3D Models as a Source for Neuroanatomy Education: A Stepwise White Matter Dissection Using 3D Images and Photogrammetry Scans.

White matter dissection (WMD) involves isolating bundles of myelinated axons in the brain and serves to gain insights into brain function and neural mechanisms underlying neurological disorders. While effective, cadaveric brain dissections pose certain challenges mainly due to availability of resources. Technological advancements, such as photogrammetry, have the potential to overcome these limitations by creating detailed three-dimensional (3D) models for immersive learning experiences in neuroanatomy. This study aimed to provide a detailed step-by-step WMD captured using two-dimensional (2D) images and 3D models (via photogrammetry) to serve as a comprehensive guide for studying white matter tracts of the brain. One formalin-fixed brain specimen was utilized to perform the WMD. The brain was divided in a sagittal plane and both cerebral hemispheres were stored in a freezer at -20 °C for 10 days, then thawed under running water at room temperature. Micro-instruments under an operating microscope were used to perform a systematic lateral-to-medial and medial-to-lateral dissection, while 2D images were captured and 3D models were created through photogrammetry during each stage of the dissection. Dissection was performed with comprehensive examination of the location, main landmarks, connections, and functions of the white matter tracts of the brain. Furthermore, high-quality 3D models of the dissections were created and housed on SketchFab®, allowing for accessible and free of charge viewing for educational and research purposes. Our comprehensive dissection and 3D models have the potential to increase understanding of the intricate white matter anatomy and could provide an accessible platform for the teaching of neuroanatomy.

Burden of liver disease in Brazil, 1996-2022: a retrospective descriptive study of the epidemiology and impact on public healthcare.

Background: Liver disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and its epidemiology depends on the genetic background, exposure to risk factors, access to healthcare and other sociodemographic characteristics. Brazil is a large country with diverse multicultural and ethnic heritages and important socioeconomic inequalities. The burden of liver disease in Brazil, its regions and population is unknown. Methods: We retrieved data from the Unified Health System regarding liver diseases and analyzed the mortality and morbidity from 1996 to 2022 by gender, race/ethnicity, age, region and overall. We calculated the age-specific risk of deaths by liver disease, age-standardization of the data, mean hospitalization and liver transplant-associated costs. Findings: Malignant neoplasm of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts, alcohol-associated liver disease, fibrosis, and cirrhosis of the liver, other diseases of the liver, hepatic failure, chronic viral hepatitis were identified as the major causes of death and morbidity in Brazil in the period analyzed. The epidemiology of these diseases was diverse, with variations according to geographic regions, gender and race/ethnicity. The major economic burden of liver disease is related to liver transplants, a common outcome of the progression of these diseases. Interpretation: Liver disease in Brazil is a serious issue for the public health system due to the high number of deaths and increasing mortality rate. Our study contributes as a necessary prerequisite for the development of tailored public health policies aimed at mitigating the increasing burden of liver diseases in specific populations and regions. Funding: CNPq, INCT, CAPES, FAPEMIG.

Forensic Geochemistry Reveals International Ship Dumping as a Source of New Oil Spill in Brazil's Coastline (Bahia) in Late 2023.

In the present study, we applied forensic geochemistry to investigate the origin and fate of spilled oils like tarballs stranded at the beaches of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil, in September 2023, based on their fingerprints. Saturated and aromatic compounds were assessed by gas chromatography, and the oceanic surface circulation patterns were deciphered to determine the geographic origin of the spill. Contamination by petroleum represents an enormous threat to the unique, species-rich ecosystems of the study area. The geochemical fingerprint of the oil spilled in 2023 did not correlate with those of previous events, including the one in 2019, the one in early 2022 in Ceará, and an extensive spill across the Brazilian Northeast in late 2022. However, the fingerprint did correlate with crude oils produced by Middle Eastern countries, most likely Kuwait. The oil of the 2023 spill had a carbonate marine origin from early mature source rocks. These findings, together with the moderate weathering of the 2023 tarballs and the ocean circulation patterns at the time of the event, indicate that the oil was discharged close to the shore of Brazil, to the east or southeast of Salvador, by a tanker on an international route in the South Atlantic.

