Effect of antioxidants on adhesive bond strength to bleached enamel.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of antioxidants (ATX) resveratrol, winter's bark, green tea and yerba mate on the bond strength between bleached enamel and the nanohybrid composite resin. METHODOLOGY: Bovine incisor crowns (n = 132) were randomly divided into 22 groups (n = 6) according to the application times (5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 min) of each antioxidant. Teeth restored without previous bleaching or ATX constituted the non-bleached control group (NB Ctrl) (n = 6), and teeth restored after bleaching and without ATX represented the bleached control group (B Ctrl) (n = 6). The 35 % hydrogen peroxide was applied for 45 min (3 application of 15 min) to the buccal enamel surface. ATX was used after bleaching for the specified time of each group and removed with air-water spray. The enamel was etched with 37 % phosphoric acid (30 s) and rinsed with air-water spray. The adhesive resin was applied to the enamel dry surface. Teeth were restored using 1 mm composite resin increments (10 × 10 × 3 mm) and sectioned in test specimens of 6 mm in length and 1 mm2 in cross-sectional area submitted to microtensile bond strength test (0.5 mm/min). The load (N) at failure was recorded, and the bond strength (σt) was calculated (MPa). The fracture area was analyzed under optical microscopy, and failures were classified as cohesive, mixed, or adhesive. Data was evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: B Ctrl group presented lower σt than NB Ctrl (p < 0.001). Applying resveratrol for 5 or 10 min, winter's bark for 10 or 15 min, green tea for less than 15 min, and yerba mate for 15 min provided similar σt between bleached enamel and nanohybrid composite to the control group. CONCLUSION: Restorative procedures performed immediately after tooth bleaching compromises adhesion. Experimental antioxidants applied to bleached enamel can increase the immediate bond strength of restorations performed directly after bleaching, with similar values to those observed in unbleached enamel. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study presents promising results to support the use of antioxidants on the recently bleached enamel to allow adhesive tooth restorations. The immediate bonding obtained using antioxidants was similar to the one achieved in non-bleached enamel in brief application times. Green tea extract and resveratrol were able to restore the bond strength to bleached enamel in a short application time of 5 min. The reduction in the required application time holds the potential to decrease the overall duration of the clinical section, offering clinical advantages and improving the feasibility of using antioxidants on the bleached enamel prior to adhesive procedures.

Microparticles and nanoparticles-based approaches to improve oral treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, spiral-shaped, flagellated bacterium that colonizes the stomach of half the world's population. Helicobacter pylori infection causes pathologies of varying severity. Standard oral therapy fails in 15-20% since the barriers of the oral route decrease the bioavailability of antibiotics and the intrinsic factors of bacteria increase the rates of resistance. Nanoparticles and microparticles are promising strategies for drug delivery into the gastric mucosa and targeting H. pylori. The variety of building blocks creates systems with distinct colloidal, surface, and biological properties. These features improve drug-pathogen interactions, eliminate drug depletion and overuse, and enable the association of multiple actives combating H. pylori on several fronts. Nanoparticles and microparticles are successfully used to overcome the barriers of the oral route, physicochemical inconveniences, and lack of selectivity of current therapy. They have proven efficient in employing promising anti-H. pylori compounds whose limitation is oral route instability, such as some antibiotics and natural products. However, the current challenge is the applicability of these strategies in clinical practice. For this reason, strategies employing a rational design are necessary, including in the development of nano- and microsystems for the oral route.

Green Method for Evaluation of Marbofloxacin Tablets by HPLC and Evaluation of Interchangeability With UV and Turbidimetric Methods.

