Newspaper coverage of the Canudos War dehumanized the sertanejos, portraying them in such a way that empathy or grief for their suffering was inaccessible to the Brazilian readership. Euclides da ...Cunha, a war correspondent for the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, was amongst those who contributed to the state’s war narrative that represented the sertanejos as an inhuman mass and glorified the republican soldiers as heroes. However, in retrospect to the war, Euclides writes his Os sertões, undermining much of the journalistic rhetoric established during the war by exposing the republican soldiers’ cruel acts of violence and condemning the war as illegal. In effect, he inadvertently elevates the sertanejo to the level of a perceivable individual whose death can be mourned. This article juxtaposes a reading of newspaper coverage of the Canudos conflict with Euclides’ account in Os sertões. In doing so, this article elucidates the relationship between life and suspended law, ultimately providing a biopolitical reading of these texts.
Pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) is a multi-functional pattern recognition molecule produced by various cell types of peripheral tissues in different infections. It is raised in sepsis, but its values in ...predicting disease severity or mortality outcomes have been controversial. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of these associations.
PubMed and Embase were searched until July 18, 2017 for studies that evaluated the relationship between PTX-3 levels and disease severity or mortality in sepsis.
A total of 23 and 10 entries were retrieved from both databases, respectively, of which 16 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. A total of 3001 patients (56% male, mean age 63 ± 15 years; mean follow-up duration of 207 days) were analysed. PTX-3 was significantly higher in patients with more severe sepsis compared to those with less severe sepsis (standard mean difference = 18.5 ng/mL, standard error: 4.5 ng/mL, P < 0.0001) and higher in non-survivors compared to survivors (standard mean difference = 40.3 ng/mL, standard error: 6.8 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Elevated PTX-3 levels significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.53 to 2.46, P < 0.0001).
PTX-3 significantly predicts disease severity and mortality in sepsis.
•Diagnostic tools in laboratory mycology are in continuous development worldwide, including validation of new techniques.•Economical or geographical factors may play a key role in the incidence and ...clinical handling of invasive fungal infections (IFIs).•Efforts to depict the status of the diagnostic capacity for IFIs have been made at a pan-Asia/Pacific level.•IFI diagnostic status and therapeutic capabilities in Asia/Pacific are heterogeneous because of IFI endemicity and burden and economic resources.•Partnerships are required to advance understanding, diagnostics and management of IFI, and to augment fungal surveillance data.
Introduction: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in Asia/Pacific are a particular threat to patients with malignancies, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or undiagnosed/untreated human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Adequate and early access to diagnostic tools and antifungals is essential for IFI clinical management and patient survival.
Methods: Details on institution profile, self-perception on IFI, and access to microscopy, culture, serology, antigen detection, molecular testing, and therapeutic drug monitoring for IFI were collected in a survey.
Results: As of June 2022, 235 centres from 40 countries/territories in Asia/Pacific answered the questionnaire. More than half the centres were from six countries: India (25%), China (17%), Thailand (5%), Indonesia, Iran, and Japan (4% each). Candida spp. (93%) and Aspergillus spp. (75%) were considered the most relevant pathogens. Most institutions had access to microscopy (98%) or culture-based approaches (97%). Furthermore, 79% of centres had access to antigen detection, 66% to molecular assays, and 63% to antibody tests. Access to antifungals varied between countries/territories. At least one triazole was available in 93% of the reporting sites (voriconazole 89% was the most common mould-active azole), whereas 80% had at least one amphotericin B formulation, and 72% had at least one echinocandin.
Conclusion: According to the replies provided, the resources available for IFI diagnosis and management vary among Asia/Pacific countries/territories. Economical or geographical factors may play a key role in the incidence and clinical handling of this disease burden. Regional cooperation may be a good strategy to overcome shortcomings.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) results in complications affecting both mothers and their offspring. Metabolomic analysis across pregnancy provides an opportunity to better understand GDM ...pathophysiology. The objective was to conduct a metabolomics analysis of first and third trimester plasma samples to identify metabolic differences associated with GDM development. Forty pregnant women with overweight/obesity from a multisite clinical trial of a lifestyle intervention were included. Participants who developed GDM (n = 20; GDM group) were matched with those who did not develop GDM (n = 20; Non-GDM group). Plasma samples collected at the first (10–16 weeks) and third (28–35 weeks) trimesters were analyzed with ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Cardiometabolic risk markers, dietary recalls, and physical activity metrics were also assessed. Four medium-chain acylcarnitines, lauroyl-, octanoyl-, decanoyl-, and decenoylcarnitine, significantly differed over the course of pregnancy in the GDM vs Non-GDM group in a group-by-time interaction (p < 0.05). Hypoxanthine and inosine monophosphate were elevated in the GDM group (p < 0.04). In both groups over time, bile acids and sorbitol increased while numerous acylcarnitines and α-hydroxybutyrate decreased (p < 0.05). Metabolites involved in fatty acid oxidation and purine degradation were altered across the first and third trimesters of GDM-affected pregnancies, providing insight into metabolites and metabolic pathways altered with GDM development.
The 11‐zinc finger protein CCCTC‐binding factor (CTCF) is a highly conserved protein, involved in imprinting, long‐range chromatin interactions and transcription. To investigate its function in vivo, ...we generated mice with a conditional Ctcf knockout allele. Consistent with a previous report, we find that ubiquitous ablation of the Ctcf gene results in early embryonic lethality. Tissue‐specific inactivation of CTCF in thymocytes specifically hampers the differentiation of αβ T cells and causes accumulation of late double‐negative and immature single‐positive cells in the thymus of mice. These cells are normally large and actively cycling, and contain elevated amounts of CTCF. In Ctcf knockout animals, however, these cells are small and blocked in the cell cycle due to increased expression of the cyclin‐CDK inhibitors p21 and p27. Taken together, our results show that CTCF is required in a dose‐dependent manner and is involved in cell cycle progression of αβ T cells in the thymus. We propose that CTCF positively regulates cell growth in rapidly dividing thymocytes so that appropriate number of cells are generated before positive and negative selection in the thymus.
Despite the success of conjugate vaccination against meningococcal group C (MenC) disease, post-vaccination, some individuals still exhibit rapid waning of initially protective bactericidal antibody ...levels. The mechanism of this relative loss of humoral protection remains undetermined. In this report we have investigated the relationship between T- and B-cell activation and co-stimulation and the loss of protective antibody titers. We have found that healthy volunteers who lose protective MenC antibody levels one year after receipt of glycoconjugate vaccine exhibit no detectable cellular defect in polyclonal B- or T-cell activation, proliferation or the B-memory pool. This suggests that the processes underlying the more rapid loss of antibody levels are independent of defects in either initial T- or B-cell activation.
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