Protocol for chromosome-specific probe construction using PRINS, micromanipulation and DOP-PCR techniques.

Chromosome-specific probes have been widely used in molecular cytogenetics, being obtained with different methods. In this study, a reproducible protocol for construction of chromosome-specific probes is proposed which associates in situ amplification (PRINS), micromanipulation and degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR (DOP-PCR). Human lymphocyte cultures were used to obtain metaphases from male and female individuals.

Accuracy of Invasive and Noninvasive Parameters for Diagnosing Ventilatory Overassistance During Pressure Support Ventilation.

Objective: Evaluate the accuracy of criteria for diagnosing pressure overassistance during pressure support ventilation.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: Medical-surgical ICU.

The Perfect Total Mesorectal Excision Obviates the Need for Anything Else in the Management of Most Rectal Cancers.

This article discusses the local control of primary rectal cancer and its locoregional spread in the light of modern advances. In recent years, the use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation has spread widely. However, its true benefit is not always balanced with its morbidities.

Changes in nutritional and physico-chemical properties of pearl millet () Ex-Borno variety flour as a result of malting.

The effect of malting periods on the nutritional composition and physico-chemical properties of flour from pearl millet (Ex-Borno) variety was evaluated. Grains were steeped at 25 °C for 24 h and germinated for different durations (12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 h) before kilning at 55 °C for 18 h. The kilned seeds were devegetated, milled, sieved and analysed for their proximate composition, amino acid composition, total phenolic content, functional and pasting properties.

Estimating the impact of tuberculosis anatomical classification on treatment outcomes: A patient and surveillance perspective analysis.

Introduction: Tuberculosis anatomical classification is inconsistent in the literature, which limits current tuberculosis knowledge and control. We aimed to evaluate whether tuberculosis classification impacts on treatment outcomes at patient and aggregate level.

Methods: We analyzed adults from São Paulo State, Brazil with newly diagnosed tuberculosis from 2010-2013.

Are Isomeric Alkenes Used in Species Recognition among Neo-Tropical Stingless Bees (Melipona Spp).

Our understanding of the role of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) in recognition is based largely on temperate ant species and honey bees. The stingless bees remain relatively poorly studied, despite being the largest group of eusocial bees, comprising more than 400 species in some 60 genera. The Meliponini and Apini diverged between 80-130 Myr B.

Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) or Pressure Support Ventilation (PSV) during spontaneous breathing trials in critically ill patients: a crossover trial.

Background: Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) is a proportional ventilatory mode that uses the electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) to offer ventilatory assistance in proportion to patient effort. NAVA has been increasingly used for critically ill patients, but it has not been evaluated during spontaneous breathing trials (SBT). We designed a pilot trial to assess the feasibility of using NAVA during SBTs, and to compare the breathing pattern and patient-ventilator asynchrony of NAVA with Pressure Support (PSV) during SBTs.

Computed tomography in hypersensitivity pneumonitis: main findings, differential diagnosis and pitfalls.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a disease with variable clinical presentation in which inflammation in the lung parenchyma is caused by the inhalation of specific organic antigens or low molecular weight substances in genetically susceptible individuals. Alterations of the acute, subacute and chronic forms may eventually overlap, and the diagnosis based on temporality and presence of fibrosis (acute/inflammatory HP vs. chronic HP) seems to be more feasible and useful in clinical practice.

Comparing intestinal versus diffuse gastric cancer using a PEFF-oriented proteomic pipeline.

Unlabelled: Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignant neoplasia and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Mac-Cormick et al. recently showed the importance of considering the anatomical region of the tumor in proteomic gastric cancer studies; more differences were found between distinct anatomical regions than when comparing healthy versus diseased tissue.

Statistical analysis plan for the Alveolar Recruitment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Trial (ART). A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The Alveolar Recruitment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Trial (ART) is an international multicenter randomized pragmatic controlled trial with allocation concealment involving 120 intensive care units in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Malaysia, Spain, and Uruguay. The primary objective of ART is to determine whether maximum stepwise alveolar recruitment associated with PEEP titration, adjusted according to the static compliance of the respiratory system (ART strategy), is able to increase 28-day survival in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome compared to conventional treatment (ARDSNet strategy).

Objective: To describe the data management process and statistical analysis plan.

Fusion of a New World Alphavirus with Membrane Microdomains Involving Partially Reversible Conformational Changes in the Viral Spike Proteins.

Alphaviruses are enveloped arboviruses mainly proposed to infect host cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis followed by fusion between the viral envelope and the endosomal membrane. The fusion reaction is triggered by low pH and requires the presence of both cholesterol and sphingolipids in the target membrane, suggesting the involvement of lipid rafts in the cell entry mechanism. In this study, we show for the first time the interaction of an enveloped virus with membrane microdomains isolated from living cells.

Karyotype characterization and comparison of three hexaploid species of Linnaeus, 1753 (Poaceae).

Chromosome morphometry and nuclear DNA content are useful data for cytotaxonomy and to understand the evolutionary history of different taxa. For the genus Linnaeus, 1753, distinct ploidy levels have been reported, occurring from diploid to duodecaploid species. The geographic distribution of species has been correlated with chromosome number and ploidy level.

First karyotype description and nuclear 2C value for (Primulaceae): comparing three species.

Cytogenetic studies in Primulaceae are mostly available for herbaceous species, and are focused on the chromosome number determination. An accurate karyotype characterization represents a starting point to know the morphometry and class of the chromosomes. Comparison among species within , associating these data with the nuclear 2C value, can show changes that led the karyotype evolution.

