A single dose of angiotensin-(1-7) resolves eosinophilic inflammation and protects the lungs from a secondary inflammatory challenge.

OBJECTIVE: Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] is a pro-resolving mediator. It is not known whether the pro-resolving effects of Ang-(1-7) are sustained and protect the lung from a subsequent inflammatory challenge. This study sought to investigate the impact of treatment in face of a second allergic or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. METHODS: Mice, sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), received a single Ang-(1-7) dose at the peak of eosinophilic inflammation, 24 h after the final OVA challenge. Subsequently, mice were euthanized at 48, 72, 96, and 120 h following the OVA challenge, and cellular infiltrate, inflammatory mediators, lung histopathology, and macrophage-mediated efferocytic activity were evaluated. The secondary inflammatory stimulus (OVA or LPS) was administered 120 h after the last OVA challenge, and subsequent inflammatory analyses were performed. RESULTS: Treatment with Ang-(1-7) resulted in elevated levels of IL-10, CD4+Foxp3+, Mres in the lungs and enhanced macrophage-mediated efferocytic capacity. Moreover, in allergic mice treated with Ang-(1-7) and then subjected to a secondary OVA challenge, inflammation was also reduced. Similarly, in mice exposed to LPS, Ang-(1-7) effectively prevented the lung inflammation. CONCLUSION: A single dose of Ang-(1-7) resolves lung inflammation and protect the lung from a subsequent inflammatory challenge highlighting its potential therapeutic for individuals with asthma.

Clinical Study of Photobiomodulation Effect at Postoperative Clefted Alveolar Ridge Bone Grafting.

This study aimed to evaluate photobiomodulation (PBM) adjunct effect on pain, swelling, and face temperature in individuals with oral cleft submitted to alveolar ridge bone grafting (ABG). The sample consisted of 46 patients with either incomplete or complete unilateral cleft lip and palate aged from 9 to 18 years, both sexes, who underwent ABG with chin donor area. Subjects were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) Control (C): ABG (n=17); (2) PBM: ABG with PBM (n=14); (3) Simulated photobiomodulation (SPBM): ABG with SPBM (n=15). Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (GaAlAs) infrared laser was used at 808±10 nm and power of 100 mW±20%. GaAlAs infrared laser was applied on 14 points in the subject's face at 4J per point, at 2 times: Immediate postoperative period and 24 hours postoperative. The authors evaluated pain, swelling, and face temperature at 24 hours postoperative; at 7-day postoperative, the authors evaluated pain, medication use, and swelling decreasing perception. No statistically significant difference occurred between groups C, PBM, and SPBM. At 24 hours postoperative, pain values showed statistically significant difference (P=0.04) between group C and SPBM. PBM at the tested parameters did not reduce pain and swelling and did not significantly change face temperature of individuals submitted to ARBG.

Comparison of arterial stiffness index predictors in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The present cross-sectional study aimed to compare climacteric symptoms and arterial stiffness indices between perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The study sample comprised 70 healthy female participants, including 27 perimenopausal (49.8 ± 3.8 years) and 43 postmenopausal (55.7 ± 4 years) individuals. Validated methods were used to assess physical activity level, quality of life, climacteric symptoms, and anthropometric data. Arterial stiffness parameters were measured using Mobil-O-Graph. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) had a higher mean in the postmenopausal group than in the perimenopause group [8.04 m/s (SD 0.79) vs 7.01 m/s (SD 0.78), p < .001). PWV was strongly correlated with peripheral (r = 0.619) and central (r = 0.632) Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) in postmenopausal group and an even stronger correlation was observed in perimenopausal group (r = 0.779 pSBP and 0.782 cSBP). BMI was a risk predictor in the perimenopausal group contributing positively to increase Pulse Pressure Amplification (PPA) (0.458, p < .05). In postmenopausal women, heart rate (HR) was a stronger predictor for central SBP, cardiac output, and total vascular resistance, whereas perimenopausal women HR influenced central diastolic blood pressure and PPA. Vascular changes initiating during perimenopause may contribute to the development of cardiovascular pathologies in the postmenopausal period. Further research with larger, representative samples is warranted to corroborate these findings.

Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network's multisite evaluation of the ThermoFisher Sensititre GN7F broth microdilution panel for antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network to improve domestic detection of multidrug-resistant organisms. CDC and four laboratories evaluated a commercial broth microdilution panel. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the Sensititre GN7F (ThermoFisher Scientific, Lenexa, KS) was evaluated by testing 100 CDC and Food and Drug Administration AR Isolate Bank isolates [40 Enterobacterales (ENT), 30 Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA), and 30 Acinetobacter baumannii (ACB)]. We assessed multiple amounts of transfer volume (TV) between the inoculum and tubed 11-mL cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth: 1 µL [tribe Proteeae (P-tribe) only] and 10, 30, and 50 µL, resulting in respective CFU per milliter of 1 × 104, 1 × 105, 3 × 105, and 5 × 105. Four TV combinations were analyzed: standard (STD) [1 µL (P-tribe) and 10 µL], enhanced standard (E-STD) [1 µL (P-tribe) and 30 µL], 30 µL, and 50 µL. Essential agreement (EA), categorical agreement, major error (ME), and very major error (VME) were analyzed by organism then TVs. For ENT, the average EA across laboratories was <90% for 7 of 15 ß-lactams using STD and E-STD TVs. As TVs increased, EA increased (>90%), and VMEs decreased. For PSA, EA improved as TVs increased; however, MEs also increased. For ACB, increased TVs provided slight EA improvements; all TVs yielded multiple VMEs and MEs. For ENT and ACB, Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) trended downward using a 1 or 10 µL TV; there were no obvious MIC trends by TV for PSA. The public health and clinical consequences of missing resistance warrant increased TV of 30 µL for the GN7F, particularly for P-tribe, despite being considered "off-label" use.

