Accounting for covariate information in the scale component of spatio-temporal mixing models

Spatio-temporal processes in the environmental science are usually assumed to follow a Gaussian process, possibly after some transformation. Gaussian processes might not be appropriate to handle the presence of outlying observations. Our proposal is based on the idea of modelling the process as a scale mixture between a Gaussian and log-Gaussian process. And the novelty is to allow the scale process to vary as a function of covariates. The resultant model has a nonstationary covariance structure in space. Moreover, the resultant kurtosis varies with location, allowing the time series at each location to have different distributions with different tail behaviour. Inference procedure is performed under the Bayesian framework. The analysis of an artificial dataset illustrates how this proposal is able to capture heterogeneity in space caused by dependence on some spatial covariate or by a transformation of the process of interest. Furthermore, an application to maximum temperature data observed in the Spanish Basque country illustrates the effects of altitude in the variability of the process and how our proposed model identifies this dependence through parameters which can be interpreted as regression coefficients in the variance model

Clinical management for epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) consists of a group of genetic hereditary disorders in which patients frequently present fragile skin and mucosa that form blisters following minor trauma. More than 20 subtypes of EB have been recognized in the literature. Specific genetic mutations are well characterized for most the different EB subtypes and variants. The most common oral manifestations of EB are painful blisters affecting all the oral surfaces. Dental treatment for patients with EB consists of palliative therapy for its oral manifestations along with typical restorative and periodontal procedures. The aim of this article is to describe two dental clinical treatments of recessive dystrophic EB cases and their specific clinical manifestations. The psychological intervention required during the dental treatment of these patients is also presented

Knowledge and attitude of parents or caretakers regarding transmissibility os caries disease

Dental caries is a transmissible infectious disease in which mutans streptococci are generally considered to be the main etiological agents. Although the transmissibility of dental caries is relatively well established in the literature, little is known whether information regarding this issue is correctly provided to the population. The present study aimed at evaluating, by means of a questionnaire, the knowledge and usual attitude of 640 parents and caretakers regarding the transmissibility of caries disease. Most interviewed adults did not know the concept of dental caries being an infectious and transmissible disease, and reported the habit of blowing and tasting food, sharing utensils and kissing the children on their mouth. 372 (58.1%) adults reported that their children had already been seen by a dentist, 264 (41.3%) answered that their children had never gone to a dentist, and 4 (0.6%) did not know. When the adults were asked whether their children had already had dental caries, 107 (16.7%) answered yes, 489 (76.4%) answered no, and 44 (6.9%) did not know. Taken together, these data reinforce the need to provide the population with some important information regarding the transmission of dental caries in order to facilitate a more comprehensive approach towards the prevention of the disease

Mutation profling of cancer drivers in Brazilian colorectal cancer

The molecular basis of colorectal cancer (CRC) can guide patient prognosis and therapy. In Brazil, knowledge on the CRC mutation landscape is limited. Here, we investigated the mutation profile of 150 cancer-related genes by next-generation sequencing and associated with microsatellite instability (MSI) and genetic ancestry in a series of 91 Brazilian CRC patients. Driver mutations were found in the APC (71.4%), TP53 (56.0%), KRAS (52.7%), PIK3CA (15.4%) and FBXW7 (10.9%) genes. Overall, genes in the MAPK/ERK, PIK3/AKT, NOTCH and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling pathways were mutated in 68.0%, 23.1%, 16.5%, and 15.3% of patients, respectively. MSI was found in 13.3% of tumors, most of which were proximal (52.4%, P< 0.001) and had a high mutation burden. European genetic ancestry was predominant (median of 83.1%), followed by Native American (4.1%), Asian (3.4%) and African (3.2%). NF1 and BRAF mutations were associated with African ancestry, while TP53 and PIK3CA mutations were inversely correlated with Native American ancestry. Our study suggests that Brazilian CRC patients exhibit a mutation profile similar to other populations and identify the most frequently mutated genes, which could be useful in future target therapies and molecular cancer screening strategies.We are thankful to Barretos Cancer Hospital. This work was supported by the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES, Brazil), the National Council for Scientifc and Technological Development (CNPq, Brazil), and the Public Ministry of Labor Campinas (Research, Prevention and Education of Occupational Cancer, Brazil)

Fast and efficient microfluidic cell filter for isolation of circulating tumor cells from unprocessed whole blood of colorectal cancer patients

Liquid biopsy offers unique opportunities for low invasive diagnosis, real-time patient monitoring and treatment selection. The phenotypic and molecular profile of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) can provide key information about the biology of tumor cells, contributing to personalized therapy. CTC isolation is still challenging, mainly due to their heterogeneity and rarity. To overcome this limitation, a microfluidic chip for label-free isolation of CTCs from peripheral blood was developed. This device, the CROSS chip, captures CTCs based on their size and deformability with an efficiency of 70%. Using 2 chips, 7.5 ml of whole blood are processed in 47 minutes with high purity, as compared to similar technologies and assessed by in situ immunofluorescence. The CROSS chip performance was compared to the CellSearch system in a set of metastatic colorectal cancer patients, resulting in higher capture of DAPI+/CK+/CD45- CTCs in all individuals tested. Importantly, CTC enumeration by CROSS chip enabled stratification of patients with different prognosis. Lastly, cells isolated in the CROSS chip were lysed and further subjected to molecular characterization by droplet digital PCR, which revealed a mutation in the APC gene for most patient samples analyzed, confirming their colorectal origin and the versatility of the technology for downstream applications