Experience of Lung Transplantation in Patients with Lymphangioleiomyomatosis at a Brazilian Reference Centre.

Introduction: Lung transplantation (LT) is the standard of care for patients with advanced lung diseases, including lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). LAM accounts for only 1% of all LTs performed in the international registry. As a result, the global experience, including the use of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors before and after LT in LAM, is still limited.

Pharmacogenetic determinants of outcomes on triplet hepatic artery infusion and intravenous cetuximab for liver metastases from colorectal cancer (European trial OPTILIV, NCT00852228).

Background: The hepatic artery infusion (HAI) of irinotecan, oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil with intravenous cetuximab achieved outstanding efficacy in previously treated patients with initially unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer. This planned study aimed at the identification of pharmacogenetic predictors of outcomes.

Methods: Circulating mononuclear cells were analysed for 207 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 34 pharmacology genes.

Bovine lactoferrin activity against Chikungunya and Zika viruses.

Chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses are arboviruses which have recently broken their sylvatic isolation and gone on to spread rampantly among humans in some urban areas of the world, especially in Latin America. Given the lack of effective interventions against such viruses, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antiviral potential of bovine lactoferrin (bLf) in their infections. Through viability, plaque, immunofluorescence and nucleic acid quantification assays, our data show that bLf exerts a dose-dependent strong inhibitory effect on the infection of Vero cells by the aforementioned arboviruses, reducing their infection efficiency by up to nearly 80 %, with no expressive cytotoxicity, and that such antiviral activity occurs at the levels of input and output of virus particles.

Regulation of Lysosomal Function by the DAF-16 Forkhead Transcription Factor Couples Reproduction to Aging in .

Aging in eukaryotes is accompanied by widespread deterioration of the somatic tissue. Yet, abolishing germ cells delays the age-dependent somatic decline in In adult worms lacking germ cells, the activation of the DAF-9/DAF-12 steroid signaling pathway in the gonad recruits DAF-16 activity in the intestine to promote longevity-associated phenotypes. However, the impact of this pathway on the fitness of normally reproducing animals is less clear.

Challenges behind proving efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy after preoperative chemoradiation for rectal cancer.

For patients with high-risk stage II or stage III colon cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine monotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence and death by approximately 20-30%. Additional improvements have been reported in three phase 3 colon cancer trials when oxaliplatin was added to fluoropyrimidines, although the effect was mainly on disease-free survival. However, patients with rectal cancer were specifically excluded from these landmark studies because of potential toxicity and the confounding impact of radiotherapy and chemoradiation.

Diffuse cystic lung diseases: differential diagnosis.

Diffuse cystic lung diseases are characterized by cysts in more than one lung lobe, the cysts originating from various mechanisms, including the expansion of the distal airspaces due to airway obstruction, necrosis of the airway walls, and parenchymal destruction. The progression of these diseases is variable. One essential tool in the evaluation of these diseases is HRCT, because it improves the characterization of pulmonary cysts (including their distribution, size, and length) and the evaluation of the regularity of the cyst wall, as well as the identification of associated pulmonary and extrapulmonary lesions.

Smoking Cessation Treatment for Patients With Mental Disorders Using CBT and Combined Pharmacotherapy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate smoking treatment effectiveness and retention in a population with and without mental disorders (MD). Participants received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) plus nicotine patch alone or in combination with other medications (i.e.

CHANGING PARADIGMS IN PREOPERATIVE FASTING: RESULTS OF A JOINT EFFORT IN PEDIATRIC SURGERY.

Background:: Current researches associate long fasting periods to several adverse consequences. The fasting abbreviation to 2 h to clear liquids associated with the use of drinks containing carbohydrates attenuates endocrinometabolic response to surgical trauma, but often is observed children advised to not intake food from 00:00 h till the scheduled surgical time, regardless of what it is.

Aim:: To evaluate the safety of a protocol of preoperative fasting abbreviation with a beverage containing carbohydrates, and early postoperative feeding in children underwent elective small/mid-size surgical procedures during a national task-force on pediatric surgery.

Modified simple decompression in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome: avoiding ulnar nerve subluxation.

Objective: In this study, we propose a modification to the simple decompression technique that contains the ulnar nerve in the cubital fossa, thus preventing subluxation during forearm flexion movements.

Methods: Five consecutive patients with leprosy-associated cubital tunnel syndrome underwent surgery with the modified technique between July 2011 and October 2012.

Results: The most common symptoms were neuropathic pain and sensory changes (both 60%).

On the entry of an emerging arbovirus into host cells: Mayaro virus takes the highway to the cytoplasm through fusion with early endosomes and caveolae-derived vesicles.

Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an emergent sylvatic alphavirus in South America, related to sporadic outbreaks of a chikungunya-like human febrile illness accompanied by severe arthralgia. Despite its high potential for urban emergence, MAYV is still an obscure virus with scarce information about its infection cycle, including the corresponding early events. Even for prototypical alphaviruses, the cell entry mechanism still has some rough edges to trim: although clathrin-mediated endocytosis is quoted as the putative route, alternative paths as distinct as direct virus genome injection through the cell plasma membrane seems to be possible.

Pulmonary hypertension in lymphangioleiomyomatosis: prevalence, severity and the role of carbon monoxide diffusion capacity as a screening method.

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is included within group 5 of the current PH classification (unclear multifactorial mechanisms). However, data regarding the occurrence of PH in LAM are scarce. The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence and characteristics of PH in a large cohort of LAM patients with different levels of severity, and to evaluate the role of echocardiography and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DL) as screening methods for PH in LAM.