A novel methodology for household waste characterization during the COVID-19 pandemic: case study results.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a large number of the world's cities to establish quarantines. Much has been said about the environmental impacts of the confinement; however, very little data have been collected related to household waste generation and composition. In this study, the authors propose a novel methodology for the characterization of household waste without having to leave home, by using virtual training and completing forms. The results of the evaluation carried out in late September 2020 in three districts in the Arequipa province, Peru (Districts A, B and C) are presented. A total of 246 people participated in a survey on waste generation and segregation habits, and 44 people participated in the waste characterization study. Taking into account the error of the study, it can only be stated with certainty that waste generation decreased only in District B. The percentage of organic waste declined in Districts A and B, and increased in District C. Composition of hazardous and sanitary wastes increased significantly in all three districts. Each household generated an average of two to four masks and one pair of gloves per week.

Caenorhabditis elegans ABL-1 antagonizes p53-mediated germline apoptosis after ionizing irradiation.

c-Abl, a conserved nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, integrates genotoxic stress responses, acting as a transducer of both pro- and antiapoptotic effector pathways. Nuclear c-Abl seems to interact with the p53 homolog p73 to elicit apoptosis. Although several observations suggest that cytoplasmic localization of c-Abl is required for antiapoptotic function, the signals that mediate its antiapoptotic effect are largely unknown. Here we show that worms carrying an abl-1 deletion allele, abl-1(ok171), are specifically hypersensitive to radiation-induced apoptosis in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line. Our findings delineate an apoptotic pathway antagonized by ABL-1, which requires sequentially the cell cycle checkpoint genes clk-2, hus-1 and mrt-2; the C. elegans p53 homolog, cep-1; and the genes encoding the components of the conserved apoptotic machinery, ced-3, ced-9 and egl-1. ABL-1 does not antagonize germline apoptosis induced by the DNA-alkylating agent ethylnitrosourea. Furthermore, worms treated with the c-Abl inhibitor STI-571 (Gleevec; used in human cancer therapy), two newly synthesized STI-571 variants or PD166326 had a phenotype similar to that generated by abl-1(ok171). These studies indicate that ABL-1 distinguishes proapoptotic signals triggered by two different DNA-damaging agents and suggest that C. elegans might provide tissue models for development of anticancer drugs.

Pharmacologic inactivation of kinase suppressor of ras-1 abrogates Ras-mediated pancreatic cancer.

Inhibition of the kinase suppressor of ras-1 (KSR1) gene by continuous infusion of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (ODNs) prevented growth of K-Ras-dependent human PANC-1 pancreatic and A549 non-small-cell lung carcinoma xenografts in nude mice, effected regression of established PANC-1 tumors and inhibited A549 lung metastases, all without apparent toxicity. These studies suggest KSR1 antisense ODNs as a treatment for Ras-dependent human malignancies, in particular pancreatic cancer, which lacks effective curative therapy.

[Transfusion-related acute lung injury after following neurosurgery: case report]. / Transfusion-related acute lung injury em pós-operatório de neurocirurgia: relato de caso.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI), is defined as noncardiogenic pulmonary edema temporally related to transfusion therapy, evolving with ventilation necessity mechanics in the great majority of the cases. This objective of this study was to present case of TRALI in the immediate postoperative of neurosurgery. CASE REPORT: We describe the case of a patient who presented broncoespasm and decreased oxygen saturation after to have received fresh-frozen plasma in the neurosurgery, who presented TRALI. The patient was submitted a invasive hemodynamic monitoring, sedation and supplemental oxygen with mechanical ventilation, with gradual improvement, leaving the intensive care unit in the eight day of postoperative. CONCLUSIONS: The TRALI must be investigated in the patients who receive transfusion therapy and present lung injury.

Intra-arterial pulmonary thrombolysis at the postoperative period of brain aneurysm clamping: case report. / Trombólise intra-arterial pulmonar no pós-operatório de clipagem de aneurisma cerebral: relato de caso.

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to present a case of intra-arterial pulmonary thrombolysis in recent neurosurgery postoperative period. Male patient, undergoing neurosurgery, presented as a complication on the seventh day of postoperative massive pulmonary embolism with hemodynamic instability and intraarterial pulmonary thrombolysis with alteplase was indicated. Evolution was satisfactory without bleeding complications and patient was discharged. Pulmonary thromboembolism is a high morbidity and mortality condition at neurosurgical postoperative period and thrombolysis should be an alternative therapy in cases refractory to clinical treatment.

The kinase activity of kinase suppressor of Ras1 (KSR1) is independent of bound MEK.

