Photobiomodulation therapy combined with static magnetic field is better than placebo in patients with fibromyalgia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by generalized chronic pain and tenderness in specific areas. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) using low-level laser therapy and/or light emitting diode therapy is an electrophysical agent that can be used alone or together with a static magnetic field (PBMT-sMF) to promote analgesia in several health conditions. Little evidence exists regarding the effects of using PBMT and PBMT-sMF in patients with fibromyalgia; this evidence is conflicting. AIM: We aimed to investigate the effects of using PBMT-sMF versus a placebo on reduction of the degree-of-pain rating, impact of fibromyalgia, pain intensity, and satisfaction with treatment in patients with fibromyalgia. DESIGN: A prospectively registered, monocentric, randomized placebo-controlled trial, with blinding of patients, therapists, and assessors, was performed. SETTING: The study was conducted at the Laboratory of Phototherapy and Innovative Technologies in Health (LaPIT) in Brazil, between March and October 2020. POPULATION: Ninety female patients with fibromyalgia were randomized to undergo either PBMT-sMF (N.=45) or placebo (N.=45) treatment. METHODS: Patients from both groups received nine treatment sessions, three times a week, for 3 weeks. Clinical outcomes were collected at baseline, the end of treatment, and at the follow-up appointment 4 weeks post-treatment. The primary outcome was the degree-of-pain rating, measured by the reduction of the tender point count. RESULTS: A decrease in the degree-of-pain rating was observed in patients allocated to the PBMT-sMF group, decreasing the number of tender points when compared to placebo group at the end of treatment (P<0.0001) and at the follow-up assessment (P<0.0001). Patients did not report any adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: PBMT-sMF is superior to placebo, supporting its use in patients with fibromyalgia. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: PBMT-sMF might be considered an important adjuvant to the treatment regimens of patients with fibromyalgia.

Low-intensity LASER and LED (photobiomodulation therapy) for pain control of the most common musculoskeletal conditions.

Pain is the most common reason for physician consultations and the number one reason for missed work or school days is musculoskeletal pain. Pain management is utilized for easing the suffering and improving the Quality of Life of those living with chronic pain. Over the past several decades, physicians have become increasingly willing to prescribe opioids to manage pain. However, the opioid use can cause side effects as poor coordination, sedation, mood swings, depression, and anxiety combined with a dependence on the drugs. In the rehabilitation setting, patients benefit most when their health providers utilize a multimodal approach combining different types of therapies and when patients take on a significant role in optimal management of their own pain. The use of light as a therapeutic alternative form of medicine to manage pain and inflammation has been proposed to fill this void. Photobiomodulation therapy applied in the form of low-intensity Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) and light-emitting diode (LED) has been shown to reduce inflammation and swelling, promote healing, and reduce pain for an array of musculoskeletal conditions. There is evidence that photobiomodulation therapy reduces pain intensity in non-specific knee pain, osteoarthritis, pain post-total hip arthroplasty, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular diseases, neck pain, and low back pain. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to present the up-to-dated evidence about the effects of low-intensity LASER and LED (photobiomodulation therapy) on pain control of the most common musculoskeletal conditions. We observed that the photobiomodulation therapy offers a non-invasive, safe, drug-free, and side-effect-free method for pain relief of both acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions as well as fibromyalgia.

Development of a Pencil Drawn Paper-based Analytical Device to Detect Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)*, †.

The need for agile and proper identification of drugs of abuse has encouraged the scientific community to improve and to develop new methodologies. The drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is still widely used due to its hallucinogenic effects. The use of voltammetric methods to analyze narcotics has increased in recent years, and the possibility of miniaturizing the electrochemical equipment allows these methods to be applied outside the laboratory; for example, in crime scenes. In addition to portability, the search for affordable and sustainable materials for use in electroanalytical research has grown in recent decades. In this context, employing paper substrate, graphite pencil, and silver paint to construct paper-based electrodes is a great alternative. Here, a paper-based device comprising three electrodes was drawn on 300 g/m2 watercolor paper with 8B pencils, and its efficiency was compared to the efficiency of a commercially available screen-printed carbon electrode. Square wave voltammetry was used for LSD analysis in aqueous medium containing 0.05 mol/L LiClO4 . The limits of detection and quantification were 0.38 and 1.27 µmol/L, respectively. Both electrodes exhibited a similar voltammetric response, which was also confirmed during analysis of a seized LSD sample, with recovery of less than 10%. The seized samples were previously analyzed by GCMS technique, employing the full scan spectra against the software spectral library. The electrode selectivity was also tested against 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine. It was possible to differentiate these compounds from LSD, indicating that the developed paper-based device has potential application in forensic chemistry analyses.

Incorporation of the chemotherapy medication cisplatin into polyamide membrane.

