Control of canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains a difficult and serious problem mostly because there is no reliable and effective vaccine available to prevent this disease. A mixture of three ...recombinant leishmanial antigens (TSA, LeIF and LmSTI1) encoded by three genes highly conserved in the Leishmania genus have been shown to induce excellent protection against infection in both murine and simian models of cutaneous leishmaniasis. A human clinical trial with these antigens is currently underway. Because of the high degree of conservation, these antigens might be useful vaccine candidates for VL as well. In the present study, using the dog model of the visceral disease, we evaluated the immunogenicity of these three antigens formulated with two different adjuvants, MPL-SE and AdjuPrime. The results were compared with a whole parasite vaccine formulated with BCG as the adjuvant. In order to investigate if sensitization with the recombinant antigens would result in recognition of the corresponding native parasite antigens upon infection, the animals were exposed for four weeks after the termination of the immunization protocol with the recombinant antigens to a low number of L. chagasi promastigotes, an etiological agent of VL. Immune response was evaluated by quantitative ELISA in the animal sera before and after exposure to the viable parasites. Both antigen specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibody levels were measured. Immunization of dogs with the recombinant antigens formulated in either MPL-SE or AdjuPrime resulted in high antibody levels particularly to LmSTI1. In addition, this immunization although to low levels, resulted in the development of antibody response to the whole parasite lysate. Importantly, experimental exposure with low numbers of culture forms of L. chagasi promastigotes caused a clear boost in the immune response to both the recombinant antigens and the corresponding native molecules. The boost response was predominantly of the IgG2 isotype in animals primed with the recombinant antigens plus MPL-SE. In contrast, animals primed with the recombinant antigens formulated in AdjuPrime as well as animals vaccinated with crude antigen preparation responded with mixed IgG1/IgG2 isotypes. These results point to the possible use of this antigen cocktail formulated with the adjuvant MPL-SE in efficacy field trials against canine VL.
Background
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in order to protect the patient and to save hospital beds, cancelation of elective surgeries has become a great challenge. Considering that obesity is a ...chronic disease and the possible effect imposed by quarantine on weight gain with worsening rates of obesity and metabolic comorbidities, the creation of a protocol for a safe return to bariatric surgery became essential.
Objective
The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of new-onset severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) symptoms in patients who underwent bariatric procedures during the declining curve period.
Setting
Private practice
Methods
A prospective observational cohort study was conducted and included patients with indications for bariatric surgery during the decreasing curve period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic who underwent surgery under a hospital security protocol. Patients were asked to answer a questionnaire and had a swab PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 detection. The primary outcome measure was the presence of 14-day and 30-day postoperative symptoms associated with COVID-19. Mortality was also analyzed.
Results
Three hundred patients with negative RT-PCR were operated on from May to June 2020. Seventeen patients had their surgery postponed because of a positive RT-PCR test or close contact. None of the patients developed new-onset SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic infection after 30 days of observation. No deaths were reported. Eleven had complications not related to SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusions
Even though this population may have a poorer outcome when infected with SARS-CoV-2, this security protocol has shown that the procedure can be safely performed during the outbreak.
Hydrogeologist EurGeol José Martins Carvalho (BSc, PhD, DSc) gave his last lecture at the School of Engineering of Polytechnic of Porto in January 2014, bringing to a formal close an outstanding ...career in multidisciplinary hydrogeology teaching and practice (in Europe, Africa, Middle-East, Asia, South America) and in applied research. Nowadays, he is Emeritus Professor of the Polytechnic of Porto and Consultant Hydrogeologist. He has had a career spanning 50 years in military hydrogeology, exploration hydrogeology, environmental hydrogeology, groundwater engineering, hydrogeotechnics, urban water supply, water resources management and geothermics. This brief note aims to present the key milestones in his multifaceted professional career, acting as a geologist, a professor and a researcher of groundwater science. The essence of his long career over the last five decades was to promote the practice, teaching and research of hydrogeology to solve social problems and challenges via an environmental, sustainable and ethical approach. In his own words: “Water is a unique resource: a drop can save a life, in war and peace”.
Background The aim of this study was: (i) to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of mammaglobin as a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) marker of breast cancer cells; (ii) ...to determine the incidence of tumor cell contamination of hematopoietic samples from patients with breast cancer. Materials and methods A nested RT-PCR assay for mammaglobin was developed. Sensitivity was determined by serial dilution assays with breast cancer cell lines, human breast cancers and normal breast tissue. Specificity was evaluated in hematopoietic samples from healthy volunteers and patients with hematological malignancies or solid tumors other than breast cancer. Results The mammaglobin transcript was detected in all 15 breast cancers, one benign breast tumor and five normal breast tissues studied, as well as in three breast cancer cell lines, in dilutions as low as 10–8. The transcript was not detected in any of 47 peripheral blood samples, 15 bone marrow aspirates and 28 peripheral blood progenitor cell samples from the three control populations. Mammaglobin mRNA was detected in 19 of 78 peripheral blood samples from patients with breast cancer starting systemic chemotherapy, as well as in five of 30 repeat samples collected before the fourth cycle of treatment. The transcript was also present in six of seven bone marrow aspirates from patients with metastatic disease, two of five with loco-regional disease, but not in the aspirate of two patients with thrombocytopenia and a previous history of breast cancer. Conclusions Human mammaglobin mRNA is a sensitive and specific marker of breast cancer cells and should be further studied as a molecular marker of tumor cell contamination of hematopoietic tissues.
