IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerular disease globally, and its susceptibility and the risk for the development of end-stage kidney disease are related to genetic and environmental ...factors. IgAN recurrence after kidney transplantation is relatively common, impacting graft function and survival. This study evaluated the risk factors and the clinical, laboratory, and histological characteristics of post-transplant IgAN recurrence based on the Oxford classification.
Retrospective single-center cohort study including kidney transplant recipients with biopsy-proven pre-transplantation IgAN, with analysis of risk factors and clinical, laboratory, and histological characteristics of the IgAN recurrence cases.
53 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The majority was male, white, eutrophic, with a mean age of 27 ± 9 years at IgAN diagnosis. Systemic arterial hypertension and proteinuria were frequent in the pretransplant period. Four recipients (7.5%) presented IgAN recurrence in a period of 6 to 122 months post-transplant. According to the Oxford classification, they had high scores of mesangial hypercellularity and segmental glomerulosclerosis in the native kidney biopsies and there was mesangial hypercellularity in all analyzed graft biopsies. None of these patients had received induction immunosuppression and all of them presented graft failure in the follow-up.
In this series, there was a high prevalence of mesangial hypercellularity and segmental glomerulosclerosis on native kidney biopsies, and mesangial hypercellularity occurred in all IgAN recurrence graft biopsies. Despite the lower incidence of recurrence of IgAN post-transplant compared to previous reports, progression to graft loss was of 100%.
Abstract Statement of problem Universal adhesives combine silane and various monomers in a single bottle to make them more versatile. Their adhesive performance is unclear. Purpose The purpose of ...this in vitro study was to assess the effects of an additional silane application before using a universal adhesive on the adhesion between a disilicate glass ceramic and a composite resin by using a microshear bond strength test (μSBS) and fracture analysis immediately and after thermocycling. Material and methods One hundred lithium disilicate glass ceramic disks were divided into 10 groups for bond strength testing according to the following 3 surface treatments: silane application (built-in universal adhesive or with additional application), adhesive (Adper Single Bond Plus SB, 3M ESPE, Scotchbond Universal Adhesive U, 3M ESPE, and mixed U with Dual Cure Activator DCA, 3M ESPE); or thermocycling (half of the specimens were thermocycled 10 000 times). After surface treatment, 5 resin cylinders were bonded to each disk and submitted to a μSBS test. The failure mode was analyzed under a stereomicroscope and evaluated by scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Data from the μSBS test were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey HSD post hoc test (α=.05). Results An additional silane application resulted in a higher μSBS result for all adhesive groups ( P <.05). Conclusions Ceramic surface treatment influenced the performance of adhesives, which may be improved with an additional silane application.
Tropical countries produce a large amount of native and exotic fruit species which are potentially interested in the food industry. The nutritional and therapeutic values in this fruits are mainly ...due to the presence of bioactive compounds, especially polyphenols. The anthocyanins belong to the flavonoid family and represent a group of pigments responsible for most of the colors in fruits, leaves, flowers, stems and roots of plants. Several investigations have focused on the health benefits of consumption of red–black fruit, claiming these as natural sources of bioactive compounds with highly promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Furthermore, the consumption of red–black berries brings a positive impact on several chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. This article summarizes the foremost bioactive compounds and the health properties of exotic tropical red–black berries, specifically Euterpe oleracea, Eugenia uniflora, Myrciaria cauliflora, Myrciaria dubia, Syzygium cumini.
The EU and China are major importers of ‘forest-risk’ commodities and thus play a pivotal role in shaping the sustainability of those commodities supply chains. The EU recently introduced a ...regulation mandating due diligence by companies to ensure commodities are not sourced from recently deforested land. However, even if eventually successful in eliminating ‘imported’ deforestation to Europe, the regulation risks creating leakage to China and other markets. This possibility has prompted stakeholders to call for cooperation and policy alignment between the EU and China to address imported deforestation. This study applies the ‘Brussels Effect’ theory to identify what factors hinder or facilitate such policy convergence. We conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with key informants engaged in EU-China dialogues on the topic. Our findings suggest that, despite political signals from high-level Chinese leadership, it is unlikely that China will adopt trade measures requiring ‘deforestation free’ commodities in the foreseeable future. China's foreign policy stance of non-interference and concerns about its food security are key obstacles. While this limits the prospects of policy convergence in the short to medium term, a mix of market-based forces and cooperative mechanisms enabled by the EU regulation may lower the barriers and costs for companies to expand compliance with zero deforestation standards to other markets such as China, making some level of ‘de facto’ convergence plausible. We also note the importance of moving beyond a unilateral ‘Brussels Effect’ framing to consider the role of diplomacy, cooperation, and geopolitical conditions that promote, or run counter to, policy convergence.
•Key factors facilitating and hindering policy convergence were investigated.•Unlikely that China will implement any trade policies based on zero-deforestation.•Combined, market forces and cooperative mechanisms can facilitate policy convergence.•The EU regulation may lower the barriers for China to adopt measures on deforestation.•Need for the Brussels Effect theory to capture the importance of diplomacy.
Blockchain interoperability is emerging as one of the crucial features of blockchain technology, but the knowledge necessary for achieving it is fragmented. This fact makes it challenging for ...academics and the industry to achieve interoperability among blockchains seamlessly. Given this new domain’s novelty and potential, we conduct a literature review on blockchain interoperability by collecting 284 papers and 120 grey literature documents, constituting a corpus of 404 documents. From those 404 documents, we systematically analyzed and discussed 102 documents, including peer-reviewed papers and grey literature. Our review classifies studies in three categories: Public Connectors, Blockchain of Blockchains, and Hybrid Connectors. Each category is further divided into sub-categories based on defined criteria. We classify 67 existing solutions in one sub-category using the Blockchain Interoperability Framework, providing a holistic overview of blockchain interoperability. Our findings show that blockchain interoperability has a much broader spectrum than cryptocurrencies and cross-chain asset transfers. Finally, this article discusses supporting technologies, standards, use cases, open challenges, and future research directions, paving the way for research in the area.
Colorectal cancer has a high worldwide incidence. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of yacon flour (YF) on oxidative stress, inflammation, and endotoxemia in rats with induced ...colorectal cancer (CRC). The Wistar male rats were divided and kept for 8 weeks in four groups: S (basal diet,
= 10), Y (YF flour + basal diet,
= 10), C (CRC-induced control + basal diet,
= 12), CY (CRC-induced animals + YF,
= 12). CRC was induced by intraperitoneal injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (25 mg/kg body weight). Groups Y and CY received 7.5% of the prebiotic FOS from YF. The treatment with YF increased fecal secretory immunoglobulin A levels and decreased lipopolysaccharides, tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-12. However, no effect was observed on the oxidative stress by the total antioxidant capacity of plasma, anion superoxide, and nitric oxide analysis of the animals (
< 0.05). The short-chain fatty acids acetate, propionate, and butyrate showed interactions with NF-κB, TLR4, iNOS, and NADPH oxidase by in silico analysis and had a correlation (by the Person analysis) with CRC markers. The yacon flour treatment reduced the inflammation in rats with induced CRC, and could be a promising food to reduce the damages caused by colorectal cancer.
Resumo Introdução: Nefropatia por IgA (NIgA) é a doença glomerular mais comum mundialmente. Sua suscetibilidade e risco para desenvolvimento de doença renal em fase terminal estão relacionados a ...fatores genéticos e ambientais. A recidiva de NIgA pós-transplante é relativamente comum, impactando na função e sobrevida do enxerto. Este estudo avaliou fatores de risco e características clínicas, laboratoriais e histológicas da recidiva de NIgA pós-transplante, com base na classificação de Oxford. Material e métodos: Estudo de coorte retrospectivo de centro único, incluindo receptores de transplante renal com NIgA pré-transplante comprovada por biópsia, com análise dos fatores de risco e características clínicas, laboratoriais e histológicas dos casos de recidiva de NIgA. Resultados: 53 pacientes preencheram critérios de inclusão e foram incluídos no estudo. A maioria era homem, branco, eutrófico, com idade média de 27 ± 9 anos no diagnóstico de NIgA. Hipertensão arterial sistêmica e proteinúria foram frequentes no período pré-transplante. Quatro receptores (7,5%) apresentaram recidiva de NIgA entre 6-122 meses pós-transplante. Segundo a classificação de Oxford, eles apresentaram altos escores de hipercelularidade mesangial e glomeruloesclerose segmentar nas biópsias de rins nativos. Houve hipercelularidade mesangial em todas as biópsias de enxerto analisadas. Nenhum destes pacientes recebeu imunossupressão de indução. Todos apresentaram falência do enxerto no acompanhamento. Conclusões: Nesta série, houve alta prevalência de hipercelularidade mesangial e glomeruloesclerose segmentar em biópsias de rins nativos, e hipercelularidade mesangial ocorreu em todas as biópsias do enxerto de recidiva da NIgA. Apesar da menor incidência de recidiva de NIgA pós-transplante comparada a relatos anteriores, a progressão para perda do enxerto foi de 100%.
Abstract Introduction: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerular disease globally, and its susceptibility and the risk for the development of end-stage kidney disease are related to genetic and environmental factors. IgAN recurrence after kidney transplantation is relatively common, impacting graft function and survival. This study evaluated the risk factors and the clinical, laboratory, and histological characteristics of post-transplant IgAN recurrence based on the Oxford classification. Material and methods: Retrospective single-center cohort study including kidney transplant recipients with biopsy-proven pre-transplantation IgAN, with analysis of risk factors and clinical, laboratory, and histological characteristics of the IgAN recurrence cases. Results: 53 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The majority was male, white, eutrophic, with a mean age of 27 ± 9 years at IgAN diagnosis. Systemic arterial hypertension and proteinuria were frequent in the pretransplant period. Four recipients (7.5%) presented IgAN recurrence in a period of 6 to 122 months post-transplant. According to the Oxford classification, they had high scores of mesangial hypercellularity and segmental glomerulosclerosis in the native kidney biopsies and there was mesangial hypercellularity in all analyzed graft biopsies. None of these patients had received induction immunosuppression and all of them presented graft failure in the follow-up. Conclusions: In this series, there was a high prevalence of mesangial hypercellularity and segmental glomerulosclerosis on native kidney biopsies, and mesangial hypercellularity occurred in all IgAN recurrence graft biopsies. Despite the lower incidence of recurrence of IgAN post-transplant compared to previous reports, progression to graft loss was of 100%.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers with high morbidity and mortality. The modulation of intestinal health through the administration of pro- and prebiotics may be a viable ...alternative to reduce the risk of CRC. This study aimed to evaluate the functional effects of yacon and kefir, isolated or associated, in rats with colorectal cancer. Adult Wistar rats were divided into five groups (
n
= 8): HC (healthy control AIN-93M diet), CC (CCR + AIN-93M diet), Y (CCR + AIN-93 M + yacon diet), K (CCR + AIN-93-M + kefir diet) and YK (CCR + AIN-93 M + yacon + kefir diet). Colorectal carcinogenesis was induced in groups CC, Y, K, and YK with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (55 mg kg
−1
, subcutaneously) for 5 weeks. From the 6
th
week onwards, the experimental groups were fed the respective diets. In the 15
th
week, urine was collected for analysis of intestinal permeability and then the animals were euthanized. Yacon increased acetate levels, reduced pH and carcinogenic neoplastic lesions, and increased the abundance of bacteria related to the fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates, such as the genera
Dorea
,
Collinsela
, and
Bifidobacteria
. On the other hand, kefir increased macroscopic neoplastic lesions and increased the abundance of Firmicutes and
Clostridium
. The association of yacon + kefir increased the number of carcinogenic lesions, despite a reduction in pH and beneficial bacteria prevalence. Thus, it is concluded that yacon, unlikely kefir, is a promising alternative to mitigate the manifestations of induced carcinogenesis in rats.
The yacon flour improved the composition of the intestinal microbiota and the production of acetate and reduce the pH. Kefir was not able to improve the intestinal microbiota and increasing the development of tumors.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of spray drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) on the microencapsulation of green coffee extracts by using polydextrose (PD) and inulin (IN) as encapsulating ...agents and their physicochemical, bioactive compounds' stability, phenolic compounds' bioaccessibility after digestion, and sensory effects in unfermented dairy beverages. The extract encapsulated with IN by FD had lower moisture content, water activity, and hygroscopicity, while particles encapsulated by SD exhibited a spherical shape and the structure of the FD products was irregular. No difference was observed in phenolic compounds' bioaccessibility. Dairy beverages with added encapsulated extracts had higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Microencapsulation allowed a controlled release of the bioactive compounds with an increase in the content of caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline during storage. The dairy beverage with added extract encapsulated with IN by FD had the highest scores of acceptability regarding the overall impression and purchase intent.
In this study, we review the institution's experience in treating malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). A secondary aim was to compare outcomes between MPNSTs with and without ...neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).
Ninety-two patients with MPNSTs, over a period of 20 years, were reviewed. A retrospective chart review was performed. The median age was 43.5 years (range, 3-84 years) and 55.4% were female; 41 patients (44.6%) had NF1-associated tumors.
Mean tumor sizes were 15.8 ± 8.2 cm and 10.8 ± 6.3 cm for patients with and without NF1, respectively. Combined two- and five-year overall survival was 48.5% and 29%. Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of tumor size greater than 10 cm (hazard ratio (HR) 2.99; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-7.85; p = 0.0258) and presence of NF1 (HR 3.41; 95%CI 1.88-6.19; p < 0.001) with a decreased overall survival.
Tumor size and NF1 status were the most important predictors of overall survival in our population.
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