Correlation between low handgrip strength and metabolic syndrome in older adults: a systematic review.

Muscle weakness has been associated to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in the general population. However, it is still unclear whether this association is maintained in older adults. This study investigated correlations between low handgrip strength (HGS) and metabolic syndrome, or some of its components, in older adults through a systematic review of the literature. Searches were conducted in the Virtual Health Library Regional Portal, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase, MEDLINE/ PubMed, SciELO, and Web of Science databases for relevant studiesinvestigating muscle weakness (measured by hand dynamometer) and metabolic syndrome or its components in older adult populations, published up to September 2023. From the 2050 references initially identified, 20 studies, comprising a total of 31,264 older adults of both genders, completely met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Eighteen studies showed that lower HGS was associated with metabolic syndrome or some of its risk factors, such as abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, or high blood pressure. Two studies found that older men with high blood pressure had increased HGS. Most studies included in this systematic review revealed a significant correlation between reduced HGS and metabolic syndrome or some of its components, especially abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. We conclude that below-average HGS can be associated with metabolic syndrome in older adults.

Cutaneous glands of the striped toad, Rhinella crucifer (Wied-Neuwied, 1821) (Amphibia: Bufonidae): Histological study and bioactivities of glandular secretions.

This study investigated the morphology of Rhinella crucifer cutaneous glands, as well as the protein/peptide profiles and bioactivities of body gland secretions (BGS) and parotoid macrogland secretions (PS). The parotoid as well as dorsal and ventral skin fragments of male and female individuals were processed for histological analysis. The protein and peptide profiles of male and female gland secretions were evaluated. Male secretions were also assessed for proteolytic, trypsin inhibiting, hemagglutinating, hemolytic, antimicrobial, and anticoagulant activities. The R. crucifer skin structure presented protuberances that are clearly visible and formed by the integument, which has cutaneous glands throughout the body. An average of 438 and 333 glands were identified in males in females, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of glands across the body as well as for area and perimeter of glands. Differences were observed in protein composition between the PS and BGS from males and females, and secretions from animals collected from undisturbed and anthropogenically disturbed areas. Proteins with similarities to catalase and elongation factor 1-alpha were detected in the PS. Zymography revealed proteolytic activity in both male BGS and PS. Male BGS showed antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli and anticoagulant activity, being able to prolong prothrombin time by 6.34-fold and activated partial thromboplastin time by 2.17-fold. Finally, male PS and BGS caused a maximum hemolysis degree of 1.4%. The data showed that the cutaneous secretions of R. crucifer are potentially promising for biotechnological prospecting.

Combined Ultrahypofractionated Whole-Breast Irradiation and IORT-Boost: A Safety and Feasibility Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The current standard of local treatment for patients with localized breast cancer (BC) includes whole breast irradiation (WBI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Ultrahypofractionated WBI schemes (1-week treatment) were shown not to be inferior to the standard WBI. Tumor bed boost using photon intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is safe and feasible in combination with standard WBI. The aim of the present study is to assess, for the first time, the feasibility and safety of combining photon IORT with ultrahypofractionated WBI. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with low-risk early BC candidates for BCS were included in this prospective study. IORT was administered at a dose of 20 Gy to the surface's applicator, and WBI was administered 3-5 weeks after surgery at a total dose of 26 Gy in five consecutive days. RESULTS: From July 2020 to December 2022, seventy-two patients diagnosed with low-risk early BC and treated in our institution were included in this prospective study. All patients completed the proposed treatment, and no severe acute or late grade 3 toxicity was observed 3 and 12 months after WBI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm for the first time that the combination of ultrafractionation WBI and photon-IORT after BCS is a feasible and safe option in patients with early BC.

Thermosensitive polymer-assisted extraction and purification of fungal laccase from citrus pulp wash effluent.

