Epstein Barr virus detection in cervical samples of women living with human immunodeficiency virus

O vírus Epstein-Barr (EBV) é transmitido comumente pela saliva, mas pode ser encontrado também em secreções genitais, sugerindo transmissão sexual e levando pesquisadores a associar este vírus à neoplasia cervical. Pessoas infectadas pelo virus da imunodeficiência humana (HIV) são de alto risco para aquisição de infecções genitais e lesões de cérvice uterina. Com o objetivo de verificar a presença do DNA do EBV no trato genital e/ou se poderia ter efeito em alterações cervicais, analisamos esfregaços cervicais de 85 mulheres HIV soropositivas. O vírus foi detectado em apenas duas (2,3%) amostras. O presente estudo não fornece evidência da transmissão sexual do EBV, nem descarta esta possibilidade.Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is transmitted commonly by saliva, but it has been found in genital secretions, which suggests sexual transmission and led researchers to connect EBV and cervical neoplasia. People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are reported to be at high risk of acquiring genital infections and cervical lesions. To verify the presence of EBV in the genital tract and/or it could affect cervical changes, we analyzed cervical smears from 85 HIV seropositive women for EBV DNA determination. EBV was only detected in two (2.3%) samples. The present study provides neither evidence for EBV as sexually transmitted infection nor discards this possibility

White dwarf and subdwarf stars in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14

White dwarfs carry information on the structure and evolution of the Galaxy, especially through their luminosity function and initial-to-final mass relation. Very cool white dwarfs provide insight into the early ages of each population. Examining the spectra of all stars with $3\sigma$ proper motion in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14, we report the classification for 20 088 spectroscopically confirmed white dwarfs, plus 415 hot subdwarfs, and 311 cataclysmic variables. We obtain Teff, log g and mass for hydrogen atmosphere white dwarf stars (DAs), warm helium atmosphere white dwarfs (DBs), hot subdwarfs (sdBs and sdOs), and estimate photometric Teff for white dwarf stars with continuum spectra (DCs). We find 15793 sdAs and 447 dCs between the white dwarf cooling sequence and the main sequence, especially below Teff= 10000 K; most are likely low-mass metal-poor main sequence stars, but some could be the result of interacting binary evolution.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figure

Apolipoprotein CIII overexpression exacerbates diet-induced obesity due to adipose tissue higher exogenous lipid uptake and retention and lower lipolysis rates

Hypertriglyceridemia is a common type of dyslipidemia found in obesity. However, it is not established whether primary hyperlipidemia can predispose to obesity. Evidences have suggested that proteins primarily related to plasma lipoprotein transport, such as apolipoprotein (apo) CIII and E, may significantly affect the process of body fat accumulation. We have previously observed an increased adiposity in response to a high fat diet (HFD) in mice overexpressing apoCIII. Here, we examined the potential mechanisms involved in this exacerbated response of apoCIII mice to the HFD. We measured body energy balance, tissue capacity to store exogenous lipids, lipogenesis and lipolysis rates in non-transgenic and apoCIII overexpressing mice fed a HFD during two months. Food intake, fat excretion and whole body CO2 production were similar in both groups. However, the adipose tissue mass (45 %) and leptin plasma levels (2-fold) were significantly greater in apoCIII mice. Lipogenesis rates were similar, while exogenous lipid retention was increased in perigonadal (2-fold) and brown adipose tissues (40 %) of apoCIII mice. In addition, adipocyte basal lipolysis (55 %) and in vivo lipolysis index (30 %) were significantly decreased in apoCIII mice. A fat tolerance test evidenced delayed plasma triglyceride clearance and greater transient availability of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) during the post-prandial state in the apoCIII mice plasma. Thus, apoCIII overexpression resulted in increased NEFA availability to adipose uptake and decreased adipocyte lipolysis, favoring lipid enlargement of adipose depots. We propose that plasma apoCIII levels represent a new risk factor for diet-induced obesity12CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informaçãosem informação2011/50400-0; 2011/51349-