Signature of excitonic insulators in phosphorene nanoribbons.

Phosphorene is a recently developed two-dimensional (2D) material that has attracted tremendous attention because of its unique anisotropic optical properties and quasi-one-dimensional (1D) excitons. We use first-principles calculations combined with the maximally localized Wannier function tight binding Hamiltonian and Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) formalism to investigate quasiparticle effects of 2D and quasi-1D blue and black phosphorene nanoribbons. Our electronic structure calculations shows that both blue and black monolayered phases are semiconductors. On the other hand black phosphorene zigzag nanoribbons are metallic. Similar behavior is found for very thin blue phosphorene zig-zag and armchair nanoribbon. As a general behavior, the exciton binding energy decreases as the ribbon width increases, which highlights the importance of quantum confinement effects. The solution of the BSE shows that the blue phosphorene monolayer has an exciton binding energy four times higher than that of the black phosphorene counterpart. Furthermore, both monolayers show a different linear optical response with respect to light polarization, as black phosphorene is highly anisotropic. We find a similar, but less pronounced, optical anisotropy for blue phosphorene monolayer, caused exclusively by the quasi-particle effects. Finally, we show that some of the investigated nanoribbons show a spin-triplet excitonic insulator behavior, thus revealing exciting features of these nanoribbons and therefore provides important advances in the understanding of quasi-one dimensional phosphorus-based materials.

A comparative genomics study of the microbiome and freshwater resistome in Southern Pantanal.

This study explores the resistome and bacterial diversity of two small lakes in the Southern Pantanal, one in Aquidauana sub-region, close to a farm, and one in Abobral sub-region, an environmentally preserved area. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing data from water column samples collected near and far from the floating macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes were used. The Abobral small lake exhibited the highest diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), antibiotic resistance classes (ARGCs), phylum, and genus. RPOB2 and its resistance class, multidrug resistance, were the most abundant ARG and ARGC, respectively. Pseudomonadota was the dominant phylum across all sites, and Streptomyces was the most abundant genus considering all sites.

Use of hormones and risk of venous thromboembolism.

•The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not increased in women using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) with progestogens. •Oral contraceptives with levonorgestrel or norgestimate confer half the risk of VTE compared to oral contraceptives containing desogestrel, gestodene or drospirenone. •Progestogen-only pills do not confer an increased risk of VTE. •Women using transdermal contraceptive patches and combined oral contraceptives (COCs) are at an approximately eight times greater risk of VTE than non-users of hormonal contraceptives (HCs), corresponding to 9.7 events per 10,000 women/years. •Vaginal rings increase the risk of VTE by 6.5 times compared to not using HC, corresponding to 7.8 events per 10,000 women/years. •Several studies have demonstrated an increased risk of VTE in transgender individuals receiving hormone therapy (HT). •Hormone therapy during menopause increases the risk of VTE by approximately two times, and this risk is increased by obesity, thrombophilia, age over 60 years, surgery and immobilization. •The route of estrogen administration, the dosage and type of progestogen associated with estrogen may affect the risk of VTE in the climacteric. •Combined estrogen-progesterone therapy increases the risk of VTE compared to estrogen monotherapy. •Postmenopausal HT increases the risk of thrombosis at atypical sites.

Essential oil and fenchone extracted from Tetradenia riparia (Hochstetter.) Codd (Lamiaceae) induce oxidative stress in Culex quinquefasciatus larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) without causing lethal effects on non-target animals.

We investigated the larvicidal activity of the essential oil (EO) from Tetradenia riparia and its majority compound fenchone for controlling Culex quinquefasciatus larvae, focusing on reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, and total thiol content as oxidative stress indicators. Moreover, the lethal effect of EO and fenchone was evaluated against Anisops bouvieri, Diplonychus indicus, Danio rerio, and Paracheirodon axelrodi. The EO and fenchone (5 to 25 µg/mL) showed larvicidal activity (LC50 from 16.05 to 18.94 µg/mL), followed by an overproduction of RONS, and changes in the activity of CAT, GST, AChE, and total thiol content. The Kaplan-Meier followed by Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) analyses showed a 100% survival rate for A. bouvieri, D. indicus, D. rerio, and P. axelrodi when exposed to EO and fenchone (262.6 and 302.60 µg/mL), while α-cypermethrin (0.25 µg/mL) was extremely toxic to these non-target animals, causing 100% of death. These findings emphasize that the EO from T. riparia and fenchone serve as suitable larvicides for controlling C. quinquefasciatus larvae, without imposing lethal effects on the non-target animals investigated.

Atrial Fibrillation in Critically Ill Patients: Incidence and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF), either chronic or new onset, is common in critically ill patients. Its epidemiology and relationship with clinical outcomes are poorly known. OBJECTIVE: To understand the burden of AF in patients admitted to the ICU and its impact on patients' outcomes. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study evaluating all patients with AF admitted to a non-cardiac intensive care unit over the course of 54 months. Clinical outcomes were evaluated in the short (hospital discharge) and long term (two-year follow-up). The hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI was computed for the whole population as well as for propensity score-matched patients, with or without AF. RESULTS: A total of 1357 patients were screened (59.1% male), with a mean age of 75 ± 15.2 years, length of intensive care unit stay of 4.7 ± 5.1 days, and hospital mortality of 26%. A diagnosis of AF was found in 215 patients (15.8%), 142 of whom had chronic AF. The hospital all-cause mortality was similar in patients with chronic or new-onset AF (31% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.779). Patients with AF had higher in-hospital, one-year, and two-year crude mortality (30.2% vs. 22.9%, p = 0.024; 47.9% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.001; 52.6% vs. 38.4%, p < 0.001). However, after propensity score matching (N = 213), this difference was no longer significant for in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.77-1.79), one-year mortality (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.94-2.03), or two-year mortality (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.89-1.90). CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients, the prevalence of AF, either chronic or new-onset, was 15.8%, and these patients had higher crude mortality. However, after adjustment for age and severity on admission, no significant differences were found in the short- and long-term mortality.

A prolonged intensive care unit stay defines a worse long-term prognosis - Insights from the critically ill mortality by age (Cimba) study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with critical illness often survive the intensive care unit (ICU) at a cost of prolonged length of stay (LOS) and slow recovery. This chronic critically ill disease may lead to long-term poor outcomes, especially in older or frail patients. OBJECTIVES: The main goal of this study was to address the characteristics and outcomes of patients with prolonged ICU LOS. Mainly, short- and long-term admissions were compared to identify risk factors for persistent critical illness and to characterise the impact on ICU, hospital, and long-term mortality. METHODS: Subanalysis of a retrospective, multicentric, observational study addressing the 2-year outcome of patients admitted to Portuguese ICUs (the Cimba study). Patients were segregated according to an ICU LOS of ≥14 days. RESULTS: Data from 37 118 patients were analysed, featuring a median ICU LOS of 4 days (percentile: 25-75 2-9), and a mortality of 16.1% in the ICU, 24.0% in the hospital, and 38.7% after 2 years. A total of 5334 patients (14.4%) had an ICU LOS of ≥14 days (corresponding to 48.9% of all ICU patients/days). Patients with prolonged LOS were more often younger (52.8% vs 46.4%, were ≤65 years of age , p < 0.001), although more severe (Simplified Acute Physiology Score II: 49.1 ± 16.9 vs 41.8 ± 19.5, p < 0.001), and had higher ICU and hospital mortality (18.3% vs 15.7%, and 31.2 vs 22.8%, respectively). Prolonged ICU LOS was linked to an increased risk of dying during the 2-year follow-up (adjusted Cox proportional hazard: 1.65, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Prolonged LOS is associated with a long-term impact on patient prognosis. More careful planning of care should incorporate these data.

Spatiotemporal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineages during 2020-2021 in Pernambuco-Brazil.

SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged as a new threat to humans and spread around the world, leaving a large death toll. As of January 2023, Brazil is among the countries with the highest number of registered deaths. Nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions have been heterogeneously implemented in the country, which, associated with large socioeconomic differences between the country regions, has led to distinct virus spread dynamics. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the Pernambuco state (Northeast Brazil) throughout the distinct epidemiological scenarios that unfolded in the first 2 years of the pandemic. We generated a total of 1,389 new SARS-CoV-2 genomes from June 2020 to August 2021. This sampling captured the arrival, communitary transmission, and the circulation of the B1.1, B.1.1.28, and B.1.1.33 lineages; the emergence of the former variant of interest P.2; and the emergence and fast replacement of all previous variants by the more transmissible variant of concern P.1 (Gamma). Based on the incidence and lineage spread pattern, we observed an East-to-West to inner state pattern of transmission, which is in agreement with the transmission of more populous metropolitan areas to medium- and small-size country-side cities in the state. Such transmission patterns may be partially explained by the main routes of traffic across municipalities in the state. Our results highlight that the fine-grained intrastate analysis of lineages and incidence spread can provide actionable insights for planning future nonpharmacological intervention for air-borne transmissible human pathogens.IMPORTANCEDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazil was one of the most affected countries, mainly due its continental-size, socioeconomic differences among regions, and heterogeneous implementation of intervention methods. In order to investigate SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in the state of Pernambuco, we conducted a spatiotemporal dispersion study, covering the period from June 2020 to August 2021, to comprehend the dynamics of viral transmission during the first 2 years of the pandemic. Throughout this study, we were able to track three significant epidemiological waves of transmission caused by B1.1, B.1.1.28, B.1.1.33, P.2, and P.1 lineages. These analyses provided valuable insights into the evolution of the epidemiological landscape, contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of virus transmission during the early years of the pandemic in the state of Pernambuco.

Oxidative stress induction by essential oil from Piper alatipetiolatum (Piperaceae) triggers lethality in the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

Culex quinquefasciatus is the main vector of lymphatic filariasis in Brazil, which present resistance to commercial insecticides. Nowadays, essential oils (EOs) exhibiting larvicidal activity, such as those derived from Piper alatipetiolatum, provide a promising alternative for vector control, including Culex species. This study aimed to investigate the larvicidal activity and the oxidative stress indicators of the EO from P. alatipetiolatum in Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae. The EO was extracted from P. alatipetiolatum leaves using the hydrodistillation method, resulting in a yield of 7.2 ± 0.1%, analysed by gas chromatography coupled with spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detector (GC-MS and GC-FID), and evaluated against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae. Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS), Catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and Thiol levels were used as oxidative stress indicators. Analysis by CG-MS and CG-FID revealed that the main compound in the EO was the oxygenated sesquiterpene ishwarone, constituting 78.6% of the composition. Furthermore, the EO exhibited larvicidal activity, ranging from 26 to 100%, with an LC50 of 4.53 µg/mL and LC90 of 15.37 µg/mL. This activity was accompanied by a significant increase in RONS production, alterations in CAT, GST, AChE activity, and thiol levels compared to the control groups (p < 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the larvicidal activity and oxidative stress induced by the EO from P. alatipetiolatum against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae. Therefore, we propose that this EO shows promise as larvicidal agent for the effective control of Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae.

