ESTUDO DE S-NITROSOTIÓIS EM DISPOSITIVOS ANALÍTICOS DE PAPEL COM DETECÇÃO COLORIMÉTRICA

Introdução e objetivos: Os S-nitrosotióis são compostos doadores de óxido nítrico1, e o interesse na detecção e quantificação desses compostos em matrizes biológicas está principalmente relacionada com suas funções fisiológicas importantes, vasodilatação2, atividade antimicrobiana3 e fisiopatológicas (doenças neurodegenerativa como Alzheimer). O trabalho teve como objetivos a separação e quantificação de S-nitrosoglutationa, um S-nitrosotiol, de matrizes biológicas em dispositivos analíticos a base de papel com detecção colorimétrica. Metodologia: A S-nitrosoglutationa foi sintetizada a partir de 0,96 g de glutationa reduzida em 5 mL de ácido clorídrico 0,626 M, com agitação constante em banho de gelo. Após a completa dissolução da glutationa reduzida, adicionou-se 0,215 g de nitrito de sódio, mantendo-se a agitação constante por mais 40 min, em banho de gelo. A S-nitrosoglutationa foi precipitada com adição de 5 mL de acetona, lavada com pequenas quantidades de acetona, acetona/água e éter dietílico e filtrada à vácuo. A decomposição catalítica da S-nitrosoglutationa foi realizada através do Cu2+ e glutationa reduzida e também por irradiação UV. Foi preparada uma solução de S-nitrosoglutationa 50 μM em tampão fosfato (0,1 M, pH 7,4) e foi usado o reagente de Griess (Sulfanilamida 300 mM em ácido cítrico 330 mM e N-(1-cloreto de naftil-etilenodiamina) 10 mM). Resultados e discussões: A formação da S-nitrosoglutationa foi comprovada pelo desenvolvimento de cor vermelha-alaranjada durante a síntese e também pelo sólido rosa obtido após a precipitação. Ao adicionar-se o reagente de Griess na solução de S-nitrosoglutationa houve a formação de coloração rosa intenso, confirmando a presença de nitrito. Conclusões: A partir da completa decomposição da S-nitrosoglutationa através de iradiação UV ou Cu2+ e glutationa reduzida é possível detectar nitrito, fato este que foi confirmado pelo método colorimétrico. Agradecimentos: CNPq, INCTBio, IQ-UFG

Evaluation of the knowledge and practices of pregnant Yemeni Women regarding teratogens

Purpose: To investigate the knowledge and practice of pregnant women with regards to teratogens.Methods: A month-long cross-sectional study was carried out among 150 pregnant women selected from four Motherhood and Child Healthcare Centers (MCHCs) in Mukalla District of Yemen. Data collection was conducted during face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire. Descriptive and simple regression analyses were used.Results: Of the 150 pregnant women who participated in the study, 95.3 % of the pregnant women were < 36 years old, 7.4 % had children with congenital malformations, 62 % indicated that they had heard about folic acid; however, only 16.6 % knew the significance of folic acid. Regarding toxoplasmosis, 94.7 % indicated that they had heard about toxoplasmosis, and 76 % knew about the serious consequences of the disease (congenital malformation and abortion) during pregnancy. Based on simple regression analysis, the results indicate that education and parity, irrespective of age or income level, were the major factors determining better knowledge and practices in pregnancy with regards to toxoplasmosis.Conclusion: Knowledge of folic acid deficiency among pregnant women in Mukalla District of Yemen is relatively low. Furthermore, preventive practices to avoid folic acid deficiency are minimal.Keywords: Knowledge, Practices, Teratogens, Pregnant Yemeni women, Folic acid deficienc

Eradication of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma after Adenovirus-Encoded TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL)/CpG Immunotherapy

