Corticosteroid-Sparing Effect of Chromoglycate Sodium and Nedocromil

The most appropiate management for bronchial asthma is the control of airway inflammation. Corticosteroids are the most effective anti-inflammatory drugs available, but they have a number of side effects; most of these are dose-dependent. In children, asthma control should be accomplished with low steroid doses possibly given by inhalation. In a double-bind placebo-controlled crossover study a group of children with mild to moderate asthma received NED 16 mg/day or BDP 400 μg/day. Values for FEV1, PEF, symptoms use ofbronchodilators overlapped, whereas bronchial hyper-responsiveness assessed by histamine bronchoprovocation challenge was better with BDP than NED. In another case, one boy with high bronchial hyper-reactivity assessed by provocation test with hypertonic solution, experienced a significant improvement only after 2 weeks of therapy with Deflazacort (2 mg/Kg/day) followed by 4 months on combined treatment with NED (16 mg/day) and BDP (300 μ/day). Authors conclude that NED could have a steroidsparing effect over long-term use

Microbiological and structural quality of Oxisol under pasture renewal systems.

O Cerrado brasileiro possui vasta área ocupada por pastagens com algum grau de degradação, e um dos principais desafios está na incorporação dessas áreas a um sistema produtivo. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de sistemas de renovação de pastagem na qualidade microbiológica e estrutural de um Latossolo de textura média. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições e oito sistemas de renovação de pastagem: 1) soja/ milho safrinha/soja; 2) soja/consórcio milho-capim/soja; 3) 10 meses de capim e uma safra de soja; 4) 10 meses de capim + crotalária e uma safra de soja; 5) 13 meses de capim e uma safra de soja; 6) 13 meses de capim + crotalária e uma safra de soja; 7) uma safra de soja; 8) pasto original (testemunha). A qualidade microbiológica foi avaliada por meio do carbono da biomassa microbiana do solo, atividade microbiana do solo, quociente metabólico - qCO2 e atividade da enzima β-glucosidase, e a qualidade estrutural por meio do índice de qualidade estrutural do solo. A implantação de sistemas de renovação de pastagem com capim solteiro (sistemas 3 e 5) ou consorciado com crotalária (sistemas 4 e 6) melhora a qualidade microbiológica e estrutural do solo. A renovação de pastagem iniciada com sistema de sucessão soja-milho safrinha (sistema 1) não é indicada para o solo de textura média avaliado neste estudo

Metformin as an adjuvant drug against pediatric sarcomas: hypoxia limits therapeutic effects of the drug.

Metformin, a well-known insulin-sensitizer commonly used for type 2 diabetes therapy, has recently emerged as potentially very attractive drug also in oncology. It is cheap, it is relatively safe and many reports have indicated effects in cancer prevention and therapy. These desirable features are particularly interesting for pediatric sarcomas, a group of rare tumors that have been shown to be dependent on IGF and insulin system for pathogenesis and progression. Metformin exerts anti-mitogenic activity in several cancer histotypes through several molecular mechanisms. In this paper, we analyzed its effects against osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, the three most common pediatric sarcomas. Despite in vitro metformin gave remarkable antiproliferative and chemosensitizing effects both in sensitive and chemoresistant cells, its efficacy was not confirmed against Ewing sarcoma xenografts neither as single agent nor in combination with vincristine. This discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo effects may be due to hypoxia, a common feature of solid tumors. We provide evidences that in hypoxia conditions metformin was not able to activate AMPK and inhibit mTOR signaling, which likely prevents the inhibitory effects of metformin on tumor growth. Thus, although metformin may be considered a useful complement of conventional chemotherapy in normoxia, its therapeutic value in highly hypoxic tumors may be more limited. The impact of hypoxia should be considered when novel therapies are planned for pediatric sarcomas

Increase of soybean yield through agricultural practices in Central Brazil.

