Situs ambiguous and absence of the inferior vena cava: an extremely rare cause of femoral hemodialysis catheter dysfunction

Hemodialysis catheter dysfunction (CDys) has been defined by Kidney Disease utcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines as “failure to maintain an extracorporeal blood flow sufficient to perform hemodialysis without significantly lengthening the hemodialysis treatment” [1], influencing stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients’ morbidity and mortality [2]. Among the causes of CDys, those occurring within the first 2 weeks of placement are defined as early dysfunction commonly resulting from mechanical problems, which include inadequate positioning, kinking, or constriction, while late dysfunction usually results from thrombus formation [1]. However, this case report demonstrates that one must also consider other causes of CDys.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synthesis of Trichodermin Derivatives and Their Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Trichothecene mycotoxins are recognized as highly bioactive compounds that can be used in the design of new useful bioactive molecules. In Trichoderma brevicompactum, the first specific step in trichothecene biosynthesis is carried out by a terpene cyclase, trichodiene synthase, that catalyzes the conversion of farnesyl diphosphate to trichodiene and is encoded by the tri5 gene. Overexpression of tri5 resulted in increased levels of trichodermin, a trichothecene-type toxin, which is a valuable tool in preparing new molecules with a trichothecene skeleton. In this work, we developed the hemisynthesis of trichodermin and trichodermol derivatives in order to evaluate their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities and to study the chemo-modulation of their bioactivity. Some derivatives with a short chain at the C-4 position displayed selective antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and they showed MIC values similar to those displayed by trichodermin. It is important to highlight the cytotoxic selectivity observed for compounds 9, 13, and 15, which presented average IC50 values of 2 g/mL and were cytotoxic against tumorigenic cell line MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and not against Fa2N4 (non-tumoral immortalized human hepatocytes)

Effect of continuous and interval exercise training on the PETCO2 response during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the following: 1) the effects of continuous exercise training and interval exercise training on the end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PETCO2) response during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease; and 2) the effects of exercise training modalities on the association between PETCO2 at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and indicators of ventilatory efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients (59.7 + 1.7 years) with coronary artery disease were randomly divided into two groups: continuous exercise training (n = 20) and interval exercise training (n = 17). All patients performed a graded exercise test with respiratory gas analysis before and after three months of the exercise training program to determine the VAT, respiratory compensation point (RCP) and peak oxygen consumption. RESULTS: After the interventions, both groups exhibited increased cardiorespiratory fitness. Indeed, the continuous exercise and interval exercise training groups demonstrated increases in both ventilatory efficiency and PETCO2 values at VAT, RCP, and peak of exercise. Significant associations were observed in both groups: 1) continuous exercise training (PETCO2VAT and cardiorespiratory fitness r = 0.49; PETCO2VAT and ventilatory efficiency r = -0.80) and 2) interval exercise training (PETCO2VAT and cardiorespiratory fitness r = 0.39; PETCO2VAT and ventilatory efficiency r = -0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Both exercise training modalities showed similar increases in PETCO2 levels during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease, which may be associated with an improvement in ventilatory efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness

Effect of continuous and interval exercise training on the PETCO2 response during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the following: 1) the effects of continuous exercise training and interval exercise training on the end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PETCO2) response during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease; and 2) the effects of exercise training modalities on the association between PETCO2 at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT) and indicators of ventilatory efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients (59.7 + 1.7 years) with coronary artery disease were randomly divided into two groups: continuous exercise training (n = 20) and interval exercise training (n = 17). All patients performed a graded exercise test with respiratory gas analysis before and after three months of the exercise training program to determine the VAT, respiratory compensation point (RCP) and peak oxygen consumption. RESULTS: After the interventions, both groups exhibited increased cardiorespiratory fitness. Indeed, the continuous exercise and interval exercise training groups demonstrated increases in both ventilatory efficiency and PETCO2 values at VAT, RCP, and peak of exercise. Significant associations were observed in both groups: 1) continuous exercise training (PETCO2VAT and cardiorespiratory fitness r = 0.49; PETCO2VAT and ventilatory efficiency r = -0.80) and 2) interval exercise training (PETCO2VAT and cardiorespiratory fitness r = 0.39; PETCO2VAT and ventilatory efficiency r = -0.45). CONCLUSIONS: Both exercise training modalities showed similar increases in PETCO2 levels during a graded exercise test in patients with coronary artery disease, which may be associated with an improvement in ventilatory efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness

Seaweed Secondary Metabolites with Beneficial Health Effects : An Overview of Successes in In Vivo Studies and Clinical Trials

Macroalgae are increasingly viewed as a source of secondary metabolites with great potential for the development of new drugs. In this development, in vitro studies are only the first step in a long process, while in vivo studies and clinical trials are the most revealing stages of the true potential and limitations that a given metabolite may have as a new drug. This literature review aims to give a critical overview of the secondary metabolites that reveal the most interesting results in these two steps. Phlorotannins show great pharmaceutical potential in in vivo models and, among the several examples, the anti-dyslipidemia activity of dieckol must be highlighted because it was more effective than lovastatin in an in vivo model. The IRLIIVLMPILMA tridecapeptide that exhibits an in vivo level of activity similar to the hypotensive clinical drug captopril should still be stressed, as well as griffithsin which showed such stunning results over a variety of animal models and which will probably move onto clinical trials soon. Regarding clinical trials, studies with pure algal metabolites are scarce, limited to those carried out with kahalalide F and fucoxanthin. The majority of clinical trials currently aim to ascertain the effect of algae consumption, as extracts or fractions, on obesity and diabetes.This research was funded by project MACBIOBLUE (MAC/1.1b/086), program Interreg MAC 2014–2020 co-financed by DRCT (Azores Regional Government), supporting G.P. Rosa’s grant, as well as by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, the European Union, QREN, FEDER, and COMPETE, through funding the cE3c center (FCT UID/BIA/00329/2013, 2015–2018 and UID/BIA/00329/2019) and the QOPNA research unit (FCT UID/QUI/00062/2019)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multidimensional en-face OCT imaging of the retina.

Fast T-scanning (transverse scanning, en-face) was used to build B-scan or C-scan optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the retina. Several unique signature patterns of en-face (coronal) are reviewed in conjunction with associated confocal images of the fundus and B-scan OCT images. Benefits in combining T-scan OCT with confocal imaging to generate pairs of OCT and confocal images similar to those generated by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) are discussed in comparison with the spectral OCT systems. The multichannel potential of the OCT/SLO system is demonstrated with the addition of a third hardware channel which acquires and generates indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence images. The OCT, confocal SLO and ICG fluorescence images are simultaneously presented in a two or a three screen format. A fourth channel which displays a live mix of frames of the ICG sequence superimposed on the corresponding coronal OCT slices for immediate multidimensional comparison, is also included. OSA ISP software is employed to illustrate the synergy between the simultaneously provided perspectives. This synergy promotes interpretation of information by enhancing diagnostic comparisons and facilitates internal correction of movement artifacts within C-scan and B-scan OCT images using information provided by the SLO channel

Synthesis of Trichodermin Derivatives and Their Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

[EN] Trichothecene mycotoxins are recognized as highly bioactive compounds that can be used in the design of new useful bioactive molecules. In Trichoderma brevicompactum, the first specific step in trichothecene biosynthesis is carried out by a terpene cyclase, trichodiene synthase, that catalyzes the conversion of farnesyl diphosphate to trichodiene and is encoded by the tri5 gene. Overexpression of tri5 resulted in increased levels of trichodermin, a trichothecene-type toxin, which is a valuable tool in preparing new molecules with a trichothecene skeleton. In this work, we developed the hemisynthesis of trichodermin and trichodermol derivatives in order to evaluate their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities and to study the chemo-modulation of their bioactivity. Some derivatives with a short chain at the C-4 position displayed selective antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and they showed MIC values similar to those displayed by trichodermin. It is important to highlight the cytotoxic selectivity observed for compounds 9, 13, and 15, which presented average IC50 values of 2 µg/mL and were cytotoxic against tumorigenic cell line MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) and not against Fa2N4 (non-tumoral immortalized human hepatocytes)S

Liquid mixtures involving hydrogenated and fluorinated alcohols: thermodynamics, spectroscopy, and simulation

This article reports a combined thermodynamic, spectroscopic, and Computational study on the interactions and structure of binary mixtures of hydrogenated and fluorinated substances that simultaneously interact through strong hydrogen bonding. Four binary mixtures of hydrogenated and fluorinated alcohols have been studied, namely, (ethanol + 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)), (ethanol + 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluoro-1-butanol), (1-butanol (BuOH) + TFE), and (BuOH + 2,23,4,4,4-heptafluoto-1-butanol). Excess molar volumes and vibrational spectra of all four binary mixtures have been measured as a function of composition at 298 K, and molecular dynamics simulations have been performed. The systems display a complex behavior when compared with mixtures of hydrogenated alcohols and mixtures of alkanes and perfluoroalkanes. The combined analysis of the results from different approaches indicates that this results from a balance between preferential hydrogen bonding between the hydrogenated and fluorinated alcohols and the unfavorable dispersion forces between the hydrogenated and fluorinated chains. As the chain length increases, the contribution of dispersion increases and overcomes the contribution of H-bonds. In terms of the liquid structure, the simulations suggest the possibility of segregation between the hydrogenated and fluorinated segments, a hypothesis corroborated by the spectroscopic results. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the infrared spectra reveals that the presence of fluorinated groups induces conformational changes in the hydrogenated chains from the usually preferred all-trans to more globular arrangements involving gauche conformations. Conformational rearrangements at the CCOH dihedral angle upon mixing are also disclosed by the spectra

An Item-Level Analysis of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and Its Associations With Challenge to Core Beliefs and Rumination

Background: Previous studies have found that rumination and challenge to core beliefs may have a predictive effect on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) among different samples. In addition, there is some evidence that these variables have different effects on PTSD and PTG, although the latter construct has been the target of a larger body of research and theoretical models. The main objective of the current study is to examine the effect of challenge to core beliefs, intrusive rumination, and deliberate rumination on PTSD and PTG, through an item-level analyses.Methods: The sample was composed of 205 Portuguese women who had been given a breast cancer diagnosis (M = 54.32, SD = 10.05), and who completed the following self-administered questionnaires: the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-C); the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI); the Core Beliefs Inventory; and the Event Related Rumination Inventory. Two multivariate multiple regression analyses, using each item of the PCL-C and the PTGI as dependent variables, were conducted.Results: The results demonstrated that challenges to core beliefs predict 17 of the 21 PTGI items and 12 of the 17 PCL-C items. All but one item of the PCL-C are predicted by intrusive rumination, while the variance of only 4 items of the PTGI are explained by deliberate rumination.Conclusion: These findings indicate that women with breast cancer who tend to display higher levels of intrusive rumination are more likely to report PTSD symptoms, and that an examination of one’s core beliefs is predictor of both positive and negative outcomes. In spite of the proven effect of challenge to core beliefs on both variables, this study suggests that this effect has only a minor influence on PTSD, in addition to confirming its major impact on PTG