THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL BEHAVIOR OF BASIC MULTICELLULAR UNITS IN A PTH-INDUCED CORTICAL BONE REMODELING RABBIT MODEL

The adult skeleton is continuously renewed by the bone remodeling process, which is carried out by coupled and balanced activities, localized in time and space, via cellular groupings known as basic multicellular units (BMUs). In cortical bone, a BMU is depicted as a cutting cone of osteoclasts in the front resorbing bone, followed by a reversal phase, and then a closing cone lined by osteoblasts behind forming new bone. Any imbalance in this sequence of events can lead to bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Although it is well known that many factors affect BMU activity and contribute to osteoporosis, little is known about BMU dynamic spatio-temporal regulation. The rate of BMU progression, their longitudinal erosion rate (LER) is a key example of where knowledge is lacking. LER has only been inferred by 2D (histological) double-labeling techniques based on remodeling in a steady state where the cutting cone advance is equal to that of the closing cone. If these spatio-temporal relationships are valid and constant, increasing the bone formation rate, as observed with recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH), an anabolic treatment for osteoporosis, would concomitantly elevate LER. The present study utilizes a new methodology to explore whether the increased cortical remodeling activity induced by PTH, including accelerated bone formation, leads to an elevated LER. BMU progression was manipulated via different dosing regimens: PTH and PTH withdrawal (PTHW). It was hypothesized that LER would be higher during active dosing. After 14 days of PTH dosing, rabbit distal right tibiae were imaged in vivo by synchrotron-based phase-contrast micro-CT. For the following 14 days, the PTH group received the same treatment while the PTHW group was administered saline. At 28 days, the rabbits were then euthanized, and the tibiae were imaged ex vivo by micro-CT. The in vivo and ex vivo right limb data sets were then registered, and LER was measured as the distance traversed by BMU cutting cones divided by 14 days. A total of 638 BMUs were assessed. Counter to the hypothesis, LER was lower in the PTH (34.61 µm/day) compared with the PTHW (39.37 µm/day; p < 0.01) group. Slower BMU progression suggests that PTH has an important role in enhancing coupling both by increasing bone formation and slowing the advance of bone resorption within BMUs. This novel insight into BMU dynamics indicates that further investigation into LER modulation is warranted, with potential implications for combatting remodeling-related disease, improving treatment, and potentially reducing drug side effects

Parasitemia and antibody response to benznidazole treatment in a cohort of patients with chronic Chagas disease

BackgroundEvaluating the effectiveness of Chagas disease treatment poses challenges due to the lack of biomarkers for disease progression and therapeutic response. In this study, we aimed to assess the clearance of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) parasites in a group of benznidazole (BNZ)-treated chronic Chagas disease patients using high-sensitivity quantitative PCR (qPCR) and track T. cruzi antibody levels through a semiquantitative chemiluminescent assay.MethodsA total of 102 T. cruzi seropositive patients with previous PCR-positive results were enrolled in the study. We collected samples 30 days before treatment (T-30d), on the day before initiating BNZ treatment (T0d), and at follow-up visits 60 days (T60d), 6 months (T6M), 12 months (T12M), and 36 months (T36M) after treatment initiation. Treatment efficacy was assessed by testing of serial samples using a target-capture qPCR assay specific to satellite T. cruzi DNA and the ORTHO T. cruzi ELISA Test System for antibody quantitation.ResultsOf the enrolled individuals, 87 completed at least 50% of the treatment course, and 86 had PCR results at follow-up visits T6M, T12M, and T36M. PCR results exhibited fluctuations before and after treatment, but levels were significantly lower post-treatment. Only 15 cases consistently tested PCR-negative across all post-treatment visits. Notably, nearly all participants demonstrated a declining antibody trajectory, with patients who tested PCR-negative at T36M exhibiting an earlier and more pronounced decline compared to PCR-positive cases at the same visit.ConclusionOur study suggests that serial PCR results pose challenges in interpretation. In contrast, serial antibody levels may serve as an ancillary, or even a more reliable indicator of parasite decline following BNZ treatment. Monitoring antibody levels can provide valuable insights into the efficacy of treatment and the persistence of parasites in Chagas disease patients

