Brazil has one of the most important ecosystems in the world, composed of five different terrestrial biomes that have undergone transformations due to human activities. The objective of the present ...study was to evaluate the thermal changes that occurred in the capitals of the five Brazilian regions in the last 59 years and elaborate a forecast model up to 2031. We proposed time series models with a linear trend, trigonometric functions (sine and cosine functions), and autoregressive errors for the monthly mean temperatures of each region and calculated the forecast intervals for 2031. The average temperature increase was significant for all five regions. In the last 59 years, the largest mean increase occurred in the tropical savanna with the largest increase of 2.2 °C, followed by the humid oceanic region with 1.7 °C, and the other regions presented an increase of 1.1 °C. Environmental and climate change is a huge challenge for humanity, just as humanity challenges the resilience of the environment through intense and frequent impacts.
Periphyton communities in freshwater systems play an essential role in biogeochemical processes, but knowledge of their structure and dynamics lags far behind other environments. We used eDNA ...metabarcoding of 16S and 18S rRNA markers to investigate the formation and establishment of a periphytic community, in addition to a morphology-based approach for peritrich ciliate determinations, its most abundant group. We sampled two nearby sites within a large Neotropical lake at four time points, aiming to assess whether periphyton establishment can be replicated on this local scale. Producers and denitrifiers were abundant in the community, illustrating the relevant role of biofilms in freshwater nutrient recycling. Among microeukaryotes, peritrich ciliates dominated the community, with genera
Epistylis
and
Vorticella
being the most abundant and showing a clear succession at both sites. Other ciliates were morphologically identified and, in some cases, their occurrence was strongly related to bacterial abundance. The structure of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic components of periphyton was not different, while the turnover dynamics differed between the two sites, in spite of their adjacent locations and similar abiotic properties. This indicates that the establishment of these communities can vary even on a local scale within a lake ecosystem.
Background
Recent studies have observed an association between immune-related adverse events (irAE) and favorable clinical outcomes in the setting of cancer treatment with immune checkpoint ...inhibitors (ICI). However, results have been variable and inconclusive. Therefore, we have conducted a pan-cancer meta-analysis evaluating the relationship between irAEs and clinical outcomes.
Materials and Methods
The search included studies published in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from conception to 12.28.2019 as well as abstracts published in the ASCO and ESMO meetings from 2015 to 2019. Studies were included if ICI was used in advanced or metastatic cancer settings and excluded if data contained only combination therapy regimens or contained anti-CTLA-4. Raw data for overall response rate (ORR), hazard ratios (HR), number of patients (n), and p values for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted. Pooled sensitivity (SN), specificity (SP), positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using the 2 × 2 table and logit transformed proportions; and summary receiver operating curve (sROC) was generated using the bivariate approach for ORR. Pooled HRs were calculated using the means weighted by inverse of the variance for OS and PFS. Heterogeneity was assumed and random effects model was used throughout the analyses.
Results
Final analysis included 32 studies, among which ORR data were available in 15 studies, OS in 17, and PFS in 16. 17 studies evaluated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), two studies melanoma, one study gastric cancer, three studies renal cell carcinoma (RCC), seven studies various cancer types, two studies urothelial carcinoma, and one study head and neck cancer (HNSCC). With respect to ORR, pooled SN, SP, PPV and NPV, and OR were 0.522 0.423–0.619, 0.810 0.771–0.844, 0.516 0.413–0.618, 0.819 0.764–0.864, and 4.59 3.24–6.50, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) derived from the sROC was 0.773. HR for OS and PFS were 0.47 95% CI 0.37–0.60 and 0.46 95% CI 0.37–0.56, respectively. Between-study publication bias was present for ORR, OS, and PFS; however, results remained significant after trim-fill analysis.
Conclusion
irAEs predict OR, OS, and PFS across different types of cancer and may represent useful biomarkers in the clinical setting.
Introduction
Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), usually caused by a parathyroid adenoma, is characterized by a pathologically high secretion of parathyroid hormone and consequent hypercalcemia. PHPT ...has a high prevalence among elderly patients and might be responsible for neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Objectives
We aim to report the rare manifestation of acute psychosis accompanying a PHPT diagnosis, and to discuss the neurobiological relationship between hyperparathyroidism, hypercalcaemia and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Methods
We present a clinical case based on patient’s history and clinical data, along with a literature review on PHPT neuropsychiatric symptons.
Results
We present the case of a 68-year-old man diagnosed with PHPT in November 2019. He was brought up to psychiatric evaluation for the first time in May 2020 upon behavioral changes (aggressiveness and bizarre rituals). The patient described the sensation of burns scattered throughout the body since January 2020, felling anxious and frightened, sleeping poorly and progressive social isolation. He presented delusional ideas of mystical and paranoid content. No significant cognitive impairments were found. The patient’s psychosis was partially responsive to atypical antipsychotics. He’s waiting for surgery. Hypercalcaemia might manifest as mood disorders, cognitive changes and rarely as acute psychosis. Although there is not yet a clear mechanism to explain it, high calcium levels seem to cause neurotoxicity and neurotransmission dysfunction. Restoration of normal calcium levels tend to resolve neuropsychiatric symptoms, but in PHPT parathyroidectomy is usually recommended.
Conclusions
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are responsible for great disability, and demand an organic in-depth investigation. A multidisciplinary team approach must always be considered in the management of such conditions.
Maternal separation (MS) is an early life stress model that induces permanent changes in the central nervous system, impairing hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial working memory. ...There are compelling evidences for a role of hippocampal adenosine A(2A) receptors in stress-induced modifications related to cognition, thus opening a potential window for therapeutic intervention. Here, we submitted rats to MS and evaluated the long-lasting molecular, electrophysiological and behavioral impairments in adulthood. We then assessed the therapeutic potential of KW6002, a blocker of A(2A) receptors, in stress-impaired animals. We report that the blockade of A(2A) receptors was efficient in reverting the behavior, electrophysiological and morphological impairments induced by MS. In addition, this effect is associated with restoration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) activity, as both the plasma corticosterone levels and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor expression pattern returned to physiological-like status after the treatment. These results reveal the involvement of A(2A) receptors in the stress-associated impairments and directly in the stress response system by showing that the dysfunction of the HPA-axis as well as the long-lasting synaptic and behavioral effects of MS can be reverted by targeting adenosine A(2A) receptors. These findings provide a novel evidence for the use of adenosine A(2A) receptor antagonists as potential therapy against psychopathologies.
Ionic liquids are a class of fluids that requires the attentions of experimentalist and theoreticians. In a new project on synthesis and characterization of new and not-so-new ionic liquids, the ...study of several thermophysical properties of these liquids was started, namely binary diffusion, electrical conductivity, heat capacity, surface tension, viscosity and thermal conductivity. Among others we will study 1-
n-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, (C
4mimNTf
2), 1-
n-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium dicyanamide, (C
4mimdca), 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium ethylsulfate, (C
2mimEtOSO
3) and methyltrialkylammonium dicyanamide Aliquat
®336-deriveddca, and in the case of diffusion, their mixtures with water.
It is the purpose of this paper to report data on the density, using vibrating tube densimetry, infinite dilution diffusion coefficients, using the Taylor dispersion method, heat capacity, using DSC equipment and surface tension, using the Wilhelmy plate method. Density measurements were performed at atmospheric pressure between 293 and 363
K and several isotherms, depending on the stability of the compound, up to 60
MPa, with an uncertainty of 0.4%. Measurements were performed at 298.03
K for the infinite dilution measurements, with an uncertainty of 1.3–3.5%, for temperatures between 300 and 370
K for heat capacity, with an uncertainty better than 1.5%, and between 292 and 395
K for surface tension, with an uncertainty of 1.5–1.8%.
A brief analysis of the potential of the fluids studied as engineering heat transfer fluids, namely its heat storage capacity was also performed.
Leishmaniasis is one of the World's most problematic diseases in developing countries. Traditional medicines to treat leishmaniasis have serious side effects, as well as significant parasite ...resistance problems. In this work, two alkaloids 1 and 2 were obtained from Corydalis govaniana Wall and seven alkaloids 3-9, were obtained from Erythrina verna. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by mass spectrometry and 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. The leishmanicidal activity of compounds 1-9 against Leishmania amazonensis was tested on promastigote forms and cytotoxicity against J774 (macrophage cell line) was assessed in vitro. Compound 1 showed potent activity (IC50 = 0.18 µg/mL), compared with the standard amphotericin B (IC50 = 0.20 µg/mL). The spirocyclic erythrina-alkaloids showed lower leishmanicidal activity than dibenzoquinolizine type alkaloids.
Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) have long been considered to be implicated in several steps of the reproductive process of flowering plants. Pollen tube growth along the pistil tissues requires a ...multiplicity of signaling pathways to be activated and turned off precisely, at crucial timepoints, to guarantee successful fertilization and seed production. In the recent years, an outstanding effort has been made by the plant reproduction scientific community in order to better understand this process. This resulted in the discovery of a fairly substantial number of new players essential for reproduction, as well as their modes of action and interactions. Besides all the indications of AGPs involvement in reproduction, there were no convincing evidences about it. Recently, several studies came out to prove what had long been suggested about this complex family of glycoproteins. AGPs consist of a large family of hydroxyproline-rich proteins, predicted to be anchored to the plasma membrane and extremely rich in sugars. These two last characteristics always made them perfect candidates to be involved in signaling mechanisms, in several plant developmental processes. New findings finally relate AGPs to concrete functions in plant reproduction. In this review, it is intended not only to describe how different molecules and signaling pathways are functioning to achieve fertilization, but also to integrate the recent discoveries about AGPs along this process.
Introduction
The Capgras syndrome (CS), firstly described in 1899, is a delusional conviction that a person emotionally close has been replaced by an imposter or duplicate. It has been associated to ...primary psychiatric disturbances as well as neuropsychiatric syndromes. Its etiology and management have been debated throughout the years. We describe a case of a 75 years old male who was admitted to our psychiatric ward due to aggressiveness towards his spouse, believing she was an imposter.
Objectives
In light of this case, we aim to discuss its etiology and review the association between the Capgras syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases.
Methods
Classically, CS was associated to psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and substance abuse. However, recent studies shed light on other possible etiologies, such as neurodegenerative and nonneurodegenerative diseases. In older ages, it has been associated to Alzheimer’s and, most commonly, Lewy body dementia subtype. Research also shows that other misidentification syndromes are frequently present in association with CS. Patients are more likely to be aggressive towards caregivers under these circumstances. Studies suggest there is a higher prevalence of right hemisphere lesions in CS, namely frontal and temporal lobes, that impair facial processing. Various brain circuits are being proposed as possible etiopathogenesis.
In this case, parkinsonian signs were observed in our patient, such as resting tremor, imbalance gait and rigidity. Those had not been described before his hospitalization. His family stated memory loss and difficulty in executive functions were present for at least a year. This patient had no previous psychiatric history. Brain CT scan showed cortical atrophy.
Results
A neurodegenerative cause was assumed, and the patient was started on a cholinesterase inhibitor and on a second-generation antipsychotic. Improvement was observed.
Conclusions
This case is an example of the heterogenous etiology of the CS. It is important to consider different diagnosis, especially in older ages. More studies are needed to improve the knowledge on CS etiopathogenesis as well as the brains circuits involved. Psychopharmacology tackling theses syndromes is also a growing.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
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