Visual Analogue Scale Cut-off Point of Seven Represents Poor Quality of Life in Patients with Endometriosis.

Establishing objective criteria to assess endometriosis symptoms is crucial in defining therapeutic strategies. The visual analogue scale (VAS) is the most used system to enhance the accuracy and reduce the subjectivity of pain assessment, and symptoms of endometriosis are considered severe when the VAS score is ≥ 7 cm. Pain symptoms can significantly impact patients' quality of life, resulting in psychological and social distress. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a VAS cut-off point of 7 cm for each pain symptom correlates with a diminished quality of life in women with endometriosis. This retrospective study included 1129 patients who underwent surgical treatment for endometriosis. Dysmenorrhea, acyclic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, and dysuria were assessed using a 0-10 cm VAS. The Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire was employed to evaluate the quality of life 6 months prior to surgery. Dysmenorrhea was the most prevalent symptom reported in 93.6% of cases, with a mean VAS of 7.6 cm. The quality of life reported was reduced in most patients, with domain scores ranging from 49.4 to 80.1. The mean SF-36 scores in all domains were significantly lower in patients with severe pain (VAS score ≥ 7 cm) compared to those with mild to moderate pain (VAS < 7 cm). This trend was observed across all evaluated pain symptoms. Our research demonstrates that the prevalent VAS cut-off point for establishing severe pain symptoms in endometriosis (VAS ≥ 7 cm) accurately represents the negative impact of the disease on women's quality of life, as assessed via the SF-36 questionnaire.

PCR primers designed for new world Leishmania: A systematic review.

Studies of the primers that were designed to detect New World Leishmania were systematically reviewed to report the characteristics of each target, detection limit, specificity of the primers designed and diagnostic sensibility. The papers identified in the databases PubMed and Web of Science involved 50 studies. Minicircle is the most applied target in molecular research for diagnosis, due to its high sensitivity in detecting Leishmania in different clinical samples, a characteristic that can be partially attributed to the higher number of copies of the minicircle per cell. The other molecular targets shown in this review were less sensitive to diagnostic use because of the lower number of copies of the target gene per cell, but more specific for identification of the subgenus and/or species. The choice of the best target is an important step towards the result of the research. The target allows the design of primers that are specific to the genus, subgenus or a particular species and also imparts sensitivity to the method for diagnosis. The findings of this systematic review provide the advantages and disadvantages of the main molecular targets and primers designed for New World Leishmania, offering information so that the researcher can choose the PCR system best suited to their research need. This is a timely and extremely thorough review of the primers designed for New World Leishmania.

The influence of Tween 80 on laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju and the efficiency of crude enzyme broth in the removal of bisphenol-A / Influência do Tween 80 na produção de lacases de Pleurotus sajor-caju e eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto na remoção de bisfenol-A

Bisphenol-A is currently considered an environmental pollutant, capable of interfering in the endocrine system of organisms and causing alterations in its development and reproductive system. An alternative method to the chemical treatment of this pollutant has been the use of oxidative enzymes, especially laccases produced by fungi. In order to reduce production costs, agro-industrial waste can be used in the culture medium composition. Nonionic surfactants, which are only slightly toxic to biological membranes, can be applied, as well as Tween 80, to facilitate the excretion of these enzymes into the culture medium. The objectives of this work were: a) characterize the immersion water of banana straw used in the formulation of the culture medium; b) evaluate laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju in culture medium with and without addition of Tween 80, through shaken flasks; c) evaluate the efficiency of the crude enzyme broth in degrading bisphenol-A. The shaken flasks were incubated at 30°C for 12 days. The immersion water had a C:N ratio of 13.8, ash percentage of 28.6%, and pH close to neutrality. The addition of Tween 80 on the culture medium (7.5%, m/v) yielded laccase activity and productivity values equal to 3,016.47 U L-1 and 502.7 U L-1 day-1, respectively. These values were 50 and 33.5 times higher than those obtained in the culture medium without addition of Tween 80 for laccase activity and productivity, respectively. The crude enzyme broth degraded 100% of bisphenol-A after 48 hours, regardless of concentration (500, 750 and 1,000 mg L-1).(AU)

O bisfenol-A é considerado um poluente ambiental capaz de interferir no sistema endócrino dos organismos, ocasionando alterações em seu desenvolvimento e sistema de reprodução. Um método alternativo ao tratamento químico desse tipo de poluente tem sido a utilização de enzimas oxidativas, especialmente as lacases, produzidas por fungos. A fim de diminuir custos de produção, resíduos agroindustriais podem compor o meio de cultivo. Assim, surfactantes não iônicos e pouco tóxicos para as membranas biológicas, como o Tween 80, podem ser utilizados para facilitar a excreção dessas enzimas para o meio de cultivo. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: caracterizar quimicamente o resíduo água de imersão de palha de bananeira, usado na formulação do meio de cultivo; avaliar a produção de lacase por Pleurotus sajor-caju em meio de cultivo líquido (frascos Erlenmeyer) com e sem adição de Tween 80; e avaliar a eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto em degradar bisfenol-A. Os frascos foram incubados a 30°C, por 12 dias. A água de imersão apresentou relação C:N 13,8, percentual de cinzas 28,6% e pH próximo da neutralidade. O cultivo adicionado de Tween 80 (7,5%, m/v) propiciou valores de atividade e produtividade em lacase iguais a 3.016,47 U L-1 e 502,7 U L-1 dia-1, respectivamente. Esses valores são 50 e 33,5 vezes maiores que os obtidos no cultivo sem adição de Tween 80, para atividade e produtividade em lacase, respectivamente. O caldo enzimático bruto degradou 100% do bisfenol-A após 48 horas, independentemente da concentração (500, 750 e 1.000 mg L-1).(AU)

Presence of anti-Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis antibodies in blood donors in the West-Central region of the State of Paraná, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Serological screening in blood banks does not include all transmittable diseases. American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) has a high detection rate in the municipalities of the State of Paraná. METHODS: This study analyzed the presence of anti- Leishmania braziliensisantibodies in 176 blood donors who live in these endemic areas. The variables were analyzed with the χ2 test and Stata 9.1 software. RESULTS: Twenty (11.4%) samples were positive for the presence of anti- L. braziliensisantibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of donors with anti- Leishmania spp. antibodies indicates the need to study the risk of ACL transmission through blood donors.

Healing of fresh frozen bone allograft with or without platelet-rich plasma: a histologic and histometric study in rats.

PURPOSE: This study histomorphometrically analyzed the effect of autogenous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on healing of fresh frozen bone allograft (FFBA) in bony defects in rat calvaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 5mm-diameter defect was created in the calvarium of 30 rats. Animals were divided into three groups: C (defect was filled by blood clot only), FFBA (defect was filled with 0.01mL of FFBA), and FFBA/PRP (defect was filled with 0.01mL of FFBA combined with 100µL of PRP). All animals were euthanized at 30 days postoperatively. Histomorphometry and histology analyses were performed. Data were statistically analyzed (analysis of variance, Tukey, p<.05). RESULTS: FFBA had a statistically smaller new bone area than groups FFBA/PRP and C. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups FFBA and FFBA/PRP with regard to remaining bone graft particle area. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that (1) PRP improved the incorporation of FFBA, increasing the amount of new bone formed; (2) PRP has not influenced the resorption of nonviable particles of the FFBA; and (3) presence of remaining FFBA particles might have accounted for the smaller amount of new bone observed in group FFBA when compared with control group.