Lesões pré-malignas do esôfago e câncer precoce: considerações sobre o tratamento

Esophageal cancer is epidemiologically important in our community. Alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and gastroesophageal reflux are among the well-establishedrisk factors for the development of cancer. Predisposing conditions such as Barrett’s esophagus, achalasia, caustic strictures and pre-malignant lesions of the esophaguslead to a higher risk for esophageal cancer and, thus, require increased attention. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of these conditions may yield an increase in survival rates and a decrease in morbidity and mortality. The objective of this paper is to present a few considerations on the modalities of treatment for precursor lesions and superficial cancer.O câncer de esôfago é uma doença epidemiologicamente importante em nosso meio. O consumo de álcool, o tabagismo e o refluxo gastroesofágico estão entre os fatores de risco bem estabelecidos para o desenvolvimento de câncer. As condições prédeterminantes como o esôfago de Barrett, acalasia, estreitamento cáustico e lesões pré-malignas do esôfago apresentam um risco mais elevado para o câncer de esôfago. Estas lesões, portanto, merecem uma maior atenção. O diagnóstico precoce e o tratamento imediato podem permitir uma melhora na sobrevida e uma redução na morbidade e na mortalidade. Este trabalho apresenta algumas considerações a respeitodas modalidades de tratamento de lesões precursoras e câncer superficial

Biologia molecular dos tumores do trato digestivo

Remarkable improvements in the understanding of the development of human cancer and of its genetic nature have been reported. At our services, we have observed that there is a high incidence of gastrointestinal tumors in our region and, also, that poor prognosis occurs due to patients presenting with advanced stages of the disease. In this sense, it is expected that molecular biology studies will bring new hope for more effective diagnostic and treatment methods. Consequently, it is our objective to address the current aspects on colorectal, gastric, and esophageal carcinogenesis and the genes and products involved. The application of recent findings, used for early diagnosis, the existence of markers for prognosis, and the possibility of using new methods of treatment are discussed.Uma revolução no entendimento da gênese do câncer humano vem acontecendo, e sua natureza fundamentalmente genética foi reconhecida. Os cânceres gastrointestinais apresentam alta incidência e prognóstico reservado na maioria dos casos quando da sua apresentação em nosso meio. Espera-se que a biologia molecular traga novos caminhos para o diagnóstico e tratamento mais efetivos. No nosso trabalho, são abordados os aspectos atuais da carcinogênese colorretal, esofágica e gástrica, bem como os genes e seus sub-produtos (proteínas) envolvidos. As implicações clínicas destes novos conhecimentos, como as aplicações no diagnóstico precoce, a existência de marcadores prognósticos e a possibilidade de novos tratamentos, são discutidos

Techniques for Extraction of Brewer’s Spent Grain Polyphenols: a Review

Million tons of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) are annually produced worldwide as brewing industry by-products. BSG represents a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which have attracted much attention due to their diverse health benefits. Relevant strategies have been developed for their efficient extraction, in order to commercially exploit these resources. This review focuses on the current extraction methods used to obtain phenolic compounds from BSG, ranging from more traditional to advanced techniques. The commonly used methods are the conventional solid–liquid extractions, employing organic solvents, alkaline, and enzymatic reactions. However, the inherent difficulties in screening and obtaining these compounds have led to the development of advanced extraction techniques. Pressurized fluid extraction, supercritical extractions, and microwave-assisted and ultrasound-assisted extractions are some of the novel extraction techniques that have been recently explored. These techniques have been mostly applied for phenolic recovery from barley and malt, as well as other types of cereals. In this review, it is shown that these novel techniques may provide an innovative approach to extract phenolics from BSG or related products, following an in-depth discussion on the major strengths and weaknesses identified in each technique.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The G\=oMartini approach: Revisiting the concept of contact maps and the modelling of protein complexes

We present a review of a series of contact maps for the determination of native interactions in proteins and nucleic acids based on a distance-threshold. Such contact maps are mostly based on physical and chemical construction, and yet they are sensitive to some parameters (e.g. distances or atomic radii) and can neglect some key interactions. Furthermore, we also comment on a new class of contact maps that only requires geometric arguments. The contact map is a necessary ingredient to build a robust G\=oMartini model for proteins and their complexes in the Martini 3 force field. We present the extension of a popular structure-based G\=o-like approach for the study of protein-sugar complexes, and also limitations of this approach are discussed. The G\=oMartini approach was first introduced by Poma et al. J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2017, 13(3), 1366-1374 in Martini 2 force field and recently, it has gained the status of gold-standard for protein simulation undergoing conformational changes in Martini 3 force field. We discuss several studies that have provided support to this approach in the context of the biophysical community.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Tension cost correlates with mechanical and biochemical parameters in different myocardial contractility conditions

OBJECTIVES: Tension cost, the ratio of myosin ATPase activity to tension, reflects the economy of tension development in the myocardium. To evaluate the mechanical advantage represented by the tension cost, we studied papillary muscle contractility and the activity of myosin ATPase in the left ventricles in normal and pathophysiological conditions. METHODS: Experimental protocols were performed using rat left ventricles from: (1) streptozotocin-induced diabetic and control Wistar rats; (2) N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) hypertensive and untreated Wistar rats; (3) deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt-treated, nephrectomized and salt- and DOCA-treated rats; (4) spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats; (5) rats with myocardial infarction and shamoperated rats. The isometric force, tetanic tension, and the activity of myosin ATPase were measured. RESULTS: The results obtained from infarcted, diabetic, and deoxycorticosterone acetate-salt-treated rats showed reductions in twitch and tetanic tension compared to the control and sham-operated groups. Twitch and tetanic tension increased in the N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-treated rats compared with the Wistar rats. Myosin ATPase activity was depressed in the infarcted, diabetic, and deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-treated rats compared with control and sham-operated rats and was increased in N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester-treated rats. These parameters did not differ between SHR and WKY rats. In the studied conditions (e.g., post-myocardial infarction, deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced hypertension, chronic N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester treatment, and streptozotocin-induced diabetes), a positive correlation between force or plateau tetanic tension and myosin ATPase activity was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the myocardium adapts to force generation by increasing or reducing the tension cost to maintain myocardial contractility with a better mechanical advantage

