Bio-based plasticizer Babassu oil for custom-made conductive additive-manufacturing filaments: towards 3D-printed electrodes applied to cocaine detection.

Babassu (Atallea sp.), a native palm tree from South America's Amazon produces bio-oil and biochar with significant potential for industrial applications. Babassu oil as a bio-based plasticizer is reported here for the first time to replace petrochemical alternatives in the production of conductive filaments for additive manufacturing purposes.

Computer-Aided Ankle Ligament Injury Diagnosis from Magnetic Resonance Images Using Machine Learning Techniques.

Ankle injuries caused by the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL) are the most common type of injury. Thus, finding new ways to analyze these injuries through novel technologies is critical for assisting medical diagnosis and, as a result, reducing the subjectivity of this process. As a result, the purpose of this study is to compare the ability of specialists to diagnose lateral tibial tuberosity advancement (LTTA) injury using computer vision analysis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Mammogram Image Enhancement Techniques for Online Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis.

Breast cancer is the type of cancer with the highest incidence and global mortality of female cancers. Thus, the adaptation of modern technologies that assist in medical diagnosis in order to accelerate, automate and reduce the subjectivity of this process are of paramount importance for an efficient treatment. Therefore, this work aims to propose a robust platform to compare and evaluate the proposed strategies for improving breast ultrasound images and compare them with state-of-the-art techniques by classifying them as benign, malignant and normal.

Physico-chemical stability of co-formulation of PEGylated human amylin with insulin.

Since the discovery of amylin no combined formulation with insulin has been made available. Amylin or its triple proline analog pramlintide are not compatible in solution with insulin. The drug candidate hAmy-PEG5k is a novel monoPEGylated amylin derivative with improved physicochemical properties and retained similar pharmacological activity compared to free amylin and pramlintide.

BZ043, a novel long-acting amylin analog, reduces gastric emptying, food intake, glycemia and insulin requirement in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Amylin analogs are important adjunctive drugs in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, a dual therapy with insulin involves inconvenient multiple injections. Here we describe a novel n-terminal PEGylated human amylin analog - BZ043 - and its potential to improve the control of glycemia using lower doses of insulin.

15-Deoxy-Delta-12,14-Prostaglandin J Inhibits Lung Inflammation and Remodeling in Distinct Murine Models of Asthma.

15-deoxy-Δ-12,14-prostaglandin J (15d-PGJ) has been described as an anti-inflammatory lipid mediator in several and studies, but its effect on allergic pulmonary inflammation remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of 15d-PGJ based on distinct murine models of allergic asthma triggered by either ovalbumin (OVA) or house dust mite extract (HDM). Characteristics of lung inflammation, airway hyper-reactivity (AHR), mucus exacerbation, and lung remodeling in sensitized A/J mice treated or not with 15d-PGJ were assessed.

Windows of opportunities and technological innovation in the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry.

The Brazilian pharmaceutical industry is heavily dependent on external sources of inputs, capital, and technology. However, the emergence of technological opportunities and the development of biotechnology and the decline of the patent boom and resulting advances by generic drugs have opened windows of opportunities for the local industry. The article examines the Brazilian industry's innovative behavior vis-à-vis these opportunities, showing that although the industry as a whole invests little in innovation, a few large Brazilian companies have expanded their market share and stepped up their investments in research and development, supported by public policies for innovation.

Uveitis in São Paulo, Brazil: 1053 New Patients in 15 Months.

Purpose: To describe the clinical profile of uveitis and analyze changes over a 34-year period in the frequency of different entities and demographics, anatomic data, diagnoses, and systemic associations in São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: A total of 1053 consecutive patients who presented for the first time at the outpatient uveitis clinic were analyzed in a prospective, observational study, conducted between July 2012 and September 2013. Age, gender, clinical characteristics, visual acuity, and clinical and etiologic diagnoses in patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were studied.

IL-13 immunotoxin accelerates resolution of lung pathological changes triggered by silica particles in mice.

Instillation of silica into the lungs of rodents results in pathological changes that strongly mimic human silicosis, an occupational lung disease marked by restrictive airway obstruction, inflammation, and fibrosis. Because IL-13 is a pivotal proinflammatory and fibrogenic cytokine, we examined whether a recombinant immunotoxin comprised of human IL-13 and a mutated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin (IL-13-PE) might affect pathological features of experimental silicosis. Mice received a single intranasal instillation of silica particles and were treated with intranasal IL-13-PE every other day from days 21 to 27 postsilica.