Risk can be defined as the relationship between the likelihood of a hazard causing a potential disaster and its consequences. This study aims to assess the likelihood that a new industrial region, ...located in the state of São Paulo (Brazil), will be flooded, causing the disruption of the mobility system and local economic activities. To fulfill this aim, a new approach is proposed by combining the vector information of the highway network that serves the region with the result of a quasi 2-D raster flood model, generating a set of interpreting rules for classifying the safety of routes. The model called MODCEL is a quasi-2D hydrodynamic model that represents the watershed using compartments called cells, and it was adapted to work using a raster file format in which each pixel is represented as a flow cell connected to its surroundings by the Saint-Venant equations without the inertia terms. Therefore, this study proposes an assessment framework that can be replicated for similar problems of flood risks to mobility. The possible effects of flood events on the accessibility to areas of interest are determined, indicating a possible disruption to economic activities and transportation and allowing for planning alternatives in advance.
Resumo Este estudo objetiva mostrar a importância dos princípios bioéticos de Beauchamp e Childress e reafirmá-los na prática médica a fim de diminuir os números exorbitantes de processos ...ético-profissionais impetrados por iatrogenia. Além disso, busca-se elucidar as fases do processo de modo a informar a comunidade médica sobre seu andamento. Para tal, realiza-se atualização bibliográfica pautada no Código de Ética Médica, no Código de Processo Ético-Profissional e em guias práticos e dinâmicos aplicados aos princípios da bioética. Conclui-se que o exercício da medicina pautado na ética, além de ser justo e benéfico ao paciente, é também modo de resguardar o profissional de possíveis interpretações equivocadas sobre sua conduta.
Resumen El objetivo de este estudio es mostrar la importancia de los principios bioéticos de Beauchamp y Childress y reafirmarlos en la práctica médica, con el fin de reducir la exorbitante cantidad de procesos ético-profesionales provocados por la iatrogenia. Además, se busca dilucidar las fases del proceso ético-profesional para informar a la comunidad médica. Para ello, se realiza una actualización bibliográfica con base en el Código de Ética Médica, el Código de Proceso Ético-Profesional y guías prácticas y dinámicas aplicadas a los principios de la bioética. Se concluye que la práctica de la medicina basada en la ética, además de justa y beneficiosa para el paciente, también protege al profesional de posibles malas interpretaciones sobre su conducta.
Abstract This study aims to show the importance of the bioethical principles of Beauchamp and Childress, contributing to reiterate them in medical practices to reduce the exorbitant numbers of professional lawsuits brought about by iatrogenesis. Furthermore, the text tries to elucidate the phases these litigations undergo to give more information on the subject to the medical community. To this end, this research carries out a bibliographic review encompassing the Code of Medical Ethics, the Code of Ethical-Professional Litigation, as well as practical and modifiable resources applied to bioethical principles. We conclude that, besides being fair and beneficial to the patient, the practice of ethics-based medicine also serves to protect professionals from misinterpretations regarding their conduct.
The activity of different concentrations of praziquantel (PZQ) and liposome-encapsulated praziquantel (lip.PZQ) was tested on Schistosoma mansoni. They were administered 30 and 45 days following ...infection.
•We tested the activity of lip.PZQ on Schistosoma mansoni.•Additional life expectancy and oviposition of worms were evaluated.•lip.PZQ, 300mg/kg, was superior to PZQ.•Encapsulation improved bioavailability of PZQ and its absorption by the worm.
Currently, schistosomiasis mansoni is treated clinically with praziquantel (PZQ). Nevertheless, cases of tolerance and resistance to this drug have been reported, creating the need to develop new drugs or to improve existing drugs. Considering the small number of new drugs against Schistosoma mansoni, the design of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems is an important strategy in combating this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of PZQ containing liposome (lip.PZQ) on S. mansoni, BH strain. Mice were treated orally with different concentrations of PZQ and lip.PZQ 30 and 45 days following infection. The number of worms, recovered by perfusion of the hepatic portal system, and the number of eggs found in the intestine and liver were analysed. Parasite egg counts were also performed. The most active formulation for all parameters was 300mg/kg of lip.PZQ, since as it decreased the total number of worms by 68.8%, the number of eggs in the intestine by 79%, and the number of hepatic granulomas by 98.4% compared to untreated controls. In addition, this concentration decreased egg counts by 55.5%. The improved efficacy of the treatment with lip.PZQ, especially when administered 45 days following infection, compared with the positive-control group (untreated) and the groups that received free PZQ, can be explained by greater bioavailability in the host organism; the preferred target of lip.PZQ is the liver, and lip.PZQ is better absorbed by the tegument of S. mansoni, which has an affinity for phospholipids.