Nutritional Performance of Grazing Beef Cattle Supplemented with High-Protein Distillers' Dried Grain.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of including high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG; 430 g/CP) in supplements for beef cattle in an intensive finishing pasture system. Five Nellore bulls with an average body weight (BW) of 413.5 ± 32 kg were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The animals were randomly allocated to Marandu palisade grass paddocks (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu), with 0.32 ha each. Protein-energy supplements were evaluated and formulated with different replacement levels (0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 g/kg) of soybean meal (SBM) by HP-DDG. Supplements were offered once a day in the amount of 6.0 kg/animal. Replacing SBM with HP-DDG had no effect (p > 0.10) on the intake of total and pasture DM, OM, CP, NDFap, digestible organic matter (DOM), metabolizable protein and CP:DOM ratio. Total and pasture DM intake averaged 6.07 and 11.54 kg/day, respectively. Replacing SBM with HP-DDG reduces and increases, respectively, the intake of degradable (RDP) and undegradable (RUP) protein in the rumen (p < 0.10) with a consequent linear reduction in ruminal ammonia concentration (RAN), nitrogen excretion in urine and serum N concentration (SUN) (p < 0.10). In supplements offered in the amount of 6.0 kg animal/day, SBM can be completely replaced by HP-DDG.

Concerted regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism and contractile properties by the orphan nuclear receptor Nr2f6.

BACKGROUND: The maintenance of skeletal muscle plasticity upon changes in the environment, nutrient supply, and exercise depends on regulatory mechanisms that couple structural and metabolic adaptations. The mechanisms that interconnect both processes at the transcriptional level remain underexplored. Nr2f6, a nuclear receptor, regulates metabolism and cell differentiation in peripheral tissues. However, its role in the skeletal muscle is still elusive. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of Nr2f6 modulation on muscle biology in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Global RNA-seq was performed in Nr2f6 knockdown C2C12 myocytes (N = 4-5). Molecular and metabolic assays and proliferation experiments were performed using stable Nr2f6 knockdown and Nr2f6 overexpression C2C12 cell lines (N = 3-6). Nr2f6 content was evaluated in lipid overload models in vitro and in vivo (N = 3-6). In vivo experiments included Nr2f6 overexpression in mouse tibialis anterior muscle, followed by gene array transcriptomics and molecular assays (N = 4), ex vivo contractility experiments (N = 5), and histological analysis (N = 7). The conservation of Nr2f6 depletion effects was confirmed in primary skeletal muscle cells of humans and mice. RESULTS: Nr2f6 knockdown upregulated genes associated with muscle differentiation, metabolism, and contraction, while cell cycle-related genes were downregulated. In human skeletal muscle cells, Nr2f6 knockdown significantly increased the expression of myosin heavy chain genes (two-fold to three-fold) and siRNA-mediated depletion of Nr2f6 increased maximal C2C12 myocyte's lipid oxidative capacity by 75% and protected against lipid-induced cell death. Nr2f6 content decreased by 40% in lipid-overloaded myotubes and by 50% in the skeletal muscle of mice fed a high-fat diet. Nr2f6 overexpression in mice resulted in an atrophic and hypoplastic state, characterized by a significant reduction in muscle mass (15%) and myofibre content (18%), followed by an impairment (50%) in force production. These functional phenotypes were accompanied by the establishment of an inflammation-like molecular signature and a decrease in the expression of genes involved in muscle contractility and oxidative metabolism, which was associated with the repression of the uncoupling protein 3 (20%) and PGC-1α (30%) promoters activity following Nr2f6 overexpression in vitro. Additionally, Nr2f6 regulated core components of the cell division machinery, effectively decoupling muscle cell proliferation from differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a novel role for Nr2f6 as a molecular transducer that plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance between skeletal muscle contractile function and oxidative capacity. These results have significant implications for the development of potential therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases and myopathies.

Co3O4/activated carbon nanocomposites as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.

The Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) is crucial in various processes such as hydrogen production via water splitting. Several electrocatalysts, including metal oxides, have been evaluated to enhance the reaction efficiency. Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) has been employed as a precursor to produce Co3O4, showing high OER activity. Additionally, the formation of composites with carbon-based materials improves the activity of these materials. Thus, this work focuses on synthesizing ZIF-67 and commercial activated carbon (AC) composites, which were used as precursors to obtain Co3O4/C electrocatalysts by calculating ZIF-67/CX (X = 10, 30, and 50, the mass percentage of AC). The obtained materials were thoroughly characterized by employing X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), confirming the cobalt oxide structure with a sphere-like morphology as observed in the TEM images. The presence of oxygen vacancies was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy and EPR measurements. The electrocatalytic performance in the OER was investigated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), which revealed an overpotential of 325 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope value of 65.32 mV dec-1 for Co3O4/C10, superior in activity to several previously reported studies in the literature and electrochemical stability of up to 8 hours. The reduced value of charge transfer resistance, high double-layer capacitance, and the presence of Co3+ ions justify the superior performance of the Co3O4/C10 electrocatalyst.

Development of a green and low-cost method to determine mercury content in sediments affected by oil spill on the Brazilian coast.

Tons of crude oil were found on the Brazilian coast in 2019, and studies assessing its chemical composition are still scarce. This study aimed to develop a new and simple technique of cold vapor generation using infrared irradiation coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry to determine mercury content in sediments contaminated by crude oil. Experimental conditions were evaluated, including formic acid concentration, reactor temperature, and carrier gas flow rate. The accuracy of the method was validated by comparison with mercury contents in a certified reference material (PACS-2). The detection limit was found to be 0.44 µg kg-1. The developed method was applied to determine the total mercury content in marine sediment samples collected from beaches in Ceará State. Mercury concentrations ranged from 0.41 to 0.95 mg kg-1. The proposed method is efficient, simple, low-cost, and adequate for its purpose.

Essential oil from Piper tuberculatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) and its majority compound ß-caryophyllene: mechanism of larvicidal action against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and selective toxicity.

Synthetic insecticides have been the primary approach in controlling Aedes aegypti; however, their indiscriminate use has led to the development of resistance and toxicity to non-target animals. In contrast, essential oils (EOs) are alternatives for vector control. This study investigated the mechanism of larvicidal action of the EO and ß-caryophyllene from Piper tuberculatum against A. aegypti larvae, as well as evaluated the toxicity of both on non-target animals. The EO extracted from P. tuberculatum leaves was majority constituted of ß-caryophyllene (54.8%). Both demonstrated larvicidal activity (LC50 of 48.61 and 57.20 ppm, p < 0.05), acetylcholinesterase inhibition (IC50 of 57.78 and 71.97 ppm), and an increase in the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in larvae after exposure to the EO and ß-caryophyllene. Furthermore, EO and ß-caryophyllene demonstrate no toxicity to non-target animals Toxorhynchites haemorrhoidalis, Anisops bouvieri, and Diplonychus indicus (100% of survival rate), while the insecticide α-cypermethrin was highly toxic (100% of death). The results demonstrate that the EO from P. tuberculatum and ß-caryophyllene are important larvicidal agents.

Morphological analysis of the jugular foramen in dry human skulls in northeastern Brazil.

The jugular foramen (JF) is located between the temporal and occipital bones. The JF is a primary pathway for venous outflow from the skull and passage of nerves. Variations are common in this region and may have clinical and surgical implications. To analyze the sexual dimorphism and JF morphology in skulls from Northeastern Brazil. 128 human skulls from the Anatomy Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraíba, 64 male and 64 female, were selected and the JFs analyzed for bone septation and the presence of a dome. Data analysis considered P<0.05 as significant. On at least one side, complete septation was observed in 26 skulls (20.3%), incomplete septation in 93 skulls (72.6%) and 61 skulls (47.6%) did not present septation. In 114 skulls (89%), 47.6% female and 41.4% male, have a unilateral presence of the dome and 71 (55.4%) have it bilaterally. Posterolateral compartment diameters and JF area had higher values on the right side in the total sample and separated by sex (P<0.05). Most morphometric variables of the anteromedial compartment were higher in male than in female (P<0.05), fact that was not observed in the posterolateral compartment (P>0.05). This study showed a higher prevalence of complete septation in males compared to females. Morphometric analysis presented a peculiar morphology of the JF in this study. These results suggests that the surgical approach to diseases that affect the JF may be peculiar to the studied population, confirming the importance of morphological analysis of the skull base.

