Antimicrobial Activity in Chitosan-Treated Prosthetic Materials: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The antimicrobial effect of prosthetic materials treated with chitosan was systematically reviewed.

Methods: The searches were carried out on PubMed/Medline, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, LILACS, Embase, and Open Grey with searches performed in March 2022. Selection of in vitro studies, data extraction and risk of bias analysis were performed following the PRISMA guidelines and registered at the Open Science Framework.

Surfactants, Biosurfactants, and Non-Catalytic Proteins as Key Molecules to Enhance Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass.

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) has remained a latent alternative resource to be the main substitute for oil and its derivatives in a biorefinery concept. However, its complex structure and the underdeveloped technologies for its large-scale processing keep it in a state of constant study trying to establish a consolidated process. In intensive processes, enzymes have been shown to be important molecules for the fractionation and conversion of LCB into biofuels and high-value-added molecules.

Epidemiology of hydrocephalus in Brazil.

Objective: Describe the epidemiological profile and social-economic burden that hydrocephalus patients represent to the national public health system, using data available at the online database of the Brazilian Health Ministry (DataSUS).

Methods: This is a populational study based on descriptive statistics of all clinical and surgical appointments included in the DataSUS database. Data included herein were collected between 2015 and 2021 and subdivided into three main groups, related to hydrocephalus incidence and mortality, hospitalizations, and financial costs.

Computed tomography and anatomy of the abdominal structures in the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is the largest of the Neotropical vermilinguans. This animal is the second mammal most frequently run over on the roads of Cerrado biome, Brazil. Therefore, it is pivotal to know the anatomy of this species to contribute to the clinical care of these animals.

Concentration and potential health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for consumers of chocolate in Brazil.

Chocolate is widely consumed worldwide and its market grows every year, with emerging demands for new high-quality products. However, this product is susceptible to contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), representing a risk for humans. In this study, a methodology for the evaluation of benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene in chocolate by high performance liquid chromatography was validated.

Full-waveform inversion based on generalized Rényi entropy using patched Green's function techniques.

The estimation of physical parameters from data analyses is a crucial process for the description and modeling of many complex systems. Based on Rényi α-Gaussian distribution and patched Green's function (PGF) techniques, we propose a robust framework for data inversion using a wave-equation based methodology named full-waveform inversion (FWI). From the assumption that the residual seismic data (the difference between the modeled and observed data) obeys the Rényi α-Gaussian probability distribution, we introduce an outlier-resistant criterion to deal with erratic measures in the FWI context, in which the classical FWI based on l2-norm is a particular case.

Implications and Emerging Therapeutic Avenues of Inflammatory Response in HPV+ Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are a heterogeneous group of malignancies which have shown exponential incidence in the last two decades especially due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The HPV family comprises more than 100 types of viruses with HPV16 and HPV18 being the most prevalent strains in HNSCC. Literature data reveal that the mutation profile as well as the response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy are distinct among HPV+ versus HPV-negative tumors.

Development of New Natural Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Loaded with Aluminum-Phthalocyanine for Photodynamic Therapy against Melanoma.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by photosensitizers loaded in nanostructures as solid lipid nanoparticles has been pinpointed as an effective and safe treatment against different skin cancers. Amazon butters have an interesting lipid composition when it comes to forming solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). In the present report, a new third-generation photosensitizing system consisting of aluminum-phthalocyanine associated with Amazon butter-based solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN-AlPc) is described.

Immunoparalysis in critically ill children.

Immunoparalysis is associated with poorer outcomes in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) setting. We aimed to determine the group of patients with higher chances of immunoparalysis and correlate this status with increased risks of nosocomial infection and adverse clinical parameters. We conducted an exploratory study with prospective data collection in a university-affiliated tertiary medical, surgical, and cardiac PICU.

Different antibody-associated autoimmune diseases have distinct patterns of T follicular cell dysregulation.

Autoantibodies are produced within germinal centers (GC), in a process regulated by interactions between B, T follicular helper (Tfh), and T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells. The GC dysregulation in human autoimmunity has been inferred from circulating cells, albeit with conflicting results due to diverse experimental approaches. We applied a consistent approach to compare circulating Tfr and Tfh subsets in patients with different autoimmune diseases.

