Various mouse models to study dengue have been described by different authors, some of them using immunodeficient or some using humanized mice. Our group reported previously a deadly murine model, which used the intra...Various mouse models to study dengue have been described by different authors, some of them using immunodeficient or some using humanized mice. Our group reported previously a deadly murine model, which used the intracranial inoculum of highly virulent Dengue virus (DENV) in immune competent mouse. Here we present a model of immune competent mouse (C57BL/6), infected subcutaneously by the same highly virulent DENV (DENV3 genotype I). In this immunocompetent systemic mice model, the cytokine levels and hematological parameters such as total and differential leukocyte and platelets counts, together with weight loss, were considered important monitoring parameters, allowing a better understanding of the systemic human disease. Mice were inoculated subcutaneously and evaluated by the percentage weight variation as well as the clinical signs. Hematological parameters and cytokines levels were measured and viral titration in brain tissue or serum neutralization was performed to confirm mice infection. The subcutaneously DENV inoculated mice showed weight loss after infection, but they did not show any other clinical signs. The leukocytes and platelets decreased after subcutaneous inoculation. The cytokines TNF alpha and IFN gamma increased after infection in mice. The subcutaneous model provided scope for improved understanding of the dengue pathogenesis, as well as possible mechanism for protection to subsequent mouse infected by intracranial route in mice. This model could be used to study the vertebrate immune response and evaluation of drugs or vaccine against dengue virus.展开更多
Extracts of 40 green, black or oolong high quality tea samples from China, Japan or India among others, have been prepared according to the manufacturer instructions and assayed for total polyphenols content using the...Extracts of 40 green, black or oolong high quality tea samples from China, Japan or India among others, have been prepared according to the manufacturer instructions and assayed for total polyphenols content using the Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent. In addition, the antioxidant activity was assessed by the CUPRAC method and the free-radical scavenging activity was determined using the antioxidant-promoting decay of the stable free-radical DPPH. Caffeine and the most important catechins were identified using RP-HPLC previously validated method. Results from this study suggest that teas, even though they content similar amounts of caffeine, differ considerably in polyphenolic content and therefore in antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities, depending on the part of the plant used and the process applied to the material for the preparation of the final tea presentation. Correlations among Folin-Ciocalteau’s reactivity of tea samples, the neocuproine reactivity, the DPPH decolourization and the HPLC analysis suggest that the antioxidant activity is due essentially to polyphenolic compounds present in teas, mainly EGCG. The best extraction method of tea powder was the one indicated by dealers. In general, the richest samples belong to green teas and the poorest samples belong to the black teas.展开更多
The knowledge of the chemical composition of invertebrates as sea cucumber contributes to improving our understanding of these living organisms. This study compared the chemical composition of wild sea cucumber Isosti...The knowledge of the chemical composition of invertebrates as sea cucumber contributes to improving our understanding of these living organisms. This study compared the chemical composition of wild sea cucumber Isostichopus sp., between February 2013 and January 2014. Sea cucumbers were captured by hand by artisanal fishermen and transported alive to the laboratory of Aquaculture of the Universidad del Magdalena (Colombia), where they were subsequently killed and taken to freeze until analysis. For proximate analysis 20 g of muscle were used for each sample. The analysis (in triplicate) was performed according to [1]. Significant differences (p Isostichopus sp. was similar to that reported for fresh sea cucumbers internationally traded, which indicates that it is a species with a competitive commercial value for use in food.展开更多
If the geometrical system of units c = G 1 and the Planck length as a natural length scale are used in the construction of the Penrose space (diagram) corresponding to Minkowski spacetime, the presence of the Planck c...If the geometrical system of units c = G 1 and the Planck length as a natural length scale are used in the construction of the Penrose space (diagram) corresponding to Minkowski spacetime, the presence of the Planck constant ħin the Penrose dimensionless time (ζ) and radial (ρ) coordinates is unavoidable. This fact suggests that there could be a deep and still unknown relation between the spacetime of special relativity and quantum mechanics.展开更多
In this work we describe the algorithms to construct the skeletons, simplified 1D representations for a 3D surface depicted by a mesh of points, given the respective eigenfunctions of the Discrete Laplace-Beltrami Ope...In this work we describe the algorithms to construct the skeletons, simplified 1D representations for a 3D surface depicted by a mesh of points, given the respective eigenfunctions of the Discrete Laplace-Beltrami Operator (LBO). These functions are isometry invariant, so they are independent of the object’s representation including parameterization, spatial position and orientation. Several works have shown that these eigenfunctions provide topological and geometrical information of the surfaces of interest [1] [2]. We propose to make use of that information for the construction of a set of skeletons, associated to each eigenfunction, which can be used as a fingerprint for the surface of interest. The main goal is to develop a classification system based on these skeletons, instead of the surfaces, for the analysis of medical images, for instance.展开更多