Multivariate optimization of a green procedure for determination of emerging polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles in PM2.5 from sites with different characteristics.

Emerging polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles (PANHs) contributes significantly to the health risk associated with inhaling polluted air. However, there is a lack of analytical methods with the needed performance to their determination. This study presents the optimization and validation for the first time of a green microscale extraction procedure for the determination of twenty-one PANHs, including carbazole, indole, and quinolone classes, in particulate matter (PM2.5) samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A simplex-centroid mixture design and full factorial design (23) were employed to optimize the following extraction parameters: type and volume of solvent, sample size, extraction time, and necessity of a cleanup step. Low limits of detection and quantification (LOD < 0.97 pg m-3 and LOQ < 3.24 pg m-3, respectively) were obtained in terms of matrix-matched calibration. The accuracy and precision of the method were adequate, with recoveries in three levels between 73 to 120% and intraday and interday relative standard deviations from 2.0 to 12.9% and 7.3 to 18.9%, respectively. The green character of the method was evaluated using the Analytical Greenness (AGREE) tool, where a score of 0.69 was obtained, indicating a great green procedure. The method was applied to PM2.5 samples collected from sites with different characteristics; the concentrations ranged from 69.3 pg m-3 (2-methylcarbazole) to 11,874 pg m-3 (carbazole) for individual PANHs and from 2306 to 24,530 pg m-3 for ∑21PANHs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering enabled discrimination of the sampling sites according to the PANHs concentrations. The score plots formed two distinct groups, one with samples containing higher concentrations of PANHs, corresponding to sites with a major influence from diesel emissions, and another group with minor PANH contents, corresponding to sites impacted by emissions from urban traffic and industrial activities.

Reconsidering frailty from a human and social sciences standpoint: towards an interdisciplinary approach to vulnerability.

Although frailty is an important, well-characterized concept in the provision of medical care to older adults, it has not been linked to the concept of vulnerability developed in the humanities and social sciences. Here, we distinguish between the two main dimensions of vulnerability: a fundamental, anthropological dimension in which people are exposed to a risk of injury, and a relational dimension in which people depend on each other and on their environment. The relational notion of vulnerability might provide healthcare professionals with a better understanding of frailty (and its potential interaction with precarity). Precarity situates people in their relationship with a social environment that might threaten their living conditions. Frailty corresponds to individual-level changes in adaptation to a living environment and the loss of ability to evolve or react in that environment. Therefore, we suggest that by considering the geriatric notion of frailty as a particular form of relational vulnerability, healthcare professionals could better understand the specific needs of frail, older people-and thus provide more appropriate care.

Arterial stiffness indices, pulse wave velocity and central systolic blood pressure, are able to discriminate between obese and non-obese children.

The objectives of this study were to verify, first, if arterial stiffness indices can discriminate between obese and healthy children. Second, to evaluate arterial stiffness index predictors and hemodynamic parameters in obese children. Arterial stiffness indices evaluated were pulse wave velocity (PWV), central systolic blood pressure (SBPc), and central pulse pressure (PPc). A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative study design was used. The sample consisted of 78 normal-weight children (8.1 ± 1.96 years) and 58 obese children (9.0 ± 1.87 years). PWV, PPc, and SBPc were significantly higher in the group of obese children than in the control group. The ROC curve analysis showed that maximum PWV and SBPc sensitivity and specificity in differentiating obese from non-obese children occurred at 4.09 m/s and 86.17 mmHg, respectively. PPc did not exhibit a discriminatory capacity between the two groups. Peripheral systolic blood pressure (SBPp), peripheral pulse pressure (PPp), and PPc (R2 = 0.98) were predictors of increased PWV. Augmentation pressure, PPp, and reflection coefficient (R2 = 0.873) were predictors of PPc. Age, augmentation index, total vascular resistance, cardiac index, and mean fat percentage (R2 = 0.801) were predictors of SBPc. CONCLUSION: This study shows for the first time that PWV > 4.09 m/s and SBPc > 86.17 mmHg are cut-off points associated with a higher risk of obesity. These results indicate that the simple, rapid, and noninvasive measurement of arterial stiffness adds prognostic information regarding cardiovascular risk, in addition to increased body mass index. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Overweight and obesity are strongly associated with comorbidities que contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. WHAT IS NEW: • This is the first study to show that PWV and SBPc can discriminate obese from non-obese children. These results show that, in addition to an increased BMI, a simple, rapid, and noninvasive measurement of arterial stiffness adds prognostic information on cardiovascular risk.

