Differences between Myeloschisis and Myelomeningocele in patients undergoing prenatal repair of Open Spina Bifida.

INTRODUCTION: Open spina bifida (OSB) manifests as myelomeningocele (MMC) or myeloschisis (MS). Both lesions theoretically leak cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and produce different degrees of Chiari II malformation (CHMII). However, it is not entirely clear whether these forms of OSB have different clinical manifestations. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and/or radiological differences between myeloschisis and myelomeningocele in patients who underwent prenatal OSB repair. METHODS: A total of 71 prenatal repairs were performed with the open technique at the Public Hospital of Rancagua, Chile, between 2012 and 2022. We performed follow-up MRI imaging of fetuses that qualified for prenatal OSB repair surgery. We examined the correlations between various anthropomorphic measurements and clinical and imaging variables, such as the type of lesion and dimensions such as ventricle atrium diameter, degree of severity of CHMII, need for CSF shunt at 12 months, and walking at 30 months. RESULTS: This study included 71 fetuses with OSB for which 38 MRI examinations were analyzed; 61% (43/71) of lesions were MMC and 39% (28/71) were MS. Grade 3 (severe) CHMII were found in 80% (12/15) of MS and 43% (10/23) of MMC (p<0.05). Fetuses with an atrial diameter less than 13.48 mm had a lower probability of requiring a CSF shunt at 12 months (p<0.05). MMC was associated with a higher frequency of clubfoot at birth (p<0.05), whereas MS was significantly associated with more severe CHMII (p<0.05). Although the correlations were not significant, we observed clear trends that more children with MS required shunts at 12 months and could walk at 30 months compared to children with MMC. CONCLUSIONS: MS and MMC are distinct subtypes of OSB. Further studies of larger cohorts that include biomolecular and histological analysis are required to better understand differences between these lesions. This study may enable healthcare providers to better advise parents and prepare healthcare teams earlier for the management of patients undergoing prenatal repair of OSB.

Green-based methods to obtain bioactive compounds from Ilex guayusa Loes. using polar solvent.

Many biological activities have been reported for the Ilex genus. However, few studies in the literature have reported on guayusa. To address this gap in our knowledge, chemical analysis of guayusa leaves was made. Extracts were obtained by applying Soxhlet, maceration, supercritical CO2 and pressurised liquid extraction techniques, using water and ethanol as solvent/cosolvent. Extracts were evaluated for their phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. The chemical profile was obtained from HPLC. In raw guayusa leaves were identified caffeine (2.27 ± 0.05%), protein (15.31 ± 0.07%) and lipids (11.81 ± 0.14%). Extracts presented the highest phenolic content (156.56 ± 1.32 mg GAE g-1) and the best antioxidant activity (EC50= 61.85 ± 0.21 µg mL-1) when water was used as solvent/cosolvent. Through HPLC, three main substances were determined and quantified in the extracts: caffeine, theobromine and 5-caffeoylquinic acid. Based on these results, guayusa may be considered a natural source of compounds with potential application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Inverse Association between Omega-3 Index and Severity of COVID-19: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Omega-3 fatty acids enhance immune response and modulate inflammation. This study aimed to determine the relationship between omega-3 fatty acid status and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Using a case−control design, we compared hospitalized patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection (cases, n = 73) with a group of ambulatory patients with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection (controls, n = 71). No patients were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Results: The cases were older (p = 0.003), less educated (p = 0.001), had larger neck and smaller waist circumferences (p = 0.035 and p = 0.003, respectively), more frequently had diabetes (p < 0.001), consumed less fish (p < 0.001), consumed higher proportions of fried fish (p = 0.001), and had lower Omega-3 Index (O3I) values (p = 0.001) than controls. Cases had significantly lower rates of upper airway symptoms than controls. Lower O3I was associated with an increased likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 after adjusting for potential confounders (OR: 0.52; CI 0.32−0.86). Diabetes (OR: 4.41; CI 1.60−12.12), neck circumference (OR: 1.12; CI 1.03−1.21), and older age (OR: 1.03; CI 1.002−1.062) were also linked to COVID-19 severity. Fried fish consumption and low educational level were independent risk factors for severe COVID-19. Conclusions: This study suggests incorporating nutritional interventions to improve omega-3 status within nonpharmacological measures may help to reduce the severity of COVID-19.

Omega-3 Index and Clinical Outcomes of Severe COVID-19: Preliminary Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

The potentially detrimental effects of the worldwide deficiency of Omega-3 fatty acids on the COVID-19 pandemic have been underestimated. The Omega-3 Index (O3I), clinical variables, biometric indices, and nutritional information were directly determined for 74 patients with severe COVID-19 and 10 healthy quality-control subjects. The relationships between the OI3 and mechanical ventilation (MV) and death were analyzed. Results: Patients with COVID-19 exhibited low O3I (mean: 4.15%; range: 3.06-6.14%)-consistent with insufficient fish and Omega-3 supplement consumption, and markedly lower than the healthy control subjects (mean: 7.84%; range: 4.65-10.71%). Inverse associations were observed between O3I and MV (OR = 0.459; C.I.: 0.211-0.997) and death (OR = 0.28; C.I.: 0.08-0.985) in severe COVID-19, even after adjusting for sex, age, and well-known risk factors. Conclusion: We present preliminary evidence to support the hypothesis that the risk of severe COVID-19 can be stratified by the O3I quartile. Further investigations are needed to assess the value of the O3I as a blood marker for COVID-19.

Removal of organic matter and ammoniacal nitrogen from landfill leachate using the UV/H2O2 photochemical process.

This study investigates the effects of pH, H2O2 concentration and reaction time of the UV/H2O2 photochemical process on the removal of organic matter and ammonia from biologically pre-treated landfill leachates in anaerobic stabilization ponds. The results show that the concentration of H2O2 and the initial pH are significant factors, with no significant interaction between them. A pH of 3 is the optimum value for the UV/H2O2 process for the removal of organic matter, resulting in 51.63% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal in addition to the removal of aromatic compounds. The N-NH3 removal showed little variation between pH values of 1, 5, 7, 11 and 13; the removal was on the order of 16.43 ± 2.00%. The consumption of H2O2 was elevated at pH 9, 11 and 13; at these pH values, the average removal was 94.56 ± 0.43%, compared to 43.07% at pH 3. First-order polynomial models and reaction times on the order of 15 min are sufficient for optimization studies and for evaluation of the effects of the studied parameters. The results of this study support the optimization of the UV/H2O2 process for the removal of organic matter and ammonia from landfill leachates.

CARACTERIZAÇÃO DO ALGINATO PRODUZIDO POR Pseudomonas mendocina / CHARACTERIZATION OF ALGINATE PRODUCED BY Pseudomonas mendocina

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a produção de alginato por Pseudomonas mendocina à partir dos substratos glicerol, sacarose e glicose. Nessa etapa do estudo comparou-se o rendimento de bioconversão e a produtividade do processo fermentativo, além das características físico-químicas dos materiais produzidos à partir dos substratos utilizados. Os melhores resultados em termos de rendimento e bioconversão foram observados quando o biopolímero foi produzido tendo sacarose como fonte de carbono. Observou-se que os biopolímeros produzidos apresentaram composição química similar e que as características reológicas do meio de cultura dependem da fonte de carbono utilizada.