Dengue is one of the most prominent tropical epidemic diseases present in the Rio de Janeiro city and Southeast part of Brazil, due to the widespread conditions of occurrence of the dengue vector, the mosquito Aedesae...Dengue is one of the most prominent tropical epidemic diseases present in the Rio de Janeiro city and Southeast part of Brazil, due to the widespread conditions of occurrence of the dengue vector, the mosquito Aedesaegypti, such as high-temperature days interlaced with afternoon or nocturnal rainstorms in summer. This work has the objective of investigating the relationships between variabilities of the El Ni?o-South Oscillation (ENSO) and greater epidemics of dengue in Rio de Janeiro city. To accomplish this goal, the analysis and signal decomposition by cross-wavelet transform (WT) was applied to obtain the cross variability associated with variations of power and phase of both signals by characteristic periods and along with the time series. Data considered in the analysis are (the decimal logarithm of normalized value) of the monthly available notifications of dengue worsening, provided by the public health system of Brazil, and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) Ni?o 3.4 data, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in the period 2000-2017. A maximum cross-wavelet power close to 0.45 was obtained for the representative period of 1 year and also to periods between 3 and 4 years, associated with the positive phase of the SOI index (i.e. , La Ni?a) or with a transition to the positive phase. The evolution of the combined variability of SOI and dengue can be expressed by progressive differences in phase along the time, eventually resulting in yielding phases (i.e., La Niña-Dengue epidemic).展开更多
The effect of daily consumption of a yogurt containing Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects was evaluated by performing a prospective, randomized, double-blind, cross-ov...The effect of daily consumption of a yogurt containing Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects was evaluated by performing a prospective, randomized, double-blind, cross-over placebo controlled clinical study. Participants consumed daily a yogurt containing L. reuteri CRL 1098 or a placebo for four weeks, separated by a wash-out period. Total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoprotein levels were assessed at the beginning and at the end of each period. We found a statistically significant reduction of total (–7.86 g/dl) and LDL (–7.02 g/dl) cholesterol in absolute changes (before-after) as well as a decreasing trend in the group receiving the yogurt containing L. reuteri with respect to the placebo group, without detecting changes in HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Our results suggest that low amounts of yogurt (125 g/day) and low doses of the CRL 1098 strain (106 CFU) are sufficient to reduce total and LDL-cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects.展开更多
A novel 2-indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-indano[2,3b]-2-(p-methoxy-phenyl)[1,5]benzo-2,5-dihydrothiazepine 5a,b (addition Michael/cyclization) (~30.32%), indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-(p-methoxyphenyl)[1,4] benzo...A novel 2-indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-indano[2,3b]-2-(p-methoxy-phenyl)[1,5]benzo-2,5-dihydrothiazepine 5a,b (addition Michael/cyclization) (~30.32%), indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-(p-methoxyphenyl)[1,4] benzothiazine 4a,b (addition “anti-Michael”/cyclization) (~45.43%), respectively, were obtained by the condensation of 2-ferrocenyl-and 2-(p-methoxy-phenyl)methyliden-1,3-indandiones 1a,b with o-aminothiophenol 2 in the presence of AcOH and HCl. A new “anti-Michael” addition reaction of 1,4-bis-heteronucleophile 2 into 2-arylmethyliden-1,3-indandiones was reported. As a result of this reaction the product 1a,b was obtained. The structures of the resultant compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental and X-ray diffraction analysis. The in vitro antitumor activity of the obtained products was researched using the following human cancer cell lines: glioblastoma (CNS U-251), prostatic adenocarcinoma (PC-3), chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HCT-15), mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and small cell lung cancer (SKLU) and the sulforhodamine B (SRB) method. Among these new compounds some thiazine and thiazepine derivatives showed compelling in vitro antitumor effects on cell lines K-562, HCT-15, SKLU-1 and MCF-7.展开更多
Turner-Kieser syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, autosomal dominant, which is related to variable gene expression and high penetrance, due to mutations in the LMX1B gene that affects connective tissue. The clinic ha...Turner-Kieser syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, autosomal dominant, which is related to variable gene expression and high penetrance, due to mutations in the LMX1B gene that affects connective tissue. The clinic has characteristics with alterations in nails, knees, elbows, and presence of iliac horns that makes the anesthetic difficult. However, data in the literature needs more research on this area. The present report is a cesarean section under general intravenous anesthesia performed on a 32-week pregnant woman due to the maternal risk of full-term evolution and aims to contribute to the anesthetic management of patients with this syndrome as there are few descriptions in the literature regarding the anesthetic management in Turner-Kieser syndrome. Even being a case report, the syndrome is rare and it is important to be reported to all anesthesiologists becoming aware of its management and to choose the best technique and anticipate possible complications. During general anesthesia, the technique chosen for the case reported here, we emphasize the risks of possible difficulty in intubating and positioning the patient, as well as renal impairment caused by changes in the cardiovascular autonomic response due to the choice of some drugs. Therefore, in the present report, our option was intravenous general anesthesia because of maternal complications, where fast acting drugs without renal metabolism or excretion were selected, resulting in an uneventful anesthetic procedure.展开更多
Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. According to its neurobiological mechanism, pain is classified into nociceptive, inflammatory, dysf...Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. According to its neurobiological mechanism, pain is classified into nociceptive, inflammatory, dysfunctional, and neuropathic. Neuropathic pain (NP) is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Both pregabalin and gabapentin are pharmaceuticals used as validation drugs in experimental models of NP. Pregabalin was shown to produce significant antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects. Gabapentin is used as a reference compound for new analgesics and reduces tactile allodynia in rats. The aim of this work is to evaluate pregabalin and gabapentin effects on nociceptive behaviors induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Female Wistar rats of 140 - 160 g were used, divided into five groups: Naive, SHAM, SNL rats treated with saline solution, SNL rats treated with pregabalin 30 mg/kg p.o., SNL rats treated with gabapentin 300 mg/kg p.o. Nociceptive behaviors were determined by the up and down method. In the establishment of SNL-induced allodynic behavior, a reduction in paw withdrawal threshold was observed in the time course, which was present from day 1 and it was maintained for 28 days post-ligation. With the administration of pregabalin and gabapentin, anti-allodynic behavior was observed in the time course and in the areas under the curve (AUC) of the time course of anti-allodynic behavior, significant difference was observed between pregabalin, and gabapentin groups compared to vehicle with a value of p < 0.0001. The results showed pregabalin and gabapentin induce an antinociceptive effect in rats subjected to SNL.展开更多
