Oil impact on the environment and aquatic organisms on the coasts of the states of Alagoas and Sergipe, Brazil - A preliminary evaluation.

The oil spill off the coast of the Brazilian Northeast region is one of the most significant global events regarding contamination and environmental impact in recent years. This work evaluates the effects of oil spills on the Northeast coasts between Alagoas and Sergipe states from October 2019 to January 2020. Analysis of some sampling points of seawater revealed the presence of Hg, Cd, Pb, and Cu in levels above the maximum concentration limits established by the Brazilian legislation. For water quality parameters, phosphorus, nitrite, and turbidity showed statistically different values. However, the chromatographic profiles of oil obtained from different beaches were quite similar. Seawater, fishes, and massunins (bivalve) presented the main polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, fluorene, and acenaphthalene. Therefore, the concentration of organic and inorganic contaminants determined in different environmental locations served as a subsidy to assess the effect of the preliminary oil spill on the Brazilian coast.

Pexiganan in Combination with Nisin to Control Polymicrobial Diabetic Foot Infections.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are major complications of Diabetes mellitus being responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. DFUs frequently become chronically infected by a complex community of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant and biofilm-producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diabetic foot infections (DFI) are often recalcitrant to conventional antibiotics and alternative treatment strategies are urgently needed. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), such as pexiganan and nisin, have been increasingly investigated and reported as effective antimicrobial agents. Here, we evaluated the antibacterial potential of pexiganan and nisin used in combination (dual-AMP) to control the growth of planktonic and biofilm co-cultures of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa clinical strains, co-isolated from a DFU. A DFU collagen three-dimensional (3D) model was used to evaluate the distribution and efficacy of AMPs locally delivered into the model. The concentration of pexiganan required to inhibit and eradicate both planktonic and biofilm-based bacterial cells was substantially reduced when used in combination with nisin. Moreover, incorporation of both AMPs in a guar gum delivery system (dual-AMP biogel) did not affect the dual-AMP antimicrobial activity. Importantly, the application of the dual-AMP biogel resulted in the eradication of the S. aureus strain from the model. In conclusion, data suggest that the local application of the dual-AMPs biogel constitutes a potential complementary therapy for the treatment of infected DFU.

Metabolomics of Escherichia coli Treated with the Antimicrobial Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecule CORM-3 Reveals Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle as Major Target.

In the last decade, carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) have been shown to act against several pathogens and to be promising antimicrobials. However, the understanding of the mode of action and reactivity of these compounds on bacterial cells is still deficient. In this work, we used a metabolomics approach to probe the toxicity of the ruthenium(II) complex Ru(CO)3Cl(glycinate) (CORM-3) on Escherichia coli By resorting to 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and enzymatic activities, we show that CORM-3-treated E. coli accumulates larger amounts of glycolytic intermediates, independently of the oxygen growth conditions. The work provides several evidences that CORM-3 inhibits glutamate synthesis and the iron-sulfur enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and that the glycolysis pathway is triggered in order to establish an energy and redox homeostasis balance. Accordingly, supplementation of the growth medium with fumarate, α-ketoglutarate, glutamate, and amino acids cancels the toxicity of CORM-3. Importantly, inhibition of the iron-sulfur enzymes glutamate synthase, aconitase, and fumarase is only observed for compounds that liberate carbon monoxide. Altogether, this work reveals that the antimicrobial action of CORM-3 results from intracellular glutamate deficiency and inhibition of nitrogen and TCA cycles.

Neuromodulating Attention and Mind-Wandering Processes with a Single Session Real Time EEG.

Our minds are continuously alternating between external attention (EA) and mind wandering (MW). An appropriate balance between EA and MW is important for promoting efficient perceptual processing, executive functioning, decision-making, auto-biographical memory, and creativity. There is evidence that EA processes are associated with increased activity in high-frequency EEG bands (e.g., SMR), contrasting with the dominance of low-frequency bands during MW (e.g., Theta). The aim of the present study was to test the effects of two distinct single session real-time EEG (rtEEG) protocols (SMR up-training/Theta down-training-SMR⇑Theta⇓; Theta up-training/SMR down-training-Theta⇑SMR⇓) on EA and MW processes. Thirty healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two rtEEG training protocols (SMR⇑Theta⇓; Theta⇑SMR⇓). Before and after the rtEEG training, participants completed the attention network task (ANT) along with several MW measures. Both training protocols were effective in increasing SMR (SMR⇑Theta⇓) and theta (Theta⇑SMR⇓) amplitudes but not in decreasing the amplitude of down-trained bands. There were no significant effects of the rtEEG training in either EA or MW measures. However, there was a significant positive correlation between post-training SMR increases and the use of deliberate MW (rather than spontaneous) strategies. Additionally, for the Theta⇑SMR⇓ protocol, increase in post-training Theta amplitude was significantly associated with a decreased efficiency in the orientation network.