BACKGROUND: This study explores the use of liquid-liquid extraction with thermosensitive polymers for producing laccase (Lac) from Pleurotus sajor-caju. This process leverages liquid waste from the citrus industry, specifically pulp wash. The research delves into extractive fermentation and thermoseparation, both processes being facilitated by a polymer exhibiting a lower critical solution temperature transition. RESULTS: Key factors considered include the choice of polymer, its concentration, pH, separation temperature, and the behavior of the polymer-rich phase post-extractive fermentation concerning the lower critical solution temperature. Notably, under conditions of 45% by weight of Pluronic L-61 and pH 5.0 at 25 °C, the Lac resulted in an enhancement in the purification factor of 28.4-fold, compared with the Lac obtained directly from the fermentation process on the eighth day. There was an 83.6% recovery of the Lac enzyme in the bottom phase of the system. Additionally, the unique properties of Pluronic L-61, which can induce phase separation and also allow for thermoseparation, led to a secondary fraction (aqueous solution) of Lac with purification factor of 2.1 ± 0.1-fold (at 32 ± 0.9 °C and 30 ± 0.3 min without stirring) from the polymeric phase (top phase). Fourier-transform infrared analysis validated the separation data, particularly highlighting the α-helix content in the amide I region (1600-1700 cm-1 ). CONCLUSION: In summary, the insights from this study pave the way for broader industrial applications of these techniques, underscoring benefits like streamlined process integration, heightened selectivity, and superior separation efficacy. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of a simple biogas analyzer module (BAM) for real-time biogas production monitoring.

ABSTRACTAnaerobic digestion (AD) relies on the cooperation of specific microbial communities, making it susceptible to process disruptions that could impact biogas production. In this regard, this study presents a technological solution based on the Arduino platform, in the form of a simple online monitoring system that can track the produced biogas profile, named as biogas analyzer module (BAM). The applicability of the BAM focused on monitoring the biogas produced from sugarcane vinasse inoculated with sewage sludge biodigestion processed in mesophilic conditions (38 oC), in a pH range of 6.5-7.5, and following a three-stage operational model: (i) an adaptation (168 h), (ii) complete mixing (168 h), and (iii) bio-stimulation with glycerol (192 h). Then, the lab-made BAM was used to trace the produced biogas profile, which registered a total biogas volume of 8,719.86 cm3 and biomethane concentration of 95.79% (vol.), removing 90.8% (vol) of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 65.2% (vol) of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In conclusion, the results ensured good accuracy and efficiency to the device created by comparisons with established standards (chromatographic and colorimetric methods), as well as the cost reduction. The developed device would likely be six times cheaper than what is available in the market.

Gestational and congenital syphilis: gaps to be elucidated.

Congenital and gestational syphilis are increasingly prevalent multisystemic infections in Brazil. This study aimed to present a case series of three children diagnosed with congenital syphilis even though their mother had unreactive treponemal tests. The VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) titers of a 22-year-old mother with three pregnancies decreased after treatment. The mother did not have a reactive treponemal test, but all the three children were diagnosed with early congenital syphilis. This case series highlights the difficulty in diagnosing gestational and congenital syphilis in Brazil.

Halogen-bonded co-crystal containing 1,3-di-iodo-perchloro-benzene and the photoproduct rtct-tetra-kis-(pyridin-4-yl)cyclo-butane resulting in a zigzag topology.

The formation and crystal structure of a zigzag network held together by I⋯N halogen bonds is reported. In particular, the halogen-bond donor is 1,3-di-iodo-perchloro-benzene (C6I2Cl4 ) while the acceptor is the photoproduct rtct-tetra-kis-(pyridin-4-yl)cyclo-butane (TPCB). Curiously, within the resulting co-crystal (C6I2Cl4 )·(TPCB), the photoproduct accepts only two halogen bonds between neighbouring 4-pyridyl rings and as a result behaves as a bent two-connected node rather than the expected four-connected centre. In addition, the photoproduct, TPCB, is also found to engage in C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming an extended zigzag chain.

Purification and Biological Properties of Raniseptins-3 and -6, Two Antimicrobial Peptides from Boana raniceps (Cope, 1862) Skin Secretion.

The number of multidrug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms has been growing in recent years, most of which is due to the inappropriate use of the commercial antibiotics that are currently available. The dissemination of antimicrobial resistance represents a serious global public health problem. Thus, it is necessary to search for and develop new drugs that can act as antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides are a promising alternative for the development of new therapeutic drugs. Anurans' skin glands are a rich source of broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds and hylids, a large and diverse family of tree frogs, are known as an important source of antimicrobial peptides. In the present study, two novel antimicrobial peptides, named Raniseptins-3 and -6, were isolated from Boana raniceps skin secretion and their structural and biological properties were evaluated. Raniseptins-3 and -6 are cationic, rich in hydrophobic residues, and adopt an α-helix conformation in the presence of SDS (35 mM). Both peptides are active against Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive pathogens, with low hemolytic activity at therapeutic concentrations. No activity was observed for yeasts, but the peptides are highly cytotoxic against B16F10 murine melanoma cells and NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. None of the tested compounds showed improvement trends in the MTT and LDH parameters of MHV-3 infected cells at the concentrations tested.