This paper introduces a mathematical model which describes the dynamics of the spread of HIV in the human body. This model is comprised of a system of ordinary differential equations that involve susceptible cells, in...This paper introduces a mathematical model which describes the dynamics of the spread of HIV in the human body. This model is comprised of a system of ordinary differential equations that involve susceptible cells, infected cells, HIV, immune cells and immune active cells. The distinguishing feature in the proposed model with respect to other models in the literature is that it takes into account cells that represent two distinct mechanisms of the immune system in the defense against HIV: the non-HIV-activated cells and the HIV-activated cells. With a view at minimizing the side effects of a treatment that employs a drug combination designed to attack the HIV at various stages of its life cycle, we introduce control variables that represent the infected patient’s medication. The optimal control rule that prescribes the medication for a given time period is obtained by means of Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle.展开更多
Foodborne Illnesses (FI) are considered an important problem in public health for their high levels of morbidity and, in some cases, of mortality in Mexico and around the world. Different agents that cause Foodborne I...Foodborne Illnesses (FI) are considered an important problem in public health for their high levels of morbidity and, in some cases, of mortality in Mexico and around the world. Different agents that cause Foodborne Illnesses, in which biological agents such as the genus Salmonella spp., are included, have been often associated with outbreaks. A continued effort has been observed in the food industry, in collaboration with sanitary authorities on a global scale, through the creation and continued improvement of different procedures to prevent the contamination by Salmonella, in which the elaboration of laboratory methodologies for the detection and isolation of this pathogen in foods and, in such manner, prevents the outbreak of illnesses. However, along with the aforementioned, it has been reported that a few years ago, the appearance of an ever-increasing number of strains of Salmonella spp., in foods with multi-drug resistance to antibiotics which are used in the treatment of its illness, results in a major emphasis on the health issue related to Foodborne Illnesses and, in particular, to those generated by factors of medical dependence such as the increase in recuperation time, costs, and reduction in the number of alternative pharmaceutical treatments. This work presents a general overview of FI, in which illnesses generated by bacteria of the genus Salmonella spp., their detection in a microbiological laboratory, as well as the phenomenon of resistance to antibiotics by these bacteria, and the current and difficult issue reported through different investigations all around the world, of the rise in this phenomenon and its importance in public health, are discussed.展开更多
Carbon nanotubes have been used as scaffolds for tissue engineering. However, the identification of these nanomaterials disperses in biological solutions and their direct interaction with nerve cells is still controve...Carbon nanotubes have been used as scaffolds for tissue engineering. However, the identification of these nanomaterials disperses in biological solutions and their direct interaction with nerve cells is still controversial. The aim of this work is to characterize the topographic and ultra-structural distribution of the composite made of multi wall carbon nanotubes-polyvinylpyrrolidone (MWCNTs-PVP) deposited on the Helix aspersa neurons and over glass coverslip. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Confocal Microscopy (CM) studies were done to analyze the properties of such MWCNTs-PVP composite. The cerebral ganglion of Helix aspersa was treated and incubated with MWCNTs-PVP, fixing it in paraformaldehyde at 4% and was observed with SEM and CM. Although the nanotubes were not labeled or stained with fluorescent compounds, the MWCNTs-PVP deposited on glass and on nerve cells, was observed by the confocal microscope in the reflection mode. In SEM studies, it was observed that MWCNTs-PVP was attached to the surface on neurons. Moreover, in CM studies, it was possible to observe that MWCNTs-PVP was attached to the neuronal membrane, crossing the cell membrane and getting into the cytoplasm. These results support the hypothesis that carbon nanotubes interact with the neuronal cell membrane and can be useful for neuronal tissue engineering. In addition, these results open new alternatives for toxicological studies, in order to elucidate the cytotoxicity of MWCNTs-PVP composite in neurons and other excitable cells.展开更多
If an operator is not invertible, we are interested if there is a subspace such that the reduction of the operator to that subspace is invertible. In this paper we give a spectral approach to generalized inverses cons...If an operator is not invertible, we are interested if there is a subspace such that the reduction of the operator to that subspace is invertible. In this paper we give a spectral approach to generalized inverses considering the subspace determined by the range of the spectral projection associated with an operator and a spectral set containing the point 0. We compare the cases, 0 is a simple pole of the resolvent function, 0 is a pole of order n of the resolvent function, 0 is an isolated point of the spectrum, and 0 is contained in a circularly isolated spectral set.展开更多