Practical Considerations of Real Life of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Tertiary Center of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy that develops in cirrhotic livers. Its clinical and epidemiological characteristics and mortality rates vary according to geographical region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical profile, epidemiological characteristics, laboratory parameters, treatment and survival of patients with HCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with HCC seen between 2000 and 2012 were studied. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis according to variables in question. RESULTS: The study included 247 patients with a mean age of 60 ± 10 years. There was a predominance of males (74%). The main etiologies of HCC were HCV infection (55%), excessive alcohol consumption (12%), and HBV infection (8%). Liver cirrhosis was present in 92% of cases. The mean tumor number and diameter were 2 and 5 cm, respectively. Patients meeting the Milan criteria corresponded to 43% of the sample. Liver transplantation was performed in 22.4% of patients of the Milan subset and in 10% of the whole sample. The overall mean survival was 60 months, with a 1-, 3- and 5-year survival probability of 74%, 40% and 29%, respectively. Lower survival was observed among patients with alcoholic etiology. Survival was higher among patients submitted to liver transplantation (P < 0.001), TACE (P < 0.001), or any kind of treatment (P < 0.001). However, no difference was found for surgical resection (P = 0.1) or sorafenib (P = 0.1). CONCLUSION: Patients with HCC were mainly older men diagnosed at an advanced stage. Treatment was associated with better overall survival, but few patients survived to be treated.

Noninvasive brain stimulation for addiction medicine: From monitoring to modulation.

Addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease with significant economical and medical burden on the societies but with limited effectiveness in the available treatment options. Better understanding of the chemical, neuronal, regional, and network alterations of the brain due to drug abuse can ultimately lead to tailoring individualized and more effective interventions. To this end, employing new assessment and intervention procedures seems crucial. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques including transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulations (tES and TMS) have provided promising opportunities for the addiction medicine in two main domains: (1) providing new insights into neurochemical and neural circuit changes in the human brain cortex and (2) understanding the role of different brain regions by using NIBS and modulating cognitive functions, such as drug craving, risky decision making, inhibitory control and executive functions to obtain specific treatment outcomes. In spite of preliminary positive results, there are several open questions, which need to be addressed before routine clinical utilization of NIBS techniques in addiction to medicine, such as how to account for interindividual differences, define optimal cognitive and neural targets, optimize stimulation protocols, and integrate NIBS with other therapeutic methods. Therefore, in this chapter we revise the available literature on the use of NIBS (TMS and tES) in the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic aspects of the addiction medicine.

Facilitative effects of bi-hemispheric tDCS in cognitive deficits of Parkinson disease patients.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, primarily characterized by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, stiffness, slowness and impaired equilibrium. Although the motor symptoms have been the focus in PD, slight cognitive deficits are commonly found in non-demented and non-depressed PD patients, even in early stages of the disease, which have been linked to the subsequent development of pathological dementia. Thus, strongly reducing the quality of life (QoL). Both levodopa therapy and deep brain stimulation (DBS) have yield controversial results concerning the cognitive symptoms amelioration in PD patients. That does not seems to be the case with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), although better stimulation parameters are needed. Therefore we hypothesize that simultaneously delivering cathodal tDCS (or ctDCS), over the right prefrontal cortex delivered with anodal tDCS (or atDCS) to left prefrontal cortex could be potentially beneficial for PD patients, either by mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity and by increases in the extracellular dopamine levels over the striatum.

The effects of cross-hemispheric dorsolateral prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on task switching.

