Understanding desiccation tolerance and sex-specific responses in Bryum argenteum: insights from phenological phases and physiological analyses.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Desiccation tolerance (DT) is crucial for survival in arid environments, where organisms develop strategies in reproduction, maintenance, and defense to cope with water scarcity. Therefore, investigating the relationship between reproduction and DT is essential to understand the ecology and adaptive strategies of species. This study explores the connection between the development of male and female gametangia in the moss Bryum argenteum and the decrease in DT during the progression of phenological phases in gametangia and protonema. METHODS: Samples collected from a dry tropical forest in Brazil were cultivated, cloned, and subjected to desiccation. Subsequently, the physiological parameters of shoots and protonemata were analysed. Shoot and protonema regeneration were monitored for 28 days after the physiological analyses. Both phases were subjected to control and desiccation treatments. KEY RESULTS: Significant effects of desiccation and sex on the physiological parameters and regeneration capacity of shoots and protonemata were found. Male shoots generally exhibited lower values in Fv/Fm, and ϕPSII, while females demonstrated higher values and better recovery after desiccation. Protonemata also showed variation in Fv/Fm over time and sex, with no significant differences in ϕPSII between them. Desiccated male shoots had higher mortality rates and produced fewer new shoots. Regarding the females, the regeneration patterns varied between the desiccation-exposed groups and the control, with decreased shoot production, and some protonemata growing into filaments without forming shoots. CONCLUSION: These findings improve our understanding of bryophytes ecological responses to desiccation stress and provide insights into their adaptive strategies in challenging environments, such as the possible rarity of males in dioicous mosses populations.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Prostate Cancer Progression: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: New biomarkers of progression in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) are needed to improve their classification and clinical management. This systematic review investigated the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PCa progression. METHODS: A keyword search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane for publications between 2007 and 2022. We included articles with adjusted and significant associations, a median follow-up greater than or equal to 24 months, patients taken to radical prostatectomy (RP) as a first therapeutic option, and results presented based on biochemical recurrence (BCR). RESULTS: In the 27 articles selected, 73 SNPs were identified in 39 genes, organized in seven functional groups. Of these, 50 and 23 SNPs were significantly associated with a higher and lower risk of PCa progression, respectively. Likewise, four haplotypes were found to have a significant association with PCa progression. CONCLUSION: This article highlights the importance of SNPs as potential markers of PCa progression and their possible functional relationship with some genes relevant to its development and progression. However, most variants were identified only in cohorts from two countries; no additional studies reproduce these findings.

Consensus on the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis ‒ Brazilian Society of Dermatology: an update on phototherapy and systemic therapy using e-Delphi technique.

This publication is an update of the "Consensus on the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis - Brazilian Society of Dermatology" published in 2019, considering the novel, targeted-oriented systemic therapies for atopic dermatitis. The initial recommendations of the current consensus for systemic treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis were based on a recent review of scientific published data and a consensus was reached after voting. The Brazilian Society of Dermatology invited 31 experts from all regions of Brazil and 2 international experts on atopic dermatitis who fully contributed to the process. The methods included an e-Delphi study to avoid bias, a literature search and a final consensus meeting. The authors added novel approved drugs in Brazil and the indication for phototherapy and systemic therapy for AD. The therapeutical response to systemic treatment is hereby reported in a suitable form for clinical practice and is also part of this updated manuscript.

Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic indirect determination of total 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters in canned fish oil fraction.

A novel, fast, and cost-effective indirect enzymatic method was successfully developed to assess the total 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) in canned food's oil fraction by the action of Burkholderia cepacia lipase. The total 3-MCPD were derivatized with n-Heptafluorobutyrylimidazole (HFBI) for GC-MS analysis during dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME). An asymmetrical 2213//8 screening design was used to study the influence of critical factors on the method's effectiveness. The analytical features of the proposed method were assessed following Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) as a blank sample. Outstanding results were achieved in terms of linearity (r2 = 0.9995), sensitivity, precision (2.1 % to 10.4 % RSD), and accuracy (98.7 % ≤ recovery ≤ 101.9 %). Method efficacy was tested by comparing the results of 10 edible oils for total 3-MCPD with those reported in previous works. A total of 41 samples were analyzed. The lowest 3-MCPD content was found in samples of albacore canned in EVOO oil, while the highest amounts were found in albacore, mackerel, and Atlantic saury samples, all preserved in refined sunflower oil.