Despite evidence that antitumor immunity can be protective against renal cell carcinoma (RCC), few patients respond objectively to immunotherapy and the disease is fatal once metastases develop. We asked to what extent combinatorial immunotherapy with Adenovirus-encoded murine TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Ad5mTRAIL) plus CpG oligonucleotide, given at the primary tumor site, would prove efficacious against metastatic murine RCC. To quantitate primary renal and metastatic tumor growth in mice, we developed a luciferase-expressing Renca cell line, and monitored tumor burdens via bioluminescent imaging. Orthotopic tumor challenge gave rise to aggressive primary tumors and lung metastases that were detectable by day 7. Intra-renal administration of Ad5mTRAIL+CpG on day 7 led to an influx of effector phenotype CD4 and CD8 T cells into the kidney by day 12 and regression of established primary renal tumors. Intra-renal immunotherapy also led to systemic immune responses characterized by splenomegaly, elevated serum IgG levels, increased CD4 and CD8 T cell infiltration into the lungs, and elimination of metastatic lung tumors. Tumor regression was primarily dependent upon CD8 T cells and resulted in prolonged survival of treated mice. Thus, local administration of Ad5mTRAIL+CpG at the primary tumor site can initiate CD8-dependent systemic immunity that is sufficient to cause regression of metastatic lung tumors. A similar approach may prove beneficial for patients with metastatic RCC

Normal parameter reduction algorithm in soft set based on hybrid binary particle swarm and biogeography optimizer

© 2019, Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature. Existing classification techniques that are proposed previously for eliminating data inconsistency could not achieve an efficient parameter reduction in soft set theory, which effects on the obtained decisions. Meanwhile, the computational cost made during combination generation process of soft sets could cause machine infinite state, which is known as nondeterministic polynomial time. The contributions of this study are mainly focused on minimizing choices costs through adjusting the original classifications by decision partition order and enhancing the probability of searching domain space using a developed Markov chain model. Furthermore, this study introduces an efficient soft set reduction-based binary particle swarm optimized by biogeography-based optimizer (SSR-BPSO-BBO) algorithm that generates an accurate decision for optimal and sub-optimal choices. The results show that the decision partition order technique is performing better in parameter reduction up to 50%, while other algorithms could not obtain high reduction rates in some scenarios. In terms of accuracy, the proposed SSR-BPSO-BBO algorithm outperforms the other optimization algorithms in achieving high accuracy percentage of a given soft dataset. On the other hand, the proposed Markov chain model could significantly represent the robustness of our parameter reduction technique in obtaining the optimal decision and minimizing the search domain.Published versio

Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in a post-COVID-19 patient: did SARS-CoV-2 accelerate the neurodegeneration?

Abstract Background Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, fatal neurodegenerative disorder, with few months as a usual duration from onset to death. Case presentation In this case report, a patient of Sporadic CJD (sCJD) who presented one month after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The diagnosis of this case was established after confirming findings from clinical, neurophysiology, radiological, and laboratory features of this disease. Conclusion Putting in mind all the updated data on the pathogenesis of CJD and the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, we can suggest that COVID-19 can lead to accelerated pathogenesis and exaggerated manifestations of this fatal neurodegenerative disease

Complications in body contouring stratified according to weight loss method

BACKGROUND: Body contouring procedures following massive weight loss have become increasingly common and, unfortunately, continue to be associated with a high complication rate. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how weight loss method affects complications following abdominally based body contouring procedures. METHODS: Patients undergoing abdominally based contouring procedures were retrospectively evaluated over an 11-year period and stratified into two groups based on method of weight loss: diet and exercise; or bariatric surgery. Complications, including seroma, wound dehiscence, skin necrosis, infection, hematoma and venous thromboembolism, were included if they required intervention. An adjusted logistic model was used to examine the effect of weight loss method on aggregate complication rates. RESULTS: A total of 307 patients were included: 77 (25%) lost weight through diet and exercise; and 230 (75%) through bariatric surgery. Results from the logistic model showed no difference in complication rates between weight loss methods (OR 1.01 [95% CI 0.51 to 2.02]). However, there was a strong correlation between body mass index at the time of surgery and complication rates (OR 1.05 [95% CI 1.02 to 1.08]; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings reveal no difference in complication rates following abdominal body contouring procedures attributable to method of weight loss. Rather, there was a proportional rise in complication rates in patients with a higher body mass index at the time of surgery. Surgeons and patients should be aware of this trend, and it should be part of any discussion of abdominal body contouring procedures and informing patients of their risk profile