Advanced oxidation processes for remediation of azo dyes used in the textile industry

O objectivo deste trabalho visa avaliar a degradação fotocatalitica dos corantes azo Remazol Amarelo Ouro, Azul e Carbon RGB. Para tal foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros: concentração de TiO2, concentração do corante, efeito do H2O2, efeito do pH e da reciclagem de TiO2. TiO2 Degussa P25 foi testado em concentrações a partir de 0gL-1 a 1 gL-1. A concentração do corante foi de 30 mgL-1 a 120 mgL-1 e a concentração do peróxido de hidrogénio foi de 0.3x10-3 a 6x10-2 mol L-1. A variação do pH foi de 2 a 11 e de reciclagem de TiO2 foi feita com 5 ciclos. As amostras foram tratadas durante duas horas com irradiação artificial (lâmpada de vapor mercúrio, 125W) e as amostras foram recolhidas aos 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 e 120 minutos. A fotodegradação das amostras foi seguida por espectroscopia UV-Vis. A eficiência da degradação fotocatalítica aumentou com o aumento da quantidade de TiO2. O efeito do H2O2 foi benéfico para a degradação dos 3 corantes. Os resultados indicam que a degradação fotocatalítica depende da concentração de corante, da quantidade de fotocatalisador utilizado, irradiação UV vs tempo, do pH da solução e da concentração de peróxido de hidrogénio adicionado

Relationship between Crystal Shape, Photoluminescence, and Local Structure in SrTiO3 Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Method

This paper describes the effect of using different titanium precursors on the synthesis and physical properties of SrTiO3 powders obtained by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction measurements, X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were carried out to investigate the structural and optical properties of the SrTiO3 spherical and cubelike-shaped particles. The appropriate choice of the titanium precursor allowed the control of morphological and photoluminescence (PL) properties of SrTiO3 compound. The PL emission was more intense in SrTiO3 samples composed of spherelike particles. This behavior was attributed to the existence of a lower amount of defects due to the uniformity of the spherical particles

Fingerprints of Short-Range and Long-Range Structure in BaZr1−xHfxO3 Solid Solutions: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

A microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was applied to synthesize BaZr1xHfxO3, (BZHO) solid solutions at a low temperature, 140 1C, and relatively short times, 160 min. The detailed features of the crystal structure, at both short and long ranges, as well as the crystal chemistry doping process, are extensively analysed. X-ray diffraction measurements and Raman spectroscopy have been used to confirm that pure and Hf-doped BZO materials present a cubic structure. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra indicate that Hf4+ ions have replaced the Zr4+ ions on the 6-fold coordination and a subsequent change on the Ba2+ 12-fold coordination can be sensed. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy measurements reveal a local symmetry breaking process, associated to overlap of the 4d–2p and 5d–2p orbitals of Zr–O and Hf–O bonds, respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) show the mesocrystalline nature of self-assembled BZHO nanoparticles under a dodecahedron shape. In addition first principle calculations were performed to complement the experimental data. The analysis of the band structures and density of states of the undoped BZO and doped BZHO host lattice allow deep insight into the main electronic features. The theoretical results help us to find a correlation between simulated and experimental Raman modes and allow a more substantial interpretation of crystal structure.Brazilian research funding institution FAPESP. 2009/17752-0 FAPERGS. 2031-2551/13-9SIAS CNPq (MCT/CNPq). 458452/2014-9 Generalitat Valenciana. Prometeo/2009/053 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion. CTQ-2012-36253-C03-01 Programa de Cooperacion Cientificacon Iberoamerica (Brazil), Ministerio de Educacion. PHB2009-0065-P

Phenotypic contrasts of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in women: Two case reports

We discussed two cases of symptomatic female carriers to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The first case is a 20 year-old girl with classical phenotypic manifestation of the disease, similar to the condition in boys. The case 2 is a 62 year-old woman with progressive muscular weakness. The disease is much less common in woman than men so both cases described here are considered rare forms of the disease, with several clinical implications. In both cases, a progressive muscle weakness, impairment in walking and sleeping was observed, in addition to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and alveolar hypoventilation, that required noninvasive ventilatory support. (C) 2016 Brazilian Association of Sleep. Production and Hosting by Elsevier B.V.AFIPCAPESCNPqFAPESPUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychobiol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychobiol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2014/08067-0Web of Scienc

Unveiling the efficiency of microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment for the preparation of SrTiO3 mesocrystals

Material processing has become essential for the proper control, tuning and consequent application of the properties of micro/nanoparticles. In this case, we report herein the capability of the microwaveassisted hydrothermal (MAH) method to prepare the SrTiO3 compound, as a case study of inorganic compounds. Analyses conducted by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies confirmed that the MAH route enables the formation of pristine SrTiO3. The results indicated that the combination of thermal and non-thermal effects during the MAH treatment provides ideal conditions for an efficient and rapid synthesis of pristine SrTiO3 mesocrystals. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed a cube-like morphology (of ca. 1 mm) formed via a self-assembly process, influenced by the MAH time. Additionally, photoluminescence measurements revealed a broad blue emission related to intrinsic defects, which decreased with the MAH synthesis time