Design, construction, and validation of obstetric risk classification systems to predict intensive care unit admission.

Introduction: To develop and validate a support tool for healthcare providers, enabling them to make precise and critical decisions regarding intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for high-risk pregnant women, thus enhancing maternal outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective study involves secondary data analysis of information gathered from 9550 pregnant women, who had severe maternal morbidity (any unexpected complication during labor and delivery that leads to substantial short-term or long-term health issues for the mother), collected between 2009 and 2010 from the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity, encompassing 27 obstetric reference centers in Brazil. Machine-learning models, including decision trees, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), were employed to create a risk prediction tool for ICU admission.

Fine-Tuning of Response to Endophytic Colonization by PAL5 Revealed by Transcriptomic Analysis.

is a diazotrophic endophytic bacterium that promotes the growth and development of several plant species. However, the molecular mechanisms activated during plant response to this bacterium remain unclear. Here, we used the RNA-seq approach to understand better the effect of PAL5 on the transcriptome of shoot and root tissues of .

Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoid Profiles Identified in L. Crops in Peru.

Cannabis is a plant that is cultivated worldwide, and its use is internationally regulated, but some countries have been regulating its medicinal, social, and industrial uses. This plant must have arrived in Peru during the Spanish conquest and remains widely cultivated illicitly or informally to this day. However, new regulations are currently being proposed to allow its legal commercialization for medicinal purposes.

PDGFRA, KIT, and KDR Gene Amplification in Glioblastoma: Heterogeneity and Clinical Significance.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent tumor of the central nervous system, and its heterogeneity is a challenge in treatment. This study examined tumoral heterogeneity involving PDGFRA, KIT, and KDR gene amplification (GA) in 4q12 and its association with clinical parameters. Specimens from 22 GBM cases with GA for the 4q12 amplicon detected by FISH were investigated for homogeneous or heterogeneous coamplification patterns, diffuse or focal distribution of cells harboring GA throughout tumor sections, and pattern of clustering of fluorescence signals.

A Simple Double-Spin Closed Method for Preparing Platelet-Rich Plasma.

Objective: To describe and analyze a new protocol for the extraction of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for use in clinical practice and compare this technique with methods that have been previously described in the medical literature.

Methods: Sixteen blood samples from healthy volunteers were collected. PRP was prepared using our new double-spin technique, consisting of successive centrifugation of blood samples with two different spins, without opening the container.

Essential role of extracytoplasmic proteins in the resistance of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus to cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal used as raw material for several fertilizers and pesticides. The increase of Cd concentration in soils has been observed in cultivated areas, affecting animals, plants, and microorganisms. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is a plant growth-promoting bacterium able to survive under adverse environmental conditions.

Combination of osmotic stress and sugar stress response mechanisms is essential for Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus tolerance to high-sucrose environments.

Sugar-rich environments represent an important challenge for microorganisms. The osmotic and molecular imbalances resulting from this condition severely limit microbial metabolism and growth. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is one of the most sugar-tolerant prokaryotes, able to grow in the presence of sucrose concentrations up to 30%.

exudates induce growth and proteomic changes in .

Background: Plants interact with a variety of microorganisms during their life cycle, among which beneficial bacteria deserve special attention. is a beneficial bacterium able to fix nitrogen and promote plant growth. Despite its biotechnological potential, the mechanisms regulating the interaction between and host plants remain unclear.

Comparative proteomics reveals essential mechanisms for osmotolerance in Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria are a promising alternative to improve agricultural sustainability. Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is an osmotolerant bacterium able to colonize several plant species, including sugarcane, coffee, and rice. Despite its biotechnological potential, the mechanisms controlling such osmotolerance remain unclear.

Provision of intensive care to severely ill pregnant women is associated with reduced mortality: Results from the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health.

Objective: To estimate the impact of the use of Intensive Care Units (ICU) in maternal mortality.

Methods: A secondary analysis of the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health, a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in maternity hospitals in 29 countries. Women who had severe maternal outcome (maternal death or maternal near-miss) and the availability and use of ICU beds were included.

Use of Intensive Care Unit in Women with Severe Maternal Morbidity and Maternal Death: Results from a National Multicenter Study.

Objective:  To assess the use of the intensive care unit (ICU) and its effect on maternal mortality (MM) among women with severe maternal morbidity (SMM).

Materials And Methods:  A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study on surveillance of SMM in 27 Brazilian obstetric referral centers. The analysis focused on the association between ICU use and maternal death according to individual characteristics and disease severity.

Clinical and morphological profile of aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery treated at a neurosurgical service in Southern Brazil.

Background: The aim of the study was to characterize the clinical profile of patients with anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms and examine potential correlations between clinical findings, aneurysm morphology, and outcome.

Methods: A review of medical records and diagnostic neuroimaging reports of patients treated at a neurosurgical service in Porto Alegre, Brazil, between August 2008 and January 2015 was performed.

Results: During the period, 100 patients underwent surgery for ACoA aneurysms.

Can body mass index identify cardiac autonomic dysfunction in women who are apparently healthy?

We investigated the extent to which obesity could identify autonomic dysfunction of heart control in a cross-sectional study with 65 women (aged 18-45 years), categorized as eutrophic, overweight or obese. We collected anthropometric measures and measures of heart rate variability (HRV) between March 2015 and March 2017. Low frequency in normalized units (LF) over 46 was considered a marker of autonomic imbalance and high frequency in normalized units (HF) below 38 a marker of depressed vagal modulation.

Frequency and clinical significance of chromosome 7 and 10 aneuploidies, amplification of the EGFR gene, deletion of PTEN and TP53 genes, and 1p/19q deficiency in a sample of adult patients diagnosed with glioblastoma from Southern Brazil.

Glioblastoma stands out as the most frequent central nervous system neoplasia, presenting a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to verify the frequency and clinical significance of the aneuploidy of chromosomes 7 and 10, EGFR amplification, PTEN and TP53 deletions and 1p/19q deficiency in adult patients diagnosed with glioblastoma. The sample consisted of 40 patients treated from November 2011 to March 2015 at two major neurosurgery services from Southern Brazil.

Spatially distributed surface electromyography signal simulator.

Electromyographic signals are of great importance to current biomedical research society since they may be used in several ways as, for example, in the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases, the control of active prosthetic limbs as well as the test and validation of medical equipment.

Motor unit action potential conduction velocity estimated from surface electromyographic signals using image processing techniques.

In surface electromyography (surface EMG, or S-EMG), conduction velocity (CV) refers to the velocity at which the motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) propagate along the muscle fibers, during contractions. The CV is related to the type and diameter of the muscle fibers, ion concentration, pH, and firing rate of the motor units (MUs). The CV can be used in the evaluation of contractile properties of MUs, and of muscle fatigue.

Evaluation of extracellular adenine nucleotides hydrolysis in platelets and biomarkers of oxidative stress in Down syndrome individuals.

Purpose: Down syndrome (DS) is caused by the triplication of chromosome 21. Studies have demonstrated platelets abnormalities and oxidative stress in DS subjects. The enzymes NTPDase, 5'-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) represent an important therapeutic target since they interfere in the extracellular nucleotide pool altering platelet functions.

Effects of very short pauses on electromyographic variables measured during fatiguing isometric contractions.

15 healthy men (26.6 ± 4.6 years old, weight of 70.

Alterations of ectonucleotidases and acetylcholinesterase activities in lymphocytes of Down syndrome subjects: relation with inflammatory parameters.

Background: Subjects with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmune disorders. ATP, adenosine, and acetylcholine contribute to the immune response regulation, and NTPDase, adenosine deaminase (ADA) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are important enzymes in the control of the extracellular levels of these molecules. We evaluated the activities of these enzymes and the cytokine levels in samples of DS individuals.

A sliding window approach to detrended fluctuation analysis of heart rate variability.

The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) aids in the diagnosis of various diseases related to the malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Traditional approaches for analysis of HRV require the signal to be reasonably stationary during the period of observation. This is not possible when analyzing long duration signals.

Different types of physical activity on inflammatory biomarkers in women with or without metabolic disorders: a systematic review.

Overwhelming data support the relationship between physical inactivity and inflammatory processes underlying metabolic disorders. The aim of this review was to assess critically the body of evidence for the relationships between exercise protocols and levels of inflammatory biomarkers in women. Systematic literature searches using PubMed Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, LILACS, and SciELO of publications from 1993 to January 2012 were conducted using the following keywords: inflammation, cytokine, exercise, physical training, aerobic training, cardiovascular training, strength training, resistance training, interval training, cardiac rehabilitation, and therapeutic lifestyle modification/management.

Electromyographic study in 5 muscles during an isometric fatiguing protocol.

In this study, 12 healthy men aging 22.8 ± 2.2 years old were submitted to a protocol of isometric resistance to fatigue contemplating elbow flexion on three different angles: 45°, 90° and 135°.