A sucessão soja-milho safrinha é o principal sistema de produção de grãos da região Centro-Oeste do Brasil, no entanto o maior entrave deste sistema está nos baixos índices de cobertura do solo. Desta forma, objetivou-se avaliar a influência da inoculação e coinoculação de Bradyrhizobium japonicum e Azospirillum brasilense na produtividade da soja em sucessão a cultivos de outono-inverno. O experimento foi realizado nas safras 2018-2019 e 2019-2020, em Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados com os tratamentos em esquema fatorial 4×3, com quatro repetições. O primeiro fator foi constituído pelos quatro cultivos de outono-inverno: milho solteiro, consórcio milho-braquiária, Urochloa ruziziensis estabelecida desde 2013 e U. ruziziensis estabelecida desde 2016 e o segundo, pelos tratamentos com inoculação (sem inoculação, inoculação de B. japonicum e coinoculação de B. japonicum com A. brasilense). A Urochloa ruziziensis cultivada no outono-inverno contribui para o aumento da produtividade de grãos da soja em sucessão. A coinoculação de Bradyrhizobium japonicum com Azospirillum brasilense complementa a fixação biológica de nitrogênio (FBN) contribuindo no desenvolvimento da soj

Densidades populacionais e doses de nitrogênio em cobertura no desempenho agronômico do milho.

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Characterization and Comparison of Ocular Surface Microbiome in Newborns

The ocular microbiome is of fundamental importance for immune eye homeostasis, and its alteration would lead to an impairment of ocular functionality. Little evidence is reported on the composition of the ocular microbiota of term infants and on the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis. Methods: A total of 20 conjunctival swabs were collected from newborns at birth and after antibiotic treatment. Samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing via system MiSeq Illumina. The data were processed with the MicrobAT software and statistical analysis were performed using two-way ANOVA. Results: Antibiotic prophylaxis with gentamicin altered the composition of the microbiota. In detail, a 1.5- and 2.01-fold reduction was recorded for Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) and Massilia timonae (M. timonae), respectively, whereas an increase in Staphylococcus spp. of 6.5 times occurred after antibiotic exposure. Conclusions: Antibiotic prophylaxis altered the ocular microbiota whose understanding could avoid adverse effects on eye health

ITA-MNGIE: an Italian regional and national survey for mitochondrial neuro-gastro-intestinal encephalomyopathy

Mitochondrial neuro-gastro-intestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a rare and unavoidably fatal disease due to mutations in thymidine phosphorylase (TP). Clinically it is characterized by gastrointestinal dysfunction, malnutrition/cachexia and neurological manifestations. MNGIE diagnosis remains a challenge mainly because of the complexity and rarity of the disease. Thus, our purposes were to promote a better knowledge of the disease in Emilia-Romagna region (ERR) by creating an accurate and dedicated network; to establish the minimal prevalence of MNGIE in Italy starting from ERR. Blood TP activity level was used as screening test to direct candidates to complete diagnostic work-up. During the study period of 1 year, only 10/71 units of ERR recruited 14 candidates. Their screening did not show TP activity changes. An Italian patient not resident in ERR was actually proved to have MNGIE. At the end of study in Italy there were nine cases of MNGIE; thus, the Italian prevalence of the disease is ~0.15/1,000,000 as a gross estimation. Our study confirms that MNGIE diagnosis is a difficult process which reflects the rarity of the disease and, as a result, a low level of awareness among specialists and physicians. Having available novel therapeutic options (e.g., allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and, more recently, liver transplantation) and an easy screening test, an early diagnosis should be sought before tissue damage occurs irreversibly

Azospirillum brasilense em milho solteiro e consorciado com braquiária em solos arenoso e argiloso.

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Impact of intrauterine growth restriction on cerebral and renal oxygenation and perfusion during the first 3 days after birth

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with a higher incidence of perinatal complications as well as cardiovascular and renal diseases later on. A better insight into the disease mechanisms underlying these sequalae is important in order to identify which IUGR infants are at a higher risk and find strategies to improve their outcome. In this prospective case–control study we examined whether IUGR had any effect on renal and cerebral perfusion and oxygen saturation in term neonates. We integrated near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), echocardiographic, Doppler and renal function data of 105 IUGR infants and 105 age/gender-matched controls. Cerebral and renal regional oxygen saturation values were measured by NIRS during the first 12 h after birth. Echocardiography alongside Doppler assessment of renal and anterior cerebral arteries were performed at 6, 24, 48 and 72 h of age. Glomerular and tubular functions were also assessed. We found a left ventricular dysfunction together with a higher cerebral oxygen saturation and perfusion values in the IUGR group. IUGR term infants showed a higher renal oxygen saturation and a reduced oxygen extraction together with a subclinical renal damage, as indicated by higher values of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and microalbumin. These data suggest that some of the haemodynamic changes present in growth-restricted foetuses may persist postnatally. The increased cerebral oxygenation may suggest an impaired transition to normal autoregulation as a consequence of intra-uterine chronic hypoxia. The higher renal oxygenation may reflect a reduced renal oxygen consumption due to a subclinical kidney damage