Obesidade infantil na pandemia de COVID-19: Child obesity in the COVID-19 pandemic

Objetivo: Avaliar fatores que intervêm na obesidade infantil mediante os impactos que a pandemia do COVID-19 conduz sobre a alimentação infantil. Métodos: Foi feita uma revisão literária visando identificar as condições que influenciam no sobrepeso infantil relacionados aos efeitos pandêmicos do COVID-19. O estudo dos dados foi realizado por meio da análise nas bases de dados Pubmed e Scielo. Resultados: Mediante os dados coletados os resultados alcançados evidenciaram impactos negativos associados à obesidade e um estilo de vida sedentário, comprometimento financeiro das famílias no período pandêmico e hábitos alimentares individuais na ingestão de alimentos com alto percentual calórico. Conclusão: É possível relacionar a obesidade como fator de risco agravante nos sinais e sintomas da COVID-19 em crianças. A solução da problemática se dá através da educação em saúde e reeducação alimentar com ajuda dos pais e responsáveis

Importation and early local transmission of COVID-19 in Brazil, 2020

We conducted the genome sequencing and analysis of the first confirmed COVID-19 infections in Brazil. Rapid sequencing coupled with phylogenetic analyses in the context of travel history corroborate multiple independent importations from Italy and local spread during the initial stage of COVID-19 transmission in Brazil

Conhecimento dos enfermeiros sobre a coleta da gasometria arterial em unidades de terapia intensiva de um hospital público da Amazônia ocidental: Nurses' knowledge about the collection of arterial blood gases in intensive care units of a public hospital in the western Amazon

É importante que o profissional enfermeiro que detêm conhecimento técnico cientifico faça valer suas práticas éticas e bioéticas, respeitando os doentes em todos os seus aspectos e valores, minimizando através dos recursos disponíveis toda dor e sofrimento que possa ser causado ao paciente (OUCHI et al., 2018). Dentro deste contexto, esta pesquisa se volta a responder a seguinte questao: Os enfermeiros que atuam na coleta de gasometria arterial detêm conhecimento teórico cientifico categórico para tal prática executando a técnica correta?O objetivo geral deste estudo foi avaliar o conhecimento teórico-prático dos enfermeiros das unidades de terapia intensiva acerca da coleta de rotina da gasometria arterial. O presente estudo foi realizado nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Adulto (UTI 1 e 2) do Hospital Regional de Cacoal (HRC) que se encontra localizado no município de Cacoal situado na região sul de Rondônia. O HRC é referência para 34 munícipios de Rondônia atendendo média e alta complexidade, abrangendo uma população de cerca de 752.000 habitantes, possui no total 18 leitos de UTI adulto com demanda para pacientes graves que necessitam de cuidados intensivos.Diante dos resultados obtidos através da aplicação do questionário, bem como do check list, observou-se que os enfermeiros que atuam na coleta de rotina da gasometria arterial nas unidades de terapia intensiva apresentam déficit no conhecimento teórico cientifico e na execução da técnica correta comprometendo a confiabilidade da amostra