Consensus on the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis ‒ Brazilian Society of Dermatology: an update on phototherapy and systemic therapy using e-Delphi technique

Abstract This publication is an update of the "Consensus on the therapeutic management of atopic dermatitis - Brazilian Society of Dermatology" published in 2019, considering the novel, targeted-oriented systemic therapies for atopic dermatitis. The initial recommendations of the current consensus for systemic treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis were based on a recent review of scientific published data and a consensus was reached after voting. The Brazilian Society of Dermatology invited 31 experts from all regions of Brazil and 2 international experts on atopic dermatitis who fully contributed to the process. The methods included an e-Delphi study to avoid bias, a literature search and a final consensus meeting. The authors added novel approved drugs in Brazil and the indication for phototherapy and systemic therapy for AD. The therapeutical response to systemic treatment is hereby reported in a suitable form for clinical practice and is also part of this updated manuscript.

Recent Advances in Designing Fibrous Biomaterials for the Domain of Biomedical, Clinical, and Environmental Applications.

Unique properties and potential applications of nanofibers have emerged as innovative approaches and opportunities in the biomedical, healthcare, environmental, and biosensor fields. Electrospinning and centrifugal spinning strategies have gained considerable attention among all kinds of strategies to produce nanofibers. These techniques produce nanofibers with high porosity and surface area, adequate pore architecture, and diverse chemical compositions. The extraordinary characteristics of nanofibers have unveiled new gates in nanomedicine to establish innovative fiber-based formulations for biomedical use, healthcare, and a wide range of other applications. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of nanofibers and their broad range of applications, including drug delivery, biomedical scaffolds, tissue/bone-tissue engineering, dental applications, and environmental remediation in a single place. The review begins with a brief introduction followed by potential applications of nanofibers. Finally, the future perspectives and current challenges of nanofibers are demonstrated. This review will help researchers to engineer more efficient multifunctional nanofibers with improved characteristics for their effective use in broad areas. We strongly believe this review is a reader's delight and will help in dealing with the fundamental principles and applications of nanofiber-based scaffolds. This review will assist students and a broad range of scientific communities to understand the significance of nanofibers in several domains of nanotechnology, nanomedicine, biotechnology, and environmental remediation, which will set a benchmark for further research.

Arsenic(V) immobilization in fly ash and mine tailing-based geopolymers: Performance and mechanism insight.

Global mining activities produce thousands of millions of toxic-bearing mine tailing (MT) wastes each year. Storage of the mine tailings not only encroaches upon large areas of cropland but also arouses additional ecological and environmental risks. Herein we demonstrate that geopolymerization of a mixture of the toxic-bearing mine tailings and the coal fly ash (FA) can effectively immobilize exogenous arsenic (As) species in addition to inherent As from the raw materials. The geopolymers also possess high compressive strengths (e.g., >25 MPa for specimens with 54 wt% FA and activated with 10 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH)), allowing them to be further used as low-carbon, cement-free building materials. The geopolymer strength was found to depend clearly upon the NaOH concentration, the FA content, and the curing time, with the maximum being 37.07 MPa for a specimen with 54 wt% FA, 0.03 wt% As, activated with 10 M NaOH and cured for 28 days. Leaching tests showed that all specimens achieved an immobilization efficiency as high as 95.4% toward As, and that both the short-term and long-term leachabilities of all toxic elements are far below the standard maximum contaminant levels. Microstructural analyses indicate that calcite, calcium silicate, and calcium silicate hydroxide are likely to play a crucial role in immobilizing As species and heavy metals of concern in the geopolymer matrixes. Given the superior mechanical strengths and long-term stabilities, the FA/MT-based geopolymers demonstrate a promising low-carbon material for both the remediation of As-bearing lands and the construction industry.

International eDelphi Study to Reach Consensus on the Methotrexate Dosing Regimen in Patients With Psoriasis.

Importance: A clear dosing regimen for methotrexate in psoriasis is lacking, and this might lead to a suboptimal treatment. Because methotrexate is affordable and globally available, a uniform dosing regimen could potentially optimize the treatment of patients with psoriasis worldwide. Objective: To reach international consensus among psoriasis experts on a uniform dosing regimen for treatment with methotrexate in adult and pediatric patients with psoriasis and identify potential future research topics. Design, Setting, and Participants: Between September 2020 and March 2021, a survey study with a modified eDelphi procedure that was developed and distributed by the Amsterdam University Medical Center and completed by 180 participants worldwide (55 [30.6%] resided in non-Western countries) was conducted in 3 rounds. The proposals on which no consensus was reached were discussed in a conference meeting (June 2021). Participants voted on 21 proposals with a 9-point scale (1-3 disagree, 4-6 neither agree nor disagree, 7-9 agree) and were recruited through the Skin Inflammation and Psoriasis International Network and European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in June 2020. Apart from being a dermatologist/dermatology resident, there were no specific criteria for participation in the survey. The participants worked mainly at a university hospital (97 [53.9%]) and were experienced in treating patients with psoriasis with methotrexate (163 [91.6%] had more than 10 years of experience). Main Outcomes and Measures: In a survey with eDelphi procedure, we tried to reach consensus on 21 proposals. Consensus was defined as less than 15% voting disagree (1-3). For the consensus meeting, consensus was defined as less than 30% voting disagree. Results: Of 251 participants, 180 (71.7%) completed all 3 survey rounds, and 58 participants (23.1%) joined the conference meeting. Consensus was achieved on 11 proposals in round 1, 3 proposals in round 2, and 2 proposals in round 3. In the consensus meeting, consensus was achieved on 4 proposals. More research is needed, especially for the proposals on folic acid and the dosing of methotrexate for treating subpopulations such as children and vulnerable patients. Conclusions and Relevance: In this eDelphi consensus study, consensus was reached on 20 of 21 proposals involving methotrexate dosing in patients with psoriasis. This consensus may potentially be used to harmonize the treatment with methotrexate in patients with psoriasis.

Qualidade de vida, sintomas de depressão e adesão ao tratamento em pacientes com trantorno depressivo maior / Quality of life, depression symptoms and adherence to treatment in patients with major depressive disorder / Calidad de vida, síntomas depresión y adhesión al tratamiento en pacientes con trastorno depresivo mayor

Introdução:Pacientes com depressão maior geralmente respondem ao tratamento com medicamentos antidepressivos, no entanto em 10% a 30% dos casos há apenas uma resposta parcial ou nenhuma resposta, entre os fatores que podem influenciar encontra-se o perfil das enzimas hepáticas metabolizadoras dos antidepressivos, tal como a CYP2C19.Objetivo:Caracterizar os indivíduos quanto ao perfil genético dospolimorfismos CYP2C19*2 ou CYP2C19*17 em pacientes com transtorno depressivo maior (TDM) tratados com citalopram ou escitalopram e compará-los em relação a adesão ao tratamento, sintomas de depressão e qualidade de vida.Metodologia:Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com 29 pacientes com TDM. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas para genotipagem de CYP2C19 por discriminação alélica TaqMan®. Após caracterização do perfil genético, os indivíduos foram comparados quanto aos dados demográfico e socioeconômico, adesão ao tratamento (TestedeMorisky-Green),sintomas de depressão (escala de Hamilton) e qualidade de vida (WHOQoL-BREF).Resultados:Quatro pacientes (13.8%) apresentaram polimorfismo para CYP2C19*2 e 10 pacientes (34.4%) para CYP2C19*17, com maior prevalência de CYP2C19*17 (p>0.05). Nenhuma associação significativa de características socioeconômicas, demográficas e clínicas entre os genótipos do CYP2C19.No TestedeMorisky-Green, aadesão moderada ao tratamento foi predominante nos pacientes CYP2C19*2 e CYP2C19*17 (p>0.05). Não foi observada associação entre sintomas de depressão e polimorfismos genéticos (p>0.05). Uma associação significativa entre o genótipo polimórfico CC do CYP2C19*17 com a satisfação com a saúde, enquanto o genótipo CT foi associado ao estado "nem satisfeito/nem insatisfeito" (p<0.05). A maioria dos indivíduos CYP2C19*2 e CYP2C19*17 relatou "necessidade de melhorar" em relação aos domínios de qualidade de vida físico, psicológico, social e ambiental (p>0.05).Conclusões:Os pacientes apresentaram maior prevalência do polimorfismo CYP2C19*17, com moderada adesão ao tratamento. Alguns pacientes, mesmo sob efeito da medicação, apresentaram sintomas de depressão moderado a intenso e relataram uma indefinição na satisfação da sua qualidade de vida (AU).

Introduction:Patients with major depression usually respond to treatment with antidepressant drugs, however in 10% to 30% of cases there is only a partial response or no response, among the factors that can influence is the profile of liver enzymes metabolizing antidepressants, such as CYP2C19.Objective:To characterize the individuals regarding the genetic profile ofCYP2C19*2or CYP2C19*17 polymorphisms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) treated with citalopram or escitalopram, and to compare themaccording to treatment adherence, symptoms of depression and quality of life.Methodology:This is cross-sectionalstudy carried out with 29 patients with MDD. Blood samples were collected for CYP2C19 genotyping by TaqMan® allelic discrimination. After characterization of the genetic profile, the individuals were compared regarding the demographic and socioeconomic data, treatment adherence (Morisky-GreenTest), symptoms of depression (Hamilton scale) and quality of life (WHOQoL-BREF).Results:Four patients showed (13.8%) CYP219*2 and 10 patients (34.4%) CYP219*17 polymorphisms.,withhigher prevalence of CYP219*17 (p>0.05). No association between socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical features with CYP2C19 genotypes was observed. In Morisky-GreenTest, moderate adherence to treatment was predominant for CYP2C19*2 and CYP219*17 patients (p>0.05). No statistically significant association was observed between symptoms of depression and genetic polymorphisms (p>0.05). A significant association between polymorphic CC genotype of CYP219*17 with health satisfaction, while the CT genotype was associated with "neither satisfied/nor dissatisfied" status (p<0.05). Most of the CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*17 subjects reported "need to improve" or "regular" regarding physical, psychological, social, and environmental domainsof quality of life(p>0.05).Conclusions:The patients showed a higher prevalence of CYP219*17 polymorphism, with moderate treatment adherence. Some subjects, even under the effect of the medication, presented moderate to intense symptoms of depression, and reported a lack of definition in the satisfaction of their quality of life (AU).