Foraminifera as health bioindicators in nearshore and offshore Brazilian coral reef sediments

Abstrac

Perfil sociodemográfico, eventos de vida e características afetivas de pacientes com insuficiência renal crônica em tratamento por hemodiálise e diálise peritoneal: um estudo descritivo

The Chronic Renal Insufficiency (CRI) causes physical and psychological limitations to patients, leading to feelings of impotence and helplessness, and consequently to the emergency of several disorders and psychological difficulties. This study aimed to describe sociodemografic profile, events of life and affective characteristics of patients with chronic insufficience renal in treatment for hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Thirty patients in treatment for more than six months were included in the study, of which 15 were in treatment with HD and 15 with CAPD. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), a semi-directed interview and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used as instruments for evaluation. It was verified that the patients in HD possess greater probability to develop other problems of health (74%) and greater anxiety indices (47%). On the other hand, the patients in treatment for CAPD had presented greater depression incidence (47%).  A Insuficiência Renal Crônica (IRC) acarreta aos pacientes limitações físicas e psicológicas, o que provoca sentimentos de impotência e abandono, suscitando a emergência de diversas desordens e dificuldades psicológicas. O presente estudo teve como objetivos apresentar o perfil sociodemográfico, eventos de vida e características afetivas de pacientes com insuficiência renal crônica em tratamento por hemodiálise (HD) e diálise peritoneal ambulatorial contínua (CAPD). Foram incluídos neste estudo 30 sujeitos em tratamento, há mais de seis meses, sendo 15 sujeitos em tratamento por HD e 15 por CAPD. Como instrumentos, utilizaram-se: entrevista semidirigida, Escala de Avaliação do Reajustamento Social (EARS) e Escala de Ansiedade e Depressão Hospitalar (HADS). Verificou-se que os pacientes em HD possuem maior probabilidade de desenvolver outros problemas de saúde (74%) e maiores índices de ansiedade (47%). Em contrapartida, os pacientes em tratamento por CAPD apresentaram maior incidência de depressão (47%).

Utilização da Aloe vera L. na cicatrização de feridas: uma revisão de literatura

Introduction: Medicinal plants are being used as an alternative or therapeutic complement, being Aloe veraL., used for the treatment of several types of cutaneous lesions. Methods: This research consisted of a bibliographical review with a careful selection of articles from the search strategy "PICO" on the efficacy of Aloe vera(babosa) in wound healing, through the electronic databases: PubMed, BVS and SciELO. The uniterms used were: Aloe veraand wound healing and medicinal plants. The data collection was carried out in April and May 2018. Development: 43 articles were identified distributed among the three key words. After this initial result, 06 articles were selected as corresponding to the predefined quality standards, such as clarity of information, adequate methodology and clinical relevance to the proposed study. It was evidenced in three articles that Aloe veradecreases wound healing time when compared to the control group. As for the other three studies, one showed a reduction in wound treatment time when compared to dry gauze without topical agent, but the healing rate was not different when compared to cream without Aloe vera; two studies had positive effects, however the result did not show the efficacy of Aloe vera. Conclusion: In view of the selected articles, only three demonstrated that products containing Aloe veraaccelerate the healing process, however, there is still a lack of available studies on its efficacy to legitimize its use with safety.Introdução: As plantas medicinais estão sendo utilizadas como alternativa ou complemento terapêutico, sendo a Aloe veraL. utilizada para o tratamento de vários tipos de lesões cutâneas. Métodos: Essa pesquisa se configura em uma revisão bibliográfica com seleção criteriosa de artigos a partir de estratégia de busca “PICO” sobre a eficácia de Aloe vera(babosa) na cicatrização de feridas, por intermédio das bases de dados eletrônicas: PubMed, BVS e SciELO. Os unitermos utilizados foram: Aloe vera, cicatrização de feridas e plantas medicinais. O levantamento dos dados foi realizado no período de abril e maio de 2018. Desenvolvimento: Foram identificados 43 artigos distribuídos entre os três unitermos. Após esse resultado inicial, houve seleção de seis artigos que correspondiam aos critérios pré-definidos de qualidade, como clareza das informações, metodologia adequada e relevância clínica ao estudo proposto. Evidenciou-se em três artigos que a Aloe veradiminui o tempo de cicatrização da ferida quando comparados com o grupo controle. Quanto aos outros três estudos, um mostrou redução no tempo de tratamento de ferida quando comparado com gaze seca sem agente tópico, porém a taxa de cicatrização não foi diferente quando comparada com creme sem Aloe vera; dois estudos obtiveram efeitos positivos, entretanto o resultado não evidenciou a eficácia da Aloe vera. Conclusão: Diante dos artigos selecionados, apenas três demonstraram que produtos contendo Aloe veraaceleram o processo de cicatrização, no entanto, ainda há uma carência de estudos disponíveis sobre sua eficácia para legitimar seu uso com segurança