Gestational and congenital syphilis: gaps to be elucidated

ABSTRACT Congenital and gestational syphilis are increasingly prevalent multisystemic infections in Brazil. This study aimed to present a case series of three children diagnosed with congenital syphilis even though their mother had unreactive treponemal tests. The VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) titers of a 22-year-old mother with three pregnancies decreased after treatment. The mother did not have a reactive treponemal test, but all the three children were diagnosed with early congenital syphilis. This case series highlights the difficulty in diagnosing gestational and congenital syphilis in Brazil.

Atualização da relação de bens patrimoniais da auditoria geral do SUS / Update of the list of patrimonial assets of the SUS general audit

Introdução: As organizações vem buscado soluções básicas, porém eficientes para aperfeiçoar seus processos, dentre eles a gestão dos bens móveis e materiais necessários para a execução de sua atividade finalística. Na Administração Pública, especificamente no Poder Executivo do Estado, a Controladoria Geral do Estado - CGE é o órgão habilitado para realizar Auditoria Interna de todos os setores, competindo-lhe o monitoramento e a fiscalização do gasto público e a implementação de medidas para a correção de falhas e melhorias dos processos. O órgão de auditoria conta com o apoio das Unidades Setoriais de Controle Interno ­ UNISECI, que são unidades instaladas nos órgãos e entidades, cuja atribuição é verificar e assegurar o cumprimento dos planos de melhorias resultantes das auditorias realizadas pela CGE. Não é incomum, que hajam apontamentos da Auditoria Interna quanto as inadequações na gestão dos bens móveis. Justificativa: Em 2022, foram instituídas por meio da Portaria nº 399/2022/GBSES, publicada na edição nº 28.262 do Diário Oficial do Estado de Mato Grosso, a Comissão e Subcomissões de Inventário de Bens Móveis Permanentes da Secretaria de Estado de Saúde ­ SES, com o objetivo de executar e coordenar as atividades de verificação da disposição física e registro sistêmico dos bens móveis permanentes de todas as unidades administrativas que compõem a estrutura da Secretaria, com fundamento nos diplomas normativos vigentes que regulamentam a matéria de patrimônio público. Objetivo: Propor um método de trabalho para implementação no gerenciamento e controle dos bens móveis permanentes da Auditoria Geral do SUS, unidade administrativa vinculada à Secretaria de Estado de Saúde ­ SES-MT. Metodologia: Projeto de Intervenção, desenvolvido na Auditoria Geral do Sistema Único de Saúde ­ SUS que envolve levantamento documental e uso das ferramentas: 5W3H, Diagrama de Afinidades, Brainstorming. Resultado: Construção de ferramentas que auxiliam o auditor de saúde a regularizar e manter o controle dos bens móveis permanentes sob sua guarda patrimonial. Considerações finais: Os controles e procedimentos para regularização patrimonial aplicados na Secretaria de Estado de Saúde de Mato Grosso implicam no aumento da segurança patrimonial do órgão, além elevar a qualidade do trabalho finalístico desenvolvido pela SES. As ferramentas propostas evidenciaram as vulnerabilidades no gerenciamento dos bens móveis da unidade administrativa Auditoria Geral do SUS, e, por consequência, oportunizaram as melhoria dos processos, a organização metódica das ações implementadas, a definição de responsabilidades e a aplicação de métodos e recursos para sanar as inconsistências detectadas e elevar o desempenho da equipe, no que se refere à manutenção do controle patrimonial

Feature Saliencies in Asymmetric Hidden Markov Models.

Many real-life problems are stated as nonlabeled high-dimensional data. Current strategies to select features are mainly focused on labeled data, which reduces the options to select relevant features for unsupervised problems, such as clustering. Recently, feature saliency models have been introduced and developed as clustering models to select and detect relevant variables/features as the model is learned. Usually, these models assume that all variables are independent, which narrows their applicability. This article introduces asymmetric hidden Markov models with feature saliencies, i.e., models capable of simultaneously determining during their learning phase relevant variables/features and probabilistic relationships between variables. The proposed models are compared with other state-of-the-art approaches using synthetic data and real data related to grammatical face videos and wear in ball bearings. We show that the proposed models have better or equal fitness than other state-of-the-art models and provide further data insights.

Mastoparans: A Group of Multifunctional α-Helical Peptides With Promising Therapeutic Properties.

Biologically active peptides have been attracting increasing attention, whether to improve the understanding of their mechanisms of action or in the search for new therapeutic drugs. Wasp venoms have been explored as a remarkable source for these molecules. In this review, the main findings on the group of wasp linear cationic α-helical peptides called mastoparans were discussed. These compounds have a wide variety of biological effects, including mast cell degranulation, activation of protein G, phospholipase A2, C, and D activation, serotonin and insulin release, and antimicrobial, hemolytic, and anticancer activities, which could lead to the development of new therapeutic agents.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of severe COVID-19 patients in Mexico City: A post-mortem analysis using a minimally invasive autopsy approach.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the histological findings of minimally ultrasound-guided invasive autopsies in deceased patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 and compare the diagnostic yield with open autopsies. DESIGN: Observational post-mortem cohort study. Minimally invasive ultrasound-guided autopsies were performed in fourteen deceased patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Histological and clinical findings of lung, kidney, and liver tissue are described and contrasted with those previously reported in the literature. SETTING: Single-center COVID-19 reference center in Mexico City. RESULTS: Fourteen minimally invasive autopsies revealed a gross correlation with open autopsies reports: 1) Lung histology was characterized mainly by early diffuse alveolar damage (12/13). Despite low lung compliances and prolonged mechanical ventilation, the fibrotic phase was rarely observed (2/13). 2) Kidney histopathology demonstrated acute tubular injury (12/13), interstitial nephritis (11/13), and glomerulitis (11/13) as the predominant features 3) Liver histology was characterized by neutrophilic inflammation in all of the cases, as well as hepatic necrosis (8/14) despite minimal alterations in liver function testing. Hepatic steatosis was observed in most cases (12/14). SARS-CoV-2 positivity was widely observed throughout the immunohistochemical analysis. However, endothelitis and micro thrombosis, two of the hallmark features of the disease, were not observed. CONCLUSION: Our data represents the largest minimally invasive, ultrasound-guided autopsy report. We demonstrate a gross histological correlation with large open autopsy cohorts. However, this approach might overlook major histologic features of the disease, such as endothelitis and micro-thrombosis. Whether this represents sampling bias is unclear.

Why citizen review might beat peer review at identifying pursuitworthy scientific research.

In response to increasing fatigue with the failings of the peer review system, granting agencies are beginning to consider lotteries as an alternative. I argue that citizen review, in which non-scientists determine funding allocations, has advantages over both. This is particularly true when it comes to identifying which research is most pursuitworthy.

Reply letter to "response to article by Johnna Perdrizet et al." by Gomez and colleagues.

This communication seeks to address the questions and criticisms issued by Gomez and colleagues in their letter on our original study "Cost-effectiveness analysis of replacing the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) with the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in Brazil infants." Gomez and colleagues are concerned that the assumptions used in our model may have unintended negative impacts for Brazil decision-making and we intend to clarify any potential misinterpretation of our assessment.

Autoregressive Asymmetric Linear Gaussian Hidden Markov Models.

In a real life process evolving over time, the relationship between its relevant variables may change. Therefore, it is advantageous to have different inference models for each state of the process. Asymmetric hidden Markov models fulfil this dynamical requirement and provide a framework where the trend of the process can be expressed as a latent variable. In this paper, we modify these recent asymmetric hidden Markov models to have an asymmetric autoregressive component in the case of continuous variables, allowing the model to choose the order of autoregression that maximizes its penalized likelihood for a given training set. Additionally, we show how inference, hidden states decoding and parameter learning must be adapted to fit the proposed model. Finally, we run experiments with synthetic and real data to show the capabilities of this new model.

Brazilian Theraphosidae: a toxicological point of view.

The Theraphosidae family includes the largest number of species of the Mygalomorphae infraorder, with hundreds of species currently catalogued. However, there is a huge lack on physiologic and even ecologic information available, especially in Brazil, which is the most biodiverse country in the world. Over the years, spiders have been presented as a source of multiple biologically active compounds with basic roles, such as primary defense against pathogenic microorganisms or modulation of metabolic pathways and as specialized hunters. Spider venoms also evolved in order to enable the capture of prey by interaction with a diversity of molecular targets of interest, raising their pharmaceutical potential for the development of new drugs. Among the activities found in compounds isolated from venoms and hemocytes of Brazilian Theraphosidae there are antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antitumoral, as well as properties related to proteinase action and neuromuscular blockage modulated by ionic voltage-gated channel interaction. These characteristics are present in different species from multiple genera, which is strong evidence of the important role in spider survival. The present review aims to compile the main results of studies from the last decades on Brazilian Theraphosidae with special focus on results obtained with the crude venom or compounds isolated from both venom and hemocytes, and their physiological and chemical characterization.

