Eficácia do óleo essencial de tomilho (Thymus vulgaris L.) no controle in vitro de Aspergillus flavus

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Nutrição, 2020.Óleos essenciais (OE) são o resultado da extração de compostos voláteis de plantas aromáticas por diferentes técnicas, tendo eles diversas funções, como a de antifúngicos. Entre os OE que se mostram importante alternativa no controle de fungos está o OE de tomilho. Além disso, o fungo do gênero Aspergillus flavus é de grande interesse de se controlar, devido a seu potencial de sintetizar as aflatoxinas, que são compostos hepatocarcinogênicos e contaminantes de alimentos. Por isso, esse trabalho analisou a eficácia do OE de tomilho em diferentes concentrações (0 (controle), 250, 500, 1.000, 1.500 e 2.000 μL/L) no controle in vitro de Aspergillus flavus e o percentual de inibição do crescimento micelial (ICM) durante 22 dias. Como resultado, observou-se que apenas na concentração de 250 μL/L houve crescimento do fungo, com uma ICM de 52,78%, enquanto nas outras concentrações (500, 1.000, 1.500 e 2.000 μL/L) não houve crescimento do fungo, com ICM de 100%. Concluiu-se que o OE de tomilho é parcialmente eficaz no controle de Aspergillus flavus na concentração de 250 μL/L e totalmente eficaz em concentrações iguais ou superiores a 500 μL/L.Essential oils (EO) are the result of the extraction of volatile compounds from aromatic plants by different techniques, having several functions, such as antifungals. Among the EOs that are shown to be a great strategy in the control of fungi is thyme EO. In addition, the fungus of the genus Aspergillus flavus is of great interest to control itself due to being highly hepatocarcinogenic and food contaminant. Therefore, this study analyzed the efficacy of thyme OE at different concentrations (0 (control), 250, 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 μL/L) in the in vitro control of Aspergillus flavus and the percentage of mycelial growth inhibition (MGI) for 22 days. As a result, it was observed that only at the concentration of 250 μL/L there was fungus growth with an inhibition of mycelial growth (MGI) of 52.78%, while in the other concentrations (500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 μL/L) there was no fungus growth, 100% MGI. It was concluded that thyme EO is partially effective in controlling Aspergillus flavus at a concentration of 250 μL/L and fully effective at concentrations above 500 μL/L

Neurostimulation Combined With Cognitive Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease (NeuroAD): Study Protocol of Double-Blind, Randomized, Factorial Clinical Trial

Despite advances in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is currently no prospect of a cure, and evidence shows that multifactorial interventions can benefit patients. A promising therapeutic alternative is the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) simultaneously with cognitive intervention. The combination of these non-pharmacological techniques is apparently a safe and accessible approach. This study protocol aims to compare the efficacy of tDCS and cognitive intervention in a double-blind, randomized and factorial clinical trial. One hundred participants diagnosed with mild-stage AD will be randomized to receive both tDCS and cognitive intervention, tDCS, cognitive intervention, or placebo. The treatment will last 8 weeks, with a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be the improvement of global cognitive functions, evaluated by the AD Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). The secondary outcomes will include measures of functional, affective, and behavioral components, as well as a neurophysiological marker (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF). This study will enable us to assess, both in the short and long term, whether tDCS is more effective than the placebo and to examine the effects of combined therapy (tDCS and cognitive intervention) and isolated treatments (tDCS vs. cognitive intervention) on patients with AD.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02772185—May 5, 2016

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Prevalence of clinically manifested drug interactions in hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS:This review aims to determine the prevalence of clinically manifested drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in hospitalized patients. METHODS:PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Lilacs databases were used to identify articles published before June 2019 that met specific inclusion criteria. The search strategy was developed using both controlled and uncontrolled vocabulary related to the following domains: "drug interactions," "clinically relevant," and "hospital." In this review, we discuss original observational studies that detected DDIs in the hospital setting, studies that provided enough data to allow us to calculate the prevalence of clinically manifested DDIs, and studies that described the drugs prescribed or provided DDI adverse reaction reports, published in either English, Portuguese, or Spanish. RESULTS:From the initial 5,999 articles identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of clinically manifested DDIs was 9.2% (CI 95% 4.0-19.7). The mean number of medications per patient reported in six studies ranged from 4.0 to 9.0, with an overall average of 5.47 ± 1.77 drugs per patient. The quality of the included studies was moderate. The main methods used to identify clinically manifested DDIs were evaluating medical records and ward visits (n = 7). Micromedex® (27.7%) and Lexi-Comp® (27.7%) online reference databases were commonly used to detect DDIs and none of the studies evaluated used more than one database for this purpose. CONCLUSIONS:This systematic review showed that, despite the significant prevalence of potential DDIs reported in the literature, less than one in ten patients were exposed to a clinically manifested drug interaction. The use of causality tools to identify clinically manifested DDIs as well as clinical adoption of DDI lists based on actual adverse outcomes that can be identified through the implementation of real DDI notification systems is recommended to reduce the incidence of alert fatigue, enhance decision-making for DDI prevention or resolution, and, consequently, contribute to patient safety