BACKGROUND: Task switching, defined as the ability to flexibly switch between tasks in the face of goal shifting, is a central mechanism in cognitive control. Task switching is thought to involve both prefrontal cortex (PFC) and parietal regions. Our previous work has shown that it is possible to modulate set shifting tasks using 1 mA tDCS on both the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left primary motor area. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of PFC tDCS on task switching are hemisphere-dependent. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to test the effects of three types of cross-hemispheric tDCS over the PFC (left anode-right cathode [LA-RC], left cathode-right anode [LC-RA] and sham stimulation) on participants' performance (reaction time) and accuracy (correct responses) in two task-switching paradigms (i.e., letter/digit naming and vowel-consonant/parity tasks). METHODS: Sixteen participants received cross-hemispheric tDCS over the PFC in two task-switching paradigms. RESULTS: The results show that cross-hemispheric tDCS over the PFC modulates task-switching ability in both paradigms. Our results were task and hemisphere-specific, such that in the letter/digit naming task, LA-RC tDCS increased switching performance, whereas LC-RA tDCS improved accuracy. On the other hand, in the vowel-consonant/parity task, LA-RC improved accuracy, and decreased switching performance. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the notion that involvement of the PFC on task switching depends critically on laterality, implying the existence of different roles for the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere in task switching.

A terapia aquática como coadjuvante na variação do humor em mulheres pós-menopáusicas / Aquatic Therapy Supporting the Variation of humor in women post menopausal women

Objetivo: Observar a influência de um programa de exercícios terapêuticos em piscina, nas sintomatologias menopáusica e depressiva em um grupo de mulheres na menopausa. Material e Métodos: Estudo de intervenção do tipo longitudinal, com abordagem quantitativa e medidas pré e pós-tratamento, em população de mulheres menopáusicas. Instrumentos de coleta de dados: Índice Menopausal de Blatt e Kuppermanne Escala de Depressão Geriátrica de Black & Yesavage. Osdados foram analisados utilizando-se o software Statiscal Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versão 16.0 para Windows, além do teste estatístico Wilcoxon e do teste de Correlação de Spearman. Resultados: No que diz respeito àsintomatologia menopáusica, observou-se Média (SD) antes de 11,73 (9,90) e depois da intervenção de 7,60 (5,60), com uma diferença significativa (z=-3,293; p=0,001) entre as medidas pré e pós-tratamento. Quanto aos sintomas de depressão, observou-se Média (SD) antes de 13,3 (5,5) e depois de 9,0 (5,9), houve diferença significativa (z=-2,003;p=0,045) entre as medidas pré e pós-tratamento, resultados confirmados pelo teste de Correlação de Spearman.Conclusão: Verificou-se que a hidroterapia proporciona benefícios físicos e funcionais, tais como alívio nas ondas de calor e melhoria no humor e na imagem corporal,aumentando a auto-estima feminina e diminuindo asintomatologia depressiva abundantemente encontrada nas mulheres menopáusicas.

Objective: To observe the influence of an aquatic therapeuticexercise program on menopausal symptoms and depressionin a group of menopausal women. Material and Methods:This was a longitudinal intervention study, with a quantitativeapproach and pre- and post-treatment measures in apopulation of menopausal women. Instruments for datacollection: Blatt and Kuppermann Menopausal Index and Black& Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale. Data were analyzedusing the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) version 16.0 for Windows, in addition to Wilcoxonstatistical test and Spearman’s correlation test. Results: The mean (SD) of menopausal symptoms before and afterintervention was found to be 11.73 (9.90) and 7.60 (5.60),respectively, with a significant difference (z=-3.293; p=0.001) between pre- and post-treatment measures. For symptoms of depression, means (SD) of 13.3 (5.5) and 9.0 (5.9) were observed before and after intervention, with a significant difference (z=-2.003; p=0.045) between pre- and post treatment measures, confirmed by the Spearman correlationtest. Conclusion: Hydrotherapy was found to provide physicaland functional benefits, such as relief of heat waves and improvement in mood and body image, increasing female self esteem and reducing depression symptoms abundantly found in menopausal women.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as a functional interhemispheric imbalance at the thalamic level.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves failures in two main inhibitory processes, namely cognitive (obsessions) and behavioral (compulsions). Recent research has supported two cortical-subcortical pathways on OCD pathogenesis: (a) the frontostriatal loop (dorsolateral-caudate-striatum-thalamus) responsible for impairments of behavioral inhibition; (b) the orbitofrontal loop (orbitofrontal, medial prefrontal and cingulate) responsible for impairments with cognitive inhibitory processes. These failures in both cognitive and motor inhibitory systems may mediate several neuropsychological deficits in these patients, namely memory, attention, planning and decision making. But are those deficits related to specific hemispheric effects, namely functional imbalance between hemispheres? In this article we hypothesize that: (1) OCD patients have an inter-hemispheric functional imbalance, probably due to inadequate filtering at the thalamic level; (2) the restoration of inter-hemispheric balance, will be correlative to symptomatic improvement.

