Handgrip Dynamometry and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment in Patients with Nonresectable Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Undernutrition is frequently associated with advanced lung cancer. Accurate nutritional assessment tools are important to provide the proper nutritional therapy. Handgrip dynamometry has already been used in these patients, and the findings suggest that it is a good indicator of nutritional status.

Results From Brazil's 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

Background: Very few studies have comprehensively analyzed the physical activity of children and adolescents in Brazil. The purpose of this article is to show the methodology and summarize findings from the first Brazilian Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

Methods: Three Brazilian research institutions coordinated the activities to develop the Brazilian 2016 Report Card.

Physical and technical performances are not associated with tactical prominence in U14 soccer matches.

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between physical/technical variables and the tactical prominence variables in U14 soccer matches. Twenty-two young amateur soccer players (13.5 [Formula: see text] 0.

Anti-helminthic activity of Momordica charantia L. against Fasciola hepatica eggs after twelve days of incubation in vitro.

Fasciolosis, a parasitic disease caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica underreported is expanding both in human and animal population, throughout the world. The constant use of synthetic drugs to treat this condition has led to the natural selection of resistant strains of the parasite. Hence, there is a growing focus on the potential anti-helminthic properties of medicinal plants and phytopharmaceuticals.

KinCor, a national registry for paediatric patients with congenital and other types of heart disease in the Netherlands: aims, design and interim results.

Objective: Studies in children with heart disease have been hampered by a lack of easily identifiable patient groups. Currently, there are few prospective population-based registries covering the entire spectrum of heart disease in children. KinCor is a Dutch national registry for children with heart diseases.

Scale-free networks with exponent one.

A majority of studied models for scale-free networks have degree distributions with exponents greater than two. Real networks, however, can demonstrate essentially more heavy-tailed degree distributions. We explore two models of scale-free equilibrium networks that have the degree distribution exponent γ=1, P(q)∼q^{-γ}.

Synchronization in the random-field Kuramoto model on complex networks.

We study the impact of random pinning fields on the emergence of synchrony in the Kuramoto model on complete graphs and uncorrelated random complex networks. We consider random fields with uniformly distributed directions and homogeneous and heterogeneous (Gaussian) field magnitude distribution. In our analysis, we apply the Ott-Antonsen method and the annealed-network approximation to find the critical behavior of the order parameter.

Correlated edge overlaps in multiplex networks.

We develop the theory of sparse multiplex networks with partially overlapping links based on their local treelikeness. This theory enables us to find the giant mutually connected component in a two-layer multiplex network with arbitrary correlations between connections of different types. We find that correlations between the overlapping and nonoverlapping links markedly change the phase diagram of the system, leading to multiple hybrid phase transitions.

Benefit-Risk of Therapies for Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Testing the Number Needed to Treat to Benefit (NNTB), Number Needed to Treat to Harm (NNTH) and the Likelihood to be Helped or Harmed (LHH): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to test the number needed to treat to benefit (NNTB) and to harm (NNTH), and the likelihood to be helped or harmed (LHH) when assessing benefits, risks, and benefit-risk ratios of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) approved for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: In May 2016, we conducted a systematic review using the PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases to identify phase III, randomized controlled trials with a duration of ≥2 years that assessed first-line (dimethyl fumarate [DMF], glatiramer acetate [GA], β-interferons [IFN], and teriflunomide) or second-line (alemtuzumab, fingolimod, and natalizumab) DMTs in patients with RRMS. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate relative risks (RRs) on annualized relapse rate (ARR), proportion of relapse-free patients (PPR-F), disability progression (PP-F-CDPS3M), and safety outcomes.

Transient elastography and APRI score: looking at false positives and false negatives. Diagnostic performance and association to fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C.

Although long regarded as the gold standard for liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), liver biopsy (LB) implies both the risk of an invasive procedure and significant variability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance for transient elastography (TE) and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet index (APRI) used alone and in combination compared to liver biopsy and to analyze false positive/negative results. Patients with CHC, and no previous clinical diagnosis of cirrhosis were enrolled to undergo liver biopsy, TE and APRI.

Preclinical acute toxicity, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, radiation dosimetry and microPET imaging studies of [(18)F]fluorocholine in mice.

[(18)F]Fluorocholine ([(18)F]FCH) has been proven to be effective in prostate cancer. Since [(18)F]FCH is classified as a new radiopharmaceutical in Brazil, preclinical safety and efficacy data are required to support clinical trials and to obtain its approval. The aim of this work was to perform acute toxicity, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, radiation dosimetry and microPET imaging studies of [(18)F]FCH.

ADAM30 Downregulates APP-Linked Defects Through Cathepsin D Activation in Alzheimer's Disease.

Although several ADAMs (A disintegrin-like and metalloproteases) have been shown to contribute to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism, the full spectrum of metalloproteases involved in this metabolism remains to be established. Transcriptomic analyses centred on metalloprotease genes unraveled a 50% decrease in ADAM30 expression that inversely correlates with amyloid load in Alzheimer's disease brains. Accordingly, in vitro down- or up-regulation of ADAM30 expression triggered an increase/decrease in Aβ peptides levels whereas expression of a biologically inactive ADAM30 (ADAM30(mut)) did not affect Aβ secretion.

Association between quantitative measures obtained using fluorescence-based methods and activity status of occlusal caries lesions in primary molars.

Background: Fluorescence-based methods (FBM) can add objectiveness to diagnosis strategy for caries. Few studies, however, have focused on the evaluation of caries activity.

Aim: To evaluate the association between quantitative measures obtained with FBM, clinical parameters acquired from the patients, caries detection, and assessment of activity status in occlusal surfaces of primary molars.

Does MTA affect fiber post retention in repaired cervical root canal perforations?

This study evaluated the effect of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on the retention of fiber posts in repaired root canal perforations. Ten-millimeter post spaces were prepared in 60 endodontically treated bovine incisors. Root perforations were created in half of the root canals in the cervical area prior to being filled with white MTA-Angelus.

Endothelial Cell Response to Fusobacterium nucleatum.

Vascular response is an essential aspect of an effective immune response to periodontal disease pathogens, as new blood vessel formation contributes to wound healing and inflammation. Gaining a greater understanding of the factors that affect vascular response may then contribute to future breakthroughs in dental medicine. In this study, we have characterized the endothelial cell response to the common bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum, an important bridging species that facilitates the activity of late colonizers of the dental biofilm.

Medication reconciliation at patient admission: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To measure length of hospital stay (LHS) in patients receiving medication reconciliation. Secondary characteristics included analysis of number of preadmission medications, medications prescribed at admission, number of discrepancies, and pharmacists interventions done and accepted by the attending physician.

Methods: A 6 month, randomized, controlled trial conducted at a public teaching hospital in southern Brazil.

Relation between iron metabolism and antioxidants enzymes and δ-ALA-D activity in rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the iron metabolism in serum, as well as antioxidant enzymes, in addition to the Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) activity in the liver of rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica. Thirty male adult rats (Wistar) specific pathogen free were divided into four groups: two uninfected group (CTRL 1 and CTRL 2) with five animals each and two infected groups (INF 1 and INF 2) with 10 animals each. Infection was performed orally with 20 metacercariae at day 1.

Multivariate evoked response detection based on the spectral F-test.

Background: Objective response detection techniques, such as magnitude square coherence, component synchrony measure, and the spectral F-test, have been used to automate the detection of evoked responses. The performance of these detectors depends on both the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the length of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal.

New Method: Recently, multivariate detectors were developed to increase the detection rate even in the case of a low signal-to-noise ratio or of short data records originated from EEG signals.

Hepatic and seric levels of purines in rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica.

The aim of this study was to evaluate hepatic and seric levels of purines, as well as their breakdown products in rats infected by Fasciola hepatica on days 15 and 87 post-infection (PI). Rats were divided into two groups: uninfected (n = 10) and infected (n = 20). On day 15 (n = 5 for uninfected group and n = 10 for infected group) and 87 PI (n = 5 for uninfected group and n = 10 for infected group), animals were euthanized for sampling to evaluate levels of purines by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Effect of abutment angulation in the retention and durability of three overdenture attachment systems: An in vitro study.

Purpose: This in vitro study investigated and compared the durability and retention of three types of attachments.

Materials And Methods: Three commercially available attachments were investigated: Clix®, Dalbo-Plus® and Locator®. In total, 72 samples of these attachments were placed in the acrylic resin forms and subjected to mechanical testing (5400 cycles of insertion and removal) over the respective ball or Locator abutments immersed in artificial saliva at pH 7 and 37℃.

Factors Associated with Insulin Resistance in Patients with Chronic HCV Genotype 1 Infection without Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and its association with clinical parameters in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 without obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-seven HCV-infected patients admitted to the Nutrition and Hepatology Clinic were included. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, Fisher's exact test, and Poisson regression analysis.

Seric and hepatic NTPDase and 5' nucleotidase activities of rats experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica.

The enzymatic activities of NTPDase and 5'nucleotidase are important to regulate the concentration of adenine nucleotides, known molecules involved in many physiological functions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the activity of NTPDase and 5'nucleotidase in serum and liver tissue of rats infected by Fasciola hepatica. Rats were divided into two groups: uninfected control and infected.

Setbacks in the process of assimilation of problematic experiences in two cases of emotion-focused therapy for depression.

Objective: Research on the assimilation model has suggested that psychological change takes place in a sequence of stages punctuated by setbacks, that is, by transient reversals in the developmental course. This study analyzed such setbacks in one good outcome case and one poor outcome case of Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for depression.

Method: Intensive analyses of five transcribed sessions from each case identified 26 setbacks in the good outcome case and 27 in the poor outcome case.