Advanced Levels of Chronic Venous Insufficiency are Related to an Increased in Arterial Stiffness.

BACKGROUND: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is characterized by progressive inflammatory changes. Inflammatory damage occurs in the veins, adjacent tissues, and can lead to structural changes in the arteries. The aim of this study is to analyze whether the degree of CVI is associated with arterial stiffness. METHODS: Cross-sectional study including patients with CVI classified by clinical, etiological, anatomical, and pathophysiological classification (CEAP) 1 to 6. We performed correlation between the degree of CVI, central and peripheral arterial pressure, and arterial stiffness measured by brachial artery oscillometry. RESULTS: We evaluated 70 patients, 53 of whom were women with a mean age of 54.7 years. Patients with advanced degrees of venous insufficiency CEAP 4,5,6, had higher levels of systolic, diastolic, central, and peripheral arterial pressures compared to those with early stages (CEAP 1,2,3). The CEAP 4,5,6 group had higher arterial stiffness indices than the CEAP 1,2,3 group: pulse wave velocity (PWV) 9.3 m/s vs. 7.0 m/s, P < 0.001; augmentation pressure (AP) 8.0 mm Hg vs. 6.3 mm Hg; P = 0.04. There was a positive correlation between the degree of venous insufficiency measured by the venous clinical severity score, villalta score and CEAP classification, and the arterial stiffness indices (Spearman's coefficient = 0.62 for PWV and CEAP, P < 0.01). The factors influencing PWV were age, peripheral systolic arterial pressure (SAPp), and AP. CONCLUSIONS: There is a correlation between the degree of venous disease and arterial structural changes characterized by arterial pressure and stiffness indices. Degenerative changes secondary to venous insufficiency are associated with impairment of the arterial system, which has implications for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Reacting, Sharing, and Commenting: How Many Facebook Users Are Engaging with Posts Related to Dental Caries That Contain Misinformation?

Recent studies have been concerned about the vast amount of misinformation detected on social media that directly hampers the prevention and control of chronic diseases. Based on these facts, the aim of this study was to identify and characterize misinformation about dental caries-related content found on Facebook, regarding the predictive factors of user interaction with posts. Then, CrowdTangle retrieved 2,436 posts published in English, ordered by the total interaction of the highest users. A total of 1,936 posts were selected for inclusion and exclusion criteria to select a sample of 500 posts. Subsequently, two independent investigators characterized the posts by their time of publication, author's profile, motivation, the aim of content, content facticity, and sentiment. The statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U and χ2 tests and multiple logistic regression models to determine differences and associations between dichotomized characteristics. p values <0.05 were considered significant. In general, posts were predominantly originated from the USA (74.8%), related to business profiles (89%), presented preventive content (58.6%), and noncommercial motivation (91.6%). Furthermore, misinformation was detected in 40.8% of the posts and was positively associated with positive sentiment (OR = 3.43), business profile (OR = 2.22), and treatment of dental caries (OR = 1.60). While the total interaction was only positively associated with misinformation (OR = 1.44), the overperforming score was associated with posts from the business profile (OR = 5.67), older publications (OR = 1.57), and positive sentiment (OR = 0.66). In conclusion, misinformation was the unique predictive factor of increased user interaction with dental caries-related posts on Facebook. However, it did not predict the performance of the diffusion of posts such as business profiles, older publications, and negative/neutral sentiment. Therefore, it is essential to promote the development of specific policies toward good quality information on social media, which includes the production of adequate materials, the increase of the critical sense of consuming health content, and information filtering mediated by digital solutions.

Eating behaviour, quality of life and cardiovascular risk in obese and overweight children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a major cardiovascular risk factor because it predisposes individuals to comorbidities that are implicated in an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Its origin may be related to poor eating habits, such as the intake of foods of low nutritional value or inadequate eating behaviours related to emotional factors. This work aims to evaluate the relationship between the total body mass of children and adolescents and its association with eating habits, quality of life (QoL), and possible changes in early markers of cardiovascular risk. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study that evaluated anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters, QoL, and eating behaviour in 181 children and adolescents aged between 5 and 13 years. Participants were stratified according to BMI/age into three groups (Adequate Weight, Overweight, and Obesity). Anthropometry included weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio. QoL was assessed using the Peds-QL 4.0 questionnaire, and eating behaviour was assessed using the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). Cardiovascular parameters were assessed using the Mobil-O-Graph® device, which measures the pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx@75) to estimate arterial stiffness (AS), which is considered an early marker of cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: In addition to the increase in anthropometric measurements (p < 0.001), the Obesity group exhibited behaviour related to food intake (p < 0.05). When analysing QoL, a worsening in the social domain was also observed in the Obesity group (p < 0.05). However, PWV and AIx@75 did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Eating behaviour is related to the development of childhood obesity. However, early markers of cardiovascular risk related to AS did not change as a function of total body mass in the children evaluated.