A Percepção da Mãe após Aprendizado e Práticado Método de Massagem Shantala No Bebê / Mother’s Perception after Learning and Practicing of the Method Shantala Massage in the Baby

Avaliar a percepção materna sobre os benefíciosda massagem Shantala. Material e Métodos: Trata-se deestudo exploratório, descritivo com abordagem qualitativa,por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada realizada com duasmães de crianças que apresentam riscos de distúrbios nodesenvolvimento motor (prematuridade e disfunção motora),e são atendidas no Serviço Infantil do Hospital UniversitárioLauro Wanderley - UFPB, como também, uma mãe de criançaque não apresenta história de risco no desenvolvimentomotor. O lócus da pesquisa foi o Serviço de FisioterapiaInfantil e a aplicação do método realizada com crianças nafaixa etária de quatro a doze meses, entre outubro enovembro deste ano. A análise dos resultados seguiu critériosde categorização conforme respostas obtidas no instrumentode avaliação. Resultados: Constatou-se após análise dasentrevistas, que a percepção das mães após terconhecimento e prática da massagem Shantala, era de queas crianças apresentavam-se tranqüilas, proporcionandomelhora na qualidade do sono, promovendo maioraproximação e melhora da afetividade em relação ao vínculomãe-filho. Conclusão: Considera-se, portanto, nessapesquisa que independente do perfil/patológico apresentado,os benefícios proporcionados pelo método, segundo apercepção das mães desse estudo, são abordados de formapositiva. Por conseguinte, espera-se que o estudo oraexposto possa fomentar outras pesquisas na área, comamostras significativas, vislumbrando a aplicabilidade dométodo dentro das rotinas dos serviços de fisioterapiaespecializada...

To assess the mother’s feelings about Shantalamassage benefits. Material And Methods: This is anexploratory and descriptive study with qualitative approachthrough a semi-structured interview performed with twomothers whose children present risks at disturbance of motordevelopment (prematurity and motor dysfunction), and areattended in the Children’s Service Department in LauroWanderley University Hospital – UFPB, and also with a motherwhose child does not have any history of motor developmentrisks. The research locus was the “Children’s PhysiotherapyService” and the method application was done with childrenaged from four to twelve months, between October andDecember this year. The analysis of results followedcategorization criteria in accordance with the responsesobtained in the assessment instrument. Results: Throughanalysis of the interviews, it was found that the mother’sperception after knowing and applying Shantala massagewas that children got calm, what provided improved qualityof sleep, promoted better approximation and improvedaffection in relation to mother-child link. Conclusion: It’sconsidered therefore, in this study, that irrespective ofpathological profile presented, the benefits provided byShantala method, according to the mother’s perception inthis study, are addressed in a positive way. Thus, it’s expectedthat the present study may stimulate further researches inthe area, with significant samples, in view of the applicabilityof the method within the service routine of advancedphysiotherapy services...

Analysis of the applicability of artificial neural networks for studying blood plasma: determination of magnesium ion concentration as a case study.

Artificial neural networks are suggested for use in predicting metal ion concentration in human blood plasma. Simulated and available experimental data are used to train the artificial neural network. Particularly, using 850 simulated samples, the network predicted the magnesium-free ion concentration with an average error smaller than 1%. Clinical data recently reported for 20 patients were considered and the artificial neural network predicted the concentration of free magnesium ion with an average error of about 6%. Overall, the approach of using artificial neural networks as an alternative or complementary strategy to deal with the analysis of human blood plasma can be useful for clinical diagnostics, if there is sufficient data to train the artificial neural network.