Comparison of selectivity of a family of chelating agents for trivalent (Al³⁺, Fe³⁺) and bivalent (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺) metal ions

Chelation therapy is used for the treatment of metal intoxication in humans. Selectivity towards the target metal ion is one important characteristic of the chelating agent. In the frame of our research of chelating agents for iron and aluminium, we synthesized five new ligands (Figure 1), and studied their behavior toward the trivalent metal ions. L4, L5, L6 and L8 were found to be excellent ligands for the coordination of Fe3+ and Al3+. We are presenting here a study on the same ligands with the two essential bivalent metal ions, Zn2+ and Cu2+. The results of spectrophotometric, potentiometric, and NMR measurements performed to determine the equilibrium formation constants will be presented. The speciation of the complexes with the trivalent metal ions in presence of endogenous zinc and copper will be discussed

Predictive score for clinical complications during intra-hospital transports of infants treated in a neonatal unit

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a predictive score for clinical complications during intra-hospital transport of infants treated in neonatal units. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study nested in a prospective cohort of infants transported within a public university hospital from January 2001 to December 2008. Transports during even (n=301) and odd (n = 394) years were compared to develop and validate a predictive score. The points attributed to each score variable were derived from multiple logistic regression analysis. The predictive performance and the score calibration were analyzed by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test, respectively. RESULTS: Infants with a mean gestational age of 35 + 4 weeks and a birth weight of 2457 + 841 g were studied. In the derivation cohort, clinical complications occurred in 74 (24.6%) transports. Logistic regression analysis identified five variables associated with these complications and assigned corresponding point values: gestation at birth [34 weeks (2 pts)]; pre-transport temperature [37°C(3pts); 36.3-37.0°C (2 pts)]; underlying pathological condition [CNS malformation (4 pts); other (2 pts)]; transport destination [surgery (5 pts); magnetic resonance or computed tomography imaging (3 pts); other (2 pts)]; and pre-transport respiratory support [mechanical ventilation (8 pts); supplemental oxygen (7 pts); no oxygen (2 pts)]. For the derivation and validation cohorts, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.770 and 0.712, respectively. Expected and observed frequencies of complications were similar between the two cohorts. CONCLUSION: The predictive score developed and validated in this study presented adequate discriminative power and calibration. This score can help identify infants at risk of clinical complications during intra-hospital transports.Federal University of São Paulo Neonatal Division of Medicine Department of PediatricsUNIFESP, Neonatal Division of Medicine Department of PediatricsSciEL

The impact of the Social Inclusion Program of the University of São Paulo on the access of public school students to free public higher education

Analisa o impacto do Programa de Inclusão Social da Universidade de São Paulo (Inclusp) no acesso de estudantes de escola pública ao ensino superior público gratuito. Os dados foram coletados priorizando-se informações sobre renda, cor e outros aspectos de interesse relacionados aos candidatos oriundos de escola pública, em diferentes etapas do vestibular. Como resultado, foi observada a contribuição significativa do sistema de pontuação acrescida para o ingresso de estudantes de escola pública nos cursos de graduação da USP. Todavia, a contínua e intensa diminuição do percentual desses estudantes no vestibular tem contribuído para a diminuição do impacto das políticas de inclusão social implementadas, indicando a necessidade de maior aproximação entre a Universidade e as escolas públicas, bem como a ampliação das ações de inclusão social em desenvolvimento, visando reverter essa tendência

Description of a rare case of nodular fasciitis of the apical aspect of the upper buccal sulcus