To be or not to B27 positive: implications for the phenotypes of axial spondyloarthritis outcomes. Data from a large multiracial cohort from the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis

Abstract Background There is a remarkable variability in the frequency of HLA-B27 positivity in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA), which may be associated with different clinical presentations worldwide. However, there is a lack of data considering ethnicity and sex on the evaluation of the main clinical and prognostic outcomes in mixed-race populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HLA-B27 and its correlation with disease parameters in a large population of patients from the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis (RBE). Methods The RBE is a multicenter, observational, prospective cohort that enrolled patients with SpA from 46 centers representing all five geographic regions of Brazil. The inclusion criteria were as follow: (1) diagnosis of axSpA by an expert rheumatologist; (2) age ≥18 years; (3) classification according to ASAS axial. The following data were collected via a standardized protocol: demographic data, disease parameters and treatment historical. Results A total of 1096 patients were included, with 73.4% HLA-B27 positivity and a mean age of 44.4 (±13.2) years. Positive HLA-B27 was significantly associated with male sex, earlier age at disease onset and diagnosis, uveitis, and family history of SpA. Conversely, negative HLA-B27 was associated with psoriasis, higher peripheral involvement and disease activity, worse quality of life and mobility. Conclusions Our data showed that HLA-B27 positivity was associated with a classic axSpA pattern quite similar to that of Caucasian axSpA patients around the world. Furthermore, its absence was associated with peripheral manifestations and worse outcomes, suggesting a relevant phenotypic difference in a highly miscegenated population

A crise entre o modo de produção capitalista e a finitude dos recursos naturais: a ascensão de um novo modelo ético como alicerce de um estado ambiental de direito

A alta velocidade com que se desenvolve a sociedade no campo da tecnologia é contrária à garantia do mínimo existencial, desencadeando, assim, o processo de desequilíbrio ambiental, pois a contínua exploração desenfreada acarretará a falta de condições para a existência humana. Sendo necessário notar a enorme importância que a preservação da biodiversidade representa aos cidadãos. No que concerne à diversidade das espécies, a sua funcionalidade destaca-se no fornecimento de recursos para os seres humanos, além de representar o alcance das adaptações evolucionárias e ecológicas das espécies em determinados ambientes. Desta forma, o presente trabalho busca analisar a crise entre o modo de produção capitalista e a finitude dos recursos naturais trazendo a ascensão de um novo modelo ético como alicerce de um estado ambiental de direito

Neurostimulation Combined With Cognitive Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease (NeuroAD): Study Protocol of Double-Blind, Randomized, Factorial Clinical Trial

[EN]Despite advances in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is currently no prospect of a cure, and evidence shows that multifactorial interventions can benefit patients. A promising therapeutic alternative is the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) simultaneously with cognitive intervention. The combination of these non-pharmacological techniques is apparently a safe and accessible approach. This study protocol aims to compare the efficacy of tDCS and cognitive intervention in a double-blind, randomized and factorial clinical trial. One hundred participants diagnosed with mild-stage AD will be randomized to receive both tDCS and cognitive intervention, tDCS, cognitive intervention, or placebo. The treatment will last 8 weeks, with a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be the improvement of global cognitive functions, evaluated by the AD Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). The secondary outcomes will include measures of functional, affective, and behavioral components, as well as a neurophysiological marker (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF). This study will enable us to assess, both in the short and long term, whether tDCS is more effective than the placebo and to examine the effects of combined therapy (tDCS and cognitive intervention) and isolated treatments (tDCS vs. cognitive intervention) on patients with AD

Gasdermin-D activation by SARS-CoV-2 triggers NET and mediate COVID-19 immunopathology

Abstract: Background: The release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is associated with inflammation, coagulopathy, and organ damage found in severe cases of COVID-19. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the release of NETs in COVID-19 remain unclear. Objectives: We aim to investigate the role of the Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) pathway on NETs release and the development of organ damage during COVID-19. Methods: We performed a single-cell transcriptome analysis in public data of bronchoalveolar lavage. Then, we enrolled 63 hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19. We analyze in blood and lung tissue samples the expression of GSDMD, presence of NETs, and signaling pathways upstreaming. Furthermore, we analyzed the treatment with disulfiram in a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: We found that the SARS-CoV-2 virus directly activates the pore-forming protein GSDMD that triggers NET production and organ damage in COVID-19. Single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of GSDMD and inflammasome-related genes were increased in COVID-19 patients. High expression of active GSDMD associated with NETs structures was found in the lung tissue of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we showed that activation of GSDMD in neutrophils requires active caspase1/4 and live SARS-CoV-2, which infects neutrophils. In a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the treatment with disulfiram inhibited NETs release and reduced organ damage. Conclusion: These results demonstrated that GSDMD-dependent NETosis plays a critical role in COVID-19 immunopathology and suggests GSDMD as a novel potential target for improving the COVID-19 therapeutic strategy