Phytochemical and bioactive potentials of African Annonaceae species.

This review aims to gather available information on the medicinal, nutritional, and bioactive profiles of Annonaceae species in the African continent, sponsoring their use worldwide and mainly in African communities, where access to food and medicines for basic health care is scarce. >60 medicinal taxa were compiled, belonging to 22 genera, namely Annickia, Annona, Anonidium, Artabotrys, Cleistochlamys, Cleistopholis, Dennettia, Duguetia, Greenwayodendron, Hexalobus, Isolona, Lettowianthus, Monanthotaxis, Monodora, Neostenanthera, Polyceratocarpus, Sphaerocoryne, Uvaria, Uvariastrum, Uvariodendron, Uvariopsis and Xylopia; the most diverse and economically important genera were the genera Annona, Uvaria and Xylopia with 7 species each. Annonaceae species hold a valuable nutritional profile, rich in proteins, fibers, and minerals, being also good sources of a wide range of bioactive compounds of high biological relevance. These compounds are especially important in developing countries, where most of these species are available for direct use as food and/or medicines by the most deprived populations.

Genome size variation within Crithmum maritimum: Clues on the colonization of insular environments.

Angiosperms present an astonishing diversity of genome sizes that can vary intra- or interspecifically. The remarkable new cytogenomic data shed some light on our understanding of evolution, but few studies were performed with insular and mainland populations to test possible correlations with dispersal, speciation, and adaptations to insular environments. Here, patterns of cytogenomic diversity were assessed among geographic samples (ca. 114) of Crithmum maritimum (Apiaceae), collected across the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, as well as in adjacent continental areas of Portugal. Using flow cytometry, the results indicated a significant intraspecific genome size variation, spanning from reduced sizes in the insular populations to larger ones in the mainland populations. Moreover, there was a tendency for an increase in genome size along the mainland populations, associated with lower temperatures, higher precipitation, and lower precipitation seasonality. However, this gradient might be the result of historic phylogeographical events associated with previous dispersal and extinction of local populations. Overall, our findings provided evidence that smaller genome sizes might play a critical role in the colonization of islands, corroborating other studies that argue that organisms with smaller genomes use fewer resources, having a selective advantage under insular environments. Although further studies are needed to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying genome size evolution on islands, conservation strategies must be promoted to protect the rich cytogenomic diversity found among C. maritimum populations, which occur in coastal areas that are particularly threatened by human activity, pollution, invasive species, and climate changes.

Diversity and Cytogenomic Characterization of Wild Carrots in the Macaronesian Islands.

The Macaronesian islands constitute an enormous reservoir of genetic variation of wild carrots (subtribe Daucinae; Apiaceae), including 10 endemic species, but an accurate understanding of the diversification processes within these islands is still lacking. We conducted a review of the morphology, ecology, and conservation status of the Daucinae species and, on the basis of a comprehensive dataset, we estimated the genome size variation for 16 taxa (around 320 samples) occurring in different habitats across the Macaronesian islands in comparison to mainland specimens. Results showed that taxa with larger genomes (e.g., Daucus crinitus: 2.544 pg) were generally found in mainland regions, while the insular endemic taxa from Azores and Cabo Verde have smaller genomes. Melanoselinum decipiens and Monizia edulis, both endemic to Madeira Island, showed intermediate values. Positive correlations were found between mean genome size and some morphological traits (e.g., spiny or winged fruits) and also with habit (herbaceous or woody). Despite the great morphological variation found within the Cabo Verde endemic species, the 2C-values obtained were quite homogeneous between these taxa and the subspecies of Daucus carota, supporting the close relationship among these taxa. Overall, this study improved the global knowledge of DNA content for Macaronesian endemics and shed light into the mechanisms underpinning diversity patterns of wild carrots in the western Mediterranean region.

Multisystemic Infarctions in COVID-19: Focus on the Spleen.

The literature suggests that COVID-19 provokes arterial and venous thrombotic events, although the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we describe patients with confirmed coronavirus infection associated with multisystemic infarction, focusing on splenic infarction. More data are required to elucidate how COVID-19 and thrombotic disease interact and so that preventive and early diagnosis strategies can be developed. LEARNING POINTS: Thrombotic disease as a complication of COVID-19 must be suspected by clinicians, and recognized and monitored by radiologists.Thrombosis is often the initial manifestation of SARS-CoV-2, hence the importance of early diagnosis to avoid complications and reduce morbidity and mortality.

Rituximab use in pediatric autoimmune diseases: four case reports.

Rituximab (RTX) is currently used in many diseases, but its efficacy and safety in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLEj) is still unknown. In this chapter we present four case reports of children treated with RTX: three SLE and one immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Two of the three SLEj patients had class IV lupus nephritis (LN) and hematologic manifestations (pancytopenia), both reaching complete recovery of blood counts and improvement of LN with RTX treatment. Our third SLE patient had a severe onset with generalized microangiopathic manifestations in association with antiphospholipid antibodies and has been in remission for almost 1 year after RTX. However, our fourth case, a patient with ITP and renal failure, was treated with RTX without either hematologic or renal response.

Niacin metabolite excretion in alcoholic pellagra and AIDS patients with and without diarrhea.