Oxidative Stress in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives

The incidence and prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) increase with life expectancy. This paper reviews the role of oxidative stress (OS) in ND and pharmacological attempts to fight against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced neurodegeneration. Several mechanisms involved in ROS generation in neurodegeneration have been proposed. Recent articles about molecular pathways involved in ROS generation were reviewed. The progress in the development of neuroprotective therapies has been hampered because it is difficult to define targets for treatment and determine what should be considered as neuroprotective. Therefore, the attention was focused on researches about pharmacological targets that could protect neurons against OS. Since it is necessary to look for genes as the ultimate controllers of all biological processes, this paper also tried to identify gerontogenes involved in OS and neurodegeneration. Since neurons depend on glial cells to survive, recent articles about the functioning of these cells in aging and ND were also reviewed. Finally, clinical trials testing potential neuroprotective agents were critically reviewed. Although several potential drugs have been screened in in vitro and in vivo models of ND, these results were not translated in benefit of patients, and disappointing results were obtained in the majority of clinical trials

Sistema de Suporte às Atividades de Administração de Redes de Computadores Unix - Unix Operation Center (UOC)

O desenvolvimento acelerado das redes de computadores, aliado a importância que as mesmas têm assumido dentro das organizações, tem exigido uma administração mais ampla e complexa. Tal administração, além de cobrar profissionais com mais capacitação e experiência, tem requerido novas ferramentas capazes de suportar as atividades administrativas com eficiência, eficácia e baixo custo. Diante deste contexto, este trabalho visa o estudo e o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta capaz de auxiliar a monitoração e a gerência de serviços e servidores em um ambiente Unix

Modeling of FiO2 delivered by self-inflating ventilation device: Modelagem de FiO2 entregue por bolsa auto inflável

During the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals in the medical field have been using bag resuscitators, also called bag valve masks, to provide respiratory support for patients for long periods. A relevant issue arising because of such use is the little information regarding the FiO2 delivered by these devices, leading to toxic effects of O2 and its waste. This paper presents a model that relates volume, respiratory frequency, and flow in an O2 line with the FiO2 delivered by bag resuscitators. The model was obtained based on a formal procedure and data from a 1500 ml Hsiner bag resuscitator collected in the literature, both presented in this paper. Then, we compared through Bland-Altman analysis the FiO2 values estimated by our model with the ones from data considering different bag resuscitators to evaluate the amplitude of the errors it can generate. The average error for Hsiner and Laerdal bag resuscitators was less than 0.035 (or 3.5%) and less than 0.063 (or 6.3%) for Ambu devices. The maximum error found for Ambu bag resuscitators was high. The obtained model presented satisfactory errors, compatible with the uncertainty levels associated with FiO2 measuring instruments and blenders, meaning the model can be used to estimate the delivered FiO2 accurately. Additionally, the procedure presented in this paper can be used to obtain specific models for bag resuscitators of other companies, equipping professionals with tools that can accurately estimate FiO2

Epidemiology of COVID-19 in the State of Sergipe/Brazil and Its Relationship with Social Indicators

A pandemic is capable of generating a great impact, not only from the point of view of health, but also socioeconomically. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a new pandemic situation had arisen, due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, whose probable origin was zoonotic. The largest number of cases of this disease is concentrated in the United States of America (USA), India, and Brazil. The mortality rate is estimated at 3.4%, but regional differences may exist, and places with a high demographic density have become true epicentres and may be related to higher rates of transmission. In addition to the above, lower human development indexes (HDI) can be related to worse outcomes, especially in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil since they are the least developed places. The Northeast region is the second-most-affected place in the number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil. An analytical observational study of an ecological type was carried out from April to October 2020 to assess the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in the state of Sergipe and specifically to analyse the incidence of cases and deaths resulting from COVID-19 in the different health regions of the state of Sergipe, in relation to the values of the HDI and demographic density. During the study period, 84,325 cases of COVID-19 were identified, in which 2205 resulted in death. In most of the regions studied, there was a positive association between the number of cases and deaths and the greater the demographic density, but there was no increase in the risk of becoming ill, nor of dying the lower the HDI. Large and crowded cities are places of greatest vulnerability to illness, due to their greater capacity of transmitting the virus; however, further studies are needed to identify other factors that are decisive in the outcomes of this new disease.This research received no external funding.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio