Inflammatory bowel disease and cardiac function: a systematic review of literature with meta-analysis.

Background: Morphological and functional cardiac involvement is rarely described in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but there is evidence that they have an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events despite the lower prevalence of traditional CV risk factors.

Objectives: Our systematic review and meta-analysis examined the relationship between IBD and cardiac function, namely the incidence of heart failure (HF) and subclinical echocardiographic changes.

Data Sources And Methods: Two medical databases, PubMed and Scopus, were systematically searched up to September 2022 to identify all studies reporting HF and/or echocardiographic changes in IBD patients.

Effect of laser photobiomodulation combined with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells using artificial intelligence: An in vitro study.

Aim: To evaluate in vitro the effect of laser photobiomodulation (PBM) combined or not with 30-nm hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANp), on the osteogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) by morphometric analysis using artificial intelligence programs (TensorFlow and ArcGIS).

Methods: UC-MSCs were isolated and cultured until 80% confluence was reached. The cells were then plated according to the following experimental groups: G1 -control (DMEM), G2 -BMP-2, G3 -BMP-7, G4 -PBM (660 nm, 10 mW, 2.

Preliminary evaluation of the toxicological, antioxidant and antitumor activities promoted by the compounds 2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene-thiosemicarbazones an in silico, in vitro and in vivo study.

Thiosemicarbazones are promising classes of compounds with antitumor activity. For this study, six 2,4-dihydroxy-benzylidene-thiosemicarbazones compounds were synthesized. These compounds were submitted to different assays in silico, in vitro and in vivo to evaluate the toxicological, antioxidant and antitumor effects.

Persistent Fever after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis: A Call for Attention.

The development of vaccinations has been game-changing in the ongoing effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Until now, adverse effects are being reported at low frequency, including thrombocytopenia and myocarditis. Careful monitoring for any suspicious symptoms and signs following vaccination is necessary.

A Combination of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Glutamic Acid, Calcium, Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin vs Ginger Extract in the Management of Chronic Motion Sickness: A Clinical Evaluation.

Background: Motion sickness (kinetosis) is a common and temporarily incapacitant ailment, manageable with behavioral as well as pharmacological measures.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of a combination of gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamic acid, calcium, thiamine, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin (Group A) (n = 170) and extract of (ginger) (Group B) (n = 165) in the management of chronic complaints consistent with motion sickness.

Methods: Both groups were tested according to the following end points, under self-paired as well as comparative study designs: reduction of ≥20 score points in the total motion sickness assessment questionnaire (MSAQ) score, percentage of patients presenting a reduction of the total MSAQ score, absolute MSAQ score reduction, physician's assessment scores, final overall assessment of study medication, and willingness to continue treatment.

An Inguinal Stomach.

Although inguinal hernias are very common, stomach entrapment within an inguinal hernia is rare.

Primary esophageal follicular lymphoma: a rare entity.

A 63-year-old woman presented with dyspepsia de novo. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a 30 mm flat yellowish esophageal lesion, 28 cm from the incisors (Fig. 1a), with the stomach and duodenum without any lesion.

Alphatoxin Nanopore Detection of Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin and Fumonisin in Aqueous Solution.

Mycotoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by groups of filamentous fungi that colonize food crops. Aflatoxin B (AFB), ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B (FB) are among the most relevant agricultural mycotoxins, as they can induce various toxic processes in humans and animals. To detect AFB, OTA and FB in the most varied matrices, chromatographic and immunological methods are primarily used; however, these techniques are time-consuming and expensive.

Undifferentiated Carcinoma With Osteoclast-Like Giant Cells: A Rare Cause of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Undifferentiated osteoclast-like giant cell carcinomas (UOLGCCs) of the digestive tract are very rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. An 82-year-old man was referred to the emergency department for melena. Endoscopic examination revealed a hemicircumferential ulcerovegetative lesion, involving the bulbar apex and extending to the second portion of the duodenum; biopsies revealed an UOLGCC.

Management of inflammatory bowel disease in the elderly: A review.

The burden of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is increasing worldwide, with a particular increase in the prevalence in the elderly population, due to the ageing of young-onset IBD as well as to the increasing incidence in elderly patients. Elderly IBD patients present specific challenges to the treating physician, as they have comorbidities, lower functional reserves, and higher risk of treatment-related complications. The diagnosis of IBD in the elderly may be difficult due to a more subtle disease presentation and to a wide range of differential diagnosis.

A surprising white thread on a terminal ileoscopy.

Here we report a case of a relatively rare parasite found upon terminal ileoscopy, in a woman complaining of abdominal pain and living in a developed country.

Mapping potential risks for the transmission of spotted fever rickettsiosis: The case study from the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

Spotted fever rickettsiosis is a zoonosis transmitted by ticks, having a varied clinical course that can lead to death if not managed properly. In Brazil it is more commonly observed in the Southeast, being an emerging public health problem. Hazard mapping models are common in different areas of knowledge, including public health, as a way of inferring reality and seeking to reduce or prevent damage.

MiR-9-5p Regulates Genes Linked to Cerebral Calcification in the Osteogenic Differentiation Model and Induces Generalized Alteration in the Ion Channels.

MicroRNA-9 (miR-9) modulates gene expression and demonstrates high structural conservation and wide expression in the central nervous system. Bioinformatics analysis predicts almost 100 ion channels, membrane transporters and receptors, including genes linked to primary familial brain calcification (PFBC), as possible miR-9-5p targets. PFBC is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by bilateral and symmetrical calcifications in the brain, associated with motor and behavioral disturbances.

Silver nanoprisms as plasmonic enhancers applied in the photodynamic inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bubaline mastitis.

Mastitis is a bacterial infection that affects all lactating mammals, and in dairy cattle, it leads to a reduction in their milk production and, in worse cases, it may lead to animal death. One viable therapeutic modality for overcoming bacterial resistance can be photodynamic inactivation (PDI), a therapeutic modality for bacterial infection treatment. One of the main factors that can lead to an efficient PDI process is the association of metallic nanoparticles in the close vicinity of photosensitizers, which has shown promising results due to localized surface plasmon resonance phenomena.

Photobiomodulation Therapy in the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Study.

Since photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) favors mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) preconditioning before MSC transplantation, increasing the proliferation of these cells without molecular injuries by conserving their characteristics, in the present study we analyzed the effect of PBMT on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs). Irradiation with an InGaAIP Laser (660 nm, 10 mW, 2.5 J/cm , 0.

Antimicrobial potential of Copaiba Oil (Copaifera multijuga Hayne-Leguminosae) against bubaline mastitis multiresistant isolates.

Copaiba oil is a natural product used by Amazonian populations and recognized for its medicinal properties because it has significant antimicrobial activity for several pathogenic microorganisms. The present work aimed to evaluate and characterize the effect of natural oil produced by copaiba - Copaifera multijuga against multiresistant isolates of bubaline mastitis. The nitrocefin test was performed with isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from bubaline mastitis, which were 100% positive for beta-lactamase enzyme detection.

Clinical Evaluation of the Use of Ginger Extract in the Preventive Management of Motion Sickness.

Background: Motion sickness can be triggered in a variety of situations and is characterized primarily by nausea and vomiting. Ginger is widely used in treating conditions including chemotherapy-associated gastrointestinal symptoms, morning sickness, postoperative nausea, and motion sickness.

Objectives: The primary study objective was to evaluate extract in the treatment of motion sickness.

Breast Reduction: 33 Years Using a Single Central Block.

Background: Since 1985, the author has been using the single central block technique for breast reduction and mastopexy, prioritizing the good relation between the final breast shape and the length of the scars, different from other authors who emphasize only the shape of the breast (Peixoto in Plast Reconstr Surg 65(2):217-225, 1980; Aesthet Plast Surg 8:231-236, 1984) and others who have drawn attention to the length of the scars (Arié in Rev Latinoam Cir Plast 3:23-31, 1957; Bozola in Plast Reconstr Surg 85:728-738, 1990; Sepúlveda in Rev Bras Cir 71(1):11-18, 1981). In this study, the author describes the use of a single central block of the mammary tissue and the nipple-areolar complex (NAC), dissected from the skin flaps and based on the superior vascular pedicle for reduction mammoplasty and mastopexy (Erfon et al. in Annals of the international symposium recent advances in plastic surgery, São Paulo, 1989; Hinderer (ed) Plastic surgery, Elsevier, Madrid, 1992; Proceedings of the 65th annual scientific meeting of the American society of plastic and reconstructive surgeons, Dallas, 1996).

Alpha-hemolysin nanopore allows discrimination of the microcystins variants.

Microcystins (MCs) are a class of cyclic heptapeptides with more than 100 variants produced by cyanobacteria present in surface waters. MCs are potent hepatotoxic agents responsible for fatal poisoning in animals and humans. Several techniques are employed in the detection of MCs, however, there is a shortage of methods capable of discriminating variants of MCs.

Cellulose exopolysaccharide from sugarcane molasses as a suitable substrate for 2D and 3D neuron and astrocyte primary cultures.

Bacteria-synthesized polysaccharides have attracted interest for biomedical applications as promising biomaterials to be used as implants and scaffolds. The present study tested the hypothesis that cellulose exopolysaccharide (CEC) produced from sugarcane molasses of low cost and adequate purity would be suitable as a template for 2D and 3D neuron and/or astrocyte primary cultures, considering its low toxicity. CEC biocompatibility in these primary cultures was evaluated with respect to cell viability, adhesion, growth and cell function (calcium imaging).

Staphylococcus aureus δ-toxin in aqueous solution: Behavior in monomeric and multimeric states.

δ-Toxin is a 26 amino acid peptide capable of lysing several mammalian cell types and subcellular structures. Structurally, δ-toxin predominantly exhibits a α-helical secondary structure in membranes but, in aqueous solution, it adopts varying helical content. As no atomic-level data is available for this peptide in aqueous solutions and for the water-to-membrane transition, this work aims to characterize δ-toxin behavior in these conditions through molecular dynamics simulations in triplicates employing four different parameter sets.

Inhibition of the hemolytic activity caused by Staphylococcus aureus alpha-hemolysin through isatin-Schiff copper(II) complexes.

A great number of pathogens secrete pore-forming proteins during infection. Such molecules, from either bacterial or viral origin, are considered important virulence factors, which makes them attractive targets in the study of new therapeutic agents. Thus, the inhibitory activity of isatin-Schiff base copper(II) complexes was evaluated against membrane damage activity of Staphylococcus aureus α-hemolysin (α-HL).