OBJECTIVE: Malnourished patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can develop pellagra-like manifestations such as dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that patients with AIDS and diarrhea would have niacin depletion. This study compared 24-h urine excretion of N1-methyl-nicotinamide (N1MN) among patients with pellagra and patients with AIDS who did and did not have diarrhea. METHODS: Three groups were studied: G1 (patients with AIDS and diarrhea, n = 5); G2 (patients with AIDS and no diarrhea, n = 7), and G3 (patients with alcoholic pellagra and without the human immunodeficiency virus, n = 8). Diarrhea was defined as the production of at least three liquid stools per day over 3 to 5 d. Studies included mucosal intestinal biopsy, malabsorption tests, detection of parasites in stool, and serum albumin measurements. Semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, anthropometry, and daily urinary N1MN excretion were also determined. Groups were matched in relation to age, sex, presence of parasites in stool, and intestinal absorption results. RESULTS: G1 had normal intestinal examination by light microscopy and no parasites in stools. G2 group showed lower levels of serum albumin (2.6 +/- 0.3 g/dL) when compared with G1 (3.4 +/- 0.3 g/dL) and G3 (3.1 +/- 0.7 g/dL). Except for patients with pellagra, groups met their energy requirements. Patients in G3 (0.013, 0.01-0.081 mg/dL) and G1 (0.062, 0.001-0.33 mg/dL) excreted smaller amounts of N1MN in urine than did those in G2 (0.63, 0.02-2.9 mg/dL). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIDS and diarrhea excreted less N1MN in urine than did those without diarrhea. These patients may have an impaired niacin nutritional status, possibly associated with increased metabolic needs.

Síndrome de Sjõgren primária: manifestações exócrinas e não exócrinas / Primary Sjõgren's syndrome: exocrine and non-exocrine manifestations

Objetivo: caracterizar as manifestações clínicas, exócrinas e não exócrinas, de 74 pacientes com síndrome de Sjõgren primária (SSp). Métodos: estudo retrospectivo dos pacientes com SSp de acordo com os novos critérios americano-europeus de 2002, seguidos no serviço de reumatologia e doenças ósseas metabólicas do Hospital de Santa Maria (HSM) nos últimos 25 anos (média de seguimento de 7,7 anos). Resultados: todos os pacientes apresentaram doença exócrina dos epitélios superficiais, com destaque para xerostomia e a queratoconjuntivite seca. Doença exócrina dos órgãos internos foi encontrada em 25 pacientes (33,8 por cento), enquanto apenas um paciente (1,4 por cento) desenvolveu doença linfocitária B monoclonal (pseudolinfoma pulmonar). Do total, 55 pacientes (74,3 por cento) também apresentaram manifestações não-exócrinas, com predomínio das induzidas por mediadores da inflamação (68,9 por cento). As manifestações vasculares inflamatórias estiveram presentes em 54 por cento dos pacientes e as vasculares não-inflamatórias em 27 por cento. A tiroidite auto-imune surgiu em 5 pacientes (6,8 por cento). Conclusões: os componentes oral e ocular dominam a doença, sendo mais limitadas as manifestações orgânicas graves. Este modelo classificativo permite comparar alterações fisiopatológicas entre os pacientes e abre uma via de estudo para encontrar marcadores de atividade/cronicidade com estas relacionadas.

[Primary Sjögren's syndrome: exocrine and non-exocrine manifestations]. / Síndrome de Sjögren primária: manifestações exócrinas e não exócrinas.

OBJECTIVE: to characterize the exocrine and non-exocrine clinical disease manifestations of 74 patients with primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS). METHODS: retrospective study of pSS patients according to the new 2002 American-European criteria, followed in the Hospital Santa Maria, Rheumatology Outpatient Clinics, in the last 25 years (mean follow-up of 7.7 years). RESULTS: all patients presented surface exocrine disease, especially xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Internal organ exocrine disease was found in 25 patients (33.8%), whilst only one patient (1.4%) developed monoclonal B lymphocyte disease (pulmonary pseudolymphoma). Fifty-five patients (74.3%) also displayed non-exocrine manifestations, in particular inflammatory mediator-induced disease (68.9%). Inflammatory vascular disease was present in 54% of patients and noninflammatory vascular disease in 27%. Autoimmune thyroiditis was found in 5 patients (6.8%). CONCLUSIONS: the disease is dominated by oral and ocular involvement, while severe organic manifestations are less frequent. This classification model allows a comparison of patients with physiopathological abnormalities and offers the possibility of finding markers of activity/cronicity related to them.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

This report describes the epidemiological and clinical-evolutive characteristics of eight patients with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A positive history of contact with rodents was present in 100% of the cases. The time between the onset of symptoms and hospital care was, on average, 3.6 days. All patients showed clinical and laboratory findings suggestive of HPS. Elevated urea and creatinine levels were observed in 6 (75%) cases, PO2 was < 60 mmHg in 100% of the cases, and a chest X-ray demonstrated a bilateral interstitial-alveolar infiltrate. The diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of IgM antibodies against Sin Nombre virus by ELISA. Three patients died as a direct consequence of HPS.

Levantamento de riscos na indústria de renovaçäo de pneus / Survey of risks in the industry of renovation of tyres

Em funçäo da crise mundial do petróleo e seus derivados, veio a aumentar consideravelmente o peso econômico da atividade de recapagem e recauchutagem de pneus, trazendo como conseqüência uma tendência de crescimento das condiçöes de risco a que estäo expostos os trabalhadores do setor. Fazendo um levantamento junto a diferentes empresas renovadoras de pneus, o presente trabalho objetivou a identificaçäo desses riscos, bem como a proposiçäo de medidas para o controle e prevençäo dos mesmos