Munchausen Syndrome in the Context of Liaison Psychiatry: A Case Report and a Narrative Review.

Munchausen Syndrome (MS) has been widely recognized as a severe manifestation of factitious disorder, a condition where individuals intentionally fabricate or exaggerate symptoms for psychological gratification. It represents a complex diagnostic challenge due to its elusive nature and intricate relationship with various medical conditions. We present a clinical case of a 44-year-old woman observed in the context of Liaison Psychiatry, demonstrating the intricate interplay between chronic medical conditions, psychiatric factors, and the challenges in diagnosing and managing MS. The patient exhibited a history of recurrent hospitalizations, difficult-to-heal injuries, and a pronounced preference for surgical interventions. Despite diagnostic difficulties and poor therapeutic adherence, a multidisciplinary team approach involving plastic surgery, orthopedics, physical medicine, and rehabilitation, alongside Liaison Psychiatry, led to the diagnosis of MS with chronic osteomyelitis, ultimately necessitating a transtibial amputation. The case underscores the importance of early detection, a multidisciplinary approach, and the role of Liaison Psychiatry in managing MS. While early diagnosis may not alter the disease course, it can prevent unnecessary interventions and mitigate associated risks. The case also highlights the need for continuous psychiatric support and family involvement in addressing the recurrence of self-injurious behaviors. Further research is essential to enhance our understanding and develop effective treatment strategies for MS, contributing to improved diagnostic precision and overall management of this challenging psychiatric disorder.

In silico prospection of receptors associated with the biological activity of U1-SCTRX-lg1a: an antimicrobial peptide isolated from the venom of Loxosceles gaucho.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens generates impairment to human health. U1-SCTRX-lg1a is a peptide isolated from a phospholipase D extracted from the spider venom of Loxosceles gaucho with antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (between 1.15 and 4.6 µM). The aim of this study was to suggest potential receptors associated with the antimicrobial activity of U1-SCTRX-lg1a using in silico bioinformatics tools. The search for potential targets of U1-SCRTX-lg1a was performed using the PharmMapper server. Molecular docking between U1-SCRTX-lg1a and the receptor was performed using PatchDock software. The prediction of ligand sites for each receptor was conducted using the PDBSum server. Chimera 1.6 software was used to perform molecular dynamics simulations only for the best dock score receptor. In addition, U1-SCRTX-lg1a and native ligand interactions were compared using AutoDock Vina software. Finally, predicted interactions were compared with the ligand site previously described in the literature. The bioprospecting of U1-SCRTX-lg1a resulted in the identification of three hundred (300) diverse targets (Table S1), forty-nine (49) of which were intracellular proteins originating from Gram-negative microorganisms (Table S2). Docking results indicate Scores (10,702 to 6066), Areas (1498.70 to 728.40) and ACEs (417.90 to - 152.8) values. Among these, NAD + NH3-dependent synthetase (PDB ID: 1wxi) showed a dock score of 9742, area of 1223.6 and ACE of 38.38 in addition to presenting a Normalized Fit score of 8812 on PharmMapper server. Analysis of the interaction of ligands and receptors suggests that the peptide derived from brown spider venom can interact with residues SER48 and THR160. Furthermore, the C terminus (- 7.0 score) has greater affinity for the receptor than the N terminus (- 7.7 score). The molecular dynamics assay shown that free energy value for the protein complex of - 214,890.21 kJ/mol, whereas with rigid docking, this value was - 29.952.8 sugerindo that after the molecular dynamics simulation, the complex exhibits a more favorable energy value compared to the previous state. The in silico bioprospecting of receptors suggests that U1-SCRTX-lg1a may interfere with NAD + production in Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium, altering the homeostasis of the microorganism and impairing growth. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-024-00190-8.