BACKGROUND: Marbofloxacin (MAR) is a veterinary antimicrobial, marketed in injectable solution, oral suspension, and tablets. MAR has no monograph for tablet evaluation in official compendiums. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods present in the literature for evaluating MAR in tablets do not follow the principles of green and sustainable analytical chemistry. OBJECTIVE: A green, clean, and sustainable method by HPLC was developed and validated to evaluate the content and stability of MAR in tablets, in addition to comparing it with other methods available in the literature. METHOD: A C8, 5 µm, 4.6 × 150 mm (ACE®) column, purified water with 0.2% formic acid-ethanol (70:30, v/v) as the mobile phase, and a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min at 296 nm were used. RESULTS: The method was linear over a concentration range of 1-10 µg/mL, selective for tablet matrix and forced degradation, precise with relative standard deviations (RDS) less than 5%, accurate with recovery of 99.99%, and robust to changes in the mobile phase, flow rate, wavelength, equipment, and column brand. The retention time for MAR was approximately 3.1 min. CONCLUSIONS: The method can be used in routine analysis of MAR in tablets in chemical-pharmaceutical laboratories. Furthermore, it can be used to verify the stability of MAR-based products and proved to be interchangeable with spectrophotometric method in the UV region and turbidimetric microbiological method. HIGHLIGHTS: A green method for evaluation of marbofloxacin tablets by HPLC was developed and validated. Additionally, it has been shown to be interchangeable with UV and turbidimetric methods.

ß-Carboline-α-aminophosphonate Derivative: A Promising Antitumor Agent for Breast Cancer Treatment.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. Considering the limitations of the current treatments available, we analyzed the in vitro cytotoxic potential of ((4-Fluoro-phenyl)-{2-[(1-phenyl-9H-ß-carboline-3-carbonyl)-amino]-ethylamino}-methyl)-phosphonic acid dibutyl ester (BCP-1) in breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and in a non-tumor breast cell line (MCF-10A). BCP-1 has an α-aminophosphonate unit linked to the ß-carboline nucleus, and the literature indicates that compounds of these classes have high biological potential. In the present study, the mechanism of action of BCP-1 was investigated through methods of spectrofluorimetry, flow cytometry, and protein expression analysis. It was found that BCP-1 inhibited the proliferation of both cancer cell lines. Furthermore, it induced oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in G2/M. Upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, cytochrome C, and caspases, as well as a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, indicated potential induction of apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells. While in MCF-7 cells, BCP-1 activated the autophagic death pathway, which was demonstrated by an increase in autophagic vacuoles and acidic organelles, in addition to increased expression of LC3I/LC3II and reduced SQSTM1/p62 expression. Further, BCP-1 demonstrated antimetastatic potential by reducing MMP-9 expression and cell migration in both breast cancer cell lines. In conclusion, BCP-1 is a promising candidate for breast cancer chemotherapy.

Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid Injection for Interdental Papillae Recovery in Esthetic Areas: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid (HA) injections used to reduce defects in the gingival papillae in esthetic areas. This randomized study included six patients requiring black triangle treatment in 19 defective papillae. After local anesthesia, less than 0.2 mL of HA was injected 2 to 3 mm into the tip of the deficient papilla in the apical direction. Analysis of the target regions with standardized photographs and 3D intraoral scanning (CEREC 4.5 software with RST files, Dentsply Sirona) was performed at baseline (T0) and at 1 month (T1), 2 months (T2), 3 months (T3), and 4 months (T4) after the initial application of HA. At each time period, the photographic analysis showed no statistically significant differences in linear tissue gain after HA gel application. The 3D analysis showed improvements in the vertical papillae tissue recovery at T3 (0.41 ± 0.21 mm) and T4 (0.38 ± 0.21 mm) when compared to T1 (0.13 ± 0.08 mm; P < .0001). Regarding the reconstruction of the interdental papillae, the general dimensions of the tissue in the black triangle areas showed a significant increase in size percentage at T3 (58% ± 32.9%) compared to T1 (30.41% ± 23.4%; P = .0054). Thus, the application of injectable HA was effective for filling papillae in the esthetic area. Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent 2023;43:e73-e80. doi: 10.11607/prd.5814.

Feasibility study for mercury remediation by selenium competition in Pleurotus mushrooms.

Mushrooms may incorporate significant levels of Hg making its consumption harmful to human health. Mercury remediation induced by Se competition in edible mushrooms represents a valuable alternative since Se plays effective roles against Hg uptake, accumulation, and toxicity. In this way, Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor were cultivated on Hg-contaminated substrate simultaneously supplemented with Se(IV) or Se(VI) under different dosages in this study. The protective role of Se was assessed taking into account morphological characteristics and Hg and Se total concentrations determined by ICP-MS, as well as proteins and protein-bound Hg and Se distribution by SEC-UV-ICP-MS, and Hg speciation studies (Hg(II) and MeHg) by HPLC-ICP-MS. Both Se(IV) and Se(VI) supplementation were able to recover the morphology mainly of Hg-contaminated Pleurotus ostreatus. The mitigation effects induced by Se(IV) stood out more than Se(VI) in terms of Hg incorporation, decreasing the total Hg concentration up to 96 %. Also, it was found that supplementation mainly with Se(IV) reduced the fraction of Hg bound to medium molecular weight compounds (17-44 kDa) up to 80 %. Finally, it was shown a Se-induced inhibitory effect on Hg methylation, decreasing MeHg species content in mushrooms exposed to Se(IV) (51.2 µg g-1) up to 100 %.

An overview of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in northeast Brazil: NMR-based identification and analysis of ecstasy tablets by GC-MS.

The actual illicit market for synthetic drugs is characterized by a wide variety of psychoactive substances of different chemical and pharmacological classes, such as amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances. The knowledge about its chemical composition, as well as the nature and quantity of the active substances present, is important for emergency care in intoxication cases by these substances and to establish adequate chemical and toxicological analysis procedures in forensic laboratories. The aim of this work was to study the prevalence of amphetamine-type stimulants and new psychoactive substances in the states of Bahia and Sergipe, in the northeast region of Brazil, involving samples of drugs seized by the local police forces from 2014 to 2019. In a total of 121 seized and analyzed samples, in which ecstasy tablets predominated (n = 101), nineteen substances were identified using GC-MS and 1D NMR techniques, comprising classical synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS). In order to determine the composition of ecstasy tablets, an analytical method based on GC-MS was applied after validation. Analyzes of 101 ecstasy tablets showed that MDMA was the main substance, being found in 57% of the samples, in amounts between 27.3 and 187.1 mg per tablet. In addition, mixtures of MDMA, MDA, synthetic cathinones and caffeine were observed in 34 samples. These results demonstrate that the variety of substances found and the composition of seized materials in northeast Brazil is similar to other studies carried out previously in other Brazilian regions.

COVID-19 and the elaboration of personal plans in + 50: a Brazilian experience.

BACKGROUND: In front of the physical and social isolation, as well as feelings of fear and instability imposed by the pandemic of COVID-19, especially for risk groups such as people 50 + , it became even more relevant to discuss the formulation of personal plans for this age population. This study aimed to analyse the individual plans of people 50 + , considering their perception, feelings and life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is a mixed study (quali-quantitative), using Minayo's methodology for content analysis and frequency analyses, made with 39 participants from the University of Brasília Educational Program, Universidade do Envelhecer - UniSER/UnB. We used a word cloud system and a wheel of life tool to showcase the results. RESULTS: Analysing professional achievements and situations participants want to overcome, the categories of feelings that stand out were Loving Relationships, Sadness, Family Absence, Grief, Trauma and Regret. Intellectual Development, Personal Fulfilment, Purpose and Creativity, Hobbies and Fun were the most mentioned personal plans displayed by the wheel of life. The key personal changes mentioned were to be less shy, prioritise themselves, change how they interact with others, and focus on their health. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that perception, feelings and life experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic did not seem to directly affect the path in elaborating personal plans.

Release of immunomodulatory peptides at bacterial membrane interfaces as a novel strategy to fight microorganisms.

Cationic and amphiphilic peptides can be used as homing devices to accumulate conjugated antibiotics to bacteria-enriched sites and promote efficient microbial killing. However, just as important as tackling bacterial infections, is the modulation of the immune response in this complex microenvironment. In the present report, we designed a peptide chimaera called Chim2, formed by a membrane-active module, an enzyme hydrolysis site and a formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) agonist. This molecule was designed to adsorb onto bacterial membranes, promote their lysis, and upon hydrolysis by local enzymes, release the FPR2 agonist sequence for activation and recruitment of immune cells. We synthesized the isolated peptide modules of Chim2 and characterized their biological activities independently and as a single polypeptide chain. We conducted antimicrobial assays, along with other tests aiming at the analyses of the cellular and immunological responses. In addition, assays using vesicles as models of eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes were conducted and solution structures of Chim2 were generated by 1H NMR. Chim2 is antimicrobial, adsorbs preferentially to negatively charged vesicles while adopting an α-helix structure and exposes its disorganized tail to the solvent, which facilitates hydrolysis by tryptase-like enzymes, allowing the release of the FPR2 agonist fragment. This fragment was shown to induce accumulation of the cellular activation marker, lipid bodies, in mouse macrophages and the release of immunomodulatory interleukins. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that peptides with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities can be considered for further development as drugs.

Probing human proteins for short encrypted antimicrobial peptides reveals Hs10, a peptide with selective activity for gram-negative bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Some cationic and amphiphilic α-helical segments of proteins adsorb to prokaryotic membranes when synthesized as individual polypeptide sequences, resulting in broad and potent antimicrobial activity. However, amphiphilicity, a determinant physicochemical property for peptide-membrane interactions, can also be observed in some ß-sheets. METHODS: The software Kamal was used to scan the human reference proteome for short (7-11 amino acid residues) cationic and amphiphilic protein segments with the characteristic periodicity of ß-sheets. Some of the uncovered peptides were chemically synthesized, and antimicrobial assays were conducted. Biophysical techniques were used to probe the molecular interaction of one peptide with phospholipid vesicles, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the bacterium Escherichia coli. RESULTS: Thousands of compatible segments were found in human proteins, five were synthesized, and three presented antimicrobial activity in the micromolar range. Hs10, a nonapeptide fragment of the Complement C3 protein, could inhibit only the growth of tested Gram-negative microorganisms, presenting also little cytotoxicity to human fibroblasts. Hs10 interacted with LPS while transitioning from an unstructured segment to a ß-sheet and increased the hydrodynamic radius of LPS particles. This peptide also promoted morphological alterations in E. coli cells. CONCLUSIONS: Data presented herein introduce yet another molecular template to probe proteins in search for encrypted membrane-active segments and demonstrates that, using this approach, short peptides with low cytotoxicity and high selectivity to prokaryotic cells might be obtained. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This work widens the biotechnological potential of the human proteome as a source of antimicrobial peptides with application in human health.

Soil type determines the magnitude of soil fertility changes by forest-to-pasture conversion in Western Amazonia.

The deforestation of tropical forests raises environmental concerns worldwide. Removing the pristine forest impacts the soil, consequently affecting the environmental services it provides. Within this context, the main goal of this study was to determine how the conversion of the tropical rainforest to pasture affects soil fertility across an extended range of soil heterogeneity, including different soil types. We sampled 13 sites, among forests, recent pastures (≤7-year-old), and old pastures (≥10-year-old), on Acrisols, Ferralsols, Plinthosols, and Luvisols, across a ± 800 km geographical range in the Western Brazilian Amazon. Soils were classified taxonomically, and their superficial layer's chemical and physical properties (0-10 cm) were analyzed. Furthermore, we tested the sensibility of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria to detect changes in these soil properties based on their ecological habitat. An inter-regional gradient of soil fertility was observed, and the sampling sites were clustered mostly by soil type and associated land use than by spatial distance. The Sum of bases, Ca + Mg, base saturation, Al saturation, and pH were consistently affected by land use, increasing after conversion to pasture, at different degrees and with a more pronounced effect on oxidic soils. The Sum of bases was the only property that increased significantly among the study sites (Radj = 0.860, p < 0.001), being able to detect the effect of anthropic land use on a larger coverage of soil types. Finally, the Actinobacteria:Proteobacteria ratio was also sensitive to the impact of forest-to-pasture conversion, with a higher ratio observed in pasture systems, and it was positively correlated with soil pH (rho = 0.469, p < 0.001). Our results consistently show that the forest-to-pasture conversion leads to strong alterations in the soil environment, with varying intensities depending on soil type.

Identification of novel genes involved in the biofilm formation process of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC).

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is the etiological agent of avian colibacillosis, a leading cause of economic loss to the poultry industry worldwide. APEC causes disease using a diverse repertoire of virulence factors and has the ability to form biofilms, which contributes to the survival and persistence of APEC in harsh environments. The objective of this study was to identify genes most widespread and important in APEC that contribute to APEC biofilm formation. Using the characterized APEC O18 as the template strain, a total of 15,660 mutants were randomly generated using signature tagged mutagenesis and evaluated for decreased biofilm formation ability using the crystal violet assay. Biofilm deficient mutants were sequenced, and a total of 547 putative biofilm formation genes were identified. Thirty of these genes were analyzed by PCR for prevalence among 109 APEC isolates and 104 avian fecal E. coli (AFEC) isolates, resulting in nine genes with significantly greater prevalence in APEC than AFEC. The expression of these genes was evaluated in the wild-type APEC O18 strain using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) in both the exponential growth phase and the mature biofilm phase. To investigate the role of these genes in biofilm formation, isogenic mutants were constructed and evaluated for their biofilm production and planktonic growth abilities. Four of the mutants (rfaY, rfaI, and two uncharacterized genes) displayed significantly decreased biofilm formation, and of those four, one (rfaI) displayed significantly decreased growth compared to the wild type. Overall, this study identified novel genes that may be important in APEC and its biofilm formation. The data generated from this study will benefit further investigation into the mechanisms of APEC biofilm formation.

Effect of Different Numbers of Interset Antagonist Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on the Total Number of Repetitions for the Agonists.

Recent studies have observed that stretching applied to antagonist muscles can promote improvement in agonist muscle performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different numbers of interset proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching for the antagonists on the total number of repetitions completed for the agonists (quadriceps) in the leg extension exercise. Fourteen physically active individuals (age: 29.35 ± 10.5 years; body mass: 79.1 ± 11.34 kg; height: 170.4 ± 8.7 cm) participated in this study. The following experimental protocols were performed: 1) Traditional protocol (Traditional) - without previous stretching; 2) PNF with lesser duration (PNF1-3 sets of 20 secs.); 3) PNF with greater duration (PNF2-3 sets of 30 secs.). Within the experimental protocols (PNF1 and PNF2), stretching exercises for the antagonists were performed before and between the four sets of the unilateral leg extension exercise. All tests were performed on the dominant limb only. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the total number of repetitions for the PNF2 protocol versus the Traditional protocol (p = 0.026). However, there was no significant difference between the PNF1 protocol versus the Traditional protocol (p = 0.577). In conclusion, in the leg extension exercise, an extended duration of interset PNF stretching for the hamstrings, promoted greater contractile performance for the quadriceps as demonstrated by significantly greater total repetitions over four sets.

Effects of Se(IV) or Se(VI) enrichment on proteins and protein-bound Se distribution and Se bioaccessibility in oyster mushrooms.

A successful mushroom enrichment process must produce foods that have compounds potentially absorbed by the human body. In this study, Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor mushrooms were grown on organic substrate supplemented with different Se(IV) and Se(VI) concentrations, and evaluated in the following features: Fruiting bodies morphology; Se uptake and accumulation; Distribution of proteins and protein-bound Se; Se species identification on enzymatic extracts; Se bioaccessibility; and Distribution of bioaccessible protein-bound Se. Pleurotus djamor grown on Se(IV)-supplemented substrate showed the greatest potential to uptake and accumulate Se. For Se species screening, selenomethionine was identified in white oyster mushroom, while selenomethionine, selenocystine, and Se-methylselenocysteine in pink oyster mushrooms. In soluble fractions from in vitro gastrointestinal digestion assays, Se showed high bioaccessibility (>94%). Lastly, bioaccessible Se species were found to be mainly associated to LMW (<17 kDa) in Pleurotus ostreatus (74%) and Pleurotus djamor (68%) grown on Se(IV)-supplemented substrates.

The protective role of selenium against uptake and accumulation of cadmium and lead in white oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus) and pink oyster (Pleurotus djamor) mushrooms.

