Clinical performance of an infliximab rapid quantification assay

Background: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-based algorithms can be used to guide infliximab (IFX) adjustments in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. This study aimed to explore a rapid IFX-quantification test from a clinical perspective. Methods: This manuscript describes a prospective cohort study involving 110 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients on the maintenance phase of IFX. IFX trough levels were quantified using a rapid quantification assay and a commonly-used reference kit. Results: Irrespective of the assay used to measure IFX, its through levels were statistically different between patients with and without endoscopic remission (Mayo endoscopic score = 0), as well as between patients stratified by their faecal calprotectin (FC) levels. Despite the fact that the two methods correlated well with each other [Spearman's rank correlation coefficient = 0.843, p < 0.001; intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.857, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.791-0.903], there was a discernible systematic variation; values obtained with the reference kit were on average 2.62 units higher than those obtained with the rapid assay. Notwithstanding, 3 mu g/ml was shown to be an acceptable cut-off to assess endoscopic status and inflammatory burden levels using both assays. The percentage of patients that had a positive outcome when the IFX concentration measured by the rapid assay ranked above 3 mu g/ml was 88% both for a Mayo endoscopic score <= 1 and for an FC concentration <250 mu g/g. Conclusions: Based on this study, we concluded that using the rapid IFX assessment system with a 3 mu g/ml threshold is a reliable alternative to the time-consuming enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in patients on the maintenance phase of IFX.Portuguese IBD Group (GEDII, Grupo de Estudo da Doenca Inflamatoria Intestinal)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Situação atual e perspectivas do biodiesel no Estado do Tocantins

Biofuel production has been widely debated in Brazil and in 2014 was created the National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel (NPPB). This program encouraging a greater share of renewable energies in the Brazilian energy matrix, aiming to implement sustainably , technical , and economic , production and use of biodiesel, with a focus on social inclusion and regional development by generating employment and income . On the national scene, the State of Tocantins is distinguished by having a wide availability of land and has good prospects because of logistical deployment of new modes of transportation. Family farming is considered the major driver of agribusiness with approximately 45000 farms. In this context, this paper aims to demonstrate the factors that contribute to the scenario of biodiesel production in the state of Tocantins

Situação atual e perspectivas do biodiesel no Estado do Tocantins

A produção de biocombustíveis tem sido amplamente debatida no Brasil e no ano de 2014 foi criado o Programa Nacional de Uso e Produção de Biodiesel (PNPB). Este programa busca incentivar uma maior participação de energias renováveis na matriz energética brasileira, com o objetivo de implementar de forma sustentável, técnica, e econômica, a produção e uso do Biodiesel. Além do enfoque na inclusão social e no desenvolvimento regional, via geração de emprego e renda. No panorama nacional, o Estado do Tocantins destaca-se por dispor de uma vasta disponibilidade de terras e apresentar boas perspectivas logísticas devido a implantação de novos modais de transporte. A agricultura familiar é considerada o grande propulsor do agronegócio com, aproximadamente, 45 mil propriedades rurais. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho visa demonstrar os fatores que contribuem com o cenário da produção de biodiesel no Estado do Tocantins.Palavras-chave: Produção; Sustentabilidade; Agricultura familiar; Biocombustíveis.ABSTRACTBiofuel production has been widely debated in Brazil and in 2014 was created the National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel (NPPB). This program encouraging a greater share of renewable energies in the Brazilian energy matrix, aiming to implement sustainably , technical , and economic , production and use of biodiesel, with a focus on social inclusion and regional development by generating employment and income . On the national scene, the State of Tocantins is distinguished by having a wide availability of land and has good prospects because of logistical deployment of new modes of transportation. Family farming is considered the major driver of agribusiness with approximately 45000 farms. In this context, this paper aims to demonstrate the factors that contribute to the scenario of biodiesel production in the state of Tocantins.Keywords: Production; Sustainability; familiar Agriculture; Biofuels

Accuracy of faecal calprotectin and neutrophil Gelatinase B-associated Lipocalin in evaluating subclinical inflammation in UlceRaTIVE colitis-the ACERTIVE study

Background and Aims: Mucosal healing and histological remission are different targets for patients with ulcerative colitis, but both rely on an invasive endoscopic procedure. This study aimed to assess faecal calprotectin and neutrophil gelatinase B-associated lipocalin as biomarkers for disease activity in asymptomatic ulcerative colitis patients. Methods: This was a multicentric cross-sectional study including 371 patients, who were classified according to their endoscopic and histological scores. These results were evaluated alongside the faecal levels of both biomarkers. Results: Macroscopic lesions [i.e. endoscopic Mayo score >= 1] were present in 28% of the patients, and 9% had active disease according to fht Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity. Moreover, 21% presented with histological inflammation according to the Geboes index, whereas 15% and 5% presented with focal and diffuse basal plasmacytosis, respectively. The faecal levels of calprotectin and neutrophil gelatinase B-associated lipocalin were statistically higher for patients with endoscopic lesions and histological activity. A receiver operating characteristic-based analysis revealed that both biomarkers were able to indicate mucosal healing and histological remission with an acceptable probability, and cut-off levels of 150-250 mu g/g for faecal calprotectin and 12 mu g/g for neutrophil gelatinase B-associated lipocalin were proposed. Conclusions: Faecal calprotectin and neutrophil gelatinase B-associated lipocalin levels are a valuable addition for assessment of disease activity in asymptomatic ulcerative colitis patients. Biological levels of the analysed biomarkers below the proposed thresholds can rule out the presence of macroscopic and microscopic lesions with a probability of 75-93%. However, caution should be applied whenever interpreting positive results, as these biomarkers present consistently low positive predictive values.Portuguese IBD Group [GEDII - Grupo de Estudo da Doenca Inflamatcria Intestinal]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio