Discharge of dielectric barriers significantly reduced microbial populations. Treatments resulted in improvement in physical characteristics during storage. Nonthermal plasma provided a 43% (4-day) ...increase in sample lifetime.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to everyday life and has had social, political, and financial consequences that will persist for years. Several initiatives with intensive use ...of technology were quickly developed in this scenario. However, technologies that enhance epidemiological surveillance in contexts with low testing capacity and healthcare resources are scarce. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by developing a data science model that uses routinely generated healthcare encounter records to detect possible new outbreaks early in real-time.
We defined an epidemiological indicator that is a proxy for suspected cases of COVID-19 using the health records of Emergency Care Unit (ECU) patients and text mining techniques. The open-field dataset comprises 2,760,862 medical records from nine ECUs, where each record has information about the patient's age, reported symptoms, and the time and date of admission. We also used a dataset where 1,026,804 cases of COVID-19 were officially confirmed. The records range from January 2020 to May 2022. Sample cross-correlation between two finite stochastic time series was used to evaluate the models.
For patients with age 18 years, we find time-lag () = 72 days and cross-correlation () ~ 0.82, = 25 days and ~ 0.93, and = 17 days and ~ 0.88 for the first, second, and third waves, respectively.
In conclusion, the developed model can aid in the early detection of signs of possible new COVID-19 outbreaks, weeks before traditional surveillance systems, thereby anticipating in initiating preventive and control actions in public health with a higher likelihood of success.
Introduction
The resection of the primary colorectal tumor and liver metastases is the only potentially curative strategy. In such cases, there is no consensus on whether the resection of the primary ...tumor and metastases should be performed simultaneously or whether a staged approach should be performed (resection of the primary tumor and after, hepatectomy, or the “liver first” approach). The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of hepatectomy associated with colectomy in colorectal neoplasms, comparing simultaneous and staged resection.
Methods
A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs, and manual reference search. The last search was in July/2021. Inclusion criteria were: studies that compared simultaneous and staged hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis; studies that analyze short and/or long‐term outcomes. Exclusion criteria were reviews, letters, editorials, congress , and full‐text unavailability. Perioperative outcomes and overall survival were evaluated and, for staged resections, the outcomes associated with each procedure were added. The ROBINS‐I and GRADE tools were used to assess the risk of bias and quality of evidence. Synthesis was performed using Forest plots. The PRISMA criteria (PROSPERO: CRD42021243762) were followed.
Results
The initial search collected 5655 articles and, after selection, 33 were included, covering 6417 patients. Simultaneous resection was associated with shorter length of stay (DR: −3.48 days 95% confidence interval {CI}: −5.64, −1.32), but with a higher risk of postoperative mortality (DR: 0.02 95% CI: 0.01, 0.02). There was no difference between groups for blood loss (risk difference RD: −141.38 ml 95% CI: −348.84, 66.09), blood transfusion (RD: −0.06 95% CI: −0.14, 0.03) and general complications (RD: 0.01 95% CI: −0.06, 0.04). The longest operating time in staged surgery was not statistically significant (RD: ‐50.44 min 95% CI: −102.38, 1.49). Regarding overall survival, there is no difference between groups (hazard ratio: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.71–1.04).
Conclusion
Patients must be well selected for each strategy. Simultaneous approach to patients at high surgical risk should be avoided due to increased perioperative mortality. However, when the patient presents a low surgical risk, the simultaneous approach reduces the hospital stay and guarantees long‐term results equivalent to staged surgery.
Zebrafish is an excellent model that can be utilized as an adjunct to current rodent models for studies of eye diseases because the anatomy and ultrastructural characterization of its cornea show ...much similarity with the human cornea. Therefore, we developed a behavioral model of corneal nociception using the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). We analyzed the nociceptive effect of hypertonic saline (0.15-5.0 M sodium chloride NaCl) applied to the surface of the right or left cornea, on the animals' gender and locomotor activity through the open-field test. The behavioral model of corneal nociception was characterized by the antinociceptive effect of morphine (8.0 or 16 mg/kg; intraperitoneally i.p.), an opioid analgesic, and capsazepine, an antagonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 channels. We also tested whether the corneal antinociceptive effect of morphine could be modulated by naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Finally, we used the light and dark test to assess the anxiolytic effect of hypertonic saline (5.0 M NaCl; 5 μL) applied to the right or left cornea of the animals. As a result, hypertonic saline significantly increased (p < 0.01 vs. control) the corneal nociceptive behavior of adult zebrafish (D. rerio). Morphine significantly inhibited (p < 0.01 vs. 5.0 M NaCl) the hypertonic saline-induced corneal nociception and this effect was blocked by naloxone. Capsazepine (20 mg/kg; i.p.) significantly inhibited (p < 0.05 vs. control) the corneal nociception induced by hypertonic saline. Hypertonic saline, applied to the surface of the right or left cornea of the animals, induced nociception and did not cause a presumptive anxiolytic effect. Gender and site of application did not affect the profile of response to hypertonic saline. The results suggest that the adult zebrafish can also be used as a behavioral model of corneal nociception, with the advantages of significant homology with the human genome and low cost.
Background and Purpose
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause bone erosion due to increased osteoclastogenesis. Neutrophils involvement in osteoclastogenesis remains ...uncertain. Given that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) can act as inflammatory mediators in rheumatoid arthritis, we investigated the role of NETs in stimulating bone loss by potentiating osteoclastogenesis during arthritis.
Experimental Approach
The level of NETs in synovial fluid from arthritis patients was assessed. Bone loss was evaluated by histology and micro‐CT in antigen‐induced arthritis (AIA)‐induced WT mice treated with DNase or in Padi4‐deficient mice (Padi4flox/flox LysMCRE). The size and function of osteoclasts and the levels of RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) released by osteoblasts that were incubated with NETs were measured. The expression of osteoclastogenic marker genes and protein levels were evaluated by qPCR and western blotting. To assess the participation of TLR4 and TLR9 in osteoclastogenesis, cells from Tlr4−/− and Tlr9−/− mice were cultured with NETs.
Key Results
Rheumatoid arthritis patients had higher levels of NETs in synovial fluid than osteoarthritis patients, which correlated with increased levels of RANKL/OPG. Moreover, patients with bone erosion had higher levels of NETs. Inhibiting NETs with DNase or Padi4 deletion alleviated bone loss in arthritic mice. Consistently, NETs enhanced RANKL‐induced osteoclastogenesis that was dependent on TLR4 and TLR9 and increased osteoclast resorptive functions in vitro. In addition, NETs stimulated the release of RANKL and inhibited osteoprotegerin in osteoblasts, favouring osteoclastogenesis.
Conclusions and Implications
Inhibiting NETs could be an alternative strategy to reduce bone erosion in arthritis patients.
O bem-estar animal vem ganhando destaque no cenário mundial nos últimos anos. Tal destaque coloca em evidência a necessidade de que os sistemas de produção se adéquem as técnicas de doma racional de ...bovinos ao realizar o manejo. É crescente a demanda por conciliar ética, saúde dos animais, produtividade e lucratividade dentro dos sistemas de criação. A visibilidade, no bem-estar tem, também, evidenciado a carência de trabalhos, pesquisas e de recursos humanos capacitados a adequar as ações de manejo às premissas do bem-estar. Para tanto, se faz necessário o entendimento do conceito de doma, etologia e bem-estar bovino que culminam com o ensinamento de técnicas utilizadas por especialistas para alcançar o manejo ideal dos bovinos. O objetivo desta revisão é descrever sobre a doma racional de bovinos a fim expor sua importância como perspectiva para o ensino do bem-estar animal.
To evaluate, using semiparametric methodologies of survival analysis, the relationship between covariates and time to death of patients with breast cancer, as well as the determination discriminatory ...power in the conditional inference tree of patients who had cancer.
A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data collected from medical records of women who had breast cancer and underwent treatment between 2005 and 2015 at the Hospital da Fundação de Assistencial da Paraíba in Campina Grande, State of Paraiba, Brazil. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression, and conditional decision tree.
Women with triple-negative molecular subtypes had a shorter survival time compared to women with positive hormone receptors. The addition of hormone therapy reduced the risk of a patient dying by 5.5%, and the risk of a HER2-positive patient dying was 34.5% lower compared to those who were negative for this gene. Patients undergoing hormone therapy had a median survival time of 4 753 days.
This paper shows a favorable scenario for the use of immunotherapy for patients with HER2 overexpression. Further studies could assess the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with other conditions, to favor the prognosis and better quality of life for the patient.
Exacerbated inflammatory responses to harmful stimuli can lead to significant pain, edema, and other complications that require pharmacological intervention. Abietic acid (AA) is a diterpene found as ...a significant constituent in pine species, and evidence has identified its biological potential. The present study aimed to evaluate abietic acid‘s antiedematogenic and anti‐inflammatory activity in mice. Swiss mice (Mus musculus) weighing 20–30 g were treated with AA at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. The central nervous system (CNS) effects were evaluated using open‐field and rotarod assays. The antinociceptive and anti‐inflammatory screening was assessed by the acetic acid and formalin tests. The antiedematogenic activity was investigated by measuring paw edema induced by carrageenan, dextran, histamine, arachidonic acid, and prostaglandin, in addition to using a granuloma model. The oral administration of abietic acid (200 mg/Kg) showed no evidence of CNS effects. The compound also exhibited significant antiedematogenic and anti‐inflammatory activities in the carrageenan and dextran models, mostly related to the inhibition of myeloperoxidase (MOP) activity and histamine action and, to a lesser extent, the inhibition of eicosanoid‐dependent pathways. In the granuloma model, abietic acid‘s effect was less expressive than in the acute models investigated in this study. In conclusion, abietic acid has analgesic and antiedematogenic activities related to anti‐inflammatory mechanisms.
Due to the increase in fungal resistance to existing drugs, a need exists to search for new antifungals. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of α, β, and δ-damascone and inclusion ...complexes with β-cyclodextrin against different Candida spp. The inclusion complex of β-damascone was prepared by the co-evaporation method using three molar proportions (1:1; 2:1; 3:1 (βDA-βCD)) and analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Standard
Candida albicans
(CA INCQS 40,006),
Candida krusei
(CK INCQS 40,095), and
Candida tropicalis
(CT INCQS 40,042) strains were used to evaluate antifungal activity. The substances were tested individually or in association with fluconazole (FCZ). The IC
50
and cell viability curve constructions were performed using the microdilution method. The minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) was determined by the subculture method in a solid medium. The α, β, and δ-DA isolated or in combination with fluconazole (FCZ) showed significant antifungal activity. β-damascone showed effective complexation in the three molar proportions assayed; however, none of the inclusion complexes was demonstrated clinically significant effects against the fungal tested. Then, all compounds have shown promising antifungal activities; however, in vivo assays are necessary to have therapeutical application in the future.
