of fungi studied, at higher temperatures, from 60 °C, short periods (from 10 to 30 s) are lethal

Importance of the Fermi-surface topology to the superconducting state of the electron-doped pnictide Ba(Fe1-xCox)(2)As-2

We used angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and thermoelectric power to study the poorly explored, highly overdoped side of the phase diagram of Ba(Fe1−xCox)2As2 high-temperature superconductor. Our data demonstrate that several Lifshitz transitions—topological changes of the Fermi surface—occur for large x. The central hole barrel changes to ellipsoids that are centered at Z at x∼0.11 and subsequently disappear around x∼0.2; changes in thermoelectric power occur at similar x values. Tc decreases and goes to zero around x∼0.15—between the two Lifshitz transitions. Beyond x=0.2 the central pocket becomes electron-like and superconductivity does not exist. Our observations reveal the importance of the underlying Fermiology in electron-doped iron arsenides. We speculate that a likely necessary condition for superconductivity in these materials is the presence of the central hole pockets rather than nesting between central and corner pockets

Prevalence of HIV, Herpes Simplex Virus-2, and Syphilis in male sex partners of pregnant women in Peru

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:</p> <p>Sexually active heterosexual men may represent an important risk factor for HIV infection and STI transmission to their female partners and unborn children, though little is known about the prevalence of STIs in this population. We sought to determine the prevalence of HIV, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and syphilis infection and associated risk behaviors among male sex partners of pregnant women in Peru.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>Survey and seroprevalence data were collected from 1,835 male partners of pregnant women in four cities in Peru. Serum was tested for antibodies to HIV, HSV-2, and syphilis.</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>Among the 1,835 male participants, HIV prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI = 0.5–1.4%), HSV-2 16.0% (95% CI = 14.3–17.8%), and syphilis 1.6% (95% CI = 1.0–2.2%). Additionally, 11.0% reported a lifetime history of intercourse with men, and 37.1% with female sex workers. Unprotected intercourse with men during the previous year was reported by 0.9% and with female sex workers by 1.2%.</p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>Pregnant women's sex partners reported lifetime sexual contact with core risk groups, had an elevated prevalence of HSV-2, and demonstrated the potential to spread HIV and other STIs to their partners. Though the prevalence of HIV in the population was not significantly higher than observed in other samples of heterosexuals in Peru, the risk of HIV transmission to their female partners may be exacerbated by their increased prevalence of HSV-2 infection. Further study of heterosexual populations is necessary to fully understand the epidemiology of HIV/STIs in Latin America.</p