Background: COVID-19 is a rapidly transmissible pneumonia-like illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 that out broke in China in 2019 and is currently circulating worldwide. In the current context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, co...Background: COVID-19 is a rapidly transmissible pneumonia-like illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 that out broke in China in 2019 and is currently circulating worldwide. In the current context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, complications are observed in clinical settings for the treatment of severe COVID-19 disease in nosocomial settings, due to cases of fungal co-infections. Objective: To carry out a review on fungal infections associated with respiratory infections caused by COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) and their aggravation. Methodology: The purpose of this study is to inform the reader about the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and the main fungal species that are affecting patients undergoing treatment for severe COVID-19, provoking discussion of the importance of the proposed topic, in relation to co-infections by different fungal microorganisms. Result: 80 scientific studies were selected, resulting from patients with COVID-19 and most commonly observed in patients with a history of comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney disease, severe liver disease, oncological diseases, obesity and with severe COVID-19. These data do not represent the total number of records of the disease in the world, but cases reported by researchers in their series, showing the overlapping of fungal co-infection through the compromised immune status due to the use of therapeutic drugs, dysregulation of the microbiota, age of patients and the severity itself of the severe inflammation caused by COVID-19. Conclusion: The immunosuppression caused by the infection of COVID-19 concomitant with its therapy through corticosteroid therapy and comorbidities of the patients made fungal infections more susceptible, and these interfere in the evolution of the case and in the treatment of COVID-19, being relevant to distinguish secondary infections to therapy and the best possible reconstitution of the clinical picture.展开更多
New recycling alternative for multilayer films was successfully presented. Food packaging formed from different materials is difficult to recycle. The use of aluminum, glass, paper, paints, varnishes, and other materi...New recycling alternative for multilayer films was successfully presented. Food packaging formed from different materials is difficult to recycle. The use of aluminum, glass, paper, paints, varnishes, and other materials in the rolling processes from plastic packaging is intended to optimize the efficiency of packaging. Nevertheless, these materials prevent the recycling of packaging because they become contaminants to the recycling process. Food multilayered packaging containing poly (ethylene terephthalate) PET, poly (ethylene) PE and aluminum was used as filler in the preparation of composites with post-consumer high density polyethylene matrix. Composites containing up to 50 wt% of filler were feasible to prepare, allowing the obtention of a material with varied mechanical and thermal properties. This feature allows the preparation of composites suitable for specific application. The addition of multilayer matter in the polyethylene matrix provided a material with excellent mechanical properties such as higher tensile impact strength (148 J/m) and elasticity (350 MPa) as compared to pure polyethylene (40 J/m and 450 MPa).展开更多
Black holes contradict the Nernst-Planck (N/P) version of the 3rd law of thermodynamics, but agree with its unattainability (U) version. This happens without contradiction, because the N/P and U versions are not equiv...Black holes contradict the Nernst-Planck (N/P) version of the 3rd law of thermodynamics, but agree with its unattainability (U) version. This happens without contradiction, because the N/P and U versions are not equivalent, namely, N/P implies U but U does not imply N/P. So, black holes obey the weaker version of the 3rd law, but not the stronger one.展开更多
In this paper, the addition of admixed superabsorbent polymer (SAP) improved the microstructure and durability-related properties in a cement-based system with supplementary materials. This is an important issue in re...In this paper, the addition of admixed superabsorbent polymer (SAP) improved the microstructure and durability-related properties in a cement-based system with supplementary materials. This is an important issue in real construction projects when good durability properties are required. This study investigates the effect of SAP on the systems using cement replacement by fly ash and silica fume considering the strength properties and durability properties of paste under sulfate attack of cement-based system. The replacement considered in the study was of 10% silica fume and 20% fly ash in each case, the dosage of SAP was 0.25% of the total amount of cementitious material. The results showed that the addition of SAP in the cement-based system improved the compressive strength and reduced expansion to sulfate attack. Scanning electron micrographs showed that utilization of fly ash with silica fume and silica fume with SAP resulted in a much denser microstructure, thereby, leading to an increase in compressive strength and lower expansion under sulfate attack.展开更多
Brazil is the world largest producer of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leading to a great generation of residues such as bagasse and straw, which represent two thirds of sugarcane energetic potential. Regarding the...Brazil is the world largest producer of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leading to a great generation of residues such as bagasse and straw, which represent two thirds of sugarcane energetic potential. Regarding these residues energetic potential, it is interesting to study their application in biorefinery processes. Thus, this work aimed at performing a chemical characterization of sugarcane straw and bagasse from RB867515 cultivar grown in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil aiming at their use as feedstock in biorefinery processes. The obtained results were compared to data from other states and it was possible to conclude that edaphoclimatic conditions of Rio Grande do Sul have little influence in sugarcane residues chemical composition. Sugarcane bagasse presents larger potential for energetic use because of its volatiles content (74.82%) slightly higher than straw (68.90%), besides its high lignin content (21.85%) and higher calorific value (18.70 MJ/kg). Both sugarcane residues produced in Rio Grande do Sul have potential use as substrate in the obtainment of high value-added products from their cellulosic fractions (41.30% and 37.25%, respectively). The evaluation of energetic and chemical potential of sugarcane bagasse and straw produced in Rio Grande do Sul leads to the conclusion that these materials have high potential for use as feedstock in biorefineries.展开更多
