Development of Synthetic Aqueous Oil and Grease Standards for Determination of TOG in Produced Water: Evaluation of Alternative Methods for Application in an Offshore Environment.

Produced water is present in oil and natural gas reservoirs and is transported to the surface along with the oil. Total oil and grease content (TOG) is the main parameter evaluated in this waste disposal category. Today, the validation of methods in the laboratory is not done using petroleum.

Teaching and learning pharmacology in Brazil before COVID-19 pandemic: a case study in Rio de Janeiro.

Background: Knowledge of pharmacology is crucial for physicians to perform rational and safe medicine. Medical professionals are responsible for prescribing drugs and a weak performace of those can result in medication errors leading to disability, hospitalization, and death, among other situations. It occurs worldwide, including in Brazil, so that learning pharmacology impacts on public health service.

Implemented occupational health surveillance limits the spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron at the workplace.

The global spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has put an enormous pressure on human societies, at both health and economic levels. Early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has proved an efficient method to rapidly isolate positive individuals and reduce transmission rates, thus alleviating its negative impact on society's well-being and economic growth. In this work, through a coordinated and centralized effort to monitor SARS-CoV-2 circulation in companies from the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we have detected and linked an early rise of infection rates in January 2022 to the introduction of the Omicron variant of concern (VoC) (BA.

Boosting SARS-CoV-2 detection combining pooling and multiplex strategies.

RT-qPCR is the gold standard technique available for SARS-CoV-2 detection. However, the long test run time and costs associated with this type of molecular testing are a challenge in a pandemic scenario. Due to high testing demand, especially for monitoring highly vaccinated populations facing the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, strategies that allow the increase in testing capacity and cost savings are needed.

SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Epidemiology Can Be Enhanced by Occupational Health: The Experience of Monitoring Variants of Concern in Workplaces in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to extra caution in workplaces to avoid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the occupational environment, SARS-CoV-2 testing is a powerful approach in providing valuable information to detect, monitor, and mitigate the spread of the virus and preserve productivity. Here a centralized Occupational Health Center provided molecular diagnosis and genomic sequences for companies and industries in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

SARS-CoV-2 Variant Determination Through SNP Assays in Samples From Industry Workers From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Since the first reported case in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 infections have become a major public health worldwide. Even with the increasing vaccination in several countries and relaxing of social distancing measures, the pandemic remains a threat especially due to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Despite the presence of an enzyme capable of proofreading its genome, high rates of replication provide a source of accumulation of mutations within the viral genome.

Open educational resources in immunology education.

The use of computers as a pedagogical resource is currently on the rise. In the case of immunology, students present difficulties in visualizing molecular phenomena. Thus the use of animations and simulations available on the internet might facilitate the learning of complex immunological concepts.

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis.

Gap junctions are intercellular channels that allow the communication of neighboring cells. This communication depends on the contribution of a hemichannel by each neighboring cell to form the gap junction. In mammalian cells, the hemichannel is formed by six connexins, monomers with four transmembrane domains and a C and N terminal within the cytoplasm.

An Improved Method for P2X7R Antagonist Screening.

ATP physiologically activates the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), a member of the P2X ionotropic receptor family. When activated by high concentrations of ATP (i.e.

Structural and molecular modeling features of P2X receptors.

Currently, adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) is recognized as the extracellular messenger that acts through P2 receptors. P2 receptors are divided into two subtypes: P2Y metabotropic receptors and P2X ionotropic receptors, both of which are found in virtually all mammalian cell types studied. Due to the difficulty in studying membrane protein structures by X-ray crystallography or NMR techniques, there is little information about these structures available in the literature.

Virtual immunology: software for teaching basic immunology.

As immunology continues to evolve, many educational methods have found difficulty in conveying the degree of complexity inherent in its basic principles. Today, the teaching-learning process in such areas has been improved with tools such as educational software. This article introduces "Virtual Immunology," a software program available free of charge in Portuguese and English, which can be used by teachers and students in physiology, immunology, and cellular biology classes.

Effect of Rheedia longifolia leaf extract and fractions on the P2X₇ receptor in vitro: novel antagonists?

Recently, the P2X(7) receptor has been reported to be associated with chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Because Rheedia longifolia extract has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, we evaluated the in vitro inhibitory potential of methanol extract and fractions from its leaves on the P2X(7) purinergic receptor. The activity of P2X(7) was studied with a dye uptake assay and with the whole-cell patch clamp technique in mouse peritoneal macrophages treated with methanol extract of R.

Developmental exposure to low-dose PBDE-99: tissue distribution and thyroid hormone levels.

Thyroid hormone concentrations, hepatic enzyme activities and tissue concentrations of 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-99) were evaluated in Wistar rats (dams and offspring) after treatment by gavage on gestation day (GD) 6 with a single low dose of either 60 or 300 microg PBDE-99/kg body weight (bw), respectively. Tissue concentration analysis confirmed that PBDE-99 is persistent in rodents as significant amounts of the parent compound were detected in adipose tissue 37 days after exposure. The dose of 300 microg PBDE-99/kg bw reduced thyroxin (T4) concentration in dams at the beginning of lactation (post-gestational day [PGD] 1), and caused a slight reduction in T4 on PGD 22, although not statistically significant.

Alterations of hepatic microsomal enzymes in the early phase of murine schistosomiasis.

Schistosoma mansoni has been reported to cause a downregulation of hepatic cytochrome P450 activities after granulomas are formed around worm eggs harbored in the mouse liver. Only a few studies, however, provided data on the activity of xenobiotic-biotransaformation enzymes in the early phase of S. mansoni infection.

Effect of low dose mono-ortho 2,3',4,4',5 pentachlorobiphenyl on thyroid hormone status and EROD activity in rat offspring: consequences for risk assessment.

Toxic equivalency factor (TEF) has been proposed to estimate the risk of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. However, ortho chlorine substitution in the two phenyl rings gives each PCB its own pattern of toxicity which is different from the mechanism of action of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The present study evaluated the effect of prenatal and postnatal exposure to a low dose of the mono-ortho pentachlorobiphenyl PCB 118 on thyroid hormone concentrations and EROD activity in rats.