Behavioural phenotypes of intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia determined by cluster analysis of objectively quantified real-world performance.

Intrinsic motivation deficits are a prominent feature of schizophrenia that substantially impacts functional outcome. This study used cluster analysis of innate real-world behaviours captured during two open-field tasks to dimensionally examine heterogeneity in intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia patients (SZ) and healthy controls (HC). Wireless motion capture quantified participants' behaviours aligning with distinct aspects of intrinsic motivation: exploratory behaviour and effortful activity in the absence of external incentive.

Identification of a novel HLA-A null allele, HLA-A*01:420N allele.

The novel HLA-A*01:420N allele has two changes in exon 4 leading to premature stop codon.

κ-statistics approach to optimal transport waveform inversion.

Extracting physical parameters that cannot be directly measured from an observed data set remains a great challenge in several fields of science and physics. In many of these problems, the construction of a physical model from waveforms is hampered by the phase ambiguity of the recorded wave fronts. In this work, we present an approach for mitigating the effect of phase ambiguity in waveform-driven issues.

Production, Biochemical Characterization, and Kinetic/Thermodynamic Study of Inulinase from URM4658.

Inulinases are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of inulin, which can be used in the food industry to produce high-fructose syrups and fructo-oligosaccharides. For this purpose, different strains and substrates were tested for inulinase production by solid-state fermentation, among which URM4658 grown on wheat bran showed the highest activity (15.08 U mL).

Schinus terebinthifolia leaf lectin has central and peripheral antinociceptive action mediated by its carbohydrate-recognition domain and delta-opioid receptors.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Preparations from the bark and leaves of Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi are commonly used to treat toothaches and sore throats. The use of medications based on leaves of this plant has also been reported for pain of arthritis, toothache, and sore throat. Some evidence indicated that the lectin SteLL is an antinociceptive agent from leaves.

Small mammals from the Caatinga: A dataset for the Brazilian semiarid biome.

The Caatinga is an exclusively Brazilian biome, and is the largest and most biodiverse Seasonal Tropical Dry Forest in the world. Despite that, the mammalian fauna, especially small mammals, is the least studied of all Brazilian biomes. In order to fill gaps and provide detailed information on small mammals (Didelphimorphia, Rodentia) in the Caatinga biome, we compiled reliable records focusing on richness, composition and some biometric data.

Phenotype of BTK-lacking myeloid cells during prolonged COVID-19 and upon convalescent plasma.

XLA patient with 7-month course of COVID-19 with persistent plasma SARS-CoV-2 load revealed a sustained non-inflammatory profile of myeloid cells in association with contained severity of disease, arguing in favor of the use of BTK inhibitors in SARS-COV-2 infection.

Biosynthesis of alkanes/alkenes from fatty acids or derivatives (triacylglycerols or fatty aldehydes).

This review summarizes the most relevant advances in the biological transformation of fatty acids (or derivatives) into hydrocarbons to be used as biofuels (biogasoline, green diesel and jet biofuel). Among the used enzymes, the fatty acid decarboxylase from Jeotgalicoccus sp. ATCC 8456 (OleT) stands out as a promising enzyme.

Memantine associated with ventricular-subcutaneous shunt promotes behavioral improvement, reduces reactive astrogliosis and cell death in juvenile hydrocephalic rats.

Hydrocephalus is defined as the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles. The usual treatment of hydrocephalus is surgical (shunt), but not all patients can undergo treatment immediately after diagnosis. Thus, neuroprotective measures were tested to minimize the tissue damage involved.

Predicting SARS-CoV-2 Variant Spread in a Completely Seropositive Population Using Semi-Quantitative Antibody Measurements in Blood Donors.

SARS-CoV-2 serologic surveys estimate the proportion of the population with antibodies against historical variants, which nears 100% in many settings. New approaches are required to fully exploit serosurvey data. Using a SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike (S) protein chemiluminescent microparticle assay, we attained a semi-quantitative measurement of population IgG titers in serial cross-sectional monthly samples of blood donations across seven Brazilian state capitals (March 2021−November 2021).