Introducción:Los pacientes con depresión mayor responder al tratamiento con antidepresivos, en 10% al 30% de los casos existe una respuesta parcial o nula, entre los factores que pueden influir se encuentra el perfil de enzimas hepáticas metabolizadoras de antidepresivos, como CYP2C19.Objetivo: Caracterizar a los individuos en cuanto al perfil genético depolimorfismos CYP2C19 *2 o CYP2C19 * 17 en pacientes con trastorno depresivo mayor (TDM) tratados con citalopram o escitalopram y compararlos en relaciónpara la adherencia al tratamiento, síntomas de depresión y la calidad de vida.Metodología: Estudio transversalcon 29 pacientes con TDM. Se recogieron muestras de sangre para la determinación del genotipo CYP2C19 mediante discriminación alélica TaqMan®, los individuos fueron comparados en cuanto a los datosdemográficosy socioeconómicos, adherencia (Prueba de Morisky-Green), síntomas de depresión (escala de Hamilton) y calidad de vida (WHOQoL-BREF).Resultados: Cuatro pacientes (13,8%) con polimorfismo CYP2C19*2 y 10 (34,4%) con CYP2C19 * 17,(p> 0,05). No existe una asociación significativa de las características socioeconómicas, demográficas y clínicas con los genotipos CYP2C19. La adherencia moderada al tratamiento fue predominante en los pacientes con CYP2C19*2 y CYP2C19*17 (p> 0,05). No hubo asociación entre síntomas de depresión y polimorfismos genéticos (p> 0.05). Una asociación significativa entre el genotipo polimórfico CYP2C19 * 17 CC con la satisfacción con la salud, mientras que el genotipo CT se asoció con el estado "ni satisfecho / no insatisfecho" (p <0.05). La mayoría de CYP2C19 * 2 y CYP2C19 * 17 individuos informaron "necesidad de mejorar" en relación con los dominios físico, psicológico, social y ambientalde calidad de vida(p> 0,05).Conclusiones: Los pacients mostraron una mayor prevalencia del CYP2C19 * 17, con adherencia moderada al tratamiento, síntomas de depresión moderada a intensay informaron una falta de definición en la satisfacción de su calidad de vida (AU).

Prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype and ten-year risk of cardiovascular events in a working population in primary prevention: The ICARIA study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to assess the prevalence of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) and to determine the incidence of cardiovascular events during a 10-year follow up in individuals with FH, compared to unaffected individuals in a working, middle-aged/young population. METHODS AND RESULTS: 576,724 active workers (36 ± 10 years-old, 70% men) without cardiovascular disease were given regular health check-ups and followed for a median of 8.5 years (i.e., 4,123,927 person-years). The FH phenotype was defined according to validated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol thresholds, adjusted for age and sex. The primary outcome was a first cardiovascular event, whether fatal or non-fatal. We found that 707 workers (0.12% or 1 in 816 individuals) met the criteria for a heterozygous FH phenotype. During the follow-up, cardiovascular events occurred in 23 of 707 (3.25%) subjects with the FH phenotype and in 3297 of 576,017 (0.57%) subjects without the FH phenotype (p<0.001). The hazard ratio (HR, assessed with a Cox regression model) for the primary outcome was 5.7 (99% CI 3.33-9.78), before adjustments, and 4.7 (99% CI 2.62-8.58) after adjusting for sex, age, smoking, blood pressure, and diabetes. The HRs were significant for both men and women, but the magnitude of the effect was greater for men than for women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirmed the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in individuals with untreated FH. We showed that regular health check-ups in an active, and mostly young, working population could contribute to the early identification of FH. Therefore, this approach may provide an opportunity for early treatment.

Opioid overdoses: Emerging clinical challenges.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of a large consecutive case series of cases brought to an Emergency Department (ED). DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Emergency Department in Broward County, Florida. PATIENTS: Medical records of patients with registered diagnoses of opioid overdose in 2016 and 2017. OUTCOMES: Demographics, toxicology results, mental-health comorbidities, use/response to naloxone, and hospital disposition. RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy nine opioid-overdose cases were identified (35 percent female, 65 percent male; age 36.2). Her-oin intoxication was registered in 77 percent of discharge diagnoses, and 17.7 percent were prescription pain medications. Urine sam-ples were collected in 39 percent and 81.5 percent of patients received naloxone (mean dose 4.0 mg ± 2.2). Sixty-five percent of cases were discharged home, 17.5 percent left the ED against medical advice, and 17.5 percent were admitted to the hospital/intensive care unit/behavioral unit. CONCLUSION: There is an alarming number of visits to the ED due to opioid overdoses with differences in age and gender. Clinicians are facing diagnostic, treatment and follow-up challenges for the management of these cases.

Trends in extreme rainfall and hydrogeometeorological disasters in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo: a review.