USO DE AGREGADOS PLAQUETÁRIOS NA REGENERAÇÃO ÓSSEA GUIADA NA ODONTOLOGIA

Platelets are known for their role in hemostasis, where they help prevent blood loss at sites of vascular injury. To do this, they adhere, aggregate, and form a procoagulant surface leading to thrombin generation and fibrin formation. Platelets also release substances that promote tissue repair and influence the reactivity of vascular cells and other blood cells in angiogenesis and inflammation. They contain storage pools of growth factors as well as cytokines. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was first developed in the mid-1990s, with widespread use not only in dentistry, but also in many areas of medicine, including maxillofacial surgery, orthopedic surgery, and aesthetic medicine. In recent years, PRP has been extensively investigated in regenerative dentistry. It contains growth factors that influence wound healing, so it can contribute a lot to tissue repair. In surgery, PRP reduces bleeding while improving soft tissue healing and bone regeneration.As plaquetas são conhecidas por seu papel na hemostasia, onde ajudam a prevenir a perda de sangue em locais de lesão vascular. Para fazer isso, eles aderem, agregam e formam uma superfície pró-coagulante levando à geração de trombina e formação de fibrina. As plaquetas também liberam substâncias que promovem o reparo tecidual e influenciam a reatividade das células vasculares e outras células sanguíneas na angiogênese e na inflamação. Eles contêm pools de armazenamento de fatores de crescimento, bem como citocinas. . O plasma rico em plaquetas (PRP) foi inicialmente desenvolvido em meados da década de 1990, com uso generalizado não apenas na odontologia, mas também em muitas áreas da medicina, incluindo cirurgia maxilofacial, cirurgia ortopédica e medicina estétic. Nos últimos anos, o PRP tem sido extensivamente investigado nao dontologia regenerativa. Ele contém fatores de crescimento que influenciam a cicatrização de feridas, de modo que pode contribuir muito para o reparo tecidual. Na cirurgia, o PRP reduz o sangramento enquanto melhora a cicatrização dos tecidos moles e a regeneração óssea

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genomics and epidemiology of the P.1 SARS-CoV-2 lineage in Manaus, Brazil

Cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Manaus, Brazil, resurged in late 2020 despite previously high levels of infection. Genome sequencing of viruses sampled in Manaus between November 2020 and January 2021 revealed the emergence and circulation of a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. Lineage P.1 acquired 17 mutations, including a trio in the spike protein (K417T, E484K, and N501Y) associated with increased binding to the human ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptor. Molecular clock analysis shows that P.1 emergence occurred around mid-November 2020 and was preceded by a period of faster molecular evolution. Using a two-category dynamical model that integrates genomic and mortality data, we estimate that P.1 may be 1.7- to 2.4-fold more transmissible and that previous (non-P.1) infection provides 54 to 79% of the protection against infection with P.1 that it provides against non-P.1 lineages. Enhanced global genomic surveillance of variants of concern, which may exhibit increased transmissibility and/or immune evasion, is critical to accelerate pandemic responsiveness

A reatividade negativa oriunda da poliquimioterapia imposta na Hanseníase

Introdução: A hanseníase é uma doença infectocontagiosa, que devido às repercussões clínicas e aos dados epidemiológicos é considerada de notificação compulsória. Contudo, esse transtorno quando é precocemente identificado e adequadamente manejado, evita consideravelmente o círculo vicioso de contágio e as manifestações clínicas que tornam a doença tão alvo de estigma. Objetivo: Descrever a reação negativa oriunda da poliquimioterapia imposta na hanseníase. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa de literatura, fundamentada nas plataformas do Scielo, Pubmed, Lilacs e demais literaturas pertinentes ao tema, utilizando-se os seguintes descritores: Reação Hansênica, Efeitos Adversos e Poliquimioterapia, no período de janeiro de 2023. Resultados e Discussão:&nbsp; Atualmente, o protocolo terapêutico voltado para a Hanseníase é a poliquimioterapia e possui boa eficácia e tolerância pela maioria dos pacientes.&nbsp; No advém, a minoria destes apresenta reações adversas que variam de leve a exacerbadas e que devem ser devidamente classificados e orientados para outras opções farmacológica, objetivando impedir que o paciente abandone o tratamento, junto às enormes repercussões oriundas deste, e propiciar melhor qualidade de vida. Conclusão: Estima-se que o tratamento da Hanseníase é algo importante e indispensável para evitar problemas de saúde pública, mas este se baseia em uma alta carga associada de remédios potentes, a qual alguns portadores possuem sensibilidade e se orientados, podem continuar o tratamento até o alcance da cura.&nbsp