This report describes a rare case of nodular fasciitis (NF) of the oral cavity, discussing the clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics. Histopathologic diagnosis of this type of lesion can be challenging due to its differential diagnosis, which principally includes sarcoma. The patient presented with a painless, well-defined nodule, reported as increasing in size, located at the apical aspect of the upper left buccal sulcus. Histologically, the lesion revealed spindle cell proliferation arranged in fascicles, while immunohistochemistry demonstrated positivity for smooth muscle actin. Eight months after complete surgical excision, no signs of local recurrence have been observed.Department of Oral Pathology, Sao Leopoldo Mandic Institute and Research Center, Rua José Rocha Junqueira13, Ponte Preta, 13045-755 Campinas, SP, BrazilDepartment of Pathology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Botucatu 740, Vila Clementino, 04023-900 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilDepartment of Pathology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Botucatu 740, Vila Clementino, 04023-900 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Imbalance of naive and memory T lymphocytes with sustained high cellular activation during the first year of life from uninfected children born to HIV-1-infected mothers on HAART

The immune consequences of in utero HIV exposure to uninfected children whose mothers were submitted to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) during gestation are not well defined. We evaluated 45 HIV-exposed uninfected (ENI) neonates and 45 healthy unexposed control (CT) neonates. All HIV-infected mothers received HAART during pregnancy, and the viral load at delivery was <50 copies/mL for 56.8%. Twenty-three ENI neonates were further evaluated after 12 months and compared to 23 unexposed healthy age-matched infants. Immunophenotyping was performed by flow cytometry in cord and peripheral blood. Cord blood lymphocyte numbers did not differ between groups. However, ENI neonates had a lower percentage of naive T cells than CT neonates (CD4+, 76.6 vs 83.1%, P < 0.001; CD8+, 70.9 vs 79.6%, P = 0.003) and higher percentages of central memory T cells than CT neonates (CD4+, 13.9 vs 8.7%, P < 0.001; CD8+, 8.6 vs 4.8%, P = 0.001). CD38 mean fluorescence intensity of T cells was higher in ENI neonates (CD4+, 62.2 vs 52.1, P = 0.007; CD8+, 47.7 vs 35.3, P < 0.001). At 12 months, ENI infants still had higher mean fluorescence intensity of CD38 on T cells (CD4+, 34.2 vs 23.3, P < 0.001; CD8+, 26.8 vs 19.4, P = 0.035). Despite effective maternal virologic control at delivery, HIV-exposed uninfected children were born with lower levels of naive T cells. Immune activation was present at birth and remained until at least 12 months of age, suggesting that in utero exposure to HIV causes subtle immune abnormalities.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Disciplina de Infectologia PediátricaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Pediatria Disciplina de Pediatria NeonatalUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de MedicinaUniversidade de São Paulo Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo Laboratório de VirologiaUNIFESP, Disciplina de Infectologia PediátricaUNIFESP, Depto. de Pediatria Disciplina de Pediatria NeonatalUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de MedicinaFAPESP: 01/11011-6SciEL

Outpatient pharmaceutical office: access to medicines in public health

We evaluated the implementation of the outpatient pharmaceutical office in a teaching hospital regarding the access to medicines available in the Unified Health System - SUS. This is a descriptive-analytical study, based on secondary data analysis of 735 appointments performed by the pharmacist from 2015 to 2017. Of the drugs prescribed to patients attended at the outpatient pharmacist office, 86.39% were listed in the National List of Essential Medicines - RENAME, of which 95.43% belonged to the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Assistance. Evaluating the patient’s diagnosis against the inclusion criteria of the Clinical Protocols and Therapeutic Guidelines (PCDT), that the most frequent pharmaceutical interventions were: adequacy of the medication request documents (56.4%) and examination requests for pharmacotherapeutic follow up (28.5%). When the prescribed drugs were not included in RENAME/PCDT, the intervention was accepted in 90.3% of the proposals for exchange with available drug in SUS. Still, it was possible to refer the patient to primary care for renewal of continuity of treatment in 95.1% of cases. In conclusion, the role of the clinical pharmacist contributes to the resolution of untreated health problems by promoting access to medicines within the scope of SUS and their rational use in accordance with the PCDT