Our paper reviews recent progress in the study and understanding of observed trends in extreme rainfall events in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP). These are discussed in relation to hydrometeorological hazards that trigger natural disasters, such as flash floods, landslides, and droughts, that affect the population and local economies. A review of the most updated literature on rainfall and extremes in the MASP shows a significant increase in the total volume of rainy-season rainfall during the last seven decades. While there were practically no days with heavy rain (more than 50 mm) in the 1950s, these days have been occurring two to five times a year in the last 10 years. This, together with the inappropriate occupation of risky areas, such as slopes and banks of watercourses, leads to inundation, flooding, and landslides. Changes in extremes can be partly due to natural climate variability but can also be related to global warming and/or urbanization. There is ample evidence of an increasing risk of rainfall-related hazards in the MASP. This is particularly so for landslides in vulnerable areas. Exposure will continue to lead to risk increases. This calls for significant improvement in climate and disaster risk reduction and management efforts in the MASP region.

New insights into transport capability of sugars and its impact on growth from novel mutants of Escherichia coli.

The fast-growing capability of Escherichia coli strains used to produce industrially relevant metabolites relies on their capability to transport efficiently glucose or potential industrial feedstocks such as sucrose or xylose as carbon sources. E. coli imports extracellular glucose into the periplasmic space across the outer membrane porins: OmpC, OmpF, and LamB. As the internal membrane is an impermeable barrier for sugars, the cell employs several primary and secondary active transport systems, and the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-sugar phosphotransferase (PTS) system for glucose transport. PTS:glucose is the preferred system by E. coli to transport and phosphorylate the periplasmic glucose; nevertheless, PTS imposes a strict metabolic control mechanism on the preferential consumption of glucose over other carbon sources in sugar mixtures such as glucose and xylose resulting from the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, by the carbon catabolite repression. In this contribution, we summarize the major sugar transport systems for glucose and disaccharide transport, the exhibited substrate plasticity, and their impact on the growth of E. coli, highlighting the relevance of PTS in the control of the expression of genes for the transport and catabolism of other sugars as xylose. We discuss the strategies developed by evolved mutants of E. coli during adaptive laboratory evolution experiments to overcome the nutritional stress condition imposed by inactivation of PTS as a strategy for the selection of fast-growing derivatives in glucose, xylose, or mixtures of glucose:xylose. This approach results in the recruitment of other primary and secondary active transporters, demonstrating relevant sugar plasticity in derivative-evolved mutants. Elucidation of the molecular and biochemical basis of sugar-transport substrate plasticity represents a consistent approach for sugar-transport system engineering for the design of efficient E. coli derivative strains with improved substrate assimilation for biotechnological purposes.

Rifamycin derivatives active against pathogenic rapidly-growing mycobacteria.

Infections due to rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), and in particular the RGM species Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), are very difficult to treat and reports on novel therapeutic options are scarce. A hallmark of all pathogenic RGM species is their resistance to the four first-line drugs used to treat infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis including rifampicin. This study demonstrates that modification of the rifampicin scaffold can restore rifampicin activity against the three most commonly isolated pathogenic RGM species including Mab. We also note that the structure-activity relationship for Mab is different as compared to the non-pathogenic RGM species Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Bio-Insecticidal Potential of Nucleopolyhedrovirus and Granulovirus Mixtures to Control the Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The ability of the isolate VG008 of S. frugiperda granulovirus (SpfrGV) to enhance the infectivity of the isolate SfCOL of S. frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpfrMNPV) was evaluated on S. frugiperda larvae. Bioassays were performed with mixtures by using different proportions 90%:10% (M1), 95%:5% (M2) and 97.5%:2.5% (M3) of SfCOL:VG008, respectively. All mixtures showed higher insecticidal activity that SfCOL. The mixture M3 showed the highest enhancement of SfCOL reducing 11.40 times the Mean Lethal Concentration and 96 h in the Mean Time to Death. The enhancer activity of proteins derived from VG008 (GVPs) were also evaluated in mixture with SfCOL. The GVPs increased 27% larval mortality caused by SfCOL and damaged the peritrophic membrane of S. litura larvae, suggesting that the key point in this enhancing activity is the initial step of the larva colonization, the midgut infection. M3 was formulated and evaluated under greenhouse conditions in maize plants using different doses. The highest efficacy was obtained with the highest dose of M3 (8 × 1011 OBs/ha), which was similar to that found when formulated SfCOL was applied using an approximately twofold higher dose. The viral mixture M3 was selected as the active ingredient for developing a new biopesticide for a more efficient management of the pest in the field.

