Predictors of high-quality cord blood units

BACKGROUNDAnalysis of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplants shows a correlation between engraftment and total number of infused cells. Thus, it is worth evaluating what maternal and neonatal characteristics and collection techniques may affect the quality of UCB units. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA cross-sectional study was performed with 7897 donors sequentially selected in three health care institutions in Brazil from October 2004 to March 2012, in which both quantitative and qualitative approaches were applied. All donors were considered suitable for cord blood collection. RESULTSThe maternal and neonatal characteristics and techniques of collection that influenced the total number of nucleated cells (TNCsp<0.001) were type of delivery, newborn weight and sex, and institution of UCB collection. The TNC count was associated with gestational age (p=0.008), type of delivery (p<0.001), newborn sex (p<0.001), newborn weight (p<0.001), and UCB collection technique (p=0.003). Center B presented the largest number of nucleated cells in its results (p<0.001), followed by Center A (p=0.001). Other characteristics, such as maternal age, were analyzed but were not relevant for the nucleated cell number. CONCLUSIONThis study provides elements for a model that allows an efficient selection of UCB donors, prioritizing candidates who have a better chance to lead to an optimized use of cord blood cells units.Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Enfermagem, Sao Paulo, BrazilInst Nacl Cardiol, Rio De Janeiro, BrazilInst Israelita Ensino & Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, BrazilHosp Israelita Albert Einstein, Dept Hemoterapia, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Enfermagem, Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

A streamlined approach by a combination of bioindication and geostatistical methods for assessing air contaminants and their effects on human health in industrialized areas: A case study in Southern Brazil

© 2017 Ferreira, Ribeiro, Ferreira, Kniess, Quaresma, Lafortezza, Santos, Saiki and Saldiva. Industrialization in developing countries associated with urban growth results in a number of economic benefits, especially in small or medium-sized cities, but leads to a number of environmental and public health consequences. This problem is further aggravated when adequate infrastructure is lacking to monitor the environmental impacts left by industries and refineries. In this study, a new protocol was designed combining biomonitoring and geostatistics to evaluate the possible effects of shale industry emissions on human health and wellbeing. Futhermore, the traditional and expensive air quality method based on PM2.5 measuring was also used to validate the low-cost geostatistical approach. Chemical analysis was performed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF) to measure inorganic elements in tree bark and shale retorted samples in São Mateus do Sul city, Southern Brazil. Fe, S, and Si were considered potential pollutants in the study area. Distribution maps of element concentrations were generated from the dataset and used to estimate the spatial behavior of Fe, S, and Si and the range from their hot spot(s), highlighting the regions sorrounding the shale refinery. This evidence was also demonstrated in the measurements of PM2.5 concentrations, which are in agreement with the information obtained from the biomonitoring and geostatistical model. Factor and descriptive analyses performed on the concentrations of tree bark contaminants suggest that Fe, S, and Si might be used as indicators of industrial emissions. The number of cases of respiratory diseases obtained from local basic health unit were used to assess a possible correlation between shale refinery emissions and cases of repiratory disease. These data are public and may be accessed on the website of the the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Significant associations were found between the health data and refinery activities. The combination of the spatial characterization of air pollution and clinical health data revealed that adverse effects were significant for individuals over 38 years of age. These results also suggest that a protocol designed to monitor urban air quality may be an effective and low-cost strategy in environmentally contaminated cities, especially in low- and middle-income countries.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

A Streamlined Approach by a Combination of Bioindication and Geostatistical Methods for Assessing Air Contaminants and Their Effects on Human Health in Industrialized Areas: A Case Study in Southern Brazil

Industrialization in developing countries associated with urban growth results in a number of economic benefits, especially in small or medium-sized cities, but leads to a number of environmental and public health consequences. This problem is further aggravated when adequate infrastructure is lacking to monitor the environmental impacts left by industries and refineries. In this study, a new protocol was designed combining biomonitoring and geostatistics to evaluate the possible effects of shale industry emissions on human health and wellbeing. Futhermore, the traditional and expensive air quality method based on PM2.5 measuring was also used to validate the low-cost geostatistical approach. Chemical analysis was performed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF) to measure inorganic elements in tree bark and shale retorted samples in São Mateus do Sul city, Southern Brazil. Fe, S, and Si were considered potential pollutants in the study area. Distribution maps of element concentrations were generated from the dataset and used to estimate the spatial behavior of Fe, S, and Si and the range from their hot spot(s), highlighting the regions sorrounding the shale refinery. This evidence was also demonstrated in the measurements of PM2.5 concentrations, which are in agreement with the information obtained from the biomonitoring and geostatistical model. Factor and descriptive analyses performed on the concentrations of tree bark contaminants suggest that Fe, S, and Si might be used as indicators of industrial emissions. The number of cases of respiratory diseases obtained from local basic health unit were used to assess a possible correlation between shale refinery emissions and cases of repiratory disease. These data are public and may be accessed on the website of the the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Significant associations were found between the health data and refinery activities. The combination of the spatial characterization of air pollution and clinical health data revealed that adverse effects were significant for individuals over 38 years of age. These results also suggest that a protocol designed to monitor urban air quality may be an effective and low-cost strategy in environmentally contaminated cities, especially in low- and middle-income countries

Dissemination and teaching of astronomy and physics through informal approaches.