A ordem Odonata reúne os insetos conhecidos popularmente como libélulas. Esses organismos realizam importantes serviços ambientais nos ecossistemas associados a ambientes aquáticos dulcícolas e nas ...cadeias tróficas. Existem diferentes métodos de amostragem de Odonata adulto em campo, como busca ativa, armadilhas luminosas e malaise, entretanto há poucas informações quanto ao uso de bandejas coloridas para esse táxon, já utilizada para outros grupos de insetos. Nesse sentido o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de amostragem de Odonata por bandejas coloridas. O estudo foi conduzido em áreas de mata e campo associados a ambientes dulcícolas lênticos e lóticos na fazenda escola do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais, Campus Inconfidentes, nos meses de novembro de 2017, fevereiro e março de 2018, utilizando bandejas brancas, azuis, vermelhas e amarelas, totalizando 300 horas de esforço de amostragem por armadilha. Foram coletados 76 espécimes de oito espécies e duas famílias de Odonata As bandejas azuis foram mais eficientes do que as demais para coleta de Odonata. Apesar da eficiência da busca ativa para estudos com libélulas, o presente estudo indica as bandejas coloridas para amostragem desses insetos, seja pela sua eficiência, pelo baixo custo e pela facilidade do uso.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The antitumor effects of thiophene and acridine compounds have been described; however, the clinical usefulness of these compounds is limited due to the risk of high toxicity and drug resistance. The ...strategy of molecular hybridization presents the opportunity to develop new drugs which may display better target affinity and less serious side effects. Herein, 2-((6-Chloro-2-methoxy-acridin-9-yl)amino)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-cycloheptab-thiophene-3-carbonitrile (ACS03), a hybrid thiophene-acridine compound with antileishmanial activity, was tested for toxicity and antitumor activity. The toxicity was evaluated in vitro (on HaCat and peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and in vivo (zebrafish embryos and acute toxicity in mice). Antitumor activity was also assessed in vitro in HCT-116 (human colon carcinoma cell line), K562 (chronic myeloid leukemic cell line), HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia cell line), HeLa (human cervical cancer cell line), and MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line) and in vivo (Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model). ACS03 exhibited selectivity toward HCT-116 cells (Half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 = 23.11 ± 1.03 µM). In zebrafish embryos, ACS03 induced an increase in lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione S-transferase, and acetylcholinesterase activities. The LD50 (lethal dose 50%) value in mice was estimated to be higher than 5000 mg/kg (intraperitoneally). In vivo, ACS03 (12.5 mg/kg) induced a significant reduction in tumor volume and cell viability. In vivo antitumor activity was associated with the nitric oxide cytotoxic effect. In conclusion, significant antitumor activity and weak toxicity were recorded for this hybrid compound, characterizing it as a potential anticancer compound.
The Loxosceles genus represents one of the main arachnid genera of medical importance in Brazil. Despite the gravity of Loxosceles-related accidents, just a handful of species are deemed medically ...important and only a few have undergone comprehensive venom characterization. Loxosceles amazonica is a notable example of a potentially dangerous yet understudied Loxosceles species. While there have been limited reports of accidents involving L. amazonica to date, accidents related to Loxosceles are increasing in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, where L. amazonica has been reported. In this work, we provide a complementary biochemical and immunological characterization of L. amazonica venom, considering its most relevant enzymatic activities and its immunorecognition and neutralization by current therapeutic antivenoms. Additionally, a cDNA library enriched with phospholipase D (PLD) sequences from L. amazonica venom glands was built and subsequently sequenced. The results showed that L. amazonica venom is well immunorecognised by all the tested antibodies. Its venom also displayed proteolytic, hyaluronidase, and sphingomyelinase activities. These activities were at least partially inhibited by available antivenoms. With cDNA sequencing of PLDs, seven new putative isoforms were identified in the venom of L. amazonica. These results contribute to a better knowledge of the venom content and activities of a synanthropic, yet understudied, Loxosceles species. In vivo assays are essential to confirm the medical relevance of L. amazonica, as well as to assess its true toxic potential and elucidate its related pathophysiology.