Background: Hepatocellular adenoma is a rare liver tumor that may require surgical treatment in cases of hemorrhage or suspicion of malignant lesions. Aim: To analyze data from patients who underwent hepatectomy for h...Background: Hepatocellular adenoma is a rare liver tumor that may require surgical treatment in cases of hemorrhage or suspicion of malignant lesions. Aim: To analyze data from patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: From January 2005 to March 2019, sixty-nine patients with HCA underwent hepatectomy at centers in Rio de Janeiro. They were included in the analysis patients undergoing hepatectomy with pathological diagnosis of hepatocellular adenoma and excluded patients with hepatectomy with anatomopathological diagnosis other than hepatocellular adenoma, mainly nodular focal hyperplasia. Data related to patients, tumor and surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Sixty patients (87%) were female and nine were male. Among women, 83% had a history of contraceptive use;among men, only one had an androgen intake history. Overall mean age was 36.4 years (15 - 49), with men older than women (33.9 ± 8.14 years vs. 40.4 ± 6.27 years;P = 0.02). Forty one patients reported abdominal pain, associated or not to other symptoms;32% had an episode of hemorrhage;28 were asymptomatic with an incidental radiological finding. In total, 45 patients presented only one lesion and overall mean size was 8.1 cm (2 - 31);tumors were larger among men (mean size 12.9 ± 9.86 cm vs. 7.7 ± 4.58 cm;P = 0.009). Twenty one surgeries were laparoscopic. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was identified in three specimens and the incidence was higher among men (22.2% vs. 1.6%;P = 0.042) and in tumors larger than 20 cm (66.6% vs. 0.02%). There was no perioperative mortality. Two of the three patients with HCC died with extrahepatic recurrence;the remaining patient is well after 36 months. Overall mean follow-up time was 14.2 months (2 - 76). Conclusion: Male patients with HCA were older and had larger tumors when compared to females. Incidence of HCC was higher among men and in lesions larger than 20 cm. Male patients with HCA should be treated more aggressively than females.展开更多
文摘Various mouse models to study dengue have been described by different authors, some of them using immunodeficient or some using humanized mice. Our group reported previously a deadly murine model, which used the intracranial inoculum of highly virulent Dengue virus (DENV) in immune competent mouse. Here we present a model of immune competent mouse (C57BL/6), infected subcutaneously by the same highly virulent DENV (DENV3 genotype I). In this immunocompetent systemic mice model, the cytokine levels and hematological parameters such as total and differential leukocyte and platelets counts, together with weight loss, were considered important monitoring parameters, allowing a better understanding of the systemic human disease. Mice were inoculated subcutaneously and evaluated by the percentage weight variation as well as the clinical signs. Hematological parameters and cytokines levels were measured and viral titration in brain tissue or serum neutralization was performed to confirm mice infection. The subcutaneously DENV inoculated mice showed weight loss after infection, but they did not show any other clinical signs. The leukocytes and platelets decreased after subcutaneous inoculation. The cytokines TNF alpha and IFN gamma increased after infection in mice. The subcutaneous model provided scope for improved understanding of the dengue pathogenesis, as well as possible mechanism for protection to subsequent mouse infected by intracranial route in mice. This model could be used to study the vertebrate immune response and evaluation of drugs or vaccine against dengue virus.
文摘Extracts of 40 green, black or oolong high quality tea samples from China, Japan or India among others, have been prepared according to the manufacturer instructions and assayed for total polyphenols content using the Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent. In addition, the antioxidant activity was assessed by the CUPRAC method and the free-radical scavenging activity was determined using the antioxidant-promoting decay of the stable free-radical DPPH. Caffeine and the most important catechins were identified using RP-HPLC previously validated method. Results from this study suggest that teas, even though they content similar amounts of caffeine, differ considerably in polyphenolic content and therefore in antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities, depending on the part of the plant used and the process applied to the material for the preparation of the final tea presentation. Correlations among Folin-Ciocalteau’s reactivity of tea samples, the neocuproine reactivity, the DPPH decolourization and the HPLC analysis suggest that the antioxidant activity is due essentially to polyphenolic compounds present in teas, mainly EGCG. The best extraction method of tea powder was the one indicated by dealers. In general, the richest samples belong to green teas and the poorest samples belong to the black teas.
文摘The knowledge of the chemical composition of invertebrates as sea cucumber contributes to improving our understanding of these living organisms. This study compared the chemical composition of wild sea cucumber Isostichopus sp., between February 2013 and January 2014. Sea cucumbers were captured by hand by artisanal fishermen and transported alive to the laboratory of Aquaculture of the Universidad del Magdalena (Colombia), where they were subsequently killed and taken to freeze until analysis. For proximate analysis 20 g of muscle were used for each sample. The analysis (in triplicate) was performed according to [1]. Significant differences (p Isostichopus sp. was similar to that reported for fresh sea cucumbers internationally traded, which indicates that it is a species with a competitive commercial value for use in food.
文摘If the geometrical system of units c = G 1 and the Planck length as a natural length scale are used in the construction of the Penrose space (diagram) corresponding to Minkowski spacetime, the presence of the Planck constant ħin the Penrose dimensionless time (ζ) and radial (ρ) coordinates is unavoidable. This fact suggests that there could be a deep and still unknown relation between the spacetime of special relativity and quantum mechanics.
文摘In this work we describe the algorithms to construct the skeletons, simplified 1D representations for a 3D surface depicted by a mesh of points, given the respective eigenfunctions of the Discrete Laplace-Beltrami Operator (LBO). These functions are isometry invariant, so they are independent of the object’s representation including parameterization, spatial position and orientation. Several works have shown that these eigenfunctions provide topological and geometrical information of the surfaces of interest [1] [2]. We propose to make use of that information for the construction of a set of skeletons, associated to each eigenfunction, which can be used as a fingerprint for the surface of interest. The main goal is to develop a classification system based on these skeletons, instead of the surfaces, for the analysis of medical images, for instance.