A Astronomia ? uma das mais antigas ci?ncias naturais, tendo sido desenvolvida por diferentes civiliza??es e com distintos prop?sitos nos ?ltimos mil?nios. No Brasil, v?rios t?picos astron?micos permeiam a educa??o b?sica, tanto em n?vel fundamental quanto m?dio. Somado a isso, nas ?ltimas d?cadas vem crescendo o n?mero de pesquisas e o interesse pela divulga??o cient?fica e pelo ensino em espa?os n?o-formais de educa??o. As atividades educacionais e a divulga??o cient?fica nesse contexto, se bem exploradas, podem contribuir para a socializa??o e a populariza??o de conhecimentos sobre Astronomia. Al?m disso, podem servir de suporte ? forma??o de professores e alunos. Dessa forma, o debate sobre o tema ? importante e deve ser instigado tanto no ?mbito n?o acad?mico quanto no ?mbito da forma??o docente e discente. Frente a isso, um projeto de extens?o da Coordenadoria de F?sica (CODAFIS) do Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais - Campus Ouro Preto (IFMG-OP) foi iniciado em 2011, oferecendo observa??es e atividades sobre Astronomia para a popula??o local e das cidades vizinhas. Desde ent?o, mais de 7.000 pessoas j? participaram das a??es, demonstrando o imenso potencial do tema. As discuss?es sobre Astronomia levam normalmente a discuss?es sobre F?sica, quando conceitos e v?rios outros assuntos podem ser tratados de forma aplicada, fomentando o interesse por esses temas. No entanto, atividades mal elaboradas ou mal desenvolvidas podem gerar rea??es adversas no p?blico, causando resist?ncia com rela??o ao assunto. Assim, esse artigo tem como objetivo principal identificar elementos que podem culminar com a n?o efetividade das atividades de observa??o. Al?m disso, busca-se identificar par?metros que sejam determinantes para o ?xito das a??es, al?m de compartilhar conhecimentos emp?ricos obtidos com o desenvolvimento do projeto e encorajar grupos, acad?micos ou n?o, a desenvolverem atividades astron?micas similares em ambientes formais e n?o-formais de ensino e tamb?m em diferentes regi?es do pa?s.Astronomy is one of the oldest natural sciences and have been developed by different civilizations and with different purposes in the last millennia. In Brazil, several astronomical topics are teached in basic education, both at the fundamental and medium levels. In addition, the number of researches and activities about scientific dissemination and teaching in non-formal places is increasing. Educational activities and scientific dissemination in this context, if well done, can contribute to the socialization and popularization of astronomy knowledge. Besides that, they can help to improve the knowledge of teachers and students. In this way, the debate on the subject is important and should be instigated both in the non-academic context and in the scope of teacher and student training. In this way, a practical project of the Physics Department (CODAFIS) of the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais - Campus Ouro Preto (IFMG-OP) was started in 2011, offering observations and activities on Astronomy for the local population and neighboring cities. Since then, more than 7,000 people have attended the actions, which shows the large potential of the theme. Astronomy discussions naturally lead to Physics, when concepts and many other subjects can be treated in an applied way. In general, people are more interested in activities in this context than in traditional teaching environments. However, poorly designed or poorly developed activities can generate adverse reactions in the public, leading to dislike on the subject. Thus, this article?s main objective is to identify elements that can culminate with the non-effectiveness of the observation activities. In addition, it seeks to identify parameters that are determinant for the success of the actions, in addition to sharing empirical knowledge obtained with the development of the project and to encourage groups, academic or otherwise, to develop similar astronomical activities in formal and non-formal educational environments and also in different regions of the country

Antitumor activity of photodynamic therapy performed with nanospheres containing zinc-phthalocyanine