Mushrooms are bioaccumulators and have been used to produce Se-enriched foods. However, these fungi can also bioaccumulate potentially toxic metals, producing food dangerous to human health. It is known that co-exposure to Se plays a protective role against metal accumulation and toxicity in some organisms due to its antioxidant properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of Se(IV) and Se(VI) on elemental uptake and accumulation as well as proteins and protein-bound Se, Cd, and Pb distribution in Pleurotus mushrooms. Pink oyster and white oyster mushrooms showed high ability to bioaccumulate Se (19-205 µg g-1), Cd (4.5 to 18.8 µg g-1), and Pb (1.6 to 7.0 µg g-1). Growth substrate supplementation with Se(IV) or Se(VI) decreased the Cd total concentration in mushrooms by 4 to 89%, while Se(VI) increased the Pb total concentration by 9% to 187%, compared to growth in absence of Se. It was found that despite molecular weights distributions of mushrooms grown on Se(IV) and Se(VI)-supplemented substrates being similar, Se(VI) supplementation favoured Se interaction with proteins of medium molecular weight (17-44 kDa), when compared to supplementation with Se(IV). Therefore, we propose the supplementation of growth substrates with Se(VI) to reduce eventual Cd accumulation and produce Se-enriched oyster mushrooms.

Lightning patterns in the Pantanal: Untangling natural and anthropogenic-induced wildfires.

The identification of fire causes and characteristics is of fundamental importance to better understand fire regimes and drivers. Particularly for Brazil, there is a gap in the quantification of lightning-caused fires. Accordingly, this work is a novel probabilistic assessment of the spatial-temporal patterns of lightning-ignited wildfires in the Pantanal wetland. Here, remote sensing information such as VIIRS active fires, MODIS burned area (BA) and STARNET lightning observations from 2012 to 2017, were combined to estimate the location, number of scars and amount of BA associated with atmospheric discharges on a seasonal basis. The highest lightning activity occurs during summer (December-February), and the lowest during winter (June-August). Conversely, the highest fire activity occurred during spring (September-November) and the lowest during autumn (March-May). Our analysis revealed low evidence of an association between fires and lightning, suggesting that human-related activities are the main source of ignitions. Weak evidence of natural-caused fire occurrence is conveyed by the low spatial-temporal match of lightning and fire throughout the studied period. Natural-caused fires accounted for only 5% of the annual total scars and 83.8% of the BA was human-caused. Most of the fires with extension larger than 1000 ha were not related to lighting. Lightning-fires seem an important element of the summer fire regime given that around half of the total BA during this season may be originated by lightning. By contrast, in the rest of the year the lightning-fires represent a minor percentage of the fire activity in the region. The density of lightning-ignited fires varies considerably, being higher in the north part of the Pantanal. This work provides a basis for a better understanding of lightning-related fire outbreaks in tropical ecosystems, particularly wetlands, which is fundamental to improve region-based strategies for land management actions, ecological studies and modeling climatic and anthropogenic drivers of wildfires.

Safety and efficacy of a mucoadhesive phytomedication containing curcuminoids and Bidens pilosa L. extract in the prevention and treatment of radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: Triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis (OM) is the significant complication of radio/chemotherapy treatment. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a mucoadhesive phytomedication containing curcuminoids and Bidens pilosa L. (FITOPROT) in the prevention/treatment of OM. METHODS: Sixty-two patients were randomized into the group's intervention and placebo. Adverse effect assessment, OM grading, pain, and saliva collection were carried at the 1st, 15th, 21st, and final of radiotherapy (RT). Inflammatory salivary mediators were measured. RESULTS: FITOPROT decreased the severity of OM from the 15th to the final RT, while the placebo showed an increase in the severity (p < 0.05). Intervention group had a lower number of patients with ulcerated OM at the final RT (p < 0.05). Phytomedication prevented increases of IL-8 levels and reduced the salivary nitrite during RT. CONCLUSIONS: FITOPROT does not promote adverse effects, it appears to be effective at reducing the severity of OM, and it controls the concentration of pro-inflammatory mediators.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Neonatal Meningitis Escherichia coli Serotype O18:K1 Strain NMEC15.

Neonatal meningitis Escherichia coli (NMEC) is the second leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in neonates worldwide. Here, we report the genome sequence of NMEC15, belonging to serotype O18:K1, isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of an infant with neonatal bacterial meningitis (NBM) in the Netherlands.