Kinase Suppressor of Ras1 (KSR1) functions as a positive modulator of Ras-dependent signaling either upstream of or parallel to Raf-1, and pharmacologic inactivation of KSR1 may serve as a treatment for Rasdriven malignancies such as pancreatic cancer (Xing, H. R., Cordon-Cardo, C., Deng, X., Tong, W., Campodonico, L., Fuks, Z., and Kolesnick, R. (2003) Nat. Med. 9, 1266-1268). Although some studies demonstrated a requirement for KSR1 kinase activity for its action, others suggested KSR1 acts primarily as a scaffold facilitating assembly of the c-Raf-1/MEK module. We recently established a two-stage in vitro reconstitution assay to measure KSR1 kinase activity (Xing, H. R., Lozano, J., and Kolesnick, R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 17276-17280). In this assay, KSR1, immunopurified to apparent homogeneity, never comes in contact with recombinant kinases other than c-Raf-1. In the first assay stage, activated KSR1 is incubated with recombinant c-Raf-1 and ATP. In the second stage, activated c-Raf-1 is separated from KSR1, and incubated with unactivated MEK1, unactivated MAPK, Elk-1, and ATP. Elk-1 phosphorylation serves as a specific readout for MAPK activation. However, because KSR1 constitutively associates with MEK1 and this interaction appears critical for KSR1 scaffolding function, it has been argued that the kinase activity detected is an artifact of KSR1-bound MEK1. To address these concerns, we depleted as much as 90% of KSR1-bound MEK1 by high salt washing without altering KSR1 kinase activity. Further, a complete inactivation of KSR1-bound MEK1 by pretreating with the MEK inhibitor PD 98059 prior to the first assay stage did not alter KSR1 kinase activity. In addition, the omission of exogenous recombinant GST-MEK1 from the reaction mixture during the second assay stage abolished Elk-1 phosphorylation confirming KSR1-bound MEK1 does not support MAPK activation in our in vitro assay. Moreover, a kinase-inactive mutant, FLAG-Ki-KSR1(D683A/D700A), which efficiently interacts with endogenous MEK1, lacks kinase activity. These results collectively support our contention that the kinase activity of KSR1 is an intrinsic property of this protein independent of KSR1-bound endogenous MEK.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury em pós-operatório de neurocirurgia: relato de caso / Transfusion-related acute lung injury after following neurosurgery: case report

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI), é definido como um edema pulmonar não cardiogênico, relacionado à transfusão de sangue ou derivados, evoluindo com necessidade de ventilação mecânica na grande maioria dos casos. O objetivo deste estudo foi apresentar um caso de TRALI em pós-operatório imediato de neurocirurgia. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente do sexo masculino, 69 anos, sem comprometimento pulmonar prévio, foi submetido à ressecção cirúrgica de glioblastoma multiforme, apresentando complicações intra-operatórias (broncoespasmo e diminuição da saturação de oxigênio), após ter recebido plasma fresco congelado, sendo diagnosticado TRALI. O paciente foi mantido sedado, sob ventilação mecânica e monitorização hemodinâmica invasiva, com melhora progressiva do quadro, recebendo alta da unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI) no 8º dia de pós-operatório. CONCLUSÕES: O TRALI deve ser investigado nos pacientes que recebem hemoderivados e apresentam alterações pulmonares.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI), is defined as noncardiogenic pulmonary edema temporally related to transfusion therapy, evolving with ventilation necessity mechanics in the great majority of the cases. This objective of this study was to present case of TRALI in the immediate postoperative of neurosurgery. CASE REPORT: We describe the case of a patient who presented broncoespasm and decreased oxygen saturation after to have received fresh-frozen plasma in the neurosurgery, who presented TRALI. The patient was submitted a invasive hemodynamic monitoring, sedation and supplemental oxygen with mechanical ventilation, with gradual improvement, leaving the intensive care unit in the eight day of postoperative. CONCLUSIONS: The TRALI must be investigated in the patients who receive transfusion therapy and present lung injury.

Trombólise intra-arterial pulmonar no pós-operatório de clipagem de aneurisma cerebral: relato de caso / Intra-arterial pulmonary thrombolysis at the postoperative period of brain aneurysm clamping: case report

O tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) é uma importante causa de morbimortalidade nos pacientes submetidos a procedimentos neurocirúrgicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi apresentar um caso de trombólise intra-arterial pulmonar em pós-operatório recente de neurocirurgia. Paciente do sexo masculino, sendo submetido a clipagem de aneurisma de artéria comunicante anterior, apresentou como complicação no sétimo dia de pós-operatório, tromboembolismo pulmonar maciço, apresentando instabilidade hemodinâmica, sendo optado pela trombólise intra-arterial pulmonar com alteplase. Apresentou evolução satisfatória, sem complicações hemorrágicas, recebendo alta hospitalar. O tromboembolismo pulmonar é uma condição com alta morbi-mortalidade no pós-operatório de neurocirurgia, devendo ser a trombólise ser uma alternativa terapêutica nos casos refratários ao tratamento clínico.

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to present a case of intra-arterial pulmonary thrombolysis in recent neurosurgery postoperative period. Male patient, undergoing neurosurgery, presented as a complication on the seventh day of postoperative massive pulmonary embolism with hemodynamic instability and intraarterial pulmonary thrombolysis with alteplase was indicated. Evolution was satisfactory without bleeding complications and patient was discharged. Pulmonary thromboembolism is a high morbidity and mortality condition at neurosurgical postoperative period and thrombolysis should be an alternative therapy in cases refractory to clinical treatment.