Consensus on the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa - Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic immune mediated disease of universal distribution that causes great damage to the quality of life of the affected individual, whose prevalence is estimated at 0.41% in the Brazilian population. The objective of this work was update on physiopathogenesis, diagnosis and classification of hidradenitis suppurativa and to establish therapeutic recommendations in the Brazilian reality. It was organized as a work group composed of eight dermatologists from several institutions of the country with experience in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa and carried out review on the topic. Recommendations were elaborated and voted by modified Delphi system and statistical analysis of the results was performed. The Brazilian consensus on the clinical approach of hidradenitis suppurativa had the support of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

Diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for plaque psoriasis - Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects 1.3% of the Brazilian population. The most common clinical manifestations are erythematous, scaling lesions that affect both genders and can occur on any anatomical site, preferentially involving the knees, elbows, scalp and genitals. Besides the impact on the quality of life, the systemic nature of the disease makes psoriasis an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially in young patients with severe disease. By an initiative of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, dermatologists with renowned clinical experience in the management of psoriasis were invited to form a work group that, in a partnership with the Brazilian Medical Association, dedicated themselves to create the Plaque Psoriasis Diagnostic and Treatment Guidelines. The relevant issues for the diagnosis (evaluation of severity and comorbidities) and treatment of plaque psoriasis were defined. The issues generated a search strategy in the Medline-PubMed database up to July 2018. Subsequently, the answers to the questions of the recommendations were devised, and each reference selected presented the respective level of recommendation and strength of scientific evidence. The final recommendations for making up the final text were worded by the coordinators.

Consensus on the diagnostic and therapeutic management of chronic spontaneous urticaria in adults - Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

BACKGROUND: Urticarias are frequent diseases, with 15% to 20% of the population presenting at least one acute episode in their lifetime. Urticaria are classified in acute ( ≤ 6 weeks) or chronic (> 6 weeks). They may be induced or spontaneous. OBJECTIVES: To verify the diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), according to the experience of Brazilian experts, regarding the available guidelines (international and US). METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to Brazilian experts, with questions concerning diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations for CSU in adults. RESULTS: Sixteen Brazilian experts answered the questionnaire related to diagnosis and therapy of CSU in adults and data were analyzed. Final text was written, considering the available guidelines (International and US), adapted to the medical practices in Brazil. Diagnostic work up in CSU is rarely necessary. Biopsy of skin lesion and histopathology may be indicated to rule out other diseases, such as, urticarial vasculitis. Other laboratory tests, such as complete blood count, CRP, ESR and thyroid screening. Treatment of CSU includes second-generation anti-histamines (sgAH) at licensed doses, sgAH two, three to fourfold doses (non-licensed) and omalizumab. Other drugs, such as, cyclosporine, immunomodulatory drugs and immunosuppressants may be indicated (non-licensed and with limited scientific evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the Brazilian experts in this study partially agreed with the diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations of the International and US guidelines. They agreed with the use of sgAH at licensed doses. Increase in the dose to fourfold of sgAH may be suggested with restrictions, due to its non-licensed dose. Sedating anti-histamines, as suggested by the US guideline, are indicated by some of the Brazilian experts, due to its availability. Adaptations are mandatory in the treatment of CSU, due to scarce or lack of other therapeutic resources in the public health system in Brazil, such as omalizumab or cyclosporine.