CORRELACIONANDO TIPOS DE CULTURA ORGANIZACIONAL COM ESTRATÉGIAS DE REMUNERAÇÃO UTILIZANDO A TIPOLOGIA DE CHARLES HANDY

This study identified the correlations between compensation strategies and the organizational culture typology proposed by Handy (2003), based on the degree of formalization and centralization that identifies the culture: Zeus (power), Apollo (roles), Athena (task) and Dionysus (person). A survey was performed of compensation managers at 76 companies associated with the Salary Information Exchange Group (GRUPISA), and the questionnaires with a construct composed of twelve organizational compensation components were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression We concluded that the compensation variables were correlated in a different fashion with each of the culture types: (i) “Zeus” organizations should emphasize behavioral factors in all spheres of the compensation system; (ii) in the case of “Apollo” organizations the emphasis should be on growth and development opportunities; (iii) in “Athena” organizations the focus should be on financial rewards, and, “Dionysus” organizations should place emphasis on the quality of compensation.Esta investigación identificó las correlaciones entre las estrategias de remuneración y la topología de cultura organizacional propuesta por Handy (2003) basada en las dimensiones del grado de formalización y centralización que identifica la cultura: Zeus (poder), Apolo (papeles), Atena (tarea) y Dionisio (persona). La investigación fue aplicada en gestores de remuneración de 76 empresas asociadas al Grupo de Permuta de Informaciones Salariales (Grupisa), y los cuestionarios con un constructo compuesto por doce componentes de la remuneración organizacional fueron analizadas utilizando Correlación de Pearson y Regresión Múltipla. Concluimos que las variables de remuneración se correlacionan de manera distinta con cada uno de los tipos de cultura: (1) organizaciones “Zeus” deben enfatizar los factores de comportamiento en todas las esferas del sistema de remuneración; (ii) para las organizaciones “Apolo” el énfasis debe ser aplicada en las oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo, (iii) en las organizaciones “Atena” el foco debe ser en las recompensas financieras y (iv) organizaciones “Dionisio” deben dar énfasis a la calidad de la remuneración.Este estudo identificou as correlações entre as estratégias de remuneração e a tipologia de cultura organizacional proposta por Handy (2003) baseada nas dimensões do grau de formalização e centralização que identifica a cultura: Zeus (poder), Apolo (papéis), Atena (tarefa), e Dionísio (pessoa). A pesquisa foi aplicada a gestores de remuneração de 76 empresas associadas ao Grupo de Permuta de Informações Salariais (Grupisa), e os questionários com um construto composto por doze componentes da remuneração organizacional foram analisados utilizando Correlação de Pearson e Regressão Múltipla. Concluímos que as variáveis de remuneração se correlacionam de forma diferente com cada um dos tipos de cultura: (i) organizações “Zeus” devem enfatizar os fatores comportamentais em todas as esferas do sistema de remuneração; (ii) para as organizações “Apolo” a ênfase deve ser aplicada nas oportunidades de crescimento e desenvolvimento, (iii) nas organizações “Atena” o foco deve ser nas recompensas financeiras, e, (iv) organizações “Dionísio” devem dar ênfase à qualidade da remuneração

DABCO-customized nanoemulsions: characterization, cell viability and genotoxicity in retinal pigmented epithelium and microglia cells

Quaternary derivatives of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) and of quinuclidine surfactants were used to develop oil-in-water nanoemulsions with the purpose of selecting the best long-term stable nanoemulsion for the ocular administration of triamcinolone acetonide (TA). The combination of the best physicochemical properties (i.e., mean droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, osmolality, viscoelastic properties, surface tension) was considered, together with the cell viability assays in ARPE-19 and HMC3 cell lines. Surfactants with cationic properties have been used to tailor the nanoemulsions surface for site-specific delivery of drugs to the ocular structure for the delivery of TA. They are tailored for the eye because they have cationic properties that interact with the anionic surface of the eye.Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCTES), European Social Fund (FSE) of the EU, for the scholarship SFRH/BD/130555/2017 granted to A. R. Fernandes, and for the projects UIDB/04469/2020 (CEB strategic fund) and UIDB/04033/2020 (CITAB), co-funded by European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE) and FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factors Associated With Red Blood Cell Transfusions In Very-low-birth-weight Preterm Infants In Brazilian Neonatal Units

