Abstract
This research aims to evaluate the application of babassu mesocarp starch in the development of polymeric films compared to corn starch widely exploited due to its abundance and worldwide ...availability. Thus, films based on blends of poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PLA/PBAT) containing commercial corn starch or starch extracted from the babassu mesocarp were developed by means of flat extrusion. The films were characterized and the results indicate that the color, wettability and surfaces depend on the type of starch added. Films containing babassu mesocarp starch present rougher, opaque surfaces with greater water resistance than those with corn starch. The data from this research suggest that both babassu mesocarp and corn starch are alternatives for the production of polymeric films.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that in most cases induces irreversible necrosis of lung tissue as a result of excessive inflammatory ...reactions. The murine model of TB in resistant C57BL/6 mice infected with reference Mtb strains is widely used in TB studies; however, these mice do not show a necrotic pathology, which restricts their use in studies of irreversible tissue damage. Recently, we demonstrated that necrotic lung lesions could be induced in the C57BL/6 mice by highly virulent Mtb strains belonging to the modern Beijing sublineage. However, the pathogenic mechanisms leading to necrosis in this model were not elucidated. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of lung lesions in mice infected with highly virulent Beijing Mtb strain M299, compared with those infected with laboratory Mtb strain H37Rv. The data demonstrate that necrotic lung lesions in mice infected by the strain M299 were associated with enhanced recruitment of myeloid cells, especially neutrophils, and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, consistent with exacerbated inflammation. High levels of IFN-γ production contributed to the control of bacterial growth. Further progression to chronic disease was associated with a reduction in the levels of inflammatory mediators in the lungs, the accumulation of foamy macrophages and partial healing of the necrotic tissue by fibrosis. At a late stage of disease, degradation of foamy cells resulted in the liberation of accumulated lipids and persisting bacilli and further activation of inflammation, which promoted lung consolidation. Overall, our studies show that C57BL/6 mice infected with highly virulent Mtb strain may serve as a TB model reproducing an exacerbated inflammatory response in a resistant host to hypervirulent mycobacteria, leading to irreversible necrotic lung lesions.
In this paper, we present data from measurements made in the textured fibers bobbins in two different conditions, presenting critical quality characteristics such as diameter, mass and density. In ...order to obtain a significant amount of information, in each of the two conditions, 270 measurements were obtained for each of the quality characteristics. Three different equipments (Automatic Package Analyzer - APA) were used in ten different parts, replicated three times for each of them. Considering the two measurement data collection, an amount of 540 bobbins measurements were obtained. Almeida et al., (2019) applied these measurement data in his study. Taking into account the multicorrelated nature of the information, we also have the representation of the principal components' scores for these measurements, besides the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the data.
To compare the use of intravenous and topical tranexamic acid (TXA) in unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in relation to blood loss and complications inherent to the medication.
Three ...groups with 14 patients each were constituted, and all of them were operated using the same surgical technique. In Group 1, usual measures for bleeding control were performed. Group 2 patients received TXA topically on the joint surface. In Group 3, intravenous TXA was used. Hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HTC), platelets (PLAT), prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and volume of blood drained observed 24 hours after arthroplasty were compared to the values of tests found before surgery.
There was a decrease in the concentration of HB, HTC and PLAT in all groups in relation to the preoperative, however without significant difference. Group 3 had a lower mean volume of drained blood than the other groups, with statistical significance. No adverse effects or thromboembolic events were observed in the groups that received TXA.
This study showed superiority in the use of intravenous TXA in decreasing the volume of bleeding, without increasing the risk of thromboembolic events.
The course of leprosy depends of the host immune response which ranges from the lepromatous pole (LL) to the tuberculoid pole (TT). A comparative study was conducted in 60 patients with the LL and ...TT. The results showed a mean expression of TGF-β of 339 ± 99.4 cells/field for TT and of 519.2 ± 68.2 cells/field for LL. Frequency of apoptosis was 6.3 ± 1.8 in TT and 14.0 ± 6.1 in LL. A correlation (p = 0.0251) between TGF-β and caspase-3 in the LL was found. This finding indicates a role of TGF-β and apoptosis in the immune response in leprosy.