文摘Dengue is one of the most prominent tropical epidemic diseases present in the Rio de Janeiro city and Southeast part of Brazil, due to the widespread conditions of occurrence of the dengue vector, the mosquito Aedesaegypti, such as high-temperature days interlaced with afternoon or nocturnal rainstorms in summer. This work has the objective of investigating the relationships between variabilities of the El Ni?o-South Oscillation (ENSO) and greater epidemics of dengue in Rio de Janeiro city. To accomplish this goal, the analysis and signal decomposition by cross-wavelet transform (WT) was applied to obtain the cross variability associated with variations of power and phase of both signals by characteristic periods and along with the time series. Data considered in the analysis are (the decimal logarithm of normalized value) of the monthly available notifications of dengue worsening, provided by the public health system of Brazil, and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) Ni?o 3.4 data, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in the period 2000-2017. A maximum cross-wavelet power close to 0.45 was obtained for the representative period of 1 year and also to periods between 3 and 4 years, associated with the positive phase of the SOI index (i.e. , La Ni?a) or with a transition to the positive phase. The evolution of the combined variability of SOI and dengue can be expressed by progressive differences in phase along the time, eventually resulting in yielding phases (i.e., La Niña-Dengue epidemic).
文摘The effect of daily consumption of a yogurt containing Lactobacillus reuteri CRL 1098 on the lipid profile of hypercholesterolemic subjects was evaluated by performing a prospective, randomized, double-blind, cross-over placebo controlled clinical study. Participants consumed daily a yogurt containing L. reuteri CRL 1098 or a placebo for four weeks, separated by a wash-out period. Total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoprotein levels were assessed at the beginning and at the end of each period. We found a statistically significant reduction of total (–7.86 g/dl) and LDL (–7.02 g/dl) cholesterol in absolute changes (before-after) as well as a decreasing trend in the group receiving the yogurt containing L. reuteri with respect to the placebo group, without detecting changes in HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Our results suggest that low amounts of yogurt (125 g/day) and low doses of the CRL 1098 strain (106 CFU) are sufficient to reduce total and LDL-cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects.
文摘A novel 2-indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-indano[2,3b]-2-(p-methoxy-phenyl)[1,5]benzo-2,5-dihydrothiazepine 5a,b (addition Michael/cyclization) (~30.32%), indano[2,3b]-2-ferrocenyl- and 2-(p-methoxyphenyl)[1,4] benzothiazine 4a,b (addition “anti-Michael”/cyclization) (~45.43%), respectively, were obtained by the condensation of 2-ferrocenyl-and 2-(p-methoxy-phenyl)methyliden-1,3-indandiones 1a,b with o-aminothiophenol 2 in the presence of AcOH and HCl. A new “anti-Michael” addition reaction of 1,4-bis-heteronucleophile 2 into 2-arylmethyliden-1,3-indandiones was reported. As a result of this reaction the product 1a,b was obtained. The structures of the resultant compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental and X-ray diffraction analysis. The in vitro antitumor activity of the obtained products was researched using the following human cancer cell lines: glioblastoma (CNS U-251), prostatic adenocarcinoma (PC-3), chronic myelogenous leukemia (K562), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HCT-15), mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and small cell lung cancer (SKLU) and the sulforhodamine B (SRB) method. Among these new compounds some thiazine and thiazepine derivatives showed compelling in vitro antitumor effects on cell lines K-562, HCT-15, SKLU-1 and MCF-7.
文摘Turner-Kieser syndrome is a rare genetic disorder, autosomal dominant, which is related to variable gene expression and high penetrance, due to mutations in the LMX1B gene that affects connective tissue. The clinic has characteristics with alterations in nails, knees, elbows, and presence of iliac horns that makes the anesthetic difficult. However, data in the literature needs more research on this area. The present report is a cesarean section under general intravenous anesthesia performed on a 32-week pregnant woman due to the maternal risk of full-term evolution and aims to contribute to the anesthetic management of patients with this syndrome as there are few descriptions in the literature regarding the anesthetic management in Turner-Kieser syndrome. Even being a case report, the syndrome is rare and it is important to be reported to all anesthesiologists becoming aware of its management and to choose the best technique and anticipate possible complications. During general anesthesia, the technique chosen for the case reported here, we emphasize the risks of possible difficulty in intubating and positioning the patient, as well as renal impairment caused by changes in the cardiovascular autonomic response due to the choice of some drugs. Therefore, in the present report, our option was intravenous general anesthesia because of maternal complications, where fast acting drugs without renal metabolism or excretion were selected, resulting in an uneventful anesthetic procedure.