Background: Preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units frequently receive red blood cells (RBC) transfusions due to the anemia of prematurity. A number of variables related to gestational age, severity of illness and transfusion practices adopted in the neonatal unit where the neonate was born may contribute to the prescription of RBC transfusions. This study aimed to analyse the frequency and factors associated with RBC transfusions in very-low-birth-weight preterm infants. Methods: A prospective cohort of 4283 preterm infants (gestational age: 29.9 +/- 2.9 weeks; birth weight: 1084 +/- 275 g) carried out at 16 university hospitals in Brazil between January 2009 and December 2011 was analysed. Factors associated with RBC transfusions were evaluated using univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 2208 (51.6 %) infants received RBC transfusions (variation per neonatal unit: 34.1 % to 66.4 %). RBC transfusions were significantly associated with gestational age (OR: -1.098; 95% CI: -1.12 to -1.04), SNAPPE II score (1.01; 1.00-1.02), apnea (1.69; 1.34-2.14), pulmonary hemorrhage (2.65; 1.74-4.031), need for oxygen at 28 days of life (1.56; 1.17-2.08), clinical sepsis (3.22; 2.55-4.05), necrotising enterocolitis (3.80; 2.26-6.41), grades III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage (1.64; 1.05-2.58), mechanical ventilation (2.27; 1.74-2.97), use of umbilical catheter (1.86; 1.35-2.57), parenteral nutrition (2.06; 1.27-3.33), > 60 days of hospitalization (5.29; 4.02-6.95) and the neonatal unit where the neonate was born. Conclusions: The frequency of RBC transfusions varied among neonatal intensive care units. Even after adjusting for adverse health conditions and therapeutic interventions, the neonatal unit continued to influence transfusion practices in very-low birth-weight infants.1

Meios de acesso à literatura para pessoas com cegueira: Braille ou Áudio-livro?

Access to literature for blind people has been going primarily through the braille system. Due to the advancement and popularization of technology, there has been an increased demand for literature in audio in our country. Thus, the study emerged from questioning of how access to literature for blind people has been occurring, and to analyze the implications of using these means of access for blind people. The data collection instrument consisted of a semi structured interview script, which was applied to five blind people. These, in turn, were recorded and transcribed, with the data grouped by thematic blocks in tables and graphs for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results indicated that older subjects do not give preference to any of the means, because according to them, both have their advantages and disadvantages. The younger subjects demonstrated preference for the audio and braille. We con­clude that both means of access studied haveits positive and negative implications, such that blind people tend to opt for both, but nevertheless, in terms of preference, braille prevails dramatically. We conclude that both means of access have studied its positive and negative implications, such that blind people tend to opt for both, but nevertheless, in terms of preference, braille prevails dramatically.O acesso à literatura por pessoas cegas vem acontecendo, prioritariamente, através do sistema braille. Devido ao avanço e a popularização da tecnologia, tem ocorrido uma procura maior pela literatura em áudio em nosso país. Dessa forma, o estudo surgiu do questionamento de como o acesso à literatura por pessoas cegas vem ocorrendo, tendo como objetivo analisar as implicações do uso desses meios de acesso por pessoas cegas. O instrumento de coleta de dados consistiu em um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado, que foi aplicado a cinco pessoas cegas. Estas, por sua vez, foram gravadas e transcritas, com os dados agrupados por blocos temáticos, em tabelas e gráficos, para análise qualitativa e quantitativa. Os resultados indicaram que os sujeitos mais velhos, não dão preferência por nenhum dos meios, pois de acordo com os mesmos, ambos têm suas vantagens e desvantagens. Já os sujeitos mais jovens, revelaram preferência pelo áudio e pelo braille. Conclui-se que, ambos os meios de acesso estudados possuem suas implicações positivas e negativas, de tal forma que as pessoas cegas tendem a optar por ambos, mas apesar disso, em termos de preferência, o braille prevalece drasticamente