Among non-tuberculous mycobacteria,
Mycobacterium kansasii
is one of the most pathogenic, able to cause pulmonary disease indistinguishable from tuberculosis in immunocompetent susceptible adults. ...The lack of animal models that reproduce human-like lung disease, associated with the necrotic lung pathology, impairs studies of
M. kansasii
virulence and pathogenicity. In this study, we examined the ability of the C57BL/6 mice, intratracheally infected with highly virulent
M. kansasii
strains, to produce a chronic infection and necrotic lung pathology. As a first approach, we evaluated ten
M. kansasii
strains isolated from Brazilian patients with pulmonary disease and the reference strain
M. kansasii
ATCC 12478 for virulence-associated features in macrophages infected
in vitro
; five of these strains differing in virulence were selected for
in vivo
analysis. Highly virulent isolates induced progressive lung disease in mice, forming large encapsulated caseous granulomas in later stages (120–150 days post-infection), while the low-virulent strain was cleared from the lungs by day 40. Two strains demonstrated increased virulence, causing premature death in the infected animals. These data demonstrate that C57BL/6 mice are an excellent candidate to investigate the virulence of
M. kansasii
isolates. We observed considerable heterogeneity in the virulence profile of these strains, in which the presence of highly virulent strains allowed us to establish a clinically relevant animal model. Comparing public genomic data between Brazilian isolates and isolates from other geographic regions worldwide demonstrated that at least some of the highly pathogenic strains isolated in Brazil display remarkable genomic similarities with the ATCC strain 12478 isolated in the United States 70 years ago (less than 100 SNPs of difference), as well as with some recent European clinical isolates. These data suggest that few pathogenic clones have been widely spread within
M. kansasii
population around the world.
The magnetite nanoparticles were prepared in the mesoporous styrene–divinylbenzene template by an in situ chemical cyclic route. Precipitation of magnetite occurred after adding NaOH into the Fe ...aqueous solution. Each nanoparticle was prepared in a layer-by-layer manner; N chemical synthesis cycles were applied. The crystalline quality and crystal phase were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The size distribution was obtained from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particle size increased with the number of chemical cycles. Dynamic properties assessed by AC susceptibility revealed a slowing of the magnetic relaxation of the smaller particles due to dipolar interaction between nanoparticles. The AC data was well described by the Vogel–Fulcher relationship. The magnetic parameters obtained from magnetization hysteresis loops showed a dependence with N.
Display omitted
•Magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by the porous styrene–divinylbenzene beads.•The chemical synthesis was performed N times to obtain the N-cycle composite.•Saturation magnetization and the coercive field increases with N.
Background Infective dermatitis associated with human T cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection is a chronic, relapsing eczema of childhood. Methods Children, their mothers, and their ...siblings underwent serological testing for HTLV-I. Epidemiological data were collected from all seropositive children and their family members, and clinical and dermatological examinations were performed. Laboratory studies, including skin culture, and histopathological analyses were also performed. The diagnosis of infective dermatitis associated with HTLV-I (IDH) was made according to previously established criteria. Results All of the patients with cases that demonstrated clinical aspects of IDH were positive for HTLV-I. The median age of the children at the time of the first visit was 8.0 years (range, 2–14 years). The median duration of breastfeeding for 19 children was 22.5 months (range, 1–48 months). The lesions were erythematous, scaly, exudative, and crusted in all cases. The scalp, retroauricular areas, neck, and groin were the regions that were commonly affected. Cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus for 95% of the patients. The children were followed-up for a median of 3.0 years (range, 0.1–7 years), and 5 children developed HTLV-I-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. All of the children except 1 were treated with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and their lesions either improved greatly or completely disappeared. Conclusions The present study demonstrates the severity of IDH in Bahia and confirms that its diagnosis is based almost exclusively on clinical aspects of the disease. Serological testing for HTLV-I and careful follow-up is recommended for all children with chronic, relapsing, severe eczema in regions where HTLV-I is endemic.
Object
Over the past few decades, various authors have performed open or stereotactic trigeminal nucleotractotomy for the treatment of neuropathic facial pain resistant to medical treatment. ...Stereotactic procedures can be performed percutaneously under local anesthesia, allowing intraoperative neurological examination as a method for target refinement. However, blind percutaneous procedures in the region of the atlantooccipital transition carry a considerably high risk of vascular injuries that may bring prohibitive neurological deficit or even death. To avoid such complications, the authors present the first clinical use of microendoscopy to assist percutaneous radiofrequency trigeminal nucleotractotomy. The aim of this article is to demonstrate intradural microendoscopic visualization of the medulla oblongata through an atlantooccipital percutaneous approach.
Methods
The authors present a case of severe postherpetic facial neuralgia in a patient who underwent the procedure and had satisfactory results. Stereotactic computational image planning for targeting the spinal trigeminal tract and nucleus in the posterolateral medulla was performed, allowing for an accurate percutaneous approach. Immediately before radiofrequency electrode insertion, a fine endoscope was introduced to visualize the structures in the cisterna magna.
Results
Microendoscopic visualization offered clear identification of the pial surface of the medulla oblongata and its blood vessels, the arachnoid membrane, cranial nerve rootlets and their entry zone, and larger vessels such as the vertebral arteries and the branches of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery.
Conclusions
The initial application of this technique suggests that percutaneous microendoscopy may be useful for particular manipulation of the medulla oblongata, increasing the safety of the procedure and likely improving its effectiveness.
PDF