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud The increasing incidence of cancer and the search for more effective therapies with minimal collateral effects have prompted studies to find alternative new treatments. Among these, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proposed as a very promising new modality in cancer treatment with the lowest rates of side effects, revealing itself to be particularly successful when the photosensitizer is associated with nanoscaled carriers. This study aimed to design and develop a new formulation based on albumin nanospheres containing zinc-phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (ZnPcS4-AN) for use in the PDT protocol and to investigate its antitumor activity in Swiss albino mice using the Ehrlich solid tumor as an experimental model for breast cancer.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Ehrlich tumor’s volume, histopathology and morphometry were used to assess the efficacy of intratumoral injection of ZnPcS4-AN in containing tumor aggressiveness and promoting its regression, while the toxicity of possible treatments was assessed by animal weight, morphological analysis of the liver and kidneys, hemogram, and serum levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urea. In order to evaluate the efficacy of PDT, groups of animals treated with intratumoral injection of doxorubicin (Dox) were also investigated.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Intratumoral injection of ZnPcS4-AN was found to be efficient in mediating PDT to refrain tumor aggressiveness and to induce its regression. Although tumor volume reduction was not significant, PDT induced a remarkable increase in the necrosis area seen in the tumor’s central region, as in other experimental groups, including tumor and Dox treated groups, but also in the tumor’s peripheral region. Further, PDT showed minimal adverse effects. Indeed, the use of ZnPcS4-AN in mediating PDT revealed anti-neoplastic activity similar to that obtained while using intratumoral Dox therapy.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud PDT mediated by the new formulation ZnPcS4-AN enhanced the inhibition of tumor growth while producing practically no adverse effects and thus emerges as a very promising nanotechnology-based strategy for solid cancer treatment.We are grateful to the Sabin Institute/Sabin Laboratories for technical\ud support and to the Brazilian National Council for Technological and Scientific\ud Development (CNPq), the Foundation to Support Research in the Federal\ud District (FAPDF), the Coordination for Further Training of Graduate Staff\ud (CAPES), the Nanobiotechnology-Network CON-NANO (CAPES), INCTNanobiotecnologia\ud (MCTI, CNPq, CAPES), CNANO-UnB, the São Paulo\ud Research Foundation (FAPESP) #08/53719-4 ACT, and the DPP-University of\ud Brasília, for financial support

Mitochondrial physiology

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to evolution, health and disease expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminology concerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. The chemiosmotic theory establishes the mechanism of energy transformation and coupling in oxidative phosphorylation. The unifying concept of the protonmotive force provides the framework for developing a consistent theoretical foundation of mitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics. We follow the latest SI guidelines and those of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) on terminology in physical chemistry, extended by considerations of open systems and thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The concept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and aligns concepts and symbols with the nomenclature of classical bioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view of mitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes. Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimately contribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thus support the development of data repositories of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells. Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery

Structure and Productivity of Mavuno Grass Subject to Different N:K Ratios

Fertilization of pastures has increased the level of animal performance due to the greater supply and higher quality of forage. One of the best known functions of potassium is regulating the opening and closing of stomata, which are responsible for gas exchange and photorespiration of the plant. Nitrogen (N) participates in the composition of proteins, amino acids and enzymes responsible for metabolic reactions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structural and productive characteristics of Mavuno grass (Urochloa brizantha) subjected to fertilization with different N:K ratios. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at the experimental farm of Igarapé-açu, belonging to Federal Rural University of Amazônia. The experimental design was completely randomized, with six treatments, corresponding to nitrogen (urea) and potassium (potassium chloride) ratios, respectively, of 0:0; 75:0; 0:75; 75:75; 150:75; 300:150 kg of nutrient ha, with five replications, totaling 30 experimental units (pots). The soil used was collected in the top layer (0-20 cm). Its acidity was corrected and it was air dried and sieved through 2 mm mesh. Each pot received 10 kg of soil. The experiment had two evaluation cycles of 28 days each. To evaluate the final leaf size (FLS), the size of all mature leaves of three marked tillers was measured with a ruler, while the number of live leaves (NLL) was obtained by counting leaves of the same tillers. At the end of each cycle, the average height of the plants was measured and the tiller count in each pot was recorded to obtain the tiller population density (TPD). In addition, the forage mass was collected above a residue (stubble) of 20 cm. This material was weighed and subsequently separated into leaf blades (LB), stems (S) and dead material (DM) to calculate the percentage of each component. The material was dried in a forced-air oven at 65 °C until reaching constant weight. From this, the dry mass production of the aerial part (DMPAP) was obtained. The NLL had an effect (P0.05). The population density of tillers increased according to the increasing doses of N:K. This result can mainly be attributed to the presence of nitrogen, since it stimulates the development of the aerial part of grass, which produce more tillers under favorable growth conditions. The N:K ratios in the maintenance fertilization of Mavuno grass changed the structural and productive characteristics, since the application of only one of these nutrients did not change the plants’ growth

Early metabolic and vascular effects following lipid lowering treatment after acute coronary syndromes in patients with metabolic syndrome

Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc