The inability of the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
to produce ethanol from xylose has hampered the biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. However, prior studies reveal that functional ...expression of xylose isomerase (XI) from
Burkholderia cenocepacia
(XylA
Bc
) in
S. cerevisiae
has remarkably improved xylose consumption and ethanol productivity. Yet, little is known about kinetic and structural properties of this enzyme. Hereby, a purified recombinant XylA was assayed in vitro, showing optimal enzyme activity at 37 °C and pH 7.2. The K
m
of XylA for
d
-xylose was at least threefold lower than the K
m
results for any XI published to date (e.g. XylA from
Piromyces
sp.). In addition, oligomerization behavior as a tetramer was observed for XylA in solution. Functional and structural comparative analyses amongst three microbial XIs were further performed as theoretical models, showing that xylose orientation at the active site was highly conserved among the XIs. Mg
2+
ions anchor the sugar and guide its pyranoside oxygen towards a histidine residue present at the active site, allowing an acid–base reaction, linearizing xylose. Electrostatic surface analyses showed that small variations in the net charge distribution and dipole moment could directly affect the way the substrate interacts with the protein, thus altering its kinetic properties. Accordingly, in silico modeling suggested the tetramer may be the major functional form. These analyses and the resulting model promote a better understanding of this protein family and pave the way to further protein engineering and application of XylA in the ethanol industry.
Objectives
Evaluate the bleaching efficacy (BE) and tooth sensitivity (TS) of in‐office bleaching using different application tips.
Methods
Forty‐eight participants were selected (split‐mouth), one ...to receive bleaching with an attached brush tip and one with a conventional tip. The procedure was performed with Whiteness Automixx Plus 35%. The BE was evaluated at the beginning, weekly, one and 12 months post‐bleaching with a Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer (ΔE*ab, ΔE00, and WID) and with Vita classical A1‐D4 and Vita Bleachedguide shade guides units (ΔSGU). Absolute risk and intensity of TS were recorded using the Visual Analogue Scale. The equivalence of BE was analyzed using the two one‐sided t‐tests for paired samples. The absolute risk of TS was evaluated using the McNemar test, and the TS intensity was measured with the paired t test (α = 0.05).
Results
The equivalence of BE was observed for both groups in all color evaluations (p > 0.05). A lower absolute risk and intensity of TS were observed for the attached brush tip when compared with the conventional tip (p < 0.003 and p < 0.0001).
Conclusion
Using an attached brush tip showed the same BE as a conventional tip. However, for the attached brush tip, there was a reduction in TS.
Clinical Significance
The applicator‐attached brush tip is recommended for in‐office dental bleaching, because of the possible reduction in risk and intensity of TS.
Coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) is a surgical treatment for coronary artery disease aiming at improving symptoms and life expectancy. Despite this, there are pulmonary and functional ...complications that may arise during the postoperative period due to invasive mechanical ventilation(IMV), cardiopulmonary bypass and immobility, leading to longer hospital stays.
To evaluate the clinical and functional outcomes related to pulmonary complications in the postoperative period of CABG.
Prospective cohort. During the ICU stay the patients were divided into: Non Complicated Group(NCG) who did not present complications and Complicated Group(CG) who presented complication. Functional variables were applied as the six-minute walk test(6MWT), gait speed, sit up and stand up test, Timed Up and Go, peripheral muscle strength, ventilatory, pulmonary function and Functional Independence Measure. These tests were applied preoperatively, at ICU discharge, hospital discharge and six months after surgery.
The study evaluated 90 patients, 59 in the NCG and 31 CG. In the 6MWT there was a 2%(p = 0.43) decrease in the NCG, while the decrease was 13%(p < 0.01) in the CG. In the MRC the drop was 2%(p = < 0.01) in the CNG, while in the CG the drop was 14%(p = < 0.01). In MIP the NCG had a 6%(p = 0.67) decrease, while the CG had a 16%(p = < 0.01) decrease.
Patients with postoperative complications of CABG may have reduced functional performance, muscle strength, and pulmonary function at hospital discharge and after six months.
Abstract
Introduction
Violence against women is a public health problem with severe consequences. Most women in situations of domestic violence are emotionally involved and/or economically dependent ...of their intimate partners contributing to the perpetuation and acceptance of violence.
Objectives
1) To characterize the women who join the Reference and Support Center for Women (Ceamo) in Campinas, Southeast Brazil. 2) To measure the quality of life in women victims of intimate partner violence 3) To determine the risk of feminicide.
Methods
The Ceamo is a public specialized service from the mayor of Campinas, it provides psychological, social and legal guidance to women in situations of gender violence. Inclusion criteria: Women attending Ceamo services, speaking Portuguese, age ≥18 years old and having experienced intimate partner violence. Measure instruments: Danger assessment Scale and WHOQOL-BREF.
Results
During the 11 months of the study, 78 new users were recruited. Average age 38.3 years old, mostly married/stable union, most of them with children (88%). 64% of women do not work and 36% live with the abusive partner. Prevalent types of violence suffered during by the victims in the last year were psychological n = 76, physical n = 62, moral n = 54 and sexual n = 23. The domain most affected in the assessment of quality of life was the environment (average 42% /100%) and psychological domain (42%/100%). 49% of women were classified with increased risk, 22% with severe risk and 1% with extreme risk of femicide. The questions with the most positive answers were those related to believing that the partner can kill her (77%), jealous of the partner (76%) and controlling behavior (73%), being followed/spied by the partner (67%) and threat death (65%).
Conclusions
The service in general receive very vulnerable women with low perception of their own quality of life, precarious material conditions and high risk of femicide.
Key messages
The women in domestic violence situation attended by the Ceamo service are at high risk of femicide. Service users have very low perception of their quality of life and poor social conditions.
Schizophrenia is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder. The animal model based on perinatal immune activation, as first-hit, combined with peripubertal stress, as a second hit, has gained ...evidence in recent years. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFAs) is being a promise for schizophrenia prevention. Nevertheless, the influence of sex in schizophrenia neurobiology and prevention has been neglected. Thus, the present study evaluates the preventive effects of n3-PUFAs in both sexes' mice submitted to the two-hit model and the participation of oxidative changes in this mechanism. The two-hit consisted of polyI:C administration from postnatal days (PNs) 5–7, and unpredictable stress from PNs35-43. n3-PUFAs were administered from PNs30-60. Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex (PPI), social interaction, and Y-maze tests were conducted between PNs70-72 to evaluate positive-, negative-, and cognitive-like schizophrenia symptoms. We assessed brain oxidative changes in brain areas and plasma. Both sexes’ two-hit mice presented deficits in PPI, social interaction, and working memory that were prevented by n3-PUFAs. In two-hit females, n3-PUFAs prevented increments in nitrite levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, striatum, and plasma TBARS levels. In two-hit males, n3-PUFAs prevented the increase in TBARS in the PFC, hippocampus, and striatum. Notably, male mice that received only n3-PUFAs without hit exposure presented impairments in working memory and social interaction. These results add further preclinical evidence for n3-PUFAs as an accessible and effective alternative in preventing behavioral and oxidative changes related to schizophrenia but call attention to the need for precaution in this indication due to hit- and sex-sensitive issues.
•N3–PUFAs peripubertal administration prevents schizophrenia symptoms in the two-hit model.•Male mice administered N3–PUFAs and not exposed to the two-hit model presented memory and social impairments.•Sex influenced the oxidative alterations observed in the two-hit model.•N3–PUFAs preventive effects against two-hit oxidative alterations were brain area- and sex-related.
Objectives
To evaluate the bleaching efficacy and permeability of hydrogen peroxide (HP) in the pulp chamber of human teeth bleached with lower concentrations of carbamide peroxide gel (4%, 5% and 7% ...CP).
Materials and methods
Bleaching gels with lower concentrations were formulated and a commercial standard gel, 10% CP, was used as a reference. Fifty-six human premolars were randomly divided into four groups. Applications of the bleaching gel were made for 3 h for 21 days. The bleaching efficacy was evaluated by digital spectrophotometry on 1, 7, 14 and 21 days, with analysis in the ∆E
ab
, ∆E
00
and WI
D
color spaces. The concentration of HP in the pulp chamber was measured in the same periods by UV-Vis spectrophotometry (µg/mL). Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined bleaching efficacy and HP permeability, followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test (α = 0.05).
Results
All groups showed significant color changes, with no statistical differences after the second and third week of bleaching (
p
> 0.05). The ‘time’ factor was statistically different (
p
< 0.05), increasing the bleaching efficacy throughout the treatment. The 4% CP group had lower HP levels in the pulp chamber (
p
< 0.05).
Conclusions
The results seem promising, revealing that low concentration gels are as effective as 10% CP with the benefit of reducing the amount of HP in the pulp chamber.
Clinical relevance
Low concentration 4% PC and 5% PC maintains bleaching efficacy, reduces the penetration of HP peroxide into the pulp chamber, and may reduce tooth sensitivity.
Beyond reducing deforestation, the control of forest degradation, the promotion of forest restoration, and the improvement of agricultural practices in the Brazilian Amazon are becoming increasingly ...important for sustainable development. To enable farmers and authorities to organize their landscapes and optimize both agricultural practices and the provision of ecosystem services, mapping land suitability is essential, but it is lacking in the region. In this paper, we present a method for mapping land suitability at a fine scale (30-m pixels), adapted to the needs of farmers and municipalities, to not only optimize agricultural production but also the ecosystem services provided by forests. We used topographic data from the Brazilian municipality of Paragominas to produce four maps, one each of soil texture, slope, floodplains, and hydrography, that we then combined into a single land suitability map. This map has been incorporated into a spatial database, which also contains information on land use, remoteness, and land tenure. We performed spatial analyses to measure the process of land use change, and to define indicators that enable local stakeholders to organize landscape restoration. We highlight an organic link between agricultural intensification and forest restoration, and provide a spatial tool for landscape design, assessment, and monitoring.
(1) Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Although cardiovascular and NAFLD risk factors overlap, an independent association ...between these conditions may exist. Hepatic and cardiac fibrosis are important markers of mortality, but the correlation between these markers in patients with NAFLD has not been well studied. Our main objective was to determine the degree of myocardial fibrosis in patients with NAFLD and its correlation with the severity of liver fibrosis. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with NAFLD were allocated to two groups according to the stage of liver fibrosis assessed using MRI: no or mild fibrosis (F0-F1) and significant fibrosis (F2-F4). Framingham risk scores were calculated to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors, and patients underwent multiparametric cardiac and abdominal MRIs. (3) Results: The sample comprised 44 patients (28 with no or mild liver fibrosis and 16 with significant liver fibrosis). The mean age was 57.9 ± 12 years, and 41% were men. Most patients had high cardiac risk factors and carotid disease. Relative to patients with no or mild liver fibrosis, those with significant fibrosis had a higher median calcium score (
= 0.05) and increased myocardial extracellular volume (ECV;
= 0.02). Liver fibrosis correlated with cardiac fibrosis, represented by the ECV (r = 0.49,
< 0.001). The myocardial ECV differentiated patients with and without significant liver fibrosis (AUC = 0.78). (4) Conclusion: This study showed that diffuse myocardial fibrosis is associated with liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.
The presence of a morphological variation of the bicaudate peroneus brevis muscle in a female Brazilian cadaver has great anatomical importance on a global scale and was the first cadaveric study of ...this type carried out in Brazil. The study was performed through a cadaveric dissection at the Universidade Estácio de Sá with the main objective of reporting the presence and relevance of the variant musculature due to its important anatomical relationships and applications in clinical and diagnostic methods. This understanding of the various conditions of the lower limb and its use in grafting during reconstructive tendon surgeries was found in the international literature. In addition, awareness of this morphological change is crucial to avoid radiological misdiagnoses of longitudinal rupture of the muscle peroneus brevis tendon. It is important to emphasize, however, that limited international research has been conducted on this subject, and no national database exists. Therefore, the contribution and dissemination of understanding of the bicaudate muscle ensure that health professionals can more accurately diagnose muscular pathologies of the lower limbs, as well as better interpret radiological examinations in this topography. The study was carried out within the parameters established by Law #8.501, November 30, 1992, of the Federative Republic of Brazil, which allows for the use of unclaimed cadavers for study or scientific research purposes.
Support or Funding Information
Own financing.
This is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this published in The FASEB Journal.
Assess color alteration and hydrogen peroxide (HP) penetration in human and bovine teeth using various in-office bleaching protocols with different application times.
Thirty healthy human premolars ...and 30 healthy bovine incisors were divided into five groups and subjected to different bleaching protocols: 2 × 15 min, 1 × 30 min, 2 × 20 min, or 1 × 40 min, with a control group for each tooth type. All teeth were treated with 35% HP gel. Color alteration was measured using digital spectrophotometry before and 1 week after bleaching. HP concentration within the pulp was determined via UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis included one-way ANOVA, Tukey's, and Dunnett's tests (α = 0.05).
All groups exhibited significant color alteration, with no statistically differences among them (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed when compared with their respective control groups (p < 0.05). HP penetration into the pulp was evident in all bleached teeth compared to the control groups (p < 0.05), with the 2 × 20 group showing the highest HP levels within the pulp cavity, irrespective of tooth type (p < 0.05).
A simplified 1 × 30-min protocol can be recommended as it effectively maintains color alteration and HP penetration, irrespective of whether human or bovine teeth.
This study suggests that an in-office dental bleaching protocol using a 1 × 30-min session is recommended, as it ensures both effective color change and no increase in the amount of HP penetration.
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