The search for more efficient and less aggressive cancer treatment methods has intensified over the last decades and has involved many scientific areas. To provide skin cancer patients with better quality of life, this work aims to incorporate chemotherapy into polyamide membranes, functionalized by the sol-gel methodology, for controlled drug release at the target tissue. A 200-micrometer-thick flexible polyamide membrane prepared by Additive Manufacture was activated and functionalized with the alkoxide 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane, which was followed by incorporation of the antitumor agent cisplatin. Membrane functionalization with the alkoxide was attested by infrared absorption spectroscopy, which evidenced a band at 1100cm-1, due to Si-O-Si vibration, and typical cisplatin bands at 3200 and 1600cm-1. The thermogravimetric curve revealed increased silicon oxide and platinum residues. Drug release was tested in simulated body fluid. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the Cell Proliferation Kit, which gave IC50 of 23.95µgM.

The Application of Voltammetric Analysis of Δ(9) -THC for the Reduction of False Positive Results in the Analysis of Suspected Marijuana Plant Matter.

The development of methodologies using inexpensive, fast, and reliable instrumention is desirable in illicit drug analysis. The purpose of this study was based on cyclic voltammetry technique to differentiate the electrochemical behavior of ∆(9) -THC, the psychoactive substance in marijuana, and five different extract plants to yield false positive results after analysis protocol for cannabinoids using thin-layer chromatography and Fast Blue B salt. After applying a deposition potential of -0.5 V in a glassy carbon working electrode, the results indicated an anodic peak current at 0.0 V versus Ag/AgCl after addition of ∆(9) -THC solution in the electrochemical cell, and limits of detection and quantification were 1.0 ng mL(-1) and 3.5 ng mL(-1) , respectively. Other interfering plants showed distinct amperometric responses. This methodology was useful to detect ∆(9) -THC even in the presence of the Fast Blue B salt, which avoided false positive results for all the studied extract plants.

Forensic Investigation of Formaldehyde in Illicit Products for Hair Treatment by DAD-HPLC: A Case Study.

The illegal use of formalin (commercial formaldehyde) in cosmetic products harms the health of individuals exposed to this substance. Over the last years, the commercial availability of these products, especially those containing irregular dosage of formaldehyde, has increased in Brazil. This work analyzes some products for hair treatment available in the Brazilian market and verifies their safety. The adopted analytical methodology involved sample derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (UV-VIS) at λ = 365 nm. The limit of quantification is 2.5 × 10-3% w/w, and the recovery tests were around 93%. Some of the samples contained high and illegal formaldehyde levels ranging from 9% to 19% (w/w) and others presented suitable concentrations of the analyte. On the basis of the results, this work discusses the efficiency and practicality of this analytical method for forensic purposes.

A basin-hopping Monte Carlo investigation of the structural and energetic properties of 55- and 561-atom bimetallic nanoclusters: the examples of the ZrCu, ZrAl, and CuAl systems.

We report a basin-hopping Monte Carlo investigation within the embedded-atom method of the structural and energetic properties of bimetallic ZrCu, ZrAl, and CuAl nanoclusters with 55 and 561 atoms. We found that unary Zr55, Zr561, Cu55, Cu561, Al55, and Al561 systems adopt the well known compact icosahedron (ICO) structure. The excess energy is negative for all systems and compositions, which indicates an energetic preference for the mixing of both chemical species. The ICO structure is preserved if a few atoms of the host system are replaced by different species, however, the composition limit in which the ICO structure is preserved depends on both the host and new chemical species. Using several structural analyses, three classes of structures, namely ideal ICO, nearly ICO, and distorted ICO structures, were identified. As the amounts of both chemical species change towards a more balanced composition, configurations far from the ICO structure arise and the dominant structures are nearly spherical, which indicates a strong minimization of the surface energy by decreasing the number of atoms with lower coordination on the surface. The average bond lengths follow Vegard's law almost exactly for ZrCu and ZrAl, however, this is not the case for CuAl. Furthermore, the radial distribution allowed us to identify the presence of an onion-like behavior in the surface of the 561-atom CuAl nanocluster with the Al atoms located in the outermost surface shell, which can be explained by the lower surface energies of the Al surfaces compared with the Cu surfaces. In ZrCu and ZrAl the radial distribution indicates a nearly homogeneous distribution for the chemical species, however, with a slightly higher concentration of Al atoms on the ZrAl surface, which can also be explained by the lower surface energy.

Cathodic stripping voltammetric determination of arsenic in sugarcane brandy at a modified carbon nanotube paste electrode.