文摘Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. According to its neurobiological mechanism, pain is classified into nociceptive, inflammatory, dysfunctional, and neuropathic. Neuropathic pain (NP) is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Both pregabalin and gabapentin are pharmaceuticals used as validation drugs in experimental models of NP. Pregabalin was shown to produce significant antihyperalgesic and antiallodynic effects. Gabapentin is used as a reference compound for new analgesics and reduces tactile allodynia in rats. The aim of this work is to evaluate pregabalin and gabapentin effects on nociceptive behaviors induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Female Wistar rats of 140 - 160 g were used, divided into five groups: Naive, SHAM, SNL rats treated with saline solution, SNL rats treated with pregabalin 30 mg/kg p.o., SNL rats treated with gabapentin 300 mg/kg p.o. Nociceptive behaviors were determined by the up and down method. In the establishment of SNL-induced allodynic behavior, a reduction in paw withdrawal threshold was observed in the time course, which was present from day 1 and it was maintained for 28 days post-ligation. With the administration of pregabalin and gabapentin, anti-allodynic behavior was observed in the time course and in the areas under the curve (AUC) of the time course of anti-allodynic behavior, significant difference was observed between pregabalin, and gabapentin groups compared to vehicle with a value of p < 0.0001. The results showed pregabalin and gabapentin induce an antinociceptive effect in rats subjected to SNL.
文摘This paper introduces a mathematical model which describes the dynamics of the spread of HIV in the human body. This model is comprised of a system of ordinary differential equations that involve susceptible cells, infected cells, HIV, immune cells and immune active cells. The distinguishing feature in the proposed model with respect to other models in the literature is that it takes into account cells that represent two distinct mechanisms of the immune system in the defense against HIV: the non-HIV-activated cells and the HIV-activated cells. With a view at minimizing the side effects of a treatment that employs a drug combination designed to attack the HIV at various stages of its life cycle, we introduce control variables that represent the infected patient’s medication. The optimal control rule that prescribes the medication for a given time period is obtained by means of Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle.
文摘Foodborne Illnesses (FI) are considered an important problem in public health for their high levels of morbidity and, in some cases, of mortality in Mexico and around the world. Different agents that cause Foodborne Illnesses, in which biological agents such as the genus Salmonella spp., are included, have been often associated with outbreaks. A continued effort has been observed in the food industry, in collaboration with sanitary authorities on a global scale, through the creation and continued improvement of different procedures to prevent the contamination by Salmonella, in which the elaboration of laboratory methodologies for the detection and isolation of this pathogen in foods and, in such manner, prevents the outbreak of illnesses. However, along with the aforementioned, it has been reported that a few years ago, the appearance of an ever-increasing number of strains of Salmonella spp., in foods with multi-drug resistance to antibiotics which are used in the treatment of its illness, results in a major emphasis on the health issue related to Foodborne Illnesses and, in particular, to those generated by factors of medical dependence such as the increase in recuperation time, costs, and reduction in the number of alternative pharmaceutical treatments. This work presents a general overview of FI, in which illnesses generated by bacteria of the genus Salmonella spp., their detection in a microbiological laboratory, as well as the phenomenon of resistance to antibiotics by these bacteria, and the current and difficult issue reported through different investigations all around the world, of the rise in this phenomenon and its importance in public health, are discussed.
文摘Carbon nanotubes have been used as scaffolds for tissue engineering. However, the identification of these nanomaterials disperses in biological solutions and their direct interaction with nerve cells is still controversial. The aim of this work is to characterize the topographic and ultra-structural distribution of the composite made of multi wall carbon nanotubes-polyvinylpyrrolidone (MWCNTs-PVP) deposited on the Helix aspersa neurons and over glass coverslip. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Confocal Microscopy (CM) studies were done to analyze the properties of such MWCNTs-PVP composite. The cerebral ganglion of Helix aspersa was treated and incubated with MWCNTs-PVP, fixing it in paraformaldehyde at 4% and was observed with SEM and CM. Although the nanotubes were not labeled or stained with fluorescent compounds, the MWCNTs-PVP deposited on glass and on nerve cells, was observed by the confocal microscope in the reflection mode. In SEM studies, it was observed that MWCNTs-PVP was attached to the surface on neurons. Moreover, in CM studies, it was possible to observe that MWCNTs-PVP was attached to the neuronal membrane, crossing the cell membrane and getting into the cytoplasm. These results support the hypothesis that carbon nanotubes interact with the neuronal cell membrane and can be useful for neuronal tissue engineering. In addition, these results open new alternatives for toxicological studies, in order to elucidate the cytotoxicity of MWCNTs-PVP composite in neurons and other excitable cells.
文摘If an operator is not invertible, we are interested if there is a subspace such that the reduction of the operator to that subspace is invertible. In this paper we give a spectral approach to generalized inverses considering the subspace determined by the range of the spectral projection associated with an operator and a spectral set containing the point 0. We compare the cases, 0 is a simple pole of the resolvent function, 0 is a pole of order n of the resolvent function, 0 is an isolated point of the spectrum, and 0 is contained in a circularly isolated spectral set.
文摘Background: COVID-19 is a rapidly transmissible pneumonia-like illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 that out broke in China in 2019 and is currently circulating worldwide. In the current context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, complications are observed in clinical settings for the treatment of severe COVID-19 disease in nosocomial settings, due to cases of fungal co-infections. Objective: To carry out a review on fungal infections associated with respiratory infections caused by COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) and their aggravation. Methodology: The purpose of this study is to inform the reader about the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and the main fungal species that are affecting patients undergoing treatment for severe COVID-19, provoking discussion of the importance of the proposed topic, in relation to co-infections by different fungal microorganisms. Result: 80 scientific studies were selected, resulting from patients with COVID-19 and most commonly observed in patients with a history of comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney disease, severe liver disease, oncological diseases, obesity and with severe COVID-19. These data do not represent the total number of records of the disease in the world, but cases reported by researchers in their series, showing the overlapping of fungal co-infection through the compromised immune status due to the use of therapeutic drugs, dysregulation of the microbiota, age of patients and the severity itself of the severe inflammation caused by COVID-19. Conclusion: The immunosuppression caused by the infection of COVID-19 concomitant with its therapy through corticosteroid therapy and comorbidities of the patients made fungal infections more susceptible, and these interfere in the evolution of the case and in the treatment of COVID-19, being relevant to distinguish secondary infections to therapy and the best possible reconstitution of the clinical picture.
