Anti-inflammatory activity of Blutaparon portulacoides ethanolic extract against the inflammatory reaction induced by Bothrops jararacussu venom and isolated myotoxins BthTX-I and II

This article reports the anti-inflammatory effect of Blutaparon portulacoides (B. portulacoides), specifically the ethanolic extract of its aerial parts, on the edema formation and leukocyte influx caused by Bothrops jararacussu (B. jararacussu) snake venom and Bothropstoxin-I and II (BthTX-I and II) isolated from this venom as an alternative treatment for Bothrops snakebites. The anti-inflammatory effect of B. portulacoides ethanolic extract was compared with an animal group pretreated with dexamethasone. B. portulacoides ethanolic extract significantly inhibited paw edema induced by B. jararacussu venom and by BthTX-I and II. Also, results demonstrated that the extract caused a reduction of the leukocyte influx induced by BthTX-I. However, the extract was not capable of inhibiting the leukocyte influx induced by the venom and by BthTX-II. In conclusion, these results suggest that the ethanolic extract of this plant possess components able to inhibit or inactivate toxins present in B. jararacussu venom, including its myotoxins, responsible for the edema formation. However, the leukocyte migration caused by the venom and BthTX-II was not inhibited by the plant, probably due to the different mechanisms involved in the edema formation and leukocyte influx. This is the first report of B. portulacoides extract as anti-inflammatory against snake venoms and isolated toxins

Low-level laser therapy decreases local effects induced by myotoxins isolated from Bothrops jararacussu snake venom

The prominent myotoxic effects induced by Bothrops jararacussu crude venom are due, in part, to its polycationic myotoxins, BthTX-I and BthTX-II. Both myotoxins have a phospholipase A2 structure: BthTX-II is an active enzyme Asp-49 PLA2, while BthTX-I is a Lys-49 PLA2 devoid of enzymatic activity. In this study, the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), 685 nm laser at a dose of 4.2 J/cm2 on edema formation, leukocyte influx and myonecrosis caused by BthTX-I and BthTX-II, isolated from Bothrops jararacussu snake venom, was analyzed. BthTX-I and BthTX-II caused a significant edema formation, a prominent leukocyte infiltrate composed predominantly by neutrophils and myonecrosis in envenomed gastrocnemius muscle. LLLT significantly reduced the edema formation, neutrophil accumulation and myonecrosis induced by both myotoxins 24 hours after the injection. LLLT reduced the myonecrosis caused by BthTX-I and BthTX-II, respectively, by 60 and 43%; the edema formation, by 41 and 60.7%; and the leukocyte influx, by 57.5 and 51.6%. In conclusion, LLLT significantly reduced the effect of these snake toxins on the inflammatory response and myonecrosis. These results suggest that LLLT should be considered a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of local effects of Bothrops species venom.Fundação Vale Paraibana de Ensin

Effect of superior blepharoplasty on tear film: objective evaluation with the Keratograph 5M - a pilot study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of superior blepharoplasty on the tear film using the corneal topographer Keratograph 5M. METHODS: A prospective study was performed of 27 eyes of 14 patients with superior dermatochalasis who underwent superior blepharoplasty between May and June 2016. Conservative upper eyelid blepharoplasty was performed by an en bloc resection of anterior lamellar tissue that included skin, subcutaneous tissue, and the orbicularis oculi muscle. All the eyes were imaged using the noninvasive tear breakup time tools of the Keratograph 5M. The following parameters were recorded in each patient before and 6 weeks after surgery: first noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time (the time at which the first breakup of tears occurs) and average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time (the average time of all breakup incidents). The exclusion criteria were ophthalmological pathology, previous eyelid surgery, use of eye drops, systemic pathology, and medication that interferes with lacrimal tears. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years (range, 51-84); 86% were female. Student's t-test was used to compare the values of first and average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup times before and after surgery. The values for first noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time evaluated before and after surgery were not significantly different (9.04 and 8.71, respectively; p=0.926). The values for average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time evaluated before and after surgery were also not significantly different (13.01 seconds and 13.14 seconds, respectively; p=0.835). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study suggest that upper blepharoplasty does not affect tear breakup time according to the objective evaluation of breakup time with the Keratograph 5M.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diagnostic Challenge in a Sickle Cell Disease Patient with COVID-19

Acute chest syndrome is a life-threatening complication in sickle cell disease. Infections are frequently implied, and like other viruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may be a trigger. In addition, due to their inflammatory status, they may present a higher risk for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pneumonia and acute chest syndrome share clinical, laboratory, and radiological features and may overlap, which makes their differential diagnosis especially challenging. We describe a case of an adolescent with homozygous sickle cell disease that developed acute chest syndrome in the context of COVID-19. With it, we intend to bring awareness to the potential role of imaging in the differential diagnosis and in establishing the best approach for the patient. Chest computed tomography findings were suggestive of an alternative diagnosis to COVID-19 pneumonia and red cell transfusion, fluid management, analgesics, and antibiotics were administered with favorable outcome.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brain MRI in a patient with classical galactosemia: acute event of unilateral hemispheric cerebral edema

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Evaluación de gramíneas y leguminosas forrajeras como coberturas y su influencia en el control de malezas en el establecimiento de cítricos en el piedemonte del Meta.