Pica y traumatismo craneoencefálico en un paciente adolescente: recuperación <> con paliperidona / Pica and traumatic brain injury in an adolescent: complete improvement with paliperidone

Presentamos el caso clínico de un adolescente varón de 15 años derivado a Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil por realizar ingestas repetitivas de sustancias no nutritivas como gomas de borrar, escamas psoriásicas o incluso pintura de la pared. Entre sus antecedentes somáticos de interés, conviene destacar la Enfermedad de Kawasaki y psoriasis, además de haber sufrido un traumatismo craneoencefálico (TCE) tras lo cual presentó una exacerbación del cuadro. Tras el fracaso en el manejo conductual realizado por parte de su madre y teniendo en cuenta sus rasgos de personalidad caracterizados por una elevada suspicacia y desconfianza hacia los demás, se decide iniciar tratamiento con paliperidona oral produciéndose una rotunda mejoría clínica. Durante todo el seguimiento posterior hasta su mayoría de edad, se ha mantenido la desaparición de la pica. Presentamos el primer caso clínico publicado en la bibliografía actual de un adolescente con el diagnóstico de pica y un TCE previo y una adecuada respuesta a paliperidon

We present a case report of a 15-year-old male adolescent who was referred to our consultation of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry due to persistent eating of non-nutritive substances like rubber, psoriatic scale or wall paint. The patient had the previous diagnostic of Kawasaki Disease and psoriasis. In addition, he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, after which he presented an exacerbation of the clinic. After behaviour therapy failure realized by his mother and taking into account his personality features with high suspicion and distrust of others, he was prescribed paliperidone oral treatment and pica disappeared. During all subsequent follow-up until the age of majority, the disappearance of pica has been maintained. We describe the first case report in the current bibliography of an adolescent with the diagnosis of pica, a previous traumatic brain injury and a good response to oral paliperidone.

Atazanavir is a competitive inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, impairing variants replication in vitro and in vivo

Atazanavir (ATV) has already been considered as a potential repurposing drug to 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), however, there are controversial reports on its mechanism of action and effectiveness as anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Through the pre-clinical chain of experiments: enzymatic, molecular docking, cell-based, and in vivo assays, it is demonstrated here that both SARS-CoV-2 B.1 lineage and variant of concern gamma are susceptible to this antiretroviral. Enzymatic assays and molecular docking calculations showed that SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) was inhibited by ATV, with Morrisons inhibitory constant (Ki) 1.5-fold higher than boceprevir (GC376, a positive control). ATV was a competitive inhibition, increasing the Mpros Michaelis-Menten (Km) more than 6-fold. Cell-based assays indicated that SARS-CoV-2 gamma is more susceptible to ATV than its predecessor strain B.1. Using oral administration of ATV in mice to reach plasmatic exposure similar to humans, transgenic mice expression in human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (K18-hACE2) were partially protected against lethal challenge with SARS-CoV-2 gamma. Moreover, less cell death and inflammation were observed in the lung from infected and treated mice. Our studies may contribute to a better comprehension of the Mpro/ATV interaction, which could pave the way to the development of specific inhibitors of this viral protease.

Square network based upon the molecular salt of the tetraprotonated photoproduct rtct-tetrakis(pyridin-4-yl)cyclobutane and the sulfate anion.

The formation and crystal structure of a hydrated molecular salt that results in a square network is reported. The crystalline solid is based upon the tetraprotonated photoproduct rtct-tetrakis(pyridin-4-yl)cyclobutane (4H-rtct-TPCB)4+ along with two sulfate anions (SO42-) and eight waters of hydration, namely, 4,4',4'',4'''-(cyclobutane-1,2,3,4-tetrayl)tetrapyridinium bis(sulfate) octahydrate, C24H24N44+·2SO42-·8H2O. The fully protonated photoproduct acts as a four-connecting node within the square network by engaging in four charge-assisted N+-H...O hydrogen bonds to the sulfate anion. The observed hydrogen-bonding pattern in this square network is akin to T-silica, which is a metastable form of SiO2. The included water molecules and sulfate anions engage in numerous O-H...O hydrogen bonds to form various hydrogen-bonded ring structures.