文摘New recycling alternative for multilayer films was successfully presented. Food packaging formed from different materials is difficult to recycle. The use of aluminum, glass, paper, paints, varnishes, and other materials in the rolling processes from plastic packaging is intended to optimize the efficiency of packaging. Nevertheless, these materials prevent the recycling of packaging because they become contaminants to the recycling process. Food multilayered packaging containing poly (ethylene terephthalate) PET, poly (ethylene) PE and aluminum was used as filler in the preparation of composites with post-consumer high density polyethylene matrix. Composites containing up to 50 wt% of filler were feasible to prepare, allowing the obtention of a material with varied mechanical and thermal properties. This feature allows the preparation of composites suitable for specific application. The addition of multilayer matter in the polyethylene matrix provided a material with excellent mechanical properties such as higher tensile impact strength (148 J/m) and elasticity (350 MPa) as compared to pure polyethylene (40 J/m and 450 MPa).
文摘Black holes contradict the Nernst-Planck (N/P) version of the 3rd law of thermodynamics, but agree with its unattainability (U) version. This happens without contradiction, because the N/P and U versions are not equivalent, namely, N/P implies U but U does not imply N/P. So, black holes obey the weaker version of the 3rd law, but not the stronger one.
文摘In this paper, the addition of admixed superabsorbent polymer (SAP) improved the microstructure and durability-related properties in a cement-based system with supplementary materials. This is an important issue in real construction projects when good durability properties are required. This study investigates the effect of SAP on the systems using cement replacement by fly ash and silica fume considering the strength properties and durability properties of paste under sulfate attack of cement-based system. The replacement considered in the study was of 10% silica fume and 20% fly ash in each case, the dosage of SAP was 0.25% of the total amount of cementitious material. The results showed that the addition of SAP in the cement-based system improved the compressive strength and reduced expansion to sulfate attack. Scanning electron micrographs showed that utilization of fly ash with silica fume and silica fume with SAP resulted in a much denser microstructure, thereby, leading to an increase in compressive strength and lower expansion under sulfate attack.
文摘Brazil is the world largest producer of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) leading to a great generation of residues such as bagasse and straw, which represent two thirds of sugarcane energetic potential. Regarding these residues energetic potential, it is interesting to study their application in biorefinery processes. Thus, this work aimed at performing a chemical characterization of sugarcane straw and bagasse from RB867515 cultivar grown in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil aiming at their use as feedstock in biorefinery processes. The obtained results were compared to data from other states and it was possible to conclude that edaphoclimatic conditions of Rio Grande do Sul have little influence in sugarcane residues chemical composition. Sugarcane bagasse presents larger potential for energetic use because of its volatiles content (74.82%) slightly higher than straw (68.90%), besides its high lignin content (21.85%) and higher calorific value (18.70 MJ/kg). Both sugarcane residues produced in Rio Grande do Sul have potential use as substrate in the obtainment of high value-added products from their cellulosic fractions (41.30% and 37.25%, respectively). The evaluation of energetic and chemical potential of sugarcane bagasse and straw produced in Rio Grande do Sul leads to the conclusion that these materials have high potential for use as feedstock in biorefineries.
文摘Background: Hepatocellular adenoma is a rare liver tumor that may require surgical treatment in cases of hemorrhage or suspicion of malignant lesions. Aim: To analyze data from patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: From January 2005 to March 2019, sixty-nine patients with HCA underwent hepatectomy at centers in Rio de Janeiro. They were included in the analysis patients undergoing hepatectomy with pathological diagnosis of hepatocellular adenoma and excluded patients with hepatectomy with anatomopathological diagnosis other than hepatocellular adenoma, mainly nodular focal hyperplasia. Data related to patients, tumor and surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Sixty patients (87%) were female and nine were male. Among women, 83% had a history of contraceptive use;among men, only one had an androgen intake history. Overall mean age was 36.4 years (15 - 49), with men older than women (33.9 ± 8.14 years vs. 40.4 ± 6.27 years;P = 0.02). Forty one patients reported abdominal pain, associated or not to other symptoms;32% had an episode of hemorrhage;28 were asymptomatic with an incidental radiological finding. In total, 45 patients presented only one lesion and overall mean size was 8.1 cm (2 - 31);tumors were larger among men (mean size 12.9 ± 9.86 cm vs. 7.7 ± 4.58 cm;P = 0.009). Twenty one surgeries were laparoscopic. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was identified in three specimens and the incidence was higher among men (22.2% vs. 1.6%;P = 0.042) and in tumors larger than 20 cm (66.6% vs. 0.02%). There was no perioperative mortality. Two of the three patients with HCC died with extrahepatic recurrence;the remaining patient is well after 36 months. Overall mean follow-up time was 14.2 months (2 - 76). Conclusion: Male patients with HCA were older and had larger tumors when compared to females. Incidence of HCC was higher among men and in lesions larger than 20 cm. Male patients with HCA should be treated more aggressively than females.