In order to develop sustainable management systems for growing citrus in the tropics, the behavior of two species of legumes and four grasses were evaluated and compared with mechanical and chemical control in high terrace conditions of the Meta piedmont. The trial was established Desmodium ovalifolium cv. Maquenque, Paspalum notatum, Brachiaria dictyoneura cv. Llanero, Arachis pintoi CIAT 18744, Brachiaria brizantha cv. Toledo, Panicum maximum CIAT 36000, and the controls herbicide, brushcutter + herbicide. Experimental located on the streets of the Valencia orange orchard in Corpoica’s La Libertad research center in Villavicencio. The following variables were evaluated: the percentage of coverage and biomass production for two years, and resistance to penetration (RP) at the end of the experiment. To analyze the results, descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and comparison using the least significant difference (LSD) were applied. The highest percentages of land cover on average were A. pintoi, P. maximum, and B. dictyoneura, with 96.98%, 95.98% and 94.5% land cover, respectively. In the 753 days after the test began, we found that P. maximum had produced 20,053 kg ha-1 of dry matter, followed by B. brizantha with 13,624 kg ha-1, which exceeded all other treatments statistically. However, A. pintoi was the species that generated the least RP, followed by D. ovalifolium. The results obtained show advantages in the use of coverage in the establishment phase of citrus such as weed control, reduced resistance to penetration, and the protection of soil from erosion by runoff.  Con el propósito de desarrollar sistemas de manejo sostenible para el cultivo de cítricos en el trópico bajo, se evaluó el comportamiento de dos especies de leguminosas y cuatro gramíneas en comparación con el control mecánico y químico, en condiciones de terraza alta del Piedemonte del meta. se establecieron las especies Desmodium ovalifolium cv. Maquenque, Paspalum notatum, Brachiaria dictyoneura cv. Llanero, Arachis pintoi CIAT 18744, Brachiaria brizantha cv. Toledo y Panicum maximum CIAT 36000, y los controles herbicida, guadaña + herbicida. El área experimental se estableció en las calles de un cultivo de naranja Valencia del Centro Investigación La Libertad de Corpoica en Villavicencio. Se evaluaron las variables porcentaje de cobertura y producción de biomasa durante dos años, y resistencia a la penetración (RP) al finalizar el experimento. Para el análisis de los resultados se utilizó estadística descriptiva, análisis de varianza y comparación de medias con la diferencia mínima significativa (DMS). Los mayores porcentajes de cobertura del suelo se obtuvieron con A. pintoi, P. maximun y B. dictyoneura, con 96,98%; 95,98% y 94,5%, respectivamente. En los 753 días después de establecido el ensayo, se encontró que P. maximum, produjo 20.053 kg ha-1 de materia seca, seguido de B. brizantha con 13.624 kg ha-1, los cuales superaron estadísticamente a otros tratamientos. Por otro lado, A. pintoi fue la especie que generó la menor RP seguida de D. ovalifolium. Los resultados obtenidos señalan ventajas en el uso de coberturas en la fase de establecimiento del cultivo de cítricos en cuanto al control de malezas, disminución de la resistencia a la penetración y protección del suelo a la erosión por escorrentía.

Antiophidian properties of plant extracts against Lachesis muta venom

Snakebites comprise a serious health problem in several countries due to their global incidence, which exceeds 2.5 million per year, and the elevated number of victim fatalities. To counteract envenomations, antivenoms have been used regularly for more than a century. Apart from side effects including anaphylactic reactions, antivenoms are not able to efficiently neutralize local tissue damage, which contributes to increasing the severity and morbidity observed in patients. This fact, in turn, may be responsible for economic hardship, particularly in rural populations of developing countries. In the present work, we evaluated the antiophidian properties of 12 Brazilian plant extracts against the hemolytic, coagulant, hemorrhagic and proteolytic effects of Lachesis muta venom. Taken together, our data revealed that most of these aqueous products were capable of inhibiting those activities at different levels, except for Sapindus saponaria extract. In contrast, Stryphnodendron barbatiman extract completely neutralized all the analyzed biological activities. Thus, we may conclude that Brazilian flora may also be useful against L. muta accidents.(FAPERJ) Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de JaneiroFAPESPCNPqCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)International Foundation for Science (IFS, Sweden

Detection of curved lines with B-COSFIRE filters: A case study on crack delineation

The detection of curvilinear structures is an important step for various computer vision applications, ranging from medical image analysis for segmentation of blood vessels, to remote sensing for the identification of roads and rivers, and to biometrics and robotics, among others. %The visual system of the brain has remarkable abilities to detect curvilinear structures in noisy images. This is a nontrivial task especially for the detection of thin or incomplete curvilinear structures surrounded with noise. We propose a general purpose curvilinear structure detector that uses the brain-inspired trainable B-COSFIRE filters. It consists of four main steps, namely nonlinear filtering with B-COSFIRE, thinning with non-maximum suppression, hysteresis thresholding and morphological closing. We demonstrate its effectiveness on a data set of noisy images with cracked pavements, where we achieve state-of-the-art results (F-measure=0.865). The proposed method can be employed in any computer vision methodology that requires the delineation of curvilinear and elongated structures.Comment: Accepted at Computer Analysis of Images and Patterns (CAIP) 201