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•Loxosceles amazonica is a synanthropic spider found in northern Brazil, extending to the North of Minas Gerais.•L. amazonica venom (LamV) is immunorecognized by therapeutic antivenoms and by anti-phospholipase-D antibodies.•LamV shows sphingomyelinase-D, gelatinase, and hyaluronidase activities in vitro, inhibited by therapeutic antivenoms.•New isoforms of phospholipases D are described in LamV.
Here, the antiviral activity of aminoadamantane derivatives were evaluated against SARS-CoV-2. The compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity to Vero, HEK293 and CALU-3 cells up to a concentration of ...1,000 µM. The inhibitory concentration (IC
) of aminoadamantane was 39.71 µM in Vero CCL-81 cells and the derivatives showed significantly lower IC
values, especially for compounds 3F4 (0.32 µM), 3F5 (0.44 µM) and 3E10 (1.28 µM). Additionally, derivatives 3F5 and 3E10 statistically reduced the fluorescence intensity of SARS-CoV-2 protein S from Vero cells at 10 µM. Transmission microscopy confirmed the antiviral activity of the compounds, which reduced cytopathic effects induced by the virus, such as vacuolization, cytoplasmic projections, and the presence of myelin figures derived from cellular activation in the face of infection. Additionally, it was possible to observe a reduction of viral particles adhered to the cell membrane and inside several viral factories, especially after treatment with 3F4. Moreover, although docking analysis showed favorable interactions in the catalytic site of Cathepsin L, the enzymatic activity of this enzyme was not inhibited significantly in vitro. The new derivatives displayed lower predicted toxicities than aminoadamantane, which was observed for either rat or mouse models. Lastly, in vivo antiviral assays of aminoadamantane derivatives in BALB/cJ mice after challenge with the mouse-adapted strain of SARS-CoV-2, corroborated the robust antiviral activity of 3F4 derivative, which was higher than aminoadamantane and its other derivatives. Therefore, aminoadamantane derivatives show potential broad-spectrum antiviral activity, which may contribute to COVID-19 treatment in the face of emerging and re-emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.
•We describe 33 patients with recurrent COVID19 and a positive PCR.•Recurrence is associated with working as a healthcare professional, blood-group A, and low IgG response to infection.•Evidence from ...differential virus sequencing between the first and second episode supports de novo reinfection.•Recurrent episodes tended to be more severe, with one fatal infection.
There is growing concern about individuals reported to suffer repeat COVID-19 disease episodes, these in a small number of cases characterised as de novo infections with distinct sequences, indicative of insufficient protective immunity even in the short term.
Observational case series and case-control studies reporting 33 cases of recurrent, symptomatic, qRT-PCR positive COVID-19. Recurrent disease was defined as symptomatic recurrence after symptom-free clinical recovery, with release from isolation >14 days from the beginning of symptoms confirmed by qRT-PCR. The case control study-design compared this group of patients with a control group of 62 patients randomly selected from the same COVID-19 database.
Of 33 recurrent COVID-19 patients, 26 were female and 30 were HCW. Mean time to recurrence was 50.5 days which was associated with being a HCW (OR 36.4 (p <0.0001)), and blood type A (OR 4.8 (p = 0.002)). SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were signifcantly lower in recurrent patients after initial COVID-19 (2.4 ± 0.610; p<0.0001) and after recurrence (6.4 ± 11.34; p = 0.007). Virus genome sequencing identified reinfection by a different isolate in one patient.
This is the first detailed case series showing COVID-19 recurrence with qRT-PCR positivity. For one individual detection of phylogenetically distinct genomic sequences in the first and second episodes confirmed bona fide renfection, but in most cases the data do not formally distinguish between reinfection and re-emergence of a chronic infection reservoir. These episodes were significantly associated with reduced Ab response during initial disease and argue the need for ongoing vigilance without an assumption of protection after a first episode.
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