Abstract Background Orthotopic liver transplantation is an essential approach performed in several centers around the world. Our center lies in northeastern Brazil and has performed this procedure ...since 2002. In 2011, 126 liver transplants were performed at our institution. Methods This study is a retrospective and descriptive analysis of the data collected from the medical records of those transplants. Epidemiological and clinical aspects were considered in this evaluation. The outcome analysis considered overall survival rates within 30 days and 1 year after transplantation. Results The sample of 124 patients showed 60% of all patients came from other regions, particularly the North and Midwest regions of Brazil, which had a combined population of >30 million in 2011. The most frequent etiologies for end-stage liver disease were hepatitis C and alcoholism. The average calculated MELD (Model for end-stage liver disease) was 21.0. Patient survival curves were 88.4% after 30 days and 81.5% after 1 year. Conclusion The development of effective perioperative management for this procedure resulted in improved outcomes. Our center's performance is based on a multidisciplinary approach performed by qualified personnel, careful pre- and postoperative follow-up and continuous improvement of services.
To evaluate variation in skeletal age (SA) within single-year chronological age (CA) groups of soccer players aged 11 to 17 years in the context of using SA for age verification in age-group ...competitions.
Cross sectional.
Regional and elite youth soccer programs.
Five hundred ninety-two male players from Portugal and Spain.
Skeletal age assessed with the Fels method.
Skeletal age and maturity status (late, average, early, or mature).
Chronological age and SA overlapped in players aged 11 to 12 years, but SA was advanced relative to CA in players aged 14 to 16 years. The majority of players between 11 and 12 years of age were on time in skeletal maturity and percentages of late and early maturers did not differ. The majority of players between 13 and 14 years of age were also on time, but early maturers were 4 times more frequent than late maturers. Percentages of late maturers were low among players aged 14 to 16 years. Among 200 players aged 15 to 16 years, 80 (40%) were advanced in SA by > 1 year and 27 (14%) were skeletally mature, whereas among 23 players aged 17 years, 9 (39%) were skeletally mature.
Among adolescent soccer player, boys advanced in SA for CA are overrepresented and those later in SA for CA are underrepresented with increasing CA. If Fels SA was used to verify CA in this sample of youth for under-17 competition, 36 skeletally mature players aged 15 to 17 years (16%) would be disqualified. The results for this sample of male soccer players question the utility of SA or magnetic resonance imaging as a valid estimate of CA in youth sport competitions.
Rare earth elements such as lanthanum (La) have been used as agricultural inputs in some countries in order to enhance yield and improve crop quality. However, little is known about the effect of La ...on the growth and structure of soybean, which is an important food and feed crop worldwide. In this study, bioaccumulation of La and its effects on the growth and mitotic index of soybean was evaluated. Soybean plants were exposed to increasing concentrations of La (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160µM) in nutrient solution for 28 days. Plant response to La was evaluated in terms of plant growth, nutritional characteristics, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, mitotic index, modifications in the ultrastructure of roots and leaves, and La mapping in root and shoot tissues. The results showed that the roots of soybean plants can accumulate sixty-fold more La than shoots. La deposition occurred mainly in cell walls and in crystals dispersed in the root cortex and in the mesophyll. When La was applied, it resulted in increased contents of some essential nutrients (i.e., Ca, P, K, and Mn), while Cu and Fe levels decreased. Moreover, low La concentrations stimulated the photosynthetic rate and total chlorophyll content and lead to a higher incidence of binucleate cells, resulting in a slight increase in roots and shoot biomass. At higher La levels, soybean growth was reduced. This was caused by ultrastructural modifications in the cell wall, thylakoids and chloroplasts, and the appearance of c-metaphases.
•Lanthanum (La) distribution mapping in root and leaf tissues.•Low levels of La were translocated from root to shoot.•La treatment leads to the appearance of binuclear cells.
This work presents preliminary results aiming on providing Inmetro with a radiometric transfer standard in the UV-A spectral range. A broadband UV radiometer head was constructed using an UV ...photodiode, a commercially available UV-A optical filter and a precision aperture. These components have been characterized in the calibration and measurement facilities available at Inmetro. The preliminary characterization of the assembled UV broadband radiometer was carried out and the results are presented and discussed in this text.
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