We have developed an eletroanalytical method that employs Cu(2+) solutions to determine arsenic in sugarcane brandy using an electrode consisting of carbon paste modified with carbon nanotubes (CNTPE) and polymeric resins. We used linear sweep (LSV) and differential-pulse (DPV) voltammetry with cathodic stripping for CNTPE containing mineral oil or silicone as binder. The analytical curves were linear from 30 to 110µgL(-1) and from 10 to 110µgL(-1) for LSV and DPV, respectively. The limits of detection (L.O.D.) and quantification (L.O.Q.) of CNTPE were 10.3 and 34.5µgL(-1) for mineral oil and 3.4 and 11.2µgL(-1) for silicone. We applied this method to determine arsenic in five commercial sugarcane brandy samples. The results agreed well with those obtained by hydride generation combined with atomic absorption spectrometry (HG AAS).

Electrooxidation and Determination of Dopamine Using a Nafion®-Cobalt Hexacyanoferrate Film Modified Electrode.

The electrocatalysis of dopamine has been studied using a cobalt hexacyanoferrate film (CoHCFe)-modified glassy carbon electrode. Using a rotating disk CoHCFe-modified electrode, the reaction rate constant for dopamine was found to be 3.5 × 105 cm³ mol-1 s-1 at a concentration of 5.0 × 10-5 mol L-1. When a Nafion® film is applied to the CoHCFe-modified electrode surface a high selectivity for the determination of dopamine over ascorbic acid was obtained. The analytical curve for dopamine presented linear dependence over the concentration range from 1.2 × 10-5 to 5.0 × 10-4 mol L-1 with a slope of 23.5 mA mol-1 L and a linear correlation coefficient of 0.999. The detection limit of this method was 8.9 × 10-6 mol L-1 and the relative standard deviation for five measurements of 2.5 × 10-4 mol L-1 dopamine was 0.58%.

Study of electrochemical oxidation and determination of albendazole using a glassy carbon-rotating disk electrode.

In this work, electrochemical oxidation of albendazole (ABZ) was carried out using a glassy carbon-rotating disk electrode. Development of electroanalytical methodology for ABZ quantification in pharmaceutical formulations was also proposed by using linear sweep voltammetric technique. Electrochemical oxidation is observed for ABZ at E(1/2)=0.99 V vs. Ag/AgCl(sat), when an anodic wave is observed. Kinetic parameters obtained for ABZ oxidation exhibited a standard heterogeneous rate constant for the electrodic process equal to (1.51+/-0.07) x 10(-5) cm s(-1), with a alphan(a) value equal to 0.76. Limiting current dependence against ABZ concentration exhibited linearity on 5.0 x 10(-5) to 1.0 x 10(-2) mol l(-1) range, being obtained a detection limit of 2.4 x 10(-5) mol l(-1). Proposed methodology was applied to ABZ quantification in pharmaceutical formulations.

Determination of acetaldehyde in fuel ethanol by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

The cyclic voltammetric behavior of acetaldehyde and the derivatized product with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPHi) has been studied at a glassy carbon electrode. This study was used to optimize the best experimental conditions for its determination by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation coupled with electrochemical detection. The acetaldehyde-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (ADNPH) was eluted and separated by a reversed-phase column, C18, under isocratic conditions with the mobile phase containing a binary mixture of methanol/LiCl(aq) at a concentration of 1.0 x 10(-3) M (80:20 v/v) and a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1). The optimum condition for the electrochemical detection of ADNPH was +1.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl as a reference electrode. The proposed method was simple, rapid (analysis time 7 min) and sensitive (detection limit 3.80 microg L(-1)) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1. It was also highly selective and reproducible [standard deviation 8.2% +/- 0.36 (n = 5)]. The analytical curve of ADNPH was linear over the range of 3-300 mg L(-1) per injection (20 microL), and the analytical recovery was > 99%.

Characterization of diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid Helianthus species by chromosome banding and FISH with 45S rDNA probe.

Comparative karyotype analyses of five diploid, two tetraploid, and three hexaploid species of Helianthus were performed using Feulgen staining, Giemsa C and CMA3 (C-CMA) staining, and FISH with 45S rDNA probe. The karyotypes are composed by a basic number of x = 17 with a predominance of meta- and submetacentric chromosome types. A polyploid series is associated with the basic number. Giemsa C- and C-CMA banding revealed terminal or interstitial heterochromatin according to the species, suggesting the existence of a mechanism that may be acting in the dispersion of heterochromatic segments in Helianthus. The nucleolar organizer regions were located at terminal chromosome positions by FISH with 45S rDNA probe. Diploid species presented four, six, and eight rDNA sites, tetraploid species showed eight sites and hexaploid species presented 12 rDNA sites. Karyomorphological differences include variation in number, size and chromosome morphology, suggesting that rearrangements involving small heterochromatic and rDNA segments played a major role in karyotype evolution.